Dance on your toes Siri

New Blog

2011-06-04T11:02:00.001-07:00

Well here you go guys! Lance and I have a new blog where I will be posting from now on. :) Check it out and add us to your blog links. It's www.pumpkinthievesandbuffalowings.com

Confederate Memorial Day

2011-04-23T15:33:00.000-07:00

Today was Confederate Memorial Day, so dad, JJ, Grandpa Johnson, and I headed on over to the cemetery to pay our respects. The UDC (United Daughters of the Confederacy) and the SCV (Sons of Confederate Veterans) were present and there was a gun salute as the names of 26 veterans buried in that cemetery were read. The service also commemorated the service of Southern soldiers who fought in the many wars after the Civil War.
All the ladies (some on time attire) with JJ and I. :)
The Johnsons being proud of their heritage!
My little reb...
After the services we stopped at various places around the cemetery where our family members are buried to leave flowers on their graves. First we visited William Franklin Johnson, my Great Grandpa and my Grandpa Johnson's father.
He told me a story as he laid the flowers on his father's grave. His father dies when he was only one-year-old, so when he was older he took a trip with his sister, Pearl, to Missouri to visit some of her friends. He met a man and struck up a conversation about his family coming from the area. When my grandfather mentioned that his father was William Franklin Johnson, the man said immediately, "Your father was Mr. Frank?!" He then proceeded to tell my grandpa, "I have two things to tell you about your father. First, he was the best man I have ever known. Second, in a time when it was extremely dangerous to do so, he was always kind to the blacks." That is quite a legacy that I have in my heritage... I am so proud to be who I am and to come from the people who went before me.
We visited my Great Aunt Pearl (Grandpa Johnson's sister) and my Great Grandma Felcia Lee Johnson (Grandpa Johnson's mom). Felcia was left with all her children, living in a tent when her husband William suddenly died. The state sent a social worker to ask if she wanted to put all her children into foster care. She kindly asked him to leave and never return again. The very year he died, the church established the welfare system and that is how their family survived. I do have such wonderful people in my family.
Next we visited my Grandma Elaine (my dad's mom), my Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Jennings, and my Aunt Michelle. We left flowers for each of them and I quietly whispered words of love to my Grandma Elaine. She was a wonderful strong woman. I am always told that I look like her, I act like her, and I have talents like her. My grandpa tells me that, my dad tells me that, and at my Great Grandma's funeral, everyone thought I was her daughter. I certainly hope I can live up to her legacy. She was a beautiful woman and I cannot wait to meet her one day... Most times I feel like I already know her... Like I have met her before this life.
I love you grandma.
I loved spending time with JJ too! :) I think it was a new experience for him to visit graves and hear about who they were and leave flowers for them. I have the most wonderful family.

Mesa Temple Easter Pageant

2011-04-23T15:19:00.000-07:00

Last night, Lance, Cori, and I went to see the Easter Pageant! It was so amazing! I made Swedish pancakes to bring and Lance saved us second row seats! I have never sat so close before!

Cori brought her camera so all the pictures are courtesy of her! I love these flowers she snapped a picture of!
All excited for the show to start! We love Corister!
I always love the angels!
He lives and He loves us and this is what Easter is all about!

Double Date with the Heyers

2011-04-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

On Thursday Evening Lance and I had a double date with Justin and Charlotte! We got to meet little baby Miles for the first time! He pooped on me and Charlotte said that he has only ever pooped on her before so that must mean he loves me already. We played with him and fed him all night. For dinner we had some Buffalo Wild Wings, which gave me flash backs to Lance and my first date. Then they started teaching us how to played a card game called "Hand and Foot" which was waaay fun! We finished off the night by watching "Tron" and I was so glad we got to see them! I wish I had remembered to take a picture of all of us, but I did snap some of Lance and Miles. :)

SO cute :) He and Miles had some serious staring contests. We love the Heyers!

Jackpot!

2011-04-23T15:10:00.000-07:00

Last week I got a text from my dad explaining that he, Mathea, and Jonas had been at a thank you party for all the people that sell tickets for the Phoenix Suns. They were given some money to play games and Dave & Busters and Mathea popped a token into a machine. Suddenly WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP YOU WON THE JACKPOT! Hundreds of tickets streamed out of the machine and people stood and watched as Mathea gathered up tickets for about 10 minutes straight! She was so excited and got a super nice prize and got one for Jonas as well! I just thought it was so fun and exciting that I had to share! :)

Bridal Shower

2011-04-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

So last week was my bridal shower and it was very fun! I felt completely overwhelmed by the many lovely women who support me in my life! Sam carried out the games at the shower that Amber had planned.
My Grandma Gardner made chocolate covered strawberries that matched my blue theme for the wedding!
Dina even went to IKEA and got Daim for the treats!

Everything looked beautiful!
Terri, MaryJo, Grandma, and KineBritt...
Kandy, Natalie, Jennifer, and my Mom...
Wow I was just so amazed at the things written in cards and the love expressed through gifts to help us get started...
My friend, Heather, who I have known since kindergarten even came and I loved seeing her!
My mommy and Lance's mom...
We played this terrible game where I had to answer 30 questions that Lance had already answered. Each one I got wrong, I had to put a piece of Double Bubble Gum in my mouth... I ended up choking, I mean chewing, on 11 pieces! The questions were rigged! Who asks, "Name every state your fiance has been to," at a bridal shower?!
Sam was merciless...
Shantil made a bouquet for me out of the bows from the gifts!
Linda (Lance's mom) made us a book decoration with our invitation inside. We made a special one for her because we knew she would do this. It looked wonderful!
We played a game too where people had to hold a piece of paper against their forehead and draw what I would look like as a bride... ha ha ha! That turned out funny!
We also played a game called Bridezilla! This little dinosaur got passed around. If it was handed to you, you had to hold it for at least five minutes before passing it off to someone else. At the end of the night Sam stopped the game and the person who had it was named Bridezilla! The winner was... drumroll please... My MOM! :) Ha ha ha!
My moms and grandma :)
Sampson and Cori made the shower so fun!
And super huge thanks to Dina and Amber for setting it up and hosting it!
I really had a wonderful time and am so very grateful!

Pirate and Princess Night at Chick Fil A

2011-04-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

Chick Fil A had a Pirate and Princess Party and JJ dressed all up to go! He looked like a true scallawag! Arrrghh maytee!

Adventures at Work

2011-04-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

I work as a home caretaker and it is always an adventure. Here are two from the last week!

I killed a horse fly that was going after me to attack me for about half an hour... it was the size of my thumb!

And I again wanted to throw up when I was bagging the hexagonal soy dogs... eewww!

I Don't Know What I Did...

2011-04-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

I know it sounds cliche, but I don't know what I did to deserve this boy. Really! He is the most amazing person I know and when I think of being with him, forever doesn't seem long enough. I am constantly astonished by the selfless love, attention, and friendship he gives to me. He is truly the champion of my self confidence and the one that brushes my fears aside. I am so blessed to have him and I will always strive to be deserving of his love.

Our St. David Mayberrys!

2011-04-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

So a few weekends ago, my family (minus me because I was working and my mom) went down to St. David to have a get together with the Mayberrys and to have Kaj go to prom with Maria! Andy and my dad have been friends since college.

Britta, the girl next to Kinebritt is actually the same age as her and she is almost as tall as Kaj! :) She is the sweetest girl and I think she has the most gorgeous face.
Maria designed her dress!
Wow all I can say is that Kaj was one lucky guy! She is stunning... :) Love you Maria!

Shadow Puppets

2011-04-23T14:27:00.001-07:00

For our next puppetry project we had to create a group shadow puppet show! Ours turned out fantastic! The link to watch it is on my facebook page!

Cali Trip to see the Baxter Fam!

2011-04-23T13:44:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks ago we flew up to Oakland for the weekend to go see family, have Lance's Bachelor party, and have a little shower for me to meet all of Linda (Lance's mom)'s friends. We hopped on a plane on Friday morning so that we could spend the day in San Francisco with his parents.
When we arrived we had Swedish pancakes at their house and there was a letter waiting for us addressed to "Mr. & Mrs. Lance Baxter." Linda handed it to me and I glanced at it, saw "Baxter" and handed it back. She said, "I'm not Mrs. Lance Baxter." Then I read it again and realized that it was me. Woah! It was our first letter with that address :)
We headed out after breakfast to see the sights of San Fran with Lance's parents. Lance liked this sign :) May is a wonderful month!
Just hopped out for a picture with this lovely view of the bay!

Yes... he can fly.

It was my first time seeing GG Bridge! Amazing!

There was some really pretty architecture downtown as well!

I get to marry my best friend!

We stopped by this lovely place and got some chocolate samples!
We also checked out China Town :)
Very colorful and very fun!

"You think you're sooo funny!"
After the sights of the day, we headed to stop by the Oakland Temple :) Like the Mesa Temple, it has no Angel Moroni.
I love the engraving on the front of the Savior and his apostles...
Wow... I get to marry that hunk!
Trying for a rooftop picture :)
I also took a lot of pictures of Lance's parents which turned out great! :)
That night we grabbed some Taco Bell and had a movie night at home. :) We all watched the new movie, Tangled. It is awesome! The next morning we got up early (so as to get back in time for General Conference) and went over to Mt. Diablo. We drove all the way to the top and the view was like nothing I have seen. The clouds literally rolled over the mountains below...

It was chilly, but we had a great talk and certainly shared a good time!
After General Conference was over, I went with Laina, Lindsey, and Linda to the shower. it was nice to get to meet so many ladies who love Lance so much. They certainly bragged about him a lot, which is not difficult to do. :)

Laina's little girl JonniLee (I hope I spelled that right) is so adorable and was the life of the shower!
Later that night while the boys went to priesthood session and then to Lance's bachelor party, I hung out with Laina, Lindsey, Linda, Avery, Ella, and JonniLee. This was them doing a train and singing, "We are family! I got all my sistas and me!" So fun! Love those girls!
Overall it was a fun weekend! I learned more about myself, the strength of my relationship with my sweetheart, his family, and loved hearing the words from Conference!

ASU Institute

2011-04-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

I am so grateful for institute. :) Ever since I came to ASU it has been a haven from the world, a place of spiritual peace and learning, a guide, a place where lifelong friends have been made, and most importantly it's the place where I first met my soon-to-be eternal companion. We snapped these after church because I think institute will always be a wonderful memory for us!

My Lance Muppet

2011-04-23T13:03:00.000-07:00

So I apologize for not posting in a while, I have been sooo busy with school, work, and wedding planning. Here is the muppet I made in my puppetry class :) It's Lance!

Vanity Plates

2011-03-27T01:12:00.000-07:00

SO when Lance and I get married we will be shrinking down to one vehicle, most likely my truck, so Lance got this new plate to go on it :) AWESOME!

To Infinity and Beyond!

2011-03-27T00:41:00.001-07:00

So last week I got to go with Lance on quite the adventure :) Our friend, Clark, has his pilot's license and loves to fly! I had never been in a small airplane before so I was a bit nervous, but Clark is fantastic at flying and I would so go again! This is the plane we flew in!

Our fantastic pilot!

The sweet headsets we wore so we could hear each other over the engine!

That tiny mountain is called God's thumb... When Lance told me that I immediately thought of the book, Holes by Louis Sachar!

Temple!

It was certainly an awesome time and I loved it!

Spring Break Adventures

2011-03-27T00:11:00.000-07:00

So for spring break my parents went to Charleston leaving the kids with me. I was the entertainer slash mom for the week. We went ice skating at Polar Ice...

(what a cute guy)
Jonas had an idea that we finally did. He learned to make count down chains in school (he made one for Christmas) and he decided we should make one for the wedding. So we did!
They cut all the strips while I glued and they designed and made the special last link on the chain :)

What sweet siblings...
Also had to babysit these puppies along with Skidunk (my grandparents were in OK to be with the Bogers). I just thought that Rudolph looked funny when I walked in so I snapped a picture.

Dinner at Red Robin... YUM!

Desert at JuJu Berry! :)

Overall it was a very fun (and stressful) week with the siblings :) I sure do love them and I love Lance for keeping me sane.

Talk About a Lucky Girl

2011-03-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

I love finding random sticky notes on my car...

Swordfish!

2011-03-26T23:59:00.000-07:00

What do you get when Jonas shares his clay with Lance? A swordfish of course.

Holocaust Convention for Educators 2011

2011-03-26T23:49:00.000-07:00

My dad and I were once again able to attend the Holocaust Convention for Educators. Lance was able to come with me for part of it as well before work. We heard amazing stories of strength, endurance, faith, and hope.

Magda came and hung out with us :) Love her!

Every survivor that spoke said that we should be grateful for this country that we live in and stop complaining. I agree... What a blessing to be able to be a witness to the heroes of the past.

It's Like They Always Say...

2011-03-26T23:42:00.000-07:00

You should marry someone who has attributes of your father. I happen to have the most wonderful dad ever, so it's good that the guy I am going to marry happens to have several attributes like him. Snapped a phone pic when I was driving in my dad's car with him... He has a picture of my mom directly in front of the speedometer to "motivate him to get home fast and safe." Love it!

More Puppetry

2011-02-28T21:10:00.000-08:00

This is Sammy. She is blue. She is very shy and she likes to keep things neat and tidy. She doesn't have a boyfriend because all of the boy pigs make fun of her because she is blue. Her response to that is a timid, "But that's ok because I know one day there will be a boy piggy who loves me even more because I am blue..."

Beautiful...

2011-02-28T21:08:00.000-08:00

I love getting picture messages like these from Lance while he is at work...

How Does Siri Make Lance Better When He is Sick?

2011-02-28T21:06:00.000-08:00

She brings him Legos of course...

Miles Gideon Heyer!

2011-02-28T20:58:00.000-08:00

Well Justin and Charlotte went and had the cutest baby boy ever! :) Just had to post the lovely picture I got in a text and say how excited I am! Congrats guys! :D

Phoenix Desert Botanical Gardens

2011-02-28T20:39:00.000-08:00

This month Lance and I were able to go to the Botanical Gardens for free- courtesy of US Airways. It was the perfect day for it too! I thought this huge plant was insane!

The most odd looking cactus...
And the best looking guy! We had a great time and even got to use my umbrella for part of the time :)

When You're in Love...

2011-02-19T01:26:00.000-08:00

Your sister may catch you randomly dancing in the tv room when you thought no one was watching or had a camera... :)

Rocky & Phantom

2011-02-19T00:38:00.000-08:00

Today I took some pictures of my boys while I was playing with them. :) It's so fun how they are growing up, yet they still have the exact same personalities from when I got them! Phantom still always hides...
And Rocky isn't afraid of anything...
And he never stops moving...
Ahem... :)
Brothers! :) This picture really captures how they are ha ha!
They are getting huge!
And Adrienne, Christine, Alfalfa, and Darla (the 4 stupid fish I bought like 6 months ago for them to eat) are still alive somehow and hiding behind the water filter. Rocky and Phantom seem like they could care less. They love worms and crickets, but not fish apparently.

Puppetry in Education

2011-02-18T23:58:00.000-08:00

So this semester in school I get to take a class called Puppetry in Education. We learn how to use puppets to teach and sort of do therapy with children. This includes lots of actually making puppets! Waaay fun! So here are a few that I have made up until now for different assignments.

This is the Me Puppet assignment... it's me!

This is the Random Object Puppet (we had to bring a random object to class and were then told to make a puppet out of it). I brought a glove I had lost the match to. I made Buttons the spider. He sees in rainbow colors and he is really shy. There is only one thing he isn't shy about...

It's his favorite number, OCHO!
The Fable Puppets Assignment. I was assigned the story of the crab and the lobster. Both of the puppets had to be made in 40 min to present the story to the class so I didn't really have time on these. This is lobster...

There is a glove under him so you can slip your hand in to make him talk.
And this is crab. Two paper plates stapled together except at the bottom where it's open to slip your hand in.
The Dynamic Duo Rod Puppet Assignment. We had to make two puppets that were a dynamic duo and had to be rod puppets (on a stick). I made a Swedish meatball and Swedish chocolate since they are dynamic at cheering me up!

And last, but not least the ten minute chicken assignment... glove, paper plate, feathers, BAM! You have a blue chicken! :) Awesome!

Baptisms at the Temple

2011-02-18T16:42:00.000-08:00

Today I was able to go to the temple with Brooke, Brooklynn, and Heather to do baptisms. It was such an amazing experience. There were no fireworks and no over emotional tears... just a calmness that enveloped me and the knowledge that everything would be alright. I am so grateful for a Father in Heaven who gives us the means and the gift to have temples as such a special place to do work for the dead, make holy covenants with him, and receive personal revelation. Truly He is the Most High God and I know He lives. I know that His Son, Jesus Christ died for me, that my sins might be forgiven. How eternally thankful I am for that... And at this time in my life, how especially thankful I am that I have the opportunity to go to the temple in 85 days and marry my best friend for time and all eternity...

I was so glad to see you girls today and share such a uplifting experience. Love you guys!

Heavenly Father Knows Best

2011-02-18T16:29:00.000-08:00

While I was cleaning out my room today, I found these papers...Along with all the necessary forms all filled out and ready to submit... I don't know how many people knew this, but last fall I was planning on doing a study abroad in Sweden. I had a plan for how to save the necessary money needed for it that wouldn't be covered by my scholarship and grant. I was looking at places to live. I was seriously planning and very excited... Then one night when I was praying about it, I just felt empty. I felt like I just wasn't planning for the right thing. So I stopped just like that. My parents didn't understand why and neither did I, but I stopped planning and I decided not to go to Sweden after all.

About a month later I was having a very odd night (I forgot about this night until my Grandma reminded me)... This feeling was just overwhelming me. My grandma came into the room and saw me looking puzzled. She asked me what was the matter and I said, "I just feel like my whole life is about to change." She asked, "Like with school?" I responded, "No... I feel like I'm going to get married." We both were puzzled at that one since I wasn't even close to dating anyone so didn't see how it was possible.

Now it is 4 1/2 months later. I am not in Sweden. I am here. I am no longer confused. I am engaged to marry Lance Baxter... Time and time again Heavenly Father shows me that He always knows best. He always guides me in the direction that will bring me true happiness... He helped me find Lance.

Babysitting Bat Dog

2011-02-18T16:20:00.000-08:00

This week my grandparents left to go up to Utah to stay with my Aunt Karen and see my Aunt Marci. Thus I have been left with Bat Dog (Skidunk) while they are gone... This is always an interesting thing because I feed her like a dog should be fed when she is used to being fed all kinds of junk food by my grandpa. Already she is getting desperate from not having eaten any vienna sausages this week. I came home the other night to vomit on the kitchen floor. Probably withdrawals from crap food? Another night she had been so desperate to get junk food that she tried to get food from the trash can... She has gone through the trash before so my grandpa has put bricks in the bottom of them so that she can't knock them over. So when I showed up I found Skidunk stuck IN the trash can without any spoils (there was only paper in the trash). So we will go through all this and she will lose weight and start getting healthier

Then next week grandpa will come home and it will all have been for naught... great.

Ever Wondered...

2011-02-18T16:15:00.000-08:00

...what a deflated pumpkin looks like? Now you know. :)

The Easter Bunny's Basketball Shoes

2011-02-18T16:14:00.001-08:00

Lance and I found them in Ross... Ha!

Oh What a Day!

2011-02-18T15:51:00.000-08:00

If you remember in my Valentine's Dinner post I talked about my car breaking down... That 24 hours was interesting. Here are the events that took place in that time:

-My mom and her law partner, Mary Jo, got rearended by a guy driving 30 mph (the picture below is the car that ran into them)

-My car snapped all it's belts while going 70 mph on the freeway

-My dad and Kaj survived a crazy kid bringing a gun to school with several magazines of amo, intended to shoot one of his teachers

-My dad's car broke down from a dead battery and wire problem

-Kaj's car broke down from a dead battery

Oh what a day...

Basketball Kaj - Millennium Vs. Deer Valley for Entrance to the Playoffs

2011-02-18T14:53:00.000-08:00

I went to watch Kaj's last game of the regular varsity season. If they won against Deer Valley, they were going to get to go to the play offs. We showed up as they were all gathering.

Before the game started my parents had to leave to walk the court with Kaj. It was Parents Night for the seniors and so they each got to come out onto the court and give their parents a flower while the announcer read a personal message from them to their parents.

Kaj's message was thanking my parents for driving him around so much over the years, financially, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually supporting him, and "saving my butt" countless times. It was sweet :) I definitely teared up.

Good job Kaj, we certainly do have wonderful parents.

Then they were off in a whirlwind of basketball :) (Kaj is number 34 and the only player with a beard if you need help finding him in any pictures)

He wasn't the top scorer of the game, but man he was really bringing it on defense!

Yes... My brother can fly :)

Great block and steal! :)

One of my dad's best friends from High School, Louis, came to watch Kaj play too. It was fun to see them crack each other up :)
Brother and sister... can you see the resemblance? :)
So Millennium ended up winning by about twenty five points! Great job lil bro! I love you and I'm so proud of you!

A Valentine's Dinner at Chick Fil A

2011-02-18T14:37:00.000-08:00

I have discovered that a vast majority of people seem to think that Valentine's day has to be this explosion of showing affection through massive money spending... Personally I am way more into sweet gestures and quality time than gifts. Don't get me wrong, it's always nice to give or receive a gift, but expensive gifts should not be the make it or break it of Valentine's day. Props to all those guys who set up treasure hunts, heart attack their girl's front door, write a poem, or anything else that takes love and time, but not tons of money.

My Valentine's Day was not at all what I thought it would be- not in that Lance forgot it was Valentine's Day or anything, but rather that I did not expect my car to break down while driving 70mph on the freeway in heavy traffic. It was a huuuuge adrenaline rush and I was definitely shaken up about it. I managed to get my car into a neighborhood off the next exit, but it also happened to be a pretty scary neighborhood. After waiting for about an hour, the towing guy showed up and then came Lance to the rescue... We continued with our plans for dinner and a movie and Lance took me to Chick Fil A (I love Chick Fil A!) for dinner. They put on a special Valentine's night dinner with a red carpet, table cloths, fancy menus, flowers for the girls, live string band, candle light, waiters, etc. It was very nice to go there and just have a breather and be with Lance.

After dinner we went to the movies and since "True Grit" didn't start for 2 hours we went to see "The Green Hornet"... Bad idea. The movie was littered with foul language and we just really thought it ended up being a waste of our time. So Valentine's Day was not that great except for dinner and being with Lance... here's the thing though, Lance is good at making regular days like a Valentine's Day even when Valentine's Day turns out not so amazing. That's the neat thing about us. We love to love each other and be as happy as can be and we help each other with that so much. So here's to every single day that can be a Valentine's Day when I'm with Lance...

Birds of a Feather

2011-02-13T23:20:00.000-08:00

This post does not need words...

The Antique Valentine Lounge

2011-02-13T23:15:00.000-08:00

On Friday some ladies from my home ward set up and most amazing little party with an antique lounge feel. Lance and I went and had the delicious three course meal. We enjoyed great company, made new friends, and listened to great music in a beautiful setting!

We loved the creative little table centerpieces! What a fun little pre Valentine's Day date!

Apartment Hunting

2011-02-13T23:12:00.000-08:00

Some things... ok a lot of things get stressful, but he makes everything better...

Babysitting the Girls

2011-02-13T23:01:00.000-08:00

I took the girls to the playground when I had them last weekend and while we were there, Shea came up to me and said, "That girl is singing!" Sure enough there was a girl who looked to be about 6 who was sitting by herself in the sand and singing to her hearts content. Matter of factly, she had a great voice for such a little person. Shea was thrilled and began to follow her from a distance to hear her sing. Shea, Rachel, and Haley were soon all enchanted by this singing wonder and kept telling me how beautiful her voice was. Suddenly her big sister who looked to be about ten walked up and shoved her into the sand really hard shouting, "Shut up! You are frightening the other children!" and stormed off. The little girl immediately stopped singing and began to cry in the sand to Haley, Shea, and Rachel's horror. Shea looked at me for help, "What do we do?! She was so mean!" I suggested that maybe they could go tell the little girl that they loved her singing. After much shy hesitance, Rachel led the way and the girls did just as I suggested. The little girl flinched and backed up when they walked up to her, but when I heard the girls all telling her how they loved her singing, her face was surprised. They all came rushing back to me after they had told her and her big sister came prancing over to see what had happened. "What did they say?!" she demanded. Our little singer girl got a huge, fearless grin on her face and said, "They loved my singing," and she marched away singing at full volume once again. It's little stories like these that inspire me...

Hey Lance, Yellow Jeep, No Slug Backs

2011-02-04T20:52:00.001-08:00

Ditching School

2011-02-04T20:28:00.000-08:00

Well we are already training Jonas well! :) Last Monday was the last day of January and during January Lance had free admission to the Phoenix Children's Museum for him plus three. So we stole Jonas and Maddy to go to the museum. He took them while I went to work. Alas, the museum was closed for some reason, so he took them to the park instead. He had my camera with him so he got some really cute shots of them!

Since Jonas still really wanted to have an adventure on his ditch day, Lance and I took him to lunch and then Lance had to go to work. I then took Jage to Build-A-Bear and he made his new bunny rabbit, James. He had never been there before so it was very exciting for him! :) Too cute!

Goodbye Baxter Parents! We miss you!

2011-02-04T20:17:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, our Baxter parents came to church with us and our Johnson parents! It was so nice to have them there with us.

We are a good lookin' family! Lance and I are so blessed to have such wonderful parents!

I certainly do love this boy...

The Downtown Girls

2011-02-04T20:10:00.000-08:00

So life has been a little hectic, which is why my blog posts are a little more spaced out, but fear not, I shall continue! A few weeks ago, Brooke came into town and visited for the weekend! Cori, Brooke, Brooklynn, Haley, and I went to dinner at Hardrock Cafe and it was so fun! Cori and I ate our lemons from our drinks!

Love you girls!

Parents Dinner

2011-01-28T14:23:00.000-08:00

Last night Lance and I went to dinner with both of our parents at Flemmings. His mom and dad are in town from Danville for the Quilt show in Phoenix, so they finally got to meet my parents. It was awesome! Delicious dinner and better company!

Lance's mom has had a beautiful set of silverware that she has been saving for Lance for the last 8 years so last night they gave it to us! :)
We are so blessed to have wonderful families :)

Some Things Rub Off

2011-01-28T14:22:00.000-08:00

I somehow managed to find the most amazing guy ever :)

Yellow Belt!

2011-01-28T14:17:00.000-08:00

Last week JJ tested for his Yellow belt and he passed! Woo hoo! Goodbye white belt!

Cutest Brother Ever

2011-01-28T14:14:00.000-08:00

Lance snapped this while Jonas was in the back seat wearing his sunglasses :)

Suns Game :)

2011-01-28T13:51:00.000-08:00

Here are pictures I never got a chance to post from the Suns Game in December! I went with my family, Lance, and Brooklynn and it was so much fun! I got to go down in the tunnel and high five the whole Suns team as they ran out! And my dad caught his first free T-shirt ever!
Brooklynn and I with the gorilla!
KineBritt and Weezy, one of the Sol Dance Team members!
The Orange Guy...
JJ's first NBA game!
We all got free drawstring back packs :)
Caught in the middle of a tickle fight? Perhaps...
Mommy, Pappa, and Mathea :)
Loved watching the game with my sweetie :) Only thing that could have made it better was if the Suns won!
Gangsta Gorilla :)

Old Christmas Pictures :)

2011-01-28T13:44:00.000-08:00

Got these from Brooklynn and had to post them :) Love you Corister!

Lee and Jackson Day

2011-01-17T22:44:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday Lance and I went to the SCV lunch for Lee and Jackson Day :) It was a neat experience and I was happy to introduce Lance to a part of my heritage that means a lot to me. I am so blessed to have such wonderful men in my life.
There was also a trivia contest and since our table took second place (mostly because of Dad), we got a complimentary mug! :) Woot woot!

The Wedding Colors Are In!!!

2011-01-17T22:41:00.000-08:00

Ice Cream with Grandpa

2011-01-17T22:36:00.000-08:00

Last week Lance and I met up with Grandpa, Dad, and JJ for some delicious ice cream and we even got Grandpa to sing the Chocolate Ice Cream Song! :) Looove it!

John's Wedding Reception

2011-01-17T22:30:00.001-08:00

The origin of "the face" revealed...

Chillin' With My Jonas

2011-01-17T22:28:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

2011-01-06T16:37:00.000-08:00

Lance and I made it home from Sweden on New Years Eve! (I flew 15 hours, but he flew and drove over 40 hours) When he got off work at 11pm, we raced over to my parents' house and made it in time to catch the end of the party and do the countdown and sparklers!
Happy 2011!
On New Years Day, Emma's dad came to pick her up and he came from Snowflake. He had snow on his truck so there was a little snow fight that happened too!

Dad got hit by mom :)
Lance built this awesome turbo car from the Legos he got for Christmas :)

For Anyone That Missed It... I'm Engaged!!!

2011-01-06T16:33:00.000-08:00

Sweden and How My Life Changed There

2011-01-06T16:32:00.001-08:00

Christmas at the Johnson Home

2011-01-06T13:50:00.000-08:00

We all woke up Christmas morning to read Luke 2, watch the nativity story, and open gifts...

I think the photos speak for themselves on this post :) We had a great Christmas and we are so blessed!

Christmas Eve Dinner

2011-01-06T13:30:00.001-08:00

For Christmas Eve, my family gathered over at my dad's parents house. We went out and played with the dogs (Charlie and Molly Bear) for a while :)

The sunset was beautiful! :)

I thought this candle was pretty crazy :)
My grandma and grandpa Gardner :)
Grandma Johnson opening her gift- an Ipad!
She was excited, but a little worried about how to figure out how to use it. :) We started everything for her.
Grandpa Johnson loved the book he got yesterday :)
What a nice night with family :)

The Wildlife World Zoo

2011-01-06T12:35:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve my siblings, Dad, Lance, Brianna, and I went to the Wildlife World Zoo! I hadn't been there since I was little!
I haven't gotten a shoulder ride since I was little either :)
Since then, they have added the aquarium section of the zoo!

They even have a part where you can pet and feed manta rays!

How cool! You take a piece of squid or shrimp and stick it in between your pointer and middle finger! Then a ray comes up and engulfs half your hand and sucks out the food! Such a wierd feeling!
You also get to feed the Lori Parrots! Everyone held apples as the birds flew all over and ate them :)
One bird just wanted to eat Kaj :)

Staring contest :)

Oh dad...

We also got to feed the giraffes!

Look at that cute face :)
Jonas screamed everytime the tongue got close to his hand :)

Being animals: Tiger, Koala Bear, and Fish :)
Such a blast! I love them so much!

Jonas' Layers of the Ocean Project

2011-01-06T11:59:00.002-08:00

I just though he did so great on this that I had to post it :) It's his ocean project that he made for school! He has the different animals and where they live too!

Santa Lucia

2011-01-06T11:59:00.001-08:00

Suns Game with the Fam

2011-01-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

In early December we went to the Suns game with my whole family, Lance, and Brookynn. It was the game that my dad and his NHS (National Honor Society) students fundraised and sold tickets for. They sold so many tickets that they were allowed to go down (my dad has done this once before) and stand in the tunnel where the Suns run out of and high five the whole team. Since one girl didn't really care to go down, I got to go and high five the Suns instead! :)
Standing in the tunnel :)
Pappa och jag
After the high fiving we all went up to our seats to cheer on the Suns! Sampson was working the game so Jonas was really excited to go get a free cookie from her :)
We had so much fun! :)
The Suns lost, but my dad considered the night to be a victory since he caught his first ever free T-shirt! ha ha! His best friend since high school (Ron) also caught one, so they were super excited :)

The Llama Next Door (Based on a true story)

2010-12-20T23:09:00.000-08:00

There is a llama living next door,
Sometimes you can hear his funny llama roar.
People complain about life being bland,
But a llama next door seems to me quite grand.
You may spend money and years to get a thrill,
Hoping with each day that you will.
I just poke my head out the window,
And what I see is almost as good as a rainbow.
There is a llama living next door,
and what's more?
There is a zebra too.

Christmas Party FHE

2010-12-20T23:04:00.001-08:00

This week for FHE we had a combined activity with 3rd Ward, 2nd Ward, and 5th Ward. We did a white elephant gift exchange and we were supposed to come in Christmas sweater... My Cori came to go with me!

and I definitely took first prize for Christmas sweater of the year! :)

Merry Christmas Downtown Girls!

2010-12-20T22:58:00.000-08:00

We had a little dinner at Five Guys before everyone left for Christmas Break. Can't wait until you all get back! I miss you Mette!

Cori finding the best beanie ever in a store on our walk back to the dorms :)

Just Another Beautiful Sunday :)

2010-12-20T22:40:00.000-08:00

Sunday, one of Lance's best friends, Scott, came into town. He and his friend, Ashley, had dinner with us at the Sowards and we all went to Ted and Rex's Christmas concert. Afterwards we took them to the temple and, as usual, it was beautiful and peaceful.
The Christmas lights were amazing...

We had such a fun time with these two! They are awesome!

On the way home, we drove past the giant pink chair sculpture, and my dream of having my picture taken in it was finally fulfilled! :)

Sunday just made me so grateful. I am grateful for:

-good and sincere people

-wonderful friends

-the temple and ordinances performed within

-laughter

-Lance

-Sunday dinners

-scriptures

and the list could go on and on...

Hangin' with the Boys

2010-12-20T22:23:00.000-08:00

So the whole last week I have been dog sitting for my Aunt Jennifer and can I just say I love her dogs!? :) Jack is a yellow lab and Foster is a black and white great dane... They are the sweetest boys ever, but dang they hog the bed when they sleep with you! Foster so cuuuute!

No Fork, No Spoon, No Problem

2010-12-20T22:14:00.001-08:00

Lance made me dinner this week... and so we saran wrapped the table and ate it... :)

A New Photographer is Born!!!

2010-12-20T22:01:00.000-08:00

Soooo for Christmas my parents and my Aunt Eva pitched in and got me an amazing camera!!! Gaaaa! I am so excited! I almost peed my pants waiting for my dad to get home so I could open it! Why did I get to open it before Christmas you ask? Well because on Christmas day I am leaving to go to Sweden for 5 days so I needed to be able to practice and get the hang of how to use it beforehand.
So here are the glorious first shots... I can't wait to get more into photography!!!

Ernie and Magda

2010-12-20T21:45:00.000-08:00

Last Monday, Lance and I drove Ernie and Magda to my dad's high school to speak to his class. Magda is our family friend who is a Holocaust survivor and she brought her book with her to talk a little about as well. Lance and I got to go out to lunch with them afterwards as well. I was so glad that we had the opportunity to listen to the knowledge that she had to share. I was also grateful for the contagious smiles and love that can be felt radiating from these two.

As Heavenly Father works according to what He knows is best, Ernie passed away the day after we took them to the school and out to lunch. It felt so strange and bitter sweet to know that we had spent some of that precious last time with them and taken them on their last outing together. I am feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to introduce Ernie to Lance and to be with him one more time before he went on. My family and I have loved Ernie for all the years and years that we have known him. He always called me the "Svenska Flicka" (Swedish Girl) and I vividly remember little things like how he actually loved to open doors for Magda. So here is to a great man who loves and great woman and the precious blessing they have been in my life. I love you Magda and Ernie.

Ice Skating with Lance Fancy Pants

2010-12-10T12:54:00.000-08:00

Last night we went ice skating and it was the first time I have been in about a year and a half! It was so fun! There is a little outdoors rink in the middle of downtown Phoenix with Christmas tree, lights, and Christmas music playing the whole time. It is beautiful!
I was a little wobbly at first until I got going. I felt pretty good about it until Lance started skating around backwards and I failed miserably lol
However, I did not wipe out once, so I was happy! :)

Ah yes we could be professional figure skaters if we truly wanted to :)
The trees around the rink...
The cute guy that kept flirting with me in the rink... :)
And here you have Lance and I combining our creative sides...

Such a lovely night for a skate with a sweetheart :)

Best... Little... Brother... EVER

2010-12-10T12:47:00.000-08:00

How can you disagree? He made a turkey drumstick hat for Thanksgiving and then proceeded to proudly wear it around everywhere. People in the grocery store apparently loved it too!

Institute Winter Formal - A Time to Dance

2010-12-10T11:12:00.000-08:00

Last Friday was the institute winter formal - A Time to Dance! I was pretty excited to get to wear my old dress to something and just to be with Lance of course. :)

Snapping some pictures before we go...

My grandpa was giving Lance a nice, friendly glare so I had to keep telling Lance to look at the camera ha ha
We pull into the institute parking garage and Lance says, "We just need to make a quick stop before we go in." I say,"Ok. Where?" He says, "Back home to get the ticket," and drives out of the parking garage. Ha ha here is the infamous ticket in the paper!

Lance personalized my dessert :)
We went and took some pictures, which turned out fantastic! :)

Cori and her date, Stew, looking great!
And Heather and Mark looking so amazing :)
I had so much fun dancing my socks off with this boy! ... uh oh... Where are my socks? I've lost them again.

The cheesy smile that makes me want to pinch his cheek :)
Love my Corister :)

What a blast we all had! :)

99 Multi-colored Balloons...

2010-12-02T23:00:00.000-08:00

So the other night, Lance and I sat and worked on an essay for a while and then watched a show. When I finally had to leave, he walked me out to my car and I just about freaked out when I saw something in it. I thought maybe someone was finally going to steal it or had vandalized it, but alas, it was full of balloons! That sneaky boy had one of his room mates do it so I wouldn't suspect a thing!
You should have seen my hair by the time I had driven home... I looked like Medusa from the static ha ha!
When I got home I realized that there were papers in the balloons! I had to sit and pop each one to get out a piece of paper with a letter written on it!
After lots of popping...
I deciphered this message. It's in Swedish. Translation: "Would you like to go to the dance with me?" YES I would Lance! You are the best ever!

Silliness!

2010-12-02T22:55:00.000-08:00

Someone poured soap into the fountains by the MU in Tempe :) Just made me chuckle as I walked past...

Double Date with Mom and Dad

2010-12-02T22:40:00.000-08:00

Last week Lance and I got to go out with my parents and it was such a blast! We ate at Texas Roadhouse and got dessert at Yogurtplace. I have the best parents and we are so hilarious!
Luckiest girl ever right there :)

Christmas Tree at the Johnsons' House!

2010-12-02T22:37:00.000-08:00

Hip Hip Hooray

I am so blessed :) Love my cute babies...

More Cousin Cuteness :)

2010-12-02T22:26:00.000-08:00

JJ and Maddy playing in the backyard :)
Maddy and Robby :) So cute!
Brenden and Hayden spent the night at my parents' house so Tess and I had a girls movie with popcorn. Little Mermaid all the way! :)

Birds Flying By...

2010-12-02T22:21:00.000-08:00

My awesome file folder activity for MTE 180! Yay! 100%

The Fatal Funnel!

2010-12-02T22:14:00.000-08:00

Having troubles with wasps and flies? Get THE FATAL FUNNEL because... it has an awesome name!

Thanksgiving!

2010-11-26T13:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a blast! Lance came to share Thanksgiving with me and the fam and we had so much fun!
All the kiddies and KineBritt after dinner at the Johnson grandparents' house :)
Kaj and Jennifer just chillin' and digesting :)
Linda and Nathan <3 :)
Me and this cute guy that followed me into the house... actually it's Lance :)
Brig eating his pie with his face :)
Mauna even came to see me!
After dinner, we all went to Grandma Gardner's for Grandkids' Camp!
Chaos ensued... :) But fun chaos for the most part.
Kaj says "Everyone be asleep!" so we were!

The Crew Meets Denny's- Ep. 617

2010-11-26T13:37:00.000-08:00

Love you guys! You never fail to make me laugh! :)

Fun Fun Fun!!!

2010-11-26T13:23:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, Jonas and my dad had school off, so we went and visited Uncle Dub out in Tempe! It's always so fun to see him and listen to his jokes and stories! After that we went and visited Ernie and Magda too!
When the girls got home from school, we got down the Christmas decorations and put them all up! :)
The tree looked fabulous!
And so did Jonas' reindeer! :)
Best bedtime ensemble I have ever seen!
What a ham! :)

Happy Birthday Mom and Mathea!

2010-11-26T13:14:00.001-08:00

My mom and Mathea both had their birthdays earlier in November, but I didn't have the pictures until now. :)
Mom opening her Pat Benatar CD from me! Woot woot!
Jonas and helping mom eat her birthday cookies :)
Mathea opening presents! :)
Happy birthday! Love you both!

Oakland, The Baxter Family, and Lindsey's Wedding

2010-11-23T09:44:00.001-08:00

So last weekend, Lance and I flew to Oakland to meet his family and go to his sister, Lindsey's wedding. We left Friday afternoon and while I was waiting for our flight the entire UCONN Huskies basketball team and their coach sat by me waiting for a different flight to Maui. It was interesting to listen to the coach show off his Hall of Fame and National Championship rings... ha ha
When we got to Lance's parents' house, we were bombarded by children! Lance is pretty much the favorite uncle and so since I walked in with him, I was pretty cool too apparently. :) It was so fun to hang out with all the cute kids!
Lance toting Piper around :)
Nathan (Lindsey's husband to be) got all the groomsmen knives as a thank you. :) Lance was very excited!
Lance's sister, Lisa and her adorable baby :)
We got up in the morning to prepare for the wedding and Lance snapped some shots from the back porch :)

At the Oakland temple, everyone went in for the sealing and I got to hang out with these little princesses in the Visitor's Center.
After the sealing everyone began to congregate for pictures :) This is Lance and his favorite cousin, Ben aka Bizz
Lindsey and Nathan right after coming out of the temple :)
The bride and groom with their parents :)
The wedding party :) What a group!
Ha ha ha :)
The Groomsmen and Bridesmaids :)
Bride and Bridesmaids... So gorgeous! :)
Groom and groomsmen... Look at those studly guys!
The ring exchange :)
So happy!
Lance and me in front of the temple :)

We can't help it :) Laughing and smiling is contagious!
Break time in between wedding and reception = football and laughing babies
Reception time! The theme was Jane Austen so there were gloves and pretty dresses, etc
The three musketeers!... with umbrellas instead of swords!
What a handsome guy :)
The attempted jumping picture :) We couldn't figure out how Lindsey got so much higher than everyone else until we noticed the hands on her waist.. Nathan helped her :)
The cake!
The guest signed picture frame :)
Cutting the cake...

Lance and two of his best friends, David and Jon! They are hilarious together!
Little Avery and me :)
Instead of just saran wrapping the car, they also kidnapped and saran wrapped the groom... :)
He was a good sport about it :)

What a fun weekend! I am so glad we were able to share in it! I loved meeting everyone! Congrats Lindsey and Nathan!

The Adventures of Costco Continue...

2010-11-23T09:39:00.001-08:00

Picking out treats for the Petersen kids... yes I am in the shopping cart again :)
Look what else we got!!! I love these! Childhood memories spilling back!

Treats of Love

2010-11-23T09:19:00.000-08:00

Came home a week ago after my family had visited while I wasn't there. This is what I found on my bed :) My family made me a turkey cookie. So delicious and so full of love!
Came home yesterday and found my favorite donut on the table with my name on it from Karen and Tess... Again, so good and so full of love. :) I have the best family!

Cuuute Cousins :)

2010-11-23T08:54:00.000-08:00

I have such cute cousins! The Petersens came to stay with us for a while again so the Maddy-Tess, Hayden-Jonas, and Mathea-Brended duos were reunited! :) Maddy and Tess decided that I have the most fun room in the house and Charlie (my stuffed bear) became well acquainted with them! I love having those cute girls around!

And of course I love spending time with these cute little girls- Haley and Shea! :) They are just a whirlwind of fun and full of so much imagination. I am so blessed! :)

Holiday Cheer is Sneaking In!!!

2010-11-16T00:53:00.001-08:00

On Sunday, Brooklynn and I were thrilled to discover that the institute Christmas decorations are up again!!! HOOOORRRAAAYYYY!!! I love the feel that the Christmas season brings! We all need "mas Christ"' in our lives! The family, the giving, the smiles, the Savior, the music, the hot chocolate, the temple lights... I could go on forever! :) Needless to say, we snapped some pictures in our excitement! :) Us girls :)
Lance looking so very good and me being so very happy:)
Heather and Marc! :) one, two, three... AWWWWW!!! I love them! (p.s. only 4 tries to get Marc smiling for the picture!)

Fondue as a First :)

2010-11-16T00:34:00.000-08:00

So last Thursday, my Mom, Grandma, and Aunt Karen decided to try their hands at making fondue. I have never had fondue, so it was also to be my first experience eating it. It was rather good :) Maddy and Tess voted YES on the chocolate fondue for dessert! I love Kaj in the background of this picture too :)
Me: Smile everyone!
Tess' thoughts: Do not ever bother me while I am eating chocolate covered marshmellows!
Mom, Robby, and Kaj and just hanging/sleeping/checking their phones. :)
And Mr. Lance Baxter himself was also present :) He fit right in and seemed to love meeting everyone! (I did not bribe him to be nice by letting him play with Legos) :) What an awesome day!

Lance's Triathlon

2010-11-08T13:51:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday was Lance's triathlon! I went to play cheerleader, photographer, etc :)
Before the race Lance was warming up and I was warming up too... in a blanket that he happened to have in his car. Thank goodness! It was chilly!
Go Lance go! (silver speedo cap) I took about fifty pictures of him swimming and the entire time I was just hoping it was him because almost every guy in line to go was wearing black swim shorts and a silver speedo cap! Thankfully I got pictures of the right one :)
Waiting at the finish line for Lance to come in after his run!
Woot! Triathlete champ and cheerleader!

Running!
Swimming! :) ha ha
This was the end of the bike route and when he went to stop and unclick his shoes from the bike pedals the speed bump made him fall and scratch up his knee. We cleaned it and got it bandaged up. As we were walking to the car he goes, "Look my blood stain!" It was not his blood stain, in fact I'm pretty sure it was fluid from a car, but he would not be appeased until I took this picture of how tough he is with the giant blood stain. :)
What a champ! He finished in the top 40 of about 400+ competitors! Go Lance! :)

Stake Halloween Party... On Nov 1st! :)

2010-11-03T01:46:00.000-07:00

This week for FHE we had a stake Halloween party, which was waaay fun! Brooklynn and I wore my Tae Kwon Do stuff and Cori went as Daphne with her awesome red wig!
All us Mormons getting it on with the Cupid Shuffle :) I look ridiculous!

But who cares if they look ridiculous in the moment at a dance like this... Sometimes it's fun to look ridiculous. I try to do so daily :)

John and Quinn as Cave Men :)
Lance was Antoine... You know: "Hide yo kids! Hide yo wife! And hide yo husband!" Ha ha!
One of my FAVs was Kayla! She was Giselle from Enchanted and she was in character! :)
Second ward bishopic and wives! How awesome are they?! :)

JJ and Me

2010-11-03T01:30:00.000-07:00

My JJ

True colors :)

MAG Campout :)

2010-11-03T01:12:00.000-07:00

Friday night was the MAG Campout and Cori, Brooklynn, Marc, and I headed down to Camp Lo Mia for the fun! :) After chatting, a bunch of games, and snacks, there was a dance to perfect the night. It was soo fun! Love my Tempe University Ward homies!
Norman looks like a phantom or something ha ha!

Not So Spooky Jack O Lanterns :)

2010-10-28T02:27:00.001-07:00

For FHE this week, we did pumpkin carving. We had a contest to see who could carve the most spiritual pumpkin! Brooklynn, Cori, Emily, Kayla, and I were at a table working furiously on our pumkins. :)

The de gutting was nasty... I'm confused as to why I can work on a cadaver without flinching and do other things that most people would freak out at, but gutting a pumkpin is gross. Does that make any sense?

After a good hour and a half of work, 2nd Ward brought in their pumpkins of the contest. Their pumpkins of Brother Kimball and a pirate, however, were not as spiritual as the pumpkins we had lined up...
Oh yeah... Angel Moroni. Woot!
Other pumpkins our ward carved that blew away the competition were:

The Salt Lake Temple...
The Tree of Life (complete with iron rod)...
President Monson...
Even Jesus!
CTR...
And we had to throw a Sparky in there too. :) Wow U3 has got talent!
Ileva and I after the contest :) My New Zealand girl

Look What I Found!!!

2010-10-28T02:24:00.000-07:00

My Gall Bladder!... Just kidding. I think it's like a giantuous wad of gum or something, but it made me think of my gall bladder. Ha! Kicked to the curb :)

3rd Ward is the Place to Be!

2010-10-28T02:15:00.001-07:00

So I have now been in 5th Ward, 2nd Ward, and 3rd Ward because of boundary changes... May I just say that 3rd ward rocks my socks! No offense to you other University wards, but U3 is the best! :) It was fun to have Brooke at church with us again this Sunday!
Gotta love 'em!
And I snagged Yakun and made her take a picture with me! I can't even tell you how amazing this girl is! She is from China and is just the most incredibly sweet person ever! She is also brilliant! I love getting to see her and always getting a hug!