The Johnston Trio

1…2…3

2012-01-30T09:23:00.001-07:00

Darin taught him a new trick!

So cute. Just wanted to share.

THE refinishing project

2012-01-10T07:00:00.001-07:00

BEFORE:

Buffet table. Loved the design, but had water damage on top and something had to be done with the gold hardware.

Dining chair (set of 4)

Dining table. Actually in pretty good shape. I fell in love with it because it has these two main panels (in picture) and a drop down leave on each side (not pictured because they’d already been removed) AND 3 more leaves that can be added in the middle. This range in length made it the perfect table for apartment living!

I laugh now. But I cried then. SO much sanding. I actually sanded the entire table with 60 grit BY HAND—yup like holding a flimsy piece of sandpaper in my hand—before finally borrowing a hand sander. I used that to go over it again with a finer grit and do the chairs and buffet table from the beginning. This made the job a lot easier, but STILL there was so much sanding that I’m replacing this friend’s sander. I wore right through it. I know now. I will know what I’m getting myself into next time.

While Darin and Kayden took a quick weekend trip to Utah, I spent most of my waking hours priming and painting. OOPS! Didn’t see on the can that the primer was blue/gray. Just means more coats of paint to cover it. yippee.

After the paint.

You can see in this picture, the table doesn’t look so white anymore. I roughly sanded the edges and rubbed dark walnut colored stain and rubbed it off. It was just enough to give it the more aged look I wanted (although you can see it much better on the buffet table). Oh- and yes, our apartment was a wreck for a while there. Poor Kayden was barricaded out of the dining/kitchen areas.

Then the clear coats (3 on top to make it more water resistant—2 on the rest). Thank goodness reupholstering the chairs was easy! And got the fabric for a steal!

So the dining set was exciting, but I have to admit that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the buffet table. It has so much more character. I did the same as for the table, but I also spray painted the hardware to look like a pewter metal—super cool new spray paints they have.

So…this is what you see when you come in the front door. Oh! and this is where I should introduce our new piano! well, new to us. We love her.

YEAH!! This is the first time Darin and I have had a real dining table since we’ve been married! (Notice Kayden is ready for the prayer—so cute!)

I got it done in time to host 13 people for Thanksgiving dinner!

Pretty good excuse for not blogging for a while, right?

superboy

2011-10-30T16:21:00.001-06:00

I don’t think he had ANY idea that he was even in a costume at the Halloween party.

But he loved the extra attention!

Keen Kayden

2011-10-30T16:02:00.001-06:00

ok, so a while ago I told you about my LOVE for (perhaps obsession with/addiction to)

turns out

my son inherited a similar gene.

only, it’s for…

Story is, we got them at REI on clearance. I thought:

“Awesome! super durable shoes perfect for next summer!”

(they are about an inch past his toes in length)

I hadn’t even taken them out of the box yet, but the next morning Kayden found them in the hallway. He brought them to me, sat down, and put his foot up in the air with a big hopeful smile on his face.

He was wearing these footed pj’s so I just put them on right over the footies. He ran away tickled with his new shoes. He has begged to wear them every day since then. Luckily, he can walk fine in them despite the fact that they’re too big.

One day had a babysitter who didn’t know about this preference for his Keen sandals and when she tried to put on his other pair of shoes, he turned to her, put up his hand and said “no, no, no.” She watched as he deliberately went over to his shoes and dug out the Keens. So funny!

I can relate.

cottage cheese

2011-10-30T15:33:00.001-06:00

What? Cottage cheese under the bathroom sink?

Can you see the almost invisible surprise?

THE CULPRIT:

We find little surprises all the time. cute reminders of the little guy.

We’ve made it a habit to check the garbage can before we empty it…there are usually a couple of things we don’t really want thrown away.

The only time it’s hard to think it’s cute is when we’re rushing to get out the door and I can’t find ANY of his shoes. I eventually find them here and there…

25 things to do with a wiggley toddler boy

2011-10-06T17:07:00.001-06:00

Thought I'd share this list of ideas I just found... Love it! I will do many of these in the coming months!!

please NOTE:

The picture below NOT a picture of Kayden!!

…It was just on the website next to this list and I thought it was a good visual of the first activity idea. (That is for you, Mom, so you wouldn't worry that he has changed so much that he looks like a completely different kid!)

1. Put him in an empty bath tub, give him water colors and let him go.
2. Put rice in a cake pan and let him pour from cup to cup.
3. Put him outside everyday regardless of weather.
4. Give him a small spray bottle of water and a rag. Set him loose on the fridge front, bathroom tile, linoleum, etc.
5. Make homemade play dough; give him a rolling pin.
6. When reading aloud, ask him many questions. Get him pointing, naming, giggling over each picture.
7. Have him run and tag the front door, run back and give you a high five, and repeat. And repeat. And repeat.
8. Find an empty box we can fit in; stay in the room with him to ensure safety- but get that book you’ve wanted to read for a while, because he’ll be busy for a while.
9. Teach him how to build a fort with the cushions.
10. Let him spread the PB and J.
11. Play with him for at least 10 minutes at a game he loves. This will satisfy much of the need for attention that leads to naughtiness.
12. Bubbles!
13. Boys tend to be tactile learners; stacking cups and plastic containers in an accessible cabinet can be fun.
14. Fill the kitchen sink with soapy foam; get out a big ladle and some cups and let him go at it. Let him “do dishes.”
15. If you have a play house, let him throw a safe ball out of it.
16. Find an old spoon and let him dig in dirt.
17. Music facilitates learning like no other activity. Make up silly songs to everything- be silly and tease your children with music.
18. When he is feeling mean and you are feeling mean, tickle him.
19. Don’t be afraid to repeat activities often; if he is getting restless, immediately choose a “go-to.”
20. Let the little guy “help” you in all of your tasks until he discovers his blocks or trains again. You’ll be teaching him valuable skills. This one can be hard because we want to get things done, but the boy will be grown soon and might now want to help anymore. This may be one of the most special times of your lives.
21. Play a favorite dance song of yours; let loose and dance around. Your boy will either laugh or join in; both are fun.
22. Use your pull up bar low on the door frame- and let him swing.
23. Find markers and a notebook; let him go to.
24. Assess his needs- is he hungry, tired, wet, overstimulated, bored, or lonely? Help him fulfill that need.
25. Replace every negative thought immediately with a positive one. Instead of, “My kids drive me crazy” think on purpose “This is a phase; Jonny really is a good kid” or “My kids must be bored. What can I do to help them?” See an article on this here.
http://powerofmoms.com/2009/04/thought-replacement-therapy/

country lane park

2011-10-05T15:52:00.001-06:00

I have counted 74 parks within a 3.5 mile radius of where we live. They are EVERYWHERE here! But Country Lane Park has the coolest playground I’ve seen. This is Kayden with his new friend, Harris who stayed at our house during the day for a couple of days while his mom was at school (dental school with Darin).

Note the following features of this AWESOME park:

The boys are in the trailer because we WALKED! Love that this park is just down the road!This slide is made of cylinders that spin as you go down. The coolest parts: no static and an awesome rainstick sound as they spin.Musical chimes they can plan just by pushing and pulling them. Harris played and sang a few songs for us. =)

That’s right. This kids’ park has a little CLIMBING WALL! Love it!I didn’t get a good picture of the cool 4-seater see-saw behind this little thing Kayden’s riding on, but it’s fun!

I think my favorite part is that everything that Kayden would need help on or need to be closely supervised on HE CAN’T GET TO. The playground is designed so that the big slide can’t be accessed without going up some big steps and a long tunnel—which scares the little one. Any platform over 4 feet in the air is completely encased by fencing and can only be accessed by climbing things only a bigger kid can handle. AND the ground doesn’t have sand, or wood chips, or rubber chips, it’s that squishy rubber floor that makes no mess, but provides plenty of cush! LoVe It!!

So, Kayden has a great time going up and down the stairs just his size that have fences and slight incline slides and feels like such a big boy without Mommy’s help. And mom? She can totally relax and enjoy watching him play without concern.

the girls

2011-08-30T15:17:00.001-06:00

Meet Leisl Newman (middle) and Lexi Johnson (right). They just moved in to our apartment complex and both of their husbands are also first year dental students. We see these people on a daily basis. At 6am, the girls get together and work out and then around 7am the boys take off on their bikes to school. During the day each of us cross paths again either studying together or hanging out. You know those people who come into your life who you feel were not placed in your path merely coincidentally? yeah…these are some of those people.

FREE DAY at the garden

2011-08-29T16:44:00.001-06:00

Many of the main attractions in Denver offer a free day every couple of months and today it was free to go to the Denver Botanic Gardens. My friends Liesl and Lexi came with us. My favorites were the lily pads (as evidenced by the quantity of pics I took of them…). They even have a children’s garden, which was SO fun!

I just couldn’t get over these WAY cool giant lily pads that have an edge that grows at a 90 degree angle from the water.

I am growing this same vine on my back porch!

we love dirt!

2011-08-29T16:22:00.001-06:00

We got to go camping with some friends last weekend and had a BLAST! Kayden especially loved it. He got super dirty and loved every minute!!

(Thanks for the tent Brady & Michelle!! We love it!)

I am a Chaconian

2011-08-29T15:22:00.001-06:00

I have these friends who have been with me every non-snowy day for the past 5 years. We have been hiking, swimming, walking and even running together through sand and mud…

But this summer, my friends started to lose their soles a little bit. and then a lotta bit. I finally took these friends back to REI where they came from to see if I could still be eligible for an exchange. Although I no longer had the receipt, the cashier could see that these friends and I have spent a lot of time together (both by the signs of wear and also the tan lines on my feet) and he gave me store credit for the price of the shoe at full price (which is what I paid, although I had no way to prove that).

I was THRILLED! That is… until I had to actually hand over my trusty pair. My heart sank and my hand wouldn’t let go at first. Finally I mustered up the courage to turn and leave them on the counter. Then came the tears. I felt like I was leaving a child with the cashier…turning him in for another child—a new pair just wouldn’t be the same!

Darin couldn’t believe I was crying, although he did try his best to be sensitive. I was also surprised and found myself doing some sort of laugh/cry combo for a while. My mind was flooded with memories of those shoes. It was seriously just like I had lost a friend…or two.

But it turns out, there are other crazies like me. They are called Chaconians.

There’s even a video on chacos.com about “re-chaco” and the people that want THEIR shoes back, not a NEW pair. They want to keep the same pair alive and going on adventures with them. Check it out…

http://youtu.be/Lb4dFnhzM2g

Looks like I’ll just have to begin a new relationship with another pair of Chacos.

Johnstons visit

2011-08-17T15:36:00.001-06:00

We are so lucky! Both of our parents came out to visit this summer to see where we are living now. Here’s what we did with Tom, Mary Jo and Alacia…

We got an inside tour of the dental school including the labs and clinics!

Watched a Rockies game from behind the 3rd baseline! Darin and I each saw about half the game…other half spent chasing after Kayden. He LOVES stairs and people!

AND he loves ice cream!

The next day we went hiking with Tom. It was a SUPER steep decent to Chicago lakes near Mount Evans. So fun! We saw lots of wildlife too.




We saw marmots, mountain goats,	…and a mountain dog!

It was a short trip, but full of fun!

Borups visit

2011-08-14T17:21:00.001-06:00

In July, my Dad had a work conference in Denver so he was able to stop by and visit for a little bit (forgot to take pictures though…). Then a week later, my mom and sister drove out here to visit us and stay for a few days. SO FUN to see my family this month!

	Kayden was a sick while they were here…we later found out both of his ears were badly infected. Poor guy!
	Darin gave us a tour of the school campus.
	I showed them Cherry Creek Reservoir which is about 15 minutes away from our apartment!
	Look at the little curls he’s getting in the back! Apparently that’s just how Darin’s hair was as a boy—blond with little curls in the back.
	At the reservoir, Kayden LOVES to play on the beach! He’s so busy playing, we couldn’t get any pictures of him looking at the camera.

Blogging tip

2011-08-14T16:00:00.000-06:00

In case there's anyone else out there who has been having trouble using blogger to create posts, check out Windows Live Writer. It has changed my blogging world.

-thanks Darin ;)

Kayden's first birthday...postponed

2011-05-15T15:34:00.008-06:00

Well, we've been sick an awful lot this year, so it was no surprise when May 1st came around and nobody felt like having any kind of party. Luckily for us, Kayden had no idea that we MOVED his birthday! We celebrated on May 9...but everyone was feeling so much better and Kayden had so much fun!

We've always called him our little monkey because he did so many things as a baby that reminded us of a monkey.

So the theme for the party was monkeys! Here's the invite (before we rescheduled):

(Our address was where the white strip is...I didn't want that on our blog.)

The party was a success! He loved the CAKE,

the PRESENTS,

and having a house FULL of family!!

the hippee

2011-05-14T20:18:00.000-06:00

Some of you may have noticed that Darin has become exceedingly hairy over the last few months. If you know Darin very well, seeing him so hairy may have been extra surprising. He prefers to be shaven and maintain short haircuts...but the Church finally asked him to grow it all out. =) For reals. Back in November, Darin auditioned for a part in the new testament movies that are being filmed this summer in Payson. He received word a couple weeks later that he was to come to call-back auditions in May. They suggested that those who can, begin to grow out their hair.

Unfortunately, we've had a change of plans and have decided to move out to Denver sooner than later. We're moving in the middle of June...and filming doesn't start until July. So, the deal's off. Darin shaved off his facial hair today before church. It's nice to enjoy his smooth face again!

I think he looked pretty hot as a hippee. =) Luckily for me, he looks great even without all that hair!

Kayden update

2011-05-14T16:33:00.001-06:00

Kayden's a little motor man now. He started walking about a month ago and man can he cruise now. It's amazing how quickly these little ones change. Every week at church we start over--trying to find out how to keep Kayden entertained and comfortable. He wants to just run around and visit everybody during every meeting!

Here are just some pictures and video of him as of late. He's such a fun little guy!!! It's super funny that many of the pictures we get of him show a stone face. The reality is, he is smiling 80% of the time...but as soon as he sees that camera, usually the smile disappears and he gets his "investigator" face on as he checks out that device we're holding.

Here are a few good ones we've caught:

escaping winter

2011-02-25T20:29:00.004-07:00

I got to see Kristi Bjorkman, one of my best friends from grad school, this weekend. Darin and I stayed with her and her family in Irvine, California. They were so much fun! And we got to see sunshine!!

We spent a couple days in Disneyland & California Adventure running around with fast passes. We went nonstop all day and crashed at the end of each day. It did for half of one of the days, but the lines were super short--so it was a blast. The morning of the second day, Darin woke up hardly able to contain himself feeling like a little kid--he was dying to go again.

We also got to hangout at the beach. Kristi took us kayaking & paddle boarding in the ocean around Balboa Island.

The whole trip was a dream...except we missed the baby!!! It's good to get away as a couple...but we were definitely excited to see him again.

Denver

2011-02-06T20:34:00.002-07:00

FYI, it's official! We're headed to Denver this summer. Darin starts school in August! We're so proud of his hard work to get this far!

This is a picture of the dental school when we visited fall 2009. It was just a dream then...but we're excited for it to become a reality.

fall family photos

2010-11-22T22:15:00.004-07:00

lkjaougsg

2010-10-31T13:30:00.004-06:00

This is me trying to blog with Kayden on my lap. ;k lhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh cy >g]p[-[]fdc vb ,.k, rr /[pp m 42 '

What you can't see is the 20 windows that pop up, my attempts to get him distracted by something else, his insisting that the only thing he wants is a keyboard, his crying and my lack of sympathy. What you can't hear is the smacking of the keys, the difference between the real cries when he's hit the keys too hard and the fake cry when he's not getting what he wants.

Blogging with Kayden involves all 5 senses and I wanted to share the WHOLE experience with you.

the best 3 years

2010-10-03T22:32:00.004-06:00

This year, we turned our 3rd anniversary into a family birthday celebration- commemorating the day our family was born. Our anniversary was on Monday, but the celebration began on Friday and continued through Tuesday. Here are some of the ways we celebrated:

Camping
Hiking
Dinner at Macaroni Grill
Looked through our notes and pictures from when we were dating (which is quite the collection!) while on temple square where we were married
Attended the temple together

I can't count the number of times in the last 3 years I've asked myself,

"Does life get any better than this?"

...and it just keeps getting better.

We tried to get a good picture with all 3 of us in it...but since we were taking the picture ourselves, we couldn't quite get all of us in it. This is the best we got.

(Oh, and by the way, I know it looks like Kayden is much happier with his dad than with his mom...but just keep in mind who he was looking at when we took each of these pictures. hehe)

attempting raspberries

2010-07-17T16:19:00.002-06:00

Just had to share this! We're having so much fun with this little guy!

A handful of deliciousness

2010-05-11T12:15:00.012-06:00

For the first few days of his life, I would just cry

whenever I looked at him. I can finally control the tears...

but I can't stop the smile.

Thanks for the wonderful pictures, Michelle.

k seriously

2010-04-25T20:04:00.001-06:00

Fishing party is OVER! Come on out baby!

Reason #10

2010-04-22T14:35:00.002-06:00

My mom figures he's just too busy hanging out with his uncle Brian (my brother who died as a baby). I think chances are also good he's fishing with Grandpa. =)

Come on...we're fun too! Come play with us little boy!

Reasons he's waiting...

2010-04-20T19:29:00.003-06:00

As many of you know, my due date was the 18 and so far, there's no sign of this baby coming really soon. Luckily he's doing great according to an ultrasound we just had and so there are no worries about going overdue. We'll just continue to occasionally monitor how he's doing (at the doctor's office and hospital) and wait until he's ready to come.

Here are some reasons why I think he's been waiting:

1. Let Mom finish her thesis

2. Let Dad finish his classes and finals

2. Let Mom interview for jobs for next year

4. Since he waited to come, we'll experience some extra benefits with insurance because he'll be born after a certain deadline they have

5. Let Mom have another week to feel less scarred about being a mom and more excited about it! (feeling SO excited, by the way!)

6. Wait for Grandma Rhean to get back in town

7. Wait for his DOCTOR to get back in town (fhew!)

8. Let Dad build up some anticipation for Mom going into labor (he's never been more attentive to my texts and phone calls! Every morning he talks like we're having the baby that day =)

9. Wait until it's closer to the time to move into a neighboring apartment that has one more bedroom (it'll be nice to only be cramped for a little bit...instead of several weeks)

10. ???

I'm sure we'll find more reasons this week...

The Lord works in mysterious ways...I'm so glad He's looking out for us and knows when to let this little one come. We're trusting Him.

Nervous for your defense?

2010-04-12T15:19:00.004-06:00

Lots of people have been asking if I'm nervous about my thesis defense meeting. To any who are wondering, here is my answer:

"Are you kidding?? I'm WAY more nervous about being a mom... This thesis thing is no big deal. Being a mom the rest of my life? Now that will be the real challenge."

Feel free to leave encouraging notes. Ladies, tell me all the things you love about motherhood. Tell me all about the joy it brings.

I've heard enough lately about how hard it is.

Grahm Canyon in a CUP

2010-04-08T11:50:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was a great day. After feeling hopeless just the day before about meeting thesis deadlines (due to complications), yesterday was different. The stars aligned (meaning God intervened and blessed) and things are looking good again. So, on my way home from school after filling out forms, petitions, making revisions, etc., I decided to stop at the creamery for a little reward: grahm canyon ice cream. YUM!

I got a child scoop...this time in a CONE. Thinking it would be an extra treat to have it in a cone as opposed to just a cup...I was sorely disappointed. They don't give you nearly as much in a cone as in a cup. I went out to my car and enjoyed the ice cream...briefly, for there wasn't much in that cone. And then I did something very uncharacteristic of me...I went back in the store and got another one. =) This time in a CUP! No more cones for me! The cashier got a kick out of this very pregnant woman coming back in for another ice cream. Same flavor and everything--just needed some more.

Oh yeah, that hit the spot...completely. Thank you BYU creamery.

The perfect cradle

2010-04-02T11:03:00.002-06:00

I have fallen in love...with a cradle. Darin's dad MADE this for us. Isn't it gorgeous?! And the beautiful star quilt was made by Darin's mom. It goes really well with the cradle and my favorite little musical toy elephant that was a gift from my sister.

Just had to show off! I'm so blessed with wonderful and talented family members!

37 weeks...and totally waddling =)

2010-04-02T10:58:00.004-06:00

At the beginning of the pregnancy, I remember telling Darin that I'd like him to tell me if I ever start to waddle as I walk...I was determined to NOT do that ridiculous waddle thing that most pregnant women do.

Well...now I get it. It feels way better to waddle. So, I do.

Cute little baby stuff

2010-04-01T11:32:00.000-06:00

Here's just some of the cute stuff I have to show you...

This is the outfit we want to bring our baby home in. It's really soft and oh so darling. It was a gift from my good friend from school, Kristi. hehe, it's so yummy!
Thanks to a family friend in my parents' ward who gave us her rocker, we'll have a great place to feed and hold our little one. The blanket was handcrafted by my mother...I LOVE it! She knows my taste so well. =)

We finally got a carseat. I'm still not sure about the colors, but it's a great carseat and we got a pretty good deal for a brand new Chicco. Notice the little crocheted lamb (made by my friend Maria--amazing!) who's been the baby model for the last few months. We've put him in the cradle, the stroller, and we've even dressed him in some of the baby clothes. =)

33 weeks and counting...

2010-03-01T07:54:00.004-07:00

Graduate courses...check!

Passing the PRAXIS exam...check!

Clinical hours...check!

Internships...4 more days!

Thesis...final draft will be in to the committee for revision this week!

Cradle...on it's way!

Baby bath...check!

Rocker...check (thanks Meghan)!

Diaper bag...check!

Bouncer...still looking (ideas?)

Stroller...still deciding (any suggestions?)

Carseat...still looking

Baby showers...coming up! =D so excited to see friends and family!

wow--life's good

homemade artisan bread

2010-01-31T15:58:00.006-07:00

It wasn't until I got married that I realized that cooking was not a talent I had been given nor had I put the time into developing the skill. So, thanks to the fact that my husband will pretty-much eat and enjoy anything and the fact that I'm willing to keep trying to cook, we're getting along ok.

However, I also learned that I have a real love for baking. Specifically, baking

BREAD

I used just stick to rolls, breadsticks, cinnamon rolls and wheat bread loaves. But then a while ago, a friend of mine who's a fabulous cook gave me this book called "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day"...and it's changed my life. (Thanks Mandy!) Seriously, this bread is soooo yummy and the dough recipes are fool-proof! I've never had a loaf not turn out (and I'm good at accidentally putting too much or too little of something in, or forgetting about one little part of the directions). It's so easy because it doesn't require kneading and the dough can sit in your fridge ready to be cooked for up to two weeks.

And hey, it looks fancy doesn't it?

These are just pictures of the plain french bread, but I've also made the Italian Semolina Bread, which is super yummy too. There are recipes for herb or cheese breads that I'm going to try soon. But they all stem from the same basic recipe that you just add extra ingredients to.

Just wanted to put in a plug for this book because I've found it to make baking bread even quicker and more fun! It's written by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois...in case you want to check it out. Oh, and you don't have to use a baking stone. Before someone gave me one, I used a cookie sheet and it worked just fine.

jobs that go unnoticed

2010-01-30T16:51:00.000-07:00

Today I'm blogging about a job that would otherwise go unnoticed. No one is to blame. It's not that anyone else even should notice it. It's just one of those jobs that needs to be done, but won't be acknowledged...until it needs to be done again. Kinda like dusting.

We got this awesome spice rack for our wedding...over 2 years ago. I noticed last week that the bottles were coated. Not sure exactly with what, but we keep it next to the stove, so I guess the vapors just deposit film on them.

So, here's what they looked like before I cleaned them. Notice, the glass is cloudy.

Here's after I cleaned each bottle. Notice, the glass is not cloudy.

But see, you probably wouldn't have noticed it until I devoted a whole post just to that.

Such is the life of a homemaker I guess, eh? That's ok. I know that they're clean now.

Tah duh!

25 weeks

2010-01-25T08:54:00.003-07:00

I'm beginning to have some serious word-finding issues...

2010-01-11T18:48:00.001-07:00

So I really loved this comic.

21 weeks

2009-12-07T10:00:00.004-07:00

Sorry, these don't make the most exciting posts, but I have some friends and family who are away and keep insisting that they be able to see baby bump pictures. This week you can for sure see growth!! Those are the ultrasound pictures in the background. So fun!!!

I love BOYS

2009-12-03T11:26:00.003-07:00

We had our ultrasound, which was soooo fun! I've always loved boys and I'm so excited to have TWO of my very own (Darin and baby boy, that is...no, we're not having twins=).

soon to be the Johnston trio

2009-11-15T20:34:00.001-07:00

So, remember how I’m a little behind with blogging? Well, today I’m officially 18 weeks pregnant, but we took this picture last week. Just thought it was time we share the great news via blog for those who don’t know yet. The due date is April 18 and no we don’t know gender yet, but we will find out in two weeks. Darin “knows” it’s a boy. He even had an awesome dream about our baby the other night and got to hear his laugh! He’s such a visionary man. =D Who knows…we’ll take a boy or a girl.

Pregnancy’s been pretty great for me…I haven’t hardly been sick at all and I’ve been able to keep up with work and school. It’s been fun to feel the baby moving around more. I heard several kicks while the doctor was listening for the heartbeat this week and I actually felt one last night. Incredible! At first being pregnant all seemed so surreal to me, but now that I have a little “pooch” and know there’s movement in there, it’s so exciting!!

For those who are wondering, this is the real reason why Darin didn’t apply for dental school this year. We realized be could start our family sooner if he could stay home while I completed my fellowship year (working full-time) to get certified as a speech/language pathologist and then he will start dental school and I’ll be home! Our plan actually worked! He’s really excited to be Mr. Mom for a while before he’s engrossed in school again.

Half marathon…at 6 weeks!

2009-11-02T21:34:00.000-07:00

Still catching up from summer…

Last April I got back into running with my friend, Maria (from my school program). We ran together every MWThSat for several months and built up our distance. Before we knew it we were running 13 miles! Maria couldn’t join me, but I ran in the Hobble-Creek half marathon. I was so excited for this race and was determined to meet my goal of 13.1 miles in under 2 hours. It was very doable, but I got thrown a few curve balls before and during the race. Here’s what I wrote about the experience:

August 22, 2009

Today I ran the Hobblecreek half marathon. I’ve run 13.1 miles before in training, but this was my first official race. I was on the front seat of the very first bus going up the canyon to the start line. We boarded the bus at 5:15 am and arrived at the starting line at 6am…just to wait until the race began at 7:30am. But all of the runners became increasingly anxious when the race didn’t start on time (and we’d been waiting in our little running clothes up in the cold mountains). Seven-thirty is already a late starting time for a race of this length…but come on, 8:00am?!?!?!? That’s when we began the race; we all dreaded those last 3 miles when we would be in direct sunlight and definitely be feeling the heat of the day. It was supposed to get up to 100 degrees that day, so we knew it would be a warm morning.

I was 6 weeks pregnant, but had heard from medical professionals and friends that if I was up to that fitness level before I got pregnant, I’d be fine to maintain it and keep doing what I’m doing. I know a woman who ran a half marathon at 12 weeks cause she was a runner and had been in great shape when she conceived. Anyway, the only element that was difficult was the increased frequency of urination. I’d noticed at work the last couple of weeks that I’d had to go to the bathroom every sing 1-2 hours, when usually I can wait all day if I need to. So, this made the race interesting. I tried to take precautions by going to the bathroom before I left the house (4:30am) then before I got on the bus (5am) then after I got off the bus (6) but by the time the last mile came around just shy of 10am, I was peeing my pants and determined to keep going. Had I seen a porter-potty along the way, I may have stopped, but I was trying to reach my goal of under 2 hours and I knew it was getting close. I decided to just try to keep in what I could. (sorry, probably too much information!)

I was surprised at how steep the grade was, but for the first 9 miles, I was making great time and my injured knee was not bothering me at all. Then in the last 3 miles, things changed. I felt myself getting a little dehydrated as the heat pounded down. There were a few decent uphills and the downhill momentum had been let off. Now it was a residential area (not the canyon anymore) and I started feeling it. I realized that I didn’t know exactly where the finish line was. One of the other runners warned me that when I see the park, don’t think that’s the end because you have to run all the way around the park before you reach the finish line. Well, when I saw the park, I was so spent, I instantly got discouraged. Not knowing exactly how far I had to go was a real mental challenge for me and I started to slow down. Other runners were encouraging me to keep going that I was “almost there” but I wanted to slow down not only because it sounded nice, but because I was trying to be careful with the baby and make sure I was not pushing myself too much. I knew that the heat element wasn’t good and I didn’t want to take risks. I walked and jogged the last ½ mile and I knew that this meant I would no longer reach my goal time (under 2 hours). I ended up finishing at 2 minutes and 3 seconds. So close, but I still felt great about how I’d done. Given the circumstances, I think I did the right thing and took care of myself and the babe.

Darin was out of town that weekend, but I was SO glad that my dad was there to greet me at the finish line. Not only did I need his moral support, but his physical support. I leaned on him for a few minutes while I cooled down and regained strength.

I can’t wait to train again next summer!

Visiting Colorado

2009-10-13T20:37:00.002-06:00

Darin and I decided to take a quick trip out to Colorado for our second year anniversary. I lived there 6 years ago, but haven't been back since. We had SOOO much fun!

We drove 5 hours to Grand Junction where we stayed a night (to break up the drive), but had a surprise in the morning when our car was COVERED in bird poop! We'd parked in the hotel parking lot under a tree that apparently houses many many birds at night. We laughed so hard just driving to the nearest gas station as we tried to see through the dripping mess on the

windows. We used the sponges on the squeegees at the gas station to scrub it a

ll off. I feel bad for the people who came to use those after us and got their windows dirtier from that nasty, poopy water.

The front window looks pretty clean in this picture, but that's because we'd already cleaned it off with the wipers and tons of washer fluid. The side windows were all streaked!Here's a close-up....

(The yellow squares are just the lights at the gas station reflecting...it makes our paint look really bad in this picture)

The drive was absolutely gorgeous! What a beautiful time to make that drive through the mountains! I couldn't seem to get any pictures that really represented the beauty accurately.

When we got into Denver, we stopped by for a tour of the dental school in Aurora. Super nice school!

When it was time for lunch I was really craving some Chipotle. I told Darin that this burrito place was sooo popular in Colorado and he really believed me when

we looked on the GPS for one that was close to us and there was a Chipotle every .2 miles for the next few miles! Needless to say, very time we ate out of this trip...we had Chipotle!

We had fun visiting our friends in Denver! Thanks Alexandria & Rob for putting us up for a night!

Another highlight of the trip was dinner at RockBottom and going to see a show...

That's right! We were on the FIFTH row at WICKED!!! It was awesome!

The next morning we went on a run together and found a huge beautiful park in the middle of the neighborhood where our friends live (only 10 min. away from downtown Denver). That's one thing I love about Colorado...they make sure to leave plenty of green space!

We stopped by the Denver temple on our way to Colorado Springs. It was a really cold morning, but the temple was beautiful and we had a wonderful experience remembering the day we were sealed together forever in the Salt Lake temple.

I'll have to edit this post and finish it later...

Two down

2009-10-10T21:39:00.000-06:00

For our second anniversary, Darin gave me the most beautiful bouquet I've ever seen! They lasted for almost two weeks. A few times, I came home from school or work and actually teared up when I saw and smelled these flowers.

I loved these lilies, but especially what they represent. What a wonderful two years it's been! I don't know how I got so blessed to have such an incredible eternal friend!

catching up from summertime

2009-09-25T21:55:00.002-06:00

So, this funny thing happens with blogging and journaling. If I get too far behind, I just stop altogether because I don't know where to start and I feel I'll never catch up. Today, I'm trying to put that behind me. I will just have to chip away at it piece by piece. So, in pieces over the next little while, you'll find out what we were up to this summer.

our hot hike

2009-08-02T12:05:00.001-06:00

Darin and I decided to go hiking on Saturday morning. We headed up toward Stuart Falls, but I found out that we had to pay $6 to park up there by timpanogos trail and I was so bugged. I refused to pay (so dumb, looking back, but in the moment I was mad that people could make us pay them money for enjoying nature). So, Darin being the wonderfully forgiving and patient husband he is drove back down the canyon with my grumpy self and we stopped at one of the parks in the canyon. He decided we would just park there and start hiking up the mountain. I agreed since we needed to start hiking now that we were approaching 11 or 12 in the morning and the sun was definitely beaming. I just followed him up the mountain right into all the dead grass. And there we walked and walked and walked, hoping that it would get prettier at any moment (well, I hoped, but I think Darin was just enjoying the whole thing). There were grasshoppers EVERYWHERE and it was SICK cause I could feel dozens of them hitting my legs with each step. It turned out to be a fun and definitely memorable experience, but I learned my lesson. PAY THE SIX BUCKS, YOU CHEAPSKATE! We could have enjoyed a shaded and beautiful hike up to Stuart falls. Live and learn, I guess.

4th of July in Idaho

2009-07-06T11:48:00.000-06:00

We got to go visit Darin's sister, Michelle and her family in July. We'd been wanting to go up and stay at their house for a while and we finally went. We went to a local parade with them after a neighborhood breakfast that was sooo yummy! It was so fun to just hang out with them. Their girls are so cute. While we waited a few hours for the fireworks show to start, they thought it was so fun to just run around in the same circle like 50 times! It's so funny that they just got a kick out of that. Sometimes kids are so simple, it's hilarious.
Brady, Michelle's husband, had just finished chemo therapy and we were so glad to see that he was doing so well. I've been so amazed at their strength, faith and optimism through that whole experience. They're such great examples to me and Darin!

The school side of our lives

2009-06-07T12:26:00.005-06:00

We don't blog about school very much (even though it constitutes about 90% of our lives right now) because it's just not that exciting to blog about. However, at this point, we are reaching some exciting milestones.

CLASSES:

I've been in graduate school at BYU studying speech-language pathology for the last year. In just a week and a half, spring term ends and I'll be done with classes...ALL done. I don't graduate yet though because I still have two internships and a thesis to write, which will all take another academic year. Now you're thinking "at least she can earn some money now with the internships." Wrong. I don't know why our field is different than most, but our internships are unpaid, but everything else about them is like a job (e.g. we can't miss work, we are expected to contribute a full day's work 5 days a week).

INTERNSHIPS:

The 3rd week of June (right after spring term ends) is when I begin my medical internship at a rehabilitation center in Sandy. I'll ride UTA at 6:30am, then trax, and then bike the last 2 miles...and wahlah...I begin working at 8:30 am. I'll be working with mostly older patients who've had stokes and traumatic brain injuries and are learning how to talk again. I'll also work with patients who are having difficulties swallowing (betcha didn't know that SPEECH THERAPISTS do that!). This will be a brand new context for me and I'm excited for the experience.

In September, I begin a new internship at a private preschool for children on the Autism Spectrum. The school is called Giant Steps and I've heard such wonderful things about the program. I'm really excited for this one.

MY FIRST SLP JOB:

I also have a job lined up to begin in September also working at another preschool for children with Autism. My boss is awesome and i do get paid for this (and the pay is great). It will give me excellent experience also!

THESIS:

While doing all of the above, I'll be setting aside time to continue working on my thesis. I'm looking at withdrawal behavior (the kind where they play by themselves more than with other children) in children with language impairment and how it correlates with their language test scores. Are the withdrawn because they don't have good language skills? or do they not have good language skills because they're withdrawn? Aren't we all DYING to know?!?!

ok...so see what I mean? BAD idea to blog about school stuff. It can get boring to ya'll. Let's move on to Darin before I dig a deeper hole...

DARIN:

He is not currently taking classes, but he's been working at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) and studying hard for the Dental Admissions Test (DAT). He's been so diligent with his study--I don't know how he keeps himself motivated! I admire him so much for that. Anyway, it's getting tough, but he's hanging in there. He'll take the exam in a couple of weeks. He will apply for dental school next summer since our plan is to work full-time for a year before he starts dental school. He's a smarty-pants!

Porter's Cabin

2009-05-24T11:04:00.005-06:00

This weekend we went with some friends up to stay a night at their parents cabin. We had such a good time! Anyone ever played the game Blurt?! I LOVE that game and want to add it to our somewhat nonexistant collection of games. =D There were hours of intellectual talk about everything from signs of the times, to aliens, to politics, to dropping seals on a country to cause havvok...hahhaha. Jayce said something about using seals to invade a country and I thought he was talking about the animal--I thought it was a strange strategy, but it might work. Then they told me he meant Navy Seals. Oops!

We were so irresponsible and stayed up until 4:30 am watching the Truman show and Independence Day. Then, a few hours later we had a delicious breakfast of fruit and waffles. Yum! Short, but fun! I'm so grateful for good friends. I've known Lindsey and Jayce since high school in Colorado and am so glad we're all still hangin out...now with spouses! =D

Real mountain bikers

2009-05-24T10:31:00.005-06:00

Look at how hard core these guys are?! I knew I was in trouble when they started pulling out the knee and elbow pads and attaching them to the bikes for the ride down. They are not afraid of speed! This is Faozi and Laina, our Tahitian friends who live below us at Wymount. They took us on a single track trail that was so narrow, the trees brush each arm as you ride! Then occasionally, it opens up to show you the drop off on one side. That's the part that was a mental challenge for me...as soon as I pictured myself falling toward that slope, that's exactly what I did. I didn't fall far though and just had a few bruises. I'll need a little more practice this season before I hit this one again. Fun trail though! I want to be able to do it this summer.

Two helpful tips from Faozi:

1. Look further up the trail. When you look down close to where you're riding, it's harder to keep your balance.

2. When there's an obstacle coming up, be aggressive and hit it hard. When you hesitate, you lose power.

Climbing Rock Canyon

2009-05-19T09:46:00.011-06:00

I'm finally getting around to posting about the afternoon I spent with my friends Kristi and Maria from school. We just went climbing on a wall up Rock Canyon right here in Provo. It was a much needed break from studying!! Maria was belaying me...and she's so tiny, I had to have a lot of faith in the little pulley system. But she knew what she was doing and did a great job! I was glad that I went first because Maria and Kristi were so fast! I was so impressed. Maria assured me that it's hardest to go up first because you don't have the advantage of seeing the route that someone else took. I think she was just trying to make me feel better. Anyway, I'm hooked and can't wait to go again! Let's do it girls...next Friday? [Maria, send me the pic of all three of us and I'll add it to this post!]

Vacation in St. George

2009-05-11T09:09:00.002-06:00

Darin and I hustled to finish our finals early and have some time to join Darin's sister's family (the Richards) at a condo in St. George. Each year the Johnstons have their timeshare at a condo in St. George. This year we weren't all able to be down there at the same time, but the Richards stayed the whole week and we got to join them an the end of the week. We had such a fun time having their family all to ourselves! Jamilynn and Cory are so much fun and their kids are angels! I am in love with Tommy (don't worry, Darin knows). He's SOOO cute!! I wish I'd taken video of him because his personality is so fun and he says funny things all the time. At any given moment you can say, "Who are you?" and he'll answer with "Spiderman!" or "Bumble bee" (transformers). He says it with his nose wrinkled like it is in the picture here and with a raspy voice. So cute!

The weather was perfect the whole week. We went on a hike first thing. Look at that sky!

Then we ate lunch at a little park in town where there are nice grass islands to sit and a little manmade stream for the kids to play in. I love this picture because you can see Tommy's little crack. His mom asked him to pull his swim suit up and he obediently pulled the legs up to expose his thighs. Haha! Jami just laughed and shook her head.

Then we went to Fiesta Fun (a tradition in the Johnston family) where we did bumper boats, bumper cars, go carts, and mini golf. The bumper boats have a fun feature--sprayers! We all had a great time getting each other wet, but Ryan wa

s the king. He absolutely SOAKED everyone!!

We were drentched by the time we were done. Good thing it was still so warm even at 7pm. Ahh...I love warm weather.

We also got to go on a few bike rides. Darin and I found a nice little trail for riding. So glad I married someone who loves to be outside and be active! We have some good times!

We also got to spend lots of time at the pool, play

tennis in the morning and afternoon and watch movies at night. It was a much needed break! Now it's back to the books. Spring term started 2 weeks ago for me and Darin's studying for the DAT. Our trip seems like it was just a dream...

Now it's back to the books. Spring term started 2 weeks ago for me and Darin's studying for the DAT. Our trip seems like it was just a dream...

By the way, does anyone know why my text is doing this wierd spacing thing? The big gap in the first paragraph on this post really bugs me but I can't figure out how to change it. Advice??

Yoga anyone?

2009-03-31T11:37:00.002-06:00

So... I'm not so good at blogging. I don't do it often enough to remember what I've learned. It took me a while this morning just to figure out how to change the background again! ugh! So, I've decided to try to start small. I just want to blog a little here and a little there.

Here's my little post for today. If anyone is reading this, and if you also like yoga, you may be interested in a website that a friend told me about. Yogatoday.com provides a new 60 minute yoga workout DAILY for FREE. It's awesome. You can pick the workout you want to do (different levels available) and do it wherever and whenever you want to! I've loved it.

57th Ward Dinner at the Barn

2008-12-27T20:08:00.000-07:00

Darin has had a great time serving as a counselor in the bishopric of a BYU singles ward. (Yeah, after only being married for seven months we were back in a singles ward!) We've really enjoyed getting to know the members of the ward and have learned a lot from their dedicated service to each other and others in the community. Time and time again, they surprise us with incredible attendence to FHE and ward activities. Recently the ward put on a formal dinner at a Barn in Mapleton. Despite the tricky location of the barn and the first big snowstorm, we managed to have such a turn-out that we didn't have enough tables and chairs to seat everyone. One of the highlights of the evening was when a set of chimes was dispersed and everyone tried to play Christmas songs by watching for their note to play which was written on a poster board in front of the group. We laughed so hard...watch the video!

Mandy Valora (a family friend who lived across the street from me when I lived in Orem--she's the second girl from the right) just happened to be in the singles ward where we've been called. I've had a lot of fun hanging out with her and her roommates!

Simple pleasures...

2008-12-27T18:42:00.001-07:00

Last year we were pretty lame when it came to holidays. We were just trying to keep up with planning a wedding, moving into a place of our own and keeping up with school. Halloween came and went and decorating for Christmas was not a high priority! But this year was different. We were very excited to have our first Christmas tree and outdoor decorations! Our little 5' tree with white lights and homemade ornaments really lit up the place this holiday season. I really looked forward to coming home each day and completing my homework in our cozy home lit only by the lights on the tree. We even got to hang garland and tie red bows on the railing of our porch! I still feel like I'm playing house, but I love it! We love Christmas in Wymount!

BYU vs. UNLV

2008-10-27T16:30:00.000-06:00

We got to go to our first game this year--I know, I know...almost the last game of the season! It was so fun to watch such a close game and especially to see one of Darin's friends from high school intercept the ball that saved the game at the last second! It was so funny to listen to Mary Jo and Hays scream "Get 'em get 'em get 'em get 'em!" throughout the game. The weather was beautiful! even in the shade. :) Thanks Lauri for the Sports Pass!

We're finally blogging!

2008-10-03T20:35:00.000-06:00

We've been talking about making a blog for a while, but we're finally doing it. Just like it took us a couple years to get on facebook, we're a little slow with the blogging. =D