Baptism Day (and a little holiday called Halloween)

I've been sitting contemplating this post, staring at the blank blogger screen for twenty minutes.  I'm not sure I have the words to describe the emotions of Abby's baptism day.  Words like amazing, fantastic, spiritual, momentous, all fall short and sound incredibly trite.  As much as it was a milestone for her, it felt like a milestone for us as parents as well.  As I was helping Abby get dressed for her baptism, I flashed back to night after night spent in the rocking chair, singing primary songs, and silently willing her to sleep.  I remembered the constant nursing, the tears (hers and mine!), the times I wondered what I was thinking becoming a mom because I obviously wasn't cut out for it.  The moments I spent with her yesterday, being her mom, helping her dress, brushing her hair, silently crying with joy as I watched her make a decision that will shape her life, felt like the reward for all the hard moments that came before. 

Abby was so happy- she spent the whole day literally glowing.  We were fortunate to have Tom's mom, sister and brother in law fly in for the baptism.  It was a great moment to look down the row in the chapel and see our family lined up, just because we don't get that very often.  We even hosted a luncheon at the chuch afterwards, because there were too many people to fit in our house.  (Now those of you who have been to my house know that it doesn't take much for it to be too many people, but it meant a lot to all of us to have a big crowd to celebrate with us!)

Abby, Ashlynn, and their friend Katelyn

Abby couldn't resist spinning (and spinning and spinning) in her new baptism dress.

                                  Uncle Mark, who also did Abby's confirmation

Oh yeah- It was also a little holiday last night!  Halloween!  Abby thought it was the coolest thing ever to be baptized on Halloween.  It was like we had engineered the whole thing just for her.  Ashlynn even asked if she could have her baptism on Halloween.  So after a big lunch and a much-needed nap, Tom and the girls headed out trick-or-treating while Max and I manned the doorbell.

He stood at the door and shrieked at everyone who walked by. 

Then, when I wasn't looking, he escaped out the door and started almost running down the street.

Abby and Ashlynn wanted to be angels for Halloween, and Kate was the bridesmaid.  They trick-or-treated together the whole night.

My little Angels and demon...