Christmas Letter - 2011

Merry Christmas to all our family and friends!

I apologize for the electronic version of this letter but it's all time allows this year.  We have had another busy and fun filled year.  I can't believe how fast it has gone by and that we are looking at a new year rapidly approaching!  Without further ado, here's a look at the Johnson family this past year!

Zane turned 8 this year and was baptized by Cliff on March 26th.  We were able to have lots of family and friends there to share the day with us and it was a highlight for us all.  Now that he's 8, Zane gets to participate in cubs, and was so excited that his birthday was on a Tuesday so he could start on his actual birthday.  He loves to go and has already earned several badges.  His love for sports continues to grow and he is often found with a ball in hand.  He played soccer again this spring but thinks he wants to try football next year instead.  And he loved the basketball course he just completed this fall.  He can't wait to start the next session in the new year.  Music plays a big part in Zane's life as well.  He still takes piano lessons from mom, and sings in the school choir as well as the youth choir at church.  He's happy to do it and I'm thrilled that my love of music is being carried on.  Zane keeps busy with friends and brothers and is very social.  He doesn't like just sitting at home - he'd much rather be out and doing.  He LOVED camping with Grandma and Grandpa Johnson this year and can't wait for next summer so we can do it again. 

Rhett turned 5 in May this year and spent many months waiting for September to come so he could go to school.  He kept busy playing with friends and Zane, visiting family (I think we spent more time in Southern Alberta this summer than here at home) and growing up!  He still refused to ride a bike this summer despite efforts and threats, but did overcome his fear of lakes and was much more outgoing and adventuresome than last year.  He loved the obstacle course at Camp Woods when we camped with Grandma and Grandpa Johnson, and even camped over night without mom and dad!  School started and he has continued to blossom.  He loves to color, write and draw.  He's learning to read and is picking it up fabulously.  He sang in both the primary presentation at church and in the choir at this school Christmas concert.  He wasn't happy about either but he took a deep breath and did it!  Rhett also participated in basketball this fall and did really great.  It was awesome to watch him with kids his age and for him to realize that he can keep up and compete with kids his age instead of trying to match Zane and his friends.  He's been great at including Brock at home and enjoys being boss of the house on his non-school days.  He's made lots of friends at school and we can't seem to go anywhere these days without someone calling out "hi Rhett!"

Brock is the definition of busy boy.  He seems to be in constant motion.  The beginning of the year brought birthday #2 to our baby.  Sigh.  Not so much a baby anymore!  He loves anything and everything that his brothers are doing or want to do, and is determined to do it as well.  He discovered a love for jumping on the trampoline this summer and was thrilled when we got one of our own.  Mom had many heart attacks watching him jump with the big boys but thankfully we were spared any major injuries.  Brock is normally a happy kid - as long as things are going his way.  And as the baby of the family he tends to get that quite often.  He's an expert at getting his brothers to cave and mom and dad are known to do that as well.  He LOVES technology.  He knows how to run my iPhone, Cliff's Samsung, and is so excited when Jas comes with his i-4.  It's frightening sometimes to see how well he navigates between the games and movies on them.  His vocabulary has improved a lot lately which has helped alleviate a lot of frustration between he and I.  Thank goodness.  He loved trick or treating and all the candy, but refused any attempt at a costume except a hockey jersey.  Oh well.  This year is the first that he's been really great at leaving Christmas alone in the house.  He "helped" decorate the tree, and only had a few days of trying to un-decorate it before he lost interest.  Not interested in Santa again this year, but did condone to give him "five" as we walked by in the mall one day.  We think he's pretty great most days!

Cliff and I celebrated our 10th anniversary this year with a week in Mexico.  We loved it and can't wait to go back this year.  We won a trip back to the same resort and are looking forward to another week off!  Cliff is still working at Trail and enjoying it.  He also finds time to wrestle with the boys, play volleyball and floor hockey and golf of course.  We actually camped two times this year, and yes, I survived both.  We were able to enjoy our Jackson side of the family during the camping and the kids LOVED every moment of it.  It's growing on me now that the kids are getting bigger.  I've kept busy teaching piano, chasing kids, serving in my church calling, and babysitting for a friend who has gone back to work.  We were blessed to spend a lot of time this summer with both sides of family with camping, visiting, trips to Waterton, and lots of sun and fun with friends. 

We love living in Sylvan Lake and are blessed to be surrounded with friends who love us and whom we love like family.  We miss our families and friends but enjoy all the time we are granted to spend with you through the year.  Thanks for making 2011 such a wonderful year.  God bless and Merry Christmas!
Cliff, Kelly, Zane, Rhett and Brock

What to say?

What to say after being absent for so long and not recording so many things?  The last I wrote was about how much Rhett was loving kindergarten.  Sigh.  Blogging has been on my mind a lot in the last couple of months....it just always seems to get put at the bottom of the to-dos.  So, I'll do a quick re-cap of everyone over the last couple of months.

Brock: growing and changing every day.   He is the source of much laughter for his grandparents, (especially Grandpa Dooley) and much frustration for his mother.  He is busy embodied.  Always testing limits, always figuring out something new, and very rarely still.  I love this boy, who is definitely ALL boy.  He has recently begun talking a lot more.  I knew he would, but it has still been a relief and joy to hear him actually use the words he knows.  One of his recent favorites are Zane and Rhett's names - he calls to them in his very loudest, longest voice possible when they are not in his sight.  He's discovered a love for coloring....and has been known to use crayons/markers on my walls a few times.  Grrr.  He has no interest in potty training, is definitely my smallest at this age out of the three, and is rapidly leaving two and toddler hood behind as three is looming.  Part of me is jumping up and down to be leaving the baby stage behind, and part of me mourns a little.  I'm trying to enjoy and love the "baby" things he still does now because I know my days are limited!  He is still not a stellar sleeper but I think we're getting closer to that being resolved as well. 

Rhett: Is still loving kindergarten.  He has taken to school like a fish to water and continues to grow by leaps and bounds.  Including growing like a weed physically!  He refuses to wear jeans or pants that have snaps, zippers and buttons.  Only pants that he can pull on.  And with the wonderful sizing these days, I'm constantly searching for pants that are just the right length.  I'm often struggling with too short or too long.  I don't care so much on home days, but on days he goes to school it drives me nuts to have his pants inches above his ankles.  Small issue, I know, but it bugs me. But I digress.  He has made lots of friends at school and always has kids saying "hi Rhett" when we're leaving school or out running errands.  He and Zane took a basketball course this fall and it was great for him.  They were in different age groups so Rhett finally got a chance to learn a new skill with kids his own age and it was awesome.  They're both looking forward to the second session this new year.  Building, video games, coloring, and anything with friends and his brothers is still high on his list and he has found he likes being boss on non-school days.  He wasn't thrilled about singing in the Primary presentation or his Christmas concert but he did both bravely, and lived to tell the tale.  I'm so proud of my Rhett man!

Zane: Is growing up before our eyes.  I'm starting to fear for my height...my days are numbered that's for sure.  Zane is still excelling at school and is very social.  He's been great at walking home with Rhett after school and that saves me a ton of time in my day.  He always has some kind of ball or sport something in his hands or going on.  And he loved the basket ball course they took.  His coaches were very impressed with his skill level and are looking forward to him coming back.  Maybe by the time his age group reaches high school we'll be able to compete with the southern Alberta teams.  Ha ha ha.  Zane also loves to sing and is old enough now to sing in the school choir, the youth choir at church and participated in the Christmas choir for his grade.  At one point between all the performances he said "I just have so many Christmas songs stuck in my head!"  He loves to perform and takes it very seriously.  He also loves being old enough for cubs and can't wait for Tuesday night to roll around. 

Cliff: Is busy with work, playing volleyball and floor hockey and was recently called to be the Elders Quorum secretary.  And of course helping me with the general chaos that ensues around here on a daily basis. 

Family:
Thanksgiving was great- we managed to come home and see both of families.  The small amount of time we get with you is never enough and we always end up missing someone, but we love the time we're able to spend with those we saw.
We did the Halloween thing - LOTS of candy between the trunk or treat and then actual trick or treating.  I actually dressed up but have no picture proof because we were running late and the RS was in charge of cookie decorating at the trunk or treat.  I made a pretty good last minute witch if I do say so myself. 
I held off decorating for Christmas until November 20th....gasp I know.  I was later this year and again have no pictures to prove it but I LOVE my tree this year.  And besides a few touches Brock has left it alone.  (The enraged phone call to grandma and papa demanding they come get him may have deterred him a little.  I came out of the shower one day and he had undecorated a significant portion of the tree.  Brock = busy remember?) 


And just so you know, the next post is going to be my "official" family Christmas letter.  I'm cheating and doing it that way because it just didn't happen.  I hope to make blogging more of a priority in the new year...but don't hold me to it!