8 is great!

Chloe turned 8 in April and it was super awesome.  My parents were able to come for the occasion which we were all really stoked about.  Chloe's birthday fell on a Sunday so we were able to have her baptism on that day.  One of her BFF's, Corbin, also has a birthday in April, just a few weeks beforehand but they made a deal that they really wanted to get baptized together.  Corbin is such a cutie.  He gets embarrassed sometimes that people think he likes Chloe, but it's not like that.

Chloe was super stoked because she invited some friends from school and along with them, some friends from church and a lot of Corbin's relatives, the chapel was full.  My dad gave a great talk on the Holy Ghost including a cute card with a picture of 8 yr. old me on it and Tati even said the closing prayer.  She did surprise us all by getting shy and wanting to chicken out.  After we all said "amen" there were several smaller children in the audience who were proud of her.  They said, "She did it!"  "Hurray Tati!"  and also "That was too loud!" when she was putting her lips too close on the microphone.  It was a fun memory for her and a great way to make her feel special since Chloe was having so many cool things happen to her and getting so much attention.

Chloe wore a baptism dress that we borrowed from one of her other BFF's Mom from when she was a kid.  She was so stoked because she really didn't want to wear the standard jumpsuit.  It was so sweet of Rena to offer that to us.  She wore that one when she got baptized then after the baptism, she put on her other, fancy, baptism dress that she borrowed from her cousin, Meagan.  She LOVED that dress because it had some bejeweled buttons on it.  Thank you Meagan.  I promise I'll take a picture of her in that too because she really wanted to send it to you. (* See note below.)

I walked with Chloe over to the font and we stood to the side watching Corbin get baptized first and then it was her turn.  I hugged her and felt her heart beating so fast, I was just sure it was going to pop.  We had a few minutes before and after her baptism when it was just the two of us in the dressing room and we talked and hugged and she told me how she was so excited and nervous and then afterward how she just felt so happy she never knew she could feel so happy.  Honestly it was a moment I'll never forget standing there and watching all the people that we are friends with and who love us and love Chloe all there to support us.  I honestly don't know why I didn't cry.  I expected myself to be a mess but I was just so overcome with happiness and I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face.  It was one of those moments when you know things are changing.  My little baby is growing up.  It is hard but happy. 

I wish I would've taken more pictures of the after* but things were so busy with refreshments, clean up and all the wild children that I totally forgot.  Here are a few from before though.

Chloe is a very special girl.  She loves her family, she excels at being a wonderful sister and she has a desire to always do what is right.  She is very sensitive, sweet and she wears her feelings on her sleeve.  We love her so much.

p.s. It took us a while but we finally did a photo shoot outdoors with Chloe in Meagan's dress. She loved borrowing it from her and she looked so cute in it.