Eli's baptism

Saturday was such a wonderful day.  Eli got baptized at 3:00 on Saturday April 16th.  Grandma and Grandpa Richards came as well as Lance and Nancy and their kids.  We had a hard time getting a straight face from Eli for the pictures because, well, he is Eli.  He asked me to give the talk on Baptism and Mike to give the talk on the Holy Ghost.  He asked Will and Grandma Richards to give the prayers and Grandpa Richards and Lance to be the witnesses.  He also asked Grandpa Richards to confirm him.  Mike was the presiding member of the bishopric, the pianist, and conducted the meeting.  He was busy!  Eli requested mini fruit pizzas for the refreshments so I got up early on Friday and baked all the cookies and then Grandma and Nancy helped me frost and decorate them.  We also had mini brownies, a vegetable platter, a cheese, cracker, and salami platter.  We cut up some lemons and limes and threw in some mint and ice and served that for our drink.  I printed off some pictures I had taken of him in his suit and put those on the refreshment table and the table where the programs were.  

After the baptism we got pictures with family and Eli wanted to eat at Golden Coral so we headed out to dinner after we changed.  The next morning Mike and I gave him a small bag of goodies.  He got gum because we were proud of him for "chewsing the right."  He got a small flashlight to remind him that Jesus is the Light of life and that the Holy Ghost will guide him when he doesn't know what to do.  We got him hot snaps to remind him that the Holy Ghost will bring him warmth and comfort.  We also got him some body wash to remind him that we need to regularly become clean again through repentance.  The Primary Presidency also gave him a journal that they wrote a message in and then had me and Mike, Lance and Nancy, and Grandma and Grandpa Richards write in.  

I think it was a really special day and I hope that even though he is only eight, that he will remember his baptism and that his testimony of baptism will grow and grow.