Josiah was baptized this past weekend! We had tons of fun and I think it was one of the most entertaining baptisms I've recently seen. Now Caleb and I are not from backgrounds where babies are normally baptized; that is, until the last few years we were used to seeing grown adults being baptized who could behave themselves. It was hilarious to watch our beautiful baby boy become the center of attention in a crowd of hundreds: and those were just his God parents!
Well, not really, but close! Caleb and I were a little confused. We thought that "sponsor" was a person or persons who supported you while your child was getting baptized and who were committing to walking with you as a family and helping Josiah to learn about Christ....so we asked the people in our lives here in Arizona who are like family to us and who we expect to help us to raise our young man right! Well, first, I introduced my grand plan for 5 families to stand with us as we had Josiah baptised to our friend Bev. She cried and said she would be honored to be up there with us. I let her know who else we were planning to ask and she thought it was a great idea. Well then our lives came to a sudden halt when Armondo died and I never got around to asking the rest of our "family" to join us on stage. So it was a few weeks before the "event" when Bev kindly mentioned to me that she was pretty sure no one else knew about our plan for baptism or their role as our "sponsors". Over the next few days I appologized to the remaining four families and basically listened to them inform me that they already had plans for October 25th and wouldn't be around to see the baptism let alone take part in the blessed event!
Thankfully, they were kidding (Bev had gotten to them first) and we had all our closest friends here stand with us at the baptism. Only a few days before the baptism did we find out that it was highly unusual for that many people to be "god parents" to a child. (the church secretary told us when she couldn't fit all the names on his certificate). Well, I say the more the marrier, but apparently it is customary for a child to have one or two god parents...so we spent some time informing ours about how good they have it because they can be off-the-hook for at least some of the many requirements that a god parent is required to do, then we spent some more time joking about the prayer and greeting card schedule we could put them all on to accomplish the combined responsibiltiy of their new role! We are so excited to have, like 12 God parents and I am sure Josiah is too....hmmmm, who should be pick if we have another child?
The stage was made all the more crowed when Pastor asked all the children in the congregation to come forward so he could teach them all about baptism while he actually performed one! It was a big day at church. Caleb's students who had finished 3 years of confirmation classes were also being confirmed this Sunday so they too looked on from the stage area. It was very good timing to say the least since Josiah's baptism and the kid's confirmation falling on the same day meant that Caleb only had to wear a suit once....two birds with one stone.
Josiah was quite the charactor! First, he nodded and smiled on cue when Pastor asked him if he was ready! quite cute! Second, he started crying mid way through the baptism and third, felt much better after he threw up all over himself! He was all smiles after that! It was all the more adorable that this was the first baptism that was shown as live feed on the huge monitors...it was larger than life barf, let me tell you!
It was a big weekend for Josiah, not only did he "become he newest member of God's family" he also got his first taste of ice cream, thanks to his new god parents! Is THAT what god parents are supposed to do?
Also, Josiah got to turn around and say goodbye to his car seat while riding in his jogger! big day since he HATES his car seat. He absolutely loves to be outside and to look out at all that is going on outdoors, so this was pretty huge! he loved it. The family walks will never be the same!
Then we went to a church picnic where I put a stick-on football tattoo on Josiah without even thinking to look at what kind of ink or whatever they use on the tattoos. So in one weekend, we took him with us to a bar, then left him with a babysitter so we could go out, then defiled his little body with a tattoo. I think "Parents of the Year" is just around the corner!
