Home Sweet Home

It is so nice to be home from the hospital. It is nice to have such great doctors close, but I dont think I got an ounce of good sleep while we were there. Here are some pictures of Marcus while we were there. Poor kid...but at least he feels better now.





Love, Tamber

Update.

Marcus is such a wonderful kid. I am so thankful for the sweet spirit that he brings into our family. One of the biggest reason's I knew something was wrong was because of his demeanor. He is almost always a happy and fun kid to be around. When he falls, he brushes himself off and gets back up again. A few days ago, he was so uncomfortable that he would scream when I would pick him up. I knew at that point that the fever he had meant something and that we needed to get it checked out.

Thank goodness for a mother's worry.

Last night Marcus was treated for Kawasaki disease. It is an illness found in children less than 5 years old. No one knows what causes Kawasaki disease, but some doctors think a virus or bacteria may cause it.

Luckily last night Marcus' ECHO results came back looking great. They stared the treatment for Kawasaki disease which he responded to very well. We are so lucky to be at Primary Children's since it is one of the best Children's Hospitals in the World. They see a lot of cases of Kawasaki disease and know exactly how to deal with it. The doctors have been very informative and helpful through the whole process.

Right now it looks like we will be here another day or two depending on how his body reacts to the IVIG and high doses of aspirin.

Love, Tamber

Primary's

We spent the night last night at Primary Children's Hospital with Marcus after a concerned doctor admitted him yesterday. He has been running a high fever for 8 days now. He does not like the fact that he has to be tied down by an IV, but he seems like he is getting better from all of the fluids/medicine. His temperature has been in the high 99's and low 100's since we got here.

On Thursday night he had some blood work done that indicated the levels of infection in his body were high. That could be anything from an ear infection to something more serious. Anytime a child has a temp over 100 for more than 5 days, the doctor's get concerned. Originally they were suspicious of Kawasaki's Disease which would be the worst case scenario. The good news is that the cardiologist doesn't think that is what he has.

We are continuing to wait on more test to see if this could be a bacterial infection, bladder infection, kidney infection, etc. Hopefully by day's end we will have a better idea of what is going on.

Thanks goodness for living so close to such an amazing hospital with such great doctors. I wouldn't rather be anywhere else.

Love, Tamber

Half-Marathon Training Update

(The picture above is of my running at the end of my triathlon...don't you see the pain in my face. Tamber= not a runner)

Me, A runner?!? That is what I keep asking myself. To me it seems odd. It has never really been something that I have enjoyed or anticipated in my weekly routine.

But, that is why I decided to do something different, to challenge myself physically and mentally. I have always been up for a good challenge. No matter what I expected when I started training for this half marathon, my body still seems to amaze me. I think in the back of my head I doubted myself in ways. Mostly because of past joint problems in my knees, but it is almost like my body is thriving off of the adrenalin. I always thought that people who described a runners high were crazy. Now I know for myself that it exists.

I am starting to up my Saturday runs and challenge myself a little more.

Here is a record of how much and what I have been running.

Jan 9th - 2.47 miles
Jan 13th - 4.17 miles
Jan 19th -1.64 miles
Jan 21st- 1.32 miles
Jan 29th- 3.53 miles
Feb 1st- 2.99 miles
Feb 3rd-3.12 miles
Feb 8th- 1.86 miles
Feb 11th-2.27 miles
Feb 15th-4.02 miles
Feb 16th-2.5 miles
Feb 23rd-3.13 miles
Feb 24th-2.54 miles
Feb 25th-3.86 miles
March 1st - 4.15 miles
March 2nd- 2.79 miles
March 6th-5.09 miles
March 9th-2.66 miles
March 10th-3.28 miles
March 12th-6.04 miles
March 15th-3 miles
March 17th-4.25 miles
March 20th - 5.0 miles

Some days have been harder than others to get out the door, but I have not once regretted a run. 85 days and counting.

Love, Tamber

No Regrets!

A friend shared with me a thought that I have been thinking about a lot and how it applies to my life.

What do you think? I want to know...here it goes....

You will hardly ever regret a workout, even when you really don't want to do it before hand. BUT you almost always regret bad food that you consume.

If only I could live with NO REGRETS, then I wouldn't need to diet. So, that is what I have been working on.

Love, Tamber

Recital

Emma had her first dance recital today. She just finished her 8 week dance class and loved every second of it. She almost started crying when Eric asked her if she had fun doing dance and implying that she was done. I guess it is time to find another class.

More Cakes

I made some cakes this weekend for a friends birthday. The one above turned out cute. It was super Yummy too. It was a yellow cake with vanilla pudding in the middle. It is covered in almond butter cream frosting.

I also made another cake that was AMAZING (or so I thought)...but I was so busy thinking about eating it, that I didn't even take pictures. It was a Chocolate Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting. so if you want the recipe and pictures go the The Pioneer Woman Cooks , cause she was write when she named it The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever!

Love, Tamber

Chinese Party

Here are some pictures of Emma at her friends birthday party. It was Chinese Themed and Emma loved it. Here are some picture of the fun.

Emma and her new favorite 'fan' toy. She loved showing us her fan dance.

Practicing painting their names in Chinese.

Emma and Emily. These two have been friends since they were one.
Now they are about to turn five.

Love, Tamber

Homemade Samoa Bars

Cookie Base:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

First, make the crust.

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together. Pour crumbly dough into prepapred pan and press into an even layer.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

Topping
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
6 oz. semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

1. Preheat oven to 300.

2. Spread Coconut evenly on a baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 17-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

3. Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.

4. Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base. Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled.

5. When cooled, cut into 30 bars.

6. Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Transfer all chocolate into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish.
Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Altered from Baking Bites

Love, Tamber

that's my son.

Yup, that is my son hanging from the top of the fridge trying to get a fruit snack in his unders.

Love, Tamber

wrapping paper

One of my favorite house websites is Young House Love. They always have great ideas. Not only did they refinish this dresser to look amazing, but then they used wrapping paper and modge podge to line the drawers....guess what I will be doing soon.


Love, Tamber

Retro.

Do you remember this retro toy from when you were little?




It is one of my favorite ways to teach my kids letters. It has gotten it's use the last couple of years.
Love, Tamber

date.

Can I tell you how nice it is to date my husband again?

Over the last 6 years we probably only went out together alone about once a month. Recently we started switching with our neighbors and going out every other weekend. It has been so nice to spend time together doing the things we love.

Yesterday we went to the BYU vs. U of U Men's Rugby Game. It was a lot of fun.

I think I caught Eric off guard with this picture. That is why is is giving me the crazy look. I think this is the first picture of me and him in probably a couple of years. Sad.

Love, Tamber

Dance.

Emma is in a dance class right now and she loves it. Especially since two of her friends are in the class too. They are practicing for a show at the end. I will make sure to get more pictures.




Love, Tamber

In my dreams....

The last couple of weeks has been a disaster (literally) in our home. We tore out the carpet to replace it and found some water damage.

The Source: Crack in the foundation.

The Problem: The HOA presidency is in mass chaos right now and no one wants to listen or even look at the problem

The Result: A house of disorder (hopefully temporary) including no carpet in bedroom, doors and dresser in living room, the inability to use our table due to all the other stuff from the bedroom being stuffed underneath it and nails sticking up all over our room causing us to have to keep our kids out of our room.

So, after all the being said, here are some pictures that are making me happy to even dream that I might be able to one day have a home with any resemblance to these photos...

I very calming bathroom...cant wait to have one of those that I dont have to share with kids.

A Serene Bedroom

A fun playroom...I love the map up on the wall

An amazing and refreshing fireplace/wall. (I am in love with the wood paneling...not your traditional dark paneling)

Okay, I love the elegance of this room....but I doubt I will ever have a room like this in my house, I just love the idea of having a chalkboard for the BYU Football Schedule.

And.....A true dream kitchen. I love the open feeling, all the glass, and the freshness of the whole area. Now, I know...this is a huge kitchen and I will probably, okay...I will never have a kitchen that big, but I love the idea. Oh, and being the daughter of a brick mason, I think that I will HAVE to have an exposed brick wall in my future home. It is probably one of my favorite accent ideas.

This is the same kitchen, just a different view. Dont you love the beams on the ceiling?!?

This bathroom is so tranquil, just not a lot of storage.

Alright, now you know what my dreams have been consisting of lately...hopefully one day they will come true.

Love, Tamber

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

Last night we took the kids to a play for Family Home Evening. It was a blast. We saw if you give a mouse a cookie. It was a cute little play. The kids loved it and laughed their heads off. It is playing at the Scera Theater for the next couple of weeks. Here are some pictures....




Love, Tamber