"The Phog" Is Thick Out Here AKA Journey to the Motherland

The level of joy Rick experienced during this short weekend away is indescribable.  I'll let the pictures do most of the talking.  A few points to remember this momentous occasion though:

• This was the last official regular season game at Phog Allen Fieldhouse between the KU Jayhawks and the Missouri Tigers.
• We didn't buy tickets to the game until the morning of the game and they were the cheapest we saw them that whole week, which was still a lot of money.
• The decibel level was 127db at several points during the game (that's the equivalent of a jet engine).
• Rick may or may not have cried a couple of times throughout the day.
• Jayhawks won in the overtime of a nailbiting game.
• Strangers were hugging each other at the end of the game, Rick included.
• During our travels in the Kansas City/Lawrence area we drove past the township of Piper.  There's a name-origin story for ya, if we'd known it existed when Piper was born.
• This trip marked my first time on a plane in over two years.

Rick's elementary school

Valentine's Day 2012

For Valentine's Day this year I made Piper this new skirt.  It was my first attempt at this new pattern.  She got all decked out in pink and red, even her tights were made for love day.  She and I made these little woven heart baskets and filled them with M&Ms.

Piper takes a baking class

Piper's school offers afterschool classes so we signed her up for one.  Unfortunately we've had a bad run of luck with classes and it got canceled so we just moved her into a different class. She took a baking class and she loved it.  

She learned lots of different cuisines.  They were just variations of bread/pastries but she got to bring home hot samples and they were delicious.  She made challah (for the Jewish sabbath), hamantashen (for Purim), chocolate chip muffins, cinnamon rolls, and kolacz (Polish danish).

Here's our pastry chef showing off her mad baking skills.

Tree Planting

In February we joined with a hundred other volunteers in planting trees along Pico for the City of Los Angeles.  There was a wonderful feeling of community, even if we didn't live in that particular neighborhood.  The firehouse fixed us up a pancake breakfast beforehand which was a great time to meet new people too.  

We were assigned a team leader and off we went to plant a tree.  We somehow got grouped with a bunch of other kids also wanting to plant.  It was fun to see them shovel and dig.  Piper wasn't too interested in having her picture taken - it was early, so I'll give her that.  We planted "our" tree in front of the John O'Groats restaurant so now we point to it whenever we pass by.  I forgot to get a final picture of the tree planted but at the end everyone was tired, Piper especially.

After pancakes

Waiting to go dig

This picture melts my heart.  They really do love each other and hug quite often for no particular reason.

So funny

Upcoming posts

Just to whet your appetite for all things Johnson family-related, these are the posts I currently have in the works.  Really?!  Then I would be pretty much up-to-date.  Whoa, that's amazing!!  Truly amazing!!  (Hear the sarcasm deeply hidden there; just don't get your hopes too high.)

• Tree planting - that's my tree!!
• Piper takes a baking class
• Love is in the air - Valentine's Day edition
• "The Phog" is thick out here
• Stitches redux
• A visit from the Easter bunny
• Road trip!!
• Piper does the Mexican hat dance
• Simon takes a soccer class
• Cleaning up Griffith Park