Binding to God

This lovely girl.  This rose of ours.  Our little biscuit.  She got baptized the weekend before Thanksgiving.  Both sets of grandparents came out to witness this big event in her life.  It was a weekend packed full of people and excitement and love.
I felt so tender towards this fiery girl of mine as I watched her take this big step that will bind her to God.  I could tell that she understood the magnitude of it.  That she was ready, that her heart was eager.  She was pretty excited about this little photo shoot we did to make her invitations.  Sorry for posting so many of these, but this girl has too many good expressions.  I love how photos still all the chaos and help you see, really see your children.  These two (above and below) may be my favorite. 

And here she is on her actual baptism day.  She wore the same outfit that my dad wore when he was baptized as an 8 year old.  His mother made it for him.  It has been worn by her older siblings and all her older cousins on my side of the family.  It’s thin and worn and the zipper is broken, but I love that she gets to feel connected to all these people who she loves and who love her, who have gone before her on this path of discipleship.   


Love this funny candid shot , with charlie photo bombing and my dad taking a selfie.
It was so great having all her grandparents there, even her third grandmother, Joyce. 

And great friends who came from far and near to witness this big step in her life. 

As part of the program I got to welcome our friends and family and in that welcome I felt so much love for so many people who have influenced Emmeline’s life and helper her along her path.  There are so many ways to follow Jesus and because Emmeline is such an enigma to me sometimes, I’m extra thankful that she has such a variety of examples in our ward and in our community and in our extended family.  She can look to so many sources to see the different ways Christ works in people’s lives and hearts.
 
Right after she was actually baptized my mom had the idea to pass out these cute little cards for people to write little messages to Emmeline to help her remember her big day and to express their thoughts about the Savior and baptism.  These were a treasure.  Full of wisdom and incite that I hope Emmeline will read often. 

Here are some excerpts of what people wrote:

“There’s a part in the book Peter Pan where Peter looks to his future and says, “It will be an awfully big adventure.”  That’s what baptism is like to me.  It’s a time in your life when you stand at the beginning of so many things – some you can imagine and some you can not.  But that’s what makes it an adventure.  And the only thing we really know is that through every facet of that adventure, Heavenly Father will walk, dance, climb, sing, cry, pray and work and play right along with us.  Enjoy the Adventure Emmeline, it’s going to be fabulous.”

“I believe the power of baptism is to bind you to God and to make it feel good to be clean, so you want to repent.  And the Holy Ghost will give you power and strength to improve, to change, and to repent.  The Holy Ghost and the sacrament will slowly, over your lifetime, help you become the best Emmeline Rose Eyre Shumway you can ever be.  You are enough.  You are perfect.  I love you.  I believe in the power of the atonement to help me change, to help me find joy , and to help me know god.  I can’t wait to see how powerful you’ll be with the Holy Ghost helping you change and grow closer to Jesus Christ.”

“Dear Emmeline, I know it has been a hard day for you, but you did it! Love, Delilah”

And my favorite, from Peter:

Love this girl, can’t wait to watch her follow this path she has chosen.