Family Feastin' & Fun

Unfortunately, we rarely get to spend time with the "other Johnsons," so we were thrilled they made the long trek to southern California for a visit.

After all the feasting, time at the park seemed like a great way to burn some calories!

Why go down the slide one at a time, when all four can tumble down at the same time?
Lyla doesn't let her age prevent her from roughhousing with the big kids.
The Thanksgiving weather was perfect, the setting was beautiful, and the company was even better.

Hanging out with all these girls is so exhausting!
This foursome has the energy of about ten kids, so a dance party seemed like a great idea.

Unsure if Papa enjoys the dog piling, but the grandkids sure do! Papa doesn't look too annoyed!

Papa got a Wii for his birthday, so the kids tested it out. Braden took the game very seriously.

Is this an appropriate game for a 4-year-old? At least he was pretending to hunt animals, not people.

So much for settling the kids down...Gramma pulled her famous move and squirted whipped cream in the kids' mouths.

Pilgrim Pride

Braden's preschool hosted a Thanksgiving program for parents. He was decked out in a pilgrim costume he made and proudly belted out a song with the other kids.

Braden realized how much he loves Thanksgiving after scarfing down two plates of turkey at the luncheon.

Smart Cookie

We are experiencing record breaking November heat, so summer is on our minds! Braden comes up with word everyday to spell out in cookies for his lunch. Today's word seemed quite fitting for the 95 degree day!

Braden only needed help with adding a second 'm' to the word...he'll be smarter than us pretty soon!

Once a Marine, Always a Marine

Deja vu? Braden thought it would be a great idea to dress as a marine again this year, so we happily obliged. May as well get our money's worth out of the costume!

Braden enjoyed a donut breakfast at his preschool's harvest festival.

What a tough-looking cutie!
He found an ideal spot to hide from his buddies, Spiderman and Woody.
Looking handsome in his recycled costume...
Sporting camo shades, Braden walked in the parade with a bunch of stormtroopers, Buzz Lightyears, and princesses.

Braden's buddy, Tate, couldn't determine who was under the hat...His friend finally yelled, "Hey everyone, I figured it out....it's Braden!!"

Braden was thrilled to go back to his old preschool for their harvest festival. He really misses Ms. Tricia and was so excited to see her!

This pretty much sums up this threesome's friendship. Hudson and Braden put Addison on a pedestal and simply adore her. This little princess is the leader of the pack!

Love how Addison doesn't let a frilly dress get in the way of tumbling around with the boys!

There's just something about her!

Unsure how Braden ended up looking more like a clown than a tough marine with war paint...

This marine didn't miss an opportunity to perform stunts for his friends.

Seeing Fireman Daniel at the festival was an added bonus. Braden is looking forward to riding dirt bikes with Daniel in the desert!

A Day at the Farm

Beautiful sunshine provided a break from the rain, so we headed to Tanaka Farms in Irvine to enjoy harvest season.

Apparently Sponge Bob even likes to hang out at the pumpkin patch. Braden insisted I take a photo of him.

Braden displayed how he could do a better job scaring away the crows...
All I hoped for was one nice photo on top of the haystack by the fall surroundings. Braden took the whole fall thing to a whole new level though!

Braden tumbled down the haystack & over some pumpkins. Happy Fall!

He brushed himself off and he was off to the petting zoo.

This little guy got quite friendly with Braden.

This is the turn-the-camera-off-so-I-can-just-enjoy-chilling-with-the-animals-smile.

Guess even goats love ice cream cones...as long as they're filled with tasty goat treats.

Braden took home the infamous carnival game prizes, including an obnoxious whistle that he blew incessantly until it fell apart. We had to explain to him that prizes are cheap and only last as long as the car ride home.

After searching high and low, Braden found the perfect pumpkin to take home. Matt promised him I'd bake a delicious homemade piumpkin pie...that's funny.

Cooped Up

Braden and I have the same thoughts on the rain...We pay a fortune to live in southern California, so we should have sunshine 365 days a year. The weekend brought 2 days of relentless sprinkles, but we made the most of it.

We are in the process of remodeling our house, so this was the best I could do to create a movie theatre for Braden...my laptop on the couch so he could watch a DVD.

Braden got bored...
and then delirious...

There's no proof a kid will catch a cold from playing in the rain...and even if Braden does, it was worth it! Braden got wet & muddy...but more importantly, he was worn out & happy after cruising to the park and back on his scooter!

Merry Matrimony

There are tons of Kinnons, which means tons of weddings...that's a good thing because weddings are a great excuse to see our family! Erin and Garrett chose a perfect San Diego day to say their vows.

Congratulations Garrett and Erin!

Cheers! Braden loved toasting!

It's inevitable...family pictures that we dread taking as much as when we were kids! For some reason, we chose this blase background rather than the beautiful palm trees outside.

The pain of taking the pics is usually worth it though...parents love photos of their kids, even though we are all old now!

The bigger the group gets, the tougher it gets for all of us to look happy...better this than nothing though!

Tour de No Training Wheels

Braden must take after his Daddy because he picks up on new skills quite quickly. We told him we would take his training wheels off when he turned 4, and he held us to that promise.

Braden was off and cruising without hesitation. I was quite impressed with how fast he was able to learn how to ride without training wheels.

Just like his Daddy, Braden is a total people-watcher....this may get him into some trouble while trying to perfect his cycling skills.
Guess I've found my workout partner!

This show-off makes looking cute so easy too!

Two Little Monkeys...Jumping in a Cage?

Uncle Billy, Aunt Maria, and Grandma Judy watched Charley, Braden, and Miles and this is the only lousy picture I got? I realize 3 rowdy boys can be difficult and exhausting, but is there something wrong with this picture? By the way, where's Miles??

Braden seems to be having a blast playing in Jade and Hunter's crate. Hmmm, we have a few extra crates at home that could come in handy!

Rebel Without a Cause

Braden has certainly developed a sense of independence and strong opinions. After all, he is 4 now!

Braden cruised into the house on his scooter. His justification? He knows we are replacing the floors soon, so he said it didn't matter if he ruined the existing floor.

We began to think the temporary tattoo Gramma put on Braden's arm was not-so-temporary. After more than a week of trying to scrub it off in the bath, the tattoo didn't budge! Even rubbing alcohol had a hard time getting it off. Braden now points out everyone he sees with "real tattoos".....that should be a battle I won't have to think about for many years, I hope!

Our style-setter decided it is cool to wear shoes like this...not practical at all, but neither are stilettos.