The Johanson Journey

DORA PARTY {INSIDE SCOOP}

2013-06-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

Planning my children’s birthday parties is a job I take very seriously. My husband may argue that it’s a party that they may not even remember by the time they are our age but its all about making lasting memories!

Reese is old enough now to be able to tell me what type of a theme she wants for her party. This year she made it very clear that nothing else but Dora would do!
My first goal is to find a focal point for my party, I do this with my Christmas themes and it keeps me on track. So, I called out to my newest blog buddy, Connie from Measured by the Heart and gave her details about what I was aiming to do. She loves creating beautiful printables and together we collaborated colors and thoughts of how to make this personal and cute.

After invites are created, you have a great basis for planning the rest of your details!

1. Customized Dora Party Invitation printable created by Connie from Measured by the Heart. For this printable you can find it HERE and Connie can create other invites! Just give her a shout! Here is an up close view!

2. Customized Dora Hershey Kisses! Connie created the image to match my invite that was an added touch of personalization inside our favor bags! Again, you can find this available HERE. Here is the close up image that was printed on Avery labels. SO CUTE! Love how she is holding the banner to spell out Reese!

3. Custom Embroidered Tank to match the invitation as well with the pink strips in the #3 and Dora holding Reese’s name in her banner! This was created by my dear friend Stephanie with Ashlyn Grace Designs! She designed Reese’s shirt last year too! Love it!!

4. Custom Party Bag tag printable created by Connie from Measured by the Heart. For this printable you can find it HERE. I loved the added touch of this on each favor bag to say “Thanks” and still keeping with the personalized party details.

5. Custom Dora Friends Cookies by my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE Cookie designer, Cookie Coterie! I cannot emphasize enough how well these work for party favors! I get so tired of the cheap throw away toys that are out there. I have worked with Cassie for almost a year now and I will always be inserting her beautiful creations in my favors bags! They are so good that I always order extra so I have a stash of joy for myself left over!

6. Custom Dora Birthday cake made by my local baker BEST FRIEND Michelle from Hands on Design cakes. Michelle never disappoints. I sent her the image from Reese’s invitation, found another cake with adorable multicolored balls around it and voila! The cutest matching cake a girl could ask for at her party! Not only was this cake a perfect match, it was delicious as always!

I asked Michelle to make some cupcakes for the kids so we could blow candles out on the cake above to take home for a celebration with family. These turned out so cute too!

Lastly, was how to decorate for the party. Since we were having it at Gymboree Play & Music I didn’t have a lot of room to work with as the majority of the party is set in the play room. I kept it simple with Dora table covers and glass candy dishes filled with Dora fruit snacks.

The party was a hit! The sweet personalized items made her party so special and I couldn’t have done it without the help of all those mentioned above. If you thought there couldn’t be more to show about a party, tomorrow I’ll show the party in action! It was so crazy and fun!!

REESE IS 3!

2013-06-18T04:00:00.000-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REESE-A ROO!!

I can’t believe you are already THREE!! They aren’t kidding when they say that time flies!

Reese is super spunky, stylish and sassy. She is known as the “mother hen” in school and teachers assistant. I am always told stories about how Reese helps her fellow friends in class follow directions and points out when they are disobeying the teacher. She is the first to run to the aid of her friends if they are hurt or their cheerleader when they do something well. She is such a loving little girl and very affectionate with her older brother, Ryan and baby sister Rayne.

At the ripe age of 3, Reese is wearing roughly a size 8 shoe and size 3T top and pants. We are closing in on the potty training but to be honest, she’s really not that interested. She loves Dora the Explorer, Little Einstein's and Sofia the First. Reese is a ‘do-it-yourself’ kind of a girl and likes it her way. For example, putting on her pull up. She prefers to pull it apart and then re-strap it on which looks like the long way for me but that’s her way. She likes to dress herself and put on her shoes like a big girl. Speaking of shoes, she loves to clap around the house in all of my shoes and pretend she is like Mommy.

Reese is a little lover and a great snuggler. If I could put her in my pocket and keep her like this forever, I would! She is a joy to me and Erik and melts our hearts daily!

To make her birthday special, I reached out to two of my favorite places to customize a few things for her birthday party.

First up was getting her very first big girl necklace. I knew that I could count on Amy Cornwell to come through for me in creating a beautiful and dainty necklace! Its hard to see in the above picture but up close, its gorgeous! Reese loved her necklace and I love how tiny and sweet it looked on her! Thank you to Amy for a beautiful creation!

You may recall my post about Ashlyn Grace Designs from my Sisterhood week a few months ago. My sorority sister Stephanie creates the cutest embroidered items for any special occasion and you can find her HERE for your next special event. I sent her a picture of Reese’s invitation which I will share with you tomorrow and asked her to help me make it match as best as she could. She nailed it! Reese LOVED it!! I just happen to have a Carter’s ruffle skirt that matched and she was set!

I can’t wait to share all the details of Reese’s Dora Party with you in the coming days.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REESE!!

We love you, to the moon & back!

We Call Him Maverick!

2013-06-17T11:53:00.001-05:00

We have an event that happens once a month in our city called “Trade Days”. It’s a huge space that vendors rent out and sell things from kettle style popcorn to iron works and even chickens! We decided we would get the kids out on Father’s Day for a quick stroll through to see if anything struck us. We have been a few times in the past and have never bought anything other than maybe some fresh lemonade or a bag of popcorn, so I didn’t expect anything this time around either.

We thought we would start from the middle and work our way back to the front because there are about 20 or so rows of vendors and it gets HOT fast! We are an animal loving family so it was no surprise that we began with the animal row.

Ryan ran up to each spot where there were puppies and asking if he could hold each and everyone of them. Ryan has been asking for a new puppy since we lost Mackie. We have been on a waiting list for an American Mastiff which Erik is still firmly wanting to get when one becomes available. But…. what if the Mastiff wanted a friend? Two buddies is better than one solo, right?

Here is Ryan holding a Wirehaired Dachshund which sure—he’s cute with his big ole blue eyes but wire hair is just not my ‘thang’. This cute yellow lab is super CUTE!

Moving on… Erik pointed out some golden (sounds better than yellow) labs and chocolate labs. The breeder was sharing that they are AKC certified and pure bred with paperwork and the whole nine-yards. Most of the pups were sleeping and I saw one that I thought was super cute and held him. The entire liter was male. I put him down and kept talking and that one I held was a total toot! He was biting and rough housing it and tearing things up in the pin.

Erik and I looked at each other as if we were speaking code and we agree that it is better to have 2 pups vs just one, so we decided we would get one now to be the brother to our future mastiff. The price was too good to pass up. I looked over at the liter in the pin and watched the one crazy one and Erik asked if that was the one I wanted. I said NO… I want the one over in the corner who is sleeping with his legs in the air. This fella was laid back and cozy being on his back which I’ve learned that is a good indication of their temperament. So, we dusted him off and put him in the stroller!

His name is Maverick! I’ve always wanted a pup to name after Tom Cruise’s character in Top Gun. He was such a cool guy in that movie and I’m hoping we got the right pup to carry the name well.

He got his first bath with the help of each of the kiddos! He hasn’t had any accidents in the house! He is so affectionate and playful!

Ryan was disappointed to learn that he would not be sleeping in his bed with him, but downstairs with us in our room in a crate. He did well for his first night. He got a little playful with his puppy pad and I had to take that out around 11pm and then started to whimper around 2am. I took him outside for a quick run to the potty and he went and ran back in. I put him back in his crate and laid back down and he began to whimper. I couldn’t take it so I got up and got him and put him in bed with us. He snuggled up and laid on his back. Erik whispered “spoiled” and he’s right. He did great for the rest of the night.
Thrilled to have a new fur baby! He’s so sweet!!

Maverick Johanson, born April 10, 2013! Here’s to many years of joy!

FATHER’S DAY 2013

2013-06-16T09:11:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone has a great Father’s Day this year!

I had some chalkboard label markers that I thought I’d use for a simple addition to a picture with the kiddos to make into a mug for Erik for Father’s Day. I started out trying to get them each to hold their respective marker but Rayne kept turning hers around so I couldn’t see it and Reese was holding hers in front of her face so I made it easy and just stuck them in the ground & voila!

Aunt Tanya came by to visit and we got busy with a fun, yet messy craft for hanging up for Father’s Day! I got a kraft paper roll from Wal-mart, some acrylic paint, a few inexpensive paint brushes and markers. I did also purchase some plastic table covers to lay down as our mat for catching the excess paint.
Rayne got marker all over her legs. She found it was super fun to just color herself vs writing or coloring on the paper. Very fun and easy to dress up the house and make Dad feel special! Finger prints, hand prints and foot prints, oh my! Super cute, right?

We’ve Got Style

2013-06-14T17:37:00.001-05:00

I have been seeing a lot of these WWIW on Instagram and I have been asking myself “What in the world is WWIW!?” See, you don’t have to feel alone. Its ‘What I Wore Wednesday’. There are so many acronyms to keep up with these days that I wasn’t sure if it was a new game or a war about to happen.

I always enjoy the pictures that are posted of girls my age, at least I think they are my age posing in everyday cute clothes.. they give me some great ideas and inspiration! Let me just say that I walk into my closet almost every day and roll my eyes and dread having to pick something out. Who’s with me!?

I do however, LOVE to dress my kids very cute (biased I know) and I’m thankful they let me take these pictures!

Ryan is sporting a Neon yellow soccer shirt and shorts set from Kohls. He picked out his shoes himself too at Stride Rite, they are Tommy Hilfiger brand.

Reese is working it in her ‘Love to Smile’ top from Carter’s, yellow matching shorts I actually got at Walmart and her pink sandals from Carters.

Love her toes! I recently painted them glitter purple to match mine! These shoes are just adorable! She loves them!

Our sweet Rayne! She is wearing the Mommy’s Love Bug shirt from Old Navy and Children’s Place shorts. I just love her sweet face when she says “Cheese”!

As I was taking their pictures, they always want my camera to take pictures too. Ryan asked to take my picture so I let him. He did a good job. I might get him signed up for some photography classes!!
I am wearing a chevron jersey tank with bow tie neck that I got from JcPenney’s, a black jersey skirt from Target, Bongo strap wedges from DSW.

My favorite jewelry! Shine bracelet from Amy Cornwell, cross bracelet from Silpada and my custom ring with Reese, Rayne & Rayne circling my finger from Courtney Marie Jewelry!

My first successful What we Wore post!

Have a great weekend!

AT THE CARWASH

2013-06-11T14:47:00.001-05:00

Amaxohydraclaustrophobia.
Amaxo: The fear of being inside of a car.
Hydra: Water.
Claustro: Being in a small or confined space.
Aka: riding through a terrifying carwash.

Out running errands with the kiddo’s this past weekend, I decided to take a detour through a carwash. I figured this might be a fun experience. We picked our carwash option, drove up to the moving path to take us through the carwash system.

“Look guys! Isn’t this cool!?”
I think the look on my children’s faces says it all.
NOT COOL MOM.

Ryan thought that it was actually fun and funny. He even got so tickled by the idea that he screamed… his new favorite thing to do for every situation these days. The scream was loud and Rayne immediately got scared. Reese wasn’t sure what was happening but kept telling me, “Mommy, I don’t like this! I’m scared, lets get out!”

I couldn’t help but to laugh and say—“Look!! Bubbles!!”
Reese would respond, “NO!!!! I don’t like the bubbles!!”

I had no intention to scare them with the carwash… but it was kind of funny.

The car looks good too by the way.

Won’t you Sing with me!?

2013-06-07T16:15:00.001-05:00

One of the first songs you find yourself singing with your children is of course the ABC’s…. “next time won’t you sing with me?” Jamie from Love.Jamie blog tagged me in her post about her ABC’s so I’m taking her lead and sharing my ABC’s with you. I am sure these were answered before in a past post, but repeating to see if answers changed.

A. Attached or Single? Attached to the hubs of course among many other things… to my kids, my blog, chocolate, salt and lots of caffeine to deal with all my attachments.
B. Best Friend? Total loaded question… this is like asking a person who their favorite actor or actress is or which song is their favorite. There are so many GREAT friends.. .new friends and old friends.
C. Cake or pie? I just don’t do pie. Never really cared for it. Perhaps it’s the odd textures of the crust or fillings—but I can tear up a cake in no time!
D. Day of choice? I think I’ll go with Thursday, why? I don’t know really, they are all a blur.
E. Essential Item? sadly, my cell phone, but if I didn’t have that- I’d say my camera.
F. Favorite color? RED, pink…. .black and white.. all of them.
G. Gummy bears or worms? Neither. I’m more for chocolate.
H. Hometown? McKinney, Texas
I. Favorite Indulgence? donuts, chocolate cake, red velvet cake, ice-cream and getting a mani/pedi when I can!
J. January or July? January for a fresh start to each year!
K. Kids? 3 kiddos! All on the verge of turning another year older, so for now- Ryan (5), Reese (2), & Rayne (1).
L. Life isn’t complete without? Family, Friends and Faith.
M. Marriage date? 5/26/07
N. Number of brothers/sisters? 2 step brothers and 1 step sister.
O. Oranges or Apples? Apples. I don’t like Oranges- only orange juice.
P. Phobias? Bugs, Heights, dying, bodies of water (ocean,lakes, rivers & ponds).
Q. Quotes? “Wear your seat belt, and no tailgating” said by my Dad since I got my license and he still says it but adds ‘and no texting!” Pretty good quote of advice. I’m guilty of all.
R. Reasons to smile?

S. Season of choice? Spring and Fall… anytime there is temps in the 70’s and no humidity
T. Tag 5 People. Jessica, Crystal, Connie, Nicole, Becca
U. Unknown fact about me? Umm…… I feel like I’ve told ya’ll everything!
V. Vegetable? Potato… reasonable, right?
W. Worst habit? worrying about everything and taking things too personally.
X. Xray or Ultrasound? Yes
Y. Your favorite food? Mostly American style foods like mac n cheese and chicken fingers.
Z. Zodiac sign? Aquarius

Have a great weekend!!

Full Speed Ahead

2013-06-06T14:23:00.001-05:00

I can’t believe the middle of June is upon us and feels like we have had our foot on the gas pedal since the 1st. June and September are very busy months in our household. I guess every month is pretty crazy but I put those ahead of the rest because of the number of birthdays and holidays. My Dad is on the 1st, Erik’s birthday is the 2nd, then there’s Father’s Day and Reese’s Birthday!

Last game of the Baseball season….. check! I don’t even think I had a chance to show the banners I made for the games. I was told by another parent that in past seasons, they had a listing of names with the numbers so you could root for the kid at bat if you didn’t know them. The first few games were too windy but we got to hang the banner for a good portion of the games.

The kids were pretty excited to get a trophy!! I always wanted one growing up so I’m glad Ryan has his 1st!
Erik was a help to the Coach in the outfield and these are Ryan’s two best friends.
Love this picture of our boys and Dad’s!

Birthday Lunch to celebrate Dad….. check!
Birthday date night with Erik, and cake (mini bundtini’s)…..check!
Erik loves when I make him take pictures!! Note the sticking out of the tongue!

We went and saw Iron Man 3. Great movie! I was worried about the whole 3D effect b/c it usually makes me nauseous but I was actually okay. I think the headache I was getting from the glasses being perched on my head was causing more of a problem. I hadn’t seen the first 2 Iron Man’s but really enjoyed this one! If you haven’t seen it, I recommend it for sure!!

Erik had a relaxing birthday as he likes it and a great assortment of gifts and cards!
Next up is Father’s Day and Reese’s Birthday. Sneak peek of Reese’s party….stay tuned for the full details!

Which month is your busiest?

New Meaning for B.F.F

2013-06-05T10:03:00.001-05:00

At some point or another, we have all probably used the reference of B.F.F for someone you felt was your Best Friend Forever, right? In the blogging community, I think the B.F.F abbreviation can easily be used for Blog Friends Forever!

Today I’m talking about friendship in guest post on Emmy Mom’s blog!! Stop by and see how I almost made her cry, oops!

Who are your blogging friends forever?

May into June {This & That}

2013-06-02T21:55:00.001-05:00

Wow! How did May go so fast that I didn’t even get a May This & That posted!? I’m doing a combo deal today. Welcome all new readers and friends who have been along with us in our Journey! This post was inspired by How Does She’s post sharing their Top #’s for categories. I think its important to share top favorites every now and then. Enjoy!

Did you know you can sponsor The Johanson Journey? Take a look HERE if you are interested. If you are interested in swapping or promotions, please contact me!

1. Measured by the Heart with Connie

Say hello to Connie! She’s the creator behind Measured by the Heart blog. I found Connie’s blog through Instagram as I realized through her pictures and sweet comments that she was a friend for sure! She posts great tutorials and has a beautiful talent with hair that I wish I had. Stop by and say hello! She’s awesome.
BLOG~FACEBOOK~TWITTER~PINTEREST

2. Nicole from Life’s a Beach

Sweet Nicole! This gal has mouthwatering posts about what her family ate over a holiday or weekend that will have you gaining weight while you read. Living a in a farmer world, she is often sharing pictures of her sweet animals including horses and adds some tid bits about her family. She’s what I’d like to call a down home country girl with a big city heart!
BLOG~ FACEBOOK~ TWITTER~PINTEREST

3. Date Girl from The Date Girl Diaries

Date Girl Diaries is a fun place in space where you can follow along the journey of Date Girl meeting her Match. You will laugh, you will smile and you might even cry but through all that life has thrown her way, she’s a strong lil’ Momma and you can be apart of her posts about motherhood and her sweet newborn baby!
BLOG~TWITTER~PINTEREST~FACEBOOK

Its no secret that I have a great love for great deals and shopping online for the most unique gifts! I feel so passionate about these companies, that I signed up to spread the word about them. These are my top 3 favorites right now.
1. Pick Your Plum- best daily deals!! Get it fast before your neighbor does!

2. Amy Cornwell- custom jewelry at a great price and outstanding quality! My collection is growing from here! Dare ya not to fall in love!

3. The Printed Palette- super cute shirts for men, women and children!

These are not necessarily “new” blogs but they are just new ones I have added to my reading.
I think you would love them too!
1. Put Down the Urinal Cake
2. Love.Jaime
3. The Wanderblogger ~ back from a blog break & new blog name!
4. Heather’s Happenings ~ back from a blog break
5. Masons Mama

In the past few posts like this I’ve found word searches interesting to see how people have found my blog. This time I thought it would be neat to see how many are coming from the USA vs other countries. Top views from other countries were:
1. Sweden
2. Ukraine
3. China

France and Germany were tied for 4th place. Where are you from?

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week!

Who couldn’t use $25!?

2013-06-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

This is a giveaway sponsored by From A Daughter and Co-Host.

$25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

Today I have an awesome giveaway for you! I have joined forces with a few to give you the chance of winning a $25 Amazon Gift Card. Amazon is so awesome! Talk about a one stop shop!

Double Blessing Boutique

The Giveaway:

The giveaway is from June 1st - June 30th

Say hello to our fabulous cohosts and good luck to all!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{MAY} HEARTFELT ACTS

2013-05-31T16:19:00.001-05:00

Today I am sharing my Heartfelt Acts for May with Emmy Mom! If you have any you would like to share, you can link up on our Heartfelt Acts Page anytime! There is no set day or time for you to write about your experience, but just sharing the details to pass it on. You are open to do anything to show Heartfelt Acts!!

This months prompt:

1. Host a cookie exchange. Examples of how to do this can be found HERE & HERE.
2. Write a letter to a family member telling them why you love them. (Great for Mother’s Day!)

What an amazing month to open your heart to the idea of giving. I say amazing because living here in Texas, we have experienced not only the West Texas Explosion which has brought the country together to help aid those who were killed, hurt and lost their homes, but we also witnessed the Moore Oklahoma Tornado destruction.

I am not sure how you felt when you heard the news of these two latest tragedies, but my mind immediately goes to , “What can I do?!” I feel helpless. I know that I look to my family and look up and Thank God that we still have each other and our homes but my heart is deeply broken for those innocent people affected. I wish I could say that I bagged up clothes and shoes or donated blood this month to assist but realize that those aren’t always the things that people need. What I did do, was sit and watch the beautiful tribute from the United Way with the help of singers to raise money.

Oh Miranda did such a beautiful job and boy howdy did she get me tearing up. My simple act of kindness was to give money towards the rebuilding of Moore, Oklahoma and to those in need. The United Way is also managing the OK Strong disaster relief fund, announced after the tornado last week by Gov. Mary Fallin which you can still send in donations to as well.

It warms my heart how America comes together for each other.

Earlier in this month, I wrote a post about my cousin’s wife who was recently diagnosed with Leukemia.
Amy Cornwell was featuring this necklace called “Hope is the Key”. 20% of the proceeds for selling this necklace went towards Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for the month of May.

I was thrilled that my cousin’s wife loved the necklace and her daughter loved it too. I tried to get it sent to her in time for Mother’s Day. The good news is that she has received word that her sister is a direct match for her bone marrow needs and appreciate all prayers!

Each month, Emmy and I share our Heartfelt Acts and hope to encourage you to take a peek around you for a way you can give. The feeling of doing good things for other people is almost difficult to put into words but knowing in your heart that you have touched someone’s life is such a phenomenal and rewarding emotion.

If you would like to join in and share your Heartfelt Acts, please feel free to include your post in our Master Linkup and remember there is no specific time or thing you have to do. Want a prompt for June!? Here are our suggested ideas.

1. Start a piggy bank for a cause- maybe even have kids help by doing extra jobs around house/neighborhood to earn money.
2. Give Affirmation: Offer encouragement freely to your friends, co-workers, and family. You can always find something positive to say in any situation!

1st Family Road Trip {Part 3}

2013-05-30T14:24:00.001-05:00

The light from the patio of our hotel room was barely shinning in through our room when Erik turned on the TV to get everyone up and ready to go to the beach. We rushed around to get the kids ready and get breakfast and were on our way to Rockport Beach. There was a line of cars already in place to get past the check in point to claim your spot on the beach. Seemed sort of odd that we had to pay to go to the beach and park but whatever, it was still worth it.

Our view when we first arrived…..

The sand was combed and only a few footprints were around. There was a kind family that was already set up that warned us about jelly fish lining the edge of the waters….. SUPER! This lil’ guy apparently lost his legs or tentacles or arms,…. whatever they are.. the kids and Erik just stepped over them and took off for the waters!

Ryan came running back to where I was setting up and told me..
”Mom! I think I’m allergic to the Ocean!”
I said, “really? Why would you say that!?”
He said, “because the water burns and hurts!”
”Sounds about right if your first time in the ocean is having a bunch of crazy jelly fish with tentacles swimming past you and stinging you as they passed”…. I thought to myself. I didn’t want to say out loud and make him afraid of the water.

The girls were more frilly and wanted to play in the sand and were so darn cute!

While we take a break from the water, I asked Ryan if we could cover him in sand and make him look like ironman… he loved it!

There were a few flyers they gave us when we drove in to the beach—I briefly looked over it but tossed them aside as I am sure others do—but it said something about ‘do not feed the birds because they become aggressive”
Oh! Hello there birds!! Want some of my potato chips and gold fish!?

I am not a fan of birds that hover like this…. reminds me of the Alfred Hitchcock movie, “The Birds” although these were prettier than the movie birds, they still were aggressive.
Ryan found a friend and together they thought it would be cool to collect the jelly fish heads out of the shore line and lop them over into the grassy area behind where we were sitting. Later they realized it was okay to touch them because they were dead and people were launching them at others for fun. EW!

Meanwhile…. I sat and observed. I’m not one to enjoy getting in the water, especially knowing there are jelly fish out there ready to sting me. Erik was stung a few times and that was enough to keep me on a towel like a beached whale people watching.

Every now and then the kids would come up and let me take pictures of them with me… notice how red my face was getting! Yes—hurts. Still….. hurts.

It was a great 6 hours of fun at the beach. I think if we had less sunburn on our bodies we may have tried to finish our trip off by hitting another beach near us but instead we decided to wrap up our vacation with a tour of the USS Lexington Museum. It was a perfect place to go as it was Memorial Day after all!
Here were some of my favorites from there.

Lots of fun and great memories for us to look back on as we celebrate more anniversaries to come and so glad we spent the time with our children because they make everyday more amazing!

Happy 6th Wedding Anniversary! xoxo

1st Family Road Trip {Part 2}

2013-05-29T13:20:00.001-05:00

After our wind down at the park with the kids, we decided going to the beach was not going to happen. It was too sticky and hot outside from the rain that came through before we arrived so we decided to go check out the Texas State Aquarium!

Group pictures with the kids is next to impossible… at least we tried!

Lots to see! Sting Rays and Seahorses!

I wish I could tell you what this was called… Ryan got to hold what appears to be a stack of sticks sea anemone or pretzel looking thing. How is that for scientific!

Look Mom! It’s a SHARK!

I am really unsure how jelly fish work. In the picture on the right, it appears there are two of them tangled up in each other. Perhaps they were talking, or hugging or kissing. I have no idea but the strings hanging off of them look so fragile.. seems like it would be losing legs all the time. Are they legs? I just don’t know.

Who wants to see what its like to be in Hurricane force winds? Ryan, Reese, Rayne? Anyone? The girls did NOT enjoy it… Ryan and Erik thought it was fun.

Outside they had more attractions. You could pet the sting rays (ew) and see Sea Otters as well as dolphins!

”Hey Rayne! There’s Sea Otters swimming behind you!”

”Say what?”

With pointing action towards her—”LOOK BEHIND YOU!”

”No, don’t point back at me, look behind you! Silly girl! Never mind”…. too cute.

Ryan finally got brave to go and touch a shark with the help of his Daddy.

What a fun adventure! Before we left, we stopped by the Whale Wishing Well. Ryan said that he wished for a puppy. Reese did too. Ever since he made his wish, he has asked daily when he’s going to get his wish.

We went back to our hotel and decided to burn off more energy by letting the kids play in the hotel pool.

The girls had fun splashing in the kiddie pool, especially Reese. She couldn’t stop laughing!
I was rather surprised to see Rayne getting into the pool and flopping over to practice her kicks. I wish we had the time to get all the kids into swim lessons but was proud of her for it! I think at her age, when I was a kid, I was deathly afraid of the water….

Next up is our day at the beach!! Full of jelly fish, fun in the sun and first time thoughts of the ocean from the kids!

1st family road Trip {Part 1}

2013-05-28T21:50:00.001-05:00

Our 6th wedding anniversary always falls on Memorial weekend which is super handy for an extra day off. This year we decided instead of a night away or a local place, we would be impulsive and take off on a family road trip. As a very detailed planner, this is a tad stressful for me even if I claim to be impulsive for things like this. We found a hotel that was inland on Corpus Christi and just figured we could drive to the various beaches of our choice from there. We literally booked it at the last minute but found a great place.

Our voyage began at 5am Saturday morning as we rushed to finish packing and loading up the car. Our goal was to get out by 6am with the kids in the car sleeping. Turns out they have some major adrenaline, aka. excitement and were wide away as we rolled out at 6:15. We are late for everything, why not be late to our goal of 6am!

In addition to wanting to leaving at 6am and failing at that, we were hopeful to make good timing and get to the hotel in 6 hours. HA! I laugh because that was taking into account that we didn’t need to stop at least 5 times on the way down there and most of the stops were because of …. ME! I was reminded how road trips effect me and apparently my bladder gets smaller the further we go.

Next literal road block was the huge band of storms going through the majority of our drive down. We got to one town to stop and heard tornado sirens and police were blocking off parts of the road forcing detours. Apparently parts of the streets were flooding. Luckily we went this route though because later we learned that if we had chosen to drive through a different route, we would have experienced major delays of flooding in San Antonio.

The kids kept asking “when is it going to stop raining!?” It slows down everything. I have new tires on my car but still could feel us hydroplaning (sorry Pap) and had to go real slow through these wet areas.
Once we arrived, it was so muggy and gross outside, so we decided to go to the park near our hotel and check out the pier. It was so windy there too.

This was a perfect place to unwind and stretch our legs after being in the car for so long. We got a great room to look forward to sleeping for a good nights rest before hitting the beach! The Omni Bayfront Hotel was very nice!! Someone told Erik that Clint Eastwood was staying there at the same time but we never saw him.

Next up was our quick visit to the Texas State Aquarium……..

Anniversary Weekend

2013-05-24T09:58:00.001-05:00

8 years ago, Erik and I started dating on the weekend of Memorial Day. Ironically, we got married the exact same weekend just 2 years later….

This is our 6th wedding anniversary! We have decided to celebrate with our sweet babies and have a family celebration together…. details to follow!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BABE!! LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART!

Fun in the sun & Friends

2013-05-23T17:05:00.001-05:00

Just thought I’d share some pictures I’ve taken of the kids together and with their friends over the past week.

Reese is quite the ham. I had a crochet hat in a drawer that she found along with some long pearls, so we tied it all together for a sassy lil’ outfit. Rayne wasn’t too impressed but still super cute sister pics! These outfits are also courtesy of their Aunt Tanya.

At Ryan’s late game, I wanted to get a few pictures of him and his buddies. Its hard to pick which one was best as they were hamming it up for every shot!

I also caught some precious moments with Ryan’s friend Hudson’s baby sister Ashland. I could totally keep her for a daughter in law!

And then there were sweet moments captured with Ryan and his baby sister Rayne… so thankful they love and adore each other so much!

TINY LITTLE STATUE?

2013-05-20T16:32:00.001-05:00

The title probably should read, “Tiny Little Dancer” as the song goes….. but in this case, we found that statue was more fitting.

A little background…… Reese started taking dance at her school once a week and through the dance company, she was going to be prepping for a recital. I was sort of hesitant to sign her up for the recital because she had only been attending the dance class for a few weeks but the instructor assured me that Reese was ready. She also made a good claim that Reese would feel left out while her friends were all getting fitted for costumes and she wasn’t. OKAY!! Sign me up.

We got a beautiful bright yellow costume which she looked adorable in!! We also got new ballerina shoes and had sparkles all over for the big event! We invited the entire family. We were excited! Pre show pictures were taken and I felt pretty confident for our girl.

We dropped her off with her classmates and got seated in the theater to wait for her group to come out.

Stage fright was evident in the girls who performed before Reese’s class. One girl bit her nails while the rest of her class danced. Another girl was waving the whole time at her mom in the audience. It was very cute. Next up was the last group of the performances and that would be Reese’s group. They filed in on the stage and some of them were scared stiff and others were finding their parents and waving.

I think this shows how interested Reese was in performing in front of all of these people. I’m not even sure the other kids knew what was going on.

Here is a video of the performance if you are interested.

FUN PRE-SCHOOL QUESTIONAIRE

2013-05-17T14:18:00.001-05:00

Today marks the day that my first born, Ryan graduates from Pre-School. Just look at that grin and hair! The days of regretful hair styles begins! He is especially fond of the faux mohawk. I can relate as I had a similar style with the crazy fro bangs using Aquanet extra strong hold.

I was looking all over for a list of questions that I could ask him that we could modify over the years to see how he changes along the way. I decided to put my own questions together. Please feel free to use these for your lil’ one and change it up as needed.

Ryan’s answers:
1. What is your favorite color? Orange
2. Who is your best friend? Matthew Maguire and Elijah Hannon
3. Do you have a girlfriend? NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4. What is your favorite thing to do at school? Play with blocks and cars
5. If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go? SeaWorld
6. If you had $100 to spend on anything, what would it be? a big house
7. What is your favorite food? Hot dogs and Cheetos
8. What is your favorite movie/tv show? The Incredibles &Avengers movies &Sponge Bob tv show
9. What is your favorite sport to play? Baseball
10. What is your favorite sports team? Pittsburgh Steelers
11. What do you want to be when you grow up? A Policeman
12. What is your favorite thing about Mommy? I like to sit by her and lay with her and play
13. What is your favorite thing about Daddy? His hugs
14. What is your favorite snack? Marshmallows or Fruit snacks
15. What are you most excited about doing this last summer before kindergarten? Playing with my friends

Congrats to our little man for making it this far!! Only 16 years to go!

WE ARE SO DRAMATIC

2013-05-16T17:47:00.001-05:00

I am not sure who the person was that came up with the phrase “Terrible Two’s” but I would like to put my foot down and stake a claim on the phrase “Dramatic Three’s!” I’m pretty sure I’m not the first to try to attach my name to that phrase since most Mom’s I know are saying the exact same thing.

Before I get into many details, I was trying to think back when Ryan was about the two-three age and what crazy things he was up to at the time. Its amazing how quickly you forget once you survive that stage in life with kids. I often wonder if that forgetfulness is somehow built in to being a parent or a Mom because I find myself feeling brain dead about a lot of things….. anyway, that’s another story for another day.

When I was thinking back to Ryan in the earlier years, I distinctly remember the following:

* Having major melt downs on the drive home from school every single day. I had no idea what was causing it other than exhaustion or hunger, so I added goldfish to our route and secured a DVD player in to help appease him.

* On our drives to school or home, Ryan used to lose his mind in the back about which way I would turn the car. We would pull up to a street sign and he would try to direct me on which way to go and when I would turn the opposite way, all hell broke loose. I mean seriously, as if he knows the way to get places at the age of 2!

*Socks. Socks have always been an issue with Ryan for as long as I can remember. Is it the thread that goes across his toes? Maybe. Is it because they are too small or too big? Maybe. Maybe it’s the cotton fibers that stab his feet. I don’t think any thing specific about the socks is an actual problem because we have tried every sock that has ever been manufactured to nail it down. I’ve succumbed to the dreaded socks.

Now there’s Reese who is wrapping up her year of being a 2 year old and she has developed some of her own strange and dramatic habits. Seems about the same time as Ryan so its definitely “Dramatic Three’s in action (early)”

Occasionally when we pull up to the house it will be raining or maybe very windy and cold. In this case I have chosen the lazy way of checking the mail and pull up to it in the car. Its easy just to put the car in reverse and reverse park in the driveway. Unfortunately, I have a passenger who feels this is the end of the world! Screams full of tears and throwing herself on the backseat floor as she wails out “I don’t want to go backwards”. I actually enjoy parking in reverse so that when we leave I can just zoom on out. Reese does not agree. This is the meltdown in progress.

The latest travesty has been regarding mother nature and science. You see, I pick the kids up from school and we have a joyous ride home.

But then… Reese asks me if the sun is going to go down. I respond as any normal Mom would and say “Yes”. Turns out she wanted me to say “No” or perhaps something else, I don’t know.
I JUST DON’T KNOW!
Combine this disappointment with the fact that Reese was taking forever to crawl out of my door while she was buckling her baby into her car seat and now I bring you the additional melt down from closing my door and opening hers. To subside the drama, I reopened my door for her to exit from.

This is only 1 month till her 3rd birthday. I cannot imagine what the full on THREE’s will bring! Oh gosh, and to think I get to do this again with Rayne!

HOW I AM LIKE ANGELINA JOLIE…

2013-05-15T15:00:00.000-05:00

I never thought I would find myself comparing to Angelina Jolie but with the recent story released of her decision, I think I am more like her than I thought!

I’m not sure why I look at Angelina and think that she is so much older than me but she’s only 2 years older! I guess it could be her accomplishments that seem to have aged her but age is not really the issue. The main reason I bring up age is because women across the world are probably asking themselves if they would do what she did (assuming they had the funds to do so). If you don’t keep up with the news, Jolie had a genetic testing done for a specific gene known as BRCA1 which indicates likelihood of developing breast cancer. Jolie tested positive with an 85% chance of developing cancer and made the decision to reduce her chances by having a double mastectomy. Usually stories like this aren’t something I can relate to because celebrities sharing their stories in the past haven’t been that personal to me.

This headline though is different. I try to be very aware of my health and consciously go to the Doctor when I suspect something is wrong. I don't' want to mislead you to think I am a hypochondriac but lets face it, I don’t want to die.

My Father’s mother died before I was born at a very early age from a stroke and complications of colitis. Thankfully medical technology has come as far as it has because now we can surmise that the reason she had a stroke was probably due to a blood mutation she had which has been passed down to my Father, one of his sisters, a cousin and myself. I got tested and now know how to medically handle it.

My Mother’s Mother died of breast cancer in 2005. She had a double mastectomy without reconstruction. She got cancer in her 50’s and it went away and came back and spread. So, the last time I saw my OB, they offered a test called the Halo Breast Pap Test. I didn’t hesitate to sign up and do it. There was no collection so that gave me some relief. If a test was affordable and available through insurance to have the testing done like Angelina did, I would sign up and likely make the same decision she did. They say the mutation is rare so how can you decide if it’s a path you should take?

The medical field is probably trying to evaluate the story and I am sure there will be an overwhelming increase in women wanting this same test. Is it necessary? I guess its up to the individual their convictions. The only thing that part of me thinks I might not do it is….. what if the ultimate plan God intended for me was to live until I was the age of 76 and cancer was the predestined way for me to go and I removed the odds of getting it…. wouldn’t there still be something in place so that my time ended at the original planned time? I guess we’ll never know.

With only 2 years between myself and Angelina Jolie, I think it brings it closer to reality for me and I applaud her for her decision and am thankful she shared her story. I just hope the medical world can find a way for things like this genetic testing be more affordable so we can all make this decision no matter our income.

What do you think?

Family Group Gatherings: A Tradition Worth Preserving {GUEST POST}

2013-05-15T14:00:00.000-05:00

Family Group Gatherings: A Tradition Worth Preserving

The family dynamic has changed over time, and where once it was commonplace for extended families to live in the same area and spend time together this is not a situation that exists for most people anymore. More and more people move to different areas for work or study and stay there to start a family away from the towns they grew up in. Families often only all convene at weddings, christenings or when babies are born. It is important therefore to make the most of these gatherings and keep your family unit strong regardless of distance. This is made easier by great deals in group bookings for accommodation for the whole family.

Christenings

The biggest problem most people will have with the Christening, naming ceremony or other celebration of their child is choosing godparents. A common rule seems to be having the same number of friends as family, so if you have chosen two close friends to be godmother and godfather have another two godparents picked from your families. Do not be pressured or guilt tripped into your choices, as it’s an important decision that is yours to make. There is no changing your mind afterwards so make sure you go with people you really trust.

Weddings

Planning a wedding is probably one of the biggest organizational challenges you will ever face, and making sure all the family can be there and commanding the politics of that is just one aspect of this mammoth task. Do make sure to take the time to find out if key family members can attend though before you book a venue as it is just as important to have all your loved ones there to witness your special day as it is to get the right dress. You’d be pretty upset if you booked a date only to find your Nan is having surgery that day or some equally disappointing coincidence. Weddings are about the joining of two people, but also of two families, so to make it a real family occasion think again about having a childfree wedding with just a handful of guests, and make it a family affair.

Births

When babies are born inevitably everyone wants to visit and see the new arrival. With family spread across the country, some of those visitors will inevitably want to stay with you and, whilst friends and family with children of their own are likely to understand that this isn’t possible with a newborn, others might not be quite so understanding. In order to feel like you have some control in an otherwise whirlwind period of your life you may like to arrange a day or few days when you feel ready for visitors for all the family to visit and celebrate the new addition together. Politely let them know that you need your space whilst adapting but suggest local places they can all stay together during their visit – Travelodge is a great budget friendly option with family rooms available.

Families may have changed over the years but the bonds remain that keep drawing them back together to celebrate life’s milestones. Make sure to keep these traditions going even if you can’t all fit in each other’s houses, and travel and stay as a group for special events.

Could Epic be one of this year’s biggest films? {GUEST POST}

2013-05-15T12:59:00.000-05:00

Could Epic be one of this year’s biggest films?

With the recent and latest Epic trailer available online, now is probably the best time to get excited. At the very least, your children are probably getting geared up. Whilst you may not take as much of an active interest, this is a family-friendly film that you may want to keep an eye on. It should be no surprise, in fact, if this film goes on to do rather well this summer.

To summarize, Epic is the story of Mary Katherine; a girl who ends up shrunk to a tiny scale, joining magical creatures in a fight between good and evil in the forest. Its simple themes of good versus evil give the film plenty of potential. As the trailer shows, this seems to be something that it has capitalized on particularly well.

For the family

At the heart of any family trip to the cinema is, of course, the choice of film itself. As such, the film needs to be good. When taking children, you're also further limited by any age restrictions on the more mature films.

Fortunately, Epic seems to be appropriate for everyone. It’s not overtly violent and avoids any adult themes. Yet it’s not a dull lullaby either. There is plenty of tense action, including some impressive camera work that has gone into crafting this film; something that arguably isn't in every CGI film. The end result, if the trailer is anything to go by, should be a CGI film that not only makes you laugh, but keeps your eyes on the screen throughout.

Finally, let's not forget that the film simply looks fantastic. It’s something that is instantly recognizable and ensures you always have something to watch. Throw in some key cast members, such as Amanda Seyfried playing the main heroine, Mary, alongside Colin Farrell and others, and you have the makings of a very popular summer movie. Only time will tell; Epic opens across UK Cinemas this summer.

Hello Monday!

2013-05-13T17:38:00.001-05:00

Ahhh… what a great weekend! I haven’t felt like saying that in a while! Most weekends I feel like they have come and gone and usually the memory of them is a blur. As you know, this past weekend was Mother’s Day. We traditionally schedule a breakfast that includes the entire family so that we can share a meal together to celebrate all of the Mom’s. This year, everyone was able to make it! After breakfast, I asked to take group pictures of the families.

First off a shout out to my Step Sister and Step Brother from another Mother for coming this year! I know it made the breakfast that much more special! If you are a friend on Instagram, these are a duplicate posting of pictures.

This is my Step Sister Haley.

This is my Step Brother Jason.

And in no particular order, this is my family…..
My Dad, Step Mom Patricia, Haley and us.
This is Erik’s Mom, Dad and Sister Tanya with us.

This is my Dad (Pap), Step Mom Kaye and Step Brother Jason.
This year I got each of the Mom’s a Oragami Charm Necklace. I loved that they were living lockets that you could change out the charms to fit your life. They each got the #3 for the number of grandchildren, they each got their birthstone, a heart with the word Mom on it and 1 additional charm that was specific to each one of them.

My day was so nice and relaxing! I got to rest with Rayne while she napped and took in a movie I’ve been wanting to see since it came out in theaters, Safe Haven. It was a great movie! I just love Nicholas Sparks stories. After the movie, I was able to go to the Nail salon and have some much needed pampering thanks to Erik and his parents for giving me a gift card! I branched out and tried a new color I don’t think I normally would have chosen! It may have been inspired by my love for EOS (thanks to Stacie) and my favorite EOS flavored lip balm.

Erik and the kids also got me a beautiful necklace (which I meant to take a picture of, but this is in essence what it looks like with 2 pink shoes with Reese and Rayne’s name on the back of each and a blue one with Ryan’s name. Super sweet!! I also got a “We {heart} Mommy Frame” that I can’t wait to fill!

Love my sweet family!! It was a great Mother’s Day! I hope yours was great too!!

WEEDS & COTTONTAILS…

2013-05-07T13:37:00.001-05:00

It has become a routine each night to come home, eat dinner and then go in the backyard to play. Sometimes we doodle with chalk, blow bubbles, test out new skate boarding tricks or simply chase each other around.

You can always count on me to have my phone handy when I see the kids are in a photogenic mood to capture the evening light and the kids and their crazy poses. Reese was secretly practicing her dance moves which she will stop if you catch her doing it and refuses to show us a full example of what she is learning in dance. Ryan was just having fun jumping around while Rayne was clinging to Erik’s leg while he was tending to weeds that I’ve ignored.

Here is my lil’ Sasafras playing with Ryan’s skateboard and striking a pose for me.
Ryan likes action shots!

Mid jumps, Erik calls us over to see that he has uncovered a nest for a baby bunny or squirrel. We all rush over to see and of course we all want to get in there and touch it and see what’s there. Our curiosity got the best of us so we started to slowly move the nest back and that’s when Ryan said he sees another baby. Erik says he thinks he sees a 3rd baby and I’m telling you, this nest hole was tiny! I can’t imagine how more than 1 baby would fit in there. Ryan reached his hands down to lift a baby up.

The look on Rayne’s face was priceless! I joked that she was reacting to the sight of all the weeds in the garden but it was actually a reaction to the number of babies that started popping out.
My guess is that there were about 6 babies in that tiny lil’ hole under the cedar wood chips and weeds. As they all climbed out in a scurry, I had the movie “Ratatouille” in my head thinking that the lil’ babies were all shrieking and actually speaking, “ABORT, ABORT!” “Everyone run for the greenbelt and hide!”

All of us were trying to catch one and Erik and I debated whether they were baby squirrels or baby bunnies. I am team bunny but it really is hard to tell. They were moving so fast…. Rayne was squealing and one of the babies was squealing, but they were SO DARN CUTE!!

They ran so fast as soon as we let them go and Ryan had the last one in his hands. I wish I could have snapped the picture fast enough because he held him gently in his hands, pull him up to his face to say I love you and kissed his lil’ head before letting him go. He is such a sweet boy.

I just hope the lil’ babies found their Mom or each other. The Mom was no where to be found but my Aunt said in a Facebook message that usually the Mom’s don’t stick by the nest, they are out fighting predators. I asked Erik to check the nest this morning to see if they came back and they were not there. I hope they come back later in the day to regroup and bundle up again. Its nice having the green belt behind our house to expose the kids to nature and fuzzy lil’ cottontails!

*The Johanson Journey*

DORA PARTY {INSIDE SCOOP}

REESE IS 3!

We Call Him Maverick!

FATHER’S DAY 2013

We’ve Got Style

AT THE CARWASH

Won’t you Sing with me!?

Full Speed Ahead

New Meaning for B.F.F

May into June {This & That}

Who couldn’t use $25!?

{MAY} HEARTFELT ACTS

1st Family Road Trip {Part 3}

1st Family Road Trip {Part 2}

1st family road Trip {Part 1}

Anniversary Weekend

Fun in the sun & Friends

TINY LITTLE STATUE?

FUN PRE-SCHOOL QUESTIONAIRE

WE ARE SO DRAMATIC

HOW I AM LIKE ANGELINA JOLIE…

Family Group Gatherings: A Tradition Worth Preserving {GUEST POST}

Could Epic be one of this year’s biggest films? {GUEST POST}

Hello Monday!

WEEDS & COTTONTAILS…

The Johanson Journey