Ben is Baptized!

It was a beautiful day. We all felt so joyful. Ben was thrilled. Many great friends came to support. It was a great example to the younger ones. My Mom thought of a great way to cover his bright green cast. It was all good.

Noah is sleeping in his carseat....and I promise I look skinnier than this!! :) I hope.

I couldn't resist this shot of the two of them. Too bad my camera was on a weird setting and it is sort of fuzzy.........

AHHH...the brothers.

Tell me the Secret

Hello again,
I have a question for all you mom experts out there. So, I will share a little conversation we had over here. Don't think worse of us, just know we are normal. :) Dustin is doing the dishes (love his dish habit!!!) And one of the kids wants to play with him. I tell him, "dishes can wait. at those pearly gates, Peter is not going to ask if your dishes were always clean." I said it with a smile, kind of joking-like. He said, "Well, if your house isn't clean, your kids aren't going to want to be here to be with you."

OK, so both good points. I agree with both. I am sure you are all thinking, "balance." But in those day to day decisions, how do you know what comes first? Mary, Martha. Play with kids, teach kids to clean house by example, etc etc.

I would love to hear your opinions on this when you get a minute.

I'm Baaaack!!

Sorry I have neglected you good Blog. You have been a good friend all this time; and here you sat, patiently waiting for the time when I would come use you again.

Here are just a few highlights from summer! See those tiny people? We did a hike up to Timpanogos cave. It was incredible, tough and very steep in places!! Here is where we brought the kids to be milked in the cow barn. Grandpa Johnson had many a milkin' cow in his day.

Here are some darling models we found to pose in front of the Utah red rock. This was at Arches National Park. Don't they make that shade of red just jump out at you?

What did we Promise??

Hello,
Sorry to leave Y'all hanging like that, waiting and wondering and biting your nails about what on earth was the promise.............................

Actually, I know the truth. You are just like me, enjoying your summer, only looking at blogs as a diversion now and then, seeking something to entertain you for a minute while you wait for....any number of things, water to boil, etc.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I will tell you a little about the picture in the next post. We had a wonderful reunion with our Johnson half. And it was great to see everyone. We did LOTS of hiking which was very beautiful. And in preparation for one of our hikes, we had a meeting where we made a family flag. On it were the words, "We Promise." Each member of the family signed it. We taught them about a great captain of a great army who motivated and inspired his people by ripping his jacket and making a flag. On it he wrote the things they were fighting for: God, family, freedom. And then each person who agreed with him, ripped their clothes and promised not to forsake their God.

Well.....we did not rip any clothes, but we all signed this flag and promised to live clean and worthly lives so that we too would not forsake our God. It was inspiring. And I love to think of Grandpa Johnsons arm held high with the flag flapping in the wind. Very cool.

We Promise

1,2,3,4,5,6.....

Wow! Are all these yours???? You are a brave woman! Woa, you are more woman than I. Lots of helpers there I see. And you have a little surprise baby! I don't often see a fifth grader and a baby in the same family.... Do they all have the same mother? (I am sensitive about that one. What would you say if they didn't?? Kind of a long personal story to retell in the grocery store)You are so young. You are done now right? I would have had more but (fill in the blank with any sort of reason I have heard them all) Hey Jr. (to their own son) How would you like to have 5 other siblings?? Mommy, can we have a baby in our family? Oh! You are making me want to have more. What a beautiful family. I love your family. My kids love to play at your house. You make having 6 look so easy.

Andrew "It is great to have lots of kids because you have less work to do."
Ben "I hope we always have a baby in our family"
Mandi "I want you to have at least 10 kids Mom!"
Sarah "Can I hold him? C'mon Audrey. Let's play. I'll help you Andrew."
Audrey "No Mom, I am playing with (fill in with each of her siblings)
Noah "smile, laugh, smile, chuckle, coo...."

Mandi's New Biz

I am pleased to announce the start of Mandi's new school entrepreneural project. She is selling Friendship bracelets that she makes and designs herself. She also takes custom orders where you design your own.

She calls it Friends4ever Bracelets.

Her Blog address is http://friends4everbracelets.blogspot.com/

She is having tons of fun. The girls at school are already placing orders. :) I am her only employee and have been helping to make the bracelets and helping to put together her blog. She is a good CEO. :)

All modelling done by Sarah Johnson...