Josh, Emily, & Jack

Thanksgiving

2011-12-01T10:40:00.000-08:00

Hey, I'm posting about Thanksgiving before Christmas happens! That's a little bit of an improvement. We had a nice Thanksgiving because no one did homework, work, and we got to be together for an entire day! It was so nice. I helped my grandma and mom in the morning for a little bit and then we ate a delicious meal! My uncle brought bbq ribs and Josh decided that that should replace turkey. :) After we ate we went to the Johnson's and visited with them for a while. Jenna and Todd stayed for a while so we watched a movie with them and hung out. It was fun to just be with family for a day. We don't do that nearly enough!

Our tired boys (Jack and Britain) took a nap while we ate.

Jack with Grandma and Grandpa Freeman

Mac and Britain with Grandma and Grandpa

The whole family

I am so grateful for family and really appreciate all that they do for me. I am so blessed to have been born into such a loving family, to have married into such a wonderful family, and now to have a little family of my own. Thanksgiving was fantastic and now we have our first Christmas with Jack to look forward to!

What a Blessing!

2011-11-23T13:06:00.000-08:00

Jack was blessed on November 6, 2011 and it was such a fun day! We had so many of our family and friends there. Jack's blessing was so nice and a lady in our ward wrote down notes so that we could remember what was said. It was so nice of her because now I will be able to remember all the nice things that were said. He was such a handsome boy and didn't cry or whine once through the whole blessing. Good boy!

My handsome boys!

We're still not the best picture takers but I have taken more pictures in the last 2 1/2 months than I have in my entire life! This kid is seriously the funnest person to hang out with and I get to all day every day.

Isn't that the cutest face? I love it!

It's hard to see but he can get a really good mohawk goin!

Grandpa Bryn and Jack. I love this picture

We sure love our Grandpa Freeman!

We got a good shot of him and Dad before we went to our 6th Marine Ball. We were gone for 5 hours and I really missed my Jack.

So here's our update on Jack. He is now 10 1/2 weeks old. He can still wear newborn pants but fits into some 3-6 month outfits. He was 11 lb 9 oz at his 2 month check up (50th percentile), 22 1/4 in long (25th percentile), and his head was 14 3/4 in (8th percentile). So pretty much he's chubbier than he is long with a small head. He got 4 shots, two in each thigh and it might have been harder on me! It was so sad to see those needles go in and then see him cry. I felt so bad for my little guy but he took it like a champ! He cried for a little, and then slept all the way home. He was a little fussy but not too bad. He has started to talk soo much! It is the cutest thing ever! When I sing to him, he gets this huge smile and then, I'm pretty sure, he sings with me. He seems to like popcorn popping and the muffin man song. He has started to suck on his hand and sometimes he gets one finger in his mouth. He hates riding in the car, but it might be getting better. I don't think he likes to be alone and I think facing backwards in the car makes him feel that way. He has started to sleep up to 3 to 4 hours at a time at night and in his own bed, not the swing. I can tell that he is getting happier and smiles so much more than he used to. Oh, and he loves to be complimented. I don't know how he knows, but he gets a big smile when I call him "cute boy".

2011-10-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

I don't have much time but I just wanted to share some of my favorite moments with my favorite little guy! He's growing up so fast and getting so big. He is 7 weeks old today and I can't believe we've had him that long already. We love him so much and have so much fun hanging out with him.

I bought him this so he'd have something to play with. He might still be a little young but he liked it for a second.

He likes being in the driver's seat already! And he's going through puberty. Poor guy, he's got a huge zit.

He absolutely loves taking a bath but hates getting lotioned up and dressed. Screams the whole time.

Just relaxing in the Bumbo at Aunt Jenna's.

Mac loves his cousin Jack

This was on our way up to Greer. Josh said it looked like he was on a roller coaster.

Happy Halloween!

Jack Slade

2011-09-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

He's Here!! Our little guy is finally home with us. He's actually been home now for over a week but this is how I do the blog thing. Late, as usual. Here's the little guy...

Jack Slade Johnson
9-9-2011
7 lbs 14 ounces
20.1 inches
Born at 8:29 pm

We are so thrilled to have Jack in our family now. It has really changed the dynamics of our home. I can't believe how much he consumes our lives and we love him so much. He's our greatest blessing. We never realized we could love so much, even though he keeps us up most of the night.

2011-06-05T16:09:00.000-07:00

So this is going to be a picture overload, but it is so crazy! I didn't even put all the pictures in here. Friday night/Saturday morning at 2:15 my phone starts ringing. I'm pretty out of it being as I was sleeping... and I didn't get to the phone fast enough. I saw that it was my Aunt Diane and then she called again and I hung up on her. I guess I wasn't awake yet. I called her back and she wanted me to go have my mom call her. So...at 2:20 in the morning I walked over to my mom's house. When I got there my mom was already talking to Diane, my job was done. But I stayed to see what the heck was going on. My Grandma and Grandpa have been up in Greer at our wonderful and beautiful cabin (that I love!) and they got the first notice about the fire and to start getting ready to evacuate. They didn't have to leave until they get a second notice but it made my grandma really nervous, I would be nervous too. So my mom, a couple of my aunts, brother, some cousins, and a couple uncles went to Greer at 3 that morning to help clear out the cabin and clear around it too.

Saturday morning, I started watching the news to see what was going on and they said the fire had burned 140,000 acres! It's huge! So I got a little emotional (partly in fault of me being preggo) and I called Jenna. She didn't even know there was a fire cause they don't watch tv. I was telling her about it and my eyes became a waterfall. I couldn't control it. I love the cabin so much! My Grandpa and his sons (my uncles) built most of it themselves. I have so many memories there and I would be so sad if anything happened to it. She made sure I was ok and said that she would ask Todd to fast for the cabin and all the people affected by the fire. If I could, I would but I have definitely been praying for all those up north.

Everyone made it home and I talked to my mom about how it all went. I asked her how Grandma was doing and she said she was fine until they were leaving and she turned to look one last time and started to cry. I can't imagine the emotions she was feeling. My mom told me the fire was only 8 miles from Greer. It sounds sooo close! But they still haven't officially started evacuating anybody. I found out at church today that it is now 6 miles away.

Blake was taking pictures from his phone. They're all in Greer and it looks scary close to them. I pray that everyone is safe up there and that the firefighters will be blessed. They've got a tough job and I'm so grateful for their efforts. Hopefully things will turn around and they will be able to contain it. It's crazy how fast things can change. Anyways....that was a long story but I really wanted to write about this.

2011-05-21T07:34:00.000-07:00

We've known for a while now and I guess I'm not too comfortable putting the "It's a BOY" ultrasound picture on here but that's what we're having! I honestly didn't care which way it went but I'm so thrilled to be having a little boy! He is going to be so loved.... he already is! I love being able to see him when I go in for my appointments. I just had my third ultrasound and she did a couple 3D pictures for me. It is AMAZING! I'm definitely showing now and I am feeling him move around a lot, mostly in the mornings. When I was at the doctor on Thursday, I felt him move on the outside of my stomach. It was so neat.

The top pic is his tiny little feet! Cute! Both of these were at 18 weeks.

This one is my favorite!

These were taken yesterday at almost 23 weeks! Technology is amazing. I love these pictures. Anyways...I'm so excited about this little guy and we've got A LOT of work to do before he comes. Our place is so small but we'll make it work. My sister...by the way...should be having her baby boy on Sunday! I'm so excited! I can't wait to hold my second little nephew. It's going to be so fun. I know I've complained a lot (mostly to Josh) but I really am so grateful for this experience to be a mom. We already love Jack so much and can't wait to see him!

2011-03-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

I think everyone knows already but I guess it's about time to officially announce it.
We're having a baby! We are so stinking excited. We got to hear the heartbeat about a month ago. I went to my second doctor's appointment last Tuesday and heard the heartbeat again, it was 156. My next appointment is April 21 and we'll find out if it's a boy or a girl. I'm due September 18... so lucky me gets to go through the hot summer being huge and pregnant. I'll be inside or in a pool at all times! My sister is due in a couple months so we'll have kids kinda close together. It's going to be so fun and Josh and I are so thrilled to be parents.

2011-01-07T20:37:00.000-08:00

We made it through the holidays! I didn't know what kind of attitude I would have by the time Christmas came, I had seen and dealt with so much Christmas at work. I just wanted a relaxed and calm break. It was our first Christmas with Blake home! FUN Christmas Eve was so nice at my Grandma and Grandpa Freeman's house. I got off work around 4:30 and was at the family party 30 min later! But there was good food and good family so it was all worth it. We missed Jenna tho! Poor girl had to work on Christmas Eve. Santa came and gave us all our gifts and we read the Nativity story. After all the fun, we went home and went to....sleep!! I was so excited for that!

Christmas day started at my mom's and we had delicious eggy burros for breakfast. Then we went and opened presents! My mom got Josh all the things that he loves! A tent to go camping, wood for fires, and a sudoku book with pencils. We got a picture of the temple from her too and it's beautiful.
Josh surprised me with a huge gift which I love! He got me a desktop computer that has the computer in the monitor and.... it's a touchscreen! Now I can blog more...maybe. I'll try. He's the greatest. He always thinks his gifts for me are so lame but they're the best.

We then headed over to the Johnsons for breakfast #2. French toast which is one of my favorites so ate there too. We love going over to the Johnsons... there's always something going on there. Julianne's family, Jaren & Alexa, Jed & Melanie, Gator & Heather, Jeremy & his girls, Jake, and Justin were all there. We missed seeing Jaime and all her family. And we always miss Jenny and her family. Can't wait to see her in the summer tho!

After the Johnsons, we headed over to my Grandma Ewart's house for breakfast #3! Which I also ate. It was also delicious. We hung out for a while and opened presents. I got a nice watch and bracelet from my dad and Josh got a really good book.
It was a nice Christmas... just not long enough.

We spent New Year's Eve with Jaren and Alexa out by the fire. We spent a few hours out in the freezing cold but it was nice and relaxing. I must be getting old tho cause I think I would've rather gone to sleep. At midnight we saw the countdown on tv and had some sparkling cider. Jaren tried to ride his dirt bike with fire crackers tied to it. But it didn't work out so well.

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! (Belated of course, I'll never be on time with my blogs)

2010-10-31T19:14:00.000-07:00

We had a crazy Friday night. My favorite little guy, Mac, came to show us his Halloween costume. He was a cow and it was so cute! He wouldn't leave it on for very long but I loved it. We all went to see Grandma and Grandpa Freeman and hung out there for a while. Grandpa told me he had some expensive stuff locked up in the shed right by us and that he wasn't sure if anyone saw him put it in there... so we needed to watch out for it. I told Josh about it when he got home and then he started away on his never ending homework. I looked out the window and saw a car over by the Orange Patch and told Josh. It wasn't a big deal but then... about a half hour later our door handle jiggles, like someone was trying to open our door. So we got a little nervous and Josh got his shotgun. We heard a knock and Josh asked who it was but there was no answer. Then we heard a knock on the other side of the apartment and Josh asked louder who it was. Still no answer. So he takes his shotgun out the door and looks around. No one was there so he turned around another corner and saw someone wearing a mask and he lifted his gun. Then... we hear "Wait Josh, it's just me." She takes off the mask and come to find out it was two of my 17 year old girl cousins and their friend. Poor Josh was so nervous and felt so bad, he couldn't get his hands to stop shaking for so long. He didn't sleep a wink all night either; he felt so stinkin bad! I'm so glad nothing happened, but our house is out in the middle of nowhere. If anyone comes out there it's usually to steal something or be crazy. We rarely get visitors so we had no idea. And we forgot it was Halloween weekend. So... I don't think we'll ever get visitors again.

On to happier things, Josh had drill this weekend and found out that he got taken off the deployment list. So as of now he's not going. I am happy but I had accepted it and was prepping for it. They change things way too much in the Marines and it makes it hard on my emotions. In the back of my mind, I still feel like he's gonna go. So I'm not totally accepting that he's not going. We had the ball too and we got our pictures taken this time so maybe I'll post them. If they look good.

Today was my first day in Young Womens. I was called to be the 3rd counselor, yes we have 3. We have the Arboleda Branch with us so one is from the branch. I'm the counselor over the Beehives and I'm scared to death! I have no idea what I'm doing and I'm sooo under qualified. I met the girls for the first time today and they seem like the funnest and sweetest girls but I'm so scared they're not going to like me or they'll think I'm boring. And then, every other leader in Young Womens seems so talented and amazing. I can't think of anything I'm good at that I can teach these girls. I almost cried a few times today thinking about my calling. Other people probably think this job is a piece of cake but I'm not too confident in my leadership abilities. It's a very scary thing for me but I hope that I can make the best of it and put so much into my calling. I want to make it the best for these girls and I hope I can become a better person through the experiences I'll have with them. I know it's going to be so fun and I'll love being in YW. We'll see how it goes!

2010-10-05T22:36:00.001-07:00

So, remember when I gave Josh the duty of updating the blog for me? Well, neither of us are very good at it. Josh is always doing homework or Marine stuff. I feel bad that he's so stressed out and there's nothing I can do about it. I don't understand anything he's learning in school. Hopefully this will end soon.

Other than that, I went to my grandma's cabin in Greer for Conference weekend and it was soo nice, other than missing Josh. I think that part was made worse cause I was thinking about how I'm going to miss him so much when he leaves for his deployment.

But conference was so nice. I loved all the talks and it was so uplifting! By the time conference comes around, I think it is so needed. With all the bad things going on in the world, I need to be reminded of all the good things too. I've always taken conference for granted and I regret not taking advantage of the messages from our church leaders in the past.

Anyway, while watching a session of conference, I was laying on the ground after putting a bunch of over sized Lego's together for my nephew Mac. I stopped paying attention to him and that must have made him very mad, cause all of a sudden my face started throbbing with pain and tears came uncontrollably out of my eyes.

He threw it at my face! I couldn't help the crying; I really tried to stop. My crying made Mac feel bad and so he started crying. During the pain, I tried to comfort Mac and make him feel a little better.

So now... for the first time in my life, I have a black eye. Given to me by a 22 month old. It's not that bad of one, but still it's a first for me.

He's Home!

2010-09-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

I really want to make a goal to not go 3 months without making a new blog post, but I can't make any promises. Not that people look at this thing anymore. I'm not reliable at all. But I did have something happen that was exciting enough to put on here.

My brother Blake came home from his mission!!!

He came home on September 15 at 9:45 AM. It was such a great day and we worked SO hard for that day. We redid his and Bryce's room, a TON of yard work, a lot of fixes to my mom's house, sign making, and shopping. We were pretty much exhausted by the time he got here, but it was all worth it.

We were at the airport pretty early (just in case the plane came an hour early, right mom?) and saw the plane come in to the terminal. So as we were watching people come through a guy walks by me and says "He's coming" and that made us a little more nervous.

Then we saw this!

And my mom ran to do this....

And then he came over to the huge mass of people waiting for him

Thought I'd take a picture showing his plane had officially ARRIVED! It's the top line flight 2915

We worked for HOURS on these and he didn't even notice them.
They're cute though and that's what really matters.

This is the nice flight attendant that was with Blake the entire time he was traveling.
All the way from Argentina to Arizona

Blake and Bryce... aww cute!

Blake and Grandpa Freeman

Blake and Grandma Freeman... I think this picture is so nice.
We all love our grandparents so much!!

Blake and Dad

Blake and Grandma Ewart

Blake and Brady... they're not kissing each other on the cheek, promise,
my camera has a delay on it. Looks like it tho, gross

Weston! and Blake

Mac met Uncle Blake for the first time. He's still getting used to Blake,
he's only known him as a picture til now but it's getting better.

Brenner and Blake

Just going around the circle

Doesn't he look so good?!

We're so excited to have him home. We've missed him but we're so proud of him for serving a mission. Welcome Home Elder Smith!

2010-06-24T10:34:00.000-07:00

Hey it's me, Emily, the slacker. I'm back for just a short post dedicated to my hubby! Josh has been at Corporal's Course out in Glendale for a week and a half now I miss him so much! You'd think 2 weeks wouldn't phase me at all but it does.

So when Josh was in Africa he was talking about being promoted to Corporal and he couldn't because someone didn't sign his paper when he was promoted to Lance Corporal. That means he lost like 4 months of time to raise his score. Our luck isn't so good.. Anyways, he missed the cutting score by 2 Points! It's so frustrating. Eventually he was promoted and it's been a while since then.

A month or two ago he was going to be put in for a meritorious promotion and he spent a lot of time getting all the papers in order and getting his picture taken. After a few weeks we found out that admin lost his picture! Again... our luck isn't so good.

Then... we were waiting for Friday for the cutting score to come out to see if he was going to be promoted to Sergeant. He called me Tuesday to tell me that someone told him the scores came out and he missed it by 3 points. We were both bummed! I couldn't believe that this would happen again. I felt so bad for him. After I got off of work he called to tell me that the guy was wrong and he was 3 points over! I was soooo excited! He's going to be promoted in July and he'll be Sergeant Johnson. I'm probably more excited than most about this but it seems like he's always trying so hard and things don't always work out. But it did this time! Anyways I'm so proud of him and can't wait to see him on Monday!

P.S. i'm not totally sure of the order of everything in the story but I tried!

The Southern Voice

2010-06-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

I have to do a little bit of back-tracking. Since Emily and I don't have any children yet and are therefore a little more free than most parents we have always tried to go somewhere after each semester just to catch up on the time together that we missed because of work, school, studying, and the ever-present Marines. Some of these trips out of town have been more extravagant (Brazil) while others have been quiet and simple (camping). Well, as this past semester was drawing to a close I realized that we hadn't thought of or planned anything to do yet. I told Emily not to worry about it and that I'd think of something and surprise her with it. So...the pressure was on. It took me about a week to come up with something and still another week to work out the logistics. What was it? Tickets to the Tim McGraw/Lady Antebellum concert. Where? Atlanta.

You may be wondering why the heck we would go all the way to Atlanta for a concert. My sister and her family just happens to live an hour south of Atlanta so I figured we could spend a little time visiting them. And, Emily absolutely loves Lady Antebellum so I thought that she would really enjoy the experience of seeing her favorite country group perform live for thousands of drunk southerners and at least two sober Mormons. Then she could say she went to the 2010 Southern Voice Tour in the South.

We flew to Atlanta on a Friday and drove to Warner Robbins where my sister lives. We spent the rest of the day and the next morning hanging out with them and meeting her new baby. It was a lot of fun seeing her and her family. Her 4-year-old, Gavin, didn't remember me so it was easy to play with him since he doesn't remember how bad I teased him when they lived in Arizona.

On Saturday, we drove back to Atlanta and checked into our hotel. Since we weren't going to have enough time before the concert to do a whole lot we had to choose between visiting the Coca-Cola factory or the Atlanta Aquarium. After much debate we finally decided on the aquarium and spent more than an hour figuring out how to get there and where to park. This being accomplished we went inside and spent another hour with our faces pressed up against the glass like two little kids gaping at the HUGE fishes, sting-rays, and whales. I even got to touch the slimy wing of a baby sting-ray but just missed the baby shark by a few inches.

Traffic on the way to the concert was way, and I mean WAY crazier than I thought it was going to be so we had to settle on a very romantic gas station for dinner. Considering the fact that I proposed in a parking garage, the gas station didn't seem all that bad...besides, she's stuck with me. After parking in a dark corner of a suspicious parking lot and paying the even more suspicious parking attendant we finally made our way to the gates of Aaron's Amphitheatre for the show. I never thought I'd see my shy, timid Emily party but something about seeing her favorite band in concert transformed my little Nervous Nelly into a dancing, singing country girl. My favorite part was watching the drunk, shirt-less redneck guys trip on themselves while flirting with the sauced up and booted Georgian girls.

Once Tim McGraw was done singing his hair extensioned head off we made our way to the car and to my surprise, it was still there and not a single window was broken. Emily got a shirt or two to commemorate the occasion and we made it safely home to the desert the next morning. Despite a few hick-ups in my plans the trip went fairly well. I'm pretty sure Emily had fun and I didn't have to knock anybody out for feeling her up at the concert.

My Friend

2010-05-26T20:27:00.000-07:00

I have to start this post by saying to the few people who still read this blog that, by the request of Emily, the illustrious duty of updating our few loyal followers on the events of our lives via blog has fallen to her far worse half....me. If you don't know who I am then you're probably better off by just knowing my wonderfully sweet wife. Since this is my first of however many posts Emily wants me to do, I find it fitting that I take a little time to brag.

The scriptures say that men should cleave unto their wives...the general understanding of that phrase is that men should commit themselves completely. In my opinion, that phrase should have been translated a little differently. It should have said something like, "Men should cleave unto their wives and speedily do whatever is desired by them for thou shalt probably be better off anyways idiot." And so it is that I am sitting here trying desperately to put into words on a computer screen what I feel in the deepest depths of my soul. Besides, who could say no to Emily?

For those lucky people who have had the privilege to get to know Emily and for those not-so-lucky people who have had the misfortune of meeting me, you are probably just as confused as I am that she conceded her eternal future to me. She is the sweetest, most gentle, most kind, most loveable, most forgiving, most patient, and most beautiful girl I've ever known and ever heard of. I used to think that I must have done something extraordinary to deserve an eternal companion like her but now I know that my Father in Heaven knew that in order to bring out my full, meager potential I would need a girl by my side who was as close to perfection as anyone can be. She knows literally everything about me and still insists on loving me. I thank The Lord every day for that great gift.

If you know me at all, you know that it is no small thing for me to bare my soul and expose my feelings like this.I promise to the reader that I will post more about our everyday lives but I wanted to put into words at least a portion of the gratitude I feel for the never-ending privilege it is to live every day with Emily smiling at me. She's my wife, my sweetheart, and my best friend. I love her.

Husband Tag

2010-05-08T21:51:00.001-07:00

1. Where did you meet your husband? We met on a blind date. It was kinda a last minute deal and Josh's friend talked to me more than he did. He says he was trying to find something wrong with me but couldn't.... awww so sweet. We went to Cheesecake Factory and watched a movie at my dear friend Heather's apartment

2. How long did you date before you got married? We dated for 2 months and engaged 4 months

3. How long have you been married? a little over 3 years, crazy how fast it goes.

4. What does he do that surprises you? ok... i have a story. so for my birthday...which is 2 days before valentines day, Josh got me this nintendo system that plays super nintendo games and the older games. But it didn't work and he felt really bad. So the day after my b-day and the day before v-day he comes in with Jaren to my work. Josh is in his nice suit that he's worn maybe once, with a flower and starts singing to me.
He also does the dishes to surprise me and i love those surprises!

5. What is your favorite feature of his? I love his hair, and that he's not losing it (and when he wears gel.. ). I also love his smile

6. What is his best quality? He treats me so good! I think he gets it from his dad. He never ever gets mad at me, even when I'm being difficult.

7. Does he have a nickname for you? most the time it's just Em, but sometimes he'll say "hey girlfriend"

8. What is his favorite food? Deifnitely Mexican food. We love our Mattas!

9. What is his favorite sport? football and baseball

10. When and where did you first kiss? um... he kissed my cheek on our first date

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? watch movies and hang out

12. Do you have any children? no, not yet. but we want to someday

13. Does he have any hidden talents? he can sing and he has an incredible memory when it comes to movies. he can remember quotes from movies he hasn't seen for years!! He does really good impressions too.

14. How old is he? 27

15. Who said 'I love you' first? well... i guess he did... kinda. He took me on a gondola ride and then we walked around by the water and he told me... get this, that he was 96% sure he was falling in love with me. I don't know if he was scared of what i would say so I guess it was him that said it first...haha

16. What is his favorite music? almost anything. I've gotten him more into country but he likes things like Weezer and Jimmy Eat World.

17. What do you admire most about him? He's very dedicated and smart! He knows the scriptures soo well and I often get jealous about how much he knows. It's amazing to me that he can remember so many details about the scriptures and the history of the church.

18. What is his favorite color? Green

19. Will he read this? Eventually I think. I hope he doesn't get embarassed

20. Who will I tag next? Like my friend Lachelle, anyone who reads this and wants to do it. And Lachelle... I kinda copied how you filled this out with the pictures. it was so cute!

2010-04-11T15:10:00.000-07:00

I've been told a million times I need to update my blog and I really try. I always start a new post and then delete it cause it seems really boring. I guess I need to quit worrying about that. Even now, I'm tempted to just quit but I won't.

I should've taken before and after pictures but I only have after pictures. A few weeks ago I convinced Josh we NEEDED new bedroom furniture. Eventually we would've since we didn't own our furniture... it was all borrowed and none of it matched. So we went and looked and got a really good deal and ended up buying a whole set! And I LOVE IT! We got a bed with storage underneath, a chesser (a dresser with a little cupboard), a mirror, and 2 nightstands.

a night stand

the chesser... my favorite for some reason

and the bed

all in all...i counted that we have 20 drawers and storage underneath half the bed. It feels so nice to be a little more organized and I've already dusted the furniture a few times. It's only been in our room for a week now.

Oh and last night, it was confirmed to me that Josh doesn't notice anything. It's totally off subject, but he came home from drill and kinda stunk so he changed his clothes and i made him wear cologne. We were going to see some of his friends because Lee and his family are moving. So on our way home we had this conversation...

Me: "You know I love the smell of that cologne... I don't understand why you don't wear it more often"

Josh: "Well, if it was out on the counter or something, I'd wear it more often but I always forget"

Me: "Josh... That's where it's been for the last year and a half!"

It literally has been on the bathroom counter right behind the faucet since I bought it for him when he came home from Africa. I don't know how long cologne normally lasts a boy but this is gonna last him his entire life because I think he's put it on a total of 5 times. But I still love him... He did let me get new bedroom furniture after all!

Jarenisms...

2010-03-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

Ok, I've decided to get back to my blogging roots but since I can never, ever think of something to blog about I've decided to dedicate a few blogs to one of the um...shall we say, most interesting people I know. I'm of course talking about one of Josh's younger brothers. Although all of them say and do things that are blog-worthy, this particular brother seems to always give me something to laugh about every time I see him and since we don't have any kids to write about, Jaren will have to suffice.
For this first of what I'm sure will turn into many blogs I've decided to write just a little bit about Jaren's unique personality...and believe me, it is unique. Jaren has always been the one to want to do the things that everyone else would tell stories about. He doesn't usually take the time to think about what he's about to do...he just does it. Come to think of it, I don't think he's even capable of feeling even a shred of embarrassment about anything. For example, after one of his many visits to the hospital, Josh was teasing him about a female nurse having to clean Jaren's behind...to which he replied, "Heck! I don't care who wipes my butt just so long as somebody wipes it!" I'm still laughing about that pearl of wisdom.
Another thing about Jaren is his weird fashion sense. As much as his mom, sisters, and girlfriend may try to get him to wear more conventional clothes, Jaren is always going to put on (or take off) whatever he wants and if you don't like it, he couldn't care any less. So, as a result he's either dressed like a mountain man or not wearing much at all. If you're already getting bored with this blog I apologize but I promise, specifics will come in future blogs. So, without further ado, I present...

Jaren!

2010-03-05T21:41:00.000-08:00

So... a crazy thing happened at work the other day. I finished juicing my 55 gallons of OJ for my work and got bored at home. So even tho I was not working I went to my work. I get bored being by myself for too long and I usually visit my good friend Lorene at the OP2.

I went to the back to say hi to my mom, but saw Irma instead who told me a terrible story! A car was broken into in the back parking lot at work. I don't understand why people think they can do things like that. But it was in the middle of the day and no one saw or heard the window break. The customer's gps was stolen and they were pretty upset, not at us tho.

That night we went to play cards with my g-ma and g-pa and told them (who own the OP2) about the break-in. They were pretty upset too and couldn't believe something like that would happen at their store.

Soooo... today when I was at work, my g-ma and her good friend came to visit and I thought they were there to shop...cause it's a really cute store. But my mom came to tell me the real reason they were there. My grandma, who is in her 70's and her friend came to . . . .

patrol the parking lot for thieves!

How cute is that! I couldn't stop smiling... and laughing a little. I have the greatest grandparents in the world. They are the most hard working, generous, and honest people I know and would do anything for anyone. Even hunt for parking lot theives

2010-03-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH!

Today is Josh's birthday and I just wanted to make a special blog for him to say...Happy Birthday! He should feel pretty special about this cause i blog about twice a year. I feel really bad too because on his birthday he had to go to school and work. I've been sick for a week and a half so I haven't had much energy. I have a lot to make up for. I made him waffles this morning and put them on the Birthday plate tho! Well, I know this wasn't the most exciting birthday but I want him to know how much I love him and want him to be happy. And Josh... I love you!!!

2010-01-16T20:27:00.000-08:00

So... Christmas was great and New Year's was relaxing and, in a few days, life will be busy again. We had a really nice Christmas with all our family. We got to talk to my brother Blake who is in Argentina and has a little less than 8 months left. We got to talk to Josh's brother Gator, who is in Colorado and comes home in April. They're both doing great!

Then... Josh and I had a relaxing weekend in Payson over New Years. We forced ourselves to stay up til 12 on New Year's Eve and enjoyed sleeping in every morning! We didn't plan a single thing and loved every minute. We saw Blindside and Sherlock Holmes... both were great movies. We made a few trips to Walmart and Blockbuster... just for something to do. I definitely recommend this kind of vacation!

So all this relaxing time will end in just a few short days. Josh starts school on Wednesday and he signed up for 14 credits and he's working part time. So... good luck to him! I know he can do it, he's a smart kid. So, the good life will end soon and the craziness will begin!

2009-12-10T14:46:00.000-08:00

So I have to be the worst blogger in the world! Life has been crazy busy. I'm working almost 50 hours a week and Josh is always gone. So on Thursday, when we both have a free day, it's SO nice to spend some time together. Last Thursday, we had a nice morning. It was slow and relaxing and then we ran some errands. We went to ASU so Josh could work on some Veterans stuff for school.

The parking garage was full so we found an IHOP parking lot that literally had 3 cars in it but it also said it was only for IHOP customers and people staying in the hotel. We figured we only be a few minutes so we risked it. The ASU errand went smoothly and it only took a half hour and we walked back to our car.

It wasn't there! They really towed our car out of an empty parking lot! Josh felt stupid and it really didn't bother me until I read that it would cost $135.
We started walking toward the towing place and making phone calls to see if anyone at all could come save us. Unfortunately, everyone has lives and were busy at the moment. The place we needed to go to was 5 or 6 miles away so we kept walking. Josh remembered that the recruiting station he worked at last year was on mclintock and broadway so we walked a couple miles there.

When we got there, there was one guy in there. Josh started talking small talk with questions like, "So what are you doing today?" "So, You're doing nothing?" "Do you have a car?" and "You're really doing nothing right now?". He never caught on so Josh finally asked him for a ride. He said yes but he was out of gas and we offered him some money for gas. We get in the car and he has to breathe in a stinkin breathalizer (sp?) before he can start the car! Our luck is amazing. We made it to the towing place safe and got our car out, minus $135 dollars.
So our relaxing day off became not so relaxing.

Also... we went to the Marine ball and Alyssa did my hair and I loved it!!! It was so pretty. The ball was boring tho, we left early.

LOVE THE HAIR! Josh looked nice also!

And I know this is late but that's how all my posts are so Mac was the cutest Pirate for Halloween! I took some pictures of him before he got too annoyed with his costume but he's oh so cute!

So i think that's a good enough blog for now. hopefully it's not february before i make my next blog. If it is Merry Christmas everyone!!

update...

2009-10-07T09:43:00.001-07:00

So... it's been a while since I've posted anything! here's a little update with what's been going on. Josh started school in August. He's taking physics, spanish, communications and a gym class. He's working in the evenings too so I rarely see him. He's got drill this weekend so he'll leave tomorrow morning at like 4 and come home Sunday night....sad.
I'm still working at The Orange Patch Too. It's getting to be the busy season and we've got Christmas stuff up which is sooo cute! I'll probably be sick of it by Christmas. It's almost time for oranges too, I'm so excited. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with my life. I want to go to school but I don't know what for and I know I'm a little late on deciding that.
My brother Blake hit his year mark on September 10th so he's almost been out 13 months! We're so excited to be in the second year. He told us in his last email that he was doing lunges with some weights and his stomach started hurting pretty bad. After a couple days it still hurt so he went to the hospital. They told him he has a hernia in his stomach which I guess can be pretty bad. They gave him medicine but he might have to have an "operacion." He's forgetting how to spell words in English...it's kinda funny. I hope he's ok!
Mac is 10 months old now and is a chunk! He's 22.5 lbs. He's so dang cute tho. I love it when he comes over. He's started to walk a little. He'll do so good and then just fall forward. He talks to us all the time! He says mama and dada but then he just makes his own little noises and he loves to give kisses. They're so slobbery but its so cute. We love the little guy.
Well...Josh and I figured out why we're so boring. We're losers by choice. We never make a huge effort to do anything. By the time we both get home we just want to stay home, watch a movie and go to bed. That is why my blog is so boring. Hopefully we get to be more exciting people someday!

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-08T12:20:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went up to the White Mountains with my family. We left Thursday night and stayed til Sunday. It was so relaxing and the weather was incredible. Josh's brothers went bull riding on Friday while we were on a hike. I knew Josh really wanted to go so I told him if we were back in time, he could. We weren't... and he was really disappointed. The next day was the 4th of July and we went to the parade in Eagar, which has been a family tradition forever. It's not the greatest but I like it. We got back to camp and had hamburgers and Josh got a call to go bull riding. They assured me that they were older bulls and not as bad. So we went and this is how it went...

Josh's brother Justin

Jaren's the one on the bull.... and Jeremy's the one under the bull.
You can hear his mom scream...it was scary.

This is Josh's first ride and he did pretty good.

Here's his second ride.

2009-05-04T08:02:00.000-07:00

Now I really have something to tell... Whenever Josh is gone, i usually hang out with my mom. So on Saturday, after I cleaned and did laundry, I decided to head over to my mom's house. I went down Hermosa Vista to Gilbert and was waiting at the light which always takes forever to turn green. It finally did, and this time I actually looked to make sure cars were slowing down. I went to make my left hand turn to go North on Gilbert road and I looked to the left and a little black Dodge in the far left lane going South on Gilbert was coming at me. I remember thinking something like "Why isn't she stopping?" and then, bam! She hit me. I don't remember the initial hit or moving or my car sliding into another car stopped at the light in the traffic going North on Gilbert road. When I finally came back, I saw my cracked windshield and it took a few seconds to realize what had just happened. I took off my seatbelt and got out of the car and noticed everyone else was walking around. A witness stopped and asked if I was ok and told me that the lady driving the Dodge did run the red light. I asked him if I could use his phone cause I couldn't find mine and I called my mom.

The first police officer showed up and started talking to the witness and the other driver. I was just waiting there, going through crying sessions. While I was crying the fire department and the ambulance came. Also, I want to mention how great my family is. I made one phone call, and before I knew it, my grandma and grandpa, Jenna, Todd, Mac, my mom, Bryce, his friend Michael, and my Aunt Gayle were there. I also called Josh but he didn't get reception in California so i left him a message. He didn't get it until Sunday morning so he was worried.

One of the firemen knew my family and so he helped me get everything out of my car so they could tow it away. The trunk was stuck so they had to help me open it.

I watched as they towed the first car I have ever owned away. At the time there was so much going on, of course, but now I'm kinda sad to think I probabaly won't drive my Mazda anymore. It honestly was such a great car.

After we got all the info we needed we went to my mom's truck and my Grandpa and Todd gave me a blessing which I am so grateful for. Everyone told me I should go to the hospital to get check out. I was kinda sore and it was hard to walk on my heel so we were off to the hospital. This is the first time I have ever been in the hospital for myself! It wasn't fun at all. I waited forever! But everything turned out to be alright. I'm just bruised and sore! BTW... this is the first thing Josh saw when he got his phone turned on.
At least I was smiling?

Well, I really feel so blessed. My grandpa said if i had been a little farther out in the intersection she would've hit the driver's side door, which would've been me. Looking at me, you wouldn't know I was in an accident. The Lord was really watching out for me and I have so much to be thankful for. It was scary but no one was hurt. I know I wrote a lot but I really needed to write it down for myself cause I'm a horrible journal writer... Well, I'll let you know how it all turns out!

I'm a Slacker!

2009-05-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

It's been a while... there's not much that has happened to us that is quite blog worthy. Josh is gone on a Drill Weekend in California so I thought I'd update the old blog. Josh and I did make a really fun purchase! We both love to play the piano but we don't have a ton of money or much room so we bought a digital piano from Costco. It is the funnest thing, it sounds like a real piano and it also has an Ipod dock. It's really great. Sometimes, I have to threaten to take the cord away cause Josh is playing the piano instead of doing homework.

Update on Mac... He's almost 5 months old and 2 of his bottom teeth are coming in. You can actually see them, it's crazy how time goes so fast. I can make him laugh pretty good, I have to act like I'm crazy but he loves it. Jenna and Todd bought a house out in Queen Creek so I'm gonna have to drive 30 minutes to see them. I'm kinda sad but I'm so excited for them to be home owners. Mac's wearing my sunglasses in this picture... he looks good!

Well, Blake's been out for almost 8 months now! I can't believe it. He's doing great. His birthday is on May 25th and he'll be 20 years old! His grammar in his emails is getting worse but I've heard that means they're speaking the language there better. Surprisingly I miss him. I always said I couldn't wait until he left on his mission but I really do miss him. My cousin Brady Freeman comes home on the 13th and I'm way excited. He was seriously the life of the party. He's been on a mission in Korea and I can't wait to see him.

My mom is doing good. She's a Laurel adviser and still works a lot. She bought a new camping trailer that we are so excited to use this summer up in the White Mountains. It's so nice compared to her old one. I still hang out with her a lot, even though Josh is home now. She is really the best mom and I'm so grateful for her!

(Elder Blake Smith)

Our update... Josh is almost done with this semester of school and is so ready for a break. During the long awaited 2 week break we're going to go up to Utah and just relax. We haven't made plans other than where we're staying. I want to go to a couple shops and Josh wants to see my uncle's Military museum. I'm so excited to spend some time with Josh. I feel like I never see him. He's been so busy with school and work so this vacation is much needed! I'll try to remember to take pictures while we're up there so I can post them. I can't promise anything though, I'm the worst!

Here's a few random pictures...

Josh being gross...

Mac was lovin' the swing! So cute!

Josh's 26th birthday! I made the candle in the shape of a J... I didn't have enough candles for the old fart.

A tree in my mom's yard rotted and my grandpa was on a fork lift cutting down the branches. He's pretty much crazy but I love him.

Here's my beautiful mom!

Well... This has taken me long enough so that's all for now!

Camelback Mt

2009-03-20T20:37:00.000-07:00

Josh and I finally had a whole day off together so we decided to go up Camelback Mountain on Thursday. I thought I was in better shape but it was a lot harder than I thought. I was definitely struggling but it was nice to get to the top and look at the view!

However.... on the way down I was cruising; going faster than Josh. So I was pretty proud of myself, feeling pretty confident. About halfway down, I wasn't paying too much attention and my foot slipped and I fell right on a jagged rock on my rear. I just sat there and Josh asked me if I was alright and the lady just a few rocks down said it was a hard fall cause she heard it. I wanted to cry from embarrassment but I'll admit it hurt pretty bad. It still hurts to do a lot of things but overall I loved the hike and can't wait to go back!

My Cake!

2009-02-24T21:12:00.000-08:00

I made a cake! My cousin got this banana cake recipe from Paula Dean and made little cupcakes for my other cousin's bridal shower. They were really good so she emailed me the recipe and I tried making the cake tonight. We haven't eaten any of it yet but it doesn't look too bad. I'm so proud of myself tho cause baking and cooking scare me to death. I'm trying to overcome my fear of the kitchen so hopefully this doesn't taste bad... cause that might make things worse.

2009-02-24T15:26:00.000-08:00

I saw this on someones blog and she said whoever is married can do this... so that's how I'll pass it on!

1. When is your "engagement" anniversary: September 9, 2006

2. When is your "marriage" anniversary: January 19, 2007

3. How long have you known your spouse: 2 1/2 years

4. How long did you date/court before you were engaged: We dated 2 months before we got engaged and then were engaged for 4 months before we got married... pretty quick

5. Where did you meet your spouse for the first time: We met on a blind date... at Cheesecake Factory and then watched How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days at Heather's apartment.

6. What is your spouse's full name: Joshua West Johnson

7. Do you have any children yet: Nope, not yet...

8. How many: zero

9. Do you have any house pets: No, Josh said we probably won't have a dog until we have stuff to steal out of our backyard.

10. Do you own a house or rent: Rent a house from my Aunt.

11. Do you live in the country or town/city: City

12. What is one of your favorite activities together: We like to watch movies or play Guitar Hero when we have time.

13. Do you have a favorite vacation spot: Well, we just went to Brazil and it was amazing so I'd have to say Brazil

14. How many siblings (including in-laws): Well Josh has 6 brothers and 3 sisters and all his sisters are married. I have 1 sister (who's married) and 2 brothers.... so that's a grand total of 16. 15. What church do you attend: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

16. Is this the church you were married in: Well, in the Temple

17. What town is your current address: Mesa

18. Do you work or stay at home: I'm working, but I need to go back to school

19. Where did you honeymoon: Sedona, AZ (and it was the weekend that it snowed in Mesa, we missed it!)

20: Leave a piece of marriage advice: Um... I guess just have fun and don't sweat the small things. Just enjoy making each other happy

Here's Blakey!!

2009-02-23T20:47:00.000-08:00

I just thought I'd post the most recent pictures of Blake. He is doing sooo good! If you couldn't tell from the pictures, he's lost a little bit of weight. I think he's lost about 30 pounds! It's so fun to get letters and pictures from him. I never thought I'd say it, but I really miss him. He's such a good example and he made things really fun. I'm so proud of him and I just thought I would do a special post for Blakey!

Anniversary and Birthday

2009-02-13T21:04:00.001-08:00

So I have kinda a long story about my birthday. About a month and a half ago, we got these really cute calendars in at work. So I kept it in the back and told Josh that's what I want for my birthday. So he got it for me and I thought that would be all I'd get so I really wasn't expecting anything. On my birthday, the morning was pretty much like any morning. Then I went to work all day and worked with my good friend Lorene who bought me lunch. When my mom got to work she brought me balloons and cupcakes that were delicious. Then these necklaces came in which my mom was planning to get me. So I got a necklace and a couple charms which are so cute. Then, when I came home from work, my calendar was wrapped and there was this awesome bike with a red bow on it! Josh got me a bike! I was so surprised; I had no idea. He also made me french toast, my favorite, for dinner. Oh, he also put on the cologne that I absolutely love. My birthday really made his day hectic cause a couple things went wrong... like trying to fit the bike in our little Mazda car and being embarrassed about walking around with a girl bike, and trying to figure out how to make french toast, and going to the grocery store multiple times. He said it was all worth it to see me happy. He really made my birthday special. Since school started he's been so busy and I'm so grateful that he loves me enough to do so much for me. Thanks for everything!

When Josh and I got married, there was a mistake and we got about 200 extra engagement pictures. So since then, they've been sitting at my mom's and we've been trying to figure out what to do with them. When I came home from work on our anniversary, the pictures were taped all over our house! Jenna and Todd came over and spent hours putting them everywhere. It's been a month and we're still finding pictures. Thanks guys!

Christmas and New Years

2009-01-17T09:26:00.000-08:00

Travis and Kami
The next few pictures are at the New Years party at Scott and Becky's. It was a really fun party. Thanks Scott and Becky.
Landon and Kristen
Lee and Jaclyn
Brett and Stephanie
Becky, Hina, and Jefferson
Me and Josh at Scott and Becky's house for a New Years party.
Here's my Grandpa Freeman and Mac sleeping. Aren't they so cute.
Bryce got Guitar Hero World Tour. josh was having fun

Mac got a present from Santa
Brenner, Brett and Josh as Wisemen.
This was at Josh's family Christmas party. He's the real Santa
I got these really cute stockings from the Orange Patch too... of course
My mom and Grandma decorated my tree while we were in Brazil. It was so nice to come home to Christmas decorations. They're the greatest.

These are my cousins (Owen, Slade, Christian, Caleb, Megan, and Dallin) playing a song with bells. Owen plays the last note and it is soo funny.

Brazil Pictures

2009-01-17T08:44:00.000-08:00

This is Josh and Roberto
We were at a party and all the kids got presents from Santa. It was a crazy party; there was a ton of people there!

Here we are at Corcovado. Josh was really upset cause it was soo cloudy. That picture is what the view is supposed to look like.

This picture is on Sugar Loaf Mountain. You ride a cable car up to the top of 2 mountains. It was pretty cool, the scary part is when it was sway back and forth when it would stop.
Here we are at Cabo Frio, it was the most beautiful beach. The water was sooo clear. It was raining that day... just like almost every day we were there.

There's a Sam's Club in Brazil!
This is our hotel, we were on the 20th floor.
I gave this kid my coconut, it wasn't very good. Then we bought him lunch, it was so sad to see all the homeless kids.
A guy seriously made this sand castle. It's huge and amazingly detailed. Isn't that crazy?

That's where Josh lived when he was serving in Petropolis. That's the door they would go through to get to their apartment.

This video is pretty cool. They're playing volleyball but they never use their hands so it's kinda like soccer too.

Brazil!!!

2008-12-14T13:38:00.000-08:00

Here's a few pictures of us in Brazil! We're with a few families that Josh met when he was on his mission.. They are so nice I just have no clue what they're saying. That building is a museum in Petropolis, one of the areas Josh served in. I'll post more about our trip later!

The missionary on the left is from Phoenix!

Blake Made It!

2008-11-16T15:57:00.000-08:00

Well, this is a picture that Blake's Mission President sent to my mom on Saturday. It was the first my mom has heard about Blake since he left the MTC on Monday so it was a pretty good day. The pictures are small but he does look really happy and I think he's so happy to be serving a mission and he knows that he is doing the right thing. We are all so proud of him!

2008-11-10T11:08:00.001-08:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A little late...

2008-11-10T11:05:00.000-08:00

I know this is just a month late but I finally figured out how to post the video. We were on the news; you can see the camera guy from Channel 3 right by our faces. Well, sorry it's late but I like this video a lot.

Marine Corps Ball

2008-11-02T08:18:00.000-08:00

This was at the Marine Corps Ball last night. It's in celebration of the Marine Corps birthday. We've never stayed late enough for the dancing. Me and Josh were never dancers ourselves... or so I thought. Apparently Josh dances. lol Well he's up there with the rest of the guys. It was hard to get a good view of him but I got a little bit. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

2008-11-02T08:15:00.000-08:00

Josh's Homecoming!

2008-10-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

This is about a week late... but at least I posted it. He got home Friday, October 10 at about 12:30 pm. We waited at the base for them for 3 hours. I was so ready by the time the buses pulled up.

Here's me and Josh's mom waiting at the HTC for Josh!

They had food but I was too nervous to eat...

I made Josh this sign... he never got to see it tho.

Me and Josh

Josh and his mom, we both cried when he came home.

Josh was happy even tho he isn't smiling. It was seriously the best day.

2008-10-03T13:08:00.000-07:00

Well everyone, Josh was supposed to leave Africa Saturday, October 4 but they pushed it back to Sunday night. I think I can handle one day. Then he'll be in North Carolina for a couple days and should be home between the 8th and the 11th! I'm so stinking excited!

Carlsbad, CA

2008-10-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

This is the beach in Carlsbad, isn't it so pretty?

This is my nephew Branson. It was funny cause he would look at me and then ask me "What are you looking at?"

This is my niece Brylee, Branson's twin. They are seriously the cutest kids ever! She found a shell and was so proud of herself.

Here I am with Brylee. I buried her in the sand. I was tired after digging the hole but she had tons of fun.

2008-09-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

A- Attached or single? Attached
B-Best friend? Josh
C-Cake or Pie? Cake I guess, but I'd rather have ice cream. So maybe an ice cream cake...
D-Day of choice? Sunday, it's more relaxing. And, whatever day Josh comes home!
E-Essential Item? A cold bottle of water and chap stick.
F- Favorite color? Sometimes green, sometimes red...idk
G- Gummy Bears or Worms? I like both
H- Hometown? Mesa.
I- Indulgence? Ice Cream, founder's favorite from cold stone...yum!
J- January or July? January, the weather is the best, and the Oranges are in season
K-Kids? Nope, not yet, but with all the babysitting it seems like I have kids
L-Life isn't complete without? Josh, so it's been kinda empty the last 8 months
M- Marriage Date? January 19, 2007
N-Number or brothers and sisters! 2brothers 1sister, and 10 brothers-in-law and 3 sisters-in-
law
O- Oranges or apples? Oranges of course
P- Phobias? I don't think I have one
Q- Quotes? Well, I don't know it by heart, but it's by President Hinckley. It says something about how we need to have much laughter and that life is supposed to be enjoyed, not just endured.
R- Reasons to smile? I have an amazing family and great friends! (Same as Cajsa)
S- Season? probably winter
T- Tag........ Heather......... Mandi........Hina
U- Unknown fact about me. I really liked watching the marathon during the Olympics
V-Vegetables? ya, I really like broccoli and green beans
W-Worst habit?- I crack my back at night when I'm going to sleep. It's probably not good for me.
X- X-Ray Or Ultrasound? I've had x-ray's at the dentist and that's it
Y- Your favorite food! Anything Mexican and cereal
Z- Zodiac sign? Aquarius, I didn't know so I had to look it up...sad

Grandpa Hiett

2008-09-15T19:39:00.000-07:00

I know I've already posted this picture but I wanted to post it again. This is my great grandpa, Delbert Hiett. He died today, September 15, 2008. He was 91 years old and ready to go see my great grandma. Josh and I lived right next to him for a year, up until Josh was deployed. We really got to know him and love him so much more. He was one of the most generous people I know. He always wanted to help us out however he could. We loved listening to his stories and he would say funny things like "onced a day." Grandpa always took me for rides in his "doodlebug" (electric car) which was a little scary cause he would get right on the edge of the sidewalk. He was an amazing guy and a wonderful Grandpa. I know he's in a better place right now, but I'm really going to miss him.

Blake is now Elder Smith...

2008-09-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm probably the worst blogger but I thought this was worth posting. My brother Blake just left to the MTC on Wednesday morning. I've been waiting for this day my entire life and now that it's here, I'm kinda sad. I actually miss him, but I know he's going to be a fantastic missionary! He goes to Mendoza, Argentina I think in a couple months. I hope I'm better at writing him than updating my blog!

Update....

2008-07-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

So I just found out and that Josh will be leaving Africa October 4th. He'll go back to North Carolina for a week or two, I don't know for sure, but at least I have a date now!

2008-06-18T14:28:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures Josh sent me from Africa. The country he's in is very poor and really hot! When I talked to him on Sunday he said with the heat index (i don't know what that is) it was 130 degrees. This week, he's translating for some of the commanders and higher up people cause Josh speaks Portuguese. So this week is a little stressful for him.
The picture of the beach is really pretty tho.

Just Some Pictures

2008-06-04T14:12:00.000-07:00

My brother, Blake, had his court of honor and he just got

his mission call to the Argentina, Mendoza Mission! Yay!

That's me and my Great Grandpa. Josh's friends in Africa said he looked like death... sad. He's so funny tho

Here's one of the roses Josh sent me for our first anniversary.

Isn't he so sweet!

That's my cousin Kylie... we had so much fun at Disneyland and Knotsberry!

Josh at Camp Lejeune

2008-06-03T18:21:00.000-07:00

Josh is the one on the front row, far left.

There he is with a huge gun!

Josh and Gutierrez
I don't know who the guy on the left is...

Josh with the gun again... he's pretty good at shooting the targets.

He laughed at me once trying to shoot a smaller one a while ago,

I closed my eyes. It didn't work very well.

Camping

2008-06-02T14:46:00.000-07:00

I made a little snowman...I named it Josh cause it's short :)

This is where my family used to camp when I was little,

I love it up there!
You can barely see them, but I got some bad blisters from

raking pine needles for 4 hours. I got a pretty good tan tho!

I shoveled that pile of snow. I look fat because I have about 5
layers of clothes on!

I still can't believe it snowed at the end of May!