10 Beautiful Years

10 years. Wow. 10 years ago, I met my best friend. 10 years ago, we went to Mazatlan (old school Mazatlan, where Ruby Tuesdays now is) and to the Cinema 3 (where Coast Hills Church now is) to see "You've Got Mail". 10 years ago, I fell in love. It stuck. I was a senior in high school. He had just graduated the June before. Seems very young doesn't it? Its hard to believe that Trav & I have made it to the double digits in our relationship when we haven't even seen the age of 30 yet. We were some of the lucky ones. We met, he smiled, I sighed, my heart jumped, my tummy danced, I pretty much knew. At 18, I knew. He was mine. My life changed. For the better. It has been so full with him in it.

I love you Trav. So much. Thank you for being my very best friend. For supporting me, spoiling me, loving me, trusting me, helping me, for being the very BEST father to our daughters & just being there for me. Here's to the next 10 wonderful years. Love, Stace

Anyone out there?

HELLO Hello hello.. (imagine an echo..) Anyone out there still? Sorry all for the lack of posts. I just haven't been in a blogging mood. I mean, I know there are like at least 5 of you out there who actually care about what my family & I have been up too, and I just haven't provided! Seriously though, Thanks to who ever actually reads this thing. Hopefully I will get out of my anti-blogging funk soon and have a fresh outlook on life to blog about. I think its the weather. I am SO glad the stupid snow is gone. And yes, this is from me, Stacey, she who loves snow. It USED to make me happy. Now? It just makes me snarl. And I need to tell you about the title to a prior post. You know, the sore fingers one. The very same one where I RAVED about the now dreaded snow. Stupid stupid me. Anyways. Sore fingers were from a quilt I spent about 50 hours on for my Mom for Christmas (not kidding). Hopefully I will download the pics to my pc soon to show you. OH, another reason I HATE the snow. And a big reason for the lack of posts. No Internet or Cable for an entire week. Darn that snow. And Ice. Shudder.

Ho Ho Ho Harry Misses!

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas. Love and Blessings to you all.. Stacey

A fun day with sore fingers

As we are all aware, we are in the middle of a fun winter storm. I love just about everything about it. The beautiful snow covering the ground, the time I get to spend with my big kids and hub outside, the pictures I get to take, even the local news stations who have dubbed the storm, Arctic Blast 2008. (And no, I am not even being sarcastic, gasp!) Since most of the people who read my blog are here in the fabulous NW, so I really don't think I need to go into more detail then that. You all know that the schools were all cancelled for the whole week, and that we have gotten about 10 or so inches of the wonderful fluffy white stuff this week. Anyways.. Here are just a few pictures that I have taken this week. And I have to tell you, I refrained from posting a rather explicit picture that I took last night. Of a certain male appendage carved out of snow over by Linfield College. Both Trav & I said at the same time "so that's what a $100,000 education buys you eh? Niiice." It was pretty weird that we had the same thought at the same time. But come on kids! Don't go making P#%@s sculptures for all to see. I mean, REALLY. Luckily our kids weren't in the car. Whew, dodged that bullet. I can hear it now.... "Mommy, what IS that?"

Thats all for now. Have a fabulous time in the snow!

(oh and about the title... I'll share soon.. Promise)

 

 

 

 

 

ALLELUIA!!! ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA, A-LEY-LUH-YA!ll

(yes like the song..)

Which is what I felt this afternoon on my lunch break when I walked into the basement of Borsema's Sewing Center. I found a small portion of Heaven, right here in McMinnville! The fabric clearance section. All my fave fabrics + On Sale = Heaven. It was love at first sight. I will be back, oh yes, I will be back.

Note: There is one teensy tiny problem that I can see here. I work at OMI. Which is right ACROSS the street from my new piece of heaven. Buh-by paychecks, buh-by.

A Privildge

I had the prividge of being the photographer at the Seeds Of Hope Christmas party on Saturday night, and I feel blessed to have been included in such a wonderful event. My inlaws have been on the See Ya Later board since the begining so I have had the honor of watching this foundation grow & thrive & help those kids & families in need. After I got back from the party I was showing Maddy some of the pictures of Santa & Mrs. Claus, and she was so surprised to see how much Mrs Claus looks like Gwamma Debbie! *wink* It was very cute. She kept saying, WOW, Mrs Santa has the same hair! (huh? I'm pretty sure Deb has brownish red hair, not silver) AND the same Makeup! WOW! It was very very cute. Because I don't want to make anyone upset, I am just going to post pictures of Santa (ahem, Gwampa Byron), Mrs Claus (Gwamma Debbie), & their Elves (Leslie Banke & Kate Buehler). Because, well, I know them.

 

 

 

 

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Gingerbread House Building

Welcome to the 1st annual Johnson family Gingerbread House extravaganza! I have never made a gingerbread house before... But it was a lot of fun and I think I did a decent job for being an amateur. We were joined by some great college kids, Pam Wilkins & Eric (cant remember his last name..) Here are the results!
This one was the one I made. I dubbed it, The Church. Creative eh?

This is Alex's creation! I loved watching her complete this project. She sat there for HOURS just working away. Not bad for a 4 year old. (thanks to Uncle Austin for the help with the building, she couldn't have done it with out you!)

Here is Gwamma Debbies. I was teasing her, telling her it looked like a gingerbread prison. But in the end we decided it was more like a barn. Like the one Jesus was born in. Much more Christmassy.

This one is Pam & Eric's. You could really tell that these two are both type A personalities.. It was cute to watch them build this together.

And Maddys... Gwampa Byron helped her. Ok, really Gwampa Byron made it. Maddy, she just put the Chocolate bar on the top. Then disappeared to watch Disney. Hmmm.

It was a fun activity to do as a family. Well, most of the family anyways. Trav & Peyton fell asleep on the couch.

Stay Tuned too! More Christmas Activities to come. We will have the Christmas programs, and I am hoping maybe a Zoo lights or some kind of light seeing event to post about. Ciao!

The one with the Christmas songs

STAY AWAKE! BE HAPPY! FOR YOU'LL NEVER KNOW THE HOUR WHEN THE LORD IS COMING. STAY AWAKE! BE HAPPY! FOR THE LORD IS COMING SOOOOOOON! HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH, FOR THE LORD IS COMING SOON!

Now, picture this. Our van. Me. My girls. Small talk...

Me: "So Maddy what songs are you learning for your Christmas program?"
Maddy: "Um, You mean the Winter Program? I think.. We wish you a Happy Holiday, Snowy Pants, Rudolph. And I think a couple more."
Me: "Snowy Pants?"
Maddy: "Yeah"
Me to my self under my breath.. unbelievable.
Me: "How about you Alex? Are you learning any songs for your Christmas program yet?"
Alex: "OH YEAH!" and instantly breaks into song... STAY AWAKE! BE HAPPY! FOR YOU'LL NEVER KNOW THE HOUR WHEN THE LORD IS COMING. STAY AWAKE! BE HAPPY! FOR THE LORD IS COMING SOOOOOOON! HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH, FOR THE LORD IS COMING SOON!

And that my friends is the difference between a public school and a private Catholic school. I mean come on, SNOWY PANTS? Seriously? Seriously.

What a difference a year makes (and a nicer camera too)

The fuzzy pictures are from us getting our tree almost exactly a year ago today. The clearer ones are from our great tree hunting expedition of 2008. At least that's what it felt like. Every year, we put on our clothes that are ok to muddy up and traipse into the "Dawk Fowest" (actually its Ramsbys Tree Farm) to cut down the family tree. And every year it ends up taking, oh, about 2 hours to find just the right one. This year was no exception. One of these years we will just drive up, and I will say, "THATS IT!" At least that's a dream of mine anyways. Fingers crossed its next Christmas. Oh who am I kidding. Its now a Johnson family tradition to argue over what tree is better. And now Maddy & Alex are in on it. So, I like the Turkish furs or Nobles. Maddy, can't stand them. Every one I pointed out, she was like, "NO MOMMY! There are way to many spaces in it!" I tried very patiently to explain to her that is what they are supposed to look like, but she just didn't care. We ended up with a Turkish Fur this year and I can't wait to put it up and decorate it! Post to follow I am sure!

 

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The 100th Post. WOW

Oh my 100 posts? Seriously? I couldn't have had that much to say. Scratch that. I couldn't have had that many INTERESTING things to say. Better. Apparently I have though, because here we are. I kinda feel like its 100 day at school. You remember right? When that magical day arrives, you are supposed to bring in 100 of something. I think that was kindergarten. (The real reason I "remember" it, is because Maddy did it last year... Ssshhh..) I would post 100 pictures. But heck, I feel like I have already done that. Or I could post 100 things I like about blogging. Nah. I don't think I could do it. So I am just going to commemorate my 100th post by telling you I am gonna be an Auntie again. This time to a BOY! My little sis is expecting her little Jackson Charles in May. Finally. We are getting a baby boy in the family. Its gonna be fun!

A Year Ago (and a day because I'm a slacker..)

Dear Peyton ~
A year ago, we welcomed you into our lives. It was a momentous occasion! You were born a week early, and very quickly. Arriving just 2 hours after hard labor set in and only 5 minutes of pushing at 12:02 pm on 12/2/2007. I still get a kick out of the preciseness of your birth time and date. It makes me wonder if that is how you will be as an adult? You, sweet Peyton, are a fun, funny, adorable, happy, lovely, sweet natured, strong willed (already), and an incredibly wonderful person. Everyone who meets you smiles and tells me how adorable you are. My dreams for you are, that you will be a happy and content person who loves the Lord and your family. I dream that you are a success at what ever you set your mind to do and that no one or anything will stop you from getting what you want. Be strong. Be Happy. Be yourself. Love. Dream. Make things happen. Control your destiny, don't let it control you. Laugh, oh please laugh! Cry. Study. Learn, always learn. Become everything you can. And do all this, knowing always, that your Mom and Dad love you and support you. You, my darling baby, are a light. Let it shine. I love you, Mommy

The Civil War Party

In my fam the civil war between the Oregon Ducks and the Oregon State Beavers is HUGE. Every year my in-laws throw big party for everyone to come eat and watch some college kiddies play football. Me, I could honestly care less. But I get suckered into it every year. My hub, he is a big Big BIG Ducks fan. Same with the bro's and Father in law. My mother in law. She is a different story. Its Beaves all the way wiht her. Me, I'm more, lets say, nuetral ground. Probably because, like I said before, I just don't care. But for the sake of staying on my MIL's good side, I generally cheer for the Beaves when they are playing against those dreadful Ducks. (kidding about the dreadful part..) This year, the beaves side of the house was pretty somber. Oh well, At least Peyton had a good time! (Trav & his brothers did too, because, well the Ducks kinda stomped on the Beaves at their house. Dang Beavers didn't you know the ROSE BOWL was in YOUR HANDS! SHEESH) Anyways.. Here are some pics of that very "exciting" afternoon/evening.