It's Great To Be EIGHT

Another year has come and gone for this little girl!  I still have trouble believing that she is really eight years old.  Wasn't it yesterday we were holding her and changing diapers and making bottles!?!  Where did that little baby girl go and who is this amazing kid that we have now!  I just can't wrap my brain around it all!  Ryan even said to me that she didn't quite feel eight yet, but maybe after she gets baptized she would finally feel like she was eight!  Well, today she was baptized and I wonder if she feels eight now?  I couldn't be more proud of her!  She has been so excited to take that big step and be baptized and confirmed with the Holy Ghost!  Now Ryan is the newest member of our ward, and I am the mother of an EIGHT year old little girl!  It was so cute today when we got up to walk her into the font so that her dad could baptize her, she was skipping and pulling me forward.  She just couldn't wait to get into the water!  We almost had to dunk her twice, but we got it in one!  When she got out of the water she was so happy and so proud of herself!  She said that the water was so warm it was amazing!  After Jared gave a really great blessing and confirmed her.  The entire time I think I blacked out because before I knew it, it was all over and we had this amazing grown up little girl!

Ryan, you are everything sweet and good that exists in this world all rolled into one beautiful package!  I am so grateful that the Lord sent you to our family because I can't imagine a life without you in it!  You are the perfect little princess that I always hoped I would be lucky enough to have!  I love you little girl!  Never change!  Never get bigger... and from now on you agreed you wouldn't!  You will forever be 8 now--it was the deal you made remember!