15 Years! Go Class of '93!

Okay all you hecklers. Get ready for the chance of a lifetime to poke fun at me! Its crazy to think its been 15 years since my high school graduation!! I have to admit it was kindof fun to take a blast from the past as I looked through my Senior book and yearbook. This post really is a bit cheesy, but I had to do it for posterity...right?:)

And I have to give a big shout out to Snakeface, Hoser, Sides, Nhu, Hills, Stacey, & the rest of you that made high school so fun for me! Too bad we aren't having a 15 year reunion! Oh well, I guess our 20th will come soon enough. AAHH!

Go Royal Scots!:)

It's Summertime!

Yes, summer is finally here. It was a hot one last week, but we just spent alot of time in the water. We decided to buy passes to Raging Waters (a local waterpark) this summer and so far we've gone about 8 times in the past 2 weeks. Its a mile from where Bob works so he just meets us there on his lunch and we have a great time. Marge and Dennis also joined us for a day and it was great.

Ethan and I both love the lazy river. It feels so good on my tummy to walk in the water, and Ethan loves to play pirates on the inner tube.

Matt & Kathryn came to help us get the baby's room ready yesterday. (They were a great help!!) Afterwards Matt couldn't resist hitting the slip n' slide.

We are looking forward to going to cooling off in Oregon this week, seeing everyone, & spending some time at our favorite hotel on the coast!

Happy Father's Day Dad!

What would we do without our fathers? We love Grandpa Johnson, Will, Bob, & others, but today I wanted to spotlight my dad. He really is a great man and example. Here are a few things I love about my dad...

-He is probably the most patient person I know. Even when I hit a possum on the road the 1st time he took me driving he just laughed...I guess he realized it could have been worse. He also helped me immensely during the 1st part of this pregnancy when I thought I was dying.

-He's a funny guy. Not long ago we were watching the old "Gidget" movie and he happened to walk in and stopped to watch it with us. It was a beach scene and they had a some girls walking by these guys playing the "bongo" drums. A very endowed girl happened to walk by just as my dad says, "They don't have bongo's on the beach like that anymore." He was so embarrassed, and we couldn't stop laughing.:)

-I don't know anyone with as much faith as he has. He was a convert to the Church in his early 20's and as far as I know never looked back. He serves others constantly and sets a great example for all of us. I know great things have happened to me throughout my life because of my dad's prayers.

Love you Dad.

Its been 10 years...Can you believe it?!

Wow. May marked 10 years since I returned home from my LDS mission. They say you should remember the past so you can continue to learn from it, and since this was one of the influencial experiences of my life it has been good for me to reflect those 18 months of service.

I was changed by many people I met in NJ. So, here's a big shout-out to just a few of them...Siri, Heather, Julie, Jessica, Virginia, Melissa, JaNece, Brooke, You-Sun, Kirsten, Mary Musick, the Thompsons, Shelly, Anita, S. Rogers, S. Foster, the Pyrams, S. Lazarus, & so many others! Thanks you guys.

I feel so blessed and lucky to have served a mission. As I was ending my mission I wrote a few things down in my journal about what I had learned...here are 3 things I thought I'd share:

#1 Happiness must come from within no matter what is going on around me.
#2 The Spirit is truly the best teacher.
#3 You must rely solely on the Lord for everything. Everything comes from Him.

I hadn't always planned on serving a mission, but am so grateful that I did. I am a better wife, mother, and person because of it.

I'll end this post with one quote that really influenced me to serve. President Hinckley stated:

"Many young women are serving missions. Many are preparing to serve, not because they aren't married or have nothing else to do, but because they have a desire to serve and are therefore being called to the work. The reason so many are going is because in the next generation Heavenly Father will be sending his Priesthood army to earth. He wants to send them to mothers who have been properly trained and taught in the Gospel, and what better training can young woman have than that of serving a mission?"


PS Coming soon...The McKay High School Class of '93 celebrates 15 years since graduation! Yes, pictures will be posted! (If I dare!:)

Rain or Shine

We got this airplane months ago in anticipation of getting grass in the back. Bob put it together last weekend, and Ethan is so happy to have it that nothing will stop him from playing on it. I don't know how well you can see the rain dripping off the airplane, but Memorial Day it was pouring down rain Oregon style. It didn't phase Ethan though...he just asked for a towel to wipe down his seat and he was loving life. His face tells it all.