Idyllwild Wildlife

OK, so wooden raccoons aren't exactly wildlife, but Braden sure got a kick out of them. Braden's Gramma and Papa were excited to tell us their little animal-lover grandson was obsessed with the Blue Jays, squirrels, and every animal they spotted up in the mountains of Idyllwild.

Braden loved greeting the "coons" on Gramma and Papa's deck.

Raccoons have the reputation for being mean, but that sure didn't stop Braden from kissing them!

Raging Waters

Grandparents have a way of letting grandchildren get away with all kinds of things. Take bathtime, for example....

Well, this cute face looks innocent enough.

The picture proves it....it was all Kendall's fault that any rough housing began in the tub!
Braden wasn't about to let his cousin get the best of him!
Guess Gramma had to put her foot down so that the whole bathroom didn't get flooded. It was hard to take Gramma's rules seriously. Braden just couldn't resist getting revenge!

Rock Star

Lots of parents have to deal with their kids going through a rebellious stage. We didn't anticipate having to go through it so soon! Braden got a hold of Matt's drumsticks and had a blast hitting everything in sight. Guess this is why parents hope their children want to play the piano or soccer or anything but the drums! I figured the box of baby wipes would be a safe option he could pound on without causing much harm! This mullet wig was handy because we just attended a costume party, so it made a nice touch! Braden just looked like he should be playing in a garage band in a small, podunk town in the Midwest.

I am leaning toward many professions besides a rock star for Braden. He does make a pretty cute drummer though!

He doesn't really look like the type of drummer that would play in a marching band. That's what I am hoping for to keep him out of trouble!
The bushy sideburns and long hair kind of put a cramp in his style. He was able to continue rocking out though. This sure tired him out for bedtime!

Dr. Braden Johnson

Will it be Braden Johnson, DDS or DVM? Our little animal lover was insistent on making sure all his animals brushed their teeth before bedtime. He even made the sound effects of teeth getting brushed. Some of the animals were fortunate enough to get their ears cleaned out with the toothbrush. Fortunately, Braden didn't think it was necessary to use toothpaste.

Very diligent he didn't miss a tooth, Braden may make a good dentist or veterinarian.

Braden finished off by giving his teeth one last brushing. He didn't seem to mind the animal fuzz stuck to the bristles.

Girls Are From Venus, Boys Are From Mars

My good friend Julie was in town for a visit, so we figured getting together at the park with our children would be a great opportunity for them to play and for us to catch up. Braden wasn't quite sure what to think of this 3-year-old girl. And Cherise was pretty skeptical about Braden too. After all, he is loud and very active....and she is, well, quite the opposite!

Looks like Braden was trying to swing higher than Cherise. He was just checking out his playdate, probably wondering about this whole idea of hanging out with a girl.

Still kind of keeping their distance....
Ok, so it was time to show Cherise that Braden could keep up with an older girl.
After Cherise & Braden enjoyed running around in the 100 degree weather at the park, we figured they could wind down at Barnes & Noble. Julie's story-telling skills put mine to shame. Seriously, she should consider doing it professionally! She kept Braden's attention for about 15 seconds, and then he was off......
Why does the book store sell stuffed toys, train sets, and all kinds of things to distract Braden from concentrating on the real reason we went there in the first place? He successfully rearranged the whole stuffed toy section, but I don't really think Barnes & Noble will be offering him a job any time soon. I am pretty sure those chances were shot once he started crawling under the tables and climbing up the bookshelves.
Keeping a safe distance from each other, they actually sat on the same bench for just long enough to snap a picture. Then Braden continued pestering sweet Cherise. Hopefully when the time comes for Braden to be interested in girls, he will have picked up on better flirting techniques. He has about 20 years before he has to worry about that though!
Girls and boys really are different......Cherise was quietly enjoying her book while.....
Braden was drinking and spilling some iced tea.
Mellowing out at home, Braden really did enjoy the book that Julie and Cherise bought for him!

Paparrazzi

I distinctly recall hating when my parents would take our pictures when we were younger. As I got older, I'd see parents with cameras strapped around their necks and I'd feel sympathy for their children.....Fast forward a few years, and I have turned into that parent! However, my justification is that Braden will appreciate all of this later in life! And we will enjoy his photos forever too! Just a few recent pictures....

Ok, so maybe Braden is a little tired of seeing the camera all the time. He probably figures he should at least be getting paid for having to put up with all the flashes going off! It appears as if he just wants to say,"Talk to the hand, Mom!"

Braden loved giving bear hugs...until he noticed all the ants on this tree!
Is it possible to not love this face?!
and this face....
and this one...
and this one....
this one...
and last, but not least,.....
Being a celebrity is pretty tiring....

Olympic Games, Summer 2024

Although it has been a century since golf has been included in the Olympics, Braden is jumping on the bandwagon to bring the sport back. Jett gave Braden a golf set to start polishing his skills, and Braden obviously loves his new clubs. The Olympic athletes have amazing dedication and skills, so Braden figures he should start putting in the time and effort to the sport now.

Braden delayed his bedtime by putting in a bit of practice in the family room.

The driver seemed like the right club for this shot. Braden practiced his serious, pensive look.
Ah, man! Hate those sand traps...or the couch at this particular course.
Braden heard that true golfers live, eat, & sleep golf......
Guess he's off to a pretty good start!

Johnson Beach

Since we all had so much fun hanging out at the beach this summer, Braden was very excited about getting this cool water & sand table. He diligently referred to the directions and finally pieced it all together. I thought this was the perfect activity for him to participate in so that we could get some yard work done. He would just contently splash the water and play with the sand mold. Matt insisted the sand was a bad idea. C'mon, how messy could a little bit of sand be? On the picture on the box the table came in, the kids didn't get even one speck of sand outside the table! We have sand in our planters, the pool, the patio,......

Braden was quite the busy boy trying to use two screwdrivers at one time. He attempted to use the drill every now and then too.

Mr. Mischief was holding a mold full of sand and trying to discreetly throw it in the flowers.
This one headed in the pool....
One scoop of sand over the face just for good measure!

Rock a Bye Baby

Braden noticed that the swing he used as a baby was just sitting in the spare room collecting dust, so he figured he would just make sure it still works. He must have climbed in the swing in a matter of about 5 seconds because that is about how long I had my head turned. He couldn't quite figure out how to get his legs through, but he quickly learned how to make it swing him back and forth.

Braden and I cut a deal....Considering there is a weight limit on the swing, I took him to the park and told him his stuffed animals could play in this swing. He seemed pretty content with that compromise!

Like Father, Like Son

Apparently, Braden has been trying to talk his Daddy into buying a motorcycle......that's according to Matt, of course. Guess we would just strap a car seat on the back of the Harley and the boys would go for a ride?!

Matt told Braden he needed a helmet before he could go for a ride, so this is what Braden came up with.....a strainer from the salad spinner! He is practicing the expression he will have the first time he gets on the back of Daddy's bike!

Braden's Best Buds

We have discovered that getting together with friends definitely got a lot more difficult once we all had children. So, having a bbq at our house with everyone seemed like a perfect solution. All the kids would play contently and all the adults could catch up with each other......boy, are we naive or what?! Actually, it was great to chat with friends in bits and pieces in between the children yelling and running and, of course, most of all they were doing lots of playing!

Jett and Braden have a fascination with the pool. Splashing from the sidelines just wasn't satisfying enough to our boys!

So, Keily and Drake gladly took Jett and Drake in the pool.
We aren't quite sure why we bother, but this was our best attempt at a group picture of Keily, Colt, Drew, Luke, Drake, Braden, and Jett. Despite the fact that the picture didn't turn out great, this was even a feat to accomplish. Braden and Jett were bribed with a brownie, and Jett is feeding some to Braden here. At one point we brought Pepper out to get the kids' attention. 2 words describe that scenario.....Bad Idea!! She leaped from couch to couch to couch with the children sitting on them in shear terror!
Braden was actually sharing one of his favorite rides with Jett. He was just making sure Jett's hat was adjusted before he went for a cruise around the kitchen.
Just to document in writing, KEILY IS BRADEN'S FUTURE BABYSITTER. WE HAVE DIBS ON HER! She is amazing with children and Braden obviously loves her. We need to rush the whole potty training thing along because the rule is Braden has to be out of diapers for her to babysit. Thanks Keily and Drake for doing such an awesome job entertaining the kids!
Braden seems a bit puzzled by the fact that a 10-year-old could fit in his fire truck, so to eliminate any squabbles over it......

He just jumped right in with Jett and shut the door. Atta boy! Love it when they share!