PURPLE BEANS AND MAGIC!!!

The family favorite---Purple Beans! My children loved these growing up and even today they love coming to our house for tacos. I forget how weird they must be to others. This is a JOHNSTON tradition....kidney beans from the can (sometimes we throw in a can of black beans, partially blended, with lots of medium or sharp cheddar cheese added, heat or bake and serve with tacos. I do not know who originated this but we have had these for many many years.

Mia came to town for a brief visit and we got everyone together for tacos and purple beans! Friday morning was Red Ribbon Day at East Layton and we had a great magician come....Mike Hamilton. Mia, Easton, Brighton and Brooklyn came to our assembly. Easton loves doing magic tricks so I knew he would love watching this truly fun magic show. After the show, Easton, Brighton and Brooklyn all got to hold his magic dove, CD, "Compact Dove" because he could fold up in the magician's pocket. Mike Hamilton made a table float, had a really amazing magic hat, and also made Chief appear, mascot of the Blaze Football Team!

We had ONE super-packed fun day with the Bischoffs!

FALL IN OMAHA

Flying with Miles to Omaha is a very up and down adventure! Mia greeted us with gift baskets in our beautifully decorated rooms and made a special towel for Miles!
The first day we walked around Lake Zurinski...
and went to "VALA's Pumpkin Patch." (Pack's Pumpkin Patch on STEROIDS!) It is amazing. Here we are at the pig races! They had great activities everywhere for every age and it was the most beautiful fall day in the rolling hills of the midwest.
Brighton on the go!
Many unique animals to pet and feed...Hayrides!The PUMPKIN MAN! The next day we made Haunted Houses....no time to waste! We also went to ARBOR DAY FARM, a beautiful tribute to trees and nature and apples and tree houses....
a beautiful long walk through the forest and glen. We saw wildlife!
Played in tree houses and took a break in hammocks. Played music in nature, ate apples, and bought an apple pie! Oh, time to go...Papa is tired...Thanks Bruce and Mia for a wonderful time. There was so much more but this is way too long.

PONDERING, PACK'S PUMPKIN PATCH, & PRIESTHOOD

Which are real? I love white pumpkins! I am also loving that it is Fall.

Watching conference this Saturday, (October 4th ) made me think back to 35 years ago. . . I had just come home from the hospital with my very first baby, a beautiful baby girl named, Mia. As I was rocking her and watching conference, a very powerful spirit came over me. My tears started to fall because I was so happy that she had been born under the covenant and that I had made the right choices. I felt so blessed to be sealed to her and Michael. I realized that my life would have been so different without the gospel. It was a very tender time. The speakers were equally powerful this Saturday. It is hard to believe that time has passed so rapidly and that this baby girl is now a beautiful mom herself!

Pack's Pumpkin Patch in west Farmington is a fun place to take your grandkids. There is a mini straw bale maze as well as a corn maze, funny characters, straw hats to wear, and pumpkins galore to pick.

P.S. There are also many mosquitoes who loved biting Presley on her eye! So Sorry, . . . we were having so much fun that we didn't know they were after her!

The girls love meeting the guys for dinner before Priesthood. The men go off to church and we shop and get gelato! Thanks for including us.

We also loved having Carly and Oliver watch conference with us. They have NO TV!

HAPPY SHOES!

These are Maeve's shoes and I have always liked them...

So when we saw these on sale at Lolabella's, she told me I had to buy them....

I DID!

They felt great in the store, but when I tried to wear them, they were tight so I told Maeve to wear them and stretch them out for me. Hers fit me perfectly. We traded for a while. Soon both pair were in my closet! Does this mean I get to have both which feel perfectly comfortable now? Did Maeve just forget to take hers? I don't know but I am wearing both of them and this is what is happening...

MEN ask me where I got my shoes....no kidding.

TEENIE BOPPERS ask me where I got my shoes.

PEOPLE IN CARS stop in the middle of the road and ask me where I got my shoes. (This really happened while I was doing bus duty in front of my school!)

But the funniest thing is that all the kids at school call them my "HAPPY SHOES!" (after a hug of course).

SPECIAL DAY, SPECIAL GIRL, SPECIAL DRESS

Saturday was a special day, Brea was baptized by her father, Micah. Her grandfathers were the witnesses. Afterwards, her uncles, grandfathers, and close family friends stood in the circle while Micah confirmed her and gave her the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Brea is a special girl. She is always a peace maker and cares about everyone and their feelings. She is careful to obey and follow the rules. Her prayers are heartfelt and full of the spirit. We all love her very much!
Brea wore a special dress to go into the waters of baptism. It is the same dress that Mia, Maeve, and Carly wore when they were baptized. We are exccited for the day when Brighton, Halle, Brooklyn, and Presley will all wear it.

THE NON BLOGGER

I have been a non-blogger for over a month and this is why...

We held a Bountiful 4th Ward reunion with the bishop of my childhood, Bishop Johnson, who was also a lifelong friend of my parents. He paid tribute to them all evening.
I held a retreat for my East Layton faculty at the beautiful Young Family Cabin which is between Morgan and East Canyon.
Brea, Presley Beth, and Halle came and played at the cabin while Carly took their pictures.

I read books to Miles after his bath!

We celebrated the birthdays of Brea, Glo, Micah and Maeve.....and a 37th wedding anniversary.
I taught Miles to drink from a cup. Miles and Maeve lived with me for 3 weeks while Brad labored on remodeling their home.

SCHOOL has started and 65 children decided to enroll the two weeks before school began! Then 7 more showed up on the first day....they just kept coming. I had to hire a new teacher last week and set up a new classroom. On top of all this. Michael and I have been making salsa from our tomatoes and peppers almost every night.

CASE CLOSED.