Ketchup and Mustard!

So I'm playing ketchup now. I've tried to go to the library a few more times, but Kel will have none of it. She can't possibly sit still for more than a minute three seconds. I'm currently on Aaron's work computer, and he is sweating. If I give his computer a virus, he's tossing me out. So let's get right to it....Lanny turned 11 on the 15th of September. I'm still in shock, but as long as I take my anti-shock pills every morning I manage to function! He is a great young man and we are so blessed to have him in our family. He loves to read, experiment (including taking all electrical entities apart), and make people laugh. He is quite the ham, but also very charming. Just an example...I was talking to a bunch of students and telling them how to write a certain type of poem. You know the one where you take a word like BRI and then find words that start with each letter to describe the word. So I said, "B as in Beautiful, R as in Radiant..." then I paused and with out missing a beat Lanny chimed in, "I as in Ignorant." Yeah, he's a little too clever for his own good, it made everyone laugh. He's a great kid, yes, he has his moments, but he is still a super duper sweetheart and a great big brother!

Okay, so this is just a random shot that popped up. Daddy patiently painting Kel's fingernails, it was sooooo sweet!

Here's the birthday pics. We just had cake and ice cream at home with Grandma and Grandpa Johnson. Simple and fun!

Lanny tried soooo hard to blow out all 11 candles, but nope, he couldn't do it. The last one hung in there...

Get closer, Lanny, nope, it still wouldn't go out. It took several other people to help get it out...so funny, he was kind of embarrassed. But when you're as old as he is, it takes a few tries!

First Day!

Update...I'm using the library computer...sob, sob, sob! Due to my computer issues, this post is a week late. The kids started school this last week (Sept. 3), we’re a late start, but we love it because August has great camping weather! We had a great summer, but the kids were ready to go back. I think the structure is good for them and even though I miss them, I think we all needed a break from 24/7 togetherness. I was worried that they would hate going back, but they love their new classes and teachers. The only problem is getting up at 6:30am! I know, pretty harsh! Keston took a nap every day after school this week, and Louie took a nap on Thursday for three hours. And you all know my kids, they don’t take naps. I think in about two weeks, we’ll have the hang of it, but right now all of us are a bit sleep deprived and a titch cranky. I was worried about Kel, but she hasn’t seemed too distraught. I think she is enjoying “Mommy solo time”, but give it a few more days and she’ll be out of her mind bored. Look at the following pictures below to find out what grade my kids are in….please make sure you’re seated because it will shock you! Lanny is no longer three. Although, I’m still seventeen and I don’t look a day over fifteen!

No, she's not upset about her siblings leaving. She doesn't want to hold that stupid sign!

Poor Man's Jackson Hole

Aaron had some training in Cody, WY, so we accompanied him as our vacation for this summer. While he was in classes, we were in the hotel pool. I actually didn't get any pictures because we were always swimming. But it was fun. We went window shopping, swam, watched SpongeBob, swam, swam, well, you get the idea. All my kids are getting to be really good swimmers and none of them are afraid to their heads under. We also visited the Cody Dam, which is super high and Louie thought about dropping Aaron's phone over the edge, but we stopped her before there was an accident. There was also a little LDS visitors center in the church building. We stopped by and were looking around when Kel started pulling on my hand and she was laughing and smiling. She pulled me over to show me the miniature Christus statue. We talked about it for a moment then I put her down and continued looking, she immediately started tugging on my hand and pulling me back. She was pointing and laughing and so happy. She had to touch the statue. She knew Jesus, it was such an amazing moment for me. I honestly believe that she isn't talking because she still remembers so much from her premortal life. I wish I could say that I knew Jesus that well. It's my kids that teach me about the important things. Love that little girl!
After Aaron was done with his training. We went home by way of Thermopolis and the natural hot springs. We stayed over one night and went swimming the next day. It was really fun. The pools were around 99 degrees (I think) and there were three different slides. I loved the big, mondo, oh you're so brave slide. Keston loved the indoor one, which made me claustrophobic. And Kel loved the little one that was about the length of two adults. They had a high jump, which Lanny, Louie, and Aaron went off of, seriously, they're nuts. I definitely think we need to go back sometime!
We were able to travel through Yellowstone Park and see some mud pots and buffalo. We stopped to look at dinosaur footprints, and enjoyed family time and tag in the park!


Fair Week

So I'm back tracking a ways due to computer issues. The first week in August was fair week and this is always a busy week for us (okay, well for the last two years it has been). The girls showed horses of course, so there was lots of practicing and then the three older ones all entered items in the town booth. Lanny entered flies that he had tied, paintings and drawings, and a leather coaster he had tooled. Louie entered paintings, cookies, and a fly. Kessie entered paintings, a scrapbook page, and cookies. They all did really well. They were sooooo excited to go look and see what ribbons they won. And then they were even more excited to go get the money that went along with the ribbons. We went home that first day of fair and the kids immediately started working on projects for next year...I've promptly put all their new projects in a very safe place and consequently will never see them again.
The riding didn't go so well this year, but even though neither of my girls got first, they are riding better and are much more confidant than last year, so I'm proud of them. There were some safety issues with another horse, and Louie removed herself and Kessie from the situation and thus didn't place, but hey, she's alive and that's what counts! They still looked super fantastic on their horses. They are planning next year and excited to compete in an older competition (we'll see...) and already picking out music for their performances.

Grandma got the girls some show shirts, which they loved! Louie showed Wendell, Grandma's show horse. She loves him and they did really well together. This is her during Showmanship.

Louie got fourth in Showmanship...this was her first time, so she did fab!

Louie during walk/trot. Her and Kessie competed together, which didn't make Louie happy.

Kessie looks serious during walk/trot, but she loves being in the saddle! She was pretty nervous, though. Kessie got fifth in walk/trot.

This was my favorite shot with both of them riding together. Louie looked out for Kessie. So proud of both of them!



Grandma on her Wendell. She competed in several classes, but freestyle reigning is everyone's favorite. There isn't a pattern and everyone gets to dress however they want and pick music to ride to. It is sooooo fun to watch and the stands are always full.

Grandma rode to the song "Better Dig Two". And I am not exaggerating she was the crowd favorite. She did fabulous! This is the competition the girls want to ride in next year.

Interruption...

We interrupt our regularly scheduled program for this important announcement...I HATE MY COMPUTER!!! That is all, feel free to continue on with your lives.


Okay, so I have been trying to update my blog for two weeks and for whatever reason my computer won't work, I also can't e-mail. (Currently using my phone.) So, I do want to share pictures with everyone, and I know you all are dying to know about my life, but we'll all have to be patient. I'm going to keep trying and I think I'll break down and head to the library once the kids are back in school this week...yeah, sad I know (my kids going back to school and having to use the library computer are both sad for me.)

Until then have some happy days!

Crazy Woman!

She is. I'm not kidding. I love my mother-in-law, but she's nuts. She's uberly talented and one of her talents is with horses. I've mentioned before that she rides, trains, and shows horses. We recently went to one of her shows, which was great, but I got to watch an in between training session. Never again. I was a nervous wreck. She was in an indoor arena with walls...walls I tell you. During this session she was working on her sliding stops. It's where you get your horse going insanely fast and then tell them to stop and the horse tucks it's butt under and slides, kicking up dust. It looks awesome when you are watching a performance...not a practice...because...she was running crazy fast at a wall...a wood wall, a wall that is harder than her and her horse. I hope you've noticed my use of words such as crazy, insane and nuts. So continuing on. To add to this "training" one of the walls she was running at had a burning or some such thing of a cowboy and cow on it. Yeah, it looked just like someone had hit the wall and left their mark. Made me nervous! Anyways, she did great and Wendell (her horse) only lightly touched the wall with his nose once, but I had her whole obituary written out in my head (it was a beautiful and touching obituary with a bit of humor added in). I've always thought it would be fun to learn to ride, but I've rethought it and now I'm content to play Yahtzee. Here's a pic of her heading at the wall at warp speed. A couple pics of her performing afterwards to show that she survived!

Let's just call this picture, "In the Nick of Time"!

Please notice the fabulous positioning of the banner in the background. The King Equestrian Center is where she trains and it is a great facility. All opinions are my own, but I wouldn't mind a check in the mail for my endorsement...just in case anyone at the facility is looking at this!

Here's one of those stops I was telling you about. Nice and safe in the open!



She makes it look so easy. I wish!

Thing 1 and Thing 2

My cute, talented friend from Cheyenne (who no longer lives in Cheyenne either), made Thing 1 and Thing 2 costumes for her kids one year for Halloween. We had a combined birthday party for Kel and my nephew Jace this year. Since he was turning one and Kel was turning two I thought a Thing 1 and Thing 2 party would be perfect. So I copied my friend, and I think the results were awesome! Thanks for the inspiration, Holli, love ya, miss ya!
I didn't tell my sis-in-law what I was doing, but just had her come. We ate and chatted and then when it was time for the actual party to start, I took Kel and Jace in and came out and surprised everyone! Yeah, they're darling, I know!
We danced with pom-pom thingies, blew bubbles, and had a water blob (saw on the internet). The little kids weren't too sure of the water blob at first, but it became a huge hit....soooo loved it! Thing 1 and Thing 2 hair party hats along with blue crepe streamers and red balloons were the decorations. We didn't even blow out candles, we got too involved in the ice cream, but that was okay, I think everyone had a great time! Love these two little munchkins, they are such blessings in our lives and I'm soooo happy they will have each other to play with as they grow!

Thing 1 and Thing 2. Happy Birthday, Babies!

This is as close to a normal family picture as we get...yeah, I know, we rock!

Love this pic! She is soooo happy!

Thing 1 liked the plastic as well as the ice cream!

Thing 1 and his cute Mommy!

Thing 2 is soooo excited to be two. She is actually yelling, "Doo, Doo!"

This is my model on the water blob. She actually got on it, saw me get my camera, and posed for me. What a ham!

Auntie and Kel jumping on the blob. Kel was roaring with laughter!

Here's a group shot of the blob. It was cool and refreshing and the place to be!

Great Grandma and Grandma, enjoying the party.

Jace got a cowboy hat and stick pony from Grandma and Grandpa! Cute Cowboy!

Louie was playing with Jace and his new Jack in the Box! He loved it!

Cowgirl Thing 2. She got a pink stick pony!

And the greatest part of the party...the cupcakes. I wanted them to have blue frosting swirling up looking like the blue hair. NAILED IT!!!