Christmas Memories

Every year, the highlight of our Christmas Eve is watching the kids re-in act the manger scene. It was so much fun!

Joseph (Luke), Mary (Ellie), and a Wise Man (Ethan)

Zane did Not want to be the Angel, so he was a baby mule, and it was only fitting that his Dad was a mule with full grown hair on his back! perfect costume!

Amerie insisted on being baby Jesus. And she would not give up her throne for Zane to have a turn...

Mary and Joseph riding on the mule...Clay was the Best! It was a fantastic Christmas!

Dance! Dance! Dance!

Words cannot descirbe how much these girls LOVE their dance classes. Every week they look forward to this day. We celebrated a Holiday Dance Recital this week where both girls stole the show! Ellie was born a natural and I am scared to say Amerie did fantastic in her performance. It's all worth it when I get these cute girls so very happy!

Xanadu

We are going to see Xanadu tomorrow, and I just can't wait to get into the 80's groove...Don't be surprised if you see a huge pregnant lady riding on her skates at this event! I am soo tempted!

Santa Clause

The girls had a blast seeing Santa Clause tonight! Ellie was super excited to sit on his lap. Amerie, had to follow in on big sisters' steps so she sat on Santa's lap just for competition. She would not look at him, but did atleast talk with him(all while staring out away from his view). Our girls made his life a whole lot easier for present making...Ellie asked for books and a doll and Amerie asked for a baby doll. Can life get any simpler than that?

Polar Bear Club

If you want to become a part of the infamous and sought out club in Northern California, then you have to:
1-Have no fear of freezing
2-Skimpy down into your bathing suit in the dead of winter
3-Swim in cold, cold water!
Then you have just entered into the Polar Bear Club! Both my girls are proud members! Thanks to their Dad! It was the highlight of our Thanksgiving trip! Ellie getting ready to jump in and become an official "polar bear" girl (she was not smiling after..)

Ames was a smart cookie, pushed her Matt-Matt in, in lieu of her...she's already working the charm!

Amerie and her cousins Emily and Marissa, trying to lend some warmth

Uncle James was the hottest item, Thanksgiving weekend! And the only one brave enough! Those kids truly covet their Uncle James!

Modern Day Technology

Thank you for being so readily available to kids who fly...it just makes traveling a whole lot smoother! (at least for an hour)

McCormick Railroad Park

This week, we took a quick trip to Scottsdale to do some playin' with our favorite "Bubbas" in the world! While James and his Dad golfed, the girls played! We found a really fun park just down the street from our hotel with real trains and train rides. It turned out to be perfect because I was expecting 80 degree weather and just hangin at the pool all day, but it was nice and cool with a little drizzle on the last day we were there, so this park was just the thing we needed!

The girls were so excited for the picture! Luckily, I made them do it first thing

One of the trains you could enter and tour, the whole time I was thinking of Ethan, Luke and Zane on how much they would had loved this park more than these girls!!!

Ellie and Bubba on the carousel ride! It was a blast because this carousel actually went fast! Hold on cowgirl!

We took a train ride around the entire park! It was such a nice park, and free for the awesome huge, playground and wide open space for picnics and parties! We ended the ride with a 30 sec ride through a tunnel that Ames kept saying "All done!"

It was the perfect little getaway, only an hour flight, perfect weather, three-bedroom villa for the price of a hotel room, Trader Joe's for dinner, James, winning by two strokes when he was 1 stroke behind on the 18th hole and lots and lots of hours to play and snuggle with our Bubba and other Bubba...

Our First Ever Halloween Party!

I know this is kinda late, but my sister Mae took these photos and she has been a little busy with her own photo job, that it took her a bit to send these my way, but I really wanted to share what we did in our Halloween Party! Mae and I decorated the house and put out a candy bar that the kids, when through with the night could go trick-or-treating at. As the kids arrived we had them decorate their goodie bags,

We had quite the array of characters at the party! Ellie with her finished product!

Then we played "Guess the ghost" Amerie of course was in on all of the games!

Then we ventured over to Mr. Georgie the skeleton and played "Pin the Heart"

It was such a blast to watch the kids find their way to the skeleton! I wish I had videoed it! (is that even a word?)

Cont. to part 2

Halloween Party part 2

Then we played a game of "Witches' Ring Toss" and had a crazy time with our "Spooky Walk" outside. The fantastic array of costumes...The Queen of Hearts, Snow White, The Tooth Fairy and Dorothy.

We had a "Spooky Story Time" served with delicious homemade sugar cookies of orange pumpkins and white ghosts.They were sooo delicious! Thanks Camilla!

Even Mr. Yoda and the "Storm Trooper"were a little "spooked!"

Then we ended the night with a fantastic magic show by Ellie's Nother Bubba who came especially for her Halloween party. He was fantastic! The kids were so into his show, I have never seen 14 four year olds so amused by a show! Even the one and only "Queen of Hearts" sat through the whole show...

Ellie was so proud to have her Nother Bubba at her party that she personally insisted on being his sidekick...

We all had a fantastic time! Thanks to everyone for making it so much fun!

Halloween

The gang ready to attack the streets of "Gotham Ridge"! We had quite the show of costumes this year! Yoda was the last man back and the only one with more lute! Go Zane! Just think, next year we will have two more to add...
Happy Halloween!

Halloween at Pretend City!

We had a blast at Pretend City for their 1st Annual Halloween Bash! Ethan, Luke and Ellie were so excited to be there. We had trick or treating, a magic show that Ethan found out that he can magically appear coins from his ears, chin and head, a raffle that we actually won, a costume parade and of course the whole place practically to ourselves! It was sure worth it!

The gang ready to rumble...

Once, Twice, Three Times a Lady

Or maybe not. Atleast little j will be another cute addition to our family!

The Latest at the Johnson Home

Amerie is getting ready to play the "big sister role"...already changing diapers all by "self" as she states matter of factly!

Mom of the Year Award!

I felt really good about our day yesterday, 3 hours of pure enjoyment at "Pretend City" then over to Target for some lunch: Ellie-Little Debbie Swiss Rolls and Amerie-Hostess chocolate donuts! Hey, its never too late to break the rules!

World Track and Field Championship

James was in Berlin, Germany for this years, World Track and Field Championships in August. This competition is practically like the Olympics for track and Field. All the best athletes in one arena, competing for the World Title! Can I say more? James absolutely loved everyday of his 11 day trip of sitting at the stadium watching track and field competition all day long to the point of only wanting to come home for simply a home cooked meal and not another bratwurst....


He and his Dad, both track and field athletes in college, had a great time! And what do you think they did in the meantime of their 11 day hiatus from the "real world"? Here's to another guy trip in 2011, in South Korea. Yeah!

Thank You Travelzoo!

Thanks to my friend, Travelzoo, me and my girlies are heading out for some R&R this weekend! We will be staying at this posh hotel:http://www.fairmont.com/santamonica
for a sweet deal of one $ sign..while being pampered Ms "Its Complicated" style!
But most of all I am looking forward to this:

The beautiful and sentimental Los Angeles Temple!

And then afterwards, eating at the best place on earth! Rice, black beans, grilled chicken, and a nice cold Guarana...hmm brings me back to my Rio days!

And of course can't forget a nice "queijo pastel" Deep, fried wonton loaded with cheese and a side of salsa...

My weekend starts early, in about 15 hours....

Oh where, oh where, has my baby gone...?

I have really contemplated this question for a long time now. Where did my little one go, and why did she grow up so dang fast? She turned two today, but honestly it feels as if she turned three! She learned fast that if she wanted to keep up with the big kids, she had to walk the walk, per say. Now, she has to do everything they do! When I am on the phone, she asks "dat" meaning "who's that?". Or when someone is sad or hurt she asks "happened?" She is CONSTANTLY asking "why momma" to everything I say even if I give her a reason why, she still asks "why". If you asked her what she wants for breakfast, she would say "hotdog". Then for lunch, "hotdog" then last for dinner, "hotdog". She is always wanting to know where Ellie is, "Ellie? Ellie?" She loves her babies! She wants to take them everywhere we go. She'll go get them a "pinky" to cover them up. She is just too dang grown-up for me! But we sure do love her tons! Happy Birthday Amerie Linda! You are just as we call you, lindissima!!!

I have never seen anyone as happy as Amerie was tonight when we all gathered around to sing her "Happy Birthday!"

Why Exercise Won\'t Make You Thin

My sister forwarded this article to me, and I want you all to read it! It will get your mind rolling about the emphasis we put on ourselves to workout, but to neglect the one factor that really is the easiest, less time consuming to do: just eat healthy! Read it and let me know what you think! Should we put it to the test?

Why Exercise Won\'t Make You Thin

Time to Tri! Camp Pendleton Sprint Triathlon

We went to Oceanside on Saturday to watch James compete in his first ever Sprint Triathlon. It was a 500yd swim in open water, 18mile bike, and a three mile run. He of course had so much fun training and getting all the official play wear that goes with competing in a Tri! He, with some guys from our ward, were training for this for three months! I think it paid off in the end! Here is a picture of the transition area. Crowded! 1200 participants! And the ocean starting line in the background where they swam!

Here's James getting back from his 18miler ride, center in black with the white helmet! He was so glad he didn't get a flat!

James dropped off his bike, quickly changed into running shoes, and then off for his last leg. Three mile run! We hiked through hills, brush, and sand to get the girls a close look at him!

James after he finished! I think he'd rather be the one screaming his head off like his daughter, Amerie! The girls did great! It wasn't really much fun for them, as it was really difficult to see the race from a distance....James was pretty beat afterwards! The guy is way too competitive!

After a rest on the floor and some oranges and bananas and supped up Gatorade, we were all ready for a family picture! Good job JJ! We are your #1 Fans!!!!