Weight Loss, Birthdays, and Callings

I have been working hard on exercising and eating right and I have lost 33 lbs. since the beginning of January.  I am 3 lbs. under my original goal.  It has been a lot of work so I am glad it has paid off.  Porter is helping me model here.

 Our nephew turned six today and we went to his birthday party.  The boys had a blast.  My sister-in-law had a lot of fun games for them to do. His theme was Knights and Dragons.  In the picture below they are building a castle.

 Here is Vance with knight.

 Here is Tanner playing another fun game.  They "rode" on the horse and tried to get the pool noodles into a hula hoop hanging on a tree.

 Porter's turn.

Here is the birthday boy opening his presents while his guests watch.

I started playing the piano for the primary a couple months ago and Stephen has been calling free since that time however, yesterday he was sustained and set apart to be the membership clerk in our ward.  We also got a new Bishopric.  

We are getting ready for my little sister's wedding at the end of the week!

Worrying and Trio Blocks

Look how peaceful and sweet my Porter looks napping on the floor.  He was so tired yesterday he laid next to me to watch a movie and before I knew it he was out.  He also looks so grown up to me in this picture.

 I feel quite mentally exhausted myself.  I am a worrier and as much as I try not to worry and let myself get anxious about things it happens anyway.  Stephen doesn't worry nearly so much.  Maybe because he knows I worry enough for the both of us.  Maybe he has more faith than I do.  I feel like life comes at us with big decisions that will affect so much and I want to do what is right for our family.  I pray and hope and try my best to be faithful.  In the end, I know things will work out, but getting to that working out point is sometimes trying for me.

Anyway, here are a couple of pictures of the boys enjoying their Trio Blocks.  Oh, and here is a funny little story about Tanner.  The music leader on Sunday was doing a game with the kids where they would take two turns bowling and see how many pins they could knock over.  If say, they knocked over 8 pins we would turn a card that had 8 written on it over and sing the song written on the back of the card.  She was having them subtract from 10.  If we started with 10 pins and there are 2 left how many did they knock over.  Well, in junior primary Tanner was often the first kid with the answer.  In between junior and senior primary the music leader came to me at the piano and said, "Your little Tanner is quite the math wiz and he just finished kindergarten, right?"  I told her actually he wouldn't be in kindergarten until this Fall which made her surprise greater.  I didn't mention his reading abilities...

 Vance is really becoming good at doing the Trio blocks by himself.  I didn't have to help him at all with this little set and I only have to help him a little with the bigger sets.  He can understand and follow the directions quite well.  I think his mind works a lot like his Dad's.

7-11

We were outside cleaning in our garage this morning and a neighbor walking by reminded us that it was free slurpee day at 7-11 so when we were done with the garage we walked the kids down the street to 7-11 and all got free small slurpees.  I actually walked down there with no intention of getting one for myself, but then I saw a sugar-free option and thought, "Why not?"  Porter ended up taking a sip and decided he didn't like it so Stephen sacrificed and had two.  :)

We have never bothered participating in free slurpee day before, but maybe we will again.  We even got there before the rush.  (That happened shortly after filling up our cups)

Baby Blessing

Last weekend we went to a funeral, but this passed weekend we were able to go to my niece's baby blessing.  It was wonderful to meet her and see almost all of my family (we were missing Glen).  She is such a little cutie.  She didn't want her picture taken, but we insisted it happen anyway.  :)

 It is evident that my niece loves her Mommy and Daddy.  She smiles when they talk to her and as you can see from this picture she enjoys when her Dad plays the guitar for her too.  They are a cute little family.

 Here is my mom with her newest granddaughter.

 Here is my older sister Holly with her first niece on our side of the family.  (Obviously, I haven't produced any nieces for anyone)  :)

 I love how she is looking at her mom like, "This boys is crazy, Mom."  We all think so. :)  P.S.  Tanner has a little crush on my sister-in-law, I'm not sure she knows that.

Tanner wanted a turn holding his cousin.  She didn't care for the little kids trying to hold her.  Thanks so much to my brother and sister-in-law for letting us be a part of their special occasion! 

 A while back Porter realized that my mom had made Vance and Tanner a bear when they were babies, but not him and he was quite disappointed about that.  I sent my mom a picture of him with Tanner's bear via text with a pretty pathetic look on his face.  Guess what she surprised us with this weekend!  A bear just for Porter.  He wanted a green one, not blue like his brothers.  He loves it and his been snuggling and carrying it around since he got it.  Let's face it, the kid is hard to say no to with his cute little face.

And now we lay low for a few weeks and prepare for my little sister's wedding at the end of the month!

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!  My kids have been looking forward to going to a parade all week.  Fortunately for us they have a small one walking distance from our place.  It is funny to see the differences in parades depending on where you live.  Definitely a different type of parade than when we lived in Washington, but they are all fun for different reasons.  Here is the picture I got of all the boys.  The sun was in their eyes if you couldn't tell.  Haha.  They were anxious for the parade to begin.

 We took all three of our umbrellas to shade ourselves.  I think it helped.  I put sunscreen on and stayed under an umbrella and my fair skin still got slightly pink.

 Porter was excited.  We walked him down in the stroller, but that was the only time he was actually in it.

 Vance was the most excited of all three and kept asking what time it was because he knew what time the parade was suppose to start.

 Getting some candy.  There was plenty to get too!  Everyone through candy and lots of it.

 They even gave out otter pops.  The boys shared it.  Good idea for keeping cool.

 They waved at everyone (so they could get candy-no doubt).  Their waving got weaker as time went on.

 Here is what we collected not counting what they ate.  Porter would go out and come back with his hands full of candy.  When our gallon zilpoc bag was full he asked if he could eat some.  I told him no because I thought he'd had enough already and he said, "But the bag is full."  The kid has way too much logic for a 3 year old! He also keeps begging for just one piece of candy.  "I'll just have one piece of candy Mom.  I pinky promise." I think they candy needs to be shared with others soon.  :)

Museum and Quick Trip

Things have felt busy for us lately.  I guess that is how the Summer goes.

On Wednesday we decided to visit the Aerospace Museum.  I have meant to take the boys there long before now, but it hasn't happened.  We don't live that far away and it is free.  They loved it.  I am sure we will go back another time.  Maybe when the weather is a little more pleasant for walking around all the planes outside.  Here are some pictures from that adventure.

 We decided that we better go to a funeral on Saturday in Idaho for a former co-worker and friend of Stephen's. (I think I mentioned his passing in my previous post.) My in-laws were kind enough to watch the boys for the day.  Before the funeral though, we were able to meet up with my younger brother Glen who is at school at BYU-Idaho.  I am glad we got to see him and have lunch with him.  He is a great person.  Here is a picture of us.  I think we look like brother and sister.  And now I've been calling my boys Glen...

 I made Glen snap a picture of me and Stephen as well.  Stephen did wear a tie to the funeral. ;)

 Here is the tie proof.  Actually, I took a picture of him because he is wearing a tie tack that his friend gave him while they worked together.

Going to a funeral puts a lot of things on your mind.  Life is short and fragile and you never know how long you have with the people you love.  I want to truly appreciate my loved ones and let them know I love them.  It also is a reminder to me that Heavenly Father is in control, he loves us and also that families are eternal.  I am grateful for the gospel and the peace that comes from my beliefs.