The Johnson Junket

About Time!

2011-08-31T18:42:00.000-07:00

What a way to end a several month long blogging hiatus! I'll be honest. My blogging days are few and far between. I'm okay with that. I have let go of the guilt that plagued me b/c I didn't blog often... ok, at all.
So, below you will find some of Audrey's 3 year pictures. Yes, they are a month late. Again, I'm okay with that.
I went to Picture People this time and I have to admit I'm on the fence with them. I can only compare them to Portrait Innovations (where I got her 18 month pics done). I really like the pictures they did and the photographer was nice and patient (a much needed quality), but it just seems that I got alot more pictures at Portrait Innovations for a little more money then I spent today. I had a coupon and that is what lead me to Picture People. I don't know. This is not important to you, I just am thinking out loud.

Enjoy the pictures.

This doesn't even look like Audrey to me.

There's the smile I know and love!

So cute!

We got a lot of these kind of pictures. She doesn't stand still well.

I'm tired of smiling on command.

My absolute favorite picture!

Two of my favorite things!

2011-04-25T21:21:00.001-07:00

It's about time I updated the blog! I thought I would kick off an extended absence from blogging with a few pictures of my two favorite things!

I'm a big girl now!

2011-01-07T21:02:00.001-08:00

Well we finally bit the bullet and converted Audrey's crib to a toddler bed. Actually we did this in October, but I'm a little behind in my posts. I must admit that I had serious doubts about converting her so early. She wasn't showing any signs of trying to escape her crib and I really liked her being contained! So I pushed through my concerns, and everything went really well. The first night was rough and nap times are sometimes difficult, but overall the transition has been great. The downside is that when she wakes up in the middle of the night she just walks on into our room. Thankfully this doesn't happen often! Anyways, she loves it and I like it too! Enjoy the pictures!

Audrey's big girl bed!

This is actually her bow hangers that I made. You might be wondering how one girl can have that many bows........ I'm a little ashamed to admit that this isn't all her bows. These are just the ones I use the most. *Please note that at least 70% of her bows were all gifts or hand-me-downs*

This was Audrey's view when she walked into her bedroom.

Hmmmmmm, this is different

All tucked in for her first night in her big girl bed.

Well Hello!

2011-01-05T22:42:00.001-08:00

We are indeed alive and well. This picture is proof!

Don't you just love her little feet in the background!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of trick-or-treating on Halloween. Audrey had a blast.
Everyone loved the little bumble bee.

not interested in smiling... just wanted candy!

on to the next house!

Trick-or-Treat!

check out the candy stash!

Fall Festival

2010-11-02T15:20:00.001-07:00

Our church had their annual fall festival a week ago. It was great fun! There was a lot of bounce houses (overwhelming), but Audrey conquered as many as she could. Candy galore, games, games and more games, tons of activity all around and it made for one happy little bumble bee!
Here are a few pictures.

getting ready to go outside after eating

Oh my goodness! Where do I start?!?!

Grams and PaPaw joined us this evening

we did alot of walking......

going "fishing" with daddy

the little train broke.... this caused some sadness, but she recovered quickly

waiting in yet ANOTHER bounce house line

I don't have any more pictures of the fall festival b/c it was too dark, but we had a great time. I'll post Halloween night pictures in a couple of days.

2010-10-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

We went to Owens Pumpkin Patch today. Audrey had a great time. She didn't quite get the whole pick out your pumpkin thing, but she gave it her best go. She was mainly interested in mimicking the boys that were throwing the pumpkins on the ground! Enjoy the pictures!

Getting ready to go!

Daddy and Audrey

one aggressive goat!

this was right before the bull charged us... thank goodness for the

double layer fence!

on the hayride

going through the maze

NO! I want that other pumpkin!

which one?

taking a breather

Here I am!

Bye-Bye!

Helicopters!

2010-09-15T12:31:00.000-07:00

While I was visiting my parents over the summer, their town did a health/safety fair at the town center. One of the features was a helicopter that you could sit in and learn about. Audrey loved the helicopter while it was stationary and off. Once they stared the engine and propellers, she was done. Enjoy the pictures!

Loving the helicopter!

She asked if she could drive it!

Audrey and the pilot! She flirted with him like nobody's business!

There wasn't anything he could say or do that she didn't just laugh at!

Before the helicopter started up......

wait for it......

full on-set panic attack!

no longer a fan of the helicopter or the pilot!

Finally! She kind of waved after it was way up high and flying off!

Here's the rub: after we started to go back home, she cried for the helicopter! Go figure!

Happy Easter!

2010-08-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

Huh?!?!?! Easter?!?!?!
Yes, yes, I know. I am hopelessly behind on blogging. Tears and gnashing of teeth follow me where ever I go. I get it! I'm working on it! For now, please enjoy the pictures of our church Eggstravaganza and Easter Sunday..... 2010 for those who are wondering! I'm not that far behind!

Audrey waiting in line for her age groups egg hunt to start!

The race is on!

Hey... there is something in here!

Check out the loot in the basket!

Audrey and Mommy

I love this picture!

Audrey and Daddy

definitely ready to go home!

Easter Sunday

Happy Easter!

Look for more posts coming soon!

What a mess!

2010-08-08T22:39:00.000-07:00

These pictures are way old, but better late then never in my opinion! I took these after I decided it wasn't worth fighting with Audrey over who got to feed her, me or herself. One morning I was busy and I just gave her the spoon and oatmeal and told her to figure it out. I probably should have paid a little more attention to her feeding herself then cleaning the kitchen. Enjoy the pictures of her attempts.

How she got oatmeal on the back of her head I'll never know!

I really hope she got enough to eat!

On the bright side... she feeds herself better now! Time makes everything better, and practice!

Oh dear....

2010-06-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

I seriously need to update. I have a ton of pictures, just no time! Keep looking... posts coming soon, hopefully!

Mini Me

2010-05-10T21:10:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures that I took of Audrey. I was looking through some baby pictures of mine while at my parent's house and I found a few pictures where I was making the exact same faces. Especially the second picture. In person Audrey looks alot like her daddy, but in pictures... she is all me!

I love this picture. She was laughing at something and I snapped the perfect moment! (in my opinion!).

Soccer ball?

2010-05-10T21:01:00.001-07:00

I bought Audrey a plastic ball while in Arkansas b/c my parents have a HUGE backyard and it would allow her to wear herself out while she was having a ball! (pun intended). She called it her soccer ball and she loved kicking it, throwing and sitting on it. The two days it rained were tragic for her b/c she could see the ball, but not play with it. Enjoy the pictures of Audrey and Grandpa playing soccer! (I didn't add comments..... you can figure it out).

Silver Dollar City

2010-05-08T15:16:00.001-07:00

So I have been on vacation at my parent's house in Arkansas and one of the things we did was go to Silver Dollar City. I absolutely loved going as a kid and I loved going again the other day. Audrey had a blast until she got soaked, cold and then overly tired. I'm sure that her range of emotions was typical for a 2 year old.

I didn't get a picture of it, but for her safety and my sanity I bought her a leash. Yes, I was one of many parent's that had their kids leashed up like a dog. I remember seeing that as a kid and vowing to NEVER do that to my kids. Well, then I had a kid and I now get it and am totally on board with it!

Audrey walked her little legs off, but she had fun. I hope. If not, oh well. She won't remember it anyway! Here are the pictures in no order what-so-ever.

After the stupid boys soaked all of us with the standing water guns while we were on a boat ride suitable for Audrey's height. She was freezing!

Not sure what to think about the frog ride.

not sure at all!

Audrey LOVED playing in the kid-friendly area.

They had little air-pressure guns that you could shoot the nerf balls with. Everyone loved that. nerf ball were flying everywhere!

We spent alot of time at the slide!

Audrey loves these kind of toys!

She cried when I made her finally get off. There were kids waiting in line for this ladybug!

Down for the count!

Nothing was waking Audrey up. I mean nothing!

One of the many trips to the bathroom to change her booty!

Lots to see and do!

What is with all the water splashing around and kids running crazy!

My mom and I rode all the rides alot. My dad has a bad back so he opted to stay with Audrey most of the time, but he did go on a couple of roller coasters with me. It was really crowded there b/c alot of schools were having their field trip day when we went. There was 47 school buses there! It was crazy with that many 8th-12th graders all in one area. Man, I hope I wasn't that annoying when I was that age! Or that rude for that matter! Anyway, fun times had by all.

Keep checking, more posts to come!

What Up?

2010-05-07T19:20:00.000-07:00

Ugh! Will I ever blog again? Why yes! Yes I will and soon! Audrey and I headed off to my parents for a visit and let me tell you.... we've got some blogs coming! Playing with bubbles, Silver Dollar City, Dallas Zoo (ok, that one is just a super late post from April) and whatever else happens in the next week!

Stay tuned!

Whoa!

2010-04-29T22:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged since March? Whoops! I actually have some stuff to blog about, I'm just behind. I'll work on new posts this weekend... hopefully!

What a Ham!!!

2010-03-23T11:57:00.000-07:00

I am one proud mamma! Audrey did great at getting her pictures made today. She made it through about 70 pictures before she decided enough was enough. I had the intention of only getting a couple of poses, but she had some really great poses (she had her game on!), so I got a few more, but stayed within a budget. It also earned me a free cd of the pictures and that is a huge bonus! All in all I am really happy with the pictures. This was the first time we had professional pictures of just Audrey and I was a little nervous about her attitude. She did great though and the pictures prove it! Enjoy the pictures!

Catch-Up

2010-03-07T18:30:00.001-08:00

Whew! Long time no post! This is a pretty long post so I'll just explain the pictures in groups. These are just some of Audrey eating and hammin it up for the camera. I also included one of her colorings, just for fun!

She always sticks her stickers in a strange place. That

red dot is not food, it's a heart sticker!

A couple of weeks ago we were super excited to watch a 10 week old baby for a girl who goes to our church. We had such fun! Audrey did great with a new baby around. She was super helpful. She is still learning the concept of "gentle", but she had a great time with baby D.

WHOA! Where am I? Why does this girl named Audrey

keep shoving my paci in my mouth?

Audrey showing D how to play with the lights on the floor mat.

He paid great attention as you can see in the background.

That is one wore out little guy!

We also had a friend come over and play while his mom got some dental work done, poor mommy! Anyway, P-man got to come over and play with us and everyone had a great time. Audrey and P-man ate cookies (alot of them), watched TV, fought over Scout the bear, and played in the leaves outside. I didn't get his mom's permission to post him, so there are no pictures of his face.....

What are you doing?
Give me Scout back!
Elmo fixes everything!
What can I do with this?
Perfect fit!
Good times!
Sorry P-man! We only have girly stuff here. He actually showed Audrey how to ride her car. She hasn't been off of it since!

Read!!!

2010-02-21T11:28:00.000-08:00

Audrey LOVES to read! All day, everyday she brings us a book (or sometimes the same book over and over) and asks us to read it to her. Most times she just points to the pictures she knows, says what they are and then tries to turn the page. Occasionally she lets us read the whole book to her, but this is rare. I have tried a few times to take her to a reading time, but I think she is still too young for that. She gets upset when she can't turn the pages or has to sit still. It usually ends with me carrying a very upset Audrey out of the room. Oh well, maybe in a few months!
Here are a few pictures of Audrey helping us read. They are a few months old, but it's all I got!
Enjoy!

Snow Fun!

2010-02-17T17:29:00.001-08:00

What an exciting week last week! According to Dallas weather-people, we had a record breaking snow. Apparently the last time this happened was 32 years ago. Now, when I lived in Arkansas you were guaranteed to see snow like this at least 2-3 times a year. So I enjoyed it alot. All the kids in our neighborhood REALLY enjoyed it. You could hear kids' laughter all day long, see snowmen, snow forts (I should have gotten a picture of that) and snow animals. It was fun to see all the creativity in people's yards. So, hear are some pictures from our yard. Enjoy!

Backyard/pool area

side of house

my friend's car (she was i Cambodia on a mission trip and missed all the fun)
trees.....

.... snapping under pressure

my hubby's a little sad about this. He had just trimmed the trees exactly the way he wanted them last summer and now he has to chop off more then he would like to.

In my hubby's words: stupid snow!

before you shriek at me for taking my daughter outside w/o a coat, please know that she refused to put her coat on, but insisted on screaming to go outside. I'm all about learning life's lessons, so off she went w/o a coat.

she was not a fan

see... lesson learned. She gave me no problems in putting on her coat the 2nd time around!

likes it better on the sidewalk, probably b/c her feet stayed more dry!

she had fun saying SNOW! over and over again.

Good times!

more fun!

a little distracted by the kids playing in the snow

my sweet little angel!

18 month check-up

2010-02-03T12:08:00.001-08:00

Well time surely does fly by! I took Audrey in for her 18 month check-up. I just can't believe she is already 1 1/2 yrs old! She actually turned 18 month Jan 25th, but for some reason I scheduled her check-up later. Probably b/c her 1 year check up was late. Anyway, she is a healthy, happy and super smart little girl. She played and talked while in the doctor's office and then screamed for all she was worth when she got her shots. It was not pretty. Thankfully she is done with shots until she is 4... I think. She'll have flu shots of course and she might need 1 more hep shot, but I can't remember. Although I hear the 4 year shots are brutal. I'm thinking daddy can take Audrey to that appointment!

Audrey is tall and skinny... like her daddy. She weighed in at 22 1/2 lbs. (25th %) -- she eats like a horse, but is constantly moving around and she is 32 1/2 inches tall (75th %). It is so frustrating b/c 18 month pants are loose on her, but way too short and 24 month pants are a little long, but way to wide.
I can't complain because she is a healthy child and such a blessing. I love, love, love that girl! I don't have pictures this time... way to much drama! Hopefully next time.

Picture-less update

2010-01-22T11:04:00.000-08:00

Sorry! No pictures on this update. We haven't gotten the camera out very much. I'm actually not even sure where the camera is! Anyway, Audrey has been sick the last week. She picked up a cold either at MDO or church. Actually, it could have been anywhere, I shouldn't just point fingers at only two places! Anyway, in typical Audrey style it escalated into something a little more serious and it has taken a while to exit her system. She is doing SO much better today. Her appetite is coming back and so is her energy level. She actually slept through the whole night last night! That was a treat!
She is growing like a weed! I honestly think she gets taller everyday! We are looking forward to some warmer weather soon. She always looks out the window at the pool and says water! Bath?! Play! We didn't get in the pool much last summer so hopefully this summer we can make up for it. I think she will be much more interested in it. Either that or she will be terrified of it and we will have a repeat of last summer. Either way... she will have the cutest bathing suits!
I'll post pictures soon, hopefully!

Monkey-ing around!

2010-01-09T13:17:00.001-08:00

A week or so ago B and I went to dinner with some friends and their twins. At the restaurant, there was a balloon artist/sculpture person. He comes over to our table and asks if the kids would like a balloon. We weren't exactly sure what he could do, so one child asks for a dog. Easy enough. We then got a little wiser and asked what all he could create. So he mentions a helicopter and that's what the other child got. So it comes time for Audrey's balloon and I see a kid leaving the restaurant with a balloon monkey. Well, that's what Audrey wanted! So I say how about a monkey. The guy looks at me and says (kind of hesitantly), okay. So he digs in his pouch for the right color balloons and doesn't have enough. He apologizes and I say that's okay, how about a pink and green monkey. I'm sure the kid thought I was joking, but I really wanted this monkey and he finally figured that out. So, after about 10 minutes, he creates 1 pink and green monkey for Audrey. The thing was almost as big as she was! She played with it for about 2 days and hasn't touched it since. He is about to be popped and disposed of.
Here are the pictures of Audrey and her monkey.

Sneak Peak

2010-01-01T21:21:00.001-08:00

Here is a quick peak at the hardwood floors we are installing. I say we like I am actually do something other then supervising! It is all my hubby and I am so proud of all his hard work!

the first layer of wood

different view of first layer

more broad view and a look at what will go down tomorrow

It is looking better then I thought. This wood wasn't my first choice, but I really like it!

Long time coming!

2009-12-30T11:53:00.000-08:00

FINALLY! Yeah! The stand up freezer I have been wanting and waiting for for months is finally here! I'm not joking on the months part either. B and I decided that 1 way we could save money this year was to buy in bulk. So we get a membership to Costco in January and savings here we come! So I bring home the 1st load of food from Costco and the freezer door can barely shut b/c it is so full. Hhhmmmmm, that's a problem. But we muddle through for a few months and discover that we ARE saving money after all. So, now we have a problem, b/c the freezer would get so full that it would sometimes pop open during the day. So now we are wasting money! Ugh!
We decide to buy a freezer, but argued about where to put it. Well in May, the water heater busted and we decided to renovate the closet and place a freezer in there. Yes, I said May-- I told you it has been a long time! The wait is all over (thank goodness) and I am off to Costco......

tearing out the closet and building it back up to accommodate the freezer. I also tried a different color here, but didn't like it.

a different view

coming along and also found a color I liked

wait for it.....

TA-DA!!!!!!!

Welcome home Bessie!

Big Girl!

2009-12-29T19:44:00.000-08:00

So I decided a few weeks ago to go ahead and retire Audrey's high chair and start having her eat at the table with B & I. It took a little bit, but she has finally gotten used to it. I probably should have made the switch a long time ago, but to be honest, the high chair was just easier. I guess I never really realized how big her high chair was and how much room it took up until it was gone. It's nice having the extra room by the counter. Anyway, as the old saying goes: Out with the old and in with the new!

Bye-Bye high chair!

such sweet memories...

just relaxing.....

Wow! What a big girl eating at the table like mommy and daddy!

this is so much cooler then my high chair!

we even tried our 1st grilled cheese sandwich. It was a hit!

Woo-Hoo!

Hi!

Crying Game

2009-12-16T21:02:00.000-08:00

Here lately Audrey has been melting down at the slightest thing. I think the terrible 2's are on the way! It's actually cute to watch. She knows that she just can't fling herself down on the floor because it will hurt. So, she lets out a huge wail, the crocodile tears start to fall and she gingerly lowers herself onto her knees and then slides down to the floor and lays on her belly and cries as if the world is ending. Every once in awhile she will look up to see if I am watching her. If she catches me looking, she cries that much harder. Which makes me laugh that much more. Anyway, here are some pictures I captured for your entertainment.

I'm pretty sure she was crying b/c her ponytails were crooked. I do the best I can with her constant moving around.

I don't want to pose for you and I hate this bow in my hair!

DRAMA!

I know, I am the meanest mommy in the world!

Santa Baby!

2009-12-13T21:23:00.001-08:00

We took our picture with Santa last week and I thought it would be fun to take a look at Christmas pictures of the past. Actually, it was my friend Laura's idea, but she's okay with me claiming it as my own!

1st Christmas (2008)

Christmas 2009

I was fortunate that we had some time to spend with Santa one on one before the picture was taken. It helped her not be so afraid. Although I do LOVE the pictures of kids crying while sitting on Santa's lap. They are priceless!

Pajama Time!

2009-12-11T12:51:00.001-08:00

So here are some pictures of Audrey in her pajamas. We pretty much stay in them until around 10:00 am on most days. If we didn't go outside so much, she would probably be in them all day! I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but all too often I run errands with her still in her pajamas. I've lost count of all the crazy looks I have gotten from people in the stores.

Enjoy!

Look at me!

What a ham! Side note: Audrey and I have the exact same smile!

Monkey pj's!

wow, her hair was short here!

skeleton pj's. and yes, she usually strikes a pose now when I whip out the camera. Again, what a ham!

Payback....

2009-12-11T12:02:00.000-08:00

Last night Audrey must have been channeling her little cousin, because she woke up several times through out night. According to my sister-in-law, so did her daughter. Anyway, my husband got up and got her after she woke up the 3rd time and apparently her diaper was full (which he didn't realize) and when he laid down with her to help her fall asleep she peed right through her diaper and onto him. I hear him say, "Oh, Audrey!" through the monitor and when he came back to bed I asked him what happened and he said... "She peed on me!". I laughed so hard for about 10 minutes. I couldn't stop laughing. He sounded so defeated.
Now, onto today's event.
I am taking our cable box thing back to the store (we got AT&T U-verse) and I smell a distinct poopy Audrey smell. So I take her out of the car and hurriedly return the cable thing. On my way back to the car, I notice my arm feels wet. So I put her down and look at the damage done to the diaper. Holy Crap! Seriously. It was awful. Poop was everywhere on Audrey's lower half of her body. I mean everywhere. So, here I am in a parking lot and it is too cold to change her in the back of the car, so I lower the back seats and shut the doors and change her inside the car. That was my 1st mistake..... shutting the doors. I'm not certain, but I think I passed out when I took off her diaper! Poop smell = death. Anyway, so I get her all cleaned up (took 16 wipes--yes, I counted) and grab her diaper. Here is where the term "add insult to injury: comes to mind: No more diapers! What! That can't be! I turned that diaper bag inside out looking for one. So, here I am, naked baby, cold outside, no diaper. Luckily I had an extra pair of pants in the bag. So, I put the pants on her, grab her coat and put it in the car seat, cover the coat with her portable changing mat and buckle her in and head home. So, I get her home, take her out of the seat and she pees on me. Alot. So, I get her inside and start her bath water (she really needed one) and I think to myself: This can't get any worse. WRONG! She peed on the bathroom floor. Alot. (Note to self: cut back on liquids for Audrey).
So, while she is in the bath, I am mopping the bathroom floor, starting laundry and restocking the diaper bag..... with at least 10 diapers b/c I never want to go through this again!
After I put her down for a nap, I check the car seat. Trust me when I say the poop went everywhere. If my husband can't clean that car seat, I'm pitching it and getting a new one!

I promise, I will try much harder to not laugh at my husband if Audrey pees on him again. He won't admit it, but I know he asked Jesus to teach me a lesson. Anyway, here's to a better evening! Hope everyone enjoyed reading about the event of the day!

Desperately Behind!

2009-12-06T19:28:00.000-08:00

To all my faithful followers:
I apologize for my laziness. I have no excuses. Updates and new pictures are coming soon. Hopefully. Please enjoy the new background while you wait for updates on my little family.
Thanks!

Whose kid is this anyway?

2009-11-13T21:10:00.000-08:00

So I was downloading some pictures from our camera to the computer when I came across this little girl in Audrey's pj's. It's Audrey, but it looks NOTHING like her. What do you think?

Halloween, Music Class and Fall Festival

2009-11-04T22:02:00.000-08:00

I wish I could say I have Halloween pictures, but alas, some pint-sized little girl was not having any of it! She did not want to be in the costume, sit still for pictures or be sweet at all! We ended up putting Audrey in her wagon with a big bowl of candy and met the other trick-or-treaters and gave them candy on the road. It actually turned out to be alot of fun for Audrey and everyone we came across loved it! Even though she started having fun once we were outside, she wouldn't be still enough to get a picture. We came home and left the light on for another hour so we got a lot of repeat kids, but who cares! We had a lot of candy left over. Next year I am only buying 2 bags of candy.

Before Halloween we went to 2 parties. One was with our Mommy and Me music class and the other was our churches Fall Festival. I was able to get some pictures of those events!

was a little worried that this look was going to be the definition of our attitude for the whole event!

Yeah... one happy little girl!

I'm pretty sure that Audrey was thinking this: "I just want you to know little baby that I can squash you like a bug! But I won't b/c I will get in BIG trouble. So I will stare you into submission instead!".

playing with the leaves....after I stopped her from taking them from the other children. The concept of sharing is hard for a 15 month old to grasp.

dancing to the music. She loves to dance around. She looks super cute while doing it if you ask me.

Following the teachers actions or perhaps showing off. Not sure which one yet.

Fall Festival at our church. There was so much activity that Audrey was way overwhelmed. Thus explains the many meltdowns we had that evening.

Nothing like the cool breeze blowing you hair around.

Fishing with daddy. This was Audrey's favorite game. It was actually one of the more small kid friendly games there AND it just so happens that our ABF class created it! Go Joshua Tree class!

Audrey and Mommy

So there you have it. Lots of activity. I'll post about her 15 month check up soon.

Picture Post

2009-10-27T12:35:00.001-07:00

Chilling with her milk first thing in the morning!

Goofing around... I know, she needs a haircut!

Finally, a picture that shows Audrey's resemblance (what little there is) to me!

Motion Picture

eating her lunch

These are 2 of my favorite things!

2009-10-14T22:41:00.000-07:00

So I was vacuuming a couple of weeks ago and all of a sudden I heard the song, "I always feel like somebody's watching me....". I look around for a little stack of money with big eyeballs, and instead I found these two! Way better then a stack of money in my opinion! It was so cute. They had been staring at me for a while. Audrey LOVES the vacuum. B and I will probably get her a Laugh N Learn vacuum for Christmas.

Too cute!

So everywhere that B and Audrey go, he hears this: "Well, there is NO mistaking who her daddy is!". It is so funny. Audrey does look exactly like her daddy!

Look at my sweet family! Who could say no to those faces?......

Family Pictures

2009-09-29T19:08:00.000-07:00

So we finally got our pictures back from when we were in Florida. I am so excited that we did this. It was a lot of fun and we finally have a family portrait! Enjoy the pictures.

The humidity was awful. My perfectly straight hair was destroyed in all of 5 seconds

husband. wife.

how sweet!

too cute!

getting close to nap time

Hi!

we had to add props to keep Audrey happy.

writing in the sand

Mommy and Audrey

yep... daddy is wrapped TIGHT around her finger

flying Audrey!

We are family!

look at all that water!

all the kids and grandkids

One big happy family!

money well spent

2009-09-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

So 2 months later the balloon is still afloat! Obviously it was beginning to fade in this picture, but when I turned the fan off, it would stay near the ceiling.

Here is was when I first bought it on 07/25 for Audrey's birthday!

Well worth the money!

Happy Birthday to...........

2009-09-16T08:30:00.001-07:00

GRAMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRAMS!!!!!!!!!

We all wish you a Happy Birthday Grams! You mean so much to us and we are so grateful to God for making you our Mom and Grams! We'll see you Saturday!

Huge Update

2009-09-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, so you will need to scroll down and look at all the posts I have updated. Over Labor Day Audrey and I were in 4 different states visiting family while Bryan worked on putting down tile in the laundry room. They are in no particular order, so enjoy!

Family Reunions 1 & 2

2009-09-12T13:40:00.001-07:00

So while Audrey and I was visiting my parents, we had 2 different family reunions. On Saturday night we went to my mom's sisters house for dinner with all my cousins and their kids (my 2nd cousins?), and my aunts and uncles. My Aunt J and Uncle T had never met Audrey before and we got to meet my cousins wife and her kids. It was a lot of fun. Unfortunately I only got 1 picture of the cousins. My mom took a lot of other pictures though.

On Sunday, we went to my dads sister's house where my grand uncles and aunts were visiting and we had a huge lunch and a great time visiting. I took a lot of pictures there.

All in all it was great to see my family that I haven't seen in awhile. I can't wait to see them again!

At my dad's sister's house

4 generations (Nanny, Dad, me and Audrey)

Audrey tortured that poor cat. She's lucky the cat didn't attack her back!

A food-a-polooza! My Grand Aunt and Uncle from Seattle and Grand Uncle from Tennessee.

Audrey being curious as always!

The only shot I got at my mom's sister's house. All the younger cousins!

The Fair

2009-09-10T19:17:00.001-07:00

So while we were visiting my parents, their city had the fair in town. It wasn't a huge fair or anything, but it was pretty fun for all. We only stayed about an hour & a half. That's all Audrey lasted. We mainly focused on the animals and not the rides. Audrey is too small for the rides anyway. We started out in the petting zoo. Audrey wasn't a huge fan, but she tolerated the animals pretty well.

Goat

Bunny..... she wasn't a fan. I think the bunny scratched her when it tried to climb up my arm.

She didn't like the cow. That was okay, b/c the cow didn't like us either.

Two pigs fighting through the cages. I imagine the fight started b/c the pig named "Pepperoni" made fun of the pig named "Breakfast". I however laughed at their names!

A sweet little pig named Wilbur... I know, how original!

The goat that was fascinated with my dad, see the picture below.....

how sweet!

I think that's a goat....... can't really see it

Cute bunny. Patient bunny is more like it. Audrey shoved her hand in it's back and made it jump, but it came back for more.

We also saw roosters and hens, but Audrey kept trying to touch them and the roosters kept lunging for her hands. My favorite part was the horses, but for some reason we didn't take pictures of them. Anyway, that was the fair. Maybe she will like the zoo better!

Daddy's "Labor" day weekend

2009-09-10T18:52:00.001-07:00

So while Audrey and I were away visiting Mia and Grandpa, my sweet husband was ripping up floors, tearing out doors and walls and moving heavy appliances....... all for me! Actually it was for him too, but I'm the one that uses the laundry room the most, let's be honest here.

Anyway, a few months ago our hot water heater busted and resulted in some damage to our floors. The laundry room was hit the hardest-- mainly because that is where the hot water heater is stored. So, we bought the tile two weeks ago that matches the guest bathroom and we agreed to upgrade the closet into a deep freezer closet. Huh? Let me explain. I have wanted a stand up freezer for the longest time. We don't really have much room in the garage due to my husbands tools, cabinets, etc. Also in TX, it gets hot and freezer motors tend to burn out quicker in the Texas heat-- not all, but most. So we compromised and he re-fitted the closet to accommodate my desire for a freezer. I'll post pictures of that once it is complete. So here is the fruit of my husband's labor. I didn't get before shots so you'll just have to imagine what it looked like before.

Fixed the whole in the wall that rotted when the water heater busted

Apparently the board hidden by the door frame was bowed out and he had to cut a huge chunk off.

the new floors! You can also see where the freezer will go, hopefully by the end of September, but probably the middle of October.

I almost forgot! He also painted the walls for me. The lady who lived here before had blue and pink hearts stenciled throughout the laundry room. They are now a pretty beige color, like the guest bathroom walls. I will be repainting them, but I'm not sure what color yet.

The Trip

2009-09-09T14:39:00.001-07:00

So for Labor Day weekend, I decided to pack Audrey up and head to my mom and dad's new place of residence. My dad's job transfers him alot and they are currently living in a small town in Arkansas. It was the first time for both Audrey and I to visit them in their new home. The trip still took 3 hours longer then normal, but at least Audrey was easily entertained (thank you to whoever thought up the idea to install a DVD/TV combo in vehicles!). In case you are wondering it is normally a 7 hour drive if I did not have Audrey with me. Alas, we made it safe and sound with no major hiccups. We had a great time while daddy slaved over the installation of the new laundry room floors (see earlier post). Enjoy the pictures.

hanging out with Mia in the swinging chair thing

looking for my parents dog, Abby

Audrey's handiwork. She knocked over my dad's potted plant. This is the end of clean up. I didn't think to get a picture until after my mom was almost done sweeping.

hanging out with mommy in the swinging chair thing

my dad trying to help the cow who kept getting his head stuck.

not sure what to think of the cow.

grandpa feeding audrey a snack

grandpa and audrey in the swinging chair thing (I really should learn the name of that).

Thanks for having us over Mia and Grandpa! We'll see you soon!

Something New.....

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

Here are some pictures of adding whip cream to the strawberries and angel food cake we gave her. At first she wasn't a fan of the whip cream. Once she actually got a handful of it, it was all she wanted!

Not to sure about it, but willing to give it a shot...

Going back for more....

really loving this white, fluffy stuff

This was actually the 3rd helping of whip cream. We cut her off once she was done!

Outside?.......

2009-08-24T20:17:00.001-07:00

This is what happens when it is over 100 degrees outside and I am way too hot and tired to take her on a walk....... at that moment anyway. We did go later that evening, I promise!

Uhmmm... this isn't what I had in mind when I got in the wagon!

all smiles after promising to go later that day

Can we go out now?

What time is it?

2009-08-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

Toddler time! Audrey has been taking 1-2 steps over the past couple of weeks, but yesterday she got it! B was installing a ceiling fan/light in our front room and all of a sudden we look over and she is walking across the room. I'm talking 10 or more steps! B and I were amazed. She hasn't shown much interest in really walking until yesterday. We are so excited about this milestone. We have been working on this with her for awhile and it was so fun to see her excitement when she got to where she was going. I'll try and post a video soon!

Sigh....

2009-08-14T20:17:00.000-07:00

I am so behind. I really didn't mean to become a blog slacker. It just happened. I have no excuse.
Now, with that out of the way, I will give you an update:

Post surgery: Everything is doing very well. I had a minor infection, but all is good now. I have been working hard at maintaining my thyroid levels through medicine and diet/exercise. I hate that my thyroid crapped out on me, but I'll get over it. It could be worse.
I am so grateful for my mom and mom-in-law that helped me out while I was recovering. I am truly blessed to have such wonderful women in my life to guide me.

Post resignation: The jury is still out. It was the right thing to leave my last job. It was time. I'm just not sure that staying at home with Audrey is working for me. We'll see. I am giving it a couple of months to get a feel of the situation.

So that's all I've got. I will try and be better about posting. Until then!

What a Year!

2009-07-30T18:50:00.001-07:00

I wanted to post some pictures of the past year of Audrey's life. I was stunned at how much she has changed over such a short time period. She makes me laugh everyday. She had her 1 year check up and here are her stats:

Wt: 20 lbs, 1 oz. (a little on the light side, but she eats like a horse!)

Ht: 29 1/2 inches

Head: 45 1/2

We have started feeding Audrey a little of what B and I eat. So far she loves tilapia, mashed potatoes, squash, zucchini, Popsicles, peaches, cantaloupe, hamburgers, steak, eggs, chicken all Mexican foods (specifically guacamole and cheese enchiladas) and a few others that I can't remember. She does really good with trying new things, but textures of the food is a major deciding factor on weather or not she finishes eating it. The only drawback of feeding her big girl foods is that she now gives us big girl diapers!

Enjoy the pictures!

Welcome to the world!

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

11 months

1 year old!

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!

2009-07-25T12:57:00.001-07:00

Today was Audrey's 1st birthday! We had a picnic style swim party for her and her friends. Everyone had a great time. Audrey was a little confused about everything. Mainly she just didn't understand why everyone wanted to play with her toys. I had to hide the very popular "walker" toy. That is Audrey's favorite toy and it was a big hit with the other kids as well. All in all it was super fun and I hope everyone enjoyed it and that all the kids are taking long naps this afternoon!

Audrey is 1 Eating Breakfast

Outdoor play area/swimming pool!

Cupcakes and Audrey's "Smash" cake (from Elizabeth's Cakes in Plano)

Audrey was more interested in flinging the icing off her hands!

Finally getting it down

Yummy!

No more pictures please!

Sign of a good party...........

Happy Birthday sweet girl! I am so blessed that you are in my life! I love you!

Recovery

2009-07-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

Wow! It has been awhile since I posted. I have been very busy wrapping stuff up at work, taking a very much needed vacation and then having a surgery to remove some troubled internal limbs. I am glad to say I am well rested, all fixed, and recovering well! I am excited to see what the new future holds for the Johnson family. I'll keep everyone posted!

New Look

2009-06-22T12:00:00.001-07:00

No pictures! Just a new look to the blog!

My Favorite thing.......

2009-06-15T21:45:00.001-07:00

Oh yeah.... she's my love bug!

Lots of stuff!

2009-06-10T18:45:00.001-07:00

Lots of stuff to report on and pictures to show! First off and most important.... Today is B and I's 3 year anniversary! I have been married to a wonderful, Godly man who works so hard to make sure his family is happy and that we (Audrey and I) know how much we are loved and appreciated. I thank God everyday for bringing him into my life at the RIGHT time. Happy Anniversary sweetie! I love you!!!

A couple of weeks ago we took Audrey swimming for the first time. The pool water was a little too cold, but the hot tub was just right... after we turned the heater on and warmed it up! She loved it. She wasn't thrilled when we took her out.

Today during our all staff meeting at work, my name was drawn and I won a 19 inch HD/LCD flat screen tv! Gotta love that!

That's all I have for right now. Audrey is doing great and so is the rest of the fam! Enjoy the pictures!

In the pool... not sure about the swirling of the water.

Happy Baby!

Did not want to get out of her swim suit!

My anniversary flowers that B surprised me with...... Love that man!

The T.V. I won! Yeah!!! Love the free stuff!

Didn't see that coming......

2009-06-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

I am a little worried about my little Audrey. I saw a side of her today that makes me nervous about the day B and I expand our little family. No, we are not expanding our family yet!
I did my normal routine this morning with Audrey at daycare. I set her down, watched her steal a toy from a poor defenseless baby who can't crawl yet and watched her get comfy with her surroundings. I see another little girl teeter-walk over to me so I squat down to say hi to her. About 4 seconds after I start talking to this little girl BAM! - she hits the floor. No, she didn't lose her balance, Audrey pushed her over. Apparently Audrey did not like mommy giving another baby some attention and she crawled over and did something about it. I scolded Audrey in a firm tone and told her we didn't push and then held her and the little girl in each crook of my arms. One of the teachers asked me a question, so I look up to answer and BAM! - the little girl is back on the floor. Yes, sadly, Audrey had pushed her again and added grunting noises for good measure.

I am laughing now, but I was horrified when it happened. I just can't believe Audrey did that. I again told Audrey we don't push and set her and the little girl down next to each other to play. I then immediately left. I guess all is well because I haven't heard from the daycare yet asking me to come get my overly-aggressive daughter.

So please, mothers beware: If you bring your children over to my house, you should probably bring them a helmet! Just kidding.... hopefully!

Big News......

2009-05-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

I've got some big news... big news for me anyways. After many long drawn out conversations with me and God (and my sweet husband too!), I have decided to resign my job. Actually, I already resigned earlier this morning. It was by far the hardest decision I have made in a long time. When I was younger I never saw myself as a stay at home mom. I worked hard through college and worked even harder at my jobs and I was fortunate to find a career I truly loved (Human Resources) and was good at - my yearly evaluations say so. My life changed in so many ways when Audrey was born. I wrestled with whether or not I should return to work after my maternity leave was over. Returning to work after Audrey was the last hardest decision I have ever made. I did and was always at an unrest. I knew Audrey was safe. I never questioned her safety, but after she turned 6 months I realized I was missing some milestones for her. She would come home and have learned something new. This made me sad. I didn't teach her that. Of course the next morning she would throw a huge fit and I was grateful she was going to daycare! I have always wondered in the back of my head if I made the right decision to return to work. There is only one way to find out.....resign. Which I already did - can you tell a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders?
There are also other factors at play. I have reached the ceiling at my job and there is no growth opportunity for me until my boss resigns (in 10-15 years - sorry, not sticking around that long) and since my new boss came ( about 1 1/2 years ago) I have reverted back to what I was doing when I started in 2004. There is also the distance from the house to work and back again. 33 miles one way in heavy traffic. I just don't have enough time with Audrey. Alot of people have asked me why I don't find a job closer to home. After carefully considering this, I decided that I would still always wrestle if I should stay home or not. This way, I can give my job a good notice (5 weeks), go on vacation, plan Audrey's 1st b-day and then take 2-3 months and give staying home a TRUE shot. If I don't like it...... off to work I go. No harm, no foul!
So that is my big news. Thanks for all the prayers friends!
Oh and to my other SAHM's - we have a pool and I am going to need adult conversation - so come on over!

10 Months... (just a little late!)

2009-05-28T20:22:00.001-07:00

Oh My! 10 months! I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. I'll be honest....... I thought some days would never end, but for the majority of the time, they have flown by. I love this stage though. I see so much of her personality coming out. She is still overall a great, fun-loving, good-humored baby who takes most everything in stride. She has her moments though and let's everyone know it! I love being with her, even in her crabby moods - which are few and far between. She is a very social baby (wonder who she gets that from !). B and I praise God every night for blessing our lives with her presence. I wish I had 10 things to say about her..... I do, I am just running out of time and I am tired! Enjoy the pictures!

Hi! My name is Audrey... and you are?

I love to read (eat) books!

That poor puppet... it has been through the ringer with her.

One of the few and far between moments!

Silence

2009-05-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

I'm still here! I am just incredibly swamped right now and haven't had any time to blog on Audrey. I'll catch everyone up soon!

What's that sound?

2009-05-17T21:33:00.001-07:00

Now for the big tragic event that happened last weekend. Most of you actually know, but here is the story. A couple of Fridays ago I was lucky enough to get into bed by 10:30 pm (this is unheard of for me--way too early). I was so tired. B was up finishing up some stuff and then he was going to come to bed. I grab a book and I hear him start the water to wash Audrey's bottles (isn't he sweet?). I read a couple of chapters in my book and set it down, turn out the lights and get some much needed sleep. B is still washing the bottles. What? Audrey doesn't have that many bottles... what is he doing? So I go into the kitchen and all the lights are off. I walk to the office and he is sitting at the computer working. I asked him if he washed the bottles and he said no, he would do it tomorrow. I ask him what the water is that I hear running and he says it is probably the toilet and to just go in and jiggle the handle. OK. So I walk down the hall to the guest bathroom and SQUISH! My foot sinks into very wet carpet. Ohhh.. so that was what that sound was (I knew I had heard the sound before, but couldn't place it)... our water heater died... all over our carpet, Audrey's room and laundry room. At 10:30 pm.
I had heard the same sound at my parent's old house 12 years before, but that was a long time ago... no wonder I couldn't place it now!
Anyway, I go in and tell B that he could now get the tankless water heater he has always wanted. Huh?, was his response. I then tell him to grab some towels b/c the water heater has just busted. That got a response that was more appropriate! Anyway, 2 hours later B tells me to go to bed and he will finish up and tomorrow start the repairs and everything else we need to do. Good news is, by Sunday we had a brand new water heater installed (correctly) by my super smart and handy husband with a little help from his little brother (also smart and handy). Insurance claim has been made, damaged assessed, waiting on response to said damages. Enjoy the pictures!

damage to the hallway

Audrey's room.. took a big hit b/c it is right behind the closet where the water heater was.

Installing new water heater

welding (or maybe sweating) some pipe thingy.

When is enough.... ENOUGH?

2009-05-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

I don't feel that I have a lot of spare time on my hands. I'm sure some people would say that I just don't organize my time well, but those are opinions. Everyone has one. So when is enough, enough? What am I talking about? I'll enlighten you. It took me forever to create a blog and then even longer to actually blog regularly. I never did a web page outside of the mandatory web page for one of my college classes, I never did myspace or whatever else was the flavor of the month. Now there is twitter, facebook, purposewrite (not sure on the actual name) and several other means to communicate with all your long lost friends. Who has time for that? I thought I was done when I finally created a blog? What's new? Voice activated communications page? What else do I have to do to find out all I can about my friends and allow them the chance to find out all about me? UGH!!!
All this to say, for all my friends who have asked me to do a facebook page in addition to the blog... you win. I now have a face book page. Now, can someone please tell me how to use it? Oh, and be my friend?

I draw the line at twittering though... a busy girl has got to have her standards!

32

2009-05-12T15:21:00.001-07:00

So yesterday was my 32nd birthday. I had a great day. My co-workers took me out to lunch and later that day brought in an ice-cream cake from Marble Slab. YUMMY! After that, I met B at his conference and we spent some time with his co-workers and then left to go have drinks and dessert at the Cheesecake Factory. Double YUM! A lot of people have asked me if I had trouble with turning 32 and the answer is NO. I have no problem with my age group. This might change in a few years, but for right now... I love it. I have so much to be grateful for and hey, having another birthday beats the alternative... not aging at all, which means I'm dead.
Anyway, it was a great day. Below is a picture of the flowers my boss gave me. They smell so good and they are beautiful. Spring is definitely in my office!

A first....

2009-05-10T13:53:00.001-07:00

Today is my first Mother's Day... officially. I actually celebrated last year too when I was pregnant with Audrey. I couldn't help it, I was so excited. Anyway, today was the first Mother's day with Audrey outside the safety of my belly. I say "safety" because she is such a dare-devil She has so many scrapes due to her falls. We can't possibly remove every potential threat to her safety in the house, so we watch her the best we can and leave the rest up to God. I have been praying for her safety since before she was born and it looks like she will need all the prayers she can get. It never ceases to amaze me how something that looks so harmless poses such a threat once she gets her hands on it. For instance, a non-working remote control I let her play with. She managed to rip off one of the buttons and chew on it. I can't get her to chew people food, but remote control buttons, hey, why not! Ugh!
Anyway, back to Mother's Day. Despite a rough weekend, (I'll explain later) I am having a great Mom's day. Audrey and her daddy got me cards and a plant AND a facial from my favorite spa. I can't wait to go! We are also going to go to Blue Mesa because they are running their brunch all day today! I LOVE Blue Mesa brunch. Originally, B was going to make me a super special lunch, but the disaster that happened over the weekend (yes, the one I will tell you about in another post) put a stop to that. Not to shabby for my first Mother's Day.

I do want to wish every Mother a Happy Mother's Day. Your children may not say it, but we/they do love you!

My mom, me and Audrey. Happy Mother's day mom! I DO love you! Your example of being a mom is in my heart and I hope to be as wonderful a mom to Audrey as you were to me.

Hammin it up for the camera. She definately knows what to do when I whip the camera out!

My blue-eyed girl! Love, Love, Love her!

Back Log

2009-05-03T20:07:00.001-07:00

Okay, here are a lot of posts that I have been working on. You can click on each link or just scroll down. Whatever works for you!

http://thejohnsonjunket.blogspot.com/2009/05/where-has-time-gone.html

http://thejohnsonjunket.blogspot.com/2009/05/wheres-audrey.html

http://thejohnsonjunket.blogspot.com/2009/05/oops.html

http://thejohnsonjunket.blogspot.com/2009/05/seriously.html

http://thejohnsonjunket.blogspot.com/2009/05/happy-birthday-mer.html

http://thejohnsonjunket.blogspot.com/2009/05/easter-2009.html

Where has the time gone?!?!?

2009-05-03T19:44:00.001-07:00

Oh my! I can not believe Audrey is already 9 months old. Well, a little older, this post is tardy. Anyway, 9 MONTHS! Time has flown by. You know what is funny? I barely remember her being small. I see pictures of her tiny-ness and I pull out her newborn diapers (yes, I kept one - not used of course!) and know she was tiny, but I just can't picture it. She is my big, blue eyed girl (yes, she still has her blue eyes!). She crawls, talks, laughs, plays and becomes more independent everyday. I love it and at the same time, miss what has past.

Anyway, she is a healthy, happy little girl, who is growing right on target and I could not ask for more!

She only needed one shot this visit and she did okay. She SCREAMED for a little right after the shot and then once I got her dressed and out of the room she calmed down. Although she did cry when she saw the nurse in the hall. Nurses have a bum wrap. They have to come in and torture poor kids with shots. Say thank you to a nurse next time you see them!

Here are her stats:

Weight - 18lbs and 14 oz (50th%)

Height - 2 ft and 4 in (50th%-75th%)

tall and skinny - like her daddy

Head - 44 1/2 in (75th% - 90%)

the aftermath....... not so bad

Where's Audrey?

2009-05-03T19:11:00.001-07:00

I have a really good friend who will remain nameless for my protection. We have been friends for so long and I am so blessed to have her in my life. We used to live together and I played this game called Where's L? and it involved me throwing the covers over her face, saying in a crazy voice where's L? and then me pulling the covers back and she would make a crazy (sometimes scary) face. It was the highlight of my day and she hated it, but she did it because it always made me laugh. She also laughed at me, so maybe it was a fair trade. Anyway, Audrey loves the same game only without the crazy/scary face. Audrey laughs so hard. It is her favorite game. I thought of it when I saw her playing with the mesh cover that goes over her stroller to keep bugs out. We have played this game almost everyday. So I am happy to say that this game is STILL the highlight of my day. Well one highlight of many.

Where's Audrey?

There she is!

Playing with daddy....

Hi mommy!

OOPS.....

2009-05-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

Audrey has been very independent the last few weeks. She really wants to do things for herself. This includes feeding herself, which she isn't good at. At all. It makes feeding time a little challenging. She constantly lunges for the jar of food. Anyway, I had to answer the door the other day when I was feeding her and I THOUGHT I had moved the food far enough away from her, but go-go gadget arms grabbed the jar and this is what I came back to...........

She wasn't real happy when I took the food away from her. What a mess! I promise I was only gone for a minute! I can't believe she made such a mess in a short period of time.

Seriously?!?!

2009-05-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

So I spend a lot of time researching and looking for wonderful, educational toys to mold Audrey's mind. What does she like to play with? Mommy's make-up bag. I think I have a girly-girl on my hands!

Happy Birthday Mer!

2009-05-02T21:18:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we went to east Texas for B's grandmother's birthday. We had so much fun. I love Mer's spirit. She is such a funny, sweet woman and she loves her family.

Easter 2009

2009-05-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter this year. B's family came up for Easter services and then we all had lunch at the house. I made a great ham that you cook in the crock pot with orange and lemon slices and ginger ale. Sounds weird, but it was great! I think that was my first ham I have ever cooked. I can't remember ever cooking one before. I've cooked turkeys for Christmas and Thanksgiving, but I can't remember cooking a ham. Not the point. Anyway, we all had a wonderful time with family and it was great to tell Audrey all about what her Savior has done for her and how much he loves her.

Whoa... that bow is massive!

Update!

2009-04-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

It's not really an update as it is so much me saying I am doing so much better. Last week was tough, but when I woke up Friday it was a different ball game. I had energy, I could move without being in pain and most importantly... I could pick up Audrey! I think that was the hardest part about the whole cysts rupture ordeal, I couldn't really play with Audrey the way I normally do. Needless to say she spent way to much time in her exersaucer last week, but I made up for it this weekend! Anyway, back to the original purpose of tis post, I had some blood taken and am waiting the results and I have a few more follow-up appointments in the next few weeks. So again, not really an update, but I am doing better and I want to thank everyone for their prayers and support. I am so blessed to have a Godly bunch of men and women in my life!

Same Song... 2nd verse

2009-04-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

So some of you may remember back in June of 2007 I had some problems with some cysts in my ovaries.. (Sorry.. a girly post coming!). This caused much sadness because it would most likely cause getting pregnant and staying pregnanat to be an issue. I know... obviously not because we have cute little Audrey here today with us. I digress. So in June of 07 I woke up and thought I was dying. I'm at a friend's lake house in the middle of nowhere and I'm pretty sure my appendix has ruptured. So the ambulance takes me to this rinky-dink clinic in Gun Barrel City, TX. They tell me all that has happened was a cyst ruptured, I was fine and here is some liquid morphine to make the pain go away.
Present day (last Sunday), I put Audrey in her exersaucer (thank you Lord for keeping her safe) and proceed to start dinner before small group. The last thing I remember was reaching down for the olive oil. The next thing I remember, I woke up on the floor racked by the worst pain I have ever felt in my abdomen. I army crawl to the place where my phone is and struggle to reach it and call for a friend "M" to watch Audrey while I proceed to die of pain. She instructs me to call 911 and says she will be there in 5 minutes. I call "B" and let him know I am dying and that "M" is coming to watch Audrey and he needs to be home RIGHT NOW. A little hard for him because he was over by the airport. I call 911 and she send the paramedics. "M" is at the house and trying to help the paramedics as best she can. I really scared her..... so sorry "M"!
After much poking and prodding on my abdomen they load me up and take me the hospital. That was the bumpiest, most painful ride ever!
So I get to the ER where I am denied pain medicine, ice chips and water just in case they have to do surgery. WHAT!!! It turns out they thought I had a ruptured muscle that would need repairing ASAP. I think. I can't remember all that much.
Anyway, 6 1/2 hours later, 2 liquid morphine drips (let me be clear... it was like liquid morphine... I just can't remember the exact name), 1 sonogram and 1 "exam" later they send me home with multiple ruptured cysts and to make an appointment with my OBGYN immediately.

I'll let you know how the rest turns out. Thank you so much for all your prayers and offers of help. They were greatly appreciated. "M"..... thanks for coming to the rescue of little Audrey and "L" thanks for keeping her company!

Favorite Things

2009-04-15T19:31:00.001-07:00

This is just one of my favorite things to do. I cherish the opportunity to hold her.

She is so peaceful when she sleeps and what a cuddle-bug! Normally she is way to active for me to just hold her like this. In her mind, if something is going on and she can see it... she needs to be in the middle of it! I know the more mobile she gets (she has this crawling thing down!), the more rare these moments will become.

Come to the Light.....

2009-04-14T08:10:00.001-07:00

Well, Audrey has finally got the crawling thing down. B and I enticed her last night with all the blinky lights on the gadgets of electronics that is below our TV. We turned everything on and sure enough, it was the carrot she needed to get moving. I'm not sure why we did this b/c it will add a lot of work for us to keep her out of where she shouldn't be, but it is so cute to see her crawl. She LOVES being mobile. Now, if we could just get her to realize the bottle nipple is not a straw and she has to physically tilt the bottle up to get her food we'll be doing good. I'll post pictures of her crawling and of Easter. She looked so cute in her Easter dress and big ole' purple bow!

Picture-less post

2009-04-06T20:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry to all those who like pictures of the little Audrey. I just don't have any. Actually, that's not true. I just don't have any that go with this post! Anyway, Audrey is on the move! She is trying really hard to crawl (she is so cute!), but she ends up turning circles, and circles, and circles. I'm pretty sure her stomach has rug-burn. I'll try and get some pictures of her trying to crawl. She should have the hang of it anyday now.
I am constantly amazed at that little girl God blessed B and I with. I love, love, love that girl!

Hi!!!!

2009-04-01T19:21:00.000-07:00

Audrey had scooted backwards and ended up partially under the chair. It was so cute.

Yeah... I don't have an explanation here.....
Still trying to master the sitting up stage (notice all the pillows strategically placed for minimum impact).

I always feel like someone's watching me.......

1st Haircut!

2009-03-28T10:18:00.001-07:00

We took Audrey to get her 1 st haircut this weekend. She did really well. I am so glad her hair is not in her eyes anymore. I'm pretty sure Audrey feels the same way. Enjoy the pictures!

Waiting and observing (notice the hair in eyes)

Sitting with daddy (she would never have sat still with me holding her)
How cool is the 2 headed cover-up?!?

Not really sure about the whole process...

Much better!

After she put the smell good gel in her hair

The finale... bow is included. I'm sure Audrey was thinking the bow was over the top, but she tolerated it well. She isn't a fan when I put bows on her, but again, she tolerates it well.

Changes, Changes, Changes

2009-03-25T20:13:00.000-07:00

So there have been alot of changes going on around here Changes and some "firsts".
Audrey is 8 months old and ready to start crawling any minute! She is so cute when she gets on her knees and starts crawling. Followed shortly by a nose plant into the floor/bed and crying. It's tough trying to be mobile. She also talks so much. I'm pretty sure she gets that from me. She can talk the whole way to daycare, screech at her friends in daycare and then talk all the way home. I'm not kidding. The teachers at daycare tells me she talks all day and gets louder when the other kids are actually taking their naps. That's my girl!
I went on my first overnight trip away from Audrey. For 2 nights and 3 days I was in a pretty intense training in Chicago. It was fun, but I am not interested in leaving anytime soon. It was hard not seeing the cutest face ever! I'm talking about both Audrey and my husband!
Next, I said goodbye to Vivian. She has driven her last mile as of last Friday night. She was a great car and lots of fun (she was a convertible), but sadly, no more. Instead, we now have the number 1 rated car in safety........ a Taurus. It's actually a nice car. Drives well, very quiet, roomy and well... safe. I cringed every time we put Audrey in the convertible. The new car, not so much.
Tomorrow we get new energy efficient windows. Yeah! Maybe it won't be so hot in the summer months.
I have more, but I must save it for another day.

Bargaining QUEEN!!!!!

2009-03-17T08:27:00.001-07:00

I must say that I came across the best deal of my entire bargaining life (which is not extensive) Sunday. Some would say (probably most) that this find was just plain luck and I would agree. I rarely do 2nd hand shops b/c I can never find what I like and I can ALMOST ( I stress almost) always find it in a store for super cheap. I'll also be honest that if it is something I really want, I'll suck it up and buy it at full cost--- this rarely happens though. I do sell my stuff at 2nd hand shops though and this is how I found this deal. I took Audrey's clothes to a place called kid 2 kid on Sunday. They called me Monday with an offer of either cash or store credit. Now they are running a special deal this month for 30% store credit.... or something like that (again I don't do this often enough to grasp the full concept). When I was in Sunday, I saw this kitchen play set and thought it would be a good gift for Audrey's 1st birthday. It was in great condition, but was missing the accessories (plates, silverware, pots, food, etc.). I left, but kept thinking about the kitchen play set. When the lady called Monday with my offer, I asked her if the kitchen was still there. It was , so I asked her to hold it for me so that B could go and look at it. I also asked her what the estimated full price of the kitchen was new and she said she thought it went for around $220. I then went on-line and discovered that you can buy the missing accessories, which got me pretty excited. So B and I went to look at it and decided that along with the store credit I had for Audrey's old clothes it was too good to pass up. So to all my pro-bargaining friends... I got this kitchen (see picture below) for a total out of pocket expense of (drum roll please) $47.88! Yes, that's right folks..... a steal in my book and we have Audrey's first b-day present all ready to go with the exception of the accessories, which we will buy closer to her birthday. Can I get a WOO-HOO!!!!

Long Time, No Write

2009-03-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry everyone for the pause in blogging. I have had some things come up that took priority. Audrey is doing good. She had a little cold last week, but got spoiled by the grandparents and is doing much better! I'll post pictures soon and hopefully will blog a little more faithfully.
Until then.........

Thank you Baby Einstein!

2009-03-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

I am so grateful for these videos! I had to go and pick Audrey up at the daycare today b/c she has been having some bowel issues (to put it nicely!). She isn't sick or contagious, but since it went on since the middle of last week I had to go and take her to the doctor and get a note to let her go back to school. Sure enough, Dr. G said that her issues were related to her medicine (I told the daycare this!) and Audrey was not contagious at all! Ugh! I DO understand why the daycare asked me to take her to the doctor and I know I shouldn't fuss about it. I just am way behind and was ready to hit the ground running today and the call just deflated me a little. Before you think I am a terrible mother.... I knew the medicine was giving Audrey trouble and I knew she wasn't contagious (I keep in contact with the doc!). Anyway, I take Audrey to the doctor and then back home to try and get some work done from home (gotta love the ability to work from home!) She wasn't really happy with not being entertained by me. So what do you do? Pop in an educational (I hope) video and viola! Peace and Quiet (to the tune of Beethoven) so that I can get some work done! Yeah!!

Ignore the messy office and look at Audrey. All I saw everytime I checked on her was the back of her head as she watched this video.

Soooo BIG!

2009-02-28T20:43:00.000-08:00

After her 1st bath bath (after the umbilical cord fell off).........

After her bath the other day........

The towel swallowed her whole when she was just a week or two old and now she barely fits in it! It is so cute!

7 Months!

2009-02-24T20:55:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness! Time has flown by! I can't believe Audrey will be 7 months old tomorrow. It seems so weird. Sometimes I feel like we just brought her home and then other days I can't remember her ever being tiny enough to fit in the crook of my arm. I love how much she is changing. I miss the baby-ness of her, but love the independent little girl she is already becoming. She really likes to do things herself. I feel like her first phrase will be: "No Audrey, mommy doesn't need your help with this". Ugh! I wish I had wonderful, profound things to write about, but the truth is I am exhausted and going to bed. Enjoy the pictures!

My Serious Valentine

2009-02-14T11:00:00.000-08:00

I had every intention of getting pictures of Audrey into a Valentine's Day card and send to all friends and family. Unfortunately Audrey didn't have the same intentions. She was actually quite adamant that I not do this. We tried 4 different days of taking pictures and we didn't have any good pictures we could use. She wasn't really feeling well anytime we tried and that probably had a lot to do with it. Maybe she just doesn't like to be photographed. I have no idea. Anyway, I posted some pictures to give everyone an idea of what she gave me to work with. Hopefully all those I promised pictures to will forgive me!

This should have been my 1st clue that this wasn't going to be easy.

Maybe the flash was too bright?

I got this look ALOT!

A very tired and grumpy girl

Not even the cool umbrella helped us smile

Done, and I mean DONE!!!

Flowers for me

2009-02-11T06:24:00.000-08:00

So I was sitting in my office yesterday when the receptionist called me to tell me I had a delivery up front. So I walk up there (I had already figured they were flowers from my sweet hubby) and was so pleased with my beautiful Valentine's roses. Only they weren't for Valentine's Day. They were actually for our anniversary of our engagement. YEP! That's right, B and I became engaged on February 10, 2006. The card he wrote was so sweet and I was once again reminded of how lucky I am that God brought B and I together. I am so blessed!

Thanks honey for my roses and I am so glad to have you in my life! You are a wonderful husband and best friend and I love you!

Pictures

2009-02-01T20:45:00.000-08:00

What am I supposed to do with this?

Whoa!!! It sings and lights up?!?!?

Hey! Come back here, we're not done playing!

Daddy and Audrey

You're supposed to be changing my diaper, not taking a picture!

NOOOOO!!!! I don't want to take a nap!

6 Months!!!

2009-01-25T21:04:00.001-08:00

I can't believe Audrey is 6 months old today! Time has really flown by. It really does seem like she was just born a month or two ago. She changes so much everyday. I was looking at the first picture of her just moments after she was born. I still see so much of her newborn face int her face today. Obviously she has gotten bigger and her face has changed alot, but I still see her. Not just in the pictures, but in my mind. Sounds creepy, but true. The time I will always look back on and cherish with her was the first night she was born. My parents were staying at our house and I had sent B home for the night to get them settled. I was still numb from the surgery and couldn't move so I didn't really need him there. I know, that sounds horrible, but also true. So when the nurses brought Audrey in to nurse, it was just me and her. When she was done nursing I would just stare at her and memorize every aspect of her face. I smelled her skin, listened for her breath and watched her sleep. I even asked a nurse to come back later so I could have a little more alone time with her. That was one of the best times of my life. I will always remember my careful inspection of her.

So here we are, 6 months later. She is such a healthy and happy child. Thank you Lord!

Here are her 6 month stats and a few pictures:

WT: 16lbs, 5oz (50th %)
HT: 26 1/2 in (75th%)
Head: 43 (75th% - her head finally caught up with the rest of her body!)

Just born!

mastering carrots!

playing before bed

being forced to perform while not feeling well

My Friend Laura!

2009-01-20T21:03:00.001-08:00

So even though Audrey was feeling way better I was still concerned about putting her in daycare. I really wanted to give her one more day at home just in case. I was stuck though because I couldn't really take off another day and everyone else seemed busy. Except my wonderful friend Laura! She was off due to MLK day and offered to watch Audrey for us. What a blessing! Laura came over at 6:45 AM (that's a friend) and played all day with Audrey. I didn't get a picture of the two of them though. My mistake. I didn't think of it until after she left. Anyway, Thank you so much Laura and dinner and drinks at Gloria's are on me!

48 points

2009-01-19T06:09:00.000-08:00

That was how much higher my score on Scrabble was then my husband's score! Yeah me! I know you are probably wondering what the big deal is, but you see, I have lost every game we have played since we got the game for Christmas. Well that's not true, I won one other time. My husband definitely gets a strategy going every game and I don't really think about what I am going to do until it is my turn. Maybe I should re-think my strategy. Maybe not... after all I did win last night's game! Woo-Hoo!

As for the Audrey front..... she has been sick the past week and a half with a virus and an ear infection. We didn't even know she had an ear infection until we went in to get her cough checked out and the doctor said she had one. She didn't show any signs of being sick other then her cough. Until she got diagnosed. The she was a fussy pants the rest of the time. She also now has decided that 12:30 am is her time to wake up. Either that or she is having bad dreams. Does anyone know when kids start having dreams? She has woken up in the middle of the night several times screaming for all she is worth and we can't figure out what is wrong. Anypne else have this problem with their kids?

Well, that's all I have got for now. I hope you enjoyed the post.

Yummy!

2009-01-03T15:09:00.001-08:00

At around 4 months Dr. G told me that I could start giving Audrey baby food. I had heard it was better to wait so I asked Dr. G about this and she said some babies have sensitive stomachs and need to wait for potential allergy purposes, but since Audrey has no known allergies and not a sensitive stomach that we could go ahead and start if we wanted to. I decided to wait until she was 5 months old before trying out rice cereal. I really think the cereal is just to get her to practice with the spoon. She did really well the first couple of times we tried it and then flat out refused to open her mouth when we tried a third time. So we gave it to her in a bottle instead. She had no problem with cereal so we moved onto some green beans. I actually remembered the camera this time so here is Audrey's green beans adventure:

Something new.....

Definitely not cereal....

Um...............

OK, I'll take some more please!

Hey... I'm trying to eat over here!

YUMMY!!!!!!

Laugh N' Learn Puppy

2009-01-01T18:48:00.000-08:00

Christmas was good to little Audrey. She got a wagon, an exersaucer, videos, stuffed animals, books and 3 Laugh N' Learn puppies. Yes. I said 3. My big thing was that I wanted Audrey to have educational items and not just toys. Apparently the puppy is the only educational toy on the market. Don't get me wrong, I love that everyone respected that I wanted her to have an educational toy. I just think it is hilarious that 3 different people got the exact same toy. It made for a humorous Christmas! So 2 puppies are finding new homes. Well not new, just back to the stores!

5 Months!

2008-12-29T20:40:00.001-08:00

I just can't believe that Audrey turned 5 months old on Christmas day. I can't believe how the time has flown by. It feels like just yesterday I found out I was pregnant instead of year ago. This is around the time we started telling family and friends we were finally expecting. I still remember the incredible loneliness and fear I felt when my doctor said we might have trouble getting pregnant. I don't know why God chose to bless us with the perfect little girl, but I thank him every night for his gift. It is an awesome responsibility and I never want to take it for granted. Everytime I look at her I have an inkling of what God feels for me (us--his children). I am overwhelmed with my love for Audrey. I heard a girl once say she couldn't believe Jesus got on the cross and died for us. She didn't understand why he made such a sacrifice. I UNDERSTAND why Jesus got on that cross. I can honestly say that to save Audrey's life I would give up my own life in a heartbeat. Jesus paid the price for me (us). I cherish my new understanding of his sacrifice for me (us). We are so blessed!

This face just screams of future mischief!

I love her laugh! It makes my heart smile!

Merry Christmas Card

2008-12-26T18:32:00.001-08:00

Again, sorry for not getting everyone a Christmas card this year. I just wasn't on my game. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and here's to a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T19:59:00.000-08:00

Well I tried to upload Audrey's Christmas picture, but it just isn't loading. I will upload it later. It is our Christmas card picture. Unfortunately we could not get everyone one (I dropped the ball big time!) so next year I'll be johnny on the spot with them! I did the same thing with her birth announcements too! So sorry! Actually, I never did birth announcements.... I started the blog instead.
Anyway, Merry Christmas everyone!
With Love,
The Johnsons

Question.....

2008-12-16T21:18:00.001-08:00

Does this bow make my head look big?????

Pediatrician After Hours.....

2008-12-13T10:17:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness for after hours pediatricians office! I know I will see this place again in the future, but I hope it is a long time into the future. After my post last night I went to check in on Audrey and she sounded really bad. I go to change her diaper and I notice she is breathing hard using her stomach and I could see her ribs through her skin. Her pediatrician warned me that this could happen and if it did to bring her back in. Well... it happened after hours..... what do I do? So I call the nurse hot line and she tells me to go the after hours clinic. I'm beginning to panic. I get to the clinic and the nurse comes out to check on how serious Audrey is. After listening to her she tells me to go on back... in front of others waiting. It turns out that Audrey did get worse over the course of the day, but she her oxygen level in her blood was a great number so no problem there. The nurse then suctioned Audrey's nose out and got everything clear. It was easier for her to do it then me. I hate when Audrey cries and thrashes around. Super nurse didn't mind one bit. She just pinned her down and suctioned away! So I have had to be a little more tough on Audrey with the suctioning. It seems to be helping. She was a little dehydrated so she gets fed a lot more. She used to drink water pretty well, but now she won't. Not sure why. So until she clears up she will sleep in her car seat and stay upright as much as possible. I'll keep everyone posted!

Our first Cold

2008-12-12T15:59:00.001-08:00

I say our first cold because I am sick too! Audrey and I both have a nasty cough, stuffy and runny noses, and lots of congestion! YUCK! I tried to let Audrey ride it out because they can't give her anything anyway because she is just a baby! This morning though it was bad! Thankfully the doctor said her ears and lungs were clear so she is almost out of the woods. The doctor also said no daycare for today so Audrey went to work with me for a couple of hours and then home where she rested and I kept working. Please pray for both Audrey and I as we try and rest and recover this weekend!

Santa Baby.......

2008-12-04T20:18:00.000-08:00

Not sure I will ever do this again! Well, at least not at NP Mall. I mean I loved the set up they had and the pictures were great although Audrey was way too tired to actually give us a good picture. She was also over stimulated and was done by the time we finally got to Santa. Ugh! I ended up having to go twice. I took part of Wednesday off to have it done, but I was confused by the process (my fault... I didn't ask questions when I was confused!), so I told the guy directing everyone that I couldn't wait any longer. He then asked me if I had someone to wait in line for me. WHAT?!? Do I look like I have a staff at my beck and call? (That would be nice!). I politely said no, and asked when a good time to come back was. All the times he gave me were for that day. Which did not work for me.
So I was going to give up and then I decided to take one more shot at it tonight. What was I thinking? Oh yeah, I want my daughter's picture with Santa Clause!!!! Poor Audrey. I should have waited for another day, but no.... I forged ahead! This is a picture I took, but the one they took she is actually looking at the camera, just not smiling. She has that "deer in headlights" look. It's pretty cute!

Poll the Bloggers.......

2008-11-25T20:34:00.001-08:00

Okay all blog readers, I have a problem that I need your opinion on:

Costco or Sam's?

Returning to Work.....

2008-11-21T14:25:00.000-08:00

I have been asked by several people how my adjustment to going back to work (as a new mom of the cutest baby in the world--- I believe mine is the cutest!) has been. This is for all my blog followers that are going back to work rather they want to for their own reasons or have to because of financial reasons or for whatever reasons. This is my personal journey and it might not be your case or what you went through so if you don't agree then we need to agree to disagree on this topic.
Okay, back to the post: First off, It's HARD! The hardest thing I ever had to do was leave her at daycare. I have done some hard things in my life (Hey..I'm in HR. I have fired people that I know have nothing but the job they just lost). This took the cake. My heart was being ripped out of my chest by the teacher who reached out her hands for my daughter. To take her away from me. For a whole day. It was awful. My daughter, who has always been independent since day 1 chose the moment I took her out of the car seat to snuggle with me. She rarely ever did this. She always preferred to see what was happening around her then to snuggle with someone. She did snuggle occasionally, but really she likes to know what is going on and snuggling makes that difficult. Anyway, so as I clutch my daughter to me and start to cry in the parking lot saying I couldn't do it, I couldn't leave her, my sweet husband hugged us both and said that we had come this far and to stick with our plan and give this new path a try. He reminded me gently that I was the one who wanted to try going back to work and if after a trial period of honestly giving it a fair shot, I discovered that it was not what I wanted then I could resign. So I have been back to work for 3 short and long weeks now and I still don't know where I stand. I like being back at work. I like doing something with my day besides wash bottles, change diapers, and talk baby talk. I don't like not knowing what my daughter is doing all the time. I don't like not being able to see her sweet smile during the day. I miss her. Terribly. My days do fly at work and I love the fact that when I pick Audrey up she smiles at me. She looks up at the sound of my voice. That is what I love about daycare. I also like that she interacts with other kids or she will soon. She is on a schedule. She doesn't nap much at daycare (too much going on), but she sleeps great at night (8:00 pm-6:00 AM). Her teacher has been with the daycare for 15 years! She is a grandmother type who loves children and I see it in how she cares for Audrey. Still it is hard. I feel torn in two. I am leaning more towards staying at home though. I am waiting to see if a telecommuting schedule will be approved at my work. If it is approved then I will probably stay working full time. This way, I can work and be with Audrey during some work days as well as give her daycare interaction.

So I know that is not a clear answer, but there you have it. It's hard. I don't feel at all how I thought I would feel returning to work. I miss her more then I ever thought possible. I have become more selfish of my time with her on the weekends (I don't do nearly what I did on the weekends before she came along). I stay at home with her and B on the weekends and we just play. Weekends are my favorite time!

I don't know what I am going to do. I am going to give myself until the end of this year to decide. Pray for me during this time. I want to make the best decision for Audrey AND my sanity.

She's growing up!!!

2008-11-18T20:25:00.001-08:00

Yep! It was that time again! 4 month shots. They were actually done a little early, but it worked out. She had a much harder time getting over these shots then the 2 month-ers. Screaming fit! It took me 15 minutes to settle her down. B has to take her for her 6 months. I shouldn't always be the bad guy! Here are her 4 month stats:

Wt.: 13#'s & 12 oz (50-75%)
Ht.: 2 feet & 1/4 inches (50-75%)
Head: 40 (25th%)

Exhausted after her shots and crying fit (don't blame her one bit!)

Side note--- look at her chubby little legs!!!!

OUCH!!!

Poor baby!!

Mommy's Favorite Outfit (well one of them anyways!)

2008-11-16T19:40:00.000-08:00