Christmas Letter 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

It is the time of year when we stop to reflect on the past year and thank all of those that have had a role in our lives. It is also when we remember the birth and ministry of Jesus Christ. Every year it seems like more and more things are tossed in our paths to distract us from He who is the reason that we celebrate each year. Our family is grateful for Jesus Christ, for his birth, his ministry and atonement. We also are grateful for our friends, family, teachers and coaches that are positive influences in our lives.

This year has been an eventful one in the Johnson Family:

Mackenzie turned 16 this year and is a Junior at Spanish Fork High School. Kenz played soccer for the school this year and enjoyed herself. She is planning on playing again next year on the Varsity team. Mackenzie has been taking an art class that he is really enjoying. She is a very talented artist with a lot of potential. With the turning of 16, Mackenzie seems to spend less and less time at home and more and more time with her friends. She is a fun girl that always makes those around her smile. Mackenzie also earned her Young Women's Recognition Award this year. I am very proud of her.

Scout is finally a teenager. Scout has been active with football and baseball this year. He played linebacker and fullback on his football team, and pitcher, catcher and shortstop on his baseball team. I have enjoyed watching him grow and improve as an athlete and as a leader on his teams. Scout is a good kid with a good heart. I love him very much and am glad he is in our family.

Bailey turned 10 this past year. Bailey started off this year wrestling for Champions Wrestling Club. He placed 5^th in the state in Freestyle and 3 in the State in Greco Roman Wrestling. Bailey played baseball this year where he played pitcher, catcher and infield. He has a big heart and loves to compete. Bailey has been active in his webelos den and has earned his webelos badge.

Bella turned 8 this year and was baptized in December by her cousin Michael. Bella enjoys 2^nd grade and has started reading everything she can get her hands on. She is also an artist like her older sister. Bella plays soccer and softball and has a lot of fun doing them. She is such a funny child, she can make our family laugh all of the time.

Scott finally finished the long journey started 4 years ago and completed his bachelors of science degree at Utah Valley University. His major was general business with an emphasis in marketing. Scott did marketing for UVU athletics and enjoyed being involved with the production of the games and events.

Our family wishes all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May the holiday season bring you to a greater appreciation of the reason for the season.

Love ,

The Johnsons (Scott, Mackenzie, Scout, Bailey and Bella)

Challenges and Blessings

This is not my typical blog post.

As a single parent of 4 awesome kids I have the challenge being mom and dad, good guy and bad guy, cheering section, shoulder to cry on etc.

It is hard to be all things for all people. Each of my children is unique, they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. I love them all equally for the person they are and for the joy they bring into my life.

It breaks my heart to watch my children struggle. Right now I have a child that is facing some challenges with school and with acceptance. He wants attention and to be accepted so bad that he will do almost anything.

As a parent what I am I to do? Do I go overboard in showing him how much I love him? Do I take the hard line approach and tell him shape up or face the music? I worry about him, this is such a crucial time in his life and development I don't want to make the wrong choice.

Sweet 16

My oldest daughter Mackenzie turned 16 on September 6th. I cannot possibly have a child that old.



Mackenzie is such a wonderful daughter. She and I share a special relationship. She always is able to make me laugh. Mackenzie is a very talented artist, and this year she is taking art classes to further improve her skills.



Mackenzie is blossoming this year, she has grown into a beautiful, confident and talented young woman. She always has a smile on her face and people gravitate towards her.



She is playing on the high school soccer team this year after taking a couple of years off. She has really enjoyed playing again. She is determined to come back even better next year for her senior year.



I love you Mackenzie, I hope you will continue to make good choices and be a good example as you prepare yourself for your bright future.



Love always... Daddy

2009 Baseball Season

Scout, Bailey and Bella are at the end of baseball season for the year. It has been a long and rough season for both boys.

Scout played his second season on the Pinto League Twins. His team lost some key players, so we were unsure what the season would be like. Unfortunately, most of the players that came back were not very good and the players that the coach drafted were equally bad. Scout enjoyed his role of the anchor on his team. This year he pitched, caught, played second and shortstop. He was lead off batter for most of the season. Scout is continuing to grow and improve as a ball player and shows a lot of character when he faces disappointment. One thing is for sure though, he has fun playing. He loves being around the guys and having fun joking around.

Here's to you Scout !! Thanks for a great season, I am proud of you.


Bailey played his second season on the Mustang League Yankees. Unfortunately his team had very little coming back as well. There were 4 boys on the team that could play ball. During the regular season they were able to dominate with some strong pitching combined with weak other teams. Bailey enjoyed pitching, catching playing second and shortstop this year as well. He was also solid at the plate. Those that know Bailey, know that he hates to fail. After spending so much time watching his buddies on the UVU baseball team he learned how the BIG BOYS handle failure. I am proud of the strides Bailey made this year. He has the heart of a champion and can be a real leader among his friends. Bailey's team qualified for the State Tournament which will start in a couple of weeks.

Way to go 10... Hon Now...

Bella played her first year of coach pitch softball. This is just a fun league for the girls. Everybody hits and everybody plays in the field. Bella loves to play, and always wants me to pitch to her in the yard or play catch with her. She is so much fun to watch. Of course, only being 7 she gets a little distracted in the field. Watching her be a goofball makes the games fun to watch. Keep up the good work Bella Kid's you are all Champions in my book... win or lose

Daddys's Little Girl

Raising a teenage girl is hard enough, a single dad raising a teenage daughter is even harder. My heart is aching for my daughter Mackenzie. She is suffering the heartache of young love. Even though she is not allowed to "date" until she turns 16 in September, I have not forbidden her from having friends that are boys. She swore he was just her best friend, but Im not THAT naive.

Mackenzie's "friend's" parents treated her pretty inconsiderately over the past few days. I'm sure they saw nothing wrong with what they were doing, but even if they didn't want her to hang out with her son they could have come out and said so instead of lying and filling her with false hope.

Of course, Mackenzie is mad, sad, frustrated... you name it. I try to tell her that she is only 15 and there is so much more in life. She doesnt want to hear it when I tell her she doesnt need to have a boy that she "really likes".

Mackenzie is a beautiful girl, and gets plenty of attention from boys. She doesn't need to feel like they give her feeling of importance and worth.

Why can't they just say "little girls" a little bit longer?

The Future

As I look toward the future, I look with fear and uncertainty. I will be completing my bachelors degree in business management this year. My area of interest is sports marketing and promotion. With the economy slowing down as it is, and with no signs of fixing itself anytime soon, unemployment will continue to rise and companies will contine to cut back, I wonder what the job future will hold for me.

After my divorce, I went back to school in order to be able to provide a better future for my family. So, now I am wondering if I could have better spent these last few years. It concerns me that I wont be able to provide for my family. I also plan on remarrying sometime (hopefully sometime in the not too distant future), but I will not do that until I have a good foothold on things.

Perhaps I am overeacting, but it is a real concern for me. If anyone reading this has any contacts in marketing, or sports marketing/promotions, I would be interested in networking and discussing outlooks with you.

Getting Started

Well since it seems like everyone in the family is blogging now, I guess I had better jump on the bandwagon.

A little background on us. I am Scott, proud father of 4 awesome kids. We live in Spanish Fork, Utah, where we have lived for almost 5 years. Prior to that we lived in Southern California where I was raised.

I am in my senior year at Utah Valley University and am finishing my bachelors in business management. I am currently interning in the athletic department.

Most evenings lately it seems like have been at UVU athletic events or watching my son Scout play basketball, or down watching my son bailey or my nephews wrestle. Fortunately things will start to slow down a little bit. But not for long.