Summer Vacation

Jack and I finally enjoyed some great weather in Idaho and Utah. It was so warm we enjoyed some days in the pool and Jack loved to show off his water skills:)

We also got to see the oldest Johnson cousin Dallin get married to Jessica. We are so excited for Dallin and look forward to getting to know Jessica better.

It was so much fun to spend some long lazy summer days with the cousins... but Jack had so much fun he never wanted to sleep! It's nice to be back in Washington... despite the cold weather... so Jack can get a decent night's sleep in his own bed.

Splashy Toes

Swim classes proved to be very successful for Jack and he met some great friends. Thanks Monica & Jason for taking great pictures of our last few classes together. Three muskateers, Jack, Gabi, and Auna-Joy all stopped taking lessons in May. The class will definitely be lacking in cuteness and skill now that these munchkins have left.

Here are the three after class waiting for their moms to get dressed!

And I just love the picture of Jack... he looks so grown up.

Just Like Mommy

So how do you get a precious face like this?

By applying some of mom's precious, very expensive anti-aging cream...

Wrong! He is born with the skin I am trying to recreate, so when I found Jack in my make-up bag smearing my $150 a jar face cream all over his face, I realized my son is now mobile and needs constant supervision. Not only do I realize he is mobile, but he can also open a jar. Seriously, I thought I had a few more months before that!

And I swear he knows when he is being mischievous. Shortly after I caught him doing this, it was time for a nap and as I laid down by him he had the biggest smirk on his face as he drifted off to sleep. What was he thinking about... ?

And just for the record, this was my absolute last splurge on beauty products.

Memorial Day

This year I was able to spend memorial day in Bremerton like I did every year growing up. My aunt Beverly is buried in a predominantly military cemetery and so each memorial day there is a ceremony that we like to eves drop on... mainly to hear the Twenty-one Gun Salute and Taps. It's always a race to get up there in the morning and then we spend a few minutes cleaning Beverly headstone and decorating with flowers. Because I'm from the great Northwest I've never really known why people associate Memorial day with BBQs... as you can see from the pictures it was wet and cold. (Jack did not enjoy the cold rainy weather.) So instead of a BBQ, we always opt for a great lunch inside a warm restaurant.

Splish Splash

Well I don't really bathe Jack in a miniature old-fashioned bath tub at home. These were photos taken at his six-month photo shoot, and I think they're worth posting.

Jack loves his bath--especially since I have started to bathe him in my parent's jacuzzi tub. While running the water he loves to sit underneath the faucet and let the water run down his back (yes he is a dork).

He also loves to lay down in the water and scream at the top of his lungs. He thinks he's speaking whale!

And finally the last video is a little long... but again it is more or less for Jared. Our blog is the best place for him to view videos of Jack.

Ab Workout for Infants

I've started some exercise classes with Jack. Just teasing! Jack seems to think he is big enough and strong enough to get up into a sitting position from flat on his back. It is pretty amusing to watch him struggle to get up and more or less looks like he is doing crunches.

The video is a little long... probably only Jared will enjoy since we temporarily can't Skype! And I promise Jack can roll around and scoot on his back... he just won't do it for the camera. I've tried many times to get him doing the worm but he just won't perform on camera. Stinker!

Pictures of Delaram, Afghanistan

Hi Kris,

The first 6 pics were taken on the base. There is a house that was occupied a year ago, but when the Marines came in they bought the family out and destroyed part of the house (not sure why) and built the base. Apparently a family of 14 lived in this house. It's hard to imagine 14 people living in these conditions, but I understand it's quite common for large family groups to live together in Afghanistan.

The house is made of mud and straw. There are a few pictures that show how the walls and ceiling were made. It was like taking a step back in time when we were walkng though it. It's quite interesting and humbling to see how these people live day to day. If by looking at these pictures you don't appreciate all we have in the US, I don't know what will.

I took a picture next to a flowering tree. It was quite pretty, and the former owner of the house was quite proud of it! Its actually the only flower I have seen out here.

The last couple pics are of a dead viper, and the patient that it bit. The guy seated was bit on the hand by the snake and we treated him. He stayed with us overnight and then we sent him home. He actually did fine. The other snake bite victim didn't fare as well, but I don't have pics of him.

Hope you enjoy. I need to take more pictures, but I forget my camera most of the time.

Love,

Jared