VII. Baptism

Soon after I turned 8, I was baptized.  I remember the day pretty clearly.  It was a beautiful summer day.  I wore an outfit my mom made for me, a shirt and skirt that matched with a beautiful pink flower pattern.  My mom French-braided my hair.

We were in a brand-new ward, and I remember that another person was baptized that day.  I wore a white jump-suit, and my dad baptized me by immersion.

That night, my grandparents gave me my own set of scriptures with their testimonies written inside.

The next day was Sunday, and my Grandpa Holmes confirmed me (which means that he laid his hands on my head to bless me, officially joined me to the Church, and conferred upon me the gift of the Holy Ghost).

Even though there isn't a whole lot to say about the actual day, it was truly significant to me.

I am a Mormon.  In fact, most of my ancestors go all the way back to the beginning of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Regardless of my heritage, I have come to know the truthfulness of the gospel through my own study and prayer.

How are Mormons different than mainstream Christianity?  I won't attempt to be exhaustive in my answer, but I will name a few significant differences.

We are not Protestants.  We did not break off from any other church.  We believe that Christ restored the gospel through the prophet Joseph Smith.

We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.  We believe they are three separate members of the Godhead.  They have different roles, but They are unified in Their purpose (to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man).

We believe the Bible, and we believe the Book of Mormon is also the word of God.  The Book of Mormon is a history of two groups of ancient people who inherited the American continent as their Promised Land.  God called prophets from among those people, who taught them the gospel just as it had been taught in Jerusalem.  When Christ resurrected, He came to visit the people on this continent.  Throughout the Book of Mormon, the people went through cycles of wickedness and righteousness.  Eventually, they became so wicked that they destroyed one another.  The prophet Mormon abridged the records of the two peoples, and gave them to his son before he died.  Moroni added a few writings, then buried them in the Hill Cumorah in what is now Palmyra, New York.  When the boy Joseph Smith was 14, he prayed to know which church was true.  The answer he received was a visitation from God, the Father, and Jesus Christ.  He was instructed that no other church had the fullness of the gospel, and that he was to be an instrument in restoring it.  Joseph Smith later received visitations from the angel Moroni, who showed him where the plates were buried.  Through the power of God, Joseph Smith translated the plates.

We believe in modern revelation.  We believe that our prophet President Thomas S. Monson receives revelation for the Church.  We also believe that we can study and pray, and receive personal revelation through the Holy Ghost.

We believe that when the gospel was restored, that the priesthood (the authority and power of God to act in His name) was also restored.  President Thomas S. Monson holds all the authority, but he delegates that authority how God directs him to.

We also believe in eternal families.  We believe that through the priesthood authority and temple ordinances, a man and woman and their children can be linked, or sealed, together forever.

We believe that we are saved by grace, after all we can do.  In other words, the Atonement of Christ is the only way we can return to heaven.  But we have to keep the commandments, and repent if we make mistakes.

http://mormon.org/eng/ has more thorough explanations of what we believe.  What I believe.

I love the gospel.  I love my Savior, Jesus Christ.  I am so grateful for everything He has done for me.

VI. The Twins

It makes sense, chronologically, to talk about the twins here.

I was seven when my mom delivered the twins.  I won't even attempt to understand or portray her feelings.  As a mother, I think I can imagine what her feelings might have been.

Of course, I really didn't understand much about what was going on.  I remember my mom was in the hospital on or around Christmas.  I'm sure the doctors were doing everything in their power to stop the labor.  Within a couple weeks, she was 21 weeks along.  She had too much water; nothing could be done.  Later we wondered if it was caused by undiagnosed gestational diabetes, or if the undiagnosed cancer may have had something to do with it.

One twin lived for only a minute, the other was stillborn.  She never got a birth certificate for either, and we never had a funeral.

I remember going to the hospital with my siblings.  My parents involved us in the mourning process, which was probably really wise on their part.  We each held each of the babies.  I remember how tiny their bodies were.  I remember how red their skin was, I remember their tiny faces, their tiny fingers and toes.  I remember how skinny their arms and legs were.

At some point that night, my mom was braiding my hair, and the other kids were herded to the car.  When she was done, I looked at the babies for the last time.  One of them was bleeding, and I took a cloth and gently wiped the blood away.

Though no birth certificates existed, and no funeral was performed, my parents still named the babies:

Richard Alexander (Baby A) and
Randall Bryan (Baby B)

But of course, we believe in eternal families.  My parents were married in the temple for time and all eternity.  Each of the children was born in that covenant.  Our family will be together forever, including my brothers.  Even though they lived for a very short time, they did live!  Spirits resided in their bodies.  No one could ever convince me otherwise.

V. Schools

E.G. King Elementary School, Kindergarten
Westside Elementary School, Kindergarten
Crissey Elementary School, First and Second Grades
Cash Elementary School, Second Grade
Brainerd Elementary School, Third and Fourth Grades
Ooltewah Intermediate School, Fifth Grade
Ooltewah Middle School, Sixth - Eighth Grades
Ooltewah High School, Ninth - Twelfth Grades
Brigham Young University, 2000 to 2006

A few notes:

I remember the cheer for Westside (think in a southern accent), "Two-four-six-eight, who do we appreciate?  West-sah!"

I was a good student, and generally got As.  I got one B in high school, and one or two in college.

It took me six years to get my bachelor degree for two reasons.  First, I wasn't accepted into the School of Music right away, so I was behind.  Second, I had a baby (Caleb) when I was nearly finished.  I took only voice lessons during the next year, and finished my degree the following year.  I couldn't have finished sooner, since I had a certain number of voice lesson credits that had to be taken in succession.

It worked out really well, because Bryan graduated in 2005.  He was sponsored by New Balance for the next year, which meant that he could run before I went to school and again when I came home.  So he stayed home with they baby while I finished my degree.

My degree is Bachelor of Music: Vocal Performance.  I gave a Junior Recital in 2005, singing 25 minutes.  I gave a Senior Recital in 2006, singing 50 minutes (19 songs in English, Italian, French, and German).  It was the most mentally taxing experience of my life, since everything had to be memorized!  I remember sitting backstage between sets, reviewing the words to the next set as quickly as I could.  Talk about stress!!!

IV. Siblings

A. Dallon.  My older brother is about 16 months older than me.  We were so close in age that we really didn't get along most of our growing-up years.  I know he hated it when I had crushes on his friends, or they on me.  Somewhere about dating age, we started to get along.  We had a lot of the same friends; and he started having crushes on my friends, and they on him.  We went to a lot of the same parties and activities together.  He served a mission in Copenhagen, Denmark.  When he returned, he attended Ricks College (now BYU Idaho).  He got a degree in English.  There he met his wife Patty.  Now they have three kids: Zeeli, 8; Emma, (almost) 6, and Adalaide, two days.  Dallon is funny.  He can be hilarious and make people laugh till they cry, spit, or pee their pants.  Dallon is an amazing writer and artist.  It's amazing to see the things he pulls out of his head and puts onto paper.  He is a very thoughtful person; as in, he thinks deeply about things.  He loves the outdoors.  He is a very gentle, tender, respectful person.  Love you, Dall!

B. Sharley.  My sister was born about 14 months after me.  I don't think our relationship was nearly as tempestuous as my relationship with Dallon, but it wasn't as awesome as I wish I could claim.  I was mean to Sharley.  I hated having a little person following me around all the time.  I don't know how she ever put up with me.  We got along better in our teenage years, especially since we had similar interests and even some classes together at school.  During my second year of college, we were roommates.  I still remember instances where I was just mean to her, probably acting out of my own stress and frustration.  Poor Sharley; I still feel bad about it.  Sharley got her degree in Home and Family Living.  She married Eldon, and they have two kids: Cameron, 3; and James, 1.  Sharley is a sensitve, sweet, kind, thoughtful person.  She is a very careful person; careful in her relationships, careful what she says, careful in her PB&J-making.  Sharley is musically talented, both in singing and piano.  Sharley has the gentlest hands I have ever seen.  She and I have developed a close relationship over the years (and over the phone) as we have discovered that we have so much in common, except that she is much sweeter than me.  Love you, Shar!

C. Jennilyn.  My sister was born when I was about 4.  I remember helping take care of her and changing her diapers.  I also remember asking my mom if I could hold her every Sunday before church, promising that I wouldn't drop her this time (I wanted to be big and walk around with the baby).  Jenni and I attended the same school when she was in Kindergarten, but never again.  It turns out that this middle child really took on characteristics of a first child, being so separated from siblings by so many years.  Jenni is smart.  She is successful at whatever she touches.  In high school, she was valedictorian.  She also developed musical talents (piano and singing), and she ran track and cross country.  We overlapped in college for a couple years.  Jenni got her degree in Nursing.  She met her husband Jared in school, and they have two kids: Kaitlyn, (almost) 4; and Madison, 1.  Jenni works as a nurse.  Jenni is a hard-worker, and she is the type of person who can set goals and stick to it.  Of all my siblings, I think Jenni and I look most alike.  Jenni is fun to talk to, and she has a great laugh (and her nostrils flare when she laughs, like mine).  Love you, Jenn!

D. and E. Richard and Randall.  I won't say much about the twins just yet.  But I know that eternally, they are my brothers.  Heavenly Father allowed them to come to earth just long enough to get their bodies, but took them home because they were valiant enough without a mortal existence.  I look forward to the day when I can meet them again.

F. Audriana.  My little sister is about 9 years younger than me.  I took care of this little girl quite a bit.  I remember waking her up as a newborn, just so I could hold her (my grandma was NOT happy with me).  Audri was always a curious little person.  She would moan herself to sleep, in an attempt to stay awake so she wouldn't miss anything.  She got into everything!  She was the ring-leader for trouble when my little brother came into the picture.  Together they flooded the bathroom.  And another time, they dumped Kool-Aid powder on the carpet; then added water to clean up the mess.  The red stain came out of the carpet; but years later when the carpet was replaced, we found a nice stain on the wood beneath.  It turns out that Audri has very mild Asperger's.  She always struggled with learning how to behave appropriately, but she never struggled to love people.  Audri's greatest talent is to love and care about other people.  Audri also has some musical talent, with singing and piano.  She always did well in school, and she has recently passed the test to become a dental assistant.  Audri is always sweet and always affectionate.  Love you, Auj!

G. Jacob.  My little brother is about 10 years younger than me.  I became expert at diaper changes by the time Jake came along.  As a little boy, he won the hearts of all my friends.  He even said he would marry some of them!  Jake turned into quite the tease.  He figured out pretty early on that he could push Audri's buttons, and that was great fun.  Jacob also imitated Dallon in every way.  He wanted to be just like Dallon.  Jacob is really smart.  He has a brain for anything computer and electronic.  He recently began serving his mission in Phoenix, Arizona.  It has been fun to get to know him better through his letters.  He is a good kid with righteous desires.  He works hard, and his testimony is increasing with his service.  Love you, Jake!

III. Dad

My dad grew up in a home full of turmoil as well.  His dad is the sweetest-tempered, most gentle, Christ-like man.  His mom had some unresolved mental issues.  She physically and verbally abused my dad as a child, to the point that he acted out just to get the love and stroking that came after.

Of course, everyone would have said that my dad was a really naughty kid, and he pushed her to the limit.  What they discovered much, much later in life is that he has attention deficit (possibly hyperactive) disorder.  My dad was third of four children.

My dad served an LDS mission in Paris, France.  He put himself through college by working as an auto-mechanic.  He got a degree in business management.  During college, he met my mom.  He was the  handsome guy everyone was after, but she didn't play that game.   Of course, that intrigued my dad, so he chased her.  They got married soon after.   When I was very little, my dad injured his back.  I think it was a very difficult time for him, especially since he had several mouths to feed.  Eventually he recovered, but I think it was a great learning experience.

Ever since, he has been a very hard worker, and never slacked in his duty to provide for his growing family.  He was also a bit of an entrepreneur, so he dabbled in a lot of side interests.  My dad is the kind of guy who is a jack of all trades.  He can do anything.  He is very smart and an amazing problem-solver.

Something else about my dad that I admire is that he has an extensive knowledge about the gospel.  He is the kind of person who ponders, and he is the kind of person who understands eternal things.  If I ever have a question about kids, I call Mom.  If I ever have a question about the gospel, I call Dad.

My dad and I didn't get along too well when I was a teenager, though.  I think it was because I was trying to assert myself (beyond the limits), and he really just wanted what was best for me.  So we clashed.  As I've gotten older, I have learned to appreciate the wisdom of his 24 extra years of life.

My dad is always helping other people.  He is always reaching out and searching for people who need a little boost.  He never expects anything in return.  He is an amazing example of Christlike love in action.  I hope that I can learn to be like that.  Sometimes it feels impossible to reach outside of my own little family, but I know that my dad always does.  Love you, Dad!

II: Mom

How does one even begin to write about her mother?

Well, for starters, my mom is the best mom in the whole wide world.

And you might ask why I would write about my mom before writing about my dad, and the answer is simply that she came into the world chronologically one week before my dad.

My mom grew up in a home full of turmoil.  She was the second of six and the oldest daughter, just like me.  Her father (though he is a much different man now) was very physically and verbally abusive; to his wife, to his children, even to his babies.  Eventually, but maybe not soon enough, my grandmother left that marriage.  My mom was 18, I think, when the divorce happened.

In college, my mom was a very outgoing, social person.  I bet she was the kind of person that everyone wanted to be friends with and that everyone wanted to date.  She was an adorable, petite, spunky person.  She liked to dance, and she loved to sing.  She struggled with test-taking, but she went to college to get a degree in elementary education.  (That's probably why she was/is such a good mom.)

My mom has suffered many trials, and it's hard to see why she needs them.  She's the kind of person who is sweet, gentle, humble, patient, and every good thing!  Many of her trials happened during my lifetime, and I remember them.  I am sure that I never did, nor ever will understand what she went through.  Her older brother committed suicide (he may have suffered from the same mental illness that plagued my grandpa).  She miscarried twins at 21 weeks (I will write more about my feelings on this another time); she was diagnosed with and treated for thyroid cancer (I will write more about this, too); and she and my dad lost their business and home recently.  This is a woman who has borne her trials superbly, and I hope that I can be even just a little bit like her someday.

My mom is a good listener, and a great troubleshooter when it comes to children.  She is smart, she works hard, and she's always thinking about others.  She stays really busy with her two jobs, and I only wish I could spend more time with her and glean some of her wisdom and goodness.

I am lucky to have such a wonderful example of what I want to be when I grow up.  Love you, Mom!

Life Story: I. Locations

Everyone has a story.

I have decided to share my story for the sake of my posterity and anyone else who's interested.  It makes the most sense to me to create chapters by topic, but as chronological as possible.

I thought I'd start out with the places I've lived.  I like to count any place where I slept in the same bed for a length of time.


(Location; # of different homes; age)

1. Ogden, Utah; two; 0-4
2. Layton, Utah; one; 4-5
3. Ringgold, Georgia; one; 5
4. Holland, Ohio; one; 6-7
5. Kernersville, North Carolina; one; 7
6. Chattanooga, Tennessee; two; 8-18  (I also spent a month in Murfreesboro, Tennessee at age 17)
7. Provo, Utah (single); four; 18-20
8. Provo, Utah (married); four; 20-23
9. Lexington, Kentucky; one; 24-25
10. Federal Way, Washington; one; 26-27
11. Pullman, Washington; two; 27-30
12. Post Falls, Idaho (two months); one; 30
13. Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; one; 30

So, in my 30 years, I have lived in 13 different cities and moved about 20 times.  Which begs the question, why?  There are a few answers:  when I was a kid, my dad's business moved us around quite a bit; and once I got to college, I (and then we) didn't stay in one place for very long in an attempt to save money.  After college, we were in pursuit of grad school and Bryan's career.

We are really happy in our current location, and we hope that we never have to move again.  :)