Bike Ride

On Saturday we went on a bike ride.  Rylie has a pretty good set-up with her daddy.  He brings a tow strap that connects to both their bikes.  On the way up steep hills Aaron pulls Rylie behind him. On the way down the steep hills Rylie leads but the tow strap keeps her from flying down too fast.  She wiped out a few times, and the peddle to her bike kept twisting off.  But she's pretty tough and after each crash she got right back on.  Sam and Kaeli are also good riders. They actually love going up the hills because they know on the way back they get to go down them!  Weeeeeee!  

    

Sara has a nice set-up too :-)

FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL!

Today is Rylie's first day of preschool! It's her second year of preschool so she wasn't at all nervous, just very excited to see Miss. Lisa and all her friends again. Rylie's new friend is Claire and Rylie gets to ride in her car on the way to school! And of course riding in someone else's car is so much more fun than riding in your own! Here are pictures of the BIG preschooler:

Of course Sara had to be in some of the pictures too :-)

Labor Day Weekend

We had a FUN Labor Day Weekend! Dawn and Alan came up with their girls on Saturday for a BBQ. The cousins love being together. We went to the splash pad but the kids didn't get very wet because it was super windy. So they mostly played in the park. Reese and Sara however proved to be the bravest and got the most wet (Babies RULE)! Then the kids took turns flying kites. Both kites ended up in the tall scrub oak trees and we're sad to say that we lost the Hello Kitty Kite when her string broke. We saw her flying north so she's probably somewhere in Canada by now. (I guess she is only Hello Kitty to Canadians...to us she's Bye-Bye Kitty.) Here are the cousins doing their arch-ups:

On Monday we went to the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point. We watched a 3D movie about Sea Monsters. So cool! And of course topped the day off with dinner at Cafe Rio...YUM!

Little Day Hike

On Saturday we went on a little hike in the Uintas. We saw 4 different lakes. It is such pretty country and the kids had a blast. On our way home we stopped to look at some water falls on the Provo River. We also went into Park City since I had never been before. We took a tram up the hill to the canyons, wandered around, and took it back down the hill. We also saw some of the 2002 Olympic sites. Very cool. One of the great things about Utah is the beauty of the mountains. Here are some pictures of our hike.

Kids say the FUNNIEST things!

When we got back from our trip to Washington and Idaho we found little tiny ants in our powder room and dining room. So yesterday I put out ant traps. They have poison in them and the ants are supposed to take the poisoned bate home and share it with their relatives and all die (so horrible, I know). So this morning I was shocked to see the ant carcasses laying all over the floor. I thought they were supposed to die in their own home! I was in a big hurry to get to the school to volunteer that I didn't have a chance to sweep them up. When we got home a few hours later Rylie noticed them and said, "Mommy! I can't believe the ants are still sleeping! And it's almost lunch time!"

This morning Rylie was eating Raisin Bran and noticed that her raisins looked more like circles instead of skinny ovals. I never really pay that much attention to my breakfast, but obviously she does. She had a good explanation for her round raisins and said, "I think there's a fairy godmother in our pantry who turns all our raisins into circles!"

First Day of School!

Today is Sam and Kaeli's first day of school. Kaeli is in the 2nd grade and Sam is in the 3rd grade...can you believe it? They were both very excited this morning and were ready to go way too early. Last year I was Kaeli's "room-mom" so this year I'm Sam's "room-mom". It's always fun to be in their classroom and see them in that environment. They're so fun at this age!

Sara and Rylie are making the saddest faces they could muster. This is how they feel about Sammy and Kaeli going back to school. I feel that way too :-(

KENNEWICK

So after our trip to Moscow we went to Kennewick to see Aaron's parents. They have a pool so everyday we were there we took a swim. The kids loved every bit of it and it was always hard to get them out of the pool. We went to the park and played tennis while the kids climbed trees. We got another chance to visit some old friends (a couple I knew from highschool and Aaron knew from college). The next day we went to Howard Amon park and played on their new toys. While we were there we celebrated Grandma Shirley's birthday. It was a fun visit and of course each night we were up way too late watching the Olympics or playing Phase 10 :-) We weren't looking forward to the 11 hour drive home, but we survived and we're glad we made the trip!

MOSCOW

Last week we made a trip to see our friends and family. The first day we drove to Boise, and visited all our old friends and neighbors and spent the night w/ my aunt. We even attended our old ward the next morning. We left feeling a bit homesick for our old friends and old way of life. We then drove up to Moscow to see my parents and my sister and her two kids. It was so fun just to hang out and visit. We went up Kamiak Butte (for old times sake) and were reminded of the beauty of the palouse. We drove around Pullman where I went to highschool and Aaron and I both attended WSU. It was fun to point out to the kids my old house and where Sam and Kaeli were born. We also got to go see my Dad's new lab and look at spores under the microscope. (Sam wants to be a scientist when he grows up.) We also visited the bears at WSU. The next day we went to Moscow's public pool and swam. They have a fun kiddie pool area and some fun slides. The kids love the water and didn't hesitate to jump right in. On Wednesday we left Moscow and drove up to Liberty Lake to visit some friends from college, and then we drove to Kennewick...

Don't step on a CRACK or you'll break your momma's BACK!

Here's one of the reasons why I love kids: We walk to church every Sunday and a few weeks ago I noticed Kaeli was avoiding all the cracks in the sidewalk the entire way to church. She turned around and let me know she was being super careful so she wouldn't break my back!

More FUN in the SUN

What a look!

Is it just me or is Sammy looking more grown up?

Sisters!

Time to go home!

Little Fishies

The kids have swim lessons this week and next. They love being in the water and they're getting to be better swimmers every day! My challenge is keeping Sara from joining her siblings in the pool! She's fearless and would love to jump right in!

Kaeli
lovin' the water!

Rylie and Sam
waiting their turn...

Sara
I think she thinks her hand is in her pocket! I had to laugh (and of course take a picture)!

Pioneer Day!

The kids and I had a fun Pioneer Day. We started the morning off watching the "Days of 47" parade on TV. During lunch I read some "Little House on the Prairie" and afterwards the kids played in the sprinkler in the front yard. After dinner we made smores on the front porch. Yes, that truly is a smore maker and those of you who know me well shouldn't be surprised :-) Once it got dark the kids and I lit sparklers. I really wanted a picture with all the kids holding the sparklers, but I could never get them all lit at one time, and take a picture! I was surprised Sara was so fearless about holding the sparklers...she loved them and it was so cute to see her amazement. In case you're wondering where Aaron is during all our festivities he's in Idaho rafting the Salmon with the scouts. I hope he's roasting some of his own marshmallows right now!

Splash Pad Fun!

One of our favorite things to do in the summer is go to the splash pad. It's FREE and WET, and that's all we need to keep cool :-) Even Sara gets soaked from head to toe!

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!