Huxley's Baptism June 28, 2015

Gabe asked his long time friend Hardy Bodenhemier to be Huxley's Godfather and Katherine asked her long time friend Chrissy Auger to be Huxley's Godmother. They both traveled to Idaho to be a part of the service.

The baptism took place at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Ketcham. 

Hardy's wife Ellen and friend Brian Sullivan came for the Baptism too. 

On the Friday before the Baptism, the Supreme Court of the US ruled that marriage equality for all is the law of the land. The sermon at St. Thomas's Church that day delivered by Reverend Mullins, a visiting minister, was perfect for this group. His message was that all of the changes taking place in the world are Jesus at work expanding love in the world. Later that week, the Episcopal Church nationwide announced that they would conduct gay marriages as religious services in their churches. There was much cause for celebration.

I wrote a special blessing or statement about the role that Hardy and Chrissy will play in Huxley's life:

On the occasion of the Baptism of Huxley Stephen Schroder 

June 28, 2015

Offered by Huxley’s grandmother, Patricia Schoene

Baptism has a long history dating to Biblical times. It is a ritual cleansing, some believe to rid a people of pagan beliefs, some believe to rid us of original sin and the forces of evil. But it is also an initiation into a particular activity or role. 

Gabe and Katherine have asked Hardy and Chrissy to be the Godfather and Godmother for Huxley Stephen Schroder because Hardy has been Gabe’s friend since they were boys and Chrissy has been Katherine’s friend since they were girls. Traditionally, Godparents are to support and participate in the spiritual upbringing of the child. And in the truest sense of those words, that is what Gabe and Katherine are asking of their friends. 

Today this ceremony is an initiation into a new role for Hardy and Chrissy. And for Huxley, it is an initiation into the joy and wonder of life (something that he is well on his way to knowing already).  Both Gabe and Katherine chose their dearest and oldest friends to participate in this celebration and to make this commitment because they have experienced so many of the joys of their own lives with them. They trust these friends to share in the challenges and rewards of raising this boy to love life and to love all of human kind, to love his neighbor as himself.  As a part of Huxley’s extended family, Hardy and Chrissy will teach Huxley to embrace the wonder of learning, to know the satisfaction and exhilaration of doing everything from riding a bike, to skiing down a mountain, to reading a book or writing a story, to sharing both laughter and tears with a friend, to offering comfort and solace to someone in need. Gabe and Katherine trust that their friends will help them teach Huxley to know the ecstasy of loving every one as a part of his family, and embracing every day as an opportunity to be the best day ever. This is the spirit of this event, this is the spirit of love.   Alleluia   Amen

Huxley Stephen Schroder

Huxley's Favorite Expressions

After his Baptism, we went to brunch and then to the beach at Pettit Lake. A big day. 

Every day Huxley communicates with more and more delightful expressions. Here are some of my favorites:

Almost there - he says this whenever we are starting off going up or down the stairs or out to the yard                         or just about anywhere, but it is always just as we are beginning the journey.

All done - whenever he is finished with eating and wants to get released from his chair, this is what                       he says over and over until we get him out of the chair

Care Care - this means he wants to be carried.

Walk - he wants to walk on his own so put him down

Tank you - his thank you's are freely given without prompting and in such a sweet tone of voice

No No No - this is what he says whenever we need to change his diaper. He also communicates quite               clearly when he does not want to eat a particular item

yeth - yes - he says both yes and no with decided emphasis

Cheers - he loves toasting over and over every time we all sit down to eat or whenever we all have                   something to drink.

Fish kisses - this is a lick on the cheek.

Hab it -  he wants to hold or have something

Lightning McQueen (pronounced Queen or quee) - Huxley loves this character from the movie "Cars" -    today he has a new pair of pajamas from Max and Katie with a Lightning McQueen and                     Tow Mater design. He wore these for 36 hours straight and then only changed when                             Katherine insisted he change his clothes

Leave it - (pronounced lebe it) When I tried to get him to change out of the pajamas into some                             clothes, he repeated this so vehemently that Katherine and I decided to fight that battle later

TeeTee and "banket"- this is the pacifier and the blanket that Caroline  knitted for him. These                      are his comfort  items.  

Woah - just a fun expression of excitement

Help. Help. Help - whenever he needs help with anything, he will repeat the request for help, softly                spoken.

PP - this is what he calls me. I, perhaps foolishly, picked the name Sweet P as my grandmother                   nickname. But that is a bit hard for him to say, so I am PP. Not sure if it will last or eventually             change.

Poppy - Stephen

Mama and Dada - he loves them both so

Trucks - whenever we are out walking or riding in the car, Huxley is on the lookout for every kind of               truck or work vehicle. He will spot them even when they are blocks away. Katherine says                  this is how she knows he has great eye sight.

Mixer - a cement mixer

Dozer and dump truck - bulldozer - he has a small toy dozer and loves to use it to either pretend or                  actually fill it with dirt and dump it in a dump truck

Copter - helicopter

Fire truck - he loves the sight of a fire truck. 

Cars racing - Huxley likes to line up his many toy trucks and cars and imagine they are about to race.

Crash Crash  - crashing cars is a part of the story of "Cars" so Huxley likes to imagine crashes too.
Flatbed - he loves loading other cars onto his flatbed truck or onto a tugboat that has a ramp.

He was enjoying making faces the morning we played at the house with all of his vehicles.