LIFE-O-RACHEL

Let's Get Organized

2011-03-06T18:41:00.000-08:00

My bathroom drawers were atrocious looking. I wish I had a before picture to show you. But things were just tossed in there with no rhyme or reason. So I went to Michael's and found some cute drawer organizers that were ON SALE yahoo! Now my make-up and my bathroom tidbits are all stashed in their rightful place. It's so nice to be able to find something right away, and to put it back where it should go. Anyway here are a couple pics :) It makes me feel just a little more accomplished!

So as you can see, my all of my lip gloss/chap sticks are in one section, foundation/face cream in the next, then eye makeup in the bottom section. On the side are compacts and application tools. It kinda makes you go *siiiiiiigh* huh?

In this drawer are hair products and floss products. Can I just say its awesome to have bobby pins separated from hair ties! No more digging though to the bottom to get them. I must say I have a lot of nail clippers, kinda weird, but I won't need to buy those for a while.

Part of my spring cleaning is getting thing organized and labeled labeled LABELED! I want to know where everything is exaclty when I need it! Like I said, it makes life seem less complicated when things are organized.

Wild Turkey

2011-02-20T11:40:00.000-08:00

Actually it's not wild...my parent's neighbors have many chickens that like to wander into their pasture. They also have this giant white turkey, and I was close enough to get a picture. He was on edge at this moment, hence the feathers sticking up everywhere. I like animals, but I'm sorry this is the ugliest thing I've seen. The blue head doesn't help.

Happy Valentines Day

2011-02-15T17:45:00.000-08:00

I know, shocker huh? I FINALLY DID A NEW POST! I will do Christmas and Grandma's memorial soon, but for now here's some Valentine fun....

A couple weeks ago, Shelley, Staci, Jolene and I got

together and sewed cute heart banners! Aren't they fun?

Here's my banner hanging up.

I got the vase/word flowers at Real Deals in Moses Lake. Such a fun store.

Oh, and how can one resist a "tweet heart" mug?

Happy Anniversary

2010-08-16T21:31:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad have been married 35 years today! They are great examples of a happily married couple, who love each other very much and who love God. Thanks Mom and Dad for dedicating your lives to each other, to Jesus and to your family. I love you so much! Here's a picture of the two of them right before they got engaged, Dec. 1974. and another taken 2 years ago. Don't they look so retro in the first one? Lookin' good folks!

Kevin and Meara's B-DAY

2010-05-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I went out and celebrated Kevin and Meara's birthday! They are engaged, plus their birthdays are a day apart. Kevin's is the 15th, and Meara's is the 16th. How often does that happen? Anyway, I'm kicking myself for not taking more pictures, but the one I did take, was worth it all. So Kevin got up out of his chair to greet some friends that arrived. When he sat back down, a loud 'CRACK' rang throughout the table. He nearly broke one of the legs right off the chair! It was hysterical! Kevin, being the great sport that he is said, "Well looks like I'll be going to the gym tomorrow." Followed by his contagious laugh. The waitress, said it happens all the time, the chairs are really weak. Maybe she was just being nice?? Just kidding Kevin:) Thanks for the entertainment!

Haylee Jean Turns #1

2010-05-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, May 14th, HJ turned 1. I can't believe it's been a year already! She is such a fun girl with lots of spunk and energy. AND quite the personality! I can't wait to hear what she says when she learns to talk. Last Sunday we celebrated her birthday at Kim and Chad's. Our whole immediate family was together, the first time since Christmas so it was a happy reunion! I love ya Haylee!

The Birthday Girl!

Sibs.

Bryan, Kim, me.

Katie and Mitch, who just woke up from a snooze,

but not QUITE ready to venture outside the cozy blanket.

For first birthdays, Albertson's gives free birthday cake.

Haylee wasted no time digging in.

She even let Jack get in on the action.

Haylee had a TON of presents.

Jack was a great and efficient helper in assisting Haylee unwrap them.

The Tibbets (family friends of Chad and Kim) gave HJ this adorable chair!

A boy in blue and a girl in pink.

Mitch and Haylee loved playing together.

Me and "Moose"

The three Johnson/LaVine cousin.

Davey Jones

2010-05-19T20:20:00.000-07:00

I went to Spokane for a fun-filled weekend of birthdays! Shanon my college roommate/best friend from Ephrata, and her hubby Kyle often let me crash at their place when I visit The Spokomptons. More to come on the birthday bashes. Here is Shanon and Kyle's pet turtle, Davey. A fitting name I'd say! He is so small, we had to really zoom in to get a good photo of him. Isn't he just a teeny tiny cutie???

National Company Golf/Picnic Outing.

2010-05-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

The company I work for, National Frozen Foods, has a golf tournament and picnic every year before the wild crazy harvest season begins! This is my first year attending. Today I golfed with 3 other co-workers and we did 18 holes in five hour, yes long day, but very fun! The weather was perfect, hot and sunny, no wind. The best weather to have for golfing. Plus, I actually got a Par 4 on one of the holes! Which is good for me....I haven't golfed since high school P.E. Anyway, later at the picnic they had a bunch of games for the kids, and the "big kids" got to join in on the egg toss. Staci is a great pal of mine, she is married to Brian, a field rep. at National. We took 3rd place! We rock! National is a great company, and I've loved working for them!

Here we are NOT with the egg we took 3rd with.

That egg broke, but this is a good substitute.

Happy Friday!

Mother's Day Weekend

2010-05-09T15:23:00.000-07:00

For Mother's Day Kim brought Jack and Haylee down for the weekend. We treated my mom and ourselves to Pedicures, and mom a Pedi AND a Mani! I also volunteered to cook Sunday dinner for my mom. I don't cook much, so I needed a good excuse to do it! I made ham loaf, potatoes Au gratin, strawberry spinach salad and crescent rolls. Thankfully Kim was here to help me out in the kitchen! I'd probably be lost without her. Kim made angle food cake for dessert, topped with strawberries and whip cream. Um, yum! Grandma also came over for the partay.

At the table, we shared what we really appreciate about Mom. First of all, she sacrifices so much of herself for us, and she does it selflessly. She raised 3 kids, which is a huge task, especially when your husband is gone 24/7 in the spring coaching baseball. She raised us in a home where God was the focus and foundation of our family. She prays for us everyday, and encourages us in all of our endeavors. She is such a moral support and just a great example of a woman of God. Mother's day has been particularly special the last 3 years because 3 years ago, Mom had a cancerous brain tumor and I wasn't sure she would still be with us. But by God's grace she is, and I'm so thankful for that. I don't know what I would do without my Mom. Mom, I love you so much! Thanks for loving me more. Before I choke up, here are some pictures!

The newly polished toes. With flowers!

Jack "helping" grandpa Johnson change water.

Jack with his "Emmy M's Guy"

Grandma feeding HJ.

I'm a little shell shocked from all the cooking!

Thank goodness my sis was here to help me!

All the food! It was actually really fun to make.

Mom, Haylee, Jack, Grandma, and me.

Happy Mother's Day!

Hair

2010-05-01T17:50:00.000-07:00

I love doing hair! When I was in high school, I would do all of my friends' hair for homecoming, prom, tolo, etc. In college, I would do hair for all the girls in my hall, even when we were just going out for dinner. I do a lot of wedding dos for people too. It's something I've always enjoyed, and it's fun to take a head of hair and see what I can turn it into. Here is Margaret Eisen, she is a junior and tonight is her prom! I was stoked when she called and asked me to do her hair. It made me miss going to my prom. I wanted to document the whole process. If anyone needs a personal hair dresser for their wedding or other event let me know!

The "before" picture.

The "after" pictures.

Left Side

Right Side.

Front

Back

Stamp/Card Making Party

2010-04-29T22:01:00.000-07:00

Tonight Staci and I went to a stamping party in Moses Lake. We made 10 cards in less than 2 hours. Friends, you might be seeing these in the mail! Staci's friend Jan, who hosted the party, was so creative! She made 10 different card making stations with pre-cut paper and tools ready to go! All we had to do was stamp, glue and that was pretty much it. It was fun to do something girly and creative! Thanks for the invite Staci :) It was a blast!

Our accomplishments!

All of the cards were so unique!
I especially love the card with the m&m heart container.
How fun is that??

New Do

2010-04-09T16:19:00.000-07:00

I wanted a little something different with my hair for spring, so I got some bangs, or as the Kiwi's would call it, a "fringe." It's been a while since I've had swoopy bangs and they're a little annoying at times but overall, I like the results. Happy Friday!

Jack and Haylee's Dedication

2010-04-07T20:56:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago, on Palm Sunday, Jack and Haylee were dedicated at Kim and Chad's church. It was a really special moment to witness their dedication to Jesus in the presence of church members, family and friends. We had a little get together at Chad's parents house afterward. Kim made a great meal, breakfast casserole and white choc./cranberry scones. De-lish! It was a special day in more ways then one. We missed you Bry, Katie and Mitch!

The LaVizzle's
(sorry about the picture quality, the lens was partly closed)

The prayer of dedication. Love Jack in this one :)

The congregation response.

Brayden and Jack are great play buddies.

Hayhay clapping!

Whatever it was, it was very funny.

Shark in the Water

2010-03-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking for new music. I love music and it amazes me how when I think I've heard every great song or album possible, another one comes along and blows me away. Anyway, there is a new single out by breakthrough artist, VV Brown. It's called Shark in the Water and it's such a fun song. Her debut album "Traveling Like the Light" is so good! She has such a unique voice, style and genre of music. I definitely recommend her if you are looking for something new and fresh, kind of like spring:) You can listen to her entire album on itunes. Check it out!

Push Pins

2010-03-15T22:28:00.000-07:00

So this is really random, but I had to share it! So we've all shopped at Walmart...sometimes it can be a lose/lose situation and sometimes it can be win/win when it comes to finding cute household items. Well I needed to get some post-its the other day and I browsed the other office stuff and I found the cutest push pins. One of my favorite color/design combos is damask and green. Low and behold they had green and damask push pins! Not only did they have push pins but they had binder clips, paper clips, to do lists, all in damask and green! It took a lot for me to not buy the whole section of cute supplies! So Wally World, you scored some extra points with me. Well done. I guess it's true what they say...sometimes it's the simple things in life that can make you most happy :)

Here they are displayed on my bulletin board.

The black and white damask, and the green and white polka dots. How fun are they?

Flo Rida: Part 2

2010-02-17T19:24:00.001-08:00

The Florida/Disney World Saga continues!

Our resort in Orange Lake, Orange County, FL.

The Villas we stayed in.

Mica and I went on a walk around the resort, which is also a HUGE golf course. I don't know how many miles it covers. But the resort as a whole is probably as big as Ephrata.

This is me lost in the jungle.

All fresh and ready to start a long day at Disney World Magic Kingdom.

Main Street Disney.

The elephants are just so darn cute, I can't help but post another picture!

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSStop hissing in my ear!

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirates life for me!
Pirates of the Caribbean.

Jack Sparrow appeared 3 times on the ride. He looked so real!

Mica and I waited in line for 20 minutes to meet Mickey and Minnie!

We look so tall next to them.

Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer's Island.

Mica is a natural with guns! She even has time to smile for the camera while she shoots!

Dad on the other hand, looks far too intense...

This is how excited I was to be in line for Space Mountain! It was closed all day and then finally opened after hours of "technical difficulties." We happened to be right around the area when it opened and we didn't have to wait in line any longer than 15 minutes. Thankfully the ride didn't lose a screw when we were on it! The best part was hearing mom scream at every little turn, and I'm talking high pitch death screams :) Mica and I were screaming with laughter. Mom was a trooper. Space Mountain is definitely the best ride!

And this is us on the ride home after 11 hours at Disney World. We look a little dazed from it. It is after all the happiest place on earth!

The Aerosmith Rockin' Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios.

The Tower of TERROR!
We sat in an elevator as it dropped us 13 stories.
Mica next to a brand new camaro!
And don't the Minnie ears just give it the finishing touch?

We couldn't resist buying the Minnie Mouse ears. We were such kids there!

"The Streets of New York" a.k.a large cutouts.

Lego Family!

Wait...is that the real Goofy?? No, it's just Dad, but the resemblance is uncanny!

Flo Rida

2010-02-10T20:41:00.000-08:00

I hate to say it, but it's been well over a month since my last post (shame on me!) I must admit I haven't taken one picture I think since Christmas. Eeek! Hopefully this will make up for it. Last weekend we took a short vaca to Orlando, FL! It was a quick and packed trip. Mica came with us. We arrived Friday morning after a red eye flight. We explored the resort and then hit up some theme parks. On Saturday we spent all day at Disney World's Magic Kingdom, where all your dreams come true....and they really DID! We spent Sunday at Hollywood Studios, watched the Superbowl, then flew home Monday. We had a blast and we took lots of pictures, went on every possible ride we could and met Mickey and Minnie Mouse! Mica and I were the only 2 adults who waited in line with all the moms and their kids to see Mickey and Minnie. You can't fly all the way over there, and not see them! We felt like just a couple of kids. So here is the first batch of pictures from the trip. I'll be getting Mica's pictures from her shortly, but for now...

Day 1: Magic Kingdom Disney World

On our way to Magic Kingdom!

Mica and I ecstatic to get to Disney World!

Not sure what Dad is pointing at. Look at the Castle behind us!

The fake hippo on the Jungle Boat ride.

Elephants. They squirted water out their noses.

The Hula girls in the It's a Small World After All ride.

Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.
This is the picture that the ride camera took of Mom and Dad shooting their laser guns!
Don't they look really into it? haha!

A dream is a wish your heart makes....
Cinderella Castle all lit up at night.

Mom and Dad.

Day 2: Hollywood Studios

Indian Jones Stunt Show.

Toy Story Block Party Parade

So Mica and I were watching the parade on the side lines, like any normal bystander. We were both crossing our arms, and the green soldier, who was the MC for the parade and dancing, came up to us, crossed his arms and said "What's this ladies?? Get out here and show us your moves!" So we went out and danced the YMCA with him in front of all the people! When the parade moved on, the green soldier pointed at us and said "The best dancing I've seen in the last 3 minutes!"

The "Y" of the YMCA.

Free style.

We are not looking so terrified.

"The Streets of America."
The uphill road is a painted background.

Herbie the Love Bug at a car stunt show.

Palm trees at sunset. My favorite thing.

Arrrrrrg!

Mom and Dad at downtown Disney.

Dad next to the dinosaur made out of Legos!

Stay tuned for more Disney adventures including Pirates of the Caribbean (with Captain Jack Sparrow!), Mickey and Minnie Mouse, videos from the stunt car chase show
and much more!

"Christmas is all around me, c'mon and let it snow..."

2009-12-27T20:14:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas, especially THIS year! I was in New Zealand for Christmas last year, so I was stoked for this Christmas. The food, the sights, smells, time with family and friends, and the reason for the season, Jesus' birth. We had Christmas Wednesday night because the sibs were at their in-laws for Christmas this year. So we opened gifts and then had our traditional fondue dinner. We go all out and have not only cheese fondue but beef, chicken and shrimp (this we dip/cook in olive oil)! Chad and Bryan always see who has the most shrimp tails left after dinner. They ate themselves sick. Jack, Haylee and Mitch got a ton of toys and it took about 2 hours to open all of our gifts. Our family has now doubled in size, 10 people, so the gifts were abundant! On Christmas day Mom, Dad and I drove to Spokane to spend it with the LaVines (Chad's parents). We had a great time and awesome Christmas!!

Grandma Johnson with her 3 grand kids!

Jolly little elf sitting in his bumbo.

All the presents before the unwrapping fest of 2009.
We couldn't fit all of them under the tree.

My little Buddy.

Katie all peaceful in the mayhem of gift opening.

Dad's attitude towards opening presents. :)

Haylee's first Christmas. She knows how to get it done.

My present from Bryan and Katie. I had no idea what they got for me...

This is a picture I drew of my face in an art class at Whitworth my freshman year. The assignment was to draw a picture with pastels of our face, using shapes. Katie and Bry found it downstairs at Thanksgiving (I put it there years ago and forgot about it) and had it custom framed for me. I was totally surprised!

Haylee was a little overwhelmed.

Jack playing with his Lincoln Logs I got him. The first of MANY toys he received.

Some of the aftermath...

My new North Face ski jacket. The first jacket I've gotten since high school, 10th grade.

So my mom thought she was getting Chad camouflage pj's. She didn't realize they were actual deer print. Chad called them his " Mighty Stag Pants." So funny. Mom got Bryan fish pants, in his words "I caught you a delicious bass" pants. We had quite the laugh!!

The 3 cousins again.

Cutie Mitch.

Kim and Haylee at LaVines.

Jack riding Brad the "reindeer."

A Festivus of Friends!

2009-12-24T12:44:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was a very busy weekend, the last weekend before Christmas! I feel like this month has just flown! I wanted to get some festive activities in before Christmas. By doing so, I baked Christmas goodies, as seen in the previous post. I also went ice skating with Mica, Friday night in Moses Lake. It was a fun and interesting experience, to say the least. It was us and about 13 middle school/high school kids. They were all gangster pretty much. We made the most of it and laughed our way around the rink. Thank goodness Mica was with me! We always have a good time. I then left early Saturday morning for Spokane to stay with my other friend/college roommate Shanon and her hubby Kyle. We went downtown and ate at the Olive Garden (YUM) and then went to the Davenport to look at gingerbread houses and Christmas trees. It felt like old times again and I wish more of our Whitworth/Ephrata friends could have been around to share it with us. Thanks for letting me stay with you Shanon and Kyle. It was a great weekend!

Mica caught me tightening my skates.

Look at that form! Top that Sasha Cohen.

Mica bustin' a move.

The "skate guard" was nice enough to take our pic.

Picture by the big tree at the Davenport Hotel.
Shanon and I.

Merry Christmas to everyone and Happy New Year!

Christmas Goodies Day #1

2009-12-18T17:29:00.000-08:00

Today Mom and I worked pretty much all day in the kitchen (I had to leave for a dentist appointment. No cavities!!! YEAH!) baking Christmas treats. We made Chex party mix, peanut butter balls and white chocolate covered pretzels. There's still more to be done, but we got lots accomplished. Dad put up the Christmas lights outside as well. Better late than never. We've had our indoor decor up for weeks, so I included some of those as well. One week until Christmas!!!

The white chocolate bark melting!

"When I dip, you dip, we dip"....actually it was me doing the dipping of the pretzels in the white chocolate. Check out the sweet apron!

Peanut butter balls.

The finished pretzels.

We use the porch as our "outdoor cooler." It does the job well.

Homemade chex party mix courtesy of Mom.

Some inside decorations.

Front of the house.

I love Christmas!

The Lion Sleeps Toniiiiiiiiiight!

2009-12-10T17:46:00.001-08:00

About a month ago Mom, Kim, Kim's mother-in-law Carol, and I went to The Broadway musical, The Lion King. Let me tell you it was a sight for the eyes, and the ears. Mom treated all of us to the show, a night the Red Lion Hotel (go figure) and Carol treated us to dinner. Kim and I felt very spoiled. It was such a great time to get away for a weekend with the girls. I had never seen the musical of The Lion King before, but the soundtrack is one of my favorites out of all the Disney movies. I was literally in aw with a huge grin on my face the entire time. My jaw was sore afterward, I even sang along to a couple of tunes. The costumes were just spectacular and all the animals were played by people. It was so bright and colorful, I got goosebumps more than once. In the program I read that a lot of African culture influenced the costumes, dance, music etc. Plus one of the composers of the newly added songs was from South Africa (I traveled there Jan Term 2008). So it was cool how that related into it. Since we couldn't take any pictures of the actual show (due to copyright laws) here is the The Lion King in a nutshell via Youtube. I"m not sure why the video is SO BIG, sorry about that.

Me, Mom, Carol and Kim eating dinner at the hotel restaurant. I ordered salmon that was served on a plank of wood. The wood was still burning even.

Mom pulled out her camera at intermission. Right after one of the ushers yelled at a group of girls behind us, threatening to send them to jail for taking pictures. It's illegal we found out. Of course for my mom, there are no rules!

Sisters....sisters....

Resemblence maybe?

Thanks Fest '09

2009-12-03T21:16:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm a little behind on some of the bloggage. So I decided to post not one, but, wait for it....TWO posts. Thanksgiving and Halloween.

My parents hosted 20 family members at our house for Thanksgiving this year. Cousins, 2nd cousins, cousin-in-laws, aunts, grandmas, you name it. It was a full house with lots of energy. I missed Thanksgiving last year because I was in New Zealand, so I ate enough to make up for the last two years. Oh, and leftover turkey sandwiches too. It was great to be with family again. There are many things to be thankful for this year, I hope you had a blessed holiday:)

Babies are cute. But half-naked babies are even cuter. They love to be naked, I don't know what it is! Here is Haylee and Mitch. Cousins. Mitch is 3 months younger than Haylee, yet Mitch is bigger. By a few pounds. They were so cute and wiggly!

This was our entertainment Wednesday evening. The cameras and camcorders came out and we were smitten!

The annual turkey carver.

Nice spread.

The Family.

All of the 2nd cousins. I love Haylee falling over.

Dad and Chad cleaning up the kitchen.

Haylee: The marshmallow starfish.

Katie, Bryan and Mitch.
Little fam, lots of hair :)

Mitch has the biggest, most kissable cheeks!

More cheeks!

And he's out.

Halloween!

2009-12-03T20:18:00.000-08:00

Halloween took place in Spokane at Kim's in-laws, Brad and Carol. We took Jack and Haylee trick or treat-ing. They made it to three houses! Jack was a farmer (after Little People's "Farmer Jed") and Haylee was a precious little flower. It was fun to get away for a weekend for some shopping and relaxing at Brad and Carol's. The kids had a blast, and the adults had fun too (Chad especially had fun because his Oregon Ducks won that night). Fall time is so much fun!

Haylee's cute smile.

Me and the farmer!

Grandpa Johnson really plays well. He's a kid at heart.

This is Brad (Grandpa) LaVine.
He was Obama for Halloween. The ears are just the right touch!

You'll be surprised to know that eye liner also serves as farmer freckles.

Haylee Jean the daisy. I think she was a little shocked at first.

The farmer and the flower.

First family picture since HJ's birth.

The neighbors loved Jack and Haylee's costumes.

This is Danny. He is Brad and Carol's Labradoodle, covered in curls.

Buckin' bales: who needs a guy?

2009-11-21T22:16:00.000-08:00

Kim, Chad, Jack and Haylee came to visit a few weeks ago. We had a great and busy weekend! Chad and Kim brought Brad and Carol's trailer to haul some hay back to little Felecitee in Spokane. Well, Dad just had 3 hernia operations a few days before and Chad hurt his lower back playing basketball, leaving them both handicap to lift anything over 20 pounds (Haylee was the exception weighing only 13 lbs). So Kim and I got on Dad's old jackets, gloves and we tackled that hay! With many he-man grunts (notice Kim's expression in the 1st photo) we bucked 12 HEAVY bales into that trailer. While the guys sat on the heated screened-in porched and watched from afar, Kim and I conquered the rigorous job, and life, for that matter. We were pretty proud of ourselves. Jack was close by playing with the kittens asking many questions while we huffed and puffed our way to hay-bale buckin' victory. So this just goes to show, you can take the girls out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girls. Kim and Rachel, farm girls fo-life. :) Oh and mom helped as our photographer.

So as you can see in Kim's face, this was quite the job. The difficult part came from trying to walk the bales up the slipperly, steep gate of the trailer.

Looking at our accomplishments, fatigued.

"Farmer Jedd" and his cat "Mama"

Cute little farmer close-up.

So there you have it, a day in the life of workin' farm girls. After Kim and Chad left Sunday, I had the privilege of mowing the lawn and blowing out the water pipes with Dad. I guess living rent free does have it's disadvantages. Kidding ;)

Busy Busy Aunt!

2009-10-26T18:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my well-fertile siblings, I have been blessed with two nephews and a niece! Jack (2), Haylee (5 months), and Mitchell (2 months). Haylee was born in May when I was still in New Zealand, and Mitch was born right after I got back. It's been so fun to hang out with all of them. Each of them have their own little personalities, especially Jack, who talks up a storm. I'm a little biast, but they really are the cutest kids ever! Keep 'em coming Kim&Chad, Bryan&Katie :)

Reunited with Jack and meeting Haylee Jean for the first time!

Haylee being all cute!

Jack sporting his fo-hawk.

Reading a bedtime story.

The fam minus Katie (she's taking the picture) and Jack, at Mitch's birth!

Bryan, the new daddy, with Mitchell Bryan Johnson.

Jack wanted me to get in the "airplane" with him. I barely fit!

Holding Haylee.

Jack and I playing with his favorite kitten, Fireman.

Taking Mitch for a walk in Hermiston.

Holding Mitchell, 6 weeks old.

Cute little puggy guy.

Mitch rocks the pout really well.

The Johnson fam.

Back on the Mainland

2009-10-15T21:42:00.000-07:00

I was in New Zealand for 10 months on a working/holiday visa with a girlfriend from school, Kara. My dear friend! We had a great time in such a beautiful country! Check out what we did in our blog www.kararachelkiwi.blogspot.com. We got back to the U.S. in July and spent a couple days with friends in L.A. and Seattle. It was awesome to be reunited with familiar faces that we missed for so long! Thanks everyone for a great first week back in the good ol' U.S. of A!

We flew into LAX and stayed with Kara's friend Katie for a couple days. She literally lives a five minutes walk from downtown Hollywood. After adjusting to jet lag and the hugeness that is America (especially So-Cal) we did a lot of walking around the Hollywood "stars" enjoying the L.A. heat, shopping and the sweet taste of American food!

The Hollywood Hills amidst the smog!

Kara and I trying to get the Hollywood sign in the background. We had to prove we were really there!

The famous star walk.

The mall square we hung out in everyday.

Hollywood Blvd.

Honored to get a picture with Jimmy Stewart.

We had a few hours to kill before flying to Seattle. So my Uncle Mike picked us up took us to see some celebrity mansions in Beverly Hills (Nick Cage's house) and then bought us lunch at Venus Beach before taking us to the airport. Thanks Mike!

The strip with some of L.A.'s finest!

Jessica, Kara, Shanon and I on Puget Sound.

We stayed in Seattle with our friend Jessica for a couple days. She was a great host and really gracious for letting us invade her apartment and her busy schedule! Shanon came over from Spokane and we had a mini Whitworth reunion!

Reunited with my roomate from college, Shanon.

On the Pier on Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA.

We saw a guy paddle-bording. I've always wanted to do that!

It must have been our lucky day, because we all found 4 leaf clovers! This was the best shot we could get out of about 10.

A crabby crab.

The Pier from the shore.

I was deprived of my favorite sour apple-o gummy rings for 10 months! They didn't have them in NZ:( So the first night in Seattle Jess and I went to the store and I bought some!

On our last night in Seattle we celebrated Jessica's 23rd birthday. We got dressed up and went out to dinner and dessert. Here we are with a beautiful puget sound sunset in the background.

Mom and Dad picked me up in Seattle and took Shanon and I to a Mariner game. Score! Sadly, the M's lost by 10 and we left by the 7th inning stretch. It was even Dad's idea and he would be the last person on earth to leave a baseball game early, but the cause was justifiable. The cost was free at least!

Safeco all green and pretty.

We dropped Kara off at the airport on our way to the game. This was our last picture together before she left for her hometown Hamilton, MT. It was so sad to say goodbye! We have some great memories of New Zealand and hopefully we can travel again together in the future.

I'm Starting a Blog!

2009-10-15T20:57:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! I've decided to jump on the band wagon and start a blog of my own! I'm pretty new at this, I had a blog for New Zealand and thought I would carry on into my life post New Zealand and post college! Plus it gives me a bit of a hobby since I work pretty much 24/7 for the time being! I'll update as often as I can and hopefully provide an insight into what is going on with me! I'm excited to share my life. Hope you enjoy it!