Christmas 2010

Prepare for picture overload.... Christmas was fun this year. I was prepared quite early - which is not fun. There is just something fun about last minute gifts! I could never prepare in advance. Christmas officially started last Sunday with the Peavlers getting together for a little early Christmas dinner. We had our white elephant gift exchange and yummy roasts that Chantelle made. It was also the perfect opportunity for Chantelle to tell us that baby no. 2 is on the way :) We're all very excited for her!! 

On Thursday, the Bradford kids that are in the area got together for our own Christmas party. I can't believe how old everyone is getting! We were having fun making jokes about each other and reminiscing. I'm so glad we're not a mushy-gushy family. It's so much funner to make fun and know that we just all love each other. Lots of yummy food and hyper kids!!

Christmas Eve was spent with Shane's parents and sister Shelly. We (Shelly and Tammie) decorated cookies, watched movies, and watched Shelly beat Shane at Nerts :) It was lots of fun - I'm glad we were able to be there.

Christmas Day was fun too! I woke up before the kids and walked back and forth from Chloe's room waiting for her to wake up! Finally, at about 8 she woke up! She loved all of her presents and was so excited about her new kitchen. (I was too until I saw Janell's rendition of the same frame.... Mine looks like I let Chloe paint it compared to hers!)

Shane got the "new" Halo Reach and a new quilt from his Grandma. I got a new camera since mine was started to malfunction! I also got a roaster oven and waffle maker.

At about 11 we went to Shane's parents for lunch and for them to give us their gifts. It was lots of fun to hang out for a few hours. Chloe played with her cousins and we ate...and ate and ate...Tammie got me a new griddle - that I love - and Shane got a backpacking water filter. Both things we needed so that was very appreciated. 

Here are lots of pics from the events. (NOT in order)

(I just couldn't pass this one up)

She was in heaven

Opening a present at the Peavler Party

The foot and a half of snow we got!

Chloe's new kitchen

Santa brought her a Barbie!

The reaction I was hoping for with Shane's new Halo

Christmas Eve at the Peavlers' - Chloe needed these "tights" on

Adam was pooped!

So was Grandpa :)

Bradford Party

one to remember.

So Shane went to the dentist this week and had to get Laughing Gas. Anyway, he got home and seemed to be ok. A little loopy, but otherwise fine. 

The light bulbs on our upstairs landing have been out for a couple weeks and neither of us have changed them. Anyway, Shane grabs some bulbs from the kitchen cupboard, walks up the stairs and changes the bulbs. We talk while he is doing it any everything. Then he takes a nap (more like a coma) for about 5-6 hours. 

I'm gone when he wakes up and he texts me, "thanks for changing the lights upstairs. It's nice to be able to see." 

I truly thought he was being sarcastic so I asked if he was. "No..." I then let him know that he changed the bulbs all by himself and we had a whole conversation and everything. He had no recollection of changing the bulbs or any conversation we had. However, he did remember that I didn't bring him some Ibuprofen....

Johnson Family Christmas Party 2010

We had our annual Johnson Family Christmas Party this week (my Mom's family). I've only been to a few of these in my life, but they are lots of fun! Our family has gotten too big to hold the party at my Uncle Jim's house where it has always been, but this is a great place to have it since the kids can just go into a playroom and not be so much in the way. Here are a few pictures from the night --- Chloe is still terrified of Santa. 

Shane didn't come because he was sick (he actually was!) and when I got there, my Grandma high-jacked Adam and I practically had to tear him away to feed him. And that was fine by me :)

Grandma Johnson teaching the kids about Christmas symbols

Adam thoroughly enjoyed the presentation by Grandma!

I had to have my niece, London, hold Chloe down while I took these pictures. Adam could have cared less who was holding him!

Mark and his "get the camera out of my face" face. I think he has had that look for about 30 years!

Adam with G'ma Johnson

Adam with G'pa E. True Johnson - his namesake

Well.... this post may not be as cheery as the last.... When I last reported, I found out that I was able to get two more weeks of maternity leave! About a week later, I was laid off..... Pretty cool, huh?? We have no idea what is going to happen, but there is a "bright" side. I get regular work pay until January 3 then I get a severance - which works out to be 8 weeks of pay.
When I first got the call, it was surreal. I was devastated. Then, after having some time for it to sink in - I was kind of excited/relieved/and still devastated. I hated that job. Even though I was able to stay home with my babies, I still hated getting up and working with these people. Now I get to try and find a job where I can start fresh and maybe enjoy it again. I so wish that I didn't have to work, but unless we magically can pay off my car and Shane's truck and still afford insurance somehow, I will be working for the foreseeable future.
I am SO heartbroken at the thought of having to leave my kids. I have been working from home for a year and before that I was home by 3:30 so I still had a lot of time to spend at home. I have been able to be the Mommy for a year now and it has been amazing. I cannot even think about how hard it will be to start something new. But we have to have insurance and I'm sure we "make too much" to get CHIPS or WIC or anything like that.

Other than that, things are going pretty well! We have been extremely fortunate for Shane to be so busy at work. He has a few days where he doesn't work, but his pay checks have been more than enough to keep up with the bills (we still need mine to pay it all though). I've been attempting to potty train Chloe, but she is just not having it. I can't force her and I'm trying to just take a relaxed approach to it so she doesn't feel too much pressure. But if she's three before it happens, I just don't know what I'll do! I'm not excited to deal with accidents and changing the sheets multiple times a week (I do have a plastic mattress cover though!)

Adam is awesome. I just fall more and more in love with him every time I look at him. He is really starting to interact with us - cooing and squealing. He and Chloe will just sit and smile and laugh at each other and I know the second I grab a camera, it will stop.... So I can't share that with all of you! I am so grateful that I am getting to spend this time with him so he knows me. I'm still able to nurse him and I just love that time together. I don't love it so much at 2am, but I still look down at him and want to cry because I love him so much.

We went to Logandale for Thanksgiving and of course that was fun! Brian and Janell and their families both stayed at my Mom's too. We had 6 of the siblings and their families on Thanksgiving Day --- my Mom needs a bigger house :) We stayed up late playing Scatergories and laughing/crying and Brian and Dan's answers (Dan - make sure you call Brian 'Willy Wonka' from now on!) I love being at my parents' house, even though it is completely different from when I lived there - it still feels like home!

Anyway, here are a few pics from recent happenings - sorry for the rambling!

Chloe begged for me to lay Adam next to her. They laid next to each other like this for a few minutes :)

Found Shane and Adam like this just before Thanksgiving dinner

Shane is trying to corrupt my children with the evil sport of soccer. It is pretty cute to watch though.

Don't know why the picture rotated, but here is my little Muffin Man asleep on my Mom's couch.

Chloe and her Uncle Brian taking a nap.... 

Getting so big already!

His chin is ticklish so I can usually get him to smile that way

She just loves to give him kisses!

I'm sorry, but this is just one of the cutest things I have ever seen!