Smoker and TEN Years

A few weeks ago I was at CostCo during the day with just 2 boys. We weren't rushing to get out of the store but we weren't "shopping" either. You know the kind where you wonder up and down all the aisles, check out the clothes, look through the books. When I saw this

So of course I took the photo and sent it to Bryan, who was working. A few minutes later, he called. He rarely calls while he is at work. I ended up taking at least a half a dozen photos of it- inside, outside, the vent thingy, the racks...

He came home from work and wanted to get it. After we discussed it, him telling me how great it is and me agreeing, I told him "Happy Anniversary." After dinner, I sent him in my car (alone) to get one.

I put the boys to bed while he was out.

Thankfully his brother, Aaron, came to town the next evening and helped him get it out of my car. There is no way I could have lifted it.

I get to enjoy things like this

And he hasn't even smoked meat in it yet.

So I guess Happy 10th Anniversary to both of us!

Gramma J

Photos taken from Ryan Johnson's Blog. Thank you Ryan for taking such great photos and posting them so I would have something to put on here.



I don't even know where to begin. We are coming up on the second birthday in my little family since J died. I miss her birthday cards. And it hasn't even been my birthday.
I was cleaning out my Inbox and came across a few emails from J. For 93, she was amazing on the computer. A little over a year ago, I emailed her asking for her toffee recipe. She responded, more quickly than most of my sisters, and surprisingly part of it was not all caps.
Since we found out we were moving right before the funeral, I don't think I have had time to really process everything. I am grateful for the plan of happiness/salvation and my knowledge of it.
Birthdays and football season are going to be hard. I just wish my memory was as good as J's.

Elizabeth is a much better writer than me so check out her J post.

J's house
Missionary wall/map
Her couch
At the funeral


Nielsons, not all but most, at Luncheon. J's posterity from just one child.

Club House

Before we moved in, we had a "club house". I thought it would be perfect for storage. I was mistaken. Everyone loves the club house. I can honestly say I have NEVER been in the club house all the way and I don't plan on it either. Jill has been in it. But she is fun and I am not. I thought I had a photo of that, I will have to look for it.





Bryan and Isaac were playing on Bryan's phone in the club house.

Oh, it is a little closet under the stairs with a little door. Just sticking my head in the club house makes me feel claustrophobic.

My Cute Baby- almost 10 months

Can I just say, I think he is so wonderfully cute. He is really one of the happiest babies I have ever met. That being said, he does cry, he does get cranky but overall he is happy and easy-going even when he misses naps (yes, that is plural) and goes to boring meetings and rides in the car for long periods of time.

Some new-ish things about Ben:

He crawls. He has been my oldest baby to roll over and crawl but he can go up steps, well one step out of the living room.

He LOVES food. He prefers food over a bottle. We are lucky if he finishes 4 ounces at a time these days. He had started trying little pieces of bread and pasta lately and loves that too.

He ADORES his brothers. He is content to play alone while Isaac is still asleep in the morning but his face lights up when he has a brother to entertain him.

He is back to sleeping through the night (thank goodness!).

He still only has 2 bottom teeth (that we know of).

His favorite thing to say is "dada" and occasionally cries for "mama" but that is rare.