Trying but fun year

Well I am supposed to write a newsletter for the Johnson side but my scanner is not hooked up to the computer, and I don't have all of these fun Layouts like Dacia, or clever with my wording like Emily, nor do I have these heart warming stories like Alycia, so who reads mine anyway? I am basically doing this because I enjoy reading other people's blogs and I want to keep our history - through this and scrapbooking. So here it goes...
This year has been very trying. Mike has been gone since January 09, Megan and the kids have lived with Scott and Linda since January 2007 when we sold our house in Logan UT. We haven't lived in our own home together for 3 years - so thus the depression and trials. It's a bummer that Mike has been working away from home, but we are partying without him. We have done so many fun things, and have been so many places. This year we went to Idaho, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, Utah, Georgia, Alabama, Missouri, Virginia, Maryland, and have done a little traveling in our state of Washington.
Mike graduated from USU in December and then joined the Army in January. He went to Basic Training for 11 weeks at Ft. Benning, GA. Then stright to Officer Candidate School (OCS) for another 12 weeks. Then he came home for 6 weeks and then went to Ft. Eustis, VA to snowbird for 3 weeks before heading to Ft. Sill OK for Basic Officers Leadership Course 2 (BOLC II). He will then TDY back to Ft. Eustis VA for Transportation BOLC III. He is excited and hopes to make the Army his career but is missing family. He like the majority of the training and is doing very well. When he finishes in February we have Perminate Change of Station (PCS) orders to Ft. Hood, TX. We were bummed about this until we found out that Jon and Shannon would be only 1&1/2 hours from us for Jon's flight school. This training will put us apart for a year- so we hope and pray that we'll not just get moved to Texas and then receive orders for Mike to deploy to Iraq.
Megan has stayed very busy with the 4 kids and everything that involves. She was the Activity days leader but asked to be released when she packed up everything because we thought we were moving with Mike to Virginia - nope. She volunteers at the kids school. She is dieting and exercising pretty seriously and is the lowest that she has been in 5+ years but Mikes not here to notice. She feels pretty good except not ever getting enough sleep. She just went to DC and spent a week with Mike, then came home to turn 30.
Madeline is a dynamic, dramatic, stubborn, smart, beautiful, social, questioning, helpful girl. She did very well in first grade and is liking 2nd grade. She gets very emotional with dad gone and mom spending so much time caring for Maverick. She is starting piano again, and karate. This past year she also played soccer and baseball. She will be getting baptised on January 2nd and anyone who wants to come is invited. Hope you all can attend.
Rhett started kindergarten but smart enough for 1st grade. He is very good at so many things. We have the tradition of the whole family dressing up like characters from a movie or book, this year he came up with the idea - Spiderwic Chronicles. He is starting piano and karate. He also did soccer and baseball this year. He is a funny kid, who loves to play any type of game.
Aurora is a sweetheart. She has had some hard weeks, like this one trying to potty train again; she is usually very good. She is silly, polite, cute, creative, imaginative, animated and tricky. She loves to dance, sing, read and PLAY! She is starting gymnastics, music and doing story time again. She loves to go to nursery every Sunday.
Maverick is Mr. Cranky pants. He has not been an easy baby, but I am highly stressed right now and I am sure he feels it. I have to do most things with one hand (like typing this letter). We'll get through it and he'll start doing things better and feeling better soon (hopefully). He is right on developmentally and healthy!!!! When he smiles and laughs it is contagious and the cutest thing you've ever seen, I just wish he would always be happy.
We hope you are all doing well, we hope to be since this past month we've had the flu and now colds. So if I seem overwhelmed - I am right now but things will change. We are happy and are glad to have Maverick with us and for Mike's training and acceptance in the Army.