Monday, September 28, 2009

Updates

Update Number 1.
First, Braxton's birthday. He turned 14 a few weeks ago. Had a party with his friends here a few weeks before that.

He is a really cool 14 year old.



and, of course, I posted the birthday pictures all over the hallway and his room. This time I wrote something funny (or I at least I TRIED to be funny) on some of them. Emma thought I was hilarious.





I like birthdays. (not my own)

Update Number 2.
Went to Logan for the 5K and Marathon. I came in 3 minutes earlier than the 5K we ran in Salt Lake. Ann came in 8 or 9 minutes faster.

Here is me without make-up, looking oh so interesting...



and here is Ann. Yes. She's even cute after running 3.2 miles.



Here is the really cute house Ann and I found as we walked on the road to the canyon (had to capture my siblings in their marathon glory). The house had flowers below the windows, cute porch, trees everywhere. It even had a red rocking chair on the porch. We almost asked if we could move in.



Here is my sister (her first marathon). 4 hours 51 minutes... I think.





Here is my brother (too many marathons to count).  Came in around 3 hours, 50 min. (I almost missed him as you can see by the picture).






Here is some of our fun family in Logan after the marathon.
Hank, Cush, Randon, Annie and Nolen, Angela, and Me.



Cush and Hank with their medals.



Update Number 3.
Emma finished Soccer. She was a stand-out goalie. Wasn't too big on chasing the ball around the field, preferred to wait until it came to her, kick it as hard as she could, and watch all the girls run after it again.  However, was happy to inhale the treats after the game.







Update Number 4
Went to Aspen for our admin retreat. Took some pictures with Ann during our break. It was beautiful.




 

 





Friday, September 25, 2009

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

movie conversation with Chelle

j) Ask me what I am doing?

(c) What are you doing?

(j) Dealing with things way beyond my maturity level 
(line stolen from Juno)


(c) Well... man up!
(line stolen from Julia & Julia)


Monday, September 14, 2009

Friday, September 11, 2009

Thursday, September 10, 2009

The Shivers

'Guess what mom?'
What?
'when we walked home from school a big black dog jumped and barked at us. Everybody started crying and running. They were so scared of the dog.'
I'm sorry you were scared by the dog sweetheart. Did you cry too?
'Ummmm...wellllllll... noooo, but I did shiver a little.'

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

weekend conversations



In the Kitchen.
 'Mom? What color is my hair.'
 'Well, it's the color of copper'
'What's a copper?'
'It's a metal....you know what? it's the color of ginger'
'Ginger?'
'Yes. Like a gingersnap cookie.'
'I'm a cookie?'

*****


 
In the car.

'Mommy?'
'Yes?'
'I like your hat.'
'Thank you Emma.'
'Can I wear it?'
'If I take it off, I will have hat hair.'
'pleeassseee. It will look cuter on me.'

(Brax, Ryan, (cousin), and Ben (friend) in car)
'You should wear it mom. You almost look young.'

'What?'

(Ben) 'Yea. Almost 29.'
'How old are you anyway Sister Johnson?'

(laughing). '41.'


(friend of Brax) 'NO WAY! That's an amazing hat.'


Saturday, September 5, 2009

a Saturday run.

My running life. Post 3.
Ran with favorite boss Ann this morning. We started in American Fork, ran through Cedar Hills, entered part of Highland and up to the entrance of American Fork Canyon. It was beautiful AND it rained on us. I loved that. We then made an interesting decision to head up (hell) hill (ok my stupid decision) and into Cedar Hills. Rocky and I made it part way. Seriously, that is one tough hill. We walked through the neighborhood, found the path again and ran to her home. About 6 miles. It went a little like this:

3 mile run (with my two 3 minutes walks) to the entrance of American Fork Canyon.
up hell hill (which should have killed me)
walk through the neighborhood and down a busy street
1 mile run in on the path. Sprinted to the end (for you Cush!).



















My legs hurt and my right shoulder. But oh the pain feels good.
We only had water at 1 mile and again at mile 5. I did not like that.
I am a water girl. Have to buy one of these, oh and save for one of these.

Hank just text me. He ran 20 miles today.
(forehead on table)
How is that humanly possible?
I am so tired.

Friday, September 4, 2009

a beloved book






















Braxton loved this book when he was little. We read it so much that the binding fell out and the book fell apart. The movie opens October 16. I hope the movie is a wonderful as the book. I love the music.

a fun mural

Th Big Boy Room from Creede on Vimeo.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

My running life - post 2

Why is this post 2? Post 1 was this.

Post 2. Figured out why I'm getting shin splits. I went to the runner's corner and talked to 'Hawk'. He has the greatest personality to fit that name. He's about 60, ran 100 miles last week, works in the temple and sells shoes on the side (has a cute wife too, she wasn't anywhere near 60). He said my shoes were too small. I can wear a 9 1/2 or a 10 (reg. shoe). To run he said I needed to be in an 11 or 11 1/2. He also watched me run and said that I didn't have the typical female flailing feet. um what? Apparently that is good.  He also said I run in a straight line. Yea me.

Hawk's recommendation:

My feet feel so much better and my shins are healing.

I ran 3 miles yesterday. I did walk for 3 minutes in two different places. It took me about 45 minutes. Oh, I am so slow... but I keep going. The best part was the HILL. I have a hate/love relationship with hills. When I rounded the corner and came to the HILL I was going to walk, then the Rocky theme came blasting through my Ipod and into my head so Rocky and I made it up the hill together and then I just kept going. Sometimes I feel like I'm lame at most everything, but I wasn't lame today! -- I made it up that freakin HILL and all the way home.  I remember not too far back when I couldn't run three minutes. Holy moly bat man (that's from my sister).

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

a new christmas song.

My friend, who will remain anonymous, is a Relief Society president in a nearby Provo ward. She came in my office today and said, 'I'm putting together Christmas for my ward'. 'Well, that sounds fun,' I replied, and she said...

'Hell on earth'

Braxton's blessing day

The years goes by so fast and I can't make them slow down. Sometimes I wish they would stop and let me rewind, just for a moment, so I could savor him as a little boy again. He is an amazing young man. Last night he asked me if I could name any talents he has. I rattled off ten in less than 30 seconds and could have kept going with many more, but he left my room smiling. As I was making dinner last night he came in and stood next to me. I had to glance up to look at his face and I asked him if he had grown again. He just shrugged and grinned. I felt a fleeting twinge of sadness. It came and left as different parts of him do everyday now. The small hands are gone, the small feet. The crooked teeth are straight, the toys he carried around now forgotten. There is a phone in his pocket, and he no longer has holes in his jeans from crawling around on the playground. I can't rest my chin on his head anymore, but the youthful face is still there. That's good. I'm not ready to let go of that yet.


Braxton. Baptism Day. Age: 8 years, 2 weeks.

Braxton. Blessing Day. Age: 13 years, 11 months, 1 week.
we have the same smile.

His blessing was beautiful and the Patriarch's home felt like a temple. We took Ryan and Alli with us of course. I can't wait to read it. I hope he lets me.