Josh's Baptism

Yesterday was Josh's baptism.  It was a really great day!

We got to the Stake Center a little early to take the requisite pictures.  Lance and Josh both looked so handsome!

For whatever reason, Josh didn't want to take a picture with me.  Because he is a punk.  But I am a bigger punk and threatened him into posing with me.

Then we decided to try to take a family picture.  But Tess would have none of it.  So we tried to guilt her into it by taking some without her.  It didn't work.

So we all surrounded her on the chair she was sulking in.  Good enough!

Thankfully, Josh was willing to sit with Grandma Susie and Grandpa ElRay.  We're so grateful they were able to come out for this!

Here's the program I put together.

On the whole, the baptism went pretty well.  We had lots of friends come, which we are really grateful for.  Cole basically behaved. (Unlike at Spencer's baptism, where he had to be removed from the room because he was singing the ABCs really loudly!)  Tess decided to be a pill this time, though.  Lots of whining and wandering and talking loudly.  So, you know, being a three year old at a church event.

I know Josh was nervous about doing the actual baptism just right, but he did it perfectly!  And he was all smiles during the talks and confirmation and everything.

After the service we all enjoyed the cookies I had been baking and freezing all month.  I had made 6 different kinds and had brought around 14 dozen cookies and 2 gallons of milk.  I thought I had overdone it, but by the end not a single cookie was left and all the milk was gone!

Josh had originally requested that I serve shrimp at his baptism.  Yeah, like real shrimp.  Expensive shrimp. (The boy loves shrimp.) He just stared at me in disbelief each time I gave him good reasons for not serving shrimp: it's expensive.  It would be hard to keep cold.  Not everyone likes shrimp. (That one really threw him for a loop.)  So instead I made him shrimp-shaped sugar cookies.  

Only they kinda looked like pink letter J's.  Which is good, because, you know, Josh.  But also bad because Josh is a boy.  Fortunately, Josh and all my friends have a good sense of humor.  (But now I have to wonder what I'm going to do with a shrimp-shaped cookie cutter. Maybe it will reappear at Josh's wedding...) ((Hopefully his future bride will also have a sense of humor!))

I feel so blessed to have such a good son like Josh.  He really did make the choice to be baptized, and he has that awesome eight year old newly-baptized light about him.  I also feel blessed to have such an awesome ward family and friends who came to support us. (And eat all our cookies.)