Merry and White!

We did receive more than just a bunch of fancy electronics for Christmas this year. We were also blessed with a WHITE Christmas this year. And for us Southern people, the 5-6 inches of snow we received, was like our own little blizzard Christmas present wrapped up in a pretty blanket of white.

I'm sure that everyone is familiar with the movie A Christmas Story, right? My favorite scene from that movie is at the very end, after all the craziness of the day was done and the mom and dad sit at the window with a nice cozy drink in their hands and just watch the beauty that has fallen down around them. That was how I ended my Christmas this year. And I have to say, I sure could get use to that feeling every Christmas :) 

HO, HO, HIGH TECH

Laptops, cameras, fancy Xbox headphones and karaoke machines OH MY! There was not one item that had "some assembly required". There were no baby dolls that sound like Chuckie when they talk or leak any kind of bodily fluids on you. There wasn't even a pack of Yu Gi Oh cards that I need to sneak out of someone else's shopping cart when they weren't looking, not that I've ever done that before :)

It was a high tech, hp, 2GB, play that funky music white girl kind of Christmas this year. And that's okay. It fits us this year. We've had more video game battles and computer sharing issues than I care to count this year. But I know that all comes with the territory of their ages.
They're another year older, another year closer to more independence. As are Brian and I.

And I think we all like it here.

Yep, I would say it suits us all just fine :)

early morning monkey business

On Christmas morning we always cook the same big breakfast; eggs, bacon, biscuits, throw in some fresh fruit and we're done. I was thinking of trying something new this year. Hannah and I have been going through some different recipes and we've decided on Monkey Bread. Of course being from the land of beignets, we will be sprinkling ours with powered sugar.

My daughter has a sweet tooth that is as big if not bigger than Texas. She is all about the icing, powered sugar and sprinkles on her food.

Me, I'm more of a comfort food gal. If you invite me over for dinner and serve me anything that has been simmering in a pot for a few hours, that you put over either rice or pasta with a side of either french or Italian bread, host or hostess beware, because there's a good chance I will open mouth kiss ya :)

This monkey bread thing sounds like it will satisfy the sugar junkie and the carb junkie.

I'll keep you all posted......

another one bites the dust

As we were driving home from our latest road trip this weekend, Brian and I were talking about the amount of miles we've put on our family vehicle aka "the beast" since September. Between the road trips, cross country meets and every day life we've have put more than a few thousand  miles on it just since September. Some were painful, some more pleasant than others but ALL were full of memories that the five of us won't forget anytime soon....



                                           riding the Metro in DC

                                                                       looking for Obama

we enjoyed beautiful National Harbor,Maryland

We said goodbye to an Atlanta icon

we've cheered and screamed and watched the boys understand what it means to work hard and to achieve a goal inside yourself that no one can ever take away

we've partied like rock stars, okay maybe not REAL rock stars but as G-rated ones anyway :)

we loved Maryland so much the first time we decided to go back again

(it was also because my boys placed in the USATF regional cross country

meet but we decided to add an extra day of fun to it)

           we've had lots of smiles along the way

we've also had some not so smiley moments.

We're preparing for Christmas and to ring in the New Year.

If our 2011 is half as exciting as our 2010 has been,

I'm going to have to start playing the lottery. Because we're one lucky family.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Johnson's

Riding shotgun

My oldest offspring is in preparation mode to acquire a piece of paper that is as sacred as his first game winning ball and as exhilarating as the first time he got the mail when the Victoria Secret catalog arrived, that golden ticket would be, DUN DUN DUN DUN.....his driving permit.

Alex has been "practing" his driving skills with Brian for the past few months now. Now that statement right there actually cracks me up for a number of reasons. The first one being, my husband, god love him, isn't known for being the best driver :) And the second being that it's my kid we're talking about behind the wheel of a car and if I don't laugh out loud, I will probably break out into an ugly cry! His birthday was this past weekend where we celebrated with his friends and had a really nice time. I asked him the day before to PLEASE not bring up the P word on his birthday. To respect his old mothers wishes and give me some time to swallow up my memories of him as a baby. He did as I asked, he waited until midnight that night and then asked :)

During the Christmas break some time I will bring myself, the boy, my happy pills w/ 1 refill and my kleenex over to the DMV. I will wait in line with him and show all the proper documentation that he needs. An as this is going on I'm sure I will be playing a slide show in my head, of how we got to this day.
Colic, kindergarten, wiggling teeth, skinned knees, pubic hair, high school and now driving......
Lord, what's next?
College?
Marriage?

1 refill!
That's SO not gonna be enough!

my wish

When my kids look back on me after I'm gone, I often wonder what will they remember....

~Will my daughter remember me torturing her, armed with a brush and an ALWAYS too tight pony tail holder?~

~Will Alex remember me saying to him 10,232 times to pick up his wet towels off the floor?~

~Will Jakob's memory bank be filled with me reminding him that he is two seconds away from wishing he didn't try and get the last word in AGAIN?~

~Will they all remember the way that one time the 5 of us laughed so hard at this older man's ring tone on his phone, while we rode the Metro in DC, that we nearly peed in our pants with tears running down our faces?~

~Will they remember me asking them every morning of their lives "did you have a good sleep"?~

~Will they remember the way my perfume smelled or the way my earrings almost always hung lower than my hair?~

~Will they remember my short temper and my even shorter tolerance of disrespect?~

~Will they remember that I always tried to be the best that I could be (sometimes failing miserably)?~

~Will they remember my big orange pot that cooked up a whole bunch of heaven?~

~Will they remember the way their heads (whether big or small) always fit perfectly in the arch of my shoulder?~

~Will they remember that I was their biggest cheerleader and their toughest critic?~

~Will they remember that I was their momma and they were my world?~

Lord, I hope so......

afternoon fun

Me: Alex have you seen your brother? And why is there a chair propped up against the pantry door?

Alex: Well mom, you said that  if Jakob and I argued again that we would be punished, RIGHT?
Me: RIGHT?!
Alex: So for the sake of your head and our lives I decided that there really was no other way.

Deck the Halls

November 16th, 2010.
Really?
November?
the 16th?
2010??
I need to start buying my calendars in bulk. Um yes, Mr. Wal Mart man, can you help me find the aisle that has the bulk pack of calendars, you know the ones that the pages never stop turning, where before I know it it is the holiday season AGAIN and my kids are another year older?

Don't get me wrong. I am a HUGE holiday girl. I'm a marketing persons DREAM. The smells, the lights and don't even get me started on the tingly feelings I get in my girl parts when I hear Christmas music on the radio. I LOVE the holidays.

It just feels that lately my years are flying by quicker than I can highlight them on the calendar.

My baby is turning 15 in 2 weeks, my daughter has had her first round of PMS lately and Jakob likes GIRLS!

All 3 actions are very normal and healthy I know, BLAH BLAH BLAH.
None of that CRAP stuff means I have to like it or act like a mature adult about it!
Does it?

It's funny because I think that Brian and I would both agree that this is one of the best times of our lives right now. The craziness of 3 very active kids, the balancing of school, work, quality time, family dinners and the occasional meet me in the closet moment, all make for a pretty fulfilling life.

But you know I have my moments where I catch a glimpse of a young girl nuzzling a baby on her chest and I have to fight back the urges to scream at the top of my lungs, "hold on to him now because one day he will have pubic hair and a penis, a real penis, and then what are you going to do?!"

Maybe I should look into medication, I mean meditation or maybe both.
Hey Mr. Wal Mart man.....

The Johnson's take on the vineyards

                                                                                 
                                                                                 
                                                                       

                                                                             Kaylee (still with her newlywed glow)

                                                                                 the bride and groom

                                                                                        the beautiful view

                                                                                          open candy bar = happy kids

                                                                                        Carol and her girl

                                                                                     Hannah and Carol

                                                                                       I LOVE this lady!

                                                                                    another beautiful view

                                                                                     not bad for two old people

                                                                              hey kids can you act like you have some home training

                                                                                        THANK YOU!

                                                                                       The Johnson's
                                                                                 (man we clean up nicely)

                                                                            
this weekend we were invited to celebrate another milestone
 with my girlfriend Carol's family. Her son got hitched
this weekend, just 5 short months after her daughters
wedding. It has been an emotional year for her to say
the least. But she has handled it with the grace and
elegance that she has in every day life. Oh and did I
mention the alcohol doesn't hurt either :)