The Richardson Report

Sarah's 4th!

2011-03-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of Sarah's 4th Birthday. She had a little party that included Daddy, Johnny and Nicklaus on her birthday and a princess only party the next weekend. She loved her Dollhouse (from mom and dad) almost as much as her "Sleeping Beauty wig" I've attached several pics of the wig so that you can see it in all its glory. I can hardly wait to show the boyfriends some of these in 12-15 years!

Bubsy Wubsy's 1st month

2011-03-16T11:39:00.000-07:00

Here a some pics of little Nicklaus' 1st month. We started out call him "Bubba" because he's such a chunk but some how that morphed into "Bubsy Wubsy." I'm going to have to try and call him Nicklaus on occasion or he'll never figure out what his acual name is.

No matter what we call him, he's definitely a sweetie. He's probably the most mellow of the 3 babies we've had which is saying something because they've all been happy babies from the start. He mostly just hangs out in his bouncy chair peeking at the horizontal slats in the shutters and blinds. It seems like the only time I hear him make a noise is when he gets too much love from Johnny or Sarah.

2011 (FINALLY!!!)

2011-02-28T15:06:00.000-08:00

That's right, I have finally updated our blog with most of the the Major events from 2010. It might seem crazy to post 6 times in one day but since this is a record of our family, I figure that I'll be glad I didn't skip most of 2010 when I look at the archive in 5 or 10 years. 2011 Here we come!!!

October 2010

2011-02-28T14:51:00.000-08:00

Halloween was the 1st major holiday since we moved back to Utah. After we carved some very elaborate Jack-O-Lanterns, we spent the evening at Sally and Justin's. Johnny still talks about the spook ally they had in their garage and how Aunt Sally is a crazy dancer. (I think there's a video of her Lady Gaga costume and dancing somewhere on YouTube if you weren't there to see it)

We also got to go to the Witches festival at Gardner Village. I highly recommend it it your ever in Salt Lake City.

Arches 2010

2011-02-28T14:40:00.000-08:00

This was an Evans family camping trip that we took over UEA. Unfortunately, John couldn't come so I have to thank Grandpa and all the Uncles for keeping an I on Johnny since I wasn't moving too well. (Being 7 months pregnant has a way of slowing you down a bit) Sarah had a great time playing in the sand... I think it took us a month to get it out of her shoes, but, other than that, we had a great time.

July 4th

2011-02-28T14:28:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pics of the great time we had at the Yates house for the 4th of July. Anyone who knows the Yates (John's sister, Sally, and her family) knows that its always a party at their house. They are so much fun that we love to spend holidays with them. Even if it is windy and cold in the middle of July :)

Mary Jane Falls

2011-02-28T14:15:00.001-08:00

Mary Jane Falls was one of our favorite hikes to do with Grandpa John when we lived in Las Vegas. It was one of the last things we got to do with him before we left. Mount Charleston was about 1/2 hour from our house and Mary Jane falls was 2-3 miles round trip which make it a perfect length for the kids. It was at least an annual event so hopefully we'll get down there this summer to do it with him again!

Johnny's 6th Birthday

2011-02-28T13:27:00.000-08:00

The last few posts have been about our littlest boy so I thought I'd better make sure catch up on a few about our big boy. I missed posting about Johnny's Birthday as we were in the middle of selling our Silent Sunset House so I thought I'd post a bit about it now that I have a bit more time. We got to go bowling with a few of our Vegas friends (Dane, Alex, Claire, & DeMarie we miss you!) Johnny had a great time and, if you'll notice the Batman pic, got a batman costume that he's made great use of ever since. He also asked for a chess set and a microscope... guess it's just in the genes.

I've also included a few pics of his 1st year in coach pitch. He loves to play baseball (mostly because he gets to spend extra time with his dad) and was doing a great job hitting the ball by the end of the season. It should be starting up again soon and he can't wait.

December 2010

2011-02-28T12:50:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pics of all the fun we had in December. It was such a great month for us. We had some fun parties with our family and even got to see Santa. Of course, the best part was adding "Little Saint Nick" to our family. The kids were very excited to meet their new brother and so glad that Santa remembered the baby as well! They got to see all the grandparents and have sleep-overs at the Seppi's and Stoddard's house. The last few weeks of pregnancy were rough on Mommy but, all in all, it was a wonderful end to a crazy year.

Nicklaus Charles Richardson

2010-12-29T17:15:00.000-08:00

Here he is! Nicklaus Charles Richardson. He was born at 10:13 pm on December 21, 2010. He weighed 9 pounds 4 ounces ... was 21 & 1/2 inches and was 2 weeks early. He is such a peaceful, mellow baby. We love him so much. Johnny and Sarah couldn't be sweeter with him. And, as you can see below, he looks a lot like his siblings ... specifically Johnny. We love him so much and are just excited that he's part of our home.

The reason why ...

2010-12-29T17:06:00.001-08:00

I can't believe I haven't posted since the end of March. Where did the year go??? O.K. so it's only been 9 months ... where did 9 months go? There was the move from Las Vegas and the 5 weeks we lived with my parents and the move and remodeling of parts of the house in Sandy, and Johnny's 1st year in school all day, oh, and Sarah's 7 costume changes a day... one more event that I'll discuss in further detail in my next entry. Since this blog is a record of the comings and goings of our family (and since I'm not getting out of the house much these days) I'll update the last 9 months in posts in the next week or 2. Man, it will feel good to be caught up on something.

Welcome to Hogwarts!

2010-03-28T15:30:00.000-07:00

Well, its taken a few weeks longer than I had planned but it's finally finished. John keeps asking if I'm going to kick Johnny out and start sleeping in there myself (he thinks I'm slightly obsessed) but it was all worth it because Johnny loves it. He and Sarah get dressed up in their Hogwarts robes and go to "school" in his room. Johnny has started carrying his pet Hedgwig around the house and Sarah slept with Krookshanks last night. I should thank John for helping me paint the room and my friend Jana for helping me with the lettering so that I could make the Hogwarts Express sign that Johnny was hoping for.

Take me out to the ball game...

2010-03-25T17:24:00.000-07:00

Every morning Johnny asks what day it is so that he knows whether or not John will be staying home from work. Needless to say, Saturdays are his favorite day of the week. Johnny's playing little league again this year so he an John have been practicing in the yard. John's great about going to Johnny's practices and games. This year he's one of the assistant coach's. I love to see how much fun my boys have together. Sarah seems to have a great time as well.

Draperies, Draperies, everywhere!

2010-03-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

Most people want to clean there house in the spring, apparently, I just want to decorate it. I love the neutral colors that we have on our walls, and carpet, and tile, but its just been a little to much of the same so I finally found the some drapes that would and a little more color and decided to hang them up. Here are a few pics.

Sarah's Room

2010-03-01T11:57:00.001-08:00

The last few weeks John and I have been working on the kids rooms. Johnny's room is "Harry Potter" themed while Sarah's is, of course, all about princesses and pink. Even though we started Johnny's 1st, there are a few more things on order for his room that haven't come yet so I'll post his pics when they do. We finished Sarah's on Saturday so here in is in all its princess glory.

Sarah's Birthday

2010-03-01T10:26:00.000-08:00

For Sarah's 3rd Birthday we had a PRINCESS PARTY! We invited four of her friends (Taya, Ainsley, Ava, and Addison) and had a wonderful time. We dressed up in princess dresses, played "pin the slipper on Cinderella", decorated tiaras and had a princess cake. It was great. My mom was down for the week and was a great help.

We also got to have a little party with Daddy and Grandpa John the night before so here are a few pics of both parties.

I've also attached a video of Sarah blowing out her candles. And, yes, we still at the cake after.

Christmas 2009

2010-03-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

Here's a few pics of our Christmas this year. We didn't get to go and do some of our favorite Christmas Traditions like sledding and seeing the lights at Temple Square because we were all sick with a bad cough. Johnny even ended up in an urgent care clinic on the Sunday after Christmas because he was having trouble breathing:(

Even after all that, it was good to see family and be part of all the festivities. Johnny was relieved that Santa knew how to find us at Grandma's House and Sarah was happy about all the presents.

Hogle Zoo

2010-03-01T08:54:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone...all I can really say is that it's been a long winter for us over here at the Richardson house. Now that we're approaching spring, I'm finally getting back into the swing of things and have decided to upate my blog with the highlights of the last few months.

The 1st of these was a great trip to Hogle Zoo for Johnny, Sarah and Me at the end of November. We went with my sister, Tracie, and her two youngest, Jacob and Katie. The weather was cold but I have to say that the animals were more active than I've ever seen them. There were also lots of babies on display so it was a great trip. And, Thanks to Tracie's hot chocolate we survived the weather without too much trouble.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2009-11-02T07:36:00.001-08:00

WE had a great Halloween this year! We had so much fun decorating our new house. Johnny LOVED the graveyard out front and asked to go out there 20 times a day. Sarah, was very excited to be Cinderella and Johnny was a great Harry Potter (even though his hair looks more like Draco's). Sarah and I got to go help with Johnny's Halloween Party. Between that, my Halloween Piano Recital, A party at our friend the Jensen's House, going to see Daddy at work and the Ward Trunk or Treat, we spent most of the week in our Costumes. Here are some more pictures of our week.

Zion's National Park - 2009

2009-10-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

The kids and I were able to Go to Zion's with my family the 1st weekend in October. Sadly, John had to stay home and work. We missed him but we had a great time camping with the rest of the Evans Family. Johnny and Sarah sure do love their cousins. Unfortunately, I forgot the camera on the Emerald pools hike where we came across a tarantula but here are a some pics of our great trip.

Johnny 1st day of school

2009-10-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

Johnny started Kindergarten this fall. He Loves everything about it. He was even excited on the 1st day of school. When he lined up to go in he was telling the other kids that they might feel shy today but that they would learn to like school soon. His teacher, Mrs. Carvalho, is great with him we've been to several of their fieldtrips and I have to say that she's so patient with all of the kids, I'm not sure how she does it. The 1st pics are of his 1st day but there are couple more that I just liked from hanging out this summer and fall.

Sarah

2009-10-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been another crazy summer and fall. We've finally settled in to our new house and now I have a minute to update my blog so I thought I'd start out with a few pictures of Sarah. These are just a few from around the house and at the park. She still loves princesses and dressing up passionately. And she's still as sassy as ever. I hope she never changes.

Johnny's 5th Birthday

2009-06-19T15:59:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from Johnny's 5th birthday. Since I'm starting to pack up the house, I decided to have it at Peter Piper Pizza. Johnny thought it was great so I guess it was a hit. Speaking of Moving, if any of you now someone who wants to rent a house with a pool in North Las Vegas, let me know.

2009-06-18T10:15:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures of one of Johnny's last T-ball games. He loved going this year. Partly because he got to learn about baseball but mostly because he made new friends with his team mates and because he got to spend time with his dad. John was a very good dugout dad and was there helping at almost every practice and game. What cute boys!

2009-06-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of John's last adventure to Mt. Charleston. He and his friend Scott decided to go even though all the Scouts (who were supposed to go) bailed on them. Everything went well the 1st night. The next day, they summitted around 9:00 am & it was a beautiful day (as you can see by the pictures). Then, everything went downhill from there:) They got stuck in a hail/snowstorm, lost the trail for about 6 hours (it was covered by about 8 inches of snow) and were in the worst lighting storm John says he's ever seen. The good news is that they are both strong as an ox (Scott's even bigger than John) and just as stubborn because, even though they hiked around 20 miles that day, they kept going until they found they're way down.

Apparently, the MC adventure didn't do anything to dim John's love of hiking because he decided to go to mummy springs only 2 weeks later.

Spring Update

2009-04-30T06:55:00.000-07:00

Hi! I know I'm about 3 months late posting these but, I figure that in years 2 come, I'll be glad that we have the post. Especially with something as important as this! Sarah's 2nd Birthday! We had planned a girls get away to Kata's house in St. George and since it was Sarah's Birthday as well, I thought we'd have the party while we were there. As you can see, burgers at Artic Circle, a Princess Cupcake Cake and some of Sarah's Best friends were all we needed. Then, when we got back we had a 2nd round with Grandpa John and Daddy. What a lucky girl!

Christmas 2008

2009-02-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

Here are the photos from Christmas 2008. We stayed up with Grandma and Grandpa Evans. It was so good to see everyone! I think you can see that we had a great time sledding with Annie and Bret on Christmas Eve even though Sarah was frightened of Sledding after Daddy's foot sprayed her face with snow the whole way down the hill. Oh, well. I'm sure she'll like it better next year. Johnny was a little dare devil (big surprise, I know). He found some jumps and would drag his feet to steer himself towards them. Annie and Bret had a good time seeing what was in store for them in a few years when Drewie is 4. And as always, Meggie was such a good little helper. She's so cute to her little cousins Johnny and Sarah.

Christmas 2008

2009-02-11T08:52:00.000-08:00

What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than by posting picture of Christmas??? Things are pretty hectic at our house right now. Between John's calling, My calling, and My tutoring in the evening we see each other about 2 hours a week. O.K. Maybe a little more than that but it's still pretty crazy which, sadly, means I've cut back on most of my other activities like blogging, going to the park etc. However, I have had a request from John to update the blog so I'm going to do it. And, yes, for those of you who were tired of the fall leaves, I've broken down and changed the background as well.

Disneyland 2008

2008-12-23T09:23:00.000-08:00

Here are the pics from our Disneyland Trip the week before Thanksgiving. We had a great time. Sarah LOVED the princesses and Johnny is still pretending to ride the Tower of Terror and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad everyday. I was having problems with my camera so I had to wait until I was at my mom's house to get her pictures. Thanks, Mom!

Why I love Usborne books

2008-11-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

By now most of you know that I'm a Educational Consultant for Usborne books. I got involved with them 4 years ago when Johnny was a baby because I wanted to build a great home library. I've done home shows on and off since then but mostly, I just order the books for myself and any intersted friends and family. Recently, I've started selling them directly to Libraries and Schools in the Las Vegas Area and I have to say that its helped me get even more excited about them. I swear that I will stop buying them for myself with every order that I submit for someone else but I just can't help it. I love to read to my kids and I love that they love books. At this point, half of our Christmas budget will probably be books, but Oh well...

Above is a picture of what I found one night when John put the kids to bed. Its so sweet I had to post it. He said she kept requesting books to bring to bed with her so she could look at them and this is how it ended up.

2008-11-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures that my mom took of the kids and me while she was out visiting us in October. We went to the Rain Forest Cafe and The Mirage Dolphin Habitat. We also went to the pumking patch and to a few parks. I love spending time with her almost as much as the kids do. One of the perks of living away from family is th Quality time we get to spend when people come to visit. Of course she was the one who remembered the camera so the pictures are of me and the kids. And, like a good daughter, I never got any of her. Oh well, I'll make up for it in Disneyland in a few weeks.

Bryce Canyon - Labor Day 2008

2008-11-07T06:29:00.000-08:00

I was feeling guilty earlier in the year that I don't get I feel I should done in a day so I decided that I should blog only as a reward. Well, you can see by my lack of posts how often that works. Anyway, John asked why I don't update it anymore and said that he checks to see it which made me realize that its not just for me, and by not blogging I'm missing out on keeping up with my friends so...I'm back!

I know this post is not very timely but it was a great trip so I want to add it anyway. We went to Bryce with my sisters and their families over Labor day and had a great trip. We had one day of rain but other than that, it was a lot of fun. Johnny LOVED camping with his cousins and Sarah loved playing in the dirt. The views were gorgeous and I would definitely go again.

Hair today, gone tomorrow ...

2008-08-21T23:25:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of shots of our first attempt at piggy tails in Sarah's Hair. I didn't believe she had enough to do it yet but Kata had faith. I know their slightly ridiculous but we've worked 18 long months on growing this hair and we're proud of it. Besides, I think they're pretty adorable.

Long Time NO Post

2008-08-21T20:17:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy summer between the Chicken Pox, Johnny's fractured pelvis, and Sarah's tubes we've frequented a few too many Dr's and Hospitals. But, I think things are finally starting to improve. Here are a few pictures of Johnny and Sarah playing Indiana Jones. He loves pretending to swing from a whip while he runs around. Daddy's the one who got him the cowboy hat and cap gun. Sarah has one as well (with a pink cowgirl holster) but she's much more interested in wearing mom's shoes and jewelry.

As you can see he's running around pretty well for someone who fractured their pelvis in 5 places. You don't get the full Indy effect unless you imagine him singing the theme song at the top of his lungs while he runs, jumps, swings, etc.

2008-06-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of a play date that Sarah and Johnny had with their good friends Jake and Adam Rasmussen. We decided to play dress up and as you can see everyone had a good time. The older boys wanted to be super heroes and then the little ones wanted to join in. Little Sarah chased poor Jake around the house trying to give him kisses but he just wasn't sure about it. If this is any indication of things to come then, Anna you should be safe and I should be very worried.

The boys call Sarah "Princess Leah" when she's in her tutu. She loves to walk around in it and patt at all the ruffles.

I Love this picture. My babies play really well together right now so I'll be sure to keep this picture and show it to them when they're teenagers

I had to put this one in because I loved Adam the power rangers face so much. Anna always has such great pictures of my kids (an added benefit of being good friends with a profesional photographer) so I thought I should post this one of her little super heroes.
It appears that Jake may be warming up to the idea of kissing Sarah. Anna might not be so safe after all.

1st Camping Trip

2008-04-19T19:47:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from our first camping trip since we've had Johnny and Sarah, We went up to Mount Charleston on April 4th. Anyone who has heard the story already will appreciate the fact that I still want to keep pictures to remember it by. For those of you that haven't, I'll just say that we were very lucky that Johnny didn't end up in the ER with a shish-kabob skewer in his eye and that next time, I'll bring an extra sleeping bag in case one ends up soaked in the middle of the night. The thing that makes it all worth it is how fondly Johnny remembers it. He asks John to tell him the story of Johnny and the Camping trip almost every night before bed. It makes me grateful that my parents took us so many places inspite of broken arms, flat tires, torn up props and outdrives, storms that raged all night, and drives that seem a lot longer now that I spend time behind the wheel.

John's 36th

2008-04-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I realize its been far too long since I posted an update of the goings on the Richardson household. The biggest event in march was John's 36th Birthday. Since he's the introverted half of our marriage some of you may not know him that well. So here's a few of the things that I love about him.
He is very, very funny. As a matter of fact he uses that against me any time he's in trouble becuase he knows that if he can get me laughing I won't stay mad as long.
He's tenacious. When he decides to learn about something (whether it be grilling on the BBQ, a church calling or learning an new musical instrument) he's all in. His enthusiasm for whatever he's interested in is one of my favorite qualities.
He's very musical. He's a beautiful guitarist (some of you may know) but because he plays by ear so well, he can also play the piano, banjo (a present for his 35th BDay) and harmonica. As a matter of fact, if you gave him and instrument and 6 months, I think he could probably play just about anything.
He's a great dad. That devotion to whatever he is interested in spills over to his children in a big way. He's very involved and both kids adore him.
Since John is the private half, I won't continue this post any longer as I'm going to spare him the pain of reading any more about himself. but I just wanted do say one more time. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I love you.

BELIZE with Ease

2008-02-23T21:28:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! February has been a crazy month so here is a belated post of our fabulous trip to Belize. It took 3 planes and roughly 12 hours to get to Ambergris Caye ( the island where we stayed) but it was well worth it. It was beautiful, layed back, and romantic. We went with my parents (Connie and Charles) who are a lot of fun to travel with. I have to say that they are pretty adventurous and did everything we wanted to including an 85 foot high jungle zip-line and snokeling with nurse sharks and sting rays. We saw beautiful mayan ruins, went reef fishing, SCUBA dived some of the most beautiful and famous dives in the world and ate some really great seafood on a beautiful carribean beach. We would have more pictures from our dives if our new digital dive camera hadn't died on the first dive ! Oh well, we still have the memories and I have to say that they are pretty great. We're waiting on a few dive pictures from a couple we met there so I'll post them when I get them. In the mean time here a few of my favorite pictures of our wonderful adventure.

She's ONE!

2008-02-04T19:38:00.000-08:00

That's right. It's been a year since little Sarah joined our family. We love her spunk, smiles and laughter so much. Her daddy says that she's a little spitfire and I have to agree. She can stand and clap her hands (which she proudly does as often as possible) and is very good at making her wants known even though mamma and dadda are her only official words. She's a sweetie and we can't imagine our family without her!

Here are a few pictures of her birthday parties. As you can see Johnny helped her polish off her 1st birthday cake which, judging by her smile was O.K. with her.

2008-01-19T15:00:00.001-08:00

I know I'm a month late but I've finally got a chance to post a few pictures of the Christmas Holidays. Little kids make the holidays soooo much fun. Here's Johnny on the "Polar Express" aka Heber Creeper meeting Santa. He got a bell and a candy cane so who could ask for more. I couldn't help thinking as other adults on board that they were missing the key ingredient to the magic ... children.
As you can see, Sarah Couldn't tak her eyes off of Santa. He was wonderful! She loved the candy canes but Johnny thought they were too peppery.

We had a wonderful holiday. Here's a slide show of the rest of the trip which included several family parties, Sledding at Big Cottonwood park and Soldier Hollow as well as an afternoon at Classic Skating!

2008-01-19T15:00:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of Johnny and Sarah at a park in Las Vegas. I thought I'd take some pictures to show those who don't live here what a Las Vegas Winter Looks like. They're from before Christmas but I haven't got around to posting anything because Christmas was so hectic this year.
Sometimes it feels like my part time Job is taking the kids to the park. Our pool is great in the summer, but in the winter we don't really have a yard for the kids and they have so much energy. Thank goodness there are a lot of great parks around for us to visit.

Here Comes Trouble

2007-12-10T11:36:00.001-08:00

Sarah always on the go and into everything these days. She's a lot like a puppy in that she'll eat anything off the floor and watches to see what she can take of Johnny's table for and extra snack. As you can see, this day it was the rest of his mac and cheese!

My Boys

2007-12-07T13:10:00.000-08:00

For Flashback friday I thought I'd post a few of my favorite pictures of Johnny and his dad. John never had any brothers (4 little sisters) so he was really excited when we had a boy. He's a great dad and as you can see, they are 2 peas in a pod.

Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandpa Evans

2007-12-07T09:52:00.000-08:00

I was reminded yesterday that I've been negligent in updating my blog so here's a new post for those of you who are tired of seeing my halloween pictures.

We spent Thanksgiving up in Salt Lake with my family this year. It was good to see everyone and as always the trip was too short to do see everyone as much as we wanted.

Johnny loves his Grandma and Grandpa Evans' house and especially their yard. He was so excited to ride on Grandpa's tractor that he was jumping up and down and shaking. The wide shot shows them mowing the middle lawn. Their land actually goes back to the big wood pile lining the fence by the building obscured by the trees. The swing set and play house are also blocked but you get the idea. Mom and Dad have lived there for nearly 40 years so this is the yard I grew up playing in.

Sarah was sick the last 2 days of our trip so my mom would rock her to sleep. She's a great grandma. My children are so lucky becuase they have 4 wonderful grandparents who love and make them feel so special.

2007-11-12T21:10:00.000-08:00

I think I may be the last person on the planet or at least my blogging neighborhood to be tagged. I was hopeful it wouldn't come my way because I didn't want to try and write 6 "interesting" things about myself. However, I've enjoyed reading yours so here we go.

1. I love to learn. I like to watch documentaries on almost any subject and have a very good memory for details and random factoids. Until having children ruined my brain I used to remember phone numbers after hearing them once and hardly ever wrote down the food orders when I was waiting tables as I worked through college. Having said that, I have a TERRIBLE time remembering names. I honestly don't know the names of half the people in my ward even though I can tell you there occupations, how many kids they have, there ages etc. It gets very embarrassing.

2. I have a problem with "spoonerisms" and its getting worse the older I get. When I'm speaking, the word I'm thinking of in my head gets switched somehow and comes out as a similar but unrelated word. One time I was talking to John about my food allergies and said that I hoped I didn't ever go into "prophylactic" shock. When he did a double take and asked me what I'd just said I repeated "anaphylactic" shock not realizing I'd ever said anything different. If you know John very well then you can imagine how much mileage he got out of this one.

3. I'm compulsive about straightening crooked picture frames and wall hangings. I also hate when things aren't square. I think it comes from my dad. He's done beautiful finish carpentry as a hobby for years and has built a lot of the furniture in their home. Anyway, his attention to detail must have rubbed off.

4. I really like to scuba dive although I don't get to often enough living in a desert. I also like snow skiing and rock climbing but I don't do those too much right now because of the babies. Fortunately, we can hike as a family (as long as John carries the heavy backpack or child).

5. I'm a recovering "A" type. I used to worry about doing everything perfectly (as evendenced by my grades up through Highschool, scholarships etc.) Then I decided that life was to short to be stressed out all the time and that trying to be perfect wasn't very much fun. So Then I decided that mediocre was the way to go (as evendenced by my grades in college). Now I fluctuate somewhere between the two depending on the circumstances and find that the "A" type is starting to rear her ugly head more the older I get.

6. I love my bed. I really, really love my bed. I love to sleep which is suprising because for someone who loves to sleep so much, I really don't seem to get very much.

Halloween

2007-11-04T08:03:00.000-08:00

Trick or Treat! This year Johnny was so much fun! As soon as our neighbors started putting up Halloween Decorations, he started waking up and asking me "Is it Halloween Day today?" That really helped us get in the spirit so we spent more time decorating and doing "Halloween" things that we have before. Johnny loved picking out the decorations and candy at the store and He must have eaten 20 of Aunt Laurie's eyeball cookies. Johnny changed his mind about what his costume should be about 100 times. His favorites were a Thomas the Train, a Power Ranger, Spiderman, Darth Vader, and a Witch! As you can see, we opted for Thomas. Here he's standing next to his best friend Adam (aka Batman).

Of course Sarah didn't understand anything but that didn't stop her from wanting to hold her brother's pumpkin and eating his candy if he left it within her reach. Isn't she the cutest little Ladybug that you've ever seen?

Last, I have to give John credit for carving really great pumpkins. He got off work early on Halloween and came home and Carved Sally and Harry while I carved Jack. Of course Johnny liked them all but He LOVED Harry. And for that matter, so did the trick or treaters. Even the teenagers who came to our door told me that our pumpkins were "tight."

Cowboy's Delight

2007-10-30T20:39:00.005-07:00

Here's a video clip of Johnny and his daddy singing. The best time to catch them is right before bed but since it's too dark to film, I thought I'd catch this one. As you can see Sarah is a very attentive audience.

The Johnny and Sarah Show

2007-10-12T21:43:00.001-07:00

I'm sure that if you check in very often you'll see that this is quick to become the "Johnny and Sarah Show". Since that's what the grandmas (who I assume may be the only 2 regular readers) will want to see most, I'm happy to oblige them.

Johnny is such a helper! He loves to do whatever his Daddy or I am doing. Recently that was helping me put up Halloween lights in the front yard. If there is a project, he'll hurry to get tools and say "I working so hard." and "Can We fix it...Yes We Can" followed by the "Bob the builder" theme song.

Sarah is getting so fast. She loves to army crawl everywhere but especially into the kitchen where she can scavage for food left on the floor after Johnny's previous meal. She does this so often that when Johnny wants to go in to the kitchen, he says "Come on sarah, we're going to babyland!" She also loves to get under or into any tight space.The only problem with this is that she often gets caught under the chairs or the tables and cries until I can come and rescue her.

Now that she had crawling on the floor down, she's attempting to go vertical. I caught her standing up in her crib the other day and just yesterday she was trying to climb the 1st step to our flight of stairs.

Conference

2007-10-10T21:43:00.000-07:00

Here's the run down of conference weekend. Built a fort. Listened to Conference. Bathed the Kids. Listened to Conference. Chased the Kids around the House. Listened to Conference. I think you get the Idea. John and I are sure we listened to approximately 15 minutes of conference although we heard all 4 sessions. This of course, excludes the Priesthood Session which John was allowed to listen to in its entirety due to the fact that he had to go to the stake center to hear it. The Kids are great! Sarah's crawling like mad. She's giving her brother a run for his money on the energy front. I think she may have him beat on the mischief soon. She's a little thief. She watches for any opportunity to get the toy Johnny's playing with and when it comes ... Bam! She strikes.