Johnson Family Dish

Just Another iPod Rant

I love my little iPod!! We just don’t really appreciate things until we are reminded how we do without them. Last week my iPod broke again, my running iPod.

I run well over 450 miles a year so when this happens it is catastophic! It isn’t a big deal on Sunday mornings when I run with my group of running friends but when I am at the gym on that (torture device) treadmill, I really feel the lack in a HUGE way!!

I was delighted to find that there is an iPod store near me now, so I don’t have to drive out to Chandler anymore (One of my iPods break every year so it feels like I am always going there for some help. I guess that I am rough on them?)

Anyway, I was SOOO HAPPY when they replaced it for no charge. They even gave me the red color that I already had, and love (had to pay extra $ for too). So as I am syncing my new iPod, I am so HAPPY! I love apple!! They are so good about warrantying their products, thanks you apple geniuses!

I need to purchase a lap top for school (the word need is used loosely here). Anyway, I am considering apple. I just have to make sure that all of the microsoft office programs that I use for my school work will work well with apple.

Charis, Student of the Month

Our Charis was chosen as student of the month from her class for October. She is doing really well in school, YEAH!

Addi and Morgan’s Birthday!!

Today is the day that I gave birth to two beautiful daughters; not in the same year, I gave birth to these girls 4 years apart. Funny, huh. So every year Randon and I have the privilege of finding unique ways to celebrate this same day while preserving the uniqueness and individuality of each girl, and making both of them feel special.

They always want a different cake. Addi never goes for the conventional birthday cake, prefering instead things like, pumpkin pie or this years choice, mini loaves of pumpkin bread. Morgan wanted a chocolate and red velvet checkered cake with white frosting.

Randon had a brilliant idea for a new family tradition this year too, he suggested that we go to lunch with the birthday child. So we did. Randon picked up Addi and took her to her favorite “resturaunt,” Taco Bell. I took Morgan’s favorite sandwich from Paradise Bakery, with all of the fixin’s, to her and sat with her and her friends and had lunch with them, that was so much fun!!! I love this new tradition.

Another thing the girls asked for was for me to do their hair all fancy this morning, so I did. They wanted the same updo. They looked so pretty today with their hair up and thier little flashing “Birthday Girl” pins, all dressed up for this day. See for yourself, my two pretties!

This birthday is monumental for both of the girls. Morgan is 12 now so she will be joining the young womens program at church, this is a huge right of passage for an LDS girl, leaving primary and joining the big girls. Addi is 8 today and is going to be baptized in a couple of weeks and joins the activity day girls on Wed. nights at the church. This is hard to believe for me, that my girls are getting so old now. Good thing Randon and I are staying so young and vibrant (LOL!).

If

I heard this poem yesterday while watching “Music and the Spoken Word”. I love the way the author expresses what it is to be human and to rise above adversity yet remain humble. To me this poem is beautiful and a blue print for what and how I would like to be.

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream–and not make dreams your master,
If you can think–and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings–nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And–which is more–you’ll be a Man, my son!

–Rudyard Kipling

Time to Vote!

I just have to blog about my experience voting last night (I get an early ballot so I don’t have to fuss with the crouds, I know a lot of you do too, so I voted last night).

Of course I have special interest in Proposition 102 since I have been working on the volunteer coalition for a little while now. I was suprised when I read the effect that the “no” vote will have. It simply states that a no vote shall have the effect of keeping in effect the same law that marriage is between one man and one woman. I think that the regular Joe would not realize that this proposition ammends the AZ state constitution so that this law cannot be overturned by a judge, as it has been in our neighboring state of California, declaring the law unconstitutional (to their state constitution).

I was also shocked to see the ad for the vote no on 102 organization. Oh, they are so deceptively vague.

I guess that I should understand that the opponents of prop 102 are not going to educate the public on why they don’t want us to vote yes, ammending the constitution of Arizona. It is the voters job to educate themselves on the issue and vote according to their beliefs. I think that the most effective way to do that is to look at what other states are struggling with, regarding the content of this law.

I found this article helpful –> Catholic adoption agency in Boston
and this one –> California Judge overturns law

Okay, I am now officially off of my soap box.

A Very Creative Weekend

I love my cricut!!!

I was asked to make 40 invitations and 40 pins for our YCL’s (youth camp leaders) for our Oct. 16th planning meeting with them. I knew I would use my cricut and I even sketched a design (plan) for how I wanted them to look. Well, as always my biggest struggle is choosing colors and a color scheme; enter Morgan. Morgan saved me!! The papers that I chose were too “little girly” (the YCL’s are 17 and older), according to Morgan, a very dependable authority on the matter. She quickly led me to a more fitting color scheme, thank you Morgan!

So, we spent last night and 1/2 the day today cutting and assembling the design to get our finished product.

I think we did well.

Morgan then made these pretty crowns with the cricut, for her sisters Addi, and Charis.

I think she did really well and the little girls loved them.

Cute Addi

I have a lot of catching up to do on what I have been wanting to document here on our blog so, here goes the first:

This year Addi has taken an interest in how she looks and what she wears. She has gotten into wearing “pretty shoes” to school every day. I think it is just adorable; and one more sign that she too is growing up.