A return to the blogosphere . . .

I wondered what it would take to bring me back to the blogosphere -
 the past many months have been
well-
I don't really have words for them or I guess I would have blogged before now.
We have seen tragedies and miracles
Lots of laughter and tears
And we are grateful that spring is upon us and each day is new.

Perhaps the most monumental of moments for both Tom & I took place about a week ago.

Ben decided to be baptized.
The decision was absolutely his - 8 is the earliest you can choose to be baptized in the Church and both Tom and I wondered if Ben would be ready or even interested in being baptized at age 8. Developmentally, Ben is a wild card, most of the time behind his peers. But as his birthday
approached it was all he could talk about.
He could hardly wait. 
His interview with the Bishop went well.
He choose the program from the prayers to the speakers to the songs.
(he asked September to speak on baptism and Spencer to speak on the gift of the Holy Ghost, Grandma Debbie to give the opening prayers and aunt Jenny to give the closing)
He even knew he wanted strawberry shortcake for refreshments.

Tom's youngest sister Jenny drove over from West Palm Beach (about 3 1/2 hrs away) the night before and Grandpa & Grandma Elggren flew in that night as well. 

It's always a bit of work to get talks completed, refreshments made and everything put together then transfer it to the chapel, but the day came together beautifully. 

With all the craziness, it wasn't until Tom escorted that little man down into the baptismal font that the sanctity and miracle of that moment hit both of us. 

I pray I will never lose the picture that is still etched in my mind of Ben standing straight and tall in the warm water with Tom's arm around him. Ben is smiling and tears are running down Tom's face as we both realize the miracle we were experiencing.  

It wasn't too many years ago we were told to expect that Ben would no longer be walking independently by the time he was 8 years old.

Yet, here he was, walking down the stairs and standing straight and tall in the font, smiling ear to ear.

Apparently the doctor's forgot to tell Ben.

Aside from a slightly weakened heart and lungs, Ben is in great shape. He is learning to read and add double digit numbers and has a huge crush on a cute girl in his 2nd grade class. 

No, he is not able to keep up with his class on everything and gets lots of help to be where he is, but he is progressing, running, jumping, reading, even playing basketball with his younger brother.

I think we only had to coax him out from under the table a few times (he still panics when too many people are looking at him), but he wanted to be baptized and confirmed so badly that the coaxing was brief when we promised only people who love him were there that day. (not everyone that loves him could be there, but the few who were there are all special to him)

It was a different sort of day than the baptisms of our older children that had been full of family and friends and food - March 5th was a very Ben day - for a little guy who came into the world without fanfare or even a cry, the day was simple and sweet, touching, profound even and full of great love -  the experience was beautiful.