And Finally it is New Year Eve...

To be honest the Johnson's have had another year of ups and downs, in the end we know that we are incredibly blessed!

We have two great kids, who are strong, healthy, smart, energetic, great students, talented, friendly and outgoing.

Sam is learning the clarinet and will be returning to guitar lessons soon, he is doing great in junior high, Scouts and pretty much everyone loves to be around him. He is a great friend and will talk to anybody.

Elisabeth is dancing her way through life, she will be going "en pointe" next month, she keeps us on our toes too! She too is a great friend and loves friends younger and older then her.

Jeremiah has tried out a couple different avenues this year for work and we think he is finally settled. He has just been appointed by Farm Bureau to sell all insurance products, and will still be doing mortgages on the side. He has learned so much this year, and studied more then he has ever before. He has loved being home more, we eat dinner as a family often and he is able to come to many more of our activities.

As for me, I officially become a member of the Murray School Board on January 12, and look forward to being involved at the grass roots level of education. I am working a little bit at a process servers office, teaching Learning for Life, working in Primary and of course I am still PTA president. With all that going on and 2 active kids the next few months should be hectic, but bring it on!

We look forward to 2011, we plan to read scriptures as a family, spend time together, travel a little and hopefully (cross your fingers) sell our St. George house. Anyways through it all we stick together and wouldn't have it any other way!

My Favorite Primary Song...

I have been serving in Primary (the organization within the LDS church that teaches the children) almost my entire adult life... and at times it gets a bit trying. Each year the Church selects new songs for the kids to learn, this year we learned "I Know That My Savior Loves Me," hearing the kids sing this song makes my heart sing. I know that the Jesus called the children to him and that he blessed and taught them and I know that we each can feel his love just as those children long ago did. If you haven't heard this song, take minute and listen please.

Playin' With Our Snow Dog...

Even though Koda is a "snow dog," he doesn't particularly like the cold.
That is unless the kids will play with him in it!

M&M Christmas Story

I based my Christmas sharingtime around this poem and the symbols of Christmas it reminds us of.

M&M Christmas Story

As you hold these candies in your hand
And turn them you will see
The M becomes a W, and E and then a 3
They tell the Christmas story
It's one I'm sure you know
It took place in a stable
A long, long time ago
The E is for the East
Where the star shone, oh so bright
The M is for the Manger
Where baby Jesus slept that night
The 3 is for the Wise Men
Bearing gifts they say they came
W is for Worship
Hallelujah! Praise His name
So as you eat these candies
Or share them with a friend
Remember our dear Savior
And His love that never ends.

Christmas was a little slow paced this year... the kids, and myself, didn't get up until after 8am. We had picked to go to Vegas as part of our Christmas and the kids had really short Christmas lists so I didn't take long to open gifts. They loved what they got, and by the time they went to both Grandmas I think they had everything on their lists. We didn't go to my parents until 11:30, since Jacob got to call home that morning. We always have tons of yummy food and a ton of chaos opening gifts! Then we actually got to head home for a bit, Elisabeth got her dad to play Just Dance 2, must see pictures! Then we headed out to the Johnson's for dinners and a ton load of more gifts. And then we actually had time to spend at home playing games as a family. This year it seemed easier to think about the birth of the Savior, I think it has to do with the kids getting older and the emphasis not being so much on Santa. I also did the Christmas sharingtime (again, see next post) at church and we had a missionary come home, so I guess that helped. We started a new tradition of reading the Luke 2 on Christmas Eve, Elisabeth was completely distracted but I guess it's the thought that counts!

Christmas Eve...

With no snow and a trip to clean up from, Christmas Eve was a little different this year. We didn't sled or go to a movie, but it was still a good day. We gathered at my cousin Libbie's for dinner and the "gift game." My cousin Emily and her family were in town and Elisabeth was so excited to see Cody and Andy. The Greatorexs and Walsters were also in town so it made for a full house. We stopped by CoLeen's after wards to say hello and then went home. The kids like exchanging gifts to each other on Christmas Eve, Elisabeth got Coke earrings and a Mazin' Hamster and Sam got the game Apples to Apples. It's fun to see them pick out things for each other and spend their own money on just the right gift, and they get so excited to give them to each other. Then it was new p.j.'s and off to bed!

It's so good to have Jordan home!

Stockton, Jana and Hudson

Elisabeth and her buddy Cody!

Elisabeth loves to wrap Sam's gifts with several layers, this year I think there was about 20!

Mazin' Hamster for Webkinz

Bowling for Christmas...

After Utah beat BYU in November we decided that the Johnson's would go bowling for Christmas! The kids were totally on board, especially our little football nut Elisabeth. We rang up Joe and Randi and they were in! We'll the game was horrid, a disappointing 26-3 against Boise State, and rain was, well wet. But we still had a great time and packed in bunch in 2 1/2 days! We hit the road after Sam's school got out and managed to hit no traffic or bad weather. There was the creepy owner of the Suzie Q in Beaver, who we are pretty sure was a serial killer or something else strange. On to Vegas we went, with a walk around Walmart in Mesquite in the middle. We check in at the Excalibur where we saw tons of Utah fans and headed out for some dinner. Come to find out Buffalo Wild Wings is open 24 hours and we ended up there both nights. The wings were awesome! The next morning we made our usual stop at Dunkin' Donuts (we went both mornings) and then took Joey to Bass Pro Shop where he found fishing lures that he was in love with. It was a bit of a fish story... he paid $2 a piece... but "in Salt Lake they would be $5" and then he said $7, and then $9! All trip he kept getting them out just to look at them. Then we took the kids to look around the M&M and Coke stores. Then we went to look around the Miracle Mile at Planet Hollywood. We ran into A LOT of Utes there, and found out the team was staying there and there was a send off party at 2pm. The kids caught up with Brian Johnson (Sam met him a few years ago at the Air Force game with Grandpa) for a picture, the band came out and played and got everybody pumped up. The kids got a front row spot to give the players five when they left. We headed out to the game and it was pouring rain there is only one road into the stadium and then a mud parking lot which made things interesting. When we got in the stadium it was split down the middle, red and blue/orange. Everyone's spirits were high, and I am pretty sure my kids had never seen so many drunk people! Randi and I had joked about going to the Boyz 2 Men concert and guess who sung the National Anthem? And then there was an incredible fly over by 2 jets, I love that! Well the first quarter we did pretty well and the score was 0-0 and then after that it was down hill! I'm not sure what happened but it was terrible! We had a good laugh at the drunk people, including the guys in front of us struggle to put his coat on upside down for 10 minutes. After a long wait in the parking lot we ended up at Wild Wings again. Thursday morning included a return to Dunkin' Donuts, and the Coke and M&M store for the kids to make their purchases. Then we took Joe and Randi to the Belagio to see the display, since they had never been and to Caesars Palace to check out the Forum shops. We made lots of references to the movie "The Hangover." When Elisabeth couldn't take it anymore we found a buffet, Imperial Palace, it was horrible! Possibly worse then the game! Our last stop was at the roller coaster at the New York, New York! Elisabeth was finally tall enough to ride, just barely! It scared her to death, and she loves coasters, but apparently she moved all over in her seat, but now if you ask her she will tell you that was the best part of the weekend! I have decided that driving at night is really boring! We watched Christmas movies and played a lengthy game of Christmas 20 questions, because all of us, except Miah, got a case of the sillies! We pulled in a little after 11pm and then it was on to Christmas Eve!

Happy 1st Birthday Adrian!

We celebrated Adrian's 1st birthday at Jana and Chad's. Chad ordered the Chinese food so you know there was plenty to eat, finished off with Mexican birthday cake. Adrian was getting the hang of opening presents and eating cake, but he was exhausted after a busy weekend.

He's Home!

Last Friday was a great night for the Rigby/Johnson/VanT families! One of our missionaries came home! As soon as I saw him come down those stairs, I started crying right where I left off two years ago. He has been an awesome missionary, and we were glad to share him with the people of Seattle, but it is so great to have him home! Now we count down the 9 months until Jake comes home!

Adrian meets his Uncle JoJo!

Busy Elves

It seems each year my plans for homemade Christmas gifts get smaller... but then when I look back I realize that might not be true. This year we (myself with help from Elisabeth, Sam and Miah) cranked out...

100 hand made Christmas Cards

40 Primary gift for 2011

50 Primary Christmas Gifts

7 Utah/BYU small blocks

2 Large Utah door hangings

A dozen or so containers of Chex Mix

2 fleece blankets

4 calendars

7 friend gifts

And I still need to pull off a slide show before Christmas Eve

All that on top of Primary, PTA, Learning for Life, School Board and returning to work (a little) makes for BUSY ELVES at the Johnson house. So now you know why I don't post as often as I would like!

Mormon Tabernacle Choir - Hallelujah, Christmas 2010

Elder Chad Jordan Rigby Comes Home Today!!!

Tonight to be more accurate! We are so excited to see one of our missionaries come home! This morning at family prayer Sam said, "Bless Jacob on his mission and bless Jordan will come home safely," it's going to be so weird to not just say JordanandJacob. Elisabeth is all decked out in "Where My Peeps At?" shirt, she has literally been counting hours since Monday night.
So here's a little peek at all the kids when he left 2 years ago, who do you think has changed the most?

Adrian...

This post is dedicated to the CUTEST baby boy around! Word cannot express how cute my great nephew is and how much happiness he bring us all! He is the smiliest, silliest guy! He makes this noise that is supposed to be "tickle tickle tickle," and walks/runs on his tip toes. When I look back at this year there are a lot of pictures of Adrian, but who can resist. My favorite new pictures are my brother sitting with him in the recliner, Adrian lays right back against him and waits for a song, or some boy talk whispered in his ear. In this one they are sing Entsy Bitsy Spider.

We're In the Newspaper!

When are friend Dave asked us if he could come do a home energy audit on our 1952 home, we said sure, then he asked if the Deseret News could come along too! Here's the link to the article http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700089334/Audits-reveal-a-homes-energy-health.html It was amazing to find out home much energy we were losing, and our house was actually not doing to bad. So now we, ha ha that would mean me, need to caulk around all our doors, windows and light fixtures and put weather stripping around the door frames. Hey, with the four of us going a million directions why not invite the newspaper reporter and camera man over!

The Tradition of Gingerbread Houses...

It's crazy how big my family is getting... we filled my mom's house with just my immediate family. My relationship with gingerbread houses has changed... my kids don't need my help... at all! I am not sure whether this makes me sad or not. Our two young couples, Arica and Taylor and Jess and Junior spent many hours on their creations, the littler kids actually worked really hard at theirs and in true tradition the Rigby boys filled there's with candy. There are so many little things about making gingerbread houses that never change, Chad always buys a ton on candy, everybody always eats to much of it, somebody's roof is always caves in, houses don't make it home intact and then there is crazy Aunt Becky in the middle of it all helping us but it all together. I taught my Learning for Life kids about traditions yesterday, and this is one of ours that around to stay.

Molly Mouse...

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Another year of Molly Mouse has come and gone! Elisabeth loves the Children's Ballet Theater's annual Christmas show, but she was pretty tired after a week that included 5 performances and 17 hours of dancing. This year she was a Sugar Sprinkle in the second act!

Happy Elves!

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