Johnsons' Journey

I think I am enjoying this spring vacation way too much, and am getting so very lazy. *lol* I need to get better about coming here to post, and I also need to get better about the blog-hopping thing… I don’t want Facebook to take over my blog, but sometimes I fear that is what’s happening! So not a good thing! … It’s just that I get more responses off facebook, than I do here on the blog, so I tend to go there… For the “attention”, I guess. *lol*

We had an OK weekend…

The boys had their bowling league on Saturday morning. They both bowled well, and got over their average in every game… We don’t know if their team won the games or not, because one of their team-mates was gone. We’re assuming that he post-bowled, and we’ll find out how the games went on this Saturday… Up until last Saturday the boys’ team (The Cougars) were in 1st place… I’m hoping that they still are, as it would make the boys SO HAPPY if they finished in 1st.

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Hope everyone is having a nice weekend so far… Ours has been pretty good.

Yesterday, after the kids finished up their lessons for the day, we got the house all cleaned (as in scrubbing bathrooms, cleaning floors, etc). Then we just vegged for the evening… We like vegging.

Today the boys had their bowling league… Both the boys bowled really well, and their team won all 3 games. If the boy’s team doesn’t come in first place for the year, then they will be a close 2nd! … There are better bowlers, but their handicap scores really help, especially when they bowl so much high than their average, like they have been doing the last few weeks… The league ends on March 27th, which is the day they hand out awards. I hope they both get a trophy! (I know they have more patches coming.)

After the kids were done bowling, Joe’s parents (who also had the twins with them) came out to our place. I did Jim and Elvina’s taxes (I think I am done for the year), and then I made a big spaghetti dinner for everyone. (Joe’s mom even went back for seconds! Yay! She must have liked it! *lol*)

After we ate, we adults sat around chatting while the kids alternated between playing on the Wii or going outside and playing basketball… Needless to say, between that and bowling, I think they got a lot of exercise today.

Well… I feel like vegging in front of a movie. I’ll catch ya on the flip side! … But before I go I wanted to give a quick shout out for cellulite cures… I need to go check that out NOW. *lol*

It’s been 19 years since my Dad passed away. It seems strange to think that it’s been so many years… But it also seems like another lifetime ago. How life has changed. I wonder what he would think about how our lives are going? I know he would be THRILLEd to have 8 grandkids, and would be tickled that Justina has her first boyfriend… And trust me, he would be teasing her ALL THE TIME about it too! *lol* My Dad did love his teasing and joking around…. He was known for his joking around. In fact, at his funeral, the paster said, “The shell is still here, but the Nut has gone to heaven.” So true, so true. *lol*

I miss you Dad! Though I know you’re enjoying heaven too much to want to come back here.

Before I go, I just wanted to give a quick shout out for http://www.quicktrimcelluslim.net .

Well, what do you know… I am now 39 years old… Only one year left until the dreaded FOUR-OH … OMWord, I so don’t want to turn 40. I really, really, really, really, really, really don’t want to turn 40. It makes my stomach upset just to think about it. *lol*

Despite the fact that I am teetering on the top of the hill, I still managed to have a good weekend.

On Saturday we of course went to the bowling alley for the boys’ league. It was a position round, and their team won 2 out of the 3 games… They could have won all three, but their team-mate, Marshall, was having a REALLY had day. On the game they lost, Marshall only got a 50 (his average is 89). If he had played as well as he normally does, they for sure would have won all three.

Jared and Josh, on the other hand, both bowled really well. I think Jared is out of his slump, much to his happiness. In fact, while he still didn’t beat his top game of 170, he managed to beat his top series (the total of all 3 games together). His top series was 342, but on Saturday he bowled a 390… He also got his first turkey (3 strikes in a row), but sadly it was during practice, so it didn’t count. *lol* Poor Jared! … He almost got a hambone (4 strikes in a row), but he only got 9 down on the 4th one… One pin shy. *lol*

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If you happen to find January, can you let me know… Because I don’t know where the heck it went! *lol*

Anyhoo…

I know a lot of you are on facebook, so I am sorry for repeat information. I just need to record things here too, for posterity. *lol* … This journal of our lives together, and family updates, are a gift for my children. No matter how into facebook I get, I don’t want to skip things here. You know?

Sooo… Here’s what’s been going on since I last wrote.

Jim and the Kids

First off, about Joe’s dad, Jim… Last Thursday he went into Kaiser hospital to have some routine blood tests taken (he has diabetes and high blood pressure). After having the blood tests taken, he decied to go get his blood pressure taken (completely his own idea). When the nurse took it, she discovered that his heart rate was at 130… According to Jim, I guess they want your blood pressure to be between 60 and 100, but they prefer it to be closer to 60. So they had him go to the emergency room… They wouldn’t even let him walk there; he had to take some kind of shuttle or something between the buildings.

Once they were in the ER, they did some tests… I think they did an ultrasound (and maybe an x-ray), and some other test (possibly an EKG???), and then they addmitted him so they could moniter his heart while they tried to bring his heart rate back down… I guess the lower chambers of his heart were fine, but the upper ones were working overtime. They were going to do a stress test on Friday morning, but then they canceled it because they decided that his heart had had enough stress, and should take anymore.

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From yesterday:

Jared: “Male lions are really lazy. You’d think that they would do the hunting, but they don’t. The females do.”
Mom: “Ya, they stay back with the cubs.”
Jared: “And they get to eat first!!”
Mom: “Doesn’t seem fair, does it?”
Jared: “It reminds me of Grandma and Grandpa.”

If you knew Joe’s parents, you would know why I find this so funny! … Joe’s Dad does NOTHING around the house, while his mom works her fingers to the bone… When it’s time to eat, he goes and parks his butt at the table while Elvina fills his plate and brings it to him. She will then make her own… And if he wants seconds, she gets that too.

I know some people will say that it’s a woman’s place to wait on him hand and foot, but I say that they are both adults, and in an equal relationship… He has two good legs, and he can fill his own plate… And maybe even help her out in the kitchen every once in a while…

Just my opinion…

Before I go, just wanted to give a quick shout out for admin jobs… I wonder if they have any work at home type jobs?

Happy Birthday Jared! I can’t believe that you are 12 years old… Just can’t believe it! Wasn’t it just yesterday that I was holding you in my arms for the first time, soooo very happy that I was FINALLY a mommy? … Thank you for that Jared. Thank you for making me a Mommy. The waiting for you was sooo hard, but Jared… You were worth the wait. I couldn’t ask for a better son! I am so proud of the young man you are becoming. You are so responsible, polite, kind, and you have the biggest heart. I love you so much!

Happy Birthday!

In other news… The boys bowled SO WELL yesterday on their league game! Both of them got over 100 on all three games! … AND Josh has now beat Jared for his high series game. Jared’s high series is 342 (for when he got that 170 a few weeks back), and now Josh’s sigh series is 344.

Anyway, Jared (who’s average is 97) got 101, 120, and 118. Josh (who’s average is 75) got 115, 122, and 107!!! He was ON FIRE yesterday! He was so happy!

I am so glad that we got the boys into bowling. It’s been good for them. They are making friends, getting some exercise, and they are having a really great time.

We’re going to take the kids bowling again today, since it is Jared’s birthday. When Joe gets home from work we’ll head there, then we are going out for pizza afterwords. We’re meeting Scott, Debbie, and the twins there. The kids will be thrilled that they get to bowl 3 days in a row. *lol*

Well, I need to get some breakfast and then clean the kitchen. But before I go, I want to give a quick shout out for Manhattan Hotels. If you’re even in New York, you should check them out!

Man, this week is just flying by… Actually, our entire Christmas vacation has flown by at lightning speed. We’ve been so busy doing and cleaning, that it feels like we haven’t even had a vacation. Going back to school will be a break! *rofl* (We start our lessons back up on Monday.)

I didn’t do much of anything on Monday… Oh, I had big plans for cleaning, but those never happened. I had a visit from mean ole AF, and let’s just say it wasn’t a good day. Much pain was had, so it was a good day to wrap oneself in a quilt and watch TV. *lol* … Which is exactly what I did.

As for yesterday, I caught up on the laundry and since Joe FINALLY took the ornaments (that I couldn’t reach) off the top of the tree, I was able to finish getting the Christmas stuff packed into the totes… Now I have to wait for Joe to get into the mood to put the totes under the house (because there is NO WAY I am going into that crawl space filled with bugs to do so)… You know that song, “Waiting on a Woman“? … My version would be called, “Waiting on a JoeBob”.

The girls started their new session at Dolce Dance last night… I wrote Lindsay an Email and told her that Joe had trouble getting home from work in time to make it to Alicia’s class at 4:45, and asked if Jay would mind having it at 5:45, which is when Amanda’s class is… Since Alicia is the only one in this class, they were OK with it… That’s a relief! We have an extra hour before we have to be there, and we only have to wait for one hour, instead of two. Very nice!

Yesterday there were 3 other girls in Amanda’s ballet class, but they were all new. None of the other girls who had been in her class were there anymore… Weird! … Maybe some of them will be back next Tuesday… I was hoping that Kyla would be in class, because her mom, Lisa, is really nice. *lol* It was fun chatting with her while the girls danced… I also wouldn’t mind seeing Lisa’s new baby. At the ballet recital Lisa was 3 days over-due on her pregnancy, and I’m sure that baby Ava came before Christmas.

Jared recieved his first non-mom and dad phone call yesterday… The other day Jared created a quiz on facebook called “How well do you know animals” (which I only got a 60% on *lol*). Well, I guess his cousin, Jamie, wanted to make a quiz too, and was having troubles making one. So she called up Jared and he spent 15+ minutes trying to explain something to her. He told me that he would have to show it to her when he saw her next…

That kid sure LOVES that phone! *lol* He’s learning things on it quickly… A lot quicker than Joe learned his phone, when he first got it. *lol* Jared is even putting things into the event calendar, and has learned how to add contacts… It’s cute to see him with it, but it’s hard for me to see him growing up so quickly… He’s been very responsible with the phone, and isn’t abusing the priviledge.

Well, not much else going on around here… Plan on doing the bathrooms and floors (as in mopping) today… No fun, but it has to be done. I usually like to do that on the weekends, but Jared and Josh’s friend, Marshall, is coming over for the afternoon, after bowling on Saturday. (Marshall is their bowling league teammate… He’s a great kid. Always smiling, cheerful, and sweet. ) … Jared and Josh are looking forward to his visit.

Catch ya on the flipside!

While our personal “birthday season” is winding down, it’s winding down with a vengence! There have been so many birthdays in the last few days! The 29th was my sisters and my friend, Talitha’s birthday. The 30th was Joe’s cousin’s son, Josh’s birthday. The 31st was Joe’s Uncle Larry’s birthday. Yesterday was Joe’s mom, Elvina’s birthday. And today is my Mom, Scott, Joe’s cousin, Carol and Joe’s Grandma Johnson’s birthday (and Jared’s is coming on the 10th). Sooo….

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

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