First

Their first "just because" sleepover that wasn't planned because we needed someone to watch the girls but because they have "BFFs."

Not that it makes any difference to them why they get a sleepover as long as they do. For us, though, it's kind of a big deal....we're childless for a night. I think it's the beginning of a new parenting era: the sleepovers=impromptu date nights. The big question: what do we do? Pretty sure tonight's going to be pretty uneventful due to the fact that I'm in the "I'm not letting myself admit that I'm getting sick but I didn't sleep all night and Andy's not getting anywhere near me just in case" stage, but a dinner out with uninterrupted adult conversation (with the person I enjoy being with the most!) - I'll take it!

Our Rarely Mentioned Member of the Family

Because I have a new SD card and can take pictures again (yay!) and because the girls are asleep and Andy's not here and I'm not really big into self-portraits and because he's the least photographed member of our family, tonight's post is dedicated to Felix!

Here's his "slightly interested" face

Here's his "you're boring" face

Here's his "maybe if I ignore her, she'll go away" face

Here's his "I just want to go to sleep" face

Here's his "I'm over it" face

Ahhh, Fifi, we love you!

LOVE!

 Since I haven't been able to take any pictures right now, I've actually done something with some of my pictures! I've made Shutterfly books before, and I absolutely LOVE them! They're much, much quicker to put together than a scrapbook, and I feel fine with leaving them out for the girls (and anyone else) to thumb through - no worries about them falling apart or losing pieces!

This new Happiness style might just be my favorite. It's definitely perfect for our beach pictures from this summer!
 

Click here to view this photo book larger

Whining

Waaaaaahhhhhhh, both of my SD cards decided to go all crazy on me, and now I can't take any pictures. Waaaaaaahhhhhh, waaaahhhhhhh! Definitely have a new one (the size of both of my old ones together!) ordered and on its way. I just don't know how to manage without taking pictures. I'm SUPER glad that they decided to stop working after  I finished up the school portraits. As much as I can trust my memory, I think that the only pictures that didn't make it off the card were of Andy's birthday party and the scrumptious Reese cake that I made for him. Could have been much worse, but waaaaaahhhhhhh anyway!

Happy 33rd!

My awesome husband turned 33 yesterday! Since all the writing in this blog is from my perspective, I decided it would be fun to have some input from him on his 33 years. Here's a list of 33 of his favorite memories, in order (somewhat) of when they happened:

1. Mom leading children's choir at church and playing a song and game about a sleeping cat at the end of rehearsals. 
2. Singing "Just a Swingin" and "Elvira" at the dentist office. 
3. Fishing at the Blackwood farm with Dad.
4. Watching Jerry Clower at the State Fair.
5. Watching Earnhardt's pass in the grass with Dad.
6. Mom taking me to Woolworth's during Edie's piano lessons. 
7. Dancing at the beach to the One Man Band and having people throw money at me.
8. Trip to Canada with the Greensboro Youth Chorus.
9. Performing jokes at family reunions. 
10. Breaking out of my shell - sense of humor started to take shape. 
11. Basketball camp during the summer - scored 21 points in a game. 
12. Trusting in Christ.
13. Getting caught stealing and realizing more about Jesus' forgiveness. 
14. 16th birthday party when 100 people unexpectedly showed up to join the party.
15. Boy Scout Order of the Arrow weekend.
16. 1st time ever shared the gospel.
17. Becoming an Eagle Scout 3 days before 18th birthday.
18. Changed majors in college from Engineering to Parks and Recreation.
19. Forest Hills spring break mission trips.
20. 1st sermon to about 300 teens at Camp Caswell.
21. Blue Ridge Leaders School with Zach and Corey.
22. First date with Michaella.
23. Getting baptized after being a believer for 7 years. 
24. Proposing to Michaella.
25. Getting married/honeymoon.
26. Going on a camping trip as a newly married couple.
27. My calling to ministry.
28. Birth of Emma Lee.
29. Mission trip to China.
30. Birth of Kerri.
31. Spending a week in Disney World as a family.
32. Graduating with a doctorate.
33. Starting "K Time" and "E Time" with the girls.

Each year just keeps getting better and better with him! I'm so grateful for the marriage that we have, and I hope that we're blessed with many more years together! I love you and all your craziness, Andy Johnson!

*Sorry, I have pictures to include with this post, but my SD card is acting up on me and I can't get them onto my computer right now....

9-11-11

It's a little weird to post my monthly challenge picture today, for obvious reasons. It's hard to believe it's been 10 years. Until today, I hadn't really stopped to think about the fact that my girls have no idea about 9/11. I was debating over talking to them about it, but as important as it is for them to know, I think I'll wait just a little longer. You can't get childish innocence back; today, it belongs to them. Instead, I just held them a little closer, cuddled with them a little longer, and said a prayer for those who lost their loved ones ten years ago.

Not-Too-Much-of-an-Update Update

After hitting a little snag, we've updated our immigration stuff (I think). I tell ya, it's always a pleasure dealing with our government (can you tell that was written with the sarcasm font?). Actually, we've sent them everything they've requested, twice, been fingerprinted for the fourth total time for this adoption, but are still waiting to receive the official document that says we've been renewed, which in turn will have to be sent with some other forms to Bulgaria to renew our status with them.

I'm pretty optimistic that we'll get everything from CIS though because after 2 1/2 weeks of mulitple unreturned phone calls from the only officer who we're allowed to talk to about our case and finally getting one (conveniently on the day I found out his supervisor's number and left a message with him) only to have all my questions answered with, "Well, I can't tell you that, but..." how else should I feel? It's such a joy to think about how we'll most likely have to do it all again in a year! (you read that with the sarcasm font too, didn't you?). Anyway, not too long after this experience, I read this blog post and just had to laugh. It's comforting to know that we're not alone in this experience, although I guess that's pretty much a "misery loves company" attitude. It's just easy to get the "maybe we're not supposed to be doing this because everything is so much harder for us than it is for everyone else" kind of doubts. Then I read a post here that offered the following comforting thoughts: 

I have been asked quite a few times lately about adoption in general, about getting started, and about what to think about ahead of time. My biggest warning isn't about birth order, agencies, country programs, fear of social workers, or even attachment. Know why?
Because the Enemy strikes at your heart.

He knows your fears… he put them there.
("For GOD has not given us a spirit of FEAR, but of power and love and a sound mind." 2 Tim 1:7)

He knows your weaknesses and exploits with half-truths.
("Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" Ge 3:1)

He wants you down, depressed, sad and deflated.
(The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead. Ps 143:3)
He wants you dead.
(Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1Pet.5:8)

In adoption, there is loss and redemption. There is pain and there is joy.

I have said it before, but when you step out in obedience to God, you engage the enemy. Be ready and expecting the attack. Be in prayer. Ask friends and family to pray for you too. Pray for strength, wisdom, and fierce resolve. And make sure you journal your experiences. Someday you will look back on this and see a very clear picture of God's divine protection and providence in your life!

So, here's me asking for your prayers; here's me journaling; here's me getting excited thinking about what God has planned for our family - because it's going to be so much greater with Him doing the planning than if I was in charge!

Just Another Night in the Johnson Household

The girls love, love, love to play games. Not the sit down and be still board games that I want to play. You know, the ones where you don't really have to have any energy to participate. Nope, Uno, Yahtzee, or Don't Break the Ice just isn't going to cut it with them on most nights. Don't you know that "Store," "Baker," "Hair Salon" (ok, that's one's not so bad - I just have to sit), or their current favorite, "Gypsy" (don't know where that one came from) are way "funner" (who is their English teacher)??

After I refused to play gypsy last night and we made it through a few rounds of uno, we decided to do a little impromptu show. It's the great face off of 2011. Enjoy! 

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World of Coke

Hi, I'm Michaella, and I'm a coke-aholic.

My life's complete now that I've been to Hershey AND World of Coke! :)

It was a-ma-zing! Even more so because my mom and I saved up enough coke points (you know, from those little codes on top of the caps and inside the boxes) to get all 6 (my parents were here visiting) of us in for free. 

 Honestly, this place is about more than just the history of Coke. They make you feel so happy and sentimental and even patriotic about drinking and loving Coke. It's like the Disney World of advertising. I don't know - maybe it's brainwashing, but I came out of there so excited and happy about loving Coke and wanting to drink more of it and nothing else. Genius on their part!

Some of my favorite displays: Coke - for Headache and Exhaustion - that's definitely my philosophy! Coke and Chocolate also made the list for the emergency shelf.

We even found some tributes to Bulgaria

The girls favorite machine

Kerri loved this machine! You can't hear the sounds it makes of the top popping off, the fizz, and the "ahh" at the end, but you can hear what made her laugh every single time! 

Needless to say, my rarely-get-to-drink-a-soda girls where amazed that I was not only going to let them have soda but they were going to get to choose whatever kind - no kindS - they wanted - no limit. They were in heaven!

 

Good to the last drop

 

Some of them were not so tasty!

Some of them were too good to stop

I think they had a little too much to drink....

 Even Andy, who hasn't had a soda in 3 years, broke his streak and got in on the fun!

  Definitely lots of fun family memories made - thanks, Coke!