Elder Blake Johnson

We went to California to support and visit with our cousin Blake Johnson before he left on his mission to Guatemala.  What a great kid!  His Bishop ready a scripture about being steady and said Blake had always been steady in the gospel.  It is true!  What a great kid!  It was fun to see my brother and my sisters and all the cousins that came!  What a great supportive family we have!  We also got to talk to our cousin Taylor who is on a mission in Mexico.  His Mission president gave him permission to call because he won't see blake for 2 1/2 years!  He sounded great!  Gave his brother Blake ALOT of advise and even made him recite it back! hahaha  And then he talked to my Derek and gave him a bad time about when he was going to send his papers in.  hahaha  Derek told him that he would be home from his mission before he turned 19.  But he would get to work on it!  I love missionaries!

Cousins at Vazques Rock

The crew climbing up

Some parts were pretty steep

even some caves

some brotherly love!

These two have been best friends since they were babies!  I kept telling them how great it would be if Derek got his mission call to Guatemala!  They brushed it off telling me it would never happen! 

What a GREAT family

giving some love to the newest elder!

My siblings

the August 16th Birthday club

It was so nice to be outside in the sun!  We all got sunburned!

Easter

We had Stake conference today.  It was really nice.  I think Steve gave his best talk ever.  Which when I told him that he said it was a real complement since I have heard probably every talk he has ever given.  We had invited lots of friends over for dinner and had great company and NO SNOW!  Although the yard was still very soggy from all the flooding so the Easter Egg hunt was just a small part of the yard.    It was a great day to think about the Savior and all he has done for me.  What a beautiful day!

Easter Baskets

Grace finding eggs

She was the only one (I thought) that wanted to find eggs.  Steve is helping her find the last hard ones.  Later that morning Derek was not very happy I didn't wake him up:) Who knew? haha

Ready for Church

Hunting Eggs

Easter Preparations

We colored eggs.   We only colored 18 this year.  But we did have more than just Grace color eggs:) Steve made his traditional football egg.  Savannah spilled the egg dye all over her self (again) she is not my most artistic child! haha  Grace was concerned this last week that we hadn't got her an easter dress.  I know I forget that she is still 10.  I have made many easter dressed in my time as a mom but never for Grace.  So off we went to the fabric store and she picked out a skirt pattern and fabric.  I have not sewn clothes in a long time but I guess it's like riding a bike.  It turned out really cute and she loves it!

Savannah is so funny!  She does not like to use a spoon or the utensil made for coloring eggs she likes to use her fingers and then YES she has die all over them for a few days! Goof Ball!

showing some of their best work

Easter Skirt

working hard

Flooding

The winter snow is melting a little too fast for our little creek behind our house to keep up.  So of course the kids think it is the greatest!  They took out the tube and got on some big rubber boots and even tried to feed the ducks.  Just goes to prove, kids will play in anything:)

Science Fair

Grace and two of her friends entered the Science Fair........Lauren did not approve of this science project.  ........ But it was fun and it was in the category of Social Science:)  Is Smiling Contagious?  They gathered lots of data by smiling at people and seeing if they would smile back.  The conclusion is YES.  Smiling is contagious:)