springdellgirl

February started off with two birthday boys! Karson officially turned three on the 1st and Tyler turned 55 on the 3rd.

And yes... Tyler requested pumpkin pie as his "birthday cake" this year! He was so excited about it too. LOL. Tyler had a nice birthday. Again he requested a low key celebration. I can't relate. The kids all called and sent really sweet and thoughtful gifts and posted about him on social media. He felt very loved. He went out for lunch with some of his co-workers and friends at his favorite Thai place and had a great time. We were planning to go out for dinner for his birthday but then he told me that he would really rather just pick up sushi and come home and eat it watching Traitors. (We are addicted!) LOL. He is very easy to please.

Bryn started her new server job. She wasn't thrilled about her uniform. She prefers her red life guard bikini. The jury is out on her job too. Not quite as fun as lifeguarding. #adulting

Ailey and the baby have had a month of ups and down. It's been quite the rollercoaster. Ailey lost part of her mucus plug early this month. Her doctor wasn't too concerned since she didn't appear to be leaking any fluid and said that they can regenerate. Her blood pressure continued to rise so she was put on blood pressure medication and is doing better now. Midmonth the baby started failing his NST tests requiring Ailey to check in at the hospital for further monitoring. She did that a couple of times and thankfully each time she was sent home after a few hours. She has a scheduled induction for March 15th. The baby's due date is March 30th, so a little early. The baby is measuring in the 61st percentile and weighs over 6 lbs now.

Bryn had her yearly check-up. We switched her from her pediatrician to our family practice doctor. It's crazy to be done with the pediatrician but our family doctor is great and Bryn really likes him. She got a meningitis shot. Tyler had his cardiology appointment and it went well. He goes back in a year.

It's a good thing that we didn't have Tyler's Super Bowl Birthday party. I ended up getting super sick (throwing up sick) the night before and was in bed all that day. I didn't watch a speck of it. But the Seahawks won and that was a big deal around here. Fireworks went off like crazy! Kameron and Erin went over to Ailey and Luke's for a Super Bowl Party there. I was sick for several days. I had to cancel my hair appointment, a doctor's appointment, a PT appointment, and McKenzie's son's mission call party which was a bummer.

Then it was Valentine's Day! It was fun that it was on a Saturday this year. Tyler and I celebrated the day before and tried a new Lebanese restaurant which was divine! I love finding a new great restaurant. The day was full of very exciting and delightful surprises!

Reilly, Hunter, and the kids came over. We made our traditional homemade pizzas and did our love notes. The twins were adorable as was Karson. So many more people to love this year!

Ailey and Luke made homemade pizzas too!

Kameron and Erin were in Rexburg for the day and then also made pizzas when they celebrated at home. It's fun to see these traditions carry on with the kids and grandkids.

Reilly made a delicious chocolate pie for our dessert!

The twins turned 5 months old this month. They are at such a cute stage. They smile and giggle and coo. I love it! They are so much fun!

Reilly has been doing a bunch of cooking and sharing her creations with us. She made the most delicious raspberry tarts with homemade lemon curd and she also made Colleen's (Hunter's mom's) famous meatballs. We've been hearing about these meatballs for years and...yep...they are delicious!

One night Jerry Seinfeld was in town and Tyler and I saw his act. It was so good! We had such a fun time!

Spokane is definitely getting some better shows coming our way!

Bryn had a busy month of working, clubs, and hanging out with friends. Sometimes I get to hang out with her! She had a few days off of school for President's Day weekend and she was thrilled! She also had Winter Formal. Bryn is on class council so she was one of the people in charge of planning the dance, promoting it, and decorating for it. She had fun! She went with a big group of girlfriends. She looked gorgeous!

In some very sad news... our friends son commit suicide. He was Kameron's age. Absolutely tragic. We knew he had some mental health challenges but it looked like things had been improving over the last few years. We attended his beautiful service. My heart breaks for his parents and siblings.

Tyler and I also made it to the temple this month. We had to reschedule once but we made it! Still doing well on our goal.

This month we've been watching the Olympics. Not as much as we've watched in the past but I still love all of the ice skating and ice dancing. Tyler watched more events than me. I pretty much stuck with skating. LOL. February was short and pretty sweet with a lot of celebrating! It's crazy to think that next month Ailey and Luke's baby will be here! EXCITING!

Onto March!

January started with Ailey and Luke leaving town. Bryn went back to school and Tyler went back to work. His hand had healed enough that his doctor gave him the okay to return to work after being on short-term disability for two months. Life went from very busy to very slow. I tried to lean into the alleged restful part of January. The wintering and hygge. I am getting strict and serious with myself about exercising and losing weight. It is my top priority. I am done feeling like crap...mentally and physically. It helped that most of our snow melted so I was able to get outside every day. Outside time helps so much. I am also trying to read more. I barely made my 2025 reading goal. Insane. Reading is such a big part of who I am.

Our church now meets at 9 am. I hate it. I love an 11:30 am starting time. Tyler and I started teaching our Gospel Principles class and it has actually been quite enjoyable. I also love that it is only a twice a month calling. Fabulous. We've gotten to have a lot more interactions with the missionaries which has been fun. They've called us to help out with a few things and we've had them over. It's been nice.

Reilly is acclimating to being a stay-at-home mom. Hunter is also back at work. She is getting used to being a mom of three. She started planning Karson's birthday party. It's nice to have something to look forward to this month.

Ailey and Luke are on major baby prep. It's so crazy that last year at this time they were on major wedding prep. LOL. Life moves fast.

Ailey and the baby are doing well. Her tailbone is feeling much better. They needed to find a two bedroom apartment before the baby arrives and they found a super cute place in Salem, Utah. (I guess it is basically Spanish Fork.) Luke's working on projects for the next year in Provo so it is better for him to be farther south. They moved mid-month and are excited about their new place and area. Saratoga Springs/Lehi is so busy and crowded. The Salem/Spanish Fork area is much more relaxed and they like that. I was kind of hoping that they would end up in Springville, where I lived from 3rd to 5th grade, but it will be fun to explore a new area when we come to town.

My arm physical therapy continues. My PT did all of my measurements and tests on my arm and I now have FULL RANGE OF MOTION! I am so excited!! Now the main thing that he wants me to work on is building arm strength. I only have to go the PT once a week now! Very exciting!

As for my business; Midtown Market has been very slow. That is usual for January. It is always my slowest month and this year was no different. I did a big rearrange of my booth and pulled out all the Christmas stuff and added in Valentine décor.

We've stayed busy this month deep cleaning and de-junking the house after the holidays. Many donations were sent to Teen Closet and Goodwill. Tyler's horrible closet finally got cleaned out and I managed to *help* him part with clothes from college. Good grief. We did a few small projects around the house and that felt good. I bought a new big plant for the living room, an antique painting for the guest room, framed some updated family pictures, and bought a bunch of battery-operated candles that we set on a timer to come on a 4pm. Those have really helped make a dark and dreary January feel a bit cozier.

Kameron and Erin are staying extremely busy...school, work, photography. Kameron is working full time, going to school full time, and is a YM's advisor over the Priests. Erin is the music leader in Primary (Go Erin!) and is booking all kinds of weddings and photo shoots for 2026. Here are a few pictures that she took of Tyler and I (and Bryn) when she was here. Tyler and I weren't planning on her taking any pictures of us so clearly she can work magic. LOL.

We had Erin take some new pictures of Bryn and they turned out so cute! That will be its own post.

I love all the *school* pictures that Erin took of Bryn!!

Bryn had a bunch of appointments this month. Somehow all of her yearly doctor appointments were in January including her breast imaging appointment. She had her ultrasound. It was worrisome even though her pediatrician wasn't too concerned. After the ultrasound, the radiologist came in and talked to us. It looks like her breast lump is a benign fibroadenoma (like her pediatrician thought). She will be monitored every six months for the first year and then once for another year. Mainly because if it continues to grow it can become painful and irritating. We were relieved to have that done and behind us. She also had a dental appointment and thankfully was cavity free. Bryn saw a new dentist who has joined the dental practice. He's young and Bryn really liked him. It turns out that he went to high school with Reilly but he is a few years older than her. Reilly was in the same grade as his younger brother. Hunter also knows her dentist. They played sports together and went to the same church. Crazy. I am really starting to feel old!

Bryn has also been busy with class council. She is on the planning committee for the Winter Formal. She's having fun with that! Bryn applied for an after school job to work during the winter. She got hired at a high end retirement community. She will be a server. That's 4/4 Johnson kids working that kind of job in high school and it was so good for them! They learned skills and compassion. The only difference is Bryn isn't working at the same place that the rest of them worked at. This one is new and significantly nicer. It will be good for her to be slightly busier. She and Connor broke up. They had a good run as far as high school dating goes. Several months. She isn't heartbroken. LOL.

Bryn had a YW Achievement Night and had to set up a table with all of the things she has done/accomplished in the last year. This is but a few of her many accomplishments. This kid could cover a giant table all by herself.

We've seen a lot of Reilly and family this month which we love! They've come over quite a few times. Sometimes just Reilly and the kids will come over for a little break or the whole family comes for Sunday dinner. It is always a good time with them!

One day I helped Reilly take all three kids to the pediatrician for their check-ups. It was a process! It was fun to help out and to meet their pediatrician.

The twins were total charmers at the appointment. Smiling and cooing. Zero crying. I cannot relate! My babies always howled at the pediatrician. Ha ha! They are healthy and growing right on track.

Karson loved playing at the pediatrician's office but as for the pediatrician...he wasn't a fan. He was not interested in getting weighed and measured and fussed over. Ha ha. Reilly and I were both needed at that appointment! We treated ourselves to a little Chikfila breakfast for getting all three kids there and back at 8am no less. LOL.

It was also Mary's birthday and we had a big girls day which was fun! We had a full day of shopping, eating, and going to the movies. We met at noon at Shannon's house, went to McKenzie's house to see their new gigantic indoor sport court, drove to Hurd's (my third time in less than a month), saw the movie The Choral, and grabbed dinner. I got home at around 10 pm. It was a long but fun day.

Tyler got a new boss this month. His department has been fairly hesitant about who this new person might be. They were very glad to get rid of their last boss. This new one seems to be a nice change thus far. Tyler also got a CPAP machine. That has been an interesting situation. He's not loving it but I am sure being able to breathe at night will be an improvement. Ha ha. Most people end up loving them once they get used to them.

My dad is having some serious health issues. He finally made an appointment with his doctor and all kinds of things are going on with him: emphysema, A-Fib, and heart disease. He already has COPD. His doctor also found some nodules on his thyroid that need to be biopsied. He now has to be on oxygen 24/7. All very concerning. We don't have the kind of relationship where I would rush down to Las Vegas. Our relationship is good but not like the kind where I would jump in to assist. I think he is going to need to make some decisions about his living situation in the near future.

January is such a long and dreary month so Tyler and I have been making sure we have had some fun date nights scheduled, new restaurants to try, and some good movies and TV shows lined up to watch together. We've watched a lot of BYU basketball. We made sure to get to the temple this month. We set a goal with our kids that we would try to get to the temple at least once a month. We also drove and found the piece of property where the CDA Temple will be built. That is exciting! My grandma would lose her mind to know that there is a temple being built in CDA if she were still alive! For so many years she and my grandpa had to drive to Canada to attend the temple, then Seattle, and then finally Spokane. She would be over the moon to know that one is being built so close to where she grew up and lived.

Bryn went to FCCLA Regionals. This year she was a judge. She had a great time judging the projects. One of the adult judges turned out to be her preschool teacher and boy were they happy to be reunited! Mrs. Crater is one in a million and we just love her!

One Sunday afternoon I volunteered at Teen Closet with some of my friends. This is a place that provides free clothing to kids in foster care and kids in need in our community. Kids have to be referred by a social worker, counselor, pediatrician etc. It is a cute *store* where the kids can shop for free. I've donated all of our outgrown kids clothes there for years. They are very selective about the clothing that they accept. They want it in good condition and stylish. They also buy new clothes when they are able. Teen and now Kids Closet provide clothing to kids in our community who otherwise wouldn't have access to nice clothes. I am going to volunteer there more often and bring Bryn with me. I had a such a great time! I sorted the donations and sized them. It felt good to give back to my community and to a cause that I believe in.

I hosted book club this month. We read The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. It was a good book and we had a good discussion. Everyone liked it. I enjoy hosting book club and having friends over. It was the perfect way to spend a frosty January night!

Karson's 3rd birthday is technically on February 1st but Reilly held his birthday party the day before on January 31st. He had a Lion King birthday party. Reilly did such a cute job decorating and making food for everyone. Karson had a family party with both sets of grandparents and his aunts and uncles who live locally. He was so cute!

I can't believe my little Karsy is already THREE!

Happy 3rd Birthday Karson! We love you so much!!

Look how nice Tyler's hand has healed! I didn't think it was going to look even slightly normal. Ha ha! We end January with some fun news! The Seahawks are going to the Super Bowl! If the Chiefs aren't in then we are Seahawks fans. LOL!

Onto February!