My first Temple Trip

This is me at the Frankfurt Temple.  Just three weeks after my 12th birthday, my new ward had a temple trip.  I felt the Spirit really strongly.  It was a feeling of peace and quiet.  It was so cool to be baptized and confirmed.  My Dad came and he was the one who baptized me.

 

The temple looks like three separate buildings that has a tall pillar in the middle with Moroni on top.

Playmobil Fun Park

The Jones family invited us to the Playmobil Fun Park.  It was so much fun.  There were lots of places where we could play with Playmobil toys… which was one of my favorite parts – and I only got to play in one section.  Luke and I played with the Safari toys for a very long time.  There were big slides, a pirate ship with rafts that you could row around on, and a water spray area.  That’s when I figured out how immodest German kids were.   All the pictures here were taken in the castle.  Katie is in the room of mirrors.  Everyone was sad to leave.  We only did half of the stuff there is to do there, so we have to go back.

My Birthday

 On my birthday I went bowling, which I haven't done for three years.  I had so much fun bowling.  I didn't do very good but after some practice I'll do much better.  I can't wait to go again.

 Matthew was just happy the whole time we bowled.

 My dad beat me real bad... but I still had fun bowling with him.

Here's a shot of me bowling.  I missed that one.  Megan's ball took a long time getting down there.

After bowling we opened presents.  I got new Super Mario Brothers Wii, a priesthood book by John Bytheway, squishy bowls for camping, a deck of cards with a book of card tricks and games, Goalie gloves, a big bag of Skittles, a German soccer ball, cribbage and Rook.  I haven't played Cribbage yet but so far I love Rook.

After opening presents, we went to look at a house in St. Leon.  We were only allowed to look at 3 houses, and we were really worried because we already looked at two and they were really bad.  But luckily, this one was amazing. It has four floors, just like the other ones, and a cool attic that will be perfect for all the kids, a basement that has a room that could be the bonus room, a big kitchen and a cool family room that will be the perfect size for our big couch.

 This is our house.

 We took a stroll around our house past the fields.

This is part of the perfect attic.

We also went to the park.  I love the park that's by our hotel.  It has gigantic slides and I love going down them with Matthew or on my stomach.

It was a great awesome birthday.

Utah birthday party and flight to Germany

I haven't been blogging for so long because I've been having too much fun. For the past few weeks, we've been visiting family and playing with cousins.  I had a birthday party with my grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles.  I got a Pokemon video game.  I also got four awesome books,  Alma the Younger, Out of Jerusalem 1 and 2, and a picture Dictionary on learning German.  Last, I got my Aaronic Priesthood line in a picture frame.  It goes like this... Ryan Christopher Johnson Christopher Shane Johnson (my dad) Delmar W Johnson (my grandpa) David Joseph Belcher Spencer Wooley Kimball Heber Jeddy Grant George Quayle Cannon Brigham Young Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, Martin Harris Joseph Smith Jr. Peter, James and John Jesus Christ My grandma Johnson printed it out and put it in a frame.   I also got a pocket knife (finally) from my grandma and Grandpa Walton. Then we went on two planes ending up in Atlanta.  We stayed there for a day.  Then late at 6:20 we went into the air heading to Germany.  It was a 9 hour flight but we got to Germany at 10:00am (German time).  The 9 hour flight was not boring.  There was a special TV where we could watch lots of cool movies.  I played DS and watched Alice in Wonderland.  It was really cool.  You should see it.  I also watched Planet 51.  I only slept one hour one the plane. Once we got there, we got our baggage but it took a long time to figure out where the baggage claim was.  Then we waited a few hours in the airport and finally we got to go on a one hour drive to the hotel where we're staying in now.

Scout Campout

Me with my new backpack from Christmas.                                                                   Katie wanted to try on my backpack.

We had an 11 year old scout campout in Brother Clark’s backyard.  He is my scout leader- bottom right.  First we set the tent up.  Then we ate our sack dinner that we brought from home.  After that we went to the store to buy our breakfast and lunch for the next day.  That passed off some of my scout requirements.   We played some games outside and jumped on their trampoline.  Then we read the scriptures with him and then made smores.  Most of them liked getting their marshmallows caught on fire before they ate them.  But I don’t like it that way.  After all that fun we went to bed. 

I woke up in the morning and shortly after Jordan and Caden woke up.   Then, once Dean woke up we started making our breakfast.  Bacon and eggs – bottom left.  Each scout made their own scrambled eggs.   We had orange juice as well. Then we took a walk out into the woods doing several requirements along the way.   Afterwards we went to the indoor pool on base to pass off some swimming requirements.  I had to swim 75 feet straight.  We also practiced saving people who were drowning.  Then we went back and ate lunch and then got ready to go home.    I had a great time.  I can’t wait for March’s camp out.

Christmas

 

In the morning I was so excited.  I noticed that Mom and Dad were really late.  They had told us that they would come get us at 7:30.  Finally at 8:00 they came to get us.  It seemed like it took forever to get everyone in Mom and Dad’s room and get all the hair done but finally we were able to get into our Christmas line.  We walked out and Luke ran to his train, which he already knew was there since he sneaked out of Mom’s room earlier.  I was looking around but I could only see everyone elses.  Then when I turned around I finally saw it.  I got a backpack for camping with a sleeping bag and all.  I was so happy because I was going to have a campout soon.  In my stocking I got M&M’s, skittles, a Barnes & Noble gift card (which I used to buy a Fablehaven book) and more camping equipment.

  

Christmas breakfast was great but we only have it once a year so I savored it this morning.  One of my favorite drinks is Eggnog but we only get to drink it at Christmas time. 

I got a lot of other presents… I got Harry Potter 6, School House Rock songs, basketball clothes, a small basketball net, a keychain that says ‘No Empty Chairs”, a Zhu zhu pet, the Fablehaven Series, Toy Story Mania Wii game, the Kingdom Keepers series, book 9 and 10 of the Tennis Shoes series, a giftcard to Target, and a few other things.

I spent the afternoon playing trains with Luke, trying out my toy Story Mania Wii game, watching UP, and playing legos with Katie and Emily.

lately...

I am not good. I have not posted forever. So this is some 'ketchup'.
Halloween 2009

Halloween was great! We trick-or treated a lot. I loved being a pirate again. I was a pirate when I was about  4.  Matt was the cutest pirate ever.

In November, our friends, the Christoffersons came to visit for Thanksgiving. We had fun...

Family Expectation

This is a list of things I expect from my parents…

· Happiness
· Love
· Forgiveness
· Privacy
· Praise
· Kindness
· Rules and Structure
· Faith
· Caring
· Direction and Guidance
· A good attitude

This is a list of things my parents should expect from me…

· Happiness
· Love
· Repentance
· Privacy
· Thankfulness
· Kindness
· Respect
· Faith
· Helpfulness
· Obedience
A good attitude

My Most Embarrassing Moment

I was 8. My heart was pounding. I was holding the ball. I ran up the basketball court, dribbling occasionally. I was drenched in sweat. Someone was yelling at me. I couldn’t hear them over the loud pounding of my anxious heart. None of my teammates were beside me, probably because I was faster than they were. I got to the basket and shot. Score! I put my hands up in the air, shouting for joy. I imagined having millions of people screaming my name. I noticed my teammates. They were staring at me oddly, but I was too happy to worry about it. My coach ran up to me probably wanting to say “You were amazing out there. You are a great basketball player!” but instead he said, “You shot in the wrong basket!” Suddenly everything reversed. My happiness turned to embarrassment. Then I noticed that not only was my team looking at me strangely, the crowd was too. So the other team got a point from me. I was devastated. I sat out the rest of the game. The other team made fun of me. Some cheerleaders were giggling together and pointing at me. I sat on the bench until it was time to go. My family was the first family to leave. I walked out the door and to my car. I didn’t talk to my family on the way home even though they were trying to cheer me up. Once we got home I laid on my bed glad the game and the torment was over.

That was my most embarrassing moment.

Sensory Images

I could smell the Christmas tree. It smelled like cinnamon and fresh pine. I put down my cup. I could taste that last drop of delicious creamy eggnog. My heart was pounding so hard I could feel it. I could even hear it. It was Christmas Eve. I ran to the window and looked out into the dark sky. I saw shining stars. They were small but bright. I heard everyone (including myself) talking about how excited they were. I looked over to the brick fireplace and saw the red stockings all hanging up in a row. I went to look under the Christmas tree. “I wonder how many presents I got,” I thought as I felt the presents and hoped they were good. I always got excellent presents. I went into the kitchen and got out a big plate for Santa. I put on some crunchy carrots for the reindeer. My kind sisters made sugar cookies topped off with white icing and green sprinkles. The smell of the sweet cookies made my mouth water. We ate colored candy canes as we listened to the beautiful Christmas music. We did a fun play of the nativity. I touched the baby doll that was Jesus. When the nativity was finished I opened the one present that would have my Christmas Jammies. It was tradition. Mine were plaid written all over them. They felt wooly. When my mom told me to go to bed I happily went because I was so excited. I love Christmas Eve.

Cheer Yourself Up

A list of a few things I could do to cheer myself up and distract me from my troubles…
· Take a nice hot relaxing bath and play with my baby brother’s bath toys
· Give my mom a hug every hour for twelve hours straight
· Practice back flips on my trampoline
· Bang at the wall for no reason
· Tie my sisters hands together
· Rearrange my room
· Make a maze on paper and see if my dad can get through it
· Put my clothes on my little brother and see how big they are
· Talk to my baby brother and see him smile for no reason
· Watch a movie with my parents and see them laugh at non-funny parts
· Put on my dads shoes
· Listen to music and do weird dances
· Take a picture of the lizard that lives under the barbeque
· Run in my clothes in the rain
· Break a bunch of sticks for no reason
· See how many starburst I can eat in a row
· Make a light saber out of wrapping paper rolls
· Perform a circus with my sisters
· Get a jar and pull all these ideas out randomly to see what to do

Telling Tales

This story has been told in my family for a long time. It is a story about me when I was 2. The first time I heard it I laughed my head off.

I was having a great day. The sun was bright. I was playing a game while my mom was working upstairs. I played and played… until I decided to try to open the fridge. I pulled and pulled and finally was able to yank it open. Wow. I looked at all the yummy foods. I thought, “Should I take the berries or the yogurt?” Then my eyes were caught by a big bowl full of red jello with floating mandarin oranges in.

Meanwhile, my mom was upstairs thinking of how awfully quiet it was downstairs. She decided she would go downstairs after she finished her scrapbook page.

I stuck my hands in the jello and ate every one of the mandarin oranges from the jello. And then I thought of a new game. “Hmmmm.” I thought about it, and then I did it. I put…

She finally finished. “Now I can check on Ryan.” She took a step down the stairs.

I was having a blast. This was so much more fun than that other game. I heard a footstep. It was coming from the stairs. I put on my innocent face.

The first thing she noticed when she got to the bottom step was my innocent face. That face told her something was seriously wrong. She ran into the kitchen to find …

“Red jello all over the walls and furniture!! R Y A N ” she said very slowly. I cried as she put me in timeout. My mom had to scrub the couches, the stairs and the walls, and of course my hands and hair. I apologized to my mom that night. “Sowey, mommy.”

I Am Poem

I am a nice boy doing my best.
I wonder if I’ll ever finish my test.
I hear my parents talking to me.
I see in the future how great I will be.
I want to be happy my whole life long.
I am a nice boy doing my best.

I pretend I’m in Disneyland riding fun rides.
I feel tired.
I touch the piano keys playing a song.
I worry if something will ever go wrong.
I cry if I’m sad.
I am a nice boy doing my best.

I understand my brothers.
I say I am hungry.
I dream some bad dreams.
I try to be happy.
I hope I am smarter than I think.I am a smart boy doing my best.

Rewarding experiences

Here is a list of the ten most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had…

1. When I was eight I was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was special because my whole family was there, my Dad baptized me and it was a great spiritual day.

2. My baby brother, Matthew was born on May 8th, 2009. It was special because I got to hold him on the very day he was born.

3. My first day at Blackmon Road Middle School was special because I had been waiting forever for me to get old enough to go to Middle School. It was fun.

4. The day I got a Camera was special because I would finally be able to take pictures myself.

5. The day I turned into a Boy Scout was special because I got to be with bigger scouts and was able to do better activities.

6. The day I moved to Georgia was a special day because I made new friends and I got an awesome new house.

7. The day I learned to ride a bike was special because I finally was able to after a long time of practicing. Riding a bike is fun and exciting.

8. When I was in fourth grade I won the ‘best reader in the class’ award. I had the most AR points in my class and the second most in all of the fourth grades. It was special because it I got an award in front of the entire fourth grade.

9. The day I learned to wakeboard was special because it was exciting and I was proud of myself. I hope to get better and be able to do fun tricks soon.

10.The day my little brother Luke was born was very special because after three little sisters in a row, I finally got a brother.

Who am I

I am a person of many selves. Here are some of my main roles.

I am a Brother. I have 2 brothers and 3 sisters. I am the oldest so I try to set an example for them. I want my brothers to grow up to be just like me. I think being the oldest brother has made me a responsible person. I’m proud to be the big brother.

I am a Reader. Anyone who knows me knows I read ALL the time. I always have a book with me in the car, at school, or anywhere else I go. I love Fantasy/Adventure books. Some of my favorite series are Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Lord of the Rings and the Eragon series. Once I get hooked on a series, I have to finish it before I start another one. Some people at school tell me I read too much. I think reading has made me smart.

I am an athlete. I love to play Sports like soccer and Basketball. I can run really fast. I also love to golf. I golf with my dad. Several times a week I’m doing something athletic. I enjoy playing with other athletes who are good. It helps me to get better. Playing sports makes me feel strong and good about myself.

I am a scout. I am in an organization called Boy scouts of America. We camp, learn fun things and earn merit badges. Merit badges show that we have worked hard on many topics and have accomplished them. I love being a scout because it makes me feel proud to be learning things.

I am a piano player. I love playing Piano. I don’t know many hard songs, but I am getting better. I try to practice 30 minutes a day. Someday I will be as good as my dad. It is fun to play things that I’ve learned. Playing the piano makes me feel relaxed.

Extended Metaphors

If I were a day of the week I would be Sunday. Sunday’s at my house are peaceful. They are quiet and happy and refreshing. It is a day to do quieter activities like spending time with family. I am also quiet and happy. I try to be peaceful around my family and friends. Sundays are also reverent. They are not as crazy as others days. I am reverent and respectful too. Sundays seem nice. Sundays are not rough or bad. Neither am I. Sundays are stress free. You can just relax. You don’t have to worry about much at all. I am easy-going and don’t worry about much. I like Sundays.

If I were a natural phenomenon I would be a thunderstorm. Thunderstorms are random because they strike at really random places. I do really random things. I am bright just like Thunderstorms. Thunderstorms are bright because they have light. I am bright because I am smart. Thunderstorms are loud just like me. Thunderstorms are interesting. I think I am interesting because I read a lot, I’m smart, and I’m involved in a lot of different things.

Personal Metaphors

Animal: If I were an animal I would be a Cougar because I’m fast, athletic and I’m a BYU Cougar fan.

Car: If I were a car I would be a green Volkswagen because I’m small, fun and cute.

Article of Clothing: If I were an article of clothing I would be pajama pants because I’m comfortable, warm and relaxed.

Day of the Week: If I were a day of the week I would be Sunday because I’m peaceful and happy.

Food: If I were a food I would be Spaghetti because I’m messy and thin.

Color: If I were a color I would be orange because I am exciting and adventurous.

Movie: If I were a movie I would be Harry Potter 6 because I am cool and inspiring.

Fragrance: If I were a fragrance I would be grass because I play soccer.

Type of Building: If I were a type of building I’d be an apartment building because I have room for so many people in my heart.

Plant: If I were a plant I would be a blackberry bush because I’m sweet, and most people like me.

Musical Instrument: If I were a musical instrument I would be a piano because I’m complicated most of the time.

Geometric Shape: If I were a geometric shape I would be an octagon because I have many sides, many interests and skills.

Piece of Furniture: If I were a piece of furniture I would be a sofa because I like to relax and be with other people.

Song: If I were a song I would be Joy to the World because I’m happy and I like Christmas.

Season of the Year: If I were a season I would be spring because I’m awake and full of energy.

Television Character: If I were a television character I would be Justin from Wizards of Waverly Place because I’m smart and I annoy my sisters.

Cartoon or Comic Character: If I were a cartoon character I would be Goofy because I’m forgetful and silly.

Appliance or Machinery: If I were an appliance I would be a freezer because I’m so cool.

Natural Phenomenon: If I were a natural phenomenon I would be a thunder storm because I am random, bright and striking.

Word: If I were a word I would be the word ‘laugh’ because it’s a fun word, and everything makes me laugh.

Likes and dislikes

Likes - Dislikes
Books - Ants
BYU - Being bored
Diet Mountain Dew - Brussel Sprouts
Family - Cleaning my Room
Friends -Home work
Graphs -People that smoke
Jello - Princesses
Middle school - When I have to go to bed
Movies -Sleeping with a shirt on
Piano -University of Utah
Roller coasters -When my Dad has to go to work
Scriptures - Spiders
Soccer -When my sister sucks her thumb
Spaghetti - Shopping
Wakeboarding - Some types of fish
Wii - Grumpy people
Playing at the beach -Sponge Bob

Personal Alphabet

A – Active (I am full of action, quick and busy.)
B – Brave (I like to try new things.)
C – Careful (I am watchful and exercise care.)
D – Daring (I am adventurous.)
E – Easy-going (I am happy to do anything)
F – Forgetful (I don’t remember things.)
G – Goofy (I’m funny and silly.)
H – Handsome (I look good…. my mom says.)
I – Intrapersonal (I know myself very well.)
J - Joyous (I have a good attitude and I’m cheerful.)
K – Knowledgeable (I am intelligent.)
L – Likeable (People like to be around me.)
M – Messy (My room is not very organized. )
N- Nice (I’m pleasant, kind and good.)
O – Obedient (I obey my parents willingly.)
P – Peaceful (I am relaxed and happy.)
Q – Quiet (I am quiet)
R – Respectful (I respect my family and other adults.)
S – Smart (I’m intelligent and get good grades.)
T – Thankful (I am appreciative of what other people do. )
U – Understanding (I am good at learning and thinking.)
V – Vital (I’m an essential part of my family. )
W – Willing (I am happy to try things. )
X – eXcitable (I get excited easily.)
Y – Youthful (I am young and full of energy.)
Z – Zany (I can act crazy sometimes.)

Are you hungry?

“Dinner!” my mom yells. I run into the kitchen to find MY FAVORITE MEAL, spaghetti with marinara sauce, fruit salad, and lemonade.

My mom and I make spaghetti together as much as we can. It’s one of the first meals I learned how to make. Thin spaghetti noodles boiled and drained, red marinara sauce with ground beef topped off with Parmesan cheese, and a lot of salt and pepper. Spaghetti is delicious.

Fruit salad is a great side for Spaghetti. My family’s fruit salad has juicy apples, beautiful fresh strawberries, ripe blueberries, a can of mandarin oranges and scrumptious pineapple chunks. We use pink lemonade powder mixed with water and Sprite to make refreshing pink lemonade, which completes this tasty meal.

Whenever we have this meal we have it as a family, at our big square table that can fit all eight of us. My whole family likes spaghetti just as much as I do. “Thanks, Mom” I say as we sat down to eat.

I have always been a messy eater. “Slow down” my dad says. “Can I get thirds?” I ask him in return. My sisters and I keep on thanking my mom. At the end of the meal I go into my room, lie on my bed, and think of how full I am and how delicious it was. I hope I will be able to eat it again soon.