The Adventures of the Johnson Clan: ~Nauvoo, fam. in town, warmer weather, sleep deprivation, etc.~

I honestly haven't been blogging because

1. I don't know how to manage my time since Avery's arrived. I often debate whether to use my small amount of time to shower, clean up one of the very dirty rooms in the house, journal, nap... and usually i choose nap, but then one of the kids needs something and then there was no time for anything to begin with...

... so we're surviving... just a little dirtier, stinkier, less organized, and maybe more grouchy.

I also haven't blogged because I really can't put two words together, let alone recall what's been going on each day. But as I look through my pictures, I didn't realize just how much has been going on (whether I'm coherent or not :)

The second weekend home from the hospital Travis took his mom and the three kids down to Nauvoo for a quick trip while Avery and I enjoyed 24hrs alone; this was extra needed because the first week home from the hospital Adeline was miserably sick, and struggling with understanding why I couldn't pick her up or hold her :(

We enjoyed conference weekend as a family, and that Sunday night we welcomed Grandpa Vaughn's arrival!

As the weather turned a little sunnier, we enjoyed a few walks, yard work, and games with Gpa Vaughn on the front lawn. Then later that week G. Gma Eileen joined us for a few days before we said goodbye to all the grandparents until the summer.

(this was a hard moment for me; I appreciate SOoOo much all the love and help we received from Trav's family)

We also had a wonderful and sunny Easter Weekend. Friday, Travis and I took Addie to the park to feed the ducks; she loved it! After school we dyed eggs with the boys, they played outside, went for a bike ride with Travis, and then helped make an Easter egg shaped sugar cookie fruit pizza. Saturday we enjoyed a little Easter egg hunt with friends, in the field behind our church, with donuts and juice afterward. After a quick lunch at home we attended another Easter Egg Hunt, hosted by a retirement home here in town. We went with friends and enjoyed the hunt, then rolling down the hill, and eventually painting some eggs and meeting the Easter Bunny before heading home. At home Travis and boys worked out in the yard all afternoon while I stayed in and cleaned/cooked/food prepped and watched Frozen with Adeline. We ended up watching a late movie (An Extreme Goofy Movie) before putting the boys to bed. Then today, the kids excitedly hunted for eggs in the house and outside (note to the future Easter Bunny: don't leave any eggs outside that has unpackaged candy inside them; next year we'd like to avoid the ants and slugs that snuck into a few of the eggs! Oops). They found their baskets, and then Maddix discovered their presents from the bunny; this year's theme: Hiking. They each received official, camo designed hiking packs. Inside the packs were special items for each boy to be in charge of when we go hiking or camping. Aaron was entrusted with a new compass. Maddix was entrusted with the pocket knife. Each boy was thrilled. Addie and Avery will be receiving hiking carriers later on. I received waterproof hiking boots, and Travis is receiving a pair of mountain biking shoes. Travis took the kids to church and said Addie was ... umm... just think of whatever phrase represents the most awful a person can act... and that's what she was. Meanwhile, Avery and I stayed home and after I fed her, I had her laying on the boppi next to me and I laid down as well. We just stared at each other and eventually she threw her little hand up into mine. She wrapped her fingers around one of mine and I closed my and around hers and we both napped, just totally in love with each other (Sorry Trav that your moment was memorable for a less pleasant reason!! But thanks for making mine possible!) Instead of letting Maddix turn on a Sunday movie we told him to take advantage of the beautiful weather, so he took a blanket, book, and snacks outside and enjoyed reading in the perfect perfect Spring weather. Aaron on the other hand grabbed his compass, new backpack, and sticks he's fashioned into a bow and arrow and he went out in the yard to have an adventure; needless to say, they both had a great time. Then to end the day, Travis turned on 10 Commandments and Maddix was hooked! Aaron, not so much. We had our traditional Easter Dinner, but swapped out ham for Steaks this year. And then by bedtime I was a raging monster who couldn't stand to be calm for one more second and Travis took the kids away and put them to bed because I just had nothing nice to say to anyone. And now to top it off I've been crying on and off all evening over the idea that Travis has to go back to work tomorrow; I just struggle so much when I don't get enough sleep. Thank goodness my mom arrives tomorrow afternoon!

As briefly mentioned, Travis has had this past week off from work and as he's been home he's been taking the three littles out for bike rides, doing projects around the house, running the errands, getting up with the kids in the morning/getting them off to school, helping clean, and more than I actually give him credit for ;)

Sometimes I give him too much of a hard time, "but I hope you know, Travis just how amazing I think you are!"

Also, he enjoyed taking Adeline for their Taco Bell burrito run and then coming back to watch their British car show together. Oh and in the truck they like to listen to heavy metal or hard rock and head bang together (Travis says he's waited 8 years for a child that loves his interests :)

He also has been anxiously awaiting the arrival of his new Mountain bike, especially because when he got to go for a ride the other day he felt like a midget on the giant bike he had to borrow.

And on a very important/exciting note, Travis received his score back from his licensing exam... his LAST BIG EXAM for 10 yrs... and of course he PASSED!!!!! This is THE MOMENT all our past efforts, sacrifices, and actions have been building towards!!!

It is a surreal feeling to think that all the big decisions we've made in the past decade of our life, and really the entirety of our marriage has been building to THAT moment. And now we're about to embark into an entire new chapter and direction of our life; I can't even picture it.

For me, I feel I've done a fairly decent job of recovering so far. My tailbone is healing so quickly, the weather is warming up and allowing me to get out on walks, I've been blessed with help this time around so I've even left the girls at home with Travis and gone to walk the treadmill at the gym. I'm currently binge watching How I Met Your Mother whenever I feed the baby/stay up at night. I changed out of my pj's when the baby was exactly one week old. I put make up on sometime between then and week 2. And then on Avery's 3week mark I made it back to the gym and did light walk on treadmill. So, I feel I'm getting back a few normalcies, one step at a time.

Maddix has been an angel! Helps out, rarely complains, become quite responsible with the tasks we give him, and I couldn't be getting by without him. For Easter he was THRILLED to receive a pocket knife that he will be in charge of on all our hikes we take this summer. And after a small "You'll shoot your eye out" situation, he is also excited to have one on one lessons with his dad and really learn how to Master the full potential of the pocket knife! He loves going to scouts, LOVES the bike rides dad takes him on, and LOVES his math game on the iPad from school, Prodigy.

Aaron has found his voice, his willpower, his independence, his... emotions... that will someday make him a strong and confident adult, but for now we are also working to control these attributes :S And sometimes this can mean lots of Choice-Consequence situations that can end in tears.

He has an amazing imagination, excited outlook on life, desire to play 24/7, is wicked smart, and Maddix's right-hand man!

Adeline, THIS GIRL! She loves her daddy. Has a nasty "chew corner" on her favorite blanket. He has recently fallen in love with "mimmie mou" (minnie mouse). Her best friend is Miihhy (Millie). He walks around the house shouting/singing "yeh-ih-GO!!" (Let it go), and "Daddy, Shah... do, do, do, do" (Daddy Shark, do, do- do, do). Anytime Avery enters the room after being gone Addie RUNS to the couch and demands, with her arms outstretched, to hold her Ay-ee (Avery). But, the funny thing is that she only wants to hold her long enough to kiss her, give her a hug, and then pushes her away; it's super cute and funny. She loves to be on the go, especially if that takes her outside. Never sits still. If she has a dirty bum she will strip her bottoms off and come tell us, "Stinky!" And giggle. She did a summersault the other day. She always yells out, "lub you" at bedtime. Is a terrible napper. Has cut (all, I think?) her molars. Only has one hairdo she'll keep in and rips the rest out and makes her hair look like flock of seagulls. She's a fantastic eater! Recently decided she's ready for the timeout corner! This one cracks us up. The boys were in time out the other day and she was being grumpy so she went to the corner and started crying, just like her brothers; then today she took herself several times

Avery, a tender little sweetheart. She is one of the best babies you could ask for. I feel like God really threw us a bone by blessing us with her as our last baby. She is calm, healthy, patient, pretty predictable, doesn't cry much, decent sleeper as far as newborns go, radiates love and light and goodness. She has big expressive eyes. Holds her mouth open in a surprised look most of the time. Smiles a ton for a baby that's not really gassy. Has the cutest little stretch. Laughs in her sleep. Breaks my heart when she does this little moan and turns her lip down.

Just such a piece of heaven that you can't feel anything but pure love when you're holding her.

She's also definitely a youngest. She can sleep through any noise or movement. She isn't too angry to ever be in her carseat. And she naps on the go. She just knows she's going to be on the go a lot with us and so she's already prepping for it :)

~Pictures keep loading all out of order~