eyan's pre-baptism photo shoot: a boy, his scriptures, and mother nature

my little Eyan is getting baptized this coming week

he is a gentle soul

affectionate

protector

observer

peacemaker

he is the soft hand on my shoulder when i begin to raise my voice

a reminder i asked him to give me

and he remembers

he remembers

he is a fierce competitor when it comes to sports and games of any sort

he likes to win

he loves hockey

and checks the game stats and standings first thing when he wakes up

i love this sweet age of eight

budding curiosity 

innocence preserved

a closeness to spiritual matters

expanding knowledge of the world around them

heightened ability to decipher what is right and what is wrong

a world in black and white

mom is still a beacon of truth

it is at this age that our faith, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, opens the window for baptism

to demonstrate our willingness to obey his commandments and follow Christ's example

it is at this age in which children know enough about right and wrong that they can begin to be held accountable for their choices

choices

accountability

responsibility

consequences

repentance

forgiveness

grace

such concepts of grand weight that it takes men a lifetime to understand and practice

but if you ask Eyan about, he can explain in a way only a nearly eight year old heart could

these are all things you pray that as a mother you have taught your child

and have kept your motherly promise to do as Hannah in the Old Testament, to give him to the Lord all the days of his life

i am so delighted by the young man he is growing up to be

and grateful to have captured his soothing personality in these photos