Potty Training

I dreaded the day Timothy wanted to potty train. I admit, part of the reasons for waiting so long was my own unwillingness to deal with accidents, etc.
But I got tired of buying diapers. As long as we had diapers for him, Timothy refused to try to potty train. It was easier to just use those darn diapers.
One day I decided as soon as this last batch of diapers was gone I was not buying any more. Timothy would have to potty train. In ask reality I still wasn't prepared. We ran out of diapers faster than I expected.
But I didn't buy anymore. I told Timothy he had to wear underwear and use the toilet. I was so nervous about the prospect. But he trained so easily. I've been nervous about taking him places for fear of accidents. You see, I couldn't use pull-ups because they're too much like a diaper.
Timothy has been such a trooper. He is potty trained. And it only took a couple of days to get the nighttime thing down! All of my fears seem to have been unfounded. It has been relatively painless and easy.
This is really nothing short of a small miracle. I'm counting my blessings with this one.

Baptism Day

The past eight years have flown. At times the day Amber joined our family and we became three seems just like yesterday. She has been so excited for her baptism day. She has been talking about it for months.

I admit, I am such a proud mama. I am so grateful that Amber made the decision to take this step.

Special occasions require extra special dresses. So I set out a few months before her baptism day to find something extra special. found some really cute dresses, but when it came right down to it, nothing seemed to be right. So I decided I would make her dress. So I found a few patterns and let Amber decide. I didn't have any that were the exact size I needed so I had to make alterations. The prospect was a little daunting because it requird a little creative planning on my part. I hadn't really altered a pattern to this extent before.

Then I started looking for material. I started with the material I already had. I found the perfect material, but Amber had to approve. She was so excited. I had remnants of material from my wedding dress, and I had just enough for Amber's dress. She thought it was pretty cool to have a dress made from the same material as my wedding dress! That is one of the first things she told people. I was a little worried I wouldn't get the dress done. I started the dress about a week before. I almost finished the dress that first day, but something happened, I don't even remember what. So I wasn't able to get back to it until Friday. At about 9:00 p.m. I was still trying to put the zipper in. Ack, I was freaking out by this time. But I had to get it done. As you can see, the dress got finished. Just a small miracle.

Her face was the picture of pure joy! She was so excited. Her eyes were full of light.

 



 
 






























Here she is with her sister. What an awesome example Amber has set. Her sister looks up to her a lot and wants to be just like Amber. She's already asking when it is her turn.


 

Here is Amber with her daddy. John had the wonderful experience of baptizing Amber. Amber doesn't like to get her face wet, but with her daddy right by her side, she knew she could do it. She trusted him to take care of her.

When we talked about the program a few weeks before, Amber had a clear idea of what she wanted. She wanted Great grandma Foster to play the piano, and Great grandma Greenland to lead the music. She wanted to sing "When Jesus Christ was baptized" and "When I am Baptized." Nothing could sway her from that choice.

Then it came time to decide who she wanted to give talks. She wanted Aunt Kay and Aunt Cori to give talks.

So Kay talked about baptism. She reminded us all that baptism is one of the first ordinances of the gospel. She asked Amber if she knew the fourth article of faith and Amber said yes. But in a moment of shyness she couldn't remember, which was okay. She reminded us how important it is to take this first step in returning to our Heavenly Father.

Just a few weeks before Amber's baptism we found out that Jeff and Cori would be moving and would not be able to make it to the baptism, despite their best efforts. So Amber said she wanted me to give a talk. I did not want to give a talk because I knew I would be too emotional. Wasn't there a way Cori could still give the talk? I have a video camera! Perfect. We recorded Jeff and Cori giving a talk before they moved. It was a surprise for Amber.

So Jeff and Cori gave a talk about the Holy Ghost. They reminded us that the Holy Ghost is a comforter, just like a blanket. We had a few issues with the video. Everything worked beforehand and it discouraged me a bit when it didn't work the way I had planned. But, the message came across. When we are baptized and confirmed, we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost will always be with us.

I am so grateful to all who participated in the program. It made my job easier.

We had a lot of people come show their support for Amber. It was so good to see all those that came. Amber was excited that some of her friends from school came to support her. It really meant a lot to her that her friends Issac and Emily came. She even invited her school teacher! That is how excited she was. She just wanted to share this special day with everyone.

Amber knows that she is following the example of our Savior by being baptized. She made the decision long ago that she would take this step. I am so proud of her. As surreal as it still seems, my little girl is growing up and making her own decisions. I wanted her to make the decision to get baptized. When I asked her why she wanted to be baptized, making me happy was never part of her answer. When it comes right down to it, she knows she is a child of God and she knows that being baptized is an important step in her life that will bring her closer to the goal of eternal life.