Johnny Turns 3!

Johnny had a really fun, drawn out birthday this year. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to see his face light up with excitement over turning 3. It all started 2 weeks before his birthday when my best cousin, Kricket invited our family to come with them to Disneyland for the day. Brian was under the weather, so I took Johnny as a little pre-birthday present and his last chance at free admission to Disneyland ever. It was so much fun to have some one-on-one time with my boy. We also loved being around Kricket, Garrett, Jenna, Cooper, Ryder & Trey. I couldn't get over how well-behaved and happy all of their kids were. I was taking notes the entire time.

Did you know that Disneyland has a little petting zoo? It's really small - just a few goats, a donkey and a horse, but it was one of Johnny's favorite parts of the whole park.

The day before Johnny's birthday we invited a few friends from church to join us at the park for cupcakes. Johnny asked for party hats and "instruments". Of course, when it came down to it, he wouldn't let me come near him with the party hat, and the 4-for-99-cent kazoos were a total bust - didn't work at all! Big surprise, right? At least the cupcakes were a hit!

On his actual birthday we opened presents from mom & dad and grandma Barbara on the patio before going to a nice sit-down dinner, that was in all reality, nice and sit-downish for all of 10 minutes before the boys were on all fours underneath the booth and then RUNNING through the entire restaurant! Do you ever have the vision of a perfect, relaxing evening in your mind only to remember once it's too late that your children are just barely 3 and 1 & 1/2 and completely incapable of holding still? Next time we'll go to McDonalds :) 

The day after his birthday we celebrated again at our friends Gwendolyn, Sinjin and Linnea's house with more cupcakes and a bubble machine! I only have a few fuzzy pictures of this little party.

I was determined to get a photo of Johnny is his party hat, so I told him that he could take a picture of me in my party hat first. While he was fumbling with the camera, I slipped one on his head unnoticed. Here he is first taking my picture and then excitedly showing me his shot.

The view from Johnny's camera - 

Happy birthday sweet Johnny boy! We love you so!

mormon night @ the dodgers

happy happy birthday marky dear

My little brother requested that I update this here blog and since he is leaving on a mission in under 2 months AND because today is his birthday, I suppose I better grant his request. So Marky, this post is for you. Happy Birthday! I love you more than words. Here's a little bit about what we've been up to lately. 

The boys love to help me in the kitchen. I love it too, I really do. But I'd love it a lot more if the floor didn't end up under 2 inches of water. Oh, these boys. I know I will miss these moments.

Johnny has a thing for princess shoes. All of his little girlfriends (friends that are girls - you wouldn't know anything about that, Mark) have a couple of pairs of these, and its the first thing he goes for. I'm not too worried about it yet :)

My visiting teacher asked if she could bring me a fresh strawberry pie for Mother's Day. Um, let me think about that... YES. Yes, you can. It was deeeeeelish!

Johnny and Tyler made me some sweet cards with the help of their dad and nursery teachers. It was a really special day for me. Johnny said, "Happy Mother's Day!" all day long and for a couple of days after that.

We celebrated Brian's 31st birthday on the 16th. I asked Johnny what we should do for his dad's birthday. He said, "We should make him cupcakes and party hats!" Sadly, the party hats didn't happen but the the cupcakes did. These were soaked in raspberry jello, Brian's favorite, and topped with coolwhip and raspberries.

Uncle Mikey came to town! We took him to a Dodger's game. I've been to a lot of these games and this one might have been the best. The weather was perfect, no sun in our eyes, we weren't sitting by blaring speakers, we had a great view of home plate AND we had dodger dogs, garlic fries and ice cream in a baseball cap. How can you beat that?!

We also went to see Grandma Shirley while Mikey was here. We always have so much fun at Grandma's house. She is so good to us. Johnny and Ty absolutely love to go. And I love getting to take my siblings when they come into town for a visit.

Here's Tyler being bribed with a cookie to sit on Grandma's lap. It worked!

The boys love to get out the pots and pans and make "chin-yada soup." I think that's short for enchilada, but I'm not sure. They make it out of legos, blocks, animals, cars, trucks, whatever they have on hand.

One pot quickly becomes two after the wooden spoons turn into weapons.

I'm pretty sure I wasn't interested in tools when I was little. These kids are obsessed. It must be a boy thing. Whenever anything needs fixed they are on it like flies on... well, you know. Tyler says, "I fix it."

We turned the patio into a water park one evening while trying to clean an area rug. It was getting late and the sun was setting fast but the boys couldn't get enough of the water. Ty's lips were turning purple but he didn't want to stop. It was too much fun.

Random side note - Johnny wore this red onsie, buttons barely snapping under his bum, when he was 11 months old. Ty is 18 months and its still a little loose.

I asked Johnny to stop for a picture and just then a huge shiver overtook his entire body. Here he is mid-shiver.

One last shot of Johnny serving up a bowl of chin-yada soup. 

Alright, Marky. No birthday post is complete without some shots of the birthday boy. So, I picked out some of my favorites from our adventures in L.A. together. Remember those strange waterbeds on top of The Standard in downtown? We are so cool.

Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles. We'll go there again when you get back!

 Huntington Beach. We can't surf but we're dang good at volleyball :)

Happy birthday to my best littlest brother! I love you so much!

chitter chatter

I'm really enjoying the non-stop chitter chatter over here. Johnny is almost 3. He says some pretty funny things. Among my favorites lately: 

"Mom, when we went to church Sr. Johnson was lovin' my clothes."

"That's what I'm talkin' about."

"Excuse me. Memmy's messin' with my cheese."

"Can you move this bush?"

Johnny also knows his wildlife. Don't mistake a parrot for a toucan. You'll hear about it.

Ty is 17 months old and from one day to the next has become a complete chatterbox. His vocabulary grows by the minute and he will attempt to repeat everything he hears. Today at church when we opened our quiet book he pointed out Noah, the hippo, the lion and the golden plates all on his own.  He is also starting to speak in full sentences. "Where did he go?", "I want pink milk", "I see you", etc., etc.

Yesterday we had some beautiful summer weather. As much as I don't look forward to hot days without an air conditioner, I can't wait for all the fun my boys are going to have this summer.