Christmas Day - family and worship

the house is warm with color, lights, and gifts 

gifts given by many hands, making our Christmas possible

Christmas morning on the Sabbath

a wonderful reminder of the purpose of the celebration, our Savior Jesus Christ

i loved watching happy hands unwrapping each gift with anticipation...jubilation...followed by exclamation

and in Tate's case..."Yes!  I've always wanted this."

i loved that Felicity adored her baby doll Santa had brought her...and the baby crib bedding a busy elf had made her.  of course she noticed that the baby had an 'ow' in her hair {what she calls a hair clip}

i loved that the boys delighted in simple gifts such as Eyan's harmonica

i loved that my boys' favorite presents were books - never enough in our house -

and of course the scooters and pogo stick

enriched by uplifting music and word rejoicing over the birth of our Savior was the perfect embodiment of the Christmas Spirit.

it was a wonderful transition from a morning of gifts, to bring our focus back to the Gift of Gifts

after our meeting we returned home and i asked my sister Liz to grab a few photos of Felicity and I still in our Sunday best.  the boys were tired out from photos on Christmas Eve.

i delighted in having a sweet moment of connection with my baby girl.

{you can catch a glimpse of my new red hair color in these}

change of clothes and over to grandpa and grandma's we returned

grandpa had made us breakfast in true grandpa fashion - combining foods the way only he can

presenting the saus-cake - a marriage of two breakfast loves - sausage and pancake

after all the family had returned to the house, the unwrapping of the presents from grandpa and grandma, cousins, and siblings began

a magic show kit from grandpa and a flannel robe to Owen from grandma- perfect

a ping pong table to grandpa from all of us - bring on the tournament!

the last fete of the day was to get a photo with all the cousins in their pjs

out of the bigillions of shots, these were the best two.

poor little Tate is sad in the last one because he doesn't have a baby cousin to hold.

next year Tate you can hold Abigail:)

Christmas Eve: A day of traditions- Polar Express, Devotional, and Family Feud Game Night

The First Gift of Christmas...

matching pjs for the grandkids from grandma and grandpa.

they look forward to them each and every year.

our family traditions on Christmas Eve begin with their unwrapping and a scramble to get them on everyone.

to grandma's stairs they all go...

waiting...

for that sound...

the sound of a train whistle...

the Polar Express has arrived.

adorned in Christmas pjs, topped with warm jackets and hats

they anxiously race outside for their turn for their magical ticket and

admittance on the train from the conductor.

hot chocolate in special mugs and

yummy Christmas cookies fill their tummies once aboard.

in years past we have had a special trailer attached to this bright Christmas red truck...

but Santa needed it for something else this year, so into the back they went.

the Polar Express adorned with candy cane stripped ribbon, Christmas garlands, and sparkling smiles off we rode into the night air {cautiously of course}

these 10 jubilant faces beaming with Christmas cheer.

{1 little face was missing...our little Abigail}

wrapped in blankets and snuggled up tight amidst cousins, aunts, and uncles, and grandma.

the magic of the ride surged with the sounds of train whistle announcing departure and children singing, "When Christmas Comes to Town"

we stopped at the North Pole Express Station conveniently located in our neighborhood.

Santa was there to greet us with a jolly "Ho Ho Ho"

with his special helper presenting Christmas bells and candy canes.

at the conclusion of our Polar Express trip

Aunt Kelli presented us all with a very special devotional about the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ

busy little bodies sat still just long enough to soak in the true Spirit of that night.

baby Jesus lay quietly in his cozy bed made soft through straw compiled through gifts of service done according to our family tradition, "the Last Straw"

off to bed the little ones were taken

leaving the adults to gear up for our next Christmas Eve tradition, game night.

this year, with many of your help, i compiled a Holiday Edition Family Feud game.

men vs women were selected as the teams.

serious mayhem and laughter ensued as the top answers were put on the board and revealed.

as it always comes, fierce competition arrived with an occasional, 'this is a sham' or 'this game is rigged' comment thrown out.

i never laugh so hard as when i am with my family.

you know the kind that produces tears, bellyaching, and stops you from breathing.

the best kind.

i am one blessed gal to be surrounded by such amazing people right here within my own family.
{Jesse and Jani, we missed you terribly!}

i am truly grateful to my Savior Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father for giving me such exemplary examples of love, service, and faith.

hope your Christmas was just as blessed!

Christmas Eve Captures

just before heading over to grandpa and grandma's house on Christmas Eve, i was lucky enough to corral the kids for a few shots.  although i wasn't able to get one shot in which they were all smiling and looking at me at the same time, i was able to capture some genuine expressions which i cherish about each one of them. 

i love this sweet shot of Owen and Felicity.  if only i could've gotten Tate to wear shoes to hide his Scooby-Doo bandaids, this may have had a chance of becoming wall-bound.  i love it all the same.

i love my boys.  each one of them with their own personality, yet the best of buddies.  i'm loving that Eyan will let me put bow ties on him right now:)

over at grandma's for the start of the festivities...

Mike's Spontaneous Christmas Games

its mid-afternoon 3 days before Christmas.

i receive a phone call from my husband saying he has a fun idea for games to play with the kids tonight and he needs me to run to the store to grab some items: balloons, crepe paper {oh course he didn't call it that but i knew what he meant}, candy canes, and any other tree decorating items.

who is this...?

maybe having your husband spontaneously check out Family Fun Magazine Online to get ideas of games to play with your kids that night is a common thing for you, but not for me.

i have to say that i was so thrilled that he would take initiative that i overlooked the audible voice in my head that screamed: 'are you crazy?... you want me to take 4 kids by myself to the store 3 days before Christmas to grab a few random items for a game night you are throwing together last minute?'  

i am grateful that i hushed that voice, even though the trip to the store did prove eventful.  we nearly managed to leave the store unscathed until Tate threw a tantrum in the checkout line because we were not purchasing goldfish.  

as i was escorting him out of Target with my other 3 in tow, a woman yelled out, "ahhhh knock it off".  nothing like spreading a little holiday cheer!  i was rather taken aback but decided to cut her some slack since she was alone, dressed in way too much leather fringe, and was unplugging the motorized wheelchair probably to use for herself.

mike came home from work later on, geared up for the games:

1. Pin the Present on the Sled-

i have to say that it was challenging to force myself to keep these games simple.  i didn't have time to design cute little presents and a sled to use.  it had to be construction paper and permanent marker.  it killed me at first that they weren't appealing to my eyes, but i let go and just had fun.   i learned that i could enjoy 'spontaneous' moments just as much as the 'thoroughly themed and planned', and ohhh it is ever so  less work:)

the boys loved being spun around.  and dad did a great job because not a single one of us got even close to the sled...well maybe Felicity.

2. Stuff the Santa - 

i think this was the kids' favorite one...seeing how many balloons they could shove in Grandpa's jacket and Dad's favorite flannel pants.  i think the record was 16.  Mike's expanding size incited lots of giggles.

Prizes -

Mike had purchased prizes for all of the kids.  each perfect to their interests - O: sketching, T: launching, E: coloring, and Baby girl: accessorizing

3. Family Tree

oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, how lovely are thy branches.

round and round they went.

adding candy canes, glittery branches, and a star on 'top'.

their favorite part, of course, was undecorating the tree....'Timber!!'

i think Mike's favorite part was his impromptu game of "Props" with his glittery appendages...

in a valley girl voice, "do you like totally like my new hair do?"

passing the Olympic torch,

a pig's tail, 

Statue of Liberty, 

...and many others that will remain veiled.

thank you honey for taking the lead and bringing us all a night of laughs!  

unleash that spontaneity anytime:)

Return of my sewing classes: basic appliqué tshirt and therapeutic hot/cold rice bag

i am excited to resume teaching my monthly sewing classes beginning next month! 

i have taken quite the break, after recovering from the fabulous Craft Explosion, moving and cleaning a new home, as well as jumping the new hurdles in our life.

we are back on track staring on Wednesday, February 8th.

as always, its free, and anyone is invited to join us as long as you let us know you're coming:)

this month i will be teaching a basic appliqué t-shirt class!

the inspiration for this month's class comes from the valentine's day tradition i have for my kids.  since my boys were little i gave them matching shirts for valentine's day.  now as their sizes range in different departments and with a baby girl thrown in the mix, it takes a little more creativity to achieve this tradition.  last year i attempted my first appliqués on t-shirts.  i adored how these "love rocks" tees turned out.  you can see more photos of this darling crew here. this year i will be conjuring up a new design and thought you might want to learn how to appliqué as well.

all the supplies and details you need to know are listed on my sewing blog:

Learn 2 Love 2 Sew

i am also pleased to have my friend heather move back and teaching with me again.  she will be teaching a class on making a therapeutic hot/cold rice bag to soothe our aches and erase our burdens...well close enough:)

would love to have you join us!

a mother's plea

{'cloud light' photo by atelierDU}

The mad morning rush is over and I'm noticeably affected.
As I walk through the door, I quickly turn on my favorite soothing music, the soundtrack to "Pride and Prejudice"
such moving, yet grounded music, even a touch of melancholy to allow for my mood to slowly sink in, permitting time for thoughts to process, then dissipate with the fleeting notes.

Dropping to my knees the tears come.

I, as I'm sure all mothers do at one point in their lives, have a particular child whose well-being produces tears that wet the pillow often.  One I pray I have sufficient strength, patience, love, and ability to receive inspiration in order to parent.  And not just parent, but help foster those characteristics and God-given abilities that he was born with on the earth to fulfill that mission he was meant to do and become.  To help him overcome those weaknesses that will bind him to consequences that I so desperately want him to be able to avoid.  Some of those weaknesses that I see in myself, but for some particularly reason have been magnified within him.  Oh I pray that my own weaknesses may not stand in the way!

As tender mercies do come to those who diligently seek, I have had several of them in the past while to aid in my anxious desire to know how to help him.
One came in the form of a friend who came forth with some expertise on some of the issues that beset him and gave up her time to help provide me with some vital tools.
Another, a conversation from a concerned teacher who supports him at school in the efforts I am doing at home.
An amazingly attentive husband who fills in tremendously during those moments where I lack the patience and love required.

Another came this morning as I knelt down in prayer, overwhelmed from the confrontational events of this morning.  An idea that I can put into action right away, something practical for him and for I.  Something to draw both of our thoughts toward the good.  I may share it with you once I am done.

I am so grateful for a God, a loving and merciful Heavenly Father, who is ever aware of us and our needs.  Who sent his children down to us, and entrusted us with their care and development.  Such an immense  task left to this imperfect woman.  But this woman knows that she has not been left alone in the effort and can draw upon His strength and inspiration hour after hour, minute after minute, as she puts forth her hands to shape lives.

Its All About Your Heart: Celebrating my 14th Wedding Anniversary

Today marks my 14th wedding anniversary.  Somehow 14 sounds so much more than 13!

Recently I was at a friend's birthday luncheon, mostly amongst ladies I was meeting for the first time.  The entire group began remarking and joking about how getting their husbands to write them a love letter would basically be akin to them consenting for a root canal without anesthesia.  How their men would never take the initiative to write one.  I, not wanting to be a human dart board or come across as that 'rub it in your face' girl, kept quiet.
Well, bring on the darts and the envy...

My husband writes encouraging, inspiring, and romantic handwritten love notes, emails, and texts to me all the time, without being prompted.  He has since we began dating...which definitely lent itself favorably to wooing me.
Often they come when I most need them and out of the blue...
when i've started in on a new goal
when i'm frustrated, inadequate, or overwhelmed
when i'm feeling frumpy and unattractive
when he knows I've had it up to here with the whining and fighting from the kids
mostly to tell me how wonderful he thinks i am and what a great job i am doing as a wife and mother.

We as mothers, wives, well women in general, are quite aware on our own of all the millions of weaknesses we possess and exhibit on a daily basis...over and over.  Heavenly Father knew that I needed a man that would never point them out to me, someone who would only build me up.
That is what I have in Mike.
I am eternally grateful for his optimism, his humor, his compassion, his tenderness, his work ethic, his righteousness, and especially
HIS LOVE.

Thank you Michael for loving me the mostest.

I am grateful for the covenants we have made to each other and to God, that will enable us to be husband and wife throughout eternity.  Imagine how many notes I will have gotten by then:)

I have had so much fun sifting through our photos from our life together.  It was difficult to narrow my favorites down, so here is just a sampling of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, 14...going on 15.

Just this past week Mike introduced me to a new music artist Mindy Gledhill and I immediately loved  one of her songs, "All About Your Heart".  As I heard the words of the chorus I began to cry:

Oh, I’ve loved you from the start
In every single way
And more each passing day
You are brighter than the stars
Believe me when I say
It’s not about your scars
It’s all about your heart

As I have battled with the adjustment of Multiple Sclerosis also being apart of our marriage and the toll that it has taken upon my soul companion, I am grateful that my love for him has surpassed the impact of those 'innumerable' scars and is all about his heart, the unconditional outpouring of love that he gives me each and every day.


Oh, I've loved you from the start
In every single way
And more each passing day

It's not about your scars

It's all about your heart

I LOVE YOU MICHAEL!!!!!

The Reluctant Pedaler

this is the story of the reluctant pedaler.

a photo story mainly...

eyan, my six year old has never had the interest of parting with his training wheels.

the image of crashing and burning has prevented him from wanting to.

i haven't pushed him about it, just asked every so often

but i found a little bike jump for the boys for Christmas and i thought this could be the perfect push. 

so a few days before Christmas, we took to the street.

he was definitely resistant.

before the launch we practiced stopping and getting off the bike

once he got on his bike and started to pedal, i barely had to hold on at all.

he did it!

the very first try.

{yes i was the pusher and the photographer...phew, difficult task:) }

a few rides around the cul-de-sac and he was done.

satisfied with his accomplishment but not pressing his luck on that crash and burn.

i love how no matter how he puts on his helmet, 

it always ends up tilted to one side.

lots of enthusiastic on-lookers

cheering him on.

mom, can i have my training wheels back?