Happy New Year

Well, it has definitely been too long since I have posted. The holidays were very busy, but good. We missed Chris, Amber, and Avery terribly, but were able to skype with them on Christmas Day! The kids loved opening their presents (Flannery more then Grady) but they were definitely spoiled by all who love them. Thank you to everyone for all the new fun and noise they brought to our house. It is now time to purge the toy collection in the Johnston house.

JT and I are very excited about our couples gift from his mom. We will be getting quarterly "date nights" when she comes to town and stays with the kids. (Of course, we try desperately to find time in between, but it is challenging with our crazy work schedules) Thank you to my best friend Dawn for recently keeping both kids so we could try a new Thai Restaurant in Jenison!!!!

Next week Grady has his 18 month check up and we have kindergarten registration for Flannery. I can hardly type the word kindergarten. I really am not ready for her to be that old. She is so excited about getting to go to school for "all day" next year. She is going to be going M-W-F all day! Grady is finally starting to say more words when he can get a break in the chatter.....Flannery definitely dominates the conversation at our house. His big thing now is to tell me "night-night" when he is tired and wants a nap or to go to bed. It is so sweet! What's even better that melts my heart every night is that we have a routine of tucking Flannery in and if for some reason he is "busy" doing something and realizes she is in bed, he will go to her door and knock so that I pick him up and he gives her kisses and tells her night-night. The routine always ends with him at the door blowing her kisses! Despite their age and gender differences, I am so glad to see that already have such a special bond!

This weekend we are travelling to Chicago as a family (and I mean JT actually gets to come this time) to see Nina and hopefully a brief visit with Aunt Alissa and Uncle Tom (we think they are both on call this weekend). We are hoping to go to the Field Museum and maybe the Chicago Children's Museum and Nina says she wants us to try "Indian Food". I must say it will be so nice to have the extra help of JT tackling the kids in the city! I will try and update again soon! and add some pictures as well!

Where Does The Time Go?

Well, I am already neglecting the blog..... We have been keeping very busy since I started this. With preschool, dance, the holidays, and everything else that comes with having two busy children; I sometimes struggle to find time in the day to sit down alone!!!



The kids and I spent an awesome weekend in Chicago a couple of weeks ago. We stayed with Nina (JT's mom) and had a jam packed weekend. It all started with a carpool trip down with our good friends "The Schavey's". They were headed to Chicago as well, so rather then take two cars we decided to go in one......Quite the ride I must say! They dropped us off Friday night and they headed to their family and then they picked us back up Sunday afternoon.

We spent the day Saturday at the Field Museum playing with "Sue the T-Rex" and met up with my cousin Monica, Tony and her two girls which was a nice surprise! We then walked home and took a little nap before heading to the Magnificent Mile for the annual parade and lighting event! The parade was CRAZY! People were literally fighting for a spot along the rode....Needless to say we saw the parade from a distance and saw the lights go on. Flannery was really excited that she saw Mickey and Minnie and Phineas and Ferb!(Thank goodness the floats were higher then the crowd) I am glad that I can check that event of my "list" and may attempt it again when the kids are much older and more patient!!! We were all whipped by time we got home from that, but not to tired for our Chicago tradition of ice cream from Marble Slab Creamery! Sunday we got up and experienced breakfast at the "Yolk" which I must say was the best breakfast I have had in a long time! After that, Flannery and her Nina got some one on one time while Grady and I relaxed and cleaned up the condo for Nina! That about sums up the weekend and basically brings us to Thanksgiving.



We Spent Thanksgiving at my brother's in Fremont. Dinner was scheduled to be at 3:00, but that stubborn bird wasn't ready until 6:00 so it was a late night for all of us. It was nice to be with my family and my nephews were even home from Texas for the occasion, as well and Jenn and Sidney from North Carolina. I had the best intentions of experiencing "Black Friday" but sleep ranked a bit higher! We also got to spend great day with JT's Dad & Beth and have Thanksgiving all over again with them! We also put our tree up and decorated the house for Christmas! Our weekend ended with JT and Flannery in Urgent Care Sunday night for a case of strep throat. I'm hoping that will cover us for the holiday season and we will all continue to be healthy into the new year!



Lots of things coming up in the next few weeks! Hoping to take a trip to see Santa, Flannery has her Preschool Christmas Program and party at school and of course lots of holiday plans with friends and family. I am still going to try and add pictures to this blog but haven't quite figured it out yet!



Happy Holidays!

So, here I go....I am starting this and hoping that I can be committed to keeping this updated to share with friends and family all the happening's of my very busy little Johnston's. As I type this Grady is almost 16 months old and Flannery is almost 4 1/2 years old. I truly don't know where time goes. They both definitely keep JT and I very busy. Flannery is all girl with the occasional hint of tomboy and Grady is most certainly 110% BOY. He has a new found love for climbing and I mean climbing on everything. I turn my back for less than 2 minutes and he is up on top of the dining room table, standing as if he is king of the world. Flannery is very busy with pre-school and dance this year, but she still finds time for her random dramatical acts of singing and dancing. (I will try and capture some of these on video and attempt to add them later!) JT just got back from his annual North Dakota hunting trip; the kids and I managed to spend a weekend in Chicago with "Nina" while he was away. We are so glad he is back and that Sawyer has resumed his role of "guard dog" or "barky" as Flannery likes to call him. We are looking forward to the Holidays and spending time with family and friends. I will post some pictures soon, trying not to overload this page since I have a lot of catching up to do!