Daddy's and Daughter's

So I have to write about the special bond between dads and their girls. I was blessed (notice I say blessed) with three older brothers and I was not only the only girl, but the youngest. So yes I had a great advantage over the three boys. I loved my dad so much and I can remember when I was young how he would always spoil me on valentines day with a small box of chocolates and how special I felt because my mom and I got chocolates but my brothers did not..I was blessed to have the awesome parents that I had and got to see and do alot of things.
Two of my brothers have daughters. This past weekend Kevin's daughter Tessa got married and I captured the most awesome picture that tells the whole story.

I am so thankful that Kyli will have an amazing man to give her away and dance with her and I know Lipe will probably shed some tears himself. Thankfully I still have a while with Ana but she will probably have Lipe and her two brothers out there crying...lol...
I love my brothers, and I love their children. I am so proud of Tessa for the decision she made to have a Temple marriage. She is an amazing young lady and we absolutely love Zach. Congrats pretty girl.

Too Fast

So did you notice the new picture of my kids. Wow they are so grown up. I look at that pic and I just cant believe how time flies. So this pic was taken at the Mesa Temple last week when we were there for Tessa's wedding. Ky was part of the bridesmaides and they all wore peach dresses. We started off at the Temple for the ceremony and then ended up at Zach's Uncles house for the reception. We all had a really great time. Ana put on her dress her grandpa's wife made her for her birthday and she was so beautiful, but she was tired and it "itched" so she didn't keep it on for too long, I was able to get a few pics of her in it though.

So I got another amazing pic of Ana with her big sissy Ky. These two girls are pretty much inseperable when they are together. Just look at how beautiful they are.

And then there is Cooper and his sissy, he loves her so much and misses her.

Kelly also loves his big sister alot.

And last but not least I could not leave this post without posting a pic of my very best friend and eternal companion. I am so much in love with this guy and am so very thankful for all he does for me and out little family.

I just want to say that I am so blessed with four amazing kiddos and am so thankful for the love and happiness they bring into my life. I am watching them grow up right in front of me into amazing young adults and I know they are each going to go far and do awesome things. I know that without my heavenly father I would not have the things that I have today.

Crazy Week

Well the last week has been a crazy one. Full of laughter, stress, and blessings. So how can stress and blessings go together in one sentence. Well let me tell you. I have been so blessed this week and so stressed. I had shoulder surgery last Friday the 19th of August. The surgery went well but I had a really hard time coming out of the anesthesia. It was horrible. I was so dang sick throwing up and just out of it. I finally got home around 2100 hours and my surgery was at 1400 hours. Ky an Bernice came to Flag and that was a treat to see them.

The next few days I was sore but okay. Then on Monday the sling came off and I was pretty much back to normal. On Tuesday morning I got a call from Kyli and she told me that she had been with her roommate and that they had been in a car accident on the Interstate. She seemed okay and kept reassuring me that she was. She was calm and I really thought it was just a fender bender. But the longer the day went on and the more information that I began to receive, my baby girl was not going so good. So mom and I made some arrangements for the other kids and jumped in the car and drove to the valley. Ky was at her roommates moms house and she was not feeling too good. We got her loaded up and took her to the ER by her house at St. Joseph's Hospital. She has a concussion and whiplash.

So those events and being broke off my butt was a little stressful. But Lipe and I paid our tithing on Sunday and I know that my baby girl was okay because she was protected by our heavenly father. He has answered so many prayers for Lipe and I the last few weeks and I am so thankful to have him in my life and for his protecting my kiddos.

Blessings and Stress...Its all good......

Lame

So I am totally lame. I can't believe my last post was in December of last year and we are halfway through August. I swear I am going to better. Filipe and I are traveling home from Snowflake right now. It is raining and there is an amazing lightening storm. We went through the temple and it was awesome being there with my handsome husband. I am so blessed to have him in my life. We had a great meal and now enjoying each others company. Ana got to spend the day with Auntie Mary and she was so excited. I love my heavenly father and recognize that all I have comes from him.

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.