Almost Christmas- Writing about Thanksgiving

Well, the big announcement has been made- but I haven't written about it on my blog!

This past Thanksgiving, we were very excited and proud to announce that we are expecting Baby Johnson in June of 2012.

It was such a fun way to tell the family and so exciting. We hadn't told many, but decided to get special t-shirts to announce the news- needless to say the reactions were priceless and I wouldn't have done it any other way. To see the excitement and joy on your family and friends faces is the best feeling in the world.

Here are our special t-shirts- what absolute fun we had!

Stationery card

Happy Joy Christmas Card

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Stationery card

Happy Joy Christmas Card

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Visit with Ms. Kinley and my dear friend Anna

This past weekend I made the trip to Chippewa Falls to visit my dear friend Anna and her beautiful daughter Kinley. We had such an amazing time catching up and hanging out!

We hit up a craft show in Eau Claire and then headed back to Annas for some relaxation. Kinley was so fun to play with, she is a doll! I had so much fun feeding her and cuddling...although she isn't much of a cuddler- she is an alert little girl! I would get done feeding her a bottle, expecting her to be dozing off...and she would sit up and give me her gorgeous smile!!!

She is an amazing little girl and I am so happy for Anna and Cory, what a beautiful family they have begun!!!

It was WAY too fun shooting some fun shots of Kinley...

Aiden's New Favorite Spot

So, I was literally pulling up my blog so I could write this...and I see a picture of Cohen in the dryer too!!

Wow, boys don't seem to change that much with age do they?

Well, this is Aiden's new favorite spot to read, play on the iPad and just hang out...I couldn't resist...it is so cute!!

Firsts and Finally!

This week was filled with a few firsts and a "finally!".

For the first time, I took out the sewing machine my grandma gave me and gave it a whirl. I was quite surprised by how much I remembered from helping mom when I was little. Thank goondness for youtube as I did need to watch "how to thread a sewing machine" (a few times) but I made it through. I am certainly not going to brag about my turn outs, but it was so fun and so rewarding to make something myself! Just 4 broken needles later (yes, now I know what I was doing wrong) and we had ourselves some smurfy outfits...

Travis and I signed up to run in the Monster Dash with my good friend Kara. This is a super fun 5K that is run the weekend of Halloween...in costume. We decided to be smurfs, so I bought some felt and away we went. I was very proud of our Smurf hats and Smurfy pants. We were quite a hit with all of the kids in and around the race "look, there goes the Smurfs!". We had a great time and did our best. This was my very first 5K and a fun one it was!!!

The finally this week (yes, honey...I have to tease you) was the trim in our dining room. Travis has been dedicating some time lately to the trim and he did a wonderful job. He made some beautiful oak trim and got it hung up today...I am so excited not to see the ugly edging around the windows anymore. It looks so great!!!



The finished project...
Before...

Scary? A little...but we went all the way with the Smurfy outfits! Ready to run!

The outfit wouldn't be complete without Smurfy hats.

Happy Halloween!!!

We love these fall nights...

Last Thursday we had Aiden and decided it was finally time to pick our pumpkins from the garden and carve them. After a quick supper, the boys brought all of the pumpkins in and got them ready for carving. While they were doing their artwork, I was busy cooking some chili for the weekend. The house smelled amazing and we had so much fun lighting the pumpkins and putting them outside.

Aidens creation was definitely my favorite...

Travs wasn't too bad either...;)

All of the pumpkins from our garden...

Bachelorette!

Wow, I can't believe the time is already here! Last Saturday- August 20th- I celebrated my last night as a Single Lady!

My amazing wedding party (Carissa, Courtney, Tracy, Julie, Kara and Anna) with the help of others (Stacy, Deb, Judi, Kelle) and more I am sure...threw me the best party a girl could ask for!

We started by relaxing around the pool on what turned out to be a gorgeous day. Then we moved inside for some fun and hilarious games! I recieved countless gifts which I am so thankful for!!!

We then got all dolled up and went out to listen to DiamondBack play at the Big Lake Firemans Dance. We definitely brought the life to this event. Even after a little rain, we kept dancing the night away. I do not think any of us stopped dancing for more than 5 minutes the whole night!

We even got our picture taken by the Big Lake newspaper and made the website.

Thank you so much to all my wonderful friends who made it the most amazing and memorable night. Love you all!!!

Wedding Showers!

I had my very first wedding shower on Sunday, July 31st. What a fun day! It was a Pampered Chef shower, so I got to cook for my guests! :) I got to make a delicious Mango Salsa recipe.

This shower was put on my lovely soon to be sisters and mother in law! Deb, Tracy and Julie made some amazing dishes and everything was wonderful.

Guests included: My mom, Carissa, Tracy, Julie, Deb, Grandma Norma, "Antie" Diane, Judi, Lauren, Brittany all of the kiddos- Aiden, Levi, Ava, Gavin and the littlest guest- Cohen!

What a fun start to all of our wedding celebrations- the countdown is officially on!

Dad's Only!

This was too cute to resist...this is the sign I found on Aiden's door when I came home on Saturday....

Aiden must have wanted some alone time after being with friends all weekend so he ran into his room and wrote this. I think Travis will cherish this one in the years to come!

I did ask if Robyns were allowed and he said yes! ;)

Aruba!!!

Travis and I had the amazing opportunity to go to Aruba with my work. It was such a great experience and what a beautiful place!!!

We got there on a Monday and left the following Saturday. We had a few events with coworkers but mostly enjoyed our time on the beach.

Here is a pic of the resort...

On Wednesday, we got to go on a Catamarn ride - they took us out on the boat and we got to go snorkeling. It is crazy hard at first, but then so much fun! We saw a bunch of fish and even went out to a sunken ship to check it out. What a fun day!

On the last day, we were finally smart enough to go out and get a hut to sit under. The sun was so intense you couldn't possibly sit in it all day. These huts were amazing...and very relaxing!

Again on the catamaran...

We really loved Aruba, and are hoping to get back there again one day.

Aiden's School Dance

This past Friday night, we took Aiden to his schools Boogie Bop dance! It was for Kindergarten through 4th graders, what a night! They had a real Dj, music and lights! I wasn't sure how it would work, but the kids had a blast. Aiden ran around with his friends a lot while Travis and I sat on the side and watched. I had to hold myself back from getting up and dancing along with the kids...Happy Valentines Day!!!

Back to life...back to reality...

Sorry if I got that stuck in your head...I thought I had most of the Christmas stuff tucked away- until I saw my blog that is! I think I am finally recovering from the Holiday season and getting back into a routine. With so much to do and so much to eat, I feel like I was in a winter coma for a little while and I am starting to come out.

I took a break from most of the wedding planning over December and now I am realizing that I need to jump back into it, head first!

We get to go to a Wedding Expo at our reception site- Rockwoods on February 20th. It will be a great chance to sample food, view the decor and many vendor options. I can't wait!

I am wishing and hoping that these next couple of months go as fast as they usually do and pretty soon we will have melting snow, green grass and lots of sunshine! Let's all cross our fingers for that!

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