Richardsons in Real Life

I Am a Child of God

2012-02-15T20:16:00.000-08:00

This is Luke's favorite song that he sings over and over and Madilyn being the big sister she is...

Houston Snow

2012-02-06T11:46:00.000-08:00

To start the New Year of 2012 Houston welcomed our version of a "snow day". You can't even see there are ditches! Mark took our kids out and they played in the water after school. The swing was a big hit as Mark pushed them really high and they jumped off into the water. WATER DAY!

Grandkids Magnets

2012-02-06T10:24:00.000-08:00

After 1 year of working on this project (a very late Mother's Day gift for Mom), I finally finished these magnets over the Christmas holidays. Every grandchild is accounted for on Grandma's fridge! The kids that live around here play with them love saying their cousins names and seeing their pictures.

Happy Birthday Darrin!

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to this handsome fella!

And here's a video in honor of your special day:

Blast From The Past

2012-01-08T16:58:00.000-08:00

So I experimented a bit when I was home and this was harder than I thought! Some pictures are better than others. Do you recognize everyone?

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-29T19:12:00.000-08:00

www.go-go-johnsons.blogspot.com

2011-12-13T20:18:00.000-08:00

Hope your bells are jingling this holiday season as much as Felix's in the video below...

Jingle Bells by Felix

It's an oldie but a goodie. Merry Christmas!

Brett, Ciara, thing1 and thing 2!

2011-11-28T15:01:00.000-08:00

We just had some family pictures taken and we wanted to share some of them with you all. You can check them out at our friend's photography site. Richardson Family Pics

Keep it classy Richardsons!

Matt and Allison's Wedding

2011-11-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

Matt and Allison's wedding is posted on my photo blog. Finally. ;)

http://ciara-richardson.com/blog/2011/10/31/matt-allison-houston-wedding-part-i/

http://ciara-richardson.com/blog/2011/11/03/matt-allison-houston-wedding-part-ii/

Happy Fall!

2011-10-25T20:34:00.001-07:00

2011-10-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

I've done a bit of blogging in you're interested...blog

-Margie

Andy & Sara's Wedding

2011-09-06T11:36:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics I snapped at the temple at Andy's wedding. I have more coming from Allison's wedding and this summer. You can all wait in suspense...

The boys while Andy takes pics...

All the "Mecham" side cousins at the temple

Joan, Lois & Bryll, Gayle & Rob, Tisha & David, Mary & Verl, Dad & Mom

LOVE Sara's shoes...

All the siblings minus Andy, hence the bunny ears :)

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Richardson...

Good Times...

2011-08-28T18:47:00.000-07:00

Summer vacation is over already?! Here are some pics from our summer. Thanks for coming to visit, Juli! The boys are already asking when you guys are coming back!

See more on our blog ...

Fruity Snack addicts

Sweet 16 is right around the corner for Madilyn!

Little Mermaid

Wrestle Mania 24/7

Going up the Duquesne Incline in Pittsburgh

Picnic at the zoo

More cousins in California
(will someone post some wedding pictures?? I didn't get any!)

Bubble Mania

Lopsided Camping Adventure

Sara and Andy have a blog! :D

2011-06-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

http://sararichandy.wordpress.com/

bullseye !

2011-05-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

since you must have forgotten to call me after you were told twice to do so.. i couldn't congratulate you on the phone. so, heres to you andy! congrats!!

and i HAVE to put one more picture on here while Im at it because its SO STINKIN CUTE!

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And I had to add these two Allison. The L♥VE BIRDS...congratulations....

Update

2011-04-27T20:39:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! Here are a few pictures in case you forgot what we look like. Also, I put some pictures on our blog about our recent trip to Haiti if you're interested. (I was in Haiti on your birthday, Brett. That's why you didn't get a phone call. You might ask why I didn't call you when I got home? Well, by the time I got home it was already Julianne's birthday and I can only handle one sibling phone call a week, and then it takes about a week to recover from that, so you can expect a call from me next week sometime.)

The boys with buddy Matthew before a backyard egg hunt

Our best Easter picture. Daphne would not stop screaming except in this shot where she stopped to catch a breath.

The kids in their Easter best after our indoor egg hunt. It was raining.

Daphne was a natural egg huntress.

Happy Birthdays

2011-04-24T21:14:00.000-07:00

So yes I'm taking the 'oops I forgot so I'll try to make it all better in one shot' way out. I barely remembered my own b-day this month. April inspired me to try to get everyone's b-day by planning ahead in January so it's all ready to go when someone's b-day arrives. Since we're already in April and I've basically forgotten everyone's b-day so far I think I'll just shoot for next year. So you may or may not hear from me when it's your birthday this year. Just know I thought about sending you something. So anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVERYONE!

New Post

2011-02-16T04:38:00.000-08:00

We updated our blog... So did Steve and Izzy! Let us know if you can't get in and we'll make that happen! ♥

www.go-go-johnsons.blogspot.com
http://steveandismari.blogspot.com/2011/02/blog-post_15.html

Love ya!

Birthday Cake Madness

2011-02-12T16:14:00.000-08:00

Madilyn Turns 4

(September 15th)

Our princess is getting older! She chose a "Castle" cake this year and

had many instructions for me on how she wanted it, so I sucked it up and

tried to make the cake how she wanted it. It was hard for me because I'm really

starting to enjoy making creative cakes as a hobby and I had a vision of my own. (haha)

For her birthday meal she chose "fried chicken, broccoli, and potatoes". This girl knows how to eat!

Luke Turns 1

(November 10th)

Luke got the classic Empey "Train Cake" for his first birthday.

(I let Mark take this cake over every year.) Luke started eating slowly,

then realized he could eat however much he wanted and went crazy!

He discovered he loves chocolate. He got lots of cute toys,

but his favorite gift was a package of racquet balls.

Caleb Turns 6

(November 11th)

Caleb chose a "Military" cake this year (this is an aerial view). We made it simple and just did a

sheet cake of a war zone! It was fun making this cake. I crumbled oreos and

graham crackers for the dirt on the ground. Caleb added green sprinkles for grass.

My favorite part was taping the candles onto the guns, so when they

were lit it looked like they were shooting! Oh yeah, Caleb really liked his cake, too.

For his birthday meal he chose Pizza, his favorite!

Mark Turns 32

(December 1st)

Mark wanted a simple, low key birthday this year. We stayed at home and relaxed.

Caleb insisted he have a chocolate cake, which I think Grandma ended up making :)

This is such a fun, busy time of the year for us. I love celebrating everyone's

birthdays and LOVE making the day special for them.

allison update

2011-02-11T16:23:00.000-08:00

My new blog!

linesfromtheclines

xoxo
allison

Empey Update

2011-01-03T22:12:00.000-08:00

Finally, a small update to our blog. See for yourself...okay how do you make this a hyperlink? Anyone? Anyone?

http://julianneandmark.blogspot.com/

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-27T11:19:00.000-08:00

Check out our holiday fun in Pittsburgh at

http://www.go-go-johnsons.blogspot.com/

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas! !!

2010-12-21T12:24:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from the El Parque Residence!

We are having a warm Christmas here in Arizona and I am loving it!! I am going to Portland Oregon for Christmas and then making my return debut back to Texas after New Years! I'm loving Arizona and plan on coming back..so I would LOVE to entertain anyone who wants to visit!! Lots to do and see here!

Miss you all and hope to see EVERY ONE of you within the next year :)

Pssst! Check out my blog!

click here!

2010-11-11T19:24:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CALEB!!!

You are such a sweet boy. We love you so much!

Love,

Uncle Steve, aunt Ismari, Isaac and Maile ♥

Daphne's Tricks

2010-11-07T17:08:00.000-08:00

Fall Fun

2010-11-07T16:46:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of pictures from October. We had a nice visit with Dad a couple of weeks ago. We were very busy that weekend! Then for Halloween, we were able to find a neighborhood that was trick or treating on Saturday, so Scott and his sister Amy took the kids. I was busy doing a show, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, which just closed today, so I missed out on the fun. We did throw an amazing Halloween Party on Sunday with food and games. It was fun. Plus, Rex turned 4! We had a crazy birthday party with his friends on his birthday.

That's what we've been up to in a nut shell.

Darth Vader, Kitty Cat, Iron Man

Grandpa and kiddies at the Carnegie Museum of Natural Science.

We love to go see the dinosaurs!

2010-10-24T18:29:00.000-07:00

Does Charlie Brown live here or what?

We wanted to copy the scene in "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!" where the kids are partying at Charlie Brown's house:

You can do anything with cheap construction paper. It's our favorite funnest medium to work with 'cause it's cheap and easy to use AND clean up. We have a craft box with our favorite craft stuff we use the most: construction paper, tape, scissors, Quick-Grip glue, pencils, crayons, markers, paper. Cheap fun!

p.s. We actually made it to the temple today, too. Halleluia...miracles DO come true. Exciting things this week gearing up for Halloween. Can't wait to read about YOUR Halloween adventures! :)

Izzy ♥

Here's a couple more:

We added the witch, a yellow moon, and a skeleton. :)

This is on one of our walls in the living room. We used black and white construction paper to cut out a spooky scene!

Maile drew this with chalk on black construction paper. She is really good.

Three skeletons show of their pearly whites:

Daddy and Maile at work:

Fun times!
♥Izzy

Liam Oaks Richardson

2010-10-18T18:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the family, Liam!

Born on October 4, 2010 he weighed 7 lb. 9 oz., 20 inches long. He is SOOOO adorable and we can't wait to meet him! Mom is anxiously awaiting her trip Utah this week. Congrats, guys!

Pics from Brett and Ciara's blog...

*Thanks Julianne! We've been meaning to put up post for Liam, just haven't gotten around to it. :)

Liam Oaks

Brett did such a great job being my personal photographer.

Blog Update...

2010-09-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

Check out our updates...

http://www.go-go-johnsons.blogspot.com/

2010-09-17T10:18:00.001-07:00

Hilton Head, South Carolina

2010-08-29T18:39:00.001-07:00

The Empeys and Johnsons spent a week on the beach in Hilton Head, SC. We had a blast and the kids loved hanging out. It was nice to spend the last official week of summer before school started together. Here are some pictures of our fun vacation!

Two little mermaids, Madilyn and our friend for the week, Riley

I had to throw this picture in, Juli! I know this is Mark's favorite!

We took the kids on a treasure hunt. They loved it! Julianne is a pro at drawing treasure maps and burying loot! Thanks for making it happen. I know that was Rex's highlight.

Caleb and Felix are catching a wave

Mermaid Island constructed by the boys

Lots of digging all week long

The stormy sky. We only had 1 1/2 rainy days despite the forecast of rain everyday. It was beautiful even with the crazy humidity!

This girl is soooooooo cute!

Parenting- Touching the Hearts of Our Youth by Elder Hales

2010-08-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

A new school year is starting which brings about a perfect time to remember the responsibility we have to nurture strong relationships with our children. Let them know you care every day.

Blogger in the House...

2010-08-04T08:02:00.000-07:00

I finally put together a blog for our wee little family. I am horrible at keeping up with a journal, so I hope this will help me along. Plus, I love the option of being able to print a blog book. So, in the future, I'm going to post our blog link on the Richardson Blog when we update our Johnson Blog instead of posting pictures on both blogs...unless of course the pictures are of special "Richardson" interest, then I'll probably post on both. Blah, blah, blah (as Felix would say), here's our link:

www.go-go-johnsons.blogspot.com

It's still under construction, so more to come!

If only Cinderella had one of these

2010-07-28T07:59:00.000-07:00

Felix has often come to us on a Saturday morning quoting verbatim the many marvelous features of the Swivel Sweeper G2, and remembers how fun the one at Grandma's was, so I finally decided to take advantage of the 2 for 1 offer, and the boys have never been happier to clean. They even woke up extra early Tuesday morning in anticipation of the batteries being fully charged. And, I caught Felix sneaking out of bed last night to put the Swivel Sweeper battery into the charger so it would be ready to go in the morning. After using it, Felix said, "It's even cooler than the man said on TV!" and Rex said, "Too bad that old stinkin' vacuum doesn't open on the bottom." (like the SS) So, if you're looking for a way to make your kids excited about cleaning...Order Now!

(And if anyone has seen an infomercial that tells you how to keep clothes on your kids, let us know.)

2010-07-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

Maile loses a front tooth!

Here are some pictures of Maile and her long hair AND her missing front tooth! ha ha She is soooo excited about loosing her tooth!

---------------------------
"Air" Richardsons'

B.Ball

Isaac and Maile have started playing Basketball. They love it! Isaac had his fist game last night. And he was soooooo excited!

Isaac's team are the "Dreamers". Maile's team are the "Rockets".

Isaac and Maile hustle and really are trying to learn the game from their coaches and Steve.

These are the worst pictures EVER 'cause he was soooo far away from the dinky benches we were sitting in and the camera couldn't focus that far! ha ha But you get the jist of it. We are so excited our kids have something good to be involved in this summer that they are really happy with. I'll try to get some fuzzy pics at Maile's game, too. ;)

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Well we have been non-stop with our house work, t-shirts, fine tuning cars, playing with the kids, cleaning, sweating, etc. etc.

We are leaving for our 'Summer 2010 Mega Road Trip' next Friday, July 23rd to North Carolina! We are planning to drive up to Memphis, Tennessee and pass by Elvis's house...and some good eatin'. Go through Nashville...maybe see a couple places. Then over to the beautiful North Carolina coast. Wish us luck and hope our little gray Mazda doesn't blow up!

Love you all!!!!!!! ♥

Steve and Izzy

2010-07-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

Caleb's Cast

After jumping on the couch one night, Caleb fell off backwards on his elbow. He came into my room as I was talking to Brett on the phone (Brett, do you remember this conversation with all the crying in the background?) and put himself to bed as I iced his elbow. The next morning it was still sore and swollen, so off the the ER we went...

Madilyn's New Goggles and Nose Plug

Her goggles came with a nose plug and she was so excited to put it on. She wore it the first few times she swam with these goggles. It made me giggle every time!

Houston Zoo

Madilyn Singing

2010-07-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

Recent Pictures...

2010-06-19T19:07:00.001-07:00

Bros trying to pop a bubble

Rex after having been wrangled by Cowboy Felix
We have the safest streets around with our own little Boy Wonder

This little piggy...

And this little piggy...

Daphne loves sucking her toes

Buddies

Super Rex

Bros riding bikes

Sweet Daphne

Yeah, Brett!!

2010-06-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Bretty-Boy for finishing his 1st marathon!

You get extra props for running in a Spiderman costume!

Way to go!

Caleb

2010-06-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

Caleb loves being a big brother. He loves picking up Luke and comforting him when he's upset. Several mornings I have woken up to all three kids sitting on the couch watching cartoons. I let Luke talk for a few minutes before I got up to get him, only to find out that Caleb beat me to it and picked him up out of the playpen...

Madilyn's Language

2010-06-04T07:21:00.000-07:00

Madilyn says some funny things in her East accent. My favorite word that she says all the time is "he-ya" (here)... "he-ya you doe(go)...right he-ya...he-ya it is!" She still makes a t sound for all of her k's or hard c's. "Taleb (Caleb), Lute (Luke), Toe-toe (cocoa), tittens (kittens), pantates (pancakes)" We love her language!

The other day in the car when Luke sneezed she said, "Mama, he bless you'd and coughed!" She makes us laugh!

Luke

2010-06-04T07:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some adorable pictures Andy took of Luke when he about 4 months old. He still had brown hair in these pics, which is pretty much all blonde now. These are just a few of my favorites. Thanks Andy!

2010-06-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

Life is Wonderful!

I love my family more than anything!

I have to "dito" everything that Margie said about the craziness of

motherhood because she and I are going through all the same phases together...

I love hearing things like, "She spit on me, He licked my quarter," etc.

My children make me smile at everything they say, even

when they are in defiance!(It won't be so humorous forever:)

Right now I'm sleep deprived, exercise deprived, dehydrated a lot, and a little crazy in the head most of the day, but I am not deprived of love from my family!

Our three little angels. This picture just about sums them up! Several times a day this is how you will see them: Madilyn and Caleb loving on Luke and Luke giggling to pieces.

CALEB: Caleb is a quiet, mild mannered boy at first glance. He loves being around other children--thrives in a social environment. He loves to laugh and wrestle and often gets a little too rambunctious for some children. Sometimes he enjoys playing on his own. He amazes me with his innovation. He can take any group of objects (marbles, fuzzy balls, money, crayons) and turn them into army men or transformers or ninja turtles. I don't know how many times a day I have to tell him to FOCUS! If a TV is on, that's where his eyes are. He's the first to ask Madilyn or Mommy to bring him food during a show. Not just a snack, but a whole meal. He frustrates us every night at bedtime because he seems to think sleeping is not for him. But, when he does calm down finally, he is the best cuddler!

MADILYN: What a sweetie, what a piece of work! She is so strong willed it is amazing. We all have to do things on her terms, according to her. Since she was barely walking she has wanted to do everything by herself. But, some days she is just "too tired" to put her seat belt on or get dressed so she WON'T. If I tell her to put her shoes on, she does about 10 other things first, while having a conversation with me, then when it is her decision she puts her shoes on. I've learned a lot of patience...still learning more! If you come at her too strong she shuts down. If you talk things out with her in a lot of detail, she responds better. She is very sensitive and her heart breaks if anyone treats her wrong. Usually it's just me who can decode her hysterical cries. Madilyn is loud at home, but shy in public. She is very organized and extremely nurturing. She loves make-up and new clothes and jewelry. She's our family's doctor, nutritionist, law maker, chef, etc. ( AKA: 2nd Mommy!)

LUKE: Lukie Bear! He is 1% water and 99% ham, as Mark says. Since he could laugh at 4 months old he does that most of the time. All you have to do is look at him and he gives you the biggest grin with the most handsome smile. Just recently he started shaking his head back and forth. We finally realized he was playing with us so we play that back and forth and he thinks it's hilarious. He giggles and jumps all day long. There is NOTHING better than having a sweet, innocent, happy baby in the home. His love is contagious.

MARK: I couldn't think of a better person to live my life with. Mark makes me laugh everyday. And anyone who knows me knows I need some laughter in my life to drown out all the emotions that I bring upon myself! He's patient with me and somehow sees in me things that no one else ever has. He encourages me to reach "Julianne's potential" and not "Mother of 3, or wife of Mark's potential". He's a hands-on father, which I love, and really enjoys quality time with the family.

JULIANNE: There's so much to be thankful for! I love life. The older I get, the harder life gets. I can't practice the piano everyday for an hour or exercise for an hour or learn Spanish in one semester without Mark helping me pass my test because I didn't have time to sit, focus, and study! I have 3 little shadows that love my attention unceasingly. Mentally, I can't devote my time to much else than my children and that's my life right now...them! Maybe I'll have to wait for "My" things, but it's worth it. I'm realizing that they are growing so fast and I will NEVER have this time back.

This week I have been feeling a bit more appreciative than usual. On Sunday I had a couple of experiences that woke me up a little to how good I have it! It's been so easy for me to feel down in the dumps right now during this phase in our life...it's not quite where we want to be, but we are moving forward in the direction we want. Gordon B. Hinckley said,

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail journey...delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas, and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."

Too often I want everything to happen now and without trials. Impatience is my specialty! I have been trying to remind myself that 'the journey is in the ride'.

2010-05-29T20:54:00.000-07:00

Maile's Butterfly Project

Maile First Grade Project:

She took care of a caterpillar and fed it milkweed.
He ate and grew and grew and finally cocooned himself a chrysalis.
He grew more and finally came out of the chrysalis as a beautiful butterfly.
She took her cage out to the great outdoors and put her butterfly on her finger......and then set it free.
She was soooo happy and excited she raised her first butterfly.
Maile loves her little animals. :)

2010-05-24T07:43:00.000-07:00

Life is good, too.

Thank you Margie for sharing the love! This post is in response to Margie's question of: Why my family is so special to me. :)

Maile

I want to start with our little baby girl...Maile. What I love about Maile is that she, even though she is such a little girl, she has confidence in herself. She doesn't always have to be the center of attention, or have to be the boss, or have to have tons of friends around her all the time. But she is meek, and sweet, and happy, and simple, and fun. Others find confidence being friends with Maile. It is amazing for me to see that and it makes me feel really happy as her mother.

Maile is pretty sensitive and attuned to her and other's feelings. If Maile senses a problem she gets real quiet and figures out a solution in her head and then speaks up if she needs help or when she feels like she has something to say. She is such a wise, tender-hearted little girl. I am so thankful to have such a strong little person in my life.

Maile's first love is animals. She says she wants to be a Veterinarian when she grows up. She loves her puppy Buddy so much. And now she has a caterpillar that is now in a chrysalis that will be a butterfly one day soon. Animals are Maile's passion. I am happy to see her find something she loves so much.

Maile loves to talk, and run, and her newest thing roller blade at the park. She is the light of our lives and we are so happy to have our sweet girl Maile and love her so much!

Isaac

Isaac....when i say his name...it makes me want to laugh. Isaac loves to make us laugh! With his faces, his goofy comments, his body language. He is just a funny little guy. We always have a fun time around our son.

Isaac's passion right now is surfing and skateboarding. He really gets into the little surfing competitions. And I love that it is something he and Steve will have together all their lives. He goes to the park and skateboards really fast like the old-school skateboarders...it is REALLY fun to watch. He is competitive and challenges himself but in a really laid-back kind of way...I can't explain it. But I love that THAT is Isaac's personality.

One thing we love about Isaac is that he is a peacemaker. He isn't afraid to speak up when there is something he is not happy with...but Isaac really loves being a laid-back, mellow kind of fellow. His friends find peace in their friendship with Isaac because he is such a sweet, happy, simple, caring boy....that still enjoys doing crazy boy stuff. Isaac is very pleasant to be around. We love him so much!

Steve

People that don't know us very well think that since I am the more outspoken one in the relationship that I am the leader of our families destiny, but they are far from wrong. I actually know where our children get their quiet confidence from......and it's their father. Steve has these goals in his head for his family, and he will tell them to someone who is sincerely wanting to listen and know and we as people that love him support him in his and our dreams for us. He has a genuine interest and love for Isaac, Maile and me. He makes us want to work so hard everyday because we know he loves us.

Steve loves being outdoors enjoying nature, the ocean, sports and being active. He is excited to see if he can get us closer to the ocean he loves in a place you can thoroughly enjoy the outdoors, nature, and the scenery.

Steve is the most loyal person you will ever meet in your life, but he is also not afraid to stand up for himself in his own way. Steve is so determined, self-motivated, and driven. I and others, especially his children look up to our wise dad and friend...Steve.

Ismari

I am actually a partner with Steve for our family :). I help manage the craziness level of our family with Steve. Sometimes we have to tone down dreams or help seek out alternatives. Sometimes we push ourselves to take risks. Sometimes we re-evaluate and reorganize and move forward. But we do it on our own terms, with the Lord's help, and with the support and encouragement of our loved ones.

I am learning to be a team with Steve on our journey together. I am enjoying learning the lessons life has to offer. I am enjoying learning to teach my children about life and have a open relationship with them where we can talk about anything we want and know that they can use free-agency to make their own choices for themselves.

Free agency and the Atonement are the greatest gifts and our family is learning more about them. We also love teaching our children about personal revelation. So that they have have confidence in themselves about making a decision, praying about it, and moving forward as God tells you that decision is right...and they will be able to be confident, happy people regardless of the situations and stress that can surround their lives.

We also teach our children every day about the feelings of the heart and teach them to open their heart to people and experiences.

We are happy to be part of a bigger family. We love when people seek us out and want to be a part of our lives. Even though life gets so busy like it is right now and we haven't been doing a super great job of keeping in touch there is always a way to talk, see, and be together. We beg you to please take time to call us, e-mail us, write us, visit us, facebook us, what ever it takes..and we will respond.

We love you so much!

Izzy

Life is good

2010-05-22T18:27:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling a bit sentimental about my cute family. There's a lot of love floating around our house. Sure our tempers flare, our patience runs thin, our confidence gets shot down, our hair is messy, exhaustion never seems to go away, but overall, life is good when you're with the people you love. Even at bedtime, when I'm completely spent, and the boys are screaming for the gajillionth time for another hug and kiss, I'm so thankful their not screaming for me to get away! As Paul Westerberg sings..."A good day's, any day that you're alive."

The 3 reasons I never lose HOPE

My dear, sweet Felix of 5. He tells me he never wants to leave me. He wants to live with me forever. He's such a deliberate speaker. It may take him an hour to spit out a sentence but you can guarantee each word is precisely chosen and put in it's proper place. In order to escape his little brother, he tells him, "Mommy has a treat for you, Rex." or to distract his little brother he says, "Rex, there's a spider on your head!" Today he didn't want to go to his friend's birthday party because he was afraid there would only be girls there, so he told me, "Send me a telegram and tell me how the party was." He was estatic when after weeks of practicing he finally learned how to whistle, to which he tells anyone, "I learned to whistle at Wal-Mart!" since that's where he was when his first whistle came out. He has an amazing aptitude for figuring out how things work.
Sweet, silly, sensitive Felix.

Then there's Rex...the middle child. A volcano waiting to erupt. We often find ourselves tip-toeing around this natural disaster. He's the typical Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde scenario. So sweet and tender saying, "My mommy" and "I like you" and then BAM! it's "I don't love you" or "Don't talk to me" or he's throwing a stool at the door instead. He puts a "sm" in front of many of his words, so instead of taking a bath, he takes a smath. He eats hot dogs for breakfast. He loves puppies. He loves his sister "so so so so much" and yet he can't keep from shaking her head! Every school day he calls his friend Eliot, "Smell-iot". He craves his one-on-one time with Mommy and Daddy.

He loves Spongebob. He loves to help. He is a super hero!

Daphne has the gift of making everything bad go away. All you have to do is hold her and the world is a better place. She is the sweetest spirit I've ever met. She's strong and loves to stand. She has cute dimples. She pukes non-stop. I can't help but smile when she is near. She's very special.

Thanks for endulging my sentimental mood. I'd love to hear why you love your cute families. Please share with us why they are so special to you.

The Amazing Standing Daphne!

2010-05-17T09:38:00.000-07:00

It's nice to know that Daphne has another talent other than puking. We finally have a baby who doesn't go boneless when attempting the standing/balancing trick! See Daphne in action...

Does anyone else have footage of your babies doing this? If so, we'd love to see it! (Surely you do, Brett.)

2010-04-21T15:11:00.000-07:00

Hi gang. Not to overshadow the announcement of Brett and Ciara's sweet baby boy Liam...just want to post some pics before I forget. Congratulations Bretty, Ciara, and Oliver on your baby brother! What a surprise!!!

Here are some pics of this past weekend:

Ohana and Ashlyn Would Go Longboard Spring Surf Classic

Cool trophy, huh. :)

It was a fun day at AWG. It's for a good cause and it's always a fun day. And guess what......Isaac won in his division of surfers under the age of 13. ha ha He got a cool trophy and Maile, Steve, and I were having fun cheering him on.

We got you so good!

2010-04-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

Meet Liam Richardson. Due October 14.

Yep, we were serious. We just wanted to wait till we knew what we were having before we spilled the beans. So, NOW you can send us money!!$$!! We love you guys. Oh, and Happy Birthday Cooper! Here's a new cousin for your present.

Home for Sale!

2010-04-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

Hi from Steve, Izzy, Isaac and Maile!

After 3 years of hard work....our little home is going on the market tomorrow. Here are some pics. We had to pop a window out to get one of two fat couches out so the Realtor could finish "staging" our house. It looks beautiful inside.

I will post inside pics as I and the Realtor take them! Let the fun begin 'cause the hard work is done!!!

Maile and her braids....

Maile and I have been working on braids to get ready for her part as Matachanna Powhatan, Pocahontas's sister, and chief Powhatan's daughter. Matachanna helped raise Pocahontas and Pocahontas's baby in England. Here's my little beauty, or as I like to call her....my Pookie:

This morning Maile got ready in her costume abuelita made her. I bought a tye-dye brown men's small shirt from Target. I got some beads, too. Abuelita tied beads on and sewed some beads on the front for me. Maile was so excited when she got home to see her Matachanna costume! She will be doing her part in the First Grade 'Wax Museum' where all the kids play a part of someone in history. It was really fun! The kids were so excited and so cute!

Here are some pics of Isaac doing his math homework. He loves math! Isaac will be in his first surf contest of the season this weekend.

Now that our house is on the market we will have somewhat of our lives back! Call us and let us know how you are doing!

2010-04-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

Happy *26* Birthday

Brettie Boy!

Baby Blessing

2010-04-12T08:54:00.000-07:00

Scott blessed Daphne in church this past Sunday and we wanted to share some pictures from the day. Scott's parents and sister were in town for the blessing, and we were happy that some of our "non-church" friends were able to attend as well. It was a special day for us all.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARGIE!!!

2010-04-01T19:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Margie! (4-2-10)

We love you!!! ♥

Bun in the Oven?

2010-04-01T18:28:00.000-07:00

Ciara and I can't wait any longer to announce that.........you guessed it- WE'RE PREGNANT!!! We don't know what we're having yet, but if it's a boy the name will be Goliath and if it's a girl the name will be Beatrice. We just wanted to share the happy news with everyone. We love you guys and can't wait for your checks to arrive in the mail. Or cash, we will be accepting cash. BYE!

UPDATE: Oh wait Izzy you were right, it was just gas. LOL. APRIL FOOLS!!!!! AND happy birthday eve Marge.

2010-03-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st Birthday, Maddox!!!

(March 20th)

Madilyn Singing about Fairy Tales

2010-03-25T21:22:00.000-07:00

(Please forgive the sideways view!!!)

Madilyn LOVES to sing and makes up her own songs all day long. This one was about fairy tales, but not all of it were actual words. Sometimes she fills in blanks with random hums or sounds if she can't think of words fast enough. We joke that she is from the East or from England because of the way she talks, "He-yuh= here, Ha-yuh= hair," etc. She is a mama's girl and loves putting on "mate-up", sticker earings, changing clothes 10 times a day, brushing her teeth, playing "shopping", you name it! She "ordanizes" everything and loves to "tu-luh"=color. Madilyn is a cutie pie and Mark and I love speaking her language, as you can tell.

Luke Laughing

2010-03-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

Luke is now 4 1/2 months old. He is 14 lb. 11 oz. He laughs at almost anything, especially Caleb and Madilyn. Caleb usually tries to pick him up like the lion cub on Lion King and says, "You're the King of the world!" Madilyn rubs his head and cheeks and talks to him like a little mommy. She calls him "Lute" or "Lutie Bear". Luke is quick to notice when Daddy comes home because he gets serious and starts focusing on where his voice is coming from. Then, he makes eye contact and smiles so big! 4 months is such a joy. (That's when I am finally starting to function again!) I'll be even better when he starts sleeping through the night. We love our little guy.

Empey Update

2010-03-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

Madilyn & Caleb standing in the window frame

while new windows were installed at Grandma and Grandpa's house...

Madilyn climbs into Luke's bed almost every morning. If he's crying, she puts his binky in. If he's talking, she talks baby talk back to him. Then, she climbs out and tries to wake "mama bear" from her deep slumber saying, "Mommy, Lute is awate! Dit UP!" and she starts listing all the things that could be wrong with him, "He has a dirty diaper...he's hungry...he wants you..."

Thing 1, Thing 2, and Thing 3

Caleb fishing at Chocolate Bayou

Lukie Bear and Mama

2010-03-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

SK8R Chic

Maile New thing is in-line skating. She has been saving her money and went half with dad on some in-line skates from Target.

And here Maile is de-veining and peeling the legs off of our shrimp for our delicious dinner. She loves cooking and is not scared to cook and touch gross stuff. She is such a fun girl to have in our home! I tell her she is our sweetie, my Pookie.

Isaac is excited for this surf seasons surf contest to start up again. We'll get pictures of that when we have them.

Maile and Isaac are also loving the piano and are taking lessons from their mama. I have let them have fun with the piano by teaching them to play their favorite songs on the piano. And now they are reading music. So they are excited to learn to play because they know how fun it is to hear your favorite songs on the piano. ;)

That's what we are up to for now. Have a fun spring everyone!

Have a wonderful spring everyone!

Daphne Hope Johnson

2010-02-28T19:22:00.001-08:00

Here are a few more pictures of Daphne. She is very sweet (of course). Everything went well and very quickly. She was a big girl, but doesn't have the chub that the boys did.

She is definitely a "dainty" 9-6er.

We are in love!

First day home

She loves looking at her daddy

Daphne's boys

Rex would not unplug his nose his whole first visit to the hospital.

He said it was stinky and wanted to go home.

Felix has taken on the big brother roll very proudly. He loves her so much!

Relief!

Hello world, here I am!

Fresh out

Daphne's here!

2010-02-28T18:21:00.000-08:00

It's a girl!

Daphne Johnson
Born: 9:32am February 26th, 2010
9lbs 6oz
21-3/4" long

Congratulations Margie and Scott!

2010-02-21T20:45:00.000-08:00

Isaac's turning the big 10 Over...

Today we got to celebrate Isaac's birthday early with

family. And it was fun!!!

Isaac wanted to light his own candles.

We had a great time!

Our newest cousin Luke Empey. He is such a sweetie pie!!! We babysat him yesterday while aunt Julianne and uncle Mark went to the temple...and he was a doll!!!

We want to thank everyone that could come out. Thank you everyone who has called and written to Isaac. He has been in Heaven.

Tonight we had fun eating and laughing and feeling everyone's love for us. We soak up every ounce of love we can get from our families!!!

And we are looking forward to the next time we can see the rest of our families. We love you all! We think of you, pray for you, and hope all of your dreams come true for each of you and your sweet, beautiful little families.

We are grateful for our families and our little family today!

Love,

Steve, Ismari, Isaac and Maile ♥♥♥♥

Felix's Happy Birthday

2010-02-09T14:46:00.001-08:00

Felix turned 5 on Sunday! (And Brett, he did 10 jumping jacks as requested.) We had a great birthday weekend. We spent the night at a small indoor waterpark and played while Pittsburgh got pounded by a snow storm. We came home to 2 feet of snow, jumped out of the van and started shoveling. We're getting more snow right now as I type. Another 6-10 inches are expected, so Grandma, who knows when your package will arrive?!

In other news, we're still awaiting the arrival of the new baby...due date February 25th. I got an ultrasound today because my doctor said I was measuring small at my appointment (compared to the sizes of my last 2 babies). However, the ultrasound proved otherwise predicting the current weight of the baby at 8 lb 8 oz. I saw some very chubby cheeks inside. Pray for us to have new baby pictures to post SOON.

Felix gets Bakugan for his birthday

Felix with friend Matthew on his birthday

Felix beaming at the waterpark

Rex finally agreed to go down the slides alone and had a blast

Warming up in the hot tub

The aftermath of shoveling the driveway...note the buried lamp post behind me

The boys hip-deep in the backyard

Another birthday present

Our snow tunnel sprayed with colored water

Oliver is one

2010-01-23T22:42:00.001-08:00

Oliver turned 1 on the 11th, so this is kinda old, but I want to get some pics out there for you guys. This kid can eat cake. We can't believe how much he can down.

Oliver loves watching cartoons (especially Elmo's World). Something you'll notice is he's missing a sock. This kid almost always has one sock/shoe on and the other off. Doctors are still trying to figure out why.

Holiday Hoop-la

2010-01-05T05:12:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We enjoyed our holidays and the snow that came with it. Here are just a couple of pictures and a video I find entertaining.

Christmas morning choke-hold

Our Snowman

Rex playing/singing the blues

Halloween and Birthday Festivities

2009-11-07T16:50:00.000-08:00

Our annual sailing trip with Rob

Felix with the flu

3 years old!

Pin the Wheel on the Monster Truck with Aunt Amy

Halloween - Starring: Bumblebee and the "Bad" Spiderman

Above are a few pictures my friend took of the boys. Cute boys.

We had a Happy Halloween despite Felix being sick with the flu. I'm sure he freely spread his sick germs around the neighborhood that night. I couldn't deprive the poor child of trick-or-treating! Rex had a Happy 3rd Birthday. Scott's sister was here to help us celebrate both of the above occasions. Here are some pictures of our recent happenings.

2009-11-02T07:20:00.000-08:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2009!

It's one of the funnest days of the year!!!

Zombie boy and 50's girl:

Click on the pictures to make them bigger...

The kids were too scared to come up to me and get candy! ha ha
Classic green witch for me!

Of course Isaac was a the Fall Festival at the park in front of our house.....hanging out waiting for the costume contest. He gets so excited about the costume contest. ha ha

Maile loved feeling like a cute little 1950's teeny-bopper!!!

We went to the Festival at the park in front of our house, Steve took the kids trick-or-treating, we passed out candy.........crazy, fun night.

---------------------

'Twas the night before Hallows Eve.......

Halloween cupcake decorating

My favorite place to go before and after Halloween in CVS. They always have THE BEST crazy candy during Halloween. It's so gross...but it's always fun.

I knew if I went to CVS....I would find everything I needed for decorating our cupcakes. I got the ideas of decorating cupcakes with body parts from Martha Stewart Cupcakes book.

CVS had these GREAT gummy candies called Monster Parts. It had teeth, eyeballs, severed feet, bloody noses, severed fingers and eyeballs.

CVS also had marshmallow Monster Heads which we used to decorate our cupcakes, too. We had soooooo much fun with the candy as you can see in the following pictures:

Spooky Gross (really delicous) Dinner

For dinner we had Skulls and Brains. The skulls were bread bowls baked from Kroger bread dough i made into balls and baked. Here are the Skulls:

Here is some Skulls and Brains served up! The brains were Creamy Chicken Chowder. It was sooooo delicious! Sister Christiansen from the League City Ward gave me the Creamy Chicken Chowder recipe.

We also had Oger toes (they were really breadsticks with almond slivers).

Pumpkin Carving

Maile and Madeline are ready to start carving pumpkins!!!!

Maile and her BFF Madeline pulling out pumpkin guts!

Maile with pumpkin guts!

Stevie, Izzy, Isaac and Maile

Hope you guys had a fun Halloween!

Steve, Izzy, Isaac and Maile

2009-10-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

Steve, Ismari, Isaac and Maile
All in a weeks work.....

Well we've had baking adventures, here are some pics...

Mmmmmm yummy Whoopie Pies!

What a nice big brother.....sharing cookie dough by the spoonful with his little sister!

Yes Maile! Have a can of V8 before you eat a pound of raw chocolate dough!

Well it has been a very, very busy week for our ENTIRE family.

I have been learning Corel Draw and helping Steve put together artwork for some of the t-shirts we have been working on.

Here are some t-shirts Steve and I worked on this week. Thought you might like to see some of Steve's artwork:

--------------------

Travis Elementary Fall Carnival 2009

Our art teacher at the elementary school worked on this HUGE mural with the kids of the Carnival last year. It is beautiful! The school wanted to put the mural on a t-shirt to sell at the school Carnival this year to raise money. So they asked us to do it. It was a new process for us because it was tricky being able to convert a mural to artwork that would print out on a t-shirt. But Steve figured it out and the t-shirts turned out AMAZING!

The bottom of the t-shirt:

Close up of the details from the mural:

The front the t-shirt. This picture does not give the shirt justice, but in really life it looks realistic and really cool:

I got to work on the back of the shirt. The sponsors logos. I got them ready to go in Corel Draw and placed them all I thought how they should go. What do you think? Yeah! My first time in helping with a t-shirt!!!! This was so fun for me! Even though it was just basic boring stuff for a real artist like Steve! ha ha

-------------------------------

Rock the Cradle for Johnny Romano Memorial Contest

Here is the t-shirt Steve made for the event. I helped do the logos on the back again. Thank you very much!

And I work with Johnny's mom, Julie Romano on the t-shirts and ordering and selling. She and her family are sooooooooo sweet! And so amazing and so strong even after loosing their son to leukemia just one year ago (he was 10 years old). It was a great day today to be there with them and join them in their fight to find a cure to childhood leukemia. Our whole family got to help. Maile and Isaac loved it. Isaac and Maile sold t-shirts and stickers with their kids and the other kids that came to volunteer.

Here is the poster for the event that a guy named Wiley Roberts designed...really cool!:

They raised $20,000 dollars today at this event!!!!

------------------------------------------------

Ten Over

And one more note! Our friends told us about this today....which was a fun way to end a day!!!

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6682412.html
61-year-old surfer's ordeal ends on oil rig | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Had a fun week working with our little family. Hope you all are doing well. Keep in touch!

Love,

Steve, Ismari, Isaac, and Maile ♥

JAM SESSION

2009-10-13T07:02:00.001-07:00

Last night for FHE we used our newly acquired 2nd hand karaoke machine, so of course, family night evolved into a jam session. I think Rex must have picked up some of Cooper's moves at the reunion.

After the Reunion

2009-10-02T19:21:00.000-07:00

Most of us spent the week at Grandma and Grandpa's after the big reunion. It was a CRAZY, full house. (Mom and Dad must have had flashbacks of our childhood...scary!)

The Beach Babes

The Wild Animals-hehe

Hangin' at Steve's

Matt's Baptism

Reunion Pics...

2009-10-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

Ready for Schlitterbahn

Uncle Darrin arrives...DOG PILE!

The "Manly Men" of the family

Reunion photos

2009-08-19T08:06:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few photos I've edited. I'll be posting more once I get a chance. For some reason the quality isn't so good on this blog, the colors aren't as bright when I upload them on blogspot. :( oh well.

2009-08-17T21:31:00.000-07:00

Richardson Reunion 2009

Between Schlitterbaun, tubing down the Comal River, chillin' in the jacuzzi, talent show, and hangin' with family, we are lucky to have gotten SOME pictures of our adventures in New Braunfels. Have fun looking and post some, too if you happened to get any. Share the fun!

Grandpa telling jokes from his Blackberry:

Matt and Rex chillin' after a dip in the jacuzzi:

Maile having fun in the jacuzzi:

Maile and Madilyn:

Uncle Brett and his guitar and cousin Rex:

Cousin Matt showing off his soccer skills:

Rex havin' a good ol' time!:

Uncle Scott doing trapeze artist tricks with Felix. Isaac watches on in amazement!:

Aunt Margie sharing her dance skills with the cousins:

Uncle Mark and Caleb captivated by the talent

Ms. Photogenic Madilyn:

Isaac's catch.

Steve and Oliver:

Aunt April, Matt, and Rex chillin':

Jacuzzi time:

Cooper the Rock Star ("No pictures please!"):

Isaac doing his midgette guy skit for the talent show:

2009-08-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA BEAR!!!!

2009-08-03T21:39:00.000-07:00

Our new best friend

He is a Yorkie. He is such a sweetie. His name is Buddy. We are in love! ♥

Well, we are home from Steve and Izzy's Utah/California/Texas Mega Road-Trip 2009. Here are some numbers to crunch: 3,300 miles, in 11 days, 5 full days driving, with 2 kids, no electronics (DVD player died before we left Texas). There are people we didn't get to see :(. Family we did get to see! Got to fall in love with America again from the passenger seat of a compact Mazda Protege! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Love - steve, izzy, isaac, and maile

See you all in a couple of weeks! Yeaaaaaahhhhhh!!!! ♥

2009-07-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

oops these pictures are out of order!! SOOO for my birthday steve and his gang met mom dad and I at the Chocolate Bar in Rice Village. They have HUGE cakes, icecream, and lots of chocolate!! My favorite is the frozen hot chocolate =) Poor Isaac's tooth was hurting that night enough not to finish his icecream!

Zac's birthday! We had a swim party at the house! Heres baby maddox AKA baby maggot according to savannah

Back to my birthday again..I had a date with mom and dad haha at chilis! and as you can see they got me everything I asked for! A bath sponge ("I wash myself with a rag on a stick"..simpsons episode..i think of it everytime i use my sponge!) , a hole puncher (yes i asked for a hole puncher), twilight..i have yet to read it, and sour patch kids =)

And now back to Zak's birthday with good ole hotdogs and cupcakes!! Cant go wrong with that!

The gang in the pool. Dad's the lifeguard

Life at the Homestead

2009-07-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

Darrin showing Cooper how to ROCK!! Cooper likes to shoot the rocker hand sign as you can see..but sometimes he gets confused and shoots the I love you hand sign or the kawabunga sign

Fathers Day

AND Mothers day.. Mom wanted all 61 candles on her cake and we gave her just that! She got alittle help from the kids in blowing all those candles out giving the cake more moisture than intended..

2009-07-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

♥ Snaggle Toof ♥

Maile lost her first tooth!

She got $5 from 2 different tooth fairies. What nice tooth fairies! How much could I get for MY teeth when they fall out?

Thank you grandma, grandpa, Allison, Abuelita, Abuelito and everyone else who let Isaac and Maile join them in their company while I was in Utah with my brother and sister-in-law. My sister-in-law is recovering from thyroid cancer and is on her way to feeling a whole lot better.

Thank you for all you do for our little family! We love you! Please let us know if you ever need anything! Luv - Steve, Ismari, Isaac, and Maile

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALLISON!!

2009-07-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

Hope you party the day away!

Happy 23rd you old fart!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZAC!

2009-06-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZAC!!

HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Happy Birthday, MOM!

2009-06-21T07:43:00.001-07:00

We're glad you were born, Mom! Hope you have a Happy Day!

Dr. Caleb, OBGYN

2009-06-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

Funny things our kids are saying...We did learn about labor and delivery from Dr. Caleb recently. It went something like this:

Caleb: Mom, when is your tummy going to be THIS big and you will go to the hospital and the baby will come out?

Julianne: Not for a long time. After Madilyn’s birthday and right before your birthday.

C: How does a baby come out? (Deep in thought…)

J: The doctor helps…(interrupted by Caleb)

C: I know! First, you go to the hospital, then the baby eats from your bellybutton and goes all the way up and comes out of your…MOUTH!

J: Really? I didn’t know that.

Super Jesus to the Rescue!!

2009-06-16T15:53:00.001-07:00

Rex and I had a funny conversation in the car. It went something like this:

Rex: I'd better hold on to the Jesus car (while clutching the seat in front of him)

Me: Why is this the Jesus car?

R: Because it's made out of bees.

Me: What do bees have to do with Jesus?

R: Because he flies away! (He then imitates a Buzz Lightyear style of flying)

Me: Where does Jesus fly to?

R: To Heavenly Father

Rex: Jesus wouldn't let the mouse in. He said, "Go away" and shooted him with fire. (apparently Jesus has super hero fire blasters)

He was being so cute during this conversation until he said, "Jesus told Heavenly Father to go away." Hmmmmm....

What funny things are your kids saying??

I knew Margie when...

2009-06-12T17:55:00.001-07:00

For all of you who didn't realize I was an international super-star, I've attached my recent film release titled, "Shatter". Click here to view my super-star-ed-ness. I'll have autographed pictures at the reunion for only $20 each. Exact change only please. I'm not a cash register.

Before you view, I just want to thank a few people. First of all, my wonderful director David, you gave me wings to fly, my fellow actors for telling me every day how awesome I am, to Zombie #3 for inspiring me to not give up after the whole "pasta incident"...you know what I'm talking about!, to Mom and Dad for giving me the genetic makeup for over active flaring nostrils which help me emit gut wrenching emotion, to Felix and Rex for giving me the extra wrinkles and pounds that made my "Mom" character realistic, and for Scott, the wind beneath the wings David gave me. And lastly, to my precious Kiwi, who is wagging her tail down on me from up above. You were the only one who listened to my endless monologues as a teenager in the act of training to become the international super star that I am today. Woof, woofy, woof woof...lick, lickity, lick. Thank you all!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ISMARI!

2009-06-09T07:31:00.000-07:00

HAVE A SUPER DUPER, HAPPY SHMAPPY, HUNKY DORY

BIRTHDAY, ISMARI!!

HOPE YOUR BIRTHDAY WISH COMES TRUE!

It is done...Halle-freakin'-lujah!!

2009-06-07T06:53:00.001-07:00

2 days after finishing a marathon, I'm not sitting here thinking, "What a great accomplishment. I feel great." Instead, I'm thinking, "What the heck was I thinking?!" Destination Marathon all began with my good friend, Meagan asking me to run the Pittsburgh Marathon with her. She has magical powers of persuasion. I discovered the Pitt Marathon was on Sunday so I decided, (being the saintly person that I am...wink, wink...actually, Scott knows how to make me feel guilty) to find a marathon nearby on a Saturday, even though Meagan was still doing the Pittsburgh. I searched around found the "God's Country Marathon" in Potter County, PA, about 4 hours northeast of Pittsburgh. I thought it was a sign from God that I chose do the right thing...God's Country. This will be great, God will carry me the whole way.

So, I agreed to try to train with Meagan knowing my knees were not very strong. It turns out we weren't able to train together because her husband is an ER resident with a very aggressive schedule leaving her a single mom most of the time, and Scott's schedule didn't leave me much time for long runs, so our schedules never matched up and she ended up training on her treadmill and me, alone in the dark and dreary wilderness with a lack of drive. We kept each other up to date on our training and ran one 10 miler together. The furthest I got in my training was 15 miles, which just about sent me to the retirement home. So, I decided that was the last long run I'd do before the race...which was 2 weeks prior. Meagan kept assuring me I'd be fine because the farthest she'd run before either 2 of her marathons was 12 miles.

So, off we go to Potter County, PA. It is lovely country. Green, lush, rolling hills...little did I know how I'd despise the hills in the end! We went to the pre-run dinner at the local Fire Hall and I started to get some details from the runners about the course because I didn't research the course at all before signing up. I kept reading, "Conquer the Hill" in pamphlets, but thought that was not biggy since Pittsburgh is very hilly and I trained on hills. But at the dinner, I found out that the "hill" was 3 miles long! We would climb from 1300 ft above sea level to 2424 ft above sea level. I was told not to expect to break any records on this run...break records?! I just want to finish! I was concerned at this point, but optimistic due to the adrenaline pumping inside.

Scott took the boys camping that night while I stayed in the Ox Yoke Inn. Pretty po-dunk. I woke up, walked to the high school where it started, the signal was shot and off we went. I felt so good! I was running, listening to "Harry Potter" and actually having a nice time. I started running with a girl at about mile 4 and since my $9 Wal-Mart watch was not being reliable...surprise, surprise, she was keeping me posted on our pace and we were running at an 8 1/2 mile pace. It was her first marathon, too. I was happy and felt great. We jogged by Scott and the boys' campsite at about mile 5 and Scott was there waving and cheering me on. Then we started jogging with a guy who had done this race before and he started talking about the hill. It was here, at mile 5 1/2 that I found out the hill was actually from mile 11-18! What?! He said the incline started at 11, but got steep at 15 and peaked in between 17 and 18! Holy crap! Still, I was feeling good and optimistic.

Then, at mile 7, my knees gave the first signs of protest, so I told my running buddy I had to slow down, and gave up the 8 1/2 minute mile pace. That was the last I saw of her. I was running at about a 9-10 mile pace until 11 miles when I really felt the knees go bye-bye, but I kept going, determined. I came to the half-way mark and got a short lived burst of energy when I crossed the half-way mark at 2 hours, 3 min. I felt good about that time. We were on an incline at this point, but it wasn't bad. After 13 miles, though, I felt like I had lost major range of motion and couldn't get a good stride. My knees just weren't bending like I needed them too. Plus, my arches started aching (which was a major issue while I trained). I man passed me with knees support straps and I asked him if they helped, and he assured me they did, so I was wishing I had tried them. I just didn't think they'd help. Anyhoo, we hit 15 miles and I tried my hardest to run up the hill, and I've to go say I mostly did. I walked here and there and stretched my knees some along the way, but for the most part, I ran that blasted hill! Then, came the descent, and that was when I knew my knees were really shot. It was such a lack of control and pain I felt going down hill that I could hardly run or walk and just prayed they wouldn't buckle on me. It was such a horrible feeling. Then I felt more horrible when people were zooming past me who looked like they were speed walking! And you know you're going slow when flies start landing on you even when you think you're still running.

So, I get to mile 19 and I get a pebble in my shoe and chest indigestion. I must admit that I started to become more interested in the all-you-can-eat buffet they had set up at each mile marker than the race itself. I took advantage, a little too much, of all the goodies. There were banana slices, orange slices, gummy bears that have never tasted so good in my life, trail mix, M&M's, watermelon, hard candy, candy orange slices, gumdrops, Swedish fish, Gatorade, water, and gel packs. At mile 22, I pretty much gave up on the race, grabbed 2 cups of candy orange slices and gumdrops and just walked and snacked for a while. It felt good. But then I realized I still had 6 stinkin' miles to go and I'd never get to that giant cheeseburger that was waiting for me at the finish line if I didn't pick it up.

The last 5 miles were very low and reflective. I started thinking about my mortality. I realized that I'm not getting any younger and my body's only going to get weaker. I was whimpering at this point...there was no one around...I was all alone at this point. I felt like my life had flown my like the 18-wheelers passing by on that wretched Hwy 6 that I had been running on for what felt like an eternity. I was tempted to just throw myself out in front of one of them and end it all!! Then I realized, "I think I'm losing my mind! I've got to finish this race and get back to my senses." It's amazing how a marathon will play with one's psyche. It was a lucky thing that Scott and the boys drove by me at mile 24 and I, walking at that time, was once again able to pick up my pace and get to the finish to see them. At mile 25, I could feel the relief of the finish. I came to a turn and I asked how much farther, and a man said, "1/4 mile." I said, "I can handle that!" Then I came to a water station, and I asked again, "How much farther?" and they said, "1/2 a mile" What?!! Then I ran by a guy directing the marathon traffic, and asked, "How much farther?" and he said "3/4 mi". I yelled at him, "3/4ths of a mile, WHAT?!!" I ran past a cheering crowd amongst who a guy I had been running with early on was sitting. I asked how he did and said he had beat his goal, so that made me happy and gave me a little push. I saw the finish...or was it a mirage? I saw Scott and the boys. I shouted for Felix and Rex to race me to the finish. Felix zoomed past me over the finish line and Rex, dropped puppy on the grass and ran with all his might. And then I was done. And all I remember is the darkness....just kidding, I didn't pass out, but I was plotzed! Official time 5 hours 12 minutes. Overall pace 11:55 minute mile. Not exactly my 10 min/mile goal, but I'm over that.

I guess you can compare a marathon to child birth. It hurts and you never want to do it again, but maybe time will convince you otherwise. I ran and got a cheap medal. At least with child birth I got a priceless gift from God. (Granted those gifts from God might end up causing me more pain than a fleeting marathon.) Right now, I'm anti-marathon, although Meagan is trying to convince me to do a flatter marathon with her, she-devil that she is. I don't know. Right now all I can think about is how the heck I'm going to convince my knees to get me up and out of this chair that I've been sitting in so long.

This race really made me sad. I genuinely love running and can usually run through the cramps, the blisters, the arch aches, and what not. But as hard as I told my body to run faster, it wouldn't. I had no control over my joints, my knees just stopped working, and that loss of control scared me. I don't want to give up running. I think I'll try some 1/2 marathons to build up strength, try some knee supports and figure out a good cocktail of pain relievers. (Brett, tell me if you're going to run a 1/2 marathon and I'll see if I can run, too.)

But this week, I'm just going to try to make it up and down our stairs without falling. Baby steps.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANDY!

2009-06-03T19:37:00.000-07:00

ENJOY YOUR LAST YEAR IN YOUR 20'S BECAUSE ONCE YOU HIT 30, THE HOMER GUT MAGICALLY APPEARS.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DUDE!

Must...Keep...Running...

2009-05-16T15:07:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know I'm training (I use the term loosely) for a marathon which takes place on June 6th in God's Country, Potter County, PA. I'm seeking help regarding good music for my iPod to inspire me to keep running! I'm really burning out and need some inspiration from you music lovers. (Thanks Ape, for the CDs!)

I would post a picture of my missing toe nail and blisters on another toe threatening that toe nail to inspire the urgency, but adorable Ollie doesn't deserve to share a screen with that. Needless to say, I have 3 weeks more to endure the ridiculous pain I'm putting myself through and trust with your music pics I can crawl across the finish line at best.

THANKS!

Olllie 4 months.

2009-05-12T21:55:00.000-07:00

Ok everyone, here are some fun family videos of Oliver. The second one just don't pay attention to the shaking of the camera, I promise I'm not shaking Oliver. We just have too much fun together. Here is now 13.7 lbs. 23 in. coming in at 53% for his head size, 24% for his weight, and 36% for his height. He can't wait to meet you all in August!

Reunion Plans?

2009-05-10T19:04:00.000-07:00

I was wondering what travel plans everyone had for the reunion? Is anyone going to Alvin after the reunion or before? We are ready to book tix and want to make sure travel dates mesh up with as many as you as possible being that we may not see some of you again for another 2 to 5 years!

2009-05-05T07:36:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone is doing well. It's just the usual around here. Busy doing end-of-the-school-year things and looking forward to the swimming, beach time, and free-time over the summer.

Isaac and Maile were in a surf contest Saturday. It is a fun one they look forward to every year.

Easter pic. Maile wearing a dress Abuelita made her.

Have a great week!

Izzy and Steve

2009-05-02T07:52:00.000-07:00

Somebody help me! How do I add things to my blog. I need a blog 101 lesson. -Julianne

The Joy of Boys

2009-04-28T19:48:00.000-07:00

Felix and Rex are into knock knock jokes these days. Usually they consist of:

Felix: Knock knock
Me: Who's there
Felix: Banana
Me: Banana Who?
Felix: Banana tree falls over and is a banana hat and gets squashed
All: Ha, haaa

OR

Rex: Knock knock
Me: Who's there

Rex: Jaden

Me: Jaden who?
Rex: Hey, open the door and let me in. Do you have any snacks? We're all out of snacks.
All: Ha, haaaa

Recently Rex told an actual funny joke. He was trying to play "I spy" with Scott and Scott was about to go, but Rex wanted to go, so he interrupted Scott and said, "I spy with my little eye something that is 'Be Quiet!'"

Anyone have a knock knock joke to share??

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

2009-04-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

Hello all of you blogging maniacs! Here is an attempt to consolidate any blog worthy news wanted to be shared specifically among our family. It is intended to make the blogging world accessible to all you non-bloggers who haven't yet entered the age of blogging by creating your own blog. Whatever reasons you have for not blogging (ie: lack of coolness, laziness, too busy, not interested, old fashioned, too cool) are no longer valid. Here is your portal! You have an audience. We want to hear from you. Julianne can share reunion and baby news here, birthday wishes can be pronounced, a countdown to Grandpa's return to Texas civilization can be documented, Brett can serenade us with his love songs, Andy can rub his dream life in all our baby puke covered faces, Mom can share the Alvin gossip. Whatever the Richardson news might be, we Richardsons are here to hear. Blog one, blog all! Blog like it's 1999! As Aristotle once said, "Happiness does not consist in pastimes and amusements but in virtuous blogging."

Go ahead blogger, I'm listening...

Richardsons in Real Life

I Am a Child of God

Houston Snow

Grandkids Magnets

Happy Birthday Darrin!

Blast From The Past

Merry Christmas!

Brett, Ciara, thing1 and thing 2!

Matt and Allison's Wedding

Happy Fall!

Andy & Sara's Wedding

Good Times...

Sara and Andy have a blog! :D

bullseye !

Update

Happy Birthdays

New Post

Birthday Cake Madness

allison update

Empey Update

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! !!

Daphne's Tricks

Fall Fun

Liam Oaks Richardson

Blog Update...

Hilton Head, South Carolina

Parenting- Touching the Hearts of Our Youth by Elder Hales

Blogger in the House...

If only Cinderella had one of these

Madilyn Singing

Recent Pictures...

Yeah, Brett!!

Caleb

Madilyn's Language

Luke

Life is good

The Amazing Standing Daphne!

We got you so good!

Home for Sale!

Baby Blessing

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARGIE!!!

Bun in the Oven?

Madilyn Singing about Fairy Tales

Luke Laughing

Empey Update

Daphne Hope Johnson

Daphne's here!

Daphne JohnsonBorn: 9:32am February 26th, 20109lbs 6oz 21-3/4" long

Felix's Happy Birthday

Oliver is one

Holiday Hoop-la

Halloween and Birthday Festivities

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6682412.html61-year-old surfer's ordeal ends on oil rig | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

JAM SESSION

After the Reunion

Reunion Pics...

Reunion photos

Life at the Homestead

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALLISON!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZAC!

Happy Birthday, MOM!

Dr. Caleb, OBGYN

Super Jesus to the Rescue!!

I knew Margie when...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ISMARI!

It is done...Halle-freakin'-lujah!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANDY!

Must...Keep...Running...

Olllie 4 months.

Reunion Plans?

The Joy of Boys

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

Daphne Johnson
Born: 9:32am February 26th, 2010
9lbs 6oz
21-3/4" long

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6682412.html
61-year-old surfer's ordeal ends on oil rig | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle