Riley Ruckus

Random pics of the kids and a tooth missing!

2012-01-22T14:43:00.000-08:00

"Sisters, Sisters, never were there such devoted sisters."

Look, she's wearing a bow! I'm making progress!
Big Brother with his little sis!
First missing tooth. Wow, this picture is really close up. :)

Merry Christmas....a little late. :)

2011-12-31T10:49:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving....a little late.

2011-12-12T10:11:00.001-08:00

Home from the Hospital!

2011-12-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

Nothing like being home with the ones you love! :)

Finally! Maryn Elise Riley makes her entrance!

2011-12-02T17:16:00.000-08:00

Okay, so for those who may still read my blog, here are those pictures of Maryn you have all been patiently waiting for.

Maryn Elise Riley was born on 11/9/11 at 3:42pm. We were hoping for an 11/11/11 baby, but she just couldn't wait I guess. :) She came much quicker than I expected. I started going into labor the night before, but wasn't convinced I was having the baby since my contractions were not consistent. However, I should have been tipped off by the fact that they were hurting terribly! By the time we got to the hospital I was dilated to 9cm which meant no time for drugs. So, she came amidst my yelling to "get her out." It was definitely painful going natural, but afterwards the award was worth it. She is beautiful.

Maryn Elise Riley, 7lbs. 4oz. (my smallest baby). She arrived 8 days early. :)

Terrible Halloween pictures

2011-11-17T17:53:00.001-08:00

For some reason, I took all pictures related to Halloween on my phone and they did not come out that great. Still trying to get used to it.
This year, Kamryn was Ariel (which I loved since she has the red hair for it) and Logan was Superman. His costume was a little white trash, but the curl on his head is awesome. :)
The night before Halloween, Aaron and Whitney came over for some chili and cornbread. We also decorated sugar cookies and Jason carved an awesome vampire pumpkin. Can't believe another Halloween has come and gone.

Annual trek to Riley's Farm

2011-11-17T13:20:00.000-08:00

I know you are all expecting to see pictures of Maryn, but I have to get caught up here so bear with me. Maryn's dramatic arrival will be posted about soon.

Back in October, we took our annual trek up to Riley's Farm to pick our pumpkins. Our friends, Karissa and Ron and their boys, joined us as they do pretty much every year. We love having them come with us and we always have a great time.

Random Happenings around the house

2011-10-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

They are growing up! Good thing another baby is on the way. I'm going through withdrawals. :)

First Day of Kindergarten!

2011-08-31T19:52:00.000-07:00

So, here it is. The traditional "first day of school" photo. Kamryn started Kindergarten this year and she was all smiles about it.

We're on our way to school! I was only getting a little emotional here.
Here is her teacher, Mrs. Jensen, giving her her name tag.
Here she is, ready to go into class. She had no fear, just went right in and waved goodbye like it was no big deal. I only teared up a bit, but mostly kept it together. She was ready and so was I. Here's to a fun year at school. (And yes, I am bummed that I didn't think of taking a picture with her. )

The Beach and The Park

2011-08-30T22:55:00.000-07:00

We tend to make it to the beach only once during the summer (mostly because of Jason's dislike of the place) and this summer was no different. This year we went to Corona Del Mar. Myself and the rest of primary presidency planned a primary beach day for the kids. *Sidenote: we will never do it again.* Anyhow, it turned into more than just primary, which made it all the more fun! :) The pictures below are the Young Men setting up our food tent....

This is their Young Men leader, while they are setting up the tent. Isn't leadership grand? :)
Sadly, I was so busy with the activity itself I didn't get many pictures of the kids. Just these few of them playing in the sand together. They did go down to the water and they really had a great time. It ended up being a great day and evening and I think all who went had a great time.

We also try to make it to the Concert in the Park each year and I am happy we made it one. We went with our friends, the Taylors and enjoyed hanging out and listening to the Classic Rock Band.
Here is Kamryn with a little air guitar. :)

She's 5 years old!

2011-08-24T12:27:00.000-07:00

This was the first year Kamryn was able to have a "friend" party. Her wish was a "Little Mermaid" party and I think it came together nicely. Kamryn was thrilled with the decorations. :)
We invited the girls from her primary class and a couple other girl friends she had (so yes, an all girl party). We had bubbles going, a slip n' slide, a water hopscotch game, and a pool and overall I think the kids had a great time in the backyard getting wet!
We even let Logan get in on the fun!

The kids had hot dogs on the patio and there were smiling faces all around! :)
Kamryn was most anxious for present time! She got lots of fun stuff, mainly My Little Ponies, and she was so excited to show her presents to everyone.

All the girls were pretty excited about her presents!
For some reason, I only got a picture of Logan eating his cupcake but he was the messiest so of course, we had to take a picture of it.
Here is a video of the birthday singing. Overall, it was a success but I think I'm taking a break from the friend party next year. It's a lot of work! :)

Lifetime Friends!

2011-08-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

On our way home from Utah we made a stop in Vegas to visit one of my dearest friends. Dawnia and I grew up together and I rarely get to see her now since she lives on the East Coast. So, it was nice to be able to hang out for a bit and catch up.

Vacation over!

2011-08-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

This vacation officially exhausted my children, as seen below. One thing I am bummed about is that I did not get pictures of them swimming in the beautiful pool at the hotel. They did A LOT of that which added to their pure exhaustion. We had such a great time and I can't wait for our next reunion in Bear Lake. :)

To ride or not to ride!

2011-08-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

The Alpine Slide. I have a love/hate relationship with it. The picture below is the "hate" part of the relationship. I am not a fan of the ski lift that takes you to the top. If you look carefully you can see Jason in his white shirt and Logan is somewhere in that picture too. I am terrified of heights so just taking this picture was enough to make me sick. I just kept praying that Jason would hold on to Logan for dear life. (The last time I rode this lift, I was in tears thanks to being tortured by both my husband and Aaron while riding it. I refuse to do it again).
I was grateful for this sight, Jason and Logan coming safely down the slide. This is my "love" part of the relationship. The slide is really fun and I am glad Jason took Logan. They had a fun time!
Now, this was my kind of ride. Watching Kamryn ride the carousel. She is like her Mommy and was not interested in the slide at all so I let her pick her own ride and of course, it involved the horses! :)

One word....Yummy!

2011-08-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

We took a couple trips to this yummy place and enjoyed us some ice cream, candy, fudge, etc....Nothing like a vacation to make an excuse for eating treats. :) Isn't my sister and brother in law cute. :)

Hogle Zoo

2011-08-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

Our next fun activity was the Hogle Zoo. They had a new dinosaur exhibit so it was pretty busy, but we still had a great time checking out the cool animatronic dinosaurs and the real animals that were living and breathing. This particular dinosaur was my favorite because it sprayed water. It was some nice relief from the heat.

Checking out the giraffes...my personal favorite. :)

Kamryn with her cousin, Stockton.
Watching the Bird Show. Seen many in my day but they are always entertaining. These two faces below are precious. Love them so much and I am so glad we had such a good day!

Olympic Park

2011-08-17T19:36:00.000-07:00

One of our first activities at our family reunion was the Olympic Park. I wasn't sure how entertaining it would be, but by the looks of both mine and my brothers face, it was pure adrenaline. :)
Park City has a bobsled team, yeah! (Said in a Jamaican accent, of course)

This is where we checked out the ski jump. They actually had ski jumpers going and landing in a pool. See the video below.
More bobsledding!
Here is the actual bobsled track that was used during the olympics in Park City.

My brother John was daring enough to actually take a ride in an actual bobsled on the Olympic Course. He said it was the scariest thing he has ever done and a huge adrenaline rush. I think it's pretty cool he was brave enough. :) Go John!

On the road again...

2011-08-15T20:01:00.000-07:00

Back to Utah for the second Family reunion, the Johnson side. We stayed at the Marriott at Park City and had such a great time. Here is Kamryn playing with her cousin, Hailey.
My sister is going to love me for posting this picture, but I couldn't pass it up! :)
And he is just cute!
More pictures to come...

Fountain Fun!

2011-08-14T20:31:00.000-07:00

I just love watching these two have fun together.

"It's A Beautiful Day!"

2011-08-04T12:45:00.000-07:00

So, thanks to my lovely friend Cynda, I was able to fulfill a dream of mine. We went and saw U2 play at the Angels Stadium back in June. It was everything I hoped it would be, and then better. Bono is an AMAZING performer. The whole band is amazing.
The stage was incredible!

"One"

The third annual Riley Family Reunion

2011-08-01T16:59:00.000-07:00

Kamryn and Logan had a great time with their cousins. This is Annistyn. She is adorable!

Enjoying the beautiful day.
My son has quite an obsession with markers. This thing kept him very occupied. :)
This year Jason's brother, Rob and his wife, Tiff planned the reunion and they did a great job. We camped out this year (in a canyon outside of Lehi, UT and I can't remember now what it's called) and it was so nice to be outdoors. The weather was perfect and it was fun to be with all the family. (We did miss our nephew Garrett though, who is serving a mission). Anyhow, it was a great time with no major mishaps, which we were all grateful for.

He's sleeping where?

2011-07-16T19:56:00.000-07:00

This kid has a talent. He can sleep anywhere. Stairs, chairs, floors and even on top of luggage in back of the mini van, which I forgot to take a picture of. He is a good sleeper and for that I am grateful. :)

Kamryn's Pre-school Graduation

2011-06-26T20:23:00.001-07:00

Here is my beautiful little girl at her Pre-school Graduation. I can't believe she will be starting Kindergarten in August. She did a great job singing her songs and I promise to get videos up soon. It is quite funny hearing all the kids trying to sing songs at the same time. Sounded more like a round.

I was up too close to get a picture of the whole class but here is her class...at least with the boys in her class. Oh, and my friend Mary in the background. :)
This is when Kamryn got her diploma. :)
Here is Kamryn with her pre-school teacher, Miss Kristine! She was great and both Kamryn and I love her. She did such a great job!
Congratulations Sissy! I am so proud of you and of all your hard work. I love you!

Riding Horseback

2011-06-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

Kamryn's pre-school class went horseback riding back in May. This was Kamryn's first time and she was very excited. Something that Kamryn and I share is our love for horses so it was fun to be with her and watch her experience this for the first time.

She pretty much stayed by the horse's side as long as she could, petting it and talking to it. When all the kids had moved away and become bored, she was still there.
She did great on the horse. I have some video of it that I will have to find and post later.
Here is her pre-school class. It was such a great day and we are so thankful to Miss Kristine and her Dad for giving us this fun opportunity.

Morning Sickness

2011-06-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

This was me pretty much all of April and the majority of May. Sick and on the couch, taken down by that beast so mistakenly called "Morning Sickness." Thank goodness I am past the worst of it now.

Logan turns two!!

2011-06-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

We had a low key birthday for Logan this year. Just our little family and my good friend, Karissa with her kids. (I wasn't feeling good, so I didn't have it in me to have a huge gathering). We had Wahoo's for dinner, had some cake and opened presents. It was a perfect day for our precious two year old. Logan is all boy! Loves cars, trucks, any kind of ball, loves his scooter and loves climbing and getting into anything. He has no sense of danger, which can be scary sometimes. He's not quite the talker Kamryn was at this age, but he is spitting out certain phrases and slowly adding words to his vocabulary. He is also my cuddler. Kamryn never cuddled, but Logan loves to cuddle up with his Mommy or Daddy (while, unfortunately) sucking his thumb. Need to break him of that habit soon. Overall, he is a perfect little boy and I love him to death. :)

Easter....

2011-06-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

Need I say more?

Ethan's Baptism

2011-05-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

We were able to go to Arizona and attend my nephew, Ethan's Baptism. Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures, but the ones I did take were cute. :) I love my family and I love any chance we have to get together, especially for great events like this one. Congrats Ethan! We are so proud of you!
Cousins!

Grandma's Home!

2011-05-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

All last year, my Mom served a mission in Missouri, so when she came home we were anticipating our first visit from her. Unfortunately, the first visit in January was a failure because Kamryn, myself and Jason were all sick so she didn't stay as long as we hoped. However, she came back in February and spent some quality time with us and we loved it.

The last time Logan had seen Grandma was when he was a baby, so it took him a minute to warm up but it wasn't long before he loved being with Grandma.
Kamryn being camera shy. She was especially glad to see Grandma, but you can't tell by this picture.

We are so glad to have you back Mom! Can't wait for the family reunion in July!

Logan's crazy antics!

2011-05-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

This little boy right here has been given me a run for my many. He is different than Kamryn at this age in that he is into and on top of EVERYTHING! I thought Kamryn had a "drawing on the wall" problem, but it doesnt compare to Logan. Kamryn's walls in her room is full of artwork from Logan. He gets into the pantry and food, climbs on top of everything and jumps off of everything. He is ALL boy. Loves cars, trucks, balls, running outside, getting in the dirt, etc... However, I wouldn't change one bit of him. He is also very cuddly and sweet and I LOVE HIM!
Very often, artwork ends on his face too.

Don't think he is quite ready for potty training. :)

A day in the creative mind of my daughter!

2011-05-17T08:28:00.001-07:00

Welcome to "It's a Small Princess World" by Kamryn Riley. Yes, if I had to sit through the ride, then so do you. Actually, I was quite impressed with all she created.
First stop, Ariel's castle on land.
Next, we are off to Ariel's underwater castle, joined by her friends Flounder and Sebastian.
Princess Jasmine is next....
and then on to Mulan, who gets jipped in the castle area it seems.
Now onto Cinderella and her towering castle of blocks
Sleeping Beauty and what looks to be a castle made of leftover stuff since the blocks have run out.
and last, but not least, Snow White and her castle of blankets.
Now you may commence singing "It's A Small World" for the rest of the day. You may thank me later. :)
.

Camping in the house?

2011-05-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

Kamryn had recently gone to a friends house who had a "play tent" and she really wanted to play in one later that week. So, we decided to bust out the camping tent since we wanted to make sure it will still work for us since we are camping in June at a family reunion.
With the help of Daddy, they got it up. Happy Day!

I didn't get any pictures of them playing in it, but it was fun for awhile.

Catching up....Valentines Day

2011-05-16T16:47:00.000-07:00

So, for awhile there I thought I was giving up the blog for good. If any of you are still followers, you all probably thought the same thing. I guess I just needed a good break. I'm back at it so I'll be posting a few things over the next week to catch up.

First off, Valentines Day....

Family Portraits

2011-02-24T14:58:00.001-08:00

Thanks Jessica! We loved them! (Jessica Brunson Photography)

Christmas Morning

2011-01-29T22:43:00.001-08:00

Aaron saves Christmas

2011-01-29T22:35:00.000-08:00

This picture is just a cute one of my sister-in-law. :)
This picture is of my brother, Aaron. At around midnight Christmas Eve, he realized he and Whitney had no stockings so he sewed his own stockings, "Grinch" style. Literally, cut out two pieces of fabric that were shaped like a stocking and then sewed the two pieces together. It was awesome. I would show you the picture of the final product, but it was on Christmas morning and I don't think my bro and sis in law would be happy if I posted that picture. :)

Christmas isn't Christmas without it...

2011-01-29T22:29:00.000-08:00

Christmas fun in Arizona!

2011-01-18T20:55:00.000-08:00

We headed out to Arizona again for Christmas this year. We just can't pass up the chance to spend time with our Arizona family. :)
These two boys right here are going to be good friends!

It seemed like everyone wanted to be "Santa Claus" this year.

"You've got the music in you"

2011-01-11T18:17:00.000-08:00

Logan listens to nothing but the best. I believe this picture was taken while listening to "Dream On" by Aerosmith. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!

Singing and playing at the same time. She's got the gift. :)
Here's a listen in.

More Lights...lame pictures

2011-01-11T18:13:00.001-08:00

This is a very cool neighborhood not too far away that has really cool lights. We went with our friends, the Taylors and the Silagyis. Too much fun was happening, that is why there are so few pictures. This was probably not even worth posting. Too late!

Dinner and Temple Lights

2011-01-02T20:22:00.000-08:00

Here is Kamryn, in the car, on our way to eat dinner at Earth, Wind, and Flour in LA. We met up with our friends (The Hartmans and Brodericks) to eat some yummy pizza and then check out the LA Temple Lights! We had such a great time!
This year they really did up the lights! They were beautiful.

Kamryn and her buddies loved every moment of the evening. Look at these smiles!

Thanks Hartmans for inviting us out for such a great night! Let's do it again next year. :)

Christmas at Disneyland.

2010-12-21T22:47:00.000-08:00

(notice Logan checking out Pluto from afar...)

There really is nothing like it.

Uh Oh....

2010-12-15T20:37:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when a certain 4 year old isn't acting very nice. This is our closet. Gettin' crowded, don't ya think?

Thankful for Thanksgiving

2010-12-15T13:28:00.000-08:00

Yes, Thanksgiving was a few weeks ago now, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't get a place on the blog. Actually, I took so few pictures, it probably doesn't need it's own post but for my own record keeping I should mention it. Thanksgiving 2010 was celebrated at my brother in law's parents house. For the past two years, they have been kind enough to invite us to their home and we have appreciated it. Always great food and even better company.

What's Thanksgiving without spending time with your cousin! Crazy kids!
Some content smiles after enjoying a fabulous meal!
Father and Son watching Football.
Didn't you know? Light sabers are a special part of Thanksgiving. You should have seen the show put on by my nephews. SO exciting. :) (Not sure why I forgot to take a picture of them)
My beautiful sister with her beautiful pies. Delicious as always!
Now onto Christmas!

Just showin' off the family....

2010-12-06T23:15:00.000-08:00

Cartoon Factory 101

2010-12-06T21:24:00.000-08:00

The many faces of Logan.....

2010-11-18T14:38:00.000-08:00

and I thought I would throw Kamryn in too. She's cute. :)

This is Halloween...

2010-11-09T14:17:00.000-08:00

Kamryn had a Halloween party at her Preschool. As you can see, our first attempt at taking pictures didn't go so well. A little too much sun, I think. :)
The woman with the huge black wig is Kamryn's teacher, Miss Kristine. She is wonderful and Kamryn really loves her. It's been such a great experience thus far. Thanks to my friend Mary, who took the picture for me since I was busy holding up a tree branch that was getting in the way of the shot. My height is always good for something, it seems.
Ladies and Gentleman, may I present Sleeping Beauty and her guest, the sock monkey. :)

Isn't she beautiful?

Carvin' the Pumpkin

2010-11-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

I did a very poor job documenting the carving of the pumpkin. Every year, I take a picture of Jason's masterpiece because they always look so great. However, this year I forgot. So, just take my word for it...the pumpkin was a masterpiece.

Pickin' the Pumpkin

2010-11-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

So, I've really been slacking on the blog entries this last month so I have a little catching up to do. We'll start with the pumpkin patch, otherwise known as Riley's Farm. We go there every year to pick the pumpkin, say hi to some of the family and just enjoy the atmosphere. Each year we bring some friends up too and this year was no exception. We had the Bartletts, Silagyi's, Rambows, Brodericks and Taggarts join us and we had a great time. I, unfortunately, didn't get too many pictures but I'll post what I have.

Our attempt to take a family picture obviously failed. Enjoy Kamryn's backside. :)
Such a cute picture of my friend, Karissa with her two boys.
All the kids hanging out!

Playtime

2010-10-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

I love these moments. The moments when Kamryn and Logan find a way to play together where both are happy. Makes my day so much nicer. :)

Mow the what? (and pterodactyl noises)

2010-10-07T22:38:00.000-07:00

First Day of Pre-School

2010-09-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

So, here she is on her first day of Pre-school. I've always wanted to take a "first day" picture, and what do I do? Chop her head off. Nice Mom.

Anyhow, she was excited and ready to go.
Here she is with her pal, Dylan. They are in Sunbeams together at church and they love having pre-school together too.
So far, she is doing well (besides some sharing mishaps...her life story). She comes home and we play "preschool" and she basically re-enacts the whole day for me. Her teacher is wonderful and she is getting to do so many fun things to help her learn her letters. I always love hearing what she did that day. :)

More Labor Day Fun!

2010-09-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

We continued our Labor Day Fun and headed to Claremont's Concert in the park, not too long after we had gotten home from Riley's Farm. We were tired from our excursion at the farm, but that still couldn't stop us from enjoying our favorite band, "The Answer" play! The kids loved it and danced and played all night long. It was a great labor day!

Just another day on the Farm

2010-09-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

On Labor Day, we took the family, including my brother Aaron and his wife, Whitney, up to Riley's Farm. We met Jason's dad up there and he treated us to lunch and a huge apple pie. We also enjoyed taking in the sites, taking a hay ride and picking raspberries (which I forgot to take a picture of).
Isn't he a good sport??
Enjoying the hay ride. Love this picture!
This picture isn't my favorite, but it's my only proof that I was there. :)

A little sleepy, buddy??

2010-09-16T20:43:00.000-07:00

Poor kid can't keep his eyes open. This happens every once in awhile and it cracks me up. Don't worry, I laid him down right after I took the pictures/video.

A Few Firsts.....

2010-08-25T13:58:00.001-07:00

Logan's First "boo boo" ( have to look closely at his knee to see his very first band-aid).

Kamryn's first Ice Cream Cone. She, of course, has had ice cream before, just never on a cone. I think this is the first time we've taken her just to get ice cream. Is that sad? Anyhow, she picked the ice cream she wanted based on the pretty colors....here she is holding it.

Now, here is the ice cream cone all alone after it's owner decided she wasn't a fan of all the fruity flavors. She helped herself to her Dad's Brownie Sundae instead. Logan and I ate the cone, and it became torturous after a while. Not a fan of sherbet myself.

Here is Logan right before he gets his first, sort of official, hair cut from Daddy.

Here he is, finishing up. All in all, he did pretty well and we got rid of some of that crazy hair in the back that was flipping every which way. Next time, we need to do something with the front.

Love to Color!

2010-08-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

One of the things that Kamryn and Logan enjoy doing together, when they are not fighting over crayons and coloring books, is to color together. It's fun to see them do things together as they get older.

The finale to the birthday celebration...

2010-08-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Kamryn's participation in the Summer Reading Program, she received a free kids meal at Claim Jumper. So, we thought that on her actual birthday we would take her out to dinner and then to Wal-Mart to pick out a toy using Grandma Johnson's birthday money. She was very excited for her special night out!

Not sure why she wanted the puppy next to her, but why not. :)
Logan was a big fan of Claim Jumper. Can you blame him?

A cupcake for the birthday girl. Happy Birthday to my bright, intelligent, loving, imaginative, and spirited 4 year old. It's been quite the ride so far and I can't wait to see what this 4 year old will do next. (Well, I might be able to wait with some things).

A Twilight Walk....(stop thinking about vampires...stop it!)

2010-08-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

After Kamryn's birthday party, we drove down to Laguna Beach and went to "The Top of The World" Park. It was beautiful and it was so nice to just be with family and enjoy each other's company, along with some gorgeous weather.
Jeremy showing off...

Ellie failing at an attempt to show off. :)

I love Cali!

She's 4!

2010-07-29T18:18:00.000-07:00

My little girl is actually 4! Wow! This year, I asked Kamryn what kind of a party she wanted and as you can tell from the pictures, it's "Princess" theme all the way. She also asked for a family party and since most of my family was in town, that worked out nicely too. We had it at my Sister's house and thanks to my brother and sister, the decorations were perfect....along with this birthday hat!
Cousins celebrating! I love Kamryn's expression in this picture. She is such a beautiful girl.
She got a Cinderella centerpiece for the table, but of course, she couldn't just look at it. :)
Just a little game we all know and love...."Stick the Princess on the castle." (Well, at least, it's kind of the same)
Kamryn refused to wear the blindfold so she promised she would close her eyes really tight. Uh huh, sure!
"Present Time, Present Time, Open the presents and see what's inside."

I would have shown you a close up picture of the cake, but it was only to please my darling 4 year old...not you cake critics out there!
Well, she's 4 and she is the joy of my life. We share so many of the same loves. Singing, reading, all things Disney. She is obsessed with letters and their sounds, loves playing with her princess toys, and is enjoying time on the computer too. She and her brother are really starting to get along more together and I love watching them have those precious moments where they find something they can do together. She is still strong-willed, still throws tantrums and can outscream anyone's child, but she is also becoming more loving and more tender and she finds joy in the simplest things. She loves primary and her Sunbeam class and loves Jesus. She is our gorgeous redhead and seriously, I wouldn't change a thing!

Family Fun Time and some sad Time...

2010-07-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

We have spent a lot of time with family the last couple weeks and have loved every moment of it. This was a friendly game of soccer and Logan was totally into it.
The sad time was attending my Aunt Linda's funeral. She passed away from cancer and we were able to attend her funeral. This is Kamryn and Ellie in our car on the way home from the funeral. Kamryn was so excited that her cousin came with us in our new car. It's fun to be able to have extra room for family!
Logan had a little too much dessert at the luncheon following the funeral. It wore him out! :)
When we got back to my sister's house, we had some monsoon type weather. This is Ellie basking in the warm rain. It was a fun little storm. :)

Little Monkey Boy!

2010-07-21T23:26:00.000-07:00

14 months old and cute as ever~!

Let's Go Fly A Kite.....

2010-07-21T13:21:00.000-07:00

Family Home Evening Fun!!!
Working the string....Way to Go Kamryn!

4th of July 2010

2010-07-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

One thing I LOVE about Fontana is that fireworks are legal. So celebrating the 4th, Fontana style, is becoming a favorite tradition. We had a bbq with some good friends and then came outside to watch the MANY fireworks going off in the neighborhood, plus did some of our own.

What you observe here is Logan in a jacket. Yes, it was a chilly 4th of July in California.

Trying to get comfortable on concrete. :)
Good friends! Kamryn with the Rambow girls.
Thanks to the headphones, Kamryn actually stayed outside to watch some of the fireworks this year. YEAH!
SPARKLERS!!

Mary will love that I took the time to lighten this picture! Thanks Bartletts for hosting another fabulous 4th of July!

One Silly boy!

2010-07-16T09:07:00.000-07:00

If you listen carefully to the TV, you can hear some music. This is what Logan is moving too.

First Beach Trip of the Summer!

2010-07-01T20:40:00.000-07:00

It was the perfect day with our family and friends. However, 5 hours at the beach proved to be a little long for us pasty white folk and we all came away with some kind of burn. Ah, but it was worth it. This video is proof!

She's got talent!

2010-06-21T21:57:00.000-07:00

Two of a Kind!

2010-06-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

These cousins were lovin' there time together. How cute are they? The Riley Family Reunion was so fun! Thanks to Michele and Mike for putting it all together. I didn't get nearly enough pictures. (No pictures from swimming at the Bountiful Rec Center and no pictures from our nephews Mission Farewell). It was great to spend time with the Riley clan and we can't wait for next year. No pressure Rob~!

He finally did it!!!!!

2010-06-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, Jason finally got his Bachelor's degree!! He's been working full time and going to school part time for a long time and all of his hard work and late nights have finally paid off. Jason wasn't able to make it to his own graduation because of the reunion, so his sister, Michele, organized a "Mock" graduation ceremony so I still was able to get a picture of him in a cap and gown. :)

Here is the whole family playing "pomp and circumstance" on kazoos. It was great!

Jason was even asked to give his "Valedictorian speech" which he did a great job. It was very entertaining but also informative too.
Congratulations Jason! You rocked that school! Graduating with High Distinction and everything! Love you!
(Our nephew, Kyle graduated high school this year so he was recognized too!)

The "Big Kahuna's" tour of Bountiful, UT

2010-06-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

After our trip to Santa Maria, we spent Thursday driving all the way to Utah to go to Jason's Family Reunion. The drive from Santa Maria to Santaquin was brutal, but we survived it. We stayed at Jason's parents Thursday night and on Friday, Jason went golfing with his Dad, his brother Rob and his wife, Tiff. I took the kids and met up with some of my good friends in Salt Lake. These were all girls I went to college with and we have stayed close all these years. We had a great time, but of course, I forgot to take any pictures. I also forgot to take pictures at the BBQ we had Friday night in Provo at Jason's brother's house, where the Family Reunion officially kicked off. We had a great time there with yummy food and good conversation and Kamryn loved playing with her cousins and jumping on the trampoline. Mike and Teresa were great hosts!

Saturday morning we all met up and Jason's Dad (who has nicknamed himself "The Big Kahuna" took the family on a driving tour of Bountiful, the city where he grew up. The pictures below is the home where he grew up and where Jason and his siblings would visit their grandparents.
The Big Kahuna himself!
Our final stop on the tour was the cemetery. This is a picture of almost all the grandkids. You'll notice Kamryn is missing. She stubbornly refused to be in any of the pictures. Shocker!
Just a note...these pictures of Jason and his siblings is not complete. Janelle and her family were not able to make it. They were definitely missed.

Solvang

2010-06-07T21:42:00.000-07:00

Just another lovely day with the family. We walked around Solvang and took a small hike to a waterfall. Perfect!

Santa Maria

2010-06-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

Jason had to go to Santa Maria for business over a week ago, so we thought we would tag along. His work offered to pay for a bigger room so why not. We started off our vacation with some quality naptime, as seen below. Beds were not required.
We spent most of our time at the pool. It was Logan's first time in a pool and the kid couldn't have been happier.

Kamryn enjoyed the hot tub for the most part, so Jason and I took turns lounging with her in the warm water.

Haircut poorly documented

2010-06-04T15:34:00.001-07:00

This was the before shot....
some random shots in the middle...

and the after shot....
Notice the problem? What do you mean you can't tell the difference?? Yes, I'm a genius, I know. (We took off 5 inches, in case you were wondering).

Anyone seen Logan??

2010-06-01T16:51:00.000-07:00

6 Lovely Years!

2010-05-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

So, Mother's Day weekend is always a busy one in my family. That's because Jason's birthday and our anniversary are one day apart and one of them either falls right on Mother's Day or they are just a couple days away from it. This month, Jason's birthday was on Friday, our anniversary was on Saturday and Mother's day was on Sunday. Don't ask me what I was thinking when I chose our wedding date. I think I was drunk....on love! Ah, that was corny. Anyhow, on our actual anniversary Jason and I went to dinner with some friends and then we split off from the pack and walked around Victoria Gardens, got me a new top and had thrifty ice cream. Not too exciting, right? Well, we weren't too worried about it since we knew we'd be staying in Lake Arrowhead the next weekend. Check out this view from our room at the Lake Arrowhead Resort!!

His work hooked us up with a free night stay here (long story why) so we were able to enjoy it all without having to worry about paying for it. That night we had Mexican for dinner and I remembered why I don't order burritos at restaurants. HELLO!! It was huge and sadly, wasn't that good. I knew I should have stuck with enchiladas. Jason's flautas were delicious however~
The next day we walked around the hotel and enjoyed chilling by the lake for a bit. We thought about putting on our bathing suits, but we figured the water would be frigid since it's still Spring.

This is Jason's dream home!
It's been 6 years and they have flown by. I feel so blessed to be married to someone who tells me constantly how beautiful I am. A Mom needs to hear that every once in awhile! I'm lucky to be married to someone who is kind and good looking, full of life, good looking, a hard worker, good looking, a worthy priesthood holder, funny, and a good father. Oh, and did I mention good looking? :) Seriously though, I lucked out. The guy is patient and forgiving and I am forever grateful to have him in my life. Can't wait to see where we are in another six years!

Grandma and Grandpa come to town!

2010-05-17T21:12:00.000-07:00

We love it when family come to town, so we were excited when Grandma and Grandpa Riley came to visit over Mother's Day Weekend. Kamryn loves spending time with them and this visit was no exception.
While Jason and his Dad spent the morning golfing, the rest of us headed to the train park in Claremont to enjoy the weather and each other. The kids had a great time!

The boy lying down is Kamryn's cousin, Ezra. Look closely through the tunnel and you will see Kamryn.

This is Lyle, another one of Kamryn's cousins. How cute is she!! :)

Big Milestones!

2010-05-07T11:32:00.000-07:00

My brother, Aaron and my baby boy, Logan have birthdays that are a day apart. They both happened to be celebrating some pretty big milestones (turning 1 and 30) so we decided to combine their birthdays and have one big celebration with the family! (Thanks to Whitney, my sister-in-law, for baking the cake).
Here are the birthday boys!!
Logan's attempts at eating his cake. He eventually warmed up to it.

Opening presents....
Loves the Football, much to his Daddy's excitement.
My brother, Aaron, thought Kamryn's doll was sort of freaky and started taking pictures that included the doll....and now, much to my chagrin, I have to agree that it is a bit "Chucky" like.

A video of some cake eatin' by Logan (with a cheering section from his Uncle Dave) and a salute to the deliciousness of the cake from Michael (a cousin).

Off to the Zoo

2010-05-05T20:19:00.001-07:00

Jason and I thought it would be fun to take the kids to the L.A. Zoo and Logan's birthday was a good excuse to make it happen. Not that we needed an excuse....Anyway, we got there before it opened and the kids were getting antsy to get inside. We were grateful we got there when we did, because when we left, there was a line to get into the parking lot that was backed up all the way to the off ramp onto the freeway. The majority of the parking lot was closed for construction and it wasn't pretty, so we're glad we avoided it. Nothing but good times at the zoo.....
Yes, the flamingos were that exciting! (check out the video if you don't believe me)

Checking out the zebra....Kamryn's favorite zoo animal.

Oh, and maybe one tantrum following this picture that was taken of Kamryn on the camel. It wasn't pretty.
Crazy Flamingos....Kamryn couldn't get enough of them.

A year to remember!

2010-05-04T13:59:00.000-07:00

This little boy is the light of my life. Sounds cheesy, but he has been a blessing to this family in soo many ways. We had to wait just a little bit longer than we wanted to finally be given a second child but he was worth the small wait.
If I could describe Logan in one word, it would be "sensitive." Notice the tears in the above picture. You take something away, he gets upset...you say "no" to him or get a little firm, he gives you that sad look. Yet, behind that sensitivity he is all boy. He loves to climb and move and he even grooves to a catchy beat. His favorite thing is to hold any ball and walk around with it everywhere. He loves golf balls, footballs, etc...and will crawl or walk around with one in each hand. He also loves to put things in his mouth....and then keep them there. He's walking pretty well now, and his new trick is to kick a ball with his feet. I think soccer is on the horizon.
He's still small and lean, but he is as cute as they come and we love him to death. Happy Birthday to our "Bubba!"
On his birthday, we kept it simple and took the kids out for some "chicken stars" at Carls Jr. The real action is to come later!

Sometimes I feel left out of the pictures since I'm the one always taking them, so here is me trying to make myself feel better by being lame!

New Tricks

2010-04-28T16:16:00.001-07:00

My little daredevil!
This was exciting to see! Now I don't have to stand at the swings for hours pushing her! :)

Easter Morning

2010-04-20T20:13:00.000-07:00

I'm a little disappointed with how these pictures turned out, but I still had to post them or else we'd have nothing to prove to the world that we indeed have Easter baskets and all that jazz.

Kamryn isn't the best at looking for things, so she needs a lot of help, but it's still entertaining to watch. :)

Easter Egg Coloring!

2010-04-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

Aren't they pretty!? Good times were had by all!

Kamryn....the artist!

2010-04-10T10:11:00.000-07:00

This is one of Kamryn's favorite activities. Drawing on her notepad. She's actually pretty good for only being 3. She likes to draw princesses, with tiara and all, and she is starting to teach herself to write letters too. I hope she gets her Grandma Johnson's talent when it comes to drawing/art, etc... because I definitely lack in that area.

Hangin' with the Kids

2010-04-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

It was my attempt to video Logan, but instead I got some cute video of Kamryn. You can't help but smile.

Logan at 10 months

2010-03-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

"He's a heart breaker...."
Logan is our sensitive child, but also makes himself heard. He likes to let you know when he is upset or happy with loud squawks and screams. He is saying "Dada", "Mama" when he cries, and I swear he said "hot" the other day, but I'm probably imagining it since I can't get him to say it again. He finally has two bottom teeth which he loves to feel with his tongue. He loves to pull himself up and then let go and see how long he can stand by himself. He hasn't taken his first steps yet, but I don't think they are too far away. He's growing up FAST!

#1, Animal Style, no tomato with a rootbeer please.....

2010-03-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

Me?? Making a Mess??? No......

2010-03-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

Rewind....

2010-03-14T23:08:00.000-07:00

These are a couple random pictures taken back at Christmas time that were on Jason's phone. This first one cracks me up because Kamryn was trying to take off with the Baby Jesus.

This one above was so cute I had to post it. Do they even look like siblings??

Somebody's gettin' married...

2010-03-02T14:13:00.000-08:00

I also was able to attend the wedding of a close friend of mine. It was a beautiful day for a wedding and my friend looked gorgeous! I was glad I was able to be there to witness such a special moment in her life. It was a colorful reception with yummy food thanks to In-n-Out catering! Double Double Animal style, thank you very much. Or should I say, thank Rosie and Ben very much. It was a fun reception and it was fun catching up with friends I hadn't seen in a while. Oh, and I would be ungrateful if I didn't thank my brother and my sister-in-law for watching the kids! They did an awesome job and Kamryn couldn't stop talking about her Uncle Aaron and Aunt Whitney on the drive back home. :-)

Happy Birthday!

2010-03-02T12:23:00.000-08:00

We celebrated my niece's one year birthday a week ago and I just had to show her off. Isn't she cute! Happy Birthday cutie!! :-)

Logan at 9 months!

2010-02-23T21:14:00.001-08:00

If you notice the runny nose....he's had it forever and I feel like it's just part of him now. Oh, I'm ready for the spring/summer! But that said....he's still so dang cute. He's cruising and pulling up on things, screams at his sister when she takes things from him and still has NO TEETH!

A night on the town...or at least to Dave and Busters

2010-02-12T10:27:00.000-08:00

We went out for our friend's 30th birthday.....She was truly surprised! It was awesome! Here is a picture of her and her husband. Hope your 30th was fun Heather! :-)
Some of us had to sit in a separate booth because there was so many of us. So, this is the "Booth Bunch."
The Moore's
The Pfister's
Jason and I enjoying 2 1/2 hours away from both kids. That's the longest we have left Logan. We're slowly working our way up. (At least, I am.) Good food and and good fun!

The most magical place on earth!

2010-02-05T21:15:00.000-08:00

Kamryn's reward for learning how to use the potty was a trip to Disneyland and thanks to some good friends who signed us in, we were able to finally give her this well-deserved reward. It was Logan's first time, which was fun and it was also fun that Jason was able to take off work and come with us. We had a fabulous time!!
Kamryn was shy meeting all the characters, but after meeting them it was all she could talk about.

This kid , when he wasn't grabbing onto one of us for dear life during the ride, had a smile all day!
An example of him holding onto me....he never cried, just was in shock of all the movement.

Wanted to get a shot of myself on the carousel.
This was my favorite shot of the day. Kamryn said she wanted to go on the "spaceships" so Jason took her. It was her first time on the Rockets and she loved it! Her face is priceless!

Movin' and Snoozin'

2010-02-01T13:03:00.000-08:00

Listen carefully for snoring. So precious. :-)

Daddy's bling!

2010-01-30T15:32:00.000-08:00

Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam!

2010-01-26T14:42:00.000-08:00

Kamryn is in primary! Our primary gives a Book of Mormon to each new sunbeam and Kamryn couldn't get enough of it. They come in a cute carrying case, but she didn't care so much about that as she did the book itself. She loves to hear the Book of Mormon stories and I can't wait until she learns to read so we can really read them together. :-)

What I was dealing with for about two weeks....

2010-01-18T18:45:00.001-08:00

This is what the New Year brought for my family!

Pink eye, colds, ear infections, high fever.....we had it all. (Except puking, thank goodness and knock on wood).

Temple Lights...a grand finale to a fun trip!

2010-01-17T13:08:00.001-08:00

Joe's BBQ...some good grub!

2010-01-11T13:47:00.000-08:00

The faces say it all....YUMM!!!