Tennessee Tidbits (June Newsletter)

Here's our monthly newsletter. Pictures from June are here.

"We’re all doing well. I can’t think of much to report in the past month. Kristen and I celebrated our 6-year anniversary with dinner (the Melting Pot – a fondue restaurant) and a movie (Indiana Jones). I went camping with Sienna and Colby one night in the backyard. We’ve been playing ultimate Frisbee. I went to Davis, CA for a conference and spent an evening with Peter Anselmo and his fiancée Megan, playing Wii and watching Peter’s amazing mountain bike videos. Ashley smiles a lot and is picking things up. Colby has a hard time falling asleep at night and we sometimes put him in the top bunk bed so he can’t get out. He loves toy cars, blocks, train tracks, and kissing/smothering Ashley. Sienna spends hours making crafts with her markers, scissors, and glue. She started the month drawing eggs. I’d come home from work and she’d literally show me 30 different drawings of eggs. She also wanted to dye Easter eggs, so Kristen helped her and when I came home from work I had to find 5 or 6 colored Easter eggs hidden outside. Midway through the month she was excited about butterflies. And lately she’s been drawing our Frisbee team, “We Make it Purple Rain,” (how’s that for a team name?) drawing clouds, rain, people, etc. all in purple. Her drawings are really quite clever, and she and I enjoy painting together.

We try our best to be good parents and have weekly family home evening. Tonight’s started by singing our altered version of “The Family” and “When my Mother Calls Me.” Colby said the opening prayer. Next, the kids gave performances: Sienna counted backwards from 10 to 1, messing up a several times and starting over. Colby sang the ABC song, minus D-L. Then they did their weekly “silly performance” where they rapidly stomp their feet, run around the living room, and laugh at themselves. Ashley is very amused by it all. Tonight’s lesson was on obedience – something that Colby in particular has struggled with. We acted out the story of Naaman and washing in the river 7 times. Sienna was Naaman, and she walked back and forth to the bathtub 7 times and would have loved doing it 70 times 7 times if we’d let her. Next we played an exciting game of Daddy (Simon) Says. After a few rounds Sienna figured it out, and by the end of the game we were playing “Sienna Says.” We even got in a round of Colby Says: “Colby says bend your knees.” We all bend our knees. “Colby says bend your knees.” We all bend our knees. “Colby says bend your knees” …. We sang “I Hope they Call Me on a Mission” and “Called to Serve,” Sienna said the closing prayer, and then we ate Kristen’s berry pie for dessert.

There – it’s almost like you were there yourselves. Hope everyone is doing well. Love,

Bryan, Kristen, Yaya, Colby-Monster, and Ashley Rose Booga-booga-booga"