A Place Apart...

This past weekend was spent in Arden, NC- a small town right outside of Asheville at a retreat conference center called Lutheridge.

Lutheridge has been the spot for 31 family congregational retreats for our church. Chad has attended all 31, and I have attended 21. This was Brooklyn's 5th year, and obviously, Jake's first. This place is very special to all of us and our families. Chad and I marveled at how amazing it is to have attended these annual retreats as kids, high school youth, college aged, newlyweds, and now, as parents. It's a different experience every time- but always somewhat magical. So many memories each time, but probably my most special memory was after the 1997 retreat, when we returned home and 20 year old Chad called 17 year old me that Sunday evening and told me he loved me for the first time. Who could not cherish a place that helps along young love!? ha ha!

Speaking of memories, I am kicking myself for not being able to find the picture of Chad with his Grandma on his first retreat as a baby, but we were able to capture a freakingly similar picture of Jake and his Gramma. (Though I don't believe 32 years ago Chad had a paci on a clip dangling from his Target jacket.)

Here are just some random pics of the weekend...in no particular order.

A bunch of us parents hanging out while all the kids enjoy the playground in the most BEAUTIFUL fall weather.

And the kids...(Brooklyn with her friends, Avery and Madeline)

The Johnson Family (v.2010)

And the extended-Johnson family (missing an uncooperative Brooklyn who will probably be photoshopped in later)

Nanny with her two Lutheridge babies....wearing eerily similar expressions. I rarely think my kids look alike now, but this changes my mind somewhat.

Sweet baby Jake sporting his first Lutheridge sweatshirt (and what we like to call "banker hair").

All the kids loved getting golf cart rides!

My two favorite men!

And my precious girl!

Pure cuteness

Brooklyn and her best Kindergarten buddy, Avery.

Goodbye, Lutheridge! See you next Fall!

ToothWatch 2010

We're working on our first loose tooth in the Johnson house....so the tooth fairy needs to be prepared and keep a few singles in her wallet over the next few days/week. I don't think Brooklyn would be too excited about a personal check.

Either Way, It's a Hair Day!

I couldn't take it anymore...hair brushing has become a battle of epic proportion. So, yesterday after school and work, I took Brooklyn to get her hair trimmed....er, cut....ok, whacked.

But she looks mighty cute and grown up, and most importantly for a 5 1/2 year old, SHE loves it!

And not to be outdone, Jake decided to try out a new style on his hair courtesy of a Nilla Wafer.

Way Back When-esday

Happy October, ya'll! I thought I would kick off the month with a Way Back When-esday post!

Date: October 2008
Brooklyn's Age: 3 1/2 years

Date: October 2009
Brooklyn's Age: 4 1/2 years (I am amazed at the maturity in her face just 12 months later!)

And just for giggles, here's me in October 2009....age 29 and weight is off the charts! :-) I am about 36-37 weeks preggo here.

Hellloooooo, Jake!

Thankful Thursday

I may have just made up "Thankful Thursday," but either way, I am so thankful for these precious people...

And I'm also thankful for the sweet Miss Lili Carson who turns ONE today! Happy Birthday, Lili!!

Wordless Wednesday (alternately titled "Oh Yes, I Did")

The Biggest Loser Midterm Update

So, I try not to make a huge deal out of this since many of you just come by the blog to see the kiddos and what they are up to, but, several of you have shared with me that you are keeping track of my weekly weigh-ins on the right side of the blog. I thought this Tuesday I would just share a little about the journey thus far and how things are going since we are officially halfway through the Girl Scout's Biggest Loser Challenge.

I have weighed in 9 times and have 9 more weigh-in's to go before the competition ends on November 30th. After 9 weeks, I am proud to say that I have lost 19 pounds! This has not been easy for me. I have had to completely shift my diet and eating habits. I have given up a bunch of yummy foods (and drinks!), but I know it will all be worth it in the end. (Actually, it already has been worth it).

A little history: After giving birth to Jake, of course I lost a big chunk of my pregnancy weight right off the top. However, I actually got cocky (and lazy) and thought "oh, I am breastfeeding! the weight will just melt away!" Not true. In fact, I lost about 30 pounds after having Jake and then GAINED 10 back....while breastfeeding. I read a few articles and chat forums on the internet about weightloss and breastfeeding, and it is actually true that some women do NOT lose weight faster/better when they breastfeed. And, unfortunately, I was one of them. Crap. I had thought this was gonna be easy. At the rate I was going, I was gaining about 2-3 pounds a month. I knew that if I didn't do something, I would just say "oh, hell...whatever...I'll just wear elastic pants." But then this competition started at work (started by a co-worker who had just been released from the hospital after having blood clots in her lungs- and she's YOUNG!). We all decided that whether you wanted to lose unwanted pounds or just live a healthier lifestyle, then this would be an awesome experience for everyone.

So, I paid my $5.00, joined the competition, and I decided that I would go the old fashioned route: diet and exercise. Unfortunately, since my schedule does not allow for much exercise, I knew that would really have to be strict about my diet. I started using a calorie counter on my iPhone- My Fitness Pal- and use it to journal everything I eat and to also to look up food information (especially when we are out to eat). Chad and I also have been having fun looking up what we used to eat and how, in one meal, we were probably eating almost a day's calorie allowance. There has been a lot of education for both of us (and Chad is seeing results, too!).

So, basically, I have gone from consuming about 2500-3000 calories a day to right at 1700. When I am running out of calories, I don't eat that extra nighttime snack or just eat something like a green salad with fat free dressing. I drink lots of water and have given up teas, sodas, juices, etc. I get my calcium from fat free yogurt or a small glass of skim milk. We measure our cereal now. I count my Cheez-its. I don't finish my children's plates. If I know I want to indulge one meal, I just make adjustments the rest of the day with my other meals. We eat the Diet Soda Cake with lite Cool Whip as a snack. We try not to eat past 8pm. And we are avoiding fast food at all costs. Brooklyn doesn't even miss it, and Jake will grow up knowing what a "vegetarian night" is.

And because of these simple things? I didn't break a sweat or run out of breath trying to pull on a pair of jeans this morning from two years ago. :-)

I call that success.

Happy 11 Month Birthday, Jake!

What a busy month we have had! In addition to working some crazy hours, I have been chasing after this precious 11 month old. It's a good thing I am staying busy and active, though, because I am doing pretty darn well in my work's Biggest Loser challenge (but more on that in another post).

Jake, as those of you with children know, is completely uninterested in staying still for a picture these days...
But he humored me (and Daddy) for a few seconds so I could get some shots documenting his eleventh month. This picture shows his (only) two teeth quite well. He pushed these babies out in July, and we have yet to see any more. I am hoping that more are on the horizon because he has gone back to waking up a few times each night....and very early each morning.

Speaking of sleeping...I hate to say it, but we have one of those babies. Brooklyn was an A+ sleeper from 8 weeks on. I tried not to brag to others, but if they asked, I could honestly say, "yes, she was a great sleeper." Jake was awesome from 3-9 months, but at 9 months, we have seen a whole new kid. This child (though initially puts himself to sleep like a rock star at 7:30pm), tends to wake up 1-3 times each night and then is usually up for the day around 5:45am. Sometimes I can nurse him at 6am, and he will go back for a teeny snooze (until about 7 or so), but other times, "Good morning, world!" During the night, he does not wake up to eat (nor will it ever be offered)...and we barely get up to even check on him. We do the initial "Hey buddy/go back to sleep/here is a paci/no? not interested/well, check ya later" spiel, and he usually cries for about 5-45 minutes and then puts himself back to sleep. (BTW, again, another future blog post topic titled "Mistakes I made with my first baby that I did not repeat with my second child.") However, with everything I have seen and heard with other moms, this method usually gets the child to start sleeping through the night again within a week or so. We have been doing this for 2 months now....8 weeks....56 days...give or take a day. NOT WORKING. But I digress...maybe it's lack of sleep.

But back to the sweetness that is my Jake-Jake...

Jake makes the funniest faces and noises. He now does the Indian...ahem, Native American...yell when you repeatedly bounce your hand off of his mouth. I have had to remind Brooklyn that smacking him continuously in the face does not produce the same cute noise. Jake also does it to himself with the back of his hand..which is quite hilarious to watch. He definitely says "mamamamama" just randomly, but has a very specific "da" for Daddy. He also says "doh" for dog and "noooo no" when we tell him not to do something. Occasionally, we can also get a "nananana" for Nanny...or banana.

His blonde hair is coming in so nicely...and the fauxhawk is fading away. I am pretty obsessed with baby hair. (I trimmed Brooklyn's mullet quite frequently until her top hair came in as quickly as the bottom.) So, I have twiced trimmed up Jake's hair around the ears while he was in the bathtub. He still has both ears, so I feel I have been successful. :-) I think he's just about ready for real shoes...Striderite, here we come! Jake is wearing 18-24 month clothes, and actually has been able to fit back into some 12 month clothes because of all his physical activity. Work it, buddy!

Meals are so exciting now that Jake is starting to eat more table foods. His list of preferred foods is growing and includes: spaghetti, rice, hamburger, bread, Nilla wafers, pudding, baby yogurt, peas (the actual peas), baked beans, waffles, pancakes, cheerios, dried apples, Puffs, cool whip (don't judge), green beans (real ones), chicken pie, and mac and cheese. I am sure I am forgetting something, but I think my days of pureeing are almost over. I have now decided that if he eats the real version than I am completing eliminating the "baby food" version. No reason to backtrack. Besides, in 4 weeks he will start his "school meals," which are all real food, so he has to give up being spoonfed soon anyway. I am sure I am supposed to be all "My last baby is growing up!" but to be completely honest, I am soooo excited that he is growing up and doing so well!

Jake is also a little flirt...he loves to smile and laugh at friends and strangers alike. He actually likes men more than Brooklyn did and finds his grandfathers and some of our guy friends quite fascinating. Or maybe it's the cool electric guitars they play. :-)

He gives me the best monkey hugs and open mouth kisses, and he gives his daddy a precious nose rubbing. He's quite ticklish in the armpits, thighs, and on the bottoms of his feet. He's only bit me once when he was nursing (holy Moses!), but has started self-weaning already, so we are right on track to stop nursing next month. (another post in itself...you keeping track of all these?)

Back to electric guitars...Jake LOVES music- especially our band's music. I'm sure it's just what he is used to, but I love when his little legs and arms just start a-pumping at church Sunday nights or at one of our shows. He does his own "diaper dance" when his toys play music, and he has started clapping his hands when we sing "If You're Happy And You Know It."

Jake loves balls...and blocks...and books...and Brooklyn's room. He could play in Brooklyn's room for hours. And, of course, that is wear I put all the little itty bitty toys when I childproofed the playroom and his room. But, that's where he prefers to play. I think it's just because Brooklyn is usually there...and he LOVES his sister. He has even tolerated her yanking him up by his armpits and dragging him around the house. (This act is discouraged by mom, mind you, but I don't catch it everytime.)

He's a joy- a precious, sweet angel who does well with just about anything thrown at him. I am so excited about the month that lies ahead and for all the adventures that await us with a one year old. I thank God everyday for my wonderful husband, my sweet Jake, and his big sister. They are the light of my life, and I just love all the memories that we are making as a family of 4.

Five Words

Time. to. babyproof. the. house.

On Top of Spaghetti....

So...we are starting to get a little braver in letting Jake try table foods. I am still as anxious as ever about allergies and such, but since the other three of us have none, and so far Jake has been doing great with new food, I think we are in the clear. Hopefully. He is also doing better with gumming food since he still just has two teeth.

So, this week, we gave Jake his first taste of spaghetti. He LOVED it.

And for your viewing pleasure...

And finally, I had to record this separate, but Jake's wave is just too funny!

Wordless Wednesday

Singer no longer has to "steal" pianos...

Some of you long time blog followers may have heard me mention this guy. I first spoke about him here in 2008...and then mentioned the drop of his first album, The Day is Brave, here.

Well, Brendan just released his second album last week, and things are going awesome for him! I went by Best Buy to pick it up and there were only two CD's left.

It's flying off the shelves and selling like crazy on iTunes! In his first week, he reached the status of #1 Singer Songwriter, was #4 for Pop Albums, and #13 in all album catagories. I read today that he hit #93 on the US Billboard 200. It's been an awesome journey for Brendan, and I am so happy for my college buddy and wedding singer.

If you want to hear what Brendan had to say on CNN.com last weekend, click here.

Or just check out these pictures of two of his smallest fans....

Buy the album if you want to hear some great music...it's only $9.99 in stores or $7.99 on iTunes. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Still not convinced? Check out some of his reviews on Wikipedia.

Just in case you wondered...

...if Brooklyn has learned anything in Kindergarten this year.

She now has a few more talents! (Besides naming all the 20+ Duggar family members!)

Way Back When-esday

Sorry I have been MIA lately....we are deep in the middle of Girl Scout Recruitment time right now! But here is a pic for you for Way Back When-esday!

Date: September 2008 (1st picture in our new home!)

(BTW, Brooklyn is 3 1/2 here.)

Way Back When-esday!

This Way Back When-esday has a wedding theme!
Here are Brooklyn (2 years, 3 months), Zoe (9 months), and Allie (5 years, 11 months) in May 2007 at Matt and Rebecca Stein's First Lutheran Church wedding.

...And here are the girls at Drew and Molly's wedding last Saturday, September 4, 2010.
(Brooklyn- 5 1/2 years, Zoe- 4 years, and Allie- 9 1/4 years)

A Blue Ridge Wedding Weekend

What an awesome weekend in Asheville! I was just in heaven....the mountains + beautiful 70 degree weather + my WHOLE family + a fabulous mountain cabin retreat + a gorgeous wedding = a PERFECT Labor Day weekend!

Uncle Eric and Aunt Caroline flew into North Carolina to help celebrate the wedding of Chad's brother- Uncle Drew- and his new wife- Aunt Molly!

It only took Brooklyn a few minutes to get warmed up. :-)

And Eric loved squishing on Jake and his "meatball legs." Ha ha!

Jake and Brooklyn with Gramma and Pops

The WHOLE Bader family- together again!

Friday night was the wedding rehearsal...very casual and low key, so the kids just played around, and I took some pictures.

The happy, precious couple- Drew and Molly- paying close attention to the pastors and wedding director!

Practing vows with Pastor Mary...

You better pay attention, Eric and Caroline! Your turn is coming up in 10 months!

We then attended the rehearsal dinner at an awesome restaurant- the Stoney Knob Cafe. There were 4 food selections, and I was lucky enough to sample a bite of all of them. I ordered the crab cakes and the slaw that came with them had blue cheese- oh my goodness- SOOOO yummy!

My MIL and my mom decorated everything so cute!

The wedding was Saturday at 5:00pm. We got ready and headed to the Fields of Blackberry Cove around 3:45pm. Brooklyn's hair was curled so sweet in the back but I forgot to take a picture. :-(

Brooklyn, Allie and I were in charge of the guest book, programs, and the girls were "Flower Girls." Brooklyn opted not to walk down the aisle with Allie and drop petals, but she did carry her basket and walk in holding my and Chad's hand. My mom was in charge of Jake during the ceremony. :-)

The gorgeous couple!

The reception took place up the hill in an old barn/stable. It was so cute (and perfect since Molly and her girlfriends all wore cowboy boots!).

They had a live band, and Chad and Drew just couldn't resist joining the fun! I didn't get a shot of Chad singing "Ain't No Sunshine," but here's Drew tearing up the drums...with his sweet bride at his side.

I normally cannot wait to get home from vacations and get settled back into a normal routine with the kids, but I just could have stayed in my Ox Glen cabin for a few more days enjoying uninterrupted time with my family. (Thank you, AT&T for having no signal in Weaverville!)

Congrats, Drew and Molly....the fun has just begun!

Do you think I could get on the Ellen show with these videos?

I know...it's started. I have become one of those parents (again) that share their baby's tricks with the world. :-) But really, I just want to remember these hilarious moments in my children's lives forever..........really. :-)

Mckenzie actually posted this video first on her blog. It shows Jake (about 1 month ago) doing what he does best...defending his big sister. Ahhhhh....I hope this continues when the high school boys come a-calling at the door.

(Chad is actually just tickling Brooklyn in the background and she screams dramatically to egg Jake on.)

It has since evolved to the video below. I think now Jake realizes that Brooklyn is having fun, and he just wants to be a part of the action.

I am not even going to make excuses about the playroom...we were actually in the middle of trying to get Brooklyn to separate old toys for a yard sale, but you see how far we got. My children aren't spoiled at all, are they?

Way Back When-esday

Today's Way Back When-esday goes waaaaaaaay back.

Can you name these adorable children? :-)