Saturday, January 12, 2013

Twas the week before Christmas

DSC05669DSC05670DSC05671
Jeff’s parents, brother Ryan, and Sister Gabe and her kids were here the week before Christmas. They got in late Saturday night, before the blessing on Sunday.  Jeff’s mom, "Gramy," brought a favorite book to share with all the kids before bed.

DSC05686DSC05687DSC05688DSC05691DSC05694DSC05695
We spent the next week hanging out with cousins. The kids played really well together. Braxton and Riley are still total buds. Adelle kindof went back and forth between the littles and the bigs. Laney and Emmett were happy to chill and watch movies, Teagan looked big next to Gage…
It was fun to see the dynamics of it all. Cousins are the best!!
DSCF1722
Jeff and Riley share a birthday so to celebrate we went out to dinner Monday night. I love this picture of them both. They look thrilled, don’t they!

Tuesday Grandma and Grandpa Johnson had the whole gang in for yummy dinner complete with little teddy bear rolls for all the kids.
 DSC05701DSC05702DSC05703
On that Wednesday Gramy and Ryan left to go back home to Utah. It's always sad when they leave and we don't know when we will see them again. The kids got pictures with Ryan. He is off in Korea now with the Army.
Wednesday night my brother Brent, and his wife, Jess, took the kids to spend the night with them out at the bay where they were staying in a condo next door to my parents. The kids had fun and Jeff and I had a nice relaxing night where we finished up some Christmas last minutes.
Thursday we went up to Canada swimming at the wave pool with Brent, Jess, my mom and dad and Lesha and the kids. It was super fun and empty, we had the whole place to ourselves. Then that night my dad took all the big people to dinner and Auntie Melissa came and watched the little chillins. It was fun to get out with all my siblings and all of our significant others. Gage got to come too ;)
Friday, well nope. We will skip Friday and Saturday. I know they were busy but I didn’t write anything on my calendar.. So I have no recollection. Dang.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Go Hawks!


Jeff heard on the radio that today is the day that everyone should wear blue to support the Seahawks.
We took it a step further over here.
All 3 boys are in their get-up today.

Go Hawks!

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

2013 in a week

DSC05804
I am tired. It’s nine o’clock. Jeff is working. I want to read my scriptures. I want to read my book. I want to finish the laundry. I want to go to bed. I want to blog…. I guess that’s what I will do, along with eat my nine o’clock snack of half a roasted acorn squash with a lot of melted butter. yum. Yes. Good choice. It’s hitting the spot. The tension in my neck is subsiding as I sit here with my warm snack.
DSC05779DSC05785DSC05774
After I put the big kids to bed, early, this little friend wanted all the love. We sang, he sings too. We rocked each other. I was rocking him at the same time he was rocking me. We needed it. I tried to lay him down but he protested so I picked him back up. I told my mom other day about the good team that Gage and I are. I take care of him, he takes care of me. It works, well. I love this babe. Just when I think I don’t have any more to give he smiles and tells me how much he loves me with his coos and awes and my perspective changes. I am his number one gal and that’s a blessed thing to be.
Did I mention that I am also listening to Adele radio on Pandora. My favorite. Another reason why this whole nine o’clock thing is so wonderful right now. And while I’m on the topic of music my husband and I have a theme song going on. You can listen to it here. It’s beautiful and really hits home as of late. There’s a lot going on around here, and it’s all good, mostly, but man, it’s a lot.  We are growing. Growing as individuals. Growing as a couple. Growing as parents. Growing as business owners. Growing as friends. Growing in humility…

DSC05796DSC05797DSC05800DSC05801DSC05798
The cousins were over today which made it double the fun. My house was destroyed within minutes, just the way we like it lately ;). The kids all decided to get all the toys out, decorate our whole house with them, and then get their faces painted and not play with any of them. Good thing they were there though, all over the house, so that they could trip over them while they were chasing each other around. I love all these kids. They are so fun and they love each other so much. And the toys get picked up, they always do.
DSC05759DSC05760DSC05761DSC05763
Jeff’s brother moved to town. He hangs out here a bit cooking me dinner and things of the sort. : 0. He served a mission in Japan, same as Jeff, so last week they made us homemade gyoza. It was scrumptious.  For someone who loves to cook, I also love to be cooked for. Lane is awesome and so fun to have around. Those Ashmore boys men are really something.
DSC05766DSC05767DSC05768
The mornings this year look something like this. My helping hands are increasing. Gage likes to get in on the action now too. Loving my mobi that my BFF made me for Emmett. It really does pay off to keep things in bins in the garage…. as long as you remember to go searching for them when you need them.
DSC05794DSC05795
Last night for FHE we buried a time capsule. It was really fun and the kids thought it was the most exciting thing in the world. We filled out papers with info. about ourselves. Our height, weight, favorites… and then we ended with goals for the year. Each of the kids wrote their own, the best they could. Jeff and I did it too. He weighs more than me again, fyi. This isn’t always the case. Then we went out in the dark back yard, flashlights in hand, dug a hole and buried our “treasure” until next year. It was fun. My goals for the year are: teach Braxton and Adelle each to play one song of their choice on the piano, start the book I have been wanting to write, read a book a month, do pushups (not every day but when I am up for it).
Have I mentioned that I love this year so far? It’s so good. On Sunday during testimony meeting a wise woman who I really love said something that hit me. She said something to the effect of, you don’t have to wait for a new year, new month, new job…. You can be better now. Every day, every minute, you can be better. I knew that. But I am glad she reminded me. It’s good to try and be better. It’s ok to not have it all down yet as long as you are trying. And if you mess up, it’s ok. I am telling myself this, not you.
So cheers to you. It’s going to be a good year.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Gage’s Blessing

 

 

DSC_0009DSC_0025DSC_0010DSC_0018DSC_0021DSC_0022DSC_0013DSC_0017DSC_0026DSC_0030DSC_0033DSC_0034DSC_0037DSC_0042DSC_0046DSC_0043DSC05672DSC_0044DSC_0023DSC05682DSC_0031DSC05678

Jeff blessed Gage in our home on Sunday, December 16th. It was beautiful.  Our humble little abode was filled with 29 people.  We are so grateful for everyone who was able to come. Everyone stayed afterwards for dinner and good company. Gage was/is so beautiful. Jeff’s mom and dad bought him his sweet blessing outfit and she made the darling hat to match. My mom and dad did the food and everyone helped bring sides and desserts.  We are so blessed with good family who love and serve and support us and our children. Thanks Chelsey for taking the pictures ;)

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Best Gift Ever

The thought of blogging about Christmas is overwhelming to me still so I am doing it little by little. There is a lot to say and show though and today when Braxton went back to school it was bitter sweet.

This year for Christmas I didn't really want anything. My brother had my name and kept asking me for ideas and I kept telling him the same thing. So that's what I got. He was bored with it but it was a book I have wanted and now I have it. Perfect.

When my sister-in-law asked me what I wanted I told her one thing. And that's what I got. A super cute, chocolate brown, knitted headband, head warmer thing, with a flower. I love it.

So when Jeff asked what I wanted I couldn't think of anything. I knew I wanted a warm thing for my head and I knew I wanted the book, and other than that..... I didn't really know.

Then I remembered what I have always wanted and never had...

A felt board!!

Yep, for the past 6 years when I take my kids to storytime at the local library they do stories on the felt board and the kids love it, it's really interactive, and I've always wanted one so that I could do that in my living room.

So I told Jeff what I wanted. A felt board. And whoa, did he grant the wish way beyond what I expected. This thing won't fall down, and you can have different scenes.

First of all he took the easel that we already had and stapled felt to the chalk board side. Score. We never have used this side anyway, it makes a huge mess and chalk is for outside in my book.
So above you have day sky and green ground for stories.
 Or, you can flip down the black sky for night time stories or outer space stories, lessons.
 Then you can flip up the blue piece for water. Here is where we tell stories to our kids about skinny dipping in the dark. (ha, not really but you can see the water and the night sky).

And here is the water with the blue sky for the stories that we do about sunny days in the water fishing, or whatever.

So there you have it. My felt board which I love and then he had the kids each pick out a story that he bought all the felt pieces too so we have 3 stories that we can do and mix up, plus we have the letters of the alphabet to do different word games. Tonight each of the kids told a story and then Braxton led us in a game of hangman on the felt board. So fun!!

I love this special gift. It's just perfect.

And I don't think I ever would have thought that at 30 I would be asking for a felt board for Christmas. Funny.