Daughters of The King Slumber Party

Every great girl party has chocolate, and it flowed freely at our daughters of the King slumber party!

Airin, Courtney, and I did a little sampling as we prepared.  Yum!

Here are some of the girls as they arrived for the party.  Aren't they precious princesses?  We have been doing a study on purity with the girls, and Airin wanted to treat them to a special night of pampering a girl time to show them how special they really are.

Danielle was in the kitchen for a very long time it seemed.  So worth it for her fruit and pizza kabob.

Hailey really enjoyed the facial.  She finally found a use for a green vegetable.

Pedicures for everyone!  I was a little jealous.  The girls went on and on about how great their feet felt!  MacKenzy and I had to steal a few peeks at the Cardinals game as it went 20 innings!

I suspected that MacKenzy was asleep at this point because I have a picture of her sleeping at Xtreme just  like this!  She had only been sitting there for 5 minutes...and they called me old. Ha!

So.... all was going well.  We had eaten, pampered ourselves, and laughed more than I have in a very long time.  Then things took a turn.  The lights suddenly went out!  I noticed that the street lights were still on, so I braced myself for what I thought was happening, but I was not prepared!  Courtney said, "This is where the person comes in to kill us."  The other Courtney goes to the window and looks out.  She screams,"There's someone out there!"  The rest is kind of a blur.  There was a lot of screaming and pushing as we all jumped up and ran down the hall.  Sadly, I totally forgot I had a child there and left her behind to fend for herself. 

Enter the intruders......

Okay, some people have a fear of clowns.  I personally fear Hillary!  They came after us down the hall and all we could do was scream and wait for it to be over.  I'm pretty sure if we had been in a movie I would have been yelling at us asking why we went to the window and why we ran down the hall instead of out the back door!  It was so crazy!

Dustin, Brock, and Terry are no longer my friends!

We laughed and carried on for an hour over that experience before we finally got rid of them for good.  It was one crazy night!

The girls wore their tiaras to Sunday morning service and the pastor had them share what they were doing.  What a great time for them.  Lots of memories.  Thank you Airin for being a wonderful hostess and serving these girls the way you did!

After the Fall

I've been leading our Wed. night youth group through a study based on the movie "After the Fall."  It has been really amazing to see the kids get involved with the study and share their thoughts and ideas.  So much better than seeing them just sit there with a blank look on their face.   I'm learning right along with them and trying to put what I've learned into practice.  It seems to be a daily challenge for me, but I'm trying.   I love being with these kids! 

I Wanna Ride!

Well, I guess cake just wasn't a big enough reward for going smoke free.  James and Tyler went to "look" at bikes today and came home with a four wheeler!  It's actually a gift for the whole family since we can all ride it.  Hailey is really excited because it doesn't have a clutch.  She's been waiting a long time for a new bike that she can actually ride.  They will have tons of fun riding together now.

Hailey was just waking up from a nap when they got home.

Tyler was tearin' it up!

It didn't take her long to wake up and hop on!

Even Grandma Janie took it for a spin.  Now she wants one for her birthday.

So fun!  I'm not very brave on it yet!

Celebrate!

Tonight we are celebrating one month of James not smoking!  That is huge for him!  We are so very thankful and proud.  We celebrated with Ruby Garden for dinner.  We also made him a chocolate cake with whipped chocolate icing. His favorite.  Tyler added a "3" and a "1" candle for 31 days or 3 weeks plus 1 week.  Thank you to everyone who has said even one prayer in his behalf!  I couldn't be more thrilled.  Thank you God for the GREAT THING YOU have done!

Too Much of a Good Thing!

My kids need to go back to school on a regular basis!  The lack of routine is breaking down the entire structure of our being.  They are fighting, yelling, hitting, and whining constantly.  Any suggestions short of locking them in their rooms?

Snow Buddies

The day brought a lot more snow than we were expecting!  I loved watching it come down all day.  Tyler begged Hailey to go out with him all day, and she finally agreed....after dark! 

Hailey even played with Ellie for a few minutes.

 

They took a second to come up on the porch and pose.

Tyler wanted Ellie to pose, too but she was too busy discovering this new stuff called snow!

My little angels making snow angels.  Isn't it cool how you can see the snow still coming down?

It was too cold to stay out very long, but they made the most of it.  They came in red faced and ready for the hot chocolate Dad had ready for them. Sounds like they will have several days to play this week!  Hailey said she'd rather have her summer, but Ty will take a day off any way he can get it.

Out With the Old, In With the New!

Three of the Johnsons went to spend New Year's Eve with the Sallees.  (Hailey is too busy for us now.) We started our evening at Olive Garden.  We got there early, so the wait wasn't too bad.

Carson was anxious for his breadsticks, fettucine, and a mint to finish it off.

The food was all very good, and we even had some to bring home.

Afterward, we went back to their house.  The boys played Lincoln Logs.

Leslie and I worked on our blogs.  She showed me some cool updates for uploading pics.

So, its's out with the old year, and in with the new.  We will all make our resolutions.  Some will stick.  Some will be forgotten by Sunday, but good friends will always be around!  Happy New Year!

So, you had a bad day!

I came home in a really good mood tonight, but the kids very quickly turned that around for me. They are tired, grumpy, hormonal, and ready for Christmas break! Everyone is struggling to meet goals by the end of the quarter that should have been met already in my opinion. Anyway, they kinda brought me down tonight. Then I started thinking about how I probably do the same thing to them when I'm grumpy. I guess we all need to be a little more patient and considerate of each other. So, I went and got Ruby Garden for everyone and tried to start the evening over. So far, so good!

Christmas Time is Here!

So, it has been a veeery long time since I posted anything. Partly because my computer was messed up and partly because I haven't felt like I had much to say. I'm excited about the Christmas season! Hailey and I have been practicing for the play at church, which should be very funny. I don't remember ever being in a play as an adult, so it has been a lot of fun. Especially with all the crazy people we have been working with! They keep us in stitches. I've also been planning a trip for our youth group during Christmas break. We are going to Xtreme in Branson. Casting Crowns, Brandon Heath, Newsong, Skillet! It should be a blast! I love doing it, and the kids are all pretty excited. Praying for good weather that week.

My kids actually already got their big presents, so I'm hoping we can just focus on family time and having fun together this season. We finally got the tree decorated yesterday, so I feel like the season is finally in full swing for me. You never know. I may even manage a few Christmas cards, but no promises!

The 2009 Johnson Family Tree

Loving Well

I co-hosted a ladies retreat this weekend for some ladies at our church. We did Beth Moore's series "Loving Well." It was amazing! I learned so much, and I have a lot of work to do to put it all into practice. I had never done one of her studies, and I was blown away. We had a really great time together and even got in a little shopping. We're already planning to go to a live Beth Moore conference in June. I haven't felt well for a few days, so I am really tired today. I took a nap after church, but still sleepy.

We have a really big week ahead of us. Hailey plays in Reeds Spring Mon., at home Tues., and in Mtn. Grove Thurs. She has an all day tournament next Sat., and we are going to Pittsburg, KS for a family reunion Sun. It's all fun. I just hope I start to feel a little better and everyone else stays healthy.

I still can't add pictures. Maybe James can get my computer looked at this week since I won't have time to get on it anyway.

Soooo Tired!

I'm very frustrated. I can't upload pics because Windows shuts down every time I choose a picture! Ugh!

We are so busy right now. Hailey's volleyball schedule, her birthday, and everything else that goes along with church and family life is about to kill us all. Not a single night at home in a couple of weeks. It is fun, but stressful.

Hailey had a great 13th birthday. Her outdoor movie party got moved inside since it never stopped raining Sat, but they had a great time anyway. We learned our lesson about cooking for a bunch of kids. Nobody ate! We had enough burgers and dogs for an army left over.

Poor Tyler is just dragging along to games with us and trying to keep the yard mowed when he has a couple of hours to spare. I think he'll be glad when the season is over.

Better get to bed so I can do it all again tomorrow, but not before I throw one more load of laundry in the dryer.

Please Mommy!

James and the kids took his grandma out for breakfast this morning. I stayed home to do a few things around the house. I thought they were gone quite a while, but they finally got home. Hailey yelled up the stairs for me to come down there for a minute. As I started down the stairs she said,"Don't be mad mom." I said, "You brought home a puppy, didn't you." So, here she is. She is so cute! A friend or ours was at the farmer's market with them, so James stopped to see him. The big softy fell in love and couldn't leave her! I hope she doesn't stress Wishbone out too much. Maybe she can teach the puppy to be a good girl like her.


Hailey and Tyler were so excited! We have been throwing out names all day, but nothing sticks.


Who could resist that face?

Craziness!

It seems like life has been so crazy since school started! It always takes me a little bit to settle in, but this year seems worse for some reason. Hailey has volleyball practice untl 5:30 every day, so our evening at home starts later than usual. I don't mind. I'm just not in the groove yet. That may not last much longer if she can't get her back healed. She has a strained muscle and is in pain all the time. I feel sooo bad for her. She is very frustrated about not being able to practice or anything else for that matter. Pray for her, please!

Tyler seems to love middle school. He's doing great, although he did end up in P. E. the other day when he should have been in keyboarding. He claims it was the teacher's fault, yet he was the only one that ended up there. Too funny! He didn't get a tardy because the 5th graders are still getting the hang of things.

Hopefully, life will return to normal soon and my posts will not be a month apart!

One Thing Always Leads to Another

It all started with a new shower curtain. That lead to new paint, new pictures, and new towel racks. That was all well and good, but then the faucets just didn't look right, so that actually became a significant expense. The installation of the faucets was going well until James needed a specific tool to remove the old tub drain. He claims he put it in one of the junk drawers in the kitchen. So, that's where he is now. In the middle of the kitchen floor cleaning out drawers while the bathroom sits about 1/3 complete with stuff all over the floor. Still no sign of the much needed wrench, but we definitely don't need to buy pencils for school this year. And we are set for staple removers, curly ribbon, and index cards of various colors. Oh yeah, we also have plenty of paper clips, tacks, nails, and markers. That's good to know. I'm sure this will all be worth it in the end... whenever that may be.

Paint and Paisleys

I finally did it! I have been putting off painting my bathroom and finishing Hailey's room for months. I hate when I do that because I always feel so good when I'm done. I worked on my bathroom for hours Friday night. I made it much harder than it needed to be. Thankfully, my husband helped put up all the new towel bars and hooks today. Now all I need is some new towels and a blind. Yay! I was dreading putting up the decals in Hailey's room because some of the outlines are very skinny and I didn't think they would go on very easily. I was pleasantly surprised. My sister in law, Julie, came down and helped us and we had it done in no time. I think it looks pretty cute with the quilt Hailey made and her other accesories.
Now I can enjoy my week of vacation with some sense of accomplishment!

Hailey actually helped. Wow!

My bathroom.

Carson's Big Overnight

Last weekend we had a fun overnight visit from our friend Carson. We had invited him a while back, but I wasn't sure if he would actually stay. So I asked him again when we met Leslie and him for lunch and he was excited to come home with Hailey and Tyler. We went back to his house and got his things and hit the road. We hadn't even been gone 10 min. when he started wondering how far away my house was. He kept asking why it was so far, but we finally made it. I hope he had as much fun as we did! Here are some of the things he did during his visit.


He played Wii 4x4 racing. His favorite thing to drive was the school bus. He tried really hard!
Carson wanted to pet Wishbone and Boo, but I think he was a little scared of them. He also did not like hearing Ty's dirtbike. He couldn't get the door shut tight enough not to hear it.

We made Mommy a birthday cake. Carson said, " I always dump." So he dumped the cherries.

" I always lick!"

"Mommy, I can't tell you anything!" I should note that he said that right after I told Leslie I would go get him out of the closet if she wanted to talk to him.

He did enjoy some chocolate milk.

On Saturday we had cake and ice cream before we went to the derby. Carson was being silly.

Oh, I almost forgot our game of musical beds. Carson went to sleep great with Hailey, but quickly rooted her out of bed. I found her curled up on the living room floor and told her to go get in my bed. I slept on the couch until James and Tyler got up to hunt then got in his bed.

All the while Carson is stretched out like a king in Hailey's bed until 7:22 when he woke up looking for Mommy and Daddy. Sounds crazy, but it happens around here pretty often.

Thanks Eric and Leslie for letting him come!

My friend Leslie challenged us to list 50 things about ourselves, so here it goes.

1. I wish I had gone to college.
2. I am still employed at the same place I started when I was 16. (Pathetic--I know.)
3. Blue is my favorite color.
4. I wish I was a good decorator.
5. I have to have a nap on Sunday.
6. I like the way I feel after I work out, but I still have to make myself do it.
7. I hate the feeling of having my nails filed.
8. I do not like to shop by myself.
9. My hair drives me crazy.
10. I love teaching kids at church. All ages.
11. I would have a housekeeper every week if I could.
12. I buy shoes-- a lot of shoes.
13. I get irritated when people talk during my favorite shows.
14. I don't like to get my hair wet.
15. I love to go to concerts with Hailey.
16. I can't stand the way my chins look in pictures.
17. My family lived in the same house my whole childhood.
18. There are childhood friends I wish I could talk to just one more time.
19. I hate seeing my grandparents get older.
20. I love that my kids still want to curl up on the couch with me.
21. I love to watch my family having fun.
22. I love to sit on the front porch on cool evenings.
23. I sneak cookies or ice cream in the middle of the night.
24. I took piano lessons for years, but can't play anything now.
25. Most flowers make me sneeze.
26. My memory is not always great.
27. I love Italian food.
28. I was baptized in a creek.
29. I do not eat veggies.
30. Blueberry anything is my favorite.
31. Sweet tea is my favorite drink.
32. I had Lasik surgery, but I still wear glasses.
33. I love Monday night Bunco.
34. I'm planning a ladies retreat.
35. I can't sleep if I'm not covered up.
36. I didn't pierce my ears until I was 18.
37. I love to tan even though I know it's bad for me.
38. I procrastinate.
39. I think I'm pretty easy going, but others may say otherwise.
40. People who don't do their job really annoy me.
41. Thin crust canadian bacon is the best pizza.
42. I am on my laptop way too much.
43. I wish I had or made more time to read.
44. I have a hard time getting rid of things, but I'm getting better.
45. I have a bum left shoulder that hurts almost every day.
46. I have been hurt by people I thought were my friends.
47. I only go camping because the kids love it.
48. Winter depresses me, but I love to play in the snow.
49. I love to sleep in.
50. I want to go on The Music Boat cruise with Third Day!

Fun at VBS!!

We have been having a blast at Bible School this week. We have had a ton of kids! The music is awesome, and the kids are so excited. I get to take all the pictures for the slide sow at the end of the day. It is the best possible VBS job. I totally love it. I have had a few mix ups. Last night I left my SD card in the computer and took a bunch of pictures on my internal memory accidentally. Which led me to these....

Carson at the beach house in Destin.

Tyler and Hailey.. I think. I barely recognize her!

Wow! Time goes by so quickly! These pictures sure do make you realize how fast they grow and that we need to enjoy every moment we have with our families.

This week really has me reflecting. I remember when the kids were too young for VBS, but got to come hang out because I was helping. Now Hailey is a helper herself. Doesn't seem possible. I'm thankful that she still loves it and wants to be there in any way she can.

So Tired!

I have been so tired this week! I am very sleepy in the evening, but when I go to bed I wake up several times during the night. I'm really starting to feel the effects! I can't figure out what the problem is, but hopefully it is temporary. Maybe it's because I haven't been working out at all. Maybe it's the full moon and my inadequate blinds. Maybe I'm turning into an old lady with night sweats. I'm losing it a little! Ha!

In the mean time we are having a busy and fun summer. We had a great weekend with friends. Thank you Sallees and company! We are planning a day in Branson tomorrow. Hopefully I can stay awake for it.

The Heart of the Ozarks nursing home in Ava puts on an amazing 4th of July celebration for the community every year. The last few years I have helped at the CMN booth sponsored by Wal-mart. This year we decided to do face painting and hair spray of different colors. We made about $150. Not bad for a few hours. We all had a great time. Brandon, my 13 year old cousin, always likes to come help with the booth. He has been helped out a lot by CMN, so it's cool to see him come work at the booth. He painted faces all evening, but at the end of the evening he decided to have some fun. The local trout farm had a big pond set up for kids to fish, but at the end of the night a bunch of kids got in the pond and tried to catch the trout by hand. Talk about some good ol' Douglas County entertainment. Needless to say, Brandon could not resist the temptation. He pulled off his shoes, handed me his phone and hearing aid, and jumped in. He didn't even see the fireworks, but he didn't care. He chased those fish around until I made him get out to go home. I just wish I had taken my camera! I didn't take it in because I knew we would be too busy in the booth to take any pictures. Anyway, overall it was a really fun night.

There was one thing that really bothered me, though. There were several people around me who just kept eating, talking, and whatever else during the National Anthem. To me, that is one of the most disrespectful things a person living in this country can do. I am a patriot. I am married to a veteran, and my grandpa is a WWII veteran. I cannot ignore their sacrifice, and I will teach my children the same. We are blessed to live in the United States, and I hope we can all take a moment to remember that as we celebrate with barbeque, fireworks, and fun with family and friends.