I miss my baby

The time has come that we have been waiting for all year. We are packed and ready to go and sooo exited. One problem, I miss my baby. We decided a long time ago that it would be easier and more fun for us if McKay stayed with grandma and grandpa again this year. I know that it will be but I miss him. Sam took him to Sanford yesterday and I have already had two good crys over it. Three if you count right now. By the time we get him back it will have been 9 or 10 nights without him. That's a long time to go without my baby.
Of course he is loving it. Grandma Mary is his favorite person on the planet. Plus, he's going camping and riding 4 wheelers and hot tubing everyday and going to see the train. He's never going to want to come back home.
I love that he does so well without me. I just wish that I could do as well without him.
I love you baby. See you soon. :)

Our famous relatives.

My brother and his wife and 4 boys live in Lawrence Kansas. Their neighbor is a local weatherman and did this story on feeding birds. My kids saw it and are so exited to have "famous" relatives. The cute red head is my sister-in-law and two of her boys are there. Taven is the one in the cow boy boots making the pinecone feeder and Tait is the one eating the peanutbutter. They are not giving autographs at this time.
www.ktka.com/news/2008/aug/27/birds_budget

My favorite room

So you know how there are those people who look super put together but then if you get to know them you find out that they're really just as big of a mess as the rest of us. I'm not one of those people. I think that it is pretty obvious to anyone who sees me that I'm just bearly hanging in there. But I think that my house is like those people. I love my living room/ dinning room. It is the first room that people see when they come into my house, and usually the only room they see. If you know me well enough to be premitted into the rest of my house you'll see the chaos of my life, but in my living room /dinning room I can pretend that I have it all under control.
I just added some special items to the room so I feel like it is pretty much complete, for now. Any way, I just wanted to share my favorite part of my house. So here it is.

The sewing table was my grandma's and I found the old sewing machine for $10 at a garage sale. The piano was a gift from the Crockets when they moved. Thanks Crockets. The dinning room table was from my parents and I refinished it. The big black shelves on the wall are about 6 ft long and I paid $15 for them at a garage sell. My favorite garage sale find yet. Sam and I put in the hard wood floors our selves and painted and hung new light fixtures.
A lot of time and love went into this room and now I can go there and sit and relax for a few minites each day and feel like my life isn't completely crazy.
I would love to see and hear about your favorite room in your house.

Bryce's Baptism

We are so happy for Bryce. He is such a great example to our family. It was a great day for all of us. It's hard to express how it feels to see your babies growing up. I'm proud and scared and exited and nervous and happy and sad and you name I'm feeling it. When we come to these big mile stones it always makes me feel it all a little deeper. It was only yesterday that my beautiful red headed baby boy was born, now he's 8, so tomorrow he's going to 16. And I just shake my head and wonder how it happened.

We love you Bryce!
Grandpa Hal and Grandma Mary
Grandma Marillyn and Grandpa Rey
Some of the 19 Tenney Cousins that were all at the baptism.

Bryce with his giant chocolate chip cookie. A Cornum baptism tradition.

First day of school

It's that time of year again. YEA!!!

What good lookin kids I have!!!
Nate 4th Grade
Bryce 3rd Grade
Abby 1st Grade
Gracie Pre-School

Our trip was "Wicked" awesome

So those of you who know me well, know that when I find something that I really like I get a little bit obsessed. For instance, Harry Potter, Twilight, Blogging, the french fries at that Greek place in the food court at the mall, and now my new obsession, "Wicked". I did and saw a lot of cool things while in Chicago but my favorite thing that we did was see the play "Wicked". If you ever get the chance to see it you have to go, and tell me if you do, I'll go with you. It was funny and sweet and exiting and the singing was amazing. I've added some of the songs to my play list and some video to my side bar. It's worth watching, except one of the videos is in Japanese I think.

Anyway, I also went to Navy Pier, Sears Tower, John Hancock Observatory, the American Girl Store, The Art Institute of Chicago, Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain, Shedd Aquarium, Aldler Planetarium, and the Sheryl Crow concert. I don't have the time to give details on all of it but here are a few. We were in the fifth row at the Sheryl Crow concert. The Gallachers (Sam works with Kevin Gallacher) were in the front row and their daughters got to sing one of the songs and shake hands with Sheryl. That was fun. We had dinner at the Planetarium after hours with one of the companies Sam does business with. The American Girl Store is a zoo. Three stories of dolls and girls who love dolls. And the museum was interesting. I know that I'm not doing a very good job of capturing the whole experience but that's all I have time for right now. Chicago is a really nice city. Lots of great parks and fountains and art and shopping. I had a great time and I'd love to go back sometime. I would even like to take my kids. Maybe not all five at once but one or two at a time would be fun.
Crap, I mentioned the kids. Oh well.

Sorry about all of the sideways pictures. I couldn't figure out how to flip them.

Can it be done?

So here is my goal, I'm going to write a really awesome post that has nothing to do with my kids. I know what you're thinking, "can she do it?" Well to be honest I don't know. Now this isn't something that I can do at a moments notice. It's going to take time and focus and careful planing. So here is the plan. Sam and I are spending next week in Chicago. With camera in hand I plan to explore the city. Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium, Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio and The Art Institute of Chicago are at the top of my list. I am also going to see "Wicked" and a Sheryl Crow concert. Not to mention enjoying a Chicago deep dish pizza. If you are familiar with Chicago and feel like there is something else that I just must see or do let me know. When I get home I am hoping that I will have something interesting to share that has nothing to do with my kids. It's going to be difficult, but if all goes as planned I will not mention them even once in the entire post. Wish me luck.

Zucchini anyone?

For Gracie's forth birthday, back in April, we went to Target and she picked out her gifts. She went with a gardening theme. Ladybug gardening shoes with matching sun glasses, gardening tools, watering can, and seeds. She said she wanted to grow a salad so we bought lettuce seeds, carrot seeds, sweet pea seeds and what we thought was cucumber seed (it turns out it was zucchini). Any way what did grow eventually shriveled up and died except for the zucchini, which we ate for dinner tonight. Gracie was so proud. I'm pretty sure that she only ate it because she grew it and cooked it and because I was taking pictures. In the picture of McKay, he is actually taking the zucchini out of his mouth. I guess he's not a fan. Nate and Bryce and I really liked it. I think that Abby also only ate it for the picture. Maybe I'll start taking more pictures of my kids eating veggies, if that's what it takes.

My Little "Pigpin"

This last weekend Nate and Bryce and McKay went to the Pope family reunion, in Durango, with my parents. Apparently there were lots of mosquitoes and lots of dirt. They have bites all over their arms and legs as proof of the mosquitoes and these pictures as proof of the dirt. Notice the mud around his mouth caused by the dirt mixing with drool and snot (yum). Some of the cousins though that it would be super fun to fill their shoes with dirt and dump it on the baby's head. I don't know if McKay thought it was super fun or not, but I'm pretty sure that grandma didn't think it was fun at all. They had a great time with cousins and with Grandma Mary and Grandpa Hal. So thanks mom and dad for the break and for bringing them home alive. (Thanks Trent and Kacey for the pictures.)