Kansas City

Ben and I got to take this awesome trip to Kansas City for the AAFP recruiting fair.  We both thought it would be fun, but we never anticipated how fun it would be to spend time with a few of the residents and faculty and spouses from Ben's residency program.  My family was nice enough to watch the kids for 3 days while we were gone, and luckily I don't think they drove my mother to start drinking, so that is a plus. :)

We started off the trip with a 7:20 am flight, just me and my new long-lost twin sister Marci.  The residents had their tickets paid for, so it was up to the spouses to buy our own and we opted for a cheaper flight that luckily arrived within 20 minutes of theirs.

We went to lunch, checked into our hotel, and then spent our time being mostly support staff and getting the booth set up.  We had a few eventful trips to CVS Pharmacy with Michelle (the residency coordinator) to get ice and drinks for the booth where an albino black woman told me I would indeed be giving birth within the next week, and that I was huge.  She then proceeded to seek confirmation from other customers about how hugely pregnant I am.  Thanks.

At the conference I got roped into an ultrasound at another residency's booth because they could see I was obviously pregnant.  I obliged because it was a 3D ultrasound and it was free.  Plus I figured I would never see those people again.  I didn't anticipate that hundreds of people would gather when they saw there was a live person on the table.  I tried to not feel self-conscious about my stretch-marked disgusting tummy, but it is what it is.

After Day 1 of the conference, we headed to a baseball game with a few medical students who were interested in the Utah Valley Family Medicine Residency, and Ben proceeded to begin passing a kidney stone.  FUN! I actually felt really bad for him because he was terribly ill and we had to leave the baseball game pretty much 5 minutes after we got there because he could hardly stand.  Plus the food catered from Hooters didn't really help much. (If people ever tell you they go there for the food, they are lying.  It is terrible food.)  Michelle drove us back to the hotel and insisted she would be fine driving back to the game, but I would have been nervous to do it in a strange city with no directions.  Luckily she made it back, and only went the wrong way down a one-way street once. (Much better than I would've done.)  Ben loaded up on some good medicine and slept for awhile and I tried to be supportive as he wallowed in pain.

The next morning we went to breakfast with everyone and Ben was feeling much better.  Then Marci and Neal and I partied it up after stopping by the booth to drop off ice and candy.  We headed to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Fine Art and had a blast.

These were little cricket-fighting cages and gear.  It was a real sport in China at one point...

This is Marci and her boyfriend.  He is made of wax, but we couldn't tell if he was real for the longest time.  It was super creepy.

Me and a giant shuttlecock.  They had these all over the lawn of the museum.  We never found the badminton racquet though that would've matched.

After the museum, we were all game for shopping, so we went to the County Club Plaza where Marci and I enjoyed some lunch and magically found our way to a chocolate shop.  Just one of the many moments where we were eerily identical in what we ordered.  Neal did some shopping on his own and met up with us later to head to the Lego Store and Crayola Store.

We were thinking we would have just a leisurely day perhaps with time for a nap before dinner, but we were hard core.  We made it back just in time to freshen up and meet everyone for a lovely dinner at McCormick and Schmick, where the food was delicious and we topped it off with this beauty of a dessert.  I give you the chocolate bag:

The word "bag" doesn't really scream elegance, but the dessert was divine.  I can still taste the white chocolate mousse inside.  It almost made me weep, it was so enticing.  After that, we headed to a movie...at like 10:00 PM!  I told you we were hard core.  It was so weird to not have time constraints with kids and to not have to rush home to send the babysitter on their way.  There were many discoveries made during our dinner and many inside jokes about monogamy, having kids together, crying over dessert, and catty-corner.  I just can't help feeling that we are so lucky to be working with such awesome people.

We headed back to the hotel, and Ben was up in the night again with kidney pain, so he slept in while I went to breakfast with everyone, and then was luckily feeling well enough to help with the booth for the last day.

Neal and Marci and I headed to the Kansas City Temple to look around, and then went back to help clean up the booth and get things packed to ship home.  Then we headed back to the shopping center with everyone to kill some time before our flights left.

 

Everything appeared to be in order with our flights, until mine and Marci's got delayed and almost cancelled.  It was very long and horrible ordeal which involved us having to run through the concourse to catch our connecting flight (picture a 33 week pregnant woman doing that and try not to laugh...or cry...) and me trying to not give birth on the plane once that little jaunt brought the contractions on pretty intensely.  Pair that with the horrible realization that there was no way my bags made it onto the plane unless the luggage men were magicians (they were not) and we were pretty ready to be home.  Overall, I was just so glad I wasn't traveling alone and that I had a good friend to pass the time with.  I finally got my bags the next day at about 4 pm and luckily everything was there and undamaged.  Plus the kids were pretty excited to see us, so that made everything much better.  We sure missed them too.

July 24th

 We celebrated July 24th like real pioneers!  Luckily my mom had these cute pioneer clothes in the costume box at her house.  That cute little skirt and bonnet that Sammi is wearing were mine when I was about her age.  They thought it was pretty fun for a few minutes, but I made them stay in their clothes for my own selfish entertainment.

 We made butter!

 Ben and my dad were doubtful that it would work, but boy were they wrong!  They were messing with my mom who happened to throw me a pioneer birthday party when I was about 7, and she is an expert butter-shaker.

Then we humored the boys and went fishing in the Uintahs.

 Steph caught a fish!

 And Grandma kept the girl warm since it was actually pretty chilly up there.

We were really feeling the lack of bathrooms.  Sammi may have had to leave a little something under a tree...perhaps even the same tree her mom left something under when she was about 3 as well.  Overall though, a very successful Pioneer Day.

Three!

We snapped a few pictures of Sammi while we were at my parents' new house in Midway for her big birthday!

I love this picture of E.  He was just being silly, and I snapped one picture of him and it turned out darling!  Those are his golf clubs slung across his back.

Sammi's 3-year-old interview:

My favorite food is: cake

My favorite thing to play is: Ariel

The best show is: Ariel

The coolest person on earth is: Ariel

The thing I am most excited about for school is: wearing my backpack

The thing I do best is: be Ariel

If I could go anywhere in the world, I'd go: to Kindergarten

My favorite color is: pink

When I grow up, I want to be: Belle

My favorite song is: Song of a Bird (My Heavenly Father Loves Me)

My favorite book is: Rainbow Fish

Three words that describe me: smart, pretty, happy (with help)

When I was little, I used to: bite my Ariel

My favorite season of the year is: Fall with the leaves

The best thing about me is: I like to play with my friends

The snack I like best is: fruit snacks, banana, pineapple, popcorn, raspberries

One food I dislike is: Black raspberries (blackberries)

My best friend is: Kennedy (cousin) & Emerson

If I had one wish, it would be: a pineapple

My best memory is: Meeting Ariel at Disneyland (with help)

Sammi's 3rd Birthday

The beautiful birthday girl

 The day finally came! This sweet girl has been counting down ever since I had my birthday because she knew hers was next!  It was the most magical day for her, I think.

Emerson had a few little jealousy issues leading up to her birthday because he feels like his birthday was FOREVER ago, but it really helped to have him in on some birthday secrets because he felt important.  He was really good on the actual day and only had a few 'harumph' moments where he was jealous it wasn't his birthday.

Daddy had been on call the night before, so it worked out nicely that he got home around 8 that morning and was a good sport to take naps in between the birthday festivities.  We went to see Despicable Me 2, and then had lunch at Brick Oven before heading up to Midway to spend the rest of the day with Grandma and Grandpa J and Steph up there.

Almost time for presents!

It's time!!!

E being excited for her

She was so thrilled with her presents!  When she opened her bike she kept saying, "I can't believe it.  I can't believe I have my own bike!"

 Here she is with her loot.  Sparkly pink shoes, new colored pencils, Ariel doll clothes, a big-girl booster carseat, Ariel Duplo Legos, a new bike, helmet, and a darling Sofia the First doll from Uncle Scott & Aunt Ashley.  She is one lucky girl!

She couldn't wait to have cake, and when the time finally came she was ecstatic.

This was almost an epic cake-fail.  I tried to do big purple rosettes around the side, but the frosting just fell off and melted, so I ended up having to smooth it around and toss these candy pearl beads on that I had in my cake decorating stuff.  At that moment it became a "special Sofia the First cake".

As I said, thrilled.

Doesn't it look like all her dreams are coming true at this very moment!?

After she ate the frosting off the top of her long-awaited cake, she got to open her presents from Grandma and Grandpa J.  She got little princess dolls with the awesome clip-on clothes.  It was a gift to make girl and mother happy because she can change the clothes herself!  Such a magical day.

*The next morning she woke up and asked if it was still her birthday.  I had to tell her no, but then she looked worried so I had to reassure her that she was still 3 and still got to keep all her presents.

Happy 3rd/4th of July!

 Yay. I'm 27 now.  I received so many thoughtful gifts on my birthday, but my favorites were probably the sweet pictures an letters from the kids.  They were so excited to give them and help me celebrate my birthday.  I just love them to pieces!

 And sweet Ben got me an iPad mini for my birthday, along with a very sweet birthday letter as well.:)

 We got to go on a date while my parents tended the kids in the afternoon, and then we all went to dinner at Joe Morley's and had cake and ice cream.  My mom was sweet enough to order this amazing cake from Mrs. Backer's bakery downtown.  Their cakes are so beautiful and taste amazing!

 The kids were eager to help me lick off the candles after that whole singing business was done.

 We finished off the night with some fireworks and went to bed so we could get up early for the parade the next day...

The boys and Steph were good enough to go early to find a place to watch the Murray parade.  There are so many psychos who set out chairs like 3 days in advance and then almost get in a fist-fight with people who are normal and come to find a place several hours before the start of the parade and blame them for moving their chairs when really it was the huge rainstorm.  Not that I speak from experience or anything...

E ready to get lots o' candy

The fam and Aunt Karen and Uncle Craig

The girl in her Fourth-of-July finery

Hooray for America!

Ben was disappointed that my mom didn't get pegged in the behind by a piece of candy launched from the Senior Citizen bus like a few years ago, but I would say the parade was a success.

After the parade we headed up to the Christensens' cabin for a few hours and then came back for a barbeque at the Johnsons' house with the Healys and then headed to fireworks.  It was a long but fun day.

Catch-Up

 At the end of May, this big fella graduated from Preschool!  I can't believe how tall he is getting to be.  Sometimes he wakes up in the morning and I swear he has grown another inch.  He has loved Preschool and is mostly excited about starting Kindergarten.  He is a little nervous about it, but in the end I think he will love it too.

 Sammi had to get her backpack on and take a picture with her big brother.  She will be starting Preschool in the Fall and is thrilled to be going to school just like her brother.

E and Sammi at Preschool graduation.

The big graduate!

 In June, we also got to see Ashley and baby Rowan.  The kids were super excited to meet their new little cousin, (the first on the Johnson side).  He is such a good little baby and very good natured to put up with his crazy big cousins.

 Emerson somehow got it into his head that he and Rowan were going to have a sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa's house, so after he and Sammi went to bed, Ashley stuck Rowan in the pack n' play in E's room and we took a picture to prove that the boy cousins indeed had a sleepover.  They seemed to have a great time while sleeping. :)

 Also in June the kids embarked on the ward Fathers & Kids trip.  They went camping, just the 3 of them, overnight.  The kids kept reminding me that we have FOUR people in our family but only THREE were invited on the camping trip.  They were really excited, and Daddy took great care of them and brought everyone back in one piece, unburned from the campfire.  I was pleased, to say the least.