What we're up to

So I keep thinking of great posts and then I think "it would be so much better with those pictures" and then I don't take the time to download the pictures and then I don't ever write. So, things that have been happening that I'm going to write about and then add pictures:

Arizona: Zach and I went to Arizona for the last weekend in January. I had a cousin getting married and another cousin that said "you should go with me". So I did. Can I just say that after that weekend of 70 degree weather I wouldn't mind becoming a snowbird in my old age :) It was a flying short trip, but a nice break from the day to day norm. I had to hold Zach practically the whole time so I came back with an awful neck/back ache (the little guy ain't so little). But it was fun to see cacti, gravel and citrus trees again. I lived in Tempe, AZ when I was 7-10 years old. It would have been fun to go back to my old house and ward, but there wasn't time. Oh well. Maybe Seth and I can go there for a get-away sometime... maybe.

Max's birthday: Maxwell Seth Johnson is now 6 years old as of February 9. He had a happy day complete with dinner at IHOP (we've decided we need to teach our boys restaurant/public manners so for this year they get to chose a restaurant to go to for b-day dinner) and a Lego cake. He's really into Lego's right now so Seth suggested it and Max quickly agreed. I must say it is probably one of the easiest cakes I've made.

Sleep (or lack there-of). Zach has gotten progressively better at going to bed at night without being asleep first. From crying for 1 hour the first night, he now (if tired) will lay down and go to sleep without crying at all! Hurray! Now we just need to work on the waking up every two hours. Luckily, unlike last night, Micah usually sleeps through the night. Last night Zach woke up for the 2 or third time at 3:00, Micah woke up before he was done eating. Micah was still awake when Zach woke up half an hour later, and so for the next 2 hours I sat in my bed holding Zach in my arms (who woke up every time I tried to lay him down) and Micah across my lap, jouncing him with my legs... poor Scotty got the brunt of my grumpiness this morning. One of these days I'm going to get more than 2 hours of sleep at a time, and then, watch out world :)

Now this is an airplane!

So one of Scott's favorite activities is to ask Seth to make him a specific type of airplane out of paper and tape. Usually it is an F14 or fighter jet or something like that. Two Sundays ago Seth Scott Simon and Micah all stayed home from church because they were sick. While we were gone Scott asked Seth to make him a 747. I guess Seth knew that 3 hours needed to be filled somehow because this is what they came up with. The materials include a 2-liter soda bottle, an oatmeal can, a grits can, a portion of a wrapping paper tube, tin foil, paper, and masking tape. I so live in a house full of boys!

Yummy yummy yummy for my tummy! Soup!

My cousin for a Christmas gift treated me to a cooking class at Kitchen Kneads. It was a class on cooking Indian food (think curry). The title says spicy, but it means spicy as in seasoning, not spicy as in it is so hot you need to eat the plain yogurt off of everyone else's plate so your throat would stop burning and your eyes would stop watering and you could stop wiping the sweat off your brow like I had to with one of the other dishes. But I digress. This soup was so easy, so nutritious, so delicious and best of all, my lactose intolerant family can eat it! Here's the recipe:
Spicy Chickpea Tomato Soup
1- 19 ounce can chickpeas drained
1- 13.5 ounce can light coconut milk
2- 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1/2 cup naturally sweetened apple juice
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chicken stock

Put all of the above ingredients except the chicken stock in the blender and puree the mixture until smooth. Transfer to a medium sauce-pan and add chicken stock. Bring to a simmer over moderately high heat. Season with salt and black pepper.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with: 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt and chopped scallions, green part only. The cook said she also likes to squeeze fresh lemon juice (1/2 half lemon) into the soup just before dishing it up. She also held out one can of the tomatoes and put it in without blending it, which I liked better because I like a soup with something to chew :) Also, if you don't like tomatoes you can switch and do two cans chickpeas and 1 can tomatoes.

relationships and boa constrictors

"A good relationship is a bit like a pet boa constrictor: either you feed it every day or bad things happen." I normally wouldn't admit it, but sometimes I read the highlighted Yahoo articles on my email page... even the relationship ones :). This quote was so great I had to share. Not only is it funny, but it is also true! The article went on to say that each relationship needs little things each day to stay strong. The author, Ty Wenger listed five daily habits for happy couples. 1. talk daily 2. flirt 3. be stupid together (relax have fun enjoy something stupid) 4. get independent (pursue individual interests) and 5. share a spiritual moment (pray). It might not be from an apostle, but I thought it worthy of sharing! Have fun feeding your boa! ~Melissa

Things that make you go "Awwwww"

So every now and then my children surprise me with how sweet and good natured they can be. This week Seth was in New York City on a business trip. He left Tuesday morning. Wednesday afternoon/evening Simon started acting sick. It seems like without fail when Seth is gone, and life is stressful as it is, someone has to get sick on top of it. Well, to make things even better that same night I started getting a head ache, not fun but doable. Unfortunately it turned into a fever, aches, queasy stomach, etc. Knowing there was no way I could take care of Micah, Zach, and a sick Simon on top of being sick I called in the Priesthood. Thank goodness for good neighbors, and the power in priesthood blessings.
The next morning as I lay in bed Scott came into my room and I explained that I was sick and would need his help with breakfast and possibly making his lunch. He was quick to say he could help, and then went downstairs to where his brothers were. This is what I overheard him say. "Guys, I've got some good news and some bad news i mean some bad news and some good news... The bad news is Mom is sick. The good news is that we can help her by doing things like pouring the cereal and milk and making my lunch". It just made me feel so proud of him for being so sweet and handling it in such an inspired way! "The good news is we can help". I am so thankful for times like this that remind me to be grateful for my children, and to take a step back and recognize their innate goodness. I think sometimes as parents we get so caught up in "parenting" that we forget that they are not just our children, they are children of God and as such have inherited divine qualities. I think it would make me a better mom if I took more time trying to recognize these qualities, instead of lamenting the "natural man" within them.

Holiday Fun

So we are out here in Sunny California and loving it! I went to church yesterday without a coat/jacket/boots/etc. No coldness at all!

We had a great Christmas at home just us. The following day we drove down to Tooele and exchanged presents with Seth's family. I got a beautiful "fancy" princess hat and a great book of piano music from the Jane Austen movie sound tracks! We spent the night with them and then Saturday morning we headed out to California. The trip took us 11 hours because we had to stop for 1/2 hour every 2 hours or so (it normally takes 9 hours). The two littlest boys screamed the first and last hour, but other than that were really good travelers. We were blessed with no snow through Truckee/Donner Pass and were quite grateful for that.

I am not sure how to post pictures from a remote computer, so I will just leave it like this and post pictures later. This week we plan on having lots of fun with uncles, aunts, and grandma and grandpa.

fun photos from the last week or so