Johnson Smiles

After we carved pumpkins and did our annual pumpkin photo shoot this year we realized that our photo shoots started in 2008 and we had one for every year except 2009.  That prompted me to look back through our 2009 photos (thank you Lightroom for your automatic date organization).  Sure enough we didn't have one.  We took a picture of the three of us the first year we carved (2008), but in 2009 there were no photos of all of us.  So I guess the annual tradition actually didn't start until Cora came along in 2010, but I love it just the same and I'm keeping 2008 in there anyway.   As I was scrolling through the 2009 photos I came across a photo of Beau looking out the window at a sunrise.  It stopped me in my scroll and I brought a smile to my face.  The photo itself wasn't anything special, but it brought up a feeling of joy in me.  Not a memory specifically, but just a joyful feeling about that time in our lives.  Luke was sitting next to m...

Here's just a little snapshot of what life looks like right now. Around here we're starting to get into the basketball season.  Both Beau and Cora are participating in traveling basketball through SYBA.  The crazy weekends of tournaments haven't started yet, but they're both having practice regularly.  Luke will be the assistant coach to Cora's team this year.  Sylvie will get to play too, but her season won't start until January and is one game on Saturday mornings in town. Around here are three kids are going to religion class on Wednesday nights, I'm teaching Cora's 3rd grade class.  Between that and basketball practice it's rare to have a weeknight where we are all home. Around here we're getting excited for the holidays!  I'm starting in on some shopping, planning and thinking about getting the house decorated.  The kids are getting Christmas lists made, and my desk is full of December Daily prep work.  Around here I...

Another Halloween has come and gone.  This year we had a dinosaur, vampire, and Snow White (returning for the second year in a row).   Holidays like this are always such a stark reminder of just how not babies my babies are.  Once again I just wasn't in the Halloween spirit this year.  We didn't even go to a pumpkin patch or apple orchard.  The few free hours we had were cold and rainy and the kids weren't in to it.  I definitely wasn't into it. This year, as if I needed more of a reminder of how fast my kids' childhood is slipping away, the social media trend seemed to be "Halloween from years gone by".  Everyone, at least in my "friend" feed was posting year to year Halloween pictures of their kids.   As I was busy liking and loving everyone's past Halloweens I came across a post that stopped me in my tracks.  In her post she stated that she felt like the Scrooge of Halloween and that what was once fun now felt like ...

I sleep a little later this morning (it is Mother's Day after all) hitting the snooze until 5:30.  I head downstairs for coffee and use the morning quiet time to prep for this morning's RCIA class.  Luke and I have been attending Sunday morning RCIA classes since December, and although he officially became Catholic back in April, we still have a few classes to finish up.  That means Sunday mornings are anything but leisurely.  We make sure the kids are up, eat breakfast, dressed for church and hair done before we leave a little before 8.  When class is over at 9:45 I run home, grab the kids and get back for 10:00 Mass. For Mother's Day after church I decide that I want donuts, so we swing into Casey's on the way home and pick up a box.  After we eat I open my Mother's Day gifts which include new headphones and the gifts the kids made for me at school. After lunch   brunch  donuts I head to town to finish the errands I didn't get d...

My alarm goes off at the same time every day, my routine remains the same and I hit the snooze until about 5 when I get up for coffee.  On Saturday's it's coffee and quiet time before I run, which makes rolling out of bed a little easier.  I feed Georgia and she starts her in and out routine until I remove the bell from the door. The kids get up one at a time, generally they come downstairs groggy eyed and wrapped in a blanket.  Cora is first up, right at 6:30.  She sees my camera on the couch and spends some time playing around with it.  Sylvie makes an appearance next, and Beau isn't far behind her.  It's rare that anyone sleeps past 7 on the weekends. Luke and Georgia both decide to join me on my run today.  I get changed, stretch, and put my headphones in.  When I say I put my headphones in I mean I get them positioned comfortably under my headband, turn on my music so it's all ready when I put my phone in my armband and I don't...

Friday began, as predicted, with a steady soaking rain and I was glad I switched my run to yesterday.  At 5am Georgia decided I've hit the snooze button enough, puts her paws up on the bed and licks my hands until I get up.  She didn't get the same glad feeling about not getting to head out on a run, and lay pouting by the front door. I fill her food bowl while the coffee brews, and she decides that if we can't run she'll ask to be repeatedly let in and out instead.  The result was lots of muddy paw drying. Around 6 Luke leaves for work and Georgia settles down.  The house is finally quiet and still and I'm thankful for the few minutes of peace. It's daycare appreciation day, and this year I am showered with gifts from my families.  It definitely adds a boost to the otherwise dreary and slow start to the day.  As the kids are packing their bags for school I find that some homework has been neglected throughout the week.  I'm ...