Week 30: A Tale of Two Baptisms

It was the best of baptisms, it was the worst of baptisms....our post begins with a small family gathering in Knoxville. Nana and Papa Campbell came down for the weekend to celebrate Lily's baptism at the Church of the Ascension. The Ascension is a special place for us because that is where Emily was baptised, where Emily and I were married, and also where Tom rests. Of course, the Campbell Pack in its entirity, as well as Donna and Jonathan, were in attendance as well. Saturday morning we had a meeting with Father Hess, who presided over the service, to lay out the order of the Sacrement and clear up any last minute details. At this point we met the other individuals who were particpating that day, which included a family with the mother, 6 year old daughter, and two sons (4 and 2 years old respectively) being baptised. I am pleased to say that our concern over the potential for chaos was completely unfounded. The service at the Ascension was beautiful, especially when the children of the congregation were invited to gather around the baptismal font while Father Hess performed the baptisms.

Now, as the title of the post suggests, there were actually two baptisms over the weekend. The second was not planned, and certainly more interesting (not in a good way). It was after dinner on Saturday night when we had settled down in the family room to watch the Tennessee basketball game. The boys were in the backyard for a bathroom break when Jonathan and I detected a faint, but recognizable odor. I immediately went to the porch and called for the boys, Gator came while all I could hear of Thatcher was him rubbing his head in the leaves under a tree. At that point I knew what had happened. Not to be outdone by his baby sister, Thatcher had tried to make friends with a skunk, and consequently gotten himself "baptised" too. Unfortunately for Thatcher, we believe the skunk hit him right between the eyes. The next hours were spent applying both homemade and storebought concoctions to Thatcher's head in an attempt to neutralize the smell. All things considered, we were fairly successful...though it would be a stretch to suggest that the odor is not currently recongizable on him.

It was a fun and very meaningful weekend that left us to reflect on how fortunate we are to have two families that are so eager to be a part of Lily's life....and are also willing to put up the boys and their antics!

A quick addendum to Dave's post....here's the 'official' week picture. The banner behind Lily was made for her by the church and hung from the choir loft during the service.

Also, I wanted to send a huge thank you to my mom (Gran) for her beautiful handywork creating Lily's christening dress. It was perfect and such a special addition to the day. Thank you Mom!