Easter 2011

It seems that every occasion, both big and small, are more special now that Mikayla is part of our family.  Easter was no exception, and that is why I'm posting about it...three weeks late!  Better late than never, I suppose!

Mikayla got her first Easter basket filled with a couple of little surprises.  In the basket, there was a stuffed bunny, which is so fun because Mikayla seems to love bunnies right now.  She points them in out in any book (and on every page) that happens to have a rabbit.  She also got a board book that recognizes while the Easter Bunny and Candy are fun, they are not the reason why we celebrate Easter.  The book celebrates the great gift that God gave us in the death and resurrection of Jesus.  Thanks Grandmommy Davis!


We spent the morning at church and then spent a quiet afternoon with our family enjoying this smile:

We enjoyed lunch with Grammy V and Wayne, and I think banana pudding is slowly becoming an Easter tradition in our house.

Baptism Day!

Sunday was a Holy day for our family.  Mikayla was baptized!  This was a chance for us as a family and a church to claim God's promise on Mikayla's life.  It also gave us the opportunity to publicly reaffirm our faith and commitment to raise Mikayla in the way of the Lord to the best of our ability.  Our church family committed to continuing to support us in this journey.  This day was also an incredible reminder that Mikayla is not the only one who is adopted...of how God has chosen us and we are all adopted and redeemed by Him.

This day was extra special because as an elder in the Presbyterian church, my dad was able to stand with us for her baptism.  I'm continually amazed by how much of a community effort raising a child is...more thoughts to come on that in other posts.

I'm beginning to realize that our sweet girl is an entertainer at heart.  As soon as we stood in front of the congregation, Mikayla flashed her big smile (we call it her cheezin' it grin).  Needless to say she got quite a few laughs.

A few moments later, she decided to swirl her foot around in the baptismal font... while she was being baptized.  I suppose a little Holy water on extra body parts never hurt anyone!

She wore a traditional Ethiopian dress for the occasion.

A group shot later in the day.

Our Dearest Mikayla, sweet daughter of God,

It is overwhelming to see God's hand in your life already.  At just 13 months old, the testimony of your life speaks to the faithfulness, love, and goodness of our heavenly Father.  Our prayer is that you will grow to have a heart like Him more and more everyday, and that the light of Christ will shine in you.  We cannot wait to see the rest of your story unfold.

We love you,

Daddy and Mommy