Welcome Baby Brady

Well, we have a new addition...Baby Brady. He came into our family March 12 at 8 Lbs 6 Oz and 19 3/4 " long. It is hard to believe he is almost a month old. We have had so much support and love from family and friends over the last few weeks. I always feared having 3 kids from all I have been told by those who had already passed the "3" threshold but, so far...so good. Following Brady's birth when he was exactly a week old as some of you know I was sent back to the ER with a blood clot in my arm, complications from an IV but what is normally a 3 month long treatment of medications, blood work and monitoring seems to have "miraculously" gone on it's own in only a few weeks. Thank you to everyone for your prayers on my behalf. They were obviously heard and answered and we feel so incredibly blessed.
Here are some pics of our precious addition!

Out of the Mouth of Babes

Birthday Boy

We love you sweetheart! Happy 3 Birthday...and many more happy ones to come.

A Great Man Has Passed . . .

Today, our family attended the funeral of Norm H. Rosell. It was a lovely service celebrating the life, service, and testimony of Jesus Christ, of President Rosell. I did not know him for nearly the time that most did, however, he always had a kind smile, a warm handshake, and a twinkle in his eye as I would see him in the halls at church or around town. President Rosell was the man who sealed Michelle and I and Michelle's grandfather, father, and family knew him very well.

He will be missed, but has gone to Paradise to await the resurrection when he will live in the eternity's with Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and his sweet wife and family.

Our prayers and thoughts go out to his wife, Jerri and family.

It's All Coming Together

Side Note: Michelle is the visionary, she has done a fabulous job. I just try to make the vision a reality. We need to post more before pictures -- to see where it came from gives where it is now more meaning. Not sure when I will do this, we still have a bit to go with the house but we are loving it!

Sleep Tight

Last Sunday we got home from church and daddy went upstairs to get a change of clothes for you. This is what he found when he came back down. You conked out on the family room floor surrounded by your blankies (I guess this is what happens when church starts the same time as your nap). I just had to pick you up and hold you and the best part, you stayed asleep while I held you and even when I put you back down. You looked so peaceful! I love you!


Hayden was having quiet time a few days ago. This day his quiet time involved potato heads. He brought this one in to me and said, mom guess who this is? So I thought and thought and nothing was coming to me so finally I gave up. Hayden said, it's Jesus. Sure enough, there was the mostache and the sandals (shh - please don't tell him Hayden put him in yellow flower flip flops).

The boys are plotting. They are boycotting naps. I have tried to prepare myself for Hayden who just turned 5. I knew his naps wouldn't last much longer, but Carson? They think I cannot hear them going from room to room trying to be as quiet as can be (with doors slamming). I am trying to decide how to react. Do I show them I dis-approve, or do I let them think I have no idea and continue to enjoy some quiet computer time...with spouts of laughter. I like the latter!

Fun, Fun, and more Fun

We had the funnest Valentine's Day weekend. Jared started it off by surprising me Friday night with our V-day celebration. I have wanted to go out to eat at The Melting Pot for about 6 years. When he told me he had Valentine's dinner covered, I was wishing and hoping it would be there, but was trying to not get my hopes up too high in case it was someplace else. Well, about 7 months ago they put one in Temecula so he made reservations. It was a little pricey, but soooooooooooooooooo worth the cost. I think Jared realizes he may have made a mistake in taking me there as this is now my new favorite restaurant. I suppose we will have to figure out how to duplicate the sauces and fondue.


We went up Saturday to Palomar Mountain and had such a blast. We found the perfect spot (along with a couple hundred other people) for sledding.

Meet Texas...

We have a new addition to our home. This addition is so obvious and bold we feel it is now apart of our family. We felt we needed a little splash of color to set apart our "Oyester White" walls, and since I am a big fan of Terra Cotta - not to be confused with Burnt Orange, Pumpkin, or Pink - we painted our Texas wall Terra Cotta and we love it. Although, in the morning the light reflects off Texas and turns the rest of the room looking like it is on fire it's so bright. I love the Splash...ok so this wall is way more than a splash of color...but it adds so much more. We love it.


It ties in our Living Room perfectly. So when Jared gets a job we will have a huge party/ Open House and you can all come over and meet Texas and celebrate with us. I think Hayden especially adds a nice little touch to the picture.

GREAT TRIALS LIE AHEAD: BE PREPARED FOR TRIBULATIONS AND DESTRUCTION THAT SOON SHALL BE

My mom sent me this video and I love it. I think it especially touched me because today as I was sitting in Sunday school there was a quote that was read that I really loved by Elder Boyd K. Packer, "Inspiration comes more easily in peaceful settings. Such words as quiet, still, peaceable, Conforter about in the scripture. The world grows increasingly noisy. Clothing and grooming and conduct are looser and sloppier and more disheveled. Rauccous music, with obscene lyrics blasted through amplifiers while lights flash psychedelic colors, characterizes the drug culture. Variations of these things are gaining wide acceptance and influence over our youth. This trend to more noise, more excitement, more contention, less restraint, less dignity, less formality is not coincidental nor innocent nor harmless. The first order issued by a commander mounting a military invasion is the jamming of the channels of communication of those he intends to conquer. Irreverence suits the purposes of the adversary by obstructing the delicate channels of revelation in both mind and spirit."
Amid all the calamities that will befall us and our time, we are blessed to have personal revelation. If we stay apart from the world we will be able to stand strong and immovable. I love that we have a Heavenly Father who doesn't force us to do anything we don't want to do. If we stray from the path, he wants so badly for us to come back to him but it is on our own terms and he will always accept us with loving arms. The ultimate example. It can be easy to get wrapped up in the noise of the world, but I love having Sundays set aside to remind me again of the purpose of this life and as my role of a wife and mother. I am so grateful for my family and pray that I can fulfill those roles having no regrets.

When I grow up

I just want to let my possy know that when I grow up I am definitely going to be a professional photographer. I am also going to be an astronaut, but mom says being a photographer would go hand in hand with my space travels. In the meantime, I practice at home taking pictures on every single camera I can get ahold of. I love to take pictures of my favorite toys, and members of my family. I especially like to take pictures of myself. I asked mom to post some of my finer work, here is what she came up with...

These would be moms flowers that are on the wall. Aren't they just gorgeous. I cut off the top of one of the flowers in the picture so that it would appear more asthetically pleasing. Beautiful don't you think?

This is one of my finer self portraits. Generally my self portraits are reflected off the mirror in my room, but for some reason the mirror and the flash aren't friends and don't work well together. I wouldn't recommend taking pictures this way for those of you just getting started in photography.

This next picture is of my crazy mom. I always ask her to be silly in the pictures I take of her, this one just looks ugly to me and not really that silly, but I thought I would post it anyways. Mom says she doesn't take the best pictures right after she wakes up in the morning, so we won't hold it against her.


These last two my mom came across looking over an old memory card and mommy said they made her heart go pitter patter. Mom said she loved when Carson was a baby and when I was smaller too. I think she wants another baby because she always tells us to stop growing up so fast. I try not to eat my vegetables too often in hopes I can stay smaller longer. I think this would make mommy happy. I love my little brother.

My lil super hero. Sometimes I want to gobble him up and smother him with kisses I must confess. This morning I was thinking about how I am pretty sure I smother him but really, who can blame me?


The boys found Daddy's Shave cream and decided to make whipped cream toppings of themselves, mmmm.


Another loved gift from Grammy and Santa- they went in on this one together. Hayden wants to eat, nap, and spend all day on the tramp. We've had fun with it.

Whew

I will admit I have been lazy. Just this morning I was thinking I have got to get a better routine going with the holidays over, life is moving forward and I seem to have been stagnant, but no more. Here we go. A little review over the past several weeks (and months)...


We had Jared's family here for Thanksgiving. For our family's Christmas gift they gave us sod for the backyard and a new dack. Not only did they give it to us, they helped with the installation. I kept saying, this is the BEST Christmas present ever, and it truly was. We LOVE our backyard and the boys do too.




Here are a few more pictures of our beloved backyard.


This was one of Hayden's favorite Christmas presents from Grammy- a picture of him fighting Darth Vader at Disneyland. Let's just say this was a dream come true (in case you are wondering, before I hung the picture, I fixed it so it was straight in the frame).


Our big guy turned 5 years old and had a curious george birthday party with some of his friends.

Carson: Belch
Mom: What do you say?
Carson: Thank you! (Giggle)

Our Human Potato Head

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our home to yours! We haven't been able to get cards out this year for various reasons, but we hope to be able to after the start of the year. Until then, I wanted to post some happy holiday wishes in the form of Carson's Jingle Bells. Here is what he goes around singing most days...

"Jing-o wing, Jing-o all da way. No fun is to ride in a horse open sleigh- ah!" Repeated about 10 times.

Our family has had some pretty big ups and downs this year, but all along the way we have seen and felt the Lord's hand guiding us. We are so grateful to have you as friends and family and love this time of year.

Merry Christmas!

My 10 Year Reunion

This last weekend I had my High School 10 year reunion. It was such a blast. Since Jared's family was in town, my girlfriends and I decided to go it alone with out our men. It was really a great time and so much fun to be able to visit with old friends and laugh about all the silly things we did in high school. I am waiting for my friends to post their photos so I can copy them since my camera ran out of batteries.

For mother's of boys, sisters of boys, and boys that have grown older.

Why boys need parents...

A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft. house 4 inches deep.

If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.

A 3-year old Boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.

If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 pound Boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20x20 ft. room.

You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.

The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.

When you hear the toilet flush and the words 'uh oh', it's already too late.

Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.

Play dough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.

Super glue is forever.

No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still can't walk on water.

Pool filters do not like Jell-O.

VCR's do not eject 'PB & J' sandwiches even though TV commercials
show they do.

Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.

Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.

You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.

The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms
dizzy.

Powder Puff

So after just one practice, the Redhawk ward took on the Butterfield Sage ward in a Powder Puff Football game.

We kicked their tales with a score of 3 - 1. It was a rough and tumble game and I have the bleeding abdomen to prove it. It was a blast. Way to go ladies!!!

T*W*I*L*I*G*H*T

Before the big show, we all met at CPK so we could survey the line while we ate.

As some of you may already be aware, Twilight has hit the theaters. To kick off the huge event, I went with some friends to the 12:01 AM showing last night with a couple thousand other crazy people. It was really great. At first when I saw the previews I was not at all excited about Edward, the perfect man. However, about 20 minutes into the show, when I got over his white powdered face, I fell in love with him all over again and I think I have convinced Jared to go with me to see it again. I can't wait!

Hayden's World

In Hayden's world...

He would be a Knight all the time, fighting bad guys with a really cool sword. Daddy would be a fireman, and Carson would be the red fire-breathing Dragon.

Hayden would also be the soccer star. He got his trophy at his Red-Rocket Team pizza party. He shines it ever day with a wet towel. He is so proud of it, check out his pose, now really he is a true soccer monster.

Christmas Idea for Children from my mother-in-law...

I wanted to let you know about a Christmas Special that I'm offering including a 10% discount and free shipping!

This Special is on Book of Mormon Little Books, the Lesson Plans written for the little books, and the all new Picture Pages CD.

Please visit my website at:

www.mormonlittlebooks.com

If you'd like to correspond with me personally, you can send me an email at mormonlittlebooks@gmail.com

Please help me out by forwarding this email and Special Christmas Offer along to your friends.

Thanks!
Doris Johnson

Soccer Monster

Our little soccer monster was the king of his last game today. He made 7 goals. The coach had to take him out to give some of the other kids a turn to kick the ball. He was on fire. Love you soccer monster!

Happy Halloween

The Boys - Super Hayden and Cowboy Carson, Ohhh brotherly love.

Daddy and the boys...see Jar's awesome pumpkins to the side...

Rocking out to Ghost Busters booming from the Stereo as we wait for trick-or-treators- a very welcoming site!

Completely in Character

Hope your Halloween was as crazy as ours!!! XOXO

Blessing in Disguise

Hello fellow bloggers. It has been a little while since I have written- because it has been a while since I have had the time to sit and relax. Life has been extremely CRAZY lately. I have seriously been "on-the-verge" of a lot of things lately. I have felt like I have been a way better wife than mom, and usually I feel the other way around. Usually I feel like I am a pretty awesome mom, but need to work on my wife roles. My kids have certainly gotten the brunt of my grumpyness- or shall I say STRESS!
With the market going crazy, this has a huge impact on Jared's pay. Although it hasn't actually affected a pay check yet, it will.
I have been holding down 3 part time jobs, although combined I spend about 35 hours a week working. This leaves little time for cooking, cleaning, playing and what-not. The good thing is that most of this I am able to do while the kids are either napping or when Jared is home. Lately I have had sweet Ashley watching my kids a few hours in the morning this week for me to try to get ahead, which I am finding never really happens because there is always more to do.
I have two callings in our ward. One of Primary Secretary of over 100 kids, which I love. And the other, Choir Director - and putting together the Christmas Program - which I love as well AND volunteered for (?!@&$*) Just Kidding - I really do love it!
On top of all of this, Hayden is no longer in pre-school as of about 3 weeks ago and so I have tried, at a miserable attempt, to be his teacher. We are also having some other issues with him that we are praying and looking for help and answers.
All of this combined for me has meant O-V-E-R-L-O-A-D, not to mention everywhere I turn there is a new crack where ants are flooding into our home.
I have been praying relentlessly for help, and have broken down several times over the past week as I have felt over-whelmed with life. At times I have felt I don't even have time to breathe. But, today I got an e-mail from my KIDZUI job, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I mean I get paid for watching Youtube videos and checking out websites, but they informed me they aren't going to be needing me through the rest of the year (and who knows maybe not ever again), but they like many other companies are having to cut back- luckily I was one of the few who made it through several of the previous cut-backs. I have not even felt sad since getting the news. I feel so happy and free and a load has been lifted off me. The money from this job has paid for all of my gas, groceries, misc items for over a year and I always thought I would be sad to see it go, but I know it is a blessing. The Lord and I new I would have never been able to walk away on my own, so it had to happen this way- and the timing is certainly a answer to my prayers, and a tender mercy. Just wanted to share.

RE-POST because I am so dang busy to post anythign else...It's me, Hayden

Hello blogger friends. It's been a little while since I have posted and wanted to show you all what I have been up to.
Last week, my parents decided they desperately needed a date night, so mommy got Hayley and Claire to babysit me and my little brother. We had such a fun time. When it was time to go to bed, those girls thought I was in bed. It sounded like they were having so much fun laughing while they were watching America's Funniest Home Videos and I really wanted to join in the fun, so I sneaked downstairs, but I didn't really get too far because when my mom and dad came home, this is where they found me. I did manage though to hide Claire's flip flops and she couldn't find them and walked home bare foot, my mom said she was really embarrassed. This would be crush #2, my aunt Rochelle who is really cute, she was the first person I started hiding things from. I got in trouble for that, but I thought Claire was really cute and the talk I got from mom was worth it.

These are some pictures of me playing soccer. I am on a real soccer team, not the Family Johnson team anymore. I have a lot of fun playing with my friends during the games. Sometimes I even remember to kick the ball, but mostly I like to watch my little brother or play with my teammate Dakoda - we like to bonk bellies. I did kick the ball long enough to make a goal though, it was a sweet break away too. I don't know where everyone else was, but I got a goal. Everyone was so excited, especially my mom and dad. They were really happy. I think I will try to do that again at my next game.


Lately my favorite thing to do is to take my mom's camera and take pictures of things. I think I am going to be a real photographer, hey that would go hand in hand with what I really want to do, that is to be an astronaut. I can be both then when I am up in space, I can take really great pictures of the earth and stuff. Here is a little look at some of my work.



Thanks for reading, I will post again soon.