This, that and the other plus a few pictures

Baseball FINALLY!!!! After all the snow and rain outs, we finally got to hit the field. Here is Mr. Football up at bat.

Sorry for the sideways photo, didn't notice until now. This was our last trip out to the all exciting, favorite vacation spot........ ELKO. Here is Mr. Football and our Beautiful Cheerleader with Mr. Pepsi and a huge polar bear.

Easter at the Johnson house. Never did get a Easter Sunday dress photo but they all looked cute.

The Johnson kids with the George kids (cousins). Seeing the kind of freaky, made me want to hide mall Easter Bunny.

IN OTHER NEWS: My sis and her husband are finally transfering back to Utah from Elko and we are so excited. I will miss the Pizza Barn but other than that don't know that I will ever head that way again. HaHa. To add to the excitment of their return, they are having a BABY!!! YEA!!! WooHoo!!! Hoorah!! We are so excited for them. This is their first. We can't wait to see him or her. The other bit of info. my other little sis is getting married in Aug. We are very excited for them, and her hsuband to be is an awesome guy and we are glad to have him join the family. To both my sisters I say: Thanks for giving us exciting things to look forward to. My kids are excited for a new uncle and a new baby, Wild Man isn't so fun to hold like a baby anymore so they need a new one to hold and kiss.

Baby Steps

It's always mixed emotions when your baby takes that next step onto something else. With Mr. Football and our beautiful cheerleader I may have encouraged those next steps, wanting them to roll, crawl, walk. Each moment a grand step closer to being such great little people and another photo for the scrapbook. Then along came Wild Man............. Don't get me wrong I love all of my children equally but I have loved, enjoyed, and just plain wanted the baby steps to go slowly this time. Could be that he was a little miracle we never thought would bless our lives or that being a bit older this time around I was in fact wiser and knew that all to quickly he would be off and running. I don't know. With the first two, I listened so carefully to all the advice, don't hold them to much, give them floor time, put them in a swing, never nurse them to sleep and NEVER, NEVER, NEVER hold them while they sleep. From the day he was born I was in love, I didn't care about all those spoiling rules; sitting on the couch, holding him while he slept and just starring at him consumed most hours of the day. (Maybe that is why he thinks he is the boss) Gratitude, yes of course, I was always happy to know he was growing normally and advancing as he should but it was also tearful for me because it was one step closer to being a little person and not my baby. Well, today we hit another mile stone in his quest for getting older, He no longer thinks he needs to go down the stairs on his belly, he wants to hold on to the railing and step down. I tried to stop him, I even begged him, then bribed him to stay my baby and just go on his belly, nothing worked! He wants to be a big boy and I want to scoop him up and hold him while he sleeps.

WILLPOWER!?!

I need your help. With my quest to get skinny again I am loosing my umph. I have still been working hard but today the scale wasn't so great, I went up a few pounds! So not what I was wanting to see or even thinking I would see. My friend that I exercise with says it's from gaining some muscle, maybe, we have been working out hard, but it is still frustrating. I am starting to loose my willpower.
Willpower is something I have laughed that I don't have. But, I know I do. When it comes to other things I want bad enough I make it work; for example talking the Johnson dad into a trip to Disneyland (really not that hard), any time it comes to wanting something for my children I will work hard until it is done, nursing my babies- it was worth 2 1/2 months of nursing and pumping every two hours around the clock to bring my milk in so I could nurse Wild Man, working hard at my callings- I totally have the willpower for being great at my calling so why is it so hard to have Willpower for something that is just for me? I have willpower that sometimes far out reaches what I think is in me when it comes to doing for others but here I am trieing to better myself and I am a wimp. I don't want to give up, so I am wondering what are some of the things you do to keep yourself motivated??? Share, share, share with me.

Turn down the volume!

We are ending our 3 week off track, the kids go back to school on Monday. We have done a few fun things while off. We headed to Elko for a few days and that is a PARTY all in it's self. This week I figured we should do a few more fun things, the weather has really put a damper on all the fun this off track time. Yesterday we went bowling and that was a blast!!! We also had our cousins over to play yesterday, so they came bowling; then we turned it into a sleepover and then went to the movie today. Being just me and 6 kids I got there early, got the popcorn and we got seated. I passed out popcorn, divided drinks and felt good in the fact that we were seated, quiet and ready for the movie. The theater is pretty bare and we are seated away from the other viewers. The previews get started and that is when a LARGE group comes in and of all the empty rows in the theater they have to pick the one behind us. It is 3 moms and each have 2 or 3 kids. You know those people I am talking about, the mom's can't sit down for anything, moving children here and there, kids are complaining, kids are begging for popcorn, and they have 2 or 3 that are already crying. I am thinking okay, they will shutup as soon as all is situated. Kids are all finally seated when one of the mom's says to the other 2 mom's who are sitting together, "This won't work, I want to sit by you guys so I can be in on the conversation to." WHAT?!?!?!?!? We are watching a movie lady! This isn't gossip time. So, they rearrange children and seats and then finally sit down. Then they each take a turn going for popcorn, upon each return there was more noise and bumping the chairs as they walk around passing out food. I was glad we were in front of them and not behind them, at least we got to see the movie. Anyway, one of the mom's was behind me and you know when you get the little snot behind you on an airplane who kicks the seat the whole flight, well I met his mom today, she kicked the seat the whole movie. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So half way through the movie when my little wild man got wild, I didn't care, he deserves the right to act his age, just wish she could have.

Now, that my venting is over. All the kids loved the movie and they were great the whole time. To those ladies I say, if I can go by myself with 6 kids and keep everyone happy, quiet and still what is your problem!

Don't tell...................

Shhhhhhh......................................
I have a BIG SECRET!!
Okay, so just a surpirse for the kids.

When you think about secrets or surprises or little private plans it seems easy enough to keep it from leaving your lips. I can think back to more than a handful of carefuly kept secrets and may even now have one stored inside my head waiting for the time that I can spill it!!!! My lips especially sealed when it is not my secret to share. But, this secret kept mostly from the kids has been hard for myself and the Johnson dad to keep. We are planning a trip, a family vacation to well, if you know us then you know where. So, why has it been so hard to not accidently spill the beans??? We are forever covering up our comments or discussions and hoping that our children haven't figured it out. One of our children can keep a secret forever! and the other well, you hope that at least for the day and then maybe just maybe it will be forgotten so that the information won't escape the lips. Now, it leaves me to wonder wich child am I most like?!?! I have been so good at keeping secrets but man this is so hard, maybe the excitement of it all, or that fact that usually vacations are discussed during family night, talked about, calendared and counted down to that my brain forgets.................. I don't know the idea of a quiet to myself countdown to vacation is hard but the vision of the look on their tiny little faces in shock when we arrive at the airport hopefully will keep my lips sealed.

Gone............... but never forgotten

Before there were 3 children running about.

Before there was this house we live in now.

Before we moved into 2 different apartments.

Even before there was even us as a couple.

The Johnson dad had his truck.

For the last 12+ years the growling, mean white machine has been the wheels for the Johnson dad. Then he became us and it became our truck. The first few years of our marriage it was our major way around town. Why go in an old beat up car- yes my car- when you can go in a buff cool truck that had a pumpin stereo and a loud here I am roar. During our dating and early years of marriage I may have tried to take it over. More than once I would drive to his work to say hello but with the intent to leave my wheels behind and take his. Our truck served us well, so many camping trips, and vacations and then when it's only meant for 3 people size was just to small for our growing family and the mini van became my form of travel, our sturdy truck still served the dad well. It shows the signs of great use, it needed repairs along the way and we took care of those because it took care of us. Even this many years later it was so fun to jump in, turn up the music and take just myself somewhere. I guess it is silly to have such emotions about a truck, but our truck has been there through all these 12+ years and holds some memories. So to our white machine we say good-bye and thankyou and to our new 4 door, gun metal gray toyota tacoma we say hello!!!!!!!! We hope that you can serve our family (and in this truck, we can all fit) just as well and as long as your competition did.

Hitch hiking Thumb

The photo doesn't do justice to our Cheerleaders thumb. Going back a few weeks ago, she had a hang nail. No worry's, she pulled off the skin, then there was blood, and tears and lots of drama. A kiss, a hug and a bandaid always make things better. Right?!? Ya that's what this always paying attention mom thought anymay. Imagine my surprise last week when I look down and see half of your thumb nail is dead, the skin is all red and swollen and puss is dried around the nail. We visit the doctor, who is just part of the family these days and what do ya know, she has a staph (not sure on spelling) infection and is now killing the germ with potent antibiotics.
These days I have 2 thoughts; the first I really need a 2009 medical scrapbook, and sometimes you wonder if your really cut out to be a parent, hahahah!! No, I totally love being a mom but I sure felt bad that I missed her thumb and it took practically falling off before I saw there was a need for some help.
Anyway, she is on the mends now and will be back to hitch hiking in no time.

Tired of the wait

Wild Man standing on tippy toe dreaming of warmer weather. A few weeks ago he got his first taste of playing outside. You could see the feeling of freedom in his eyes and the need to run up and down the sidewalk filled his legs and feet with excitement. But, now he stands, tired of the wait!!! he wants to be out there playing with his big sister and brother. He doesn't want to wait for the sun.
When it comes to waiting, we all have the moments in life when the wait is to much. Becoming tired of the wait sometimes consumes our every thought. I have also become tired of the wait, but for me the spelling changes to weight. I have felt the gloom of the lingering baby weight from the 1st child, added the pounds from the 2nd child and decided to top it off with a few, well okay a whole lot more ounces from the 3rd. They for sure are extra pounds I have happily carried around because they gave me 3 little wonderful people but seasons change and now it is time for me to shed my "wait". It is so easy to fool yourself with it's not that bad, and to use the someday I will do it. I guess they say it doesn't work until you have that moment of "holy crap! is that how much I weight!" And I had that moment. Back at the end of February when I had my gall bladder removed of course they want to humiliate you by having you stand of the scale. I stepped up onto that ever so great lieing machine and immediatly asked, "is that in pounds"? Okay, so that maybe it is a number to big in amy form of measurment. Well, that was my wake up call. I have started myself a little program, and the awesome dad at this house has climbed aboard and with him I can do it! I have lost, no not lost gladly given up 7 pounds so far. I started a few weeks ago, my hunky partner in crime just started a week ago and has gladly given up over 5 pounds!! I know he will loose more than me and faster than me but with him doing it with me, it will help me keep going. So, to him I say thankyou for doing this with me. And to little Wild Man, hang in there because your end to the wait is just around the corner, then no more banging on the window and dreaming of what it's like on the other side cause you will be on the other side and soon I will to, I will be on the skinny side.