Relay For Life 2012

I just love doing something that is both worthwhile and fun, don't you? Well, Friday was our local Relay For Life. This was my first year doing it as an adult, and actually working on a team to raise money. It was a lot of work, but so much fun. I am already looking forward to doing it again next year! The kids had a lot of fun, too. Tyler keeps talking about, "Remember we had so much fun on Friday?" He loves any time he gets to play with other kids. We didn't stay all night, as Katie (my team mate/captain) and I both have small children. It was right at 11 pm before we got out of there, though, so my kiddos were worn out! Audrey out-partied both of the boys! I know you are dying to see pictures, so, being the kindhearted person that I am, I will oblige. ;)

 Andy, on the far right, was who our team was formed for. He is Jeremy's friend from school, and his wife and I have become good friends, too. He overcame testicular cancer a few years ago. The other two are his parents, who both had skin cancers.

 My sweet baby girl. :)

 Our team name was Daddy's Warriors, and our tent theme was Napoleon Dynamite, which is one of Andy's favorite movies. (I have never seen it!)

 Ok, sorry it's sideways, but this was just a couple of posters of the people we sold luminaries to honor.

 Our booth fundraisers were face painting and selling homemade ice cream. Troy and Ty decided they wanted their arms painted instead of their faces.

 There was a big open area behind the tents where all the kids could run and play. Auston, the boy here with Troy and Audrey, goes to church with us. He is battling cancer right now, too. Their tent was set up next to ours.

 Troy takes care of his little sister. I think the football they were playing with either hit her, or got to close and scared her. He was picking her up to carry her back to me.

 Another shot of my beautiful sweetie pie!

 Jeremy's sister and her family came, to support us and Auston's team (our brother-in-law is a police officer with Auston's dad). One of the other booths was selling sky lanterns, and they bought one. Our pyromaniac children were very excited by this.

 "Up, up and away!"

 My sweet husband and our brother-in-law.

 Gotta love that grin!

 Brotherly lu-uv!

 The sky lantern Katie bought to honor Andy. She wrote "Daddy's Warriors" on the side.

 Kind of made me think of the movie Tangled. The sky lantern ceremony was very beautiful and touching.

 Katie and Andy watching the sky lanterns go up. I loved this shot of them. 

(and yes, there was crying.)

 Ty decided he'd had enough fun.

 My sweet freckle faced boy

Another sideways shot. Troy was trying so hard to stay awake, but his eyelids were winning. This is a kid up way past his bedtime. ;)

Ok, I know I have bored you enough with all my pictures. I need to get going anyway. Lots of schoolwork and housework to do today before time to buy groceries! Helloooooo, Monday!

Playing with fire

Jeremy built a big ol brush pile and we set it on fire. Josh even joined us. Fall is not my favorite season, but it has its perks. :)

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For Hannah

Hannah its going to have a come apart if I don't post something, so here is a picture of the kiddos from the homecoming game tonight. Aren't they adorable? Those outfits gave me fits like you wouldn't believe, though!
I'm still going to post about the camping trip...eventually.
Fiddler's tomorrow! Whoo-hooo!

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We Can Swim!

...sort of.

The kids and I spent all of last week in Athens so the boys could take swimming lessons from a good friend of my family. They really did a lot better than I expected. (And I did take pictures with my phone, but for some reason my phone and my laptop aren't on speaking terms...) Anyway. We spent a lot of time hanging out with the family, and my good friend Hannah and her kiddos were up, too, staying with their family and taking swimming lessons with us. We stayed with my brother and sister-in-law, as usual. We drove up on Monday morning, just in time for swimming lessons (okay, so we were a few minutes late). Hannah and I took the kids to McDonald's after swimming lessons (and a trip to Wal-mart), then that night, we had a big family supper at my grandparents', and everyone was there except Jeremy and Tenleigh. Tuesday, after lessons, we went back to my grandparents' for dinner and then next door to my aunt and uncle's for more swimming. Wednesday, we took the kiddos to Chick-fil-A for lunch and playtime, then back home for a nap before time to get ready for church services. Thursday, I got to spend a little (but no where near enough!) time with Roxann and Macy Kae, when they came to eat lunch and swim a little with us. That night, we ate at my parents' with them, Chris and Christie, and my grandparents. Then, when we got back to Chris's, I got all of our stuff packed back up. After their last lesson Friday, we stopped back by my grandparents' for lunch again, then headed back for Horton! We were all missing Daddy. Ty asked me Friday morning if we could just go home instead of swimming lessons. Bless their little hearts. We were all glad to get back home.

Today, we took the kids out to our pool (which we finally got fixed yesterday! Whoo hoo!) and tried to get them to show Jeremy what they had learned at swimming lessons. Nada. Just would not do it. Lazy, perhaps? Who knows. All I know is that before we left Athens, Ty was jumping off the side of the pool beside the diving board and making it back to the ladder by himself, and today he just cried when we took his life jacket off. And Troy was almost swimming by himself just a couple of days ago, and he wouldn't even take his life jacket off. Gonna have to do some thinking on this one.

Thankful Thursday v. 9

Thankful this week for:

1. Spending time with family. We have been in Athens for the week and got to see my family, who we don't see very often.

2. A couple of good swimming lesson instructors. The reason we are in Athens to begin with. I wanted the boys to take swimming lessons from someone I know and trust.

4. My brother and sweet sister-in-law who let us stay with them when we come up, even though we strow their house from one end to the other. ;)

5. Audrey sleeping through the night every night but the first that we have been up here! I was afraid she wouldn't do well sleeping by herself in her play pen, with no fan on, but other than the first night, she has done really well.

6. Some quiet time after every one else goes to bed to read my Bible and just have a little peace.

7. My sweet husband who stayed home all by his lonesome to work while we are out playing this week. :( We all miss him.

8. Everyone who has fed us while we've been here. ;)

9. A good friend who made the trip with me with her 3 babies under 3. Thanks, Hannah!

10. For some time away from the internet the past few days. It has been nice to not feel glued to my computer, even though I have missed seeing what is going on with my blogging friends!


For more thankfuls or to link up, check out

Thankful Thursday 8

Thankful this week for:


1.  Normal thyroid levels!! Whoo-hoo!!!

2. Publix milk prices, and that I happened to be out that way where I could stop. (We go through A LOT of milk!)

3. Reading just the right passage when I needed to hear it.

4.  Google search.

5.  Giovanni's with friends after worship service last night.

6.  Friends who know they can confide in me about anything.

7.  The Remember Me app on my phone.

8.  All three kids took a nap yesterday...at the same time!!

9.  Options. (Even if they do make my head spin sometimes)

10. Friends who don't care if my house isn't spic and span when they visit! ;)



For more thankfuls, or to link up head over to

Thankful Thursday 6

This week I am thankful for:

1.  Jeremy and I getting to go out last Monday kid-free for the first time in a year!

2.  A great couple to hang out with on that kid-free night (and who actually called and invited us out!)

3.  Nanny keeping the kiddos for us.

4.  Getting to spend the weekend with my family and having a great time with them.

5.  Time with the Matlocks, too! :) It had been too long!

6.  Fourth of July traditions, like chicken stew! Yummy!

7.  The chance to actually get some exercising in the past 2 days. I think it entertains the kids. Haha.

8.  Chocolate milk before bedtime.

9.  The fact that although there are so many areas I am failing in right now, God and Jeremy still love me.

10. Knowing that although I might be failing in those areas now, I won't always be.


Linking up with Curious Georgi.

What a Weekend!

If you have missed me the past few days (you have, right?), we were in Thach with my family for our annual 4th of July festivities. We stayed busy busy, but we had a lot of fun. :) And here are pictures to prove it. ;)

Stylin' in Moma's shades

Tyler lazing in the pool.

Jeremy and Troy

Jeremy tossing Ty

Audrey multitasking - swimming and eating her toes.

Audrey at Moma Kat and Grandeddy's

Ty at Moma Kat and Grandeddy's on the 4th.

Tenleigh loving on Troy.

Audrey and Papa

Troy and Charity needed a drink.

The boys and Addison watching the fireworks.

Hanging with the Matlocks.

Audrey was trying to get the fireworks. :)

Debatable best seat in the house...Daddy's shoulders

Other best seat in the house...top of the van.

Now This is how you watch fireworks.

 

Buddies. :)

Where I'm From

Just found this great idea from Mary over at Owlhaven. If you want to join in on the "Where I'm From" fun, click here for the format and some more information about how this started. :)

Where I'm From

I am from hay fields, John Deere and Massey Ferguson, and Chevy trucks.

I am from Bowers Hill, where there was volleyball on Saturday nights and chicken stew on the Fourth of July.

I am from lightning bugs on summer nights, beautiful fall maples, and fruit trees and grape vines on the hill.

I am from church on Sundays and sticking to your guns. From Bowerses and Holts, Abernathys and Raneys.

I am from the singers and the music makers, the cut-ups and the storers of useless information. The baby-lovers and respected elders. The flash and fizzle tempers, and the peace-makers.

From "Remember who you are" and "You can do anything."

I am from loving God and following His Word. From loving your neighbor as yourself, doing what you can when you can, always telling the truth, and forgiving your brother.

I am from small town, USA, with Moma Kat's home cooking, and home made ice cream on hot summer nights.

From all those surprise "over the hill" roasts at the clubhouse, swimming and a picnic every Thursday with our friends and family. From learning to play softball in the yard with my dad, and Moma Kat reading "The Monster at the End of the Book" complete with Grover's voice. From playing Ninja Turtles with my brother, and kicked in doors.

I am from spiral bound, sticky paged photo albums, and pictures in frames all over the house. Pink shelves with birthday girl figurines and Grandsam's handmade treasures. I am from singing favorite songs in beautiful harmony with those you love. I am from knowing there was always someone there, and hugs and kisses from everyone when it is time to say goodbye.

The Naked Face Challenge

My friend Deanna over at Delirious Rhapsody has issued a Naked Face Challenge! She says "We're all beautiful. Now let's be real." The challenge is to take one picture of your freshly scrubbed face, sans make up, no touch ups. Just you. After much debate within myself (haha) I decided to join in the challenge. And it was for me, because I NEVER go without foundation. So here you are:

My naked face, red splotches, baggy eyes, wet hair, and all. :)

And just for the fun of it, here is another one, because after eating a mini cupcake, my tongue matched my shirt. ;P

A Bit of Rambling

The past several days have been busy and, for some reason, emotional for me.

Busy because, well, we have had a lot going on. Jeremy scored an above ground pool from a job he was doing, so we have been spending our spare time over there taking the deck apart and starting to get it ready to move. My dishwasher has been out of order (till yesterday), which meant most of the day Saturday was spent playing catch up hand washing the dishes. Not that I really mind hand washing dishes. It's just that there were A LOT of them! When I wasn't in front of the sink Saturday, I was outside helping Jeremy mow the yard and feeding the azaleas. Then, of course, we went to work on the pool. Sunday, we had our dear friends the Matlocks over for the day. We had so much fun with them, as usual. I am going to miss them so much when Jon begins his residency who-knows-where and we won't be able to hang out with them. :*(

Emotional because.....I'm not sure yet. I have actually felt a little more peaceful, a little calmer the past few days. But I have been more prone to tears for no reason, as well. I haven't decided yet if they are good tears or what. I figure part of it is probably thinking about my babies growing up. Ty starting kindergarten and Troy starting preschool next year. Audrey is heading for trying to walk. Also, Ty's frog-lovey has been missing since Sunday afternoon, and I have looked everywhere. I know it will turn up somewhere. I am just afraid he has left it outside and the dog got a hold of it. :/ I think I am actually more upset than he is. He has slept with it every night since he was born...except for the occasional times it has come up missing like this. He has a "back-up" but the past 2 nights when he went to bed, he asked me to please look everywhere for it before I went to bed. :( I am hoping he has just stuck it in something somewhere (like he is prone to do) and I just haven't found the hiding spot yet.

But on top of all of this, I have had a certain peace. I have been doing a lot of thinking and a lot of praying, and started some studying. Jeremy and I have often talked about how sometimes we feel like we're not exactly where God wants us to end up. We aren't sure if that means a physical move, or a lifestyle change, or a spiritual change of some sort, but we just don't feel "settled." I am praying that the more we talk and pray and study, God will show us the path He has laid out for us.

I'm Featured!

It's my first ever feature!

I am really excited to have my turn on Meet New Bloggers Monday at my friend Deanna's blog Delirious Rhapsody! (If you are one of the handful of my own readers, check her out! :) )



For those of you who may be visiting from Deanna's blog, feel free to look around and see what's up here on the home front. Posts may be sporadic, as there is never a dull moment at the Johnson house! You never know what is going to be going on here. With a husband who is self employed in the construction business and three kiddos (ages 5, almost 4, and 8 months), we stay busy busy!

If you're a picture-blog lover, you might be disappointed here. We are stuck with dial-up out here in the boonies, and if you have never tried to upload pics using dial-up.....let's just say it takes LOTS AND LOTS of patience! And my patience is usually needed elsewhere, so. There ya go.

If you are so inclined, check out my devo blog as well. Posts there are even a little more sporadic (it takes a few more braincells and minutes to work on a devotional, and those are precious around here!! ;) ) but I hope that they can be of some good to someone out there. They are therapeutic for me, if nothing else.

Looking forward to seeing a few friendly faces here. :)

Graduation-time Reflections

Man how the time flies.

We are planning to go to Jeremy's cousin's high school graduation tonight. Then I realized it has been almost a decade since my own high school graduation. Nine years this year! Where did the time go?

In some ways it feels like a million years ago. In others, it seems like it was just yesterday that we were getting our diplomas. So much has happened since then. I have:

~Gotten married
~Finished college
~Built a house
~Delivered 3 babies
~Babysat SEVERAL more
~Gained family and friends
~Lost family and friends

And so much more. It's amazing how much you can pack into nine years of life. Wonder how full the next 9 will be??

So to Haley and all the other young'uns who will be graduating in the next couple of weeks, congratulations and best wishes. Live every minute to its fullest. Love to your heart's fullest extent. Pack in as many memories as you can. But keep things simple. It makes everything mean so much more.

Zoo Atlanta!

I know....It's been forever since I posted. Things stay crazy around here. I always wonder how so many of you post several times a day. I can't even find the time to write and set them to post later! There are a thousand other things I need to be doing right now as it is (don't tell Jeremy!)

Saturday before last, we went with our good friends the Matlocks to zoo in Atlanta. Another friend of ours works there, so we got to see a little bit of "behind the scenes" stuff, at least in the reptile section. :)

So, my computer isn't wanting to cooperate with pictures right now, but when it decides to get its act together, I will post zoo pictures.

The kids had fun, but I think we adults had more fun! Except Audrey puked all over me and herself right at the end. And Jeremy squatted down to dig through the diaper bag for a burp cloth to clean up with and sat on a stob and made a nice big bruise on his booty. :/ Oh well. It was still fun.

After the zoo, we went to eat and then back to David's to hang out for a little while to give the sun time to go down, so we wouldn't be driving in it all the way home. All in all, it was a doggone good day.

Thankful Thursday....Week 2

So, since we were in the hospital last week, I missed Thankful Thursday. Hence, this labeled week 2. Also, you may see a theme to this week's list...Anyway. If you want to join in the fun and read some more Thankful Thursdays, check out Curious Georgi!


1. Our wonderful doctor who honestly cares for our kids.
2. The nurses and other staff who cared for my sweet baby in the hospital.
3. The medicine and medical technology that helped diagnose and get her better.
4. My sweet husband, who stayed home with our boys while I stayed with Audrey.
5. My mother and mother-in-law for helping while Jeremy was working.
6. Our wonderful church family who has been bringing us supper this week so I have one less thing to worry about while taking care of my still recovering baby.
7. All of our friends who pray. James 5:13-18
8. Sometimes bed-sharing.
9. The conviction to try to stand for what is right.
10. The people who will back me up when I take that stance.

Thankful .Thursday....Week 1

So, here is a new thing....Every week I am going to think of 10 things I am thankful for and share them with you. I got the idea from Curious Georgi. :) Here goes!

1. Cloth Diapers. 'Nuff said. :)
2. The ability to function on just a couple hours sleep for several days in a row.
3. The wind up swing. Really. It's a mommy's best friend when you are trying to cook or grab a few minutes to your self.
4. That all 3 kids took a nap at the same time once this week! Hallelujah!
5. Jeremy's job. Both, because he has one, and because he can pretty much take off whenever he needs to.
6. Sweet boys who love being big brothers.
7. Good reports from the doctors.
8. Visits from friends. :) Sometimes you just need it.
9. Visits to family.
10. Chocolate milk. It's providing a large percentage of my calories right now.