May Happenings

May and December are always particularly busy.
It's hard to keep up (the blog) - but I'll attempt a brief update of last week.

Anna attends Activity Days twice a month.  Last week we enjoyed a mother/daughter tea party together.  Yummy food and get-to-know you activities - it's always interesting to find out more about our children:)

Anna's leaders went all out on this event and the participation was awesome.  It was a wonderful missionary opportunity and the room was filled with happy chatter from lots of girls/moms.

Jantzen's 4th grade has been diligently preparing for their big history program.

Jantzen as Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon Bonaparte struck a deal for the Louisianna Purchase - $15 million bucks bought the all the land west of the Mississippi River.

I had Aaron snap this shot because it made me laugh.  

Brinley, Jantzen, Tanner, Anna - all rushing to get great seats for the concert.

And we did!  In fact, we sat in exactly the same spot for the David Archuleta concert a few years ago.  Who else strategically plans where they will sit based upon the most efficient exit strategy available?  Me.

We LOVE The Piano Guys!   

And feel a certain kinship with Jon Schmidt and Steven Sharp Nelson 

(quite literally as Steven is my brother's brother-in-law).

We've been following both of these talented guys for years - long before they ever hooked up - and it's so exciting to see all they are accomplishing these days.

Amazing concert.  Amazing musicians.

Thank you Jon and Steve for a fabulous evening!

 

Saturday morning I took Brinley and Anna to run the Bobcat Dash sponsored by the local Junior High School.  It was a last minute decision - the girls went in jean shorts and I had already done my morning run.  Nonetheless, Brinley decided she wanted to participate because it would allow her a one-time drop of any test score of the trimester.  It was actually quite fun - and Anna surprised us all!  She took off running and kept it up the entire way (3K) - even the gal at the finish line couldn't believe it when Anna crossed the line.

 Airbound Gymnastics Recital 2013
"Bound for Broadway"

Elsie had real spunk on stage.
  Each class performed to a Broadway musical number - Elsie loved wearing feather boas and doing her routine to "Popular" from WICKED.

 Anna's opening pose - the splits!  Her class did a number from "Seussical the Musical".

 

Time to ditch the mullet.  He was all smiles before the cutting got underway.

 There were a whole lot of tears and hair everywhere by the time Aaron was done.

 Quinn makes messes inside AND outside the house - equally well.  I put away this pile of stuff more than once yesterday only to find it all out again this morning.

 G-ma and G-pa P drove up yesterday afternoon - with a few projects in mind.

 Cleaning up the yard at their rental property was not on the list but when they saw the state it was in - it became top priority and we promptly went to work.  The tenants were not home.  In no time, G-ma was buying flowers in town and we started pulling up weeds/grass that had taken over the flower beds.

It was more than we bargained for but it sure looked nice by the end of the day.
 
 This morning G-ma and I both woke up to breakfast in bed.
Compliments to our "Chef(s)".

German pancakes, homemade granola with yogurt and fresh blackberries & strawberries, orange juice.

 G-pa P engineered the ultimate tie-down for the fridge and china hutch we loaded into the back of their pick-up.  The Clampett's left town again this afternoon - truck full of stuff:)

 The children were kind and generous on this Mother's Day.
Thanks to each of you!

 Duct tape can fix just about anything.  It's held our pepper ball together for some time now.  In fact, it has become a family joke - one my Dad thought was quite humorous.  He took it upon himself to provide a special Mother's Day gift and/or early Father's Day present for me and Aaron.
He replaced our pepper ball with one he found around their place during their recent moves.
We're pretty excited about scoring this 'gently used' pepper ball - thanks Dad!

Happy Mother's Day - to my awesome Mom!  You are amazing.

 Aaron really went all out on our meal together.  New recipe = best roast ever.
And, we devoured two watermelons during the 24-hour period my parents were in town.
Yeah, my kids love watermelon.

 This thoughtful husband of mine did a nice job making sure this was a relaxing day for me.
Thanks so much for all of your hard work!

 My Mom started a tradition of writing a special note to each of her six children on Mother's Day - I especially looked forward to the candy bar that accompanied her heart-felt notes. I've kept many of the letters.  I have started this tradition as well and my kids have determined it's one worth keeping...:).

Aaron and I delivered dinner to Ruth and LaVerne (Aaron's G-parents) this evening.  They are back from St. George for the summer and we're happy to have them around for a few months.
 
Last but not least - this is a random school project that Tanner designed and painted himself.  It's a ceiling tile that will soon be hanging in the ceiling of a classroom at the Junior High.  Obviously, he did not get his artistic talent from his mother!    It turned out P.D.C. - Pretty Darn Cool.