Skiing, zipling and extreme sportin’ at Copper Mountain

February 27, 2013 By

I’ve decided winter is exhausting. Not only do we usually come down with The Plague (Jamie is on week four) but we have a short few months to cram in as much outdoor fun as we can. With Denver’s dismal snow year, it has been that much more mandatory for us to head to the hills.

And yes, I said mandatory. As in HAS TO HAPPEN.

Copper Mountain was our latest destination to host us. A favorite among the locals because it’s an easy 75-mile drive west of Denver up the I-70 corridor, it remained a glaring omission in my must-ski list (though we had a stellar time there in Oct. 2011).

Hadley had a five-day weekend and Bode had three days off so we drove up after church on Sunday, skied as a family on President’s Day and then the boys drove home early Tuesday morning for work and school. That left two glorious days for Haddie and me to play, and one of them was my birthday.

X-Treme Sports

Upon arrival, we did a tour of Woodward at Copper. I’ll admit this 19,400-square-foot year-round ski and snowboard camp half-amazes, half-terrifies me. Nicknamed “The Barn,” Woodward is an all-steps progression program to help ages 8 and older learn aerial tricks and skills in a safe environment that you can translate on the mountain. See those ramps? My kids thought they were the coolest things ever.And I guess they are if you’re inclined to catch more than 1 inch of air on the slopes (which I am not).

The Barn offers drop-in day sessions, summer camps, SuperTramps and will undergo a big makeover this spring and improvements will include a new progressive foam pit designed for development of beginner park skills. The street area will double in size allowing for full access by BMX, mountain bike, skateboards and park skis and snowboards.

As a nervous parent, I was impressed with the capable staff’s emphasis on safety. Helmets are mandatory on the ramps and to even jump into the foam pit, my kids had to fill out some waivers and receive instruction.And Bode is counting down until he’s 8 so he, too play.

Copper Mountain

We’ve traveled to a number of mountain resorts around the country and what my family loved most about 2,465-acre Copper Mountain is that it was so easy. Easy to get to and the 140 trails across three mountains are easy to navigate. In fact, Hadley marveled about how wonderfully contained the base village is. “We don’t even have to get in the car!” she raved. “We can walk to skiing, dinner, tubing, zipling, skating and dinner.”

I didn’t correct her when she said dinner twice. It is, after all, very important.

On President’s Day, the kids went to ski school while Jamie and I hit the slopes. It is one of the few Colorado ski schools that has incorporated the FLAIK global positioning system, which tracks the kids’ on-mountain location, skier stats, and runs skied. Their instructors simply attached the GPS device around their leg and at the end of the day, we went online to see all their logistics. Turned out, they skied a lot harder than Jamie and me but we didn’t tell them that, of course.

Good thing there’s no tracking devices for parents who opt for an extra-long, leisurely lunch by the fire at Copper Station.

At first, I was disgruntled The Schoolhouse is located in the West Village, a shuttle stop away from the Center Village. But after dropping off the kids, Jamie and I rode Union Creek, followed by Timberline Express and that is where we found the best snow conditions that day.By day’s end, we were happy and tired. This was our first major outing since getting sick, which took quite a toll. In fact, sweet Bode fell asleep on the two-minute shuttle ride back to our condo.

How to Get an Alpine Rush

We vacillated on our plans. We had hoped to try out the new Alpine Rush Zip Line in the Center Village and then head over to the East Village for the Tubing Hill but remember the exhaustion thing? We opted to swing by the zip line since it was close to our condo, go back, chill out and then see if the kids were up for tubing. 

The latter didn’t happen but the former did…in a big way.

Poor Bode practically sleepwalked through Center Village and I honestly wasn’t expecting him to even try. But the second he spotted the zip line soaring over skating rink at West Lake, there was no holding him back. (Note: You must be at least 50 pounds and each ride only costs $10),

Jamie got outfitted in his harness and went first, racing across the sky. Hadley freaked out, “That’s too fast,” she wailed. A couple of summers ago, the zip line at Vail’s Adventure Race traumatized her and she’s been gun shy (terrified) ever since.

“I’ll go!” Bode boldly volunteered and he was off.The more you weigh, the faster you soar so Bode was considerably slower than Jamie.

“Maybe that wasn’t so bad,” Hadley faltered.

“You’ll go as slow as Bode. Let’s give it a try,” I encouraged her. The staffer soothed her fears and before she knew it, she was flying.In fact, the next day she begged to do it two more times. I’m not sure if she’s cured but her fears were definitely calmed.

Now, I just need to follow her example and tackle the ramps at The Barn the next time we’re at Copper Mountain.

Stay tuned next time for our memorable mom-daughter adventures the next two days!

 

Filed Under: Bode, Colorado, Family, Family travel, Hadley, Humor, Jamie, outdoors, skiing

One Romantic Evening–Celebrating 10 Years

February 18, 2013 By

Ten years. Our first major milestone since getting married and it seemed worthy of celebration.  At first, we decided upon a trip and I’ve long been obsessed with Nepal. But since we don’t have $10,000+ to drop (though this REI trip is still at the TOP of my bucket list), we decided we’d go to Mexico when my childhood BBF Allison announced she was getting married next month. But then we subscribed to every fare alert out there and realized we just couldn’t afford it right now (sob) and so here we are in Denver.

I had grand plans leading up to our anniversary that included a 10-day countdown with notes and presents. I did something similar our first Christmas together but then everyone got sick (including myself late last week) so survival became the new celebration standard.

Oh, how the great have fallen.

But it was still memorable. Jamie’s sister Lisa generously took the kids so we had a full night and Jamie plotted to take us to the Briarwood Inn restaurant, where he originally popped the question. The second time, that is. Though I said “yes” the first time, a girl dreams of her engagement and getting proposed via email just ain’t it.

I’d been battling a cold for a couple of days and an hour before we were supposed to leave, I–fresh from a shower and still in my bathrobe–took one look at our warzone-of-a-house (three weeks of illness will do that) and started cleaning. And cleaning. I figured Jamie could just take the kids over to Lisa’s at 4:45 p.m. and I could leisurely get ready–after all, our reservation wasn’t until 6:15 p.m. Ten minute before he was supposed to leave, Jamie came upstairs and freaked out. “Why are you not ready? We have to leave! You are coming with me to drop off the kids so get dressed and put on your make-up, NOW!”

I knew something was up so begrudgingly went to get ready. A few minutes later, I heard him call, “We have to go!” I raced downstairs, flew out the door and there was my white chariot!
My sweet husband had recreated our engagement night to the fullest, even renting a limo that he had scored for $60 via Living Social.

The kids were out. Of. Their. Gourd. I was so excited he had the foresight in his planning to have the limo take them to their sleepover at Aunt Lisa’s, grab her and even loop around the block. He left no stone unturned and had brought Sparkling Apple-Pomegranate Martinelli’s and put together a CD of our favorite songs including our wedding song, Sting’s “When We Danced.” “No wonder Daddy was so bossy trying to make you get ready!” Hadley mused as she stretched herself out in her seat, settling into a life she thinks she was born to live. Bode was darling. “This is 1X better than the WiiU!” he exclaimed.

We’re still working on multiplication but I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he meant at least 2X better.

“If I sold cookie dough, I would have ridden in this!” he continued. I didn’t pursue this one, either. It’s a sore subject in our house that I refuse to sucker our friends into buying the school’s sub-par cookie dough and instead write them a check. A check not big enough for the grand prize of riding in a limo.

As the kids bounced around from seat-to-seat, Jamie and I cuddled up, reflecting upon this beautifully imperfect life we’ve been fortunate to build and how much it has changed in 10 years. After dropping off the kids, Jamie had mapped out a long detour that stretched along the foothills that were on pink fire that evening. I marveled that these landscapes had been so foreign to me during that first limo ride and now I knew every trail and climb. Quite simply, they are home.

Upon arriving at the Briarwood Inn, I noticed Jamie’s car in the lot–a kindly gentleman from our ward had helped him drop it off earlier (sneaky, sneaky). The Briarwood Inn is old-school elegance and one of Colorado’s finest dining traditions nestled against Clear Creek in Golden. We ate, lo did we eat. Beef Wellington. Extensive appetizer and dessert trays. We talked about our future hopes and dreams, past happenings, opened each other’s cards (I had mustered up a Top 10 List for him) and the whole evening was pretty darn memorable.

Late the next morning, we picked up the kids, Jamie’s brother Chris and Lisa and went to brunch at Tag Burger Bar, a newish, hip burger joint. Oozing with originality and gourmand fixings. I opted for the One Night in Bangkok burger with green papaya slaw, crushed peanuts, mint and lime Sriracha aioli while Jamie loved the Blind in Texas with chile-rubbed crispy onions, aged cheddar, chipotle BBQ. And then we ordered the five different kinds of French fries: Old School Russets, Sweet Potato (yum), Finger Lickin’ with Cheez Whiz and pico de gallo and then our two favorites: Duck Fat Fries with Tag sauce and their Truffle Aioli and Parmesan Fries.

When we arrived home, we went into a romance- and duck-fat-induced coma and called it good. Definitely good enough to hold us for another 10 years….

Filed Under: Bode, Colorado, Foodie, Hadley, Humor, Jamie

10 Years Ago Today

February 15, 2013 By

Ten Years Ago Today, I married the perfect man for me–one who knows and loves me better than anyone. Who is wise beyond his years, patient, fun, romantic, kind and hilarious. Our wedding day was perfect. That word isn’t usually in my vocabulary but that is exactly what it was because of the man I was to marry and the beloved people who surrounded us with their love.

The night before, my in-laws graciously arranged a delicious Valentine’s Day dinner for our out-of-town guests, catered by Jamie’s good friend, Chef Mike. I stayed up late giggling with dear friends in our condo, wondering if I could ever fall asleep before the most important day of my life.

February 15, 2003 dawned bright, beautiful and SNOWY! Denver was having a severe drought and this was certainly not in the forecast but was a dream come true for this Canuck bride!  Jamie came to pick me up and after only one minor stress-related freakout (quite miraculous for me), we drove to the Denver LDS Temple. The grounds were spectacular and the snowy-frosting on all the trees was good enough to eat.

For me, one of the most beloved facets of the LDS faith is the knowledge that marriages and families are forever, bestowed through the process of being sealed in the temple. To be in that sealing room surrounded by those we love, kneeling across the alter from this amazing man and literally feeling the concourses of angels–to date it was one of the most powerful experiences of my life and I couldn’t help but blubber all the way through it.

And we’re talking “the big, ugly cry” as Oprah calls it.

When we left the temple, the party began.  Here are some snapshots I took of our wedding photo albums. Scanners are for wussies…or rather, people who have way more time than I but you get the idea.

I literally get weepy when I see these pictures of all our loved ones. See my niece Emily in that red coat? Haddie wears it now

My family

Jamie’s family

The Parents

My Maid of Honor Stacey whom I’ve literally known since birth


Jamie and I were both at BYU at the same time, graduated in the same department, had likely played volleyball together at Carriage Cove every night one summer and yet never met until eight years later. It was during our lovely wedding reception at the Marriott that the craziest thing happened. I had many wonderful friends from my BYU days come to Colorado for the wedding, as did Jamie. And many of these friends knew each other from BYU. Just another meant-to-be moment.

That evening, we had our reception at a charming cabin in the mountains. Before I even moved to Denver, my mother-in-law Linda had searched out reception venues for me and patiently toured me around until we found the perfect one. Just 15 minutes from Denver in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Chief Hosa Lodge was my dream come true. Cozy with multiple fireplaces, white lights and a harpist, it was oh-so quaint.  The snow that evening made it magical. The reception was a blur with memories of the many people who would become my Denver family. We kept things simple–No wedding party, no painful line.  We greeted our guests, chased bubbles, dined on the delicious food that included croquembouche (a traditional French dessert I fell in love with on my mission) and danced the night away. It was the favorite wedding I’ve ever attended.

It’s a good thing, too, because it was all mine.

Last night we gathered the kids together to share our love story with them for the first time–the full one that very few know. They were captivated and mesmerized and my heart was full as I marveled at the family life we have been blessed to create in such a short amount of time.

Happy 10 Years to my beloved Pumpkin Man. I feel infinitely blessed to be yours.

Filed Under: Jamie, LDS, Marriage

The Beginning of the End of the Rest of Our Lives

February 14, 2013 By

Our engagement photo

What is more apropos for Valentine’s Day and the day before our 10-year anniversary than to reflect upon our journey to togetherness?

I’ve written about our Love Story here and also briefly about our wedding day. Tomorrow I’ll share oodles of pictures from our wedding album for posterity.

Though I’ve written much about our courtship, I’ll likely never reveal it all online because it was an intensely personal, sacred experience for both of us.

It all started when I messaged Jamie on July 22, 2002 after seeing his profile on LDSSingles.com. Though I was in the process of ending a five year on-again, off-again relationship, I felt very strongly impressed to write this guy in Colorado (I was in Utah) who had posted a picture of himself a mile away on an Alaskan glacier. Note: His screen name was “ArvadaFun” and mine was “BlackDiamond”and I wrote about the Colorado mountain towns I referenced in this article.

I’m not sure about “Arvada Fun” but I will say that I recently experienced “SilvertonFun,” “OurayFun,” and DurangoFun.”

So, how does it feel to be living in Pleasure Sponge Central? (I’m JEALOUS!!)

-Amber

And yes, I did reference a “pleasure sponge” on the very first email. #Hussy.

Thus began a whirlwind long-distance courtship. Five months later, I dropped everything to move to Denver and a month and a half later, we were married. Before our wedding, Jamie compiled the volumes of emails we had exchanged into two beautifully-bound keepsake books that are an absolute treasure. He inscribed them for me with the following message:

On July 22, the great events of my life took place. I got a message. A message from the woman who was to be my eternal companion. That message started a two-month email and phone correspondence that brought about a marvelous work and a wonder and a great love.

From the very beginning of our correspondence the Spirit was very strong. In some ways the words on these pages do not completely convey the depth of the messages sent back and forth. I look back at some of the things I said very early on in our correspondence and I can’t believe I was so bold. At the same time, saying the things I did felt very natural. Time had no meaning over the first two months of our relationship and everything seemed compressed. It is difficult to explain, but things that happened over a two-week period felt like two months in the most wonderful of ways.

The two months of emails, IMs and phone calls ended in the most amazing revelation of my life: The clear promoting that I needed to get engaged to Amber before we had ever met each other. After much pondering, fasting, prayer and a blessing from my father, I knew exactly what I needed to do. I proposed marriage to Amber via email.

A week later I knocked on the door of my fiancée and for the first time saw her lovely face. We now eagerly look forward to our sealing in the Denver Temple on Feburary 15, 2003.

-Jamie

December 2002

Filed Under: Favorite Posts, Jamie, Marriage

Take note, guys

February 13, 2013 By

A few years ago, I jokingly dubbed February as Ambruary because Valentine’s Day, our anniversary and my birthday all fall within a week of each other. On Friday, Jamie and I will celebrate 10 years of wedded bliss. When I was driving home from skiing on Monday, I stopped by Chief Hosa Lodge, which is where we had our wedding reception. And, like that night 10 years ago, it was snowing. The whole day was perfect–from our ceremony in the Denver temple when it snowed for the first time in months (some would have been devastated; I was thrilled), to a luncheon at the Marriott, to our reception that evening at this lodge with white lights, roaring fires and a dreamy harp.

More on all of that later but when I came home from a busy day yesterday, Jamie had left some roses and a sweet note wishing me “Happy Ambruary” and a promise to cook us a delicious dinner that night.

The roses? Lovely. But making dinner counts as a hundred roses in my book.

Filed Under: Jamie

Contraband Popcorn and the Accusations That Bind Us

February 11, 2013 By

Happily, the family has turned the corner and they are on the road to recovery. Bode got the worst of it but was well enough to return to school on Friday. Hadley quite enjoyed her two days off and hunkered down with our big-screen TV in the basement where I walked in on her contraband popcorn-making operation.

Dude, I’m OK with popcorn but let’s not pop it and melt the butter on the carpet, K?

Then, the remote control went missing which, if you’re on your sickbed, is apparently as bad as being sick. Jamie blamed me (as he always does when it goes missing), I denied it (as I always do) and we found it later that night tucked in the duvet I’d hung over the railing to air out.

“I wasted 15 minutes of my life…and I only watched one channel!” Jamie accused.

First-world problems.

Filed Under: Hadley, Humor, Jamie

YMCA of the Rockies: The Nordic Redemption

January 31, 2013 By

Now, when I entitled this blog post “Nordic Redemption,” I didn’t mean this.
But rather, this.
The back story: As a Canadian, I grew up cross-country skiing the golf course across the street from my house. Jamie is an avid alpine (downhill) skier so I figured his transition to Nordic would be a snap. It turned out to be a different kind of snap when he fell over going 0.0005 mile per hour and claimed a concussion.

That was ten years ago and I figured it was time he got back on the horse again. I signed our family up for a group lesson at YMCA of the Rockies’ Snow Mountain Ranch’s world-class Nordic Center, which offers more than 100 km of trails—from beginner loops to advanced ski trails. The kids are both becoming good skiers so I figured they were ready to add another style of skiing to their repertoire. Though I get a passing grade in cross-country skiing, I’m not an expert and would like to take up more advanced techniques, like skate skiing or mastering backcountry climbing skins.

Or not running into your friend Aimee when she’s trying to take your picture, which was my memorable wipe-out that day.

Our husband-wife instructors were excellent but the conditions were not. The snow was hard-packed so it was baptism by icy fire when they opted to start our lesson by taking us down a short, moderate slope while demonstrating the hallowed snow plow. Crash after crash occurred but the only one who took it to heart was Bode, whose confidence was shattered early-on.

“It’s OK,” I consoled him as I wiped away his crocodile tears. “You’re the youngest one in the group and you’re doing great.”

And he really was. When we moved to the beginner practice track, he started to regain his mojo as we all learned to stride, kick, push and glide like “neanderthals.”

I somehow didn’t think neanderthals were all that graceful prior to our outing.

The tepid skiers in the group stuck to the practice track and Jamie offered to stay behind with Bode while a handful of more courageous folks ventured out and followed a trail alongside Pole Creek. Hadley started mastering the smooth cadence and I was thrilled to see at least one member of our family take to Nordic skiing.

“So, when do you want to do it again with Mommy?” I queried, salivating over Snow Mountain’s bright winter sky, frosty trees, long mountain views and fast tracks.

“Maybe in, like, a couple of years,” she replied.

Though Jamie had a much more positive experience, he still wasn’t sold. “It was OK but I like downhill skiing more. Besides, it’s a different breed of people out here.”

“What do you mean?”

“There are no, ‘hey dudes’ or ‘let’s hit some bumps.’ These people are more like the marathon-running crowd.”

That’s his nice way of saying, “NO WAY” and I’m on my own. I’ll take it.

======

Don’t miss parts I and III of our adventures.

YMCA of the Rockies: My Colorado Love Affair

YMCA of the Rockies: Reliving and Reinventing the Glory Days

Filed Under: Bode, Family, Family travel, Hadley, Jamie, outdoors, skiing, travel

Living with a paranoid pumpkin freak

January 29, 2013 By

Me: Sitting at my computer in my office.

Jamie: Tears into my room, races over to the blinds and suspiciously looks outside.

Me: “What are you doing?”

Jamie: “GOOGLE IS WATCHING!”

Me: “What are you talking about?!”

Jamie: “GOOGLE IS TRACKING MY PUMPKIN’S EVERY MOVE.”

Me: “You no longer have a pumpkin. Growing season is over.”

Jamie: “AND YOU CAN SEE MY PUMPKIN FROM OUTER SPACE!!”

Me: “You are crazy.”

Jamie: “I’m wearing aluminum foil on my head right now so they can’t hear my thoughts.”

Think the Pumpkin Man is finally out of his gourd? Read about it here.

 

Filed Under: Humor, Jamie, pumpkins

Christmas 2012: WiiU, Touch, Spoons & Sing Offs!

December 28, 2012 By

With both sets of grandparents far away, our past Christmases have been on the road. In fact, Bode didn’t remember ever spending Christmas in Colorado so we’ve been long overdue to just stay and spend it together as a family. And it was so lovely and low-key.

Bode snugged up with us in bed at 6 a.m. I told him we had to wait until 6:30 a.m. to wake up Hadley but when he started counting down every minute, Jamie finally broke at 6:14 a.m.: “ALRIGHT, LET’S GO WAKE HER UP.”

My favorite Christmas memories as a kid are that first glimpse of the tree literally overflowing with presents. I hold off on putting most of the presents out until Christmas morning so our tree has the same shock value.

The past few years, Jamie and I have opted out of giving each other presents (besides our stockings) because we’d rather have our discretionary income go to our travels and date nights versus materialistic stuff we can buy ourselves. We had a few presents from grandparents and family and that left 95 percent of what was under the tree was for the kids.

It sure sucked for them. ((**please ignore the boxed formatting errors the rest of this post. No idea what’s going on and have no time to fix it)).Christmas morning is LAME without little kids’ exuberance and unbridled joy. Mine are the PERFECT age where the magic is still alive and they rejoiced over every present. And as you’ll note from the pictures, it was dark when we started and we finished in broad daylight. It even snowed a few inches to make the morning idyllic and a rock-star neighbor secretly shoveled everyone’s sidewalks.

Haddie asked for dresses and got five of them. She has fallen in love with knitting at school and that was her Santa request. As we neared the end of opening our gifts, she expressed disappointment he had forgotten. But then she grabbed The Present, pulled it out and said quizzically, “he gave me chopsticks?

Knitting needles, dear blonde girl. Knitting needles.

Bode asked Santa for an interactive globe and I’m sure he’ll have the countries, ecology and populations memorized by the end of the year.

Neither kids were expecting their main gifts. At an event earlier this month, I received a FREE iPod Touch (amazing, right?) but I hesitated to give it to Hadley. She has zero interest in technology and pop culture and I certainly don’t want to push her into growing up before she’s ready. But ultimately Jamie and I decided it was time and she was out-of-her gourd excited and kept squealing, “I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS FOR ME!”

Aunt Tammy gave her an iTunes card so we set her up with her first email address and iTunes account that we will closely monitor (talk about an out-of-body experience.) We downloaded her first-ever album: Taylor Swift’s Red, she grabbed her headphones and headed up to her room.

“We just lost our daughter,” Jamie joked.

Hopefully we won’t live to regret it.

As for Bode, his first love is his beloved Wii. I’ve been a “Brand Ambassador” for a few years (or rather, he has) and Nintendo will occasionally send us video games to check out. Of course, their big news is the release of the WiiU, a cutting-edge console with a GamePad controller that enables multiple viewing options, letting users view a movie or TV show streaming from Netflix on the TV while browsing for something to watch next on the GamePad. Their new online network Miiverse, features an activity feed that will eventually be accessed through web-enabled devices such as smartphones.

Pretty amazing technology.

Due to high demand, I didn’t think we’d receive one before Christmas but a few days prior, Nintendo delivered! We kept it a surprise and had the kids buy each other two of their favorite games: Super Mario Bros. U and Just Dance 4.  Jamie built up the suspense. As Bode FREAKED out re: Super Mario (his “favorite game ever”) Jamie deflated him. “But Bode, look at this. It is for the WiiU and we don’t have a WiiU!”

And then we presented him with his final gift.And spent some of the day playing it and karaoking to Sing Party.

We had a day full of food, fun, games, balloon animals with Uncle Chris, movies (Brave, Charlie Brown Christmas and A Christmas Story) and the capstone was when I introduced them to the Borowski family’s favorite tradition: Spoons. I don’t want to boast but I was the world champion with my lightning-fast reflexes but I found myself doing something I’ve never done in Spoons: I let the kids win. On purpose.  Oblivious of my efforts to keep the kids happy, I gave Jamie The Look across the table and to his credit, he ended up throwing the last game, thus cementing my kids’ love of Spoons for many years to come.

However, unlike my family’s Spoons marathons, there was no blood or broken tables.

Better luck next time.

Filed Under: Bode, Hadley, holidays, Humor, Jamie

Johnson Family Newsletter 2012!

December 22, 2012 By

After a two-year hiatus due to busyness, poverty and/or plain ol’ laziness, the infamous Johnson family newsletter is back. We love to play together and have had some epic trips in 2012. From going to Disneyland and Disney World to spending almost a month in Canada to skiing and hiking all over Colorado and Utah, we have been extremely blessed.

Magical Night at Fish Creek Provincial Park, Canada

Jamie

The Pumpkin Man had a pretty good year. With Denver’s record-breaking heat, the pumpkin season was long and slow but he still grew an 837-pound giant. His fourth-place finish cemented his status as a local celebrity and our city’s newspaper reported he was (horrors) “signing autographs” at the weigh-off. His web development business Pixo Web Design & Strategy continues to grow and he is juggling more clients than he can remember (we choose to attribute this to a burgeoning company vs. early-onset dementia). Jamie’s big news is after 41 long years, he went to Disneyland for the first time and has promised to drop his pending lawsuit against his parents for their negligence. Amber

Amber turned The Big 4-0 in February and celebrated by convincing her friends it is fun to go skating on a lake! In the mountains! In the winter! With the kids finally in school full-time, Amber is busier than ever and loves her almost-daily mountain adventures and freelancing from home. In addition to blogging about their family at TheMileHighMama.com, she still oversees the Denver Post’s social media efforts for moms and had a dream come true: she is writing a family humor column in the newspaper. She regularly appears on 9News as the resident “expert” on all-things motherhood–evidence the world really is coming to an end. Oh, and her memory is worse than Jamie’s. Pray for them.Hadley (8)

Hadley is a spitfire-of-a-third grader who loves swim team, skiing, crafts, piano and Fat Kitty. She is becoming a great cook, loves fine food and has a particular affinity for black truffle oil (heaven help her first date who ignorantly takes her out for fast food). She has had the biggest changes of anyone this year: she was baptized and then switched to a new Waldorf charter school. She enjoys her new arts-based academic setting and loves learning the violin in orchestra, the recorder, Spanish and even knitting. She had the time of her life with her class on a recent 3-day camping trip to Mesa Verde National Park which Amber generously offered to chaperone (read: vicarious living). Though thriving in the arts Hadley struggles in math, thereby solidifying she will never have a career as an accountant.Bode (6)

We are convinced it doesn’t get any better than first grade and Bode is illustrating this. He’s an easy-going, sweet dude who is beloved by everyone. He just finished off his third year in soccer, loves rocking the skate park on his bike, all-things Wii, is learning to play basketball, is obsessed with tennis and figured out how to swim without drowning (it was touch-and-go for a while). Bode and Hadley were models in a back-to-school fashion show on 9News and though they both did a great job, Bode’s cute and funny moves stole the show. He is smart as a whip and at the top of his first grade class. During a recent dinnertime prayer, he even thanked the good Lord for homework. Quite appropriately, Hadley later gave him a brown-noser hazing. Then made him do her math.

Gratitudes

In 2011, we joked we had a punch card at the hospital with two heart surgeries for Jamie, a broken wrist for Bode and ER visits for Amber. Thankfully, 2012 has been much more peaceful. At church, Jamie is still in our ward’s Bishopric while Amber works with the 12-13-year-old Young Women. This holiday season, we had the opportunity to help at our local food bank and were delighted to serve Thanksgiving dinner at a homeless women’s shelter for the second year in a row (a definite tradition!) Truly, we feel blessed and we wish you peace, joy and love of our Savior. One of my favorite quotes serves as an annual reminder of what it’s all about. Love,

The Johnsons

P.S. Fat Kitty is annoyed he was not included in our annual newsletter and wanted everyone to know he’s still alive.

Kind of.

Filed Under: Bode, Hadley, holidays, Jamie, travel
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