Summer Montage – 2015 (part three)

In true Dickey fashion, Mike made sure the kids spent some quality time out of doors this summer. Camping and hiking expeditions abounded. Mostly the boys were involved in these, but I did get to join on occasion (when I was feeling cooperative). MK was too busy trying to earn some cash. She missed out on many adventures this summer in the pursuit of the all-might dollar, thus her appearance is non-existent in the pictures below.

At the end of July, Mike went with his mom’s side of the family to their annual Yellowstone backpacking adventure. He offered the experience to both the boys, but only Jeffrey felt the inclination to go. Mike said he was an absolute trooper the whole time, even when he took a massive tumble that included an complete face plant. It seems his ginormous backpack sub par shoes got the better of him.

Jonathan stayed home with me and spent all his time whining about missing Jeffrey. It was both heart-breaking and heart-melting when Jonathan cried himself to sleep missing his brother each night. This missing wasn’t just one-sided. As soon as Jeffrey got home he ran down to the bedroom where Jonathan was trying to fall asleep and pounced on him. “My brother!”  Reunited at last! I think that was the longest stretch they have ever been apart. Mike said the separation was pretty rough for Jeffrey too. Kinda sweet, if you ask me.

Towards the end of summer we decided to hike up to the top of Mount Timpanogos again, but this time we brought the boys along. We had no idea how it would go. We picked a hot day to hike and the exertion and heat got the better of us
(read: the boys) at certain intervals, but we finally made it to the top! I was so proud of my boys and quite proud of myself too. That hike is gloriously beautiful but also long! It’s no easy feat to make it to the top and back. There may or may not have been some groaning and tears on that last stretch. Can’t say that I blame them!

The view at the top is always spectacular! The boys had fun trying to find our house, their school, the swimming pool etc. The world looks different from a high vantage point. I think we are so lucky to live in such a beautiful place. It makes you want to sing out, Maria Vontrapp fashion. I might have, actually.

My friend Heidi came too. It was certainly a memorable, summer day.

Summer Montage- 2015 (part two)

In the LDS church, summer always means youth activities galore! This year was extra fun in this regard for MK because she got to participate in her first Pioneer Trek. She had a fantastic experience. When she arrived home, caked in 3 days of sweat, grease and dirt, I asked her how it went. This was her response: “I loved every minute, of every hour, of every day!”

How’s that for a positive report? I have suspicions that the quality of the experience may have had something to do with these two handsome young men pictured below…

The boy on the left (Mark) was her “brother” in her Trek family and the boy on the right (Garrett), may or may not be a special “friend” of hers from school. These boys took good care of MK during Trek. The were true gentlemen in every sense of the word.

She also had a wonderful Ma and Pa and brothers and sisters. I’m sure that was part of the happy report as well. Don’t worry, she also reported that her experience was spiritually, not just socially positive.  I’m grateful our church goes to all the effort and expense to provide these positive, growing experiences for the youth. It’s such a nice perk!

Another summer perk is the visits from out-of-town family members. The Jones family came from Boston for the whole month of July. As a result there was lots of excuses for family gatherings  One such gathering was our annual Hyrum Dam Jet Ski day.

Jeffrey and Jonathan were reunited with cousins they miss all year.

Doesn’t this picture just scream “summer?”

Jeffrey and Bryn took about a dozen adventurous trips across the Dam in Grandpa’s kayak over to their secret “no adult’s allowed” island. It was very Swiss Family Robinson. Jonathan and Calvin found a secret place as well. Cousin relationships extra unique and fun.

I won the award for aunt of the year when I took Amelia and Ivy on a wild and crazy jet ski ride…

…and Mike won the best uncle/brother/son/dad/husband award for manning the jet skis so everyone could have fun. He spends so many hours of his summer doing that for lots of people. He’s a good one!

Summers are all about family reunions and this year was the Johnson family reunion. We have a big one every other year and this year was full of good times, as usual. These reunions are always a lot of work to plan and execute, but they are worth it when we finally all get together. Since we have gotten older and busier, we don’t get to see each other much at all and it’s nice to have an excuse to get together and reconnect. Those who aren’t able to come for some reason or another are always greatly missed.

I was on the planning committee this year and was in charge of T-shirts. Eric, Andrew and I collaborated and I think they turned out fabulously! Yeah?

There are 214 members of the Johnson family now. Of course not all of them were at the reunion (I never did get a final count of how many came this year), but we did get a pretty good group considering. It’s such a comfort and a blessing to be part of extended families. In a world full of billions of people, it’s nice to know that all 214 of the Johnson would have my back. I love these people more than anything and I’m so grateful for the common heritage we share.

Here we are in from of Great Great Grandpa Rais and Grandma Charlotte’s house in Beaver Dam, Utah.

Highlights of the reunion: Muggles Quiditch (as always), delicious food, relay games and Aggie ice cream on the quad, visiting significant sites around Cache Valley that are important in Grandma and Grandpa Johnson’s history, visiting and catching up, and of course the ice skating. That was a first and my little family loved it!

Summer Montage - 2015 (part one)

Summer was a crazy blink of an eye. I honestly don’t think I sat down once the entire three months. There is no doubt that we sucked the marrow out of this summer season, H.D. Thoreau style. We made many pleasant memories that hopefully won’t be completely forgotten if I take the time to record some of them here.
My kids are well into the new school year and thankfully all three have adjusted seamlessly (mostly). They are still talking about summer memories though, and that makes me happy. Summer can be challenging with very little breaks from being in each others company. Their chatter about the good times help me think maybe we did some things right.



First of all…hats off to Grandma Janice and Grandpa John! The Lagoon passes that were so generously given to all of us at Easter time have been one of the best highlights of our year, let alone summer. We have squeezed every drop out of those passes and have made some fantastic family memories. There was epic bonding happening in our immediate and extended family. I’m pretty sure that was my parent’s ultimate goal. I think you can count yourselves successful on that, Mom and
Dad! Thank you so, so much!




Jonathan was very selective about the rides he felt comfortable on. He would barely walk near a roller coaster but was totally okay with the mile-high Ferris wheel. I don’t get it. Being up that high freaks me out!


We discovered that Uncle Eric has some serious “Spill the Milk” skills. He won each of the boys a Minion singlehandedly.


Keeping kids busy is always a challenge in summer. I think we will always remember this as the summer of Pearler Beads and Harry Potter…


Every kid on our block (and maybe the next one over too) was at our house this summer, gathered around the table crafting with Pearler beads. Even I got into the action. My favorite creation was this family group we completed together. I love my mini skirt and naturally curly hair!



It actually got quite annoying, but the boys spent a good majority of their summer tracking down Mary Kate and begging her to read Harry Potter books out loud to them. She was incredibly busy, but I’m so grateful that she made the time to do this with her brothers. They loved every second of it! They even made it half way through book four before the summer ended. Now she is even more busy so we’ll see what happens.


Another major highlight of the summer for Mary Kate and I was going to the Utah Shakespeare Festival down in Cedar City with Grandma Janice. Mary Kate has such happy memories of Cedar City after going there every year with the school Shakespeare team. I have never been, so it was a special treat for me too. MK got to show me all her favorite spots and relive some happy memories with me. We had such a relaxing and enjoyable time. Lots of generational bonding going on. Thanks for the idea, Grandma!

While there saw fantastic productions of South Pacific and Taming of the Shrew. I honestly can’t tell you which one I enjoyed more. I’m leaning toward Shrew because it’s Shakespeare…you know.
Hopefully this is something we will do again.

The Sweetest 16

Summer, 2015 was a significant for Mary Kate...

…she had her 16th birthday!

Turning 16 is an important milestone in anyone’s life. Life changes when you’re sixteen.

It goes without saying that it’s been a little shocking to my system that I’m now the mother of a 16 year old who can drive and date and all that jazz. I can’t figure out how we arrived here so quickly? It seems like it moments ago when my baby girl was donning crooked ponytails, dripping popsicle juice on her shirt, and squealing with delight whenever Elmo’s World came on TV. Now look at this beautiful young women!

I don’t know how sixteen year olds are supposed to be, but this one is a pure delight. I have no idea what I did to deserve such a lovely spirit to be my daughter? This girl is a wonder. I hope that saying that doesn’t put too much pressure on her. I know it can be hard to live up to perceived expectations, especially parental ones, but I promise there aren’t any perfection illusions or expectation here. Of course she is human like the rest of us. She makes mistakes and struggles with life like we all do, but this girl brings so much joy into our home. She has a special something. I know that despite what life will bring and the challenges that will inevitable come, she will do great things.

Here are 16 things we love about MK, in no particular order…

1- She is sweet and patient with babies and children. They love her and she loves them.
2- She takes seriously and works hard at the most important things in life. She knows which things have true value.
3- She has a very pleasant and infectious laugh and she puts it to use often.
4- She is kind to everyone. She treats people how she would want to be treated.
5- She has a natural desire to do what is right and when she does wrong, she admits it. She is readily willing to say, “I’m sorry.”
6- She strives to stay in touch with things of the spirit and this is obvious when you’re around her.
7- She is adventurous and isn’t afraid to try new things. Even when she is afraid, she still goes for it.
8- She loves to learn and gets excited about gaining knowledge and putting it to good use.
9- She is so fun to watch on stage – she has a special talent for acting.
10- She delights us with her piano skills daily.
11- She is completely and shamelessly in love with the dog! It’s very sweet and entertaining.
12- She shares her personal life with us. As her parent, I can’t tell you how wonderful and valuable that aspect is.
13- She doesn’t give up. When things are hard, she keeps trying.
14- She has a beautiful smile that lights up any room she is in.  
15- She is trust worthy. When she isn’t here I don’t worry too much about what she is doing.
16- She is exceedingly patient with her nagging parents (especially her mom). She forgives us over and over. We so appreciate that quality because we are learning too and making mistakes left and right!

I have to admit that it has been a bit of a mama bear struggle to watch her learn to drive a car, go on dates, work her first job, start her junior year of High School… I feel such a feeling of desperation that time is flying by too quickly and soon she will be off on her own. I want to soak up all the time we have with her close by.

I just love this girl so very much. I hope she can feel that love and know that we will always be here for her, no matter what.

Heading to her surprise 16th birthday party.

Party guest-- and such good friends!

The braces are finally off. Hallelujah!

She has a drivers licenses! (Someday the story of her hitting the parked car one day after she got her license will be funny).

Asked to her first Homecoming dance.

Happy sixteen Mary Kate!

In October of 2012 something life changing happened to me. I was issued a calling by Bishop Brian J. Anderson to be the Relief Society President of the Garden 2nd Ward.

I knew the calling was coming before it came. The spirit was kind enough to give me a little heads-up and I was so grateful for the forewarning; but it wasn’t enough to soften all the blow. As soon as I left the bishop’s office after accepting the assignment I instantly felt overwhelmed (read: I completely freaked out!)

I became even more overwhelmed after the out-going Relief Society President came over to “train” me. She had a car load of stuff and over two years worth of important information to try and transfer to me. After our 4 hour summit I remember standing in the middle of the piles of books, boxes, files, and manuals and weeping. Our ward is a wonderful community of church members but it also has many unique challenges. I knew this before the calling was issued so I knew I was in for an experience. I wasn’t concerned about my level of desire to accept the calling (I was willing), but I had serious worries about whether or not I had what it took to do the job. I was wondering what God could be thinking, giving this calling to someone as limited and unknowledgeable as myself.

Turns out I was right to have concerns.

Luckily though, there is this special something called a ‘setting apart.’ After the sustaining of the calling by ward members in Sacrament meeting (I was so grateful they all raised their hands in a show of support); I was brought into a little room. There, men who hold the Priesthood placed their hands on my head and gave me a beautiful and powerful blessing. At that moment I felt something very tangible happen to me. I instantly felt powerful feelings of love and an increase in capacity that were way beyond anything I could ever muster on my own. I knew I had been given gifts from my Father in Heaven that would help me in the responsibilities He was issuing to me. Those strong feelings of love (His love) I felt for every sister in our ward were real and tangible. It was something that is hard to explain, but very powerful. It’s those feelings of love that were the motivation and energy I needed.

What followed in those next 2 years and 8 months were certainly challenges, but mostly blessings that I will never forget and forever be grateful for.

There is no way that I could even begin to remember or capture all of the significant experiences I had and lessons I learned while serving as Relief Society President. I could never write down all the blessings, both large and small. There were challenges too, and stress and tears and heartache. Those things were important as learning experience as well. I wish I would have been better at keeping track along the way, but I wasn’t. There were lots of things I had to cut out to make everything fit.

Here in this space I did want to share a few things of significance though. Things that impressed me the most…

1- This is something I knew before, but I had it reinforced to me hundreds of times over and more powerfully than ever before… that Heavenly Father most certainly loves his daughters. He knows them, He cares, He is aware of everything, He is in the details. He knows our hearts, our thoughts, our loved ones, our challenges, our joys, our lives. He wants us to have help and support in this experience and when we are willing to serve and when we ask for His inspiration and guidance, He will send us to the people who need us most. I saw this reality over and over again (almost everyday) during my time of service. This is very real and significant knowledge. I know we hear this all the time, but we are truly His hands. When we open our eyes to see, we will surely see how He works in our lives because of His infinite love and by means of our love for each other. Even the smallest service is significant and important. I’m surrounded by loving and inspired women who serve God by serving others and it’s one of the most powerful things that can ever by witnessed.

2- People are what matter to Him. Not numbers, not statistics, not check lists…people. All of us individually and all of us as a group matter to Him. Serving well is loving people. No good service takes place without love. He can give us that love if we ask for it. I’m so grateful for Relief Society and it’s vital emphasis on coming to Christ for His love and then using that love to serve our brothers and sisters.

3- When God gives you a task to complete, He gives you the help you need to complete it. I’ve learned this lesson most significantly through the dedicated and faithful service of my wonderful counselors, Relief Society board members, and the men who hold the Priesthood who have been such a fantastic support. And most importantly, through my dedicated and faithful husband who has been with me every step of the way. (My children were pretty patient too. I was gone a lot!)

My relationships with these sisters in the photo’s below are so dear to me now, and will be forever. When people work together, magic happens.

 
Left to Right:  Kara Hogan – secretary, Lori Baird – 2nd counselor, Shauna Golightly – 1st counselor

Later a new addition: Tiffani Wells as secretary

 
And even later: My new 2nd counselor after Lori moved away – Camber Hess (and her daughter, Mary)

4- Life is incredibly challenging for every single person, but people are strong and good. When we meet our challenges well, we add to a collective energy of goodness that extends to the people around us. I’ve seen so many examples of strength and fortitude in the face of extreme difficulty. The world is a good place, full of good people meeting their challenges the best they know how. Compassion, understanding and love is what is most needed in the world. Judgment, condemnation, smallness and anger are not helpful. It is hard enough without all that. It is true that ‘charity never faileth!’ I’m so grateful to be part of a vast organization of women who take that truth to heart and live it!

I know we receive callings to serve others, but this calling has mostly been a blessing for me. The things I’ve mentioned here are only a few. There are so many more profound lesson I learned. I’m so grateful to my Heavenly Father that He blessed me with the chance to serve and who gave me the capacity needed to do so. I made plenty of mistakes and didn’t do it all perfectly of course, but I don’t have too many regrets, I’m just grateful…so grateful for every blessing along the way.

Alisa

I hope it’s okay that I stole this photo of Alisa from her blog? I think it captures her so perfectly.
This is the Alisa I want to remember - that big, beautiful smile on her face and the beauties of this glorious earth surrounding her. Love the hat too.

After I got home from her inspirational funeral service last Saturday, I felt the desire to revisit her blog. I wanted to read it from start to finish. I’m not all the way to the end yet (very close). It has been an amazing and emotional experience to read her words once again; this time straight through from post to post and knowing now the outcome. I find myself wishing terribly that she was still here so I could take the opportunity to properly thank her for being so willing to put herself out there and keep her blog going through all those years of pain and joy. What an incredible gift she has given us through her words and photographs! I’m grateful for her unique ability to show such honesty and transparency. She was so real. There have been many tears, reliving of beautiful memories, and some good laughs as I’ve been reading through; but mostly there is profound love and gratitude for this beautiful cousin of mine.

I will never be able to do justice to my feelings as I record them here. I don’t have the gift for expressing with words like Alisa has, but I want to at least try to say what I feel because I don’t want to forget. I don’t want my family to forget the very beautiful and important lessons that can be learned from being part of and observing a life well lived…a life like Alisa’s. She has left a legacy of faith and hope. I’m sure I will be drawing from her strength and example as long as I remain here on this planet.

There is a beautiful pattern that becomes clearly apparent as you read about Alisa’s thoughts, feelings and actions as she  records her experiences through her greatest challenge…her battle with cancer.

I see a pattern of choices.

Life handed Alisa a challenge, that by it’s very nature, presented her with many, many an experience with fear, anxiety, pain, bitterness, anger, sadness, despair, hopelessness, fatigue, and depression. She came face to face with the darker side of what this life can dish out and she grappled with that relentless ‘natural man’ that’s part of all of us. Throughout her experience she was most certainly presented many an opportunity to give up on faith, hope and God. She deeply felt it all and was certainly enticed by those despairing options many times over.

Knowing the extreme difficultly inherent in the challenges she faced, I don’t believe anyone would have really blamed her if she permanently gave into those darker options…but, ultimately she did not…and there-in lies what I feel is the greatest lesson Alisa has taught me.

Yes, she experienced all those terrible things (and so much of her strength was in her ability to be transparently open and honest about those experiences) but in the end, those aren’t the things she ultimately chose to embrace. Throughout her experience you can plainly see her solid determination to continue to choose, again and again, the opposite of all those things - she very deliberately and continuously chose love, beauty, courage, kindness, determination, compassion, service, happiness, gratitude, mercy, joy, wonder, work, bravery, and most importantly…faith and hope in God. Oh, how I love her for this! How I love her for sharing her choices with us and showing us how to do the same with strength and grace!

In doing so she demonstrated to us, one day at a time, the reasons why it’s important to experience both the dark and the light, but to continuously choose the light. At the end of Alisa’s life we all had the privilege of seeing the cumulative results of all those courageous and consistent choices. We have the blessing of seeing what she ultimately became (and what I’m sure she will continue to become) as she made each and every choice to turn to goodness and to God.

As we observed her, and as we read her words concerning her challenges from the beginning to the end, we saw a transformation take place that was very real and very tangible. I believe that this is the very change we have all come here to have take place in us. The opportunity to experience Alisa’s life in even a small measure has given me greater courage and hope that this kind of change can be possible for me too, if only I continue to do what she did--- when faced with the dark I want to choose light--- and love, beauty, courage, kindness, determination, compassion, happiness, gratitude, mercy, joy, wonder, bravery and most importantly---faith and hope in God. Just like Alisa did.

My heart is full of gratitude now, to have known Alisa and to be a part of her life even in a small way. I feel the same way about her husband Josh, her three beautiful boys, her mom and dad, sisters and brothers, nieces and nephews. I feel gratitude for all of these loved ones who continue to set the same example as Alisa has.

Moroni 7…
For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God…

…Wherefore, I beseech of you, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ...

…And now I come to that faith, of which I said I would speak; and I will tell you the way whereby ye may lay hold on every good thing…

…For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting, behold, he sent angels to minister unto the children of men, to make manifest concerning the coming of Christ; and in Christ there should come every good thing.

Thank you Alisa. I love you.

A tender mercy for me: One of my favorite days of all time was spent with Alisa. Such a precious memory for me, even more-so now.
Bagatelle Gardens – Paris, France – April 2009

Winter Round Up

Today was a most beautiful spring day; blue sky, light breeze, temperatures in the 70”s, blossoms on the trees outside my window. It even smelled beautiful outside. Winter is basically over and I’m glad, but I don’t think any of us in the west have much room to complain when it comes to this winter. It’s been extra mild this year. I think it’s still snowing back east as of today, but I promise I’m not trying to rub it in east-coasters.

I haven’t blogged much about our winter activities this year. I thought for recording purposes I would just recap some things from our winter so we can file away the memories and jump into spring (my favorite season).

Reflection pool at Temple Square

Christmas was lovely (and busy). So busy in fact, that I didn’t record hardly any of it. I barely even used a camera. We did have a lovely holiday season though. We did all the traditional things…temple square, neighborhood bonfire, MoTab Christmas concert (with the boys this year), Christmas Eve at my parents, etc. On Christmas day we attempted to travel up north to visit family, but a winter storm forced us to turn around so we went back home and made chicken noodle soup for those family who are close by.

Christmas Eve PJ’s

Santa came

At the beginning of December the kids had a piano recital. They worked like crazy on their songs. The boys did a duet; a version of Jingle Bells. They quite hate duets, but I quite love watching them play together so I force them to do one every once in a awhile. MK even did a duet with her teacher…an amazing version of Chop Sticks which included some fancy moves and running around the piano bench.

I already did a blog post about MK’s play and about skiing, but they are worth mention again because both were activities that filled up much of our winter and brought lots of fun times and memories with them. Mike took the kids skiing last Saturday and I’m pretty sure it will be their last ski of the season.

 
Wizard of Oz songs and references have been heard at our house all winter long

 

February was crazy busy, but I managed to pull off our family Valentine’s Day dinner, and we made sure to find time for love notes. These notes are what has made Valentine’s Day my new favorite holiday. I love when my kids are sweet to each other.

The boys will be 11 years old in two weeks (what the??) and they finished the requirements for their Arrow of Light award just in time. They have officially moved on to 11 year old Scouts. They have loved Cub Scouts and have been lucky to have great  leaders who have helped them along the way (since their mother isn’t much use in this area). Now Mike is their Scout leader and they couldn’t be happier about that.

A couple weeks ago, Mike and I celebrated our 19th anniversary. We took a quick trip down south to Escalante (Calf Creek Falls), Capital Reef National Park and ate at Hell’s Backbone Grill. We’ve done this trip before for our anniversary and liked it so much we went for a repeat. Maybe we’ll make it a tradition. Southern Utah is perfect in March! (Thanks to Mom and Dad for coming down and entertaining the kids while we were gone)

These were the major highlights of our winter. It really was a pleasant one. My walking partner Heidi and I walked outside most of the season, only having to resort to the track a handful of times. I tried to soak in all the sunshine while it was around. That’s what I’m trying to do in life right now, just trying to soak in all that is good and calm, because life is good.