Friday, June 26, 2009

Our FIRST RESPONSE...

Derek & I are VERY HAPPY to announce that
we are expecting our 3rd baby!

E.T.A. ~ February 18, 2010

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

More Karate


Yesterday was Michael Anne's first Karate lesson with a group. The majority of the group are much more advanced so they took the three younger, newer kids aside to teach them more of the basics. It was fun to watch her learning and interacting with other people. It's so funny to me how shy she gets sometimes when I know full well what an outgoing, funny little rascal she is! But she did a great job & had a fun time. She's looking forward of her next class tomorrow. She's super cute in her Karate duds & watch out... this girl packs a mean punch...AYyah!!!

Addi


The other day we went to the duck pond at BYU by the Bell Tower for a picnic with Grandma Church & my brother's family. It was such a fun time. We brought old hot dog buns to feed the duckies & their babies and then the kids had fun dangling their feet in the cool water. Maria got a bunch of really cute pictures (I'll have t ask her for copies) but this is the ONE I got of my cute little Addison with her little bitty toes in the water. She is so darn cute!

Father's Day


Father's Day was a lot of fun this year, as it always is! Derek is such a great dad & husband. I don't know what happened in the universe but it seems like my husband, his brothers, my brothers, my friend's & cousin's husbands are all a different breed of good men. It is wonderful to be around them & watch them. They are great examples to the next generation of dads (let's hold off on that though)!!!
I personally feel like the luckiest woman in the world to have such a devoted, helpful, and loving friend by my side. If all he did was rub my feet, which he does EVERY day, I'd love him but he does so much more for me... I can't even list all the day to day stuff he does without ever being asked or coerced. & then there is the way he loves me, the way he loves our children, the way he speaks to us with a kind voice. I don't think there is anything he wouldn't do to help us be happy, even on 2 hours sleep or no sleep at all & he does it all without a word. He's a GREAT guy! Derek, I love you.
So, I suggested we have a BBQ for Father's Day dinner after church on Sunday. I don't like picking out the meat so I asked Derek to do it & boy did he pick the meat!!! He brought home everything you could think of and our dinner turned into a feast of salad, shrimp, fresh corn on the cob, meat & veggies. Oh, it was so good. I wish you could have smelled it, tasted it, enjoyed it as much as we did. WOW. & YES, he even prepared it & grilled it himself & what an amazing job he did!!! Yummy.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

White Belt


Well, she did it. She finished her homework for Karate & performed her moves well so now we have a little white belt Karate master in our midst! Congratulations Michael Anne!!! She's really good at all her moves, except jumping over the noodle when it is swiping her feet. She jumps alright but not straight up more like kidda everywhere and anywhere while the girliest giggles spill out of her in an uncontrollable deluge of laughter! It's really funny!!! But watch out if she needs to kick or punch or duck or scoot to the side...a regular ninja! Okay, okay, I know they are different arts but here I am a mom who's only exposure so such things was being the Tia Qwan Do (I don't even know how to spell Ti Quan Do?) boxing dummie for my brothers back in the day, running for my life while they terrorized me with impending doom! Now she is all signed up for the summer program and anxiously awaiting her next lesson on Tuesday. AWESOME MICHAEL ANNE!!!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Chop Chop!

Yesterday Michael Anne had her very first Karate lesson! Her cousin Kamryn goes to the Bobby Lawrence Karate Training Center so we decided to go there too. A few months ago Kamryn invited us to go see her belt advancement & Michael was totally excited. Kamryn is on the SWAT team which is their super awesome performing group. Michael thought it was really cool and I thought it would be a great opportunity for her to have some fun & to learn some more self dicipline and control. The following are a few pictures of her with Micki, her instructor. She learned the basics last night; attention, gaurd stance, punches, kicks, bowing, ducking, jumping, side stepping & the 7 special words which are "Yes sir, No sir, Yes ma'm, No ma'm, Please, Thank you, & You're welcome." Her next lesson is on Thursday evening and she will earn her white belt as long as she has completed her homework which is to use the 7 special words often & to do 5 chores around the house without being asked. Last night she went to bed with no argument & did her dishwasher chore by putting in the soap & turning it on by herself. This morning she's already made her bed very nicely, cleaned up her room (even Addi's stuff). Needless to say I'm loving this maybe even more than she does!!!

Friday, June 12, 2009

All Ready for Kindergarten!!!

Michael Anne had her kindergarten check up at the doctor's office today. She was very prepared for her slew of shots but it showed in her slightly elevated blood pressure that she was a little nervous. Not to worry though, she brought along her teddy for comfort and Dr. Weipert's office gave her a BUNCH of prizes including, a bead bracelet, a sucker (of course), a coupon for a free ice cream cone, a coupon for a kid's meal at Del Taco, a certificate for being a SUPER patient, a Frisbee, a sticker, and maybe something else that I can't remember right now! Anyhow, the haul was a big one for such a big girl on such a big day!!!!
Here is our pediatric doctor. We think he's tops! He's been with us since our prenatal classes before Michael Anne was born and will likely be our doctor for years to come!!! His staff are wonderful and they take really great care with our kids. Thanks North Valley Pediatrics!!!

Incidentally, Addi had her well baby check up too & she is doing fine. I asked them for a sucker for her too as sugar seems to dull the pain! She enjoyed a few licks of watermellon DumDum goodness and a couple more sucks of it in the car. Then she tossed it and played with her sticky little hands the rest of the way home...what a cute kid!
Have you ever tried to take two children to the doctor for shots at the same time??? Surprisingly & wonderfully, Derek ended up with all his hours at work & was sent packing for the day so he showed up at home without calling ahead just as we were about to leave & just as I was about to begin meltdown mode...we had a poop out with little time to spare...so the meltdown was avoided & I cannot tell you the relief and utter happiness I felt at the instant he walked through the door! I think there is a good reason they don't like to schedule them that way, somehow it just ended up like this to their dismay...and mine, lucky for us daddy was there to hold one while the other protested the poky kisses! All in all, it was a good time though. Everybody left happy so that's good!!!

After we dropped sleepy, sticky Addi & daddy off at home Michael Anne & I went to the mall for another little treat. Grandma had recieved a coupon for a free Build-A-Bear & this seemed like the perfect day for a little cuddly, snuggly kind of fun. Here is her little critter, Sunny Cat, named for her soon to be school, Suncrest Elementary! Isn't she cute & a cat that takes a bath, now that's a great pet!!!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Daddy, Trix are for Kids...& this Trix is on You!


Michael Anne got a swirly yogurt (Yoplait's - Very Berry Watermellon) out tonight for a snack & this is what she said: "Oh, I got green & red!" & daddy said "Yeah, I bet its pure sugar too." & She said "NO, its pure adventure for my taste buds!"

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

From Michael Anne's Blog of Pictures & Stuff

Friday, May 29, 2009

A Pile of Cousins


Uncle Dave & Aunt Penny have been in town this week with my cousins. We've had SO MUCH FUN playing and going to movies & hanging out at the park with them & Grandma Church! I have totally loved everyday, except when it comes to an end... that really stinks. They are going home tomorrow but here is a picture of us romping around at Gma & Gpa's house tonight.

Hedge Smedge

Today while we were playing out in the backyard Michael Anne decided it would be fun to take a walk with the spray bottle and "help out Mother Nature." This always sounds like a good time to me so we packed up everything and took it all inside & then strapped Addi in her stroller for a nice long walk. Michael was having a blast squirting every living thing she could find, but not the dead bird we found b/c "that's not living, well not anymore!" We walked past one finely manicured yard and Michael went over to water the bushes. They too were nicely trimmed, perfectly neat & square. I said to her something like "wow, isn't that amazing? that bush is completely square!" With nary a missed beat my little smarty pants replied "Yeah Mom, that's because its a hedge!" Oh well I'll be. That girl knows just about everything and then some!!!!

On the same note, the other day we were in the car & the kids wanted to watch a movie. Brenden was sick of Strawberry Shortcake and the like so it was his turn to pick a show. He chose A Bug's Life being the nice big brother that he is. Michael immediately protested and said she voted for something else, more girly. Derek said "No, it's Brenden's turn to pick something." She said "but I vote for...." He said "well we don't need a consensus it is Brenden's turn to pick." "Yes we need a consensus" she protested. Then Derek said "Michael do you know what a consensus is?" "Yes" she replied, (we exchanged a look that said "Ugh huh, sure you do") then she continued, "its when everybody agrees & I DO NOT agree!" Hummgh, she was right, but still A Bug's Life prevailed.


Only One Year of High School Left!!!

Today is Brenden's last day of his junior year!!! WooHooHoo!!!! Where has the time gone? As promised here are some more pictures of the boy who makes us so proud. He's done a lot to finish off this year well and these pictures will show some of the accomplishments he's had. Way to Go Bren! We LOVE you!!!

Brenden has been attending the Jordan Applied Technology Center every morning this year. Here he is sporting his first SUIT, care of Grandma & Grandpa Johnson, with his Web Design teacher, Mr. Kidd, at this year's graduation & awards ceremony. Mr. Kidd had a lot of nice things to say about Brenden and as you can see in the next picture he was rewarded nicely for his good attitude and all the great work he has done this year!

These last two photos are from the Salt Lake Community College concurrent enrollment Art Show. Brenden's teacher submitted this website he designed and it won the blue ribbon Award of Excellence in Animation & Multimedia! You can't quite tell from the picture but it is a website that tells all about the planets. The planets rotate and when you scroll over them they give info about the planet. The Earth also spins in the background for a really cool effect. Surprisingly, the award was accompanied by a check for $100.00! You should have seen his face when he sat down to look in the envelope after he accepted his award. It was awesome!!!


Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Easter 2009



Getting ready for the Easter party at Church

Hunting for eggs & having a good time with the Walton boys

Easter egg Hunting with the Johnson Cousisn

It was a rainy day but full of Easter fun!
Thankfully Easter Sunday was much BRIGHTER, must have been in remembrance of our Savior's resurrection & atonement!


What pretty little Girls (not a bad looking daddy too)!

Earth Day

What a Wonderful World!






We LOVE our planet around here! So we decided to have a fun Earth Day by using as little in-the-house energy as possible. We began the morning with a delicious "green" eggs & bacon breakfast & then the girls & I spent the day outside at the playground & in the back yard. When we were inside we kept the lights off & other energy users to a minimum. After Dad & Bren got home we had a scrumptious BBQ for dinner in the back yard and although I look horrible in the photos I'll post them anyway so you can see all the fun we had!
We finished off the day with our family scripture time focused on the beautiful scriptures in the Doctrine and Covenants 59:16-20
16. Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;
17. Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come from the earth, whether for food or for rainment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;
18. Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;
19. Yea, for food and for rainment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.
20. And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgement, not to excess, neither by extortion.

I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who has prepared such a wonderful & interesting place for me to live. I am glad to raise my family with his love and I'm glad my children love their planet too! The part of this passage that really stood out to me this time was in v. 18 that these things are here "both to please the eye and to gladden the heart" We are truely enjoying the outdoors this summer and it has gladdened my heart to be outside in the sunshine, breathing the fresh air and looking up at the majestic Wasatch Mountains!