Finding Beauty in Simplicity

america's best idea

2009-10-02T10:40:00.006-06:00

Above: Mt. Rainier, from "The National Parks: America's Best Idea"
Below: a sampling of some of our park trips

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

Treman State Park, New York

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington

Acadia National Park, Maine

Lately, we've given over some of our evenings to PBS, watching Ken Burns' documentary series on America's National Parks. There aren't too many things that make my husband emotional, though the man has been known to cry occasionally over a great sports victory, an excellent church talk, or even kids singing Primary songs. With that said, I think these national treasures have quietly been added to the list.

Talk about stunning. Last night's episode ended with both of us sitting on the couch, eyes filled with tears and unable to speak for a few moments about how these films (and our own experiences at state and national parks) have spoken to our souls. This documentary is so much more than the beautiful scenery and imagery, but of the stories, individuals, and vision behind the creation and evolution of these national treasures as well.

It's not difficult to believe that the individuals who helped create these parks were inspired, especially when you consider the United States a choice land, a land preserved by the hand of God. It's fascinating to see the way that different political and financial factors came together to set these lands aside. Even to see the brilliance of an idea like the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 30's is inspiring. Here's a nation, in the grips of the Great Depression, providing respectable jobs to thousands of homeless men seeking work. As they built trails, fought fires, and generally nurtured and made more accessible these infant lands, these men received the self-respect of gainful employment, educational and recreational opportunities, and the additional blessing of sending money to the families they left behind. The legacy of their work remains today, and one of our favorite examples of this is the extensive stonework in the state parks of upstate New York.

I'm grateful for these preserved places. As we've traveled, Tim and I have enjoyed the wonders of many metropolitan cities, architecture, art, and history, but there's just something different about the simple scenic road trips we've taken. When you leave the chaos of a complicated world, and go to quiet places, something peaceful enters in...not unlike being in the temple.

I'm the last person you'd ever call a tree-hugger, and I'm probably still figuring out my relationship to nature. I guess for me it comes down to something basic: nature is a gift; a continual witness that God lives and love us.

a teaser

2009-08-27T14:46:00.002-06:00

Jessica & Wendy, these are especially for you. . . until I put a real slideshow together! Thanks for asking me to put up pics from our trip to China. Sometimes I don't know if other people really want to see my trip slideshows or if they're just being good friends!

1: Standing on the Great Wall of China (this was one of those "lifetime" experiences...couldn't believe I was there)

2. A rural rice paddy

3. I absolutely loved the people of China, especially in the more rural villages...more on that later

4. Terraced farming along the Yangtze River

rainy day

2009-08-25T10:56:00.001-06:00

It's almost as if the melancholy skies knew that summer was drawing to a close . . .

johnson family bear lake 2009

2009-08-03T11:43:00.005-06:00

Fun times with the Johnson family! I married into good people.

all the kids had fun being buried

Sitting around the campfire...can you see how grubby Joshua is? Boy heaven.

Tim and Kate

the most adorable sandy cheeks I've ever seen

the family campsite

what you look like after sleeping in a tent with five kids

we made fairy houses in the trees

All the girls were so excited in the morning when they discovered that fairies had come to visit in the night!

elder christian loveridge

2009-07-14T13:15:00.005-06:00

Above is my baby brother Christian, who left a week ago to serve an LDS mission in Edmonton, Canada. He is the happy-go-lucky sweetheart of our family, and, being 8 years younger than the next oldest sister, had to endure having five additional mothers as he grew up. The second picture is of our family at the Draper Temple, when Christian went through for the first time. I've tried a few times to describe how it felt to be there at the temple with all of my siblings (and some spouses), but words fail me. The day is written on my heart forever. Anyway, here is a link to his mission blog (thanks, Amy)!

this is what happens . . .

2009-06-30T22:55:00.001-06:00

. . . when your four-year-old thinks the peonies aren't blooming fast enough, and decides to help them open.

rattlesnake adventure

2009-06-25T17:51:00.005-06:00

Tim's day off today....so what did we do? You guessed it, a hike. Today we went on a little trail called Ferguson Canyon, close to Little Cottonwood Canyon.The view from the trail. It 1.75 miles to the top, but it was a steep 1.75 miles (with a four year old in tow). To be honest, it was one of those hikes where the trail was actually more interesting than the end destination. A lot of it was up a pretty riverbed, which made it fun for the kids as they scrambled over the rocks. This is the first rattlesnake we encountered as we came down the trail. It was actually about three feet away from Joshua, about shoulder height next to the trail. It was coiled and rattling, which alerted Joshua to its presence. Joshua just flipped out, started crying, and froze in place. We yelled at him to run ahead, and we waited for it to relax and move away. Me? I was shaking like a leaf because it had been so close to my son.

And yet another one. In my paranoia, I had this feeling it wouldn't be the last rattlesnake we'd see on the hike. Still shaking from the first one (I don't do well with snakes) I'm silently praying for all of us to get down the trail safely, and sure enough, about 15 minutes later Adam found the second one. We came to a riverbed crossing, and as Adam came to the other side, he actually hopped right on top of the rattler. No exaggeration.....the way he landed he was straddling it. This was quite fortunate, because if he had stepped on it I think we'd be telling a different story. As calm as he could be, he said "Look, guys! Another rattlesnake!" and kept on walking. No kidding...this kid was cool as a cucumber. The snake wouldn't leave, so Tim dealt with it by throwing rocks. I thought to grab my camera as his tail was disappearing under a boulder.

As we continued on it occurred to me that Adam didn't have enough fear of rattlesnakes. Sheesh, I'd even settle for healthy respect. He's been around other harmless snakes in the places we've lived, but I had to remind him just how dangerous a rattler was. Anyway, all's well that ends well, but I'm just grateful I had taken the time to say my morning prayers.

catch-up

2009-06-10T23:14:00.008-06:00

Here ya go...the quarterly highlights of happenings at the Johnson house...I guess that's how things go around here (better late than never, that is). Enjoy!

My birthday luncheon at my sister's house, made perfect by Italian sodas and a Marie Callender's pie. Kate turns one! I was a little sad this day.

Another fun attempt at marzipan...pretty cool stuff!

Happy Easter! And no, we did not roast any defenseless Peeps this year.Kate got her big-girl carseat. I was also sad this day. I think I'm always a bit sad about any of my baby's milestones. And yes, this was yet another purchase Tim wasn't happy about, because of all the baby stuff I threw away between Elizabeth and Kate! Ooooops!

Adam, at his first-ever piano recital. I sat back bursting with pride, even though I'd heard the song a thousand times already!

Joshua did great also! They are loving piano lessons.Thomas, at his kindergarten nursery rhyme program. He was a confident and darling Little Boy Blue, although he cried all morning long because he was so nervous!My little brother, Christian, opening his mission call to the Canada Edmonton Mission! He even predicted he was going to Canada! Last month my darling sister Amy moved from Washington back to Utah! Happy day!

We had a fun graduation party for Amy's husband, Marshall, who just finished law school. We had a fun little roast for him, completed by Amy announcing that she was expecting!

Elizabeth, looking on as Tim fixes her bike. Tis the season....we've been doing this a lot lately.

Sunshine Kate.

Joshua, loving that he finally gets to mow the lawn!

When he finished, he said, "Mom, our house looks rich." He didn't say it in a snotty way, just in an innocent kid way. I think his comment was kind of sweet; that "rich" was the best word he could come up with for our house and yard looking neat and clean.

I think he's right about the "rich" part....look at my little treasures!
Ok, so this milestone didn't make me sad...it was fun to watch Kate eating her first Oreo!

I'm not a huge fan of messy-faced baby pictures, but you've gotta admit this one's pretty cute!

tattle-tale

2009-04-21T15:55:00.004-06:00

I just wanted to thank Joshua's second-grade teacher for this fabulous idea. I was a little disappointed, however, when Joshua told me that I actually had to read them.

the johnson family rocks the read a thon

2009-04-10T13:07:00.004-06:00

Congrats to the Johnson boys, who all read the most reading minutes in each of their classes during the Read-A-Thon at their school. Adam was the second-highest reader in the entire school! They were pretty excited about their Barnes and Noble gift cards. Awesome job, guys!

27 dresses (almost)

2009-04-03T11:19:00.004-06:00

I told Tim that if I ever died, that he had to promise to always "tuck the kids in twice". This is just something I've always loved. . . coming in to watch my little crazies slumbering like peaceful angels. Well, truth be told, a lot of times I go back in to make sure there's not a Ninja turtle wedged under a hip, a book compressing a fragile ear, and that generally the little yahoos are snugly under the covers the way I left them an hour ago.

It was fun to peek in the other night and see how industrious little Elizabeth had been. First, you have to know how she agonizes over outfits. Usually, she lays them out the night before, but if she doesn't, then her prayers always include, "Heavenly Father, please help me to find a good outfit tomorrow". She must have been worried about her Tuesday playdate because she emptied all the dresses from her closet and arranged them on her floor.

Glad I got to walk in on this little scene.

family pics 2008

2009-03-30T12:48:00.005-06:00

Kate, 6 months

Elizabeth, almost 4

Thomas, 5

married 11.5 years Adam, 9

Joshua, 7

Just thought I'd post some shots from our fall family pictures. We had a great time with our cute photographer, Hailey Bean. She was so great with the kids! You'll notice that 3yo Elizabeth found it quite difficult to keep her tongue in her mouth, but we decided to go with it because that's just who she was at the time! She still does it when she concentrates really hard.

a little preoccupied lately

2009-03-17T08:51:00.002-06:00

Adam got me hooked on this fun new series, which I've been reading into the wee hours every night. Every bleary-eyed morning has been worth it.

the highlights

2009-03-04T11:48:00.015-07:00

Hope you arrived here today prepared for a virtual firehose of photography! This is what happens when I don't blog for two months. . .so here's an update of what we've been up to:

After Christmas, Tim built his annual snowcave for the boys, who think he's pretty much the coolest dad in the whole world.Loving the new headlamps from Grandma and Grandpa Johnson.Adam, Joshua, and Thomas had fun sleeping out in the snowcave, and actually managed to stay pretty warm!

Thomas turned six on January 2. We had a cute snowman theme for him (thanks for the darling cupcake idea, Natalie)!

Sledding up Big Cottonwood Canyon with cousins.
Our favorite place to sled...can't remember the name, but it's close to Donut Hole Falls. If you're gonna go sledding, you might as well have fabulous scenery, too!

Me, with my sister Kim.We took the babies with us, and kept them in the Port-a-Crib at the bottom of the hill. Ok, so they cried a little, but as far as Moments of Parenting Brilliance are concerned, this idea is second only to Taking my Toddlers to the Movie Theater Strapped into their Carseats. My favorite picture from the day...and this is before we really flew into the snowdrift. Our faces were plastered with powder. I hope my nephew Andrew is able to laugh about it now! He was a little popsicle. Joshua turned 8 on January 4.Joshua had an awesome camping birthday with his friends. I stayed up until four in the morning doing all the decorations and it was so worth it! Everything was great and I'm telling you, Joshua's reaction when he woke up the next morning was all the thanks I needed. We did camping songs, ghost stories, and hot dogs, and cooked s'mores over a campfire in the backyard. It was so great.
Joshua also started Cub Scouts and loves it.
We took a fun trip to California to celebrate Joshua's 8th birthday. We went with my parents, my brother Christian, my sister Jennifer, my sister Kim, and their families. It was so perfect having so many people to take turns and watch kids. All the cousins had a great time together!
At the end of the month, Joshua got baptized. It was a really nice day.

My two cute girls. Kate is ten months old now and is everyone's favorite playmate. She is cruising everywhere, doing a bit of sign language when she feels like cooperating, and has a smile that seems to never go away! She is so loveable and sweet, even though she won't cuddle with me much!

In February I hosted another AWESOME romance night for women, where we shared ideas on how to strengthen our marriages and create more romance. I will definitely give this one its own post later.

Cute Adam turned ten, and our camera started going on the fritz. Shopping for a digital SLR now; does anyone have a favorite?

Oh, and some of you might not believe this, but I attended my first rally at the State Capitol Building, helping to raise awareness and advocate for cleaner air in Utah (have you ever been here during one of our weather "inversions"? Not pretty). I've been learning more about a campaign that reminds people not to let their cars idle (like when picking up kids from school). The girl who could hardly be bothered to recycle her milk cartons and cereal boxes has come a long way, no?

Evidence of more poor mothering.

Cute Kate, who is dying to go outside and play with her siblings.

Elizabeth and Kate. Let's hope the fashion sense is genetic.

And finally, an apology....I've been a bad blogger and a bad friend. I've missed all of you and hope to be making the blogging rounds soon! Kisses!

tis the season

2008-12-29T14:01:00.000-07:00

I guess it's Christmas break!

christmas 2008

2008-12-22T10:53:00.007-07:00

"A Home Transformed by Christmas Magic", or,

"I Finally Got All the Kids' Junk Picked Up So I Could Post Some

Pictures of our Christmas Decorations".

I don't know what look I was going for; I just knew I wanted my tree glittering & encrusted!This is one of our favorite traditions: the pickle ornament! My friend Marti gave this to us a few years back...tradition dictates that the first person to find the pickle ornament on Christmas morning would get an extra gift from St. Nicholas. At our house, it's a dollar, and the kids go crazy over this! Maybe we'll up the stakes to $5 next year.Our well-loved and well-used collection of Christmas books. I finally splurged on the bay-leaf garland I've been eyeing for a few years!Ok, so the nativity isn't looking so hot. To date, we have lost-who are we kidding....the kids have broken-Joseph, a wiseman, an angel, a shepherd boy, a sheep, and baby Jesus (if you look closely you can see he's in pieces this year). Let's just say that porcelain figures and porcelain tile don't mix. But it's the idea of the nativity that counts, right?
I found this coffee table on someone's curb a few weeks ago. I sanded it down & restained it. I really like it in here. It gives this little room an even cozier feeling. My favorite find this year was some mistletoe! I have been looking for this for years!
And of course, what husband would complain about a little mistletoe hung over the bed? ;)

mormon ads

2008-12-16T15:52:00.008-07:00

On Sunday, Elizabeth sat next to me during sacrament meeting. For some reason, she just kept making me chuckle, so I thought I'd share a piece of our conversation with you. With pictures, no less!

During the sacrament, she sat looking through this little picture album I created for the kids. It's just this random collection of stuff I cut out from old Friend & Ensign magazines in the high hopes that it might buy me 5-6 minutes of semi-quiet worship (is that even possible with 5 kids)? Anyway, on this day the good old Mormonads had captured her complete attention.

Elizabeth: "Mom, why does that boy have garbage in his mouth?"

Me: "Well, this picture teaches you that when you say bad things to other people, it's not nice and it's a little bit like putting garbage in your mouth."

Elizabeth: "Oh."

After lingering a few moments on the picture:

Elizabeth: "Mommy?"

Me: "Yeah?"

Elizabeth: "I will NEVER put garbage in my mouth."

Me: "That's a good idea honey."

Elizabeth: "And Mom, I will NEVER get close to the edge like that."

Me: "That's a very good idea."

Elizabeth: "Mom, I promise I will NEVER step on sharp fings (things)."

Me: "That's smart, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth: "Mom, I am NEVER going to dump trash on my head."

Me: "I'm glad, honey."

Elizabeth: "I am NEVER going to eat ice cream with a bug in it."

Me: "I am sooo glad!"

Ok, so the symbolic nature of these ads was lost on her, but to hear the resolve in her voice would have made any mother proud. After all, how many of your kids have promised not to put trash on their heads?

caught!

2008-12-01T14:09:00.002-07:00

Ok, so I walked into the kitchen and this is how I found little piglet Joshua "cleaning up" hot chocolate powder. Some of you are making a mental note to never eat off of my counters again, and the rest of you are remembering how you did this when you were a kid. Admit it.

the holy war

2008-11-26T16:41:00.007-07:00

I guess you'd have to be from Utah to fully appreciate this post . . . GO UTES!!!!

An new addition to the post: I just wanted to add a little detail to for my own journaling.

Picture #1:Yes, Joshua's sign is for the Utes...we tried to tell him he shouldn't make the background blue, but oh, well. He found the board in the garage, painted it, hammered nails into it, attached a wire, and was SO proud of himself.

Picture #2 The Johnsons and Dustins...the lone Utes that day. You may have noticed that Tim is missing from the picture. That's because he gets really nervous for some games, especially high-stakes games like this one. He just wanted to watch this one all by himself. Same with John, who left after this pic was taken.

Pictures #3-4: the spread was great, the decorations and favors were fabulous, and everyone had fun cheering for their own team. Obnoxious cowbell included.

Pictures #5, 7, 8: You might think that I'm gloating a little by posting these, so sorry. It was just a FABULOUS and monumental win by the Utes!

Picture #9: This is the only trash-talking I've done the entire year...this is Kimbie, serving up humble cake for the BYU fans! ;)

family night felt

2008-11-24T16:01:00.002-07:00

A business is born...and then put on the back burner. My fabulously creative little sister Amy had this idea for a business...handmade felt figures and scenery for Family Home Evening lessons, church lessons, and the like. We watched her spend hundreds of hours over the summer, carefully crafting each exquisite piece, over and over again. Though her initial ambition was to turn this into a business, as a stay-at-home mom she began to realize how time-intensive her creations were. And so, for the sake of her sweet girls, Amy decided to scale back, sell her existing inventory, and take orders by request.

Anyway, Amy's felt kits are still available for sale, and I wish these pictures could do them justice! They have the priceless quality of looking handmade, without looking homemade. They are bright, vibrant, carefully crafted, and the sweet details on every piece will astound you when you hold them in your hands.

With Christmas coming, there's nothing like a thoughtful, handmade gift for your own family or another family you love. Her basic starter kit is $30 and is jam-packed with cute figures. The supplemental kits range from $5-$10. See her website for more information! These truly are a treasure.

so sweet

2008-11-12T13:13:00.003-07:00

I am in love. You all know how much I love children's artwork, especially sweet and clean (and simple!) designs. I just found some of the cutest artwork I've ever seen, by a local artist named Sarah Jane. Enjoy!

everything but the kitchen sink

2008-11-10T12:27:00.008-07:00

Never in a million years would I have taken on a plumbing project while my husband was gone to work. But a couple of days ago my faucet handle broke off into my hand. Not being handy people, Tim and I pouted about it for a couple of days, trying to decide if we should just call a plumber to come and replace it ($$$$$$) , or (hah hah) replace it ourselves. I know, I know. I can hear all of you mechanically-inclined people out there, openly mocking us. But you have to know...we're the type of people who will 9 times out of 10 just call someone to come and do the dirty work because we're just not that skilled.

But we got to talking the other night. "It can't be that difficult, right? I mean, we're not talking about electrical wiring or anything. Maybe we can do this." We decided we would give it a try, though Tim just kept lamenting the fact that he didn't have time to deal with this. "I know, Sweetie-pie," I thought, "Kinda like I don't love hauling enormous pots of hot water from the bathtub to rinse dishes in." But I didn't say it out loud.

Enter Yolanda. She and her kids came over to play and I pointed out my faucet to her. All I can say is, I should have known what would happen next. Before I knew it, she was under my kitchen sink, checking out the situation, telling me that we could do this. "Wouldn't that be so fun for Tim to come home and find it already fixed?" she asked. Still, I'm not convinced at this point, but then again, I've got Yolanda standing in my kitchen. She and her husband can fix anything on the planet.

She shooes me out the door to go pick out a faucet at Home Depot, and I'm back in no time, despite almost passing out from Delta/Moen Sticker Shock Syndrome (also known as DMSSS). Not four hours later, I'm looking at a gorgeous new faucet, though we both thought it would be much quicker. And it would have been faster, were it not for the complicated water filtration system I decided to remove from under the sink. Let's just say that removing that filter was a little like opening a can of worms, leaving me there with a variety of plumbing "loose ends" to find solutions for. Still, after one more trip to Home Depot, we persevered and did it together. And my husband, upon returning home that evening, thought I was a superstar. I think he almost cried when he realized he was off the hook for playing plumber on his next day-off.

And yes, I did tell him it was all thanks to my awesome friend Yolanda, who constantly reminds me that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

No turning back now.

Seriously, this is a moment for the history books.

Only a true friend would use a hacksaw for you.

Ummm...a little more complicated than I thought it would be.

Why I'm holding a fork, I don't really know.

Voila!

Ooooooh, I can't stop looking at it! Is this fixture beautiful, or what?

elizabeth turns four

2008-11-08T14:12:00.005-07:00

When you're four, you want what all your friends have. So for Elizabeth, this meant a Hello Kitty birthday party this year. For my little girl, I overcame my fear of marzipan and crafted the masterpiece you see above. It was a little touch-and-go for a while, what with the frosting threatening to slide right off the cake more than once and the marzipan kitty not cooperating as it should. However, when it was all said and done, Elizabeth's happy reaction was worth every painstaking step for a cake she loved.

That's because 4 year-olds don't see lopsided layers, goopy frosting, or imperfect rosettes. They think everything is beautiful.

Elizabeth's favorite: pizza.

Sparkling homemade play-dough.

A family that loves her.

2008-11-04T14:50:00.003-07:00

Help... I can't change the fonts and colors on my blog. I can change the template but the fonts and colors are not even clickable. Does anyone know what to do?

busy baby

2008-11-03T21:55:00.004-07:00

Here's our little perfect cuteness Kate, already keeping us on our toes at 6 and a half months! She is everywhere and into everything with her darling little scooting crawl. I guess I just didn't expect to have to baby-proof quite so soon, and no, it wasn't very fun to explain to dear husband why his daughter nearly lost an eye (I'm telling you, she was right there, playing at my feet) while I was blogging unawares. I have since repented of such poor parenting.