Happy 4th of July!

"May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace."
Numbers 6: 24-26

Today there was so much to celebrate and to be thankful for. Paxton and his cousin, Cole were going to be baptized together. In addition to this momentous occasion, it was also Independence Day, on which we celebrated our freedom.

After a wonderful breakfast prepared by Poppy, they all headed over to the church. For once in their lives, they were actually early for something. This was important because they had reserved seating in the front of the church for the family and friends. This would not have looked good if they had to sneak in after the service started.

The baptism was so touching. The simple act of placing water on the top of Paxton's head was so symbolic. It represented the commitment that Scott and Susanne had made to God about raising Paxton in a Christian home. It was also a way to remind Paxton of God's promise to him and welcome him into the church family. It was such a special moment for Paxton and his family and they were glad he got to share this with his cousin, Cole.

In addition to the baptism, it was also communion Sunday. This was a time where everyone came together and remembered Christ and all that He had done for them in his life, death, and resurrection. Each member of the congregation broke a piece of bread symbolizing the body of Christ and dipped it into the cup of wine symbolizing the blood of Christ. They did this in remembrance of the Lord and the sacrifices that He made for them. As people would go back to their seats, they were asked to place their hands on the prayer blankets that had been made for those in need and say a prayer for them. At the end of the service, Susanne and Scott were approached by the pastor and were offered a prayer blanket for Paxton. She thought he was a perfect recipient because of the special journey he had been on thus far and the unpredictability of what lied ahead. The members of the church had been praying for Paxton since the day he was born. This blanket represented all of their pleas for his safety and healing. Susanne and Scott took this prayer blanket with open arms. They knew that it had been made with love and that it symbolized a faith sharing community that wanted to cover Paxton in their prayers. This blanket would hopefully bring comfort and peace to Paxton throughout the years.

After church, everyone went out to lunch to celebrate. Once they all finished their meals, they endulged in a slice of cake. Susanne had bought individual cakes for Paxton and Cole from a local bakery. They did a fabulous job. Susanne was a little bummed that she could only look, but couldn't touch the delicious masterpiece. Instead, she enjoyed sipping her Southern sweet tea, which was a nice treat in and of itself because it was hard to come by in northern Virginia. Paxton finally woke up from his nap in time to open his presents. Susanne and Scott got Paxton his first Bible and a book of blessings, which hopefully he would use as the years pass on.

Unfortunately, Aunt Leenie, Uncle Loonie, and Chief had to head back home today. They would all be greatly missed. The rest of the gang gathered back at Gigi and Poppy's house to continue the celebration. Everyone enjoyed an oat soda or two while playing a few games of Cornhole before the sun went down.

Once people started to regain their appetite, Susanne and Scott started preparing the food and drinks for the Mexican fiesta. They volunteered Aunt Leah to make her world renowned salsa that was always a crowd pleaser. The rest of the menu included Scott's homemade guacomole, chips, chicken fajitas, chicken quesadillas, spicy chipotle shrimp skewers, grilled mango and pineapple salad, and of course watermelon margaritas. It was a feast fit for a king...a Mexican king that is. Everyone spent the rest of the evening enveloped in deep conversation. It was always amazing how no one was ever at a loss for words. They decided to forego the fireworks display this year because they weren't sure how the babies would handle it. Paxton was so exhausted from the day that he probably would have slept right through them anyway.

Happy 4th of July everyone!