Naveya's Baptism

Thank Heavens for wise people that make you promise to go home and write a journal entry the evening of your child's baptism. I promised our Bishop that I would and even then it took me until the next day when all our family had gone home to sit and write it all down. I'm so grateful to have it! Especially in this blog where I can have it forever. I wrote:

All our family left to go back home yesterday. We dropped Grandma Diane off at the airport before church. After we went to our ward the Castillo side of the family had lunch at my Aunt Diane's house in Anthem. We both went home, driving down the same freeway until they got on the 101 to head back to Utah. It was so fun getting to wave at each other and see Torri, Amy, and Brendan's faces squished together in their back window. It was so special having family here for Naveya's baptism.

Grandma Diane came a day earlier than Grandma and Grandpa Castillo. It was so fun getting to pick her up from the airport while the kids were at school. I got to surprise her by bringing her home to our new apartment. We had just moved into it the night before. Yes, it's been a crazy week. No, I wouldn't have it any other way!! Our new home is so beautiful and this past weekend has felt like a fresh start in so many ways.

Naveya was surrounded by so much love and family for her baptism. Having Grandma Diane come a day earlier than everyone else was so perfect to spend some quality time with her. When the kids got home from school, Naveya wanted to watch Shrek the Musical from Broadway. So all four of us - Navy, Dax, Grandma and I all laid down on our couch and watched it. ( Well most of us. Grandma fell asleep and kept snoring. Haha!) Then when Danny came home we finished our fun day off with dinner at Oreganos and had the best artichoke dip any of us had ever tasted. It was so good!!

On Friday, Danny took the day off work, and we did a bunch of errands/final prep for the baptism. My mom and dad got into town late that afternoon and we had a combined birthday party for Naveya and Daxton. It reminded me of birthday parties I used to have at MY grandma and grandpa Castillo's house. Yummy food, and swimming for hours!

The day of Naveya's baptism was so beautiful and peaceful. I was the first to wake up at our house and ran to Trader Joe's down the street to get flowers. Then came home and put together the treat favors while Danny and grandma still slept. Once we had picked the kids up and everyone was all ready, we headed up to the stake center to fill the font. When we got there the church was locked. I pulled out my phone to call my friend Karen (the primary pres) and realized she had called me 2 hours earlier! Of course, leaving me a message that I would need to pick up the keys to get into the building and to the font. Haha! Dave Wood saved the day and ran the keys up to us to let us in. Even with that late start, we were able to fill the font while I grabbed a table cloth from the primary closet and set out the flowers. Naveya was having so much fun roaming around the empty church building. She got to see the font and where she would be changing back into her adorable white dress after she was baptized. Then her friends Gwen and Lauren showed up and they instantly started playing together. My friend Karen, also Gwen's mom, came up to see and teased me saying "Listen to your damn messages!" Haha! As I type that I picture her with a can of Diet Coke in her hand. I don't think she had one at the time, but she brings one to church with her every Sunday. You'll see her drinking it in the primary room while all of us are getting ready and setting up chairs. I lover her!


As more of our friends and family showed up I grabbed the camera from our car and started taking pictures in the foyer. There was so much going on there right as the baptism was about to start. Our pianist didn't have her sheet music, I was grabbing people aside trying to make sure we had a couple pictures. Danny ran to change and I remembered the favor bags of cookies were still on the other side of the church sitting in the kitchen. Even with everything having to come together quickly before we started, as soon as Danny, Naveya and I sat in our seats, it felt so peaceful. Seeing Danny and Naveya both in their white jumpers with his arm around her, how do you even describe it!? My heart just felt so full and happy. Diane spoke and right after that Danny and Naveya walked into the baptismal font, and he baptized her. The love of my life and our beautiful daughter. It was so simple and sweet. As soon as it was done I walked through the door and met Navy on the side of the font. I wrapped her in a towel and we walked back to where she would change into her baptism dress. I asked her how she felt and all she told me was that the water was warm, and now she was cold. Haha! She felt good though. I brushed her hair back into a bun and put on a white lace headband. She looked so beautiful. Just purely beautiful!

Once we walked back out to the primary room where we were doing our program, it was so loud. Filled with people talking and kids playing. We sat down and I was looking around for Danny just as he walked in holding the case of water bottles we'd gotten to go with the treats. He looked so handsome. He always does, but seeing him baptize our daughter and seeing him help bring this together just made me appreciate him so much. Once we started the program back up, my Dad spoke. It was another favorite highlight from the day. He spoke from the heart and talked to Naveya telling her about the Holy Ghost. He talked about the antenna's on the cars out in the parking lot and how they receive radio waves. Then compared that to how the spirit will always be there, but we need to do our part and receive it into our lives. My dad also spoke about how God blesses us. He'll promise us a chocolate cake (his example) and then as we follow his commandments, God will bless us with that cake, plus frosting, and ice cream on top. He blesses us more than we could have imagined because he loves us.  I was just so grateful for his talk.  Both parents closed their talks, getting emotional talking about their love for Naveya.

Then theres the part where I started crying. Danny gave Naveya the most beautiful blessing as he confirmed her a member of the church and gave her the gift of the holy ghost. Nobody would have known it was the first time he baptized or confirmed anyone. It really was so perfect. One of the first things he said was that we were so proud of her. Thats when he got emotional and I opened my eyes. I watched him as he blessed our daughter. Dave wood, Greg McNeil (Bishop), grandpa Stan, and Shawn Harrell were all in the circle. I could see Danny's face between Shawn and my Dad's shoulders. He was so sweet with her. He blessed her to continue to be the kind friend she is. One part that stood out most to me was when he blessed her to be outspoken and courageous. Danny blessed her to look to her leaders, but find answers for herself. I love the tender hearted man that Danny is. Especially when it comes to his kids. Once and a while I would glance down at Naveya's feet. It was the only part of her I could see while she was getting confirmed. She would move her feet around fidget. It was just cute to see her click her heels together while Danny gave her that beautiful blessing. I know I keep using that word. I think it's the perfect way to describe Navy's baptism day. Simple and beautiful.  After her confirmation, Bishop (who everyone in our ward just calls Greg) got up and said a few words about the gift he wanted to give to Naveya. Those two are so funny together. Naveya gets so embarrassed that she just glares at Greg anytime we see him. Haha! So naturally half of the baptism, Nana was glaring at him as he sat on the stand. Haha! Greg picked her up and had her stand on a table with her hand on his shoulder. He had her look out at everyone there and said to remember the people that came to support her. Our ward really is the most amazing one we have ever been in. As Greg told Naveya, "these people are here to support you throughout your life" I knew he meant it. After helping Nana sit down, Bishop pulled out the gift he got her. It was a box he got in Jerusalem made from the wood of an olive tree. He talked to Naveya a little about olive trees and how we read about them in the scriptures. Then he also told her that he had bought 24 of those olive tree boxes. Each one say CTR on the top. He never thought when he bought them that he would give all of them away and Naveya got box number 24. The last one he had. Bishop opened the box and inside it was a CTR ring. He told her to try it on and see how it fit, and as he handed it to her he said, "will you marry me?" That made her, and everyone laugh. It was such a fun and simple, beautiful day!


I love you Naveya Michelle. With all my heart!