All Aboard the Polar Express!

Last year around Christmas time Ryan and I heard about the Polar Express train ride near Flagstaff. We both wanted to do it, but it didn't work out last year. This year we planned ahead and made it up there. We decided to keep it a secret from the kids until we went to put pjs on to board the train. We thought we would get a great reaction that way and we weren't disappointed. We maybe kept it a secret a little too well, though. The kids weren't as familiar with the story as they could have been, but luckily Marissa's and quick learner and Devon loves trains! We all had a great time and it was definitely worth the trip!



Devon looks pretty excited!!




We all got hot chocolate and cookies on the ride, had a visit from Santa after we picked him up at the "North Pole", and each received a bell to remind us to believe.


After the train ride, we went to a cute little cafe/diner for some pie.


It took us about 3 hours to drive to the train so we decided to stay the night afterwards in Flagstaff. The kids always love a night in a hotel complete with a continental breakfast and swimming pool! We thought we would try to drive up to the snow while we were there. Unfortunately (or fortunately, whichever way you want to look at it) there wasn't a ton of snow as you can see, but the kids still enjoyed putting on their rarely used winter coats and tromping around in it!

Happy Halloween!

I was pretty bummed that this was the only picture we were able to get on Halloween that turned out, but at least we got something. Marissa was a sailor, Devon a magician, and Sawyer looked adorable in his alien (from Toy Story) costume. We went trick or treating with some friends and the kids had a blast!

Our little soccer player!

This fall was Marissa's first year in soccer and she turned out to be quite a little player when she wanted to. The league we were in didn't have any practices during the week so "Coach Ryan" took her out and drilled her between her Saturday games. She had some great games with her high scoring game at 4 goals! We were all sad to see the soccer season end and can't wait until next year!

My baby is 1!

We call Sawyer the king of the "half smile". For his 6 month pictures Ryan, Marissa, Devon, and I tried until we were blue in the face to get a big smile out of him and he was just Mr. Cool. He had this look on his face the whole time he was eating his cake. This smile right here says "Yes, this is how I should always be treated!"


The cake just wasn't enough for this kid. We left him unstrapped and after awhile he climbed onto the table to get at the frosting can and lick it right off the spoon!


This is one of the biggest smiles we can get out of Sawyer. He liked it when he bumped his scooter into things and we all made goofy sound effects.


I can't believe Sawyer is one. Although he was not walking on his birthday, by three weeks after he was cruising around thinking he owned the place. Grandma and Grandpa gave him the Little Tikes scooter that he loves to walk behind but loves even more to get pushed around on!

Summer Family Fun!

Here are some highlights of our Johnson Family reunion trip:

1. Every person in the entire family was able to make it.
2. There were 28 grandchildren running around having an absolute blast with each other - we hardly saw Marissa and Devon the entire trip they were too busy playing hard with cousins!
3. Our kids also got some 'Aunt Elizabeth' time so Ryan and I could go on the golf outing! Thanks, Fuzzy!
4. The little girls had a sleepover at Uncle Kurt and Aunt Sara's cabin during which they had a hot tub party and watched a girly movie - Marissa had a blast with all her little girl cousins!
5. Hot tub parties for the kids was a daily occurrence!
6. The kids went to a real live rodeo - or at least a pretend one - but it was good enough for them!
7. Horseback riding was a much sought after activity (except for those adults whose seats couldn't handle more than one ride!) and our kids thought it was great!
8. We shared family history stories that were both informational and inspiring that left us all a little aware of the special heritage from which we come.
9. The Johnson Family Cup was a hit all the way from "hot potato" and Limbo to the treasure hunt, three-legged race, and cherry spitting contest!
10. It seemed like Devon always had an older buddy watching out for him!
11. We played "Somebody Famous" that had a surprising but welcome appearance from Spike Groscueus and Robert E. Clow!
12. Before we all left, we were able to go into Yellowstone to see Old Faithful and some buffalo - we also shared a hotel room with Uncle Dan and Aunt Elizabeth that was at least a roof over our heads (but that's about it:)!
13. On our drive home, we stopped in St. George for a couple of days and went into Zion's National Park. We did a few hikes, took a few pictures, and ate at some fun little places just outside the park. We even hiked to the end of the Narrows where the kids got to play in the river for a bit and Ryan and I could fantasize about actually hiking the Narrows someday (again, for me).


Cowboy Devon at the rodeo!



All of us at the rodeo.



The next few pictures Uncle Dan took for us at the little pond between our cabins and the horses at Island Park. Thanks Dan!







Sawyer like cousin Rachel!



Daddy and Devon fishin'!



Marissa had a great time riding the horses all by herself!



Devon and Caroline were buds. One time when we went to find them this is what we saw...they were in their own little world!



We were eating dinner one night and all of a sudden I look over at Devon and he'd fallen asleep with his head leaning on his hand with his face tilted upwards. By the time we got the camera he was like this! We knew Devon was playing hard out there!



Marissa and Uncle Matt - sometimes my kids had a hard time keeping all of my brothers straight but they had a good time with each of them! Here's Uncle Matt with the kids playing his 'Minute to Win It' games with the kids. Marissa and Devon had a good time trying the balance dice on a popsicle stick they were holding in their mouth!



Ryan looks like he is a champion cherry pit spitter, and while his spit was respectable there were some more impressive distances in the family.



Here's the three legged race where Ryan is half dragging poor Marissa - this was only one of the events that helped to earn their team (the red team) the award of "cheater pants" at the end of the Johnson Family Cup!



Hot tub party at Uncle Kurt and Aunt Sara's!!! This happened pretty much everyday!



Devon was too little to ride the horses by himself out on the trail so he and Daddy were horse buddies!



Here we are at the end of a short hike in Yellowstone.



After doing a short hike with everybody in Yellowstone we split up and went our separate ways. Here we are at one of the waterfalls in Yellowstone.



Sawyer and Aunt Elizabeth!



Uncle Dan and Aunt Elizabeth with the kids at the waterfall. We got to have Uncle Dan and Aunt Fuzzy with us on the ride from Utah to Island Park and back! This made for a much more entertaining car ride!



The kids and me in front of Old Faithful.



Devon's going wakeboarding!


Goofy pictures of the kids in the river at Zions.





This was after we did a little hike along a path that led to the end of the "Narrows" hike. The kids had a blast playing around in the river!

Beach Trip!

Ryan has made an executive decision that we are going to take a family beach trip once a year...we'll see how long that lasts, but here are some highlights from the second Earp family beach trip!

Highlights:
1. This was like a mini family reunion on Ryan's side because 3 of the 4 siblings were here and all of the grandkids were present. The kids had a blast with all of their cousins!
2. Ryan and Uncle Matt were the experts on sand castle building and even let the kids help them build their legendary sand castle/fort!
3. Some kid at the beach saw all the little kids playing on it after it was built and we overheard him say to his family, "Hey did you see what those little kids made!"
4. Apparently, we have taken our kids to stay in quite a few hotels recently because they are sure getting to be good at all sleeping in the same room and we all get a good night sleep!
5. We pretty much never left the beach the four days we were there - we got some pretty sweet tans!
6. Grandma and Grandpa Earp brought back Hawaii outfits for all the grandkids from their recent trip and we got some cute pictures!
7. During one of our photo shoots with Grandma and Grandpa we lost Sawyer's only plug as it got swept away by a wave. Devon was unusually and tearfully sad about it, but after most of us thought it was long gone Uncle Matt saved the day!
8. Marissa and Taylor were able to rekindle their "best buddy" friendship" and once again had a blast together. One day at the beach we saw just the two of them laying by each other on the sand having their own conversation for quite a while. We found out later that Taylor was telling stories and Marissa was his avid listener and questioner!
9. Sawyer was just starting to get around so he had a great time helping himself to everything. That kid was like a food magnet and all of a sudden we looked down and he was gnawing away on his first peanut butter sandwich! Oops!




Here's the totally wicked sand castle/fort!







Here's Marissa and Taylor just after they were telling each other stories!



Grandma and Grandpa Earp and all their grandkids decked out in Hawaii apparel!



The kids in their Hawaii outfits.



Here you can see Devon looking down at Sawyer's plug at his feet just moments before it was swept away by a wave. I saw it there and almost ran to get it, but stopped myself thinking, "It's not going anywhere...I don't want to ruin the pictures," when seconds later it was gone from my sight.



Devon woke up with some awesome bedhead one morning!