Pumpkins, turtles and Sams, oh my!

Friday, October 31, 2008

Ah, that wonderful time of year when you can dress up as anything you want and nobody will give you that awful glance that makes you wonder why you didn't just go ahead and wear the straight-jacket. You can be your favorite superhero or you can even make one up. Like those days of your youth when you would run around the house in your underwear with a towel safety-pinned around your neck jumping from couch to couch. I know I wasn't the only one exercising his imagination as a child, c'mon, what's your story?


Well, we took our little nephew Tyler out on loan for Tuesday night to go play at Capital's "Fall Fest" which was themed around "Slime Time". It had a great turnout, was a ton of fun, and Tyler had a blast. There were fun games, prizes and even some Bible stories. The best part: Tyler was the cutest dang little turtle ever. his adorable hat and velcro shell - I have to admit I was slightly jealous of the rockin' costume. 







We had a blast hanging out at the fall fest, but Tyler plum tuckered us out, not to mention himself. By the time the night came to a close we were all walking out of the church like a hoard of zombies. Thanks for the Tyler loan Lansings, it would've been a little awkward for us, me especially, playing the games without him... I mean, I had... errr, he had so much fun. 

Welp. Halloween is tomorrow, so we decided its about time to get some jack-o-lanterns out. Kind of like going out to get your Christmas Tree on Christmas Eve. Just for the record Pumpkin selection the day before Halloween gets a D+ grade at best. 

We hopped in the truck and cruised on down to the ol' pumpkin patch only to find several pumpkins we wanted nothing to do with. Gang green, cancer and leprosy had ravaged the pumpkin population like a relapse of the plague. After sorting through the graveyard of orange and death, we found the pick of the litter and decided that we should just go someplace else. Off to Harmons!





3 stores, 2 large pumpkins, 1 tiny pumpkin, 2 classic halloween costume ideas and attire to bring it to fruition, some sore feet and hungry tummies later and we were back home and ready to carve some pumpkins... right after we eat. 

After eating we dug in - literally. Once we finished up with the fun part: scooping and shoveling pumpkin sludge, the intricate, methodical and precise facial carving began. Alright, whatever, we carved in to those little orange spheres with reckless abandon, slicing and dicing like a chef at Beni Hana's. What transpired was a cute little family of pumpkins all lit up with teas candles smiling an looking as goofy and happy as can be. Even Sam got into the action trying to carve Noah's pumpkin with his teeth. 









Don't forget to notice the detail and accuracy portrayed in the faces carved into these pretty lil pumpkins. Baby Noah on the Right, Goofy Shelli in the middle, and Clueless Kelly on the left.

As much as this holiday brings a lot of confusion and conflict, and even things I may not agree with, I have to admit that there are a lot of fun, and healthy things to enjoy and its a great time to bond together with your family and just enjoy the good things. Shelli and I have a tradition of always carving pumpkins together and I have to admit I look forward to it every year. There is a unique silliness and playfulness that always transpires. 

I can't wait to share these things, among others, with my son. As each day grows closer to his arrival I grow more and more excited for what the future brings. Holidays take on new perspectives, our traditions and what we want to pass on to our children become clear, as does what we don't. 

This is an exciting time and I am thankful for a silly family, a fun wife, and a little bawling baby boy on the way. 

Happy Halloween!

recommendations

Thursday, October 23, 2008

For the majority of you who aren't thoroughly aware, I work in downtown Salt Lake City for a church called Capital Church. I split the majority of my time between two jobs: Creative Director and Youth Leader. 


Well, being on the inside I get all the juicy info... actually I get none, but regardless, thats not the point. This weekend we have a pretty cool opportunity to hear from a up and coming author Margaret Feinberg. She accepted our invite to speak at all 3 of Capital's services this weekend! Woohoo! Although I haven't read a full book of hers (i know, i know, how lame is it to recommend an author who's book you have never finished?) I have read much of her blog and numerous excerpts from her books, and she is an extremely entertaining and enjoyable author from what I have read. Her most recent books include Organic God and The Sacred Echo among others. If you get the chance to catch one of them I highly recommend it. 

Anyhow, all that to say if anyone would like to sit in on her messages this weekend (Sat Night (25th) at 6pm pr Sun (26th) at 9:15am or 11am) at Capital, I invite you to join us. Should be a good time. 

you can find out a little more at www.capitalchurch.com

Wakey-Wakey!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

This little phrase happens to be Adrienne and Travis' favorite thing to hear in the morning...ok, so maybe that's not true, but I sure have been saying it a lot this last week! I don't know if it's the cold weather, the shorter days, or just that everyone's having way too much fun (thanks for the invite!) but everywhere I look someone else is lazily resting away. In the meantime, I'm most likely scrubbing toilets, doing dishes, or cleaning up more doggie poo. (Notice there's no pics of Shelli here! Hehe!)
I love all of my sleepy little friends, and wish you the best dreams! Zzzzzzz...........

Ty-Ty and Uncle "Ki-Ki" taking a snooze. This must be the position for the cool guys to sleep in!


Grandma Pam got Sam this little soccer ball that he LOVES and plays with endlessly, at least until he's too pooped to continue playing!



"baby no-no"

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Its a boy!!! Noah Lukas Johnson is his name, or as Tyler so eloquently put it "baby No No." 

Per our ultrasound today we are expecting to see a healthy, beautiful little baby boy enter this world on February 23rd (yup, it was moved up again!). 






poo-splosion!

Not once, I repeat, not once has Sam dropped the deuce about the house. This morning however, he independently made the decision that it was time. So our story begins...


I was curious this morning when Sam acted strangely distant and a little recluse, like stray cat trying to figure out whether or not to eat the food out of your hand. I thought little about it however. Shortly after I took the little rascal out for a potty break, but... nothing. Hmmmm... thats interesting. 

Upon my return inside I found the little trick-or-treat surprise. Trust me this was not a treat, not by any account. Plastered for about a three foot length up and down the walls and piled along the floor was an incomprehensible doggie poo-splosion! I swear I have no idea how in the world he managed such a mess, nor how he managed to produce such quantities of poo, I can however tell you that at 7am, mopping the piles of putrid doggie doo-doo off the floors and returning to scrub the smear of crap across the walls is not my idea of a good morning. 

I have to admit my weeks leading up to this event have not been on the positive end. It seems that one thing after another just falls apart. I can only hope that these things will turn around soon, but alas, today was just not that day. Following the poo-splosion I enjoyed my typical commute into work, listening to 101.9 the End, only to be interrupted by some beautiful red and blue lights. Did I say beautiful, sorry, I meant gut-wrenching and horrible. My bad. Yes , that is right - speeding. Might I add the exact numbers of the ticket: 60 in a 55. What!?!? 

Admittedly, it is my own fault I was speeding, and in all reality I was going higher than he recorded (I was probably going more like 64). I did however think the speed limit was 60mph (again, my own fault, but in my defense that is the speed in some places on this same highway). Its hard to swallow though when I watch the other people around me, as I go to and from work, weaving in and out of traffic and speeding well over the numbers I just mentioned, cutting people off and endangering lives without punishment. 

Oh well, what are you gonna do? Pay a ticket, I guess. 

What a fun day... and the chaos continues...