Feeling Blah. . .

I have so much to do. Seriously. I love the holidays. . . when Mom's (as in Mrs. Gardner's) in charge. I haven't even gotten gifts together yet. I can't even find room for that on my to-do list! Oh well--Robert only needs two dinky gifts, right (although I'm not sure one is coming). One will be from me and the other from the kids. I got each of the kids a 5 dollar toy, too. . . so they have something. Maybe I could make them share both and one could be from their parents, and the other from Santa. They're too little to really know that other kids probably get more than one gift, right? Totally. And we can introduce stockings (and stocking stuffers) another year. . . lol. No, I probably should do that one. I wonder if I have enough newspaper to wrap their gifts in :D. Oh yeah, and my parents are coming--I wonder if they'd like giftcards?

What Robert and I are grateful for this season.

This. . .

. . . and this

Just a Joke

BTW, The other day I remembered my rebellious teenage years and the music I would listen to. Simple Plan totally spoke to me. Is anybody laughing yet? Good. I thought it was funny too. Did I ever REALLY feel that bitter about the world!? Wow.

Yup, Shoppin'

I don't like spending money. No, really. You don't believe me? Please stop laughing. Okay, I'm not "buying" it either. (Or actually, maybe I am. . . I've been buying A LOT of things lately.)

I am way excited for Christmas. I actually have a wishlist this year. I don't think I've had a list since I was like 14--given that wasn't really that long ago :Djk. Most of the things on it are for the kiddos though (or at least I'm twisting it that way), so I don't feel as bad. Anyways. . . back to what I was going to say:

I think I have a problem. I keep imagining that we have money--and because of student loans, and assistance programs, we really do ummmm. . . "have" more than we ever did. Given, I don't pay full-price for much (if anything), but I pay so much when it's all added up!

Here is a list of only a few of the things we have bought since we moved here in July:
a house,
a car,
appx. 9 gallons of paint,
"Twilight"
a play kitchen,
a baby walker,
a tricycle,
crib sheets,
laminate flooring,
a dishwasher,
a couch,
a dresser,
a bed,
bedding,
a camera,
a trillion yards of cloth,
innumerable glass thingies,
3 lighting fixtures (and I want more),
a computer (for me, not Robert, sad. . . I know),
at least 6 clothing items I can remember,
2 presents for Robert,
2 new toys for the kids' presents (besides the tricycle we bought Nana for last Christmas--I don't think we've ever actually bought NEW toys for the kids--and why would we--they already have enough! BUT I WANT MORE!!!),
and oodles of makeup (which I'm actually pretty sure I'm allergic to--do you think I could get a refund?)
I should probably stop this list right now. . . I'm feeling pretty guilty.
I actually go shopping like once a week.

I KNOW! That doesn't even include online shopping!!!
I used to only shop like once a month--strictly for food. We had a 100$ a month food budget--not counting milk--and it was easier to keep to it if we only went shopping once a month. (Robert would pick up milk on his way home from school once every two weeks).

At least we bought everything used or on clearance (ex. the 9 gallons of paint probably came to 40$, and the furniture mostly came at only a little extra from the lady that sold us the house). . . Robert wouldn't let me get away with anything else, thank goodness. I guess one of Robert's presents, "Twilight", and the crib sheets weren't really on clearance or from a yardsale, but whatever, everything else was. . . and he wasn't there when I bought them ;P.

I guess what I'm saying is. . . how do I stop!? Help, please.

Thankful ABC's

So... Julie had this really cute thankful post, and I wanted to copy her.

I'm thankful for:

April 8, 2006
Babies
Cameras
Dogs
Eating
Feb 8, 2008
Girls
Hospitals
Independent Study
June 10, 2008
Krisp Rice treats (okay, okay, I know it's a stretch)
Little boys
Maternity clothes (that look like real clothes, so I can wear them from one pregancy to the next)
Napkins
Oreos
Prescription drugs (and the wonderful people that prescribe them:D)
Quilting websites that inspire me
ROBERT ALLEN JOHNSON
Savior
Tummies
Uni-gender clothing (because the kids go through them so fast!)
Valuables (no matter how unneccesary--so long as they make life comfortable without costing too much ;)
Wedding
XOXO's
Yakkety yakking
Zest for life (wish I ALWAYS felt it)

The rules are obvious: I'm going to be daring and actually tag a few people that I am grateful for--Machel, Becky, and Kira

I still remember Halloween... do you?

So, I figured I should put up some pictures of Eenie and Nana in their costumes before I forget what it was they dressed as. Aren't they cute. Eenie's pic is in a cornbox (kind of like a sandbox, but way cooler and less messy). I want one. They had it at Port Farms. (We were finally able to go with our friends the Bruenings after missing out on invitations from other friends--I was so glad we went.) Joanna was the cutest Tinkerbell (and that's saying a lot when you consider how many kids dress up as that ;D). We didn't get a great picture of her. . . she let me put up her hair in a bun and everything (she usually never lets me touch her hair, seriously, I can't even brush it out of her face--she puts it right back if I do!). Anyway, I told her it was Tinkerbell hair, and she was all for it. The next day (this is a picture of the next day) I was able to do it again when I told her it was Princess Nana hair. (She likes being a princess). I think she's cured! I have been able to do her hair a lot more often lately. . . sometimes without even bribing her. Yay!

I LOVE my mom

My mom is so good. I was totally going to blog about how awful my life is, how nerdy I am, how depressing it is to be me. . . (don't tell me you haven't felt that way). Anyway, just before I posted about a page and a half of "it's not worth it to get out of bed," "I'm not qualified to be a wife/mother/friend," and "woe is me," my mom called.

As you can see, I did NOT post the first post.

Mom makes me feel so much better. I feel awkward sometimes--like when people find out how old I am. Especially when they know that I have two kids. I was feeling totally inadequate about being a parent (or anything, really)--and SUPER uncomfortable about facing any new social settings where I would feel that way again.

Leave it to mom. Somehow she took me out of a deep funk of self-pity (seriously, there were tears--and I'm not the type that cries easily), and she reminded me that I am a cool person/friend/wife/mother. I make mistakes (and I really totally am a nerd), but when my heart is in the right place--the rest of me will be too.

I LOVE MY MOM

Curious... Am I the only one?

First of all--I plan on supporting the leaders of our country as much as possible, and I do not mean to disrespect any of them. . . don't read this as mean or petty. . . just interesting marketing :D.

So, until after President-elect Obama earned his official title from the majority of the country, I didn't really consider his race (as in the color of his skin, not his campaign) to be a big deal. He didn't even seem (*ahem) "black" to me. Totally cool that our nation has come so far. It would be even awesomer if we didn't have to keep track of what race, gender, religion did things first. Ex. Are we going to be excited when we elect the first redhead with green eyes and an amputated leg? (Hope that doesn't sound offensive. . . I just hope one day we won't need to be excited about the color of someone's skin--I know I am very excited about the skin color of our President-elect right now, and that also makes me kind of sad).

I seriously wasn't excited until he was elected. Like I said, before I hardly noticed he was black.
So. . . I started noticing something about his campaign today. . . maybe THAT'S why I didn't realize it. . . lol

I think the one that says "change" looks a little bit like Robert

(guess I'm attratcted to powerful looking men :D).

Enoch's Pics... for the grandparents' sake

I'll have to edit Nana's later. . . it always takes so much longer than I expect :P. I only was able to touch up a few of these. (Can you see which one has Robert's ear?) Oh well. Obviously I'm not a pro, but one day I will be. I love my little boy. And I love taking pictures of him!

Fall Pics of Nana (before I edit them)

It was so beautiful and warm outside. I just had to take Joanna out and get some pictures of her. Thank you, thank you, Turners for lending us your camera. Hopefully we will be able to get another one soon (ours broke :P), but I'm so glad we were able to capture these pics. You guys are the greatest!

Spreading the chocolate around

If you haven't voted today... DO IT!
I'm so nervous about the vote. I'm more worried about Prop 8 in CA.
But I'm really just all around worried.
(It's okay, though, because Joanna's wealthy stock of Halloween candy was recently redistributed to her poor, almost candy-less mother. So I'm able to drown my pessimistic thoughts in chocolate :).

I have a prayer that the people elected today will respect their duties and their God.
I hope that they will find support of the people in all of their righteous endeavors.
I also pray that they will surround themselves with people that do the same.
God Bless America.