Back Home

Well, ten days of travelling from state to state to state. Moving sofas, playing nanny to Carter, seeing movies, going to Relief Society Enrichment night in another ward, reading, finding myself with my van car seats in three different states,etc. The list goes on.

I have to commend the boys for taking care of the house so well. Things were pretty much in o.k. shape when I returned. Good job guys!

I realized, again, how much I hate unpacking and putting things to rights after a trip. I also realized how important it is to stay in touch with family members no matter how far away they are. Like my friend Lisa, my children are spread all over the nation and sometimes all over the planet. Weekly phone calls, cards, remembering birthdays, Facebook, emails, etc. are all wonderful ways to keep in touch. As children grow up and leave these tools become even more valuable. So in that vane I got a new cell phone, one that allows me to text message easily. So as I take my next step into the world of modern technology I began to wonder, is this really the direction we want our lives to go? Or is it just silly to fight the inevitable? Will we continue to develop psuedo ways of communication like email and texting and really think that they will take the place of a good old fashioned phone call, hand written letter or personal visit? In ten years will we spend more time with the ones we love or less, because we think a quick text message is communication?

I have breakfast with a dear friend of mine at least once a week, unless one of us is traveling. Now that is communication! Talking out our concerns, sharing laughs and even at our distingushed age, giggles. Planning shopping trips and movie dates. We share our memories and our futures together. Can any of this be accomplished via texting or Facebooking? As the technology speeds up our ability to communicate I have to wonder...are we really communicating at all?

As for me, I will use the technology to send quick messages and jokes but, I will also continue to plan visits to loved ones that live far away and even those who live a bit closer. I am convinced that while the technology allows us to keep in touch, it does not allow us to be in touch. It cannot replace the soft touch of my daughter's hand over the breakfast table, the smack talk with my son in law over football, the sweet moments I have share with my daughter in law and son over shared meals and pedicure appointments. It cannot replace the motorcycle ride my eighteen year old shared with his big brother. It cannot replace the simple conversations I have shared with each of my children in person, being able to try and read body language and facial cues that I have seen since their childhoods. Nope, I like technology but real person to person contact is still the only real way to make and maintain a connection with people. Facetime...not Facebook time is really the most important and best way to communicate with each other.

Out of Town

SLACKER! that's what I am a slacker...at least on this blog. Things slowed down for a minute after the wedding and then, true to form, started right back up again. Car issues, leaves falling, plumbing issues, car break in, etc. the list goes on and on.

For the next few days I have left my boys, 18 and 22 alone at home to watch over the homestead and fend for themselves. Psssst don't tell the neighbors! I am playing nanny to Carter down here in VA while his mom visits England to see Leah and Rik, who are expecting their first baby. I am loving it. We went over to MD last night to visit Carolin and Jason and got to help them get ready for their new arrival...no name yet, puppy! Yay, another grandpuppy. Pretty soon I will have more granddogs than kids. I wonder if that will make Christmas cheaper or not...hmmmm.

Going home on Friday to spend some time with my girl Sue over the weekend then back to VA to bring Carter home to his Mama. Then jetting over to MD to see Cares and J again, and bringing some of our dog stuff that we no longer use. Then home on Monday. Whew!

See what I mean! No rest for the wicked...oh I mean weary (Hah!) Now, moving onto Christmas...

My Day Today

Today was a typical day for me...

1) Dr.'s office for a blood sample
2) Bank
3) Post Office
4) Dry Cleaner's
5) Library (usually my favorite stop of the week but today I owed fines)
6) Hair Dresser's to pick up hair stuff
7) Michal's (a craft store) for stuff to finish up decorating the house for Fall
8) Grocery Store (this is my least favorite so I put it off until the boy's think they are going to starve to death)

Then back home to put all that junk away... Some parts of my life have changed drastically,like, the laundry...Maddock hauls it down to the basement, Micah sorts it, washes it and hauls it back up, I fold it and iron it, then we all put our own stuff away. Much easier than when there were five kids and tons of laundry. On the other hand, there are days like today that seem so familiar that I come home feeling like there should still be more people living here. Then I remember, the ones that live here are boys and that alone explains the $180.00 in groceries that will be gone in less than two weeks. Someday, Maddock will stop growing and soccer season will be over and he will quit eating us out of house and home. I'm not ready for someday, not just yet.

Post Wedding Week

This is the first week in months that I have not been consumed with wedding plans. Seemed strange at first but I believe I am getting over it. First a little light housekeeping and some cooking. A little shopping, finish my overdue library books, get the boys to take care of the lawn (no small feat indeed!) Spend time looking at some wedding photos and generally just taking the week off, even though there were two soccer games during the week.

Celebrated by birthday this week with loads of notes and FB messages from sweet friends. Some fizzy apple bubbly and graham flavored fish crackers, lunch with a good friend and breakfast with another and dinner out with my youngest. Some weeks just rock!

The older I get the more I appreciate the little things in life like, shoes that fit really well, so you buy two pair of them, phone calls from my kids, dinner out with friends and family, a really good book or movie, and a clean house! Oh! and my new beautiful ring from my hubby! Jewelry always makes it a good day.

So the wedding was a success! The only beautiful day of the week! The bride was stunning, the groom ecstatic! The mother of the bride exhausted! And that was only the ceremony! The receptions were marvelous. I will post more photos once we get them!

I just can't believe she is old enough to be someone's wife! Today she posted an email to me and I didn't have a clue who Carolin Shepard was. I almost deleted it! Things change!

Seven Days

Seven days...what the heck! Where did the week go...the bride is sick, the groom is hanging tough and the mother of bride is doing great! My blood pressure is finally down, I lost eleven pounds and for some reason am calm and collected. Seems strange to be so calm, I must be missing something.

Oh well, as long as they are married by the end of the day I'll be happy.

September 11, 2009

Amid all the rushing and planning for the upcoming nuptials I did take some time today to remember all that happened eight years ago. So many lost and so many more left behind to mourn for them. Only eight years ago we were a country united by a common pain and a common cause. What happened? Are our memories so short, our ability to remember so stunted that only eight years later at Bloomsburg University only seven students showed up to a memorial for those lost on 9/11.

Did you say a prayer for those lost eight years ago? Do you keep those that serve our nation here and abroad in your prayers? Did you at least stop for one moment to be thankful that you live in a nation that allows you to those choices?

Twenty-four Days

Bride's Dress - Done
Marriage License - Done
MOB Dress - in the works
Shoes - Done
Food - in the works
Chairs and misc. items - still in the works
Venues - Done
Gluten Free Desserts - Done (except for decoration)
Decorations - work in progress
Pashmina's ordered - Done
Hotel Reservations - Done
Flowers - Done

Some things are still works in process...I am tired to say the least...

39 Days

So we are now 39 days away from the wedding and receptions. 39 days until family descends, Fred comes home, the wedding site has to be decorated, the chairs delivered, the flowers delivered, the reception set up, food delivered and prepped to serve (thank you Wendy), the dresses worn, the songs sung, the toasts made...39 days until she leaves home for the last time to become someone's wife. Someones wife, there is a bittersweetness about that phrase that causes me to stop in my tracks every once in a while and remember her as the little girl that ran around in cowboy boots and diapers, with tangles and tons of blond, curls that were wildly out of control for the most part. The little girl that curled up in my arms at night as we read together. The little girl that loved Fast Sunday because it was not Long Sunday. The little angle face with the devilish smile that would lie in wait for her older siblings to bang them on the head with some toy or other and then race, laughing wildly down the hall to get away. She was here a minute ago, I could swear. It has all come to unexpectedly fast and here we are...with only 39 days.

Oh my goodness, look what I found...

A few shots of some old friends...well no so old then of course. Enjoy!

Memories!

Good gracious! The photos are coming out of the walls, boxes and boxes of them. These are a few of some dear and wonderful friends. Vick, I hope you remember some of these times. Our girls turned out beautiful and the boys just adorable! We done good girl!

Roaming The Countryside

Left Sunday (after the soccer tourney) for Maryland. Monday was the dress fitting and it was so much fun! We had lunch with the photographer Dave and Care's future sister in law to go over photo ideas. Dinner out at the Imperial Gardens (it wasn't so Imperial) but the food was pretty good and company better. The best part was the Baskin Robbin's right next door.

Tuesday, drove to Michigan go see Fred for a few days. Get in some down time, reading time, shopping time etc. before setting off to get Maddock on Sunday the down to South Carolina to see Marshal and Steph until the 7th. Then on to South Carolina, to pick up my good friend, Lisa. Drop her off in Virginia and then home.

What awaits me there is...flowers, boy's clothing, decorations for the park, linens for the reception, ordering all the rest of the food, finding a nice B&B for Care's and J's wedding night...

the list goes on and on. Now back to chillin, reading, napping, shopping...

Wedding Frazzle

O.K. so far I have been having a pretty good time with the whole wedding thing. But today, looking at being out of town for the next two weeks (no our house will NOT be empty, other people besides me live here) has caused me to have sort of a mental melt down. I do not have the flowers ordered, or the decorations for the wedding venue, or the chairs, plates, linens... I mean really, how far behind am I? If I don't have chairs can't people just stand for fifteen minutes? Can't we just let nature be the provider of the decor for the site? AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! O.K. I feel a little better now. I am so, so, very happy that God gifted me with two daughters, who are wonderful! But I am also grateful that I only have the two. Mother of the Groom, that is were it is at!

Old Friends

I just spent the last couple of hours on the phone catching up with an old friend that somehow I lost over the years of moving and travel. It was wonderful! We laughed and carried on as if no time had passed at all. At times I hate how much technology has taken over our lives but tonight I am extremely grateful for Facebook and two young women (Vickie's daughters Tiffany and Rachel) who decided to respond to a stranger's Facebook message and helped me get back in touch their mom. She was a wonderful friend and one I am blessed to have back in my circle. Vickie, you asked for photos of the family...here you go.



Love,

Tracey

Family Pics

Christina with Fayelin.

The grandbabies from left to right Gavin, Fayelin,Maeve, Heber, Liza. ...........and baby Lorna!

Maddock and his girl T ready for Prom.

Marshal &

Stephani 2008

Micah Christmas morning 2008

Carolin and her fiance Jason. Wedding 9/25/09

Public Library Funding

As our Governer considers cutting public library funding to almost nothing I was motivated to write this letter. I have also sent copies to my state representative and senator. But first I prefaced my letter with phones calls to each. Maybe some of you will be motivated to do the same.

July 20, 2009


Governor Rendell,

I understand that the proposed budget before congress today entails some extensive cuts to public library funding. While I understand that during difficult financial times, such as those facing our nation today, cuts in funding are necessary. I don’t, however, believe that our political representatives are taking a long term view.

On Friday of last week I walked into the Quarryville Library to return some books. I noticed that every computer was in use at the time. Not by children or teens downloading music or playing games but adults. Most of them seemed to be working on resumes or looking at job hunting sites. I spoke recently to our librarian and asked if computer use was up. She told me that it was higher than ever before. She also said that in the month of June they had issued more library cards than ever. Nationally, a recent study shows that more Americans now have library cards than ever before, 68%. That same study indicated that in urban areas 73% of library card holders use their local library’s internet servers. In rural areas usage is up to 83%.

In our community, as in many small communities across the state of Pennsylvania, our public library is directly connected to our public schools. Our public schools rely on the library to provide after hours computer access for students who do not own computers or do not have access to computers after school hours. One of the proposed cost cutting ideas is to cut the hours the library is open. This seriously limits students’ abilities to use those library computers and other resources that the library provides. The library promotes early education programs, which will most certainly be cut which, will entail spending more money on Head Start and other programs through the public education system.

Home schooling families will be impacted greatly as well. Public libraries are an important resource for home schoolers. The access to the computers, the books, the reference section and even just the experience of going to the library creates a special feeling for many children.

Another way the libraries may be forced to cut back is in staffing. When you lay people off this does not save the government money. In actuality it costs us more. Do you really think those people go home and wait for another job? Of course not! They file for unemployment costing us even more. One recent interview that took place on the Today Show they indicated that as many as 1000 jobs could be at risk in the New York City Library system alone. I am left to wonder how cities like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia will fare.

After looking over the grant allotments for the last ten years to public libraries I noticed that the amount given out is basically the same. It seems to me that you have already made cuts by not substantially increasing the grants allowed in the state.

When you choose to make deep cuts to public services like our public libraries you show a limited ability to see the long term view. Education of our young people is the most valuable resource we have in our nation and yet we continually cut the budget of and burden future generations. It is short term thinking, perhaps so you can say “See I cut costs” or “Look, we prevented a tax increase” allowing you to be re-elected. Look down the road twenty, forty, sixty years and what do you see? I see my generation of Americans, left to the care of doctors, engineers, and others whose educations have been limited by budget cuts to schools and public libraries. I see generations of loss to our nation of authors, playwrights, movie producers and other artists whose potential will be unfulfilled because we chose to make cuts in the public services provided by our libraries. Of course you may choose to have the doctor or lawyer who almost had the best America has to offer. You may choose to drive on the bridge or road designed by the engineer that almost had the best. You may even choose that “almost the best” for your children and grandchildren.

For myself, my children and my grandchildren I believe that cutting library funding will have an unbelievable effect on generations to come. As you consider this proposed cut to our public libraries please note the following quotations from some of our greatest minds and probably public library card holders.

“Consider what you have in the smallest chosen library. A company of the wisest and wittiest men that could be picked out of all civil countries, in a thousand years, have set in best order the results of their learning and wisdom. The men themselves were hid and inaccessible, solitary, impatient of interruption, fenced by etiquette; but the thought which they did not uncover to their bosom friend is here written out in transparent words to us, the strangers of another age.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Books," Society and Solitude

“There is not such a cradle of democracy upon the earth as the Free Public Library, this republic of letters, where neither rank, office, nor wealth receives the slightest consideration.” ~Andrew Carnegie

“The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully extracted from Nature, of the greatest minds that ever were, with the best teachers, drawn from the entire planet and from all our history, to instruct us without tiring, and to inspire us to make our own contribution to the collective knowledge of the human species. I think the health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture and our concern for the future can all be tested by how well we support our libraries." ~Carl Sagan, Cosmos


Respectfully,



Tracey Johnston
Quarryville, Pennsylvania

Cupcakes...

Hurray! I found a baker (many thanks to Ms. Bennett!) for the cake and cupcakes for the wedding reception. Just one more item to tick off my list. Maddock and his girlfriend T were my taste testers. We also decided on a shower cake and menu. Thanks to Judy B. for hosting the gig. Off on Friday to visit kids and travel a bit. Then back home to finish up the plans, then soccer camp, Michigan and then back home for the final stretch. Things are getting interesting folks!

Once upon a Christmas...

Christmas Eve 2001

Memories...

Let me just start by saying the wedding is one week closer and I am still overwhelmed with details, details and more details. I am rapidly becoming a fan of the small, at home wedding in the front parlor, with a brunch right after the wedding and the couple riding off into the sunset. Yeah! that would do it. However, since that is not what is about to occur, I will suck it up and make the best plans I can and hope that God isn't laughing too hard.

As I am researching, planning, buying, organizing, I have started going through old photos to find some of the bride in her younger years, I have come upon some truly wonderful memories. I think digital photography is wonderful, but I must say, that since it is so easily manipulated, I find old fashioned photos to be my favorites. For one moment, time stops, frozen in its march to eternity. No one changes it, no one has to remember each detail, because they are all there in the photograph. I love the old videos too. The giggles of my children running around the yard on Mother's Day, or helping Dad fix the car by running off with the tools, the Christmas mornings and Eves, the ordinary "Oh let's take a picture" moments, cannot be replaced. Which one of my family will forget the video of Maddock chasing Donald Duck around the place at Disney World or Carolin's dance recitals? The sweet face of our camera shy Christina trying to stay out of the frame. The photos of friends old and new from our twenty plus years of Christmas Eves are invaluable to us. The videos of our family singing to Gavin when he still sat in his high chair to the tune of "Sherrie, Baby" (only we sang Gavin, baby), the birthdays, the parties, the picnics, the costumes, the memories go on and on. The millions of memories created as a family lives together, learns together, makes mistakes together and grows up together. Oh! I am thankful for those pictures...but more importantly, I am thankful for the family!

When I figure out how, I am going to post of few of the old photos...just you wait!

Summer Mondays

I am trying to fathom why Mondays in the summertime are soooooooooooooo much harder than Mondays during the rest of the year. Maybe it is not having a schedule, no one in school and no job that makes it seem so difficult. All I know is the longer I delay getting started the more there is to do tomorrow!

So I better mooooooooooooooveeeeeeeeeeee it! Maybe we'll take in a movie this afternoon. That is always a good reason to postpone things...yeah, that's it we'll go to the movies. The wedding stuff can wait, right?

The Dress

First, we are all clear that the lady to right is not me, right?! I wish, cause if it was, the rest of the post would be moot!


Not the bride's, mine. O.K. so this week the wedding planning shifted gears. The kids finally registered (at Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond), I started deciding what I will make and what I will have catered. The cupcakes...240 cupcakes (definitly cater), 80 chocolate mousses (make), Lemon Bars (cater), Pink Fluff (have to make), etc. You can see the how the system is shaping up.

So we have the wedding site, the reception site, the Bridal shower is being taken care of, the gift registry is finished, I picked out a dress and now I must get measured for it. The absurdity of this endeaver baffles me. My daughter is getting married in less than four months, I have decorations to worry over, caterers to find, venues to confirm, insurance to buy, various and sundry details to fret over and the biggest, most worrisome problem I have is getting measured for the dress. Bless her, Dawn, my friend and seamtress, promises to keep the meausurements under lock and key and, when the dress is perfect, to destroy them. So no problem right? WRONG! YOU COULDN'T BE WRONGER! I am telling you I am sweating bullets just thinking about get the tape measure out. I hate knowing the, hither to unknown, facts. The actual inch by inch tortureous details... I cannot think of one thing that worries me more about this wedding than getting measured for the dress. Oh, I will get it done. I will face my most horrific fears but, I will not allow her to tell me details. Write them down, hide them in her purse and put them under lock and key...and tell me nothing! Maybe, I think if I don't "know" the facts they can't be true? Hmmmm...something to ponder.

So ladies, let me know what you think! I was thinking this dress with Kermit the frog green ballet flats?

Lancaster Dorks Travel...

Long Island Sound...Stevie &

Micah with the

Family!

Not exactly sure what the guys

were going for here but their

personalities sure come out!

Dorks of Lancaster County

So I found some photos of Micah, Lauren and

Steve. I thought I would post a few just for fun and to remind them of just how dorkie they were not so very long ago...by the way that hat has never been seen again!

A Preachy Moment

A few weeks ago my DH returned from a very long stint in California. He witnessed first hand much the anti-Mormon sentiment being displayed in Cali. All of this is extremely disturbing but not completely unexpected. The scriptures tell us of many trials and tribulations to come, and go figure, they are coming from California. First, we had a Presidential Candidate that actually knows how to balance the budget, got his state off of welfare, turned around the Olympics, and managed to get every company he ever was involved with in profit. And all we heard about was his religion. Never in our country's history has any Presidential candidate been hounded out of running for office due to his personal beliefs. California and the last Presidential election are just the beginning.

Those of us who choose to stand by the teachings of the church are going to be targeted more and more as liberal America and the media turn on conservatives. We are a people choosing to exercise our governmental rights to worship where, when and how we choose, to support the traditional family, to show integrity and honor, courage and valor when those around us deride us for those same things. Ridicule and insults, I fear, will become the norm for us. Faith will become our life line. Our friendships and ties to others who believe as we do, our faith in our Heavenly Father and his Son will all be needed to sustain in the days to come.

We do not seek to deride, insult or intimidate others for their beliefs, however, we do reserve the right to speak out publically and vote against things, when laws and amendments directly contradict our beliefs. We will not hate those that work against us, we will not use violence or anger to sustain ourselves in times of adversity. We will listen to your opinions and then, like true Americans, form our own opinions based on our belief system. That is our right!

Saturday...

Time to give the house a quick, and I do mean quick, once over. Clean out the fridge, it is scary in there and relax. Finish a couple of books, prep my RS lesson, and generally kick back...no wait...I forgot. Maddock needs a comforter for his new bed (drapes too), gotta visit a friend in the hospital, still gotta do the fridge and my lesson. So there goes the rest of the day. At some point I have to go through all my wedding notes (what am I going to blog about when the wedding is over?) Look for a new bed for the guest room. Mom will be happy, no more air mattress!

O.K. so I had five kids...now down to two at home and they are basically self sufficient (as long as I have enough money and don't forget their birthdays) so where exactly is all my "free time?"
Where, huh, I put in my thirty years as a MOM, where is my gold watch and my retirement fund? Now I'm over it! Wouldn't change much at all.

Now on to the house, the shopping, the planning...oh never mind!

Moving

No, not us, Carolin and Jason have just moved into their first grown-up apartment. You know, that first place where there are not siblings, no parents and no roommates. The one where you actually have to unpack all of the boxes instead of living out of them.

The place is adorable, I will post photos after the new furniture arrives. We unpacked, threw away junk, put up books, organized the kitchen, bedroom, livingroom, etc. They had made a good start but we worked like crazy to "get 'er done!" When I left there were only a few boxes of J's electronics stuff (that I wouldn't touch for love or money) and a few boxes of papers that needed to be filed. They now have some flowers arrangments, baskets, knick knacks, original art (thanks to J's grandmother who is a fantastic painter), a dining table, a kitchen that Carolin made dinner in for the first time and a livingroom sans lawn chairs. It will look beautiful once the new stuff is in! Thanks to J's brother Bryan and his sweetheart Jen for their help, Bryan loaned the kids a sofa until their's is delivered and both Bryan and Jen gave lots of good ideas and input on the new furniture! You guys should stop by, you won't believe the difference since Sunday!

Anyway, I am back home and much to my surprise the boys (Micah and Maddock) had the house looking perfect, the dogs were still alive, the lawn was mowed and there was even clean laundry just waiting to be folded (honestly I like to fold it!) I loved it! And best of all, there were no new holes in the walls. (those of you that have known us a while know that this is a common occurance here at the Johnstons.)

Now back to the wedding plans... caterers, florists, etc. No wait first...a few errands, some advil and a pedicure...then back to the wedding.

Friday Night

Something unanticipated has occurred...this has happened before but never before has it struck me quit like this. I have a night off. Now I am not saying I am alone because three twenty somethings are down in my family right now watching Transformers. But I don't have to pick anyone up, take anyone anywhere, sit in the car in one of the hundreds of parking lots I have sat in during my lifetime waiting for kids to get out of whatever they were into. I ate my dinner, folded some laundry, and read my book all without being disturbed. This, in and of itself, is disturbing.



Wait, never mind, the 18 year old just called. "Mom I forgot to bring your credit card home before we went out. I'll just leave it in the car and bring it home to you later." I don't think so. So much temptation and so little supervision...into the car for a trip to Lancaster.



Life is changing all the time, right now we are in the Pre-Empty Nester period. They are not quite independent (see credit card reference above) and not quite gone, but they are looking out the door. As the last of five kids these two can see the trail their siblings have blazed before them. I am not sure they are all that happy about being completly independent. I mean times are tough and having Mom and Dad pay most of the bills has some appeal. Let's face it, it has a lot of appeal. For the moment though I am happy having a dinner to myself once in a while it will just take some getting used to.n Now where is that book?????

The Glamorous Life

Well, this week the living has been glamorous...NOT! Our Friday night date was a trip to Petsmart with the pups and a salad from Wendy's. Saturday has been ironing and the gym.

We have been deep in the annual ritual known as Spring Cleaning. A rite of passage that is not to be overlooked by anyone in my house, although many wish I would develop a temporary case of Alzheimer's so we could skip it altogether. Since this has not been the case, the cleaning has commenced!

We started with Maddock's room and I am not sure we can refer to that as cleaning but more like decontaminating the environment! He got a new bed this week and this meant cleaning underneath the old one. Since we were already cleaning it just seemed the natural thing to continue...some of my dishes have been returned to their home in the kitchen, two bags of trash were hauled out, one full hamper of laundry has escaped to the basement and dust bunnies ran for their lives. At one point I noticed Fred scrubbing a spot in the corner, when I asked him what he was cleaning he simply rolled his eyes and said "You don't want to know." I am sure he was right! All in all a very satisfying clean out...however, as I walked by his room today I noticed three glasses have been kidnapped, the laundry seems to be trying to crawl to the new basket we put in his room for that purpose and the bed seemed so forlorn in its unmade state. I can see an update will be necessary.

Micah has put me on notice that Samantha (his girlfriend) will be helping him with his room...I will be watching!

Next came our bedroom...emptied the closets, rearranged all the drawers, and moved the furniture for a wonderful "I got something done today" feeling! Our room has remained spotless!

Today Fred even got the garage cleaned out! The yard is mowed and the flowers are blooming!

Since we had already done most of the downstairs while replacing the floors the only room left is the family room and that will be the next episode in "Adventures in Cleaning."

The Pups

Jack is funny and seems to know it in this picture...he looks like he is laughing.

This is Ripper. He is so sweet and funny....but eats anything, and I do mean anything!

The Prom... can you say CHEESE? Obviously Maddock can.

Maddock and T...you would think the boy could be serious just once in a while...hmmmmm....maybe not.

Aren't they a nice looking group. Of course our kid had to be the one in the white tux. Big shock!

The Tournament and the Prom

Today was a tournament (soccer of course, is there any other kind?) in Philly. We won one and lost one...story to be continued tomorrow at 1:00. Flew back home to get ready for the prom which included an emergency trip to the florist because someone (who will remain nameless) forgot to remind the MOM to get the flowers. They arrived just in time and after taking a few photos the crew was off to the prom.

Now we just get to wait up until the boy is home safe...could be a long night.

Look for pics to be posted soon.

the Terminator

No not me...the movie. Hubby and I took an afternoon...actually it was between picking up the tux for the prom and going to the gym, so not really an afternoon. Pretty good flick, great special efffects. A good cyborg movie is always worth the time right?

Wedding news... sent the, almost, comlete, guest list to Cares today. Still waiting on a couple of addresses. Looked at more cupcake recipes and plan to start the baking and tasting next Monday. I guess that means more trips to the gym. Oh well, all for a good cause.

Today

Good Grief...what next?! Planning a wedding, replacing the floors, getting Doc ready for Prom, a soccer tournament this weekend, fixing Doc's car (he knocked the mirror off in the bushes), etc. This list is endless and I was worried about too much free time...HAH!

I did take a full day and just read yesterday. A great book "The Last Child." Not earth shattering or anything, just a terrific story.

Today I have to make up for taking yesterday off. Here we go...

So what is going on in the Johnston Family at the moment...hmmm...Fred is home for few weeks. He now wishes he could go back to work since the "Honey Do" list gets longer everyday. Soon enough he will be back on the road and I will be a Road Warrior's widow again. Maddock in antsy for school to be out. His last summer as a high schooler. Next year he will be a Senior and then who knows. Maddock is also taking the summer off to work and take a break from school.

Fred has finally finished replacing all the floors in the house. Took eighteen months but it is done and looks wonderful! The yard looks great to but that is mostly due to Lil' Jon. He did all our mulching, cutting back the shrubs and the trees, and did a bit of cleanup in the backyard. Now all we have to do is plant a few things and we are done!

I am getting ready to start working on the perfect cupcake recipe for Carolin and Jason's wedding. I will be using Micah, Samantha, Maddock and T as guinia pigs. They informed me they will happy to help.

A "Twilight" Moment

Cares and J's "Twilight" moment! Awwwwww! We love it...Jason hates it...well the movie, not the kissing Carolin part. I think he kind of likes that part.

They are cute!

Climbing trees, running around like kids in the park Carolin and Jason are just adorable together.

The newly engaged Carolin and Jason or...adventures in planning a wedding in two states in six months...

The Next Thirty Years

Mother of five, grandmother of six...for the moment. Who knows when the next one will be coming along. Stay at home mom for over twenty-five years. Now that the youngest is a senior in high school what am I going to do with the rest of my life? Ideas? Suggestions? Let's see what I grow up to be.... stay tuned!

The First Blog

O.K. so now what? What exactly do I say on this blog...well