Zack's Baptism

ZACK on his baptism day

DECEMBER 14, 2008 in O'Fallon, IL

Here's a few pictures we just got back from Zack & Aly's baptism. We went back to Illinois in December to baptize Zack so he and his cousin Aly could be baptized together. They turned eight only 3 weeks apart, and when Kim and Brent and family moved to Illinois, we lived only a block away from each other for about a year before we moved to Utah. Needless to say, the cousins got very close. So of course we had planned all along that we would have Zack & Aly's baptism together. So going back to Illinois for the baptism was one of the conditions of me moving to Utah. (Besides, Shelby was already planning to bring brownies to the baptism, so we couldn't back out! By the way, those peanut butter brownies were the best!) Grandpa and Grandma Johnsen (me & Kim's parents) got to come out too, all the way from Oak Harbor, Washington. It was so nice to have them there! We had a wonderful trip out to Illinois, despite the freezing cold and a few people ending up with the stomach flu. (I don't miss the bitter cold Illinois winters, although Utah is not exactly the warmest winter place either!) Everyone was healthy on baptism day though, and it actually ended up being the warmest day the whole time we were there. Greg baptized Zack and Brent baptized Aly, and Grandpa Johnsen confirmed both of them.  The whole baptismal service could not have gone more perfectly. It was a wonderful day we will not forget! (And thanks for the pictures, Shelby!)

Luana, Greg, Mason, Zack & Ethan

Zack and his cousin Aly, who also got baptized that day

Greg, Zack, Aly & Uncle Brent (Aly's dad)

Greg, Luana & Zack

Grandpa and Grandma Johnsen with Aly & Zack

The family: Grandpa & Grandma Johnsen,

Greg & Luana and boys, Kim & Brent and girls

Mason's New Words of the Week

The secret language of Mason is ever expanding. Here are the latest additions from this past week:

"bee-duh-bah" = peanut butter (and LOTS of it! He eats it by the spoonfuls!)

"too-did" = I bet you can figure it out--keep in mind he's quite a gassy boy, and proud of it!

What Was That Word Again??

The other day the kids and I were talking a little about eating good foods. They were a little surprised though to find out that eating too much of something, even if it's good for you, can be bad for your body. For an example, I told them that when you eat too much fruit, your body isn't very happy. Of course they asked what happens, so I told them it can make you sick and make you have really runny poop. Zack said, "You mean 'diorama'?" (remembering a similar word from a while back when he was sick!) It took me a while to stop laughing enough that I could even answer him!

True Love!

LOVE IS IN THE AIR!

This was my Valentine card from Greg. He's not so into the sappy, cheesy cards; and seriously, how much more romantic can you get than this? I love Greg, and he loves me--even despite my gassy family!

My Favorite Little Valentines

These are the best little valentines a mom could ever want! I love my boys!

(P.S. Of course Mason dumped water all down his shirt just before we took pictures!)

Projects

I've been so busy lately doing a bazillion things I've HAD to do, that finally I decided it was time to do something that I WANTED to do, so this past week I did a few little projects for Mason's new room (in the new house that hasn't actually been started yet). I made a sign, recovered a lamp shade, decoupaged paper on MASON's name letters (that have been sitting there plain white in my craft room since last summer), and made a kleenex box for his room. I had great ambitions to make a quilt too, but then I found a cute blue and green one on clearance at Target this week for $15 (normally $60), and I couldn't pass it up. I'll have to just make some pillows or pillowcases instead. That will be way easier anyway! The theme for his new room will be "what little boys are made of," particularly frogs & snails & puppy dog tails (all things Mason loves). Maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself, but I'm a little anxious to get into our new house! They're supposed to start digging the end of this month, and we should be able to close in June. YAY! Until then, I'll be crafting away in anticipation.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day was a fun day for us, including a special breakfast of kinda-heart-shaped chocolate chip muffins, pink yogurt, and berry smoothies; a lunch date for Greg and I; beautiful red roses; some family time; a movie night; and just a fun day of relaxation and hanging out.

Valentine Mice

My sister Kim had found a great bargain on Pirates of the Caribbean valentines (25 cents a box) so got some for the boys, but unfortunately the mail didn't quite bring them in time for valentine parties. So Thursday night, we decided we'd better whip out some valentines for the boys' class parties on Friday. Zack and Ethan had fun making these valentine mice with a paper heart folded in half, a little punched out heart for ears, and a sucker inside with the stick hanging out for a tail, with eyes, nose and whiskers drawn on.

Valentine's Day Parties

I somehow ended up not only being in charge of Zack's class Valentine's Day party, but also helping out with Ethan's. It was fun, and Mason loved getting to go to two parties in a row with the big kids! The only bummer thing was that Ethan's party started at 11:30, and I had to be to Zack's class by 12:00, so I didn't get in on much of Ethan's party. The party festivities included a Valentine match-up game (each kid was given half a Valentine and had to find their partner with the other half), a Valentine bean bag toss, Valentine BINGO, decorating sugar cookies, a balloon relay, and "Give Me A Kiss" (the kids sit in a circle, each has 2 Hershey kisses; they pass a cup around as music plays; whenever the music stops, whoever is holding the cup has to put a kiss in; the last person left with a kiss wins all the kisses), and of course we had lots of Valentine treats. Zack's teacher played and colored with Mason while I led party festivities. The kids all had a great time, and I had my share of fun too!

My Tub Runneth Over (With Bubbles)

Comment overheard coming from Zack in the bath: "THIS IS WHAT I CALL HAPPY BUBBLE BATH DAY!"

Zack and Ethan have become quite fond of bubble baths lately. Can you blame them? Who wouldn't be having the time of their life in this mess of bubbles? The boys had a great time, and the bathroom got nice and clean too! By the way, in the picture where they are standing out of the tub, they are pretending to be "The Twins" from Davy Jones' Pirates of the Caribbean crew. (And don't worry, I'll try to keep the posting of naked boys to a minimum from now on!)

Mission Accomplished!

I consider myself to be a pretty proficient gum chewer. I've had years of experience. I don't mean to brag, but I can chew gum while eating, talking, singing, swimming, jumping, napping, and more. On my first day of classes in Jerusalem, we all had to introduce ourselves and then say something about ourselves. I said, "My name is Luana and I like gum." (I'm sure that must be what attracted Greg to me! Ha! OK, maybe not. But he still distinctly remembers the event!) And I bet I have some of the strongest jaw muscles in town! My favorite kind of gum (and really the only kind I ever chew) is Extra Polar Ice. I've been chewing it since that flavor came out. I now buy the giant packs of it at Sam's Club. Before that flavor came out, it was Extra Peppermint gum, and before that, Extra Spearmint gum. Anyway, I'm a big fan, and I haven't let braces take that away. (OK, I guess "big fan" is kind of an understatement. I'm not ashamed to admit it--I'm a gum addict!) The rubber bands, however, presented a new chewing challenge. I was a little concerned there at first, especially after the swallowing a rubber band incident, but I am happy to report that I have mastered the art of chewing gum with braces and rubber bands, and I'm sure I have accomplished it in record time. My mouth is happy again! Mission accomplished!

Ethan's A-HA Moment of the Day

When we were in the car today, out of the blue Ethan said "Mom, I think I know why Mr. Plott (his kindergarten teacher) reads stories....'Cause maybe it helps us learn the words." It's kind of funny when your kindergartner thinks he has figured out the world!

Oh, Uh, Whoops!

We always joke that the famous last words of my brother-in-law Brent will be "Oh, uh, whoops!" and yesterday I had an "Oh, uh, whoops!" moment. I popped a cookie into my mouth without thinking. And then I felt the "BOING!" I didn't think much more about it though--the rubber band was still in place, the cookie was small and soft, and it's really gross to try to take a rubber band out of your mouth when your mouth is full of half-chewed food. So I finished my cookie. About 10 minutes later, my tongue happened to feel the rubber band on one side of my mouth, but not the other. I felt around in my mouth, thinking maybe it was still sitting on my gums or something, and when I couldn't find it, I realized "Oh, uh, whoops!" I swallowed my rubber band!! I just hope that rubber bands don't take as long to pass through one's digestive system as swallowed gum.

Bubble Boys P.S.

Here's all that dirt Zack didn't know was on him, leftover in the tub! Yuck! This is proof that boys really do need baths at least once a week!

Weight Loss Breakthrough!

As if having braces wasn't already a big enough detriment to eating in and of itself, I had to get rubber bands the other day. Not so fun! If I wear them all the time, I shouldn't have to be in them as long (maybe only 6 months??), which is very enticing. The rubber bands themselves are not that bad once they're in, it's just every time I go to put something in my mouth, there they are. Boing! I'm not real proficient at getting them in and out quite yet, so bye bye, snacking, or any other absolutely not necessary eating. I'm having serious gum withdrawals right now. (Not that I was supposed to be chewing gum with braces before I got the rubber bands!) I've got to find a way to make the gum chewing work. I'll figure it out. It's a great weight loss program though. Every time I get my wires changed, it motivates me all over again, as I can't bite or chew anything without pain for about a week after that. I got a rubber chain thing put on under the wire this time too, to close the space between two of my teeth that came from my teeth turning and twisting around. That has added to the pain and suffering and tightness. The rubber bands are just an added bonus! I highly recommend it for anyone who needs to shed a few pounds and doesn't mind a bit of torture!

P.S. I'm pretty sure I won't ever have to do the headgear thing, thank goodness! I think I'd be embarrassed to even sleep in it!!

The Secret Language of Mason

Mason has been talking non-stop for as long as we can remember. We are finally able to understand some of what he's saying! And of course when we laugh, he says whatever it was that made us laugh over and over again. He's quite the conversationist and will sit there talking and talking to us without hardly even taking a breath, as if we know exactly what he's talking about. He can't really say Ethan's name yet, but can kind of say Zack's name ("Ack"), although one day when Zack was dressed up like Davy Jones, Mason kept calling him "Dzones." Here are a few of the most common interpretable words and phrases that come out of his mouth:

"HUH??"

"Ah dope" = I want soap (or lotion); Like I mentioned in an earlier post, he's a clean freak!

"Ah dowp!" = I want to get down/out (not to be confused with "Ah dope")

"Ah bek-ust" = I want breakfast

"Ah some" = I want some

"Ah tseez" = I want cheese

"Washed away!!" = Just what it says! Where it came from is another question. Again, I told you, he's a clean freak!

"Watch dis" = Watch anything and everything I do

"I ticky" = I'm tricky

"Poo-ee!" = P.U.!

"I 'tink!" = I stink, change my diaper

"Ah dad? He a' wuk?" = Where's dad? Is he at work?

"Happy-yo-yo!" = ???????? (Any guesses??)

We love our Mason!

What's Wrong With My Camera!?

My camera is doing funky things, like turning my kids into blurry purple-people-eaters. I was lucky to even get these pictures before it stopped working completely! All that happens now when I try to take pictures is a black screen comes up with purplish-pinkish squiggly lines dancing all around. It's been doing this off and on for a few weeks now, and I keep thinking that if I leave it alone for long enough, maybe it will magically start working again. (That's how I got the other bath pictures.) Unfortunately though, every time I pull it out, even if it seems fine for a minute, it always gets those same purple squiggles back. BUMMER! At least I've got the camera on my computer, although that's not always so convenient for those grab the camera, point and shoot moments.

Bubble Boys

We now have 1:00 church, so have plenty of time to kill on Sunday mornings. So while I am updating my blog, Zack and Ethan are having the ultimate bubble bath. (A jetted tub plus bubble bath equals tons of bubbles!) They are having a blast making bubble body sculptures on themselves. About every 30 seconds, I am being summoned in to see the masterpieces of giggling boys. Unfortunately my camera only sort of worked for a couple pictures, so I didn't get to capture the best bubble boy sculptures, but here's a few. I just overheard Ethan say, "This is the funnest bath I've ever had!" Then the boys asked what the brownish stuff was around the edge of the tub (which, by the way, was clean before they got in!) I told them it was the dirt that was on them and it got mixed in with the bubbles. Zack said, "I didn't know I had dirt on me!" These boys make me laugh! That's a treat. (Refer to "My Life Is A Whirlwind" post!) 

My Life Is A Whirlwind

I was just checking out my friend's lastest blog update. Her blog is called "My Life Is A Treat." As I thought about that phrase, it hit me. My life is more of a whirlwind than a treat right now, but it definitely needs more treats! I'm too often being pulled in so many different directions, going a million miles an hour, that it feels sometimes that I'm actually just running around in circles. (Maybe more chocolate would help!?) I thought my life would slow down after Christmas. But since Christmas (and today is only February 1st), just for Primary alone, I have done 2 different weeks of sharing time (and have to do another one next Sun.), planned, organized and carried out a quarterly activity for all the kids, including a service project (we had about 100 kids show up to it), and did a training meeting for our ward's 8 Activity Day leaders (after I had to figure out what all the Activity Day leaders are supposed to be doing, along with finding lots of resources and ideas for them), besides conducting in Primary for the month, the regular presidency meetings, and ward conference (I'm the 1st counselor in the Primary presidency). And then of course the kids went back to school, and have already had major projects, along with all the normal homework, daily reading, and just having to be up and out the door by a certain time every day. I've gone in to help in Ethan's class, I'm the room mom for Zack's class and have to plan the Valentine's Day class party. My aunt up in Tremonton died, so I went up for the day to the funeral. My plan was to be back in time to pick up Zack and Ethan from school. I would have been on time if I hadn't hit every single red light on the way home. So I got to the school 15 minutes after school got out, and the kids were nowhere to be found. After a couple frantic moments, I finally called my friend who knew I was going to the funeral, and luckily she had seen the boys waiting around so she took them to her house. Ethan has had the stomach flu, plus a very random rash he woke up with after a long evening nap he took because he was sick. (It sent us to Urgent Care at 8pm on a Friday night.) It ended up being "an allergic reaction to his stomach virus." I didn't know you could be allergic to your own viruses! We've had overdue fines at the library 'cause we just couldn't quite get those DVDs that wouldn't renew back in time. My camera is only semi-working part-time, and doing some very funky things the rest of the time. Mason only naps sometimes. Greg has been home later than normal from work more often than not lately. As soon as the floor is washed, someone has a major spill or comes running in with dirty snowy shoes. As soon as the laundry is all done, someone stains their clothes or pees their pants. Dust collects much faster in Utah than it did in Illinois. My orthodontic appointments come all too frequently. Our house has plumbing issues so we're constantly plunging toilets. We always seem to be almost out of milk, even though I just bought 3 gallons last time I was at the store. When will it all slow down??? I'm coming to grips with the fact that the answer to that question is probably NEVER. I guess I just need to make sure I have more treats in my life. Even though my life may always be a whirlwind, I'm entitled to the treats too. My goal now will be to take the moments to look for those treats and enjoy them as they come!

Is It Time?

I know, I know. YES, it is time to update my blog. (I knew this would happen!) But that's not really what this post is about. Mason, who is two years and 5 months old, has taken quite an interest in the potty lately. He is fascinated with watching other people go to the bathroom (when can a mother EVER go to the bathroom by herself though!). He can take his own diaper off and has done it on many occasions, sometimes in his bed, sometimes in the bathroom. He has stood up to the toilet and pretended to go potty. (Luckily he didn't actually go, 'cause he's still a little short to make it in the toilet!) Sometimes he plays with his toys on the toilet lid (until I catch him, of course!) Whenever he has a stinky diaper, he comes up to us and points to his bum and says "I 'tink!" Last week at church the Nursery leader brought him to me and said that Mason said he needed to go potty. I just laughed and told the leader that he's wearing a diaper and is not potty trained and we haven't even started that, and that he probably just wanted to play on or in the toilet. So the leader took him back to Nursery. Two days later, I was at Greg's office and Mason disappeared. We looked for him and finally found him in the bathroom of course, with the door closed. He had a wad of toilet paper that he was "cleaning" the toilet with. GROSS! (Did I also mention he's also a bit of a clean freak?!) My other kids had no interest in going potty until they were closer to 3 1/2 years old. So could this really be happening? Is there hope of being out of diapers soon? I'm not sure how I feel about that. I've had a relationship with Pampers for the last 8 years straight. Of course I'm sure I could find something else to spend $40 a month on. So why wait and stress over potty training in a brand new house with brand new carpet? Because hey, right now we're renting. We'll have to clean the carpets when we leave anyway! Am I crazy, or should I pursue it? Is it more mom that's not quite ready to tackle this beast? I guess we'll see how ambitious I get in the next few months!