Gardening

Thought I'd include some pictures we took at Thanksgiving Point after leaving Rick at the MTC. The Gardners treated us to a tour of the gardens, then out out to dinner before we caught our plane back home. It was so beautiful!

MTC Goodbyes

Elder Johnson - the newbie with a dork dot

Rob, Sue, Rick, Loni, Marvin

We took Rick to the MTC today; figured we might as well have that experience with the last one, since we could hop on a plane for free. Now we're definitely glad we didn't go with the rest of them! Talk about tear jerkers! There wasn't a dry eye in that entire building - with tissue boxes placed stratigically throughout. I was doing fine until they started showing videos of missionaries saying tearful goodbyes to family. I cry at anything on the screen, so that did it! Be advised... saying goodbye at the airport is much easier!

Gravesite Tour

Marvin & Loni took us on a little sightseeing tour of the gravesites of past prophets in SLC. It was raining at the time, plus the sprinklers were going... but Rick was a good sport to let us take his picture in front of President Hinckley's grave. Rob's backside is in the corner of the picture because he had his foot over one of the sprinkler heads to spare Rick from being totally soaked while I snapped his picture.

Picture This

Oh, almost forgot... I don't have an actual picture, so you'll have to use your imagination. While at Girl's Camp, there were warnings of mountain lion sightings. After retiring to bed, Rob heard one of the girls yelling for help after spotting the mountain lion in the path in front of her. He quickly leaped from his cot wearing his cowboy print pajama pants that Niki sewed for him, strapped his gun around his waist, grabbed his HUGE fifteen million candlepower flashlight he kept next to him and ran down the hill... only to be met by the Stake Young Women's President running toward him wielding a garden tool. She offered him the tool, but he replied, "No, I've got this" and pulled out his 40 caliber. What a duo! That mountain lion didn't stand a chance!

Missionary Melissa

Melissa has a blog, (click on her link) but couldn't leave her out! She is currently serving in the West Virginia Charleston Mission - having reported last November 2007.

Ketchup

Thought it might be nice to insert a brief "catch up" on the most notable events of this past year...
First and foremost - we have a new grandson! Jeff & Niki had their fourth child, first son - Stetson Jeffrey born on June 6. That makes six grandchildren for us... with two more on the way! Sally is due in November. Kira is due in March.

Rick got his mission call to Honduras San Pedro Sula Mission - reporting on July 23 - speaking Spanish of course!

We flew over to Philadelphia in June to visit Brian & Kira. Brian is there on a summer sales job selling alarm systems. Not much fun... but it pays well! We took in a lot of historical sites and are standing in front of Independence Hall in this picture. Notice the manly poses.

Brian saying a tearful goodbye to Rick just before we leave. He won't see him for another two years, so we had to make it look good... not too staged is it?

Rick sitting in his apartment at college while opening up his mission call. The cell phone is sitting there next to him with US on the other end... so we wouldn't feel too left out of this momentous occasion.

Kristi decided to cut her hair this summer. She turned 16 and got her license already! But not to worry... she's actually a very good driver. She was also quick to pilfer through Rick's belongings he left behind until she found an old T-shirt to tie-dye. Not to mention she took over his cell phone and lap top. I think she really misses him.

Rob went to Girl's Camp again this year to help out... but he came home a bit damaged. He somehow managed to break his wrist and forearm while working on the zip line. He's sporting his splint as well as Kristi's braid stuck in the back of his cap.

Well, if you're going to do something... you might as well have an audience! Kristi was the entertainment for the night at Girl's Camp while they braided and cut her hair. They cut off 13 inches!

Kristi took a Shakespeare class this past year where the "final" was to perform an actual play. She played the part of Fabian in Twelfth Night. Here she is in costume.

And here's the rest of the Twelfth Night cast (Kristi on the left). Let me tell you, this was no small time production... they did a FABULOUS job! A first rate production! They recorded it onto a DVD, so it's fun to have that as a keepsake. What a great experience!

And that's all folks! (unless I think of something later... )

Here We Are

Time for the Johnsons to join the BLOG world. Seems like a good place to keep updated on the continual comedy that seems to surround our lives. Or maybe we simply choose to see the fun. It's all about choice. We choose laughter!