And then there was the time Wyatt tried to save his gum for later...

Some of us are inspired by beautiful sunsets, waves on a beach, children playing at a park.

Wyatt found inspiration from Violet Beauregard during his recent screening of "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory".  Since he never gets gum (hmm...I wonder why?), he didn't want to chuck the piece he'd bought for a nickel at the Baseball Field Snack Shack and chomped on all night long like a hippopotamus.  Solution?  

Why store it behind the ears, of course!

Only problem is you go too far and there's HAIR.  Little, tiny hairs.  The kind that make your eyes water when pulled even the slightest little bit.

Getting this gum out was quite the dramatic, emotional ordeal.

For him at least.

I just laughed and grabbed a camera.

And vowed I would continue my steadfast rule of NO GUM UNTIL YOU'RE TEN!

Don't you want to know for yourself?

Today is a melancholy day for me.  Today is the last day my dear friend, Taylor, and I will be studying the Book of Mormon together.  It has been two years on this journey together of meeting every single week, reading & journaling side-by-side as well as doing "homework" on our own.  I have enjoyed, relished, and found purpose in these past twenty-four months of gaining insight from conversation and theological pondering. For Taylor, it is an accomplishment, a conquered goal, and requirements met, as now she will qualify to be a graduate in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Seminary Program.  How I admire her desire and drive to earn this acknowledgement, and believe me she has earned it!  Like many busy high school seniors she has made sacrifices in order to keep this a priority in her life.  The process was not fast, but for that I am so grateful.  Not only did it give me more time to have a frequent connection to one of my beloved young women (from my days serving in the Young Women program of the church), but it allowed me the opportunity to study the scriptures slowly, methodically, and purposefully.  And so you see, I admit to my selfishness.  As pleased as I'd like to be for sweet Taylor, my heart simply feels heavy that we have reached the end of this magnificent book and study period as a team.  A tender mercy, a merciful blessing - that is how I would describe the entire experience.

I have read the Book of Mormon before.  I have taken the advice of the prophet Moroni - the last man to write or hold the record of the Book of Mormon (named after his father) before burying it for safety until the time of translation and publication could come some 1,400 years later.  With all the counsel he could have given, Moroni's last written breath was a plea to come unto Christ and an invitation to "ask God...if these things are not true" (Moroni 10:4).  I have experienced the confirmation that I know came from the Holy Ghost, which told me this book did not come forth by the power of man, but by the power and through the authority of God, and that the Book of Mormon needed to be part of my life and would bring me much happiness.

So as I read the final chapters one more time, I recognize that I may not need again the confirmation I received the first time I had read.  I already know that it's true - I do not doubt and do not need reaffirmation of that fact.  However, the promise we are given is that "by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of ALL things" (Moroni 10:5).  I have faith that as I take the time to pray with gratitude and questions, the Lord will give me answers and additional truths will be added to my spiritual knowledge and core beliefs.

Our God is a god of miracles.  Our God is unchanging.  He is the same yesterday, today, and will continue on for every day to come (Hebrews 13:8).  Knowing that, I feel it begs the question: if one truly believes that God is constant, if one truly believes that God would not abandon us, then why would one choose to disbelieve modern revelation and not openly investigate any work that could possibly be claimed as scripture from God?  Just as Abraham and Moses knew God and received Him, I am fully convinced that righteous people in Ancient Americas also knew Christ and accepted Him into their lives.  Becoming familiar with their trials, triumphs, and testimonies by reading the Book of Mormon has helped me obtain a deeper understanding of the Savior’s love for all of us, but particularly for me specifically.  

I will never have words adequate enough to express the gratitude I feel for the sacrifices of so many, that I might have the scriptures in my possession.  The many prophet historians over thousands of years who painstakingly kept record, the devoted followers of Christ who knew the value of these words and ardently and tirelessly protected them from those who would destroy them, the courageous and divinely-inspired religious reformers who for hundreds of years knowingly or unknowingly followed the promptings of the spirit as part of the Lord’s plan to provide for His children instruction, doctrine, and counsel that was complete and without error.  For the word of God to be so readily available in our lives is an unspeakably marvelous gift.

“What did people in 16^th-Century England, who paid enormous sums and ran grave personal risks for access to a Bible , what did they understand that we should also understand?  The scriptures are the standard for distinguishing truth and errors.  The scriptures enlarge our memory by helping us always to remember the Lord and our relationship to Him and the Father.

…Consider the magnitude of our blessing:  to have the Holy Bible, and some 900 additional pages of scripture, including the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price.  Surely with this blessing the Lord is telling us that our need for constant recourse to the scriptures is greater than in any previous time.”  D. Todd Christofferson

“We invite all men [and women] everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true.  Those who pursue this course and ask in fiath will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost.”  (Book of Mormon introduction page)

As a member of the Godhead, the Holy Ghost can and will confirm to us, through prayer and sincere intent, the validity of the Book of Mormon.  I do not hesitate to encourage any person to read it and put it to the test.  I know – I KNOW – that if one, after reading it entirely, approaches the Lord in humble prayer and with a genuine desire to know truth (not just a desire to disprove), that they will gain that knowledge for themselves and will know without a doubt of what they've inquired.  That is God’s promise, and we can trust that His promises are sure.

I echo a statement I recently read from the personal blog of one who was sharing their daily experience reading the Book of Mormon.  He stated: “I know that The Book of Mormon is the word of God.  I know this because every chapter leads me to Christ.  As I read the story of Lehi's family following the liahona by faith, I received a witness that the liahona was a type of Christ, and that if we will follow Christ in faith, we will be led to our promised home.  As I read the story of Abinadi testifying of the truth to a wicked and hard-hearted people, I received a witness that Christ was 'despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief."  (Isaiah 53:3)  Surely, the message of this blessed book is found in Moroni 10:32; "Come unto Christ, and be perfected in Him."  

As I read that it struck me that this gentleman is  right – EVERY part of the Book of Mormon, every story, every experience recorded by that ancient people, is meant to draw our hearts closer to Christ and to stir within us a desire to become like Him, and live so that we may not deny ourselves any privilege or happiness that is reserved for us!

I offer my own witness that my life is better for including in it this sacred book.  I feel deeply, with all my heart and soul, with all my intuition or “gut feeling”, that this book WAS indeed authored by Christian prophets, that although they lived on the earth anciently, were aware of the guidance and testimony we would need today to fully partake of the blessings our Heavenly Father desires for us.

2012 Taft Family Christmas Card - sent with much love!

Dear Friends & Family -

There’s something about this time of year.  Lyricists have put pen to paper, trying to coin the phrase that best sums it all up.  It's as though what separates us mortals from our heavenly home thins a bit.  We’re closer to reaching our true potential because despite our weaknesses, the season brings out the best in us.  As said by one of the aforementioned lyricists, “There’s a little bit of heaven everywhere.”

Here are some moments of “heaven” we felt this year:

Halle loved having a ‘big sister’ for a couple months while cousin Shelby lived with us until she completed hair school.  We all loved having her here!  Halle loves writing – notes, poems, stories – and cooking anything in the kitchen.  She and her friend have even posted some “cooking episodes” onto youtube!  (The Crazy Cooking gals)  Halle is creative, organized, and has a strong desire to succeed.  She loves school and for now says she wants to go to college and get her teaching degree after high school.  While we think that's a great idea and she'd be a fantastic teacher, we're grateful we're not quite to that point yet!

Wyatt enjoyed playing baseball, starting 2^nd grade, playing with legos, reading about history, and especially his baptism day!  That was a big one for all of us – we were so proud to see his desire to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  He has a great love for the gospel and bravely shares it with the entire congregation on Testimony Sundays.  He laughs more than any kid I know (good) and rarely puts away his shoes (bad).  He also loves to make sound effects and random noises.  This is good, but also bad.  (Sometimes my ears physically hurt from all the noise in our house! Ha ha)

One of the “lows” we experienced this year was the loss of our beloved Grandma B.  It may have been a time of grief, but I must include it as it truly was a time we felt “heaven” close by.  LaRee passed away in February and while it broke our hearts to be separated from her, we rejoiced that she was no longer in pain and reunited with her eternal companion.  We’re grateful that just a few days before her death she got to hold Charlotte Maree, her namesake (we spelled Maree the same way she spelled her first name).  These photos were taken at last year’s family Christmas party – she is still very much a part of our lives and dear to our hearts.

Carson had a year of two big changes: no longer holding the position as youngest in the family, and starting school.  He loves kindergarten and is excelling, particularly in math.  He also hasn’t minded being a big brother – in fact he dotes on Charlotte every day.  No one can get her chattering like he can!  Carson loves any type of “figurine” and doing anything with scissors and glue!  He entertains himself well and hums the entire time he’s doing it (which can sometimes get old for the rest of us, but we try to enjoy it while the humming lasts).

Ruby has been with us for two years and we still love, love, love her!  Like Mary Poppins, she’s “practically perfect in every way” except for the fact that we could ring her neck every time she slips through the open front door.  If it weren’t for that, we couldn’t complain about one single thing.  Oh, but we can’t forget about the time she rolled around in the bush full of slugs and snails, getting them stuck in her hair.  Mama had to give her a nasty-looking haircut (like a blind man with a butcher knife - see photo on the right) and Ruby knew she looked bad.  The next morning she refused to come out of her kennel.  Ruby’s favorite time of day is riding in the car to pick the kids up from school!

   

Brett and I have been keeping busy with all the daily tasks of life, but we still find time for some fun.  Brett was recently asked to work with the young men in church through activities and spiritual lessons.  He does a great job with the boys and I think he enjoys it a great deal.  It’s so important for the youth of today to have positive role models in their lives!  Brett has also been busy working several nights a week doing online support, all this in addition to a day-job that he does well, too!  I honestly don’t know how he manages it all, but he does and on top of that is such an amazing daddy and husband.  For Brett’s birthday we took the older kids up to Pineview to swim for a fabulous day!  Brett has his designated chair in the sectional, and if Ruby and Charli decide to join him, they’ve got their “spots”, too!  I’ve had a lot of fun working with church members to provide beautiful music in our meetings and this fall I became a Scentsy Constultant.  I can’t say it’s very lucrative, but man, it’s a lot of fun.  Plus it’s a product I believe in, and that’s played a big part in what’s so far been a positive experience.  Other than that, I spend the majority of my time volunteering at the school, teaching 16 awesome piano students, and chasing a busy baby around the house! 

That leads me to what I’m confident everyone else in the family would agree was the most heavenly moment this year, and that was the destined addition of a sweet spirit to our home:

Miss Charlotte.

I don’t think I’ve ever experienced twelve months go by faster than these with her.  By child #4, I hope I have learned a few things and am a wiser, more loving mother.  For starters, I have tried very hard to treat each moment as precious and to treasure it in my heart; to not rush anything and just savor it all.  I’d known for two years prior to her arrival that she was waiting to be with us, so you can imagine what a sweet moment it was to finally hold her for the first time and know our family was what it should be.  We were all in love instantly!  (Halle was especially delighted to finally even the numbers between boys and girls, and she has proven to be a valued babysitter!)  Charli had lots of dark hair and the sweetest little lips.  You can see in the “Then and Now” pictures above how much she’s changed!  Her hair has turned blonde and she’s now on the verge of walking.  Her beautiful round eyes will beat anyone hands-down in a staring contest, and at least for now, she’s a “mama’s girl”, which I’m enjoying for as long as it will last. 

She’s a good sport with the kids’ games, including the time they dressed her up for a little movie they made.  She was the villain, a tough cattle rancher from Montana named “Baby Face Charli”.  If you have 4 minutes to kill, check it out – they did a pretty bang-up job!  Click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITEkL-QHlxA

Like everyone, 2012 had lows and highs.  However, we feel very fortunate to say that this year had many more HIGHS than lows.  It was a blessed year for us and one that we’re a bit sorry to see end.  It’s hard to imagine 2013 will top it! 

We know part of what makes our lives so happy is having dear friends and family in our treasured circle.  Our wish for you on this Christmas Eve is that you’ll feel a little bit of Heaven in your hearts! 

Merry Christmas with love,

P.S. Yes, I know this is possibly the longest Christmas Card ever.  But you aren’t surprised, are you?  When have I EVER been short-winded?  (Thanks for sticking it thru to the end…)  J

2012 Fall Catch-Up

I've been so swamped trying to get my new Scentsy and Velata businesses off the ground, I have regrettably neglected my family's blog.  This is our "journal", so to speak, and although I tend to use my blog too often for my own philosophical thoughts or my soap-box rants, my family IS, in the end, what I want this blog to be all about.  It's what makes me such a lucky gal!

Here's what October looked like for the Taft family:

 Carson and Wyatt were our star baseball players!  

 Evidence that our children do receive a bath, once in a while!

 Ruby rolled around somewhere outside that apparently was a nightclub for slugs, getting seven of the slimy things stuck in her hair.  Having just paid for a trip to the beauty salon a week earlier, she had to settle for a home-done haircut by me.  She looked bad, and she knew it - the next morning she didn't come out of her kennel until 9:30!

Witches Night Out at Gardner Village with Grandma Dixie and Aunt Ashlee!

But first...at stop at the mall for dinner and getting some eyebrows threaded!  

 (Speaking of Klopecks, soon I'll post pictures of our trick or treating adventure, and how we live in our own 'Burbs!  The good DocTuh Klopeck lives in our neighborhood (or at least someone who suspiciously looks an awful lot like him!)

 Ouch!  Threaded hurts a bit!  

Don't let your mortality get in the way...

My friend, Gena, shared a conversation she had with a friend with a terminal illness.  This friend knows she is dying and that her remaining time on earth is short.  And yet, she looks forward with an heart full of faith.  She knows where she is going.  She knows the body that is failing her is not "her".  It is a sacred temple, which houses her spirit, which is eternal and part of a Heavenly Family.  As she referenced what it will be like as time goes on, her health getting worse, and the distance between this life and the next narrowing, she wants the transition to be welcomed, as uncomplicated and as smooth as possible.  She said, "I'm not going to let my mortality get in the way."  This woman knows that inside of her body rests a spirit that will continue on long after her mortal shell has expired.  She knows this is not the end and therefore does not think with her mortal eyes, but her spiritual eyes.

This made me think about my own life.  Do I let my mortality get in the way sometimes?  No, I am not terminally ill.  But at times does my spirit - the eternal part of me, the part that existed before this life and will continue to exist in the next - want to shout at my mortal being, "Stop getting distracted with these temporary things!  Mortality is temporary!  It's only a part of your eternal experience!"  Will my spiritual eyes look back on this life here on earth and realize I focused too much on what was here, on things (possessions, hobbies, busy-ness) that would remain HERE, instead of focusing on what I CAN take with me (love cultivated for others by serving them, a testimony built unshakable by seeking the good, acquiring better understanding of God's word, applying the Atonement in my life and recognizing that my Savior's sacrifice was for me, personally).  The things of mortality that I am seeking and centering my energy on are not wrong.  They are all good things and serve a purpose.  But good doesn't mean they are better, and it certainly doesn't mean they are the best.  I'm so grateful that Gena shared the conversation with her friend.  It was a tender mercy and a gentle reminder that while seeking the good, I need to reserve time for the better and the best.  I must serve my spiritual ambitions as much or more than my mortal goals.

I mustn't let my mortality get in my way.

"We're sorry we can't come to the phone right now..."

 This weekend my family and I will be unavailable for activities or phone calls on both Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to Noon, and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.  During those 8 precious hours, we will be eagerly listening to prayerfully-prepared words of wisdom delivered to us from the mouths of the Lord's servants here on the earth.

There was a brief period of time after I graduated from high school that I wasn't making the best choices in my life.  And, like many teenagers, I began to question some of the doctrine and principles of the religion in which I'd been raised.  And yet I could not fully separate myself from it, because there was one thing that I knew I absolutely could not, and would not, deny: that the President of the Church truly was a man of God, and that the men who serve with him, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, truly were men of God also, set apart and devoted to further His work on the earth.  I could not see these men - whether in person (as living and working where I did at the time, I occasionally I would have the pleasure of bumping into one of them), or on a television broadcast, without feeling overwhelming love and an increase of the Spirit.  I know that was the Lord's way of saying, "Hold on.  Don't give up.  The answers will come."  And they did.  Because I was able to cling to my faith in a modern-day prophet, in time my faith was restored in other doctrines and principles as well.  Now I can say that I do not question the gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I do not fully understand every little detail of it, but that doesn't bother me.  I don't expect to be an expert on it until well after this life is over!  I am comforted that I understand all that I need to know at this point in time and that if I continue faithful on the right path, more knowledge, enlightenment, and comprehension will come as I'm prepared for it.

Some say Divine Revelation is an ancient tradition, and no longer applicable to us in these modern days.  My heart (and my mind) tell me this is not so.  Why would a loving Father in Heaven only speak to His children from days past?  I tell you that the hand of the Lord is in our lives today and that He speaks to us - through prayer and personal revelation, scriptures, even beautiful sacred music, and most He definitely continues to speak to us through Prophets and Apostles, just as was done in ancient times.  Our God is unchanging and unwavering, and for the great blessing of modern-day leadership, directed by Jesus Christ, I am so very, very grateful!