accountable

Lately when I look at Emma I just feel like her childhood is slipping away from me...in a sad but also full-of-pride sort of way. She has taught me so much about maturity and humility the last month or so. She got to be baptized on her birthday - which was amazing. (And a lot of work.) She kept worrying about if she was ready to be baptized, and I could tell it consumed a lot of her thoughts. We had long tearful discussions about it, and I realized once again that she is aware and wise and oh so perceptive.

So here are my reasons Emma was ready to be baptized:

She is obedient. She does what she is supposed to do, almost all of the time. She does everything I ask her to, and a lot of things I don't.

She is so helpful, to everyone. She is Tanner's little mommy. Since the little dude still doesn't sleep much at night, or at all, and is just so darn grumpy most of the time, Emma steps in and gets his milk, lays him in her bed, sings to him, reads to him, and gives him piggy-back rides. She is Tanner's dream come true (and mine!)

She is truly ready and willing to make covenants. I think that when I was turning 8 I was more worried about the attention and the party. She took all of this very seriously and was involved in every single detail. Her grandma gave a wonderful talk, explaining the Holy Ghost so perfectly. Emma told me she will always remember the actual "comforter" Grandma put on her while she spoke.

She has recently taught me so much about preparation and maturity. One day she came to me, in tears, asking how she could know she is ready to be baptized. When our incredibly in-tune Primary President came over to give Emma some prepatory baptism items, Emma came to me again, in shock, and said, "Mom, she answered my prayers!" There is something that just causes you to melt when you experience something so powerful with your 7 year old.

She is full of goodness. Emma is so easy to be around. She is pleasant, so so honest, and just so pure. I want to bottle her up and save her like this forever. Her Uncle Matt also spoke at her baptism, and talked about another Emma in our line, her great great (great?) grandmother. That Emma ended up dying from illness while serving others who were also ill. What a legacy.

I sure treasure this girl, with my whole heart. Her baptism was so completely perfect. My favorite line of the night was after she came out of the water, she said, "Mom, you know what I'm always going to remember about this day? That I needed to go to the bathroom so bad while I was getting baptized!" Then she said she's not going to sin at all. Funny enough, I can't say it would surprise me if she managed that.