Amber | Life Elevated Mom

Behind-the-scenes at 9News’ Back-to-School Segment Part II

August 15, 2012 by Amber

If you’re just tuning in, be sure to read Behind-the-scenes at 9News’ Back-to-School Segment Part I.

Despite my best efforts to pull together two back-to-school segments for 9News (and believe me, both segments were a ton of work) one very important thing started unraveling the day prior: Haddie wasn’t feeling well.

I assumed it was because we’d stayed up late at our neighbor’s outdoor movie theater and gotten up early for church but she ping-ponged from OK to worse as she claimed stomach pains. I debated replacing her with her friend but then she’d recover enough for us to see the silver lining and hope she’d be OK.

She wasn’t.

Around 1 a.m. she came into our bedroom claiming nightmares about the sound of necklaces (can you say hallucinating?) so I let her stay. Problem was she thrashed and turned all night and I had to be at 9News by 6 a.m. for my first segment.

Translation: I barely slept.

The plan was for Jamie to bring the kids later for our fashion segment that aired at 8:40 a.m. My first segment on back-to-school products went just swell (find them here that includes the coolest alarm clock) but when I called Jamie to see how she was, he simply said, “Not great,” but that they would be there.

Once they arrived, we hung out in the green room and Haddie seemed pretty OK and my hope was renewed we’d survive the segment.

The Green Room (that is not green)

About 20 minutes before our segment, TaRhonda came to get us and the kids got a little tour of the newsroom. Much to Bode’s delight, he met his celebrity crush, Meteorologist Becky Ditchfield.

Blurry Becky. Apparently I was excited for him

At the end of the segment when Becky was talking to TaRhonda on-air, Becky called Bode “pretty dang awesome.”

Warning: Don’t tease him about it. He starts to blush and roars, “STOP IT!”

Once in the studio, we did a couple of dry runs and all the kids did great.

And then came SHOW TIME! Be sure to check-out the video here (kids’ segment starts at about 4 minutes and for clothing/product info, go here).

Jamie was a stellar stage father, guiding and helping the kids behind the scenes and they were all amazing. Hadley, in particular because she sucked it up and still performed when she felt sick.

Ignore the flash; no time to remove it

Steph was adorable, Bennett was cool but that Bode? For a kid who has a canned smile, the little dude stole the show.

Becky raving how awesome Bode is.

When the segment was over, we were all relieved, grateful and elated with how well it went. As we were walking back to our green room to retrieve our belongings, Hadley confessed:

“I threw up.”

“WHAT? When? Where?”

“Outside!”

I turned to Jamie and he confirmed it. Turns out she was still having stomach problems and the moment they got out of the car upon arriving at the 9News studios, she vomited all over the next parking stall. She recovered enough to perform for the segment and has been down-and-out with a feverish stomach flu ever since.

“Yeah, and Daddy told me not to say anything to you about throwing up until after we went on TV!”

Wise, wise man that Jamie.

And that, my friends, is how you leave your (literal) mark on your television debut.

Filed Under: 9News, Bode, Favorite Posts, Hadley, Humor

Behind-the-scenes at 9News’ Back-to-School Segment Part I

August 14, 2012 by Amber

When TaRhonda Thomas asked me to do a couple of of back-to-school segments on Denver’s top news station 9News, I readily agreed to one but took a big, long pause for the other. I’m fine with pitching products–I’ve done plenty of those on-air segments. But she also wanted me to pull together a fashion show for the second segment. Me? The woman who wears North Face and Arcteryx all winter long?

I reluctantly agreed and admittedly had the most fun pulling that particular segment together. Both were a lot of work–between researching what products I wanted to use, working with the company’s corporate office and then individual stores to get the item and not to mention finding models.

I needed two younger kids and was surprised when both of mine were enthusiastically on-board.

I think Bode secretly wanted to meet Meteorologist Becky Ditchfield (whom he has a crush on).

Next, I recruited Stephanie, a cool sophomore from church was elated to do a shopping spree at H&M (they got to keep their clothes).

But then came the teenaged boy. Turns out most of ’em don’t want to be on TV. Modeling. Excuses ranged from “I have to work” to “I have band camp,” to my favorite, “Ohhhhhh no. I respectfully decline. I could never do that.”

How many teenaged boys even talk like that?

It got to the point where, at a stake BBQ where a number of wards congregated after a community service project that I lamented to Jamie, “I JUST NEED A TEENAGED BOY.”

And then I realized how that sounded.

My friend Lisa finally recommended my guy who was the son of a friend. Bennett is a cool sophomore who didn’t mind basking in the limelight and did a stellar job.

But, of course, there were problems (this is me, right?)

Be sure to read Part II for all the sordid details of the stress…and the puke as my kids made their television debut.

Filed Under: 9News, Bode, Hadley, Humor

My fellow pumpkin widow

August 10, 2012 by Amber

Tomorrow is the annual “Patch Tour”–a time when the illustrious Rocky Mountain Giant Vegetable Growers Group select a few of their fellow growers’ patches to tour and, if we’re being honest, SPY.

My pumpkin updates have been few and far between because we’ve been gone or busy this summer and I’ve barely noticed all the time Jamie has been spending in the pumpkin patch (I think that has been his evil plan). He lost one of his plants to a disease a couple of months ago so we’re down to one hallowed pumpkin he has christened after my mother: Christine.

There are a number of jokes I could insert here about hoping she’ll be big and round but I’ll refrain.

A couple of months ago, I was given some perspective on Jamie’s whole pumpkin obsession. It started out like most Sundays do. We attended church, came home and there was a message on our voice mail from a pumpkin grower named Tom who was visiting from Indiana.

“He wants to know if he can come over so I told him to swing by,” Jamie said.
“When?”
“He’s five minutes away.”

I inwardly groaned but then Jamie offered: “He’s bringing his wife. She doesn’t like pumpkins, either.”

Finally an ALLY!

The phone rang just as they arrived. It was the chicken lady on the phone for me (another topic, another day) so I could only motion “hello” as Jamie led them to the pumpkin patch.

After wrapping up my call, I raced out there and called out to Tom’s wife Megan: “I heard you’re NOT a pumpkin grower?” She eagerly nodded. “Well get inside with me, right away!”

I’ve never seen a woman move so quickly.

We commiserated about (what else?) our pumpkin-obsessed husbands.

How we are the same:
Our husbands grow giant pumpkins. Duh.

How we are different: Tom grows over 400 pumpkins. Yep, you heard correctly. He has a separate patch for his competition pumpkins and another field of them that they hand-plant over Memorial Day. These pumpkins are primarily used for genetics.

If you’re not a pumpkin geek, you have no idea what that means.I do, so that sadly means I am one of them.

I also discovered another way Megan and I are different.

“How long has Tom been growing?” I queried.
“Several years,” she replied.
“Wait. How long you have been married?” I countered.
“Four years.”
“So there was FULL DISCLOSURE BEFORE YOU GOT MARRIED?”

Yep. And even worse, she was on vacation in Denver and he managed to work in some patch tours.

I got a lot of things out of that visit but one thing in particular: perspective.

I never thought I’d say I’m grateful for just one giant pumpkin.

Filed Under: Humor, Jamie, pumpkins

Broken

August 9, 2012 by Amber

When I was at BYU, I had one of the coolest jobs on campus: I worked as a research assistant in the religion department’s Faculty Support Center. I did everything from make copies (a lot of them) to transcribing OLD manuscripts to editing very cool documents.

It was there my fascination with Ancient Israel and world religions was borne and the reason why I did a study abroad to the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies for my final semester. In August. With heat so unbearable I thought I’d never make it outta there alive.

But I still loved every minute of it. Except for the heat parts. Which was all the time except for when we were in air-conditioned buildings.

It was a complicated love affair.

Several of my co-workers and boss Patty are lifelong friends and I was thrilled when I was able to hook up my soon-to-be freshman neighbor Alexis with a job at the FacSupp starting in June.

When I posted about my water breaking with Hadley in very public booth #3 at Einstein Bros., Patty dropped me a note to remind me of an experience I had long forgotten.

Or chose to forget (thanks, Patty).

Once upon a time, I was at work and grabbed something out of my backpack. Something you should know about me is as long as I can remember, I’ve carried a water bottle full of ice-cold water wherever I go. My kids have inherited this trait and we can’t leave the house for even a 5-minute walk without some water in-hand.

So, that day so many years ago, I grabbed my backpack and it was SOAKING wet. All my homework and text books were drenched and I’m sure I was raising a fuss because Patty asked me, “What on earth happened?”

Still in shock, I finally blurted out, “MY WATER BROKE!”

The foreshadowing is not lost on me.

Filed Under: Humor, LDS

The gig is up

August 7, 2012 by Amber

We’ve been so busy these final weeks before school that posting will be sporadic. Last weekend, we went to First Friday and Street Fair in Golden, followed by a free outdoor movie–Puss ‘n Boots–in the square with our friends.

Hanging w/ Karla waiting for movie to begin

Watching that funny movie reminded me of something Haddie said a few months ago that still rings true.

Hadley: “Mommy, I’m 100 percent sure the Easter bunny isn’t real. I think there’s just a person dressed up as a bunny.”

Me: “Why do you suspect that?”

Hadley: “Because I got ‘Puss in Boots’ for Easter and there was a Wal-Mart sticker on it. AND BUNNIES CAN’T SHOP!!!”

Filed Under: Hadley, Humor

My mother’s horror and our best Canadian day ever

July 31, 2012 by Amber

I’m a sucker for traditions and on our trip to Calgary, we instituted a new one.

Much to my mother’s horror.

Remember when I let the kids jump into Fish Creek fully-clothed and we had the best night ever?

They begged my dad and me to take them back during the day so they could wear their swim suits. We went to our favorite spot: the ice caves. Remember last winter when we literally walked on water?

It’s a much different scene in the summer.

We were delighted to stumble upon some kids who were attempting to catch minnows and they graciously loaned us their nets.

Who knew miniature carp could be so fascinating?

Grandpa also held a tutorial on skipping rocks.

I only got pegged once.

But what unfolded next is still causing my mother sleepless nights. When we were at this area last summer, we saw some teens who were covered in mud. I didn’t think much of it–they had climbed straight up a precipitous cliff to get there and risking life and limb didn’t appeal to me. This summer, some teens emerged who’d done the same thing but it wasn’t until I saw a family of four take a much tamer path up the mountain that I decided to investigate.

“C’mon, Hadley,” I barked. We were Johnson girls on a mission.

We climbed for a few minutes until we stumbled upon a trail that was covered in mud. Thinking this was the final destination, Hadley and I called the boys up to come check it out. We then, of course, got dirty.

Really dirty.

Bode and my Dad joined us and Bode tepidly stepped into the mud. His shoe sank. He panicked and soon his other shoe got stuck, he freaked a bit and I thought he was having nothin’ to do with that mud.

Until Grandpa saved the day.

While Hadley and I had assumed this was the final destination, my dad forged forward through the mud and continued upward on the dry trail. And that, my friends, is when we stumbled upon a mucky, oozing wonderland: the mud pits. There were literally pools and slides of mud.

“Well get in!” I squealed.

My kids hesitated. Could it be? The woman who is always saying “stay out of the mud” was actually encouraging it?

They never looked back.

Muddy kids w/ view of Fish Creek below

Cooling off later at Annie’s Bakery & Cafe

And we’re counting down the days until we can do it again next summer.

Filed Under: Bode, Canada, Family, Family travel, Favorite Posts, Hadley

A Day in the Canadian Countryside

July 27, 2012 by Amber

One of my favorite outings when I come home to Calgary is going to the Millarville Farmer’s Market. Located about 30 minutes southwest of Calgary, this small community is dripping with nostalgia with its sweeping pastoral views and old-timer charm.

I would be the old-timer.

And their farmer’s market? It’s one of the largest and most successful of the Alberta-Approved Farmers’ Markets and is chock full of my childhood goodies. Favorites include saskatoon berry jams and syrups (we’re bringing some home for Jamie), oodles of beef, crafts, gluten-free, glorious bakery items and a montage of ethnic selections (Thai and Indian are my favorites–still reeling over the mango butternut squash soup I sampled).

Did I mention it was 72 degrees? I was in heaven and so were the kids.

Bode driving the tractor. See that blue backside behind the wheel? Thus were the remains of Hadley.

My mom is turtle-obsessed and many of her treasures were destroyed in their garage fire. They added this turtle solar lamp to their collection.

I’ve decided I’m in love with beavers. Here’s Bode staring one down.

Old buck-tooth totally won. There’s no competing when you’re sporting a Canadian flag.

And our lunch of champions? Kettle corn, pina colada fudge, Skor fudge, French fries and fresh peas.

Give us a break–we’re on vacation.

When we left Millarville a couple of hours later, Dad suggested instead of going back to Calgary on the 22X (highway), we try to find a charming country church he loves on the backroads around Millarville.

We never found it and ended up doing a big detour through country hamlet Black Diamond and then Okotoks, which has grown to a bustling city of 30,000.

We used to nickname it “Hickville” when I was a teenager, which just shows how old I really am.

“Let’s stop at Bulk Barn in Okotoks,” my mom suggested.

Now, I don’t know about you but anything with “bulk” and “barn” are not very alluring. But do you know what? I’ve never seen anything like it. Bulk Barn is a veritable bulk foods emporium with over 4,000 products and is Canada’s largest bulk food retailer. Rows upon rows of bins with the most amazing selections, many of which I’d never heard of–everything from soup to nuts, candy and snacks, baking ingredients, health food and pie fillings.

Hadley tried Turkish delight, I freaked over plantains and mango-flavored craisins (I brought home a bunch for salad), and Bode fell in love with creamsicle Big Feet (like orange-flavored Swedish fish in the shape of feet). Talk about getting your hand caught in the cookie jar.

Or rather, the bulk food bins.

But the item I was most excited about? In the baking section, they had a large selection of various kinds of chocolate for making desserts. I have a snickerdoodle bread recipe and have been trying to track down the requisite cinnamon chips to make it. Bulk Barn didn’t have them but had something even better: lemon chips. I’m totally making some cream cheese oatmeal cookies with lemon and white chocolate chips with coconut.
.

Now is the time for my local friends to start sucking up.

Or that should be “puckering up.”

Filed Under: Bode, Canada, Family travel, Hadley

Party, party, party and The Face Plant

July 25, 2012 by Amber

Bode has it pretty darn good when it comes to birthdays. We’ve been in Canada the last couple of summers so he usually gets a fete with friends before we leave. As previously mentioned, this year it was a Super Mario/Beach Party.

Party #1: The Super Mario/Beach Party

Party #2: The Pretend Birthday

We wanted to celebrate Bode’s birthday in Canada before my brother and his family took off for their two-week lake vacation.

And truth be told, we really wanted Jane’s famous beef tenderloin.

So, we planned a little celebration on our back deck that included fabulous food.

The Cool Kids Table

And fun with Grandma’s treasure hunt with lots of clues and goodies.

Scavenger Hunt Haul

And a Stampede ice cream birthday cake. After all, when in Rome.

Or rather, that would be cowtown…..

Party #3: The Real Birthday.

The boy had VERY specific instructions about how he wanted to spend his birthday, starting with breakfast in bed with pancakes and a fresh fruit salad.

Though it was already 9 a.m., his moody sister wasn’t yet awake (thanks to their gloriously dark and cool basement) and didn’t appreciate the interruption. I enthusiastically asked Bode about something he’d be able to do now that he is 6 that he couldn’t do when he was 5.

Hadley interjected. “Now that he’s 6, he has to pay for Stampede.”

Trust Grumpy Head to remind us of the 5 and under free policies that no longer apply.

At Bode’s request, we went for an epically long golf cart ride in the gully.

And went to Peter’s Drive-in for their famous milkshakes.

That evening we gave him the choice of going to the Telus Spark, Calgary’s new Science Center or to a gorgeous picnic area Dad and I stumbled upon during a bike ride. Much to my delight, he chose the latter so we had a fantastic picnic at Shannon Terrace in Fish Creek Provincial Park, one of the largest urban parks in Canada.

There is an adjacent Environmental Learning Center (that I’m bitter our school never attended) and a network of paths perfect for little people and dogs to explore.

And glorious Fish Creek is always great for water play.

Unless you’re a water-adverse dog and get dragged through it.

Dad stoked up a stellar fire to cook smokies, which is a little cut of heaven when you live in Denver where there seems to be an eternal fire ban.

My friend Stacey joined us for the festivities as well. I recently realized I’m always the photographer and forget to take pictures of myself so here’s a token shot.

Now, for the moment that had us laughing. There was a gopher-filled meadow that kept the kids entertains for HOURS. When they weren’t chasing gophers with the dogs, they were “fishing” for gophers using gummy worms as bait on the dog leashes.

Suddenly, I saw crying Bode racing toward me with blood gushing down his face. He was so hysterical I couldn’t get the story out of him for a while. Had a gopher fought back?

The story is much better than that. Part of their strategy for catching the gophers was to pick some grass and place it on top of their holes. Sobbing, Bode relayed the story.

“And den, I was pulling up the grass but it was too hard.”
“Too hard?”
“Yes, too hard, I was pulling on the grass and it wouldn’t come out. And I fell over.”

Then I realized what happened: While trying to pull the grass that wouldn’t budge, he had fallen forward and face-planted in Said Grass.

Dad confirmed it all.

“I was watching him. He just just kind of tipped over.”

Better luck for Birthday No. 7. Minus killer grass mounds and gophers.

Filed Under: birthday, Bode, Canada, Humor

Tales from the Motherland

July 24, 2012 by Amber

Though I have a camera or my iPhone in my kids’ faces taking pictures on an almost daily basis, I rarely shoot video. Once upon a time when I was a broadcast journalism student at BYU, I became really proficient at shooting and editing video. I had to be. We had zero budget to do otherwise.

But that was 15 years ago and I haven’t kept up with all the photo editing tools that are out there so that corner of my life has gone to the wayside.

Until my friend Stacey stepped in.

At Bode’s birthday last week at Fish Creek, she shot several short vignettes of the festivities and edited them together through iMovie on her iPad into a darling/hilarious superhero birthday movie trailer.

I’d show it to you but she has yet to send it to me. Something about having to join YouTube or Facebook in order to upload it.

As great as she is with technology, it cracks me up she wants nothing to do with either of them.

So she graciously came over to my parent’s house yesterday to show the kids and me how to make our own movie trailer using Jamie’s iPad. I was delighted it was pretty easy but we quickly realized we needed a lot more footage than our little outings that afternoon and I regretted I hadn’t been shooting video of our entire trip.

There’s always next time.

So, take 1 minute (that’s how long it is) to check out an afternoon in Tales From The Motherland. I think we did a pretty darn good job for our first effort. though I realized I would never make it as a movie director; it made me too bossy.

“No, stop there. Come back. Now run. Don’t smile at the camera. Look natural.”

You get the idea.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30hnfTOmgcI]

I expect Hollywood to come calling any minute.

Filed Under: Bode, Canada, Family, Family travel, Hadley