Grandchildren

After multiple attempts at getting a photo of the grand kids on my side of the family, these are the ones that we ended up with.

We will have to try again soon when the little ones are more willing to cooperate.

Love, Tamber

Bucket List

Since the world is supposed to end tonight, I have been thinking about somethings that I want to do before I die. This Bucket List is not inclusive and will be added to over time. Luckily I know that the world is not going to end tonight at 6pm, so I have a little more time to work on these.

1. Take a woodworking class

2. Take a family trip to Disneyland

3. Travel to Italy and Greece with Eric

4. Drive without a destination, and find a fun hotel to stay in.

5. Go watch the Summer Olympics

6. Go skinny dipping.

7. Volunteer at a homeless shelter.

8. Compete in an Olympic Length Triathlon.

9. Hike Mount Timp

10. Visit Boston and watch a Bruins hockey game.

11. Take the Family to a Reds game in Cincinnati

12. Go on a trip of all church history sites in the East.

13. Pay for the person's toll meal behind me in a drive thru.

14. Go Snowboarding

15. Raise $1000 for BYU athletics

16. Go on a Cruise.

17. Help pay for a non family members mission.

18. Grow a garden.

19. Go back and visit Eric’s mission.

20. Take a cooking class.

21. Take cake decorating classes

22. Go surfing in Hawaii

23. Go horseback riding.

24. Watch a meteor shower.

25. Throw a surprise birthday party.

26. Swim with dolphins.

27. Write a love poem for Eric

28. Go to a Tim McGraw Concert

29. Ride 100 miles on a bike at one time.

30. Write a Biography about an ancestor.

31. Go indoor skydiving.

32. Start my own Charity. (victims of child abuse)

33. Go snowshoeing

34. Go Cross Country Skiing.

This is the place

My sisters in-laws work at This is the place park. Last weekend she took us up there so we could hang out and see everything. Here are a couple of pictures while we were on the train.




Love,
Tamber

Parenting

This is what I hope my kids think of me someday, but I've got a long way to go.

Parenting is an interesting thing. I don't think I ever appreciated all the work and foundation that my parents laid for me as a child. I was raised to say please and thank you, to have respect for my elders, hold the door for the person behind me, say excuse me when it was needed, and to love people for who they are.

The world has evolved. Many of the defining qualities that shaped societies 50 years ago are hard to find. There are many times as a parent that I am not sure how to shape my children into what I envision them being; honest, good citizens of society who help improve this nation. I want them to stand for truth and goodness. As a parent I have often found it overwhelming that their lived depend on the foundation that they form while they are young.

One of my favorite books is 'Standing for Something' by President Hinckley. It is a book that I often turn to in order to remind myself of the basic qualities that my children not only need to know, but need to live. The 10 virtues in which he focuses in this book are Love, Honesty, Morality, Civility, Learning, Forgiveness, Thrift and Industry, Gratitude, Optimism, and Faith. If my children could master each of these I would feel accomplished in my mothering.

So, with Mother's Day and Father's Day upon us I wanted to thank all of my parents, not just the biological ones, who have helped shape my husband and I as well as our children. Thank You for your examples and sacrifices.

We Love You!

Love, Tamber

Happy Mother's Day

“Never had I seen so great courage … [as] they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth. …

“Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; … yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

“And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.”

At the end of the battle, Helaman continued his description: “Behold, to my great joy, there had not one soul of them fallen to the earth; yea, and they had fought as if with the strength of God; yea, never were men known to have fought with such miraculous strength; and with such mighty power.”

I am so grateful to my Mother for teaching me to have faith, to not fear and for helping me build my foundation in the gospel. I don't think that I could have asked for a greater gift. Those are the things that I hope to teach my children and if I am able to ground them in the gospel like she did me, I would successful as a mother.


Love, Tamber

Precious.

Love, Tamber

Worst mom moment.....

As a mom I do everything I can to keep my kids safe and keep them from harm.

Look at this cutie...who wouldn't want to protect her?

Well this week the weather warmed and I was so excited to spend the entire afternoon outside. I took precautions by dressing Lilly in long sleeves, putting a hat on and trying to keep her in the shade.

Well, I didn't do a very good job. I left her hands out. And look what happened...

Yup...I would say that is a worst mom moment. Luckily today it is looking a lot better and has faded to more of a dark tan, but can I just tell you how horrible I felt when I first discovered her burn :(

Love,
Tamber

Happiness.

I consider myself a fairly optimistic person...not always, but most of the time. I look up to those who lived through the great depression. They are very strong and grateful people. They experienced things that most of us never will. We now live in an economy that could shape us in similar ways....maybe not to the same extreme. As I have watched so many different families struggle in this economy I have made a couple of conclusions.

1.) You can tell who is truly happy. Those that do not depend on material possessions seem to be more happy. It doesn't matter what they lose: their job, their house, their furniture, their car....they have something more eternal. A purpose that makes them happy.

2.) The best and worst have surfaced. The best and worst in people I mean. Some have been strengthened by their awareness that material things are not permanent. They are aware that their families and friends are the most important things they have. They serve instead of shop. They give instead of take. They help instead of hurt. Others have turned to stealing, lying and cheating in order to keep those worldly things because they think that is the reason they are happy. President Hinckley tells of true happiness-

"Generally speaking, the most miserable people I know are those who are obsessed with themselves; the happiest people I know are those who lose themselves in the service of others...By and large, I have come to see that if we complain about life, it is because we are thinking only of ourselves."

3.) I am truly happy. I have a wonderful life. Sure I talk about the day when we will have a larger home, increase income. We all do. But I know that if I lost everything except my family, I would truly be okay. It may take adjusting and I am sure that there would be some mourning over the loss, but my family is the most important thing in my life. We have fun together and love to be with one another. I am so lucky to have a husband who feels the same way and often keeps me grounded in the most important things in life.

Love,
Tamber