The day finally arrived had been anticipated by many for a very long time. Eric was baptized. To tell you something about the day, I wish everyone could be there. This was impossible so I will try my best to help everyone understand how we got here.
When we moved to Idaho things were different. Are family dynamics had changed (two less kids), Eric's job changed(working back in his career field), people at church changed(smaller ward), and we needed to find friends. So there was a lot of adjusting to do all around.
So lets start the story from the beginning. Eleven years ago I gave Eric a Book of Mormon before leaving or a month in the summer. On the inside it said simply " I love this book more than anything and its true" I marked some sections to have him read and I left. He read it but didn't understand it. That fall he had the missionary discussion and he committed to be baptized. After tell his family and friends about his decision he changed his mind. After trying to stay apart from each other and getting back together(that was all me), we get married.
Texas...I was called to teach gospel doctrine. Eric would come to my class to listen to me. He wore a polo shirt and khaki's. Then Savannah came along, he started going to sacrament meeting with me and stay for Sunday School (even though I didn't teach). He had some amazing friends at church that loved him for him. At some point he started wearing colored button up shirts, instead of a polos. Before we left our good friend Chris Stratton shared some scriptures from Alma 32 with him.
We moved to Colorado. He went started going to all three hours of church. He wanted to be with his family. Then he made more friends...Bishop Shumay was an amazing friend to our whole family. He asked him to serve with the Priests as an Adventure scout leader. He started wearing white shirts with a tie. (He had to set an example) We made some more amazing friends. Emily got baptized and at the baptism he said "if someone would have asked him to get baptized...he would have done it. He felt at so loved and at home in Colorado. Before we left Savannah drew a picture at church of her daddy baptizing her. It made him cry...he wasn't sure if he would be ready.
Idaho...He went to church the first week, it felt different Elder's Quorum was small. He decided he would listen to football the third hour. He even tried wearing a blue shirt to church. Things starting happening to him. Savannah came home one Sunday and asked him why he couldn't get baptized...she only wanted her daddy to baptize her and no one else. In her mind the truth of the gospel is plan and simple and she couldn't figure out why he couldn't see that. He stopped sitting the car for the third hour. He stopped drinking coffee. He started talking about when not if. So I finally asked him. This was in the beginning of January. He could stop thinking about getting baptized for awhile he just didn't want to tell me because he wasn't sure of how soon it was going to happen and he didn't want to get my hopes up. I had to keep this secret....how do I not tell anyone. That was on a Wednesday. Sunday after church he is so ready to be baptized and he doesn't want to wait.
He decides to call and Talk to Alex to see if he would want to be here for his baptism. He says he does so we call up our bishop and start talking about plans for the special. February 21st is decided. For Eric it was the longest month and half. The day couldn't get here faster. For our family life had started to change. Eric had changed for the better.
The day finally came and with a little hold ups of me being late and a crazy morning the baptism happen. We had six families come from Colorado, one from Utah, my sisters and my mom came, and a family from Texas that lives in Idaho now came. Then there was the support of our new ward. The chapel was full and there was standing room only around the baptismal font. Eric shared his conversion story with everyone...and then bore his testimony. It was the sweetest moment. We had so much love from everyone near and far.
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