Our 1st trip up American Fork Canyon this year

Last Sunday after church we decided to get the Devey's and Tolboe's and ride up the canyon. Kelly's been itching to go camping for so long, and all it's done is rain. So when Sunday came and the weather was nice we decided a trip up to roast hot dogs and marshmallows would be great.

We all loaded up and headed on our way. The Tolboe's rode with us and it was a slightly tight fit, but we did it! Kelly decided to purchase a season pass, and was beaming with joy. We drove around looking for a spot, and got a little discouraged. At first we drove all the way up to the lake and didn't see anything. So we headed back down and a spot had opened up. Derek jumped out of the van and ran. Luckily he beat another group there that was headed for the same spot.

We unloaded and started a fire. The kids immediately went towards the gushing river, which made me a nervous wreck. There were lots of little rocks that they found and loved throwing them into the water. They were all really good and listened when we told them to they were getting too close. Which made me feel a little bit better.

We had hot dogs, and DJ salad, chips and drinks, and then for dessert we had smores. Not the traditional ones though. We used chocolate chip cookies and marshmallows instead. They were great, a little sticky, but that's to be expected. The kids loved them... dirt and all.

After we ate everyone went on a little walk over the bridge and up the mountain a little ways. The boys loved it. They ran around and picked up rocks and sticks. They're going to be just like their daddy, with a great love for the mountains.

When it started to get a little cold, we decided that we'd better head home. We cleaned up and the Devey's took off, and as they were driving away, I though to take a group picture. Sorry guys, I tried to stop you, but I was too late.

All of us had a great time, and can't wait to do it again.

Abby, Kim & Ian

Landon

Carter & Ian

Trent & Shelley

Ethan

Memorial Day

On Memorial Day this year we attended The Aaron Johnson Family Reunion in Mapelton.

Aaron Johnson was Kelly's Great Great Grandfather. Aaron's father was Aaron Johnson Sr. He was a polygamist who had 12 wives and 56 children. (I can't even fathom that.) Luckily it was just the reunion of Aaron Johnson, Kelly's Great Great Grandfather. I can not even imagine the amount of people that would have been there had it been the decedents of Aaron Johnson Sr.

It was fun. Some of the family told stories about his family and the hardships they faced as they were trying to settle here in Utah. It was so interesting to hear, and yet so sad. Just knowing that as they traveled and lost children and had to bury them and carry on, breaks my heart. They were much stronger people than I know I am.

There was good food and the best part was the face painting for the kids. They hired a lady from Highland who does face painting. She painted Landon's face like an elephant, and Carter's like a dalmatian. I loved it, they looked so cute. They weren't quite sure what to think about it, especially as she was doing it.

After we left the reunion we went over to put some flowers on Kelly's mother's grave. We don't get over there near enough. Kelly's allergies are so bad, and so going there with all the flowers makes it tough for him. Luckily enough for us, it had been raining, so there wasn't as much pollen in the air, and he did surprisingly well.

I am so thankful for our ancestors and all that they did for us. Without their sacrifices and achievements I can't imagine what times would be like today. I am also so thankful for Kelly's mother and the outstanding example she was. Of all the things I know about her, the thing that I will always remember is her love for the gospel. She was so Christ like, and lived her life with the purpose of returning to our Heavenly Father. Thank you for the example you were to your family, and the example you continue to be to ours. We love you.

The Host Signings

On May 16th and 17th Stephenie Meyers was in town doing signings for her newest book The Host. The signings were awesome!!! Stephenie was great, very down to earth and personable, just like a next door neighbor. She's got a great sense of humor and loves "The Office" which I think is fantastic!

The one on the 16th was held at Thanksgiving Point in the barn. Kim and I went together and met Melissa there. Because Kim and I were part of Twilight Mom's and paid to attend an after party with the Twilight Mom's we were allowed into the barn a few minuted early so we were able to get great seats.

The signing on the 17th was held at Highland High, Kim and I went to this one too, and the auditorium was overflowing. I couldn't believe how many people showed up to the signings. It was even more amazing to see the adult women to youth ratio. We adults by far out numbered the youth that were there, both times.

These are some questions that were asked to Stephenie, that I can remember, . They aren't here word for word answers, so you'll have to bear with me.

Q: Was it her hands (Twilight) and her eye (The Host) on the covers?

A: No they were both models. She was ok with the covers for Twilight, Eclipse and The Host. She hated the cover for New Moon.

Q: Various questions about getting published and becoming a writer.

A: She says that if you want to become a writer then do it. Just write. Forget about getting published. Just write your story and finish it, and do it for you. Write them because it's what you love to do. Then afterwards, look online (she made references of places to go) and start from there. When sending your books into publishers, just follow the rules and keep it simple. That's going to benefit you more than trying to make a statement with clever packaging or letters.

Q: Will there be a sequel to The Host?

A: Probably... She's going to be taking the next year off, to do nothing but write (Midnight Sun). She does have the Prologue to the second book 'Seeker' and, the epilogue to the 3rd book 'Soul'. She is happy that she already knows the titles, because that's the hardest part for her is choosing the titles. So yes, she's hoping it will be another trilogy. There is also another story that she's excited about and has been working on, so hopefully in that year, she'll get a little more done on that too. (She didn't mention anything else about it other than that.)

Q: How does your husband feel about all of this?

A: He's very supportive. He's now a stay-at-home dad, and is very proud of her.

Q: What made you think of the caves as the hiding place in The Host?

A: Her husband goes spelunking all the time and comes home with pictures and she just thought it would be cool.

Q: It talks about Jim's & Pam's on page 218 in the 3rd paragraph down. All mixed in, of course, with the Pam's and the Jim's -Jed. Was that a reference to 'The Office?"

A: Yes, I love The Office, that's where it came from.

Q: Who do like more, Jared or Ian?

A: It depends on the day. Some times it's Jared, because he's more rough and tough... a manly man. Other days it's Ian because he's more caring and sensitive, yet still very strong and masculine.

Q: What can you tell us about the Twilight movie? Are you happy with it so far?

A: She is very happy with the movie. She loves the cast and the director is so full of energy and great ideas. She says she's fantastic. She's extremely happy with Robert and Kristen. From what she's seen of the movie she says it's even better than she could have imagined.

Q: What do you do in your spare time?

A: 'What is that? I don't really know anymore.' Camping with the family. She loves to read. She normally would read 3 - 4 books a week, but doesn't get to do very often now.

I love The Host just as much as I love the Twilight series. If you haven't had an opportunity to read it, you should take some time and do so. It was fantastic! I am not one for reading much especially Si-Fi books, but this one is definitely an exception.

Me and my Diet Coke baby!

We were even able to spend some time with Vicki and Summer who Kim, Shelley, and I are going to Forks with in September!

Shoes

I really don't understand what it is with shoes that Landon and Carter love so much. It's not their shoes that they love, It's other peoples shoes. It's all I can do to keep their shoes on them, but when it comes to Kelly's, Alivia's, Abby's, mine, or anyone elses for that matter, I can't seem to keep them out of them. It's kind of funny to see them walking around in them. Especially the little girls shoes, and Kelly's.

"Grapa" Johnson

Landon & Carter LOVE their Gampa Johnson. Every time he sees them he'll hold them on his knees and sing songs to them, all the while bouncing them, and making them laugh. It's the cutest thing to watch.

We took the boys over to visit him one day while he was working in his classroom at Orem High. The boys had just received balloons from Big-O Tires and were excited to show them to him. Uncle Greg met us there and we talked while they played with Grapa.

In Grapa's classroom he has a big black chair at the front of the room, that he'll sit in sometimes while he's teaching. He of course also has a podium too. The boys pulled Grapa over into the chair and sat on his knees and he sang to them and bounced them, and they laughed and laughed.

He also has a stuffed Tiger. Landon was standing by him, and he pulled it out and started making the growling noises that tigers make. Landon was staring at it and all was well, until... Grapa quickly moved it towards him. It was over at that moment. He jumped so high, and started crying. He jumped out of Grapa's arms and ran over to his Daddy. We all laughed pretty hard. It was quite comical. Poor Landon!

Thanks Grapa for letting us come to your classroom and visit, hopefully we'll do it more during the next school year. We love you!!

Kelly's SURPRISE trip to see...

So way back at the end of March, I surprised Kelly with a little get away. I put him in the car and told him we were going for a Sunday drive. Well, we ended up at the airport, and Kelly was shocked!

All he knew once we got to the ticket counter was that we were going to Denver, CO. While we were there we drove around the city, ate at The Cheesecake Factory for lunch on Monday, and then that night ate dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House.

After we ate dinner, we got into a little buggy pulled by a guy on a bike. It was so fun. He took us over to the Pepsi Center, and Kelly still had no idea what we were doing.

It wasn't until we were in line, and he said to me, "I'm going to need a ticket to get in" that I finally gave him the ticket. The Bon Jovi concert ticket.

Kelly was in shock. He just kept saying over and over again "holy crap, holy crap." He's told me ever since I've known him that if he could go to one concert, Bon Jovi was the one he would choose. I loved it! His reaction was priceless.

We were there at the Pepsi Center to see Bon Jovi in concert with Chris Daughtry opening for him. It was amazing! Daughtry was fantastic! He performed, as if it were his concert we were all there to see, and I wouldn't have been disappointed in the least.

Once Bon Jovi came on stage, they played non-stop for two hours. It was unbelieveable! They played songs from his newest album plus all the older ones that we love. We were exhausted just watching, so I can't imagine how he must have felt. Not only him, but his band too. The drummer was insane. He's a big dude, solid muscle, and he was moving so fast I was facinated just watching him.

Thanks Kelly for being such an amazing husband! I love you and am so happy that I was able to share this dream of yours with you!

I hate the Houston Rockets, and especially Tracy McGrady. He's the biggest whiner I've ever known. I'm tired. My knee hurts. They play me physical. I had a fresh AK guarding me. I have a googly eye. What a freaking wuss. Shut up and play Traci. Try shooting in the 4th quarter rather than just whining for a change. Go Jazz!!!!!!!

Four's

Four places I go all the time: Grocery Store, Bank, Target, Roberts

Four people who e-mail me (regularly): Charice, Shelley, Sheila, Kim

Four of my favorite places to eat: Cafe Rio, Chili's, Mama Chu's, Olive Garden

Four places I would rather be right now: On the set of Twilight, Europe, Hawaii, On a Cruise

Four TV shows I watch over and over: American Idol, Greek, Grey's Anatomy, Law & Order

Four people I am now tagging: Everyone who reads this! Take a turn and post your 4's.

I never knew just how much fun a FedEx envelope could be...

Every now and again, the boys and I will go with Kelly up to his work on a Saturday and hang out for a little bit while he finishes up some things. This was the case here. Kelly was taking a couple of days off work and wanted to finish up a couple of things. We were all in Salt Lake and so I decided that we would just go with him and hang out until he was done.

I figured it would take him 30 - 45 minutes, an hour at the most. Well an hour passed, Kelly still wasn't done, and the boys were sick of walking around the halls with me. I didn't bring anything for them to play with (my mistake), just their drinks and some snacks. Finding things that they could actually play with in an office was a hard thing to do. Think about it... what would you give your 21 month old child to play with?

This is what we came up with...

FedEx envelopes that had been thrown away. They were in the shread bins and were not dirty from being in a normal garbage can, so we figured it would be alright. They were more than alright. The boys loved them! They thought it was so funny to put them on their heads and throw them in the air or onto the ground. They laughed and laughed at each other. It was hilarious!!

So next time that you're stuck at the office with your husband or wife with nothing to do, remember the FexEx envelopes. They were a life savor!

A Wild Hair?

Do you ever find it fascinating to play with your children's hair? Well, I do. Morgan and I were hanging out a little while ago, and decided it would be fun to give the boys a new hair style for the day. This is what we came up with.

Mohawks!!

Not very original I know. But they were sure cute on them, and they actually sat very still and let me do their hair without even fussing. Probably because they were eating cereal at the time, but I was still proud of them. Thanks boys for letting me play with your hair!

A Little More Manliness is Needed on Here

On a recommendation from Tim Shirley, I decided that since my name is attached to this site, I needed to make a post to help add some Manliness on here. Heaven knows that I've seen enough of Edward. While I am making this update though, I have to wonder if a manly blog post is a complete oxymoron, and that by me writing on here, I completly destroy all sense of manliness. However, I will make an attempt.


I'm a little bit disappointed in my NCAA tournament bracket this year. I only have 6 of the Sweet 16 teams. Really shouldn't have put Vandy through to the Elite 8. Good thing I'm not a betting man.

Still can't figure out the Jazz. I still think they're a year or two away. They've got to figure out the defensive end of the floor. I'd love for them to go a long way though. Maybe some of the other teams will beat each other up again.

I'm excited for the beginning of Baseball season. Hope the Yankees can put it together this year. We're going to try to get back to New York this summer to see a game at Yankee Stadium before they close it down. It should be a lot of fun, and I'm really excited.

Anyway, here's to chili dogs, football, hairy chests, sports talk radio, atv's, and all other things that contribute to manliness.

Kelly

Obsessed Is An Understatement...

I have a new found love in my life. I am completely obsessed with The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer's. I never would have thought that I would be addicted to a series of books, given that I have not read a single book since High School. And to be honest, I couldn't honestly tell you that I actually even made it through a whole book in High School. I have hated reading my whole life. So as you could tell, this is HUGE for me.

How did this all come about? Well... let me tell you. It all started at scrapbook club a couple months ago. Darling little Meg was telling us a little about the books. How great they were, and that she had an obsession with them. Kim had the books and had of course already read them. So Shelley decided that she would borrow them. Of course she loved them too, and soon found herself obsessing over them. She gave the first one to me and told me to read it. I of course said no way. She kept pushing and pushing, and finally I decided to try and read them, just to get her off my back.

I can honestly tell you it was the best decision I have ever made... when it comes to reading. I read all three books in three days. I stayed up until 5 o'clock every morning reading. It was ridiculous!! I just couldn't put them down.



Then Meg told Kim and I about the Twilight Mom's website. It's terrific! So many women all infatuated with the books and the characters. I am on the website at least ten times a day checking for updates on the movie, and of course Robert Pattinson. He's playing Edward!! I love it! LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!! He's just too dang cute.



Not only that, September 11th is Stephenie Meyer's day in Forks Washington. The Twilight Mom's have groups going, and I am going with them!! Kim, Shelley, and Meg are all going too! I am so beyond excited for the trip. It's going to be a great girls outing with everyone who has the same love and passion for the books. So for anyone who lives in Forks, prepare yourselves because the Twilight Mom's are going to take over the town for a few days!!

Which Austen Herione Are You? I Am. . .

Take the Quiz here!

The Best Ever Valentines Date

Valentines Day this year was the best ever. In years past Kelly and I would always just exchange a small gift and I would usually get some flowers and that was about it. Just enough to say we celebrated it, but never went to the extreme.

Well this year was different. With Kelly working so much as of late, we weren't able to celebrate on the 14th. Instead we celebrated on the 16th, a Saturday, which I think made it even better. I was joking around with Kelly and telling him that he better plan something amazing this year because of all the time he's been at work. Never in a million years expecting anything at all. Not even really the usual, like in years past.

Well, Kelly told me a few days before Valentines Day that he had planned something, but that we would have to do it on Saturday. I was excited, but didn't really think anything of it. He didn't tell me what we were doing, and I didn't ask. The only thing he said was that I should wear a dress. I guess I figured that if he really had planned something big, that I wanted it to be a surprise.

So Friday night my cute friend Shauna and I had a little girls night out and had facials, and then shopped a little in the University Mall. I tried on a few dresses and Shauna was totally honest with her opinions, THANK YOU, and I found a really cute dress to wear.

Saturday came and I knew that I needed to be ready to go by 5. Well as it turns out, we were running late because we had my Aunt's College graduation that morning. Then we all went to lunch, and then Kelly had to go to work and try and catch up on a few things. The boys and I went with him and just walked around and waited while he finished up.

Needless to say, we were at the office longer than he had anticipated and therefore running late. By the time we got home and I got ready it was a little after 6 and he was a little panicked. My brother-in-law Greg was so nice and watched the boys for us that night, and we ran out the door.

I still had no clue where we were going or what we were doing. So as we were driving up to Salt Lake I kept guessing things. It was fun not knowing. Kelly got off the freeway at the 6th South exit and I started getting excited. I couldn't decide if we were going to Abravanel Hall or perhaps the Capital Theater, or somewhere totally different.

Once Kelly turned onto 200 South I knew where we were going... The Capital Theater. As he was finding a place to park I noticed signs up for Cinderella. Yes, that's right... he was taking me to see Ballet West's Cinderella. I was freaking out with excitement!!

The ballet was wonderful. The ugly step-sisters were played by men, Jason Linsley & Christopher Ruud. They were fabulous! The whole audience was roaring with laughter watching them. Needless to say it was not the Disney version. It was a lot more light hearted and comical, yet still had the fairy tale romance that we all love.

After the ballet we were both starving so we went over to the Gateway and had dinner at a great Italian restaurant called Biaggi's. The food was fabulous! If you haven't gone there, you need to. Our waiter was so great too. He even recognized Kelly from the bank, and he hasn't been there in over a year and a half. I was impressed.

Overall, it was a fabulous night. But that's not all. As a gift to me in addition to the ballet and dinner, Kelly took Tuesday and Wednesday off work. With Monday being a holiday we had 5 days with him. I couldn't have asked for more.

Thank you so much Kelly for the best Valentines Day ever. I love you so much and appreciate all the time you put into planning this great night.

A night with no power

Well last night we had quite the experience...

It all started yesterday afternoon. It started to snow and the winds were really blowing hard. We couldn't even see out any of our windows because they were completely covered in ice and snow. So the boys and I decided to watch a movie and shortly after we started it, the power went out. I didn't think anything of it, because it came right back on after a minute or two. Well then about 5 minutes or so after that, it went off again. I was a little frustrated because we had to restart the movie again, but still no big deal.

Well, it happened again, and again, and again, until finally the power went off and stayed off. I think it was around 5:30 pm when it went off for the last time. I figured it would just come back on again in a few minutes, and really didn't think much of it. Well about an hour passed and it was starting to get pretty dark, so I went around and gathered some candles and a couple of lanters that use liquid parafan, just in case.

Well, I am so grateful that I did that, because the power still wasn't on at 7:00 and it was dark. By this time the boys and I were starving and Kelly hadn't even left work yet. So luckily I had the brilliant idea to light our gas range with a lighter and I made a warm meal of Macaroni & Cheese for us to eat. Our house was getting a little cool, and I thought that might help warm us up. While I was cooking the boys had pulled a couple of baskets I had on a table in the kitchen and were climbing in and out of them. At least they were having some fun and keeping their selves entertained. Derek even came over and heated up some bottles on the stove top for Ian. What a blessing it was to have that gas range.

Kelly finally left work at 7:25 and knew that he was in for a long drive home. My phone was almost dead and so Shelley let me borrow hers so that I could stay in touch with Kelly as he was driving home.

At this point the boys were beyond ready for bed. The problem with putting them to bed was that Carter had been sick and throwing up all day. So all of his bedding was in the washer, and seems as how we had no power I had no way of drying it. So I decided to lay them both down in Landon's bed. Carter wasn't too excited about it at first, but settled down and fell asleep. Well after about 30 minutes, I was sitting in the kitchen and heard Carter start to wimper and then all of a sudden barf. It was everywhere! I couldn't believe it.

Needless to say, now neither of their cribs had any bedding. So at that point after cleaning up everything the best I could, I decided to lay them down in my bed and lay with them. After getting all their wiggles out they finally calmed down and fell asleep.

Kelly made it home last night at 10:50 pm. I was so happy to see him walk through the door. He came in and helped me get the rest of the house situated, because at this point the power was still off. He made himself a quesadilla on the stove top, because he refused to eat Mac N Cheese and then we went to bed in our bed with the boys. The boys slept pretty well, but Kelly and I didn't. I have no clue what time the power came back on, but I know it did sometime in the night.

I am so happy that last night is over and we have power. I totally take it for granted every day, and know now that I need to do a lot more to prepare for a night like that one. Because heaven knows there'll certainly be another one.

I'm A Blue Girl

You Are A Blue Girl

Relationships and feelings are the most important things to you. You are empathetic and accepting - and good at avoiding conflict. If someone close to you is in pain, it makes you hurt as well. You try to heal the ones you love with your kind and open heart.

What Color Girl Are You?