Tukk's March for Babies

We got to be a part of Tukker's March for Babies this year.  Here he is - Mr. Ambassador in all his super-hero glory.  It was a great day, even though it made us all a bit emotional to look back at Tukker's rocky beginnings and the many trials he overcame that made him the special boy he is today.  What a great kid - he loves life.  He also loves treats.  A boy after my own heart! 

Misty and Cole got up and shared Tukker's story with the whole crowd.  I think Misty was able to get through it without crying because she hid her secret identity behind her super hero mask.

 

Here's some of Tukk's fellow super hero crew.  It was a pretty good looking group!

Yaya and the Babe

Aunt Rylee and Winnie

 

 

 Aunt Darby, Junie and Klive (aka Evil K)

  

Grandpa Fred and Grandma Jan

 

The kids had a most enjoyable time.  The March of dimes really knows how to throw a party!  They had dancers, bounce houses, balloon artists, jugglers, a kids' radio station, and free food as far as the eye could see.  They must have know Tukker was coming.

I'm so glad we live close enough to be a part of Tukk's fan club.  He is truly a miracle boy. 

 Nothing brings us more joy than getting to watch him do regular old little boy stuff, like play with his cousins.  We are one blessed family!

11

Kolby and I celebrated our eleven-year anniversary at the end of April.  We dropped the kids off at Yaya and the Babe's house and escaped to Park City for some shopping and relaxation.  Nothing like a weekend away from all our responsibilities to remind us how much fun we still have just being together.  Kolby even booked us a night at a beautiful hotel and Spa.  The highlight was the bathrobes - now that's really living the high life.  We even wore them over our clothes, just so we could get the maximum enjoyment out of them.  Eleven years and we're keeping the magic alive.  Life is good.

June's Baptism

June was baptized by her dad on April 7. She'd been looking forward to this big day for quite a while. It was such a special and spiritual day. True to June form, she took it very seriously and has spent several months preparing to make her special covenants by reading her scriptures, saying meaningful prayers and asking lots of questions. I think she was ready. Didn't she look beautiful?

Nana Deb's been slaving away on this magnificent baptism dress for months. June found a picture of a dress in a magazine about 2 years ago and she thought it was perfect for the her baptism. Nana didn't let her down. It weighed about 20 pounds and June felt like a bride. She was spinning in it for days. Nana Betty and Grampy got her a lovely lacy sweater to go with it. Nana Deb also sent a photo book to help remember her big day.
I am not sure if it was the dress that made her look so grown up, but it was blowing my mind how mature she looked. I think that's why I spent the day bawling. I guess I can't keep her little forever.

We were so blessed to have family living close by for the occasion. The Johnsons, Botts and Rosenbaums wouldn't miss it. Yaya and the Babe got June her first set of scriptures and Grandma Sara and Grandpa Kyle got her a new pink scripture bag and baptism book. The Botts topped it off with some special scripture stickers. She loved everything.

Grandma Ivie came and stayed for a few days before the baptism. I put her to work entertaining the kids while I got everything ready. It was so nice to spend some time with her and I know she was so happy to see June get baptized.

Papa Lee and Auntie Audra also enjoyed the weekend with us. Poor Auds, she worked the entire night before and didn't get a minute of sleep, so we put her to bed as soon as we got home. It is so nice having Papa close by. We really miss all of our Okies. It's hard to have these special days and not have the whole fam with us.

Because it was Easter weekend, Nana Deb went above and beyond and sent new church outfits to all of the kids. Klive was sure looking dapper in his new duds. Currently, he likes to pose for pictures. I'm getting lots of good shots!

We took a couple of family pictures before we headed to the stake center.

The stake had 9 baptisms and the program was just perfect. There were two talks by the stake primary presidency and a beautiful musical number. Then we took turns reading short biographies about our eight-year-olds and headed to the font one at a time.

June looked like a little angel in the water. All the kids sat on the floor in front of the glass and watched so they would learn the ropes and wouldn't be nervous when it was their big day. According to June, the water was the perfect temperature. Cousin Caulder, ever prepared for battle, told June the font was haunted and asked if she was attacked by any ghosts. She told him, "Just one, the Holy Ghost." She was pretty proud of that joke all day.

We are so proud of June and he decision to become a disciple of Jesus Christ. She is a good girl who tries hard to make good choices and shares her testimony with others. She truly knows that she is a daughter of God. It was a beautiful experience.

We came home to a warm, sunny day, homemade chili and cornbread muffins, a special movie all about June and an Easter egg hunt in the back yard.

Klive hung with Papa who helped him grab a few eggs before the big kids got to them all.

It was definitely sunny because I think there are closed eyes in every picture I took.

It was a great weekend. June is lucky to have a family who loves her so much.

Kid Update

It is always my intention to use my blog in place of baby books to journal the kiddos' milestones and clever sayings. The days and months are passing so fast, I'd better get to work and hope I can remember everything.

I'll start with June. She's really growing up. Her little face has matured and I think she looks more like me. She turned 8 in March and is, as always, going on 25. She was baptized last week. It was so special. I cried a lot. She's really working to develop her own testimony. She's always determined to figure things out for herself.
She's always been my most independent and opinionated child and she hasn't let up in that department. We still frequently go the rounds over which boots she is refusing to wear to school, which way is best to carry numbers in her addition homework, or why she should have to wear a swim suit with sleeves. We've decided she's well-suited for a career in law. Her arguments are usually sound and convincing.
Her little brain is always hard at work. I have noticed, however, that her temper has cooled a bit and she can usually calm herself down before things escalate into a full blown explosion. That makes me happy - she's learning. She's continually teaching me patience as I struggle to relinquish some control and let her make many of her own choices.
She is a star student in second grade. Today she dressed "old fashioned" with braids and a country dress for her role in a play about Benjamin Franklin. She loves everything about school. I pray I can keep her busy and stimulated this summer when she's at home all day. I'd better get started on some crafts and activities.

Now to Winnie. She's five and a half. Everyone's noticed that her baby chub up and vanished. She's tall and skinny, but that big, beautiful face is still all smiles and her eyes still sparkle like her Aunt Rylee's. She missed the kindergarten deadline by a week this year. I suppose she was totally ready for school, but I just couldn't let her go, so I didn't fight the system. Every day, we drop June off at school, work on reading and writing for about an hour while she sighs and rolls her eyes at the monotony, and then she's got to play a little Wii to relax. She's got mad gaming skills, just like her dad. She must be growing, because she eats non-stop. She's usually begging for lunch by 10:30.
She still puts her imagination to good use when she plays outside with the rollie pollie bugs or downstairs with the barbies. Today her barbie had to wear a Mexican skirt/dress because she was expecting some "extra-special company" (a pink unicorn) on it's way in a "magical vehicle." When June comes home, she's totally excited to show her something cool she did that day, but it's not long before the sisterly rivalry kicks in and they are doing battle.
Winn's still got a bit of a sarcastic sense of humor. She's hit that age where she's using big words, but completely in the wrong context. She's also not as shy as she used to be and trying more and more to be cool, like June. We had to have a little chat about her obnoxious behavior in primary the other day. It made me a little sad. She's always been my little sweet heart. I'm hoping it's just a feisty stage.

Two little aliens.

Now, on to the reason for the gray in my hair and the bags under my eyes - Klive. He's 20 months. From the minute I plop him out of bed in the morning, I have to tail him. He bops around every inch of the house just looking for trouble - climbs all the furniture, eats all crap off the floor, plays in the toilet and destroys all electronics. His favorite snacks are found in the spice cabinet - he licks the top of every salt shaker and yesterday he emptied an entire bottle of peppermint extract - we're hoping it's not in his belly, but now he perpetually smells like a pack of gum.

When I'm not chasing him down to scold him for his naughtiness, I'm laughing hard at him. Every day, he watches the Ellen show and mimics her to a tee - right down to tossing a mint and catching it in his mouth before he heads out onto stage. Sadly, the sign language we taught him just slows him down. He's just combined all of the signs into one big gesture which covers all his bases to get what he wants. Smart or lazy, we're not quite sure.
He worships the mail man, garbage man, recycling man, UPS driver, pretty much anyone that drives a big truck and brings stuff to the door. When I change his bum, he likes me to pretend like I'm calling Nana on his bare feet. He laughs and laughs.
This boy also loves to dance and his vocabulary continues to grow. He says "Nana, Papa, Yaya, Bampa, uh-oh, all done, and bye-bye." He's started on his animal sounds, but most of them growl. And the girls are teaching him lots of great words like "poop, bum, and yeah baby." He loves to discipline his sisters and gets his pointer finger going when he tells them "no-no."
My favorite thing about Klive are his goofy teeth. His gap is even bigger than Winnie's - I didn't think that was possible. He's also got a pretty good sized over-bite. Fairly certain we are in for years of orthodontic bills.
I take that back, my very favorite thing about Klive is that he likes to sit on the potty and try to poop. He pushes with all his might. He's even dropped a couple of loads. Keep it up big boy!

Here comes the sun???

It's been one long winter trying to acclimate to our new Idaho surroundings, so we have wholeheartedly welcomed the sunny, warm weather - even though we are sure there's still a snow storm or two in the near future. Here's what we've been up to lately:

Those mischievous leprechauns paid us a little visit on St. Patty's Day. They left a few chocolate gold pieces, tiny green footprints and a festive urine sample in our toilet. Thanks little green men.

The little dude was wearing green, so he was pinch proof, but those cheeks were still begging to be squeezed.

This is what you do on your first warm day of the year: Lay like a dog by the glass doors and soak up the rays!

Shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops? Yes please!

Klive has finally discovered the back yard. He keeps trying to sneak out and set up camp in the princess playhouse.

He's definitely a boy on the go these days. I'm learning the hard way that toddler boys are crazy wild and have no fear. A big boy ball of energy and warm weather make for one tired momma!

Love these little punks.

Oh, and some big news, Kolby's the new junior chief resident starting in May! The current chief really encouraged him to run for the position - so his awesome wife made a sweet campaign for him. Can't hurt to win them over with swag. I made these cute pins that looked like lab coats . . .

Some candy-filled rubber gloves . . .

And some needle pens. Okay, I didn't make them, but I did put on the sticker. We are so proud of him and feel like we are finally getting the swing of things after a long, hard intern year.

We finally got around to the ritual spring cleaning of our clothes drawers and boxing up the hand-me-downs. Winn just couldn't part with these bad boys. Guess it's the Okie hillbilly in her.

And, last but not least, Papa moved home! We met him in Malad for a visit and enjoyed some kite flying, sidewalk chalking, and a friendly game of croquet. Klive has really latched on to Papa. They are definitely as tight as they were when we were Okies. Happy Spring everyone!

Disneyland 2012

The countdown was on for months, and the Johnson Family Disneyland extravaganza finally arrived! I think the girls have finally reached the age of maximum Disney enjoyment. What an awesome trip!

We celebrated birthdays at Grandma Sara's before we took off for California. March is jam-packed with Johnson birthdays. So nice when you can get three names on the same cake!

These dudes were busy getting excited for the trip.

Our car was loaded to the max with vacation gear, so we made June open her presents before we took off.

Two days in a car is torture. Especially with a dad who has saved all his farts up for his vacation week. But it's totally worth it when you make it to the ocean!

Surfin' in the USA!

The feel of sand between his toes was rather nice, but this kids bolted for the ocean the minute we let him loose.

What kind of people swim in the ocean during the first week of March? People from Idaho, that's who!

Nothing better than polar fleece pants when you get the urge to take a dip.

June immediately began adding to her shell collection. She even found a whole sand dollar! She wondered if she could spend it at Disney the next day.

After his complete submersion in the sea, Klive stripped down to his birthday suit. He was shivering ferociously, but we couldn't keep him out. Best bath tub ever!!! And we're still finding sand in his fat rolls.

Day 2: Disney Day!!! Sorry Aunt Misty, I stole your picture. But it's only because you were the best at capturing our true excitement.

June's Nana made her a special pirate skirt to wear to Disney to celebrate her pirate-themed birthday. She got so many compliments, and a lady even asked me where she could buy one. That Nana can make anything.

Kolby and June got special birthday badges to wear around the park.

Klive got a first-timer badge, and as you can see, he was so excited about it.

For some reason, the girls weren't big on character photos this year. June only got excited and waited in line to have a picture with Mary Poppins. Strange child.

I think she had the most fun being there with her best friend in the whole world, Cousin Caulder. These two are like peas and carrots. June's favorite part of the trip was riding Space Mountain with her BFF.

We spent lots of quality time with the aunts and uncles.

And it was so nice to be a complete family with our daddy without his doctor coat. Even if it was only for a week.

Tukk and Winn enjoyed the more laid-back attractions. The Jungle Cruise was right up their alley.

These two girls love their Grandpa Babe!

June said this was her giant poop face. If you know June, you know that's a serious sword-pulling effort.

As always, if I wanted a picture with me in it, I had to hold the camera out front and smile. Always such a flattering angle.

Winn waited all day to ride Dumbo. He never disappoints.

June thought she could hack it in the big kid tea cup this year. There came a point where she was so close to vomiting, she threw her body over the wheel to stop Daddy from his incessant spinning.

We did run into two of the seven dwarfs.

And a wookie.

Day 3: California Adventure

Lots of fun in the sun . . .

Lots of cousin time, lots of cotton candy . . .

Lots of churros (Cole).

Klive kept right up with the crew. Seriously, he was the best baby to take to Disneyland. Never fussed a bit. I think he was just thrilled to be out of the house and enjoy the sunshine.

June earned an ice cream sandwich because she risked life and limb to ride California Screamin'. She was terrified, but knew she would regret it if she didn't. I was sick to my stomach waiting for her to spring off, but she was so tiny, I couldn't even see her in the car. When she got off the ride she was as pale as a ghost and didn't speak for 5 minutes. The ice cream must have brought the color and smile back to her cheeks.

Klive and Daddy rode Toy Story together. Kolby put him in is own seat so he could aniahilate him at the video games. Thanks Dad.

Twins

Winn did the Ariel Carousel 5 times.

Klive recharged his Disney battery with a giant coke. Thanks Cole for introducing him to caffeine.

Looks like he may have overloaded in the soda department.

Day 4: Pool Day! We rented a house this time around and we will never go back to hotels. The kids had so much room to romp around. They had their own pool and hot tub, Disney-themed rooms and a giant play room with toys. I don't think we even saw a kid when we were at the house. Good thing, because a full week of cotton candy-crazed kids packed in a hotel room can often lead to murder.

Pool day was a nice recovery.

We haven't seen the sun for months!

Yep, that's a maxed-out hot tub in 85 degree weather. So what?

Last but not least, June celebrated her birthday pirate style. We tried in vain to start the party on the first Disney night, but June fell asleep in her taco plate. She woke up for a whole 30 seconds to smile for this cupcake shot.

We tried again on our last vacation night and it went a bit better.

Arrrgh Matey! Watch out for Snaggle-toothed Tukker and his scurvy mates.

The hunt for buried treasure was on.

Don't cross pirate Dad, he'll make ye walk the plank.

A pirate's life for me!

Ahoy! One-Eyed Winnie. She's got a sword and she knows how to use it.

And Captain Caulder was a really bad egg.

Argh, but they're loved by their mommies and dads, drink up me hardies yo-ho!
Thanks Johnson Family for the memories. Same time next year?