james taylor said it best...

Since Wednesday nights are generally "Girls Night", and I received this forward today, I thought it was worth re-posting. The author is unknown. My own little comments are in pink. :-)

When I was little, I used to believe in the concept of one best friend,
And then I started to become a woman.
I found out that if you allow your heart to open up, God would show you the best in many friends.
One friend is needed when you're going through things with your man. (Problems with Chad? Never!)
Another friend is needed when you're going through things with your mom. (Problems with your mom? That's unheard of!)
Another will sit beside you in the bleachers (or on the couch) as you delight in your children and their activities.
Another when you want to shop, share, heal, hurt, joke, or just be.
One friend will say, 'Let's cry together,'
Another, 'Let's fight together,'
Another, 'Let's walk away together.'
One friend will meet your spiritual need,
Another your shoe (or scrapbooking!) fetish,
Another your love for movies (well, more like Netflix),
Another will be with you in your season of confusion,
Another will be your clarifier,
Another the wind beneath your wings.
But whatever their assignment in your life,
On whatever the occasion,
On whatever the day,
Or wherever you need them to meet you with their gym shoes on and hair pulled back (to paint!),
Or to hold you back from making a complete fool of yourself. (Wait....have you done that yet?).
Those are your best friends.
It may all be wrapped up in one woman (not for me!),
But for many, it's wrapped up in several.
One from 7th grade,
A few from high school,
Several from the college years,
Many from church (and TEC),
A couple from old (and current) jobs,
On some (every) days your mother,
On some days your neighbour,
On others, your (Phi Beta Chi) sisters,
And on some (every) days, your daughter.

So whether you've been my friend for 20 minutes or 20 years, I thank God for each of you!

say cheese...or not

So, I have been super busy with work and family the past two weeks, but I have had the urge to blog a bit this morning. First of all....Spring, where are you?? I thought that when these guys (below) were born at the Manor, we would be wearing capris and eating outside lunches in no time, but alas, it's a mystery every day as to what the weather entails.
Brooklyn has been great. She is becoming quite the little diva...the latest being her insistence on getting her fingernails painted pink. So, with the deal that she would stop biting her nails (sorry, girl, you got that bad habit from me), I painted her nails last night.
After painting, I said "Hey, guess what comes on TV tonight?"
Brooklyn: "What?"
Me: "American Idol."
Brooklyn: "Great! Ryan is going to LOVE my pink fingernails!"

LAWD!

This morning was school picture day. Now, Brooklyn gets her pictures taken at Portrait Innovations (LOVE THEM!) every 4 months or so, so we have plenty of pictures of her, but since they are right there at the school I always say "hey, why not?" And I always leave pissed off. This morning was no different. I cannot STAND that women who they send to take the pictures. She is the most UN-KID-FRIENDLY person I have ever met. Brooklyn has had 5 sets of pictures taken at her school, and I have not liked ANY of them. Brooklyn does awesome at PI because they let her run around and be herself, so obviously, they get natural smiles. This lady forces her to stand or sit in uncomfortable, unnatural poses, and REPRIMANDS her when she moves a hand or a toe. I usually stand back, seething, just so I don't scare all the other kids in line with my rage. Last fall, she actually got MAD at a BABY for crying in the hallway because she was afraid he would upset the other kids...no lady, that's YOU who upsets the kids. I got so mad on behalf of the baby (and his mother who had to leave to go to work) that I told the administration they needed to step in. Well, unfortunately they continue to use that company (maybe they are the only one that makes house calls), but I doubt I will ever buy any pictures. Not that I need any, when I can take sweet ones like this at home:

So, anyways, it was a crazy morning, but Brooklyn wasn't damaged. (She would have been more upset if she were the only kid to NOT get pictures done, so I just bite my tongue and let her do it.)

Oh, and I am late on a few shout-outs...

1. Congratulations to Chrissy and Tani on their baby girl Chloe!

2. Congratulations to Loryn and Lee on the purchase of their 1st home!

And finally...

Happy Birthday today to one of my dearest and oldest friends, Katie. I hope your day is great! Come home soon!

brendan james update

From Brendan:

Hi! Just wanted to let you know that a video of me performing "Early April Morning" was the Video of the Day on PopEater. com!Check it out here: http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnBvcGVhdGVyLmNvbS8yMDA4LzA0LzA5L2JyZW5kYW4tamFtZXMtZWFybHktYXByaWwtbW9ybmluZy12aWRlby1vZi10aGUtZGF5Lw==Please check it out and be sure to leave a comment, who knows what it could lead to!Thanks everyone, talk soon.- b.

happy birthday to me...

What a busy birthday weekend! We never stopped moving (or driving) the entire weekend, but we did have a lot of fun as we were running around. Friday night, we drove up to Boone/Blowing Rock with Joe and Misty to see Drew's band, What's On Tap, play at Canyons. It was the first time in a looooong time that I stayed up until 2am (and now I remember why this doesn't usually happen!). After a much-too-short stay in a beautiful hotel room with a king-sized bed and yummy continental breakfast, we drove back to Greensboro to get our girls and set up the house for a showing.

The band...

Jaclyn, Misty, and Joe...

After a too short nap on Saturday (thanks a lot, Brooklyn!), we got showered and ready for my birthday dinner with friends. I chose J. Butler's because I would just about give my right arm for their chips and ranch dressing (sooo much better than Ham's), and I was so excited that 20 people came out for dinner. Thanks to my wonderful husband and baby girl, the Kinlaws, Bumps, Henzlers, Stevensons, Jenna, Heidi, Morrisons, and (soon to be) Weavers for making the trek to Butler's. Several people came back to the house to watch the oh so sad Carolina game but we got to eat probably the BEST Oreo ice cream cake I have ever eaten, so that was well worth another late night, a headache, and a devestating loss.

Jenna, McKenzie, Jon, Jennifer, and Jay...

The YUMMY cake...

My sassy star...

And finally, a congratulations to Jennifer and Jay, who closed on their house last week and started moving in on Saturday (again, thanks for coming out Saturday despite all your busyness!). Good luck with everything, and we are excited about that wedding coming up!

i heart fur baby

Wow. We have been so busy lately. Between work and the band and family, we have been going non-stop the past few weeks (and it's only getting crazier). First, Eric surprised us all by coming into town for a "Spring Break" last week, so we got some quality time with him, Caroline, and "fur baby," the CUTEST, yet strangest, kitty I have ever seen. Now, if you know me, you know I am not a cat lover, but I am a kitten cuddler, and I loved this sweet thing, extra toes and all. But alas, as soon as it grows up, my allergies will kick in, and my love affair with "fur baby" will be no more. Regardless, we had a great visit with my "little" brother and celebrated his and Caroline's birthdays.

My birthday snuck up on me Tuesday- thanks to everyone's emails, voicemails, and songs. I had the pleasure of not one "Happy Birthday" songs at work, but TWO, a coffee cake with candles at the staff meeting, a free Thai lunch, a wonderful dinner with all 4 parents, Chad, and Brooklyn (LOVED my Olive Garden salad!), and I am now listening to my new iPod on my new iTrip in my office. Life is good.

But back to the real world on Wednesday, and work was piling up. I am in charge of two fairly large events coming up at work within 2 weeks of each other, each bringing in about 100 people. So, between them and GRD, our weekends are booked from now until Memorial Day.

Speaking of GRD, we had a great show in Eden last weekend. It was good sound quality, good set up, and good people. We couldn't ask for any more. Our next gig for the public is going to be at iCoffee (formally Moby's) in Summerfield...so if you out and about on Saturday, April 26, come stop by and see us around 7pm. If you want more information, you can check our MySpace at www.myspace.com/gracereignsdown.

And finally, the house. Ahhh, the house. We are nearing the stage of "this isn't really fun anymore." But really, we have only had it on the market less than two months, and had a great amount of traffic, so we really can't complain, but once we get in our heads we want to move, we WANT TO MOVE. Patience is running thin in the Johnson house. Hopefully if this rain clears up and temperatures warm up, the offers will come pouring in. :-)

And finally, FINALLY, a Brooklyn update. Well, she is beautiful, smart, funny, and sassy- everything that we had hoped she would be at three years old. She is a blessing to have in our lives, and we just throughly enjoy being with her at this stage. The things she says and the actions that she mimics only reinforce further that we can only be blamed for her quirks- she is so our daughter.

We have big plans this weekend (surprise, surprise), but for once it does not involve work or GRD....we have a quick, quick trip up to Boone to see Drew (brother in law) and his band play a gig and then we have the whole gang getting together Saturday night for my birthday celebration- yay!

a week in review

What a busy week! The fun and excitement started on Wednesday when we had Luke, Emily, and Zoe Bump over for dinner to celebrate Em's birthday. The girls had a great time, as always, playing together, and they even decorated some Easter eggs.

On Thursday afternoon, Brooklyn had her Easter party and egg hunt at school. She was a bit nervous at first when the kids were all let loose on the playground, but she quickly got the hang of it. :-)

Since the egg hunt lasted oh, about 3.5 minutes, we left early and I took Brooklyn for her first "real" haircut at Great Clips. Gone are the days when Mommy and Gramma could just "tame the mullet" as Brooklyn watched Dora on TV, but Marianne at Great Clips was great with her, and Brooklyn was awesome.

We had a great day on Saturday and were fortunate to spend a few hours with the McIntyre family (www.familyofmgms.blogspot.com). Maddox was adorable, and such a sweet baby! I hate that I forgot to take out my camera and snap a picture of the girls.

Easter Sunday was hectic as it normally is- church, eat, nap, egg hunt, eat, church- but we had a great time at Nanny and Grandpa's house with our family. Here is Brooklyn Sunday morning before church with her newest baby.

And outside at the family egg hunt...

We are very fortunate to have such great family and friends!! So many memories, so little time!

deep thoughts

I got this email today, and it made me laugh outloud, so I thought I would share.

1. A day without sunshine is like night.
2. On the other hand, you have different fingers.
3. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.
4. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
5. Remember, half the people you know are below average.
6. He who laughs last thinks the slowest.
7. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
8. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap.
9. Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have.
10. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
11. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.
12. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
13. How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? Raise my hand.
14. OK, so what's the speed of dark?
15. When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
16. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.
17. How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?
18. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines
19. What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?
20. Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?
21. Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, 'What the heck happened?'
22. Just remember -- if the world didn't suck, we would all fall off.
23. Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
24. Life isn't like a box of chocolates; it's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your rear end tomorrow.

birthday party take 2

So, this weekend was Brooklyn's "friend party" at the Greensboro Children's Museum. Everyone had a blast despite no singing "Happy Birthday" (Brooklyn's new fear), no present opening (I am convinced it would be complete chaos for 2 and 3 year olds), and a monsoon of a rain storm when everyone was trying to leave. Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate with Brooklyn (and to Nanny and Gramma for their EXTRA help!). Brooklyn said when we were leaving, "That was SO much fun." And that makes it SO worth it for me!

The excited birthday girl...
Having cake and snacks in the party room...

Playing with the balls in the museum...

The Dora Cake (#2)...

say "ahhhh"

Brooklyn went to see Dr. Davis (aka Doogie) yesterday afternoon for her three year old check up. Here's what went down:

1. She weighs 32.5 pounds (75%).

2. She is 37.5 inches tall (60%).

3. She refused to do the vision test with the nurse, saying her infamous safe word "mommy" over and over again instead of answering the questions.

4. She wondered why mommy had her hand in the potty with a cup and then refused to pee in it.

5. She did awesome on her social skills test, physical skills test, and cognitive/problem solving skills test. When Dr. Davis came in the room, she decided to test ME, and made me show Dr. Davis how I could draw a circle and repeat numbers in a certain order. (I passed!)

6. She let Dr. Davis check out her tummy, opened her mouth, and showed him her "hurt" foot.

7. She was rewarded with a cherry lollipop and a sticker and left feeling very proud of herself for being such a big girl. :-)

catching up

So...

1. The house has been on the market for exactly one month today! We are doing great keeping it clean and have had a steady stream of "shoppers." I have mixed feelings- some days I want to sell right away, and some days, I want to live there forever- just the three of us! I think once the weather warms up for good, things will start moving quickly, so I better prepare myself now. :-)

2. Brooklyn has her first "friends" birthday party on Saturday at the Children Museum. She is very excited about having all her friends come to her party and eat her "Dora and Boots" cake. I'm excited for her, too!

3. Our next GRD gig is on Saturday, March 29th at the Crosswalk Cafe in Eden. I know Eden isn't really "on the way" to anywhere, but we would love to have everyone come out and hear us! If you want more info, you can check out our website, www.myspace.com/gracereignsdown.

4. I am working with a bunch of friends to get together our 10 year high school reunion. This is frustrating. On many levels.

5. Chad started coaching golf last week for Greensboro Academy. Between that, grading papers, and teaching guitar lessons, his work is keeping him pretty busy.

6. Brooklyn informed me this week that her bed was not "comfortable like mommy's." Chad and I may be out shopping for a twin bed this weekend, so if any of you have any suggestions on where to go, let me know!

And, oh yeah...

7. We are going to VEGAS! We are headed to Sin City with my parents, Eric (brother), and Caroline (E's girlfriend) after Christmas for a short vacation! It will be the farthest west I have ever traveled, and we are all very excited. Chad, for obvious reasons, and me, for all the shopping, sightseeing, and cool little places to visit with Brooklyn. I doubt I will even see Chad for the three days we are there- but I am sure my dad will prop him up at the poker table when he gets sleepy. :-)

congrats to brendan on a pretty big week!

Some big things are happening to a friend of ours, Brendan James. Brendan is a friend of mine from UNC (Go Heels!), and he sang in our wedding in 2002. Last week, Brendan's EP was selected as a featured album this week by the iTunes Editorial Staff. (See his email below)

Soooo my EP - The Ballroom Break-In was selected by the iTunes Editorial Staff as a featured album this week! If you go to the folk section of iTunes you'll see my mug under 'staff picks.' If you haven't bought my EP yet, check it out for only $3.96 on iTunes...That's about as salesy as I can get...hopefully music works out b/c i don't see a career in sales ;-) iTunes Link: http://phobos. apple. com/WebObjects/MZStore. woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=259242210&s=143441- b

Then....he sent word that his original song, Hero's Song, will be part of a double album hitting stores March 18th. He's surrounded by some pretty impressive company:

Eddie Vedder, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Bright Eyes are among the artists contributing songs to a forthcoming double album benefiting Iraq Veterans Against The War.'Body of War: Songs That Inspired an Iraq War Veteran', was compiled by was by Iraq war veteran Tomas Young, who was paralysed in the war after only one week of service.The collection, due out in the US on March 18, includes a previously unreleased version of Vedder's 'No More', which he wrote specifically for the 'Body of War' documentary about Young's life. Vedder performed the song with Ben Harper at Lollapalooza in 2007."Tomas has taught me a great deal, and our friendship has become one of depth and sincerity," Vedder said in a statement. "It has been a mind-expanding experience. I see how he relies on the strength of the songs to help him through each day. It is a true living example of the power of music."The double-CD set also features songs by Rage Against The Machine, Roger Waters, Tom Waits and Tori Amos, among others. Sales proceeds will go toward Iraq Veterans Against The War, a non-profit organisation that gives voice to active-duty service people and veterans who areagainst the war, but are under various pressures to remain silent.The album tracklisting is:Disc 1'Hero's Song' - Brendan James' American Terrorist' - Lupe Fiasco'Light Up Ya Lighter' - Michael Franti & Spearhead 'Guerilla Radio' - Rage Against The Machine 'Son Of A Bush' - Public Enemy 'Empty Walls' -Serj Tankian 'Let Them Eat War' - Bad Religion 'White People For Peace' - Against Me!'Letter From Iraq' - Bouncing Souls'War' - Dilated Peoples'Overcome (The Recapitulation)' - RX Bandits 'Fields Of Agony' - No Use For A Name 'Bushonomics' - Talib Kweli & Cornel West 'The 4th Branch - Immortal Technique 'B.Y.O.B.' - System Of A Down 'No More' (Live) - Eddie Vedder & Ben HarperDisc 2'Devils & Dust' - Bruce Springsteen'Masters Of War' (Live) - Pearl Jam'When The President Talks To God' - Bright Eyes 'Gimme Some Truth' - John Lennon 'The Restless Consumer' - Neil Young 'Battle Hymns' - The Nightwatchman 'Anthrax' - Kimya Dawson 'WMD' - Blow Up Hollywood 'State Of The Union' - David Ford 'Yo George' - Tori Amos 'Love Vigilantes' - Laura Cantrell 'Black Rain' - Ben Harper 'To Kill The Child' - Roger Waters 'Day After Tomorrow' - Tom Waits--

call your moms

So, after yesterday's ranting, I thought today's post would be more positive and uplifting. :-)

Unfortunately, it starts with some sadness....

My friend, Caroline's, grandmother passed away on Saturday, and I attended the memorial service yesterday afternoon. Her grandmother, Ellenor, had been a member of my church my whole life, she attended Sunday School with my mom and Grandma, and I grew up with all of her grandchildren- Caroline, in particular. She was always a very sweet woman, but learning more about her yesterday allowed me to have some "personal reflection time."

1. Ellenor was married to her husband, George, for 65 years. Wow. Chad and I have shared so many memories in the past 10 years....its amazing to think about what is yet to come. I admire their devotion, strength, and unfailing love, and I hope that one day, I will look at 80 year old Chad and think "Wow. Where has the time gone?....and where has your hair gone?"
2. Ellenor stayed in touch with about 8 women whom she had been friends with since her childhood. Ellenor was 86 years old when she passed so we are looking at about 70+ years of friendships with the SAME WOMEN. My friends and I pride ourselves on our upcoming "10 year friend-a-versary" but this just pales in comparison. 10 years has brought us multiple marriages, a baby, many moves in and out of the state, and just the regular hustle and bustle of life. But we have email, texting, MySpace, etc....and all that, though makes it easier to stay in touch, still needs the perserverance from us as people to make it work. Our weekly girls' nights, our annual Christmas party- all these things become priority for us, because, yes, we want to be those 80 year old women one day looking back at pictures of ourselves and know that through it all, these friendships remained constant. And I think we can do it. I KNOW we can do it.
3. Life is too short. Ellenor lived 86 years, yet I bet if you would have asked her, she would have lived another 86 more. We need to value one another, appreciate the time we have, hug our kids, call our moms (and grandmas), and just live life to its fullest every single day.

And maybe, just maybe, I won't rant anymore about my living room furniture. Then again, maybe not. I think it keeps me young. :-)

rooms to go? A big fat no!

Many of you have heard about my plan to bring down Rooms To Go, one customer at a time. Just yesterday someone mentioned my extreme dislike of this company at a staff meeting, and that reminded me "I have yet to post anything about RTG on my blog." I am now choosing this post as a wonderful opportunity to share some information with you all in hopes that NOT ONE OF YOU ever buy anything from this horrible, horrible company ever again.

To help me tell my story, I will share with you a letter I wrote RTG in 2006:

September 21, 2006

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing this letter to inform you of how extremely dissatisfied I have been with my Rooms To Go experience.

In April of 2003 my husband and I bought a blue leather living room set from your store on Wendover Avenue in Greensboro, NC. By the end of that year, the threading in the sofa had begun to unravel and the cushions had begun to detach from the sofa. Because this line of furniture had since been discontinued, my husband and I had to go in the store and “re-select” a new living room set, one of “equal or greater value.” We chose a brown leather set, one that was several hundred dollars more. This extra money was then added to our remaining balance.

On March 16, 2006, we had to call in the service technician again out to our house. The frames in both the loveseat and the sofa had snapped in half, posing a safety risk to my family. We were told that the loveseat had a faulty piece of wood and the sofa frame had broken due to the fact that no one had installed a center leg upon delivery. The technician, Bob W., wrote up the report and on March 29, 13 days later, the furniture was picked up from my house. Having two broken pieces of furniture in my living room for two weeks with a small child made me extremely nervous, especially after being told by the technician that a large splinter could come up from the loveseat at any given moment. Once the furniture was picked up, we were without a sofa or loveseat until it was returned on April 8, 2006.

On September 1, 2006, only five months later, the sofa frame broke once again. When one sits on the middle cushion, the frame is resting on the floor. We proceeded to visit the Rooms to Go on Wendover Avenue. The manager on duty, Ken Canovali, came out to speak with us. Ken was extremely rude to my husband and very impatient with our problem, explaining that there was nothing he could do for us at this time. We would have to email (not call) a woman named Bonnie, the Regional Customer Service Manager. He explained that he would have to email Bonnie and explain our situation and have her call us. When we explained our frustration with the furniture, he offered no help, just continually said that Bonnie would call us. Ken later apologized for loosing his temper with and yelling at my husband, explaining he was under the weather that day. However, I found his behavior extremely unprofessional in all respects. Ken told us that he would speak with his supervisor after we had requested certain paperwork from him. We would like to have a copy of our phone records. Ken said that he would mail these papers to us after the Labor Day weekend. We still have not received this paperwork nor heard a word from Ken 20 days later.

Later that day, we received a phone call from a Customer Service Representative. It was not Bonnie and there was no Manager on duty that day with whom to speak. The Representative explained that she would need to schedule a technician to visit the home. We scheduled the visit for the following Saturday.

Saturday morning, September 9th, we received a phone call at 8:00am explaining that the technician was not going to be able to come due to a “family emergency.” We rescheduled a technician to visit the following Friday, September 15th.

At this point, I have now had a broken sofa (again!) for two weeks. I have tried to contact Ken three times, and have yet been able to reach him at the Wendover store. Neither he nor “Bonnie” has called to follow up with us at any time over the past three weeks.

I have been extremely dissatisfied with not only the quality of your furniture, but also the quality of customer service this Greensboro store has offered us.

Bob W. returned to our home on Friday, September 15. He has been the ONLY Rooms to Go employee with whom I can say has been extremely kind, compassionate, understanding, and apologetic to our situation. Bob explained that he will write up the report once again (yes, he was the same Bob W. who visited our home in April.).

My husband and I both work full time, and I have had to take a total of four days off work to wait the “4 hour time slot” for the technicians to arrive for all of our furniture troubles. This does not include the Saturday last week we freed our calendar for the Service Technician and any more days that may come with this new problem.

We have yet to receive a call 6 days later about the status of our furniture.

I am extremely upset with your company’s customer service as well as the quality of this furniture. We hope to resolve this issue with our current furniture as quickly as possible, and I can assure you that neither I, nor my family or friends, will be visiting a Rooms to Go for any of our future home furnishing needs.

I thank you for reading this letter, and I would appreciate correspondence back at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,
Jaclyn Johnson

Well, after that letter was written, we had to "re-select" another set of furniture- this time a microfiber set that was less expensive than the previous 2 sets. Because they do not give refunds, we had to find something else to use the rest of our "store credit," so we chose an entertainment center.

To make a long story somewhat shorter (longer?), since that re-select, we had the couch break (and then replaced), the entertainment center delivered with two different pieces (a different base and top), the correct base to come later, but the top to crack and have to be replaced, and a crazy delivery man who stalked us for weeks saying that he lost his sunglasses in our front yard.

If you are keeping count, and made it to the end of this post, our living room furniture count is (5) couches, (2) loveseats, (1) chair and ottoman, (2) coffee tables, (6) end tables, (6) lamps, (2) entertainment bases, and (2) entertainment tops. This all stemmed from one purchase in early 2003....just so we could save a few bucks. Trust me, the time and energy spent fighting this company, taking off work, calling customer service, and dealing with broken furniture was NOT worth "no financing until 2006."

who doesn't like free money?

So, I haven't really delved into the whole "coupon obsession" part of me just yet. This is where the nerd comes out. I LOVE saving money- I find it a challenge at the grocery store every week to see how much money I can save (without buying unnecessary things), and I have known to refer to "triple coupon weekends" at Harris Teeter as my personal Christmas. Just this weekend alone, I saved quite a bit of money. Friday: Went grocery shopping at Harris Teeter. Total bill = $132.88. But wait! Harris Teeter had some great VIC specials and BOGO offers, so that brought my bill down to $81.78. Most people would say "Wow, that's great," and stop right there. Not me! That's where the coupons come in (and Harris Teeters ALWAYS offers double coupons). I had some coupons valued at $14.80, which brought my total bill down to $66.98. That's a total savings of $65.90! FREE MONEY PEOPLE! Sunday, I got to use a BOGO free coupon at Tex and Shirley's for breakfast, but that's old news to some people. Those entertainment books are great, but there's no challenge. :-)

a look back...

Here's a look back at my sweet pea through the years...three years to be exact. :-)

three

I woke up this morning with my precious baby girl laying on my pillow. (She visited our room around 4am this morning.) I woke up, looked at her, and remembered three years ago waking up and wondering "who is this new little person in my life? how will I know what she needs? when can I go home to a comfortable bed?" Now, three years later, we don't always agree on what she needs (M&M's cannot be a part of your breakfast EVERY morning), Chad and I usually share our comfortable bed with our spoiled rotten little girl, but this one thing is certain- I have come to know brooklyn marie johnson better than I know anyone, including myself. As my dad said yesterday on her 3rd birthday, "Brooklyn, what did we ever do without you?" Life simply did not exist before Brooklyn in the way it does now- today, the grass is greener, the sun is brighter, my belly is flabbier....but our lives our complete with miss brooklyn marie johnson.

We had a great "Dora the Explorer" birthday party yesterday at Chad's parents' house. Brooklyn ate lots of cake, opened tons of presents, and spent some wonderful time with her family and friends. Here's some pics from yesterday: (1) Brooklyn throwing up three fingers at Panera (2) Looking at her Dora cake (3) Playing with her "sisters," Allie and Zoe.

TGIF!

So, within 8 days on the market, we have had two people come and view the house, and one person make an offer. It's pretty crazy! Now, it wasn't a great offer, so we are back in negotiations, but nonetheless, it's flattering to be wanted. :-) Keep your fingers crossed and the prayers coming as we embark on this new journey!

Tomorrow is our GRD show at First Lutheran's Chili Cookoff....it should be fun! There's rumors about white chili, dragon's breath chili, and many others, so it will definitely be a great contest!

Sunday is Brooklyn's 3rd birthday. That is entirely unbelievable.

my sweet valentine

Brooklyn had a great time at her school Valentine's Day party last Thursday. You can't go wrong with strawberry ice cream sundaes, cupcakes, and lollipops. The Valentine's dance on Friday? Not so much! She preferred to spend her time in the school lobby, away from the dark room and disco ball and parents taking crazy amounts of pictures and video, and looked through photo albums and hugged on the bear. I was so excited to see that she let her teachers put her hair in pig tails that day!

grace reigns down + chili = lutheran love

So, I have not really mentioned much about our band in my blog yet, so I thought I would get everyone up to date. We are practicing about every other week (and every Sunday at Shout), and we have shows scheduled for once a month through June. This Saturday, we will be playing at First Lutheran's Chili Cookoff from 5-7pm. So.....if you have the time (and an empty belly) swing on by FLC for some good music, some GREAT food, and some even better fellowship. FLC is located at 3600 West Friendly Avenue Greensboro 27410. Anyone is welcome to enter their chili in the cookoff, but if you would just rather sample other people's dishes, just bring a side dish or dessert to share.

update on eagle road

So, we were blessed to have two people come by and look at the house this weekend...not too bad after only being on the market for 4 days. It's exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time...now I want people to come by EVERY day and look! The house is so dang clean!

Chad painted the shutters and I worked on the kitchen and closets some more this weekend. Every little bit we can do will help with the sale I am sure!