August 13th, 2006

Last weekend marked my 5 year anniversary of being baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Last year I wrote all about my conversion to the church, you can read about it here: http://burkified.blogspot.com/2010/08/my-conversion-story.html

I had so many goals that I wanted to accomplish before my 5 year anniversary of this special day. I really wanted to make a book with my conversion story in it. Not published or anything, just a hard bound book that I could keep in my family for our children to have after I'm gone. I think it would be a really special family keepsake. Something for them to hold onto so they knew my story and testimony of this gospel. It would allow them to take a small peek into my life and who I was when I joined the church. I want to get my friends who were able to attend the baptism write a little exerpt about their thoughts and feelings of that night. I'm still planning on doing it. Just not on my original time line :) I want the book to be special and I don't want to rush it. I don't want to skip details about what happened and why I chose to make this decision. It really changed everything for me.

Because of that decision I'm now sitting in my living room right below a picture of the Salt Lake Temple. Neal's grandmother gave us this picture right after we were married and just two weeks before she passed away. I cherish this picture. It means so much to me. And who would have thought the the former "Erin Brophy" would have this picture hanging in her home someday. Not me, and definitely not my family. But it's here. And I'm proud of it. I'm proud to say that I was sealed in that temple. It will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Neal and I were talking about my baptism a couple months ago. He explained to me that he wishes more than anything he could have been there. He wishes he was apart of my life at that time so he, too, could witness my conversion and see me be baptized. I thought about it though and I'm actually okay with the fact that he wasn't. He may not have been at my baptism but he was able to be there with me my first time in the temple when I took out my endowments. He was there to hold my hand as I took out my endowments. He was able to see me make very sacred covenants as I was being sealed, to him. So no, he wasn't an honorary guest the night of my baptism but he was there for all the other important events where I was able to make more promises to my Father in Heaven. In fact, we've been able to make them together and that means more to me than anything.

"Erin & Neal"

Sealed for Time and All Eternity

Sept. 19th, 2009

August 13th 2006 was a very special day for me. It marked a new beginning. An eternal journey that I began on my own but I now have Neal by my side forever. It brings me so much comfort to know that we are able to start our own eternal family. I could only dream of that the day I was baptized. I had no idea the wonderful future Heavenly Father had in store for me or my future family :)

This year I'm grateful that I could bring Liam into this world. He is going to be blessed with the opportunity to be born into the covenant with the hope of working towards an eternal family of his own.