Dr. Johnson ~ Captain Johnson

 Today is Riley's dental school graduation!

We are SO proud of you Riley!

Listening to everything that was said made me reflect on all that you have sacrificed over the last 4 years. You have definitely earned this amazing title.

Dr. Johnson!

Along with receiving your D.D.S., you also were advanced in your military rank!

Captain Johnson!

And although we were not able to be there in person, I felt just as happy, and just as grateful for you, even from another part of the country!

The pride I felt was the same, the joy I felt was the same, and the admiration I felt was the same...

...and when I saw that your sweet wife was able to be there with you on this special day (when the pandemic might have made it otherwise), my heart swelled with so much love for both of you!

Congratulations Riley!!!

We LOVE you!!!

A BEAUTIFUL Mother's Day

Mother's Day was a special day this year for many reasons.

-We held Relief Society IN PERSON outside at my secretary, Lauren Carruth's house for the first time since the pandemic!!!

-The young women joined us which meant that Kambriella got to be with me too!!!

It was the most gorgeous day, and I felt like Heavenly Father was telling us all how much He loved us by giving us that special gift too.

I honestly felt like I was in the Sacred Grove. The ground we stood on felt holy and sacred...the birds were singing and the trees were still, and the sun was shining and it was just so BEAUTIFUL.

Along with our message that hopefully helped the sisters to SEE the Good in themselves and to see how BEAUTIFUL they really are!

We emailed out a few links for the sisters to watch before Sunday came about how they see themselves, and then with our bold BEAUTIFUL banner, we sent the message that they ARE BEAUTIFUL!

It was a perfect first lesson back, and I feel so blessed to once again be working with some of the most amazing sisters in our ward.

They are beautiful angels to me!

After discussing some positive and uplifting things with the lesson, we had a mirror set up for the sisters to see themselves as God see's them...We also gave all of the sisters a little compact mirror that says "See the Good" with a homemade cookie for a treat!

We had a wonderful little army of helpers serving and helping us with our set up and take down.

I love these boys. :)

I also took 3 naps that day! (That was my gift to myself;) and I enjoyed chocolate dipped strawberries with a home cooked meal. What more could a mother ask for ?? :)

We also got to see Clint's family and have some fun together earlier that week...

But our favorite thing by far was Jim and Gerry's game of Rock, Paper, Scissors "face plant style!"

It was hilarious!!

I love them so much too. They are wonderful grandparents to our children.

Grandpa may or may not be the favorite too...

We will never tell! ;)

 

Family Focus Week!

Guess what cute little baby came to visit me for a week??

You guessed it!!

Easton Joseph Johnson!!

What a cute little man, and oh how much he loves his Aunts Kesslyn and Kambriella!

We had a great time hanging out together, but the time went by WAY TOO FAST.

He is such a sweet little boy and is always so happy. Kierra and Riley are such good parents to him too.

We played pickle ball, tennis, spike ball, (and even a little volleyball for Riley!)

We had a barbeque on Sunday while they were here, and even finished up our temple prep classes that we had been teaching to Dallin, Tiffany, and Colby since the beginning of the year.

We served our neighborhood by putting together a "taco truck" to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and we had a good 150 or more people show up too!

We invited EVERYONE to come, and they did!

Just from the faces that I remember seeing going through the food line, there were around 44 different families that came, and 11 of those 44 were either inactive or nonmember families!

It was SO good to see so many people wanting to get out and be together.

I believe we have started a neighborhood tradition that is not going to go away!!!

We invited the missionaries to join us, and they even helped serve food some of the time.

Stephanie and Maggi were just 2 of our good friends that were happy to be there!

April, Cheryl, and Taylor...

Elder St. Gelais and Elder Ritchel

Easton also enjoyed chilling on my bed watching Bubble Guppies while he was here. :)

Kierra was in charge of and also threw Kara a bridal shower while she was here! "Let's taco 'bout love" was the theme. 

She did such a good job, and Kara got some really nice gifts too!

She is such a beautiful girl inside and out, and I am so grateful she is going to be a part of my family!

She is so good for Carew.

She makes him so happy, and I love how they bring out the best in each other...that's one way you know you are right for each other, when you bring out the BEST in each other!

Having family there and celebrating everything good during our family focus week was amazing, 
and having Kierra's family here made it that much better.

We are definitely a blessed family and I feel so grateful for all the good that is in my life!

Seasons Ending

As the end of the school year approaches, we near the end of a lot of our sports activities too!

(Here is little Kesslyn and her friend Greta...2 of the BEST little cheerleaders you ever did see! ;)

We had a fun time this year watching Gavin play basketball, and his new favorite passion, tennis!

He did very well, and even got to attend the JV tournament by beating all of his teammates in a playoff to see who would go. What an accomplishment for a young Freshman who has never played tennis before! Way to go Gavin!

Kesslyn is always the family cheerleader because she hasn't really started any sports yet herself...other than spontaneous yoga with dad in the back yard. ;)

This girl is a hoot! She is always making us laugh. :)

Kambriella also finished up her soccer season, and luckily, their team ended the year on a win!

They went the entire season without a win, and finally ended on a high note. Her and her friend Mya had a great time playing together on the same team, and both really worked their socks off and were some of the best strong players on the team!

Way to go Kambriella!

 

Baptisms Today...

Today is the first time that anyone in my family will get to go to the temple since the pandemic hit last year.

Dallin found this quote and used it in a temple walk activity that the youth had where they walked to the Jordan River Temple. They were not able to go inside, but they were able to sit there on the grass and discuss the feeling, the Spirit, and the blessing that the temple is.

Even though Dallin will have to miss some school classes to go today, I am all in favor.

That sacrifice of time in order for him to be able to go is so worth it.

And I can't wait until June 1st when I will get to go back as well.

We have missed it!

But we carry the spirit of the temple with us every day!

 

The Tulip Festival

 

For Clint's parents birthdays, we took them out to breakfast and to the tulip festival at Thanksgiving Point. 

We met at the Black Bear Diner and enjoyed a yummy breakfast and some fun conversations.

 

Then we went to Thanksgiving Point and began our walk around the beautiful Ashton Gardens.

This garden is not your typical garden, and we took our time visiting while we walked...laughing and enjoying time with our family.

Sweet Grandpa Trickett could not resist little Kesslyn asking for her face to get painted, and so she climbed up in the chair and got her butterfly rainbow face that she absolutely LOVED!

I love that tender side of these grown up men...so soft when it comes to their favorite little girls. :)

Of course Kambriella got spoiled too with a handmade bracelet that grandpa bought for her...;)

I love how happy and special they both felt. 

We are so grateful for many reasons that Grandpa Trickett is healthy and happy and doing so well after recovering from his prostate cancer.

We need him around for many years to come.

I thought it was beautiful and ironic when we walked through the Light of the World Garden and saw all of the beautiful statues of Christ...

Grandpa had sat down to rest on a rock near the statue of Christ atoning for the sins of the world...

The view that I saw was Christ-Grandpa-and a sign that said STAY ON PATH.

Grandpa has been a great example of staying on the path...

We love him so much.

Lucky for Kesslyn, she was surrounded by brothers who were willing to take turns giving her piggy back rides when her feet were too tired to keep walking. :)

After all, she IS the littlest princess of the family and thus gets treated like such. ;)

She also really likes being in front of the camera...(if you can't tell;)

See what I mean??

Now it was Gavin's turn! ;)

The flowers are always beautiful, but honestly, the time together and the company are really what we go for. ;)

It was a happy, fun, beautiful day, with some of the people we love the most, and I felt grateful for the chance to be with them there in such a pretty place.

Every time I am there and see the beautiful creations and gifts from God, I feel so full of gratitude and full of peace. I feel how much love He has for me, and all of His children for that matter...

I feel like one of the luckiest girls on the planet because I am always being wrapped in the arms of love...from my sweet husband, from my loving family, and from my Heavenly Father.

I feel so grateful to be so loved. :)