Hy's Big Day

[Not sure why this didn't post with the pictures. . . ]

Hy was baptized on Saturday.  While we are sad that we aren't surrounded by grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, and cousins we truly felt surrounded by family.  The Speaks & Holts, our Alaska family, were there along with our neighbors the Galloways, Jimmie Michaelis, Hopkins, Porters, Turners, Bonnie Victors, Penfields, and Hy's Primary Teacher Jeremy Jensen and his family.  

I asked the twins and the Speaks to share a brief experience they had either living up to their Baptismal Covenants or a time when they felt the Spirit.  I was really touched by the experiences my boys shared.  

Christian mentioned that in Elementary School his friends were always trying to get him to use "cuss words."  He never did.  He knew it wasn't good.  Then recently he and a friend were talking.  The friend was insisting that surely Christian had used cuss words before.  Christian said that he was able to look back and honestly say that he never had.  He knew that he had been blessed for keeping himself pure and clean.  [As a mom can I say, "WOW!!"  I had no idea.  I knew this one was good and pure, but to hear this story just astounded me.  I think I often don't give these two the credit they deserve for being amazing young men.]

Tanner spoke a few minutes later about a really bad day.  When he got home he felt prompted to read his scriptures.  He kept putting it off thinking that there would be nothing in those pages that would help him.  He doesn't remember what he read when he finally opened up the Book of Mormon, and his day was still down right horrible, but he was "filled with hope.  Hope that tomorrow would be a better day."  

I know that this post should be all about Hyrum and about how he is special and marvelous.  He is.  But I was just blown away by the goodness of my two boys who could stand and share with such conviction and confidence.  

. . . Back to Hyrum.  He was the only one baptized today.  I'm not sure he loved all the attention and he was filled with an expected amount of anxiety.  Yet, he felt "special" and "excited"   He loved his new white shirt and the donuts his friends gave him that made the letter 8.  He is an inquisitive little soul who will wonder, question, and ponder about the ordinance he participated in today and the covenants that he made.  I hope he spends a lifetime discovering and rediscovering the blessings and beauty of his baptism.