Isaac and Ian's Big Day!

February 13th was a pretty big day for our little Chapman family. Isaac was baptized and Ian was blessed. We thought it would be neat for Isaac to get to share his day with his little brother. They almost shared the date with Eric, who was baptized February 12th, 14 years earlier.

Isaac has been looking forward to and preparing for his baptism for a long time. Almost a year earlier (with no prompting from us) he made a goal to read the Book of Mormon all the way through by the time he turned 8. He didn't quite make it, but he was very close. Many nights I would go into his room after I thought he was asleep to find him with his lamp on reading away. It has been really neat to watch him develop his budding testimony of the scriptures and to be able to share some of his experiences with him.

He was privileged to have his Dad perform his baptism and confirmation.

We had a luncheon with our family and friends before we left for the church, so my thoughts of having a few quiet moments with Isaac flew out the window as the chaos of so many people came in the door. We loved spending the time with everyone, but as I was sitting in the chapel waiting for the baptism to start I felt I had cheated myself out of a special opportunity that I would never have back again. So I rushed out to find Eric and Isaac, took them to a quiet room, and will forever be grateful that I didn't just let it go as we knelt in prayer together. Isaac is such a special boy and I love him dearly. I'm proud of him for the choice he made and for the example he sets for his little brothers and sister.

Isaac with Grandma and Grandpa

After Isaac's baptism, it was Ian's turn. The men in Isaac's confirmation circle and Ian's blessing circle were their Dad, Grandpa Randy, Uncle Mark, Uncle Cody, Uncle Garrett, Dave Wilson, and Bishop Gardner.

My sister and brother-in-law did another little photo shoot of Ian before his blessing.

His expression in this picture pretty much sums up his feelings about it.

We did manage to get a tiny three week old smile.

Eric gave him a beautiful blessing, even if it did start out with a huge spit-up all over the floor - compliments of Ian. It's neat to be surrounded by loved ones as the windows of heaven are opened for these little ones.

A lot of family and friends made big sacrifices to be with us on our special day. We love and appreciate each one of you. Thank you for coming and sharing in our joy!

We had another special moment on that day when Cody and Emily walked in with their new baby, Jackson. They've been waiting a long time for this little guy. If you're interested, you can read more about his story on their blog. Since most of the family was already gathered, it was the perfect opportunity to surprise everyone, and what a happy surprise it was! He is a month older than Ian. I'm sure these cousins will grow up being the best of buds.