April Showers

Spring is here and in full bloom! We have been enjoying all the fragrant blossoming trees, blooming flowers, and greenery just popping up all over the place. Jace helped me plant these spring daffodil and tulip bulbs a few months back. I told him they're not for picking but he forgot. They look pretty inside too though.



Here is Brooke checking out the flowers in the front yard . . . . .we try to not let her get too close because she likes to pluck the petals off.



Brooke's hair is SLOWLY getting longer. I managed to get a single ponytail in today. . . . .on occasion two tiny piggy tails. They don't last very long though. She likes to pull them out.



Along with the flowers we get the rain too. Lots of it! Jace still enjoys being outside though. . .he just puts on his slicker and has a great time. Look he found a ladybug!



He also likes using his double shooting bubble/water gun. Unfortunately, it got taken away because it's not aloud in the house and on more then one occasion I have found my little Brookie soaked and Jace's hand on the trigger.




Well, we hope you all had a wonderful Easter!



I didn't get any pictures of the kids in their Easter Sunday clothes . .we rushed off to a wonderful Easter dinner with some of Craig's family in Oregon and Brooke's dress was itchy and her nursery leaders said she was trying to disrobe the entire time. She was ready to take her dress off the second we got home. This picture of the kids is right before the Easter Egg hunt at the clubhouse on Sat. morning. I tried to post a video of it on here but it's not working . . maybe later. It was pretty funny. Jace got the hang of it and got lots of eggs but Brooke quickly grabbed 2 eggs and just wanted to stop after that and eat the candy inside. She threw a tantrum until Craig gave her a piece of candy . . . then the crying magically stopped. The little stink bug. Anyways, happy April everyone!

From Cute Country to Warm Tuscan

MY HOUSE MAKEOVER

Okay . . so since I got married back in 2003 the only piece of NEW furniture that I have purchased is a crib set when we found out we were expecting Jace and he is 3 1/2 yrs old now. I have been using hand me down everything for a VERY long time. However, when I was visiting family back in Utah I found this painting that I fell in love with and decided to redo my whole downstairs around it (Kitchen,Living Room,Dining Room). Now, we still couldn't really afford new furniture but I gave my downstairs a whole new look for under $300.00. I'm so proud of myself and I LOVE it! From Cute Country to Warm Tuscan!

Here is my living room before:













And After:













Please disregard the ghetto entertainment center/ T.V. Hopefully that will be remedied by next Christmas.


Again, Before:














And After:














Kitchen Before:













Kitchen After:I mostly just redid the top shelves . .click on the photo for a closer look . . .
















Dining Room Before:

















Dining Room After:




















YEAH FOR MAKEOVERS!!


































From slipcovers for the couches, to EXTREME bargain shopping, to repainting old things I completely redid my downstairs for a resonable price . . .I'm very excited about it . . .what do you think?

GlenEden Beach OR.

We had SO much fun! Here are LOTS of pictures from our trip.

GlenEden Beach was awesome. My parents came up from Hurricane, Ut. to pay us a visit for their spring break. They brought my baby sister Jessica too. The kids and I got picked up on Monday, we stopped at Costco and picked up lots of good Vacation food, and drove down just past Lincoln City, OR. Unfortunately Craig had to work so he missed out on all the fun :( The WorldMark there was very beautiful.. . it's sits on a bluff overlooking the ocean. We checked out the beach and the pool the first day. In fact I found out what a sneaker wave was that first day. In case you're wondering . . it's a wave that is much larger than the other waves. We were enjoying the views, the kids were running around on the beach and this huge wave appeared out of nowhere. I scooped up Brooke just before she was swept away and Grandpa grabbed Jace. I didn't know I could run that fast and even though I ended up soaked my babies were safe.

Brooke bonded w/ Grandpa right away. For some reason she just loves Men. . .Daddies and Grandpas best though. She loved snuggling with him during movies and that first night she cried out for "pampa" when I put her to bed instead of mommy. The second day we went to the Lincoln City Tanger Outlets and shopped. Grandma & Grandpa got a little Fire Truck stroller for the kids and they LOVED it. My daddy even gave me some money even though I'm all grown up. GAP & OLD NAVY were our favorite stores. We found lots of great deals and got some fun new clothes. When we got back I put Brooke down for a nap and took Jace down to the beach to build a promised sandcastle. An hour or two later my parents came down to check out the sandcastle & take some pictures with Brooke in tow and Grandma told me I had a little surprise back in my room. Apparently after Brooke woke up from her nap she removed her poopy diaper and was playing in it so it was all over her pack n' play. Yikes . . .the things kids do. At least they had a washer & dryer in our condo so things cleaned up quite easily.

The ocean was very interesting that day. I think because it was overcast there was just TONS of sea foam. I mean SEA FOAM galore!! It looked like someone had just dumped tons of dish soap in the ocean and the waves were churning bubbles. The next day was sunny and warm so the sea foam was gone. It probably got evaporated from the sunshine. We drove down to the Yaquina Head Lighthouse which was a completely new, wonderful experience. It was very beautiful and it was fun to climb the many many stairs to the top and look out at the ocean. We also checked out the tide pools there and watched some sea lions basking in the sun. Then we headed further down to Newport OR and bought kites. Later that day we spent mostly on the beach flying kites, chasing waves and taking in the views and the sunshine.

That evening my dad took Jessica and I out to see the movie TAKEN. It was really scary. I think because any girl would put herself in that situation. The sad thing is that crazy stuff like that goes on quite a bit . .scary. If you don't know what I'm talking about then go see the movie. I don't want to ruin it for you. It was fun to go to a movies though. The last time I went to movie was back in November. We don't get out much with the kiddos. Grandma bonded w/ the kids while we were gone. When we got back Brooke of course came running excitedly towards us . .passes and me and goes in for a hug from Grandpa. They had made a cake while we were gone and had been blowing bubbles. . .too fun!

I think we went swimming about every day there too. The pool area was gorgeous because it's all overlooking the ocean. You can sit in the hot tub and watch the waves break. Everything was heated too so it was nice even when it was cold outside. Although the first day we did get hailed on and I'm going to add that hot tubbin' in hail hurts! Brookie turned into a fish in the water and loved the hot tub w/ the "bubbles". We did have a scare though. Most of the time I had Jace in a life jacket but one the times I forgot to bring it. Anyways, he followed my mom & Jessica in the big pool while nobody was looking. My motherly instincts kicked in and the second I saw him at the bottom of the pool flailing his arms. I jumped right in while holding Brooke and scooped him up. I think he had only been under a couple seconds but it sure scared him and me. He just leeched right on to me the rest of the time at the pool. He was so confused and asked me "why didn't I float like I did the nother day?" He was so used to having a life jacket on that he thought he could just float. He's still talking about he "almost drownded" but that I saved him.

I can't go on enough about so much fun we had! Even the little things like watching American Idol & 24 or that freaky Ghost hunters show . .and staying up until like 1:00 A.M. talking to my mom, running with my dad and just spending time together. It was so good to see my family. I love you mom & dad! Thanks for stealing us away and taking us to the beach for your spring break vacation!

Creative Outlet

I have to have some sort of creative outlet or I go crazy. Whether it be painting, scrap booking, decorating, doing posters for the ward activities or just something random, it makes me feel good inside when I have created something pleasurable to look at and enjoy. I love art . . .with that in mind check out these cute decorative frames I made.

Motherhood & Homemaking

This morning after breakfast I turned on PBS for the kids and went upstairs to clean up. I could hear that the kids were entertaining themselves because of Brookie's high pitched squealing and giddy laughter. I assumed they turned the fan on and were putting small balloons over it to watch them "magically" fly up into the air. This usually provokes the uncontainable squealing and laughter. However, I went downstairs to find a shivering Brooke sitting on my drenched couch. I asked what happened and Jace said " they were just dirty and I was cleaning them". I'm just glad it wasn't juice. The following is what happened yesterday.

Sometimes I get So frustrated that my house can absolutely NOT stay clean. I honestly try but sometimes I wonder what the point of cleaning it is? Of course, if I didn't try to stay up on it then my house would turn into dump and I hate living in a cluttered mess so I go from task to task every day only to turn around to find this . . .


. . . . yes, my child, the walls, the floor, hurricane Brooke arrived.



I of course put her into the bath, clean her up, put the smelly good Johnson + Johnson lotion on, comb her hair, and go downstairs to get a night night milk for her and this is what I find when I return . . .


. . . she's back in the tub fully clothed in her jammies.






Sometimes, I feel like I'm loosing the parenting game. I can't keep up. Also, the last couple nights she has been crying when we put her to bed. She never did this before. She used to just drink her milk and go right to sleep and sleep through the night. I've been trying to stay consistent and just let her cry it out. We already learned the hard way that we don't want to bring her into our bed because then it takes forever to get them out. Jace slept in our bed until he was almost 2 and I am NOT doing that again. I always feel horrible when I hear her crying though and I always wonder if she's crying just to get us to come in there and get her or if she's uncomfortable and needs help of some sort . . teething, maybe she's wet or can't go to sleep because she's cold and I feel guilty but I have to stay put because if I go in there then she will cry even harder when I put her back down. It's the worst when I can hear her yelling "MAMMA HEP HEP" . .in other words mommy help! Finally, after she had been crying for like 45 min straight Craig and I decided to go check on her only to find that she had taken her pants and diaper off and had peed all over her crib so she was wet and freezing cold. I felt HORRIBLE and to boot . .she wouldn't go to me. She only wanted to be comforted by daddy because she was mad at me. She stayed up for 20 min giving Craig snuggles and giving us a sermon about how she "need Jace" even when we told her that he was sleeping. Craig asked if she was ready to go back to bed and the reply was "nope". I got her some more warm night night milk and warm jammies and put her into her crib with fresh sheets and blankets. I wish being a mother was easier some days. I know I'm just venting and rambling and I do LOVE being a mother. I'm actually completely baby hungry again. I do however find solace in reading Nickolas Sparks books and temporarily escaping. He's a great writer . .I know you have heard of him. Several of his books have been adapted into movies . .The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, Message in a bottle, and A Walk to Remember. I'm usually crying by the end of the book and have more appreciation for my own circumstances . . even if it is cleaning up messes . . .it's cleaning up messes of a family that I love and would do anything for. Sometimes, I forget how appreciative I am that I have a husband that works his butt off so I can stay home and be a mother and homemaker. The job that I have always wanted. I just need to get through the daily confusion and find what's really important in my life . . teaching my children the importance of the gospel through kindness, patience, and example. This post was mostly just for me to put thoughts into words and come to a realization that I am one lucky woman.

Visit to Utah

We were lucky enough to be able to fly to Utah and spend Feb. 17th - Feb 28th with family. Jace was so excited to fly on an airplane . .I was a little less excited and a bit nervous to be flying as the only adult with 2 little munchkins. We spent the first 4 days down in Hurricane with my parents. It was wonderful to see everyone. Jeremy,Brittany and their 2 kids Erik and Ryan. My mom, dad, and Jessica. Julie and Jenny went to Cali and picked up Becky's boys: Carter, Taylor, Hunter, and Ryker and brought them over for us to play with. I was a sad to not be able to see Becky but happy that she got a much needed break and let us steal her boys for a bit. Jace had a blast with Carter, Taylor, and Erik! Little Ryan was a peach . .he was so happy. Beck's babies were adorable too. I was so happy to finally meet them all. My mom won over Brooke's heart by playing in the hot tub and Jace loved getting a ride on grandpa's new motorcycle, climbing the tree in the back yard and jumping on the trampoline. Plus we had a late Christmas there . .the kids had fun playing with all their new toys. The favorite was a remote control car that blows bubbles out the engine. We even got to see my baby sister do some cheer leading at the high school. Here are some pictures from our time there.

(Just click on the pictures for a close up)






I loved that I caught Taylor kissing Brooke on camera. He just thought she was too cute and that he needed to give her a smooch several times that day. I think it's hysterical that Becky is letting his hair grow out to look like Edward Cullen's hair. Brooke certainly thought he was dreamy. . . he was the little Casanova of the day.



Craig was able to come for the weekend so he picked us up in Hurricane and we headed back to Centerville on Sunday morning. We had tons of fun at Nani & Grandpa's house! They picked out such fun toys for the kids. A buzz lightyear and woody doll from Toy Story for Jace and and dress ups for Brooke. She loved putting on her little plastic high heels and tromping around the house. We were all quite impressed that she was able to walk in them at all. I had a great time shopping with Paula! I got a wonderful deal on a new painting. We also went swimming at the rec center too.

Grandpa Brammer reading to the kids. Nani was a bit camera shy so I didn't get any pictures of her. I love that Brooke has a double chin in this picture.






The night before we headed back home my parents came up and we were able to visit both of my grandma's with my brother Josh's family.


Grant,Grandpa Johnson,Jace,Kendall,Grandma Johnson,Brooke

It was so fun to see almost everyone! We just missed out on Becky and my little Brother Justin who is serving a mission in Florida. We love you all!

Valentines & a Birthday

I just wanted everyone to know what a wonderful husband I have. We had a sweet little weekend with Valentines Day on Saturday, the 6 yr anniversary of our engagement on Sunday and my birthday on Monday the 16th. For Valentines he bought me flowers & a wonderful card and cooked me a very romantic candlelit dinner, by himself. Craig doesn't' cook much besides brats,grilled cheese,and toast so this was quite the accomplishment! I loved that he took the time to show me he loves me. Unfortunately, Jace took an unexpected late nap and woke up just as our romantic dinner started which made the event a little less romantic . .although he did take the picture of the two of us together. We ended up falling asleep while watching Toy Story 2 as a follow up to dinner. It's the thought that counts though. I can't believe that I'm 25 . . YIKES! I feel old and young at the same time. Craig planned a night out on the town with a fancy restaurant, a movie, and no kids (we don't get out much) but, unfortunately, our plans were spoiled again when the kids got sick. I spent the day cleaning up barf with my sweet husband. Again, it was the thought that counts. He did get me a sweet gift certificate to Massage Envy that I am very excited to use! I need a good massage! I LOVE YOU CRAIG!