To blog, or not to blog

That is the question. For some reason I always lose motivation to blog in the summer. When we came home from our trip to Utah in July, I couldn't get myself going to post it. Then the pictures kept building up, further discouraging me from blogging, and then I decided I actually didn't miss it. Here were some of my gripes about blogging:

1. It's unrealistic. I often read a version of this on people's blogs: "A lot of people only blog the good things, and never the hard times or the trials, but I want to blog the good and the bad." I agree that when people only blog about the wonderful things in their lives, sometimes it's easy to try to compare yourself (the realistic, good-but-flawed version of yourself) with the Internet version of other people (when often they are putting their best foot forward). Alas, I am one that tends to blog when I am in a good mood and things are going well. By nature, I'm a pretty private person and I have a hard time putting my struggles out there for all to see. For me, that's what my private journal is for. So yeah, I'm that blogger.

2. Wasted time. When I stopped blogging, I spent most of my computer time on a gigantic family history project I'm working on and that's been pretty fulfilling. I started thinking that maybe blogging was a monumental waste of my time.

3. Most of my friends aren't blogging as much as they used to either.

I've resolved these issues the following ways:

1. It's my blog, I can post happy things if I want to.

2. Last week I read through a couple of my recent posts. Then I got hooked and started reading farther and farther back, and I was so grateful that I had journaled so many details to go along with my pictures. It's ridiculous, the things I had already forgotten about in just a couple of years. I try to write in my notebook journal a few times a week, and sometimes I scrapbook, but really the only times the captions go along with the pictures is on my blog. So, in just a few days I have gone from thinking blogging was a big waste of time to thinking that it is the ultimate journaling experience.

3. Meh.

So here we go. Months worth of blogging going in one post (maybe 2 or 3). This is where I tell friends and family that they are respectfully invited to oblige their first inclination, which is to X out of the blog right now, and invite Mom and Dad to enjoy. :) I'm going to blog everything this weekend if it kills me, and not let it happen again.

P.S. After spell-checking this, the computer has informed me that I have made "journal" into a few new words that didn't previously exist. I knew that.

First of all, kids change so much in 3 months, so here is what they look like right now.

Next up: my last post was innocent enough at the beginning, when it was true that I was dealing well with the summer heat. But now that it's October and still 104 degrees and still not cooling off, well now it's just obnoxious. I did pretty well until September. So if we're counting June through September, I'll say it's Emily - 3, Summer - 1. But if October doesn't start shaping up, and FAST, I'm going to lose about a bazillion points. I'm as homesick as I ever get when October doesn't cool down and feel like Fall. Anyway, here are a few pics of us TRYING to enjoy the summer months.

San Tan Splash Pad

They have so much fun together.

AJ Library

Bowling. This was for Marty's 29th birthday, which was on Labor Day this year!

And speaking of annoying, blistering, night-time heat, Brynn had a pretty exciting night Friday. Marty has a bunch of students on Spirit Line, so we participated in a fund-raiser where they taught the kids a little dance to perform at the half-time show during last-night's football game. It was pretty cute, but I got a taste of how very, very little it takes to feel like a horrible parent. We got her there way late, Bryce screamed the whole time, we forgot to bring water for her the kids, but the kicker was that I thought I had plenty of room in my camera to record the whole performance, and I didn't. I recorded about 5 seconds of it. My mom assures me that I still have plenty more times to mess up ahead of me, but much better ones as well.

(all the pics are so dark)

Marty and I have been planning to make a relatively substantial expense this month (more on that later) so we've been trying to save up for it the last couple of months. We decided that we weren't going to eat out AT ALL, which shouldn't be that hard, but we haven't been perfect at it. Most of the times we eat out are because I didn't prepare ahead of time and we find ourselves out and about doing errands with starving children. Well, one thing that has helped us is to try to find something really FUN to make together on the weekends, after the kids are in bed.

This week we make sushi (with canned salmon) and we couldn't believe how good it turned out, and what a fun date it was! Other weekends were:

-Chili Verde

-Chicken Mole

-Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

-Cafe Rio Salads with sweet pork and tomatillo dressing.

Now that I look at this list, a few things are evident: We like SPICY food, and Mexican food. We are almost a food-match made in Heaven, except that Marty doesn't like anything vinegar-y and that's just WEIRD. If anyone wants the recipe for the Cafe Rio salads, just e-mail me. It cost less to make it than to buy it there, but then we had enough pork and dressing to freeze for three meals. So, WAY cheaper.

About every other Saturday morning, Brynn goes on a date with Daddy. She makes sure to bring all the essentials.

Surprise, surprise - pictures of Bryce making a big mess (or I guess in the case, Bryce actually is the big mess). This particular marker only took one day to come off!

And this muddy mess wasn't his fault. Sister was the one caking on the mud. As you can see, he's very upset about it. I'm sure this game wasn't any fun at all for Brynn.

He thinks he doesn't need two naps anymore, and then sleeps through lunch.
Most of the time, it's a pain when I give Brynn the camera because then I have to delete a million pictures of the carpet. But this day she got a picture of me loving my boy. I like this picture because it's a representation of all that I haven't blogged the last few months. This is pretty much what I do all day, every day. Play, play, play!

Up next: Our pioneer trails workshop trip.

Emily 1, Summer 0

The month of June is over, and I have emerged good-natured and victorious! Of course, it's going to be unbearable until October, so I still have a long way to go. But I think this is the best June I've ever had here in AZ. It's also technically the coolest June we've had since we've been here - haven't even hit 115 yet! We've checked a lot off of our "summer to-do list," and here's how we've been keeping cool:

***Lunch-time at Daddy's work. The kids run from one end of the gym to the other and wear themselves out. Then they crash when we get home and I lay down under the fan for a few minutes with an otter pop.

***We've been swimming at the Apache Junction pool and a few friends' pools. We haven't been using ours the last week. Since I have to be out there constantly with Bryce, but don't want to constantly sit in the little kiddie pool (which I pretty much fill up), I've been just sitting out there and feeling heat-strokey (you heard me). I think we'll invest in a slip n' slide where I feel better about watching them from the window of my nice, cool house.

***Camping in the mountains.

***The library's summer reading program. Brynn reached her goal within a week or two, but since Bryce would rather die than sit still for a book, it's taken him a little longer and we've been going to the library every couple days.

***Other things we've checked off the list are tea parties (obviously), dates with Mom/Dad, the play place at the mall and Chick-fillet, making forts, and reading lots of books together.

***Things we still need to check off: Basha Waterpark, Peter Piper Pizza, Heber, Boulder, D-Backs game, a sleepover party in the loft, Mesa Museum of Natural History, and playing out in the rain for our first monsoon. But who knows when that will be? Monsoon season officially started June 15, but it's been 101 days since it last rained.

Not too much to report

Just life. We are all enjoying Daddy's low-stress summer. Seminary teachers are on 12 month contracts, so even though Marty is still working during the summer, it's usually just an 8 hour day with no 4:00 a.m. alarms.

Here is the incredible karaoke duo blastin' out hits from High School Musical. That little girl loves to sing. I'm always coming down the stairs to find her belting out her own composition and accompanying herself at the piano. When we tuck her in at night, she has decided she would rather sing us our favorite songs, rather than the other way around. She's probably figured out that Mommy is a sucker and will stay up just as long as she keeps on singing.

And as for Bryce: Huh? White footprints coming out of the bathroom?

Oh. Good thing it was just baking soda. Makes me glad I threw out all my harsh cleansers and started using home-made, non-toxic stuff. Thanks for the idea, Lindsay! (Here's the link to the cleaning recipes: http://thecreativemama.com/clean-with-green/) What a typical picture of my climbing/mess-and-mischief-making boy.

Marty was called into the Young Men's program a couple weeks ago. I panicked for a very short time until I was assured that I'd be able to stay in Young Women's and we could work it out. I've never lived in FEAR of being released before until I got to be with those girls, and now I am so attached to them and I can't imagine being released! On Tuesday morning the young men came to our house to make Hershey kiss flowers and posters to hang on the doors/garages of the young women, who were all returning from camp that afternoon. That's a nice welcome home, eh? I forgot, have I mentioned that Marty and I really love the youth in Queen Creek? :)

Dad

P.S. Sorry about the prom pic - every picture I have of him since I've been married is with grand kids. We need a new one of the two of us, Dad!

I'm not exactly the Hallmark-writing type, but I just wanted to give a shout-out to my dad today. I've counted myself lucky in life for a lot of reasons, but having this guy as my dad is one of the biggest ones. My dad has always been one of my best friends. As exhausted as he would be when he came home from work, he had no shortage of hugs and attention for me. When I would play at the neighbors house, the second I saw my dad's truck start up our street, I would make a mad dash to go see him. My dad took me on tons of dates, and showed me what it was like to be on a date with a gentleman. My dad set such a good example for me. I saw so many heavily marked "Understanding Isaiah" books laying around the house, I just had to start reading them out of curiosity. My dad saw my potential, described it to me, and I worked as hard as I possibly could to reach that and be the kind of person my dad knew I could be. My dad faithfully stayed worthy of the Priesthood and I was able to receive wonderful blessings from him in any time of need. I love you, Dad!

Anyone? Anyone?

Anyone want to drive up to Utah with me for BYU Education Week? It's August 16-20. I have four seats....

I love walking down the stairs...

And seeing my kids like this. Bryce falling asleep next to Brynn as she gently pats and strokes his head. Of course, more often I enter a room to find them fighting over a toy, space, or air. But these sweet moments make the other ones worth it.

2010 Johnson Family Retreat

Definitely our most successful camping trip so far! We had great devotionals, the weather was perfect (not to hot, not too cold) and we didn't have to deal with a cast, or a fussy nursing baby, or much of the nonsense we've had in the past.

We go camping in the mountains in Globe at Pioneer Pass. The last camp-site is the most secluded and beautiful (I think). And this place is really not crowded at all. Maybe I shouldn't be divulging my secrets....

Matching and manly setting up the tent.

S'mores. Mmmm. Been looking forward to them all week and I managed to keep my hands pretty sticky-free. I don't really mind, but I've been pestered so much about being a messy marshmallow-eater I think I'm developing a complex.

The next morning I cooked bacon and eggs over a fire, and I think the fam liked it.

Here's Brynn on a stage dancing and singing, "In the beautiful forest, they are dancing, they are dancing...."

Good weekend.