Another 5

Another 5 months flew by without an update here on the blog.  I seem to post our happenings on Facebook more than I do here, but I'll try to recap summer, the boys birthday,start of first grade and high school, HS volleyball, Homecoming, and Halloween.  See we have been busy ;-)

Bev and Dad made it down for the boys birthday!

Grandpa and Travis playing

The waterslide was a hit.

 

The boys at the Children's Museum in GR on our home trip

Last picture before headed to the airport
(it was caption earlier that it was the Johnson/Scott crew - but I'm missing Katie AND Bob. We are going to be better about getting the whole Johnson crew in pictures from now on;
less talking and more picture taking ;-)

Hanging out on our neighbors boat during the summer.

Camper of the week on the very first day!

First day of 1st grade and 9th grade!

Freshman "A" team starting player!

My pretty girl; her first Homecoming dance

We lost our 20 yr old kitty, Mageera, just a few days before Halloween.

Superheroes and a Villain

With the holidays upon us, I'll try to update more often, but that's what I said 5 months ago.

It's been awhile

It's been almost 5 months since I blogged.  I think that is the longest I have gone without updating this.  It took me 28 days just to write this post....I might need an intervention ;-)

So what has happened in 4 months?  Well let's see....

Someone got their braces off

Lauren turned 14! 14! (yes I'm still in denial)

She has played another season in Lacrosse.  She even played half of the year playing on the JV team as goalie.

Easter

Chase by the Lake

The only pic of 100 that you can see all three boys.  Ian is to the right, Travis in the middle and Logan is right behind Travis' left shoulder.

Elementary Lock In

Ian was the only one that would touch the snake.

Mama and her fellow PTA officers were able to secure a human hamster ball for all the kids to use!

Field Day

 Lauren waited years to be able to help with Field Day at her elementary school!

This summer is going to be busy; although nothing is really planned other than a trip from Grandpa Johnson and Bev, the boys birthday party, 4th of July, a trip to Michigan, Lauren starts volleyball on August 4 and school starts the last week in August. I'm whipped already!

Vacation Part III - Christmas with the Johnsons

After a couple of days in the park, Mike went to the airport and rented a minivan for our one hour trek to Dad's winter place. I had only learned the week before our vacation that Bob and Drew were coming down and I was pretty excited about it and then I realized that I would be spending Christmas with almost everyone on my side of the family - then I was beyond ecstatic. We left the hotel pretty early so that we could get to where we needed to go and spend time with family. It was Christmas Eve and I still had to wrap gifts and do a load of laundry or the boys would have been naked for Christmas Day.

Christmas Eve Bev and Dad started a new tradition, the planted seeds (breath mints) in sugar before the boys went to bed.  In the morning they grew to be large candy canes - the boys thought that was the coolest thing ever.

Christmas morning for me started at 5:22 a.m.  I tried for 40 minutes to keep the boys in bed and at 6 a.m. I gave up.  We slept out in the living room with the boys and Aunt Brenda and the Christmas tree so that I could contain them if they got up early and got up early they did.

Dad and Bob

Drew refusing to show her face!

The Scott kids

After opening gifts we moved on to breakfast about the time normal people actually getting out of bed at 6:15 a.m.
While Bev was making breakfast for all 11 of us, Dad was outside hanging with us Johnson kids and the boys thought it would be cute to stick their butts out the opened sliding door.  Dad was quick with the rake and then it became a game to the big kid and the little boys.

Then we headed to the beach.  It was high tide and the water was cold but fun was had by all.

Johnson kids minus one (Katie)

uh oh - looks like trouble

Grandpa and his granddaughters

Ian in the ocean - this kid was soaked 2 minutes after getting his feet wet.

The vacation started a little shaky with whining boys at the cruise terminal and tired voices were heard throughout the vacation but what a vacation.  The boys still talk about the cruise and park and want to go back.  I had a wonderful time with my husband and kids and the big bonus was for us to spend Christmas with my side of the family.  I know this family is loud and obnoxious at times, but dang it we made some memories.

Vacation Part II (Disneyworld)

After getting off the cruise we headed to our hotel via a 10 passenger van. We were 5 minutes away from getting to the hotel and I hear from the back seat, "I'm going to puke" and if I've learned anything in these last 5 1/2 years it's when Logan says he's going to puke he is going to puke! I had nothing to catch it, the first wave hit him and the floor and then I grabbed the industrial sized trash bags that held the car seats and gave it to him. The poor lady that was driving just took it all in stride and I'm waiting to see the cleaning bill on my credit card.

Some of the characters that were around our hotel.

Once we got our luggage into our room, we grabbed some snacks headed to the park.  Just as we were getting on the bus to take us to Magic Kingdom Lauren fell ill. So I had to make a decision to either go with Mike to help with the boys or to take Lauren back to the room.  She said she could go back herself and I watched her walk back to the room while awarding myself "the mother of the year" award.

The boys were so excited to see Alice and luckily the line was quite short.

Lauren texted me about an hour after we got to the park and said she was feeling better and was on the bus to meet us.  There were apparently no other pictures taken from the first one in the park (above) until later that evening...I'll have to check with Mike to see if he took some.

The boys started to get tired after riding The Runaway Mine train so we headed back to the hotel and ate some dinner and put the boys down for the night.  Lauren and I headed back to the park as Mike wasn't feeling well.

Girls' night at the park

The castle at nightime and Christmas time!

There's a Starbucks at Disneyworld!

Day 2 of Magic Kingdom started at about 9 a.m.  Logan noticed the kids having the characters sign books so he came prepared with a pen and a small pad of paper.  We stopped right inside the park to pick up some some souvenirs; Logan got an autograph book, Travis got a Mickey pen, and Ian opted for a Mickey hat.

One of my favorite pics from our trip!

The boys were so excited to ride another roller coaster, but Mom was feeling a little nervous about it.  They barely made the height requirement; but looking at the pics they loved it!

 

Ian

Travis in front, Logan in back

After riding Space Mountain I got a text that Brenda was in the park and we came up with a place to meet.  Lauren had some idea that Uncle Bob was coming (because Mom talks without thinking sometimes) but she had absolutely no clue that her cousin Drew was coming.  When these girls saw each other I wish I had a picture of it - it was priceless!

The Scott and Johnson clan!

Another one of my favorite pics - Ian and Uncle Bob

After a couple of hours after meeting the Johnson's we had to take the boys back to the hotel as they were getting tired.  I left Lauren with Bob and Brenda and I headed back with Mike.  We took the boys for a quick swim and then dinner.  Once back at the hotel Mike cut me loose to go back to the park and spend more time with my family.

Drew, Donald and Lauren

Love seeing the castle like this!

Logan with his autograph book!

So after saying so long to Bob, Brenda and Drew at about 10 p.m that night  as they headed to go to Dad's place, I headed back to drop off Lauren at the hotel and pick up Mike.  Yes, I made three trips to the park that day and walked a total of 12 miles per my pedometer.  Mike and I got to see some of the sights without a huge crowd (make no mistake there were still plenty of people there at 11 p.m.).  We also got in some shopping and found the shirt that he had been looking for for two days.  It was a nice way to end the last night at Magic Kingdom.