30, Glorious 30

I couldnt' go to bed on this special night without publishing this post.  I barely made it since it is now almost midnight . . .

So, why is my blog post entitled, "30, Glorious 30"?  Well, it isn't because I just turned 30, although I don't feel that much older.  And, of course, I don't look a day over 30, right?  : )

It's because today is the 30th anniversary of my baptism.  What a glorious day this is for me to remember and celebrate each year.  I was baptized at the age of 21 on November 1, 1980, in Vista, CA into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I've been reflecting excitedly about this special upcoming anniversary for the past few months.  And I went to October General Conference in Salt Lake City as a celebration and commemoration of my upcoming anniversary.  More about this in an upcoming post.

As a young woman of 21, I knew that the church was true and was eager to be baptized.  But even though I thought I was so old and mature at the time, I realize now that I was so very young in many ways.  Thankfully, I had the faith, courage and strength to make one of the most important and pivotal decisions of my life amidst some opposition.  I can't imagine my life these past 30 years without the gospel.

I will forever be grateful to Sharyn and Essie for being such great member missionaries and showing me the way to the waters of baptism.  They were very patient and taught me well. (I think I might have been a tad stubborn at first?).

Here's a picture Christopher took of me after church yesterday.  I"m wearing the outfit from Brittany and John's wedding six years ago that hasn't fit me until recently.  Yeah! It was the first Stake Conference I had attended in my new stake after moving to Riverside earlier this year.  I was honored yet a little trepidatious to have been asked to give the closing prayer but it went off without a hitch.   Silly that an old member of 30 years like me would get nervous, right?   : )

I don't want to duplicate memories I've already shared in this blog.  So if you would like more fun info on my baptism, please look back to my detailed blog posting from my 29th anniversary on 11/1/09 which contains lots of pictures, my baptism journal entry, baptism program, testimony and more. 

One more fun memory of my special day  . . .  After picking Christopher up from school and taking him to new his new job, I stopped at the beautiful nearby Riverwalk area that I love so much to relax and enjoy the magificent day. 

The weather was perfect.  It was warm with blue skies and a slight wind and simply glorious.  After sitting a few minutes with my faithful puppy Champ by my side and reading, I laid down on the gently sloping grass and basked in the glory of the warm sun on my face while listening to the wind rustling the poplar leaves. 

I often stop here for a few minutes during my walks to sit and watch the ducks and other birds.  But I've never allowed myself the decadent indulgence of driving here and just relaxing. 

Today was a wonderful time to pamper myself  in a peaceful place while contemplating my 30 year anniversary as a Latter-day Saint and the many blessings for which I am SO very thankful.