Musings for the new year

Barrett is home.... Man was that a little stressful before Christmas. But all is well. It is good to have him home. He really hasn't changed a bit personality wise. It was very interesting to go with him to get released from the Stake President. I couldn't believe how he has the gift of gab....I couldn't believe the experiences that he had that we didn't know. Of course, he didn't really write a lot about his experiences so that was all news to us too. It was really exciting to see the growth and testimony of my baby boy. He was home 1 day before we left for the Domincan. But the Dominican was a great experience. We got to listen to stories for days and to observe Barrett as he leaves his mission life and the habits that he acquired. The first morning he told me that he made his bed, hung up his towel, and put his dirty clothes down the laundry shoot. I pretended to faint but I was really shocked. We tried for 19 years to get him to do this.

We got home from the Dominican to prepare for family to come to hear of Barrett's homecoming. Okay everyone, sit down...but I did cook. I made homemade chicken noodle soup, cream of brocolli soup and taco soup plus "funeral" potatoes, salad, and 7 layer dip and caramel popcorn. Yes I used Colleen's recipe and it is the best caramel popcorn I have ever eaten. My mother was shocked. She started talking to me like a cook and I had to stop her and say that was my cooking for a long time. I am starting to like cooking more just because I am getting pickier and want things cooked the way I want to eat them. But we will see how that goes.

We left on the Monday to take Barrett down to school. He didn't have a car and that was our job to find him one. Boy was that stressful. Glad that is done. You all will be glad to know that he has the one thing that is the most important for success in university. A CELL PHONE WITH UNLIMITED TEXTING. We took care of that too. I sure hope I can afford this child in university. I wish him all the best.

I am back on the diet. I lost 20 pounds before Christmas and as you can see from the pictures another 25 needs to go. I am back at work and feeling better about it. I think I needed a break from work too.

I got a new phone for Christmas and can I say that I love it????? It is the i phone and it is amazing and I can text really fast now. I am still learning all the tricks of the thing but is super cool. I can honestly say that learning to text was a New Years goal last year. check that one off. I am working on new ones for this year. I want to get my quilts all sewn up. The diet and exercise for sure. I am still thinking of what I really want to accomplish. I try to have very specific goals and ones that I can achieve but still are things that I want to accomplish.

Brooke has 7 weeks left..... I am getting excited for this new grandbaby. I love having grandbabies. She looks very cute pregnant.

Blood pressure is doing great. The new pills are working. Life is good so far. Everybody take care of yourselves and Have A great new Year.....

My favorite pictures from the Dominican

This is really my favorite picture not the next one but I don't know how to edit it and my children are not here to help me.

Greyson, Joel doesn't think he needs reading glasses....LOL He borrowed mine.

Greyson and I. What a handsome little boy. He makes my heart melt.

This is Prince Dash aka Harrison. He was our Prince on the trip. He loves to be the baby and we are actually happy to baby him. He was all wrapped up nice for his nap at the pool.

Brooke will hate this shot. But I made her do it. I figured she would regret it later on... Debbie said.....

Here is the family on Christmas. Aren't we a good looking bunch????? It was so much fun. I think I would go away again for Christmas. Very peaceful....

Babysitting the boys!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I babysat the boys.....I wasn't too nervous about it but I did have a lunch date. I still wasn't too worried about the lunch date either because my friend Evelyn could have one baby and I could have the other one. Well to start off our adventure, we decided it was too cold for these babies and they needed coats. So off to Winners we go. Things went well until check out. Noses were running clear to their lips and both had stinky diapers. No one had a kleenex so Evelyn goes off to the bathroom to get toilet paper. But she leaves her purse. Now I have 2 carts, 2 babies, 2 purses all to watch. I was getting more stressed by the minute. The lady in front of me sees Grayson's nose and starts digging for kleenexs. She finds a package and hands me one. I say to her do you have another one I have 2 babies. She tells me I need the whole package. Then it was my turn to pay. Grayson is standing inside the cart and I move it up maybe 2 whole inches and he falls backwards into the cart smacking his head. Wailing like crazy and I am feeling guilty very guilty. The lady in front of me picks up Grayson and is cuddling him. Harrison is now crying. The checkout lady is holding the receipt for me to sign. I have no idea how much I signed for. Evelyn comes back and says I heard the crying and wondered if it was our babies. Then we have to haul those babies to the car and get them into their car seats....What an ordeal. I hate car seats. I much perferred whatever I did for my kids.

We then go to Moxies for lunch. I change both babies and we get seated and now they are hungry. I empty out the diaper bag for spoons couldn't find them so we ask the waiter for them. Feed them some applesauce and order them fries. They really couldn't eat the fries. They kept choking on them. So we try the crackers and bottles. Needles to say, if I had babies I would be very skinny because out of that meal I may have had 3 or 4 bites and a couple of sips of pop... It wasn't the most pleasant meal. And I feel sorry for Bree and all the work she has to do to do anything.........Next time I will stay home. Much easier and much more enjoyable. But they are the cutest things in the whole wide world.

Look close at the Santa claus picture. Do you recognize Santa?????

Barrett is home tomorrow night......

Racquetball ladies

Here are the racquetball ladies. If you ever need anything solved let us know. We solve the world's problems every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On the far left we have Nola. She has sister weekends all the time. It sounds like they have so much fun. It is her grandson that started the term "racquetball ladies". He is incredibly cute and he loved racquetball. She is our motorcycle queen as she took a road trip on the motorcycle to Arizona in July. Next is Michele. She is our resident nurse. So she gets all the medical questions. She also vacations all the time and does fifty billion things a day. We all sit around and wonder where she gets all her energy. She also loves to cook and do crafts. She brings us samples all the time. Bottom left is Lorna. She is our resident party animal. She is always planning parties and hilarious parties at that. She does family reunions too. Her Bunko parties are freaking hilarious. She also shops in places like Stettler and finds great deals. We all want to meet her family and shop in Stettler. Next is Diana. Our beauty queen. She comes to racquetball dressed to the nines and her hair is always done. Perfume and everything. She is younger than the rest of us because she can wear long pants and long sleeved shirts to play. The rest of us die of heat.... Diana's famous words (after we have played like 5 games) are "Should we play another one????"

Notice in the picture the drink of choice..... Some of us have the breakfast of champions in our hands you know diet coke. And some like Nola and Lorna have way better choices you know like water. Also green tea added to water also gets thrown in too.

We have a great time and only get hit every once in a while but that doesn't mean we don't duck sometimes.

Diet Time Again

That is what is new at my house. I am on a diet. But first all the motivating factors.....

Number 1: My blood pressure. I know that for my health that I need to lose weight. When I lose weight my blood pressure goes down.....

Number 2: Barrett is coming home December 22. We are leaving December 24 to the Dominican Republic for a week's vacation. Do we know how to get his undivided attention??????

Number 3. Dominican Republic. I can hardly wear a thing in my closet and what I do wear I look awful in. It is either new jeans or a diet.....

So the diet won. I think I am motivated for this one. I joined LA Weight Loss because I am very unmotivated to do it by myself. I have to pay money and weigh in to stick to the diet. I know I am weak... I have been doing great., Started last Tuesday and have already lost 13 pounds exactly. Don't get too excited. I have been carrying a lot of water lately....which doesn't help the blood pressure either. I haven't really been hungry though so that is absolutely awesome.

Brooke and I signed up to go to the cannery. She has wanted to go forever and could never go in Idaho because her ward only went during the day. Bree couldn't go but we did her dried food for her. We had a great time and it isn't bad at all. We were done and out in 1 hour and 15 minutes.

I got my Canadian passport......... I became a Canadian citizen last June. So I finally got my passport. My Canadian citizenship card picture was pitifully ugly and the immigration people at the airport encouraged my to get it. I put it on my list and got it done. I did not give up my American citizenship. I am now dual......just like my kids....

I planted by amaryllis bulb..from last year. Just to see if I can get it to grow again. I kind of like gardening..... It was so cool last Christmas to see it grow. Bree and I had a contest to see whose would bloom first. I really can't remember who won.

We are getting excited to have Barrett home. Did I tell you that my grandbabies are the cutest things ever?????? I just love them a lot...........Now if we could just get Greyson to stop spitting up on our very nice rug....

Barrett

We got a email from Barrett this week that is way to funny not to post.....He got to cut the cord and everything. The dad freaked out and didn't do a thing.... Good thing he got his eagle scout and had first aid training......LOL

hey whats up daddy o? well did mom tell you how i am doctor johnson now instead of elder Johnson?? yah the baby wanted to come out when I’m teaching about Jesus. freak I’m teaching and she says my water broke and I say you should go to the hospital and the husband says oh I’ll call 911 and leaves but he only speaks Spanish and leaves the mother there and she can’t move and the baby starts coming and she popped out a baby while i was there and i was the only one who spoke English to talk to the ambulance and doctor guy too and I got nasty stuff all over the place. it is nasty. soooo yah awkward. and the baby came out and I had to grab it and it was nasty and bloody… and nasty. but yeah life. anyway. I ruin a white shirt and a tie lol and white shirts are like gold. I don’t want to have kids anymore. So ya experience of the week. We are teaching some people alot just need them to come to church. we have alot of people to teach just we need more. we are having a baptism this Saturday of stephanie. lol. oh freak. well yah. anyway I should probably go. talk to yah later. love yah byeElder johnson

What is new at the Johnson's

Harrison has been very busy and fussy growing two new teeth.
Greyson is up on all fours but doesn't know how to move... Notice the new Halloween pj's that Grandma bought.
Harrison's Halloween pj's. Isn't he just the cutest in orange. Harrison wants to eat "real food" too. He wants more than just bottles.


Brandon and Bree's family picture taken in the fall colors. This was one of Bree's goals to get a picture in the fall. Brooke and I were happy to help her accomplish this.
Brooke has been busy too. Yes, she is 18 weeks pregnant. She has lost 18 pounds but is feeling better now. She is having a pregnancy just like her mother's. Poor child. She is having a boy. Brooke and I have had to adjust to that. She was sure she was having a girl and I wanted a granddaughter because I have so many cute clothes for one. But I am very excited because all the grandbabies will be friends and have lots in common.

As for me, I am working two days a week, playing racquetball three times a week, try to play volleyball once a week and tennis on Saturday. I am starting to have blood pressure problems again. I was in the emergency all day on Tuesday but started taking my old blood pressure reducing pills and they are working better. I am feeling much better. The big news is I am trying to cut down on diet coke. Just one a day. So far so good except for today and I have had 3.

Life is good. I am very thankful this Thanksgiving weekend for health and for families and friends. Have a great Thanksgiving. Love ya all.