New Email

I am finally getting my blog straight with a lot of help from Justin.  I had to change my email so I could post to  the blog.  My new email is lbgjohnson05@gmail.com.  I will not be using my pcs email account anymore.  Now that I am not working I rarely check email so call me if you send anything :) Hopefully I will be able to post pictures soon because our children are growing and changing everyday!

Sweet Christmas

Justin and I are at home this Christmas Eve night for the first time ever.  Since we have been married we have spent every Christmas at my parents house.  JUSTIN wanted to be home for Christmas morning this year so we are leaving for VA tomorrow.  We have had a very busy but wonderful Christmas season. I have not posted in so long and I cannot upload any pictures at this point but Samuel and I have a sweet conversation tonight that I want to remember. (Justin went to the house we are building to get Samuel's Christmas gifts so I have some time to waste)  When I put him to bed this was our conversation.
S- aww I love you Mommy
me-I love you too Samuel Merry Christmas
S- Mommy why to we get presents at Chistmas
me- Remember that the wise men took gifts to baby Jesus when he was born so we give gifts to celebrate and remember his birthday.  Baby Jesus is very special.
S- Yeah Mommy He helps us if someone falls down and gets a boo boo He will help them too
The children sang a song at church yesterday that I had never heard and I LOVE it!

Verse: 
Never was anyone like Him, never will one be the same 
Tiny babe, an Infant King, Savior, we worship and honor the power of His name 

Chorus: 
He came special delivery, wrapped up in love, bound by a promise, sealed by a dove 
And filled with the spirit, carried by grace, you knew where He was goin', by the look on His face

I am so thankful tonight that the true meaning of Christmas lives in my heart.  
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

MOVING

I came to Olivia's today and she just helped me print my blog.  I cannot wait to see the book!  I am so excited about it that I thought I should get back to the blog.  In case you have not heard, Justin and I are moving to Lbg in two weeks!!!! I still cannot believe that everything has worked out to bring us to this point.  We said many  prayers over many months and we feel like we should go.  We are nervous, excited, scared etc. but trusting God to lead as He always does.  The children are changing so much.   Annalee just started crawling and pulling up on Tuesday (while I was at the dentist) :(  She says ma ma and is definitely my girl.  Samuel is Justin's little buddy and is under his feet from the moment he walks through the door.  We have a busy couple of weeks ahead!

Love No Matter What

We have had a sweet Valentine's Day today. We ate dinner with candles and Samuel was very excited about lighting them and blowing them out. He thought it was a birthday so we sang "Happy Valentine's Day" to Justin when he came home from work. We gave Samuel a card that sings "You Are My Sunshine" and he and Annalee loved the music. After supper he played with the play dough we gave him and cut out heart cookies. Annalee was asleep by 6:20 tonight!





I read No Matter What to Samuel today. He did not really understand the book but I held back tears the whole time. Mom gave the book to me when I graduated from high school and now that I have children I really "get it" Justin always gives me a little alone time at night and tonight I started thinking about my family. I don't talk about it much on this blog because I know what everyone will say.... but it is HARD to live away from them. I miss the daily interaction with everyone and I miss just knowing they are a phone call away or a mile down the road. So tonight I thought about my family... Mom, Dad, sisters, Grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins and I smiled and cried thinking about growing up surrounded by so much love and support. Debi Gliori writes, " But what about when you're far away? Does your love go too, or does it stay? Look up at the stars They're far, far away. But their light reaches us at the end of each day. It's like that with love- we may be close, we may be far, but our love still surrounds us... wherever we are." So from Gates County to Lbg to Rincon, GA and all in between I LOVE YOU!!!

Pictures, Books, and Budgets

Here are a few pictures over the last several days. We have enjoyed playing outside in the warmer weather and we have discovered that Annalee LOVES to swing. (She takes after me :))Samuel is a lot more independent these days and can climb, slide, swing, etc. all by himself. He is too sweet giving me butterfly kisses. The last picture was taken one day when Justin came home late from work. We had a long afternoon and Samuel said, "Mommy hold both babies" So I stopped everything and rocked my babies for awhile. A girl at school said to me yesterday, "You have your children forever but you only have a baby for one year" :(





Two other things....
Have you read the Snowmen All Year and Snowmen At Night books to your children? They are OUTSTANDING. I think they are my favorite books that I have found working in the library. Check them out! They have hidden pictures too that are great for older children.
Justin and I are getting on a serious budget. I am going to attempt to make laundry detergent soon. You can go to www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm for the recipe and directions. I have heard that it is great and super cheap. If you have any budget ideas send me an email beth.johnson@pcs.k12.va.us and I will share them with everyone.

Annalee's Monthly Pictures

These pictures are not in order and for some reason I uploaded the first month twice. Anyway, here are Annalee's monthly pictures. Deanna sent these stickers to me and they are much cuter than the signs I printed for Samuel. Thanks Deanna! We have enjoyed taking her picture every month and watching her grow.
Some things about our baby girl:
-She is rolling over both ways
-She still smiles with her whole face
-She constantly needs attention and wants us to talk to her
-She only laughs at Samuel
-We just started feeding her a couple of weeks ago and she now eats baby food three times a day
-She has more rolls than we can count :)
-She is the happiest, sweetest baby I have ever seen







In other news, sickness hit our house again last week. Samuel had bronchitis and an ear infection, Justin had bronchitis and a sinus infection, Annalee now has a cold, and I have been taking Advil Cold & Sinus around the clock. Somehow Justin and I managed getting our house straight this weekend for a realtor to come see tonight. We are ready to sell but a little nervous about where we will be going. (This is still up in the air) She told us that she thought it will sell very quickly. We are asking God to lead and we know He will.

Seven

years ago today Justin and I said "I do." I know everyone uses this song but I have had this in my mind this weekend and this is exactly how I feel about Justin.



Happy Seven Years Justin- I Love You!

We have had a relaxing weekend. Mom took Samuel to Lbg on Friday and I hate to say it but he was so excited to leave. He has been stuck in our house almost every day since we came back from Christmas. Leslie and Robin took him out yesterday and today he got to go to "Gam's church" (he loves Page's Chapel too :) ) I tried to talk to him this morning and all he said was "bye bye Mommy" I can't wait to see him tomorrow. We have enjoyed some special times with Annalee. She is still so sweet. Don't you love those chunky cheeks and blue eyes. We do!