Surprise! And A Baptism!

Since we were not going to do two separate birthday parties for the kids this year, we celebrated in several small ways, as you've seen!

BUT, we still had one little surprise up our sleeves.  A little family surprise party!!!  Robert took them to Bass Pro Shop until everyone showed up!!

A couple of weeks ago, Dairy Queen had a customer service appreciation day and the entire store was 50%.  So I grabbed up TWO ice cream cakes for around $22!!!!!  One oreo and one reese's peanut butter cup....YUM!

Here they are coming in!  Not sure what kind of surprise face Olivia is making.  I really don't think she knew HOW to react!  Love Landon's face!

That's more like it!!

We all lined up for the birthday spankin' machine!  Landon was so fast, I'm not sure he GOT a spanking!

Present time....look how excited Landon is!  They are really getting into saving their money.  They got a digital piggy bank for Christmas and have also been earning a little $$ for things around the house (not like making their bed, etc. those things we expect!).

Pure happiness!

(Notice Rhodes in the doll stroller in the background....silly boy!)

This little monkey showed off his mad climbing skills!

He climbed up to the cakes and stuck his foot in them.  Then proceeded to make a few ice cream footprints back up the table!

Thinking hard about that wish!

Then Landon and Lillian blew all the candles out!  Olivia was still thinking I guess.

Then after the party, we headed on up to the church for Olivia's baptism!  She's been asking for a couple of year to get baptized but we wanted to make sure that she really knew what she was doing.  That she wasn't doing because someone else did, etc.

She was so excited!!!  Another cool thing is that Robert was baptized the day after his 8th birthday!!!!  What a fun coincidence!!!  So proud of my baby girl proclaiming she loves Jesus!!!

She was so happy that she took her shirt to school the next day to tell everyone!!  And has worn it every day since then!!!! :-)

Got to love that childlike faith!

“I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness;
   I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
   to be a covenant for the people
   and a light for the Gentiles,
 to open eyes that are blind,
   to free captives from prison
   and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness."

Isaiah 42:6-7