The life of the PARTY!!

Who knew that this girl had so much stinking personality??? I'm sure for those that live close and see us often, you have probably seen a change in either our family as a whole, or in Natasha. There is not a day that goes bye, that we don't have a good hard laugh. She may be 18, but her maturity level is pretty close to mine (maybe 14ish??). She thinks it's hilarious to bump my elbow every time I try to either put lip gloss on or take a drink. Which could be frustrating but her laugh gets me every time. And, while most of the time she is the peacemaker in our home, there are those moments when she is the cause of chaos. . . like when she decides to play soccer in the front room with Josh. Or, when she plays Truth or Dare with the kids and dares them to lick the toilet seat. Or, when she swings Erin around in circles until Emma starts crying because she isn't getting a turn (no kidding - even though Emma is almost as tall as Tash, she thinks she should get a turn).

Or how about last Friday night (at midnight) when she decided to find some grub for the pet spider she's been keeping in a Powerade bottle. And, her favorite thing to do is take my cell phone and start texting all of my "contacts" all kinds of gibberish. Yesterday she and Josh sent out a "master text" to 10 or 12 people in my phone that said: "You guys are crazy" and "I am a lunatic." And, she sends me texts of just a bazillion letters - her record is 7 pages worth.

(above) This is me trying to photoshop some engagement shots - while Tasha bumps my elbow every 2 or 3 seconds. . . all while she tries to take pictures of me getting mad at her. :-)

(above) Tash with her first paycheck!

I could go on (for probably 7 pages) but I think you get the point. Natasha is figuring out who she is and what she wants in life. . . and that it's okay to have a sense of humor. Besides all of her craziness, she has decided to change her life in a serious way. Just after she moved in with us, she started taking the missionary discussions. I know a lot of people assumed she had already been baptized (which tells you she's a great kid anyway), but she hasn't. On Sunday, April 11th, the missionaries asked her to be baptized. She started to cry and of course said "yes." And, then they asked her to be baptized on April 24th. Her eyes lit up and I'm still not sure if it was panic or excitement or shock, but she said "yes" again. So, we have spent the last week preparing. She needed to finish the discussions, plan her baptism program, have an interview and shop for a dress. For the most part, things have come together for her. There have been a couple of very small bumps along the way. It's amazing how there is opposition in all things - and yet she continues to overcome it all.

It has been such a blessing to have Tash in our home! I knew it would be, but I had no idea it could be this amazing. We've not only seen her grow and become a beautiful young woman, but our other kids have grown and learned so much as well. We've all been able to learn from the missionaries along the way and the Spirit has been so overwhelming in our home. I'm so grateful for the opportunities the Lord provides us as life can seem so hectic and busy. The Gospel is still true and amazing and brings a happiness that nothing else can. I've seen it. I've felt it. Thanks, Natasha, for being the "opportunity" that we obviously needed in our family. We LOVE you more than words can say.