Monday, March 24, 2008
Easter Weekend
We had a phenominal weekend at our church for Easter. We had our first services in our new building and it was incredible. We had 5 services in all: 1 Friday, 1 Saturday, and 3 on Sunday. Our new facility seats 1,200, in comparison to our previous that sat just over 400. It was a whirlwind of a week to prepare. the earliest night we were home was monday night at 10:30. But it was worth the sleepless nights and all the hard work. In attendance overall we had about 5300 people (that includes teens and children) and just over 500 first time decisions. Here are a few pictures that the D&C took.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Harmony
This little girl is the light of my life. It is hard to put into words just how much i love and adore this little person. This past weekend I was able to go home ( I drove home all by myself for the first time ever...I'm a big girl now!) and spend some much needed time with my family. On top of seeing my parents, Allison, Rachel and harmony, we had an incredible surprise! (well i knew ahead of time...but that's another story.) On Friday night, after we all had dinner and we were just sitting around "shootin the breeze," as my mom would call it, and then the next thing you know, in walks my Aunt Elsie and my Uncle Bob. I hadn't seen them in about 2 years! It was incredible to be able to add them to our weekend at home. On Saturday night, my Uncle Bob pulled out what we lovingly refer to as The Book O-Fun. It was a book of the top 100 Christian Songs. He went through one by one and had Rachel and I sing a little of each song. It was so funny. Rach and i are SOOO good, that all my Aunt needed to do was give us the Artist, and we guessed the title. we did really well for the first 25 or so, then the songs were a little out of our age range :) They headed out early Sunday morning, while rach and I stayed and went to church. I headed out after lunch and rach a few hours later. It was a wonderful weekend full of fun, laughs and diet foods....hehehe. The drive wasn't as bad as i had it made out to be in my head. I will definitely be doing it more often now that WE NO LONGER HAVE SIX SERVICES A WEEKEND! only 2 on sunday's now. i still can't believe it. we had our first service in our new building last night. i still have chills from it. it was amazing. I am so ready for our Easter services. God is so faithful...
Back to Harmony
Of course i brought my camera home this weekend and i took about 125 pictures of Harmony. Here are a few for now. More to come. Enjoy this sweet sweet face.
Back to Harmony
Of course i brought my camera home this weekend and i took about 125 pictures of Harmony. Here are a few for now. More to come. Enjoy this sweet sweet face.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
50 things about me
* i got this idea from Ashley. I haven't blogged in a while and don't really have alot to blog about, unless you want to know how my dreams are, cause all i do these days are work and sleep :) speaking of dreams...i did have a dream the other night that denis gave me a weave. (a hair weave) in my dream he braided my hair back and sewed in new hair...weird dream...
anyway. here are 50 things about me.
1. i have an identical twin sister ( bet NO ONE knew that!)
2. my two front teeth are fake. when i was 17, i did a face plant on pavement while riding my bike. My tire got caught in my friends tire that was riding in front of me. It was so embarrassing. I was lying in the middle of the road and my friend tim ran so fast up the street to drag me out of the road before i was run over. i even went to Darin lake the next day with smashed up front teeth...how did i ever recover...
3. i got my license when i was 26.
4. i have this thing about cruise control. denis keeps in on all the time JUST IN CASE he needs it. if i am not using it, it has to be off. there was one time when denis was driving and the cruise button was on, even though it wasn't set, so i reached over and turned it off...yeah...i will never do that again.
5. i am deathly afraid of tunnels. once i grabbed the wheel of the car while denis was driving in one because i thought we were too close to the wall. i swear tunnels are death traps. that is why i will never live in pittsburg. sorry rach.
6. if i am eating vanilla ice cream, i have to have chocolate syrup OR some kind of brownie or cookie or even pie to go with it. can't have it plain by itself.
7. my mom is also a twin. a fraternal twin. Her twins name is Elsie.
8. growing up, i was more afraid of my mom than i was my dad. my dad is a big softy.
9. i came in third place in an archery competition in 6th grade. it was against my entire class...including the boys. dad was proud.
10. for a senior prank, a group of us broke into our school and night and made a mess of the senior hallway. we had to run from the police... don't know if my mom ever knew that... hehehe SORRY MOM
11. kids at school used to call our car the bible-mobile cause we went to church so often. if they could see me now!
12. i used to LOVE horror movies. couldn't get enough of them. now they physically make me sick. i will never EVER EVER again watch Event Horizon. Scariest movie i have ever seen.
13. In Mexico, while we were on our cruise, i got in the car alone with a mexican taxi driver to go to the beach. looking back...not such a smart move.
14. i love to journal. i try to do it every night. i feel like it is somehow leaving a mark on the world. like it's my legacy. when i write i think "maybe my great great grand kids will read this and learn from my mistakes and struggles" it is such a cool thing.
15. when i go up and down steps, i need to count them. always.
16. i fall alot. especially in the winter. like once a day.
17. i have a shower routine. there is a specific order i need to go in when i shower. i have tried to break myself of it, and i can't. same with drying off. i need to go in a certain order...am i sharing too much here...i kinda feel like i am over sharing.
18. i over use "..." in emails, text and even my blogs. i don't know why...
19. i am not a phone talker unless it's my mom. i don't know why. i would rather text all day long than talk on the phone.
20. i am a really fast texter...i love T9
21. i hate ironing. my husband will take his clothes out of the dryer and stuff them in his basket...it makes me nuts. i NEED to fold my clothes right out of the dryer to avoid wrinkles. And if they do get wrinkles, i will put them in the dryer for 10 minutes over getting the iron out. i loath the iron.
22. i love the snooze alarm. i will snooze for an hour if i can. my clock is set 20 minutes fast so i feel like i am getting up later, but i snooze for about 30 minutes. it is my process of waking up. denis HATES it. i have a three snooze allowance before i am kicked out of bed.
23. i think i am allergic to feathers. i used to LOVE feather pillows and down comforters, but one night at heathers, i had a feather pillow and i actually felt like i was dying. i couldn't catch my breath at all. it was so scary. denis hates when i tell people that, cause i feel like am allergic to things now that i never was before. but i hear you can DEVELOP allergies. i feel like i am. denis won't hear it. he is waiting for the day for me to tell him that i am allergic to air. i tell him i am allergic to stupid people.
24. i snort when i get laughing really hard, then i start to wheeze. i think the wheezing is due to my allergies. :)
25. i hate confrontation. i avoid it at all cost. in the words of lydia, i am a big WOOSE.
26. i have no hand-eye coordination. that's why i played soccer in high school and why i was terrible at the trumpet. you should see me try and play guitar hero... yikes.
27. i am incredibly forgetful, unless it has to with remembering a line in a movie or a song. i can remember those all day long. But ask me to remember an appointment or a meeting or that i made plans. forget it. denis said i need medicine.
28. i am a people pleaser. i will say yes to any and everything. i will double book myself and then that is no fun for anyone.
30. i am a terrible speller. thank god for spell check.
31. i used to be addicted to Nyquil. my college roommate had to hid it from me. true story.
32. when i get sick, i regress back into my childhood years. i am such a big baby.
33. i hate soup. unless it is tomato or from Max and Erma's.
34. i love to read at night. it seems to be the only way i can wind down.
35. i was really good a math in high school. it came so easy to me. now i can barely remember my times tables. so sad.
36. i am not a big reality tv fan anymore. it used to be all i watch. the only reality show i watch anymore is American Idol. this writers strike really put a downer on my tv watching.
37. i hate doing the dishes. with a passion. hate it.
38. i am not a very good cook. i made soapy rice once and i have left the cardboard on the bottom of my frozen pizza's more times that i care to admit.
39. i just took down my christmas tree...like two weeks ago. i really like christmas people! don't judge me.
40. i order the same thing all the time. i have a certain dish i eat at every restaurant. i can never order something different. if we eat someplace new, 9 times out of ten i will get chicken fingers or a burger. i never try things that are new.
41. i can't sleep with my mouth open. if my nose is stuffed, sleeping is impossible. this has really frustrated me lately. i haven't been sleeping well at all. except for last night... i took nyquil...hehehe
42. i love playing board games, but i become a different person. i am extremely competitive and i talk alot of junk. BUT no matter how bad i get, it pales in comparison to rachel...
43. i don' t really care for songs that echo. i did until my friend matt said something about it. now they kinda bother me. never let go matt. (matt is one of my blog stalkers. i have a big following! hehehehe)
44. i have been in 12 weddings (that includes heather even though she isn't married yet)
45. i wish i knew sign language.
46. i need to have my camera with me all the time. i may need to capture a moment at any given time.
47. i never knew i could love someone after seeing them just once until i met harmony. i love that girl SOOOOOOOOO much.
48. My friends are my treasures. they are more precious to me that anything.
49. they say you can pick your friends, but you are stuck with your family. i would never use the word stuck. i am blessed beyond words with the most amazing family ever. if God ever gave me the chance to go back and choose, i would chose them a thousand times over.
50. i have the greatest husband ever. he makes me laugh like no other person can. i feel so safe with him. i would also chose him a thousand times over.
you were right ashley, this wasn't as hard as i though. once i got to 25, i almost quit. i would like to see Rachel, Heather, Amy, Jaime and John fill this out too. get crackin'.
anyway. here are 50 things about me.
1. i have an identical twin sister ( bet NO ONE knew that!)
2. my two front teeth are fake. when i was 17, i did a face plant on pavement while riding my bike. My tire got caught in my friends tire that was riding in front of me. It was so embarrassing. I was lying in the middle of the road and my friend tim ran so fast up the street to drag me out of the road before i was run over. i even went to Darin lake the next day with smashed up front teeth...how did i ever recover...
3. i got my license when i was 26.
4. i have this thing about cruise control. denis keeps in on all the time JUST IN CASE he needs it. if i am not using it, it has to be off. there was one time when denis was driving and the cruise button was on, even though it wasn't set, so i reached over and turned it off...yeah...i will never do that again.
5. i am deathly afraid of tunnels. once i grabbed the wheel of the car while denis was driving in one because i thought we were too close to the wall. i swear tunnels are death traps. that is why i will never live in pittsburg. sorry rach.
6. if i am eating vanilla ice cream, i have to have chocolate syrup OR some kind of brownie or cookie or even pie to go with it. can't have it plain by itself.
7. my mom is also a twin. a fraternal twin. Her twins name is Elsie.
8. growing up, i was more afraid of my mom than i was my dad. my dad is a big softy.
9. i came in third place in an archery competition in 6th grade. it was against my entire class...including the boys. dad was proud.
10. for a senior prank, a group of us broke into our school and night and made a mess of the senior hallway. we had to run from the police... don't know if my mom ever knew that... hehehe SORRY MOM
11. kids at school used to call our car the bible-mobile cause we went to church so often. if they could see me now!
12. i used to LOVE horror movies. couldn't get enough of them. now they physically make me sick. i will never EVER EVER again watch Event Horizon. Scariest movie i have ever seen.
13. In Mexico, while we were on our cruise, i got in the car alone with a mexican taxi driver to go to the beach. looking back...not such a smart move.
14. i love to journal. i try to do it every night. i feel like it is somehow leaving a mark on the world. like it's my legacy. when i write i think "maybe my great great grand kids will read this and learn from my mistakes and struggles" it is such a cool thing.
15. when i go up and down steps, i need to count them. always.
16. i fall alot. especially in the winter. like once a day.
17. i have a shower routine. there is a specific order i need to go in when i shower. i have tried to break myself of it, and i can't. same with drying off. i need to go in a certain order...am i sharing too much here...i kinda feel like i am over sharing.
18. i over use "..." in emails, text and even my blogs. i don't know why...
19. i am not a phone talker unless it's my mom. i don't know why. i would rather text all day long than talk on the phone.
20. i am a really fast texter...i love T9
21. i hate ironing. my husband will take his clothes out of the dryer and stuff them in his basket...it makes me nuts. i NEED to fold my clothes right out of the dryer to avoid wrinkles. And if they do get wrinkles, i will put them in the dryer for 10 minutes over getting the iron out. i loath the iron.
22. i love the snooze alarm. i will snooze for an hour if i can. my clock is set 20 minutes fast so i feel like i am getting up later, but i snooze for about 30 minutes. it is my process of waking up. denis HATES it. i have a three snooze allowance before i am kicked out of bed.
23. i think i am allergic to feathers. i used to LOVE feather pillows and down comforters, but one night at heathers, i had a feather pillow and i actually felt like i was dying. i couldn't catch my breath at all. it was so scary. denis hates when i tell people that, cause i feel like am allergic to things now that i never was before. but i hear you can DEVELOP allergies. i feel like i am. denis won't hear it. he is waiting for the day for me to tell him that i am allergic to air. i tell him i am allergic to stupid people.
24. i snort when i get laughing really hard, then i start to wheeze. i think the wheezing is due to my allergies. :)
25. i hate confrontation. i avoid it at all cost. in the words of lydia, i am a big WOOSE.
26. i have no hand-eye coordination. that's why i played soccer in high school and why i was terrible at the trumpet. you should see me try and play guitar hero... yikes.
27. i am incredibly forgetful, unless it has to with remembering a line in a movie or a song. i can remember those all day long. But ask me to remember an appointment or a meeting or that i made plans. forget it. denis said i need medicine.
28. i am a people pleaser. i will say yes to any and everything. i will double book myself and then that is no fun for anyone.
30. i am a terrible speller. thank god for spell check.
31. i used to be addicted to Nyquil. my college roommate had to hid it from me. true story.
32. when i get sick, i regress back into my childhood years. i am such a big baby.
33. i hate soup. unless it is tomato or from Max and Erma's.
34. i love to read at night. it seems to be the only way i can wind down.
35. i was really good a math in high school. it came so easy to me. now i can barely remember my times tables. so sad.
36. i am not a big reality tv fan anymore. it used to be all i watch. the only reality show i watch anymore is American Idol. this writers strike really put a downer on my tv watching.
37. i hate doing the dishes. with a passion. hate it.
38. i am not a very good cook. i made soapy rice once and i have left the cardboard on the bottom of my frozen pizza's more times that i care to admit.
39. i just took down my christmas tree...like two weeks ago. i really like christmas people! don't judge me.
40. i order the same thing all the time. i have a certain dish i eat at every restaurant. i can never order something different. if we eat someplace new, 9 times out of ten i will get chicken fingers or a burger. i never try things that are new.
41. i can't sleep with my mouth open. if my nose is stuffed, sleeping is impossible. this has really frustrated me lately. i haven't been sleeping well at all. except for last night... i took nyquil...hehehe
42. i love playing board games, but i become a different person. i am extremely competitive and i talk alot of junk. BUT no matter how bad i get, it pales in comparison to rachel...
43. i don' t really care for songs that echo. i did until my friend matt said something about it. now they kinda bother me. never let go matt. (matt is one of my blog stalkers. i have a big following! hehehehe)
44. i have been in 12 weddings (that includes heather even though she isn't married yet)
45. i wish i knew sign language.
46. i need to have my camera with me all the time. i may need to capture a moment at any given time.
47. i never knew i could love someone after seeing them just once until i met harmony. i love that girl SOOOOOOOOO much.
48. My friends are my treasures. they are more precious to me that anything.
49. they say you can pick your friends, but you are stuck with your family. i would never use the word stuck. i am blessed beyond words with the most amazing family ever. if God ever gave me the chance to go back and choose, i would chose them a thousand times over.
50. i have the greatest husband ever. he makes me laugh like no other person can. i feel so safe with him. i would also chose him a thousand times over.
you were right ashley, this wasn't as hard as i though. once i got to 25, i almost quit. i would like to see Rachel, Heather, Amy, Jaime and John fill this out too. get crackin'.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
The Village Inn
When i woke up on Saturday morning, i was already in the vacationing mood. I spent the day with Heather, Kelly, Anthony and Becky playing games and eating too much! Then i had an incredibly relaxing and fun evening with Amy. We ate, watched two movies, Rendition and No Reservations...both of which i recommend. Rendition is a bit more intense, we kind of expected Jack Bauer to come in and save the day! not to ruin the ending...but he didn't...
This past weekend was my first weekend of the year that i had off from leading worship. It has been a whirl wind of a year so far keeping up with 6 services a weekend, but i am so in love with my church and my church family. I am so blessed to work with so many incredible people. But i still went to a service on Sunday. I chose the 12:30 service so i could still have breakfast with Amy...she makes a mean waffle!
so after church we went home and packed up the car and we were on our way!!! i was so excited for it until denis told me that i was driving! that is when i panicked. does he not know i've only had my license for like a week! now you want me to drive for an hour and a half to someplace i've never been! crazy man. But he made a great point in saying "do you really want your first long distance trip to be made when you are by yourself, or do you want me there?" who can argue with that! so i drove! I did an excellent job too if i may say so myself! :)
The weather was so nice on Sunday, so we walked around and saw the sights before taking our normal sunday afternoon nap. Here are a few pictures of our room.
I love king size beds...
my own personal boyscout!
bathroom
denis kept saying "this tub has Jets!"
our terrace...hence the Terrace Room :)
our entrance to our room! i would recommend this inn to anyone!
On Monday we slept in and again walked around town and ate at a little deli nearby. We went to an antique shop and looked around then we went to this bookstore/coffee shop. While we were there we came across this book:
Denis was quite impressed because it even had the correct spelling of denis...well at least the way he spells it... we got quite a kick out of it so we picked it up to see what the book was about. and this is what the back cover said:
If you cant read it is says "the God i want to believe in has a voice and a sense of humor like Denis Johnson's" Maybe i am the only one, but i thought this was HYSTERICAL! maybe i am all alone in that thinking though...
Anyway, we looked around at the books, i bought a few scrapbooking items and then we had some coffee. We then headed back to our room for another nap before going out to dinner. We rented a movie, The Bourne Ultimatum. SOOOO good. I loved it.
Tuesday, we got up and packed up and heading out. the weather was NO FUN! but at least i didn't have to drive in it! I took tuesday completely off so when we got home, i napped :) and just relaxed for a while.
Even though work was madness when i got back, our mini-vacation was SOOOO worth it...
next vacation....MY MOM AND DAD'S HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This past weekend was my first weekend of the year that i had off from leading worship. It has been a whirl wind of a year so far keeping up with 6 services a weekend, but i am so in love with my church and my church family. I am so blessed to work with so many incredible people. But i still went to a service on Sunday. I chose the 12:30 service so i could still have breakfast with Amy...she makes a mean waffle!
so after church we went home and packed up the car and we were on our way!!! i was so excited for it until denis told me that i was driving! that is when i panicked. does he not know i've only had my license for like a week! now you want me to drive for an hour and a half to someplace i've never been! crazy man. But he made a great point in saying "do you really want your first long distance trip to be made when you are by yourself, or do you want me there?" who can argue with that! so i drove! I did an excellent job too if i may say so myself! :)
The weather was so nice on Sunday, so we walked around and saw the sights before taking our normal sunday afternoon nap. Here are a few pictures of our room.
I love king size beds...
my own personal boyscout!
bathroom
denis kept saying "this tub has Jets!"
our terrace...hence the Terrace Room :)
our entrance to our room! i would recommend this inn to anyone!
On Monday we slept in and again walked around town and ate at a little deli nearby. We went to an antique shop and looked around then we went to this bookstore/coffee shop. While we were there we came across this book:
Denis was quite impressed because it even had the correct spelling of denis...well at least the way he spells it... we got quite a kick out of it so we picked it up to see what the book was about. and this is what the back cover said:
If you cant read it is says "the God i want to believe in has a voice and a sense of humor like Denis Johnson's" Maybe i am the only one, but i thought this was HYSTERICAL! maybe i am all alone in that thinking though...
Anyway, we looked around at the books, i bought a few scrapbooking items and then we had some coffee. We then headed back to our room for another nap before going out to dinner. We rented a movie, The Bourne Ultimatum. SOOOO good. I loved it.
Tuesday, we got up and packed up and heading out. the weather was NO FUN! but at least i didn't have to drive in it! I took tuesday completely off so when we got home, i napped :) and just relaxed for a while.
Even though work was madness when i got back, our mini-vacation was SOOOO worth it...
next vacation....MY MOM AND DAD'S HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
VACATION!!!!!!!!!
I know that my last blog told you a bit about the last vacation we went on to Myrtle Beach...but even though it has only been a month and a half since then, Denis and I are in desperate need of another getaway. We hit the ground running the moment we stepped off that plane in January and i feel like i haven't been able to come up for air since. BUT in the midst of all the craziness and the busyness of our lives, God is working in me. It has been a very hard month and a half, but i know beyond the shaddow of a doubt that God is guiding me and teaching me and that is what makes it worth it.
but back to vacation. Denis decided that we NEEDED to take a few days and get away... who am i to argue with that! so he researched a few places, and asked around and found a BEAUTIFUL place in skaneateles NY for us to go to. It came highly suggested from a few of our friends at church. Here is a picture of the room we reserved. It's the Terrace Room.
Isn't it beautiful! This particular Inn has 4 seperate rooms, all different themes. We originally wanted the French Country Room, which looks like this.
But this room was already booked. But apparently, our friends who just went and stayed there left us a note. So we are going to try to find a way to get into the room and see what message they left for us. :)
There are two other rooms, if you are ever interested in having a quick getaway that is within two hours, i suggest this place. Here is the website
http://www.villageinn-ny.com/accommodations.htm
When you go in the off season AND when you go during the week instead of a weekend, you can get these room's for only $99 a night. (originally it's $210)
We are going in just a few weeks. I post more pictures then!
until then...i will be dreaming of vacations past and vactions to come...right ashley!
but back to vacation. Denis decided that we NEEDED to take a few days and get away... who am i to argue with that! so he researched a few places, and asked around and found a BEAUTIFUL place in skaneateles NY for us to go to. It came highly suggested from a few of our friends at church. Here is a picture of the room we reserved. It's the Terrace Room.
Isn't it beautiful! This particular Inn has 4 seperate rooms, all different themes. We originally wanted the French Country Room, which looks like this.
But this room was already booked. But apparently, our friends who just went and stayed there left us a note. So we are going to try to find a way to get into the room and see what message they left for us. :)
There are two other rooms, if you are ever interested in having a quick getaway that is within two hours, i suggest this place. Here is the website
http://www.villageinn-ny.com/accommodations.htm
When you go in the off season AND when you go during the week instead of a weekend, you can get these room's for only $99 a night. (originally it's $210)
We are going in just a few weeks. I post more pictures then!
until then...i will be dreaming of vacations past and vactions to come...right ashley!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Phone Tag
First, i must apologize...once again... for my lack of blogging in 2008. John so nicely pointed out that it was my anniversary blog last year that had me stuck in a rut as well. So here i am...trying to get out of my rut.
it's not that i don't have things to blog about...it's just that i have alot to catch up on and don't really feel like i can do that now that i am so far behind. I could blog about christmas. Christmas was amazing this year. Having Harmony around was the best present ever. The moment she entered the house, the atmosphere changed. Of course josh was the first to hold her since it was his first time meeting her. The rest of us patiently waited our turns to hold her...who are we kidding...there was nothing patient about it! Although grandpa did wait patiently, but had no patience for her crying. He didn't like that at all! it was a wonderful time of fun and family and of celebrating the end of a great year.
Then there was our vacation. We left Dec 30th and returned on Jan 5th. We went with Andrea and Matt D'Angelo. It was one of the most relaxing weeks ever. we laughed, we ate ALOT and did a bit of sight seeing as well. It was the best way to start the year in my opinion. Here is to many more D'Angelo/Johnson Vacations to come. Next stop NEW YORK CITY! (pictures of our vacation are on myspace for those fellow myspaceres)
And last but not least was our surprise visit from The Shipmans. I about peed my pants when i got the call...good thing i was already IN the bathroom though. :) It was just what the doctor ordered. Even though the week had some unexpected turns, like not having power and having to find a warm place for them to stay, THANKS KELLERS. But overall it was so wonderful having them here. I woke up each day and the first thing i did was go and sneak a peek at Harmony. Once morning she was awake so i picked her up and we had some bonding time. She is so happy in the morning. I loved this time with her. But all good things come to and end...this ending was not an easy one. Satuday night i had to say goodbye to harmony, rachel and mike and that was not something i want to relive. I did my best not to cry around rachel, cause the moment that happens, you would have to crying girls to have to pick up off the floor. So i put on my brave face and said goodbye. But the moment my bedroom door closed behind me, GAME OVER! i cried myself to sleep the next two nights. I think the whole not knowing when i am going to see them again is the hardest part. when i have something to look forward to, i am good. But it is completely up in the air as to when i might see the Shipmans again. I really emotional about it. We had a baby dedication at our church on sunday and tears just ran down my face as the babies and their parents flooded the stage. How am i ever going to keep it together when i am a mom....yikes. BUT...there is one thing that keeps me holding on...and that is the pix messages i get from rachel. I just love them. I feel like between them and her blog i am still able to watch her grow up. I never ever thought i would love someone so instantly. I am just crazy about her... Here are a few phone pic's that rach sent me and some that i took during their visit.
This is a picture i snagged while at the kellers during the tornado... she's just chillin watchin the big screen TV. Probably "True Life: I'm obsessed with my dog"
This is the outfit rachel had me put on Harmony one morning. Fits her REAL well, huh.
Ok...rachel sent me this picture and i about had a heart attack! on my phone i couldn't see mike's had holding her up. I think Mike has a little too much fun with his daugheter. Someday she's going to be able to tell him no, but for now, she plays along. Even though she doesn't look too happy in this picture. And because my mom reads this blog, i won't say where mike put her while they were at my house... YIKES.
This is one of my favorites. It looks like she is underwater :)
This was just sent this picture today. It made my day! THANKS RACH!
Keep the pictures coming!
it's not that i don't have things to blog about...it's just that i have alot to catch up on and don't really feel like i can do that now that i am so far behind. I could blog about christmas. Christmas was amazing this year. Having Harmony around was the best present ever. The moment she entered the house, the atmosphere changed. Of course josh was the first to hold her since it was his first time meeting her. The rest of us patiently waited our turns to hold her...who are we kidding...there was nothing patient about it! Although grandpa did wait patiently, but had no patience for her crying. He didn't like that at all! it was a wonderful time of fun and family and of celebrating the end of a great year.
Then there was our vacation. We left Dec 30th and returned on Jan 5th. We went with Andrea and Matt D'Angelo. It was one of the most relaxing weeks ever. we laughed, we ate ALOT and did a bit of sight seeing as well. It was the best way to start the year in my opinion. Here is to many more D'Angelo/Johnson Vacations to come. Next stop NEW YORK CITY! (pictures of our vacation are on myspace for those fellow myspaceres)
And last but not least was our surprise visit from The Shipmans. I about peed my pants when i got the call...good thing i was already IN the bathroom though. :) It was just what the doctor ordered. Even though the week had some unexpected turns, like not having power and having to find a warm place for them to stay, THANKS KELLERS. But overall it was so wonderful having them here. I woke up each day and the first thing i did was go and sneak a peek at Harmony. Once morning she was awake so i picked her up and we had some bonding time. She is so happy in the morning. I loved this time with her. But all good things come to and end...this ending was not an easy one. Satuday night i had to say goodbye to harmony, rachel and mike and that was not something i want to relive. I did my best not to cry around rachel, cause the moment that happens, you would have to crying girls to have to pick up off the floor. So i put on my brave face and said goodbye. But the moment my bedroom door closed behind me, GAME OVER! i cried myself to sleep the next two nights. I think the whole not knowing when i am going to see them again is the hardest part. when i have something to look forward to, i am good. But it is completely up in the air as to when i might see the Shipmans again. I really emotional about it. We had a baby dedication at our church on sunday and tears just ran down my face as the babies and their parents flooded the stage. How am i ever going to keep it together when i am a mom....yikes. BUT...there is one thing that keeps me holding on...and that is the pix messages i get from rachel. I just love them. I feel like between them and her blog i am still able to watch her grow up. I never ever thought i would love someone so instantly. I am just crazy about her... Here are a few phone pic's that rach sent me and some that i took during their visit.
This is a picture i snagged while at the kellers during the tornado... she's just chillin watchin the big screen TV. Probably "True Life: I'm obsessed with my dog"
This is the outfit rachel had me put on Harmony one morning. Fits her REAL well, huh.
Ok...rachel sent me this picture and i about had a heart attack! on my phone i couldn't see mike's had holding her up. I think Mike has a little too much fun with his daugheter. Someday she's going to be able to tell him no, but for now, she plays along. Even though she doesn't look too happy in this picture. And because my mom reads this blog, i won't say where mike put her while they were at my house... YIKES.
This is one of my favorites. It looks like she is underwater :)
This was just sent this picture today. It made my day! THANKS RACH!
Keep the pictures coming!
Friday, December 21, 2007
5 Year Anniversary
Today is Denis and I's 5 Year Anniversary...it is so hard to believe that is has been five years. I was talking to Rachel today and we were remembering back to our special day and it seriously feels like it was yesterday. I can remember it so vividly....
The chaos of the rehearsal (something i would like to forget)
how Denis took me to the place he proposed the night before the wedding
the excitement in the house the morning of
or how i woke up with a cold sore on my lip like on my big fat Greek wedding!
I had a nice quiet morning at the spa before heading to the church
My flowers came in wrong, but they quickly fixed their mistake! (thank god...or i would of had orange Calla Lilly's at my Christmas wedding! gross...
Robbie (our best man) delivering a gift from Denis, they were beautiful diamond earrings...
The time finally came to put my dress on. That was the moment it felt so real! My favorite moment of the wedding is when Denis said his vows, then when it was my turn, he started saying MINE! we laughed and laughed... it was a day i will never forget.... it doesn't feel like 5 years ago.
After Rachel and i were done "looking back", she said "and look, now you are an aunt!" to which i replied "yes i am, life is progressing perfectly..."
Denis, i love you more today than ever before. I thank God everyday that you chose me. Being your wife is an honor. Your talent continues to amaze me, and you are wise beyond your years. Thank you for being my husband, my cheerleader, my protector and my best friend.
Here's to many more anniversary's
I love you
forever and ever...
Monday, December 10, 2007
It's Christmas time in the City
It's Christmas Time in the city...and in the johnson household. I finally found time to decorate for my favorite time of year. I had a great time decorating with Mattie and Jaime. This was my first time decorating this house, and i am pretty pleased with how it turned out. I had a hard time deciding where to put the tree. It is squished in at the bottom of the stairs for now :) i may try to find another place next year.
Here are some pictures of my tree
A few details
Christmas has always been my favorite time of year. Growing up Christmas was always a very special time full of special memories. Some of my favorites are:
1. The year my sisters and I got up and opened all our presents before my parents woke up. It wasn't funny or fun at all then because we were sent our rooms for the rest of the morning
2. Christmas candy. My mom is the Christmas candy making QUEEN. I used to love her chocolate covered peanut butter balls till i ate so many that i got SOOO sick...haven't had once since. But it is still an favorite for the family. Chex mix is my ABSOLUTE favorite! my mom makes the best ever....even though i pick out the peanuts.
3. i can vividly remember when i truly believed in Santa. It was so exciting to stay up and listen for him and to set out cookies. now i just know that my dad is a big fan of milk and cookies :)
4. My favorite Christmas gift of all time was my guitar a few years ago. I know that sounds silly because i never ever played it, but for some reason the feeling of seeing it out Christmas morning is one i will never forget!
5. Seeing the tree decorated and lit up is always so thrilling. i love having a home and my own tree to decorate now. I hope that my children will love decorating the tree as much as my mother and i do.
Christmas Traditions! We have a few in the Freer/Johnson households. Here are a few.
Johnson House: (we spend Christmas eve with Denis' family each year)
* we have a nice dinner before we do anything else. It usually includes fried chicken and Macaroni and Cheese...it's amazing.
* then we read the Christmas story. When denis and deanna were growing up, they would try and memorize the verses and say them along with Denis Sr....oh wait...they still do this...i am WAY behind.
* after we read the Christmas story, we each take the chance to pray and thank God for all his blessings throughout the year, and we pray for the year to come. I just love this part.
* then we open presents!...just a side note...each year my sister-in-law gets me coal for Christmas... i am hoping for chocolate coal this year. if i am going to get coal, i at least want to be able to enjoy it! GEESH!
Freer Household: (we drive down Christmas day to spend Christmas at my parents house)
* growing up we each were able to open one present on Christmas eve. it was always such a process trying to figure out which one to open.
* THE BOW GAME! don't ask me how this started or when or even why. But my sister's and i are very competitive and this adds some MORE excitement to our gift opening process. The goal of the game is to end up with the most bows covering your body as possible. I won last year for the FIRST time! it was thrilling!
* Christmas breakfast is always a special time. The food just seems to smell better and taste better than any other time of the year. sounds silly but it's true.
* Family Fun time! the rest of the day is pretty relaxed until the sun goes down, and then IT'S GAME TIME! we spend the evening laughing ourselves silly. denis and mike usually hide downstairs. They don't seem to get it quite yet!
What i am looking forward to most this Christmas:
* spoiling harmony! last year it was all about kemper. Now, it's all about that beautiful face.
* SEEING MY BROTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it could cry thinking about it.
* just being around family. best place in the world.
* Denis and i will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary! so hard to believe.
* giving...i am very excited about my gifts so far. I love to watch the faces of those i love most opening a gift i have put so much thought into.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Here are some pictures of my tree
A few details
Christmas has always been my favorite time of year. Growing up Christmas was always a very special time full of special memories. Some of my favorites are:
1. The year my sisters and I got up and opened all our presents before my parents woke up. It wasn't funny or fun at all then because we were sent our rooms for the rest of the morning
2. Christmas candy. My mom is the Christmas candy making QUEEN. I used to love her chocolate covered peanut butter balls till i ate so many that i got SOOO sick...haven't had once since. But it is still an favorite for the family. Chex mix is my ABSOLUTE favorite! my mom makes the best ever....even though i pick out the peanuts.
3. i can vividly remember when i truly believed in Santa. It was so exciting to stay up and listen for him and to set out cookies. now i just know that my dad is a big fan of milk and cookies :)
4. My favorite Christmas gift of all time was my guitar a few years ago. I know that sounds silly because i never ever played it, but for some reason the feeling of seeing it out Christmas morning is one i will never forget!
5. Seeing the tree decorated and lit up is always so thrilling. i love having a home and my own tree to decorate now. I hope that my children will love decorating the tree as much as my mother and i do.
Christmas Traditions! We have a few in the Freer/Johnson households. Here are a few.
Johnson House: (we spend Christmas eve with Denis' family each year)
* we have a nice dinner before we do anything else. It usually includes fried chicken and Macaroni and Cheese...it's amazing.
* then we read the Christmas story. When denis and deanna were growing up, they would try and memorize the verses and say them along with Denis Sr....oh wait...they still do this...i am WAY behind.
* after we read the Christmas story, we each take the chance to pray and thank God for all his blessings throughout the year, and we pray for the year to come. I just love this part.
* then we open presents!...just a side note...each year my sister-in-law gets me coal for Christmas... i am hoping for chocolate coal this year. if i am going to get coal, i at least want to be able to enjoy it! GEESH!
Freer Household: (we drive down Christmas day to spend Christmas at my parents house)
* growing up we each were able to open one present on Christmas eve. it was always such a process trying to figure out which one to open.
* THE BOW GAME! don't ask me how this started or when or even why. But my sister's and i are very competitive and this adds some MORE excitement to our gift opening process. The goal of the game is to end up with the most bows covering your body as possible. I won last year for the FIRST time! it was thrilling!
* Christmas breakfast is always a special time. The food just seems to smell better and taste better than any other time of the year. sounds silly but it's true.
* Family Fun time! the rest of the day is pretty relaxed until the sun goes down, and then IT'S GAME TIME! we spend the evening laughing ourselves silly. denis and mike usually hide downstairs. They don't seem to get it quite yet!
What i am looking forward to most this Christmas:
* spoiling harmony! last year it was all about kemper. Now, it's all about that beautiful face.
* SEEING MY BROTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it could cry thinking about it.
* just being around family. best place in the world.
* Denis and i will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary! so hard to believe.
* giving...i am very excited about my gifts so far. I love to watch the faces of those i love most opening a gift i have put so much thought into.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Glory Baby
These past two weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions for me. Two weeks ago today i recieved a phone call that my sister was in labor and i couldn't wait to see that baby and kiss her face. I spent the next few days in absolute awe of how perfectly perfect she is.
One week ago today i recieved a phone call telling me that one of my best friends went to the doctor that day and they couldn't find her babies heart beat. My friend, Nanette was 39 weeks pregnant and due anyday. Denis and i rushed to the hospital to be by her side and to pray and petition God for a miracle...that there would be some sign of life in her baby boy.
Wednesday afternoon, Judah Gabrielle Rivera was brought into this world, but his spirit had already gone to be with the Lord. Denis and i went the the hospital and i was able to kiss his little face with my tears. I won't lie, i wrestled with God in that moment. I wanted to know why. Why did it have to be like this? But i knew those questions were not going to be answered. and i now have peace about that.
As i held him i thought; he's perfect. He looked just like his daddy, but with his mommy's nose. :) he was beautiful.
Today we said our final goodbye's to Judah. I have never in my life been more proud to call Nanette and Gabriel my friends. They are so strong. Stronger than I ever could be. I take so much comfort in their strength. I know that they are leaning into God in a way they have never had to before. They understand that verse that says, in our weakness he is made strong.
God's peace truly does pass all understanding. We may not always understand his plans. But we still hold fast to the promise that his plans are perfect. That even when we walk through the valley of the shaddow of death, he is with us.
This song is by watermark, it's called Glory Baby. i find that these words perfectly capture the emotions of this past week.
Glory baby you slipped away as fast as we could say baby…baby..
You were growing, what happened dear?
You disappeared on us baby…baby..
Heaven will hold you before we do
Heaven will keep you safe until we’re home with you…
Until we’re home with you…
Miss you everyday
Miss you in every way
But we know there’s a
day when we will hold you
We will hold you
You’ll kiss our tears away
When we’re home to stay
Can’t wait for the day when we will see you
We will see you
But baby let sweet Jesus hold you
‘till mom and dad can hold you…
You’ll just have heaven before we do
You’ll just have heaven before we do
Sweet little babies, it’s hard to
understand it ‘cause we’re hurting
We are hurting
But there is healing
And we know we’re stronger people through the growing
And in knowing-
That all things work together for our good
And God works His purposes just like He said He would…
Just like He said He would…
I can’t imagine heaven’s lullabies
and what they must sound like
But I will rest in knowing, heaven is your home
And it’s all you’ll ever know…all you’ll ever know…
Judah, your name means "to Praise." and even though i will never watch you grow, i will always love you, and i will never forget you, and i will always praise God for you and for your incredible parents. I'll be seeing you...
One week ago today i recieved a phone call telling me that one of my best friends went to the doctor that day and they couldn't find her babies heart beat. My friend, Nanette was 39 weeks pregnant and due anyday. Denis and i rushed to the hospital to be by her side and to pray and petition God for a miracle...that there would be some sign of life in her baby boy.
Wednesday afternoon, Judah Gabrielle Rivera was brought into this world, but his spirit had already gone to be with the Lord. Denis and i went the the hospital and i was able to kiss his little face with my tears. I won't lie, i wrestled with God in that moment. I wanted to know why. Why did it have to be like this? But i knew those questions were not going to be answered. and i now have peace about that.
As i held him i thought; he's perfect. He looked just like his daddy, but with his mommy's nose. :) he was beautiful.
Today we said our final goodbye's to Judah. I have never in my life been more proud to call Nanette and Gabriel my friends. They are so strong. Stronger than I ever could be. I take so much comfort in their strength. I know that they are leaning into God in a way they have never had to before. They understand that verse that says, in our weakness he is made strong.
God's peace truly does pass all understanding. We may not always understand his plans. But we still hold fast to the promise that his plans are perfect. That even when we walk through the valley of the shaddow of death, he is with us.
This song is by watermark, it's called Glory Baby. i find that these words perfectly capture the emotions of this past week.
Glory baby you slipped away as fast as we could say baby…baby..
You were growing, what happened dear?
You disappeared on us baby…baby..
Heaven will hold you before we do
Heaven will keep you safe until we’re home with you…
Until we’re home with you…
Miss you everyday
Miss you in every way
But we know there’s a
day when we will hold you
We will hold you
You’ll kiss our tears away
When we’re home to stay
Can’t wait for the day when we will see you
We will see you
But baby let sweet Jesus hold you
‘till mom and dad can hold you…
You’ll just have heaven before we do
You’ll just have heaven before we do
Sweet little babies, it’s hard to
understand it ‘cause we’re hurting
We are hurting
But there is healing
And we know we’re stronger people through the growing
And in knowing-
That all things work together for our good
And God works His purposes just like He said He would…
Just like He said He would…
I can’t imagine heaven’s lullabies
and what they must sound like
But I will rest in knowing, heaven is your home
And it’s all you’ll ever know…all you’ll ever know…
Judah, your name means "to Praise." and even though i will never watch you grow, i will always love you, and i will never forget you, and i will always praise God for you and for your incredible parents. I'll be seeing you...
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Harmony Joy Shipman!!!!
I am pretty sure i will be floating on cloud nine for a long time to come. On November 20, 2007 at exactly 12:57, Harmony Joy Shipman graced the world weighing 7 lbs and 2 oz, 21 inches long. In the words of Mary Poppins, she is practically perfect in every way.
I received a text at 4am on Tuesday morning that said only one word... LABOR! not a minute later my mom called to let me know her and allison were on their way to Pittsburgh. I let her know that the soonest i could be there was Wednesday evening after church. I had a very hard time going back to sleep. i was consumed with thoughts of rachel and harmony. I prayed for a quick easy labor and safety for my family. Once i finally fell back asleep, i dreamed that harmony would come out with red hair like my mom. I woke up early that morning and called mike to see how rachel was. I got ready and headed to work but obviously i was very distracted! Allison called in the middle of my class and that is when it really hit me that i was missing such a huge moment in my sister's life. And i did not do well at all with that realization. When denis called soon after allison to see how denis was. When he asked me how i was doing with it all, i broke down. I absolutely lost it. All i wanted to do was be with rachel and mike.
After my class was over denis called me back and asked if i could leave ASAP, would i. i freaked out of course and said HECK YES! he then purchased me a plane ticket and i was rushing home to pack my bags. Let me pause my story for a moment and say that i am married to the most amazing man in the world. Babe...thank you so much for understanding how much i needed to be with my family.
anyway...to make a long story short, i should have been in Pittsburgh by 5, but after a crazy day of delays and missing my connecting flight, i arrived at 10:30pm!!! it was crazy.
visiting hours didn't start till noon the next day, so needless to say we arrived just shortly after. Seeing harmony for the first time was a moment i will never forget. It is an instant love i had only heard about. She is so beautiful and such a good little girl! we spent the entire day with her and mike let me stay the night with rach and harmony.
Since rachel did end up having an emergency c section, she wasn't supposed to come home until friday, but the doctor said...and i quote "since it is thanksgiving i will let you go home early" When rachel heard those words, she became a different person. she was up and in the shower and we quickly got everything ready to head home.
around noon today harmony was in the comfort of her own home with her proud mom and dad. Kemper was so excited about the new arrival. it was adorable to see them meet...even though harmony slept through it!
we have been enjoying a wonderful, quiet Thanksgiving day here at the Shipmans. I am blessed beyond words to have been able to be here for as much as i have.
Denis arrived around 4 today. We will be staying through saturday morning.
Here are a few pictures of the beautiful baby girl. Look for more soon!
I received a text at 4am on Tuesday morning that said only one word... LABOR! not a minute later my mom called to let me know her and allison were on their way to Pittsburgh. I let her know that the soonest i could be there was Wednesday evening after church. I had a very hard time going back to sleep. i was consumed with thoughts of rachel and harmony. I prayed for a quick easy labor and safety for my family. Once i finally fell back asleep, i dreamed that harmony would come out with red hair like my mom. I woke up early that morning and called mike to see how rachel was. I got ready and headed to work but obviously i was very distracted! Allison called in the middle of my class and that is when it really hit me that i was missing such a huge moment in my sister's life. And i did not do well at all with that realization. When denis called soon after allison to see how denis was. When he asked me how i was doing with it all, i broke down. I absolutely lost it. All i wanted to do was be with rachel and mike.
After my class was over denis called me back and asked if i could leave ASAP, would i. i freaked out of course and said HECK YES! he then purchased me a plane ticket and i was rushing home to pack my bags. Let me pause my story for a moment and say that i am married to the most amazing man in the world. Babe...thank you so much for understanding how much i needed to be with my family.
anyway...to make a long story short, i should have been in Pittsburgh by 5, but after a crazy day of delays and missing my connecting flight, i arrived at 10:30pm!!! it was crazy.
visiting hours didn't start till noon the next day, so needless to say we arrived just shortly after. Seeing harmony for the first time was a moment i will never forget. It is an instant love i had only heard about. She is so beautiful and such a good little girl! we spent the entire day with her and mike let me stay the night with rach and harmony.
Since rachel did end up having an emergency c section, she wasn't supposed to come home until friday, but the doctor said...and i quote "since it is thanksgiving i will let you go home early" When rachel heard those words, she became a different person. she was up and in the shower and we quickly got everything ready to head home.
around noon today harmony was in the comfort of her own home with her proud mom and dad. Kemper was so excited about the new arrival. it was adorable to see them meet...even though harmony slept through it!
we have been enjoying a wonderful, quiet Thanksgiving day here at the Shipmans. I am blessed beyond words to have been able to be here for as much as i have.
Denis arrived around 4 today. We will be staying through saturday morning.
Here are a few pictures of the beautiful baby girl. Look for more soon!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
A "Wonder"ful weekend
This past weekend had to have been one of my favorite weekends in a LONG time. If you were to ask Denis or I what concert we would pay ANYTHING to go to, (besides kenny chesney and rascal flatts...but that is another story...) it would be Stevie Wonder! we are HUGE fans. So this past weekend we were able to live out that dream, thanks to wonderful friends and family. It was a weekend we will never forget. Here are some pictures
*the pictures of stevie wonder were taken on my cell phone seeing how we had Mr. wannabepoliceman at the door who made us take our camera's back to the car... i am still about sour about that...
Here are a few pictures of the crazy gang :)
AND NOW............ BABY BUMP!!!
i can't wait for her to just be here already! hopefully my next blog will be annoucing her arrival!!! :)
*the pictures of stevie wonder were taken on my cell phone seeing how we had Mr. wannabepoliceman at the door who made us take our camera's back to the car... i am still about sour about that...
Here are a few pictures of the crazy gang :)
AND NOW............ BABY BUMP!!!
i can't wait for her to just be here already! hopefully my next blog will be annoucing her arrival!!! :)
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