Eight years sure goes fast! Last Sunday, February 28th Caleb got baptized by Ben at the Harrison Bay Ward in Ooltewah, TN. It was so exciting to know that he chose to follow this path and live is life for Jesus Christ and to become a full member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was baptized which will be 10 years this month! The many months of studying the scriptures, taking the lessons, praying and pondering and asking what was true. And finding over and over the answer. What a blessing it has been for me to have chosen this path and I know that Caleb will have many blessings in his life as well. Congratulations Caleb! I am so very proud of you and your decesion!
Grandma Mary Johnston came from Cartersville to support Caleb, and many of our friends joined as well. Grandma was a huge influence in my life when I was Caleb's age in learning the love of Christ and the power of prayer. Thank you Grandma for coming to this special event and for being such a great example in your whole life in making the decesion everyday to follow Jesus Christ! And thank you all for your love and support!
Poor Caleb started to not feel good a few hours before his baptism. We had church beforehand at 1pm and it ended at 4pm. There was a potluck afterward and at 530pm the baptism started. The kids were all very excited and after a little Tynal Caleb started to feel better. Of course the next day he was really sick and I had to take him to the doctors which he ended up needing antibiotics for tonsalitis. Poor Kid! He got better after a few days and feels great today.
Caleb shared his baptism with Cole Wolfe who also got baptized. Cole has been one of Caleb's best friends since we moved here. It sure made is even more special to share such a special event with such special people in our lives!
Here was the schedule of events. Eileen Voyles gave the talk on baptism. She did a incredible job. She had pieces of paper representing stones for a path. She talked about the stepping stones to get back to our Heavenly Father. She had the boys stand on each as she described them. I thought it was a great way to do that. Thank you Eileen for your participation in the baptism as well as the huge influence you have been in all of our lives. You are truly a great example that I hope to be more like some day. Dave Wolfe gave the talk on the Holy Ghost. I truly enjoyed his description and testimony. What amazing examples we have had all around us these last 5 years. We have been truly blessed!
Congratulation boys!
In order to sell it we have been doing a lot of fixing and beautifying. Ben took off a week so we could paint etc. In that week we painted the master bedroom and bathroom, the main living room (with 18ft ceiling - that was fun), kitchen, entryways, and guest bathroom. We had the carpets stretched - thanks Devon! The front brick work fixed - thanks Derek! I have cleaned up the beds a little and tried to get the front looking as best as possible for this time of year - I have way too many perinial beds! I couldn't do much the week after his vacation because me and all the kids got sick, but last week went through the boys room, and started the girls room. We still have to paint the downstairs living room (which we keep putting off), and the office. We have a lot of stuff to bring to my grandmas house for storage - thanks for the storage room grandma! We have already made a few trips and currently have a garage full of stuff to store. To make the rooms look spacious we had to take out a lot of stuff including Ady's changing table/dressor. Made me kind of sad, she is growing up too fast. 
