Sam's Basement Bedroom

I'm catching up on all the picture taking now that we have a camera again. This is Sammy's NEW room! It still needs carpet and a windowsill, but he's moved in and loves having his own space.

A little more than a hike!

Yesterday we had a fun hike planned, but once again rain was in the forecast so we decided to do a simple and easy hike that Aaron had done once before, and wait to do the more extensive hike another time. We set off toward donut falls and right before we got there we came to a stream that had grown much wider than it had been before. It took a few trips, but Aaron and I were able to get all the kids across the stream, hopping from rock to rock and slippery log to slippery log. It wasn't too bad, we've crossed several streams before and we always look forward to a little challenge. It looked like the trail ended at the foot of the falls, but we were hoping for a little longer hike. There seemed to be a faint trail that went up along the side of a drop off parallel to the falls so we decided to go up. Sam and Kaeli took off and were excited to climb to the top so we all scrambled up the hill. At first it wasn't too bad, but before long we were rock climbing up a face that made me very nervous. One little misstep could send you sliding down the cliff toward the stream below. I stayed as close as possible to Sam and Kaeli, but they didn't seem to notice the danger. Aaron had Sara in the baby pack and was slowly helping Rylie up the hill. As we were making our way up Kaeli came to a wasp nest sitting among the rocks. I told her to go around and we all made the same detour. We finally made our way to the top. I was so grateful that we made it safely. There was a trail that looked like it hadn't been kept up, but we decided to follow it any way. It was overgrown and the further we went the less it looked like a trail. Knowing that we needed plenty of time to get down the hill we decided to turn around. When we got back to the top of the cliff that we had climbed up we decided it wouldn't be very safe to go back down the same way we came up. So we followed a trail that looked more like a game trail than like a hiking trail. We bush-wacked our way down knowing the general direction we needed to go in. Of course it was slippery and steep, but it was safer! When we got to the bottom of the hill we followed a ravine toward the sound of the stream. When we got there it didn't look like a place where we could cross. So we kept walking down stream. The bushes and branches were so thick that we could barely see the ground, and we tried not to flick each other in the face with the branches. We got to a place were it was just too thick to continue, so Aaron went back and scouted out an area to cross. He came back for us and one at a time he helped the kids across the stream. We eventually made it back to the trail. Before we got to the car we stopped for lunch and a game of tag at a clearing. For some reason the kids and Aaron are always trying to catch ME! (It still was one of the highlights of the day). So our little hike turned out to be a little more of an adventure than we thought it would've been, but that wasn't too surprising! Our kids are great little hikers, and we had a lot of fun!

South County Pool

We ventured to the public pool on Saturday. It was a lot of FUN. The kids will begin swim lessons at the same pool next week.

Ten BLISSFUL years!

Aaron and I celebrated 10 years of marriage yesterday! I can't believe that much time has passed! In 10 years we've lived in 4 different states, have had 4 CRAZY children, and have had a gazillion adventures! I always tell Aaron that life with him is always an adventure, and that's so true! I am very grateful for the amazing hubby and daddy that he is. I was thinking about the next 10 years and wondering where we'll be then. Sammy will be 18, Kaeli 17, Rylie 14, and Sara 12...WOW! If the first 10 years flew by, I'm sure the next 10 years will go even quicker. I wish I could slow time down! It's a good thing I have an eternity to spend with my amazing family! What a blessing!!!

Licensed and ready to RIDE!

In Utah anyone under 16 years old who wants to ride an OHV (Off-Highway Vehicle) has to get a license. Sammy had his OHV test yesterday afternoon. At the beginning he was given a written test which he scored an 86% on. Then he had to take a driving test. He drove his little Honda 50 (motorcycle) in and out of cones and up and down hills. He was required to start his own motorcycle and even get off it on a hill and get back on. Aaron said he was the smallest little rider there by far. But it didn't slow Sammy down. He passed his tests and is now licensed to drive his motorcycle. I think Aaron is just as excited! One of his favorite hobbies is to go dirt biking, and now he can take his little boy along...and legally too! Congrats Sammy!

One down...four to go!

This weekend Aaron and I finished Sammy's basement bedroom and moved him in! It's really cute (if I do say so myself). He has beige walls with white trim, but the lower portion is a steel blue separated by a chair rail. There are even closet doors and a glowing green light switch so he can find it in the dark. The room doesn't have any carpet yet, so there's a large rug in the center. The room is a perfect fit for our boy! So now Aaron and I only have the girls room, a bathroom, an art room, and a family room to complete...piece of cake (not really)!

Aaaaaaah!

Last week I took the kids to the splash pad to cool off and my camera got wet from a leaky water bottle and I haven't been able to resurrect the thing! I am so sad! Any way, I won't be able to take pictures for awhile. I'm in the market for a new camera so I'm looking for any recommendations. E-mail me if you love your camera! Hopefully we'll be able to find something affordable, and SOON! I've got to be able to take pictures of my cute kids!!!! By the way, Happy Independence Day!

Johnson Family Reunion

Here's a little slide show of our adventures the last few days. Andrew and his family came to our home on Thursday and then his family and mine drove up to Ryan's (Rexburg, ID) to stay. My parents were there also. On Saturday we went to Inkom, ID for the Johnson Family Reunion where many of my cousins, aunts, uncles, and my grandma (the kids' Great Grandma Johnson) all were. We ate well (Dutch oven BBQ pork), and visited. The kids had horse rides and slid down a slip & slide. On Sunday we attended Ryan's ward in Rexburg, and then hung out near Mesa Falls for some family time. On Monday we hiked in the Tetons and then drove home. It was a fun weekend!

Failed attempt

Sorry, no curly hair pictures. All the curls were gone by morning. But Sara is sporting some cute piggy tails today and that's just as cute :-) Maybe we'll have better success with rollers when she's a little bit older.

Little Miss Curlers...2nd attempt!

I attempted to put curlers in Sara's hair again after her bath tonight. (The last time I put curlers in she pulled them all out within 5 minutes after I put her to bed.) She was so cute with them in and in her nighty that I had to take pictures. She's way into peek-a-boo and that's what she was doing when I took this shot. So tonight I asked her to keep them in and very sweetly she said, "OK Mommy." This time when I went in to her room to check on her she had not only taken them out, but completely shredded one of the rollers with her teeth. There were foam pieces all over the floor. (that may seem naughty, but how can I get mad at that adorable face!) Her hair still looked a little curly, so we'll see if the curls stay through the night. If so I'll take a few pictures in the morning. Her daddy comes home from NY so she's gotta look cute!

Start your engines...!

Sammy had his first pine wood derby last night! He was so cute at the races. He was always so thrilled each time his car was raced. Someone mentioned they thought Sammy was getting first place every time because of his reactions. That's a great thing about Sammy, he finds so much excitement in every day life and he's always so positive. This is the cutest scout I've ever seen!

Here's the amazing derby car! Sam and Aaron designed it, and Sam and I painted it. It made it to the finals and placed 6th out of about 20 cars...pretty good. Sammy thought it was pretty cool to race it backwards. It seemed to work :-)

Spring Time FUN!

Here's Sammy climbing a tree at the Riverton Arts Festival. He's always climbing something! We just can't keep him on the ground!

Silly Sisters!

Kaeli's Back Walkover

Kaeli has mastered her back walkover. This clip is a few weeks old. She loves to do gymnastics and practices in our living room just about every day.

Little Bikers

One of our favorite things to do is ride bikes to the park. This picture was taken on Saturday.

Little Monkey

Sara has turned into a little monkey. She climbs onto everything! It's not uncommon to find her standing on the dining room table, or climbing out of her highchair. I suddenly have to have this little monkey in sight at all times!

When It Rains It Pours

We were in denial for the longest time that rain would ruin our Memorial Day. We still continued to plan and pack for a nice hike. But in the end it was just raining too much. Although we settled for a leisurely stroll instead of the grand hike we had intended we still had fun. I think this is Bridle Veil Falls behind the kids.

Preschool Graduate

Rylie had her preschool graduation this morning. She actually has another year of preschool left before kindergarten, so I guess we can say she graduated First Year Preschool :-) Congratulations Rylie Jane!

Step 2

Once you master the kick-over from the couch go even lower. Here Kaeli is using a couch cushion:

Step 3

And finally after lowering the kick-off spot each time you will finally be able to kick over from the floor. This was one of Kaeli's first official kick-overs:

Little Miss Curlers

I'm not sure if they'll stay in through the night...we'll see how it turns out in the morning!

It's a PARTY!

Rylie had LOTS of friends over today to celebrate her birthday. It was a BLAST! We decorated princess tiaras (the boys decorated visors), played games, and ate cupcakes and ice cream! Kids that age are so funny!

The first pictures are of Rylie flying her new kite yesterday. We're finally taking advantage of Herriman's crazy wind!

Hello Kitty is flying high!

Duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck,
GOOSE!

Make a wish!

Look Who's 4!

Happy Birthday Rylie

Here's a newborn picture of Rylie. I think she was about 2 weeks old here. Any way...that was FOUR years ago! They say time flies when you're having FUN, and that's what Rylie is all about! She's so much fun! Her energy is out of this world! She also has a very sweet and loving side. We're so grateful to have her in our family!

It's Mother's Day and I'm officially a GROWN-UP!

Here is a picture of my mom and me! I love this because my mom is about the same age as I am now. I have an AMAZING mom and I hope to be as good as a mother as she is! Happy Mother's Day to you all!

Now I have some incredible news...I am now officially a grown-up! Yes, that's right...Aaron bought me a cell phone! Welcome to the 21st century, right? I know there are teenagers and kids that have had cell phones much longer than I have and can probably figure mine out much faster than I can. But the good news is that I finally have one and I'm always looking for a reason to use it! (Aaron's getting a little annoyed w/ my random phone calls and text messages...sorry Hubbs.) it's amazing to know that I can call Aaron when I'm at the grocery store and ask him to check in the fridge to see if we have eggs! And if I already know that we have eggs I can still call him and pretend I don't know that we have eggs :-) I guess more importantly the kids can get a hold of me in case of an emergency or I can get a hold of someone in case of an emergency. So I guess I've entered adulthood although I feel more like a teenager since Aaron has warned me about how much I'm allowed to call and text people. I promise to be responsible!

NURSERY! Here I come!

So it's official! Sara is now in nursery. (Nursery is the class you can go to during church when you turn 18 months old until you're 3.) This means I can attend Sunday School and Relief Society without trying to entertain Sara and keep her happy. I thought it was going to be nice, but as strange as it sounds I missed her! Aaron tried to snap a picture right before church, but she just wasn't in the mood to stand still so this is the best shot he got.

SOUTHERN FRANCE

Here are some pictures of Vienne and Lyon (move your mouse over the pictures to see captions):

P.S. If the pictures are too small you can click on them to see a larger slide show.

NORMANDY

Pictures of Normandy Beaches (move your mouse over the picture to see captions):

PARIS

Here are a few pictures of Paris:

FRANCE!

Bonjour! Some of you have been anxiously awaiting to see pictures and hear about my trip to France. I have TONS of pictures and I haven't gotten to sorting them all out so you'll have to wait for those, but I can still tell you (in a nutshell) about the trip.

PARIS: Aaron and I left on the 9th, leaving all the kids for the first time with Aaron's step-mom (they were in GREAT hands). We left very early in the morning and arrived in the morning on the 10th in Paris. Needless to say we were in desperate need of some sleep, but the adrenalin kicked in and we were off to see the Arch D' Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. The following day we went to visit the Chateau of Versailles. Versailles is a little town just outside of Paris. The chateau was filled with amazing French historic paintings and sculptures, but it was the gardens that I loved most. They went on for miles, perfectly manicured with sculptures and fountains. The place where Marie Antoinette lived was the best part. Any way, while we were in the town of Versailles we saw a huge group of people protesting and the police were all armed up in riot gear. We hung around waiting to see some action, but none came :-) On Saturday we went to the Louvre, the the Museum of Modern Art, and Notre Dame. It was neat to see the art in person that I had studied in college. The night life in Paris was so neat. There were street performers on every corner. Our favorites were some break dancers. On Sunday we attended church. That was a neat experience. They had an English meeting besides the usual French meeting because of all the tourists that came through. The man who greeted us was from BENTON CITY! Small world. Everywhere we went in Paris we took the metro. I ate a lot of crepes! J' adore les crepes!!! The outdoor flee markets were one of the best things in Paris.

NORMANDY: After church we rented a car and drove to Normandy. I'm having a hard time remembering what town we were in on what day, but we visited Bayeau, Beavais, and Ferrieres. Aaron started work so Joyce and I (a co-worker's wife also from UT) drove around little towns, attempted parallel parking, and explored the little towns. Every town has at least one cathedral, sometimes more. They all looked like smaller versions of Notre Dame. I really liked them. In the evenings when our husbands returned we drove out to the D-day beaches. We visited Gold Beach and Utah Beach. It was neat to see tributes to US Soliders and see WWII history in person. Normandy had a different feel than Paris. The small towns were so quaint and peaceful.

LYON & VIENNE: So I've lost track of what day it is :-), but sometime in the middle of the week we drove to Paris...Yikes! NEVER drive IN Paris. It is CRAZY! But we made it in one piece, spent the night, and caught a really cool bullet train to Lyon (southern France). We spent the night in Vienne and again we had a rental car. The boys still had to work so Joyce and I drove around some more and explored. We were able to check into our hotels, carry in the luggage, and get around to where ever we wanted to go...thank goodness for the GPS! We did laundry and the next day explored some Roman Ruins. The Rhone Valley was first inhabited by the Romans so the culture there is really cool. We saw an ancient Roman Theater and temple and went to a museum that had a portion of an ancient town. On Friday we went to Lyon and decided to go to Switzerland for dinner. Unfortunately it was rainy and foggy so we didn't see too much of the Alps as we passed through. Dinner was great, and really expensive. The prices were listed in franks so we had no idea until the check came. On Saturday we saw a medieval celebration and then drove south to a colleagues wedding party. He's from Scotland, but lives in France. The drive was absolutely beautiful. We drove through several small villages that looked frozen in time from centuries ago. We also drove through some thick forest. The party was a lot of fun. They were delighted to see Americans at the party. It was 2-3 hours away from Lyon so we had a long drive to get back to our hotel. The next morning Joyce and I flew out of Lyon to Paris to Cincinnati to SLC. I ended up with a 7 hour lay-over in Cincinnati, but I survived.

I was so excited to get home and see the kids. It was hard to leave them for that long. Aaron is still in Europe. He is in Belgium now and will be getting home on the 30th.

Well, there you go, France in a nutshell. There's a ton of things I've left out, but it was a great trip full of adventure and yummy food! But it's nice to be back with the kiddies. I'll post a few pics soon.

Rylie's New Do!

Rylie got her haircut this morning! It was her first professional cut and she was so cute about it. Her hair grows so fast! Just last September I cut it just above her shoulders. I asked Aaron if he had any suggestions before it was cut and he said a 1/4" off would be just fine. Sadly for Aaron, a little more than that was cut off. I think he'll still like it though. Here are her "Before" & "After" shots:

BEFORE:

AFTER: