Best Birthday Gift Ever

Well so you know how a birthday is your day? I like my birthday and I like people to be nice to me that day and this year rather then me, it was not necessarily all about me on that day. We went out to dinner a couple of nights before to celebrate and that was good for me, because On my actual birthday Tanner got to be baptized. I can't believe he is 8, but he is and I am so proud of him that he decided to be baptized. With his birthday being in September and they usually do the baptism on the first of the following month and it was General Conference weekend I asked if we could do it the week before instead of the week after, and they said we could, so I was extra excited that it would be on my birthday. I could not have asked for a better birthday to have his baptism that day. We had a very nice baptism with Grandpa Ray doing the talk on Baptism and Grandma Bowen doing the talk on the Holy Ghost, the cousins sang "I Am A Child Of God" No practice, just thought it would be fun to have the kids sing a song. Tanner decided on the whole program and we sang "When I am Baptized" & "Love is Spoken Here" Aunt Jenna said an open prayer and Cousin Max said the closing prayer. Grandpa Bowen and Grandpa Ray were witnesses, and Bishop Snarr conducted. I held everything together good until the closing song, but I couldn't even sing I was so choked up with joy. We had many family and friends that we love share this with us and eat lunch after at our house as well. Grandma Great Miner even felt well enough to make it out, and bought him his scriptures. It was a GREAT Day! Later that night was the RS Broadcast and thanks to Ana we met up to go and went for ice cream afterward. I am so grateful for so many amazing friends and great family that made this day a special day for Tanner and our family. This is a birthday I won't ever forget and hope Tanner won't either.
I am soooo grateful for the Gospel, I don't know where I would be without it in my life, it has brought me peace, joy, happiness, and a knowledge that this life is more then just living. As we work hard, go through trials and hard times we can grow from them, do better, learn from them and become better because of them and after this test which may seem like forever we get to return to a better place with all the people we love. This same day a dear friend of mine passed away Diane Stanger. She was an amazing lady but now free from the pain she was in and trial of health problems she was faced with in this life. What an amazing example of what a person should be for me. Sad to hear this happen on my birthday, but I heard that when she passed the song "Nearer My God to Thee was playing" could not have been a better song to pass to the other side. We have a Loving Heavenly Father who is aware of each of us and loves us; an Amazing Brother Jesus Christ who knows and has felt all that we have felt so we are never alone because he always understands. We have the True Gospel today because an Amazing young boy, Joseph Smith, who had the faith to pray and then through God restored this gospel. I don't know how people live without The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, because I know I couldn't. I know I look forward, but not ready yet to see those I love who have passed and also meet face to face and give a big hug to my Older Brother and Savior, Jesus Christ!