All Things Johnston

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-14T12:08:00.000-08:00

This year my brother got married the Saturday before Halloween. With all of the wedding festivities we weren't sure how the kids were going to get in their trick-or-treating experience. Enter "Boo in the Zoo." Our local zoo has an event where kids can dress up and trick or treat through the zoo. Best yet it was held the weekend before Halloween. Hooray!

Luke was Zorro.

Police officer Jake.

The cutest Tinkerbell the world has even known.

The three amigos.

Happy Halloween!

New York, New York

2010-10-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

Last September Aaron and I celebrated our 10th anniversary. But with Layne being so small we didn't really get to do anything terribly exciting. In fact, I can't remember what we actually did to celebrate. We decided that we would have to do something extra fun the next year.

Cue New York Comic Con which took place in October this year. With Aaron writing so many comic books we felt like it would be worth his time to go and meet his editor and mingle with the comic book crowd. We also felt like this would qualify for the "extra fun" trip we were looking for.

My mom so generously agreed to watch all three children for a long weekend and off we went. Can I just say that it was so wonderful? So wonderful. We saw some shows, went to the temple, made the rounds at Comic Con, toured the Met, and ate SO much yummy food. It was a fantastic break from the demands of work, children, church callings, house work, etc.

Don't know that we recorded it as well as we should have but here are a few pictures...

Waiting for the subway.

My own Captain America.

I'm pretty hot stuff too.

Scary man dressed up at Comic Con.

More crazy people dressed up for the convention. Seriously?

Times Square.

Where's Lauren? Can you find me on the steps of the Met?

I must admit it was a little sad to return to the real world responsibilities, but I was ready to get hugs from my little people.

Jake Turns Six!

2010-10-27T17:18:00.001-07:00

That's right folks! Jake is now six years old. Hard to believe it, I know. And what an exceptional six year old he is. Jake loves to make things - lego creations, crafts, etc. He is reading up a storm. He can always make his little sister laugh. And he and Luke continue to be best buds. I love this little fella!

I must admit I didn't do the best job documenting the party. We stuck with a family party only this year. Grandma, Gramps, Grammy, Uncle Dan, and Soon-to-be-Aunt Jeannine were in attendance. Star Wars theme. Angel food cake, drizzled with chocolate was the cake of choice. Many cool presents were received. Happy times.

I love that face.

He wore his birthday hat from school all weekend. He and Luke admiring presents.

Falls Park

2010-10-27T17:06:00.000-07:00

The weather has been so lovely that we met Aaron at his office after work and headed to Falls Park for a fabulous picnic. Good times were had by all.

Layne with her cheesy, nose wrinkle grin for the camera.

Luke with his game face on.

It was quite the task trying to get Layne to hold still long enough to take this picture!

Walking with Dad.

At the waterfall - Victory!

Has it Really Been That Long? (Part 2)

2010-10-19T16:15:00.001-07:00

A few more pictures to get you back up to speed...

The family took an outing to a Greenville Drive baseball game. Fun was had by all. Evidence below:

Mr. Sporty

Layne, confident in her femininity, rocks the baseball cap.

I don't wear the hat half as well.

All sweaty from his attempts to catch a foul ball.

The trolley ride back to the car. Always a highlight.

Jake went on his first kindergarten field trip:

Ah, the embarrassment starts so young.

Pre-church photo op:

Along with the baseball cap, Layne rocks the headband as well.

So beautiful I can hardly stand it!

Handsome devils.

Love the head tilting.

And that, my friends, brings us to present day except for one or to occasions that will get their very own post. Oh, the suspense!

Has it Really Been That Long? (Part 1)

2010-10-13T17:50:00.000-07:00

At this point, I'm sure the five people who used to check my blog have given up, but I got the hankering tonight to post, so here it is. Each of these pictures probably merits a post of its own, but that isn't happening. So here are some highlights of the past eight months in the Johnston family.

Snow! Not very much, but you get what you can take!

Aaron turns 35!

Date to see the touring production of Wicked. Loved it.

More snow. Crazy boys.

Making a tiny snowman with Dad.

Family Olympics - Opening Ceremony.

Family Olympics - Closing Ceremony. It was all fun and games until glass was broken.

One of several small raised beds for our first family garden. The tomatoes, beans, and herbs were great. Some things never really took off (I'm talking to you, Eggplant.)

Layne continues to be the most beautiful girl in the world.

Jake plays soccer. Aaron coaches. Jake's favorite part was the quarter he didn't have to play. Second favorite, you ask? Goalie... because he didn't have to run. Hah!

Luke also plays soccer. He loved to be right in the middle of the action.

Jake graduates from Preschool.

Cousins visit. So. Much. Fun.

Aaron teaches the boys to play checkers and chess.

Laynes continues to hold on to her title as most amazing and wonderful girl ever!

Aaron goes to Comic Con in San Diego. Lauren is not quite ready to leave Layne and not quite willing to take her along. So Eric poses as "Lorenzo" and takes Lauren's spot.

Layne turns one and discovers chocolate. Yum.

First day of school. Jake is in kindergarten. Luke is in 2nd grade. How did this happen? And why won't they just give a normal smile?

To be continued.....

Miss Layne Elizabeth is 6 Months Old

2010-02-08T17:11:00.001-08:00

Hard to believe the little darling is six months old already. Isn't she beautiful?

Dressed up for church.

Chilling in the bumbo chair.

Solid food - yummy!

Tummy time.

2009 in Review

2010-02-08T17:10:00.001-08:00

2009 was full of exciting events for the Johnston family. Some of them include:

A crazy, last minute trip to Bassett, Virginia for some gorgeous (and cheap) furniture from the Bassett Furniture Outlet.

Hiking Paris Mountain.

Aaron turned 34.

A trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The family stayed in a wonderful little cabin (except for the scary drive up to it) and went hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains, rode go-carts, visited the aquarium, played games, watched movies, and had an overall fabulous time.

Luke and Jacob played soccer with the YMCA. Aaron was the coach of Jacob's team, the Fireballs. Luke was on the Wildcat team. Both of them did a great job.

Sadly Aaron's grandfather, Tasker King, passed away. The Johnston's traveled to Oak Island, NC for the funeral. The happy part was seeing the entire Johnston family (so many cousins) and playing on the beach.

Aaron's sister, April, and her family came to visit over Memorial Day. Everyone enjoyed going downtown, playing at the park, and being with the cousins.

Luke graduated from Kindergarten. His teachers, Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Curtis, were wonderful. He learned a lot including how to read basic words. Jacob graduated from 3K with Mrs. Moe. Jacob enjoyed playing with friends, doing crafts, and reviewing numbers and letters.

Luke and Jacob took swim lessons at the neighborhood pool.

The most exciting news of the year was a new addition to the family, a girl. Lauren had to spend almost 6 weeks on bedrest to ensure that the little tater tot did not arrive too early. Everyone was grateful for all the help received from family and friends. Lauren even celebrated her 32 birthday from the comfort of the green couch.

Aaron was hired by Marvel Comics to adapt some of Orson Scott Card's works into comics. A dream come true! Later in the year he was hired by EA comics to co-write a comic, Dragon Age, with Scott Card. The family is eagerly awaiting the release of these comics in 2010.

Layne Elizabeth Johnston arrived on July 28, 2009 weighing six pounds, nine ounces.

The Johnston boys visited the new Children's Museum downtown.

Luke started 1st Grade with Mrs. Drabik/Miss McCurry and Jacob started 4K with Mrs. Harpool, who was also Luke's 4K teacher.

The Keller-Johnston clan gathered for Layne's baby blessing over Labor Day Weekend. Yummy food, conversation, and ooohing and ahhhing over the cutest little girl ever!

Father-Son campout for the boys on Paris Mountain. Sleeping in a tent, reading comics, and eating smores. It doesn't get any better than that.

Jacob turned 5. He celebrated with a pajama party. He and his friends ate pancakes, played with Legos, and had a lot of fun.

Layne figured out how to coo. She spent many afternoons laying on a blanket, jabbering with everyone. She also found her fingers. She discovered it was impossible to get her entire fist in her mouth, but that didn't stop her from trying.

Luke turned 7 and had a Batman party. The highlight was running an obstacle course made out of leaves that Aaron raked in the backyard.

Luke started reading like a pro. Everyone was very impressed. Jacob became the king of crafts. He decorated the house for several holidays with his creations. Everyone was very impressed again.

Thanksgiving was spent with the Johnston family in North Carolina. So much yummy food. Aaron finally purchased a Blu-Ray player. Another dream come true!

Luke lost his 2nd front tooth just in time to sing, "All I Want for Christmas…"

Layne learned how to growl. Cuteness ensued.

Christmas was wonderful, despite illness striking all of the boys at various times. Santa brought the boys a gps for geocaching. A new hobby!

The year ended with a visit to the Johnstons in North Carolina for their annual cereal party. Crying ensued when it was time to go home.

All in all a great year for the Johnston family.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T05:56:00.001-08:00

Turkey Song

2009-12-02T08:39:00.000-08:00

A little song to wish you a belated Happy Thanksgiving. Jake belts this one out!

Birthdays

2009-12-02T08:06:00.001-08:00

It is hard to believe my boys are now 5 and 7. Next year they will BOTH be in elementary school. Aaaack. I'm getting old! Here are a few photos from their recent birthday celebrations.

A proud 5 year old.

Since Jake's birthday fell on the Saturday of General Conference we had an early morning pajama party and served pancakes. The kids also had a Lego building competition and played musical pillows. Very low key and fun for everyone.

Luke decided to have a Batman party. They played "Pin the Bat on Batman" and "Find the Joker" (a little scavenger hunt for some pictures of the Joker in the backyard). The favorite game had to be the Batman training course. We decided to incorporate the massive amount of leaves that had fallen in the backyard and Aaron raked them to form a path. Luke and Jake placed some "obstacles" that had to be jumped over. The boys took turns wearing a batman cape and running through the course as fast as they could. It was a hit.

The boys about to eat some cake - notice the very nice Batman symbol that Aaron made on top. The man has skills!

Layne in Her Hat

2009-10-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine in the ward made this beautiful hat for Layne. Isn't it great?

Pensive.

Pleased.

Surprised.

Done!

Third Child = Little Time

2009-10-12T15:02:00.001-07:00

This whole having a third child thing has been kicking my hiney and I have been neglecting this blog as a result. But here are some recent photos. And I'll just share that life is busy, but VERY good.

Jake's first day of preschool. The little stinker refused to smile!

Luke and his mini-me, Layne.

Crazy face Jake.

Father and Son Campout.

Luke's first day of school.

Eating some chocolate gelato downtown. Yum.

Is she not the cutest thing you have ever seen?

Luke lost one of his top big teeth. He was so proud.

She's Here!

2009-08-05T05:10:00.000-07:00

Introducing Layne Elizabeth Johnston. Born July 28th, 2009 (just a few days shy of our goal of 37 weeks). Six pounds, nine ounces. I'm in LOVE!

32 Years

2009-07-19T06:19:00.000-07:00

Spending a birthday on bedrest is NOT the most exciting thing in the world, but it was a great day nonetheless. We had takeout, there were presents, we ate cake (thanks Mom) and what more can you ask for, really? I didn't have anyone take a picture of me, because me lounging on the couch is just not that attractive, but here are some cute shots of the boys and my presents (Aaron spoiled me once again)!

Nothing like cake to get these guys excited!

My mom's angel food cake was delicious!

My handy dandy new Calphalon skillet. Our old skillet of this size was in sad, sad shape. A new one was long overdue.

I'd actually been thinking about getting this for Aaron, but he beat me to the punch. The Nike Plus attaches to your shoe and syncs with your ipod. It will track your jogging for you and online you can set goals and see your progress. The coolest feature? It will play your favorite song those last few minutes of your run when you need extra motivation to keep going. The boys were kind enough to point on that I couldn't use this right now (seeing how I'm not really even walking), but I am daydreaming about a nice jog in the near future.

Of course to use the Nike Plus, you need an Ipod Nano. Woohoo. Very excited about this. Luke was pretty impressed and insisted that he NEEDED an ipod. Ha, kids these days!

Fourth of July Extravaganza

2009-07-14T14:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know what kind of entertainment you had on the Fourth of July, but we were treated to a musical extravaganza by Luke and Jake. A little preshow to the fireworks. Enjoy.

Sprinkler Fun

2009-07-09T09:11:00.001-07:00

What is summer without a little sprinkler action? Taken with our handy dandy new camera.

It's Bedrest for Me

2009-07-09T08:27:00.000-07:00

So about three weeks ago I noticed that my contractions were coming a little more frequently. I was getting them in the middle of the night and some even when I was resting during the day. I spoke with my doctors office and they told me as long as I was having less than six an hour, I didn't need to worry about it. Well, wouldn't you know one Friday night I had more than six an hour so I had to go to Labor and Delivery and get a shot of Terbutaline. Ahh, it is lovely stuff. It makes your heart race and your hands shake, but it does stop contractions. So after monitoring me for awhile they let me go home.

I stayed off my feet for the weekend until I could see my doctor on Tuesday. He put me on the little contraction monitor at the office and what do you know I was STILL having too many contractions. So it was off to the hospital again for yet another shot (why don't OBs have this stuff in their office, I wonder). After having one shot at the hospital I was STILL contracting so they admitted me. Joy of joys. Long story short. I had to stay for two extremely restful (said with not a small dose of sarcasm) nights. They finally sent me home with a handy-dandy terbutaline pump (much like the pumps diabetics use to regulate their insulin) and a little home contraction monitoring machine. Also, I was officially put on the dreaded bedrest. Bedrest is no fun, but I really can't complain because it sure beats staying in the hospital. It has been three weeks now and I have three weeks to go to get this little gal to full term.

Aaron does everything in the morning, night, and weekends. My mom comes over every day to help with the boys and household stuff. My stepmom has also been helping with meals and house stuff. Ward members and neighbors are helping with playdates for the boys and meals. We are VERY grateful.

And I just spend my time lounging on our little green couch trying to find things to keep me occupied. Reading, internet (thank heavens we have a laptop), scrapbooking, movies, etc. I even made some beaded jewelry the other day. Much of my time is spent daydreaming of all the things I am going to do when I'm once again a mobile woman. And it certainly does make me grateful for good health. I can't imagine having to do this all the time. So I guess it is a good opportunity to learn patience, and gratitude, and how to accept help. And hopefully I can be as generous and helpful to others when I'm back on my feet.

Soccer

2009-06-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

Soccer season ended a few weeks ago. It was really fun to watch the boys and I think both of them had a good experience. That said, I am glad to have our Saturdays back.

Luke really got into it and almost burst with pride when the coach told him he was a good hustler. It was true. What he lacked in size and skill was compensated with his complete commitment to the game. Wherever that ball was, Luke was right in the thick of it. He also gloried in his "toughness" on the field. He would fall down or get smacked with the ball and get right back up and back in the game. (This sort of toughness is not yet evident around our house.) A few of the other moms even started cheering for Luke because he was always trying so hard.

Jake is a funny fellow. He is loud and rough at home, but put him with other people and he rarely speaks. So I was a little nervous how this season would go. Fortunately, he did great. He got out there and would run and even made some contact with the ball. Sure, he would start to lose steam after the second quarter and kind of do his own thing on the field. But overall I was really pleased.

Aaron enjoyed coaching Jake's team. He was great with the kids (of course) and I think Jake was proud to have his daddy with him.

Here are a few pictures from the last day (with our new camera!)

Don't mess with this guy.

The last game they played another team with lime green jerseys so our team wore these red shirts over their jerseys. Jake spent much of the game in this position.

He's like lightning!

Water break.

Go defense.

School's Out for Summer!

2009-06-13T06:58:00.000-07:00

A little music to get you into that summer spirit.

Heading to First Grade

2009-06-13T06:27:00.001-07:00

I can't believe the school year is over and Luke is headed to first grade next year. Woo. Time flies. He learned so much this year and we were really grateful that he had such a great teacher and LOVED school.

Holding the much anticipated Kindergarten Certificate.

Luke with Mrs. Wilson. She was fabulous. Very calm and loving, but still had great control of the kids.

Luke with the classroom assistant, Mrs. Curtis. She was great too.

Proud Mama. Not sure what Jake is thinking.

The Johnston boys.

Family in Town

2009-06-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Aaron's sister, April, and her family came to visit a few weeks ago. Luke and Jake sure love playing with their cousins and good times were had by all.

Getting some pizza downtown. Yum.

Running down the hill at Falls Park. Dangerous, but fun!

Watching a few minutes of Shakespeare in the Park, before we had to head home to bed. Luke and Chloe were enthralled.

Playing at the park.

Little boys love the Wii.

Taking It Easy

2009-06-13T05:53:00.000-07:00

So, I'm 30 weeks now and in the "take it easy" phase. I'm hoping that if I stay off my feet a good bit I can avoid the dreaded full-time bed rest. Time will tell, I guess. So we're keeping everything low profile this summer. Having friends over, going to the pool, watching movies, playing, etc. No big outings that require lots of walking and effort. I'm already eagerly anticipating the return of activity. I haven't exercised for months. Even just low key activities like going for a walk around the neighborhood have been off limits for awhile. I guess the whole experience just makes me grateful to be healthy and active the rest of the time.

Special Weekend

2009-05-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend was our Stake Conference. We were fortunate to have Elder Dallin H. Oaks attend and speak to us. I've had the opportunity to hear apostles at BYU and at Regional Conferences, but never in such close quarters. It was really amazing.

Saturday afternoon Aaron attended a priesthood leadership session, then I joined him for a dinner and adult session. We were in the second row of the chapel right in front of the pulpit. It was really neat because Elder Oaks usually seems pretty serious during General Conference, but Saturday night he kept telling humorous stories and had the congregation cracking up. I enjoyed seeing that side of him.

Here are a few of the things he shared Saturday evening:

4 Things each family should do to be successful:
1) Kneeling family prayer every single day without fail (doesn't matter if it is morning or evening)
2) Family Home Evening weekly
3) Eat dinner together as much as possible
4) No TV or distractions during dinner (so it can be a time of teaching and bonding)

He told the story of a man in Fiji that had just been called to a position of prominence in the church. He had a large tattoo on the back of his hand and a general authority counseled him to cover it with tape when he spoke so he would not send the wrong message to the youth. The General Authority returned some time later and saw the man had a huge bandage wrapped around the hand with the tattoo. He asked the man what had happened and the man said he had the tattoo removed. Upon further questioning the General Authority discovered that the tattoo wasn't removed by a laser or any high tech method. The man simply had the doctor cut the tattooed skin off. The GA felt terrible and apologized to the man. Upon seeing him another visit he saw the terrible scar that was left from the procedure. He apologized more to the man, saying he never should have said anything to the man about it. The man replied, "That's ok, Elder. I was glad to do it. Now the Lord knows where I stand." Elder Oaks then went on to talk about how we need to show the Lord where we stand by patterning our life on the gospel.

Elder Oaks also talked about the difference between testimony and conversion. Testimony is to know and to say, but conversion is to do and to become. We all need to be converted. He mentioned Adlai Stevenson (a candidate for presidency many years ago) saying that patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the steady, tranquil dedication of a lifetime. Elder Oaks related that to living the gospel. We need to have a steady, tranquil dedication.

He also spoke of him mother, who was widowed after 11 years of marriage with 3 small children (Elder Oaks was the oldest - I think 8 at the time). He said she was a very positive person. Always looking at the bright side. He spoke of what a wonderful quality that was and how nice it is to be around someone like that. He told the story of a mean neighbor they had who was obviously oppressive (perhaps even abusive) to his wife. One day when he was a teenager, Elder Oaks (in an attempt to stump his ever-cheerful mother) asked her, "Oh yeah, well what about Mr. So-and-so?" He said his mother paused for a very long time and then said, "Well, Dallin, can't you just see how much his dog loves him?"

The last thing he talked about on Saturday was that we are living in difficult times. He said he believed they would get worse before they get better. Despite that, however, it is not a time to be sad or pessimistic. We know we are on the winning team and that mortality may be difficult but it isn't anything we can't handle if we build our lives on Christ.

It was a great evening and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to see an apostle in person and hear him speak.

I'll post "Part 2" about Sunday as soon as I'm able.

A Little Bit Crafty

2009-05-08T08:44:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what possessed me, but I decided to sew a new diaper bag for the baby. I generally don't consider myself super crafty and I haven't sewed in years, but I really enjoyed it. I found the tutuorial HERE, if you're interested. I have enough material left over for a nursing cover and some coordinating burp rags. What do you think?

Book Recommendation

2009-05-08T08:32:00.000-07:00

You HAVE to read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, but I warn you that it is very difficult to put it down.

Here is one of the many positive reviews it has received.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* This is a grand-opening salvo in a new series by the author of the Underland Chronicles. Sixteen-year-old Katniss poaches food for her widowed mother and little sister from the forest outside the legal perimeter of District 12, the poorest of the dozen districts constituting Panem, the North American dystopic state that has replaced the U.S. in the not-too-distant future. Her hunting and tracking skills serve her well when she is then cast into the nation’s annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death where contestants must battle harsh terrain, artificially concocted weather conditions, and two teenaged contestants from each of Panem’s districts. District 12’s second “tribute” is Peeta, the baker’s son, who has been in love with Katniss since he was five. Each new plot twist ratchets up the tension, moving the story forward and keeping the reader on edge. Although Katniss may be skilled with a bow and arrow and adept at analyzing her opponents’ next moves, she has much to learn about personal sentiments, especially her own. Populated by three-dimensional characters, this is a superb tale of physical adventure, political suspense, and romance. Grades 9-12. --Francisca Goldsmith

Unexpected Family Trip

2009-05-08T08:03:00.000-07:00

Aaron's grandfather passed away the week before last. He fell several weeks ago and broke his hip and had been in intensive care for several weeks. We were so grateful that they sent him to the hospital in Charlotte, NC so Aaron had the opportunity to visit him a few times before he passed away.

The funeral was held in Oak Island, NC so last weekend we took an unexpected trip. We talked with the boys about his death and the funeral. We emphasized the aspect of the resurrection and it was interesting to hear their questions and thoughts about it. One night after we told them Luke said in his prayer that he was glad Grandaddy Tack was resurrected and was "brand new" again. It was sweet.

Although it was for sad reasons, the trip was heaven for the boys because we stayed in a big house on the beach with Aaron's parents and siblings. This means LOTS of cousins to play with and the boys loved it.

Preparing to jump waves with the cousins.

Mr. Jake got pretty into it.

Breakfast time.

So many little people.

Aaron did magic tricks for entertainment one morning when it was too windy and rainy to go to the beach. I told him he should quit his day job and we should take his act on the road. Look for "Aaron the Magnificent" arriving at a city near you.

Gritting their teeth against the cold wind. Nothing stops two dedicated wave jumpers.

Digging for shells.

Not really crazy about this picture, but I have to include a few of us for posterity.

This one is for the record of my gigantic profile belly shot. This might be the only one you see, so enjoy.

We went shell searching down at "the point" where there was this little wading area with no waves that was just the right depth for the kids to walk across. Jake, was a little hesitant to do it, but Luke came to the rescue and led his little brother across. Jake was very proud of himself because after a few trips with Luke he did it all by himself. I love those little guys.

Soccer Stars

2009-04-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

I have always been a little hesitant to start the boys in organized sports. Saturdays are the only day that something is not scheduled (and actually half the time there are still church activities or Aaron has to work) so I didn't want to add more to the schedule. But Luke was very interested in playing soccer and so we bit the bullet and Luke and Jake are playing with the YMCA this season. Jake's team has a short practice followed by a short game only on Saturday mornings and Aaron volunteered to coach. Luke has practice on Tuesday nights with a game on Saturday. On Saturday we went to our first games and it was really fun.

I was worried about how into it Jake would be. He can be a little shy around other people, but he was fabulous. He was right there in the thick of it for the first quarter. The second quarter he took a break on the sidelines because we had one extra player. The third quarter he was the goalie. One amazing save and one ball right through the legs. And the fourth quarter he played defense which meant that when the ball was on the opposite side of the field he bent upside down and looked through his legs. Unfortunately I did not get a picture of this, but I'm sure they'll be more opportunities in the weeks to come.

Luke was also fabulous. He played with great gusto and energy and despite the mass of players swarming around the ball, he managed to make contact a few times. He was the goalie for the third quarter and I was terrified for him. He plays on a bigger field than Jake and the goal is quite large. I also knew he might take it to heart a little more than Jake if he was scored on a lot. Fortunately the ball stayed at the other end of the field for much of the game and no points were scored. Hooray.

Aaron huddling up with Jake's team the "Fireballs"

Just getting the 4 and 5 year olds in a line for a drill is quite the feat. Aaron is great with them, of course.

Jake is #1.

Luke is #2 on the "Wildcats". A quick and agile fella.

Luke as goalie. Now you can see why I was nervous. The goal just swallows him up.

Happy Easter

2009-04-13T05:42:00.000-07:00

It's a Girl!

2009-04-10T12:13:00.001-07:00

We found out yesterday and are very excited to add a little girl to the mix. Bring on the pink!

Smoky Mountains

2009-04-10T08:38:00.000-07:00

We felt like we should take a little family vacation before the baby arrived. So we recently went up to Gatlinburg, TN and the Smoky Mountains to do some hiking and other fun stuff. We had a FABULOUS time. We rented a little one bedroom cabin for three nights. It was great to have a kitchen so we didn't have to eat out much. The boys slept in the bedroom so we could put them to bed at 8:00 and Aaron and I stayed up late and watched movies. Plus, it was great just to come back to the cabin in the afternoons and relax. We watched the movie BOLT together (the boys LOVED it), played games, read books, etc. Very relaxing - definitely my kind of vacation.

The boys loved the giant jacuzzi tub.

Reading "The Tale of Despereaux" with Daddy

Outside the cabin.

One highlight was driving Go-Karts. Aaron and Luke vs. Me and Jake. We went one morning and had the track to ourselves.

Luke the little speedster.

Jake and I made quite the racing team.

I think the look on Jake's face sums up how much he liked it.

We decided to do a 2.6 mile (round trip) hike up to a waterfall. It started drizzling about halfway up and the boys lost steam after a little while. Jake ended up riding on Aaron's shoulders for about half the trip, but Luke was quite the trooper and, except for a brief stint on Aaron's back, he walked the whole way.

At the beginning of the hike when he still had the strength to smile.

Family photo op.

At the top. We reached the waterfall, but didn't stay too long because we were wet and getting tired.

And what kind of mountain trip would it have been without some smores?

Luke is not so sure about the sticky factor.

Just right for Mr. Jake.

Gatlinburg has an Aquarium where we spent one morning.

So many fish to see.

My favorite part was the long shark tunnel. Very cool.

Diver Luke.

After the aquarium we grabbed some lunch and walked around downtown Gatlinburg.

The boys had made a quick call.

We splurged and got some funnel cake. Oh so bad for you, but oh so yummy.

Oh say can you see...

One of the best parts of the trip was just having so much time to play with Daddy. On Saturday the boys spent time outside gathering firewood for our fire, checking out bugs, throwing rocks - you know, boy stuff.

Sunday we went on our last hike before heading home. We learned from the last trip and this one was only about 1.5 miles round trip. There was another waterfall at the end and it was a nice, sunny day.

The boys.

Inside a cool tree.

We made it to the waterfall.

Maybe next year we'll get a little baby hiking backpack and visit the Smokies again.

Chore Charts

2009-03-18T08:16:00.001-07:00

We've been talking for months about setting up an official chore system to help the boys understand the importance of work. We also wanted to start giving the boys a small allowance to help them learn about money and paying tithing. It has only been a few weeks, but I love it already.

Click on this LINK for a website that allows you to create a custom chore chart. You can select which days of the week and what chores are listed down the side as well as a picture. This week Luke has Spiderman and Jake has Dora. Daily chores are making beds and cleaning up toys. Below that we have a bunch of different chores listed and I try to have each boy do at least one or two of those each day.

For instance yesterday Luke made his bed, cleaned up his toys, helped empty the dishwasher, and helped make dinner. Today Jake has already made his bed and vacuumed the rug in his room and the one in Luke's room. They both really get into it and like putting a stamp or drawing a smiley face in the square to show what they've done. Some of the other chores we have listed are helping with laundry, sweeping, washing windows, and cleaning counters. I try to have them do extra chores before or after dinner when they are starting to get a little crazy and it has been great for them and for me!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-18T08:14:00.001-07:00

Don't green eggs and pancakes look SO appetizing? Well, they were a hit with this crowd.

Sweet Dreams

2009-03-11T11:51:00.000-07:00

A while back Aaron and I spent the night at his parents on our trip to pick up our new furniture. Their guest bed is super comfortable. The secret, we found out, is memory foam. After a little research we discovered that Costco sells this super soft 3 inch mattress topper. We debated about whether or not to get one for our bed. They aren't cheap and it seemed a little indulgent, but we DO spend a lot of time sleeping. So yesterday we splurged and picked one up.

All I can say is "heaven." It is like sleeping on a cloud. The only drawback is that now it is even harder to get out of bed in the morning. To be honest, it is hard to be out of bed right now. I can hear it calling to me, as a type. So if you're looking for a way to pamper yourself, I highly recommend it.

Let it Snow

2009-03-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

*I didn't take this photo, but found it on Flickr and thought it was pretty neat

Every year we have been here we have gotten at least one full fledged snowfall, usually about 3 inches or so. It is perfect for me because the boys get one day to play in the snow and do their thing and then it melts in a few days and I don't have to deal with it anymore. Last weekend we had our yearly storm, but this one was a doozy and we got 6 inches.

Not only that, but we lost power for a night and the big Bradford Pear tree in our front yard split in half under the weight of the snow and ice. Very sad because it was really beautiful.

The nice part of the incident is that we were the recipients of so much help over the past week. During the storm several people called to check on us and offer shelter if we needed it. We decided to stay put and spent a chilly night snuggled under the covers. Our neighbor (who is also a member of our ward) came over and helped us get our gas log fireplace started (which we had never used). That same neighbor came over the next morning with two of his brothers and spent half the day helping us cut the limbs that had fallen. One of the brothers even brought his trailer over and hauled them away for us. So less than 24 hours after it fell the debris was cleaned up.

We consulted with a tree guy later in the week who said the rest of the tree needed to come down because it was unsafe. So on Saturday my dad and stepmom came over and spent most of the day helping us cut and clear the remaining limbs and trunk.

We are fortunate to live so close (and be related to) such generous people!

Zoo Day

2009-02-20T07:40:00.000-08:00

We spent President's Day morning at our local zoo. After a very disturbing encounter with the elephants (seriously, you DO NOT want to know) we enjoyed the rest of the visit immensely. The zoo is small so it only takes about an hour to go through the whole thing. Afterwards, we played at the recently renovated playground across the street. The zoo is close to downtown where Aaron works so we joined him at the pizzeria near his office for lunch. My kind of day.

Other Changes

2009-02-20T07:32:00.000-08:00

In other news I was released as 1st Counselor in the Primary Presidency two weeks ago. Except for a brief 5 month stint as Visiting Teaching Coordinator in Los Angeles before we moved, I've been in Primary every since Luke was born. So this will be a nice change. My new calling is to teach the Marriage and Family Relations Sunday School class starting a week from Sunday. It is a 16 week course all about strengthening families. This works out well too, because the class should be over in June and I'll have a little break when the baby comes. I'm a little nervous because I've never taught adults before, so my standbys of coloring pages and wiggle songs if the class isn't going well might not work anymore!

Summer Plans - Reader Discretion Advised

2009-02-20T07:11:00.000-08:00

We're very excited to announce the arrival of the latest addition to the Johnston family due August 20th. It took us a LONG time to get pregnant so it is a much bigger age gap than we ever planned (it will be almost 5 years), but I guess things never go according to plan, do they?

We told the boys two weeks ago. They were very excited about the whole thing. It also led to a funny conversation after Aaron and I pointed out that is might be a little brother or a little sister (this is where the reader discretion is advised):

Luke - Well, we'll just have to wait and see when it gets bigger if it is a girl or a boy (I'm thinking he thought gender must be associated with hair length or something).

Aaron and I - No, we can tell right away if it is a boy or a girl.

Jake - How?

Aaron and I - Because boys have a penis and girls have "girl parts." (We say penis around our house, for obvious reasons, but the big v-word just doesn't come up).

Jake -(looking at me with a look of complete and utter shock) - YOU DON'T HAVE A PENIS?!? And then he laughed hysterically.

I'll spare you the further details of explaining a little more in depth about girl/boy differences with proper words and all, but it was memorable.

So it turns out Luke wants another baby brother and likes the name "Bob." Jake wants a sister. Personally, I'm siding with Jake (but of course I'll be thrilled with whatever we have).

Up the Mountain

2009-02-20T07:03:00.000-08:00

We were enjoying some lovely warm weather the weekend before last and managed to have a little family hike on Paris Mountain. Good times.

Boomerang

2009-02-10T13:38:00.000-08:00

Luke learned about Australia in school last week and came home with his own handmade boomerang. We've gotten a break from the cold and have enjoyed several days in the 70s. So Jake made a boomerang too and we spent the afternoon in the backyard throwing them. Surprisingly, they really do start to come back towards you.

Happy Birthday, Aaron.

2009-02-10T13:22:00.000-08:00

Aaron's birthday was Monday, February 2nd, so this post is VERY overdue, but I wanted to wish him a happy birthday. I couldn't ask for a better husband. Aaron is the funniest person you'll ever meet, a hard worker, very thoughtful, a spiritual giant, super creative, and the best father. Playing with Daddy is the highlight of any day and I am one lucky lady.

Aaron is the Breakfast Guy in the family and every BG needs his own griddle.

Our newest WII game, Shaun White Snowboarding. It uses the balance board as the "snowboard."

My very delicious carrot cake (if I do say so myself).

Homemade Gooey Yum

2009-02-10T13:03:00.000-08:00

I'd never made homemade cinnamon rolls before and had a hankering for some. I found a recipe here that uses the breadmaker to make the dough. A reviewer also suggested that you can put the rolls in the fridge overnight and bake them in the morning (which solves the whole do-I-have-to-get-up-three-hours-before-breakfast dilemma). I made them and they truly were delicious. Certainly not something you can have very often because they are really rich and terrible for you. But yummy. Oh, so yummy.

Here they are pre-icing.

Jake is no fan of sticky fingers, so he preferred to attack with a fork.

Happy face.

We May Be Going to Broadway

2009-02-10T12:51:00.000-08:00

I think we have two future improvisers in our midst. They put on a little performance for us the other night complete with handmade tickets, and a lit "stage." It was pretty awesome. I tried to do a little video, but it was too dark to see anything. Here are some photos:

Oh, the agony.

Can't you just feel the confusion, the angst?

A lighthearted moment breaking the 4th wall.

Tragedy strikes.

Slacker

2009-02-10T12:27:00.000-08:00

It has almost been a month without an update. What was I thinking?

Talented Hubby

2009-01-18T16:25:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that I'm married to a VERY talented guy. To check out some of his advertising work (radio, tv, and print ads) visit HERE.

"Gingerbread" Houses

2009-01-18T16:01:00.000-08:00

In December we held our 2nd annual "Gingerbread" House Extravaganza. I'm a little late posting, but I forgot my camera and I just got my brother's pictures. The key to a festive and easy gingerbread house is using... Graham Crackers. A little run to the store for graham crackers, assorted candy, and powdered sugar and you are ready to go. The frosting is powdered sugar mixed with just a touch of milk. The thicker, the better. The sky is the limit as you can tell from the versatile houses we created. A fun activity with very little effort.

Jake

Luke

Aaron J.

Uncle Aaron

Grandpa Tom

Uncle Dan

Uncle Allan

Grandma

my own beautiful creation

Good Manners

2009-01-13T17:10:00.000-08:00

I recently read a blurb online about Oprah donating over 300,000 dollars to a teacher named Ronald Clark and his private school in Atlanta. That got me curious so I googled him. After looking at the website of his school and watching some clips of him on Oprah, I decided to get his book, "The Essential 55," from the library.

Ron Clark is a teacher. An amazing teacher. He took a job at a low-performing rural school in North Carolina and had amazing results with his students. A few years later after hearing about schools in Harlem that were struggling to find teachers, he drove up there and got a job in a rough, inner city elementary school.

Over the years he has developed 55 rules that he has in his classroom. This really goes against common educational theory which is to have only a few basic rules so that they can be remembered and enforced easily. But Mr. Clark talks about teaching the whole child and meeting them where they are developmentally. Since a lot of his students come from troubled homes, a lot of his rules deal with basic good manners. Like saying excuse me if you bump someone, making eye contact with the person you're speaking with, and putting your napkin on your lap while you eat. While he is going over these rules he tells a lot of stories from his classroom experience. Some were funny. Some were really touching. All of them left me wishing there were more teachers like him.

Anyways, I've been sharing some of the stories with Aaron and we decided we would start having a little weekly "good manners" lesson as part of our Family Home Evening. I think our boys have decent manners, but there is certainly room for improvement. We'll start next week and I'll report back how it is going. In the meantime, I highly recommend this book to teachers and parents. It is a good reminder about what skills a person should have to grow up and be a decent human being.

All Grown Up

2009-01-10T16:18:00.000-08:00

The first tooth has been lost. He's not a baby anymore.

New Furniture

2009-01-06T12:51:00.001-08:00

One unexpected thing over the break was the Aaron's parents found us some amazing new furniture. Bassett Furniture has an outlet in Bassett, Vriginia about an hour north of where Aaron's parents live. They sell discontinued or slightly damaged furniture. When we lived in Greensboro we went there a few times and bought our our crib, dresser, and a bookshelf. The outlet is going out of business and their already good deals have turned into AMAZING deals. So amazing that we drove up there, rented a uhaul truck and brought the furniture home. We got a new entertainment center, a leather couch, an arm chair, and a new dresser. All of it beautiful and all of it cheap. What do you think?

Daddy Time

2009-01-06T12:44:00.000-08:00

The highlight of the whole break was having Aaron home for almost two weeks. Aaron asked Luke this weekend what his favorite Christmas present was this year and Luke told him, "Playing with you." It could have been a Hallmark commercial. Melt your heart kind of stuff. Here are some photos of one backyard play session.

Christmas Day

2009-01-06T12:36:00.001-08:00

The boys gave us their own little Christmas present of sleeping in until 7:30, which was awesome. They racked up with lots of presents. The highlight was some Star Wars action figures and ships. We tried a new Christmas breakfast: homemade waffles. We hadn't made them in awhile and I liked the fact that they are easy to make and clean up.

Later that afternoon we headed over to my dad's house and met up with the entire fam for a delicious lunch/dinner.

Christmas Eve

2009-01-06T12:24:00.000-08:00

We did our Christmas Eve nativity. Someday I'm going to branch out to better costumes than towels and ties, but hey it worked, didn't it? We used our Christmas Book that I got a few years ago from a great Enrichment (hooray, Santa Monica 2nd Ward) activity. It has scripture verses, pictures, and correlating songs. So you get to sing in between the acting out.

Luke makes a great angel. See what I mean about the high-tech costumes?

Jake and I make a great Joseph and Mary.

Luke, the Innkeeper.

The missionaries dropped by in the middle of it, so we forced them to be shepherds.

Afterwards, the boys got to open their Christmas PJs (Star Wars - a little on the bright side, but oh, so cool) and their presents to each other. Jake got Luke a little magic kit and Luke got Jake some froggy goggles. Good times, folks, good times.

Christmas Catch-Up

2009-01-06T12:03:00.000-08:00

Been ignoring the blog the past couple of weeks and it is time to catch up. We had an early Christmas visit with the Johnstons. Once again I didn't take any pictures. I MUST get better about that. The boys loved their real digital cameras from Aaron's parents. They also loved hanging out with the cousins. The trip did have some rough patches. Luke was plagued with car sickness on the way there and the way back. Not fun. Also, Sunday morning I woke up with a mean case of pinkeye. My eye was all swollen and scary. So I spent a lovely Sunday morning at the urgent care center. Fun, fun, fun. Despite all the handwashing Luke got pinkeye a week later and 5 days after that Jake got it. So Aaron is the only one who has remained unscathed.

Polar Express

2008-12-23T05:47:00.000-08:00

Luke had Polar Express day at school on Friday. They wore their pajamas, made gingerbread houses, and watched the Polar Express. Fun times, fun times.

The Attack of the Antlers

2008-12-23T05:22:00.001-08:00

Jake had his Christmas program on Thursday. He did a lovely job singing a few songs. No stage fright for the little guy. The only bummer this time was that he was directly behind this little girl wearing reindeer antlers which blocked his face much of the program. It was a little obnoxious, but we did manage to get a few antler free shots.

Notice Jake in the back row (what a little cherub!) and notice Little Miss Antler.

Good Reading

2008-12-17T12:28:00.000-08:00

Here is some recommended reading:

The Traveler by John Twelve Hawks

This one is kind of dangerous because it is a page turner and I tend to ignore my motherly duties when I start such a book. "Run and play, mommy is reading." I was actually picking this one up and reading a few sentences as I made dinner. Sad, I know. I'm not even going to summarize it. Just read it.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

A very cool Dracula story. It isn't a quick read, but I loved the story and it gave me the heebie-jeebies quite a bit.

Fort Johnston

2008-12-17T12:19:00.000-08:00

Nothing beats a lazy Saturday playing in a couch-cushion fort.

Christmas Singing

2008-12-06T11:17:00.000-08:00

Just in case you're having a hard time getting in the Christmas spirit. Here are the boys singing a few little songs on the way to pick out our Christmas tree this morning.

Luke loves to make up his own little songs. I hope Santa was listening.

Catch Jake's look at Luke at the end of his song. Don't even try to steal Jake's thunder!

Christmas is Coming

2008-12-06T10:12:00.000-08:00

We've had a fun morning picking out and decorating a Christmas tree. It is my favorite time of year!

Men at Work

2008-12-06T09:51:00.000-08:00

Each night while I make dinner, I try to have something for the boys to do at the little table in the kitchen. Some nights it's homework, some times they play with play-doh or puzzles. Anything that can do individually, while they sit. That way I can keep the peace and cook dinner at the same time. Sometimes it works better than others.

Leaves, Leaves, Leaves

2008-12-06T09:47:00.001-08:00

Jake is a good worker.

Hiding from the camera.

No more pictures!

Silly man Luke.

Husband Tag

2008-12-06T09:39:00.000-08:00

I'm such a pro at this tagging business now!

What is your husband's name? Aaron
How long did you date? We knew each other for two years, dated for 7 months, and were engaged for 3 months.
How old is he? 33
Who eats sweets? We both love milkshakes, but I'm definitely more into desserts than he is.
Who said I love you first? Me
Who is taller? Aaron, by like 9 inches
Who can sing better? Hmmm. I think we both have nice voices.
Who is smarter? We're both brilliant, of course.
Who does the laundry? Me since I'm home with it all day. When we were first married, working, and used a laundromat, he did it just as much (if not more) than I did.
Who pays the bills? Me.
Who sleeps of the right side of the bed? Aaron, although I did when we were in LA, and he did in NC. Not sure why we keep switching back and forth.
Who mows the lawn? We both used to when we had a little reel push mower (that just has spinning blades, no motor), but now it is all Aaron.
Who cooks dinner? Usually me, but Aaron does make a mean spaghetti dinner.
Who drives? Aaron and he loves it when I tap his arm every time I see brake lights and don't think he is slowing down fast enough. What can I say, I've become paranoid.
Who is the first to admit that they are wrong? I think we are both good about that.
Who kissed who first. Aaron.
Who asked out who first? That is a whole, long crazy story that I shall not go into now. Technically Aaron asked me out on a date first, but I had arranged to spend lots of time with him in non-date situations. Aren't I sneaky?
Who wears the pants? We're a good team, but I am the only one that ever wears a skirt :)

I'm not tagging anyone because the people I tagged last time didn't even do it. Hint, hint, nudge, nudge.

Sick

2008-12-02T16:27:00.000-08:00

I've had a sore throat since Saturday. Sunday night it became pretty annoying so I finally made it to the doctor this morning and found out I have strep throat. Jake has it too. I used to get strep throat a lot as a kid. Once I even had it on my birthday. That was lame. The only good part is that my mom would get me slurpees and rent movies for me. Ah, the joys of youth. Anyways, I'm feeling a little better already, but illness always makes me extremely grateful for good health.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-02T15:47:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely Thanksgiving visiting with both sides of the family. It was so lovely, in fact, that I forgot to take many pictures. Here are two:

The boys had fun playing with their Uncles (my brothers). The monumental event was that Jake voluntarily gave them all a hug before they left one night. That NEVER happens with Jake. Luke will hug anyone and everyone, but Mr. Jake is very selective. I guess enough tickling and rocket ship launching and his heart is yours. (You'll notice Luke and Jake each have one demon eye in this picture. We were having serious red-eye issues and the computer just couldn't quite correct them).

The only photo we took on our short trip to NC. The boys loved playing with their cousins. We missed the Allreds and Uncle James, but we dealt with our sorrow by eating lots of yummy food.

Luke is Six

2008-11-25T12:31:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I have a six year old child. Crazy. Here is a little trip down memory lane with the birthday boy.

Newborn

1 Year Old

2 Years Old

3 Years Old

4 Years Old

5 Years Old

6 Years Old

Jake's Thanksgiving Program

2008-11-25T10:20:00.000-08:00

Jake's preschool had a little Thanksgiving Program this morning. Jake was a little out of sorts, but pulled through and sang with his friends.

The Party

2008-11-25T09:37:00.000-08:00

Luke's party was a big success. In case you're wondering here are the critical elements for a great birthday party:

GAMES:

"Use the Force Toss"

Players see if the force is with them while they toss balls into this very nicely decorated box. This is Luke's side

Jake's side of the box.

"Pin the Light Saber on the Jedi"

This game was made completely by Luke and Jake and kept them very busy one afternoon. The Jedi is Princess Leia, in case you're wondering.

"Pinata"

All our hard work down the drain.

It fell off the string after only a few swipes. They seemed to enjoy beating it on the ground the most.

SPECIAL GUESTS:

Along with my side of the family, we were lucky to have Darth Vader stop by for a short visit. I guess he was in the neighborhood. Jake immediately said, "Why are you wearing that costume" while Luke was not too sure about our mysterious visitor.

GOOD FOOD:

We had homemade pizzas with my dad's delicious caesar salad and some fresh fruit.

Luke and Jake helped decorate the cake with dueling light sabers.

Chocolate on chocolate. You can't beat that.

PRESENTS:

Luke racked up with Transformers, Star Wars guys, Spiderman undies, a Batman backpack, and the big hit: Lego Star Wars for the Wii.

Luke told me right before going to bed that it was the best day of his life. That made me happy.

The Pinata

2008-11-25T09:07:00.000-08:00

Luke has become quite the little party planner. Ever since Jake's birthday in October, Luke has been planning every detail for his own birthday (which was Sunday). Luke decided he wanted (surprise, surprise) a Star Wars party. On Friday we made little place setting cards for grandparents and uncles. Luke and Jake wrote the names and then gave each one a Star Wars illustration on the back.

On Saturday morning Luke said, "I want a pinata for the party" and I was like "Sorry, pal." But then I looked online and saw that we did indeed have all the materials. And it did seem like a good project to keep us entertained on a cold day. So we made our very own Star Wars Rocket Ship Pinata. It was truly awesome, as you can see.

We did three layers of newspaper and used fans to dry it in between layers. Jake wasn't so sure about the messy paste, but Luke got really into it.

Busy painting our blue rocket ship. Not sure how this is going to become a rocket. Just you wait...

Dad helped us fit it with some wings.

After fashioning a nose, taping, more painting, and some very handy illustrations by Aaron we had an awesome pinata.

You'll notice that Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, and Chewbaca are on-board.

Little Boys and Star Wars

2008-11-23T18:55:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure what it is about little boys and Star Wars, but my boys have started the obsession. Ever since Luke started Kindergarten he has been talking a lot about Luke Skywalker. I think it is the big topic during lunchtime and recess. And now, of course, that is all Jake talks about as well. Aaron couldn't be happier with this new development and their evening pretend play usually involves him either being Yoda and training Luke and Jake Skywalker or he plays Darth Vader (or, as Jake calls him, DARK Vader) and battles them. Here is Jake in his own Darth Vader costume that he put together from stuff in the dress up bucket. Very nice.

A Star is Born

2008-11-23T18:44:00.001-08:00

Luke recently had his stage debut as an ear of corn in his school Thanksgiving play. What can I say? The boy has a gift.

8 x 8

2008-11-19T10:41:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged again! Woohoo. I'm feeling the love. This one was harder than expected.

1. 8 TV Shows I Watch:
Lost
The Office
30 Rock
Arrested Development (old episodes online)

Umm, I'm supposed to have 8, but that is all I can think of. I just can't handle too many TV shows at once. Sorry.

2. 8 Favorite Restaurants:
Soby's (downtown Greenville)
PF Changs
Cafe 50's (our old LA haunt)
Lemongrass (or any good Thai place)
Any good Japanese steakhouse
Rainbow Room (in NYC)
Ollies (in NYC)
The Bubble Room (Sanibel Island)

3. 8 Things That Happened Yesterday (Nov 18):
Luke and Jake went to school
I went to Walmart
I went to Lowes
I went to Costco
I picked up Jake from school
Jake and I picked Luke up from school
The boys played star wars while I made chili for dinner
Aaron and I watched some of The Office (season 3)

SOOOOO exciting, I know.

4. 8 things I'm Looking Forward To:
Going to have acupuncture on Friday (more on that later)
Luke is in a Thanksgiving play at school on Friday
Luke's birthday is on Sunday
My brothers are coming into town for Thanksgiving
Jake has a Thanksgiving program at school on Tuesday
Aaron has almost two weeks off at Christmas. Yipee.
Listening to Christmas music
Getting a Christmas tree

5. 8 Things on My Wish List
Bags and Bags of Money (preferably large bills)
Family Trip to Disney World (Luke recently told me it was his "secret" birthday wish)
Trip to NYC with Aaron
A new dining room table
A flat screen TV (that one is for Aaron)
The self control to go to bed on time every night
To have more time together as a family
Happiness, health, and prosperity for all my friends and family.

6. 8 Things I love:
Aaron
Luke
Jake
All other family and friends
wearing my pajamas
chocolate
reading
laughing

7. 8 Things I Can't Stand:
contention
messy house
whining
unnecessary meetings
secrets
being tickled
mayonnaise
interrupted sleep

8. 8 People I am Tagging:

I am cheating. Tag yourself if you'd like to play, but this one was hard so I won't make anyone feel compelled. Plus, I don't know that 8 people read this blog :)

The Office is Taking Over Our Lives!

2008-11-17T09:58:00.000-08:00

We started watching The Office last year in the middle of season 4. We're both big fans of Steve Carrell and we've enjoyed the show. A friend recently loaned us the first three seasons on DVD and the whole thing has gotten a little out of control. We're watching far too many episodes every night when we both have plenty of other stuff we could and should be accomplishing. Stop the insanity!

All Spiffed Up

2008-11-17T09:56:00.001-08:00

The boys were ready for the big primary program last week (they both did a spectacular job). They clean up nice, don't they?

Play Dates

2008-11-17T09:50:00.000-08:00

With Luke gone at school all morning we've been doing lots of play dates to keep Mr. Jake entertained. Fortunately there are 3 or 4 little boys close by the he enjoys playing with. At first he was a little uncertain (since he had never really interacted with friends without Luke around). It has been fun to listen to him interact with his buddies. Here is a recent picnic (we had really pleasant weather a week ago) he had with one of his friends and his little brother.

A Little Halloween Poem

2008-11-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

This is a little late, but I think you'll enjoy it.

Grateful

2008-11-09T17:22:00.000-08:00

This picture doesn't really do it justice (we really need, okay WANT, a nicer camera), but this is the view from our deck in the backyard. I was out grilling the other night. It was 70 degrees and the boys were running around playing. Aaron was on his way home. It was one of those moments when you step back and think of all the blessings in your life. We are happy. Life is good. No complaints.

Blog Tag

2008-11-09T16:53:00.000-08:00

So I was honored to be "tagged" in someone else's blog post. It's my first. So here it is, Rozanne:

1. My kitchen sink

(Confession: I remove a few dirty dishes just to make it a little more presentable - was that against the rules?)

2. My favorite room

I love many rooms in our little house, but we spend a lot of time in here.

3. My fridge

4. My closet

5. My laundry room

6. Me right now

I had Luke take a picture. A little too aggressive with the zoom. Sorry.

7. Kids right now

Jake did not want to be photographed and kept hiding his face behind his hands. So I was forced to tickle and was rewarded with this jewel of a photo.

8. My favorite shoes

9. My dream vacation

I had to take pick two:

I'd love to visit Hawaii. It just seems so beautiful and I love the beach.

I'd love to go to London with Aaron and see lots of plays.

10. My bathroom

OK. Now I'm supposed to tag other people, but this isn't really a high traffic blog so I'll tag Leighanna, Catherine W., Shena (if you're not too sick!), and Amelia. No worries if you don't want to, but if you DO you could be super cool like me :)

Terrific Kid

2008-11-03T16:39:00.001-08:00

Luke was voted a "Terrific Kid" by his classmates, and we went to a little awards ceremony this morning.

Proudly holding his certificate.

Jake was unimpressed.

Proud mama.

The Johnston men.

Trick or Treating

2008-11-03T16:29:00.000-08:00

Friday night we had a fun time Trick or Treating in the neighborhood.

I mentioned previously that Jake's vision is a little obscured by his mask. Walking up to each house he would keep his arm up to avoid stumbling and afterwards he would hold the candy up to the eye hole to see what he had gotten. It was pretty hilarious and a little miracle that no injuries occurred.

Guiding the blind Jake down the street.

This Halloween was no different with Jake tuckering out after a little bit, requesting a ride from Dad.

Pumpkin Carving

2008-11-03T16:23:00.001-08:00

Aaron had a really busy week at work last week so I had to take over pumpkin carving responsibilities. I lucked out because the boys wanted a "ghost" pumpkin - two eyes and a big circle mouth. It won't win any prizes, but they were pleased.

My Little Greaser

2008-11-03T16:20:00.000-08:00

It was 50's Day at Luke's school last week. Doesn't he make a good greaser?

Trunk or Treat

2008-11-03T16:18:00.001-08:00

Transformers at the Trunk or Treat!

Waiting for the Cinnamon Rolls

2008-10-25T18:17:00.001-07:00

Excited for delicious cinnamon rolls. The perfect Saturday morning breakfast.

Why is it taking so long?

For the love, I'm starving.

They're ready!

Happy Birthday to You, Mom!

2008-10-25T17:59:00.000-07:00

My mom's birthday was yesterday and we got together for a little celebration. The boys love nothing more than a good birthday party as you can see.

Hardly containing their excitement.

Preparing the "cake" (aka brownies).

Helping Grandma blow out the candles.

Our good friend Orson Scott Card offered us free tickets to see his good friend, Janis Ian, perform here. So we got a babysitter and had a great night out.

Aaron, me, Mom, Aunt Vonnie, and Uncle Steve

Janis Ian. I wasn't familiar with her before, but she has an amazing voice. She is also a gifted storyteller and we really enjoyed the evening.

Nice Weather + No School = Fun

2008-10-20T17:21:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely day which included:

A picnic lunch:

Luke never tires of PB&J.

Chewy, chewy, chewy.

A bike ride:

Playing at the park:

And a lovely game of pinecone golf:

Back to the grindstone tomorrow.

Yum, Yum, Yum

2008-10-19T18:19:00.000-07:00

Who knew a chocolate Frosty from Wendy's could be the source of such bliss?

30 Day Shred

2008-10-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

So Aaron and I have been persistent in our early morning running. Hooray. But some mornings our schedule doesn't work and with winter approaching I wanted another option. I have a lot of workout videos, but I thought the time might be right for a new one.

At first I contemplated getting Tracy Anderson's Dance Cardio Workout. She is the trainer for Gwyneth and Madonna and it is supposed to be pretty intense. I read the reviews at amazon and while many people say it is a great workout it is also difficult to learn. Apparently you have to spend a couple of hours just learning the dance combinations. But right now in my life I need something quick. So I kept looking.

Then I happened upon Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. It is currently the best selling fitness DVD they have and has over 500 positive reviews. I also liked it because it has three twenty minute workouts that get progressively harder. And it incorporates cardio, strength training, and ab work. Short, intense workouts. Perfect.

I have now done the video twice. I did level one yesterday and level two this morning and I have to say it is hard. My heart was pumping the whole time and during level two I had to use the modifications on some of the moves because I couldn't do them. Needless to say, I'm going to wait a little bit before I even attempt level 3.

Because it is so hard I recommend doing this without an audience. It can be a little embarrassing. This morning Jake "worked out" with me doing his own versions of the moves and a couple of times as I was huffing and puffing I caught him giving me a look like "What is her problem?" Kids - they have no mercy.

Baby Mama Was Great

2008-10-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

Aaron and I are avid movie fans and watch lots. Sadly we haven't been able to get our movie groove on quite as much as we'd like due to that crazy business called life. That is why I was thrilled when we had the opportunity on Friday to get a little take out Chinese and rent a movie after the boys went to bed. I was a little nervous about renting Baby Mama. I love Tina Fey. I think she is a funny, brilliant lady. The movie Mean Girls was great. 30 Rock is (as we say in the south) a hoot. Her Palin impersonation has me in stitches (actually all of the mock SNL debates have been pretty good. You can watch clips here). Amy Poehler can also be funny, but seems to lean toward the more raunchy comedy. So I thought it might be an hour and a half full of birthing jokes which would get old. Well, I'm glad we got it because although there was some "oh no, my water broke" humor, it was more of an odd couple story and actually quite sweet at times. Maybe my own baby craziness is clouding my judgement, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I've Been Simpsonized!

2008-10-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

Aaron and I went here to find out what we would look like as characters on the Simpsons. What do you think?

School Carnival

2008-10-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

Luke's school does a carnival each year to raise money. It is a huge deal (rides, games, bake sale, silent auction, food, etc.) and apparently they raise thousands of dollars each year. I don't remember my elementary school doing anything like this growing up, but they are all the rage here in the south. And although I wasn't expecting it, we had a really fun time. It was great weather and the boys were just gleeful about the whole thing. Here are some pictures:

Luke's look of consternation comes from having to pause to take a picture instead of hopping right into the fun.

Jake and Luke went into the "Iron Man" maze together. We got a little worried when Luke slid down the slide and Jake didn't appear immediately after him. I was getting ready to send in the troops when he finally surfaced. Doesn't he look so little on that big slide?

Aaron pointed out that the giant inflatable sinking Titanic seemed a little tacky considering that, you know, that's how thousands of people died and all. Tackiness aside, we didn't try that one. Luke was game, but it was a little steep for Jake's tastes.

Happy fellas.

That face makes me happy.

Weekend in North Carolina

2008-10-08T12:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to Kernersville to visit with the Johnston side of the family and watch some of our church's General Conference. I didn't do the greatest job of taking pictures, but here are a few from Chloe, Sam and Connor's soccer games on Saturday morning.

Connor pondering the big game.

Chloe and Jake playing soccer with Grange (poor Dave is stuck with that nickname forever)

Nana got in on the soccer action as well.

Jake playing his own game on the sidelines.

Luke was very into it and a little sad that he couldn't join in the official game with Chloe's team.

Chloe and Sam in soccer uniforms.

Happy Birthday to Jake

2008-10-03T05:53:00.000-07:00

Jake turned 4 yesterday and I can't believe it. Here are some pictures of the little guy:

Just born.

1 Year Old

2 Years Old

3 Years Old

Now he is a big giant four year old:

The birthday crown he got at school.

Love that cheesy grin.

Super cool transformer from Grammy and Gramps.

Two thumbs up for the Bat Cave from Grandma.

Big boy bike so he can keep up with Luke.

Making a birthday wish.

Luke enjoyed the cake a little TOO much (notice the sprinkle hanging on the edge of his nose).

The happy family.

"G" is for Goggles

2008-10-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

It is "G" week at school and look came home with a pair of pipe cleaner goggles (not glasses, mind you, GOGGLES). He made Jake a pair. Cute, huh?

The Apple Farm

2008-10-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

As you can see, Jake and I had a lovely time on his school field trip to the apple farm.

Slightly confused about the whole hay ride concept.

Picking some delicious apples (the secret is to twist first).

This really makes it look like I forced him to take a picture in the sheep, but I think the sun was just in his eyes or he was straining on his tiptoes.

Hello. Over here with the pumpkins.

Every household with boys should install one of these jumper things. It is just four pvc pipes in the ground surrounded by a big rubber tube. Bounce away.

Cheesy grin.

Shy face.

The fruits of Jake's labor.

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye

2008-09-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

It is with great sadness that I announce the end of a long-standing tradition in the Johnston household. My hubby has always been a comic book fan, particularly Superman. And as such we've tried to instill that same love in our boys. So each and every Halloween since 2003, Superman has gotten a little shout out. Let's take a little walk down memory lane:

Luke, Halloween 2003

Luke, Halloween 2004 (Jake is not pictured - he was only a few weeks old, but had a nice snuggly dalmation costume)

2005, Fireman Jake and for the 3rd year running, Luke as Superman

2006, The passing of the torch. Luke moves on to Batman (not much of a stretch really) and Jake picks it up.

2007, Jake still keeping the love alive and Luke as a very skinny spiderman.

So this year I had a grandiose plan of branching out beyond the old dress up bin and even entertained thoughts of homemade costumes. But those cheap Walmart costumes were a little too enticing and the boys decided to be Transformers this year. We purchased them on Saturday and they have been worn for at least an hour every day since. Here they are playing in the yard with them.

Jake is Bumblebee and Luke is Optimus Prime

Jake's costume is a little big for him and when he puts on the mask he can barely see anything. He still manages to run around in it with only an occasional fall.

They already have grass stains and some food spilled on them. They're so cheap that I don't know if they'll make it through a wash cycle, but we'll cross our fingers that they'll still be suitable by Halloween. I guess if they do fall apart we can always pull out the old Superman costume one more time.

Rainy Day Games for Tired Moms

2008-09-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a rainy day, the boys were a little whiny, and I was tired. How could we entertain ourselves during that pre-dinner, pre-daddy time without resorting to the old TV? Well, my friends, I'm pleased to announce that I created a game that made everyone happy. We call it "Super Bombers" (Jake came up with the name - catchy isn't it?). First you must have a bin full of relatively soft balls. These are the "bombs." Then you (the Mom) take your position on the couch as the "Bomber." Next you say "Ready, Set, Go" and start launching the "bombs" at the boys* while they run around the room laughing hysterically. Be gentle, dear mothers, even if it has been a rough day. When you run out of balls you call out, "Refill." The boys then run around the room collecting the balls and putting them back in the bin. Repeat as often as you like. Viola. Everyone is happy. I got to relax on the couch. The boys didn't fight or whine once. I could make big bucks by patenting this thing. What do you think?

*I say "boys" because I'm not too sure if girls would appreciate the intricacies of this game.

School Days

2008-09-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

The boys have been doing lots of fun things at school recently. Luke went on a field trip to the Roper Mountain Science Center. He learned about some of the organs in your body and the five senses in two separate little classes. Then they had a picnic followed by a short nature walk. Luke loved it all, but the highlight was... riding the bus!

Bus ride. The teacher had them wear little bandanas with name tags on them.

Waiting to go into the first class.

Enjoying a little picnic.

Jake has also been having a great time at preschool. His class has been studying apples (a field trip to the Apple Farm is on Tuesday). Today he made an apple pie in class and brought it home to share with the fam.

A chef is born. Have you noticed that Jake always looks a little like a deer in headlights when he poses for a picture? Funny.

The anticipation over the apple pie was very high. Sadly, neither of the boys ate more than a bite. It just looked a little too suspicious for their picky tastes. Sad, very sad. Mothers of picky eaters need therapy to deal with the guilt.

Ghost Town - Two Thumbs Up

2008-09-21T04:39:00.000-07:00

Aaron and I had a little date night on Friday and went to see the new movie, Ghost Town, with Ricky Gervais. Gervais (from the British TV show The Office) plays a grumpy dentist who dies for 7 minutes during a routine medical procedure. After leaving the hospital he discovers he can see dead people and they all want him to help them out with their unfinished business. Greg Kinnear plays one of these souls who wants Gervais to stop his widow from marrying an obnoxious do-gooder. The movie isn't particularly original (you can tell where it is going from the start), but it is written well and each of the actors give strong performances. Kristin Wiig (from SNL) was my favorite as a ditzy surgeon. So it was a nice romantic comedy that made me laugh out loud and even got me a little misty at a few moments (disclaimer: it is not really THAT hard to get my tears flowing - I even once cried at the animated Mulan, but that is another story).

NOT a Morning Person

2008-09-19T04:36:00.001-07:00

My little man Jake is NOT a morning person. He'll come stumbling into the kitchen in the morning, one hand slung over his eyes proclaiming, "Too bright! Too bright!" I'll have to dim the lights and start a system of gradually turning on lights. First the one over the stove, a few minutes later the one over the sink. All the while, Luke is complaining that he can't see. How can such polar opposites be related? If this is how he acts as a preschooler, heaven help us when he becomes a teenager.

His head is too heavy to hold up at this early hour.

Eyes barely open as he munches his muffin.

9 Years and Counting

2008-09-18T05:12:00.002-07:00

Aaron and I are celebrating our 9 year anniversary today. Doesn't that sound like a long time? So I was scanning through our photo library looking for some pictures to post in honor of this special day when I realized we NEVER take pictures together. We have over 10,000 photos on our computer and only about 30 are of us together. And of those, more than half are entire family shots. Shameful, shameful, shameful. Something to work on, I guess.

The fam on the big wedding day.

A photo for our lovely Christmas album we made one year. Could our mouths get any bigger?

Outside the Getty Museum.

Performing improv with some friends in Los Angeles. We look intense.

Keller Family Reunion in Asheville.

The fam outside the LA Temple at Christmas.

Visiting the Long Beach Aquarium.

Before Aaron's book signing in Greensboro.

Enjoying a Greenville Drive game with the boys.

Aaron's company picnic last fall.

Hiking Paris Mountain.

On top of Chimney Rock during Aaron's birthday trip to North Carolina.

My cousin's wedding in May.

Family trip to Charleston.

Our trip to Comic Con this summer.

Happy Anniversary to us!