Bryce is a Deacon!

Well, here is our 4th Preisthood holder of the family!  We had a great day yesterday.  Bryce was ordained a Deacon and we are so proud of him.  Doesnt he look handsome in his new suit?  We had a great time with family and friends who came to support Bryce.

It was an emotional day as you can imagine. Stephen was the first to get up in Sacrament meeting and bear his testimony and he talked about how proud he was of his little brother and how he was becoming a man. I kept nudging Mike to get up there because I couldn't since I lost my voice this weekend(due to a cold). So after a while I was gonna get up there anyway and squeak my way thru it...but then Mike finally got up (never try to push Mike to do anything...he does things on his own time and in his own way) and the things he said just hit right at the heart of this important event in our son's life...I leaned over and told Stephen..."this is why I married your father."

Then we went in for the ordination.  We have a large group of Aaronic Preisthood holders in our Ward and they always treat the women who come in for the ordination extra special. All of the priests gave up their seats for us. Then Bryce was ordained a deacon by his father and the YM president, Brother Pollman made sure that Bryce honored their tradition which was to give his mother a big hug and a kiss...on the lips...and so of course he did.

Then we all came back to the house and ate.  And then we put Bryce in the "hot seat" and we went around the room and everyone had an opportunity to share their advice and feelings with Bryce about this important time in his life.  It was such a neat experience...(there were about 30 of us all together.. I'm bummed I didnt get a group shot).

  I think Stephen was the one who blew us all away with his words of wisdom from experience about how there is a time to play and a time to be serious when you are a deacon and a preisthood holder...Wow..every deacon's quorum leaders' dream..."a well behaved deacon"?  Is that possible?  lol! He also gave him some advice about starting middle school and facing temptation.

Grandma Nelson wanted to be sure Bryce understood how important service is as a preisthood holder and she told a story about giving service in her ward. Service seemed to be the theme...throughout.

Grandpa Nelson made sure that Bryce knew why we take the sacrament and what we do with fast offerings...I remember him telling us at Michael's ordination that when he was an aaronic priesthood holder, he blessed the sacrament, passed the sacrament and gave a talk all on the same day...he knows about service in the preisthood that's for sure

Among many words of wisdom and great advice from Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and friends...I shared with Bryce how proud I am of the young man he is becoming and how blessed I feel to be surrounded by such great priesthood holders in our home and in our family...and how safe, loved and blessed I feel because of it...and now he is a part of that. I told him that all he really needs to do is to look to his brother's and his father as the example of how to be a righteous priesthood holder. Could my life get any better than this? I dont think so .....