Pocatello fun

We are visiting grandma and grandpa in pocatello. We have 6 of the 10 kids here and it is super fun. Grandma and grandpa get some hotel rooms so they can get away and the grandkids can swim. The pool was a little cold and Elliott wasn't very happy about that. We also found out that Lucy and Lilly bought the same swimsuit; too cute. Thanks grandma and grandpa!!














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Still hunting

The kids are now trying to lure the leprachaun in and trap him. They have made him a very hospitable green room out of some under-counter space. Included are some candies to lure him in, a cool drink, elliott's green pull-ups, dad's green magazine, a welcome note, popped green balloon, green hair accessories, books, and other conveniences. What great kids I have.


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St Patty's Day

Today is St Patrick ’s Day and I was very under-excited. This has always been a very non-holiday for me. My kids are kinda picky eaters, so I didn’t even dye the milk green this year. But, I was feeling like a slacker this morning, so before Lucy left for school, I painted shamrocks on their cheeks for festivity’s sake. I thought it was all good and over. When Lucy came home for school, she rushed in and started crawling all over the ground to look for “goblin’s” treasure. Then it happened….she asked me if I believed in leprechauns. I was a breath away from saying “no” when I realized what I had turned into! I said that I did believe, and then lamented that I had done nothing to encourage this wonder and imagination in her. She told me that they like to leave their treasures around your house…treasures!! I have treasures!! I grabbed some quarters I had lying around and slyly snuck them into a little plastic cauldron left over from Halloween—the perfect pot for my gold! I hid it in the laundry room and asked Lucy where it was.She said it was on the counter, looked and then grinned; the kind of grin that only a 6 year old who believes in magic can muster.I went in to move the laundry through and she followed and saw the pot. She gasped and then looked inside. SQUEEL!!! GIGGLE!!! JUMP!!! LAUGH!!! SQUEEL SOME MORE!! I have never seen this reaction from her—santa and the toothfairy havae nothing on these leprechauns! It was again, joy that only a belief in the fantastic could achieve.I was hooked. I grabbed all the spare change and dollar bills I could find and started grabbing that cauldron when she wasn’t looking. I hid some in the candy jar—it looks suspiciously like a pot as well. I even hid some in Elliott’s shoes so he could find some “gold” when we go out to ride bikes. One last treasure was discovered in that same cauldron after being outside for a few minutes. Lucy is in heaven! She is sure that little guy is hiding money all over this house. Now, I have to find a way to convince her that they need to go to other house and leave treasures there. I’m so glad for this reminder that they still believe anything is possible. I am so glad I didn’t miss out on that giddy scream of wonder!! Even Elliott, in his own subdued way, is excited. Rather thank Lucy’s dramatic reactions and tentative nature, Elliott just believes. He is just thinking of the next logical spot that treasure could be, and loosing his money as quickly as he finds it. The hunt is the adventure for him. What fun. Who know that even St Patrick’s Day could be a great holiday when you have little children to make it magical.
Lucy is still looking for treasures.

Frosted daffodills

They call it a false spring, but I'll take it.

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Taedwondo Time!!

We had a sunday dinner to celebrate Lilly's birthday last week. What fun! All Boise Johnsons, their families, and Larry and Yoon, are ALWAYS invited to birthday dinners! If you want an invite to our super-fun, weekly sunday dinners, you'd better move on up here too!! Heather is rocking the birthday cake making lately! Look how cute this cake is! Emily and Jason got Lilly some super-cute rain gear, and she loves it as you can tell!










Last night, we signed Lucy up for taekwondo at a studio about a half mile from our house. It was so fun to watch her do this! They start with 3 min of meditation, which I think is about the cutest thing I have ever seen. She was so excited and nervous because they got to break a board on their second day of class. This is going to be so great for her confidence and self-respect; she has already done things she never thought she could do, and her smile couldn't have been bigger.





Gorgeous spring days are here! I have daffodils waiting to pop, chives waiting to be eaten, and bikes waiting to be ridden! SPRING IS AMAZING!! Again, if you want to experience this new and wonderful phenomenon of Spring, you have to move FROM AZ to beautiful Boise!!

Have a wonderful March!