And Then I Was Mormon

Look at how happy I look in this photo.













Is it
a) because I am totally taller than Peyton
b) because we are posing with matching cupcakes
c) because I'm hungry and was told I could have a cupcake after the photo
d) because I am now a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
e) all of the above

and the answer is.... E. Because I am soooo tall. Look, I even took a photo with Andy to show how tall I really am. And what's funny here is .. I look so angry because I am confident I am taller and trying to dog the camera. But the reality is...



Andy must have been tip-toeing.

I show those photos first because I'm just goofy and happy. Always have been, always will be. But there's something else... like some type of new amazing blush. Only it's just the realization that I have made a promise and committment to Him and I now have the gift of the spirit.

It didn't start out that way. Rewind to Saturday.

Anxiety. Fear. Excitement.
Butterflies in my stomach. Adrenaline in my veins.
I was so nervous. I had witnessed a baptism a week earlier where the girl's foot kept popping out of the water. As such, her baptism took 5 dips into the water. Scared that the same thing would happen to me... I praticed bending my knees, stretching my back bend and come the day of the baptism, I put my hair into a tightly kept ballet bun, even going so far as using hairspray.
Like any girl, I wanted a new outfit to celebrate the occassion. Like any girl, I shopped aimlessly for hours and found nothing. Like any girl, I ended up wearing something I already had. Oh well. Can't win 'em all.
6:20 My brother and I leave our home and head for the Church. Was this really happening? I knew a lot of my non-LDS friends were coming to show their support but I was still scared. Am I really getting baptized? Maybe they'd change their mind or flake on me last minute. Was I about to become Mormon? I check my phone as I'm driving. My brother reprimands me for putting his life in danger. "Stop texting!" he yells. Fine. What if they don't come? We get to the church.. I park... we got out of the car...I get my stuff...my parents are already there and chatting it up with a LDS co-worker of my mom's. Can I really do this? We walk to the Church. This is it Daisy.
One observation: the white jumpsuit is not flattering. In fact, I looked like Humpty Dumpty and my friends who showed up early to hang out beforehand had a great time laughing at how ridiculous I looked. It's okay, I'm getting baptized.. I could care less. But I did jump around in the suit for a bit because it was indeed quite funny. Then, like any Asian event, photos were taken.
Here are my friends and family who showed up early enough to come by the baptism room with Elder Cox, the missionary who baptized me.










It was Elder Cox's first time baptizing anyone.. and boy, was he excited. You can tell from the expression noted here.

The actual baptism doesn't start until about halfway into the program. We opened with a hymn that I chose - one that didn't have too many Church specific terminology that might make it hard for my non-Mormon friends and family to follow along with. As we sang, my heart was filled with a tremendous acknowledgment that this was it. As I sat there, listening to the beautiful opening prayer, the powerful talk geared to evoke some inkling in my non-LDS friends and the moving solo .. I was in awe. Again, I had to remind myself that this was happening.



As we walked towards the baptism room... I quickly scanned the crowd and saw so many beautiful faces of friends and strangers - but all looking at me with love. This was happening. This is happening. This happened. Of course, anything that happens in my life cannot be without humor.. and such it came after my successful baptism (only one try baby!) when I realized... a towel did I not bring. Did the missionaries tell me to bring a towel? No! They didn't! The one thing they forgot to tell me to bring! ... Errr...even if they didn't, how could I forget such a thing? So three jumpsuits later ... (only one that I got baptized in), I was dressed and still trembling - a bit from the mildly cold water and a lot from the realization that I was washed of my sins. How simple.. and how beautiful.

Drea, Kenzie, Kate and Kwame...

Lucy and Spencer

Eric, Julia, Annie and Chris...

PwC supports! Kenny, Scott, Megan, Lindsay and Drea!

Sunday morning.. I was confirmed. How lovely is my Heavenly Father that he not only blessed me with the presence of my two non-LDS friends, Kate and Drea, but with Elder Vera - who I first started my lessons with when I first came back to LA. And.. the talks were so eloquent,, meaningful and touching... oh my!

More photos... notice Elder Cox's expression is identical from that noted above when he was getting ready to baptize me! Elder Ridge does not look that excited even though I asked him to confirm me... kill joy huh?!

Missionaries galore...Elder Vera, Elder Ridge and Elder Cox

He just really loves that expression. We'll have to teach him how to smile when he baptizes Sky.

A semi-smile and a Daisy without thorns.. smiling because she is now confirmed.

And no.. I don't know why the spaces are funky.. but I'm too lazy to figure it out right now.