Caroline's Baptism

Several months ago Caroline made a plan. Her eight birthday was approaching and she had her own ideas about this big event. She wanted to be baptized like her sisters were but her favorite person would be the one to do it.  (Incidentally later in a conversation about this favorite person. . . Grandpa Fielding she let me know that he was number one and Grandma Fielding was #2. So were was I on the list I wondered out loud. She counted in her mind and then told me that I was #5. Grandparents first, then Calvin, Dad and finally I squeeze in at the last minute to make it into Caroline's top 5.)

So she came home from church after a lesson on baptism and asked for her Grandpa's number. Then she took off upstairs for a private conversation. Then later on in the afternoon my mother called telling me that they working hard to get Grandpa out here to baptize Caroline but she didn't think that she would be able to come.  She also wanted to know if Brent was okay with Grandpa doing his job. So this is how her parents found out that her Dad wouldn't be the one to baptize his last daughter. Ultimately Dad was okay with it and the decision was made to bring Caroline to Grandpa rather than visa versa. So May 23rd came and went and Caroline just kept on waiting. Waiting for her July trip to Washington. 

Grandpa surprised her and picked out and purchased a new white dress for their big day together. Grandma said he just came home with it. 

Here is her father giving his daughter in white away. 

She sat by Grandpa and held his hand during the meeting. Often she snuck in a kiss. Either on the hand she was holding or she just whipped her head around and planted cheek kisses. She was just so happy to be with Grandpa and have everyone come and see her get baptized. 

I felt she was as prepared as she could be at this young age to choose to follow Jesus her whole life through. She asked me to let her speak at her baptism and with out any prep she got up and went on for a good five minutes about this and that beaming from ear to ear. Just in case we couldn't tell she let us know that she "feels so Happy!" She also let us know when she stepped into the water that it "feels like a hot tub" and that of course brought a huge smile to be go down into a hot tub with Grandpa to be baptized.

What a special day for our girl Caroline!

There was Grandpa, 3 Grandma's and tons of cousins and aunts and uncles in attendance. 

And even a rainbow.