We've made it a tradition

We just returned from a visit to Utah. I flew there with the kids, while Aaron stayed back in Cincinnati to diligently study for mid-terms & fulfill Scout-Master duties. I was quite nervous to fly with Carter without Aaron's help, but all the prayers offered really worked. Carter did great on the way to Utah and on the way back home. I also didn't have to use the doggie bag for Olivia. That's success.
Unfortunately we were not all healthy for our stay in Utah. It seems to have become tradition that whenever we travel to Utah to have a good time visiting family and friends, we all get sick. Last year Olivia was diagnosed with pneumonia. This year, all three of us got strep throat. What's worse is that we infected a few others before we realized what we had. My little sister, Shellee, got to perform strep cultures on all three of us and got to give me the peanut butter shot. I didn't get pictures of this one, but I'm sure she enjoyed poking me this time as much as the first time.

Well, we were still able to enjoy our visit. Hopefully the pictures are proof of that.

Olivia is always up for a game and was so happy to have Grandma to play with her.

Pleasant Grove has changed a lot. Just next door to my parents house, they are building several new homes.

Carter got a new winter coat before going to Utah. He reminded me a bit of Randy on The Christmas Story. If he fell down, he definitely couldn't get up.

Olivia had fun deflating my mom's Halloween decorations.

Olivia recruited any one that was willing to play a game with her. She loved playing Candyland Castle with Grandma Harper.

On Saturday we drove up American Fork Canyon. The drive up was clear and beautiful. When we got up there, the snow started to come down heavily. The kids loved seeing the snow, but the drive back down the canyon was slick. This picture is of Kelton, Olivia and Grandpa standing out in the snow.

Carter, Grandma and myself stayed in the car with the heater on.

The reason we drove up the canyon was to see Brandon's deer that he shot. I blacked out the gutted part. Brandon is a goof ball!

We made it outside before the snow melted.

Carter had fun in it until he hands started to freeze.

Olivia spent a fair amount of time playing with my mom's doll house.

Carter enjoyed getting his hands in it too and destroying the carefully set up rooms.

I originally planned to get Olivia dishes for Christmas, but now she can fully utilize her kitchen and has prepared us several wonderful meals already.

A little salt and pepper on Shonte's meal.

Carter & Max playing tops.

Brandon and Carter

Olivia and Max

Lori & Gavin

My college friend, Jennie Wilder.

Grandma, Olivia and baby Sam.

Brothers: Kelton & Sam

Shellee & Carter

Grandma Harper & Brandon

Sorry for getting several of you sick while we were visiting. I would promise to not let it happen again, but it's TRADITION! Thanks for the good times though!

Welcome Sam

Congratulations to my brother, Shad, and his wife, Amy! Samuel Gary Johnson arrived on Thursday, October 4th and apparently eats as much as I do already. He is certainly a very special gift from heaven.

Olivia and I are excited to have a turn at holding this little guy next week.

I can never seem to hide my dental floss good enough. Carter is drawn to it and can have 15 feet unraveled out in just 2.1 seconds.

Carter despises having his teeth brushed. I would try everyday, but I could never get those bristles past his tightly closed lips. I have since bought him a battery-powered toothbrush (the kind that is for 3+ years old), and he loves it. I can get in and brush those four teeth and the other eight that he is cutting.

Can anyone guess what Aaron is doing in this picture?

Aaron and I were excited when we saw our grass sprouting a few weeks ago. Aaron has since mowed it twice and it's filling in nicely. I've never grown grass before and I never knew it could be so exciting. haha

Before pics (hopefully)

These aren't before pictures yet. Right now they are just pictures. Someday I would like to think that these will be before pictures though.
Since we painted every inch before we moved in, I don't want to hang anything on the walls unless I know it's going to be there for awhile. I have a vision of the things I want on various walls, but it will just take some time to accumulate those things for them.

I am working on something to hang on this big blank wall. Hopefully by the end of the year it won't be such an eye sore. (My interior designer once told me that having nothing on that wall is probably drawing more attention to it...I think Celeste is right.) Hopefully by the end of the year, I'll have an after picture for this one (if E. Kingrey has it in her to stick with me that long).

My visiting teachers (D. Chapin & S. Hales) gave me the idea for this mirror. It's a great place to hang Olivia's latest art work.

See, I told y'all. Same ol' furniture in rooms with blank walls. But it's home now and we love it.

So my list of things I want to do with the house has been dubbed my "someday list." It also includes other "someday" things I want to do in this life.

What's on your "someday" list?