Florida- iPhone part 1

We were in Florida!!! We spent 8 beautiful days in Panama City to celebrate Maddi and Zevlen's wedding. I took many pictures with my phone and many pictures with my camera, and I don't have it in me to figure out how to make one smooth blog post so you're getting several, with pictures from different days that won't make any sense. And here's part one....many pictures, few words.....

I had the cutest carry-on there ever was! She was very excited for her first plane ride, and did very good! I was a nervous wreck for weeks thinking about my crazy, uncontrollable daughter on an airplane, but she impressed me and all around her. 

And to say the boys were AMAZING doesn't even cut it. Paxton was so excited to "blast off" and Hudson talked the entire time on every flight. Sister loved having the ability to float around on the plane to different family members. Her favorite being Aunt Vicky. There she got treats and a safe place to sleep in her arms. 

Grandma was showered with love every minute of every day from her two boys. I can't even tell you how many times they yelled for her and I'd go to help only to hear, "Go away Mommy, I want my grandma." I was pretty much useless to them for the entire 8 days. 

Even at her young age, Harlow was still amazed by the ocean. In her first glimpse, her jaw dropped and she let out an "aaahhhhh". I couldn't help but laugh. 

The boys, Daddy, and Grandma did some sand castle building with the perfect, fine, white sand.

You do what you gotta do, even in Florida.

My beach blondie in the bathtub. 

The sisters, the night of the rehearsal dinner. Beautiful.

Amy, an inspirational woman. Love her.

All three kids in the pool, posing for a picture to send back home to Grandpa.

Maddi and Pac playing in the ocean. 

The boys on the familiar walk to the beach. 

Bikini babes.

Cheers to Maddi's big day!!

All done up.

The sassiest flowergirl that ever lived. 

Such handsome young men. I was so proud of them. They wore their ties and shiny shoes like champs, and they held their sister's little hands and walked/ran her down the aisle...and mama and grandma bawled like babies! 

Sisters.

The not-so-ladylike flowergirl scarfing down some cake.

Morning after sweet, sweet snuggles.

Hunter was so helpful with the kids, they couldn't love her any more, especially Hudson. He was so excited to get to sleep with her, take funny pictures and Vine videos. Pretty sure she's his bestie.

Me and my best girl.

And many, many more to come.....

last Sunday- Way Of The Cross

We haven't been to the Way of the Cross in awhile and its always been a walk that Hudsy really enjoys. It was Harlow's first time there as a "walker", and really, you set her down and give her space to run, roam, and keep up with her brothers, she's happy! 

And I even managed to get a picture with all of them looking AND smiling! Must have had the help of the angels there. 

Jamie taught Hudson all about acorns, and apparently it was fascinating to him.

Her faces. I can never decide which I love more- the raised eyebrows or the scrunchy nose or....

the look of pure excitement as though she's just discovered something amazing.

Not to mention the fake smile each boy has mastered.

At the end of the walk there is an old church, and to Hudson, it's like the gold at the end of the rainbow. 

Pac was a little bit in awe as well.

Sister, she was just happy climbing on anything and everything.

And let's take one last look of those smiling kids again....

last Saturday- in REAL pictures!

I got out my "real" camera last weekend, for the first time since June!!! I had to give myself a quick reminder lesson on how the dang thing works. With having a decent camera on my iPhone that is only an arm's length away, it is far too easy to forget that I spent hundreds of dollars on a "nice" camera to capture moments in the kids' blink-of-an-eye fast lives. Last Saturday we spent the afternoon in the backyard, just playing. Something we haven't been able to do for awhile with it being 100 degrees with 100% humidity. 

Harlow is the only Johnson child who does not care for swinging.

Hudson was telling me a story, and he so often talks out of the side of his mouth.

Then Pac was telling me a story, and I just love the words he uses, his expressions, that he thinks he's telling this amazing story but really it makes so sense at all. 

Biggest brother gave Sis a gentle nudge down the slide, head first.

But no surprise, she loved it!

There was a small brotherly quarrel that I caught on camera, fighting about who gets to climb the ladder first and who does it the fastest. But there was also moments when all three of them played together. Harlow filled sand into the pail, Hudsy dumped the pail, and Pac scooped it up with the digger. I loved catching both moments.

Oh yea, and we have a dog named Bella.

she grew....

In 365 days, she grew to be taller than two chickens! 

(And she gained a super, cheesy smile!!)

2012

 2013

minnesota state fair

Per annual tradition, we piled into the Pathfinder as a family of five plus two grandparents and headed north to the state fair (and met the Ahlness family of six, Amy, and Megan!). To say I despise hot/humid weather is putting it lightly, so the fact that it was a million degrees everyday last week was scaring me away from the fair this year, but on Labor Day, the humidity ceased and the cool air blew in. Actually, my toes were icicles for the first couple hours, but the sun shown through by the afternoon and it was a beautiful day for the fair! Good food, fun rides, and great company.

Sid's (long lost) Party

It's taken me awhile to get to blogging this, but we celebrated Sidney's 5th birthday on a perfectly hot, pool party day! The boys took no time getting their suits on and jumping in the pool. Pac was off the diving board before I even got outside! Hudson enjoyed squirting the non-swimmers with water, and Harlow just loves being in the water. She loves dunking her head in, going all the way under, and the only way to get her out of the pool was to feed her! I'll let the pictures tell the story of our fun filled day at the Friederich's......