The Johnson's

Eliana's 4th Birthday

2011-05-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

Since Eliana was turning 4 years old on May 4th, we had a "golden" theme birthday party... Essentially, that meant Tangled theme. Here are the invitations I made.

Here are just a few photos of the decorations.

These flags were fun to make but took a while. I just used felt sheets cut into quarters, fabric paint, a stencil I created from the sun symbol, and a sponge brush. Once they were dry, I used a hot glue gun to glue them to some string.

All the games were Tangled themed. For the first game, I had the kids pretend to be Maximus who loves apples, but since he doesn't have hands he could only use his mouth to get the apples. Not many of the kids could do it but they sure had fun trying!

Next, we played "Pin the Nose on Flynn Rider" and used Rapunzel's braid as a blind fold.

For the last game, we played Tug of War (again with Rapunzel's hair).

Then we sang "Happy Birthday," ate cake, and opened presents. What a fun day!

Hooray!

2011-03-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

Merely a few seconds ago, I completed and emailed my last final exam to my instructor. Well, my last before SPRING BREAK anyway. Yay! A much needed two-week break has begun! Even though I have a much-dreaded class beginning after the break, there's no use worrying about it right now. This is a HUGE sense of relief. My mental and physical capacity had nearly reached a breaking point and I could no longer find it in me to keep going. Perfect timing. Yes, a vacation would be nice but can't happen this time. Instead, I'll just spend the next two weeks with these awesome little girls. Ah... It's nice just being "Mom".

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T15:13:00.001-07:00

I feel especially grateful for my incredible husband and sweet girls on this valentine's day. After waking up to heart-shaped pancakes and Eliana's repeated "Happy Valentime's" (no, that's not a spelling error- it's how she keeps saying it), I feel so LOVED! I am so lucky!

In addition to feeling and sharing the love on this Valentine's Day, I'd like to also say "Happy Birthday" to my incredible home state of Arizona. The state song illustrates "your sunsets put music in us all." Any time I've gone away, I'm always welcomed home by the most incredible sunsets in the world. Happy 99th birthday, Arizona! :)

A Year Later (Almost)

2011-01-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I let nearly a whole year pass since I last posted. So much has happened since then I'm not even going to try to catch up. As for the big events... Brandon graduated from NAU and we moved to Gilbert where he is now working as a licensed speech pathologist... YAY!

Perhaps the biggest event from within the past year... We had that baby previously mentioned. Brynlee Mikelle was born June 23, 2010. She's a wonderful and sweet addition to our family. It's hard to believe she's already seven months old! Eliana loves her little sister (sometimes a little too much). I'll update more later... Hopefully in less than a year from now.

Funny Eliana

2010-02-08T14:37:00.001-07:00

Eliana has been saying the funniest things lately. I really need to do better at keeping track. Seriously, I'm laughing about something she says every single day. The other day she was watching Snow White and commented about the part where the dwarfs think she's dead by saying, "The Hi Ho's are sad!" I just love how she called the dwarfs "Hi Ho's" so now we call them that all the time!

She's been asking "Why?" about EVERYTHING lately. I always knew we'd someday get to this age but somehow I thought I would be able to satisfy her curiosity by answering every question. Little did I know, there are MANY questions that I have no idea how to answer! I end up getting somewhat annoyed and asking her in return, "What do you think?" She absolutely hates this. She responds with attitude, "Nooo! I asked YOU!" So then I'm forced to make up some completely ridiculous answer just so she can relax. Some of these questions (usually during movies) include: Why is Cinderella crying? Why did her dad die? Why does she have step-sisters? Why do they make her work so much? The list goes on and on an on. It's like watching a movie with my sister-in-law! (Love ya, Shari!)

Another cute thing she's been talking about lately is how everything was made by Jesus. I LOVE this little reminder. At home, looking for a toy, "I'm looking with my eyes 'cause Jesus made them!" Outside in the cold, "I can see my breath! Jesus made it!" Driving in the car, "Look at the pretty sky! Jesus made it!" Oh how I love how observant she is and how she credits Christ for everything she enjoys. Thank you, nursery leaders!

P.S. I would've posted a recent picture of Eliana but I haven't taken any since Christmas. The only pictures I've been taking lately have been for my photography class. This one I'm including with this post is one of those. I know, I have A LOT to learn in photography!

It's a GIRL!

2010-02-03T13:05:00.001-07:00

That's right! We're having another girl! Sorry about the picture; it turned out to be kind of crooked and it isn't very clear. Anyhow, we're excited to welcome to our family another little female. I'm not going to lie... We were hoping for a boy but we knew that Heavenly Father would send us whatever little being was meant to come to our family. And she is absolutely precious! Eliana was excited for either but when she found out it was going to be a girl, she was ecstatic! So... No need to get anything blue or any new baby items at all for that matter. It's a GIRL!

In Case You Haven't Heard...

2010-01-03T18:22:00.000-07:00

WE'RE EXPECTING! That's right! Baby #2 is expected to come sometime around June 27th. It was a lot of fun sharing the exciting news with all the family at Christmas time. Eliana is especially excited about having a new brother or sister (we'll find out sometime in February). Anyhow, that's the big news for now! :-)

This picture is from when I was only 8 weeks along. I'm now at 15 so I'm sure the baby doesn't look like a bean anymore but who knows!

"I like princess movies!"

2009-12-09T13:03:00.000-07:00

I'm realizing more and more that Eliana understands EVERYTHING we talk about. A few days ago we were riding in the car with my brother and his friend when Brandon brought up the subject of a certain celebrity and then we started talking about all the movies and different kinds of movies she's in. All of a sudden Eliana bursts out, "I like princess movies!" Ha ha! It made me laugh. Way to bring yourself into the conversation, Eliana!

The first big snow of the winter season

2009-12-07T19:22:00.000-07:00

It has been snowing all day today and still hasn't stopped. It's well over a foot of snow all ready! Fortunately, school was cancelled so we got to stay home and enjoy it. "As long as there's no place to go, let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!"

Help! The princess is driving me nuts!

2009-11-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

At first, the pretend play was cute. But now, after several months of princess play everyday, it's getting old. Seriously, it's driving me crazy! The first thing Eliana wants to do when she wakes up is watch Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella. Then when she's done, she wants to color a picture of Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella. After that, she dresses up like Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella and immediately assigns parts to carry out exact scenes from the movie (don't even think about skipping a line). If I deny playing the assigned part, she throws an incredible princess fit which is what usually happens. I'm so sick of princesses it's not even funny! What happened to my little girl who loved learning new things, reading books and playing outside? Now she'll do those things only if she's wearing a tiara. C'mon! Seriously!? What can a mother do? Is this just a phase or should I expect this to continue into the school years? Mothers of little girls, please help!!!

Halloween

2009-11-01T17:58:00.000-07:00

Eliana has been saying she wants to be Cinderella for Halloween for months now. She finally got her wish and was she ever excited!

Our ward put on a "trunk or treat" Friday night. Eliana had a lot of fun going around from car to car for candy. Oh, and she wouldn't let go of that bag for anything!

She's smiling up at daddy because she's so dang excited about her treats! Downtown Flagstaff had a little Halloween carnival going on Saturday evening so we checked that out. Overall, she had TONS of fun trick or treating and seeing all the costumes but she still says hers was her favorite!

It's been a while...

2009-10-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

I haven't been keeping the blog up to date very well so this is my "catching up" post. In a nutshell, I...

...enrolled in college and will start taking classes in January
...shared a wonderful anniversary with my awesome hubby
...went with Brandon and Eliana to Thatcher for his 10-year high school reunion
...spent a lot of extra time in Thatcher and Mesa just being lazy
...took Eliana to the state fair in Phoenix (SO MUCH FUN!)
...had a best friend fly in for a visit for a few days
...got a new cell phone; the previous one won't let me pull up the address book so please send me your #!

A few pics:

Eliana playing with Nana's new puppy "Muffin" in Thatcher

My brother Paul and the new friend he met at the petting zoo at the state fair

Mama wallaby and her joey in the pouch

Eliana petting a wallaby

Eliana's first roller coaster... She was quite eager to get off this ride!

Carving pumpkins

It's Autumn Time!

2009-10-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

We took a few family pictures today... Nothing good enough to go out in Christmas cards or anything but it was a lot of fun going out and seeing the changing leaves!

My sister and her family came up for the day as well. It was great having them here and I'm now realizing how quiet it is! Ha ha! I'm glad they were able to come up and visit.

New Blog

2009-10-01T09:14:00.003-07:00

I decided to take the suggestion in this month's Ensign and create a blog about the church. I'm not quite sure where to start blogging so I'm open to any suggestions. Please become a "Follower" so that you can see when it is updated. The blog address is http://fireoffaith.blogspot.com/. I hope everyone makes comments! :-)

Eliana's Potty Progress

2009-09-25T13:16:00.006-07:00

At what point can you say your child is "potty trained"? Is it a week without diapers during the day? Two weeks? Whatever it is, Eliana is getting close. She has gone 3 days (just during the day) without diapers now and NO ACCIDENTS! I haven't had to nag her even once. She completely stops what she's doing, shouts "I need to go potty!" and hurries to the toilet where she totally does it all herself. When it comes to potty training, I never wanted it to be a fight or struggle. I just figure that when she's ready I'll help encourage her but never make her feel bad for having "accidents" since that's completely normal. I haven't had the courage to take her out in public without diapers yet but I'm thinking that might be the next thing. So far, this whole "waiting until she's ready" thing is working wonderfully!Eliana was only 10 months old in this picture. Guess she's always been a toilet enthusiast... Way to be, Babe!

My Donaldson Heritage

2009-09-22T11:30:00.006-07:00

My uncle passed away and his funeral was this past weekend in Duncan. Although funerals are never much fun, it was good seeing family I haven't seen in a long time. This uncle was just older than my dad. It made me so sad to think that my dad is getting older and that one day it will be his time to go. Heck, it could be anyone's time at anytime. Death is not sad for the righteous person experiencing it; only those who can't see you for a little while. I am grateful that I will be able to see my family again. I am so grateful I came from a wonderful line of hard-working, loving, wise and righteous people and for all that they have taught me.

This is a picture of my cousin's and their mom. It was their dad who passed away.

Aunts and uncles who attended the funeral. My dad is the handsome one in the dark suit. There were 14 kids in all in the family, now only 9 are living.

My sweet Eliana at the Virden Cemetery.

Sunset behind my grandpa's shed and where the barn used to be.

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-09T17:38:00.003-07:00

We spent the whole weekend just visiting family. We had tons of fun and I was reminded of how much I miss Mesa- even in the summer!

Eliana holding her breath under water! Maybe next summer (or when we're back in Mesa) we'll do the real swim lessons.

What a Sleeper!

2009-08-27T20:37:00.003-07:00

I just had to share this picture. Eliana was playing in the living room for a while and I was busy doing something. Suddenly I thought, "Uh oh, it's pretty quiet." As a parent, you know that's when you suspect mischief. So I went to check on Eliana and found her like this. Seriously! She was completely out. How in the world did she get in this basket and fall asleep on her ball? Hilarious!

A Quick Update

2009-08-26T19:49:00.003-07:00

Brandon's final school year at NAU has officially begun! Along with being closer to being done comes his on-the-job clinical practicum which he will have 3 semesters of. This semester he'll be going to a school in Cornville twice a week. Where is that you ask? To be honest, I really have no idea. I only know that it's about an hour or so drive out in the middle of no where. Lucky him.

As for me, I applied for over 30 local jobs here in Flagstaff and only heard back from a small handful of them. That handful was all looking for someone to work either full-time or have more flexible availability. I have neither. So after sitting down to figure out our revised budget which is completely based on Brandon's 10hr/wk job he started for the Institute of Human Development Department at NAU.... I decided to take on babysitting for a friend in the ward. Memories of kids yelling at me and wishing they had a more fun sitter almost made me shy away from this opportunity but I decided to give it a try. So far these kids are great and Eliana LOVES playing with them. It's only for a couple hours 3 days a week so no biggie (but not much mula either). However, I'm grateful that I'm able to spend more time with Eliana. Though Daddy will always be her #1, I think this extra time with her is helping me to keep second place. :-)

And for that necessary "ME" time, I've started taking a Book of Mormon class at the institute. I've been wanting to for years. I've always enjoyed institute and have felt like I've been missing out. Obviously, this isn't for social reasons. No one wants to be friends with an old married woman. I love the diverse insight I get on the scriptures. I love the Spirit I feel and the knowledge and testimony I gain. It's a lot more insightful than personal scripture study. At the same time, it makes me feel like I don't know anything. Seriously, teachers, please don't ever call on me! Hopefully by the end of the semester, I'll be the scriptorian I've always wanted to be.

And as for Eliana.... I post so much about her I doubt there's a need for a refresher. She's an awesome child and I feel so incredibly blessed to have her in my life.

Arizona Cardinals Training Camp

2009-08-17T08:49:00.003-07:00

Kurt Warner taking time for the kids

Paul and Brian with Gabe Watson

Fitzgerald making a pass

Eliana and head Coach Whisenhunt

Cinderella in 28 Words

2009-08-14T10:58:00.003-07:00

Saying that Eliana loves Cinderella would be a complete understatement. Poofy princess dresses and sparkly tiaras, wands, shoes and fingernails are what she lives for. She had been so obsessed with Cinderella and wanting to watch it on repeat that it was temporarily banned. Incredibly, she was able to go almost a whole month without the prized princess. Of course, she never stopped talking about it. In fact, I think the fairy godmother came and gave her a new dress everday. [She loves pretending]. I finally popped in the classic last night and watched her fascinating facial expressions and listened to the commentary the whole time.

She must've been dreaming about it all night. Her first sentence to us this morning was exactly this (in her loud, excited voice), "The step-sisters ripped Cinderella's dress but her fairy godmother came and got her a new dress so she can go to the ball and dance with the prince!"

Excited a little, Eliana? I was more overwhelmed by the longest run-on I've ever witnessed than her passion for the princess. But c'mon... Am I really going to correct a 27 month old for her quadruple independent clause conjoining?

The Problem Solver

2009-08-12T10:52:00.004-07:00

Eliana~ "Daddy! We need to fix the bubble blower. It's not working!"
Daddy~ "Yeah, it needs batteries."
Eliana~ "Oh!!! I know!!! I'll get the batteries from the ladybug!" [Another toy of hers]

Really??? A 27 month old thought of something we didn't even think of??!!!?!?! Sheesh.

A week of Thatcher

2009-08-07T10:30:00.003-07:00

We are still in Thatcher so this will be short. I just thought I'd give a quick update about what we've been up to. We've had so much fun with Brandon's parents- we'll go to Duncan and visit my parents today.

This week has gone by too fast! Honestly, I thought we'd get bored after a couple days but I was so wrong! We had a bbq, went bowling, picked apples at Angle Orchard, got pictures taken (the ones here are not- they were just for fun), visited some old friends... We also took Eliana on the 4-wheeler a couple times. Eliana LOVES being here and especially seeing Papa, Grandma and Nana (and Nana's cat). We already can't wait to come back again!

Eliana the Brilliant!

2009-07-27T10:43:00.003-07:00

Eliana will be 27 months old next week. I just have to brag a little... For several months now, she has known how to count to 10 in Spanish and (almost) to 20 in English. She knows her ABCs. She knows all her colors, shapes (which she likes to point out everywhere we go) and body parts (both in English and Spanish). Not only does she regularly put together longer (and grammatically correct) sentences than me but she knows several Spanish words and phrases. She even still remembers the sign language she learned at 6 months old and knows a couple French words! She is a sponge! She has an incredibly memory. She never forgets who gave her what gift and repeats it every time she sees that item ("Papa's BIG dog present." "Bon Bon's jacket." etc. etc.) She completely understands pronouns and uses them in adult-sized sentences, "I'm going to go to my room and get my dolly, okay Mama?" I'm so used to her talking like this that I only realize how impressive it is when Brandon tells me what level is typical for a child her age (since he studies this at school).

Her latest thing is pretending. It seems like I'm constantly playing 'Cinderella' or 'Sharptooth' with her. Even if I'm not playing with her, she can play with several of her toys at the same time and give them all their own "parts" complete with animated voices and exciting drama. She has also recently started reading (recognizing and remembering words, really). But she comprehends and interprets their meaning. She can currently read close to 10 words without help but she'll only do it if she's in the mood (what a girl!). Speaking of, she can definitely be moody but I really expected my two-year-old to come with head-banging breakdowns but NO. She's pretty chill for the most part.

I'm so grateful to have such an incredible child and be able to spend every day with her. She never ceases to amaze me. The only problem is... I'm starting to run out of things to teach her! Ideas, anyone? I'm going to try harder to keep track of all the cute and amazing things she says. She's the sweetest girl in the world and I am so lucky to have her in my life!

Lava Tubes

2009-07-26T17:12:00.005-07:00

Yesterday, Brandon, Eliana and I met up with some of Brandon's friends from school and work. We went to the "Lava Tubes" which is 3/4 mile long cave created (the say) about 655,000 years ago from lava. The cave was discovered in 1915 by lumber men. It was a warm day for Flagstgaff (about 85 degrees) so it felt so good going inside the cave where it was 40 degrees! It sure was a fun experience but it's really rocky inside so our legs got quite the work out from all that climbing!

I was surprised that Eliana didn't get scared and only cried on the way out when Brandon didn't dodge the ceiling so her head had a minor collision. It didn't even leave a bruise so all went well. Flagstaff sure is beautiful and there's still so much more we have yet to discover!

Does anybody blog anymore?

2009-07-22T11:20:00.002-07:00

I recently got in the habit of only putting up new posts when someone finally comments on our last post. It's pathetic! Do we really not have any friends or is it just that no one takes the time to comment? Or perhaps, blogspot isn't the 'cool' thing anymore. I'm not quite sure what it is. Anyhow, thank you Karalee and Brenna and the very few others who care enough to check in on us every now and then! :-)

4th of July (a week late)

2009-07-10T18:53:00.007-07:00

I absolutely love the 4th of July. It's my second favorite holiday; Thanksgiving barely beats it. I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the people who gave their lives for the liberty we enjoy. I really am 'proud to be an American'. Sure, America isn't perfect but I still feel priviledged to be able to have the freedoms that so many people in other parts of the world only dream about. On a lighter note... I love the warm, July sun, the bright colors, the fun festivities, and of course, the fireworks.

We went to the 4th of July parade in Flagstaff and then headed down to Mesa to have a BBQ and swim with family and then watch fireworks. It was Eliana's first time seeing fireworks and she LOVED everything about them. She can't stop talking about the "sparkly magic" and how she had to "cover the ears." It was such a fun weekend!

Albuquerque

2009-07-01T11:17:00.004-07:00

My good friend and former roommate Vanessa (who is from Ohio) was visiting her family in Albuquerque last weekend. Since I hardly ever get to see her I decided to make a quick last-minute trip out there. We had a lot of fun visiting and reminiscing. It was great seeing you, Ness!

Eliana waiting patiently for her turn... "Hurry up, Ashton!"

Eliana was so excited when she saw a baby there. She kept saying, "Can I pet it? I want to pet it!" She even got to hold her but was relieved when baby holding time was up. She said, "It was too heavy, Mama!"

2009-06-23T13:38:00.001-07:00

Disneyland

2009-06-02T13:45:00.004-07:00

I hadn't ever been to Disneyland and since this year it was free admittance for Brandon's birthday, Brandon and I decided to go. He wanted me to experience without kids so we left Eliana home with family. Don't worry... We'll definitely bring her next time. We met up with my cousin/friend Jessica and her husband there. The whole vacation was a lot of fun and I'm so glad we were able to go!

Eating at the Blue Bayou inside the Pirates of the Carribean ride

Brandon's birthday dessert

Sleeping Beauty's castle

The 3D movie was even scarier than this but totally cool!

Another picture spot at California Adventure

Can you get any closer, Brandon? ;)

By Mark Twain's river boat

Donaldson Family Reunion

2009-05-31T21:50:00.004-07:00

You can't have a Donaldson Family Reunion without a pinata!

This is all the great grandkids who were there. There are 100-something more (not even exaggerating... My grandparents had/have 14 kids, 50 something grandkids and tons of greats!)

Eliana with her cousin, Marlyse. Poor Eliana got a black eye from a hard fall last week. My poor baby! It's all better now though!

Trying to cool off from the nasty Mesa heat!

Brandon, Paul and Brian enjoyed a little bit of Rock Band during some family down time.

I was forced into participating in "10 Virgins" skit by my sister. My acting skills probably won't win any awards this year but it was a lot of fun.

Me with my cousin Afton

Brother Visit

2009-05-31T21:31:00.005-07:00

My brothers Brian and Paul came up to Flagstaff a couple weeks ago to visit. It was a lot of fun having them...

We went target shooting (Brian's loading his new rifle). Surprisingly, Eliana didn't get scared or mind the noise at all. She kept playing with the ear plugs we were trying to get her to wear. Fortunately, she'd quickly do "ear muffs" every time we told her someone was about to shoot.

We also went to the mall with Paul and Brian. This is Eliana's "model face." Too funny!

Brandon's friend works at the make-up counter at Dillard's so Eliana was able to get a little dab of lip gloss. She felt like such a princess!

And, of course, she is!

Eliana Turned 2!

2009-05-10T18:20:00.006-07:00

Eliana turned the big 2 on May 4th. Although it was an exciting day with a special breakfast and cupcakes we had the real party yesterday. A lot of family was able to come along with some of Eliana's friends so it was great having everyone. Eliana didn't even know what to do with so much attention!

Eliana was so ready to dig in!

We had a decent turn-out but unfortunately, I didn't reserve the park's gazebo so we were stuck sitting on rocks, camping chairs or the ground. Eliana didn't seem to mind much! (Sorry, everyone else!)

Eliana wasn't able to blow out the candles since it was too windy to even light them. But she had fun pretending and cutting her cake all by herself (mostly).

Arboretum

2009-04-26T18:32:00.007-07:00

We went to the Flagstaff Arboretum on Saturday since it was free for Arbor day. It was cool seeing the Birds of Prey show; especially seeing huge owls up close. There weren't a lot of plants (I guess it's still too cold) so that was disappointing. It was also SUPER windy. Gotta love the cold Flagstaff wind!

Brandon got eaten by an enormous wooden head.

Eliana's turning into a tree-hugger already!

Enter this awesome contest!

2009-04-20T18:11:00.001-07:00

http://www.themeanestmom.blogspot.com/

Easter

2009-04-17T10:42:00.003-07:00

We thought we'd take a family picture after church although we should've done it before church when our hair actually looked somewhat decent.

Eliana in her cute little Easter dress. We got this for her last year so we're so glad it fit this year!

Eliana loved coloring the easter eggs although she didn't have enough patience to let them just sit in the cups. She liked dumping them in every color possible and then wiping the color off with a paper towel because it got "dirty".

The Attention Span of an (almost) 2-yr Old

2009-04-10T17:25:00.004-07:00

The verdict

2009-04-10T17:13:00.004-07:00

After much thought, and wonderful advice, I decided to take keep my car and take the $1000 offer from the insurance company. In doing so, I have to get my title salvage stamped and inspected in order to restore it. That process will cost a total of $58 which is a lot less expensive than buying a new car. We're still keeping an eye out for a killer deal and when we find it we'll sell (private party) either Brandon's car or mine (whichever sells first).

My Poor Little Geo

2009-04-04T16:58:00.006-07:00

I took Eliana grocery shopping a few days ago. We only had to get a few things so the trip was pretty quick. While walking back out to my car I noticed a teenager standing outside of his Bronco blasting music. I thought it was odd that he was parked in a handicap spot without a decal, maybe he was just making a quick trip as well. I loaded up the car, buckled Eliana in and very slowly reversed while carefully watching. This kid JOLTED carelessly out of his parking space and rammed right into us. He admitted fault so I didn't bother calling the police (although now I know I should have, regardless). I thought everything would be taken care of with his insurance company and then I descovered... Nope, they only thing he's 80% responsible which is completely ridiculous. So 80% of the car's value is what they're giving me. Well, that would be an alright deal except now my car is considered TOTALLED even though the accident didn't affect it's driving performance at all. They say the damage would be more expensive to fix than the car's value. So good ol Progressive said they'd purchase the car from me for $1500 or give me $1000 if I keep it but I'd have to go get it salvaged stamped and then inspected in order to restore the title. It's so hard to decide what to do! We'd like to just take the $1500 and put it towards a new car but finances are SO TIGHT right now. It's still a great car and has many miles left on it. Should I take the $1000, keep driving it and then as soon as we can afford a new car, try to sell it with a salvaged/restored title for maybe $700? Ugh! I have to decide by Monday so please let me know what you would do!

Spring Break 2009

2009-03-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

Coming Down With a Case of Nostalgia

2009-03-09T15:44:00.012-07:00

I was writing in my journal yesterday and realizing that our sweet little baby is turning 2 soon! Although I still call her my baby, she has grown so much- especially intellectually. She's an out-going toddler who loves learning and socializing. I decided to flip back a few pages, back to May 4, 2007. Just a small excerpt (I'll leave out the gorey, yucky stuff)--

"Brandon and I held her and stared at her as she looked up at us. It was like she already knew us. After finally meeting her, we both felt good about naming her Eliana Koryn Johnson. Eliana cried for the first hour and a half of her life. Great lungs I guess! It was seriously so amazing how alert she was when she was first born. She looked so perfect! I couldn't believe it was real!"

As much as I loved that tiny cuddle-bug, I sure enjoy the excited toddler who gives the tightest hugs while saying, "I love you, Mama." I love that I'm able to talk to her and she tells me all about her day. I love that she picks out her own outfits and tells me what she wants to eat. Every stage has been an exciting adventure. I'm left in suspense as to what the future holds... but for now I'll just keep treasuring every moment.

I could get used to days like these...

2009-03-01T16:30:00.005-07:00

I had a 3 day weekend so Eliana and I went with a friend down to Mesa. The weather was BEAUTIFUL! Eliana loved playing outside and especially going swimming-- which we did twice!

One of Eliana's favorite games is hide-and-seek. She doesn't always pick the best hiding spots but she's so good at sitting perfectly still until she's found; even if it takes a long time! I thought this time was especially cute since she was looking for Brandon in the reflection of the window. What a smartee!

Eliana LOVES putting on shoes and trying to walk around in them... Especially high heels. What a girly girl! I don't think I started practicing that 'til junior high!

President's/Valentine's Weekend

2009-02-20T14:52:00.009-07:00

Last weekend was an eventful one for our family. Firstly, the Gila Valley Temple Groundbreaking was Saturday (Valentine's). We wouldn't have made the trip just for that but it was also my dad's retirement party that day. The groundbreaking was pretty cool. It was neat being there for that.

Eliana at the groundbreaking site

Painting of the future Gila Valley Temple

My dad worked at the copper mine in Morenci, AZ for 28 years. Between Phelps Dodge and working on the farm, he worked hard to support our family of 10. Although I didn't see him a whole lot, I know that him working so much was his way of showing his family how much he loved us. I'm so grateful for the example he showed me- How to be a hard worker and save every penny! P.D. (or Freeport) had a retirement party for my dad at Brick's Restaurant in Safford.

My dad

Dad showing the grandkids copper

Almost everyone was able to come (2 brothers & Eliana missing)

Eliana's silly face!

We went back up to Mesa Sunday evening and stayed for a birthday party on Monday. It was for Brandon's brother and Grandma.

The Johnson Family

It sure was a lot of fun being with family over the weekend. One of my most favorite things to do is just sit and visit with the people I love most-- FAMILY. I love you guys and feel so fortunate to have such a wonderful family-- both Donaldson and Johnson.

I've been tagged!

2009-02-18T16:31:00.004-07:00

7th picture in the 7th folder (Thanks Rebecca for tagging me)

Of course... it's Eliana! This was at the annual Johnson family New Year's Day BBQ at Brandon's uncle's home in Litchfield Park. I always love going because the food is so good and Brandon's cousins have a tradition of jumping in the freezing cold pool for $. Shoot, I'm thinking of bringing my swimsuit next year! It's funny to me that we call it a BBQ when really it's specially catered. Anyhow, Eliana loved playing in the dirt and chasing the dog.

I would tag someone but I'm not sure who hasn't done this yet... If you haven't here's your chance. :-)

Snow Day!

2009-02-11T14:03:00.004-07:00

The last couple of days have been snow days so NO SCHOOL! Even NAU was out yesterday and half a day on Monday. We got 29 inches total over the last few days! ...So of course we played in it. Eliana loved jumping in it and eating it.

Eliana standing in the snow. I'm not even sure if her feet are touching ground.

Eliana eating the snow... So gross.

More pictures

2009-02-01T12:09:00.003-07:00

Eliana has been coughing and having a runny nose the last couple days so instead of taking her to nursery at church today we came home. I decided to take a couple pictures of her just 'cause I thought she looked so darling.

I also thought I'd include a picture from our trip down to Sedona a couple days ago. I'm so glad you got to come, Jes!

Eliana's First Haircut

2009-01-30T16:33:00.009-07:00

Eliana got her first haircut yesterday! Our friend and cousin Jessica gave her first cut. I originally thought of doing just a trim to even it up but then decided to go a little shorter for volume and I love it! We did a slight A-line with layers in the back. I'm sure I won't always keep her hair short but for now it works and looks a lot less stringy.

Our Puerto Rico Vacation

2008-12-21T18:11:00.008-07:00

Brandon and I left Eliana with family and spent a few days in Puerto Rico last week. It sure was nice going from below freezing weather in Flagstaff to 80 degree weather in San Juan! We weren't sure what to expect since we've never known anyone who had vacationed there before. The city was a lot different than what I'm used to: Overcrowded, dirty, bars on all the doors and windows of homes, terrible traffic and everyone honks their horn for any reason. I was so glad I was there with Brandon since he's fluent in Spanish and familiar with the culture since he served his mission in the Dominican Republic (just North of Puerto Rico). Thankfully, the hotel was nice and close to Old San Juan. It was so cool learning about the history of Puerto Rico and being in such an ancient city. We visited San Cristobal and El Morro which are forts built by spanish troops beginning in 1539. Touring these sites was indescribable. My favorite part was in the dungeon at San Cristobal, there were beautiful, artistic drawings of ships they believe were from a spanish captain who was awaiting execution.

We also visited El Yunque which is a thick, luscious rainforest. We did some hiking to see some beautiful waterfalls. It was amazing to see how many plants could grow on top of other plants. Of course it rained while we were there but the thick forest offered a natural umbrella. It was strange (and sad) to see so much iguana roadkill. The incredible variety of plants and creatures there were breath-taking.

And you can't go to an island in the caribbean without going to the beach! We visted a couple but our absolute favorite was one on Culebra Island. We had to take a 1 1/2 hour ferry ride to get there but it was totally worth it. (I'm not sure if Brandon would say that- he got a little sea-sick.) The popular tourist attraction there is Flamenco Beach. It's over a mile long, white sand, crystal blue water. It was gorgeous. However, the wind on that side of the island is not attractive. Fortunately, we heard about Rosario Beach which is a 25 min. walk to the other side of the island. It was perfect for snorkling! The vibrant array of fish and plants was amazing! I marvel at the wonders of this beautiful world; above water and below.

It was nice getting away for a couple days but I missed Eliana and I'm pretty sure she missed us too. We were welcomed back to Flagstaff with quite a bit of snow. It was fun sledding and building a snowman with Brandon and Eliana. Here's a picture of Brandon trying to get into his car. From the caribbean to several feet of snow... we're enjoying our Christmas break!

Santa's Coming!

2008-12-05T22:10:00.016-07:00

We attempted to take family pictures for our Christmas cards today. Out of over 100 shots- one might be decent enough to send out! It was quite a feat trying to get Eliana to hold still... Let alone smile for the picture! As a reward for being so good for pictures we took her to see Santa Claus. She was soooo excited! The conversation went something like, "Eliana, do you want to go see Santa?" "OKAY! OKAY!" Noticing that I didn't have shoes on since we were at home, she ran to my closet, grabbed a shoe that matched my outfit (surprisingly!) and demanded for me to put my "Shoes on! Shoes on!" Noticing that she only grabbed one shoe, she ran and got the match (which was quite remarkable since they were in a big pile in my closet- yah, we're doing some house-cleaning tomorrow). She placed them perfectly in front of my feet. I think I offended her a little when I chose a different pair to wear. Sorry, Eliana. Nevertheless, she was so excited and shouted, "Santa's coming! Santa's coming! Let's go!" Unfortunately, you can't sense her enthusiasm in the picture but it was there. Hey, I was just glad she didn't scream her head off like most 1 1/2 year olds!

Here are a few of our most humorous family pictures from the photo shoot. Brandon will love it when he sees I put up the cool one of him! HA HA!

Pictures from Thanksgiving Weekend

2008-12-01T16:38:00.002-07:00

"I sorry!"

2008-11-20T14:06:00.002-07:00

Eliana came up to me with a pen saying, "Picture! Picture!" So I asked, "Did you draw a picture already?" She didn't reply so I knew that meant yes and I knew it was mischief! "Where did you draw a picture?" She took me to the dresser in our bedroom and showed me the beautiful scribble-artwork she had done on it. I sat down next to her, showed her a piece of paper and explained that we only color and draw pretty pictures on paper. She gave me puppy dog eyes, wrapped her arms around me and said softly, "I sorry. I sorry, Mama."

I thought she had learned a lesson until later. She started coloring on the bathroom cabinet while saying simultaneously, "I sorry." Apparently, the only lesson she learned was that by saying she's sorry it makes it okay!

Veterans Day Weekend

2008-11-14T20:46:00.011-07:00

We decided to go down to Mesa to thaw out from the cold and visit family and friends last weekend. It was a lot of fun going to the Phoenix Zoo with both Johnson and Donaldson family cousins. Eliana loved seeing and petting the "aminals" there. It was great visiting people who we aren't very good at keeping in touch with. We are so grateful to have many loving friends and family!

Best Friends! Eliana and her cousin Tessa can't get enough of each other!

"This is what it's like to be a farmer? No fun!" ~Eliana

Cousins Tessa, Maci and Eliana enjoying the ducks at the Phoenix Zoo.

Well hello there, Eliana!

Brandon and Eliana checking out the monkeys

208

2008-11-06T20:27:00.001-07:00

...the amount of words Eliana can say at 18 months old when her doctor expected only 10!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T20:45:00.011-07:00

How can you not love this face? Seriously.

"Pumkin! Pumkin!" ~Eliana

Brandon carved the cat and then I made him help me with the face cause I take too long!

Brandon was just looking for a way to show off his black belt at the ward party- JK.

"Canny please!" She was so disappointed when people weren't home. And when they were, she walked right in when they opened the door! Ha ha!

But Most Of All She Can KISS KISS KISS!

2008-10-29T21:52:00.004-07:00

Eliana is a non-stop talker lately. In fact, she has over a 100 new frequently used words since I posted her vocab count 3 months ago! She recently started saying more sentences. A few of her favorite lines are:

"Love oo!"
"Dank oo!"
"I don't know!"
"I got it!"
"Nigh Nigh!"
"All gone! Trash." (As soon as she's done with something she throws it away. It's nice not having to remind her unless it's something she shouldn't throw away. I find myself garbage digging a lot!)
"Was sat?"
"Bless you!" (I sneezed while we were out shopping one day and she quickly responded. I had no idea she knew how to say this!)
"HUG!!!" [As she comes running up to me when I get home from work with her arms wide open... I love it!]

And her most favorite thing to say lately is:

"Ha buh cake" (happy birthday cake) I have no idea where she got this from but she's fanatically excited about birthday cake lately. When we first moved to Flagstaff in August (Eliana was 15 mos.) we went to a birthday party at a nearby park. I took her back to that park just the other day for the first time since. She kept saying, "Ha buh cake!" I didn't know what she was trying to say until I realized that she remembered the birthday party even though it was so long ago. Holy crazy memory! She never ceases to impress me. So even though our child is a genius, her hugs and kisses are still her number one quality!

Potty Training Story

2008-10-29T21:44:00.004-07:00

I've been meaning to post this for some time. It's a little outdated; okay so it's from July. FYI- Eliana has shown little interest in potty-training since. Anyhow, here it is.

At 14 1/2 months, Eliana went potty on the toilet for the first time today! Needless to say, we were so excited to not have to change another poopy diaper (It gets old after a year or so). She's been very curious about the toilet lately. Last week she let one of her most beloved toys go for a swim in the bowl. Yah, it used to make sounds but after a long run through the washer post toilet-trauma, no trabaja. Days later, we decided to give the toilet-training a shot. That first time was momentous. I showed Eliana her very own potty seat to go on the big toilet. She had so much fun peeking through the hole in it. That is, until she got it stuck on her head. That's right. STUCK! Brandon actually had to pry it off which resulted in a lot of tears and a nice little bruise. I decided to keep being persistant. Minutes later, I took her back to the toilet. She was only on there a second before she decided to take a nose dive off resulting in another bruise on her forehead. She stood up and paused her crying. It took me a split second to get a diaper to put on her. All of a sudden I hear a "SMACK!" and more blood-curdling screaming. She had peed on the floor, slipped in her pee and hit her head a third time on the floor! Wow, potty training is eventful. And we're just beginning! Thankfully, today was a success.

2008-10-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

Autumn in Flagstaff

2008-10-19T11:45:00.005-07:00

2008-10-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

Finding JOY in the JOURNEY

2008-10-05T16:58:00.006-07:00

The headline is a quote from President Monson's talk at conference this weekend. What an amazing spiritual boost conference has been! I love it! I'm grateful for the reminder to "treasure every moment" and to show family and friends more how much they are loved. I've realized this week how fragile life is and how quickly Heavenly Father can bring his children home. Children grow up and leave, friends move away and loved ones pass on.

Eliana's "terrible two's" are coming on a little early. Almost daily she has a melt down that leaves me holding my breath for more patience. Even still, she is the sweetest little girl. I love watching her learn new things. She loves to dance and has now started singing as well. I was shocked when I first heard her sing "Shorty got low low low low low low low low" along to the radio in the car. She has also sung along to other questionably inappropriate music. I didn't ever realize that she was actually picking up on lyrics and now I'm thinking we need to be a lot more careful about what we listen to and watch on tv. If I wouldn't want my one-year old hearing/watching it, I probably shouldn't be watching it either. Thanks, Eliana, for teaching me that.

My little messy-hair angel

These boots remind me of the irrigation boots we'd wear on the farm. Thank goodness Eliana doesn't have to use them for that!

The Passing of a Loved One

2008-10-05T16:38:00.005-07:00

Brandon's grandpa passed away Friday, October 3rd. He has always been a very intelligent, spiritual, loving person whom I admire tremendously. What an excellent example he has set for me. Although we miss him, our testimony of eternal families has grown. Without a doubt, we WILL see him again. But in the meantime... We miss you, Papa!

Grand Canyon trip

2008-09-10T16:32:00.005-07:00

After nearly 25 years of living in Arizona (home to one of the most magnificent wonders of the world), I finally saw the notorious Grand Canyon. And let me tell you; What a GRAND canyon! It was a first for all of us (well, Brandon couldn't remember since he went when he was young). We figured that since we live only an hour and a half a way, we might as well go check it out. It was incredible! Here are a few pictures from the trip.

Hang on, Eliana!
Brandon is on that white rock and inches from a 300 ft. drop! Scary!

So I don't mean to brag...

2008-08-23T12:47:00.004-07:00

... Okay so maybe a little. I don't think my child is a prodigy or anything but I might have to say she's gifted. At only 15 months, Eliana says 48 words (and that's only counting the ones she says on a regular basis!) and signs another 29 words and phrases! Her favorite words are:

1. No
2. Giraffe
3. Pillow
4. Airplane
5. Happy

To put it into perspective, an average 15 month old says 10-15 words. Our little one just happens to be able to communicate with 77 total words! PURELY GIFTED.

Enjoying Flagstaff

2008-08-09T13:19:00.002-07:00

We moved up to Flagstaff last week, August 5th. Brrr!!! Who would've thought it could hail in August!? The weather has been mostly pleasant- lots better than Mesa! Our new apartment is pretty nice and we can't wait for all our family and friends to come up and visit! We'll be sure to post pictures of it as soon as we get some.

2008-07-11T18:43:00.000-07:00

First time Blogger!

2008-07-11T18:14:00.001-07:00

Welcome to our page! I was trying to hold out from giving into to mormon-mom peer pressure but I've finally decided to create a blog. This just might be a great way to share pictures, news and other information with family and friends. Hope you enjoy!