Living a Consecrated Life- Part 1

This past Sunday, I was asked to speak in church, and learned so much from the subject I was assigned! The title of my talk was to be "Living a Consecrated Life," and I had a wonderful time learning more about consecration and what it means to consecrate our lives to God. 

Because I want to remember the lessons I learned, I thought I would share my talk here on my personal blog as a way to keep a record for myself out in the internet cloud. Maybe it will also help someone else in the great "out there".

Love, Mama Rachel

What is “consecration”?

Elder D. Todd D. Christofferson said,

“To consecrate is to set apart or dedicate something as sacred, devoted to holy purposes. True success in this life comes in consecrating our lives—that is, our time and choices— to God’s purposes. ” 

For us, consecration means that we devote our means to do good, to give service, and to help the Lord's children. 

In order to do this, first and foremost, we must remember that everything we have comes from our Heavenly Father. In the early history of the Church, Martin Harris was told through revelation that he needed to mortgage his farm in order to fund the printing of the Book of Mormon. To us, this may seem like an overwhelming request, as I am sure it was for Brother Harris.

In Doctrine and Covenants section 19, verses 23, 24, 26 we can read exactly what it was that the Lord said to him:

“Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me. I am Jesus Christ; I came by the will of the Father, and I do his will. And again, I command thee that thou shalt not covet thine own property, but impart it freely.” 

This scripture really make me examine myself and how I use the blessings that the Lord has given me. If everything we have truly comes from God, then we DO need to use what we have been given in the way he wants us to use it. And anyone who is familiar with the Savior's teachings knows how much he emphasized caring for the poor.

Blessing Others

The Lord gives us a very specific way to keep the law of consecration that is used to bless the lives of those who need help.

In Doctrine and Covenants section 42, verses 30 and 31, the Lord tells us:

“And behold, thou wilt remember the poor, and consecrate of thy properties for their support that which thou hast to impart unto them, with a covenant and a deed which cannot be broken. And inasmuch as ye impart of your substance unto the poor, ye will do it unto me;”

If everything we have comes from the Lord, then we must not keep back anything that the Lord asks us to give. 

The latter-day prophet, Spencer W. Kimball, said: 

“It is incumbent upon us to put away selfishness in our families, our business and professional pursuits, and our Church affairs. These things should not be. Let us resolve today to overcome any such tendencies.

In our family, we have had some very personal experiences with others helping us with their means in the spirit of true consecration.

First of all, we can never forget some of our dear friends who lived in Provo at the same time as us. We both had young families, and both households were struggling to make ends meet.

Russell and I were specifically struggling with some debts and medical bills that we could never seem to catch up on. I had not told my friend everything, but she could tell that our finances were strained.

One day, the wife in this couple arrived at our home with an envelope in her hand. She expressed her love for us, and left us watching her drive away with the envelope unopened. As I carefully tore it open, I found a check for $500 with a note enclosed. All the note said was,

"Heavenly Father told us that this money is for you, not us. Love, C. & A."

We were humbled and in awe of how much the Lord loved us, and in how blessed we were to have such dear friends that listened to the Lord's promptings with such diligence.

On another occasion, a few years down the road, we now had six children and I was pregnant with our seventh. We had been driving a 1978 Chevy Suburban without air-conditioning, but we knew that we would no longer be able to safely transport all of us in the eight seat belts the Suburban had. But we just didn't have money for anything new!

One day, out of the blue, a family in our ward called us and proposed that they give us their fifteen passenger van. They apologized that it had a lot of miles on it, but that it had a new engine and should run well for some time.

I was astonished! This family had thirteen children of their, and yet they were offering us their van? The wife explained to me that they had several drivers in the family now, and that they usually used more than one vehicle when going places, so they didn't really need it any more.

Sheepishly, we offered to exchange our Suburban for their van, and they agreed. (They actually used the Suburban as a project, and drove it for several years afterwards.)

Both of our families were blessed because of the generosity and spirit of true consecration that this one family showed in helping us as fellow saints and members of the church. They lived a consecrated life.

We have been blessed by the generosity of other families several times over the years, each situation being one that was inspired by the spirit of consecration. And because of the excellent example of wonderful people in our lives, we also have been inspired to "pay it forward" and help others we come across in our lives.

And that means that ALL of us are blessed, thanks to living a "consecrated life."

Watch for Part 2 coming soon: "Building the Lord's Kingdom"

"March"ing Forward!

Hello dear ones,

What a week! Ups and downs, as usual, but the Lord is mighty and He makes everything work for our good. Onward and upward-- CARRY ON!

This past week I have FINALLY been painting the coffee table and an end table from the living room with chalk paint. Yes, Mom is actually working on a project! I am wishing I could paint every bit of wood in our house WHITE, but we'll just see if I get this particular project finished before I get too ambitious.

;-)

New pi-nano!

I forgot to tell you that we got a new-to-us piano! It's a beautiful antique, and it has a lovely, though old-fashioned, tone. And best yet, ALL the keys work! YAY! I'm including a picture, so we'll need you to try it out for us someday.

Missionary News

M-- B-- is heading out to the MTC this month! I can't remember where she's going, but I think it's in South America. She'll do great! Her mom is so proud.


I think I saw on Facebook that M-- W-- just got to Hong Kong. That's about all I know, but you know M--; he'll do great work as a missionary!


B-- W-- leaves next week-- his farewell is Sunday. So Lliam and some of the other guys in the ward are going to get together this week.

Little ones on a long board

Family Stuff

Saturday, we spent real time together as a family at the park. Daddy and I brought some lunch and the kids all ate and ran and played. Eryn and Grayse both fell down and got scrapes, and the kids had fun pushing each other around on Lliam's longboard. Joy and tragedy all in one day! ;-)

Gorgeous weather! Warm AND overcast.
(With Fiona not having fun...)

I'm reading some new books on homeschool and organization-- yeah, the usual. LOL! We need to do a BIG PURGE, so that's another project I'm tackling.

Yesterday, Daddy and I fasted and prayed to know if we should put all our energy into trying to stay in this house, and we got a "Yes," so that's the new goal. Whether we are successful or not remains to be seen, but we are going to do ALL we can to stay in this house. We'd love it if you could join your prayers with our. Miracles CAN happen, right??? :)

Today it's "cold" and rainy. I mean 50-ish degrees! *tee-hee* But really, we Arizonans are enjoying the weather thoroughly.

We love you, and are so grateful for the good example you are setting for ALL of our family. We know the Church is true, and that the restored gospel is the only way we can return to our Heavenly Father.

I want you to know that your mother has a firm testimony of Jesus Christ and the reality of His life and resurrection. I want you to know that I will ALWAYS follow the living prophet. My one goal in life is to be true and faithful to the end, just as those who have come before us.

I love you, son. Keep up the hard work, the obedience, and the faith. Your faithfulness is a wonderful source of joy for me, and I appreciate you.

Much love,

Mama Rachel

A Fresh, New Year

Goofy selfie with baby Fiona

Dear ones,

I just love new beginnings, don't you?

We had another nice week of vacation, and some New Year's Eve fun-- no fireworks this year! (After Ronan's fireworks accident in July, and Lliam's gunpowder explosion last New Year's, we thought we'd better not tempt fate.)

Fascinating fire, without the BOOM!

So, we lit four paper lantern/balloons, and enjoyed the neighborhood fireworks displays. We also had our traditional "dinner" of appetizers with different cheeses and crackers. The kids were in heaven! (Crackers are a treat around here-- they don't get that that often.)

We spent New Year's Day taking down all the Christmas stuff and packing it up for next Christmas. I didn't even cry this time! ;-)

She's HOME!!!

It has been so nice having Morganne back home. She is so sweet with the little girls, even though they drag her from place to place, all vying for her attention. She fixes their hair and helps with dishes and cooking-- we like it!

Saturday I took some time alone to plan out the new homeschool semester for our family. It was so cool to park in the temple parking lot with the majestic Gilbert temple in front of me, listen to some quiet music, pray and be inspired for this new semester. 

Posing cuties

I'm trying to add a weekly trip to the library on Mondays this semester, but it will all hinge on whether or not the kids get their chores done each Monday. (Our "House Recovery" day.) We shall see how it goes!

Today we have a flurry of room rearranging going on, and trying to get back on our usual schedule. Bonny and Gavin started seminary again today, and so that was good for helping us get up early, and get the day started out right.

Our TJLA classes start up again this Friday, so I have all kinds of administrative stuff to get done. (Ick.) That's not my favorite thing to do, but I am looking forward to my literature class for second semester. Austen and Dickens and Tennyson! WOOT! Lots of good books to come.

Pretty big sisters

I had my first rehearsal for the "Ten Virgins" musical I'm in for the stake. I play the part of the Narrator, and got to sing one of my solos in front of all the other ladies. I was a tiny bit nervous, but also had a great time. We all sound so good together on our group numbers! I am going to try to make sure they film it when we perform. We perform it on Saturday, February 7th. Exciting!

We hope you are all doing well. I have a testimony of the Savior's influence and help in our lives, even when things are hard. I know that Jesus Christ is on my team and He gives me HOPE to make it through whatever comes, even when things are really difficult. He is not standing before me in judgment, no! He is on my side, lifting and carrying my burdens WITH me. Oh, how beautiful that image is to me! His Atonement and love are amazing-- oh, it is wonderful!!!

"I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me." I know this is TRUE. This is my testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

With so much love,
Mom/Rachel

December Hustle

Dear ones,

Oh, my-- what a busy week! I'm sure you all feel the same.


The first part of the week was pretty normal, but things sped up from there. TJLA classes ended last Friday, so we didn't have any classes this past week. Bonny and Gavin's seminary class ended for the semester, as did Bonny's dance classes at school. Lliam worked, and the kids made lots of messes. In other words, completely NORMAL!


Homeschool is now officially on break, though December is always slow in the academics department. What else is new?


We have been blessed to be the recipient of the 12 Days of Christmas this year, and we all work hard to NOT catch whoever our kind friends are. We've received treats, toys, yummy homemade bread, lovely decorations, and fun things like playdough for the kids. It is so sweet and makes the holiday even more fun than usual.

Bonny and some Dance class friends

Thursday evening, we ALL traipsed over to Bonny's dance recital-- the first one our WHOLE family has been able to attend, since the other ones from years past always charged mega-bucks for just Daddy and I to attend. It was awesome! Bonny did a really great job-- ballet truly IS her genius! The teacher placed her front and center on the ballet number, and it was GORGEOUS. She is such a lovely dancer!

She has made some good friends in her classes, even though she is one of the oldest students there. It's nice that the school is so small, but the majority of students there are junior high age. I'm going to look into the possibility of some science classes there for her next year. We'll see what she wants to do, and if that's even possible.

Lliam has been working hard in all the holiday rush at a cash register, and does a good job. Unfortunately he got sick, and has not been able to work as much as he would like.


Lliam, Bonny, Dierdre, Dad, and now Ronan all have killer colds, complete with sore throats and lots of coughing. Bonny completely lost her voice, and was not even able to go to church yesterday. The rest of us are taking lots of vitamin C, we all went to bed early last night, and several kids slept all afternoon after church. The house reeks of essential oils, humidifiers are humming, and herbal tea is being consumed at an alarming rate.


Almost all of Friday, I went out shopping, shopping, SHOPPING. It took a lot of time, but we FINALLY got Brennan's missionary package finished and SENT! (Whew!)

Then, that night, Bonny and I went with some homeschooling friends to see "A Christmas Carol" at the Hale Center theatre. (We've been part of a group called "The Statesmanship Club" that Sister W-- has created.) It was really good, and we all agreed that I should direct it in the next few years. We've already practically got it cast! ;-)


After the play, we took the youth to the G--'s for the Ensign Educator's yearly homeschool Christmas party. Bonny came home with me, since she was feeling pretty sickly by then. But Gavin and Didi had a good time. They had a hayride and went caroling.

McKenna and her fellow ballerinas

Saturday morning, Bonny had her recital for all her ballet students. It was cute, and they all did a good job. I think the parents were glad it was short and sweet, and so were we! The girls had a great time, and that's what's most important.

Dierdre and A-- before their dance number

Saturday afternoon, Dad and I braved the crowds and went out shopping until late at night. We are mostly done with everything for Christmas! YAY!!!


Yesterday's Christmas sacrament meeting program went really well, I think. I had more people sing with our choir than have ever sung with the choir in this ward. (So Brother H-- told me.) We sang three songs, with two speakers in between our numbers, and the songs and talks went together perfectly. Heavenly Father is so wonderful, isn't He? Everything in the program was so inspired, and I am constantly amazed at how much the Lord loves us all.


Sadly, Lliam and Bonny were sick, so I left Fiona home with Bonny. Daddy even went home after sacrament meeting, since he was beginning to come down with the ick.


In Relief Society, I sang with some ladies for a special musical number. Sister W--, Sister H--, and Sister W-- (You'll love her when you meet her!) joined me in singing "Candlelight Carol"-- one of my FAVORITES! I think it went well, but most importantly, it brought the Spirit.


I LOVE CHRISTMAS! I am so excited to have my Morgie home with us-- I can't believe her mission is over and she is coming home!!!! And I'm ecstatic to talk to my Elder Brennan on Christmas Day. WAHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do we need more exclamation marks? Oh, yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:-)


We love you all and wish we could have each of you with us, but we are also grateful for the promise of eternal families that we have because of our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ! My heart is full of joy and hope all because of the sacrifice of our our elder brother.


More than anything else, this Christmas I want to give my family my sure witness and testimony that Jesus Christ is REAL! That He loves us, and that He did all that He did for US. HOSANNAH!!! And Merry Christmas to you all!!!

Love, love, love,
Mama Rachel

The Refiner's Fire

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." ~Romans 8:28

Love, Mama Rachel

Holding on to Hope

I think most bloggers would agree with me that it is not easy to blog when we are going through tough times.

That's how I feel, anyway.

I am normally obnoxiously candid and transparent on my blog. But my candor in real life has recently really bit me. Hard. And I am still reeling from the trouble and heartache it's created.

So, even though I HATE ambiguity, I just can't be more explicit about what's going on in my life right now.

However, I DO know that Jesus loves me. And I know that joy WILL come again. And I have HOPE in happier tomorrows, all because of Christ and His all-encompassing Atonement.

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me.
Confused at the grace that so fully He proffers me.
I tremble to know that for me, He was crucified.
That for me, a sinner, He suffered, He bled, and died.

Oh, it is wonderful that He should care for me,
Enough to die for me.
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful, to me!

I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine
To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,
That he should extend his great love unto such as I,
Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.

Oh, it is wonderful that He should care for me,
Enough to die for me.
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful, to me!

I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!
Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?
No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,
Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.

Oh, it is wonderful that He should care for me,
Enough to die for me.
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful, to me!

Love, Mama Rachel

The End of October

A Boy and his Horse

Dear ones,

We had a good week, and the kids are all looking forward to the Halloween festivities for this weekend.

This past weekend, Daddy set the tent up in the Family room, and we had tin foil dinners and s'mores to eat, and even told stories before going to bed. (In front of a video of a fire in a fireplace. It reminded us all of the log house in Idaho! Except warmer. ;-D ) It was really nice.

Fiona

I have been meaning to tell you about our brave and courageous Bonny. You know how she was cast to play a soldier in The Nutcracker Ballet? Well, she found out that they were going to require her to dance at least one Sunday performance. She asked me what she should do, and I told her that she knew how I felt, but that it was HER decision to make, and she would have to pray about it, and get her own answer.

Right before General Conference, Bonny came to me and said that she had been praying about dancing on Sunday, and that she had decided to listen to each talk in conference to hear an answer from Heavenly Father.

Wow. I was so thankful for her faith!

So, conference came, and it was wonderful, of course. After it was over, Bonny came to me privately and told me that she had received her answer. The Spirit confirmed to her that she should uphold her standards and not dance on Sunday. She was told that she needed to be a good example to her older and younger siblings by keeping the Sabbath day Holy and standing for truth.

She went to rehearsal the following Saturday, with a prayer in her heart, and told her ballet instructor that she would not be dancing in any Sunday performance. The instructor told her to talk to the artistic director, and so Bonny went to talk to her, interrupting a lesson. She explained that it was against her personal standards to perform on Sundays. The artistic director looked at her and said, "Then, you are dismissed."

So Bonny called Daddy to come and get her early.

Before they arrived home, Daddy called me to let me know what had happened. I knew how much dancing in the Nutcracker means to Bonny, and how many years she has been wishing she could dance with Ballet Etudes in that show. I prepared to receive a very sad, distraught girl.

Instead, when Bonny walked in the door, she was walking tall, and GLOWING. Her face was filled with peace, and I was SOOO proud of her!!! I still am. :-)

Avalon lost her first tooth!

We hope you are enjoying the beautiful Fall weather-- it is still supposed to be in the 90's here this week! But I never count on the weather cooling off until Halloween. That's just Arizona!

We wish you all a Happy Halloween this weekend! Picture of cute kids in costumes will be forthcoming next week, I am sure! ;-)

Love,
The Momster

Another Week in the Kingdom of Keppner

Peek-a-boo with Fiona

Dear Awesome Missionaries and Beloved Family,

As September ends, and October begins, all is well in the Keppner Castle. The kids are super excited for Halloween, and are planning their costumes as we speak. I'm glad they're starting early this year, just in case I need to sew something. Often, we put it off until the day of, and that is no bueno.

Last week was mostly uneventful, though busy, as usual.

Gavin and Bonny attend seminary every morning from 7:30 to about 8:30. The Seminary is getting better about telling me when the time needs to change, and I sooo appreciate it! It is so sweet of them to remember us oddball homeschoolers. ;-)

Bonny is still teaching ballet and now has rehearsals for the Nutcracker, Lliam is working (YAY!!!) in the afternoons and evenings, and everybody is doing pretty well in our homeschool.

Davy, feeling quite unhappy in his footie pajamas

Davy spends most of his time in footie pajamas, in an attempt to curb his nudist habits. :-p So, now his favorite thing is to try to take a bath in our garden tub, footie pj's and all. He is soggy a LOT. We have to keep our door locked to keep him out. But, oh, man, is he CUTE! :-D

Fiona is a talker and likes to makes lots of noise. Where she gets that from, I have no idea. HA! She gets cuter every day, and we are all so in love with her.

My English lit class went well this week. We discussed "Sir Gawain," had some lessons on chivalry and manners, and then had a little potluck party where everyone dressed up in costume or church clothes, and brought a finger food to share. It was really fun! We've got a good group of kids. There a tall 18 year old I may have to kick out if his attitude doesn't improve, but other than that, it's a great group! ;-)

Daddy and I are working on getting out of debt, and really trying to complete the Dave Ramsey babysteps this time. *sigh* I think every time we try it, we get a little closer, so that's good, even though we usually have to start at step one again and again. We hope we can set a better example for you kids!

We're still not sure what to do about our landlords wanting to sell the house in January. It really IS my dream house, and I don't want to leave! We're just trying to follow the Spirit, and are talking and praying a lot about what we should do. Daddy also works at his dream job, but he really is not getting paid what he is worth, so that's hard. Whatever we do, we will do with prayer and pondering, and time in the temple, so don't worry about us. But extra prayer warriors are always welcome! ;-)

Sir Toby Hopkins, the toad

In other news, we got lots of heavy rain on Saturday, and the kids found a TOAD in one of the window wells! In true Brennan fashion, the kids have adopted him, and he now lives in the aquarium. Dierdre, who caught him and takes care of him, named him "Sir Toby." Ah, I love how Shakespeare sneaks into our lives again and again! :-D

Saturday night's women's broadcast was AWESOME!!! I bawled all throughout Elder Uchtdorf's talk, and was tickled to hear one of the ladies in the YW presidency speak from the pulpit in a Southern accent! Wonderful talks and music-- and it was so special to have MacKenna, Dierdre, and Bonny there with me. I LOVE it!!!

Miss MacKenna and Fiona

There is a wonderful article in the October Ensign that talks about how to have more effective prayers. I tried it this morning, and am feeling much more peace than I have in a while. PRAYER WORKS!!! It seems like it gets harder as I get older, which I guess is part of the test of life. I love Heavenly Father so much, and I know that He wants me to be more diligent in calling on Him, so I'm trying to do better. :-)

Oh! I got a new calling! I got released from Activity Day (after serving as a leader over many years, at 4 times in different wards)-- can you believe it??? And now I have been called as... Ward Choir Director! :-D This will be my 3rd time in that calling. But I really do enjoy it! And I get to get started on CHRISTMAS MUSIC!!! Yahoo!!! Sister B-- is the choir pianist, so we're going to have LOTS of fun! We are meeting today to pick music. :-D ♪ ♫ ♪

Daddy spoke in church yesterday, and did a wonderful job sharing some stories about Grandpa and Grandma Pike and their conversion to the Church. And he bore a beautiful testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel. He is such a good man, and I love him so much! You ought to ask him to send you a copy of a letter he read parts of. It was one Grandpa Pike had written to your Grandma Diana when she was a girl. It's really great.

Well, I have babbled on long enough. We love you and miss you!!!

I know that the Church is true, that Jesus loves us, and that we will be happy if we choose the right!!! You all continue to be in our hearts and prayers. :-)

Love, Mama Rachel

New Weekly Updates!

Pa and sweet Fiona

So...

A lightbulb recently went off in my brain, and I realized that when I write my weekly updates for my missionaries, that I should share them here as a way to journal and record the days of our lives.

Therefore, this will be my first weekly update for 2014! I am grateful that my missionaries are keeping me on track with recording our daily lives for future posterity, as well as for the here-and-now.

Looking forward to blogging regularity!

We had a good week, though we missed Lliam and Gavin while they were gone to Stake Encampment from Tuesday to Saturday.

The boys left first thing on Tuesday morning for a big, spirituality-based stake young men's Encampment. I guess they do it every four years in this stake, and it was a pretty big deal. They camped up near Pinetop, doing archery, chopping wood, making rafts, climbing walls, holding nightly devotionals, exploring caves, and eating, and eating, and EATING.

All the Young Men in our ward at Stake Encampment 2014.

They came home on Saturday afternoon COVERED in dirt-- I've never seen boys that dirty-- and little bit sunburned. Lliam was excited to announce that he placed 5th in the entire stake for the stick-pulling contest!!! :-) (Joseph Smith style!) That was very cool!

Bonny did a gorgeous job on Eyn's cake!

Earlier in the week, Bonny taught ballet, and also started back at Jeanne's Dance. The studio here was not meeting her needs, so she's going back to Jeanne's just for the summer. Then, in the Fall, she's hoping to start dancing at ---. We're trying to figure out some carpooling options with that, so we'll see how it goes.

Ronan spent the week as a fish, swimming almost every day at the neighbors. He's getting better and braver, and has been having lots of fun.

Davy likes water, too. His newest trick is to turn on the big garden tub in our bathroom and plug the drain. It scares me to DEATH! He came out of my room sputtering and soaked one day, and so I try to keep our bedroom door shut and locked as much as possible-- which is kind of hard when the baby is napping in her crib in our room, too! :-p Our Davy-boy's guardian angels are going to busy with that boy!!!

Davy-boy loves bath time!

Thursday was a first for me. I had a lovely (not) root canal on my owie tooth, and a new crown put on it. Does this mean I am officially old? Time will tell. I really like our new dentist, and they did all they could to take good care of me. I have lots of work that still needs done, but at least now I can eat foods I haven't been able to eat in ages. The girls were awesome babysitters for Fiona, which was hard, because I had to be gone a LONG time to get all the dental work done. But she survived, somehow!

Saturday morning, I sang at the W---'s funeral. Then, I got home and PA came to see us! Daddy and I took him out to dinner for father's Day, and he liked it a lot. We had a really nice visit! :-) Pa agrees with me that Fiona has quite a lot of Williams in her. He thinks she's beautiful, and joked about taking her home with him. :-)

Pa meeting Fiona for the first time!

Pa has spent the week staying at Ann and Dan's while he was getting poked, prodded, and tested to see if he can donate his kidney to Aunt Ann. He's hoping to know more after the doctors all meet together tomorrow. He wants to get it done and over with, but it may not be another month until the surgery can be done. He asked Lliam to come and be one of his caregivers when he's recovering, and Lliam wants to do it. I'm a little nervous about it, but I'm glad he wants to help Pa.

I can't believe how she's grown!

Saturday was also big because it was ERYN'S BIRTHDAY!!! She had a good day, I think, and Pa got to be there for the festivities. Granna made her a BEAUTIFUL Red Riding-Hood cape, Morganne gave her a sweet storybook, and she also got clothes, little people, and a miniature Snow White's cottage to play with. She and the girls have been playing non-stop ever since. I can't believe our Miss Eryn is really FOUR YEARS OLD!!! :'-(

Russell with tiny Fiona, just after her birth.

Yesterday was a very nice Father's Day for Daddy, I think. He didn't want much, but I think it was okay. He got a nap and we baked him a pastry I had bought from one of the B---' boys. They were selling them for a fundraiser, so I got one for Father's Day. We ended the day watching an episode of the Duggars and going to bed EARLY-- Daddy's favorite thing these days. (Going to bed early, not the Duggars. LOL!)

We love you, we miss you, and we are very pleased with the hard work our two missionaries are doing! We all remember you both in every family prayer. Keep up the good work, and remember that you BOTH are doing the work of bringing souls to Christ!

Thank you for the good you are doing, and for staying close to the Spirit as you serve the Lord in His VERY important work!

Lots of love and hugs,

Mama Rachel

Still, Still, Still

After a long, noisy day running here and there, I just need to sit for a brief moment and take a deep breath.

I'd like take time to share some of my favorite, peaceful Christmas music with you. I hope you enjoy the peace it brings. (I know I will!)

In the Bleak Midwinter

I love to listen to vocalists that have a clear, bright tone. As a singer myself, (though nowhere near the class of the vocalists here!) I really appreciate angelic-like voices! The two ladies in these following videos are my FAVORITES. Oh, I can't get enough of listening to them!

The Wexford Carol

Silent Night (Oiche Chiuin)

I adore music from "the old country." I have lots of English, Welsh, and Scottish blood in me, and whenever I hear a folk tune from "across the pond," I get chills. It just sounds so familiar!



{I know I need to do something about being an "Anglophile," but I'm pretty sure than only a visit to the U.K. will ever cure me... Someday...}

O Come, Emmanuel

And last, but certainly not least, is one of my favorite Christmas Carols played by one of my favorite musical groups, accompanying one of the most beautiful reenactments of the Christmas story I've ever seen.



Hosannah!!! I wish everyone a very merry Christmas, with a lovely moment or two of quiet and peace to ponder on the true reason we celebrate this time of year.

Love, Mama Rachel

Five Reasons

Me and my Davy Boy

It is no secret that I LOVE Christmas, and thus I love December!

Oh, December! How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Aren't they both so handsome???

Reason #1- My Russell

My sweetheart was born on December 10th. He puts up with a LOT from me (scatter-brained-ness, an aversion to cleaning our bathroom, running homeschool groups out of our house, that kind of thing), but he loves me and treats me like a QUEEN every single day.

I'm so glad he was born! And I'm so glad he picked me to be his bride, even with all my quirkiness!

I love you, Russell!!! 

Sweet Baby Morganne-- 1993

Reason #2- Morganne Natalia

Morganne was born two days after Christmas. Hence, we gave her the middle name of Natalia, which means "born on Christmas." (The 27th is close enough, I say!)

She's our parenting guinea pig, and peacemaker extraordinaire. She is absolutely without guile, for anyone. She has taught (and keeps teaching me) so much! She brings peace wherever she goes. 

She gets to be home for December (wahooooo!!!!) before she goes back to Idaho to start a service mission in the Family History Center there. (She's been volunteering in the LDS Humanitarian center for the last 5+ months.) I'm so very grateful my parents have welcomed her into their home so that she can have this experience of being away from home, but not on her own before she's ready.

And we're all so glad she gets to be with us all for Christmas! It's our LAST Christmas all together for a long time. (Our Brennan leaves for his mission on January 1st!)

She's really five!

Reason #3- Miss Avalon

Avalon makes every day an adventure! She's my other Christmas baby, and so her middle name is Noelle. She says that whenever someone sings about "Noel," they're really singing about HER.

This year's newest Christmas album.

Reason #4- Christmas Music!!!

Hello. My name is Rachel, and I am a Christmas music junkie. I blame it on being in choirs since the age of 8. Everyone who's ever been in a choir knows that you start singing Christmas music in September.

This business about waiting to listen to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving is sooooo hard on me! But I try not to make my husband too crazy (See Reason #1), so I do my best to control the urge to start playing my beloved carols at least until a few days before Thanksgiving.

I think I'm doing better than I used to.

Our Christmas music collection is MONSTROUSLY huge. On iTunes, it tells me that if we played all the Christmas music we own, it would 1.6 days to play all the songs. (And I think it's actually more than that now. I need to add a couple new albums to the playlist.)

YESSS!!! I know it may be a bit pathetic to be proud of that, but I love it. I make all kinds of playlists out of the music we have: Christmas Sacred, Christmas Fun, Christmas Cleaning Music, Christmas Traditional, Christmas Celtic-- should I go on? (Probably not.)

 

Reason #5- THE Reason for the Season

I have a great love for my Savior, Jesus Christ. 

I love how everyone remembers Him, sings about Him, tells the story of His birth, and serves others all through December.

I know that the joy and goodness we all feel during the Christmas season is because we take the time to focus on Him, His birth, His mission, His sacrifice, and His pure love for everyone.

Merry Christmas!!!

Love, Mama Rachel

Special Days

We have had such a wonderful fall and now winter is shaping up to be a time of making new and wonderful memories, as well. My heart is so full, and yet so light and joyful.

Another Birthday

Our Avalon just turned FIVE! It's fun to think back to when I blogged about being pregnant with her, and announced her birth here, as well. Oh, how time flies!

Even though she got a few fun toys for her birthday, her favorite present by far was a pair of hot pink sunglasses, complete with flashy rhinestones. That says loads about what kind of sassy miss she is! We are so glad to have such a fun and spunky girl in our family!

Once in a Lifetime

Tomorrow our Brennan gets to go to the temple for the very first time, where he will make important promises to Heavenly Father and learn more about God's plan for His children. It is such a special, sacred occasion for him and our whole family! 

Russell's parents flew down to be a part of it and of his mission talk this weekend, and it is such a great thing to have family here!!! I can't believe how fast it's all happening. Sometimes, I still see my boy like this:

And tomorrow, he will be a man, ready, worthy, and able to serve the Lord. Oh, God is good. What a wonderful plan of happiness He has for all of us!

She's Home! (Temporarily)

Our Morgie is home for the month of December, then she goes back up to Idaho to fulfill a call to work in the Family History Center. It has been so awesome to have her back! Now things feel "right" again. I have missed her gentle, sweet spirit, her willing heart, and her beautiful singing voice. (We've been harmonizing to Christmas music all day!) 

She's even been doing all the dishes. It's going to be hard to let her go back! (Just kidding, Morgie. Sorta.)

Feeling Excited

We also get to go see and hear our Lliam perform with the Millenial Choir Organization tomorrow evening. I'm so, SO proud of him! He has found something that is uplifting and excellent that he gets to be a part of, and even though he wasn't sure he'd like being in a choir, he now loves it and wants to keep singing with them next semester, as well! 

I am so grateful that he has found something so worthwhile to be excited about. He has blossomed so much these last few weeks, just to have the chance to perform with them. All FOUR concerts are sold out to a packed house, and we are thrilled to go and hear them. Hooray for the talented and inspiring people that the Lord has put in our path! Break a leg, Lliam! 

And I wish all my readers a wonderful weekend filled with happiness, hope, and joy!

Oh, and HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!

Love, Mama Rachel

MacKenna Got Baptized!

MacKenna with Brennan, who baptized her,
and Daddy, who confirmed her.

It was a beautiful day, and a wonderful experience.

MacKenna asked her big brother, Brennan, to baptize her.

Our fun friend, Ashlynn, from across the street, came to the baptism, too!

We're so proud of our MacKenna and her excitement to become a member of the Lord's kingdom on earth.

The Keppner Family 

And we're so very grateful for Heavenly Father's eternal plan for families!

(We miss you, Morganne!)

Love, Mama Rachel

A Day of Fasting and Prayer

Dear friends,

There are some very important issues that will be brought before the Supreme Court very soon, and they are so important to religious liberty and freedom of conscience!

I ask that my readers will please join me in a day of prayer and fasting on Sunday, November 17th to implore the Lord for His divine help in these upcoming cases-- first that the Romeike case will be heard, and then that the court will uphold parental rights and asylum for families who are persecuted by their countries of origin for their parenting choices.

There are also two more cases that are challenging the requirements that Obamacare is placing on businesses that have to do with denying the leaders of companies the right to act according to their religious beliefs and personal convictions.

Here's more about the issues and the names of the cases in question at the website:

In Romeike v. Holder, we are asking the Supreme Court to uphold America as a place of refuge for those who are persecuted for their faith. I feel good about our argument, but we must all recognize that the Supreme Court takes a very limited number of cases—so please pray that the Court will agree to hear our appeal.

This is not the only important case being examined that day. The Justices will also decide whether to hear cases involving the strength of our constitutional religious freedoms in the ObamaCare-related cases, Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood v. Sebelius.

Prayer and fasting are not the last resources-- they are the very BEST!!! Will you please join me and thousands of others who care about religious and family freedoms in prayer and fasting on Sunday, November 17th?

Thank you so much!

Joy and Rejoicing!!!

My Beautiful Temple
(Photo source)

In our little corner of the world, there is much happiness and excitement going on among the Saints! We just got word about our new temple that is being built and beautified just "down the road" (3-ish miles) from our house! (It is literally ten minutes from me.)

Eeeeee!!!!!!!!!!! 

From the Church's Newsroom:

The First Presidency has announced open house and dedication dates for the Gilbert Arizona Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The public is invited to visit the temple during an open house from Saturday, 18 January 2014, through Saturday, 15 February 2014, excluding Sundays. Free reservations for the open house can be made through the www.gilbertmormontemple.org website in the coming weeks.

The temple will be formally dedicated on Sunday, 2 March 2014, in three sessions. In conjunction with the dedication of the temple, there will also be a cultural celebration featuring music and dance on Saturday, 1 March 2014.

My teens get to be in the cultural celebration. YAY!!! But my missionary will be gone before the Open House even begins. (Sad.)

The excitement in our area is palpable. We are absolutely thrilled to have such a gorgeous temple so very close to us! Word on the street is that this is one of the biggest temples that has been built in many, many years. I am looking forward to going every week!!!

Ahhhh...

Yes, joy and rejoicing, indeed.

Anyone wanna come see us during the Open House??? We'd love to have you!!!

Love, Mama Rachel 

Mission Call!!!

Our Missionary

I want to let my blogging buddies know that our boy, Brennan, received his mission call yesterday to serve in the WASHINGTON SPOKANE MISSION!!!

He will be preaching the Gospel in the English language and enters the Provo MTC on January 1st, 2013.

Happy New Year to him!!! :-)

Here's the video of the call opening, surrounded by friends and family (thanks to technology!).

New Favorite Things

These last weeks or so have been uneventful, but somehow delightful!

Maybe it's that I have been "unplugged" from social media (Okay, but not Pinterest. I've been there lots and lots. And I'm not sorry.) and so I haven't had my blood pressure go up from all the political happenings going on in DC. (Okay, I promise not to go there. I want to maintain my peaceful feelings...)

Maybe it's that the kids and I have a week off from seminary and our homeschool classes-- I'm looking forward to less demands on my time this week!

One reason I know for certain, is that we had LDS General Conference this last weekend, and that ALWAYS makes me feel happy and peaceful!

Whatever the reason, I am smiling this morning, thinking about all the things that have brought me joy this week.

General Conference

As I said above, very few things bring more joy than the messages and promptings I receive on LDS Conference weekend. The fruits of listening include a peaceful feeling, more patience with my kids and others, more inspiration on what to do long term as well as each day, more resolve to do the right thing, more love for everyone!

I cannot recommend anything more than listening to or watching LDS General Conference. You can view one talk at a time, or watch as much as you can in one sitting. I LOVE that the Church posts all the talks in their entirety online as soon as the live sessions are over! Come and see! You WILL be uplifted and inspired! 

Uplifting Music

I have some new favorite music! 

Many LDS members are fans of Brigham Young University Men's Chorus, but what made me an even bigger fan, is that they are giving away a whole album FREE! It's called "Set Apart," and it has some of the most beautiful arrangements I've ever heard. The BYU Men's Chorus outdid themselves this time! My favorite song on the whole album is called "I Love the Lord." I like to sit in front of my speakers and soak it up whenever that song comes on!

Another wonderful offering is FREE music for Youth on the Church's website. Much of it is from EFY albums, and all of it brings the Spirit into our home when we listen to it. My favorite artists found on the list are Stephanie Mabey, Mindy Gledhill, and Hilary Weeks. Did I mention you can download the songs for FREE? Love it!!!

Truly GOOD Movies

This weekend, my kids and I discovered a new family favorite while my husband and sons were off attending the Priesthood session of Conference.

I can't say enough good about this movie! Not only was it beautifully made and acted, it has some of the most wonderful themes about the importance of generational families and family history that I've ever seen!!!

I cried. And jumped! And laughed. And grinned-- A LOT.

If you have a Netflix account, may I suggest that you follow the link and go watch this movie with your family ASAP??? (It's on "Watch Instantly" or whatever they call it now.) It will facilitate great discussions about right and wrong, forgiveness, family history, justice and mercy, what happens after death, and the Spirit World. 

(NOTE: There are a couple of scary moments, but they do not bring any kind of bad feelings or real fear. Even my small children were not really frightened. We jumped at two places in the movie, but those parts are quickly resolved.)

The Gilbert Temple

I live only two miles from this beautiful place. I see it practically every time I leave my house. I can't wait until it's done!!!

But, no word yet on when it will be finished so that we can go IN.

Like waiting for my boy's mission call, I just have to be patient. But I am sooo excited!!!

Have another lovely week!

Love, Mama Rachel