Thanksgiving 2011

It was not our year to host Thanksgiving, which suited me fine with all we had going on this year.  Instead, we went to Mandy's aunt and uncle's house.  The day turned out to be a perfect day, weather-wise, and we got to enjoy a lot of outdoor time with the boys. I took advantage of the weather too, and even rode my motorcycle to dinner.  

Noah and Elliot love running around their big back yard, playing around the trees and creek and just being boys.  They cleaned up all the hedge apples lying on the ground by throwing them in the creek.  Any excuse to throw something in and watch it splash - the bigger, the better.  It was certainly a better endeavor than throwing decorative rocks onto the net that covered their fish pond/waterfall, which I found Elliot doing when I first walked outside.  I fished them all off the net with the pool strainer, and pointed him towards the creek.  I find myself using "Because you just can't" as an answer more often, as Elliot is asking me, "Why can't I?" more often. 

This year the roles were reversed as Noah ate a good, balanced meal, and Elliot ate virtually nothing but the pumpkin cookies he discovered on the counter.  As always, there was food aplenty, and lots of desserts.  All that was missing this year was a screening of "Christmas Vacation."

Easter 2011

We had a great Easter this year.  Despite the weather reports calling for rain, it stayed dry all day.  And although it was still a bit muddy, it sure didn't faze the boys.  Loved spending the day with our family celebrating. My sister & her fiancee, Jason are getting married in less than a month.  His boys joined us this year as well as his parents.  It was a lot of fun eating delish food and hanging out with everyone.

It was really cute watching Elliot doing the egg hunt.  "There one!" and he would have to shake it before putting it in his basket.  This was the first year Noah joined the ranks of the "big boys" where he runs like wild with no assistance necessary and scoops up eggs.

Noah helped me make Grandma's famous chocolate sheet cake.  When I mixed up the frosting E wanted in on the action.

The boys had so much fun.  They built dams, threw rocks, found worms, etc.

My little guy so happy frolicking out in the country

Charlie & Elliot

There was a lot of creek jumping going on

Jason & Cole goofing off

Kelli walking the dogs

Jason with the boys

Doran getting in on the action, too

He made me so nervous going back and forth on these bridges, even jumping up and down on them.  BOYS!

To be a kid again, "Hey!  Let's run up this hill!"

Egg hunting

Who knew it could be a workout?

Elijah & Luke

Noah, Charlie & Cole. Oh and Rocky sniffing for some chocolate, too.

He was in heaven eating all that candy. 

Back at the creek

Cole

Immediately before getting REAL wet

DOH! Oh well, its not a party till Charlie strips down and runs the house in his undies

One pooped out little fella

St. E's Children's Easter Celebration

Saturday we took the boys to St. E's for their Children's Easter Celebration.  It started out with some crafts, with both boys enjoyed.  After that all the kids listened to the Easter Story and then the Easter Bunny came and we headed to the gym for the egg hunt (garden was too muddy) and some bouncehouse fun.

Noah got quite creative with his creations

Elliot mostly just wanted to play with glue sticks.  :)

Noah, and 2 of his friends from school are excited to see the Easter Bunny

That kid is OVER his fear of large costumed animals/characters

Excited for his eggs

Elliot was scared to death and Noah was a wee bit hesitant himself

Turkey Bowl

One of the constants when we get together with the Johnson side of the family is that sooner or later, a football will be produced, some smack will be talked and eventually a game will be played.  Doesn't matter if it's in the scorching Texas sun, so hot that even the fire ants don't come out, or in two feet of snow, like last New Year's Eve - we play. 

The rules are a little bit like Calvinball, constantly changing on the fly to benefit whoever has just been disadvantaged for whatever reason.   It's a physical game, even when my brother Todd and I, who is usually on my team, claim to be old, fat and out of shape and no longer capable of taking hits to our knees, or falls to the hard ground.

I have very fond memories of pickup football games as a kid, and there were many fall and winter days, especially on the holidays, when my brother and me would square off, just the two of us, and have a game of full-contact football until we were ready to collapse. We usually stopped after someone got hurt.  We were just like these kids, always wanting to play and looking for someone to play with.


Todd wasn't around for this game, but like all get togethers with these boys, you can't play too much football, and they eventually talked us into a round two that lasted into the dark cold (which I'm going to claim we won).  It was a very cold day, and the ground, which we hit many times, was frozen.   Since Todd couldn't be there, Noah got his first taste of family football, although he liked tackling people more than he liked running with the ball.  Asa was on my team as well, and we played against Eli and Braden.  As is typical, they had no shame in exploiting a little 4-year old if it meant putting points on the board.

Two of our cheerleaders - Elliot and Finn.  Poor Finn - Elliot didn't seem to be in the sharing mood with his mittens.  E so much wanted to play too.

Eli takes the snap.

One of the rare times I get schooled...

Elliot cheering us on

Asa and Noah discussing plans? Noah rode his bike to the game, but I thought it would be a good idea to make it a football helmet.

Leading Noah back to the line of scrimmage

Discussing our plans in the huddle

Tyring to coax Noah to go after the QB (Eli)

Eli doing a flip after a touchdown

Father and son - Noah is definitely built for football.  I hope he will play it someday.

Noah was having a ball

Discussing our offensive strategy with Noah

Cousin Braden trying to intimidate the 4-year old.

Didn't work

Fumble!

Asa completing a pass

Noah encouraging E to get off the playing field.

Look at that intensity.  Noah could have scored, but Eli had to tackle him.

Elliot enjoying the game - he belly laughed a few times, thinking it was funny when we threw the ball and everyone went running after it.

I especially like how Noah tackles Eli, who's nowhere near the ball.

Elliot looks like he's getting ready to block/tackle Noah. After the play.  Sounds like one of the Johnson kids.