Team Johnston

Here are the pictures from the rest of January...

Poor girl had a little stomach bug take over for a few days...it was sad.  :-(  But, watching her sleep was super sweet.

Thankfully she rallied...

And was ready to go to the Lego Store with us so Ranger could spend his birthday money!

We also had a January trip to the Dallas Zoo with our buddies!

Mallory is so, so sweet to Payton.

Then the Lego building began!

Prison Island!!  Ranger was so excited as this was his biggest set to date, and definitely the most expensive one he has bought for himself (or maybe that anyone has bought him.).  :-)

Crazy Callen...

And my sweet Payton - the girl loves her bubble baths.

Well...it was bound to happen.  Our big guy turned 7!!  It's just amazing how time seems to be flying by with our kids.

Ranger is truly wonderful is so many ways.  He is funny and kind, smart and logical, questioning and compassionate, tender-hearted and energetic.  

Ranger absolutely loves being with people and being affirmed by his relationships.  He lights up when he knows he will have quality time with people close to him.

He's also smart as a whip, which we try and tell ourselves is a by-product of all the questions he asks each and every day.  Ha!  ;-)  He wants to know how things work and why, including what makes people tick.  If anything gets Ranger in trouble, it's his constant questioning, though, and sometimes forgetting when it's more appropriate to not say anything.  ;-)

Ranger loves baseball and Ninja Warrior, and if he could, I think he would try to be a professional at both.  He is also interested in plays and literature, so I know it's going to be such an adventure as we watch where God takes him.

Ranger is a caring and loving big brother, but he can also dish it out as any brother can do.  Still, Callen & Payton adore him and look up to him in so many ways.

Ranger is clever, funny, and he loves the Lord.  He has a strong sense of justice and right vs. wrong, good vs. bad, and he wants to do a good job and whatever he loves.  Ranger especially loves time with his Daddy and shares many of his same interests: hunting, fishing, working with tools.

The kid also loves breakfast burritos, and we really excited that I made them for his birthday breakfast!  His other favorite foods include cheeseburgers, apples, cheese, raw veggies, eggs, steak, and anything his Daddy hunts and cooks up for us.  

He even took a picture of his breakfast...ha!

Ranger's birthday fell on a Tuesday this year, so he had science class at The Heard Museum that day.  Payton couldn't wait to pick him up!

And, we all went out for frozen yogurt after!!  We love Garrett and Kathryn!

Ranger, you are simply a joy, and our family wouldn't be the same without you.  I know God has big plans for you and your big heart, and I am so overjoyed at being your Mommy so I can watch the journey laid out before you!

This sweetie pie loves making awesome Lego creations...

But he doesn't love falling on his bike and gashing a hole in his head!  His helmet was in the COMPLETE wrong place...total mom FAIL!  He started riding too quickly down the driveway and lost control.  :-(

Thankfully there were no stitches required...they just glued him back together.

But, he was all smiles by dinner time!  Whew!

We celebrated Ranger a few days before his 7th birthday with a pirate-themed birthday party in the back yard!  He came up with all of the activities pretty much on his own.  

My little scalawags!

The kids were so excited for friends to start showing up to get all pirate-ready!!

Walk the plank!

Destroy Davy Jones!!

Fish It!

Polly Wants a Cracker!

Time for s'mores!!  There were hot dogs earlier...it was pretty cold, so we had tents and chairs set up in the garage for the kids so they could eat without freezing.

Then it was time for presents...in the garage again!

What a fun night!!