TV Will Rot Your Brain!!!

Between work, workouts, kids, and a full three months this year of being sick, Geeg and I don't get to spend too much time together except for between 8'ish and 10'ish each night about 2 - 3 times during the week.  So we usually pile on the sofa, ice our respective injuries, and catch up on a few of our favorite TV shows.  

There are a few that we just let pile up on the DVR until we don't really have much to watch and then catch up all at once, like The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, and New Girl.  But there are a few more that we just can't wait for and will watch just as soon as we can.  The Following, Psych, Parenthood, Suits, Cougar Town (trust me, guys, its a stupid name, but its a funny show), and Criminal Minds never last on our DVR for very long. 

We absolutely love watching TV together.  We watch together, discuss characters, and talk about what we think is going to happen during and after the show. Depending on the show, we will talk about it throughout the week, analyze situations and try to get a peek into the heads of the characters and sometimes even the writes of the show to see if we can figure out where things are going to go.  

For me it's less about watching the show and more about the time that I get to spend with my wife while watching and discussing things with her throughout the week.  It's exciting to see how her mind works when going through a story.  To watch her completely intrigued as she watches The Following, to watch her laugh at silly stupid jokes on Psych, to watch her cry at the tear-jerking moments on Parenthood, or get so creeped out by Criminal Minds that we have to watch Cougar Town to get her mind off how many psycho's there are in the world.  Believe it or not I find her reactions, thoughts, and analysis of these shows endearing.  It is totally fun to engage with her in this way.  

We love to engage with others about our show too! Feel free to talk to us about our shows.  Come over and watch them with us sometime!  We'll crack open a bottle of wine or pour some scotch and make a night of it.

Four years later

When I was a kid I knew that I wanted to get married and have kids.  I didn’t know what that really looked like or how to make it happen, I just knew I wanted it to happen.  As I grew older I began to define what that ultimate relationship looked like and began to define how to make it happen.  There was a bit of trial and error involved through the years, but through all the ups and downs I learned something from each one that further defined what I wanted in a marriage.

There were a few times I gave up looking entirely.  I knew it would happen eventually, but my ideal had grown more and more specific, and I grew tired of not finding what I was looking for.  It kind of sucks knowing what you want sometimes.  It definitely makes you think twice about settling for less.

I can still remember meeting Gigi.  We were introduced and I remember thinking, “She’s cute.” and then getting back to work.  The next day I invited her to lunch and we had a great time talking and getting to know each other.  It just so happened that there was a Laker game on that night so after a long workday we went down to the local brewery and watched the game and got to know each other a bit more.  I had a feeling there was something there and the more I got to know her, the more I found that picture of what I wanted being filled in day after day. 

Today is our 4-year wedding anniversary.  The picture I had in my mind before we met has expanded from an 8x10 on my nightstand, to a mural on the side of a building.  Every day with this woman is amazing.  And the kid we made together… forget about it.  I couldn’t be more blessed by these two.  We have our ups and downs like every relationship does, but the downs are so far above 'down' it’s ridiculous.  Never does a day go by that I am not thankful that God put her in my life.  I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us and look forward to every second of discovering what that looks like.

Happy Anniversary, Gigi!!!  I love you more than anything!!!

vacationing with good friends - las vegas, nv

the past four days have been pure bliss. josh, peyt, and i hit the road midday wednesday and headed vegas (because i have no clue if that's north, east, north-north east, east-north-north. whatever. it's just toward vegas.) but the best part of our trip? we didn't even go NEAR that dirty strip. we hooked a left at vegas and went toward the toll brothers community "red rock" where luxury homes lined paved streets and families did their family thing. suburbia. BLISS.

our good friends, jana and brian, were there as a perk of brian's job (every toll brother's employee gets to stay in one of their houses across the country once a year). we were so excited when they asked us if we'd join them, along with our other good friends, kym and andrew. this was our first "families vacationing together" trip, and i look forward to MANY more. we did not leave the house the entire 4 days. everything was there that we needed! our friends, the pool, food, drinks, a pool table, the tv, toys for the kids, lots of bedrooms, twice as many bathrooms. the house was beautiful (i have yet to see a toll brothers home that doesn't cause your jaw to drop) and the harrelsons did a fantastic job hosting us, even though we kept trying to get them to relax. oh, how was the weather, you ask!? ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS! i can't believe it ever went over 95 or under 75. the kids weren't too hot, but it was never too cold to take a dip in the warm pool or even the hot tub. here are a few pics of the shinanigans. enjoy!!

memorial day 2011

as in what seems to be tradition now, josh and i hosted a casual memorial day bbq at our community pool. this is becoming one of my favorite holidays--good friends, yummy treats, and great sun!

little p chillin' with grandpa

jimmy and larae hanging out poolside

auntie jess taking peyton for a dip

family time in the water!

angelo and vanessa being sweet together ;-)

yup! we sure did bust out a round or 5 of penny can!

little "hailey boo" having a ball!

uncle josh...being "fun" uncle josh to little man joel.

girl time! :-)

thanks to everyone who made it out for the afternoon. as usual, hoping to make summer barbecues a more typical activity! as always, the more the merrier! :-) join us next time!

What A Glorious Day!

All I can say is WOW! Words cannot express the joy a baby brings. After a long 15 hour day in the hospital little Peyton Reese Johnson was born. At 7 lbs. 13 oz. and 20.5 inches long, she had all the doctors, and especially Mom and Dad, saying, "She's BEAUTIFUL!!" Announcing her to a group of people waiting not-so-patiently in the hall, was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I am so glad we were able to share the day with so many wonderful friends and family. Thank you to everyone who was here in the hospital, sharing their encouragement on Facebook and Twitter, and sending up prayers on our behalf. We wouldn't have wanted the day to go any other way.

And now for the part everyone wants to see. Let me introduce you all to Peyton Reese Johnson!

Good Friends, Good Music, Good Times

This weekend was a good one. We were able to catch up with friends, see one of our favorite bands preform and eat ourselves silly at the Orange County Fair; yeah, it was pretty awesome!

On Saturday night we put June in the car, drove down to the Irvine Spectrum and met up with our friends Jim, Kevin, and Gigi's sister Kat to listen to one of our favorite bands, PawnShop Kings, perform. As always they put on a great show and since it was Kevin's first show, they found themselves a new fan.

and we got ice cream too....

On Sunday we went to the early church service and then met up with our friends Brian and Jana and their son Hunter to go to the fair. None of us are really all that excited about the rides so we just walked around, looked at the exhibits, ate ourselves silly, went to the pig races, played with Hunter, and just all around had a good time.

Jana braved the newest fair food - the Crispy Cream Chicken Sandwich

and Brian had to have the giant turkey leg.

Hunter wasn't totally sure at first.

But he quickly warmed up to the idea.

Gigi got caught up in the excitement and had to have some meat on a stick.

Then it was off to the pig races!

Rounding out the day with good times, carnival games and good friends

And now for obligatory "cute kid in hat that's too big" pictures...

Thank you everyone for such a great weekend! Let's do it again soon!!!

camouflaged.

last october, josh and i took a week off and drove to colorado to visit our friends, kristy and jj, and their lovely kids, braylon and jaxten. since then, the two of them have been blessed with another little one--a precious girl this time--taytum faith. how old are they, you ask? well, 5 months, 19 months, and 3 years. yes, three kids under three. all at once.

i've known kristy since our early days of high school. she was that total hot surfer girl that all the boys went crazy over. don't get me wrong, she's not the girl other girls often despise--she didn't MAKE the boys go crazy--they just did. it was natural! as a matter of fact, you couldn't help but love how much she DIDN'T care that her hair was knotty and full of sand and that she hadn't showered in a day or 3, because it was funny and light hearted, and so is she. but messy hair or not, this girl is drop dead gorgeous.

some 3 years after high school, this wacky, life-loving friend of mine, kristy, stumbled upon a 6'7" basketball player. now, when i say basketball player, i mean, basketball player. yes, he walked and talked like kobe. yes, he wore gym clothes and carried a basketball under his arm all the time. and yes, he loved every minute of simply being a "basketball player". rightfully so--he was good--really good. and in the midst of his international career, he invited his girlfriend, kristy, to join him for a few weeks in italy. kristy, the biggest home-body i've ever met and the first one to get homesick on our weekend getaways to vegas, nervously accepted. a few months later, she accepted an offer to join him for a few months in mexico. the homesick issue dissipated quickly--she thought the world of this stud, and nothing else mattered.

the phone rang one day while kristy was in mexico. "UHM, HI GEEG, SO...JJ AND I JUST GOT MARRIED!!!" "oh my crapness, kristy, i talked to you 3 days ago and didn't even know you guys were engaged!!!" "yeah, i just found out last night, myself. isn't it amazing?" "why, yes, of course. wow. i mean, WOWWW. that's...great. yes, that's GREAT!!!..." i called our other close friends immediately after hanging up. "guys, this is great, right? shoot. i'm not sure. that was....FAST. hmmm. okay, we're all okay with this. he's a good guy... we can support this, for sure." when jj and kristy returned, we welcomed them, excited about their new venture, but already praying hard that she'd/they'd made a smart decision.

then they got pregnant. and sure enough, 9 months later, a baby came. imagine that!!

then they got pregnant. again. and sure enough, as if it were natural, 9 months later, another baby came... i'm seeing a trend here.

with 2 kids under 2, and a 3 year old marriage, and two young adults that were still learning new things about themselves and each other on a daily basis, kristy and jj pressed on. an international basketball career ended sometime during that time, and jj, at a fork-in-the-road-moment of his life, decided to join the army.

i don't know anyone in the army. i know i drive past camp pendelton every so often hopeful i won't accidentally get run over by a rogue humvee, but that's about as close as i've come to armed forces in my life. oh yeah, i went to an airshow at edwards air force base once. i was 10. so, i hear the news, and of course, i call up my close friends. "guys, is this okay? i mean, i'm scared for them. jj's going to have to wear green and brown camo EVERYDAY. like, is he gonna be okay with that? and you know, what if he gets deployed? can jj and kristy handle this? and the kids???" i couldn't tell kristy how nervous i was. she was in the midst of mentally preparing herself for these next few years of uncertainty, and spiritually preparing herself to support her husband in his every need as they decided to take their family down this unexplored path. but jj had made this decision with a clear head. he needed to support his family, and he wanted to do so in the most honorable way he could think of.

last july, jj and kristy moved to fountain, colorado, just outside fort carson, where jj had been stationed. 5 months ago, baby taytum turned the sola family into a five-some, and 3 months ago jj, dressed in his finest camo and boots that were bigger than his smallest child, waved goodbye to his family as he left for a 13 month deployment to iraq. can you imagine? thankfully, a beautiful little invention called skype allows jj to see his kids grow up on the other side of the computer, but it's obviously not the same. 13 months. the sola's just take it one day at a time. and time will pass. and they'll be together again soon.

i now know someone in the army. i know someone brave. i know someone selfless. i know someone honorable, someone strong. and i know someone who is and continues to grow into a strong man of God. i am beyond words when i try to describe how much he and his sacrifices impress me.

i'm equally impressed by my crazy, funny, loving, sweet friend kristy, as she gives her three kids all her love and attention day after day, and as she remains the strong and loyal rock that jj yearns to come home to.

kristy spent the early part of summer here in orange county, and just this week, started the same trek josh and i did last october to return home to colorado with her three kids. they get to see jj for 2 weeks in another 3 or 4 months, as he takes his leave.

this family has been on my mind and in my prayers for weeks now, as my heart is humbled by their story, their hard times, their good times, their strengthand faith found in the Lord, and their beautiful attitudes of gratitude. may they know we love and admire them. and when i say we, i mean more than just josh and i.

jj, thank you for your service and your sacrifice. kristy, thank you for your friendship. bray, jaxy, and tater tot, thank you for the simply joys you bring to all of us. go solafamfam!!

and how's this for old school?

A Couple That Sweats Together, Stays Together

Those that know Gigi and I know that we like to stay active, maintain a practically full calendar at all times, and do what we can to stay in shape. Whether it's climbing, running or walking with June, hiking (on occasion) or just doing something outside, we do what we can to enjoy the outdoors and maintain an active lifestyle.

About 55 days ago I told Gigi that I was thinking of doing P90X (those of you who don't know what that is can go here to see for yourself). Her first reaction was, "I'll do it with you!" That quickly turned into, "Six days a week for 90 days!... and a diet program too! Heck no way!" slowly evolving into, "Okay. I'll do it with you, but only if you do all the research and just tell me what to do."

I quickly took that deal.

I looked through all the material and started talking to Gigi to get her prepped for what we were about to do. The more I read about the program, the more intimidated I became. Six days a week was a huge commitment for two people who love to max our schedules out. But if we wanted to actually get into the shape we had been wanting to it was going to take something a bit more drastic than walking the dog a long distance and going to Bishop every six weeks. So I shoved my intimidation aside, put on my brave face and we jumped in with both feet.

First step, fit test. Boy was that an eye opener. I couldn't reach my toes, could barely do a wall squat for a minute, and was up around 30% body fat!!! What the hell?!? I used to be athletic!!

Next step, Day 1... and a severe ass-kicking from a damned DVD! The first workout I thought I was gonna cry like a little girl and then pass out dead. I knew someone would find Gigi standing over my body laughing and she would go to jail and June would be an orphan. Okay, that maybe a little bit of an exaggeration, but I did think I was gonna pass out. Luckily I was able to take a break and watch Gigi handle things like a champ. I eventually jumped back in just in time to get my ass kicked again by "340 core slash ab exercises" known as Ab Ripper X. By the end of the whole thing I was flipping off the computer and cursing the trainer's name. But I was still committed to it and determined to see the results the program is designed to give.

After a week I was exhausted. God I hope this is working!

After two weeks I was so sore I wasn't sure I could feel anything else but pain. Seriously, all I feel is sore. This had better be working.

After three weeks my body wanted to give up. It is so much easier to be fat and lazy. I think I lost 2 pounds. Seriously?!? I can barely move any more and I've only lost 2 pounds!!!

Week four was a rest week and we sure did need it. We were exhausted and in desperate need of rest. We did our workouts (even while on vacation!) and began to feel a bit better and ready for phase 2. But something happened. We started to look and feel better. Not just a little better, but a lot better. We noticed we were both able to go for a 2 mile run and talk the whole way. That was new. We noticed that even though we were tired, we still had more energy than we did a few weeks prior. Okay sign us up for phase 2.

After the first week we were tired again. Psh... bring it on!

After the second week our bodies were sore. A minor set back. I can't wait for week 3!

Now, here we are ending the third week of phase 2 and we are constantly saying to each other, "Holy crap you look great!!" We can see big results in each other and now we still have enough energy after our workouts to go on a mile or two walk with June each night! Last night we both, for the first time in the workout, were able to keep up with the trainer and do every move of the Ab Ripper X workout!

We are right at halfway through the 90 days we set out to complete seven weeks ago. It's had it's up's and down's but we are having a blast every day. I know that I have totally enjoyed getting into shape, working my ass off and having my wife doing the same thing right by my side. It has been so exciting to watch her push her limits, and be there to motivate her while she is right there doing the same for me.

I love you babe! I'll be home soon to do yoga with you!

a fresh papercut :-/

i have a friend--correction: HAD a friend--who at one point was VERY close. we shared our hearts, our dreams, our similarities, and our differences, heck, we even shared our wedding days with each other...

then something happened. and my reaction to that something wasn't--well, it wasn't "right" according to her. and looking back, i admit, it probably didn't qualify as the world's best reaction a friend could have. but in her mind, i'd wronged her--BIG TIME. and now? well, now, we're no longer friends.

after a truly heartfelt apology , based on what i realized she perceived as wrong on my part, we have yet to rebuild our relationship. it breaks my heart over and over.

this was a while ago. you'd think i'd be "over it" by now. but i'm not. not even close :-( and honestly, i won't be surprised if this one hangs around with me for a lifetime.

the loss of a freindship is one of the hardest, most impactful losses one can face, in my opinion. it's almost like a break-up, where you just hit rewind in your memory bank over and over, trying to figure out what went wrong; trying to figure out what you could have done differently. and everytime the memory bank's rerun comes to an end, it stings like a fresh papercut all over again.

i don't wish to be a lousy friend--not to anyone. i've specifically asked close friends of mine to tell me what i can do to be a better friend to them. and i'll continue to ask... because friends don't just come knocking on your door--they take work, and they're not worth losing over a misunderstanding. and losing a good friend can leave an everlasting hole in your hearth. not fun. not fun at all.

just sayin...

every 6 weeks

this past weekend, josh, june, and i met our friends craig and zsa up in bishop, ca for some classic bouldering. it was nice to see bishop only 6 weeks after the last time we saw it! if we had a bishop trip every 6 weeks, i may be okay with that!! as a matter of fact, i think we're headed up there again on memorial day weekend. how about that's 6 weeks from now!!

check out that landscape!

josh is stoked to be outside climbing again! and if you sneak a peek behind him, a little set of lovebirds are cuddling............ ;-)

craig and zsa hanging out :-)

june was so excited to be outside. she'd go explore by herself for 10 minutes or so, then check back in like a good little puppy. we thought we lost her at one point--that was scary. but nope, she was right around the corner! phew!

uhm, hello, cows. i wanted to touch one, but thought i might die.

craig working on mandala (i think that's what this was called)... this sucker's "heinous" (a word i've noticed climbers use ALL THE TIME...!)

josh on a traverse on the headbanger boulder. this boulder was SHARP.

josh working on soulslinger at the buttermilks. this is also the boulder where june got bit by a red ant. i wanted to cry watching her in so much pain, but i sucked it up. barely.

zsa working on soulslinger. this chick is a kickass climber, btw. and she's fun :-)

don't know what this route was called. i just know i worked on it for a while...

...and it finally went!!