You Are Never Too Young

I grew up doing a lot of chores. ALOT of chores. Believe me. We were known in our neighborhood for doing chores. We had inside chores, outside chores, Saturday chores and other random big project chores. We had to do our inside chores EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. They even came before homework. You came home from school and started your chores. At the time I didn't understand that a large household of five children with two working parents required everyone to pitch in. I remember yelling at my mom "You just had kids so you could have slaves!!" I remember thinking I am never going to force my kids to do so much work. Ha ha. How things change. But looking back nearly all of my friends had chores too. You could regularly find them working in their yards...cleaning their houses etc. I often had friends come over to help me finish my chores after they had done their chores so we could all go out to play. I remember helping them do their work too.

Now...not many kids have chores. I find that baffling. Most of my children's friends have ZERO chores. ZERO!!  I never see kids outside pulling weeds or working in the yard anymore with the exception of the occasional teenager mowing a lawn. Once we had to pull over to look at another house that actually had kids doing yard work just to prove to our children that they actually existed. "See...you aren't the only ones!!" We have had people in our neighborhood come over to ask "How do you get your kids to work in the yard?" They are honestly puzzled. How? We tell them to and then they have to do it. Is this a new thing? Since when do kids get to weigh in every five minutes on how they "feel" about doing what their parents ask? I remember my Dad saying, when I expressed my disdain for doing something "When the hell did I ask for your opinion? Now clean the garage!!" and I did. To this day I am one heck of a fantastic garage organizer/cleaner. That particular skill has come in very handy. :)

Our children can clean!! Do they love it? No way. Do they just do it because it needs to be done? Nope. Do they do it without complaint? Never. It takes work to teach children to work. Could Tyler and I do it all more efficiently and more thoroughly. Yes. Is it a huge pain in the butt to "crack the whip" so to speak to make sure the work gets done and that it gets done properly. Oh yeah. It is one of our least favorite things to do. We hate it. Is it worth the headache? We think so. Both Tyler and I have very strong opinions about the lack of work ethic in generations younger than us. It is seriously awful. Tyler sees it every day at his office. People who want top pay for very little effort in return. It is disturbing. Hopefully our kids will leave our house having some serious life skills and a strong work ethic. We feel that it is imperative for them to learn this to survive in the world.

When school got out I posted on the refrigerator the updated chore list. I didn't say a word...just posted it up on the fridge. It was like Christmas came to the Johnsons. The kids were squealing with joy as they were able to pass on "old" chores to younger siblings and the younger siblings actually "like" doing chores so they were happy to take on more. I am finding that as the kids get older they do less chores but more complicated ones and that the younger ones with more time on their hands do more chores but they are simple.

So for our family record here are the chores our kids are currently doing:


Reilly:

Clean room and make bed daily
Clean kitchen after dinner
Clean bathroom
Mow lawn
Weed vegetable garden
Sweep and blow off deck regularly and keep patio furniture wiped down
Occasionally make dinner
Babysit for us when needed

Kameron:

Clean room and make bed daily
Clean kitchen after breakfast
Make lunches for he and Ailey (during school)
Weedwack
Fold and put away darks and towels loads of laundry
Take Garbage and Recycling to curb and puts the bins away
Empty Kitchen and Laundry room trashcans
Babysit for us when needed

Ailey:

Clean room and make bed daily
Make our bed daily (this is controversial...my parents made us do this...BUT Ailey and Reilly and Kam at 7 could make a top notch adult bed!!)
Sort laundry
Fold and put away colors and whites loads of laundry
Unload dishwasher
Empty bathroom and bedroom trashcans


Bryn:

Helps Ailey clean their room
Unload silverware...not knives or cooking utensils
Fold washcloths and dishtowels

Some of these chores are done in the morning before school and some are done after. It does make for a busy night after school with chores, homework, after school activities, dinner, scripture study,baths/showers etc. But somehow it all gets done. Oh yeah...no, we don't pay them to do chores and they don't get an allowance. But we do show our appreciation and surprise them with treats and outings for jobs well done and when they go do things with friends or go to birthday parties etc we pay for them. But that said...now that Reilly is older and makes money babysitting etc. she pays for more of her own activities.

Why this post? Because people always ask me what chores our kids do and how old do we start them doing regular daily chores...usually 3 years old. So there you go. For all you curious people and for a little family record. :)

Now I'm curious...do your kids do chores?

 The Dieters Plate

Picture from the Internet

When I was a little girl we used to love to go out to dinner with our Grandma and Grandpa McKinnon quite a bit. One of our very favorite places to go was the Coachman Pancake and Waffle House in Provo, Utah. You could order a regular dinner OR breakfast anytime of the day or at night. It was amazing. I would always order the Strawberry Belgian Waffle which came with ICE CREAM on top. Oh yes. It was heaven. Sometimes my sisters would order cheeseburgers or sometimes they would order breakfast as well. My grandpa usually ordered a steak of some sort...but my grandma would order this mysterious dish called "The Dieters Plate." It usually consisted of some sort of lean meat, crackers, fruit, veggies, boiled eggs and a generous scoop of cottage cheese on a bed of lettuce. I remember looking at her plate and thinking "Sad. Glad I am not dieting!!" as I dug into my Strawberry Ice Cream Waffle Delight. Oh those were the days!!

Fast forward to a rainy Springbreak many years later when I had children of my own and was trying to avoid a dash to the grocery store in a frigid downpour. As I opened the fridge and looked to see what meager lunch offerings were to be had a BRILLIANT idea popped into my mind. THE DIETERS PLATE!!

As the kids were playing downstairs I grabbed all the random leftovers that were in the fridge and put together several delightful and colorful plates...complete with a big scoop of cottage cheese in the center (we are big cottage cheese lovers around here), then circling around the cottage cheese I put cherry tomatoes, canned peaches, pineapple, baby carrots, wheat thins, olives, grapes, a few strawberries...whatever I had on hand. When I called the kids for lunch they pretty much squealed with joy!! They were absolutely delighted by the colorful...and yet healthy lunch that awaited them. "What is this?!" they asked. "That would be the Dieters Plate" I said as I related memories of my Grandma McKinnon. They LOVED it!!

Since then it is an oft requested special lunch and now it has taken on an even bigger role at our house...an oft requested summer dinner. When the weather is hot, I have zero desire to cook. We pretty much rely on salads, pasta salads, sandwiches, grilling and the occasional crockpot dinner in the summer. We are just too busy and usually don't feel like eating a heavy meal. This summer has been particularly hot and weirdly humid. Humidity in Spokane? Seriously odd and I hate it. It has been hanging around for over a month now. My hair is in severe rebellion.

Anyway...back to my point...in asking around for dinner ideas this summer the kids continually request the Dieters Plate. They love it!! It's pretty much a perfect meal of lots of fruit and veggies, protein from the cottage cheese and whole grains from the crackers etc. You could add meat to it as well if you wanted to. So if you are stumped for a quick and easy, non-cooking summer meal that is healthy. Give the ol' Dieters Plate a try. The Johnson kids give it a big thumbs up!!

Big Happenings!!

It finally arrived...the big day that Ailey has been waiting and waiting for... Baptism Day!! She was so very excited and had been counting down the days since her birthday in June. She absolutely couldn't wait. When the big day arrived she was a little nervous at first but then had a wonderful experience. She looked so darn cute too!!

Ailey was baptized and confirmed by her Daddy on Saturday. Paul Merchant and Dennis Frerichs were her witnesses...they also along with Dallin Poulsen and Jason Richardson participated in her confirmation.

She was not too jazzed about the baptismal clothes. She thought they needed to be a bit fancier. That's our Ailey!!

Ailey and Daddy ready to go!!

She had a very sweet baptism. My friend Stephanie described it as one the of the gentlest baptisms that she had ever seen...Tyler very gently immersed her in the water...and raised her up again. It was so very quiet and peaceful. She was beaming.

The newest member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Ailey was happy to have lots of people there to support her. These two were especially excited!!

Bryn and Elle were walking around holding hands. It was seriously adorable.

Speaking of adorable cousins...Alyssa and Ailey. Alyssa just got baptized a few months earlier and wore her white dress too. Ailey LOVED THAT!!

I think these two Kofford cousins look quite a bit alike: McKay and Kameron. They sure have a good time together!!

Ailey with her friends: Abby, Taryn and Emma

Grandma Vic, Elle and Aunt Kelley

Group shot #1: Mom, Kelley, all of us, and my cousin Justin. Oh boy was Ailey excited to have Justin there. She cannot wait for the rest of his family to arrive...and neither can we!!

Group Shot #2: The Poulsens and The Johnsons. Tyler's cousin, Angie, and her family moved to Spokane about 6 months ago and we are so happy that they did!! It is so nice to have more family in town. Love these guys!!

Then it was off to a have a family brunch at one of our very favorite restaurants...Chaps...owned by our sweet friend, Celeste. Ailey had an absolutely perfect day!!

We finished it up with a visit and pizza party out at the lake with Granny who was over the moon that Ailey had gotten baptized. I only wish she would've been well enough to attend. But we were so happy to spend time with her and to enjoy one anothers company.

We are so proud of our little Ailey Eva. She is a wonderful girl. She took this decision very seriously. She is a wonderful daughter of God and a great example to her brother and sisters. We love you so much sweetie!! Like I said...it was a perfect day!!

Summer Book Reviews

Here are four great summer reads...if you need one. We are flying through the books around here. Nearly every afternoon can find us on the deck, laying on the trampoline, curled up on the couch reading books. The kids are keeping me making regular weekly trips to the library. I love it!!

I just finished this book. I came across Stephanie Nielson's blog several years ago in my early days of blogging. Her blog wasn't one I really enjoyed or even read regularly but I appreciated the way she celebrated motherhood and her marriage. Unfortunately, to me, it always lacked content and so it didn't hold my interest. I did start reading her blog regularly after I found out that she had been in a plane crash and that her sister, CJane, was updating her blog. It was heart-breaking and I would check in often to see how she was doing. These days, once again, I rarely read her blog...as I once again find it lacks content. But I am happy that she is on the road to recovery and I can appreciate what she has gone through to get there.

From Goodreads:

Stephanie Nielson began sharing her life in 2005 on nieniedialogues.com, drawing readers in with her warmth and candor. She quickly attracted a loyal following that was captivated by the upbeat mother happily raising her young children, madly in love with her husband, Christian (Mr. Nielson to her readers), and filled with gratitude for her blessed life.

However, everything changed in an instant on a sunny day in August 2008, when Stephanie and Christian were in a horrific plane crash. Christian was burned over 40 percent of his body, and Stephanie was on the brink of death, with burns over 80 percent of her body. She would remain in a coma for four months...What emerges from the wreckage of a tragic accident is a unique perspective on joy, beauty, and overcoming adversity that is as gripping as it is inspirational.

I had some mixed feeling while reading this book. It is broken up into three different parts. Before the accident, her recovery period after the accident, and her life at home now. I really disliked the first part of the book. It reminded me of the book written by the Pioneer Woman and I really disliked that book too. Both women come across as vain, silly, ego-centric and annoying. It was just too-too much for me. Too sugary, too perfect, and too fairy-tale like...she is so beautiful (she says so herself multiple times), Mr. Nielson is so handsome and charming, they live such an affluent life for married college students...life was sheer bliss it seems. I didn't love it. It rang a little false to me. That said...I thought I was familiar with her whole life story via her blog...but turns out I wasn't. So at least I wasn't just re-reading information I already knew.

The second part of the book was horrifyingly fascinating. Horribly sad and heart-wrenching yet so interesting. She did a great job describing what it was like to recover from such an horrific accident. Something most of us will never experience and yet in a way I feel like we were given a window into what that would be like. Wow. Brutal. There are no words to describe how unimaginably horrible that would be. I appreciated Stephanie's courage, candor, and honesty. I appreciated her honesty especially when it wasn't flattering and would be difficult for others to understand.(Such as her refusal to see her husband and children.) It takes a very brave person to put that out there and I really respected that.  I marveled at her faith and trust in the Lord and was inspired by it.

The third part of the book took all of my curiosity and need for more information and more details 

(of the accident, about Doug, about Christian's family and how they helped as most of the focus was on Stephanie's family, about how she and Christian were able to get through something like this without resentment etc.) and I was able to just let it go. I could respect her privacy in these areas....well except for more info about Christian's family...it would be interesting to read their side of the story. But as for everything else... I could let it go. Through the Atonement of Christ all wounds can be healed and relationships can recover. Such things while difficult...are possible.  I did find the book inspiring and I was happy that Stephanie has found some peace and normalcy again. I am happy that she is happy and can look to the future with hope and joy.

The take away message of the book was a beautiful one... the Lord knows and loves each and every one of us and with His help we can get through anything.  

There were several quotes that I loved and thought were such great reminders:

 “It's a beautiful heart, not a perfect body, that leads to a beautiful life.” 

(Love it!! This is the exact opposite of what the world would have women and girls believe.)

"As I gradually accepted my responsibility to choose happiness every day, I rediscovered the beautiful life I had always wanted, but the amazing thing is the more I make the choice to see and feel joy, the more joy there is to see and to feel."  (It is our choice...to choose happiness. Life will never be perfect but we can choose happiness regardless of our trials, struggles and circumstances. Find joy in the now.)

My Rating: Good.

From Goodreads: 

In his wickedly brilliant first novel, Debut Dagger Award winner Alan Bradley introduces one of the most singular and engaging heroines in recent fiction: eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison. It is the summer of 1950—and a series of inexplicable events has struck Buckshaw, the decaying English mansion that Flavia’s family calls home... For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw.

 I found this book to be absolutely charming, quirky, and delightful. I loved the brilliant and sometimes diabolical Flavia who had me laughing throughout the book. She is a wonderful and entertaining little heroine. Precocious...yes...but funny. I don't mind precocious children if they make me laugh and she definitely did.

This is a cozy little British country mystery that isn't too terribly complicated or fast-paced but definitely enjoyable. The book's strengths are the odd and quirky cast of characters, enjoyable writing, and its wonderful setting. Even though the narrator is an eleven year old girl, I don't think most eleven year olds or even teenagers, would find it fascinating but I definitely did.

My Rating: Excellent

From Goodreads:

 This time, Flavia finds herself untangling two deaths—separated by time but linked by the unlikeliest of threads...Flavia thinks that her days of crime-solving in the bucolic English hamlet of Bishop’s Lacy are over—and then Rupert Porson has an unfortunate rendezvous with electricity. The beloved puppeteer has had his own strings sizzled, but who’d do such a thing and why? For Flavia, the questions are intriguing enough to make her put aside her chemistry experiments and schemes of vengeance against her insufferable big sisters. Astride Gladys, her trusty bicycle, Flavia sets out from the de Luces’ crumbling family mansion in search of Bishop’s Lacey’s deadliest secrets.

This is the second book in the series. Nearly as enjoyable as the first...but not quite. Still a nice little read even if it wasn't quite as funny. I will definitely read the 3rd in the series.


My Rating: Good

From Goodreads:

It is 2008 and Carrie McClelland can't hit the right note for her next novel, but an unplanned detour in Scotland, and a stop at the castle that inspired Count Dracula, sets her on a different path; a path that took her back in time exactly 300 years, to that same castle, and to a rebellion doomed to failure. Alternating between the contemporary setting and the past, The Winter Sea takes us at every turn into little known worlds; historical footnotes writ large, a history of Scotland and the Jacobite rebellion of 1708 and the possibility of genetic memory.

This book was right up my reading alley. My favorite genre.  I love a mysterious historical fiction with romance. Having it set in Scotland was the cherry on top. Is it great literature? No. Is it a fun read? Sure. I even learned a little something about a lesser known event in Scotland's history.


The story flip flops from the present to the past. The author did a good job with that. I enjoyed both stories equally. That rarely happens. Usually one story is better than another. I do not think the author did a good job explaining the "mysterious". She uses one idea but doesn't go into detail and you just have to assume that that is just the way it is. I was left with a few questions.


This was a perfect pleasure read. Perfect for summer and just kicking back.


My Rating: Good

Unbelievable

For Reals.

Busy Weekend

This weekend we were vendors at the Moran Prairie Grange Strawberry Festival. The weather was toasty nearly 100 degrees but a day spent doing what you love with people you love is still a great day. :) You can read about it here.

The 4th of July 2012

We had a fun 4th of July out at the lake this year!! The weather was absolutely gorgeous. It was a perfect setting to celebrate Independence Day. We were joined by my Mom and Ken, Stacey and John and their kids, Kelley, Elle and Elle's big sister Kendell (same dad but different moms), my cousin Justin who was without his family because his wife and kids were back in Bellingham getting ready to move here, and my cousin Brandon, his wife Megan, and their two kids. It was a lot of fun!!

First item of business was the Boat Parade. This is getting bigger and bigger each year on our lake. All the boats line up all decorated and cruise up and down the lower and upper lakes on each side...waving to all the people out on their docks. It is fun to cruise the lake with someone dressed as Lady Liberty on the first boat of the parade and someone playing the bugle, and patriotic music ringing through the air. This year we had an added bonus of a bald eagle that flew right over us to add to the patriotic feel of the day.

Reilly helping my Mom decorate the boat

Justin as a Yankee Doodle Dandy against his will. I can be VERY persuasive!! Ha Ha.

Me and my little Uncle Sam

Elle and Bryn getting ready to do their Parade Wave

Ailey and Kendall getting ready to do the same

After that we just played in the water...boated all day...and lounged on the dock. The water felt so good and everyone was swimming and tubing and having a great time.

 Blowing bubbles off the dock

Dane and River

Ken

Kelley, Ty, Kam, Justin and Dane...Filling water balloons for the annual water balloon fight!!

Kendall, Bryn and Ailey

John just pulling in after getting off work

Stacey

 Kendall, Kelley, and Ailey

Kendall and Ailey became fast friends and were soon inseparable.

 Just like these two!!

Brynnie

I love this picture of Elle. What a little poser!!

The Johnsons Girls...Reilly was great to take all the little kids on the tube over and over again. I wish I got a picture of she and Dane...they were two absolute dare devil hellions on that tube!!

John and Dane

The wildest tubing run honors go to this Daddy/Daughter Duo!! I had to just look away...

 Ailey, Kendall, and River taking a little ice cream break in the shade.

My cousin Brandon and his wife and kids, Nick and Peyton, also joined us. That was so much fun!! We reconnected with Brandon...known to me all my life as Brandy...and old habits die hard...at my Uncle Kenny's funeral (which I have yet to post about). Our Grandmas are sisters. Many many years ago our great-grandparents...Grandma and Grandpa Miley...bought property on Twin Lakes, Idaho and opened a resort. They had a store and a bunch of cabins called Echo Beach. When they died their property was divided up between their three daughters: Loreen (my grandma), Marilyn (his grandma), and Mickey. His grandma and grandpa inherited a bunch of property, the store and my great-grandparents house. My grandparents inherited a bunch of property and Lilac Lodge that is right next to my great-grandparents house. My grandparents built a big house next to Lilac Lodge and connected the two. My grandma's sister, Mickey, inherited a bunch of property, The Ark (a cool old cabin), and Pine Knot (another little cabin). Then they built a big house right on the other side of my Grandparents house. So the three sisters and their husbands lived in a row on Echo Beach. Due to all this familial closeness we used to see our cousins on both sides all the time. We were close to many of our Miley cousins. Brandy was particularly fun as he and I are the same age and he used to stay with his grandparents all the time just like we did every summer. Eventually his grandparents sold all their property to the absolute heartbreak of the entire family. But...at my Uncle Kenny's funeral...we all reconnected and we were thrilled that Brandy took us up on our offer to come out for the 4th.

 Brandon and his cute wife Megan

 Bryn and Nick hanging out on the dock. Nick and Peyton just joined the crew. They knew that they totally belonged there and fit right in. I really think that my great-grandparents were smiling down on us to see the 5th generation of Mileys playing together in the waters of Twin Lakes. I got a little choked up. :)

 Then it was time for fireworks.

 Oh if only this were video. We, McClellans, like to dance with our sparklers. Here is John with an extra big sparkler doing an extra special little dance. His leaping Irish Jig took top honors this year...hands down. :)

His proud wife watching him dance. You are one lucky lady Stac!! Dance Johnny Dance!!

 Kendall, Ailey, Dane and Bryn

 My husband, on the other hand, was giving me palpitations watching him light the fireworks and sticking his fool face right next to it and then having to leap back as it exploded...all while laughing like a hyena. What is it about fireworks that turns grown men into little boys? Ty and John shot large and undoubtedly illegal fireworks off the dock, hooting with laughter, until late at night.

 We have the best fireworks at our lake...no need to go into town. No better place to watch them than out in the boat on the water!!

All in all, we had a wonderful few days of relaxation and fun in the sun out at the lake as we celebrated our country...being Americans...and enjoying one another.

Happy 4th of July!!