Samantha is 8

Samantha turned 8 years old and we are so excited!We had a party with friends at the park a couple days before. It turned out better than we thought, they played games, kicked a pinata, cake, presents, and then there was playground equipment (my favorite part).

We had our simple family party on her birthday and it was hard to decide between white or brown frosting since they both tasted so good!
Samantha was baptized the Saturday after her birthday, on Feb 6. We had many family and friends come and support us. All my sisters showed up and most of Kevin's siblings came, along with our parents and grandparents of course. It was so much fun and we really appreciate all who came and their thoughtfulness. We had a lunch afterward with the help of everyone who came.
This was so special for our family, especially since Samantha is our first child to be baptized. It was fun for me to have memories brought back from my baptism and know that she is old enough to be baptized, and to know the basics of the gospel of the church she just joined, because I knew it when I was 8 too.
Samantha is a very sweet girl and really seeks to do the right thing. I have learned about Samantha's testimony as we have talked and I've observed. She has such a life-loving personality which her makes her so wonderful to be with, but on the other hand can get her into trouble sometimes and she knows she can repent with the atonement of Jesus Christ. She knows many of the principles of the gospel and tries to apply them to her life. She enjoys reading the scriptures and going to church, and knows when she feels the spirit. We are so happy she made this decision and we know she understands what it means to be baptized.