IT'S GREAT TO BE EIGHT

Raegan turned 8 just in time to be baptized on Saturday, January 3rd! We sent out invitations, a close friend sewed her a beautiful white dress, we had the baptism and then celebrated with a light dinner afterward.

The day of the baptism we all were a little frantic. I was stressed trying to get the finishing touches done on the program, decorations and dinner while Jason juggled the kids, a new puppy and cleaned the house. Raegan was excited but also very nervous to have the focus all on her. She kept worrying that a body part was going to come out of the water during the baptism or that she didn't know the song she was singing in the program. Like mother, like daughter. Finally, on our way to the Stake Center, we all took a deep breath and decided to let it all go. Nothing else really mattered but the spirit of the occasion.

I kinda wished we had figured that out sooner.

We got to the chapel and felt complete peace. We were no longer in a hurry and could just enjoy this big moment for Raegan. The program couldn't have been more perfect, with most of our family members able to preside and participate. Raegan listened so intently to Grandma Downs' talk on Baptism. Grandma had all the kids involved as she had diagrams displayed perfectly and children participating in filling in the blanks. She used a picture of Raegan and smeared peanut butter on it to demonstrate how we sin and it taints us. She wiped off the peanut butter to display that when we get baptized, all the yucky sticky stuff is then gone and we become clean.


The Downs cousins (including Raegan and Kylee) sang "When I Am Baptized". Then it was time to get dunked. Raegan was happy that her daddy was able to baptize her. Tons of children gathered around the font. One dunk, that's all it took. Raegan was happy that the water was warm and that she only had to go under once. Afterward, I got to spend some time alone with Raegan as we changed her back into her beautiful dress and dried her hair. We hugged and I told her how proud I was of her and her decision to be baptized. She looked at me and said "Mommy, are all my sins really washed away?" "Yes, Raegan..." I replied with tears in my eyes. "Right now you are perfect." It was a moment with my daughter that I will never forget.

Uncle Ryan then spoke on the Holy Ghost and we had a musical number "He Is The Way" by our good friend, Kristen Child. Everything was so peaceful. It was awesome to have so many of Raegan's family members able to participate in the confirmation.

Your not rolling Fifield style if you don't have a party! After the baptism, family and friends retired to our home for a light dinner.

There was a whole lot of chaos with a gazillion kids running around upstairs. In fact, we thought it was pretty funny until we were saying good-bye to some friends when water started pouring out of our can lights in our ceiling! Yes. My house flooded. By this point, I was catatonic... exhausted from party after party all within three weeks! Everyone rushed to the rescue as I sat and blankly stared. It honestly didn't phase me by this point. I guess our finicky toilet upstairs had been completely punished by all the children. Not one child bothered to let us know it had begun to overflow as they just continued bouncing on the beds and screaming like wild animals.

When things quieted down a bit, Raegan decided to open her gifts. Grandma and Grandpa Hawaii had sent her a Baptism Journal which was perfect to depict all of her memories from her big day. They also gave her a beautiful bracelet. Grandma and Papa Downs gave her a CTR ring. Raegan also received pictures, frames, jewelry and even money!

The last gift Raegan opened was a huge surprise!

Mom and Dad presented her with her very own set of scriptures!

Raegan is such a good girl. We just love her so much and are so incredibly proud of her. She is an amazing example to her sisters, peers and even her parents! She constantly makes good choices and tries to be a better person each and every day. She is trying her best to keep her slate clean and I must admit, I'm lovin' it!

Our ward also had the "It's Great To Be Eight" program. Each child that will be baptized in 2009 was welcomed into the "Achievement/Scouts Programs". Raegan was also asked to give a talk and tell everyone of her very own baptism experience, since she was the first of the group to be baptized a member of "The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints".

What a fun group of friends!

And ofcourse, a silly picture.

Each child was given a cute frame with a baptism poem inside. I think every child left feeling excited and special!