The Christmas Letter

OK....Here I go. The Cheesy Annual Johnson Update of the past year 2008! I decided to do a blog letter and call it good because there are 7 days until Christmas and there is no way I am getting it out before then, so if you have e-mail and you have the internet you will be getting a link to this blog.

January: We started our year with a fun New Year's Eve (Dec 30) Party featured on this blog somewhere. Then our K* turned 7 on the 13th of January. (Yes we are looking forward to the baptism in 2009)

February: Brought our 10th Anniversary and a fabulous stay at the Anniversary Inn in the Presidential Suite. Very fun.

March: Was full of tax season work for me and Easter landed in March this year. The kids scored some pretty awesome snorkel gear for the Bear Lake trip later in the year!

April: The end of a very long tax season. I guess you already guessed that I am still at the same accounting firm that I started with in 1998 and loving it. Tax season can be stressful, but my family is a huge support and I love the challenges my work brings. J* was busy most of the year with multiple projects with JDJ Multi-Media (his own company) and working at nights for Gossners. I was also called to be in the RS Presidency as the Education Counselor right after General Conference.

May: We missed out on our annual Memorial Day camp trip and did the visits to graves. It was so cold. We were also getting ready for our June Vacations.

June: This was a jam-packed, fun-filled month! First, J*, me, Mom, J*n (mom's friend), P* (my brother) and M* (my sister-in-law) flew to Oahu on June 5 and did as much as we could for 10 days (detail in other post on this blog), then my firm took J* and I to Ensenada, Mexico on the Royal Carribbean cruise line. I can't tell you how amazing June was. I wish everyone had a chance to take three weeks off and vacation! The kids enjoyed staying with J*'s parents for 10 days and then spending 10 more days with my mom in the small town where I grew up. I missed them terribly, but they did not want to come home after their spoil-fest.

July: Pretty uneventful. Gearing up for school. Garden stuff.

August: Baby J* turned two on the 25th and school started for BOTH K* (2nd) and K*a (Kindergarten). They both love school. They cry if they have to miss school for any reason. We also did a Bear Lake trip with my brother at his wife's family lot in Laketown. We had a blast.

September: K*a turned 6 on the 14th of September. Also, my Aunt Alta S*(the last living sibling of my Grandpa S*) passed away on the 14th. She died on the same day as K*a was born and that my Dad (her nephew) died on 9 years earlier.....Just interesting tidbits!

October: Halloween was fun! K* was Dorothy from Wizard of Oz, K*a was the Wicked Witch of the West and Baby J* was a Pirate. We spent our door knocking, candy begging night in C* while my brother, P* and husband scared the little kiddies at my Grandma T's house. (pictures featured elsewhere in the blog)

November: Spent Thanksgiving Day with J*'s family and then ventured over to my hometown for a wedding shower for my cousin. November also brought my golden birthday. 30 on the 30th....YIKES that dates me, but oh well. J* took me to Twilight! I read the series in two weeks! Then I got my mom, grandma, sister-in-law and aunt/cousin to read them! Oh yeah, and I talked my husband into reading them.

December: J* had a birthday shout HOORAY! He also had a very close Uncle pass away unexpectedly. We had the opportunity to attend his funeral.

Well here we are, back around to the best time of year when we can reflect on all the great things that have happened and all we can be thankful for in our lives. The Johnson's have nothing to complain about and we are here and alive and ready to take on 2009. We hope all our friends and family are well and would love to hear from you! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2009.

*There was no way Jordan was sitting on Santa's lap!

Ensenada Cruise June 2008

My Cullen Personality! (I'm glad I'm not Rosalie)

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

My cute, younger cousin on my mom's side will be marrying her eternal companion on December 30th in the Mt. Tiponogas temple! So exciting!!!!!!!

20th Post

Ha...Ha. My friend Clancy is celebrating her 250th post and I am celebrating my momentous 20th post. I am lucky to get a post a week done. My goal for 2009 will be for 52 posts!!

This week brought more Christmas chaos! We delivered tons of gifts around the ward and went to a company Christmas party. I can't believe it is Christmastime....where is the snow? I love it when it snows on Christmas Eve and we can all get in our new jammies and sip hot cocoa and watch Mr. Kruger's Christmas and lay around the tree reading stories in our sleeping bags. I love, love, love my little family and the way they love the holidays. I myself am a little bit of a scrooge. If I could get away with it, I would not put up one decoration. I am not a decorating person. Our little Charlie Brown tree looks pretty cute after all. The girls LOVE it! That is all that matters.

Here is our immediate family photo for Mom's Christmas Cards.

It was a fun night getting my three; Kirina, Kysa & Jordan (big thug that I am holding) and my brother's two; Andy and Hailey (the pouty one) to cooperate!

Here are the 5 Christmas Angels! H*, A*, K*, K*a and Baby J*.

The Sorensen's

The Johnson's

Grandma B*

I love Volleyball!

This is my city league volleyball team (PMS Pretty Mean Stuff or NRG Spike or Lady Diggers....we have had many names over the last 11 years) from a couple of years ago...there are a couple of girls I play with that I played with in HS and one that I have been friends with for a long time. Some of the ladies have moved and I dearly miss them on the team. We also have some new faces that I haven't had a photo op with yet. Right now three of us above are on a co-ed team with our spouses. Talk about fun! I love it. J* and I used to play sand volleyball with all his roommates. We have so many awesome memories of the summer we met and playing volleyball. That is actually how I wooed him into marrying me! I amazed him with my mind numbing volleyball skills and he suckered! Ha Ha....who has the last laugh now! For all of you from the summer of 1997....thanks for the friendships we have maintained. Those of you from High School...I love you too. My dearest, eternal companion....I love you the mostest. And my inherited clones, my little darlings, I love you forever. I am very blessed and to think that this whole tangent was based from a picture with so many fond memories!!!

Turkey Day

We are getting so pumped for the food fest next week. The kids are so hyped to be out of school for a week! I am really looking forward to it. We are going to Georgetown for Thanksgiving. We are very, very excited. J's mom is such a good cook. We will be spending some time with my family as well. (Since they only live 30 miles apart!) That has been the best to be able to visit both sets of parents. I love it. My Mom is giving a bridal shower to her niece (10 years my younger) and asked me to help. I can't wait. It is Saturday after Thanksgiving. Then on Sunday it is my GOLDEN birthday. I will be turning 30 on the 30th of November! I am really hoping I don't start a mid-life crisis for myself, but I really am looking forward to being in my thirties and into a different stage in life.....so bring it on!!!

The Week of Twilight!

I know there are a lot of fellow Twilighters that are counting down the hours with me this week. I actually don't have tickets until Saturday, but I have talked my husband, mom and grandma into coming with me! Mom and Grandma are bustin' through the books. It will be AWESOME! Can't wait to see the flick.

J* chose to go to Bond---Quantum of Solace so I tagged along (because I love him so) and I liked it! I really do like Daniel Craig as Bond! mmmm...mmmm....mmmm

Not much else going on in the Johnson world this week.

We are all very excited for Thanksgiving break coming up in a week and a half! Can't believe Christmas is right around the corner, but happy to announce we are pretty much done with our shopping for another year.

J* came with me to Salt Lake for a lunch meeting on Friday. It was so fun to be with him and Baby J* for the day and still be working! Thanks Dear...for everything you do for me. That is my Thankful Plug this week!

A Disappointed Heart, Still a Patriotic American

I have to admit that I have been pretty melancholy the last couple days since voting for our new President of the United States. I was a Romney voter and the other candidates did not hold a candle in my eyes. So you can imagine my heart-felt grief when Mitt decided to give up the race. I wallowed in misery for a few days and then got right back into deciding who my candidate would be. I researched various political stances of both candidates and realized I really didn't agree with anything Obama supported (and believe me I tried because of how neat it was that a black man had the opportunity to even run was really AWESOME to me). I liked McCain's "Good Ole Boy" clean the place up attitude, but really didn't agree with all his policies. However, when he picked Sarah Palin I knew my choice was made. I would again have to vote Republican. She is the most amazing woman I have seen or heard of in a very long time. I know, I know....the media was digging up dirt to rub in her face but who cares why or who had that child, all that matters is that she stood for the common family and would not let anything tear that down. She is a woman after my own heart. She loves to spend time shooting, hunting, being with her family and defending this great country that we all love. And she was born in Idaho (one of the three greatest states in the union). I am from Wyoming, live in Utah and will probably end up in Idaho with my sweetheart! Anyway, to end this political blog for this week, I will support the leaders of this nation with all my heart until my freedoms (any of them) start to disappear. I will give him the benefit of the doubt and pray daily that he will discern good from evil. I know this country was laid on solid ground and that our founding fathers were chosen by God.

ROMNEY/PALIN 2012
PALIN/ROMNEY 2012

Halloweenie 2008

Dorothy a.k.a. K*, Wicked Witch of the West a.k.a. K*a, & Pirate Boy a.k.a. Baby J*

Headless Horsman a.k.a. Dad a.k.a. J*! I am taking the picture and no I did not dress up. I figured by the time I chased three sugar hyped kids around the huge metropolis of C*, I would be most comfortable in my jeans and a very warm sweatshirt....I was right, but we had an awesome time going door to door like the olden days begging for a treat! It was very fun and my brother and his wife met us there at Grandma's and we had homemade chicken & noodle soup to warm the bones and the boys (J* & P*) scared trick-or-treaters and the girls took kids trick-or-treating.

"There's no place like home"

Glow in the dark Grim Reaper

My Aunt (whom I love), posted this & I was dying laughing. Thought I would share. If you haven't guessed or don't know me I am one of those "Mormons"!

Kids School Pics 2008

K* L* Johnson - 2nd Grade (almost 8)

K*a C* Johnson - Kindergarten (barely 6)

Baby J* J* "the terror" Johnson - 2 years (barely)

K*a's First Loose Tooth

Wow...it is amazing what we deem important as mothers, but the Johnson household was applauding K*a's efforts to finally, finally lose that first tooth. It was painful for the whole family to hear her cry relentlessly until at last ....snap. It was finally out! I know that when I was young, my tooth fairy left 25 cents. No matter if it was a molar or an eye tooth. K*a's tooth fairly demanded she leave $1! A buck! Do you know how much that is for every single tooth times three kids?! I tried to renegotiate with the Tooth Fairy, but there was no budging so the precedence has been set.

Twilight

I am so looking forward to this.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=39119647

J* even read the books, and I think he is kinda exited to see it.

Edward is the best, but I like Jacob too.

The Smartest Toddler Ever

Meet the world's smartest baby. We read to him, he really likes it, but we have not gone out of our way to develop genius baby skills with him. But the other day we found an amazing example of his cognitive and spatial abilities. Case in point exhibit A.

Now look at the close up known as exhibit B.

Now when we found these examples of genius we immediately mis-interpreted them as coming from K*a, but on interrogation not only K*a; but K* as well informed us that "Baby J* Did It." K* wasn't really sure what we were asking about but so in awe of her brothers genius that she was sure it was his work. Who were we to argue with such passionate testimonials of their brothers genius, we took it as truth. We always knew that Baby J* was Special, we just didn't know how special. We will be contacting MENSA immediately.

K*a's 6th Birthday (Princess Party)

Well, K*a turned six on the fourteenth of September this year and she got a great surprise for her birthday, a “Princess Party.” Her special guest was Beauty from Beauty and the Beast. Kysa was so cute when Beauty walked in, “who are you”? She asked. “Who do you think I am”, Beauty replied. The other children all said, “Belle”. K*a then practically shrieked, “You are Belle”. It was so cute, she is a special little girl and we love her so much. We wish her many more happy birthdays to come.

I'm still alive

I'm still here, the girls just started school last week and it was so cute. K* was so excited to go to 2nd grade, she woke up at 6:00am saying she would be late. K*a started a little later in the month and Baby J* was upset that he has to entertain himself now. If you look closely in the picture at K*a's forehead she has a scab that Baby J* gave her when he hit her with her church shoe. She was bleeding from it really bad, she did not make a big deal about it until she saw all the blood in the mirror.

Baby J* can be such a thug at times, but I think he is the cutest thug I have ever seen.

T*er/S*sen family thanks so much for the incredibly fun time at Bear Lake this weekend. Happy Birthday to G*n, M*, J* F, B*, K*, Mom, Baby J* and P*! We had a great birthday party with lots of water fun, food and pictures. (B*, my e-mail is jenniel_johnson@msn.com to forward those cute pics to!)

My firm sponsored a 4 day 3 night cruise to Ensenada, Mexico. It was J* and I's first cruise and an amazing experience. You have to try it at least once! We played Family Feud as a firm and won twice (with two of our made up families). We ate and ate and ate until we were sick and then went back to our room and ordered room service (all inclusive in the cost of the cruise)! Simply amazing. I learned that the workers on the cruise ships work 6 months on and 3 months off. They return to their countries and visit their family then sign their next 6 month contract and return to the ship. We sailed with Royal Carribean, Monarch of the Seas. AWESOME! Thanks JSPC for 10 years employed with you and for this beautiful trip.

https://www.greatamericanphotocontest.com/voter1/index.aspx?referid=EmailFriends&p=689749&x=.jpg

So yep you guessed it....I am a proud mama who is trying to get the most votes to win $2,500 for Baby J*'s cute face. Whether he wins or not....he will always be so cute to me! So go on and vote and I will see how many really, honestly, truly look at this blog.

I have to say, that as a mother you always wonder if you are making (or better put, encouraging) the right choices for your children. I wonder more often than not if I was supposed to even endeavour in the field of Motherhood! I am learning so much and have so much yet to learn. I love all three of my children equally, but for different qualities. Rin is so bright and so willing to learn. A truly divine quality. K*a is just a barrell of fun (some would say annoying or michevious), but honestly there is not a minute that goes by that she doesn't come up with something out of this world. Last, but not least, my little buddy, Baby J*. He is about as michevious as his older sis, but so dang adorable when he does it. I just can't be mad at his cute, little round face.

So yeah....I guess I am helplessly, hopelessly in love with all three of my little miracles and hope they turn out better than I can teach them or guide them.

We have had an eventful, memorable summer that is coming to a screetching halt on August 21 (the first day of Kindergarten and Second grade) Baby J* will be a loaner at home. He loves to be the center of attention so maybe he can bribe his Dad for attention or possibly the Army of CareBears K*a has collected!

Anyway....Please keep posting. I read your blogs often. You really inspire me to blog more!

Oh Yeah...I've been on Vacation!

Me, J*, my brother P* and his wife, M*, Mom and her boyfriend J* went to North Shore Oahu for 10 days in June. We had the time of our lives. We did everything from parasailing to scuba diving. I will try to remember everything we did day by day, but I will miss something.

June 5-Flew into the Honolulu airport, rented a smokin' hot van and drove to our luxurious condo on North Shore.
June 6 - Went to the PCC (Polynesian Culture Center) AWESOME!
June 7 - Drove back to Honolulu to visit the USS Arizona (sunk in WWII) Very neat.
June 8 - Beach Day - Turtle Bay
June 9 - Flew to another island - Kauai. Went to the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, snorkeled, chased chickens, loved everything on that cute island.
June 10- Beach Day-Waima Bay (Jumped off cliffs) Found a movie theatre in a nearby town and spent a ton of time watching 5 flicks without kiddles!
June 11-Tradewind catamaran sail of the shores of Waikiki. INCREDIBLE.
June 12- Parasail and Jet Ski. Scuba dive experience in the morning! WOW!
June 13- FRIDAY the 13th!!! Four wheeling at Kualoa Ranch. Got to see the shooting place of many famous films.
June 14-Beach all day!
June 15 - Started our journey back to the airport, but first visiting the famous falls, the Dole Plantation and doing a little Ala Moana Drive sight seeing!

It was the best trip ever......Until the next week when we went to Mexico!

We had so much fun in the arcade with "Dance Revolution"! Oh the things you will do without kids. I did miss them incredibly and found that most of the stuff we brought back was for them. I would love to help any of you plan the perfect trip to Hawaii.

Here you go!

For all my friends and family members I have finally made time to post a blog....please don't fall off of your chairs!
I know, I know...December 2006 was a long time ago since the last blog, but things get crazy with a full-time job, three kids and church callings. I have attached a video of December (Christmas Day) 2007 and all our fun there.
Really quickly in 200 words or less (hopefully) I will update you all on how the Johnson's are doing:
J* is really busy with his multi-media business and working part-time. Enjoying all the efforts and trials of owning his own business.
I am trying to make it through tax season and am embarrassed to say I just finished our own taxes today! YIKES....Not good in my profession, but our clients always come first, so in turn J*'s accounting comes last. You know what they say, "The plumbers plumbing always needs plumbed....." I got the opportunity to have LASIK in August of 2007.

What an amazing thing to wake up and be able to see without fumbling for glasses!

K* LOVES school and does very well being a little busy body and scholar. She is on spring break right now and driving us all CRAZY! She is a little miss busy body and likes to tease her siblings! She is a good girl who most generally doesn't cause too much trouble.

K*a just completed her Kindergarten testing and is extremely excited to start in the fall. They are both starting soccer this week and look absolutely adorable in their blue and gold uniforms.

Baby J* is a terror ...starting way early on his terrible twos! He just barely started going to Nursery in February, but on a positive note he is a smart thing that is trying to potty train.
Vacations this year include, but are not limited to, 10 days in Hawaii for our 10th wedding anniversary, then a 4 day cruise to Mexico (all expenses paid), and then family camping with the kids!