Johnson and Johnson and Johnson and Johnson and Johnson and Johnson and Johnson...

Our blog has moved

2011-08-23T16:57:00.001-07:00

blog too full...

we moved...

check us out here:

http://dnajohnson7.blogspot.com/

Ran out of space...

2010-10-10T13:03:00.002-07:00

So, I didn't know this could happen but I was trying to blog about our Finland trip and I ran out of space on my blog. I could have bought more space but I'm cheap so I created a new blog instead. So if you follow and wanna keep following, we have a new blog. It's still in the works so don't expect much but there is a post about Finland on there, Finally!

Our new blog

dear dnajohnson.blogspot.com,

i'm gonna miss you! we've been together for three years and it's been a great three years. but now you are moving on to bigger and better things, more permanent things, blog books!

love,
me

Where does the time go

2010-09-29T15:18:00.000-07:00

My life is like a puzzle...
Now, if I only had time to add the blogging piece

Little Miss...15 months

2010-09-10T20:57:00.000-07:00

Miss H went to the doctor last week for her 15 month well check.

She weighed a whopping 19lbs 9oz (5-10%). They said she was dropping on the charts, needed to eat more fat...blah, blah, blah. The same stuff we always hear when we take one of our kiddos to the doc. We thought we wouldn't hear all that with her cause she's got more chubbs, but as she grows she falling into the same mold. :)

She was 30 inches long (25 - 50%) and her head was 18 3/4 (90%). You got a big head girl!!

She had to get 5 shots, poor thing. Brock never had to get that many at once, it's just crazy to me.

Miss H at 15 months is so stinkin' cute, here's a little of what we see everyday:
She says:
Nannie
emy (Little E)
daddy
bye bye
shoes (her favorite thing in the world so far)
cheese (both for the food and when she sees a camera)
ouchie
mama
k (okay)
yum
fishy
tate u (thank you)
hi sister (to little E every morning)

she also:
gives great kisses
runs to the door saying daddy, daddy when D comes home
says prayers (folds her arms bows her head and says gibberish, then says k)
wants the sames story every night before bed (the wheels on the bus)
loves gold fish, fruit, juice, cheese, yogurt, applesauce and veggies especially broccoli like the other girls
doesn't care for lunch meat or any meat really, and I can't think of another thing she doesn't like.

She is so much fun to have in our home! We all love her like crazy, she's a bit spoiled I think. I guess that's what happens when you're the tail end.

A few more favorites...

2010-08-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

We are having so much fun walking down memory lane with Anneli, I have learned so much about her and have enjoyed every minute.

We went to the church building that Anneli was baptized at. It was fun to see her old stompin' grounds and to see her talk to people that knew her when she was younger.

We love the ice cream

And the bakery's

And the ice cream

And the foods pretty good too

Good thing we are doing a lot of walking cause a lot of our favorites seem to be the food!

One of my favorites so far...

2010-08-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

You can walk through fields and pick fresh peas and eat them straight from the pod, we did it yesterday YUMMY

FINLAND

2010-08-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

We made it!!

It's late...1:24am...well I guess it's early.

We've gone 31 hours on airplane sleep, which we all know is not really sleep...

We're goin' to bed...zzzzz

Day 1 of year 2010-2011

2010-08-09T17:34:00.002-07:00

They started back to school today...definitely bitter sweet.
Three in school all day is a big change around here.
I wasn't too worried about BH and Keeks cause they are use to the long days called school. But my Mr BD is another story...his first year 5 days a week, all day long, I could tell he was a bit nervous.

Can't forget the cousin pictures...tradition...so much so, that cousin M is going to a new school cause they moved but her mom still brought her to her old school just for the picture with all the girls. We have one for every year starting with Kinder. Good thing they start an hour later or we would have had to stage it.

They are so lucky to have such a great support system at school!

Below is Mr. BD going into the school, he got in line and didn't look back, what was I worried about? I think I was more worried about myself. His teacher asked all the parents of her students to write on the first page of their composition book that they will be using throughout the year. She asked us to express our thoughts and feelings for them as they begin their first grade year. I wanted to document what I wrote to my little buddy...

August 8, 2010

Mr. BD,
Hey mister! I'm so excited for you to start first grade, you are getting so big. You will turn 7 this year. I'm excited for you to start reading chapter books and learn to love reading, it's so good for you! I'm gonna miss having you home but I know you will be having a wonderful time at school. You are so special to us and such a blessing to our family. You bring so much laughter to our home. Thank you for being so thoughtful and caring toward all of us at home, I hope you will use those traits at school also and treat your teacher and friends with the same respect, I know you will! Please be aware of those around you, help those who need your help, smile at someone who might be sad, include everyone, share your thoughts and ideas (they are great), stand up for what you know is right. You are growing up, you'll have choices to make, make good ones. Remember what Mama and Daddy teach you at home. We love you so much. You are going to have a great year!
Love,
Mama and Daddy

Number 9

2010-08-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Miss Keeks!

This year is a date year so we took Kiki out on the town! We had so much fun with her. She's all about shopping, shopping and more shopping. Something her daddy isn't fond of, he kept sitting down saying it was making him tired. (probably cause he was thinking about all the work he would have to do to pay for the shopping) She had her date all planned out, first ice skating (we got there and public skate had just ended, so we saved that for another day), then pedicures (we tried to talk daddy into getting one but he wouldn't give in), next dinner at Ruby Tuesdays (her pick, she loves the salad bar and that's what she had for her birthday dinner {salad and water}) and last Claires (her favorite place in the world). Because she wasn't able to go ice skating we told her she could get an outfit, she was happy about that.

We had a ton of fun hanging out with her. Thanks for making our date so fun Kiki!

Keeks at age 9:
very helpful
loves art and drawing
is very fashion conscious
a great babysitter to her siblings
did I say very helpful?
thoughtful
likes barbies
has braces and soon head gear
has a messy room
very helpful
excited for school to start tomorrow
a great friend
understanding
has her own sense of style
adventurous
likes to cook
very helpful

Kiki,
You brighten everyday! We love having you in our family, you play such a special role, it wouldn't be the same without you. Thank you for all you do around the home to help me without being asked. You will be a great mom when the time comes. Your smile makes me smile and your joy for life helps me remember how fun it was to be a kid and how important it is to have fun like a child. Thank you for all you bring to our family! We all love you!
Love,
Mom

After church this morning, opening gifts, nice outfit Keeks! (her own sense of style :) Those suspenders are supposed to be for her nerd costume on Halloween...

Arizona Grand

2010-08-05T20:38:00.001-07:00

Last week we went to the Arizona Grand Resort with the Bowen's. We had a blast. The big kids loved the slides and the wave pool, the little kids loved the wave pool and the kiddie pool. Miss H loved that she could stand all by herself in the kiddie pool and was entertained just walking around. BH loved that he was big enough to venture out on his own but took every opportunity to take D or I to the slides. We were upgraded to a two bedroom suite that had a full kitchen and family area. The kiddos rented a movie and the adults stayed up and talked till 2am. Yeah...It was pretty hard to get up the next morning but completely worth it.

Thanks Bowen's for a fun getaway. What are we gonna do next?

FHE at the lake

2010-07-27T15:55:00.001-07:00

We took the kiddos to the lake for FHE last night...We had so much fun!

(sorry for the amount of pictures but I loved them all)

My mom and dad came along to play with us, aren't they so cute.

We got a bucket of chicken and ate in on the boat

Round one...BH, Keeks and Mr. BD...lasted about 5 minutes. They had fun but Mr. BD wanted to get off cause his head was hurting. He might still be a little young to enjoy going fast

They didn't ride this way, just wanted a pic...I love Little E squished in the middle waving at the camera

Round two...Me and the little girls...lasted about 1 minute. Miss H was not fond of the tube

Round three...Just me and Little E...that lasted about 3 minutes...I was worried that I'd squish her and she didn't like that the "tube is sooo bumpy"

Round four...BH, Keeks and I...lasted about 10 minutes...two different turns. We all loved it...and then daddy flipped us good...and moms suit bottoms almost got lost in the lake

Keeks before the flip...

Keeks after the flip...

BH after the flip...He LOVED it!

Round five...Daddy's turn...lasted about 15 minutes...four different turns...he was a show-off. Grandpa drove the boat...and daddy jumped the waves and flipped for mama

Round six...Grandpa's turn...lasted about 10 minutes...two different turns...Daddy drove the boat...paybacks...

Round seven...Nannie and BH...they laughed and laughed...got some air and Nannie flipped off the back

I know this is blurry, but I had to show Little Es favorite part of the trip...jumping of the back of the boat to Grandpa...she LOVED it

It was so much fun we can't wait to do it again

Round eight...BH...all by himself...lasted about 20 minutes...one turn...daddy worked really hard to get him off that tube...it wasn't happening. The kid LOVED every minute...he was sore this morning. I didn't get any pictures cause it was to dark. Next we'll get him on a wakeboard.

Thanks mom and dad for coming with us...we LOVED having you there. We LOVE you!

It sure is hot out there...

2010-07-26T14:40:00.001-07:00

...so we're off to the lake!!!

Little V

2010-07-18T22:17:00.000-07:00

He finally made his entrance into this world...and he's so stinkin' cute! I was able to be there...what a blessing. It is such a miracle, these sweet little people that are sent to us. Such a responsibility, such a sacrifice, such a blessing. They change our lives...

It's been so fun to see the change in Niki and Clayton, all for the better.

I love you guys! Thanks for sharing your day with me!

cherish every moment...

2010-07-10T21:18:00.002-07:00

(Sorry for the long post, but I felt it needed to be documented)

We are sent these sweet spirits from Heaven to care for and love. They count on us, trust us completely... we serve them, guide them, direct them, care for them, we do all we can for them. But there are times it's out of our hands...

Yesterday I felt completely helpless...

My little miss H suffered a Febrile Seizure and there was nothing I could do it was out of my hands...all I could do was pray. Ask for help from my Heavenly Father who trusted me to take care of her.

When she woke up from her nap around 1:30pm she felt a little warm, I thought it was just her teeth. One year = one year molars. I fed her lunch and she ate but was a little cranky and didn't want to be put down after. So we sat on the couch and read stories. Little E had a friend over and they were playing in the play room so we went down to check on them. Miss H saw all the toys and got down to play. She was happily playing and I needed to run upstairs to grab something so I asked Kiki to watch her for a minute. I went up and got a call from my sister and didn't get back downstairs for about 5 minutes. As I was coming back down the stairs Kiki's friend met me on the stairs and said "Kiki wants you to come see how cute Miss H is being. She's rocking her and Miss H is laying her head on her shoulder."

I walked in thinking how cute and then I noticed Miss H's right hand twitching. I grabbed her and held her in my arms and she was not responding at all. Her arm continued to twitch, her head was turned to the right and her eyes were glassed over...she was limp and very quiet other than a tiny little moan. I ran to the couch and laid her down and called D (3:54pm), by this time I was frantic and was asking him what I should do..."WHAT SHOULD I DO". I also yelled to the kids to go get their aunt next door and to get Little E's friend's mom from down the street.

D told me to take her to the ER, but I couldn't drive with the baby...I couldn't put her in the carseat while she was having what I thought was a seizure, A SEIZURE...is this really what is happening? I grab her and start up the stairs where I meet my SIL Tenay, she follows me as I run to my room grab my shoes, purse and keys. I hop in the car with Miss H in my arms and ask her to drive. BH is in tears at my window wondering what he needs to do. I asked him to help with the other kids. We start down the driveway and D calls again, he says stay put call 911 (4:02pm), just as Tenay says we need to stay here and call 911.

We stop at the end of the driveway and I call...seizure is still going on. Miss H is foaming at the mouth and drooling a lot. I am bawling on the phone they have to tell me to calm down and give them my address. We pull into the circle drive and Miss H starts to come to, it's been about 8 or 9 minutes, I think, according to cell phone calls. I hand the phone to Tenay she finishes the conversation. About 3 minutes later the paramedics are there. They do a blood sugar test, take her temp and give her oxygen. Temp 103.8. I later found out that one of the paramedics saw that BH was having a hard time and pulled him aside to help him understand what was happening. I'm grateful for that man.

They tell me they need to take her to the ER by ambulance so they can monitor her. They take her carseat from the car and attach it to the gurney and put her in it. I ride in the front seat, wishing I could see her face, know that she's okay. D has arrived home by now and follows behind in my car.

When we arrive at the ER there are tons of questions, over and over and over. They determine that it's a Febril Seizure, fairly common in toddlers when they have a fever that spikes really fast. 1 in every 25 kids will have one or more. WHAT...why have I never heard of this? They take her temp 103.6, they do a blood test, urine test, chest x-ray and give her Tylenol. We wait...she's super whiny, she missed her second nap so she's tired also. She takes a small nap in my shoulder until they come back in to take another rectal temp. Temp is down to 100.8 she's starting to smile and act like our little miss H. We are glad to have her back.

The tests all came back normal...but still we worry, it could happen again with any fever in the future. Now we are in prevention mode. No sudden rise in fever = no seizure, we hope. She could continue to have them until she grows out of them, probably around age 5.

I was so afraid I would lose my Miss H, not see her sweet face smile at me, hear her voice say Hi, it was the scariest day of my life.

I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful supportive family who will jump in where needed at a moments notice. All of my siblings and sister-in-law came to the hospital and waited with concern for our little one. Our neighbor came to help with in seconds. Two of my sister-in-laws stepped in to love and care for my kiddos when I couldn't. Our parents were there in an instant with comforting hugs and words of encouragement.

I've learned a great lesson that I hope to never forget, cherish every moment, you never know when it could be the last.

I am so blessed to have these sweet children in my life and so grateful that I have a Heavenly Father to help me care for them.

Things that make me smile...

2010-07-09T15:50:00.000-07:00

Faces in the glass

My kiddos

Pigtails

Silly boys

Siblings getting along

Piano music

Sisters & sweatshirts and shorts

Freshly planted flowers

The plasticware cupboard

Fourth of July

2010-07-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

We went up to the cabin again this year and watched the Heber fireworks with all of D's family minus the baby sister. We love it up there, I didn't want to come home. It's so relaxing and nice & cool. The Bowen's came with us this year. We had so much fun having their family at the cabin with us. Our family loves going to the fireworks show early and claiming our spot. We play games and enjoy being outside. This year there were two guys with Boa Constrictors and they were letting all the kiddos hold them. I was shocked when mine asked if they could go hold them, Keeks asked first!!! I couldn't bear to watch so I sent D to take pictures for me.

Happy Independence Day!!!

Dance...Dance...Dance...

2010-06-13T22:01:00.003-07:00

Kiki had her dance recital this weekend and did awesome! She has such a talent for it and loves it. She had both sets of grandparents and two Aunts there to watch her. Such support! We are so blessed to have so many around us that love and support all we do! She's a lucky girl. Great job Keeks, you danced your socks off!

Pre-Teen

2010-06-07T20:51:00.000-07:00

Well, he's definitely a pre-teen. He doesn't want to cut his hair, loves playing video games, doesn't want to go anywhere with the family, his friends are cooler than mom and dad and so much more.

This year was a date year for BH. So we got to have him all to ourselves. It was so much fun. We took him to Flemings for dinner (guess who's idea that was?, I'll give you a hint, not mine), took him to get a hair cut, we bribed him with an XBox game and went to get ice cream.

I've always been terrified of the pre-teen/teen years cause that's when you start to have less and less control, they are away from you more and they are learning who they are and how to be more independent. What I realized on our date with BH is how much fun it's gonna be too. We laughed, played and had great conversation. I'm really excited for more of that in the coming years. Thanks for the great date BH we love you and who you are becoming.

BH at Age 11:

WOW (world of warcraft)

playing XBox

Tackle football

basketball

dressing cool

having cool hair

likes to tease the older two

a loving big brother to the younger two

has a tender heart and genuine concern for others

a great friend

gets great grades

excited/nervous for 6th grade

LOVES summer

Braces

2010-06-02T21:57:00.001-07:00

So yesterday we went to the Orthodontist for Keeks normal check up, or so I thought. We came outta there with braces. So the gist of it is, besides the fact that she has issues with crowding she also has an under bite. The Ortho thought it would be a good idea to put her in early braces and head gear to pull out her upper jaw so that she doesn't have issues with it later when it's more difficult to fix.

So the first stage is making room and aligning the top row of teeth so that the head gear can do it's magic. She'll be in the braces for about a year and then a retainer. Then when she's older they will determine if she needs a full set of braces.

And if you can't tell from the picture, she is super excited. What kid is excited about braces? KiKi, thats who!

Oh and we all know how colorful this little girl can be, so would it surprise you that she has a mouth full of color? We love you Keeks, you're such a cute brace face!!!

The big number 1

2010-05-27T19:32:00.001-07:00

The Little Miss turned one!
At one she:

walks (took her first steps 5.3.10 and was walkin pretty good by her birthday)
says mama, dada, puppy, baba (bottle), baby, braaaa (brock), Niki and Nigh Nigh (Nigh Night)
has 5 teeth
fake laughs
fake cries
throws small fits if you take her away from something or take something away
smiles most of the day
takes two naps
sleeps 12hrs at night
still sucks her thumb on the very rare occation, mostly uses the Na Na
gives hugs
lays her head on my shoulder every night when I sing to her before bed
still in size 4 diapers
wears clothes sized the same as her age (that's a first for us)

We love having such a sweetie in our home, she makes us all laugh and makes life so fun. Looking forward to year # two with you little Miss H!

Miss H's Party

2010-05-24T12:18:00.026-07:00

The little peanut is one. I can hardly believe that it went by so fast. She was so cute at her party, she loved all her gifts and loved having so many people over. We had both sides of the family over for Sunday dinner, cake and homemade ice cream. There were close to 50 people, kinda crazy.

She had two cakes, one for just her to eat and one for everyone else. Her Mumo and Aunt Kid made her little personal one and Costco made the big one. Thanks Mumo and Aunt Kid it was YUMMY!

It sure is tiring being the big O.N.E, she crashed at the end of the night. We are so grateful to have such a supportive family, we love you all!

My Birthday

2010-05-22T23:26:00.058-07:00

So I don't normally post about my Birthday, but this was not just any normal Birthday, so I thought it needed to be recorded. Plus I love bragging on my kiddos!

So, D had a conference to go to in Ohio three days before my birthday but assured me he would be home the night before just in time for THE DAY.

Birthdays are a big thing in our family, I mean come on, it was the day you were BORN! The whole reason you are on this earth!

I like to be spoiled on that day and for it to be all about me. In all our married years D has totally gone above and beyond spoiling me. Until the day his plane was delayed and he didn't make it home for my birthday. (tear) (he did send me flowers and chocolate covered strawberries while he was away! Always thoughtful even miles and miles away)

So even though I like to be spoiled on my day I don't really talk about it, I don't tell people that it's my birthday and if they don't remember o'well. So I didn't mention it to my kiddos. BH did say the night before, "man mom, it really stinks that dad's not gonna be home for your birthday."

So I went to bed that night starting to feel a little bit of the flu coming on wondering what tomorrow's gonna bring?

The next morning I was awoken, is that a word?, by the sound of my sweet kids voices singing Happy Birthday with a tray containing our traditional Birthday Breakfast in Bed and homemade birthday cards. They had come through, what a surprise. All on their own, they got up early, made my favorite, peanut butter and syrup on toast (weird, I know) and surprised me. And I LOVED it!

D got home @ about 12 and we went to Kiki and BH's piano recital. Unfortunately I had the stomach flu the whole day and mostly laid in bed though I did venture out to see a movie that evening. Hopefully next year I won't be feeling crummy and D will be in town.

Even though it wasn't the birthday I had envisioned in my mind, the fact that my sweet children thought of me with no prompting from anyone made it the best birthday ever!

Arrow of Light

2010-05-19T20:52:00.002-07:00

BH got his Arrow of Light along with 10 other boys in his Webelos group. Their leaders were great! He is so excited to become a boy scout. Great job buddy we are pround of you!

Mommy Daughter Date

2010-05-15T22:47:00.000-07:00

For Kiki's Activity Days they had a Mommy Daughter Date to learn proper etiquette when dinning. It was so cute. They had the cultural hall decorated like an Italian restaurant with Italian music playing and the works! The girls set our place settings to show what they had learned about setting the table. They played games to see how many bad manners could be found. It was a fun activity and I really enjoyed spending one on one time with Keeks! Thanks for a fun date Kiki Lee!

Kindergarten Program

2010-05-15T09:13:00.002-07:00

Mr. BD had his end of the year Kindergarten Program. They were so cute up there singin' their little hearts out. Mr. BD has loved this year, especially his teacher Mrs. Rayburn. He will miss her terribly next year.

Women's Conference

2010-05-13T11:57:00.003-07:00

Oh Women's Conference, I LOVE IT! This year I got to go with my Mom, sister and SIL. We had so much fun. On the way up we went through a small blizzard, a huge change from what we are use to. Mom was driving and really had white knuckles, but we made it safely. Thanks Mom!

I roomed with Tamra and Mom and LaChae were roomies, we drew straws.

We ate lots of yummy food, Los Hermanos (where all the servers that meet and get married there get a booth named after them), JDawgs (not my fav), The Sweet Tooth Fairy (my FAV) and Smart Cookie (not the real one, it was closed down, but we got the same kinda cookie at Hogi Yogi. YUMMY!).

We were enriched by wonderful people. I learned so much about how to be a better wife and mama. Thank heavens for paper and pen, I'm sure I'll need to check my notes for a reminder now and then!

We enjoyed the beautiful, yet quite chilly, weather. We experienced rain, snow, sleet and hail!

We got the opportunity to serve when one of the classes we wanted to go to re-routed us to the layette cutting room. I couldn't help but think of those sweet babies that would get to wear layettes cut by my hands. Though it wasn't planned I am soooo grateful for the opportunity to serve. And I think maybe in a way it was planned, so I could learn a little something about service.

We were able to go to the Salt Lake Temple and do a session, LOVED IT.

Another Women's Conference come and gone, one I'll never forget. Hope we can do it again next year girls!

Am I ready for this...

2010-05-04T22:19:00.000-07:00

This little peanut can stand

All by herself...I'm really not ready for this

She's taken about 4 steps and is getting more and more brave

Oh, and she also discovered that the cabinets open and there are fun things to play with inside

Heaven help me

Let's Play Music

2010-05-04T17:27:00.000-07:00

While I was at Women's Conference this weekend Mr. BD had a Let's Play Music concert. I'm so sad I missed it. His Daddy said he did great and they got it on video for me. Mr. BD has a real talent for music and really enjoys it. I'm so excited to see him delevop his talent as he gets older.

Good job buddy, sorry mama missed it.

No sticky fingers here

2010-04-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

A funny tid-bit about Little E at age 3

She eats fruit snacks from a bowl with a spoon

And why, do you say?

She doesn't want to get her fingers sticky

And this is a picture of me "with an umbrella and the rain is coming down all around"

I love this sweet pea!

1 month away from the big O.N.E

2010-04-23T22:19:00.000-07:00

SHE:

Cruises around furniture and along the walls
Can stand on her own if we stand her up and only for about 10 seconds
Says pretty
Drinks from a sippy
Still takes formula but gets 2oz of whole milk in each bottle
Loves big people food, knows the difference, time to say bye bye to the baby food
Blows kisses to daddy before bed
Dances to any music all the time
Plays Peek-a-Boo
Will almost never fall asleep in the car or when we are out, loves her bed
Calls everything baby
Loves looking at pictures of herself
Crawls with attitude and fast
Can crawl up the stairs but not down so we watch like a hawk
Is sweet as ever and we LOVE her

Not just cousins...Best Friends

2010-04-23T21:54:00.000-07:00

These kiddos play great together. My sister and I have been working for about 2 weeks on invitations and these little people have been together just about everyday for those 2 weeks. They make up games to play together using their wonderful imaginations. Of course they get in their little tiffs but the next day they can hardly wait for Dallo and Brycee to walk through that door.

Now that the invitaitons are done my kiddos are going through with drawls, so am I!

JA Biz Town & Crazy Hair Day

2010-04-23T21:26:00.001-07:00

BH went on a fieldtrip to JA Biz Town. It's a place that students go and experience having a career for a day. BH was the CEO of the Broadcast Center. He got all dressed up perfesional like, it was the cutest thing and made me flash forward 15 years when he's gonna really be going to work. They earned money and were able to use it to purchase drinks and other small items. He was most nervous about the speech he had to give, he said he did fine though. He got a loan for his company and he and his employees had to pay it off by the end of the day. It was such a great teaching experience for him and he LOVED it.

Keeks and MR. BD had crazy hair day that same day check out these hair do's. Keeks did her's all on her own. Mr. BD just wanted me to make his hair crazy with water, no gel allowed. Not too crazy but kinda. I thought they were cute.

FHE at the Lake

2010-04-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

Monday we spent the afternoon at the lake catchin' some fish. Grandpa and Mumo wanted to take all their kiddos and their families to the lake for FHE. The boat doesn't hold all of us anymore (there are way to many) so they decided to take each family individually. So we drew straws and we got to be the first. I'm glad we were, cause the fishin' was awesome. The kids were catching bluegil like crazy. D and Grandpa couldn't get the poles ready fast enough. BH, Mr. BD and Kiki were realing them in faster than I could count. So they kept their own tally, BH got 15, Kiki got 6, Mr. BD got 8 and Little E got 2 (1 with daddy's help and 1 with Grandpa's help). Miss H touched her first fish, Kiki cast her line over a tree and caught one, then had to real it in back over the tree, and Little E got her very first fish. Now that's a successful fishing trip if you ask me.

Thanks Grandpa and Mumo for taking us, we had a blast!

Our newest investment

2010-04-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

We invested in years of jungle gym fun, we hope. The kids said it's not fair cause Miss H is going to get the most use out of the playground cause she'll have it her whole life. I thought that was funny. We also invested about 24 + hours of our time putting this monster together, and loved every minute, well maybe not every minute. But I throughly enjoyed working with D constructing our mini house. I kept telling him this is like building a small house. All the kiddos pitched in with what they could, we discovered that Mr. BD is really good with the drill. I was the instructor and D was the constructor, I got to tell him what to do and he DID it! :) After we finished I didn't see my kiddos for about two weeks.

We love the new addition, now if we could just get our backyard landscaping done it will be a great place to be!

The finished product

Take me out to the Ball Game...

2010-04-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Tamra and Jordan asked us to go to opening day for the D-Backs. Of course we said yes. We got the kiddos out of school early, it was a surprise and they loved it. We headed down to the ball park to enjoy America's favorite pastime. We had so much fun, and the D-Backs one. Thanks Jordan and Tam for thinking of us, we loved spending the day with you!

My favorite part was watching Brycee throw popcorn on the people in front of him! Hee Hee!

Easter Sunday

2010-04-11T22:13:00.000-07:00

So every Easter I cordinate the kids for church. Well this year, as we all know, Easter fell on General Conference weekend. I didn't have it all together for the Sunday before so we all wore our pretty Easter clothes today.

We were running late this morning (early church will do that to ya!) so I didn't get a picture before church. When we got home I got a quick pic. As you can see Miss H had fallen asleep on the 2 minute drive home and was quite relaxed and completely out of it. I didn't dream of trying to wake her for the picture, D already thinks I'm crazy for even taking the picture. Can't imagine what he would think if I woke her.

Needless to say, It didn't work out how I had planned. Good thing Easter's not about the cute clothes and pictures.

Better luck next year.

Easter

2010-04-06T22:06:00.000-07:00

K, so it's Miss H's first Easter

Result:
Lots of pictures of her
We really do love our other kiddos too, promise

Happy Easter, Love US

Learning of Christ

2010-04-06T12:30:00.001-07:00

I love the Easter Pagent!
I love that we get to see the true meaning of Easter acted out for us.
I love the spirit I feel on the Temple grounds as I watch the life of Christ.
I love that the children are playing and wrestling, enjoying being out side before the pagent starts
I love that it all stops and they listen attentively as soon as the lights turn off and it starts
I love that I didn't tell them to listen they just wanted to

What a great blessing we have called the Easter Pagent

Girls

2010-04-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

Mr. BD doesn't have very many boy friends that he plays with, I can think of two. His closest cousin is a girl and they have been best friends since they were born. All the kids his age on the street/in the neighborhood are girls. He's is one boy in a sea of girls. He plays with them all and they have fun. He is great with girls, very kind, considerate, plays what they want to play. He'll make a great husband one day.

Yesterday I drove his carpool. Everyone in the carpool, except him of corse, is a girl. As I was driving I was listening to the conversation in the back seat. The girls were talking about their pink clothes, pink nail polish, pink backpacks, pink hair ties and on and on and on... Then I hear Mr. BD say "Ahhh... why do I have to be surrounded by girls?" It didn't help that his two sisters and mom were in the car too.

I guess sometimes you just need to hang with the guys

Tyedying Eggs

2010-04-02T22:37:00.000-07:00

The kids picked tyedye eggs this year. It was different, much less messy and they loved it.

Miss H slept through the whole thing good thing she doesn't know what she's missing, maybe next year

BH has a new hair style as of late, it's I want it long and I don't want to do it. Not sure how to deal with this one yet, hopefully it's just a stage. I'd like to see my clean cut boy again someday.

Any advice on parenting for the hair 101 would be greatly appreciated

Kooking with KiKi

2010-04-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

To pass off a Faith in God goal KiKi needed to plan a menu and make dinner for the family

On the menu:
Chilie Cheese Fritos
and
Cheesy Sticks

Not the healthiest choice but it was her choice

She made a grocery list
I shopped for the items
And we cooked

It was a fun night Keeks,
Thanks for the memories

Castles and Coasters

2010-03-31T21:26:00.000-07:00

For spring break we took the kiddos to Castles and Coasters. D and I had never been so we didn't know what to expect especially over spring break!

We had so much fun and the kiddos loved it. We rode the bumper boats, log ride, indy cars, two roller coasters, one that went upside down TWICE, a tower of terror 100% BH's idea, and more.

Little E could ride most of them with me. I thought she would be terrified, but she completely surprised me, she loved them ALL. Especially the fast roller coaster and the big drop on the log ride.

Miss H didn't get to ride anything, but didn't seem to mind, she loved sittin' in her stroller being wheeled around the park.

BH begged me to get on the tower of terror and when we were about to go up he said he didn't want to do it anymore. Yeah right...were goin' now! So we did, we both just about had a heart attack and didn't do it again. At the end he said it was fun, but once is enough! I had to beg him to go on the roller coaster that did two loops. Finally after some convincing he went...and went again and again and again! He loved it! The only problem was that he wouldn't go alone and D wouldn't go at all. So...that left me to go over and over again and my head and tummy aren't as young as they use to be...

Mr. BD loved all the rides he could go on and was sad he wasn't tall enough to go on more. The pirate ship was his favorite.

Keeks...oh my little Keeks. She went on what she wanted and was not about to go on what she didn't want to. I even told her that if she came on the tower of terror I would take her to get her nails done (fingers and toes). Nope she wasn't havin' any of that. Maybe next time!

I would do it again in a heart beat, the kids had so much fun and for a reasonable price!

Some of the favorite moments

A perfect ending to a perfect day

TEN MONTHS

2010-03-23T20:15:00.001-07:00

Such a sweet little girl at 10 months

she pulls up to standing on EVERYTHING, she likes the corners the best
she holds her bottle by herself
she says nigh nigh (night night)
she's working on the top two teeth, I'm sure they'll poke through in the next week
she still trys to suck her thumb every once in a while
she has enough hair to put in a ponytail
she give great kisses when ever asked
she prefers her Daddy, such a daddy's girl
she's learned to crawl with attitude, wiggling her shoulders and booty side to side

Give a Day. Get a Day.

2010-03-17T20:15:00.000-07:00

Dustin really wants to take the kiddos to Disneyland this year. Little E has never been but seems to know everything about it. I guess that's what happens when you have older siblings. So when I heard about Give a Day. Get a Day, I thought what a perfect opportunity to have the kiddos earn their ticket by serving. The idea is that if you give a day of service you get a free ticket to Disneyland. We decided on Treasures 4 Teachers. You get a shoe size box and fill it with fun school supplies and a personalized note for a teacher. The kids loved shopping for the supplies, they love doing it at the begining of the year for themselves also! I have to admit so do I. The age limit is 6 so Little E didn't get to make one of her own, but she helped Mama.

We brought it all home put the boxes together and wrapped them up like a gift. It was just a small service but a lot of fun for our family.

My sisters family did it also and we went together to drop off the gifts. I could not believe what I saw when we walked in. A huge warehouse stacked wall to wall, ceiling to floor with wrapped boxes for teachers! WOW! What a huge gift for those teachers and such a small act of service for our family.

About four days later we got our ticket vouchers

THANKS DISNEY!

Can I bring my campout?

2010-03-03T10:25:00.001-07:00

Campout. That's what Little E calls her sleeping bag. I love it. She was so excited to go camping with everybody. We all were. It's so nice to get out and forget about all your worries. There's something to be said about nature and how it makes you feel, that you could live in a tent with no running water, no electricity and cook your food by the campfire, because you are out there with your family and what else do you need, really?

I'm a very busy person, I often can't sit still. My D has complained about this our entire marriage, cause he knows how to relax and has a hard time getting me to. So, to get me to go camping takes a lot. But I have to admit, I LOVE IT! I love that I can spend all the time in the world with my kiddos, playin' in the dirt. Why isn't life like that? Why can't it be? Because I'm a clean freak, a project doer, have a busy calling in church, and so much more?

Well I vow to make a change, to sit down with Miss H and Little E to read stories more, let the dishes sit in the sink. Play playdoh and not worry about the mess we are making on the floor, it can be swept up! Take my kiddos to the park more, it's beautiful outside, why are we not out there? Stop everything and listen to my kids when they are talking, then I might not have to say, "I'm sorry what did you say, I wasn't listening".

This is my time to enjoy them, they will be gone before I know it, I need to cherish every moment. D said to me just yesterday, "We need to make memories with them now, in a couple years they will be gone, and it'll just be us." He's right I look at my babies and see how much they've grown and I don't know when that happened.

So, from now on, we slow down!

I want to make our home a campout.

And Little E, of course you can bring your campout and we'll read lots of stories!

D's Day

2010-03-02T08:03:00.001-07:00

It started with breakfast in bed with the kiddos. It's a family tradition and they love it!

Dustin's gift was tickets to the Suns game that night. I got him seats on row 5 section 102 center court. D loves basketball and has always dreamed of courtside tickets. Since they are outrageously priced I thought row 5 would do. Our tickets came with a parking pass in a garage directly across from the arena or stadium, whatever it's called, and food at the Toyota Club. Oh, I almost forgot there was an open bar as well. They almost laughed in our faces when we ordered water. It was so much fun, and I'm pretty sure he was surprised, I'm such a cheapskate usually, but 35 is a big year and he deserves to be spoiled. He always spoils me and then says, I don't need anything when he's the one out there working his booty off so we can all have what we need and what we want.

We love you D. Hope #35 was fun, I sure enjoyed spending the evening with you. Thanks for all you do for us. I know I don't say it enough but I really am grateful to have you. I knew I was lucky to marry you, but I didn't know how lucky I really was. As the years go by and our family grows I am more and more amazed at the man I married.

I love you and I LOVE being married to you!

I love this Man

2010-03-01T13:00:00.001-07:00

He is the greatest father I know

Knows how to deal with the boys

especially when they won't smile for family pictures

Those little girls have him wrapped around their fingers

And me?

Well I just melt in his arms

We all Love you Honey!

Happy Birthday!

9 months...WHAT?

2010-02-23T22:56:00.001-07:00

Oh, the things she can do

Learned a new word 2.12.10 - Baby

Crawls the real way

Is down to only one feeding a day that I nurse her (tear)

Eats 4-5ozs of formula after she nurses in the am then a 6oz for lunch and dinner and an 8oz right before bed

Waves bye bye every time she or someone else is leaving

Says Pah Pah when she sees the dogs, trying to say Ruff Ruff

Pulls up to her knees, which is why

We had to lower her bed to the lowest level

Pulls up to standing, first time last night 2.23.10

Eats baby food for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Just moved to a size 4 diaper

I've never bought a size 4 before

My kiddos always wear 3 and then they are potty trained

We sure love to squeeze those chubs though

Dr appt. stats 2.26.10
Weight: 17.8lbs
Lenght: 27"
Head: 17.8"
We just might get to put her in a forward facing carseat on her 1st birthday (another first for our family)

Another month gone way too fast and she just keeps getting cuter and is so much fun

We love you Miss H

Snow Day

2010-02-23T22:40:00.001-07:00

We decided to visit the snow at the cabin on President's Day. We left in the morning and drove up, played in the snow and came home. I love that we can have the best of both worlds living here.

The kids had a blast! Here are some highlights

BH found a gigantic icicle

Little E loved eating the snow

So did Miss H

Miss H got her first feel of the icy cold white stuff

We all got to sled

Miss H had her first ever sled ride with Mama

We had a snowball fight

Kiki wrestled BH to the ground after our family pic

That turned into another snowball fight

Mr. BD hit Mama in the face with a snowball

Mumo and Grandpa came with us

There was not one complaint about being cold

BH and Kiki fell asleep on eachother on the ride home (my personal favorite)

Princess Tea Party

2010-02-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

About once a year the girls' Mumo (grandma johnson) invites them over for a tea party. They get to dress up, it's really fancy, so I've heard. They get to drink silver tea with Mumo and Christine. Kiki looks forward to it every year. This year was Little E's first time to go and Kiki couldn't wait to take her little sis along. She was in her room picking out dresses to wear two weeks before. I loved seeing her take charge and get Little E excited too. Kiki dressed her self as well as Little E. I love that they are girly and love everything GIRL.

Thank you Mumo for a fun tradition, I'm sure Miss H will be so excited when she's old enough to go!!

Happy L-O-V-E Day!

2010-02-14T13:37:00.002-07:00

TIREDS

2010-02-10T23:11:00.001-07:00

Today Mr. BD had music class, we learned about these

His teacher told them that they were called rests

A few minutes later we were looking through his music book

I pointed one out

I asked, "What's this?"

He replied, "A tired?"

He was 100% serious

And I LOVED it!

I laughed out loud in music class, that's not aloud, He He

Chef Boy BH

2010-02-09T12:20:00.000-07:00

We've been working on BH's Faith in God for the last month. It was one of those things that as a mom, it's one more thing for your kids to do that you have to encourage or it doesn't get done. Kinda like scouts. Well with BH being my first I wasn't quite sure how it all worked and what we were supposed to do. I would have him pick and complete a goal/experience every once in a while and we would work on it, but there was no order and it wasn't being completed as it should. It was always something looming over my head, causing guilt. I knew that was not the purpose of the program. The purpose was to help my children gain a testimony as they build their Faith in God. Something I support 100%, so why wasn't I better about helping them (Kiki turned 8 a few months ago and started also).

Well this year I made quite a few resolutions, one of them was to be more dilligent about sharing, learning, and teaching the gospel with my kiddos. What a perfect opportunity, Faith in God. I made a goal to sit down with them every Sunday and have them pick one goal to work on for the week. It's been great! They enjoy the time with Dustin and I and I am sharing, learning and teaching the gospel with my children.

So... on to Chef Boy BH. The experience he picked this week was to plan, prepare and serve a nutritious meal for the family. So that's what we did last night. I was so much fun to have him in the kitchen with us, dicing, measuring, mixing, and baking. The meal he picked was Turkey Burgers with Ceaser Salad and for dessert Fruit Salad. It was YUMMY!

Thanks for a great dinner BH and way to go, you passed off another goal!

Hear's the reciepe if anyone's interested, I got it off my SIL's blog, Thanks Rucs!

Turkey Burgers

1lb Ground Turkey

1/2 cup Celerey

1/2 cup Green Onion

1 tsp Seseame Seed Oil

2 tsp Soy Sauce

1 tsp Minced Garlic

1 tsp Pepper

Mix together and make a patty. So they don't Puff Up put an Indent in the center.

Put 2 tbsp Crisco Oil in a Pan and Fry Away!!

Don't forget Refrigerator Biskets for the Buns!!

Spicy Fry Sauce

1/4 cup Mayo

1/4 Cup Ketchup

1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/4 tsp Onion Powder

1/8 Tsp Pepper

1/8 tsp Salt

Rub-a-dub-dub...

2010-02-06T10:14:00.002-07:00

Two girls in a tub

Isn't it ironic

2010-01-29T21:29:00.000-07:00

The day I post about Miss H's silly crawling, she crawls for real. It was OH SO CUTE, just like this face.

To crawl or not to crawl...that is the question

2010-01-29T17:10:00.001-07:00

This sweet little thing can't decide if she wants to crawl. She's up then she's down, she's on her toes then her elbows. She has the strength in her arms and can get on her knees but can't quite put it all together just yet. It's so fun to watch her try to figure things out!

Teeth shot, can you see them?

Why God Made Moms

2010-01-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

I got an email from my Mama that had some questions answered by 1st graders. I was so stinkin' cute, so I asked Little E and Mr. BD a few questions about moms and wrote them down word for word...

Why did God make mothers?

Mr. BD - to take care of us

Little E - because they are girls

How did God make mothers?

Mr. BD - with his powers

Little E - a robot (huh?)

What ingredients are mothers made of?

Mr. BD - meat, skin, bones and blood

Little E - a baby

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mother?

Mr. BD - cause he though you were perfect for me

Little E - because you love Mr. BD

What kind of little girl was your mom?

Mr. BD - a great little girl

Little E - I don't know

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?

Mr. BD - what he drinks, like not alcohol and stuff like that and you don't want him to get a tatoo

Little E - I don't know

Why did your mom marry your dad?

Mr. BD - cause you thought he was cute and hot and he was perfect for you

Little E - because she's a princess

Who's the boss at your house?

Mr. BD - dad and you

Little E - Me

What's the difference between moms and dads?

Mr. BD - moms have long hair and dads have short hair and they talk different ways, daddy talks low and mom talks high

Little E - I don't know

What does your mom do in her spare time?

Mr. BD - usually watches TV and relax

Little E - I don't know

What would it take to make your mom perfect?

Mr. BD - a lot of practice

Little E - I don't know

If you coud change one thing about your mom, what would it be?

Mr. BD - um...I would change her to be a mom that would do lots of things for us and want her to make lots of vegetables for us (think he was trying to earn mama points with this one)

Little E - I don't know

K, so maybe Little E is still to young to understand yet, but the answers she did give were pretty cute! Outta the mouths of babes, I LOVE IT!

Month 8

2010-01-23T20:30:00.001-07:00

This little girl is growing and growing! A lot has happened this month,

What's new in the life of Miss H...

plays peekaboo

claps

got her first tooth 1.17.10

crawls, well kinda, we call her the little happy inchworm, she gets up on her arms and pushes with her feet and kinda fall forward, like an inchworm.

got her second tooth 1.21.10

learned to wave bye, bye (she does it when we say nigh night to daddy, so she thinks it means nigh night)

gives kisses

clicks her tounge

Pinewood Derby 2010

2010-01-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

Brock had his last Pinewood Derby today (tear), he's growing up. Next year he'll be a big Boy Scout! I can't believe how fast he's growing up, before I know it he'll be on his mission, AHHHH? I know it's just a Pinewood Derby, but it symbolizes so much more to me. His face is changing, his clothes are getting to small, he's more independent, and he will reason with us! I'm excited for the things to come, like you always are with your first, but terrified at the same time! He was so good about the race. His car didn't do great, I think he got 8th, but he didn't complain one bit. Just said "well no big deal it was fun", what a big kid thing to say.

I guess they have to grow up.

Twelve down...many more to go

2010-01-12T17:30:00.001-07:00

I love this man! Every year he plans our anniversary and never lets me down. This year was just the same.

Because I am still nursing Miss H, I was afraid to go too far. D wanted to go skiing but I couldn't bear to be that far away just yet. So, we left Friday and went to Phoenix for the Suns game. We stayed in a hotel and walked to the game. I love being at the games and in the crowd, too bad they lost.

Saturday we checked out and spent the day shopping, went to see Avatar and got Sprinkles (my fave)! We stayed at a hotel in Scottsdale and went to Jesters, a comedy improv club, that night. It was a good laugh! Sunday we got to sleep in and relax, what mom doesn't need that? It was a great weekend away! Thanks to my Mom and Dad, Niki and Clayton for watching the kiddos so that we could be footloose and fancy free!

It's wonderful to be married to your best friend who you can sit in silence with and it's never awkward. In fact the silence is nice when you have five kiddos.

Thanks honey for being so kind, caring, loving, affectionate, silly, funny, hard working, thoughtful, selfless, understanding, willing, positive, fun, joyful, happy, and perfect for me!

Like I said...

I'm one LUCKY girl!

There's Scooby Doo in my eyes

2010-01-05T08:09:00.002-07:00

This little one came to me at 4:30am and said:

E: "Mom I can't sleep there's Scooby Doo in my eyes"

Me: "There's what in your eyes?"

E: "There's Scooby Doo in my eyes, can you get me comfy back in my bed"

This morning at 7:20am I ask:

Me: "E was there Scooby Doo in your eyes last night?"

E: "Yes and it was a mad Scooby Doo and his little dog too"

I guess we won't be watching Scooby Doo in our home any more.

Isn't it funny how a 3 year old perceives a dream/nightmare.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T19:46:00.002-07:00

Another year gone by

We took down our Christmas decorations today

I have mixed feelings

Sad that Christmas is already over

Excited to start the New Year, New Adventures, New Memories

We celebrated last night with my family at our house, it's also my sisters birthday, it's fun to all be together. Except for Tam and Jordan, and Clay of course, we missed you guys

HAPPY NEW YEAR

"Year End Letter"

2009-12-31T13:20:00.003-07:00

We usually send a picture collage and a newsletter out each year as our Christmas card. Well this year we were almost done, just needed a few finishing touches and they would be ready to mail. I turned on the TV one night, Jay Leno was on, I never watch Jay Leno but he was telling his jokes in the opening and they were pretty funny so I was listening as I did some other things around the house. Then something caught my attention. I couldn't help but stop and laugh. I recorded it and played it for Dustin later that night, we both agreed there will be no more "Year End Letters" from us. If people wanna know they will visit our blog! Enjoy!

This is what we did send out this year

Dustin, Brock, Brody and Hadley's names didn't show up very well, I was extremely disappointed, but what do you do when you change your mind last minute?

Send it out anyway!

(cute pics courtesy of my sweet friend Britain)

Christmas Day

2009-12-28T13:09:00.001-07:00

I guess Santa liked our cookies...

Just a little excited...

Brody got the nut in the poola this year

The three older kiddos all got DSIs this year and were beyond excited. When they didn't get them from Santa they didn't think they were going to get them at all. All month Little E was sure she was getting "a pink car that she can drive in" from Santa, she was right

Santa was good to us this year

I got Photoshop CS4 and still can't figure out how to use it

and a Kodak video camera/camera, small enough to always carry in my purse, LOVE IT!

Dustin got a GPS Backtrack, some camo (can never have enough) and new running shoes

But above all, I am grateful to have a family to share this Christmas with. We've had a pretty crazy month of surgery and worry and I'm so grateful to know that my family is healthy. I feel so blessed to have my kiddos and to share my life with them. I am grateful for Christ's sacrifice for me and that I can be with my family for eternity. I wouldn't want to do it without them. I love that this Christmas season continues to teach me every year how blessed I really am!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christmas Sunday with bad lighting

2009-12-27T22:49:00.000-07:00

Every year on Christmas Sunday we take a picture in front of the tree. I love getting the girls and boys matching Sunday clothes.

Well, I got my picture

too bad the lighting was horrible

I really need to study up on that...

next year will be better...

maybe I'll have a new lens by then (hint, hint)

Homemade Christmas Gifts

2009-12-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

A couple years ago in the Johnson family we decided to have the kiddos exchange names for Christmas. They had to made their gifts and there was a $5 limit. There have been some pretty creative things made over the years. I love the tradition. This year I told my family about it and we decided to do the same.

When I was VTing earlier in the year I saw these adorable dolls and new I had to make them for my nieces and nephews. Some however are to big for dolls so I decided on capes. The kiddos help pick fabric, stuff and share ideas. I heard, "I want to sew," "why can't I pick what I want to make," "this is supposed to be our idea," "I didn't want to make this" and so much more." I think they turned out great...

but next year I think I'll let the kiddos pick what they want to make.

Capes for Brycee and Dallo (didn't get a pick of Dallo's before it was wrapped) Kate, Jake & Lily
Walker, Cash, Danielle & Ethyn

Caden got a duck tape wallet

the same thing he got last year

...OOPS!

If we get you next year Caden, we'll do better...

I promise

Mare Crismus

2009-12-25T10:38:00.001-07:00

Hope yours is Merry and Bright!

Johnson Party and Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

We had the Johnson Christmas Eve party at Eric and Tenay's

They have a rule that everyone needs to decorate a cookie for Santa, it's a fun tradition

The kiddos did the story of Christ's birth
Little Haddie got to be baby Jesus

And my most favorite tradition...

Christmas Jammies

I got my little Monkeys Monkey Jammies, looks like Tenay had the same idea.

All ready for Santa

hope he likes our cookies

7 Months

2009-12-23T16:24:00.000-07:00

Yep, she's 7 months old now.

She's growing so much

New things at 7 months:

gets up on all fours and rocks

rolls all over the floor to get what she wants

sucks in her bottom lip and chews on it

says Mama when she's hungry or sees me

says Dada when she's playing and having fun

eats almost all veggies and fruits (a few more left to try)

sits in a high chair

throws toys on the floor

Each month keeps getting better but part of me wishes she would slow down a little!

Larson Party

2009-12-23T12:09:00.000-07:00

We started Christmas week with my family's party and gift exchange. We always have so much fun hanging out together.

BH got Madden 10 for the XBox and a water balloon launcher (made by the Booth family)
Mr. BD also got a water balloon launcher and some Lego cars to build
Haddie got a wooden stacking toy and a tutu (made by the Mauzy's)

These two are gonna be great friends they already love each other

KeKe got a tutu and a bag full of goodies from Justice

Little E got a tutu and wooden magnetic "paper" dolls

We had such a fun time and I loved all the homemade gifts! Can't wait to see what we come up with next year!

Results...

2009-12-22T23:35:00.002-07:00

Little E - Normal Dermoid Cyst
Mr. BD - Benign Lymph Node

...Phew!

Thank you to all of our wonderful friends and family who thought about us, took time to make sweet comments, brought after surgery treats and treasures, watched our other kiddos, called, fasted and prayed for our little ones. We love and cherish you all!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

all i want for Christmas...

2009-12-22T08:12:00.003-07:00

My kiddos love to get the magazines in the mail around Christmas time. They sit down with paper and pencil and make their lists. This year Mr. BD can write and read some, so he was able to make his own list. KeKe's cracks me up, I love her letter to Santa. A list of pretty much everything under the sun and decorated to the tee. Then there's BH so structured and organized, a real list.

I LOVE it!

Mr. BD's Owie

2009-12-19T10:04:00.000-07:00

Well finally an update on our Mr. BD.
He was such a trooper.
When we asked him if he was nervous he said no he was excited.
To have surgery?
WHAT?
Then he told us he was excited to have surgery so he could be brave like Little E.

BD got to play with toys also

Cars and Connect Four

Mom got to go into the OR until he fell asleep also

Which, by the way, was much more calm than Little E's experience

Not afraid one bit

Well maybe a little nervous

But he's good at being silly to cover that up

Home at last

He rested on the couch for the rest of the afternoon

Then we had a party at our house for Grandpa J's birthday

He was up runnin' around with the cousins before I could say

PLEASE BE CAREFUL

No stitches just Dermabond

He's healing nicely

Now we just wait for pathology...

They told us we would hear early next week

We LOVE you little buddy

Round two

2009-12-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

Now it's this little buddies turn. He is having a lump removed from his neck tomorrow, WHAT? We never thought that within a week and a half we would have two children having surgery. We continue to pray that all is well and goes well. They are not sure what Mr. BD's lump is until they remove it, but there is a small chance it could be cancerous.

And again... we worry.

Being a Mom, it sure is an emotional job.

But I wouldn't change it for any other job in the world!

We LOVE you Broder Doo

...and I love him

2009-12-15T18:45:00.003-07:00

My Hubby is the greatest
This is what I got today on my doorstep
Just because...

Little E's Owie

2009-12-08T18:48:00.004-07:00

Little E the night before surgery. We talked to her about what was going to happen but she didn't fully understand. If you were to ask her she would say "They're gonna fix my eye"

When we got there they took us to pre-op where they put her in her gown, she liked the gown but didn't care for the socks or cap. They brought her barbies and ponies to play with, she LOVED that. She also got to watch Bolt on the TV.

They brought her mask and she got to pick the flavor that she was going to smell when they put the mask on her face to go to sleep. She also got to decorate it with stickers...

but she thought it was more fun to decorate mama (daddy had something to do with that)

Then it was off to surgery. She saw this car when we first walked in and said "I want to ride in that", so when they asked her if she wanted the wagon or the car, she for sure picked the car. Luckily they let me take her back and be with her until she fell asleep. We tried to make the experience as enjoyable as possible, but all the while her daddy and I were a bundle of nerves inside.

I guess I didn't realize what the process of them going to sleep looked like but it was not as peaceful as I'd imagined. When we got in the room I picked her up and put her on the bed lying down and as soon as they put the mask on her face she said, "I don't want to do this". The anesthesiologist held the mask there while me and one of the nurses held her feet and hands. She started to struggle and squirm and move around a lot, all while we were holding her hands and feet. It was probably only 20 seconds, but seemed like minutes and then she was asleep. I gave her a kiss and walked out with the nurse. She looked at me and said "Breathe". I let out a deep breath, not knowing I had been holding it.

Then came the tears

I got to see Dustin, that helped

We waited an hour and a half

They said it would be a 30 min procedure, we worried

Then the doc came out and told us it was bigger than he thought and came down her temple and attached to her scull. It was between the size of a quarter and a half dollar.

Then came the recovery, nine disolvable stitches and super glue to hold them in

That was not fun, she cried and cried and cried. Asked for her daddy to hold her. Told us to take the IV out of her hand. First she had to drink something. She gulped down some juice, gobbled up a Popsicle. She wouldn't let us change her back into her jammies so we came home with the hospital gown. She didn't settle down until she was in the warm car in my arms...
We are so thankful everything went smoothly. Thank you to all who thought about her today, fasted for her and prayed for her. We are so blessed to have so much support. I felt so much love from family and friends today.

At home she watched cartoons for a few hours and slept for a few hours

Now she's bouncing around the house as happy as can be

I think we're in for a LONG night...

I'm a mom...

2009-12-07T21:26:00.003-07:00

Tomorrow my Little E goes in for surgery. She has to be put under anesthesia. They are removing a cyst from above her left eye. I can't help but worry. My Little Miss so tiny and fragile in the care of people I don't even know, just barely met a mere 5 days ago. I just look at her sweet face and can't imagine it with a scar. We have fasted and prayed and continue to pray. I know our Heavenly Father will protect her tomorrow. I shouldn't worry. But I'm a mom...that's what I do.

She's sitting!!!

2009-12-02T18:37:00.001-07:00

December 1, 2009

Little Haddie Sat

Thanksgiving

2009-12-02T16:11:00.000-07:00

Only in the Larson family do you take a humongous TV to the church for Thanksgiving so you don't miss the Cowboys play football.

We had such a great time this year in Texas. We stayed with my Uncle Keith and Aunt Joy. They have kids the same age as ours and they were in heaven. Thank you guys so much for opening up your home to us!

This year my Aunt Joan did all the decorations and she made a kiddy table with colors and activities for the the kiddos. The most special part of the table, however, were the Bears sitting in chairs. My cousins Ashley who past away two years ago had a huge collection of TY stuffed animals, really huge. My Aunt Joan decided this year that it would be good to give a part of Ashley to all the grandkids, nieces and nephews. So they all got one. My kiddos LOVED it. Little E is very attached to hers. Thanks Aunt Joan, we will treasure them.

Great food, great football, great people, great memories, great fun, great family, it was a greatFUL time!

The man who started it all!

Haddie G age 6 months

2009-11-23T16:37:00.003-07:00

I know I say this every month...

WOW, the time sure does fly...

She had her first solid food today, rice cereal. She grabbed the spoon and shoved it in her mouth, I think she's ready to EAT! Got her first cold and may be teething, so she's not to happy on her 1/2 birthday. Jabbers all the time and is rolling all over the place. She practices sitting up and is getting quite good at it, I'm still afraid to walk away and leave her thought cause she still topples over. She no longer gets swaddled, at 5 1/2 months she decided she would have no more of that! Still sucks her thumb occasionally but also takes the "NaNa". She learned to put the "NaNa" in her mouth so that distracts her from the thumb sucking, Yea! She started to lay her head on our shoulders and cuddle, we all LOVE it. My favorite time is when I'm putting her to bed at night, singing her song to her and she puts her head on my shoulder. That's why I blog about it...

Don't ever want to forget the little things, that are really the big things!

Yum! that food looks delicious Let me help

Oh, so that's what it tastes like, not so sure I like it

all done

Happy Birthday Little E!

2009-11-22T22:33:00.001-07:00

Our little E had a birthday today!

I remember the day she was born so clearly

Her labor progressed so quickly there was not time for an epidural

Lucky for me she came fast

Here she is, a few hours old

A few days old

One year old

Two years old

The years have gone so fast, I wish I could rewind and start again

At the same time I look forward to watching you grow even bigger

*************************************************************************************

The day started with breakfast in bed

She wasn't to happy about being woke up with "Happy Birthday to YOU"

As soon as she saw the presents we saw that smile again

She, however, did not want to eat her breakfast in bed and insisted we go to the table to eat and open presents

After church we had all our family over to celebrate

Dinner, cake, ice cream and presents

We know how to do it right

The first round of blowing out the candles wasn't quite what she thought it would be, her sweet cousin Bryce, that she absolutely adores, was quicker on the draw. So we re-lit and tried again, she got 'em.

Thank you everyone who came, she loved all her gifts

Dear Little E,

You have grown so much this year! You love to ride bikes, you learned how to pedal the princess tricycle and are all over the driveway. You still love puzzles and added two more to your collection this birthday. Some other things you love are babies, shoes, dressing your self, cheese sticks, juice, pizza, cheese sandwiches, chips, dress up (you are always in a princess dress), jumping on the trampoline, playing outside, backpacks, new clothes, necklaces, bracelets, Dora, Max and Ruby, bouncy balls, the list could go on and on. We love you Little E. Our home would not be as fun without you! We all love how you talk and your Embryisms, you always put a smile on our faces. I'm so grateful to Heavenly Father for trusting me to raise you, you are such a special little girl!

Love,

Mom

Love that Mr. BD

2009-11-17T13:15:00.003-07:00

I was checking some email the other day and Mr. BD came up behind me and started singin'

"One eyed, one horned, flyin' purple people eater,
one eyed, one horned, flyin' purple people eater,
one eyed, one horned, flyin' purple people eater,
sure looks good to me!"

I turned around and this is what I saw...

He had been in the same room with me for quite sometime quietly playing, or so I thought... he was really quietly crafting!

This kid makes me smile daily, I LOVE IT!

Latest Embryism

2009-11-16T20:50:00.001-07:00

"My tired can't get out because my mouth is closed" = I can't yawn and show you I'm tired, so I'm gonna hold my mouth shut really tight

First Deer Hunt

2009-11-10T21:42:00.001-07:00

Well BH went on his first deer hunt and HE GOT ONE! The little buddy was so excited he could hardly stand it! D was beaming also! I heard it was freezing cold, these boys will go hunting no matter what! And now that he's 10 he gets to go on all the hunts, what more could a boy want?

Way to go BH, you done good!

Who's your Daddy?

2009-11-09T16:39:00.004-07:00

Saturday, November 7th 2009

Activity Day Daddy Daughter Date "Western Style"

Also the Second Day of Brock's first ever deer hunt, 5 hours away

A Father torn in two directions

What to do?

Well Kenley knew, she asked the greatest Uncle ever to go with her.

When she found out that her dad wasn't able to make it she was really sad. She said to me, "I guess if daddy can't go and Mikki (her cousin) is asking Grandpa Johnson, I could see if Clayton would take me"

Kenley came home beaming! She had a blast. She's such a lucky girl, with handfuls of Uncles and another Grandpa to choose from, she could not have gone wrong. But I think she knew that this was the perfect date for her and Clayton, her "Cowboy Uncle".

And look at what a gentleman he is!

Thank You Clayton for being daddy for the night! We love YOU!

Embryisms

2009-11-06T08:09:00.005-07:00

Our Little E says the funniest things

We've started calling them Embryisms

Here's a few

"Marshmellow hot one" = hot chocolate

"It's a lighted day" = it's light out side

"It's a darky day" = it's dark out side

"A man" = Amen

"It's a mad show" = a scary show (pretty much any show that has a villian, which is every disney movie)

"I'n getting busy" = I'm getting dizzy

"Someday soons" = someday soon

"I'n gonna get my dressed on" = I'm gonna get my clothes on

Ode to Brod...

2009-11-01T21:44:00.001-07:00

Happy #6 my little man

Oh, little Brod, I can't believe how big you've grown right before my eyes! This year was a party year and since your birthday was on Sunday we had your party the Friday before. Since it was before Halloween this year we got to do fun Halloween activities. We painted pumpkins, made Halloween masks, jumped on the bouncy slide, hit the pinata (like you kiddos needed any candy the day before Halloween) and had cake and ice cream.

Things Mr. B loves:

Lego's (still, probably always will)
Baukugan
Transformers
Starwars
Cars
Paperonis
Webkinz
Well lets face it, pretty much any toy he sees in the toy isle.

His favorites

food - chicken strips
drink - water
treat - finish chocolate bar
color - green

riding bikes outside
swimming
playing at the park
jumping on the trampoline
playing Super Mario Bros on the DS
learning to play the piano
singing (the kid is ALWAYS singing something, today it's one eye one horned flyin' purple people eater)
school
and just being a kid, he has a great imagination and often can be found playing in his room with his toys by himself quietly

Birthday breakfast in bed

Party Time

The Loot

My dear little Mr. B,

I remember when you were three and we used to go to the gym together and you would go in the play area and say have fun mom. We were best buddies, it was just you and I when the older kiddos were at school. Now you are gone half the day and when you get home you have two sisters to share mama's attention with. That's what happens when you grow up, now I have to share you. You are such a sweet boy, always concerned that everyone is happy and so willing to help. You have so many friends, people are drawn to you. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father sent you to me, and trusted that I would raise you to full fill your potential. It brings mixed emotions for me to see you grow up. I'm excited and sad to see my baby boy become a big boy. I hope you'll always be my little boy even when you're big. I LOVE YOU Mr. B!

LOVE, MOM

Halloween Tradition

2009-10-31T23:39:00.000-07:00

Haddie 5 months

Little E 11 months

Mr. B 12 months (one day away from a year)

Benny Boo 2 1/2 months

B Hunter (the one who started it all) 4 1/2 months

We love our LITTLE Pumpkins

hALLoWeeN

2009-10-31T23:34:00.002-07:00

This year we didn't have very many Halloween festivities spread throughout the month, they were all jammed into two days!!

We started early Friday morning at Mr. Brod's class party. Little E loved being a big girl with all the Kindergartners. Mr. B was so sweet to share his plate of goodies!

Then we were off to hangout with B Hunter and his class to watch Benny in the Halloween Parade. I think she had a black cupcake before the parade cause her mouth was completely black. But she was still such a cutie!

(Ben and her teacher Miss Garcia)

After that we were off to set up for Mr. B's birthday party (more on that in another post)

Saturday morning we got up and were of to the races once again.

We finished prepping and planting our flowerbeds

Then the fun started

Carving pumpkins! This year they each designed and carved their own, I didn't lift a finger, D helped them hollow out their pumpkins and carved Haddies, she's too little.

We found these funny faces at Wal-Mart and little E decided to use them for hers.

Then it was off to get some treats

We told them to pose, this is what we got

First stop G&G Johnson's for a pic with all the grand kids

yeah, that's funny, try getting three 15 month olds and a 22 month old to sit still with all that sugar in their tiny bodies!

Then off Aunt Ra Ra and Uncle Jordan's so we could trick-or-treat their neighborhood. We walked to Uncle TJ and Aunt LaChaes were we took this cute picture. Little Lil was sick so they couldn't hang out with us.

It was a fun night

Little E didn't even get scared and after every door she would look in her bag and say, "nope, it's not fulled up yet, let's go to another one"

The older three got to run ahead with dad and didn't have to stay with the slowpoke littles

Haddie got to nap in her stroller

And I fell into bed when it was all said and done...

I wish... Mr. B's birthday is TOMORROW!!

Happy Halloween...

2009-10-31T23:10:00.001-07:00

more to come...

Hunter Safety and Brothers

2009-10-24T17:14:00.005-07:00

Brock is 10

When you are 10 in the Johnson family you get to go on your first deer hunt

Before you can go on a hunt you have to take a hunter safety class

Can't go hunting unless you know the rules!!

Brock went last weekend

It was in Sierra Vista, the only class available before his hunt that was not on a Sunday

Dad decided to make it a boy trip and take Brody along for the ride

Brody got to see what he gets to do in 4 years

Brock passed, now he can go hunting

(these pictures were takin with D's Blackberry, pretty darn good)
On Monday Brody's teacher had him draw a picture and write a sentence about what he did over the weekend. Here's what he wrote...

(I went to the brother's hunting class)

I love that he wrote the brother

I think he had fun

Good job Brock!

Five Months...

2009-10-23T15:44:00.001-07:00

love this little face!
she is getting more and more fun
she says ba ba ba ba ba and da da da da da
she still smiles almost every second she's awake
she recognizes her siblings and loves them to pieces
she threw up for the first time, all over Mama, yuck

she rolls belly to back...only when she feels like it
she still tries to suck her thumb (workin' on that one)
she still eats the same, no solids yet
we just can't get enough of her
love this little face!

OCTOBER...

2009-10-14T15:46:00.003-07:00

(this is the hair you get in the morning when your 2 year old sleeps in sponge rollers)

the start of my favorite time of year!

the weather starts to cool off

the Halloween costumes come out to play

decorations go up

the pumpkin pie aroma fills the air

the kiddos can wear their jackets for two whole months :)

family gathers around

the kids get three weeks of break in three months

it's still dark outside when I wake up for the gym

the air is brisk in the morning

Oh, what a wonderful time of year!

KENLEY'S DAY

2009-10-12T16:06:00.000-07:00

Kenley was really excited to be baptized by her daddy! She said her favorite part was walking into the water and her second favorite part was being dunked under the water.

A brand new member of the church, the next day she said "I want to do it all over again." That's when you know it was a special day!

What a support, you can do anything with this crowd standing behind you!!! What a lucky girl to have so much love!

Her cousins Mikayla and Maija were baptized in April and June and are such a good example for her and her very best friends.

Thank you Kenley for setting such a good example for your sisters! You bring so much joy to our home and are a huge help for Mom and Dad. We love your sweet spirit and your willingness to help with no questions asked. We are so excited for your decision to be baptized and look forward to the years ahead and all the exciting events that we will share with you!

We love you, our little Benny Boo!

Our Little Fairy Princess

2009-10-08T19:42:00.000-07:00

Guess who's gonna be a fairy for Halloween?...

...she hasn't taken it off since we bought it!

Sisters

2009-09-30T10:09:00.003-07:00

My sisters are my best friends I love being with them! We laugh, we cry, we smile, we share, we talk, we teach, we care, we play, we learn, we plan, we create... we have a great time together. I learn so much from them, they help me to be a better me.

I'm a lucky girl.

These girls LOVE eachother! I love watching them interact, they are so sweet. I'm excited for them to be the best of friends.

They are lucky girls.

Playin' in the RAiN

2009-09-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago it rain, well really it poured! We loved it! The boys were out of town and missed out but the girls got to splash and play, what a fun day!

Another month gone by

2009-09-23T23:47:00.008-07:00

Miss H is 4 months old, where does the time go?

She's:

12lbs 14.5ozs (25%)

24 1/2 inches long (50%)

What's she doing now?

-rolling from back to belly

-blowing bubbles (raspberries)

-took her first dip in the pool

-took her first plane ride to Park City, Utah

-still sleeping great

-getting her new hair, she's a toe head

-wants to suck her thumb (mom's working hard to stop that)

-smiles at everyone

-eats every four hours

-is supplemented with formula three out of four feedings

-she's very ticklish

-jabbers all the time

We're lovin' every minute!

OuR BunDLe of JOY...

2009-08-29T14:24:00.004-07:00

Captured by Lorri

I want so say a big THANK YOU to Lorri for taking such beautiful pictures of Miss H and for putting up with her fussy moments. But even those moments made for some of my favorite pictures!

Daddy's Girl

2009-08-25T14:16:00.002-07:00

After dinner last night Little E hopped down from the table went to the window and said:
(refering to the baby coyotes we have in the orchard behind our house)

"Daddy I wanna see the coyotes"

A girl after his own heart, what more could a daddy ask for?