It's Great to be Eight: Katie's Baptism

Preparing for Katie's baptism was one for the books!  First, with Covid, we weren't even sure what we would be able to do, who would be able to come, and what we needed to plan for the baptism until fairly last minute.   Second, with Jon starting a new job, his first week on the job was the week before Katie's baptism and he was out in Arizona the whole week until the morning of her baptism.  It left me with a lot of last minute prep to handle on my own!

The week leading up to the baptism was chuck full of house cleaning, making fancy sugar cookies to package and hand out at the baptism- since refreshments at the church aren't currently allowed, planning and making her program, printing out pictures, trying to get everyone's clothes ready, and ordering and shopping for food for a lunch after the baptism with family.  I was also trying to make sure I was having conversations with her about baptism and the gospel to help her prepare.  I managed to get in a couple.  She didn't seem to have many questions or be very talkative about it, but I did notice a definite change in her desire to participate in church and read her scriptures as her baptism got closer.  She picked up a Book of Mormon and started reading it to me for her reading minutes several times and she also started trying to be reverent and listen in church.  She even told me she was doing as much!  It made me so proud of her for wanting to do what's right! 

The night before the baptism, we found out that Uncle Mark- one of Katie's witnesses- broke his elbow and wouldn't be coming down anymore.  We didn't know if Jenna and the kids would be able to come either so we had to make some contingency plans!  On Saturday morning we found out Anne- Scott's daughter who is going to PT school in Rochester currently- was going to drive Jenna and the kids down so everyone was excited to still get to see the cousins!  

Jon got home at 1am Saturday morning and slept in a bit Saturday morning.  Mike & Lisa's family and Grandma Day arrived around 11am Saturday and we headed up to the church to get ready and set up the zoom for those watching from home  (a plus of Covid!  It was nice to be able to have far away family be able to still participate in the baptism!).  I was rushing trying to get it all ready so I could help Katie get into her jumpsuit when Madi came running up the church hallway yelling, "Mom!  Mom!  I peed in my underwear!"  Sure enough she had had a big accident.  I didn't have any extra clothes for her so I had to take her to the bathroom, take off her wet shoes, tights, and underwear and strap her in a 2 sizes too small diaper I found in the car and then baby wipe off her dress.  Thankfully Grandma Day stepped in and helped Katie get into her jumpsuit for me!  

After all the rushing around, I felt a little frantic during the baptism but overall I think it went nicely.  I feel like I could have delivered my talk better if I'd been a little more calm, but oh well!  It was nice to have our MN family there and our Day cousins in our ward (Jon's cousin Jason, wife Kendra, and kids) came as well as Katie's friends Talia and Kenley with their moms.  The sister missionaries were able to step in and help with music since I struggled to find someone to play for us.

Katie said the water was really hot but she felt good getting baptized.  Colton stepped in for Uncle Mark as a Witness and Jenna was the other one.  Katie's cousin Emily gave a talk on the Holy Ghost as well as a necklace she made her and then Jon confirmed her a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and gave her the gift of the Holy Ghost.  

After the baptism the family members came back to our house for pizza, fruit, veggies, and icecream.  It was fun to have everyone around for a few hours to hang out!  

Here is my talk I gave at Katie's Baptism:

Katie, last week you turned 8 years old and today you’re getting baptized!  In your 8 years here on earth, you’ve been through a lot!  You were born with something called hip dysplasia where you hip bone didn’t fit into your leg bone the right way.  The doctor told us that if we didn’t fix it, you might never be able to walk or run very well.  When you were just a tiny baby, you got put into an uncomfortable harness that you had to wear all the time for 3 months to fix that problem.  Shortly after that, you fell out of your bouncer and broke your leg.  When you were about 2 years old, you got very sick with the flu and mom and dad had to call 911 and take you to the emergency room.  When you were three years old, you broke your other leg on the trampoline.  When you were 4, you jumped off of a couch and landed funny and sprained your foot badly and couldn’t walk for a week.  When you were 6, you fell on some stairs and broke your collar bone.  You, young lady, have had more x-rays, more broken bones, more emergency room visits,  and missed more holidays being sick than anyone else in our family.   You might look at that and think, “Boy- I sure have been picked on!”   

But as I’ve thought about all of the things that you’ve already overcome in you short eight years, the thought that I keep having is, “Boy- Heavenly Father must know how strong Katie is!  Look how much she has overcome!  Look how well she has handled each challenge that has come her way!”

You are a very strong and very special spirit Katie, and Heavenly Father knows that!   You are tough and determined and always try your best!  Life is going to continue to have some tough things that you will have to deal with.  For all our sakes, I really hope you don’t have any more broken bones in your future,  but I know that whatever challenges you have in your future, you also have the ability and strength to overcome each one!   Heavenly Father has also promised us that when we follow the path that he has set for us and make good choices then we will be blessed with a LOT of joy in between and even during all the tough times! 

Today, as you make the choice to be baptized, you are taking a really important step along that path!  You are choosing to follow Jesus’s example and walk down the path of righteousness.  Each and every step you take along this path will lead to blessings and happiness in your life, Katie! 

When you’re baptized, you will also be making a covenant, or sacred promise to Heavenly Father.  When you are baptized you promise to follow Jesus, always remember Jesus, and keep His commandments and serve Him.   Heavenly Father promises YOU that as you keep those promises, He will forgive you when you make mistakes, He will give you the gift of the Holy Ghost, and He will give you the gift of eternal life.   Each Sunday when you take the sacrament, you are given the chance to think about those promises and renew your baptism covenants with Heavenly Father.  

Katie, we love you and are so proud of you for making this choice to be baptized, and for all of the other good choices we have seen you make.  We are proud of you for being such a kind sister and friend to others.  We are proud of you for always trying your best, and we are so proud of you for and the challenges you have overcome and all that you will continue to overcome.  You are so strong!  Heavenly Father loves you so much!  We’re so grateful He sent you to our family! 

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.