The first thing to note this year is Cruise's ordination to Deacon. Just a few weeks before the end of 2018, the Prophet announced that boys will be eligible to be ordained a deacon the January of the year of their 12th birthdays. As groundbreaking and inspired as that was, I wish it had been announced at least a couple months before the end of the year because it kind of threw me for a loop! I mean, I thought I had 8 more months to prepare Cruise and all of a sudden I only had a few weeks. But Cruise was absolutely thrilled about the changes and had a desire to be ordained and start passing the sacrament. Cruise kept on top of the Bishop and made sure he knew that he wanted the Priesthood and that he needed his interview. Ha ha! So he finally got it on the 9th of January, was ordained a Deacon by Dave and got his temple recommend on the 13th, and passed the Sacrament for the first time on the 20th. I actually didn't know he was going to be passing it on the 20th. They had all the deacons go to church a half hour early to practice passing the sacrament, so when we got there as church was about to start, I looked over and sure enough, Cruise was sitting there with all the other little deacons. His Young Men leader caught us and told us where to sit if we wanted to be in Cruise's section, so we got in the first row. The Sacrament hymn started and I could hear Cruise sing from across the chapel. So could everyone else. When it was time for him to pass the bread, he got his tray and walked towards us with a giant smile. He winked at me...a few times, but kept his composure and reverently passed the Sacrament. No comments, no faces, no fidgeting. He stood straight, walked heel-to-toe, eyes forward. In that moment I had a flashback of his 3 year old self, unable to sit, covering his ears when the hymns would play, and needing constant sensory breaks. It was all I could do to not ugly cry. He has grown so much and has come so far. I feel so blessed and grateful for such a great kid with such pure desires to be like the Savior.
