#45

We have spent the last two days in Jackson, Wyoming….  It is heavenly.  No wonder it is one of the most expensive places to live in the country.  This town is amazing!  Took the kids for a walk…
When I have the three alone, I lock those biddies in the triple!!  That way no one is running into traffic and I can get everywhere faster because the seas part when this thing comes rolling by!
My boy loves his presidents and was ecstatic to see Lincoln just chillin on a bench!  “You’re Auntie Ashley’s favorite” he yelled as we rolled away!!  True Raimy, True!
Enjoying the beautiful day with Albert…

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A thing I’ve always done with my kids is speak to them like their adults.  As of late this has become amazing because they are having hysterical adult like conversations!  When their tiny voices use big words in the correct context it cracks me up!

Since they were little, anytime we have gone to the grocery store I have told them about marketing.  I let them know that ‘they’ put yucky stuff at kids eye level, with pretty pictures on the boxes, so that kids yell for their mommies to buy it.  Even though most of the food with fun pictures is bad for you.  They find it fascinating and they point it out to other kids now.  “That for is bad for your tummy!  The company just put it in a fun box to make you think its good for you.  But it’s not.”  hahahaha.  YES!

Which brings me to my favorite story of the day.  While praying at bedtime last night, Raimy said “God, why did you make high fructose corn syrup?”.  Are you freaking kidding me?!!  HAHAHAHHA.  We cracked up for over an hour!!

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Jonny was given a really cute gift for Saylor a few weeks ago.  It is a t-shirt with tutu from http://www.tutupourmondeux.com/.  Wanted to post a picture and thank them for such a thoughtful gift:)  She loves it!!    

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I know this pic is blurry but, Renn was so excited to wake up her brother today:)  Sweet bears

#44

I’ve had so many people ask me over the years about the headphones the kids wear at the concerts.  They are from the company Peltor.  Saylor wears these, Raimy wears these and Rennix wears these.  They have been great, the kids don’t complain, they are cute and I know that they are protecting their ears!  So if you have littles I highly them:)  

#43

And we’re off……………..

My little man helped me carry a ton of stuff to the bus:)  Here he is flexing those man muscles right before we left home.

 The kids and I hit the road at 8pm on the 3rd.  The bus driver’s name is Lupe and he is very nice.  The kids love Mr. Lupe and have talked his ear off:)  We drove all night and arrived somewhere in Utah at 5:30am.  Lupe slept until 2pm and then we were driving again.  All the kids started to get a cold and the drive became miserable.  “momma I’m sick”, “momma my throat hurts”, “hold me” “no, hold me” all the while poor baby Renn just screamed the day away…….  Oy Vey……  Alone on a bus with 3 kids who can’t walk around because the bus is moving?  A lot harder than I had expected!

We pulled into Broomfield, CO around 9pm and I took them all into the hotel to run around finally.  Our room was gorgeous.  Each kid had their own King bed, baby a very nice crib and mamma a bed that felt like a cloud it was so inviting.

Jon’s bus arrived in Broomfield at 10am the next day and man were we excited!  We spent the day at the mall and the kids never let him out of their site.  I think this picture of Saylor right after Jon arrived says it all:)

In the mall there was a Pottery Barn Kids.  I took Saylor in this store last, while Jon took the other two to the bus, so we could have a girls only shopping trip.  OH MY WORD.  Her life will never be the same.  The tiny vanity with fake make-up and hair styling tools, the pink kitchen, the pink bedding, the bassinet stroller with a pink princess baby in it…  She was so excited she cried….seriously.  after 5 minutes she had a crowd.  “This is the most beautiful brush I’ve ever seen, This is the most beautiful baby I ever saw, this is the most specialist kitchen I’ve ever seen, this is the most beautiful ________ I’ve ever seen (you get the picture)”  She held her heart and screamed at almost EVERY item in the store.  “Oh mommy, can we please live in this store?”.  Her crowd was cracking up and one woman said “If I had this child I’d be broke.  How do you say no to her.  She’s so sweet”.  Hahaha.  I caved and bought her the hair set.  A hair dryer, clips, and brush.  She came straight back to the bus and told daddy that she was “Saylor the hair cutter girl.”  Then immediately daddy became the first victim.  (reason #98374934798374 why my hubby rocks!)  Obviously this toy set is popular with all girls because Renn cracked up the entire time.

This morning my sick little family driving to the venue.  Raimy is such a good brother.  He tickled Saylors back and helped take care of her, even though he is probably sicker than her:)

My Saylor and I sang songs on her “macrophone” while daddy sound checked.

 Renn strolling around the bus exploring

Raimy learning that he can take pictures of himself with my phone:)  

Here are the bunks:

The girls fell asleep and Raimy went with Uncle Dennis to watch daddy on the side of the stage for a few songs.  He was returned to me crying his eyes out.  “Dennis wouldn’t let me walk out onto stage!  Nobody would give me a microphone or guitar!”  I tried to sooth him but he cried for an hour straight that his feelings were hurt and daddy needed him to sing on stage.  Uh oh.  Is this a peek into my future?  Do I have an emotional musician on my hands!  HAHAHA Poor guy…  Maybe I’ll let him out there and call his bluff.  He’d see that crowd and split….Or not and then I’ve created a monster!  
More pics to follow…
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On a sad note, I found out this morning that a friend of ours passed away.  These last few years, so many young people we know have lost their lives…  My momma wrote a sweet post about Jani: Link to mom’s blog.  🙁

#42

Hello!

We are headed out on the road again today!  The kids are beyond excited!  Loaded up the bus last night and they brought all their special things for the bunks:)

Auntie Sara bought Saylor a Hello Kitty purse with big girl lipstick in it -and it has not left her side for days.  She was ecstatic that there is a pocket in her bunk the exact size of her new purse.  She can keep it with her at all times so ‘no one takes it’.  She also carries in this special purse a ‘phone’, tissue in case of ‘crying and buggers’, magic lasso(a ribbon), mirror, kitten and princess cash register…you know, the essentials…

While packing, Raimy informed me that while on tour we will probably see a camel.  “If he doesn’t have a family will he fit on the bus to bring home and we’ll name him Moon?”  Apparently our home is lacking a camel…”a camel that’s alive and real”.  “If we see a camel on the road, I promise I will find out if he has an owner.  If he does not…Yes, we will bring him home!”.  I just got major points…I will be hugged 4x as much today:)  Saylor piped in that it would be nice if we found “An alive and real baby pig that does not like mud.  OOOOOOOOOOO I will snuggle her in my bed and love her with all my heart!!!!!” Grabs her heart and squeals while I literally see her brain picture a 3 inch pink piglet that is so cute she almost cries.  “Her name will be Santia(said with a thick hispanic accent which came from…where…I don’t know)”.

They go off talking about the maybe new family members we might need to rescue and bring back with us:)

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While in the hospital after birthing all the kids they tell you to sign up for babycenter.com updates.  You get an email once a week for each child that gives you info on what they should be doing at that exact age, tips, advice etc.  My letter today for 11 month old Rennix said that If I am giving her soda I should stop until she is at least 1 year old…………………………………….!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Are you freaking kidding me!!  A survey of thousands of families found that the normal age a parent starts giving their child soda is 7 months old…..in their bottles!!  I am so disgusted!  What moron would put soda in a baby bottle.  The fact that this needs to be written on a widely spread email in the US is very depressing to me.  Yes I am one of those moms that thinks food is the root of almost every problem in our nation right now.  Call me a freak but I really believe it to be true.  This has made me so angry.  If I saw a baby with a Coke in her bottle I would tell the mom off.  You only have so many years that you can control everything your child eats before friends with Twinkie’s at their school invade!  Why would you not take advantage of that!!  A babies body uses food to grow their brains.  Nice job moms of America!

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I should not be admitting this….I got place mats for the kids with all the presidents on them.  Is it pathetic there were names I had never heard of?  haha.  Glad to know my 3 year olds are more advanced than me…pathetic.  Although I do know the Bush’s are not “Baby Bush” and “Daddy Bush”, so I’ve got a one up!

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Can’t wait to sleep tonight in the bus bunk.  AAAAAAAaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!  pitch black, freezing cold, snuggled in a down comforter and the rumbling of the engine and road to lull you away.

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And last but not least- It is my very best friend in the whole world’s birthday!!!!!  My sister Ashley!!  I can’t believe I will not be home tonight to celebrate with you!  I am so proud of you and I love you more than words can say.  Remember when that “25 things you don’t know about me” was going around facebook?  Well, I wrote instead “25 things you don’t know about my sister”  I will repost here so you know how cool my little bear is if you haven’t met her:)



25 Things You May Not Know About MY Sister Ashley Johnson!
1. If you are ever in a bad situation you want her on your side. In emergencies she is quick thinking and protective. Like that time we were held up in a gas station and she almost stabbed the criminal with a pen in the jugular. Yeah he gave up quick. Thought she was some crazy fighter! HAHA. 
2. She is an extreme hermit, if she had it her way she would NEVER leave her house. We sometimes don’t hear from her for a week at a time. She is not good in big groups and she hates parties!
3. Has a massive knives collection. She is an amazing knife thrower and surprisingly good with Chinese stars. 
4. She is UNREAL with guns. Once she was taken on a SWAT team training base in New Orleans and beat the top sniper at the shooting range. She was offered a job as a sniper on the LAPD. Crazy right!?
5. God has apparently told every guy that she is “the one”. 
6. She received a scholarship to Harvard, Stanford, USC, and UCLA for English. 
7. She’s had a long running love affair with Ernest Hemingway and Abraham Lincoln. She has read every book about Lincoln and every Hemingway novel at least twice.
8. She is truly fearless. She’d base jump off the empire state building if she could. (although if she lived I would beat the living daylights out of her!!)
9. She almost went to school for astronautical engineering. 
10. She has a wit unlike anyone I have ever met. She is the funniest person to grace this earth in my opinion. Many a time I have literally peed my pants after a zinger of hers. There was one time with a penny at an Italian restaurant that was the hardest anyone in the history of the world has ever laughed!
11. I feel bad for anyone who would ever mess with me. My sister would kill you. Yes I have brothers…but Ash would ruin your life!! HAHAHA just puttin it out there! 
12. She has been called the female Travis Pastrana on many occasions.
13. She is an amazing singer. She will blow you away if you ever have the honor of hearing her angelic voice. But she rarely will let anyone know. She also plays piano and guitar beautifully. She has so many gorgeous songs that she has written. Oh how I wish I could get an Ashley Johnson album that I could play on repeat all day long…:)
14. She is an amazing snowboarder.
15. I happen to think she is a genius actress. She is such an incredible talent in all ways. Hopefully there will be a script that will show everything she is capable of one day!! 
16. She’s the most competitive person I know. She gets a sick thrill out of beating people. She will be quiet and unsuspecting during the game and just shrug and smile when she wins like “you never really had a chance but it was cute watching you try” But doesn’t rub it in! 
17. She has such a pure heart. You have to know her to truly understand what I mean. There is no way to put into words what a special spirit my B has. You will never meet a more honorable, kind, honest and loving soul.
18. She was the Fantasia hippo for 9 Halloweens in a row. Chris would send Ashley to the door with a tiny empty bag and everyone who answered said “Oh sweetie you have such a small trick or treat bag you poor thing. I’m gonna fill it. ” She would then stuff the candy down the neck of her enormous costume and walk to the next door with her tiny empty bag. She got more candy from a few houses than most kids got their whole night.
19. She will try any food. She would be the perfect ‘Survivor’ contestant because she would catch ANYTHING, cook it up and eat it. Not kidding! My dad traveled the world with his job and would dine on all the local delicacies wherever he went. He would tell us stories of eating the most outlandish dishes (most of which would make you barf!) and that sharing in someone’s culture by letting them feed you is an honor and you should treat it as such. So us Johnson’s were raised to take food VERY seriously. Mom and Dad would take us to 4 and 5 star restaurants on a regular basis from the time we were born. Dad would always order the most unique dishes on the menu so that we would get to experience ‘eating around the world’ like daddy did. I would always dry heave but Ash would trust whatever was offered, giving a loud ‘mmmmmm’ to the grossest of foods. “Compliments to the chef” her and dad would say to the waiter!! At 4, Ashley’s favorite foods were Oysters, escargot, frog legs etc. Every person in the restaurants would watch as this tiny girl expertly ordered from a caviar menu. She used chop sticks before spoons and forks. And still today she will try the strangest thing on menu as if it is a sweet adventure thru an unknown world. 
20. She is addicted to coffee and drinks 5-7 cups per day. She drinks it BLACK…Gross
21. If she puts her mind to something. Whether it be a sport, game, hobby, subject etc. She will work her butt off until she’s the very best at it. Ash can cram in a week what people take years to learn. 
22. She can fall asleep anywhere. When she was little her head would literally fall in the cereal bowl, her sleep would come on so suddenly. She used to sleep at breakfast, lunch and dinner even if we were at a restaurant table. 
23. She has many a time broken a bone and hidden it from my mom. My mom gets mad if you do something stupid and hurt yourself. Which is the scenario in which Ash has broken every bone! Like when we had just watched the Matrix and Ashley flew into the family room at 3 am and ran up the wall and tried to flip and crashed to the floor smashing her tailbone. When asked “Did you really think you could flip off the wall” she said “No but it was funny right?”
24. She doesn’t try to fit in. If you don’t like her she doesn’t care. I think it’s so rare to find someone who is so true to themselves. What you see when you meet Ash is honestly her. 
25. I will never laugh with anyone as hard as I do with my sis. She is my very best friend and I love her with all my heart. She is the truest friend you could ever have. She loves you with everything she has. She is an amazing sister, daughter and the BEST Auntie this world has ever seen. She will be the one making pipe bombs with Raimy to blow up in the backyard in the name of science or building a crazy fort on the roof, that they will not leave for a week, while reading the Swiss Family Robinson. I wish I could grow up with Asher again and again. She has made my life so amazing by loving me.
My Smash, My side kick

 

Happy Birthday my love!!