August was also a HOT one!! Plus it is always the sign that summer is winding down and so we tried to cram as many activities and fun into it that we could. We had family in town all month long and on into September which was fun!
We also headed to the pool and to the lake as often as possible.
Pool days are so much easier now that the kids are older. I can actually relax and read a book. No little kids to keep from drowning. It makes me want to go to the pool more often. Ha ha!
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| Ramon, Kirin, Meki |
We had a lot of crazy game nights and karaoke nights!! It was so much fun!!
There were so many wildfires (CA, WA, ID, MT, and Canada) around us. All that smoke blew our way and it was super smoky for weeks. The air quality was absolutely terrible.
There was a lot of cousin time!
RJ lost his two front teeth!!
The 2nd week that Meki and the kids were in town...Tyler's sister Lori came for a week as well. It was quite the party at the lake. She is one wild and crazy girl. She and Tyler couldn't be more opposite but they had fun together. They haven't had this much bro/sis time in over 20 years. Mostly it is a weekend here and there so it was really nice for the two of them to have some quality time to reconnect.
Lori loved being out on the boat....AND....
Being DRAGGED behind it!! The wilder the ride the better!!
But NOBODY loves a wild ride more than THIS GIRL!! Reilly is a hard core tuber!!
She has a whole system of how she maneuvers around that tube like a scurrying crab. It is hilarious but try as you might you CANNOT knock her off!! She clings like a barnacle!!
We did a lot of kayaking and paddleboarding!!
Most nights around 7:30 pm Tyler and I would leave the chaos of the lake house and head out for a peaceful paddle. Me on my paddleboard and Ty in his kayak. This was always my very favorite time of day!!
The last four days that Lori was there Kirk was able to get off of work and flew up so that he could drive home with his wife and kids. The party kicked up even more a notch with Kirk there!!
The game nights got even wilder!! We had a blast!!
We also did a lot of yard work for my mom around the lake house that needed to be done. Mainly landscaping stuff. We ripped out so many old juniper bushes. It was insane...especially when Kirk discovered a yellow jacket hive and got stung multiple times!! But the yard looks so much better now.
We also did nightly boat cruises around the lake and to the upper lake.
So pretty!! But so smoky.
The day that Kirk and Meki and kids left we had plans to go to Silverwood (Our local amusement park) on Lori's last day before she had to fly back to CA.
We had SO MUCH FUN!!
We spent most of our time at the roller coasters!! Our favorite rides!!
Lori had never had a funnel cake before or an elephant ear!! What!?! We quickly rectified that situation. Silverwood has THE best huckleberry funnel cakes!!
The amusement park was a little eerie with all of the smoke! Check out the slo-mo video Tyler took from the ferris wheel!! It looks a bit post apocalyptic.
I love these pictures of Kameron laughing his head off!!
We had an AWESOME day!! We were there when the park opened and stayed until it shut down. It was extra special too because it was the only day during Lori's visit that it was just the Johnsons. It was so nice to be able to have time together without a lot of chaos. My sister Jordin and Ramon ended up having to go to Kansas City to pick up their other car and left their kids with my mom. My mom had a crazy work week and so instead of leaving RJ and Jaylah all to Meki we changed a lot of our plans (we had only planned to be at the lake for 3 days) and ended up staying out at the lake the whole time so that Meki didn't have to watch all of the kids by herself. So it made the one day that it was just us even sweeter. We had a great visit with Lori and look forward to her coming back soon!! She is also planning a move to Utah in the next year which will make seeing her even easier.
Literally the day after Lori left we had to cram in a ton of back-to-school shopping!! We hammered it out in one marathon day because school was scheduled to start 4 days later!! By some miracle all of the school supplies were found at Walmart. Unheard of!! Then it was onto clothes shopping and shoe shopping...happily NOT at Walmart.
A sweet friend of mine got married!! Jennifer is one of my vintage friends who I love dearly. Last year at the Funky Junk show she reconnected with a guy from high school and he came and hung out at the show. It was so fun to see her enjoying herself. She has been a single mom for many years and raised her daughter who graduated that year so it was perfect timing for a little romance!! :) Jamie and Jen dated all year and got engaged this summer. The wedding was held at her family's lake house on Lake Pend Oreille. It was a gorgeous location.
Tyler and I were sitting with our good friends Brettnie and Todd, Jennifer and Nathan, and Rebecca... who are all vintage friends who have become like family over the years...and my mom. When Jennifer came walking down the aisle on her dad Eric's arm Brettnie, Rebecca, Jennifer Wood, and I were all crying our eyes out. We are so happy for Jen!!
A fun fact about Jen's new husband Jamie. He is from the small town that my mom was raised in. His grandparents were one of the four LDS families who taught my grandparents the gospel and were in their group of super close friends. His grandma is the last one left of that friend group. I had a great visit with her and we had tears in our eyes talking about my grandparents. When my mom divorced my dad when I was four, Stacey two, and my mom was pregnant with Kelley, my mom moved back to her hometown and we lived with her parents for a year while she was pregnant and while she recuperated after having Kelley. Jamie and I were actually in the same little primary class. Then when my grandparents retired and moved to the lake, Jamie's mom and dad bought my grandparents house (the house where my grandparents raised all five of their kids and that I also lived in). Jamie grew up in that house!! How cool is that? So it was fun to see all the people on his side that know our family and extended family and to visit with them as well!!
This particular lady in the blue shirt was the infamous "Linda" my Uncle John's girlfriend all through high school. I have heard stories of her all of my life. Everyone was sure that they were going to get married and then...he didn't propose. She was crushed!! She still is very *fond* of my Uncle John and my Aunt Ade is NOT *fond* of her. Linda's family mentioned several times how much they regretted that Linda and John didn't end up together!! Ha ha!!
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| Vintage friends partying up!! There are a lot of Jennifer's in this picture. Three to be exact!! Jennifer M., Rebecca, Jennifer P., Kathy, Me, and Jennifer W. |
Mom, Jennifer W., Todd, Brettnie, Rebecca, and me.
Tyler and Nathan
Rebecca and Kathy
We had a fun day!! Tyler and I enjoyed our little day trip to Hope, Idaho and did some shopping and then went out for dinner and got home late that night. It was wonderful!! A little calm before the back-to-school storm.
We FINALLY found out who Bryn had as her teacher in 4th grade. They kept pushing back the date and pushing back the date. We didn't find out until a few days before school started. We used to find out around the 4th of July. Annoying. Bryn didn't get the teacher that she really wanted and nearly all of her besties are in other classes but she kept smiling. She ended up getting the teacher that Ailey had in the 4th grade and was okay with that and despite being disappointed about who was or wasn't in her class she is pretty confident and outgoing so she wasn't too worried. Whew!
This was also super exciting!!
Bryn brought home a little seed and dirt cup from school last May as a Mother's Day gift for me. Just like her siblings have all done. I tried to keep her from getting her hopes up...we have only ever grown a little seedling never a flower. But Bryn just knew that it was going to be a gorgeous flower for me so she took that little cup and she has nurtured that plant and cared for it. She set reminders on her phone to water it and that flower not only grew, it bloomed, and has flourished!!! Bryn has been so excited to watch its progress from seed to full-fledged blooming flower and so have I!! That girl has a little green thumb!!
We also found out some very sad news... remember about a year ago when I found out that our beloved pediatrician was retiring and I literally burst into tears. That is how much I love him and have trusted him over the years. We found out in August that he had passed away from prostate cancer and the tears flowed again...from me and several of my kids. Even my big kids looked like they had been punched in the stomach. Rest in Peace Dr. Morgan. You have had a tremendous impact in our family's life and many of your quirky little bits of parenting advice have helped me more than you could have ever known.
We also spent most of August when we could find the time to redo our bedroom. I LOVE IT SO MUCH!! It was a complete overhaul. New paint, new furniture, new bedding. I will post pictures soon. Here are a few new pieces of furniture that I found that I am LOVING!!
The First Day of School made its inevitable appearance. It seems to keep coming earlier and earlier each year...
I can hardly believe that we are already here. Kameron's Senior year. :(
And...that Ailey is a Freshman!!
And...that Brynnie is in 4th grade!! My babies are growing up so fast!!
Our high schoolers!
I am glad that these two will have one year together in high school. I like knowing that Kam can watch out for Ailey and show her the ropes. I know that she wasn't nervous because she knew that her big bro was going to be there making sure that she was okay...and he did. They are also little early morning seminary buddies too!! Love it!
Then they were off! First the high schoolers.
Then our only elementary school kid.
Can I tell you how glad I am that no one is at the middle school this year and for a few more years!! That carpool/drop off/pick up line situation is sheer HELL!!
I am glad that Bryn still likes us to take her to school and to go with her to her new class and even lets us take pictures!! :)
I think that they are all going to have a good year!! They all had a great day!!
After getting everyone off to school, we went out for breakfast, one of our favorite traditions!!
It has been a crazy busy month. Full of out of town visitors, freshman orientation, lots of activities, and tons of dance team practices. Don't even ask about how crazy it was trying to get Ailey out at the lake at all and with Kameron working two jobs! Reilly was a rockstar shuttling Ailey back and forth and thank goodness Kam can drive himself!!
Tyler and I were able to squeeze in two fun day trips...to the wedding in Hope, Idaho and then a quick trip to Colfax, WA. We went in a panic for paint that I needed that was out of stock everywhere in Spokane and then found a cute little coffee shop and had lunch and walked around town. I love our little day trips. Also, one of Kameron's best friends got his mission call to New Zealand.
And so it begins...
Cayden is in the middle.
I also spent the last part of the month madly prepping for The Funky Junk Antiques Show in Sandpoint, Idaho that was over Labor Day weekend. More on that later. It was a crazy but fun month!!
