this is the life!

Ready for the lake

happy kids!!

driving lessons

The Dinsmore's

me and Ms. Rona loving life!

the perfect lounging spot!

tubing time

office with a view

 Our school bag spot has been replaced by ice chest coolers, beach bags and an unlimited supply of warm towels. We have popped a total of 15 bags of popcorn and consumed 27 lbs. of watermelon and strawberries. 4 bags of pretzels (some of which became chocolate covered :) and our stash of bubble sticks are starting to run low. The kids finished off yet another sunscreen face stick and they all have beautifully sun kissed toes. We've had rainy afternoons, grumpy afternoons, lazy afternoons, and afternoons that seem to last for days. And I went 5 days in a row with no make up on and a bathing suit top as a bra, man I love my job :)

and he's cute too!

we have a yard boy

(well at least a front yard boy :)

What's Yours?

My husband and I like to play the game, "one day when we" about things in the future. Retirement plans, rainy day wishes, pipe dreams, anything that makes us sit back and go HMMMM and then we give each other a little nod and the look of, "well maybe one day."

One day maybe I'll get up enough nerve to put together some kind of a book, one day he would like to take an early retirement to stay home and teach his grandchildren how to fish, one day the two of us together would like to open a family run business where we teach the love of snow balls and beignets to the lovely state of Georgia, one day we would like to buy a lake house and have the time to ACTUALLY use it and not just drive by it going to another activity. I want to go to Italy and cook, he wants to go to some remote  island and fish, as you can see we're TOTALLY on the same page with our ideas!

 None of these ideas are totally far fetched but all are just that far enough from the fingertips at this point in life to make you really want them, crave them even. Traveling with our kids is what we want to do right now. When they were little we had enough money to barely pay our bills and that was it, now we want to experience things with them. I would love nothing more in life than to be sitting in Venice at a table for 5 waiting for my bruschetta to be served, and who would help back up Brian's story when the "big one" gets away while he is fishing on his island if Alex and Jakob aren't there?
We probably won't ever be business owners and I'll probably never be on Oprah's book club list, but we will always be parents who love to make memories one pipe dream at a time.....

So what's yours????

finding your happy place

These are my front and back porches, aka mommas happy places. When we bought this house I looked past the blue and pink curtains, the painted over wall paper, and the badly needing of a DEEP cleaning. I saw the potential. I saw the bones of a house that  needed someone to come in and love it. And I also fell in love with the porches. Most days I spend more time sitting in one of my rocking or reclining chairs outside than I do sitting inside. My morning coffee always taste better outside and my afternoon snacks wouldn't be as good any where else in the house. I've had memorable conversations with family members when they're visiting, long winded talks with girlfriends,cocktails, tears and lots and lots of GOOD meals on these porches.

All of these things could of happened anywhere in the house but probably wouldn't of been as meaningful. Southern girl loving life watching the world go by while sipping sweet tea on her porch.

Cliche?

Maybe.

 And frankly my dear I don't give a damn!!

Red light, yellow light, green light.....NO!!!

How does one (of the auburn hair color with gray stripes every 6 weeks) mentally prepare for the growing of her offspring? I remember when I first had my children, I was told almost every other day by a family member, friend or stranger in the Winn Dixie, that it wouldn't always be this way. One day that little boy, and then those little boy's and then those 2 boys and that cherub faced little girl were going to grow.
It all sounded like BLAH BLAH BLAH to me back then, and yet lately I catch myself watching my children transform in front of my eyes; all they seem to do is grow and eat and argue about who ate the last Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich, and grow some more.

Every parent has joked at one time or another about being giving children without manuals. We all at one point have felt liked we've jumped into the deep end without our floaties, flippers, goggles and ear plugs. For some people it's a feeling that they never shake, for others it comes and goes. The first time I dropped my son off at the movies to meet friends, I drove to the back of the parking lot and started to laugh so hard that I began to cry. I wasn't nervous or sad or intoxicated, I was just so full of emotion that I needed to let it out. Each time after that first time it has surprisingly gotten a lot easier. I'm assuming (and praying) that just like that first outing without adult supervision every other "first time" will get easier.

Have I mentioned that in 6 short months my oldest child COULD possibly get a driver's permit?

Some "people" that I know joke about needing to be medicated, some joke about investing in Jimmy Buffet stock since their frozen drink tolerance will be tested and some poor poor souls I know have started to dabble into the mean unforgiving thighs streets of brownie bottom cheesecake.

As a mother of 3 growing children I haven't figured out which category I'm going to fall into. So far I'm good, a little more freedom for the kids means a little more freedom for mom. But you know if you by chance happen to see a lady who looks like see missed her appointment with Lo real Nice -n- Easy laughing uncontrollably with chocolate flavored cream cheese on her face, please don't stare and point, she is probably just driving around looking for the nearest pills, drinks, cheesecake and place to park.

a few of my favorite summertime treats!

afternoon painting projects that

turn into office wall masterpieces

my daughters mouth being dyed blueish purplish since

Monday May 31st the first official day of summer.

Between popsicles and Powerade and 42 more days of summer,
I'm pretty sure she is stained until the fall. homemade telescopes that "really work mom!!"

afternoon lunch dates on the back porch

that don't start with, "mom do I have too?"

afternoon lunch dates that end with the 3 of them

still on the back porch because they want to be.

and of course last but not least

rescuing turtles on the side of the road at 7 AM.

Would you expect anything less from the Johnson's :)

okay, maybe more than just a few

our kids Track season is ALMOST in the home stretch. After this weekend we have (possibly two more meets) and then we're done for the summer! THANK YOU JESUS,MARY, AND JOSEPH!

All three of the kids have improved so much since January, knocking off tens of seconds at each meet.

All three of them are running long distance; Jakob doing a 3000 meter, 1500 meter and 800 meter, Hannah doing a 1500 meter, 800 meter, 400 meter and 4x400 relay and Alex doing 1500 meter, 800 meter and 4x400 relay.

This week Alex has started his high school (breathe in) cross country track season. He has three 7 AM practices and two 6:30 in the evening practices. This stuff is no joke! But in one week he has already improved tremendously.

I'm happy for this track season to come to an end and have a little break in July.
Hannah's swim will also be finishing up in July and that will leave only Alex with practices.

I haven't had my country time lemonade yet, have you??

But I have had a few cocktails at the pool and on my back porch, so I guess I can't complain :)

great start to the summer

you know if there is a Coca-Cola sign I will find it!!

sting rays

hey tootsie what'cha looking at?!

butterflies having a snack

penguin fun

the things I do for my daughter :)

my 3 goof balls

me and my hubby soaking up the beautiful weekend memories

We love downtown Chattanooga. Brian and I and the kids have been there a few times and just adore the area. We love being able to walk almost every where and take in the scenery at the same time. We stayed the night downtown after the wedding and took the kids to the Chattanooga Aquarium. We stopped in at some of our favorite shops and then Ben and Jerry's ice cream stand, you know just to make sure they're still making the ice cream correctly and then headed home. Beautiful wedding, fun family weekend and I'm happy to report that the Ben and Jerry's Around the world is just as good as it was last time :)