turning 8: the baptism

 Isn't she the absolute cutest?!

We have been looking forward to and preparing for this day for so long.

It finally came, and she was ready.

 Jonah sang a primary song during the meeting.  

He did a beautiful, sweet job.

I love to hear him sing.

 Venna has a fantastic primary teacher, Sister Elliot.

They make and bake cookies during class sometimes.

She has to think outside the box because her class is full of spirited boys and Venna.

 Here we all are looking at all different cameras.

Venna is lucky to have so many people love her.

She chose to have grandmas give talks.

Grandma Beth did a beautiful job explaining baptism.

And Grandpa Kenneth bore a strong Testimony.

 And Benji read a talk that Grandma Karla wrote on the Holy Ghost.

Benji came for thanksgiving and entertained the kids in his usual

super uncle fashion.

When my parents said they were going on a mission I was sad because

 I knew they were going to miss Venna's baptism.

Technology is probably my hero.

They got to watch the entire thing using Benji's awesome iPhone, their iPad, and church wi-fi.

 No celebration would be complete without our best friends the Brownings.

We should probably just get it over with and adopt each other as family.

Venna was baptized the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

This awesome planning strategy meant that we got to celebrate the holiday with the Burkhardts!

From Thursday afternoon to late Saturday night we 

ate

 shopped (Julianne's first black Friday experience!)

celebrated 4 birthdays 

Happy Birthday Jacob, Julianne, Benji, and Josslyn

saw Breaking Dawn (girls)

watched the Missouri state high school football championship game (boys)

played games

let the record show that I won that game of Contract

and mostly had a marvelous time.

Most importantly Venna made a covenant with Heavenly Father,

 received the Gift of the Holy Ghost,

 and became an official member of

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.