Hi! I decided that it was time I posted my first "official" blog entry. Yesterday we got our family pictures that we had taken over Labor Day weekend. We all met at Mack's Park at 7:30 AM to have a COMPLETE Meikle family picture taken. It seems with the addition of 3 new grandbabies and a change of husbands ;) our last family picture just wasn't cutting it.

This was also the same day that Katie got baptized and officially became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. What an amazing day for a mom! I am still getting emotional just thinking about it! We tried really hard to teach Katie about baptism and what it meant and to let her know that she didn't "have" to be baptized, it was her choice. She was so looking forward to being baptized. For months she talked about it and I would ask her why she wanted to get baptized and what it meant. She really knew, and it was something she really wanted. Katie is such a good girl. She tries to hard to be good and do what is right and she is so sensitive to other's feelings. How grateful I am that she is our girl!

Katie had it in her mind that she needed a new baptism dress (which I was ok with) but she decide it HAD to be ALL white("because white is the clean color"). So we went to every store in town looking for the perfect one. Of course, she found it in the first store but I had to be difficult and see if there was a better one, a cheaper one, a whatever one. We went to Dressed in White and I found one I loved, but Katie would have nothing to do with it. As I drilled her down about why she didn't like it there were two reasons 1- it had a tiny bit of pale green ribbon on the waist (remember it had to be all white) 2- it had ruffles, and in Katie's own words "Ruffles were so 5 years ago"! Oh boy, I am not looking forward to prom dress shopping. Well, we got Katie's first dress and isn't it beautiful!

The baptism was wonderful. We had a TON of people there to support Katie. Our hometeachers came (Doug & Joe) and Katie's friends from primary our Bishop (Neal Dewey) and Primary President (Yuri Moser) and our good friends the Richardsons and our Austin and Meikle families. Holly and Frank even flew in from California and Travis and Juli cancelled a trip to Yellowstone for us! We felt so loved! Katie received so many gifts. How blessed we are. We followed it up with a brunch at our neighbors house, we have no grass yet so we borrowed theirs.

Before the confirmation there was a short program where Katie's cousins and primary friends sang a song and then Grandma Meikle gave a short talk about the Holy Ghost and the Bishop and Sis. Moser talked for just a minute. Doug confirmed her with Brian Austin, Ryan Turner, Travis Meikle, Justin Larsen, Bishop Neal Dewey, Dewey Richardson, Joe Fife standing in the circle. The short program ended with everyone singing I am a Child of God (Wow! that many people in a small room can really make and impact!) and a beautiful prayer offered by Grandma Austin

The next day in church they recognized Katie during Sacrament meeting and had her stand up in front of everyone. Then later she bore her testimony and she did such a great job! She talked about how grateful she was for repentance and that we could be forgiven. Wow! She made this mom proud and even brought tears to some unnamed Uncle's eyes.

I am so grateful that we belong to this wonderful church and that our children can be raised to believe in a loving, forgiving God!

This baptism was the beginning to a wonderful weekend. I'll post more about that later. This post has already lasted forever. Thanks for reading!