From generation to generation...

June 18, Father's Day 1978 - My baptism day.

and June 20, Father's Day 2010 - Susannah's day to be marked with baptismal water.

What a special moment to see God's faithfulness from generation to generation. My mom, dad, and sister (who are pictured above circa 1978) plus many other family and friends sat in the front rows of our church, joining our covenant church family, and promising with Mike and I to raise Susannah in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 

Taking our baptismal vows.

Aaron and Mike pour water into the baptismal font. This pitcher was a wedding gift to Mike and me.

Pastor Dave marks her with the water of our identity, 

and prays that God would use all things in her life to bring her to know and love him.

The choir sang a special hymn while Rose walked Susannah through the congregation. So many commented after the service about how well she handled all of this - not a single tear or whimper.

The Porter family.

And the Sharps.

Grandpa Lloyd looks happy, but not so sure about Susannah. It was way past nap time!

Then we headed home, praying the rain would hold off so we could enjoy lunch on our new deck.

Aaron and one of his best buddies, Jacob.

No party is complete without a cake from Costco. :-)

We made a lot of special keepsakes to remember the day. This photo has the words "We do, God helping us," which was our answer to the baptismal questions, around the border. As a way of affirming their promise to partner with us in raising Susannah, each person present at her baptism was encouraged to sign this photo. It's hanging in our dining room now, and is a wonderful reminder that we're not on this parenting journey alone.

There were so many special details that went into this event, and it all came together even better than I could have imagined. The banner that stood behind the baptismal font was a special project I created as a gift to the church, and I'm excited to see it again and again with each baby welcomed into our covenant family. It couldn't have come to life without the help of Rebecca (my sewing tech support) and LeAnn, who came to my rescue on Friday night when I needed help with the finishing details. And Susannah's dress was expertly crafted by "Oma" Ligtenberg - Rebecca's mom. Because they live in California, they weren't able to join us, but each time I received a compliment on that beautiful gown, I felt a little hug from them. And without a lot of help from my sister, mom and two nieces, who did everything from dusting and vacuuming the house to preparing sandwiches and assembling name tags, I could have never gotten it all done. I love that it was such a community event!

Finally, I wanted to share the video of Sunday's service. It runs about 10 minutes, and you may have to turn the volume up to hear everything that is said. But I know Susannah is loved by many, and lots of you don't live nearby. So consider this your front row seat. :-)