Ketchup

Our computer died about a week and a half ago.  Luckily most everything was backed up and we were able to get it fixed enough to keep it chugging a bit longer.  That's not even my excuse for not blogging, because it wasn't until today that I realized it's been 3 weeks since my last post.  Ugh!  It's one of those things where we've been so busy but I'm not even sure with what.  Sadly my camera of choice for months has been my phone which takes crappy pictures but I've just felt unmotivated to bring my big, bulky guy with me on our outings.  I am anxious for school to be out so we can have a relaxing summer and not have to dash in a million directions at once.  Our Baldwin has been a joy to have in our home.  The kids all adore him and he is by far the playmate of choice in the house now.  He is such a mellow, low key puppy, I've wondered if there might be something wrong with him!  Every day after school Gavin reads with his head resting on Baldwin's chest, and every night Cameron keeps him in his room for an hour reading with him snuggled up on the floor. Mason loves to play fetch with him, and Baldwin still tries to fit in his tiny lap for a rest.  Jeremy and I have been going to class every week with him and have learned so much.  We just had our first "walk and talk"  which is just an evaluation of the progress we've made with Baldwin and creating some goals for the next few months.  He did so well that he earned his guiding eyes jacket which means he can truly go wherever we go and we need to start bringing him with us more.  I got teary just talking to our regional coordinator about how attached the boys and Jeremy and I are getting to him already.  He really is the sweetest pup and so well behaved that he is basically raising himself and no amount of ruining on our part will make him fail.  I keep reminding the kids of the bigger picture which is that Baldwin will someday change someones life forever in a way that no "pet" can.  Wherever he ends up, he will have a piece of each of our hearts with him.    Mason ends preschool forever next week.  Yikes I am not ready for that.  I even shed a few tears writing our last preschool check to that humble little 4 R's.  He is all registered for kindergarten and so excited to be a big kid.  He keeps telling me how sad I will be with him gone every day.  I don't need the reminders...  I chaperoned a trip to Cows and Corn with Gavin this week.  Gavin had his buddies Nick and Dylan in his group and we learned all about the farm.  His favorite part was the tractor ride that took us to the newborn calves and where they milk the mamas.  His teacher is the greatest this year, it is sad that we will be leaving her behind in less than a month.  Cameron and Gavin also have been participating in a track program put on by the local Running Store.  This has been a big change from spring baseball but the kids enjoy it more and try harder every time to improve their time.  Plus I love that it is only twice a week at the same time for both kids and next year Mason can participate as well.  They both enjoy the shorter distance sprints rather than the longer runs, but are getting better at both.  This past weekend I hosted a little get together with my sister Kristin and my mom for a late mother's day brunch.  We don't do enough of those little get togethers.  The kids loved having their cousins here and far and away the big hit was the kittens!  Good thing we had one for each of them.  They are three weeks old now and just getting fun and cute!  Gavin keeps telling me he is going to sneak one in his backpack to school.  Every morning after they leave I go up to count them and make sure he really hasn't!

So that is the low down.  I hate just spouting off tidbits but they are things I'd like to remember someday.  I tell myself I'm hanging in there with this blog because I want my kids to be able to look back and remember some of the fun things we did when they were little.  But I want them to remember the little things too.  Like today when we had a freak rain shower amid sunny skies during dinner.  We all dropped our forks and ran outside to dance and look for a rainbow.  We were drenched from head to toe.  And I want them to remember that sometimes they do all get along, like in the quiet of the morning when they all sneak into Cameron's room to play legos and are so quiet because they know they're not supposed to be up yet.  And I want to remember that Gavin stays up late at his desk furiously writing down the stories in his mind and Cameron stays up to read his Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, but I caught him reading his scriptures the other night all on his own because he had a question he wanted to find the answer to.  And Mason?  Well some days he is good, and sweet, and selfless.  I cherish those days and love him on the rotten ones too.  He is the jalepeno in our salsa.  My kids are not not the quietest, and they forget to say please and thank you sometimes, and they enjoy farting jokes much more that I would like, but by golly I am PROUD of them and who they are inside.  And that is all.

 

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Lindy

Ever since last year when we fostered those two pregnant cats, the boys have been begging to do it again.  And if you'll remember right, the caveat to not keeping any of those 12 kittens was that we might be able to do it again.  Well, it's kitten season, and Dr. Murphy called me up from the shelter about a week and a half ago telling me that here was a beautiful pregnant mama, due just about any day.  I could not say no.  We x-rayed her at work and counted 6 little skulls and spines jammed in her petite framed abdomen.  I brought her home and the waiting began.  We named her Lindy.  She was so big and so uncomfortable, she would just roll around from her back to her belly and liked to lay on the cold tile on in the sink.  I was certain that she would have them any day and when Cara's girls could enjoy them during their trip here.  Sure enough, she waited until the night they left, right when the boys were about to go to bed.  Cameron and Gavin came to get me saying that Lindy had a little tail coming out of her bottom.  She did indeed, and 4 kittens were born back to back.  She took a bit of a break ad then delivered, numbers five and six, and them another!  One must've been hiding on x-ray, but in the end there were four grey tabbies, one all grey, and two black kitties.  Five boys and two girls.  Another miracle to watch.  Each of the boys got to name two, and Jeremy one.  Cameron chose Gulliver and Indy, Gavin chose Finney and Griffin, and Mason picked Mars and Anders.  Jeremy was the most creative of the bunch with Rocky...  I'm so glad we could do this again even with all the work involved.  I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Keeping up with the Jones'

I have been very blessed in my life to know a few choice people that have become such close friends that time and distance cannot break those friendship bonds.  My friend Cara is one of them.  I met Cara my freshman year at BYU and we quickly latched on to each other.  We were bridesmaids at each others weddings, and have shared joys and heartaches that life has brought.  Although she and her family live in Park City, Utah, we have been able to keep up with each other, through rare visits, our blogs and occasional phone calls.  One of the best things about these types of friends is that even if you haven't spoken to them in years, when you are reunited it is like no time has passed passed and you pick right back up where you left off.  This time when Cara came to visit she brought her whole family.  Even though my boys were turned off at the fact that her two oldest were girls, it was a matter of minutes before they were off playing and laughing together.  They came to see and tour DC, hard-core style.  They went into town four days straight, and passed out each night just to do it all again the next day.  Saturday our family all joined them at Mount Vernon, even Baldwin, on his first big time outing.  Thankfully, he did great and the kids were pretty good along the way.  I am sad that they live all the way across the country but plans are already in the works for us to go visit them in the near future.  It won't come soon enough.

Mason's Nursing Home Performance

Last week Mason had a short performance for the residents of a local nursing home.  Our little ham loved every minute.  He was so excited to be the "daddy duck."

Jamaica!

 

Jeremy works really hard at work.  This year he worked REALLY hard.  Hard enough to have earned a spot as one of the top 25 producers in his company last year, which qualified he and a guest (me! me!) for an all expenses paid trip to Jamaica.  This is where I am so thankful that we live near family and that I have a mother that didn't mind exhausting herself for 5 days while my children ran her ragged.  Love, love, love you Mom and Jeff!  Even just flying into the airport in Montego Bay was breathtaking, the water was so turquoise and the trees were so green.  We felt like we were in a fairytale as our driver took us to the resort we would be staying at.  This is a place that we would never be able to afford to stay at and it was absolutely gorgeous.  Our suite had a patio that walked straight out to a private beach.  The water was warm and clear, and it was sunny and hot the whole time.  We ate amazing food and got to go snorkeling, seeing the most colorful, beautiful fish and coral.  One day we went on a zip line course that took you through the rainforest overlooking the ocean.  It was pretty terrifying, especially the suspended platform and the drops straight down, but really fun once you got past all of that.  We were also able to swim with the dolphins and actually on them!  That was an experience I will never forget.  We felt so spoiled and so grateful to be treated to a vacation of a lifetime.  It was so relaxing to be able to get up whenever we wanted to and not to have any responsibilities for a few days.  Funny how we missed those little buggers of ours though.  Maybe we can all go back to this paradise someday.

The Johnson FIVE!

The youngest Johnson turned a whopping high five today.  Five is a big deal in this house, it means starting school soon and getting some "big kid" responsibilities.  Mason has been talking about his birthday since April 10th of last year, planning and replanning all the details from his friend party (still to come) to what kind of cake he wants and where to go out to eat, etc.  He woke up this morning telling everyone happy birthday and laughing at the silliness of that, then opening his gifts,( legos!  super hero stuff!) and eating a mountain of donut holes for breakfast.  Our day involved a lot of running around since tomorrow Jeremy and I hop off to Jamaica for a few days and I had to get the kids and the dog ready for their perspective stay-overs, but they did sing to him at swim class and we did indeed go out to eat at Red Robin and then to Grandma's for cake and ice cream after which we tucked our three munchkins in there to stay and are now home in a very empty quiet house.  Of all of my boys, Mason may be my most difficult.  Mostly because he is a STUBBORN little guy that isn't afraid to speak his mind and plant his feet.  Sometimes he wants to be one of the big boys and do things on his own, without help, but sometimes he likes to stay the baby and regresses to asking for help with socks and shoes he's been putting on himself for years.  As frustrating as this can get, I often take a deep breath and realize most of the time this means he needs some more attention (even though it's always when I'm in a hurry!) and more of his mama.  Man this kid is clever and can reason his way out of anything.  When he is in a great mood I could just eat him up and his facial expressions make him fit for a camera career.  We sure do love this little guy and hope he keeps pushing us to our limit so we can evolve into better parents, pr at least more patient ones.