Love Handles

If hair could talk....

2011-11-29T14:11:00.001-08:00

* WARNING: This blog post may appear to be dramatic, emotional or perhaps plain silly to some. And if you feel that way, that is perfectly fine. But if you cannot resist the urge to make fun of my dramatic/emotional/silly side, you may want to stop reading now. If you choose to continue reading and still find this post to be, shall I say again, dramatic, I only ask that you please keep your comments to yourself. Thanks :] I appreciate that.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way.

This past Friday, I packed up my car and my Bean and we heading to the Southern Tier to visit my parents for the holiday. I arrived at lunch time after a fabulous drive with Norah thanks only to Blue's Clues! (Norah's current favorite) A few hours later, I was standing in the kitchen when my phone buzzed. I looked at my phone to see that Denis has sent me a picture. I picked up the phone to see what it was and it was then they my heart stopped briefly. I had a mini freak out, which Rachel witnessed, and so she obviously wanted to know what I was holding back tears. So I told her. The picture that Denis sent to me was a picture of himself... dreadless. He had been talking about cutting his hair for a while now, but I suppose I didn't quite believe he would actually go through with it! Well...he did. Much to my apparent surprise. His long dreaded locks. Gone.

It was only hair.

So why did I cry?

Well... because if hair could talk, those dreads could tell you about every moment of our life as Mr. and Mrs.

You see, the last time that Denis had his hair cut was the morning of our wedding. Soon after that, he decided that he wanted to grow his hair out and have dread locks. He spent the next year growing out his hair, then shortly before Mike and Rachel's wedding he had the locks put in. And they have been growing ever since. I used to tease him by grabbing the ends of his hair and saying "Hey, remember the wedding? You were there..."

If his dreads could talk, they would tell you about how while we were saying our vows, Denis said his first, then when it was my turn he chimed right in and said "I Rebecca..." and the place burst into laughter.

They would tell you that our very first fight in our marriage was over me putting the jelly knife into the peanut butter. (who knew that was frowned upon?)

Or that our very first Christmas together was spent being snowed in our apartment with no food or bed.

And they would also tell you Denis and I have very different feelings about feet :]

If his dreads could talk, they could tell you about the 6 different places we have lived in the past 9 years.

They would be able to tell you all about the hours and hours we have spent in the car together traveling to Philly, to Pittsburgh or to Allegany. All the laughs we shared on those car rides, the dreaming we did, the fights we had, or about all the times we got lost and didn't ask for directions!

They could tell you about our vacations. ( The one to Jamaica was extra special since the natives thought he was a rasta and tried to sell him drugs... sometimes those dreads were trouble)

If they could talk, they could tell you all about our highest highs and our lowest lows. About the joy we felt when we saw those two pink lines for the first time, and the sorrow we felt when days later those two lines became one again.

They were there when Norah breathed her first breath. When she cried her first cry. When she made us a family. Norah used to hold a handful of Denis' hair when she drank her bottle. She would laugh when it ticked her face....

It has seen us through our entire marriage up until last Friday. Don't get me wrong, I'm not upset that he cut it, or wish he hadn't. When I saw him for the first time I felt like someone had put me in a time machine and sent me back to 2002. He looks like the man I feel in love with almost 11 years ago. Hair comes and goes. Lord knows I change mine all the time. I guess I was more attached to the dreads than I thought. Or at least the history they held. But I am, and always will be, a firm believer that the best is yet to come. There are higher highs to be had...and probably lower lows. It doesn't matter who are what is around to see those moments. What really matters is the moments are waiting us. And no one else can live them for us. They are ours to have. Ours to hold. And ours to remember.

So if hair could talk, and I am well aware that it can't. It would say "Goodbye. Go live your beautiful life."

Consider it done.

Strong Museum of Play

2011-09-04T20:24:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we packed up our little Bug-a-boo and went on an adventure! I must admit, I really needed out of my house... there was a lot going on and I needed a really good distraction. I had been there numerous times, but I wasn't sure what to expect with a 16 month old! Denis had never been there, so it was all new for him as well.

Even though there was so much there that Norah was just to little to do or understand, she still played her little heart out. She was hilarious every time we left a room or activity. She would throw a fit and cry like we were robbing her from her greatest joy. She didn't understand that we were talking her to even more fun! We worked our way right through the Museum stopping to play in almost every room. I think that next summer we will get a membership. She will be the perfect age to really go and enjoy all the Museum has to offer. I love that we have a such an amazing place to visit here in Rochester. We will definitely be back! Here are some pictures of our fun afternoon together as a family!

Falling in Love is like owning a Dog

2011-08-11T05:44:00.000-07:00

I heard this poem at a wedding I sang at this past weekend. I didn't know the couple too well, but what I did know of them, I admired. I truly believe that they have what it takes to make it in this world where "making it" is becoming more and more rare. They had this poem: "Falling in love is like owning a Dog" read during their ceremony. I know that I don't own a dog, but I LOVE this poem. ( I thought a few of my Dog-owning friends might enjoy the read)

Love is like owning a Dog
By Taylor Mali

First of all it's a big responsibility,

especially in a city like New York

So think long and hard before deciding on love

On the other hand, love gives you a sense of security:

when you are walking down the street late at night

you have a leash on love

ain't no one gonna mess with you.

Because crooks and muggers think love is unpredictable.

Who knows what love could do on it's own defense?

On cold winter nights, love is warm

It lies between you and lives and breathes

and makes funny noises.

Love wakes you up all hours of the night with it's needs.

It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay healthy.

Love doesn't like being left alone for too long.

But come home and love is always happy to see you.

It may break a few things in it's passion for life,

but you can never be mad at love for too long.

Is love good all the time? No! No!

Love can be bad. Bad love bad. very bad love.

Love makes messes

and leaves you little surprises here and there.

Love needs a lot of cleaning up after.

Sometimes you just want to get love fixed.

Sometimes you want to roll up a piece of newspaper

and swat love on the nose.

Not so much to cause love pain,

but just to let love know to never do that again.

Sometimes love just wants to go for a long walk.

Because love loves exercise.

It runs you around the block and leaves you panting.

It pulls you in several different directions at once,

or winds you around and around

until you are wound up and can't move.

But love makes you meet people wherever you go.

People who have nothing in common but love

stop and talk to each other on the street.

Throw things away, and love will bring them back

again, and again, and again.

But most of all, love needs love, and lots of it.

And in return love loves you, and never stops.

I can see clearly (well clearer) now....

2011-07-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

I was texting with a friend the other day and she said "You have fallen off the face of the technological earth!" This is true, but i wouldn't say "fallen"...cause I really more like jumped. I did stand at the edge of this decision for a while. I guess I was afraid to jump. Ok, maybe afraid isn't the right word either. I was really more concerned with: was I jumping for all the right reasons?

Over the past few years my generation has watched social networking take over the world. Sometimes I wonder how I ever communicated with my friends when I was young(er)! We actually called each other? Unheard of these days unless it is absolutely necessary or an emergency. My phone barely rings anymore, and if it does I find myself saying "They will leave a message or text me if it is REALLY important" and so I don't answer. This is the kind of world we life in now. It's not that it is bad, it is just...different.

I let this new era of technology get the best of me. It started changing me. Slowly at first, so I didn't notice it. I believe that Twitter, Myspace, and Facebook has it's incredible advantages. I am willing to bet that anyone who is reading this will know the fun behind these social networks so I will save the list of "Pro's" for you to make yourselves. But I have a list of "Con's" as well. Maybe this list will vary from person to person, but my list of "Con's" made me realize that this whole scene just isn't for me right now. I'm not in a place where I can let the good overrule the bad. And I'm not ashamed of that. Not one bit. In face the freedom I have found in admitting my imperfections is THE main reason I said "So long" to that world.

I think for some people (not all), FB and Twitter are a place to show the world how perfectly perfect their life is. And if by chance, someone writes a not so perfectly perfect status or comment, all hell breaks loose. I've never been good at being fake. I don't hide things well, I was born wearing my heart on my sleeve. But FB and Twitter made me feel like I was never good enough. Good enough for who? I don't really know.... Good enough for what? Again, no clue... But everyone (not EVERYONE) presented their life as perfect. It's ok to not be perfect. It's ok to not have the perfect marriage, or the perfect child, or the perfect job, or the perfect friends. Cause I don't have any of those. I used to think that it wasn't ok to not be perfectly perfect. But now that I have silenced the voices, I feel better about my life. Maybe someday I will be secure enough to dabble in social networking again, but for now, I'm not. I figure if people really care enough about the "status" of my life, that they will ask.

Love This

2011-05-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

I am so grateful that our Big God never gave up on us.

"You will remain after that day has gone and things of earth have passed. Everlasting God"- Ross Parsley

Let them be little

2011-05-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

"I can remember when you fit in the palm of my hand. Felt so good in it, no bigger than a minute. How it amazes me how your changing with every blink. Faster than a flower blooms, they grow up all to soon....

Let them be little, cause they're only that way for a while. Give them home, give them praise, give them love everyday. Let them cry, let them giggle, let them sleep in the middle. Let them be little."

I've never felt so much in one little tender touch. I live for those kisses, prayers and your wishes. Now your teaching me things only a child things only a child can see. Every night while we're on our knees all we ask is please just...

Let them be little. Cause they're only that way for a while. Give them hope. Give them praise. Give them love everyday. Let them cry, let them giggle, let them sleep in the middle. Let them be little...

So innocent. Precious soul. You turn around, it's time to let them go...

So let them be little. Cause they're only that way for a while. Give them hope. Give them praise. Give them love everyday. Let them cry, let them giggle, let them sleep in the middle. Let them be little." -Lonestar

Norah,

You have give me the best 20 months of my life (9 inside of me). I know that our little family isn't perfect. We will never claim to be. But know that we love you so much. You are the joy of our lives. You make me laugh everyday. Every single day! I love your cuddles and kisses. I love being your mom. I tell you all the time that you are the best idea we ever had. Love you junie bug. I love watching you grow.

Love,

Mom

The Big Birthday Girl!

My Net

2011-03-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

Definition of net:

Cords that are woven or knotted together

A barrier

To cover, protect or surround with

Remaining after all deductions.

These girls are my net.

We are woven together. Linked arm in arm as life rages forward.

Knotted. I'd dare say double knotted :) Secure.

After the storms of life hit my life like an unexpected hurricane, these girls are the barriers that keep the water out.

They cover me in prayer.

They protect my heart.

They surround me with

laughter.

After I've been left in the dust. Alone. Abandoned. Betrayed. They remain. Always

My net. For life.

stream of consciousness

2011-03-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

I wrote a blog called "Stream of Consciousness" about this time last year. It is a blog that I really enjoyed writing because all I did was just... write. I wrote whatever I was thinking at that moment. I went back and re-read it to see what I had to say then. I had to chuckle as I wrote about the birth of Norah. I was so worried and gave way to much attention to my fear of labor. I guess the unknown can be scary, but boy was I really scared. Apparently I am tougher than I thought! I also laughed as I described what I hoped Norah would look like. I said... and I quote..."I hope she doesn't come out with pale skin with predominately black features." Boy am I shallow and boy does God have a sense of humor. But I could never have dreamed she would be as beautiful as she is... and boy is she... in my opinion at least.

So a year has gone by and quietly sleeping in the next room is my 11 month old daughter. I know every mother at some point in time asks "how did they grow up so fast?" I ask myself that question everyday. She is my little explorer. She is into everything. She has her own opinion. She throws tantrums, wrestles with kids smaller than her (and sometimes bigger). She "talks" all the time. "Sings" along with music. Claps her hands when she hears her favorite song "The Hog Dog Song" from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. She is a walking maniac. Can climb up stairs. She HATES her diaper being changed. She LOVES her cousin Harmony. Seriously... they are best friends. Denis and I were up late last night and we watched the clock turn 1:02. Denis whispered "Happy 11 month Norah." I seriously almost lost it. I told Denis and I am going to be a wreck when she turns one. He responded by saying "Don't do that..." Guess he doesn't like when I am a wreck. oooooooohhhhh welllllllll!

Denis and I just celebrated our 8 year anniversary in December and 10 years of togetherness in January. The loudest lesson I have learned in these past 10 years... relationships are hard work. Not just my relationship with Denis, but in every area of life. Life changes at such a rapid rate and everyone moves along at their own pace. So sometimes I feel like I have to keep up with those who are moving faster than I am, while other times I feel like I am leaving people behind. No one is going at the "right" or "wrong" pace. Just different. I have been overwhelmed with the feelings of trying to change what needs to change and keep the same what "needs" to say the same. And by "needs" I really mean want. What I WANT to say the same... but I find that is almost impossible to control. The sun rises and sets each day. The world keeps on turning at the most predictable pace, yet I have days where I feel life is moving to quick, and other days where life crawls by. Life changes. Jobs change. People get married. Some move away. Others have children and some people just...change. It is all quite difficult to balance. I have found that I stink at it.... But what I have learned to do each night is when the light goes out, in those moments of quiet before I fall asleep, I ask myself: "What did I do to be better today? A better wife. A better mom. A better co-worker. A better boss. Did I go forward or backwards or did I just stay where I was. Some days I don't like the answers to those questions, other days I do. Regardless, I am glad that I am at least I'm asking.

Sometimes I hate social networks. Facebook sometimes makes me insecure. Twitter at times makes me feel like I need to have everything right with my life in order to make a difference. Having a smart phone only adds fuel to the voices in my head that are telling me I need the accolades of others to have a reason to get out of bed each morning. On the other hand I enjoy the community it brings. The ability to connect with people I wouldn't have without it. I enjoy reading what other people are up to, I always love a good laugh and a quick stroll through my news feed usually does that for me. But these days I have found myself avoiding them in the hopes that I can find a balance between my love and hate for them.

I am currently obsessed with Raspberry Sherbet. I have a bowl almost every night before I go to bed. LOVE it! (and it is better than the Oreo phase I just went through)...

My current CD of choice: Be Lifted High from Bethel. The song "God I look to You" has been my sanity this week.

This coming Wednesday I get to spend the evening with 4 of my favorite ladies on this earth. I am so excited I can't even stand it. Craft night/dinner/Birthday Celebration with Amy, Ashley, Carrie and Rachel. It can't get here soon enough.

There is something so right in my world when my parents are in town. They are currently asleep downstairs in my living room and I love that I get to wake up tomorrow and spend the day with them.

Playing on my TV right now is the movie "The Proposal." I seem to have forgotten just how hilarious this movie is. "Congratulations...I'm a hundred"

Now... I'm going to sleep. And tonight in that quiet moment between waking a sleeping I will ask myself "What did I do to be better today?" I can boldly say I was a better wife because Denis and I took the time to go out to dinner and a movie together. Just us. It was wonderful. And I can say I was a better mother to Norah for the same exact reason. Because I heard someone say once "Your best years of Parenting will come from your best years of Marriage." Determined to show Norah that her Mommy and Daddy love each other very much.

Blessings

2011-03-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

The song blessings by Laura Story has become my anthem. I am learning to understand that life isn't about finding happiness. It isn't about having a lot of friends or having everyone like you. Life is about finding God in the small things. Its about seeking God even when He seems hard to find. It is about loving when the butterflies are gone. It is about letting God change you and mold you into His likeness. Sometimes he does that through our pain. Through our tears. Through our joys and successes. When Jason Upton was as our church he said something that really stuck with me. He said that it is easier for us to believe that God has abandoned us rather than believe He is right there with us in our pain. How true that is... Today at our saturday morning prayer, Chris Folwell encouraged us to press past the awkwardness of our "issues" with God. Sometimes when I pray I tend to ignore the "elephant in the room." The thing I don't address with God because I know that what I feel isn't true...but i feel it anyway. That he let me down... that there are certain things in my life I feel like I can't trust him with. But lets be honest. He can't let me down. He is the most trustworthy of them all... but yet i feel these things and they hinder my growth. Chris compared it to going out to dinner with our spouse and finding you have nothing to say. Or sitting down with someone we love knowing that the conversation to come is going to be really hard. I find it easier to ignore God when I am angry with him (which as said before... sometimes I am...) because I think it will get his attention and he will just "fix" everything. Maybe someday I will learn that God allows things to happen in my life that are outside of what I find acceptable so He can reveal to me a different piece of his character. My favorite line of this song says this:

What if my greatest disappointments, Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy.
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise.

What if: it is the lingering question. the great debate. But trust is a choice. God has never asked me to trust everyone. But he has asked me to trust him. "Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track." Proverbs 3:5-6 (The Message)

"what if trials in this life are his mercies in disguise"

Here are all the lyrics of this song. If you haven't heard it yet, you tube it. You won't be disappointed.

Blessings by Laura Story

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home,

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

I want to be Thankful

2011-03-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

I have been learning about the impact two little words can make...

Thank-You.

Two words that can make someone feel special. Feel included. Feel wanted. Feel appreciated. I believe that if we start using these words more often, (to our children, to our spouse, to our friends, to our co-workers, to our employee's, to our boss, to the person who holds the door open at the store, or to the friend who gives you an unexpected gift or complement), we will open up to the door to allow God to form our heart into one that bleeds gratitude. We will find that we complain much less and love a lot more. Life is too short to live it being ungrateful for what we have and who we have in our life.

Thank-you.

Thank you Mom and Dad for dedicating your lives to your family and to your church. You are two of the hardest working human beings I know and I am incredibly honored to call you "mine"

Thank you Denis for picking me. For being in love with Jesus first and me second. Thank you for being the greatest husband and dad on earth. Norah and I are crazy about you.

Thank you to my friends who have never given up on me. Thank you for your unconditional love and support...for being there when I fall and not labeling me as a failure. But instead you get down in the dirt with me to encourage me and walk with me when I finally found the courage to stand again.

Thank you to all the beautiful people that work in the After School Program at Pearce. You make it a JOY to be at work. I think we have the best job on earth. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication. You are the greatest group of people and I am honored to lead you.

Thank you to my church for all your love and support. You are my family. Thank you for accepting me for who I am and for being some of my greatest cheerleaders. Made to Belong :)

I am thankful to be a daughter of the King. He is my rock, my shield, and my portion. I never want a day to go by where I forget to say Thank You to the Lord. Whether it is in a whispered prayer or a loud declaration. It's not enough to assume He knows. He longs to be told.

"it won't be like this for long"

2011-02-18T09:47:00.001-08:00

My sweet little lady is 9 months old... she has officially lived longer outside of me than inside of me. I find it hard to remember what it was like having her grow inside of me.... feeling her kicks as I fell asleep...longing for dr.'s appointments so I could hear that precious sound of her heart beating. I try to remember, but most of the time I can't. So I am going to try harder to write everyday down :) To document the things that happen as she grows into this beautiful, spunky child of mine. I haven't written an update in a while so here is just a little bit of what life is like with Norah.

In case you didn't see Rachel's blog post about Norah: (http://fotogirl14.blogspot.com/2011/02/norah-kathleen.html)

She posted a few of her 9 month pictures along with her nicknames (minus sputnick...no one REALLY calls her that...we just tease her about her huge noggin. :)

Her nicknames include: Junie Bug ( really any variation of bug: love bug, bugaboo, beetle bug, or bugga), Norah Beaner (given to her by her daycare teachers), Booper, Katie Girl (given to her by my daddy) and Norah Kate (the only nickname denis ever uses... he's big on calling her by her actual name!)

What she's up to:

Crawling like a maniac. She has been crawling since she was 6 months old. She always wants to be on the move.

Walking along furniture/around her play table/pushing her shopping cart. She does circles around her table touching all the buttons as she circles around, dancing at each new song.

Stands for about 10 seconds on her own. Usually only when she doesn't know she is doing it. She's like Grace, there is no practicing. It is all on her own terms. She has her own opinions that she is making quite clear these days.

Sleeping through the night. She started dabbling at sleeping all night at about 12 weeks, then stopped for a bit and started again at 4 months. She started by sleeping about 8 hr stretches and now sleeps from 11-13 hrs a night. We found that when we put her to bed earlier she sleeps longer. But it isn't always possible with the schedule we keep. Sometimes we keep her up just because we miss her. She doesn't sleep well at daycare so she has gotten in the habit of taking an evening nap. She falls asleep around 5 or 6 and sleeps till about 7-7:30. She wakes up (or is woken up) to eat, get a bath and goes right back down at 8. She is starting to sleep a bit more at daycare so i hope that helps rid the evening nap. Days she is not at daycare, she takes 2 super naps and no evening nap.

She is growing at a pretty average rate. Her percentiles are in the 60's, except her head :) (that is in the 80's) but we love her big head of curls :)

She loves to play on her own. She has a basket of toys she plays with, but she prefers daddy's books and cd cases or a plastic cup or bottle. She loves to take her toys and crawl into the kitchen and bang her toys on the hard floor. She loves the sound it makes. She also loves crawling under the table and standing up in the middle of all the chairs. Then she plays the chairs like a drum. We have one chair that is metal. She prefers that one :)

She loves her food! She is still eating some baby food each day. I like her to eat her cereal for breakfast still. She eats table food for lunch and dinner. Some of her favorites are: pizza, chicken nuggets, ham, hot dogs, toast with peanut butter, CHEESE, pasta, and fruit cups. She definitely prefers feeding herself rather than being fed. I have a feeling she will be only only table food here soon. She is still on soy formula, but we have given her cheese and yogurt with dairy in it and so far so good. We will have her tested for a dairy allergy at her 1 year appointment. Hoping to be able to make a smooth switch back over to regular milk.

She is still a cuddle bug. I love that she will still fall asleep in my arms. Every sunday I come home, scoop her up and cuddle her while we both sleep. Sometimes she will sleep in my arms for more than 3 hrs. It is most beneficial when she is sick because she will sleep on the lounge chair with one of us. She just seems to sleep better than way when she is sick.

She loves music. She will "sing" and dance and clap along with the music. She gets quite excited. Her favorites: Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson! I'd like to say she loves listening to me sing, but normally it is what puts her to sleep. :)

She LOVES harmony. I know she is closer in age with Makaela, but I feel like Norah and Harmony are already best buds. But at the end of the day, I am just very thankful that she will grow up living near hear cousins. I hope they grow to be as close as sisters.

She is DADDY's little girl... If daddy is in the room, no one else matters. She says DaDa constantly as well. She squeals when he comes down the stairs. Cries at the door when he leaves. Crawls up on his lap when she is tired. She is just smitten with her dad. I think she gets it from me :)

She seems to do something new with each passing day. She makes us laugh so much. She brings so much joy to our home... the unspeakable kind. We pray that never changes. I never knew I could love like this. It overwhelms me almost daily. I must tell Denis everyday "I just love her so much..." :) The other day Denis told a friend of ours "What are we going to do when we have a normal kid someday?" Meaning Norah is just an incredible baby. We don't take it for granted either. God just seemed to know what our home needed. He knew what it was missing. It was missing Norah. Now that we have her, I don't remember much about life without her. We know our family isn't complete yet and we dream about our family growing. But for now, we are soaking in every moment with our sweet little lady. Loving our family of 3.

Write Everyday Down

2011-02-10T19:06:00.000-08:00

Recently a recording artist by the name of Jason Upton came to our church for our One Thing conference. I was more than a little excited when I was told he was coming. I have been a fan of his for about 8 years now. He is an incredible worship leader and speaker and one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. During his worship concert he sang a song called "Write Everyday Down." He reminded us that we need to record our days so that the world would know that God was alive, even in times such as these. How often do we let a day go by where we don't see God in it? But there He is. In our every breath. We don't always reflect Him, but He is there.... there in it all.

This January was a very significant time in my life. I won't go into what has taken place in these past last month because 1) I am still trying to wade through it all and 2) well... it's not all to be shared. Sometimes God moves in our lives in such a beautiful way that i don't want to ruin it by letting others impose their opinions or their "that ain't nothing" kind of attitude. I don't expect everyone to understand how significant the laying down of my own yoke and taking up his really is or how it came to be. Like the hymn says "This is MY story, this is MY song." I am sure over the next month I will share some of what God has shown me. But other things I will keep between me and the Lord... and I think He is a great secret keeper.

January also marked 10 years of being with Denis. I took sometime one evening to write down our days. Now, there are many MANY other days that have made marks on our relationship. But again, some things are better left between Denis and I. But I did build a bit of a road map of our story together. I love the quote from Just Married that says: "You never see the hard days in a photo album, but those are the ones that get you from one happy snap shot to the next." Our story is still being written. And the most some of the most significant moments are the ones that cannot be captured by a camera. So I am determined to do better at writing down everyday. Because what doesn't seem significant today, may be pivotal to our tomorrow. Here are a few of my days over the past 10 years that have helped build my story. *i have done this to the BEST of my memory... forgive me if a few of the days may be a bit off*

Day 1- January 31^{st 2001}- Denis and I knew we had feelings for each other around Christmastime 2000, but there were some complications surrounding us that needed attention before we could become official. We spent the month of January praying, fasting and seeking the Lord about our relationship. On January 31, 2001 Denis drove 2 hours down to my parents house to ask them for permission to date me. I had no clue that this event took place until Denis picked me up from my dorm room and gave me an incredible diamond necklace. And even though it was our first official day of being “Denis and Becca” we, that night, promised each other our forever. We knew. We just knew. And we were right.

Day 293– November 20 2001 Day Denis proposed- Denis proposed to me at Spot Coffee in front of my sisters and some of my closest friends. It was completely unexpected because it was a GIRLS night out. He surprised me by showing up to coffee. After some small talk he told a story about the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. One he wanted to impact the kingdom of God with, one he wanted to have kids with, and one he wanted to grow old with. I don’t remember much of what he said because I was in tears. He gave me a dozen roses and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I said yes. J

Day 328 - December 25 2001our first Christmas together- I loved our first Christmas together! We took engagement pictures and scored big on the after Christmas sales in preparation for our Christmas wedding!

Day 486 – June 1 2002 Our first apartment- We were on the hunt for our first place since both of us were no longer at RWC. We found a quaint little place right near my job. He moved in right away with Larry! It was our first home together.

Day 689 - December 21 2002 Our wedding day- Best day of my life. We stood before our family and friends and promised forever. We are still walking out what “I DO” really means. It isn’t always easy, but I’d choose him over and over again.

Day 690-692 – December 22-24 2002 our honeymoon- We spent a few days in Toronto. That’s really all I care to say about our honeymoon.

Day 2065 - September 30 2006 Hired at TFH- The summer of 2006 changed the course of our lives. Denis and I were volunteering on and off through the summer helping out the worship leader at that time. One Saturday Pierre was leading worship and asked me last minute to lead a song for him. (otherwise known as the moment that changed everything). I have been leading worship ever since. We love being a part of the team at TFH. Honored to serve God and His people.

Day 2207-2211 – February 19-23 2007: Our fist big vacation: Cruise- Everything was changing so quickly. We were learning to live life in a totally different way. By the time January came around, we were very stressed and unsure of ourselves (well I was at least). So last minute Denis (and his brilliant self) drove down the street to the Travel Agency and next thing I know, we had a cruise booked for 2 weeks later! It was 5 days of absolute bliss. We left all our cares behind and soaked in the sun and relaxation.

Day 2477- November 20, 2007: Harmony was born: She was born into this world and I was instantly in love. They say there is something so special about the first. I know she isn’t MY first…. But she was the first baby that showed me a different piece of myself. The piece that hurts when she cried, when she was hurt or when she stuck out her little quivering lip, the piece that burst open when she laughed, or said my name for the first time… Her middle name says it all. Joy.

Day 2763 - September 1, 2008: Rach and Mike move to Rochester: I finally had my best friend back near me. My world was right and has been right ever since. I love living life with them. How did we ever live 4 hrs apart…

Day 2896– January 12, 2009: Our First: I had a dream on that Sunday night that I was pregnant. We were headed into our 21 days of fasting, so for piece of mind I took a pregnancy test. It was the first time I saw those 2 beautiful pink lines. I went running into the bedroom to tell Denis the news. We were floating.

Day 2830 – January 16, 2009: Heartache: We found out a few days later that we had lost the baby. I still think about ‘her’ everyday. I will remember and never forget. “We’ll just let Jesus hold you till Mom and Dad can hold you. You’ll just see heaven before we do…”

Day 3010 – May 10, 2009 Mothers day-Bittersweet: It was a difficult day to face. I was supposed to be 6 months pregnant. But at the end of a hard day, I hear a knock at the door. I was John and Amy. To make a long, emotional story short, they came bearing the greatest news… they were expecting. Suddenly my heartache became less achy.

Day 3079-3085– July 18-24, 2009: Missions trip to Mexico: A week I will never forget. I still go back and look at picture of those faces that stole my heart away. It was my first mission’s trip, and definitely not my last!

Day 3102- August 16, 2009: 2 lines in ’09: It was a Sunday. I was feeling so sick. After barely making it through church, I slept all afternoon only to wake up even sicker. Denis was out with friends and I asked if he would come home. On his way home he picked up soup, Gatorade and 6 pregnancy tests! I hesitantly took one, and again, saw those beautiful pink lines. I let my joy overshadow my fear and soaked in that moment. Norah was on her way…

Day 3147 – September 30, 2009: We saw our baby for the first time: There she was. Up on the TV screen. Little heart beating away quietly. She was alive. She was real. She was ours.

Day 3203– November 25, 2009 It’s a……: GIRL! She didn’t cooperate at first. We almost didn’t get to find out. But last minute our Tech told us the news. Girl. We were having a daughter. Not how we had planned it…. But better.

Day 3355- April 26, 2010: Norah Kathleen Johnson: Born into this world. I could never put into words the way I felt when I heard her cry for the first time…. The moment I saw her sweet face for the first time has been etched into my very soul. I will dedicate my life to showing her just how much Jesus loves her.

Day 3618- January 14, 2011: Mini Sisser: Makaela Reese was brought into this world by the bravest woman I know. Let the record show. C-Sections are not for wimps. My sister walked bravely into the OR and came out a beautiful mother of 2. I love this little girl. She looks just like her pretty mommy J

Day 3635 – January 31, 2011: 10 years of togetherness: I love being Mrs. Denis Johnson. We have had our share of heartaches. Our share of dark days, trials, and pain. But we have also shared thousands of laughs. Thousands of kisses. Denis has taught me to love. He has pointed me to Christ in times he didn’t have the answers. He has held me in my lowest points. He has celebrated me publicly. I am proud to bare his name and to have mothered his children. Love you babe. Here’s to Forever….

The stickers only stick if you let them.

2011-01-20T09:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday at our rlife gathering, a question was posed to everyone in our group. The questions was this:

What book, besides the bible, has impacted or influenced you the most?

The questions went around the group and I was the last one to answer. As everyone answered (answers included Purpose Driven Life, The Boyscout Handbook, Die Hard (jamie hall), Bait of Satan and Grace) I was unable to think of just one! I will admit, I am not a BIG reader and a majority of what I DO read is written by Nicholas Sparks, the books my husband has labeled "Devil Books" because they all make me cry. (apparently crying is of the devil!). But out of all the books I have read, I still couldn't narrow my favorite down to just one. So i decided to name them all! So here they are:
- Hinds Feet in High Places- by Hannah Hurdard
- You are Special- by Max Lucado
- The Shack- by William Young
- Secrets of the Secret Place- by Bob Sorge
I am unable to narrow this list down to THE one that has impacted me or influenced me the most. They all have helped me through some of the darkest parts of my life. Everyone spoke to a different part of my heart and my mind. Each of them revealed to me a different part of who God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are.

As I attempted sleep last night I kept thinking about each of these books. Letting myself be reminded once again of what I took away from each of them.

Hinds Feet in High Places: the story of Much-Afraid and her journey through life...her companions being Sorrow and Suffering and she faces places of Pride, Humility, Loneliness, Tribulation, Loss, and on into a place of Healing, Anointing and even getting a new name: Grace and Glory. It is a beautiful allegory of just hard life can sometimes be. But in the end, God's truth remains: He who began a good work is faithful to complete it.

The Shack: an incredible fiction novel that reveals the beautiful relationship between Man and God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. This book isn't for everyone. I know many who have some trouble accepting this book, but this book was one written for someone like me. It stirred something in me as i read through this book in a matter of days. I have a hard time even putting into words what this book means to me. It taught me about my heavenly "papa" who allows things to happen in my life that aren't always what he has purposed for me, but he uses each and every tear and heartache to point back to his perfect grace and mercy, and best of all, his unconditional love.

Secrets of the Secret Place: I had the extreme privilege of meeting and spending time with the author of this book just days before Norah was born. It was one of those "pinch me i must be dreaming" kind of moments. Bog Sorge is an incredible man and author who's personal journey is one for the history books. This book brings to light the simple truth of where God dwells: The Secret Place. The place that isn't hard to find when you are looking for it. The place where each and everyone of us are invited to but not everyone chooses to go. It is made for the person who isn't necessarily a "reader." It is laid out in a lot of short chapters that can be read one at a time. I highly recommend it.

Last but not least... You are Special: This is a children's book written by Max Lucado that has changed the way I live and think. Every time i read it to my students I fight back tears. I would like to dwell on this book for a moment because this is the one that even now, is changing me.

It is a story about the Wemmicks. the Wemmicks are a group of wooden people who were all carved by the wood carver named Eli. Eli's house sits high up on the hill overlooking the village of the people he created. All they did all day long was give each other stars and dots. Those who looked pretty, could do fun tricks, or sing well all would receive stars. but those whose paint was chipped, said stupid things, or fell a lot were given dots.

One wemmick named Punchinello was given a lot of dots and he felt better when he hung out with other wemmicks with dots. But one day he met another wemmick that didn't have any dots or stars. Her name was Lucia. It's not that people didn't try to give her stickers, its just that the stickers didn't stick. Punchinello wanted to know why she didn't have any marks, and she said "I go and see Eli everyday." and she turned and walked away.

As he thought about this, he realized he didn't like all these marks that people had given him. He didn't want the other wemmicks to mark him with any more dots. So he decided that he was going to go and see Eli.

The next day he climbed the hill to Eli's workshop to visit with Eli. As he walked in, he realized just how small he felt next to the grand size of everything Eli's workshop, so he tried to quietly turn and leave. But then something happened. Eli called his name. He knew his name? Of course he did! He created him! "I've been waiting for you" Eli told him. "for me?" Punchinello asked. "why?" "Because I created you...and you are special"

Punchinello had a very difficult time believing that anyone would really care about him, let alone his maker. But Eli was there. He had been waiting. Eli bent over and picked Punchinello up and said "Looks like you have been given a lot of marks..." Punchinello then asked Eli about Lucia. "Why didn't she have any stars or dots?" The entire book had been leading up to this moment. This is what he said:

"The stickers only stick if you let them."

He went on to tell Punchinello that if he came to see him everyday that he would remind him of HIS love and what HE thought of him. At that moment, Punchinello looked up at Eli and something beautiful happened... Punchinello believed him. And as he turned to leave one of the dots he had been given fell to the ground.

Oh how the simplest of children's stories has set me free. I have come to a beautiful place in my life where I am no longer concerned with what other people think of me. How other people view me. How they view my marriage or my mothering. Because I have realized this: the stickers only stick if you let them. My relationship with my Maker, my relationship with my husband, my relationship with my sweet daughter is just that... mine. I am ok if others want to cast judgement or talk about me behind my back. That may sound harsh, but that is where life has taken me. I've been given a lot of bad marks. I am determined that star nor dot will effect the way I view myself because only one person's opinion matters. "Eli's." The name eli means "high." His thoughts are HIGHer than my thoughts (and the thoughts of others) His ways are HIGHer than my ways (or the ways others tell me I should think or live). His thoughts and his voice need to be the things that matter the most to me. In the past I have let my need to please other people come first. To be liked. To be popular. To have the most friends on facebook. To be preferred over another. It turns out that is not a healthy or fun way to live. So i am choosing to spend time with the Lord ever day. To let him tell me what HE thinks of me. What HE wants me to do. I know there are times when I will let other peoples opinions trump my makers. When those moments come, I pray i lean close enough into the arms of God to hear him say "you've been given a lot of marks...but they only stick if you let them."

Goodness and Mercy shall follow me....

2010-10-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

"You don't need strength to let go of something. What you need is understanding" -Guy Finley

Before you continue reading I ask one simple thing: Don't judge me.

Last week something happened that made me question a lot. One event sent me on a emotional and mental spiral that I am still trying to pull myself out of.

I have always battled with fear. It is a flaw in my emotional makeup. But the moment I found out that I was going to be a mother, a whole new list of fears etched itself into my mind and worry made itself at home in my heart.

Fears such as:

will i lose this baby?

will there be something seriously wrong?

will labor be unbearable? :)

will my doctor be there to deliver?

will I go into labor while driving, or teaching, or God forbid while leading worship? ( this was my silliest and most selfish of the fears)

and the list went on. But April 26th came. Norah arrived. I didn't lose her. She was given a complete bill of health. Labor was...bearable... :) My doctor wasn't there, but she was born anyway! I went into labor in the safety and the quietness of my own home with my husband safely beside me and he was the greatest birthing coach the world has ever seen.

but the moment she was born, the previous list was erased and a new one quickly took it's place. This list was significantly longer and seemed much more urgent and in need of great attention.

what if she stops breathing?

what if she won't eat?

what if she is diagnosed with a fatal disease?

what if i drop her?

what if i lock her in the car and can't get her out?

what if i fall down the stairs while holding her?

what if i can't get her to stop crying?

what if someone takes her?

what if she doesn't like me?

what if I'm a bad mom?

what if? what if? WHAT IF?

they ring in my ear every second of the day! most of the time they are drowned out by Norah's laughter.... or cries :). other times they are silenced by Denis whispering in my ear "you're an incredible mom" Other times they just don't matter because life is asking me to live it and live it to it's fullest potential. Fear and worry are not meant to be life's companions.

but last week... i faced one of those fears. looked at it dead in the face and it paralyzed me.

I locked Norah in the car. I still don't know exactly HOW it happened...but it happened none the less.

I walked outside (of my house) with Norah, purse and diaper bag in tow, and I pulled out my keys and pressed the unlock button. I walked over the passenger side and pulled open the passenger door, threw my purse on the seat and the keys into the drivers seat. Then i shut the door. I then preceded to open up the door to the back seat, put Norah's bag on the floor and set her inside. Shut the door. I walked around to my door and pulled the handle. Locked. Tried the back seat. Locked. Panic. Walked around to Norah's door. Locked. Passenger side.... locked. Paralyzed. Then I heard the screams. Not from Norah...they were my own. "no...no...no..no" after the shock wore off I turned and ran back into the house. I was sobbing. Denis jumped up from the couch (the fastest I've ever seen him move) and looked at me waiting for an explanation of my panic. "she's in the car. she's locked in the car. i can't get her out of the car!" He took a deep breath, found his key to my car, gave it to me and I ran out to the car to unlock the door. Norah was peacefully chewing on her blanket as her mother was losing her mind. As soon as the door was locked my dam of emotions broke. I cried like i don't ever remember crying before. Denis held me and calmly reminded me that we were all ok. Norah was ok.

Once I wiped away my tears and took a million deep breaths, I assured Denis I was able to drive and that I needed to go.

On that drive I was immediately transported back a few months to a conversation i had with some of my favorite ladies. My Amy (yes I said my Amy...she's mine) :) and i were walking down Park Ave. on our way to grab coffee with my Carrie and my Ashley :). She was telling me about a post that Bethany Chase had written on her blog of when she too went through a traumatic event as a mother. I remember the girls and I having a conversation about what we would do if tragedy struck our family. What if something happened to our babies? What if something happened to our husbands? Where would that leave the status of our hearts towards our Maker? It was after remembering that conversation that right there in my car, with Norah still peacefully unaware of my fear-come-reality moment, that I started giving God ultimatums. "If you take Norah from me then I'll.... If you take Denis from me then I'll.... If you take my parents or siblings from me then I'll...." I was never able to finish any of those sentences... but I felt like I was getting my point across. "God...You know I would be unable to go on living if you ever took one of them from me." Then right there, I felt the slightest yet most urgent nudge from the Lord reminding me of this one thing. "They don't belong to you."

This silenced me.

It isn't my job to protect Norah. It is my job to trust in the One who can. And I will gladly be His hands and feet in order to successfully keep Norah safe while we live life side by side.

God NEVER promised me that He wouldn't give me more than I can handle. But He did promise that Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. I will rest in that and pray that this, above all, will silence my fears and replace them with peace.

I know I am not perfect. I am hopelessly flawed. But I will remain constantly aware that the name of the Lord is a strong tower...the righteous run into it...and they are safe.

oh... and i will also remain constantly aware of where my keys are :)

Growing up so fast

2010-07-29T20:21:00.000-07:00

I am unable to stop taking this little girls picture.... I think one of these days Denis is going to hide my camera so I can give this little girl a break. Here are just a few of the pictures I took tonight...just for fun :)

The Life of Norah

2010-06-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

Norah Kathleen Johnson

Born on April 26, 2010 at 1:02 am. She weighed 7.1 lbs and measured 20.5 inches. In a matter of moments, our family was complete (for now....). She was perfect. Captured our hearts with just one look.

Bringing her home from the hospital was one of the scariest moments of my life. What if something happened...what if i couldn't do it...what if...what if...WHAT IF!? I soon decided to stop worrying about what COULD happen, and take things a day at a time... sometimes even just a moment at a time.

Soon we found our rhythm. We had a few rough patches though. She dealt with bad trapped gas for a few days, as well as getting her days and nights mixed up. Once we made it through past those few hurdles, she became a content and happy baby. (she still doesn't like to poop. it makes her real mad!)

It is hard to ever put into words just how deep of a love you have for your very own. I've heard it said that having a child is like having your heart outside of your chest... and that is exactly how being a mother feels. This tender, fragile, vital piece of you suddenly exposed to the scariness of this world. Everything i do, i do differently... Everything i feel, I feel differently. Suddenly life is lived in a drastically different way. Suddenly things that mattered before, don't matter as much.

I have even found that my love for Denis is so different. I feel like the moment that Norah was born that a piece of our hearts opened up. A piece that had been locked up and saved for that very moment. And suddenly there was a piece of him that I could fall in love with that no one had ever had the chance to love. It was one of the most intense feelings i have ever felt. It was like falling in love all over again.

Harmony is now not just my niece... she is my daughter's cousin. I love the way she asks to see her and to hold her and to "make her happy." She is so curious about this little person, yet doesn't understand why she can't get up and play on the playground with her. She is going to make a FANTASTIC big sister because she is already the greatest cousin.

Her personality is already starting to show. She is so expressive and already seems to want to grow up so fast. She is holding up her head so well and is my little mover and grover! if she is awake, she is moving! I'm so not ready for her to be mobile!

I hate to say it, but she is daddy's little girl. When she hears his voice, she immediately stops what she is doing (which isn't much...either eating or playing) and tries to locate his voice. She loves when he tickles her with his hair or kisses her cheeks. I too stop what I am doing to watch their interactions. I've been dreaming of these moments for so long that I want to soak in every moment. I've heard that go by so quickly.

We now wake up to her giggles in the morning. She lays in her crib and just laughs at herself. She usually doesn't seem to be in any rush to be taken out. But it is so hard not to! I go in there and scoop her up and snuggle her. Mornings are my favorite with her. I am going to miss them when i go back to working early mornings.

My baby girl is almost 10 weeks old. Just one year ago she was a prayer in my heart, and now she is my heart. I love you Norah. Mommy loves you so much....

FAQ's

2010-06-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

*insert apology for it taking me this long to blog again...i've been a little busy :)

Now that that's out of the way

It is so strange to read my last post seeing how it was only hours after that i went into labor! Crazy. seriously crazy looking back and reading how my life was when i was pregnant. all the fears and anxiety i had leading up to labor suddenly seems to small and silly. i won't bore you all with all the details of my labor and how these last 8 weeks have treated me, instead i will post the answers to my most frequently asked questions and hope that gives you a snapshot to life with Norah "Kate".

How long was your labor?
- 49 hrs. (need i say more)

Did labor hurt?
- yes. yes it did.

Did you get drugs?
You bet i did. practically begged for them. wouldn't you after 40 hours of labor?

Did your epidural take?
yes, but only on my right side. i had to lay on my left side in order for the pain to subside. it was magical.

Did you deliver naturally or C-Section?
Naturally- pushed for just over 20 minutes. (she was apparently FINALLY in a rush to show her face. wished she had felt that way about 30 HOURS SOONER!) but i will admit, i did ask for a c-section because i was so scared to push.

Who was in the room?
Denis, my mom and my mother-in-law. Allison and Rachel joined us as soon as Norah arrived. It was perfect. Then soon after those that were waiting all night (thanks for sticking around friends!) came in to meet Norah. It was perfectly perfect. Only a few people i wish could have been there. I would have loved for John, Pierre, Marlize, Matt, Josh and my Dad to be there. Oh, and i wish my doctor could have delivered Norah. but he had a family emergency to tend to...so we'll forgive him :)

What was your first reaction when she was born?
i squealed like a little girl. i screamed "MY BABY! THAT'S MY BABY!" and pretty much begged them to let me see her. Then the first thing i said to her was: "Hi! you look just like your ultrasound picture!!!" (wish it was something a little bit more sentimental, but that's just what came blurting out!)

Do you love being a mom?
Yes. Absolutely. Best thing ever. i don't know how i ever lived life without her.... didn't think i could love THAT much so quickly. I devote my life to protecting her life and her heart.

Has it been hard?
yes. it has had it's really challenging moments. I echo Amy in saying that it draws out your deepest fears and insecurities. I constantly second guess myself and my parental decisions. I thought i knew how to be a mom...but boy was i wrong. everything you think you know goes out the door when it is your own child. Someone else's child crying doesn't bother me, but if my baby cries for even a second, it paralyzes me...but i will admit, it gets easier everyday.

What has been your favorite part about being a mom?
I don't think it is possible to choose a moment or a specific part. I love being a family of 3. Just when i thought i couldn't love my husband anymore, he became the father to my baby. It was like falling in love all over again. My heart would skip a beat when he pulled into the driveway. I love our cuddle time as a family. I love watching him hold her and kiss her and call her "woman" when she is demanding to eat NOW. I love the way she smiles at him and giggles when his hair tickles her skin. It's the little things i love the most...

Are you breast feeding?
I was. I did for the first 5 weeks before she went onto formula. Then we did both for a while. Now it is just formula. It's just what works for us. I miss it though.

Is she sleeping through the night?
She normally wakes only once in the middle of the night to eat, then again early morning. I take the middle of the night and denis takes the early morning shift. But i am excited to say that she slept for 8 HOURS STRAIGHT last night! Trying not to get my hopes up that it will keep happening that way, but it was exciting. But boy was she hungry this morning. She was letting out cries and yells like i had never heard while Denis was getting her bottle ready. I heard him walk into her room and say "woman, calm yourself down." i giggled to myself and then rolled over and went back to sleep. I have a great husband.

Is she a good baby?
The best :)

Are you back to work?
Yes. I went back to work on the 7th, but only part time. i don't start full time until next week. it has been a great way to transition slowly back to work. But i have missed it...i will admit that.

Where does Norah go while you are at work?
She goes right up stairs to daycare. I love that she is in the same building as me. I visit her often. More often then i think i should. and when i can't get up to visit her, i send mattie to check on her. i'm THAT mom. not ashamed of it either :)

Are you back to singing at church?
Yep and LOVING it. My mother in law watches her for the morning. She was been an incredible help! Very thankful for her.

Do you miss being pregnant?
desperately...may sound weird, but i just LOVED being pregnant. I get a little emotional when i see woman who are pregnant. On a side note, i can't WAIT until Rachel is about 8 month and i get to torture her the way she tortured me while i was pregnant. watch out rosie :)

When will you start trying to have another?
That's for Denis and I to decide :)

If i didn't answer any questions that you might have, go ahead and ask, i'll do my best to answer them.

Home Stretch

2010-04-23T18:42:00.000-07:00

So here I am... in the home stretch. As each day passes and we get closer and closer to Norah's due date, I grow more and more excited to meet my daughter. I will be honest though, I grow more and more scared as well. Not just scared of labor and the pain it is sure to bring, but of the uncertainty of motherhood. I keep reminding myself that I only need to take things a day at a time. I also find extreme comfort in knowing that I am surrounded by people who love me and are ready to help me find my way though this brand new world I am about to enter. Denis and I are beyond excited to welcome Norah into the world. Even now as I type, i am sitting only an arms length away from her baby swing. I find myself just sitting next to it and daydreaming about her being snug inside taking in the world. Her nursery is finally finished and it is all I ever hoped it would be. When we first found out we were pregnant we looked at all the baby stores and just couldn't find a nursery style we both liked. So we decided that we would just take to designing our own! Before we even new she was a she we new exactly what colors we wanted: red, orange, yellow and green. If we had found out she was actually a he, we were going to decorate in stripes and dots, but for a girl we would do flowers. Soon after we knew we were carrying a girl I went to Pier 1 and found 3 flower paintings. I knew this is how i wanted to decorate her nursery. So we went from there. My mom and I chose all the fabric and chose a quilt design. This room would have never come together if it hadn't been for my mother. She made the quilt and the roman shades. I will be sure Norah knows just how much work her Grammie put into her first room. Rachel played a huge part in the nursery coming together as well. She and Mattie painted the room, and she was my master organizer! Here are just a few pictures of her room.

Tomorrow I am officially 40 weeks pregnant....April 24th is my official due date. I am 90% positive that I will see tomorrow come and go from the luxury of my own home :) But there is always hope that she will come right on time! I have LOVED being pregnant. I am really going to miss it... I love watching her move, and feeling her hiccups, and listening to hear heart beat. I know the last time that I wrote about my pregnancy I gave you an update on how my first two trimesters went. Here is a little snap shot at the last 10 weeks or so.
-This is me at 38 weeks. She has sat quite high my entire pregnancy...and much to my dismay is still doing so. Come on Norah, drop already!

Food Cravings:

- Apples and Cheese! It is my FAVORITE snack...and sometimes meal :)

- Ice. I find myself at night filling a glass with ice, adding a little bit of water... but really all i want is the ice. I know it is terrible for your teeth, but i just love it. I am pretty sure it drives Denis crazy when i do it, but he never says anything! :) So i will continue to feed my habit.

- Cheerios. I have Honey Nut Cheerios every morning. It is a wonderful way to start my day.

The Up side of this trimester:

- No more sucking in my gut :) plain and simple. Maybe other woman will understand this... maybe I'm just weird.

- Bath's. I guess i could have taken a bath anytime before now, but i never had an interest. Now i find myself NEEDING one every night. I told Denis i think it is all a mind game. But i just done care :)

- I love the way Denis cares for me. Sometimes he gets a little crazy on me, like when it is midnight and i am folding laundry and trying to clean. He gets quite stern with me and uses his daddy voice. Norah is in for it.

- Nesting! My house has never been so clean. I have cleaned floors on my hands and knees. My mom and sister graciously attacked my basement and turned a very scary place into a delightful space. Dishes are always done. Laundry is being kept up with. Floors are vacuumed. Closets are organized. It is a beautiful thing. Does this go away? I sort of hope it doesn't. I don't mind these cleaning urges at all... I guess i could just be better at cleaning if these nesting urges go away... we'll see how it goes. :)

- I love being a part of this miracle. I thank God everyday for choosing me to be Norah's mommy. I pray i never take it for granted.

- Being able to go through all this with Rachel. I missed so much of her pregnancy with Harmony. To be able to walk through these past 9 months with my best friend has been indescribable. I can't wait to spoil her as much as she has spoiled me. I pray Norah (Dora) and Harmony will be best friends too.

The "down" side of this Trimester:

- Being diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes... As if the tests aren't bad enough, the diet that follows is worse. I have had to give up Pizza, sweets, Mountain Dew, bread, pasta and juice. I have found the foods I can eat that don't effect my blood sugar too much, but eating those same foods over and over again gets pretty boring! I find myself needing to "cheat" every once and a while just to treat myself, but I still make sure that it isn't making my sugar go nuts. I think the worst part of it all is testing my blood sugar 4 times a day. It got real old real fast. I can't wait till i can stop pricking myself! Lame.

- I have always been a belly sleeper, so having this huge belly has become pretty inconvenient! I wake up each night with a lot of hip pain. I toss and turn all night trying to give my hips a rest. When I get out of bed each morning, it takes everything in me to be able to walk to the bathroom. But i am thankful that i haven't had any back pain or leg cramps. But I dream about the day i can lay on my stomach again!

- waiting. enough said.

Final Thoughts:

- As anxious as I am to meet my sweet girl (and to get labor over with), I have become completely content in knowing that the Lord knows. He knows the perfect day and the precise moment she will show her face. He has prepared me for this moment and will give me the grace to walk the journey it will take to get her here. At some point in time in this next week, Denis and I become a family of 3. Denis, Rebecca and Norah Johnson. Seeing it in writing is makes my heart leap.

Here's hoping that the next time i post, it is all things Norah Kathleen Johnson :)

stream of consciousness

2010-03-03T14:10:00.000-08:00

It's all the rage! Both Amy and Rachel have recently posted their "stream of consciousness" and I found them both quite to be quite enlightening, not to mention very raw and honest. I'm feeling in the mood to be just that.

Denis spoke a few months ago at church and gave a statistic that you can talk up to 1500 words a minute in your head. I have no doubt that there have been days where i have exceeded that statistic. I find that i can't seem to shut my brain off at night. I run through the happenings of the day, pick apart my decisions, think about my schedule for the next day. But all roads always lead to the same thing....being a mom. I think about what labor will be like. Will i be in labor long? How bad will it hurt? I think about what is the worst physical pain I have ever been in and i honestly cannot remember a time where i was in excruciating physical pain. So basically i have nothing to compare it to. That makes me freak out just a tad... I am not good at handling pain. Emotional or physical. so....labor should be interesting. I also lay awake thinking about what she will look like. From our last ultrasound, she looks just like her daddy. So now i think "I hope she has darker skin...i hope she doesn't stay creamy white like her mom but have these dominate black features. Will i be able to do her hair? Will it be straight like mine, or curly like Denis? I spend HOURS thinking about her. I usually don't mind being consumed with thoughts about her until my alarm goes off and i have had less than 4 hrs of sleep. That puts a damper on my day. Then i feel her kick and the world seems tolerable again.

I took my 3 hr glucose test today. The not eating part wasn't so bad cause i had in my head that i only have to go 12 hrs. Most of that time was spend sleeping anyway. Then i realized that not only did i have to go 12 hrs, but then i had to go 3 more hrs and the only thing i had in my stomach was sugar. By the 3rd hour i was incredibly light headed and very sleepy. I couldn't read, i couldn't look at my computer screen, i couldn't text anyone, my eyes just wouldn't focus. So i called my mom to pass the time, then i called Rachel to see if she would come and drive me back. Didn't think it was smart to get behind the wheel while feeling that way. More for Norah's sake than mine. Where did i go once the test was over? Marks Pizzeria. I downed a slice with a Mountain Dew. Lets pray i pass :)

I have my first baby shower this weekend. I am really excited about it! This shower is being thrown by my mother in law. She is so excited about being a grandmother. I really couldn't ask for better in laws. I simply adore them and i am so excited to be making them grandparents. My father in law has been a big pile of mush for about 8 months now. I think it is simply adorable. I am so thankful both sets of Norah's grandparents live so close. My Grammie and Poppie lived so far away growing up and that was always so hard. So i am glad Norah will have all 4 of them so close by.

Stretch marks have found themselves quite at home on my belly as of late. Only had two up until last week. That is definitely no longer the case. Might as well give all my bikini's to good will now.

I hate when Rachel keeps secrets. She and Christy are making me crazy. All their secret text and secret plans and secret code words are giving me high blood pressure. I figure the shower is really for Norah, so i promise not to tell her anything. Deal?

We have birthing classes on Thursday nights. The other day denis and i were discussing "the big day" and i told him i think i want him to sit behind me while i push. That way he can help me with my back support and plus it would be nice to lean back on him when i'm not pushing. Also, that keeps him a good distance away from what is happening "down there" which is what he prefers. So we discussed this option and he decided it would be incredibly sensitive to say "But won't i get hot and uncomfortable back there?" Really?!?!?!? HE is worried about being hot and uncomfortable. I just stared at him. There was nothing to say in that moment. Pretty sure everything i could say was already written all over my face. Don't worry dear, I'll get you ice chips if you get hot.

Now that i have bashed him, i must say that he is quite the dad already. He has been a very involved dad and husband for this entire pregnancy. He researched everything before we registered. He is the one who gets the emails from "what to expect.com" and he has helped make every decision about how her room will look, who our doctor will be, what hospital we would deliver at, and he also keeps asking me to take maternity pictures. He talks to Norah all the time now. When i get out of bed he says "good morning" and i say "good morning babe" and he'll say " i wasn't talking to you." I am always reminding him that he loved me first and that i will always be his first baby girl. I love that man so much. I can't wait until the moment Norah is placed in his arms. A memory i'm sure i will always keep close.

John Keller might be the most ridiculous Facebook user ever. When i'm on the computer denis always asks "what are you smiling at" My answer is almost always "john." Denis finds great amusement in his status updates as well. We often find ourselves asking "did you see what john wrote?" Absolute entertainment.

Harmony thinks my daughter's name is Dora. And apparently boots is up in there somewhere too. I joke that when Harmony meets her for the first time she will say "HOLA!" I love that little girl so much.

7 1/2 weeks to go. No turning back now. Not that i want to :) I can't wait to kiss my sweet girls face.

Babymoon

2010-02-13T16:30:00.001-08:00

Denis and I decided about a month ago that we needed one last trip away, just the two of us, before our family of 2 becomes a family of 3. We debated on going someplace warm or some place we had never been before (Boston being at the top of our list), but we decided that we would go some place we LOVE to visit. Skaneateles NY. We have gone there once a year for the past 3 years. We know our way around, we know what we like, and we know we won't know anyone! (well...this time we did, but that has never happened before).

Here is a little overview of our Babymoon:

Day One:

Monday we spent most of our day at home since we couldn't check into our room until 3. We spent a few hours cleaning the house from top to bottom. i am kinda OCD when it comes to coming back to a clean house after a vacation. So once the house was clean, we packed the car and with huge smiles on our face, we left for vacation. For the first few miles we kept turning to each other to say "we're on vacation!" We were just a tad bit excited to be away. Once we arrived we unpacked and ordered in dinner. We sat by the fire and ate, talked and laughed. I knew right then it was going to be a great week.

Day Two:

We "slept in" ( i used to be able to sleep till noon and not even bat an eyelash about it, now anything past 8 is sleeping in). We had decided before we arrived that we weren't going to plan anything. We were just going to do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted, even if that meant laying around in our room the entire day. This day we went to the coffee shop/bookstore that was just down the street. We had a great lunch then walked around the bookstore looking for a book denis wanted...no luck. We went back to our room, napped then woke up to go to our favorite restaurant, Rosalie's. It is an Italian place owned by the same people as Macaroni Grill. We eat here every time we are in town. It's that good. Afterwards we headed over to Mirbeau (a resort and spa) for our annual massages. I, of course, had a pre-natal massage. It was HEAVEN. For the first half and hour i was able to lay on my stomach. That was pampering enough for me! Another great day.

Day Three:

Slept in again :) We originally thought we would drive to Auburn to do some historical site seeing, but after being lazy all morning, we decided to just walk around Skaneateles to our "usual" spots. That evening we did drive to Auburn to see a movie. We really wanted to see Sherlock Homes, so we saw that Auburn had 2 theaters, we chose the theater based on the time of the show. So we headed out to the mall where the theater was. We got a little lost so we were about 5 min late for our show. We rushed in thinking we were only missing previews. We walked up to the ticket counter and asked for 2 tickets, to which she replied "sorry, we can't start the movie 5 minutes past the showtime." This really confused us, we didn't want her to start the movie over, we were ok with missing a little. Come to find out, no one showed up for the show so they wouldn't start it at all for us. So she told us we would have to go to the MoviePlex to catch the movie. We had time to drive there, so we ventured back out kinda disappointed that we were now seeing a really late show. But we figured we didn't have to get up for anything the next morning, so why not. Once we finally found the place, we walked up to the ticket counter and asked the young lady for 2 tickets. After paying we walked around the booth where the SAME girl tore our tickets. We walked up to the snack bar where the SAME girl served us our snacks...already a bit strange... then when we walked into our theater, we were the ONLY ones there. My first thought: this is where i am going to die. the only person who knows we are here is the girl at the counter(s). I looked over my shoulder the whole movie, even though eventually one other couple came in. I was still just a tad paranoid. But we lived :) PTL

Day Four:

Our last day in paradise. i took my final bath ( i took 7 total...loved our jacuzzi tub...) then we packed back up our car and drove back home. I fought a little bit of depression, but we had our ultrasound scheduled for 4:30, so that made things a little better! A friend of ours from church is an ultrasound tech and offered to give us an ultrasound anytime we wanted. We most definitely took her up on this offer so we could get one last peek at our little girl before we would be holding her! We were there for an hour and a half staring at her little face! BTW from the 3D pictures of her...she looks just like her daddy! Same nose and lips. Chubby little cheeks. Already has some hair. She is about 3 lbs and about 15 inches long. I couldn't get enough of her. We even have the whole thing on video. Our friend printed like 50 pictures of her! They say you have the most pictures of your first born. I am starting to believe that is very true. I love her so much. She is moving so much now. Sometimes it is slightly painful. But Denis said that even though at times it is uncomfortable for me or it may cause slight pain, that every time i tell him that she moved he thanks God. So keep movin' girlie. Mommy and Daddy LOVE you.

Day 5:

We had a doctors appointment in the AM, and found out that baby is doing great, but that i failed my glucose test with FLYING colors. So off to the three hour torture fest. BLAH. Pray i pass. I can't give up my white bread :) That afternoon we headed down to Corning to meet my big sister for dinner. We were playing at a Baptist Youth Retreat with Christopher Hopper down near her so we really wanted to see here since she was so close. Always love spending time with my family. Then off to the retreat center. What i loved the most about being there was being with the band. They are some of my favorite people to talk to, laugh with, and sing with. We spent all Saturday morning by the fire just talking about life. Getting parenting advise, joking around and snuggling with my future son-in-law (Judah Hopper).

I wouldn't even hesitate in saying that this was the best vacation we have ever taken. I am more in love with Denis now that i ever have been. I can't wait to share the rest of my life with him and norah (and with however many more children we are blessed with). I feel like the luckiest girl on the planet. One day left of our vacation: Valentines Day. Perfect way to end a perfect week.

Here are a few pics from our trip.

Pregnancy Update

2010-02-05T13:53:00.000-08:00

Looking down at my desk and seeing my calendar read "FEBRUARY" kind of freaks me out a bit! Where is the time going? January was a jam packed month filled joy, laughter, tears and pain. Highlights included the birth of Grace Makenah and Lily Sue, as well as our church's One Thing week. Denis and I also brought in the New Year in Watertown NY with the Christopher Hopper Band. We spent new years eve in a quite dorm room talking about what 2010 will bring, while watching TD Jakes online :) What may sound boring and lame, was actually the best new years eve. Just me, Denis and Norah. (and TD Jakes!)

Seeing how time is just flying by i thought i would give a little bit of a pregnancy update cause before i know it, she will be here! Don't think there will be much time for blogging once our little one arrives. (but I'll do my best, mom)

Here is an overview of being a human slow cooker for the past 7 months:

First Trimester:

How i told denis: To make a long story short...it was a Sunday and i was really sick. just didn't feel right all day and ended up throwing up in the evening while Denis was out with Larry for dinner. I asked him to come home since i didn't like being alone when i was sick. He walked in the door and asked me to take a pregnancy test. I refused. I was so sick of taking them and i didn't have any in the house anyway (purposely). I tried convincing him i just had a little bug and that i all i needed was soup and Gatorade. So he drove to the store, picked up soup, Gatorade and SIX pregnancy tests. There was no convincing this man otherwise, so against my will, i peed on those ridiculously expensive sticks! :) I put it on the window sill while i washed my hands. When i picked it back up just 60 seconds later and there were 2 bright pink lines. First reaction= freak out. i thought "i have to push this thing out!" second reaction= pure joy. a feeling i can't describe. Third reaction= dang it, i have to go in there and tell denis he was right. And that is just what i did. I walked into the living room where denis was listening to Stevie Wonder (so fitting)...he looked up and smiled (like he just knew) and i told him he was going to be a dad. He FREAKED and started saying "i knew it!" I crawled up on his lap and we just held each other. I wish i could have frozen that moment in time. We laid around on the couch the rest of the evening dreaming about our little baby.
Her first Nickname: Olive-- given by Rachel, Christy and then again by Meghan Moody. The reason behind the name, because she was only the size of an olive when we started telling people we were expecting. I loved it, Denis hated it. Never once called her Olive.
Favorite Food: nothing. absolutely nothing. i lost all sense of hunger and eating was a form of torture. I would cry at the thought of it.
Favorite memory: Seeing her for the first time. We had our first ultrasound at 10 weeks. Seeing her little self up on that screen was breath taking. watching her move....wow. i still am in awe of it all.
Least favorite memory: having to sleep downstairs for a month because the upstairs of our apartment made me sick...sounds weird...but it was true. and my incredible hubby slept next to me on our lounge just so he could be in the same room as me!
Things i avoided: The smell of coffee and anything from a cow (besides milk...which i drank ALL the time...) Both made me gag until i threw up. And of course, coffee and steak are 2 of denis's favorite things. I am so thankful for an understanding husband.
Hardest part: Having "night" sickness. I was fine all day. I was sick from 6pm to 7am.... like clockwork... but i did help that i wasn't sick at work or church. so that was a perk.

Second Trimester:

My first trimester i had convinced myself that i would never get pregnant again. My doctor promised me that i would start feeling better by week 14. I prayed he was right.

he was. at 14 weeks and 1 day, everything changed. Life was easier. Sleeping was possible. eating was...well...i never did regain my hunger, but when i had to eat, it was easier.
Favorite food: Pizza. (but that was no different than the last 28 years of my life) I also loved Raisin Bran. I would eat it every night for dinner.
Favorite Memory: Finding out she was a "she." Leading up to our ultrasound i was starting to get second thoughts about finding out. i just wasn't sure i wanted to know. But denis NEEDED to know (he is the planner of our family. he read all the books, got the weekly updates and researched everything before we registered..not your normal dad!). She didn't cooperate very well at our ultrasound. it look our tech a while to figure the sex out since she had her little lets tightly crossed. My little lady :) But when she said GIRL...my eyes filled with tears and i just stared at Denis trying to get a read on him. "i have a daughter" is all he said. it was all he needed to say. love him. I would also have to say that feeling her move is at the top of my favorites list. Now that she is bigger, it feels so incredibly crazy. but i still love it so much. Denis said i won't be saying that when i am 38 weeks pregnant and trying to sleep.
Least favorite memory: All the worrying. i shut down before every dr's appointment cause i was sure i would go in and get bad news. but with every visit the good reports kept coming. now i actually look forward to seeing the dr. (who we LOVE...we our dr. specifically so we could deliver at Unity. He is awesome. Denis and I are so pleased...).
Things I avoided: people's birthing stories. for me, ignorance is bliss. I keep telling myself that my body knows what to do, and my doctor knows what to do....there are only a few people i have asked... and even then, i don't go for the whole story. Amy has told me the most and i only pray i am as strong as she was through it all. I will have Denis take pointers from someone besides John though :) JUST KIDDING JOHN! (Arby's)
Hardest Part: having people ask me if this is my first....never quite sure how to answer that...

Third Trimester:

I have only been in my third trimester for a week now. That is still freaking me out a bit. I was telling Amy the other day that i am going to miss being pregnant. It is something i have grown to LOVE. The only time i feel "bothered" by it is when i want to sleep on my belly. There are so many pillow in our bed now that i have a hard time knowing if denis is even in the bed with me... So we try to have time each night without the pillows so it isn't like we are sleeping alone. It doesn't help that the man needs his own body pillow as well. aka: the mistress.

Things i am looking forward to:
My baby showers
Birthing classes
Our next ultrasound appointment
Getting her room ready
Kissing her little face.
Watching Denis hold her for the first time.
Being a mom

That's where I'm at. 29 weeks pregnant. Monday we leave for our "Babymoon." Our last trip just the two of us.....even though technically she is with us. She is just really easy to handle right now. :)

Christmas Vacation 2009

2009-12-26T15:57:00.000-08:00

This year we decided that instead of using our Christmas budget to buy a bunch of presents, that we would instead all pool our money and rent a cabin and go away as a family for a few days. We are coming to the end of our stay, and i must say that this was one of the best decisions that we have ever made as a family! It has been completely relaxing and we have made some wonderful memories as a family.

in honor of the Christmas season, i will share "a few of my favorite things" about our Christmas.

My favorite moment:
watching Denis with harmony. i love the way she just adores him and calls for him when he leaves a room. she would climb the stairs each morning to go and wake him up.

My favorite Christmas present:
A new vacuum cleaner!!!!!!!!! lame i know...but i am super excited about it.

My favorite meal:
Fried turkey and mac and cheese. so delicious. so incredibly delicious.

My favorite competitive event:
Playing Wii. on the game Wii Play, there is a shooting game similar to "duck hunt" (for those of you who remember that Nintendo game) We played it over and over and over again. the only person i couldn't beat was Rachel. but i think she was cheating.

My favorite holiday dessert:
My mom's classic peanut butter cookies topped with a Hersey kiss. definitely had some for breakfast. i am positive that i gained the weight my doctor insisted i gain in just these past 48 hrs.

My favorite decision:
Allowing time for the things that are most important. i have barely touched my phone or my computer since we arrived. Posting pics on facebook and writing this blog has been the extent of my social networking. plan on keeping this up throughout the week.

Here is a belly pic of me on Christmas day at almost 23 weeks. i have only taken 2 belly pics, so i don't have much to compare myself too. I have definitely noticed this week just how much different i feel. breathing is getting harder, walking up and down stairs leaves me incredibly short of breath, sleeping is getting increasingly more uncomfortable, and i have found i am carrying low so shirts are starting to ride up and show my belly. Denis and i are going to stop at the waterloo outlets on the way to watertown to see if i can find a few more tops to get me through these next few months! Our next stop is Watertown for the week. We are recording a live album with Christopher Hopper. I am looking forward to spending time with some of my favorite people. My biggest fear right now.... Amy going into labor while I'm away. I can't wait to meet Baby Keller! (aka: little bean)

"You make all things new..."

2009-12-17T14:24:00.000-08:00

6 months...it has been 6 months since i last posted...and what a six months that has been. There is no way i am even going to try to fill you in on the craziness of life. I can only sum it up in the simple lyrics of my life's song:

"You make all things new, and I will follow you forward."

That is basically where i am at. Moving forward. Plain and simple...not always easy, but none the less, what needs to be done.

Another line of the same songs says this:

"You have risen, with all power in your hands. You have given me a second chance..."

This past years highest high and lowest low wrapped up in a simple phase. Most of my blog followers know that this past year Denis and I lost our first baby. I can't believe that at this time last year i was pregnant and didn't even know it. I carried the baby for 6 weeks before losing our first little life that was given to us for such a short time. But the power of life and death are held only by the Father's hand. In hinds sight, i know now that our first baby had a life and a purpose, and it fulfilled his or her purpose before God took them home. Save in the arms of love. We miss him/her everyday, but we know that their little life changed ours forever. And that is what i cling to.

But as i said before, our God is a God of second chances. We found out in mid-august that we were pregnant again! It has been a wild ride, but i am happy to say that we are almost 22 weeks along and our Doctor has said time and time again that she is PERFECT! Growing perfectly, developing perfectly, and a perfect little beating heart. Hearing the sound of that little heart beating practically takes my breath away. One of the greatest sounds i have ever heard.

We found out the day before Thanksgiving that we are expecting a little girl! We almost didn't find out cause she had her legs tightly crossed and wasn't budging. But our incredible ultrasound tech worked her magic to confirm my "gut feeling" that i was carrying our little Nora(h) Kathleen! It is crazy how much i love her already. I started feeling her right at 20 weeks. It felt like being on a roller coaster at first, now it is kicks. When she gets going, she gives it to me. Denis hasn't been able to feel the kicks yet, but Rach swears she did! Right Rach!?

I promised my mom that i would keep this thing updated so she can have another way of stalking her second grand daughter :) So i am going to try and do my best! Here is a picture of our growing girl!

New Look

2009-06-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

New look for me and my blog. :)

Headed to Jamaica on monday!!!!! pictures and stories of our vacation to be posted soon!

John Keller... roasted

2009-02-16T17:33:00.000-08:00

For all you "Office" lovers out there :)

the other night, The Kellers, The Shipmans, and well... A Johnson all got together for another little get together. It was a nice of laughs, jokes, GREAT food, dogs getting stuck in the dishwasher, and well... Roasting.

Amy did cook a spectacular roast, but there was another kind of roast going on as well.

We Roasted the one and only John D. Keller. oh yes. and boy did i have fun preparing my roast. I actually am going to share my roast with all of you.... well... at least MOST of it. there are some things i absolutely could NOT share here in a public fashion.

So here it goes.

Before we officially begin, let me start by saying that just recently, one of my favorite things about John has been his status updates on his facebook. They are ridiculous to say the least. But i can't stop reading them. So i decided that my Roast would be in the form of status updates :)

John is sitting down to dinner with all his favorite people…
and Rachel.

John is the funniest guy he knows.

John is reading books about vampires when no one is looking.

John giving his wife a loaf of bread before she goes for a walk, not to feed the birds with, but to break up into little pieces and drop as she goes so he can find her later.
*or he will just check chili automotive

John has never regretted letting Becca drive his Jeep Grand Cherokee. Never ever.

John shaves his head…
kind of.

John is spending a quiet night in snuggled up in bed with…
Beckett.

John is taking a shower thinking of what he can break to prove a point.

John in bed showing Amy how much he loves her…
House.

John has asked two people at this table out on a date.

John is gazing at his wife’s ring thinking “third time’s a charm”

John is not deaf… just really really REALLY mean to Becca.

John is thinking of getting his doctorate so he can become the next Mr. Wes.
* His camp will be called Circle D.
D is for Danger

John is running to the baby room to respond to an “emergency”
*followed by giving a 5 minute lecture about “the boy who cried wolf”
ok ok john… we get it. RELAX

John is voting for Obama.
Yes we can, Yes we can, YES WE CAN!

John is your mom

John is BOOM…roasted

So after we all Roasted john, it was John's turn to rebuttal ... He was VERY prepared. He too had a power point presentation :)

First up was Denis:

These apparently these are Denis's inspirations, past and present.

Denis has always been John's favorite Wayan's brother!

Next up: Rachel and Mike

um...not sure if i am going to explain the reasoning behind this picture... YIKES.

John making fun of Mikes obsession with an Iphone

Again, not going to explain this one either.

Rosa Parks :)

John roasting Amy's fear of cats.

The roasters of the evening :)

Thank You, Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T06:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thanksgiving, for me, is just one of those holidays that usually come and go for me. Don't get me wrong, i LOVE spending the day with the Johnson's... my mother-in-law goes all out for dinner! My personal favorite is her Mac and Cheese...yes...we have it for thanksgiving. Some would say it's a bit non traditional, but it is the Johnson favorite.

This year the whole Thanksgiving experiance has just been so different for me. Maybe it was the fact that I have been talking about it for a week and a half now with my kids, or the fact that the Shipmans are here to enjoy this season with us, or maybe it's the fact that we are having Thanksgiving dinner at my house this year. In fact, as i type denis is busy in the kitchen getting things ready :). Maybe it is a combination of all these things and more...it is just that this year...things feel different.

I decided at the beginning of this week that i wanted to take this holiday season to gain perspective. To REALLY stop and think about what i am thankful for. In order to do that, i removed some things from my life for a season (like myspace and facebook that always seem to be calling my name) and use my down time to try and take in the big picture. I have come to the conclusion that i am so incredibly lucky. I have an loving husband, wonderful friends, and i am a part of the greatest family ever. So i would like to take the opportunity to say Thank you...

To my Family:
I look back on my life and i see a house that was filled with laughter. Laughing with all of you is my favorite thing. Whether its when we are playing games, or dad telling his silly jokes, or when someone says something completely ridiculous and we can't contain the urge to make fun of them for it! (90% of the time, it is rachel or i saying the ridiculous thing...shocking i know!) I look forward to the holidays when all of us can be in the same house. I love what our house sounds like when all of us are there. I love the way mom will cook all of our favorite foods. I love the way dad sit at the table just a little longer than usual to be with his kids. I love the way Allison loves to organize our big outings and our games. I love the way Josh just shakes his head at this giggling sisters. I love the way Denis and Mike will hide downstairs because being around the Freer woman just seems a bit overwhelming. I love the way Rachel tells stories from our childhood like they just happened and laughs as if it is the first time she has told it. I love harmony and they way she expanded all of our hearts. We love her in a way we never thought we could love. So to my family. Love isn't a strong enough word to express what my heart feels toward each of you. I am so thankful to call you mine.

To my Friends:
Each of you are my living, breathing treasures. Each and every one of you hold a very significant part of my heart. I love that i can be myself with you and that you love me just the same. Flawed and all. I used to think that the more friends i had, the better i would feel. So i tried to maintain all these friendships because i thought i would find purpose in that, but i never did. These past few years i have learned that it is about quality, not quantity. I consider myself so lucky to have each of you in my life. To amy and john-- for always making me laugh, even when i don't feel like it. John, you are like a brother to me. thank you for always bringing me back to reality. Amy, thank you for all my "free refills!" Your timing is always perfect. To Jaime-- thank you for giving me the excuse to escape life and revert to my childhood. To Heather-- thank you for a continual shoulder to lean on, cry on, and laugh on. may our quote book continue to grow. To Finer Things-- We declared that 2008 would be best yet! Thank you for all the many meals we have shared, for our conversations and our inside jokes. I love you all!!! To Leandra-- i don't deserve all the love you give me. I hope to someday return to you all the love you deserve. To Kelly-- May God continue to show His faithfulness. I stand firm believing that your best is yet to come. To Christy-- i'm not even sure where to begin...thank you for being the best listener i know. i don't know where i would be without you. To Aimee and Shane-- COME BACK! I miss you terribly...

To my Pastors:
Pierre and Marlize-- For so long i dreamed of being a part of the Fathers House. I consider it a privaledge to not only serve with you, but to call you friend. Here's to many many many more years of ministry and friendship together. We love you both!

and last but certainly not least...

To my Husband:
You are my best friend, my biggest cheerleader, my toughest critic, and my greatest treasure. Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you THANK YOU for choosing me. Being your wife is such an honor. I love you more today than ever. Thank you for sharing your life with me.

** when i started writing this blog, it was early this morning, and i had to put it aside to prepare for the day. I am currently ready for bed after a very successful thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Transformation?

2008-11-21T12:19:00.000-08:00

Two years ago exactly i posted a blog titled "how much have i changed in 10 years" I answered a series of questions as though it was 10 years earlier, and then i answered the same questions for what was then, present day. I thought it might be interesting to see if much has changed in just two years. Here we go....

*** i have left the answers from two years ago for comparison purposes :)

How old are you?: 25 1/2
--- 27 1/2

Where do you work?: Pearce 4 Kids
--- Pearce 4 Kids, The Father's House, RachelAnn Photography :)

Where do you go to school?: NO WHERE! I actually teach school now....look how the tables have turned!
--- I still don't go to school, even though i practically live on RWC campus.

Where do you live?: North Chili NY
--- North Chili, but I've lived two other places in the past two years...

Where do you hang out?: church mostly. and applebees! :) and at home with my hubby
--- I'm still at church quite a bit, but at least we aren't doing six services a weekend anymore :) other than that, you can find me at Mike and Rachel's playing hide and seek with Harmony.

Do you wear glasses? still don't wear them...don't even have a clue where they would be....
--- i have come to the conclusion that i need glasses... i have a hard time seeing the menu on my TV....and seeing street signs... i wasn't a licenced driver two years ago!

What is your hairstyle?: semi-long, and brown....not by my choice though...just the way it turned out when i colored it myself.
--- jut below the shoulders, newly brown, done by a professional :)

Still talk to any of your old friends?: Just a few of them. I guess only a few decided to stick around! :)
--- facebook and myspace are a wonderful thing (mostly just facebook these days), but they have really helped me stay in contact with alot of my high school friends. We have our 10 year high school reunion this summer...wowsers...

How many piercings?: just my ears still....but if you ask John, my voice is piercing as well...whatever!
--- still just my ears...but not my voice :)

How many tattoos: none!
--- still a big no!

What is your biggest fear?: Losing someone I love
--- still my number one fear....

Has your heart been broken?: Yes
--- yep

Single/Taken/Married/Divorced/Bitter: MARRIED!!!!!!!!! to the most wonderful man alive. we are coming up on our 4 year anniversary!!!! I am so lucky....
--- proud to say i am still married to my best friend. My love for him grows everyday. I am still So lucky....

You are the love of my life...

2008-11-18T14:44:00.000-08:00

Because he just had a birthday and our 6 year anniversary is rapidly approaching, here are a few things about my husband.

1) Where did you meet? Roberts. He was my choir director :) but quickly became one of my best friends.
2) How long did you date before you got married? We dated for a year and we were engaged for a year.
3) How long have you been married? Coming up on six years!
4) What is your favorite feature of his? his smile and his eyes. i pray our kids get them.
5) What is your favorite quality of his? i love how calming he is. I tend to be high strung so he evens me out.
6) Does he have a nickname for you? yes.--babe
7) What is his favorite food? chicken or steak
8) What is his favorite sport? football
9) When and where was your first kiss? It was new years day on my parents couch :) (Ashley, you and i have that i common! What rebels we are)
10) What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? steal a weekend away together. We don't do it very often, but when we do, it is so incredible. we are due for one here soon!
11) Do you have any children? no, but we have 4 incredible Godkids and the cutest niece EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12) Does he have a hidden talent? not many people know that he can play the guitar. He taught himself to play. Also, he loves making any worship song sound country. don't know if that is necessarily a talent, but boy it is funny
13) How old is he? He just turned 28
14) Who said "I love you" first? He did.
15) What is his favorite type of music? Jazz
16) What do you admire the most about him? He love for the Lord and his passion for ministry
17) Do you think he will read this? no he won't. he checks everyone else's blog but mine.

Snapple Facts

2008-11-14T14:27:00.000-08:00

Today i went out to lunch with Heather, and we both had Snapple Iced Tea with our meal. For those of you who may not know, on the bottom of every Snapple cap is a random fact. My fact for the day was: shrimp can only swim backwards. Fascinating huh :) well i think so. So i decided to learn more so i checked the Snapple website. Here are some more facts i learned today!

Mosquitoes are attracted to people who just ate bananas
Flamingos are pink because they eat shrimp
The world’s termites outweigh the world’s humans 10-1
Children grow faster in the spring
Alaska has the highest percentage of people who walk to work
On average, a person will spend up to two weeks kissing in their lifetime
Termites eat through wood two times faster when listening to rock music
Giraffe’s have no vocal chords
An average woman consumes six pounds of lipstick in her lifetime
A sneeze travels out your nose at 100mph
The tongue is the fastest healing part of your body
No word in the English dictionary rhymes with month
The average person spends two weeks of its life waiting for the traffic light to change
If you keep a goldfish in a dark room, it will turn white
No piece of paper can be folded in half more than seven times
Oysters can change genders back and forth
Fish can drown
You would have to play ping pong for 12 hours to lose 1 pound
Colors like red, orange and yellow make you hungry
A polar bears fur is transparent, not white
You can tell what day a loaf of bread was baked by looking at the color of it’s twist tag
To keep an ice cream cone from dripping, put a mini marshmallow in the bottom of the cone
It is against the law to put pretzels in a bag in Philadelphia
When the moon is directly over you, you weigh less
A goldfish’s attention span is 3 seconds
Kermit the Frog is left handed

hope you have all learned something new today! How about you...do you know any random facts you would like to share?

Update

2008-11-05T10:17:00.000-08:00

I am doing my best to try and keep up with my blog again. I always feel like there is never anything of real importance, or even of interest for that matter, to blog about these days. Denis and I are just trying to keep our head above water these days... which hasn't always been easy given the million things we feel like we are juggling. But even in the craziness of it all, we find that we are so blessed. We attended a big church-wide volunteer training at our church a few weekends ago and our pastor talked about how God honor's us with "moments" in the midst of our "task." Sometimes the task at hand is hard or frustrating, and in my case, it seems to be beyond me, but just when we question if we can see it through or if we just feel like giving up, God lets us experience a "moment." A moment when we realize exactly why it is we do what we do. I live for those moments because it is like water to my soul.

In the midst of all the craziness, this past week has been packed full of fun and excitement! First up was the Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W Smith concert! It was so wild! we had incredible seats. We sat in the 5th row! A big thanks to Steve and Amy Otto for our unforgettable evening. Here are just a few pics of our night. For those of you who have facebook, many more can be seen there :)

Next up was trunk-n-treat at our church. It was a wild and crazy event at our church. Alot of hard work and planning was put into this incredible evening. Kudos to our very own Mike Shipman for diving into this event planning just moments after his feel touched down here in Rochester. Welcome to the Father's House Mike! :)

I hosted a car with my "moon" buddy (inside joke...just for you matt) Matt D'Angelo. We trunk and treated Hawaiian style! Also, Harry Potter was there! We had such a great time! Check out rachel's blog to see the kid with the cutest costume there!

Last, but certainly not least. Today is my baby's birthday... I took a half day off today to spend with him. Our lives have been tugging us in so many different directions, so today we decided to take a moment and steal away time together. We layed around all afternoon, had some birthday visitors, and then we were off to a nice dinner in the city. We went to a place called Two Vine. The food was amazing. We talked about life and about or future and we just sat and dreamed. Even now as i type i am overwhelmed with love for Denis. I am absolutely honored that he chose me as his wife. I love this man more everyday. I love the silly side that he only allows me to see. I love his passion for the Lord and his dedication to the ministry. Happy birthday babe. I will love you forever and ever.

Halloween at P4K

2008-10-30T12:46:00.001-07:00

Here it is! Our Halloween costume. I went as Rachel and Rachel went as me. Might i add that we were incredibly successful in confusing parents and children, just as we planned (insert evil plan laugh). It was a crazy morning to say the least. Thank goodness my new assistant didn't buckle under the pressure. :) we had a great time this morning with the kids and their parents. Another pre-k party under my belt. i love my job.

Slave

2008-10-28T14:20:00.001-07:00

I have a new assistant teacher! yes folks, it is my wonderful sister! I woke up on Monday and i was so excited because it was our first day working together in 5 years! It was just amazing. I love that i get to see her everyday now. (even though i pretty much have seen her everyday since she moved her) but now i REALLY know that i get to see her :) We have had a wonderful time working side by side and the kids have really taken to her, well to everything but her lemonade-making-skills, right rach:)

We decided today that for our Halloween party, we are going to go as Identical Twins. good idea huh!!!!!!!! At least i don't need to wear a basketball under my shirt like i did last year when i dressed up like her. I am sure pictures will be taken and posted.

Leading Questions

2008-09-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

*Due to a recent acceleration of my pace of life, i have been unable to find the time to update my blog. At this particular time, i have found just a moment where i can breath and reflect on these past few weeks and really try to work out a plan to create balance and consistancy in my life. Yeah...I'll let you know how that goes...*

This morning i had a staff meeting and one thing i love doing is Icebreakers. I never want to be that person who just makes someone sit for an hour and listen to me babble on about things they can and cannot do. So i start each meeting with a game or activity to make everyone feel engaged and included in our discussion. So for my meeting today i had everyone pick a piece of paper out of a basket. On this paper was a statement starter. For example "the worst haircut i ever had was..." Everyone had a differnt sentance that they had to complete. I thought I would share them all with you and give you my answers. but the fun doesn't stop there!!! I would like you all to pick three starters and finish them yourselves! So fun huh... :) (hey, at least i'm not posting another quiz people)

are you ready?

ok

Here they are:

The best job I ever had was… O'Dea's SnowTubbing

The worst project I ever worked on was… stripping the wallpaper in one of our old apartments...nightmare...

The riskiest thing I ever did was… pull a senior prank. i most definatly broke the law...real risky. Life lesson i learned...never return to the scene of the crime.

The thing I like the most about this job is… when a student hugs me goodbye and tells me that they love being in my class. Makes all the hard days pale in comparison.

The one time I felt the most stress because I didn’t have enough time was… one time... how about from Jan-present day.

My one regret in life is… not visiting my brother more often when he was in the hospital

If I could go back in time and change one thing about history it would be… the day the music died...just kidding... the day my brother was hurt.

One thing I want to do before I die is… have a baby boy

If I could have a superpower, it would be… the ability to make myself invisible

My most embarrassing moment is… when i was singing at church and i was singing the song "I am free." When it was over, Denis started the intro to "sing to the King" and when it was time to start singing, i started singing the words to "I am free" again...so embarassing...

My dream job would be… Working at The Father's House full time

If I could change one thing about myself it would be… my lack of time managment...or my nose...

My greatest strength is… i work well under pressure

My greatest weakness is… i have no back bone so i never stand up for myself.

The thing I like most about myself is… Jesus in me

If I could spend the day with one person, living or dead, it would be… My Grandpa

ok gang, now it is your turn. Pick three of the statement starters and tell us all your answers! no stealing my answers either :)

ta ta for now

looking forward

2008-09-05T09:30:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a defining moment? A moment when you know that from that point on everything will be different. I have had several of those moments in my life:

my first day of school
the day my brother was hurt
the day we moved out of the only house i had ever known
my first day of college
my wedding day
rachel's wedding day
the day Harmony was born
and there are more...

Those moments are part of my DNA. They can never be taken away and they are specific only to me. They are imbedded in the finger print of Rebecca Johnson.

These past two years have been packed with these moments for me. These moments can be as small as a conversation, as hard as an argument, as sappy as a good cry, or even found in the excitement of hearing good news. I reflect often on these moments. But i fear that it has been TOO often lately.

so last night...i had another moment. I was standing in the kitchen doing dishes (i know...that is a profound thing in it's self...) and i had my ipod playing in the background and a song that i hadn't taken the time to really listen to came on. It is a song by Ricardo. The lyrics went like this

"I'll stop looking back. I'm moving ahead. The past is over"

later that night i was editing pictures and listening to music again and this song came on by the Rascal Flatts that said:

"I'm going to stop looking back and start moving on, learn how to face my fears. Love with all of my heart, make my mark, i want to leave something here. Go out on a ledge, without any net. That's what i want to be about. I want to be running when the sand runs out."

very next song...another Rascal Flats song... (love them...)

"I'm moving on, at last i can see life has been patiently waiting for me. And i know there's no guarentee's, but i'm not alone."

My moment is wrapped up in those two songs. I'm going to begin looking forward more than i look back. I want to set goals for my life. I want to try to see the big picture. I don't want to miss out on my todays...

Does that mean i am going to forget the past. Of course not. That would be stripping me of who i am today. But i need to stop letting those moments dictate my present or else my future could suffer. I am determined to live the best life possible. Have the best marriage possible. Be the best mom possible (no, i'm not pregnant). Be the best teacher possible. Be the best worshipper possible. I want to leave a legacy. Have no regrets.

The past is just that....the past...

Vacation '08

2008-08-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

And we are back :) well we have been for a few days now but this is my first opportunity to finish this post. i have been slowly adding to it for the last few days. i just never have enough time these days to sit and do it all at once. Warning: this is a bit long. :)

Denis and I were in DESPERATE need of a vacation. So a few months ago (yes, a few MONTHS ago we needed of time away) we chose what week we were going to take off then we began searching for places to go that "fit the budget" (that's the new catch phrase in the Johnson household) Around that time one of my close friends, Kristen, moved back to her home in Canada...long story... but i knew i couldn't go long without seeing her. So we decided that part of our vacation would be spent visiting her in her beautiful home in Madoc, Ontario. We also really wanted to see our friends Christopher and Jennifer Hopper. They moved to watertown three years ago and build a beautiful house and we had YET to see it. It had also been at over a year that we had just hung out with them. So we called them to see if they would be around and to make a long story short, our vacation was planned!

We had an INCREDIBLE time...so relaxing. Here are a few pictures from our trip

Watertown with the Hoppers:

Me and the love of my life

luik!!!!!! look at those eyes...

Eva. She is so special to me. One morning i was out pushing her on her swing and she turned around and said "becca...i love you at my house"

Luik again. He knows just what to do for the camera!

Could she be any prettier?

trying to be tough. not buyin it...

Now this lady...she's one of my favorites...

Eva singing her heart out. her song said "i will not be afraid anymore!" love her...

Madoc with Kristen

The dock of the lake at Kristen's grandparents house.

I'm a professional folks. That's my story and i'm stickin to it.

The real pro...

Kindred Spirits

the Mac Man.

It was so hard to come back and join the real world again. I have a week and a half of summer camp left before we jump right back into the school year....ready or not...

Outta Here

2008-08-10T13:05:00.000-07:00

I am officially ON VACATION!!!!!! As soon as church ending today, i turned to Denis and said lets get outta here, we are going on vacation! I have been looking forward to this for WEEKS! we are leaving today and heading to watertown to stay with christopher and jenny hopper and then tuesday night we are driving up into canada (home sweet home...kinda) to visit our friend kristen and her family for the rest of the week. i will have lots of pictures to share and stories to tell. until then....

High-Low

2008-07-28T18:24:00.000-07:00

So i am back from my blogging vacation! :) so...i really didn't go anywhere, i just haven't found the time or the energy to write recently. I am also really frustrated with Blogger right now because it won't upload my pictures from my laptop, and you know me, i don't blog without pictures very often. I have a TON that i would love to share with the cyberworld, but unfortunatly, i am not sure when that is going to happen again. we shall see i guess.
I recently spoke at a womens event at our church and for an opening "icebreaker" everyone had a different color sticker on their coffee cup, and based on what color your sticker was, you had to share a certain thing. My sticker was green so i had to share about what i did for a job. real exciting. :) but the person who had a yellow sticker shared their High point of their day as well as their Low point. (this was a game that we used to play in college all the time at the end of the day, i loved it!) i was bummed that i didn't get to share mine, cause i had some good ones. So since i didn't get to share them at our womens event, here are the highs and lows of the last month that i have let pass by without blogging.

Highs: ( in no particular order)
-My sister surprising me by showing up at church. i about freaked out, but i had was kinda in the middle of singing, so i did my best to compose myself. this was the best surprise i have had in a long long time...i love that lady...
-I have seen Harmony TWICE this month!!!!!
-Girls night at Splatters (aka: therapy session with Heather, Amy, Mattie and leandra)
-Going to the cottage with the Keller's, Moore's and the George's...who won boxers or briefs again...oh wait...it was me! how silly of me to forget :)
-Spending time with my parents before they left for California. (i got more time than we even planned! YEAH!!!)
-We took a Financial Course at church and we learned SOOOO much. we on track to being debt free!
-Baby Riley Janet Passer was born and denis and i were able to be there to see her just minutes after she came into this world. she is precious and healthy and looks like her momma.
-Watching Denis preach at church. i am so proud of my baby. i love being his wife.
-Going to Pittsburg for a few days over July 4th. I loved getting away and spending so much time with Rachel. Rachel hooked me up... right rach? :)
-Being around my God kids...they keep us laughing all day long. they are so precious to me.
-Seeing Jaime! still jealous of her trip, but really thankful i was able to sneak in a few visits with her.
-Going out to eat with Christy and Ben THREE sunday's in a row. i love that...
-Having CB in town
-Looking down the row in church two weekends ago and seeing the 4 girls i love to sing with more than anyone. VOM what?!
-Shooting a wedding with my sister-in-law. she is one good photographer. i look forward to working with her again.
-seeing my brother in law last weekend :)

Lows:
-Driving back from Pittsburg. i hated leaving.
-My computer almost crashed at the wedding and i almost lost pictures i had already deleted from my memory card. that would have been SOOOOO very very bad.
-After our finance class was over, i was on information overload and all i dreamed about was money.
-Summer camp last week KICKED MY BUTT. i questioned my calling in child care everyday.
-losing to the George's in Baggo. So close... next time meg and matt...next time
-having to leave the cottage early
-making our bed at the cottage..right amy...big low of the day :)
-Being lectured by John and Rachel because i didn't know who Brett Farve was...does that really make me a bad person?!?!?!
-dropping my parents off at the airport. i ALWAYS have such a hard time saying goodbye to them.
-Not being in california to see my brother graduate.... but i am so proud of the kid.
-lately i have felt like i haven't had much of a social life...i miss my friends.

There you have it. i could add so much more, but i won't bore you with all the details. pray i can load pictures soon!!!!

until next time...

More red dirt?

2008-06-24T14:36:00.000-07:00

My mom and daddy came up this past weekend for a much needed visit. It was so good to be able to sit and relax with them on friday night since we had the house to ourselves. I woke up saturday morning to find my mom out in our yard pulling weeds. I have no where near a green thumb but my mom's is a green as you can get. So the three of us spent the morning pulling weeds and trying our best to get rid of the "jungle" that was creeping up on my house. I didn't realize what a job it was going to be. We broke for lunch and then my mom and i ran to home depot to pick up mulch. I wanted to red ceder mulch to brighten up our yard a bit. My mom had brought three bags, so we went and picked up 10 more. we thought that would be plenty. My dad told us to get more than that, we called him silly and left him there with the kids. Lexi took right to him. My mom and i were back in no time with mulch, hanging baskets, flowers and soil. It looked like the rain was on it's way in so we worked quickly only to realize that we didn't have enough mulch. Little Robbie was outside helping us lay the "red dirt" (as he likes to call it) and quickly pointed out that we needed more. I couldn't believe it. I had to run back to home depot and pick up SIX more bags of that stuff! thank goodness the rain held off and we were able to finish up everything. I never ever thought i would be as sore as i am from all that work. I have been moving slow ever since. I have been doing my best to remember to water the new plants everyday. But they don't look to happy to be in my yard. I think they are scared i might kill them. I am going to do my best not to :)

thanks mom and daddy! love you both so much. come visit again soon. The kids are asking for you. Dad, i think Lexi just wants you for your fries :)

here is a picture of our yard.

Mac vs. PC Parody

2008-06-17T13:28:00.001-07:00

there are a few different video's, but this is my personal favorite

My "new" baby

2008-06-17T13:07:00.000-07:00

denis and i are crazy about mac's. he has several times at church compared mac's and PC's to christianty. a "PC" christian is the kind of person that does just enough to "cut it." follows the rules and does just enough to feel good about themselves. But a "Mac" christian is the kind of person that goes above and beyond the call of duty in their walk with christ. we have even played videos like the one above that spoof of the pc/mac commercial. so special... i always point out that the only computer i have had is a PC, and he has had a Mac for almost three years...until now. denis just recently received another mac laptop through his job this week, so that means that i now have his old computer!!! i am so excited. i love using his for my picture and what not, but it is not very often at all that i do. i am really excited about it. here is a picture of it.

i would like to say that now that i have my own laptop that i will blog more often, but lets not get to carried away! :)

Heather and Tony

2008-06-02T14:15:00.000-07:00

i am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that my heather is now Mrs. D'Imperio...so wild. Here are a few pictures from her beautiful day. I love you both so much! Thank you so much for letting me be a part of it! Congrats you crazy kids!

New York, New York

2008-05-22T14:34:00.000-07:00

It was a whirlwind of a weekend... lets just say i am in no rush to go back to the fast pace life of a new yorker... But we did have a wonderful time wandering the big city and seeing the sights. We screamed "tourist" by the way we walked around, map in tow and camera's draped around our necks taking pictures at every exciting corner. The main reason for our trip was so that Denis and Andrea could go to the Met to see the opera. Matt and I had no desire to PAY to sit through 3 hours of singing in another launguage. So Matt and i walked around Central Park and some of the sights near it while they enjoyed their opera.
Here is a list of some of the things we saw on our 2-day mini vacation
Empire State Building
Times Square
Library
Cathedrial (can't remember which one...)
Tiffany's
Rockefeller Center
Central Park
Bloomigdales
AFO Schwarts
Little Italy
Canal Street
Lincoln Center
Metropolitan Opera House
Julliard
Ground Zero
the inside of a cab :)
Broadway

I am sure i have missed a few...but you get the picture :)

Here are a few pictures of our trip...well actually..there is alot...

I......

2008-05-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

I am: clumsy and at times forgetful...denis says i need medication because i forget things alot...good thing rachel gave me the gift of time management for our birthday!
I think: that The Office should be the only show on TV.
I know: who i am :)
I want: Rachel to move to Rochester! SO BADLY!!!!!!!!!!
I wish: there were more hours in the day
I hate: when I am in the "almost asleep" stage and I dream that I fall or trip and then my body reacts to it and I jolt awake...it makes me so mad.
I miss: dorm life. it may sound silly but i miss the unpredictability, the late night chats with my roommates and craziness that came with it all.
I fear: failure.
I feel: things deeply. Even the smallest of things i feel deep. right now i feel like this is a weakness of mine, but maybe someday i will learn to use it to make me stronger.
I hear: children out in the hallway
I smell: nothing...i am very stuffed up.
I crave: Mountain dew...on a daily basis. I think i am addicted, but admitting that is the first step, right?
I search: for the meaning in everything. sometimes that gets me into trouble because i am searching for things that aren't really there
I regret: never taking piano lessons
I love: my husband. with every fiber of my being
I ache: when i see someone eating alone. i just want to sit and talk with them.
I care: alot :)
I always: hit my snooze alarm. sometimes just once, other times i will hit it for an hour. no lie
I am not: what you would call a tall person
I believe: Jesus paid it all, so all to him i owe
I sing: everyday. every single day. it's part of my DNA
I cry: every time denis and i argue. He says it's an unfair advantage, he can't argue with a crying woman.
I fight: the urge to eat chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I write: as often as i can in my journal. It's one of my favorite things to do.
I win: whenever i play checkers with Rachel :)
I lose: whenever i play laser tag because i laugh every time i get tagged.
I never: exaggerate...ever...never ever :)
I confuse: people when my sister walks around our church 5 months pregnant. not happy times for me...
I listen: for God's voice
I can usually be found: at church :)
I need: to go and visit my parents SOON!
I am happy about: being a part of my godchildren's lives.
I hope: that someday i can be as great of a mom and mine is.

i would like to see Rachel and Amy fill this out :)

My Best Friends Shower

2008-05-07T13:41:00.000-07:00

In just a few weeks, my best friend will join the married club! YEAH!!!! I am so excited for her and her big day. Kelly (a fellow bridesmaid) and I worked ALMOST through the night to throw a bridal shower for heather a few weeks back. (i can't seem to keep up with this blog these days...) It was a wonderful day, not to mention extreemly hot out. We had a great turn out of people. We played some of my favorite bridal games which included:
*20 questions (questions all about the bride) the funniest part of the whole game was when heather's mom got the question "What town did the bride grow up in" wrong. poor thing. she really took some heat for that.
*fun facts (a game where everyone writes a fun fact about themselves on a card and then heather has to figure out whose fact it is) She actually did really well.
*purse game (we had a list of 12 items, who ever had the most items in their purse won)
*bridal bingo
*keepsake cards- everyone recieved a card and envolope, on the outside of each envolope it said something like FIRST CHRISTMAS, or FIRST BABY, or ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY. there where a few other milestone events on them as well. Then you wrote a note on the card for them to open on that day. We put them all in a keepsake box for heather to read on those days. she better wait!!!

We laughed and ate and had a great time. Heather got alot of great gifts for her new home.

here are a few pictures.

I love you Heather! can't wait for the big day!!!!!!!!!

We are Family!

2008-04-22T13:51:00.000-07:00

Our household has grown from 3 (for those of you who may not know, we have a good friend of ours from roberts who stays with us...she makes three) to 7 overnight. Our close friends Robbie and Leticia have moved here from Chigago (YEAH!!!!!!!!!) but don't have a place to stay until september. So they asked if they could stay with us until then ( this is why amy called me crazy in her latest blog!). We said yes of course. So last night at around 10:30 at night they arrived with two babies in tow (and one on the way, due in december). It was a crazy night trying to get everyone settled in. but it was so nice waking up to those little voices calling my name. They call me Titi Becca, titi is spanish for aunt. Tio is uncle, but when they say denis's name is sounds like "uh-oh ennis" so cute.... i am realizing that my house needs a bit more baby proofing and alot more space. but i can't really do much about the space thing right now! :) Denis and i gave them our master bedroom because they have to set the nursery up in it as well. Baby Robbie is sleeping in Daisy's room and then denis and i moved into the back spare room. It is a bit cramped, but it is nice to have a space that is just ours. I know that this is going to be a crazy summer, but i am excited to be a part of the kids lives. They are our god children and we only have been able to see them a few times in the past few years. I am sure there will be plenty of pictures and stories to come!

Finer Things

2008-04-10T15:01:00.001-07:00

This past saturday was Denis's and i first Saturday together that we had off!! it was the strangest thing to have had the entire day to do whatever we wanted to do. We slept in and when we woke up, we spent a quite morning downstairs reading. It was something we really want to try and do more often. no tv...no music...no phone calls. just us snuggled up reading. Its the simple things in life i guess! That evening we met some of our closest friends for an evening of "finer things." for those of you who watch the office, you may know why we call ourselves finer things. We get together once a month to go out to a nice dinner or do something we normally wouldn't do on our own. Denis decided that this month we were going to paint pottery. he actually wanted to MAKE it, but we couldn't find anyplace that did that. So we settled with paiting. We had our own private room to paint a pottery piece of our choosing. Below are a few pictures of our eventful evening!!!

The girls creations:

The whole gang hard at work:

The guys creations:

The couples

Here is everyone with their crafts...meg is holding my plate...she likes to think it is hers. I humored her for this picture and held up hers :)

afterwards we headed to Philips European for desserts. Thanks for a great evening friends!!!

April Fools Day

2008-04-01T09:04:00.001-07:00

Happy April Fools everyone. I spent the morning having my students say "look! a ...." (fill in the blank...they said everything from a purple elephant to hannah montana) I thought for sure that would be the extent of the "fools" today. boy was i wrong. I'm going to let you in on a little conversation i had with my buddy john over text today.

john: so, have you talked to Amy lately? Did she tell you anything?
me: i talked to her yesterday...but just about our plans for thursday...
john: oh... ok
john: well i guess if she didn't tell you, that i shouldn't. She'd kill me
me: what is it?!?
john: Becca... I can't tell you. She's been upset with me for telling you MUCH smaller news than this. I can't steal that from her- i just figured you'd know already.
me: i don't! when can i call her!?
john: she's working a 12...so she'll probably be busy all day. Just nevermind, forget I said anything.
john: ok...maybe I could tell you...but you'll still have to act really surprised and excited when she tells you...!!
me: FREAKIN TELL ME
john: ok...APRIL FOOLS

me: you are so cruel

what a rotten person he is. rotten to the core.

so what about you? do any of you have any good april fools jokes that were played on you or that you played on someone else? share your story!

Easter Weekend

2008-03-24T09:19:00.000-07:00

We had a phenominal weekend at our church for Easter. We had our first services in our new building and it was incredible. We had 5 services in all: 1 Friday, 1 Saturday, and 3 on Sunday. Our new facility seats 1,200, in comparison to our previous that sat just over 400. It was a whirlwind of a week to prepare. the earliest night we were home was monday night at 10:30. But it was worth the sleepless nights and all the hard work. In attendance overall we had about 5300 people (that includes teens and children) and just over 500 first time decisions. Here are a few pictures that the D&C took.

Harmony

2008-03-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

This little girl is the light of my life. It is hard to put into words just how much i love and adore this little person. This past weekend I was able to go home ( I drove home all by myself for the first time ever...I'm a big girl now!) and spend some much needed time with my family. On top of seeing my parents, Allison, Rachel and harmony, we had an incredible surprise! (well i knew ahead of time...but that's another story.) On Friday night, after we all had dinner and we were just sitting around "shootin the breeze," as my mom would call it, and then the next thing you know, in walks my Aunt Elsie and my Uncle Bob. I hadn't seen them in about 2 years! It was incredible to be able to add them to our weekend at home. On Saturday night, my Uncle Bob pulled out what we lovingly refer to as The Book O-Fun. It was a book of the top 100 Christian Songs. He went through one by one and had Rachel and I sing a little of each song. It was so funny. Rach and i are SOOO good, that all my Aunt needed to do was give us the Artist, and we guessed the title. we did really well for the first 25 or so, then the songs were a little out of our age range :) They headed out early Sunday morning, while rach and I stayed and went to church. I headed out after lunch and rach a few hours later. It was a wonderful weekend full of fun, laughs and diet foods....hehehe. The drive wasn't as bad as i had it made out to be in my head. I will definitely be doing it more often now that WE NO LONGER HAVE SIX SERVICES A WEEKEND! only 2 on sunday's now. i still can't believe it. we had our first service in our new building last night. i still have chills from it. it was amazing. I am so ready for our Easter services. God is so faithful...

Back to Harmony

Of course i brought my camera home this weekend and i took about 125 pictures of Harmony. Here are a few for now. More to come. Enjoy this sweet sweet face.

50 things about me

2008-03-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

* i got this idea from Ashley. I haven't blogged in a while and don't really have alot to blog about, unless you want to know how my dreams are, cause all i do these days are work and sleep :) speaking of dreams...i did have a dream the other night that denis gave me a weave. (a hair weave) in my dream he braided my hair back and sewed in new hair...weird dream...

anyway. here are 50 things about me.

1. i have an identical twin sister ( bet NO ONE knew that!)
2. my two front teeth are fake. when i was 17, i did a face plant on pavement while riding my bike. My tire got caught in my friends tire that was riding in front of me. It was so embarrassing. I was lying in the middle of the road and my friend tim ran so fast up the street to drag me out of the road before i was run over. i even went to Darin lake the next day with smashed up front teeth...how did i ever recover...
3. i got my license when i was 26.
4. i have this thing about cruise control. denis keeps in on all the time JUST IN CASE he needs it. if i am not using it, it has to be off. there was one time when denis was driving and the cruise button was on, even though it wasn't set, so i reached over and turned it off...yeah...i will never do that again.
5. i am deathly afraid of tunnels. once i grabbed the wheel of the car while denis was driving in one because i thought we were too close to the wall. i swear tunnels are death traps. that is why i will never live in pittsburg. sorry rach.
6. if i am eating vanilla ice cream, i have to have chocolate syrup OR some kind of brownie or cookie or even pie to go with it. can't have it plain by itself.
7. my mom is also a twin. a fraternal twin. Her twins name is Elsie.
8. growing up, i was more afraid of my mom than i was my dad. my dad is a big softy.
9. i came in third place in an archery competition in 6th grade. it was against my entire class...including the boys. dad was proud.
10. for a senior prank, a group of us broke into our school and night and made a mess of the senior hallway. we had to run from the police... don't know if my mom ever knew that... hehehe SORRY MOM
11. kids at school used to call our car the bible-mobile cause we went to church so often. if they could see me now!
12. i used to LOVE horror movies. couldn't get enough of them. now they physically make me sick. i will never EVER EVER again watch Event Horizon. Scariest movie i have ever seen.
13. In Mexico, while we were on our cruise, i got in the car alone with a mexican taxi driver to go to the beach. looking back...not such a smart move.
14. i love to journal. i try to do it every night. i feel like it is somehow leaving a mark on the world. like it's my legacy. when i write i think "maybe my great great grand kids will read this and learn from my mistakes and struggles" it is such a cool thing.
15. when i go up and down steps, i need to count them. always.
16. i fall alot. especially in the winter. like once a day.
17. i have a shower routine. there is a specific order i need to go in when i shower. i have tried to break myself of it, and i can't. same with drying off. i need to go in a certain order...am i sharing too much here...i kinda feel like i am over sharing.
18. i over use "..." in emails, text and even my blogs. i don't know why...
19. i am not a phone talker unless it's my mom. i don't know why. i would rather text all day long than talk on the phone.
20. i am a really fast texter...i love T9
21. i hate ironing. my husband will take his clothes out of the dryer and stuff them in his basket...it makes me nuts. i NEED to fold my clothes right out of the dryer to avoid wrinkles. And if they do get wrinkles, i will put them in the dryer for 10 minutes over getting the iron out. i loath the iron.
22. i love the snooze alarm. i will snooze for an hour if i can. my clock is set 20 minutes fast so i feel like i am getting up later, but i snooze for about 30 minutes. it is my process of waking up. denis HATES it. i have a three snooze allowance before i am kicked out of bed.
23. i think i am allergic to feathers. i used to LOVE feather pillows and down comforters, but one night at heathers, i had a feather pillow and i actually felt like i was dying. i couldn't catch my breath at all. it was so scary. denis hates when i tell people that, cause i feel like am allergic to things now that i never was before. but i hear you can DEVELOP allergies. i feel like i am. denis won't hear it. he is waiting for the day for me to tell him that i am allergic to air. i tell him i am allergic to stupid people.
24. i snort when i get laughing really hard, then i start to wheeze. i think the wheezing is due to my allergies. :)
25. i hate confrontation. i avoid it at all cost. in the words of lydia, i am a big WOOSE.
26. i have no hand-eye coordination. that's why i played soccer in high school and why i was terrible at the trumpet. you should see me try and play guitar hero... yikes.
27. i am incredibly forgetful, unless it has to with remembering a line in a movie or a song. i can remember those all day long. But ask me to remember an appointment or a meeting or that i made plans. forget it. denis said i need medicine.
28. i am a people pleaser. i will say yes to any and everything. i will double book myself and then that is no fun for anyone.
30. i am a terrible speller. thank god for spell check.
31. i used to be addicted to Nyquil. my college roommate had to hid it from me. true story.
32. when i get sick, i regress back into my childhood years. i am such a big baby.
33. i hate soup. unless it is tomato or from Max and Erma's.
34. i love to read at night. it seems to be the only way i can wind down.
35. i was really good a math in high school. it came so easy to me. now i can barely remember my times tables. so sad.
36. i am not a big reality tv fan anymore. it used to be all i watch. the only reality show i watch anymore is American Idol. this writers strike really put a downer on my tv watching.
37. i hate doing the dishes. with a passion. hate it.
38. i am not a very good cook. i made soapy rice once and i have left the cardboard on the bottom of my frozen pizza's more times that i care to admit.
39. i just took down my christmas tree...like two weeks ago. i really like christmas people! don't judge me.
40. i order the same thing all the time. i have a certain dish i eat at every restaurant. i can never order something different. if we eat someplace new, 9 times out of ten i will get chicken fingers or a burger. i never try things that are new.
41. i can't sleep with my mouth open. if my nose is stuffed, sleeping is impossible. this has really frustrated me lately. i haven't been sleeping well at all. except for last night... i took nyquil...hehehe
42. i love playing board games, but i become a different person. i am extremely competitive and i talk alot of junk. BUT no matter how bad i get, it pales in comparison to rachel...
43. i don' t really care for songs that echo. i did until my friend matt said something about it. now they kinda bother me. never let go matt. (matt is one of my blog stalkers. i have a big following! hehehehe)
44. i have been in 12 weddings (that includes heather even though she isn't married yet)
45. i wish i knew sign language.
46. i need to have my camera with me all the time. i may need to capture a moment at any given time.
47. i never knew i could love someone after seeing them just once until i met harmony. i love that girl SOOOOOOOOO much.
48. My friends are my treasures. they are more precious to me that anything.
49. they say you can pick your friends, but you are stuck with your family. i would never use the word stuck. i am blessed beyond words with the most amazing family ever. if God ever gave me the chance to go back and choose, i would chose them a thousand times over.
50. i have the greatest husband ever. he makes me laugh like no other person can. i feel so safe with him. i would also chose him a thousand times over.

you were right ashley, this wasn't as hard as i though. once i got to 25, i almost quit. i would like to see Rachel, Heather, Amy, Jaime and John fill this out too. get crackin'.

The Village Inn

2008-02-28T09:48:00.000-08:00

When i woke up on Saturday morning, i was already in the vacationing mood. I spent the day with Heather, Kelly, Anthony and Becky playing games and eating too much! Then i had an incredibly relaxing and fun evening with Amy. We ate, watched two movies, Rendition and No Reservations...both of which i recommend. Rendition is a bit more intense, we kind of expected Jack Bauer to come in and save the day! not to ruin the ending...but he didn't...

This past weekend was my first weekend of the year that i had off from leading worship. It has been a whirl wind of a year so far keeping up with 6 services a weekend, but i am so in love with my church and my church family. I am so blessed to work with so many incredible people. But i still went to a service on Sunday. I chose the 12:30 service so i could still have breakfast with Amy...she makes a mean waffle!

so after church we went home and packed up the car and we were on our way!!! i was so excited for it until denis told me that i was driving! that is when i panicked. does he not know i've only had my license for like a week! now you want me to drive for an hour and a half to someplace i've never been! crazy man. But he made a great point in saying "do you really want your first long distance trip to be made when you are by yourself, or do you want me there?" who can argue with that! so i drove! I did an excellent job too if i may say so myself! :)

The weather was so nice on Sunday, so we walked around and saw the sights before taking our normal sunday afternoon nap. Here are a few pictures of our room.

I love king size beds...

my own personal boyscout!

bathroom

denis kept saying "this tub has Jets!"

our terrace...hence the Terrace Room :)

our entrance to our room! i would recommend this inn to anyone!

On Monday we slept in and again walked around town and ate at a little deli nearby. We went to an antique shop and looked around then we went to this bookstore/coffee shop. While we were there we came across this book:

Denis was quite impressed because it even had the correct spelling of denis...well at least the way he spells it... we got quite a kick out of it so we picked it up to see what the book was about. and this is what the back cover said:

If you cant read it is says "the God i want to believe in has a voice and a sense of humor like Denis Johnson's" Maybe i am the only one, but i thought this was HYSTERICAL! maybe i am all alone in that thinking though...

Anyway, we looked around at the books, i bought a few scrapbooking items and then we had some coffee. We then headed back to our room for another nap before going out to dinner. We rented a movie, The Bourne Ultimatum. SOOOO good. I loved it.

Tuesday, we got up and packed up and heading out. the weather was NO FUN! but at least i didn't have to drive in it! I took tuesday completely off so when we got home, i napped :) and just relaxed for a while.

Even though work was madness when i got back, our mini-vacation was SOOOO worth it...

next vacation....MY MOM AND DAD'S HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

VACATION!!!!!!!!!

2008-02-12T09:28:00.000-08:00

I know that my last blog told you a bit about the last vacation we went on to Myrtle Beach...but even though it has only been a month and a half since then, Denis and I are in desperate need of another getaway. We hit the ground running the moment we stepped off that plane in January and i feel like i haven't been able to come up for air since. BUT in the midst of all the craziness and the busyness of our lives, God is working in me. It has been a very hard month and a half, but i know beyond the shaddow of a doubt that God is guiding me and teaching me and that is what makes it worth it.

but back to vacation. Denis decided that we NEEDED to take a few days and get away... who am i to argue with that! so he researched a few places, and asked around and found a BEAUTIFUL place in skaneateles NY for us to go to. It came highly suggested from a few of our friends at church. Here is a picture of the room we reserved. It's the Terrace Room.

Isn't it beautiful! This particular Inn has 4 seperate rooms, all different themes. We originally wanted the French Country Room, which looks like this.

But this room was already booked. But apparently, our friends who just went and stayed there left us a note. So we are going to try to find a way to get into the room and see what message they left for us. :)

There are two other rooms, if you are ever interested in having a quick getaway that is within two hours, i suggest this place. Here is the website

http://www.villageinn-ny.com/accommodations.htm

When you go in the off season AND when you go during the week instead of a weekend, you can get these room's for only $99 a night. (originally it's $210)

We are going in just a few weeks. I post more pictures then!

until then...i will be dreaming of vacations past and vactions to come...right ashley!

Phone Tag

2008-01-28T13:11:00.000-08:00

First, i must apologize...once again... for my lack of blogging in 2008. John so nicely pointed out that it was my anniversary blog last year that had me stuck in a rut as well. So here i am...trying to get out of my rut.

it's not that i don't have things to blog about...it's just that i have alot to catch up on and don't really feel like i can do that now that i am so far behind. I could blog about christmas. Christmas was amazing this year. Having Harmony around was the best present ever. The moment she entered the house, the atmosphere changed. Of course josh was the first to hold her since it was his first time meeting her. The rest of us patiently waited our turns to hold her...who are we kidding...there was nothing patient about it! Although grandpa did wait patiently, but had no patience for her crying. He didn't like that at all! it was a wonderful time of fun and family and of celebrating the end of a great year.

Then there was our vacation. We left Dec 30th and returned on Jan 5th. We went with Andrea and Matt D'Angelo. It was one of the most relaxing weeks ever. we laughed, we ate ALOT and did a bit of sight seeing as well. It was the best way to start the year in my opinion. Here is to many more D'Angelo/Johnson Vacations to come. Next stop NEW YORK CITY! (pictures of our vacation are on myspace for those fellow myspaceres)

And last but not least was our surprise visit from The Shipmans. I about peed my pants when i got the call...good thing i was already IN the bathroom though. :) It was just what the doctor ordered. Even though the week had some unexpected turns, like not having power and having to find a warm place for them to stay, THANKS KELLERS. But overall it was so wonderful having them here. I woke up each day and the first thing i did was go and sneak a peek at Harmony. Once morning she was awake so i picked her up and we had some bonding time. She is so happy in the morning. I loved this time with her. But all good things come to and end...this ending was not an easy one. Satuday night i had to say goodbye to harmony, rachel and mike and that was not something i want to relive. I did my best not to cry around rachel, cause the moment that happens, you would have to crying girls to have to pick up off the floor. So i put on my brave face and said goodbye. But the moment my bedroom door closed behind me, GAME OVER! i cried myself to sleep the next two nights. I think the whole not knowing when i am going to see them again is the hardest part. when i have something to look forward to, i am good. But it is completely up in the air as to when i might see the Shipmans again. I really emotional about it. We had a baby dedication at our church on sunday and tears just ran down my face as the babies and their parents flooded the stage. How am i ever going to keep it together when i am a mom....yikes. BUT...there is one thing that keeps me holding on...and that is the pix messages i get from rachel. I just love them. I feel like between them and her blog i am still able to watch her grow up. I never ever thought i would love someone so instantly. I am just crazy about her... Here are a few phone pic's that rach sent me and some that i took during their visit.

This is a picture i snagged while at the kellers during the tornado... she's just chillin watchin the big screen TV. Probably "True Life: I'm obsessed with my dog"

This is the outfit rachel had me put on Harmony one morning. Fits her REAL well, huh.

Ok...rachel sent me this picture and i about had a heart attack! on my phone i couldn't see mike's had holding her up. I think Mike has a little too much fun with his daugheter. Someday she's going to be able to tell him no, but for now, she plays along. Even though she doesn't look too happy in this picture. And because my mom reads this blog, i won't say where mike put her while they were at my house... YIKES.

This is one of my favorites. It looks like she is underwater :)

This was just sent this picture today. It made my day! THANKS RACH!

Keep the pictures coming!

5 Year Anniversary

2007-12-21T13:17:00.000-08:00

Today is Denis and I's 5 Year Anniversary...it is so hard to believe that is has been five years. I was talking to Rachel today and we were remembering back to our special day and it seriously feels like it was yesterday. I can remember it so vividly....
The chaos of the rehearsal (something i would like to forget)
how Denis took me to the place he proposed the night before the wedding
the excitement in the house the morning of
or how i woke up with a cold sore on my lip like on my big fat Greek wedding!
I had a nice quiet morning at the spa before heading to the church
My flowers came in wrong, but they quickly fixed their mistake! (thank god...or i would of had orange Calla Lilly's at my Christmas wedding! gross...
Robbie (our best man) delivering a gift from Denis, they were beautiful diamond earrings...

The time finally came to put my dress on. That was the moment it felt so real! My favorite moment of the wedding is when Denis said his vows, then when it was my turn, he started saying MINE! we laughed and laughed... it was a day i will never forget.... it doesn't feel like 5 years ago.

After Rachel and i were done "looking back", she said "and look, now you are an aunt!" to which i replied "yes i am, life is progressing perfectly..."

Denis, i love you more today than ever before. I thank God everyday that you chose me. Being your wife is an honor. Your talent continues to amaze me, and you are wise beyond your years. Thank you for being my husband, my cheerleader, my protector and my best friend.

Here's to many more anniversary's

I love you

forever and ever...

It's Christmas time in the City

2007-12-10T11:40:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas Time in the city...and in the johnson household. I finally found time to decorate for my favorite time of year. I had a great time decorating with Mattie and Jaime. This was my first time decorating this house, and i am pretty pleased with how it turned out. I had a hard time deciding where to put the tree. It is squished in at the bottom of the stairs for now :) i may try to find another place next year.

Here are some pictures of my tree

A few details

Christmas has always been my favorite time of year. Growing up Christmas was always a very special time full of special memories. Some of my favorites are:

1. The year my sisters and I got up and opened all our presents before my parents woke up. It wasn't funny or fun at all then because we were sent our rooms for the rest of the morning
2. Christmas candy. My mom is the Christmas candy making QUEEN. I used to love her chocolate covered peanut butter balls till i ate so many that i got SOOO sick...haven't had once since. But it is still an favorite for the family. Chex mix is my ABSOLUTE favorite! my mom makes the best ever....even though i pick out the peanuts.
3. i can vividly remember when i truly believed in Santa. It was so exciting to stay up and listen for him and to set out cookies. now i just know that my dad is a big fan of milk and cookies :)
4. My favorite Christmas gift of all time was my guitar a few years ago. I know that sounds silly because i never ever played it, but for some reason the feeling of seeing it out Christmas morning is one i will never forget!
5. Seeing the tree decorated and lit up is always so thrilling. i love having a home and my own tree to decorate now. I hope that my children will love decorating the tree as much as my mother and i do.

Christmas Traditions! We have a few in the Freer/Johnson households. Here are a few.

Johnson House: (we spend Christmas eve with Denis' family each year)
* we have a nice dinner before we do anything else. It usually includes fried chicken and Macaroni and Cheese...it's amazing.
* then we read the Christmas story. When denis and deanna were growing up, they would try and memorize the verses and say them along with Denis Sr....oh wait...they still do this...i am WAY behind.
* after we read the Christmas story, we each take the chance to pray and thank God for all his blessings throughout the year, and we pray for the year to come. I just love this part.
* then we open presents!...just a side note...each year my sister-in-law gets me coal for Christmas... i am hoping for chocolate coal this year. if i am going to get coal, i at least want to be able to enjoy it! GEESH!

Freer Household: (we drive down Christmas day to spend Christmas at my parents house)
* growing up we each were able to open one present on Christmas eve. it was always such a process trying to figure out which one to open.
* THE BOW GAME! don't ask me how this started or when or even why. But my sister's and i are very competitive and this adds some MORE excitement to our gift opening process. The goal of the game is to end up with the most bows covering your body as possible. I won last year for the FIRST time! it was thrilling!
* Christmas breakfast is always a special time. The food just seems to smell better and taste better than any other time of the year. sounds silly but it's true.
* Family Fun time! the rest of the day is pretty relaxed until the sun goes down, and then IT'S GAME TIME! we spend the evening laughing ourselves silly. denis and mike usually hide downstairs. They don't seem to get it quite yet!

What i am looking forward to most this Christmas:
* spoiling harmony! last year it was all about kemper. Now, it's all about that beautiful face.
* SEEING MY BROTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it could cry thinking about it.
* just being around family. best place in the world.
* Denis and i will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary! so hard to believe.
* giving...i am very excited about my gifts so far. I love to watch the faces of those i love most opening a gift i have put so much thought into.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Glory Baby

2007-12-04T13:51:00.000-08:00

These past two weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions for me. Two weeks ago today i recieved a phone call that my sister was in labor and i couldn't wait to see that baby and kiss her face. I spent the next few days in absolute awe of how perfectly perfect she is.

One week ago today i recieved a phone call telling me that one of my best friends went to the doctor that day and they couldn't find her babies heart beat. My friend, Nanette was 39 weeks pregnant and due anyday. Denis and i rushed to the hospital to be by her side and to pray and petition God for a miracle...that there would be some sign of life in her baby boy.

Wednesday afternoon, Judah Gabrielle Rivera was brought into this world, but his spirit had already gone to be with the Lord. Denis and i went the the hospital and i was able to kiss his little face with my tears. I won't lie, i wrestled with God in that moment. I wanted to know why. Why did it have to be like this? But i knew those questions were not going to be answered. and i now have peace about that.

As i held him i thought; he's perfect. He looked just like his daddy, but with his mommy's nose. :) he was beautiful.

Today we said our final goodbye's to Judah. I have never in my life been more proud to call Nanette and Gabriel my friends. They are so strong. Stronger than I ever could be. I take so much comfort in their strength. I know that they are leaning into God in a way they have never had to before. They understand that verse that says, in our weakness he is made strong.

God's peace truly does pass all understanding. We may not always understand his plans. But we still hold fast to the promise that his plans are perfect. That even when we walk through the valley of the shaddow of death, he is with us.

This song is by watermark, it's called Glory Baby. i find that these words perfectly capture the emotions of this past week.

Glory baby you slipped away as fast as we could say baby…baby..
You were growing, what happened dear?
You disappeared on us baby…baby..
Heaven will hold you before we do
Heaven will keep you safe until we’re home with you…
Until we’re home with you…

Miss you everyday
Miss you in every way
But we know there’s a
day when we will hold you
We will hold you
You’ll kiss our tears away
When we’re home to stay
Can’t wait for the day when we will see you
We will see you
But baby let sweet Jesus hold you
‘till mom and dad can hold you…
You’ll just have heaven before we do
You’ll just have heaven before we do

Sweet little babies, it’s hard to
understand it ‘cause we’re hurting
We are hurting
But there is healing
And we know we’re stronger people through the growing
And in knowing-
That all things work together for our good
And God works His purposes just like He said He would…
Just like He said He would…

I can’t imagine heaven’s lullabies
and what they must sound like
But I will rest in knowing, heaven is your home
And it’s all you’ll ever know…all you’ll ever know…

Judah, your name means "to Praise." and even though i will never watch you grow, i will always love you, and i will never forget you, and i will always praise God for you and for your incredible parents. I'll be seeing you...

Harmony Joy Shipman!!!!

2007-11-22T14:48:00.000-08:00

I am pretty sure i will be floating on cloud nine for a long time to come. On November 20, 2007 at exactly 12:57, Harmony Joy Shipman graced the world weighing 7 lbs and 2 oz, 21 inches long. In the words of Mary Poppins, she is practically perfect in every way.

I received a text at 4am on Tuesday morning that said only one word... LABOR! not a minute later my mom called to let me know her and allison were on their way to Pittsburgh. I let her know that the soonest i could be there was Wednesday evening after church. I had a very hard time going back to sleep. i was consumed with thoughts of rachel and harmony. I prayed for a quick easy labor and safety for my family. Once i finally fell back asleep, i dreamed that harmony would come out with red hair like my mom. I woke up early that morning and called mike to see how rachel was. I got ready and headed to work but obviously i was very distracted! Allison called in the middle of my class and that is when it really hit me that i was missing such a huge moment in my sister's life. And i did not do well at all with that realization. When denis called soon after allison to see how denis was. When he asked me how i was doing with it all, i broke down. I absolutely lost it. All i wanted to do was be with rachel and mike.

After my class was over denis called me back and asked if i could leave ASAP, would i. i freaked out of course and said HECK YES! he then purchased me a plane ticket and i was rushing home to pack my bags. Let me pause my story for a moment and say that i am married to the most amazing man in the world. Babe...thank you so much for understanding how much i needed to be with my family.

anyway...to make a long story short, i should have been in Pittsburgh by 5, but after a crazy day of delays and missing my connecting flight, i arrived at 10:30pm!!! it was crazy.

visiting hours didn't start till noon the next day, so needless to say we arrived just shortly after. Seeing harmony for the first time was a moment i will never forget. It is an instant love i had only heard about. She is so beautiful and such a good little girl! we spent the entire day with her and mike let me stay the night with rach and harmony.

Since rachel did end up having an emergency c section, she wasn't supposed to come home until friday, but the doctor said...and i quote "since it is thanksgiving i will let you go home early" When rachel heard those words, she became a different person. she was up and in the shower and we quickly got everything ready to head home.

around noon today harmony was in the comfort of her own home with her proud mom and dad. Kemper was so excited about the new arrival. it was adorable to see them meet...even though harmony slept through it!

we have been enjoying a wonderful, quiet Thanksgiving day here at the Shipmans. I am blessed beyond words to have been able to be here for as much as i have.

Denis arrived around 4 today. We will be staying through saturday morning.

Here are a few pictures of the beautiful baby girl. Look for more soon!

A "Wonder"ful weekend

2007-11-13T14:17:00.000-08:00

This past weekend had to have been one of my favorite weekends in a LONG time. If you were to ask Denis or I what concert we would pay ANYTHING to go to, (besides kenny chesney and rascal flatts...but that is another story...) it would be Stevie Wonder! we are HUGE fans. So this past weekend we were able to live out that dream, thanks to wonderful friends and family. It was a weekend we will never forget. Here are some pictures

*the pictures of stevie wonder were taken on my cell phone seeing how we had Mr. wannabepoliceman at the door who made us take our camera's back to the car... i am still about sour about that...

Here are a few pictures of the crazy gang :)

AND NOW............ BABY BUMP!!!

i can't wait for her to just be here already! hopefully my next blog will be annoucing her arrival!!! :)

now you know my ABC's...

2007-11-06T09:17:00.000-08:00

I stole this from heather's myspace as well...not because i want to be like amy, but because i am trying to keep up with this blog and i don't have much to say about my life right now. so enjoy! :)

A - Age: 26
A - Annoyance: my alarm every morning
====================
B - Best feature: elbows maybe... i wouldn't lable anything "best"
B - Beer : gross
B - Birthday: april 16
====================
C - Crush: nick stokes on CSI
C - Car: 2002 Toyota Rav 4
C - Career: Teacher
=====================
D - Day or night: neither
D - Dream Car: Jetta
D - Dogs or Cats: dog FOR SURE
===================
E - Egg nog: gross, but i love the season it's in
E - Mail: i have a hard time keeping up with it
====================
F - Favorite color: red
F - Favorite Band: christopher hopper band! :)
====================
G - Guilt: taken away
G- Gummy Bears or Worms: bears!
====================
H - Hair Color: blond
H - Happy: extreemly
====================
I - Instrument: used to play the trumpet. but i consider my voice my instrument
I - Idol: my mom
====================
J - Jewelry: i love a good necklace or a nice pair of earings
J - Job: teacher, afterschool director, and worship leader
J - Jail: what about it?
====================
K - Kids: love them, but don't have any of my own yet
K - Kickboxing or karate: i am a lover not a fighter
K - Kindergarten: i remember being very anxious about learning to tie my shoes
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L - Longest Car Ride: from my parents house to PEI
L - Last Tear: yesterday...
=========================
M - Milk Flavor: chocolate!
M - Most missed memory: all 6 of my family members in the same house
M - Movie Last Watched: Transformers
===================================
N - Number of Siblings: 3
N - Number of Tattoos: none!
N - Nickname: bucky, freer, airhead
=======================
O - One wish: for mike and rachel to move to rochester
O - One regret: not going to my cousins wedding in october
====================
P - Piercings: ears
P- Pizza: um...yes please. it is best eaten in amy's living room while watching grey's
========================
R - Reason to smile: salvation
R - Reality TV Show: american idol
====================
S - Song Last Heard: fresh price of belair theme song
S- Smile Most when: let's face it, i laugh alot. doesn't take much for me to crack a smile
======================
T - Time you woke up: 7:30
T - Time Now: 3:17 pm
T - Time for bed: anytime can be bed time
=====================
U - Unpredictable: not normally
U - Underwear: yes...
========================
V - Vegetable you hate: tomato ( in the sause on my PIZZA!)
V - Vacation spot: my dream vacation? Mediteranian Cruise
==============
W- Worst habit: interupting someone while they are talking
W- Where are you going to travel: to pittsburg on thrusday!!!!!!!!
===================
X - X-Ray: my ankle once, and my knee too i think
====================
Y - Year it is now: 2007
Y - Yellow: "it's the color of the sun sun sun" - Barney the Dinosaur
==============
Z - Zoo Animal: elephants are my favorite
Z - Zodiac Sign: Aries

Happy Birthday Love

2007-11-05T08:57:00.001-08:00

Today is the Love-of-my-life's 27th birthday! Happy birthday Denis. I love you more today than ever. 5 days till Stevie Wonder!!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Karaoke, grills and uh-oh's

2007-10-30T10:29:00.000-07:00

We have had quite the eventful weekend at the Johnson Household this weekend. i am trying to say true to my promise and blog more. And just so everyone knows, since i wrote that blog i have been doing ok with my no more soda comment. I have actually cut down quite a bit. but andrea (my blog stalker) insisted that i crack down on myself more. So i actually haven't had a soda since my dinner with her saturday night. and that is BIG for me folks. HUGE!

ok..on with the story

Friday night denis and i decided to go to a dinner party with friends from church. i wasn't really in the mood to do much since the only thing i really wanted to be doing is driving to my parents house to see them. but i made the decision last minute that all that driving (cause they went to pittsburg) would make me even more exhausted than i already am. So come friday night, i was regretting my decision. But i sucked it up and we ventured over to our friends Nick and Sharon's house for a dinner party. Their house was beautiful and dinner was AMAZING! we were spoiled for sure. After dinner, WE SANG KARAOKE! Now this may come as a shock to you, but you couldn't get me off the microphone! SHOCKING! here are some of the songs i sang:

my baby loves me just the way that i am- Martina McBride
overjoyed- Stevie Wonder (denis and i sang this together....so sweet...)
joyful joyful- from sister act
any dream will do- from joseph
endless love- luthur vandross (i sang this with trina!)
my humps- by the black eyed pees (i sang this with bekah, and though of rachel the ENTIRE time)

i am sure i sang more, but i can't remember what they were...

the performance of the night though was when Leandra sang "gold digger" by 50 cent. ALL of us were on the floor bent over in laughter. could have possibly been one of the funniest things i have EVER witnessed...ever.

Saturday came and we layed around the house, went to the market (this weekend was the last weekend for the season...denis was sad...you should see our freezer. it is packed with amish goodies) then denis decided "lets go by a grill" he actually wanted a smoker, but i wanted the grill. so off we went to home depot and purchased a grill/smoker. Denis then proceeded to say " I am going to smoke everything" such a silly man.

Saturday night was church, and then we went out to an AMAZING restaurant called Edibles with Livi, Matt and Andrea. I had the best salmon EVER. the company was the best though.

I actually was able to sleep on in Sunday! but i did sing the last two services.

I spent the afternoon shopping with heather for invitations for her wedding. I think we finally feel like we have found what we want. so now...we just have to make them!

The weekend over all was relaxing, which was nice. but everything in me just wanted to be with my family. I was able to talk to them sunday a bit while they dined at my favorite Pittsburgh restaurant, Max and Ermas. I just miss everyone....sigh.

but yesterday (now onto my uh-oh) i realized that it was a very good thing that i didn't take my car to my parents house. Denis was driving the car back to church after dropping me off at home, and as he pulled into the parking lot, OUR CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE!...well the tire to be exact. yes...i said fire. there were apparently flames shooting out of the tire. It had been making a high pitched squeaking sound for about 2 weeks, but we brought it in and they said it will be ok for now, but we made an appointment for this wednesday. wednesday wasn't soon enough. we had to get it towed to our dealer and they currently are figuring out the problem. i don't know what i would have done if i had been driving it home and flames just started shooting out. i would have freaked. So i thank God for keeping me safe and denis safe.

this week as already had it's ups and downs...and it's only tuesday.

oh...and i decided what i am going to be for halloween...right rach :) hehehehe

ta ta for now

Top 5

2007-10-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

i have been trying to post pictures that i took with my new camera for days now, and i can't get it to work. but i have really neglected my blog lately, so i will post without pictures....i know...shocking. all my posts have pictures. So i will just give a little update on my life and the craziness that seems to follow me :)

Top 5 wonderful things happening:
1) Denis and I just celebrated our 1 year anniversary at the Father's House. i can't believe it has already been a year since we have been on staff. We are so in love with this church and it's people. It is a feeling that is pretty much indescribable. We have found such a family there. we are just loving it.
2) i am almost an AUNT! i can't wait to meet that beautiful little girl. as i wrote previously, i have alot of people around me that are either expecting or just had their baby. Still to go: Rachel, Nanette, Shira, and Sarah. babies babies babies. i love it
3) I just finished another great read by Nicolas Sparks. I just wish he wrote faster...we most likely have to wait until spring for another. write on nick. write on.
4) as i mentioned before I GOT A NEW CAMERA! yep. i purchased a Canon 20D. It is the same camera rachel shoots with. It is a great camera. Soon...i will show you a few pictures....soon...i hope....
5) I AM GOING ON VACATION! well...not for like 2 months, but still. Tickets are purchased. Hotel reserved. and i am counting down the days...

5 not so wonderful things happening:
1) the weather is getting cold....crud
2) i spend most of my days exhausted and dreaming of my bed.
3) i feel like i am missing out on so much of rachels pregnancy. i hate that she lives so far away...
4) my car is making funny noises. now i have to get up early and take it into the shop...i have never done that before. i mean i only just learned how to pump gas. geesh.
5) my husband is cheep. he would say he is money conscious. but really... he's cheep. so because he is cheep, our house is freezing. It is a bigger house and so i know it will cost more to heat, but really, do i have to walk around in layers so we can save a buck or two...

5 things that are really bothering me
1) John knows my nieces name
2) John knows my nieces name
3) John knows my nieces name
4) John knows my nieces name
5) John knows my nieces name

5 things i am going to try to start doing more often
1) visit my parents
2) eat healthier
3) blog more
4) putting in baby name guesses to rachel.
5) keep in touch with old friends

5 things i am going to stop doing
1) saying yes to everything
2) commenting on john's blog. he hasn't commented on mine in SO long. so i am done with his too. It can go both ways bucko. :)
3) drinking soda (this is going to be SOOOOOOO hard...)
4) hoping the eagles will win a game.
5) worrying

look for pictures soon

peace

best commercial ever

2007-10-12T10:20:00.001-07:00

this is by far the cutest commerical i have ever seen. Amy and i were talking about it, so i thought i would share it with all of you! ENJOY!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

2007-10-08T07:10:00.000-07:00

Happy 1 year Anniversary to two of my favorite people. I can't even believe that it has been a year already. I truly think that this holiday weekend is the best weekend of the entire year to get married. I have been to a wedding on this weekend for the last 4 years and every wedding has had beautiful weather. John and Amy had a picture perfect day. I love you both! enjoy your special day.

I'm a BIG girl now :)

2007-10-04T12:43:00.001-07:00

This post is LONG overdue, but life has been a whirl-wind of craziness since school began in September. But i did want to share with you my exciting news! no... i am not pregnant...BUT i do have a new baby... A NEW CAR! I am blessed beyond words and i still can't believe i am not only a lisenced driver, but that i now have my very own car. It is a 2001 Rav4. Denis and I love the fact that we now have a depenable car. My mom and dad came up last tuesday so my dad could test drive it and look under the hood and all that guy stuff. I just thought it looked cute. Denis just wanted something i felt safe in. We all won in the end. Thanks to my mom and dad for all your time and effort. I PROMISE i will come home more often now... i fear the lecture from my dad if i don't! YIKES! So here are a few pictures.

The last time i posted pictures of the inside of the house, but none of the outside. So i thought i would add it into this shot.

It's she a beauty. mom...while your in canada, i need a moose for my car. THANKS!

until next time...

The Baby Madness begins!

2007-09-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the my dear friends Laura and Marc and the birth of their precious baby boy, Malachi Isaac Falco. He graced us with his presence three weeks early on September 20th. He was 7lbs 5oz and 21 inches long. He is perfect. A full head of dark hair and the most perfect skin. Denis and I went to visit the new bundle of joy on Saturday before church and i did not want to leave him. Not one bit. He slept so peacefully the entire time we were there. The new mommy and daddy are wonderful, just a bit tired. They are all home safe and sound.

This is the first baby of 5 on their way.

Still to go:
Rachel
Tanya
Nanette
Sarah

Looking forward to posting pictures of all the new babies! Congrats again to Marc and Laura. Malachi doesn't even know how lucky he is to have you as parents!

An afternoon to remember

2007-09-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

This past sunday we celebrated a very special occasion with a very special lady. My sister is just weeks away from bringing in to this world what is sure to be the light of many lives. I think about this baby often. I wonder what she will look like, or what her first words will be. I think about the things she will enjoy doing, or what it will be like to see my dad as a grandpa. I was recently at a wedding...megan george's actually, and i got very emotional during the father daughter dance because all i could think of was mike someday doing the same thing with this precious little girl inside my sister's belly. I know that when i see rachel, all i do is call her fat :) (it is simply out of love!) but the fact of the matter is i can't think too long about what a miracle this really is without feeling a wave of emotions that i dare not let out. I can't wait for the day that i get to hold this little girl in my arms and introduce myself. I hope she likes me. i look like her mom... so i think she will. Rachel, i hope that you enjoyed your special celebration. I love you with all my heart!
here are some picture's from the day....

the best surprise ever... an unexpected guest that made the pregnant mom to be RUN to greet her... christy you will never know what that meant...

one of our crafts for the day. the guest book complete with a picture, a name for the baby and a note to the momma. allison LOVED getting that ready :)

our cupcake tree. i was very pleased with how they came out. The best part... those where brownie cupcakes. Thanks Jaime. It was the perfect touch.

mom-to-be, grammie-to-be, and aunt-to-be!

We had a onesie decorating contest! This was my original design! better see that baby wearing it!

another game had to do with babies frozen in icecubes. Megan GEORGE won that game.

The momma-to-be herself! looking beautiful at 7 months!

The White's! i am pretty sure Momma white is yelling at me because i MAY have said something about puerto ricans...but i just can't remember....

this is the worst part of living far from my mom...the goodbye's. they suck...

overall the day was quite a success thanks to Amy for the use of her home, to jaime for all of the last minute "chores" i gave her. To Allison for her scrapbooking skills, and to my mom for making the trip for the day. Thank you to all who were able to join us and to those who where there in spirit. Thank you most of all to mike for knocking rachel up! :) hahahahahaha

Heather and Tony

2007-09-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

Recently (last sunday) one of my closest friends in the whole world GOT ENGAGED! and boy did she find an incredible man. The more i get to know tony, the more i love him. They are absolutly a perfect fit for eachother. They have planned a wedding for May 31 and i was honored to be asked to be a part of it. Here are a few engagement pictures that i took for the happy couple on saturday.

The Johnson Crib

2007-08-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

that title was just for you ashley

*a little blog disclaimer: I am not posting these picture IN RESPONSE to rachel's recent house pictures. I was planning on posting these pictures on the weekend, but after rachel posted her pictures, i did not want to seem like the "one up" girl. :) so now that rachel has posted a belly update, i am free to share my pictures!

ok

now on with the show

Denis and I just recently moved about 5 houses up the street from our last house ( our 4th house in a mile radius...so pathetic) but we are LOVING the new house. We will be here for a while for sure. i will put some before and after pictures up. Before i do i have a few people that i need to thank. 1) My mother. she has been a trooper. she has been up twice since the move and she has made things happen. She unpacked my kitchen, painted our downstairs bathroom, helped me decorate and brought yummy snacks! (that is very important! I am sure Amy agree's!) It was just a great excuse for us to see eachother! Thanks Momma! 2) Marc and Andrea. They took an entire day and painted our bedroom while denis and i were at work! Thank you guys! I owe you.

This is the living room

The Dining Room

The Downstairs bathroom

The Upstairs bathroom

This next room had the most dramatic change, so i will put a before and after photo.

Before

It had that ugly green carpet that made my allergies go bonkers. The people before us had a cat, not that i have anything agaist them, i am just allergic to them. Thanks for the good genes mom! :) Plus it had that terrible wood paneling... so outdated... so...we made a few changes...

After

We put in new carpet and painted! it is still in great neeed of new curtains and decorations. It is still a work in progress, but i just love it! it is my favorite place to be. You can't see but the room is quite long, not in the picture is denis closent and a little reading nook with a chair in it.

Moving was the most stressful thing i have ever done, but it was so worth it! COME VISIT!

"Just short of a Decade"

2007-07-31T17:25:00.001-07:00

"Just short of Decade"...The words that came out of Ben Faro's mouth when he found out i had PASSED MY DRIVERS TEST! That's right folks. I am now a lisenced driver at the rip old age of 26. I don't feel too busy to be completly honest. My sister seemed to have no problem handing over her keys just hours after my test. Neither did Leandra. So if you have read john's blog at all lately, you will already know the story i am about to tell you. Leandra went with me to take my test because i was the most comfortable with her car. So we went to the test site and i left leandra there on the side of the road in the middle of no where while i took my test. the test guy was super nice which was an answer to prayer. The test itself went quite well. The only thing i didn't do correctly was stop at the white line in an intersection, i stopped at the crosswalk instead. BUT in my defense, the light had turned yellow as i was approching and i didn't think it wise to try and make it, so i slowed to stop and i didn't want to slam on my breaks, so i didn't stop in time. oh well.. I STILL PASSED! BUT the story doesn't end there. i went right to john and amy's house to tell them and rach the good news, and leandra turned to me as we got out of the car and said, "since you are a big girl now, you can be in charge of the keys." so i put them in my purse. Then moments later i said to myself "self, you don't need to bring in your whole purse, just your phone to call denis, larry and andrea" so that's just what i did. i left the keys in the car. and got out. i DID NOT press a lock key though, so i thought i was safe. we hung out for a bit, then i had to go to work, so i went to leave. WELL... apparently leandra's car locks after like 20 second of the door closing automatically. so...the keys were locked in folks. Rach had to use her AAA to get the door unlocked. She took the blame for me...well acutally i think she told the guy it was her baby's fault! nice rach, nice. But since then, i have been doing pretty well.

here i a cartoon i found that i feel is suitable for this blog:

Leandra's spare keys...in the car.... sigh

Also, denis and i just got back from Dallas, a blog about our amazing trip is soon to come.

Denis and i are also in the midst of moving into another house, so things are wild and crazy in these parts. I will post pictures of the house too when we are moved in.

I will see you all on the road :)

Now that's talent....

2007-07-17T17:22:00.001-07:00

Talk about alot of talent in a little body. I saw this and immediatly thought about my neice. I can't wait to meet her... so this video is dedicated to her.

Kristen and Adam 7/7/07

2007-07-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

Since i have failed to blog recently, i will post a few pictures from the wedding for your enjoyment, since i don't really have anything exciting to tell you ...besided that we have a phantom pooper roaming among us at summer camp... i will just have pictures until further notice :)

The Happy Couple

Here are the pictures that i took myself ...notice i am in them all... :)

A few detail shots

Congrats to the Happy Couple. Your next job as a married couple is to move back to New York!

High School Musical!!!

2007-06-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

As promised, an update from the good twin on our trip to "the burgh". (that's short for Pittsburgh for you slow folks) Oh yes, on June 8th, Jamie and I were off to Pittsburgh for a fun filled weekend with Rachie and Mike and Kemper! It was an adventure from the start. Jaime and i drove straight into the torrential down pour! It was quite scary for a little bit. But by God's grace, we were right near a rest stop and we pulled over and waited it out. It took us over 5 hours to get there...it sucked, but we made the best of it.

This is us driving into the eye of the storm...

When we arrived, the Shipman's were anxiously awaiting our arrival! We stayed up talking FAR to long before we headed to bed.

The next morning we got up and headed to a local park for a fun picnic and games and playing with kemper...or so we thought. we arrived and there we "no pets" signs everywhere. we decided to ignore them at first, but we started feeling guilty so we left and had a nice cookout at the house. Later on we headed out to the city to get a good parking spot! Rach was quite nervous as we so left two hours early! we had PLENTY of time to park and eat at Max and erma's! (well rach and i knew that we had plenty of time, but jaime was quite nervous that we would be late!)

Us at Max and Erma's...boy i love that soup...

Well as you guessed, we arrived right on time! Didn't have to wait at all. We got our seats and moments later the show began. It was a bit cheesy, but i wan't really expecting it not to be. We sang and laughed (alot) and had a great time! Thanks for the tickets Rachie! You are the bestest.

The weekend went by far to quickly for my liking. We went to church the next morning, had ANOTHER cookout, just as good as the first i might add. Then we were back in the car heading home. No rain this time! :)

New Furniture!

2007-06-10T20:39:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a wonderful trip to Pittsburg (which you will be hearing about shortly, i promise!) and we had new furniture! I am so excited that we were finally able to get it. Thanks to Larry and Nathan for all your assistance. I owe you both! Here are a few pictures of the room. They are comfortable too! check um out FOLKS! (that was just for you john)

The new look

2007-06-07T14:48:00.001-07:00

John showed me today how to give my blog a bit of a face lift. So i experimented and here ya go. Hope you enjoy the new "me"

Memorial Day weekend

2007-06-06T08:11:00.001-07:00

Sorry my second update has taken so long to post. Life got away from me once again! I hope you all enjoyed the lovely picture of Rachel from my first update, i think it is one of the funniest pictures ever, sorry rach. :)

Anywho, we had a great weekend! Sunday was incredible because we had the whole gang there. I couldn't beleive it when i found out that josh was home! i have missed that kid. I didn't get to see him a whole lot, but i will take what i can get these days. Sunday was a lazy day, we ate, got icecream, layed around (rach layed on the floor, as you've seen...) and then Rachel left for home. So i didn't get to see her much either. BUT i am spending this weekend with her in Pittsburg. HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL HERE WE COME! I am totally stoked to visit.

Kemper at our picnic...grampa taught kemper to beg...way to go gramps.

me and rach...just layin around...being goofy

me and kemper kemper

Monday i spent the morning with my momma shopping and working in the garden. We also washed the car's and relaxed a bit more. My daddy took me out driving! Driving standard that is. It was not as easy as i thought it would be, that's for sure. My dad was very patient with me as my mom stood by and watched. Apparently she thought it would be great entertainment to watch me learn. :) Thanks for your support mother!

this truck was NOT easy to learn on..i am pretty sure it took me like 5 tries to get it onto the pavement here...plent of time for momma to snap a picture!

That evening, allison left and it was just me and the rents. My mom and I watched CSI and got into this lifetime movie. We stayed up far too late, but it was totally worth it.

The next morning i was on my way home. It was a quick trip but a great one! I will be home again soon for a wedding. Can't wait mom! I miss you already!

Weekend update #1

2007-05-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

I will post a longer overview of my memorial day soon, but until then, i wanted to give you a little taste of what it was like being home and seeing the mother of my future neice or nephew...yes i am coming to terms with the fact that this baby MIGHT be a boy...even though i am still rooting for a girl. so here is a nice pic Rachel enjoying some down time from our busy weekend...

The poor dear was so tired that she crashed right on our living room floor. She was KNOCKED OUT (and knocked up...um...sorry...bad joke...) She then woke up and drove home. Yes folks, she did make it home safe and sound. More about my weekend to come.

Everything I need to know I learned TEACHING pre-k

2007-05-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

You may have read the popular poem titled "All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten." And how true that is. Things such as: play fair, share, flush, wash your hands, say you're sorry, clean up your own mess, take a nap every afternoon (i learned that one REAL well), and when you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick togther. How true all of these are. Yet, how often do we forget these basic rules. More often that we should maybe. But after a year of teaching this particular Pre-K class, there are many MORE things i have learned that I will take with me on this journey called "Life." And here are just a few of those things:

1) A simple smile goes a long way

2) My definition of emergency is much different than a 5 year old

3) Saying Sorry isn't as hard as we make it out to be, and what a differnce a simple word can make.

4) Admitting a 5 year old is right and you are wrong...also not easy

5) Patience is TRULY a virtue

6) Laughing when a child does something naughy makes it IMPOSSIBLE to then punish them

7) Hearing a child laugh can at times be such a beautiful sound, and othertimes it resembles crashing gong.

8) Teaching is the best form of birth control EVER

9) According to my students, i am the most beautiful woman alive

10) When you have a square rug, yet you call it "Circle Time"...kids don't fall for it...

Last night we had our Graduation Ceremony here at Pearce 4 Kids. It was a crazy day getting all the last minute details in order, but it was well worth the ciaos. Here are a few pictures from our ceremony and a few of my favorites from the year.

Here are the Graduates! (the front row are my students)

Here is a picture I took when we were practicing wearing our hats AND singing, (notice my little model in the front row...she is a mini Punky Brewster!)

ok, i know that the first rule of teaching is to NOT have favorties, but really secretly everyone does have a favorite, well here is mine. He is the sweetest child and he is so cute and i melt when he says my name. I teared up last night when he said to me in his little voice "Miss Becca, I love you and I am really going to miss you..." I melted. I will miss him so very much.

We went on a field trip to a local gymnastics class, and this was a foam put they had. You couldn't get in it if you were over 100 pounds or you can't get out easily...i didn't get it....

cutie....

this says it all about him... it says it ALL :)

And to conclude this post, I will share with you a few of my favorite quotes from the year.

"Miss Becca, are you having a bad hair day?"

(This next quote is from a former student who was at graduation):

Former student: "Miss Becca, are you getting bigger?"

Me: "Oh! Do I look taller?!?!"

Former Student: "oh...well that too..."

Me: uh...maybe (uncomfortable laugh)

" MISS BECCA! I have to go to the bathroom now, my pee pee can't take it anymore!"

let me preface this next one with a few details: This child was wearing my patience thin and i had had about enough, so i called him over, and this is what he said:

(child slowly approaches, when he reaches where i am standing, he puts his little hands on his little hips) and said: "This had better be good"

"Um, miss becca, i have a question... um....uh....uh (seriously, like a minute of this goes on, while i just wait patiently for his question) well...i can't remember what the question is, but the answer is George W. Bush!"

On one of the last days of school, a mother in the class made T-Shirts for each of us to wear on the last day of school. So the day before, I held up MY shirt before handing out each of theirs, and this is the conversation we had:

Me: look boys and girls! Here is the shirt that was made for us! I want each of you to wear it on our last day of school!

Child: Um...that shirt looks like it will way to big on us. It looks like it could fit a man.

Me: This is my shirt

Child: Oh, it will fit you too i guess. but mine needs to be MUCH smaller.

Last night at graduation, we sang a beautiful song about how Jesus died for us, and we also did the sign language to it. We sang through the song twice, but at the end of our first time, one of my students yelled out "don't clap yet, that's not all folks!" I died laughing. oh kids are so unpredictable...

my favorite quote of the year is: "Just so you know miss. becca, I am a way better singer that you. You may sing on stage at church, but i will be the next americal idol."

I am really going to miss these kids!

"Rochester...." "RHINO'S"

2007-05-08T15:09:00.000-07:00

I am really going to try and get better at this blogging thing....so here we go, two post's in one month! Eat that for breakfast JOHN!

Last Friday Heather and Tony took us out for a night on the town...well....really just to a Rochester Rhino's game...but it WAS in town! :) Anyway, for those who don't know who the Rhino's are, they are our local soccer team.
Our evening began with dinner at Tony's...two LARGE pizza's for FOUR people!...The sad thing folks, we ate most of it... but boy was it good. Then we were off to our game!

Denis accused me of not paying attention to the game...don't i look like i am paying very close attention!....

It was a tad bit cold at the game, so we came prepared. Denis snuggled up nicely (he offered me the CORNER of the blanket) with heather's nice dolphin blanket.

The Rhino's ended up in a Tie (1-1).

This is me and heather eating COTTON CANDY!...i really go to sporting events for the snacks...we had fried dough the second half...

This guy looked just like Willie Wonka! Otherwise known as Gene Wilder. It was pretty funny!

again...me and denis!

Me and Heather!

And the couple of the evening, Tony and Heather. Thank you so much Tony for taking us to the game. We had an incredible time!

Also, while we were at the game...we were being stalked by John and Amy. Denis got up to get hot chocolate, and when he came back to the seat, i got a phone call from Amy asking what denis got from the consession stand...freaky huh. They saw when we got our cotton candy too. I think amy secretly wished she was sitting with US instead of you-know-who...

Now here's something to blog about!

2007-05-01T13:57:00.000-07:00

I know that i am rusty at this blogging stuff, but as i said, I've got something to blog about! This past weekend, two of my favorite people got hitched. The celebrations began the night before at the rehearsal dinner. Since Amy and I were wives of groomsmen, we were eachother's dates...at least that way we knew we would get some attention. :) So Amy and I went to the resturant to meet up with the boys, and being the punctual ladies that we are, we were the first ones there. Soon the whole gang showed up and then the real party began. Let just say that we were the rowdy, loud, and obnoxious table that EVERYONE wanted to be around! We laughed hard, ate GREAT food and just had a blast.Here are a few pictures from the evening.

The Lovely bride to be and the Handsome Groom to be

Me and the now Mrs. Moore

Amy through the drinking glass.

It was an evening wedding, so fortunatly i was able to sleep in and recover from the crazy night before... as a side note: One of my favorite parts of the weekend was the fact that Rachel was the photographer from the wedding, so she was up from tuesday to sunday. I was spoiled seeing her that long... anyway...back to the wedding... My hot date (Amy again) came over around 3:00. We finished getting ready and off we went. Of course we were able to get great seats cause we were there early. John even met us at the door looking handsome in his tux. Rach was hard at work taking pictures and I was ready for this wedding! The ceremony was simple and traditional, yet touching and beautiful. Of course there were a few personal touches which included a original song, a slide show and a roaring "Waway" (or however you spell it) when Larry and Andrea kissed. Here are a few pictures from the wedding day.

this is just a glimps into how the Moore's behaved during pictures.... Larry and Nathan were acutally behaving themselves in this shot!

I just have to say...this man was MADE for a tuxedo.

Me and my HOT date.

The reception was out in the middle of nowheresville, but the location was so beautiful. We may have gotten a bit lost on the way there, but we eventually found it! One of my favorite parts was how Andrea and Larry Roasted all their wedding party. It was so creative. If i could go back and get married again, i would steal so many of their idea's. It was such a celebration of love and friendships. Congrats to the happy couple. I love you both so very much.

4 years and going strong

2006-12-18T20:59:00.000-08:00

This is Denis and I this year at Josh's graduation

This was taken by rachel the christmas after our engagement...wow...look how short his hair is!

This is us last year at Nanette and Gabe's wedding. Denis was MADE for a tuxedo!

This was also taken last year over the summer when our family was getting family pictures taken. What a hottie he is!

It is hard to believe that only 4 years ago I was putting all of the finishing touches on my big day. For anyone who knew me 4 years ago, they would know that i was a tad bit stressed and overwhelmed with wedding plans, but still crazy excited about becoming Mrs. Denis Johnson. These past 4 years have had their ups and downs, there good times and bad, but i can say with all confidence that i am a better person now because Denis is in my life, so this blog is dedicated to my hot husband.

So, i thought i would take this opportunity to share with you a few of the things i have learned each year of my marriage! Here we go!

Year One:
- I learned that Denis will ask me everytime i go to the bathroom if i washed my hands AND check to see if the bar of soap is indeed wet.
- I learned never to put the peanut butter knife into the jelly jar WITHOUT cleaning it off first.
- Denis does indeed know everything there is to know about the cosby show.
- Denis does not like doing dishes, but he sure does know how to cook
- I learned that you have to choose your battles and not make a big deal out of little things.
- Money doesn't grow on trees
- i also learned that moving sucks

Year Two:
- Laughing with my husband is one of my favorite things in the world.
- I came to grips with the fact that i really stink at cooking
- I am extreemly sensitive
- I learned that a quiet night at home can be better than any extravagant night out
- Being in weddings in EXPENSIVE!... very very expensive...
- I now know eveything there is to know about the cosby show
- money still doesn't grow on trees

Year Three:
- Alias is the great show ever made
- I LOVE decorating for Christmas, and denis does not
- Denis looks good even with long flowing dreads, if not better than when we first got married
- Weddings are still expensive
- Having a spouse in college is hard...really hard...but i couldn't have been more proud to see him walk across that stage at graduation
- When driving in the car for significant amount of time, it is better if i sleep! it is the best for all.
-Moving still sucks!
- It is a bad thing when you forget your anniversary...

Year Four:
- I learned that my memory is fading and fast
- Sometimes stepping out in faith is hard, but it is exciting to see the Lord move in our lives
- I learned that my husband has so much wisdom, and that even if some things are hard to hear for the moment, that every word is truth and i needed to hear it.
- I was reminded over and over again what a silly man i married. we laughed ALOT.
- I learned that communication will never stop being important.
- The Philidelphia Eagles are the greatest football team ever!
- Our dream of working side by side in ministry finally became a reality
- Money may not grow on trees still, and it may make the world go round, but we have learned to make every dollar count.
- I have learned that Denis is the greatest man i have ever known and i am truly the luckiest woman alive.

I am more in love today that i was 4 years ago but not as much as I will be tomorrow or the day after that. Everyday i learn something new about life, marriage and my husband. I don't know what this next year will hold, but i don't need to know all those detials to know that my life is complete just being with Denis. The Lord has blessed us abundantly in life and for that we are truly thankful.

I love you denis. Even if i could, i wouldn't change a thing about these last 4 years. you have taught me so much about myself and what is truly important in life. You have taught me live for the moment but to dream big. You give me confidence, you give unselfishly, and you love me with all that you are. You are the love of my life and i will love you forever. Happy Anniversary baby. ( i remembered this year! YEAH)

How much have i changed in 10 years....

2006-11-07T13:40:00.000-08:00

10 years ago.....

How old were you?: 15 1/2

Where did you go to school?: Allegany-Limestone Central School (GO GATORS)

Where did you work? In the winter i worked at O'Dea's Snow Tubing Hill... i hate the cold to... Lets just say I wasn't the BEST worker they ever had... But boy was I entertaining! :)

Where did you live?: At home with my parents. I beleive around then we had just gotten our new house! YEAH!

Where did you hang out?: At home or at Perkins...mostly home though.

How was your hair style: um...i believe it was shoulder length and blond because i used "sun in"....man...anyone remember Sun-In?!?!?! crazy....

Did you wear glasses?: I HAD glasses, but NEVER wore them....

Who was your regular-person crush? I was in love with Mike Bartz from 7th to 11th grade. But i believe i was dating Jason Hoffmire at this point in my life.

How many tattoos did you have?: NONE!

How many piercings did you have?: just my ears

What car did you drive? um.... I was only 15. i couldn't drive yet DUH!

What was your worst fear?: Not being liked

Had you smoked a cigarette?: nope

You been arrested?: Gosh no

Had your heart broken?: unfortunatly

Single/Taken/Married/Divorced/Bitter?: Taken...kind of...he had left for the navy... we never did really break-up....just kinda stopped talking...hope he doesn't still think we are dating...that might be a little wierd....

**HA HA HA!!! LETS SEE WHAT YOU ARE NOW !!!!!**

How old are you?: 25 1/2

Where do you work?: Pearce 4 Kids

Where do you go to school?: NO WHERE! I actually teach school now....look how the tables have turned!

Where do you live?: North Chili NY

Where do you hang out?: church mostly. and applebees! :) and at home with my hubby

Do you wear glasses? still don't wear them...don't even have a clue where they would be....

What is your hairstyle?: semi-long, and brown....not by my choice though...just the way it turned out when i colored it myself.

Still talk to any of your old friends?: Just a few of them. I guess only a few decided to stick around! :)

How many piercings?: just my ears still....but if you ask John, my voice is piercing as well...whatever!

How many tattoos: none!

What is your biggest fear?: Losing someone I love

Has your heart been broken?: Yes

Single/Taken/Married/Divorced/Bitter: MARRIED!!!!!!!!! to the most wonderful man alive. we are coming up on our 4 year anniversary!!!! I am so lucky....

How sweet it is....

2006-10-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

I know i haven't written a blog in sometime now...june to be exact...but i promised some very special friends of mine that they would have an appearance on my blog in honor of their wedding. Here are a few pictures that really help capture the day, if you want to see more, check out rachel's blog at www.fotogirl14.blogspot.com.

Enjoy!

Here is the whole crew in all it's glory. We are one good looking bunch if i may say so myself!!!! It was perfect weather for a perfect day! :)

Awwwww.....so cute! John complained that you can't see anyones face but i just love this picture! Great pic rach. You're a good kid, i don't care what they say about ya!

This is amy walking down the path to meet her handsome groom. I was told not to watch...but i did...sorry john. It was a special moment i am sure. Amy was such a beautiful bride....one of the prettiest i have seen...and i have seen alot of them! :)

2006-10-24T14:46:00.000-07:00

Just the 4 of us at the end of the evening... when john saw this he said "look, each twin went to the side of the person that likes them the most..." you know what i have to say to that... THATS FINE WITH ME SUCKER! :)

I took this picture during Amy's brother dance. Ben is offically one of the funniest people i know. He really is. Of course, he smiled for the camera! CHEESE! Oh and ben, if you are reading this, my husband is not related to Bob Marley!

Oh... I know this look all to well. And for anyone who wasn't there, this look is once again directed at me. i have no idea what i did, but it was obviously something that John felt the need glare at me for...HAPPY WEDDING DAY GRUMPY PANTS!

When rachel emailed me this picture, her caption was "this is the picture where fervent prayer was happening" I think he was extreemly concerned for his cousins well being...amen brother...amen.

This picture has a funny story. When i first asked for picture from rachel, i specifically asked for a picture from the canal. When i told rachel this, she said "I think I only have one, but Johns Fat arm is in the way of Amy's face" exact words folks. Well i just laughed at that. So then rachel felt bad for what she said, but soon decided that she didnt feel AS bad cause she felt like she was getting back at john for calling amy's face big....that is another story for another time... But after she sent it to me she realized that his "fat" arm wasnt really covering amy's face. but it is still a funny story!

Congrats to the mr an mrs. I love you both so much. Thanks for letting me be a part of your special day!

Pomp and Circumstance....

2006-06-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

"Joshua Stephen Freer"

They called his name and across the stage he went. It didn't even seem real. My little brother, a high school graduate. He looked as handsome as ever in his bright pink tie he wore in honor of his girlfriend who couldn't be there. I could not have been more proud of him at that moment. My brother...all grown up.

It was a family affair. It began with a graduation party on saturday. Denis and I arrived fashionably late due to a tire malfuncion on the way there. The yard was full of friends and family. It was thrilling to see so many family memebers there. Family I hadn't seen in years. We ate, told stories, laughed and played games... mostly bocce ball...thanks to my brother in law!...he is a whole other story. He said he wanted to spend his weekend making sure he had the position of our family clown. Mission accomplished. Don't believe me, come over sometime, i will show you the "graduation video" aka "The Mike Shipman Extravaganza!" Hysterical.

Some might say i am a TAD bit overprotective. I have spend years attempting to chase girls away from josh, hanging up the phone on them. Putting on my tough girl face to scare them away. I must say though, i do LOVE his current companion. She is awesome. I would like to keep her around. BUT, I still enjoy being the over protective big sis. I love him to death. Don't believe me...check my wallet...case in point.

It isn't often that i get to make the trip home with Denis. I am pretty sure this weekend was the first time he was in Allegany on a sunday morning. Of course we put him to work. Rach, mike, denis and I all sang together for the first time, just the 4 of us, at good old Allegany Baptist Church. Practice was no fun, but the real deal came out just fine....but according to rach i was a microphone hog. Sorry rach...

Here is one final picture of the Handsome Graduate. So long allegany-limestone. The freers have left the building. Try not to miss us too much! :)

Josh, if you are reading this. I am so proud of you. I love you so much and that will never change.

Alive and Kickin'

2006-06-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

Hello out there!!! I must begin (once again) by begging for your forgiveness in the area of keeping up with this blog. I guess I just don't find that I have anything interesting to say!! But I want to be true to my fans (no autographs please) and give you an update.

It is sad, but true that my good pal john is retiring from the blog business... let us pause for a moment of silence....

Ok...enough of that. But anyway, he has written his final blog, or so he says, and john, you will be missed. I will miss our Fridays when you call me into your office to read your blog as you watch me practically cry with laughter each week. (He knows that I think he is so funny. and he gets an ego boost when he watches me read it). But to keep a long explanation short, I am saying farewell to my good friend’s blog. BUT in honor of John, I am going to steal his format for this blog...in honor of him of course, not just cause I wanna be like him, cause that is just nonsense!
So here we go...

Apology of the week:I think that I already did that in the beginning, but I will once again apologize for not keeping up with this blog as I should. There is just no excuse for it! I guess I figure writing no blog at all is better than writing a dull one. I will try my best to keep up with it in the future. Try is the key word there...

Embarrassing story of the week...well actually month:The other day after a Wednesday evening church service at The Father's House, Denis and I went out to dinner with our good friends Matt and Andrea. We had a great time catching up and we were out far past my bed time, and I just can't be held accountable for what I say or do after about 10 at night. So anyway, I am not quite sure HOW we got on the subject of albino's, but we did and Denis made a comment about this black woman he knew that was an albino, to which I quickly corrected him saying that if you are black then you can't be albino. In my head that just made no sense. How can you be black and albino at the same time? (Even though I am black and white at the same time....hehehe) Denis just gave me this look, that said "wow, I can't believe you just said that you ignorant boob." I know he wanted to say it out loud, but his look said it all for him. You would think that most people would just stop talking, but oh no, it was 12:30 and I just kept going insisting that I was right and he was wrong. Well, that got me nowhere, as usual, and by the end of the conversation Denis, Andrea and matt were begging me to just stop talking cause I was just making myself look like a fool... Looking back, that is exactly how I feel.

Quote of the month: This came from one of my students during their graduation. To preface this, what happens is my students were all up on stage at their graduation ceremony and they were getting ready to receive their diploma. I call their name and they come down and get their diploma from me, pose for a picture and then go sit with their parents. This story is about a little boy, let’s call him bobby.

Me: Bobby Jo Johnson (not his real name OF COURSE)...This is his cue to come down...well he just stood there
Me (again): Bobby Jo Johnson (he then proceeded to shake his head at me)
Me (holding the microphone away from my mouth) come on, you have to come down.
Bobby: No
Me: Bobby, come on, lets go
Bobby: Ok (and he makes his way down)
Me: Congratulations! Here is your diploma
Bobby: I don’t want it
Me: Huh
Bobby: I don’t want it, you keep it (and then he proceeded to walk away from me to sit with his mom, leaving me standing like a dweeb in front of a few hundred people.)
I guess I can’t expect a graduation with 3,4 and 5 year olds to go perfect.

Congrats of the week:First I would like to congratulate John. John is being ordained as a Free Methodist Pastor this weekend!!! He has worked so hard in seminary, believe me folks, he is a verse memorizing CHAMP! But really, I am so proud of you. You are going to be a wonderful pastor!
Second, a congrats goes out to Larry, Andrea, Heather, and myself for graduating from The Summit this week. The Summit was a 6 month program to teach us about leadership in ministry. I must admit, I wanted to quit a few times since it took the place of my date night, but I stuck through it and I am so glad I did. I really did learn a lot. So congrats to ME!

Jealous moment of the week:I actually don’t think I am quite over this yet, but I am doing better then I was at first. Let me take you back a few weeks where our story really begins. My friends John and Amy have been planning for a while to go down to Pittsburg and visit Rachel and Mike. Way back in March I asked if I could go with them when they picked a weekend. John was hesitant cause he didn’t want to spend 4 hours in a car with me. That and he has this complex where he thinks Amy is mean to him when I am around, which is just crazy talk in my opinion. Well a few weeks ago, John and I are having lunch, and he says to me:

John: So we picked a weekend to go and see Rach and Mike
Me: REALLY!!!! WHEN!?!?!?!
John: May 26th through the 29th
Me: oh…I can’t go
John: really? Why?
Me: I have a concert
John: Oh, in Springville, with Christopher on Friday night?
Me: (suddenly very confused cause I NEVER mentioned it before to him) yeah… how did you….
John: (who suddenly has a smug grin across his face) so you can’t go huh
Me: (now yelling) YOU PICKED A WEEKEND I COULDN’T GO ON PURPOSE!!!!
John: it was just the best weekend for us. And you just happen to have plans too. Sorry bec….

SORRY! WHATEVER YOU WEREN’T SORRY! But…like I said, I am getting over it. I am over the fact that you had a great time. I am over the fact that you saw their new house before I did. I am over the fact that you like Rachel better… I am over it…almost

Also, I am having a really hard time with the fact that EVERYONE is having babies. I can count about 6 off the top of my head that are due within the year. I have baby fever. I want a baby and I want one NOW! I guess I will just wait until John and Amy are married and then Amy and I can have a baby together. Right Amy… 

Well I guess that is all folks. I had a great time visiting my parents for an ENTIRE week. It was so nice to be back in Allegany. I was tempted to use a quote from my dad and a quote from Rachel as my quote of the week, but I found it inappropriate for all viewing audiences. I am pretty sure my dad would disown me if I put his quote up for all to see. But lets just say, it was a side of my father I had never seen before, and don’t care to see again anytime soon!

Until next time

Stay Classy San Diego