Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from our family. Well Christmas is in 12 days and the weather has been so nice that it just doesn't feel like Christmas. Yesterday the missionaries spoke in church and they did such a great job. One of the elders told a story about a boy whose brother gave him a nice fancy car for christmas. The car was parked outside in a public place and one night just before christmas he came out to see a poor unkempt boy looking at his car. The other boy asked him if that was his car and he replied that it was and that his brother gave it to him. He was feeling smug at the time. The poor boy began to make a statement "I wish that" and the boy felt that he knew what the poor boys statement would be, " I wish that I had a brother like that". But the poor boy went on to state "I wish that I could be that kind of brother". The statement took the boy off guard. The poor boy then began to make another statement " I wish that I could" and the boy felt that the poor boy was going to say "I wish that I could go for a ride in the car" and the poor boy stated "I wish that someday my brother could ride in a car like this". The boy was again caught off guard. He began to soften a little and asked the boy if he would like a ride home. The boy smiled so big and said that he would. When they arrived at the poor boys home the poor boy ran into the house and scooped up his polio sticken brother, ran him out to the car and the three boys drove around looking at the beautiful christmas lights together. The boy was truly touched and realized how good it felt to give to others.
Today was a good day for me. My Bonco group decided to all pull our money together and give to a needy family. We normally draw names and exchange gifts. We were able to come up with $240.00 and I proposed to them that instead of just one family, we could donate the money to Parenting Arizona which is a group that sponsors about 70 families in the area. They do a christmas party for all their families and feed them and buy all the kids involved a toy. I had to the opportunity to call the head of that group and tell her that I had the money for her. She was so touched and told me that she and her staff were just dicussing how they were going to pull that off and that we were an answer to her prayers. It was so awesome. It felt so good. So thank you ladies of my Bonco group. We did an awesome thing and we will be blessed.
I challenge all of you to find someone in need of a few minutes of your time over the next two weeks and do something nice for that person. It does not have to involve money, just a little bit of your time. Pray for the opportunity to serve and then listen when you are given the prompting and no matter how busy you are there is ALWAYS time to serve others. Happy Holidays to you and yours. We are truly grateful this holiday season for friends and family. We love you all.
Tausinga's, Filipe, Kristi, Kyli, Kelly, Cooper, and Ana Ray

My Journey

Friday I began a "Journey". I bought a book through the LDS Bookstore, 21 Days Closer to Christ. I began my journey on Friday and honestly after just two days I am feeling better already. I have been really struggling lately, not being able to go to church for the last five months and attending my meetings regulary and attending Relief Society, has really taken its toll on me. I have not followed up with my own personal study as I should have and I am feeling it.
So I began my journey on Friday and have Filipe on board. We spent some time Friday reading the first chapter and it talked about Jesus and his deciples and his invitation to Come and See, Come and Follow Me and just trusting him and following him with all your heart.
I am so blessed in my life and I know that I have some issues that I need to work on, but I am blessed.
Day two of the journey talked about the different names that Jesus is called and about knowing your name, honoring it and being true to it. Bring honor to yourself and family and be able to know and be confident that when someone hears your name, they will have good thoughts, and know that you are respectible, honorable, dependable, charitable, sincere, faithful, and all that you can be.
I love my heavenly father and am making a vow to not let myself get into the situation that I did. I may not always be able to attend my meetings because of work, but that doesn't mean that I have to go without getting spiritually fed.

Where has the time gone??

Well I did not realize that it had been so long since I had posted anything. Life is crazy right now with Thanksgiving just having passed and Christmas around the corner. I am definately going to have to try and do better. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and will post something in a few days.

So I went to Prescott this week to visit my cousin Korina. Just me and Ana went and spent the night and then had an early Thanksviving dinner with her and her kids. It was a great day. Ana had been to Utah for a week with her dad and I was grateful for time spent with her. When we were eating Korina asked her what she was thankful for and she said that she was thankful for her mom and family. It was so special. She is such an amazing little girl.

Kyli was not able to come home for Thanksgiving. Tahlisa's parents went down to cook for the girls and they were able to take Kelly with them. So that was good. He is still in the Valley with his sister and hopefully having a great time.

Cooper has been with his dad for a week and gets to come home tomorrow. I cannot wait to see him, I have missed the little fart. He is trying to come up with a plan to go and spend the summer with an Elder that is leaving his mission in two days. Cooper wants to go to Idaho and work on a farm. Should be good for him.

Thanksgiving was spent at Tamie's house this year with just me and Ana and Tamie and her kids. It was quiet but good.

I have so much to be thankful for.

Danny Boy

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying
'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow
'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow
Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.

And if you come, when all the flowers are dying
And I am dead, as dead I well may be
You'll come and find the place where I am lying
And kneel and say an "Ave" there for me.

And I shall hear, tho' soft you tread above me
And all my dreams will warm and sweeter be
If you'll not fail to tell me that you love me
I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me.

I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me.

I just heard this song as I am sitting listening to Hymns on this beautiful Sabbath morning, just chillin and enjoying the peace and quiet at work, reflecting on my life and the things that I have accomplished and yet need to accomplish. This song was sung at my dads funeral and I know that it has always been a favorite of my moms. I am missing my dad and wish he were here to see my kids and meet Filipe and Ana. I brag about what an awesome chess player he was and love it when Lipe tells me "oh man I would whip that fool in some chess", ha for one thing Lipe is an amazing chess player but my dad was smart like that and for another thing those of you that knew my dad, NO ONE made a statement that they would "WHIP" him in anything, all that did was make him show you that you would not win, whether it was Chess, or a good ole fist fight. So yeah, am thinkin I am going to have to go with my dad on that one. :)

I know things didn't end up they way that my mom and family had planned, but I do know that when I was eight years old I entered the St. George Temple and was sealed to my parents, and I truly believe in my heart that when the time comes for my parents to be reunited that all will be forgiven and made well and that our family will continue to forever be eternal. I am truly thankful for the man that he was and is and know in my heart that bacause of the plan of salvation, as long as I live the commandments and do the things that I am supposed to do, I will see and be with him again.

So Danny Boy, Dad, Dan Ramsey, I love you so much, I miss you, but am thankful for the foundation of that gospel that you and my mom raised me on and that I can know in the center of my soul, I will be reunited with you again. Hugs and Kisses. xxoo

Have I Done Any Good?

Mosiah 2:17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

So one of my favorite church hymns is Have I Done Any Good. This song asks the question "have I done any good in the world today, have I helped anyone in need?"
This morning I had a talk with a good friend about service and how service is lacking in this world today. Our world is so caught up on peoples attitudes of what I can I do for "me", instead of what can I do for "others". I think the valued of service and charity are being buried and that people just don't serve like they should and like they used to.
So I started questioning my service and honestly I don't feel as though I have done a good job of it lately, In a sense I do because of my job, and I really am trying to do a good job there and take each call and make it personal and try to serve the person that has requested my assistance. I feel as though I am doing well in that area, but the area of serving when I am not working is lacking. I know I am a good person and will do things for people when asked, but how often do I self initiate service? Well I cant say exactly, but I can say, not enough.
So today I am setting a goal that every day this week I am going to do something for someone else, not just my family, but others that need my service. I am going to pray each morning for heavenly father to bless me with the opportunity to serve, and I am going to listen to that still small voice inside of me and act upon my prompting and do those things which I am prompted to do. I will write again in one week and report on how my week has gone. I am also going to challenge my kids and husband to do the same thing, and hopefully with all of us serving, we can take a step back and see the blessings that we have been blessed with.

I am feeling old

So Kyli is going to be 18 in two days, and I am feeling quite old. I can remember the day I found out I was going to have a baby I was so excited. I was having the worst cramps though and no morning sickness. I was told that maybe I had a tubal pregnency and that I had to wait two weeks for an ultrasound to make sure she was in the right place. Whew what a relief it was so see that little dot on the ultrasound and know she was growing in the right place. When she was born she was so stinkin little, only 5lbs 14oz and 17 inches long, I can remember she was healthy just small and she was so dry, there was no amneotic fluid around her and her skin was yucky, but when they got her cleaned up she was beautiful, she had a head full of blond hair and still has an amazing head of hair.
Well my beautiful daughter is leaving home soon and has graduated. I am so proud of her and am looking forward to the life she is about to begin to experience. I know that she has a strong foundation and I have given her the tools that she needs to succeed. It is not always going to be easy, but I pray she will hold onto the rod (remember camp Ky when I persuaded you to let go how devistating it was), and remember her heavenly father loves her and wants her to ask for his help to get her through the trials she will face.
I am truly thankful for being blessed with the opportunity to be a mother and that is one of the greatest blessings I have and I cherish every moment. Go forth my daughter and shine. I love you Ky and Happy 18th Birthday.

My bigson the "surfer"

So a few weeks ago part of our family went to Utah for a family reunion. Kyli was not able to go and Cooper was at Scout Camp. I had the privelige of going with Lipe, Kelly and Ana. Kelly and I had a great time and had an opportunity to grow alot closer. We hiked up the creek one day and washed our hair in it while trying to avoid some monsterous crawdads and had so much fun. We also had the opportunity to go boating with my cousin Tam her hubby and two of her boys. We had such a great time with them. Kelly got to ride the knee board and try the wake board. Unfortunately the wind came up while he was attempting the wake board and he never really got up, I think he would have if we would have tried earlier in the morning, but he was so fun to watch on the knee board. He has been working this summer and is such a great kid. I have really gotten close with him the past few months while all the other kids have been gone and we have had a great time. He is such an Amazing boy and has so much talent. So although he wasn't technically surfing he was riding the waves dude.

My little son is a what? Ha ha a teenager.

So around here the Native's call their oldest boy "bigson", well my "littleson", Cooper just turned into a teenager. Wow how that could have happened. I have been posting today about time and how fast the time has gone and yes this another one of those things that I am so amazed at. How could have that sweet little boy that loved the "Iron Giant" and playing in the dirt and mud have grown up so fast that he is entering the eighth grade and just turned the official teenage age of 13 years. Cooper is an amazing young man (do you see a theme here with my amazing children) and he just returned a few weeks ago from Scout Camp where he had an amazing time. He was interviewed this week to advance from Life Scout, he will now be able to begin working on his Eagle Project and will be an Eagle before his 14th birthday. He played baseball this year and was so fun to watch. He is very talented and can do everything out on the field from catching, pitching, first, short to outfield. He had a fun coach, their team struggled, but he was such a leader and stepped up when he was needed to play anywhere. I still have to give him up to his father every now and then and I miss him so much when he leaves, but it is always good to have him home where he belongs. T I am so proud of you too and am loving this amazing young man that you are growing into. You are very talented and have so much going for you. Thank you for being such a great example to the boys that you are in scouts with and your family, (just quit picking on your little sister...lol)

My daughter the what? A Fish?

Some could say that its in her nature, being born half polynesian, but she has never swam in the beach and does not live by a beach, but she does live by a pool and she loves the water. But all of my kids have been raised in the pool and just because I do not work there anymore, does not mean that she wont either. She does have an awesome Auntie Mary that is an avid swimmer herself and now that her baby boy is growing up, she needed a new prodigy to take to the pool. Ana loves so much to swim and she turned four this year. Her first session of swim lessons she was with kids her own age, then the second session, she got moved up to Level 3 and was in a class with 10, 11 and 12 year olds. What a sight that was. She can pretty much swim across the deep end of the pool by herself, she just runs out of gas, but thats pretty far for a four old. Mary has an awesome underwater Camera that takes fun pics. Ana, I am proud of you and next year you will be on the swim team kickin some butt. Cant wait to watch you.

Where has it gone?

TIME...where has it gone, where has 2010 disappeared to? I am sitting here on a beautiful sabbath morning reflecting and wondering where the 2010 has gone. This year started off with me anticipating May 26th which was not only my 5th anniversary, but Kyli's graduation. And now as I sit here on the morning of July 18th, Kyli is leaving in two weeks and will be 18 this coming Saturday. Wow, I can remember when she was born, she was so small and so beautiful. She had a headfull of blond hair and was round and had some cute cheeks. She was early so she was small and her legs would not stay down because of the way I had carried her. We had to put a blanket or something on them to keep them down until her muscles developed. I was so amazed at how small she was but so beautiful. Some babies are just not real cute right at birth, but she was so pretty.
Last night we had such a fun night, it was a birthday party in a sense. Most of the family is going to be gone to Colorado on her birthday, so we had a family dinner. We made Navajo Tacos at our house and the following people were there:
Lipe, Me, Ky, Kelly, Ana, Kelly's friend Cassie, Mom, Korina, Bill, Mary, Robert, Jeri, Alyson, Kevin, Alyson's friend Lyndsie, Tamie, Carli, Bernice, and Big Ken came by to eat. We ate then Jeri, Mary, Ky, Bern and I and the kids played games, we had a blast playing Apples to Apples. I think Jeri is convinced that I am in need of some counseling, I swear thats what being a cop does to you, it warps your mind.
I am so Proud of my daughter and the beautiful young lady that she has become. I am sad that she is leaving, but so much looking forward to seeing what is in store for her future and watching her continue to grow and develop. I love you Kyli Cheyenne and am proud to be your mom. What a blessing you are to those around you and you have touched many lives. Stay close to heavenly father and you will be blessed.

Good News

So tonight I found out that my oldest brother is getting married. I think its awesome, I have not met his future wife yet, but feel like I know her a little. She has a blog and I have been reading about some of the trials that she has gone through. She seems pretty amazing and I am excited to have four new nieces and nephews. I am so thankful that he has found someone and I hope that he will be happy. We all deserve happiness and someone to love us and love back. I have truly been blessed with my Filipe and I thank my heavenly father each day that he is in my life. He is truly an amazing husband and father and such a good example. He is there for me whenever I need him and I am so thankful to know that he is my eternal companion.
Good luck Mike and Andrea. I wish you all the happiness in the world and cannot wait to come to Utah to share in your celebration.

Pictures from Kristi

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Pictures from Kristi

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Can it really already be April

Wow I am so amazed at how fast this year has already flown by. I think its because I am anticipating Kyli's Graduation next month and don't want the time to fly by. Its ironic that when you are anxiously awaiting something time seems to drag on and on and it takes forever for that event to arrive, but when you are wanting time to slow down a bit it just flies. I spent this last weekend with my daughter watching her play softball in Vegas. I just kept thinking that as each game passed it was one game closer to her last high school game. Four years have passed so quickly. I will say that I am truly blessed with four amazing children, and am saddened that my first one will be leaving soon to venture out and begin to discover herself and where she is going. On the other hand I am excited to see where life is going to take her, where she is going to go, who she is going to marry, how many children she will have. I know that there are going to be times she is going to struggle and that I am going to have to let her handle situations, and let her learn from her mistakes and grow, but I am also excited to share the situations that will bring new love, new life and new callings.
I have been struggling a bit with Kelly, he just wants to grow up too soon. He wants things that a 14 year old boy should not want at this stage in his life. He wants to be where Kyli is at and he is not there yet. I just hope that Kelly will slow down a bit and stop and smell the roses, you don't get these years back. It is a curse of time.
Well April, bring us some showers and tell your friend the wind to go away.

Eternal Companion

So this is Filipe, my hubby of almost five years and my Eternal Companion. I am truly blessed to have him in my life. Lipe and I met on the internet which is a really fun story. We began to speak through email and phone in March of 2005, we finally got to meet face to face on April 26 and shortly after he asked me to marry him and then on May 26th we got married. It was quick and everyone was wondering what the heck I was thinking, but after alot fasting and praying, I knew he was the one, and I loved him. We were able to go through the temple in March of 2007 and be sealed to our little girl. He is amazing and my love for him grown stronger each day. He treats me and the kids so good, and has such a strong spirit. I love sitting in the temple with him and seeing him all dressed in white, next to that beautiful brown skin. He is so handsome and our daughter looks so much like him, she is beautiful too. He is a good father and husband and loves Kyli, Kelly and Cooper as his own. Each day I thank my heavenly father for blessing me with him.