The Adventures of Junafish and Winnabego

Happy Holidays 2011

2012-01-01T12:14:00.000-08:00

Wow, the holidays came and went like a flash! Here's a recap of the highlights of our Johnson Holiday Fest 2011. We spent Thanksgiving at Grandma Ivie's house. Sadly, Kolby had to spend his Thanksgiving at the hospital. Guess that comes with the territory of first year residency. We missed him like crazy.
Watching my kids with their Ivie cousins brought back so many memories of my time spent at Grandma and Grandad's at Timmerman Hill. The house has the same smell, and it just invites a good game of hide and seek.

We enjoyed an awesome turkey dinner, and kids took full advantage of the snowy hill out front. Klive found a secret cabinet full of tins and spent his thanksgiving holiday unloading and re-loading his treasures. The kids also loved spending some one-on-one time with Grandma. And June never minded that Grandma called her "Jessie" the whole time.

We returned home to a house covered in Christmas lights, thanks to a great Daddy, and Christmas was on!!! I'm sure I'm not the only one to feel giddy when I pull out the Christmas decorations, the winter-smelling hand soaps, and the cocoa-motion. The preparation for the big day is half the fun!

There are no flies on these kids - they had their letters ready for Santa in mid October. We took some candid shots of the kids in front of the tree for the annual Christmas cards. I am shocked that so many of them turned out so beautifully.

Winnie kept asking, "Are my eyes too wide?" She never takes a bad picture.

Klive was just thrilled to get to hold a candy cane ornament he swiped from the tree.

Seriously, who ever gets all their kids to not only look at their camera at the same time, but also smile? A Christmas miracle.

You want a Christmas card? Here's your Christmas card!

We've already had our fair share of snow at our new home in Idaho. This dump was just perfect for rolling out a sweet looking snowman. The girls named him "Frosting the Snowman." He was a happy, jolly soul - until Tooder started using him for a daily tinkle post.

We headed to Utah for Kolby's week-long vacation and enjoyed some ginger-bread house construction at the annual Johnson family Christmas party.

This cute couple made an awesome "House of the Lord" gingerbread creation. It was one holy sugar mound.

Aunt Misty threw down the gauntlet for candy working skills, so Kolby hit her with the Weasley's candy-covered home. He was in charge of the sound construction, and I was in charge of the gummy sweaters - one for each Weasley kid and Harry- complete with frosted initials.

Yep, it turned out pretty delicious.

June did a little crepe-making with Aunt Darby.

And we spent a fun family afternoon at Jumping Jacks. It was a school day, so we had the whole place to ourselves! Awesome!

Klive did every slide - he even took a major tumble down the giant one. He was all smiles!

Dad never thought June would take his advice to back flip out of the bouncy slide. She gave it a try and it didn't go as planned. Bummer. Mom thought a picture would cure a wounded and upset June, but she didn't even crack a smile.
Overall, it was a much needed family vacation. Kolby got his tacos at Mi Rancherito, The kids got some good cousin time and we got to see the lights at Salem Pond with the bonus of a car submerged in the pond. I guess they were too focused on the Christmas decorations and didn't notice they were off-roading it.

We spent Christmas at home this year. It was a white Christmas, too. The girls helped Dad build a snow volcano in the back yard. And couldn't fight the urge to smash it to the ground the next day.

Here's the fam on Christmas eve. We did some neighborhood treat deliveries, then we enjoyed a lovely halibut dinner with a few swigs of "root deer." We put it to bed at 9:00 and waited for Santa to work his magic.

The kids were up well before the sun on Christmas morning. They got right down to business.

Thanks Santa, for the sleep mask. Now maybe I won't sleep with my eyes open.

Thank you Santa for the manly knight dress-ups. Now I won't have to be a princess when I play with my sisters.

Thanks a pant-load for the peppermint flavored marshmallows. Let's bust this bag open!

Wow, a big boy bike! Just what I asked for!

Watch out for this up-and-coming rock star!

Santa remembered everything! Even the Barbie Musketeers movie. It's a shame he had to rush out on Christmas Eve and hunt it down in the crazy-filled isles of Walmart.

Now he's ready to cruise the neighborhood and look for hot chicks.

Dr. Dreadful's candy lab was so delightful! Nothing like eating zombie brains and drinking monster snot on Christmas.

How did you know! It's just what I wanted!

Best day ever!!!

Oh what fun!

We had some special visitors for Christmas dinner. They brought more cool stuff. Spoiled kids for sure.

Thanks U.B. and Karen for the cool toys. We can't stop playing with them!

This boy made Nana Betty his new best friend. He held her hand and walked her around the house.

After a hearty meal of chicken soup over mashed potatoes, hot rolls, rainbow layered jell-o, and peppermint brownies with homemade ice cream and hot fudge, we had to say good-bye.

I'm pretty sure there was some bulging bellies on their way home.

Thanks for coming to visit!

We started round 2 of presents at about 6:00 p.m. You need two rounds when you have so many generous grandparents.

A little snuggle time.

It was right out of "A Christmas Story" Nothing could come between Kilve and his Red Ryder.

We couldn't decide which hat was better - Kilve's head-eating monster or . . .

Dad's beanie with a beard. And who couldn't use a 10-pound reese's peanut butter cup? Merry Christmas to all. Hope it was as fun and magical for you as it was for us!

Octo-burrrrr!

2011-11-09T11:57:00.001-08:00

I've been a real slacker this past month when it comes to blogging. I think I may be suffering from a mild depression due to the onset of Idaho's cold weather. What can I say, it's not fair that my buddies in Oklahoma are enjoying fun in the sun, clad in flip-flops and shorts, while I brace for blizzards. Therefore, the month of October will be rolled into one gigantic post. Enjoy.

June got her first report card early in the month. She did spectacularly well. Not a single negative mark or comment, and her grades were top notch. She's even reading at a 4th grade level, that's not too shabby for a second grader! We took her to Yo Crazy to celebrate.

This shot's from red ribbon week. It was crazy hair day, so we added a few wild extensions. June is having a ball in Mrs. Meline's class. She LOVES her new school and has made the transition beautifully. Hallelujah!

We've been spending the past few months trying to unpack and get our new place organized. Klive, always mom's big helper, made sure these drawers were cleaned out and ready to be filled with toys.

We had some special visitors in October. Nana and Papa flew in from Oklahoma to winterize their Malad house and stayed a few extra days to fill their grand-kid canteen. Klive remembered Nana the minute he saw her. He knows where to go to get spoiled. He didn't let her put him down the whole time.

Papa broke out the mandolin, and Klive warmed right up to him too.

We also had the added bonus of Audra, Nana, Grampy, U.B., Karen and Bek for the visit. Talk about a spoil-fest!

We headed down to Utah for Kolby's week-long vacation. Klive found Caulder's toy gun at Yaya's house and realized that barbies and dress-ups were for sissies - real men play with weapons.

We spent an afternoon at the corn maze with the fam. We went in with a false sense of navigation superiority (after all, we had a pilot with us) but it still took us a while to get out.

Things looked bleak for June, but Aunt Misty didn't mind getting lost.

These children of the corn tried to cut their own path. Winnie took a bathroom break in the tall corn. She simply couldn't hold it.

Klive wasn't worried a bit. He could see the exit from his dad's shoulders the entire time. His corn whip kept his ride moving.

Newly Weds. Enough said.

In the end, we made it back to Yaya and the Babe's. Cousin time rules!

Now on to a holiday that brought a smile to this boy's face: Halloween. Nana Deb outdid herself this year with our amazing costumes - We morphed into the Addams Family!

Wednesday Addams

Gomez Addams

Cousin It

Morticia Addams

And Pugsley Addams

Du-du-du-du, snap, snap! We won the grand prize in the costume contest at the zoo. It felt awesome!

Klive enjoyed the fruit of his trick-or-treating labors with The Thing in his high-chair. Nothing better than begging for candy with a face as cute as this one.

We did some pumpkin carving. These bad boys even got fangs.

Dad put his surgery skills to good use and helped June carve a masterpiece.

June did all the dirty work.

A jack-o-lantern with a skull. We found the idea on pinterest.

June performed in the second grade fall concert (she's the middle, front row chick in yellow). Her festive singing about fall foliage, delicious apples, Halloween spooks, and strolls down an autumn avenue was sweet and soulful. Klive totally dug it and danced through the whole thing.

Now for a Klive update. This kid just took off this month. He started walking on the 12th. I was sitting in the kitchen with Winnie carving pumpkins and he just cruised by with his big yellow bat in hand. I guess he had something he need to bust open and crawling just wouldn't get him there in time.

This is Kilve's dancing face. He is a dancing fool and I'm pretty certain he has perfect pitch. He already hits noted that he hears the girls singing. My little musical man!

He got his first tooth on the 23rd. It's a bottom side one - strange. He uses it to chew everything!

He is best pals with Tooder. With two sisters, he just needed another dude around to confide in.

These are his favorite toys - swimming rings and a yellow baseball bat.

He's also started saying a few things. He says, "Dada, Mama, Nana, Yaya, up, and uh-oh." He throws his hands in the air and says "Ta-Da," when he's excited. He growls like a bear, and he has mastered the signs for "eat, drink, more, done, and wash my face."
We are discovering that, although he's a bit of a late bloomer, he's pretty smart. The other day I told the girls to get dressed if they wanted to go to the store with their dad. Klive went into his room and got his pants, shirt and tennis shoes out of his drawers and brought them to me. I guess he wanted to go.
Smart, yes, but still disgusting. What do I have to do to get this kid to quit eating out of the trash?

A Scooby Doo Birthday Mystery . . .

2011-09-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

Warning: You may suffer from spookiness-overload if you read this post. But it's totally worth it!

Party number two, you ask? Why yes. Winn is a very special girl who totally deserved two birthday parties this year. And this Scooby Doo bash put our glut-fest to shame.

Last weekend, Mystery Inc. reunited to solve a very serious, mysterious disappearance: The Case of the Birthday Phantom and the Missing Party Favors. These two lovely ladies, "Delma" and Daphne sprang into action the minute they smelled foul play.

Who could believe it? While grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends showed up to help Winnie celebrate the big 5, that rotten Birthday Phantom breezed in and grabbed the kids' goody-bags!

Lucky thing we had Scooby Doo to sniff out some clues! And it was also fortunate that Tukk and Klive, although 2 years apart, wear the same size costume!

Sleuths get hungry, you know. Good thing we stocked up on monster munchies packed full of energy. And sugar. And nitrates.

Everyone pitched in to help solve the mystery. Auntie Rylee was the designated clue reader in the gang's hunt for justice.

And Aunt Misty, (AKA Fred) made one heck of a phantom hunter.

The gang tracked down a few haunted-household clues that led them to the treacherous toilet and instructed them to decode a backwards message in the mystery mirror.

While mixing some witches' brew, Daddy spotted some suspicious footprints that lead outback. The gang set off for Johnson's Haunted Wood.

Wouldn't you know it, Scooby got scared and took off. The only way to earn his cooperation was to toss a few Scooby snacks into his gaping mouth. Rum-Rum!!! Once Scooby came on-board, the crew popped a few balloon ghosts to get some answers out of them. Literally.

Thanks to his sweet walking skillz, clumsy Freddy accidentally knocked over a skeleton. In order to locate the next clue, the gang had to put it back together.

Delma's no slouch when it comes to anatomically-correct skeleton construction.

Too bad she got spooked and dropped her glasses right in the slimy swamp.

Daphne dug through the bubbles, fog and creepy-crawlies and fished them out for her . . .

And Caulder, I mean Shaggy, read the next clue.

A creepy mummy kidnapped Daphne, the damsel always in distress. Lucky we had brave young master Dawson . . .

He volunteered to be wrapped like a mummy and dove into the tomb to rescue the fair maiden - and the next clue.

The sleuths had to eat their way to the next clue - hanging donuts of death.

Eating junk food - now that's a Scooby and Shaggy specialty!

Daphne proved she could hold her own when it came to devouring donuts for a good cause.

Delma must have been serious about eating her fair share, because she had to take her wig off to get down to business. Daddy made a good wig rack.

Next, Mystery Inc. had to crawl through the spooky, spider-infested web warehouse to unravel a hidden clue.

Delma could have easily gotten wound up in the massive web and eaten by a giant spider if it wasn't for her fearless friends.

Finally, the Scooby Doo crew showed off their very best zombie dance moves in a rousing game of musical tomb stones. The winners (Dawson and Delma) cracked the case wide open when they uncovered phantom tracks leading directly into the garage.

They bolted after the thief, ripped off his mask and discovered the phantom to be . . .

DADDY???

Awww, man! Caught red-handed! And he would have gotten away with it too, if it hadn't been for those meddling kids and their stinky dog, too!

Amid all the commotion, mom had to solve her own mystery. The Case of the Disappearing Baby. She promptly found Klive all wrapped up in the haunted house.

So in the end, Mystery Inc. saved the day, recovered the stolen party packs, and feasted on some gourmet Scooby snack cupcakes.

Delma let Winnie have the rest of the day off so she could open her presents, play with her cousins, and spend a little quality time with Uncle Andrew.

She got lots of cool stuff . . .

And said it was the BEST PARTY EVER!!!!!

The big 5

2011-09-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

On September 8, it was her day . . . her big day. Winnie Johnson hit the five year mark. She awoke to her mom's beautiful rendition of zoo-style "Happy Birthday" and a bag full of stylish goodies - complete with brand new baby pink crocs adorned with Tangled jibits.

Sadly, her dad was M.I.A for the big event - stuck rotting away at his pediatric rotation in Boise. So we girls (and Klive) made the best of the day.

While sister was at school, we hit the dollar store for a celebratory helium balloon. And when Junie got home, we headed out to Winn's favorite feed hole - Wieners. You might know it as Wingers.

Next, we continued the birthday feast at Yo Crazy - Winnie's new obsession. Who wouldn't love a self-serve frozen yogurt that you can douse in bulk candy toppings. I think watermelon and gumballs was a great choice.

Why stop eating, right? We finished off the glut-fest at home with strawberry shortcake's ball gown and then got down to the present business.

Most awesome present: Shaving Fun Ken. This girl spent several days bearding and shaving the poor guys face.

I'd like to take this blogging moment to say how much joy this chick brings to our lives. Winnie, we love that you are still afraid of loud noises and spooky places. We love that you tell your own version of deep thought knock-knock jokes. We love that you fart frequently and have mastered the art of blaming it on your father. We love that you have an entire world of make-believe going on in your silly little head about 90% of the time. We love that you always think of others first and give love without looking for a prize or reward. Mom loves that you jump at the chance to help with baby brother. It makes me so happy that you still sing like Tiana with abandon and use the highest pitched squeal to give a voice to your barbies. Most of all, we love that you are all ours. Happy birthday sweet girl!

A Fun Family Visit

2011-09-25T09:29:00.001-07:00

Twin Falls used to be a 28-hour trip from Oklahoma. But lucky for us, it is now an hour and a half drive. We were so excited to pay a little visit to Nana Betty and Grampy Bruce this month. They haven't seen the girls for a couple of years and they had never even met Klive.

They skipped the introductions and went right to snuggle time.

Plus, we got the added bonus of a little Miller time. They were visiting from Oregon for the weekend, and the kids had a ball with them.

Klive had a little one-on-one chatting time with Grampy. Gramp thought he looked just like Uncle Curt.

The girls suckered Tye into trying their Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. I think the one he was eating in this picture was throw-up flavored. What a good sport.

Nana couldn't get enough Klive snuggles . . .

and Winnie snuggles too.

The girls spent two days at "Camp Miller" playing boccie ball, going to the park, and playing some intense baseball games. Auntie Nini got the girls some fun sticker books that they have not put down since the trip.

And Nana taught the girls the fine art of making broken glass candy. I'm pretty sure they were eating it as fast as they were making it. I'm so glad it's a quick trip to Twin. Can't wait to do it again!

Look Out Second Grade!!!

2011-09-25T09:11:00.000-07:00

June headed back to school in September. She was a brave little toaster - she started second grade in a new school, Chubbuck Elementary. I think we lucked out and got the nicest teacher ever, Mrs. Meline. She made absolutely sure that June knew where everything was, she introduced her to some nice girls in class, and she made sure everyone knew June was new and felt welcome. June is LOVING second grade. She made some new friends right off the bat and she's doing fantastic with her studies. Looks like second grade is going to be easy breezy!

This was our first-day beauty shot. I told the girls to do their best to look pretty, and this is what I got. Such ladies.

He's our big boy now!

2011-08-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

Klive turned 1 on August 5th. Talk about a year flying by! He's my last baby, so this birthday was a painful reminder that he's not going to stay a baby forever. Boo-hoo.

We had a little party for him while we were in Utah for Rylee's wedding. We went with a Yo Gabba Gabba theme because, frankly, we like to freak out Aunt Misty by filling a room with DJ Lance decorations and songs about not biting your friends.

Here are the cupcakes. I was too lazy to put complete faces on, so we just went with the eyes.

The girls and I got creative after playing around on the Nick Junior website and made some fun prizes. These buckets were for the pinata goodies.

That's the sweet boom-box pinata in the background, and can you believe the girls made these Gabba characters out of felt and craft glue? This was their present to baby (now big boy) brother.

Nothing like taking home a cupcake in one of these peeping-tom DJ Lance cupcake boxes. You're welcome again, Aunt Misty.

Two cute girls ready to bust open the candy.

I even got a lightning fast smile from Caulder.

Klive has really warmed up the the Utah family. He loves it when Grandma Sara snuggles him.

Favorite present: mini rainbow marshmallows. Mom always knows best.

Everyone must have read the post about our basement full of girl toys, so Klive ended up with about 15 cars, trucks and helicopters. It's about time he got some manly gear.

Tukk ate about 15 pixie sticks. Seriously, you're so welcome, Aunt Misty.

The cupcakes were a hit. A black-toothed-inducing hit.

I'm pretty sure Winn was able to shove another cupcake in after this one.

Klive enjoyed the feast sans clothing. That's always the best way to party.

And he kept a close guard on his box of watermelon.

So here's to year one Mr. Man. You have filled our lives with supreme awesomeness. We love you like a son-of-a-gun.

Little Rylee Got Married

2011-08-14T18:17:00.000-07:00

Rylee married Winnie's boyfriend, Andrew Rosenbaum, on August 6th. And we couldn't be happier. Well, maybe not Winnie. She's still trying to get over it. Wasn't Rylee a beautiful bride? And Yaya Julie looked pretty classy too.

They got married in Manti - that seems to be the temple of choice in this family. We are thrilled to have Andrew (or Edward to Grandma Sara) join the family. He's been her main squeeze since high school and we haven't scared him off yet.

As usual, our kids were perfect little angels on temple grounds while they waited for the happy couple to emerge.

I don't know where all that sunshine came from, but this is still a good shot of the Rosenbaums with all the kids. It was a lovely backyard reception (thanks to Misty's decorating skillz) and we are so glad we now live close enough to have made it.

Special K

2011-08-03T18:09:00.001-07:00

It's about time I did a Klive update. Slacker that I am, I used this blog as an excuse to not make him a real baby book like I did for his sisters. Now he's knocking on the one-year-old door and I haven't posted about him since winter. Shame on me. I'll do my best to fill in the blanks so he doesn't need therapy when he's older.

At 11 and a half months, Klive (Special K) is my lovin' boy. Unlike my girls, he has been in no hurry to grow up. He likes being a baby - being held, snuggled, and rocked while I feed him a bottle. He curls up tightly in my arms and strokes my face while I sing him little songs about how much I love him. He also likes to be packed around everywhere I go - including excursions to the bathroom. Those I could do without.

We can already tell he's going to be brainy. Just look a the toys he chooses to play with. He notices everything and likes to crane his neck into back dives just so he won't miss a thing going on around him. He stares intently - especially at faces. He can keep a strait face for quite a while, even when people are cooing and smiling at him. Sometimes he stares you down, then shuts his eyes for a good five seconds. When they pop open, he gives you his famous eyeball roll. I'm not sure if he's showing off, or trying to tell you that you are annoying him. He's aloof. He's cool like that.

We assume he's teething because he chews on everything. He devours toys like a shark thrashing them from side to side while he gnaws angrily. But for some reason, we can find no sign of a tooth in his sharky mouth. Looks like he's a late bloomer in that department too.

This toy may have been a little too large to really whip around.

He started to crawl on the 4th of July. Don't most babies crawl at 6 or 7 months? Well, not this Slowpoke - 11 months, baby. He had no desire to make a move on his own for months and months. And when he did need to get from A to B, usually to make a mad dash for an outlet, he used an alligator death roll or the good ol' army leg drag. I think he always had the crawl in his back pocket. He just wanted to toy with us for as long as he could.

He's always been a good sleeper. As long as he has his "gully-gully." That's his blanket friend.

Eating always wears him out. Many a power nap has been taken in that eatin' chair after wolfing down a fruit and veggie pouch with a side of mini-marshmallows.

But talk about a sweet little wake-up face. He thinks he's a pretty funny guy when he stands in his crib, squeaks the bars, turns on his music player, scream-sings and forces his sisters out of their peaceful slumber in the morning. They reprimand him with a "No-No, Klive!!!" but he just smiles and shakes his head "No" right back at them while he keep up the morning groove.

He's a Momma's boy. I've always wanted one of those.

But Daddy's his best buddy. They even have matching hair cuts. All day long, whether Kolby's home or not, he blabs away (with a thick Oklahoma drawl) "Hi Dadda." He waves too.

If there's anything that makes him want to transition from baby to kid, it's these two chicas. He's FINALLY starting to notice how much chaotic fun is going on around him, and he wants in. The only problem is, what do you do when you have two mischievous sisters with boxes full of girly toys?

You play the part of Ken at the beach and make visits to the beauty parlor . . .

you suffer in silence while you model the latest baby doll dress-up . . .

and you practice fairy ballet while you clean the tea-party dishes in the kitchen-ally.

What can I say - He's captured all of our hearts.

Back Home in Johnsonville

2011-07-31T06:41:00.000-07:00

Well, they weren't kidding when they said residency would make make me feel like a single parent. It's a good thing we were able to move so close to the Johnsons. We've already spent most of the summer in Utah with Kolby's family. It's been so long since we were able to have some good quality family time. We're just trying to fill our canteen before June starts school this fall.

We spent the fourth of July weekend in Genola. The girls got in some good cousin time and Grandma Sara got lots of good baby Klive time. Aunt Jodi made ribs and a delicious salad the size of a small country, so we didn't mind too terribly when the fireworks got washed out by the rain.

And good ol' Uncle Kory even taught Klive to crawl! We've only been working on the skill for the past 6 months with no success. One day with Uncle Kory is all it took. Maybe next he'll teach him to ride motorcycles.

And this year we finally made it on the annual Johnson/Bott/Washburn family camping trip to Fish Lake. Although it rained for two of the camping days, we still managed to have fun, even if we did spend hours in the trailers playing head and foot and rummie-cube and neglecting our soggy children covered in stinky, wet cow poo.
This group loves their ATV's, so I shoved my parental paranoia to the bottom of my gut and let the girls do some riding. Turns out, Winnie was a speed demon on this baby. Uncle Kaleb was nice enough to teach her how to ride it, so to repay the favor, she dragged him through a giant, wet cow turd.

It must have been a rainy summer so far, because the wild flowers were unbelievable. I'm not sure if it's legal to pick them, but these girls couldn't get enough. Don't rat on us if we broke the law, okay?

Aunt Jodi had so many fun activities for the kids to do. They got to tie-dye t-shirts . . .

And they also loaded all the kids in the rangers for a fantastic treasure hunt. Winnie and I rode with Uncle Mark and she couldn't get to the clues fast enough. She kept yelling at him, "Go, Go, Go!!!! Drive!!! Faster!!!" If she would have had a whip, I think she would have used it.

I had to throw in a picture of this little dude. I think this is about the cleanest his face was for the camping trip. I've never seen a boy with such a consistently black face. I think dirt is his comfort blanket.

And the girls finally got to do some real fishing with the master, Grandpa Kyle. I was shocked at how determined they were to make a catch. The mud along the stream was so deep and squishy, they had to take off their socks and shoes, roll up their pants and then hike upstream over rocks, bushes, and waist-high weeds and thorny plants for over an hour to keep up with Grandpa. They were tough cookies.

In the end, June caught 4 fish, and Winnie caught 1.

I thought this was a really nice picture of Grandpa. He's such an awesome Grandpa.

We got in some good-quality camp fire time after the rain quit. If Grandpa Babe looks a little worse for the wear in this picture, its because he took a nasty spill. Not off of a motorcycle or river bank or cliff, but off of a rogue plastic patio chair. I guess he learned the hard way not to overload his dinner plate, because one of the legs gave out and sent him and his entire dinner over backwards. Everyone had a good laugh at his expense, while he flailed on the ground and yelled, "Call my lawyer!"

Needless to day, the kids had a ball. I have to admit, I was less than thrilled to head out on a week-long camping trip with three kids and no husband, but I am so glad I did. As I tucked June into her sleeping bag on our last night, she gave me a big hug and said, "Thanks Mom."
Me: "For what?"
June: "You know what . . . taking us camping."
Awww, now that was sweet.

Let the Residency Fun Begin!

2011-07-30T06:50:00.000-07:00

Kolby started his family Practice Residency at ISU in Pocatello about 3 days after we moved to Idaho. Talk about jumping right into something. We were lucky to have my parent's house in Malad as a crash pad while we looked for a suitable rental closer to the hospital. But the 40-minute drive to and from work was a killer for the month of June.

Here's the new residency crew. They had a special "white coat" ceremony to present all the newbie doctors with their long coats. True to form, Kolby ended up with a women's coat, just like when he started med school. It must be his dainty form that keeps landing him in the ladies' department. Don't worry, the residents were smart enough to swap around and get their real coats.

We're excited to start residency in Idaho. Even though Kolby had his heart set on emergency medicine, he's decided that this residency suits him like a glove. Because it's the only residency program in the area, he will be trained to do everything - including family practice, emergency, OB, internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery and pretty much everything else medicine has to offer.

About a week into training, the residency sponsored a retreat to Island Park. We hadn't done any camping in Oklahoma (unless you count tenting it in the back yard) so it was such fun to get out in the cool mountain air and enjoy nature . . . minus the bugs and sweltering heat of the mid-west. AWESOME!!!
We decided our fellow attendings and residents are going to be the coolest. We filled the night with good hearty food and conversation, activities for the kids, giant smores and campfire karaoke. So fun!

It was Klive's first camping trip. He thoroughly enjoyed the mesmerizing fire and playing in the dirt. I don't think he enjoyed the girly kitty hat we stuck him in to keep him warm.

My mom didn't think it was a good idea to try and fit all five of us in a two-man tent in bear country, so she sprung for a room at the local lodge. Thanks Mom. The girls spent the morning eating oatmeal on the porch and watching the fishermen hard at work on the river.

It was an awesome, relaxing trip. I even got to take the girls to my old stomping ground - Rigby, Idaho. It was a hoot to take them into Kings, where I spent my high school nights behind the cash register in the toy department. They both agreed, it is the greatest toy store EVER!!! Just chalk up some more cool points for mom.

And on our way back through, we spent a night with Grandma Ivie, Aunt Taryn, Uncle Mike, Uncle Ryan, the cousins and a chocolate cake. We even slipped away with a few extra jars of choke cherry syrup. Isn't it nice living so close to family?!

A Big Move

2011-07-29T18:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it hard to say goodbye to your best favorite cousins and head out on a new adventure.

So you just say see you later. . .

and have a few laughs before you hit the road.

Sometimes you cry big tears when you think about moving so far away and starting in a new school without your very best friend.

But you promise to be best friends forever and skype all the time.

Sometimes it's tough to pack up your home and leave the special place that has your name all over it. So you take lots of pictures to help you remember and blow it a kiss on the way out the door.

Sometimes you know that things just won't be the same when you can't give a tight squeeze to your Nana and Papa every day.

So you count down the days until they come for a visit and run up an enormous phone bill to fill the time in between.

Sometimes it helps to visit an old friend on the way to your new home. Just pick things up right where you left off. That's how you get through a big move.

Kolby V. Johnson, M.D. FINALLY!

2011-05-31T08:51:00.000-07:00

Well, it's only taken ten years to get this guy through school, but on Saturday, May 28, he finally did it. Kolby's a doctor!

The Johnson family flew in for the big event - just in time for Oklahoma's big tornado day. I'm glad they made it safely. We had a great week, despite the weather, and celebrated at Great Wolf Lodge in Dallas. Maybe I'll get ambitious and blog some pictures of the trip later.

It was all I could do to keep the tears from flowing during the ceremony. I was bursting with pride for Kolby. It has been no easy task to take on med school with a growing family. I don't think he had a minute to rest for the last four years. His few study breaks were filled with piggy-backs, story time, changing diapers and keeping up with the honey-do chores around the house.

Dozens of his peers received their hoods from their fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, or grandparents who are doctors. I couldn't help but wonder if one day, one of these little rug rats will be hooded by their dad.

Congratulations Dr. Johnson! We know your patients are going to have the best doctor in the whole world!

10 Years: Magical!

2011-05-05T04:39:00.000-07:00

On April 28, Kolby and I celebrated our 10-year anniversary. We agreed early on that 10 years is a pretty big deal, so we decided to take our very first vacation alone together since our honeymoon. What better place to go than our honeymoon destination - Disney World! Trust me, after ten years, three kids, and non-stop schooling, it would have been easy to just pick a beach and collapse on it. But we now agree that we would have missed the magic and fun that only Disney (and Harry Potter) can bring!

Ten years with this guy. Best decision I ever made. Love him so much.

We've been wanting to go to the World of Harry Potter since before it opened. And it was amazing! The butter beer was better than I could have imagined, the rides were thrilling and made you feel just like an honorary wizard, and the setting was so real! Kudos, Universal Studios!

There was plenty of time to be goofy. We've been missing that lately.

Kolby enjoys rides more than anyone I know. He's even got a special way of spotting the scared riders, and cracking just the right joke to put them at ease and help them enjoy themselves.

That's how he gets me to go on rides. I can't deny that I'm pretty much terrified of any ride that moves faster than dumbo.

New favorite ride: Expedition Everest at the Animal Kingdom.

We couldn't pass up this shot in front of Dr. Malpractice. We were also celebrating Kolby's upcoming graduation from med school. It was sooooo nice to finally take a break from all the studying and hours spent at various hospitals and clinics.

I didn't realize how much we needed this getaway. It was really rejuvenating to just have fun without a care in the world.

I don't know what I did to get such an awesome, special husband. He is truly the greatest! I feel so blessed every day to have him in my life, as well as our three little pards. God surly knew what he was doing when he created families. Can't wait to see what's in store for us over the next ten years!

Big Changes on the Horizon

2011-04-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

As we speak, Kolby is finishing his last day of rotations as a medical student at OU. I can hardly believe that come May 28, he will be Kolby Johnson M.D. What a ride! The last four years have been filled with millions and millions of hours of hard work and sacrifices made by this awesome guy. And let's not forget his supportive wife who kept the family running in his absence and his beautiful kids who allowed him a LOT of quite time to study. That's no easy task when you're little.

Oklahoma has been an amazing place to live - even if it has introduced us to the wildest weather we've ever seen. We have met some of the most wonderful people here and been blessed to live by family, too. I know that we were meant to be here and have these great experiences as a family.

We are now in for another big change. Kolby was offered a family practice residency position in Pocatello, Idaho. Crazy to think we are coming home! We are heading out in June to start the next chapter of life - one with a paycheck! Congratulations Kolby on your MAJOR accomplishment. We love you and are so proud of you Dr. Johnson!

Bits and Pieces of April

2011-04-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Spring is in full bloom in Oklahoma. Here's a little bit of what's been going on this month:

Klive (or Special K as he is now known around our house) has taken a liking to rolling around the house. He still has no desire to crawl, but the alligator death roll seems to work just fine to get him from A to B.

These girls have been enjoying some fun in the sun. I am worried that our water bill is going to be outrageous this month due to all the sprinkler use. Oh well, better enjoy the heat while we're here for one more month.

This front tooth finally fell out. I should say June cranked it out. She's one tough cookie. Too bad she already stuck her tongue in the space - now that gold tooth is out of the question.

Klive said his first word. Of course, it was "Dada." That's three for three kids who said Daddy's name first. To be fair, he has started saying "mama" too, but only when he's hysterically crying and in dire need of a bottle or bum change.

This guy was the target of an April Fools joke. You're welcome for the sweet tail, Kolby.

Klive finally started taking naps during the day. At this point, I don't care where he's taking them. I'll take what I can get.

We've had some fun time with our cousins. We are going to miss these cousins like crazy.

These two are trouble with a capital T.

And June spent some quality time with Nana learning how to use her new sewing machine. She made an amazing Princess and the Frog skirt for Winnie. What a nice sister.

Lucky Number 7

2011-04-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you add three birthdays in one week . . .

Seven dozen cupcakes of various themes, shapes and sizes . . .

and . . .
10 best-buddy cousins all hopped up on sugar and nitrates?

You get a three-ring circus! And one tired mom.

We had an awesome time celebrating one big birthday in March: Kolby turned 34, June turned 7, and Lyra turned 3.

Lucky for us, Our Bott cousins flew in for the big surprise. June came home from school and they jumped out from behind the couch. You would think there would be screams, cheers and hugs, but these kids just got right down to business and played hard.

Except for this boy, who had to take hourly breaks from play to eat four times his weight in chips and candy.

On the day of celebration, we headed to the bowling alley for some rowdy fun. Who knew you had to make an appointment a month in advance to get a spot at the lanes? We learned the hard way and had to dash across town to find another alley that would take us in.

So we bowled . . .

and bowled . . .

And bowled some more.

Then we headed back to Nana's circus tent and loaded up on bowling ball cupcakes, popcorn, and hot dogs.

Even these boys got in on the cupcake action.

Now mom is all cup-caked out. Seriously, I never thought I'd see the day when I couldn't stomach one more cupcake.

And so this little lady is 7.

Junie B. She's getting tall and skinny like a bean pole. She's a book-reading fool who never misses an opportunity to get a bug or plant under her magnifying glass. She's a helpful big sister who's learned the art of rolling her eyes rather than lashing out at her pesky siblings when they get into her stuff. She's a mostly-patient teacher to her sister who wants to be her mini-me. She's a singer in the car on her way to school. She's Dad's study buddy and Mom's fellow cook in the kitchen. She's our one and only June Bug and we love her like a son-of-a-gun.

Grandma time

2011-04-21T14:26:00.000-07:00

True to form, I'm playing catch-up again. Let me take you all the way back to January. Grandma Ivie packed her bags and came for a nice long visit to see all her kids in Oklahoma. It's been such a long time since we got to have a real visit - We're usually lucky if we get to spend a holiday with her every couple of years. I hope she enjoyed her time here as much as we did.

Grandma has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to all things culinary. She taught Tish and I how to make homemade chocolate cake and sourdough pancakes. Priceless skills! We also took a day and went to the temple as a family to do some work for some of our ancestors. The kids also had a ball playing with Grandma. June's still working hard on the homemade coloring book that Grandma brought. It makes my heart happy to know that my kids have finally gotten to know my Grandma Ivie.

Monthly Update

2011-02-27T16:17:00.000-08:00

Is it me, or are these kids just growing up too fast?

Well, it's the end of February and this boy is just about on the move. He likes to get up on his hands and knees and scoot across the floor on his face. Not the easiest way to get around, but it works for him.

This girl and this boy spend a lot of time playing together while big sister is at school. Winn has mastered the art of waving a toy in front of Klive while she keeps an eye on her cartoons. Such multi-tasking!

These kids have been thoroughly enjoying the freak snow storms that hit Oklahoma this month. June even learned to snowboard on our backyard hill! 8 snow days out of school seems awesome until they tell you that you have to add on 40 extra minutes a day for the rest of the school year to make up the time. BOOOO!!!

Winn found a new way to get her veggies - from this awesomely delicious green drink.

And Klive found his new true love - The Little Mermaid. He spends several hours every day sucking on her face and I once caught him with a purple seashell in his mouth. That Ariel, she's so trampy!

And all of these kids had blast when Yaya and The Babe came for a visit. They brought us a car in exchange for letting them entertain our children and enjoy our 80 degree weather.

Oh, and I turned 30. I'd post a picture to mark the occasion, but the only recent one I could find was my "before" shot for starting p90x and that's one for the incinerator. I am working on being 30, flirty and thriving - just like in the movie. I'll let you know how it goes.

Funny Girl

2011-02-12T16:17:00.001-08:00

Winnie is so awesome. Seriously, she is. I'll tell you why. She's hilarious, just like her Daddy. I wish I wasn't such a slacker and wrote down all the funny things she says every day, but I figure if I get a couple of them down, that's pretty good for me. Here's a sample of her skills:

Winnie: "Mom, did you know that Klive was born in Fargus?"
Mom: "What? No, Klive was born in Oklahoma."
Winnie: "No Mom, he was born in Fargus - you know, June, July and Fargus?"

It gets better. Yesterday, I was killing myself to get through a p90x workout. Winn really wanted to watch cartoons, so she decided to sit on the couch with the egg timer and give me a count down. Well, the big workout was winding down, and Klive was starting to fuss. She headed over to console him and said, "It's okay buddy, mom's almost done." Unfortunately, I had to break the bad news to her: "I've still got 15 minutes to work on my abs, Winn."
Well, then Klive really cut loose. Winn, being the sweet big sister that she is, took care of things: "Hang on little buddy, Mom's gotta work on her ass."

Sadly, so true.

Klive's new workout

2011-01-29T10:08:00.000-08:00

This is how Klive spends his mornings while Mom and Dad do their workouts. He's working on his thigh meat. What can I say, a guy can only take so many wise cracks about his leg rolls swallowing up his private parts.

5 months and going strong

2011-01-08T19:21:00.000-08:00

This baby boy rolled over today for the first time. Baby number 3 sure seems to sprout a lot faster than the other two! We've been having so much fun watching Klive do a few new things, I figured I'd better write this stuff down before I forget it.

He had a check up this week and he's a 15 and 1/2 pounder. Sadly, he's put on enough chub that we can no longer find his wiener - so embarrassing! And he hasn't forgotten the nurse that gave him his first batch of shots. He was as cool as a cucumber while the Doctor looked him over, but the minute that nurse set foot in the room, he let her have it! She gave him a second dose of reminder why he hated her in the first place.

At home, he's been sleeping like a little angel - right through the night. He's also been telling big stories, chewing on anything he can guide into his mouth, laughing at his sisters, and planning his escape as soon as he can get his arms and legs to cooperate. He's not much of a fan of the tummy time, and shrieks to let us know it, but I think he'll be a man on the move by February.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

2011-01-02T16:53:00.000-08:00

We had a thoroughly enjoyable Christmas 2010. As usual, the season flew by too fast, but we tried to do all the traditions, make a few new ones, and take as many pictures as we could to capture the memories.

Klive got to open his present early so that he could get as much bounce time as possible. They grow so fast, you know. Thanks Mom, Dad, Nana and Papa - these babies are pricey!

But Santa didn't forget the little guy either. He got one of those awesomely-simple ball poppers - the ones that you see at your friends' houses, enthralling all the kids from 2 to 10. It is sure to create hours of fun!

Winn and June were bouncing off the walls on Christmas Eve. They couldn't wait to dive into the presents. So, like the good parents that we are, we made them sit beside the tempting mountain of wrapped goodies and quietly listen to the story of Baby Jesus. Then we let them open one and head to bed!

Klive kicked and flailed all morning as he watched the paper fly. Isn't he cute in his new sock monkey hat? It's nice to know people who crochet!

June gave mom the best present of all - A Chinese throwing star, a letter inducting me into the Mickey Mouse Club, and a promise that she would be good forever. Glad I got it in writing. She also made us a beautiful calendar at school.

June spent the morning as a unicorn, and Winnie as a hippo. They are now wearing these hats everywhere. And Winnie couldn't fight the urge to measure every new treasure with her best new buddy - Mr. Measuring Tape!

These kids are so loved, and so, so, so spoiled! We had a room full of great new stuff from all the Nanas, Papas, Grandpas, Grandmas, Yayas, Aunts and Uncles (Buck!). Don't worry, the homemade thank-yous are on their way!

The face says it all.

Daddy got some manly movies, a manly tool box and tools, and some, um, kind-of manly running shoes that look like toe socks. His feet were cramping immediately, but he sure thought he looked cool.

Mom got lots of treats (which were promptly eaten before the new year weight loss goal setting) and this wicked awesome Michael Jackson game for the Wii. It is soooo hard! Makes me wish I was still a good dancer, and not a chunky monkey.

Klive did his best to be a part of the action, but it turned out to be too much for him. He had to take a little cat-nap in the wrapping paper mess.

June is totally into arts and crafts. Santa brought her a real sewing machine, and she got lots of beads, knitting supplies, drawing tools, and some math games to help her in school.
Winnie asked Santa for "real-live hair-do stuff" and that's exactly what she got - a beauty salon complete with hair cutting and coloring tools. I'm going to take some good pictures of her in action when we get it all set up. Knowing her, she'll be charging her sister for a haircut in no time.

In the afternoon, we bundled up and headed to Nana and Papa's for more presents, some shrimp and some prime rib. I think Nana's pillow pets were the biggest hit! The day was totally fun, and I'm sad to see the holiday go. You know it's a good day when Winnie asks on December 26, "How many days until Christmas?"

You better not pout, you better not cry . . .

2011-01-02T15:55:00.000-08:00

Klive was obviously new to the Santa scene this year. He assumed that the more he cried, the more Santa would take pity on him and bring him the good stuff.

June and Winnie, on the other hand, are seasoned pros. Their Santa letters were promptly written and sent out in mid-November so that the big guy would have time to order it all from Amazon and load it on his sleigh.

Imagine their surprise when they were greeted with an e-mail message from ol' St. Nick at the beginning of December. If they had any doubts about his realness at all, they were immediately put to rest. Santa knew everything! He knew about their birthday parties, their Halloween costumes, he knew that they got a new baby brother in August. And yes, he even knew exactly what they asked for for Christmas!

To mom's delight, he also gave them a big reminder that if they wanted him to make his visit with toys and treats, they had better be helpful to their parents and be kind to each other.

And so the kissing-up began.

About a week later, we were enjoying a Christmas cookie party at the Marler's house when all magic broke loose.

The kids were in mid-frost when we heard an unexpected knock on the door . . .

Look who showed up!

Santa dropped by with some amazing tree ornaments for all of the flabbergasted kids! He took each one on his knee, spoke to them by name, talked about the great things they had done this past year and made sure that his list of their present requests was accurate.

He read "The Night Before Christmas" and shared the story of the baby Jesus and the first Christmas with us. He even let the grown-ups climb up on his lap and be part of the fun.

These kids had smiles from ear to ear. What a special night! What a guy - excellent!

And we heard him exclaim as he rode out of sight, "Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!"

Giving Some Thanks

2011-01-02T15:18:00.000-08:00

A Thanksgiving post in January you say? Well, that pretty much sums up my life right now - about a month behind with everything I need to get done. You're lucky it's being documented at all! We had a great Thanksgiving (last year). It was so nice to have my parents in Oklahoma and celebrate with them. God really blessed us this year by sending them to Oklahoma. They have really helped our little family through some rough spots this past year and it is so nice knowing they are just down the street! Unfortunately, I only took pictures of the kids that day, so you'll have to imagine the rest of us.

June was quite the little chef this year. She whipped up this awesome relish tray with froggy avocado dip. I think she's in charge of relish trays from here on out!

Here's Klive celebrating his first day of thanks. He totally loved the Macy's Parade. I think it had something to do with the enormous posters of the Victoria's Secret models plastered all over the buildings in the background. He really gave thanks a few days later when he started eating solid foods for the first time. Sweet potatoes are now the true love of his life!

And this year we had the special treat of visiting June's first grade class for her first dramatic performance. They put on a wonderful play and shared with us all that they were thankful for. June danced like a turkey, sang and even stepped up to deliver the longest speaking part. That's great for a girl who has become painfully shy at school.

We were so proud!

I really felt that I had so much to be thankful for this year. We were blessed with a beautiful new baby boy, and after several months of struggling to regain my health after the delivery, I feel so blessed to just feel well and enjoy my days as a mom and wife. Plus, we can finally see a light at the end of the med-school tunnel and I am so thankful for a hard-working husband who is a super-man of a dad and always the love of my life. So thankful!

A sad good-bye

2011-01-02T14:58:00.000-08:00

It seems like just yesterday that our dear friends, the other Johnsons, were on their way to Oklahoma to be our neighbors. And now they are all grown up - graduated from orthodontics and off to Colorado. I know it was truly an answer to my prayers that brought this great family to us for a little while. Who else could have brought two best high-school buddies back together.

We had a scrumptious girls' night out at the Melting Pot to send Steph off right. I definitely filled the cracks of my broken heart with bread smothered in cheddar cheese.

And these cute girls had one last play date. A night at the ballet just seemed right.

It has been a total blessing to watch our girls grow up together. Sofie is more like a sister to June and Winnie, and we are going to miss that sweet girl like crazy. In fact, Winnie has since named all of her dolls "Sofie" in her honor. We will miss you Steph, Spencer, Sofie and Luke!

Klive's Blessing Day

2010-11-15T17:40:00.000-08:00

We finally got around to blessing Klive this month. It's a good thing Kolby was home this fast-Sunday, because I'm pretty sure chunky here would have outgrown his blessing sweater by December.

This sweater and booties are very special to me. They were made by my great grandmother, Nana Louise. She made some precious stuff, including several more sweaters, booties, hats and even Winnie's coveted owl blanket. I love seeing the kids use these family heirlooms. It takes me right back to Nana's little apartment where we played concentration, ate fruit-filled cookies and drank mini-glasses of Pepsi.

I had my mom take a quick picture of our fam at church (not sure why Kolby decided to squat down for it). Kolby gave Klive a sweet blessing with the help of Papa Lee, Uncle Curt and "Uncle" Spencer. A nice gal in our ward even transcribed it for me, so I can share some of it with our family back home and save it for posterity:

We would like to bless you that you will continue to grow and develop normally. We bless you to be a great joy to your family.

We bless you to surround yourself with good friends and that your testimony will grow and develop as you grow older; that when the time is right you will go to the temple and serve an honorable mission.

We bless you to always be a force for good in the world.

Halloween in Wonderland . . .

2010-11-05T07:10:00.000-07:00

I may be biased, but I think my kids' costumes put all others to shame this year. We've had some good ones in the past - who could forget Winn and June as the courageous duo of Sloth and Chunk from the Goonies. And our Scooby Doo crew last year was pretty sweet. But our adventure in Wonderland this year was by far our best work.

June made a lovely Alice, complete with ultra-goldy locks. She even wore black light-up heals to keep us trick-or-treaters safe from the crazy Halloween motorists on sugar-highs.

Winn was on the top of her game, strutting her stuff as the ultra-villainous Red Queen. She rocked that giant red hair poof better than Snooki.

Here she is ready to do some head chopping.

Klive definitely won for the precious factor in his White Rabbit sleep-sack. Ironically, sewing those ears on almost made us late for the very important date!

Mom went as the Cheshire cat, but her costume failed in comparison to the kiddos. I think I just ended up looking like I was suffering from a cold and tried to remedy it with powdered donuts. Also, I forgot about the fluffy tail I was wearing and gave myself a heart-attack when I reached back to tuck in my shirt. There's nothing like being attacked from behind by a furry creature on Halloween. It was definitely a trick, not a treat.

The kids had a ball at Aunt Becky's, as usual. She is the best! Her house is a Halloween masterpiece, she feeds us like kings, and she lets us trick-or-treat in her ritzy neighborhood. Definitely better candy out there!

And the icing on the cake after the long neighborhood raid was Ella's baby goats. The kids were in heaven giving loves to these little guys.

Too bad it wasn't a pig. You know the Red Queen loves a warm pig belly for her aching feet. Happy Halloween 2010!

Winn's Hippo Party

2010-10-31T17:13:00.001-07:00

Winn, ever the patient child, waited for two whole months to celebrate her birthday at the zoo. Things got a little crazy after I had Klive. I got staph and then hospitalized, Kolby moved to Tulsa for a month, June went back to school, Klive demanded all of the parental attention, and this little girl's dream of having a hippo party sort-of fell through the cracks.

Winnie is such a kind-hearted girl. She never whined, complained or bugged me about the party favors gathering dust in my closet. She knew one day Mom would get her act together and we'd celebrate her 4th birthday in style.

So last week we slapped on our animal masks . . .

And headed out on an animal scavenger hunt to find the birthday treasure.

You couldn't fool these smarty-pant kids, they knew everything about the animals and found their way to the loot with ease.

Winn had a great day with all of her best buddies.

And the pink hippo cupcakes in navy blue-frosted ponds really hit the spot.

It was a great day . . .

. . . for a really great girl!

Our Little Man

2010-10-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

I'm using this blog as my excuse for not making a baby book for Klive. I didn't do a very good job keeping the girls' books current anyway, so I have promised myself that I would write down the big baby milestones on the blog instead and share them with everyone.

Today Klive laughed for the first time. And he laughed at his best friend - Winnie. We were in the midst of our morning ritual - watching Ellen and having a bottle. Winn was being her usual goofy self and doing a little bum shaking with Ellen and it must have struck Klive funny because he did a burst of laughter. Winn was so excited. She prides herself on being the best big sister.

Here's a couple more shots of our little dude. He's just shy of three months, and I am so ready to start him on cereal. He demands feeding every hour, and lately he's been drinking 6 to 8 ozs. at a time. What a little porker.

He's very alert and wants us to pack him around all day, just so he can look at everything. He whips his head from side to side and his eyes are as wide as an owl, just trying to take it all in. He hates to nap in the day because there is just too much to look at. I think he's a lot like June in that respect. She didn't want to miss a thing either.

The Big Utah Wedding

2010-10-28T11:45:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Uncle Cole and the miracle of the "Buddy Pass," our family had the pleasure of flying home to be a part of Uncle Kory's wedding. That's right, Uncle Kory finally tied the knot. Here's a picture of his lovely bride Misty, his new daughter Jett, and the two awesome families. Misty and her crew are from Australia and we loved every minute we spent with them. Her dad totally reminded me of Croc Dundee.

The ceremony was so beautiful and special. It was so nice to be able to make our way back to the Manti Temple. Kolby and I haven't been back for almost 10 years - when we got married. We carried a bit more baggage in the form of three rug-rats this time. It is still our favorite temple.

The reception was great fun. No standing in line to greet this couple. Those Aussies know how to entertain. Singing, dancing, even scary island warrior dancing. Winn had to cling to her twin, Aunt Rylee, for safety from the island dancers, and we all kept our distance from the kilted didgeree-doo player.

Me and my four Johnson sisters. I sure do love these ladies.

After the wedding, we had a few days to hang with the fam. It's never enough time, though.

All the grandmas, grandpas, and aunties and uncles got to meet Klive. I think he was a hit. However, they created a monster. He now won't let us put him down and yells at us if we dare try.

I should also mention that we were lucky enough to stay at the Washburn's lovely home. It was better than the Ritz. They made us breakfast, shared their craft room and home theater, and brought Cousin Conzo over to entertain the girls. AWESOME!

On our last night there, the kids carved pumpkins from Grandpa Kyle's garden.

It's always hard to say good-bye to the fam. I wish I took more pictures, but it's not easy when my arms are always full of baby.

First milestone

2010-09-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

Klive started smiling yesterday. I've been exhausting myself trying to get him to crack a smile for weeks now. So of course he gave his first real smile to his Daddy, just like June and Winnie. Looks like Kolby now has three kids that adore him. And he didn't even have to try! He's been gone for two months doing an ER rotation in Tulsa. I guess that was just Klive's way of telling us that he's so glad when Daddy comes home. Well, at least he takes after me in the smile department. He only grins with one side of his mouth. That's all me!

A little of this and that . . .

2010-09-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a little bit of everything that happened post-baby birth.

Auntie Audra came for a little visit to see the baby boys. She hadn't yet met Ossian, so she got lots of luvs and gerbs.

June started first grade. She has Mrs. Schukert and I would love to report that she is loving school. She's had a little struggle getting used to the longer days, and has had a few break-downs because she misses her mama. But things are getting better.

We write secret messages to each other that we read at lunch. This helps us make it through the day and not miss each other as much.

Klive finally took a bath. I have to admit, with kid number 3, he's lucky if I find time to bath him a couple of times a week. Boys are supposed to be dirty, right?

He also got thrush his second week home. Our pediatrician gave us this lovely purple-dye medication to treat it. We now have a lovely purple mess on everything. I thought he looked like the Joker. Why so serious?

And my sweet Winnie turned 4. We had a zoo trip planned, but then I got sick. I didn't have much time to prepare after getting out of the hospital for the second time, so Nana and I threw together a princess party to make the day special. She was overjoyed. That's my Winn - always happy.

My mom has some sweet cake-baking skills. Not just anyone can make a seated Barbie cake.

A party's not complete without the cousins!

She got lots of good stuff: princess crayons, dolls, even a new bike. But I knew this would be her favorite present. Press-on princess nails that cost $1.50. She loves being a lady!

Cousin Amos happens to be the love of Winnie's life at the moment. Someday we'll have to explain why you can't marry your cousin, but right now, we just let it go. Being the thoughtful boy that he is, he picked out this particular princess flashlight knowing it would be everything Winnie had ever dreamed of.

Daddy's been gone a lot these past two months, but he made it back from Tulsa after several night shifts to celebrate. Just look at him, the life of the party!

Nana and Papa have been working their fingers to the bone to look after my children and help me get back on my feet while Kolby's been gone. My dad's been keeping our yard up in the sweltering heat. And my poor mom is working full time and still kept the kids while I was in the hospital. She also stayed up every night for over a month to help me with Klive. We are one lucky family to have them.

So that's Winn's big day. I can't believe she's 4. I'm so thankful for her kindness, her humor, her awesome imagination and her big beautiful smile that she wears from the minute she wakes up in the morning until she hits the pillow at night.

Daddy also kept his promise to do a birthday dinner at Winn's most magical place in the world - the Olive Garden. Like I said, she easy to please.

We were also lucky enough to talk Yaya Julie into coming out and helping with the new baby. Little did she know that we planned on working her to death. Klive thought she was the perfect sleeping spot, so when she wasn't doing my housework, she was snuggling this little guy.

The girls got a little special time with Yaya, too. We wish we could have locked her up and kept her as our own personal slave, but she had to go back to her paying job.

And lately we've been trying to get by on our own. Everyone takes their turn feeding Klive, who wants to eat every hour and be held every second. The other day he was throwing a fit because we put him down for a couple of seconds. Winnie tried to console him with his binky, but he wasn't having it. I told her to just let him cry and she said, "But mom, he's ruining my duty!" She takes her job as a big sister very seriously.

June's an old pro with sibling #2. Always the multi-tasker, she can hold brother, watch t.v. and pick her nose all at the same time.

And Dad takes a shift with his boy when he's in between shifts at the hospital. I'm pretty sure Klive was upset that Daddy was heading back to Tulsa that night. He's a pro at the pout.

Couldn't resist throwing in this shot of the cousins getting to know each other. Ossian is the sweetest boy. I just know these two were buddies up in heaven last year and are destined to be best pals.

Beautiful Baby Klive: First Photo Shoot

2010-09-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

We know how to make friends with the right people. Poor Stephanie Crandall, she's been forced to take more pictures of our family than she'd probably like to, but she just keeps coming back. We must just be that awesome, or maybe the cute new baby had something to do with it. Steph, as usual, you are amazing with the camera. You even made me look good in my pajamas with no make-up and going on 3 days without a shower - thanks buddy! Don't be surprised if you see a few of these on our christmas card this year.

KVJ number 5

2010-08-11T16:03:00.001-07:00

Kolby's dream of getting a little more testosterone in his family finally came true!

On August 5, 2010, Klive V. Johnson joined our clan.

This is one proud Daddy! He's always wanted his own boy with big, bad sideburns!

He arrived at 7:50 p.m. weighing 7 lbs. 5 ozs. and was 19 inches long.

Here's the girls rallying on the Afternoon when I was without food and water and super nervous to go have my big surgery. They were excited to get to spend the night at Nana's house, so they gave baby Klive belly one last hug and sent us on our way.

Last pregnant couple shot! Yay!

We got to the hospital at 3:00, but didn't end up in the O.R. until 7:30 that night. Kolby could have used a smaller pair of scrubs, but these did the job.

Here's my brave face on the operating table. The C-section actually went super fast -I swear my Dr. had the baby out in about 5 minutes. The tummy tuck, however, lasted a few hours longer. I'm just proud of myself that I kept my cool and didn't freak out through the ordeal. I just tried to focus on my beautiful new boy!

Mom and Klive - glad that's over!

I can't believe he only weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces! Definitely the runt of our litter. I guess there were a few more brownies and pints of ice cream in that belly than I'd like to admit.

He was a trooper, too. It couldn't have been very warm in that operating room, and he stuck it out with me. They had to suck his lungs out a bit to get him breathing well, but other than that, he did awesome!

The next day, Klive got to meet his big sisters. I'm happy to report that June and Winnie have been nothing but super helpful with their brother, and they are being so sweet to me while I try and recover.

They can't get enough loves from their new bro.

I tried to find a nice picture of Kolby and/or me holding the baby, but our eyes look tired and terrible in pretty much all of them. We're a bit out of practice with a newborn - especially one who has his days and nights confused.

We were told by many, many, many people that the third baby is a walk in the park. Well, so far, Klive has been the best baby. He only cries when he's wet or hungry, he's a great nurser, he's very snuggly, and we think he's the most beautiful baby in the world.

Mr. Man

2010-07-25T11:43:00.000-07:00

Looks like I'm going to be having this baby boy in about a week and a half. So I suppose I should write a bit about the awesome shower that my friends threw for me. Don't be fooled by the hairy disguises, these chicks threw one great party! I always feel so lucky to have such great friends.

The theme was Mr. Man is On His Way and the decorations were so creative and super manly!

Neck ties . . .

and moustaches on everything.

They even managed to find soda bottles with moustached men.

And if you said the word "baby" you got to slap on one of these sweet little pervert moustaches. I think pretty much every lady from the ward was wearing one by the end of the shower.

I felt so blessed that so many wonderful friends came and I definitely got spoiled with great boy gifts. This kid is going to be dressed like a total stud!

The girls also came up with the cutest craft idea. My guests cut out and ironed on fabric to make me some awesome and one-of-a kind baby bibs and burp cloths.

Yep, I pretty much just sat around, opened presents, ate treats and let everyone slave away and make stuff for me.

They turned out so cute, it's going to be tough to watch ol' Klive spew all over them.

My mom made it to Oklahoma just in time for my shower. I love my mom.

And Aunt Misty got to come too. I know, I look like a tank next to her skinny bod!

I hope my buddies know how much I love them and appreciate their hard work. I felt so loved. And Klive did too. Now I really can't wait to get this Mr. Man out and put all his new stuff to good use.

Our Bott Buddies

2010-07-20T05:55:00.000-07:00

June and Caulder. From their very first moments together, we knew that they had something special. They were just destined to be best friends. But tragedy struck too soon, and they were torn apart by the evil institution of medical school. Now, they have to travel great distances to be together.

But theirs is a friendship that cannot be crippled by time or distance apart. This duo simply picks right back up where they left off. Literally. When the Botts arrived in Oklahoma for a visit last week, they didn't even bother to say "hi" or hug.

They just started playing Lego Batman on the wii.

This time, however, we finally got a visit from our other Bott boy, Tukk. I know he's not a baby anymore, but these girls wanted to baby him the whole time. He's the sweetest little dude, but don't be fooled by his slow start in life, I think he can wear anyone out trying to keep up with him.

We had to make the most out of the short visit, so we filled it up with movies (Despicable Me was really funny!), dragon slayings, video games, ghosts in the graveyard, pizza parties . . .

and a quick dip in the pool.

This picture makes my heart happy. There is nothing better than cousin time!

Tukk and Kolby were in charge of the sneaky shark attacks.

And Winnie just looks totally like her Aunt Rylee in this picture. Lucky girl.

Tukk even let this whale pack him around in the water for a while.

We had to take them to a pool. Otherwise, they may never want to come back to the sweltering state of Oklahoma.

As usual, the time went by way too fast, and Misty and I both had to deal with the devastation, wailing and gnashing of teeth when it was time for the kids to say their good-byes. June cried herself to sleep and broke my heart. So now we'll just put on a brave face and look forward to our next visit.

Johnson/Ivie family vacation

2010-07-02T11:15:00.001-07:00

Kolby got two whopping weeks off from school this summer. So we granted Winnie's wish of returning to her most magical place on earth - The Great Wolf Lodge in Texas. The face says it all.

This time, we got to share the adventure with the Ivies. It's been a while since we could work out our schedules to do a combined family trip. And it was as fun as ever! Just remember, Lyra smiles on the inside, not the outside!

Well, she's almost cracking a smile in this one.

Amos had a blast on the body slides. I think he'd have gone down every slide if he wasn't too short to make the height requirement. What a bummer!

I did my best to keep up with these guys. That belly is really weighing me down these days. Klive was in heaven when I just let him float in the wave pool. Too bad that wasn't quite exciting enough for June and Winnie.

June went on every slide with her dad. Looks like she'll be his new ride buddy. And Winnie took that life vest off the first five minutes we were there and swam like a fish. She gave the big body slide a go, but it really freaked her out. I pulled her out at the bottom and she was just shaking. At least she gave it a try.

Tish had her arms full with three little dudes, but June said her favorite part of the trip was finally going on one slide at the very end with Auntie Tish.

And I am so proud of my girls this summer. They have really been working hard to learn how to swim without their floaties. I had to put this movie on of Winnie because I just can't believe how well she does at 3 years old. She opens her eyes under water and turns into a mermaid!

Family Pictures 2010

2010-06-28T04:52:00.000-07:00

Thanks Stephanie C. You made us look so pretty!

The Rains Came Down and the Floods Came Up . . .

2010-06-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

There are so many great things about living in Oklahoma. Sometimes, I think I could just live here forever because I have loved it so much. But then we have a day like this, and I am ready to go running for the hills. Already this month, Oklahomans have endured two F4 tornadoes, a multitude of tornado scares, and a thunder storm that produced hail the size of softballs.

This week, I learned to take flash flood warnings very seriously. The rain was literally as if God opened the sky and dumped a lake. In a matter of minutes, the roads became gushing rivers complete with fan boats sent to rescue the idiots who thought they could drive in it. Idiots like us. I'm just thankful we made it home safely.

Memorial Day Weekend 2010

2010-06-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

Having a little BBQ after some hard-core slip-n-sliding. I love these faces!!!

I gave these two matching buzz cuts. Amos had to be just like his dad. Sorry Tish, they wanted to go super bald just to annoy you.

Lyra has really taken a liking to her Papa Lee. Or as she calls him, "Pa-lee."

Kolby enjoyed his time in the sun. The hat was a must. That bald head hasn't seen the sun for months!

June may be wearing her water wings in this picture, but she's getting pretty serious about learning to swim without them this summer. She's got the underwater motions down, it's just difficult for her to realize she can come up and take a breath of air between strokes.

Winn is our little fish, as usual. Her number one complaint of the summer: Having her dirty, chlorine-soaked hair brushed when she gets out.

Sporting our Sunday best. It looks like I'm hiding walnuts in my cheeks. Thanks Klive.

The girls look so cute in these dresses. And Kolby is always my most handsome!

Hello Summer!!!

2010-05-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

This girl is happy. For the past 10 months, we have passed by the community pool on our way to drop June off for school. And every, I mean EVERY day, she has sweetly asked me, "Mom, someday, can we go to that pool???"

Pelican Bay opens this weekend!!!! And even though Winnie can't be exposed to much sun this summer due to her kidney medication, I think we will finally be able to make her swimming dreams come true!

This girl is also happy! She graduated from Kindergarten today!!! And I might add, she had a PERFECT report card. It has been an awesome school year and June has really blossomed. She has loved her teacher, Mrs. McDonald, and so she wanted to take this special picture to remind her of the best first year of school ever!

This girl (the one packing the big boy) is putting on a happy face despite her true feelings. I know at some point I told Kolby I would NEVER have another summer pregnancy. I don't know what happened. Here we are at day one of our summer vacation, and I am so hot, I could set this chair on fire!

But you know what I do love? This little Winn. She is so loving to her baby brother, and he's not even out yet. Every time I come into the room, she runs up and gives my belly a kiss, or a little rub, and she whispers through my belly button to Klive and tells him all kinds of secrets. The cool thing is that Klive totally loves Winnie the best. He knows her voice and goes crazy in my guts when he hears her. I think they have a very special bond.

Let's hope Klive is a fan of cool swimming pools, because that's where we are going to be every day from here on out!

Waiting for the Tooth Fairy!

2010-05-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

In a world where every other kindergartner enjoyed mouth full of gaping holes and pockets bursting with change, June Johnson, with her grin full of baby pearly whites, was a complete social outcast. But everything changed one bright sunny day in May!

As she lounged lazily on a Sunday afternoon, she was inspired by Dad's latest movie rental, The Tooth Fairy. So she mustered up the necessary bravery, tied on the dental floss and went to work. Just a little tug here, and a yank there, and voala! The tooth popped right out!

It feels so good to be back in the in-crowd! Let's hope the tooth fairy got some cash back at the grocery store yesterday so she doesn't have shop on Sunday to make this little girl's wildest dreams come true!

9 Year Anniversary

2010-04-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

Kolby and I enjoyed our 9-year wedding anniversary this week. We celebrated on the weekend in the typical manner, dinner and a movie with some friends to mark the occasion. Then we got the girls in on the action and had a pizza picnic at the park and flew kites. I know, super romantic. And this year, Kolby decided to give me the gift that keeps on giving - a nasty chest cold. He was extremely apologetic.

So as I've been spending my days laying on the couch coughing myself into the loss of bladder control, I've been thinking about how much we've gotten done together over the past 9 years:

Finishing school, serving at church, sponging off of relatives to keep us out of debt, sprouting children and trying not to screw them up too badly, moving away, buying a house, hanging on for dear life in med school, living off of loans, gaining weight, loosing hair and growing up. It's a good thing we are best friends, because life sure works you over. And the one thing that keeps me going every day is the tingle I still get in the pit of my currently enormous gut when I hear the front door open at the end of the day. In the words of Sachko, our Japanese friend, it's true love shicks.

Happy 9 years Kolby, June, Winnie and Klive!!! Let's keep up the good work!

The big yellow bus

2010-04-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

June had her very first school field trip on Thursday. And I, being possessed by a case of my normal motherhood paranoia, had to tag along. The big event was an educational country-western concert put on by a dude named Stephen Fite, followed by lunch at the park.

And the kindergartners were all too happy to dress up for the occasion.

I have to send a special thank you to Hailey's mom, Carla, for taking all of these wonderful pictures. In my defense, I did remember my camera. I just forgot to charge the battery before I left home. Carla saved the day!

Here's June and Hailey. BFF's.

Hailey, Thomas and June. This posse is all about play-dates after the long, hard, two-and a half hours they spend with their noses in the books at kindergarten.

When I was a little tyke, my favorite part of field trips was the special lunch my mom always packed for me. Field trip food was always processed, packed with sugar, and put together with extra love.

June, on the other hand, could not get over how cool it was to ride on the big yellow bus. She counted down the days until her first big ride, and then enjoyed every second of the bumpy, seat belt-free crawl to the concert.

The smell of rubber seats combined with the lack of windshield visuals brought that nostalgic, queasy feeling back in a hurry. The school bus is definitely not designed for fat, pregnant ladies.

The concert was a rootin' tootin' good time. Mr. Fite sang a song about beavers and counting that had us all rolling on the floor. We quickly worked up an appetite with all of our dancing, hootin' and hollerin'.

I'm swallowing my pride here to include this picture of June and Me. What can I say, pregnancy is never kind. But June was sure cute, and I want to remember our very special trip together.

Easter 2010

2010-04-07T11:57:00.000-07:00

It's a good thing the girls got their room cleaned by Saturday night, because the bunny almost had to pass right by this house. The girls and I had a fun Easter morning - Daddy was on call at the children's hospital so we hurried and ate all the good treats before he got home.

I guess the bunny found out how much June and Winnie loved the new movie, How to Train Your Dragon, because he hooked them up with dragon capes and giant eggs that hatched baby dragons in warm water.

Aunt Becky invited us to the annual Easter brunch, and it was scrumptious. So began the over- indulgence for the day. I think I set a new record for number french-toasts consumed in under 10 minutes. I'm blaming this baby boy. He has turned into the biggest eater. Is that a boy thing? Because I have never been this hungry in my life!

The girls got to hunt eggs with all the cousins. And the treats just kept on coming.

I waited until the last minute to hunt for cute Easter dresses and missed all the good ones. So we went with plan B. The girls wore these cute, frilly shirts and their new matching church sandals. It is blowing my mind this year that my girls are practically wearing the same size. Even in shoes! June is in an 11 and Winn is right behind her in a 10. In a way, it is driving me crazy that Winn won't get the hand-me-downs anymore, but I've decided to just buy 1 wardrobe from now on and they can trade back and forth.

Following the fun festivities, we hurried home to start Easter dinner. You know, because we hadn't stuffed our faces in over an hour. Plus, we had to get home to welcome Papa to Oklahoma. He finally made the long drive; the kids were waiting by the door.

Kolby made his famous brine turkey with all the delicious sides and we celebrated Thanksgiving-style.

I asked June to pitch in and make some stuffed celery. She seemed excited to do part of the cooking, but here's the face I got when I begged for a smile:

Only 6, and already rolling her eyes at chores. No wonder Winnie prayed all on her own for June to "lose the attitude."

Looks like the long drive and turkey dinner may have been too much for little Papa. He had to take a nap to recover. He's probably going to be needing a few more of these now that he's surrounded by busy grand kids with big plans for fun in the sun!

A Very Merry Un-Birthday . . . to June!

2010-03-27T19:19:00.001-07:00

June's Alice in Wonderland tea party finally came to pass. I really wanted to make this a special birthday party for June. It's her first year in school so she was dying to invite her new friends over. Plus, I've struggled so much with morning sickness lately that June has had to take on many new jobs and really pull some weight around here. I wanted her to have a special day and show her how much her dad and I love and appreciate the good girl she is.

We had big plans to party outside on the back porch, but we should have known better. Oklahoma weather can never be trusted! So after a week of working like a dog and a morning filled with chaos trying to pull it all together, we celebrated high tea with the un-birthday girl inside.

Nana Deb and Audra painted all of these characters from the movie and shared them with us. Winnie had to have her picture taken with all of them!

June looked even more beautiful than the real Alice in her dainty costume. We got it on clearance after Halloween, so she's been waiting an awfully long time to try it out.

June has made some wonderful friends in her kindergarten class this year. I think they had a great time helping June celebrate turning 6.

Some snacks and decorations . . .

We enjoyed "lime sherbet tea," Eat/Drink me sweets to help us shrink and grow, and heart-shaped pizzas, thanks to Dad's sweet baking skills.

Leave it to Sofie to show up dressed as the Cheshire cat. This girl always knows how to party in style!

Hailey told me that she may be a little girl, but she had a big smile to share. June loves this gal.

We let the kids paint their own tea cups. Here they are hard at work.

Then we braved the ominous clouds for a bit to enjoy a golf game in the back yard. It was our version of Alice in Wonderland croquet.

We finished up with presents, singing and cake.

We sure love our June Bug. Happy birthday little lady! Can't believe you've been making us smile for 6 years!

Playing catch-up. Again.

2010-03-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been jam-packed. I'm going to have to just do my best to play catch-up with this post.

We had a special visit from Nana and Papa at the end of February. In a surprising turn of events, my mom and dad have decided to move to Oklahoma. My dad took a job at an airport about 15 miles north of us, and will be starting in April. I'm still pretty shocked by this decision. I figured hell would have to freeze over before my dad ever returned to Oklahoma. His last experience here wasn't so swell - he came to move us out three years ago right in the middle of a heat wave and swore that he'd never come back. I guess the pull of the grand kids is just too strong.

It's a good thing Papa is on his way, because we need a bigger cheering section at the girls' soccer games. June's an old pro after playing last season, but Winn is new to the field. She's on a team with her cousin Amos and her best buddy Sofie. She had a bit of a rocky start in her first game . Things were going fine until she was sent to sub out. I guess she thought she was in trouble and getting kicked off the field. She came running over with tear-filled eyes and wouldn't dare return to the game.

Here's Winnie and Sofie all pumped to play

Kolby and I celebrated our birthdays. He's 33, and I'm now counting down my last year in my 20's. You won't find a picture of me on this blog because I'm turning into an oompa-looma with this pregnancy and am not crazy about documenting it. I'm waiting for that rare shot that captures me at just the right angle and doesn't make me look like a whale.

We also celebrated another special birthday this month. June turned 6! I don't know what it is about this birthday, but it really started to sink in that my baby is becoming a young lady, and it makes me ache.

We were lucky enough to celebrate with Grandma Sara, Grandpa Babe and Yaya Julie. They took us to June's new favorite restaurant, the Olive Garden, and then we got to enjoy the new Alice in Wonderland movie together. We sure wish they could visit every month.

As always, they spoiled us way too much while they were here.

June was also thrilled to bring her grandmas to her special celebrate at her kindergarten class. They sang a silly birthday song, and all of the kids added a picture to a little birthday book for June to take home. She also requested horse cupcakes, and so Yaya and I did our best to oblige. Why is it nothing ever turns out as awesome as it looks in the book? Oh well, the kids thought they were pretty sweet.

I sure do love this little lady. She does her best every day to be helpful to mom, she works so hard in school and is always well behaved, and she always sets lofty goals for herself and doesn't give up until she achieves them. I'm so proud to be her mom. I know she is going to do great things.

And June's birthday wish came true. She's having a little brother! I was certain it was going to be another girl, but June knew better. We are all so excited to finally get a boy in the mix. I just hope he doesn't mind all of the dress-ups, Barbies, and baby dolls that he's going to have to endure. Good luck little dude!

Baby bump and the winter blues . . .

2010-02-17T13:51:00.001-08:00

This is my first pregnancy as a blogger, so I figured I had better get around to documenting it. Things have been pretty rough this third time around. I didn't think things could get much worse than carrying June, but this little tadpole is taking it's toll.

So far, I have endured a month and a half of uncontrollable nausea and a wicked gag reflex that keeps me clutching the toilet. Also, the reflux has been murder on my guts and throat. I'm not a big day-time napper, but I don't remember ever feeling this tired with a pregnancy. I think it has something to do with trying to keep up with two little sisters who never slow down. I just keep telling myself that this is my last pregnancy and so I'm trying to focus on the miracle of life rather than the feeling of being at death's door.

Here's my baby bump at 14 weeks. It pretty much just popped out around Christmas time. I guess when your gut has already been stretched to the max twice before, it's pretty accommodating to the third peanut.

We've also been hit by a bad case of the winter blues. Oklahoma has given us some pretty warm winters over the past couple of years, but this year has been just one snow or ice storm after another. In fact, June has been out of school for 4 snow days, and that's not counting the 5 days we were snowed in over the holiday vacation. The kids have made the most of the snow, but we are really ready for spring.

Looks like we're just going to have to hang in there until mother nature gives us a break.

Me and My Buddies . . .

2010-01-25T10:03:00.000-08:00

It doesn't shame me to admit that most of my deep conversations these days are with these two goof-balls. June is so full of philosophical questions, and Winnie is always ready with a snappy comeback. So here's the latest conversations around our lunch table:

June: Mom, are you 83?

Me: No, I'm 28, but thanks for making me feel old.

June: So next you will be 29, and then 30, and then . . .

Winnie: You will turn into a dog?

June: Will you die when you are 100?

Winnie: No June, Mom will die in 10 minutes. I will never not die, cuz I will turn into a dog when I grow up.

I'm glad we got things cleared up.

Later, in the bathroom while doing June's hair, we were having a nice conversation about baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. I explained what the Holy Ghost is and how he helps us make good choices and be safe. You know, one of those mother moments you hope the Lord witnessed to prove you weren't always a neglectful mother. Then June, with a look of sadness mixed with desperation, said, "Mom, I need to whisper something to you. My teacher at church told me that Jesus knows everything . . . even things that moms and dads don't know. So the other night I prayed that Jesus would tell me when my teeth would fall out, and he hasn't answered me. Why???"

Anyone want to help me out? My answer of, "Some things we just don't need to know," is really not cutting it. And why is she so obsessed with loosing her teeth?

And here's baby number 3. I'm tired just thinking about it.

What to do?

2010-01-13T08:21:00.000-08:00

Every blog I visit currently has one thing in common - a list of worthwhile resolutions for the new year. I'm impressed people. Everyone seems like they have set some meaningful goals; good things like showing more love to those around them, eating right, not sweating the small stuff.

And while I'd love to cherry-pick some of these lofty goals to add to my own list, I'm too tired. I tell you, I'm just in a bad way right now. I did set some goals on the day I found out I was pregnant with baby number 3. I didn't want to gain more than 25 pounds, I wanted to work out throughout the entire pregnancy, continue to eat healthy and I wanted to keep up the yoga and meditative breathing so that I wouldn't loose my patience so much with my girls. I should have known that I set my sights too high. Pregnancy has never been a friend of mine, and I am certainly at it's mercy right now.

It is killing me that, all resolutions aside, I am having trouble just rolling out of bed in the morning, knowing full well that I'm going to have bolt to the bathroom for my ritual barf-fest. So I'm cutting myself some slack. I'm going to set some goals that will at least get me through this miserable first trimester and hopefully then I will be on to some greener pastures. So my new, new year's resolutions are:

1. Do a bit of stretching and some deep breathing while I lay on the couch all day

2. Brush my teeth after EVERY time I toss my cookies

3. Eat wheat bread rather than white - even though it hurts a bit more on the way back up

4. Praise my girls for their extra help around the house - even if it still looks like we live at the city dump

5. Read at least one book to my girls every day, and not feel bad that the Disney channel is doing the bulk of parenting this month

6. Get outside at least once a day - dropping a cup of food in the dog's bowl totally counts.

7. Make sure Kolby knows how deeply appreciative I am that he not only endures 3rd year med school, but then comes home to do all the daily chores, make dinner, bathe the girls, play with them, read to them and put them to bed.

8. Send good, loving vibes to this final baby on the way, even though I'm certain it's trying to murder me from the inside.

Thanks Uncle Buck!!!

2010-01-05T08:37:00.000-08:00

Not everyone is lucky enough to have an actual "Uncle Buck," but we are. And he never disappoints when it comes to presents! This year for Christmas, he sent June, Winn, Amos and Lyra these awesome rides called Plasma Cars. Of course they were a hit! Even Lyra couldn't hide her excitement behind her usual scowl.

These bad boys are going to be even more fun when it warms up enough to take them out on the open road - the bike path at the park. But for now, our garage will have to do. Thanks U.B. and Auntie Karen, we can't get the kids off of them!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T07:26:00.000-08:00

This is going to be a long post with lots of pictures. You know, for the grandmas who are missing their girls this Christmas.

Here's June and Winnie in their Christmas church dresses. They were so pretty.

Kolby finally got a couple weeks off from school, and he planned a surprise holiday trip for the girls. They were guessing for days, but had no idea we were heading to the Great Wolf Lodge in Texas for some water fun!

On our first night, we ate at this Rain Forest Cafe. Once Winnie was able to uncover her ears and just enjoy the animals' screeching and howling, she loved it. Especially the Elephants.

We finally checked into the Lodge and headed for the water park. These girls were going non-stop. Winnie spent all of her time on these fun kiddie-cat pool slides, and shooting water at unsuspecting passers-by.

June got a bit more daring on this trip and took turns going with mom and dad on the bigger slides. She takes after her mom in the height department, so the life guards had to measure her for every ride. She even got to sneak onto a few that she was about an inch too short for. But Kolby and I loved taking her down. It's like she's really growing up!

Here's how Winnie eats a hot dog. She takes the "corn on the cob" approach.

Kolby, as usual, turned into a big kid. He really needed this break from school!

Here's June, Winnie and their pal Sofie. By the end of the day, these girls were raisins from the water, but we still had to drag them out of the pool.

There was so much to do at the Lodge, even if you weren't swimming. At night, the girls got to listen to animal story time in the magical lobby that snowed. And they finally got their turn to sit on the big guy's lap and make sure he got their letters.

June's only request of Santa: A white Christmas. Little did she know that we would be coming home on Christmas Eve to a blizzard. That girl always gets her way, I swear.

June played outside right through the blizzard. Winnie made it outside to the edge of the back porch, turned right around, and headed back inside. Too cold for her!

And June finally realized her dream of building a snow man in Oklahoma. His name was Leafer. And he is still standing.

Here are some shots from Christmas morning. I think everyone got exactly what they wanted!

So thanks to all of those who love our girls and sent so much good stuff to keep them busy for the next few weeks. It was a great Christmas!

Love,

Jess, Kolby, June, Winnie, oh, and our mystery baby on the way!

We're Ready for Santa!

2009-12-15T07:37:00.000-08:00

This year, Santa's all the rage at our house. I was wondering when the idea of a jolly fat man who brings free presents to nice children was going to catch on. And although our year was filled with loads of naughty deeds, These girls are making a strong finish in hopes that Santa will remember their more recent behavior.

Mom also implemented a new behavior program just to help keep them on track. We keep a jar on the kitchen counter. On one side of the jar, you will find a bucket of "warm fuzzies." Every time the girls do something nice or helpful without the typical whining, I toss in a warm fuzzy. Then there's the "cold naughties." These little, black, plastic beads find their way into the jar whenever mom hears fighting, yelling, naughty words, or witnesses disobedient behavior.

Every week, we empty out the jar. If there are more warm fuzzies than cold naughties, the girls get rewarded. You can imagine what kind of looks I get in the grocery store when Winnie loudly reminds June, "You better be nice, or mom's going to give you a cold naughty!" Oh well, at least we found something that works.

This week was a success! So we had a girls' day out and saw The Princess and the Frog. And we couldn't resist taking a picture in front of Alvin, Simon and Theodore in the "Movie Vader," as Winnie calls it. Maybe we'll go see their movie, too, if we can just be good, for goodness sake!

Anyways, back to Christmas. We got all of our decorations up over Thanksgiving break. Here's our tree tucked neatly in the corner. The girls spend most of their evenings shaking their presents, and trying to sneak peeks through the "accidental" rips that keep magically appearing in the wrapping paper.

I'd love to own an ornate, beautifully-crafted nativity, but for now, this Fisher Price one will have to do. The girls have had a ball setting this one up over and over again and we've had some great talks about the baby Jesus this year.

This is the first year we will be spending Christmas day in our Oklahoma house, so we decided to put up some lights. We are usually visiting Utah for the month of December, but Kolby just couldn't get away from school long enough to make the trip. We're all a little melancholy that we won't be spending the holidays with the fam, but I'm actually a bit relieved in a way. Traveling with two kids that hate to fly and enough presents to fill a mini U-haul always proves stressful.

So I guess we're ready. Bring it on, Santa!

We are Thankful for . . .

2009-11-28T16:47:00.000-08:00

We got the best surprise last weekend - Yaya Julie, Aunt Misty and Cousin Caulder flew out for a quick visit. The best part: Caulder came right in and the kids picked up playing exactly where they left off in the summer. I think it's safe to say these guys are best buddies!

It was Aunt Misty's first visit to Oklahoma, so we showed her all the sights!

We showed off our sweet gas station, "Pops." Yep, that's about as exciting as it gets in Oklahoma. The local gas station is a novelty. Kolby took this awesome picture of June drinking from the giant pop statue.

The kids decorated cookies with Yaya. I accidentally ate 8 cookies. And then I got sick in the middle of the night. Smart, right? Don't judge me!

We spent a Sunday afternoon at the park, too. But the weekend went by much too fast and they had to go home so Tukker, Cole and Grandpa Babe didn't get too jealous. We hated to see them go.

Then came Turkey Day! I had to throw in this picture of June's incognito turkey she made for school. The kids had to make a "turkey with dressing" to keep it safe from the thanksgiving day slaughter. June made hers into a sumo wrestler. I don't think you want to mess with this bad boy.

The turkey was Kolby's baby this year. He brined it over night and got up very early to roast it.

Here's the finished product. Now that's a nice bird!

We had a lovely, laid-back Thanksgiving at our friends' house. The "other" Johnsons. Steph was the ultimate hostess - she made these cute matching Indian- girl outfits for the girls to wear. She knows them so well, dress-ups are a must for these divas.

Steph and Jess - slaving away in our aprons. We're so grown-up!

And here's the boys' club: Spencer, Kolby and baby Luke.

We ate so much that we had to spend the afternoon playing the Wii from the comfort of the couch. Who knew you could golf and play tennis while sitting down?

It was a wonderful family day and I didn't forget to say my prayers at night and thank Heavenly Father for all the blessings he gives to me.

School Days . . .

2009-11-10T07:27:00.000-08:00

Presenting June's first school picture! I'm no expert, but I think it was a success. When it comes to school pictures, you primp and curl and color-code, send your child off to school and cross your fingers that they don't have boogers smeared across their faces or smashed hair-do's when the camera flashes. A smile is almost too much to wish for, and a toothy grin is rare. So nice work June!

We are already over two months into kindergarten, and June is rocking it! I met with Mrs. McDonald for parent-teacher conference last weekend and got the best report ever. She's well-behaved, reading like a pro and was chosen as the class's "good citizen" for the term. I'm one proud mama!

Soccer came to an end last weekend, and I think we went out on a high note. Here is June with her good buddy, Kiki. These two started out as timid as a mouse on the field, and now they are right in the heat of the battle! June can't wait to play in the spring!

Jen had a special pizza night for the team and handed out medals. She told June that she was the most improved player, and June was beaming! She's been sleeping with her medal under her pillow and wearing it every day.

After an entire season of cheering, Winn is done being an athletic supporter! She wants to play so badly like big sister, and so she will be on her first soccer team in March with cousin Amos. I can't wait. The other day I took her to the park, and she spent the better part of an hour running laps around the playground! She calls it her "workin' out."

Winn has also snuck her way into June's kindergarten class with Mom when I help out on Wednesdays. The kids adore her and she thinks it's heaven on earth. Especially singing time - She turns the ABC carpet into her own private dance floor when Mrs. McDonald blasts the tunes. She does a mean version of the Destiny's Child "no-no" dance!

This face keeps me smiling all day. I sure do love these girls!

Jinkies Scooby!!! It's Halloween!!!

2009-11-01T06:56:00.001-08:00

This Halloween, we were off to solve a mystery. These kids are Scooby Doo junkies! So they chose the family costume theme this time around. And we always enjoy our Halloween in a big way at Aunt Becky's decked-out party!

Top row: Mystery Machine, Freddie, Scooby Doo, Hex Girl, Black Samuri Sojo (yes, there is a Samuri Scooby Doo)

Bottom row: Velma, Daphne, and Shaggy

Winnie called herself "Delma" and has been giddy all week in anticipation. She bolted from house to house in search of the next treat. And her excitement couldn't even be dulled by the several spills she suffered. She took a tumble off of a rock wall, and dumped her goods after a large dip in the yard got the better of her. Yep, mom was kicking herself for forgetting the flashlights this year.

June kept pace with cousins Kiki and Jaxon. We didn't worry about losing her this year, that hair was nearly glow-in-the-dark! She got to wear her costume to her very first class party on Friday, too. Now that's a big deal!

I threw this costume together for Kolby on Saturday afternoon. I was painting like crazy to get it done in time! I have a feeling this one is going to be a nice addition to the dress-up box, since Scooby Doo is acted out live every day at our house!

Kolby let me borrow his "coolest" bell-bottoms for my costume. June told me the wig and lip gloss was a little too girly to be Freddie, but the ascot really pulled it all together.

I'm going to have to swipe a picture of Scooby and Shaggy from Tish. After all, they are the main characters! Hope everyone had as much fun as we did! Happy Halloween!!!

Getting Spooky

2009-10-14T08:38:00.001-07:00

We may have jumped the gun a bit, but we just couldn't wait until Halloween to carve our pumpkins this year! Last Saturday night was all about the pumpkins!

June was really helpful with the "guts" removal.

Winn stuck her hand in once, then bolted to the bathroom to scrub off the "uscusting" goo. I have no idea when she got so squeamish.

In honor of Disney's recently-released classic, we went with a "Snow White" theme. Winn and I carved up ol' Snow White in all her splendor, and Dad and June worked their magic on the wicked witch. What do you think?

Snow White, The Wicked Witch, and Prince Charming?

I guess we just couldn't get enough of pumpkins that day, so we rounded out the night with some jack-o-lantern cookie-decorating. I gave each of the girls some frosting and sprinkles and let them go at it.

June, as always, was meticulous about her frosting and sprinkle placement. It was a work of art.

Winn's frosting may have been two inches thick, but that didn't stop her from devouring every bite.

Pumpkin Night RULES!!!

Just kickin' it

2009-10-04T18:20:00.000-07:00

June started soccer a few weeks ago with her buddies Kiki and Jaxon. It was a little rough at first - she went from being a star player on a mostly-4-year-old t-ball team, to being the runt newbie on a mostly-6-year-old soccer team. I tried to take some pictures at her first game, but she spent the whole game by the coach's side, wiping tears on her sleeves while she successfully dodged all of the action on the field. It broke my heart, and we thought about walking away from the sport altogether, but we decided to go back for one more week.

I have no idea what brought about the change, but June was a completely different girl this week. She ran her guts out, played some real defense, and even kicked the ball a few times. I'm so proud of Junie - she was still very scared, but she really gave it her all and ended up having a great time. Her team, the Wildcats, won both games on Saturday! Be proud Aunt Darby and Rylee!

Here's a little movie of June's goal kick (Wildcats are in blue), and her little buddy scoring a goal.