Olivia's Baptism

Guido and I considered many different options for Olivia's baptism. We thought perhaps to do it here at our church in Georgia but overall reconsidered and did it in Jacksonville at Church of the Messiah so that more family could participate. I'm glad to say that my parents and Guido's have been able to see all three of their grandchildren baptized.

In Guido's family a baptism is a big production with a large reception afterwards. My mother was kind and gracious enough to host the reception at her home. It wasn't big by any means but it was just right for what we needed. Both of Guido's grandmothers came to the baptism along with a great aunt and uncle from both sides of the family. We had friends from Saint Augustine come up for the baptism and then all our dear friends from Church of the Messiah. The luncheon at my mother's house gave us the opportunity to visit with a lot of people in a short amount of time.

Of course, it wasn't all roses... It was a wet and soggy day and in the mad dash to get kids inside for lunch, I slammed the car door on my husband's left hand. As he screamed in bloody pain, I had to re-open the door to get his hand out. It was only a matter of seconds but it felt like an eternity in slow motion. Guido did not enjoy the reception. Thank God the house was full of nurses! My mother, her friend Jill, and my friend Gloria were all consulted to see whether we should take him to the ER. He thankfully did not break any fingers and because ice was immediately applied, his hand didn't swell up. My husband doesn't take medication so the ibuprofen he took knocked him out. He took a nap when everyone left and from my parent's home I drove back to Georgia. As a testimony to God's healing grace, Guido's hand was feeling a lot better by late evening that he drove the rest of the way home.

With all that said, the baptism service was beautiful and now my daughter is not just a part of our family but the Body of Christ. I was also glad that Fr. David Paysinger was able to baptize Olivia. He is like a second Dad to me. My dad and I are close but the relationship I have with Fr. David is also fatherly but different. I can't really describe it except to say that the love I have for that man is deep. Here's a few pictures.