April

April

This month has seemed really long. I am not sure why. Usually when months are packed with holidays and birthdays they seem to fly by but not this April. Part of the reason maybe that I have had NOTHING good to read. Seriously. It has been a drought. I have read a total of  1 1/2 books for the entire month. I just couldn't get into anything and I really tried. It was so discouraging. The 1/2 book that I am into is Tess of the D' Urbervilles which while good isn't exactly light reading nor uplifting...poor Tess...and I hear that things only get worse for her.

Besides Spring Break, Bryn's Birthday, Nana passing away, and Easter...

Swimming started back up for Bryn. Elle is swimming too which makes our Saturday mornings at the pool a little more fun. They are doing great!

Bryn started going to Activity Days and Elle comes with her. They are LOVING it! So far they have done Zumba and learned about the different events for track. One of Bryn's activity day leaders in on a college track team. Bryn and Elle are both runners and so they loved learning about the other events in track and my friend Arianne (the other activity day leader) texted me these awesome pictures and videos.

The javelin

We sent ol' Flat Stanley to Reilly in Utah and she did a fantastic job with him. She impressed the heck out of the 2nd graders in Bryn's class when she emailed pictures of Flat Stanley at the UP House and at Sharpay's (from High School Musical) Pink Locker. He also went to Bridal Veil Falls and to the Salt Lake Temple. Bryn's teacher was THRILLED as was Bryn!!

Reilly is AWESOME!!

My brother Kirk and his wife Meki and their baby came to town for a visit. It is always fun when Kirk is in town!! They came straight to our house after they flew in. Meki was here on business and Kirk and Kirin came along for the ride. Meki had a dinner meeting so Kirk, Tyler, Kirin and I all headed out for sushi. We had a great time!! It was nice to have some extra time with Kirk (Kirin too) instead of always getting together at big family gatherings and trying to catch up amidst all of the chaos.

Plus we got to get in lots of snuggles with Kirin!

After dinner we hung out in Coeur D' Alene and waited for Meki to get done with her business dinner. It was great to see them. Tyler and I really appreciate that they provide a home-away-from-home for Reilly in Utah. They just bought a house even closer to her which is great!

The next night we met up with my mom, Stacey and John and their kids, and Kelley and Elle and went out for dinner. Poor Kameron had to work so he missed out on dinner but met up with us later for ice cream.

Cousins!

This what I got when I said "Look at me!" Ha ha!

Kirin is so cute and kissable!!

We had a fun night as a family but we were missing Jordin and Ramon and their family and Reilly too. It is getting so hard to get everyone all together at the same time. The next day we drove up to my mom's house in Sandpoint (where Kirk and Meki were staying) and spent the day. We did a bunch of shopping and went out to lunch. Then we dropped off the kids at my mom's house and me, Ty, Kirk, and Meki headed to Montana to Kootenai Falls to go hiking. It was absolutely gorgeous!!

Before you get to the swinging bridge you have to cross this bridge that goes over the railroad tracks. We were really hoping to see a train while we were on the bridge. Sure enough... while we were on the bridge we saw a train headed our way. Kirk and I immediately ran right to the middle of the bridge which was right over the middle of the tracks and held onto the chain link fence as that train barreled right at us. OH.MY.GOSH. It was the trippiest thing ever!! The wind that came off of that train was so strong and blew the heck out of us while that train was roaring right beneath us and shook the heck out of the bridge. It was awesome and terrifying!!

After that we hiked to the swinging bridge:

This swinging foot bridge is not for the faint of heart or for someone with a fear of heights. Ailey happily agreed to go to Grandma's house and babysit Kirin rather than make another trek across this bridge although she has crossed it twice. The swinging bridge is suspended 100 feet above the river and is 210 feet long. Only 5 people can be on the bridge at a time. It is awesome.

I am not afraid of bridges and had to do some jumping.  Kirk too! :)

This is the area where parts of the movie The Revenant was filmed and also the movie River Wild.

Kootenai Falls Slo-Mo

Sitting on the edge of a cliff and taking in all the beauty!

Love these guys!! We had such a great day!!

That night the four of us went to dinner in Sandpoint, Idaho and it was so nice to have a little double date!! Our two girls and Kirin had such a fun time having Grandma all to themselves also.

The next weekend Stacey represented Sisters Creed at the Vintage Faire in Omak, WA.  This is a terrible time of year for me to go and do that show even though it is a fun one and we love doing it. It was nice that Stacey at least could go and represent us. John went with her and they brought their kids to Spokane (Kelley was watching them for the weekend) and so we got to have a bunch of cousin time.

Ailey, River, Dane, Elle, Bryn

These are some of my favorite pictures:

Anyone remember Kids Incorporated from the 80's?? This is what I got when I said "pose!" Ha ha!! Yep, they are related.

In other news...Spring finally arrived:

Bryn did Bloomsday training at her school again this year. It's basically track for the elementary school kids. She loves to run and did such a great job!!

This was also a great month for meeting up with friends...especially before the craziness of May hits. I had some great long chatty afternoon lunches with three different friends...one of whom I rarely get to see...and it was so nice to be able to catch up and have some girl time. It was MUCH needed!!

Now May is in full swing!! Farm Chicks is looming and I am trying to get a bunch of projects done before family comes to town on Friday for Bryn's baptism this weekend.

Onward...

Kameron's Talk

Kameron's Talk

Kameron gave this talk in Sacrament Meeting on Easter Sunday. He did a fantastic job. I love that kid so much!!

Why Is the Living Christ Important In My Life

I was asked to speak on why the living Christ is important in my life. I thought that this would be an easy topic to talk about and in some ways it is…but my feelings about the Savior are so deep and all encompassing that it has been hard to narrow down my thoughts about what exactly to talk about today.

I decided to focus my talk on Easter and Holy Week …the week that leads up to Easter Sunday. Every year during Holy Week my family discusses and reflects on what was happening in the Savior’s life on each day of that important week.  Every day of Holy Week my mom writes on a chalkboard in our home the events of that particular day. She also displays pictures from the Gospel Art Kit that depict what was happening on that day. It has been really interesting to know what He went through on a day to day basis. Each night at dinner we discussed more in depth what happened each day.

As the week progressed each particular day had an event that resonated with me…whether it was Palm Sunday the one day when Jesus was treated like the King he is, or on Monday when He cleansed the temple, or Tuesday when Jesus returned to the temple and His authority was questioned and he taught important parables on the Mount of Olives while behind the scenes Judas was negotiating with the Sanhedrin to betray Him, to Wednesday when we don’t have much information as to what was happening, to Holy Thursday  as Jesus and His disciples prepared to share in the Passover and ate the Last Supper and to the events that occurred in the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus atoned for the sins of the world to Judas’ betrayal and Jesus’s arrest.

As we closed in on Good Friday I felt almost anxiety because I knew what was coming and I didn’t even want to read what was written on the chalkboard that day… about Jesus’ trial and His being condemned to death, Him being scourged, beaten, and mocked, forced to carry His cross through a jeering crowd, His crucifixion and death. As I read those words I was hit by such intense sorrow that He had to suffer for me and for all of us. 

In our family we talked about why it is called Good Friday when such terrible and tragic events occurred and that it is because the price was paid for all of us that day.  It hit me in a such a personal way what the Savior willingly went through for me and for you and for everyone. We had a powerful discussion in our family that night and were overcome with so much gratitude for the incomprehensible love that the Savior has for all of us. That the perfect sinless Son of God would do this for me hit me in a way that it hasn’t before.

Then as we continued to follow the events of that sacred week and read about Jesus’ body being prepared for burial and laid in the sepulchre with the stone placed in front and guarded by Roman Soldiers I found myself so looking forward to Easter Sunday when the stone was rolled away and the tomb empty, and an angel asks the women “Why seek ye the living among the dead?” to knowing the Jesus Christ overcame death and was resurrected and that He lives! It was wonderful to read those words and to know that He lives not just on the third day but this day and every day. He lives and we can find Him and have him in our lives.

I am glad that my family has this tradition every year because it is so easy to get caught up in the worldly aspects of Easter…the bunny, the baskets, the eggs, and the candy and forget the powerful reality of WHY we celebrate Easter. I am grateful that I was able to slow down and reflect upon what the Savior went through in the week leading up to His death and resurrection.

How powerful are the words of the angel in Luke 24:

Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen.”

President Benson said that nothing in history equals that dramatic announcement, “He is not here, but is risen.”

President Monson said in April 2010:

“Our Savior lived again. The most glorious, comforting, and reassuring of all events of human history had taken place—the victory over death. The pain and agony of Gethsemane and Calvary had been wiped away. The salvation of mankind had been secured. The fall of Adam had been reclaimed.”

So why is the living Christ important in my life… because without Him I am nothing. His life and example influence every aspect of my life. Who I am, what I do, what I say, the choices I make, the friends I choose, the path I am on, and the decisions that I will make in the future…everything.

One of my favorite scriptures is D & C 76:22

“And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!”

Today we got the news that my great-grandma passed away this morning. As we remembered her and her influence these words from John had extra special meaning this Easter morning:

“ I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live… And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”

(Then Kameron bore a really sweet testimony)

Easter 2017

Easter 2017

This year we did our own thing for Easter. The lake house is STILL out of commission. Don't even get me started on my absolute annoyance with that situation. My mom decided to go to Utah to spend Easter with my brother Kirk and his family and Reilly. So even though it wasn't our typical Easter weekend we still had a really great time!

My favorite Easter tradition is to celebrate Holy Week. Easter comes up so quickly. You blink and it is over. Tyler and I like to SLOW down Easter so that we can really think about it and prepare for it. Celebrating Holy Week does that for us. Every day of Holy Week I write on a chalkboard what happened that day. We also put up pictures from the gospel art kit that go along with the events of the day and at dinner we discuss what happened on each day, read about it, read scriptures, and discuss our feelings about it.

For example:

We start with Palm Sunday:

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Holy Thursday:

Good Friday:

Saturday:

Resurrection Sunday:

We also really love to listen to Lamb of God by Rob Gardner during this week and especially Easter Sunday. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that amazing compilation. Listen to it!!

 Doing all of these things helps to extend the holiday and makes it more meaningful for our family.

We decorated for Easter. We sent Reilly a big Easter care package. Tyler and the girls dyed eggs. The weather (sort of) cooperated for them to do it outside. Barely.

The day before Easter the girls helped me get everything ready. Our church is late; it goes from 1pm to 4pm so I didn't want to be throwing things together and trying to cook at the last minute. So we prepped food for the next day. Ailey helped by ironing the linens. Ailey and Bryn helped me set the table and made cute place cards. They are such good helpers!! Everyone helped with the food. We have some great cooks and bakers in our family...the guys included.

They did such a great job!! 

Easter morning ended up being bittersweet. Just as I was waking up...I could hear the kids up and starting to check out their Easter baskets...and Tyler had just turned on the song He Is Risen...when I got a call that my Nana had passed away that morning. This wasn't a big surprise. My Nana hadn't been doing well and had been moved to hospice care. I had been getting regular updates. But I still wasn't prepared for the call. It kind of subdued things for awhile. But there was also beauty in knowing that she went home to her Savior on a beautiful Easter morning and it made the meaning of Easter even more profound for our family.

At Jordin's wedding: Kirk, Nana, Me, my cousin Colin, and Jordin

My Nana was a beautiful, sweet, hilarious southern lady with charm and sass and a flair for the dramatic. She has left me with so many sweet and hilarious memories and I am so blessed to be her granddaughter.

I love that smile!! She was an absolute character. She will be greatly missed!!

Easter morning was still a sweet celebration. We had a delicious breakfast and the Easter Bunny had paid a visit. :) There were all kinds of treats and little gifts including Easter dresses for the girls and Easter ties for the guys. We even semi-coordinated!! I love it!!

We facetimed and did a Johnson Tries with Reilly...for Sour Peeps (meh), Summer Splash Starbursts (mixed reviews) and Cadbury Creme Egg Cookies (delish!)

We had an Easter Egg Hunt in our backyard:

On the run!!

The sly Easter Egg hiders!!

Then it was time to get ready for church. There is nothing better than church on a gorgeous Easter morning. It is my favorite Sunday of the year!! Even better...Kameron was speaking!! My Nana would've LOVED that!! She never could get over the idea that in our church the members do the "preaching". She used to call us every Sunday night for years and would always ask "Did any of you do the preaching today?" and she loved it when we did and always wanted copies of our talks. I think she would have been absolutely THRILLED to know that her great-grandson was doing the "preaching" that day!!

We were so missing our Reilly!! But we were so glad that she was spending Easter at Kirk and Meki's house and with my Mom. She was having a wonderful Easter as well and that made us feel a lot better about being far apart. (She comes for a quick visit next week and we can't wait!!)

I love Easter pastels!! The girls and I gave each other manis and pedis the night before and our nail polish matched our dresses. So fun. I wish that we still lived in the days of Easter hats, gloves, and corsages. I could totally get on board with that!! My Grandma McKinnon always wore a fresh flower corsage to church on Easter and Mother's Day. I love that tradition. I also loved getting texts when my sister Jordin found and bought her Easter dress!! Love that these traditions carry on...

It's hard to see but Kameron's tie is gray with tiny pink polka dots!! He matched!!

Tyler's tie was pink polka dots and so he matched too!! Ha ha!!

Then it was time to head to church... Kameron gave a fantastic talk about "Why the Living Christ is Important In My Life". He did such a great job! He even referenced our little Holy Week tradition which was awesome to know that he was paying attention and that it meant something to him. I'll post his talk on the blog. It was a great day at church and so wonderful to celebrate the miracle of the resurrection of the Savior.

We took a few more pictures after we got home since we were in a huge rush before church:

Love these Johnson men!!

Then it was time to eat!!

Our Easter Menu:

Baked Ham
Funeral Potatoes
Homemade Rolls
Fruit Salad
Ailey's Deviled Eggs
My Granny's Green Punch
Lemon Curd Cheese Cake

It was a delicious feast!! I texted this picture to Kirk and Reilly who were texting and snapchatting pictures of the brisket Kirk was making out on his smoker to try to make us jealous but in the end they were the jealous ones!! Ha ha!! Everyone loves Granny's Green Punch!!

Best Drink Ever!! Makes you thirsty just looking at it, right? ;)

It was an absolutely fantastic Easter even taking the bitter with the sweet. Losing Nana definitely made us all the more grateful for the miracle that occurred on that Easter morning with the dramatic announcement that changed the course of history:

Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here but is risen.

Luke 24:5-6

Happy Easter!!