Christmas Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

Another year gone. I can't believe how time flies. It has been a pretty good year for us.

Zak is in 7th grade and has many girls swooning over him. He played grid kid football again this year his team did better than in years past and had 4-3 record. He starts school sports this year and has basketball tryouts next week. We are very excited for him to play for a real team this year and have the experience of traveling to the different schools. Zak took home-ec. this year and really liked it. He likes to cook and offers to help at home often.

Cheyenne is in 6th grade. She started band this year and is playing the saxophone. She really enjoys band and is learning a lot. She played volleyball for the first time this year and liked it a lot. She is looking forward to playing this spring. Chey does very well in school. We often tease her about having anything less than 100% on her work. Chey will be playing Jazz basketball in January, we are hoping my brother JT will be her coach and she can contine to learn and improve on her athletic ability. Chey is a big help and we are very proud of her.

Kassidy is in third grade and her teacher describes her as the tortoise from the book the tortoise and the hare. She is slow and steady. Kassidy is our sweet, quiet, little angle. She is learning to raise her voice to more than a whisper when she wants to be heard. She can get really loud especially when she is yelling at Aspen. She is excited for basketball to start in January.

Aspen is in first grade. She likes school a lot but doesn't like homework. She loves recess and playing with her friends. She had her first sleep over a few weeks ago and had a great time.

Brian is still a shift sergeant at the Bonneville County Jail and he is also a fire arms instructor. He enjoys his job and the people he works with. He also enjoys his days off and being able to sleep in when we are all gone.

I am in my last year at ISU and will graduat in May with my social work degree. I am hoping to find a job soon. After graduation I am hoping I will be able to attend the advandced standing masters of social work program through Boise State. The classes are offered in Twin Falls 2 days a week. We will all be greatful when mom has a job and we can start looking for a bigger house.

We enjoyed having Jana and her kids here for a while this summer and into the beginning of the school year. Zak and Aspen loved having thier long lost cousins in class with them. We all miss them very much. The highlight of our year was going to Silver Falls Oregon (where Twilight was filmed) for a family reunion with Brian's family. It was fun seeing them all again. The kids had a great time playing with their cousins on that side of the family and we are hoping to be able to connect with them again soon.

We feel very blessed to have what we have and be where we are. We are close to family and would never make it with out them. We are thankful for the Christmas season and the reminder of Christ's sacrifice for us.

We hope all our loved ones are well and wish you all a very Blessed and Merry Christmas season.

All our love,

The Johnsons

Traditions

I love this time of the year. Mostly because of the meaning of Christmas and the family traditions that happen this time of year. As I have been trying to get in the mood for Christmas this year I have been feeling pretty nostalgic. So I decided to write about my favorite Christmas traditions and some of the things I miss since growing up.

Christmas traditions start with the making of Christmas countdowns the weekend of thanksgiving. We put chocolate on a ribbon one for each day from Dec. 1st to Dec. 24th.

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is decorating Christmas cookies. We have done this ever since I can remember and now the kids look forward to it every year. My favorite cookie is the Santa Clause with chocolate chip eyes. I miss the little silver balls that we used to put on cookies but you can't buy any more. This year my mom bought some white balls and Kassidy made a snow globe. It is a fun tradition and would be even more enjoyable if all my brothers and sisters and their kids could be here to participate.

My next favorite family tradition is going to my Grandma Mechams on Christmas eve. Every year we would eat enchiladas and lasagna. Then we would have to act out the Nativity before we could open presents. I loved to act out the nativity and always felt the most special to be picked to play Mary. Afterwards we would open presents. We would all cram into the living room and Grandpa would wear the Santa hat, and we would wait for our turn to get a present. We exchanged names with our cousins and always got something from Grandma and Grandpa. I remember one year when Grandpa Mecham gave Matt a peanut. It was one that had already been opened and Grandpa put some money inside and taped it back togehter. I loved opening the presents from Grandma and Grandpa and having it be a box of cereal. After presents we would have root-beer floats and by then we were exhausted and so excited to go home and wait for Santa to come.

Waking up at 5 in the morning to a room filled with brand new toys and clothes is a magical feeling. It didn't matter that only a few of the toys were yours with 7 kids in the family the living room looked like a toy store. It took all morning to open presents and we would get dressed in our brand new clothes and take our new toys to Grandma and Grandpa Tuckers. I would always bring my new baby doll wrapped in a blanket. Grandma would make ham with twice baked potatoes and cherry cool aid with orange juice. It was a meal fit for a king. For dessert we didn't have pie or cake. Grandma made many different kinds of cookies. Thumb print cookies, sandies, frosted sugar cookies, and many others. They were delicious. I still miss being able to have Grandma and Grandpa with us on Christmas day. And I miss the cookies. Grandma usually sends some in the mail but it is quite the same.

Although some of my childhood traditions have gone and some have stayed similar, we are able to take peices of all of them and create new ones with our own kids. I miss the Mecham family Christmas eve and The afternoons with Grandpa Tucker attempting to cheat at every game. But I enjoy Christmas eve with my kids, reading the Story of our Saviors birth from the Bible by candle light and opening a new pair of pj's to wear to bed. I still can't sleep on Christmas eve, waiting for the excitement of the kids when they get up at 5 a.m. and find that Santa had come and left them a room full of toys. What a blessing it is to have the traditions and memories of the past to pass on to the future.

What I am thankful for

So, I haven't been too good at this blog thing. Lately, I have been so busy that when I actually have 5 minutes I want to just sit and do nothing. I have this week off from school and work because of the holiday. So, I decided to write a quick blog about what I am thankful for.

At this point in my life, I am most thankful for my Lord and Savior. Without Christ in my life I would be lost. I am grateful for the freedom I get from putting my faith in Him. I am also very thankful for my country. I feel blessed to live in a place where I am free to choose everything in my life.

The next thing on my list would be my wonderful husband. He is my best friend and my biggest encouragement. I wouldn't be where I am today with out his help, love, and encouragement. I am also blessed with 4 amazing kids who work hard to make our household work. They are smart, well-behaved, and very cute (even if I am biased).






My next blessing is my families. I
am blessed with many people in my life that I consider family. I have 3 brothers and 2 sisters, who all have awesome spouse. And my baby sister Amber who with out her life would be uneventful and boring. I am blessed to have all of them happy and healthy and a part of my life. We are all very different but we are family and have a good time when we get together. On the Johnson side I am blessed with 2 brother in laws and 2 sister in laws that we don't get to see often enough but enjoy every moment when we are together. And many nieces and nephews on both sides. They are all unique and have their own personalities.



Amanda, I don't know what I ever did with out my amazing Amanda friend. She has become my other best friend. One I can talk to about anything and she never judges me.




As I look back about my life and all that we have been through throughout the years, I feel so blessed. It hasn't been an easy road. Many times I wasn't sure if we would make it through with all of us still intact. But we have made it. We are happy and healthy and blessed.

Thank You Lord for all you have given me.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Another Proud mommy moment.

Last week was the Eastern Idaho State Fair. Going with tradition Brian and I took the kids to the fair on Sunday afternoon. We had lunch and dinner there and enjoyed all the yummy food. We also let the kids have $5 to spend on what ever they wanted. The girls all got necklaces and rings and Zak just pocketed his $5.

Last Friday the FCCLA class that Zak is in went to the fair to enjoy the day and see a cooking show. We gave Zak $20 to use for what ever he may need at the fair. When he came home he had spent all of his money. When we asked him what he spent it on he told us that his friends were playing some carnival games and they tried to talk him in to playing. His response was "my parents would kill me if I wasted my money on that." What a proud mommy moment to know that I have taught my child well enough not to waste money on useless things and that he didn't give into the peer pressure of his friends. We we asked again what he spent his money on he said "FOOD!" He is definatly a Tucker!!

Are We There Yet?

I recently changed the title of my blog because it always seems like we are going somewhere or doing something. It is never ending.

We are just finishing up our spring sport schedule. Kassidy and Aspen finished soccer last week and Zak's last baseball games are this week (he should have been done already but there has been too much rain to play baseball). Chey is in the middle of her season but will be done by the end of this month.

Zak just got done with ISU football camp last week and football signups are next week. Chey has volleyball camp next week. Before you know it, it will be the 4th of July, then vaction Bible school for Kassi and Aspen. Then off to Oregon for the Johnson family reunion. When we get back it will be time for back to school shopping and the cycle starts all over again.

See what I mean it is non stop.

Are we there yet?