Life Lately - Via Instagram

I am in love with Instagram.

Here's (some) of what life's been like lately - 

(according to my iPhone)

My Rock Star Jordan graduated from high school and started college.

(yep, I am now the momma of an adult!  what?)

My Cutie Caden is excelling in 9th grade - 

and making us laugh - every. day.

And boy did we ever love watching him play football!

(for the last time - his momma hopes!  Time to break out the bribes...)

I am a lucky Young Womens President -

with 24 new lovely ladies in my life.

I sure love these girls and our adventures together!

My dream of getting paid to travel and take photographs - 

came true!  I am loving my new job.  Isn't it amazing the things

you can create for yourself?  

San Diego in the early morning hours.  

Just another day at the office.

The whole crew (plus one) on the train to the big city!

One of the many holiday traditions we love.

Christmas came and went, and we soaked up the time together!

We said good-bye to 2011, and welcomed 2012 with open arms.

It's going to be an AMAZING year for the Tanners.

The girls with Frosty.  

(glad he finally showed up - we've been waiting!)

These two girlies make my heart sing with joy.

Love notes.  My favorite!

Being a mom is the best.

Hiking (love) in Sedona (love) all expenses paid (love)

Did I mention? - I love my job!

What is better than hiking in Sedona?

(Answer:  Hiking in Sedona with Superman!)

So there you have it.

A quick glimpse into my busy, beautiful life via Instagram.

What do your adventures look like lately?

A Mummy with Integrity.

 (Some of my Young Women at the Temple)

This past summer, I was called to be the Young Women President in my ward.  I have loved it so much!  I can't believe how busy it is...  and how much fun we have had...  and how much I have learned...  and how much I have grown... already in these short 3 months!  I feel so lucky to be around such amazing teenage girls, who are facing so much temptation and adversity in their lives.  They are such strong, beautiful girls!

Recently we had a "VALUE" Trick-or-treat activity.  We went around to all the leaders homes and had short lessons on all the different Young Women values.  At my house, I taught about Integrity.  Every value has a color associated with it, as well.  Integrity's color is purple.  So, for my treat, I wanted to include something HALLOWEEN and something PURPLE.  Here is what I did:  Purple Mummy's!

 

(I got the idea from one of my favorite blogs!)

I know you don't usually see mummy's that are purple...  And they kind of turned out looking like Arabian bandits instead of mummy's...  Ha Ha!  But, I thought they turned out kinda freaky, and kinda cute!  The girls LOVED them and so did my own kids.  My daughters were thrilled to have a scary drink in their lunch boxes the next day!  (There is a purple Gatorade under the mummy wrappings).  And thank goodness for my superman Chad who helped me wrap all of these! 

I also gave the girls a little scroll, tied up with a purple spider.  It went along with my message about integrity.  Having integrity - (being honest and having strong moral principles) is probably the greatest character trait we can have, don't you think?

Inside my scroll:

TELL THE TRUTH!  

And avoid getting caught in a web of lies.

I am striving to be a mummy with integrity!  And I am striving to raise children who have integrity and honor, who are honest, trustworthy, fair, and who have strong moral values.  Hope you are having a Happy Halloween week! 

Feeling Creative.

I have been in such a creative mood lately!  My mind and body just want to create, create, create.  I have channeled some of that energy into redesigning and refreshing my blog!  I am loving my new look!  What do you think?  I am hoping to change up my flash header with new pics of my kids at every season.  Wouldn't that be lovely?

I also spent some of my weekend planting 300 spring bulbs into my front gardens.  Oh boy, I can't wait for spring!  My yard will be blooming with crocuses, tulips, daffodils and irises.

I am in such a nesting mood as well.  It must have something to do with the temperature dropping and the looming winter ahead.  The yard is almost winterized.  We have pulled out all the garden plants and put down our winter fertilizer.  The last few days, it has rained and rained.  This new cold weather has led me to:  turn on my heater, curl up in a blanket and watch some epic movies, make fall treats (so far we have devoured: chocolate chip pumpkin cookies, caramel apples and caramel popcorn - yum.), pull out my favorite sweaters and boots, and decorate my house for the holidays.

Yesterday was Sunday and it was FULL of inspiration.  I just love Sundays, don't you?

And here is a good example of why you should (or shouldn't) leave your camera out for your 13 year old son to find.  You never know what you will see when you download your pics...

 

Happy Monday!

ARISE and SHINE FORTH!

A few weeks ago, Jordan was one of the 3,000 youth that participated in the Youth Spectacular

ARISE and SHINE FORTH!

(Jordan in the pre-existence waiting for his turn on earth!)

It was truly SPECTACULAR.

They performed for 2 nights at Weber State and completely filled the stadium both nights, (Chad and I were lucky enough to go to both - yes we are proud parents!) and in fact on Saturday night the stadium was overflowing with people and we actually broke the record for number of people in the stadium. 

It was rumored that the Prophet was there in attendance, but more than that - 

the spirit that filled the stadium was incredible!

(Our whole family came to enjoy the show!)

The Spectacular performed life from the pre-existence - to our life on earth - to life after death - and having faith in our Savior Jesus Christ 

and the power that is in each one of us and learning who we truly are. 

The messages in the songs were amazing, and I feel so grateful for Jordan to have been a part of it, 

to help him learn who he truly is, where he came from 

and have those messages and spirit touch his heart!

The Power in Purity!

power in the heavens...

power in the plan!

power in discovery...

learning who I am!

there's power in obedience...

the truth that sets us free!

To find a sense of confidence,

the power in purity!

 (Jordan on the earth - "Arise and Shine Forth that thy light may be a standard for the nations")

I never stand alone, when I stand with God.

And I stand with his prophets.

 Wherever I may go...

when I stand with God, I never stand alone!

I stand with Nephi and Moroni

with Abinadi who testified in faith, 

the saints through the ages,

the stalwart and faithful - leading me, telling me -

I never stand alone, when I stand with God!

(Jordan standing with God and the prophets)

Its hard to describe just how special it really was...

It was a beautiful way to spend a few summer nights.

To learn more about our faith and what we believe CLICK HERE.

The Holidays. Part One - The Sights.

We spent the holidays enjoying.

Enjoying the sights, the sounds, each other, the magic and our loved ones.

One night, we spent an evening in the city with some of our favorite people,
enjoying the sights and the spirit of Christmas at Temple Square.
It was cold and beautiful!

 

  

  

What a special place to take in the sights of Christmas!

I am always amazed at all the millions of lights that surround this beautiful place-

And the spirit of Christmas - that is to say - the spirit of Christ - that is abundant here.

Stay tuned for Part Two - The Sounds.

Thinking.

I am back among the living today - finally!  After 12 or 13 days of being sick in bed - (no definitely NOT how I wanted or planned to spend my holidays with my fam) - I can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for everything in my life.  Being sick was bad, but there are always hidden blessings that come with the bad stuff.  I had a lot of time to think... (A LOT - I was up most nights too) - thinking... thinking... thinking... about life - my life - my Dad's life - the purpose of life...  I couldn't help but feel incredibly blessed.  All around there seems to be so much suffering - tragedy - (maybe you feel it more or see it more when you are going through a hard time yourself) - and sometimes it makes me wonder -  why?  But I know why.  I KNOW THERE IS A PURPOSE.  And, how grateful I am for that knowledge!  And I am grateful for the tender mercies I was blessed with this past week - my A.MAZING Chad who takes such excellent care of me and our little fam - and our families and friends - all the people who take time out of their busy lives to care about me.  I am so excited about the new year.  I love the renewal that January brings.  I love setting new goals and feeling excited about my future.  One of my very favorite sayings is:  "Fall in Love with the Possibilities Ahead".  The Future is Bright.  God is Good.  Life is Good.

Although I did finally get dressed today - I couldn't bear to take off the slippers...

       Happy New Year.

I hope it brings you health and happiness.

Be of Good Cheer.

I came across this quote today,

 and loved it and wanted to share it!

  Hope everyone is having a very cheerful holiday season!

"The Lord does not say, 'Be of good cheer if the temperature is comfortable, if you're getting along well economically, if the people you love, love you, if you're in good health, or if your 'bio-rythms' are up.'  The Lord said that we should "Be of good cheer."  It is not a suggestion, it is a commandment.  There is a direct cause-and-effect relationship between being cheerful and reaping the richest spiritual blessings."  

-Elder Joe J. Christensen

Reflections of Christ.

A friend of mine sent me this link in an email, 

and I loved it so much that I had to share!  

It is a slideshow made from photographs 

about the life of Jesus Christ.  

The photography work is absolutely beautiful.  

I had to keep reminding myself that these were photographs, not paintings!

  Very moving and most definitely worth watching!  

Here is the explanation:

For many years the Mesa Arizona Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had exhibits on the temple grounds during the Easter season.  This year, there was also a 'Reflections of Christ' photography exhibit in the Visitor's Center.  The photographer was given permission to photograph Pageant cast members for the exhibit.  They traveled to various locations in Arizona that the photographer felt looked like the places in Israel where the events took place and recreated the scenes.  The photographer worked with a few other individuals to put together a 5 minute slideshow which includes every image from the exhibit set to the hymn 'Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.'  Just remember when you're watching the video that the photographs are real, they aren't paintings.  Incredible!  Remember to maximize the video so you can see it full screen.  You can expand the screen to fit your entire computer screen for a better view by clicking on the lower right hand square icon (next to the volume).

CLICK HERE TO WATCH!

Hope everyone is having a fabulous summer!