Oh, Say Can You See....

Finally!!! I have been trying all freakin'weekend to upload this video. I had to cut it short, but I've uploaded the best part... Briggsy's enthusiasm.
For those who were'nt aware....
Briggs's school choir sang, along with all the other choirs in the Evergreen School District, the National Anthem at a San Jose Giants baseball game last friday night. He was so excited and had so much fun being out on the field. He behaved himself very well and did an excellent job, as did all the children. We're very proud of him. His choir teacher told me recently that, "When Briggs is paying attention and participating (uh-oh ), he has a really good voice and sings very well." WOW! He's finally letting one of his talents shine through again. When he was a toddler he sang ALL THE TIME. But, I think he got shy for a while. Well, he's back! And we're so glad. Now for the piano lessons...right!

Daily Funnies...

Eryn asked me AGAIN this morning, " Soon I go to school Mom? "
" Yep, after summer is over, you'll get to go to Pre-school."
" Silly Mommy, it's PRETTY-school! "

Opening Night!

Lights! Camera! Action!
We had so much fun tonight! First we went as a family to Taco Bell (Briggsy's choice) for dinner and then headed off to Laurelwood for the play. Briggs was so excited! He told us just what to do, "Go and find seats in the gym. Wait there! I have to get ready in my classroom." Reagan and Eryn were just as excited. We found seats just a few rows back, but they saw their friends, Lauren, Justice and Jewel sitting on the front row and had to join them. Front Row seats are the best, right! They behaved themselves and had a great time watching the play. We saw a lot of Briggsy's friends and neighbors in the play as well. Clark was the "Hairy Godfather", Jenesis was the main girl, Gabriel was a Pirate, Brenna was part of the backstage crew, and Anuj was the King. They all did very well in their parts. Briggs did an awesome job! He's quite the comedian and said that his favorite part was when the audience would laugh at the jokes and silly parts. He also said he was sad that it was over. He loves being on the stage. Uh-oh! Has he caught the bug? We'll see. We had so much fun sharing the evening with him and as a family! So, we can truly say..... and they lived Happily Ever After (at least for tonight!) The End!

Preview of the All-Star Play: Good Books

Here's a sneak peak of the upcoming play Good Books performed by the 3rd grade class of Laurelwood Elementary. Opening night will be Thursday,May 31st. The show starts at precisely 6:30pm.
Briggs Dunford,a rising star actor, plays the comical and loveable Sir Garwin. When we asked Briggs, in a recent interview, what he thought of his upcoming role he replied, "I think it's perfect for me. They don't call me the class clown for nothin'!"

ZZZZZZ....

Lately she's been climbing into bed with Jens and I in the middle of the night. Doesn't she look so harmless and peaceful and sweet. No, she's all over the place. Kicking and moving.....Jens finally had enough and removed himself to the couch. Poor Jens! But, it is fun when she'll snuggle.

Memorial Day Weekend in Monterey

We spent Saturday down in Monterey with the Oditt Family. We met Dan, Nancy, Daniel & Emily at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. They got us in for free with some extra guest passes, Thanks Guys! and we had a great time. It was pretty crowded, but it was expected and we still had a blast.

Eryn didn't want to take her picture......she was too busy. It was hard enough to get these 4 to sit still.

Nancy and Emily working on a craft.
Then, it was off to Pebble Beach. We found a picnic table to eat some lunch and then hung out on the sand in the freezing cold. The kids didn't seem to mind, in fact they loved it. It didn't take us long, though, to convince them it was time to go. So we drove the 17mile drive and ooo'ed and awww'ed at the mansions and the beautiful scenery. Thanks Oditt's for the fun day. We're so glad we got a chance to hang out again before heading back to Arizona. When you're in AZ again give us a call, we'd love to see you.

Uh-Oh Emily!

Reagan dragging seaweed.

Daniel, trying to start a sand fight with mom. He didn't quite get the response he was hoping for.

The adults sitting back watching our fearless kids, trying to keep as warm as possible. Poor Dan, forgot his jacket at home.

Briggs! Lord of the Beach!

Congrats to Jordin!

I am glad that Jordin won. I think she did an awesome job. I'm not sad that Blake didn't win. I think he and everyone else, knows that he is going to have an awesome career. We didn't get to see most of the finale and missed the first 30 mins of the Lost finale because our power was out. We were quite frustrated. A lot of people were telling me that Blake did an awesome number. Oh well, I believe them. And, we got to see most of Lost and we were happy with it. No matter how much I think I've figured out I always am frustrated and confused at the end. I love it. I can't wait until next fall.

So, without further ado, it's time we all say goodbye to the Blake Lewis bobblehead. I know how much we all loved it.

Daily Funnies...

Eryn Jane - look Mom, there's the school bus.
Mom - soon you'll be going to school.
Eryn Jane - yes! I'll go to pre-school with my pack-pack and I'll get a boy.

I'm It! I'm It!

I've been tagged by my best friend Christine! As she explained it in her blog, this is when you are given a challenge to come up with 7 wonderful things about your life, other than friends, family, etc. I had a feeling that this challenge would soon come to me as I was reading my friend, Jeni's blog. She had tagged Christine, and somehow I knew.....it was coming. I'm sure the feeling had a lot to do with the fact that Christine is always there to listen to me vent. Now she wants to hear some good things...she's tired of hearing the bad. So, Christine, this is for you. I hope not to disapoint.
This is harder than I thought....(most of them will probably be food.)

1. The new Pomegranate Paradise Jamba, with Protien and Burner Boost ( I need all the help I can get! ). Eryn would disagree....her favorite is the Strawberry Whirl. It's so fun to stop at Jamba Juice and pick one up on the way home from the gym. It's nice to treat yourself after you've done something good, Right!

2. The Work and The Glory series....I've become something I never thought was possible. I'm a reader. I love these books. I'm on book 7 now. They're fun to read and I feel like I'm learning church history at the same time. Jens has been reading another series by Gerald N. Lund called The Kingdom and The Crown. I'll start those as soon as I finish with the Glories.

3. Television! I'm sorry, but yes! There's nothing quite like the thrill of waiting all week to watch your favorite shows. Lost, The Office and Grey's Anatomy. Oh, and don't let me forget AI. How could I forget Blake? Oh, what a long summer it will be without my shows!

4. Blogging! I love to scrapbook and journal, but I never find the time. It's so hard to get out all the paper, tools, stickers, print out stuff on my computer and put it together. Blogging is Fantastic, I can be creative, scrapbook and journal all at the same time without making a mess. I love it and, as I have previously stated, I'm obsessed with it.

5. Working out with your friends. 2 birds with 1 stone! I just have to say thanks to all the friends who poked and proded me to get to the gym and/or get outside. Walking with Christine, Going to the gym with Dena, Interval Training in my backyard with Tanya, Running up the Papago and on the beach in San Diego with Kaci and Danielle, Cycling class with Jens. How can you workout and love it if you're not chatting and bonding with your friends and family at the same time.

6. San Jose weather! The weather here lately has been beautiful! Warm sun, nice cool breezes. I love being able to leave my windows open. I love to hear the wind blow outside! I love that at times it's almost cold! I love the green trees and hills! I love all the flowers that have instantly bloomed in our backyard! I love that at the beach, the air is cold, but the sun and sand is nice and warm! Maybe I'm noticing it more due to the fact that in one month we will be living in smoldering, blistering hot weather. I'm trying to enjoy this weather as much as I can. I know I can't take it with me, it makes me sad. Thank Goodness we'll have a pool!

7. I've saved the best for last! My ipod! I love music! I love singing and dancing with my kids while we're listening to the ipod play in our kitchen. I love listening to it in my car. I love listening to it while I work out. I love it! It's small and easy and organized and very clean. No clutter of CD's to mess around with and have laying all over around the house. The Hills Are Alive!

Well, I thought this was going to be hard, but as I got going I realized that I had to leave out a few things to only pick 7. Like, eating your kids cheerios and pretzels snack at church (they taste so good.), strawberries & raspberries in season to make jam, sunday naps, Oma's Gulasch, free cool haircuts (thanks Kase!), my daily banana. I could go on and on, now. I'm still pretty proud of my list and hope you enjoyed it. Thanks Christine and Jeni! It is nice to reflect on all the wonderful blessings in life that you don't normally think of... The things that make you smile and help you get up in the morning. The things that make your day good or hopefully great! I do have to say, in closing, how much I do love my family and my friends. They are at the top of my list!
Oh, I almost forgot. It's my turn to tag someone, right! I tag Brooke! I'm so excited to have this chance to get back in touch with some of my high school buddies! It's fun to see what their lives are like now and remembering what they were like way back when. All of them look the same, if not better, to me! (not fair!) So, Brooke, I remember some of your favs from high school. What are they now?

Daily Funnies!

Eryn - Daddy, it's time to wake up
Daddy - OK! (rubbing his eyes, getting up from a Sunday nap)
Eryn - You're hurt Daddy? What you have?
Daddy - My eyes itch, see? (Jens opening his eyes wide) They're all red.
Eryn - Oh! Daddy! They're cracked!


Reagan - Mom, is it going to take long to drive to AZ.
Mom - yeah, it's going to take us all day.
Reagan - Oh, so if we leave at like four will we get there at five?
Mom - it'll take a bit longer than that.
Reagan - Mom, when we move to AZ and live there will my cousins not be my cousins anymore?
Mom - Of course they'll still be your cousins.
Reagan - But, we'll live right by them?

Spoiled Much?

Today, I took the girls with me to get Subway for Jens. Jamba Juice is right across the parking lot, so I asked the girls if they wanted Subway or Jamba. Eryn stated the obvious - Jamba Juice for me, mom. Well, we waited in line for Subway and the girls got thirsty and wanted a drink. I asked Eryn again to choose between the two. She changed her mind, so I got us all Subway and drinks there. As we were drivig away, we passed J.J. Sprite in hand she says (more like yells) - Hey! Mom!?! What about my Jamba?

Your Mom Is Really Nice!

Briggs was playing in our backyard with Gabriel (our neighbor) yesterday afternoon. They had a great time. It was a beautiful day with a cool breeze blowing so, we had the windows open. Jens overheard them talking:
Gabriel - your mom is really nice!
Briggs - Yeah, she has her moments!

Need I say more?

Obsessed & Totally Insane

So, right now I'm feeling a little crazy. I've become obsessed with blogging and itunes. I can't stop. Jens is going to be very upset with me for two reasons...1) I've had a pile of clean laundry on my couch waiting to be layed out and/or folded since 8am this morning..it's still there and now his shirts are completely wrinkled. No big deal, some would say, but those who know me best know that ironing is not my thing....and he has to do it himself. And b) I've bought way to many new songs lately. It's so easy when you're account is all set up and you just have to do a couple of clicks and the song is yours. Then you realize when you look at your bank statements how easy it really is. Stomach sickening easy! So, he'll be checking the statement this weekend. Pray for me, will you!

Hannah Jayne & Eryn Jane

Yes, I'm A Geek!

I don't care what everyone is saying.....this is the first year I've been "in to" American Idol and I've liked Blake from the beginning. I think everything about him is cool, he's got a certain appeal. Yes, Melinda Doolittle has the best voice, but , in my opinion is not as fun to watch, she's a little boring, but I guess that's just taste in music. Also, I think Blake will end up selling a lot more records than Melinda. Is that really what this competition is about? I don't know. But I'm glad Blake made it to the finals.

More Questions....

Today we were driving to Eryn's friend, Isabella's, house for a playdate. She was so excited I think she couldn't just sit still and be quiet. She had to say something...
"Mom, do spiders hurt dinosaurs?"
"Do kittens lick hands?"
"Say Yes, Mom, kittens lick my hands and it tickles."
"Kittens are so cute!"

Happy Mother's Day!

Jens got me flowers and watched the kids over the weekend and the kids made me bath salts at a Primary activity. It was great to go to church and hang out and rest with my family. It was a very nice day! I'm grateful and blessed to have such a wonderful family. I love them all very much!

What are you, Cherokee? Ya Chipowa? What are you, Sioux? You got Sioux in You?

This is what Kaci and I were laughig about all week....my favorite SNL skit!

It's San Francisco Baby!!!

Kaci and I had a BLAST in San Fran! We Love It, Love It, Love It. If we could go back in time, we'd move there together, rent a place and live together, go running by the bay and over the Golden Gate, shop and stare at the cutest (we're talking runway model cute, just delish) "BOYS!"
We shopped til we dropped, hung out at Union Square, ate at the Cheesecake Factory on the top floor of Macy's, People Watched (especially those cute boys...eye candy never hurt anyone, right?) Then we rented some bikes and rode them over the Golden Gate to Sausalito. We joked that we ate Salsa and took some Salsa Dancing Lessons in Sausalito, but we didn't. We just hung out, it was Gorgeoous. BEAUTIFUL, GORGEOUS, WISH YOU WERE HERE! Then we took a ferry back the city and walked around. We went to Ghiradelli Square and had the most DECADENT (it's soo good you can actually call it DECADENT!) ice cream with fudge sauce. We also went down to Pier 39 and picked up some SWTaffy and the best and the biggest strawberries we have ever tasted. Yum!
We laughed so much and so hard, my cheeks still hurt. Kaci, Thanks SO MUCH for all the fun! I'm so glad that we did this together. I'd love to turn into Mom & Aunt Kathy with you.....let's see the world! I'm In! Love you and Miss you already!

What are you 6'2"? Ya 6'2"? What are you, Cherokee? Ya Chipowa? What are you Sioux? You got Sioux in you? You're adorable, I'm flirtin!

Time To Cut Some Hair...

You better sit still, you better not cry, you better wet your hair and comb it out nice....Kaci Moore (hairdresser extraordinaire) is coming to town.
Kaci came to San Jose and what's the first thing you think she did? Cut hair, you say? You're exactly right! She sat us down, one by one, and hooked us up with some Awesome Do's. We are very grateful that she spent her vacation time helping us look more beautiful. Thanks Kase!

Go, Suns, Go!

Eryn Jane kicking back, watching the suns.
"Come on, come on, come on..." (suns score) "Yes! Alright! Go Suns!"
Daddy and Uncle Dan have trained her well. Reagan, on the other hand, is routing for the Spurs. Who can blame her, she was grown in Spurs country, and in Spurs country you LOVE the Spurs, or else!

This one is for Christine.....
Briggs took your advice and drew a portrait of Kaci, just for you!

Let The Questioning Begin....

Eryn Jane is in her "question asking" phase.
"You like that mom?"
"Is that a castle?" (no, it's a temple) "Its a temple?"
"Is that light green?" "say yes mom, and go."
The latest question she asks about 10 times a day....
"what do turtles eat?"
"what do bugs eat?"
"what do fishies eat?"
"we don't eat bugs, right?" "we don't eat poop, right?"

Sketch Artists

Briggs had a lot of fun drawing portraits of people this week!

Mazda 3 vs. The Texas Tundra

We've had a wonderful time having Melissa, Dan & Heidi here to visit us this week. We've enjoyed getting to know Heidi and her fun and smiley personality. Eryn kept calling her "Baby Hannah" and then correcting herself. Then we all started making the mistake and Eryn would correct us. We wish they could stay longer, they have to head out tomorrow morning for a 12 hour drive. We will miss them, but not for long. Before we know it we'll be just down the street.

So, tonight we all headed to Macaroni Grill to have dinner together. Jens met us there from work, so we all drove seperate vehicles. As we were leaving, Eryn Jane saw Jens's truck out a ways in front of us. So, she says.."There's Daddy, Go Mom, Go Faster!" "Daddy's Goin' Down!" Then we did end up beating him home and Eryn says, "YES! We got him!"
Little did I know, that Briggs, riding with Melissa and Dan, was making Heidi laugh the whole way home and says, " They don't call me the Class Clown for nothin'!" Oh, my funny kids!
We've had a fun week! Thanks for coming to visit us Steven's Family. We can't wait to live closer and spend more time with you guys!

Aunt Kelli would be proud....

Reagan definitely wants to go to college, she's always asking about it.(and why I didn't go) So, that not only makes Jens and I happy I'm sure it'll put a smile on her Aunt Kelli's face. She really said something funny about it though...
Well, tonight, as she's climbing into bed, she says, "Mom, women that are married can still go to college, you know!"
I said to her, " Reagan, why are you so concerned about me going to college?"
She said, " Because, I want you to go. I want you to be smart."
Well, no wonder my kids hang on Jens's every word. They've ignored me for so long that now they can't even hear me talk to them. Selective hearing....they only listen to people that are smart, I guess.
But, honestly....Thank you Reagan. It makes me happy that you would want that for me!

Ahhh....the funny things kids say!

Everytime Eryn says "together" it comes out "Forgether".
So We're a "Forgether Forever Family!"

On our way to Costco, a favorite family outing, Jens and I heard the tail end of the kids' conversation...
Reagan - I fell down and hurt my balls.
Mom - Reagan, don't say that.
Dad - Besides, you don't even have any.
Briggs - Can we call it a Johnson?

Briggs & Reagan's Spring School Picture!

How many school pictures do our kids need taken each year, I ask you? But every time I get conned because, yes, I know I'm biased, but my kids are so stinkin' beautiful! Why is it I can never get them to smile nicely for me?

Easter in San Jose, CA

Well, we've not quite hit the year mark and already we're making plans to move again! This time, it's back to Arizona. We spent last week in Mesa, Gilbert, Queen Creek and Chandler looking for a home. We think we might have found one in Chandler that will suit us. We're just trying not to get our hopes up. So, as soon as things are finalized we'll fill you in on all the details. We returned on Sunday, exhausted and ready to start a half/way normal week, hopefully.
But, before our hunting trip we enjoyed a "Flabulous!" week here with my mom. She flew in for Reagan's birthday and to spend Easter weekend with us. It was so nice to have her here and I honestly don't know what I would have done without her.


Saturday we hung out and colored Easter Eggs with the kids. Eryn Jane made quite a mess! We enjoyed a spooky evening when the power went out for a few hours. We lit candles and played board and card games. The kids had a great time playing with our flashlights!

On Sunday we got all dolled up in our Easter Sunday best and attended our church meetings.

We came home to Goulasch in the crock pot and Jens successfully, attempted home made Spetsula (noodles, I hope I spelled it right!) Oma Annie would be proud, we're sending her pictures!

The kids hunted for eggs and their baskets and we all ate way too much chocolate and candy! We then watched our "Faith in Christ" DVD together! We had a fun, relaxing Easter!


On Monday, Grandma and I took the kids to the mall (build-a-bear) for Reagan, then to the movies to see "Meet The Robinsons". It was a real cute movie, I liked it. The best part about it was that we saw it at my favorite theatre....the one that sells Kettle-Corn. I could eat a whole bag by myself, and I did! We came home and started packing up for the drive to AZ the following day.

Mom, Thanks for coming to see us. We always look forward to and enjoy your visits. We're excited to be closer to you and spend more time with you, because it's our favorite thing to do. We love you and thanks for everything!
Happy Easter to all our Family and Friends. We miss you and Love you!

A Blossom Birthday For Reagan Lee...

Reagan celebrated her 7th birthday on Friday, April 6th with all her girlfriends, her little sister, her Grandma, her Mom, and some very special helpers.

She had a Spring Party. The girls enjoyed painting flower pots and then potting flowers that they were able to take home. They ate Egg salad sandwiches (at Reagan's request) with fruit and vegetables and, of course, yummy birthday cake. They also jumped on the trampoline and had fun going girl-wild in Reagan's room.


Tanya helped out, bringing the cake and some flowers, thanks Tanya, and bringing the best gift Reagan could ask for.....Baby Hannah.

Reagan got a lot (too many) of fun gifts from her friends and special gifts from family.

Oma sent her an art easel, so cool! The Beechers sent her $10 and a drawing pad with cool pencils. Grandma took her to Build-A-Bear (where she's always wanted to go her whole life)! And Mom and Dad gave her a new party dress and accessories that she wore that day! She looked beautiful. Grandma spent a lot of time curling her hair. The curls fell out in less than an hour, but at least we got pictures!

Call Me Turtle!

"I'm gonna need you to back off!"
Have you seen that commercial? Funny!
Anyways, It's taken me some time and now I'm finally getting around to updating my blog.

We had a great time in Ogden, Utah. We arrived on a Wednesday evening and stayed with my best friend from good 'ol Mesa High, and beyond, Amy Holden and her beautiful family. They are all so wonderful and so much fun to be around. We are so grateful to them for making our family vaca so awesome!

We also got to meet Sweet Baby Sydney for the first time!

Jens took Briggs and Myself skiing for our first times. Poor guy. He spent the day giving us directions, helping us up, putting our skis back on, watching us both throw fits, our skis a few times, and crying on the bunny hill. I just have to say, I love my husband. He was very patient with us, so, we let him go on his own for a while and he had a good time. It was a beautiful day. The mountains looked fake.....the lodge and the food was excellent.


Friday, we took all the kids to the snow. We found a good hill. We had fun climbing, sledding, throwing, eating (eryn jane), and building snow men out of, the snow. Eryn thought that Santa was going to come see us while we were there?




Friday evening we attended Jens's missionary reunion. It's the third reunion we've attended, but the first we've brought the kids to. It was good to see everyone again. The cool thing about it is that I feel like they're my friends as well. From all the stories Jens has told me over the years and from the times I've been able to meet and visit with them and their families at the reunions.
"Good Times!"

We spent Saturday hanging out with Amy and her family. We enjoyed watching Allie tear up and down the soccer field. That girl is fast and aggressive. Way to Go! Allie!

We went to dinner with Amy, Joe and Amy's Dad Reed. It was so much fun, we laughed a lot and then laughed a lot more when we saw Blades of Glory. Love that Will Ferrell!
The kids played together all day and were very sad to be parted from all their fun! They've built a lasting relationship...we can't wait for them to come and visit us in AZ sometime! Amy, Joe, and kids...we love you, you're always welcome!

We flew home Sunday. We missed our friends the moment we started to drive away, heading for the airport....Good times go by way too quickly.
by the by.....Reagan's Grandma took her to Build-A-Bear for her birthday! She named her new bear Allie!