The Johnston Family Tradition

So sweet...by Kayleigh Johnston

2011-06-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

caanon daniel elijah and nathan are finily here ! we are so glad. we went to the park and stayed about 15 minuts then went back . all thogh hot,hot,hot of cource . is'nt nathan adorible i was so glad to meet him .i'm glad i could do this post, kayleigh

My other two treasures...

2011-05-13T14:31:00.001-07:00

So precious I can hardly even stand it! Here is Kayleigh and Ethan's Easter's photos.

Joel's 10 months old!

2011-05-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

Our little Joel is 10 months old! How is that possible? I've been a terrible blogger lately, so I thought I would put a few pictures of him up so you can all see what he looks like now. I took these today as the 'official' Easter pictures. I never got any really good ones on the actual day, so that's what I spent the morning doing. Isn't he beautiful?!

Look at those beautiful lips! And those cheeks! Ah!

"Jolly Good!" "Cheers!" "Cheerio!" from abroad...

2011-03-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

LONDON BABY! What a fun city! My parents, my brother and sister-in-law (Jana), Jeffrey, Kayleigh and I just spent a week in London, England for spring break. It was Kayleigh and Jana's first time to visit so we hit all of the major sights. It was so fun seeing Kayleigh see everything for the first time. She was especially interested in seeing Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and riding in a double-decker bus. The clock even chimed at noon while we were there, which she was so excited about. Pretty awesome to hear!

"Hello, Mum and Dad!"

At Buckingham Palace

Hello Big Ben!

The horse guard in front of White Hall

Jeffrey and Kayleigh at Trafalgar Square looking toward the National Gallery

Kayleigh at Trafalgar Square looking toward Big Ben

Silly Uncle Erin on one of the four giant lions at Trafalgar Square

Me and Aunt Jana

Yes kids, that's THE QUEEN!!!!

At the British Library
Highlights of the Library worthy of noting, all of which were originals:

Magna Carta
Gutenberg Bible
Chaucer's Canteberry Tales
Jane Eyre
Jane Austen's desk, glasses and some manuscripts
Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream
Mendelssohn's 'Wedding March'
Handel's 'Messiah'
Mozart's marriage contract
Ravel's 'Bolero'
Alice in Wonderland
DaVinci's notebook, mostly containing his thoughts on advanced engineering
Beethoven's tuning fork

At the British Museum

THE Rosetta Stone! The actual Rosetta Stone! This ain't your Barnes&Noble brand of translating, kids!

Shopping at Harrod's, um, yes please! And the Food Hall...how can you resist?!
http://www.harods.com

In the Underground at Green Park, our tube stop by the apartment...I mean flat!
Mind the Gap!

St. Paul's Cathedral

Jeffrey and Kayleigh at St. Paul's Cathedral

Uncle Erin, Aunt Jana, me and Jeffrey at the Tower of London overlooking the Thames River and Tower Bridge

Me and my love at the Tower of London

Kayleigh and a Yeoman Warder at the Tower

Mom and Dad, A.K.A. Papa and Gigi, trying to stay warm at the Tower

At the Natural History Museum! Whoa!

After dinner at Simpson's in the Strand, so yummy!
http://www.simpsonsinthestrand.co.uk/

Our last dinner in London, at Hard Rock Cafe! It was just a couple blocks from our apartment

Kayleigh's letter to the Queen! She was so proud of it. Mom and dad got her some nice stationary to write it on when we got back to the apartment one night. Maybe she'll get a reply!

Joel's 8 months old!

2011-03-10T08:11:00.000-08:00

My little boy is 8 months old! How is possible that he's closing in on a year? He's really getting mobile now, though not officially crawling yet. He mostly goes backwards when he tries. It's pretty funny. He rolls most everywhere and gets to anything he wants that way. He has sat himself up and has pulled himself up! So exciting! He is such a blessing to our family. His smile and his sweet little personality are the absolute most precious. Here's what he's looking like these days:

Kayleigh's 7!

2011-02-06T14:28:00.001-08:00

Our precious Kayleigh is 7! These are a few pics from her family party.
We tried to do her party with friends from school, but she got her biggest birthday wish, it snowed...for four days! So, we had to reschedule if for this week. Hopefully I'll have some good pictures from that to share later this week.

So serious.

A little something all the way from East Asia! Money! She was so excited that y'all sent her something! Thanks Auntie Caanon, Uncle Daniel, Elijah and Nathan!

The last gift of the party, and what a surprise it was! Just what she was hoping for, the bed for
her American Girl doll, Rebecca.

officially, 6 months old!

2011-01-08T16:55:00.000-08:00

Hello handsome.

Joel's 6 months old, well, close enough!

2011-01-01T19:54:00.000-08:00

Joel got this hat for Christmas and I think he is the cutest thing! He'll be six months old in 6 days and it seems so hard to believe that we've had him that long. But then, like with a lot of things, it seems like we've always had him.

Here's Joel's personality and details at six months:

He is just the happiest baby, always smiling. He loves to chew on his toes and is, I think, starting to teethe. He has really started reaching for everything. He tried grabbing my plate last night at dinner and ended up catching some mac and cheese, which of course, I panicked, worrying about his milk allergy. Not quite sure he if he is over that or not yet. He's only getting half of the Zantac he was once taking now, and hopefully in a few more weeks, we can have him totally off of it. He is still taking his Prevacid once a day though. He is rolling over all of the time and has little interest in sitting, this boy wants to stand! He's ready to start chasing Kayleigh and Ethan. He loves bath time. He's figured out how to splash and it cracks him up. It's so funny to watch. Hopefully tomorrow we will try cereal again, but with a much better result. I got a different type this time, so hopefully this one will be better. His doc appointment is in a few days, so I'll add his stats when we get them. Isn't he the cutest?!

IT SNOWED!!!!

2010-12-31T16:07:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe it's true, but I saw it with my own eyes. Snow. Actual. Real. Snow! Granted, it didn't stick nor did it last very long, it actually happened. Kayleigh ran outside and admired it for the brief moment that it came down, but she loved it while it was here. Notice the teeny tiny little flakes coming down around her.

Ethan's 3!

2010-12-28T12:38:00.001-08:00

Who knew how greatly our lives would change three years ago? I couldn't have come close to imagining how precious this little boy would be. Only God knew how awesome His creation was.

And here he is now. Seriously. Precious. I cannot fully explain how much I love him. SO very thankful we were given this little guy! We love you, Ethan!

Luke 2:10-12

2010-12-22T16:02:00.000-08:00

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

My baby boy...Joel, that is

2010-12-22T07:56:00.000-08:00

Sweet. Precious. Treasure. Adorable. Angel. I could go on and on, he's just so wonderful. He is such a good baby, and we are so thankful for him. Here is Joel Thomas after his bath last night.

Christmas at our house

2010-12-19T19:13:00.000-08:00

So, for an attempt at getting Christmas pictures of the kids that seemingly was not going well, we actually got some really sweet ones, especially of Ethan, which is usually our hardest one to get! We'll have to try again for the whole family. Joel was just too tired and cranky to cooperate. But I hope you enjoy these:

little lady

2010-12-10T06:01:00.000-08:00

My precious little lady.

Joel's 5 months old!

2010-12-09T08:40:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Our little Santa is 5 months old! One of three best Christmas presents ever!

Joel's 4 months old!

2010-11-15T17:00:00.000-08:00

Our little Joel Thomas is growing up!

15 lbs. 6 oz.
25 1/4" long

Accomplishments this month:
Laughing and "talking" all the time!
He's sleeping through the night!
He's starting to roll from back to tummy more, and has rolled tummy to back once.
Slept at Nana and PawPaw's for the first time this month (while we were all sick, yuck!)
Grabbing for objects in front of him!

A message typed from Kayleigh:

happy 4 month birthday Joel. we can't believe he is geting so big . this month has been tuff on Joel. daddy Kayleigh momma and Ethan got sick. meaning throgh up. so we did not want to get Joel sick. so he spent the night with Nana and Pawpaw. and wouldn't eat.we got sick November 8 .bad month for Joel.

Our Peeps

2010-10-22T11:06:00.000-07:00

Our kiddos are growing up way too fast! Joel is pulling his head and shoulders off the ground like he's already doing crunches! It's pretty funny to watch, plus he takes it pretty seriously. Ethan has become the family comedian. He's seriously one of the funniest kids I know. Sometimes I think he is making us laugh so he doesn't get in trouble, and hello! It's totally working. It's hard to discipline with that face looking at you! And Kayleigh is our little ballet princess, as always. She is an angel in the upcoming "Nutcracker" and is so excited about it. She's all drama and just the sweetest little girl. Yes, I think she's proven you can be both dramatic and sweet at the same time!

I thought I would also put a few of the highlights from the kids day to day doings:

Joel:

He has rolled over a few times, but not with any real consistency, but he sure tries hard!

He laughs really big when you "throw him in the air."

He loves bath time. Really. Loves. Bath time. He just smiles and talks. So cute!

Ethan:

(how many times have we seen this face?!)

He pretty much always holds his pants up when he runs! Most of the time they are about to actually fall off. He's just so skinny! What a problem, huh?!

One of his most common new phrases is, "Of course I can!"

When we are listening to their Praise Baby DVD in the car, he says "haddahloolah" instead of hallelujah, pretty precious if you ask this momma!

He also sings "Hooley, Hooley, Hooley" with passion! Translated, "Holy, Holy, Holy!"

Kayleigh:

She is a ferocious writer. She is writing something alllllll of the time. Notes to people, pretend menus, pretend schoolwork. Anything. But always writing.

She is a total little momma. She loves taking care of her brothers. Sometimes she gets a little carried away, but her heart is in the right place.

She loves getting her picture taken. She poses, has her different smiles, etc. It's hilarious. We get such a kick out of watching her, she's a total natural. Hopefully this will not be a career choice, but she's beautiful and we adore her!

Joel's 3 months old!

2010-10-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

Our little Joel Thomas is growing up!

13 lbs. 2 oz.
24" long

Accomplishments this month:
Laughing and "talking" all the time!
On his 3 Month Birthday, he slept from 8pm-8am! First all-nighter!
He rolled over for the first time at 3 Months, 2 Days.
He's sleeping in his own room.
Beginning to grab for objects in front of him!
Today he moved into a size 2 diaper!

story time

2010-09-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

Since Joel was born, Jeffrey has really become the getting the big kids in bed master. I cannot tell you what a huge help he is. So thankful. I honestly couldn't do it without him. He gets Kayleigh her shower started, then bathes Ethan, dresses him in jammies, reads and usually puts them both to bed while I feed Joel and get him to bed. This has become our new normal. However, some nights there is a small break with routine. Last night, the break in routine took the shape of Kayleigh reading to Ethan instead of Jeffrey, in his chair. So precious! It is so neat that she is such a good reader that she can sit down with any of their books and read to him like this. Such a big girl. Pretty stinkin' proud of her! Thomas was the book of choice last night.

Joel's 2 months old!

2010-09-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

Here are his 2 month stats:

weight: 11.6 pounds (50th percentile)
height: 23 " (50th percentile)
head: 15 1/2" (50th percentile)

So, as you can see he is about as average as it gets! Kayleigh was big for her age, Ethan's been tiny for his age, and now Joel is juuuuuust right. I'd say we have ourselves a Three Bears story, Goldilocks!

out and about and around the house

2010-08-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot going on here as usual. A house full of kiddos, a precious hubby and a casa to maintain keeps a gal on her toes. Though I must say, today was so nice and relaxing. Nana came over and kept the boys this morning while Jeffrey and I were finalizing our will. Such a strange thing to do. Anyway, after that was over, I got to go shopping AND browse. Browse. That's right. I actually got to wade thru all of the racks, one article at a time, look at them, and decide if I liked them or not. I could decide what accessories might look nice with what I chose. I got to think about shoes I would wear with said outfit, AND then got to look at shoes! Boots, heels, flats. All of them. I didn't have anyone rushing me, or asking for a snack, or when we would be done, or crying, or spitting up, or...you understand. It was glorious. I was so thankful to get just a few hours alone. It was really good for the mental health, ya know? I haven't really had an hour alone in over 2 months. SO. THANKFUL! Nana, you are soooo appreciated, I hope you know that!

Here are a few pics of the goings-on over the last couple days. Love these guys! Aren't they cutie pies? Oh, I do believe so!

with change comes a new look...

2010-08-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

So, I don't think it would be possible for someone to be more ready for fall. I mean really, how much hot weather does one person really need? I'm thinking only of falling red, orange and brown leaves, a crisp feeling in the breeze, that change in the way the light shines from the sun. Boots, sweaters and a scarf. Maybe even the smell of pumpkin pie. Mmmmm...these are all things that I love. Fall. What a wonderful time of year. Oh how I miss you fall. I eagerly await your precious arrival. In honor of this blessed season's arrival shortly, a new look for the blog. I can't wait to see what this fall will hold for our family. Joel will likely be rolling over, cooing and hopefully be outgrowing his need for reflux medication. Kayleigh will be rounding out her first semester in first grade (whoa!) and Ethan will no doubt have figured out how to climb on the roof! Stinker!

You know, when you think about it, fall is really all about change. Everything changes. The scenery changes, activities change etc.. The kids are always growing and changing into the adults they will someday become, I'm hopefully becoming more the wife and mommy my family needs and it is all happening so quickly we hardly see it happening. I pray I can stop and treasure these changes as they are happening. It's hard to want to treasure screaming babies or arguments, 3 a.m. feedings, dirty diapers and never getting it all together. But these are the things that, in this season, the Lord is guiding for a purpose. He is giving me these times for a very specific reason. I pray I have the wisdom to ask for His grace to guide me through the not-so-fun times and the thankful heart to appreciate His goodness in the good times.

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

kayleigh's first day of 1st grade

2010-08-27T18:57:00.000-07:00

Kayleigh has finished her first week of school and has had a great time! She loves her teacher, Mrs, Sample, and has already had her first spelling test, which she got a 104 on! So proud of that little lady! Here's a couple pics from Monday.

*disclaimer: please ignore our shameful, neglected flowerbeds. They've received little attention this summer. ;)

six weeks old

2010-08-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

My tiny little love Joel is six weeks old and ten pounds. oh. my. word. How is this happening?! Make time stop!

It's been so busy around here lately. Joel has been put on reflux medicine just like Kayleigh had and has been switched to a sensitive soy formula. Since starting them, he has gradually been getting so much better. The days of fussing/shreaking all day seem to be somewhat behind us. Thank goodness. I thought I wouldn't survive when Kayleigh was going thru this same thing. Or that she wouldn't survive! I jest. Anyway, he is back to napping, cooing and the rash and massive projectile vomiting seem to be dissipating. Praise the Lord! Here's a snapshot Jeffrey took of him at six weeks!

Now, speaking of making time stop, Kayleigh starts 1st grade tomorrow! Whaaaat???? I know! She's so grown up! Have I mentioned lately how much I love this kid and how awesome she is? Well, in case I haven't, she totally is! I am so stinkin' proud of her and thankful for her sweet little self! I'll post some of her first day tomorrow!

keeping busy

2010-08-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

So, I have discovered that the key to a chaos free home is keeping the kids busy. Kayleigh and Ethan have just got to stay busy! They have never fought with each other before Joel came on the scene, but now go at it like cats and dogs and are constantly in trouble. I guess it's true that even negative attention is still attention. We're figuring this whole thing out, but it's taking a while and a few good whoopin's. That rod of discipline is getting a workout! Sheesh! Anyway, here are a couple pictures of the 'staying busy' I was talking about. They're such stinkers, but precious little stinkers!

In the playroom under their sheet-tent.

Playing cowboy and rhinestone cowgirl. :)

Joel's 1 month old!

2010-08-08T19:18:00.000-07:00

Sons are a heritage from the Lord!

What a difference a year makes...

2010-08-07T14:46:00.000-07:00

*I wrote this post almost 6 months ago and never got around to finishing it. I thought since today was Joel's 1 month birthday, it would be appropriate to remember how the Lord took something so painful as the loss of an unborn child, and made it such a joy, as we now get to hold this precious little baby boy. Today was a pretty rough day with Joel, but even on those days, who would trade it?! I will post some pictures of his 1st month tomorrow, but for now, I want to be thankful and mindful of God's many blessings.*

Almost a year ago, Jeffrey and I lost our fourth child in a miscarriage at 10 weeks. To say our hearts were broken would be a gross understatement. But, just as in the case with our first miscarriage, the Lord remained faithful to heal our hearts and went above and beyond that to bless us with another little angel. After the first miscarriage we were blessed with little Ethan. God created such a unique and precious little guy in Ethan, so I can only imagine what our newest little boy will be like!

As I was getting dressed this morning, Kayleigh reminded me, "Momma, you wore that when Gigi took your picture when you were pregnant with the last baby!" She was totally right. How do these little people remember such little details like that? Anyway, here is a look back and a look toward the future! Oh, and I am now 24 weeks in the new picture. Times'a flyin'! July will be here before we know it!

cookies with kayleigh

2010-08-02T14:49:00.000-07:00

Today Kayleigh and I made some Drop Sugar Cookies. They are soooo yummy! I got the recipe from our friend Meagan. I strongly suggest you make a batch! You won't be disappointed! Here's the recipe if you're interested. They're some of the easiest cookies I've ever made and take no time at all. These days, that's a really great thing! I'm slowly but surely finding things that both Kayleigh and Ethan love to do and we can do together to keep them occupied. I never had to do this before Joel got here, but this is our new normal, I suppose. They used to just play together for hours without fighting. It's kinda fun though in a way. It's forcing me to get creative! I'll post tomorrow what else we did today. Let's just say if the LARGE mess in the playroom is an indication of how much fun they were having, then mission accomplished!

Drop Sugar Cookies

2 eggs

3/4 c sugar

2/3 c oil

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp vanilla

2 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Mix eggs, sugar, oil, lemon, and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Slightly flatten with greased glass bottom dipped in sugar. (I spray a little cooking spray on the bottom of a glass and then dip in sugar. You may need to reapply cooking spray after 5-6 cookies.)

Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

First we mixed the dough...

Then we baked them...

And then we ate them! The best part!

See? Yummy!

posted by kayleigh grace johnston

2010-08-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

I love this picture. I love Joel too, of course. Often Ethan wants to hold Joel too. Today is Sunday the 1 st of august I came home from Ruidoso. 15 & a half days till Nana comes home !

Joel is 2 weeks old in this first picture.

jeffrey's new hobby!

2010-07-31T20:05:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that Jeffrey has taken up photography in the last month! It has been so fun getting fun pictures of the kids, playing with the camera and tinkering with Photoshop. In such a short time he's learned so much. I am so proud of him! Here's a couple more he's taken.

Big yawn!

3 weeks, already!

2010-07-28T19:58:00.000-07:00

Where does time get away to? It seems the last three were but just a vapor. Today, Joel is three weeks old! In the words of Kayleigh, "Seriously, how is that possible?!" Not only is he three weeks old today, this evening, he lost his cord, giving him a precious little belly button. I won't elaborate on how much this event upsets me. Suffice it to say I'm sad that the itty-bitty newborn phase is officially over.

It has been a great week so far, I have to say. I hit it hard with the BabyWise program with Joel this week. I had caught myself really setting myself up for heartache down the road with how much I had been holding him and rocking him to sleep. Sweet, sure, but he was never going to learn to fall asleep on his own that way. There were a couple days where he was up for 4 or 5 hour stretches and was getting really fussy. Of course he was, he was exhausted. But I hadn't been following my plan and allowing him to learn to sleep on his own. Enter BabyWise-nazi. I started this feat on Monday, and he has not missed a beat so far. I am so thankful! I may just have another great sleeper on my hands...thank you BabyWise. You are my hero! Here is a sampling of the fruits of my labor...

The Best Big Brother...

2010-07-23T08:41:00.001-07:00

Here are Ethan and his little brother Joel. Oh how I love matchy outfits! I digress...anyway, Ethan loves his little brother so much! He doesn't always know how to show that love, ie. sitting on him, patting him on the head a little too hard, shaking his hand and saying "nice to meet you!" It may be unconventional, but it's love all the same! I know they're my babies, but can you honestly say you've seen two more handsome little boys? I submit you have not!

Another post by Kayleigh...

2010-07-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

Joel sleeping in his bouncer.
Ethan is very fond of his little brother.
He thinks when Kayleigh holds him he can hold him too.
Not so much sometimes.
-posted by Kayleigh

The Best Big Sister...

2010-07-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

Kayleigh is a total rock star-awesome big sister! She absolutely loves her little brother! She knows how to hold him, feed him, and change his diaper, though she is hesitant to take on that just yet! Joel doesn't know how lucky he is yet to have her! She makes me so proud. It is a joy and blessing to have such sweet children.

However, I have had a really tough time getting adjusted to life with three, not because of Joel, he's the easy part. But the older two are the challenge. It's hard to discipline while in the middle of a feeding, or keeping Ethan out of the fridge when changing a diaper or bathing the baby, etc. Slowly I'm learning. Maybe in another two weeks I'll be an old pro. Talk about baptism by fire! I'm so thankful to have been forced into this so early with Nana out of town and Gigi having to help Bob-bob with the estate sale. It'll make the long term easier not having too much help and therefore delaying the inevitable. Don't get me wrong, we're ready for all of our chickens to be back in their respective nests! But it's good for me to do.

Here's a pic of Kayleigh doing what she loves! Taking good care of her little brother!

Joel Thomas: 4 days old!

2010-07-12T15:17:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how quickly these little guys change! Joel doesn't look anything like he did when he was born. He has gotten the most beautiful skin and those eyes! Gorgeous! We are so in love with this little man!

Looking at his Momma!

It's been a really hard day!

Part 2 of "Introducing Joel Thomas Johnston"

2010-07-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

Here is a look at the day Joel was born, starting at the hospital and continuing through Thursday and Friday when we went home. We have a ton more pictures to post in the next few days, so make sure to check back really soon! We really miss our Nana and can't wait for her to get home a meet this precious little treasure!

We were supposed to start the induction at 8 am, but the hospital called and were totally full, so we got put off about an hour and a half. Once we got in, the room we were supposed to have had a leak, so we waited even more. Finally, a room, no leak, and ready for baby brother to get here!

Jeffrey explained how the contraction monitor worked to Kayleigh, so she began to monitor them for us. She took this very seriously, bless her heart. She knew when the line went up, Momma was hurting.

After much waiting and delays from emergency c-sections or nurses having to be in other rooms...He's here!

This is Ethan's new smile, little turkey!

Those little toes! Ah!

Ethan has really surprised us! He absolutely loves his little brother!

The morning we got to go home! We can't wait to bring him home and start life as a family of 5!

I hope you enjoyed all of these! I'll post more once Jeffrey gets them converted. We have some really sweet ones from when we were leaving and from Saturday. He is such a sweet, sweet little boy. I can't tell you how much we are already in love with this little guy. He just melts our hearts!

Introducing...

2010-07-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

Joel Thomas Johnston

Born July 7, 2010
7:48 pm
7 lbs. 9 oz. 19 1/2 " long

Wanna know how we celebrated July 4th?

2010-07-06T08:48:00.000-07:00

Well, we spent July 4th mostly inside since it has been raining here for over the last week. Not only did we get to spend some "quality" time with the ol' fam, Jeffrey and I got to spend the first few hours of Independence Day in our attic fixing a leak that was running down between the wall in our kitchen and bedroom from the skylight. Not cool. Not what we wanted to be doing at 2:30 am! And certainly not when I'm a very full 9 months pregnant! Hopefully today the roofers will be back to get it fixed for real, not just rechannel the water to the attic instead of the skylight!

As for the kids, I think a combination of factors have started getting to them. The constant rain, being cooped up in the house, a momma that can't run around with them anymore and the impending birth of their baby brother is about to really get to them! They spent the day fussing and Kayleigh was just at her wits end with everything, as you can see! Though frustrating, it was hard not to laugh, it just became overboard and hilarious. Sorry Kayleigh, but you are one funny girl when you are this dramatic! Then there was Ethan. Not emotional like Kayleigh, but just needing to burn off some serious energy! He ran around the couches, no lie, about 30 times. Needless to say, great nap day! He is such a sweetheart though. He always consoles Kayleigh when she's upset. Sweet, sweet hearted boy.

Ethan watching Kayleigh act like a drama queen!

Consoling sissy.

After we got over the tenderness of the start of our day and Ethan went down for a nap, we went out for a few minutes and blew some bubbles. It was one of the first breaks in the rain we had, so it was great! Hello humidity!

Jeffrey took this picture yesterday to document the largeness! And Kayleigh was ready and willing to love on her to-be baby brother! Sweet girl.

Part 2 of "Our Beautiful Children"

2010-07-03T19:21:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more of the photos that Jeffrey captured this week. I hope you enjoy them!

The kids found some interesting things over by the fence, most likely a bug!

Ethan got himself a new baseball cap this week!

I can just imagine the kids peeking into the crib looking at baby brother! I can't believe it's only three days until we meet him!

Our beautiful children...

2010-07-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

Though our third little ankle biter is very nearly here, I had to share the beauty that is our two oldest. Wow, that sounds really weird. Anyway, I digress...here are a few of the photos that Jeffrey has gotten lately in his quest to capture some of their beauty. I just love these kids! Can you honestly say you've seen anything more precious???!!!

Lots to Report

2010-03-08T19:28:00.000-08:00

I have been a terrible blogger lately! I have a lot to report that has been going on in the last few months. Since October, here are the highlights!

Kayleigh, before her Fall (Halloween) Party at school:

We went to my parents' new cabin the weekend after Thanksgiving in Ruidoso:

My little turkey with the flock of turkey that come thru every afternoon!

Jeffrey and Ethan throwing snowballs!

Our first snow in Midland! There were several more of these to come! Who knew!?:

After Kayleigh's Christmas program:

Ok, so that is all I have had time to get on here so far, so I think I will just try to catch up from this point on in another post! There never seems to be enough time to type on this thing! I don't know how people have time to be on here blogging all the time, it is really time consuming! Anyway, enjoy these of our precious little ones and I will have more soon, hopefully! :)

Kayleigh's Second Ever Post :)

2009-11-24T14:37:00.001-08:00

to caanon and nana and daniel and pawpaw
love kayleigh shawn jeffrey
we miss u
i love you
from the johnstons

Normandy AKA Normandie

2009-10-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

So, the last day of ours in Paris, we took a train to Bayeux, a town near the coast in the region of Normandy. I am sadly not very well educated on the events of D-Day, so this trip was very eye-opening for me. I had the 'Saving Private Ryan' version in my mind, but nothing compares to seeing it in person.

This is a snapshot of the town of Bayeux. The church that you see in the background is soooo old! Not the whole thing, but a portion of it was in existence in 1066, when William the Conqueror was around!!!

We went to Pointe du Hoc, where the Rangers scaled the 90 ft. cliffs to defeat the Germans. I'll post a picture of those cliffs in a second, but you should think about while you are looking at that photo that not only are they having to scale those cliffs which would be hard enough, there are angry and determined Germans cutting their ropes, shooting guns, throwing grenades and firing cannons at them all the while. Unbelievable any of them survived. 225 Rangers began that attack, only 90 survived, mostly injured, in that encounter.

The little (huge) rock jutty-out-thingy that you can see there on the beach is Pointe du Hoc. 90 foot cliffs, hard to imagine having to climb that with people trying to kill me.

You know, you always see these fields in war movies, and they actually look exactly like the movies.

This is on the way out to the land that is above the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc where the Germans had many bunkers and personnel bunkers. Any ditches that you see out there are from the 100 tons of bombs that were dropped on June 6, 1944. With the exception of pathways leading you around this area, nothing has changed since the war.

This is one of the German Bunkers that was made. It accommodated one of six extremely large 155 mm guns, capable of firing 12 miles away to Utah and Omaha Beaches. Unlike later bunkers, this one allowed them to fire 360 degrees. When this became more dangerous for them, they redesigned them, making them covered, no longer allowing for 360 degrees of firing capability, thus keeping more of their men alive.

This is one of the redesigned bunkers. The Germans were now more protected from Allied fire. Also you will notice that in the other bunker there was a smooth surface over it, this is because they were pouring these of solid concrete using wood to make the forms. As the war progressed, they could no longer get wood, so they had to begin making concrete bricks with materials they had. This is a way that they judge the age of the bunkers.

I mentioned earlier that some of the bunkers that were there would house personnel, this is one of the sleeping quarters. They could attack bunks, three high, on the four walls and sleep 20 in a 12x12 room. Way too close of quarters for me! They would remove the beds during the day and use the rooms for operations. These rooms are even outfitted with a ventilation system because they were so afraid of poisonous gas being used on them while trapped inside.

The outside view of the personnel bunker. Yes, that is me sticking out my head from the look-out hole!

Waaaay in the distance you can see the cliffs above Utah Beach, where at the end of this campaign, just over 800,000 men fought, on that beach alone.

All of the ditches you see here are from the bombs.

Another view of how all the bombs effected the area. This really doesn't do it justice, but it's the only one I have that really shows it well.

This is a sign telling about what happened on that day, and if you look at the drawing you get an idea of how many bombs fell and where. Pretty amazing precision, even in 1944.

This is a temporary bridge that was brought in to Omaha Beach. They would build them in England and then bring them over in ships in pieces to put together on the beach. Our tour guide explained that they were a little like Lego's. They would drop concrete pillars into the ocean and then place these on top in order to drive supplies to shore. There were those "jacks" looking things that you see in the movies on the beach and out into the ocean and when the tide was high, you wouldn't see them, causing your ship to be destroyed. This way, the temporary bridge eliminated the concern for those.

Omaha Beach

Overlooking Omaha Beach and the English Channel from the American Memorial and Cemetery.

American Cemetery:
9,387 headstones of those not burried at home
1,557 Missing in Action
41 Sets of brothers
172.5 acres of grounds

With our tour guide Rose before getting back on the train to Paris

Paris is for lovers...

2009-10-21T11:23:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey and I just got back from an amazing week in Paris! We had a great time seeing all of the sites, eating in cafes, and trying our best to speak their language! Such a beautiful language.

That's us in the airport, about to board British Airways, loved their accent on that flight! We chose to stay in an apartment for the week rather than a hotel and it was so nice to just sort of live like Parisians. We were in a great neighborhood near several Metro stops and tons of cafes and shops. These pics are from looking out of our living room window onto the street below.

We began our week at the Musee de Louvre, where we got to see the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo! Couldn't believe I actually got to see them in person! I must say, I was warned about how small Mona was, but I just had her built up in my mind, so she just seemed even smaller in person, was very surprising! I was also so surprised at how huge the Louvre was! It would take a week just to see everything in there! We went in room after room, hall after hall, it was crazy how huge!!!

Jeffrey posing with a statue of Marcus Aurelius. Silly boy!

After the Louvre, we walked down the river and across the Pont Neuf to Notre Dame, the famous Hunchback's home! It was beautiful and we had beautiful weather to walk down there in!

Me and Jeffrey at the back of Notre Dame, beautiful.

I wish I could describe for you just how big and tall the Eiffel Tower is, but you just have to see it to really appreciate its size and beauty. We went over there one night to see it twinkle and then also went back a few days later to go to the top! That was incredible. I know I've said it before, but it is soooo tall!!!

The video we got of the Eiffel Tower twinkling, so pretty! Not the greatest video ever recorded, but you get the idea!

Looking out from the very top of the Eiffel Tower. I wish you could tell just how high we were, these buildings are HUGE below us and they look so small from up there!

From this side, you can see the Arc de Triomphe (the tall blocky thing on the left center)

Next, we headed to Montmartre, a district north of Paris, though still part of Paris, to see Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, or the Basillica of the Sacred Heart. It's on top of a really high hill so once we FINALLY climbed about a million stairs only to find the lift to take us up there, we got an amazing view of the whole city! We accidentally got lost, the only time on the trip I might add, on our way and found the most amazing little fromager (cheese) shop!

So, before we climbed the enormous amount of stairs, we found this little area, which had these little troughs on the sides of all of the cobblestone roads I had heard about on a tv show about this area. No, they aren't a brilliant way to channel rainwater, they are the midieval version of sewers. You would just dump your chamber pots out in these and the stuff would just run down the street!!! I'm so thankful to have been born in the century that I was! So gross! But of course, we had to get a picture in one! That's me with Karen.

Ok, so on to Basilique du Sacré-Cœur. Isn't it beautiful? All perched upon that hill?

Look at that view! Can you appreciate how long we walked uphill/how many stairs we climbed now?

Now, we move on to the shopping day of our trip! It started with a trip to the Arc de Triomphe, that I mentioned earlier. Do you remember how small it looked in that picture? Now see how HUGE it is!?

Once you leave the Arc, you proceed down one of the fabuous shopping areas of Paris. However, lets not kid ourselves, its PARIS!!! There is great shopping everywhere! Anyway, you walk down the Champs-Élysées, one of the grand boulevards in Paris. Off of this street is the greatest discovery of my life. It was like a street of couture eye candy. Unbelievable. All I could think about is how much I wish my sweet sis-n-law Caanon was with me to SHOP!!! One after the other, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Pucci, Dior, Chanel, YSL, Armani, Prada, Ferragamo...need I go on? Magnificent.

Yes kids, that is a 4-story Louis Vuitton! The original store, too, I might add.
Le Maison de Louis Vuitton, as they say.

Looking down the Champs-Élysées from in front of the Arc.

I'm sure many of you have seen the movie, 'Something's Gotta Give,' and the restaraunt (Le Grand Colbert) at the end of the movie is in Paris. Wellllll, we went! It was every bit as charming in real life as it was on the movie. Diane Keeton's character said that their roast chicken was the best in universe, so, that's what I ordered! It was really, really good! Actually, everything that we ordered there was good. And the service was awesome. Whoever gave the French a bad name was totally wrong. We found them all to be really friendly and helpful.

Me and Jeffrey at Le Grand Colbert

So that leads us to the conclusion of our time in Paris proper. Our last day of the trip we went out to Normandy to see Omaha and Utah Beach and the memorial, graves and remnants of WWII. There's just too much from that trip to include in the same post, so I will do a seprate one for that day.

It was so much fun to go with Joel and Karen on this trip and I am so thankful for my husband working so hard that we might be able to go. I can't wait to go again and take the kids to see it all! Beautiful town.

Kayleigh's Post (she really wanted to do this all on her own!)

2009-09-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

this is kayleigh
hi nana
i love u
happy birthday to nana
i'm sure that ethan misses coming to your house
love kayleigh ethan

Kayleigh's First Day of Kindergarten

2009-08-24T07:28:00.001-07:00

First, today is Kayleigh's first day of kindergarten! She was so excited last night that I think she wore herself out and was having a hard time getting going this morning. She asked us if she could just lay in her bed for a little while longer, bless her heart. And for those of you who know her really well, you know this is really unlike her! She normally wakes up going 90 miles an hour!

We also went to breakfast with Nana at Harvest Cafe this morning to celebrate her big first day. She may have eaten 3 bites of her cinnamon roll! Just too worked up to eat! After that, we headed to the school. She seemed a little overwhelmed at first, there were kids and parents everywhere, but then she saw some kids that she knew and I think she got more excited. She is right at the front of the class by Mrs. Vaughan's desk, so she'll have to behave! And will not miss a thing! I think it is going to be a great year for her!

Secondly, last night she learned how to tie her shoes, all by herself! She officially learned before she was a kindergartener! So proud of that little woman! So this morning when she got dressed for school, she was able to tie her shoes, all on her own!

Papa's Birthday

2009-08-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

We celebrated my dad's birthday last night with dinner at Venezia's and then came back to our house for some cake and silliness. Anytime Kayleigh and my dad get together you can count on there being some real silliness! Here is just a sampling of the evening's events!

As a side note, Kayleigh doesn't normally dress like a cowgirl, but she just went to a ranch for dinner and a western show with my parents in Ruidoso and therefore felt it fitting to dress like that once we got home to perform for everyone! Silly girl, as usual!

After dinner, Kayleigh was showing off her hula-hoop skills...hilarious...and then actually convinced my dad and Jeffrey to join in! The following videos and picture are of the action, sooo funny! These guys crack me up!

What you missed was Jeffrey waving money at Papa! Goober. Ok, and here is Jeffrey's turn. Oh, those boys!

'Meet the Teacher Day'

2009-08-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

Today was Hillander School's 'Meet the Teacher Day!' Kayleigh got to meet her new teacher for kindergarten. That's right people, kindergarten! She is going to have Mrs. Vaughan this year. I'm really glad that is who she got, I hear she is an amazing teacher, she seems really sweet! She got to see where her desk is and who all else would be in her class. There are several new kids in there and some old faces as well. I really hope that there are some really sweet girls for her to play with. I am really glad, too, that there are some of the same boys from last year in her class again, I really like there moms! Anyway, her first day of school is on Monday, so I will have a full report on that, too! Stay tuned for full coverage!

A Look Back...

2009-08-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

My grandmother, Nora Faye Leeper, my dad's mother, passed away last Monday night. It still seems surreal to me. I was with her at the doctor on Monday afternoon before she died and it just seems so strange to think about her being gone. I am thankful for the time I got to spend with her that day though. We laughed, talked...lots of talking, and talked about the Lord.

As we gathered for the burial in Ringgold, we were greeted by so much family that we haven't seen in years! It was so great to see all of them and catch up. Many hadn't seen pictures of the kids, so it was fun showing them off! Also, the cemetary that my grandparents are burried in is also where so much more of my dad's family is burried. It was really neat to walk around and hear neat stories about these people, many of whom I never met. There were some that dated back to the early 1800's! If you think about it, their parents were alive for the founding of our country! Our country isn't very old when you think about it like that. Some of the tombstones had really interesting stories on them. Stories of great-great-great-grandparents that loved eachother unceasingly until they were parted by death, of children that were lost at birth several times over, and how much some of them loved the Lord. It's fascinatating to see where I came from.

Also, while we were on the road home, we went thru Witchita Falls, where my parents lived after they married. Dad went to anesthesia school there and my mom worked on the Air Force base. The houses below are the houses that they lived in while there. The red brick house is a quad, the one they lived in immediately after marrying. The white one, a duplex, which was olive green when they lived there, is the first house they bought together. Fun to see these places we have heard about and seen pictures of growing up. Dad said he used to walk to the hospital everyday, which I had imagined was much further away. It was actually only a couple short blocks away! Funny how you form in your mind what you think things are like! I think he once told me it was uphill both ways, and was always snowing! Anyway, enjoy, its a little bit of their story!

Our Little Man

2009-08-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

For Caanon and Daniel...
Here is your little nephew in the last few weeks. He is just a precious little guy! I'm going to try to put a few of these up off and on so you can see as he and Kayleigh grow! This is from when he was about 18 months. Jeffrey was just trying to get him to say a few of the words he knows!

I'm going to try to get one of Kayleigh on here soon. You know how she likes to perform! I'm sure she'll have lots of cute things to share!

Disney World!

2009-08-09T20:31:00.000-07:00

This is just a small part of the pictures that we took, but you can get an idea of all that we did, everything! Kayleigh got to meet all of the princesses and ride the teacups, her one thing she wanted to do while we were there! Also, she got to go on Splash Mountain with Jeffrey (I was too scared!) and she had a great time! She didn't hold on or anything! She was a real trooper though, those parks are huge and she had more energy than me and Jeffrey combined! We hit all 4 parks, and would come in late and she was still dancing around the room at bedtime, oh to have that much energy again! We also did the dinner with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, etc. and it was great! They all come around to your table and take pictures and visit for a minute, she loved every minute!

Joel and Karen's Wedding

2009-08-09T20:15:00.000-07:00

Joel (Jeffrey's best friend growing up) and fiance Karen got married July 18th in Waco and Jeffrey was the best man and Kayleigh was their flower girl! It was a beautiful wedding and they were a beautiful couple. Here are a few photos of the weekend. Some are from the rehearsal and some from the wedding.

Elijah's Surprise 1st Birthday Party

2009-08-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

So, since we knew Caanon and Daniel would already be gone when Elijah had his 1st birthday, we had a little surprise party for him! As it turned out everybody it seemed came down with a terrible stomach bug and it got passed around Nana and Pawpaw's house for days. I'm so thankful that Caanon and Elijah we well and able to come to the party!

We had Luigi's for dinner and then cake, punch and presents after. I am so glad we could celebrate the littlest member of the family that day! He got to try his first bite of cake that day too! His actual birthday is August 10th, tomorrow! He'll officially be a whole 1 years old! Sweet little boy! Give him a big shuggar for us! Love you little man!

Swimming Lessons

2009-08-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

So despite the fact that the first time I took Kayleigh to swimming lessons (at 2 years old) she screamed so much that the teacher ended up telling me that I didn't need to worry, some of her worst students later became some of her best! Ok great, so my daughter was the worst one! Ah! I couldn't believe it! Anyway, three and a half years later, she loves her swimming lessons and is doing great! She is letting her teacher show her how to float, which she can almost do on her own, puts her whole head under water, and is starting to figure out how to kick and move her arms together. This is major! I wondered if this day would ever come! Take a look at my little fishy in her pink goggles! At the end of the sessions, they got to swing on the rope out into the water, this was her favorite!

Kayleigh's Dance Recital

2009-08-09T19:17:00.000-07:00

So Kayleigh had her dance recital the beginning of May and she was without a doubt the most beautiful child! I am so proud of her! She could've walked across the stage and done nothing at all and I would have still been proud, but she did such a great job! I couldn't believe how precious her little performances were! She had a ballet and a tap dance! Good job sweetie pie!

The Latest

2009-08-09T17:09:00.000-07:00

So, the last time that I blogged, I was so excited to announce our fourth pregnancy. However, our precious baby never developed past 6 weeks and I miscarried on May 4, a week and a half after my last post at 10 weeks 1 day. Our hearts were completely broken. It felt like I had the breath knocked out of me. It is so hard to see how this horrible situation be anything that the Lord could use for our good, but He remains ever faithful to do just that. Since then, I have seen just how he used that situation for our good and He has allowed me to share that with another friend who had gone thru a similar situation in the last few weeks. I pray that my dear sweet friend will in time feel the same comfort from our Lord.

8 weeks down, 30 to go...

2009-04-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

So here we are at 8 1/2 weeks. Hard to believe that I'm already showing a little. I've heard that's normal once you've had a couple, but it's still surprising! Our first doctor's appointment is next Wednesday. I'm so ready to hear the heartbeat! Will it be fast or slow? Hmm...it will be exciting either way! I'll update as soon as we get home!

Easter in Midland

2009-04-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

Easter was great this year with the kiddos, with the exception of Kayleigh getting food poisoning the night before. And to top it off, we had a terrible hail storm that warranted us getting a new roof soon! Always interesting at our house! Jeffrey and I had to take turns going to church so Kayleigh could stay home and rest. Anyway, here are a few pictures of the kiddos on Easter Day and the following Sunday when they actually got to wear their outfits to church.

As promised...

2009-03-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

Here's the pictures of Kayleigh and Ethan that I was promising.

Our sweet friend, Lauren Tyner, took these for us and I am just so thankful for her taking them! She is so talented and really captured their personalities! Thanks Lauren!

I can't even stand how sweet they are!!!! I could just squish 'em!!!! Such sweet kids!

Here goes...

2009-03-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am really going to try to keep up this blog thing! I have had great intentions, but as you can see, its been 3 months since the last post, so promising to do better!

We have great news, the newest little Johnston is due to arrive around Thanksgiving '09. I am still totally in shock, excited, but definitely in shock. I just can't believe how quickly the Lord has allowed us to be pregnant again. (1 Samuel 1:27). I am certainly thankful for such a HUGE tiny little blessing!

I have a million new pictures that I will upload in posts to come, but for now, I'm just happy to get back in the habit of blogging! Hopefully I'll see ya back here soon!

Something to be thankful for...

2008-11-27T11:56:00.000-08:00

Once again, we arrive at Thanksgiving Day. Feeling a little fuller, in our tummies anyway. I just wonder if we are all as full as we really like to think we are of the things that truly matter in our lives. This year, I am thankful for Romans 8 & 9, every bit of it. I am thankful that I have THE God who loves me and cherishes me and was merciful, gracious and ultimately sovereign to choose to save me and call me one of his elect, not because of anything that I could do, an undeserving, wretched sinner. That is truly something to be thankful for.

"For whom he foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called: whom He called, these He also justifies and whom He justified, these He also glorified." Romans 8:29-30

Something to think about...

2008-10-14T18:55:00.000-07:00

If you are like me, when you look back at your childhood, there are so many things that you remember that your parents did for you, better or worse, to make sure that holidays or birthdays were memorable. I want that so badly for my children. I guess I am more sentimental than I even realized and have begun this blog for that very reason, to track and hang on to those precious and defining childhood moments.
When Jeffrey and I had Kayleigh, our firstborn, one of the things that we have done for her every Christmas is to get really special Christmas Eve pajamas. It is always so fun to hunt them with Jeffrey and have her open them and get all dressed and cuddly on the couch and stare at the tree. I can't wait to begin this with Ethan this year.

But more than our traditional Johnston Christmas Eve pajamas, I want my children to have a heritage that will continue through to the next generations. The heritage that I am talking about is a love for the Lord. A complete and total need of, reliance on and desire to worship the Lord. And I am not talking about the "feel-good", "only take away the parts I like" lord, I mean the LORD of the Bible. The only one! The older I become, the more I see the need that these little guys have for our Savior. I want to make a greater effort to instill in them traditions that will steer them toward Him, not just some over-commercialized version of a holiday.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6