Paul & Alexis Johansen Family

Hal O Wein!

2011-10-31T20:30:00.001-05:00

Well, after two weeks of sickness for 5 out of 6 members of our family, including strep, flu, ear-aches, a burst ear-drum, colds, coughs, and finally pneumonia, Halloween is here . . . and gone!

The girls ended up having a SHORT trick-or-treat outing because they're all a bit 'worn' out, but they all enjoyed getting dressed up. And true to form, they are Princesses again! Yea for an eternal love for princesses, particularly at Halloween when the girls want to wear the same costumes year after year. It's quite nice! (particularly this year ;-)
(Note: Anastasia & Sabrina did at least switch dresses this year)

As for Gabriel, he WAS going to be a Frog Prince to match all of these lovely princesses, however, as he as pneumonia and didn't go anywhere, I quickly dressed him up in the costume I REALLY wanted him to be:

Patrick Jane on THE MENTALIST:

It's the hair! Love the hair!

Joys of Autumn 2011

2011-10-26T10:38:00.002-05:00

Autumn is SO Beautiful in Iowa

We have had lots of fun with our leaves this year! Daddy and the kids enjoyed raking up the leaves into 3 huge piles, and then jumping into them.

But the fun didn't stop there! Daddy decided to put the leaves ON the trampoline. Therefore, the kids have been enjoying LITERALLY jumping in the leaves for a few weeks now.

To RESTART the slide-show, click anywhere BUT the center and it will start again. If you click the center of the picture, it will take you to the picture on my Picasa Web Album

Change & Chili Sauce

2011-08-17T20:18:00.000-05:00

So, I'm writing about two things that don't relate, but they both recently happened so here we are:

CHANGE: Sabrina started kindergarten this week, so she and Anastasia have been adjusting to life back-in-the-school lane. They're having 'fun' at school, but after school at home there is a bit more crying and outbursts of anger. School is an important part of life, but it is really emotionally hard on kids. So many things to adjust to and work with . . . Whew!

CHILI SAUCE - I finally did it! For years I have suffered meatloaf, eggs, meatballs, bean dip, and potatoes WITHOUT the savory sensation of Chili Sauce to make them perfect.

Why have I gone without?

Because I'm too far away from my mother who cans it every year. PLUS, I've been too afraid, I suppose, to try and make it myself when I don't have access to my mother's expertise OR her canner.

Well, I decided enough was enough! I had a 1/2 bushel of tomatoes, (thanks to my friend who asked me to glean from her garden while they were out of town), and I would just have to look more short-term and freeze the chili sauce, rather than can it.

I am so grateful to report my adventure was successful - and deliciously smelly, I must add! For this coming year, I will once again enjoy meatloaf, eggs, meatballs, bean dip, and potatoes to their FULLEST potential! Hoorrah!

Sabrina didn't like the smell of the vinegar

It smelled SO GOOD, though after the
spices were added, and had a chance
to stew for several hours - Mmmm!

Ahhhhh Dinner!

Year Supply of Chili Sauce - Yes!

Personal Mono-log

2011-06-13T11:14:00.002-05:00

I AM A TRIATHLETE - I've been saying this to myself for a few weeks now, and I've recently realized why this phrase makes me so excited:

The last several years were hard and stressful, and I lost a bit of myself along the way. The past year, Paul, and then I, began training and competing in sprint triathlons. When I'm running, or riding my bike, or swimming across the lake, I FEEL POWERFUL! The fact that I'm a mother of 4 and still competing makes me feel even more energized. I realize that I could be a serious competitor if I spent LOTS of time training, but for now I will content myself with squeezing in little workouts here and there amidst my busy schedule as a wife/mother.

Becoming an 'athlete' again has re-opened a door in my life that has been left floundering and unfulfilled. I really think that my personal and family life is much better because I am doing this.

I may not be first-in-line to cross the finish line, but I'm not far behind - and that fact makes me smile.

My training has consisted of running for 25 minutes 3-times a week - Anastasia has been instrumental in making this possible. I USUALLY bike once a week on Saturdays, and I've only recently started swimming once a week for about 20 minutes. It's not much, but it's all I will give for now. I love it. I feel alive. And I hope you'll forgive my strong desire to mono-log ;-)

Both Paul & I will be competing in the Quad Cities Triathlon this Saturday. There will be over 700 participants. We'll be swimming 600 meters in West Lake, then biking 15 miles, and then running 3.1 miles. My stomach is already a-flutter with excitement and nervousness. This is the biggest triathlon I've competed in, and I hope I'm not the only one NOT wearing a wet-suit!

Wish us luck for this weekend, and I'll let you know how it turns out . . .

May Madness!!!

2011-06-02T15:12:00.001-05:00

Forget about March . . . May takes the cake for madness in our family. Who knew May could be so busy!

Here are the HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Mother's Day was wonderful, even with speaking in church for Mother's Day. ;-) Thanks to all the wonderful Mother's I associate with for giving me such fantastic stories to use in my talk that emulate the Work of Motherhood! It's constant, often crazy, but oh so worth it!

Because I was so busy preparing my talk, I failed to create the awesomest card to wish you all Happy Mother's Day, so here's a piece of what I was GOING to do:

Happy Mother's Day!!!

2. The following Saturday, May 14th, I competed in the Newton, IA SUMMER DAZE Triathlon. I'm so glad I did it . . . but HOLY COW it was COLD!!!

The race started with a 300 swim, and I did great for the first 100 yards. Then the fact that this was my first time in the water in 8 months caught up with me, and I struggled for the next 200 yards.

Next was the 18 mile bike. The temperature was 47 degrees, with bits of rain, and most horribly - WINDY! The first 9 miles was pretty good. A few fast male bikers passed me up, but I was feeling good. Then we hit the turn around, and not only was it mostly up hill, but it was head-on into the wind.

I was so, so, SO cold. My toes were numb, and my fingers, too. I had to rotate breathing on them so I wouldn't loose my grip on the handle bars. Battling against the wind was so tiring. I wanted to show the world' that a mother-of-4 could do awesome in a triathlon. After SEVERAL more people passed me on the cold, windy up-hill, I changed my tune to "I want to show the world a mother-of-4 can finish the race!" . . . :-D

Finally, I made it back to the transition station. I knew for speed I shouldn't sit down to switch my shoes, but that thought lasted only a brief moment, and I sat down to coax my frozen fingers into removing my bike shoes and replacing them with my running shoes. Thankfully, Paul ran over to cheer me on and get me going!

I started the 3.2 mile run with pretty good speed, considering my tired and frozen state. Aside from the fact that my feet remained numb for 3 miles of the 3.2 mile run, it was really a pretty good run. I kept a fast pace, and really felt good about my run. I finished strong, and all-in-all I think the results were pretty great!

Out of 29 Women I took 4th place, and out of 75 total participants, I took 31st. I'm really happy with the results!

3. The next day, we had the chance to watch/participate in baby Rainee's blessing day! I haven't been able to go to the blessing day of a nephew or niece for over 12 years, so this was a treat. Especially considering that Ted & Allie were preparing to move away from Iowa, so this was our last weekend together. For fun, Allison & I crafted together, and took pictures of Rainee!

4. That evening after getting home, we discovered that our preying mantis egg sack that we'd kept all winter from our deceased pet, "Tess," had hatched! We had over 100 baby preying mantis crawling all over our tank. We kept them long enough for Anastasia to present them to her 1st grade class, then we let the remaining survivors go in our yard. I hope they survived! :-D

5. A couple days later, Anastasia participated in her school's RUN INTO SUMMER. She ran a mile, and the kids and I cheered her on. Afterwards, we had a fun picnic and play-time together.

6. A few days after Ana's school run, Sabrina had her preschool graduation. They put on a cute little program, and then she 'graduated!' I know it's just preschool, but perhaps this instills in them to look forward to their next graduation which is only 13 years away . . . :-D It was a great year for Sabrina, and she has grown SO MUCH!

7. That afternoon, Paul and I dropped ALL our kids off at a friend's home, and we headed up to Galena, IL, for Paul's triathlon scheduled for the next day (Saturday.) Last year, if you remember, was an absolute catastrophy!!! This year . . . WAS AWESOME!!!!

Paul and I enjoyed our own bike ride the day before the race, and then the day of the race was super! Because Paul did this triathlon last year, he had something to directly compare to.

This year, Paul's time was 10 MINUTES faster than last year. This year in his age group he placed 17th, and 68th overall. Last year in his age group he placed 41st, and 159th overall (out of 700 participants). Stinkin' awesome!

8. The next few days included a couple dental appointments, and the LAST DAYS OF SCHOOL! Yea! Welcome Summer!!!

This week also included May 25th, which is the day that Allison moved away from me. I shed some good tears that day. I was reminded, though, how much my Heavenly Father loves me, because during a time when I needed her most, God gave me my sister to help get me back on my feet. I love you, Allie!

9. For Memorial Day, we drove to Maquoketa Caves. While this was fun, the best part was watching the very different personalities of our girls emerge:

Anastasia - Delirious with the Spirit of Adventure! No path could be left unexplored; no hill left unclimbed; no bug left unbugged! (A powerful combination of both her parents!)

Sabrina - She enjoyed the adventure, but approached things with a bit more apprehension. She said, "At least I'm not as slow as Mom!" and her Mother just let it slide ;-) Afterall, I was playing the part of photographer and not hiking leader.

Samantha - An aggressive climber and steady on her feet! I only saw her stumble one time and she knocked her shin hard enough that it would have forced a holler out of me. . . . She didn't even wince, but just kept on climbing. Sammie could do anything Ana could do. The one thing that slightly held her back was height. The ONLY time she let me hold her hand was when I asked her to hold my hand so I didn't fall ;-D

Like I said, May was Madness - but oh so fun. Hope you enjoyed the updates! Loves!

IT IS FINISHED!

2011-05-09T10:06:00.002-05:00

Our entertainment center project, that was started over a year ago,
is FINALLY FINISHED!!! (mostly)

Paul started this huge project that took MANY days/hours, and got it all taped together (yes taped to make sure it all fit right), and then he got distracted/busy and it sat for several months. THEN, he rededicated himself and put it all together - YES!

And then he got burnt-out, as we didn't decide on trim fast enough, so it sat for several more months :-D . . .

THEN over a month ago the trim was decided on and ordered. So for the past few weeks, Paul has worked long hours to put the trim on, and create some beautiful arches. (And I make a pretty good wood-work apprentice ;-)

(The children have to christen every phase - notice the toys -

they always have to play in whatever 'NEW' part Paul has completed.)

Then we both spent the last two weeks in the garage sanding, staining, steel-wooling (is that a word?), polyurethane-ing, steel-wooling again, and polyurethane-ing again!

Yes that house suffered in the mean time . . .

But the kids had fun with

Anastasia as the babysitter!

It was worth it, though, because LOOK AT IT NOW!!!!

Oh, I love it! It's 7' tall and 12' wide. It's sturdy, expertly crafted, and GORGEOUS! I'm so grateful for all of Paul's ingenuity and hard work. He still wants to put cabinet doors on the two outside units, and drawers and cabinet doors on the center console, but that will have to wait until after we get our garden planted and I get a desk/organization area.

For now, I am satisfied to say, it is beautiful and it is finished! (mostly ;-)

Hip hip hooray for Paul!

Surprise visit!

2011-04-16T21:22:00.000-05:00

On the 'spur of the moment', Allison decided to come and visit me for a couple days - probably the last time before she moves away from Iowa :-(. So we made the most of our couple of days.

The kids played while Allie & I tried our hand at a new craft - ruffle dresses! I admit that Allison entertained me a lot while I sewed, but it was definitely teamwork!

Late at night, we made flowers for the dresses while we watched Jane Austin's Persuasion, by Masterpiece Theater.

Okay, I mostly made the flowers, but I couldn't have done anything without the inspiration of Allison!

Crafts, chick-flicks, laughter, talking, simply sharing time together - what a way to spend one of our final visits as fellow Iowans.

I love my sister, and I will miss her deeply.

Here are a few pictures from our surprise adventure!

For Rainee

For Chloe

Conference Weekend COMPLETE

2011-04-07T10:54:00.000-05:00

As we spent the weekend together to enjoy the LDS, General Conference messages (http://lds.org/general-conference/sessions?lang=eng), there were many moments that we'd like to share:

1. Gabriel helping to 'pick up trash' for our Saturday "Yard Work Session,"

which happened before the 1st "Sit-and-Listen-to-Conference Session."

2. Anastasia climbing her Favorite Tree! (Also avoiding weeding ;-)

3. Sabrina kneeling down and getting to work digging! Not much weeding, but lots of fun digging!

4. Samantha doing what Samantha does best -

adding ENERGY to whatever we're doing!

5. Girls enjoying an orange-cream-popsicle after all their hard work!

6. Resting with Daddy while listening to Conference . . . listening, right?

7. Sunday Snuggles - still listening, right? . . . ;-)

"You awake, Dad?"

8. Anastasia sitting closely so she can look at the people.

She dressed in her Sunday Best!

9. Sharing sweet moments together

10. Taking Thorough Notes

11. Enjoying the surprisingly WARM weather - WELCOME SPRING!

12. Taking time to relax in the Hammock . . . Ahhhh!

Okay, so not COMPLETELY relaxing . . .

13. Hanging out at our family tree -

Hooray for Family!

14. Stampin' up to 'save the children' for the last session

15. Gabriel practicing his "Pick Up" lines . . .

"So, uh . . . you busy tonight?"

"Hey there! You wanna pick me up?"

"Hello, Beautiful - my name is (shakes his curly hair) Gabriel."

16. Gabriel laughing at how clever he is with the Ladies . . .

"Ha ha ha ha . . ."

17. Sabrina teaching Samantha how to count, AND pulling a face for me ;-)

18. Finally, Gabriel wrestling with Mommy's foot.

He thinks it's so funny to bite my toes.

The conference talks were wonderful, and the memories were priceless!

One Year

2011-01-25T12:38:00.004-06:00

So much can happens in ONE year, but I honestly think time goes fastest during the first year of life. Physical & mental growth is tremendous during that first year, and afterwards we spend the rest of our years attempting
to grow just as fast. Despite this tremendous growth that we have all undergone, none of us remember a thing about it, yet it is so critical to our current well being.

As a mother of four, I find myself trying to slow time. My young children are racing about me, and I often catch myself wondering if I’m making the most
of their time. Do I hug and kiss them enough? Do I spend enough one-on-one time with each of my children? Am I as patient as I can be, or do I waste time spouting lectures that teach my children ‘not much,’ and only serve to waste time venting?

During this 1st year of Gabriel’s growth, I think I have grown a lot, too. I have honestly tried to hold my baby more, and take those brief moments where he’s cuddling with me and think, “This is my baby now – enjoy THIS moment – for it will never come again.” I believe that spending time loving Gabriel more has taught me to spend time loving Anastasia more; Sabrina more; Samantha more; and Paul more, too.

This first year of Gabriel’s life has been a gift to our whole family. We are happier. We spend more time together laughing & talking. We are all growing in a better way. Gabriel is a happy boy, he’s an angel for our family, and he’s a great reminder of what matters most.

One year ago, Gabriel came into our lives. It was a glorious birth, and the angels rejoiced along with our family. If the name ‘Gabriel’ means ‘Messenger of God,’ then I truly believe our Gabriel came to this earth with this family message: Isn’t it about Time?

Happy 1st Birthday Gabriel! We all love you!

Below is a picture-perfect look at Gabriel’s 1st year.

Not again!

2011-01-23T15:42:00.006-06:00

Well, less than a year ago, Samantha hit the top of her head and split it open, which required 3 staples - she handled it w/o a wince!

Sadly, last night Samantha fell and hit her left eyebrow on the edge of the end table, and split a wide-mouth gash, just shy of an inch. Because this wound was on the face, Sammie had to undergo actual stitches, which required a shot to numb her head. This was very traumatic for her, since she was just building a 'relationship of trust' with the doctor and nurse, only to have them put her in a papoose and inflict pain.

Six stitches later, Samantha's a bit emotional, but doing fine otherwise. She still races around with explosive energy, and I just hope and pray two STITCHING moments are enough for a few years ;-)

Happy Halloween 2010

2010-10-30T13:39:00.004-05:00

Costumes look familiar? Well, Anastasia and Sabrina may be wearing the same dresses they wore for Halloween last year, and Samantha may be wearing the same Cinderella dress that both Anastasia & Sabrina wore in prior years, HOWEVER . . . the cloaks are new and WAY COOL! I created the pattern, and I think they turned out awesome. Gabe's cute giraffe costume is borrowed, so all-in-all, $6 for material per cloak is a pretty good deal :-)

Happy Halloween!

The Iowan Johansens

Season Finale!

2010-09-12T21:55:00.010-05:00

Wahoo for one great Triathlon Season!

Paul completed his final Triathlon of the 2010 season performing an Olympic Triathlon, which meant twice the distance of the other races he had done.

We traveled to Fontana, Wisconsin (no I didn't mis-spell that city name . . .) the night before, and woke up ding-dang early to head to the race that started at 6:30 a.m. Much to our surprise, we awoke to pouring rain . . . I was expecting enjoying the race with my four children, sitting on blankets while we cheered for Daddy. Rather, we cheered for Daddy shivering in the cold air and come-n-go showers. Gabriel THANKFULLY slepted in the stroller convered by blankets to keep the rain off him. The girls and I huddled with the rest of the spectators, and cheered for Paul when he passed us.

Paul did AWESOME! He claimed this as the best race yet. The 1-mile swim was 'easy' ;-) (okay challenging but a great swim-time); the 25-mile bike was a hilly course, but he managed to get a 20mph average pace; the 6.2-mile run had a nasty hill called "Killer Hill" but Paul's training running our local "Wilks Hill" (Allie you know from experience) helped him pass many runners while going up the hill.

Paul placed 9th in his age division with a total time of 2 hrs 28 min. Overall, out of 430 participants, Paul placed 29th! Ha ha!

Anastasia said, "Dad, you are a homerun!"
Sabrina said, "Dad, I am so happy for your race!"
Samantha said, "Daddy!"

We're all proud of Paul, and look forward to more fun next season!

Enjoy the VERY FEW pics, as it was raining most of the time :-D

Elegance, Mud, & Bubbles!

2010-06-06T15:04:00.009-05:00

What do these three words have in common? They all describe our Saturday!

Anastasia had her dance performance in the morning, and she danced beautifully! Anastasia is really fun to watch because she doesn't miss a beat, and she performs like she's not afraid of anything. It's pretty cute to see the other little dancers all watching her to see what to do next. :-D My little dancer!
(See video at the bottom)

After ice-cream & naps, the whole family packed up into the van to drive to a little lake/pond to watch Daddy practice his open-water swimming. Mommy was not prepared for how "dirty" this little excursion would be . . .

Finally, how else do you end such a day except with bubbles - LOTS of BUBBLES!

VIDEO

Rise & Report

2010-05-23T14:49:00.008-05:00

Well, after circumstances beat me down pretty good yesterday, I feel today as though I must literally rise up, shake off the past, and report on the weekend.

Paul participated in the Sprint Triathlon this past weekend in Galina, IL. We decided to make it a weekend family trip to create fun memories and have a great time as a family. Friday night, we stayed at a ski lodge in Galina where the girls enjoyed swimming and sleeping in a new bed. For the morning of the race, I would have all 4 children with me, and we would cheer-on Daddy throughout the event! However, what was supposed to be a challenging morning, turned out to be a trying and exhausting day.

Ten minutes before arriving at the race, Sabrina threw-up. 5 minutes after that Samantha threw-up. I sent Paul off not knowing whether we would see him start the race, but thankfully someone stopped their golf cart to get the 5-of-us and the stroller to the lake on time, so we were able to see him begin the swim portion of the triathlon. That was about the end of that, sadly, because the trek back to the car was thwarted with several 2-year-old tantrums, a stop to feed a crying and hungry baby, and hauling the double-stroller (not meant for off-roading) up a long, VERY steep hill on the slanted grassy/gravel side of the road.

By the time we hiked the 1/2 mile to the van to the back of the bumpy, grassy, parking area, and after loading all 4 kids into the van with intentions to travel to the second destination to hopefully see Paul finish the biking portion of the race, watch some of his running, and see him cross the finish line, I turned over the ignition only to be greeted with the clicking sound announcing the battery was dead. My heart sunk. "No" I said as I dropped my head in disbelief. I was in the middle of no-where, no stores, no repair shops, and almost everyone gone to the next part of the triathlon that was 1/2 hour drive away. I had my cell-phone, but who would I call? Paul was still racing, and besides his phone died that morning, so he was going to finish his triathlon alone and not know where we were, and not have a way to contact us.

There was just enough juice in the battery to roll the windows down a little bit, so I left the children locked in the car while I hiked down the grassy hill to seek help from the triathlon volunteers guiding the racers. Thankfully, one of the volunteers was willing to come and try to jump the van for me, but I would have to wait till all triathletes had finished the lake portion of the race before he could drive his car to the parking-lot to attempt the 'jump.'

20 minutes later, our rescuer arrived, got the van running, and away we flew. Up, down, and around; over hill and dale trying to get to the next destination. Maybe we'd see Paul cross the finish line . . .

We arrived at the next 'remote' parking lot where we needed to take a shuttle to the finish-line, however Gabriel, Samantha, and Sabrina were all asleep, so Anastasia and I sat in the grassy field chatting for 40 minutes while we let the "little ones" catch a nap. I knew we had missed Paul's race, and I also knew he would be really wondering where we were with no way to contact/find us. So I reluctantly awoke the girls. Sure enough, 10 minutes later I was plowing through the bumpy, grassy parking field pushing my double stroller with Gabriel crying because he was tired of being in a car seat, Samantha screaming because she didn't want to be strapped in, Sabrina crying because she too wanted to sit on the stroller that I was muscling over the ground, and Anastasia running through the field, grateful to be free of the van. I seriously just about sat down on the ground and yelled, "I GIVE UP!" This was a surreal moment for me.

At this same time, a shuttle bus that was driving past bound for the destination I so longed to go, pulled off on the side of the road. The bus driver called out to me and asked if I was trying to go where he was going. "Yes," I cried. He came to the rescue, along with a nice passenger on the bus. The driver carried the stroller, the lady carried Gabriel in his carseat, and I hauled a screaming Samantha who finally stopped screaming after the bus began driving again. "Thank you," I said with tears brimming in my eyes.

We arrived at the "finish line" and by the Lord's blessing Paul was pacing the shuttle drop-off zone so he was there to greet me. Paul helped gather the children off the bus, led us to some shade, sent the kids off to play on the playground, and gave me a big hug. "What time did your QUADathlon start today?" he asked me as I began to cry.

Paul did great on his Sprint Triathlon, but I'm sad we weren't there to see more of his race, and to see him cross the finish line. It was a challenging course with lots and lots and LOTS of hills. We're not sure of the overall results yet, but of the 119 men in his age group, he placed 41. WAHOO! GO PAUL! He would like to do this triathlon again next year, and I'll let him . . . but we'll do things differently so that I can see more of his race next time, and deal less with moving kids from one destination to another. There were some fun experiences on this trip, which made it worth it, but I'll do all I can next year to avoid the "unfortunate" experiences from this year.

We all arrived home safely, though sunburned and smelling like throw-up and sweat. We hope the kids remember the happy memories of our trip, and those I will share with you via pictures. Enjoy!

p.s. Paul makes hot pink look HOT! ;-)

Day Before Galina Triathlon (Who needs a swimsuit?)

Galina, IL Triathlon

WOW, What a Whirlwind of a Week!!!

2010-05-05T14:35:00.016-05:00

So much has happened in the past week, that I must make time to write it down. So here we go in a flash:

1. After years of pondering, I finally cut my hair short! My mom says this is the shortest my hair has been since I was two, so that's 30 years I've had non-stop long hair!!! The change is fun, and I'm enjoying short hair.

2. Sabrina joined me in my adventure, and decided to have her hair cut short, too. She looks adorable wearing a bob. It fits her perfectly!

3. Continuing with the "after years of pondering" theme, Paul agreed to use some of our tax return this year to help me purchase a long-desired, much-sought-after, highly-functioning DSLR Camera and Zoom lens - Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!! (Extreme excitement!) This is my "reward" for getting Paul and our family through the 4-years of his Masters Program. Wahooooooie! My camera and lens both arrived last week, and I have literally taken thousands of pictures with them, and I'm still going!!! I love photography, so now I have the camera that will allow me to learn more of the intricate details of photography, as well as allow me to take some incredible pictures (I hope :-).

4. And just in time for taking some incredible pictures, Paul's first Sprint Triathlon was Saturday. Both Paul and Allison (my sister :-)committed to this triathlon a couple months ago, and the two of them were geared to go this week after much training. Last minute, Paul's brother, who was visiting for the weekend, decided to do the triathlon with them. What a SUPER fun time we all had together.

They all performed incredibly! Paul took 3rd in his age-division (17th overall), and Allison, despite spraining her ankle the week prior, took 1st in her age division. Aarron was a trooper! He kept his happy attitude the whole time and he was cracking us all up! You'll see in the pictures ;-D

5. To top off this incredibly crazy and awesome week, Gabriel Paul Johansen was blessed this past Sunday, May 2, 2010. Grandpa & Gramma J, Aarron & Heidi with Madi, Zoie, Silvia, and Jacobi, and Ted & Allie with Chloe and Porter were able to make the trip and share in this special experience. The blessing was short but beautiful. Gabriel was blessed to be spiritually inclined. He was blessed with the gift of perception, and the ability to see the Lord's hand in his life, and in the lives around him. Finally, Gabriel was blessed with strong faith, and the inclination to obey and love the Lord.

It was a long drive for the South Carolinians, and it was a full weekend with the triathlon to boot, but we all had such an enjoyable time dancing with the wii, talking and laughing, eating good food, roasting marshmallows around the fire, and staying up late! Thanks to Madi and Zoie for watching all the kids on Saturday while the adults went to the triathlon at 4am in the morning. Thanks everyone for coming to the blessing and making the day even more special. It truly was a most memorable weekend!

I have so much more I could say about it, but I'm going to let the pictures do the talking now:

WELCOME PARTY

TRIATHLON

TRI-PARTY

BLESSING PICTURES

Staples and a New Hat!

2010-02-23T14:20:00.008-06:00

Life as a Mom-of-Four comes fast and doesn't miss a beat! Irrelevant of the 'short' night due to Gabriel getting colicky and Samantha crying out @ 4:30 am & 5:30 am because she was cold . . . Samantha started the morning out with a bang - literally.

In my delirious state I stumbled to the bathroom where Samantha had shut herself in. I found her on the floor crying, but she quickly stopped after my arrival. "Are you bleeding?" I asked, after a quick view of no blood on her face I said, "Good - let's go get some breakfast."

All the kids and I finally made it downstairs 15 minutes later. I lifted Samantha into her high-chair, and low and behold there was a cut on top of her head. "Well I guess you did hurt yourself!" I stated. After conferring with Dr. Mom Howard, I decided she needed to see a doctor.

It was indeed a deep cut, and little Samantha (FYI - who's gained 5 lbs in the last 6 mo), received 3 staples. Ugh! Here's the kicker, though - she didn't even make a peep! Not one whimper! She curled her toes down to express her discomfort, but that was it. What a tough little cookie!

SO, Samantha has three staples, and I happen to finish making her hat today, so she has a new hat to cover the wound! Joy!

Happy Birthday, Sabrina!

2010-02-23T14:06:00.004-06:00

Sabrina had a happy 4th birthday! She played with her sisters at the kids museum, played more till Daddy came home, then had a great family party, strawberry shortcake, and presents!

Even though both her sisters threw up after all the fun, Sabrina got the gift of not catching their flu!

Share the LOVE (2-14-2010)

2010-02-17T14:40:00.003-06:00

Happy Valentines Day!

We enjoyed "Sharin' the Love" all day!

Have I mentioned that I LOVE dessert? :-D

So many people to love - what a great day with great food!

A few favorites!

2010-02-08T18:06:00.006-06:00

If you know me, you KNOW I take hundreds of pictures, and then spend hours perfecting them.......... Well, I'm not done, but the request for pictures has been mounting, so I am finally posting a few of my favorites.

My mother left last Friday, and she is sorely missed. She did inform me before she left, though, that her busiest times at home were when she had four little ones . . . SHE's RIGHT! It seems silly to bundle up and pack up four kids into the van to drive Anastasia 3 minutes to school, but what do you do?... It's crazy, but we're happy!

Gabriel's delivery was fast. I labored for a few hours at home, and then it came fast. We arrived at the hospital five minutes to 6 pm, and Gabriel was born at 6:28 . . . Little close :-D

As I have said before, this delivery was a wonderful experience for Paul and I - we really worked as a team, and the angels were there attending the arrival of Gabriel into this world. It really was heavenly.

One final note about Gabriel - he is such a beautiful baby, and just precious to have around. And I must say for the record, that I think heaven will smell like a newborn baby - it's the smell of innocence!

Enjoy!

Gabriel Paul Johansen is HERE!!!

2010-01-26T20:26:00.001-06:00

Born on Grandpa Boyer's birthday, Baby Gabriel was born yesterday as the newest man of the family!

We are all excited to welcome him here

Samantha Sings!

2010-01-14T16:05:00.003-06:00

This is just too cute not to share. Anastasia was singing the snowman song, and I thought Samantha was just making noise while she sang. THEN I realized Samantha was in fact singing the snowman song! She's learning something in Nursery! So enjoy her little performance :-)

(NOTE: You'll want to 'pause' the blog music located at the end of the blog so you can hear her sing.)

Gettin' Crafty!

2009-11-23T12:05:00.014-06:00

So, I've had the crafty bug (much thanks to Mom & Allie), so here are some pictures of some projects I have completed in the past week:

1. Totally Cool Fabric Wall (Sorry the picture is so small - it really looks awesome on that big wall!)

2. Pillows to match my wall after I someday have cool black/white chairs in the room :-)

3. Christmas stockings that I cut out with Mom & Becca LAST YEAR and finally sewed together this year (4 new ones)

4. Delicious Pocket-Pies that are so scrump-diddly-umptious!

FUN FUN!!! What's next?

The Sun's Out! Hurry & Take a Picture!

2009-10-24T16:04:00.005-05:00

I had to take advantage of the sun coming out - it's been raining for several days. The sun makes me feel happy and warm, even if it is only 50 degrees.

The colors are so warm and 'autumny' in these pictures, but I honestly had to fight and guilt-trip Sabrina into wearing the orange shirt. That girl and her clothes - she KNOWS what she wants to wear!

We've moved! . . .

2009-10-13T09:12:00.004-05:00

We're alive . . . BUT DANG COLD!!! I admit that I am whining the most about the cold, and funny enough I'm the only one in our family who actually grew up with real winters! But I tell you the chill is going right through me - I have been southernized!

People up here say "it's colder a little earlier this year, but don't worry . . . it only gets worse from here." I'M DYING!!! (p.s. Snow flurries on Saturday!!!)

We are working hard to get settled and grateful to finally be out of the "transition" phase that has been the source of so much stress the past few months.

Paul has jumped in with a big woodworking project (11'x7' Entertainment Center), which is really fun to plan and work on for both of us. I'll post pictures whenever I can find my camera charger in one of the 40 boxes in our storage room. :-D

The girls are adjusting well. Every once in a while they'll share something they miss, or they'll re-realize we're not going back, or they'll act surprised when I won't let them wear shorts, or it will occur to them that they can't see their Johansen-cousins because they are too far away now . . . They do love having their playroom in the basement, though - oh the fun of running all around the house! All-in-all we're happier to be settling in to our new life.

It will probably take me longer to get over North Carolina (if I ever do), but I feel so blessed, and I'm so grateful that Paul is such a hard worker and great man - it makes it so much easier to follow him wherever he goes.

Love you all, and miss you!

Alexis

Minority wins!

2009-09-15T11:42:00.003-05:00

How do I say this . . .

For all those who didn't believe; for the few believers who never gave up . . .

WE'RE HAVING A BOY!!!

Sabrina was the lucky girl to accompany me to the sonogram, as Paul was out of town. When the technician said "It's a boy," Sabrina said, "But I thought it was a girl - I still think there's a girl in there."

"Where are his clothes?" she later asked? "What clothes will he wear?" I told her, "Pink and purple unless we can buy some new ones!"

Paul is ecstatic about the news. "Really?" He said. "I was right! Of course I thought it was a boy all four times, but this time I'm right!"

We're all excited about this new addition, and it's fun that we get to introduce a little prince to this mix of princesses. I have no doubt this boy will get "dressed" up for many occasions!

Really Quickly!

2009-09-07T08:25:00.007-05:00

Okay, if I don't do this really quickly, then it probably won't happen so here's the best I can do for now:

UPDATES:

1.) After driving a little red saturn with no AC for SEVERAl Summers, Paul finally got his truck - WAHOO!!! We're really grateful for his sacrifices for our family, and for the many hours of hard work he puts in for our family. He LOVES driving around in his truck, and started using it for hauling projects the day after getting it.

2.) Foreman Sammie kept us on our toes while cleaning the house for putting it on the market. She inspected all our work. She was really our comic relief during this very stressful time.

FYI - Our home is on the market, and we have found a new home in Iowa. We'll be moving sometime right before/after September 21st, so it's coming fast. Eeek! We're praying the rest of the puzzel pieces fall in to place "just time time!"

3.) This is our flight to IOWA to find a home. After a whirlwind of 3 weeks of massive cleaning, it wasn't hard to fall asleep on the plane.

Anastasia & Sabrina stayed with their cousins in Rock Hill, SC while we house-shopped in IA. This was a much needed break for them to be able to play like little girls, rather than restricted to "don't make a single mess!" :-) (Thanks Joseph & Becky for watching them!) (Oh ya, and Anastasia lost her first tooth the day before we left - EXCITING AND EARLY)

4.)Cute Picture of Samantha looking out the window when we flew home to NC for likely the last time before we move . . . Maybe someday we'll get to return.

5.) And last but surely not least, ANASTASIA'S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

I had wanted to prepare for this moment with Anastasia, but after the chaos of preparing to move, the first day was there with VERY LITTLE preparation. This was a life changing day for Anastasia, and for the whole family, because from now on SCHOOL RULES! :-)

Ana had a great first day. We all missed her, especially Sabrina. Sabrina did pretty good the first few days, but by Thursday & Friday she was asking if it was time for Anastasia to come home by 9am. "Sorry Brie - still several more hours until 4:30!" Saturday, Sunday, & Monday (Labor Day) was PLUM FULL of those two playing together. I'm talking about hours of play - we're glad they love each other!

p.s. And as for an update on me and "the baby" - I FINALLY have my first doctors appointment coming up, however I will be 20 weeks by the time I'm there - sheish! Not my fault/intention - promise! I'll be getting a sonogram a couple days after, so maybe we'll know soon what we're having . . . :-) Girl, girl, girl, boy?...

Raising the Shelf . . .

2009-08-10T13:24:00.004-05:00

Well, after 3 years of having to arrange my bowls "just so" (stacks of 2, with staggered placement in 4 spots) in my cupboard so they fit, telling myself each time I put dishes away, "I really need to raise the shelf above my bowls so they will fit better - Oh, I'll do it later . . ."

I HAVE FINALLY RAISED THE UPPER SHELF! Oh my goodness, my bowls fit!

Why do we wait until we are moving out of a home to arrange it just the way we like it? I know it's to impress the people looking at the home, but seriously, why not have enjoyed my spacious cupboards for the three years I've owned them?

Sam, maybe you have some philosophical answer to my questions, and can write a clever article on this phenomenon that I know we all are guilty of indulging in. Am I wrong, or is this solely my failing?

Back to perfecting my home for someone else. I hope on my next "break from the chaos" that I'll have some fun responses to read to distract me from the looming TO DO'S.

Too many updates . . .

2009-08-06T09:21:00.001-05:00

I know I haven't posted anything for a really long time. I was ready to post that Paul had graduated, we did a major yard project, we celebrated at the beach, and we were simply enjoying that he was finally ours to keep!

Though this is all true, there was so much MORE going on in the background . . .

Now all the "background" stuff is out of the hat all at the same time, and we find ourselves in the middle of great change and unknown results. I am pregnant with #4 (currently 14 weeks), and we are moving from our beloved North Carolina and moving to either Iowa or Illinois for Paul's new position at Deere as a Mechanical Engineer.

We found this out while in Utah, when we could do nothing about it. Timing is all crunched together and we’re under the gun. We have to have our home on the market two weeks ago, but we just got home LATE Sunday, so we’re working like crazy this week to pack stuff up and de-clutter. Next week Paul’s mom is coming to help us paint, and we have two realtors coming on Monday to evaluate the home for market price. We HOPE to have the home on the market by next Friday, because we’re leaving the following week for a home finding trip to IA/IL.

Paul will be gone-a-week/here-a-week starting the last week of August, to finally stay up there by September 21st. Anastasia is suppose to be starting school that last week of August, and I just don’t know what to do about that – Go to school in one school for a few weeks, then pull her out to go to another school? Worst case scenario puts us up there in October, which I feel would be a little late to start her in school, but we might be staying at my in-laws in SC while we’re waiting for the home to sell, so I might not have a choice. The timing is out of our hands because it all depends on whether our home sells quickly/slowly, and whether we find a home we love & can afford.

There are so many unknown factors, that this is a great opportunity to exercise faith in the Lord. There is more to do than can be done, but we’ll do our best!

So there's an update, and it's back to work!

"Chubby Samantha?"

2009-04-30T07:05:00.005-05:00

So I forgot to post this important SAMANTHA update:

Samantha had her one-year appointment last week. Many of you know she's really small, and in fact she only gained ounces for about 8 months, keeping her in the 13lb range for a long time. Her head was growing, so we were not worried - she did claim the title in our family, though, for the smallest baby, even beating out Anastasia! In February, Samantha FINALLY tipped over into 14 lbs, but as of April 23rd, Samantha weighs 17 lbs 7 oz! Wooie! She chunked out! She's now in the 3-percentile! Ha ha ha ha! Her height is in he 5-percentile. (Sigh w/a smile.)

She still has no teeth, but her gums are all swollen so it wouldn't surprise me if they all come in at the same time. Ana & Brie both started getting their teeth at 10 months, so Samantha is just a record breaker :-D - holding out for 13 months . . .

Family Pictures Anyone?

2009-04-27T15:49:00.008-05:00

OH the Joy of Family Pictures - I'm sure many of you can empathize! . . .

So what's going on with the Johansen Family? Well, let me share a few Gems! -

Paul is 2 weeks from COMPLETING his MS of Industrial Engineering Degree, after four LONG years of working on the pre-req's (a.k.a. an additional BS, but in Engineering) & Masters classes at the same time, as well as full time work for John Deere . . . . Oh it has been long and I am nearly screaming with excitement!!! Paul is not screaming, as that is not his style, but bye-golly he is LOOKING FORWARD to completion!!! I might coax a cheer out of him when it's all said and done :-D.

Anastasia is mentally maturing, and dropping our jaws with her problem solving abilities. The other day I was telling Sabrina that I didn't have time to paint her toe nails AND make cookies before it was time to go to bed. I was in process of telling Sabrina that she had to choose when Ana burst in with, "Wait, wait, wait, wait! Let's change this Opportunity! Daddy can paint Sabrina's toe nails, and I can help you make cookies! That will work!"

Anastasia is also a creature-loving girl, just like her daddy. She doesn't get startled by bugs, and picks up toads with no hesitation. Over a week ago she found a little toad-friend that she wanted to carry around with her. She was as careful as she could be, but a little toad can only handle so much love . . . Still Anastasia carried that toad long past it's passing and remained fascinated that she could open it's mouth and look at the squishy tongue. Biologist, anyone?... We have our own little sweet Elmira!

Sabrina growing up like a big girl, and her hair is absolutely gorgeous! Her vocabulary is surprising, and she is VERY independent! We will have to be careful as she matures to make sure Sabrina feels like she is making her own decisions if we want her to come along :-D

Sabrina loves to play pretend, dress-up, and sing. She has a lovely voice, and on Conference Saturday around the breakfast table we told the girls that we would be able to see the prophet on the computer that afternoon. Sabrina burst out in song, "Follow the Prophet! Follow the Prophet . . . eating the most delicious bugs, Yum Yum!"

Samantha is a CLIMBER! I heard fussing the other day and thought Samantha just didn't want to be alone. Upon further inspection, however, I discovered her in the playroom, ON TOP of the play-table, ON TOP of the 2nd floor of the doll house! KING KONG BABY! Aaaaaaa! . . .

Samantha also loves to pull all the clothes out of the laundry basket and drawers and throw it behind her. She's enthusiastic, fun loving, and sweet as can be! She has beautiful strawberry blonde hair that we hope stays :-D

As for me, you have my updates! Crazy, crazy - but I LOVE my Motherhood Career! Oh, and as you can see I love photography - Maybe this x-accountant turned Mom will someday become a photographer :-D

Sunday, March 29, 2009

2009-03-30T09:53:00.002-05:00

Sunday Walk ~

When the sun comes out, so do the people. We thoroughly enjoy Sunday walks as a family. No work, no school, no shopping - It truely is a day of rest to go to church, rest from our labors, and spend time with family.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

2009-03-30T08:55:00.005-05:00

Smoothies, Sunshine, and Style!

Life with three crazy girls is crazy fun! These pictures really capture what's going on, as well as the unique personalities of our three precious princesses!

Snow to Sun!

2009-03-08T14:39:00.006-05:00

Pictures tell the story . . .

We had snow on Monday, and 80-degree sun on Saturday.
EVERYBODY OUTSIDE!

Samantha was sick this week, so she was a trooper for coming along... not that she had much of a choice :-) This is as happy as she looked.

Anastasia ran so much she woke up Sunday morning and said, "Ouch, Mom! My legs hurt right here (rubbing her thighs)." Guess we've all been a bit cooped up!

It was a FULL and HAPPY Saturday. I woke up this morning to blossoms bursting on our trees. SPRING IS HERE! Yea! Horray! Joy! Joy!

All bets are OFF!

2009-02-21T22:57:00.000-06:00

So, I was so hopeful that we had finally overcome the plague of sicknesses................

Aaaaaaaaaaaaa!

I got sick with a bad cold Wednesday, and for the past two days have had severe laryngitis. Allie laughs at my voice!

Anyway, I still wasn't counting myself as continued sickness to our family, but tonight Anastasia fell asleep on the couch.... she only ever sleeps during the day when she's sick...... Yes, she's sick. I think she has the flu. *Cry!!!

SOOOO...........*sigh.

On a happy note, after YEARS of planning and saving, I finally have purchased my very own Elliptical! Wahooooooooooo. It's so heavy it had to be transported upstairs in pieces, and in pieces it remains until we can assemble it :-) THEN I will be an exercising Queen! Wahoo.

On a somewhat happy/sad note, Paul went NC Snowboarding today, and had a blast! However, he fell and hurt his shoulder. He heard it pop, so I'm guessing he 'subluxed' it. If it doesn't show improvement, we'll have one more thing to get us closer to meeting our huge deductible....

On a very happy note, We are very blessed in so, so, so many ways :-D.

(Psst - Allie! This is a new post!)

2009-02-15T15:38:00.015-06:00

SO. . .

Christmas in Utah was AWESOME! Lots of family, lots of snow, and lots of fun! Maybe, just maybe I'll add a link to this post taking you to the Utah Pictures for your own perusal/downloading preferences.

SICK SICK SICK: At the end of our trip in Utah Sabrina became sick, resulting in a trip to prompt care and serious breathing treatments. Samantha became sick afterwards, but not as seriously. However upon returning home and attending a well-child visit, the Dr. sent us home w/a new nebulizer because Samantha still had a wheeze. Three days later Samantha was better, but Sabrina became sick again requiring intense breathing treatments. However, it wasn't enough for Brie had to go to the ER because of severe breathing restrictions (Mind you this was at 3am and Paul was out of town . . .)

Two days after this Brie was feeling better and Sammie started feeling sick. A couple days later what seemed to be a little sick was now a big sick - Samantha was fighting fevers of 103-104 under the influence of Tylenol. After seeing the doctor we discovered Samantha had both strains of the flu. Her sickness remained several days and recovery was slow.

Following this, Samantha had about 3-4 okay days, then started getting sick again - wheezing, coughing, fever. . . . Another trip to the doctor found Samantha on steroids, antibiotics and a breathing-treatment regimen. Thankfully it wasn't pneumonia :-). FINALLY, yesterday afternoon (Saturday February 14th 2009), Samantha stopped wheezing for 2 hours and showed marked improvement. Yea! Still sick but getting better .......................

That pretty much sums up January and half of February - SICK SICK SICK! Aaaaaaaa!

On a HAPPY NOTE, Paul did get to go snowboarding and had a blast (minus the black-eye), Anastasia is registered for kindergarten (eek!) and had a blast rolling out dough (see pics), Samantha is pulling up to standing positions A LOT, and even better TODAY IS SABRINA'S BIRTHDAY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SABRINA!

p.s. One happy thing for me, is that I got a cute pedicure 4 weeks ago, and it's still cute!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T10:38:00.022-05:00

Pumpkin.....

No, Bunny!

Stop the Torture!

Samantha's a good sport, but she was done half-way through trick-o-treating. Thankfully Daddy arrived to "finish the route" with his princesses.

And then there are Princesses

Belle with blonde hair & Cinderella with sparkling tennis-shoes....

Belle (Anastasia) had zooming energy throughout the evening and gave her report on the treats from EVERY house. Sabrina had fun as a princess, especially half-way through when her Prince (Daddy) arrived to carry her the rest of the way. It was a Happy Halloween!

Avacados & Apples, a Cold Bath, and Nummy Toes

2008-10-30T10:11:00.015-05:00

Last night (10-29-08) I attempted to feed Samantha some "real" food. As recommended by our Pediatrician, I fed Samantha avocado for it's subtle taste and fattening effects (for my skinny baby :-)

Well..... the avocado will take some getting used to, but the apple was a hit!

~~~

Sabrina has successfully gone through potty-training this past week (hurrah!), and along with it she has gained GREAT Independence. After last night's dinner, I said, "Okay girls! It's bath time tonight!" and then I proceeded to finish cleaning up dinner. Sabrina quietly slipped upstairs. I assumed she had gone to visit her daddy, however upon going upstairs to get the bath going for the girls, things weren't quite like I expected.

I found Sabrina sitting and shivering in Mommy & Daddy's BIG bathtub very full of cold water. "Come in, Ana! It's warm!" Sabrina invited. We're trying to raise our children to be independent right?...

~~~

And today, Samantha found her little toes. You can see I caught her by surprise nibbling on her toes. Num num nummy! (I also caught her on her knees, but not with the camera - *sigh - she's growing so fast!)

Johansen Funnies and Updates

2008-10-21T13:46:00.009-05:00

1. Sabrina LOVES to sing the theme song from Veggie Tales' LARRY BOY and the BAD APPLE. Even during sacrament meeting when we're singing the sacrament hymn she stands up on the bench and joins in by belting, "Larry Boy! Rock on Larry Boy!"

2. Sabrina also can compose lyrics to songs. At the dinner table after a conversation about the movie, FAIRYTOPIA, she belts out, "Larry-topia! Rock on Larry-topia!"

3. Daddy noticed that Sabrina had a scratch on her chest, so he asked Anastasia about it. "Ana, do you know where Sabrina got the scratch on her chest?" "Yes. She must have got it from Mommy scratchy legs."

4. Holding a toy up to Mommy and speaking for the toy, Anastasia said, "Hello there, GIANT Mommy!" Feeling a little afronted, Mommy responded, "Hello there little plastic toy." "I'm not a little plastic toy!" Ana protested. "This is a princess! And you're a GIANT Mommy."

~~~

Anastasia loves learning and playing with her friends. She has been looking forward to turning five since she turned four, so the fact that her birthday is less than two months away is very exciting for her. Anastasia is also gaining in Independence, and loves to tell her mother that she's off to find a friend to play with. Ana also had the chance to hold baby chicks at the state fair, which was immensely fun for her. She was so gentle, and did not want to stop holding them. It was more fun than holding toads! (which she also likes to do - a quality from her father, and NOT her mother.)

Sabrina is doing very well, post surgery. She has a radiant smile, and is so happy. She has reverted a bit to DAILY pulling all the clothes out of every drawer, dirty clothes hamper, and dress-up box that she can find. Her mother has discovered that "Hand-me-downs" may not work for Sabrina, because all she wears are dresses, and her sisters' new clothes/pj's ....Her language skills are soaring, and she loves playing pretend with Anastasia (and pushing her sisters buttons when she has a mind to do it.)

Samantha is so sweet. She is happy happy happy. She hasn't gained much weight in the past couple months, but her head has grown, so she's a little smartie-head :-) She is getting SO close to sleeping through the night, and her mother is ecstatic about this. Samantha rolls all over, is starting to pull her knees under her, and loves grabbing things and putting them in her mouth. It's amazing how quickly a baby goes from just laying around to actively growing up! Her skin is so soft, and her cheeks are so kissable, that she is never in lack for attention.

Paul is traveling in India, and though it is interesting, he can't wait to return home. He is hoping to complete the necessary school work for his Master's program by April 2009, which is a HUGE light in our lives. Prayer on his behalf in accomplishing this are always welcome.

And finally, Alexis tries her best to be what the Lord wants her to be - a wife, a mother, and a good daughter of God. Despite the fact that she recently put an eye-opening list together of all the important "to do's" that are hovering around needing completion/attention, which she has been ignoring in hopes they would take care of themselves..... so, despite her faults, slips, and trips of current life, there is hope and faith in Christ, and abundant opportunity to "keep on keepin' on."

May this post make you laugh and make you smile. And may you all feel the love of the Lord in your life, too!

Surgery Success

2008-10-02T11:44:00.005-05:00

Well, so far so good!

The surgery went well this morning. It was a good thing for Sabrina to have her Daddy with her because it helped her to feel more comfortable, despite the anxiety of what was going on. Mommy waited with the baby in the waiting room while Daddy stuck with Brie until she was "out."

The surgery itself took less than a half hour, and no stitches were required. After the surgery, Paul went in and sat in the patient chair while Sabrina sat on him. He had her practice counting her fingers and focus on grasping her toy to help bring her out of her induced sleep.

The most disconcerting thing for me, as the mother, was to see my 2-year-old daughter a bit delirious, with slurred and slow speech, and eyes that couldn't focus. My heart went out to Sabrina, but she was cute despite. "I dizzy!" she would say again and again.

At this point, Sabrina is sitting up, cheery and happy. I'm sure she will "hit a wall" sometime and take a nap, but I hope she continues to feel "cheery & happy," for finally we have resolution to an traumatic accident that happened over 4 months ago.

Thank you for all your prayers, concerns, and support for her and our family!

Something's better than nothing!

2008-09-30T10:00:00.014-05:00

So here are a few pictures of my favorite girls!

Paul is trucking through work and school, and I am trying to juggle the 3 kiddlies along with teaching Joy School every few weeks and attacking the surmounting PROJECTS that are never done :-). Anastasia is loving pre-school, Sabrina is growing up despite my efforts to squeeze her small, and Samantha is a rolly-poley, wiggly-piggly girl with a great big grin!

(fyi - Sabrina will be going in for surgery on 10-02-08 to have her tooth extracted.)

Not talking, eh?

2008-07-18T15:59:00.002-05:00

It Ain't Me!

2008-06-22T21:07:00.005-05:00

So Paul was helping Sabrina say her prayers tonight, and he said,
"Please help me to be good," and Sabrina repeated, "Ana be good."

(Laughter during prayer of course :-)

What's going on?

2008-06-17T15:37:00.019-05:00

So, after looking at my pics for the past few weeks, I realize there has been A LOT going on!

So here are the updates:

1. Sabrina is doing better. The swelling has gone down, the bump has diminished, but there's still no tooth. She has seen a dentist and the x-rays show no damage to the permanent tooth. This is good. What we're still praying for is that the tooth will come down. IF it doesn't come down, Sabrina will have to go in for surgery to extract the tooth. :-( We're praying it will continue to move in an OUTwardly direction! (06-01-08)

2. We played Frisbee Golf w/our neighbors on Memorial Day and had lots of fun. Samantha & Sabrina both fell asleep while playing in the forest, so we didn't get our "best" scores has we were holding our handicaps :-) (05-26-08)

3. Anastasia has been showing signs of HULK

Don't be alarmed - Green is in! (05-30-08)

4. Wedding Bells!
Paul's brother Sam was married (barely!) on June 7th. It was a crazy day, but in the end the most important event of the day happened, and Sam & Renata were sealed for Eternity! We don't have lots of pictures because of the rushed nature of the day, but what we have hold fun stories! The girls had cute white dresses with red/gold/green embroidery. However by the end of the day they were brown with rootbeer, fruit, gatorade, suckers, and whatever else spilled on them! It was a great Johansen reunion, and a memorable day!

5. Paul's 31st Birthday!
Happy Day for Paul! We had a fun dinner and delicious dessert with CRAZY candles. Paul received a combo-Birthday/Fathers'Day/We just love you Day birthday present of a much anticipated ipod NANO. He better make LOTS of use of it! :-) (06-11-08)

6. Rainy Day Pool Day!
We finally made it to our neighborhood pool for a FAMILY SWIM. Two minutes after getting in the pool it started to rain. As southern rains go, it began to rain hard very quickly. Paul took Ana & Brie to the big pool, and I got out of the little pool to wrap Sammie into a towel. The rains passed and the sun came out. THEN the thunder came, and dark clouds again w/hard rains. We were slowly progressing out of the pool with the LOUD lightning and thunder got us out of the pool in a hurry. As best we could, we walked home in the rain, Paul carrying Ana & Brie and splashing through the rivers in the streets, and me carrying Samantha with a towel over our heads. This all happened in one hour. At home, neither Anastasia, Sabrina, nor Daddy had gotten enough pool time, so . . . they finished pooltime in the tub. Ha ha ha! (06-14-08)

We've had a great break from Daddy's schooling, and we're going to finish it off with a bang in Utah. We're excited to see family out there very soon! Loves and fun to all!

Happy Times!

2008-06-01T08:04:00.010-05:00

Thank you for your comments & prayers about last weeks stormy adventure. Sabrina is doing much better. We are watching the lump below her nose with eager anticipation, hoping it will show signs of coming down. Patience on a matter like this is very hard to exercise!

As last week's post wasn't so happy, I thought I should post a few pictures of happier times taken the night before when all was well . . .

The Beach Trip that WASN'T!

2008-05-25T20:19:00.003-05:00

Um . . . where to start? Where it ends? . . . I'll just quickly say what I can say . . .

Paul finished finals on Thursday after a VERY stressful and VERY challenging semester in all aspects, so we planned a little get away to the beach. We left Friday morning, and had a pretty good afternoon/evening at the aquarium & the beach. However, what was to be the pinnacle of the trip - Saturday all day relaxing on the beach - was anything but.

Saturday morning (05-24-08) at the breakfast area in our hotel, Anastasia, Sabrina, & I were just finishing our breakfast. I turned my back on the girls for 10 seconds to get food to bring up to Paul in the hotel room when I heard a bam and a scream from Sabrina.

Essentially, Sabrina somehow hit her mouth smashing her left front tooth all the way up into her jaw. I could feel the tooth, but couldn't see it. After blood, paramedics, failed dental contacts, and pouring rain we decided the beach trip was a failure and we headed back.

We stopped @ a ward member's home, who is a dentist, to have him look at Sabrina, and essentially the diagnosis at this point is to "do nothing," which is really hard to swallow, as I can only imagine the discomfort Sabrina is in, as well as the deforming bulge under her nostril where the tooth has been shoved. We are comforted that the body is amazing (particularly childrens') and we are waiting to see if the body will push the tooth back down.

Personally, I am coming to grips with the fact that my beautiful little girl will most likely have a toothless grin for the next 6-8 years of her life. (Big breath and a few more tears.) Sabrina is feeling very vulnerable, and she's hurting, but there are a few moments here and there where she's happy :-)

Most of the swelling happens between 24 & 48 hours, so she's pretty swollen right now. From here we'll watch her for any infections. We'll wait about a month before we go to see a dentist again to see how she's progressing. Needless to say, this is all pretty traumatic.

And to put icing on the cake, Paul was called as the 2nd Counselor in the Elders Quorum presidency today - 05-25-08 - ,which we found out about this morning :-). I am trusting in the Lord as He is capable of making this all work out, because I know that I can't take anymore!

(Here is a link to a picture of the actual wound. It is NOT a pretty picture, so don't look if you don't want to see pain :-(
http://picasaweb.google.com/ajohansen25/OuchieRevealed/photo?authkey=E5S2bRSeEdQ#5204481863484859442

Sorry I forgot!

2008-05-20T18:44:00.003-05:00

These are some pictures taken when Samantha was 8 days old. Enjoy!

Swimming then Raining?

2008-05-20T18:29:00.007-05:00

One day we're swimming for our 1st time this season, and the next day we're playing in the rain. Wonderful weather we're having!

We're heading to the Beach this weekend for a PAUL'S FINISHED FINALS & WE REALLY NEED A FAMILY BREAK trip. Look out for those pictures!

Samantha's Growing

2008-05-20T18:14:00.003-05:00

Here's a quick look at Samantha's growth - 5 weeks! Wow, how it flies!

Personality Profiles

2008-05-05T14:34:00.014-05:00

I took these pictures of Anastasia & Sabrina yesterday, and I think they just really show their unique personalities. (Plus it show's Anastasia bruise from falling and hitting her face on the metal rim of her bed, which is now a black eye :-(

And these are cute (some repeats but good in color)

Comparisons!

2008-04-25T11:03:00.021-05:00

Here is a FUN look at the similarities & differences of the last three pregnancies/babies:

(Anastasia, Sabrina, Samantha, respectively)

Baby pictures of Anastasia, Sabrina, & Samantha -

Can YOU tell WHO is WHO?

I'll post names later . . . :-)

Welcome Baby Samantha!

2008-04-18T15:36:00.016-05:00

Samantha was born VERY quickly on Saturday morning, April 12th. Alexis woke-up at 4:34 am with the 1st-contraction, the 2nd-contration 5 minutes later, then 4 minutes, then 3 minutes, then Paul was awaken on the 4th contraction and we (Paul, Lois, & Alexis) were in a mad-dash to get everything together between the contractions that were 2 minutes apart, so we could get to the hospital.

We arrived at the hospital at 6:00 am, and Samantha was born at 7:01 am, so from start to finish is was 2 hrs 27 minutes. Wow!!!

Samantha weighed 6 lbs, 13 oz, and she was 18 1/2 inches long. She has a sweet disposition, and is a great sleeper!

Her Father, Mother, and Sisters are SO excited to welcome Samantha to their family!

Catching up

2008-03-19T15:33:00.001-05:00

Hello, All!

I have 4wks or less left until delivery, and we are so excited. I am actually looking pregnant this time, so look for the picture that I'll maybe post :-) We are still undecided on a name, but y'all will be hearing something soon!

And just to let y'all in on a glimpse of life here in NC, Sabrina is displaying some VERY SIMILAR qualities to her father in his younger days, only with a female flare! If she isn't coloring on the table/floor/wall, pounding dents into the table with whatever utensil she gets her hands on, taking off her diaper 20 times a day, peeing on the floor, stripping down naked outside, messing with the computer & printer, punching buttons on the phone, getting online w/my cell phone, changing clothes 20-30 times a day (no exaggeration,) sneaking outside and wandering off on her own, climbing on any counter/chair/table/high cliff . . ., breaking the blinds in her room, pulling wall boarders off the wall, knocking wall hangings off the wall and breaking them, tipping over humidifiers onto the floor (full of water), . . . and doing it all with a smile and innocent look . . .

And while writing this memoir I had to pause to go clean up after Sabrina who took off her diaper, pooped on the floor, stepped in it, and walked all over the playroom.

I love my girls so much, but I am now seeing why I haven't been in touch! 7-9 months pregnant w/Paul always gone or doing homework, and these two to keeping me busy - LIFE IS EXCITING!

Wow! We are going outside to play!

Sabrina Style!

2008-03-05T15:19:00.007-06:00

3 Top-Knots, a Bermuda T-shirt, Pink Bloomers, and John Deere Boots (on the wrong feet) - Need I Say More?

February Pics

2008-03-05T14:38:00.014-06:00

I finally downloaded and edited my pictures from February, so I thought I'd share the JOY!

February was VERY busy with Valentines' Day, Sabrina's Birthday, Engagement Celebration Day, Alexis's Birthday, & Paul traveling TONS! What a great month!

Allie's making me do this . . .

2008-02-29T13:04:00.035-06:00

We're Alive! Allison wants all of you to know that, so she is making me make that official! I have finally posted a family blog that I started months ago. Please be forgiving as it needs LOTS of work!

Spring officially started in mid February because the frogs in our backyard began to sing. Welcome Spring!

We have taken walks around the lake, and Anastasia & Sabrina love to look at the ducks, geese, and swans.

Paul has been traveling TONS the last two months, so I have taken up a project to pass the time. Here is the quilt I'm making for the girls bed - almost done! It's a doozy for a 1st-time quilting project, but I'm happy about it (despite the nights of cursing at it :-)

Sabrina turned 2 in February! She is so cute, but quite the tornado!!!

Alexis turned 30, but she's almost 8 month pregnant at the time, so no pictures are available :-)

Another sweet girl is due in April, so expect many posts in the future!

1st Time Camping in the South

2007-04-30T16:03:00.015-05:00

We finally did it! We finally went camping as a whole family for the 1st time on Saturday, April 28th! And at least for Alexis & Sabrina, it was the 1st time camping in the South!

We went camping at Jordan Lake, outside of Apex, NC, so we had a beautiful view of the forest & lake, and the breeze off the lake made the temperature pleasant.

Thanks to Mom & Dad Howard at Christmas time, we all had sleeping bags to sleep in, and pads to sleep on. All four of us squished into our 2-man tent, with Ana & Brie stacked vertically in their toddler bags. This made for a fun wake-up call in the morning!

We had a fun camping experience with our friends, Cory, Mara, Cole, & little Emma Johnson.

Anastasia enjoyed learning how to roast marshmallows over the fire, and hike through the tree roots to get to the lake's edge.

Sabrina enjoyed crawling around and taste-testing the dirt. Except for the fall off the park bench that left Sabrina with 4 goose-eggs, she also enjoyed her camping experience!

Mighty Paul came through with a delicous "breakfast burrito meal" in the morning, so we all left happy. We had so much fun, we'll probably do it again soon (before it gets too hot . . .)