Oklahoma City

In August, I spent a weekend in OKC with some of the Hardgraves.  Andy, Lisa, and Peyton were visiting Lisa's friend there, so we got a chance to all meet up.  It felt almost like a family reunion!  While we were there, I got to see the OKC memorial for the first time.

Family Vacation

Back in July, we took a family vacation to Pennsylvania.  We started out in Pittsburg, where we saw a Pirates game.  We then went to Philadelphia, where we saw a Phillies game.  We finished out the trip in Gettysburg, with a slight detour to Hershey - yum!

Halloween

This year for Halloween, I went to visit Andy, Lisa, and Peyton in St. Louis.  Peyton was a lady bug, and Andy was Justin Bieber.  I had so much fun with them, and can't wait to see them at Christmas!

Hello World Series!

I've always enjoyed baseball, but over the last few years, I've become a HUGE Rangers fan.  I even listened to games on the radio last year when I didn't get the station where the Rangers game were shown.  Sometimes I still listen to the radio because the announcer is so much better (seriously, I am a huge fan).  Anyway, Dad's company has a suite right behind home plate, and one of his coworkers gave us tickets to last night's game.  I do not have words to describe how it feels to be part of history!  It was so amazing to see the Rangers beat the Yankees to become the American League champs!!  Here's a video of the last out (sorry for the very loud screaming at the end)

Also, here are a few pictures from the game:

Family Reunion

For Father's Day weekend, we all went to Kansas for a family reunion on my dad's side.  It was fun to catch up with family, see people I haven't seen in a while, and meet a bunch of new people!  Who knew I had so many relatives? 

This was the first time our immediate family was together since Kate's wedding, so it especially fun to see my brother and sister and their families.  This was also the first time I've seen Kate since she told us she's pregnant!  I couldn't believe how big Peyton's getting - she's a little girl now, instead of a baby!

The whole family

Four generations of Johnson

Looks like Sarah Bradshaw isn't the only one that loves my dad's glasses

Girls' Trip to NYC!

At the end of April, my sis-in-law and I took a quick girls' trip to NYC.  It was a whirlwind weekend filled with lots of sight-seeing, and shopping!  Oddly enough, we were there when they closed Times Square because of a bombing gone awry.  We were only two blocks from the action, but didn't know what was going on at the time.  After we got back to our hotel from seeing a Broadway play, we turned on the news, and couldn't believe we were so close to a terrorist attack! 

Here's some of the other things we did:

• Went to Empire State Building
• Shopped on 34th St.
• Saw Chicago
• Bought knock-off purses in Chinatown in this scary basement
• Went to Times Square
• Ate in Little Italy
• Went to church in the same building as the temple
• Went on a TV and film bus tour (much to my embarrassment)
• Went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Went to the Museum of Natural History

We did all of that and more in three days!  It was so fun, and I can't wait for our next trip!

Lisa at the Empire State Building

The arch in Washington Square Park

Us in front of Columbus Circle, near our hotel

Trip to DC

On a recent business trip to Maryland, I was able to go into DC with a few of my coworkers.  We walked around and saw the "new" (since the last time I was in DC) WWII monument.  I really loved it, and we had a great time seeing the sights!

More Fun with Peyton

While Peyton was visiting, we also went to the park.  Peyton loved the swing so much, she never wanted to leave.  I tried to stop her a couple of times to sit her up better, or give her a drink, but every time she would scream until I pushed her again. 

Peyton's Trip to the Zoo

Peyton came to stay with her favorite Aunt in April when her parents went on a cruise.  While she was here, we went to the zoo with Grammy and some friends from church.  She was a little young to really appreciate the experience, and wasn't really into looking at the animals, but she enjoyed being pushed in the stroller all afternoon.

Peyton's birthday

I haven't posted in forever, and I finally got the pictures off my camera, so here's a couple of pics of Peyton's birthday from March! 

 Here she is right before she's ready for a nap, reading books with Grammy.

Reality TV

Okay, I'm usually not such a huge fan of reality tv, but I absolutely LOVE Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.  I have been SHOCKED by some of the things I've seen on the show, and I completely support the changes discussed on the show and the website.  Anyone who has school-aged children, or cares about kids should check out the website and sign the petition!

Fun with the Wii

I finally broke down and used part of my tax refund to buy a Wii.  I really thought I was the last person to get one, but everywhere I looked, they were sold out!  It took forever to find one!  One night Mom and Dad came over for dinner.  After we ate, we played the Wii and Dad was awesome at sword fighting. 

Peyton and Molly

While we were getting ready to take Lisa and Peyton to the airport, Mom was holding Peyton on the couch, and Molly was laying by them.  Peyton reached over and started petting Molly, and it was so adorable!  Molly was a really good dog, and just held still while Peyton touched her.