What do two front teeth mean and baptism have in common?

Madeline!

We've known for awhile that both would happen, yet it seemed as the days went by that neither would happen.  She was without her front teeth for so long that when I had conferences with her 2nd grade teacher, he jokingly told Madeline that it would be good for her to work on growing her front teeth.  I told her to be patient, that "these things take time", and there was no way she would go to college without her front teeth growing in.

We've also known for awhile that her first big tradition was coming.  We spent some time (not as much as we wanted or as we planned), talking to her about baptism, the why and what of it.  We spent a lot of time thinking about exactly what it was about baptism that we wanted Madeline to learn.  It happens so often, and yet it is a wonderful symbol. 

 It seemed like her baptism would always be a year away, and that by the time it happened I would figure out exactly what I wanted her to know, succinctly and without blemish.  And yet, while some things have been clarified, the baptism came and went, and I still wonder if I taught her enough.  Also, now that she's 8, and her front teeth are growing in, I spend time thinking about the fact that she has only 10 years left at home, and all the things I need to teach her in that time, all the fun times I want to have with her, all the conversations that we will hopefully share. 

The baptism was wonderful, the water was warm, she was only dunked once, she played "I am a Child of God" beautifully.  Max did get his head stuck in the crevice of a chair, and it did take 6 people to get him out, but it was right after Madeline was baptized, I was helping her change, and Ryan was changing.  We didn't even know until afterwards.  

The real blessing of her baptism for me, of the reflection beforehand and the feelings afterwards, was the realization of how precious this time is that I have with my children, and how the teachings and ordinances that can be so commonplace in our church are what unit us as a family.  I told Ryan as we drove home that I have gotten past the point of seeing my children as hard work and sacrifice, and I now see the time that I have with them, and the relationships that I have with them as one of the greatest blessings in my life.  While I love to do some things without my children, there is nothing that I enjoy doing more than being with them.