Carving Pumpkins

One last post today, phew! Last night for FHE we carved our pumpkins (which we grew ourselves, by the way). Here are some photos:

For Penny

My sister Penny gave this cute sweater outfit to Maren. It was worn by her daughter, Hannah, some 12 years ago. I thought she might like to see how cute my Maren looks in it (oh, and the rest of you blog readers out there...). Thanks, Penny and we love you!

Ellie wants a photo taken too:

Do I have cute girls, or what?!?
PS Penny made the blanket Maren is laying on, too.

Madison and Ryan Weekend

Madison and Ryan came and spent Friday night with us this last weekend and we had a fabulous time with them. They are such great kids, it is really a pleasure to have them. We went to the park, made yummy calzones, caramel apples, and played games.

Madison snapped this photo of Maren:

Pumpkinland

My friend, Lora, and I took our kids to a local nursery. They had a great time running (2 and 3 year olds don't walk) through the maze and loved the play places, especially the bouncy slide.

A train passes by (within several feet of the playground) and all three kids automatically put their hands over their ears. Taking a rest on a huge pumpkin.
Maren enjoyed herself too.

And It Just Keeps Getting Better

Four years ago today, my sweetheart and I were sealed in the Manti temple. That was the beginning....of well, just about everything. We can hardly remember what life was like before we were married - I guess because the most important things revolve around our little family and it all started here: A beautiful (but cold) morning in Manti, by the way. We made our home here:And here we are in the Carribean - notice my lovely braided hair, and Nick's 'mountain man' look (I encouraged him not to shave, I think it's sexy). Oh, and also notice that we are both several pounds heavier. I was about 8 weeks pregnant. One and one makes three. We welcome baby Ellie into our home. Nick gets a new job and we decide it is time for us to move into a new home. Besides, Ellie needed grass to play in and dirt to dig in. We move here:Yes, there was lots of dirt to dig in, but the grass was yet to come (which it did...a year later).

Here's our little family in Oregon:And Zion's National Park (I was six months pregnant):
And now we fill our car. We welcome baby Maren into our home.
And our happy family (on a trip to St. George):
So now here we are. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Remember When...

*My life didn’t revolve around naptime?
*I went to a movie (or anywhere else) without arranging a babysitter at least three days in advance, and scheduling time to pump?
*I could stay up (by choice!) until 2am?
*I slept all the way through the night, without interruption?
*I didn’t have to use all my spare moments cleaning house (and it’s still a mess)?
*I would do one load of laundry a week?
*I actually did fun things on a Saturday, instead of yard work?
*I went exercising whenever I wanted to?
*I grabbed my keys and ran out the door?
*Shopping was a pleasurable experience? And restaurants?
*I slept in on Saturday mornings?
*I watched tv without worrying about the bad influence it was having on my two year old?
*I arranged my home for looks or practicality, instead of safety?
*My husband and I went on a weekly date?
*Evenings were relaxing?
*My house stayed clean for more than 10 minutes?
*I only carried a purse with me?

Would I trade it all to go back to those days? Not a chance.

The Way I See Things

Hi, I'm Ellie. Today's blog is all about me! Here I am having a picnic with my Elmos (my mom had some pizza and ice cream too!). I love to play with my pretend food and dishes! This is me throwing a tantrum. My mom told me that I couldn't play with something that I really wanted to! How mean is she!? Usually I throw myself on the floor, though, and not my comfy bed.
This is a really cool freezer box that my parents bought for me (the bonus was the freezer that came inside, says Mom). I loved playing with my friends in here, notice the crayon on the 'walls' and the popcorn on the 'floor'? Yep, we did that. I also loved to eat my snacks and play with my toys in here too. Mom said I couldn't sleep in it because I might wake up in the night and be scared. Mom has since thrown most of my box away, she says it's too big to keep in our family room. I have a smaller version in my bedroom, so that's pretty cool.

Look at me! I am one stylin' dude. I love to wear my sunnies and my mom's shoes. In fact, my mom just bought these shoes, and I've worn them more than she has!
I love to play in the dirt! I make mountains and birthday cakes, and sometimes mud pies (like below). This is me yesterday while mom was pulling out the tomato plants.
I am a natural born artist! Look at that beautiful painting. I especially love to swish the brush in the water, and then paint my hands and the table, which is why mom says I need a break from painting for awhile.
And guess what? I went potty in the toilet all day yesterday! Yeah for me! The trick for me is letting me do it all by myself, I don't want an audience. Mommy says that's okay with her!

Gardner Village

Last week we went to Gardner's Village with some friends. Here are some photos of our outing:

Ellie with her friends Abbey and Elise. Ellie with a really cute, silly grin.
Mom and her girls.


The End. More postings to come soon.

The Many Faces of Maren

Sad faceHappy face (taken 2 seconds afer 'sad face')
'Mommy, won't you pick me up?' face (taken 2 seconds after happy face)
By the way, after these photos were taken I did pick up my sweet Maren and loved and kissed her lots and lots.

A Review

Ellie and I took Maren to her two month check-up today. This is my least favorite doctor's visit because they are just so little and it makes me sad when they get their shots. I was brave though :) Maren screamed for a few minutes and has been happy ever since. She is growing well - 12 lbs. 8 oz (86%) and 24.2 in. (96%). She grinned and grinned at the doctor and he commented that most babies her age are not near as responsive. Yep, she's my smiley girl.
We celebrated Nick's birthday with his family by eating, of course. We barbecued burgers (well, the birthday boy did... the rest of us just partook) and enjoyed birthday cherry pie (Nick's choice - he also made his own pie, I just couldn't do it justice - he is the pie man, afterall), cupcakes, and homemade vanilla ice cream. Here's a photo of Grandpa Dale with Maren:And Ellie helping Dad open presents:
And here's Grandpa Dale with Seth. Seth enjoyed the cupcakes.
This is a common scene at the Johnson home - I'm not sure who is putting who to bed here. Usually Nick falls asleep before Ellie does.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Pie Man

On this day, in honor of my sweet husband, I thought I'd tell you all why he is so awesome:1. He is a funny guy. He makes me laugh with the things he says.
2. He takes his responsiblity of breadwinner seriously. I often joke with him that he is my sugar daddy and it is true.
3. He wants me to be home with the kids.
4. My family loves him. Honestly, if they had to choose between the two of us, they would probably choose him.
5. He is a kind and generous man. I've never heard him say a bad word about another person. He would walk the world if a friend or family member needed him to. He is easy to talk to, and could strike up a conversation with anyone.
6. He has a desire to be obedient to the Lord. He has a strong testimony of the gospel and strives to live it.
7. He has integrity - he is a man of his word.
8. He is a very good, loving, husband. I get kind of greedy with the time I have with my Nicolas - I don't like to give it up. Although, I must admit that these days, especially with his church calling, I am learning to share.
9. He gave me these: He is a fabulous daddy. Just last night, he gave Ellie a bath and then held Maren until she fell asleep (all without being asked, mind you).
10. He is very talented. He likes to cook, play in the dirt (soil), work with wood, and etc. He is an extrememly handy man to have around the house. If he doesn't know how to do something, he learns. There is no job that he is intimidated by.
These are just a few of my favorite things about my darling husband...Happy Birthday, Sweetheart! I love you.

Cousins

Conference weekend was wonderful, and we are sad that it is over. We spent quite a bit of time at Nick's parent's house, which was a good time. Ellie had fun with her cousin, Seth - for the most part, anyway. I have yet to understand two year olds. They love the idea of playing with friends, but when it comes right down to it, all they do is fight over toys and try to defend their space. It drives me nuts (aargh). They both survived, though. Seth is almost 18 months and was staying clear of Ellie by the end of the evening. He'll learn to defend himself soon enough and give Ellie a run for her money.

Maren and cousin, Maybe, both got cute pumpkin shirts from Grandma Dee and both showed up wearing them. The funny part was that they were also wearing the same pants, bought by their mothers seperately - so they were twinners. What cute girls.

Ellie is doing more than beating up on her little cousin. She is actually a very well behaved child as long as their aren't other little kids around. She is really into singing lately and sings along with all her toys, and was even singing along with songs on the radio. She really wants to do the potty thing - she wants to wear underwear and sit on the potty but she has yet to be successful at it. Mom is trying to be patient with the whole thing. She loves her baby sister and likes to hold her and read her books.
Maren has discovered that she has a voice and has been talking a lot this past week. We also get an occassional laugh, too, which is the greatest sound in the whole world. She is a happy baby and smiles all the time.