The saying goes "When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade."  But what if life hands you lemonade???  Do you sit by the pool and enjoy that ice cold lemonade?  I say you dang better!!!  The last several months have been the lemons in my lemonade.  We've had more downs than we've had ups here in our house but we were finally figuring out how to work and squeeze the lemons, add sugar, and stir {stir} stir.  That's when our Heavenly Father saw that our lemonade needed ice and a few cups.  We are moving home to Arizona!!!  While I am totally stoked that we get to be closer to family, I feel somewhat like a failure. 7 months in Utah?!?? 7...that's it.  But those 7 months have made me grow and stretch and learn some things that I didn't really want to but I'm glad that I have.  And when B and I finally figured out which direction was up, we were lead to return to our home state and go to school there.  If you know Brandon and I, when we do something like this, it has to be a whirlwind!!!!  We are moving this weekend!!!!!!!!!  Well sort of...we are moving our things and we will be living out of suitcases in Snowflake until we find a house in the valley.  Our life is great!  And we have two amazing children who crack us up!  

 Kimee Tink has been fascinated by nursing lately.  She feeds her babies, she tries feeding my baby (YES JACKSON!), and she keeps asking me to feed her.  She's an interesting child but one day she will be an amazing momma!!!

While driving the other day KTJ said,"My Jackson so handsome!" and I couldn't agree more!  We love him more and more every day!

Back to Reality

My name is Allee and I used to be a blogger.  Since LIFE has taken over and sent us on a roller coaster, my life has seemed in shambles without the option to get off. I am finally learning to just throw my hands up in the air and scream.  Yaaahhhoooooooooo, I AM ENJOYING MY RIDE!!!!

 

The last few months have been a whirlwind of trials and tender mercies.  Beginning when Brandon lost his job (We hate Wells Fargo.  Not the people so much, although we don't like some of them either, but the company and their ethics.) in August which made us decide to move in with my parents.  It started out as a temporary thing, we were sure Brandon had a job in the valley that would start within weeks.  It is obvious, as many people have spotted Brandon working (or rather visiting) in Ed's and me spending a few hours at Shevells, that phone call never came.  Brandon has turned in so many applications that you would think he would have gotten atleast a decent job offer, but no such luck. That's when the winds of change hastened an email from BYU Provo accepting Brandon for the Winter Semester starting in January 2013.  I had already made up my mind that I was NOT moving that far away and he would just have to tell them no.  On the other hand, Brandon had already made up his mind that he wanted nothing more than to be a BYU Cougar. 

 

I am so thankful for the tender mercies that have brought us to this point.  My mom and dad who have provided us a place to live (and too many things to bottle), the turds at Wells Fargo for making us go out of our comfort zone, the Reidheads for storing all out stuff while we waited for the nonexistant "phone call", those who have provided jobs for us, and the unwelcome email from BYU that has turned into our hopeful and exciting future. 

 

My name is Allee Johnson and I am the wife of a BYU COUGAR!!!   

A little bit of this...A little bit of that

Without a doubt, we can find KTJ asleep like this.  She stays awake at nights kicking her legs until she tires of this little sport and finally falls asleep.

That's right, my car is full of NEWSPAPER!!!  For 3 weeks I worked as an Arizona Republic Paper Route Distributor.  This is a Wednesday paper...pretty average for Wednesdays.  There are over 250 papers for a little under a square mile.  Brandon went with me to help one Sunday.  We had to roll the windows down and close the doors to toss papers in because there wasn't enough room.  Brandon ended up crawling in through the window and laying on top of papers while I drove.  I looked back and saw him scheming and I asked what he was doing.  "Well, I'm trying to figure out what I would do if you got pulled over.  I think I can dig down real quick and the police officer wouldn't even know I was here!"  That night we delivered over 620 papers.  YUCK!!!!!!!!  (Thanks Trevor and Kim for letting us leave our sleeping baby with you!) 

Wait, did I say baby?  I meant my very grown up, very mature, very cute 1 year old!  I can't brush my teeth without her begging me to let her have a turn.

B and I were out washing our car and she stood at the gate for 30 minutes just watching this family swim.  Without a doubt, everyday she brings me her floaty or swim suit pleading with me to take her swimming.  SHE LOVES SWIMMING!!!

I thought terrible 2's is when all the shenanigans started????

Is it bad that I desperately wanted my daughter to learn to watch a movie??!!  Some days I need 10 minutes of "get out from under my feet" and I have found the solution!  Apples and Mr. Gru (Despicable Me).

Yes that IS a penny.  Yes that IS a SCORPION!!!!!!  Apparently we have started breeding scorpions at our house.  We now spend the day scouring every square inch of the floors, walls, appliances, beds, and blankets.

The past week has been a long one.  KTJ has had fevers and a nasty nose.  Needless to say mommy is paying this week for the extra spoils she got.

So I am tired of this bad habit called "Going Stinky in the Tub" and so I sat KTJ on the toilet after having to clean ANOTHER episode up.  She sat there for close to 15 minutes!!!  I was rewarded with a tiny stinky in the toilet and she was rewarded with dances and fruit snacks.  She now likes to sit on the toilet for a few seconds, get down, flush, wave good-bye and blow a few kisses, then close the lid.  Hopefully this is a good sign for potty training in a few months!!!!

My KTJ is my pride and joy....that is until this week.  Someone at church asked me "How do you make her be so good?"  I answered "Well today it would be the 5 packs of fruit snacks I gave her during Relief Society!"  I have learned that my daughter has an ATTITUDE larger than life.  She knows just when to give you the dirty looks and when it is the right time to throw a temper tantrum.  She can be sweet as Blue Bell Ice Cream and then as rotten as Amish Bread.  Oh what to do?!?  We'll just keep smothering her with smiles and kisses and hope that it rubs off on her.  

 

KTJ's first swim of the year and she loved it!!

What more could a mom ask for???  I love my hunny!

And this is why I love being a mom!

We'll miss having Coco in our house!!

This post is just a bunch of ramblings...nothing in particular, just wanted to brag and show you my daughter!  She is seriously my light.  Yes, sometimes she throws temper tantrums, sometimes I have to step out of the room to take a deep breath, and yes, sometimes I hand her to Brandon and say "YOUR TURN!" but it's because of times like that that I am able to see what a sweetie pie she is.  She loves to give hugs and kisses.  If you're sitting on the couch by her, she puts her arm around your shoulders.  When walking into the store, she wants to hold mommy and daddy's hands because she knows and some point we'll swing her.  She's learning that she can get away with anything if she giggles.  She is becoming a great little helper, throwing away diapers, knowing where she put her shoes, cleaning up her own messes (while I sit there and coax her to pick up each item), and combing my hair.  Pretty soon she'll be able to do dishes and scrub toilets right?!!  I don't want her to, she's growing up too fast!  It's funny the things she picks up on or chooses to say.  Like corndog??  She's maybe heard this word twice in her whole life and she said it the other day!?  I lover her to pieces!  She is my little buddy! 

You know you're a mom when....

This thought runs through my head several times a day.

You know you're a mom when....your husband calls at 5:00 to let you know that he's on his way home and you run straight to your closet to find some jeans instead of the sweats and t-shirt you've been sporting all day.  Some days it's just not worth getting your nice clothes slobbered on before anyone sees you. 

You know you're a mom when...your husband is gone over night with the scouts, your daughter is sleeping peacefully in her crib and before you sit down to watch a chick-flick, you just HAVE to finish the chores that didn't hit the top 5 for the day.

You know you're a mom when...the sight of dirty dishes on the counter makes you cringe....because you JUST emptied the DISHWASHER!  

You know you're a mom when...you're making a list of things you need to do tomorrow and 75% of them revolve around cleaning the house and the other 25% are about what you need to do for the little ones.

You know you're a mom when...you're at the doctor and your child is screaming bloody murder and the second you pick her up, she stops and hugs onto you like you are her hero.

You know you're a mom when...you recognize changes in your child's mood, behavior, boogers, bowel movements, and eating habits.

You know you're a mom when...a 5:34am wake up call from your baby with a fever doesn't make you frustrated in the slightest.  

You know you're a mom when...you do the same three things every day: make breakfast, eat, clean up, give baths, nap time, clean house, make lunch, eat, clean up, nap time, clean house AGAIN, make dinner, eat, clean up, BED TIME!  You go to bed exhausted but can't wait to get up and do it all over again.

I used to tease my sisters saying,"Oh I can't do that yet, I'm not a mom."  Moms can make dinner with one hand.  Moms can help with homework and kiss an owie.  Moms can show love and discipline.  I am happy to report that THIS mom can say "Oh I CAN do that, I'm a mom!"  I'm slowly learning that being a mom is more than making food and cleaning.  It's being there 24/7, even if they don't need me.  I am learning that being a mom is MY divine calling.  I am not perfect and most lessons have to be taught to me over and over.  Some days I feel like going back to my college days when I could sit on the couch and watch episode after episode of Arrested Development but then I see how far my little family has come and I wouldn't change it for the world.   

Disclaimer:  I don't believe that you HAVE to be a mom to experience these same feelings.  Every woman out there has the power to change some little person's life and be the example.  I am so grateful for all the WOMEN out there who have helped raise me to be the person I am today.  I know that it literally takes a village to raise a child.   

 And this is just so you can see how cute my red head is.  She thinks she's ready for online school like daddy.

What's new pussy cat?

WHOOOOOAAAHHHH WHOOOOOOOAAAAAA!!!!

Songs have been running through my head today.  After having several conversations using only songs this morning, Mr. B said,"Do you not have any church songs in your head?"  So we turned on The Restoration to enjoy our sabbath day.  In the car we listened to the song about Mary singing to her little baby and it in she sings,"....YOU ARE A KING, BUT TONIGHT YOU ARE MINE!"  For some reason, I envisioned that that voice was the voice of my Heavenly Father, singing that sweet song to me.  I AM A QUEEN!!  And my Father wants nothing more than to spend some time with me.  Pure joy filtered through me, starting at the tips of my hairs, flowing to the tips of my toes.  I know I am loved to the moon and back by my Father in Heaven!  "How sweet it is to be loved by you HIM!!!" 

 Now, pictures of my pride and joy!!!!

She's had this obsession with this silly tiger mask lately....she loves to try to scare us!

 Mr. C was at our house the other day and KTJ loved his hair!  She finally found a comb and it was barber shop time! 

How could I resist?!  Cutest thing in the entire world!  

I can't believe my BABY will be 1 next month!  Sometimes it makes me tear up a bit....She can now point to her eyes when you ask.  We're working on having her take her own diaper to the trash.  Church the past few weeks has been crazy!!  She will not sit still!  We've been working on it and I actually got to hear the talks in church today!  KTJ makes me laugh all the time.  I love when she opens her mouth really big and it makes her face wrinkle all up.  She has a personality that would make even the grumpiest person giggle. 

I am a very blessed mommy!

This is our little mummy!  We love Halloween this year.  We went to our ward's trunk or treat on Saturday, Sunday was the primary program and B got a new calling.  He is going to be working with the teachers!!  He is excited to be starting something new.  I am well, sad he's leaving me in the nursery by myself!!!  It will be weird not having my honey home on Wednesday nights too.  Then Monday we laid back and enjoyed watching the Twilight movies.  My husband is the best to watch girl movies with!  At one point I looked and him and he is mesmerized by the tv and Bella and Edward lean in to kiss.  B starts clapping his hands and saying "I love this movie!"  Holidays seem way more fun with a little one to keep us on our toes.  We are already counting down the days until Thanksgiving!