Homecoming 2007

Well the weekend was a success! Derek's team won thier football game 38 - 7. The coach had Derek call all the defense plays and he caught a pass for a touch down in the end zone. Lauren was the quarterback for her Powderpuff team (homecoming week activities) They lost to the seniors but it wasn't really fair - there was never any kick offs and they made the juniors start with the ball on the seniors goal line! They had fun! Her date to homecoming was a senior who is one of the running backs so she got to wear his jersey on Friday to school. The dance was fun so the weekend ends up a success! Watch out - Big muscles coming through!
Cheer leaders and part of the football team (lauren is the one in the middle) GRRRRRRR
Its always a plus to get asked to homecoming by a football player - get to show off the jersey!
This is the group Lauren went with for Homecoming!
Lauren & Her Date!

Italian Update

These are the most recent updates from our European Traveler! She says she is having a really hard time with her Italian class - but the last test she got a 96% So we aren't believing her!! Savannah & I just bought our tickets yesterday to go and visit Italy! We are super excited! My brother Darrens family is coming with us! We leave November 13th and get to stay 2 weeks! YAH!!!!! Jackie is off to Venice this weekend so we should have some pictures from that soon! Derek has another football game tonight! Lauren has Homecoming this weekend! So Stay tuned!This is Jackie on the Spanish Steps - with her new boots - which she loves very much!!!!
This is Jackie making Lauren Very Jealous (PRADA Store)
This is Jackie making Steve Very Nervous
Finally she does some sight seeing!!!!! This is the Trevi Fountain in Rome

This is from the top of the Spanish steps looking down at what she calls the greatest shopping ever!

Weekend Review

Derek had his first football game for 8th grade - and was real excited for me to take a picture! He did awesome! He is the corner back on Defense and the wide reciever on offense - He has decided he doesn't really like offense - people are always trying to tackle you! - He says he hears the star wars theme for the dark side when ever he goes to tackle someone! I think he is around dramatic girls too much! This is his buddy Josh who is the quarter back and is almost 6 feet tall!!! They won of course - His team has only lost maybe 2 games ever since he has started playing football - 4 years now!
Savannah did so great at the Fair she got Bronze Grand Prize for her pull apart bread (which is our favorite) and won 3 dollars!!! She got 2nd place for her candy and no money! She was very pleased with her awards!
This is Grace and her best friend McKensie who is our neighbor - her dad is our bishop- Mckensie and Grace have been best friends since the day they were born - they play 24-7! McKensie broke her elbow this weekend while we were babysitting her and Grace helps carry her back pack everyday to school for her. She always gets mad when we forget to mention McKensie in our prayers. They are so cute they hold hands everyday when they walk to school!

ITALY UPDATE

Jackie is doing great and loving every minute! They went into Rome to go to church and then got to see the coleseum! She is super excited about everything! We are all really jealous and are making plans to visit! All the kids are in school! This week is fair week and Savannah is busy making preparations to enter her lemon rolls and candy into the fair. She has been taking cooking 4H this year. We all think she should get a blue ribbon for sure! We love everything she cooks! Derek is always begging her to make something for him to eat!! He is always hungry! We will let you know how the fair turns out!
Jackie and room mate with her new favorite treat GELATO!
Jackie showing off at the coleseum!

IDAHO VS USC

Steve and Derek went to the game in California and met the Johnson cousins there! All the johnsons went to the game cheering for IDAHO of course! Derek traded places with Taylor - who went down to the sidelines with Steve- while Derek played with his cousins up in the stands! Sounds like they had a great time! Idaho didn't do to bad against #1 USC - it was respectable! The girls and I went back to the lake for the last weekend of summer! It was sad to put the boat away for the season! Now only 9 more months till we get to play again!!!! BOO HOO!

Jackie emailed and is having the time of her life - she loves the food, her roommates are LDS, she is going to the opera on wednesday - a bunch of girls are renting a box for 12 euros each! She also got a cell phone so we can now talk to her! I am trying not to be jealous! As soon as she sends me pictures I will post them!

Arrivederci!

Jackie is off to Italy- She should arrive in Rome about 3:30 am our time 12:30 Rome time! She was so excited! She will be studying at an Italian University in Verterbo about 40 miles north of Rome. She is taking an intensive language study, Italian Cuisine course and an Art History. She comes home on December 22nd just in time to give us christmas presents (Which we hope are expensive Italian purses) We will really miss her! People keep asking me if I am so sad to see her go -I'm not! I am so excited for her - I think I have taken her to many things that were much sadder than this! This is exciting! I have officially succeeded in talking Steve into letting me go visit! So Savannah and I will go around Thanksgiving for about 10 days! I will let you know how Jackie is doing - she doesn't have any cell service there - she left her phone with Derek (which he is very excited to now have a cell phone if even for a short 4 months) So she will just email as often as she can! Hopefully we will hear from her on the phone a little!
GOOD BYE JACKIE!!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!! BE SAFE!!!!

Last Day of Summer Vacation

Summer went so fast! What a summer we had! We were able to see all our Great Grandparents and most of our cousins! Our new boat was put to great use! We only have a few physical reminders - that we are new to the boat driving! Tomorrow is the first day of school for the kids - Lauren is a Junior , Derek 8th, Savannah 5th & Grace in 1st grade! I go back to a quiet house for the day! What a change that will be!! I am actually sad - It was a really fun summer up at the lake - now we have to wait 9 months to do it again!

Here are a few highlights of our summer!We got to spend a lot of time with Steve. Two family reunions & some lake time - He came up to the lake even on Week nights just to ski and would leave in the morning

We learned to surf behind the boat - Here is Lauren showing her skill - we were able to surf without the rope for a few minutes - Also great view of the lake house behind her

Savannah learned how to waterski - she even mastered going in and out of lake! Who knows maybe she will wake board next year!The most fun of all -COUSINS - they had loaded down the tube with 5 of them on a 3 person tube! They didn't stay on very long!!! What a great summer no wonder we are all depressed!

PUZZLE FINISHED ---- ALMOST

LAUREN???!!!!!!!!!!!




She claims it is not her this time! Its hard to believe when every other time - she has had the piece!!! I'll let you know if it magically appears. We are excited to have it finished - it took all summer and lots of help from our company - but we did it!!! ALMOST!

BIRTHDAY CARNIVAL

Grace is now 6! She had a great birthday! We invited all the neighborhood kids. All the kids over the age of 9 helped with the carnival games and all the kids under 9 came to the carnival. Savannah was the ticket master and gave everyone tickets. We had a fish pond, face painting by Lauren (very popular), ring toss, Basketball shoot, water balloon throw (this is were the kids threw a water balloon at Derek and if they hit him he fell back into a baby pool of water - Also very popular! ) And the biggest attraction was the Jumping Castle! They ate pizza and had clown cupcakes We even had a neighborhood friend who dressed up like a clown and rode his unicyle and made balloon hats! It was a great Success! We wish you could have all been there! Savannah made this fabulous sign!
Here's the Birthday Girl!
We had about 12 kids at the carnival and about 10 kids helping
We put Jackie in charge of the Jumping castle - we knew that she would make sure all rules would be followed!

Grandma Marlene & Papa Joe come to play

We had lots of fun with Grandma Marlene and Papa Joe and Jeremy! We rode Go Carts, went Parasailing, and played at the lake! It was fun to have them. Now we have to buckle down and get ready for school to start in 10 days! AHHHHHH! Summer went to fast! We go to the Oncologist on Wednesday and hopefully Jackies scans come out clear and then she is off to Italy in 11 days!
Grace driving the boat! She really lives a charmed life compared to most 6 year olds!
Jeremy showing mom how to chill
Papa Joe & Grandma
Derek & Savannah Flying High