Happy Mothers Day

My mom is so fabulous!! She was always a mom that taught us that anything is possible. Her motto is "Kill them with Kindness". I remember as a little girl if my mom ever heard my friends and I talking about someone else she always stepped in and pointed out something positive about that person and let my friends and I know that she did not like how we were talking. I remember being embarrassed sometimes but she taught me so much by doing that. She is never afraid to defend what she believes in, or stick up for an individual no matter how unpopular her view may be. She is very, very, loyal and would do anything at any time for her family and
friends. She is a comforter. She always knows what to say to others who are having a hard time in life, or suffering in some way. She is always serving others and finding ways to help and give hope to those around her. I remember as a little girl always having someone staying with us that had a broken home and needed a place to stay for a while. She always encouraged us to think of kids at school that did not have friends or might be a little different and had us invite them to our parties or over to play. Shes always is in the moment. She acts as if she has all the time in the world, which makes you feel so important if you are chatting with her, or need something. She loves to joke, be silly, and she loves to laugh. She truly just loves life in anything she does. As I get older it seems like I can call my mom and she always has an answer or words of encouragement to keep me going. I love you mom!!

OK so my family started a family tradition a few years back and I love it!! Every mothers day the men cook, the woman sit in the dining room, and the men sit in the kitchen with all of the children and have to be at our beckon call. We are actually quite obnoxious about it and milk it for all it is worth. We have them refill our glasses, bring us seconds, salt our food, you name it, they do it. It is so fun to sit with the ladies uninterrupted and just chat while we are waited on. The guys are troupers and put up with us for the evening. Love you Shaun. Thanks for a fabulous mothers day.

My good friend sent me this great quote by Sister Hinkley and it is now one of my favorites.

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car

Wearing beautiful tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed and

With long perfectly manicured fingernails.

I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels

From taking kids to Scout camp.

I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing

Sister Scheck's lawn.

I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from

Making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children.

I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping

Weed someone's garden.

I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and

Tears of a friend on my shoulder.

I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.



Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Roxcys 1st Birthday!!

Here is Roxcys first birthday sign and birthday pancake breakfast. She does not look impressed. :)

Being smuthered by kisses by big bro. and sis.

Roxcy was so funny. She did not want anything to do with her cake. She was afaid to touch it. McKay and I showed her how it is supposed to be done but once again she was not impressed. :)

The cake that of course my little sis cherisse made. She always does such a great job. Thanks Cherisse

This tutu was made for Jaden but looks so cute on Roxcy too. She did not like the tutu, but found this flower and really examined it for a bit while I snapped some pics. Then she tried to eat it. What a little cutie!

Roxcys birth and hospital stay

These pictures are all mixed up, but this is right after I had Roxcy and right before they knew that there was something wrong with her. My whole family was there (even Jaden and McKay) in the waiting room, so they all got to see her before she was taken to the nursery and then to banner desert. She was so cute and looked so much like McKay.

This was the first time we got to hold her at Banner Desert and I remember being so afraid to even move.

This was Roxcy getting ready to be taken by air vac to banner desert. Her first helicopter ride at 1 day old.

This was a very emotional birthday for me. It is hard to believe that Roxcy was born a year ago and had to be taken to Banner Desert to the NICU. I have never actually written this down anywhere so this is a bit hard. She had undeveloped lungs and was not breathing on her own. It seriously was the most depressing feeling in the world to come home without her. I knew she was in good hands, but to not come home with her and to see her hooked up to so many things and see her struggling to breath was so terrible as a mother. She had tubes in her nose and down her throat. I remember after her first night at banner desert the nurses told me that she was a fighter and that her name suited her very well. Her first night the nurse had to put all of her tubes back in twice because she kept yanking them out with her tiny little hands. I remember feeling so proud of her at 2 days old that she had the will to do that. :) I knew at that moment that she did not want to be there as much I did not want her there. The hardest part was Shaun and I could not hold her for about 4 days we could only touch her foot or hand. When they finally told us we could hold her I think I held her for 2 hours straight without moving a muscle before I let Shaun hold her and my bum was totally numb. Then Shaun held her for 2 hours. We did that shift the rest of the day and I was in heaven. She truly is our little miracle baby. Shauns parents and my parents would come down to the hospital and switch off so Shaun and I could have a break. They were so wonderful and supportive. The nurses would always ask if Roxcy ever got put down, but after they told us we could hold her there was no going back. I can not imagine her not in our lives. She brings so much joy into our home. She is our little peace maker and comedian. If Jaden and Mckay are fighting, and they see Roxcy, they just get the biggest grins on their faces and start laughing. They truly adore her. She has this larger than life spirit and observes her surroundings constantly. I am glad that ordeal is over with and we were able to celebrate such a fun birthday. When I look back at that day I can remember feeling so absolutley afraid for my brand new baby, but never alone. I had all my family around me, and so many wonderful, supportive friends that came down to the hospital and did so much for me in my time of need. I feel (to say the least) blessed for so many amazing people in my life and to be a mom of three little angels.

Easter 2008

My kids were obsessed with coloring Easter Eggs this year. We did it at school, then twice at home. They usually would color the egg and then crack it open and eat it. They did not get the concept that the Easter bunny was going to hide them.

Easter dinner at my moms house with me, Roxcy, Cherisse, Tracy, Juliette, and Emily. I feel pretty blessed to have such incredible woman in my family and in my life. They are all so strong, smart, fun and crazy. They always inspire me to be a better person. Love you ladies

Show me the goods. McKay, Quinn, Jaden, Truman, Carson, and Malloy after a hunt at my moms house.

Exhausted from the hunt and taking a little break.

Since we have church at 8:00 the Easter Bunny decided to come and hide eggs after church. The Easter Bunny is so considerate and always works with my time schedule. :)

McKay after church on Easter Sunday. He looked so dang cute!

Jaden who scored on the Easter Eggs. When she prayed this night she asked if Heavenly Father could have the Easter Bunny come again to our house and bring her more candy. He was tied up though.

Roxcy was hilarious! She loved trying to pull those plastic eggs apart. She would sit and concentrate so hard until she got them open

She was in sugar Heaven on her first Easter. I would have liked to say that that was the first day she had tasted candy, but I have a mom who gave Roxcy Diet Dr. Pepper at 3 months. And, who knows what else. Know wonder my kids love Mimi so much. They get whatever they want. :)

Creating a canvas on the porch

This is McKay, Jaden, and our neighboor friend Brodee. That is not mud. It is paint and it was everywhere. I was so mad! Of course I made them smile and pose first, and then they got in trouble. Apparantley no one can come over to our house without getting wet, muddy, or a bucket of paint on them. :)

It's a miracle!!! I am posting and hopefully not getting any more threats from my cousin Missy! :)

Birthday dinner for Jaden, Aunt Mariann, and me. Thanks mom and dad Johnson!

Three Birthday Girls. Aunt Mariann, Jaden, and mom

Grandma Johnson and her girl

So excited to be four! We had to have our birthday breakfast with a pancake "J" and birthday sign. Growing up my mom and dad always did this for us and now my kids get so excited for it.

Big brother was just as excited as Jaden for her birthday

Jadens big day! The princess tea party. This was borrowed from a friend ( thanks molly) and it was all real and so adorable. The girls (most) were very careful as they poured their lemonade and ate their food. Thanks to my cute sisters Juliette and Cherisse, my mom, my mom-n-law, and Aunt Mariann who came and helped and made Jadens day even more special. Love you

Seriously all of these girls were so cute! Jaden, Maddi, Carly, and cousin Nixie

Sleeping Beauty made a guest appearance and Mckay was being so shy. I had to take a pic of it. I don't think I have ever seen him get shy around anybody

Sleeping beauty danced with the girls, read stories, put on makeup, and ate with the girls. (thank you Loretta)

Jaden and Nixie decided it would be funny to put nerds (the candy) on the couch and pick up as many as they could (with their mouths) before they rolled onto the ground. Look at those mischievous grins. These two are Trouble with a capital "T"!

Mimi came in her best tea party attire and assisted with putting makeup on the little girls. They were in heaven. Isn't my moms hat the best.

My girls!! Mom, Roxcy, and Jaden

Jaden staring in awe at sleeping beauty as she entered

Jaden did not stop smiling after Sleeping Beauty arrived

The birthday cake. Jaden was in heaven when she saw this sleeping beauty cake for her 4th birthday (Which was March 8th. Better late then never.) I asked my sister Cherisse to help me with this cake which consisted of me going to her house and telling her how good she was doing, how cute it was, and handing her some frosting. Thanks Cherisse you saved the day!

TAGGED

My cute cousin Missy has Tagged me and I am sure some of my answers will have some of you wondering how you are friends with such a crazy girl...... but, here it goes.

10 years ago: I had been back from my mission for about a month. I was still asking my sisters to go everywhere with me so I would have a companion. When my friends wanted to hang out I would ask for a specific time, location, people going, what I needed to bring, and exactly what time I would be home. Very nerdy.

5 things on my to do list today: Since it is 10 at night, the only thing I have left to do is a date with my bed for some much needed sleep. Here is what was on my to do list today.

1. Went to aerobics at the church with all of my children and worked out. ( I realized it was time to put my words into action when my three year old daughter told me at church yesterday in the bathroom stall that my bum was to big for the potty. And yes, the bathroom was full of women. Love those honest comments! :))
2. Went to Walmart to do a little grocery shopping.
3. Dropped Jaden and McKay off at a Birthday party at 1:00
4. Made dinner for our dinner group ( If you have no idea about this one, you need to know. It is the best invention ever!)
5. Grandma and Grandpa came over to have FHE with the fam. This consists of McKay and Jaden wrestling, jumping, spinning, dancing, tickling, and basically being completely out of control while grandma and grandpa tell them how cute they are. Then we end with a prayer. :)

5 snacks I enjoy: Are you serious? What snack don't I enjoy?

1. Haagen Das Almond and chocolate covered vanilla ice cream bars ( there are three in each box and I can easily consume the whole thing).
2. Almond Roca
3. Cold Cereal
4. Vanilla bean ice cream
5. And of course the "Pazookie"!!

5 places I have lived:

1. Tempe, AZ
2. Mesa, Az
3. Provo, UT
4. Salt Lake City, UT
5. Queen Creek, AZ
wow!!! I am so impressed with this. :)

What would I do if I was suddenly made a Billionaire:

First, I would buy my dad a brand new, no miles on it, right off the lot, car of his choice. Then, I would by a huge beach house with 10 bed rooms right on the beach for my entire family, fly them all out and tell them that I won a weekend at a fun beach house. Then when they all arrived, and we were all together, I would tell them that we actually now owned the beach house. I get excited just thinking about the reaction. Can you stand it? Then, I would let each member of my family and Shauns family pick out whatever car they wanted and drive it off the lot. Start plans on a custom home on a huge lot of land. Make sure that I bought the other surrounding lots of land so I could live next to my sisters and give the other lots of land to my closest friends and make a perfect neighborhood. Take a trip to Europe with Shaun and stay in all the 5 star hotels. Take a trip to Disneyland with Shaun and the kids for 2 weeks and stay in the nicest room in Disney land and order room service every meal. Take a trip with my sisters, mom, sister n laws, and closest friends and family to a spa for a week and receive messages when ever we like. Go to Oprah ( better yet, be on Oprah!) Give money to friends, family, charity, church, and always have money on hand to give to those homeless guys you see on the corner. This is one of my favorite topics to talk about with my sister. It's fun to dream.

5 jobs I have had:

1. Dance teacher
2. Olan Mills
3. Sears
4. Computer company
5. Dental office

5 things you didn't know about me:

1. I will start with my favorite. My last month on my mission my companion and I were serving in Pres. Hinkleys sons ward and teaching someone in his home. His son invited us over on Christmas for Christmas dinner. It was Clark Hinkley, his wife Kathleen, and their four beautiful children, and my companion and I. All of a sudden President Hinkley, Sister Hinkley, and their body guard come walking in the front door. They joined us for dinner and my comp and I sat directly across from Pres. and Sister Hinkley. I even told a joke which President Hinkley did not get. We laughed, took pictures, and enjoyed watching him just be a grandpa. It is truly one of my most cherished memories that I will never forget.
2. I was really sick for the first four days of my honey moon. Throwing up, fever, the whole nine yards. Poor Shaun
3. Went para sailing in Nice, France with Aubrey after our missions and we were laughing so hard while flying through the air that I peed. Poor people in the boat. I have a bladder problem. :)
4. One summer Aubrey, Becky and I would sneak into Kino Junior High pool at night and go skinny dipping. That makes me laugh as I am typing this.
5. I threw out my back one time while doing a flip on the diving board, trying to show off for a boy I was visiting in Alabama. His mom insisted that a bath would make me feel better. I managed to get in with no problem, but to my complete horror, I realized that I could not get out. I laid there and wished that I could magically disappear. Then, his sister n law and mom knocked on the door and came in. I started crying and told them I couldn't get out. They then proceeded to lift me out. One had one leg and arm and the other had the other arm and leg. They got a pretty good show to say the least. hehehe

Now I get to tag 5 people...... I tag Heidi, Michelle, Melissa S., Juliette, Lorena. Good luck ladies