December Activities

Decorating the Tree.

Making Salt Dough Ornaments.

This was a huge hit.  They rolled, cut out, colored and stamped for over an hour and a half.  The dough started drying out and crumbling to pieces so I had to say "enough" and start the baking. They were so proud of their little ornaments. 

Bracken worked on this little present for Chandra faithfully throughout the month.  He chose the material himself, and sat on my lap and helped me cut and sew the entire little apron.  If he wanted to work on it and Chandra was awake he'd always spell, "Mom, let's work on Chandra's A-P-R-I-N." He was so excited to give it to her on Christmas morning. 

 Decorating Christmas Trees...instead of gingerbread houses.

I always love the idea of decorating gingerbread houses with my kids.  But the reality is never as perfect as the idea.  By the time I assemble the house and let it set up, they're off to a new project, or have spent the entire time trying to eat the candy that's supposed to go on it. Plus the gingerbread is as hard as a rock and not very tasty.

So this year I tried something simpler.  I just bought sugar cones, covered them in green frosting, turned them upside down, and gave the kids sixlets and Christmas sprinkles to decorate with.  It was a huge hit!

Reindeer and Snowman Pancakes

 Celebration Time!  Brian finished all his finals and few other obligations until school starts back up.  That means partying with the kids.  We went to Cedar City to visit friends, to the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point, sledding and playing K'Nex and making forts.  We loved having Brian with us so much.

Bracken's favorite thing at the Dinosaur Museum are the T-Rex's.  Chandra's is the big shark.  She loves it and is scared to death of it at the same time.

Thanksgiving Point also had a couple of reindeer visiting.  Bracken even touched Comet's antler.  It was freezing, but made the kids happy.

 Blowing Green and Red Christmas bubbles.  (I know, kinda lame, but they LOVED this and asked for this activity over and over again.)

Building our Snowman Family together...and lots of sledding this day too. 

Went to see Christmas Lights at Temple Square.  We bundled up really well and everything was beautiful.  

We certainly had a fun-filled December!

Awkward Spelling

Bracken loves his new found skill of spelling, and he uses it often.  He's figured out that if he spells a treat or activity I'm more likely to do it with him.  "Mom, let's read a B-O-O-K.", "Y-E-S I want a C-O-O-K-I-E." He's also found it helpful to keep secrets from his sister. "Mom, let's work on making Chandra's Christmas A-P-R-I-N." (They're not always spelled perfectly. :)  It's fun to hear him laying in bed at night sounding out words, or studiously making letter sounds as he works on writing a letter or story.

Every once in a while it can get awkward though.  A couple of Sunday's ago during sacrament meeting I hear Bracken starting to sound things out under his breath.  He announces to me in a loud whisper, "Mom, I can spell six, "S-I-X, S-I-X."  He pauses for a moment, and then much more loudly and excitedly says, "And I can spell a new word!  S-E-X, S-E-X, sex!" He was so proud of figuring out a new word, and I just wanted to climb under the seat as it felt like all our neighbors were looking at us.

Sometimes spelling is just awkward.

Daddy and Baby Games

I love my children's imaginations.  I also love how they've been playing together more and more. Chandra is excited to play anything with Bracken as long as it also includes "Daddy and Baby." For example, they play "Daddy and Baby Pirates," "Daddy and Baby Santa Claus," "Daddy and Baby puppies" (or kitties, or dinosaurs, or whatever else they decide at the moment.) 

I was making dinner and walked in the kids' bedroom to find a full blown pirate ship, complete with a red baseball bat cannon, cannon balls, a treasure box, jewels, a parrot, baby doll, and two adorable pirates.  

They've made good use of the two mattresses that are available for them to sleep on...even though they each insist on sleeping on the floor every night, the mattresses get used for lots of playing.  Trampolines, Hot Lava Monster games, or being turned into forts, pirate ships, or Santa's sleigh. 

I'm Grateful for My Family

Happy Thanksgiving!  We spent our Thanksgiving break with my family in Richfield, and everyone was there.  We played games (Hand and Foot, Blokus, and 7 Wonders, and spoons were probably at the top of our list), made and ate good food and just enjoyed visiting and being together.

The Whole Family

 Glade and Shaylee 

 Linsy, Caleb, Brayden and Kylie

Ryan and Breonna

The Size of your Brain

During dinner last night Brian was telling us about his day at school, which included dissecting a brain. Bracken was so interested, "what did it look like? How big was it? How big is my brain?" Brian told him that your brain is about the size of both of your fists put together. We all put our hands together to see how big our brains are. Chandra watched us for a moment, then put her two little hands together. "Oh..." she said despondently, "Mine is tiny."

As the night went on she kept putting her fists together and looking at them. Finally she put her fingertips together instead of her fists, and happily said, "Mine's brain is bigger now!"

Happy Halloween!

 A Soldier and Little Princess.

1, 2, 3, Underdog!

Family PIctures 2013

My annual birthday present...a cooperative husband and happy children for family pictures.  I love how they turned out.  Thanks Shaylee Dawn for taking the pictures for us!

A month in Richfield

We had a month in between the time we needed to move out of our Cedar City home and the time we could move into our new home in SLC.  My wonderful family helped us pack all our belongings into my dad's snowmobile trailer, and let us stay with them until we could move.  Brian started medical school at the University of Utah two weeks into our stay, so he stayed with his sister and brother-in-law during the week so he could go to class, then came back to Richfield to be with us for the weekends. 

I loved being able to spend time with my mom and siblings.  My kiddos adore their aunts and uncles.  And Chandra thought "Gramma Lisa!" was the best ever.  My mom snuggled and held Chandra, blow dried her pajamas and wrapped her in blankets, and taught her to sing songs.  Every time Chandra sings, "You are My Sunshine" now, she pauses to tell me, "Gramma Lisa likes that one."

Taking a walk around the storage units...they play so well together!

Chandra and Pinno the goat...this goat is pretty much a pet who will eat anything, get out of any fence, and let the kids ride on her.  I think she's the most annoying animal on the farm, but the kids like her. 

Chandra and Aunt Sarah...can I just say now that Sarah is the best!? She helped with the kids all the time, makes super yummy food, and is just fun to be around. 

Why is it that boys turn every stick into a sword? 

This knight has a goat for a steed.

Dallin and Pinno

Bracken and Chandra loved being on a "farm." One of their favorite activities is gathering the eggs.

 Chandra always wanted to feed and tried to hold the chickens...

 ...Bracken tried to lasso them.

Here's Dallin using Pinno as a bucking bronco.  She'd usually spin in circles until he fell off. 

My family is wonderful! We had so much fun with them, but we are so glad to be back with Brian now!

Pine Creek

This is another slot canyon in Zion's we've been trying to hike through for several years.  But it either stormed and flash flooded, we couldn't get a permit or a rope that was long enough, or I had a newborn or a broken collar bone. This year we finally made it!  Breonna, Ryan, Seth, Mason, our friend Royce, Brian and I were able to go. The slot canyon was deep with twisted narrow walls, a short freezing soak, and the final 100 foot free fall repel.  At the end of the hike there was a pool deep enough to rock jump into a few times. Then we had to hurry back to Richfield so Mason could spend his last evening with his family before heading to the MTC the next morning! We're glad he got to come with us. 

4th of July Weekend

Happy Independence Day!  We had a Johnson get-together here in Cedar.  Our 4th of July's together are becoming an annual affair, and we all love it.  The Phoenix Johnson's get to escape the crazy Arizona heat, and all get to party! So here are some pictures from our weekend filled with the parade, BBQs, city fireworks, board games, swimming at the reservoir, late nights visiting, cousins playing, and of course, our own fireworks show. Thanks for coming to visit everyone!