"Godin B Hecley"

The girls were still awake when we heard the news about President Hinckley last night. We were all shocked and saddened but didn't say much. I wasn't quite sure if the girls really knew what happened, and I was trying to think of a way to explain it to them. (Kiera has been freaked out about the whole death thing for quite awhile). Anyway, a few minutes after we heard, I glanced over at Kiera and she had tears welling up in her eyes. Just then, Makenna started singing, "Follow the Prophet." Wow. When it was time to get ready for bed, I found Kiera at the table, with her head bent over a piece of paper, intently coloring. This is what she drew - a picture of her with "Godin B Heckley."

My Sweetie....

What is his name? Quentin/Q/Quaez/Q-bert/Quen-tonio

How long have you been married? 11 years in April (now I feel old…)

How long did you date? Pretty much exactly one year. We got married on the 3-year anniversary of when we met (but of course we didn’t date when he was on his mission, although we wanted to!)

How old is he? 32

Who eats more sweets? Me for sure (he’s not a big candy fan), but he eats more non-sugared junk food.

Who said I love you first? He did – followed by me a split-second later!

Who is taller? He is – by 8 inches.

Who can sing better? Quentin sings better bass/baritone than I do – I sing alto!

Who is smarter? Definitely Quentin – in basically every aspect of life. He amazes me by how wise he is.

Who does the laundry? Quentin taught me a lot about how to do laundry when we were first married, but I don’t think he’s ever done a load of laundry all by himself since his mission. In fact, I think he thinks it’s magic that he always has clean underwear to wear!

Who pays the bills? I pay the bills, but Quentin manages the “boring” financial stuff (401K, investments, IRAs, etc.) But we both enjoy seeing who can get the best deal or save more money.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I’ve always wondered how couples decide on this…. Anyway, if you’re looking at the bed, I sleep on the right side (unless we’re on vacation and the right side is by the door – then I make Quentin sleep on the “scary” side). By the way, I think it’s funny that Quentin’s parents and siblings have the wife on the right side, but my parents and grandparents have the wife on the left side…is it a problem that I notice stuff like this?

Who mows the lawn? Would you believe I have NEVER mowed a lawn? How embarrassing. I’ve asked Quentin to teach me, but he won’t because he says he’s the one who should be doing it.

Who cooks dinner? I do. If Quentin “cooks,” it’s either spaghetti or saltines with milk (so I end up cooking anyway).

Who drives? Usually Quentin when we’re together. But when his eyes start to glaze over on the freeway, I insist on being the driver.

Who is more stubborn? Quentin is more “stubborn” when it comes to games (he’s very competitive). But I am definitely generally more stubborn – if I set my mind to it, there’s nothing stopping me. He’s also much more forgiving than I am.

Who kissed who first? I patiently waited for several separate moments when I thought for sure he would kiss me – but he didn’t. He’s just so sentimental – he waited till my 17th birthday!

Who asked who out first? Quentin asked me out first. I kept asking him if he’d found anyone to take to Senior Ball (we had just met) – I found out soon enough when I found a maze of yarn that he strung throughout my backyard, which ended up at a sign asking me to go with him!

Who proposed? He did – after asking my parents for my “hand,” of course!

Who has more siblings? Quentin has 2 brothers, 1 sister, 2 half-brothers and 1 half-sister. I have 2 half-sisters and 1 half-brother.

Who wears the pants? Neither one of the adults in the house – our girls rule the roost!

Who am I tagging? Everyone who reads this – get on it, would ya?

100 Things That Make Me Smile

I've ALWAYS been a list-lover, and when I approached my 30th birthday last June, I began making a "collage" of 100 things that make me smile. The collage is framed and hanging in my scrapbook room and I look at it frequently. I've noticed quite a few fellow bloggers have posted their "100 Things" lists, so I don't want to be left out. Here's my list, in no order of preference (well, except for the first two)! And please note that this list was made before Kasidee was born - I could fill up another "100 Things" list just about her!
1. Being a mom
2. My family
3. Our home
4. Pina coladas
5. Postage stamps
6. Polka dots
7. Yoga
8. First snow of the season
9. Strawberry shortcake (the dessert AND the character)
10. Scrapbooking
11. Farmers markets
12. Making lists
13. Porch lights (turned on at night)
14. Learning
15. Book stores
16. Snapdragons
17. Makenna's expressions
18. Kurt Bestor music
19. Campfire smell
20. Rosemary
21. Rubber duckies
22. Cream soda
23. Sage (the color)
24. Robert Duncan paintings
25. Father of the Bride movies (1 and 2)
26. Hot, hot showers
27. Kiera's cute words
28. Cuddling with my girls
29. Feeling baby feet on my back
30. "For the Beauty of the Earth" hymn
31. Hummus sandwiches
32. Family get-togethers
33. Pumpkin cookies/bread
34. Craft projects
35. Design shows
36. Cinnamon bears
37. Slippers
38. Johnson's bedtime lotion
39. Karma Wilson's "Bear" books
40. Hair "tickies"
41. Personality theory (psychology)
42. Irish Spring soap
43. Nat King Cole music
44. "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" hymn
45. Newborn scent
46. Going out to eat
47. Thank you notes
48. Organizing
49. "Ed" TV show (and now I have to add "Notes from the Underbelly" and "Carpoolers")
50. Anything vegetarian/vegan
51. Soy "nog"
52. Heavy blankets
53. Smell of fresh-cut grass
54. Late-night walks in the summertime
55. Banbury Cross cinnamon donuts
56. Fresh peaches
57. Apple spice pancakes
58. Quentin coming home from work
59. Hallmark commercials
60. Hot Cocoa with soymilk and cinnamon
61. Tall aspen trees
62. Child development (psychology)
63. The Olive Garden
64. Talking to Mom on the phone - at least twice a day!
65. Fresh Spring leaves
66. 40's music
67. Camping
68. Precious Moments figurines
69. Curling up with a good book
70. Lime margaritas
71. Kiera's big, bright eyes
72. Cooking
73. Watching a good movie
74. Social psychology
75. Sweet Tomatoes restaurant
76. Hearing my girls' laughter
77. Periwinkle (color)
78. Crunchy Autumn leaves
79. Cows
80. Sitting on heater vents
81. Getting the mail
82. Hummingbird cake
83. Baby breath
84. Quiet, early mornings
85. Curling up with a good book
86. Miniature anything
87. Mike and Ike candies
88. Juicy grapes
89. Rain
90. Live theater
91. Makenna's sweet cheeks
92. Ladybugs
93. Anne of Green Gables
94. John Mayer music
95. Yellow
96. Grandma's house
97. September
98. Coffee cake from Dick's Market
99. Stickers from fruits and vegetables
100. Quentin's "Quentin-isms"

The Baking Princess

Makenna and Kiera both LOVE to pretend that they're baking cupcakes, cookies, anything. I just had to share this cute pic of Makenna - she was so proud of the "cupcakes" she "made!"

The Treasure Hunt is Over!

Yep, the "Treasure Hunt" for Kiera's tooth is over. Brave Quentin miraculously "found" it (behind a locked bathroom door), and Kiera was so excited! She can't wait to give it to the Tooth Fairy so she can add it to her tooth castle!

Hey, Tooth Fairy!

Well, after a couple of months of wiggly teeth, Kiera's very first loose tooth finally came out last night (and as you can see in the picture, the next one is barely hanging on). However, it "landed" in a place where it may be a little difficult to find. . . . She swallowed it. Yes, after months of me reassuring her that there would be no way she could possibly swallow it - she did. She took a bite of pizza and thought the crunchy piece was part of the crust so she swallowed it. Then she freaked out when she realized what happened. She kept saying, "I can't believe it. I ate my tooth." Then she became distraught when she realized she wouldn't have anything to put under her pillow. So she wrote a little note that said, "To: The Tooth Fairy. I swolod my tooth." She was so surprised to find a silver dollar under her pillow this morning (I guess the Tooth Fairy in the Centerville District isn't quite as generous as the Tooth Fairy in the Boise District!) She kept saying, "I can't believe I have a real old-fashioned dollar! Thank you Tooth Fairy! Thank you!" I just can't believe my little girl is old enough to be losing her teeth! I guess she and Kasidee will be "growing" new teeth together! (P.S. Quentin is too sentimental - he still wants to find her tooth! I guess we'd better stock up on latex gloves and tell Kiera not to flush!)

Snow Day!

Quentin's uncle's family from California has been staying with us for awhile, and they are addicted to snow! They went skiing and sledding and had a snowball fight. Yesterday we all (well, except Kasidee and Aunt Faye) went in our backyard to play in the snow. The girls had a blast and finally got to try out their new snowpants and waterproof gloves. Makenna got frozen after about 30 minutes, but Kiera didn't want to quit - I even saw her swinging in the swing with her head back and her long hair brushing the snow!

Christmas was merry....

Well, after months of shopping, wrapping, cooking, preparing, running around, etc. Christmas is finally over. I am always a little sad but mostly relieved when it is all over. This was such a fun year - our first Christmas in our new home, and the girls are all at such fun ages. Kasidee got a much-needed Bumbo seat, Makenna finally got her " 'wimmin' baby," and Mom gave them a trunk full of dress up clothes, shoes and accessories. Now for my next project - figuring out where to put all this stuff!

Countdown continued...

More festivities! Saturday night was the Johnson Christmas party at Mom's house. We had a 3-foot sandwich (yum!) along with lots of other yummy food. Good laughs, lots of fun, and presents too! What more could you ask for??

The Countdown Is On!

Just a couple days 'til Christmas and we've already had lots of fun things to get us in "the mood." On Saturday afternoon, we took an hour-long drive to Riverside, where Quentin's brother Chris and his family live. Chris dressed up as Santa and gave out presents to everyone. Then we were able to go on a little horse-drawn carriage ride. While we rode, little snow flurries began coming down - what a perfect way to get in the Christmas mood!

'Tis the Season...

'Tis the season for cute coats, shoveling in shorts, and making gingerbread houses at school. Enjoy the season!

Smile!

For our family portraits this year, we decided to skip the Walmart portrait studio and instead hired a neighbor who is trying to start her own "on site" portrait service business. The best thing was the fact that we had a "leisurely" hour to get whatever pictures we could. Those of you with kids know that, even if you take 100 pictures, you're lucky to get just one that looks half-decent. Anyway, we tried different settings, different poses, and even different clothes. But by the time the hour was up, all 3 girls were in tears (despite our french fry and ice cream cone bribes). After all the effort, I guess some of the pics turned out okay. Here's a few of the candid pics that were my faves. And stay tuned - a family pic will be sent out in our Christmas cards! (P.S. In case you can't tell, the last one is Kiera with big tears rolling down her cheeks).

Thanksgiving

Ahhh. . . Thanksgiving. My favorite holiday. To me, Thanksgiving isn't really about the food (though "harvest foods" are my favorite) - it's a time of deep reflection and rejoicing. President Hinckley said, "Gratitude is the very essence of worship." Lately, I've been reflecting a lot about the things we have been blessed with, both "big" (family, health, Quentin's job, our home...) and "small" (Kasidee's soft, sweet breath; Makenna's sweet, shy smile; Kiera's big, bright eyes). I have never been happier than I am at this point in my life. Even if I didn't have another day, I could honestly say all of my dreams have come true!

Happy Halloween!

After wearing their costumes practically every day in October, the girls "officially" donned their costumes for a fun night of trick-or-treating. Actually, the costume fun isn't quite over - Makenna the Kangaroo insisted on walking to Kiera's school in her costume today. (P.S. You may notice that I have not posted a picture of Quentin in his "Dad In An Orange Shirt" costume.... After taking 67 pictures on Halloween night, we realized Quentin was the only photographer....)

Little Cuties

Well, Kiera has her first loose tooth. We discovered it last night, and she had a hard time getting to sleep - she was afraid that if she turned on her side she would swallow her tooth. She has also decided that she probably doesn't want to give the Tooth Fairy her tooth - it made her cry to think about her baby tooth coming out, and it made her cry even harder to think that she has to give it away! So we'll see what happens....

Sisters

I think it's kind of funny the kind of responses we get from people about who Kasidee looks like. Some say she looks just like Kiera; others say she looks just like Makenna; and others say she doesn't look like either of them. Go figure. When Kasidee was first born, I could have sworn she was Makenna's twin, just 3 years behind. But now I think she's beginning to look a lot like Kiera. Still, she's her own sweet little person with her own little look.

(P.S. I just have to tell something Kiera said this evening. When I make her a peanut butter sandwich, I usually trim off the crust and cut it into little squares, like she requests. But lately I have found that a little hard to do when I'm holding Kasidee and trying to nurse her while spreading peanut butter on bread that just slides around on the counter. So sometimes I just plop it on the plate, crust intact and no little squares (heaven forbid). But tonight I took the time to do it the way she likes it. She looked up at me with her big green eyes and said, "Thanks Mama - it's just like the old days....")

Pack's Pumpkin Patch

There is the most charming pumpkin patch in west Farmington that we try to go to every year. They have a huge patch where you can pick your own pumpkin, plus a corn maze, a maze made out of hay bales, and TONS of squash for sale (we just HAD to buy a few of our faves - spaghetti, acorn and butternut). The girls each picked out a pumpkin and came home and colored on them - they now have a special spot on our front porch!

Day at Gardner Village

Yesterday, Nikki and her kids invited us to join them for a few hours at Gardner Village. We enjoyed the warm autumn sun, the crisp air, eating frosted pumpkin cookies, and spying witches hiding around the buildings. The 6 kids dressed up in their costumes and had a blast - it's a tradition we hope to continue every year!

(Makenna wanted to hug all the pumpkins....)

First Snow

It snowed a tiny bit last Saturday (9/29). Although the girls were wearing shorts and a ballet outfit, they couldn't wait to go out and check it out!

Blessing Day!

Thank Goodness!

Many of you don't know, but we've had a few little "scares" with our sweet little Kasidee. It started in the hospital, when her routine test results indicated that she had some sort of infection. They began giving her antibiotics 4 times a day through an IV. Although the infection cleared up within a few days, she had to stay in the hospital for an additional 7 days to finish the course of antibiotics. In the middle of all this, the doc wanted to give her a spinal tap to rule out meningitis. I don't think we've ever been so scared in our lives! We brought her home with no worries, but at her 2 week checkup, a routine PKU test indicated that her "carnitine" levels were a little low. We had to take her to Primary Children's Hospital to have labwork done on her. While we waited for the results, we did some research and were scared by what we found. Babies with extremely low carnitine levels not only can have seizures but can develop mental retardation or even suffer from sudden infant death! We felt like we were in a fog - Kasidee never seemed sick AT ALL, yet we were scared beyond belief. When the results came in, the levels were still low, so they re-tested once again. Our fears were finally put to rest Tuesday (9/25) when the doc said the head of the department at Primary Children's said there is nothing to worry about. Her levels are only one point lower than "normal," which is absoluely no cause for concern! Ahhhh - the world somehow seems bighter now!