A Day in the Life Of: February 2009

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

A Growing Family

No pictures yet as I am not ready to post what our home currently looks like. But I can give you a mental picture. Rob's studio currently resides in our hallway and living room. Years worth of musical gear and 4 large boxes of mail to go through are awaiting a permanent home. Dirty dishes are sitting in the sink due to the fact that I haven't yet unloaded the clean ones. A cool purple lava lamp temporarily placed in the bathroom has become my new favorite bath light. Our bedroom pillows are on the couch and our baby blue velvet blanket is partially on the floor. Our refrigerator consists of one carton of milk and some old cheese (Yum!) and yet I am finding solice in the upheaval of it all. Maybe it is all the moves over my lifetime but I am finding myself comforted by the fact that I know the chaos means change. Change is exciting when embraced.

So what is this change you speak of, you might ask...well we are a growing family. OK, so don't get too excited...I am not pregnant. Even better. Stefi is moving in with us. Rob and have been praying since Stefi moved here on growing our family and asking her to be a part of it. I know she is already family but to co-exist in the same home is a little more intimate. To our delight she was ecstatic about the prospect. While things have been challenging to say the least over the past year we couldn't think of a better way to enrich our home than to have our beautiful sister join us on this crazy journey we call life. We have been married almost 4 years and are ready to invite her in.

Last night was her first night here. Because all her furniture is not yet out of storage and the room was not completely emptied till 5 am this morning Rob slept on the couch and Stefi slept with me. The dogs questioned only for a brief moment the visitor in the bed they call home. But Stefi quickly dispelled any hesitation by simply inviting them to come cuddle with her. Little did she know that with these simple words they would immediately jump right on top of her head and make themselves at home. It was beautiful watching my two little pups snuggled right into her as we drifted off to sleep. OK, so there was more chit chat and bathroom visits than sleeping but nevertheless it was comforting. It was a small confirmation that Stefi is meant to be in home. Of course they missed there daddy but it was only for one night.

Amazing changes. God is good!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Love

This weekend I was blessed with the opportunity of participating in my sister in Christ's wedding. It was moving to watch two individuals commit themselves to Christ and one another. They came as two and left as one! I am moved by God's love and the blessings he bestows upon us as his children.

Trying to Wake Chloe Up in the Morning!

Girlfriends

Every year I get the opportunity to spend a beautiful weekend with my girlfriends from college. We have not missed a year since we graduated. It always has always just been us girls and we make sure to leave the boys behind. This year it was Shannon's turn to pick the place and time. She decided to throw herself a big 25 + 5 birthday bash in Palm Springs. You would have to know her to appreciate the magnitude in which she does things. In true Shannon fashion she rented out an original 1960 mod house with shag carpet and all. She demanded we all dress in appropriate attire and play the part (of which none of actually did!). But it was blessed weekend. We cooked, laughed, stayed up till 3:00 in the morning talking and danced.
It is a heavenly gift to have girlfriends such as these. We are all weak in keeping in touch but we have pact that no matter how much time goes by we always pick up where we left off the previous year. We have been by each other sides when it mattered the most, falling in love, weddings, break-ups, job ups and downs and the 25 midlife crisis.
I am thankful for Shannon and Nicole and look forward the baby phase, the retirement phase, and even the dying phase...for surely we will share these moments together.

Cardinals Fans

Rob and I have become true Cardinals fans! How do you know you are a true Cardinal fan? Your weekly grocery shopping trip becomes all about discovering the perfect game food. Your dogs have team jerseys for game day. You fold down the couch/futon in the living room so you can fully lounge while watching the game. The dogs beg to go outside in the sunshine and you don't even notice (not to mention the lovely gifts they leave on the floor). You scream and yell at the players as if you knew them personally. You watch the Christian channel because you see Kurt Warner doing an interview. You high five strangers you don't even know. You wait over an hour just to pull out of the parking lot at the stadium after the game. You cry in your husbands arms while they walk of the field after having lost the Superbowl and all you can think about is maybe next year.

I know this all sounds silly but football has become an unexpected gift in our home. It is one of the only moments in the midst of a crazy week that Rob and I can unwind and not have a care in the world. What are we to do now? Well, we haven't figured that out yet but I am sure we will. So with all that said I am grateful for the silly things in life. I guess maybe it keeps us in balance.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Stefi's 18th Birthday Party

So in true Johnson fashion Stefani rang in her 18th birthday by getting a Toto- A very cool one I might add. We woke up at the crack of dawn and drove to Divinity Tattoo only to arrive an hour early. While we waited we decided to dine with the finest at Denny's.

Stefi's new bathing suite

So now three of the four Johnson's have tattoo's from Divinity Tattoo. Stefi took it like champ. She didn't even wince!

So on another note it was an somewhat painful experience for me. For some reason you always think your baby sister is going to be a baby! But as I sat there I realized the tattoo artist was quite taken by my beautiful sister. He kept dropping hints about his Sunday brunch were all (really meaning only Stefi) are invited. He did wait until I was walking away to finally ask her out. I almost fell to the floor...I mean this guy is older than me! But what can I say, Stefi's beauty knows no bounds and she is all grown up!

That afternoon, relieved to hear that Stefi was not interested in dating this boy, we had a sibling b b que on the roof. Gordon was the chef du jour. We had hot dogs, hamburgers and vegi burgers topped off by an Oreo ice cream cake. We played games and ate candy. I attempted a martineli's toast only to be told I was too lame or maybe they were just too cool for school.

It was a beautiful day and I couldn't think of a more deserving woman than my formerly know baby sister, Nini!