The Johnson Five

Mother's Day Program

2011-05-06T22:17:00.003-06:00

Today was Landon and Carter's Mother's Day program at pre-school. They were very cute and sang a couple songs to me, which of course made me cry, and then gave me a potted flower that they grew for me, and a note.

Their teacher Mrs. Smart asked each of them eight questions and then wrote down their answers to give to me. It's too funny and cute not to share.

I Know My Mother Well
By: Landon

*My mom looks prettiest when: she wears a new dress
*My mom's favorite food is: lettuce
*She is happy when: we play hide-and-seek
*My mom is: 21 years old
*If my mom could go anywhere she would go: to zumba
*Her best friend is: Alice
*Her job is: to help dance at zumba
*I love my mother because: she gives me hugs

First of all I have no idea who Alice is. I don't know anyone named Alice, so I'm not sure where he got that. I LOVE that he thinks I am 21 years old. I hope he thinks that forever! I think I should purchase a new dress to wear every week, seems as how that's when I look the prettiest. He's so sweet and knows me better than I thought. I do like lettuce but I don't know if I would say that's my favorite thing to eat. Playing hide-and-seek with him is always fun and makes me happy. I do like to go to Zumba, and go every chance I get. And I absolutely love to give him hugs and kisses. I adore him for loving me because I give him hugs! I ♥LOVE♥ him so much it hurts!

I Know My Mother Well
By: Carter

*My mom looks prettiest when: she has her dance clothes on
*My mom's favorite food is: chicken and rice
*She is happy when: I clean my toys
*My mom is: 21 years old
*If my mom could go anywhere she would go: to the grocery store
*Her best friend is: Amy
*Her job is: to not be mean
*I love my mother because: she is nice to me

Ok... where do I even begin here. I couldn't help but laugh at his responses. I am so happy that he thinks I'm beautiful when I'm wearing dance clothes, but I'm wondering if he really understood that question. Chicken and rice... not so much. I LOVE it when he cleans up his toys. He nailed that one on the head. Once again, I hope that I am always 21 in their eyes. The grocery store wouldn't be my first choice of places to go, but I'll take it. Amy is definitely one of my very best friends. I think it's hysterical that he thinks my job is to not be mean. ♥Love♥ him with all my heart!

Mason went to the program with me and was a champ. He loved sitting on the little chairs and listening to his brothers sing.

Life's Happenings In April

2011-05-01T13:57:00.051-06:00

April has come and gone like the wind. What did we do in April, I can hardly even remember... and it's not like it was that long ago. I can tell you one thing for sure. Kelly worked A TON!! I'm SO happy tax season has ended... well I guess it never really ends, so I should say I'm glad that April 18th (this year) is behind us.

I started the month off by making this DeLiCIouS soup. It's my favorite. It's got tortilini and sausage and spinach and tomato's and lots of garlic in it! It's so good! Kelly and the boys even love it!

The boys and I sent Kelly and his friends to the Devey Lodge for a long awaited, nice, relaxing weekend. Full of computer games, sledding, movies, good food, and even better friends. Thankfully Dusty took some pictures while he was there, and so I stole them from his Facebook page. Thanks Dusty!

While the boys were gone, Shelley, Kim and I gathered with the Kids at Shelley's for some scrapbooking fun. I couldn't tell you when the last time I scrapbooked was before then, but I got 4 or so pages completed and the kids had a fun time playing together.

On the 9th Landon, Carter, Mason, Brandon, Morgan, Cayson and I spent the day at the Zoo. It was cold, but the animals were out and pretty active. It was a lot of fun. Mason LOVED the monkeys and chimpanzees. He would get so excited and point and say, "kee-kee, kee-kee!"

Landon's favorite thing we saw were the yellow monkeys. There was a box of Mac-N-Cheese in it's habitat and he decided that they were yellow because they ate so much Mac-N-Cheese.

Carter's favorite animal was the leopard. It was right up at the glass, and was growling and scratching at the glass. It was so cool!

The next week was Spring Break. No school for an entire week! At first as I sat here writing this, I was flipping through the pictures on my computer and could not believe that I hadn't taken a single picture during that time. But, then I remembered that I now use two camera's and I had only downloaded one of them. Thank Heavens!! I really didn't want the worst Mom in the world award. ;)

We kicked off our spring break fun by meeting up with Kim and Derek and having lunch at the Chick-fil-A. We let the kidlets play and enjoyed a good bite of food.

The next day Kim and I took our kids and rode Trax up to the Church History Museum to see the Children's Exhibit. They had a great time and loved riding the train up. There was a lot to see and do there. Lots to explore. My favorite part of the whole day though was watching Abby and Landon dance!

On the 16th we celebrated Alivia's 8th Birthday!! It was a fun day. We went to Monkey Island in Lehi and played there on all the jump houses and slides. There are a few arcade games there and that's all the boys wanted to do was play those games. I couldn't believe it. I would have thought that they'd be all over the slides and jump houses, but we kept having to pull them off the games to get them to jump. Silly Boys!!

After Monkey Island we went back to the Devey's house and had pizza, cake and ice cream. Unfortunately I didn't take my camera in so I didn't get any cute pictures, but we had a great time. Alivia wanted a music themed party, so Shelley had a cake with a guitar on it (it was DarLinG!) and then had them make their own party hats with all these fun music stickers. They all loved it!

As part of our gift to Alivia, Kim and I made a Baptism book for her. We scrapbooked a whole bunch of pages and left space for people to write a message to her on the day she gets Baptized. Then on the day (May 7th) Kim and I will pass out the pages to everyone that comes, and we will take lots and lots of pictures to then stick on the pages. I can't wait to see what it looks like when it's complete. This is what some of the pages look like for now:

The next few days were just normal, random days. Here are some pics to showcase some of the ramdomness...

On the 21st we went to Heber to Rhett and Erin's for a cousin's Easter Party. It was SO much FUN! Erin and Turia went crazy and created the most spectacular food and Easter egg hunt. We got there late (of course) and they were dying Easter Eggs. Landon and Carter loved this! They jumped right in and started on their own dozen eggs. Each of them only dying their eggs one color. Any guesses?

Landon's were Blue

Carter's were Green

Are we surprised? No... not at all!

Mason and I did some too, and we branched out and did much more colorful ones, and even drew on some before dying them.

After that we went inside and had lunch. It was so yummy! I loved the table decorations too. Erin grew some grass in little buckets and then took some of the colored eggs and stuck them in each one. I loved it!

After lunch we did the Easter Egg hunt. I couldn't believe how much stuff there was... no wait... I could. It's just like Erin to go all out! She's so funny, I love her! The boys were ecstatic!

We had such a fun time, and can't say thanks enough for such a great party!

That same night we celebrated Kalen's birthday at my Grandpa's in Midway. We got some pizza for dinner and had brownies for dessert. While we were there, we were playing with the camera on my phone and came out with these. I laughed so hard, I almost wet my pants!

Landon

Carter

Spencer and Morgan

Mom

DustinKim

Candyce

Morgan

Spencer

On the 21st, Kelly had the day off work and that afternoon, he and the boys took me up to Logan for a book signing. It lasted all night long and they hung out with me all night just because they loved me so much! I have the best family ever. I can never say Thank-you enough to them.

As for the event... I Loved It! Shannon Hale, James Dashner, Ally Condie, Brandon Mull, and Jessica Day George were all there. Talk about a sweet, sweet book signing! They were all hysterical as they answered questions. My amazing and super talented friend Amy Olson wrote up a great article for Eve's Fan Garden about the event. You should check it out here! Once again, I didn't take any pictures, so I stole some from Amy's write up... I hope you don't mind Amy. ;)

Amy and all her books! She had a TON!

The boys brought Amy and I these chips to eat while we were waiting in line to get our books signed.

Wow! This post is super long, but I'm going to keep on going!

On the 23rd, I got to spend the day with some of my most favorite friends in the whole world! Vicki's son Shae got married, and I was so thankful to have received the opportunity to attend their Sealing in the Salt Lake Temple. It was Beautiful! Thalia's family is from Guatemala, so their ceremony was done in Spanish. Though I didn't hardly understand one word that was said, I can tell you it was amazing and beautiful! The spirit was so strong, and seeing Shea's face while looking at his beautiful bride was priceless. So sweet and tender.

That night we partied it up at the reception! They had a fiesta with great food and fantastic music! Amy, Kim, Abby, Ian, Shelley, and I all met and went over together. We had so much fun dancing with Vicki and Summer and the kids.

Taking off the garder! Woot! Woot!!

Ian wore his bunny ears the entire night!

Oh Mac! How we love you! All of us wanted to put you in our pockets and take you home.

I had to post this picture of Vicki dancing with Shea even though it's blurry. It's just too sweet!

EASTER was the next day! Who doesn't love Easter? Celebrating the resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ! What a wonderful day. As for the commercial side of it, the Easter Bunny didn't forget our house. He left candy everywhere! In the boys Easter baskets he left Landon and Carter each a new game for their Explorers, and Mason a bunch of new cars and trucks. They all received a new outfit and so much candy. I'm going to have to have a talk with him next year. Mason was so excited about all the candy! He ate so much that at church he barfed all over me and him. Yeah! Real fun! I'm definitely having a chat with the Easter Bunny...

Nothing like a Diet Coke to start your day!

In the last few days of the month, we watched my friend Angela's baby, while she went to Hawaii. Lucky girl! We had Liam for 3 days, and it went surprisingly well. He's just 2 1/2 months younger than Mason, so the two of them had a good time.

And finally yesterday, the last day of the month of April, we spent the day in the basement cleaning it up. It's been a horrific nightmare down there for longer than I care to remember, and I couldn't take it any longer. So we spent the day cleaning up. Unfortunately I didn't take pictures of the before, but here are some of the after and what we didn't get cleaned up. Just look at the unclean parts and multiply the disaster by at least 75%. It was a mess!

All the scrapbooking stuff that's a huge disaster in the basement still.
I'm going to need some anti-anxiety drugs to help me get all that sorted!

Kelly standing in the recycle bin to compact all the boxes we removed from the basement.

Now it's so much better and I feel like I'm not suffocating in the basement. Thank you Kelly for building the extra shelves and helping me clean up. Love you with all my heart!

Can't wait to see what May brings us! I know a few things and CAN NOT WAIT!!!!

Mason at 18 Months

2011-03-29T17:39:00.007-06:00

Mason hit the BIG 18 month mark last Wednesday! Yipee!!! I myself was incredibly excited to push him into nursery on Sunday, and I will report he did remarkably well. He didn't even bat an eye when I handed him off. Total Success!!
Today I took Mason to his 18 month check up. Overall the appointment went rather well. I wanted to strangle two almost 5 year olds, but other than that it was a pretty basic appointment.

The Masonater weighed in at 24.3 pounds (26%), was 31 inches tall (14%), and his head circumference was 46 centimeters (8%). He Is One Tiny Guy! In fact we have to go back in a month from now to do a weight check. At his one year check up he was in the 50th percentile for his weight, and he's dropped considerably. Dr. Pavich just wants to watch him and make sure that he doesn't keep declining. Hopefully if I continue to blog more, I'll update you in a month on the details of that little visit.
Some of my favorite things about Mason at this stage of life are as follows:

His Laugh! I have never has a child that laughs as much as this little guy. He has the most adorable and contagious laugh. He laughs all the time and squeals in between fits of laughter. It's so sweet and fun and funny to hear him. It always puts a smile on my face and melts my heart.
Mason has the cutest little personality. He is a happy baby and loves attention. One of his favorite things is a camera. Without fail the minute he sees one he's saying "cheese" in his own little way. Even just seeing a cell phone will cause him to say cheese. Mason is very sweet, and funny, and silly. I love him to pieces!
The boy can shake his groove thing! Mason loves to dance! Every time music is on, he's turning in circles, or bouncing up and down or shaking his little groove thing. It's darling. I can't wait to see how his talent develops. Even in the car when music is on, he's doing his best to dance. Usually he'll wiggle his head and shake his arms, and if you're not dancing with him, he's not shy to let you know that you need to be.
Mason is SUPER ticklish! You can just pretend you're going to tickle him and he's running away giggling. I love it!

His brothers are his buddies and there is no question about it. Mason loves his brothers. He wants to do everything that they're doing. He will follow them around the house and mimic their actions. The best is watching him tackle the Tweedles and play ball with them.
The boy is a book worm! He loves, loves, loves books! I spend hours every day reading some kind of book to him, and when I'm not reading one to him, you can often times find him flipping through one on his own. Nothing makes me happier than having him bring me a book and sit on my lap to read it with him.
Mason's little voice is so sweet and he's starting to talk more and more. The words he's currently saying are: Mama, Dada, Uh-Oh, Cookie, Bubble, Mine, No-no, Stinky, Thank You, Ball, and Vroom. I know there are some others, but I can't think of them right now.
He loves to 'sing' songs with us, and I think that his favorite song is I'm Bringing Home A Baby Bumblebee. He loves to do the actions and gets a kick out of it every time we sing it, which is often. He also loves Twinkle Star. We sing it every night as we're tucking the boys into bed.
Mason is now sleeping in a room with his big brothers and loves it. We decided to move all three of the boys into one room and make the other room a toy room. It's worked out really well. I love that the three of them bond each night. It's so fun to hear them all talking and laughing together.

There are so many things that I love about this little Chub-A-Lub! He's been a blessing in my life, we adore him. I'm so thankful to have him in my life, for the happiness he's brought to our family.

Figured It's About Time To Update

2011-03-29T17:33:00.002-06:00

So seems as how it's been almost a year since I last blogged I figured that I should maybe start again. People keep asking if I'm ever going to do something new, and honestly I want to, I just haven't taken the time to do it. And being the person that I am, I feel like I have to go back and pick up where I left off. But I'm going to push past my need to do that and start fresh again. We'll see how well I do here, but I'm going to try and put forth a good effort.

Watch for some new updates coming soon... I mean that literally!

Digskusting

2010-05-09T15:40:00.004-06:00

Landon walked around the house today with a copy of this picture. After a while he came to me and said, Mom, see this picture.

Me: Yes, it's of you in the bathtub

Landon: Uh-huh. See my lips.

Me: Yes

Landon: They're getting really red. They're digskusting! Ewww!!

I couldn't help but laugh! He was so serious.

LOOK AT YOURSELF AFTER WATCHING THIS

2010-05-07T22:00:00.001-06:00

I am so touched by this message. It really makes me stop and think about all the blessings I have received in my life, and makes me even more grateful for them. I hope that I can teach my boys to love life and themselves to the fullest. To follow his great example. To be thankful for what they have. There would be no greater gift than for them to be happy with who they are and love life.

The Luckiest

2010-04-28T00:18:00.000-06:00

I don't get many things right the first time
In fact, I am told that a lot
Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls
Brought me here

And where was I before the day
That I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it everyday
And I know

That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

What if I'd been born fifty years before you
In a house on a street where you lived?
Maybe I'd be outside as you passed on your bike
Would I know?

And in a white sea of eyes
I see one pair that I recognize
And I know

That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

I love you more than I have ever found a way to say to you

Next door there's an old man who lived to his nineties
And one day passed away in his sleep
And his wife; she stayed for a couple of days
And passed away

I'm sorry, I know that's a strange way to tell you that I know we belong
That I know

That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

(Ben Folds | The Luckiest)

I am so lucky to have you in my life Kelly.

I love you more and more every day.

It's hard to imagine that I could love anything more.

Thank you for all that you do for me.

For all that you do for our family.

For being such an amazing father to our boys.

For holding the priesthood.

For working so that I can stay at home and be with the boys.

For making sacrifices for our family.

For being a good friend.

For being you.

For never giving up on me.

For putting up with all my craziness.

For encouraging me to try new things.

And more than anything,

Thank you for loving me.

I love you!

2010 Getting To Know Me. . .

2010-04-25T23:09:00.000-06:00

I know most people hate doing these when they receive them in their Inbox. I actually really like them. I love reading them from friends that send them to me. I most often learn many new facts about my friends and family, that I never knew before. So because I took the time to fill mine out, I thought I would post it on my blog too. This is what I use as a journal. Someday, I'm going to look back at this and laugh. Enjoy!

1. High heels or boots? Mostly heels, but I do own some boots, and I do like wearing them.
2. What time did you get up this morning? Up... 5 with Mason. Out of bed for the day... 9:30.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Avatar

4. What was your maiden name? Kohler

5. What is your favorite TV show? Glee!
6. What do you usually have for breakfast? A toaster waffle, made with love by my darling Tweedles.

7. What is your middle name? Lee

8. What food do you dislike? I'm not a fan of curry. I know, it's a spice, but if it's in something, then I don't like that food.

9. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Blue October, Approaching Normal

10. What characteristic do you despise? Mean and/or vindictive.

11. Favorite Clothing: Pajama pants and a t-shirt. I love to be comfortable!
12. Anywhere in the world on vacation? Forks, Wa. (Yes, I just can't get past loving it!) or Italy
13. Are you an organized person? I love organizational products, and I'm trying to be organized.
14. Where would you retire to? Honestly, I have no idea.
15. What was your most recent memorable birthday? 29th We were traveling home from Nauvoo and stopped in St. Louis and went up to the top of the arch. So cool! Then Kelly took me to dinner at Outback Steak House.

16. What are you going to do when you finish this? Put Mason in bed, and go to bed myself.

17. Furthest place you are sending this? Texas. Hi Angela!

18. Person you expect to send it back first? I'm guessing it will be Summer, Miranda, Kim, or Shelley.
19. When is your birthday? June 19
20. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night
21. What is your shoe size? 9
22. Do you own any animals? Do children count? How about husbands?
23. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? A Mommy and a teacher
24. What is your favorite flower? Gerber daisy's

25. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? July 24th weekend. Durrango, CO. Girls weekend!!
26. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Green!

27. How is the weather right now? Cool with a breeze

28. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Shelley
29. Favorite drink? Diet Coke, and lately water. If you know me, this is shocking!

30. Favorite restaurant? Mazza

31. Hair color? Mousy brown. So gross! I need to dye it.

32. What was your favorite toy as a child? Baby beans, my favorite doll.
33. Summer or winter? Summer. I hate snow.
34. Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla, unless it's white chocolate.

35. Coffee or tea? Diet coke!
36. Wish you were still young? I am the "Baby of the group" so... No. However, I do wish that I had my 18 year old body back.
37. Do you want your friends to email you back? Hell yes I do!

38. When was the last time you cried? About a week ago. Kelly and I got into an argument.

39. What is under your bed? Who knows!! On Kelly's side of the bed, trash, old receipts, empty wrappers, etc. On my side home decor, journal, books. I'm sure there are toys and shoes, and socks, or just about anything else you can imagine.
40. What did you do last night? Got take out from Chili's and scrapbooked with Kim and Shelley while the kiddos played.
41. What are you afraid of? Snakes... just thinking about it gives me the heebey-geebey's!!
42. Salty or sweet? Salty
43. How many years at your current job? Almost 4 (being a Mommy) Best job ever!!
44. Favorite day of the week? Saturdays. I love it when Kelly's home!

45. How many people will you send this to: Less than 20?
46. How many will respond? Everyone better... OR ELSE! ;)

47. Do you like finding out all this stuff about your friends? Absolutely! I love learning new little facts about my friends and family. Love you guys!

Thankful

2010-04-10T22:21:00.002-06:00

Every night after we get the kids ready for bed we always sing a few songs and then let each of the boys say their own prayers with us in the family room. The night before last Carter was saying his prayer and he said, "thank you for the resurrection and thank you that Jesus could live again." Neither Kelly or I prompted him to say it, he did it all on his own. I was instantly in tears. It was so sweet. I wonder every day if the boys really understand and know the importance of the things we teach them about the gospel. In this instance, it proved to me that they don't need to fully understand all of it. They feel the spirit just like we do and through that they can understand that it's important. Important enough that they should thank our Heavenly Father for it. I am so thankful for my family and the opportunity I have to be a mother. I learn every day from my boys and I can honestly say that my testimony has grown because of their sweet examples.

Mason at 6 Months

2010-03-27T08:40:00.000-06:00

Mason hit the 6 month mark this week. I can hardly believe it. It doesn't seem like he should be that old already. It's like the "baby" stage was over in a snap of a finger. He's so much fun, and we love him to bits!

At his 6 month check up he weighed in at 17.11 pounds and measured 26 inches. Short and fat and oh so sweet!

Some of my favorite things about him at this age are:

His smile. When he smiles his whole face lights up. He's such a happy baby, and you can't help but smile right back at him. When he's smiling his cheeks are even chubbier and often times he'll tip his head to the side, and give you a shy smile. That's one of my favorites. So innocent and sweet.

He has the funniest little giggle. It takes some effort to get him to laugh, but when he gets going, it's hilarious!

He loves his brothers. He notices when they are not with us, and when they come home, he lights up and squeals. He'll start flapping his arms and give them the biggest grin. It's so fun to see him interact with them. He watches them all day long, and loves it when they play with him. They often times get him laughing more than anyone else can.

His babbling! It's so darn cute. He's found his voice and talks all the time. He loves it when we babble back to him!

He is a good eater. There isn't anything we've given him that he hasn't liked. Except for bananas. He eats them just fine, but his little body doesn't love them. They always come back up. His favorite treats are cheesy puffs and sweet potato puffs.

Mason loves to sit up like a big boy. Often times he'll stick his arms straight out like he's going to fly away and just hold them there.

The boy does not like to lay down, especially not on his belly. As a result, I don't know that he'll learn to roll over any time soon, but I'm not too worried about it.

He's so chubby! I love his little legs and the fat rolls on his wrists. What I love most of all though is his little bum. It's covered in dimples! I can't help but pinch it every time I'm changing his bum or putting him in the tub.

He loves to "give kisses" Mason will grab your face with both of his hands and kiss your whole face. Occasionally he'll stop to chew on your chin.

His feet are his newest discovery. He loves to hold them and flail his legs about while laying on the floor and babbling.

He loves his binky. He loves to pass it between his hands, and is put it in his mouth and then pop it out. It's like his most favorite toy.

Overall he's just a happy baby. He loves people, and has the sweetest little spirit about him. We love him so much and are so thankful to have him in our family. He's enriched our lives more than I could have ever imagined.

Traditional Twinkie

2010-03-23T21:51:00.005-06:00

It's become a family tradition for us to feed our kids a Twinkie when they hit the 6 month mark. It all started with Kelly when he was 6 months old. His parents decided to give him a Twinkie... in the car... needless to say it was a complete mess, but he LOVED every bit of it that got into his mouth.

We have decided NOT to give our kids the Twinkie in the car, but instead in the house and in a high chair. We did it with Landon and Carter and again with Mason. You can imagine how much they all loved it. They're pure sugar! Mason thoroughly enjoyed his, and Landon and Carter thought it was hilarious watching him eat it.

I love this picture of Mason!

Goggles

2010-02-21T22:24:00.003-07:00

Carter cracks me up
. . .
He loves his swimming Goggles
. . .
Wears them all the time
. . .
I particularly love this picture
. . .
With his dirty face and cheesy grin
. . .
I Love You Carter!!

Mommies Do Crazy Things

2010-02-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

In looking through some pictures recently, I've found that there are more pictures of me pulling faces or doing something crazy for my kids, trying to get them to smile, than there are of me just smiling.

Take these for instance. This was me trying to get Mason to smile one night while we were taking some random pictures of him.

And this lovely picture was taken a couple weeks ago when we had friends over and were trying to get her kids to put the goggles on to take a picture. The boys thought it was hilarious that I was wearing their goggles. I must say though, I think I'm looking pretty smokin hot in them.

Tender Young Green Beans

2010-02-16T22:20:00.005-07:00

Yummy, right?!? We fed Mason his first jar of baby food tonight. Tender Young Green Beans. He wasn't sure about it at first, but he ate the entire jar, and eventually began to like it. I'm so happy that he is starting to like eating real food.

Kelly fed him some of it, and Mason enjoyed it much more than Kelly did.

We haven't put many bibs on Mason, and he was mesmerized by this one. Especially the green beans smeared on it. He just kept grabbing it and staring at it. It was really funny!

No Pukey-Pukey

2010-02-15T23:07:00.001-07:00

I couldn't not post this little video of Mason and Kelly. Mason has such a cute laugh, and the only person that can make him laugh is Kelly. Tonight Mason barfed a little bit on Kelly. After he cleaned it up they sat on the couch together and played. This is a little video clip of them together.

Happy Valentines Day

2010-02-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

With Love!

Heart Attacking

2010-02-12T22:47:00.002-07:00

The boys wanted to get Kelly something for Valentines Day this year. When we were at the store they saw balloons, and wanted to get them for him. So I decided that we'd get them, and cut out a bunch of hearts and heart attack his car while he was at work.

We drove up to Salt Lake and stopped at the Maverik on Foothill and bought him a Diet Dew and some cookies that he could enjoy on the way home too. When we got to his work, I called one of his co-workers and asked him where Kelly had parked. He wasn't sure, so we looked on every level of the parking garage for his car. It was on the very last level we checked. Go figure.

I gave the boys some tape and a bunch of hearts and they taped them all over his car and on the windows while I tied the balloons to the outside of his car. We also had a bunch of little hearts that I let them throw all over inside the car too. Landon and Carter loved doing it. They especially loved it when other people would walk by and give them high fives or say something to them. They thought it was hilarious!

This was what it looked like when we were done.

In our hurry to get it done and get out of there before he was finished for the day, I forgot to put his drink and cookies in the car, so he didn't get those until he got home. Kelly said that he walked right past his car thinking "some poor sap is gonna hate cleaning that up" and then he realized that he was that "poor sap!"

It was a great activity to do with the boys. They loved doing it and were so happy to see their Dad when he got home that night. We'll definitely do it again!

Making Pizza

2010-02-12T22:41:00.006-07:00

Growing up Kelly's family made pizza every Friday night. He wanted to make pizza's with the boys so I made some pizza dough and when he got home, the fun began. We let the boys help make their pizzas first. So we rolled out the dough and let them spread the pizza sauce and put their toppings on. They did a really good job and were very meticulous.

Then it was time for our pizza. Kelly rolled out the dough a little and then tossed it up in the air to help stretch it out. The boys were in awe! They thought it was so cool!

Our pizza turned out really yummy!

After dinner we watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics and played. The boys wrestled, and even let Mason join in a little. They tackled Mommy and tortured Daddy. Mason sat patiently watching it all and taking it all in, occasionally yelling and screaming out to join in the madness.

We had a great night. I can see why Kelly's family would do it every Friday. It's a lot of fun, and it got all of us cooking and playing together. Something that we don't do enough.

Valentines Day Party

2010-02-11T16:21:00.002-07:00

Today at school Landon and Carter had a Valentines Day Party. They each got to make a valentine for each person in their class with a sucker attached and take them to pass out. They chose Toy Story valentines from the store and each of them told me which ones they wanted to give to each person in their class. It was so cute seeing the ones they would choose for the boys compared to the girls.

They were also focusing on the color pink for the month and she told them to wear pink to class. So I went out and bought each of them a new pink shirt (and one for Mason too). They were really excited to get to school today.

When I picked the boys up from school they had so much to tell me. They each told me about all the valentines they got from everyone and were really excited about all the candy. Mrs. Nicole had them make a valentine bag for all their cards to go into. It was so cute!

I'm happy that the boys have been able to do preschool this year. I know that they have learned a lot and they enjoy school. I think this year was better for them socially, than academically, and I hear that's normal. It still amazes me the things they learn every day. Things that I would never think to teach them at their age. I'm really glad that we made some sacrifices so that they were able to go this year.

Welcome Home Daddy!

2010-02-10T22:11:00.002-07:00

Kelly got home from Philly last night. We are all SO excited to have him home. Landon, Carter, Mason and I made him a Welcome Home banner and hung it up for him. They were all very helpful in putting it together and coloring. We had fun making it too.

It was really late when he got home, and the boys were in bed, so I was his welcoming party.

The boys didn't get to see him until he got home tonight. They were so excited. They asked me every 5-10 minutes if Daddy was on his way, or when he would be home. They love him so much! It was a tender moment for me watching them light up and run to their Daddy tonight when he walked through the door. I'll admit, I got a little teary eyed.

Oh, and I guess I should also report: Kelly had a great trip, and was able to build some good relationships with the people he assists in Philly too. It makes a huge difference in their working relationship once they've met. Here's to hoping his job will get even better.

Out With The Old In With The New-er & Stuck

2010-02-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

We have received a new addition to our home. A much much much better addition. My parents have had a couch in their basement for a while now. My Dad hates it. So when my Mom called the other day and told me she was getting a new couch, I wasn't too surprised. What did surprise me was when she told me that we could HAVE the old couch if we wanted it. I was SO happy!! So a couple days later she went and bought her new couches and my Dad brought me their old one. Spencer and my Dad delivered it to us on the 9th while Kelly was out of town, so it was a surprise to him when he got home.

(This picture is blurry, but it's the only one I've taken.)

We love the couch! It makes our house look so much better. Our old couches were horrible. Having twins was too much for them. They were pretty comfy, but the fabric on them was stained, and colored on and just gross. I even had them cleaned when I had my carpets cleaned, and it helped, but not enough. This new couch is wonderful. It's comfy and looks nice. It wipes off nicely, and it has a couple hidden features too. For one it has a hide-a-bed in it. It's not the most comfortable bed, but what hide-a-bed is comfy? And on the opposite end it has a built in recliner. It's my designated seat. I love it! I can't thank my Dad enough for hating this couch, because we absolutely ♥ it!!

Today the kids were playing on the couch and Carter threw his beloved puppy Max behind the couch. I was tired of them messing around and jumping all over the couch, and so I told him it was too bad, and that he'd have to wait until I was finished doing something for me to get it out. Well he didn't like that answer.

The next thing I knew he was crying even louder than he was after he threw Max behind the couch. I could tell he was in the room with me, but I couldn't see him. Until I looked over behind the couch. He'd crawled back behind the couch to get Max on his own, and then realized that he couldn't get back out. He was freaked out! I couldn't help but laugh, and grab the camera. He was struggling so hard to get back over the couch onto the cushions, and was just too short. It was hilarious. So after taking a few pictures, I helped him out. I don't think he'll do that again... wait who am I kidding... he's a boy... of course he will! Lets just hope that the next time he's a little taller and can get back over on his own.

A Trip To See Grammy & Grandpa

2010-02-04T22:56:00.006-07:00

We went to Heber today to see Grammy and Grandpa. Kelly is on a business trip in Philly for a few days, and I figured that it would be a good time to go and have a sleep over. When we got into town, Grammy was still at work so we stopped by to say hello. The boys were really excited to see her. They ran into the bank and straight over to her. I love seeing how excited they get! Landon was a little shy at first, but warmed up to her quickly. Carter jumped up on her lap and sat there as we talked. No more than 10 minutes later, we realized that he had fallen asleep in her arms. It was too cute. He was OUT!

Taking that as our cue to leave, we headed up to my Mom's house to wait there until she got off work. She brought Cayson home with her, so that all the boys could play. They had a great time. Landon and Carter are always so good to play with Cayson and include him in what they're doing.

They love playing with Captain Jack and teasing him too. He's such a good dog. He never nips at them or anything. I tell you what, if I were a dog, there's no way I'd put up with the torture those boys dish out. Jack loves the attention he gets from them though, and loves that they play catch with him too.

(This picture was actually taken on a different day. It's one that I love though.)

After dinner, it was time for baths. Grammy filled the tub and we put all 4 boys in there at once. It was pure chaos! They loved it, and we all laughed as they played together. I didn't leave Mason in for long. He's still not sitting (especially in water) all that well by himself. He loved being in there with the big boys, but they were sure glad when I got him out.

We stayed overnight and went home the next morning. Just a short trip, but well worth it. If for no other reason, it was a great sanity break for me. I sometimes wish that we lived closer to my Mom because she's such a big help. I love her, and am so thankful for her.

4 Months

2010-02-03T22:48:00.000-07:00

I got thinking today about what each of my children looked like at 4 months. Mason has the chubbiest cheeks, and everyone comments about them. I couldn't remember what Landon & Carter's cheeks were like at 4 months, and so I decided that I should look at some pictures.

In my mind I thought that Landon was chubby like Mason is now, but see for yourself...

Landon, Carter, Mason

Carter and Mason have the chubbiest cheeks at 4 months. I was totally wrong. Thank goodness, I have pictures!

A Quick Visit

2010-02-03T22:10:00.001-07:00

Today was a fantastic day! One of my best friends was in town and was able to spend almost an entire day with me. We never get to see each other. She lives in Texas, and I'm in UT obviously, and when we do get a chance to see each other it's usually for no more than an hour. So imagine my excitement, when I got to spend an entire day with her and her darling kids.

What made it even more fun, was that she'd just had a baby boy, (Liam) in December. Oh my! How I love him. I only wish we lived closer so that Liam and Mason could be close friends. Liam is about 2 1/2 months younger than Mason, and he's just as big as him. CRAZY! He's so skinny and long as long can be. Mason is definitely chubbier though.

Landon and Carter loved playing with Alex. She's almost 3 years older than them, but they love her. They play so well together too. They spent a lot of time reading books on the floor and playing with toys. I love seeing them interact with each other.

They were able to stay and have dinner with us too. Angela has a fantastic recipe for homemade alfredo sauce, so we cooked some fettuccine, and made the alfredo sauce. We even sauteed some squash and zucchini and put it in with everything. It was delicious! Later I found out that I had the exact same recipe for the sauce, I'd just never tried to make it before. Needless to say, it will be a family favorite for future dinners. It was sooo yummy!

I hated saying goodbye to them. We don't get to see each other nearly enough. I hope that we'll be able to take a trip out to Texas one of these days and spend a good amount of time with them. We love them so much!

Nike Baby

2010-02-03T17:10:00.001-07:00

My friend Becky gave me this shirt for Mason after I had him.

I was so excited when he was finally able to wear it.

I am not a huge fan of Nike or anything, but I do like their stuff.

I just thought this onesie was really cute... and I think Mason is pretty cute in it.

Blessed

2010-02-02T15:16:00.000-07:00

We blessed Mason on January 3. Kelly gave him a beautiful blessing. In the blessing he told Mason that his name was chosen after a lot of compromise and that in life he should learn to know when to, and when not not compromise. Unfortunately, I was stressed out due to the nature of the day, and really didn't hear/remember much other than that. I know in my heart though, that the blessing was everything Mason was supposed to be told.

After sacrament meeting we along with our family and friends came back to our house and had a small luncheon. We served pulled pork sandwiches, and salads, and some really yummy deserts. Thanks to everyone who helped out with the food.

In all of the chaos, I completely spaced taking any pictures until my friend Amy was ready to go and pulled out her camera to snap a few shots with Mason. I swore to myself that I would be better and take pictures of Mason's blessing day, because I was so mad at myself for not getting good pictures when we blessed Landon and Carter. Yet, once again, I failed. Even worse than I did at Landon and Carter's blessing. The only pictures I have from the day were the ones that Amy took.

So on the 31st, I finally put Mason back into his blessing outfit and took a few pictures of him on my bed. Still none of him with his Daddy or Grandfathers, or Uncles, but at least I got a few of him.

Bath Towels

2010-02-01T21:20:00.032-07:00

The boys love putting their towels on after their baths. We have some fun animal towels, and once they get them on they like to make faces in the mirror or at us, and act like the animal. It's one of their favorite parts of taking a bath.

Tonight I also couldn't help but take a picture of little Mason's bum. It's so full of dimples, and I just love it! It's the only time in life that it's ok to have a cottage cheese bum, and I can't resist documenting it. I'm sure one day he'll hate me for it, but I don't care.

I love that little dimpley bum and those chubby chubby thighs!!

Mazza & Avatar

2010-01-30T23:57:00.000-07:00

Tonight I (along with Mason) met up with the Ladies and had dinner at our favorite restaurant Mazza in Salt Lake. The food there is Fantastic!! I always order the same thing, some humus to start, and a steak and cheese sandwich for my entree. We recently discovered their Aioli sauce and can't get enough of it. It normally comes with their fries, but we love to dip our sandwiches in it too. It's delicious!

Sweet Baby Mason
(He's always SO good when I take him with me.)

The Lovely Amy

The Fabulous Kimmy

And The Gorgeous Shelley

Dinner!
The sandwich comes wrapped like this.
We call the fries "Charly fries". It's a Twilight thing.
And that is the vat of heaven. Aioli!!

It's become a tradition ever since going to Forks to take friends with us, that couldn't come in person, on a stick. We take a picture of them and attach it to a popsicle stick. Tonight we were wishing these Ladies could have been with us.

Genell, Lisa, Meg, Miranda, Rae, Summer, & Vicki

After dinner, we went to the theater on 33rd South and State to see Avatar.

The movie was AMAZING! I loved it!! I wasn't sure how much I'd like the movie. I didn't really know much about it going in, just that everyone who had seen it thought it was fantastic. Mason wasn't the best in the theater, but he wasn't awful either. I had to stand in the entry way for a lot of the movie, but as long as I was standing he was great. I almost preferred to stand anyway. There was a family seated behind us with a lot of young kids. They kept kicking my chair and talking. I was really annoyed. In my opinion, Mason was much better in the theater than them.

I had such a great night. I love spending time with my friends. It's always so nice to be able to get out of the house and enjoy their company. I can't wait to do it again soon.

The Wig

2010-01-30T01:23:00.001-07:00

Tonight we had some friends over for dinner. One of the couples has a baby girl that's just one month younger than Mason, and brought a wig with them that they put on her for fun. We decided to put it on Mason and see what he would look like.

IT WAS HILARIOUS!!
I loved that he didn't mind it at all. He just smiled at us and was completely content.
What a great baby!!

Introducing SparrowBlu

2010-01-28T18:08:00.000-07:00

I have the most fabulous friend named Stacie. She's one of my fun Twilight friends and I finally got to meet her in November when she came to town for the New Moon Experience. She's even more wonderful in person than she is on-line :)

She was in town as a vendor at our little New Moon event. She makes the cutest hair bows and clips. We've all been nagging her since the event to open an Etsy store and she finally has- YAY!!!! Look how cute her stuff is-

She's having a grand opening sale this week and all shipping is free so head on over to SparrowBlu!!!

Items will sell fast, so check them out NOW!!!

Brotherly Love

2010-01-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

I love having 3 boys!
Landon and Carter are the best big brothers Mason could have.
They are so sweet and kind to him.
They love holding him and helping him.

I Love You Boys!!

Mason's 4 Month Stats

2010-01-26T23:58:00.002-07:00

Today Mason had his 4 month checkup with Dr. Pavich.

He's growing perfectly!

He's a little guy, packin a lot of weight.

. . .

Weight: 14.14 pounds 50%

Length: 24.5 inches 25%

Head Circumference: 40 centimeters 5%

. . .

We ♥ him so much and are so happy to have him in our family!!

The Tweedles Christmas Program

2010-01-26T22:52:00.000-07:00

Landon and Carter's were in a Christmas program with their preschool. It was fantastic! Watching them perform for the 1st time ever was so great. They each had their own part that they had to memorize, and considering that we didn't start memorizing them until a couple days before they did really well.

In the program the kids sang Christmas songs, and recited The Christmas Story.

Landon's part was: "The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads."

Landon did his part so well. I loved hearing him recite it, especially when he got to "sugarplums" his eyes lit up and he said the word so loud compared to the rest of it. It was hilarious!

Carter's part was: "Mama in her kerchief and I in my cap, had just settled down for a long winters nap."

Carter was sad just before the program started, because I took an airplane away from him. So he performed most of the program with his head down. Oops! Next time I'll know better.

Rice Cereal

2010-01-25T21:45:00.002-07:00

I gave Mason his first taste of rice cereal today.

He wasn't sure about it, but didn't seem to hate it too much.

2010-01-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

2010 Edition Of Getting To Know You

1. What is your occupation right now? Nose and butt wiper, burp rag, chef, teacher, friend, playmate, disciplinarian, wife, & lover.
2. What color are your socks right now? Flesh colored... I'm not wearing any.
3. What are you listening to right now? Mason squealing.
4. What was the last thing that you ate? Ham and cheese sandwich, ruffles, and a diet coke!
5. Can you drive a stick shift? I am a pro!
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Kimmy
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Love & like her
8. How old are you today? Almost 30 and can't wait! Yes, I am serious.
9. Favorite Sport to watch on TV? Football, go UTES!
10. What is your favorite drink? DC of course
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? Oh Yeah
12. Favorite food? Any that I don't have to cook, unless it's Thai, I hate Thai food.
13. What is the last movie you watched? In theaters, Sherlock Holmes, at home Polar Express we watch it daily at our house.
14. Favorite day of the year? I really don't have a favorite
15. How do you vent anger? Lately I sit on my bed and read, or sometimes I'll clean.
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbies
17. What is your favorite season? Fall!!! Everything about it. The cloudy, windy days, the colors, vampires, witches, pumpkin pie.
18. Cherries or Blueberries? Blueberries
19. Do you want your friends to do this? Why not? It's all for fun
20. What is your favorite perfume? Angel by Thierry Mugler
21. What is one phobia you have? Ssssssssnakes
22. Living arrangements? 3 BR, 2 Bath, 1 FR, 1 LR, 1 unfinished basement, 2 car garage, 1 big boy, 3 little boys, & a mouse
23. When was the last time you cried? Sunday, for a friend
24. What is on the floor of your closet? Shoes
25. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you sent this to? Angela
26. What did you do last night? Made memory/keepsake boxes with my Beehives
27. What are you most afraid of? Something happening to my kids or Kelly
28.. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers Spicy and cheesy! Cheese, ranch & Bacon
29. Favorite dog breed? Yorkie
30. Favorite day of the week? Any day Kelly's home
31. How many states/provinces have you lived in? UT. . . sad isn't it
32. Diamonds or pearls? Yes please!
33. What is your favorite flower? Gerber daises
34. What is your favorite book of all time? Considering that I haven't been reading for long, I'd have to say Twilight.
35. What is your favorite fast food? Mmmmmm, fast food!
36. What is the best advice you would give any new bride? Manage your finances together, and stick to a budget.

Jammies & Cartoons

2010-01-10T11:27:00.006-07:00

I love watching my boys interact together. Most mornings the boys will get up and turn on a "show" aka the Disney channel or sometimes a movie. Mason loves to interact with them, and has started to pay attention to the TV. So I laid him on the floor with them as I prepared breakfast.

I LOVE MY BOYS!

Drain Remedy

2010-01-04T23:28:00.001-07:00

We have been battling with the drain in our shower for months now. I have spent outrageous amounts of money on products to unclog our drain, and it works for a few days, and then we're back to being clogged again. Thankfully, we mentioned this to my brother-in-law and his wife, and they gave us the best remedy ever! It's so simple, and works better than anything we've ever tried.

Don't use this remedy if you already used a store-bought product in the same drain. You'll want to make sure that what you used has been completely flushed from the pipes before trying this. I would give it at least a few days in between, where plenty of water has been going through your pipes.

You can use this in a kitchen sink, bathroom sink, shower or tub.
You'll need 1 cup each of baking soda, salt, and vinegar
Combine the baking soda and salt and pack it into your drain as much as possible, and immediately follow with the vinegar. Let it sit for 10 - 20 minutes. As you wait, boil a pot of water. After the 10 - 20 minutes, pour the boiling water down the drain.
You may have to do this multiple times.
When we did it we went through about 5 cups of vinegar.
Kelly kept pouring more and more down because it kept reacting.

It really works! Give it a try next time, and save yourself some money.

It's Been A While...

2009-12-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've even logged into my blog. Too much has happened to give a full update, so I'm just going to post some pictures.

Halloween Landon & Carter were Pirates, and Mason was a not so happy skeleton!

Kelly turned 32 this year!!

Mason on Kelly's birthday (one and a half months old). I just love this shirt!
Landon & Carter love wearing ties to church like their Daddy.
The New Moon Experience...
I survived it!
Kim and me at dinner.
Amy's Diet Cokes... we all drank this many.
It was the only way to stay awake.
The Ladies!
"Beware of the flying shark!"
(You had to be there)
I appeared on TV with Big Budah.
We had a very successful lemonade stand
and raised LOTS of $Money$ for
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation
Thanksgiving this year was with my family at my Mom's.
Landon and Carter loved it!
Me & Landon
Kelly & Mason
Me & Carter
Mason's a UTE fan all the way!
He was dressed to impress for the Utah vs. BYU game.
How CUTE is that?
Lil' Fan
Landon & Carter LOVE Mason and can't wait for him to get big.
Mason's first visit with Santa!
Carter asked Santa for a BIG green monster truck with buttons.
Landon asked Santa for a Transformer.
Kelly and the boys made a Gingerbread House!
Landon & Carter celebrated their 1/2 birthday at
preschool with Mrs. Nicole!
And just today we experienced this disaster!
Kelly and I are always telling the boys not to hang on the
entertainment center doors, and of course they listen and
remember for just a few minutes.

Well as a result of that same thing happening once again today,
we get this!
Needless to say, we have two very sad little boys
who will be sitting in time out for a while.
That's a quick update for now!

He's Here

2009-09-26T20:51:00.000-06:00

Mason Steven Johnson

Made his world debut
Wednesday September 23, 2009
at 7:47 am
Weighing in at 6 pounds 10 ounces
and was 17 1/2 inches long.

First time seeing Mom

The proud Daddy

Our first family picture

Mason Steven Johnson

1st Day of Preschool

2009-09-18T09:32:00.001-06:00

I can't believe I have 3 year old's,
who are now in Preschool!

Landon and Carter had their 1st day of Preschool on September 8th. They are attending a school called Creative Kids Preschool, and it's just up the street from our house. I love how close it is. Ms. Nicole is their teacher, and she's great.

Ethan is in their class with them, so Shelley and I are carpooling. She takes them in the morning, and I pick them up. They go every Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours and 15 minutes. It's FABULOUS!!

Here are some pictures of their 1st day:

Landon
Carter

Landon, Ethan, & Carter
This is where they go to school.
Making their way down to the classroom.
This is where they hang their backpacks every day.
They each have their own hook.

This is Landon's seat he'll sit in every day.
Ms. Nicole had a coloring book and crayons waiting for them
to color in while all the kids are still getting to school.
Landon was the most excited out of the three boys. He couldn't wait to get to school!

This is Carter's seat.
Carter had some anxiety, and wasn't quite sure what to think.
He was a very brave boy though! I was so proud of him.

Carter cried a little when I left, and Landon just yelled out at me, "See ya later Mom!" As soon as I got back to the van, I had tears streaming down my face. I knew I would be emotional, but I was more emotional than I thought I'd be. It's so fun, and yet so hard to watch my babies grow up. I'm so proud of them, and don't know what I would do without them in my life. I love seeing how much they learn and grow every day. They are are constantly surprising me with things that they know.

When we picked them up from school, Carter and Landon came running out and they both told me that they were "Big Boys!" Carter said that he cried a little at the end because he wanted me. Landon was really excited to show me the picture he colored of himself, and tell me all about what they did.

They used scissors for the 1st time ever, and thought that was AWESOME! They taught me all the safety rules, and demonstrated with their fingers how to use them. It was really cute!

Baby Bump Update

2009-09-18T00:03:00.000-06:00

I can't believe that the last time I posted pictures of my "Baby Bump" was at 26 weeks. What a slacker am I? I guess that I have had a pretty busy summer.

Well, here is the most recent picture I've taken. I am 36 weeks in this picture.

At this point in my pregnancy with the boys, they were already here. They came via C-Section at 35 weeks and 5 days.

As for pregnancy details. I am only dilated to 1/2 a centimeter and am about 20% effaced. We have a C-Section scheduled for this next Wednesday September 23rd. If I end up going into labor on my own then I'll try a VBAC, otherwise I'm going with the C-Section.

If I wanted to avoid having another C-Section, I would have to go into labor on my own. I'm ready to get this little bubba out of me, so I'm willing to pass and not wait until I am more than a week past my delivery date. Even then, the chances of me still having to have another C-Section are at least 50/50.

We don't have a name picked out yet. It's a huge debate in our home right now. Kelly is a fan of common and biblical names, and I am completely against them. I love modern names, and some old fashioned names. As for now, he's just Baby Boy, and we'll be lucky if he comes home from the hospital with a name. Neither one of us are willing to give in at this point. So if you have any good suggestions please post them. We need all the help we can get.

What Did We Do This Summer?

2009-09-08T17:40:00.000-06:00

Seems as how it's been forever since I've posted anything, I figured I'd do a quick post on what we've done since I posted last. Life's been super crazy getting ready for the arrival of baby boy, and blogging just had to take a back seat. So bare with me here...

Landon and Carter took swimming lessons for 6 weeks this summer from my great friend Melissa. Ethan and Alivia were in their class with them, and they loved it. I personally feel much better with them in the water, especially when I am alone. Thanks Melissa!

Kelly played his trumpet with Wasatch Winds, for their summer concert in the park. Wasatch Winds is a community band that his High School band teacher instructs. He loves playing with them, especially because his Dad, sister Kris Anne, and brother Greg also play with him. Not to mention two of his best friends Dusty and Jim.

We took another family vacation with the Johnson's. We went to Zions, and Bryce Canyon for the 4th of July weekend. We had a great time, and did lots of sight seeing, and even a little hiking in Bryce. It was a great trip!

I took a much needed girls trip to Colorado with Kim, Shelley and Amy. We went and stayed with our friends we went to Forks, WA with in their cabin just outside of Durango. It was fantastic!

We've watched and played with Cayson (my sister Morgan's son) and had a great time with him on various occasions. Cayson loves Landon and Carter. He follows them everywhere they go and he attacks Carter whenever he gets the chance. It's hilarious to watch. Carter just lets him attack, and waits patiently for someone to save him.

We spent the 24th of July with my family in Heber. We set up a little pool for the kids to play in, and the boys got to play baseball with Grandpa. That was the highlight of the day.

We got together with family for a Johnson FHE and went up American Fork Canyon and had a BBQ. It was great! We loved spending time in the mountains, and eating with everyone. We had a great pic-nic spot right by the river, and the kids loved throwing rocks into the water and running around.

In August we went camping at Palisades State Park for a few days. We swam in the lake, and Kelly did some 4-Wheeling and golfing. The boys loved being able to ride their big wheels everywhere and play with their cousins. It was a great little trip, one that I'd love to do over again.

Last but not least, we went to the zoo with the Tolboe's. The kids had a great time, and so did Kim and I. It's so fun to see how excited the kids get when they see the animals. They all LOVED the giraffes, and the elephants, and the monkeys. They ran from one exhibit to the next. A lot of the animals were hiding, but some of the bigger ones, like the tiger was in plain sight, and they thought that was super cool! We let them ride the carousel and the train, and as you could guess, they loved that too.

In a nutshell that's some of the fun things we've done this summer. We've played with friends and had some great BBQ's, and done all the normal stuff too. I'm glad that summer is almost over and fall is approaching. But more than anything, I'm most excited to get this baby out of me! I'm hoping to get a baby post up sometime soon... just don't hold your breath, because who knows when that will happen.

Baby Bryce's Blessing

2009-07-01T22:56:00.000-06:00

Marty and Emily blessed their newest addition to their family Bryce Allan Johnson on June 28th. He's such a beautiful and well behaved baby. We love him so much!!

After the blessing we gathered together for a small breakfast at a park near Emily's parent's home. It was so nice and we loved being able to spend time together.

Emily and Bryce

The Marty Johnson Family

The flower the boys picked for me.

The flower the boys picked for Kelly.

Marty playing ring around the rosies with the kids.

Parade

2009-06-30T14:02:00.000-06:00

We met up with the Martin's last Saturday for the parade in Lehi. Julie went early and set out blankets so we had a great front row view of the parade. It was the first parade I've been to where all the ward's entered a float. The floats were super creative and very cute. The boys didn't quite understand that they needed to be quick at picking up candy when it was thrown, and there were a whole bunch of vultures (other kids) around us. So they didn't end up with hardly any candy, which was fine. They didn't really care. They loved playing with Eleanor and the squirt guns John and Julie brought for them. They thought that was great! They of course loved all the motorcycles and fire trucks, and Kelly and I really enjoyed the many bands and marching bands. It was a great parade, very long, but also very fun.

The Farm

2009-06-28T14:36:00.001-06:00

I took the boys to the farm at Thanksgiving Point this week with Kim, Shelley, and all the kids. We had never been to the farm before, so the boys were really excited. They got to see lots of animals including baby chicks, pigs, a very noisy goat, geese, ducks, turkeys, goats and so much more.

Their most favorite part of the park had to be the pony ride. Landon and Carter were so excited when they saw the pony's and immediately ran over to them. Landon was so brave and rode all by himself. I thought that Carter was going to do the same, but once I got him on and started to walk out of the arena he got scared and started to cry, so I walked along side him.

They loved riding, and spending time at the farm. I look forward to taking them back again and next time taking them on the horse and carriage ride... if they'll go for that.

3 Year Old Stats

2009-06-27T18:27:00.000-06:00

Landon and Carter had their 3 year check-up this week. They were both really good boys at the Dr.'s office and didn't even cry when they got their Hep A shots. I was so proud of them.

Landon's Stats
Age: 3 Years Old
Date: June 24, 2009
Weight: 37.8 lbs - 90%
Height: 39 1/4" - 75%
Age: 8 Days Old
Weight At Birth: 5 lbs 7 oz
Height At Birth: 17 1/2"

Carter's Stats
Age: 3 Years Old
Date: June 24, 2009
Weight: 29 lbs - 25%
Height: 36" - 10%
Age: 8 Days Old
Weight At Birth: 4 lbs 5 oz
Height At Birth: 16 1/2"

20 & 26 Week Baby Bump's & Pregnancy Update

2009-06-27T17:15:00.000-06:00

So I've obviously been slacking with the Baby Bump pictures. My pregnancy is going really well. I've really gotten big (at least it seems so to me) in the last week or so. Traveling to Nauvoo was hard on my body, having to turn around and help the boys as often as I did. But I made it and only had to rest for a few days after getting home. For some reason I had a hard time walking, I was really sore where my incision from my c-section is. Now I'm doing much much better.

At my last Dr. appointment (24 weeks) we had to have another ultrasound. During the one at 20 weeks they weren't able to get a good view of baby boy's heart, and therefore had to try again. He was still on his belly but the tech was able to get a good enough view, and everything looks great!

The best news that we received from the ultrasound is that he's measuring bigger, and so they moved up my due date. Instead of being due October 3rd, my new due date is September 29th! HOORAY!! That's 4 days earlier!!

The 20 Week Baby Bump

The 26 Week Baby Bump
...Please pay no attention to how awful I look in this picture...

Our Journey Across Country

2009-06-25T19:03:00.000-06:00

Our journey began on the 13th. We started the trip by giving Landon and Carter their official 3rd birthday breakfast. I still can not believe that I have 3 year olds. It's crazy!! Anyway, they each got a yummy cinnamon roll with a candle in it, and they loved them.

We traveled the first day from home to Rapid City, SD. It was a long drive, but also fun. The boys did remarkably well. They watched movies, played with toys, read books, colored, and of course had fun with uncle Greg. They also slept quite a bit which made it really nice for the rest of us.
Our favorite site during that first day of travel had to be this monstrosity. We were laughing hysterically that someone actually did this... and then to see the dog hanging out the back, made it even that much better.

We stayed a full day in Rapid City, to give the boys a break from traveling. We decided to go and see Mt. Rushmore. I'd never been there, and it was so amazing. We watched a short video about the construction of it, and I found it truly fascinating. Did you know that 90% of Mt. Rushmore was carved out using dynamite? I sure didn't and looking at it, it amazed me to think that they could do that.

On our way to and from Mt. Rushmore we drove through a tunnel they carved out of the mountain. It was so cool. Trees were growing out of the rocks on the sides and on top of it. There was a little turn around that you could take (probably for oversized vehicles) and we took it twice. The boys loved driving through the tunnel!

We also spotted this super tiny Mini Cooper pulling a trailer, and thought it was too cool. We of course stopped to take some pictures.

The next thing we did was went to the Reptile Gardens. It was so cool! The boys LOVED it and had a blast. We all had so much fun here. There were so many snakes (which I HATE... but they were all enclosed and that made it bearable), alligators, crocodiles, birds, tortoises, and much, much more.

We watched a very interesting bird show. We were able to see parrots, pheasants, cockatoos, doves, a hawk, and the coolest was a bald eagle. The hawk flew off during the show and they weren't able to bring out any other birds other than the eagle, because it would have attacked them. It was quite hilarious! They said that it also would attack small dogs, and there were a few in the park that day, so all the staff was on alert.

The park was celebrating one of their Giant Tortoises Methuselah's 128th birthday too! The boys were able to go up to him and the other tortoises and touch them. It was so neat. They loved it!

There was an atrium there that housed a lot of the birds and some of the snakes. The park had workers there with snakes out of their cages to let the kids touch and hold. Landon and Carter each touched a snake. I cringed as they did it, but they thought it was really cool. The expressions on their faces were priceless.

We got to see some of the crocodiles that have starred in movies and learned a little about them. This one was one of my favorites.

Towards the end of the day they had a crocodile and alligator show that we watched as well. It was awesome!! The guy who did the show was unbelievable. He was wrestling with them and putting his hands in their mouths, and nearly getting them chopped off. It was crazy. Once they realized his hand was in their mouths they snapped shut so fast. It was almost eerie hearing their teeth chomp together.

After that show was over he brought out a baby alligator that he let the audience touch. It was so fun! If you're ever going to be in Rapid City, this is one place I would absolutely recommend that you stop. We could have spent so much more time there.

The weather during the day had been so nice, until late in the afternoon. The skies got really dark, and everyone was on alert. There had been tornado's in surrounding cities, and they had Rapid City on alert for tornado's too. All the locals thought it was neat and kept walking outside to watch the clouds. Apparently there were lots of funnel clouds that started forming, but luckily for us, nothing ever happened. I was really nervous all night long.

The next day was spent traveling again. We stopped for a little while at a rest stop somewhere along the way and let the boys get out and run. It was a really nice area with lots of grass and picnic tables. We pulled out a football and let the boys play. It was nice to get out of the car and just stretch out.

We also stopped at Wall Drug and toured it a little too. I'd always heard of Wall Drug, but it was nothing like I had expected it to be. We didn't spend too much time there but were glad that we stopped. The boys had fun there and Greg met someone special too!

By the time we finally stopped to rest for the night it was near midnight. We found a little hotel in Oskaloosa Iowa. The boys were exhausted and didn't even move a muscle. We put them right into bed without even changing their clothes. I honestly don't think they moved at all until the next morning when they woke up.

We got to Nauvoo the next day. Kelly's family reunion was being held at Camp Nauvoo. It's an RLDS facility with lots of little cabins and a big mess hall. It was a really nice place. The boys called the mess hall "the castle." We got settled and rested for most of the day. Greg went exploring in the cabin and couldn't decide if this was something that he brought or if it were someone else's. Gee... I wonder!

That night we had a small dinner with everyone and then had the traditional family meeting. That was where a representative from each family stood and updated everyone on what was going on with their family. Georgia (Kelly's mom) had 9 siblings and they all have fairly good sized families. Georgia's being one of the smallest. Overall there was almost 100 family members there.

The next morning we slept in and had some breakfast and then went into Nauvoo to the Visitors Center. From there we went and saw a puppet show they put on for children at the Cultural Hall. They had everyone singing along and joining in the fun. It was great.

After that Kelly and Greg went with all the youth to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. Neil, me and the boys decided that would be a good time to go and do some laundry. We found the laundromat in town and did all of our wash. While we were hanging out there we got some ice cream from across the street and let the boys play. Although I didn't love the idea of doing laundry on the trip, I'm really glad that we did. It gave us some down time and made packing a whole lot easier too.

That night after dinner they held the Ostvig Family Olympics. Landon and Carter both participated in the youth javelin throw. The javelin's were made of straws and marshmallows, too funny! Landon ended up taking 2nd place! I missed it though, and therefore we have no pictures of it. Oops!

We left that early to go to the Visitors Center. The BYU Ballroom Dance Company was performing their Nauvoo Showcase, so we decided to go and see that. It was fabulous!! The boys sat and watched the whole thing. I couldn't believe how great they were during the whole performance. The dancing was unbelievable. They're so entertaining and fun to watch. I am so glad that we went to see them. I loved it!

The next day we decided to go to Carthage Jail. We watched a video about Joesph Smith and the events that led up to the execution of Joseph Smith, and then got to tour the Jail. The spirit was incredible there. I had a hard time not crying as we walked through the jail and saw what it was like. Seeing the bullet hole in the door and the window that Joseph fell out of was surreal. Knowing the story is one thing, but actually seeing where it happened was quite another. It made real.

After Carthage we went back to Nauvoo and all the adults went and did a session at the temple. It was so neat. Kelly's aunt Judy knows the temple President there and he took time to talk to us before we had our own private session. We learned a lot of interesting facts about the temple and how it came to be. He spoke of President Hinkley being there for the dedication of the temple and how spiritual of an experience it was. It was incredible to say the least!

After dinner that night we had a family testimony meeting and played games. It was our last night there and no one wanted to go to bed. We did fireworks and the boys played with sparklers. So much fun!

The next morning we got up and packed up the van. We finished touring Nauvoo by going to all the RLDS sites. In order to see inside the buildings you have to pay a fee and take their guided tour. At first I was a little irritated by it, but I am so glad that we did it. I would definitely do it again. Our tour guide was fabulous. He was very down to earth and extremely knowledgeable. I was fascinated with all the little facts that he knew. We first learned of the Nauvoo House. We didn't go inside, but learned about how much bigger it used to be and the plans for it. How Emma changed it after she remarried, and everything that happened there. It was interesting to learn that was the first burial place of Joseph and Hyrum. I didn't know that before we took the tour.

We stopped and learned about the second burial place of Joseph and Hyrum under a little shack. Many years after their burial there, they were once again moved. They worried about the rising water of the river, and decided it would be best to move them to where they are now laid to rest.

The next building we toured was Joseph and Emma's home. Where later Joseph's son added onto it (the white portion of the home). The house originally was only one room, where Joseph and his family would allow up to 30 people to sleep in a night. I honestly don't know how they possibly did that. I couldn't imagine just his family living there. The saints were truly amazing people. The well outside is also the original well that they used. Amazing!

We moved from their home to the Mansion Home. This house was incredible. I love the detail of the home and yet am still amazed at how small it was. The doorways were so much lower than they are now days, and their stairs were very steep and shallow. It amazes me to think about how much has changed over time. I found it very interesting that the railings were at different levels on each side of the stairway. It was to accommodate the women so that they could hold onto the railing and be able to hold up their dresses, yet still stay modest. In this house was Joseph and Emma's dresser they used. The detail on it was so beautiful. I would love to one day own something as beautiful as that piece of furniture. The original size of the mansion home was massive. Looking at a model of what it was supposed to look like compared to what it looks like today is hard to fathom. I only wish that it was like that today so we could see how truly amazing the structure was.

We finished the tour at the Red Brick Store. We spent some time in the room upstairs where Joseph completed over 500 temple ordinances for members before the temple was completed, and completed many sacred events. This room was also used for town meetings and various other things. It was so neat to see his office and imagine the life that he led. I loved taking the time to do this. While at the store we bought Old Fashioned Root Beer candies. They were yummy! I didn't share as much as I should have. They were too good!

After that we completed our time in Nauvoo by stopping by the Aaron and Polly Johnson Home. Aaron Johnson was Kelly's Great Great Great Grandfather. We weren't able to tour the home, because it's used as a private residence, but seeing it was great. We thought while we were there we should get some generation pictures. Maybe one day it will be made into a home that can actually be toured. If that's the case, we'll definitely go.

On our way out of town we stopped one more time at the temple and took a family picture. That concluded our time in Nauvoo.

We drove to St. Louis that afternoon and stayed there. It also happened to be my 29th birthday also, so Kelly, Greg, Landon, Carter and I went to the Gateway Arch. It was the one thing that I wanted to do. I'd never been there and thought it would be fun to go to the top. So we did. I couldn't believe how big the arch really was. It's incredible to look at. The ride up was not the most fun for me. You ride up in an elevator shaft inside something similar to a gondola. So every as you go up the arch the gondola jerks a little. There was a window in the door that allowed you to see down, and that was enough to make me ill. I hate heights! What was I thinking?

Once we got to the top though... It Was Incredible!! We were up there at night, and so the whole city was lit up. The boys loved looking at the river and the boats traveling along. Luckily it wasn't windy, so the arch didn't sway at all while we were up there. I don't know how I would have stomached it had I felt it swaying. We spent some time up there and then decided to get some dinner.

Kelly's family was super sweet and took the boys so that Kelly and I could go to dinner by ourselves. It was so nice. We found an Outback Steakhouse close to the hotel and had a fabulous dinner. There's nothing like a steak that melts in your mouth and crab stuffed shrimp for your birthday!

We spent the next two days traveling home. We made it to Denver and then finally home. They were two really long days of travel. Kelly's sister Kris Anne and her kids (Scotty and Georgia) were caravaning with us. It was so much fun to be with them, but we had A LOT of potty breaks with four little kids. Eventually we had to find another solution... this is what we came up with. Gross I know (yes that is little boy urine in the bottle), but it saved us hours overall.

We stayed the night in Denver in an Embassy Suites. It was great. We put all four kids in one bed, too funny, but it worked great! Kelly really enjoyed a cook to order breakfast for Fathers Day, and none of us were complaining either. It was delicious! We made it home around 10:30 Sunday night.

We had a wonderful trip. We got to see lots of new things, and had so much time as a family. We were so thankful to have Greg travel with us. He was so much help with the boys, and made it so much easier on my prego body. I can't thank him enough. Though it was a long trip, I would definitely do it again in a heartbeat... though it may not ever happen again while I'm pregnant. ;o)

Birthday Pictures

2009-06-14T22:00:00.000-06:00

3 Year Pictures

My Babies Are 3

2009-06-14T21:56:00.000-06:00

It's been 3 years since my babies were born. I can't believe it. Time flies by so fast. We celebrated their birthday at Chuck E Cheeses and they LOVED it. It was also their cousin Georgia's birthday a couple days before theirs and so we combined and had a big celebration for all of them.

Here are some pictures from their party.

What Did You Say?

2009-06-07T20:58:00.001-06:00

The other night Carter was playing with a little basket ball and dropped it.
Carter said, "Oh Shit!"
Kelly: "What did you say?"
Carter: Looking at Kelly with a sheepish look - "Naughty."
Oops!!

Doink?

2009-06-07T18:51:00.000-06:00

Kelly: "Where did Landon learn the word doink?"
Me: "I have no idea. What's a doink?"
KellY: "Beats me. Yesterday he started calling Carter and me Doinks. He'd say 'Don't ya doink.' 'Come on ya doinks.'"

I bursted out lauging! It made it even better when Carter started repeating what Kelly was saying.

So if any of you have any idea what a doink is and want to share, let me know.

WE ARE HAVING A. . .

2009-05-20T14:24:00.001-06:00

BOY!

Yes, it's another boy. I didn't want to believe the tech when she told us it was a boy, but looking at the screen, there was no denying it. It's definitely a boy! I'll be honest and admit that I have shed a few tears over it, because I really had my hopes up for a girl. Some time has passed, and I have accepted it, and I am excited. Kelly is really excited too, except for the fact, that he knows we'll have to try at least one more time.

As far as the details from the ultrasound go, I am measuring perfectly to my due date (October 3), and he's a healthy little boy. They weren't able to get a look at his heart, so we'll have another ultrasound at my next appointment. At that one, they're going to try and get some 3D pictures of him for us. I am excited about that. Hopefully he'll cooperate and not stay face down on his belly the whole time.

These are some pictures of our little one!

A New Laptop

2009-05-03T15:52:00.000-06:00

We finally decided to break down and purchase a laptop. With both Kelly and I using the computer so much, and wanting to play games with each other, we decided that investing in another computer would be a good idea. Not to mention the fact that while traveling, it's always something great to take along.

So after we got our tax return we set out looking for a great deal. We ended up deciding on purchasing a HP and so far we're loving it. My favorite part of the laptop itself is the Light Scribe DVD/CD burner. I haven't used it yet, but as soon as we get all our pictures on the laptop, I'll be burning copies, and using the light scribe to document what they are, so that I'll always have a copy. It may be crazy, but that's what I've been most excited about so far.

Can I just tell you how much I love sitting in my favorite chair and blogging, checking email, doing my YW stuff, etc., etc. It's GREAT!!

We also decided that this would be our anniversary present to each other this year, which is in just a couple of weeks, Happy Anniversary to us! I honestly couldn't have asked for a better gift. Thanks honey!

Carter

2009-05-03T09:30:00.000-06:00

So today the boys took a shower, and when I got them out, I first dressed Landon, and let Carter play in his towel.

As I was just finishing getting Landon dressed, Carter stands up from his crouched position from playing with a helicopter on the floor and worriedly said, "Mommy. . . there's something in my bum!"

I laughingly replied, "It's ok, it's just a wedgie."

Carter: "A wedgie?"

Me: "Ya, the towel is just stuck in your bum. It's ok, just pull it out."

Carter: "Ha! Ha! That was funny. Landon you want a wedgie?"

Oh the things they say!

So Witty

2009-04-26T21:32:00.000-06:00

We've had my Dad's truck this past week, to use for various things, so the boys and I have been driving it around a lot.

On Saturday we were in town and Kelly was driving. Carter started kicking the back of his seat.

Kelly: Carter please don't kick the seat.

Carter: Unh-Hunh

Kelly: Carter, stop kicking the back of my seat!

Carter: No.

Kelly: Carter, Stop. Kicking. The. Seat!

Carter: It's not your seat. It's Grandpas.

I laughed so hard!

16 Week Dr. Appointment

2009-04-26T21:19:00.002-06:00

Friday was my 16 week Dr. appointment. Kelly was able to meet me there thanks to his manager. Once she found out that I was pregnant she told Kelly that he needed to go to every one of my appointments with me, and that he could work from home before or after my appointments, depending on when they were scheduled.

The appointment was great. We met with Dr. Jones for just a few short minutes to discuss how things were going. I let him know that I was having a little cramping, and that I had some pain every now and again under my right rib, but other than that, things were great. He told me that the cramping was normal, just everything stretching, which I figured was the case. Then we talked about the pain under my rib. He said that it could be my gallbladder and that I could have some gallstones. If the pain persists, I'm supposed to let him know so he can do an ultrasound. I'm not at all worried about it, but it's good to know that he's not too concerned.

After we met with Dr. Jones his nurse came in to check for the heartbeat. She didn't do this when she first took me back into the exam room, because Kelly was running late. I knew that he'd want to hear the heartbeat. He loves to make the noise you hear. It's really annoying, but it's his favorite part of the checkups.

She had a hard time finding the baby's heartbeat, which made me a little nervous. She was having to push on my belly and move the wand around to find it. She was never really able to get a good reading, but we did hear it and it was about 160 beats per minute.

My next appointment is on May 13, and we'll get to find out what we're having! I'm really excited, it's only about two and a half weeks away!!

16 Weeks

2009-04-19T16:31:00.000-06:00

As promised, here is the "Baby Bump" at 16 weeks.

I'm hoping it's just the dress that is making me look this big, because I don't feel like I am very big. I can still wear most of my normal clothes, though some of my pants are getting a little tight. I can feel the baby move every now and then, but only if I am paying attention. Otherwise the movement isn't strong enough for me to notice.
I have an appointment with Dr. Jones this Friday, so after that I'll post the stats. I've not gained any weight according to my scale, but I haven't lost anymore either. I keep telling myself that I'm going to do whatever I can to keep it that way. Though I do realize it's just wishful thinking. At some point I'll have to face the fact that the scale will go back up. So sad!
We have an appointment scheduled for an ultrasound on the 13th of May , and like I said in a previous post, I'm really excited, but don't know if I can wait that long. I really want to know what the baby is! We are hoping it's a girl, but if it's another boy, I'm set. We definitely have enough boy stuff! However if it's a girl, Kelly's going to have to set limits. I'm sure I'll go a little crazy. Girl clothes are just too dang cute.
Well that's it for now. I'll post the details from my doctor appointment later this week.

Classic Skating

2009-04-18T18:06:00.000-06:00

Today was Alivia's 6th birthday and she had her party at Classic Skating in Orem. It was lots of fun. The boys were able to take their scooters and ride them. They loved it! Kelly even put on a pair of skates and hit the floor with them. Had I not been pregnant, I would have too, but the thought of falling was a little too much for me. So I decided to be the photographer instead.

It wasn't very busy, which was a blessing because Landon and Carter didn't understand that you always have to be going the same direction as everyone else. They were constantly cutting people off and riding their scooters in the wrong direction. Luckily they didn't cause any accidents. That is except for the one with Kelly. He fell and knocked his head on the floor as he was trying to avoid falling on Landon. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of it, but he did have a pretty big goose egg over his left eye. It was a super fun party, and I know that the boys will be asking to go there again sometime soon. Hopefully Kelly and I will be up to it.

Salt Lake City 5K

2009-04-18T11:22:00.000-06:00

Today was a day to put into the history books. I attempted my very first 5K and actually succeeded in doing so. Shelley and I left home at 6:15 in the morning and headed up to Gateway where we boarded a Trax train and rode over to the courthouse. We got off there and walked to the City and County Building where the race started. The course went down to 900 South, west about a block to State Street, back up north to South Temple, across South Temple to the Rio Grande, down to 100 South, and then over to Rio Grande St., and then up to the finish line at the fountains at the Gateway. I finished in 47 minutes and 8 seconds. Not too bad considering it was my first one ever, I'm pregnant, have bad knees, and did absolutely nothing to prepare myself for it. I just showed up and did it, and must say that I am proud of myself. And furthermore, if you've never done anything like this, the feeling you get when you cross the finish line is overwhelming. I almost cried. I was so happy and proud of Shelley and myself. Hearing hundreds of people cheering as your approaching the finish line gave me so much adreneline that I thought for a second I would trip and fall. I pushed myself to run the last quarter mile to the finish line and it was worth it. I can now understand why so many people enjoy doing these and I hope that I'll have another opportunity to do it again.

Trax

2009-04-17T18:14:00.000-06:00

I had to run up to Salt Lake on Friday with Shelley and we decided it would be fun to take the kids and ride Trax.

The boys had never been on it and were super excited. We boarded in Sandy and rode it up to the convention center and back. It was so fun to see the kids get excited. At every stop Carter would say, "I don't want to get off."

They loved looking out the window and thought it was great when another Trax train would pass us going the opposite direction. I'm so glad that we did it, and hope that we can do it again soon.

What Are We Having?

2009-04-17T16:19:00.000-06:00

We are scheduled to find out what we're having on May 13th and I honestly don't want to wait that long. Has anyone gone to the mall and done the ultrasounds there? And if so... is it worth it? Just wondering. I doubt that I'll pay the money to do it, but if it's worth it, I just might.
Let me know your thoughts.

War Wound

2009-04-05T13:54:00.000-06:00

In our basement we have bunk beds set up and we are using them as storage shelves. On the very top is a bin of plastic Easter eggs and the boys have recently discovered that they're there.

Today Landon and Carter were playing downstairs and having fun until disaster struck. They started climbing up onto the bunk beds in hopes of getting to the Easter eggs and Carter didn't make it. He fell off, and this was the result...

After looking at the pictures, Carter's reply was "I have a blue owie."

The Baby Bump

2009-03-26T22:48:00.000-06:00

This is a little frightening for me to post. Why? Because I am self conscious. A friend of mine posted a picture on her blog every 4 weeks that she was pregnant, and I loved watching her slowly get bigger. So I thought that despite my fear, I'd do the same thing. After all, I'm sure that looking back I will want to see it and I'm sure this baby will too.

So this is the "Baby Bump" at 12 weeks and 6 days.

The picture is a little scary I know. As for the pregnancy, it's going along pretty smoothly. I had my 12 week checkup and we heard a good strong heart beat (170 beats per minute). I'm a little sick in the afternoons, and have lost my appetite, but it hasn't been too bad. The good news is that since becoming pregnant I've lost 14 pounds! YIPEE!!

Aprons

2009-03-26T11:00:00.000-06:00

Months ago I bought little aprons for the boys to wear when they wanted to help me cook or bake or just get messy. I finally decided today that I should pull them out and let the boys put their names and the two decals on them. It was a lot of fun and Landon and Carter thought they were the neatest things ever.

St. Patricks Day Cookies

2009-03-18T18:48:00.000-06:00

What better is there to do for the holidays than make cookies with the kids? We invited the Devey's and Tolboe's over to make cookies with us for St. Patricks Day. It was so much fun!! I had prepared the cookie dough in advance and then when everyone got here we spread out the flour on the kitchen table and started rolling out the dough.

We let each kid pick two cookie cutters to start with and they cut out their own cookies. They LOVED it!

After about two or three rounds they were done and so Kim, Shelley and I finished the rest while the kids went outside and played.

When they were done baking we frosted them and everyone took home a plate of cookies. I love doing this with the kids. It's not something that I do often because it's such a mess, but I figure the holidays warrant a fun activity and this is a favorite.

The Park

2009-03-18T16:39:00.000-06:00

Today was such a great day! It was warm and the wind wasn't blowing, and I couldn't resist taking the boys to play at the park. Landon and Carter were so excited to go they ran almost the entire way there. We played on the dinosaurs, motorcycles, and the slides, but the favorite part was the swings. I pushed them both for at lest a half an hour. They LOVE to swing! I loved it too when I was a little girl, and still do even now. The slides were a little scary the first time Landon went down them, but after that he never even hesitated. I can't wait for more days like today!

The Big Wheel Brigade

2009-03-16T19:40:00.000-06:00

Watch out if you're coming this way.

The Big Wheel Brigade is out and about!

All the kids get on their bikes and ride them to the corner.
Then they sit and debate whether or not to cross the road.
Some do and others don't.
Either way they're out and about having a blast!

The Zoo

2009-03-13T12:47:00.000-06:00

I took the boys to the zoo with my friends Heidi and Melissa and their kiddos today. We had a great time. It was a little cool in the morning, but warmed right up. A perfect day for some fun. All the kids had a blast running from exhibit to exhibit. We ate lunch by the leopard. It was new to the zoo and was pacing back and forth along the front window. The kids loved it being up so close. We let the kids play at the playground and rode the train, and by the time we left and got into the car it was only minutes before they were completely out. I am so happy that we went and can't wait to do it again.

Visiting Teaching Message

2009-03-09T17:20:00.001-06:00

Cabin Fun

2009-03-09T11:18:00.000-06:00

We went with the Devey Family to see the newly finished cabin yesterday. It was lots of fun, and the cabin was unbelievable. The boys loved riding the four wheeler with their Daddy and I loved chilling in the cabin. We took stuff and made dinner there and played for a few hours before coming back home.

Guess What?

2009-03-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

I peed on a stick

And what do you know!
In three or four months
I'll be starting to show!

Shocking isn't it!

We were shocked to find out that we were pregnant. Kelly and I had been talking about having another baby at the end of last year, but then decided that we should wait until the summer to try. The thought of having a winter baby is terrifying to me.

At the beginning of February, I got to thinking about when I'd had my last period... and I couldn't remember. On the 10th, I finally when and looked at the calendar to see if something I had written on there would trigger my memory. I realized that the last time I remembered being on my period was at the end of December. When my Mom was in the hospital and I stayed with her I remembered having to pack provisions. The feelings that came over me at that moment were overwhelming.

I told Kelly and he kept telling me over and over again that I'd probably start the next day, because with my schedule, you really never know. I knew the minute I'd realized it. There were definitely signs, and yet, I ignored them up until that point. I told Kelly that I thought I should go and take a pregnancy test. His responded by saying, "Well that's a waste of money. You're not pregnant."

I did it anyway. And sure enough it was positive! I was shaking and walked out into the living room to show Kelly... and guess what... he still didn't believe me. He was in such denial, that he got on the computer and researched the pregnancy test to try and prove me wrong. Well as you're aware now. He didn't succeed. After a minute or two of silence, he turned around to face me, sitting on the floor in our entryway still shaking in disbelief. He said congratulations and that he was excited. It was a very exciting night, and I am still in shock.

We had an ultrasound done on the 23rd of February to "count babies" because my HCG levels were higher than normal. And after having twins, the chances of having multiples again are greater. There was only one baby viable on the ultrasound, and my measurements show that this little bundle of joy will be joining our family in early October. My official due date is October 3.

My New Addition

2009-02-19T14:16:00.000-07:00

For Valentines Day Kelly bought me a much needed gift. A new camera!!
I'm so excited to have it. Thanks Kell!! I love you!

Potty Training

2009-02-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

We started potty training the boys on Valentines Day. Going into it I thought that Carter would take to it the best and that Landon would struggle. Boy was I ever wrong. Landon has done so much better than Carter. He's hasn't had more than 4 pee-pee accidents the whole time we've been working with him. Going poop is another story, but we're working on it. And I know that's the hardest part. Carter on the other hand for the first couple of days couldn't have cared less. He would just pee in his pants. It didn't even phase him. But in the last couple of days he's started getting better. We still have the same problem with him as we do with Landon in regards to pooping, but we'll get through it. Yesterday I went outside to check the mail and as I turned around to come back inside this is what I found. Snow hats on sideways, and Carter in his snow boots, which he loves, and Landon with Daddy's ski goggles around his neck. I thought it was too cute not to take a picture of and share. We decided not to use pull-ups, because they're no different than a diaper to the boys. So they're in big boy underwear and I think it's very cute.

Don't Miss Out On Scentsy

2009-02-09T21:44:00.000-07:00

February is the time to purchase Scentsy!

The new Spring catalog will be available to order from in March,
and that means some items are being discontinued this month.

Don't miss out ordering your favorites!!
As an added bonus, everything in the Fall/Winter catalog is 10%off (except for: Perfect Scentsy, Scentsy Sampler, and Double the Scentsy).

Prices with the 10% Discount
Warmers $27.00
Car Candle $2.70
Room Spray $7.20
Scentsy Bar $4.50
Scentsy Brick $18.00

DISCONTINUED WARMERS
Americana
Bear Country
Craftsman
Evergreen
Fleur-de-lis
Hooked
Lakeside
Lighthouse
Orchard
Paisley
Pink
Ice Blue
Navy
Sonata
Plum
Red
Green
Terra Cotta

DISCONTINUED SCENTS
Amaretto
Bayberry
Cherry Clove Chutney
Christmas Tree
Clementine Tea
Clove and Pepper
Coffee Tree
Cozy Fireside
Creamy Nutmeg
Fried Ice Cream
Grove and Clove
Mulberry Apple Marsala
Orchid Saki
Peach Cobbler Cinnamon
Pear Crumble
Redwood Cedar
Snowberry
True Vanilla
White Pepper Clove
Winter Wonderland

If you'd like to order you can do so directly from
www.Scentsy.com/ChristyJohnson
or you can email or call me.

February is also a great time to host a party.
If you're interested, please give me a call or email me.

Crude... Yet Funny

2009-02-09T16:50:00.000-07:00

A little while ago Kelly was getting Landon ready for bed and was in the middle of changing his bum. When all of a sudden there was an explosion. Yep... Landon farted right as Kelly lifted his legs up to wipe his little bum. Kelly shockingly exclaimed, "Hey, you farted in my face!" I thought it was hilarious and laughed.

Well last night we were doing the same routine and Kelly once again had Landon. He was changing his diaper and Landon started grunting, the rest went as follows:

Kelly - "Hey... What are you doing?"
Landon - "I fartn your face!"

Crude I know... but it was hilarious! He never did actually fart, but the fact that he was trying and he remembered doing it from the past made it even more funny to me. Kelly was a little shocked, but was trying to hold back his laughter as well.

Friday Night Game Night

2009-02-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

We love to play games. For Christmas Kelly received a bunch of new ones, and we've had a great time playing them. Last weekend, the Devey's and Tolboe's came over and had dinner with us. Afterward the kids all went downstairs and played, and we pulled out Settlers of Catan. It was so much fun. Tensions were high at points throughout the game and it made it even more fun. Derek ended up winning the game, which if you know Derek, would not be any kind of surprise. He's excellent at strategy games like Settlers. Towards the end of our game the kiddo's started to get tired, and so Kelly turned on a movie for them. It was so cute how they all lined up on the couch to watch. I loved having everyone over and hope that we can do it again soon.

The Carousel

2009-02-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

Last Friday my sister in law Kris Anne and I took the kiddos to the South Town mall to have lunch and ride the Carousel. It was so much fun! The kids were so anxious to ride, we barely were able to get some food in their little bellies. They kept running up to the fence and watching it between bites.
Once it was our turn, they gave the ride operator their tokens and bolted for the animals. Landon, Carter, and Georgia all chose horses to ride on. Joseph (or should I say Kris Anne) chose a Gazelle, and Scotty rode on the Dragon.
It was such a simple outing, but all the kids loved it, and it got us out of the house for a few hours. If you're considering doing this, I would highly recommend it.

All About My First Born

2009-02-05T10:35:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine sent this to me in an email, and I wanted to blog it. I never wrote down anything while I was pregnant, and figured I'd at least have this to look back at.

1. Was your first pregnancy planned? Yes

2. Were you married at the time? Yes

3. What were your reactions? Excited! We found out on Kelly's birthday.

4. If trying, for how long? Over a year

5. How old were you? 26

6. How did you find out you were pregnant? We took a pregnancy test at home and then went and had some blood work done just to make sure. I was really sick with a sinus infection/cold and wanted to make sure I really was pregnant because of the meds I was taking at the time.

7. Who did you tell first? Kelly... it was his birthday after all!!

8. Did you want to find out the sex? Absolutely!

9. Due Date? 07/13/2006

10. Did you have morning sickness? Nope. I didn't have an appetite either. Nothing sounded good to me.

11. What did you crave? Oranges and Strawberry milkshakes from McDonnalds.

12. Who or what irritated you the most? I don't remember being irritated. I had a really good pregnancy.

13. What was your first child's sex? Boy and Boy -- Twins!

14. Did you wish that you had the opposite sex of what you were getting? No. Kelly and I both wanted to have a boy first.

15. How many pounds did you gain throughout the pregnancy? I lost 35 in the first trimester, and only gained back about 12 or 15.

16. Did you have a baby shower? Yes I had a few. I was so grateful!! We would have died. Buying 2 of everything really hurt financially.

17. Was it a surprise or did you know? About the shower(s)? I knew about them. About the Twins? NO... they were a complete shock. We found out at our 20 week ultrasound.

18. Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? Yes. I had false labor once. Landon hardly ever moved and they were concerned about that. My Dr. ended up delivering the babies 5 weeks and 5 days early because Carter stopped growing.

19. Where did you give birth? American Fork, UT

20. How many hours were you in labor? None. I had a scheduled C-Section

21. Who drove you to the hospital? Kelly

22. Who watched you give birth? Kelly, My OB, Another OB from their practice, 6 or more nurses, and the anesthesiologist, I think that was everyone.

23. Was it natural or C-Section? C-Section, and I loved it. Until they gave me morphine afterward for pain. That is a nasty drug. I couldn't stop itching. It made me crazy!!

24. Did you take medicine to ease the pain? I had a spinal block for the C-Section and then afterward I did take medicine to control pain as well.

25. How much did your child weigh? Landon was 5 lbs. 7 oz. and Carter was 4 lbs. 8 oz.

26. When was your child actually born? 06/13/06

27. What name did you choose? Landon and Carter

28. How old is your first born today? They are 2 years and 9 months old.

29. What would you go back and change? I would have asked more questions once I knew they'd be taking the boys early. I wasn't prepared for them to be in the NICU for so long. I am grateful that they were, but I wish that I had been better prepared ahead of time.

Twin A is Landon
Twin B is Carter
I cried when we first saw this!
This was taken in the NICU when the boys were about 5 or 6 hours old.
Landon is the bigger baby in the front.
Carter is the smaller baby in the back.

Meet Logan

2009-02-03T13:31:00.000-07:00

This is so sweet. I had to share.

Getting To Know You Game

2009-01-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

Shelley sent this to me and I thought it was fun. Here are some fun facts about me right now.

Six names you go by:
1. Mommy

2. Christy
3. Chris

4. Humuhnuh (Kelly's family calls me this)
5. Homanuh (Kelly's Dad doesn't say Humuhnun right, and always calls me this)

6. Sissy (Shelley's and Kim's kids call me this)

Three things you are wearing right now:
1. Black hat

2. Glasses

3. Cute jeans

Three things you want very badly at the moment:
1. Someone to make lunch

2. A Vacation
3. Peace & Quiet

Four People who will fill this out
1. Vicki

2. Summer

3. Miranda
4. Amy

Two things you did last night:
1. My Shows (Ugly Betty, Grey's, & Private Practice)

2. Boggle

Two things you ate today:
1. Honey Nut Cheerios

2. A Caramel

Two people you last talked to on the phone: (other than while at work)
1. Kelly

2. Greg

Two things you are going to do tomorrow:
1. Clean

2. Have dinner with friends.

Favorite beverages
1. Diet Coke

2. Diet Cherry Pepsi

3. More Diet Coke

New "Cool Dudes"

2009-01-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

I had to run to Target today, and the boys were driving me a little crazy, so I thought a stroll through the toy isle would make them happier. It did thankfully. We were just finishing up when the kids spring stuff caught my eye. I love their stuff. It's so colorful and fun, and gives me hope that spring will be soon coming. While browsing the isle I saw sunglasses and the boys started saying, "look Mom cool dudes." It was too cute, and they were cheap, so I splurged.