Annual Johnson Family Campout

Once again the time had arrived for our Johnson Family Campout. We changed things up a little this year and moved to a new campsite (although still at Tanner’s Flat up Little Cottonwood Canyon) and invited along the Rowberrys and Bryan Cryer family to join us.


Jake, Josh and Greg trying to start the fire with flint and steel.

The kids absolutely love camping. I love it too because there are no electronics to vie for their attention. Instead we have loads of good old-fashioned fun. The kids ran around camp getting all kinds of dirty. We had activities galore. We played game after game of four-square. Emily set up a station where the kids could make paint lady bugs and make porcupines. I brought stuff for bubbles and after a little while the kids (and adults as well) got really good and making HUGE bubbles. Plus, grandma had her traditional treasure hunt for the kids.


Craft Station


Four Square


Isaac and the bubbles.

On Saturday we went up to Snow Basin to see the wild flowers. The terrain proved to be difficult for the kids so instead we took a short little hike with a guide who told us all about the flowers and animals in the area. The kids were thrilled when she let them help participate and dress-up like flowers, dirt, butterflies and the sun.


Nature show


Drew, Eli and Wyatt on the nature walk.

Later in the evening we each prepared a dish in our dutch ovens. The food was amazing! Everything tasted so good. G’ma Jan made a pot roast. The Rowberrys made sweet and sour chicken. We made cheesy potatoes. Abby and Matt made cornbread. Joe and his wife and the Cryers both made really yummy desserts. Everything turned out great. After dinner we had a little talent show where every family shared a story, song, riddle, etc. Lucy and Drew really enjoyed being up in front of people and kept going up there and just smiling. It was cute.


Dutch Oven Cooking

We finished off the night with s’mores. We got up fairly early the next morning, packed and headed home. Other than some minor issues with the campground host and hostess we had a fantastic time. Thanks to everyone for coming and helping make this such a fun event. We can’t wait until next year!


The girls slept in a pop-up trailer that my neighbors let us borrow. Thanks Francis’!


Me and my honey


Making homemade ice-cream. Yum!


Ellie and her best friend at camp…she has a slight doll obsession.


Lucky me, I got to snuggle baby Penelope for a little while at camp!

Pioneer Day

This year for Pioneer Day we went with a group of our good friends to Jordanelle State Park. Seth, unfortunately, didn’t get the day off so I took all the kids and met the Francis’, the Browns, and the Denney’s at the park for a fun day in the sun.

The Francis’ brought their boat. Tony was the captain for the day and gave everyone a turn in the boat. Jake was thrilled when Tony offered to let Jake try his hand in driving. Brian rented a jet ski and the guys gave each of the kids a turn cruising around the late. Most of the time was spent gabbing and sitting on the beach while the kids swam in the water.


Gwen and Ellie eating snacks at Jordanelle.


Tony letting Jake drive the boat.


Me and Ellie


Claire

At about 7 pm we packed up and went over to the Lodge at Stillwater (a couple minutes up the street). Brian manages the property there so we were able to play in the pool and grill out on the deck. The kids had a blast running back and forth from the swimming pool to the hot tub. We kept dinner simple and had hot dogs and hamburgers, watermelon, chips and drinks. Of course Kristy brought a yummy dessert too.

We all had a such a great time! My kids kept thanking me again and again for the fun day.


The girls in the hot tub.


Drew and Gwen hot tubbing!


Brian the chef!


The kiddos eating dinner


The whole gang.


All the ladies.

A Vacation to Remember

Last Wednesday we began our thirteen-hour trek to Grand Coulee Dam, Washington to visit my best grade-school buddy, Chantel. We were able to make a few stops along the way to visit some friends and family. Although it was a very long trip, we couldn’t have enjoyed it more. The kids were the best travelers!

DAY 1

We headed out around ten with Melba, Idaho as our first destination. Seth’s Aunt Betsy and Uncle Layne live there and graciously took us in. We made it to Idaho with a few potty breaks, one stop for lunch, and one fill-up of gas (approximately 6 hours). Arrival time: 4 pm. Betsy gave us the tour of their home and showed us our sleeping quarters. Then the fun began!

Her daughter, Camille, set up a slip-and-slide in the backyard and that made for an hour or more of fun. Afterward the kids ran around playing with Skeeter (the dog) and blew bubbles while Seth and I helped Betsy grill some burgers and hotdogs.

Betsy and Layne live on over 120 acres of farmland. They have loads of alfalfa, hay, corn, and more. Layne, Seth, Jake and I hopped on the four-wheelers and we got the grand tour. We put out gopher traps, fixed any of the water siphons that had stopped running (so much harder that you might think), dug potatoes, watched the cows being milked, and went to a friend’s farm and learned how spearmint oil was made. I feel fairly competent in most areas, but farming is NOT one of them. It was very interesting though and I loved seeing how everything worked.

DAY 2

The next morning Jake went out and did the farm chores with their kids. He came back insistent we buy a farm. He loved it! Betsy treated us with pancakes, berries and whip cream for breakfast. We also had bacon right from one of their own pigs! After breakfast, we cleaned up, packed our stuff in the car, and headed out. Next destination: Kennewick, Washington (4 hours).

This leg of the trip was probably the toughest for the kids. They didn’t get enough sleep the night before and Drew and Ellie whined and screamed a lot of the way. However, there was light at the end of the tunnel. We were arriving to meet our friend Joe. He is actually my mom’s boyfriend of ten years. We have all talked to him on the phone before but none of us have actually met him. Today, that changed.

Joe was so kind to us. There was juice, pizza, and dessert all hot and ready when we arrived. We loved touring his home, meeting his dog Toby, and the kids especially enjoyed watching part of Ice Age in 3-D. After a brief visit we headed out. Joe sent us off with a big bag of fresh fruit. It was so nice to finally meet him. Thanks Joe! Next destination: Grand Coulee Dam (2.5 hours)

We finally arrived at Chantel’s home around 6 pm. We were greeted with open arms and smiling faces from her and her family. The most amazing part was, it was never awkward. I haven’t seen her in seven years and yet we picked up right where we left off. It was so nice to have finally meet her little girls and to have spent time getting to know her life in Grand Coulee. She has a beautiful home overlooking the Columbia River.

We were spoiled rotten by her and her husband Jason. My family has never eaten so good. Every morning we had a hot breakfast. We had quiche, pancakes, breakfast burritos, bagels, you name it! My kids were in heaven. Not only did we have great meals, but she always had juice and goodies for the kids to eat. We never went hungry. As a matter fact, I noticed it on my scale too! 🙂

DAY 3

The first day we were in Grand Coulee, we took a tour of the Grand Coulee Dam. We got to drive across the bridge in a tour bus and take pictures above the dam. It is the largest dam in North America and the third largest in the world. It was pretty amazing and daunting. I got very nervous looking over the bridge. We also spent some time browsing around the visitor’s center.

Originally we were going to take the boat to the lake but a huge thunderstorm came blowing through and the rain was pouring. We even lost power for a little bit. We later found out that several large trees blew over in her town. It was crazy! When the rain finally stopped we drove out to a local park and the kids played on the playground and enjoyed a game of basketball (with a volleyball).


Coulee Dam


Chantel and Ellie with the dam in the background.


Playin’ ball at the park.

Pretty much every night we stayed up after midnight visiting. We did lots and lots of reminiscing of the good ol’ days. I quickly realized that my memory doesn’t hold a candle to Chantel’s memory. She can remember everything in such detail. It was pretty amazing!

DAY 4

This day was devoted to the lake. We packed up loads of food and beach toys and headed out to the lake. Jason took two trips driving us over to the perfect beach spot on the lake. The weather was beautiful and the kids had so much fun. They had invited two other couples and their kids, which totaled around 16 kids!

We played all day. There was tons of yummy food. Jason grilled up the best burgers for dinner! The kids spent much of the day playing in the sand, climbing the mud cliffs, and playing around in the rafts and tubes. Jason also took the kids out in their tube. Drew LOVED the tube. He kept putting his hand in the air and doing a “thumbs up” when we tried to take his picture. It was pretty funny.

After hours and hours at the beach we packed up and headed back to the dock. We loaded up the boat and went over to this cute little ice-cream truck for some ice-cream. The kiddos love the ice-cream and we enjoyed more visiting.


Emma, Liv and Ellie

DAY 5

Unfortunately Seth didn’t have much vacation time left so we had to leave Sunday morning instead of Monday morning. I wasn’t ready to leave, but I knew we had to go back eventually. We packed up and left around 10:30. Tears were shed, hugs were given, and we were off. We decided to make the trip home in one day. Surprisingly it went really well. The kids were phenomenal! We made one stop at Joe’s house, one stop at rest stop and another stop at a gas station. Otherwise, we were on the road for 13 hours.

We had a GREAT trip. The kids can’t quit talking about how much fun they had. We can’t thank Chantel and Jason enough for their hospitality. They treated us like royalty and that didn’t go unnoticed. We promise to return the favor when you come visit us!

An Evening on the Boat

Our sweet friends, the Bergerons, invited our family to spend an evening out on their boat with them. We have only been out on a boat a handful of times and most of our kids have never been out at all so this was a new experience for us.

It was a little cooler in the evening, but the water was still around 75 degrees. Initially, it seemed a little too cold for me, but as you’ll hear, that changed later and I got all the way in (not by choice!).

We brought pizzas, snacks and drinks and went out. My kids had a blast. The water made Megan a little more nervous than usual, but everyone else took a turn or two on the tube. Jake and Seth took a good beating out on the water. I went on the tube with Ellie and Claire. Unfortunately, we weren’t leaning back for enough and the whole tube dipped forward and we all face-planted in the water. I was on top of Ellie and I panicked. I was worried she was caught under me, which she was, and I was a little freaked. Once I made it to the surface and saw Ellie and Claire I calmed down. They were both hysterical. We all got back on the tube and gave it another try. This time…success! Even Ellie stopped crying and enjoyed the ride for a short time.


Here is me, Ellie and Claire after being dumped off the tube


Ellie and Izzy on the boat

We finished off the night with Mike and Seth showing off their skills wake surfing. Jake also gave it a try but found it a little difficult for his inflexible body. We’ll get him up next time. What a fun night! Thanks Bergerons!

Mystery Outing

Seth works with Oracle through his job. Each year they do a party at Lagoon for customer appreciation. Only a few employees get to go each time and this year it was us! We were thrilled. The kids love Lagoon but it doesn’t justify the cost for our family of eight. It would cost us about $250 for a day. Needless to say, we had a GREAT time!

We decided to make it a mystery outing. This entails nothing more than telling the kids to get ready in their summer attire and to get in the car. Some kids liked the suspense more than others, but Seth thoroughly enjoyed surprising them.

We headed out at about 9:30 am and dropped Ellie off at Grandma Jan’s house (thanks Grandma!). We decided leaving her would make the long day a little easier. With their blind folds on, we approached Lagoon. Someone that chose not to wear their blindfold yelled “Lagoon!” All the blindfolds came off and the kids started screaming! They were so excited. We kept hearing: “Is this for real?” “No way?!” and several other similar expressions. It was really cute.

Once we got through the door the fun never stopped. Megan, Jake and Seth hit every scary ride/roller coaster several times. Katelyn and Claire tried most every ride at least once, but were a bit hesitant to do a few of them more than that one time. Everyone was surprisingly brave (except me that is). I hung with Drew most of the time. Looking back I should have probably done more but it was a little tricky with Drew not being tall enough for most of the “big people” rides.

Some of the favorite rides were: Wicked, Rocket, and Colossus. As a family though, we were only able to do a few rides together. Those were the pirate ship, the ferris wheel, the log run, and the rattlesnake rapids.


This is the four oldest on Wicked. They are on the back row so it is hard to see them, but it is them.


Seth and Drew on the lift


Claire on the swings!


Meg, KK, Jake and Dad on the Rocket


Meg, Claire and KK


Drew having fun in the airplanes.

Oracle provided and “all-you-can-eat” lunch for us as well. The kids ate SO much food. After lunch we were so full that we didn’t dare ride any super crazy rides. Megan, our little daredevil, begged for someone to ride Samurai with her, but nobody was willing. That was the only ride I think we skipped.

The kids weren’t looking forward to getting wet so we put off Rattlesnake Rapids till later. As we stood in line, the kids got nervous watching everyone exit the ride soaked. We made a deal that we would all move around in the raft to help avoid getting too wet. The kids all put in their free Oracle hats (to block some of the water that would soak us) and got in the raft (see pic below). Unfortunately you can’t avoid all the water. Katelyn, being our more timid child, didn’t move around enough and was completely drenched afterward. She wasn’t too happy about it but was a good sport. I actually really like that ride a lot and wanted to go again, but couldn’t get any of the kids to go with me.

Toward the end of the evening we ventured around the Pioneer town with the little kiddos while the bigger kids went over and rode some of the bigger rides again. We came home completely exhausted but so happy to have spent a day of fun together!

Happy 10th Birthday Megs!

My Meggie turned 10 last week. Her birthday falls just two days before the Fourth of July so we don’t normally do parties. However, after much pleading, we gave in. She ended up having two birthday celebrations.

Her actual birthday began with breakfast in bed (waffles, strawberries/whip cream, and a smoothie). She requested tacos for dinner and she chose to go fishing as her activity of choice. So we did just that! After an uneventful day of fishing – we caught nothing more than blue gills that were about 4 inches long – we came home for ice-cream cake. She opened her presents and was happy to find new soccer cleats, shorts, a shirt and a new sewing machine. She has been taking sewing lessons and has been dying to have her very own machine.

Then the following Friday we took 10 girls to Lowes Xtreme Air Sports for a birthday party. The girls jumped for 1.5 hours and then we met in the party room for cupcakes, drinks and presents. She had a great birthday and really enjoyed spending time with her friends.

I can’t believe Megan is already ten! Where does the time go?! She is such an amazing girl. She is so talented and responsible. Honestly, I am not sure how I could manage a day of my life without her in it. I love you Meggie girl! XOXOXO

Our Budding Artist

Katelyn has always been my artsy daughter. She can draw on the Etch-A-Sketch like it is a pencil and paper. She is always coming up with fun ways to make stuff. Well the other day she starting making things out of aluminum foil. She made something for most members of our family. She made dad a guy on a bike. She made Megan a girl playing soccer. She made Claire a girl doing a headstand and she made G’pa Mike a guy in a wheelchair holding a rifle. I wish I had pictures of all of them, but I don’t. They were pretty amazing. I will post a few pictures of the ones I have. She told me she wants to try clay next. I am sure she will do something crazy good with that as well.


A girl bouncing a soccer ball on her knee.

Summer Swimming

At the start of the summer I signed up Claire, Drew and Ellie for swim lessons with a friend of mine, Teri Jolley. She is an amazing instructor and my kids have really progressed.

Claire is already a decent swimmer. She mostly worked on her strokes and some survival techniques (treading, dead man float, etc.). She actually took two sessions and is now ready for level 4. I think we’ll just practice at the pool for now, but she really loved her lessons.


Claire

Drew, on the other hand, came to the first lesson petrified of getting water on his face. The first day was difficult. He cried and fought with her relentlessly. By day three I noticed a change. Not only did he get right in the water but he didn’t mind water on his face or in his eyes. He was starting to enjoy being in the water. Now, a couple weeks later, you can find him do head-first flips into the water…truly amazing!


Drew day 2 of lessons


Drew day 5 of lessons

Ellie wasn’t as fearful as Drew. Day one was a little tough because I think she thought I might leave her, but she did great. She was always eager to be first to put her head in the water and jump in the water. Now we have a little fish on our hands! She really isn’t much of a swimmer yet, but her confidence has increased so much. I can hardly believe the transformation!


Ellie Belle with Miss Teri.

We are loving summer and try to get out to the pool a couple times a week. The kids are having a blast!!

American Fork Canyon Half Marathon

Training started in April and ended this past weekend with a fantastic run. Back in March, I signed up for the American Fork Half Marathon. I hadn’t run it before but I had heard great things about it so I signed up.

In years past I have only signed up for races that occur at the end of the summer. That way I have all summer to train in the warmer weather. However, I wanted to run this race bad enough that I decided to sign up anyway. Training went well with very little injury. The worst part was training alone. The gal I normally run with was expecting and so I ran alone. However, when I got to my 9 and 10 mile training runs I decided to call and old friend who was also running the race.

That is when the running went from a chore to a lot of fun. So for the past month I have been training with Janie and her friend Sheila. By the end of the month we had run all parts of the course and I felt fairly comfortable with it.

Saturday morning Janie picked me up at 3:50 am (yes, really AM!). We got up to the start by about 4:45. Start time was 6:00. I felt pretty good and was thrilled to finally run the race. I had been stressing it all week so I wanted to get it done. My goal was to find the pacer holding the 1:50 sign and get a couple minutes ahead of him in the canyon so I could keep that pace even during the flat part. For the most part I accomplished my goal. I had a bad mile 11 which probably increased my time by a minute. I ended up finishing at 1:52 (8:32/mile). I was hoping to stay under 1:50 but that will give me a good goal for next year. I finished the last 1/4 mile strong and passed several people in the end.


Sheila and I a couple miles into the race.

My sweet husband and artistic young girls left the house at 10:30 pm the evening before the race (just after I went to bed) and went out along the route and drew signs of encouragement along the trail. They wrote “mighty” because that is part of our family cheer and they knew I would know what it meant. I had drawings at mile 2, mile 7 and mile 9. It was just what I needed to stay motivated when things got tough. It even brought tears to my eyes at mile 7. I sure am lucky to have such a great cheering squad.


Headlamps and all…the girls out in the dark with Seth making ME signs. So sweet!

Overall, I was very pleased with myself and I loved the race. It was the best run race I have ever participated in. Plus, all the proceeds go to cancer patients. There were quotes and stories posted along the way from cancer survivors and those who lost their battle as well. I ran with our old friend, Uncle Z (Zenon), in mind. He lost his fight with cancer a couple years ago. I am grateful for a run to help us honor the lives of our friends and family who have fought the fight. I don’t like cancer, not one bit. As a matter fact, CANCER SUCKS!


Here I am pointing to my signature on the “Cancer Sucks” sign.