.: Hayden's Baptism

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Hayden's Baptism

Time to back track a little!

On June 25th this year Hayden turned 8 and on September 26th he was baptized.

Hayden is the first of our children to be baptized. It was a special experience for Hayden and a special occassion for our family, as it is for every family.

This is the one and only photo of Hadyen at his baptism. We completely forgot about taking photos in the midst of arriving on time and remembering everything we needed. Tony had to interupt the baptismal service and ask everyone to wait a moment while I clicked the camera!

Tony put together the programme and arranged the speakers. We debated back and forth whether to have the baptism on a Saturday or Sunday and how to celebrate afterwards. We finally agreed on Sunday 5pm and had a get-together in the primary room afterward.

Amazingly, we got to our own baptism on time, but not without a small hiccup! As we were on our way to the baptism Tony suddenly realized he didn't have any white pants to wear. He thought I'd packed them for him, and I thought he'd packed them :) Tony pulled over to the side of the road, ran back to the house, frantically searched for his pants and realized he'd donated his pants to the temple because they were too small. With only 5 minutes until we were supposed to be at church he called a friend to borrow his. Fortunately, the friend was just leaving for the chapel and was able to bring some pants. We arrived just in time and luck had it that when Tony put his friends pants on they fit perfectly. PHEW!

We had a great turnout and the programme couldn't have been nicer. We had a number of people come up to us afterward who said they really felt the spirit and enjoyed it.

We had 3 speakers who all gave great talks. The last speaker was a large Maori friend of ours from our last ward who use to be our hometeacher. He has been one of the greatest hometeachers we've ever had. He's a really big guy (especially next to Tony) who has the biggest heart and is very kind and gentle in his ways. He spoke on the Holy Ghost and started to cry at the end of his talk. To see tears coming from such a big man and to hear him speak from the heart started to get all of us teary eyed!

Tony had to baptize Hayden twice because he left a word out in the prayer the first time (one of the 'of's'). Hayden thought it was cool, and all the kids liked watching it twice too. Ashton now tells us that he hopes he can go under the water twice at his baptism!

After the baptism ordinance we had one of the girls in our ward play the flute while Tony and Hayden were changing.

My mum was able to fake a sickie from work so that she could attend the baptism, but unfortunately Grandma didn't make it. She did however, write a nice letter to Hayden that was read in front of everyone at the start of the programme.

After the baptism was over we gathered in the room next door for homemade brownies, ice-cream, caramel popcorn and sushi. As to be expected kids made a mess with the food so it was nice to have the mess at church and not my house! A photo of Noah enjoying his food:

The only slight 'distraction' was that a very kind couple in our ward gave Hayden a present right before the baptism - a big box of Lego. I think they just wanted to spoil hayden and to show him they cared (the husband is Hayden's new Primary teacher), but they didn't realize that it distracted Hayden from what was most important. We didn't let him open it until the next day (much to his disapproval) as we really wanted him to focus on his moment and what the afternoon was all about.

Hayden's baptism was a wonderful experience for all of us and we are proud of Hayden for being so willing and excited to make his commitment to the Lord. Like with all things, the memory of the event has faded, but when I asked Hayden a few months later what he remembers most about his baptism he replied: "Going under the water and getting the Holy Ghost. I remember getting the Holy Ghost the most because he tells me when I shouldn't be doing something."

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Funny Comments

Ashton walking into the supermarket quietly whispers to himself: "Please can I have macaroni and cheese, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

Ashton: "I want to live with Jesus." Mummy: "Why?" Ashton: "Because he be nice to me and he gives me bread and water!"

Mummy, examining Ashton's legs, and thinking: My goodness, what hairy legs. Ashton, unimpressed with Mummy's examination, pulls away: "Don't touch them. I'm growing Daddy legs!"

Hayden gets upset at Ashton: "Right Ashton, that's it! I'm telling Jesus on you!"

Ashton with a cold: "I'm snotty as a piggy."

Hayden: "The sun is burning my eyeballs."

Hayden: "Mummy, how come your penis is missing?"

Hayden: "I get the bigger piece of cake because my skeleton is bigger."

Hayden (3yrs old) sees me get dressed in the morning and stares at my breasts with a confused look..."What thooooose be for???"

Hayden: "I don't want to finish my pizza, it's got blood all over it."

Hayden: "Ashton hit me in the heart."

Hayden learns the planets at Preschool: Mercury, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Penus!

Hayden (shopping with me and whining): "My brain hurts forever because you haven't buyed me anything."

QUOTES

Like the changing leaves of fall...My little boy is now a man.
--Author Unknown

Boys are God's way of telling you that your house is too neat!
--Author Unknown

There never has been, nor will there ever be, anything quite so special as the love between a mother and a son.
--Author Unknown

Boys are found everywhere - on top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around or jumping to. Mothers love them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers tolerate them, adults ignore them and Heaven protects them. A boy is Truth with dirt on its face, Beauty with a cut on its finger, Wisdom with bubble gum in its hair and the Hope of the future with a frog in its pocket.
--Alan Marshall Beck

Something For A Giggle....

I Owe My Mother ....

My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE. "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

My mother taught me RELIGION. "You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL. "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

My mother taught me LOGIC. " Because I said so, that's why."

My mother taught me MORE LOGIC. "If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

My mother taught me FORESIGHT. "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

My mother taught me IRONY. "Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS. "Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM. "Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

My mother taught me about STAMINA. "You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

My mother taught me about WEATHER. "This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY. "If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE. "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION. "Stop acting like your father!"

My mother taught me about ENVY. "There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION. "Just wait until we get home."

My mother taught me about RECEIVING. "You are going to get it when you get home!"

My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE. "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to get stuck that way."

My mother taught me ESP. "Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

My mother taught me HUMOR. "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT. "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

My mother taught me GENETICS. "You're just like your father."

My mother taught me about my ROOTS. "Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

My mother taught me WISDOM. "When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

My mother taught me about JUSTICE. "One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!