18 Years

Yesterday was our 18th Anniversary!! So crazy. 18 years has done good things for us. We have really hit a good stride together... I know there will be times when we won't be so in sync...so it is fun to celebrate that we are right now.

 We had a great day!! We celebrated in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. It was nearly 80 degrees, sunny, and absolutely beautiful. We love the Coeur d' Alene Resort. It is gorgeous and fun and feels like a real get-away even if it isn't that far from home. It is also special to us because that is where Tyler proposed to me all those years ago. Since we live here it doesn't seem that extravagant to have been proposed to there but when Tyler proposed only my grandparents lived up here and we came up here on vacation for a big family lake reunion with all the aunts, uncles and cousins. Tyler had planned it all out and had the ring with him. He flashed it to a few of my family members before he gave it to me and he also got to experience the joy of asking for permission to marry me. Ha ha. A lot of people weighed in on that including my uncles. Everyone (including me) knew that he was going to propose sometime on this trip but no one knew WHEN!! Every time we would go for a boat ride, or a walk we would be met with all these excited faces...only to let them down.

Finally one night Tyler and I went into Coeur d' Alene and hung out. We went to the resort, ate shaved ice, and walked all over town. We walked out onto the boardwalk on a hot July evening just as the sun was starting to set. Tyler had me sit on this little table that overlooked the water and he finally got down on one knee and proposed!! It was really sweet and romantic. All the people on the board walk started clapping and cheering. So fun. Then we jumped in the car and headed back to our lake to celebrate with the whole family. Perfection.

Here I am in the exact location of the proposal. I really wanted Tyler to re-enact it but sadly once was apparently enough for him. I am actually surprised that he proposed in such a public place. He is a very private person and hates being the center of attention. He probably would have much preferred to do it privately. How sweet that he knew that I DO LIKE being the center of attention and would enjoy a big production and did it any way. What a great guy!!

We started our day off by eating a delicious brunch and then bumming around town. I can't tell you how pretty the water was... I wanted to dive right in. Everyone was putting their boats in. Summer is finally arriving...

 Well hello Clive... do you travel much on business? (A la Modern Family)

Me prior to stuffing my fat face!! It was delish. I think I had the best Coconut Cake of my entire life and, in case you didn't know it, I am something of a coconut cake connoisseur. Tyler and I have a whole system down of how to work brunch and we worked it good.  My personal favorite stop was the crepe making station and all the seafood. Tyler was all over the omlet station and the huge pan of bacon. Such good food!! It reminded me of going to brunch at the Excelsor Hotel in Provo as kids. Boy! That crepe chef earned his money when the McClellan kids came to brunch (which unfortunately for him was quite often.) We had that poor man working overtime. Sadly not much has changed. Good thing we walked off most of it...hopefully.

I was laughing telling Tyler about a summer my friend, Tiffany, came up to visit and we spent an evening trolling for boys and walking around and around this very board walk bemoaning what jerks guys were and when were we ever going to meet some decent guys. I want to say that it was the next  summer we met our husbands-to-be. Lucky boys!!

Happy Anniversary Ty!! Here's to many more!!

 (Thanks for the sweet FB post. Surprised the heck out of me!! Any you with your FB aversion...)

I hosted Book Club this month and this was my pick for April. It got rave reviews from all my book club members and we had a fun discussion about time travel, parallel universes, technology etc.


From Goodreads: 

Eva Ward returns to the only place she truly belongs, the old house on the Cornish coast, seeking happiness in memories of childhood summers. There she finds mysterious voices and hidden pathways that sweep her not only into the past, but also into the arms of a man who is not of her time.
But Eva must confront her own ghosts, as well as those of long ago. As she begins to question her place in the present, she comes to realize that she too must decide where she really belongs.

This is the second Susanna Kearsley book that I have read. I enjoyed both but this one has been my favorite thus far. It is a great pleasure read all while combining historical fiction with a time travel twist. Perfection. I loved the dual story lines and the characters. Anything dealing with Scotland and the Jacobites are always entertaining reads as my ancestors were staunch Jacobites. I enjoyed every twist and turn in this fun and charming novel.

My Rating: Excellent. It is a fun, twisty, historical romance.

 Five For Friday

1.) The Infamous Yard Sale

How we spent most of our time...LAUGHING and FREEZING

Last Saturday Stacey and I had our annual yard sale. This year we convinced Kelley to do it with us and to let us do it at her house. Ha!! That was a real coup. Kelley was not happy about this yard sale one bit and tried to cancel numerous times... which Stacey and I flat out refused to let her. OVERRULED!! She was not a fan until she walked away with the most cold hard cash.

2.) Kameron's 1st Gig

This kid was over the moon when word came down that the Jr. Jazz Band got a **gig** (their word) to play at the Red Lion River Inn. Karma. Making fun (behind their backs of course) of certain kids in high school has given me: 1.) An AV geek as a husband, 2.) A band geek for a son (My stint as a French horn player does not count because it was against my will), 3.) A choir geek for a daughter.  Can a THESPIAN and a FLAG TWIRLER be far behind? Lesson learned Karma. Lesson learned. I say this all with love... and they know it. They try to mock me back. But can you really mock an honor student. Yeah...no.

Action Shot...and only 1/2 the band

3.) Company PAR-TAY

Every year Tyler's work holds two fabulous company parties. One in the Spring and one in the Summer. It may have taken us 10 years but we have FINALLY gotten it down. After years of bumbling, fumbling, and lugging all kinds of baby paraphernalia...last night the Johnsons worked like a well-oiled machine. I have never been SO PROUD.

This event begins with dinner at Riverfront Park...catered. Every year we are late. Every year we miss the shuttle. Every year we are last in line...left with the dregs of food, crappy pop, and nowhere to sit for our ginormous (by WA State standards) family. Then we have to snarf it down in record time (not possible if Ailey is your child. She is SLOW.) to try to find a seat in the IMAX movie...for SIX PEOPLE (and usually an enormous stroller.) It has been hellish.

This year we timed it perfectly. We arrived VERY EARLY. We got a shuttle to ourselves (unheard of). I thought we would be first in line for the food. No. Thwarted by retirees (they are the usual people who thwart us) All the retirees are invited and they get there good and early. Guess they like a free meal and movie maybe even more than a family of six. Luckily this year, we were second in line behind an elderly couple. Everyone had their assignments when the doors opened and it was go time. Reilly was to move in like a flash...push a two-top table and a 4-top table together in record time thus creating a table that would actually seat our family. Kameron was to move like the wind dragging Ailey and Bryn in and seating them at the table all while strategically placing jackets and purses to repel all the "Hey can we sit with you guys people". Worked like a charm. Reilly got food for herself and Ailey, Tyler got food for himself and Bryn, Kameron got food for himself and was on chocolate chip cookie patrol and Mt. Dew alert. Turns out retirees REALLY enjoy the Mt. Dew and DON'T eat the nasty raisin walnut cookies which I am sure were purchased for them, while I was coordinating the whole dance...Including finding the box of chocolate chip cookies...they were trying to foist off those raisin walnut cookies first. THE NERVE. We ate a delicious meal in record time, went back for more Mt. Dew and cookies, and headed into the IMAX movie where we got our PRIMO seats. Well played Johnsons, Well played.

They also do a raffle where they give out lots of $20 bills. These guys were on the edge of their seats!! But unfortunately lady luck was not with them.

Lady luck was on our side!! 

Both Tyler and I won crisp $20 dollar bills one right after the other. We ignored the muttered "no fairs" and "jerks" from our sweet children. I am loving Tyler's face as he awkwardly and against his will took this happy winning shot in a packed theater of his co-workers. See his inner joy?

4.) Celebrity Day

Today was celebrity day at the elementary school. Kameron was Steve Young circa his BYU days and Ailey was Anna Pavlova. They came up with these jewels all on their own. I was proud...again.

5.) My Nemesis 

Don't let the granny face and gray hair fool you. She is pure evil. If you go to the gym, you know that not all machines are created equal. At my gym, especially not the ellipticals. There are only three remaining machines of the kind of ellipticals I like. One is my favorite, one stops working half-way through, and one is too far from the TVs. So every day I do my warm-up on something else like the bike or treadmill and then do my work-out on my favorite elliptical. This old crab apple likes the same machine I do. Every day I feel her beady eyes on me and then just when that highly coveted machine clears (others like it as well) and I go to make my move...she makes her's. She shuffles over there and thwarts me. EVERY. DAY. I know she waits for me to make my move because I've tested her. Yes, I am aware that sounds sad and pathetic but it is boring at the gym and it gives me something to think about and stew over. Now when I am thwarted she can hardly contain a self-satisfied grin. I will almost get to the machine first and she will scuttle out of nowhere and beat me to it. Today I turned the tables. I arrived 20 minutes earlier and beat her to the punch. I smirked, she pouted and gave an "hrumphff" and moved on. VICTORY.

If you only knew the fugly photo I had to take of myself to get that old biddy in the shot!! I was completely contorted and trying to be sly that produced the most heinous photo of me to date which I shamelessly sent to Tyler to show him what she looks like... I am sure it will now pop up on his phone whenever I call thus replacing the previously most fugly photo of me wherein I am jumping out of a swing. NOT CUTE.

So there's my Five for Friday. No, the irony of # 2 isn't completely lost on me. I'm sure I am destined to become that old crab apple at the gym whose greatest joy in life is thwarting middle-aged mothers...and families that want a free dinner, movie, chocolate chip cookies and Mt. Dew.


HAPPY FRIDAY!!

The 40 Club

I am starting a new thing on my blog all about the 40s because things have begun to change. Turns out it wasn't just hype. How unfortunate. So here's my first installment for all you young ones to look forward to and learn from. This is reality people and it ain't pretty.

This is me at 8pm...no make-up and ready for bed...TOTALLY EXHAUSTED. This is me pretty much every night. Sad. I feel a like a 90 year old woman. Something has to change. So here's what I am doing...

3 weeks ago a big group of my friends started an 90 Day Fitness Challenge. It is the same program that I did several years ago back here 

Here's a quick break down of the program:

Exercise: 30-45 min. per day = 15 pts. and 45-60 min. per day = 20 pts. (Encouraged to work out every day except Sunday.)

Water: 1 pt. per 8oz. glass (encouraged to drink 8 glasses per day)

7+ hours of sleep per night: 5 pts

5+ servings of fruits/vegetables per day: 10 points

No eating after 8pm or 2 hours before bed: 5 points

Prayers (morning and night): 2 points per prayer.
  
Scripture Reading: 5 points

Personal Goal (Each woman was encouraged to set a personal goal to work on): 15 points per week.

Lost Pounds: 10 pts. /1 lb and 5 pts. for a 1/2 lb.

We started a private group on Facebook and each Sunday we post our weight, measurements, and points earned. (Oh yes, you read that right. We post our weight and all our measurements.) It was super scary at first but then it was rather freeing. Actually really freeing. Seriously. Who cares what you weigh? It's just a number. It doesn't define me.

That's the one perk I've found about turning 40...I don't care much about a lot of things, especially what people think about me. I really enjoy that part of being 40. You want to know what I weigh? I am currently at 146.8. See! I don't care at all. I LOVE IT.

Anyway...back to our contest. Everyone kicked in $10 and the winner gets the cash. It is a great way to start cultivating some good, healthy habits and get back on track fitness wise. Reilly is doing too but mainly just to establish some good habits and to try to kick MY butt.

My extended family decided to do this challenge as well. So we have a super secret McClellan Family Fitness Challenge FB page. For this contest everyone kicked in $25. Woohoo. My family threw out the spiritual (surprise) and added in a few other things. Either way it has been fun doing it as a family. Me, Ty, Reilly, Stacey, Kelley, Jordin and Ramon are all doing it. Ramon is kicking our butts!!

The last time I did the 90 Day Fitness Challenge I lost 10 lbs and 10 1/2 inches. We will see what happens this time. My metabolism seems to be shot...NOT A PERK of being 40. Also, I clearly wasn't drinking much water, too many carbonated caffinated beverages, and I have discovered I am not a real fruit fan. Turns out I am super picky. I can eat a million veggies but fruit...meh.

So that's our new thing around here. HEALTHY LIVING. Wish us luck.

Tip #1: What you don't maintain...deteriorates. Sad but true.

 

 Happy 4th Birthday Bryn!!

Bryn turned four this past week and what a celebration it has been. Lucky for Brynnie her birthday fell on a Wednesday so she got to celebrate for several days in a row. She woke up in the morning on her actual birthday to a breakfast of donuts and smoothies courtesy of her daddy. By the time I got home (with birthday balloons) from my early morning workout at the gym, Bryn was already decked out in her party dress...courtesy of Grandma.

Bryn got to ditch ballet that day and go out to lunch with Daddy for her birthday which was her main request. Bryn is a girl who loves to go out to lunch. Her first choice was Old MacDonalds...aka McDonalds. Gross. Remember just a few posts ago when I was thrilled that McDonalds finally would put Fish Bites in Happy Meals thus making my life so much easier? Yeah, that was short lived. No more fish bites and back to their usual inability to put a filet-o-fish in a Happy Meal again. Good-bye McDonalds. Forever. Good Riddance. Bryn changed her mind a the last minute and wanted to go to her VERY FAVORITE food joint...Taco Bell. She got a real treat and actually got to go inside and eat. She didn't even know that was possible. Ha ha. I am also happy to report that Taco Bell has a Kids Meal now so...yeah...no more McDonalds.

 

Look at those two cuties!!

Taco Bell is very vegetarian kid friendly!!

Bryn was excited to see one of her high school Big Buddies from Preschool at McDonalds too. Her Big Buddy came over to tell her Happy Birthday and give her a big hug. Bryn felt very cool to be hangin' with the high schoolers.

My dear friend Tiffany shares a birthday with Bryn... and Tiff, Tyler and I have spent countless hours hangin' at the Bell in Provo while in college so we texted Tiffany this Happy Birthday Greeting. We miss that girl.

There were tons of activities for the rest of the family that night so we didn't have Bryn's party that night but that didn't stop the celebrating. Aunt Kelley and Elle came over to wish Bryn a Happy Birthday and to drop off her present. Any day that Bryn gets to hang out with her Elle-Belle is a good one!!

Lucky for Brynnie the Young Women were doing cake decorating for their mutual activity that night so Reilly made a mini-birthday cake for Bryn along with the pink "pinkalicious" cupcakes she had already made for Bryn and for her French class.

Then on Friday Bryn got to bring treats to preschool for her birthday. Alas, gone are the days of bringing cupcakes to school anymore. So sad. Bryn brought "birthday cake" oreos and was pretty excited about that.

On Saturday we did Bryn's birthday activity. She wanted to go to the movies. We all went to see The Croods which I thought was a pretty cute movie. Bryn LOVED it. It is so nice that she can now finally sit through a movie and that the whole family can go together.

We made a quick stop at the toy store where Bryn picked out some magnetic wooden paper doll style dolls that she wanted.

Her birthday gifts from her brother and sisters were some new clothes for Petunia (her pink teddy bear) from Build-a-Bear.

Chillin' at the Food Court

 These two just split a ginormous Cinnabon cinnamon roll. Gross. (I hate cinnamon rolls and the smell of them. It hearkens back to the days of being a lunch helper in elementary school.) So this was a real BIRTHDAY TREAT. Bryn is CRAZY about cinnamon rolls. ;)

Then it was off to Walmart to pick out a "big girl bike"(her gift from Mommy and Daddy). She rode that thing all around Walmart...up and down the aisles as we got our other items...to the check-out... and out the door. Walmart annoys the !@#$ out of me every single time I go so this was a little pay back. :)

Then Sunday, after church, we had her family birthday dinner and cake. Yep, she was still riding that bike...around and around the kitchen.

Here are a few facts about Bryn at 4:

1.) Her best friends are Elle, Naomi, Rylynn, and Jackson. She talks about them all day long.

2.) When she grows up she is "going to marry Justin Bieber."

3.) Her favorite color is hot pink...not pink...HOT PINK.

4.) Her favorite shows are Tiger's Neighborhood and Curious George.

5.) Her favorite foods are bananas (She can eat a whole bunch in one sitting...we have to limit her.),
     macaroni and cheese, and chips and salsa. This girl can pound chips and HOT salsa like
     nobody's business.

6.) She wants to be a model (thanks Reilly) and a mom when she grows up.

7.) Her favorite phrase is "Well..that's awkward" which she never uses in the proper way or
     at the proper time and has us all in hysterics whenever she says it.

8.) She made up a song that she sings to me every morning. It goes like this "Crack of Good Morning
     to you Mommy!! Crack of Good Morning to You!!"

9.) She is EXTREMELY polite.

10.) She loves to give lots of hugs and kisses which we all happily receive.

Happy Birthday Brynnie!! You are one TERRIFIC kid. We love you lots!!

Book Reviews


Here are a couple of books that I have read. Both were interesting. I would recommend both of these books but be warned that The River of Doubt is a little drier and may appeal more to the historian or naturalist.

This book was recommended to me by my sister, Stacey. She read it with her book club about a year ago. I have had this book waiting but I have needed to be in the right mood to read it. About 2 weeks ago I dove in. I am still not sure I was in the right mood for this non-fiction, historical account of Theodore Roosevelt and his trip down the River of Doubt; an uncharted tributary of the Amazon in 1913.

From Goodreads:

"At once an incredible adventure narrative and a penetrating biographical portrait, The River of Doubt is the true story of Theodore Roosevelt’s harrowing exploration of one of the most dangerous rivers on earth."

I can't say I loved this book but I can't say that I didn't like it either. This account of Roosevelt's exploration of the River of Doubt in the Brazilian rain forest was, at times, thoroughly fascinating and, at other times, extremely slow-moving and tedious. I enjoyed learning more about our rather colorful 26th President of the United States. The book has inspired me to learn more about Theodore Roosevelt and several of the other of his company who made this inspiring journey.

Let's face it. Roosevelt is fascinating. I loved *watching* him in each new situation and/or obstacle  and wondering how he would handle it. He always displayed great leadership qualities and strength of character. I especially loved learning about his relationship with his son, Kermit, and their father-son dynamic. What I loved most in Miller's book was also the problem with the book. I, unfortunately, found the back story...relationships, personal and family history, politics etc...much more interesting than the actual story of the exploration of this tributary in the South American rain forest and the brutal conditions faced by their party.

All in all, I am glad that I read this book and learned more about this part of the world and the individuals involved in this formidable adventure but I HATED all the tangents that the author went off on describing all the floral, fauna, and ecology in minute detail. That slowed down the book and made parts of it much less interesting and appealing. But if you would like a glimpse of Theodore Roosevelt: the explorer, naturalist, leader and father you will enjoy this book. There is no doubting the Roosevelt charisma. Plus, I do feel smarter for reading it.

My Rating: Okay...at times great.

This book was recommended to me by a member of my book club. I have to admit that I had a hard time believing that this book was written by the same author as Ender's Game. That little fact continued to pop into my mind all throughout reading this book. How in the world is this the same author?

I really enjoyed this book especially as I am currently reading the Old Testament. This story, while not adhering completely to the Biblical account, did make the people, places, and time come alive for me.

From Goodreads:

"Sarai was a child of ten years, wise for her age but not yet a woman, when she first met Abram. He appeared before her in her father's house, filthy from the desert, tired and thirsty. But as the dirt of travel was washed from his body, the sight of him filled her heart. And when Abram promises Sarai to return in ten years to take her for his wife, her fate was sealed.

Abram kept his promise, and Sarai kept hers they were wed, and so joined the royal house of Ur with the high priesthood of the Hebrews. So began a lifetime of great joy together, and greater peril: and with the blessing of their God, a great nation would be built around the core of their love."

I really liked the book. It reminded me a lot of The Red Tent which I also enjoyed. What I particularly enjoyed was learning more about that time period and what life might have been like for a woman living then. Orson Scott Card is still not one of my favorite authors...but this is the first book in a series and I look forward to reading the other two books.

My Rating: Good

This series was also recommended to me by my sister, Stacey. I didn't love the first book in the series, The Golden Compass, but I liked this one, the 2nd in the series, much more.

From Goodreads:

"Here is the highly anticipated second installment of Philip Pullman's epic fantasy trilogy, begun with the critically acclaimed The Golden Compass. Lyra and Will, her new found friend, tumble separately into the strange tropical otherworld of Cittàgazze, "the city of magpies," where adults are curiously absent and children run wild. Here their lives become inextricably entwined when Lyra's alethiometer gives her a simple command: find Will's father. Their search is plagued with obstacles--some familiar and some horribly new and unfathomable--but it eventually brings them closer to Will's father and to the Subtle Knife, a deadly, magical, ancient tool that cuts windows between worlds. Through it all, Will and Lyra find themselves hurtling toward the center of a fierce battle against a force so awesome that leagues of mortals, witches, beasts, and spirits from every world are uniting in fear and anger against it."

I think I liked this book better because we already kind of understand this Universe and the inhabitants. It was much more engaging. We could get on with the story and the characters were better developed. I particularly enjoyed the addition of the character of Will. He added interest and depth to the story.

In this 2nd installment, the storyline is building, worlds are colliding, and characters are deepening. So while I still don't think these are children's books and I still think they are over-rated...I will probably read the 3rd one just to see how it all turns out in the end.

My Rating: Okay. This one was better than the first.

Easter 2013

Hey Hey It's Spring Break and the weather is LOVELY!! That almost never happens here. Seriously. I am really thankful that we aren't going anywhere...except the lake. I am glad with our little jaunts to Utah and Yakima the past few weeks that we are now just able to hang out and enjoy...and spring clean. Woohoo.

Easter came and went and it was an absolutely gorgeous and highly enjoyable one. The day was sunny and warm. Perfection.

The night before Tyler and the two little girls had a great time dyeing Easter Eggs. I was thrilled with the nice weather and that this little project could be done outside in the back yard. Woohoo.

We had a leisurely Easter morning this year due to our late start church and were able to enjoy a delicious breakfast and see what the Easter Bunny left for the kids.

Kid #1

Some of the older kids do not like these early morning pictures but... guess what?  It's tradition and I think they are cute!!

Kid #2

Kid #3

Kid #4

We even had time to have a mini-FHE all about the Savior and the gratitude we feel for His Atonement and Resurrection. That got us off on a great start and we looked forward to heading to  church.

This year was a non-coordinating year. Boo hoo for Mom. Nobody wanted to be matchy-matchy. Not even Ailey and Bryn. Correction...Bryn wanted to match but Ailey didn't. They all looked pretty darn cute anyway.

After Church we headed directly to the lake to meet up with family for an Easter Egg Hunt and Feast. Again...the weather was perfection. The ice is gone and the water looked beautiful. Everyone was hanging out outside and soaking in that sunshine.

Even my Grandma was enjoying the sunshine. It is hard to believe that in about a month she turns 90. It probably doesn't feel like it was that long ago when SHE was the excited little girl running around hunting Easter eggs at the lake with her sisters. Her dad, my Grandpa Miley, put on a world class Easter egg hunt. I remember hunting Easter eggs with my cousins that he would hide. He did such a great job that sometimes we wouldn't find one or two until the summer. What a awesome surprise when you would come upon an Easter egg in July. A fun...yet super smelly surprise.  My Grandma said that it was REALLY hard to believe that her little kids are now the Grandmas and Grandpas. I am sure that is true. Time...it's passage is beautiful and yet so melancholy. As I watched her smile to herself I just knew that she was hearing other voices and laughter and remembering Easters past. I love her.

All the little kids were super excited to head out and get started. We could barely contain them in the kitchen while the dads and big kids hid the eggs.

Brynnie was super speedy!! It was hard to get a picture of her. This was all I got. Video worked much better. Remember last year when she didn't get it and she and Elle just stood there at the Easter egg hunt in Palouse and only collected about 2 eggs a piece? Well she got it this year!! Check out that basket!!

Cousins after the egg hunt. They are getting so big!!

Elle and Bryn...weren't they just born? ;)

River, Gavin, Elle and Bryn

Then it was time to dance off some of that delicious dinner and all that chocolate. The kids filmed video after video of themselves doing the Harlem Shake. It was hilarious.

Here they are watching themselves. Ha ha.

For Grace who asked me to put these on my blog. I happily oblige!! :)

See below: (these were all filmed with the Harlem Shake App and it doesn't do the best job but oh well.)

Reilly goes first:



Grace goes first:



Bryn goes first:



Ailey goes first:

This picture is a little weird with the lighting and all that sunshine streaming in... but I love it!!

Happy Easter!!