Fact!

Today I was a little disturbed to see a 60% on one of Benjamin's worksheets that he brought home.  As I looked more closely, I saw that he only missed one out of four total questions.  Then I read the question:

Which of these is a fact?
A. Ice cream is delicious.
B. Carrots are satisfying.
C. Everyone loves french fries.
D. Beets have vitamins.

Benjamin marked "A".  I'd say he's one smart kid! :)

How I Know

Serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints some 12 years ago, I found that different parts of our message really resonated with different people.  For many it was the plan of salvation-- knowing where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going.  For many others it was the idea of eternal families-- the possibility of being with our families not just in this life but in the life to come if we do our part.  For some it was the fact that we have a living prophet and apostles to guide our church-- just like Christ's church anciently.  For others it was the fact that the Book of Mormon testifies of God's love for all of his children and not just those in the Jerusalem area.  The list goes on and on.  Each person's life experience shaped which part of our message would speak to them the most.

For me, after growing up as a member of the Church my entire life, all the different parts of our message just felt right and it was a joy to share them with the people of Bolivia.  I knew and I know that the gospel that is found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is right, and that the Church is Christ's restored from it's original form.  I've known it basically my whole life, but from time to time something comes along that makes it's truthfulness resonate in my heart even more powerfully.  One of those things happened a few months ago and has continued to fill my heart so full that here it is just spilling across my blog!

Obviously, my whole life has been completely reshaped with the arrival of Jacob Dax-- my sweet "special needs" boy-- six years ago.  This school year he started attending Jordan Valley School-- a school just for children with special needs.  The kids attend there from kindergarten until they turn 22, so it is an elementary, junior high, and high school all rolled into one.  From previous posts you may know how much I love the school itself.  The thing that started to fill my heart was when I noticed a tiny Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints seminary building adjacent to the school.  At first I was surprised.  A seminary building at a special needs school??  How much of the Church's doctrine could these kids really be expected to understand?  And then it hit me hard:  It didn't matter.  What mattered was that they had the chance!  Through inspired Church leaders, Christ was once again leaving the ninety and nine and going after the one-- the one that so many might think wasn't worth going after.   Seeing the Church's efforts to make the gospel accessible to every living person no matter what the obstacle, amount of time, or resources makes my heart burn with the knowledge that this is Christ's true church!  Translations of the Bible and Book of Mormon into hundreds of languages including American Sign Language and Braille speak of His love for each person and a desire that each one of us, regardless of ability or disability, return to Him one day.  I love that, and I love knowing it!

How grateful I am to have Christ's gospel in my life!  It really is my anchor in this crazy world.

Ty-phoon Turns Three!

Recently Ty said good-bye to the terrible twos and slipped on the mantle of responsibility that falls upon the shoulders of all three-year-olds.  Gone are the days of it being socially acceptable to wet one's pants.  One is expected to drink from big boy cups, sleep in big boy beds, stop tantruming, and wipe one's own bottom.

As Ty learned on his birthday, there are also some upsides to being an older man-- namely, going out with girls.  Ty spent the day while his brothers were at school with his best friend, Maddie.  We went to the Bean Museum at BYU...

...out to lunch at McDonalds...

 ...and to the Paleontology Museum at BYU. 

 Ty and Maddie had a riot together.

 Not long after he said good-bye to Maddie, both sets of grandparents came up for a dinner of mac 'n cheese.  (Nuggets AND mac 'n cheese in one day.  Does it get any better than that?)  Then came the presents.  He was so thrilled with each one that he didn't want to open the next!

How I love my little wild boy!