30th birthday surprise!

My wonderful (and sneaky) husband has been busy these past few months planning a surprise celebration for my 30th birthday. On Saturday morning, a few of my close friends showed up at my door to take me away for a day full of fun and surprises. The biggest surprise was seeing my friend, Steph. I do not get to see her very often since she lives in Nashville, TN, so she was the last person I expected to see at my door. I was so happy she made the long trip back to Iowa for the occasion. The girls ended up taking me out for lunch and then to the spa for an afternoon of pampering. On Saturday evening, the guys joined us for a nice dinner at the Latin King. It was a very special day spent with very special people. I am thankful to Jay for planning everything. He did a great job!

Surprise! Great friends! I love my boys! Lunch at Panera At the spa Pedicures!

Another surprise! I was very excited when my sister showed up with Avree and Emmersen!

38 weeks and counting...

36 weeks

Here are a few pictures taken at 36 weeks. (The second picture was taken with my sister-in-law, Tricia, who is 4 weeks behind me). I had a doctor's appointment last Friday and the doctor told me I was dilated to 1 cm. At this point, I know it doesn't mean much, but it does tell me the end is in sight!

Emmersen's Baptism

Emmersen Faith Melhus was baptized on Sunday, March 6, 2011 at the Liberty United Methodist Church in Liberty, MO. Emmersen did so well during the entire service and she didn't seem to mind when the pastor put water on her head as she was being baptized. After the service, we all went to Matt and Brittany's house for brunch. It was a special day for a special little girl and I am very honored to be Emmersen's godmother. I look forward to watching her and big sister, Avree, grow up together.

Great Wolf Lodge

The Johnson family headed down to Kansas City this past weekend to spend time with my family at the Great Wolf Lodge. The Great Wolf Lodge is a family resort with a large, indoor water park. It is a perfect getaway for families looking for a break from winter.

We arrived on Friday night just in time for an hour of swimming, which was followed by watching the kids run around and play together in the hotel room. While the kids were having fun jumping from bed to bed and loading up on sugar, the adults enjoyed a card game of pitch. Saturday was filled with more swimming. Jack had a blast playing in the kiddie pool and going down the water slides. He also had fun with Daddy in the big pool where he was able to swim on his own, thanks to his new swim float. While the kids napped on Saturday afternoon, the girls went shopping while the boys played more card games. On Saturday night, the whole family enjoyed dinner at T-Rex, a dinosaur themed restaurant geared towards families. We ended the weekend on Sunday morning with Emmersen's Baptism, followed by brunch at Matt and Brittany's house. It was a great ending to a fun weekend of quality family time.

Jack and Daddy having fun in the water

The boys and the kids posing for a picture in the kiddie pool Grandpa with Jack and Avree

Jack had a lot of fun going down the water slides

The big kids playing a game of pitch

Grandma and Grandpa

Brittany with Emmersen in her little swimming suit!

Sliding head first to Grandpa

Avree and Kaiya posing for a picture in their matching outfits

Dinner at T-Rex

The kids sharing one slushie with three straws!

A picture with the dinosaur (whom Jack thought was Barney!)

Jack's new room

We finished Jack's new bedroom a few weeks ago and I think it turned out great! Below are a few pictures. We officially moved Jack into his "big boy" room last week and it hasn't been going the greatest. It takes him over an hour to fall asleep for his naps. He usually spends this hour playing....and then he falls asleep on the floor! And then at night time, he stands at the door and cries for Mommy and Daddy. I am hoping this week will go better for us. I think we are all a little sleep-deprived because of this transition! Jack has always been a great sleeper and I hope that continues past the crib.

Jack's new room

Here are a few pictures of our nursery...all ready for the new baby!

For those of you who haven't been to our house in a while, I thought I would show you our fourth bedroom. We turned this into a playroom for Jack back in October. (This is our temporary fix until we get the playroom in the basement finished). This playroom has been great for Jack and I this winter since we aren't able to get outside to play. We spend a lot of time here!

Phoenix, Arizona!

Jay, Jack and I just returned home from a week in Phoenix visiting Bob & Gayle. We were hoping for a fun, relaxing vacation and that is exactly what we got. Most days were spent relaxing at Grandma and Grandpa's house. We spent a lot of time on Grandpa's new putting green, going for walks, and taking rides in the golf cart. Jack had so much fun on the putting green. He quickly figured out it was much easier to drop the ball into the hole with his hand rather than using the putter. Every time he would put the ball in the hole, he would jump up and say "I made it!"...and occasionally he would follow that with a "yay, Jack!" It was fun to watch.

Jay was able to get in three rounds of golf and I was happy to get a day of shopping. Jay and I were also happy to let Grandma and Grandpa babysit Jack on Valentine's Day so we could have a date night. Jay took me out for sushi and ice cream....he definitely knows the way to my heart!

Jack did another great job at traveling. We got several compliments on how well he did from other passengers on the plane, which is always nice to hear! This was our last time traveling with Jack as a lap child. Even though it is nice to save the money on airfare, I am looking forward to traveling with Jack in his own seat. It is hard to fit an almost 2-year old on your lap....especially being over 7 months pregnant!

The weather was perfect the entire week....sunny and in the mid to upper 70's! It was great to get away from the cold and snow....and it was a nice surprise to return home to record high's and no more snow! We will see how long that lasts.

All in all, we had a great time visiting with Bob & Gayle and we are looking forward to their return in April!

Jay teeing off on the 17th hole (behind Bob & Gayle's house)

Jay putting on the 17 green

Jack and Daddy on Grandpa's putting green

Golf cart ride with Daddy
Having fun on the putting green
Jack's kiddie pool

"I made it!"

Golf cart ride with Grandpa

Family picture on the putting green

One of Jack's typical facial expressions

Grandpa trying to teach Jack how to putt

My boys in the pool

He loved laying in the shallow water

I love this picture

Mommy and Jack after swimming

He was cold, but happy!

Tired boy after swimming!

Another family picture Me and my sweetie!