Paradise

A Visit to Jared's

March 2013

Johnny and I made a trip to Jared's.  He is living in Federal Way, WA.  Love his apartment, he has decorated it nicely.  We went with him to look at many houses.  Also a favorite area that we discovered we like is Dash Point.  I love the beach there, a good spot on the Puget Sound.  Loved seeing Karl and Victoria, they are so wonderful, and of course Rowan ( their dog).  We went to Paradise Falls, that is on the Green River here in WA.  We viewed it from the bridge above.  A couple of years ago Laura and Jared had kayaked this portion of the river.  Jared took us on a walk down a trail to where He and Laura had taken their kayaks out of the river.  That is one steep hill to carry your kayaks up.  We didn't even go to the bottom.  I noticed there was a rope and hand holds to help you climb up this steep embankment.  I included a couple of Jared's kayak pictures.  Further down the trail we were able to see the waterfall from a steep cliff side, no way to get down to the waters edge.  Maybe someday I will float down the river to enjoy a close-up experience.  I was amazed at the color of the river, a beautiful green, for it is the Green River.  Not anything like the brown water of the Utah Green River.  We are looking at moving to the other side of the state, I do love the coast.  Spokane is and has been a wonderful place to live, but I feel change is in the air.  Time will tell, and we shall see what Heavenly Father has in store for us.



Paradise Falls, taken from the bridge above.
Notice the shallow cave.



This is the steep embankment, that they carried
 their kayaks up.

Green River
Jared and Johnny, we love our Jared, look at that
adorable smile.

Paradise Falls
Lots of ferns and moss on the trees.  Its
only March & its still lush and green and
the trees don't even have their leaves yet.

 



Johnny and Sonja
At Paradise Falls, (My first waterfall for 2013)





Jared at Paradise Falls

Notice the walkway under the falls, someday I want to

try and see if there is a safe way down to the path,

 it looks very delapidated, and is blocked off.





Jared kayaking under the falls.
There use to be a hotel up above, interesting history.

Mission & More

"Jeremy's Mission Call"

to the
"Jacksonville, Florida Mission"
Leaving April 17th, 2013

Jeremy received his mission call on February 16th, 2013
Leaving two months later, one day before his 19th birthday.  A childhood friend Caleb Ybarra is leaving on the same day, they will be at the MTC together.  Jeremy is excited to serve.  Working hard saving his money.  We are proud of you Jeremy.

"Valentine's Day"

A tradition that we have had for many years, (a couple years I took a break.)

Was making large Valentine sugar cookies.  This tradition started many years ago, before Johnny and I got married.  Grandma Johnson sometimes made sugar heart cookies for her children.  Johnny of course loved them and encouraged many years of Valentine Cookies for our little family.  A well loved tradition.  But this year I was too tired or to busy, and didn't have time to make them, instead I bought a big heart box of chocolates.  Yummy!!  But when I came home that late afternoon, there was Laura with a Beautiful surprise, she had made the Valentine Cookies, and they were yummier than the chocolates.  Thanks Laura, you are a beautiful treasure in my life.



Laura's gift of Valentine Sugar Cookies
Jeremy can be a big stinker, prankster, whatever!!  Out of four pics that were
taken, this was the best.  He was pulling the most awful faces, what a character.
We love him anyway.



"Happy Birthday"

"Anna-Marie"



January 4th, How old are you now???



Making a Wish!!





Bugs & Wiley

Christmas Morning 2012

Looking back on fond memories, and good times.





Family tradition, having family picture on the stairs Christmas morning,

 before seeing the Christmas tree and gifts, and stuffed stockings.

"Bugs Bunny and Wiley Coyote"

Anna-Marie and Jeremy, you just have to chuckle when you look at them.  My two crazy, fun children.

Sometimes in past Christmas', such as this one, these two kids go Christmas shopping together for each other, they know very well what they are giving each other. It's their little secret till Christmas morning.  What little escapades they have had with these PJ's, footie's and all.  They are not hindered at all what others think.  They have gone to stores in them, and even a restaurant. But most of all they enjoy lounging around the house in them.  Jeremy even took them on his mission, what stories will be told.



"The Little Sweethearts"

Clifton and Anne-Marie



  

"Cookie Monster"  "Yum, Yum"
'Cookie Monster' PJ's and
 homemade 'Cookie Monster' cookies.

Festivities 2012

Christmas Festivities 2012

 




Anna-Marie & Grandma

Playing Christmas Duets,

Anna-Marie loves to play duets.



Mom our 'Queen of Frosting'

Grandma and Laura

Frosting sugar cookies to eat and give away.



   



Johnson Family

Christmas Eve Candlelight Dinner





Grandma, Laura, Jeremy, Jared

Love the tie Jared, thanks for dressing up!

Christmas Eve Dinner



 



Anna-Marie, Jared, Jeremy, Sonja, Laura
Going sledding up at Iller Park
I (Sonja) have not gone sledding in many, many years.  The first time
down I thought "what in the world am I doing".  Oh--but it was exhilarating!!  I felt so alive!! I loved every moment!! Jared has more pics, I need to get them.





Voo-Doo Family

The Johnson

"Voo-Doo Family"

December 21, 2012

-December 21, 2012, the final day of the Mayan Calendar.

-Margaret Emenegger, "a gateway of planetary development that will open humanity to new ways of living and a new world of opportunity."

- For some, the year hints at apocalyptic end times; a period in which the world will be thrown into utter chaos and violent upheaval.  "Doom's Day"  (ha, ha)
-We are living in the most important era of the Mayan calendars and prophecies . All the prophecies of the world, all the traditions, are converging now. There is no time for games. The spiritual ideal of this era is action.
-At sunrise on December 21, 2012 for the first time in 26,000 years the Sun rises to conjunct the intersection of the Milky Way and the plane of the ecliptic. This cosmic cross is considered to be an embodiment of the Sacred Tree, The Tree of Life, a tree remembered in all the world's spiritual traditions. Some observers say this alignment with the heart of the galaxy in 2012 will open a channel for cosmic energy to flow through the earth, cleansing it and all that dwells upon it, raising all to a higher level of vibration."(by John Major Jenkin)
.Mayan End Age 12-21-2012 heralds a New Age of spiritual enlightenment


Mayan Calender "Both the Hopis and Mayans recognize that we are approaching the end of a World Age... In both cases, however, the Hopi and Mayan elders do not prophesy that everything will come to an end. Rather, this is a time of transition from one World Age into another. The message they give concerns our making a choice of how we enter the future ahead. Our moving through with either resistance or acceptance will determine whether the transition will happen with cataclysmic changes or gradual peace and tranquility. The same theme can be found reflected in the prophecies of many other Native American visionaries from Black Elk to Sun Bear." — Joseph Robert Jochmans"An Apocalypse (Greek: 'lifting of the veil' or 'revelation') is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood  and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted." — Wikipedia

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Anna-Marie and I decided to celebrate this momentous day.  Be both wanted mexican food (that we love), Jeremy wanted Asian finger foods.  So that's what we did, Yin and Yang finger foods.  And of course other goodies, cheese & crackers. Fruit & veggies.  And then for dessert "Voo-Doo Donuts".  Honestly the Voo-Doo Donuts was all Anna-Marie's idea, influenced by the Portland, OR, VooDoo Donut Place that she and I went to a year ago.  Laura thought it was all evil, and didn't think we should be celebrating this day, let alone with voo-doo.  I think she was taking it a bit to serious.  But when I explained that we were celebrating entering into a New Era, of enlightenment.  And the voo-doo donuts is just a fun way of getting rid of our negative self, and starting new and better selves.  (ha, ha)  She joined in with us.  Plenty of games and picking Clifton and Anne up at the airport.  What a way to introduce ourselves to Anne.
   Anna-Marie and I have never made donuts, filled donuts.  We had a lot of fun though.  We learned that you don't want to use sugar-free pudding.  When its cooked it got a real funny taste.  But the jelly ones were better.  Lets just say that they were more fun to make and decorate, than to eat.  Note the tooth-picks, to poke yourselves, the donuts, and let the negative energies leave the body.  We had a fun night!!!


Anna-Marie



Jeremy

Laura

Jared



Dad, Clifton in a 'speedo', Anne in a 'bikini'

 

Grandma



Mom

  

X-Mas Lights, Manito

Christmas Lights at Gaiser Conservatory

Manito Park 2012

Went on a fun outing to see the lights in the greenhouse.  This is the same place Karin went to, when visiting this last summer.  The lights and flowers were beautiful.  Even the cacti were lit up.  So many different colors of lights, I think our favorites were the brilliant blue, & purple.  It was like a fairy land, hundreds of lights, where your imagination takes flight.  Next year hot chocolate and doughnuts would make a perfect night.

 

Jeremy, Laura, Sonja, Mom (Marie)



Gaiser Conservatory at Christmas Time



Johnny and Mom

 

The coolest tree.  Reindeer pulling a sleigh.
(Can't see the sleigh.)
Johnny & Laura



Sonja & Johnny





First Snow 2012

First Snowfall

November 2012

On this morning with beautiful new snow.  I had a brilliant idea to take pictures of Mom, to send with her Christmas cards.  She had just been to the hair dresser, a perfect time.  We dressed her up, she was such a good sport, and Laura was a great help.  We took over 20 pictures, on the back deck and in the front yard.  Snow falling and a little nippy outside, but we had a good time.  This is one of our favorites.  Mom has such a beautiful smile.

Marie Dahlquist, Mother, Grandmother, & Great Grandmother, a Sister too.