William takes to the road--for real!

Well, our William is amazing. Not that any of you are surprised. But we took off the training wheels tonight and within minutes he was riding his bike! We have some videos to share with you as well as photos.

Video #1-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWYsdKrPTIk This is William's tour de force! He totally rocked this by going all the way from one end of the street to the other starting and stopping by himself.

Video #2-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC2by4tt678 Larry wanted me to include this because it made him laugh so hard. This is me being an multi-tasking overprotective Mom. I was trying to take the video and make sure he didn't crash. You can imagine the rest (but you don't have to--you can watch it!). Just make sure to turn down your volume because I have a little bit of a "loud issue" as Larry puts it. But in my defense, it isn't really my fault that the microphone is right by my face (when I'm taking the footage). However I realize that I have a very piercing voice especially at close range :)

These other pictures are just ones I couldn't pass up putting on the blog. Enjoy!

Just kidding!

Well, Sarah WAS finally sleeping through the night, and then...yep, you guessed it--She got sick and is back sleeping with us. Major bummer! Can you be more tired than totally sleep deprived? Is that possible? Well, I am livin' it!

Life in Ogden is good. The weather today was AMAZING!! Not a cloud in the sky--I just love that! I am looking forward to gardening a bit (although I am missing my year-round garden in Oxnard) and sitting out on the back lawn looking up at the clouds. If I could just get my dishes done, I could play! How is that for motivation?

I just got the invite to the Wood family reunion for this summer (BTW, so glad I am not in charge!), and I am so excited to head to the beach! I can't wait for all the food, family, and fun! (and maybe not in that order).

We just set up an "art studio" and reading corner for the kids in the basement. Now I just need to find a good garage sale recliner to go down there and we can actually spend a day not huddled around the TV! What an idea!!!

I just realized that we only have a little more than a month of school left. Yikes! Where has this year gone? We just purchased a work of art by a little known (but very talented) young artist. You may have heard of him...Hadland Johnson's the name. His school had an art sale and we were just able to afford a masterpiece featuring a vase full of flowers. Very inspiring, indeed! Larry and I were just commenting to each other that it was most definitely better than anything we could have done at that age and quite possibly better than either of us could do now. I know that art must not be genetic--both of H's parents are very artistically challenged (visual arts, that is). Just in case you are wondering about our self esteem, we are aware of our many and varied talents in artistic and other areas! I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!

Sleeping through the night--a paradox

So, I know I am not the only one who experiences this paradox.

We are "helping" Sarah sleep through the night by not going to her when she cries. Whatever you may personally think, this is the method, albeit difficult, that works best for our family.

So last night I put her to bed at about 9 p.m. I was so ready for her to go to bed. Not that she was misbehaving, but she just hung on with those wide-open eyes for so long. So off to dreamland she went.

At about 11 p.m. I still hadn't heard even a peep from her. But I didn't want to go check on her for fear that I would wake her, so I just turned on the monitor. And I tried to sleep.

At about 1 a.m., when Larry finally came to bed, I told him I was petrified with fear because I still hadn't heard anything, NOT ANY NOISE AT ALL, from her. So he decided to go and check on her. He was gone a long time, and when he came back, he told me how scared he had been when he went in to check on her because she was sleeping so soundly that he couldn't tell if she was breathing or not. After trying to feel her breath, watch for the chest rising and falling, etc., he finally uncovered her and put his hand on her chest to check for breathing. And of course she was, and she finally moved. And she didn't wake up, either. Amazing. Not until 7 a.m. this morning. I think she cried for a few minutes at 4 a.m., but I wasn't going to reinforce that time of wake-up!

Ah, the paradoxes of parenting.

Hadland is finally eight!

Well, we have an eight-year-old child! Yikes--who knew!!!

Hadland turned eight years old on Friday, and we have been partying all weekend!

By the way, thank you to everyone to sent Hadland an email. He LOVED getting all the cyber-attention!

First, on Friday, he had Lucky Charms for breakfast (he chose that over homemade pancakes with peaches and cream--that wouldn't be my choice, that is for sure!). Then he took homemade cupcakes (white cake with lemon frosting--again, his choice :) to school with him. After school he played for a while until we went as a family to Golden Corral (yep, you guessed it, Hadland's choice). After that, he finally got to play with his remote control airplane he got as a gift from G & G Wood. Actually, Larry got to play with it (so he could figure it out for Hadland). Coincidentally, Larry went to get an airplane yesterday. Go figure.

Saturday was just as good for our boy. He got to take three of his friends out to see "Meet the Robinsons" with Dad, Uncle Scott and cousins Nate and Clarissa. Afterwards, the whole group came home to eat pizza and then decorate and eat their own cupcake creations. The kids had a great time, and it was pretty low key for all the adults involved. Gotta love that! To top it all off, Hadland and Dad went shopping for Larry's new toy and then got to go to McD's and to see "TMNT." Quite a weekend for our birthday boy!

Today I sang in church. It was an adventure to say the least. In our ward, the person doing the special music actually prepares two pieces to share. Darla, my wonderful sister-in-law, accompanied me AND helped take care of the kids during sacrament meeting. However, when both Darla and I left right after the sacrament to go to the stand, Lauren pitched an amazing fit. She didn't want Auntie to leave her (mom is chopped liver when Darla is around) and wasn't going to keep quiet about it. Poor Larry was left with all four kids, two of whom needed to be held. I am up there on the stand, singing along, when I hear an incredible ruckus from the back of the room. I didn't even have to look--I knew that scream. Needless to say, Lauren and I competed for everyone's attention until Larry to flee into the foyer. Yikes! We went back down to sit with the kids until the next time I needed to sing. When Larry came in with Lauren, she actually said thank you to him when he set her in Darla's lap. What nerve! She sure is a cheeky monkey! I thought it might be a good idea for Larry and the girls to spend my next song out in the foyer, and it made a big difference. I think the people in the congregation could actually hear what I was singing! Oh my--what parents go through, right?

Another bit of news from us--we are trying to get baby Sarah to sleep through the night. Translation--we have been listening to her cry in the night a lot. It is all I can do to not run to her. I have to put a pillow over my head to not go crazy. If anyone has any good advice, we're not to proud to ask for it! She is doing better everyday, so I am hopeful we won't be suffering like this much longer. She's so darn cute that I can hardly stand to let her cry!

The next adventure will be to take away Lauren's pacifier. I am not looking forward to that! Once again, if you have any non-horror stories about this, we'd love to hear from you!

So much fun, so little time to blog!

Boy, has it really been almost a month? YIKES!! Well, I am loving the internet right now because I can blog from anywhere!!!! Our family is enjoying Spring Break in Denver. Four of the seven Johnson siblings have descended on Ray and Val's house, and we are having so much fun (and eating them out of house and home, I think)! We've been to the zoo (yes, we even saw the hippos and sang "I-I-I just wanna be a hippo!), swimming, on a picnic, to a real blacksmith shop and barn, had ice cream, birthday cake, lots of snacks, and watched some fun movies on the BIG SCREEN downstairs. All the cousins are playing their hearts out and the adults get to catch up on all the visiting (and games, too) that we love so much. I JUST LOVE FAMILY!!

Hadland lost his tooth last week, so now he looks really cool (but Rachel lost her two front teeth, so she looks just a bit cooler). Lauren can say "play" "go" and can sign a WHOLE bunch of things. Sarah is just about ready to sit up by herself, and she is on to some new foods as well. I think Larry is chomping at the bit to feed her some Doritos and chocolate. Will someone please tell him to chill? He thinks that if he likes it, the baby should get some, too. Oh, boy. I think if he changes a few more "real food" diapers, he might be convinced to take this food introduction stuff a little slower. At least that is what I'm hoping. And I get vacation from diaper duty :)

I just turned 35 yesterday!! I had a great birthday--I got to go work out with Darla (no kids in tow), and I got to stay home in a quiet house (rare occasion) while the daddies and Auntie Val took all the kids (except the babies) to the pool. That may not sound very exciting, but believe me, it was AWESOME! Then I got a yummy dinner and my fave bday cake of angel food cake with whipped cream and strawberries. The kids wrapped up some presents and sang to me (which was even cooler than the quiet afternoon), and Larry (with some help from Val) got me some flowers and lotion. Add to that some wonderful phone calls from family and friends, and I had a FABULOUS birthday. Thank you so much for all your thoughts and good wishes--you all ROCK!

We woke up this morning to snow! Can you believe it? I know it is only the beginning of April, but earlier this week we got sunburned noses on some of our outings. Weather sure can change quickly here in the high country!

I almost forgot...My sweet husband (with help from his baby-sitting sisters) took me to the temple this morning. It was a wonderful experience, and the perfect end to my birthday. My mom always told me that she wished that I was born on April 6 so that I could share my birthday with a very special Elder Brother. When we entered the temple, the worker reminded us that it was extra special to be in the temple today on the anniversary of Christ's birth. Then, knowing that it was the Friday before Easter, it is also the day we commemorate His death on the cross. And what is even more wonderful is that in two days we will CELEBRATE His resurrection. What an incredible time of year to think of our Savior and His life and all He did for us. I am deeply grateful to Him that He paid a terrible price to free me from my sins, weaknesses, sadnesses, and so much more. He loves me, and He loves you. What a gift!

Happy Easter everyone! We love you!