My Cute Kids

This post is for those who check my blog just to see cute photos of my kids. One of these days, I'll post some 'deep thoughts' for those who tire of the same 'ol 'here is what we did' routine. I do have deep thoughts. Sometimes.

Here is proof that we are enjoying the fruits (and vegetables) of the season. We are eating corn, tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, potatoes, garlic, peppers, cucumbers and raspberries from our garden. We also have celery and onions soon to be consumed. Speaking of food from the garden...Nick put up 38 pints of salsa on Saturday. While Nick tended to the sauce, I tended to our children, who enjoyed getting good and dirty in our backyard. They got soaking wet playing with the sprinkler, and then hit the sand. Yes, Maren is naked.

Sunday was the Oquirrh Mountain Temple dedication, so we spent the day at my parent's house. They watched the girls for us while we attended the dedication and later, while they went, Nick made up some mean chicken friend steak. Delicious. Anyway. Maren loved spending time with the cows and probably could've hung out with them the entire time. And here is a beautiful photo (if I do say so myself) of one of the many zinnias in our yard.

The Gardens

For FHE on Monday night we went to the Gardens. We didn't have much time, but we still had a great time.

Demeron's Wedding

This last Friday my nephew, Demeron, married the beautiful Jenna in the Logan temple. It was very nice to be there with family and see this young, very obviously in love couple make covenants with each other and the Lord. I know this isn't the best shot, but it's the best I've got. Cute cousins: Kaden, Ellie, Aspen, and Connor (picking his nose - lovely)

Ellie dancing with Kaden. How sweet is that?

And a sign from the temple parking lot.

Dinosaur Museum

This last Tuesday we went to the Dinosaur Museum ($2 Tuesdays in August). It was insanely, crazy busy and we didn't spend a lot of time looking around, but it was certainly worth the $2 (if I had to wait in the line for hours like some people, I don't know if I could say the same). Ellie enjoyed looking at the exhibits and I just tried to keep an eye on Ellie. Ellie was a little disturbed by the huge shark and told me she did not want to get in his mouth.
I think it would be worth it to pay the full price and spend some decent time there. Maybe someday when dad is available to come along.

Happy Birthday Maren!

Yesterday was Maren's birthday and we celebrated by having family over for a BBQ on the new patio.
Here is Maren's caterpillar cupcake cake. I am no queen of cakes, but I thought it turned out cute. And the important part is that Maren thoroughly enjoyed it -she devoured two cupcakes and some of dad's homemade ice cream too. Then it was present time. Here she is with the Raggedy Ann from Grandma Brown (it's tradition in our family for the grandkids to get a homemade Raggedy Ann or Andy from Grandma for a first birthday present). Maren just loved it, if you can't tell. She gave her a big hug right away.

And then Maren wandered the backyard, picking flowers and eating dirt. What a fun party.
My how my baby has grown.

Maren,

You are such a sweet, happy addition to our family. Thanks for being a calm, easy-going baby. Thank you for sleeping so well at night. Thank you for putting up with your older sister who thinks you are so great that she wants to be with you a lot of the time. Thank you for waving at strangers - it is really cute. Thank you for being so smiley and so giggly. Thank you for helping mom by playing with toys instead of hanging on her legs. Thanks for giving dad a big grin when he comes home from work - he likes that a lot. Thank you for letting us love and kiss on you all over. You are a special girl, and we know it.

We all love you lots and lots,

Mom

Brown Family Reunion

This year the Brown Family Reunion was held up at the Heber Valley Camp, which is owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Very, very impressive camp, and a whole lot of fun.
Friday we settled and had dinner and then tried to attend a family program (Maren was not very cooperative). We got kids settled and enjoyed a few minutes in front of a raging bonfire (thanks to my nephew Austin) before turning in ourselves for a very uncomfortable night of little sleep. Isn't that the definition of camping? (The definition of camping is definitely not a cabin with electricity, hot running water, and a cooking station complete with refrigerator and freezer, sink, and gas grills.)
Saturday was full of fun activities. First, I left the kids with dad and I enjoyed a hike with several from the family. Here is Alicia and I at our hiking destination (Deer Creek and Heber is in the background if you look closely). Ellie and Maren had a great time playing with cousins while I listened to Nick give a presentation on gardening. Then we played on Legacy Lake. We did the paddleboats, which was great fun.

Maren fell asleep almost immediately.

And Ellie enjoyed the 'sparkly water'.

Next was lunch with the entire Brown family. Maren became attatched to this watermelon slice and carried it around with her for a good long while. She ate it all and went back for seconds.

Then we packed up and headed home. It was a lot of fun being with the family and seeing relatives that I only see at these kind of events. What a fun day!

Coming Soon: Baby Number 3!

We are excited to announce that Johnson baby 3 is on his/her way! Here are some commonly asked questions:

When is baby due? February 12 - but really, I don't believe in due dates (Ellie was two weeks early; Maren, a week late), so I just say February. That makes me 12 1/2 weeks pregnant, for those who care.

So how far apart will Maren and the baby be? 18 months

Was this pregnancy planned? Yes, but we didn't expect it to happen so quickly, so it was kind of a surprise, but a pleasant surprise.

How have you felt? Yucky. I have good and bad moments. Evenings are the worst. Unlike my first two though, I haven't had any serious food aversions, which is good (and bad! I've gained 7 pounds already!). I had a serious lack of energy in the beginning, but that has thankfully picked up again. If you had seen my house, I couldn't have hidden the fact that I was pregnant.

Are you hoping for a boy? Of course. However, we'd be happy with another girl - and Nick reminds me that it would be cost effective.

How did Ellie respond to the news? We waited until we heard the heartbeat to tell Ellie, but she kept asking questions like "When are we going to have another baby?" and "Mommy, is there a baby in your tummy?" You can't pull much past a three year old! We kept it a surprise, though, and she responded well to the news. Actually, she's continued life as normal and doesn't say much about it unless she's asked. She does say that she wants a brother.