our new issue...

this new trick of getting up on the table to play is getting out of hand. You can't take your eyes off her for a second... if you do she is climbing on the table. What a monkey!!

full moon tonight

at least for daddy!

sunday night fun...

dinner and dancing with amanda...

a new tradition...

we actually picked out and cut down our first REAL Christmas Tree! We have started a tradition!

turkey day celebration on friday

at the hunt lodge with the Johnson family and friends. Charly had fun playing with the kids and running around! Food was great, Company was great...the day was fun!

they have started to arrive...

...boxes that is! Christmas presents started arriving at the house today! This means a couple things... 1. Christmas is coming and it is coming fast! 2. I will have lots of wrapping to do! 3. There will be plenty of boxes to play in!

just some of my favorites...

a sneak peak into our christmas photo shoot! here are some of my favorites! i have the best little family...EVER!

a "first"

we had a few "firsts" this weekend. yesterday charly did NOT nap! (this was a first) today andrew SMOKED ribs! (this was a first...and boy was he proud)
tonight dinner was excellent!!! thanks to daddy!

picture day at the capital

up and running again...

tonight we had a great evening. we went to dinner with charly's birth parents and her sister, which is always fun. Charly did a good job entertaining us at dinner by singing her favorite songs: "twinkle twinkle little star", "ABC's" and "old mac donald". Along with serenading us, we laughed at her for dipping everything in ketchup only to lick the ketchup off. (she does like her condiments)

needless to say, even though i was good about putting the camera on the charger, i totally forgot to bring it along with us (and i pretty much bring my camera with me everywhere... it has a permanent home in my purse). So... tonight's picture is before bed... cuddled up on the floor with her daddy beside her (not pictured), drinking her drink and loving on her bear... a little too much! Check out his tail. Dang Bear is loved!

BATTERY EXHAUSTED!

That is what I got when it was picture time!!! What? It's only Thursday!!! The camera is on the charger now. My goal of taking pictures all week will not be met. Dang.
So... what is on my mind? Well...
Today Charly is 1.56 years old... to be exact 1 year and 205 days... 8 hours, 51 minutes and 8, no 9, no 10 seconds old! :) How do I know this? It isn't because I took on the most important job of my life 1.56 years ago, even though I most definitely did (and cherrish and LOVE my roll as her mommy)... it is because i looked on www.HowOldAreYouNow.com and found out. I wanted to know how long it has been... I sit back sometimes and think about how blessed I am and how God has had this perfect plan for my life all along. I can remember what it was like to not have Charly and how I was desperate for a baby. I didn't care what it looked like, smelled like, sounded like...I just wanted a baby. I wanted MY baby.... and for 1.56 years I have been blessed with MY baby. I bet God has been so frustrated with me for so long for not trusting in Him and loving Him enough to know that He would answer my prayers. That all I had to do was be patient and trust. Well... I can tell you that if i didn't believe in prayer, I most definitely do now, and have for the last 1.56 years. I have a true answer to prayer laying in a crib, wrapped in a Dora blanket, smothered in baby lotion and slobber from all the kisses I gave her before I layed her down to bed. I have been in love for the last 1.56 years. I have been happy for the last 1.56 years. I have had the best job in the world for the last 1.56 years. I have been content for the last 1.56 years. I have had a true answer to prayer for the last 1.56 years. I have not been BORED for the last 1.56 years. I have smiled every day for the last 1.56 years. THANK YOU!!!

I just can't get over it sometimes! How blessed I have been.

one of those picture perfect moments...

...except for the food on her face and in her hair! this is the reaction to andrew and i singing "day-O, daaaaayyyyy-O"! We'll pretty much do anything for this face!

brrr... it's hat season

catching up...

ok, so there have been 3 days that i haven't posted...it was a fun weekend for us. charly, andrew and i had a great weekend which involved playing at the mall, hanging out with our friends, playing outside (lots) and just having some good quality family time (most of it was spent jumping on a bed or dancing around the living room). Charly is now 18 1/2 months old and becoming her own person every day!!! the personality that is starting to shine through in this little girl keeps us laughing. we enjoy her more than i could ever explain! people think she is lucky to have us, but we would have to disagree... our lives would be so boring without her, and we wouldn't know what to do with all the time we use to have! what did we do with all that time??? now it is spent with her... soaking up every minute and chewing her up!

so... i have not done so well the last few days posting pictures and will do better! my goal for the week it to post some cute ones! :) sometimes a challenge, but i think i'm up for it.

a few things about her lately:

*she called her daddy "Andrew" and thought that was pretty funny!
*she still loves Dora
*she will say "thank you" at the drop of a hat, but we can't get her to say "please" to save her life
*she saw a picture of her grandpa johnson and said "grandpa"
*she will give kisses on demand!!! (which i have waited forever for!!!)
*she has taken up biting... and her dad was the victim twice tonight!

a furr-real shopping spree

Charly made out today with a new pet (furr-real) puppy and a snowsuit... complete with bibs, coat and of course... the dora hat!

yard work...

is hard work, but when there is time for sonic cherry limeades and sweet daddy kisses it makes it all worth it.