The Boys of Fall

First things first, I'm so sorry that I can't figure out how to put pictures from flickr onto our blog in the same post. I will whole heartedly admit that I'm terrible with computers :(

Now, I would like to say that we had such a fun time in Thatcher this weekend. Leon has been dragging our family down there every weekend for two months now to go to his Alumni football practices.  um yay...But the big game was on Friday night and talk about a good time.  I honestly thought in my head, "Leon give it up. You are an old man who lays in bed with me all day, your athletic dreams are over." I was wrong. 

I got to the field and felt like I should be grabbing my cheer box because it just smelled of high school. And then there he was...number 14.  Wow talk about dreamboat.  He looked liked the varsity football player I always dreamed of dating as a little freshman. His jersey was untucked and he was in full contact pads (which made his naturally broad shoulders look ten times broader) with helmet in hand and that smoldering smile that was directed right at me. Oh boy was I in heaven. I honestly felt like a giddy teenager again.

Then it started.  Leon played quarter back and he threw some amazing passes.  He ran the ball and cut through their defense like butter, spinning and shrugging off the safford line. Scoring two touchdowns himself and throwing three more, he was the star of the game. He took some good hits and threw down some even better ones. My mild tempered lover boy has some aggression pent up in there haha. Good thing its never directed at me lol.  I was so proud of my man. oh and Ellie is obsessed with Daddy these days, she will never choose me over him ever, so naturally she was proud too. 

He was dying the next day and still managed to play in three baseball games. Talk about a champion. He is still sore and exhausted but can't stop talking about how much fun he had. He is ready to play again next year. He keeps telling me that he is going to play flag football at Harvard...so Cambridge be ware. Here are some pics from the big night hope you enjoy.

Love,

The Johnsons

"Go Leon!! You are the man!! I wannabe like you when I get bigger" -Jesse
"Dad what are you doing out there and why am I not with you?" -Ellie

Alumni Football 029, a photo by gilahank on Flickr.

Ellie girl and Granny

Alumni Football 032, a photo by gilahank on Flickr.

Tell me he is not to die for?

Alumni Football 040, a photo by gilahank on Flickr.

Thatcher Alumni Football team 2011

Alumni Football 042, a photo by gilahank on Flickr.

I know what you are thinking, "wait a second..that is Leon's best friend from BYU didn't he grow up in Kentucky or Tennessee or something like that? What is he doing out at an Alumni football game?" My response is. "Yes that is collin. Yes he grew up somewhere in the midwest. and boys will be boys."

Alumni Football 043, a photo by gilahank on Flickr.

Leon, Cedric, and Collin

Alumni Football 044, a photo by gilahank on Flickr.

The Johnson Family...uh oh Elles where is your bow you mischievous little girl you

Alumni Football 046, a photo by gilahank on Flickr.

hubba hubba muah muah my first and last love

Alumni Football 047, a photo by gilahank on Flickr.

Ellie's cousins andi and averey

Alumni Football 048, a photo by gilahank on Flickr.

Daddy loves his baby

Alumni Football 050, a photo by gilahank on Flickr.

Leon and Cedy with their precious babies

Alumni Football 055, a photo by gilahank on Flickr.

Alumni Football 051, a photo by gilahank on Flickr.

What I really Love is...

Spending time with the Mr. and Miss of the Johnson home.  I know that this is a lot of blog posting and I know that you are thinking, "Brittany it is 11:19 and you go to bed at 9:30 most nights and you have a final in the morning what are you doing catching up on your blogging?" Well this is what I do when I miss my family lol. Just be grateful for the precious pictures ;) I thought I would give you some pics of Ellie's first hike in the superstition mountains, my birthday at the renaissance festival, and our anniversary trip to Hawaii. Enjoy :) 

Ellie's first hike

muah xoxox

The big 2-3

morning hike up the crater

mmmm best pineapple ice cream ever (besides the tiki room ice cream at disney land which is the same thing I think)

snorkeling at Turtle bay

waterfall hike

Pearl Harbor (why do I love WWII so much... its so weird)

The highlight of his trip...yes we swam with these big boys...yes we grabbed their shells and rode them...yes I was deathly afraid they would bite me.

Hawaii temple

Better Late than never ;)

Love the Johnsons

Things that make me happy:

-making princess baby laugh

-splashing and giggling in the tub with your best friend thats a baby

-eating a whole bowl of blue bell chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream with your hubby and not feeling guilty one bit because fat or thin you know that he loves you for you

-going to the beach on a warm summer day and seeing that tan line that winters and PA school make non-exsistant

-hearing your baby say mama

-watching the man you fell in love with turn into a husband and a father

-a nice long bubble bath with a glass of apple juice and crushed ice

-a massage from your one and only without having to give one back in return

-watching the Mr. do his fiddler on the roof dance

-seeing your husband get the call from the school of his dreams and watching his excitement at starting a new chapter of his life

-looking at future homes in Del Mar on Zillow.com

-listening to les miserables while you fold the laundry and clean the house

-making cookies with your child

-kissing that precious angle face of a sweet Ellie bean

-finding a good book that you and your husband can read together even though you know your husband will always finish it first and might even ruin it for you in his excitement

-watching episodes of 24 all night long with your head laying on your own personal jack bower wannabe

Our most recent adventures:

Ready...Set...Swim!

Ellie bean is getting so big!

I know its weird but this is like her favorite place to be. She loves feeling big and she loves the leverage this position gives her on Dad's hair

They are the cutest duo in the world

I just want to eat her up.  That smile brings out the best in me. I love her and I love who she helps me to be.

Family shot

I love Mr. Johnson

Happy Sunday

Love, 

The Johnsons

I. Love. Him.

My beautiful favorite nephew (only nephew) loves to sing. He used to come and stay the night with me in college and we literally had to watch the wiggles all night. He knows all the songs and will sing them to me constantly. Ah I love him. He knew the BYU fight song at eighteen months.  So I thought I would share with you all a little piece of musical bliss.

Easter Goodness

Just thought I would share with you all a little easter goodness. I know its been a few weeks since the chocolate and church filled holiday but the easter princess never made her appearance on our blog so... tada!

She spent the day coloring eggs and playing with the toys that the easter bunny left for her. She also played with her cousin and uncle (or more watched them run around the apartment at the peak of their sugar high in pure fear) then spent her day at church celebrating the real meaning of easter. We always try to explain to her that Christmas and Easter are not about the fun but are about the Life and Death of the Savior.  Its always fun to color eggs and eat chocolate but we always need to remember how grateful we need to be for the atonement of Jesus Christ and His example. 

Mothers Day

My first REAL Mother's Day has been the most wonderful day so far.  It really started yesterday when we celebrated by going to Last Chance, Bahama Bucks, Swimming, and then out to Famous Dave's for dinner. For those of you that know me at all you know that there is nothing better for me than finding a good deal, eating a snow cone on a hot spring day, and catching some rays with my ghostly white family. Perfect Day.  Oh yeah and to top it off with some southern BBQ with my two BBQties was just heaven on earth. Except for the fact that Ellie grabbed everything she could get her hands on and we learned that lettuce is just as good as paper at making her gag and throw up. yes she did throw up all over the table and her high chair. You live and learn I guess right?

I think one of my favorite moments was when Leon proudly announced, "Ellie made you something". Wow! my first gift from my little girl I about cried. I love it so much! It is hanging on our refrigerator door proudly.  I even got to see some of the fun so I thought I would share it with you all:

Ellie finger painted a wonderful picture (and her daddy's chest) and channeled her creative juices towards showing her mommy how much she loves me.  I love you to the moon and back baby no one will ever love you the way I do ;) muah xoxox

Mama

My sweet little angel said Mama for the first time tonight.  She has be throwing it around for a while now but I have decided not to count it until I'm sure she knows who she is talking about.  Lets be honest she has been saying DaDa for a while and it is so cute how she will grab at his nose and slap his face when she says it. They are best friend and she absolutely adores her DaDa it melts my heart.

 So to my pure bliss tonight, as Daddy was trying to lull sweet baby girl to sleep she kept saying mama mama and as soon as he handed her to me she laid her sweet perfect face into my chest and went right to sleep. I could have cried. Could life get any better than to be laying next to the two people in the world who have shaped your entire life and who give it meaning and joy? I think not. What a wonderful mother's day gift to know that the love and work I have put into the last eight months has made me truly a mama to my ellie bean.

Cookie Monster

Ellie and I decided to make cookies last night while Daddy studied for his next big exam. We found a good recipe online and decided to try our hands at it. After turning on our favorite Colby Calliat pandora radio station and dancing through the kitchen while we gathered up supplies, we got the bumbo out and started mission: Make Daddy Really Happy.

Here is Ellie laughing at Mommy's dance moves in the kitchen and getting really excited to bake cookies for the first time

Anything and Everything goes into that girls mouth. Ah it drives me nuts because her favorite thing to eat in the whole world is paper. And yes, she swallows it and everything. Me oh my what do I do? I found her the other day being way too quiet and sitting on the ground with paper pieces all around her little spot and a nice piece coming out of her mouth. She is quite an interesting little princess

There she goes again..except this time she is acting like a normal child wanting some yummy sugar

"Um Mom what are you doing and why am I not doing that too?"

Don't worry girlfriend Mommy always gives you a turn

It was so fun to use the whisk but like in true Ellie Belly style it is always more fun to eat it. 

Yay! Finished product and they were sooo good

Mission accomplished. Daddy was very happy and might have a new favorite cookie ;)

Cookies 'n Creme cookies

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 (4.2 ounce) package Cookies 'n Creme pudding mix

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups white chocolate chips

15 Oreo cookies, very coarsly chopped

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars, add pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda with a whisk then add it to the butter mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and Oreo cookies. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven until cookies tops barely have a touch of brown. Makes 3 dozen cookies.