Catch up on the kids part 4 Adell May - July 2022 (why do I have so many kids and why did I think this was a good way to update the blog?)

 May: Adell did all the end of school things!  Final projects and tests at school and a choir concert even though she did choir months ago.  We enjoyed watching her sing!

  

 After 5 years of living in our own house, and telling Adell we would every spring, we finally planted a garden!  Adell is in plant care heaven. 

 

June brought the start of swim season.  Adell excels at a difficult stroke (Breast) she is fast and works hard.  She wasn't going to do summer swim this year because we were going to be gone a lot.  Right before the season started she asked to join.  Thankfully, we've been with our team for a long time and they are always happy to have Adell in the pool.  They opened the registration back up for her and she started back up.  She swam great all summer.  She improved her time and won most of her heats.

Adell got a little parents date while Colter was at summer camp and Clare was practicing for her dance show.  We went to a cool retro 90's vibe chicken place.

Adell soaked in the natural beauty of Yosemite for Will's birthday weekend.  We all enjoyed her story of a kid pronouncing Yosemite like it is spelled "yo-sem-ight" and Clare told the story of a girl reading a sentence in a history book that ended in "utter chaos" and she said ch-ouse (rhymes with mouse).  Words are weird.

 

Adell proudly and strongly hiked to the tippy top of Yosemite Falls with Will and Clare.  She was so strong!

Adell really loved the old-timey gold mining town.  She likes old things!

 

She was especially good at dipping candles.

Adell had fun with Lorien over Johnson Fest.  She really loved the beach and did not get the worst sunburn out of all of us.

Adell led the red, white, and blue bathing suit crew on the 4th of July.

 

Only on the 4th does Uncle Richard put a ladder up to the roof and let kids jump off into the pool.  Everyone took the jump but Adell jumped from the farthest roof.  

My Aunt Colleen hosts her family reunion every 4th of July and they call it Johnson Fest.  We go most years for part of the time.  Adell and my cousin Tom's kids are had so much fun together every time we get together.  Like Clare, this year was a little more awkward because of the two year hiatus.  Once Adell got over the awkward she had a ton on fun.

This is my "new" Aunt Debbie with Adell and Clare.  Debbie is the biological 1/2 sister of my Dad and Aunt Colleen.  My grandmother left a relationship with their father (who is also Debbie's father) and married my grandfather.  My Grandfather adopted my dad and Colleen and was the only dad they ever knew.  Their biological dad went on to marry again and have three more kids.  Debbie found us after some of us did an Ancestry DNA thing.  It has been fun to get to know her.  

Adell keeps swimming all month long.  Even though we can't make it to most swim meets.  She does really well when she does compete! 

Adell had a blast with Utah cousins.  Seeing Sadie again was the best!  They fell right back into step and loved the one night sleepover they got together.  

 

The end of July brought VSAs the all team swim meet.  Adell won her heat for Breaststroke coming in 21st out of 59 swimmers!  Just on the bubble for finals.  The top 20 swimmers make it to finals and they ask the next two to wait as alternates.  With Adell at 21 we waited around to see if Adell would have to swim.

Adell went through all of the emotions waiting.  At first she didn't want to swim in finals then she really hoped she would be called up (we all hoped some girl would be a no-show).  Everyone showed so Adell did not get to swim and was ultimately super bummed.

However, it gave her just enough of a taste to decide to do fall swim and try to get really good at Breaststroke.  

A word on our Adell Becci.  It has been a weird year or two for Adell.  She is working her way through understanding and knowing her self the best.  She has a lot of anxiety sometimes.  Thankfully we have found a really good therapist and things seem to be getting better for Adell.  Growing up is hard to do and maturing is not a helper!  We all love Adell so much!

Catch up on the kids part 3 Clare May - July 2022

Clare's May-hem was packed!  School was a whirlwind of musical performances, finals, projects, and social events.  Clare was stressed to the max but did all the things and finished strong. 

She went to a fancy church dance called "Mormal" formal for mormons.  She had fun getting ready with her friends and her date, Andy, was kind.  I was a super mom who made Clare's dress and a pile of boutonnière for Clare's date and other girl's dates.  The night was a success.  

 

Since Clare did all the things, we got her a car.  Well, it is a kid car...especially since it is the size of a circus peanut with wheels.  Clare went to seminary every morning without a fight, had "good" grades (A's and B's), and participated in extracurricular activities.  The deal all of the kids have had in order to have a car.  Clare is the first kid to do all the things.  Wyatt was doing all the things for a little while but we didn't get to getting him a car...and maybe if we had he wouldn't have done drugs.  Ah, regret...it is everywhere.

Clare got her license on May 19th, Colter's birthday.  Fitting since she got her permit on Lorien and Wyatt's birthday (November 8th).  We had to push her license day back because she was sick on her last driving lesson day.  We canceled (stupid COVID...it wasn't COVID but we couldn't risk it) and it was impossible to get a rescheduled lesson!  Finally, we got it done and Clare passed the test!  She drove her self to and from school every day for the last couple of weeks of school.  I still made her take the dance carpool for dance.  I didn't think she was ready for freeway traffic driving.

June was just as busy and wild as May...and school was out?!  First up for Clare (and Adell) was a week at a church girls camp.  Clare had the time of her life with all of her best friends.  She is at a level of camper where they spend the week doing big adventures: ropes courses, horseback riding, a lot of things I cannot remember.  She really bonded with a group of girls she was already bosom buddies with.  She had a great week.

Clare came home from girls camp Friday afternoon and rushed to get her camp-dirt-covered-self clean and up to Walnut Creek for her dance recital.  This was the first in person recital since COVID.  Everyone was happy to be sitting in the audience.  Clare, with her dislocated kneecap didn't not get to dance in any competitions this year.  So the show was the firs time she got to preform with her team.  She was in heaven and her dancing was perfection.  I truly love watching her dance.  

 

Will asked me to plan a family experience for his birthday.  I booked one night in Yosemite and one night in Columbia.  Yosemite was perfectly spectacular.  We live so close to this wonder and we have only been once.  Part of that has to do with the inability to make advanced plans and get reservations and part of that has to do with the mandatory windy drive down into Yosemite valley that results in 100% of our people getting sick.  Alas, we put all of that aside and made the trip.  It was pretty smooth...almost too smooth but we only got a little bit sick.

We stayed one night in the Curry Village tents.  We need to go again when we have a few nights.  It was so beautiful.  We wandered around the lower valley the first night we arrived.

The next morning Will's wish was to hike Yosemite falls.  We headed up as a family...it is miles and miles of switchbacks and stairs.  It was hard!  Colter and I called it a day 1/2 way up at the first viewing of the falls.  Clare and Adell agreed to keep hiking ALL THE WAY UP with Will.  The views were even more amazing (naturally) and the girls had a really special time with their Dad.  I am so glad they did and so glad I didn't have to go!

The second day of Will's birthday celebration was spent in Columbia.  Columbia is a preserved mining town from the gold rush days in California.  We stayed in an old timey hotel that was supposed to be haunted.  No paranormal activity was witnessed by any of us.  We slept through the night and then spent the next day exploring the town.  The kids dressed up at the museum, we bought candy and the shoppe, we dipped candles and had a wagon ride.  It was a blast.  I really nailed the birthday planning this year!

  

  

That's a wrap on Clare for May - July! 

Ha!  Just kidding.  I forgot to include July...so here it is...

Clare did all of the cousin things over 4th of July at Johnson Fest.  One of Clare's best cousin friends, Clara, was there.  Clare and Clara are always the youngest of the oldest cousins.  They usually fall into a fun patter with the slightly older cousin boys.  Like everyone, they had an awkward start due to the two year COVID break but once everyone was comfortable a great time was had by all!

 

Clare also spent time getting to know our new Aunt Debbie which was lovely.

Clare has been traveling back in time for hair tips.  She ordered some big velcro curlers and gave them a whirl.  I don't have a picture of the results but...honestly, they didn't provide much curl.  Just picture Clare with her regular hair and you've got results.  

Clare had the most fun on our wicked quick trip to Utah to see Wyatt, Emma, and say farewell to cousin Evan.  Clare got to see lots of her best cousin friends over the weekend.  Clare a on my side of the family, and cousin Andrew on Will's side.  She also enjoyed catching up with the Danville friends who had moved to Utah.  Some of them were surprised that Clare was so grown up!

 

 

Clare's final July activity was EFY in San Diego.  We committed her to this week-long church camp back in February.  We didn't know she should have done summer school and an ASL course this summer.  Because we had committed to EFY she didn't do summer school or ASL...which turned out to be the best decision.  Clare had a super busy summer and adding school would have been crazy.  

EFY was the best week of the summer for Clare.  She went with a few friends from church but met lots of new friends.  She had lovely spiritual experiences and laughed a lot.  I am really happy for her.  If you are brave, ask her how her last morning of EFY went.  It is a story!

Clare flew home from San Diego just in time to come cheer her sister on in a hopeful finals race for breaststroke.  

There, that's a wrap on Clare and July!

Catch up on the kids part 2 Wyatt May - July 2022

Oh my 18 year old baby boy.  May is graduation month around here and it has been hard to not have Wyatt home for the celebrations.  It has been sad to see his friends do the elementary school grad walk and plan grad night while knowing Wyatt won't participate.  Still, I sent in his kindergarten and sports pictures for the grad night wall.  I made collages and cheered on his classmates all month long.  I am sad Wyatt is not here for the fun but know he is doing what he wants to do out in Idaho.

  

We brought Wyatt home for a weekend in May.  He got to be here for Colter's birthday (which was Colter's favorite present ever) and spend time with family and friends in Danville.  We did our favorite hike up to Fort Anderson in the sunset.  We enjoyed every second of the setting sun up on the ridge line...but that meant the last 1/2 of our hike down was in the dark.  Will and Colter hiked ahead, I ended up hiking alone, and Wyatt and Adell waited until the last slips of sun were gone before they left the ridge.  It was a beautiful hike and good family time.  

 

One of Wyatt's best friends, Adam, stopped by for a quick hello and goodbye.  Adam and Wyatt have birthdays a week apart.  They have been friends since the 4th grade...maybe 3rd?  I wish I had a little kid picture of them to show.  I just went back through all of my birthday posts for Wyatt hoping to find a picture of him and Adam...no luck.  Just tears for good memories.  Well, here the boys are now.  Adam is off to serve a two year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Medellin, Columbia.  Wyatt is headed back to Idaho to plan and prepare for becoming a father.  Stop the world I want to get off.

At the end of June Will and I got to see Wyatt again.  Wyatt and Emma ran into some car trouble that resulted in them needing a tow and a mechanics bill that was all of their savings.  Will and I headed out to check in on them and see how we could help.  We decided to help them get a more reliable car and have some good talks about what they want their future to look like.  It was good to see where they are living and spend some time doing fun things together.  

 With the help of my brother, Chris, we got Wyatt a used Ford Fiesta...standard transmission.  The whole family (minus Lorien) went out to Utah in July to get Wyatt into his new car and see our nephew/cousin, Evan, off for his mission for the church to Charleston, West Virginia.  Wyatt brought Emma down and she got to meet some members of my family and some from Will's.  We are kind of a lot and Emma was super sweet to meet so many new family members.  

Wyatt was also a trooper sitting with family and friends and explaining his life plans.  I think it was hard to see a lot of friends from high school and younger years doing different things.  But Wyatt assures me that he is really happy and likes the direction he is going.  

He is happy but I am still worried, worried, worried.  Having a baby is a challenge most of the time.  It take patience and endurance.  Babies cost money and take up sleep time.  It is a lot of work...and rewarding work too...but I worry about the a lot of work part.  Wyatt and Emma seem to be taking things day by day.  Today is July 28th and I am typing this from Paris, France.  On Monday the 25th Wyatt and Emma had the 20 week ultrasound for the baby.  All is well and they are having a boy.  Here's to me becoming a grandmother.  The baby can call me "Nana" anyone else will get a punch in the face if they try.  Look how I made it all about me.  It's a talent.