Johnson Family Blog

Basketball Buddies

2012-01-07T14:34:00.002-07:00

Today was opening weekend for Upward basketball. Riley and Macie are both on teams and did awesome!

Carver had a hard time sitting on the sidelines. He kept saying, "Shoot, Shoot".

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

www.go-go-johnsons.blogspot.com

Maggie + Charles = LOVE

2011-12-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the shots we took at the wedding. We look forward to seeing some or yours!

(Lost &) Found

2011-12-23T13:18:00.001-07:00

Pair of glasses I found in Amy's room, thought were Margie's, and brought home (whatever that means for me these days).

Please let me know if you're the proud owner.

Where's Waldo? More like Where's recycled Waldo.

2011-12-08T20:05:00.003-07:00

I found this gem while trying to organize thousands of photos. Daunting. As you can see, a) Scott is recycling his Waldo outfit from 2001, and 2) I look amazing in a pair of Scooby Doo women's panties. Don't hate me because I'm beautiful.

Johnson family band

2011-12-08T19:55:00.002-07:00

Every week the Trib does a "Look back" gallery where we take photos from our archives and post them on the website. This week features bands. Of particular interest is the photo attached. Read the idents of the member, there sure are a lot of Johnsons in there, but I'm doubting we had Utah ties in the late 1800's. Maybe I'm wrong. Also read the letter attached to the band photo written in 1947 where the author basically begs that the photo be returned to her. We are actually trying to track the family down to return it. Pretty interesting. I hope everyone is well. Hearts.

Another Knucklehead Adventure

2011-12-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

Another gem courtesy of the Knuckleheads.

Riley's Baptism

2011-12-07T19:45:00.004-07:00

A few pictures from Riley's baptism and Grandma and Grandpa's visit. We are so grateful they were able to come out and we are so proud of Riley for getting baptized.

Silly faces

Carver playing with the Nativity

Yes, this is a picture of dad with his arm stuck behind the couch. Apparently he was trying to retrieve a bouncy ball and the next thing we knew, we were extracting his arm. Thankfully we didn't have to amputate.

The 'berbils' and 'Baby Esus'

2011-12-05T14:13:00.002-07:00

Hi all! I took some video of Daphne while I was in Pittsburgh, and just wanted to share so everyone can enjoy the absolute CUTENESS of that little girlie talking about the gerbils and Baby Jesus. She was a bit obsessed really, but that's cute when you're not even 2! :) It's just a short little video, but I'm sure you'll watch it over and over and over again and bask in the cuteness! <3

Christmas gift exchange rotation schedule

2011-11-29T11:10:00.001-07:00

Hey all, and Happy Holidays! :) I thought that the Christmas gift exchange rotation schedule was posted on the blog at some time, but I couldn't track it down. Does anyone know where it is, and/or have it memorized?? ;) See you all SOON for (as Maggie calls it) The Wedding of the Century! :)

Aunt Amy!

2011-11-28T19:47:00.001-07:00

We love it when Amy comes to visit. She was definitely heaven sent this trip. Because she was here, I was able to steal away to New York City for a day where I met Scott, spent some time in the city and then drove home with him that night. We also were able to make Thanksgiving dinner virtually uninterrupted while she locked herself away with the kids! In addition, she also did story time for Rex's preschool class, let Daphne drag her around the house while she held her stash, made crafts and played games with the boys, cleaned up a jug of spilled milk, cleaned up a clogged, overflowed toilet, broke her toe, went on to play laser tag with a broken toe, watched a polar bear swim over our heads at the zoo (while walking around the zoo broken toed), and just made us happy she was there. We had fun and miss her a ton!

Daphne's favorite activity was looking at the "berbils" with Amy

At the zoo

Dropping Amy off at the airport...so sad

Conjoined Knuckleheads

2011-11-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

The video below shows what emerged from our basement tonight after Felix and Rex had been sent down to clean up the mess they and their neighbor-friend Garrett, and their distant (Woffinden) cousins had made when they were all over for dinner tonight.

At first while they were cleaning, Felix and Rex engaged in the typical bickering and teasing, but eventually they bonded (?!) in the way shown below. : )

LISA!!

2011-11-22T16:21:00.000-07:00

Lisa, we want to make sure we wish a happy birthday!! Hopefully we won't totally space out and forget to call you tomorrow :) The kids are home from school so I am sure there will be lots of chaos, but we love you and can't wait to see you at the wedding!

Stamford Thanksgiving Parade

2011-11-20T13:16:00.001-07:00

Because I'll be working the first part of next week, I stayed in Connecticut this weekend.

When I got home from Church, all the parking on my street was taken, and when I asked my roommate why, he explained today was the city's Thanksgiving parade.

It was a beautiful day, so I walked the 1/2 mile or so to the parade route and took a few pictures from my phone.

Maybe later I'll post my videos of Mr. Potato Head, Bob the Builder, and Fred Flintstone. : )

Halloween

2011-11-03T21:28:00.003-06:00

The Owensboro League of Superheroes!

With their arch nemesis “Toxic Avenger"

Halloweenies

2011-10-31T20:22:00.000-06:00

Waldo and Madame Butterfly

Waldo, Pippi, M. Butterfly, Batman and Darth at the insanely crowded ward party

What you will see in the bathroom Halloween morning

Darth Vader, Butterfly, Batman

Home from Trick or Treating, wet hair and all. It rained. We probably shouldn't have gone out to begin with because we found out that morning that Felix had Strep and Daphne, Pneumonia. What a shame to miss out on Halloween when it only comes once a year. We stayed away from our friends and called it an early night.

Broadway Star!

2011-10-29T20:50:00.001-06:00

Riley's Second-Grade Performance.

Happy Fall

2011-10-25T21:01:00.000-06:00

I took the kiddos out for a photo shoot. It was a miracle I got any pictures with them all looking. It was a circus!

Shot of the day

A glimpse of what it's like everyday in our home...all smiles and hand holding

A whole lot of editing went into this shot

A lovely fall day in Pittsburgh

Wedding at West Point

2011-10-24T18:11:00.001-06:00

Saturday I had the chance to attend my friend Casey's wedding in the Catholic chapel of the Most Holy Trinity at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he was a cadet.

My other friend, Scott, who is also an alum was at the wedding, too, and took me on a tour of the campus.

The pictures below were taken atop the roof of the Library overlooking the Hudson.

The wedding and tour were great experiences and made me more grateful 1) for my wife and 2) those who serve our country.

Perhaps the biggest highlight was the performance at the reception dinner by the Pipes and Drums of the Corp of Cadets (www.usma.edu/uscc/dca/clubs/.../pipd.html)

Wedding deal-o-rama

2011-10-18T19:19:00.004-06:00

For all of you who are traveling to the wedding, there are some great hotel deals I found online. Here is a link to one I found on Kayak, it is $26 a night. Yes, $26. Definitely worth looking into.

I'm excited to come out and huck some rice.

http://www.kayak.com/r/ATzxzQo

Pumpkins, Squash & Gords...Oh My!

2011-10-15T10:40:00.006-06:00

Valerie is one of Macie's Girl Scout leaders and they went to a local farm that has lots of fun activities for kids. The whole family tagged along and we had a great time.

Entering the Labyrinth

Riley protecting her and Carver's pumpkins

Charlotte and Carver ride in a sea of pumpkins

Lots of cool squash, gords, pumpkins, etc.

The corn box

Stopping along the hay ride to pick pumpkins

Charlotte picks a perfect pumpkins

Painting pumpkins after the hay ride

Carver amongst the scenery

Macie going for a spin

On the hay ride - minus the hay

the Johnsons Take Manhattan

2011-10-08T10:27:00.000-06:00

The kids posing with one of the pieces in the Donald M. Kendall sculpture gardens on Pepsi HQ campus where I work.

Cute picture of Margie and Daphne at the sculpture gardens at Pepsi

A shout out to uncle Todd from one of the 'hoods in his mission (I think?), while riding the NJ transit train into Manhattan

Felix and Rex taking in a headless Lady Liberty from the Staten Island ferry

Walking with the kiddies in the SoHo neighborhood on our way to Washington Square park

Couple cute pictures of the girl in Central Park

Margie and the kids in Central Park, atop a rock the boys discovered, climbing and playing on it for some time.

The boys on the "top of the rock"

Felix and Rex posing with a Lego Statue of Liberty in the Lego section of the FAO Schwartz on 5th Avenue

Felix and Rex "pole dancing," to quote Margie, on a mostly-empty subway car.
The man behind Felix gave no signs of letting their antics interrupt his sleep.

Margie and Daphne riding on the subway

Felix checking out one of the dinos at the American Museum of Natural History

Rex interacting with one of the high-tech exhibits.

Happy Birthday, Amy!

2011-10-06T21:50:00.000-06:00

Since I wasn't able to call you tonight for your birthday, I wanted to send you a quick birthday wish here and let you know how much we love and appreciate you...especially your tireless and enthusiastic cheer leading for everyone in our big, happy family!

Engaged at 64!!!

2011-10-01T17:45:00.003-06:00

I was really "out-foxed" by Charles last night! I thought we were going to dinner...one of our regular dates. Because he worked late, he arrived after 7. He showed up with a bouquet of roses, and a jar of Hershey's candy. He brought his own knife to cut the roses. When we had arranged the roses in a vase, he said we should have a piece of chocolate. I was ready to go to dinner, and told him there was some candy opened on the counter, so we didn't need to open the jar. He really wanted a piece from the jar! When I took the lid off, there was a ring box inside!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't have been more surprised. It's beautiful, and I am thrilled!!! Honestly, I still shake my head in disbelief. At this point in my life, I never thought this would happen to me, but am so very grateful for his love.

Daddy Daughter Night

2011-09-18T14:02:00.001-06:00

I took the girls to the Chick-fil-a daddy daughter event last night. I didn't have high expectations; I just figured it was ploy to get me to buy more kids meals. Anyway, they threw a great event with a man in a tux greeting us at the door, black tablecloths with a rose center piece, the cow, a man playing a guitar, and the girls' favorite...A ride in a horse-drawn carriage. This was one of the pictures they provided. Thinking it wasn't going to be much, I forgot to take our camera. They are the best and I'm glad I'm their dad!

Cross Country

2011-09-16T21:14:00.004-06:00

Riley had her 2nd cross country race yesterday. She did awesome and finished in 6:32 (3/4 mile). Macie decided to sit this one out.

Couple Pictures of CT and NY

2011-09-14T19:01:00.000-06:00

View looking out over Greenwich Harbor toward Long Island on what was a truly lovely evening, Friday, 9/9.

View of a fancy-pants restaurant and some expensive boats docked in part of the Greenwich Harbor.

A view of the Manhattan Temple on Saturday, 9/10/2011. I was street contacted just outside the temple, though not by anyone from the Church but rather by some marketing representatives for General Mills' Fiber One brand, who gave me a free sample of their Oats and Chocolate bar (which I have already had many, many times). Just glad I didn't take the second sample they offered...just ask Rex about the effects of eating too many Fiber One bars. : )

A view looking uptown toward the Empire State building. Please note the obligatory Pepsi billboard in the foreground of the Empire State building. : )

Missing My Family

2011-09-11T17:29:00.000-06:00

Count me as bummed Margie and the kiddos (and uncle KJ for that matter) didn't end up coming to visit NYC this weekend. I was really looking forward to spending the weekend on the town with them. I took a few low-quality pictures, e.g. of the angel Moroni atop the Manhattan Temple, that I'll have to post online later.

At least we can count our blessings that we're all safe: no floods, no traffic accidents, no car bombs, or any other impediments. We're going to try to get Margie and the kids out here soon, perhaps the weekend of General Conference, when Felix happens to have a three-day weekend from school.

When and if Margie and the kids are able to make it out here, they will have covered a lot of ground this year, traveling from coast to coast (Huntington Beach, CA to NYC), and north to south (Galveston, TX to Niagara Falls). And mostly without me! They're troopers and superstars, especially Margie!

The most unexpected part of my overnight trip to the city? That would have to be sitting two seats over from Glenn Beck in the High Priests' group meeting in the Manhattan 2nd Ward on the 10th anniversary of September 11th no less.

Hello from the 'burghers

2011-09-10T11:33:00.002-06:00

I've done a little blogging if you're interested. BLOG

Just an update on what's going on, Scott is working in NY and coming home on the weekends. He rents a room in a house in Connecticut with a few other LDS guys. The kids and I were supposed to drive out to NY this weekend and stay in Manhattan with Scott, but due to the flooding in Eastern Pennsylvania we opted out. Scott is going to stay at the sublet we reserved tonight by himself...hopefully far enough from any car bombs as possible. We're just waiting for a full time job offer to come through for him somewhere, but for now, we'll take what we have.

Louisville Zoo

2011-09-06T20:33:00.004-06:00

Here are a few pictures from our trip to the Louisville Zoo on Monday. Our internet connection is super slow right now so I'll try and post the rest of the pictures another day.

Riley's Baptism

2011-09-03T17:51:00.002-06:00

Many of you are aware of this already, but I thought I would send it out to the masses. We are planning to baptize Riley on Dec. 31. Anyone who wants an excuse to visit KY is more than welcome.

Carver Walks!

2011-08-28T18:36:00.000-06:00

Carver finally decided to walk this week!

One Long Sunday Afternoon...

2011-08-14T19:17:00.002-06:00

Carver is usually in trouble when the girls say they are bored on Sunday afternoon...

Fitness Gurus

2011-08-06T12:36:00.003-06:00

This is what the girls were doing when I got home yesterday. It was a hoot! The videos really doesn't do it justice, but it gives you a taste of their craziness.

Table Mountain

2011-07-24T07:08:00.004-06:00

Eight of us hiked Table Mountain yesterday. It's a beautiful, yet challenging, hike that puts you eye-level with the Tetons. I'm not sure how our legs will react when we have to sit in the car the next two days, but it was worth all the pain, right? I've been told that on a normal year 70% of the snow you see is gone by this time.

The Skinny:
Distance: 12 miles (round-trip).
Elevation Changes: Table Mountain stands 4,100 feet above the trailhead. Good Luck!
Time required: 8 hours.
Difficulty: Very strenuous.

Is that a balloon in your pants.......

2011-07-22T17:51:00.003-06:00

....or are you just happy to see me?

Jimmy requested this picture of C.T. backstage before the "big show." And by "big show" I mean event where I horrified my nieces and made mom and maggie pee their pants.

Maggie's Reunion Pics

2011-07-19T11:47:00.005-06:00

Photos (only cuz mom is sitting here brow-beating me)

2011-07-17T20:26:00.015-06:00

Here is an edit of the 600+ photos I shot at the reunion. I think it would give the average Joe a decent idea of what the Johnson Family is all about...which is simply being awesome. Love you guys.

Father's Day and More...

2011-06-23T21:00:00.001-06:00

Daphne plays with one of Scott's Father's Day gifts in the video below:

We may not get doubles and RBI's at our baseball games, but we can guarantee total goofiness:

Felix really wanted to play T-ball again this year, but after one game, he was ready to quit. Turns out he only wanted to play for the concession stand treats at the end. Felix had golf class the last 6 weeks of school and has informed me that is the sport he wants to play because it is "quiet". Rex recently decided he wants to get his black belt in Karate.

Here are the kids enjoying Scott's other Father's Day gift...fireworks

I headed a fundraiser with Felix's school to earn money for school kids in Haiti. We had a Penny War with a goal to raise $250. The kids ended up bringing in $854! The prize was getting to throw a pie in the winning class' teacher's face. Felix's class didn't win, but he got to throw a pie in his principal's face.

T-ball

Father's Day and More Softball

2011-06-20T19:28:00.002-06:00

The kids with me on Father's Day.

Riley's softball team.

Riley's team played Sorgho tonight and won 16-5. Riley went 3-3 with 2 doubles and 4 RBI. She probably could have had a triple on this play, but you'll notice she overruns first base and then eventually makes it to second. Her last game is Thursday against the other team from Highland. It should be intense!

Here's To Great Dads!

2011-06-18T20:39:00.003-06:00

Dad and Grandpa Johnson

(L-R) Janet, Grandma J., Maggie, Great Grandma Syme, Dad (Jimmy)

(Thanks Maggie for sharing these!)

Convertibles and Frostys

2011-06-18T08:25:00.004-06:00

Sister Duncan lives around the corner from us and is one of Valerie's visiting teachers. She is wonderful and recently took the girls to get Frostys in her convertible. Needless to say, they were in heaven!

This Ain't Your Mama's Softball!

2011-06-07T06:06:00.005-06:00

Riley played some great defense and went 2-3 with 2 RBI as her team beat Knottsville last night, 16-7.

Daphne Prays

2011-06-04T21:36:00.003-06:00

Daphne loves saying prayers throughout dinner...over and over and over again.

Here's a video of the translations the boys gave Daphne's prayers.

Summer Hair

2011-06-04T21:01:00.001-06:00

We can't offer 100+ heat indexes, but we can offer you a buzz cut. Check out Rex's new summer do. And, just below is the picture of the next to last day of our 3 week stint owning a dog. We now own a gerbil...Joe James Jerry Johnson. I don't think I'll ever get over the guilt of getting rid of Ruby, but I was at my breaking point before we got a dog, so something had to give, and it's not as easy to get rid of your children (or husband :) )

Rex and Daphne don't believe in chairs. They are always on the table.

Before...

After...

If Rex were a Redneck...

What Else Do You Do When The Heat Index Is 100+?

2011-06-04T20:11:00.004-06:00

With daily highs in the 90's Valerie and the kids have taken full advantage of the neighborhood pool. These pictures are from today. The heat index was well above 100 and it was nice to get some relief. As I create this post at 9:30 p.m. the heat index is still 92 degrees!

Riley with her friend Haley.

Pool Party!

2011-05-28T19:33:00.005-06:00

We "officially" celebrated Macie's Birthday today with a few friends from church. She wanted to have a pool party so we took everyone to the neighborhood pool. She is very excited about her new bike!

Hapy Birthday Macie !

2011-05-24T20:13:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday Macie ! I hope you had a great day. We love you so much and can't wait to see you guys at the reunion. Love you(:

-Jamie and Kacie (:

Still Waiting...

2011-05-21T17:02:00.008-06:00

While waiting on our back porch for Judgment Day, I was appreciating all the different flowers we have.

Happy Birthday!!!

2011-05-16T18:48:00.000-06:00

Maggie, we hope you have a WONDERFUL birthday!! May it be full of food, laughter, and fun...and maybe a hot date ;)

Coincidence? I think not

2011-05-13T14:28:00.003-06:00

So, apparently there is a group of nut jobs who believe, based on a mathematical equation, that May 21st is Judgement Day. According to their 90ish year old leader, on the 21st the righteous people will be taken to heaven. Five months later the earth will be destroyed. (Two days after Amy's bday so don't be late with the gifts.) I'm pretty sure i'm going to be around after the 21st so I'm scouting out large homes on the bench that currently house general authorities. That way, when the depart, I'll have luxury accommodations while I await the world's demise.

Here is one of the billboards advertising the end as we know it and it just happens to be on Edith Avenue. Coincidence? I think not. Mom is apparently the chosen of the chosen. That's awesome for our family, we'll definitely get a pass and great real estate in the hereafter. Woo hoo! I'm kind of sad to leave. I just bought a bunch of groceries to stock my new home and a new swimsuit to take advantage of the indoor pool.

Meet Ruby

2011-05-10T05:00:00.000-06:00

Everyone, meet Ruby. A dog sounds so good when you don't actually own one. The boys really wanted one, so we wrote up a plan for them to earn one and they did it. (We're now realizing the plan wasn't nearly difficult enough.) I really wanted a dog, too. Scott did not. In hindsight, I do not either. She seems to be a sweet and obediant dog thusfar, but the night time routine of waking up to go potty multiple times is really annoying and exhausting. Last night we made some progress though. I needed progress because I had a wee little breakdown yesterday over the impact the dog has had on our schedule. I keep telling myself life will be normal again after it's housebroken, but I'm not so sure. I feel like I'm in prison.

Groovy, Dude!

2011-04-30T10:03:00.011-06:00

Our Branch's talent show was last night. We decided to showcase our Dance Central (XBox - Kinect) family talent.

The wig I bought was supposed to be a mullet, but I ended up looking like Howard Stern.

Valerie's outfit came from Goodwill as did my groovy shirt

The girls trying to round up ducks in our front yard.

More ducks...

Notice the hail piled up on the chairs and ground. The last major storm we got was a doozy!

Goings On in Pittsburgh

2011-04-27T21:34:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since we've posted anything. I don't take pictures like I used to, but here are a few.

Also, I put Haiti pictures up on our blog if you're interested.

Rex likes to help Felix with his homework.

The boys are playing Wild Kratts in this picture. Felix is a Caracle and Rex is a Flying Draco. (I had to look up the spelling on both the animals...embarrasing.)

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for an awesome week! We love you!

Wearing their Easter best Easter morning after our egg hunt.

Daphne was born to hunt Easter eggs.

This is the only Easter picture I got where Daphne is not screaming bloody murder...she was taking a quick breather in between screams. Felix was trying to compose her...or choke her...not sure which.

Finally warm enough to eat popsicles outside!

The boys and their buddy Matthew before a backyard egg hunt.

The boys dressed up in search of neighbors to scare. They even tried to Trick-or-Treat at one door, but no one answered.

Love the chubba cheeks

Carver's Birthday, Easter and More...

2011-04-24T13:36:00.005-06:00

Macie blowing bubbles in between storms.

The girls dying eggs.

Carver ripping into his toys.

Carver was grateful to have some boy toys.

1-year cupcake.

After a few rounds with the cupcake.

After too many rounds with the cupcake! I had a similar look after my 5th cupcake.

Charlotte before church today.

Enjoying the patio before the next round of storms. We are supposed to get between 5-8 inches in the next week.

A frog on our front door!

Spring Time In Kentucky

2011-04-22T19:02:00.002-06:00

Our first Iris bloomed today!

It has rained sooo much here lately that our yard is very green.

Macie at preschool. She had her Easter Egg Hunt today.

We've got Carver on a strength training routine to try and slim him down a bit.

New Camera & The Easter Bunny

2011-04-16T11:18:00.002-06:00

We finally broke down and bought a new camera this week. It is nice, but we are still trying to figure out how to properly use it.

The family at Southern Star's Easter party this morning.

We can't believe Carver is almost 1!

The girls...

Grandma and Grandpa's Easter package was a big hit - thank you!

Funny

2011-03-07T14:19:00.002-07:00

In the car today -

Charlotte: "Grandpa is my boyfriend."

Macie: "I have twenty hundred boyfriends.

All the boys at school that want to play with me...

Uncle Keith...

Justin Beiber...
And lots more that I don't know their names."

Rock Star Amy

2011-02-23T07:39:00.006-07:00

We had such a great time with Amy. I think she won the "favorite aunt" spot back ! :) She had Carver won over as soon as she let him chew on her rib bone at Jack's BBQ.
She had Todd won over as soon as she introduced him to Jack's BBQ!

She swam with the girls at the hotel.

She let them use all of her make-up. (I had to put this one, just because Macie looks like such a doofus! I am pretty sure this is after Amy put some elbow grease and Vaseline into removing all of Macie's "eyeliner")
She let them play games on her i-phone.

She went to Riley's school and met her for lunch.

And she plain out spoiled them with love...and candy.
I asked Mace what her favorite part of the visit was and she replied, "Everything Amy did with me!"
Charlotte said, "Reading books with her."
We miss her all ready. Amy, we love you so much! Can't wait to see you again! Thank you so much for taking time to come visit. We know it is a sacrifice to take work off and pay for the travel. We think it was totally worth it!

Cross Dressing

2011-02-21T20:42:00.003-07:00

Greetings from Kentucky! I've been here since Friday afternoon, enjoying my time with the chitdens...both little and big! :) I took this picture today while Macie was having a playdate with her friend, Clayton. I guess since she has developed a bit of an accent, it's appropriate that she's rockin' the cowboy outfit while Clayton is going for the princess look. Awesome! ~Amy

Church Attire...

2011-02-20T18:39:00.001-07:00

The kids did great getting dressed for church today all by themselves. Daphne needed a little help and after a quick face swab, was a total cutie today.

Felix almost wore multiple ties around his neck, but changed his mind last minute. He was very proud of this shirt and tie combination and stayed busy at church twirling his tie around his finger. He was also happy that I let him fix his own hair today which consisted of water and a comb. On school days, I style his hair in the Robert Pattison vampire style which Felix doesn't seem to like, but Mother knows best.

Rex went all out with his hair today. To get the look below, follow these steps:
1.) glob a giant blob of hair molding wax on the top, middle portion of your hair. Rub around only in that spot.
2.) spritz 3 to 4 squirts of spray gel
3.) spray with Aqua Net
4.) wet a comb and comb all around...best if in circles
5.) add just a tad more hair molding wax, and Voila!

Here's what it looks like from behind.

After seeing the behind picture on the camera, Rex decided it needed a few modifications so:
6.) spritz 3-4 more squirts of spray gel
7.) comb hair using a more straight line technique
8.) top it off with more Aqua Net...and Voila!...ready for church!

Catching up

2011-02-15T19:04:00.000-07:00

Snow Buddies

Food Buddies

Little Miss Thang with her purse and "necklace"

Rex catching some air in Daphne's crib

Felix's 6th Birthday Party

Felix with Strep Throat on his Birthday :(

Meal times in our house are practically impossible to keep at the table for the duration of the meal:

Felix ended up in front of the hot air vent for breakfast

Rex was taking "exercise breaks" in between breakfast bites

Felix created a superhero identity...the "P" is for "Prayer-Man"...He says a pray for the things he wants to happen, and they happen...what a cool dude.

Rex's superhero face

Here's a video of Daphne saying "I love you." She's a really good mimic.

Riley Hoops, Chicken Fried Steak and Carver

2011-02-12T14:31:00.006-07:00

These are videos of Riley scoring today. She had 8 of the team's 14 points.

After the game today.

This was my second try with chicken fried steak. I'm working on finding the perfect recipe.

Carver is becoming more and more mobile and is still as smiley as ever.

Carver and Macie...

2011-01-22T18:46:00.002-07:00

Valerie made Carver a tie out of one of my old ties. He looked so handsome at church last week.

Macie decided fake babies just aren't as fun as the real thing!

Kids, Kids, Kids

2011-01-15T14:40:00.003-07:00

Riley, Macie, Haley and Maddie play dress-up. Haley and Maddie (sisters) live in our neighborhood and Haley and Riley are in the same class at school.

Riley's basketball team - the Ladybugs. They played great again today and Riley had 4 points.

2011-01-09T21:59:00.003-07:00

Here are some pictures from the last few days....Valerie's mom and sister (Morgan) came to visit.

We went bowling yesterday and Riley took it upon herself to teach Charlotte how to bowl. Here they watch the ball "crawl" down the lane. Five minutes later, it hit the pins. Riley also had her first basketball game of the year which is why she is wearing her jersey. She did awesome and played some exceptional defense.

The girls enjoying a horsey ride!

The girls being consoled after the "horse" bucked them off.

Carver is always smiling.

Macie trying to sled. Unfortunately, there wasn't quite enough snow to make it work.

Nummy!

2010-12-30T05:16:00.003-07:00

I thought the Amaryllis was out of reach, but when I returned, I was proved wrong.

(It was much further away...he pulled it over, putting it right next to him.) - Valerie

The Aunts' California Adventures

2010-12-28T17:51:00.010-07:00

The view of San Simeon from Hearst Castle

Loved this beautiful pool!

Dinner anyone?

Indoor pool

Notice the "tiny" silver candelsticks!

One of the beautiful Christmas trees

The Girls (term is used loosely!)

Not logs on the beach, but Elephant seals...come here every year.

This bull was flipping sand on his back....they can weigh 2 tons!

A Very Merry Pittsburgh Christmas

2010-12-26T19:44:00.005-07:00

Merry Christmas! We had a great one and enjoyed all the generous gifts we received. Thank you so much! We spent the day opening gifts, playing with toys, eating, lounging, going to the movies and talking to our wonderful families. Until next year...

I also want to share that the boys sang in Sacrament Meeting today! It was so cute and I was so excited that they wanted to. Felix was the one who initiated it, and of course Rex had to follow suite, and I sang with them to help them along. We sang, "My Heavenly Father Loves Me", and they each had a solo part in it. I wish we could have recorded it. They did so great!
Very proud!

http://www.go-go-johnsons.blogspot.com/

Christmas In Kentucky

2010-12-25T10:09:00.005-07:00

We had a great Christmas in Kentucky - it was even white! The first white Christmas since 2006! The girls were very excited and proclaimed - "This is the best Christmas ever." Pretty good endorsement. We agreed to let all the girls sleep in our room on the air mattress last night and that didn't turn out so well. Charlotte ended up in her own bed. Riley slept in ours, and Macie was the lone ranger on the air mattress before all was said and done. We want to thank everyone for the gifts and well wishes. This truly was the "Best Christmas Ever"!

We got the XBox w/Kinect as a family gift. Thanks Gma and Gpa for giving the girls a game. Here is Riley performing one of the songs.

Polar Express

2010-12-22T20:28:00.003-07:00

Valerie hosted a Polar Express Party yesterday. Everyone invited was given a ticket and told to wear their jammies. We set chairs up like a train, read the story, drank hot chocolate and ate cookies, colored, and then SANTA came! Santa was excellent, real beard and everything! It was pretty fun.

Belated Birthday Photos

2010-12-10T21:04:00.004-07:00

Here are a few pictures from Riley's 7th Birthday. She opened presents when Grandma and Grandpa were here, then she got a gift for the whole family - a basketball hoop for the backyard, so on the actual day we weren't planning much; then she had a sad meltdown a few days before her birthday about missing her "real" friends in Idaho. Of course, it broke our hearts, so we had to plan more for the big day. Todd took her out to breakfast at the Waffle House before school on Monday, then, when she got home, I took her to get a pedicure. She was sooo excited! She loved every minute of it. She even insisted on wearing flip-flops to school the next day to show them off. It was cold and pouring, but that didn't stop her!

Thanksgiving cont...

2010-12-09T20:09:00.003-07:00

I didn't use my camera a whole lot on our trip, but here are some of the few pictures that were taken. Good times, fam!

Lizzy rockin'the Connect Four

Daphne wasn't having it with anyone. In her defense, upon returning home, we discovered she had a double ear infection. The main attraction

Keith with Disco Stu who was being very naughty

Utah Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-06T21:00:00.016-07:00

Bubba and the Weasel
Naptime at Janet's The Bumpster

Daddy J

Checking sports scores and the obits.

The birthday girl!

Scott's favorite position at Janet's

Mr. Felix

A little pie with your whipped cream?

Miss Daphne

Amy and Daphers

Bye-bye, Daphne!

2010-11-24T18:28:00.004-07:00

This is in front of the Nashville Science Adventure Center

Macie and Riley pose in front of a cross-section of skin.

Where's Macie?

Riley got a Barbie from Gma and Gpa for her early B-Day. The glitter blow dryer is a big hit!

The girls enjoyed getting a pic of grandpa sleeping.

Carver at Reid's Orchard

The girls with grandma and grandpa at Reid's Orchard. Make sure you ask mom about the $12 authentic Reid's apple pie.

Carver enjoyed having grandma and grandpa here.

The weather was great here and our front tree wass very pretty.

Cincinnati

2010-11-17T20:12:00.002-07:00

We took a last minute, overnight trip to Cincinnati (3.5 hrs) on Friday. Valerie really wanted to go to IKEA and that is the closest store. It was a fun trip and the girls were pretty good. We spent the night at a Travelodge which I thought would be decent, but it turned out to be kind of scary and not very clean. IKEA was an all-in-one carnival with face painting and a balloon artist. As you can see, all the girls took advantage of the face painting. I also included a photo of the "Indian" costume Macie made in preschool.

Donut Mania

2010-11-04T21:46:00.000-06:00

Here is a video of the donut eating contest at our Halloween Party.

Happy Birthday, Rex!

2010-11-04T21:18:00.006-06:00

Rex had a great birthday. We opened presents with Amy on Tuesday and had a birthday party with his friends on Wednesday. I wish I had on video the singing of "Happy Birthday". Felix was "conducting" and telling everyone how to sing it at different points in the song (i.e. soft, loud, crazy). It ended up as a very loud shouting match which upset Rex. He started screaming for everyone to stop, but they were all too loud to hear him. I finally shouted loud enough for everyone to stop and start again. We got it right the second time.

Thank you to all the well wishers and gifters. Sorry we haven't talked to you, yet, Grandma. Wednesday ended in major meltdowns, so we were preoccupied with that when you called multiple times and too exhausted to call after the kids were in bed. Then Thursday was a crazy day and night. Scott was home alone with the kids in the evening while I was at the theater, so he missed your call while putting the kids to bed. We will talk soon!

Notice the Bat Mobile in the picture, Lisa?

An impromptu pillow fight. Got a bit out of hand.
The birthday crew

Opening presents...Thank you everyone!

Daphne's new trick...

2010-11-04T21:00:00.002-06:00

Amy was determined to teach Daphne a new trick before she left. Mission accomplished. Daphne can now blow a kiss!

Adventures with Amy

2010-11-04T20:37:00.008-06:00

We love it when Amy comes to visit. We are definitely going through withdrawals right now. Check out the fun we had!

Going Trick or Treating

Darth Vader, Kitty Cat, Iron Man

"Scary Da-dare-chi"

Balloon blowing contest

Pin the Stem on the Pumpkin

Chillaxin'

Craziness

Halloween Grub

Halloween Cookies

The aftermath of Halloween cookies

Amy bought Felix the most awesome science kit! They are making volcanoes here.

Thanks for reading, babysitting, baking, playing, chillin', teaching, dancing and partying with us!

We love you!

Halloween

2010-10-30T20:59:00.003-06:00

Riley and Katherine, another girl in our branch, both dressed as Mary for the branch celebration. Macie and Charlotte wearing thier T's from Grandma. They have worn them for three days straight!

Carv in his adorable jams from Grandma.

Macie as Pocahontas.

Riley as a witch.

Charlotte as a Monkey. (Charlotte and Macie's costumes were courtesy of the dress-up box! Love it!)

A forced picture before trick-or-treating. Charlotte looks like she is posessed! Our neighborhood was flooded with children. It was really fun. We always did trunk-or-treat in Idaho, and we rarely got trick-or-treaters, because everyone did the trunk thing. It was fun to get out the good old fashioned way!

THANKS GRANDMA AND GRANDPA!

2010-10-28T08:56:00.002-06:00

The kiddies loved their Halloween package. Rex said this about his shirt, "This shirt will keep me warm. It's special. I can't get it dirty so I can wear it forever!"

And Felix said, "Grandma Johnson in the BEST!"

We all agree.

Happy 41st Keith!

2010-10-27T08:22:00.005-06:00

No one rides poultry quite like you!

Scotty, email your brother KJ

2010-10-18T23:33:00.002-06:00

Scotty, I don't have an email address for you. I have some info for you. Email me Tuesday. Kjohnson@desnews.com

Kentucky Adventures

2010-10-12T18:47:00.003-06:00

Valerie's parents have been here since last Wednesday. We went to Louisville early today to take them to the airport and went to the Louisville Temple and Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. Here are a few pics from our adventures.

Main entrance to the temple

Front/Street-side of the temple

The girls posing at the temple in their tie-dye shirts

The girls listening attentively to the tour guide at the Louisville Slugger Factory

The fam with Ken Griffey Jr.

Holding one of Mickey Mantle's bats

"Play Ball!"

Carver sitting in the over-sized glove

The world's largest bat! It was pretty cool...

Sunday Best

2010-10-10T21:29:00.003-06:00

It's always interesting seeing what the boys come out of their rooms wearing when I ask them to go get dressed for church. Today was no exception.

www.go-go-johnsons.blogspot.com

Big Day!!

2010-10-06T13:18:00.003-06:00

I think I may be the only person who still checks the blog, but it is worth posting anyway!

Amy,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

We love you!!

I'm not crying, there's something in my eye.

2010-09-30T22:08:00.003-06:00

This is my good friend Julie doing Bubba's hair for Homecoming. My baby. Needless to say, I'm a boob and got a tad teary-eyed watching her get her hair done. What can I say, I came by it honestly. My aunt and mother cry over beer commercials.

Bonnie, Clyde and Bubba

2010-09-30T21:43:00.003-06:00

So here's the story in a nutshell. Weasel loves giant, black trucks. I have no idea why, she just does and is determined to own one. Fair enough. I was telling a friend of mine, Annie, about The Weasel's odd obsession and she said she had a friend with the baddest of all big, black trucks. The license plates are even MANTRUK--enough said. Annie arranged for me to borrow the truck on a Saturday afternoon, but I needed it to be more dramatic. I had Annie park the truck at the mall and I took the Weasel inside to "check on a sale." When we came out, the truck was parked near our car so the Weasel and I went to check it out. While we were looking inside I "accidentally" opened the driver's side door. She was a bit startled and said, "dad, isn't the alarm going to go off? What if somebody comes outside and sees us? " I assured her that nobody would see and that if they did, they'd probably only yell. She hesitated briefly but was fine with it. While looking inside the truck, I "discovered" the keys on the mat. I told her that we should go for a ride. She kept telling me I was crazy and asking what I was doing. She told me we'd get in trouble, blah, blah, blah. Eventually she hopped in with me and we "stole" the truck. I stopped the truck and Annie and I had a good laugh and the Weasel slugged me. It was awesome. Annie showed us how to use the satellite TV which played on three screens, one in the dash and two behind the front seats. You can watch a different channel on each screen. She didn't care about the TV's as much as the mother of all stereos. I told her we could go anywhere she wanted. We drove through the Gateway Mall with the windows down and the radio at a volume that produced seismic activity in Toledo. It was awesome. We went to lunch and ended up driving that truck for 3 hours. Priceless. The only drawback was that I had to ground Weasel for stealing. I think she learned her lesson: stealing is awesome.

Howdy

2010-09-27T19:17:00.002-06:00

I tried to post some pictures on the blog, but I kept getting a "service unavailable" message. So, here's a link to our blog where I was successful in posting pics.

www.go-go-johnsons.blogspot.com

Hope all are well!

For Grandma and Grandpa

2010-09-20T14:55:00.001-06:00

Catfish Fun...and a Turtle!

2010-09-06T10:43:00.002-06:00

Riley and I went fishing this morning. There are a few small "lakes"/ponds in our neighborhood that we heard had bass/catfish/bluegill, etc. We hit Wal-mart early for some chicken liver and mealworms. Riley's first cast with the chicken liver landed her a catfish in about 30 seconds. Her next cast then brought the biggest surprise of the day...a turtle. Who knew turtles liked chicken liver! We had a lot of fun and with it being less than 5 minutes walking distance from our front door, I seee us making many more trips in the future.

Palmer Family Reunion

2010-09-05T19:08:00.005-06:00

Here are the pictures you've all been waiting for!

The Palmer siblings and their spouses (minus Gary's wife, Karen)

The whole gang! Hmmm...what can you say about this group?!

Amy gave Dad and I tickets for our birthdays to go on a whale-watching cruise. She also donated her own ticket to Gary (the photographer), and he said it was the highlight of the reunion for him. We had a great time too, and got lots of whales, dolphins, and sea lions. Here we are with Lizzy at the beginning of the cruise.

This picture shows how close the whales were to the boat!

Several of the whales "spouted off" for our entertainment.

Sea lions soaking up some sun on a buoy.

It was good to see everyone...we'll do it again in 2012, so start making your plans now!

Days of Our Lives....

2010-09-05T13:51:00.005-06:00

I thought we would finally post a few pictures of the last month of our lives. It seems like we have been too busy to even take pictures lately. Not having the internet for a month didn't help things either. Everything is going well in KY. Riley is doing well in 1st grade. She got perfect scores on her first two spelling tests. I take her to school in the morning and then she rides the bus home. She even has a few new friends. We are trying to find a pre-school for Macie, both for her sake and Valerie's. Charlotte is finally potty-trained (cross your fingers). Carver is as cute and chubby as ever. Valerie has been busy redoing two of our three bathrooms and was just called to help with the activities in RS. My job is going well and I'm getting adjusted to my new responsibilities. I was recently called as the Young Men's (Man) President - it should be interesting. Hopefully we can take and post more pictures now that things are settling down.

Riley with the movers - all packed up and ready to go.

We went up to Driggs the day before we flew out for one more glimpse of the Tetons (and a Huckleberry Shake)

Riley and Charlotte on the plane from Atlanta to Evansville, Ind.

Carver buried in our carry-on luggage.

We made it! Waiting for our rental car in Evansville.

Riley on the first day of school. Nothing like starting 1st grade from the Comfort Suites.

Dad's B-Day Celebration. The girls threw me a surprise party.

Carver after church today. He looked so handsome.

2010-08-31T17:47:00.002-06:00

Here are a few pictures of what's going on here. We had a blast at the beach on Hilton Head Island, SC, Felix started Kindergarten, and the boys are finding new ways to wear underwear. Good times. We have a family blog now, too if anyone's interested in more:

www.go-go-johnsons@blogspot.com

Parenting- Touching the Hearts of Our Youth by Elder Hales

2010-08-22T21:35:00.000-06:00

With the start of a new school year, here's a nice little reminder of the responsibility we have to nurture strong relationships with our kids.

Rolling on the River...

2010-08-08T21:15:00.009-06:00

We went for a family bike ride last night on the trail, over the river and to the fountain. Felix was loving trying out new tricks on his bike, while Rex was busy showing off for the ladies on the trail. Every time we passed girls, he put his chin to his chest and pedaled super fast. Daphne enjoyed her first time in the bike seat.

This picture has nothing to do with the bike ride, but I had to add it on because of the cute factor. Felix loves helping Scott with home improvement. Here he is helping him saw the door jam while wearing his shark swim goggles as safety goggles.

On the trail

Over the river

The boys go into their own little worlds when we play in the city fountains.

Here's Felix on his planet.

Rex on his planet

Daphne watching the action

Cold

Lovely sunset over the city

This was an interesting find. Amidst all of our uncertainty with work and life right now, Scott has been having some, what seem to us, prolific dreams of late. Each morning he wakes up and proceeds to interpret his latest dream as it fits into our current situation. Well, on the bridge, we stopped for a photo, and found on the rail this Post-it.

If you can't read it, it says, "Dream a Little".

Back over the river

Bang Invasion

2010-08-08T20:16:00.005-06:00

Time for a quiz...Can you answer correctly:

a.) who needs a haircut
b.) who recently got a haircut
c.) who recently joined the "Just for Men" club

American Fork Breakfast

2010-07-29T21:08:00.006-06:00

Here are a few more pictures from when Amy and I met Mr. Grant and the other IF Johnsons before they become the O Johnsons (as in Owensboro.)

You've got to get one of these!

2010-07-28T06:45:00.005-06:00

We succumbed to an infomercial and have never been happier. The Swivel Sweeper is rocking our world. Felix has often come to us on a Saturday morning quoting verbatim the many marvelous features of the Swivel Sweeper, so I finally decided to purchase one (actually, because I ordered, "Now" I got 2 for the price of one!) and the boys have never been happier to clean. They even woke up extra early Tuesday morning in anticipation of the batteries being fully charged. And, I caught Felix sneaking out of bed last night to put the Swivel Sweeper battery into the charger so it would be ready to go in the morning. After using it, Felix said, "It's even cooler than the man said on TV!" and Rex said, "Too bad that old stinkin' vacuum doesn't open on the bottom." (like the SS) So, if you're looking for a way to make your kids excited about cleaning...Order Now!

(And if anyone has seen an infomercial that tells you how to keep clothes on your kids, let us know.)