oneinamillionjohnsons

Christmastime 2010

2010-12-31T23:39:00.006-06:00

Here are some shots from Christmas this year and a video of the boys and Allie singing at our church's Christmas Eve service.

We managed to fill the Christmas season with some cookie baking with Grandma Nancy, Christmas eve at our house including some afternoon outside snow fun with Uncle Kurt and David, Christmas day at the Dierdorf's and a day with Grandma/Grandpa Johnson that Sunday.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas season and are looking forward to a great new year in 2011.

The Johnson's

Holidazzle 2010

2010-12-16T21:36:00.002-06:00

So it's been a while, we've been busy!

Here is a video of Tyler and Danny in their 1st ever parade, the Mpls Holidazzle! Target sponsors so i had the opportunity to get them spots in the 1st parade of the year. they had fun even though it was a cold night, and they can't wait to do it next year!

enjoy!

The Johnson "nature preserve" 2010

2010-05-25T22:00:00.005-05:00

Yes, 2010 seems to be the year for nature to join us in our yard!

A nest appeared under our deck, but this year the eggs hatched fully into 3 baby Robins! We missed their first flight and they are no longer there, but enjoy the photos and video below.

Then we discovered some baby bunnies being kept under our new swingset! There were at least

6 but since we found them, the mom has moved them elsewhere.

What will be next? Turkeys have been spotted just a few miles away...

Easter

2010-05-22T14:56:00.002-05:00

The family had a great time celebrating the Resurrection of Christ our Lord. Danny always has lots of God/Jesus questions and I delight in him asking them. We had both sides of relatives at our house. Our OUTDOOR egg hunt was marvelous. Finally a warm weather Easter!
Luke got his first Easter basket and enjoyed munching on his Twins shirt. Allie had so much fun she snuck off downstairs during dinner and fell asleep in the Exersaucer. I don't know if she got in and was stuck so she decided to sleep or just found a comfy place to snooze. I don't know how comfy it was to kneel on the ridges in the bottom of the saucer. The Easter bunny forgot that grownups don't get Easter baskets and got me one too. Dark chocolate truffles win every time. I don't know how many more years we have where Tyler still embraces the mysteries of Santa, the Easter bunny, the Tooth Fairy etc. but this year he suspended his skepticism and got into the show. We don't ever want to forget the reason for this celebration though!

Getting Bigger (hates the flash!)

2010-05-22T14:28:00.001-05:00

Johnson Golf Traditions

2010-05-22T07:57:00.002-05:00

The sport of golf hits the next generation of Johnsons. For Danny's birthday he recieved a pass to Triple Play. He and Tyler played countless rounds of minigolf on the nearly empty course. Thanks to Uncle David for showing us the ropes!

Dinos

2010-05-22T07:42:00.002-05:00

We had a great time digging for bones and playing with dinosaurs at the new exhibit at the Children's Museum. Allie was a little frightened by the big animatronic dinos but she was so brave, walking into the room with her hands clapped over her eyes, saying, "I'm covering mine eyes, I'm covering mine eyes." I'm glad she didn't run into anything.

2010-05-22T07:39:00.002-05:00

Daddy-daughter Valentines dance was a huge hit with Allie. They joined friends Byron and Sarah for a ball fit for a princess. They danced to old favorites, made cookies and wore butterfly wings (just Allie on this part, not Derek.) They may have to make this a yearly tradition!

Strange things are happening...

2010-02-14T22:48:00.001-06:00

Only two weeks late...Tyler is 6!

2010-02-14T22:38:00.002-06:00

Our Tyler is excited to be 6. He had a great birthday party with his (13!) school and church friends. We had a Hot Wheels themed party and had some track stretched across the room. It was a huge hit with boys and girls alike. The only minor hang up this day was the battle scars, (scraped cheek and fat lip) sustained in a skipping with hands in the pockets incident in the parking garage of Daddy's work the day before. He is excited to (hopefully) lose some teeth this year. Mommy hopes the first one to go is the front one that is graying after getting knocked back in the afore mentioned incident. He loves Transformers, HotWheels and all things building. He is eagerly planning and drawing up plans for our new swing set to be built when the snow melts. He is a math whiz much to mommy and the papa's delight. A Casanova with the females in the kindergarten class, they fight over who gets to sit next to him on the bus. He is a super duper big brother to Danny, Allie and Luke and is shyly starting to demonstrate his reading skills for their benefit. His athletic pursuits include basketball, tee ball, fort making and running around the house. We love everything about you, Tyler! Happy Birthday.

Aflame

2010-01-31T21:33:00.002-06:00

2-30-39

Because I am STILL behind in my blogging I want to share with you our more recent birthdays. Sweet Allie turned 2 in November. She is the perfect sister for this family of boys. She is our happy little extrovert. She warms up to people, familiar and not in a heartbeat. (Even quicker if you offer her candy or show her your doggie. YIKES!) She loves to sing (Silent Night at the top of her lungs) and dance. Almost every day she requests a dress to wear or a ratty old Thomas the Train shirt passed down from her brothers. She loves Dora and Diego and always wants to play "There's an animal in twubble. Twick, we have to save him!" We are all charmed just watching her be herself.

I turned 30. I don't know how this happened. Just yesterday I was 24 and expecting my first child. Crazy. For this next decade I hope for a little more sleep, fewer diaper changes (of children, not myself!) and more pages scrapped! 20's were great and I expect nothing less of my 30's

Derek turned 39. We have entered a rare moment when we share a decade. We discovered that 39 candles on a cake do not set off our smoke alarm. Better luck next year. Derek is the best father I could ask for for my children. I'm glad I didn't let him get away. I had an inkling when we were dating but he has greatly surpassed my expectations. He is a remarkable husband, also. When friends complain about this or that I can only smile as secret smile and think fondly of my awesome man. (Okay, so sometimes I complain a little bit but that is more because of my shortcomings than his.) I can't wait until next year. Get ready for a big bash!

Tyler turned 6 today. You can view his pictures on this blog in April. :-)

Lay one on me!

2010-01-31T21:31:00.000-06:00

We dedicate him to the Lord

2010-01-31T21:21:00.002-06:00

On Sunday, January 24 we dedicated our youngest son, Luke William to God. We chose this verse for him. "Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith; be a man of courage; be strong. Do everything in love." 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 We desire for Luke and for all of our children to know the truth of God deep in their hearts and not be persuaded by the world's views. We pray that as they grow up and out, forming their own friendships, that they will be blessings to their friends and not let their faith be tainted. This takes great courage.

Christmas

2010-01-06T13:35:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone! We had a good holiday. It seemed like it lasted four days as we celebrated with both families and took some time for our own group of 6. I enjoyed having Derek home for most of the two weeks either working from home or totally off. The Christmas blizzard made the whole world slow down. Everything was quiet and white. Getting around wasn't as difficult as predicted but we did use it as an excuse to sleep over at my folks' house. We got some good new toys to last us through these next three frigid months. I still have a little chocolate left from my stocking to get me through this week. I'll raid the kids' stashes next week. :-)

BBall

2010-01-05T14:50:00.002-06:00

We are excited to begin a second season of basketball this week. Tyler really showed some good improvement this year. He isn't the most aggressive player, no surprise there but he has GREAT hustle! Can't wait for his next game!

My excuse!

2009-12-29T15:46:00.002-06:00

Big man Luke is my excuse for not posting more. At his two month appointment he weighed 14 pounds, 4 ounces. That is an 100 ounce weight gain from when he was discharged from the hospital. If you do the math that is a weight gain of 1.79 ounces per DAY. I don't have time to blog because I am NURSING! I just wish it was warmer weather so I could dress him in little tee shirts and look at his glorious rolls. Love that roly poly boy!

Way, way behind

2009-11-30T20:06:00.003-06:00

This is Luke William, our third son. He was born October 22. He weighed 8 lb 10 oz. He is now almost six weeks old. It has been hard for me to get computer time so I am afraid my blogging has suffered. Other than that we are doing amazingly well. I have been keeping my cool much better than expected even though his night time sleeping is worse than I expected. He is starting to grow out of his cranky phase and is having more moments of smiles and conversational snorts and squeaks. Evenings are still rough while he complains and protests every little thing. We will get him figured out sooner or later.

Happy Birthday Papa!

2009-10-11T21:12:00.002-05:00

Today we celebrated Papa Bryant's 70th birthday. We hope for many more great birthdays with you. We love you and love being with you.

So Long Metrodome

2009-10-06T14:29:00.003-05:00

The boys enjoyed their last baseball game at the metrodome. The new Twins stadium opens six months from today. Today we take on the Tigers in a single game tie breaker. The winner advances to the playoffs. Go TWINKIES!

Danny is 4!

2009-10-04T21:59:00.005-05:00

Where does time go? While we await baby #4 in just 2 weeks, our 2nd child is 4 today (Monday).

Oh it seems like yesterday that Danny had no hair (see below, and really he didn't have much for a LONG time!)...but Danny has always been a gaggle of giggles, his boyish smile, energy and laughter have been blessings to our family for 4 years.

He is becoming a greater big brother to lil' sis Allie, especially due to Tyler being in kindergarten all morning every day of the week now...he is "the man of the house" on Mon, Wed and Fri mornings!

Danny is in year 2 of preschool and has Ms Nancy, who Tyler had in year 1 of preschool. He likes her already because "She doesn't talk to me much.". Ah, kids.

Danny's biggest desires still seem to be anything physical ("Transformer fights" with dad and tyler), generally tackling, is a big swinger on the swing set these days, and this past summer has been making chalk drawings every day (yes, that is a lot of chalk).

Thanks to many family that were here Saturday for a party of sorts for Danny, he had a "great time, yeah" and Sunday went to Chuck E Cheese with Ava and Rowan, a school friend and the other a neighbor, for his "friends" celebration. What a weekend of birthday mania!

We love you Danny, happy 4th birthday!

Too big

2009-09-14T20:18:00.002-05:00

Allie will not be left in anyone's dust. This week she climbed up on this two wheeler and took off. She loves to pedal down the slope to the corner yelling faster! faster! while I run/waddle to keep up. (Don't worry, she wears her princess helmet!) She hasn't figured out braking so she makes corners at top speed. And she sometimes gets distracted and starts to look around then veers off the sidewalk. She has no fear!

Zucchini

2009-09-10T13:42:00.002-05:00

After having our fill of zucchini we decided to let the remaining zuccs grow to see how big they would get. We checked out prize winners at the state fair and think we may have come close. Especially since we ate all those from earlier in the season. Had we let those grow they would be larger than our van! We enjoyed using our muscles yesterday to heft them. Especially Allie who pronounced each one, "heby!"

Dirty, dirty, clean

2009-08-04T14:51:00.000-05:00

Sometimes Allie just has to stop, take a moment and roll around on the ground. Today her choice of rolling location was the dirty, dusty depression just under one of the swings on the swing set. She could not have found a dirtier place for her roll-a-round. And as fate would have it I spent the morning scrubbing out the tub. It was clean, for a few hours, I promise!

3rd of July Parade

2009-08-04T14:38:00.002-05:00

This third of July we put on our own parade. We invited some friends, decorated our bikes and our faces then rode down the block throwing candy at neighbors. It was very fun to decorate our bikes and make balloon hats (they didn't work so well with the helmets, though). We finished off with a hot dog grill out and backyard revelry. We might just make it a yearly occurrence!

The harvest

2009-07-22T14:30:00.003-05:00

The harvest has begun. Our garden was planted in late April and early May. Our first success was our wild patch of strawberries. The birds wreaked havok until I rigged a mesh screen to cover the patch. We were picking and eating fresh strawberries throughout June. We also had several heads of broccoli. Now we are seeing peas, zucchini, and carrots. Our corn and tomatoes are coming along nicely. We have a few raspberries though the majority of our tasting goes on at our neighbor Andy's house. I think he plants raspberries just to keep the neighbors visiting!

Annual Itasca Camping Trip!

2009-07-21T22:16:00.007-05:00

So this year's journey to Itasca State Park, the home of the Mississippi River, was a welcome break from the normal...especially for how cool it's been for July here in MN.

This year's trip was not an all-male one like 2008, this year was the "year of the Dierdorfs". (Grandma) Nancy, (Papa) Harold, Uncle Nate and his girlfriend Martina all joined us for a long weekend of tent camping.

It was a great time --- from the pics you can see the boys did some boat 'driving', their first fishing attempt (nope, no fish caught by anyone), and a LOT of bike riding (further than last year and wow those hills!). The newest and most exciting of it all seemed to be something done in the last 2 days: the FIRE TOWER. The old fire tower was conquered by Danny and Tyler even with its 100ft tall towering presence. All I can say is "wow".

We are nearing our limits on space for camping equipment with the 3 kids and both of us along, even with a newly-acquired cartop carrier for our van from a relative. Maybe 2010's trip will see us with a pop up trailer camper...

7 years

2009-06-29T21:56:00.004-05:00

7 years today. How things change, and how they stay the same. We were musing yesterday about how different our life is now, with three and a half kids, one great Target job, a house with a yard, an inability to stay up too late... 7 years ago we had a two bedroom apartment, two so-so jobs at Toys and Babies "R" Us (I still work there but it almost doesn't count because my real job, M-F plus Sat and Sun and all day and all night kind of takes center stage,) a habit of going to the midnight showings of various movies... Little did I know back then that I wouldn't miss any of that. We must have been so bored! In love, yes, and delighted by our new found status as "married" but really, what did we actually do? Derek has become more and more the excellent husband. I could extol his many virtues but he might be embarrassed. I can and will say with all due fanfare that he is the best father ever! I knew he liked kids, liked to play, was sometimes a kid himself but I had no idea!!! A most excellent father and excellent parenting partner to this stay at home mom. Ready to jump in and play so I can have a break, rescuing me when the midnight wakefulness of the kids is ready to send me over the edge, exhibiting mucho coolness in showing our children all the adventures this world has waiting for us to embark upon... I could go on... Thanks, D, for seven remarkable years. I am so blessed that you chose me! Love-Wife

What about Cathryn??

Far be it for me to argue any such substantially accurate point with my wonderful wife of 7 years...the other side of this partnership of course is my Cathryn...

So the one to sacrifice for our family, our children...so the one to always take on a new challenge--whether it's as "simple" as hosting a garage sale, or as encompassing as running the nursery at church, she is simply amazing. The fact that our children lack of nothing in terms of her time, creativity, teaching, and overall time management, is a testament to how wonderful a mother she is and will continue to be.

I know as we look to the 4th and likely final child, we wonder how "phase III" of our life together will be...no doubt more of what we've seen this year already--less diapers, more active kids, and more events to take them to...not to mention them heading off to "big school" like Tyler will do for kindergarten this fall. They do grow up fast...

I am blessed to have Cathryn in my life, and I know many of you have felt the blessings she showers in all of her wonderful things she brings to our lives. I love you honey.

JOHNSON FAMILY REUNION 2009!

2009-06-09T23:13:00.003-05:00

SATURDAY, AUG 8TH AT OUR HOUSE!

Weekend at Uncle Kurt's

2009-06-09T23:06:00.004-05:00

We had a great weekend at Uncle Kurt's on Memorial Day weekend in Marshall, MN.

Camping and playing in the back yard, seeing the huge wind generators, and plenty of parks to play at!

Enjoy the pictures!

Updates on Tyler's Blog...

2009-06-09T23:02:00.004-05:00

Tyler has new updates on his blog page...click to it and enjoy!

http://worldoftyler-oneinamillionjohnsons.blogspot.com/

Diamond in the Rough

2009-05-28T14:48:00.002-05:00

We have a treasure under our deck. A robin has made it's nest and laid one little blue egg. We are having fun checking the egg by pressing our eyeballs up to the crack in the deck floor. We've been noticing how the egg gets pushed around the nest by the mama bird. Hopefully we will have a little baby bird soon!

Sibs

2009-05-28T14:41:00.002-05:00

See how my adorable children love playing together! Aren't they precious. Notice Tyler hanging the underpants in Danny's face. There is nothing like a brother!

Workin' Men

2009-05-26T19:01:00.002-05:00

Papa Harold came over and picked up a load of sand to top off the sandbox. We asked him because he "is a truck driver" (Danny), that is he has a pickup. The boys took a ride in Papa's truck and watched the backhoe dump a ton, literally, of sand into the bed of the truck. What a thrill! Then they jumped up in the back and started dumping sand into the wheelbarrow. There was much discussion about which way to stand so they weren't bonking their brother with the long handle end. It was very fun to watch. So the sandbox is full to the top. Anybody wanna come play?

Take me out to the ball game

2009-05-11T08:57:00.003-05:00

T-ball (Tyler) and softball (Derek) are in full swing. It is fun watching Tyler play t-ball and learn how to scoop the ball up and stand with skateboard feet to throw. We practice in the backyard as well as at Derek's games. Allie is SMVC's number one fan. She cheers like the good cheerleader she is alternating from RUN, RUN to GO, GO to DADDY, DADDY! as she tries to sneak away and run onto the infield.

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T00:22:00.006-05:00

Well what can Tyler ,Danny, Allie and I say? We do have the BEST when it comes to Cathryn (Cassie)!

Tyler, Danny and Allie would type if they could: " She plays with us, does stuff for us, makes us food, makes us giggle, makes owies better, snuggles us, creates crafts with us, teaches us, and loves us"

As her husband, I would simply say this: "While I would never say anything but that my Mom is the best ever, I can't also deny that my wife is the best mom for my kids there could ever and will ever be. Her self-sacrifice and duty to them every single day makes my time away at work pale in comparsion on how wonderful our kids are and will continue to be due to their time with her. How she can do all that she does amazes me. That my kids sometimes give me more "credit" for being fun due to my limited time with them that tends to be more fun-oriented is something that I know is unwarranted. She is the glue for our wonderful family and I love her so very much, this day and every day."

Down on Gramma's Farm

2009-04-08T16:59:00.004-05:00

Our good little buddy Rowan, and his family, invited us to Rowan's Gramma's farm to see the new baby kitties. This was a super special treat for us. The 5 kittens were only 8 days old. Tyler has fallen in love. All the way home he asked when he can get a kitty and suggesting that we can go to the pet store and just look around but not buy yet. He is gonna have to sell Daddy because I think Mommy might just have fallen in love too. Don't tell him that though. I might have to tough it out.

One more from the mall

2009-04-06T14:26:00.002-05:00

Nickolodeon Universe

2009-04-06T14:16:00.002-05:00

Tyler's dream came true last Friday. Daddy took the day off of work and we all descended on the theme park at Mall of America. We got (with a whispered, awestruck voice) UNLIMITED RIDE WRISTBANDS. Thank you Burger King for the great coupons. We rode and rode, rather the boys and Daddy rode and rode. Pregnant mom's aren't allowed to ride. Allie did get to go on a few. The bumper cars were a hit once the kids figured out how to straighten the wheel to get out of a fast, reverse, counterclockwise spin. Dad gave rides on the big boy bumper cars. The frog hopper was fun. It ascended to a height of about 16 feet and then bounced you down to the ground. Danny's face registered terror at the top and glee by the bottom, then back up to the top for terror and down again. Carousel, giant swings, Ferris wheel, flying Blue's Clues, ect. The grand finale was the very fast, very grown up, log chute ride. This mother's heart was clenched with fear but all survived though vows were made to never go on that ride again until, "we are 7 or 8 years old."

Here comes trouble.

2009-04-06T14:01:00.003-05:00

Allie like to perch. She was sitting in her dolly highchair the other day swiping the "credit card" through the cash register without regard for spending limits. Then she tried out her dolly stroller. The axle is bending just a bit under her weight. The top of the toilet tank is where I found Allie as I got out of the shower. She climbs up there so she can reach the dixie cup dispenser. She pulls them out one by one. Pull, crush, throw on the floor. The dixie cups have a new home now that is, at least for now, out of her reach.

Duck, duck, cheese!

2009-04-06T13:56:00.003-05:00

Doesn't my Allie have the sweetest little voice? This is our new favorite game.

Children's Museum!

2009-03-10T22:56:00.005-05:00

Ah, finally Daddy gets to go to the Children's Museum with the whole family!

Sunday March 1st we were able to go and spend several hours there, enjoying the playtime and cool "gadgets", etc...

If you haven't taken your kids, you should! And some libraries have free passes you can "check out" for free, major deal there.

Check out Tyler and Danny and Allie jamming on the "rock stage" where you can see yourself on tv!

A Johnson Hello!

2009-03-10T22:51:00.003-05:00

Here we are just before bedtime, the boys in their jammies and ready for their nightly books and tooth brushing regimen.

We wanted to get this "everyone" picture out there since it feels so rare that we are all able to be in the same shot together!

Looking forward to no more long jammies, is spring here yet???

The Johnsons

Bowling

2009-02-18T20:06:00.002-06:00

We had our first bowling adventure last weekend. Babies R Us people got together to celebrate our former manager, Deb, and to wish her well in her new adventures. We claimed a bumper bowl lane for ourselves and outfitted the kids in dorky shoes and 6 pound balls. They had a nice ramp from which to launch the balls. Even little Allie could just push the ball down the hill and it eventually got down to the pins. Our only complaint is that because the balls were rolling so slowly that if the finger holes were not rolling truly end over end the ball listed to one side or another. Tyler's backward through the legs tosses seemed to work much better! If only it wasn't so expensive! 4 bucks just for a pair of kiddie shoes!

Tyler is 5!

2009-02-17T17:33:00.002-06:00

First I must apologise to our loyal blog fans. This posting is about two weeks late. Tyler turned 5 at the end of January. It was quite the big to-do. He had several friends over on Saturday for his first friend birthday. I think the total number of kids ended up being 12. It was a blast! 5 is exactly the right age for a group birthday and 1.5 hours is the exact right duration. A benefit for me was now we are being invited for playdates from some of the children who were at our house for the party. Fun Fun. Sunday we celebrated with family here at the house. We welcomed a whole new fleet of robots from planet Cybertron (Transformers). The Monday after his birthday I took a treat to his school for snack and read a book. It was so fun to see my shy guy playing with his friends at school. There are some kids that even follow HIM around and want to do what he is doing. Allie had a fun time visiting preschool that day too. She toddled around the area and managed to find every box of markers and make earnest attempts at removing the caps. I think I managed to get to her in the nick of time before she wrecked something. No more birthdays in our house now for eight months. What kind of planning is that?

Sleeping?

2009-02-04T13:50:00.004-06:00

Poor Danny. Usually a good sharer, on this day Derek was a couch hog! Dan fell asleep standing up! This demonstrates the lengths he will go to in order to avoid falling asleep. He loves to say, "I don't usually like to have sleepy yawns. I only like to have wake up yawns!" And, "I usually only like to sleep when it is dark outside." Well, Danny Boy, sleep caught up to you this time!

Snow forts

2009-01-30T13:53:00.002-06:00

Here is Tyler, sitting atop the snow fort that he and Daddy built. It has a great tunnel. As you can see by the mailboxes in the background we have had quite a bit of snow this year. And it has been COLD! The weather reports are saying that this is the first January in 30 years, since before I was born, that we haven't gotten above freezing in January. (That is 32 degrees F.) We still may have a chance of a thaw tomorrow but the way things are going I wouldn't count on it.

Derek's Birthday

2009-01-11T15:11:00.002-06:00

We are having a good time celebrating Derek on his birthday. The weekend has been planned for some time. On Friday I finally told Derek that while he thought his parents were babysitting so we could go out to dinner, they were also keeping the boys overnight. On Saturday we dropped them off and headed to the restaurant. Chez Daniel. We were early so I told him I had an idea. We pulled in at the restaurant which is located on the first floor of the Embassy Suites Hotel. He said, "I thought we were early." I said, "We are but I wanted to make sure where it is so we don't miss our reservation." I drove through the parking lot and parked. I said, "Well should we check into our room first?" He was very surprised that we were going to stay at the hotel. We had a good time enjoying the pool and hot tub. Allie liked pushing the buttons on the elevator (we were on the 7th floor). The boys, at Grandma and Papa Johnson's house (Thanks so much by the way!) enjoyed keeping G and G up until 11:30. The next morning we breakfasted at the complimentary hot buffet and then joined up with the boys and Derek's parents and brothers at Olive Garden. Boy am I stuffed! We opened presents at our house after we had gotten home. The boys made seashell art for Daddy by gluing shells onto cardboard. They were very proud. Tyler also photographed it all. Once I get his pictures downloaded he can put them on his blog.

100th post!

2009-01-07T19:21:00.003-06:00

This is a tent with additional fort space. It took up the whole living room. All three boys slept out there. You have to get creative when you can't play outside for 6 months!

Random Christmas pics

2009-01-02T21:10:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T17:13:00.003-06:00

New Year's Eve was pretty uneventful. We watched Chicken Run with the kids and then Derek and I watched Prince Caspian. Allie woke up screaming at the stroke of midnight so our New Year's smooch was usurped by her yelp. As I dashed up the stairs Derek yelled, "Happy New Year." That was it. New Year's Day was better. We went to my parent's house and the boys watched football and Wall-E while the girls, me, my mom, Anna and Martina (Greg and Nate's GFs) scrapbooked for five blessed hours. What fun! Tyler joined us for a bit and used Grandma's cool sticker maker. Allie hung with the girls for a short time and chattered away at us. The boys and Allie finished their evening with a backyard campfire in Papa's new fire pit.

Giggling kids

2009-01-02T17:06:00.003-06:00

Danny enjoyed sticking bathtub letters on Allie's tummy. Allie sure seemed to like it too. We have a new camera which records video clips with sound so you can hear their peals of laughter.

Check out Tyler's Blog!

2008-12-31T16:52:00.000-06:00

Tyler has started his own blog. You can see it at http://worldoftyler-oneinamillionjohnsons.blogspot.com/

Deck the Halls

2008-12-16T19:19:00.001-06:00

We are all busy preparing for Christmas. The tree is up. The boys are trying to find or make things for presents because they so love to wrap. 9 Days to go!

For Amy

2008-12-16T19:07:00.002-06:00

This picture was taken after our second snowfall. We have quite a bit of snow now, though the rain?!? we had on Sunday melted and compacted what snow we did have. We picked up another inch today and as a result Derek is two hours and ten minutes into his commute by bus and will be another half hour until he gets to the bus stop. The wrong bus stop where we will pick him up and drive him to his car at the right bus stop. His bus was running at least 20 minutes behind this bus so he figured getting on the road sooner rather than later was a better choice. It will all work out fine providing we return home all in one piece with three sleeping kiddos.

Thanksgiving, Ect.

2008-12-07T19:53:00.002-06:00

We had a great Thanksgiving. So much to be thankful for! We spent T-day with the Dierdorf family as well as Derek's brothers, David (reading to Allie) and Kurt. Derek's parents were in Japan visiting his sister. We were delighted to have Greg and Anna visit from Chicago. We spent the Friday after T-day in a cooking making frenzy. Greg showed off his skill with the "blender". We made chocolate chip, sugar and jumbo gingersnap cookies. I also tried cornflake wreaths. What a sugar filled day. We went to Edinborough park on Saturday to climb around, slide down and scale the climbing wall. Nothing like clambering through a kids park to make one feel old and worn down! We prevailed though!

Happy Birthday Allie!

2008-11-17T12:58:00.003-06:00

One year ago today I became mom to a daughter. Since that day I have learned many things. I have embraced my inner pink. I have gotten misty eyed watching my daughter lovingly carry her baby doll...upside down. I have learned much about footwear fashions and gone to great lengths to squish her little feet into cute shoes. I learned how to polish itty bitty toe nails, and have not yet repeated this feat. I have mastered the "sprout" hair do. I have been delighted to come home from work and see the ponytail created by my stylist apprentice of a husband. I have watched a little face transform into a myriad of pouts, puckers and grins. Thanks, Allie, for being such a great sleeper those first three months. Thanks, God, for giving me something I didn't even know I wanted (a daughter).

This ball toy was a hit. Tyler just had to get it for her. It uses air pressure to blow the balls up in the air. My 10 and 5 year old neighbors want one for Christmas!

First Snow

2008-11-07T17:41:00.003-06:00

Today we had our first true snowfall. The boys woke up and declared, "Get the boots, Mom, we are going sledding!" Well there wasn't quite enough snow for sledding but we did get out to make our first snow bunny of the year. How fitting that our last snow creature of last year was also a bunny, due to the fact that we had a blizzard on Easter. Allie did very well for her first snow experience, except for the falling flat on her face part. She recovered quickly though and was quite the little snow bunny herself. Danny whipped snowballs at me, though I was forbidden from retaliating. No fair! Tyler helped roll snowballs for our bunny and added the finishing touches. I would love winter if only it would stay like this. Snow but mild temperatures and no wind. I guess I will take it while I can get it.

Allie

2008-11-02T13:18:00.004-06:00

Peek-a-boo! Allie has a favorite hiding spot. When I lose track of here this is where she can be found. Hiding among Tupperware. She is at a great age. She will be one year old in just two weeks. She dances, locates missing people and objects, gives high fives and hugs her baby dolls. She is climbing on everything and has started to protest when we tell her NO! Her favorite thing to stand on is Daddy's subwoofer next to the TV. She tries to sit on it and keeps falling behind the entertainment center, feet in the air. She also can play "Baby go night-night" which is quite adorable. Note the last picture.

Halloween

2008-11-02T13:11:00.004-06:00

Halloween was a big success this year. Great weather, cute costumes and loads of candy. The boys went as Optimus Prime and Bumblebee. Sorry the image is a bit dark. It was night time after all. Tyler didn't want to wear his mask but Danny wore his the whole way. He nearly wiped out on all the front steps because he couldn't see a thing! Allie crawled up on all the front porches and sat next to the pumpkin and smiled expectantly and waited for her picture to be taken. She was the very cutest CareBear we have ever seen. The kids brought back their candy after an hour or so of meeting neighbors and dumped it on the living room floor. They started sorting it. There were piles for Tyler, for Danny, for Grandma Nancy and for Silly Grandma -but to my horror- no piles for Mommy and Daddy!! Halloween with three kids and the only candy we got was lollipops that were already licked and rejected for flavor! Luckily though we only had 7 kids trick or treat at our house and so I have a whole bag of candy left for me.

Autobots Sighted...

2008-10-30T19:47:00.005-05:00

A beaming Bumblebee (the transformer not the bug) and a pouting Optimus Prime (leader of the Autobots) were spotted at CDCL preschool. They had a program with a few Halloween and fall songs and then did a costume parade for the parents. They were very cute and I can't wait for more and more programs as they go through school. They will have another program for Christmas this year. We are excited to trick or treat tomorrow and thrilled and pleasantly surprised that the forecast calls for a pleasant 60 degrees! What no blizzards? No windchill? We don't have to hide the costumes under snow pants and winter coats? Awesome! Stay tuned for more.

Payback

2008-10-23T15:53:00.003-05:00

*no mommies were harmed in the making of this blog*

Peverse Pleasure

2008-10-21T21:33:00.002-05:00

*no children were harmed in the making of this blog*

Dark Walks

2008-10-17T16:53:00.003-05:00

Dark Walks have been a favorite this summer. Daddy brings his lantern and the boys have carried flashlights. We found a great kiddie lantern for Tyler at a garage sale. For Danny's birthday he got some special money from Papa Bob and GeeGee and bought himself a kiddie transformer lantern. Now all three have their own lanterns and are enjoying the early dusk this time of year. Hopefully there will be a few occasions over the winter to continue this event.

Lion Traps-Resurrected

2008-10-17T16:45:00.002-05:00

As a child it was not uncommon to approach a door and try to pull it open only to be stopped in your tracks, the door opening only inches and then yanked to a stop. Lion traps were strung to, around and from every available attachment including door knobs. Well the lions are out again at the Johnson home. Fear not, our very own lion hunter, Tyler is on the prowl. He is setting traps throughout the house. So far he has only caught one wild animal, a fierce critter named Allie. Poor thing is clotheslined wherever she walks. I think the lions are scared. They have stopped coming around. Hooray for Tyler!

Party

2008-10-07T16:44:00.005-05:00

Danny had a great birthday party. The theme was scooper trucks. He is quite into construction vehicles right now. Several were added to our collection. Thanks uncles and grandparents! We dined on cheesy meatballs as per Danny's request. He is such a big boy now. He can pretend with the best of them. As I type he is sitting on the couch in full Transformer regalia. I don't think he can see his cartoon with his mask on. We won't be wearing that to the school halloween party. He is Optimus Prime. Tyler is Bumblebee. We are breaking in our halloween costumes. More postings to follow.

Big 3 Year Old!

2008-10-07T16:34:00.004-05:00

Danny is 3! For his birthday event he wanted for our family of 5 to go to the Water Park of America

We had such a great time on the water slides and the lazy river. The highlight for Tyler was the super duper 10 story water slide. They sit you in this 6-8 person raft and push you down this huge tube. The tube exits the building, you spin around a few times, it enters the building, pushes you under a waterfall and dumps you out in a small pool. Let me tell you it is very disorienting to be facing BACKWARD!! while on this ride. Tyler thought it was great though. My only problem was letting go with one hand to cover his eyes for the waterfall part. Letting go was hard and getting my hand up to his face without whacking him and knocking him overboard was harder. Danny liked the children's water slides and the lazy river. It took a few laps but he finally found a way to hang on to the tube. Allie was my little rudder. I floated in a tube and dangled her off the back. She frog kicked for all she was worth to propel us around the lazy river. It was very cute. We will try it again some time I am sure.

Golfing

2008-10-01T15:48:00.003-05:00

The moment we had been waiting for had finally arrived. Papa Bryant's heart was better (after triple bypass surgery). Better enough to putt anyway. We headed to a mini golf place in Minnetrista which has an artistic feel to their course. The holes are designed around, within and through sculptures. It is very cool. The favorite hole is the final one in which the balls lazily drift down the river maze and complete their long journey by dropping out of sight.

Children's Museum

2008-09-25T22:42:00.002-05:00

Oh my! We had a most excellent time at the Minnesota Children's Museum. September is definitely the time to go. We nearly had the place to ourselves. We rolled our golf balls down the varied chutes including this spiral "swirly slide"
We shopped until we dropped at the grocery store. It was the first time we haven't had to fight for carts and we could make multiple trips because there were no other children waiting in line. Delightful.
We also drove the "Daddy Bus" around town and played mailman. We explored conveyor belts at a "factory" and nearly wore grandma Nancy out. "Come on Grandma, we need more blocks." True foremen. We crawled through an ant hill and thankfully found our way out. We will most assuredly remember this September treasure and make our yearly pilgrimage during this time.

Garden of 2008

2008-09-16T16:38:00.002-05:00

Our final garden delight is the blooming of our sunflowers. Our first garden ever filled us with delight and at times disappointment. We enjoyed watching things bloom and were able to eat broccoli, tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, carrots and raspberries. Our pumpkins started out with a bang and promptly took over the world. Then to my great dismay they were attacked by some icky worms. The crop was decimated. Our corn was also first attacked by a raccoon and then stricken with some virus? Good thing Grandma Nancy is a master gardener and takes great delight in diagnosing all our wilting plants. Overall though I consider our first ever garden a huge success. The boys are excited for next year when we will add more crops and hopefully harvest a few strawberries.

First Day of School

2008-09-12T11:52:00.002-05:00

Off to school. I don't know who was more excited. I had some free time with Allie to do some work at church and then read in the car while she napped. Blissful. They had a great time at school, Tyler in Miss Connie's class and Danny in Miss Kate's class. They seem to be enjoying the playground, truck room, cooking time, story time and art. They are also very proud of their transformer backpacks. Spoiled rotten!

Hole in One!

2008-09-12T11:49:00.003-05:00

Tiger, I mean, Tyler got his first hole in one at a mini golf course. He takes his golfing very seriously, just like his Papa and uncles.

If the Car is A-Rockin...

2008-08-31T15:06:00.001-05:00

Giant Slide

2008-08-31T15:02:00.001-05:00

State Fair

2008-08-31T14:51:00.003-05:00

We went to the State Fair on Thursday. We spent a great amount of time trying out the tractors which is a yearly tradition. We watched the parade, rode some rides, ate some food on a stick and saw some interesting chickens. Nothing, of course, could compare to the giant slide.

Water Park

2008-08-31T14:46:00.002-05:00

The boys had their first taste of water slide fun. They had so much fun sliding down on either mom or dad's lap. The challenge for the parent was to hit the water then raise the child above ones head so that though the parent might go under, the child would keep his head dry. Meanwhile Allie slept in the baby swing at the park's playground.

aMAZEing

2008-08-31T14:35:00.002-05:00

After each rainfall we dash outside to our fresh, clean canvas and create a myriad of mazes. Each maze uses a full stick of sidewalk chalk as it winds its way up, down and sideways, swirling, zigzagging and dead-ending. We glean hours of enjoyment from each magnificent design.

Allie

2008-08-17T14:54:00.003-05:00

Won't be long now until she is walking all by herself. For now she contents herself with pushing things around the room. At her 9 month check-up she weighed in at 20 lbs and 11 oz. She is 29 1/2 inches tall.

Cutie Pie

2008-08-09T21:17:00.002-05:00

Loved the boat. Hated the life jacket.

Family Reunion

2008-08-09T21:10:00.003-05:00

The Johnson family reunion was a smash hit! 32 Johnson/Sodergren family members were at our house today. Thank God for nice weather. Everything was a smashing success. My favorite part was the three event Toilet Paper Olympics. The events included a relay race, poetry crafting (an Ode to Toilet Paper) and the TP Wrap. Here are some finer moments. The boys also had some fun times with the other kids. The only bad note is that Derek's dad, Bryant, wasn't able to make it. He started having chest tightness on Saturday and is hospitalized. He will be having a double bypass on Monday. Please keep him in your prayers.

Visitors from Japan

2008-08-09T20:58:00.002-05:00

We enjoyed our visit with Jeff and Melissa who traveled from Okinawa Japan to visit us. We also had Greg and Anna in from Chicago. We filled the three days we had with a great mini golf outing. Greg had a difficult start-you know what I mean Greg!- but all managed to play very well. Tyler was adorable as a little golfer. He was so serious and wouldn't accept any help. I think he had a few holes where he made par, honest to goodness. Papa Bryant is so proud. We followed up that event with a night out for the siblings. We went to Dave and Busters and had dinner and then played arcade games. Head to head competition has never been so much fun.
The following day everyone came to our house for dinner. We played a rousing game of run-down-also known as pickle. We were joined by Uncle Vic and cousin Eric from Iowa. The impressive play of the night was when Nate slide tackled Uncle Vic. RESPECT YOUR ELDERS, BOY! Hopefully no one was too sore the next day. There is something to be said for those good old backyard games. The next day we all went out on a pontoon boat on Lake Minnetonka. We stopped for a swim and otherwise just motored around the lake. We ended our visit by being served an authentic Japanese meal. I can't believe my brother (with Melissa's help) is a better cook than me. Okay, I believe it. Though I have improved, somewhat. We wish we had had a longer time but maybe someday we can get out to visit them wherever they may be.

Backyard Baseball

2008-08-09T20:55:00.003-05:00

And so it begins. Backyard baseball at its best. The boys have fun hitting the ball and running bases. Tyler has been enjoying fielding ground balls thrown to him. He throws it back and then jumps and giggles while it is in the air. He still says he wants to be a soccer player (and a drummer) but it is nice to know if that doesn't work out he has something to fall back on.

4 Generations

2008-07-31T19:02:00.003-05:00

A grand time was had by all as four generations covering 84 years descended upon the Twin Cities. GeeGee and Papa Bob (my grandparents) as well as Cousin Jonathan took the train from California and spent four whirlwind days with us. We went to the Arboretum, Zoo, beach, playgrounds, and more. It was fun to see the kids playing with the relatives. Jonathan played with and entertained the boys so well.

All Boys Camping Trip!!!

2008-07-17T19:50:00.002-05:00

The camping trip was a huge success! The boys enjoyed a pontoon ride, books by flashlight and visiting the Mississippi River headwaters. They also spent a day at an amusement park riding Power Wheels, playing miniture golf and riding the little train. The only bummer was the mosquitoes which were all attracted to Tyler who spent the weekend in various states of swelling. I do believe that this trip will be repeated in the future.

We love our Diego lunchboxes

2008-07-11T08:01:00.000-05:00

4th of July

2008-07-11T07:54:00.002-05:00

We enjoyed Eagan's 4th of July parade again this year. The boys have been so excited that they have been playing "parade" all week. We decorated their bikes, then Allie and I sit on the grass while they ride by on the sidewalk whipping candy at us point blank! They did get lots of candy and goodies at the parade. Only two marching bands this year. Derek laments the dwindling marching band programs every year as he is a former marching band geek (read: stud). I do hope there is something left for the kids once they reach high school, as interested in music as they are. Derek's band got to march in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA and also marched at Disney Land. I've seen the Disney Land Parade a few times. Don't you ever wonder if you crossed paths with your significant other long before they were significant? I plan on asking God when I get there. Another pass crossing potential is worth mentioning as the Boys (Danny, Tyler, Derek, three uncles and two papas) are having a camping trip at Lake Itasca. We both have historical pictures of our families gathered around the post proclaiming the start of the Great Mississippi River. I hope they are surviving the weather up there.

"I got it! I got it!

2008-06-29T18:54:00.002-05:00

A funny video from the Science Museum. A ball defies gravity due to a fan giving the ball lift.

Friday

2008-06-27T19:50:00.001-05:00

Am I doing it yet? Is this a wink? Danny shows me his new trick.

Wednesday

2008-06-27T19:49:00.000-05:00

!!!Beauty Products!!!

Monday thru Thursday

2008-06-27T19:47:00.002-05:00

VBS. I taught arts and activities for the preschool group. Tyler had a great time on his pirate themed adventure. Here they are making their own flags for their "ships".

Sunday

2008-06-27T19:34:00.003-05:00

As Derek's Father's Day present we went to see the Star Wars Exhibit at the MN Science Museum. We liked the models, costumes and hands on experiments. We made a hover craft and programed a robot.

MN Zoo

2008-06-20T19:47:00.003-05:00

We took a trip to the MN Zoo yesterday. They have a new Grizzly Bear exhibit. They are enormous! They walk right up to the glass and show themselves off. If ever anyone wants to join us for a zoo trip we are ready to go!

Slip Slidin' Away

2008-06-20T19:43:00.002-05:00

Here I am still trying to catch up. The boys and baby girl have all gone for a bike ride so I can get some work done. Haha. Don't tell on me for using this precious time to blog. We have added a slip n slide to our accumulation of backyard toys. We have a nice slope for those who cannot run full tilt and dive headfirst into certain danger. (Though with these daredevil boys I'm sure it won't be long.)

Bad Blogger

2008-06-20T19:31:00.002-05:00

I've been remiss. It has been so long since I posted a blog. Thanks to all of you out there who are still checking. Your persistence will be rewarded. Though I haven't been blogging, I have been taking pictures. A few favorite selections are here. Allie doing push ups in her party dress. (Note the strength in her big toe!) The boys all together before a Father's Day golf outing. And finally, Miss Allie. Too big for her britches and already wanting to stand up all the time. I am glued to her side because she also thinks she is big enough to let go. Yikes.

Arrghhh

2008-06-07T14:25:00.003-05:00

In liew of the fifty or so treasure maps Tyler has drawn this week and in preparation for our pirate based vacation Bible school that Tyler and I will be doing in a few weeks we decked (get it decked?) out our rug rats in pie rat (get it pirate-pie-rat) garb.

Allie at 6 months

2008-06-04T12:52:00.003-05:00

Baby Allie had her six month checkup this week. She weights 20 pounds and measures 27 1/4 inches. She is both deliciously chubby and tall. We expect she will slim up in the next few months as she learns to get around more. She is already getting from a sitting position to up on all fours (knees and hands) and rocking back and forth. Whoa boy, here we go. Look out world!

New Deck part 1

2008-06-04T12:50:00.002-05:00

Our new deck is done with phase one. The surface. Thanks to Uncle Bill, Papa Harold and Papa Bryant for their help. We can't wait to get the railings on next week.

Summer time

2008-06-04T12:41:00.002-05:00

We had a gloriously sunny and warm weekend here in MN. We got out our pool and put on our suits and frolicked in the back yard.

Windy Windy Marshall

2008-05-28T14:29:00.004-05:00

We had a great time in Marshall over Memorial Day Weekend. We stayed at Derek's brother Kurt's house. Papa and Silly Grandma joined us and stayed at a hotel where we took advantage of the pool. I am so sorry I forgot the camera for Allie's first swim. She loved it and looked ADORABLE in her little pink swim suit. We spent lots of time at the parks digging and sliding. We initiated the boys in the finer art of golf at the driving range. The boys and Derek tented it in the backyard. Those brave souls. It was ridiculously windy and I am surprised they didn't blow away. It was a great weekend away from home.

Music in the Park

2008-05-22T13:56:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we took the light rail downtown. We met Derek and went to a free concert outside Orchestra Hall. The focus was on percussion, our favorite thing. We picnicked while we listened.

Dinner Snooze

2008-05-20T19:17:00.002-05:00