Springtime

I really like our place in the spring and summer, when everything outside is green instead of dead. And the boys like it because they get to play outside, and our neighbor's horses use our pasture again, so they enjoy that as well. I decided to post a few shots of our backyard and beyond, since we're still waiting for Baby Johnson to arrive (sorry if anyone thought this was an announcement post, and yes, today is my due date...).

Drake and Graham feeding our neighbors' horses.

Drake, on top of the world (a.k.a. one of our many dirt piles)

A shot of our pasture, before the weeds and horses.

Our pasture in the background (the wooden fence is where the last picture was taken from), and the unkempt part of our backyard (and a dirt pile).

A shot from our back porch, showing the crabapple tree in full bloom (the only time of the year I actually think it's a "pretty" tree).

A close-up of the crabapple blossoms.

Happy Spring!

Still no baby...

... so you get another random post of pictures. Drake and Graham spoiled me by coming 8 and 6 days early, respectively. Tomorrow, I'll only have 2 days left until my due date. We'll see when she decides to come, eh?

A few Sundays ago, Drake proudly showed us a picture he made of a temple on his little Etch-A-Sketch. Frankly, I was impressed that it actually resembled a temple, so we took a picture.

I don't know if you can see the tear on Graham's cheek, but he got really sad one morning when Shad left for work. Graham really wanted to go with him, so he ran and got his shoes and brought them to me, hoping I could help him leave with his dad. The camera was right next to me, so I grabbed this shot of sweet Graham's longing face, but unfortunately, he didn't get to go with Shad. Graham LOVES his dad, and says his name quite often throughout the day, and especially in the evening when it's almost time for Shad to come home.

Good buddies going for a ride.

Drake and Graham really, really, really like to be outside when Shad is, and are always eager to help him with whatever he is doing. Shad is always nice to let them help, even if it slows him down a little.

Memorial Day Memories

I always enjoy Memorial Day and the opportunity to go visit the grave sites of ancestors. Growing up, it was neat to see the names on the headstones and know that I was somehow related to this person or that person. But my fondest Memorial Day memories are of the times my family would go and visit the grave of my own brother, Brandon Christopher Dyer. Every year on Memorial Day, and other days as well, we would drive as a family to the Salt Lake Cemetery to remember my brother, and place flowers and a pinwheel by his grave. Brandon was born less than two years after me, but lived for only two months before returning to his Father in heaven. Because I can't make it down to the cemetery this year, I thought I'd show a couple pictures I found of days gone by. Have a wonderful Memorial Day!

Father & Son Campout

Last weekend, Shad took Drake and Graham on our ward's Father/Son Campout. This was the fourth year for Drake, and Graham's first! Shad's dad, Brett, met them at the campsite, and I think they all had a good time.

The happy boys right before they left.

Drake being a big help, I'm sure.

The boys learning how to chop wood with Brett.

Brett ("Papa") and Graham hanging out in the tent.

Drake playing with fire...


They each brought a shovel to help plant some trees for the service part of the campout, and apparently, Graham was quite possessive of his little blue shovel, and didn't want to put it down for anything.

Drake and a friend doing their own thing.

Finishing the Basement

Several weekends ago, we went up to Rexburg to help Shad's parents with the process of finishing their basement. The following weekend, they came down to help us with ours. Today, Shad and the boys are up in Rexburg again to help get his parents' basement all sheetrocked. I can't wait for our basement to be all finished... good things come to those who wait, right?

Brett reading a story to Drake and Graham.

The boys watching Shad and Brett dismantle their old chimney. Shad was down in the chimney passing up cinder blocks that he'd knock out. Once he couldn't reach any more...

They moved inside with a sledgehammer. It made a huge mess when it finally fell.

The boys sat and watched the backhoe and the dumptruck the entire time they were outside. They were hauling off the huge piles of dirt and concrete left from the projects.

Matt came over and helped out for a little while too. Here they're roasting hot dogs for lunch.

Back at our place in Chubbuck, this is the wall after the concrete was cut to put in a new window.


The boys thought it was pretty cool having a big hole in the wall.

Grandma Johnson was good to help watch/play with the boys. Graham especially enjoyed her.

Judy did a lot in the way of cleaning, mowing our lawn, etc. Here she's taking a break to watch a video with the boys.

Drake wanted to take several "posing" pictures, so this is one of those.

One of Graham's favorite pasttimes is playing in the dirt, and we have plenty of big piles right now for him to choose from!

As of today, the new windows are in (the two biggest ones, anyway), Shad's at least 1/3 of the way done with taping, and yesterday, Shad got our garden spot completely tilled and partially planted. So many things to do, so little time...

The Beginning of May

We woke up the morning of May 1st... to snow. Welcome to May.

This is just a random shot of the boys using their stool as a table to eat Cheerios.

Drake's preschool group went on their last field trip for this semester to a local pet store called McKee's. It's quite the pet store, complete with animals inside and out, as well as a little playground and a bunch of rides and things to play on.

This is the puppy area.

Trying to be interested in a rabbit.

Outside at the "petting zoo", looking at a pig and her newborn piglets.

Drake with his friends Emma and Noah on one of the rides.

Graham loving life at the top of the slide.

I think Graham is a natural.

The whole group of kids "locked up".

After the pet store, we drove to a nursery in town that was selling hot dogs, soda and ice cream for just $0.25 each, so we all got lunch there.

In case you can't tell, I'm in the mood to just put up a whole bunch of pictures that have been sitting, waiting to be posted. I'm still pregnant, but am hoping to have a baby soon, and it may be a while after that that I make another post, so sorry for the plethora of pictures, but I've got to get it out of my system now. :)

Weekend in Provo

About a month ago, we went down to Provo for Landon Mauler's graduation from BYU. It was fun to get to know Landon's family a little better. We were able to squeeze in several other activities while we were down there too. Below is just a bunch of pictures from that weekend.

"Grammie" holding Graham during Landon's graduation.
I guess the excitement wasn't enough to keep Graham awake.

Melissa and her graduate husband, Landon.


Matt entertaining Graham.


Shad's sister Krystal and her husband Brandon were kind enough to put us up while we were down there. Here, Drake and Graham are watching a cartoon, while their cousin Spencer is still getting used to the idea of someone else in his space.


Landon's family threw Melissa a baby shower the Saturday morning we were there, because she was going to be moving to Arizona soon and they wanted to help her out before then. This is a "diaper cake" that Nelly so beautifully put together.


And this is a blanket pot of washcloth flowers.


My cousin, Rebecca, organized a "mini Pedersen reunion" for anyone that could make it. I think Melissa took these random shots of the get together. It was really fun to see a bunch of cousins that I haven't seen in a while.

I don't think Melissa had seen a camera before...

Drake and Graham crashed in Nathan's and Adrienne's bed at the end of a long weekend, shortly before we left to head back up to Pocatello. It was a fun trip--always nice to hang out with family.