The Johnson Family

It's October?!?

2011-10-11T10:15:00.006-04:00

Lunching at The Grove in LA with my mom.

Sibs in LA.

We had the best time celebrating the Gregory's 50th wedding anniversary this past weekend. What an amazing couple and family. Thank you for including us!

One of my nearest and dearest :-)

Our little Luna girl.

Hard at work on the porch swing project.

First day of school!

LOTS of lizard hunting went on in Orlando. This was one of Grady's conquests.

Our traditional picture spot at Epcot.

Yeah...that's a giraffe...right outside of our room!

Bug Eyes on for the 3D show!

A chat with Betty Boop at Islands of Adventure.

All aboard the Hogwart's Express!

Just hanging with Harry and his friends at Hogwart's!

Conner and his counselors at SB2W.

Wow! How time flies when you are having fun! We've been back in the 'Burgh for 3 months now and it has been go go go. After a great summer at SB2W (despite a blue flag flying at the close of 4th term) and an amazing family getaway to both Universal Studios and Disney, school is in full swing and the boys are doing great. We are all loving being close to family and old friends - though our Eastern PA friends are missed - and are taking advantage of the close proximity.

Both Grady and Conner are doing scouts this year. Conner is playing soccer and the violin, and is involved with our church's youth group, while Grady is preparing for the wrestling season now that baseball has wrapped up. I'm very busy carting them around to all of their practices and meetings in addition to tending to the new addition. Everyone - I mean EVERYONE - loves Luna. We get stopped wherever we go and people just oogle over her. She looks like a teddy bear and has the sweetest disposition. We really lucked out...or maybe she did...I think she's a keeper.

Shawn is traveling a ton, still, but it works for us. I don't know anyone who works harder at everything they do...we love him so much and are so thankful for him. We will have the chance to get a few days together later this month in NYC - much needed and much anticipated. I love New York in the fall and it'll be even better since it will be just the two of us.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jig!

2011-07-28T14:15:00.004-04:00

Swim team fun at an invitational. Go Bullfrogs!!

Fishing on Father's Day.

Conner and Grady in front of their pieces selected for the District wide art show.

So, as many (if there are many that read this) know, we are back in the 'burgh! It's been 3 weeks and we are still easing into the change of scenery. I've been pretty lousy at taking pictures, but her are a few from just before we left Yardley.

The boys are fitting right in around here. Between the neighborhood kids, the kids at our club, and some time with various friend's children, they are keeping busy and staying out of trouble. It's still sort of surreal to me that we are back in Pittsburgh - I think it's going to take me longer to adjust.

We've had quite a few house guests and visitors in our short time here. I think this will be our first weekend without anyone staying with us. Crazy. So much to do and so many people to see and reconnect with. These are fun and exciting times ahead.

Conner the Concert Violinist

2011-05-23T10:37:00.003-04:00

You cannot see Conner - only the very tip of his bow behind the Jolly Green Giant situated directly in front of him. We were sort of blown away at how full the sound was for a 4th and 5th grade strings performance. Very impressive. Enjoy!

Happy May!

2011-05-23T09:53:00.004-04:00

A late night in NYC with my ladies!

Easter in Pawleys.

Mount Vernon layover on our way to South Carolina.

All of my girls in NYC for a very fun day of memory making!

1st Grade Special Person Day.

Happy Mother's Day from Morton's...picture of a picture.

Conner's orchestra concert.

Looking dapper for the big show!

Our Saturday fun!

May is just about over, but I had to get a quick post in. The boys are having a great time with soccer and scouts. Conner will be earning his Compass emblem in Webelos tomorrow night, and Grady will be receiving his Tiger badge on the 9th. They have really enjoyed this year and are looking forward to next year, wherever that may be.

We are quite busy wrapping everything up with school. The last day is not until the 16th and we have so much to do, from Field Day to Art and Author Night and many other plays and special days in between. It's crazy but fun. Both Conner and Grady have had a great year in school and this sort of tops the year off just right.

Shawn has been traveling a ton and it doesn't seem to be slowing down - it's the nature of the beast but we are thankful for how hard he works and how blessed we are. I got to host my annual Ladies Weekend this year. The 6 of us enjoyed a weekend full of laughs and fun times as we pampered ourselves, enjoyed shows in NYC, and cruised around singing loudly - just like old times!

We are still in limbo as we wait to see what is happening with the sale of our home. Only time will tell. We are currently accepting prayer as this transition time is difficult for everyone :-)

Out Like a Lamb?!

2011-04-04T16:50:00.003-04:00

Spencer seeing her Barbie come out onto the catwalk at FAO!

Yep! Buddy came down to say hello on his way out of Carlos's Bakery.

Grady getting a second to wrestle with Coach Mark.

Most of his team after the last meet.

Grady turned 7!

Conner's basketball team after the kids vs. parents game.

Grandparents Day 2011.

Fun in the trees!

March sort of flew by, didn't it? The winter sports wrapped up and we had a few weeks to breathe before soccer began this past weekend. It was a brisk morning, but the boys had fun and it's nice to be outside watching sports instead of couped up in a gym. Both Grady and Conner are playing soccer as well as finishing up the year with scouts. Conner recently earned his Webelos patch and Grady should be receiving his Tiger patch next month.

Shawn is traveling a ton - which is both a blessing and a curse. I hate having him gone for so long and for so often, but it does make it easier to keep the house clean and ready for showings. No offers yet, but our agent is hopeful and very positive, so that is how I remain. I won't turn away any prayer you may send up, however, to maybe speed the process along ;-)

This month brings lots of fun things...camping trips, some time with extended family, and my annual girls weekend! I'm pretty excited to be hosting the ladies this year as we descend upon NYC for a day full of shopping, Broadway shows, and lots of laughs for sure! Have a great April!

March Already?!!

2011-03-15T13:16:00.006-04:00

The IUPers from T&H on the yacht. SUPER day!!

I caught Grady "shaving" one morning. Not to worry...the razor is not real.

A night out in South Beach. Definitely one of our favorite places to play!

Hard to see everyone, but this was the whole group in Miami back in February at Hakkasan. We had a really great time, as usual, with lots of laughs!

Mt. Fugi - the neighborhood sledding hill.

Some of our dear friends whom we will miss tremendously when we are back in the 'burgh.

Christmas day!

It's not the Christmas season without a trip to NYC!!

Grady at his Tiger ceremony earlier this fall.

Conner and 2 of his friends at the Pinewood Derby. All 3 of them made Harry Potter themed cars.

Conner turned 10!

The snow has finally melted, so I figure it's as good a time as any to update this blog! I'm committing, right now, to updating each month. I've been really bad at sitting down at the desktop so here's my pledge to make a point of doing so each month. This IS my scrapbook so I'd better get back to being consistent.

Our big news is that we are relocating, yet again (and for the last time!), back to Pittsburgh! This is a very bittersweet move for us as we have come to love Yardley in the 2 short years that we've been here. We are bribing the kids with a dog - upon arrival - so they were very excited to learn of the move. However, I've been getting a lot of "I don't want to leave"s recently so the reality is beginning to sink in. It's a very good move for us as a family, and for Shawn professionally, but it will be the most difficult by far. There will be lots of tears.

We've been having fun these last couple of months, but I'll let the pictures above speak for that. I'm sure that my pictures aren't complete - in fact I see that I have no pictures of Grady from wrestling. I'll post those in a couple of weeks. Hope everyone is well...that is if there is anyone who still checks this blog.

Winter 2010

2010-12-04T08:11:00.005-05:00

Fun in the fall leaves!

Sibs!

Nana and all of her grandchildren.

Hamming it up!

Family portrait at Nana's.

My sweet boys.

Just a quick update from us. This is my most favorite season of the year so I try to make it as special as possible for everyone. Fortunately, and much to my surprise, I am finished shopping and wrapping EXTREMELY early so I'm getting to enjoy the season a little more myself.

We were able to spend Thanksgiving down in North Carolina with both Shawn's family and mine. I am ashamed to say that I didn't break out the camera at all at the Johnson Thanksgiving but I did get some great pictures from Nana's. The kids had a great time with all of their cousins and I especially loved having my brother and sister together for the holiday. Fun was had by all and we are already looking forward to next year's visit.

Upon our return from the south, I made it a point to get decorated for Christmas right away. There are few things I enjoy more than decorating for the holidays and this year was no different. Although, I think that I may be needing more space for my decorations! Grady and Conner's favorite additions to the season would have to be Elf Buddy (our Elf on the Shelf...thank you, Dolores!) and the advent calendars...all 3 of them. Each of the boys got a Lego calendar this year and I also fill a chocolate one for them. Every morning they run downstairs to see what the surprise is and to find just where Elf Buddy has hidden himself.

We still have a few surprises up our sleeves so the excitement is just beginning. We wish you a safe and blessed Christmas season and hope you are enjoying yourselves as much as we are.

Fall 2010

2010-11-03T16:04:00.004-04:00

Grady in his Clone Trooper costume at the school parade.

Shawn's puppy pumpkin masterpiece.

My spooky tree pumpkin.

Watch out! Harry is casting a spell.

At the MoMA with Balzac.

Our little Tiger Scout.

An afternoon at Peddler's Village.

Happy Fall!

We have been enjoying the cool, sunny weather here in Bucks County. The boys thoroughly enjoyed the Halloween weekend and now, with November upon us, we are only weeks away from Thanksgiving in North Carolina. Grady will be starting wrestling tomorrow evening and Conner will be playing basketball again in the winter. Scouts are moving right along, also, as the boys had their first scout camping trip a couple of weeks ago. We managed to get out of the camping part...a trip to Grammy and Pappy's prevented us...but we still got to hike and play manhunt and spend some time by the camp fire.

Hopefully this finds everyone who reads this well and loving this time of year as much as we do.

Summer 2010

2010-10-06T09:28:00.006-04:00

It's October and life is in full swing as usual! We had a super summer wrap up filled with camp, a trip out west, and our sojourn to Paris.

Conner had a great time at SB2W for the second year. What a difference from last year...no tears! He's really loving it there, as I suspected he would, and we're all set for next year. Grady is chomping at the bit to attend as well but, alas, he has one more year until we will be sans boys for 2 weeks.

I got the opportunity to head out to San Fran to spend some time with Bridget and her family for a few days before the end of the summer. We had a great time laying low and taking in the San Franciscan weather, food, and sights. Wine country was outstanding and I loved hanging with Miss Pickles...aka Johanna...and Bridget and Erik! Our little band of friends is scattered throughout this country and I treasure the chance to experience their lives in their respective towns.

Paris was phenomenal. Beautiful city, breathtaking sights, and some much needed time with my husband. We are so thankful for the experience.

Which brings us to the present day. School is going great as the boys love their teachers, both boys are playing soccer this fall, Conner is doing an art class through the local artists organization, Grady is involved in a science enrichment class after school, Conner is a Webelos, Grady is a Tiger Scout, and both of the boys are in Kidz Klub at our church on Wednesday nights! Phew. I'm tired having just typed all of that. I think (hope) that's everything. Apparently I'm along for the ride, but I love it.

Disney Fun

2010-07-22T10:05:00.006-04:00

Waiting for the fireworks at the MK. I got all the kids these Mickey shirts so they wore them all week so we could spot them easier. Yes, we washed them every night!!

Ferry ride back to MK after the Hoop Dee Do Revue. It was so much fun...we'll be going back for sure!

In line for the infamous pineapple floats. They were pretty good...too bad we were so full from dinner.

A little Pirate silliness.

The whole group.

Fun at the Revue.

One of Conner's favorite movies is Splash...this is the fountain that Madison gives Alan as a gift.

The American Idol Experience is a lot of fun at Hollywood Studios. Kathleen got to be up on the big screen wishing this contestant, Dylan, good luck.

Dancing in Tomorrowland.

Hollywood Studios.

Conner and Nicole on the bus.

I have a picture of the boys in this spot dating back several years.

Craziness while waiting for Toy Story Mania.

Grady had my camera and was snapping away.

All the kids with their peace signs. That seemed to be the cool thing to do.

We've got our bug eyes on for the show!

Grammy and Pappy with the grandkids.

Woo hoo! Heading to the parks on the first day!

Wow! How time flies when you are having fun! We had a great vacation with the Johnson side of the family in Florida. Disney always delivers lots of great moments and the resort where we stayed turned out to be really nice - a perfect place if you need more than 1 bedroom in the Disney area but don't want to spend your entire vacation budget on lodging. I can't say I'm sorry to be home, though. Turns out I have bronchitis. I've been sick for the past month, but I figured it was just a summer cold. However, after returning from Florida I woke up feeling pretty sick for a couple of days so Shawn urged me to see a doctor. Glad I did. I'm now taking a bunch of medications in the hopes that this thing doesn't turn into walking pneumonia. Great. I've been trying to take it as easy as possible - as easy as a mom can take it I suppose - while still trying to keep on top of things at the house and making sure the kids are getting outside.

Conner leaves for SB2W next Sunday for his second year. I still can't believe I have a child old enough to be going to a sleep away camp! Heck, one more summer home then Grady will be old enough to attend as well. He already wants to go.

Well, the Summer of Robyn (as Shawn has begun to call it) is not over yet. I'm heading out to San Fran to visit Bridget and her family in August and then we will be in France at the beginning of September. It's been a great summer so far and I'm so thankful for all that we've been able to see and do. What wonderful memories our boys have from our travels.

Happy July!

2010-07-06T12:11:00.004-04:00

Conner and Grady having fun at our pool club's 4th of July celebration. Here's the classic game where the kids had to spin around the bat and then run. Never gets old.

A break in the park while on our bike ride.

Here are Corrine and Lane in front of their new house! It is so cute and so is Corrine who is due in August. We only had a few minutes to stop on our way back to PA from SC, but we were able to deliver a few things from Say and see the house. It was so nice to see them, it's been a very long time!

Con and Grades on the beach in Pawleys.

Funny faces.

Grady had LOTS of kisses for Mr. Ian.

We took the kids to Medieval Times while down in SC. It was a BLAST! I've resisted for many years, thinking it was totally goofy, but alas, it was a ton of fun. Spencer even won the "major award" at the end of the show!

Movie time fun!

I can't believe it's July already! We've been having a great summer so far, with lots of time spent at the pool with friends and one trip under our belts. The boys are very anxious to get down to Florida to spend time with the Junker kids (Shawn's sister's fam) and Grammy and Pappy as well as Shawn's cousin and aunt and uncle. I think I'm looking most forward to 9 days of uninterrupted time with Shawn. He's been working so hard, for which we are very thankful, and I know that he's ready for some down time. I'm sure we'll have LOTS of photos from our week in Disney to share.

Summer Vacation!!

2010-06-23T15:03:00.004-04:00

My first attempt at decorating a cake. Grady's class theme was "Busy Bees" so thus the bee cake. Not too bad if I do say so myself.

End of the year party craft.

Conner and Grady posing by their artwork at Art and Author night.

Nana ordered a butterfly garden for the boys and they enjoyed watching them transform from caterpillars into butterflies. Here is their moment of freedom after being cooped up for a week or so while they enjoyed having "pets."

We had a great visit with Betsy and her brood. I'm ashamed to say that I don't have any pictures of Baby Brie, but managed to snap quite a few of the boys together. They all got tattoos...Grady's, of course, being the largest. (The girl couldn't put that enormous bird on his arm because it was too big so we opted for the leg. Foreshadowing no doubt.) Sesame Place was a hit with everyone and look forward to many more trips with the Tseronises.

The Tobeys were here a couple of weeks ago, despite Selim being slightly under the weather. Fun was still had by all - nothing can stop that!

Fun at the movies.

Field day 2010. Go Orange!!

Conner climbing the rock wall at Nationality Days in Ambridge.

Conner and Emily this past May. We had a really nice stay with my cousin Shannon and her fam while we were in town for the Sweeney/Courneen wedding. Conner and Grady had a blast with Emily and Robert and Shawn and I enjoyed catching up with Shannon and Stan. Oh yeah, the wedding was a blast, too. Congrats Steven and Caitlin!!

School's out for summer! As I type, the boys are at our neighbor's house for some pool time fun while I prepare for the first of our summer excursions...Pawley's here we come. We've been having a super time, spending every weekend at the pool, and have enjoyed a few visits from some great friends. The school year wrapped up nicely - both boys loved their teachers and are looking forward to next year - and we are excited for all this summer has to offer. There will be no shortage of fun and excitement. Between Pawley's, Orlando, Summer's Best Two Weeks, Grady's sports camp, and a trip to stay with the Junkers before school resumes, well the summer feels over before it's begun. Oh...and we are finally going to make it to Europe after all. Nana came through, again, and is coming back in September. We are so thankful for her. Here's to no more volcanic eruptions!!!

What We've Been Up To

2010-05-12T10:54:00.006-04:00

This is the only picture I have from Mother's Day. We finally made it to dinner at Morton's with the boys - very yummy end to the day!

Grammy and Pappy on the Ivyland Railroad.

The boys and Conner's friend, Tommy, in New Hope.

Grady and his prized Easter basket gift...wolverine hands!

You may not be able to tell, but Conner was very excited about Mario kart.

Conner had a field trip to a Lenape village this past week. Here they were learning how the Lenape made string from plant fibers.

Grady and some classmates on his field trip to the play, "If You Give a Pig a Pancake."

Grady in the catcher gear. He hit a homerun 2 weeks ago...pretty awesome!

Daddy giving Conner a little help with the kite.

Taking a little break on our way to New Hope. The boys did AMAZING for a 30 mile round trip ride.

Grady and Jaden Johnson, my friend Ashley's son. It was very cool to see our boys together.

The whole fam the day Nana was leaving. We love having Nana here!

All smiles from Spencer.

Me and the Elliott cuties!

Conner was our photographer on Easter morning.

So...we were supposed to be in Europe at the end of April but that pesky volcano erupted and put our trip on hold. So, no pictures from Paris or Rome. We have, however, had a very nice month of visiting with family, Nana was here for a visit, we made a quick trip to Hershey, I got to spend some time with my sister and her family, Easter, Mother's Day, and the list goes on! Life just doesn't seem to ever slow down but hopefully these pictures will serve as a reminder from all of our recent fun.

Vegas 2010

2010-03-31T14:01:00.002-04:00

This is where the Colorado River meets Lake Meade - right where the brown water meets the blue. Pretty crazy, huh? The Colorado is very brown because of the sediment in the water but almost immediately clears, thus the line.

Flying over the Hoover Dam.

Front seats in the helicopter on the way out. Awesome!!

An hommage to my current favorite flick.

A quick pic at Tony and Tina's wedding. Very fun!

Shawn and I had a great time relaxing and seeing some super shows in Las Vegas this past weekend. We saw Cirque's Ka on Saturday night, went to Tony and Tina's Wedding on Sunday, and took a helicopter to the Grand Canyon on Monday. The weather was perfect - high 70s and sunny every day - so I came home with a little color as well. However, I don't think I'll be doing a red eye again anytime soon. That was a rough flight to recover from.

I'm A Bad Blogger

2010-03-18T13:04:00.004-04:00

That's me...pulling a Waldo, in the back. Our annual girl's trip was a couple of weeks ago in Sewickley. We had a great time!

Conner has begun taking guitar lessons and is loving it.

Another very snowy day in Bucks county!

Pinewood Derby 2010.

I found Grady asleep like this one night. It's hard to see, but he had his iPod on as well.

I don't know who those little girls are, but Grady is beside this large balloon at the MoMa advertising the Tim Burton exhibit. The boys LOVED it - totally worth the wet trip to NYC - so much so, that we returned the next day to go through a second time. It's open until April 26 so if you're in the city then get over there.

Times Square 2010

New Year's Eve in the Tobey's hot tub!

Grady turned 6 on March 4. I had all the boys from his class to the house for games, cupcake decorating, pizza, and a pinata. It was a lot of fun and a ton of work, but totally worth it. The birthday boy had a great day!

Conner turned 9 on January 10 and, as you can see, scored some new wheels! The weather is finally nice enough to get out there and enjoy them!

Shawn's pappy turned 90 in February, so we put together a surprise party. He had a very nice time - and the kids serenaded everyone with "Birthday" by the Beatles...courtesy of Wii Rock Band.

Here's one of our many days in the snow...so.much.snow.

Christmas morning note from Elf Buddy.

I will freely admit this...I've been a slacker. Life has been a bit hectic and is not going to slow down for a while as Shawn and I have quite a bit of travel lined up for the next month. We are heading to Las Vegas next weekend for what is sure to be a great time. We scheduled a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon as well as a couple of shows - very excited to see the sights, too. I've never been to Vegas so it should be a lot of fun. April finds us in Paris and Rome and I cannot begin to describe how very anxious I am for that trip. Neither one of us has been to Europe. I can't believe I am finally, after all of these years, getting the opportunity to see in person what I spent 4 years of my life looking at through slides and videos in college. It really is an amazing opportunity and I am so thankful that Shawn and I get to go together.

The boys are doing great. They are making really good friends here and getting involved in a lot. Basketball ended a few weeks ago and Baseball and Soccer on on the horizon. I try to limit their involvement in order to give them time to be kids and have fun, but with 2 in 2 different sports this spring it's going to be a little more difficult. I'm already prepping myself to stay calm and take it one practice/game at a time!

I hope, if you are one of my frustrated readers, that this is adequate. I'd really like to get better about keeping this current and I will most certainly have lots of pictures to post within the next month.

A Few Pics From NYC

2009-12-13T20:16:00.003-05:00

What a great night in NYC this weekend - we packed a lot in to 24 hours!! The feedback was very positive from the boys...this was their favorite NYC Christmas trip yet. I thought it would be fun to take the boys to Serendipity 3 on Friday night for dinner and some of their very famous frozen hot chocolate. I know why it is famous...wow...very yummy. We did some shopping, headed back to the hotel for a few hours of sleep, then woke up bright and early to have breakfast with Santa at the Rock Center Cafe in Rockefeller Center. It was fantastic, and to top off the experience we got to ice skate for the first morning session. It was a blast. The kids had so much fun, even Grady, who spent a good portion of his time falling on the ice. I highly recommend the breakfast - but reservations can go fast so make them as soon as the info is on the web. I did throw one shot from Hershey in the bunch. We made it out there last weekend for Candycane Lane - another very fun day. It was COLD but otherwise we had beautiful weather.

December Is Upon Us

2009-12-01T22:44:00.004-05:00

Grady assisting the magic guy at FAO.

Funny faces outside FAO...their new favorite toy store.

First parade.

My little guy and his puzzles.

Conner's "Mackenzie Falls" photo...I believe we called these JCPenney's poses back in the day.

Goofing around .

The boys and their Nana.

And I am guilty of skipping a month - or two - again. The boys have been keeping pretty busy with basketball, cub scouts, and gymnastics. Shawn and I got a chance to get away to Dallas in October to see U2 - which was great! We aren't ones to pick up and travel that far for a night just to see a concert but I'm glad we did. He's been really busy and I know the break was good for him and it was nice for us to spend a couple of days together without the kids. I also traveled to Savannah for my cousin's wedding, enjoying the weekend with my sister and family I haven't seen for a long time.

Once again, we spent Thanksgiving down south. It works out so well having both my mom and Shawn's sister in the same state as we spend the first part of the week with Nana and Brian and the remainder with Shawn's fam. I ran my first half marathon on Thanksgiving morning - in a whopping 2 hours 13 minutes - and thoroughly enjoyed it. We all had a relaxing time at the McIntyre's...who wouldn't when you wake up to find your smoothie waiting for you in the fridge and a homemade muffin on the table...followed by a crazy 2 days of fun with the cousins.

So we are home again and looking forward to fun times planned before Christmas. Hershey Park, NYC, Pittsburgh, and parties. I love this time of year! I just need to remember to have the camera at the ready...

Hershey and LBI

2009-09-08T17:05:00.004-04:00

A happy break during mini golf in Long Beach Island, New Jersey.

Boogie boarding in the warm waters.

Our crazy group on the train in Hershey.

Waiting for the big splash during an ice cream break.

The boys as we were on our way into the park.

Labor Day weekend was busy but lots of fun. Sunday, we hit Hershey Park with friends and had a great time. Despite the ridiculous number of people in attendance, we had a really nice time. We got home very late that night only to wake up the next morning and drive down to LBI to spend the afternoon with another group of friends. Although our weather was a bit chilly and windy, the kids still managed to get some beach time in and we hit the mini golf course as well.

First Day of School

2009-09-08T17:02:00.001-04:00

First day on the bus!

The bus stop crew.

Two of my favorite guys.

End Of Summer Fun!

2009-09-08T16:51:00.004-04:00

Fun at Broadway at the Beach.

Our attempt to get the Tseronis kiddos and the Johnson boys to cooperate for a group photo.

My boys and the Spinster. Come January we'll have an even number with the arrival of Spencer's little brother or sister.

We've had a super summer and the school year is off to a great start. Beginning tomorrow, both boys are in school as the kindergarten had a stagger start. Grady is thrilled to be riding the bus and I am slightly elated to have afternoons free from 12:30-4 each day! I've only had one afternoon so far but it was very productive and relaxing. Here's to many more!

Red Flag!!

2009-08-20T11:26:00.003-04:00

Yep...Romans won!!

Well...camp is over, the pool is only open for one more full week...that only means one thing - the first day of school is upon us! Both of the boys are ready for school and the countdown has begun and we are all anxiously awaiting the letter from school with who they have for teachers. All of the school shopping is complete so we are going to enjoy a week in South Carolina to wrap up the summer.

First day of camp. We got the boot pretty soon after we got there. Little did we know that our guy was going to be homesick.

Last day of camp. Here they are awaiting the flag...go Romans!! Initially, Conner said he wanted to wait until Grady could go. A few hours later he was missing camp and wanted to sign up for next year.

Grady and I met the Henrys at the Pittsburgh Zoo for some animal fun!

Grady and Alex waiting in line in Times Square for Shrek The Musical tickets.

Silk

2009-07-20T13:07:00.005-04:00

July 19, 1997

July 19, 2009

The title refers to the traditional gift associated with the 12th wedding anniversary - ours was yesterday! We've never been big gifters at anniversary time, celebrating most years by a nice dinner out. This year we decided to try the Hershey Spa as our anniversary date and a night away at the Hershey Lodge. (Unfortunately, the Hotel Hershey was booked...we think that may have been more worth the cost, but it was still a nice night away.) Maybe the robes at the spa can qualify as the silk/linen aspect to the 12 years!

We've been enjoying the summer, me reading poolside - or chatting with the ladies - while the boys swim the afternoon away with friends. A few of our neighbors are members of the same pool we joined so there is always a familiar face. Shawn has been very busy with work but we try to get him down to join us for lunch or dinner if he is in the office. Also, our neighborhood has get togethers every other Friday over the summer for the whole family. This has been so nice, being that we are the newbies this year, and is a highlight that I try to schedule around. All in all, we are doing very well here and the move to PA has been very positive for both us and the kids.

One of the many things we love about being back in the home state is how much more convenient we are to the majority of our family. Not only have we been able to see a lot more of Shawn's sister's family but we were also able to host a family picnic a the end of June for Shawn's extended family. We all had a great afternoon of ladderball, LOTS of yummy treats, and super company.

We decided to do a staycation this year, taking a few days to explore Hershey Park, and a few days to lounge by the pool. Shawn is always up for whatever I might suggest, but I knew he was wanting a little down time at home since he's been gone so much. I have to say that I enjoyed the staycation more than I thought I would, and I know that Shawn appreciated the time much more since there was limited travel and preparation.

Grady loves to form bubbles with his saliva. Ah, boys.

The boys and the Hershey's bar.

Much to his dismay, Grady is not quite tall enough for the more exciting roller coasters. We spent some time catching ladybugs while Conner was riding the racer.

Recently, I've been given some subtle reminders about my age. Spinning rides, or more specifically, my much lower tolerance for them, is the most memorable.

We had the Junker kids for a few days in June while Shawn's sister and husband went away. The kids all had a great time together.

The whole gang at the picnic.

An Update At Last!

2009-06-03T15:35:00.003-04:00

Grady slapping a low five on his way out of the end of the year program.

Conner's art that hung in the district art show.

The boys and Miss Ally. We had a great Memorial Day weekend with the Tobey's in Yardley.

The boys a Six Flags Great Adventure. It is about 15 minutes from us and I didn't even know! We all had a great day - Grady even rode the Round Up!

Conner made me breakfast a few weeks ago. Too cute!

This is how we have been spending our weekends.

I am so ashamed! Since starting our blog nearly 4 years ago I have consistantly updated each and every month...until last month! May completely got away from me so here is what we've been up to.

Conner's year finishes up on June 19th and then on to 3rd grade! I cannot believe how big he is getting. Baseball has been much more enjoyable for him this year. He has a great team - the boys really seem to have a good time together - and the coaches have been so nice. He'll be continuing gymnastics over the summer, heading to the pool a lot, and attending Summer's Best in August. He's very excited for camp...probably because Say and I have been talking it up to him quite a bit...but I think I may have a harder time leaving him there than I initially thought.

Grady's last day of preschool was this past Friday. He keeps asking when kindergarten starts and cannot wait to ride the bus. I'm enjoying not having our schedule dictated by school - I'm one of the few parents looking forward to the summer. Grady is doing a great job at Tball and loves playing pitcher...well, standing where the pitcher stands that is. He'll be in gymnastics as well over the summer and doubling as a fish. Our boys love to swim.

Life is good back in PA. Shawn and I love it here and are planning a Johnson family gathering at our home at the end of June. The crowd continues to grow in size but my philosophy is the more the merrier! We are expecting Shawn's sister's kids next week as his sister and brother in law are taking a trip. The boys are very excited to have their cousins here. I suppose we'll be spending a lot of time at the pool...it's a good thing we found such a great pool!

Have a great week and let us know if you are coming through Philly this summer...we'd love to see you!

April Fun!

2009-04-15T11:15:00.004-04:00

Chuck E Cheese party for the Gradester.

Rooftop fun in South Beach.

Beautiful sunrise in Key Biscayne.

View from our terrace.

Last night in South Beach.

Mommy and Conner at the Elliotts.

the $1 kite was a success!

I had to get a shot of this dude with his inflatable palm trees.

Kids lookin' cute.

The Spinster.

On the Easter basket scavenger hunt!

The daddys and some beach fun.

Getting ready to dye the eggs.

Conner and Grady at the opening day parade for Little League.

Wow! Time has flown since my last post. Shawn and I had a great time in Key Biscayne at the end of March, Nana was here to watch the kids and spend some time in PA with us, and we spent a funfilled vacation with the Elliotts for Easter. Little League has begun and both Grady and Conner are playing this year which really amps up the schedule, but the boys like it and we are enjoying watching them. We are excited for the Junkers to visit this weekend...what a difference in our houseguest traffic now that we are back in PA! It's a good busy - I like to have a full house and the boys love seeing their family. April still holds some fun for us as I am going to take Grady down to Orlando at the end of the month for a short trip to the sun and a little stop in Disney. I did the same with Conner when Grady was born - Conner is totally on board with the surprise. He gets Grammy to himself for a little while and Grady gets his special time. Should be a lot of fun. Happy Easter and enjoy April!

2009-03-02T07:50:00.002-05:00

We've been a bit under the weather for about a week now but I feel as though there is some hope, at least for the boys and myself. Shawn is still pretty sick...I'm pretty sure it is his schedule and stress catching up with him...so hopefully he takes some time today to rest before another busy week.

Conner and Grady are doing well. We just signed up for Little League and are looking forward to a fun season with both of the boys playing. Conner is not overly excited but I think it is important for him to participate in a team sport. Grady could not be more excited. He gets to "hit the ball off of the stick" and wear a uniform so life is good on his end. School is going well, however Grady did ask if we could ask the people in NH for our house back so that he could return to his old school. We dealt with similar requests from Conner when we moved within NH, it just takes a little more time to get established.

I had a great time down in Myrtle with my friends last weekend. It was so awesome to have a few days away from everything to reconnect. I guess we are getting old(er) but I just don't feel like it - although I paid for the lack of sleep much more dearly than I would have 15 years ago.

This month finds us celebrating Grady's 5th birthday (March 4th) and in Key Biscayne with Shawn's company. Nana will be here holding down the fort with the boys and they are already looking forward to her arrival. Happy March!

Snow At Last!

2009-02-06T09:06:00.002-05:00

I'm ashamed to say that we don't have more photos of Super Bowl Sunday - I am now committed to having our camera at hand at all times. As you can see, Grady was very focused on his Legos for a good part of the day and convinced our friends to help him find the pieces when he needed some help. The Cote's were visiting and brought their "Magic Box", as it has been named, filled with lots of goodies for gameday. (If you want a recipe for the BEST CARAMEL CORN EVER, ask me...it was awesome.) We enjoyed a lazy day of watching the pregame shows and then a very stressful three hours watching the game. I think my stomach was in my chest during the final three minutes.

The boys have been a bit irritated with the fact that we didn't have any snow. Much to their dismay I did not share in the sentiment, however they did get their wish the other day when we got about 6 inches. Grady, true to form, came in after about 20 minutes as he has no patience for getting snow in his shoes, gloves, etc. Conner, on the other hand, had a grand time.

Have a great weekend!

Happy Birthdays, Friends, and Ice Skating!!

2009-01-30T14:48:00.003-05:00

Grady and his mad skating skills.

All the kiddos outside the Narnia exhibit at The Franklin.

Conner hitting the ice on the lake in our town.

Conner and Grace and their Terrible babushkas!

Conner blowing out his candles on birthday #8.

We've had a busy January. Conner turned 8, Shawn 35, and me 34, and we've hosted lots of houseguests! We are enjoying being closer to friends and family from our life before New Hampshire...although we miss those in the north terribly - we don't miss your weather as of late!...and they are coming in droves! This month found our guest room filled with Shawn's college roommate and his kids, then a few days later, Shawn's brother made an appearance. Our great friends from Manchester are going to be joining us tomorrow for some Super Bowl fun so our month began and ended with a full house! I love it! The kids are doing great. Grady started his new school and really likes it and Conner seems to be getting more comfortable in his new surroundings as the days progress.

February will not disappoint as we have parties, more friends, and a trip to Myrtle planned. (Well, I have a trip to Myrtle planned...the boys will be fending for themselves for a few days.)

Go Steelers!!!

Pledge is my new best friend!

2009-01-19T11:05:00.002-05:00

So, I've been trying to find something to get the streak marks off of our stainless refrigerator, dishwasher, and stove since we moved in. I've been using Pledge, go figure, to shine my granite for the last month or so and just noticed that you can use it on stainless as well. Wow. I'm embarrassed that I didn't notice that it was included on the list of what to use it on until just now.

Hold On To Your Potatoes, NASA...Here Comes Grady Johnson!

2009-01-08T12:42:00.003-05:00

A while back, Shawn's mother was out with a friend of her's and they got to talking to a woman for some time. I'm not sure exactly how the subject came up, but this woman told Shawn's mom that her grandson (referring to Grady) was going to be the head of NASA someday. Hmmm...not sure how much stock to put into that prediction but he's looking the part so far. Don't you agree?

Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T11:51:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year! I'm never sure in what order Blogger will post the photos so have fun looking. There are a few from Christmas day - one of each of the boys opening their 'Santa' gift - and one of the family that was here for dinner. We also added friends (and coworker of Shawn's) the Mitsos' to the mix. The house was filled with people for the holidays - a much enjoyed change to our typical holiday celebration. Sayward and Spencer spent a few days with us after Christmas since we are now within a more reasonable driving distance. After they left, we headed up to central PA for New Year's then back home with 2 of our neices in tow as their parents and brother were joining us the following day for the weekend. The Johnson home, which I have dubbed Hotel Johnson, has had its fair share of guests and will be graced with a few more this weekend. Conner's 8th birthday is this Saturday so I'm glad our friends will be here to celebrate along with us. Grady will be starting his new school this Wednesday, and he's been counting down the sleeps. No rest for the weary...

Hope everyone had a blessed and relaxing holiday break. It went way too quick for me. I have my work cut out for me these next few days as loads of laundry and all of the Christmas decorations are calling my name to be attended to.

I need to give a plug for this season's, The Bachelor. A lovely lady, Megan, whom I have known for a lifetime is one of the Bachelorettes. I just checked the website and the season premiere is tonight. Off to add it to the DVR list!!

Christmas Decorating Suggestion

2008-12-15T19:23:00.003-05:00

I was watching HGTV the other day - a segment on holiday decorating. I had been trying to think of something to do in my dining room without taking up any space and the show just happened to cover that very topic. The above photo is of the light above our table. I fastened a wreath to the bottom and wrapped the remainder with garland. Since it is a bit smaller than the one on the show, it looked like a small Christmas tree so I just decorated it that way. It was super easy.

New York City at Christmas!

2008-12-13T18:16:00.003-05:00

Conner is giving him his list.

Seeing the big man.

Brothers.

You may not be able to tell but we are right next to the tree in Rockefeller Center.

The famous Rockettes. We all agreed this was one of the best parts.

We spent the day in NYC today...beginning with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. It was truely spectacular - with live animals in the Nativity segment and all. Conner was pleased with our seats, his first question when we see a Broadway show is always, "Where are our seats?" Much to his delight we were a mere 13 rows back on the floor in the center. I was a little surprised at how filled with emotion I was when the show began. It really is a blessing that the boys can experience these opportunities at such a young age.

We then found our way to Macy's and braved the mega line to see Santa. It is by far the best place to see the man in red if you are in the area. We did a little shopping and then hit the road. It was about 1 1/2 hours, garage to garage. Not too shabby. Great day and still time to share some pictures.

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!

2008-12-05T10:21:00.006-05:00

The elf's first hiding spot. Appropriately upon the beautiful clock!

Yes, Selim...that title is for you! (I haven't heard that song yet - I guess I'll need to break out that CD.)

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We had a very busy yet very nice holiday. We were all up and down the east coast as we spent the holiday with both families then traveled up to Foxboro to see the Steelers stomp on the Patriots. Yes, it was worth the drive!

In addition to seeing our families, we also got to spend the day with the Mileys! The kids were many so we are looking forward to Valentine's weekend when they will be coming up our way for a long weekend.

A new tradition we have started this year is all thanks to our friends Dolores and Larry. The Elf on the Shelf is a neat little story about an elf that spends time before Christmas with your family but travels to the North Pole at night to report to Santa. Conner and Grady wake up each morning, usually early, to search for the elf. I hope that the elf doesn't run out of places to hide as he still has 2 1/2 more weeks of spots to find!

Anna's Gingerbread and Leaves!

2008-11-23T18:06:00.004-05:00

That is what our Sunday consisted of. It really should have been just leaves, but, by the grace of God (literally...as it always is) the leaves were short work. We started the day by going to another new church. As we were going to pick up the boys from Sunday school, we got to talking to a greeter, Kevin. When we told him where we lived his response was, "You must have a lot of leaves!" As it just so happens, we do, and he offered the use of his leaf blower - this very cool high powered fan on wheels that is awesome for clearing out ground cover. He wouldn't let Shawn leave without his phone number - very nice man. Well, fast forward about 2 hours. Shawn is outside getting ready to start raking. We hadn't called Kevin - not really sure why, just didn't. Anyway, who comes walking up our driveway at that precise moment? Kevin, Bob, a man in his small group, and Kevin's teen daughter, Kara. They were armed with a backpack leaf blower, the push fan, a tarp, and three rakes. Isn't God awesome? The bazillion leaves that were once in our backyard are now on the curb ready for the second leaf pickup - all done in a fraction of the time it would have taken Shawn and I and our dinky rakes. We had them all in for coffee and snacks and Kevin proceeded to educate us on our wood stove also - very useful as we really didn't have any idea just how all of the levers worked together to function efficiently. Wow.

After the outside work was done, the boys tackled their gingerbread houses. I recommend Anna's - if you are in the market - available at IKEA. I used Cakemate decorator icing in the cans and some fun Christmas marzipan pieces from Walmart. Easy, fun, and very yummy! Conner is doing his best Godzilla in the first picture and I just couldn't get a plain old smile out of Grady, so enjoy the funny faces!

We are heading south for Thanksgiving to see the whole fam so this holiday will be filled with quite a bit of travel. Hope you all have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

There's a light at the end of the tunnel!

2008-11-12T19:29:00.003-05:00

So...this is how I've been spending my days thus far. I'm just about done with our bedroom and the boys' rooms. I just finished the laundry room - Shawn had to switch out the wall recepticle for the dryer plug so I didn't have a dryer until this morning. I am really liking the smaller space and the boys seem to be adjusting really well. Conner's first day of school was today and he said he really enjoyed it. He's made fast friends with the girl next door and a boy up the street...both in second grade. Grady had a great time at the new gym while I was on the tour - they have lots of fun classes for the kids each day so there is plenty for him during our time there. Shawn and I are liking the new neighborhood - we miss our old neighbors but have some very friendly ones here as well.

We're In!!

2008-11-09T14:34:00.002-05:00

I'll post some pictures this week after I get more work done. The first floor looks pretty homey and ready for visitors and soon I will be moving on to the boys' rooms and our room. Shawn's parents are here giving us a hand with move in stuff so things are moving better already. Later.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T09:34:00.002-04:00

What fun we all had yesterday! Shawn and Conner, as Shaggy and Fred, and Grady as Iron Man, went full force through the hood filling the plastic pumpkins to the brim with treats. Our neighbors across the street had a bonfire and a halloween movie playing on the side of their house so those of us stuck handing out the candy had some entertainment! The Cote's came over with some good home cooking and a basket full of New Hampshire treats to send us on our way to PA. We are so thankful to have been part of some great neighborhoods during our time in NH. They will be missed.

School Picture Time!

2008-10-28T09:50:00.002-04:00

I wanted to get the boys' school pictures up before we move. The truck arrives a week from tomorrow and I still have the basement (and closets) to pack before then so I'll leave it at that!

2 Weeks and Counting

2008-10-22T15:22:00.004-04:00

The neighborhood ladies at Annette and Scott's wedding.

The Kuhns are bigtime Pittsburgh fans...can you tell?

After the show in New York. In The Heights was great!!

Gracie and Gavin.

A quick shot of the kids.

The moving truck arrives 2 weeks from today. I still have a bunch of packing, which I should be doing as I type, but wanted to get a quick post in. The boys have been sitting out the extra curriculars these last couple of months since we are moving. I think they'll be ready to get involved once we are in the new house and Conner is in his new school. I'm ready to go...I just wish the rest of the house would pack itself.

More Fun Photos

2008-10-07T09:39:00.002-04:00

Yesterday...

Today!

The six of us back together again!

2008-10-01T20:59:00.002-04:00

Apparantly I found someone who loves Fergie as much as I do.

Funny faces!!

The bride and her entourage.

Cocktail hour with the ladies.

Check This Out!

2008-09-30T09:15:00.004-04:00

Missing Money
It is very cool. So far I've found two checks from a previous employer of Shawn's, two old accounts that belonged to my mom, and my friend found some money from the state of PA!! Good luck!

Wedding Weekend

2008-09-29T09:46:00.003-04:00

I just had the best weekend trip! Unfortunately, you all will have to take my word for it because I don't have any pictures. Once I'm able to acquire a few I will post. Needless to say, the wedding - and all of the festivities surrounding it - was a blast. It has been 11 years since my group of best friends from high school have been together. There were 6 of us that were very tight...making it a bit difficult at times for others to be around us given the multitude of inside jokes. We could succesfully have multiple conversations simultaneously and we would know exactly what each one was about. So...Friday night was no different. Thankfully we were all at the post rehearsal dinner party when Christine arrived so we didn't feel as though we were being too loud or crazy. We belted out some Indigo Girls songs and a little Been Caught Stealing and spent a lot of time laughing, crying, and loving being together! I have now assumed the task of coordinating our first annual trip.

Congrats, Bridget and Erik!!!

Ta Da!

2008-09-18T15:11:00.006-04:00

On November 7th this will be our new home. Give us till after Thanksgiving then come on down!

Apple Picking

2008-09-18T15:11:00.004-04:00

Sometimes it's difficult to get everyone to cooperate!

Grady on the porch before lunch.

Sarah and Grady...two peas in a pod.

We headed out for our final fall apple picking trip in New Hampshire with my friends, Beth and Amy. We had a yummy lunch at Cracker Barrel before heading over to Mack's. Our weather was perfect and Sarah and Grady had fun filling our bags, and littering the orchard, with apples. We'll miss our annual trip to the orchard.

It's That Time Again...

2008-09-15T09:40:00.004-04:00

Conner and his friend Jori.

As you can see, Grady is a bit of a showman.

Conner in his Cub Scout uniform.

Just a little reminder of the summer.

First day of school! I'm slightly tardy with this post but I've been a bit preoccupied and haven't done much more than check email for the last couple of weeks. I've added a couple of videos for your enjoyment!

102 Minutes

2008-09-11T22:07:00.003-04:00

I've been watching a piece on the History channel entitled, "102 Minutes That Changed The World." I'll never forget, as I'm sure you won't either, where we were 7 years ago today during those 102 minutes. I'll also never forget the frantic message one of my dearest friends left for me as she was attempting to leave Manhattan, unsure of where to go or what to do. I don't usually get too serious here on good old blogspot but I need just a few lines.

This has been quite a tumultuous run for Georgie boy, hasn't it? I poke fun but I think most of you know in which direction I lean. There have been countless points in history when leaders have had to make very difficult decisions, some more successful than others, and when the people of this nation have had to make great sacrifice. This is not limited to war times. Ups and downs in the economy, severe weather, losing a job, so many circumstances have tested us as individuals and as a people, united. I believe we live in the greatest nation on earth and I plan on doing what I can to keep it that way. I'm not trying to sway you in either direction just make sure your vote comes from your head and not your heart. Be an informed voter looking to ensure this great nation of ours continues to be just that.

I Almost Forgot

2008-08-29T16:08:00.001-04:00

I also designed the logo for my mom's company, Harmony Services.

Tagalicious!

2008-08-27T19:34:00.002-04:00

Ok...I've been tagged. Apparently this means I am supposed to write 6 quirky things about me. Hmmm, let's see what I can come up with.

1. I can't stand when hair sticks to me in the shower. This is pretty difficult having hair as long as mine and sometimes I can't see it that well since I have pretty light highlights. It drives me crazy. (I'm also neurotic about hair on soap.)

2. I eat egg whites every morning for breakfast. I love them and I don't feel like my day has begun correctly without them.

3. I don't like mayonaise because of the sound it makes when it is scooped from the jar. Don't ask, I don't know where this came from, I just have never liked mayo. When I make tuna I use as little as possible and I substitute sour cream when cooking if the recipe calls for mayo.

4. I never remember birthdays...ever. I have a steel trap for a brain but somehow birthdays never seem to stick. Ask anyone, I remember names, directions, phone numbers from eons ago, EVERYTHING except birthdays.

5. I am really good at packing. I should be, I've moved a gazillion times. In all of my moves, I've never had anything break. (Knock on wood.) And, I'm an excellent unpacker. I was completely unpacked into our current house, with stuff hung on the walls, in a matter of 4 days.

6. Shawn and I have had less than 5 big disagreement/arguments in the 11 years we have been married. This is probably because he is a saint and gives/does whatever I want. My grandmother always tells me that Shawn and I complement one another and I couldn't agree more.

Well, that's it. I guess I should call out three people.

Tabatha, Julie, and M-Dawg, you've now been tagged!

A Few More Pictures

2008-08-26T08:22:00.000-04:00

North Carolina, South Carolina, Aruba, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia...Oh My!!

2008-08-25T04:01:00.007-04:00

Some pre church photos at the Elliotts.

Grady can put a smile on Spencer's face with his crazy antics.

Family photo time.

On a hot afternoon at Birkdale Village.

The only picture I was able to take at the Sadd's before my camera battery died.

Wow! We really packed a lot into the last month. I'll recap...

Late July found us in the car heading to North Carolina with Nana. After a brief layover, we arrived at the Elliotts for a week of fun in the sun with both the Elliotts and the Stanfords. The boys had a great time getting to know my aunt and uncle and it was nice for me to get some time with them as well. We had great meals together, lots of laughter, and even some tears.

I did get a chance to visit the Sadd family at Camp St. Christopher for an afternoon. Despite having only one picture to show for it, we had a great time. It was so nice to see the Emily, David, and the kids and to get a glimpse of their life on the island. Em took us on a golf cart tour of the grounds just before we got on the road and we got to see some really big spiders - a lot of them!!

The next day we hopped in the van with Say and Spencer and drove back up to Nana's. I'm pretty sure my mom enjoyed having her three kids and three grandchildren all under one roof! She took good care of all of us and we all had a super time.

I then jumped a plane for Aruba to attend the Cote nuptuals. What a blast those four days were! The weather was PERFECT, the water was some of the most beautiful water I have ever seen, and you always feel like part of the family when you are with the Cotes and their extended families. While it was a fantastic time, I was ready to get back to the states to see my boys and to get to Pittsburgh to see Shawn.

We had a couple of days back at Nana's, then we were back in the van, this time with Uncle Luke, heading to the 'burgh. I got a chance to catch up with a few friends that I hadn't seen in a really long time and we finally got to see Shawn. The boys were almost at breaking point Thursday morning when they woke up to see Daddy! On Friday the Tobeys met us in the city for a rockin' weekend of Pittsburgh sights and treats! We had an awesome visit with our very dear friends but our trip had one more stop...

The suburbs of Philadelphia! That's right...we sold our house and are making the move back to PA. We spent a couple of days surveying the area and getting an idea of just what is out there housewise. It was a very productive trip and we are pretty sure we know where we want to be. The key is to now find someplace to live come November 3rd!

So, that's our past 4 weeks in a nutshell. There are so many stories and great times that fall within each mini trip but it's early - now 5 a.m. - and I'm tired. (Conner woke us up at 3:30 and I couldn't get back to sleep.) School starts on Wednesday so we have a lot to do to get ready for the big day. These next couple of months are going to be hard for Conner so keep him in your prayers. He'll be fine but he's starting to get emotional about leaving his home. He had a difficult time when we moved from Manchester to Bedford so I can imagine it will be sad for him to leave his friends and school that he loves so much.

It was a beautiful sunset on the beach in Aruba for the Cote's wedding.

We were able to get a couple of hours in with the Henrys, Sara, Ben, and Matthew, at the park one afternoon.

The fam on Mt. Washington...daddy told the story of how he proposed to the whole group!

Selim and Shawn in Primanti's.

Conner at the wheel of the Ducky boat.

We weren't too good about getting a group photo. This will have to do. Breakfast at The Grand Concourse is always a winner!

People always ask me if I still do anything remotely related to art now that I am no longer teaching. While the answer, sadly, is often no, I did happen to catch a photo of a sketch I did for a development outside New Castle.

Enjoying a libation at the Church Brew Works.

Our decline on the incline!

Still Living The Rough Life

2008-08-04T12:18:00.005-04:00

Grady on a very exciting balloon ride.

Conner in front of the ride of the day.

Luke with his niece and nephews.

All kids minus Spencer.

We are still on vacation and having a great time. Yesterday we went to Carowinds and were VIP as we opted for the private cabana - the above shot is of Luke maxin and relaxin in front. The kids had a great time going between the rides and the wave pool. The favorite ride was Scooby Doo's Haunted Mansion - very appropriate since they've been hooked on Scooby Doo cartoons this entire trip. (Sayward and I labled the club the Doo Doos.) We got to experience some very intense roller coasters - one of which you ride lying down. Thanks Nana and Brian for taking us all to the park for a super day!

A Morning At The Beach

2008-07-25T17:23:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to post a couple of pics for Shawn as he is not here with us. We miss him and love him! We had lots of fun in the waves, looking for shells, and digging in the sand.

A Quick Post Before We Hit The Road

2008-07-20T17:04:00.005-04:00

11 years! We had a great dockside dinner at Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier in Kittery, Maine.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of a 4 week adventure up and down the east coast. We'll be in North Carolina, South Carolina, Aruba (just me!!), and Pittsburgh. I'm very excited to get away, but it will be sad to leave Shawn for more than 3 weeks. August 13th finds us up in the 'Burgh to join Shawn for a funfilled weekend with the Tobeys.

Sayward, Matt, and the Spinster sent us some yummy treats for our anniversary! We all loved them!

Our great friends, who will have their formal ceremony on the beaches of Aruba, got married this past Friday. We were honored to be part of the evening and all had a great time at dinner and some rousing rounds of Rock Band! Congrats, Cotes!!

3 Years And Still Going Strong!

2008-07-08T09:12:00.006-04:00

In honor of my three year anniversary of blogging I am extending the offer to my loyal blogstalkers to choose your favorite photo. Let me know the month, year, general description, and size you'd prefer. I'll print it and send it to you. (This probably only applies to my mom and Say, but there could be a few others.)

We had a super 4th of July weekend. The Wherrys were in New England on vacation so we met up with them in Boston Thursday for a great dinner and spent the days shopping and sight seeing. We all hopped on board the Samuel Clemens - docked behind the Boston Harbor Hotel - for a fireworks cruise on Friday night. The kids had a great time and were sufficiently worn out. They both fell asleep on the boat.

The boys had fun wading in the Frog Pond. This pond is used for ice skating in the winter.

On the bridge by the famous Boston Swan boats.

Down by the NE Aquarium.

The whole group taking a break on the 4th.

Give us your best funny face!

On Sunday, we loaded up the van with goodies - and The Tobey family - and headed to Winnisquam Lake for a great day of boating, swimming, and tubing on the Tobey's pontoon boat. Conner had the most fun on the tube and was a speed demon. As always, we had a blast with the Tobeys and are looking forward to our time in the 'Burgh with them in August.

Captain Selim and the boys.

It's a rough life.

Conner and Daddy on the tube...Conner kept saying, "Go faster!"

Summer, Summer, Summertime!

2008-06-25T10:11:00.004-04:00

Wow. With all of the end of the year activities, I've been slacking with updates and photos. Sorry. So, on with what's been going on.

The last day of school was this past Friday, the 20th. The first two pictures are my before and after of the 07-08 school year. It's still so hard to believe that Conner has finished the first grade. Conner is enjoying the freedom of not having to wake up so early and being able to play with friends whenever he likes.

This is Conner and Mrs. Thaler, his teacher this past year. When Conner got home from school on the last day, he said that he felt like he was going to cry because he missed her already. She was awesome and we are so fortunate that Conner had such a great teacher.

Conner is now a light blue belt and his last testing was great. Parents are encouraged to write a letter to include with the testing papers if there is anything they'd like to add about why their child is a good candidate to advance. Conner's letter was chosen to be read during testing, so he received a medal of which he is extremely proud. His Tiger Ticket was also chosen at the close of testing. At the end of every class, two Tiger Tickets are handed out to students who worked especially hard during that class. Students write their name on the ticket and drop them in a box with the anticipation of their ticket being drawn come testing time. Conner won, for the second time, $100 to be spent on TKD stuff. First time around, he got his sparring gear with his money, this time he got a school shirt, TKD shoes, and nunchucks. Don't worry, they are really soft.

Conner, Grady, and Master Song. Master Song lives in Korea but was doing an internship with Conner's school for 6 months. His last day was at testing.

Our annual fishing derby, held at the pond in our neighborhood, was Father's Day weekend. Although we didn't catch anything we still had a great time.

I caught the boys in one of their rare quiet moments. Once they realized I was taking some pictures they decided to ham it up a bit more.

End Of The Preschool Year

2008-06-10T08:08:00.004-04:00

Grady's year wrapped up well and summer is in full swing for him. The closing ceremonies were quite an event, with lots of songs and hand motions...most of which Grady did not partake in. His own personal program consisted of looking in the door next to him, poking the shoulder of the kid next to him when he wasn't looking, and more of the like. The Lord's Army was the one song that Grady particularly liked, mostly because he got to simulate an airplane. While the kids came up to get their certificates, the teachers read answers to questions the children had been asked about what they want to be when they grow up. Grady is going to be Superman, a Power Ranger, and a skateboarder.

This week Grady's in Vacation Bible School, which he is loving. There is a second week, in early July, that both the boys will attend, but that is the extent of camp for the summer. My mom is coming up July 16th to help with the kids the following weekend and then she'll join me and the boys on our drive to NC that Monday. We'll be down south for about a month visiting my mom and sister, and the boys get a long weekend with my mom and Brian while I'm in Aruba in August. Lot's of fun stuff coming up!

Conner's schoolyear does not end until next Friday. With all of the snow days and delays, our calendar was stretched by a week. He played baseball this season so we've been doing games and practices as well as keeping up with Tae Kwon Do. He's doing really well with both but I think he's ready for baseball to end. Lucky for him, this Saturday is the final game.

Below are pictures of the boys with their turtle. Well, the turtle they found then accidentally let go the next day. They were so excited and wanted it to walk around and stretch out. Wouldn't you know that upon Grady's turn to "walk" the turtle he got distracted and it kept on going. I'm sure it's enjoying life much more now.

One Quick Story

2008-06-07T16:40:00.002-04:00

I'll post a couple of photos tomorrow but I had to share the exchange Grady and Shawn had while I was at a birthday party with Conner. Grady got an italian ice out of the freezer and sat down to eat it. Before eating it, this is the conversation they had:

Grady: Daddy, is this a treat?

Shawn: Yes

Grady: If mommy asks, tell her I ate an apple...I already had a treat today.

Kids.

Start Spreading The News!

2008-05-28T12:52:00.004-04:00

Dum, Dum, give me gum gum.

It's not a trip to New York without a visit to Toys R Us in Times Square.

Gotta love public transportation these days!

Yankees 12, Seattle 4...I think. OK, I know they won.

The whole fam damily after the game.

Boy, do our kids get around or what?? I'm pretty certain that I didn't leave the state of Pennsylvania more than a handful of times before I got into middle school. Oh well, we enjoy traveling as a family.

We had a great time in New York. The weather was beautiful for the Yankees game, the boys got to see Dum Dum, and we got to catch up with some old friends. One of our former students from Fox Chapel Presby Youth Group just finished up her pre med program at Columbia so she came to our hotel for breakfast. Then later that afternoon, we met up with a girl - woman - I used to babysit, in Central Park, for some dogs and catching up. Wow...I was gently reminded of just how old I am!! It was so great to see these ladies and even nicer to see just how well they are doing.

School does not wrap up until June 20th, so we still have a few weeks until summer officially begins. I'm slowing but surely getting this house cleaned and summertime ready. My next job is to get about 15 yards of mulch delivered and spread. Yikes. I have a VERY large job ahead of me.

Hope you all had a great long weekend.

Mommy and The Grades

2008-05-21T13:39:00.004-04:00

These days it's just me and the Grades. Today we had some fun with the most recent kid's meal toy from BK. The boys are totally geared up for the new Indiana Jones movie and as a result, Grady was brushing up on his whip skills. You'll find a link (soon) to Grady's video in the column to the right. I had to "sing" the theme music about 20 times today as he ran the circle to attack the snake and bug.

Shawn returns home tonight from Denver and then we are off to NYC for a great weekend. We wanted to take the kids to a Yankee's game before the stadium is replaced so we'll spend the rest of the time enjoying the warmer weather. In the past, we've hit NY in the winter so it will be nice to see the city in the spring for a change. Of course the boys are looking forward to getting back to NY...Conner said it is his favorite place to be - other than Disney.

Graduation

2008-05-11T11:10:00.003-04:00

Uncle Adam graduted from Bloomsburg University yesterday. He gave a great speech, as he was the senior class president, with lots of laughs and applause. Congrats, Uncle Adam.

The boys with their cousin, Seth.

The whole fam.

The sibs.

The Conman looking cute.

More Disney Pictures

2008-05-11T10:54:00.005-04:00

My boys with Jungle Book characters.

About to enter the Bug 3D show.

Conner and Grady giving Buzz high 5s.

Grady enjoyed playing with Pluto's whiskers.

Vacation

2008-05-11T10:13:00.003-04:00

We're finally home after two weekends in PA and one week in Florida. Disney was SO great with the kids. Even though it was their 4th trip to see Mickey and his gang, each time has been different and last week was no exception. I don't know how to post video from our video camera but we WERE able to catch Conner's reaction when he finally discovered that we were in Orlando and not Manchester. When we finally exited the plane, Conner began asking when we were going to get home and if he could stay up for a while. That's when we spilled the beans that we were heading to Disney and not Bedford. I think he may have fainted for a split second because he fell over and he was almost certainly about to cry. During our first day at the parks, Conner must have hugged and kissed us and thanked us for the trip to Disney at least 20 times. Grady's response was, "Yay! Ok, watch this trick I can do!"

The boys experienced lots of new rides, including the Tower of Terror and Dinosaur, mostly because we now have a little thrill seeker on our hands. They danced, ate, and sang along with their favorite characters at the various parades, restaurants, and shows. (I do need to recommend the Finding Nemo show at Animal Kingdom. If it were an hour longer it could be a Broadway show.) We had what I thought was our most relaxing vacation in Disney to date.

Shawn and Grady were FORCED to sit in business class on our way down to FL.

Conner watching the High School Musical street show at Hollywood studios.

We always need to get some ink when we're on vaca.

Conner rockin' out in Africa.

And The Winner Is...

2008-05-01T11:23:00.002-04:00

Conner Johnson! 3rd place finisher in the 1st grade jump roping contest. Go, Conner!
Grades being Grades.

Some Weekend Pics

2008-04-28T11:40:00.003-04:00

No front teeth!

We had a nice weekend. Slow - just hung around on Saturday while Shawn helped our neighbor with his swing set, and got some family time with Shawn on Sunday since he is gone all week. He's totally booked till after Memorial Day so we will definitely make the most of our vacation next week. I've been fine tuning all of the details and think everything is now in place. Let's just hope the weather holds up.

Grady and Zoe duking it out on Wii.

Conner and Jori hamming it up.

Sunny Weekend

2008-04-21T07:35:00.003-04:00

What a great weekend! Our weather has been fantastic so we've been outside quite a bit. This weekend brought a birthday party and a trip to Fenway. Shawn and Conner had a great time yesterday - I guess it was a pretty exciting game, while Grady and I went to Chunky's to see Nim's Island. Decent movie but the highlight was the time I got to spend with Grady.

Alex Tobey turned 4 so we headed up to Concord for her party. As you can see, Grades gets right into the action. A fun time was had by all and it was really nice to catch up with some friends we hadn't gotten a chance to see for a while.

Spring Has Sprung!

2008-04-13T17:40:00.003-04:00

Our snow is gone, we've had a handful of days with sun and warmer temps, and spring fever is kicking into high gear! We had a great visit with Nana and Aunt Sayward and Spencer and miss them all. I'm super excited to get away with the boys to Disney in three weeks. We'll be enjoying the sun and fun the first week of May. This is the first vacation in a while that Shawn is really looking forward to. He's been so crazy busy...this will be a great time for us as a family.

We did have one day this past week that was warm but the snow hadn't quite melted so Grady enjoyed some sledding. He does not like to be cold so this was totally up his alley. Conner had Tae Kwon Doe testing this past Saturday. He is testing for his purple belt and he did quite well.

I got to enjoy a little Grady and Spencer time.

Conner sparring during his TKD test.

Grady enjoying sledding in more moderate temperatures.

Skiing with Say

2008-03-28T18:16:00.004-04:00

So...I got to take my sister skiing for her birthday. Yeah, it's March 28th but we woke up to 8 inches of the white stuff so my mom hung with the kiddos and we hit Pat's Peak for the day. The slopes were totally empty and conditions were perfect. We had a blast!

3 Days of Photos

2008-03-28T07:34:00.003-04:00

Wednesday...

Thursday...

Today...

Finale

2008-03-24T12:20:00.003-04:00

What a great Easter Sunday. Good service, good company, good food...what else can you ask for! We had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with our good friends, the Tobeys, where the boys played with friends, hunted treats, and spent time with the mini horses. We all had a great day and were ready for some rest when we returned home.

I'm SO ready for this snow to melt. That's right, we currently have 2 feet of snow on the ground. I don't think we'll have any more snow, but this winter has been so long that I find myself watching the weather each morning just to make sure. We've had at least a foot of snow on the ground since December 1. So...to put that in perspective, we have snow for 1/3 of the year.

Enjoy your week!

Easter, Act 1

2008-03-23T07:21:00.004-04:00

Happy Easter! Our morning, all 48 minutes of it so far, has consisted of the traditional Easter basket hunt, Conner's gift to Grady, and me taking pictures with my nifty new camera. I thought I'd share a few.

I wanted to take a minute and tell you about the gift that Conner made for Grady. Conner got a High School Musical book for his birthday. This book is no ordinary book - it is full of pop outs and little envelopes that contain trinkets about the different characters. Needless to say, Grady really likes this book and Conner has had a difficult time sharing it. Yesterday, Conner decided he was going to make Grady one of his own. He spent close to 3 hours drawing each page, making the different pop out sections, attached envelopes to the pages filling them with the various surpises, and adding color. He was very proud of his work and was very excited to give his gift this morning. I was very proud of him as well, but a little twinge of concern had me worried that Grady may not be as excited as Conner was. I didn't want his feelings to be hurt but I also didn't want to make him feel badly about this treasure he had worked so hard to create. Well, I don't know why I had any concern. When Conner gave the book to Grady they shared a very precious couple of minutes - one that is not shared often between brothers their age. Grady gave Conner several hugs and let Conner show him each page, explaining all of the drawings. What a wonderful Easter morning!We asked Grady to smile...he proceeded to shake his booty!

Easter Eggs and Acrylic

2008-03-21T16:07:00.004-04:00

Let me begin by saying that I have the best husband in the world. Really, I do. And not just because he is surprising me on Easter morning with a super new digital SLR - although that is what has prompted me to say so - but he really is the greatest. So, excuse the lighting on a couple of these pictures as our current camera is on the outs...Conner wants to put the new one in my basket so it'll have to do until Sunday.

Here are a few of the boys doing some egg decorating the other afternoon and painting today. Conner wanted to know what he should paint so the art instructor emerged and we were soon setting up a still life. Conner blended the world of Spongebob with the still life and Grady worked in expression and subtraction. (A detail of his painting is above in which he incorporated a straw to scratch into the paint to reveal the colors below...ok...I gave him a nudge but he did the scratchin'.)

We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Aunt Sayward, the Spinster, and Nana. Happy Easter.

Happy 4th Birthday, Grady!

2008-03-05T11:14:00.005-05:00

I was a bit under the weather yesterday...developed a slight cold but I'm feeling MUCH better today...so I'm tardy in blogging a happy birthday wish to the Grades. He is telling everyone he is now 6, but holds up 4 fingers. Too silly! See the video link for his birthday singing at Bugaboo Creek.

Shawn is totally into Guitar Hero. Ok, so am I, and I think I'm developing carpal tunnel.

This is a before and after of the boys' room. It is not quite done as I still need to do the cityscape with chalkboard paint. However, as you can see, this is a marked improvement.

This is a before and after of the loft area. It had functioned as a catch-all for storage, etc. until I finally got a more organized space together. I am most proud of my "leather" ottoman I scored at Target for $13. (I say "leather" because I'm pretty sure it's not real...but it does play the part rather well.)

Snow, Snow Go Away!

2008-03-02T15:20:00.003-05:00

I am sick and tired of the snow! The above photo is probably the most accurate visual description of just how much snow we have received this winter - Concord reached a record 100+ inches so far this season. That is our mailbox...the door in the heaping mound of snow.

Shawn has been very busy, well, since Christmas. This is a good thing for business, but we miss him a lot, and with all of this snow it's been a bit more difficult to be alone. So, this morning I sat down at the old laptop with the sole mission of getting out of dodge for a vacation. Granted we don't leave until May 4 but we now have some sun to look forward to. We're heading to every child's favorite place...the home of the mouse...but don't say anything to the boys if you talk to them before d-day as we are not telling them that we are going. We want it to be a surprise. Shawn and I took Conner back in 2005 and didn't tell him - he was so excited when we pulled into the Magic Kingdom. I'm really looking forward to some time with all of my boys away from the hustle and bustle of every day life.

Grady had his first experience in organized sports yesterday. It didn't go over so well and he is now enrolled in a youth soccer skills clinic instead. Much more appropriate. After a couple of sessions in Lil' Kickers he'll be ready to hit the field with a team. Conner continues to enjoy Tae Kwon Do. He's doing very well and recently achieved his dark green belt.

As a youth, I quoted movies quite often. This has now moved onto my children. Conner can often be heard, in response to someone saying something was done "on purpose", mumbling "You used all the glue on purpose!" (From the much loved A Christmas Story.) And just the other day Shawn and I were talking about college and I hear from the back of the car - from Grady, "Your mom goes to college." (Napoleon Dynamite...the boys have never seen it but we quote it often and I guess it just stuck.) Grady also throws out Grinch quotes left and right. Too funny. They both have such great senses of humor.

We took the boys skiing last weekend. We had a great time on the slopes, Conner spent the day with a private instructor, and Grady spent his slope time on his bum. At one point we saw the instructors packing snow around his skis to keep him standing. We'll get them out there at least one more time before the season ends.

One More Thing...

2008-02-05T21:56:00.000-05:00

I forgot to mention Shawn's best girlfriends from our trip. Hoda Kotb (from the Today show) and a friend of her's were staying on the same floor as us. They struck up a conversation with Shawn in the elevator and he managed to keep the dialog going all week. Go figure. I didn't get any pics...I was never around when they were shooting the breeze - I think he made up the whole thing.

Everyone's Crying at Blaine's House!

2008-02-04T07:49:00.000-05:00

The rough life.

Out and about in old San Juan.
A lazy day at sea.
The guys, minus Scott and Jeff, enjoying a pre-dinner drink.
All the lovely ladies!

At least that's what Conner thought as the Giants grabbed the Lombardi trophey out from underneath the "Perfect Patriots." I love the Mannings, so I'd cheer for them against anyone except the Black and Gold, but it was even sweeter when New England went down last night. Go Giants!

Shawn and I had a great time in San Juan. The weather was beautiful, the hotel was top notch, and the company was as entertaining as always. Our days were pretty relaxing, spending most days by the pool and beach or challenging one another to a tennis match. I even won some cash playing a little 3 card poker our last night. Shawn's mother and her friend were kind enough to come out and stay with the boys while we were away. They had a nice time but I'm sure they were happy to see us walk in the door Sunday night.

So, it's back to business as usual until March when Aunt Sayward and Spencer arrive. We are eagerly anticipating their arrival! Nana will be down during or shortly after their visit so that will be exciting for us as well. We love to have house guests.

Enjoying one last cocktail before we bid farewell to the sun and sand.Kevin giving the Ritz iguana a morning treat.

Happy 7th Birthday, Conner!!

2008-01-10T07:20:00.000-05:00

The Primary Scoop!

2008-01-09T19:11:00.000-05:00

I'm fairly certain the first three pictures need no explanation. These next two are from the 96.9 broadcast in Manchester. 96.9 is an awesome talk radio station out of Boston of which I am a faithful listener. Above is Ron Paul and Lisa DesJardins (not sure of the spelling) from CNN radio. Below, we are with Michael Graham, one of the morning hosts.

So, being in New Hampshire isn't all that bad, especially when it comes to politics. It is very cool to be in such close proximity to all the comings and goings of the candidates and news personalities. Monday night found us at an "Ask Mitt Anything" town meeting. We had super seats, right behind Ann, two of their boys, and two grandchildren, and I got to meet Mitt at the end. We then hightailed it to the other end of town to attempt to see Hill and Bill at our health club. Traffic was a nightmare so we bagged that event and hit one of our favorite Italian restaurants for dinner. As we made our way to the table we noticed Laura Ingraham a couple of tables away. I was too chicken to interrupt her meal but I wish I would have. I'm a big fan of hers. Anyway, the night was a ton of fun so we decided to go out the next morning while the kiddos were both in school. We made our way downtown to the Radisson where all of the news organizations are set up in makeshift studios. That's where we saw Ron Paul and Greta VanSusteren. Later, with Grady in tow, we went back to the Radisson to see my other favorite host, Jay Severin. On our way out we caught a glimpse of Kucinich being interviewed. Phew!! What a great couple of days!

Christmas shows, New York, and the Big Guy

2007-12-29T07:08:00.000-05:00

Wow...what a crazy busy few weeks it has been for us. Thanks to the efforts of quite a few friends, I was once again able to join Shawn for his Christmas party in New Castle. We then spent the weekend in Pittsburgh - the South Side has changed tremendously - enoying the city, each other, and a Steelers game to boot! It was the Jacksonville game and we all know how that turned out, but it was a fun day all the same. (Big thanks to Scott and Amy!)

Our flight returned to NH Monday afternoon with just enough time for us to pack and repack and we were off to New York that Friday. To say that the boys enjoyed The Grinch would be an understatement. Immediately following the closing of the curtain, Grady shouted that he wanted to see "that Grinch show" again. Well, maybe next year, Grady. It really was great...very entertaining for the whole family.

Here are the boys on their first subway ride. Conner is fascinated by public transportation.

We stayed at the Marriott Marquis Times Square. This photo doesn't do the view justice, but the restaurant at the hotel is directly over all of the TS action. This was very helpful as we were steps away from Toys R Us - a must see for the kiddos. We attempted to shop after the Grinch ended but the lines were unreal. 8 a.m. the following morning found us shopping with no crowds. Thank goodness for the human alarm clocks!

Ahhh...Santa at Macy's! That place has it down to a science but the line was still 40 minutes long. I waited with the boys while Shawn finished up his shopping in neighboring stores. Well, wouldn't you know it, Mr. Grady started to do "the dance" when we were about 100 feet from rounding the bend to Santa Land. This very nice lady from Trinidad was behind us in line suggested I leave Conner with her while I run Grady to the bathroom. I appreciated the offer but I did take her up on her second...saving our spot. (Um, hello?? Leave my child in Macy's?????) Shawn was making his way up to the 8th floor but we could wait no longer. I jumped out of line, ran down the escalator, and located the men's room (it was at the bottom of the UP escalator.) The bathroom was pretty small and the door was wide open because the line was rather long. So...I look down at Grady who is almost ready to cry because he needs to pee and I tell him to run in, go, and run back out. Some smarty in line tells me I can take him into the women's room...right...I'll lose my spot in the Santa line that I've already waited 40 minutes in and Grady will have an accident because the women's room in on the opposite end of the store. Thank goodness it was Grady and not Conner - he ran right in, did his business, and we were back in line in less than 5 minutes. (Conner would never have run to the front of the line.) Crisis averted, Santa heard their requests, and Shawn made it just in time to meet us.

Conner and Grady have been asking to see the Statue of Liberty for about a year. We finally made the long trip to Liberty Island this trip to New York. (Even with minimal wait times, it still took 5 hours of our day.) We climbed to the base of the Statue, took lots of pictures, and played hide and go seek at the bottom. It was nice to finally see it up close and the boys enjoyed it as well. Conner and Grady setting out the cookies for Santa.

Grady in his costume for his Christmas show...he was a wiseman.

Quick Christmas pics

2007-12-09T12:32:00.000-05:00

These are for my mom. She requested a few shots of the tree.

Pictures

2007-11-27T14:58:00.000-05:00

The boys with the Deli Planet guy. Downtown Montreal is connected by a vast underground system of tunnels. There is a huge food court just next to the train station where DP guy stands each day. Grady noticed, and proclaimed to all within 10 feet of us, that he does in fact have a pee pee "just like me."

Conner at school for his Thanksgiving presentation.

We built a pilgrim village together.

Conner and Grady in the lobby waiting to get back on the road home from Montreal.

Our stop at the Christmas tree farm in Vermont.

Outside the VTBC where my teddy was admitted to the Teddy Bear Infirmary. Diagnosis: limbs detached from torso.

With the Bellman.

Cheers! We've always said that Conner needs to have a REALLY good job as he enjoys the finer things. The Executive Lounge was one of Conner's favorite things about our time in Canada. He loved going in and having the attendant serve him a soda as he watched a show on the plasma in a cushy chair.

Happy Christmas Season

2007-11-27T11:30:00.000-05:00

Wow. I love this time of year - everything about it - so I'm glad that Thanksgiving was a bit early this year making this season that much longer. What a lot we all have to be thankful for. As I drove home from Home Depot today I was struck by the notion that we are so blessed. Is there anything you are in need of that you wouldn't be able to survive without? You know, food, clothing - the necessities of life. Then think about the abundance you have been given over and above.

Mohammed Suni is our "extended" family in Ethiopia, thanks to Compassion International. We've known Mohammed for 7 years and he sends letters every few months telling of his strides in school and ends each letter letting us know that he is praying for our family. Last year he wrote that he used the money given at Christmas time for a blanket for his mother, who is sick, a bucket, and food.

Who among us wouldn't give all we've been given to ensure the ones we love the most have what they need? Furthermore, we extend ourselves to make Christmas extra special. Conner said that he wants "1,000 presents" on Christmas morning. When I explained that he may be a bit disappointed he quickly responded that the most important thing about Christmas is that Jesus was born. Phew. Just when I thought listening was a lost art.

So, this Christmas season, in between the shopping, parties, and travel, remember that we are truely blessed by a God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. We are able to see the simplest in what is being done for those through CI in Ethiopia and other countries in need or a child's ability to see through the commercialism to the true meaning of this season...then try to fathom what it is we don't see.

Wallpaper is Evil!

2007-11-20T13:34:00.000-05:00

I've been seriously out of the loop for the last week and a half as I've been taking down the wallpaper in the boys' room. Why did you do this the week before Thanksgiving, you ask? Because I am a glutton for punishment and work best under pressure. So, I finished removing the last of the blasted birdhouse wallpaper this morning. What a sense of accomplishment. Now I need to sand, patch, and paint. This all pales in comparison to the job that is now behind me. I'll post some photos once it is complete. Think superheros.

Conner FINALLY lost his first tooth. However, the adult tooth has begun to grow in behind the baby tooth so it really doesn't have as great a "lost tooth" impact. Oh well...this is the first of many more.

We had our first snow this morning - thus the photo up top. Very exciting. This past weekend, we got the whole family outfitted with skis, boots, etc. at the annual ski swap. Now all I have to do is get the boots and bindings fitted and we can hit the slopes. I'm fairly certain Conner will do well, it's Grady that is the wild card. He does not like to be cold. I'm planning on hitting the slopes with Grady at a local hill, Pat's Peak, for morning skiing. This should be a nice activity for us to do together during the long winter.

So that's us in a nutshell. We're off to Montreal this weekend. On our way, we'll be visiting the Vermont Teddy Bear Company so that a teddy bear of ours can visit the infirmary...his legs have mysteriously become detached from the rest of his body. We will also be cutting down the Johnson Family Christmas Tree on our way back through Vermont on Sunday. Sadly, we won't be making the annual trip to Bethlehem - we go there every year to cut down our tree - so Vermont will have to do. I'm quite sure we'll be able to find something in the great north woods!

Halloween, take two.

2007-11-08T07:40:00.000-05:00

Here's Conner, and a bunch of our neighbors, before they ventured out for the big night.

My Girls!

2007-11-02T09:02:00.000-04:00

Here I am at my reunion with my most precious of friends. We are scattered about the country...California, South Carolina, Maryland, and, of course, New Hampshire. Who would have thought that all of that distance and time could not change a thing. I love and miss them dearly. Never has the phrase, "Love ya, miss ya, mean it" ever been more true. The weekend was WAY too short.

Halloween, take one.

2007-11-01T13:49:00.000-04:00

As soon as I get a picture of Conner from our friends, I'll be sure to post it. He got dressed so quickly and ran next door to play that I totally missed the photo op. On the other hand, Grady was with me all day so I had may opportunities to snap away. Conner and Grady were Power Rangers - the red costume (worn by our neighbor's son) is what Conner's costume looked like. They had a great time Trick-or-Treating and we have way too much candy to prove it.

15 Years Gone By!

2007-10-30T13:18:00.000-04:00

I wanted to throw a couple of pictures on the blog from my 15 year reunion this past weekend. Julie put it into perspective when she said that we've been out of high school longer than the freshman at QV have been alive. I'm old.

Quickly...

2007-10-17T19:47:00.000-04:00

On the beach with Unky Luke and Whitney.

Grady at our neighborhood's Fall Festival this past weekend.

The boys enjoying Pawleys' beautiful beach.

Apple picking with Grady's preschool class.

Conman and The Grades on our most recent trip down to Pawleys.
Fun times at Broadway.

Things here are good. The boys are enjoying school and all of the extra curriculars and I am gearing up for my high school reunion weekend next week. Shawn's mom is here with us until Saturday so the boys have been very happy to spend lots of time with Grammy. Shawn is keeping very busy with work as his year wraps up at the end of November. We're still unsure of where we will be over the holidays...I guess we'll need to figure that out soon.

Luke has dubbed this photo Grady's ACDC picture. It's his school picture day and he used his blue shirt as his show and tell. Apparently he was quite proud of himself for being able to snap all of the snaps by himself.

All Dressed Up...

2007-09-15T07:42:00.000-04:00

and someplace to go! 2nd day of school, that is. I dropped the ball on a 1st day photo, so 2nd day it is. Grady is really enjoying preschool. When I arrived to pick him up yesterday, he was sitting patiently waiting to hold Butterscotch the Hamster. Too cute.

I've included Conner's first day of preschool photo also. My how he's grown up.

Preschool and Soccer

2007-09-12T20:04:00.000-04:00

Grady on the first day of school.

Grady at orientation.

Grady had his first day of preschool this past Tuesday. He loved it, and if you can deduce from the pictures, enjoys art the best. Go figure. His orientation was last week and both days he went straight for the easel. I'm still unsure of what I am going to do for the entire day on Friday. Hmmmm...I'm sure I'll think of something.

Conner's first soccer game was on Saturday in the scorching heat. They won, even though they don't technically keep score. Conner was a bit sluggish but he says he's ready to go all out this weekend.

Work has been keeping me quite busy these last couple of weeks. I'm in the process of hiring some ladies and beefing up my staff as it thinned out this summer. This is typical but makes for some long days...ok for me but rough on the boys. I'll be taking them to Pawley's on the 23rd so there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Shawn has been keeping busy with work. I think if anyone needs a vacation, it's him. I do wish he could join us down south but duty calls up here in New England. He works so hard and we are very fortunate to have a husband/daddy who takes such good care of us.

Lookin' good for picture day.

Coach Shawn.

Big Black Bear

2007-09-05T20:55:00.000-04:00

The big kids, and mommy, off to the fair.
Born to be wild.
Grady and Conner petting the goats.

I wish I would have had a camera at the bus stop this morning. A few minutes before the bus arrived, a huge black bear came strolling down our driveway, crossed the street, and walked into the woods. Our bus stop is approximately 200 yards from our house. Crazy. I suppose we need to call animal control.

Our weekend with Ben, Grace, and Gavin was a lot of fun. We hit the fair, playground, played some cards with our neighbors, and relaxed. It is so neat to see the kids grow up together - Grace is Conner's first friend. They met when Conner was only 4 weeks old and Grace 4 months.

School is going great. However, apparantly some older, 4th grade, students asked Conner to move from the back of the bus because that is where "the big kids sit." Conner didn't quite understand this. He said they were nice about it but he didn't get why he couldn't stay there. He asked if he should tell them that he knows karate. I said that probably wasn't a good idea, especially since they were nice about it, and said that when he is older he'll probably sit in the back seat and that he can let the younger kids sit back there with him if he'd like. I don't know just how to handle this sort of thing. I certainly remember being in younger grades and sitting in the front of the bus because Stacey Martin and all of the other big kids were in the back of the bus. I didn't get the feeling that he was afraid of these kids, just that he was a bit confused. Again, is it going too far to outfit Conner with some sort of hidden camera?? Oh, and tomorrow is the first day of buying lunch. Taco day, yummy.

I'm adding a couple of videos from the fair. Enjoy.

1st Day of School!

2007-08-30T20:44:00.000-04:00

Meet the teacher day on Tuesday.

First morning waiting for the bus with his good friends, Jori and Jillian.

Here they are...the first day of school photos! Yesterday was the first day of first grade and it was great. Conner loved it - he said he likes the bus the best - and is now wanting to buy lunch. I'm not sure if that is such a good idea as he tends to be a bit clumsy from time to time. I may need to request a lunch line helper, is that going a bit too far??

We did hear from the preschool that we wanted Grady to attend and they do have space! Tuesdays and Fridays are Grady's school days. He is so excited to go to school and has been a little angel now that he does not need to compete for my attention. We are all enjoying the new schedule.

Have a great Labor Day weekend. We'll be hanging out with our friend and his two kiddos. Later!

1 Week 'Till School!

2007-08-23T12:32:00.001-04:00

My boys as mermen.

One of these things is not like the others.

My boys at Rye Beach, NH.

We are officially one week away from the start of first grade. Conner has been counting down the days which I feel gives me the freedom to be as excited as he is. So here we are, happy as can be for the upcoming first day of school.

If you haven't heard from me for a little while that is because we have been working like crazy to get the kitchen floor finished. Yes, the weekend I was in Pittsburgh, Shawn surprised me by ripping out the hideous kitchen linoleum and beginning the very large job of tiling the kitchen floor. Now that it is complete it is absolutely beautiful. The before pictures were taken by Shawn's parents, thankfully, otherwise we would have no record of what used to be. The floor was originally white speckled linoleum but when we moved in it was yellowed and the seams were beginning to show. Yikes!! Shawn and Ben did the entry from the garage/laundry/1/2 bath earlier this year.

For those of you with school age children I am sure you are High School Musical 2ed out! We have been watching it non-stop...I suppose there are worse things Conner could be into...and Grady has discovered the computer. He wasn't really interested in it until this last week. He is now a Mahjongg wiz and has begun to master Jump Start Kindergarten. I thought I'd humor him this morning by putting the disc in and figured it would occupy him for a few minutes. Two hours later he was still working on the games. I guess this means I don't need to invest in the PreSchool disc.

Summer has been fun and relatively relaxing as we stayed in New England this year. We had a great visit with my mom and Brian a few weeks ago, went to see James Taylor - awesome concert, hit Hershey Park, spent time at the beach, Shawn's mom and brother were here, and the list goes on. Next summer will be a traveling summer, I can feel it.

Yellow Belt!

2007-08-12T10:18:00.000-04:00

Well, at least we are thinking he'll receive his yellow belt. Conner had testing this past weekend and the belts are presented at their first class following the test. There is a link to the right of Conner breaking a board with his bare hands! Very exciting.

We have had our friends' children this weekend so we are completely exhausted to say the least. Luckily the weather has been great so the kids have had a lot of outside time. I think we sufficiently wore them out yesterday as bedtime was a breeze with the kids falling asleep before checking on them.

Grady ready for some water action.

I am so worn out so I'm going to leave it at that. School starts in two weeks and we're still unsure of where the Grades will be for preschool. Hopefully we'll know something this week.

Back in New Hampshire

2007-07-15T15:23:00.001-04:00

This past week found us in Pennsylvania for Shawn's grandmother's funeral. She had been suffering from a great deal of pain and her body finally gave up Monday, July 9. She lived a full life, volunteering for quite a few organizations, working full time at the Chef Boyardee plant, raising three active boys, and traveling across the ocean several times to visit children and grandchildren in the different locations they were stationed while serving our country. As I sat in the funeral home listening to the minister and to those who shared I was encouraged by what an amazing example she was of one who ministers through her love and actions. Grammy always remembered birthdays and anniversaries and made Christmas extra special by wrapping up the little things that she remembered you liked. (Shawn received a pineapple upside-down cake mix every Christmas since I've known him.) She loved our boys and our boys loved her. We went to visit Shawn's grandfather before heading out of town Friday morning and Grady was wondering where Grammy was. I don't think Pappy heard him, and if he did, he didn't let on. They were married for over 60 years! What an accomplishment in this day and age. We are sad that she is no longer with us but know that she is finally home.

We did get the chance to spend some time with family we don't get to see nearly enough and we made a pit stop in Hershey, PA on the way back. We went to Hersheypark on Friday with Shawn's sister's family and the kids had a blast! (We had a pretty good time, too.) Yesterday we broke up the trip with a stop at the Crayola Factory in Easton, PA where the kids were able to play with all sorts of art materials and see how crayons and markers are made.

So, now we are home, it is raining, Shawn and Grady are napping, Conner is knocking on someone's door, and I'm updating this blog. It is hard to believe that I have been at this for 2 years now. This may surprise some of you, but, I am not a scrapbooker, so this kind of fills that void in our family memories!

Grady working with gears at the Canal Museum in Easton, PA.

Conner and Grady at the Crayola Factory.

Shawn explaining pulleys.

Uncle Terry (Shawn's father's twin who Grady has named the "New Pappy") keeping the little ones away from his work.

Conner and Nicole.

Seth and Grady in Hersheypark.

Conner on the waterslide.

Grady slept through a good portion of the evening at Hershey.

iTunes is Great!

2007-07-08T07:48:00.000-04:00

Let me just take a second to let you know how excited I am! I got an iPod Video for Christmas and until yesterday only had about 3 hours of music on it. This was pretty pathetic. I think I have something like 2G of memory which translates into 99.9% of the memory was still free. Anyway, I spent a couple of hours yesterday afternoon going through all of my old CDs and uploading my favorite songs. (I think I've now used up about 5% more...Insane.) I guess I expected it to take a lot longer and be more difficult...it wasn't. I also found a few fun songs on iTunes that I had forgotten about (my most favorite addition is Troop's Spread My Wings...Sayward will remember Troop!) I can't wait to mow the grass with my new tunes.

We are having a great summer so far. This past Thursday night we all piled in the van and hit the drive-in for Transformers and Fantastic Four 2. Transformers gets a big two thumbs up from me. Very entertaining for both the kids and adults. Fantastic Four was just ok, I didn't really care for the first one either, though.

Conner and Grady are enjoying camp. This past week they spent a few days at the daycamp at our gym. Conner got a chance to play racquetball and tennis and Grady had a great time with doing the different activities. Their Creative Kids camp starts tomorrow and that's what they'll be doing for the next five weeks.

Conner and our neighbor at the beach.

Grady the crazy man.

Shawn wanted a hammock for Father's Day - but didn't tell us until the day before - so this past weekend we went on the hammock hunt. (PI people...had I had more notice I would have enlisted your help.) Finding a hammock proved to be a bit more difficult than we thought it would be. However, Brookstone pulled through and, with two perfectly positioned trees, we now are up and swinging! I took this picture through the window so as not to disturb Shawn and the boys.

Father's Day, road trips, friends visit, last day of school, and trips to the dentist!

2007-06-21T08:21:00.000-04:00

Here Shawn models his sticker. If you can't make it out is reads, "Best Dad on Land or Sea - Aye, Aye!"

We've been pretty busy these last couple of weeks. Conner is now officially a first grader and Grady is minus one front tooth. Long story short, he bumped his tooth a couple of times and the dentist said it had to come out so it didn't hurt the adult tooth.

Shawn's friend Joe visited a few weeks ago before he moves out to Seattle to join the faculty of the University of Washington. It was a rainy afternoon so the guys got out the big paper and drew castles and dragons. We'll miss having Joe down in North Carolina but Seattle will be a great place to visit!

We got a chance to get back to PA to see Shawn's grandparents for the weekend a couple of weeks ago. Grady and Conner spent all weekend with Grammy and Pappy going to McDonalds, playing, and fishing. We don't get back as often as we'd like so the boys tend to monopolize their time when we are in town.

Our neighborhood has a fishing derby in the spring. This year it was rainy, go figure, but we fished anyway. Conner caught an 8 inch fish - no clue what type - and the boat that was next to us hooked a huge snapping turtle. All in all, it was a great 10 minutes on the pond. When Grady had had enough he proclaimed, "I don't want to be on the new boat anymore, I want to go home." He was soaked to the bones and that dude does not like to be cold.

So that has been our life these last three weeks. We've been working like dogs on all of the landscaped areas around the house and have just about tamed the beast. Our neighbor, bless his heart, has hauled 2 trailer loads of yard debris to the dump and we have another load ready to go. (Another friend of ours helped Shawn take 2 truck loads away earlier this spring.) The 6 yards of bark mulch I had delivered is now gone and I think we'll need another 6 once all of the prep work is completed. Despite all of this work, we are loving the new house and it is looking great.

New Videos

2007-05-28T09:16:00.001-04:00

You'll also find a few more videos in the list. The list has been cleaned out so that all of the links now work.

More Pictures

2007-05-28T09:06:00.000-04:00

Bar Harbor

2007-05-28T08:32:00.001-04:00

What a beautiful weekend! Our weather was perfect and we had an amazing time with the Tobeys. If you live in New England or are visiting the area then you need to make Bar Harbor one of your stops. It was by far our favorite weekend getaway.

We pulled into Bar Harbor on Friday with just enough time to hit the pool then fetch a tasty dinner at a restaurant on the water and browse the shops in town. Saturday morning the kids hit the pool in the morning with the dads while Tab and I got pedicures at the Spa. We then headed up to Acadia National Park to see a bit of the scenery and have lunch at the Jordan Pond House. Talk about breath taking views. The restaurant has indoor seating, although on a day like Saturday I'm unsure why anyone would choose to sit inside. You'll see just how picturesque the landscape was in a picture below. After lunch we joined Diver Ed - another must see in Bar Harbor - on a diving cruise (he does the diving in the 39 degree water and takes a camera along to show you what he finds.) He then brings up a collection of starfish, lobsters, crabs, and some other creatures for all of the kids - and adults if you'd like - to pick up and investigate. Grady was kissing sea creatures left and right and thoroughly enjoyed himself. Conner had fun but wasn't as keen on the picking up part. The rest of the day was spent at the pool, enjoying the town, watching the sun set over the Acadia mountains, and visiting with Tab and Selim after the kiddos fell asleep.

Sunday we hit the park for a hike to Thunder Hole - a ravine where the waves crash and it sounds like thunder. We also went to Sand Beach but the water was frigid so we didn't last too long. All in all it was a great time and we'll definitely head back to Bar Harbor again.

Hope everyone has a nice holiday today. Take care!

Oh yeah, I've been meaning to send out a congrats to Betsy and Pete - and Jake, the new big brother - on the birth of Josh. He is absolutely adorable and we are so happy for the Tseronises.

Tab, Alex, and Selim in Bar Harbor.

The Bar Harbor Inn.

The kiddos at the Jordan Pond House restaurant.