Oh Come With Me to Primary

I have been up to my ears in Primary things lately. Our stake is definitely one that goes above and beyond when it comes to activities and things. I have been on our stake Primary board (yes we have one) since last September/October. It was been very busy and I have learned a lot. Even though I am the Music Coordinator I am still involved in it all.
These last few weeks I have had a 2 and a half hour meeting every week. I had to run the stake baptisms 2 weeks ago (we had 3 sessions where 13 children got baptized), ward visits, ward trainings, and this last Saturday we had our big Activity Day activity, Brigham's Activity, for which I had to meet with the leaders who would be helping me with my workshop, train them, and then collect lace and ribbon donations for the workshop. We met together for a temple session, talked and planned some more...Oh, and did I mention I had to make 200 goody bags for all the girls and their leaders?! (Thankfully I have a great family that helped a ton!)





The Activity went well, long, but well. My workshop was to teach the girls how to make Hankie (rag) dolls like the pioneers would have made. We ended up not being able to teach them any basic sewing skills because I was shocked to realize that out of the 100 girls who were there only about 5 (if that) who knew how to thread a needle and make a stitch. We made some quick adjustments and were still able to send the girls home with a cute hankie doll that they felt like they "sewed".
Yes. I am tired! I didn't have to have a meeting this week and I am so grateful because I feel like a walking zombie.
I love this picture of James just laying on the back patio step because I think it sums up really well how I feel.

I am not complaining by any means. I am just glad to not be "busy". My poor kids have had to see me running out the door and leaving them with babysitters or dad so that I could get everything done. I AM grateful for this calling in the fact that I really have learned how the church would like the Primary organization to run. I have learned a lot about how to work with people as well and hope that I have learned how to communicate better and support all those around me, especially when I see so many people trying to do their best in all they do. And most importantly...I have learned to SIMPLIFY! Yes, Karen is learning to simplify...who knew you could!:)
We have another scouting day coming up in August, Brigham's Camp. I will be running the Silhouette Workshop where the boys will learn how to draw their silhouette and do indexing by getting on to the family search website. I will also have to help with the stake baptisms that month too....
So here's to a fun and relaxing July full of LOTS of family fun.

Air James

James is my little athlete. He loves sports, balls, competition, getting reactions out of people...it's in his blood...after all, he is half Tenney!
I just finally moved the basketball hoop outside again now that we are having such great weather. James is all about it. He is out there shootin' hoops before 7 each morning! He also will play a little golf and baseball. We are still working on the soccer.
I love seeing boys be boys! :)

It's Daddy's Day

It's Daddy's Day and he is soaking it up (as he should). He of course woke up to a fun scavenger hunt for his presents followed by his favorite breakfast, egg in a hole. It was fun to see him have to go up and down the stairs following his clues.
The big "finale" present was hid behind the couch pillows in our front room and as soon as Seth walked in the room, Sam ripped the pillows off the couch and yelled, "SURPRISE!" It was so cute to see him get so into it and want his daddy to find his presents. He also gave him the best "Happy Father's Day" ever.
We sure love our Dad in this house and are so grateful for him. He does a good job and we hope we feels how much we love him...especially today!
(a Braves toothbrush from James)

(a Braves car sticker from Sam)

(a Braves shirt from Mom)

Coolest Pool-est Ever-est!

We had a great day on Friday. We love going to my sister's house to play with her and her kids. It's always a nice trip for me too, because I usually get to sneak away to the chiroprator and get all fixed up.
This Friday we went to her pool with her. It was SOOOOO fun. It is one of the best community pools I have ever been too. They have baby pools, pirate ships with little slides, squirters, and buckets to dump on you, a lazy river, a water slide, and a pool that is constant waves where you can surf.
The best part of all that was that my kids didn't really want anything to do with me. They just wanted to play and be with their cousins, so I just got to float around the lazy river and enjoy their laughter.
James has developed this super cute attachment to Josh. All last week he kept asking where Josh was and all Friday he just wanted to be with him. This was expecially a nice treat since he has been SUCH a momma's boy.

Summer Sleepovers

We had another sleepover with my sister and her kids. We love having them. The boys had a blast. We made up fun beds and popped popcorn. They thought that was pretty cool to all have their own bucket!
I just love love love these two little cuties!

Here's some shots from our last sleepover at their house when Seth was out of town. I am seeing a common theme. Megan, Haley, Movie, blankies, and treats. Yep, all the things you need to have a good time!

Buzz and Basketballs

Sam was never one to care what he wore. He would get excited about certain shirts, but that was about it.
James is another story.
A little over a month ago we were at Seth's parents house late and I didn't have their jammies to put them into before leaving. Well of course, Grandma M had some jammies for them. She had awesome dragon ones for Sam and Buzz Lightyear ones for James.
James thought he had died and gone to heaven! He was so excited. I thought it was so cute how excited it was....well, that cuteness has worn a little after a month of him being in the same shirt! :)
James loves that shirt with Buzz on it and wants to wear nothing else. He is getting a little better and I am now able to wash it every once in a while. We have to do a little therapy session every time, "Buzz is dirty." He then walks around the house repeating "Dirty Buzz."
If i am doing laundry, or even walk to that door, he comes running looking for Buzz to be reunited with him.
I have had a Primary meeting every week for the past month and the ladies now laugh and just ask James who is on his shirt. He of course loves this and gets shy and says proudly, "Buzz."

Well, we have now found something to rival Buzz. Grandma M (again) :) bought a pack of socks for Sam who had some pictures taken this last week. The navy pair in the pack I thought would be perfect for James for Sundays to go with his navy pants.
Little did I know that they had some balls on them. Oh no! :) He had to keep checking them all during church and showing off his "basketballs."
He would not take them off for anything and is currently sleeping with them on!


This little boy is so precious. We are so grateful for him and for how different he is from his brother.

We can't help but think.....what's the next one going to be like?!

Clean the House

So, after another usual, busy, exhausting Sunday, I look at Seth and said, "Do you want to go get the boy's jammies, or start picking up the house." Sam heard me and said, "Um, clean the house."
Well, Seth and I jumped on that and said, okay, start cleaning! It was so cute. He put shoes and bags away, picked up trash, put dishes in the sink, put toys away, and then informed me that the floor needed cleaning and pulled out the mop.
We were so proud! :)
It was his first time "cleaning" and we were plesantly surprized to see that not only could he do it, but he could do it well! I guess it's time to step in up in this household and make a chore chart (with rewards of course!)

Lagoon and Good Times

The Easter Bunny got us season passes to Lagoon and we are loving it! It is so fun to just head up there for a quick trip, or to make a day out of it.
The boys have gotten way into it and know all about the rides now. It is cute to hear Sam request his favorite ones and have James tell us "no" to the "baby" rides.
Between this, the pools, parks, and Aquarium, I think we are going to have a fun filled summer.
We aren't in school, so it's not like we just got out for our break, but there is just something so fun about summer. There is definitely a playful, adventurous feeling in the air....and we are grabbing hold of it!

Summer Has Finally Sprung

And we are trying to get every bit of it we can!

Single

Seth has left us for only the second time in our marriage. He had to go out of town for a family funeral. He left last night and won't be back until Sunday night. I know it's really not that long, but as one who LOVES having her husband around it is hard to think about.
Even though his sweet dad loaded me up with my favorite treats, Seth cleaned and did all he could before he left, I will still miss him.....I'm almost positive he will miss us too as he has a free and unscheduled time of sleeping in and doing whatever he wants whenever he wants! :)
As he was packing to leave we found a little stow away in his bag! :)

Making Lemons out of Lemonade

We had a back patio put in when we moved into our house. We just loved it...until our yard settled and left it uneven. Now every time it rains we end up with a huge puddle. It is so annoying.
But the boys have a different view on things. They think this is the best thing ever. Whenever I let them play in it it is like having chocolate cake for all 3 meals of the day.
I am thankful for kids and their ability to see the up side of everyting!

I just want to go to sleep!

Yesterday I was having such a nice morning with the boys. Playing outside, doing little projects, cleaning up...and then it hit me. I had a doctor's appointment! I can't believe I forgot! Most people can't wait for this appointment because they get to find out the gender of their little one growing inside of them, but since I decided not to find out it wasn't really on my mind.
So we raced to get ready, I had to drink all my water in time for my ultrasound, call Grandma M and make sure she could watch the kids....
I didn't want James to go to bed before we left so I kept ignoring him while we were getting everything ready.
When I was finally ready and looking for the boys to get them ready I couldn't find James. I asked Sam if he had seen him and he said he was upstairs, where I just was! I didn't believe him, but went up to look anyways.
Cute James was fast asleep in his bed with this blankie, wheezy, and panda. I guess he just figured if I wouldn't help him get to bed he would just do it himself! :)
Sweet kids. They are always teaching me something!

Pampered Chefs

Spring has sprung and so have our activities. It seems like we all start waking up from our long winter "sleep" and the fun times roll.
My boys and I have refound our love for baking. It has been fun, especially since I can justify it so easily with being pregnant and all!:)
Sam and James has learned the fine art of preparing, licking to their hearts content, eating warm goodies, and using as much frosting as possible! A mother couldn't be prouder!

(So I know these photos are almost exactly the same, but I love to notice the small differences between Sam and James. They are very telling of their personalities. As Sam takes a bite, gets excited, and runs around, James just admires, takes a bite, licks everything he can off his fingers, and then repeats!)

There is Beauty All Around...(at least a bit more now)

We got 2 trees for our backyard! and I love them. I am so excited about them. They make our backyard look so beautiful!
We had my sister and her kids dig the holes for us.

It was really hard to dig in our yard. It is about 95% rock and 5% clay! Water breaks were much needed.

Sam loves his Megan. They chased and played for hours. They loved running around the "obsticle course" the trees made.

While everyone was outside, Ethan enjoyed the quiet to really focus on his Army he was buliding.

It was fun to have them for the night. After the trees were in my sister, Joy and her husband Ben went home for a quiet night without kids.
Joy's kids are so great. We love having them. We played hard and worked hard. Sam and James just love their cousins. They were so excited when they woke up and they were still there.
Megan, Mitch, and Josh all took turns racing up and down our alley with the little ones in the wagon. They loved it. The "magic word" to get them started was always, "blastoff!"

Thanks Hutchins for all you do for us! :)

We also just had our front lawn redone after the failed experiment we took part in about a year and a half ago. We are back to regular sprinklers. I am glad, at least now I will know what to do if something goes wrong....hey, nothing lost and a lot gained. This is our third time on lawn now. We got more of the good stuff and it looks great!

YEAH ME!!!

I had a wonderful Mother's Day. It was a fun and memorable one.
Saturday night I was feeling a little sad because Seth hadn't really talked about it so I just figured nothing special was up. Our neighbor was going to hide a bike he bought for his wife at our house, and that kind of made me sad. I thought, wow, all over men are doing things for their wives, but not at my house.
Then when we went out that night Seth said, "Do you generally like to know when I've got you something, or do you generally like to be surprised?" I was stunned. I told him it's nice to know that he's done something for me....and I felt like a pouty little girl! I can't believe I was so dumb to be sad inside and not think that my sweet husband wouldn't do something for me.
So Sunday morning he got up with the boys, like he usually does, and let me sleep in a bit. Well, as most of you who know me well, I did not sleep in long, knowing there was a surprise for me! :) I went downstairs to the cutest, "Happy Mother's Day" from Sam. It's the first time I've had my child say it to me. It really was precious. I will remember that little voice forever.
On the kitchen counter was an animated, talking Mr. Potato Head from Toy Story for me. He was very cute. I was excited. I love my Mr. Potato Heads and loved him. Sweet Seth had found him and of course thought of me.
I thought, wow, that was sweet. So, the morning continued and I took it slow. Then Seth said, "I wish we could read our scriptures together." I thought, wow, I just got up, give me a minute, at least let me eat....
So I started eating, James of course took my breakfast over, then Sam wanted to eat something different and then Seth placed his order...it was getting a little crazy and I was still hungry. Then as I am making Seth breakfast he again says, "Let's read scriptures." I'll admit I started to be really annoyed, and I let him know it. He then said, "you know, Karen, sometimes I say things, but it's not what I really mean."
It took me a second, but I got it. I said a big, "oh, do you mean there's something in there?" (we read our scriptures in our front room) I ran in there and saw the most amazing thing....new Mr. Potato Heads! :) They just came out with a new Buzz Lightyear and Woody for the new Toy Story 3 movie coming out. And he found a new princess I didn't have all the pieces too. I was so excited. It was fun to run around the front room and the dining room finding them and having Sam and James right with me loving that I got new toys. Sam said, "wow, it's so cool!"
Yes, son, your mother is so cool! :)


We then had a great day at church and then a fun dinner with Seth's parents.
It was a wonderful mother's day. I am glad I get to celebrate it now. My children are really the best part of me and I am so grateful for them!