Baptism Day. February 5, 2011.

Can you just see the excitement on their faces. The entire morning they just couldn't stop saying how happy they were and how good they felt. These boys have been waiting a long time for this very day. In our culture we do the baptizing generally shortly after their 8th birthday instead of sometime when they are a baby. Why 8 years old? The golden 8 is simply for the fact that at this age children are free to choose IF they want to be baptised and for the belief that before the age of 8 they are not accountable for their sins, not really knowing right from wrong (also know in our culture as the atonement) and by the grace of God. Before the age of 8, is a growing and learning period. It's a time to learn that when you steal a piece of candy from the store, the right thing to do is to take it back, say your sorry and never do it again. When you are mean to your brothers, it's a time to ask for forgiveness from your brothers and try to love them more the next day. It's a time to make mistakes and to become a better person from them. That's how God made us, to choose for ourselves what we want to be, "And whatever we "Be" be a good one" as one of my neighbors has that on one of her walls. I want my children to know that they will make mistakes well after they are baptised. It's part of being a kid, a teenager and an adult, as long as they learn from their mistakes and grow from them, that's what counts. As long as they live a life full of service to others, kindness and love toward others. If I could "give" a gift to my children that is what it would be, the gift of service, love and kindness. As a mom, there is nothing that they could do to change me loving them any less. They may not always "do" what I want them to do but that won't ever change the fact that I love them come what may. I just hope that they remember this very special day and always remember the good feelings they had like Brooke and I remember ours.
So after the boys got baptised, the twins and Brooke went into the men's bathroom to get changed back into their clothes. Brooke was in the stall next to the twins and was listening in on their conversation. That's one of the nice things to having twins, in those quiet moments when they talk to each other just 8 year old to 8 year old not knowing that their Dad is sneakily listening. This is how the conversation went:
Both are talking about how happy they are, this is the best day of my life.... I know heavenly father is so proud of me...
Rustin says-- "I think I'm going to start crying I'm so happy"
Elijah says-- dead serious, "I think I hear angels".
Then they both pause for a little bit...
Rustin says-- "No that's just the toilet running."
Then they both giggled and Brooke laughed along with them in the next stall.
I thought they'd want to remember that story when they are older... "I think I hear angels"-- really Elijah, not quite angels, that's too funny. I'm glad Rustin kind of brought him to reality.
Also in our culture the child picks who they want to baptise them, generally it's the dad as was our case. This was an extra special day for our family since both of our children were baptised all in one day.

Sorry, our camera must have been on manual focus so the pictures aren't the clearest.

Grandpa Al.

What do Mormon's do the best... Eat (well we can't drink, haha). We had family and some friends stay for a little while after the baptism.

Aunt Ginger.

Uncle Todd and Easton. Aunt Marie, uncle Keith and their kids. Daisy, Todd and their kids. Noah and Caroline. The Deborrows family. Grandma and Grandpa. Chandie family made it to the baptism. Those were most of the people what were there. We had a great time sad it's over. Hopefully they will remember this day as a special one.