for all of time

Listen...

2011-07-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

I know I never post on here.

Not much i'm willing to do about it at the moment except post these pictures from our family photo session (yes, we had family photos taken and I was 28 weeks pregnant...)

Surprisingly, I loved them SO much more than I was anticipating. Really not into maternity pictures-but apparently now I am :-) Thank you to Jylare Ann Photography for capturing us

I think my husband looks positively dreamy in all of these photos.....I can't even tell you how many times I have stared at these and fallen in love with him all over. He totally wore that bow tie for me and was so cute about it-didn't even complain. And I think his luscious locks are just to.die.for.

Yummy yummy family. I am over the moon for them (and the one in my growing bump!)

29 weeks pregnant on Monday! Almost to the home stretch!!

Time For A Change.

2011-05-02T21:25:00.001-07:00

Well, now that Ellie is slowly being pushed out of her cribby (yes, everything ends in a "y" when she's around) we've been thinking about the next big step.

A big girl room.

uggghhhhh just the thought gives me indigestion. I don't know how I feel about putting her in a big girl bed just yet, and when in the world do i do it?? If I start now-well, I can't start now. I'm too tired to be up all night.

And if I wait, I'll have not one, but TWO crying babies in the night which just makes it WORSE! Up at all hours, ohhhhhh

Someone help. When in the world, and how in the world does one do such a thing? Being a rookie mom really has it bouts sometimes and ignorance my friends, is the kicker.

We thought maybe if we send her off to her grandparents for the day and decorate her room so she has a grand finale she will be more excited to sleep in it? (She is switching rooms by the way) Has anyone ever experienced this? Thoughts, please.

This is sort of her design board. I don't do these and honestly this was my first time attempting a design board in photoshop, so it's a little hokey pokey I'm sure. But here's what we sort of have going so far (aside from the book collection-which I am coveting but they are a PRETTY PENNY!)

Maybe now that her room is pretty well configured, I can focus on the baby. Do second children get the shaft? lol. Where on earth do I muster up energy to make crib bedding? or learn how to sew? Or make my creative juices flow in an entirely different male induced direction? I am beyond excited to decorate his room-just trying to find the energy to attack it.

Or the rest of my house for that matter??

On another note, I am expanding on all forms. It's okay, I've come to terms with it. I weigh as much right now as I did at full term with Ellie and I'm only at my half way mark. Tada!!

Here are the most recent pics of us. I have about a billion more from Easter, going home to Utah, Ellie and daddy blowing bubbles in the backyard and our incessant slip n' slide outings, but I'll just have to save those for later...

In the mean time, I'll muster up the courage to nest a bit more. At the half way mark! It's flying by!! Can't wait to meet our handsome little stud.

GIVEAWAY!!!

2011-04-04T14:53:00.000-07:00

If you haven't been to my photo blog, head on over and enter this awesome give away!!

My dear and talented friend Audra is doing an awesome GIVEAWAY!! She makes the most unbelievable vintage inspired headbands and I have seen these other places for twice the price, so you are getting a total deal here!

She is giving away this adorable cotton candy headband pictured below to one of my readers!

To enter the giveaway, simply visit her shop here , then come back (to my photo blog-www.elizajphotography.blogspot.com) and leave a comment telling me which headband is your favorite!

the winner will be chosen at random and announced by Wednesday night!

Happy shopping!!

*(Here is my little diva sporting one of audra's treasures! We love love loooooooove it!!)

Don't forget to enter! The winner will be announced Wednesday!

Such a dream...

2011-04-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

This, is my dream baby...

When I envisioned my life as a young girl, I pictured the following...

tall dark and handsome

Little blonde headed curls running around the yard

bbq's on hot summer days

smiles giggles laughs

Lots and lots of romance..

I hate to break it to ya folks, but I got all that

Don't get me wrong, every day is not a fairytale. Our sliding doors are all broken, our house has no air conditioning and it's currently 90, not to mention the ants, which we've already discussed...

Chris has late nights at work and I often times feel lonely

I hate cooking while pregnant, so we've been eating a lot of pizza...

We only sleep sometimes and do dishes every once in a while

I have come to the realization that bodies just don't look the same after babies

and the list goes on....

BUT- as the saying goes,

We may not have it all together, but together we have it all

Right?

I just feel that way. Deep down in my soul-I know I've got everything in this life I could ever want.

Strip down the material things, take away everything on this good earth I own and leave me homeless-I'm still the luckiest girl around..

Ellie is my dream baby and I have a dream boat husband.

So there-put me on your seriously so blessed blog, I said it.

It's just all so dreamy sometimes.

This picture captured it perfectly for me

She makes me sing this song to her every night before bed, and then we talk about her dreams. Whether it be flying over sparkling stars and waterfalls, or chasing pirates into the ocean-she has a wild imagination. Come morning time she typically tells me Rapunzel came to visit and they played together in her bed. Have I told you how much she loves Rapunzel??

I'll have to save that for another day....

But in this crazy, mangled, twisted up in knots kind of world-it's just hard to believe sometimes that my dreams are still being formed and even more so, that they're coming true.

My beautiful, blonde, curly headed child....

Chase rainbows forever with us, will you?

And love your little brother like the day is long-because did I tell you??

WE'RE HAVING A BOY!!!

More and more dreams to make together. I can hardly stand the wait...

FINALLY!!!

2011-02-23T09:30:00.000-08:00

This has arrived...

And we are feeling so blessed....

Just 11 weeks along and baby due in September!

Worth every minute of the wait

;-)

Eliza Turns Two...

2010-11-24T21:16:00.000-08:00

Minnie Party

Well wouldn't you have it...

A minnie mouse party in the midst of everything else going on with the holidays? Yup.

My little peanut had a 2 year old birthday party this week. Did I have time to throw a birthday bash?

Nope.

Did we make it happen?

You bet.

Little girls like this just don't come along quite often enough.

She deserved a party in behalf of her favorite person on earth, wouldn't ya say?

My cousin Jeanette made the darling cupcakes, my friend Jamie made all the stickers and cupcake toppers. She's amazing. See what she does here and here . I would recommend her for anything. She can design a house, make a craft, do some web design, dabble in card making, and pretty much everything else you could ever want in life. Love her. We borrowed the tule and drapery panels from a friend who had just thrown her grandkids a tea party. What a gem! I put together a plethora of other homemade goods, including cake pops for the first time which were not easy, despite what others said! Goods were baked, favors made, games played, love shared here there and everywhere in between.

A "minnie party" with all things mini for my miniature doll herself.

Love her like the day is long.

I love you Eliza Ann.

You make the stars sparkle and the moon shine.

And every day with you, is the best day of mine.

xoxo

Halloween Night

2010-11-24T08:54:00.001-08:00

Well, as I mentioned, Halloween night turned out to be quite the party! What with a catwalk in our own home open to complete strangers and all? (well my i

n-laws home anyway) We had so much fun! Take a peek

ahhhhh

I love Halloween. Almost as much as Christmas.

I'm weird like that.

Halloween Fun!!

2010-11-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

For sure I'll write another post about this, because we have a plethora of photos that need to be documented regarding Halloween...

pumpkin patches, ward parties, block parties, trick-0r-treating, a photo shoot extravaganza in our costume (well, ellie's costume anyway).

I was really thinking Halloween was going to be a flop this year, and boy was I wrong. Since it fell on a Sunday

(and we don't participate in wiley activities on the sabbath as part of our religion ;-) )

I was a little concerned staying home to pass out candy would be a bit...well...anticlimactic, if you will. BUT, proved wronged to the utmost was I. We opened both front doors at the Johnson residence and made every living soul who entered (almost 1,000 in their neighborhood!!!!) walk in and strut their stuff before they got a treat. We were rolling on the floor with laughter and Eliza absolutely

positively

never ever in this life

could have been happier about a single thing.

She passed that candy out like a pro and to no avail, we did give in a little and let her go to the neighbors house to drop some candy in her bucket ;-)

I leave you with these jewels for now. We had so many festivities this year it was only necessary she had two outfits, right? Both of which were borrowed from a dear friend. Thank you Efa!

We'll catch up again soon..

On the Mend..

2010-10-29T15:22:00.000-07:00

I am literally speechless after all that has been said and done in the past couple weeks. The response I got from my last post has been indescribable. Obviously I wasn't writing it for your sympathy or for your tears, it was mostly just a reflection of what I was going through and the need to express it. However, phone calls and emails and cards have been written and sent and shared with our little family and I have literally been overwhelmed. People who take the time to say a kind word, or do a good deed are truly God's angels. I consider it a tender mercy from the Lord that you are a part of my life, in a small or large way, you are now my dear friends. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. There are no words to adequately describe the feeling other than

immensely grateful,

and I hope you feel that.

Some of you have questioned about some of my beliefs, why I think and feel the way I do and how the Lord has played such a large part of my life. All of those questions can be answered

here.

The church has done so much for my life and is a great source of strength in times of need.

Since all of that has happened, life has most certainly moved forward, whether we've wanted it to or not! I really feel as though the Lord has helped me cope with all of this by keeping me busy. I've felt a bit foolish or dramatic to even be prolonging it, seeing as how had I never taken a pregnancy test I probably would have never even known I miscarried. That being said, it's been a blessing to move forward and not look back, knowing that in time all wounds are healed in this family.

A little bit ago, Chris surprised me and took our family on a little "day trip" to the town of Julian. I have been wanting to go here for almost a year and every day Chris has off I try to mention it to him, hoping he'll take notice that I literally can't sleep I want to go here so bad. Well, being the husband that he is-of COURSE he took notice.

He's perfect. duh.

SO he surprised me. Wouldn't tell me what we were doing or where we were going the entire day until I finally figured out that we were on the 5 south to San Diego and I blossomed inside. This was the same day I had taken my negative pregnancy test, after the positive one, so I was feeling a little "damp"-I don't know how else to explain it. Just...damp-ish.

So we traveled around the little town, ate some of the BEST apple berry cobbler with cinnamon icecream of all time, looked at cute shops, had some delish lunch, listened to ellie wail a few times in misery (not entirely sure what happened to her this day, but she really didn't like Julian) sang at the top of our lungs for her well-being, and well she was. We laughed, and ran, let our hair blow in the wind while the windows were rolled down and stared out into the open fields of no where land. I was in heaven, to say the least. Chris and I were playing some stupid game in the car, and I can't even remember what it was now that I look back, but we were dying laughing. I love that that is just what I remember... I'll always look back and remember how my stomach hurt with laughter on a day when my heart was hurting with tears.

We didn't end up taking a bag home. We thought it was weird that bag of mediocre apples cost $12-we just went for the experience.

All of these images are sooc, so don't judge. (well, most of them)

I love days like this one. Not a care in the world. Packed up our things and hit the road, listened to loud music, ate good food, danced in the wilderness, and picked some apples.

what more could a mama ask for?

Just a little devastation...

2010-10-18T14:36:00.000-07:00

I feel bad because it seems as though all of my posts for the last little while have seemed a bit depressing. It's so not like me, to be sad. Maybe for a day, but it never lasts. I pride myself on my optimism and my faith. I am usually so good at getting over things, moving onto the next thing and KNOWING that no matter what happens, our family will find happiness if we choose it. But something has happened recently. My faith has been tested maybe more than it's ever been. I don't want to get into the details but I just feel like I've witnessed so many lives crumble to the ground right before my eyes. Lives of people who are SO good, SO faithful, SO righteous. People who pray with faith to move mountains and never really get what they're asking for. It's just the world around me, and I know it. It's not God cursing his people and it's not the people asking for the wrong things. It almost never is. It's the plan. I know that. I've always known that. It's been engrained in me since I was a child. Something I was born with and have always known.

Things work out.

However, some things just don't work out. Some things you plan on and expect as a part of the next step in life and then life lets you down. A part of that for me has been trying to get pregnant for the last 5 months. We were so tentative at first, thinking Ellie wasn't ready for a sibling. We talked it over several times wondering how she would deal with another body in the house that would take attention away from her. We worried over it, thought twice about it, but did it anyway, knowing it would all work out. We tried that first month thinking for sure it would happen! Ellie came without a moments notice. I tell people I was like the virgin Mary, all I had to do was THINK about getting pregnant and she magically appeared. Immaculate conception, I tell you. But that first month came with no signs of pregnancy, and I guess I felt a little disappointed..

Second month came and try, try again! I was still so optimistic thinking I just needed to get into the groove of things. Think pregnant and you'll BE pregnant!!

But alas, no baby.

Third month came and same thing, only this time it was followed by a large amount of bleeding. Odd, I thought. I went to the doctor to make sure everything was okay. After a couple of ultrasounds and tests the doctor concluded everything looked fine! My uterus was happy and I was happy! Maybe it was a miscarriage, I thought. I've never bled like that before....

Fourth month and I was a little apprehensive. After the month before I was a little nervous thinking maybe there was something wrong and he just didn't see it?? But he DID give us the go ahead sign, so as my friend Brooke says we "hopped on the right foot and did the bad thing!"

"No baby this month either darling," I softly whispered to Chris one morning. The discouragement started weighing in...

Fifth month, to date. October 13th, 2010. Early morning sunshine and I was feeling so hopeful. I had been so emotional this month, more than normal! AND OH SO HUNGRY! I would wake up at odd hours and want to eat, surely I must be pregnant I thought. Chris urged me to just take a test! "Don't wait," he said. "Do it while I'm here!" So we waited and waited, those long 2 minutes just couldn't go quicker. I changed Ellie's diaper and he came into the room.."What if it has a faint line coming in ?" he said..I ran into the bathroom and there it was. The double line I had been looking for!!! "I'm PREGNANT!!" I said! We screamed and jumped and sobbed and just held each other. Finally we did it! I KNEW I was pregnant.

I just knew it.

A couple days passed and the symptoms slowly started to fade. Hmmmm...That's kinda weird. I tested again, just to be sure..

Negative.

Huh? Another test.

Negative.

I rolled into the other room to tell Chris. "I'm not pregnant anymore" I said. "What? Yes you are! A line is a line you said. No false positives" You're right I thought. There's no such thing as a false positive. I must be pregnant still. Those tests DID sit in the hot car for a while after I bought them. Maybe they're just broken..

Sunday, October 17th, baby Johnson gone. I called the doctor and told her what had happened. "Can you even have a miscarriage this early on in your pregnancy?" I asked. "It happens all the time" she said. She proceeded to caution me, tell me what pills to take and to wait another 6 weeks before we try again, and a whole lotta other nonsense that brushed right over my head..It was all a muffled mess by then. Like I was listening to waves inside a seashell. The sobs came. My stomach ached, in more ways than one. I had never had cramps like this before. They were almost unbearable, but maybe it was just because I missed my unborn child. The child I had been waiting for.

Chris laid his hands on my head that evening and gave me a priesthood blessing. Probably one of the more sacred experiences either one of us has ever had. I've never felt my angel baby closer and I KNEW that he/she would come to me again. He promised me they would, and I believed it.

Sometimes we just don't get it. We don't understand, we can't see it, but we feel something. Something is there that we can't explain. Just like this little angel that slipped away in the quiet, misty morning on a beautiful Sunday-I don't understand now. I know that I will. Everything has it's time and it's place and I am SO lucky this has happened now, and not later. I think about my sweet sister-in-law who has lost her baby at 24 weeks. A perfectly formed, breathing beautiful son with fingers, hair, a heartbeat..a name. Why should I cry over this tiny little seed that has barely been planted, and saved from a world of hurt?? I shouldn't cry. I should be happy knowing at another date and time, things will be better for us. The world wasn't ready for you yet little angel dear. You have so much to give, and the world just wasn't ready.

Maybe mommy and daddy weren't even ready..All I know is Heavenly Father knows when your time will come, and it surely will and when it does, we will be here with open arms ready to hold you.

We'll wait for you, here. Your sister misses you already. Come back soon baby mine and may God's angels protect you and keep you safe until we meet again.

I love you.

Utah Trip

2010-10-16T13:51:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned, Chris and I took a last minute trip to Utah to visit the fam. The last little while has been pretty tough for them so we wanted to make sure we were home to help out. I think the economy has really effected everyone in a pretty serious way. There is almost no one I can think of who hasn't had a trial, a burden, a struggle or a fight this past year, and my family is no exception. My brother and his wife (stephen and katie) miscarried their son while I was home as well. You can read more about that here.

They are true heroes after what they went through.

Despite the circumstances, we still found time to relish in the joys of family. It seems as though every time I come home, someone's gotten taller, lost another tooth, accomplished another great trick or said a new word. I sometimes hate that I'm not there for it..but it does make it all the sweeter when they look forward to seeing aunt tiff and uncle chris to tell us all their new exciting news. We spent the entire first day basking in the outside sun, playing baseball, catching snakes, burying snakes, playing in the sprinklers and more. No matter how life may find us, we always find joy in each other. It reminds me of my favorite poem my dad used to read to me that says,

'Tis there I come to laughing eyes

And find a welcome true;

'Tis there all care behind me lies

And joy is ever new.

And, Oh, when every day is done

Upon that little street,

A pair of rosy youngsters run

To me with flying feet.

I love coming home to my family true and those little flying feet.

Of course while everyone is playing baseball and catching snakes

Ellie is doing this...

before...

soon after...

I apparently prefer not to be pictured?? ha! That always happens. I do a lot more behind the camera than I do in front, I like it that way. Someone's got to document it!

Now we are home, settling in, getting used to our crazy life. Chris passed his insurance test this week and will start work on Monday! Checked off one part of life and movin' onto the next! I hope not all of my major life decisions go by in a wink..Sometimes life just moves too fast. That's why these summer days at home were such sunshine on my soul. Time didn't exist. For just a day, we all played ball in the yard and time stood still...childhood has no boundaries, no limitations, no expectations. Come as you are. Covered in mud, dirt in your hair, baseball in your hand, diaper drooping to the floor, we'll love you.

The Christensen's will always love you.

And I sweet children and family dear will love you 'til the end of time.

Home really is where the heart is.

It might lead one to believe...

2010-10-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

That I have altogether died.

Or maybe that I've just been neglecting my family blog and filling it up with photography stuff, all of which is nothing I am sure you are concerned about...

woe is me. We have been busier than evaa..I take that back, one time we were busier than this and we had a baby, graduated college and moved states in one month. But this is second busiest.

I do photography, chris is changing jobs, has to get certified for his "funeral insurace license" (don't ask, I'm bad at explaining) so he studies all night, every night until he takes his test on Thursday, we moved (within the same city no more than 5 blocks away, odd, I know) AND to top it all off, I have a blessed 2 year old, who is aging more and more by the minute.

phew... Let's be honest, blogging is much like journal writing. When times are good, it's really easy to write about! I whip out my sturdy blue ink pen, fill my pages with sweet memoirs and hum a tune away. But come a rough patch...nigh night. I don't really feel like writing, or remembering, or rehashing, I'll do it later. So here I am, haven't really been feeling up to it. Don't get me wrong, my marital life is sweet bliss and my hubs is the greatest hubs to boot ( I don't even know what that means) but our environmental circumstances, and the things outside of our control are a little...well, rough. That's all. And I'll leave it at that. Let your imagination run wild! It's more fun that way.

Anyway, we took a trip to Catalina a couple weeks ago. If you haven't heard, I hop on anything that says "ENTER AND WIN" because something triggers in the back of my mind and I really do think I'll win something. Wellp. I did. I won a trip for two to Catalina, so there ;-)

Chris kept calling me "kelly" this day. He thought I had just walked off the set of "Saved By the Bell." I didn't mind it. I'm bringin' 80's back, in a BIG leopard print way ;-)

Catalina was a lot more fun than I had anticipated! HECK! For a free two night stay in the shabby mansion (and shabby it was my friends) I was a happy camper. All I really need is a roof over my head-some people might cringe at that. I rather liked that the 60 year old lesbian couple in the room next door slept with their door open and drank until they turned blue every night. It was kinda fun!

On another note-the Mrs.. meaning Mrs. Johnson, the REAL woman of the house, has marked her territory.

Don't tell this girl to do ANYTHING... she'll do the opposite.

And laugh at it for that matter. Never a sad face or a wimper on this munchkin. We spank her (gently..well sometimes) and put her in time out and she thinks it's funny. She's tells US "no no no" just for the fun of it..

OOoooo she's edible. Fiesty, crazy and edible. This age is rather funny. Terrible twos for sure-but also rather funny.

Whenever she bumps into me by accident she says "OH! Sorry babe!"

She sings the words to "need you now" by lady a..she even requests it when we drive in the car and can even out the really long note at the end.

She spells her name and counts to ten (with a little encouragement of course)

If someone is hurt she says "OH! I KISS IT BEDDUH"

Her R's and L's are altogether non-existent and it's amazing.

She recently started putting herself, and everyone else for that matter in "TINE OUT!" and then she lets herself out and hugs me, even when she hasn't done anything wrong. She's so obedient. I swear I'm not that strict! In fact, I'm a total pushover!

She refuses to wear anything other than her tutu and diaper.

She is faster than both her dad and I and could quite possibly out do the road runner.

She will randomly say "I yuh you mommy" and put both hands on either cheek and smack my lips. It's better than kneaders french toast on Saturdays...hard to beat.

She is officially OBSESSED with earrings and shoes, but also loves to squeeze mud between her hands AND unfortunately still play with her poop some days..

It's getting better.

We had some mommy daughter photos taken of us the other day by a good friend. You can check them out here.

I'll leave you with my fave.

I love being a wife and even more, a mom. What more could a girl ask for than to love and be loved??

Not a thing, I say.

I love my hub and babe to the moon and back...seven times seventy.

Photo Forum Q & A

2010-10-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

I'm doing a little Photography Q & A session on my photo blog for anyone interested. Moms have lots of questions when it comes to taking pictures of your kids! I know, I am one!

Feel free to stop by and leave a comment.

I will return to blogging on my personal life someday, just not at the moment.

Sigh.

Until then, adieu.

Click here to ask away!

Last Minute Trip!

2010-09-10T10:20:00.001-07:00

Taking a last minute trip to Utah! Leaving today and staying...

'til who knows when??

Call or email, or leave a comment if you'd like to book a photo session while I'm in town.

It's the perfect time to start getting your Christmas cards ready!

Custom Christmas cards also available! Email if interested

Can't wait to see my rocky mountain home ;-)

Something To Love...

2010-09-04T15:11:00.001-07:00

Sometimes life just gets a little backwards, a little hectic, and a little crazy. We just recently moved and have had a heck of a lot on our plates and in the midst of all the chaos, I have found there are just some things I really do love..

Simple things just really make me happy.
Such as
The song "LOST" by Anouk. Don't look up the music video. It's totally shady, but the song itself?
D'lish.

Urban barn flea markets in Temecula. It's been a while since I've made the trek but I oodle over the things in their store and on their website.http://urbanbarn155.blogspot.com/

Good movies. Everyone loves a good old fashioned romance. Especially ones that take place in the eighth grade right?I don't know what it was about this movie that just made me heart it so much. Maybe it was Bryce Loski
I'm obsessed with it. I'll buy it the day it comes out.
It made room for some photography inspiration too.
Anyone up for doing a 50's inspired photo shoot with me?

Always, always always online looking at this blog..Just a couple of the things I've found here..

Cold pasta salad on these miserably hot California days..
You know you want some.

And last but not least..my child's current obsession with somersaults.

She's blossomed over the last month. I kid you not. She suddenly sprouted in growth, put on a few pounds, and started speaking English...even a little Spanish. The other day, Dora asked her to say something on TV, and she replied. Every now and then, I think she says dos instead of two.

I've got to find something to keep my energy up in these draining, melting, scorching, heat wrenching afternoons with no AC! Our new house has no ac...
oh, and an ant colony.

Sometimes, we wake up to ants adorning our limbs and marching in rows. I'm not being sarcastic. We've just accepted them as part of the family. I hate to go down for a serious crime but it seems like they may get vetoed here sooner than later. They've become such a part of us now-it really may be tough to say goodbye?

I'm thinking of a moonlight ceremony with Andrea Bocceli and Sarah Brightman in the background serenading us with, "Time To Say Goodbye"
It's a thought.

What simple things make you happy? We've got to think of things. That's what life is all about right?
The simple pleasures.

One thing-well one of the MANY things I really enjoy is laughing with my all time greatest boyfriend.

On occasion, we will have competitions to see who has the greatest gymnastic trick onto the bed at night. Typically I win-but my penguin act didn't go over so well the other night when I could only come up with a meager waddle in the air. Chris on the other hand, esteems himself as the greatest contemporary dancer around. You should see his moves. He's got contemporary and interpretive a little confused.
God bless him.

I'm going to start making a list. My mom started it a while back and I really need to catch fire on the idea. My gratitude journal from the 10th grade is just not cuttin it these days.
Time to start anew.
Fresh.
Grateful.
I love it.

Me Oh My...

2010-08-03T10:24:00.000-07:00

I don't even know how to start this post...

So much has been going on..i mean SO much, it's silly really that I have not posted anything about it. Not that anyone in the world cares about my random internet rants on my home and family life, but on a personal level, I feel like so many things should be documented.

I stare at recent pictures, and long to write down the explanations behind them, the memories that came with them, the stories behind the laughter or the look..whether anybody reads this blog or not, for my own personal well-being I really do appreciate documenting my life experiences.

Ellie has a strange fetish-one I am not proud of nor do I endorse, by any stretch of the imagination. Ellie really just likes to play with poop.

There. I said it. Poop.

We have cleaned up...NUMEROUS amount of potty, and not just in the diaper. Oh no friends. Potty that has been taken OUT of the diaper, that she continually wants off, spread on her face like Indian war paint, on the walls like finger paint and all over the crib like a new bedspread.

Where did this come from!?!??!!? And how do I fix it?

I mean honestly it happens almost once a week. I guess sometimes it is my fault because I forget to put the onesie on, WITH the pants. She takes her pants off in bed at all hours and just...

plays with it.

This was her shortly after an "incident" the other day. My little poop fairy. Happy as can be. In her own little world, unaware of the damage that has been done both physically, and emotionally -to her mother.

Is it strange that I took pictures of this situation? Sure. I'll admit it. But c'mon! When it happens as often as it does over here, something needs to be remembered. There are a plethera of photos that are just not internet worthy-for my eyes only, and I won't even get into the mess that was made..let's just say, you are glad you're not a part of it.

This was her dads solution to the problem. He not only thought he was hilarious, but really honestly thought maybe, just MAYBE if he pulled them up high enough and tucked her shirt in, it would fix it.

Don't you love a man's solution? So simple.

Any advice dear friends? It's mind boggling really, how one sweet, beautiful, down-to-earth, fun loving, innocent little thing could cause so much damage. She is such a little spit fire..

I'm told she gets it from her mommy.

On another note-here are some really ugly pictures of all of us at the park the other day. I promise, we get ready (but only sometimes) and actually do our hair, occasionally put on make up, wear normal clothes...

but not on this day, which is sort of why it's amazing.

Ellie loves her princess Belle. Notice her holding it in several of the pictures. She wraps her up in a blankie several times a day and gives her a pat on the back and says "ooohhhhhh beebee" in the cutest face you have ever laid eyes on. She squints her twinkly little blueberry eyes and puckers her lips and pats that baby like no one's business. We're all up in arms around here over her. She definitely keeps things exciting.

We spent a night at the ER over the weekend because Ellie dislocated her arm. Yep. My fault. Worst mom ever. I picked her up by her wrist while we were shopping in Home Goods and heard a big pop...

her arm was a dead fish after that.

Of course, I was bawling. Like someone had died I was bawling. Abusive mom, check.

We took her in and the doctor had to pop it back in place...murder me sideways. I was beside myself.

ELLIE on the other hand, was ripe and ready to go! Giggles and smiles and dora stickers she refused to sleep without that night, climbing on the playhouse in the office on the way out, waving to the nurses and saying "Hi! me hurt" while point to her elbow where the arm popped out.

my life. this is it. it's real. It's mine.

I take full ownership.

And she...

Well she just makes it all worth while.

4th of July

2010-07-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

Our 4th of July looked a little something like this...

Ring around the rosy..

Ellie thinking her daddy is more fun than mickey mouse (which is a huge accomplishment around here)

Some more rosies...

Getting dizzy and peekaboo's in bobo and granny's backyard

Some d'lish bbq and tables adorned with nothing less than patriotism of course

Fireworks at the Laguna Niguel Park

Attempts at getting Ellie to go nigh-night

No such luck-maybe a broken glow stick in the mouth would be better??

Seriously outstanding fireworks-despite all the dust in my eyes ;-)

And a final good night from Liza Lou...ohh she was soooooo tired

And Chris thought it was snowing outside..

I love the 4th..it came and went too fast.

I'm a horrible blogger. It's got to change. I miss journaling.

Seems like I'll see you tomorrow.

xoxo

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-03T22:16:00.001-07:00

Whew!

2010-07-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

GOOODDDDNNNNESSSSSSSS gracious

I've been M.I.A.-not just via cyber world either, but in almost every way, shape or form possible. Something's been keeping me a bit distracted..

Truly our most hideous moment people. Take advantage-you'll only get it once.

We've been having some fun with photo booth-can you tell??

The little person has been so sick...as have the big people as of late. I'm finally feeling like we are able to put a lid on the whole shebang-which is a good feeling. But here's what's been happening.

The misses (meaning miss priss of course) has had a horrible cough for months now (over 3 to be exact). She coughs all night, wakes herself up, occasionally vomits she's coughing so hard, chokes, cries, screams, roars-poor baby has been honestly miserable, as has mommy for that

matter. I honestly have not had a good night's rest in ages. Not only because toots has been having the coughing fits but because I am SO worried about her I cannot fall asleep. I'm always lying in bed with my eyes and my ears alert, making sure she's still moving, still coughing, still breathing. I've been a nervous wreck.

I've cried, I've thrown tantrums, I've been ill over the matter. We taken toots to the doctor approximately 6 times in the last 2 months-that's three visits a month my friends and with a $30 copay everytime you go, you can imagine the bills we've been ringing up. But it didn't matter-and it still doesn't. She's worth every cent if it means getting her better.

However, she wasn't getting better. Every visit the doctor said she must just have a cold. Well pooh-colds don't last for 3 months my friend. So we'd go back, and back...and back. back again. hi, here again. Member us? Still sick. Two ear infections, 3 sinus infections, a million colds and some tests later-we find the little peanut has what we call "ASTHMA" friends.

come again?

These coughing fits that have nearly thrown me for a midlife crisis is due to nothing other than a little asthma? I was confused, but apparently it makes the little ones cough. Knowing what I know now-it makes sense but heaven sakes peeps couldn't we have diagnosed that the first

time? We're restless!!

Ellie cakes, allergic to kitty kats at her nanny and bobo's house (both names she came up with on her own mind you). The allergies give her a little wheeze in her chest, a little flem in her throat, some water in the eyes and a lot of tissy fits-but understandably so. HENCE, my poor little flem filled frog gets the coughing spells.

As I sat in the doctor's office for the LAST time, this overwhelming feeling of peace came over me. It sounds silly-I do realize with just a cough I'm sure I sound melodramatic-but come on.

When your kid is throwing up at night and nearly choking to death for months you start to worry right? So chris gave me a priesthood blessing a couple of nights before we went to the doctors..again. Then the peace came. This is it, i thought. This is the last visit.

I just knew it.

So now she's got her own official little nebulizer, inhaler, allergy medication and some antibiotics-put it on my tab.

But at least we are better right? Thank heavens, literally, for that.

On a lighter note! Chris and I now have strep throat! But of course, we couldn't miss our long awaited visit to SEA WORLD RIGHT?!?!!? We've been planning this vacation for months, had the non-refundable tickets, and hotel stay (that I won in a mall entry thank you very much) and

we were not about to miss out.

Ellie was just so excited to see "mumble." She is completely obsessed with penguins and happy feet so naturally she was thrilled to see them for what seemed like a total of 30 seconds. But it was worth it. We all look so terrible in these pictures..Whatev. We went, and now it's documented.

Despite her illness she still finds time to make messes like these..

Gotta love her for it.

My dear friend and college roommate Tamara and her little girl Anistyn came out for a visit-this is us getting snow cones at Sno On the Go. The best place ever.

And naturally a snow cone visit wouldn't be complete without matching plaid attire-nevermind that Liza lou was in her jammie best at 6 in the evening out on the town. We're cool like that.

Before all this sickness mumbo jumbo-Chris planned a fun little family night in downtown San Juan and he made us all chocolate malts. He gets SO excited to plan surprises for me-mostly because I GET sooooo excited to receive them. He knows they are my favorite.

We played at the perk..

Had horsey rides of every kind..

stopped by the big red train..

and walked down the streets of san juan.

mark my words, I will live here whether it be in this life or the next.

It's my destiny.

So now we are just waiting to heal-time together seems to make it go faster ;-) Is it okay I'm secretly okay with chris being sick?

I liked having him home..come back daddy.

that's what we say. Strep is not so bad when you're here.

3 years and counting...

2010-06-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

I realize I've become somewhat of a horrible blogger...don't worry, I do realize.

With summer and photos and family and visitors and this and that and everything else I suppose my documenting has hit an all time low. Sorry to disappoint. I know you've been waiting on the edge of your seats ;-)

However this could not get looked over. As of yesterday I've been married for 3 years. When I say three it sounds old-like a toddler. But when I think about my marriage it doesn't surprise me? I kept telling Chris, "But I feel like it's been SO much longer!?" Take that as you will but I found it a good thing. I guess I just feel like we've known each other forever. Like we were meant to be from birth and have just been betrothed ever since. We've been together, at heart.

We've been together through a lot of things. That first year of marriage was not the easiest for us and I will be the first to admit. I remember people telling me "don't get disappointed. The first year is the hardest!" well pooh on you I thought. YOu have your worst year and I'll enjoy mine! My marriage is bliss...then passed the first year and I thought-ahhhh, take a deep breath. One down :-) It was a hard adjustment at best and we were going through a lot of things (that sounds dramatic, mostly just adjusting to living with the opposite sex and combining families) Albeit we made it, and we were better for it. How's that for honesty.

The second year was a match made in heaven. We had figured it out-we were on top and doing swell. We had trials, but we knew how to deal with them in the BEST way possible and Chris quickly learned to always apologize. Bless him all the days of his life for this quality. I still admire him for it and will for always and forever. It is something I strive to work on continuously. We moved apartments in provo to an area that we absolutely loved, made friends that last a lifetime and made some of the greatest memories ever. We called it the "shoebox." it was a two bedroom attached home right next to campus with no air conditioning in the dead of summer. Come to find out...the misses is pregnant. We spent that long summer with no air and no room to move in slight misery, but were glad to have laughed it off together. Chris would massage my feet at odd hours, place damp towels all over my body in the middle of the night and get me water when I needed it. Needless to say he was a gentleman of sorts and he is completely amazing.

That second year we had our littlest angel. Eliza Ann Johnson, nothing short of miraculous. When the doctors told us we'd been having an emergency c-section because she was breech we were completely taken back! But not to worry-we pressed forward without a moments hesitation and while for a moment I lost track of my sanity-Chris was there. This is a memory that has been burned in my soul. I just remember Chris sitting there with me, holding my hand through it all and telling me to look in his eyes. "Don't lose me" he kept saying. Every time I looked at him, I was in my safe place. Unafraid, courageous, strong, bold, motherly even...And then she came. That blessed angel baby who has changed our lives forever. Our sweet little Ellie. God bless her name forever and ever. She is our princess.

Since then we have tackled some pretty big bears. Within a month of babies arrival, we graduated from college (I took my finals the week after she was born thank you very much!) packed up the shoebox and rolled out of town. It was an emotional time for me. My family was going through so much at that time, I had just had a baby, and was leaving home for the first time. Needless to say I don't know that I will ever be such an emotional train wreck again-or let's hope not! But we did it. We made it to California, just the three of us. The first 3 months were hard. I missed my family. I ached for them even. I remember calling home on holidays when I couldn't be there because Chris was working and just sobbing. Nordstrom was unkind in the sense that the hours were NOT forgiving, nor was the pay really-for a family of 3 in southern cal. Let's just be honest. It was a difficult time for us. We had to do some real adjusting and Eliza was...well let's just say she wasn't the happiest. At a mere 5 pounds and 11 oz. I fear she was just too small to be alive, let alone be happy! So we had a lot to work out.

We worked it out. After fasting, praying, working our fannies off, long sleepless nights, early tired mornings, nights alone, weekends alone, birthday's missed and holidays gone-Chris found a new job. It wasn't an easy road for us. Nordstrom was all we had ever known and truly it was great for a time. But times changed, and we had to move on. In this tough economy we were scared for our lives of finding something new, but the Lord knew we needed it-and we were blessed. Chris and I just clung to each other after that, thanking the Lord and praising his name for our sweet blessings, the biggest being each other. We needed each other, desperately. We realized that growing up and starting families was what it's all about. We were big kids now-with real jobs, and real babies. We were doing it. We were living the dream.

Well the dream doesn't end. Here is year three to us. We are still at the beginning. Our dreams are still forming, our goals are just being set, the bar has just been raised and there are more dreams to be had! More babies to protect, more plans to make, more love to be shared. Every moment is a perfect one, and I mean that in the most tender of ways. I realize we are not perfect, far from it in fact. But I also believe that everything happens for a reason. It's the optimist in me. I don't think a moment goes unnoticed without God's handiwork which makes me believe we should live with no regrets. I truly believe every moment is a perfect one. Good, bad, happy, sad, ugly, honest-whatever it may be, it was meant for that moment and we need to make of it what we will. I'm so glad to have someone who makes the most of it with me. I can't even begin...there are no words for my husband. My Chris. There's just no words. He's just mine. My forever. My perfect.

Happy 3 years to us my love. You'll always be my perfect.

I was more than impressed when Chris brought HOMEMADE chocolate covered strawberries to our little ocean view promenade. He never disappoints. We enjoyed an ocean view dinner at one of our favorite restaurants (pf changs, i'm so original) and then he brought his little treat for dessert. He's so thoughtful that way. He came home early from work and made them at his mom's house to surprise me, and nevermind the 2 dozen roses. He did that too... He's my man.

I love him.

And the Winner Is....

2010-06-19T16:43:00.001-07:00

The winner of the free photo shoot belongs to..

DRUM ROLL PLEEEAAASE...

kayleigh who said...

"I love to drive. Getting in my car with no destination, only to ease my mind. With the windows rolled down, my stereo at full blast, and the wind putting endless tangles that I will later regret in my hair, I love to drive. Up and down Pacific Coast Highway, to my favorite view point in Laguna Beach (that to this day, I won't tell anyone about!), to my Grandparents house in Long Beach just to take a nap and have dinner with them, or through my neighborhood... I just love it. It's the simple things that remind me how fortunate and lucky I am to have the life that I'm living today."

Thank you everyone for your entries!! I loved reading what everyone loved!

As a special gift for those who participated, I've decided to give anyone who left a comment AND who becomes a follower of this blog-25% off of any ONE session price booked from now until next year! Thanks again everyone!

Do You Know What I Love???

2010-06-12T12:46:00.001-07:00

I just posted this on my photo blog and figured I'd share it with you too ;-)

I loooovve....

THIS amazing candle from Anthropologie. It is a pretty penny for a giant pice of smelling wax but let me tell you..it is worth it!

Viva La Juicy. All day. Every day.

I love children's wild imaginations. As a child growing up in a giant orange orchard in the middle of clovis, california-I had an imagination that would make a crazy person feel sane. I used to build tree houses in our backyard and spent the days gazing up into the sky making shapes out of the clouds. I think my dream house may have looked a little something like this.

I hope my children have as much fun day dreaming as I had.

I love to dance! As a major in Music Dance Theater for a long time at BYU- I love theater and the arts. Music inspires me. Whether it's by movement, or song I'm thrilled by the sound of a beat. Broadway was not such a short lived dream for me. To this DAY my dream role would be Sandy on Grease. I think I would kill it. ;-)

I LOVE love letters. I'm such a sucker for sentiment. Give me a million dollars and an airplane and I'll give you a hug. Write me a love note and I'll love you forever.

which is probably why I'm so obsessed with this book...

I love this painting of the Savior. I don't know who did it, or when, or if it is really of any significant value to anyone other than myself, but I've always loved this picture of Jesus. It's so simple and so beautiful. I'll cherish it all the days of my life. It speaks me in ways no other art could. I love it.

If you haven't heard yet, I love my daughter. Hence the name of my photography business. It was built around her. She inspires me to be something bigger than myself on a daily basis. It is because of her that I have even pushed myself into doing photography. She gives me something new to look at. A different perspective every minute of every day. She's taught me more about life in a year and a half than anyone ever could have in 1,000 years. I love this girl. She will forever be my little baby.

Have you been to Sno On The Go in Mission Viejo???? Go. NOW. Get in your car and RUN. It is the most blessed experience you will have in a seriously long time.

Annnnd I love this guy. I love him, love him love him like the day is long. He makes me who I am. He completes me-just like Jerry Mcguire and I love him all the more for it. He is the last thing I want to see when I go to bed at night and the first thing I look for every morning. He is my day and my night. My good and my bad. I am everything with him, and nothing without him. He is my forever, and I love it.

If you haven't heard, Matilda Jane is the it and the all. If you ALSO haven't heard-I'm still holding an online trunk show until Sunday morning! You can't order this stuff online so if you see something you want-contact me before Sunday and I'll place your order (www.matildajaneclothing.com) It is seriously to die for. Take a peek.

Celine Dion is without question the greatest singer of all time. She has completely changed my life. I went to her concert a few years back and she brought me to tears. I'm obsessed, to say the least. ALthough she may seem a bit old school to a lot of people nowadays-her vocal talent is timeless. She's amaze.

I do not go a day without this jolly goodness on my ever thirsting lips. It may be a tad expensive for gloss you could probably pick up at your local grocery store for half the price-but still, I swear by it. Victoria's Secret beauty rush lip gloss. Own one.

I love wrinkles. I hate it when my mom pulls her face back and says "wouldn't I look better like this?" Of COURSE not mother dear. Wrinkles make us who we are. THey are the sings of happiness and joy. The more smiling-the more crevices and that is something beautiful to me. I love that people can wear their heart on their sleeve and their life of their faces. Whether it be happy or sad-life is a journey and the older we get the more we appreciate that. COming from a true rookie I don't know that I'm the expert on that-but I can't wait to be old and grey with my family by my side. That's what it's all about.

I heart wrinkles.

(photo property of gidjetluvs flickr photostream)

DO YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE I LOVE!?!?!?!

GIVEAWAY'S!!!!!

This month marks the one year anniversary of my photo blog and as a special treat I am giving away a single photoshoot to one special person. Whether it be here, or in Utah within the next year I am positive I will be in one place or the other. Should you happen to be visiting between now and next June-you could be the lucky winner ;-)

For the next week-please leave your name, email address and something that YOU LOVE and I will pick a special winner. Thanks to everyone who has helped support and lift me up with this business. It has truly been a dream come true and I have been blessed with really special clients. YOU make this business what it is, and for that I love YOU.

The winner will be announced next Saturday by 4 p.m.

See you real soon!

Memorial Day and stuff...

2010-06-09T17:11:00.000-07:00

So here's the wrap up of what's been goin' on round here...

Our memorial day looked a little something like this. Can you tell my point and shoot has about seen its last day? I'm discouraged that it makes all my pictures fuzzy but whatev, it gets the job done. Daddy carted the misses around in a cooler and she later scooped up her beans with a hotdog. Have I mentioned her INSANE love for beans?? She asks for them 10 times a day. It's a crazy fetish.

After Memorial Day, Chris and I left Ellie for the FIRST TIME and traveled to Santa Barbara for a little one night stay. It was such a fun little get away. We've been needing it desperately. We've both been so insanely busy it makes my head spin around backwards-so this was a well needed trip. We fell in love with this cute little town. We strolled up and down state street on a foggy night while the lights lit up the city. We got an icecream and held hands walking up and down the street and it was sooo romantic. I loved it. The next day we hula hooped with the hippies on the beach, watched the skaters at the skate park, strolled the oldest existing pier in the WORLD, watched a man make sand sculptures and soaked in all the beauty Santa Barbara had to offer. I'm so excited to go back someday. We've officially deemed it "our vacation spot" from here on out. Loved it.

Yep. someone actually transformed their truck into a house with satellite..I love the hippie vibe here. I always tell chris-in a previous life, I think I was a hippie. There is something about their carefree, easy way of life that just seems totally totally awesome to me. If I didn't like fashion more than life itself i might style me some hemp beads..

It was a fabulous trip. Fabulous weekend. Fabulous memorial day.

fabulous life. I love my life.

The Happiest Place on Earth...

2010-06-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

Yes my friends. It truly is the happiest place on earth. I don't even have words to fully describe the wealth of photos I have from our first trip to Disneyland..but let's just put it this way-my computer is brand new, and it's already about to freeze okay?

enough said.

I heart Disneyland. I heart it so much I was singing Christmas songs in my head the entire day. I love it so much I teared up, no wait..I cried-that's right. Watching little liza lou light up inside when she saw the princess, or flew on dumbo, or watched MINIE MOUSE ohhhhhhhh i just died inside a million times. The funniest part was that who even knew she LIKED minie mouse? I've never heard her say that word in my life...come DIsneyland it's flowing from her mouth like sweet wine on a hot Sunday. Minie Mouse this and Minie Mouse that. IT was basically the cutest thing I've ever seen and SINCE then-every little thing is done for, or in

behalf of (bless her sacred name) the mrs. mouse herself.

We do love her.

The princesses for the day included...

(from left to right) Lily Lefrandt: determined, whimsical, fierce. Princess of Passion. Adelaide Facer: carefree, nonchalant, happy-go-lucky. Princess of Playtime. Maggie Hunter: coy, ambitious, flirtatious. Princess of Love. Bella Facer: quiet, humble, soft. Princess of Peace. Sophie Lefrandt: beautiful, graceful, young. Princess of Longevity. Eliza Johnson. fast, particular, smart. The Princess of Adventure.

We started off by taking the beautiful Princess beauties to go see some of the Disney princesses.

It was the cutest thing. They danced with the girls, twirled them around, taught them how to be polite little ladies and even how to blow a kiss and wave! Notice my little princess pea not wanting a thing to do with a princess....

Silly mommy. Don't you get it? I like bugs, and dirt, and lollipops, and fast rides that go up and down-none of this quiet pretty princess mumbo jumbo

She is most definitely my daughter.

Adelaide made a perfect sleeping beauty ;-)

And Miss Maggie is a picture perfect princess.

We ate lots and lots of healthy snacks while we were there. Just enough to make you fall asleep at night with a little purr in your tummy.

mm mmm good.

The best part of the day was most definitely taking her on Dumbo. She LOVED IT!

arms up even!! She's such a little dare devil.

After I had taken her on Pinocchio twice, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and Pirates of the Carribean-someone came up to me and said "Are you having fun with your little one?" "OH YES!" I replied. "She is having the time of her LIFE!" "Well..." they proceeded. "Just make sure you don't take her on Pinocchio or Snow White! She'll come out crying"

hmmm. not my kid. What's next?

Onto the parade!!!

This was when the tears semi flowed down my ever loving face. She was so happy the entire day. I just realized how much I seriously live for making her happy all the time. It is my life's mission and to see her light up that way....

melted my heart I tell you.

I'm about as sappy as it gets friends. Cried at Disneyland... and don't doubt that it will happen again!

Everyone was POOPED come time to pack up.

Isn't Bella so cute? She was so tired and ready to go home-i snapped this just as we were about to leave.

Bye Bye Belle, bye Rella, by pretty castle in the sky, bye bye "mee mouse", by mumbo, bye bye piyate ship, and sucker, and BOO (balloon). We loved you.

Every last minute of you.

We'll be back soon!!! My cousins bought us an annual pass so we can go whenever we want-all for taking their family photos. Twist my arm. I love you guys to the moon and back. This was the greatest day ever.

Give-away's & Dress-ups & Parties..OH MY!!!

2010-05-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

For all you Southern California residents out there, I will be hosting a Matilda Jane Trunk Show Party at my house on June 10th! As an incentive to get you out, all members in attendance will be entered into a drawing for a FREE PHOTO SHOOT (with me of course) ;-) at a location and time of your choice.

Come see all the adorable clothes in person! You won't want to miss out! It's going to be a blast!

Light refreshments will be served.

(Open House)

See you there!

xoxo,

Tiffany

Who Knows?!?

2010-05-24T16:53:00.000-07:00

Why I am posting this right now when I am behind on SOOooooo many other people's photos it's ridiculous is BEYOND me...but ho hum. I liked these pictures so much I had to share.

I dragged chris with me to a photo shoot the other day. SOmething inside of me told me it would be so cute and so fun to have him tag along to play with Ellie on the beach while I shot photos for my cousins who were in town (WHICH by the way is an entire blog post in and of itself but we will go there another day). In fact, they are probably reading this right now and thinking..."why aren't you editing our pictures?" At any rate-sometimes I just need to take a look at pictures of my own family. They are few and far between to say the least.

Needless to say, bringing ellie to the photo shoot with daddy was not a popular vote, nor did it score any high points with anyone I am sure. But look....

(*Don't mind the copyright on ellie's pictures-i put them up on my photo blog)

Aaaannnnnd needless to say we are ALL happy now-you know after the fact. So happy in fact Chris wants to frame all the ones of he and ellie together and put them up in the house.

See? I know what I'm talkin about babe. Just trust the woman with the cam.

Those pictures of ellie really could just be monumental...could be. I'm obsessed.

Gem I tell you. She's a gem.

We love living by the beach. You really should be jealous,

or just move here.

Eliza Lately....

2010-05-20T11:14:00.000-07:00

Have I told you about Eliza dear?

With her milky skin and girlish cheer?

Her waves of blonde almost white as snow

And dancing everywhere she goes?

The twinkle in her eyes of blue

Her childlike fetish with pretty shoes?

Her giggle and smile that brings out the sun

And how she says "I duh dyou" when the day is done?

OR how about the way she laughs

or smears the chocolate when she's "made a MASS"

Have I told you about her tiny teeth

that sparkle in between her cheeks?

Or what about her wet eyelashes

that stick together in clumped up masses?

Have I told you how she makes a smile

Like the day is long and flowers grow wild?

How the very thought of her makes me weep

to think that she is ours to keep?

I lay her down to bed each night

read a book, and hold her tight

Butterfly kisses for little Liza Lou

Tuck her in..."I duh dyou too"

I couldn't honestly love a single thing more in this life...

Have I also told you she's a modern marvel? In the 5th percentile for both height AND weight and talks more than a fifth grader. The doctor was going crazy the other day when she asked me if ellie said more than 5 words...More than 35 I replied. Yes people. I have a mad talking midget.

And the best one ever-at that.

We love her. TO DEATH! I took her to Disney for the first time the other day and it literally changed.my.life. Best day since my wedding. My cousins bought us a Disneyland pass for the ENTIRE YEAR for letting them stay at our house and taking their family photos. Truly it was the best gift I've ever received.

I'll post some pictures of that later. There are just FAR too many to parooz through and I'm exhausted. But here is an ode to my baby wonder.

I love her.

So much to write!!!

2010-05-12T07:53:00.001-07:00

Oh I have so much to catch up on!!! My heavens...

Well first of all...

My cousin and aunt came out to stay with us for a few days last month. I can't even begin to explain how fun it was. My cousin Jeanette and I have been best friends since childhood. We used to spend entire summers together growing up, laughing and giggling til the wee hours of the morning. THen came college and we were roommates and you can imagine the all nighters then! And now-here we are, 23 and 24 years old still staying up and giggling til all hours of the morning. I love how nothing has changed. I mean honestly, I haven't laughed that hard in all my life maybe (you should really check out peter at the perk and literal translation of "total eclipse of the heart" on youtube)

And DIamond is just one of a kind. Truly I've never met another wo

man like my aunt ANYWHERE. A widowed mother of 7 children-she does it all and makes it look like she was born to do it. No one has more courage, more wisdom, more stamina, more patience, more FUN than this lady does...She is an example to so many-myself at the top of the list. I couldn't love these two more.

And then came the long awaited visit to Utah..

I had SO much fun this trip. On Sunday the whole family came over to celebrate Coleman's 5th birthday...I can't believe he's so big! It was the best family day I can remember having since I was little. We had a bbq, the kids ran around outside, the sound of child laughter in the background while the adults sat and reminisced..I was in my happy place.

Nothing is sweeter than the love of home and family..

This little lady is a wonder. I had so much fun spending time with my mom. We sewed, stayed up late and watched Merv Griffins Crosswords (I'm convinced Merv should be her new nickname) got our favorite bread pudding, and neilsen's custard, watched movies, went on field trips..just like the good old days. I love her so much. It was so nice to be home with her before Mother's Day. She is truly the ideal-I hope I grow up to be just like her.

No pictures of dad this trip....he's such a busy guy these days-what taking care of a family and all? But words can't even begin to describe how much I love him. He's my special person. Something about him just hits a little sweet spot in my heart-I just love daddy daughter relationships. I see it in my little girl and her dad and I love that I have a special relationship with my dad. My parents are two of the most wonderful people in the world. I don't know what I would do without them....

Here is the little number my mom taught me how to make! Trust me, I was totally bewildered, but hopefully the tutorial mom gave me will resonate when I try to attempt this on my own!

Isn't it darling? I mean, I am a little biased but seriously-so happy with how it turned out. Pine needles in gardner village has the cutest fabric I have ever SEEN!!! Why doesn't california have cuter fabric stores??? I'm going on strike.

And then of course I had my photo shoots, which were nothing short of lovely. I was able to take just a few pics for my bestest friend of all time, Angela who is pregnant with her second. We haven't seen each other for over a year!! It was so good to catch up with her and actually touch her little belly!! I'm so grateful for dear friends. She is the best friend I've ever had-I love her more than life itself.

You can check out my other photo sessions from Utah here.

OH goodness-have I covered it all? I feel like there so much more to say still.

Until next time...

adieu.

Homemade.

2010-04-13T11:29:00.001-07:00

Something happened inside and I one day just decided to start makin stuff....

THat being said-here are some of my latest

creations

added some flowers to an old shirt

Started this little number for ellie-kins (with the help of my mother-in-law of course)

Made that little onesie number

And that one-although I made the vignette a little too large. Next time-shrink to fit so she can actually wear this with pants ;-)

and that little onesie

Then finally added a baby photo to THIS number... the greatest of all

My mom made this necklace for me for my birthday and i just now put a picture in it of little liza lou. Isn't is fab??? I'm in love with it-i wear it every day.

Not a lie.

at any rate, everything is better when it's homemade.

Doncha think?

Easter Weekend

2010-04-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

Easter weekend was fabulash! It was so warm and sunny outside and spring has been blossoming everywhere you look. Ellie went to her very first Easter Egg hunt and was simply amazing. She knew exactly what to do with her eggs and screamed with excitement every time she found one. It was everything I ever imagined Easter to be.

Needles to say, the Easter eggs haven't left her sight for one minute! They have gone with us literally EVERYWHERE! And if anyone so much as brushes a limb against her basket, she's ticked. She even took a nap with them the other day.

Well Easter this year has brought about a lot of firsts, also among the list-our first earthquake! Just minutes after conference was over, the house shook. Apparently there was a 7.2 magnitude earthquake on the Mexico, California border and holy cow did we feel it. We all stood in the door way and held onto each other as the chandeliers swung and the carpet rolled. It was quite an exhilarating experience! Although I did get worried because I had JUST hung up all these gems in Eliza's room the day before.

Seriously thought that little bird cage and rickity old picture frame were going to heave themselves off the wall. Luckily-I was a good contractor and everything stuck ;-)

And that about wraps it up. Don't you love spring and Easter?? It's so happy and cheerful. The smell of fresh blooming flowers everywhere and crisp clean air makes my heart swell.

I love you Easter.

What's Up!?

2010-03-31T08:43:00.000-07:00

Just a little of what's been goin on here...

The other day Chris and I went to L.A. and stumbled upon these little gems. We found a re-upholstery shop that takes old furniture and refurbishes them. I really wasn't fond of the fact that they are leather but they've got great bones. I'm in love. Some day we'll make them look cute with pillows and paint on the walls. But for now-they're pretty as museum art.

Then we took Ellie out on a little fishing boat on a lake near our house and she LOVED IT!!!! It was so cute. I was a little worried about how she would do but she was in love, as was I.

Then ofcourse little Liza Lou went and saw Mr. Easters. Happily she sat-without a peep. SHe didn't smile, or cry, or do much of anything. Just a deer in headlights-but I think she liked it because the rest of the day she kept saying bunny and laughing.

Yep. I paid 13 smakeroos for that bad boy...what a rip. But I got the memory. And she's brilliant with bunny there.

And that's mostly it! Hope you all have a Happy Easter! Enjoy your Conference weekend.

Mommy Daughter Days

2010-03-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

Well you might get tired of all these pics of us...But I don't :-).

For Chris's birthday he really wanted framed pictures of our family up in the house so naturally I gathered all the greatest photos I could find and put them in a giant photo collage on the wall. Well come to find out...I'm hardly in ANY OF THEM!!! I'm always the one behind the camera and I was totally bummed to find that there are little to no pictures of Ellie and I together. Me and Chris together, chris and Ellie together-zero mommy and Ellie. SO my friend Brynn opted to fix that for me :-) I am now proud to introduce Ellie and I to the photo c

ollage. I love my little nugget. Seriously she is my pride and joy. I spend every waking moment of my life with her, and when i'm not with her, I'm thinking about her, worrying about her, wondering if she's napping alright, researching good mommy techniques on the internet, trying to find out if that bug she just ate was harmful, filling her wrists with dainty bracelets, filling her closet with yummy frills, filling her belly with homemade goods, filling her mind with books and music and imagination, wondering if this constipation will EVER subs

ide, kissing her fuzzy peach head, wiping her little nose and stroking her sweet, soft little baby tummy at night before she falls asleep. I'm the one during the day who holds her hand, and the one at night who smiles inside as she finds the laughter in her father's charm. I'm the one who held her in my womb, nurtured, cared and fed her as her only source of strength and stability. I held her to my chest when she first came to the world and soothed her with all the mommy sounds a little girl should hear. Shouldn't I have some pictures with her for that? I am after all, her mama.

We have daddy to thank for these pictures of us at the beach the other day. He felt bad for me too-no pictures of poor mommy. boo hoo. Let me be in the picture, choose me, love me. What a spoiled girl I am. But it made for some great memories :-)

Goes to show when you cry, you get what you want. Thanks for the tip ellie. Now we have some memories together.

Just the two of us.

I love you pumpkin. Like the day is long, I love you.

COMING TO UTAH!!!!!!!

2010-03-16T17:47:00.001-07:00

I'm leaving on a jet plane....

COMING TO MY HOME TOWN!! WOOT WOOT!!!!

In other words, I will be offering photo shoots for a few days while I am there. If you'd like to schedule an appointment email me at tdajohnson@gmail.com

Check out elizajphotography.blogspot.com for recent updates!

I'm so excited I can hardly STAND IT!!!

See you soon!

Our Day Off at the Beach....

2010-03-06T10:08:00.001-08:00

So on Chris's day off last week, we decided to borrow some bikes from our neighbor friends and take them for a ride down the Newport boardwalk. Honestly, it was the greatest day of my life second to my engagement and wedding day. I don't know why but I was just the happiest camper you ever saw!! The weather was so amazing, the fresh ocean air against my face, my husband and my daughter connected at the hip-literally, and we were loving and admiring all the cute little beach houses along the way. I kept telling Chris, this is the happiest day we've ever had!

We stopped off at a little park right next to the "wa-wa" and hitched it up on the swings. Ellie loving every second. Maybe me even loving it more than her?

OH I just LOVED this day. I didn't ever want it to end. I love special moments like these where it truly feels like we are a family. I've got all my critters together and I feel like a mother hen. It's times like these when I think I can have a million children just like Ellie and live in a small tent on the beach and be perfectly content with canned food for the rest of my life. I could maybe handle it ;-).

Needless to say, I loved today.

Here's To Us...

2010-02-21T11:59:00.000-08:00

Life has been so happy lately. There was a little sadness there for a while-I'll fully admit. The drama with trying to find a new job, not liking your old job, waiting to hear if you'll ever get a new job thing just took it's little toll on our family. But we're on the up and up now! Chris is LOVING his new job and we couldn't be happier about the amount of time we have to hang out at night. It still gives me butterflies.

For one reason or another, all these new hours and all this new job stuff has sparked a little flame in Chris. He might be shy to admit it, but he's a new person. For one reason or another, he just really likes making me breakfast in bed lately! haha! It's the cutest thing in the whole world. He and Ellie come bring it in to me together sometimes and they both have the biggest smiles on their faces. It melts my heart. We've been dancing together in the kitchen, having romantic dinners together, renting movies...it's like getting married all over again and having that fun "Let's have a slumber party" feeling. We've been having lots of them. It's fun.

Valentine's Day was fun. Chris was in charge this year (we take turns) and he took me to a romantic restaurant that overlooks the Mission Viejo Lake near our house. It seriously is a new favorite. Even if the food was just mediocre, the ambiance takes it all. You could see all the lights shimmering on the water and music was playing in the background. And luckily for us, the food was fabulash. Chris surprised me with some roses at dinner and then took me to see Valentine's Day the movie. Now that on the other hand...not so fabulash-totally mediocre.

Look at that awkward posing job. I totally regret it now that I'm looking at it. Note to self- next time, try not to be Miss America...

The weather here has been unreal. A little up and down but when it's up, it's WAY up! We've had almost 80 degree weather here the last couple of days so Ellie and I have been splashing around in the back yard and getting some tan-well I've been getting some tan. Ellie, not so much.

SIDE NOTE ON THAT: The other day Chris and I went to Yogurtland with Ellie and the cashier who rung us up said..."oh my word!She's pale as a little ghost! How cute!" ....???? Did that comment sound cute to you? so funny-we just giggled. We like our pale princess.

Back to the outside fun-Ellie was having such a blast-listening to music, sloshing around in her bucket full of water and tossing a ball back and forth with mommy-it couldn't have been sweeter

Until....

She got her poor finger stuck in the lawn chair and took two huge chunks of skin off of each finger. A little graphic I know-but what's a poor girl supposed to do? I had literally ZERO bandaids in the house so these were the make-shift paper towel and tape ones I made for the time being. She bled and bled and BLED for 45 minutes! I didn't know what to do-so we went to Target and got some real bandages-ellie screaming all the while. Needless to say, Hello Kitty definitely made some improvements in her well being but overall it's been a nasty couple of days. Little no sleep and much crying. Everytime she sees her poor fingers she says "owieeeee" and slowly the tears come. Poor child. Let's hope it all goes away soon!

L.O.V.E.

2010-02-15T08:09:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Love, the Johnson Clan

DAHH well.......

2010-02-12T09:19:00.000-08:00

Soooo it's been a while eh? But let me tell YOU...GOOD THINGS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING!!!

Yes they have my friends.

a.) this blog is no longer private. it gives me a headache when i have to remember someone's email address and further more remember to add it to a stupid list and blar blar blar. So for now, read away! Unless something is super personal or private, i will block you other stalkers from reading it. so there.

b.) munchkin is large and IN CHARGE!!!! I have a full fledged toddler on my wee little hands. Every morning she goes to the fridge, tries to open it and says "mama, baba." (which is her sippy cup, naturally). She also loves butterfly kisses like they're going out of style. Giggles and laughs when we brush our eyelashes together and I think it's simply scrumpdidlyupmtious. Did I mention she's a toddleR????? Going on a year and a half here in a couple of months. I could puke.

c.) WE GOT A NEW JOB!!!!!!!!!! Ohhhhh last and certainly not the least. In fact really the most important and exciting. Chris and I ....well we have....what can I say? This job is the greatest thing has ever happened to us. The hours are just....ohhhh, they are wonderful. I fall asleep next to someone at night! And holidays are shared with each other!! AND WEEKENDS OFF!!! I could die and go to heaven. Not even kidding. It's been a road, to say the least. And just to give you a small glimpse of the dismemberment I've been dealing with, on the way to Chris's interview for the new job, he left 45 minutes early to be on time. Got pulled over, by a lady cop mind you, 3 tickets and impounded ON THE SPOT! He walked....ahem, RAN to his interview and was 15 minutes late. SOOOOOOooooo are we grateful to have a job all??

YES!!!

I have a bajillion pictures I could post right now but that means downloading them from my camera on to my computer which no one has time for right now. So, eat this up my friends.

Sawyer and Ellie got sprinkles cupcakes the other day. Do you think they had fun??? I assure you, we did. You'd think my daughter was a cave dweller the way she was manhandling that cupcake. OOOOoooo i just want to squish her cheeks sometimes.

So until next time-I will have more photos to share, but for now.

This will do.

Life is sweet.

Merry Christmas from US

2009-12-24T12:38:00.000-08:00

Santa's favorite elf. She has been a very good girl this year. Really, she has. This Christmas for sure has to be the best because she is here. She has been so thrilled with the gifts around the tree and the stockings hung up. She tears them down every day and has already torn apart 3 packages. She's just way too excited.

Tonight is Christmas Eve and it should be cozy at home. Just Ellie and me. Yes it is sad that my husband is working until eleven o'clock on Christmas eve and has to go back to work at 6 a.m. the day after Christmas but that's just the reality of it. My heart mourned his absence this morning but also the excitement that tomorrow brings when he can spend an entire day with us, opening gifts and eating yummy food. Can you imagine me being an army wife?? I can't even handle a late night at work. Our lives are good. In fact, they are wonderful. I am continually enriched by my husbands presence, in and out, here and there. We will take him any way we can get him :-). As for everything else, it is as good as it can get. I have a precious angel who sleeps at my house every night. I can't believe it! I'm so lucky! She's my gaurdian-in every sense of the word. I love her and I love her daddy.

Happy Holidays to all-love us.

The Turkey Turns One

2009-11-27T22:59:00.000-08:00

The time has come...

I always thought of this day when I was growing up. Celebrating my first child's first birthday. What would it be like? I could imagine it in my mind..all fluffy and happy with everyone singing and candles blowing and wishes made. It was beautiful

It's funny how things don't quite turn out how you imagined it. Ellie spent 3 hours sobbing and screaming today because her molars are coming in. Yep. Molars. She's a fast mover. I spent the majority of the day on the computer editing photos that still aren't done..2 down, 5 to go. I got so overhwhelemed I shed some tears, held my baby and tried to get her to calm down, then simply decided we needed a break.

Isn't she beautiful?? Call me biased but I really believe she is. Everywhere we go people stop and stare and coo over her..then they tell me her bow is bigger than her head, which I am fully aware of.

Later on in the evening Chris's family got together and celebrated at Farrel's ( a new restaurant in town), which was fun. It was only too bad Chris wasn't there to see it. Turns out Black Friday isn't the best day to have a job in retail, especially when it's on your daughter's birthday. So I was a little sad, but SO grateful that my husband is such a hard worker. Thank heavens for daddies. We ended the night with another scream attack from ellie then I slipped her into beddy-bye where she was fully ready to hibernate. Bless her heart.

Not quite the one-year-old birthday I had imaged. Oh well. When daddy comes home, we'll celebrate. Birthday's go on forever at our house anyways. I'm sorry you had a sad birthday-but I hope you won't remember :-) Tomorrow we'll splurge and get a cupcake. It will be the best. Just like you.

You're the best ellie.
Your my little Turkey.
Happy Birthday to you my love...

A Johnson Family Christmas Card...

2009-11-13T14:27:00.000-08:00

One of my closest friends and I both have a passion for photography and the other day, we decided to take each other's family Christmas Card pictures!!! I'm so pleased with how they turned out..take a look.

Thank you Brynn!! Love you!!

If you want to take a look at some of the photos from their shoot, check them out at elizajphotography.blogspot.com

Lately...

2009-11-09T13:00:00.000-08:00

We've been lazy...

We set up two air mattresses the other night for a "mini MTC" the Orange County stakes were hosting. We had two boys stay at our house over night and they had to be in the same room, separate beds.
No luck there.
So out came the air mattresses. It was however really fun. They were so darling and so pumped up to be doing missionary work. I was impressed.
But have we cleaned up the mattresses yet?
NOPE.
This little bug has been sloshing and romping around in them since the day they left. She can't get enough. I caught her at the perfect time for this picture haha. The only calm moment she's had with the blankets and pillows. It was a brief moment.

Taken. Right back at em'

Notice Chris in the background also loving the air mattresses almost as much as Ellie. They were quite cozy...

Since the elder's left we've just been mozying around the house really. Ellie finds her way into my jewelry bag at least once a day. Tangles her little toes in the gobs of beads and moves onto the next destruction. She's my personal tornado.

But don't you love her? This picture makes me smile. She's just so happy to be playing in the house. Some days we just don't leave. We're home bound. Staying in our jammies til noon, eating dry cereal together, watching "What Not To Wear" re-runs and giggling at the messes we've made.
I make them too.
Some days I just don't want a reason to go out and some days I need it terribly. Let's just say lately, we've created our own sunshine inside.
To lazy days with you munchkin.
I love ya.

My Little Street Fairy

2009-10-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

Wow. A lot of pictures right here but she's so amazing.. I couldn't decide. She's the cutest little fairy I ever saw. Seeeeerrrrriouusssllyyyy can't handle her
chubby little thighs
diaper falling out of her leotard
eating all the rocks in the road
saying hi to people as they walk by
buck wheat teeth
rolls hanging over her wrists
chubby
little
fairy
self

Happy Halloweenie

MONSTER MASH BOUTIQUE!!!

2009-10-26T09:55:00.000-07:00

So my really good friend Audra Williamson and a few other people are putting on a REALLY great MONSTER MASH BOUTIQUE October 28th just off of 800 North in Orem. I'm totally mad I'm not there for it because honestly it's going to be SO much fun and there will be TONZ of amazing stuff. Click on the monster mash link above for more information. Don't miss it-you'll be sad if you do!

We are Victims..

2009-10-24T13:19:00.001-07:00

Hi. My name is Tiffany
and I am a victim of
H1N1

This is Christoph, he also a victim

This is Ellie...

the almost victim

Apparently we do a lot of this...

But there is hope.

SWINE

Have you got what it takes??

(*I posted this picture of my husband against his will..everytime I look at it I literally hurl over in laughter. Opposed to what one may think, he is actually very attractive in real life :-) )

HeR rOoM...

2009-10-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

So basically her room has been done for a while but I've been adding little things here and there. It's still a work in progress but look what we've done!

Here's the most part of it! We did everything very affordable I will have you know...
Pottery Barn crib-$200 Down East Home
blue rug-Free! Nordstrom didn't want it!
Bedding-MY AMAZING MOTHER!!!
Chandelier- $88 gallery84.com
Pom Poms-Free! My friend had left overs but you could totally make them yourself
keep reading...

shhh baby dreaming :-) my personal favorite-michaels! $15

Look at her amazing bedding!

Ellie loves the rocking chair! -$10 at the good will. Repainted it for $5.
Quilt was a gift from my mother-in-law! I love her.

This dresser was my sister Stacie's when she was in college! I refaced the drawers with some mod podge and scrapbooking paper for about $5. Don't mind the stereo..ellie loves her music :-)

Another resurfaced college treasure.

The blessing dress my mom made ellie! Amazing!! I still admire it every day.

Antique bo peep and jack n' jill portraits-T.J. Maxx. $20 each.

The beauty up close and personal.

All in all it's a pretty slick crib for less than $300! That's pretty good in my opinion.
Hand me downs go a looooooong way at our house.

This is where heaven rests.
shhhh...baby dreaming

Welcome Welcome!

2009-10-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

Well we are offically privatized!!!

I think...

If you got like three emails inviting you to read my blog then maybe I did it wrong.

As far as I'm concerned, we're private.

ahhhhh.

So here's the latest!

This girl is growing up SO fast!! She has eight teeth these days...EIGHT! Unheard of at her age I swear! She bites, pulls hair, cries when she doesn't get her way and pretends she's dying when she's not getting attention...you'd think she's eleven. I don't know where my infant went but someone has replaced her with a grown up girl. It's scary.

Chris is working two jobs right now and is seriously on OVERLOAD!! He hardly ever gets to see this precious little gem so when he does, it's a happy day for everyone.

And of course we never see each other either so when we do, we get a little crazy. In N' Out was the outing of choice this particular evening and our conversation went as follows..

Chris: What are you thinking?

Tiff: I'm thinking..if someone asked me what the best decision I ever made was, what I would say..

Chris: Well what would you say?

Tiff: This cheeseburger, right now.

Seriously, is there anywhere better in the world to eat? I think not!
We both concur.

As for everything else...well it pretty much is rough right now. Seriously, this economy bites. I'm really ready for it to bounce back. Anyone else? We are just seriously struggling right now and there are days we really don't know how we are surviving. Granted we rent from our in-laws but we refuse to ask for a dime more than we have to from either of our parents because we so badly want to do it on our own. We really feel like it's important.

So between rent, water bills, phone bills, electric bills, gas, tv, no internet-can't afford it so I bum it off the neighbors (sorry guys) food, baby needs, house needs, things broken, traffic tickets (i won't even talk about it) and who knows what else, we seriously should be living in a plastic bag. It would be a whole lot easier.

Conference was seriously just so awesome for us. We really needed it. Lately I've been feeling like (with the baby and all) that I really don't get that much out of my church meetings anymore. Not in the "I don't want to" way but in the "My baby is so out of control right now don't even ask me what just happened the last three hours of my life" kind of way. But something I've realized lately is that it doesn't really matter sometimes. Sometimes, just the fact that you are where you are supposed to be, feeling the spirit-it is enough. And I've concluded that that is life.

It's so hard. In fact, it totally sucks sometimes but guess what...

If you are where you are supposed to be, feeling the spirit-you're doin alright.This is where I'm supposed to be. Home with these guys.
Doin' what we're doin, feelin' what we're feelin'.
It's hard, it's heavy, it's even sometimes slightly dysfunctional
But it's all so perfect.

I love my crazy life.

ELIZA J PHOTOGRAPHY

2009-10-02T12:32:00.002-07:00

Hi all!!!

Thanks so much to everyone for replying to my "private post." I was happy to find that people actually read my blog-considering really only my family ever responds to anything. So thanks for stopping by! You've all been officially added :-)

As for announcements! I'm coming to Utah for my cousins wedding and am booking photo sessions for November 18th and 19th! Email me at tdajohnson@gmail.com if you'd like to book a photo shoot.

Until next time,

Going Private.

2009-09-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

Well this is something I've debated time and time again but yesterday after my husband returned home from work and told me a horrifying story he saw on the news, I've decided it's time to privatize.

Apparently two young children in California were kidnapped recently by sex offenders in the area who looked at some nude pictures the parents had put up on their blog and tracked down where they lived. Two different sex offenders, two different children. Obviously I have had some photos of ellie in little or no clothing because she's not even one and she's got adorable rolls that bulge from her thighs and i want to squish her.

HOWEVER

This will go on no longer.. I am now going private. It's time. I want my family to live peaceably and comfortably knowing that only my closest friends and family know where we live, what we look like, what our house looks like and how many rolls my daughter has to show :-)

Please send me your email addresses and I will add you to my "friendly" list.
tdajohnson@gmail.com

Thanks.

Awesome.

2009-09-22T21:19:00.000-07:00

Plain and simply

awesome.

The Happenings..

2009-09-14T13:27:00.000-07:00

So I'm going to be completely honest...I really do loathe going to the beach alone. Packing all that garb for me and a baby for a couple hours of wet wash and sand mess just aren't all as exhilarating as I'd like. Yes, I live close to the beach and YES I do think it's beautiful, but going it alone makes it a horrendous experience...

HOWEVER

When the hubs is in tow, all is well. He carries the brunt of the load and I tote a little umbrella on my back and everything is perfect. He helps with the clean up and ADORES taking the little sand crab out in the ocean, which is just fantastic really. So I've changed my mind. Beach going is incredibly fantastic~when you have a beach buddy.

Side note- the photo of ellie with her hands in the air is not a rare occasion. She's been giving us the "SOOOO BIG" notion all day, every day for weeks. It's her latest. SO happy to have caught it on candid camera. I heart her.

Why I'm a Bad Mom

2009-09-04T21:48:00.000-07:00

Bad Mom Alert!!!

You know you're slacking on the job when...

Your child voluntarily feeds herself spoonfuls of sand and something inside tells you to just be okay with it

And then she comes home with this. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?! The cancer is growing inside as we speak...it hurts me to even think about this.

Or when she catches dust bunnies so big that they make her look like a little santi clause (the baldness and the red shirt help a little too) I dunno, should I sweep??

Or how 'bout when you catch her drinking toilet water?? Does that make you the worst mom ever?? Granted this picture is taken of her trying to sneak her way into the bathtub but maybe it's because she was feeling so dirty!!

Or maybe it's when you catch her chomping on a dead moth she found in the corner. Or the open safety pin in her mouth that AMAZINGLY didn't even make a scratch.. (seriously almost had a heart attack when that happened. What if she had swallowed?)
Enjoy the red eye. She did have a devilish look in her eye that day....ha

Heaven forbid I should ever get anything done around the house with this little sand crab getting into anything and everything and boy do I mean, EVERYTHING. I promise I clean. I even sweep the floor every day and honest to goodness do vacuum! She is such a sneaky little toad. She finds the smallest little nubbins all over my house! Just this morning she was bawling in her bedroom so I run in there only to find that not only has she turned off the cd I had playing for her, but has managed to open the lid, take it out and get her finger trapped inside some random hole that keeps the cd running! I had to pry her poor little finger out of there and she sadly came out with a horrendous battle wound. I put ice on it to soothe the pain but she was pretty upset and it takes A LOT for this girl to get upset. She's tough.

But does this make me a better mom??A few mommies got together the other day to ride the train at the Irvine, Spectrum with the kiddos and stroll them around. But even then, my poor child was so hot and sweating so profusely I almost unclothed her in public. Not to mention the sweat that was not only spewing down my face, but covering my entire outfit. What is this heat wave!?!?! Ugh, get it out! Seriously hates it. I do love how the girl who is taking the picture somehow managed to put her leg reflection under ellie..Looking so dapper my love!!

So tweedle dee, life goes on. Chaos after chaos but I wouldn't trade it for a lonely day without her. Every minute without her is undesirable.

Being a mom rocks. Safety pins and all.

Our Utah Trip..

2009-08-31T15:14:00.001-07:00

Greetings blogaholics...

So as previously mentioned in an old post, Christoff and I went to the Utah for our blessed graduation. Surprisingly...it was amazing. I had been semi dreading the thought of sitting in a long, goofy line with a bunch of stalwarts who were all so proud of themselves to be graduating and holding their pretty little diplomas, then listening to a gaggy speach and walking through to shake famous people's hands and

blar
blar
blar

But then...I got there and I really felt a sense of accomplishment. When Chris and I were standing there together, hand in hand with both our parents watching, a small tear came to my eye, I won't lie.

I graduated. Could it be???

No more school? ever? never ever? WOW!!!

The second they called "Tiffany Johnson" I threw my arms up in the air on stage and gave myself a "Woot woot!" Needless to say I was the only one who showed any sort of excitement whatsoever and I don't think it went over too well (especially since they told us to keep it reverent)

But I was graduated right? I mean, RIGHT??? I'm kind of a big deal nowSo here we are...baby and all finally walking for our graduation. We love our parents who helped and supported us through all our schooling and education and who STILL continue to support us. If it weren't for you guys, we would have missed out on all those amazing years and maybe, we would have never even found each other...

The rest of our trip was also fantastic. We went up to my parents cabin and just relaxed and had a gay old time.

Now we are back to reality...working and cleaning and chores and all that other stuff..We miss that cabin and those friends...Until next time. We love you guys.

An Ode to My Baby

2009-08-27T20:34:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't posted in a decade and maybe you've seen enough of my little person...

but today she is 9 months old
And that's worth talking about.
Ellie my little angel, you're all I think, sleep, dream and talk about. Daddy and I breathe you in our sleep....literally.
Stars don't even shine as bright as you do my love.
Four short months from now you'll have your very first birthday
Start wishing little one
and dream big!

So yes our lives are crazy and there is so much left unsaid, but tonight-time stands still for my little liza lou
my ellie bug
my bellylicious
bellard thompson
ellie belly
peanut
fuzzy head
princess pea
little chris
mini me
tiny
little
turkey

love you forever little one.

mom and dad

Yes, I know..

2009-08-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

I'm totally M.I.A. Fell right off the blog wagon...

But guess what, it's summer and my camera is broken so there's not much evidence of all the crazy fun things we've been doing.

But for now, all your sweet little heart needs to know is this...

I'm going to Utah to graduate.

Plenty of more to come in the near future.

And just for the record, my daughter is now one WILD crawler, acrobat, master mind almost finding her way out of her own crib, moth eating, bug squishing, solid food eating, almost walking little piece of pumpkin pie that I want to just grab and growl every five minutes of the day.

Also more on that to come.

OH-and I'm going to Utah, did I say that???

:-)

SEE YOU SOON!

Happy Birthday Grandpa Ken!

2009-07-13T16:59:00.001-07:00

This weekend was my father-in-laws birthday! He turned the big 6-5 and to celebrate, we had a little bbq at Mission Lake and listened to a crazy concert that turned out to be...well, not so good. but we had fun nonetheless!

Chris and the big guy

We all wrote down what we love about "dad"

These ladies just really liked my baby

And so does she :-)

This was enjoyed

And these two are inseparable

Ellie bug loves her aunt Steph

And Jay loves his burgers

All in all it was a wonderful night, despite the horrendous music!

Happy birthday Grandpa Ken! We love you!

Johnson & Johnson Adventures

2009-07-11T09:50:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July weekend was one of the best this year. My ward throws a MEAN party. Seriously best pancake breakfast I may have ever attended. They go alllll out and we were lovin' it. The kids all decorated their bikes, trikes and wagons and had a stars and stripes parade which was adorable. We absolutely loved it! Hooray for Mission Viejo-we love it here!!

Later on that night me and the gang went to the Mission Viejo Lake where they had maybe the most spectacular firework show of all time. THIS IS NOT A LIE! Come next year, or the year after, or at least one time in your life cuz it was so awesome.

And no one was happier about the fireworks than ellie bug. She kicked her feet and squeeled at every pop!! It was soo much fun to have her here with us for this Fourth of July. Hope all of yours was as wonderful as ours!

America is beautiful.

MILESTONES

2009-07-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

Well so much has been going on around here lately. It seems like this has just been the month for some major milestones, myself included. Here are just a few...

Ellie can finally sit up by herself
She's on the brink of crawling, and she's got the wobble down
She started eating MEAT this week! Sooo weird
I made fourth of july blingin paci clips..so cute.
Chris and I attended Sawyer Lee's one year old birthday party! She's so grown up!
I put an American Flag up at my house.. I hate American Flags. Call me racist, call me rude, I just don't like them. But surprisingly, it looks kind of amazing.
I started listening to country music....cold, hard country. This is something to write home about. I've hated country music and American Flags all my life, and here I am, both in one month.
Ellie sucks on her toes..not so much a milestone but definitely note worthy.
I've been married for two years and one week and we are finally celebrating our anniversary tomorrow!! Woohoo!!
the bachelorette officially sucks. milestone.

I'm finally getting vistors at my house next week!!! Can't wait to see you!!

HAPPY ANNI!!

2009-06-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

In two wonderful years, we have...

moved 5 times (apartment, house-sat, apartment, in-laws, house)
had 3 dogs (wilson, kobe and darla) one of which we actually kept
one child (ellie bug)
remodeled a real doozie
almost burned down our apartment with some candles
laughed....a lot.
cried some too
watched our friends all get married
and pregnant
watched our sisters have babies (not literally)
had some holidays together
made lots of chocolate chip cookies
and ate them.
really only been on one real vacation..which totally needs to change.
Watched some Prison Break, or a lot. whatever.
worked at the Nord..and shopped a little :-)
dreamed together, played together and made our marriage an incredible journey.
Best friends forever.
I love you Christoph.

Happy Anni.

I Miss Him.

2009-06-19T22:15:00.000-07:00

Where in the world is Carmen San Diego??

That's what we're playing. For the bloggers and blogettes who are unaware, my husband works at this mother-ship.

And as much as I wish that was me in those pumps right now, I wouldn't even be able to afford the heel. Flat broke, home alone and on the verge of getting very heavy. The oreo's are are just WAY to easy to pop in the mouth and the pantry always seems to be open. I don't know what to talk about really...I'm just so bored and you're the only person who isn't busy, so cheers to you blogger.com. Thanks for bein my little buddy.

Husband left at 10 o'clock this morning for the half-yearly sale that started today...Do you suppose he'll be home before midnight? Could be..all I know is I aint goin this bed alone so the eyes don't shut til I'm nice and cozy with my little footsie friend. As much as I love husbands, i hate that they have jobs. No offense to all you job-aholics out there but seriously, i would love nothing more than to have a day off every day with hubbard. He is so the perfect person to have play dates with. He is so funny and so contagious. I have his disease. I know, I know-this probably sounds so cheezy and quite frankly straight up lame but I don't care. I think I love my husband more than some people love theirs (no offense again). Maybe if you didn't see your husband all that much you'd miss him too. He's my best friend. I really never get tired of him. ever.
So anyway, is anyone else awake? Wanna play? Kind of feel like waking up the little person.

Hey, at least when I'm lonely and I miss my husband, I can see his face

Right here. Could she BE anymore like her dad?? Happy Father's Day Chris. Turns out you had a son.

Coming Along!

2009-06-16T15:40:00.001-07:00

Well this past week was quite exciting. We got the exterior of our house painted, our countertops in and we get our sink installed TOMORROW!!! RUNNING WATER!! I never thought I could appreciate a sink so very, very much. Look at the new wood floors!

New ceasarstone countertop and farm house sink, which I absolutely am in love with.

The family room in action..

new appliances and cabinets

voila!! new kitchen! It still needs paint and hardware..and running water but that is all in tow

Here's what the family room used to look like!

And the kitchen

The house before...
And the house after!

It is still a work in progress but we are soooo happy with how everything has turned out. Seriously our life savings is in this house... we've worked ourselves to the bone with this project and we are finally reaping the rewards. We just need to plant our white roses and add our black shutters and the outside will be pretty much set! Home sweet home!

ELIZA J PHOTOGRAPHY

2009-06-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

As some of you may or may not know, I have recently been assisting a photographer here in Orange County who in return has been giving me some great advice and tips. Here is her website jennymasonphotography.com. Take a look at her fantastic work! I'm super grateful for the encouragement and patience she has had with me as I ask a million questions! Thanks Jen for everything!

I am currently preparing to start my own business (Eliza J Photography) and would love any new clients and models for sample shoots. I'm starting out with really low prices so hurry and tell your friends and family to book a session! Email at tdajohnson@gmail.com! Hope to post some new pictures on my photo blog next week. Wish me luck!

House Flippage..

2009-05-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

ALLLLLLLLLLright young bucks

Here's our house in action. I've been waiting to post any pics until we've had some real evidence that this could be a break through. Had I shown the "before's" only, you would have all been worried for my salvation. Really.

SO! Here's the before's....
(Kitchen..sooo much worse in person)
I'll spare you all our haneous stories of what we found in this place
(Family Room)
Kitchen after! We haven't installed the appliances or the countertop, or the sink, or put any hardware on the cabinets but it is a work in progress!

We just got the carpet installed this week and are almost finished with the painting in the entire house! I wish I had more pictures to show but I'll post some when we've gotten a little further along. For now, this is our little home! This is where our family is going to live. In a house, on a streeth with neighbors, and an icecream truck man, and a room for ellie with her very own CRIB!!

Uh ohhh...

Speaking of Ellie...
She's a hot mess right now. Sniffling, sneezing, coughing, choking, sobbing, weeping and gnashing those teeth! She's got a horrendous cold and I'm feeling horrendous just thinking about it. I'm legally drunk in some states with the amount of sleep i've mustered up the last couple nights. Up every twenty minutes for 12 hours a night is really making me want to vomit.. But I love the poor little button. I feel so sad for her. Seriously. It makes me want to cry when I see her. Part of me thinks she's got the swine and she's dying, and then I remember I'm a total hypochondriac.

Please bless this cold takes a turn for the better so we can get situated in that cozy little house! Love you family. Can't wait for you to come stay with us!

xoxo
Mommy, Daddy and Turkeylicious

F.Y.I.

2009-05-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

Not that anyone even reads this blog...
nor do they need to.

But for my own personal sanity I need to document what may be the single largest event in Ellie's history.

TEETH!

Two of them. Right smack dab in the center.

Who has time for this you might say? Certainly not us. In the middle of house flipping, vacations to Utah, contractors in and out, phone calls here there and everywhere, kitchen cabinets that have no fronts, carpets that need burning, walls that need painting, floors that need flooring roofs that need roofing and who knows what all else
we get teeth.

And surprisingly....

she's still so happy

Heavenly Father must love us.

Heaven knows I love her.

A TOAST-to Ellie's teeth. May you keep growing feverishly and splendid. Can't wait to meet the rest of ya.

Amen.

Ellie is Five Months Old!

2009-04-28T16:41:00.001-07:00

Look at the little snoop....

Every time I blink my eyes she's another month older...

poop.

It wasn't so long ago you were hiding in my tummy little one. Don't you forget that!!
At five months the missus has had a break through-

hands on bottle feeding!

Although there has still been no rolling, no teething, no sleeping in her crib and a whole lotta other no-no's, she is simply, irresistibly, quite possibly the

cutest

little

button

ever!

Love you little Turkey.

I.HEART.YOU.

2009-04-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

Let's just talk favorites for a minute....

Look at these little swashbucklers. I got them at GAP the other day for $12. My newest friends. Welcome!

We rented it. Took it back that night. Bought it. Sold. This WILL be Ellie's favorite movie. I just know it.

OHHHH asparagus! I love you forever!! Barefoot Contessa has this amazing recipe for asparagus that is soo easy and simple.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Wash and trim the asparagus stalks (I usually cut off the bottom inch or so) Arrange asparagus in a single layer on a cookie sheet and drizzle with the olive oil.

3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.Roast for 15-20 minutes until tender.

4. Sprinkle with the parmesan and return to the oven for about one more minute.

Serve with lemon wedges. (optional)

Your life will never be the same...

Y.U.M!!!

KINGS OF LEON

No one has or ever will be comparable to this band. If you can't find me, chances are I'm in my car, windows down, hangin with Leon. I'm having a love affair with this band.

Oly studio furniture I love you, I love you, I love you. Be mine. K.I.T. Have a gr8 summer. Let's hang out, my place, next to the couch, t.v. on. We'll snuggle.

Look at these two little frills!!!! SOOO happy about them. My in-laws brought them back from Argentina and I'm just in love. They are so delicate and feminine. Right up my alley.

Her. Beautiful, lovely, precious her. She's my favorite.

Well look what I found...

2009-04-13T14:08:00.001-07:00

I mean...c'mon. She's gotta have it right!?!?!

ON another note, Easter was incredible. I encourage everyone to go to the LDS.org website and watch the Easter video....un. Elder Holland is un.

I miss my family today.. I miss that they know why ellie needs this outfit. I missed finding easter eggs with them yesterday, I miss my daddy's big bear arms and deep voice. I miss my moms infectious laughter and optimism and i miss watching my neices and nephews grow up. Of course California is incredible..it always is. I've known that I should live here since the day I first came to laguna beach. But somehow snow seems happier than sun sometimes and family just never can be close enough. Not to neglect the family I have here by ANY means. My in-laws are BEYOND incredible and my family can testify to that. Connie and Ken are just ridiculous and make me feel soo welcome. But I know, and Connie knows that nothing compares to having your "real mom." She can sympathize because her mommy was a lot like mine. She even called her mimi!!

So we cry together from time to time about how much we miss our moms. There is something so sensitive about talking about my parents. Especially this Easter season, being my first away from home I just need. I need my dad. I love giving him a hug, pressing my cheek to his chest and listening to his deep voice rumble against my face. I miss watching I Love Lucy with my mom while spooning on the couch until all hours of the morning. I miss my sisters..my sweet, sweet sisters who are among the most elect women i've met in this life. I miss my brothers...They're safety and their comfort. I just miss...

But indeed I do have this.

And Easter was a wonderful day. My husband is the greatest. The absolute greatest.

So i'll keep missing and wanting and wishing and hoping that you will somehow surprise me on any given day and show up at my house. But for now, my humble little family will keep on growing.

and kissing that chubby little bunny in the face.

wow i have some serious roots in that picture! Thanks for the head shot Brynn. Were you trying to give me a hint?? ;-)

OH! And I almost forgot THESE beauties

Thanks to Martha, these eggs were a smash hit!

Little Miss Sunshine

2009-04-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd update on what little miss sunshine has been up to. She is getting bigger and bigger every day! Time goes all too fast when you're taking care of a baby....really.

At four months miss priss is..

Sleeping anywhere from 7-10 hours a night

sucking on these two fingers (or her thumb) all day long

Drops a smile for her dad anytime, any place ( i get a little jealous)

officially pulls the pacifier out of her mouth when she wants attention

takes naps on her tummy

tries to sing with me when I sing to her

Absolutely melts her daddy's heart

And she's got us all wrapped around her little fingers...

I love my precious girl...

The other night Chris and I sat in bed and just wept together until the wee hours of the morning thinking about our lives and how fortunate we are to have each other and to have this beautiful baby. Nothing in this world could compensate for the joy we feel when we are around her. She has blessed our lives immensely and our love for each other has grown seven fold. Ellie has taken California by storm, but she is always the sunshine of our lives..

We love you little Turkey. Keep smilin.

what's been happenin around here....

2009-03-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

well if you haven't noticed yet, I fell off the blog wagon...

Something about moving really makes you non-existent but we are going to change that real soon :-)

Here we go for the update of a lifetime

Since you last saw me I have...

Celebrated the birth of my littlest angel and she got her baby blessing!! In case you didn't know, my mom is super woman. She does anything and everything you could possibly imagine. She is like Mary Poppins on steroids...not a lie. So OF COURSE she made my baby her blessing dress and OF COURSE everyone thought it was some professional expensive store bought version of perfection. Little did they know it was even better..sewn with tender love and care by the hands of a magic lady!

Annnd all the other pictures we took that day are a big blurry mess, which I'm totally depressed about...

THEN!!! I finally saw my little nephew...the most amazing little cub of all time. He's such a cozy, cuddly little grizzly bear and I really couldn't get enough of him! We laughed a little at how these two are the same size and they are 3 months apart..but whatever :-)

So then!! I went to Utah to surprise my cousin Jeanette for her very last Young Ambassador show, which was just all to exciting. We don't even have words to express to Diamond how much we love and appreciate her for the trip. She's basically the most amazing woman we have ever met..
and then I met this person....who is very very cute :-)

I was so happy to be able to spend time with my family who I love so so so SO much! I can't believe how grown up bella is in this picture...

But what's even more scary is how big and amazing THIS little guy has gotten!!

He needs to just stop it.

And now we are back home. Chris has been body boarding every morning before work and me and ellie play in the sand. He looks especially hot in his get up

And last but not least, here is little miss priss herself. Bigger and better every day she's alive.

That's all :-)

Ellie's Baby Blessing

2009-02-24T09:44:00.000-08:00

Not that we expect anyone to fly out here to witness this, but we want everyone to know they are invited to Eliza's baby blessing this coming Sunday, March 1 at the Laguna Niguel Stake Center in California. Call me if you have any questions :-)

On another note-here's what we've been up to!

A lot of picture taking!! She is my personal prop and I love her guts! Can't wait to see my family in just a couple of days!!! Turkey misses you and so do we! xoxo

WARNING!!!!

2009-02-04T23:26:00.000-08:00

If you aren't family...stop now while you're ahead!!

No one in my family has seen pictures of us or the baby since we moved so if you're not prepared and if you don't love me like a sibling...this post could be overwhelming for you..

It's two posts long

Just a little FYI

On another note, ENJOY these fabulous pictures of little miss Turkey herself

Bigger and better than ever

2009-02-04T22:43:00.000-08:00

First and foremost, Chris started working at the Nord two days ago, which is a blessing beyond measure. I won't go into the details but let's just say-we're "seriously so blessed"

Second of all, Ellie has converted to bath taking. We don't really know what happened but maybe it's the bubbles??

Third, we have been enjoying some pretty ferocious sunsets. I won't lie..they are the most beautiful things on the planet. The sky lights up on fire and the ocean just glimmers in it's rays. We've pulled over, stopped walking, nearly crashed and missed dinner because of it. Can you blame us?
We've been to the L.A. Fashion District...
Balboa island for some frozen nannas and ice cream bars..

and ofcourse the greatest beaches of all time

And Ellie got her first taste of California sun :-)
We love and miss everyone so much more than they know. Hope these pictures can hold you over for a a little while!! Love you guys

This could get long...

2009-01-13T09:50:00.000-08:00

Well I've cried enough so I'm gonna keep this brief.....

We're doing this in two days....

So we've done a lot of this...
And celebrated this...

For this..

And baby got some of this...

Which is just so fantastic

And I just really like this...

So I posted it.

And then my family threw this...

which was just unbelievable.. I was Gidget and he was Moondoggie (surfer lovers) and we had a Luau (California style) so we said ALOHA
because it means

Hello...

and Goodbye...

And since we just really don't like talking about it-we show pictures instead of talking and it gets us through okay.

While all of this is so amazing and I am totally excited to embark on my new adventure with my newly developed and growing family..

it's never easy to leave these

behind.

But like my father always told me..

The little path that leads to home,
That is the road for me,
I know no finer path to roam,
With finer sights to see.
With thoroughfares the world is lined
That lead to wonders new,
But he who treads them leaves behind
The tender things and true.

Oh, north and south and east and west
The crowded roadways go,
And sweating brow and weary breast
Are all they seem to know.
And mad for pleasure some are bent,
And some are seeking fame,
And some are sick with discontent,
And some are bruised and lame.

Across the world the gleaming steel
Holds out its lure for men,
But no one finds his comfort real
Till he comes home again.
And charted lanes now line the sea
For weary hearts to roam,
But, Oh, the finest path to me
Is that which leads to home.

'Tis there I come to laughing eyes
And find a welcome true;
'Tis there all care behind me lies
And joy is ever new.
And, Oh, when every day is done
Upon that little street,
A pair of rosy youngsters run
To me with flying feet.

The world with myriad paths is lined
But one alone for me,
One little road where I may find
The charms I want to see.
Though thoroughfares majestic call
The multitude to roam,
I would not leave, to know them all,
The path that leads to home.

That is a poem that my dad has always recited to us kids growing up and if there is one truth that I will take with me it is

that the lights are always burning bright
on the path that leads to home...

I love you all...

ALOHA!!

She still doesn't like this...

2009-01-07T09:09:00.000-08:00

This girl is getting more and more beautiful by the second. I already feel like time is passing too quickly because every day she gets a little bigger and a litter bigger. I almost went through a midlife crisis the other day when she switched from Pampers preemie to newborn..Her little bum is growing and that my friends, is depressing me

But as long we're growing we'll take it. I'm bound and determined not to feel like i missed out on one second of this precious girls life. In the middle of all this chaos with graduating and the move and everything, i'm really trying to focus on spending time with my baby girl. She is my ultimate joy in life. I honestly feel like she is my sweetest little angel from heaven. It's been really hard the last couple of weeks trying to cope with saying good bye to so many people I love and packing my family to move into the unknown. Although I know with all my heart and soul that this is the right decision, it really just doesn't make it any easier. However..if I didn't have this little peanut in my life right now, there's no chance I would make it okay. She puts a smile on my face in the most dire of situations. She is so insanely beautiful I just can't help but stare at her every waking moment. I know for a fact that my Father in heaven knew exactly when this precious little girl was supposed to come to our family, because now really, honestly, truly couldn't be a better time.

Thank you for saving me my little angel.

I love you forever.

xoxo,

mom

Here's to the new year...

2009-01-03T21:34:00.000-08:00

Well, speaking honestly this last year was a bust...

Yes I graduated..

got pregg

and hatched the greatest egg of all time

But I don't feel like I accomplished anything GREAT!!
I'm at such a stand still in life-does anyone else ever feel like that? My life is such a hodge podge right now and I'm not speaking to complain, just being perfectly honest.
So here's to starting anew

Some of the things that await 2009 include...

ahem..

Journal writing...lots

Scrapbooking my precious life events

Taking up a new hobby (like sewing on the new amazing machine I got for my day of birth)

Telling the people I love how much I TRULY love them

More missionary work

Learning how to operate my amazing camera that is insanely confusing to me right now

Photographing my itty bitty baby every chance I get and not taking one moment of her life for granted

Things I will NOT do include....

letting my laundry pile up in the closet then forgetting it was ever in the wash and making it smell like mildew

Get stressed out over stupid things and overreact

Hypothesize that I have every disease known to man because I surf the internet too much
(right now i have an incisional hernia)

Buy half a piece of furniture in hopes to build the other half then let it take up space in my house as an unfinished project

Fall asleep during prayer time

These are just a few of the do's and dont's on my To Do List.
Ellie can attest to that
She's my personal spy

So here's to 2009
HOOAH

Baby Bath

2008-12-30T18:04:00.000-08:00

Well needless to say, she really doesn't like this...

But it's always amazing that despite how angry she gets at me, she loves me when all is said and done. I bundled her up in her little teddy towel and she was soooo warm and cozy. There's quite possibly nothing sweeter than a clean baby, all warm and snuggly against your skin with a paci in mouth.
And although she loved me for a minute, she was still pretty skeptical about the whole experience..
Ha! I love this little ruffle bum so much sometimes I honestly think i could smash her i squeeze her so tight. She smells like such little baby goodness I slightly want to take a bite every now and then. Thank heavens I'm not a vampire. Can you imagine??