Jason, Lauren, & Luke

Free! Free! Free!

2010-11-15T11:51:00.001-08:00

I love Christmas Cards. I love sending them to all of our friends and family and I of course love receiving them as well! I love picking out the perfect photos and design. I love seeing all of the photos of family and friends that we do not get to see very often. One of the websites I have used in the past to design our Christmas cards is Shutterfly. They always have really cute and creative cards that are easy to make….you can check out their Christmas cards here.

Another fun Shutterfly product is the photo book. Last year, I made a photo book for my in-laws for Christmas. They loved it! I included all sorts of pictures of Luke and our niece Savannah. It was really easy to do and made the perfect gift….and right now they are 30% off!

I have also used Shutterfly to make photo calendars. These, too, are great gifts for parents and grandparents. In fact, everyone is asking for another calendar this year!

So…if you love Shutterfly like I do…and if you have a blog….you can win 50 free holiday cards! Go here for the details!

I cannot wait to start designing our Christmas card and to share it with you soon!

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T15:50:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful, warm, and somewhat quiet Halloween this year. Luke was able to spend the day with both family and friends!

My parents and brother were here visiting from Texas and got to see Luke in his duck costume!

Can you tell how much Luke loves his Gigi, Coach, and Uncle Colby?!?

Our neighbors & friends Jenny & Chris stopped by for some candy!

And Matt & Beth came out to the burbs from Chicago to spend Halloween with us! We ate yummy pizza and handed out candy to the small number of trick or treaters who came to our door.

Luke was SO excited to see Matt & Beth!

Poor Luke was done being a duck & pretty much with Halloween at this point!

Happy Halloween to our precious little duck! We love you so so much!

Wigglin Gigglin Fun

2010-10-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

Luke and I attend a preschool-style class every Tuesday morning. It has been great for Luke to be able to interact with other children his age and a place for me to meet other moms.

This week all of the kids wore their Halloween costume or t-shirt to class. They all looked so precious. It was of course hard to get a picture with everyone sitting down and looking at the camera…but here are a few cute pictures of Luke and his classmates:

Sadly enough, this is the best group shot I was able to get. Such a fun age…everyone was busy, busy, busy!

Brrr….

2010-10-15T13:53:00.000-07:00

It is definitely fall here in the Midwest. There is a chill in the air, the leaves are an array of beautiful colors, and my personal favorite, it is Pumpkin Spice Latte season at Starbucks! Since we are now living close to “the windy city”, I ordered Luke an adorable hat and mittens from Baby Gap.

Look who is ready for a windy & cold Illinois winter:

Please excuse the poor picture quality…these were snapped with my I-phone.

Boys

2010-10-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

I get the privilege of being wife and mom to three handsome boys. Here they are before church:

Not thrilled about getting all dressed up :)

They love each other!

My furry, but still handsome, boy!

I love each of you very much and am so thankful to be a part of your lives!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-11T14:37:00.001-07:00

Today we took Luke to the Goebbert Pumpkin Patch. The patch was extremely crowded, but we still managed to have a great time. There was so much to do….hayrides, an animal petting zoo, pony rides, camel rides, and lots of Halloween/Fall shopping. The lines were pretty long and Luke’s nap time was quickly approaching, so we took tons of pictures of our handsome little man and then called it a day!

A wonderful day

2010-10-02T12:41:00.001-07:00

This past Thursday was truly a wonderful day! Luke and I got up and headed to BSF (bible study fellowship). Jason and I are still looking for a church here in Illinois, so in the meantime I started the study of Isaiah with BSF. The best and my most favorite part is that my mom is doing the same study in Texas! What a blessing to be able to give her a call when I need help with my lessons. We meet every Thursday for 2 hours and childcare is provided. The first time I dropped Luke off, he of course cried. I went to peek in on him during one of my breaks and could not help but laugh. All of the other children were playing nicely on one side of the room, while my child was being rocked and read to on the other side. God bless that sweet woman who gave my child one-on-one attention for two hours! When I picked Luke up he proceeded to start bawling all over again! I had a feeling they would turn and run when they saw us coming this week…but they were again so gracious and took my sobbing child. At break time, I peeked in again and Luke was smiling, laughing, and playing and no crying when I picked him up! Praise Jesus!

After bible study, we headed to the Metra station to pick up Miss Beth Wilson. We just love it when she heads out the burbs to spend the day with us. We had a delicious lunch of Zesty Tortilla Soup and Chocolate Chip Cookies at Corner Bakery and then headed back to the house so that Luke could nap.

After nap and snack time, we then headed to Home Goods. Beth found a snazzy new vase/fish bowl and Luke found this:

Beth was soooooo kind and offered to babysit Luke so that J and I could go to dinner. J took me to Texas de Brazil for dinner and it was delicious! Warning…you should skip breakfast, lunch, and all snacks in order to be able to truly enjoy your dinner. We had a great time at dinner and then went to REI so that I could look for snow boots…yes, snow boots!

Here is what we found:

Jason tried on these weird barefoot toe running shoe things? Crazy! And I thought these snow boots were pretty cute, for snow boots anyways!

Beth & Luke when were got home :)

Thank you Beth, Luke, & Jason for a great, great day!

A Trip to the Windy City…

2010-10-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Jeremy, Crystal, and Miss Savannah Johnson came to visit us in Illinois. They came to visit us last year in Washington, when Luke was just a few months old. We were so excited for Luke and Savannah to actually be able to play together this year!

The two cousins were instant friends and loved having their car seats next to one another. On the way home from the airport…Savannah kept reaching over to Luke and saying “tickle, tickle.” How precious!

We spent Wednesday in Arlington Heights and took the kids to the park, where much fun was had by all! I cannot wait until next year, when Luke will be up running around and sliding down the slides with Savannah!

After the park, we all went to the mall (we happen to live 10 minutes away from the 2nd largest mall in America). Poor Savannah was tuckered out from her day of traveling and decided to take a little snooze while we shopped!

After the mall, we all went to out for some famous Chicago deep dish pizza! It was delicious and both cousins had their fair share of pepperoni pizza.

The kids ended the night with a bath party and were both off to sleep shortly after! So many memories already made in just a couple of hours together :)

On Thursday, Crystal and I loaded up on the Metra train to Chicago, while the boys drove with the kids. We had such a fun ride and thoroughly enjoyed just being able to chat and relax for 40 minutes! When we stepped outside the train station we were instantly greeted by the windy city! We were literally being blown down the block on our way to the hotel. Thanks to directions from my handy dandy i-phone, we were able to hop on a bus and head to the hotel to meet up with the boys.

While the boys took a nap…Crystal, Savannah, and I went out to sight-see! Here are some pictures:

Here we are by the river outside of the hotel. I just love Crystal…she managed to find the only non-English speaking couple on the bridge and after a bit of confusion (they thought she wanted to take their picture…so cute) we both had pictures taken!

Here we are on Navy Pier…can you tell how windy it was?

We then took Savannah to the beach…yes, there are beaches in the city! She had the best time!

We then headed back to the hotel, so that the boys could head to a Chicago Cubs game! Here they are at the game:

And now for what has to be my favorite part of the trip…our dinner on Thursday night. My maid-of-honor/best friend, Beth Wilson just moved to Chicago a few months ago….yea!! We have been having so much fun spending time together again. Beth was kind enough to plan dinner out for 5 adults and 3 children! Before heading to the restaurant we met up with this lovely family:

The Barretts! Erin is originally from Wichita Falls and we even went to the same high school together…however, this was my first time to meet her and let me say…boy have I been missing out! (Erin, Dutch, and little Liv drove from Indianapolis to see Crystal, Jeremy, and Savannah.) What started out as a hodgepodge group of friends turned into a 2 hour fun-filled dinner and lots of skinny margaritas! Thanks to Dutch for putting up with all of us girls!

Beth, Luke, & I at dinner!

Crystal & Savannah

Liv, Savannah, & Luke

New & Old Best Friends!

It was so windy! Luckily my fellow-momma friends were able to show me how to use the stroller visor as a wind-blocker :)

The whole group back at the hotel!

Sadly enough, we had to head back to the burbs that night. Jason had to leave for an out-of-town work meeting on Friday. We had such a wonderful time visiting with both family and friends and cannot wait to see ALL of you again soon! Love you all!

Jason, Lauren, & Luke

Happy First Birthday Sweet Boy

2010-08-31T13:39:00.000-07:00

Wow! I cannot believe how fast this year has flown by. Luke Brandon…you are ONE! Your first birthday was truly special since we were able to celebrate in Texas with your family and friends. You had two parties…one in Wichita Falls and one in Aledo. You are an extremely blessed little boy (so blessed that mommy had to pay extra for our suitcases on the way back to Illinois!).

Here is your Wichita Falls party invitation. The invites were magnets so that everyone could put your cute little self on their fridge!

For your party in Wichita Falls, we had lunch at Carinos with your Granna & Poppy, Uncle Jeremy, Aunt Crystal, & Cousin Savannah, Great Grandma Johnson, Great Aunt Carol, Bud, & Elizabeth, Gigi, Coach, & Uncle Colby, Great Nana & Julie Mahler, Great Mimi, Great Aunt Joan, & Cousin Reece, and Scott & Julie Skipworth…It was a fun party!

Shame on your momma…she was too busy visiting with everyone and did not take many pictures. Here a few pictures of the cupcakes and party favors:

Luke & Granna

Next we hosted a birthday cookout at Gigi & Coaches house in Aledo. We celebrated there with: Gigi, Coach, & Uncle Colby, Great Mimi, Uncle Danny, Aunt Lisa, Cousins Blake & Betsy, Bert & Scott Smith, Cody, Stacy & Blake Bauer, Cody, Jenn, & Reed Roark, and Hollis & Donna Sullivan. We really had the best time.

Here are the decorations for your party:

Luke & Uncle Colby before the party!

Blake, Luke, & Reed (before the meltdown)

The cutest birthday boy ever!

Cupcake Time. Luke was not so sure about the frosting…most of it ended up on Miss Donna!

Birthday Kisses :)

The Roarks

Stacy & Blake

Blake & Luke

Thanks to everyone who came to Luke’s first birthday parties! We truly had the best time. We missed Daddy (he was in the middle of training for work), but were glad to be able to celebrate this milestone with so many people we love!

Happy 1st Birthday baby boy…we could not love you any more if we tried. Looking forward to this next year and all of the exciting things it will bring!

8 Months

2010-05-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

Luke…you are eight months old! You are getting to be such a big boy. You are always so happy and are constantly smiling. We love this! You are constantly moving…rolling and scooting. Our new home here in Illinois has all hardwood floors, so we have had a few tears a time or two when you have lost your balance and hit your head on the floor. We hate this! It makes us nervous for when you start trying to walk…but you are a true boy and are usually right back playing in a matter of minutes. You are still a good eater! You love puffs and yogurt melts. We are slowly working on the sippy cup…you don’t hate it, but you are really not quite sure if you like it yet either.

Happy boy in his high chair :)

Cheese!

Beach Babe!

Dad & Luke (yes he is wearing a Christmas sleeper in May…it is cold in Illinois!)

Playing with his big brother Jake!

Hanging out under the ottoman

Ready for a bath!

Luke Brandon…8 months is a great age. We are having so much fun with you and could not love you any more!

A Place to Call Home: Move to Illinois Phase Three

2010-04-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

My parents were so kind to offer to keep Luke for a week, so that I could fly to Illinois and begin the house hunt with Jason. I have never been away from Luke for more than a few hours, but was not worried at all about leaving him with his Gigi, Coach, & Uncle Colby!

Mom & I scoured the computer several days before I left and made a list of properties for Jason and I look at in Illinois. Here we are during one of our many computer dates:

Jason and Jake drove & pulled our cars from Washington to Illinois. It was a long trip, and we learned that Jake has separation anxiety in hotel rooms. Jason tried to have dinner out one night and received a phone call from the hotel with complaints of a dog barking…oops! Jake is a great traveler though and loves riding with Jason in his truck!

This was not taken on the trip, but it is one of my favorite pictures of Jake!

Jason and Jake picked me up at the Chicago O'Hare airport and took me to our new temporary home…the Double Tree Hotel in Arlington Heights. Our room was very nice and served us well while we were house hunting. Here are two pictures of Jake napping in our room…he obviously had no problem making himself right at home :)

Jason and I looked at many different places before finding our current home. We were in for quite a few surprises as far as the condition of the homes we viewed. However, with a little bit of vision, a fresh coat of paint, and a lot…and I mean a lot…of scrubbing and cleaning we have the perfect house in a quiet, family friendly neighborhood. A huge thanks to my mom, for not only bringing Luke to Illinois…but for also spending 10 days working as hard and possibly even harder than us to make our house a home. Pictures of our new home to follow!

Sweet Friends

2010-04-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

While we were in Texas, we were able to spend some time with my Mom’s sweet friend Bert…her daughter Stacy…and Stacy’s daughter & Luke’s girlfriend, Blake! We just love all 3 of them to pieces and have so much fun together. Here are some pictures of our play-date!

Luke thinks Blake is sooo pretty….

Blake upset over the whole match-making idea…

Blake decides that Luke is pretty cute after all!

Stacy, Blake, & Luke

Bert & Luke

My mom, Bert, & Luke

Precious Blake!

So Brave

2010-04-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

Luke had to make a little trip to the Emergency Room at Cooks Children's Hospital in Fort Worth last night. He had not been acting like himself for a few days. Every time we tried to lay him down, he would start screaming. I was worried that he might have an ear infection. Mom and I finally broke down and decided to take him to the doctor. After checking in at the ER, we looked like crazy people in the waiting room. We were frantically wiping down every surface with disinfectant wipes and had Luke cocooned in his blanket. Of course Mr. Personality himself desperately wanted to entertain everyone in the waiting room with his smiles and squeals!

We got called back to our room rather quickly and then the real wait began. We waited for several hours before the doctor finally came to see us. Luke's ears looked fine, but the doctor seemed concerned about his stomach. He wanted Luke to have a few X-rays. Luke was not the least bit excited about the X-rays. He was actually quite mad about the whole thing. He screamed and turned extremely red! I hated to see him so upset. He ended up being diagnosed with a backed-up bowel. I was told to stop giving him rice cereal and to focus on fruits such as pears, apricots, peaches, and plums. Within days of Luke's new routine I could tell he was feeling much better.

Gigi loving on Luke

He was such a good boy during the whole ordeal and was absolutely precious in his little robot gown. I had no clue that they even made gowns that tiny!

A Happy Birthday

2010-04-06T15:49:00.000-07:00

One of the major downfalls to military life is the fact that you miss many birthdays, special events, and holidays with your family. Truth be told...I hate it! However, I am very thankful that my husband has a stable job and that I get the privilege of staying home with our precious Luke. This year was special because I got to spend my birthday in Texas with my family. Jason surprised me before we left Washington with a new camera for my birthday. I had been wanting to purchase a new camera for awhile in hopes of getting great pictures of our handsome little man. I love my new camera. I am still figuring out all of the features, but can already tell the difference in the quality of my pictures!

Here is little Luke snuggled up with his loveys,
taking a nap on his Momma's birthday.
Could he be any more precious?

Standing up for some play-time with his Momma!

My grandmother came to Fort Worth and had lunch with us
...and then of course played with Luke :)

For dinner, we went to eat dinner with my aunt, uncle, & cousins.
We had a wonderful meal at Macs. Both Blake & Betsy walked
around the restaurant with Luke to entertain him while we ate.

My mom & Blake

Betsy & Me

The best parents ever!

Colby is always so helpful with Luke!

I truly had a wonderful day just spending time with my family. Wishing for more birthdays like this in the future!

Move to Illinois: Phase Two, Seven Months, & Happy First Easter

2010-04-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

After shacking up with our friends the VanDyke's for two weeks, Luke & I were off to Texas for "phase two" of our move to Illinois. We would be staying with my parents while Jason and Jake drove to Illinois. Luke, you turned seven months a few days before we left for Texas. Unfortunately, your chair was packed up and in transit somewhere between Washington and Illinois. Therefore, we will not have a seven month chair picture. You spent your first Easter in Washington and Texas :) We flew out on Easter Sunday. You looked so cute in your yellow, brown, & white seersucker overalls and truly charmed everyone on the plane. Gigi & Coach even had an Easter basket waiting for you when were arrived in Texas. Gigi had taken her Easter basket, which had become my Easter basket, and added a new "boy" ribbon for you. Such a sweet and thoughtful gift!

Reunited & it feels so good!

Your Easter basket from Gigi & Coach filled with puffs, new sleepers, & a handsome new outfit!

Uncle Colby & Luke: They kinda like each other :)

Handsome boys on Easter

Another gift from Gigi & Coach...Luke's very on ball pit! He loves it!

My Aunt Lisa & Great Uncle Mike were in Fort Worth during our stay and met us for lunch at one of my favorite spots: Schlotzskys. We had the best time visiting with them and Luke, of course loved all of the attention!

One night, Luke was quite fussy and nothing seemed to calm him down. Coach decided to hook on the baby carrier and strolled around the block with Luke. Luke quickly went from the fussiest baby on the block to the happiest baby on the block!

My precious seven month old baby boy...you could not possibly know how proud I am of you and just how much I love you! You fill my days with much laughter and joy. This month you decided that you are no longer okay with falling asleep by yourself in your crib. Instead, you want to be cuddled and rocked to sleep. And you know what...I am perfectly okay with this, because I know one day really soon you will be a big boy and not want your momma to rock you to sleep. So I will simply cherish these moments when you snuggle up next to me and let me sing and pray over you as you fall asleep. I love you my sweet baby boy, each day with you is better than the last!

Seven Months!

I LOVE my ball pit!

Ready for a snack :)

Move to Illinois: Phase One

2010-03-25T22:13:00.000-07:00

Before our little family could move to Illinois, we had to first rent our home in Washington. We were so blessed that Katie & Sean , our favorite neighbors, happened to know of a couple looking for a house to rent. This couple came over to look at our home and signed the paperwork shortly after. We were so lucky to have found renters so quickly, especially with the large number of properties available just in our neighborhood alone. The only problem was that they wanted to move in two weeks before we could start our trip to Illinois. So this is how "phase one" of our move to Illinois went:

Step One: Move in and take over 2 of 3 bedrooms of your best friends house (Not sure how Carl really felt about Luke turning his "man room" into a nursery!).

Luke, Alyson, & Carl

In order to completely take over you must:

Bring your baby & all of his really big & bright toys!

Bring your dog, his bed, bowls, & of course more toys!

Step Two: Have your beautiful best friend tote your baby around while she cooks you amazing breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You of course are probably doing important things like checking your email or sipping a glass of wine!

Alyson & Luke

Step Three: Make the boys take numerous pictures in their hats until you get the perfect one!

Jason, Luke, & Carl

Step Four: Say goodbye to your best friends...the friends you prayed for when you first moved to Washington. The friends who you can really be yourself around and they still love you. The friends who were there with you when your baby was born. The friends who you can spend every waking minute with for two weeks and still feel that it was not enough time. Carl & Alyson are these friends. We will miss them more than they could possibly know. Thank you for all of the wonderful memories over the past 3 years...time truly does fly when you are having fun! We love you with all of our hearts always!

The Besties & Luke the morning we said goodbye :(

Best buddies & their "lady killer" smiles!

Our little family

To be continued....

Six Months

2010-03-01T18:47:00.000-08:00

Luke, you are six months old...has half a year really gone by already?!? You are still such a joy and truly are the love of mine and daddy's lives. You smile so big when you see us and this just melts our hearts. We have so much fun with you and really cannot remember what our lives were like before you.

Your Stats:
You weigh 20 lbs 1 oz (91% percentile)
You are 27 1/4 inches tall (71% percentile)
Basically...you are perfect!

In the past month we have made a break-through for your naps and night-time routine. We can lay you down in your crib awake with your paci and you will just play yourself right to sleep. We are so proud of you!

You love to play in your baby exerciser and with a little help from Miss Renae, your physical therapist, you are rolling all over the place. We originally went to see Miss Renae because at 2 months Dr. W noticed that your head was slightly leaning to the right. It is not an unknown fact that you, my precious Luke, have a large head! Dr. W let us know that this was common in babies with larger heads because it puts more pressure on the neck muscles. We were told that this would probably correct itself, but given the option to take you to physical therapy. Your momma and daddy just want the very best for you, so we decided that we would definitely go to physical therapy. We were not able to get our first appointment until you were almost 3 1/2 months old. By that time, you were doing so well with your head, but did not want to roll over! Since Miss Renae thought you were just about the cutest and happiest baby she had ever seen...and since the physical therapy sessions were free for us...she offered to see you once a week and help you with your rolling. We were all sad at your last session, and we will greatly miss Renae!

Miss Renae & Luke

Happy St. Patricks Day!

We started using your high chair (a wonderful gift from Miss Heike) this month. You love to play with your toys while I make your bottle and get your food ready. You love to eat! We have worked our way through most of the solids. You are not a big fan of peas or green beans...but pretty much everything else is great. You love sweet potatoes, carrots, peaches, & pears! We have started trying a sip-pee cup, but you are not the least bit convinced that it could ever replace your bottle!

You continue to love your bath time and getting dressed for bed. Your momma changed some words to the Locomotion and sings the Lotioncomotion when she gives you the baby massage. You think this is just about the most hilarious thing you have ever heard!

Luke you are such a blessing. We love you more and more each day!

Congratulations Jason!

2010-02-27T19:19:00.000-08:00

Jason & his dad

Today we celebrated with family, friends, and co-workers as Jason was promoted to Master Sergeant (E-8). We are all so very proud of him! I was busy giving Luke his bottle during the ceremony and sadly did not get many pictures with my camera. Jason's parents came to Washington to be with Jason on this special day. Also, our close friends Kathy & Lee Salyer, and Alyson VanDyke joined us. We are so lucky to have such supportive and thoughtful friends who we just love to pieces.

The Cake

Although there was much celebrating on this day...there is also a little bit of sadness. With this promotion also comes a move for our little family to Illinois. Jason was selected to be the First Sergeant at a military police reserve unit in Arlington Heights. This is such an honor for Jason and we do not take it lightly. However, we know that we will be leaving many wonderful friends behind. Almost four years ago when we arrived in Washington, we were not too sure about this new place that we would call home. It rained and rained and rained, no air conditioning, lousy Mexican food, and the list went on and on! But, God knew better than we did. He knew that we would meet lifelong friends, become part of a great church, and have our first child in Washington. We will soon find ourselves in that unfamiliar place again...no there will not be as much rain, but there will be snow! I am so sad to leave much happiness behind, but know that God has a plan for us in Illinois...and His plan is always much better than we know!

Congrats again Jason, Luke & I are very proud of you!

Five Months

2010-01-31T22:04:00.000-08:00

My happy baby boy, you are five months old! You and I were really busy this month as we planned for and went on our trip to Texas. On February 20th, your Gigi and I hosted Kayci's Lingerie Shower. We collaborated for months on all of the details such as the invitations, food, favors, and more. We wanted the shower to be absolutely perfect for Kayci. Thank goodness we planned ahead, because one by one you, me, and your Gigi came down with horrible colds the week before the shower! Gigi and Coach took perfect care of us during this time. They bought you Petey the Penguin Humidifier, Little Noses saline drops, and Pedialyte to help you get well. Due to how sick we all were we do not have many pictures of our trip...but even though we did not feel very good, we still had the best time with Gigi, Coach, and Uncle Colby! Two weeks is never enough time with them, but we are so thankful for each minute we get to spend together.

So cool in his outfit from Rhonda & Camille and red converse shoes from Jolene!

First Vegetable: Carrots

Loves them!

Cutest little monkey I know :)

Me & the Bride

Kayci & I back in our younger days (we are Mary Kate & Ashley just in case you are confused!)

Kayci, Luke, & Me

Four Months

2010-01-01T22:34:00.000-08:00

Luke, you are four months old...where has the time gone? I cannot believe how big you are getting.

Here are your stats:
You weigh 16 lbs 8 oz (91% percentile)
You are 25 inches long (71% percentile)

You are definitely a healthy boy. We are gradually switching you over to formula. While you have been growing bigger, your momma has been getting much smaller. We are going to listen to the doctor and switch to Similac Sensitive so that I can stay healthy and take good care of you!

Dr. W, your pediatrician gave us the green light to start rice cereal. You were not too sure about the first couple of bowls, but seem to like the new addition to your menu now. You are especially happy when I mix in a few spoonfuls of applesauce!

You still hate tummy time...but we work on this a little bit every day. You are not a huge fan of your Bumbo, but will tolerate it as long as I play your Sesame Street DVD from Miss Kenadee.

You are full of smiles now...which I love. You were quite the serious baby for the first couple of months. I could not be disappointed by this, simply because I am always thankful that you are healthy. However, I must admit that I just love seeing you smile!

Here are a few more of our favorite pictures from this month:

Taking a snooze on the guest bed

T
Our first attempt with the jogging stroller :)

Daddy & Luke

Rubber Ducky You're the One!

2009-12-29T22:22:00.000-08:00

Luke has officially changed bath time locations. His love for his baths grows more and more each day. Although it has been easy and convenient for Jason and I to bathe him in his little tub that fits on top of the kitchen sink...Luke has recently discovered that art of splashing water everywhere! He loves his blow-up duck bath tub and made the transition effortlessly!

My three boys

2009-12-26T22:10:00.000-08:00

The men in my life definitely keep me on my toes...but I would not trade them even if I could! Jason, Luke, & Jake keep me laughing and smiling. I don't always understand them and I do sometimes feel outnumbered...but at the end of the day I kind of like being the only lady in their lives :) Here are some pictures of my boys:

Jake & Luke sharing Dad's lap

Nap-time in the living room

Mom...why are you taking pictures? We were trying to nap!

Let it snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

2009-12-25T17:20:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Luke! You are by far the best present mom & dad will receive for a long time. We had a quiet, but wonderful Christmas here in Washington. Here are some pictures to remember this very special "first" holiday.

Our Christmas Tree

Reindeer Towel from Camille & Kyler

Christmas Eve: Ready for bed in your Santa's Little Helper Pajamas

Bib from Gigi & Coach

You decided to sleep in on Christmas morning & were not too sure about all the festivities.

Still not sure...

Jake made it all better :)

Gifts from Great Mimi

First Bible from Uncle Danny, Aunt Lisa, Blake & Betsy
Peek-A-Boo Alaska Book from Shea

Momma & Uncle Colby's favorite childhood book from Gigi & Coach

Blanket from Great Grandma Johnson

Teddy Bear from Great Great Nena & Uncle Tim

All dressed up for church in your Reindeer Outfit---Thanks Gigi & Coach!

Three Months

2009-11-30T15:38:00.000-08:00

Luke...you are three months old. This has been a big month for you! As soon as we got home from Texas, mom and dad made a lot of changes to your sleep routine. You weigh a little over 15lbs and are growing each and every day. Sadly enough, you have outgrown your "miracle blanket" and this is what has started the major changes to the way your sleep. You have been quite spoiled when it comes to how you sleep. Your current set-up is swaddled in the "miracle blanket," strapped into your bouncy seat, sitting in the bassinet of your pack n' play. I was originally planning to first take away just your bouncy seat, but since you are too big for your swaddle blanket, it is not safe to lay you flat in the bassinet swaddled. Teaching you to sleep un-swaddled and flat on your back has meant many sleepless nights for your mom and dad. You move quite a bit in your sleep, which wakes you up. I am proud to say that you have conquered this and are sleeping very well now!

Another big change was moving you into your big boy crib! I hate to say it, but this was much harder for me than it was for you. I cried and did not sleep well the first night...but not you...you slept like a champ. Luke, you were ready, I wasn't! You are learning to do new things each and every day. Your mom and dad are just so proud of you! We love you more than we could ever imagine and are just overjoyed to be your parents.

Looking distinguished in his little old man sweater for his three month chair picture!

The new sleep arrangement!

Squeaky clean after a bath & waiting for your baby massage :)

Our little love in his winter bear hat!

Two Months

2009-10-20T20:20:00.000-07:00

Luke, your Momma is very behind on posting about your life! However, since the reason I am so behind is because you and I play all day long, I think you will probably forgive me! You spent most of your second month in Texas visiting all of your family and friends. You and I flew out two weeks ahead of Daddy, and you were a perfect angel on your very first plane ride. In fact, you behaved so well that the other travelers around us did not even know you were on board! Your Momma was of course extremely proud.

Your two month appointment went very well. The doctor said that you were a healthy, growing boy.

You weighed: 12 lbs 11 oz (91 percentile)
You were 22 3/4 inches tall (68 percentile)

At two months here is what you were doing:
*Luke you started sleeping anywhere from 5 to 8 hours at night.
*You were still sleeping swaddled and in your bouncy seat in Momma & Daddy's room.
*Your Momma still rocks you to sleep & we both love this special time!
*You nursed about 6 times per day and when you did take a bottle, you were eating around 5 to 6 ounces!
*You took your first plane ride to Texas!
*You discovered Gigi & Coaches ceiling fan and thought it was the best toy ever.
*You started to really smile, coo, and even laugh.
*Thanks to your Aunt Lisa, you learned to tolerate and possibly even somewhat like your bath.
*Your 0-3 month clothes are very tight and you quickly moved from a size 1 diaper to size 2 around 8 weeks.
*You began taking your naps un-swaddled and in your sleep positioner in the bassinet of your pack-n-play.
*You still loved your pacifier and unless you are hungry or tired, you are the happiest baby around!

You were (and of course still are) the best thing that has ever happened to your Momma & Daddy. We fall more and more in love with you each and every day. Sometimes I just sit and look at you and still cannot believe that you are mine. We love you Luke Brandon!

Two Months!

Not too happy about posing for his two month pictures :)

Luke's first plane ride to Texas

Gigi & Luke

Posing for Gigi & Coach's Christmas Card

So happy together!

Great Mimi & Luke

My Cousin Betsy & Luke

Great Great Nena, Uncle Mike, Momma, Uncle Tim, Emma, & Luke

Stevie & Luke

Shane & Luke

BJ, Donna, & Luke: The Szymanski's are now spread all over the country. Stevie & Dolly now live in South Carolina, BJ and his wife Jessie live in San Fransico, Shane is in Fort Worth, and Blake just graduated from Baylor. It was such a wonderful surprise when they called and were in town while we were home. We had the best visit. We have so many fun memories with this family!

The Happy Couple: Blake & Luke

Luke's 1st visit to the optometrist (his clogged tear duct gave trouble while in Texas). He did so well and made everyone in the office smile!

Great Great Granny & Luke--they were instantly in love!

Coach reading Luke one of his favorite books: Peekaboo, Baby!

Uncle Colby & Luke

My Uncle Danny & Luke

The Newlyweds & Luke: Dustin & Merredith just got hitched in Taos, New Mexico. We saw pictures from their wedding and it was truly magical. We were so sad that we could not be there.

Visiting Coach at the office!

Camille, Kyler, & Luke: Camille is one of my best friends! She & Kyler live in Houston and were so kind to drive down to meet Luke. I miss seeing her very much! Thanks, Camille for always taking the time to come and visit when we are home!

Helping Coach make some phone calls!

Beautiful Rhonda & Luke: Rhonda is Camille's mom. She is such a classy and sweet lady. Luke loved meeting her and was simply in heaven as she rocked him during her whole visit!

Granna & Luke

Gavin & Luke (he promised not to drop him....so cute!!)

Great Nana, Herb, & Luke

Bobby & Luke (he has grown so much since Bobby first saw him!)

Gigi & Luke cuddling on the couch!

Luke & his best friend Reed out shopping in Aledo!

Our friends the Roarks: Jennifer & Reed. They live next door to my parents and were such a help during our trip. Jenn gathered up clothes, blankets, towels, etc for Luke so that I would not have to bring so much. We just love her, Cody, Reed, & their goldendoodle Riggs!

When two babies get fussy, you hold two babies!

Reed & Luke in their "Daddy's Wingman" shirts
Kayci & Luke: Kayci and her family were our next door neighbors when we were much younger. We have the best memories with the Spauldings and were so glad to see Vicki & Kayci while we were home (Vicki I must not have snapped a picture of you and the little man, sorry!). Kayci will be getting married this upcoming summer and we cannot wait for the wedding festivities to begin!

Luke taking a nap at Gigi & Coach's

Luke & his crazy Great Aunt Danna

We had many more visitors while in Texas; however, my mom must have snapped some of those photos. Thank you, thank you to everyone who took the time to come and meet Luke. We are truly blessed to have such wonderful family and friends and we hope to see you all again soon!

Love, Jason, Lauren, & Luke

Cousins

2009-10-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Luke's cousin, Savannah, talked her parents Jeremy (Jason's brother) and Crystal into making a trip to Washington. We had such a blast while they were here and just love all three of them to pieces. Savannah just turned one and is a joy to be around. She smiles, laughs, and makes the most precious faces you have ever seen. Jason and I were quickly head over heels in love with our niece. Savannah even bonded with our dog, Jake! Jeremy and Crystal were such great help with Luke, and let both Jason and I get some much needed rest. While they were here we introduced them to some of our local favorites: Van's Burgers and Farellis Pizza, Jason cooked us a wonderful Fajita Dinner, and we rented a mini-van and made a true "family" trip to Seattle. Here are some pictures from our time together:

Jeremy, Crystal, & Savannah

Uncle Jeremy & Luke

Savannah thinks it's okay if Momma holds Luke, as long as she holds her too!

Savannah giving Jake some love!

We will never forget the mini-van!

She loves balloons, Capri Sun, ice cream, and the newest....
sharing grilled cheese sandwiches with Aunt Lauren!

How precious...Savannah & Luke holding hands!

Cousins :)

Silly boys & their guns
(note: babies were sleeping and no where near the gun)

Brothers & their babies!

Savannah hugging Aunt Lauren goodbye
(After being up with Luke all night, I was not camera ready)

Jeremy, Crystal, and Savannah: Thanks for making the long flight to Washington to visit Luke. We were so sad to see you leave and cannot wait to make a trip to Texas soon so we can all be together again. We love you and miss you very much!

Jason, Lauren, & Luke

He traveled so far...

2009-10-18T18:35:00.000-07:00

When Luke was less than a week old, our little family received the best surprise....a special visitor from home (Texas). When we heard a knock on the door, I never in a million years would have guessed who was on the other side...Bobby Whiteley! Bobby and his wife Christy are two of my parents very best friends and are like a second set of parents to me. Bobby was on a motorcycle trip with a bunch of his friends, which happened to take them through Washington. Bobby broke away from his friends and rode many, many extra miles by himself just to see baby Luke. We were all thrilled to see him and sad that he could only stay through dinner. We had the best time and will never forget how special he made us feel!

Bobby & Luke

Bobby may or may not have had a tear in his eye :)

Bobby...we love you so very much! Thank you for going out of your way to come and visit Luke. You will never know just how much your thoughtfulness touched our family. Cannot wait to see you again soon.

Love, Jason, Lauren, & Luke

What we have been up to....

2009-10-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

Luke & I are currently in Texas visiting the family...but here are some pictures from the past month in Washington. Luke is growing and changing each and every day. It is just a joy to be his Mom and I feel so blessed that God chose Jason and I to raise him!

Daddy & Luke

Luke can hold his own bottle!

All bundled up ready to take Jake for a walk!

(I was barely able to get this newborn jacket off of him!)

Trying out the baby carrier from Jolene!

Luke & his "Chicks Dig Me" onesie from Miss Tonye

Taking a nap in his swing

Jake & Luke sharing some playtime!

Asleep on his boppy :)

Alyson & Luke

Luke Brandon Johnson

2009-10-04T16:26:00.000-07:00

Luke Brandon Johnson arrived a week early on August 31st at 9:32 pm. He weighed 6lbs 12 oz and was 19 3/4 inches long. My contractions began at 5:30 am. I immediately called my mom (Luke's Gigi) in Texas and she caught the next flight to Seattle. I was given my epidural at around 3:00 pm and felt great for the duration of Luke's birth. Mom arrived shortly after and she along with Jason and our friends Carl and Alyson kept me company until it was time for Luke to be born. After 45 minutes of pushing, Luke was born. He was quite blue and not breathing...but thanks to the wonderful nurses and doctors all was soon well (it felt like forever of course). We were all instantly in love! Gigi was a huge help those first few weeks...we can never thank her enough!

Gigi & Luke bonding in the hospital

On our way home!

Jake meets his new little brother!

After we were discharged, my dad (aka Coach) flew in to spend the week with Luke. We had the best time and were all sad (especially Jake) when he had to go back to work. Luke just loves Coach and quickly broke him in by peeing on him whenever possible :)

Coach loves the little guy!

Two of my favorite people!

Jake begging Coach not to go back to Texas :)

Luke is now one month old! He is such a joy and I cannot imagine our lives without him. We have never been more tired or more happy.

Luke at one month you are:
*Still asleep most of the day
*However, you are awake more and more
*Wearing size one diapers (up from preemies and newborns)
*Weigh over 9lbs
*Love your pacifier
*Love your swing and bouncy seat
*Often clasp your hands as if you are praying
*Sleep in Mom & Dads room in your bouncy seat
*Love to look at yourself in the mirror during diaper changes
*Hate baths, wardrobe changes, and tummy time
*Prefer Gigi's singing over your Moms
*Love to be rocked to sleep and swaddled

Mommy & Luke on their way to the Doctor

Luke & his Blue Binky

One month old!

Attempting to take a nap in his big boy crib :)

Uncle Colby flew in this weekend to meet Luke. He is a natural with babies and will make a great dad someday. Luke just loves Uncle Colby and actually looks a lot like him as a baby (I will have to post side by side pictures soon!).

Male bonding :)

Watching the Cowboy Game!

All dressed up for dinner!

Luke cannot wait for this upcoming weekend when his Uncle Jeremy, Aunt Crystal, and Cousin Savannah are coming to visit. What fun this will be for our new little family!

Newborn Photos

2009-09-18T18:27:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of Luke's newborn photos. I cannot believe how much he has already grown and am so glad that we took these photos when he was about 10 days old!

You, Me, & Baby Makes Three

2009-08-14T21:47:00.001-07:00

Jason and I had the best time during our maternity photo shoot. Jake came along too, but we only have one photo of our current family of three. Jake found the only fresh cow poop and decided to roll around. I am so excited for Stephanie, the photographer, to come back and take Luke's newborn photos!

There are so many good ones, but here are a few of my favorites. Hope you enjoy!

Sleep Tight Little One

2009-08-14T21:29:00.000-07:00

Luke's nursery is officially done! I am just overjoyed with how everything came together. Thanks to our families for all of your help...the nursery would never have turned out this cute without you. Now all we need is Luke!

From Start to Finish:

Jason and his new friend the laser level did a great job on the stripes!

The finished stripe wall.

Luke's Crib and the quote Jason picked out...very hard to install in 100 degree weather, but I love how it turned out!

Aunt Carol did the most wonderful job on Luke's Bedding.

His baby blue dresser/changing station.

One of my favorite spots...our gliding chair and ottoman.

When Momma Comes to Town

2009-08-14T21:06:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago, my mom came to stay with Jason and I for a week. I promised a week of rest and relaxation away from the heat of Texas. Boy did I lie to her! The day before she arrived Washington decided to make history and have 100 degree weather. We have one small window AC unit in our guest bedroom. My poor mother had to share her lovely guest suite with Jason, Jake, and me. It was quite hilarious.

We had the best time though and mom was able to attend both of my showers and help me finish the nursery! Here are some pictures:

Baby Shower Hosted by Alyson & Kathy:

Aren't Mom and I cute in our coordinating dresses?

Bunco Friends!

Pregnant Gals

Work Baby Shower:

Jason Came :)

Momma & Me

Hostesses: Robin, Jenn, & Malinda

Luke's Goodies

Mom: I had the best time and cannot wait for you to come back when Luke is born. Thank you so much for all of your help always. We love you with all of our hearts!

You cannot go to the Party...They bring the Party to you!

2009-06-10T19:14:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I received the best surprise. After college graduation, I worked for my sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, as an Educational Leadership Consultant. Little did I know at the time, that my eight beautiful co-workers would become some of my very closest and dearest friends. During our time as consultants we took a "Spring Break" trip to Scottsdale, AZ. We had such a wonderful time and vowed to get together once a year from then on. The girls have since traveled to Jason's and my wedding in 2006, Las Vegas in 2007, and to Jackie and Mike's wedding in 2008.

2007 Scottsdale, AZ Trip

In January, the infamous email chains began with talk of "Spring Break" 2009. I had yet to tell them that I was pregnant, but once a cruise and skiing were suggested, I knew that I would not be attending this years trip. Once I told the girls I was pregnant, they were of course so excited for Jason and me. I did not hear anything else about plans for the 2009 reunion, but honestly did not give it a second thought since I already knew that I would not be going.

Fast forward 4 months...Jason mentioned that I should not make any plans for June 5-7, because he had a weekend get-away planned for the two of us. Now any of you who know my homebody of a husband, truly understand how not like Jason it is to plan a trip. I bugged him for weeks asking him where we were going, what did I need to pack, who would be taking care of Jake? He would not tell me anything!

On Thursday, June 4th, I received an email at work from Jason titled "weekend agenda." I laughed to the point of crying as I read "something fun" and "cute outfit" in regards to what to pack. I should have known something was up!

After work on Friday, Jason and I began driving towards Seattle. He still would not tell me where we were going. When we got to Seattle, he took me downtown to the Edgewater Hotel & Restaurant. He told me we would be having dinner, but our table was not ready yet. We decided to sit in the lounge and wait. The view from the lounge and restaurant was beautiful. While waiting for our table, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to find my wonderful friends. I was completely shocked and surprised....they were supposed to be off cruising or skiing somewhere!

We did indeed have dinner at the Edgewater Hotel that night. My friends threw Jason and I the most thoughtful baby shower. Not a detail was missed between the favors, custom M&Ms, cupcakes, and gifts. Here are some pictures:

The Group at Dinner

The Favors (the tag says "Lauren's Baby Shower 06/05/2009)

They made me this picture frame using a baby picture of each one of us!

We can officially take Luke home from the hospital: they got us our car seat!

After dinner, Jason went back home and I got to stay the weekend in Seattle with the girls. We had such a wonderful time. I wish I had a picture of us all piled on one bed Friday night as the girls took turns feeling Luke kick and move around my belly. I will always be so thankful that we got to spend this time together! Here are a few more pictures from the weekend:

Rule #1: They give you a robe, you wear it!

Space Needle

Belly Picture at Dinner Saturday Night

To my sweet friends: Ashley, Bricklin, Emily, Erin, Jackie, Jenni, Liz, and Melissa

I cannot thank you enough for this wonderful surprise. I am simply blessed to have such wonderful friends. I am sure that being bikini babes on a cruise or ski bunnies on the slopes would have been much more fun than taking a billion bathroom breaks and ordering shirley temples for your pregnant friend in slightly overcast Seattle! Thanks for being so selfless and chosing to spend your time off throwing me a baby shower instead. I love you all so much (and might or might not be crying as I type this)! Luke cannot wait to meet his eight crazy aunties! I know this...he is one lucky little boy to be loved by all of you!

Show Us Where You Live Friday!

2009-05-22T21:20:00.000-07:00

This Friday, Kelly is hosting Show Us Where You Live Friday Dining Rooms. I had such a wonderful time viewing all of the beautiful guest rooms last week, that I definitely wanted to participate again!

There are so many things I love about our dining room...probably because they involve refinishing, refurbishing, and good bargains!

Hope you enjoy the pictures:

Here is a view of the dining room from the living room. I made sure to stage Jake, our goldendoodle, into the picture....have you noticed how every magazine designer room always features a dog these days? The table was my grandparents. When it was given to us, the finish had seen much better days. I will always love our dining room table, because it was the first project Jason and I worked on together as newlyweds! The drapes are also a favorite of mine. They are Pier One drapes; however, I found them at Big Lots for $15 each (they were originally $45 per panel...I just love a great deal).

My very talented Momma crackled the desk above and I think it makes a cute console table.

This chandelier is my pride and joy...and the focal point of the dining room. Above are the before & after pictures. I purchased the chandelier and lampshades for $25 off of craigslist. With a little bit of paint, fabric, trim, and hot glue (and a lot of time and patience)...I think that it turned out to be quite charming. I would love to post pictures of each and every shade (I honestly do not have a favorite); however, that would make this post entirely too long!

I hope that you enjoyed a tour of our dining room...it is definitely not perfect or even close to finished, but there are many aspects that I just love. Please let me know if you have any ideas on how to better the space, I am all ears!

My Husband the Handyman

2009-05-22T20:58:00.000-07:00

So I think my husband has been holding out on me the past three years! I just love all things crafty and creative and seem to always have some type of project started. I think that Jason has wanted me to "think" that he does not know how to do certain types of projects...so that I wont overload him with honey-dos.

He recently installed a new ceiling fan in our bedroom. Here are a few pictures:

Can you tell how excited he is?

Wiring like a pro :)

Final Product

I was quite proud of him...and even prouder as we slept soundly beneath our new fan later that night.

Jason has started to work on the antique dresser I purchased off of craigslist for $75! I just love a good deal and after a little research, I think the 9-drawer antique dresser with the matching mirror is quite a steal. Jason began sanding the dresser tonight. A little bit of primer, paint, and new hardware that I have already picked out from Anthropologie, and I think the dresser is going to be perfect in Luke's nursery.

Here a few pictures of Jason and the dresser:

Don't you love the curves of the dresser?

Let the fun begin!

To my husband: I love you honey...thanks for following along with all of my crazy ideas!

Please Be My Guest....

2009-05-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the "Guest Room" edition of "Show Us Where You Live Friday" on Kelly's Korner Blog. Kelly is the oh-so cute mom of a precious little girl named Harper. If you have not ever taken the time to read her story, you should! Kelly is so great to share stories about her family and faith. Definitely a must read!

Our guest room is tiny! I could try and "cute" it up by saying how "cozy" it is, but the simple truth is that it is just plain small. As you will see in the following pictures, I have not done much to help it with the huge wrought-iron sleigh bed that takes up much of the room....however, I just love it and am not ready to let go.

This picture is a view of the room from the hallway...and pretty much captures it all. When I was in high school, I found a picture of a wrought-iron sleigh bed in a home decorating magazine and was instantly in love. However, the bed was extremely expensive. My wonderful mom is from this tiny town (Bowie, TX) and happened to know of this great store called "The Back Forty." They make all sorts of beautiful furniture, garden planters, and accessories. They were more than happy to make this sleigh bed for me, and later on even made a gorgeous candle light wrought-iron cross that we used as the main focal point for our wedding!

Here is another view of the room...can you tell it is tiny?!? You may not be able to tell, but the lampshade is made up of fake flowers that I hot glued on to a very worn out shade. I have always been thrifty and tackled this project when I was in high school. Back then my room was painted red, which really made all of the other colors stand out.

Here is a close-up of the bedding. It is a "flea market" quilt from Anthropologie...one of my very favorite stores. I have had this bedding since I was in college, but still love all of the wonderful colors. I would love to match it with a beautiful pair of black & white toile drapes one of these days!

I only have the two "lady" paintings as art on the wall, and have never gotten around to painting this room. Please let me know if you have any suggestions on how to make it more "cozy!"

It has been confirmed....

2009-05-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

We are so thrilled to be having a little boy. Neither Jason or I had a preference, so it was simply music to our ears for the ultrasound to show a healthy and growing little boy. He is constantly on the go, despite the obvious limitations of my small belly! The ultrasound tech was quite impressed by how he seemed to move into the perfect position exactly when she was ready to snap each picture. I, of course, let her know that I had given the baby a little pep talk on the way to our appointment about how great it would be if he/she would cooperate :)

Here is a picture of his profile: If you look closely, you can see his little hand by his head. Although he was constantly in motion, he always seemed to return to this position.

I have started to work on his nursery and recently received the fabric swatches I ordered from this cute website: www.polkatotdesigns.com. I had no idea that four little pieces of fabric could be quite so exciting. I was in love the moment I opened the envelope!

Here is a picture of the fabrics:

I do not think I could possibly plan a nursery without a little bit of toile! Thank heavens they make it in a manly blue and brown.

We are so blessed that Jason's Aunt Carol has offered to make the baby bedding. She is super creative and amazing with a sewing machine. It makes me so happy to know that our little one will be surrounded by things made with such love. Thanks again, Carol! We love you!

P.S. We are still working on the perfect name...I will be sure to post once the final decision has been made.

Baby Bump

2009-04-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

My belly has slowly been expanding until just last week. I finally look pregnant...tiny...but pregnant! I am still able to wear all of my regular clothes with minor adjustments. A rubber band through the loophole of my jeans, the bella band, and empire waist tops make up my current wardrobe. I did slip into my pink maternity Juicy sweats on Easter (thanks to a sweet friend of my momma's). I just could not wait any longer and they were oh so comfortable.

Here is a peek at what they look like:

Here is a picture of my belly at 13 weeks:

And here is my belly today at 19 1/2 weeks:

Jason and I are extremely excited about our upcoming ultrasound on Monday, April 20th. I am already having a hard time sleeping at night...I cannot wait until we know whether the precious little one growing inside of me is a girl or boy.

More updates to come soon. I already have some of the furniture for the nursery (thanks to my family and a kind man named Bill from Federal Way-more to come on this). I also have my eye on several fabric options!

First things first....

2009-02-16T19:50:00.000-08:00

Jason and I have lived in Lacey, WA for almost 3 years now. We relocated here shortly after our wedding (July 2006) for Jason's job. We quickly moved into a cute rental and I loved being a housewife. While Jason was at work, I would organize, decorate, and of course watch a little HGTV. Although we were miles away from family and friends, we were happy to just be newlyweds and truly enjoyed this season of our lives. Despite our marital bliss, as time went on we knew we needed good friends and a church home. With a whole lot of prayer and patience, in a matter of weeks I found a job, we met our best friends, and they introduced us to the church we attend today. God is so good!

My bestie Alyson

Of course, the next logical step in our married life was to get a dog! We researched and researched to find the perfect fit for our family. Thanks to a little input from my mom we decided to look at Goldendoodles (mostly for the non-shedding). I stumbled across Jake, formerly known as "Zendo", on a breeders website in Spokane, WA. I instantly fell in love with this furry, stuffed animal like dog and knew that he was the one. After convincing Jason that he could indeed own a "goldendoodle", we called to inquire about Zendo. We learned that he was a 6 month old, potty trained reject who had lived for a short time with a family in Seattle. According to this family he was "born under the wrong astrological sign." Crazy! So, we took a gamble and the very next day, Zendo/Jake flew to Seattle to live with us. He has seriously been the perfect dog...we love and spoil him way too much!

His first night at his new home!

Our latest adventure here in Washington was to buy our first home. We purchased our home in July 2008 and have been slowly making it our own ever since. I am extremley excited to start working on the nursery here in a couple of months.

Our first home!

Just thought I would give everyone a little glimpse into what the Johnson Family has been up to the past couple of years. Looking forward to posting many more updates soon!