Valerie Bell Dramatizes A Day In The Life...

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In a low, dramatic, TV announcer voice…

This week on "Life with the Johnsons", prepare yourself for dirty diapers, messy meals, and candy kisses! Hold on to your seat as Valerie cooks dinner, Nathan balances the Flower Shop's finances, and the girls run willy nilly with strawberry yogurt on their faces. This weeks episode will blow your mind as the mystery of where Lizzy got the permanent marker unfolds- and how will Sammy ever get over not eating fruit snacks before dinner! Find out if Rachel can make it through 20 diapers in a single day. This time, drama is for real…

(Okay, okay, so it’s not all that exciting, but it’s reality and we make the best of it!) Hello from Heatville! This is the Valerie formerly known as “Bell”. I have since taken on the surname “Johnson” and am sweltering in sunny Mesa, AZ. It’s been so fun reading about everyone’s lives! And since I won’t be attending the reunion, would love to hear from more of you!

Here’s a recap of the past decade… After high school I worked at Boise City Hall and then went to Ricks- which was a wonderful life-changing experience. I did the Disney World college program thing- that was fun. I then received my Associates degree in Premed in 2000 and left on a mission that year to Mississippi- that was fun. I came home and a mission companion introduced me to a friend of hers. He and I were married March 18th, 2003- that was and is tons of fun!

I became a CNA to see if I wanted to take the RN route. I was top of the class scholastically, but alas- the clinicals did me in. I found out I have a hard time seeing people in pain. So, I stopped working and had a baby. Samantha Jane (Sammy) was born fall of 2004. She’s our thinker/talker and is her father’s daughter.

We enjoyed her so much, and I babysat her cousin Joseph so often- I thought- hey, we can have two kids close together. So we decided we should have another. Elizabeth Joy (Lizzy) was born fall of 2005. She is a wonderful ball of energy and a lot of work, so we decided to wait a few years for the next child.

Meanwhile, Nathan finished up a degree at ASU in Business Finance. He took the GMAT (entrance exam for grad school) and did so well, we’re still getting info from schools all over the country- even some ivy-leaguers. So, we may wait a few more years so he can take the GMAT again and actually STUDY this time so he could get some serious scholarship offers. That’s the hope. We’re also dabbling in real estate investing a bit. We don’t own anything in AZ, but we do in Idaho- go figure. I have also been doing Irish clogging and taking piano between pregnancies, and spend most days taking the girls on outings.

The whole “wait a few years to have the next child” thing failed to happen when to our surprise I was expecting once again. Rachel Annaliese was born June 18th- yes last month. She’s such a good baby!

As for now, Nathan works at the family business- which also happens to be where we live! It’s a cushy setup. No commute, and the girls see their papa all the time. I love it! Nathan and his brother are taking over the business- “Watson Flowers”. This year is the 80th anniversary of the flower shop and it’s always been in the family! (Support your local mom and pop shops!) So, if you find yourself in Arizona and need anything- look us up. We won’t be going anywhere for a while!(Pictured below is my father-in-law with his beloved, fuel efficient, Scion delivery vehicles.)