The Johnson Journey

2012!!

2012-01-03T12:50:00.009-07:00

Unreal that it's been 6 months since I posted anything. Sad sad sad. I have no excuse either. However, it's a new year, and this is something I vow to do better at.

The last six months have FLOWN by in the Johnson household. We celebrated went on a trip to California, celebrated 3 birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.

We visited the Facer family in California for Becky's birthday, and for Halloween. I can't even tell you how cute it was to see our kids dressed up and go Trick or Treating and not have to be all bundled up in coats. Cash and Marley were pirates and Halle was a monkey (although she looked more like a teddy bear). The weather was seriously PERFECT, and we got to play at the beach almost every day.

Halle had her first birthday on November 16th!! My goodness, I can't believe she's a year old. She started walking all the time the day after her birthday. She even had 6 teeth when she turned 1! She is seriously such an amazing baby, still! We are so incredibly blessed to have that little chubby, happy baby in our family.

Thanksgiving and Christmas came and went all too fast. We decided to do a version of the "12 Days of Christmas" with the kids this year, and it was pretty amazing. We did something different every day for someone else. Some annonymous, some not. My favorite was the day we went down to WinCo and bought 3, $5 gift cards and wrote "Merry Christmas" on the back. I took Cash and Marley and gave them each one and we walked around the store and they got to pick who they wanted to give it to. Cash went first and picked a lady by the ice cream. I stood 20+ feet away and watched him walk up to her and hold the card out for almost a minute. She didn't even see him standing there! When he gave it to her, he said "Merry Christmas" and then a confused look immediately followed. It was so cute to see him try to explain to her that the gift card was for HER, and that it was a gift. She loved it! Marley then got to pick her person, but was too shy to walk up to her and give it to her, so Cash did it for her... she yelled from my side "that's from me!" And Cash told the woman "Merry Christmas." The last one went to a couple that I picked out that I saw three times in the store. Cash and Marley went together to give them their card. They were checking out, and could not see me at all. All they saw were two little rugrats running up to them and then running away as fast as they could, yelling "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Seriously, it was so fun to do some type of service with them during the Christmas season....

Our kids are amazing and I absolutely can't believe how big they are. Cash will be starting Kindergaten in the fall, and I'm definitely not ready for that. He is though. I can't wait to see what this new year brings and what stories I'll have. :)

Happy Independence Day!!!

2011-07-05T12:28:00.005-06:00

I love the 4th of July. I love the smell of all the grilling, the fireworks, and the warm weather. Ryan actually took the day off and we got to just hang out as a family!! Well, Marley and I did go and get pedicures... so fun. :) We actually went out to dinner (don't hate) and then went downtown to the fireworks. My dad was nice enough to let us put Halle down and watch her at his house while we took Cash and Marley. Cash rode behind Ryan on his "hitchhiker" bike, and I pulled MJ in the Burley trailer. It was seriously awesome. Marley and Cash danced in the grass to the music until the show started, and then they were glued to the fire. It couldn't have been better. I love our country, despite all its problems, and I love my freedom. I'm so grateful for all those who have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice to preserve that.

Marley Turned 3!!!

2011-07-05T11:57:00.005-06:00

We celebrated Marley's birthday a few days early so we could have a combined party with her cousin, Kate. It was perfect weather, great food, and lots of fun. My dad called around to some of his Hispanic friends and found the best place to get a pinata in town, and picked one up for us. It was all decked out with pink and girly and Tinkerbell! I must say, I was impressed. Marley basically didn't know what to do with herself she was so excited. Her and some of the other cousins had a dance party on the patio to some reggae music, which was totally entertaining. Her gift this year was a very elaborate kitchen set. She has been playing house, and being "mom" well before we decided to get it for her... now it's what she does almost all day! It's pretty cute. Here's just a couple reasons we love our Marley:
1- She's absolutely hilarious. Really, she's funny.
2- She can pull some of the best faces I've ever seen. Very expressive.
3- She is strong willed. When she makes up her mind, that's it.
4- She's a great little sister, and big sister.
5- She's totally girly, but VERY VERY tough. She can take a hit, and give one.
6- Life without her just wouldn't be the same.

Feliz Cumpleanos, Cash!!

2011-03-02T20:47:00.006-07:00

I can't belive it! My little boy is 4!!!! Time has flown by, and I almost cry every time I think about him as a little baby... he is so sweet. He's fast, smart (he remembers everything, so be careful what you say!), sweet, sensitive, strong (he can do REAL push-ups, and situps), funny (he makes Halle REALLY laugh...love it!), such a great big brother, and such a great son. I really really love that kiddo with all my heart.

We didn't really throw him a big party - I just wasn't up for it. But, he had his cousins over, and his grandparents over, so he was a happy camper. Ryan also drew a Bronco on his birthday cake, which he LOVED. It was a great birthday weekend for him. Here's a few pics.

Familia Time

2011-02-20T12:49:00.006-07:00

We recently (2 weeks ago) got back from a great trip to southern California. I got to see and spend time with some of my favorite people ever, and they got to meet our new addition! Two quick plane flights, and we in our rented minivan (that was something new for us, for sure) and headed to our condo by the beach in Dana Point. It was glorious!!!

We got to play at Knott's Berry Farm, and see the animals at Sea World. Might I add, I LOVE Sea World. I think it's amazing. I now want a trained Sea Otter at my disposal. :) Cash and Marley loved KBF and all the rides. Cash felt so big since he was able to go on some of the rides by himself. Marley wasn't too sure about being thrown around. She did great watching most of the time. She ventured onto a few rides though. I got to go on some pretty intense rides too, since there was NOBODY there, and we walked into every ride without waiting. I love fast rides that make me scream. It makes me feel like a kid again.

The rest of the time we got to play at the beach and explore southern CA. We do love it down there, I finally got used to the idea of everyone living on top of each other... only beause a beautiful beach was steps away that we could escape to and I could run on. Looking out into the ocean is so peaceful. Halle slept better than ever (and she's a fabulous sleeper) on the beach listening to the waves. Did I mention that Marley learned how to sleep on a big bed and how to go potty on a big bed while we were there?! Awesome.

An amazing trip with amazing people... Thanks Ryan, for making it happen!!

(Thanks Becky for taking all our family pictures!!)

Happy Holidays!

2011-01-10T22:30:00.002-07:00

Halle is 8 weeks old today, and I am in SHOCK at how fast it's flown by. We've had Thanksgiving, my birthday, Christmas, and New Year's, and it's already 10 days into January.

For Christmas I can't even tell you how excited "Santa" was to give Cash his new 4-wheeler. This is the real deal, gas powered, all terrain vehicle. Santa couldn't sleep for the 2 nights before Christmas! Of course Cash loved it, and Marley... and of course we've had our first accident. Marley ended up with some pretty good road rash on her face. When I was cleaning up her face she was chewing on something and when I asked her what was in her mouth she sweetly replied, "the road."

Cash is awesome, and almost 4 years old. It scares me! He's a very sweet boy, and so smart. Marley is a character... She has a muppet voice, and says the funniest things. She and Cash get along pretty dang well for the most part. Halle is a perfect baby. Seriously, I can finally understand why people crave babies, when the baby acts like she does. :)

I am at a loss for words, so I'll post some pictures.

I just ADORE this picture.

Halle sleeping so sweetly.

She was so excited to go build our snowman!

Our lovely Frosty!

Stockings are the best.

Cash could have been satisfied with just his stocking!

I don't think I've ever seen a girl so excited to get a doll... She also got a barbie house to go with it.

Ryan totally shocked me and spoiled me and got me a gorgeous ring with my birthstone. Don't mine the terrible picture of me. :)

Cash letting us know he loves us...

SANTA'S SURPRISE!!

Christmas Day. I love it when my dad brings Thunderjet to let us ride...

I have a hard time deciding who is the most excited about this!

This was taken right before the road rash!

After the accident...

We blessed Halle on the 2nd of January. Ryan gave her a fabulous blessing, and she looked so beautiful! It was a special day for sure.

I hope she keeps those blue eyes.

Halle is smiling all the time now... it's so stinkin' cute.

Marley being Marley! :)

Cash's first day in Primary!! He's such a big boy.

I just love the shoes she is wearing. This is our most recent picture.

Halle Johnson

2010-11-28T12:01:00.005-07:00

She is almost two weeks old and I am just getting around to posting pictures! Better late than never.

So, here's the skinny on how it went down.

My due date, November 8th (Ryan's birthday) rolled around and I did everything in my power to get her out. I went to the gym and did the stair climber and walked forever, jumped on the tramp, ate spicy food, rubbed my reflexology points... no baby. But, we did have a good time celebrating Ryan's birthday and playing his new Playstation Move.

I had a doctors appointment on the 15th, and I was sure that I wouldn't make it to the appointment. Serves me right for being sure about baby stuff. I made it to my appointment and he checked me and I was still a 1 with little effacement. Not news I wanted to hear being a week over my due date. He set it up for me to be induced that Wednesday morning. I really didn't want to be induced though... I don't like pitocin. So, I went home a little defeated, but at least having an end in sight.

The next morning, the 16th, there was a sale at Macy's I really wanted to go to. I woke up around 6 am with a couple contractions, but that wasn't anything out of the ordinary. At 8 I met my sisters at Macy's (Ryan is awesome and watched the kids for me) and proceeded to do my shopping. I was having contractions pretty regularly, and wondered if I could possibly be in labor. I doubted it though because it really didn't seem like she'd ever come out. Pretty soon I couldn't walk through my contractions anymore. I'd have to stop and wait for them to end. After I had a total hormone surge and started sweating profusely while talking to a salesman about suits, my sisters convinced me it was the real thing. So, about 11-11:30, I called Ryan and told him and headed home. I got home, we ate lunch, and played with Cash and Marley for a little bit and put them to bed. Then I really had to start working through some contractions. Ryan already had everything ready to go in the car, we were just waiting for the right time. I didn't think anytime was the right time to go to the hospital because I didn't want to get there and them tell me I was at a 2. So, we waited until 3 and Ryan was inspired and wouldn't let me wait any longer. We headed to the hospital, got checked in, and I was between a 4-5. But, within 20 minutes, I was between an 8-9. Thanks to Ryan, my mom, and my doctor, everything went VERY well and very quickly, and Halle was born at 4:30, 8 lbs, 4 oz, 21"long.

She is a very sweet baby and I feel so blessed to have her here! Cash and Marley do so well with her and LOVE holding her and giving her kisses. Ryan is amazing and gets up with the other kids so I can sleep with Halle so I don't feel like a complete zombie. Truely a miracle.

Visitors and Halloween

2010-11-07T18:30:00.007-07:00

The past couple weeks have been fun! (Today is my due date, and I wish I was announcing the arrival of our baby girl right now, but no action yet.) But, we had some visitors, Brooke & Luke, on Halloween weekend, and it was awesome. After a couple failed attempts, we finally found somewhere to shoot some clay pigeons, and ride the 4-wheelers. I must say, even with the belly and all four of us on one ATV, it was very enjoyable! I wish they could have stayed longer, but we did our best to show them a good time. Cash and Marley loved played with them and acting like they were here to visit JUST them.

For Halloween Cash was a Lion, and Marley was a Tiger. Might I saw, they made the cutest big cats ever. Cash would say, "Happy Halloween! Trick or Treat!" at every door, and then they'd say "Thank you!" every time they left. It was adorable. They would stick their animal heads in the windows next to the doors waiting for people to answer. Seriously, I LOVED Halloween this year.

A Much Needed Update

2010-09-14T14:56:00.011-06:00

I can't believe we are in the middle of September! Where on earth did the time go? It seems as if every time we would go out of town, we'd get back and I'd have enough time to get back to normal, just to leave on another trip. Don't get me wrong, it's fabulous, but it sure makes for a busy summer! Pregnancy goes by quickly too! I only have about 7 weeks left with this little girl inside my belly... I'm pretty excited and nervous all at the same time. Back to our trips...
We went to:

*McCall for a week: Stayed at a cabin on the lake, and loved waking up to such serene water every morning. It was gorgeous weather, and we went for bike rides, swam, and enjoyed being in the mountains.

*Camping in McCall for a weekend: This was a first for the Johnson familia... with kids anyway. We packed up our coolers, tent, sleeping bags and dogs and headed to Ponderosa for the weekend. It actually worked out really well (minus nap time), and we all had a great time. We went to see Toy Story 3 in Cascade with the kids as well, and loved every minute of it. We decided to take a bike ride with the kids, and bring the dogs.... Max and Lincoln started out like champs! Max has 2 gears, fast and slow... he wore out his "fast" gear pretty quickly. Lincoln on the other hand has a "gait" about his run, and seemed to last forever. Until we got to the hills, then both the dogs got put in the Burley and got toted along. Poor Ryan was pulling about 100 extra pounds up those hills.

*Lake Powell: We left on a Thursday night after a VERY late start, and stayed at Ryan's Grandma's for the night (the whole 4 hours of sleep we got). Woke up and left for Page, AZ and got there in time to go grocery shopping for the week, and slept at the dock on the boat that night. Our crew wasn't huge, Ryan, me, Cash, Marley, Ryan F., Becky, Ollie, Amelie, Mark and his friend. Saturday morning we headed out to find our spot, and our vacation started! It was so glorious! I can't even describe how perfect the water was, and how nice the weather was, and soft the sand was!! We had some sweet jet skis the whole time, and got a boat for the last part of the week. Ryan surfed with Cash and Marley, and I LOVED it! I actually got to surf too, which was awesome... the belly sticking out and all. I think sleeping was the only difficult thing... other than that, the trip was phenomenal. Such a gorgeous area, I feel so lucky to have been there.

*Anaheim Angels game: This was just Ryan and I and it was so much fun. We flew into John Wayne Airport, got picked up by the Facer's, and went straight to the game. Just when we thought it was the quickest baseball game ever (2 hrs in the 9th inning), the Indians scored a run to tie... It ended up going to 16 innings!! We stayed for it all too. There were TONS of foul balls, and 4 landed within 2 people of us. So, I took matters into my own hands and solicited out the baby belly in order to get a warm up/foul ball from a guy on the field. He found it pretty funny when I started to yell "The baby needs a ball!" while rubbing my belly. Needless to say, it worked, and we were able to bring a ball home for Cash. Then we went to Laguna and found some place that would actually feed us at 10pm, and sat by the ocean for a bit. The next morning we went back to Laguna beach, just to feel the sand between our toes. It was so glorious. Becky made me take some pictures with the belly... It's officially documented. We also found out that in the 30 hours we were gone, Marley got a stomach bug and threw up the whole time... my poor sister!

I think that's everything since our trip to San Diego in May. As if that weren't enough.

Heartbeat

2010-07-17T15:58:00.002-06:00

Oh how I love going to the doctor, for the sole purpose of hearing our new baby girl's heartbeat. I recorded it with my phone this last time, and thought I'd share it. Ignore the belly shot. :)

Busy Busy

2010-07-06T08:16:00.006-06:00

I feel like I have a minute to breathe... even if it is only a minute. We have been in and out of town for the last little bit, and Marley turned 2! She is such a fabulous little girl with SO much personality. I love that she walks around singing to herself (her favorites are: Happy Birthday and I am a Child of God) all day. She carries around dolls and stuffed animals. She sleeps with 5 blankets, and 6 random toys, and sleeps like a champion! She is definitely the boss. She has such a girly little voice, it almost sounds fake. I love this little girl. We had her birthday party on the 30th, and had an inflatable slip n slide for all the kids. It was really fun, and luckily a really beautiful day! 3 days later we rushed off to the farm in Rupert for a little family reunion. Cash, Marley and I slept in a tent trailer, and it worked out really well! The kids LOVED it there - especially all the puppies. We got back at 6 on the 4th, and left for the fireworks show downtown at 9. It was worth it though, it was a beautiful show! This next week we go to McCall for Ryan's family reunion, so it should be fun. Here's some pictures....

San Diego

2010-06-03T09:48:00.006-06:00

We just took a family trip to San Diego for 10 days and 11 nights. Might I say, IT WAS BLISS! We got to see some of my best college friends, go to Brooke and Luke's wedding (the actual excuse/reason for the trip), visit Laguna Beach again, go to Legoland and Disneyland, play tennis, meet Phil Mickelson and his wife Amy, and enjoy our beautiful resort! It was a near perfect vacation. It was only sunny for 2 days, but other than that, perfect. I wish we could make more trips like that happen. :)

The wedding was awesome, and seeing all my friends was fabulous. Once again proving we should live near each other.

Cash and Marley absolutely LOVED Legoland and Disneyland. Cash is an adrenaline junkie like his mommy. Roller coasters that flung him around were his favorite, while the slow, "show" rides were just ok for him. Marley really didn't get to ride very much, but she was a trooper, missing her nap for the first time, and not being totally insane for us! When I took MJ to meet Mickey, she pretty much freaked out. I told her to say "Hi" and she said "No! Bye-bye!" It was hilarious. Cash loved checking out the map and looking at the rides that he had gone on, and rides he wanted to go on. It was great.

Ryan didn't tell me where we were staying, he set it all up b/c it was our 6th Anniversary while we were down there as well. Crazy how time flies! We stayed at the Four Season in Carlsbad, and it was fabulous! When we arrived, they had a full crib set up for Marley with Pooh Bear bedding, little stuffed frogs for Cash and Marley, their names spelled out in little bath sponges sitting on the bath, and two plated of brownies (decadent) with their names written in chocolate on the plates. They even brought us a fan! :) It was perfect. I could have slept in that cave and in that blissful bed for days straight! Gorgeous pools, fabulous food, great service... wow. Ryan surprised me with a huge breakfast for our anniversary... he's pretty awesome.

We met Phil Mickelson at Rudy's Taco Shop in Carlsbad after the wedding when we were starving and searching for food. It was a small place(about 5 or 6 tables inside and only 2 outside), and we went in and ordered and decided to sit outside on a little bistro table. It was pushed up right next to the glass and as we're sitting down Ryan notices that the man and woman sitting directly INSIDE against the glass is Lefty and his wife. Pretty stinkin' cool. So, we decide to move our table into the sun and give them a little space. As we get settled, Cash starts to look around and points and says, "DAD! That's Phil Mickelson!" Seriously, Cash recognized him, even with his hat and sunglasses... So Ryan heads in to get our food and Phil is headed out throwing away his... Ryan says "Hi, sorry my son was pointing, but he recognized you from watching the Masters with me." Phil says, "THAT little boy?! Seriously?" So, as they open the door and head outside and immediately start talking to Cash! Cash got SO shy, and hid his head, and Marley did her trademark stare... they talked to us for a couple minutes, shook our hands, rubbed Cash and MJ's back, and headed out with Marley saying, "Bye, see ya!" It was pretty awesome.

We spent a whole day at Laguna beach with the Facers. That beach is beautiful. The waves were GIANT though! Ryan got to fly his kite from the kite festival, Cash got wiped out by a wave, we played football and Frisbee, MJ attached to a random 9 year old girl for 4 hours... it was wonderful.

It was sad to leave southern CA, but we'll be back again soon, I'm sure. Well, maybe soon. When we got back, we did an ultrasound and found out that we're having another.... GIRL! We're excited, and very curious as to how it's going to go over with our little princess. Cash is just plain excited. I love how he talked to my belly and tells me the baby is going to sleep now. :)

Things I Hear

2010-05-03T10:18:00.002-06:00

Just this morning I've heard Cash say these two things...

(Trying to play cars with Marley)
"Arghh.. Marney, I'm so done... I'm done with your games"

(While watching his movie, talking to Lincoln)
"GET OFF MY BLANKET, YOU MUTT!"

Looks like I'm going to have to watch what I say more closely.

This and That

2010-04-18T15:34:00.003-06:00

The last 6 weeks have been..... ummm... I'm not sure how to describe it. :) I am impressed every day at how many roles Ryan can fill. I'm impressed at how smart and wonderful my kids are. I'm shocked at how selfish I can feel when I do nothing for a whole day or two. :) The most wonderful thing about this last 6 weeks is that it means I'm almost done being sick!!! I went to the doc this last Friday for my first appointment and I got to hear the baby's heartbeat. It's such a wonderful and amazing moment to know that there is a little person growing in there, and that it's heart is already working wonderfully.

Easter was funny. I wasn't feeling great so we ended up just going to my parents house with two of my sisters (Small gathering for my family). Last year Cash didn't go hunting for eggs at all, we had to make him. This year, he was running around so fast I couldn't even get a clear picture. MJ on the other hand was picking up the eggs, and throwing them back on the ground because all she wanted was the candy. I think she only ended up with one in her basket by the end. It was pretty funny.

We are so excited to go to San Diego this next month for Brooke's (roommate) wedding!!! We will be staying down there for 11 days, and I'm pretty sure I want to do a little paper chain to count down the days. Here are some cute pictures from the last little bit... Easter, etc.

Precious

2010-04-02T12:19:00.003-06:00

So I have these hormonal attacks with this pregnancy. I get hot flashes, really nauseous, and just cry. It's pretty sad. Anyway, I was sitting on the floor crying during one of my "episodes" and Ryan had to leave for a little bit... Cash walks up to me and this is how it went:

Cash: Mommy, are you okay?
Me: No, mommy's doesn't feel good.
Cash: Does your tummy hurt?
Me: Yes...
Cash: Because of the baby, and when it gets bigger and comes out, then you'll feel better??
Me: (laughing and crying now) Yes.. you're smart.
Cash: (giving me a hug) Awwww...
Then Marley walks over
Marley: I sorry mamma (giving me a hug)

I love my kiddos. They're heaven sent. :)

3 just sounds strange...

2010-03-23T14:06:00.006-06:00

My little boy is 3 years old! Time seriously goes by so quickly! He's pretty smart too. He can tell you when his birthday is, when Marley's is, and Ryan and my birthdays are. We had a party for him at Monkey Bizness, and it was so much fun. I think I may have had more fun than the kids. Adults get to play on all the equipment as well, so I highly recommend it for parties. :)

We went to ride my dad's horse the other day, Thunderjet, and Cash was absolutely ecstatic. He wore a cowboy hat, boots and shirt. He's so stinkin' cute. When he wakes up in the morning and I ask him what he dreams about, he almost ALWAYS says, "Thunderjet and Jesus." Quite the combination.

Little MJ repeats EVERYTHING that her older brother says, and I absolutely love it. Except for "Cuz, don't want to." That's not my favorite. But, when I hear them in the back seat having full conversation, it makes me SO happy.

So I'm almost 2 months pregnant! A girl at volleyball asked me which pregnancy this is, and I told her my 3rd, and I almost choked. Seriously, it sounded SO strange to me! But, we're really excited, and I'm nervous... like usual. I'm kind of nauseated, which sucks, but I'm not throwing up, which is a serious blessing. But, eating 24/7 isn't the most fun thing in the world. Wheat Thins and almonds are getting really old. I may have the best hubby in the world, because he's been so helpful and patient... I feel like such a terrible wife and mother when all I want to do is take a nap. I can't make dinner, so Ryan figures it out. In fact, he completely cleaned out and reorganized the fridge the other day. I'm so lucky. Hopefully this will be like Marley's pregnancy and only last a couple weeks and then I'll feel fabulous! :) Here's some pics of the last weeks.

So Much for a Resolution

2010-03-01T16:26:00.006-07:00

I started this year telling myself I would make a post at least once a month... Here it is March, and this is my first post since November. So sad. But, I'll try to recap the last 4 months as quickly as possible.

November: Ryan's birthday, my birthday, Thanksgiving dinner with my family and a trip to Denver to visit the Blackfords. Insane month, but VERY fun. Denver zoo must have been the highlight because the kids still talk about it. Marley and Lindsay got "attacked" by a gorilla!

December: Christmas and Shepherd's dinner @ our house! So nice just to stick around. Once again we were all spoiled and we had so much fun opening presents with the kids. RYAN FINISHED HIS PROJECT! I can't even tell you how GORGEOUS this acreage is... I have one VERY talented husband.

January: McCall trip with Mark. The kids loved sledding and I loved swimming in an 85* pool in the middle of winter!

February: Valentine's Day, VEGAS, Cash's 3rd birthday! Unbelievable that my little boy is now 3 years old. He's so smart and is such a sweet little toddler. We had a birthday party @ Monkey Bizness and it was so fun! (Adults got to play too) Ryan and I ran away for 3 days to Vegas too in the middle of the month (Ryan and Becky met us there for a day/night too). It was so nice to not have any schedule, and to sleep in until whenever we wanted and just sit around! Loved it... it was very refreshing.

It's been a very busy, awesome past few months. I know I've forgotten a LOT of details... and unfortunately I don't know if I'll remember them right now. But, we feel really blessed and very loved. There's quite a few pictures...

A Little Sunny CA

2009-11-06T17:03:00.007-07:00

So this last week we went to CA to visit the Facer familia. It was all a big scattered out surprise for Becky planned by her hubby, Ryan for her golden birthday. I showed up with the kids on Monday night, and then told her I was leaving Thursday. In all reality, Ryan was just arriving on Thursday then we were off to a beach house in Ventura until Tuesday. It worked out beautifully and was absolutely a fabulous time. Cash and Marley loved playing with Oliver and Cash loved admiring Amelie. Such a sweet little baby. I kept forgetting she was so young because Becky seems to be doing so dang well! I never felt like she looks a month after my kids! (I hope that made sense) Anyway, we're back in Boise and back to work. Ryan's birthday is on the 8th, so now we get to celebrate that! Yeah!! I'm so glad he was born. :) Here's some fabulous pictures from our wonderful trip... the weather could not have been more perfect.... I love it when things work out. Oh yeah, Marley has a great new smile. :)

Not So Little

2009-10-17T13:11:00.010-06:00

My kids aren't little anymore! At least I don't feel like they are when I look at pictures of them.... sometimes I still feel like they are when I don't get anything done except clean up the messes that they've made. :) Cash and Marley are getting along very well right now though, and I love it. I love how he makes her laugh and she'll let him beat up on her for a little while... She'll take him his toys and help him put things away. They look forward to seeing each other every day and it's awesome. I've been working on trying to finish their rooms lately, and it's taking forever. BUT, I'm happy to say that I'm almost done and I'll put pictures up when I am. Ryan is SUPER busy right now, but it's good busy. He just built a water feature that's 15' tall and looks like what you'd see in the middle of a subdivision, not in someone's backyard. It's pretty amazing what he can create. I can't wait to put pictures up. BUT, you all get pictures of the kids for right now. :) Man they're fun. Enjoy! (Some are from my camera phone)

Update

2009-09-15T12:41:00.004-06:00

I wish I had more time to write, or that I was more creative in my story telling, but I'm not. We've been busy, but I'm not sure at what. We did get to go to McCall for a week and we LOVED staying in the mountains and playing in the lake. It makes me want to move. Ryan's busy as ever with work, but things are going well. Lindsay and Eli came to visit us and we loved having them here. We wish they lived here with us. Other than that, we really are happy and feeling blessed.

Adventures

2009-07-30T11:44:00.004-06:00

So it's bee an exciting couple of weeks!

The kids and I went on a little road trip to my cousin's wedding in Twin Falls. Rachel (my niece) came with me to help with the kids, which was awesome. The temple there is really pretty, and it was an experience for me to take the kids on my own. I loved seeing all (some) of the cousins that I haven't seen in years. I enjoy my extended family. I rode home alone with the kids on the way home, and luckily they slept half the way. It was actually enjoyable!!

We took the kids to a Hawk's baseball game. It was pretty hot out, but it was still a lot of fun. Hawks won, but we only stayed until the 5th inning... the kids attention span didn't last much longer than that. I love outings with the family.

Last week my dad took us out to ride his horse a week ago, and Cash is quite the cowboy. He LOVED Thunderjet and feeding the goats and watching the cows. Marley was a little hesitant to get on at first, but then loved every minute of it. I miss riding horses in a bad way, so I'm glad my dad was able to meet us out there. (By the way, Cash is in big boy underwear and loves it!)

Ryan took a couple days to go to Scout camp last week, and last minute, I decided to go up and be "Caretaker" of a girl's camp retreat up 25 minutes past Stanley. I was leaving Saturday, and he was supposed to find a ride for the boys back to Boise and meet us up there Saturday afternoon because he was only 45 minutes from our destination. Didn't quite work out as planned. Ryan ended up coming home really late Friday night, and stayed here while we left Saturday morning. My mom and sister, Adria and her kids came as well. It was an adventure. No testosterone, except for Cash. :) 5 kids and 3 adults staying in a 700 square foot area... I slept with Cash in a bed and Marley right next to me in the pack and play. Did I mention we brought the dogs too? Yes, it was definitely a learning experience, and I learned how much I need/love my husband! It was a lot of fun though, we went to Redfish Lake for 2 of the afternoons, and just chilled out playing in the BEAUTIFUL water. We went on bike rides and hikes and enjoyed the sweet smelling mountain air. It made me want to move to the mountains... especially because we were right at the base of the Sawtooths, which are incredible. I'm glad we didn't have to stay the whole week with the 155 girls that came to camp, and that we got 2 1/2 days to ourselves up there. It was really sweet.

It's the longest I've been away from Ryan... Basically Thursday until Wednesday. And boy was he busy while I was gone... Not only did he manage to get a lot of work done on his projects, and in the office, he got to go golfing with Russ, AND got our carpets cleaned, rearranged the office furniture, put in our fountain the back yard, start our firepit, bought endtables for our living room, and bought me a sewing desk and set it up AND bought me flowers... Seriously, I'm completely spoiled, and I married the best man ever!!! I was pretty much in shock when I got home... I spent 5 days in the mountains, and came home to a new place!! He's awesome. I'm so lucky... Here's some pictures!!

Birthday and more

2009-07-18T12:45:00.003-06:00

Marley's birthday was June 30th, and we celebrated it at 9:00 pm (which is totally late for my kids) with some cupcakes! She loved when we would sing her Happy Birthday all day.... we sang it at least 50 times. Instead of a party I just took the kids to the park and a couple of my sisters met us there and we played. We love Marley, and we're so happy that she's a part of our little family. She makes me laugh on a daily basis and is SO vocal. We love her.

On the 4th of July our friends Abbey and Tyson flew us to McCall for breakfast at the Pancake house. We had 6 plates of food... it was so dang good. It was a lot of fun spending some time with them, and very nice of them to invite us on that little outing. :)

Ocean Escape

2009-07-01T22:28:00.004-06:00

My dad met some people who own a few homes on the beach in Lincoln City, OR and offered to let anyone stay there... so of course I jumped at the opportunity and set it up for last weekend. It was my first trip to the Oregon Coast (I know, it's pretty sad, considering I'm an Idaho native) and I found that I LOVE it there! Lucky for us, Lincoln City is the kite capital of the U.S.A. and it was the kite festival that weekend! The house was amazing, and far larger than our little family needed, but we absolutely soaked up every second we could. Unfortunately it was a short trip, but any trip that Ryan gets to take during the summer is a blessing, and so I'm not complaining AT ALL. Cash loved the kites and digging in the sand, and Marley could have lived on the beach the whole time we were there. Every time I put her down she would crawl as FAST as she could for the ocean... she's such a rascal. Here's some pictures to document our adventures... it was so much fun and I can't wait to get back!

Paint The Town

2009-06-16T12:50:00.003-06:00

Back in April we volunteered to participate in "Paint The Town". The Neighborhood Housing Services put take applications of people who are unable to afford, or physically unable to paint their homes, and then takes volunteers and places them with each homeowner to get their home painted. This was the first year Watermark Landscapes participated, and I must admit, it was a lot more work than I thought it'd be! Not that I didn't know painting a house would be a big task, but I guess I forgot about all the prep that went into it. Remember we volunteered for this in April, and the paint day was June 13th... needless to say, Ryan has been EXTREMELY busy lately, so it was up to me to get it all put together. Luckily my dad helped me a TON.

First we went to the house to spray it off, and scrape off any peeling paint. My dad of course has a client he thought he'd ask to help out... DPC... A painting company! I kind of felt like a cheater at first, but honestly, they were volunteering and wanted to do it. So, by the time we got there, they had already sprayed the house off, and my dad and I were left with the scraping. A week later we went back to do the prime coat, and caulking... This time when talking to the owners, Kelly and Carla, they mentioned something about sod and some bushes that we might put together a bid for them on (considering we were a landscape company). Keep in mind that the past few weeks around here have been CRAZY weather with totally random downpours. Not the best painting weather. But, we managed to finish the prime coat just as it started to sprinkle then pour.

The week heading up to June 13th, I put together the missing supplies that we'd need, and got some donations put together for the owners... The Turf Co (Darwin McKay) donated the sod, and Quiznos gave us a discount on food to feed all our volunteers and delivered it... It was AWESOME.

June 13th! My dad of course got there before I even did, and started right away. DPC (Jim Doufas) decided to volunteer and help us a TON by spraying the body of the house. In the meantime, everyone I thought, plus some showed up! Lyman Belnap (Dad), Ryan, Cathryn Griffin, Dustin Pinther, Mark Johnson, Rebecca Johnson, Eric (her friend), Eric Belnap, Joe Emily Aaron Micheal and Jacob Piscione, and Matthew Ferguson. Seriously, amazing that they all showed up right around 9 am on a Saturday when there were so many other things they could have been doing. We literally finished putting in sod, planting flowers, rose bushes, removing bushes, and PAINTING THE HOUSE about 30 minutes before it started to pour rain.

Thank you SO much everyone... If just one less person showed up to help us, we literally wouldn't have finished in time. It was a great time helping out the community and spending time with people we care about!! Also, thank you Mom and Adria for watching the kids the whole time... Couldn't have done it without you either!

He Did It!!

2009-06-02T12:59:00.005-06:00

So, life is awesome, and we've been busy, but CASH SLEPT IN A BIG BOY BED!! We have been trying and trying since around the time Marley was 2 months old, and he has refused to do it. But, last night I got him to sleep in the bed! It took me laying by him for 40 minutes, but he finally relaxed enough and fell asleep... He even stayed in bed all night until 7 this morning. I'm so proud of our buckaroo. He's getting to be such a big boy! He says and does things every day that make me laugh outloud. One of my favorite things is what he says when he wants something... We are trying to teach him "Please may I... _________" So, he says things like "Please may I have some hold you?" Or "Please may I have some open the door?" It's adorable.

Let's see... Marley is almost a year old and I can't believe it. She is simply adorable and a big huge bundle of personality. I remember when Cash was little we would tell him "trouble" or "danger" or "no" and he really did a good job of avoiding those things after just a few times... NOT Marley. She finds it absolutely hilarious to play in the dog water, water cooler, dog food, etc. She will look at me, laugh and then go for it as quickly as possible. It's so funny. She does say a few words... She says: dog, hi, dad, bye bye.... and when she plays peek a boo, she covers her ears, not her eyes. It's really hilarious.

Also, I have to brag about Ryan... He just landed a job of a lifetime!! We found out last week (on our anniversary actually), and he starts tomorrow. He's really excited, and I'm so proud of him. It was nice to see him do a drawing, he hasn't done one in awhile, and he's so artistic and talented. It's going to be a 3-4 month job, so I am expecting not to see much of him this summer, but I'm so proud of him and to see this job completed, it's totally worth it.

For our anniversary I set it up through my dad for Ryan to drive a race car at Meridian Speedway on their practice night. He didn't get to tear it up like he wanted to, but it was still really cool for him to drive in one and on the track. The only problem is he now really wants a race car of his own.

I'm going to put up some pictures of some fun things... With all the ups and downs, I really love life.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-15T18:00:00.005-06:00

Anyone that knows Ryan know that he's the best when it comes to gift giving... As hard as I try, I'll never be able to give gifts with the thought and perfection that he does. I honestly wasn't expecting anything for Mother's Day, except a lot of help, but I was wrong!

On Saturday Ryan totally surprised me with a new bike and trailer!!

I've had my same bike since I was 12 when my parents gave it to me for Christmas. It's a great bike and means a lot to me...I'd even ride it to work when Ryan and I lived off the green belt. But, truth be told it's 14 years old!! It's all luxury now... I'm so excited because now I can ride my bike to WinCo with the kids. I already have once with Marley and we've gone on rides almost every day since he got it for me. It's fabulous.

Not only that, he took me out Saturday night, slept on the "monitor" side of the bed to get up with the kids Sunday morning, made me one of the best omelets I've ever had (it even rivals Ted's Bakery in HI), made me dinner, took us all (including dogs) to the park even though he was exhausted, gave me the best card with a recording of Cash saying "Happy Mother's Day, mom... I love you!" and even made me a little sundae when I came downstairs from putting the kids to bed.

I'm one lucky woman!! I have two wonderful kids who make me laugh and smile 100 times a day and a husband that does the same.

Our 5th anniversary is coming up in a week, and I must say, it's FLOWN by. I know everyone says that the first five years is the hardest, but if that's the truth, then we've been VERY lucky and VERY blessed because "hard" is not a word I would use to describe it. It's amazing how much life can change in 5 years!! :)

"How does your garden grow?"

2009-04-30T14:46:00.008-06:00

I feel like so time has passed since I last "blogged"... We finally planted our garden and last week I found a nice suprise!

Bad news is the other day we had a nie hail storm and I think we lost our basil and possibly our peppers. They got beat up. But I'll keep you posted on the development. I must say, for someone who thought they could have a garden, I knew/know VERY little. :)

We also had such a great Easter, and a fabulous visit from our fabulous friends the Facer's! :) Little Cash and Ollie loved each other to pieces, unless they were tired. We discovered a niceand cheap 3-par 9 hole golf course that I didn't know existed and the weather was gorgeous. Marley found herself a boyfriend too! She couldn't get enough of Ryan (Facer) and his guitar while they were here. Becky is so cute pregnant, even though you couldn't realy tell because her belly is tiny. But it's very exciting! We even flew kites. The first time since I was little, and I absolutely loved it... it's so peaceful!

Cash is talking and growing up so fast. We went back and watched some videos that we posted on here, and it's crazy to hear him and him not being able to talk and communicate with us like he does now. It makes me kind of sad. Marley is growing up like a weed too! She pulls herself up on everything and she is definitely the boss around here. She knows what she wants and she usually gets it. Here's a few pictures to enjoy!

In Like a Lion....

2009-04-04T17:24:00.015-06:00

I thought March was supposed to "Come in like a lion and out like a lamb"... not really the case, but I do love the random snow and hail and thunder storms we've been having! They definitely keep life interesting and makes me enjoy those days that are just sunny and beautiful more. I guess everything has it's opposite so we appreciate it's opposite more! Today I went out and got my garden boxes ready to plant and planted a couple herb starters that I bought. I'm so excited!! We're going to have potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini squash, onions, lettuces, bell peppers, rosemary, oregano, basil and cilantro. We'll see how much of it I can keep alive!

Not much is happening here on the Johnson front, just loving how my children play together, make each other laugh, and I'm sad at how quickly they are growing up. Marley is crawling everywhere, will walk REALLY slowly with your hands, and pulling herself up on everything. She's getting quite the personality... it's hilarious! Cash is so smart is is such a little boy! He just loves playing, going swimming, reading books and learning new things. Cash is starting to show that he is jealous of Marley lately... He'll want exactly what she has, and wants held when she's being held. She can be quite the pistol as well. It really is hilarious, they are fabulous! It's precious to see Ryan with them... it makes my heart warm.

Check out the video... they sure are precious.

Dos Anos

2009-03-09T12:21:00.004-06:00

February 27th came, and it was Cash's birthday! Despite a tragic morning, we managed to pull off a pretty good birthday bash for our little boy. Thank you everyone for your help! Cash thouroughly enjoyed his day, and loved having his friends over to play. He had two little car cakes to eat and did so with his hands. I love it! We sure love our little boy. He'll say "tengo dos anos" if you ask him how old he is, and he'll attempt to hold up just two fingers. He's so stinkin' smart and growing right before our eyes...

Reunion!

2009-03-04T12:27:00.006-07:00

Cash and I recently went on a trip to Arizona to visit some of my friends from college! Fabulous is the best word to describe the experience.... Cash was SO excited to see his buddy Oliver and to fly on an airplane. I swear that kid can spot an airplane that is so high in the air I can't see it... let alone would have noticed it flying above me. He did miss Ryan though. My wonderful husband stayed at home and watched Marley... she can be a handful too! :) Thanks Ryan, you're the best!! We had such a good time going on walks, visiting the Zoo, shopping, swimming, and watching movies. Krisitin even had her cousin and another girl come over to babysit for us so we could all go out to dinner and a movie! Good times... good memories. Thanks for making it work eveyone, and thanks again to Ryan for helping so much. Love you all!!

Elder Holland

2009-02-08T20:37:00.004-07:00

Today we were blessed to be able to attend a special Stake Conference where Elder Holland spoke to us. He's quite a powerful man, funny, emotional, and very to the point. He spoke mainly to the youth of the church, asking them to give 10% of their lives to the church... he said he got to pick the 10% and wanted this next ten years. He said to just "Stay". "Don't leave." "Whether you're a part of it or not, the church will grow and get stronger and stronger, so just stick with it and enjoy the blessings of it." He told a story of how when he was young he grew up in a non-active family. As long as he could remember his dad had a pack of Camel cigarettes in his pocket and he just thought the shirts came like that. He remembers when he was 10 years old the Bishop, Sunday School President, and Young Men's President coming over to his house and asking his dad to teach a Sunday School class. Before they could say anything else, he quickly responded "But I smoke!" After some uncomfortable silence, his dad looked over at Elder Holland and back at the men, and knew that the class he was supposed to teach was the 10 year old class, the class with his son. The next thing said was: When do you want me to start? They looked at him, quite surprised, and told him that the class was vacant and needed a teacher that Sunday, but that he could take his time and start when he needed to. His dad immediately flicked his package of cigarettes into the fireplace and told them he'd be there on Sunday. There was a lot of work involved, but he got back on the right track. The point he was making is that he decided to change right then, and he did it. He didn't procrastinate, and he stayed with the church.

I appreciated this message even though I wasn't really "going" anywhere. I just feel that we all need the reminder that we are appreciated and loved even if we feel we are small and insignificant. They love us, and need us to stay.

Is it really almost February?

2009-01-29T21:21:00.008-07:00

My last post I was waiting for Cash's swim lessons, and yesterday was his last swim lesson. He's so stinkin' cute. The first lesson he was very scared and basically cried the whole time. It's a parent/child class, so I'm in the water with him all the time, but it was a disaster. After the first lesson though, he was hooked. He would ask to go "swimming with Summer" (the teacher) and would now cry if we went to the YMCA and didn't go swimming. It was definitely a lot of fun to take him. Thanks to Ryan watching Marley every time too!

I can't believe he turns two in less than one month. Marley turns 7 months old tomorrow... I was being dumb, and kind of worried that she wasn't crawling, sitting, or rolling hardly at all. Like I said, I was being dumb. Not as soon as I thought it, she started to pull herself around with her arms (she'll grip the carpet and pull herself forward), roll around, and sit like a champion. She just wasn't interested in it until that day and then decided that's what she wanted to do. I wish I took more pictures. The only picture I have of Cash at swim lessons is in the shower after... He spent as much time there as in the water. He's a smart boy, that's for sure.

I had to go to a funeral of a friend that I've known since Kindergarten this last week.. I hated it, and it was much harder than I thought it would be... it really made me appreciate my family, friends, church and large support group that I have surrounding me. I know that I'll never be alone if I'm hurting. So, thank you to all of you!

Holidays

2009-01-05T07:35:00.007-07:00

HAPPY 2009!! I'm ready for a new year, with better organization and more energy! :)

I can't believe how fast the last two months has gone by. Cash is 22 months old and Marley is already 6 months! Christmas was so much fun this year because Cash actually opened presents. We got him an 8' trampoline to play on and he absolutely loves it! We put it upstairs in the bonus room since it's so cold outside. It was a VERY white Christmas, which is the absolute best! I love the snow so much! It's just so peaceful and fresh.

Marley talks all the time and flirts with anyone that will look at her. She's such a great baby, and so beautiful! Cash is speaking full sentences all the time now, and is starting to potty train a little bit! He'll tell us when he wants to go to the toilet. We'll see if it actually turns into us not having to change 2 dirty diapers all the time. :) My favorite thing that he says right now is: Marley Jane, sister! He will run up to her room and get up on the bed and lay down next to her and suck his fingers and play with HER hair. It's really cute, except for the fact that Marley is taking naps when he does it. And yes, she's still in a bed, barricaded by pillows because Cash is still in the crib. I'm just not ready to switch him yet! I find my sleep to vital.

Cash starts swim lessons at the YMCA today, and I'm very excited to take him. Hopefully he doesn't throw a fit and he likes it. We'll see. Enjoy the show!

~'Tis the Season~

2008-12-20T10:56:00.005-07:00

Can I tell you how much I love this season?! I love the smell of our Christmas tree filling the house... I love the warmth of a fire, the cold air hitting your nose when you walk outside, the perfect beautiful snow on the ground, the fabulous hot cocoa, the Christmas music wherever you go, acting out the Nativity scene... I love that people are generally in better moods and nicer during this holiday, I love the excuse to give gifts to people and get together with family and friends... I love service!! There's just so much to love!

Here's a plug for my brother, Eric. He's found a studio gym to train at, and I went the other day to test it out and it was fabulous! It's clean, new, modern and very user friendly. Any age, any fitness level. They are having a special on January 1st and 2nd. Free fitness sessions all day! You just call: 938-0353 to reserve your time slot and then go in (it's right by Rocky Mountain Fitness in Eagle) and they'll take you through a great workout. This isn't like Gold's free training session where all they do is walk around and tell you what each machine does... very different... I guarantee you'll sweat during this workout, and you'll only be there an hour. Here's their website: http://www.studioe2fit.com/. Check it out and try it out at the beginning of the year. What's the worst that could happen? You end up going and getting a great workout after pigging out all holiday season! :)

I wish I could say that I had more things going on, but it's just my every day life! I'm going to post a few pictures of a few more things that I love... Happy Holidays!

He's such a funny kid. He was SO excited about the snow.

Not only my children, but Lincoln is also a Curious George addict.

She definitely loves her dad... who wouldn't?

I love this picture. He's just handsome!

This is our new bath routine. Marley LOVES having Cash in their with her...

She makes the best faces!!

He loved looking for a Christmas tree...

Glorious Thanksgiving

2008-12-02T09:26:00.010-07:00

So many things to be grateful for this season... obviously the big ones: family, a home, transportation, jobs, health etc... but right now I'm mostly grateful for the priesthood. Marley has been VERY sick this last week with a fever of up to 105* and vomiting all her food up. She didn't do anything but lay there and was basically starving because she couldn't keep anything down. We managed to keep pedialyte in her, which kept her from being totally dehydrated, but it was very scary. Thanksgiving night Ryan and our friend Ryan gave Marley a blessing... she wasn't immediately healed, but she started to get better and it seemed easier to know what to do with her. She is now just fine and back to being a firecracker. She has so much personality! We missed that for a week.

Thanksgiving was fabulous! Other than Marley being sick, things couldn't have gone better. We had it here at our house and the food was glorious and we had way too much of it, and it didn't seem chaotic (considering how big our family is... We had 17 adults and 19 kids running/crawling around.) which is a miracle. My dad brought his horse, Thunderjet, and we rode him around the park. Some neighbor kids came by for a ride even. Becky and Ryan were visiting -- it was so fun to have them here. Cash and Ollie are definitely buddies for life. And they were here for my birthday which made it even more fun. Ryan seriously spoiled me!!!

All I can say is that there are so many things to be grateful for, and I LOVE THIS SEASON!! :)

The dessert table.

(Deborah, Damien and dad!)

MMM.... Good Food.

Stahle, Sara, Rachel and Emma running w/ the Jet. I love this picture.

The little kids table (THANKS, RYAN) was a hit!

Grandpa, Jaxon and Sebastian.

He was just a little bit nervous.

This was Cash's face when he saw the horseeeee... :)

Just a few people watching horse rides.

(Bart, David, Adria and Ryan)

She's due Christmas Day! She looks beautiful...

Best Buds for life.

Emily and Kate.

Guitar Hero World Tour. What a fabulous birthday gift!

Eva Voncille... Cute as ever!

Ryan and Ollie checking out their next adventure.

Thunderjet. He's beautiful!

That looks like one happy dad.

That's one tired mom with a sick little girl...

He loves playing with Marley.

Cash LOVES his colors.

My husband is so freaking talented it makes me sick. We'll get some better ones of this amazing waterfall he built.

That's the grin we love. Look at those teeth!

The Things Kids Do

2008-11-23T20:35:00.003-07:00

It's been quite the two days here in the Johnson household. Saturday morning started at 3:00 with Cash screaming. I went up there and picked him up and we laid in the twin bed for 30 minutes until I decided I was going to put him back in his bed. Then I did something I never thought I'd do in this life... caught hands full of vomit. My poor little boy had thrown up all over his crib and now all over himself and the spare bed as well. So, I cleaned him up, started a very large load of laundry and then took him into our bed to try to sleep (a first). Didn't really work out and at 5 Ryan took him out to sleep in the chair with him. All day he was walking around and would say "Button, ouch" (he knows his stomach as belly button) and point to his belly. Later that day after he wanted to finally eat -- he projectile puked again. Not fun. Good news is, he went to bed and was feeling better this morning. Bad news is Marley woke up at 4:30 and I had the same experience with her. I never thought so much liquid could come out of such a tiny body. So sad because she had no idea what was going on. All she's had today is Pedialyte and a tiny bit of milk which I think is upsetting her b/c she's crying right now and should be asleep. I just went to check -- She just wanted a little cuddle and to rid herself of some toxic fluids.

On a happier note, Cash really touched my heart tonight. We missed church, so we were watching some of the talks from Conference... Cash was playing by our front door, shoving stuff under the bench singing "Clean up" and then the Primary Choir started to sing. He immediately sat up, walked right over and sat right in front of the TV watching those kids sing. It made me cry. Children are so beautiful and honest and perfect. It was a wonderful moment. I really love those kids.

Birthday!!

2008-11-16T19:26:00.010-07:00

Ryan's 30th birthday was on the 8th and he absolutely would not let me throw him any type of a celebration. So, we planned an escape to Tamarack for 4 days! We rented a nice 3 bedroom townhouse that had it's own hot tub, deck, grill, etc... the best part was, nobody was up there because they don't have snow yet! It was pet friendly too, so we even got to bring Max and Lincoln with us. The mountain air is so wonderful... we could have easily stayed up there a month. Sadly we only had 3 nights, but it was absolutely fabulous. Cash loved the hot tub, which he thought was a huge bath with bubbles, and loved helping Ryan start a fire every day. We got a gift from Ryan's employee, Ismael, and we now have 2 parakeets! Any name suggestions? One of them got out of the cage while we were at church today and was hiding on top of the cabinets above the fridge. Quite the adventure.

Because it was Ryan's birthday, I want to list a few things that I absolutely love about him...

1- He is a wonderful father and loves his kids SO much.

2- He treats me like a queen.

3- He makes me laugh at least five times a day.

4- He lets me eat next to him even though it's his biggest pet peeve to hear people chewing. :)

5- He loves dogs as much as I do -- absolutely a miracle.

6- He's honest and will always tell you the truth when you ask him something.

7- He's extremely loyal to those he trusts.

8- He's proud of his testimony.

9- He's very talented -- especially at his profession.

10- I can always talk to him about anything and not have to worry about judgment or criticism... sometimes all he does is hold me and hug and let me know it will all be okay.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

She loves her daddy.

Last minute dinner in WinCo parking lot. Cash bit every piece.

We saw our state bird!! So pretty. Cash spotted it.

Speaking of birds... Our newest addition.

Look how old he looks!!

Oops! Calvin is running away now.

Marley loved her first Moto ride.

"Moto" ride for Dad... I mean Cash.

Ryan couldn't have received a better gift. This is a first!

Marley loves Cash -- Cash loves Marley!

The dogs loved bird watching

Handy Manny on Dad's phone?! NO WAY!

Halloween Treats

2008-11-04T16:21:00.011-07:00

Halloween was great! I absolutely love dressing up my children... I have issues. Cash HATED his costume until he saw his cousin, Hadley, all dressed up and we bribed him with a sucker. Rebecca, Ezra, Heather and Hadley all came to trick or treat with us. It was fabulous! My sister, Adria, and her husband David put on a spook alley at their house and we went to see what it was like. I loved it! They did such a good job and it really was scary! When we were over there we went down the street and got homemade donuts...so good. Cash of course loved the free candy and couldn't believe that people were just handing it to him! I love holidays! I didn't dress Marley up because I knew I'd just be holding her anyway... but I dressed up! And of course Max and Lincoln wore their superhero costumes all day. It really does turn Max into a super-dog and Lincoln absolutely gets depressed. He must know that he looks ridiculous. :) There's a few other random pictures I threw in there... like a picture of our beautiful trees out front. Oh, Marley broke her two bottom teeth! I'm in shock -- she's just so little. But I'm glad they're through!

I LOVE my front yard in the fall.

Seriously, they warm my heart.

Doesn't she look cute in a beanie? Minus the bug eyes. :)

My wonderful husband with Emma and the dogs.

I swear -- the flash kills her!

Show me your teeth!

The Halloween crew

Look at those big eyes. Hilarious!

I just don't know what to say to that.

Good Times...

2008-10-24T12:33:00.009-06:00

Can I tell you how wonderful my little family is? We are getting Marley to sleep through the night and took the binky away. Since we've done that she's actually gotten on a schedule! YEAH! She gets cuter and happier every day... it's fabulous! And Cash loves her so much he could (and does) smother her. In fact, every time he sees her he says "Hold you?!" and sits down so he can hold Marley. I stuck a picture of it in here for you.

Ryan is busier than ever and I love having him come home at the end of the day excited to see his little family. We were able to bring him lunch the other day and Cash was ecstatic to get a ride on the tractor... he even got to maneuver it all on his own! He's so stinkin' smart. Just for the Ryan lovers out there -- you know he taught Cash this one... This morning Cash said "Drop Deuce" when he pooped. I love it!

We went out to Linder farms to pick pumpkins and had so much fun. "Pumpkin" is the cutest thing out of Cash's mouth right now... "Punkin" is how he says it. Cash was very uncomfortable on the pony he got to ride, but after a few times around he got used to it... the petting zoo was a new addition this year and I think I loved it more than Cash! They had a camel and a zebra (and of course I didn't take pictures of them) and then the regular farm animals. I really want some land to have a horse, cow, goat and big dogs. :) Wouldn't that be great?! We also took a hay ride around the farm and both our children were loving it... I think I might have been the happiest though, watching Ryan, Cash and Marley loving life and being outside... truly blessed.

I will have a little goat someday.

Do you see the concentration? He knew he was lifting and dropping the bucket.

This picture is to die for! Look at that flirt!

Don't you just love the spit rag hanging?

Look at that smile!!

Cash & cousin Ezra... Reb came to visit us for a few days. We loved it!

Very concerned.

I love it.

Who's happier? Good luck deciding.

Drinks the milk all by himself.

What a good big brother.

Busy

2008-10-14T12:35:00.004-06:00

I'm not quite sure what keeps me so occupied, because I really don't get anything done, but I haven't written on here for quite some time. I need to sit and just enjoy the beautiful children Heavenly Father has blessed us with more often. Marley is already three and a half months old and changes every day. She is so sweet and such a good little baby that it's hard to imagine she was such a terror for awhile. She talks all the time -- I'll get it on video soon. Cash is so stinkin' smart and impresses me every day with how much he knows. You tell him a word once and he'll remember it. Today's word was: Pumpkin. It's pretty cute. I have a few pictures of my little bundles of joy. We tried to get some good pictures but Marley was tired and Cash was hungry. I wish I had something more interesting to write, but I don't really get out much. I do love the crisp fall air and how it almost smells like camping when you go outside and just barely makes your nose nice and cold... mmmm. I look forward to spending time with my family this winter and hopefully snowboarding!!

Sweet Cheeks

Pretty bright out.

Those dimples are to die for!

Precious -- need I say more?

The reality of trying to actually get a good picture. It was a valient effort.

Oh Blessed Day!

2008-09-16T11:26:00.006-06:00

We blessed Marley last Sunday and it was wonderful! All the family was here except for Ryan's sister Lindsay and her husband, Casey, and my brother Eric and Andrea. We missed them. Other than that it went great. Marley didn't cry at all, and Ryan gave her a beautiful blessing. I very proud moment for a tired mother. :) We were close to getting a cute family picture, but not quite. We waited a little too long and Cash was at the end of his rope. He loves his little sister so much! He'll give her far more kisses than I think is healthy (considering they're both kind of sick right now), but refuses to give Ryan and I kisses. Hopefully he'll grow out of it a little bit. I'll post some cute pictures for you all.

Can it get any bigger?
This one reminds me of Cash

This might be as close as we get.
That's one happy dad. Cash just started enjoying cartoons in the a.m.
He lives here.
Sweet kisses!

Beautiful McCall

2008-09-01T10:06:00.003-06:00

We spent the last week up at a cabin on the lake in McCall with the Johnson family for a little reunion. I have a lot of pictures on our video camera that I haven't taken the time to figure out how to download yet. So, you get the few that were on our camera. It was so fun to relax and enjoy our beautiful surroundings in the mountains. The air was so clean and the lake was so dang cold. It was a lot of fun though! The first day Cash walked right into the water in all his clothes... I guess the cold didn't affect him. Cash pet a horse, saw a fox, deer and frog. We also ate some wild thimble berries, blueberries, and huckleberries. It was a little challenging with Marley and her bewitching hour, but we made it through. It was a much needed and wonderful break. Thank you everyone for your hard work in making it happen!

Marley's favorite place.

Our crew, plus a few neighbor kids.

Cash's favorite spot!

I can't believe we have two...

Cash was thoroughly worn out by the time we made our trip home.

It's a Miracle!

2008-08-17T10:12:00.003-06:00

Basically six weeks hit last week and Marley immediately started to get better. She still screams at night before she goes to sleep, but she is actually a cute happy baby during the day! I can't tell you how much it's changed how I look at her! In fact, she smiles a lot now and it's just beautiful! We still love and cherish the Gripe Water and Colic tablets though... they do help. I'm hoping that she gets over her screaming every time she gets in the car seat soon. Then we can venture out to the public! She really hates that thing. We are going on a trip next week to McCall, and I'm pretty excited to go somewhere... We'll see how it goes. We had my dad and the missionaries over for dinner the other night -- Cash was so curious who they were, it was great. Here's a few more pictures for your enjoyment!

Before

After! (Thanks for the cute outfit Facer's!)

Cash loves his new running shoes. :)

Proud Dad!

Cash & Grandpa Belnap "looking" for Ryan.

Colic?

2008-08-11T14:01:00.013-06:00

Okay, I never truly understood Colic until Marley came along. She really is a colic baby. She cries or fusses about 90% of the time she's awake. Let me tell you, we CHERISH those few moments when she isn't screaming. All this fussing also makes it hard for her to sleep during the day. We are definitely tired, however, very happy and blessed. Marley is six weeks old today, and I couldn't be more excited -- supposedly colic is supposed to start getting better starting at six weeks. I'll let you know. Other than that, things are just wonderful. Cash keeps us thoroughly entertained... he loves his little sister and dogs and everyone around him basically. He keeps us sane through the cries. :) Sad/happy news: Eric, Andrea and Eva are moving back to CA today. I'm sad because I love having them around, but happy because that's what they're supposed to do, and they get to live 10 minutes from a beach. We are definitely going to visit them. Also, anyone that knows Lakai Lee (son of Scott and Chrissy), keep him in your prayers! I'm going to post a few pictures from our very enjoyable day at the park yesterday, the Hawks game and some others.

We'll miss those three... Good Luck!

2 1/2 and below on the Belnap side (minus Riley)

Lincoln was reunited w/ his chicken, thanks to Heather.

Little Piggies.

Yeah, I love this picture. Our pea pod
Go Hawks!
First time w/ the head phones.
She liked the game -- at first.

Learning how to run & kick at the same time!
This is how we often see Marley... it looks funny on camera!

Our monkey.

Marley Jane is under there somewhere. (It was windy)

It looks like he's in trouble, but in reality he's getting a squish face & kisses.
He's all mine.
Finally she fell asleep -- so precious.

Probably the cutest video we have of our little Cash.

More Babies!

2008-07-27T08:56:00.004-06:00

So I haven't written in a long time and I don't have much energy to write now! But, I will put a couple of cute pictures of our little monkey and indian girl. She's a pretty stressed little girl and doesn't like to sleep much during the day. We're trying a few different things now, and hopefully things will get a little bit better. She's really precious though, and Cash is really good with her. Enjoy!

Marley Jane Johnson

2008-07-07T10:13:00.008-06:00

Okay, so here are a few details from our blessed day and a few more pictures for your enjoyment. My due date was July 2nd, and my doctor, Dr. Klomp, was going out of town the afternoon of July 1st. Just my luck! The guy takes one vacation a year, and it happens to be during my due date. So, I was very stressed about it. He wanted to induce me because he really wanted to deliver our baby girl. He's an amazing doctor. Anyway, with a lot of prayers, and working 10 hour days two days before, my contractions actually started on Sunday the 29th. Nothing to serious, just little contractions throughout the day. Ryan and I went around the house picking stuff up, getting stuff ready, and finally packed my hospital bag. I woke up a few times during the night with some pretty strong contractions, but was able to go back to sleep. Around 1:15 they started to get strong, and pretty regular so I was up. At 2:00 I woke up Ryan b/c I needed his coaching. Around 3:00 we had Loni come over to stay with Cash and then my contractions really started to get strong, and right on top of each other. I basically told Ryan I couldn't handle it anymore and we were on our way to the hospital. Just like in the movies, WE GOT PULLED OVER on our way. Seriously, are you kidding me? I was telling Ryan to just keep going but he stopped and the cop took his sweet time getting to the car. It was really early in the morning, so I'm sure he thought we were drunks. He let us go, we got to the hospital, got out, got to the doors only to find they were LOCKED and we had to get back in the car and use the ER entrance. Ryan put me in a wheelchair, we left our car running in the ER lane and unlocked. We got to triage just barely before 4:00 and after some mess there (I guess they thought I was FAKING hard labor), they finally checked me and I was at a 7-8. They freaked out, called the Dr. like I had asked them to earlier and then said "No drugs sweetie" and rushed me to labor & delivery. Good thing Ryan is the best coach ever and got me through it. By the time I was to my room I was a 9 and Dr. Klomp got there just in time for delivery. She was born at 4:37 a.m.! It went great.

SHE MADE IT!

2008-07-03T21:14:00.006-06:00

I do't have too much time, but I will say that our baby girl is here and she's nice and healthy. 7 lbs, 1 oz, 20 inches long. Born June 30th at 4:37 am. Here are a couple pictures I'll get some more lateer. Don't mind how scary I look, it was just a couple hours after delivery. I'll add details to this post later, but right now I want to go to sleep! :)

It's almost time!

2008-06-26T16:47:00.004-06:00

I'm due in 6 days, so I thought I'd better post something before the big day! It's been a crazy and fun couple of weeks. I'll post some cute pictures of Cash and his cousins, and Cash and his buddy, Oliver. Ryan and I are both super busy and it seems like we don't get to spend time with each other anymore! But, we do get to spend time with Cash, each individually. :) He's such an amazing little boy! He learns more things every day and I love his sweet face. I just took him to the doc, and he finally weighs 20 lbs! Actually, 20 lbs 1o oz. Other than that, not much big happening. Except Cash does have a new little cousin, Ezra... Ryan's sister, Rebecca had her baby! He's pretty cute!! Okay, I'm out -- Cash is already up!

Belly Pic

2008-06-10T11:17:00.003-06:00

Okay, so I finally just set the timer and took a picture of myself. I must say, that did make me feel dumb. Anyway, you will all now believe me when I say that my belly is VERY LARGE and uncomfortable. 22 days from today is my due date! You all need to pray that she either comes before then, or after the 7th because my doctor is leaving out of town... and if it weren't for him, Cash wouldn't be here, so I'd really like for him to deliver our little girl.

The pictures of Cash my mom took in her backyard. He LOVES the sand box and played out there all day. She said he especially loved the throw it up in the air and have it land on his head. He loves the dirt!

Anniversary and So On

2008-06-07T08:43:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I'm a terrible wife, and not only did I not take any pictures of our anniversary, I'm not posting this until 3 weeks later! Our anniversary was May 22. 4 YEARS!! It's pretty unbelievable how you can love someone more each day, even though you thought you loved them as much as you could. Ryan is an amazing husband and does so much for me as a wife, mother and friend. I actually went out of town on our anniversary (how nice of me, huh!) to Utah for some training for my job. It was strange being alone in a hotel room. I got back the next night and I was going to have Heather take me home because she was picking up Debbie (my mom-in-law) from the airport as well. Ryan's the best and surprised me and had a babysitter and took me out for the night. He's pretty thoughtful!

Since that day I'm not sure what's happened. Ryan and I have been so busy with both our jobs, and Cash is growing and changing and talking more and more each day. My favorite thing he says is: Thank you! It's so cute. Along with: hot, out, Max, dog, baaa (for sheep), he whistles, uh-oh, dad, mom (sometimes, if he's sad), and a lot of other stuff. He'll try to repeat anything you ask him to. He's pretty special. Oh, we did have a "staycation" on Memorial Day weekend. We fully set up our tent in the backyard and slept outside. I've got to say, it was the best sleep I've had since the belly emerged! Cash went in at about 4 in the am, but it was still a lot of fun and fully worth it!

I hope all is well with everyone... I'll post some fun pictures soon. (Once I TAKE some fun pictures). We love you all!

Sweet Boy

2008-05-13T10:23:00.005-06:00

So, I thought I'd post a couple pictures of Cash. It's been awhile. He constantly changes and amazes me on how determined and smart he is. If he wants something open, he'll work at it until he gets it. Cash went to work with Ryan the other day from 12-8. He quickly got promoted to landscape supervisor. He even got a little farmer's tan. Ryan took a couple pictures of him, thank goodness. Pretty soon he will be speaking Spanish and getting everyone organized. :) This morning I found him all the way in Max's kennel, with Max in there as well. He wanted to give him loves! His new favorite place to play in the kitchen is the lid drawer underneath the stove. I turned around this morning from washing dishes, and he was sitting in it talking and playing. I love that kid!! :) I stuck a few more pictures of Hawaii on there... I just had to!

Cash excelling in his new supervisor position.
Project manager overseeing his employees.
After a long day's work
Picking up Mommy at 8:00 p.m. (He smiled just for the picture)
He refused to have any help. The day we got back from Hawaii
Our last beach day
Nice view, eh?
Putting with a 2 iron.

Legacy

2008-05-05T10:08:00.002-06:00

The day we got back from Hawaii was pretty crazy. Not many of you know, but I have been trying to get a real estate sales position at the new Legacy development for some time now. It was one of the reasons I got my license to begin with! Anyway, I interviewed with them several times, and about a month and a half ago, they basically offered me the job full time (they did not want or even like the word "part time"). They told me to go home and think about it and give them an answer in the morning. I thought I'd be completely excited by this, but I left feeling sick and almost in tears. I just didn't feel like I should be spending the majority of my time away from my family and home. So I made the decision to tell them that I couldn't do it. The most I could do was part time. Anyway, I really didn't hear from them until the Saturday before we flew back home from Hawaii. Much to my surprise, they wanted to meet with me on Monday. So, after a red-eye flight (no sleep, thanks to the little girl in my belly), reuniting with my sweet little boy and puppies, I headed out to meet with them. They said they wanted to extend the job offer to me at part time and wanted me to start ASAP! I came home and talked it out with Ryan, asked my dad's advice, slept on it, and called them back the next morning to tell them yes! I worked last weekend and it was quite the learning experience. It's going to be a lot of fun.

Needless to say, I now work with Holmes Homes now, and I'm very excited to be a part of it. They are the main builder in the new Legacy development out in Eagle. If you haven't heard about it you really need to. It's absolutely incredible. There isn't anything else like it! I will be working the Parade of Homes this weekend if you'd like to come out and get more information and visit. Here are the web addresses as well for you to check out. It's well worth it! www.legacyidaho.com and www.holmeshomes.com Check them out! Also, Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain (part of the acadamies at Legacy) are going to be coming out for a Semi-Grand opening on June 14th. Everyone should come and be a part of it, it's going to be huge!

Paradise

2008-05-04T14:14:00.009-06:00

Hawaii was amazing! Becky kept telling me that I'd get "bit by the bug" and it for sure happened. However, as we started our vacation and had to leave our little Cash, Ryan and I both almost called the whole thing off. It was NOT an easy task to get on that plane. We missed him and his cute face the whole time, but we still enjoyed ourselves immensely. We stayed on the North Shore near Sunset beach. Our house was one away from the water, and very nice. Ted's Bakery was just a block away and we went almost every morning for their addictive donuts and omlets. We'd sleep to the sounds of the waves (and the occasional dog bark, thanks to Poi) every night. I wish I could remember everything that we did! We were able to visit the PCC and went to the Temple, which was beautiful. We visited the BYU-H campus and the Dole factory. Most of all, we played and laid on the beaches and enjoyed the crystal clear water. It was a dream. Here are a few pictures of the trip. I'm going to be brave and post some that I normally wouldn't, just so you all can get a good view of the belly. Enjoy!

Day one at our beach!

Polynesian Cultural Center

Haleiwa (They were filming a movie right to the right of the picture)

Watching Ryan Facer surf early in the a.m.

View from one of the beautiful holes at Kahuku golf course.
Sunrise on our beach at 6:00 a.m.
Laie Temple
Watching the waves at Wimea Bay (31 weeks)
Campfire/Sleepout our last night
Shark's Cove

Phew!

2008-04-17T15:41:00.002-06:00

Once again it's been too long since I've posted anything. And unfortunately I don't have any good pictures to put up either. I don't know what's going on! Ryan and I are leaving this Saturday for HAWAII and I'm VERY excited to go on vacation. We aren't taking little Cash though and I'm already missing him! It's sad. He's so precious and changes every day. We just got back from a walk down to WinCo and there were some sprinklers that were going on the path we were walking on. I really didn't want to walk out onto the street so I decided to see how he'd react to running through the sprinklers. I wish I had our new video camera with us because it was hilarious! He was laughing so hard and absolutely LOVED it. After we made it through I stopped to look at how wet he got, thinking it was just a little sprinkle, but no... his hair was soaked there was water all over his face. It looked like he had stood in the shower with his clothes on, and he still loved it! Needless to say, it should be a good summer! Oh yeah, he knows how to open the back door now all by himself and it's his favorite place to go. He grabs our fingers all the time and takes us on walks around the house so we can do what HE wants us to do. He's definitely starting to let out his personality more. He knows what he wants to eat, and it's not usually what we're eating - unless it's spaghetti - and he knows how he wants it prepared. Quite the change from the kid who would put anything in his mouth. He loves books and his favorite book is our giant (2x2.5 foot) dog book. He likes us to sit down and turn the pages for him... if we go to slow he points to where we need to turn it and tells us to do so. All in all every day is enjoyable and something new. Ryan and Cash got to come to one of my volleyball games this week and I loved it! It was nice to have my family there.... but little Cash walking around in his shorts was quite distracting! :) I need to work on some productive things now... There's a lot to get done in 2 days!!!

Visitors

2008-03-31T16:41:00.004-06:00

We had more company this weekend! Cash was so sad to watch his friend Oliver leave our house on Sunday. He just kind of sat there and looked around like "Now what am I supposed to do?" It was sad. But the Facer family had to retreat back to Utah. He's also been able to spend some good bonding time with his Aunt Rebecca. I still haven't taken a picture of the belly, I'll have to have Ryan do that tonight. It is growing like crazy! It's actually getting to the point that I'm not sure how much longer I can play volleyball. It almost wakes me up when I have to roll over at night. It's hard to believe that I'm almost 27 weeks... well over half way and we'll be able to see this little girls face so soon! I must say that time goes by much faster when you have another one to look after. Cash changes every day. He's almost running everywhere now. It's only a matter of days. He likes pushing our table chairs around for exercise too. He's a strong little boy! He really loves the outdoors, so any nice day we get we go outside and play. It'll be a fun summer! Ryan's great, as always. He'll be embarrassed, but the other night I was up from 4:15-7:45 with Cash and then working on the computer and when I went back to bed he tucked me in, played with my hair to get rid of my headache and covered me with his blanket. It was really sweet. Needless to say, I'm a pretty blessed person! I hope all is well with everyone else!

(Cash & Ollie watching Baby Einstein in the morning)

Quick Update

2008-03-19T14:09:00.003-06:00

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I've posted something on this page. Nothing huge has happened of course, but that's a good thing. We were able to have some family in town this last weekend and we got to meet our little nephew Eli for the first time. He's pretty cute! It was really good seeing everyone too. It seems like it's been forever! Of course I didn't get any picture of Cash giving Eli "loves" (he basically lays right on top of him and smothers him). It's pretty fun watching him grow and learn new things and see how he interacts with little babies. We'll see how it goes with our little girl! The belly is constantly growing and our baby is kicking more than ever. I promise that I'll take a picture some time and post it. I thought she was going to be a calm little girl but now I'm not so sure. I'm in a hurry again, but I just wanted to let everyone know that we're doing great and we appreciate everyone's support!

BIRTHDAY!!

2008-02-28T10:51:00.007-07:00

It was Cash's first birthday yesterday! It was hard, but I (with Ryan's help of course) kept myself from throwing him a party. In fact he only got a couple gifts from us, total. However, Ryan had a surprise and took us to Chuck E Cheese to celebrate! Cash was in HEAVEN. He absolutely loved it. His favorite was this big truck that was on hydraulics and would rock and go up and down. (I'll put a short video of it on there). He's like his mom and loves rides! It was so much fun. He ate a whole piece of pizza too! He was thoroughly entertained by the kids running around as well. He loved watching them. Anyway, I made him his own little individual cake, from scratch, because I wanted it to be as healthy as possible if he was going to eat a whole piece of cake...But, when we got home, he was so worn out from playing that he didn't even care. AND he burned his little hand on the candle... it was sad. He ended up eating a few bites simply because we were feeding it to him. All in all it was a wonderful day and I can't believe it's been a whole year since he was born. Time seriously flies. Next year, maybe we'll throw him a party! :)

Tagged...

2008-02-27T14:23:00.003-07:00

So my friend, Magen, "tagged" me and I guess I'm supposed to write six things about myself that people might now know. I'll try, but I swear I'm not that interesting, nothing like Magen. You all should check out her blog.

1. When I was in grade school and sadly, part of junior high, I used to write in my journal almost daily about nothing but boys and I'd sign it with the last name of whatever boy it was that I had a crush on at the time. The sad part is, I basically was a boy, so it's not like they ever liked me or anything. I'd just race them at recess and beat them, or punch them in the arm like a guy would, and think that they'd like me for it. Totally backfired.

2. I hate my handwriting so much that I'm ashamed every time someone that I know has good handwriting sees it.

3. When I was young I always wanted to be a secretary, and my name to be Rachel, and that's it... I loved typing and I thought it was the coolest job because you got to take little carbon copy phone messages for people.

4. The bloodiest injury I've ever had was due to my own stupidity. I was running down the stairs at a boyfriend's apartment and tried to jump out the door at the bottom of the stairs and totally judged it wrong. I hit my head so hard on the steel frame that it flung me backward onto the steps and I cracked my head open on a nail. I think I blacked out for half a second, and then I started laughing so hard that blood was gushing from the back of my head. I laughed because I was totally embarrassed. I looked like a cartoon getting clotheslined.

5. I hate the song "We Didn't Start the Fire" because I'm very scared of my house burning down and when I was little my brother loved to tease me about it. My parents were gone to the temple one night and we were at home and he was watching the video on MTV and I wanted him to turn it off and instead he just turned it up (who knows why I didn't just leave the room). I ended up screaming and crying and running away and having nightmares because of it.

6. I love dogs so much that I used to "find" strays and bring them home and act like they were starving and feed them. Later I would call the owner telling them I found their dog and it almost always ended up that they lived right by where I "found" them...

Okay, that's all I've got for right now. Not very interesting, but it's Cash's birthday today so I'm a little distracted and need to get a bunch of stuff done. He's so cute!

Oh yeah, I tag... Andrea, Lindsay and Tara.

Life Goes On!

2008-02-23T09:30:00.007-07:00

Nothing stupendous has happened lately, but we sure are happy! My belly changes every day and Cash does too. We finally got our bedroom wall done and decorated. The pictures really turned out great, I'm very pleased! I'm starting a City League volleyball team the first week of March, but I'm not sure how long I'll be able to play. It all depends on belly growth. I'll end up hitting the net with it when I jump! She's starting to get more and more active, but still not as much as Cash was. Maybe she'll be a little calmer? I'll post a belly pic as soon as I take one! :)

I'm putting a video of Cash on here and you can see the belly a little bit. He attempts to walk but he's WAY too excited about the camera. He does dance all the time to any time of jingle or music he hears. It's stinkin' cute. He definitely has an agenda every day though. He has to do certain things, like: play with the dog kennel, try to get the dog food, watch me cook, tear into the office garbage, and watch the dogs through the back door. It's fun to watch him decide which thing he's going to do and then crawl/walk off to do it. I love it. The picture is of him leaving the dog food with it all over his face. Why does he think it tastes good?! I don't understand.

Valentine's Day

2008-02-13T10:40:00.003-07:00

Is this really considered a holiday? I think it's just there to give us an opportunity to be corny. I do want to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day, because despite it's cheesiness, I think it's great! (I love any reason to celebrate.) I'm glad I get to be a part of all your lives. It keeps me very humble to see everyones talents and gifts.

Everything around here is just speeding by me. I'm not quite sure what to do about it either. I don't feel like I can savor my little boy who is growing up so incredibly fast. He's becoming quite clingly to me and I don't know what to do to fix it. Any suggestions? Maybe he just knows he won't be the baby in 5 months. Who knows. I do love every day I get to spend with my little family though. It's soooo fun! I feel very blessed to have what we have and thank Heavenly Father every day for it.

I'm trying to get some video of Cash walking, but every time I try he tries to run to the camera and falls. I'll have to wait until Ryan can help me. I do have some cute pictures that my sister took though, that I'll be giving to Ryan for Valentine's Day. I love you all!

It's Official!

2008-02-05T14:47:00.000-07:00

So, Cash is trying his best to walk now. Just today he's been getting up the guts to take a few steps. He took about 6-7 toward Ryan, but he gets too excited and proud of himself and falls down. It's one of the cutest things in the world though! Also, Ryan and I went in for the ultrasound this morning... I was worried that my due date was off, simply because I'm not showing a ton, however, everything looked great, baby is healthy, still due the first week of July, and it's a girl!! Ryan must have the intuition about these things that I'm supposed to have. He knew I was pregnant, and what I was having before I knew what was going on. I would post those pictures, but they aren't that great. She's a cuddler, and likes to be in the tightest parts of my uterous, and squished up by the placenta, so we didn't get great pictures, but she was kicking like crazy. It's so exciting! I hope you like the pictures of our little crazy angel boy! :)

I'm Not a Flirt.

2008-01-22T15:00:00.001-07:00

Well, Ryan captured a few really cute pictures of Cash, and one of Lincoln, so I thought I'd post them. That's what this thing is for, right?! And I got a cute one of him and Ryan enjoying tennis together and a short video of him eating his bananas this morning. He's got quite the personality. He's being a little pill right now because he decided he only wanted to take a 45 minute afternoon nap instead of his normal 2.5 hour nap. Yeah, we have a fun day ahead of us!

It's Finally Here!

2008-01-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

I know it's taken me forever to get this blog going, but it's finally here. I can't say that I'll always write long messages, but I'll try to update pictures regularly. Cash is stinkin' cute and developing quite the personality. He now has his bottom and top two teeth and it's adorable! Ryan and I laugh several times a day just watching him and trying to figure out what he's thinking! If we laugh at something, he's starting to force himself to laugh as well. It's funny. I try to get some video clips of him, but every time I get the camera out all he wants to do is play with it. He's almost brave enough to walk. He'll push his little Tonka truck around with one hand and think he's hot stuff.. of couse, he is! Ryan was nice enough to take us sledding a little bit ago. Cash was so relaxed he almost fell asleep. It was quite a sight driving up and down the road with him smashed between us on the atv. I love you all, and hope all is well!