we are...

The band is really taking off.....I mean, crazy how much it's taking off. Many of you may say "You're in a band? How did that happen?" Well, we started Grace Reigns Down as just a "worship music team" at our church's 6:30pm Shout service. Jason started playing drums for us as a Confirmation project, and he just stuck around. :-) In 2005, Chad and I were expecting Brooklyn and needed some extra peeps to help with the worship leading once our precious baby arrived. So, we asked a nice couple, Luke and Emily, who had been coming to the service and mentioned that they were musical, to fill in for us once and a while. (Chad and Emily actually knew each other casually from UNCG, so we had some common ground.) Then, they knew a bass player, Brandon, and invited him to join in. Once we realized how we all just "clicked," we went from a "let's see who shows up to play Sunday night" group to "let's actually offer some consistancy and play every week" band. That was over two years ago. We had Brooklyn, Luke and Emily had Zoe, and we recorded our first Grace Reigns Down album in the winter of 2006-2007. Once we had an album, we started trying to play some shows in the community and get the word out. Since then, we have played various venues around the state, from Oak Hollow Mall in High Point, a coffee shop in Summerfield, a community church in Eden, and Emily's hometown church in Rutherford County (just to name a few). It's great to be out in the community sharing our music and meeting people. We just have a love of sharing God's word with others through our music, and we have a great time just "being" together. We have eight original songs and know tons of Christian cover songs. It's so much fun, and being on stage often takes me back to my "Rhythm and Rhapsody" days at Ragsdale High School. Those lessons in stage presence have paid off! :-) God has truly blessed our group, and we are excited about all that is yet to come. Next stop for GRD? The Greensboro CROP Walk. We will be featured on their city stage in downstown Greensboro, playing a 45 minute set at the conclusion of the CROP Walk. We are so stoked and can't wait to play to this size crowd. What an awesome blessing for us, and for now, we are just enjoying the ride!

more house updates...

Here's Brooklyn sitting on the kitchen counter in our new house.....it's proof that yes, we are actually moved in, but I have yet to clean up a room enough to take a nice picture to post. :-)

Some updates to my post "Late Night Ramblings"...
Things I will miss about Eagle Road:
It's our first home: Well, it does hold, and will always hold, a special place in my heart, but as I stated before...it's just a house.
Brooklyn's first (and only home): She made many memories in that house, and I look forward to the many will be make together here at the new house.
The backyard: We have a great backyard here- thank goodness!
My gardenias: Seriously, I am kind of over them already. Sadly, I never did have a green thumb. Vaccuming: I have found that I can vaccum the new house using two plugs, so that's not too bad.
The hole: Dad and I looked, and although we don't have a wall where we can make another hole, the space is open enough, I think we will be OK. :-)
The Stevensons: We will always miss you guys!

And now an update on things I had looked forward to at the new house:
Duel sinks in the master bath: Honestly, the duel sinks are not that great (more to clean) but the COUNTER SPACE is incredible in the master bath!
Cool sink nozzle/sprayer in the kitchen: Yup, love it!
Hardwood floors: Spills have been great to clean up downstairs (no stains on the carpet upstairs yet!)
A place to have a big Christmas tree (in the LIVING ROOM): Yet to be determined since, thankfully, I have a few weeks until the holiday season
New carpet and paint upstairs (that I didn't have to do!): Some rooms I like, some not so much now that we are moved in with our stuff (like the master bedroom)
Side by side fridge with an ice maker (that's connected!): Once I figure out the best way to store food efficiently, it will be great.
Retractable, remote controlled awning on the patio (cement, not brick- yay!): We've already spent a lot of time outdoors and that extra shade has been nice.
Neighbors with kids (three years old, too!): We met Peyton, a three year old, next door- VERY cute and friendly!
A dutch barn (as opposed to the "out house" looking contraption we call storage now): Already filled with crap; I'm gonna have to get in there and clean!
A bonus room (or as Brooklyn calls it, "her dancing space"): Been a GOD SEND for all her toys
CLOSETS: Like the dutch barn- already filled up but up for a good cleaning out when I get the chance (or when we move again, whichever comes first)
A breakfast table (more chairs for everyone!): We LOVE our new table from World Market.
Surround sound: Not hooked up yet; Probably will never be

So, that's a quick house update...I promise to post pics soon.

In other news, we had a GREAT Saturday with my girlfriends from UNC and their sig others. To celebrate Loryn's birthday we went to Chateau Morisette winery in Floyd, VA for the day. It was a day of eating, drinking, laughing, and sitting! It was a wonderful day and I should have more pics to post soon, but here is one at the end of the day.
McKenzie, Jaclyn, Loryn, Heidi, and Jennifer (Marisa had left at this point but I think I will have a pic of the six of us soon.)

We're still here!

It's been quite a week and a half (and feels like a year!). It's been 5 days with no cable, phone, and internet (quite refreshing actually!). It's been countless trips to Home Depot, Lowes, Target, Linens -n- Things, Babies R Us, American Furniture Warehouse, World Market, and Pier 1 (and I'm still not done).

But...we are moved in to our new house!!!

More updates later, but we are loving it and can't wait to share stories and pictures soon.

late night ramblings

So, it's not often I am stuck awake, trying to fall asleep. But so I am, here in the office, at 11:48pm awake with my mind racing. You can't really blame me though. I mean, we have a lot of big stuff going on in our lives.

The obvious- the house. Here we are, ready to move on with our lives, on to bigger and better things. I mean, we are going from 1190 square feet to an unimaginable 1900+ house (plus two car garage). It will fill up quickly, but we are so blessed to be able to make the move and "upgrade" our surroundings. I have told people from the beginning. A house is a house. It stays where it is and people move in and out of it. Your home is where your heart (and your family) is. It's where you live, breathe, sleep, work, play, laugh, and love. So, though I try to look at everything objectively and say "Eagle Road is just a house. We are taking everything we love with us." It's hard to make my heart believe that sometimes. I mean, Eagle Road has so many memories and a special place in my heart....
-It's our first home: Chad and I had only been married 9 months when we came upon home ownership. It was a scary and exciting time, and we were excited to have the opportunity to OWN, and not rent, so quickly after marriage.
-Brooklyn's first (and only home): She took her first scoots, crawls, and steps in that living room. She drank her first bottle on the couch. She cried for her mommy and daddy from her bedroom. She peeled the wallpaper from the wall above where she could lay on her changing table. She bathed (and peed) in the tub. She snuck in our bedroom at night. She moved to a big girl bed. She learned to use the potty. She played in the backyard.
-The backyard: Ahhh, it was our pride and joy. So lush and green. How we will miss you.
-My gardenias: I didn't even know what they were when Emily helped me buy them, but they are beautiful and bloom so often. And I don't even have to remember to water them. :-)
-Vaccuming: One plug reaches the whole house. Need I say more?
-The hole: That hole that my dad put in the wall between the dining room and the living room made all the difference in the world. It opened that space up more than I ever imagined it would.
-The Stevensons: Jon and McKenzie are literally a 58 second run away down the street. Close enough where they were our "go to" family for anything we needed in a pinch. I think we kept their flashlight for about 8 months. We'll miss sharing Eagle Road with you, and just remember guys, I have been scoping houses out in AF for you already!

So, I know that these are little things and I have taken enough pictures of everything to last a lifetime, and I have many things to look FORWARD to with the new house. To name just a few initial excitements:
-Duel sinks in the master bath
-Cool sink nozzle/sprayer in the kitchen
-Hardwood floors
-A place to have a big Christmas tree (in the LIVING ROOM)
-New carpet and paint upstairs (that I didn't have to do!)
-Side by side fridge with an ice maker (that's connected!)
-Retractable, remote controlled awning on the patio (cement, not brick- yay!)
-Neighbors with kids (three years old, too!)
-A dutch barn (as opposed to the "out house" looking contraption we call storage now)
-A bonus room (or as Brooklyn calls it, "her dancing space")
- CLOSETS (or as Brooklyn calls them, "her hiding spaces")
-A breakfast table (more chairs for everyone!)
-Surround sound

So, these are just things that I see from just a few visits....there will be more, I am sure, and I am sure I will lose sleep over the next week or so worrying about everything that will transpire over the next week: from closing back to back houses, to painting, to moving, to moving the BIG stuff, to remodeling, and finally, to closing the door to Eagle Road one last time with the keys inside and saying "Goodbye." It's an emotional time and I am not an emotional person, so this should be interesting to say the least.

Some prayer requests: Pray for us as we make this move. And please pray for me as I deal with some pretty complicated issues at work ("Stress at the Girl Scout office?," you might say, "Really?") You would be surprised. And finally, pray for our band, Grace Reigns Down, as we have been afforded some great opportunities over the next several months and we are working to discern God's path for us and how we can best be His servants.

Am I tired yet? Did typing a long post help? Kinda....but now I have to research baby gates for stairs. Never had to worry about that before, and even though Brooklyn is 3, I am dead set on having a gate at the top of the stairs for her "midnight visits." :-)

My big Village 3 girl

Today marked a pretty exciting day for Brooklyn. She moved to the Village 3 hall at school (where all the biggest kids are!). It's hard to believe that we survived Village 1 and infancy, much less Village 2 and "Toddler-dom", and now we are already in Village 3. Next stop: Kindergarten! (But thankfully not for two more years!) To celebrate the "big move", Brooklyn's school had a "Field Day/Cookout" for the kids and their parents last Friday. It was a fun morning, and here are some highlights:

Brooklyn and Sierra waiting their turn for the games.
Brooklyn in the "Potato Sack" race (or "Walk along the mulch in a pillowcase" race)
Ms. Ramona helps Brooklyn, Eden, and Sierra with the "Egg Relay"
And finally, the "Ball Toss"
It was a fun morning, and Chad and I were glad we both got to spend some time with Brooklyn on "her turf."

america's next top models

So, what do you get when you cross two crazy girls with minds of their own, two even crazier moms who are suckers for good pictures, and a jammed pack room of screaming children and anxious parents? A great afternoon at Portrait Innovations, that's what! Despite the "walmart-esque" nature of the facility (people, watch your children!), Allie and Brooklyn had a great time taking their "Summer 2008 pictures." And, because Misty and I are suckers and spent too much money, we were given the CD to share...so, enjoy!

And no pictures would be complete without a set of out-takes...

Brooklyn: "Hey, Allie do your hands like this." Allie: (between a gritted smile) "No, Brooklyn, stand right."

Brooklyn: "Hey Allie, now you sit on my lap. Ooof! OK, time to get up now."

Brooklyn: "Seriously, how many of these poses do I have to do?" Allie: "Come on, Brooklyn, pretend to enjoy it a little here!"

Brooklyn has had enough of the first room.

So, on to the beach scene, but Brooklyn decides to make up her own pose. Photographers, take note!

how wonderful life is now you're in the world!

I want to wish my wonderful husband, Chad, a happy 6 year anniversary (yesterday, August 3rd). Though our life is currently dictated by a three and a half year old (already planning her four year old birthday in February), I just wanted to let Chad know what a wonderful husband and father he is. Brooklyn and I are so lucky that he is ours, and we thank God every day for him! I'm excited about starting our 6th year in a new home with our perfect little family, and I am already going to apologize for the stress that I will cause you when we move and I am redecorating. Hey, it's inavoidable. :-) But, look on the bright side...I hate to move so we won't be having this conversation again for another 30 years when we move into our deluxe condo. :-)

Can you believe that 6 years ago, digital cameras were not a staple in every household, so our wedding photographs were all on, gasp, FILM. So, I wish there were photos to reminisce with, but alas, none are on my computer, and I am too busy to scan. :-) But, we can all think back and remember that hot August day/evening at First Lutheran and Bryan Park, the beautiful ceremony, how Universal Decca Recording Artist Brendan James sang Ave Maria and Your Song (when he was just college friend Brendan Ernst), "the ring drop," how I left Heidi hanging with the bouquets and just ran down the aisle with Chad, the awesome reception with David Frazier- the BEST DJ ever, Heidi and Larry- the NEW bride and groom, the Phi Beta Chi girls dancing to Beat It (to which my brother replied "Only you would have choreography at your reception."), the bouquet (s) toss, running out of Red Oak (sorry Chad!), my new brother-in-law entering the reception hall- beer in hand & cowboy hat on head- to Return of the Mack, watching my mom and her friends dance to It's Raining Men, and finally, leaving the reception to drive through "Taco Bell" to get some sweet tea!

I love you, Chad, and I couldn't imagine sharing this crazy ride with anyone else!

well, we're moving on up...

If all goes well and the papers get signed, on August 28th we will be the proud new owners of 2330 Adams Farm Parkway. Please keep us in your prayers as we embark on this new journey. (And when I say, we are moving on up, I mean WAY up- the driveway is very STEEP!). :-)

The house is a three bedroom (+ bonus room) vinyl home with a two car garage and Dutch barn in the back (Chad's favorite). We love the area (though a little farther from work and church), the storage is GREAT, there is room to grow (not for several more years!), and the street is very "kid friendly." There is only one wallpaper border to remove (see kitchen below) and a few walls to paint....and those of you who remember Eagle Road know I HATE wallpaper. :-)

The backyard has grass (yay!) and is backed by mature trees, which we love (no crazy neighbor kids walking through our backyard!). My favorite? The retractable awning over the patio.

So, again, please pray for us as we continue to work towards closing on our old house and closing on our new house (both on August 28), as we go through the house inspection tomorrow, and as I (gasp!) pack up our stuff!

beach week 08

So, in the midst of selling our home we were also packing for our annual week long trip to Ocean Isle beach. Despite my nervousness over selling the house and having to come home looking for a house, we had a great week.
Brooklyn was not a light traveler. Since she preferred her baby pool to the big pool, we hauled around her little pool wherever we went. But she was happy, and when Brooklyn's happy....well, you know!
The Johnson Family at Ocean Isle
Thank you, Nanny and Grandpa for a wonderful week!
To end the week, we took Brooklyn to play miniature golf for the first time. She loved it and was quite good when she would walk her ball to the very end of the course and knock it in from 5 inches away. :-)

Reality

It's for real now...the paperwork has been signed and we are under contract....I am scrambling around now looking for a new home for the Johnson family.

update to the house update

So...where to begin...I guess I would just say to all you home sellers out there- "Take your house off the market!". As I said in my last post, we decided to take it off for a few weeks to "breathe" and allow us to just start over in August fresh and new. Well, this week I went home for lunch in the afternoon one day and found an elderly couple sitting in front of my house. Chad was inside trying to reach me on my cell (which was ringing as I was walking up the driveway). They approached Chad and asked if they could see the inside of the house. They were looking for their daughter and grandchild. Well, against my better judgement and how my mother raised me, we let strangers in our home. So, I sized them up deciding that I could take the older lady and Chad would have to get the man, had my phone in hand ready to dial 9-1-1 in case they tried anything funny, and positioned myself between them and the kitchen knives. We were ready for the house tour. It was quick, they were nice, said they would call our realtor, and left. Well, they did call Glenda, made an offer, we countered, they came back to look at the house, they accepted the counter-offer, they came back to look at the house, they signed the papers, we signed the papers, and the house is now sold- YIPPEE! It's been a whirlwind of a week, but we are excited about this new stage in our life. And when we return from vacation we will be in "find a new house" mode for a while.

So, the moral of the story is.....shake things up in the housing market and things will happen.

And now, I am in the "grieving for my old house" stage and thinking about all the things that I will miss....but that's for a future post.

house update

So, house selling lesson #8567: If you take your house off the market, people will come.

We have had our house on the market for 5 months now. The first 4 months were busy with activity and even two offers, but the last 4 weeks have been dry and lonely. So, this week we took the house off the market and then will re-list it as a brand new listing in August. Well, wouldn't you know it, this week alone our realtor has received two phone calls with people really interested in the house.

Hmmm.....what an interesting market we are in right now.

So....please think great thoughts for us as we continue to try new ways to sell our wonderful little home! :-)

visit to lazy 5 ranch

On Tuesday, Brooklyn, my mom, and I went to the Lazy 5 Ranch in Mooresville, NC. It was such a cool "petting zoo" where they have caged animals, but also animals just roaming around in the "wild." We opted to drive through the park in our own car instead of the wagon ride (it was drizzling and warm and we were not sure how Brooklyn would like everything in her face). Brooklyn LOVED sitting in the backseat with Nanny and seeing all the animals up close (but through the window glass!). We had a great time, and can't wait to go back soon.

The mama ostrich with her TWENTY ONE babies.

Nanny and Brooklyn in the backseat.

Have you ever been this close to a zebra?

My personal favorite- the baby potbellied pigs.

Those camels were hungry!

Our newest shout sister

Brooklyn, Zoe, Allie, and Allie all became "big sisters" on Wednesday, July 2nd when Brandon and Audrey Clendenin welcomed Callie Christine into the world. Brandon is a Shout worship leader at First Lutheran Church and the bass player of Grace Reigns Down. We are so excited about the newest addition to our "Family" and cannot wait to spoil this precious girl. Congratulations, Brandon and Audrey- you did well! :-)

holiday weekend fun

Nothing beats a fun weekend with friends and family. Here are some highlights from our July Fourth weekend...

We went to the Greensboro parade with Nanny, Grandpa, Gramma, and Pops.

The afternoon was spent at Allie's Nana's house (and pool!). Thanks, Nana Margaret!

On Saturday, we had a super fun cookout at the Henzler house where all the "Shout sisters" got to play together. Here's Zoe, Brooklyn, "Baby" Allie, and "Big" Allie goofing around at the screen door.
Brooklyn and Zoe were having a blast making silly faces on the couch.

After church on Sunday, we went with all the grandparents for breakfast at Tex and Shirley's. Brooklyn continued to wave that flag all weekend long.

the johnsons heart new york

We had a great trip to New York at the end of June. We visited wonderful family friends, caught a great Broadway show, and just enjoyed being on the road together. Brooklyn is such a great traveler and in her short life has experienced so many modes of transportation....here are just a few in our one week up north. (In no particular order...)

#1: Rental Van (with a DVD player- yay!)


#2: Daddy's Shoulders (and eating Twizzlers for breakfast at Hershey Park)

#3: The borrowed stroller (and counting her earnings at Mohegan Sun casino)

#4: A ferry (to Mohegan Sun in Connecticut)

#5: A NYC taxi cab (so excited to not be in a carseat)

#6: A horsedrawn carriage (through Central Park)

Thanks to Aunt Patty, Uncle Bill, and Sean for their hospitality while we were visiting...it will probably be a while before we get back up north, but I can't wait for the day when Brooklyn and I can hit the streets of NYC to buy knock-off handbags and see Broadway shows together. :-)

america the beautiful...

So, only in America can someone PAY you $35 to sample Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Several years ago I got involved with Bellemy Research, so they call me from time to time, ask me a few questions, and if I answer them "correctly" I go in for research studies. I have stuck my head in boxes and smelled tobacco, reviewed community websites, and now, I have sampled KK doughnuts. This was by far the easiest. :-) I think they are wanting to introduce a new glazed doughnut, maybe something a bit less fattening or carb loaded. I don't know, but the ones that I tasted had that kind of "stale, dry, good for you" taste that says "REDUCED something." But hey, it was still a doughnut and didn't make me gag, so it was a $35 easily earned.

Now, I can put 1/2 tank of gas in my car.

when I grow up...

So, last week, Brooklyn's school started "Summer Camp." Now, this is somewhat of a joke, because she goes there year round and really nothing changes during the summer. BUT, some smart guy at the school said "Hey, let's start a summer camp, charge parents $30, and make them feel guilty if they don't pay because the kid will be there anyway and will be left out." So, obviously, I paid my $30. So far it's gotten me (well, Brooklyn), a visit from a dietician (to which Brooklyn comes home and tells me that we don't eat anything that comes out of our bottoms. Gross, I know! Her teacher assured me that this did not come from the dietician, but Brooklyn derived this from her own logic), a "cookie decorating class," a visit from Flame- the Fire Safety Clown, and a lime green t-shirt that's cute, but I think was designed by one of the 5 year olds. And that's just one and a half weeks...so I may be impressed where my $30 gets me (er, Brooklyn) by the end of the summer. Today, she was supposed to come dressed as what she wants to be when she grows up. What three year old do you know has made this type of life discovery? I asked Brooklyn this morning, and she said "I don't want breakfast." My point exactly. So, we went searching through her closet for something to wear (UNC shirt- well, that's a given, a Greensboro Grasshoppers t-shirt- maybe another day, dresses/skorts- no different than any average Wednesday) and found this Mets Cheerleading Outfit. Hmmmm.....it's really cute, she has no other reason to wear it, Grandpa's a fan, and she was super excited about it so there were no early morning clothes fights. Sold. So, I am now declaring that when Brooklyn grows up, she would like to be the captain of the very first New York Mets Cheerleading Team. Take that Village Kids.

shameless plug...again

I know it seems like I am beating a dead horse here, but really folks, you should buy Brendan James's album "The Day Is Brave" on Amazon.com, iTunes, or in your local music store. He hit #5 on the iTunes Pop Chart last week and he is SO close to breaking through onto the Billboard list.

Really....you won't be disappointed....really.....

We saw Brendan in Chapel Hill last night...Chad and I got a date night (thanks mom and dad!). It's always so great to see "Brendan-the friend" and not just "Brendan-the musician." The venue was small and we were early, so that gave us some precious moments to catch up. We're so proud of him and often think back to the days in my Village apartment in Carrboro where we would say "One day, after college graduation, we will reach our dreams....Brendan, you will be a famous recording artist, and Chad and I will have the family we have always wanted." It's nice to see both dreams have become a reality.

God is good.