The Happiness Bus

Back in the saddle again...

2012-01-25T17:41:00.000-08:00

I have a love/hate relationship with blogging. While I see it as a great way to document my cute little family, I am finding it difficult to share personal stories and pictures of my kids online. Because of this personal dilemma, I have decided to pick up blogging again, but we will be going private. We hope our vast following will leave a comment with their email address so they can follow our little adventure called life :)

Happy Birthday Will!

2010-01-20T12:08:00.000-08:00

In true me fashion, I am posting on my children's birthdays, and only on my children's birthdays :)

Today our little miracle man turns one. I can't believe what a difference a year makes. A year ago, we were sitting in our hospital room as our little Will was hooked up to machines and monitors across the hall. I think I blogged about it before, but it was the hardest 2 weeks of my life. I am so thankful for that he is in our family. The following are things that I love about Will:

*He is always happy, unless he wants to eat...then watch out!

*He loves to be in the middle of the craziness that is our home.

*He loves his big sister and will snuggle up to her when she crawls into his crib after naps.

*His toothy grin (he only has 4 teeth, but he loves to show them off).

*The way he sqeals and crawls as fast as he can to Jonathan when he comes home.

*His obession with the mouse on our computer. I don't know what it is, but he cannot stay away from it.

*The way he pulls on your legs when he wants to be picked up.

*He snuggles when he is tired, but wants to GO GO GO when he is awake.

*Walking into the living room and seeing him jumping on the couch with his brother and sister (the cushions are always pulled off when this is the case, so he can easily crawl onto it).

We love you Will, and although you were a little bit of a surprise, we feel like our family wouldn't be complete without you in it. Happy Birthday!

P.S. --I am still on the fence about whether to try and committ to this whole blogging thing. I see the benefits, but I have a hard time finding time in my day to devote to it. We will see...

Happy Birthday Ry!

2009-10-24T08:53:00.001-07:00

I guess I am only going to post when my kids turn a year older. Yesterday was Riley's birthday, and I can't believe we have a 4 year old!

Riley, you had such a fun day. You played with your cousins, took a trip to the library with dad, cut your own hair for the first time, road a horse, pet a zebra, found out what camels eat, had chocolate cake and had your first sleepover with two of your best buddies. You continue to amaze me with how much you learn and say every day. You crack me up. The other night, I was putting you to bed, and as I walked out of the room you said "Mom, you are a jewel. You are such a treasure." Where you get these things from, I do not know. You love My Little Ponies, all animals, Mary Poppins and especially your family. You say things like "I just love my family, we get to be together forever." You are such a big helper to your brothers, especially Will. You always get him up from his naps. When I go in, you are usually in the crib laying next to him, and he is giggling and snuggling up to you.

We love you so much. Happy Birthday Bug!

(Pictures to come later...it may be tomorrow, it may be next year :)

Happy Birthday Little Man

2009-07-20T05:43:00.001-07:00

Tyler,

I can't believe you are two already! Where did the time go? You are at such a fun age and I love everything about your sweet little personality (except the high pitched girl scream...YIKES!) You love trains, cars, dinosaurs, bugs, dogs and trucks. Such a boy! I'm not going to lie, you also like to play with Riley and her Barbies and Polly Pockets. You love hats, especially Riley's white Easter hat and her pink polka dot hat.

You love to color, and will sit at the kitchen table for an hour. You don't even try to eat the markers anymore :)

You are such a daddy's boy! I thought Riley was attached to her daddy, but she has nothing on you. I went to Aunt Trisha's wedding for a week, and the morning after I got home, you woke up and walked right past me looking for dad. Whenever you are scared, excited or hurt, you look for dad. It is pretty cute and I know that it makes him happy.

You love to "sing" along to primary songs, especially "I love to see the temple". You also are doing such a good job saying your prayers and "reading" scriptures with us. You repeat back every word we say, even the big ones like exaltation.

You are such a busy little boy. You are constantly running. I think this is why you love to be outside all the time...wide open spaces suit you. You would live outside if you could. Thank goodness our family loves hiking and camping.

We love you so much little man. We are so happy that you are a part of our family. Happy Birthday!

Love,
Mom, Dad, Riley and Will

Wedding, Camping and Cute Kids...Oh My

2009-05-21T13:43:00.001-07:00

I don't have the time or energy to write anything clever about all the events over the past few months, so here is a quick synopsis with a ton of pictures to follow.

(P.S. I edited a blog post I started back in May, but never published. That is why the date for this post is at the end of May, but all of the events happened in June and July)

Trisha's Wedding:
*amazing
*crazy busy
*me - little man -Utah and Idaho
*catching up with some of my favorite people

Pennsylvania
*FUN!!!
*Omi and Grandpa
*hanging out with cousins from Cali
*sprinklers
*Knoebles

Camping
*dirty
*tons of fun
*great company
*friendly deer in our campsite (lots of them...a little creepy)
*delicious smores

Summer Fun
*park
*pool
*splash pad

Too much Mary Poppins?

2009-04-19T11:02:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, when I got out of the shower, I asked Riley where Tyler was. She replied "He's on a jolley holiday."

Our Kiddos

2009-04-15T17:29:00.000-07:00

Riley

Riley is such a funny little girl. She makes me laugh out loud several times a day. Some of the most recent things she has said:

"Mom, while you were away at Trisha's, Nana put sugar in my bum". Riley had a little rash while we were in Boston, so my mom put baby powder on her. Riley thought it was powdered sugar.

Riley to Jack "Jack, will you dance with me?"

Jack (looking slightly confused) "Uh, no"

Riley "Jack will you please dance with me?"

Jack "I playing with my balloon".

Me "Riley, I will dance with you".

Riley "No mom, I have to dance with Jack, because I need to dance with a prince and Jack is a boy. He is my prince".

The other day in the car, Riley was tearing up a piece of paper. She looked up at me and said "Mom, this is making me so ridiculous". I love it when she uses big words and has no idea what they mean.

Riley loves to play dress up. She changes her clothes a million times a day. Her dresses have to twirl, or she gets very upset. Today, she was digging for slugs and worms in the back yard with Jack wearing jeans (only because I made her put them on under her dress so she wouldn't be cold), a green dress, blue flip flops, a pink zip up hoodie, pink necklace and a white hat that Nana bought her for Easter.

Every night when we read scriptures, before we even tell Riley what to say, she says "And it came to pass".

Riley is such a great big sister. She is always taking care of Will and Tyler. I love hearing her and Tyler play. Sometimes they get giggling so hard, they can't talk.

We love our bug.

Tyler

Tyler is our happy little boy. He loves to be read to. If I could devote the entire day to reading books to Tyler, he would be one happy boy. He loves "Goodnight Moon". I can tell when Jonathan is reading it to him, because I here Tyler say "Night Night" over and over again.

Tyler also does EVERYTHING Riley does. We were having a nose picking issue with Riley recently, and everytime Tyler saw Riley pick her nose, he would stick his finger up his and run to show us, laughing the whole way. If Riley starts dancing, Tyler starts dancing. If Riley starts coughing, Tyler starts coughing.

Tyler is our little comedian. He will make the craziest faces just to get us to laugh. His favorite is squinting his eyes and smiling a huge smile.

Tyler is the world's biggest clutz. Sadly, on more than one occasion he has run straight into a wall. Mind you, his head was not turned looking behind him, or even to the side. He ran into the wall looking directly at the wall. He will trip on a piece of thread laying on the ground. The boy constantly has scrapes and bruises over his body. Luckily he is a little tank.

Tyler is also the quintesential Daddy's boy. The second he wakes up in the morning, he is looking for Jonathan. He is fine with me throughout the day, but I think it is because he doesn't have any other option. As soon as Jonathan walks in the door, he runs to him and doesn't leave his side until bedtime. It is pretty cute, and Iknow Jonathan doesn't mind a bit.

We can't get enough of our monkey.

Will

Our sweet little man is almost 3 months old now. He is starting to coo and smiles at us all the time. He is generally a great baby, except for when he has his digestive issues (the medicine he is on for reflux backs him up) He loves to be held, loves tummy time with his big sister, and loves to eat. He still has a head full of hair that I love to play with. We feel so blessed to have this little man in our life.

Boston and NYC

2009-04-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

I surprised Jonathan and bought tickets to Boston for his birthday. I figured we should take advantage of visiting such a cool place while we still had a free place to stay, not to mention that it is always fun to hang out with my little sis. We flew in on Thursday and spent the afternoon walking around Harvard Square. The next day, Jonathan and I dropped Trish off at work and headed to Concord to see the Old North Bridge and Sleepy Hollow cemetary. After we picked Trish up, we spent the rest of the day in downtown Boston. We went to an old restaraunt that is in one of the oldest buildings in Boston. Jonathan had some amazing clam chowder that he can't stop talking about. If any of you know Jonathan, this is not like him. He would be content living off of mac and cheese for the rest of his life. He just isn't infatuated with food like I am, but he loved this clam chowder.

We drove to NYC with Trish and Mike the next morning and spent a very wet and cold day in the city. We ate a $3 hotdog in Time Square, rode the subway, walked in Central Park, went to the Musuem of Natural History and just walked around. Will was AMAZING the entire trip. He was such a little trooper. It was a very fun and jam packed trip.

Jonathan and Will in front of a dinosaur skeleton at the musuem. We took this picture for Tyler, because he loves dinosaurs.

Trish and I sitting in a huge clam shell

Jonathan and I in Time Square

We made a bed for Will under Trisha's desk. He slept great!

Will sleeping on Jonathan's lap while we rode the train into Boston

Jonathan in front of the monument at the Old North Bridge.

Trisha practicing her maternal skills with Will

Easter

2009-04-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

Jonathan and I were out of town for Easter weekend this year, so we celebrated a little early. For FHE on Monday night, we attempted to teach a 3 1/2 year old and a 21 month old about the resurrection and then dyed eggs . It was fun, but a huge mess. The kids probably had more fun, because Jonathan was in charge. Little Man decided he wanted to eat right as the festivities began. All I know, is that when I came back in, Tyler's hand was completely blue and he was completely happy. The Scienski's had us over for their annual Easter Egg Hunt the next night. As always, it was a blast. Don't mind Tyler's ghetto Halloween bucket in the picture. We forgot to pick him up an Easter basket. We got in at 4:00 on Easter day, and headed straight from the airport over to T.J. and Michelle's for a family dinner and Easter Egg Hunt.

Horse Show

2009-04-15T16:40:00.000-07:00

Riley loves horses. It all started with a sleeping bag and matching stuffed animal horse pillow that Heidi gave us when they moved. She sleeps with "Foal" every night, and when she plays pretend, 9 times out of 10 she is a horse. The other 1 time she is a unicorn...same thing, right? We heard that there was an "equestrian event" in Norwood, NC. It was only an hour and a half drive, and it was free, so we decided to take the kids. We had to drop a mattress off to someone, so we hopped into my Dad's HUGE truck, I backed into my neighbors Volvo, and we were on our way. (Yes, I backed into a Volvo...with a HUGE truck...while the neighbor was outside)

Other than the minor incident on our way out, it was a perfect day. The stables were georgeous. It was thousands of acres of lush green grass, black fences and an amazing multi-million dollar stable. The horse competition was pretty amazing also. Apparently it was just as big of a deal as the Olympics. There were riders there from Ecuador, England, Australia, etc. The event that was going on that day was a cross country obstacle course. The riders took their horses through ponds, over hedges, over huge logs, etc. Just think of Return to Snowey River without the hot guy. Here are some pictures from that day.

Picture Overload

2009-03-15T18:49:00.000-07:00

Pictures of the happenings in the Johnston home; including making dresses for Trisha's wedding, playing in the snow, holding baby brother, and just general silliness.

Why Dad is the favorite...

2009-03-08T18:18:00.001-07:00

Today was Will's first day at church. We finally got the go ahead from his doctor to take him out and about. Jonathan and I have been taking turns staying home with him while the other takes Riley and Tyler to church. A few weeks ago, it was my turn to go to church. I had a meeting before sacrament, and had just enough time to run home and grab the kids, and get back to church before it started. Jonathan brought the kids out all dressed in their Sunday finest, including a crown on Riley's head. I tried to convince her to leave it at home, but it was futile, because "daddy said she could wear it". Jonathan and I agreed before we ever had kids, that we would stand united in front of our kids. Although I didn't want her to wear the crown, I had to give in, because "daddy said she could wear it". We got to church, and the cute little girl sitting in front of us looked at her mom and said "See mom, she is wearing a crown!" Apparently that family had the same situation that morning, and the little girl was told that she couldn't wear her crown because no one else had one at church. Oops.

Today, I had another meeting before church and then had to give a talk in sacrament meeting. I was sitting on the stand, anxiously watching the door and waiting for my family to arrive. Jonathan finally walked in with the kids 15 minutes late. I did a mental check on what the kids were wearing. Riley in a flower dress and black boots. Cute. Will in khakis and a striped hoodie. Adorable. Tyler in navy pants and plaid sports coat. Cute...but wait! Tyler turned around in Jonathan's arms, and I saw what he was wearing under his sports coat. A PAJAMA TOP!!! I just stared and then started laughing. What was Jonathan thinking?!?! If it was just a white shirt, it would have been fine, but it had a bunch of baseball bats on it. After sacrament was over, I pointed out the pajama top to Jonathan. His reply was that it wasn't a pajama top, just a shirt we happened to use for pajamas sometimes. I then had to remind him that we have pajama bottoms to go with the pajama top. Oh well. I'm a little embarassed though, because a couple of people mentioned they saw me laughing during the sacrament hymn.

Welcome Home Will!

2009-02-03T10:14:00.000-08:00

Our little man came home today, and we are pleased to say that he is 100% perfect. He weighs 6 lbs. 10 oz. and is closing in on his birth weight. Riley was so excited to see him, and Tyler was indifferent. Although he didn't show an over exuberance of emotion for Will, Tyler did break into a dance and started twirling around. I like to think that dancing is Tyler's way of showing excitement for his new little brother. We have been so blessed over these past two weeks with an outpouring of love and service. Nana and Papa have gone way above and beyond, and saved us many times. We also have many friends in the ward that helped with Riley and Tyler, or who brought meals in. Thank you for all of your prayers on Will's behalf. Welcome home little man!

Will Update and Birth Story

2009-01-26T10:22:00.001-08:00

Jonathan sent this email to his family last night and did all the work for me in telling the status of Will and the birth story. So here it is...from the mouth of Jonathan -

"Will was born at 8.10p on 1.20.09 (Inauguration Day). He was 3 weeks and 3 days early, 6 lbs and 13 oz, and 21 in. long. Apparently around the third week is a popular time for fetuses to develop their lungs. Will's were not quite ready for air so he was admitted to the Special Care Nursery (this hospital's level of NICU). He was put on Oxygen, but Will was still wearing himself out so they put him on a respirator and gave him a steriod that would help his lungs until his body decided to produce the chemical that this steriod was trying to mimic. After two days on the respirator, his lungs were better, but they still weren't getting Oxygen. They took him off the respiratory and put him back on the C-PAP (just an Oxygen tube). After a day on this again, he was okay and they took him off. I went today and the tubes into his ambilical cord are out. Now we just have to wait to make sure he continues to pull enough Oxygen out of the air and that he eats well.
He has been eating (from Nellie) about half the time for the past two days and has done extremely well. This is the reason they've sped up the process in regards to removing all the tubes. If he continues to do well, we will be able to bring him home this week.
I apologize for any areas that do not make sense, I would rather continue babbling than go back and see if it's coherent.
Nellie is pretty much already healed and just over joyed with the idea that Will can come home soon. She had another enviable delivery. At 10a, she had her regular check-up with Dr. Fishburne. She was dialated to a 3, 80% effaced, and Will was in "station I". Dr. Fishburne said that if she had contractions for even 5-7 minutes apart for at least 30 minutes, she should come in (based on Riley's quick delivery). At 4p she called me at work and told me to get home. I did. We got to the hospital at 4.30p and went to her practice's office. They checked her and she was at a 4-5. They admitted her to the hospital at 5.00p. She was at a 5-6 at 6.30p and the epidural came at 7p. At 7.45p, she was an 8 and, no joke, at 7.50p she was a 10. The nurse had her start pushing, but after the first try, we saw Will's head and I told the nurse about how quickly Nel gets them out once they reach this point. She had Nel stop pushing and the doctor came in at 8p. At 8.10p, Will was here.
As far as Nellie now, she seems to be doing great. Her sister just had her baby tonight (same due date as Nellie - Dr. Fishburne delivered it). I was worried about her mental state considering our other two kids (both seem to sneek crack cocaine into their daily diet), her calling (which is a blessing now since everyone she helps regularly is trying their best to help her), and just her general need to get involved with as much as possible every second. While she is still doing more than seems natural, she is happy. I think she is so focused on getting Will home that she doesn't even realize how tired and stressed she is. I say she's tired and stressed just because she should be. She hasn't acted it at all so maybe neither are true. (Although Riley would say she's stressed since Nel sprayed perfume in her hair several times when she meant to spray detangler earlier today.)
Riley is excited to see Will (probably to see if we're just making him up to make her be good). She can't see him in the SCN since she just had her flu mist vaccine. Ty is too young to go in to the SCN so I don't think he has any clue what's going on other than dad's at home more than mom now. We just moved him to a twin bed. He fell out the first night, so I made some modifications and he is doing well. He doesn't seem to miss the crib since his crib doesn't have dinosaur sheets. He loves to growl at them.
I hope you all are doing well. We'll put pictures on the blog as soon as he grows into some of his loose skin (he looks like an old man right now - which makes me wonder since everyone says he looks like me.)
-jc, nel, ry, ty and will "

Will Thomas Johnston

2009-01-22T16:59:00.000-08:00

We love you little man and are so happy you are part of our family. We can't wait to bring you home so we can snuggle you whenever we want.

January 20, 2009

8:10 pm
6 lbs. 13 oz.
21 inches

(Full birth story coming soon...)

Halloween 2008 and Produce Co-op

2008-11-03T11:36:00.000-08:00

This year for Halloween, Riley insisted on being either Cinderella or a horse. Thankfully, Savannah had a Cinderella dress that she let us borrow a long time ago, so I got out of making a horse costume...Phew! Because Tyler is a little thick and so stinkin' cute, he got to be Gus Gus.

I also joined a produce co-op. I pay $15 every two weeks and get a ton of produce. This was all from my last order. The only down side is that you don't get to choose the produce you get. It is making us eat a wider variety of fruits and veggies.

Happy 3rd Birthday Riley!

2008-10-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday little bug. I can't believe you are three today. It seems like yesterday we were sitting in the hospital, still in shock that you were here. You are turning into such an amazing little person. You are so kind and sensitive to those around you. You are definitely Tyler's second mama. It makes me so happy to know that you are always looking out for him, even if I can't be right there. You are also so adventurous. You love to be outside and to be doing what all of the big kids are doing. You love animals, especially horses. You will play house with your stuffed animals for hours. The other day, I came into your room and you had put all 20 stuffed animals down for a nap. You are going to be such a great helper when your baby brother is born in a few months! You also love Cinderella and anything princess. To you, it is the biggest compliment to be a princess. Whenever I am having a bad day, you say, "Mom, you so pretty. You a princess."

We are so blessed to have you. You teach me things everyday. You remind me how to laugh at the silly things in life. You remind me about the power of childlike faith. You remind me to slow down and enjoy life. We love you little bug and hope you have a happy birthday.

Love,

Mommy, Daddy and Tyler

Don't Judge

2008-10-14T06:29:00.000-07:00

Okay...I know I am a huge slacker on the whole blog post thing. Life gets a little hectic around here with 2 toddlers, a pregnant mama, my calling, my business and a busy hubby. I am not even going to try to catch up for the past two months, but just hit a few great moments.

Girls Weekend in Boston and Prince Edward Island...Gorgeous

(sorry for the small pictures...don't know what happened, and yes that is an Asian Anne!)

Found out that we are having another...Boy :)

Matthews Alive...Succesful

Mountain House Vacation with friends....Relaxing

Photo shoot for Hucklebaby Website...Exciting
* our website is still in the works, but you can visit www.hucklebaby.blogspot.com to see what we have been busy with.

Riley's knee scraping incident...Tough (although Riley would say Sad)

*Lest you think we are a house full of wusses, this was no run of the mill knee scrape. She has had plenty of those before. This was a "slide down the steep driveway and scrape all of the skin off of her entire knee" knee scrape.

Riley the Artist

2008-08-07T14:14:00.000-07:00

The other day Riley drew her first non-squiggle drawing. She was in the other room drawing on her etch-a-sketch and informed me that she drew a picture of Papa and Ernie (Nana and Papa's little dog). When I went to see, this is what I found. I think the resemblence is uncanny.

This is just a random picture of my cute kids. They make me happy.

Tyler's First Haircut

2008-08-04T04:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a sad day for us. We said goodbye to Tyler's georgeous curly locks. Jonathan and I were looking at Tyler yesterday morning and decided that he looked a little mangey. If he had sweet curls all over his head, it would be one thing, but the bottom half of his hair was curly and the top was straight and disheveled. He loved the clippers and giggled as the vibration tickled his head. Although he doesn't look quite like himself, he still is adorable.

Tyler before his haircut

Tyler after his haircut and bath (apparently he didn't like the new look last night)

Tyler happier about his haircut this morning

Random Throw Up and a Shout Out

2008-07-30T14:04:00.001-07:00

Do your kids ever randomly throw up? I hate it when my kids puke out of nowhere. Tyler did this today when I was on my way to drop the kids off at Julie's for the morning. I had to make a few visits for my calling and then drop off an order of baby slings at the hospital. As soon as I pulled into Julie's subdision, Tyler puked EVERYWHERE! I hate these random pukes, because A) I have to clean it up and B) It leaves me with a million questions...Is he sick? Will he do it again in 15 minutes? Will Riley be puking in a few days? Did he just gag on his pretzel? Did he drink too much milk? Is he concerned about his weight? Thankfully it was just a one time incident and he has been acting normal all day, although it did torpedo my carefully planned out morning.

On another note, I want to give a shout out to my friend Julie. Julie was going to watch my kids until Tyler performed his little trick in the car. Instead, she just randomly brought me a Costco take and bake pizza to cook for dinner. THANK YOU JULIE!

A little bit of this and a little bit of that...

2008-07-29T04:56:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months I have felt a lot like this

And done a lot of this

Because of this

Which will come on the day we celebrate this
Because of that, we have to buy one of these

And sell this

So we bought this (don't worry, Jonathan is SUPER safe and will only be driving it down the road 5 miles to work and back)

Tyler has been doing some of this (yes, he is walking in this picture)

Riley has been doing some of that

And being being spoiled by Nana with some of this

While I have been doing tons of sewing for this

We are very excited about our new addition and can't wait to meet him/her (preferably not both) in February!

More Tyler Birthday Pics

2008-07-21T13:44:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Monkey!

2008-07-19T17:38:00.000-07:00

Tyler turned 1 today. I can't believe how fast the past year has gone. What a sweet little guy. These are some of the things Tyler is up to these days:

1. Cruising around everything but refusing to actually walk on his own.

2. Eating us under the table with a huge smile on his face.

3. Climbing onto everything (toys, coffee table, chairs, toy box, etc.)

4. Melting our hearts with his contagious laugh and handsome toothy grin.

5. Copying our actions

6. Loves to say dada and mama

7. Dancing. He's got some mad moves.

8. Following Riley EVERYWHERE

Why we love Tyler and feel so blessed to have him as part of our family:

1. He makes us smile constantly.

2. Although he has gained some new found independence, and a fiery little personality to go along with it, he is mostly very easy going.

3. He loves to snuggle with us.

4. He makes being a mom and dad of two little ones very easy.

5. His crazy hair and chubby cheeks.

Here are a few pictures from the past year with our Tyler. The last couple are from his family birthday breakfast. I was not so smart and forgot to put the SD card back into the camera for the evening bbq festivities, so I will be begging Jessica for those pictures :)

* Stay tuned for another post in the not so distant future about our other happenings over the past month.

Happy Birthday Monkey! We love you!

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-15T03:59:00.000-07:00

Why I love my Dad (from the mouth of Riley)

* He eats cereal

* Daddy love me

* He play with me

* Daddy watch dancing show with me (she is talking about So You Think You Can Dance)

* Sing night night song

* He paint mine fingernails

* Daddy sing ABC's

Why I love my Dad (from the thoughts of Tyler)

* He wrestles with me

* He snuggles with me when I am sick

* He makes me laugh

* He lets me crawl around in places mom doesn't

Some of our favorite pics with our Dad

Happy Father's Day to all of our favorite Dad's:
Bacca (Grandpa Johnston)
Papa (Granpa Cheney)
Papa Big Cheney
Papa Big Worsley
Uncle Todd
Uncle Brandon
Uncle T.J.
Uncle Eric
Uncle Kurt
Uncle Aaron

A long, long time ago in a land far away...

2008-06-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. Sorry that it has been so long. I guess it took my sister hijacking my blog to get my booty in gear to put up another post. Here is a rundown of what our family has been up to in the past 6 weeks in pictures:

Playgroups and trying to keep cool:

Playing with our new swing set and eating popsicles with friends

Scout Carnival Fundraiser

Memorial Day BBQ (apparently Tyler loves watermelon)

Watching the crazy storms

Playing dress up

What the kids are up to these days:

Riley is quite the comedian. She is completely whitty and sarcastic, which is both funny and aggrivating. Her new favorite thing to do is to call me Nellie instead of mom. Drives me crazy. I figure that if I went through the trauma of giving birth to her, I deserve to be called Mom. She loves to do "ballet" and to dress up. When we go to the gym or to the store, she packs her own "diaper bag". She knows all of her letters and the signs for all of her letters. Thank you Michelle for lending us Signing Time. She loves Cinderella and when she wants to pay me a compliment, she says "Mom, you so pretty. You Cinderella. You a princess." She loves to play with playdough and to color and paint. She also loves to help me cook. She is full of life and happiness.

Tyler is almost 11 months old. CRAZY!!!! He will walk if I am holding onto his hands. He loves to wrestle and makes this "AAAGHH" sound when he attacks. So cute. His hair is getting long and is pretty curly. I can't bring myself to cut it. The boy is a carnivore. He will devour anything that is meat and is cut up into small enough pieces for him to manhandle. He knows how to crawl up the stairs and is fearless. Everytime I turn around, he is on the coffee table, end table or toy box. He is working on teeth 8 and 9. Poor little guy. He loves the pool, and especially the kiddy pool. I put him in his baby float, and he uses it as a walker. He just cruises around the little pool, making sure to pass under the cascading water. Tyler and Riley adore eachother. It is really cute to see them interact.

Jonathan and I are as busy as ever. Jonathan's work, Hucklebaby and our callings, on top of being parents to two very active little ones, keeps us on our feet. We love every minute of it and wouldn't want it any other way.

Hi

2008-06-09T15:55:00.001-07:00

My name is Nellie. I am a really cute housewife that NEVER updates her blog. For all my many dedicated readers I humbly apologize. I am just so beautiful and so talented and so awesome that I just have a hard time updating.

PS This is not Nellie, it is her amazingly more awesome sister who is way cooler and rocks WAY more.

6 years ago...

2008-04-25T07:56:00.000-07:00

* I was pampered like a princess all day long.

* I thought that it was the happiest I could ever be...I was wrong.

* My biggest concern was wether or not I packed enough for my honeymoon.

* I got the most presents I have ever recieved in my life.

* I inherited an amazing new family.

* I married my best friend.

I love you babe. Thank you for making me smile everyday for the past 6 years. Happy Anniversary.

The Incredibles

2008-04-22T11:55:00.001-07:00

I have often thought that the person who thought up the super powers for the mom in The Incredibles, is in fact, a mom and wife herself. I feel like Mrs. Incredible this week...stretched a hundred different directions. Jonathan and I were lying in bed the other night and laughing at how crazy life seems to be. Jonathan has alot going on at work, has a million things to do around the house and yard, and has the big Scout fundraiser this Saturday. He has been painting signs and making posters for the past few nights. Jess and I got a huge order from the hospital, I am altering a prom dress for a girl in our ward, and I am trying to keep tabs on all of the sisters in RS. I feel like I am sewing and on the phone non-stop. Our biggest goal this week is to not completely neglect our two cute kids.

We decided to take a mini vacation and go camping on Friday night. It was just what we needed. We got a campsite right next to the river. The weather was perfect, except for a slight shower or two on Saturday morning, the company was great, and the smores were superb. On Saturday, we hiked up to the waterfall. Beautiful. Here are some pictures from our adventure. Warning-picture overload. (I promise that Tyler doesn't always have a binkey in his mouth. No morning nap = cranky baby)

Will you marry me Riley?

She said no!

I guess she is just happy to be single :)

A Birthday, A Musical and A Date

2008-04-12T07:21:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, April 9th

Jonathan turned 31! He wasn't able to relax, because he had to work and then go to Scouts. We tried to make it as special for him as we could. Riley and I made pancakes for breakfast while he was getting ready.

When he came home from work, he opened presents and then we had one of his favorite dinners (orange chicken). That was followed up by some singing and candle extinguishing on a very involved 3 layer chocolate cake made from scratch. It turned out awful...I don't want to talk about it.

The kids and I showed up at the church with Dunkin Donuts for the boys and just hung out with Jonathan the rest of the night.

I won't go into a ton of details of why I love my husband. I just did that a few posts back. I hope you had a great birthday babe! We love you!

Thursday, April 10th

That's right. I went to Wicked! My mom got all of us girls tickets for Christmas. It was sooooo good. I was blown away. After the show, we went to dinner at the Olive Garden. It was a great day.

Friday, April 11th

I spent the morning out in the yard with the kids. I weeded and got some flower beds ready for planting and mulch. It was BEAUTIFUL! It was sunny and 70 degrees with a slight breeze. Last night, Tiff came and watched the kids (and cleaned my baseboards and ceiling fan! Thanks again Tiff!) so I could take Jonathan on a date. I didn't tell him where we were going, I just read turn by turn directions. We went to dinner at the Soda Shop in Davidson. It is a little hamburger joint/ice cream parlor that is 65 years old.

After that we went...drum roll please...SQUARE DANCING!! The official name is Contra Dancing. It was so much fun. There was a live band and an professional caller. It is more of a workout than I have had in a long time, and I go to the gym every morning :) By the time we left, Jonathan and I were soaked with sweat (it didn't help that the middle school gym that it was held in was 80 degrees), our feet hurt like crazy, and we had huge smiles plastered on our faces.

This picture is when we sat one out and went outside to get some fresh air.

On a side note-Riley has officially dropped her nap. She has been fighting it for a while, but this week, when I forced her to take one, she was up until 10. One day I heard her playing upstairs during "naptime". I went up and this is what I found.

What we've been up to...

2008-04-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

Hunting

Playing

Shopping

I am blessed...

2008-03-16T05:35:00.000-07:00

With a handsome baby boy who...

* Smiles all day long
* Prefers rolling across the floor as his mode of transportation
* Makes faces at me as I try to feed him his squash
* Loves Cheerios and gets so excited when he gets one is his mouth
* Lights up when he sees his daddy and sister
* Laughs and smiles with his toothy grin (he now has 3)
* Wakes up in the morning happy and talking to himself (sometimes this is at 6:00)
* Snuggles
* Splashes like crazy in the bathtub (much to Riley's dismay)
* Loves to bounce (whether it be in the jumper, exersaucer or my lap)

With a beautiful little girl who...

* Likes to pick out her own clothes (she has to wear a skirt everyday)
* Is almost completely potty trained
* Walks around the house belting " Hey now, Hey now, no dream over!" (I have no idea where she heard that song, but she loves it)
* Loves to pray and makes sure she says she is thankful for EVERYTHING!
* Is obsessed with her new Barbies (Jonathan bought her first Barbie a few weeks ago. Since then we have added a few to the family)
* Isn't afraid of anything, especially climbing on the big kid ladders at the park
* Loves nursery and going to Jesus' house
* Is very talented at sculpting snakes and bananas out of playdough
* Likes to read books
* Loves her little brother and is always hugging him

With an amazing husband who:

* Wakes up every morning and goes to work without complaining, even though he would rather be home playing with us
* Makes me laugh constantly
* Kisses me as soon as he walks in the door at night
* Is an organization freak (I say this in the nicest possible way. He is currently upstairs going through the kids closets and pulling out all the clothes that don't fit them anymore)
* Is an example to me of how someone should live the gospel
* Thinks I am beautiful
* Loves his kids and wants to spend all of his free time with them and me
* Is active and loves to be outdoors
* Loves me

Feel Better?

2008-02-20T12:33:00.000-08:00

Riley: Daddy sick?

Daddy: Yes, daddy's sick.

Riley: Daddy hug?

After giving daddy a hug.

Riley: Daddy feel better?

Riley is all about everyone feeling better. So cute.

Our friend Skeet got a heavy duty cardboard box from work and painted it for Riley. It is now her playhouse. It's great. It has a door, window and a trap door. Thanks Skeet!

Trisha is here from Boston for a week. We spent the day shopping and meeting one of her old friends for lunch. We took these pictures while we were waiting for her friend.

Bit the Bullet

2008-02-11T18:41:00.000-08:00

We finally did it. We got a new (used) car. Not just any car, but a truck. We've been stringing the poor Mazda Millenia along for the past few months, but after we dropped a couple grand into fixing it up and it still breaking down 4 TIMES!!!, we were done did. Here are some pictures of our truck.

Catch Up

2008-02-07T18:50:00.001-08:00

I feel like I need to play a little catch up and write (and show) what has been going on around here for the past few weeks.

A few weeks ago, the kids and I went to Wilmington for the week to stay with my nephews while Heidi and Aaron went to Costa Rica. It was so much fun. We woke up early every morning to get the boys on the bus, and then went on different outings. We found this amazing park that Riley LOVED. We also went shopping and to the beach. It was nice not worrying about all the stuff that I have to deal with at home (I'm not talking about Jonathan. I mean bills, house cleaning, etc. :) ) Unfortunately, I forgot the camera, so there are no pictures to document this trip.

As soon as we got back, we dove right into potty training Riley. I have to say that this is my least favorite mommy job so far. SOOOO FRUSTRATING!! For the most part, she does great. The frustrating part is when she has an accident 2 minutes after I take her to the bathroom or ask her if she needs to go. Granted, those are few and far between so I should be grateful. She is really getting the hang of it, and the best part is that she thinks washing her hands is the reward for a job well done.

Another crazy thing that happened, is that I was called to be the Relief Society President in our ward. You can all stop laughing now. I was in total shock...still am. I am scared and excited all at the same time. I know that Heavenly Father wants me in this calling for a reason, and will help me.

Okay...enough with the novel. Here are some pictures that show what we have been up to lately.

My Little Man

Riley is in a little playgroup / kiddie swap that I do with my friends. We call it sprouts. We made shirts. The kids are pretty cute when they all get together. Today I had 6 kids here, including my two. The bottome picture is what it looked like at lunchtime pre-food.

I heard Riley and Tyler laughing one day when Tyler was supposed to be sleeping. This is what I found.
Riley felt a need to accesorize her big girl undies with jewelry and her Sunday shoes (although they don't match)

Tonight we had the Scienski's over and had our first attempt at making sushi. We will find out tomorrow how it went.

2008-02-01T14:37:00.000-08:00

Tagged by my Sis Tiff

The rules of being "tagged" are as follows:Each player answers all the questions about themselves and at the end of the post the player then tags five other people by posting their names. Afterwards you need to go to their blog and leave a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged.

10 years ago:I was a freshman at BYU living in David John Hall. I was living with 3 of the greatest, funniest, craziest girls I have ever met.

Snacks I enjoy:Popcorn, Peanut Butter and Banana sandwiches, Pita Chips and Hummus, Rice Cakes.

Five things on my to-do list:1)Workout 2) Laundry 3)Make Riley a dress 4)Prepare Sharing Time 5)Taxes (both personal and Hucklebaby)

Things I would do if I were suddenly made a billionaire: Pay tithing, pay off house and student loans, take lots of trips (Europe to see Todd and Christina, San Fran to see Kara and Eric, Utah to see Mom and Dad Johnston, somewhere warm, etc.), BUY NEW COUCHES!!!!

Three of my bad habits:1)Doing too many things at once (mostly projects) 2)always thinking of the worst case scenerio 3)Letting clothes hang out of my dresser (Jonathan loves this one:) )

Five places I have lived:1)Moscow, Idaho 2) Pittsburgh, PA 3) Walnut Creek, CA 4) Provo, UT5)Charlotte, NC

Jobs I have had:MTC Dishroom Worker (only lasted 3 weeks), Marie Callendar's Hostess, Athletic Trainer, Health Teacher, Business Owner, and my all time favorite...Mom

Things people don't Know about me: I feel like people know a lot about me. Let's see...I love to create new things. For example, I am always coming up with new ideas for Hucklebaby. I love to make up my own pattern for dresses, bags, etc. I have to have the closet door shut when I sleep. My favorite food is sushi. I can play the guitar and the piano. I haven't done either in a very long time.

I tag Trish, Erin and Steph

Feeling Better

2008-01-17T06:51:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the last vent. I feel much better now. The kids were actually both pretty sick as well, and that is why they had such a rough night. I feel guilty for complaining about it, when it probably wasn't any fun for them either. I'll have to remember that next time.

Here are just a few pictures of random things from the past few weeks. I didn't take any pictures of the kids while they were sick, because I figure the world doesn't want to see my kids with green slugs coming out of their noses :)

Tyler is eating three meals a day of veggies and fruits. He doesn't like the peas or green beans so much, but he chokes them down. I can't believe he is almost 6 months old!

Riley has been obessed with hats lately. This is her daddy's favorite beanie. I wonder why? (Go Gators!)

Nana and Papa brought the kids hats back from Switzerland. I know this picture is a little out of focus, but I thought it was cute.

Tyler now takes baths with Riley in the big tub. Riley has since found other uses for the baby tub.

This morning we woke up to this. I know that it isn't the soft blanket of white snow that we regularly woke up to in Utah, but it is snow none the less. Unfortunately, it is already melting. I didn't let Riley go out and play in it, because what you can't see is that there is freezing rain falling on the snow. Not so good for a little girl who is getting over being sick.

The Joys of Parenthood

2008-01-14T05:14:00.000-08:00

I love being a mom. I really do, so please keep that in mind as I complain a little bit. When Riley was just a few months old, I had the cruel realization that mom's don't ever get a day off. I got sick, and I still had a little baby that needed to be fed, held, changed, etc. I called my husband at work and cried to him about it. I told him that I didn't think it was fair that he gets to take a day off of work when he is sick, staying in bed until he is better.

Why this vent this morning? I am currently experiencing a nasty head cold, passed on from my children. I went to bed early in the hopes of getting some much needed rest. This is how our night went:

7:30 put kids to bed
9:30 Go to bed
11:00 Riley woke up crying
12:30 Tyler and Riley woke up crying
2:00 Tyler woke up to eat
2:30 Riley woke up crying
4:15 Riley woke up crying
5:15 Tyler woke up hungry
5:50 Riley woke up crying
6:00 Finally put Riley in bed with us
6:30 Jonathan woke up to get ready for work
8:00 The rest of us wake up

Now I am exhausted and feel awful. I just hope my kids aren't too cranky today. I'm sure tonight will be better, because it can't get much worse.

Things that make me smile...

2008-01-07T17:07:00.000-08:00

Today was kind of a rough one, so I decided to list 10 things that made me smile today. It's good to keep things in perspective.

1. Listening to my daughter sound like a character from little rascals. She has a cold, so her voice is super raspy. She also pronounces "okay" as "otay". Precious.

2. Watching my sweet baby giggle and smile at everything and everyone, especially his older sister.

3. 70 degree weather in January.

4. A husband who walks in the door from work everyday, and immediately gives me a kiss before rushing off to play with the kids.

5. Having Tyler mindlessly play with my face as he eats.

6. Hearing my little sister Trish provide yet another example of why she shouldn't be aloud to shop on ebay. (She bought a phone that apparently isn't sold in the US, and is marketed primarily to third world countries. To read more about it, click on the link to her blog under "The A List". Funny stuff)

7. Having a tickle fest with Riley.

8. Spending a full hour at the gym (thank goodness for gym childcare)

9. Trying to pull off a meaningful Family Home Evening with a 2 year old and a baby.

10. Listening to Jonathan sing to Riley and Tyler as he puts them to bed.

I feel better now.

Christmas 2007

2007-12-26T16:46:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a crazy couple of weeks. This post was actually started over a week ago, but I am now just getting around to publishing it.

We hope everyone had as great of a Christmas as we did. On Thursday we headed over to Hampstead, NC to visit Jonathan's sister Heidi and her family. We went to Monkey Joe's on Friday and just hung out on Saturday.

Riley and Max at Monkey Joe's. We told them to lean in so that they would both fit in the picture. Riley saw Max lean in, and decided to copy.

Devin and Tyler. I guess cute brown haired and brown eyed boys run in the family.

Riley playing with playdough at Aunt Heidi's house.

Riley giving Tyler hugs.

We came home late Sunday night, just in time to get things ready for Christmas Eve. All of my family was gone this Christmas, so Jonathan and I were able to start some traditions with just our family. It was great.

On Christmas Eve, we had the Wilde's, Burgess' and Scienski's over for an evening of food, games and fun. The best part is that we were all in our p.j.'s. Riley set a record for late bedtime. She didn't hit the sack until 11:00. She did pretty well, but I think it was all of the sugar we let her have.

First Toddler Picture (Arwen, Riley, Jack and Kate)

Toddler picture a few minutes later. They didn't last long sitting still.

Riley with her two favorite Christmas presents, a big wheels and the stroller from Omi and Grandpa.

Tyler's first Christmas

We went on a family walk on Christmas Night to look at the lights.

Riley and Tyler

Riley leading the way

Mommy and Tyler

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...not so much

2007-12-16T16:06:00.000-08:00

This week was sad and great at the same time. Sad-because it was 78 degrees 4 days this week, so it didn't feel like Christmas. (*Jonathan does not agree with this sentiment. He understands that Jesus was born in Bethlehem to Mary in a stable that did not have snow anywhere near it and it may very well have been a glorious 78 degrees.) Great-because I got to play at the park with my kids and rake all the leaves in our backyard in a t-shirt. I just had to pretend that it was spring. On a side note, Tyler started rolling over! I thought he would never do it, but he is getting more confident and less comfortable on his stomach. Anyway...here are a few pictures of moments that made me smile this week.
*comments amended by Jonathan

Riley at the park. Notice the short sleeves. It was great.

Tyler sleeping at the park. I know I have lots of pictures of him sleeping, but that is what he likes to do these days.

Jonathan and I before we headed out for a dinner for his work. We went to a really nice steak restaraunt and had an unbelievable 5 course meal.

Tyler on Santa's lap.

Riley also sat on Santa's lap for about 2 seconds. Picture to come soon...

Me and my little bug.

Firsts

2007-12-09T16:36:00.000-08:00

This week was a week of firsts for Riley and Tyler. Here is a short list:

1. Tyler laughed out loud continuously for the first time. It was today during Deacon's Quorum. Two of the boys were hitting each other on the head, and apparently Tyler thinks pain is funny.

2. Riley started singing songs on her own this week. Her favorites were Jingle Bells and Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.

3. Tyler had his first haircut. He was sporting a patch on the crown of his head that was 2 inches longer than the rest of his hair. It looked like a bad comb over, so I had to take action.

4. Riley played by herself in the back yard for 20 minutes. YEAH!!!!

5. Tyler had his first mohawk.

6. Riley stayed in sacrament meeting for all but 5 minutes. We have been working on this, and I think we found the trick...chapstick. That's right! She was totally obsessed with my chapstick.

7. Tyler went in the swing for the first time.

Here are a few more pictures from this week:

Riley in her Christmas dress. Thanks Grandpa and Omi! She is such a cheeseball!

Tyler fell asleep on our walk. I brought him in and he woke up a few minutes later looking a little confused. This is the snowman cake I made for Audrey's Shower. It took a while, but it was well worth it. Thanks Heidi for the pan!

...and a partridge in a pear tree

2007-12-02T17:27:00.000-08:00

This is going to be a pretty random post, mainly because I had a busy week full of playdates, babysitting, meetings, preparing sharing time, sewing for my business, and tons of "household" stuff. Basically I am just going to post random cute pictures of my kids that I took recently.

When we're helping, we're happy...

Riley is really into helping out around the house and with Tyler. The other day I was washing baseboards in the kitchen, so Riley got a wipe and helped out.

When I got out of the shower one day, I found her on my bed reading Tyler a book.

The first time we put Tyler in the exersaucer, Riley was right there showing the rookie the ropes. Riley was helping me with the dishes tonight, and when I turned around, she looked like this:

Riley helped us decorate the tree this year. She had a blast and was so cute.

Playdates and more Playdates

We had a fun week with lots of playtime for Riley and Tyler with their cute friends.

Riley and her main man (other than Daddy and Tyler of course) Jack decorating ornaments:

After decorating the ornaments, they needed to get some wiggles out.

This is what our life would be like with triplets...

We babysat a couple of our friends girls while they went to the temple on Saturday. Arwen and Kate are Riley's age and her best buddies. It was a really fun, but really chaotic day. We even ventured out to run errands and go to the park. CRAZY!

Riley munched up her thumbs while running crazy with her little cart in the cul-de-sac. I put on Elmo band-aids, and Kate and Arwen wanted some too. I love this "line-up" picure.

We even got all the carseats into our car. It didn't help with my argument to Jonathan that we need a mini van when we have our next baby. It proved to him that we can fit three carseats into our car.
Eating lunch at Costco...

At the park...

And finally...

I had to end this ridiculously long post with a funny story of Riley. One of the ornaments on our tree is a tiny tricycle.

We heard Riley rustling over by the fire place saying "ride it". This is what we saw.

Yes, the tricycle is under her.

I'm Thankful for...

2007-11-25T16:40:00.000-08:00

1. An amazing husband who always makes me laugh

2. My silly little girl

3. My sweet baby boy

4. Our wonderful family

5. Our great friends (There are too many pictures to include:) )

6. Temples that allow me to be with my family forever

7. My Savior

I'm going to Carolina in my mind....

2007-11-17T18:50:00.000-08:00

I love North Carolina in the fall. Jonathan had to go on a campout last night, so I was flying solo with the kids. Riley decided to wake up at 6:00. She crawled into bed with me and I almost had her snuggled back to sleep, but she turned over and realized Jonathan wasn't there. She got out of bed and proceeded to look for Daddy all throughout the house. I lost all hope of an extra hour of sleep, so I got Tyler up, got the three of us dressed and fed, and then we went garage saling. This brings me back to my original comment. I took this picture out of my sunroof.

A little later in the morning, I took Riley, Tyler and my friend's little girl Kate to the campsite to visit Jonathan. We ended up going on a hike with the Scouts. Jonathan took Tyler ahead with the boys and I stayed behind with Riley and Kate. They loved it! We collected pine cones and poked bugs and plants with sticks.

These are just a few pictures of my cute kids. I love Tyler's eyes!

Blaaagh!

2007-11-14T04:57:00.000-08:00

We have had the stomach flu in our house. Riley picked it up from someone in nursery last week, and after going through the kids, it caught up with me yesterday. I was completely useless. I stayed in bed all day. Jonathan took Riley to the Scienski's for the morning on his way to work. Poor Tyler just laid by me all morning. Jonathan came home at noon and took care of everything. It was great. He made sure Riley let me sleep and brought Tyler to me when it was time for me to feed him. I feel better today, but still don't want to eat anything. I am trying to get up the energy to go disinfect everything. I hate the flu. For some reason, it didn't bother me when I would throw up with morning sickness. I guess its because I knew what was making me sick and it was a good thing.

Tagged---Thanks Summer!

2007-11-11T17:13:00.001-08:00

This is my first time being tagged and I am kind of excited. Jonathan insists on participating in this exercise, so the numbers with a "j" before them are his...

1. I am a super fast reader. I love books and feel the need to finish them quickly so that I can get on with my life. I read the entire Harry Potter series in three weeks. I am currently reading the Twilight Series, and have put off reading the third book for a few weeks, because I have been really busy and don't want it to consume my life.

2. I love to cook and am constantly trying new things. Some are great and some are not so great. The other day I tried to make whole wheat flour tortillas---not so great.

3. I have a very competitive nature. I hate standing in line for anything. This is why I refuse to wake up early on Black Friday and shop the deals. One time Jonathan and I went to Myrtle Beach for the weekend and decided to go deep sea fishing. We had to wait on the dock for the boat to arrive so we could board. Keep in mind that it was a huge boat with more than enough room for everyone waiting. Jonathan and I got there pretty early, so we were the first in line. We got tired of standing, so we sat on a bench. Some lady and her husband showed up 20 minutes later and stood right in front of us. I was so mad. Did they not see us there? Although we were only second in line and still got our pick of seats on the boat, I spent the next 15 minutes being angry and stressed. Silly...I know.

4. I prefer fruit desserts to chocolate ones. This is a big no-no in my family. Jonathan has chocolate pulsing through his veins. If I make a fruit cobbler for dessert, Jonathan thinks it is a side dish to dinner.

5. I love Christmas, but I refuse to listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving. I am a big believer in enjoying the holiday and season you are in. I was so sad when I heard Christmas music at Costco in the beginning of October.

6. I hate cleaning the shower. I am fine with cleaning the rest of the bathroom, but I hate cleaning the shower. I don't feel like I can ever get it white enough. The other day I sprayed so much Lysol with Bleach on it, that I was afraid my kids were going to pass out from the fumes. We had to air out the house for an hour.

7. My biggest fear is that I am not doing enough---for my kids, my husband, my calling, my business, etc. I am always asking myself if I am doing all that I can in all of those areas. I guess that is what being a mom is all about. Juggling all of your responsibilities with a smile on your face :)

8. I hate seeing someone sitting alone in a restaurant, especially if they are old. I just want to go sit next to them. Jonathan thinks this is weird and tells me that the person probably wants to be alone. I don't buy it. I have to fight the urge to go give them a hug.

Jonathan's reply:

j1) Nellie has become more and more anti-social. She claims to be enthralled with reading, but I've learned that she just likes a reason to not talk to me. She's even at the point where she's reading vampire/werewolf books to "escape."

j2) Nellie just completed her Primary program. It was incredible and the kids and program were fantastic. She did an excellent job picking outstanding counselors.

j3) Nellie has calmed down on her popcorn obsession. Ironically, as I started typing this she walked over with a bowl of it.

j4) Her business is really doing well. I call her my professional seamstress. All joking aside, she and her friend are extremely talented.

j5) She doesn't believe in desserts. I haven't decided if she's playing dumb or if she just really doesn't understand that if it is a fruit - it is not a dessert. And for those who know me - yes, she kept this secret until after the "I do."

j6) She's really big on fashion. For some reason, she's really embarrassed about our orange/cinnamon, embroidered paisley couches. But since she's adjusted to my cheap nature and she knows I love things that are completely out of style, we keep them.

j7) I love to look over at her whenever we watch any show that involves crying because I know Nellie will be there bawling her eyes out. It seems to be getting worse after each kid. The other day someone was telling a story where a person cried. I looked over at Nellie and there she was with her watery eyes and crackling voice.

j8) She has the best husband ever! -and her kids are pretty cool too.

Okay-It's Nellie again. I'm adding a 9th thing to my list--I have a husband who is too involved in my life.

I tag Jessica Wilde and Katie Hill. Write 8 things about yourself on your blog for all to enjoy.

New Addiction

2007-11-05T09:58:00.000-08:00

I have to make a confession...I am obsessed with looking at other people's blogs. It's a vicious cycle, a slippery slope if you will. It started by looking at one friend's blog. I noticed links to blogs of people I haven't seen in years, so I clicked on their blogs. Pretty soon I was reading about some obscure family I've never met. Craziness. Anyway, on to a run-down of our life in the NC.

Random Pics of the Kids

Go Gators!
We love our Papa!

Family Day

We had a Saturday play day in Downtown a few weeks ago. We
went to Imaginon and then to Fuel Pizza for lunch.

Riley's 2nd Birthday

We had a great day. Jonathan took the morning off to take Riley to her allergist appointment, and then we had all of her little friends come over for lunch and to play. After Jonathan got home from work we went to McDonald's and to the pet store. Later we had cake and ice cream with Nana and Papa (don't laugh at my failed attempts at making an Elmo cake!).

4th Annual Johnston Family Pumpkin Carving Party

We do this every year. We make a couple pots of chili, and everyone comes over for treats and pumpkin carving. This year we had 42 people in the house. CRAZY!

Riley and her cousin Emmett
T.J. and Savannah
Riley after she was done painting her pumpkin

Halloween 2007

For the ward trunk or treat, Jonathan dressed up as a Ghostbuster and Tyler was the marshmallow man. Riley was being difficult so I put a grass skirt and coconut shells on her over her clothes. Anyway...before we can even get Tyler out of his carseat for a picture, he had a massive blow-out. I was so mad. So I headed into the church to clean him up and change him into a spare change of cloths. We didn't take any pictures of Jonathan that night, because he looked better holding Tyler and I was bitter. On the actual day of Halloween, we dressed Riley up as Tigger and Jonathan was a punk. He needed a haircut really badly, so I cut his hair into a mohawk. We got him some fake tats and I wrote my name in cursive on the back of his neck.

Still Alive

2007-09-30T17:45:00.000-07:00

When Tyler was born, Jonathan kept reminding me that we just had to survive the first two months and then we would be okay. We are still alive, so I guess we're doing good. Tyler is growing like a weed. He looks like a sumo wrestler who has indulged in a few too many Golden Corrall Buffets. He's pretty tubby, but we like him that way. He started to smile last week. He smiles the most at Riley. Maybe it's because she is always in his face. We are having lots of fun with our two cute kids. Here are some pictures to show what we've been up to.

Riley likes to "share" with Tyler

Riley loves it when Tyler sits next to her.

Miss Independent

Sleeping Angel

The layered look

Getting ready for winter (minus the pants)

And then there were four...

2007-07-23T13:32:00.001-07:00

We are happy to announce the newest addition to the Johnston fam. Tyler Mickelsen Johnston arrived on July 19, 2007. We weren't expecting him for a few more weeks, but after a small tear in the amniotic sac, subsequent induction and wonderful epidural, he is here. Because we now have two kiddos, we thought we should start an official blog about the going ons of the Johnston family.

Our sweet little boy

Tyler and a very happy mama

Riley loves her new little brother. She has a little step stool that she carries around with her so that she can get up high enough to see what we are doing, i.e. changing diapers and giving Tyler a bath. Her favorite task is helping burp Tyler.

This kid loves to sleep!

And just because she is so darn cute....

Just practicing putting baby brother in a head lock.

We went to the Outer Banks with Jonathan's family in June. Other than a few windy days, it was perfect! Riley loved spending so much time with her cousins and especially loved all of the attention from Omi

We were supposed to take Papa's big truck to the beach, but he got into an accident 3 days before we left. We ended up packing everything into our car. At least Riley was well protected.

Riley's two favorite things...the ocean and her daddy.

Nora, is Riley being a poor loser?

Our little family (sans Tyler)

Stay tuned for more OBX 2007 pictures...

(basically you will see them when I have time, so check back in about 18 years)