Life with my sister

A few random items ! ***Stephen has started cooking supper for the AWANA workers on Wednesday nights. Can I tell you how excited that makes me! I don't have to cook on Wednesday nights! ***Anna was singing, Stephen asked if she was trying to "match pitch", she answered "you never let me pitch. I always had to play in the outfield and it's itchy in the outfield" *** I love ribbons. Anna has started wearing ribbons around her ponytails and I just can't get enough of the cuteness. ***We saw the Duggar's at a Razorback game a few weeks ago. Not all of them but a few of them. Too fun!! *** This week was my mother's birthday. I missed not being with her on that day. Makes me sad that I don't live closer. ***We love that you read this blog. We love writing it! Julie

...You never know what you are going to get. What a Summer. I felt every emotion this Summer. I am still a bit raw, but a happy kind of raw. "Raw" is my new word. Not sure why. Maybe because I have felt it so much lately. I need to get a new word, I know. I know many of you have wondered what has been going on with me, but I have not felt it was the right time to share until now. Silence and patience really are a beautiful thing. I am still working on both...a lifelong process, I tell ya! In mid-June I left my job with no plan. No plan. I am Type A....I had no plan. Hello! I did not even go into work that day thinking it was the day I would leave. God will smack his children across the head to get His point across if you ignore Him for too long. That is what happened on that hot, sticky, overcast day in June. I am so glad God loves me like he does...but it hurt! I wish I had some big, grand story to tell you about what happened but I still don't know what happened. it so...

Happy Birthday to our beautiful, loving, talented, over-protective, royal, good time mother! We love you the BIGGEST much! Julie & Abby

Thank you so much Kelley for this award! We are honored. The Rules: 1. Answer this question: If you had the chance to go back and change one thing in your life, would you and what would it be? Julie - I would have waited to date until I was 16. The rule at my house was that I didn't date until I was 16 and somehow I convinced my mom that going out on an impromptu date just 2 1/2 months after my 15th birthday was a good idea. My heart was broken when I was 15 because I chose to give it to someone that didn't take care of it. If I could go back, I would have said "NO" when asked out that Halloween night. Abby - I would not have let my career define me as a young adult and gotten caught up in perfecting the juggling act. I am so glad to have the chance to redefine myself for who I really am as a child of God, a daughter, a wife, a mother, a sister and a friend who has strengths that have nothing to do with a job, as I embark on a new career path. It makes me sad to th...

Henry before his first haircut Henry waiting on his haircut I loved his facial expression One last side view of my shaggy baby Henry getting the first of many haircuts I was holding him His Daddy was entertaining him His Daddy holding him after the haircut The new side view of my sweet Henry Henry and Mama survived his first haircut Henry after his first haircut What a doll! Abby

This week I introduced some new dishes to our home. I am excited to share them with you. Randall now says, "Let me guess, this is going on Food Friday?" and he knows to not touch the dishes until I take a picture. I am training him well, I tell ya! Hobo Supper It has a funny name. We have had fun with the name. If you know us well, you can imagine. I have always seen this recipe in books but never tried it. I decided to make it and I loved it! It was so easy and yummy. There is no real science to it. You can make as many as you want. I made 4 so we could have it for 2 meals. Ground turkey or beef patties red potatoes cut up carrots cut up onion cut up salt & pepper Put 1 patty and handfuls of each veggie in a foil packet. Fold each up and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 until done. It took me about an hour. Dump Chicken The name is odd and the dish is just as odd. We probably won't recreate this at our house, but you may want to try it. You might really like i...

My children love to write letters to the President. It began as a writing assignment a couple of years ago, and when they got a response back from the White House. Well, it was just too much! They have received a picture of President and Mrs. Bush, and a picture of one of their dogs. We were also on their Christmas card list one year. They have written to President Obama, but only one of them received a letter back and it was a form letter, very unlike what the Bush's sent. I know what the Bush's sent was a form letter, but the letter had a target audience of someone my boys ages. The Obama's letter had a target audience of me. It didn't help my feelings toward him to much. David sent a letter to President Bush in the summer. It wasn't part of a school assignment, he just wanted to write a letter to him. He told him about playing baseball, about his parents, and his siblings. It was a good letter so I sent it. (I take the liberty to not send all letters that are wr...

Tomorrow Henry will get his first haircut. I have cried about it, but it has to be done. That poor boy is starting to look like a hairy monster. He has lots of of curls right on the top of his head (just like me) and they get droopy by the end of the day. He also has hair growing over his ears. It should be a real interesting event. I have the video camera and digital camera charged and ready. Randall is able to go with us and I am so glad. I love that he makes it a point to make sure his schedule allows for him to take part in all of Henry's big moments. Be on watch for a haircut post this weekend! Thanks to my pal Lashay, this is my new jog stroller. I bought it from her for an overly reasonable price...and I am stoked about it. I started running last week (when I turned 32...it is my year people!) and I am on fire! I am running 3 days a week way before daylight (the moon was beautiful this morning...just sayin!) with some sweet young mamas and we run a nice 3 to 4 mile route. I...

The county fair was in town last week. And once again we didn't go. I grew up going to the fair and loved it. But this county fair just doesn't excite me or entice me to spend great wads of money for hastily put together rides that last a very short amount of time. My kids understand, and don't even complain. I mean, they went to Disneyworld for goodness sake! Even though we don't go to the fair, we do enter projects in the fair in hopes of ribbons and money! This year was no exception. I had big plans for the kids to make brownies, cookies and a cake but my oven broke. (The heating element caught fire! It was out of use for a week!) So, the kids entries this year were slim, but worth a trip. We picked up our projects from the fair today and here is what happened! David entered two lego models. One a plane, the other a helicopter. He got 1st place-a blue ribbon- for both of them!! He also entered a pillow he made at church and got 1st place on it. He got 2nd place on a ...

I love Fall and Wednesday is the first day of the cool, crisp, colorful season. I thought we would go ahead and put Summer behind us a bit early, even though it is 90 degrees in my area today. Boo! I know the hubs would rather not have the abundance of leaves we will have in our yard soon but I just love the way it looks when the leaves are dressed in their best colors before they fall off in his yard. Wow! ( I blurred out our last name on the ghost for privacy reasons) My yard decor makes me happy. It is the simple things, I tell ya! The ghost is out a little early, but I just love it. I got it for $1 at Goodwill 2 weeks ago. It said "BOO" and "The Johnston's" on it. I spray painted it white and then repainted the "Boo" and put our last name on it...since we are not the Johnston's, of course! I plan to add 2 more pumpkins in a few weeks so there is one for each of us. Randall was afraid the ones out now will be rotten before Halloween. I got the ...

I have eaten lots of good food this week. It was birthday week so we celebrated with food...because that is what we all do, right?! I ate at Cock Of The Walk for the first time. It was a fat-filled yummy time. I will definitely go back and add it to my list of all time favorites. A spur of the moment decision lead us there (while in route to my most favorite place of all - Bonefish) and it was good fun and great food. Because it is birthday week I have been having 2 a day...it keeps the wrinkles away! I made my own birthday cake balls. Really...there is something wrong with making your own cake...just sayin! I do have a "good scald" on these ever popular cake balls though. I must admit. Mexican food has been served up more than once this week...3 times to be exact. I do love it. Randall and I had Taco Bell in the truck on the way to LR (does this even count as food? I rarely eat it and there is good reason), we had lunch at a yummy little Mexican place on my birthday and ...

Our twins look a bit alike. There are times that from a distance I don't always know which one is which. Ok, so there are times when up close I don't always know which one is which! They had their first soccer game of the season Tuesday night. They're on the same team, thus looking even more alike. As they played, I was once again reminded of the differences in them. Differences we've known since they were in the womb. David was playing hard. He had a fierce look on his face and was kicking the ball up and down the field. He even scored the teams last goal. I could see his competitiveness coming out. Daniel was playing hard too. He was also talking to the other players and even chatting with the coach while walking down the field. He was laughing and having a good time. When the ball came to him he moved it down the field, but he did so with a smile on his face. When I was pregnant David kicked and moved like crazy. Daniel hardly moved at all. In fact, we named them bec...

Out with the old...in with the new. I chopped my hair off to celebrate. I am excited about a new year -32. I am going to live like crazy this year. Watch out world... Abby P.S. Do you love the symbolism in this picture...the doors are open and a light is on in the distance. See it? Ok , it was SO not planned, just happened to be this way. Sort of funny.

I went to my local consignment shop the other day and SCORED!! I have been a few times recently and have come back empty handed. Sad, really. Well, we did buy a bed for Samuel there, but I don't count that. It was a bargain, but it was way more money than I normally spend at a consignment store. I had some time to waste before I had to be somewhere so we stopped in at A&E's to shop around. And I'm so glad I did! I got a beautiful plaid Bonnie Jean Christmas dress for Anna, a Tiara Christmas sweater for Anna (that is so very cute. It has reindeer on the front and back. Oh my goodness, cute!), and two pair of leggings and one pair of purple velour pants (because who doesn't need a pair of those for winter!) for her. And a Blue Angels t-shirt for D&D to share. Are you ready for my total? $9.53! 6 items=$9.53! I hit the jackpot that day! I was so excited. I bet you're excited for me, aren't you?! Come on down and I'll take you shopping! It's great fu...

Today my sweet little sister turns 32! A couple of years ago I posted the following. I have added two other additions to the list to bring it to 32. Which is the number of the day (if you are a Sesame Street fan!) Today, Saturday, is Abby's 30 th birthday. Like most of us, she is probably thinking that she hasn't become the person she thought she would be by the age of 30. So, I took it upon myself to make a list of her accomplishments as a little birthday present to her. If you think of others please leave them in the comments for us to see! Asked Jesus Christ to be the Lord and Savior of her life met and fell in love with the perfect man for her married that man (hi Randall!) planned, designed, and delegated her wedding from 5 hours away has lived in 6 cities since graduating from high school attended three colleges is a member of a sorority graduated from UCA paid off her college loans WAY early sang solos in church has completed a marathon has completed two 5K's has mo...

Cake balls are my new favorite thing to make. If you have followed us since we started this blog over 3 years ago, you know I fell in love with cake decorating a few summers ago. Since we moved to Arkansas I have decorated very few cakes (I have no idea why...it just happened like that). I have made them for the Fab Four and other family members, from time to time, but that is it. As I was reading one of the many magazines I get in the mail, I saw an article about cake balls and it sparked my inner creative baker. So I got the stuff and made them. I made some for my nice neighbor, Jim and my good gal pal, Brittni. I boxed them up, put a sticker on the box and delivered them. It was so much fun! Brittni has texted me too many times to count commenting on how yummy they were. There are many links to cake balls on the Internet . You can just google "cake balls" instead of me typing the recipe...trust me! I plan to make them and put them on a stick for Henry's 1st birthday....

Rock n roll, baby! Rocking and rolling across the floor. Henry looks so stylish in his Mandy Ann outfit Oh, the good ole days of pledging. If you can spot me, you can spot my sweet friend Amanda with the short blonde hair right next to me. We are on the bottom of the pile.We both transferred as sophomores and lived across the hall from one another long enough to develop a strong bond (I moved up 3 floors pretty quick because I had a bipolar roommate who threw my hot rollers at me one night when we went to eat pizza and did not invite her. Not cool). Amanda majored in nursing and took her schooling very seriously. She was the most disciplined 19 year old on earth, I promise! I was not. She had a cool car she called "Elmer" and we rolled the streets of Shawnee, OK like nobody's business in that thing. She and I made many memories in the very short time we had together. Today she is married to a wonderful guy, a mother of two and makes clothing for children. She made the...

Today is my husband's birthday! Stephen is 39 today! I'm so excited about that, because for exactly one month it would seem that I am two years older than him. He loves that month. I am so fortunate to be married to this man. He is a Godly man that desires to see people come to know the love of the Lord and serve Him. He is an excellent father. But to me, he is a loving, caring husband, loyal friend and companion. I love him with all my heart! Happy Birthday! (Not that he even reads this blog!) On another note. We took Daniel to see another doctor about his arm yesterday and he agreed with our original doctor. That his arm will straighten out over time. YAY!! We were relieved and so grateful to God for answering our prayers. But don't get me wrong. We would have been grateful to God no matter what the outcome would have been yesterday. God is good all the time! All the time God is good! Not just when our circumstances are going the direction we want them to, but ALL the tim...

We love to go 4 wheeling at our house. Even little Henry has a non-motorized one that he has already taken an interest in. I had not been on a 4 wheeler much at all until I started dating Randall. I discovered very quickly that I enjoyed riding them a lot. Since then we have bought and sold too many for me to keep count. I love that it is something that we can do together. We don't go for long rides that often because of time, distance, and now we have Henry. we were able to go riding over the weekend and it was so fun! We were gone all day and saw some neat places that we would have never known about otherwise. It is low key, inexpensive, all natural, you can talk out loud , and you are in charge of your own time, distance and speed. It really gets no better, I tell ya! (that is us on the bridge) It is fun to have the time to do the things that we really enjoy. I think it helps motivate, energize, and fill us with joy . (There are also other things that fill me with joy, this w...

I love when my man smells like hickory! Here is my main man smoking a pork butt and 2 chickens. We love a lazy weekend when we can smoke a bunch of meat, chop it up and freeze it. We did this very thing last weekend. We had wonderful BBQ sandwiches for a few days and now our freezer is full of BBQ for us to enjoy for a long while. Ruby's Coleslaw tastes great on our BBQ sandwiches. (I know, I know...if you are from the western side of the Mississippi this is somewhat foreign to you, but those of us who love the eastern side of the muddy waters love the slaw on the bun...just sayin ) 3 T Miracle Whip 1t mustard 1t vinegar 1/3 C sugar Combine and stir until smooth and creamy. Right before serving, gradually mix it with 1/2 head of chopped cabbage (I use packaged coleslaw mix). This recipe is in our family cookbook that our cousin Sarah, Julie and I made in 2004. We combined recipes from all our friends and families. It is a book full of our birth and married families, and our fa...