The Johnston Family: Loving Life Together!

Sadie and Dakota

2012-02-03T15:13:00.003-05:00

We certainly can't forget Sadie and Dakota! They too are doing well and growing up quickly. Sadie's most favorite thing on this earth is a barbie doll and baby doll that Nana and Papa gave her for Christmas. She loves playing pretend with them. Almost everyday when she gets home, she goes to her room and starts dress-up time with her and the barbies. So, where does that leave Dakota,you got it.......dressing up and playing with barbies as well as bringing Mickey Mouse Rockstar into the pictures. He also loves playing with cars and tractors. I also think he is the official driver of the Barbie car. Sadie and Dakota play really well together. They love each other so much and I am so thankful the relationship they are building together. Don't get me wrong, they do have their times of arguing, but for the most part they love each other a lot! Another one of their favorite things to do is build a camp out (as Sadie says). This is when you make blankets for all the babies, stuff animals, cars, and such. It's not my favorite thing because it is a complete disaster, but you can't help but smile when they coming running to you and say, "Come here mama, Look and me and Dakota's camp out". They're so proud at what they have accomplished. The both continue to love school. Dakota can count to ten now and he know a lot of his ABC'S. Sadie has also learned how to write her name. We are very proud of them. They like nothing more than to go to a ballgame at school. A few weeks ago we turned in the parking lot and all you here is Dakota taking his fingers out of his mouth and he says loudly.........YEHAHHHHHHHH!!!! BALLGAMEEE!!!! And of course Sadie says, can we get some popcorn. Man, I just love them!Sweet handsome Dakota

My sweet underarmour girl, Sadie!!!

My baby is 6 months old!

2012-02-03T15:03:00.001-05:00

I can't believe six months have already gone by. Chloe is 6 months old today. She is truly a joy to be around. She loves being around other people. She really loves smiling at her brother and sister. She does love mom the most right now. She whines everytime time I leave the room or enter room. We just gave her her first baby food last week. She has had apples, sweet potatoes, prune, and bananas. I must say that she is a lot like here sister was.......she loves those prunes. She is doing a great job sleeping at night, which is really good for mom and dad. I am trying to enjoy every moment that I have with my sweet baby, because Lord willing there will be no more. She tries to talk so much, but she hasn't said a word that we can understand yet. We are anxious to see here first word soon! She continues to love playing with her feet, drinking her milk, playing in her exer-saucer, sitting in anyone's lap, and of course eating her mum-mums. The only bad thing I can honestly think of would have to be her acid reflux. She spits up really bad and we really feel sorry for her. He is growing and gaining weight though, so we are thankful for that. She has also transitioned to formula now and seems to be responding very well to that also. She is still wearing 3 month clothes and can wear some of Sadie's 3-6 month clothes. She continues to be such a cutie although we do need some hair soon. We will be giving another update in a couple of weeks when she gets her 6 month check-up and we find out how much she weighs and how long she has gotten.

Debby's Birthday Party

2012-02-03T14:55:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we attending Debby's 1st birthday party. She belongs to our friends Mike and Sarah Robbins. The party was a lot of fun and we enjoyed visiting with some good old friends!

Chloe at 5 months old!

2012-02-03T14:21:00.000-05:00

So much happened during the fifth month of Chloe's life. She had her first Christmas. She turned over! She began holding her own bottle. She is constantly cooing and caahhing. She loves to be held and smiles a lot. She will even laugh every one in a while. She is eating very well, about every 3.5-4 hours. She doesn't really care for rice cereal, so she hasn't had any food yet. She loves to watch Sadie and Dakota plays and really loves to laugh at Sadie dancing in front of her in the bouncer. She started playing in the exersaucer and she really likes it too, especially when Dakota helps her press all the buttons. We were most excited to see Chloe sleeping through the night. Praise the GOOD LORD!!! Finding her feet was also very exciting. That is probably what she is most excited about. Every time she is laying down, she constantly wants to put them in her mouth.

Here Chloe is feeding herself her bottle! This was exciting for mama and daddy!

Here are some miscellaneous pictures:

Silly Dakota!

2012-02-03T13:43:00.000-05:00

Dakota loves to eat! In fact he loves to eat so much that he thought it would only be fair to help Chloe eat! Hey, at least he is sharing!

Enjoying Bathtime!

2012-02-03T13:40:00.000-05:00

Chloe loves bath time now! We do have to watch her very closely though because she will hop out of that tub if you are not careful!

Chloe Turns Over

2012-02-03T13:38:00.000-05:00

When Chloe was around 5 and half months old she decided to turn over. She was a little scared to start with , but then she started to get used to it. She really didn't like being on her stomach very much though.

Sadie wants curls like Mommy!

2012-02-03T13:33:00.000-05:00

Almost every time that I wear my hair down naturally, Sadie says, "Mommy you have the prettiest hair", I am going to ask God to give me curls". Well I am not sure if she will have curls, but when we go to mom and dads, Nannie give her some curls with the hot curlers. Here she is just as happy as she can be with her curls! She was so proud. She went all over Nana and Papa's house showing everyone!

ECU cuteness!

2012-02-03T13:28:00.000-05:00

These are just a few pictures that were on my cell phone that I just had to post. Sadie and Chloe are just so adorable in their pirate wear! Chloe was about 2 months old here!

Better Late than NEVER!!!

2012-02-03T13:26:00.000-05:00

This is sooooo old, but I had to post it because I will need it for my baby book. Dakota got his haircut here in Farmville. It was his first time in the beauty shop chair. He did so good and I was so proud. Of course the blowpop that RD gave him helped some. Rd just kept bragging about how well he did for such a young little boy. He just sat there all still and his haircut was adorable!

Caden and Sadie

2012-02-03T13:22:00.000-05:00

This is just a really cute picture of Sadie and her really good friends. She is such good friends with Caden and Logan. I am so thankful to be friends with their parents. They have and always will be very special to our family. I can't wait to continue seeing these guys grow up together and build many more memories!

Sugar and spice and everything nice!

2012-01-20T12:47:00.001-05:00

It's always fun having a little girl in the home. We can dress them up in all the cute clothes and of course the accessories come with it. Chloe got an adorable hairbow holder for her birthday and I just wanted to share it with everyone. As you can see, she has lots of bows, thanks to Sadie and Sarah Robbins. The only problem we have now is Sadie wants a hairbow holder like Chloe!:) Oh, what fun it is!

DKJ

2012-01-20T12:43:00.000-05:00

Dakota is loving growing up, but sometimes he likes to take a flashback from when he was a baby. We got the exersaucer out last week for Chloe and Dakota just thinks it's the coolest thing. The only problem we have is when he gets stuck and can't get out of the baby toy! It is cute though when Chloe is playing and Dakota helps him!:)

Chloe-Five Months Old

2012-01-20T12:39:00.000-05:00

Chloe also turned 5 months old shortly after Christmas! It's so hard to believe how fast she is growing up. She has experienced some new things this month. She is still spitting up a lot, which isn't anything new. We are hoping that she will grow out of this stage soon so that she can gain some weight. She decided to finally sleep through the night just before Christmas which I am so thankful for. It will begin to make it a little easier for JJ and I now, especially getting somewhat of a full nights rest. The week after Christmas she surprised herself by flipping over to her stomach, which was really cool for her. She tends to take several naps on her tummy now, which makes her happy. Chloe has a wonderful personality and seems to be happy almost all the time. If you keep her milk in her, she is doing fine. We love her so much and are trying to cherish all our moments with her together. Next update will be at 6 mnonths old! I guess we will see how much she has grown then:)

Christmas

2012-01-16T11:05:00.004-05:00

It's always fun spending time with family at Christmas. We tried our best to help Sadie and Dakota understand what the true meaning of Christmas really is. We are hoping that even through opening all the gifts that they'll remember the birth of Christ through all of this. They were very excited this year. Sadie was in to opening all her gifts and really loved everything that she received. Dakota actually also did a really good job with his gifts also. He was able to open them all by himself with no help at all. Chloe of course just sat back and enjoyed it all by watching. I am sure that next year will be a different story for us all. Here are a few slide shows of the kids during this time!:)

Granny's Christmas Eve

Grandma's Christmas Morning

Church at Benson Grove

Christmas with Nana and Papa

Christmas with Johnston's

Bright Beginnings!

2012-01-16T11:04:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pictures of the Christmas Party at Bright Beginnings which is the preschool that Sadie and Dakota go to!

Keeping the Chrismtas Spirit!

2012-01-16T11:00:00.004-05:00

As we prepared for Christmas, we just had to make some cookies. In the past I have not been one to make homemade roll out cookies because it just such a mess for the kids. This year, I took a deep breath and prepared the dough and let them use the cookie stencils to make some cookies. They even got frustrated and ended up putting them in balls which I was excited about:) It was precious seeing them work together and to watch them looking in the stove to see if they're done. I am hoping that I can do this every year and the kids will remember these special times together.

Disney on Ice

2012-01-16T10:47:00.004-05:00

One of every girls dreams is to see the princesses that they play with everyday. This year, Disney on Ice came to Raleigh and it had all the princesses in it including "Tangled". Sadie just loves Rapunzel so much and we surprised her with tickets to the show. Sadie,Nana, Aunt Manda, Savannah, Nannie, Chloe, and I went to see the show together. It was actually even better than I thought. I even enjoyed it. Sadie enjoyed every minute of it and Savannah was amazed and Chloe just slept in my arms. It was so amazing to see all the things those people could do on the ice. Seeing Sadie's eyes was seriously worth a million dollars. It makes me even more excited to go to Disney World with the kids sometime!:) She just truly enjoyed it so much! I am so glad that we were able to have a girls night out and have such an enjoyable time together:)

Farmville Christmas!

2012-01-16T10:43:00.004-05:00

There is nothing like starting off the Christmas season with a nice Christmas parade! I truly love this time of the year. This year was even a little special because the volleyball team was asked to ride in the Christmas parade because of the successful year that we had. Sadie even got to ride the float with us. The float was sponsored by Piggly Wiggly so we even had the "Pig" with us. It was bittersweet for me as I loved sharing time with these girls but also new that this would be one of the last things that we did together since most of them were graduating. It was so encouraging riding through there and hearing them sing Christmas carols with such smiles on their faces. They were truly having a blast and enjoying every moment!

Chloe is growing up!! 4 Months Old

2011-12-05T21:39:00.007-05:00

Chloe just turned 4 months old! She is such a sweet blessing to have around. It's funny to watch her grow up, because she seems to be just like Sadie was, except for one thing.......SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT (we pray that is coming some day soon). She is such a sweet natured happy baby all of the time. It is very rare that she even cries and most of the time that is because she is hungry. Just his past week, she has began talking or maybe I should say jibber jabbering a lot! It is so cute, but she doesn't want to hush from 5:30 am-6:30 am. Which again was just like Sadie. Another talker is what we have, I believe! Chloe loves her mama and her paci! She is starting to play with some toys, so we'll have to see how much she progresses in the 5th month. We haven't had her doctors appointment, so I am not sure of her weight, but I am anxious to find out how big she is! Just love her!:)

Thanksgiving!

2011-12-05T21:27:00.017-05:00

Thomas turns 30!!

2011-12-05T21:20:00.015-05:00

Last month my sister's husband turned 30 and they had a surprise birthday party for him. That was a fun time together for food, fellowship, and laughter!:)

2011 NC State Fair

2011-12-05T21:11:00.012-05:00

The state fair was filled with lots of excitement with three kids this year. The only day we had available to go, it rained, but we made the best of it and enjoyed every minute! The other times we were there, we were working. I must say that Sadie and Dakota really loved it, especially the chicks. Enjoy these few pictures:

Whirlwind Months!

2011-12-05T21:07:00.005-05:00

The past few months have truly been a whirlwind, but so much has also occurred. I am going to try my best to update you the best way possible. To begin with we had an extremely successful volleyball season this year. It's the longest I have ever had to coach in one year. We actually made it until November, losing out the game before the state championship! This group of girls will always be special to my heart in so many ways. I love them and they have taught me so much about life. I truly hope that my children can be like them when they go through high school. Very respectable young ladies with lots of ambition. They'll be sorely missed!:)

Thankful!!

2011-10-12T22:33:00.003-04:00

As I have reflected on love while reading the bible and other studies I am reminded once again of how blessed I am. Even without a home because of Hurricane Irene, the Lord still makes all these perfect for me. I love my family so much and can't wait to take on many more years together. Here are a couple more pictures!!!

8 weeks old

2011-10-12T22:21:00.005-04:00

Sweet Chloe is eight weeks old now and really has changed a lot. I am not quite lucky enough that she is sleeping through the night, but she is still precious. She is constantly smiling and she is starting to coo-coo now. It is really cute. She just looks at you and tries so hard to talk to you, but not much comes out. Sadie and Dakota are continuing to do great with her. They are both constantly wanting to put her paci in her mouth (who knows if she will ever be able to talk). She is also starting to get into some 0-3 month clothes. At her two month check up she weighed 10lbs 4 oz. She was on the 25% for weight and 50% for height and head circumference. The doctor said that she is perfect. This is truly another reminder of how we are truly blessed to have her in our life, and health at that. Below are some pictures that I took of them this past Saturday. I thought they turned out really good!

Chloe's first day at Mrs. Sheryl's

2011-10-11T21:37:00.000-04:00

Well, our third and hopefully final child had her first day to daycare at 7 weeks old. She was off to Mrs. Sheryl's! She of course did a great job and it was a lot harder for mommy that it was for Chloe! I was so proud of her for doing so great that first week. It made it so much easier for me to return to work!

Go Pirates!!!

2011-10-11T21:13:00.009-04:00

The Pirates are having a horrible season, but we're always ready for game day. One game, I took Sadie and Chloe. It was actually kind of rainy, but it was still a lot of fun. Yes, Sadie did great and so did Chloe! Then, JJ and I went to the UNC game (which we got slaughtered) and we took Chloe to that one too. We are hoping that the season somehow has a better turn around from where it is at now! Come on pirates, get out of this losing streak!

Fun Family Visit!!

2011-10-11T21:01:00.005-04:00

When Chloe was seven weeks old we also got ae visit from Nana, Papa, and Aunt Manda It was so wonderful having them here to visit and catch up! It was the usual spend tme together around home, of course the visit to Sam's for icee's for the kids and then mom, amanda, and I went shopping for a while. I know the kids enjoyed it so much and they're going to remember these moments for the rest of their life! Praise the Lord for family involvement and for teaching the importance of love to others!

Seven weeks old!

2011-10-11T20:50:00.004-04:00

Chloe hasn't really changed all that much over a week! She is still continuing to be more awake. She has now been to several of mommies volleyball games. That is exciting for one of the volleyball moms to watch her. She does so wonderful at the games. The noise doesn't even phase her at all. This makes me happy because it shows that my first seven weeks of loudness (tv, radio, vacuem, etc) has helped her to adjust sleeping in any environment. I really look at her and I am reminded so much of Sadie as a baby. She is such a wonderful baby and we are truly so blessed. All that I could even want or request is a little more sleep and I know that in time that too will come. As for a bath, Chloe has not been so fond of bathtime. I am sure this will change very soon!

We are alive---starting with Chloe at 6 weeks old!

2011-10-11T20:40:00.004-04:00

Chloe has continued to be such a blessing to our family. At six weeks old she is smiling a lot now and she loves to play on her playmat. She is staying awake more during the day and is really a great baby! She continues to eat every three hours and mom is still having to get up at least 2 or 3 times a night. We are really hoping this improves sometime very soon!:) I would say that Chloe's favorite thing is definitely snuggling! She is loving being held by mommy. I am still on maternity leave, so it was so nice spending these special times with her. Below are a few pictures when she was six weeks old. She already loves her papa just as much as the other grandchildren. She loves to smile at him!

Chloe is three weeks old!

2011-08-25T13:25:00.004-04:00

Yesterday Chloe turned 3 weeks old! She is continuing to gain weight, praise the Lord. I actually took her in this morning and she is up to 7lbs 13 oz. Yeah!!!! She is much more alert now and starting to stay awake more. I must say the Lord has blessed us with another good natured baby! She only cries when she is hungry! She also loves to be held every single minute! We are also excited that she has learned to take the pacifier instead of fingers. The paci brings her so much comfort. She smiles now and it starting to bring a little personality out. Sadie and Dakota have transitioned so well! Sadie loves taking care of her and Dakota loves to take her her blanket and pacifier! We truly could not have asked for anything better. I am continuing to heal, at a slow pace of course. I am trying to follow doctors orders even though I am not very good at this. Chloe has jumped right in to our busy activities. She has already been to 4 volleyball games and has done really well! Noise also doesn't seem to bother her probably because she is around so much noise all the time (sadie, dakota, gym, etc). We are excited to continue to see her grow as she will soon be a month old. The time goes by fast!

Power beyond measure and words can say!!!

2011-08-17T11:10:00.004-04:00

This morning I began working on our budget a bit. One of the many struggles that I experienced when I found out that I was pregnant with chloe was how.in the world r we going to afford childcare. Today I was tempted with this worry again as I began going through bills andlooking at credit card balances and the numerous medical bills. I just prayed that I would fight through this and just trust the lord to provide for our family. Well, no lie about thirty minutes later my door bell rang. It was a friend. Without words the person handed me a significant amount of money and told me to use it for chloes childcare. I was amazed and brought to tears as well as thankfulness. How wonderful for this person to allow God to minister to our family in this way. The providential thing about it is it was about the amount we had left to save in the summer and weren't sure if we would be able to do it with school starting. The power of God is so amazing and sometimes its good to be brought to tears to remind u of where u come from and who has power over u!!! I hope I am able to do the same for someone someday!! Praise be to him!!!!

Adorable gift!

2011-08-10T22:26:00.002-04:00

My friend Molly gave this adorable gift to Chloe while we were in the hospital. I was so blessed to have her husband as my anesthesiologist in the hospital. Thanks to him there was no feeling during my c-section! Thank you so much Michael and Molly Holdeman!!!

Chloe-one week old!

2011-08-10T22:22:00.005-04:00

Chloe is one week old today! She is so beautiful and we love her so very much! We love to see her grow and to see her personality come out. Over the past week she basically eats, sleeps, and poops! She has smiled a few times which we loved, especially so early on! We took her to the doctor on yesterday for a weight check and she had not gained any weight since we left the hospital. She weighed 6lbs 13 oz. We are hoping that she will be back up to her birth weight by next Tuesday when she does another weight check. I am feeding her every 3 hours and even waking her up at night to make her eat. Here are a few pictures from today!

More cute pictures!

2011-08-07T22:46:00.001-04:00

Here are some more cute pictures that we have taken since we have come home. Enjoy!

Nice surprise from my volleyball team!!

2011-08-07T22:36:00.002-04:00

When we came home on Friday, we drove into the driveway and there were balloons, streamers, ribbons, and all kinds of stuff on the outside of my house. I was like, awww, that is so sweet of Sadie and Mom to do this. Then I go in the house and it too is decorated with a volleyball signed from some of my players, I was very encouraged that they would go out of their way to do something this special. Again I was reminded of how much I care for these kids and how I am making a difference in their life! Thank you Lord for many, many blessings, even though sometimes they do become stressful:):)!!!

Time to go Home!

2011-08-07T22:27:00.001-04:00

Here are a few pictures of Chloe in her sweet dress that she came home in. This dress was special because it is the same dress that I brought Sadie home in. I plan to save it just in case my children want to use it for theirs one day. One thing that we did do different was embroider Chloe's initials in the smocking of this dress. I really loved it although Chloe could have cared less! Enjoy the pictures!

Chloe Faith Johnston

2011-08-07T22:22:00.002-04:00

On Wednesday, August 3rd 2011 our little miracle entered the world at 7lbs 8 oz and she was 19 inches long. Chloe Faith Johnston has already taught our family so much and we look forward to going through another journey of life with her and she grows up. The c-section and delivery went great and we are learning how to adjust to little sleep again. Nana, Papa, and Aunt Manda were there waiting for her to be born and were so excited to see everyone healthy. I was amazed at how a c-section works and just the wisdom, technology, awesomeness that is involved in that O.R. room. I know most of you are wondering, so what's up with the IUD. No lie as soon as the cut me open they saw it and began digging it out before they started taking out Chloe. They also did a great job (at least we hope so) of tying the tubes. I was very impressed with my doctor and would recommend her to anyone. In just minutes we would hold sweet Chloe and hear that awesome cry. The slideshow below basically tells the rest of the story. Enjoy!!!

The kids room!

2011-08-02T22:41:00.002-04:00

With Chloe coming into the world tomorrow, we have been preparing the kids rooms. Dakota has his own and we tried our best to make it boyish as possible. I really like the colors and love the way that it turned out. Sadie and Chloe will also be sharing a room together and it's as girly as possible and we love the bright colors. Nana and Papa bought Chloe's bedding and Sadie a new quilt so that everything would match beautifully! We love it! The only thing missing is Sweet Chloe's picture in the frame and of course decorating her name with some polka dots (still haven't come in the mail). So, what do you think?

She is acting like a firework........

2011-07-30T17:52:00.002-04:00

Well, today JJ has been working so it's been up to me to entertain the kids. We have watched cartoons, painted, cooked rice krispy treats and chicken pastry for dinner. We are certainly not going outside because it's way to hot for big mama!!!! So, now I have been cleaning and of course twiddle dee and twiddle dum want to follow me everywhere. So, we turned on some music really loud and I gave them a cloth and they went to washing chairs and placemats. The kitchen is more of a mess than it was when I started but at least they are entertained. Then, suddenly Sadie's favorite song came on the radio and this is what you get...............................!!!Not sure about the dance moves. I guess I better watch what I am doing from now on......

Mommy's little swimmer's!

2011-07-29T20:31:00.003-04:00

I must say that I am very proud of my two kids and their lack of fear of the water. It's been a tough job this summer with Dakota because of his fearless attitude. I even let him go to the bottom of the pool at the beginning of the summer to try and scare him, and he came up laughing. We tried every floatation device possibly (except for the arm floats because they are TERRIBLE for kids when teaching them to swim later). We tried the ring and he liked it for about 30 seconds and then he just looked at you and put his arm straight up and smiled as he went through the hole. So we decided we were just going to have to hold him and hope he catches on. He has done more than that. He can now hold his breath, blow bubbles, and kick his feet and glide short distance. Much better than Sadie at that age. I just hope it carries over to next year when he can actually cognitively learn how to swim. Sadie has also picked up where she left off from last year. She was a little afraid at the beginning of the summer, but that fear is completely gone. She has really progressed in the last couple of weeks and especially today. She can now jump off the side and swim back to the side. She can dive for diving sticks (which is her favorite), and she can even do a flip on her own now. She loves the water and basically just loves swimming more than playing. I am actually thankful that she is a bit short because that has forced her to swim since she can't stand up at either pool that we go to. What I am most proud of is what she accomplished today. She can finally take breaths which help her to swim a greater distance. Today at the Cookes' pool I made a deal that if she would swim all the way to the latter she could get this water gun that she has wanted all summer. She seriously practiced for 45 minutes and she had to do it without me in the pool because I told her we had to have it on video. Believe it or not, SHE DID IT!!! She now has a lot more confidence in herself and I love it that she accomplished this on her own. Here are a couple of videos of our little ones! So proud! Thank you Lord for helping them learn such an important thing about safety!

Update on Chloe!!

2011-07-29T20:17:00.010-04:00

Chloe loves being in my belly! We are very anxious to meet her, but very thankful for all that we have learned through this entire process and blessing. This past week we thought we would meet sweet Chloe, but God had a different plan and her lungs were not quite developed enough to come into this crazy world. We are scheduled for a c-section this coming Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. We are very excited! Please continue praying that she is developing well and that her lungs will be ok. We will keep you updated when the surgery is over and we have her in our arms. Praise be to God for this miracle!!

Sadie's first soccer camp!

2011-07-29T20:17:00.009-04:00

Last week Sadie had the chance to experience her first camp! She went to a soccer camp that was held indoors from 9-10:30. The first day she was a little nervous and clingy to me, but then she really ended up enjoying it. I must say that I was a little concerned when she came up to me on the first day and said, "Mama, I am sweating (need I remind you that it was indoors). I was like, it's ok, Sadie, you will survive. After a little bit of gatorade she made it back out there. She especially loved being complemented at the end of the week by the person leading the camp by her saying, "Sadie is a really good kicker". She should play some more soccer. Sadie loved that attention and of course went and kicked another soccer ball. All in all we were pleased with her progress and glad she didn't give up. Here are a few pictures from the week!

Beach 2011!!

2011-07-22T16:27:00.004-04:00

We had an eventful week on our family vacation this year. It kind of started of sad with Gran-gran passing away and going to meet Jesus in Heaven! With sadness in the air, we still managed to have a wonderful time at Peppertree Resort. JJ and I traveled back and forth to Roanoke Rapids for the funeral arrangements and did our best to enjoy our time together. My sister and her family went with us to the beach. This was Dakota's first time really seeing the beach and he loved it. He of course was not afraid of the water, sand, or anything! Sadie did a great job swimming and is continuing to get better and better. She did learn something new while she was on vacation. She learned how to get diving sticks off of the bottom of the pool. We were so very proud of her! We ended our vacation by taking the kids to the Aquarium on the last day. It was very nice and they enjoyed it a lot! We look forward to many more vacations and introducing Chloe to the ocean next year!

Birthday Wreath

2011-06-30T22:33:00.003-04:00

This is the ECU wreath that my sister gave me for my birthday! I thought it was very unique and pretty cool!

Marbles Museum!

2011-06-30T22:13:00.001-04:00

We took the kids to Marbles Museum yesterday! They had a blast. We actually met Thomas, Amanda, Savannah, and Hannah Grace up there also. It was really neat place and the kids had a blast!

Visit with Gran-Gran and Nana!

2011-06-30T22:08:00.001-04:00

Here are a few pictures from our last visit with Gran-gran and Nana! He is still very sick and doesn't seem to be doing well at all, so many prayers would be greatly appreciated. It was nice seeing them and spending some time with them on Father's Day as well as some of the family that I hadn't met before!

Latest Creation!!

2011-06-30T22:06:00.002-04:00

My latest creation has been making bird feeders for some of my family and friends as gifts. Here is a picture of the one that I made for myself. Of course we had to decorate ours ECU style! I must say these are some very happy birds because they are eating all of our seeds! Sadie has really enjoyed seeing all the different kinds and colors of birds!

Almost there!

2011-06-30T22:03:00.003-04:00

Well I officially have three and half weeks until my scheduled c-section! I am very excited! The doctor's appointments have gone well and Chloe seems to be growing at a very good pace. Here is a picture of my pregnant self last week (so 4 weeks before due date). I am hanging in there. Definitely getting more tired in this heat, but can't complain to much considering how healthy Chloe and I are now!

Fun with Robbin's and Radez's!!

2011-06-30T21:56:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago we spent the day with the Radez's and Robbin's! We had a blast and hopefully one day we can spend even more time with them regularly! We had a lot of fun at the pool and got some really cute pictures! There's a really good one of Sadie and Logan!

Sadie's First Trip to the Spa!

2011-06-04T22:21:00.004-04:00

Yes the title says it correctly! No, JJ and I haven't lost our minds! Sadie was invited to her friend Haven's birthday party today! It was at a children's spa here in Greenville called "Glamour-Liscious"! It was absolutely precious and Sadie took in every minute of it. The people treated these 4 year olds just like they do us 30 year olds! I was amazed!!! Sadie got up early this morning and was already excited about getting dressed up. She got her nails and toe-nails done as well as some eye shadow, lip gloss, and a fun fashion show on the red carpet! The pictures really do more justice that my words! They then had pizza, cake, and topped it off with fixing their own ice cream sundae! Now, this is my kind of treat! I guess I just need to be four again to get these benefits ever again! It was a great experience for Sadie and I am glad that I was able to share this special day with her! Praise the Lord that the Ellis's were able to watch Dakota during this time!!:):)

Pool Time at Nana and Papa's

2011-06-04T22:19:00.001-04:00

Sadie and Dakota got to spend the weekend with Papa and Nana during Memorial Day so that we could work at Busco Beach! They had a blast and were introduced to some water fun! With this heat that we have had lately, it made for perfect day! It was wonderful!

Sadie's Daycare/Preschool Presentation!!

2011-06-04T21:49:00.003-04:00

Last Saturday, Sadie had her Preschool Graduation! I can't believe that this will be Sadie next year! She will be graduating and going to school! It was really cute seeing the kids sing their songs and perform in front of everyone! We were of course very proud and it was wonderful having Nana to come and surprise her by coming to the ceremony! Sadie loved every minute of it! I must say that Dakota was quite the proud Big Brother too. When Sadie was up there singing, he was just clapping and yelling for her. He does love his sister!

28 Weeks!!

2011-05-19T14:41:00.002-04:00

Well I have made it to 28 weeks! The risk of miscarriage has significantly reduced now! I had a doctor's appointment this morning and it went great. My weight gain is really good, so I was very happy about that news! Heartbeat was strong and Chloe seems to be growing well. I did measure a little small, but the doctor's didn't seem to be concerned with it all. We have set the amnio for July 25th at 8:00 a.m. and then the c-section will be done on the 26th as long as the lungs are fully developed! I am very excited and it's cool to see how much I have learned through this process. I appreciate all your prayers and ask you to please continue praying that Chloe would develop accordingly, that I would not be anxious and focus on only what is true, and that the pregnancy would continue to go well through the 37th week! I will keep you posted as I continue to have more doctor's appointments. We will be getting an ultrasound on June 9th just to make sure everything is ok with the baby and placenta! Love to everyone!

Mom's Retiring!!

2011-05-19T14:27:00.001-04:00

This past Saturday we threw mom a retirement party to honor her and all her years of hard work! It was great success and I know she felt so encouraged in the end! It was great having so many of her friends and family to share the special day together! Way to go Mom!

Growing up!

2011-05-19T14:23:00.003-04:00

These two are growing up so quickly! This is cute picture of Sadie and Dakota actually matching with their outfits! I love them so much and I love it that they love each other so much. Dakota just follows Sadie around everywhere she goes. He really wants to be just like her! I am sure the fighting days are coming soon, but the cuteness is cool for now! Love it!

Mother's Day

2011-05-19T14:20:00.004-04:00

I had a wonderful Mother's Day! We spent the day at mom and dads and it was great! Daddy's family came over for lunch, so that was a lot of fun. I felt very appreciated and loved as I always do. Sadie and Dakota gave me an adorable pandora charm that says "MOM", so I was excited to add that to my bracelot. My mom also gave me a really cool summer flag to put up in a few weeks! I am so blessed with such a great family and to have learned so much from my wonderful mom!

Sadie's 4th Birthday!!

2011-05-19T13:55:00.002-04:00

Sadie had a great day celebrating her birthday! She got to spend it with all her friends and of course Nana, Papa, Nannie, Aunt Manda, and Uncle Thomas would never miss her special day! We had her party at the park and the weather was PERFECT! We couldn't have asked for a better day! She loved her Belle Cake that Nannie made for her and of course she loved all her cool gifts. At the end Daddy put together a fun game for everyone to play, "HUMAN CANDYLAND". This was a big hit and the kids loved playing this game. When you got to the end, you could get your goodie bag from Sadie! We look forward to many more memorable birthday with Sweet Sadie! Thanks so much to all who came out to be a part of the special day!

Happy Fourth Birthday, Sadie!!

2011-05-06T21:40:00.006-04:00

I can't believe that Sadie will be four years old in a few hours! She is the light of our life and we love her so very much! The years have gone by so fast and she is so special to us and always will be. She is a great BIG SISTER and we look forward to seeing her grow up with the other little ones! Happy Birthday, Sadie!!!

27 weeks Pregnant

2011-05-06T21:39:00.002-04:00

I can't believe I am already 27 weeks pregnant. Anyway, here is the tummy shot! I go a feeling I will be huge before this is all over!:)

Strawberry Patch

2011-04-27T22:52:00.007-04:00

While we were at Nana and Papa's we went to pick strawberries at Mr. Jerry's! They were very yummy! Sadie and Amanda picked most of them! Yummy to my Tummy!!!

Easter!!!

2011-04-27T22:01:00.004-04:00

A fun filled weekend is was of course. There were egg hunts, pig pickings, family time, and most importantly focusing on the death of Christ and how he is ALIVE! We were at mom and dads all weekend and we of course had a blast. Sadie had fun egg hunting and two different churches, as well as Dakota. He really started to get the hang of it at the second egg hunt. He was actually picking them up and putting them in the bucket, and then of course dumping them out! We really focused a lot on the true meaning of Easter with Sadie and she really gets it. People would ask her what Easter is about and she told them "It's about God son. He died and went to heaven and came back out of the grave" We were proud that she seems to be getting it and hopefully she will see the special relationship that she can share one day along with Dakota and Chloe! Guess we will have to wait and see! By the way, the adorable Easter outfits were of course from Nana and Papa! They're so cute on these precious kids!!!

Family Time

2011-04-27T21:25:00.004-04:00

We decided to do something as a family over spring break! The break started off busy for my wonderful husband JJ. He repaired a hole in the ceiling where someone stepped through. It was such a tough job, but it over with. The the next day he painted Dakota's room. He now has a "BOY" room in which I am very proud of (pictures will come at a later post when I am finished decorating it....don't worry....almost done). After a day of chilling and daddy taking Sadie to a movie, we decided to take a trip to the Durham Life and Science Museum. At first I was like, whatever, a museum is sooooooooooo boring. After looking at it on the internet and realizing we could go for really cheap thanks to a coupone, we decided to give it a shot. I packed up a picnic lunch and we were off. The kids had a blast and I couldn't believe how much there was to do there. I would highly recommend others taking their kids there. There are lots of recreational and educational things to do!!!

Gran-gran and Nana

2011-04-27T21:19:00.011-04:00

While we were on Spring Break we decided to spend one day with Nana and Gran-gran (JJ's Grandparents). They have both been so special and infuential to JJ throughout his life. Gran-gran has recently been diagnosed with cancer, so we are not sure how long he will be able to battle this disease! They loved having the kids around and it was very encouraging spending time with them and helping them out!

Pirate Fest

2011-04-10T18:10:00.006-04:00

Pirate Fest is an annual festival they have downtown. It's basically just lots of vendors with some huge blowup toys, lot's of food, and different entertainment. I basically went for the puppet show that my friend was doing and the title was "Pirate Nasty Ned and picking his nose". Well since Sadie loves to do that on her boredom time, we decided maybe this would help. It was really good and she said she doesn't want to be like Nasty Ned, she wants to be like Neat Ned. I guess we will see, only time will tell. It's was overall pretty fun. Everything cost money, so we just walked around and then this random lady gave us her punch card to jump in the blowups since they were done. You had to buy 12 on a card and she had only used 4, so Sadie loved that. There was even one that Dakota could get in and that was hilarious. He couldn't stand up because he was laughing to much and so hard. Getting him out was another story.....

Spring Decor

2011-04-10T18:00:00.004-04:00

Well the spring is officially here! We had our decorations out for over a month now, but I just thought I would share them with you. I have really enjoyed doing it with the kids. It's also been neat explaining to Sadie the true meaning of Easter. This morning in church I was able to see that she is beginning to learn a little about God. She sits in church with us and she was playing with her Barbies and then out of the she shouts, "It's about God's Son". I was little embarrassed, but also proud that she was listening. It had nothing to do with the message, so I am not quite sure where she got it from (or maybe I wasn't listening very well either). Anyway, enjoy our little decorations. The placemats in the kitchen came from Kohls (I have been saving a store credit ever since Christmas because I knew I wanted these). Everything else was things given to us or I just made up. The pictures in the frame are of my adorable kids at the daffodil fields. I loved how they turned out. Take care and keep in touch!!!

Twenty weeks!!

2011-03-27T21:17:00.002-04:00

It is so hard to believe that I am already twenty weeks pregnant. Tonight jj felt the baby move for the first time!!!! It was pretty cool. We also have decided on a name..........CHLOE FAITH JOHNSTON!!! Her middle name is faith because she has already taught me so much about trusting God and having true faith!!! I can't wait to see how.much more I continue to learn through this process. Half way there!!!!!

Daffodil Fields!!!

2011-03-27T16:33:00.001-04:00

This was our trip to the daffodil fields this year! We had a good experience even though later that day we found out that Sadie was sick with the croop which explains why it was a bit challenging! Over-all I thought they turned out great!

Love them!!

2011-03-27T16:32:00.001-04:00

This is just a cute picture of our sweet kids! We are so blessed to have such loving children! I guess maybe that is why the LORD wanted to bless us more.....

PaPa's Bday!

2011-03-27T16:19:00.003-04:00

Last week was Papa's birthday! We met him at Applebees to celebrate! It was a wonderful and refreshing time with family and friends!!!!

Psalm 40

2011-03-27T16:14:00.005-04:00

"As for you O LORD, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!!!

It's been a couple of weeks, but we did have a very encouraging doctor's appointment and we found out that we are having a healthy baby girl! We are very excited and Sadie was astounded! Everything looked great on the very detailed ultrasound, so now it is just sit and wait. I am still in the very critical point with the IUD situation, but in 7 more weeks, that will be over. Thank you so much for all your prayers and please keep them coming!!!!!

Savannah's Baby Dedication!

2011-03-27T16:12:00.001-04:00

Last Sunday, Savannah got dedicated at her church. It was very special and a wonderful reminder of the responsibility as parents and family that we have to be Godly examples for her to follow! May she be blessed in so many ways and know the love of Christ one day!

New things!

2011-03-07T20:19:00.003-05:00

Dakota has been doing lots of new things lately! He is walking really good, in fact he is almost running! He loves to follow Sadie everywhere and do everything that she does. He loves to dump all Sadie's toys out of the bins as well as his own! The cutest thing he has done lately was play with his truck that makes noises. He makes the cutest "OHHHH" face. You will see in the video below! He also loves to dance to any music! He is beginning to talk some. The normal phrases, mama, dada, more are the common ones. He has recently learned to say night-night, bye-bye, and just this past weekend he said nana, papa, and nannie! I can't wait to see how the other words he learns very soon, that is if, Sadie gives him the opportunity to talk!!!

Logan's Pool Party!

2011-03-07T19:55:00.001-05:00

Logan had his 4th birthday party at the aquatic center. Sadie and Dakota loved the water!!!!

Barbour Beach!!

2011-03-07T19:40:00.003-05:00

PAPA built Dakota, Sadie, and Savannah a HUGE sandbox. In fact, Sadie has named it Barbour Beach. We spent Saturday there and the kids played their little hearts out in this sandbox. I don't think anything makes Sadie happier than sand and a bucket/shovel! The turkey that you will see is pretty random, but is a pet of our neighbor. It just gobbles and gobbles and Dakota laughed and laughed! Pretty cool!

FLU!!!

2011-03-07T19:35:00.003-05:00

Our sweet little Dakota had the flu a little over a week ago! It was horrible, but thanks to tamiflu and our checking account and of course the healing power of God, he is feeling much better. For those of you curious, this is what a one year with the flu looks like!

NOT FEELING SO HOT!!!!

LAST DAY OF MISERY AND FEELING MUCH BETTER!!!

Dakota's Special Day!!!

2011-02-16T17:10:00.007-05:00

Dakota woke up on his birthday as happy as always! Check him out in his cute birthday onesie!!!

Then we left to go to Mrs. Sheryl's and he got another treat......His carseat turned around!!! He loved it so much because now he can see what is going on!!!

And this is what we got him! We know he will love it in the Spring when he can sit and put all his cool trucks in there!

Small party at home on Dakota's Birthday!!!

Last Saturday, we continued the birthday festivities by going to Nana and Papa's to celebrate with another party for family and friends! It was so much fun spending time with family and making Dakota's birthday one to remember! We are so thankful for all that Nana and Papa did to make it all happen! Nana and Papa got him a cool car that he loved:

Dakota is ONE!!!

2011-02-06T15:22:00.006-05:00

One year ago, another miracle came into our lives, Dakota Kale Johnston. I cannot believe our sweet Dakota is one today! It's seems like he should already be one. He has been walking for so long already. He is talking, saying, "mama, dada, papa, more, bye bye, thank you", and then of course the temper tantrums. He is a sweet cuddly baby, unlike Sadie at this age. He has had two ear infections and we are hoping he will not have to have tubes anytime soon! He loves to get his sleep and doesn't do well at all without his sleep. He loves to eat anything that will fit in his mouth, not picky at all! He is starting to play with trucks and fun little toys. He loves taking the pieces out of all his puzzles. His most favorite thing to do is play with the remote controls (not toy can possibly top this one). I would have to say that he is a mommy's boy right now, but I am sure that could change sometime soon! He loves interacting with her kids and playing with them. He also LOVES his babysitter, Mrs. Sheryl! He just grins and runs everyday we drop him off there. His motor skills seem to be very good and seem to be progressing every day. We can't wait to see what all he has done over the next year! We love him so much and wouldn't have it any other way. He is such an easy baby to take care of, just like Sadie was!!! More posts to come after all the birthday celebrations....party at home......party at nana and papa's!!!!

Beautiful day.........horrible outcome a week later!!!

2011-02-06T15:15:00.004-05:00

Ok, so last Sunday was such a beautiful day. We loved playing outside. Sadie rode her bike and I played in the backyard with her a Dakota for a while! They do love to swing on there swingset! We look forward to the spring time coming very soon!!!

Now, for part two.............The kids were having so much fun that I decided to take some pictures! Oh, how cute they would be on the blog! It was just perfect. So Wednesday comes around and Dakota is doing this funny thing dancing and I just thought we had to capture it on video, but I couldn't find the camera. I have literally been looking for it since last Wednesday. Sadie had me convinced that Dakota had hid my camera!!!! Yesterday I cleaned their entire room from ceiling to closet, to drawers and all. NO CAMERA! It all hit me about an hour ago.......I AM MY MOTHER'S CHILD!!!! My camera was right where I left it........hanging on the swingset. Bad news is it has rained 4-7 days this week, so the camera is ruined. Looks like I will have to start selling some stuff on Craigslist to get enough money to get another one! The good news is I was able to save my pictures off of the SD Card! I know my mom is probably getting this biggest kick out of all of this! What shall I do next......?????

Sweet Savannah

2011-02-06T15:11:00.005-05:00

My sister had class at ECU a couple weeks ago, so we were able to babysit Savannah at our house! Sadie LOVED it so much. She really didn't want to leave her side. Dakota on the other hand just wanted to constantly pat her and wanted to be sitting with me every time she was in my lap. These were sweet memories and we can't wait for Aunt Amanda to have another class sometime soon!!!

JJ's Belated Birthday!!!

2011-02-06T15:07:00.004-05:00

Due to other things going on the day of JJ's Birthday, it was little belated. About a week later Sadie and I surprised him with his favorite chocolate cake!!! He of course loved it almost as much as Sadie! Hopefully next year won't be quite as dramatic on his special day! We do love him though!!!

Thanks!!

2011-01-28T21:55:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to thank everyone for their encouraging words, thoughts, and prayers concerning my medical issues over the past month. I am confident that God is in control and he will protect me and my family during this time! Thanks so much for being so special to us! I love you all and will keep you updated as I receive more news!!!

Dakota is off.......

2011-01-16T08:27:00.002-05:00

Dakota has been taking a few steps for a couple of weeks now. Yesterday he was taking several steps. Check him out! Sorry the video is a little blurry, it's with my phone and I was a little excited! We do the next one with our camera and it will be much clearer!

New Years Day Wedding!

2011-01-10T19:16:00.001-05:00

My cousin got married on New Years Day! How cute 1-1-11! I didn't get a great picture of them, but here are a few cute ones of the crew!

New Years Eve!

2011-01-10T19:10:00.002-05:00

Party at the Radez's! It was fun seeing friends that I haven't seen since college or their wedding!

More pictures of Savannah!

2011-01-10T19:03:00.002-05:00

Savannah is two weeks old now! She is growing and seems to be a very happy and content baby. She loves to sleep, so mommy and daddy really hope that continues. Here are a few pictures of the kids seeing Savannah for the first time!

Savannah Brooke Lee

2010-12-31T11:08:00.001-05:00

Yesterday my sister had her baby and I was sooooooooooooooo excited. I am now Aunt Shelley. She is absolutely beautiful and perfect. She weighed 7lbs 15 oz and she was 20 inches long. Here are a few pictures of the special day!

Snow Day!!

2010-12-31T10:50:00.004-05:00

While we were snowed in at mom and dads, we got to have lots of fun in the snow. We built a cute snowman, sledded behind the four wheeler, and ate some really good snowcream. I love these times that we can share with our children and family!!!
Sorry for the loudness of my mouth on the videos.....

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Christmas Recap!

2010-12-30T23:10:00.004-05:00

We had a wonderful holiday with family and friends. Here are some picture slideshow's to explain it all.....
Christmas Eve:

Christmas Morning

Christmas Parade!!!

2010-12-12T14:36:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we went to the Farmville Christmas Parade! We had a wonderful time although it was very cold and got very wet! It was nice having PAPA with us!!!

He's growing up!

2010-12-10T21:36:00.006-05:00

Dakota is now 10 months old! I can't believe how fast the time is going by! He is really starting to leap and progress in so many ways. He is saying, "mama", "dada", "hey", and "bye". Then of course his temper tantrum sounds. He has learned what no means and is starting to reap the benefits of that lesson (yes, popping has begun). His personality is very laid back. He loves to play with lots of toys now. Of course he wants to do everything standing up now. He can stand up and walk from toy to toy. It won't be long and he'll be walking around here. He is crawling everywhere. He is eating some solids, but mostly baby food. We are trying to transition him, but his stomach doesn't seem to be agreeing with us. One of his favorite things to eat are definitely marshmallows. Most recently he has really enjoyed the gingerbread flavored ones. He loves going to Nana and Papa's and really knows who they are now. Just tonight, nana was on the phone and I was trying to get him to say nana and he opened his mouth and kissed the phone, as if she could get it. It was just too cute! I can't wait to see how he is going to react at Christmas! We are very blessed to have him as a part of our family and love him so very much! Hopefully I can start blogging more and so that we don't forget all of Dakota's milestones!

Shop till you drop!!!

2010-12-10T21:27:00.002-05:00

Since I can remember, my family has always dove into the crowd for the day after Thanksgiving rush! We always find good deals and it's just really exciting. This year I was really brave and decided to go to the Smithfield Outlets at midnight! I actually ended up getting there around 11:30 and it really wasn't that bad! I got a lot of really good deals and some cute clothes for Dakota at a very cheap price. I got back to mom and dad's around 3:30. That was fun! Then Dakota of course woke me up at 7:30 for his normal morning rituals. I really wasn't even that tired. I got up and played with him for a while and then decided to go and shop in Raleigh. I began around 10:30 and I had Dakota with me. I just knew this was going to be a short day and the worst mistake I had ever made. Boy, was I wrong! Dakota was AWESOME!!!! We were at Triangle Towne Center FOREVER. He just rode around in his stroller (double stroller.. one side for him and other side for bags:):)!! He never cried or wimpered the first time. We were there for 5 hours. I just took my time and enjoyed it all. I think he liked shopping with mommy all day. Did I mention that I found some awesome deals. I can't possibly tell you about them all, but the one that I was most excited about was a set of stainless steel pots and pans that were $130. With early bird discounts and coupons, I paid a whopping $15 for them. I have used them and can't believe how much better cooking is! What a great day this was and I loved having Dakota with me!!!!!!!!!!!

Dakota's First Haircut!

2010-12-10T21:24:00.004-05:00

Dakota had his first haircut a couple of weeks ago. Aunt Carolyn trimmed around the ears so that there is no question to him being a girl or boy!!!

Thanksgiving!

2010-12-10T21:07:00.002-05:00

What a wonderful Thanksgiving! We had a blast with family and friends. We were very fortunate to spend time with JJ's family and mine. It was nice seeing people and spending time together. Here are a few pictures:

At the Johnston's:

At the Barbour's:

Amanda's Last Shower

2010-12-10T21:00:00.001-05:00

Here are some pictures from the shower that we hosted. Amanda and Thomas received some great fellowship and lot's of needed things for Savannah!

Savannah is coming.......Let's Prepare!

2010-11-17T22:04:00.003-05:00

November brought lots of showers.......!!!!!!! My sister has been showered with gifts the past two weekends. She has had a church shower from her church and a diaper shower for family. It's been really cool to see her get such good gifts and to see her so excited. Amanda and Thomas are very anxious to meet this adorable little Savannah! Here are some pictures from the showers! She will be having one more that we are hosting this Sunday, so there will be more pictures to come! Please continue to pray for my sister and her pregnancy and that it would be healthy and as stress-free as possible. Most importantly pray that she will not be anxious and prone to worry about the past! By the way, I am basically ECSTATIC to become an AUNT!!!!! Yeah, no recovering......just spoiling!!!

Will it be a boy or a girl?????

2010-11-17T22:01:00.003-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I hosted a baby shower for our good friends Mike and Sarah. They recently moved to Raleigh from Arizona! Sarah is about 30 weeks pregnant now and she doesn't know what she is having because it is a SURPRISE!!! We had a good time talking and laughing about her becoming a new mom. Her and Mike are truly going to be the best parents EVER! I just can't wait to find out what it is even thought I am like 95% sure it is a GIRL!!!

2010 NC STATE FAIR!!!

2010-10-28T21:59:00.002-04:00

Oh what fun it is to be at the Fair. JJ and I work every year, it's becoming even more fun to take the kids. Sadie was really into it this year. She went the first weekend with Nana and Papa and they took her on a few rides. She had a blast. She loved the corn on the cob and cotton candy. Dakota also tried his first cotton candy and of course love it! She then went the next weekend with mommy and daddy and had another wonderful time. She rode ride after ride after ride! It was truly fun and I loved seeing and hearing her laugh the entire time she was riding until the ride stopped. Dakota on the other hand just took it all in. He did get a mount olive pickle and absolutely refused to give that up! That was definitely the highlight of the day for him! Can't wait to see what is in store next year.......!!!!

Go Lady Jaguars!!!

2010-10-28T21:54:00.004-04:00

As most of you know, I have been soooooooooooo busy since July! Volleyball season has been a blast and we have so learned so much! We had the most successful season we have had at Farmville Central. We set a new school record by going undefeated 14-0 during conference play. We had a heartbreaking two point loss in the second round of the State Playoffs. Many life lessons were learned and it was neat to hear the girls share that after their hearts were broken from the season coming to an end! This is why I coach.....to make a difference in the lives of these young women and to teach them that winning is not the most important thing....it's the life lessons that you learn on the way! I can't wait to see what God has in store next year! I am so proud to be so blessed!