A family affair

gOur weekend was crazy busy. Crazy. Busy. So I will ask you once again to forgive my ridiculous amount of pictures, it seems blogging has made me picture happy....among other things.

The weekend happily started with a dinner at Chilli's. For 13 people...6 adults, 7 kids. Stupid? You decide. There were so many there because Jody and Heather and the kids were able to come! (It made every ones weekend and we were so happy they were here!)

I loved these pictures of the kids while waiting for a table.

After dinner we went to Grandma's house...and somehow they talked her into Popsicles for dessert. Notice how Grandpa is joining in the fun, sometimes I think he is the biggest kid of the bunch!

Then Saturday we had a Johnson Family Reunion. This was a first for us, and it turned out to be really fun. We all met at my moms school, ate the takeout of our choice, and played in the gym. Adyson was thrilled because there was a stage there, and she put on a small concert. The kids loved having so much space to just be free and run around. After a while we played an impromptu game of baseball, which started to get more competitive by the second. We even got good old Grandpa to get out there.

And here's the whole crew. We missed those of you who didn't come!

The rest of the weekend was spent playing in Grandma's pool-and slip-n-slide. Some of the kids were pretty good at it....

And some couldn't quite figure it out. (Are you surprised that my girls weren't quite coordinated enough?) We love em'.

And of course, more Popsicles. Lucky kids.

Oh and Adyson was thrilled to have one more person to practice her "hair doing" skills on. Thanks for being such a good sport Jody!

The crappiest club in the world

I've written before about a friend of mine from highschool who's 2 year old son had cancer. For a while in highschool we had boyfriends who were best friends, and we hung out together quite a lot. And of course, sadly, after highschool we drifted apart. I would hear things about her occasionally from other friends, but we never spoke, and I still haven't seen her in years.

I remember hearing that her son was diagnosed with cancer, keep in mind he is Sienna's age. I was heartbroken. At this time Travis was in remission, but I remembered too well how awful it feels to hear the word 'cancer' about someone you love....and worse about your baby.

One of my best friends is also her cousin, and she told me about Mason's website, and I found her e-mail address and we started e-mailing back and forth. I would read her e-mails and sob. Like a baby. Picturing the hell her family was going through.

And then a few months later Trav's cancer came back, and we cried together via e-mail. I imagined the horror of watching your child go through this, and she imagined watching her husband go through this. I remember e-mailing her saying we are part of a club, a really. really. really. crappy club! I am so happy that we were able to reconnect through cancer. And before I continue, I have to add that Mason is home, and happy and healthy. What a blessing and a miracle for their family-and what a fighter he is!

But today I feel guilty. The reason? I came home yesterday to a surprise on my doorstep. A package from Michelle. Full of fun and uplifting goodies. And it made my day. It helped me remember that we are always being thought of and prayed for, and it just plain old put a smile on my face! What an amazing person she is to think of me, after all she has been through. She found time to do something for me.

I have thought time and time again, that I should send them something wonderful, but I never have. And I don't know how many times I have thought...I should send so and so something, or call someone who I know is having a bad day.

The moral. If she can find the time to do something for me, then anyone can find the time to do something nice. Michelle, if you are reading this, first, thankyou. Not only did it make my day, but it made me want to be more like you! Second, we will get our curly headed kids to play very soon. And third, start a blog. :).

Here is the website for Mason. http://www.teammason.us/. If you read his updates you can see what an amazing family they are!

She sent me this awesome t-shirt, Travis is jealous-so I am ordering him one too. :)-and this beautiful neclace. I wish the picture was better, but is simply says hope on it. Beautiful right?

Big Girl Bed

When Adyson turned 2 we asked my dad, being the handy man he is, to make Adyson a big girl bed. He did-and of course he did a great job. So we asked him to do the same for Sienna. (They both love that Grandpa made their beds, and I think it makes them unique and special.)

We finally got around to putting the big girl bed up this weekend and getting her room all together. I think it turned out perfect, so Thankyou dad! I'm already thinking of your next project!

Sienna did pretty good for her first night. She layed in their and talked with Minne Mouse for a while and then finally fell asleep. This picture is of her when we woke her up from nap time today. Doesn't she look comfy?

Should we be worried?

I'm sure I have mentioned that Adyson has a seriously creative imagination, but today Travis and I got to see it in a whole new light. I was in the kitchen cleaning while Travis was on the sofa and Adyson was doing his hair. (That's a favorite pastime of Adysons, she gets the spray bottle, brush, and pick out and goes to town.) What she was saying had us laughing so hard, and I actually had to stop and write it down so you could all see just how silly she really is.

Her pretend name: Ashley Hemley Namey.

Job: Hair doer. "I'm not a hairstylist dad, I'm a hair doer."

Friends: Blanky, Ashley, and Socky. Her and her friends all have boys. Yes you heard me right. They have boys, not boyfriends, boys. When asked about her boys she said-and this is a direct quote, "I can't remember my boy's friends names, I wrestle with that."

What....she wrestles with that...

She also said this. "My friend Socky sleeps all day and bands all night. Her band is named Rock Star hip."

Where she came up with that one...I'll never know.

Oh and our personal favorite, "I have a tattoo. I got it at the beauty parlor. Its on my arm."

Right around this time dad stepped in with a talk about how he feels about tats.

After this very "creative" half hour with our daughter, I'm wondering a few things.

First-Where did she learn about bands staying up all night and sleeping all day?

Second-Um, how does she even know about Tattoo's?

Third-Should I be worried that she calls boyfriends boys?

Fourth-Should I be worried that she even knows what a boyfriend is?

And tonight Travis taught her a new song and she was more than happy to perform it for you all. Maybe this is "My Girl-Rock band hip style."

Enjoy.

Oh, and after all of this Sienna found the play guitar, strapped it around her neck and said "Dad, I'm a rock star."

Where did they come from?

Links list

A few people have asked how I have the last time someone posted under their link on my sidebar. It's a new feature from Blogger that Tana found. (Thanks Tana)!

Just go to layout and click on add a page element and you will find it. You will have to redo all of the links you look at and delete the old list, which is sorta a pain, but it saves a ton of time. (I did it while we watched 'the bucket list' this weekend.) What's with us watching cancer movies?

It wont show the times your private blogs updated, and for some reason it wouldn't let me add one person...thats you Jessica Davis. :( (I'll keep trying though.)

Dinner with the Kidmans

They must walk in holding hands with Daddy.

Trust me if mom tries to hold their hands she gets rejected.


Stinkin' Daddy's girls.



This one liked her food.



So much that she clapped for it.



She enjoyed it too.



But this is the face we get when we say no to dessert. Grump.

Garage Sale

Need this?

Cause we don't. :)

We are selling our crib, infant swing, highchair, and rocker. If you or someone you know needs one, send them our way.

The crib is a cherry wood crib. I will admit that the kiddies chewed a bit at the sides, but it is still cute and in great shape.

The swing works great too. I'd tell you more about it,but honestly, it's a swing. You all know what it does.

The highchair is an evenflo slide and serve. It is in great shape. It has wheels on the bottom so you can slide it wherever you need it without scratching the floor.

The rocker I love. We bought it at Stork Landing before Adyson was born. The cushion is starting to look a little old...but it's still in pretty good shape.

If you are interested comment or e-mail me. We don't really know how much to ask for this stuff, so offer what you think is fair.

Fathers Day Fun

Fathers Day was super nice this year. Adyson said the prayer in primary all by herself, and that seemed to start the day off right. (It's so much fun to watch her grow and become more comfortable and less scared!) Each primary child was asked to bring an old tie to church and they decorated them for their dads. Look how awesome hers turned out....and yes, daddy must wear it to church next week! They also had them fill out surveys about their dads. Adyson said her dad is 8 years old and weighs 27 lbs. What a kid! And I thought it was such a cute idea. (Thanks Nat for always doing so much for the kids!)

If you can't tell, those are feathers, and pom-poms. Sexy.

After church we came home and relaxed for a few hours. Trav watched golf, I napped, Sienna napped...and who knows what Adyson did....And then my family came over here for dinner. I made Chicken club tacos. (My favorite.) Get the recipe here. We let the kids play outside, and let Cody kick our butts in Monopoly. It was a low key and relaxing day.

Trav cookin on his new grill. (That was his fathers day gift.)

Mmmm. Chicken club tacos.The girls telling secrets, while they picnic on the deck.Me and my dad. I tried really hard to get a good pic of us today. We took quite a few, but his eyes were closed in all of them....smooth dad. So he opted for the always classy, hold them open pose. What a goof.I have been pretty blessed with the men in my life. My dad has always taught me right from wrong. He is the smartest person I know, a softy who will cry over everything. He has a huge heart, and couldn't love me, Trav, or the girls more. He is honestly amazing-and I am thankful every day for the way he raised me. I love you pops.

My father-in-law Larry is also pretty amazing. In fact, I didn't think there was anyone like my dad till I met him. They are like 2 peas in a pod. (We celebrated with him last week and I didn't take a pic, I wish I would have!). He is always kind, patient, and loving. And he raised Travis to be the person he is today, so to him I say thank you. I love you Larry!

And Trav. Well, I couldn't love him more! Daily I thank my Father in Heaven for him. I know that he is going through so much right now physically. I know he comes home after working all day to provide for us completely exhausted and totally worn out, but he always finds time for a horsey ride with the girls. They adore him, and they should adore him, because he loves them more than they will ever know. And he is pretty dang good to me too. So Trav, Happy Fathers Day. I. Love. You.

Simple Pleasures Tag, and Feeding the cankers.

Bre tagged me a while ago about simple pleasures-so here you go. I had to laugh because most of her simple pleasures are mine too...but I will try to do something new. A few of my favorite simple pleasures.

Blogging-Let me explain. I learned this weekend that I love blogging and my Internet in general. Our service was down for a few days and I missed it. I might be addicted. It's so nice to take a few minutes out of my day to read about what you are all up to, and live vicariously through all of you travelers.... and I love documenting our lives through it. I don't scrapbook anymore, so this is a great way for me to remember the little things.

A good book-I wasn't a big reader in high school. In fact, I wasn't a big reader till the last few years. Now, I love. love. love. to read. When I go into a book store I am in pure awe of how many books I want to read, and feel totally in heaven there.

Anyone have any good book suggestions?

A great bag-Oh, yes. I have a small addiction to bags. I love them. I am always drawn to the much too expensive ones, and wish I could afford to buy a new one every month. Right now I'm using Goldie. (Yes, this ones so pretty she has a name.) I know, it's more yellow than gold. But whatever color she is, she's perfect.

And lastly...

A good coke-I know, I know... it's not good for you, blah-blah-blah. I love a good Coke. I figure we limit meat, cheese, eggs... (sorta) (kinda) Hey, the fake vegan life is tough. I can have my coke. Don't judge me, just let me drink it in silence while it burns down my throat and eats through my stomach.

I'm not feeling awfully creative right now, so I'll stop there. I tag whoever needs something to blog about.

And since I haven't written about Trav for a while, I thought I should throw a bit about him in here too. (A fathers day post will be written later.)

The new cancer center is open in Logan and it is a great improvement from the old building. There is much more room, and I think he likes that he can have a little privacy while he gets his treatments. Before there were only a few small treatment rooms and they were chuck full of people (sad really). He's met some really interesting people there, and it's interesting to hear about how others face cancer. There are the negative nellys, and the super positives. Very young, and very old. It's a melting pot really.

His cankers are pretty ridiculous right now. They are huge, and his poor mouth is always sore. I feel terrible for him! His body is pretty achy and he is tired, but of course, he doesn't complain. What a good man I married! Instead of saying he is going to get a treatment, he says he is going to "feed the cankers." He's funny, no?

And if you weren't already convinced that we are slightly stupid, here's the kicker.

We watched P.S. I love you this weekend. (It's was late and that was all that was at the Red Box.)

Bad idea. Bad. I'm not a big cryer. In fact, I hate to cry. But this movie did me in. The eyes still hurt. I highly recommend that no one who is in a similar situation to us watch this movie. It is the devil.

Weekend Update. And yes, I realize this is way to many pictures for one post.

Where did the weekend go? It flew by for us! Here are a few things we did this weekend.

On the very rainy Friday, and because of complete boredom, Adyson and I decided to make these yummy treats. (Amy has been telling me how good they are for weeks.) She was right. Delicious and totally simple.

Note: Mine didn't turn out quite this pretty. Next time I'm going to add some white chocolate or sugar on top so they look more like this.

Crush one package of oreo cookies. Mix with an 8 oz. package of cream cheese, and some vanilla extract. (I just added some, I didn't measure.) Mix in your mixer and it should be quite thick, and there wont be any white from the cream cheese, then roll into balls and put on wax paper. Stick them in the fridge for about an hour, just so they will stay in form. Next dip in dipping chocolate or almond bark. Keep them in the fridge in an airtight container. They are sinfully tasty. Travis and I both really like them when they are cold the best.

We also did a little of this. Yes folks, I sort of, kind of... started the potty training. I say sort of because I am not into it like I was with Adyson. I'll get there, and she will too. She sure looks cute while doing it though, doesn't she?

We also went to see Kung-fu Panda. (It was a hit.) Here's a snapshot of the girls trying to decide what treat to smuggle into the theater. Yes folks. the cheap parents don't buy $5 candy bars. They ended up with Rolo's, you know, the messiest treat ever.

Sunday we made our way to Tree town to celebrate Miss Rhaegen's Birthday. (She's a very proud 6 year old now). Very proud. The girls enjoyed the cats, the 4-wheeler, and singing to the Birthday girl. But mostly they enjoyed the fact that we brought the birthday girl home with us for a sleepover! My girls were pretty stoked about this and they informed me last night that we will do it again when Rhaegen turns 7.

Here is Rhaegen right before blowing out the candles on her Hello Kitty cake that Grandma made. It was super cute, and I forgot to take a pic. Shocker, since I took oh a million pictures. So enjoy. A tutorial on how to have a proper slumber party. (You know, in case you forgot.)

You must have a late night snack in your Jammie's. Chicken noodle soup was the snack of choice.

Watch some 'late night' TV. Wizards of Waverly place was their choice. They are 4 and 6 you know.You must sleep on the floor with blankets and pillows everywhere. Doesn't Adyson look like she is in pure heaven?The next day you have to eat out in class. Ham and cheese sandwiches from The Grist Mill. And don't feel guilty about those calories in the Cinnamon Cookie eaten afterwards. :)You have to go 'drag main' and go shopping of course. I got plenty of compliments on how pretty my 3 squished girls were at the grocery store. They do look like they could be sisters, don't they?Lastly, you really need to watch a chick flick. Rhaegen chose Shrek the 3rd. So girly!! They had so much fun playing together! How lucky my girls are to have such great cousins. Happy Birthday cute Rhaegen! We ALL love you!