Fishing Bridge

Get ready for photo overload. Please note that I am actually going to post some photos of myself even though I have gained 30 pounds of stress in the last two years and I hate every single photo. It may take several days to get upload all of these posts. In the meantime, you should know that Calvin turned 5 successfully yesterday and the skittles cake he requested was a big hit.

When I flew into SLC, I spent the day with my dear friend Leta eating breakfast at Market Street (yum!) and then made the drive to Idaho Falls with my brother-in-law, Ross. We spent four hours discussing life, mental illness, children, divorce and its ramifications, business and the changing workplace, schooling and the responsibilities we enter into upon marriage and becoming parents. It was actually one of the best discussions I have had this month as Ross has had all of those things touch and shape his life. He has been the child of divorce and has seen the kind of lives his parents built after that event. He has also been a witness to how mental illness has shaped and continue to affect the lives of those he loves. Though it may seem to be on the surface, life is not easy for anyone. We all struggle and are hurt and people disappoint us. Ross is going back to school for his MBA, started his own successful business and secretly dreams of buying a farm in Oregon and selling strawberries. If I could afford to, I would join him, my nephew and sister, home school my kids and run the gift shop and special events and sell crafts and baked goods on the farm.

We stayed one night in Idaho Falls at my parent's house with the dogs and then made it to the cabin in Island Park the next morning. After many hugs and kiss attacks with the children the whole family drove down to the fishing bridge to feed the big fish and take a short hike down the river. Grandpa bought the kids some fish food which they eagerly threw under the bridge where the biggest fish like to hang out.


Unfortunately, the fat fish were full, but there were plenty of these guys floating downstream benefiting from the fishes disinterest. We have been going to this same spot for as long as I can remember. There is something very comforting in that.


My brother Scott with most of his nieces and nephews. Scott came down from Montana and stayed the whole week and more.



Auntie Koo reunited with the munchkins.


This little cabin is next to the fishing bridge and was home to a hermit a few inches taller than Max. It is tiny and sweet and in a gorgeous location.


Max and his cousin Phoebe - or Phoebes as Sophie calls her. Phoebe has gown into this beautiful girl since the last time we saw her and she and Max were joined at the hip the whole time we were in Idaho.


Sophie caught water bugs - of course. Many more Sophie/bug photos to follow.

Beautiful Boy and a Question

This beautiful boy of mine turns five years old today. He has been looking forward to this birthday for months and months and has already had one birthday cake at Grandmas house - chocolate cake, chocolate icing and pink candles with fire!

Calvin is simply an adorable kid. He is sweet and loving and adores babies who cannot talk. He loves to ride little training wheeled bikes at breakneck speed yet still finds his way into my bed most nights. He loves to look at books (not reading yet), loves Scooby-Doo and toys that move. He loves going swimming and is a pretty amazing little hiker. He is very much a boy and a youngest child and is forever trying to keep up with his older siblings. He has made my life happy every day and I love him so much!

Calvin just makes the cut-off for kindergarten which starts in a couple of weeks. He would be the smallest, youngest boy in his class. We had been planning on sending him to half-day kindergarten, but recently have been struggling with the idea that maybe he would benefit from one more year at home. I just finished reading Outliers which has made me even more reluctant to send him this year. What are your thoughts and experiences? Have you kept a child home an extra year? Were you glad you did? I would love some feedback and suggestions - help!

It's Good to be Home

The children and I arrived home this afternoon and jumped right back into real life with a soccer game for Max and soccer photos for Calvin. All three kids were great on the planes even though we had to run to make our connection in Denver. Calvin thought the whole thing was a great adventure as it was his first time flying.

It is good to be home. The children were overjoyed to see their Dad again when he met us at the airport.


Coming soon - hundreds of photos from the trip. However, daycare starts tomorrow at 7:00am and I need to get some real sleep. Hello Tylenol PM.

Heading Home

The kids and I are back at my parent's house in Idaho Falls after a week spent with the Johnson side of the family in Island Park. All of my siblings were able to come with their families as well as some cousins and Aunts and Uncles. We stayed in a huge cabin and ate too much and stayed up too late playing cards. We are all tired, a bit sunburned and ready to get back home to Minnesota and get back on a schedule. Since the kids drove out with my parents and are flying back with me on Tuesday, I have a day or two to figure out how to get their scooters, pillows, lots of books and sleeping bags home on the plane! It will be good to be home.

Maybe I'm just speaking for myself. The kids seem to be enjoying playing with their cousins and the dogs and eating lots of desserts. I have two weeks to get them back to school appropriate bedtimes and to ease into getting up a full three hours earlier than their current routine! Yikes. Some good news on the business front - I have two more children (one before and after school and one preschool) lined up for the daycare which will mean a very busy house this fall.

I have tons of photos to share, but will wait to download them on our computer. In the meantime, how gorgeous is this new punch set from Martha Stewart?

What We've Been Missing

My Dad sent over some photos of the kids doing various things - some of which I cannot identify. These look like the camping trip they just returned from - 2 days in a tent with 5 kids. Sorry I missed that one!


I can't identify where the kids are, nor where Sophie got her new dress!


These are at Grandma and Grandpa's house with their dogs. These must be from Sunday as the kids are dressed up for church.

I Have No Idea . . .

Except tomorrow. Tomorrow I fly out to Utah and then drive up to Idaho to be reunited with my children. I have missed them terribly and even if they are asleep when I arrive, I am waking them up for snuggles.

We are spending a week with my family at Island Park fishing, golfing, swimming, tubing, reading, hiking and playing lots of cards. I am looking forward to quality time with my kids, hopefully more sleep, a brief escape from real life and time to let myself relax and find a bit of peace and some direction.

I can't wait.

Phew! They are off!

All 150 wedding invitations for my beautiful sister-in-law Molly have been printed, cut, assembled, stamped, and embellished. I made it to the post office with 5 minutes to spare. Thank you, thank you to Nola, Marsha and Emily who spent 4 hours today being crafty with me!

New Playmates

I was talking to this little girl yesterday. She and her brothers had been down to Salt Lake to pick up two new playmates, their cousins, Phoebe and Jacob. They had stopped in to see their Great-Grandma Johnson in Pocatello on the way down. She is now 87 and will be joining us at the cabin next week.


This was the last time the cousins had been together - 2007 in Glacier. That was a beautiful trip. There are now 2 more Johnson cousins (Margot and Soren) in our nest. My parent have their hands full with 5 little grandkids running their home this week!

Wispies

This is the curse of every girl in my family. Wispy little hairs that frame our face and never stay in place. Every time I take Sophie in for a haircut I am asked if I want her bangs trimmed. She has never had bangs. We Johnson girls are not meant for sleek, tamed hairstyles.

Only 5 more days!

Here are a couple of teeny, tiny shots of the kids at the primary activity a few weeks ago. None of them brought an actual marshmallow project home - I think they were all eaten!

The Before

These are the before photos of the basement room which is about to become the craft/office/homework space. It has been freshly painted a very pale blue with a denim blue on the ledges. Paula and I moved about half of the office stuff from the garage to the basement today and the next few days will be dedicated to configuring this room. Any ideas?

I need space for scrap booking, card making, a sewing station, an office section, a place for the children to do their homework and eventually have a their own computer, and space for lots of books.

Sunset

I snapped these photos tonight of the gorgeous sunset. Ken and Kelly were here to see it tonight as Ken was installing their old kitchen tracked lighting in our basement before we settled in for a couple of close games of Carcassonne. I think Ken must be the most hard working home teacher in our ward!


"I rejoice in belonging to such a loving and caring organization [as the Church]. No one knows better how to bear one another's burdens, mourn with those who mourn, and comfort those who stand in need of comfort. I choose to call it 'enduring together.' What happens to one happens to all. We endure together. May we be an instrument in lightening the burden of others."

Richard C. Edgley, "Enduring Together," Ensign, Nov. 2007, 11

Thank you to everyone who has been so very kind and generous with your time, talents and comfort. You can never know how much I love you and am grateful for you in my life.

Help!

Because of circumstances at home, I really, really need to add three full-time children to my in-home daycare. If you know of anywhere in this area where you could post this flyer for me, please let me know. I can email the power point version to you as well. Thank you!

I Miss This

I received a phone call from one very sad, scared girl yesterday afternoon. Through her tears she told me about the splinter lodged in her foot and how she did not want Grandpa to get it out with a needle. It took 20 minutes of reassuring and promises of no blood and little pain and distracting stories, but eventually, the splinter was out and my brave girl got some gummy bears to help sooth her tears. Then she was off to the park with the dogs, a band aid stuck to the offending foot and shoes and socks to prevent further splinters. I miss her.

I miss this.


Max told me about what a great time he is having and the little boy next door who plays with him. That made my heart happy. Calvin finally got on the phone and cried "I want to come hoooome!" That made my already trampled heart so sad. He cried and told me how much he missed me and wanted me to hold him and I wanted to rush to his side. Instead, I blew kisses through the phone and told him that I was coming to be with him in one short week. This has been a long week for both of us.