Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Thanksgiving, for me, is just one of those holidays that usually come and go for me. Don't get me wrong, i LOVE spending the day with the Johnson's... my mother-in-law goes all out for dinner! My personal favorite is her Mac and Cheese...yes...we have it for thanksgiving. Some would say it's a bit non traditional, but it is the Johnson favorite.
This year the whole Thanksgiving experiance has just been so different for me. Maybe it was the fact that I have been talking about it for a week and a half now with my kids, or the fact that the Shipmans are here to enjoy this season with us, or maybe it's the fact that we are having Thanksgiving dinner at my house this year. In fact, as i type denis is busy in the kitchen getting things ready :). Maybe it is a combination of all these things and more...it is just that this year...things feel different.
I decided at the beginning of this week that i wanted to take this holiday season to gain perspective. To REALLY stop and think about what i am thankful for. In order to do that, i removed some things from my life for a season (like myspace and facebook that always seem to be calling my name) and use my down time to try and take in the big picture. I have come to the conclusion that i am so incredibly lucky. I have an loving husband, wonderful friends, and i am a part of the greatest family ever. So i would like to take the opportunity to say Thank you...
To my Family:
I look back on my life and i see a house that was filled with laughter. Laughing with all of you is my favorite thing. Whether its when we are playing games, or dad telling his silly jokes, or when someone says something completely ridiculous and we can't contain the urge to make fun of them for it! (90% of the time, it is rachel or i saying the ridiculous thing...shocking i know!) I look forward to the holidays when all of us can be in the same house. I love what our house sounds like when all of us are there. I love the way mom will cook all of our favorite foods. I love the way dad sit at the table just a little longer than usual to be with his kids. I love the way Allison loves to organize our big outings and our games. I love the way Josh just shakes his head at this giggling sisters. I love the way Denis and Mike will hide downstairs because being around the Freer woman just seems a bit overwhelming. I love the way Rachel tells stories from our childhood like they just happened and laughs as if it is the first time she has told it. I love harmony and they way she expanded all of our hearts. We love her in a way we never thought we could love. So to my family. Love isn't a strong enough word to express what my heart feels toward each of you. I am so thankful to call you mine.
To my Friends:
Each of you are my living, breathing treasures. Each and every one of you hold a very significant part of my heart. I love that i can be myself with you and that you love me just the same. Flawed and all. I used to think that the more friends i had, the better i would feel. So i tried to maintain all these friendships because i thought i would find purpose in that, but i never did. These past few years i have learned that it is about quality, not quantity. I consider myself so lucky to have each of you in my life. To amy and john-- for always making me laugh, even when i don't feel like it. John, you are like a brother to me. thank you for always bringing me back to reality. Amy, thank you for all my "free refills!" Your timing is always perfect. To Jaime-- thank you for giving me the excuse to escape life and revert to my childhood. To Heather-- thank you for a continual shoulder to lean on, cry on, and laugh on. may our quote book continue to grow. To Finer Things-- We declared that 2008 would be best yet! Thank you for all the many meals we have shared, for our conversations and our inside jokes. I love you all!!! To Leandra-- i don't deserve all the love you give me. I hope to someday return to you all the love you deserve. To Kelly-- May God continue to show His faithfulness. I stand firm believing that your best is yet to come. To Christy-- i'm not even sure where to begin...thank you for being the best listener i know. i don't know where i would be without you. To Aimee and Shane-- COME BACK! I miss you terribly...
To my Pastors:
Pierre and Marlize-- For so long i dreamed of being a part of the Fathers House. I consider it a privaledge to not only serve with you, but to call you friend. Here's to many many many more years of ministry and friendship together. We love you both!
and last but certainly not least...
To my Husband:
You are my best friend, my biggest cheerleader, my toughest critic, and my greatest treasure. Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you THANK YOU for choosing me. Being your wife is such an honor. I love you more today than ever. Thank you for sharing your life with me.
** when i started writing this blog, it was early this morning, and i had to put it aside to prepare for the day. I am currently ready for bed after a very successful thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Transformation?
Two years ago exactly i posted a blog titled "how much have i changed in 10 years" I answered a series of questions as though it was 10 years earlier, and then i answered the same questions for what was then, present day. I thought it might be interesting to see if much has changed in just two years. Here we go....
*** i have left the answers from two years ago for comparison purposes :)
How old are you?: 25 1/2
--- 27 1/2
Where do you work?: Pearce 4 Kids
--- Pearce 4 Kids, The Father's House, RachelAnn Photography :)
Where do you go to school?: NO WHERE! I actually teach school now....look how the tables have turned!
--- I still don't go to school, even though i practically live on RWC campus.
Where do you live?: North Chili NY
--- North Chili, but I've lived two other places in the past two years...
Where do you hang out?: church mostly. and applebees! :) and at home with my hubby
--- I'm still at church quite a bit, but at least we aren't doing six services a weekend anymore :) other than that, you can find me at Mike and Rachel's playing hide and seek with Harmony.
Do you wear glasses? still don't wear them...don't even have a clue where they would be....
--- i have come to the conclusion that i need glasses... i have a hard time seeing the menu on my TV....and seeing street signs... i wasn't a licenced driver two years ago!
What is your hairstyle?: semi-long, and brown....not by my choice though...just the way it turned out when i colored it myself.
--- jut below the shoulders, newly brown, done by a professional :)
Still talk to any of your old friends?: Just a few of them. I guess only a few decided to stick around! :)
--- facebook and myspace are a wonderful thing (mostly just facebook these days), but they have really helped me stay in contact with alot of my high school friends. We have our 10 year high school reunion this summer...wowsers...
How many piercings?: just my ears still....but if you ask John, my voice is piercing as well...whatever!
--- still just my ears...but not my voice :)
How many tattoos: none!
--- still a big no!
What is your biggest fear?: Losing someone I love
--- still my number one fear....
Has your heart been broken?: Yes
--- yep
Single/Taken/Married/Divorced/Bitter: MARRIED!!!!!!!!! to the most wonderful man alive. we are coming up on our 4 year anniversary!!!! I am so lucky....
--- proud to say i am still married to my best friend. My love for him grows everyday. I am still So lucky....
*** i have left the answers from two years ago for comparison purposes :)
How old are you?: 25 1/2
--- 27 1/2
Where do you work?: Pearce 4 Kids
--- Pearce 4 Kids, The Father's House, RachelAnn Photography :)
Where do you go to school?: NO WHERE! I actually teach school now....look how the tables have turned!
--- I still don't go to school, even though i practically live on RWC campus.
Where do you live?: North Chili NY
--- North Chili, but I've lived two other places in the past two years...
Where do you hang out?: church mostly. and applebees! :) and at home with my hubby
--- I'm still at church quite a bit, but at least we aren't doing six services a weekend anymore :) other than that, you can find me at Mike and Rachel's playing hide and seek with Harmony.
Do you wear glasses? still don't wear them...don't even have a clue where they would be....
--- i have come to the conclusion that i need glasses... i have a hard time seeing the menu on my TV....and seeing street signs... i wasn't a licenced driver two years ago!
What is your hairstyle?: semi-long, and brown....not by my choice though...just the way it turned out when i colored it myself.
--- jut below the shoulders, newly brown, done by a professional :)
Still talk to any of your old friends?: Just a few of them. I guess only a few decided to stick around! :)
--- facebook and myspace are a wonderful thing (mostly just facebook these days), but they have really helped me stay in contact with alot of my high school friends. We have our 10 year high school reunion this summer...wowsers...
How many piercings?: just my ears still....but if you ask John, my voice is piercing as well...whatever!
--- still just my ears...but not my voice :)
How many tattoos: none!
--- still a big no!
What is your biggest fear?: Losing someone I love
--- still my number one fear....
Has your heart been broken?: Yes
--- yep
Single/Taken/Married/Divorced/Bitter: MARRIED!!!!!!!!! to the most wonderful man alive. we are coming up on our 4 year anniversary!!!! I am so lucky....
--- proud to say i am still married to my best friend. My love for him grows everyday. I am still So lucky....
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
You are the love of my life...
Because he just had a birthday and our 6 year anniversary is rapidly approaching, here are a few things about my husband.
1) Where did you meet? Roberts. He was my choir director :) but quickly became one of my best friends.
2) How long did you date before you got married? We dated for a year and we were engaged for a year.
3) How long have you been married? Coming up on six years!
4) What is your favorite feature of his? his smile and his eyes. i pray our kids get them.
5) What is your favorite quality of his? i love how calming he is. I tend to be high strung so he evens me out.
6) Does he have a nickname for you? yes.--babe
7) What is his favorite food? chicken or steak
8) What is his favorite sport? football
9) When and where was your first kiss? It was new years day on my parents couch :) (Ashley, you and i have that i common! What rebels we are)
10) What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? steal a weekend away together. We don't do it very often, but when we do, it is so incredible. we are due for one here soon!
11) Do you have any children? no, but we have 4 incredible Godkids and the cutest niece EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12) Does he have a hidden talent? not many people know that he can play the guitar. He taught himself to play. Also, he loves making any worship song sound country. don't know if that is necessarily a talent, but boy it is funny
13) How old is he? He just turned 28
14) Who said "I love you" first? He did.
15) What is his favorite type of music? Jazz
16) What do you admire the most about him? He love for the Lord and his passion for ministry
17) Do you think he will read this? no he won't. he checks everyone else's blog but mine.
1) Where did you meet? Roberts. He was my choir director :) but quickly became one of my best friends.
2) How long did you date before you got married? We dated for a year and we were engaged for a year.
3) How long have you been married? Coming up on six years!
4) What is your favorite feature of his? his smile and his eyes. i pray our kids get them.
5) What is your favorite quality of his? i love how calming he is. I tend to be high strung so he evens me out.
6) Does he have a nickname for you? yes.--babe
7) What is his favorite food? chicken or steak
8) What is his favorite sport? football
9) When and where was your first kiss? It was new years day on my parents couch :) (Ashley, you and i have that i common! What rebels we are)
10) What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? steal a weekend away together. We don't do it very often, but when we do, it is so incredible. we are due for one here soon!
11) Do you have any children? no, but we have 4 incredible Godkids and the cutest niece EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12) Does he have a hidden talent? not many people know that he can play the guitar. He taught himself to play. Also, he loves making any worship song sound country. don't know if that is necessarily a talent, but boy it is funny
13) How old is he? He just turned 28
14) Who said "I love you" first? He did.
15) What is his favorite type of music? Jazz
16) What do you admire the most about him? He love for the Lord and his passion for ministry
17) Do you think he will read this? no he won't. he checks everyone else's blog but mine.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Snapple Facts
Today i went out to lunch with Heather, and we both had Snapple Iced Tea with our meal. For those of you who may not know, on the bottom of every Snapple cap is a random fact. My fact for the day was: shrimp can only swim backwards. Fascinating huh :) well i think so. So i decided to learn more so i checked the Snapple website. Here are some more facts i learned today!
Mosquitoes are attracted to people who just ate bananas
Flamingos are pink because they eat shrimp
The world’s termites outweigh the world’s humans 10-1
Children grow faster in the spring
Alaska has the highest percentage of people who walk to work
On average, a person will spend up to two weeks kissing in their lifetime
Termites eat through wood two times faster when listening to rock music
Giraffe’s have no vocal chords
An average woman consumes six pounds of lipstick in her lifetime
A sneeze travels out your nose at 100mph
The tongue is the fastest healing part of your body
No word in the English dictionary rhymes with month
The average person spends two weeks of its life waiting for the traffic light to change
If you keep a goldfish in a dark room, it will turn white
No piece of paper can be folded in half more than seven times
Oysters can change genders back and forth
Fish can drown
You would have to play ping pong for 12 hours to lose 1 pound
Colors like red, orange and yellow make you hungry
A polar bears fur is transparent, not white
You can tell what day a loaf of bread was baked by looking at the color of it’s twist tag
To keep an ice cream cone from dripping, put a mini marshmallow in the bottom of the cone
It is against the law to put pretzels in a bag in Philadelphia
When the moon is directly over you, you weigh less
A goldfish’s attention span is 3 seconds
Kermit the Frog is left handed
hope you have all learned something new today! How about you...do you know any random facts you would like to share?
Mosquitoes are attracted to people who just ate bananas
Flamingos are pink because they eat shrimp
The world’s termites outweigh the world’s humans 10-1
Children grow faster in the spring
Alaska has the highest percentage of people who walk to work
On average, a person will spend up to two weeks kissing in their lifetime
Termites eat through wood two times faster when listening to rock music
Giraffe’s have no vocal chords
An average woman consumes six pounds of lipstick in her lifetime
A sneeze travels out your nose at 100mph
The tongue is the fastest healing part of your body
No word in the English dictionary rhymes with month
The average person spends two weeks of its life waiting for the traffic light to change
If you keep a goldfish in a dark room, it will turn white
No piece of paper can be folded in half more than seven times
Oysters can change genders back and forth
Fish can drown
You would have to play ping pong for 12 hours to lose 1 pound
Colors like red, orange and yellow make you hungry
A polar bears fur is transparent, not white
You can tell what day a loaf of bread was baked by looking at the color of it’s twist tag
To keep an ice cream cone from dripping, put a mini marshmallow in the bottom of the cone
It is against the law to put pretzels in a bag in Philadelphia
When the moon is directly over you, you weigh less
A goldfish’s attention span is 3 seconds
Kermit the Frog is left handed
hope you have all learned something new today! How about you...do you know any random facts you would like to share?
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Update
I am doing my best to try and keep up with my blog again. I always feel like there is never anything of real importance, or even of interest for that matter, to blog about these days. Denis and I are just trying to keep our head above water these days... which hasn't always been easy given the million things we feel like we are juggling. But even in the craziness of it all, we find that we are so blessed. We attended a big church-wide volunteer training at our church a few weekends ago and our pastor talked about how God honor's us with "moments" in the midst of our "task." Sometimes the task at hand is hard or frustrating, and in my case, it seems to be beyond me, but just when we question if we can see it through or if we just feel like giving up, God lets us experience a "moment." A moment when we realize exactly why it is we do what we do. I live for those moments because it is like water to my soul.
In the midst of all the craziness, this past week has been packed full of fun and excitement! First up was the Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W Smith concert! It was so wild! we had incredible seats. We sat in the 5th row! A big thanks to Steve and Amy Otto for our unforgettable evening. Here are just a few pics of our night. For those of you who have facebook, many more can be seen there :)
Next up was trunk-n-treat at our church. It was a wild and crazy event at our church. Alot of hard work and planning was put into this incredible evening. Kudos to our very own Mike Shipman for diving into this event planning just moments after his feel touched down here in Rochester. Welcome to the Father's House Mike! :)
I hosted a car with my "moon" buddy (inside joke...just for you matt) Matt D'Angelo. We trunk and treated Hawaiian style! Also, Harry Potter was there! We had such a great time! Check out rachel's blog to see the kid with the cutest costume there!
Last, but certainly not least. Today is my baby's birthday... I took a half day off today to spend with him. Our lives have been tugging us in so many different directions, so today we decided to take a moment and steal away time together. We layed around all afternoon, had some birthday visitors, and then we were off to a nice dinner in the city. We went to a place called Two Vine. The food was amazing. We talked about life and about or future and we just sat and dreamed. Even now as i type i am overwhelmed with love for Denis. I am absolutely honored that he chose me as his wife. I love this man more everyday. I love the silly side that he only allows me to see. I love his passion for the Lord and his dedication to the ministry. Happy birthday babe. I will love you forever and ever.
In the midst of all the craziness, this past week has been packed full of fun and excitement! First up was the Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W Smith concert! It was so wild! we had incredible seats. We sat in the 5th row! A big thanks to Steve and Amy Otto for our unforgettable evening. Here are just a few pics of our night. For those of you who have facebook, many more can be seen there :)
Next up was trunk-n-treat at our church. It was a wild and crazy event at our church. Alot of hard work and planning was put into this incredible evening. Kudos to our very own Mike Shipman for diving into this event planning just moments after his feel touched down here in Rochester. Welcome to the Father's House Mike! :)
I hosted a car with my "moon" buddy (inside joke...just for you matt) Matt D'Angelo. We trunk and treated Hawaiian style! Also, Harry Potter was there! We had such a great time! Check out rachel's blog to see the kid with the cutest costume there!
Last, but certainly not least. Today is my baby's birthday... I took a half day off today to spend with him. Our lives have been tugging us in so many different directions, so today we decided to take a moment and steal away time together. We layed around all afternoon, had some birthday visitors, and then we were off to a nice dinner in the city. We went to a place called Two Vine. The food was amazing. We talked about life and about or future and we just sat and dreamed. Even now as i type i am overwhelmed with love for Denis. I am absolutely honored that he chose me as his wife. I love this man more everyday. I love the silly side that he only allows me to see. I love his passion for the Lord and his dedication to the ministry. Happy birthday babe. I will love you forever and ever.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Halloween at P4K
Here it is! Our Halloween costume. I went as Rachel and Rachel went as me. Might i add that we were incredibly successful in confusing parents and children, just as we planned (insert evil plan laugh). It was a crazy morning to say the least. Thank goodness my new assistant didn't buckle under the pressure. :) we had a great time this morning with the kids and their parents. Another pre-k party under my belt. i love my job.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Slave
I have a new assistant teacher! yes folks, it is my wonderful sister! I woke up on Monday and i was so excited because it was our first day working together in 5 years! It was just amazing. I love that i get to see her everyday now. (even though i pretty much have seen her everyday since she moved her) but now i REALLY know that i get to see her :) We have had a wonderful time working side by side and the kids have really taken to her, well to everything but her lemonade-making-skills, right rach:)
We decided today that for our Halloween party, we are going to go as Identical Twins. good idea huh!!!!!!!! At least i don't need to wear a basketball under my shirt like i did last year when i dressed up like her. I am sure pictures will be taken and posted.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Leading Questions
*Due to a recent acceleration of my pace of life, i have been unable to find the time to update my blog. At this particular time, i have found just a moment where i can breath and reflect on these past few weeks and really try to work out a plan to create balance and consistancy in my life. Yeah...I'll let you know how that goes...*
This morning i had a staff meeting and one thing i love doing is Icebreakers. I never want to be that person who just makes someone sit for an hour and listen to me babble on about things they can and cannot do. So i start each meeting with a game or activity to make everyone feel engaged and included in our discussion. So for my meeting today i had everyone pick a piece of paper out of a basket. On this paper was a statement starter. For example "the worst haircut i ever had was..." Everyone had a differnt sentance that they had to complete. I thought I would share them all with you and give you my answers. but the fun doesn't stop there!!! I would like you all to pick three starters and finish them yourselves! So fun huh... :) (hey, at least i'm not posting another quiz people)
are you ready?
ok
Here they are:
The best job I ever had was… O'Dea's SnowTubbing
The worst project I ever worked on was… stripping the wallpaper in one of our old apartments...nightmare...
The riskiest thing I ever did was… pull a senior prank. i most definatly broke the law...real risky. Life lesson i learned...never return to the scene of the crime.
The thing I like the most about this job is… when a student hugs me goodbye and tells me that they love being in my class. Makes all the hard days pale in comparison.
The one time I felt the most stress because I didn’t have enough time was… one time... how about from Jan-present day.
My one regret in life is… not visiting my brother more often when he was in the hospital
If I could go back in time and change one thing about history it would be… the day the music died...just kidding... the day my brother was hurt.
One thing I want to do before I die is… have a baby boy
If I could have a superpower, it would be… the ability to make myself invisible
My most embarrassing moment is… when i was singing at church and i was singing the song "I am free." When it was over, Denis started the intro to "sing to the King" and when it was time to start singing, i started singing the words to "I am free" again...so embarassing...
My dream job would be… Working at The Father's House full time
If I could change one thing about myself it would be… my lack of time managment...or my nose...
My greatest strength is… i work well under pressure
My greatest weakness is… i have no back bone so i never stand up for myself.
The thing I like most about myself is… Jesus in me
If I could spend the day with one person, living or dead, it would be… My Grandpa
ok gang, now it is your turn. Pick three of the statement starters and tell us all your answers! no stealing my answers either :)
ta ta for now
This morning i had a staff meeting and one thing i love doing is Icebreakers. I never want to be that person who just makes someone sit for an hour and listen to me babble on about things they can and cannot do. So i start each meeting with a game or activity to make everyone feel engaged and included in our discussion. So for my meeting today i had everyone pick a piece of paper out of a basket. On this paper was a statement starter. For example "the worst haircut i ever had was..." Everyone had a differnt sentance that they had to complete. I thought I would share them all with you and give you my answers. but the fun doesn't stop there!!! I would like you all to pick three starters and finish them yourselves! So fun huh... :) (hey, at least i'm not posting another quiz people)
are you ready?
ok
Here they are:
The best job I ever had was… O'Dea's SnowTubbing
The worst project I ever worked on was… stripping the wallpaper in one of our old apartments...nightmare...
The riskiest thing I ever did was… pull a senior prank. i most definatly broke the law...real risky. Life lesson i learned...never return to the scene of the crime.
The thing I like the most about this job is… when a student hugs me goodbye and tells me that they love being in my class. Makes all the hard days pale in comparison.
The one time I felt the most stress because I didn’t have enough time was… one time... how about from Jan-present day.
My one regret in life is… not visiting my brother more often when he was in the hospital
If I could go back in time and change one thing about history it would be… the day the music died...just kidding... the day my brother was hurt.
One thing I want to do before I die is… have a baby boy
If I could have a superpower, it would be… the ability to make myself invisible
My most embarrassing moment is… when i was singing at church and i was singing the song "I am free." When it was over, Denis started the intro to "sing to the King" and when it was time to start singing, i started singing the words to "I am free" again...so embarassing...
My dream job would be… Working at The Father's House full time
If I could change one thing about myself it would be… my lack of time managment...or my nose...
My greatest strength is… i work well under pressure
My greatest weakness is… i have no back bone so i never stand up for myself.
The thing I like most about myself is… Jesus in me
If I could spend the day with one person, living or dead, it would be… My Grandpa
ok gang, now it is your turn. Pick three of the statement starters and tell us all your answers! no stealing my answers either :)
ta ta for now
Friday, September 05, 2008
looking forward
Have you ever had a defining moment? A moment when you know that from that point on everything will be different. I have had several of those moments in my life:
my first day of school
the day my brother was hurt
the day we moved out of the only house i had ever known
my first day of college
my wedding day
rachel's wedding day
the day Harmony was born
and there are more...
Those moments are part of my DNA. They can never be taken away and they are specific only to me. They are imbedded in the finger print of Rebecca Johnson.
These past two years have been packed with these moments for me. These moments can be as small as a conversation, as hard as an argument, as sappy as a good cry, or even found in the excitement of hearing good news. I reflect often on these moments. But i fear that it has been TOO often lately.
so last night...i had another moment. I was standing in the kitchen doing dishes (i know...that is a profound thing in it's self...) and i had my ipod playing in the background and a song that i hadn't taken the time to really listen to came on. It is a song by Ricardo. The lyrics went like this
"I'll stop looking back. I'm moving ahead. The past is over"
later that night i was editing pictures and listening to music again and this song came on by the Rascal Flatts that said:
"I'm going to stop looking back and start moving on, learn how to face my fears. Love with all of my heart, make my mark, i want to leave something here. Go out on a ledge, without any net. That's what i want to be about. I want to be running when the sand runs out."
very next song...another Rascal Flats song... (love them...)
"I'm moving on, at last i can see life has been patiently waiting for me. And i know there's no guarentee's, but i'm not alone."
My moment is wrapped up in those two songs. I'm going to begin looking forward more than i look back. I want to set goals for my life. I want to try to see the big picture. I don't want to miss out on my todays...
Does that mean i am going to forget the past. Of course not. That would be stripping me of who i am today. But i need to stop letting those moments dictate my present or else my future could suffer. I am determined to live the best life possible. Have the best marriage possible. Be the best mom possible (no, i'm not pregnant). Be the best teacher possible. Be the best worshipper possible. I want to leave a legacy. Have no regrets.
The past is just that....the past...
my first day of school
the day my brother was hurt
the day we moved out of the only house i had ever known
my first day of college
my wedding day
rachel's wedding day
the day Harmony was born
and there are more...
Those moments are part of my DNA. They can never be taken away and they are specific only to me. They are imbedded in the finger print of Rebecca Johnson.
These past two years have been packed with these moments for me. These moments can be as small as a conversation, as hard as an argument, as sappy as a good cry, or even found in the excitement of hearing good news. I reflect often on these moments. But i fear that it has been TOO often lately.
so last night...i had another moment. I was standing in the kitchen doing dishes (i know...that is a profound thing in it's self...) and i had my ipod playing in the background and a song that i hadn't taken the time to really listen to came on. It is a song by Ricardo. The lyrics went like this
"I'll stop looking back. I'm moving ahead. The past is over"
later that night i was editing pictures and listening to music again and this song came on by the Rascal Flatts that said:
"I'm going to stop looking back and start moving on, learn how to face my fears. Love with all of my heart, make my mark, i want to leave something here. Go out on a ledge, without any net. That's what i want to be about. I want to be running when the sand runs out."
very next song...another Rascal Flats song... (love them...)
"I'm moving on, at last i can see life has been patiently waiting for me. And i know there's no guarentee's, but i'm not alone."
My moment is wrapped up in those two songs. I'm going to begin looking forward more than i look back. I want to set goals for my life. I want to try to see the big picture. I don't want to miss out on my todays...
Does that mean i am going to forget the past. Of course not. That would be stripping me of who i am today. But i need to stop letting those moments dictate my present or else my future could suffer. I am determined to live the best life possible. Have the best marriage possible. Be the best mom possible (no, i'm not pregnant). Be the best teacher possible. Be the best worshipper possible. I want to leave a legacy. Have no regrets.
The past is just that....the past...
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Vacation '08
And we are back :) well we have been for a few days now but this is my first opportunity to finish this post. i have been slowly adding to it for the last few days. i just never have enough time these days to sit and do it all at once. Warning: this is a bit long. :)
Denis and I were in DESPERATE need of a vacation. So a few months ago (yes, a few MONTHS ago we needed of time away) we chose what week we were going to take off then we began searching for places to go that "fit the budget" (that's the new catch phrase in the Johnson household) Around that time one of my close friends, Kristen, moved back to her home in Canada...long story... but i knew i couldn't go long without seeing her. So we decided that part of our vacation would be spent visiting her in her beautiful home in Madoc, Ontario. We also really wanted to see our friends Christopher and Jennifer Hopper. They moved to watertown three years ago and build a beautiful house and we had YET to see it. It had also been at over a year that we had just hung out with them. So we called them to see if they would be around and to make a long story short, our vacation was planned!
We had an INCREDIBLE time...so relaxing. Here are a few pictures from our trip
Watertown with the Hoppers:
Me and the love of my life
luik!!!!!! look at those eyes...
Eva. She is so special to me. One morning i was out pushing her on her swing and she turned around and said "becca...i love you at my house"
Luik again. He knows just what to do for the camera!
Could she be any prettier?
trying to be tough. not buyin it...
Now this lady...she's one of my favorites...
Eva singing her heart out. her song said "i will not be afraid anymore!" love her...
Madoc with Kristen
The dock of the lake at Kristen's grandparents house.
I'm a professional folks. That's my story and i'm stickin to it.
The real pro...
Kindred Spirits
the Mac Man.
It was so hard to come back and join the real world again. I have a week and a half of summer camp left before we jump right back into the school year....ready or not...
Denis and I were in DESPERATE need of a vacation. So a few months ago (yes, a few MONTHS ago we needed of time away) we chose what week we were going to take off then we began searching for places to go that "fit the budget" (that's the new catch phrase in the Johnson household) Around that time one of my close friends, Kristen, moved back to her home in Canada...long story... but i knew i couldn't go long without seeing her. So we decided that part of our vacation would be spent visiting her in her beautiful home in Madoc, Ontario. We also really wanted to see our friends Christopher and Jennifer Hopper. They moved to watertown three years ago and build a beautiful house and we had YET to see it. It had also been at over a year that we had just hung out with them. So we called them to see if they would be around and to make a long story short, our vacation was planned!
We had an INCREDIBLE time...so relaxing. Here are a few pictures from our trip
Watertown with the Hoppers:
Me and the love of my life
luik!!!!!! look at those eyes...
Eva. She is so special to me. One morning i was out pushing her on her swing and she turned around and said "becca...i love you at my house"
Luik again. He knows just what to do for the camera!
Could she be any prettier?
trying to be tough. not buyin it...
Now this lady...she's one of my favorites...
Eva singing her heart out. her song said "i will not be afraid anymore!" love her...
Madoc with Kristen
The dock of the lake at Kristen's grandparents house.
I'm a professional folks. That's my story and i'm stickin to it.
The real pro...
Kindred Spirits
the Mac Man.
It was so hard to come back and join the real world again. I have a week and a half of summer camp left before we jump right back into the school year....ready or not...
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Outta Here
I am officially ON VACATION!!!!!! As soon as church ending today, i turned to Denis and said lets get outta here, we are going on vacation! I have been looking forward to this for WEEKS! we are leaving today and heading to watertown to stay with christopher and jenny hopper and then tuesday night we are driving up into canada (home sweet home...kinda) to visit our friend kristen and her family for the rest of the week. i will have lots of pictures to share and stories to tell. until then....
Monday, July 28, 2008
High-Low
So i am back from my blogging vacation! :) so...i really didn't go anywhere, i just haven't found the time or the energy to write recently. I am also really frustrated with Blogger right now because it won't upload my pictures from my laptop, and you know me, i don't blog without pictures very often. I have a TON that i would love to share with the cyberworld, but unfortunatly, i am not sure when that is going to happen again. we shall see i guess.
I recently spoke at a womens event at our church and for an opening "icebreaker" everyone had a different color sticker on their coffee cup, and based on what color your sticker was, you had to share a certain thing. My sticker was green so i had to share about what i did for a job. real exciting. :) but the person who had a yellow sticker shared their High point of their day as well as their Low point. (this was a game that we used to play in college all the time at the end of the day, i loved it!) i was bummed that i didn't get to share mine, cause i had some good ones. So since i didn't get to share them at our womens event, here are the highs and lows of the last month that i have let pass by without blogging.
Highs: ( in no particular order)
-My sister surprising me by showing up at church. i about freaked out, but i had was kinda in the middle of singing, so i did my best to compose myself. this was the best surprise i have had in a long long time...i love that lady...
-I have seen Harmony TWICE this month!!!!!
-Girls night at Splatters (aka: therapy session with Heather, Amy, Mattie and leandra)
-Going to the cottage with the Keller's, Moore's and the George's...who won boxers or briefs again...oh wait...it was me! how silly of me to forget :)
-Spending time with my parents before they left for California. (i got more time than we even planned! YEAH!!!)
-We took a Financial Course at church and we learned SOOOO much. we on track to being debt free!
-Baby Riley Janet Passer was born and denis and i were able to be there to see her just minutes after she came into this world. she is precious and healthy and looks like her momma.
-Watching Denis preach at church. i am so proud of my baby. i love being his wife.
-Going to Pittsburg for a few days over July 4th. I loved getting away and spending so much time with Rachel. Rachel hooked me up... right rach? :)
-Being around my God kids...they keep us laughing all day long. they are so precious to me.
-Seeing Jaime! still jealous of her trip, but really thankful i was able to sneak in a few visits with her.
-Going out to eat with Christy and Ben THREE sunday's in a row. i love that...
-Having CB in town
-Looking down the row in church two weekends ago and seeing the 4 girls i love to sing with more than anyone. VOM what?!
-Shooting a wedding with my sister-in-law. she is one good photographer. i look forward to working with her again.
-seeing my brother in law last weekend :)
Lows:
-Driving back from Pittsburg. i hated leaving.
-My computer almost crashed at the wedding and i almost lost pictures i had already deleted from my memory card. that would have been SOOOOO very very bad.
-After our finance class was over, i was on information overload and all i dreamed about was money.
-Summer camp last week KICKED MY BUTT. i questioned my calling in child care everyday.
-losing to the George's in Baggo. So close... next time meg and matt...next time
-having to leave the cottage early
-making our bed at the cottage..right amy...big low of the day :)
-Being lectured by John and Rachel because i didn't know who Brett Farve was...does that really make me a bad person?!?!?!
-dropping my parents off at the airport. i ALWAYS have such a hard time saying goodbye to them.
-Not being in california to see my brother graduate.... but i am so proud of the kid.
-lately i have felt like i haven't had much of a social life...i miss my friends.
There you have it. i could add so much more, but i won't bore you with all the details. pray i can load pictures soon!!!!
until next time...
I recently spoke at a womens event at our church and for an opening "icebreaker" everyone had a different color sticker on their coffee cup, and based on what color your sticker was, you had to share a certain thing. My sticker was green so i had to share about what i did for a job. real exciting. :) but the person who had a yellow sticker shared their High point of their day as well as their Low point. (this was a game that we used to play in college all the time at the end of the day, i loved it!) i was bummed that i didn't get to share mine, cause i had some good ones. So since i didn't get to share them at our womens event, here are the highs and lows of the last month that i have let pass by without blogging.
Highs: ( in no particular order)
-My sister surprising me by showing up at church. i about freaked out, but i had was kinda in the middle of singing, so i did my best to compose myself. this was the best surprise i have had in a long long time...i love that lady...
-I have seen Harmony TWICE this month!!!!!
-Girls night at Splatters (aka: therapy session with Heather, Amy, Mattie and leandra)
-Going to the cottage with the Keller's, Moore's and the George's...who won boxers or briefs again...oh wait...it was me! how silly of me to forget :)
-Spending time with my parents before they left for California. (i got more time than we even planned! YEAH!!!)
-We took a Financial Course at church and we learned SOOOO much. we on track to being debt free!
-Baby Riley Janet Passer was born and denis and i were able to be there to see her just minutes after she came into this world. she is precious and healthy and looks like her momma.
-Watching Denis preach at church. i am so proud of my baby. i love being his wife.
-Going to Pittsburg for a few days over July 4th. I loved getting away and spending so much time with Rachel. Rachel hooked me up... right rach? :)
-Being around my God kids...they keep us laughing all day long. they are so precious to me.
-Seeing Jaime! still jealous of her trip, but really thankful i was able to sneak in a few visits with her.
-Going out to eat with Christy and Ben THREE sunday's in a row. i love that...
-Having CB in town
-Looking down the row in church two weekends ago and seeing the 4 girls i love to sing with more than anyone. VOM what?!
-Shooting a wedding with my sister-in-law. she is one good photographer. i look forward to working with her again.
-seeing my brother in law last weekend :)
Lows:
-Driving back from Pittsburg. i hated leaving.
-My computer almost crashed at the wedding and i almost lost pictures i had already deleted from my memory card. that would have been SOOOOO very very bad.
-After our finance class was over, i was on information overload and all i dreamed about was money.
-Summer camp last week KICKED MY BUTT. i questioned my calling in child care everyday.
-losing to the George's in Baggo. So close... next time meg and matt...next time
-having to leave the cottage early
-making our bed at the cottage..right amy...big low of the day :)
-Being lectured by John and Rachel because i didn't know who Brett Farve was...does that really make me a bad person?!?!?!
-dropping my parents off at the airport. i ALWAYS have such a hard time saying goodbye to them.
-Not being in california to see my brother graduate.... but i am so proud of the kid.
-lately i have felt like i haven't had much of a social life...i miss my friends.
There you have it. i could add so much more, but i won't bore you with all the details. pray i can load pictures soon!!!!
until next time...
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
More red dirt?
My mom and daddy came up this past weekend for a much needed visit. It was so good to be able to sit and relax with them on friday night since we had the house to ourselves. I woke up saturday morning to find my mom out in our yard pulling weeds. I have no where near a green thumb but my mom's is a green as you can get. So the three of us spent the morning pulling weeds and trying our best to get rid of the "jungle" that was creeping up on my house. I didn't realize what a job it was going to be. We broke for lunch and then my mom and i ran to home depot to pick up mulch. I wanted to red ceder mulch to brighten up our yard a bit. My mom had brought three bags, so we went and picked up 10 more. we thought that would be plenty. My dad told us to get more than that, we called him silly and left him there with the kids. Lexi took right to him. My mom and i were back in no time with mulch, hanging baskets, flowers and soil. It looked like the rain was on it's way in so we worked quickly only to realize that we didn't have enough mulch. Little Robbie was outside helping us lay the "red dirt" (as he likes to call it) and quickly pointed out that we needed more. I couldn't believe it. I had to run back to home depot and pick up SIX more bags of that stuff! thank goodness the rain held off and we were able to finish up everything. I never ever thought i would be as sore as i am from all that work. I have been moving slow ever since. I have been doing my best to remember to water the new plants everyday. But they don't look to happy to be in my yard. I think they are scared i might kill them. I am going to do my best not to :)
thanks mom and daddy! love you both so much. come visit again soon. The kids are asking for you. Dad, i think Lexi just wants you for your fries :)
here is a picture of our yard.
thanks mom and daddy! love you both so much. come visit again soon. The kids are asking for you. Dad, i think Lexi just wants you for your fries :)
here is a picture of our yard.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
My "new" baby
denis and i are crazy about mac's. he has several times at church compared mac's and PC's to christianty. a "PC" christian is the kind of person that does just enough to "cut it." follows the rules and does just enough to feel good about themselves. But a "Mac" christian is the kind of person that goes above and beyond the call of duty in their walk with christ. we have even played videos like the one above that spoof of the pc/mac commercial. so special... i always point out that the only computer i have had is a PC, and he has had a Mac for almost three years...until now. denis just recently received another mac laptop through his job this week, so that means that i now have his old computer!!! i am so excited. i love using his for my picture and what not, but it is not very often at all that i do. i am really excited about it. here is a picture of it.
i would like to say that now that i have my own laptop that i will blog more often, but lets not get to carried away! :)
i would like to say that now that i have my own laptop that i will blog more often, but lets not get to carried away! :)
Monday, June 02, 2008
Heather and Tony
i am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that my heather is now Mrs. D'Imperio...so wild. Here are a few pictures from her beautiful day. I love you both so much! Thank you so much for letting me be a part of it! Congrats you crazy kids!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
New York, New York
It was a whirlwind of a weekend... lets just say i am in no rush to go back to the fast pace life of a new yorker... But we did have a wonderful time wandering the big city and seeing the sights. We screamed "tourist" by the way we walked around, map in tow and camera's draped around our necks taking pictures at every exciting corner. The main reason for our trip was so that Denis and Andrea could go to the Met to see the opera. Matt and I had no desire to PAY to sit through 3 hours of singing in another launguage. So Matt and i walked around Central Park and some of the sights near it while they enjoyed their opera.
Here is a list of some of the things we saw on our 2-day mini vacation
Empire State Building
Times Square
Library
Cathedrial (can't remember which one...)
Tiffany's
Rockefeller Center
Central Park
Bloomigdales
AFO Schwarts
Little Italy
Canal Street
Lincoln Center
Metropolitan Opera House
Julliard
Ground Zero
the inside of a cab :)
Broadway
I am sure i have missed a few...but you get the picture :)
Here are a few pictures of our trip...well actually..there is alot...
Here is a list of some of the things we saw on our 2-day mini vacation
Empire State Building
Times Square
Library
Cathedrial (can't remember which one...)
Tiffany's
Rockefeller Center
Central Park
Bloomigdales
AFO Schwarts
Little Italy
Canal Street
Lincoln Center
Metropolitan Opera House
Julliard
Ground Zero
the inside of a cab :)
Broadway
I am sure i have missed a few...but you get the picture :)
Here are a few pictures of our trip...well actually..there is alot...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)