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Saturday, May 31, 2008

HAIR

Some of you may know who does my hair, and some of you may go to her as well, but I have to say that she is the best hair girl ever...I know she is my sister-in-law, and my friend, and I really like her in spite of the whole hair thing...but she is FANOMINAL...she is the best colorist, the best stylist, the best conversationalist,(which has to be a must with some one who does your hair), and she is funny and beautiful and I just can't say enough good things about her, so I thought I would show you how great of a job she does...because a picture says a thousand words...( I did take this myself, but I am not in focus which is fine because I was focusing on my hair and they turned out good, just take a look at that color and cut...)
Thank You so much Coartney...love you!



Thursday, May 29, 2008

Kindergarten Graduation

Elise has graduated from Kindergarten and will be in the 1st grade next year. They do a little program for the parents on the last day so we can see how cute they all are. As you can see Elise with her classmates singin' a song for all of us...she looks so intent.


This is Elise's wonderful teacher, Mrs. Dean. She was so great and Elise is reading really well now . Elise's really good friend Sidney is also in the picture.


This is Elise's cousin, Emma. She also graduated Kindergarten...Emma is Nathan's brother Jared's little girl. Aren't they cute?

Elise and I after the program. Nathan and Emmy and Grandma Wright were also there, along with Emma's family. (We look a little alike, don't you think?)




Sunday, May 25, 2008

Diggin'

So while I was making 8 dinners, my friend, Collette's two girls came over, and they had found ways to entertain themselves and stay out of my way, seeing as how I was intensely engrossed in making pasta dishes for my freezer group (www.justfreezeit.blogspot.com). So when Collette called to say she wanted the girls to go home, I found a minute to check on them, I went outside to find them all diggin' in the dirt...(oh and Nathan was out there keeping track of all of them.) So, next time you want your kids to do some manual labor, just send them over and I will put them to work...


Emmy and Anthony Diggin'...Anthony is my friend, Collette's little boy...Look at how great Emmy is working...she is a real good digger, comes from good, strong stock. We Johnson women were always having to dig our cars out of the driveway, but we were digging snow...not dirt.


Thursday, May 22, 2008

The continuing battle of the bulge...

(this isn't the best picture, and yes I am a dork, but that is Jaimee)

Well, so here's the scoop, as many of you know, I struggle with over-eating, eating too much during stressful times and choosing unhealthy foods. Well my sister-in-law, Jaimee, who is married to my brother Jared, read my posts on this blog and offered to help me with my battle. I gave her a hard time at first because I thought she wanted me to eat too much food, but in the end I tried it her way, and after 1 week I had lost 4+ pounds. I have been doing it her way for about 3 weeks now and I must say that I feel a lot better, and I am eating better, and I am exercising daily. She has totally helped me get through some issues, and has helped me to see past the emotional eating...I am amazed at what she knows and her diligence in helping me. We probably e-mail about 3-7 times a day, and she is so willing to give me great ideas and thoughts and advice.
I can not express my gratitude to her and how she has helped me to stay the course and persevere. I feel confident in my pursuit of the body I want. Not only that, but she has helped me to find inner strength and push past my feelings that make me want to eat everything in sight. I am so grateful for her and her willingness to help me with this struggle. The sad part is that she lives in Pennsylvania and I am not sure when she will get to see the progress I have made in my pursuit of a healthier body...thank you Jaimee.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Maryn's Birthday

Leah, Dylan, Maryn

Well, my brother's little girl, Maryn, turned 6 yesterday, and I thought it would be fun to take the kids to a movie. I got Kade and Elise out early from school, and went to pick up Maryn and her sister, Leah. ( For some reason the Tempe school district has the students get out of school early on Wednesday's, which worked out good because 1. it was Maryn's birthday and 2. we could go to a matinee at the theatre.) So I picked up the kids and headed for Wal-Mart so the kids could pick out a treat for the movie...a treat at a reasonable price, that is...not movie prices. And then we headed over to the theatre to see Dr. Seuss Horton Hears a Who. We got settled and we were a bit early so the kids were running around chasing each other for about 45 min...luckily no one else was in the theatre yet. (I wouldn't have let them run around if there were people in there.)

So the movie starts and all is well, only a couple trips to the bathroom and drinking fountain, by MY children. As the movie continues to progress, I am thrilled with what I am hearing,( and its not just a Who), Horton is telling his little mouse friend that once he commits to something he does it 100 percent, even if the whole jungle is mad at him for something that seems unexplainable and completely ludicrous, a whole world on a spec, but Horton just continued to say... "I said what I meant and I meant what I said, An elephant is faithful 100%."

So Horton continues to follow through with what he promised to do, and the Kangaroo is so angry, she says that if you can't see it or hear it , then it is not true, (something to that effect). As the story goes, the whole jungle ends up finding Horton before he can finish what he wants to do and they stop him and ridicule him. They are going to cage him and hurt him. But to stop all this, all he has to do is tell everyone that what he said is NOT TRUE, that what he KNOWS to be TRUTH, is not true and then they will leave him alone...

So...you know how it ends, Horton is being tormented and caged, but he stood by what he knew to be truth and the Jungle Animals finally heard the WHO's, they heard the truth...and all is well because... "An elephant is faithful 100%."

As I thought about this little children's story...how much can I learn from the Elephant...Am I willing to be Faithful to the truth that I KNOW, even if it may sound incredulous to some, Am I willing to be faithful 100%, at the cost of ALL? Do I mean what I say and say what I mean...Am I Faithful 100%? The lessons of life that I have been taught in recent months has helped me to know that I AM willing to give ALL that is required to stand for the Truth that I KNOW. How great is it that we can teach our little ones that they can stand for the truth that they KNOW, even if it means that they might have to be "caged" and "poked with sticks".

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Gratitude

"Consider these words written by Abraham Lincoln as part of a
resolution in 1863:

"'We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in number, wealth, and power as no other Nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us.
"'It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended power, to confess our sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.'"

As I have read these words, I have felt the overpowering need to fall down to my knees in humble gratitude because of the endless mercies my Father in Heaven has so willingly and abundantly granted to me...
It overwelms me to think that I have 3 incredible children who are spirit children of our Father in Heaven, to care for and teach, and HE has given me the opportunity to care for them in this mortal realm, in spite of all the mistakes I make daily...
I have been truly blessed to have an eternal companion that overlooks my flaws and continues to love me and support me...
I have been blessed with "goodly parents" who have loved me and instructed me in righteousness...
I have been blessed with family and friends that continually help me to grow and become all that I can become, and lead me, by example, to overcome my many weaknesses...whether these weaknesses be physically, emotionally, or spiritually...
I could go on and on, but it is my prayer that if you have felt the Power of Heaven's glorious Hand in your life to help preserve your peace, give you strength beyond understanding, and enriched your daily life, then on bended knee, thank your Father in Heaven for ALL that He has given you.