It's Great to be Eight!

This day came with mixed emotions.  It is wonderful to know all five of your kids have chosen to follow the Savior and be baptized, but it is also sad to know this is the end of an era for us.  This will be the last one of our children that Scott will baptize.  We are so grateful to all our family that came out to support Will and made this such a special day.  Will knew that grandma C.C. and grandma-grandma, grandpa and Blake (not to mention Chewy and Buster) were coming but he got a special surprise when Kennedy walked through the front door!  It was hard keeping this a surprise from him (hmm, hmm, Scott!) but this is how she wanted it.  She decided to come to the front door and ring the bell.  When Will saw who it was, he ran up to her screaming and hugged her so tight she couldn't breathe.  Kennedy was so happy to see his excitement she started crying.  Everyone was really excited to have her home, even if it was for just a couple days.

Will chose Kennedy and Grandma C.C. to be the speakers at his baptism.  Grandma spoke first on baptism and gave him a book that covered all the principles of baptism.  Then Kennedy spoke on the Gift of the Holy Ghost and did a great job.

 Grandma-grandma gave the opening prayer and Layton gave the closing prayer.  After Will was baptized and confirmed, Scott got to give him his welcome to the ward talk.  Will thought that was pretty neat that his dad was the one that got to do his baptismal interview, baptize him, confirm him, welcome him to the ward and sign his baptismal certificate!  Scott usually has the kids come up front, stand on a chair and look out at all the people there to support them that day.  But grandma C.C. had Will do that in her talk.  So Scott just let Will speak to everyone.  Just before they went into the water, Will had asked Scott if he could share his testimony after he was baptized.  He was awesome!  He got up there, with all the confidence of a man, and started telling everyone so matter of factly, how this was the path you need to take.  He went on to tell about how your journey can be on this path.  Sometimes you are following this path and everything is great, and then you go up this way on the path, then you might go over here on the path, and then sometimes, you get off the path and you have to take this path, but that path will eventually lead you back to the path up here...all the while he had those arms just a going demonstrating where all these paths were going!  I love watching this little boy grow up.  He is such a crazy goof-ball most the time, but when it comes to the gospel, he takes it very seriously.  We are so proud of Will, for your decision to be baptized and for the example you are to your friends at school and your family.