Who's that mouse?!

Peyton, you just turned 2! What are you going to do to celebrate? She's going to Disneyland!!!  Ok, so we didn't really go to Disneyland FOR her birthday, but the line was fitting.  A couple of weeks ago Aunt Jacqui helped broker a deal with some friends so we could take Peyton to Disneyland for the day.  Aunt Jacqui has been dying for an opportunity to take her to Disneyland and since it was her first time, Geeg and I wanted to be there to share in the excitement.  

For a couple of days leading up we would ask her if she knew what Disneyland was and she would say, "On the TV!" I'm pretty sure she had no concept that Disney was anything other than a TV station where she watches a few shows.  She didn't really understand that there was a place we could go to see all of the characters she sees on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse right up close, but could tell that she was fairly excited to go "see Mickey".  

Almost as soon as we walked in we saw Pluto...

But she didn't want to get too close.

Then we turned around and saw Minnie Mouse!

But, again, she didn't feel like getting too close.

I wonder if she'll do any better with Goofy…

Nope!  

Oh well, let's see what else there is to do here.

How about the Tea Cups?

Success!!!  Peyton loved those Tea Cups!! Gigi?  Not so much.  There was too much spinning for her tastes.  Almost as soon as the ride was over Peyton wanted to ride it again, though.  The line was short enough so we did.  This time Aunt Jacqui took Mama's place…

Off to Small World!

Then to Toon Town to meet Mickey and Minnie…But first a quick detour to see Pluto again… this time we got a little closer.

Okay, lets capitalize on this success and head over to Mickey's house to say hello...

Not quite as comfortable as she was with Pluto but she still loved it (more than the picture seems to indicate!)

How about Minnie Mouse? The line was a little longer, but at least we had some fun…

Then we got close enough to see Minnie!

There she is Peyton!

No fear this time!! 

Alright, lets find another ride…Dumbo sounds fun! 

Aunt Jacqui bought her a set of ears to commemorate the day…

Then we head over to Jungle Cruise.

A few tickles and laughs while we wait in line.

She was amazed by all the "animals" on the ride…

It was such a great day!!!  She had a BLAST and did great throughout the whole day.  Thank you so much to Doug Farmer for helping us get into the park and to Aunt Jacqui for helping us make such great memories!!!  I can't wait to do it again throughout the years.

Ragnar!!! (AKA the longest post ever)

Prior to April 19th, 2013 the farthest I had ever run in my life was about 7 miles.  I remember that day because it was the day I thought my heart was going to explode through my chest and end up all over the road in front of me.  I was training for a half-marathon with Gigi and that would have been a real bummer if she had seen that happen.  Luckily for me, it didn't happen (we didn't end up running that half-marathon due to other, less life threatening, injuries.).  Since then I've never really put that much effort into running.  Every once in a while I would throw on my shoes and pretend I was still in shape for about a mile or so until I was quickly reminded that my heart hates me and would gladly commit suicide if I didn't stop instantly.  

As I've told you guys before, my good friend Jordan Gash asked me just prior to the end of last year to run the Ragnar Relay with him this year.  He had told me about the relay many times before and to be honest, it sounded awful.  It was way too many miles in too short a time frame.  Surely my heart would revolt and try to kill me again.  But this time I told my heart to shut-up and said yes to Jordan's invitation.  I am older and out of shape, but so what, I'm always sometimes occasionally up for a challenge and this might as well be it.  Besides, it was to raise money for FaithQuest Missions and send people all over the world to spread God's word.  If I can't rise to that challenge, what good am I?

January rolled around and I started training.  Mile after mile each week I was slowly telling my heart it needed to listen to my brain and fall in line with the rest of my organs otherwise it was going to be death for all of us.  Slowly but surely it listened and by the end of February I had run more that 30 miles that month without dying!  I was actually pretty impressed with myself and began to think, maybe I won't be the slowest guy out there during this relay.  Second slowest maybe, but not the slowest.  

The closer it got to race day the more nervous I got.  I was close to raising all the money I committed to raising, but was still a bit short.  I had been able to run the distances I was assigned but nervous my heart had been plotting against me for three months and just biding time until it could get itself to a bigger stage.  4 miles, 6.5 miles and 2 miles. No bigs.  I've got this.  I just need to focus on getting the last remaining donations to meet my commitment and I'm all set for the big day. A final Facebook plea and the remaining donation is covered, phew!! One less thing to worry about.

Three days before race day I go to send an email to some friends and family telling them where each of my relay legs would end so they could come cheer me on if they wanted and I noticed something.  The race organizers changed the course.  My third leg was changed from 2 miles to 6.6 miles! Okay, this is gonna be a bit tougher than expected, I thought, but I'm committed and I'm doing this. At least we start early in the morning (6:15 a.m.) so none of my legs look like they will be in the heat of the day.  

The day before the race I get a text from Jordan…"We changed our start time from 6:15 to 9:30 a.m.!"  For him this was exciting.  It meant we should be finishing closer to the same time as other FaithQuest teams.  For me, it was like going to school naked.  I just knew it was going to be hotter than I wanted.  I don't do well with running in the heat and I had been pretty excited to avoid it.  But there it was.  Unavoidable.  Alright heart, let's do this. Please don't kill me!  

Race day was exciting and nerve-racking.  I met the guys in our van and we quickly became friends sharing a common enemy.  The gun went off in Huntington Beach and our first runner was off!  We drove ahead in the van for and as he passed by we cheered him on and encouraged him to keep up the pace.  I was instantly inspired by the way we had formed a tight bond and were ready to help each other through this insane feat.  

Each of us was ready to go and and willing to take on the challenge ahead of them.  My first leg rolled around, I got in the starting gate, had that bracelet slapped on my wrist and was off!  A mile in and the heat started calling me all sorts of names and zapping all my energy.  3 miles in and I could see my teammates standing in the distance and encouraging me to just keep going.  It instantly gave me the strength to fight through the heat for a while longer and push through the pain.  It's amazing what encouragement from a team can do for you!  I pushed through and finished out my 4.5 miles and passed the bracelet off to Jordan who killed the next 2.2 mile uphill.  As I slapped the bracelet off to Jordan I looked up and saw Gigi and Peyton staring right back at me beaming with excitement.  God knew exactly what I needed to keep from throwing in the towel right then and there.  A sweaty kiss to my girls and I was off with my team to pick up Jordan.  

The day continued through the heat until we passed things off to our second van and we went to get a bite to eat and rest a little.  We grabbed some lunch, talked and continued to get to know each other as a team.  It was great to hang out with these guys, even though they were all at least 10 years younger and in better shape than I.  I was ready to conquer this race with them!

We picked up the second van around 6:30 p.m in Temecula at their final destination and we were off running again.  The evening was just as much fun as earlier that day… without the excruciating heat.  Around 11:30 p.m. and it was my turn again.  Due to some improper planning we were 15 minutes late making the switch which meant I didn't get time to use the restroom before 6.7 miles of running in the middle of the night.  But oh well, such is life.  Full bladder and all, that was the best run I have ever had in my life.  Through a golf course, up a hill that probably would have been easier had I been wearing my climbing shoes, and down a long hill under clear and starry skies, around 50 degrees outside with Sara Watkins playing in my headphones.  Seriously guys, it was like what running should always be.  Anyway, I finish my leg and one of my best friends Angelo is standing there ready to greet me!  Wow I have some good friends!  1 a.m. and I have a friend willing to meet me in a parking lot to get a sweaty hug??  But, sorry Angelo, I have to pee big time and then hit the road to pick up Jordan!  I appreciate your appearance more than you'll know though!

3:00 a.m. and we hand things over to the second van again so we can get a little rest.  We drive down to Carlsbad where we will resume in the morning, find a parking lot and get what we thought would be about 3 hours of sleep.  90 minutes later we get a call telling us the last runner would be finishing in about 45 min.  Ok, let's get going! Hitting the coffee bar and the bathroom first, we get our first runner ready.  No sooner that we did when we see our team coming in about 5:00 a.m.  It's go time!

The lack of sleep didn't phase us.  Banded together we kept up our energy and encouraged our teammates to keep going.  Only a few hours left!  It's already starting to get warm and I am getting worried about my final 6.6 miles.  I swallow that fear and get ready.  Jordan tells me he is feeling fresh and might run with through part of my leg.  That was like music to my ears.  I knew I would need some encouragement.

9:30 a.m. came around and it was my turn.  The bracelet hit my arm and I was off.  2 miles later I saw a long and steep hill in front of me.  But to my elation there was also Jordan standing there ready to attack it with me.  He tells me, "I'm gonna finish this with you." and for the next 4.6 miles his encouragement kept me from getting in the van as it passed.  I was determined to finish the 18 miles I set out to do.  Through the back spasms, the ankle, calf, and hamstring tightness Jordan was right there encouraging me to keep pushing and finishing strong.  At a half mile from the finish line we picked up the pace and ran in to the exchange.  Again, surprised and elated I see first my brother-in-law Mark, my nephew Joel!  A few yards later, my sister Jessica and niece Sofia!  At the finish line, Gigi and Peyton!  I was so excited to see them, I gave Gigi a huge hug and started to cry.  I had nothing left but emotion even though I was out of tears.  Peyton says, "Hi Daddy! How was your exercise?" and Joel comes over and gives me a homemade #1 medal he had made with the words, "Bam Josh" on it.  I hung it around my neck and gave him a few fist bumps and then had to jump back in the van to finish out the race.  Funny how God knows what you need and when you need it, right?  Every leg of my race I had someone there feeling proud of me and excited to see me.  

We raced to each of the next two legs of our race and handed things over to van 2 to finish things off.  We went and had a killer breakfast at the recommendation of a teammate and talked about our experience so far.  Then we went to the finish line, where Gigi and Peyton once again met us.  We met back up with van 2 and ran the last few yards through the finish line as a team.  What an exciting adventure!!! Tired, sore, and completely amazed by what we had accomplished I couldn't have been more proud of our team and myself for doing what we set out to do.  

I still get a bit overwhelmed thinking about it all.  I think about things and I don't think about the pain; during our afterward.  I think about all the good times, the fun and camaraderie and then wonder to myself, Did I really run 18 miles over 32 hours?  Did I really only get 90 minutes of sleep?  Did I really meet these guys and were they really all crazy enough to say yes to this adventure?  Yes to all of the above!  And you know what?  I'm ready to start training to do it all again next year.  

momma's birthday letter to P

4/4/13

My Sweetest Little Munchkin, Peyton,

You are two years old today! On the one hand I can’t believe how fast time has flown by, but on the other hand, I have loved every minute of the past two years more than I’ve ever loved life before!

It goes without saying you’re the cutest, sweetest kid in the entire world.  I honestly don’t know how we could have been more blessed by you.  You are happy and you love Daddy and I SO MUCH—we feel your love for us all the time…in your hugs, your kisses, your smiles and your laughs.  And just yesterday you actually thanked God for Daddy and I during our prayer.  You had me holding back the tears. 

I can’t believe how smart you are.  I mean, I don’t want this to go to your head or anything, but girl, you are SO STINKING SMART for your age.  You talk more than any other kid your age that I have ever met in my entire lifetime.  I love that you have this knack for communicating—I like to think you got that from me.  You and I are having full conversations and have had them for a few months now, and it’s just so much fun to have you as a best friend!  I hope we stay this way forever, but I’m sure sometime around jr. high you’ll be over me L So sad.  I promise I’m cool, baby girl!!  Well, maybe not “cool” in the sense of the word, but funny and goofy and totally in love with you!

I continue to have big dreams for you, but I have to remind you, Love, that God’s Will comes first!  So no matter how many joys I wish for you, the reality is, God has the BIGGEST plans for you, and I continually pray that we are all prepared for what He has in store for you, and that you fall in love with Him more every day!

Munchie, I truly can’t get enough of you.  This past year I came home from work to be with you full time, and it was THE ABSOLUTE BEST decision your dad and I could have ever made!  It was ALL GOD, too, He really made the pieces fall together, because let me tell you, its not easy to afford life in Southern California on just one income, but we’re doing it and we have embraced every bit of budgeting we’ve had to do to make it happen.  Because being with you, loving on you, and teaching and guiding you are my number one priority.  We’ve had our hard days, trust me—days that I can’t believe a 2 foot tall kid can make me question every decision I’d made during that entire day—but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.  I hope you are enjoying our time together, and that ultimately you are more secure in who you are as a person because I’ve been here to help you along the way.  I know you’d be fine even if I had to work—you’re strong and wonderful and my work situation wouldn’t change that—but I know this is critical time that we’ll never get back, so I pray that we both take full advantage of it!!

I think you’re going to love your birthday party this weekend.  You really know all our friends and family now, and although you may be overwhelmed and “mommy-hold-you-ish”, I think you’ll feel so very loved, and you’ll enjoy all that goodness…

Thank you for yet another wonderful year, my sweet pea.  No matter what, I’ll always love you.  SO MUCH.

Love,

Momma 

Happy Birthday Peyton!!!!

Dear Peyton, 

I've been your dad for two years now.  I know to you I seem like an expert by now, but I think it's time to let you in on a little secret... I have no idea what I'm doing!  I mean, I know to change your diaper, keep you fed, keep you away from harm, and to try not to curse when you are around, but the rest of it, yeah I'm just winging it.  I figure if I just play with you like crazy and make you laugh till you wet your diaper I'm doing something right.  Let's be honest though, making you laugh isn't so hard.  You are the happiest kid I know.  Your mouth is in a constant state of smile!  Lately, you have learned to laugh at yourself with this condescending giggle that makes me think you are going to be seriously funny when you grow up.  I love going for a walk with you practically every morning before work (especially when you tell me you want to go before I ask.) and getting hugs and kisses from you when I walk through the door after work.  I love hearing you ask question after question and discover the world around you.  I love when you ask me to "tickle you, please!" and say out of the blue "I love you Daddy!"

You are such an amazing kid.  So curious about everything you see and touch.  So sweet and loving to everyone around you.  I am so blown away about how much you know and how much you want to know more.  You talk incessantly!! And the words that come out of your mouth are so far beyond what I thought you would be saying at this age. "Bye Daddy! Have a good day at work!", "Have fun exercising!", "What did Mommy actually do?", "Daddy!! Come throw you on the bed!"  It melts my heart and blows my mind at the same time.  I seriously can't get enough of you!  Just check out this video of our walk just the other day.

Everyday you learn something new, say something new, and experience something new and every day I get to be a part of it.  I am so proud to be your father.  Your mom and I are so proud to be your parents.  Despite the fact that I am learning every day how to be your Dad, I promise to continue to do the best that I can.  I pray daily that God watches over you and you grow up to be a strong woman in His image.  I will keep changing your diaper until you don't need them anymore, keep feeding you, will still keep you out of harms way, and will still try not to curse in front of you, but I will also keep encouraging you to try new things, keep teaching you to do what is right and avoid what is wrong, and keep loving you no matter what.  

Happy Birthday, Peyton Reese Johnson!

Love,

Your Dad

Who needs sleep anyway?

Okay you guys, I know I just posted about the television shows we watch, but holy smokes did we just discover something that has totally captivated us. 

Have any of you watched The Killing on AMC??  If you haven't, you should.  Like, right now.  Seriously.  I'll wait.  Actually, wait for me, I'll watch it with you.  All over again.  It's that good.  

If the show were a venn diagram it would fall at the intersection of The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo and Twin Peaks.  It has all the creepiness of Dragon Tattoo with the story line of Twin Peaks and the mystery of both.  

We were on vacation over the weekend and decided to check out the pilot episode on Netflix.  It had looked interesting to me for a while but I just never gave it priority.  Since the pilot episode we seriously cannot stop watching.  It has literally consumed our conversation with each other, with friends, and our time.  Basically if Peyton is asleep we are watching this show.  I know. It's a problem.  Luckily for us the show is only in it's third season (which hasn't started yet) so it won't be too long before we are totally caught up and will have the normal TV schedule to curb our addiction.  Until then, though, if we don't call or hang out with anyone, please don't take it personally.  We have about 11 hours left before we are caught up and, at the rate we have been watching, we should be done in about 2 days.  Just pray that the withdrawals aren't too bad and we can recover quickly.

Check out the trailer if you still aren't convinced...

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.

the daddy effect

we've been sick in the johnson household since... um... 2012.  yeah.  it's been a rough winter.  last week peyton and i came up with a brand spankin' new cough and cold and i just about flipped over it.  i'm usually the one to suck it up and just keep moving, but this cough of ours came at a time where i was so hopeful to be done with the sickies that instead it just made me angry. 

and i was angry for 3 days.  monday, angry.  tuesday, angry.  wednesday, angry (thankfully only until 5pm when a dear friend of mine lifted my spirits with her sweet smile and encouraging words.  mind you, this friend of mine was in day 6 of now having 3 kids in her family, and i'd gone to her to help encourage and support her, but it's times like those when God does his little flip-flop-thingamajig and you find yourself in an unexpected, yet welcomed, situation ...) 

oh, and not sure if you know this, but nobody likes an angry sicky.  as it turns out, toddlers don't love 'em either.  especially sick toddlers.  so to say that the peanut and i weren't quite jiving is putting it lightly.  for 2.5 days i was mostly convinced she was trying to do anything and everything that would or could possibly make me mad.  and it was working.  peyton: 46, mommy: 0.  no wins--not one.  i was snappy and had THE LOWEST tolerance for messes.  i was tired and didn't want to clean or pick up.  i lacked excitement to play games, pretend things, or watch her not eat the meals she'd asked for a mere 5 minutes before. it was a VERY challenging 3 days, physically and emotionally.  and sleep?  what in the world was that?! 45 minutes here and there between middle of the night cries was not sleep.  she was crying--not me--although i wasn't far from it.  

thankfully, i woke up thursday morning feeling refreshed, energized, and overwhelmed by the feeling of the day's newness.  why that feeling couldn't have shown up tuesday, i'm not quite sure. but i was grateful for it.  peyton and i started jiving a little better, and our good health was slowly creeping back.

friday afternoon came and it was DADDY TIME!!  can i just tell you how excited i was about this!?  i always adore, adore, adore the days and moments josh is around to be and play with peyton and i, but i was especially excited as i was still feeling left over weariness from the long week that had preceeded. so friday, saturday, and sunday, moment after moment, i witnessed a patience and calmness that had been so foriegn to me in the recent days of sickness and short tempers.  with daddy, forts were built, messes were made, cleaning was enjoyable, tickles were constant, everything was a game, laughter was prevalent, and all that emanated from our home was JOY. a joy that i, mommy--the usual mrs. fix-it-all (insert pat on back here), had had such a terribly hard time producing just earlier that same week.  it was DADDY JOY. :)

no, you cannot have my husband.  he's mine.  i picked him out of the crowd years ago and i get to keep him.  peyton can share with me, but THAT'S IT. he's amazing.

monday morning came bright and early at 6:15am, but it came with a new perspective and a recent experience of how to practice real, true patience.  josh had been my just-in-time, life-sized example of patience in parenting and the impact it makes on our entire family.  he is my extreme to my extreme, and he evens me out so well.  so neat how God had crazy Team Johnson planned from the very beginning!

it's "only" wednesday, but our whole week has been different so far, and peyton is my little, sweet pal all over again just the way it should be!  it helps that i can breathe without coughing and that we're all sleeping better at night, but nonetheless, the lesson daddy taught us (okay..."me") this weekend was exactly what we (okay..."I") needed.  and i'm especially thankful that in these special moments my pride doesn't get in the way of learning something new from my OH-SO-VERY-WISE husband.  (alright, babe, this last plug is me looking for points... remember, i like peanut butter squished between my chocolate and any flower that doesn't stink!!! :) weeeeee!!!!)

Ragnar Training Update

For those following along at home, here are a few tid-bits about what is going on with my Ragnar training.

I have been at this for about six weeks now.  When I started, I could barely run a mile without feeling like my lungs were going to explode and my heart pop right of my chest where it would then land in front of me and I could literally watch myself step on it.  How's that for a picture?  But now, I am up to about 5.5 miles (27 miles so far this month!) at a time and feel pretty dang good through most of it.  I am battling some serious calf and shin tightness, but with a fair amount of icing and stretching, its getting easier to pack on the miles each week.  The other night I was in about mile 3 when I totally stopped thinking about how far I had run, or how far I still needed to go, and just got into the groove of running.  I had some good tunes going, a good stride and felt really good about just running.  It wasn't super fast by comparison to actual runners, but it was huge for me.  5.5 miles has been my longest run to date, but each week that number grows just a little bit more.  This week I am slated to take that 5.5 to 6 and mix in a few sprint drills to help run faster longer.  Let's hope the shins and calves keep up with my pace.

All the running is actually becoming fun and something I (sort of) look forward to each week.  While I still have a long way to go before I reach my goal or before I would actually call myself a runner, I am starting to understand it a little more.  It is definitely something that I can see myself doing more of, even past this upcoming relay.  At first it kind of sucked out there all by myself running on the sidewalk, but as I get more and more into it, it really is cleansing.  I find myself praying, making mental checklists of things I either need to do or still want to do, and just enjoying being outside.  Since most of my runs are in the evening after work, I am looking forward to getting out on some trails during the day now that I feel like I can actually make it back from wherever I might go.  This running thing is more fun than I had originally thought!  I might, dare I say it, try to sign up for a few races a year to keep something in front of me to help keep motivated to run and get better at running.  We'll see how I feel after I actually run a ton of miles in one day.  

This particular race is to benefit FaithQuest Missions and the work they do sending people all across the planet to spread The Word.  I have committed to raise $1,000.00 for this race and still have a ways to go.  This is where I need your help.  No, I'm not asking you to run with me (although if you want to I sure won't stop you!).  I am asking you to come along side me and donate a little bit to an organization trying to do their part in spreading God's Word.  Each year, FathQuest sends people all over the world and has seen tremendous impact through their efforts.  I encourage you to take a look at their website and see for yourself the network they have created and the work God is doing through them.  When you're done there, please go on over to my page to donate to help me help them.

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!!!

stuff :)

here to blab--just need to get myself back into the habit of updating the blogstermagoo.

life in february 2013 is as follows, in no particular order of importance...

josh is currently in training mode to run in the ragnar relay (basically an insane group of men go run an insane amount of miles over the course of 24 hours, taking turns and driving a van slowly along side their "mates". so strange, but for a neat cause.) so, this means we are eating healthier (some days) and prioritizing workouts a little more than usual--or should i say, in the way we should ALWAYS be prioritizing them, but we don't. it's feeling good, but changes the amount of time we have together, especially because i can't join him on the runs due to a heel injury. (i came down with a plantar-fasciitis type of injury back in october, probably caused by wearing the wrong shoes all day everyday AND walking incorrectly just because i never mastered the skill... in any case, if i'm not careful it feels like i'm walking on a dagger, so i'm officially relegated to the BIKE of all terrible things in this world, until further notice. praying i learn to enjoy that...) in any case, he is still trying to pull some funding/sponsorships together for the race, so i'm gonna insert my plug right here--can you consider throwing a few bucks his way for the race???  for those of you that have so conveniently memorized your credit card number, the expiration date, the 3-digit code on the back, and how your name reads on the card,  (i know of no one that has done such a thing.......) this online way of giving would be super easy... especially if you have  few bucks in the bank to back it up :) other than that, his job at broadcom is going really well, and he's happy going to work everyday.  can ya ask for much more?! :)

peyton is a riot, as usual. she is SUCH a funny child.  her goofiness is a complete giveaway that she is our kid...   she's definitely going through a clingy stage right now, though, (or so they say it's a stage) and as much as i struggle with how hard it is to get my own agenda done during the day, i mostly love all the extra hugs and squeezes i get as a result of this constant need for mommy to "hold-you" ;) i'm learning that peyton has a lot of "josh" in her--she's got a bit more of the introspective-ness (shoot, not a word, i'm getting the red line under that one, but i'm gonna go with it so because i think it'll help you understand what i'm talking about) in her personality than i have.  i can just see her face as she's processing social situations, assessing them before making any moves, and cautiously approaching people or things knowing exactly her purpose in WHY she's going to go ahead and proceed.  unlike me, who just jumps into any social situation, often without thinking twice what may go wrong or what nonsense may fall out of my mouth before thinking it all the way through. (insert visual of lots and lots of word vomit here...)  it's been so neat seeing her personality form and grow, but more to come about that on a separate post about the peanut--scheduled for "one day soon".

thursday marks 4 years of wedded bliss for me and the hubbers! no, i'm not being sarcastic, but no, i'm also not trying to rub anything in.  josh and i don't have a perfect marriage by any means, but we both, wholeheartedly, work at it every chance we get, and we have THE MOST AMAZING SUPPORT SYSTEM and THE MOST AMAZING GOD IN THE MIDDLE OF IT that i credit for really helping make our marriage as strong as it is.  and as fun as it is.  well, actually, josh and i may bring the fun in on our own, but i'll give credit to the aforementioned on that as well :)

we have plans to do a sweet vacation in hawaii this summer with my parents, sister, and brother.  i can't even begin to tell you how excited i am to relive the days of old when we'd all travel together--this hasn't happened since i was... 13, maybe? and to have my favorite husband and favorite kid join is just going to be amahhhhzing :) YAY! this definitely presents a challenge of SAVING for this trip--a newer concept for me now that we are down to one salary... we are trying to be diligent with our dough these days, but it's hard when all these bills you don't expect keep popping up (ER visits, car issues, vet recommendations, the list goes on...)! we're working at it slowly but surely, and hope to have enough saved up before the trip to be able to enjoy it knowing how hard we worked at not spending it in the months before.

i am in such a season of contentment (thank you JESUS) and i will make claim to that because it's unusual for me, and totally welcomed when it comes.  God has been working in my heart for a good time now, and in such a visible (to-me) way that His blessings AND trials continue to encourage me.  life won't always be hunky-dory, but its solid now and i'm grateful for that.  so i chose to snapshot it this evening in this simple little post so i don't forget the little details and feelings that aren't often blogged about.

closing shop for the night. :) thanks for reading!

Challenge Accepted!

It’s 2013, can you freaking believe it?!  When I was a kid I would have sworn that we would all have flying cars and be travelling daily to outer space by now.  What I wouldn’t have sworn to was that I would have an amazing wife and daughter that I would happily take a bullet for.  It goes to show that life isn’t always predictable.   But that’s what makes it fun, right?  I mean, I’ve never been a runner.  Sure I’ve run before, but I would never have called myself a runner.  I’ve secretly always wanted to be a runner, but never wanted to feel like I’m about to die.  (They seem to go hand-in-hand from my perspective.) I have enjoyed going for a run from time-to-time and have even come to enjoy running long distances when I’m in shape for it.   Never, though, in my wildest imagination would I have ever thought I would actually enlist to run multiple times in a 24-hour period.  But that’s what I did. 

Back in November, 2012 my buddy Jordan Gash asked me if I would join his team for the Ragnar Relay in April 2013.  Lucky for him I had just made a resolution to say ‘Yes’ to more things, so I said yes.  This means that I am going to have to run 3 legs of a 36-leg relay race, spanning 200 miles, over the course of 24-hours.  What a challenge!! If I play my cards right and am nice to my team captain (Jordan), I’m hoping to end up with a spot that gives me a total of a little over 14 miles spread out over 3 different legs.  I am looking forward to pushing myself, experiencing something new, and just having a good time.  But most of all I am excited to be a part of Jordan’s team and helping to raise some money for his organization: FaithQuest Missions. 

Jordan is a missionary for FaithQuest Missions.  He takes churches and people all over the world to spread the Word of God and share the Good News of Jesus Christ.  FaithQuest is determined to be a catalyst to mobilize people and their churches to put their faith into action. They are ready for action and follow the principals of Mark 16:15 and Matthew 28:19-20 and step into a great faith-adventure trip to places where together they can love God, love others, and have a blast!  If you have ever met Jordan Gash there is no way you can’t have a blast.  For more information on his organization head on over to his website and check it out. 

As part of my commitment to this organization, not only did I sign up to run a heck-of-a lot of miles, but I also signed up to raise $1,000 for them.  This is where you come in.  Just like I can’t run 200 miles in 24-hours on my own, I can’t afford to shell out $1,000 all willy-nilly like.  I need your help.  If you can, I am asking you to help support this organization and their goals by donating whatever you can toward their cause, and ultimately toward the pain I will endure to run all those miles.  It would be awesome if we can surpass the $1,000 commitment and do something really special for a great cause. 

I am really looking forward to this challenge in my life.  I know it’s going to be a lot of hard work, but knowing that my hard work is going to help send people around the world to further the Kingdom of God is totally worth every second of training, every drop of sweat, and every moment I feel like I am going to die.  Care to join me in my journey?

santa visits cresa!

we are SO FORTUNATE to have my company bring santa TO US year after year.  this year's event unfolded as follows...

 

 



here he comes!!!

 

the kids are awestruck... i think us newer parents are, too... this is TOO FUN!

 

AAAAND THERE IT IS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.  we'll be framing this one...  

"better now that mommy is protecting me... santa keeps asking what i want for christmas, and i keep redirecting the converstion to all the wonderful christmas decorations i see! even though santa's seen it all... "

got the shot :) merry Christmas, 2012!

oh, peyton, don't forget, santa brought you something!!

santa just sneak attacked his way in for the grab.  peyton's face screams, "who sees this and isn't doing anything about it...!?!?!?" 

 

"daddy, it was terrible, i had to SIT ON HIS LAP!!!!  "

 

"maaaahhhhmmeeeee, make it betterrrrrrrr...."

 

 all in all, it was a sucessful visit with santa.  we got to play with our friends, do lots of crafts, and enjoy some scrumptious holiday treats.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

kicking and screaming

yesterday, my sweet-cheeked little love bug muffin threw her first, markedly ginormous TANTRUM. not to say i'll never see them get worse, because i'm sure that little ball of fire has it in her, but as one of her first tantrums ever, this one was something to take note of.  i mean, we're talking head-arched-vein-popping-red-faced-alligator-tear-filled-eyes-beyond-over-tired screaming.  and why, you might ask?  well, because i said, "no".  TO GOLDFISH.  that's right--no goldfish, peyton, because it's 5:30pm and your loving mother wants you to eat a MEAL in 15 minutes, full of protien, vitamins, nutrients, fiber, and LOVE.  FULL OF LOVE, CHILD!  sorry that 2 handfuls of rainbow color-dyed, cheddar cheese flavored, salt covered, smiling crumbs doesn't cut it tonight.  maybe next meal.

but apparently i'd said "no" one too many times this day.  i'll admit, it was the perfect storm.  we'd had a little friend of hers over all day (super well-behaved, nonetheless, which caused me to raise my expectations of my little girl about a notch or 4) so my attention had been split all day--something my current only-child is not used tor ight now.  the peanut was short on sleep, tired from a LOT of play, and undergoing some seriously extreme teething.  it's that tooth that you see in your own mouth and that thought crosses your mind--gosh, if i WERE a big bad wolf, that'd be THE TOOTH i'd have to conceal most when trying to redirect little red's attention to something other than the fact that i was going to eat her sometime in the next 30-60 minutes, depending on how the evening unfolded.  apparently this tooth comes with avengence, as well as with...atantrum.

i chose the love-it-out method for this particular "event".  okay--this method chose me.  apparently i'm a sucker for a frustrated toddler, because all i could do was hold her and say, "mommy's here and i know you're having a hard time--go ahead, girl, do what you need to do.  oh yeah, but still no goldfish".  it was not a fun thing to watch, but i felt like the high pitched constant crying was her way of saying "i'm not in the mood to 'use my words', right now, mom, so don't even bother."   i finally sat down because Girl is getting heavy.  she sat on my lap crying about goldfish.  she got tired of the lap scene real quick, and began the struggle of Getting Away. i put her on the ground so she could finish this thing up how she wanted to--away from me. crying louder, she proceeded to head That Way.  but, not more than seconds later, as she tried to catch her breath so she could let out another wail about the stinking goldfish, she almost instinctively turned back around and walked staright toward me, arms up, looking for more cuddles so she could--you guessed it, cry about goldfish for a few minutes longer.  so she did.

eventually the dust settled, she ate her dinner (which, high-five to a stubborn mom, did NOT include goldfish AT ALL) and bath and bed QUICKLY followed, with some great help from daddy. 

i'm pretty sure i've done that before.  maybe not the kicking and screaming, and maybe not necessarily about goldfish, but i've had my share of tantrums. as an adult. and likely about something diasspointingly similar to goldfish. :-/  oh, such a sad realization...  i can only hope that my own instincts would lead me back, arms up, to a loving Father that knows goldfish are not what i need right now. if this little picture is any indication of what a parent feels for his/her child, i understand how all i want for her is what's best for her, and although nothing's going to change in that moment, and she still won't be getting goldfish in place of dinner, i'm there for her, i'm not going anywhere, and i'd just love it if she'd take up my offer of a loving embrace full of the comfort i know she wants and needs.  now if only i could be as constant as our God...

Psalm 102:17 - He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.
Psalm 102:27 - [But] you remain the same, and your years will never end. 

i'm thankful for the fresh perspective God gives me through these parenting "experiences".  it helps take the sting off of what could very easily be considered a rough day with my munchkin, and resets me in my own ever-growing journey of following Him.