May 2008: Savvy's Baby Blessing

Our family gathered for Savannah Grace Ferguson's baby blessing. As I explained before when Tate had his blessing, "in our religion, children are not baptized until they are 8, but a special prayer is offered in which the one giving the blessing- usually the father-gives the baby his chosen name and pronounces special blessings upon the baby as directed by the Spirit of God." It is beautiful to hear the words of God spoken through the mouths of loving fathers. It is a wonderful experience to be in church together; Jesse was missed though. Our family continues to grow!

May 2008: A New Woman!

Every 6 months our church receives counsel from our leaders in what we call "General Conference", an opportunity to be fed spiritually in which we receive wise counsel on how to live Christ's gospel more fully in our lives. Elder M. Russell Ballard, a man I believe to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ, gave an amazing talk in which he addressed the demanding role of being a young mother. Speaking to husbands he said, "give your wife a 'day away' now and then. Just take over the household and give your wife a break from her daily responsibilities. Taking over for a while will greatly enhance your appreciation of what your wife does." An opportunity came for me to have my 'day away' - well technically it was 5 days away. My mom bought me a ticket to "Women's Conference", two days of classes at BYU. I have always wanted to go. Thanks to an amazingly loving little sis Liz and my fully supportive husband I was able to leave the oldest 2 boys and take Tate along for the trip to Utah.

There is soooo much I could write about my retreat, but for the sake of everyone who may not be as interested in the details, and so this will actually get finished and posted, I will give some of the highlights -- oh to narrow it down is too tough! (sorry still lengthy and a little sentimental!)

I got my hair cut!!! I have been growing it out for my husband who was nostalgic for the "hair when we met", which was really okay for me until recently. Janae at Lunatic Fringe, don't you love the name!, is a perfectionist with the scissors and I love watching her work. It felt sooo good to cut my hair. I love it. She is the only one who has cut my hair for 3 years, too bad I don't own a private jet.

I had lunch with some of my wonderful, energizing, ever-so-fun friends! Just driving into the neighborhood made me cry. I miss those amazing girls so much. I was so blessed to meet so many wonderful girls all living in the same neighborhood. My friends Melissa and Petra hosted the open house and the rooms were buzzing with chatter. Hearing it all made me sooo happy. I was able to visit a few more in their homes later on. I could have spent days!!

Tate and I visited with some of Mike's family. Our trip was so brief that I wasn't able to see everyone. I am very lucky to have sister-in-laws who love kids and were so happy to have Tate come stay with them for a day so I could enjoy the entire Women's Conference.

I spent quality time with my Mom, my Aunt Sherrie, my brother Jesse, and our friend Cheryl. I am so lucky to be surrounded by family and friends who love me and are fun to be with. I am so grateful for the relationship my Mom and I share.

I couldn't get enough of Women's Conference and I loved being back on BYU campus. I could go on and on about the things that I learned. What an amazing opportunity is provided for those who can attend, to learn at the feet of leaders of our church, professors and professionals, as well as everyday women who struggle with things just like me. Some of the greatest things I learned were taught by the simple lives of other young moms. And to hear our new Prophet of the Lord Jesus Christ speak, Pres. Thomas S. Monson, was a testimony builder. As soon as he walked into the Marriott Center, a most amazing thing happened, a beautiful feeling in my soul that I knew that he was a living Prophet of God. I will never forget that. I learned so many things, things I could take home to help me be a better me, a better woman, a better wife, a better mother, a better daughter. Instead of coming home and feeling overwhelmed by all the changes I wanted to make in my life, an incredible feeling a peace came as I thought about all the beautiful things I had learned. It was the first time in a long time that I did not worry, I had faith and the peace that comes with it. I need that feeling everyday. I came home a new woman, hopefully new and improved!

I came home to my wonderful boys who were well taken care of and had a great time with their Auntie and of course with the more popular parent, Dad. Only Tate loves me the most:-) Here are a few shots of our family's parallel lives for the week.

April 2008: Owen's Big Day at Disneyland

Owen was VERY excited to be tall enough to take his first ride on Splash Mountain. He went on it with his Auntie Lizzie and his good friend from Utah, Josh. When asked about the ride Owen said, "scary". Any further comments Owen? "I liked when we went on the slide, straight down." The after picture was awesome. Owen looked scared out of his mind. Funny enough, he's ready to go on it again. He and Eyan also went on Matterhorn-I remember being scared of the Abominable Snowman as a kid. Did I say as a kid? I couldn't believe they were both tall enough to ride it. That is the janky-est ride at Disneyland. Talk about whiplash.

We were all excited to meet up with our good friends from Utah, Steve and Janae and their darling crew. That's a great thing about living here, everyone comes to Disneyland, and having a pass means we can meet up most anytime!

Check out Owen's Playlist. He chose some of his favorites for you to enjoy listening to!

March 2008: Don't Cha Wish Your Husband Was Hot Like Mine

I was reminded by an old "sample lady" at Costco this past week that I "should consider myself blessed" because I had a husband that was great at gift giving. I really am lucky. Mike is extremely thoughtful when it comes to making me happy! I realized that I hadn't talked about my actual birthday with Mike yet on the blog. That morning I was able to take my time to get ready for the day without worry of the kids. Once I was ready we left on our "trip". Whenever I go anywhere with Mike, rarely do I know the plan. He is so funny. He keeps the details to himself. I have just learned to try and go with the flow, something I am not good at but getting better at. I do love surprises! For reasons still unknown to me, except that it made me feel silly and he told me I had to post them on my blog, Mike brought me to the park and told me spin around down a hill like Maria on "The Sound of Music" while he took pictures of me.








We then drove on, all the time Mike trying to tell me things to keep me off the scent of where we were really going, a tactic he uses often. Towards the end of the drive he tells me that I am not allowed to make a fuss or say "Michael" in that tone or "we can't afford this", etc. Money was not to be discussed. We pulled up to the Guitar Center. I was in shock. I have always wanted to learn the guitar and had mentioned it on many occasions, but none recently. He had remembered. I was very giddy. We walked in and a sweet, long haired guy named Brady helped us pick out my guitar, yes MY guitar. He played a little for us per my request. I tried my hand at it and Mike laughed. Nice! I had never played before, just Guitar Hero, but thats just buttons. It was tough, a challenge. I was so happy as I walked out of the store with my own Fender.
On our drive to lunch, I got out of Mike, since we did not have money to spare, that he had been putting money aside to get this for me since Christmas. We did not get anything for each other for Christmas and I know that killed Mike. He wants to give me the world, what can I say, don't cha wish your husband was hot like mine, i guess is fitting. He had not eaten lunch for almost 3 months and had put that money aside for my birthday fund. His employees had been wondering why he hadn't been eatting. Wow, I couldn't believe it. Very humbled and loved, we went out to eat at Macaroni Grill. I love their Caesar Calzone, garden salad with the yummy house dressing and of course their bread with oil and balsamic!
On our way home, we needed to get back since Mom was watching the kids, Mike found a scenic spot and opened this envelope that he had been protecting the whole day. He first gave me a letter he had written to me, I'll spare you the details, except that it said, "I know that I can't give you the world like I want to, however, I have come up with some coupons that you can redeem in the future!" Enclosed were 30 coupons***for my use.
"***Coupons cannot be combined. Coupons cannot be redeemed for cash. Cash value...Acceptance of coupons by issuer based upon financial means and stability. May take years for coupons to become effective. No purchase necessary. Void in Rhode Island and where prohibited. Must be 30 years old to be eligible to redeem."
Through the rest of the day Mike would give me 5 coupons at a time. I guess I want lots of things.
Listed in no particular order, my 30 things:
"This coupon good for...
*1 bag of Skittles *1 clothing shopping spree *1 Serger thingy
*1 date night per week *a gym membership *1 Cold Stone ice cream
*1 cool cell phone of your choice *1 trip to Utah to see your friends
*1 trip to Europe *a day at the spa *1 dinner & a movie
*1 membership to yoga studio *a home decorating shopping spree
*1 home of your dreams *guitar lessons *1 HD video camera
*1 top grade digital SLR *1 trip to Hong Kong *1 Apple computer
*1 embroidery machine *professional camera equipment *1 trip to see the Smiths
*a dozen roses, "there better be fresh flowers!" (from "The Man Who Knew Too Little")
*the latest greatest I-Pod *1 BYU football home game per year
*1 excellent jogging stroller *3 computer software programs
*my choice *my choice *my choice

That's pretty amazing. I just need to remind myself of the fine print! I'm one lucky girl, really I am. Happy birthday to me. Later my Mom took me shopping for some fun clothes and then I tried my hand at my guitar for Mike and the boys. Definitely going to need those lessons:-)

March 2008: Grandpa's Car

Ok so I know that I am in the minority, but I do not have a TV/DVD player in my van nor do I plan on getting one. I am the weirdo who would rather sing songs, listen to music, or play "I spy" or counting games with my kids. Yes there are moments of insanity in which I see the value of watching a video, but for now I am standing my ground:-). My dad, however, has a nice company car with the works. My kids LOVE going in Grandpa's car. We were on our way to celebrate my brother Luke's birthday in Cardiff and they popped in a video. I couldn't resist taking these pictures. Pretty funny! I guess the funnier part is that I do the head tilt thing just like Owen and am in a complete zone when I watch TV too!

March 2008: Our Newbery Award Winner

We are very privileged in our house to be in the presence of a Newbery Award Winner, our own Owen Russell Johnson. Owen has selected with 2 other Kindergarteners in his school as a Newbery Winner for his book that he wrote, "I Went to Disneyland". His handwriting is incredible as well as his writing abilities. I wish I had a scanner so that I could show you all. Owen was very excited to be chosen. The most amazing part of the whole thing was that I was able to attend an assembly in which he was chosen to read his book in front of grades K-3. I thought that he wouldn't want to go in front of all those people and read, but he was amazing. Of course I started crying looking up at him and realizing what a sweet little boy I had. Later Mike, my Mom, and I attended a second assembly in which he was chosen once again to read in front of students and parents. This time I went up with him to hold his book. I was so proud of him.

March 2008: Tate's 1st Steps

Yes, it is way past March, but I wanted to document Tate's first steps. I love his little shy shoulder shrug. He was so cute with his first little bit of walking, he would walk straight legged with his legs out to the side instead of front to back. It was a very cute waddle. Of course he was very selective of who he let watch him walk. His uncles and aunts didn't believe me for awhile because he would turn limp or keep his legs bent whenever I tried to get him to show them how he could walk.

March and April 2008: Eyan 3, Tate 1

We have lots of catching up to do, but here are two highlights: Eyan turned 3 and our little Tate turned 1. It is amazing that our little family is growing up so fast. Mike had a birthday too, but I'm not sure if he'd want me to say how 'old' he is:-). I love the candlelight on Eyan's face and the little piece of whip cream on Tate's lip:-). I'll try to get more photos up "soon". I love that people actually look at these. It makes me feel loved!

April 2008: You guessed it!

Yep, you guessed it WE MOVED, yet again! Our little family of the Johnson 5 moved again to a house of our "own". I think this makes the 11th move for Mike and I in our 10 years of marriage. E-mail me for our updated info. Lots of catching up to do on the blog:-{ Hopefully soon - birthdays, milestones, etc.

March 2008: Yes, I turned 30, but in Style!!

I am very happy to say that I turned 30 in style. My family threw an amazing, grooving birthday party for me, fiesta I should say. My sister Liz and brother Jesse drove down from BYU for the weekend- no side-of-the road, dead car battery overnighters this time -so all of us kids were there. My Mom and her bf Cheryl made amazing Mexican food: chicken and cheese enchiladas and fideo!! Of course Mike helped too along with Liz. I think I sliced some stuff - risky!

My Mom hired DJSwell, the DJ I did the photography job for, http://www.swelldjproductions.com/ , to come to my party. A dream come true, my own DJ!!! We had a blast. My family was there, with a few choice friends. My lifelong friend Brian and his wife Mindy came, fat chance I was going to get him on the dance floor, although I've seen him do a mean Staying Alive. I do have to say that we have such a fun family; I love my brothers and sisters and their spouses. I don't know many families whose Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt, and Uncle dance along side the rest of us either. I hadn't realize how much I missed dancing. It was sooo much fun. My brother Luke and his wife Kelli are hilarious, they both love to dance and its so fun to watch them together. Vanessa just had a baby so her groove thang didn't get moving as much as she would have liked. She mostly halfed-danced next to the "dance floor" with her hubbie Josh and his gangsta and robot moves. Although she did bust out the Charleton from Fresh Prince per my request. Our friend Aimee surprised us with her dancing moves and joined right in. I'm sure you could have guessed that Mom rocked it down - although she spent the next several days unable to move:-) Dad even came out for a special dedication - September by Earth, Wind, and Fire. My bro Jesse taught me a little Salsa and I even got his roomie Roy out there for a second. Liz knows all the lyrics to every possible song and has the moves to boot. I even got Mike to dance with me some. Don't be fooled, he had fun too. I loved choosing some of the music and Dave, the DJ, did such a great job. No mention of the kids, well it was a kid-free night, wow.

And the surprise of the year, my incredible, drop-everything-for-you type of friend, Janae flew down from Utah just for my party. When I came home to find her there I lost it, lots and lots of tears. Seeing Janae helped me to see that even though my life has drastically changed in a year, I didn't have to say goodbye to what I left and reiterated just how important those friendships I made in good ole Herriman, UT are to me! Its a funny thing turning 30, I found myself evaluating myself and my relationships, where I was in my life, and where I'd hope to be. That can be tough but you know, I'm a pretty blessed person! On my last day of 29, I made a decision to not be sad about being 30 because I couldn't do anything about it, so I just enjoyed it!

Janae was so fun. I made her come on the dance floor with me, and there she stayed for most of the night, surrounded by these dancing weirdos. It was hard to drop her off at the airport and say goodbye. She did say that I had a present in the mail that she worked really hard on, so I am very much looking forward to that.

A wonderful portion of the evening was watching a video Kelli made for me for my birthday. This version on Blogger really doesn't do it justice. I do have to say that I am in love with this song, Stolen by Dashboard Confessional. As our ghetto video camera finally fell apart this past year, I've hardly been able to get anything on film. Along with being a professional videographer http://web.mac.com/dixmix, Kelli is my personal videographer. She collected video from the past few years and created this beautiful little video. I love seeing how much my kids have changed. It is fun to see your life played with a soundtrack. Thank you so much Kelli!

All in all, turning 30 has been pretty great. I have to agree with my friend Alissa, its the admitting it outloud to someone that is the hard part:-) Thank you family and friends for an amazing birthday.