A Walk with the Williamson's

Welcome Back

2011-04-19T23:57:00.001-06:00

I have been gone from my blog for a very long time. I think I've only posted twice (maybe) in the past two years. Well, mostly that was because I was addicted to Facebook. NO MORE! I deactivated my account and now I am going to catch up my blog instead.

Recently I have been reviewing my life and what I want to do with it. Well, I decided that I would like to pursue my life-long dream of becoming a nurse. I applied to BYU. I am currently waiting to see if I get accepted. It's been about three weeks but it feels like six.

I'll be back soon. Just wanted to say HI!

Bella's First Day of Kindergarten

2010-09-05T22:34:00.002-06:00

Bella was so excited to go to kindergarten. We all walked her to school and she couldn't have been happier!! Miranda is in 6th grade, but here in Utah, that is still in elementary. So, they get to see each other in the hallway every now and then. So proud of my baby!!

Some Utah updates

2009-06-09T21:43:00.004-06:00

My silly little Lexi. She is such a fun baby. Such a fun personality.

Two of my beauties. They are (for the most part) so good to each other. I love moments like this.
Bella in front of my most favorite temple...Salt Lake. My beautiful girl.
We went to the Gateway shopping center and they have this water feature where the kids can get soaking wet while you are shopping (FUN..NOT!). This is the before the water shot in her face...
....and this is the after the water shot in her face. Perfect picture, huh? Just LOVE it!
Miranda looking at her best cousin, Katie. They are really good friends...such a blessing.
We visited some friends out at Dugway, Utah...Bella loved being up on top of the mountain...she was a brave little girl.
We were at Red Robin Restaurant...All I was doing was looking at her and she started laughing histerically. I just loved it!
Here is our beautiful little family. If only I had known that Lexi had her passy in her mouth...I would have removed it.
My one and only true love. Isn't he great?

Welcome Lexi!

2008-12-31T09:12:00.005-07:00

Not much time to sit at the computer lately. We have been pretty busy. We had our third child last week. Alexandria Elle Williamson was born on Monday, December 22, 2008. She was born at 8:56pm, weighed 6lbs., 11oz. and was 19" long. She is such a good baby. Just as beautiful as our first two. It amazes me how much they look alike. I see so much of Miranda and Bella in Lexi's face.

Here are some of the pictures we have taken so far. I am not going to post comments. You can figure out who is in the picture, I am quite sure. I just wanted to get some pics posted for all my friends to see my beautiful baby. (Miranda was able to be in the delivery room when Lexi was born. She was amazed & absolutely loved it! She was the first one to hold her, after Mommy & Daddy!)

Miranda's field trip

2008-11-24T15:22:00.003-07:00

Miranda's fourth grade class went to the Institute of Texan Cultures for a field trip a couple weeks ago. This is one of the exhibits about the Indians. They really had a great time.

This is Miranda's group that Rick and I were chaperones over. It is Miranda, Marquis and Samantha. I was apparently "Mom" for the day...Marquis still calls me Mom everytime he sees me. Silly kids.

Bella and her jammies.

2008-11-24T15:15:00.003-07:00

Bella loves her new jammies. She wears them everywhere...from the grocery store, to play at friend's houses. Here she is having way too much fun on one of Miranda's classsmate's swingsets.

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

The Preggers

2008-11-08T06:06:00.002-07:00

This is my niece Sarah and me of course, at her baby shower, showing our bumps.

The true meaning of belly bumping! Haha

Ricky's girls

2008-10-27T20:47:00.001-06:00

We went to listen to daddy sing a couple weeks ago. Rick was up singing and while we were listening, we were also goofing around and playing with the camera.

Sweet Angels

2008-10-27T20:44:00.000-06:00

My beautiful babies. How I love them so much!!!

Baby Bump Watch

2008-09-21T08:34:00.005-06:00

Sixteen Weeks

Eighteen Weeks

Twenty Weeks

Twenty-five Weeks

Twenty-nine Weeks

Thirty-two Weeks

Thirty-five Weeks

Bella's new friend!

2008-09-14T22:35:00.003-06:00

Oh Bella, Bella, Bella! Several days ago, Bella wouldn't come within ten feet of any fake skeleton. Now, she loves them all. She carried this little plastic one all around Wal-Mart. I think she would have slept with him if I had let her!

Playing hospital with friends!

2008-09-14T22:02:00.003-06:00

Last night we went over to our friend's house for dinner (the Asay's). While the adults were playing Phase 10, the kiddos were busy playing hospital. It was really cute. Here they all are: (we have in random order: McKayla Hoopes (with pink shirt & glasses), Hailey Hoopes (with floral shirt & glasses), Natalya Asay (with blue shirt), Ashlin Asay (with blonde hair & dark floral shirt), Nora Hoopes (with white shirt & white bow in her curly brown hair). We also have Chase Asay (only little boy in the group...Bella's little buddy). Notice my Miranda in her flag football uniform in the window sill, and Bella in a dress-up spiderweb witch dress. Lots of kids, lots of fun, lots of dear friends.

My goofy hillbilly girls!

2008-09-14T21:59:00.001-06:00

We went to a friend's birthday party the other day and the girls got hillbilly teeth in their goody bag. They had so much fun with them. Looks like they need to go see the dentist!

Fun to have a sister!

2008-09-11T21:13:00.002-06:00

This picture was taken awhile ago at my niece Molly's birthday party (last year). These two girls have the most fun being sisters. Poor things, it was really sunny this day...Bella can barely open her eyes. I love Miranda's face in this picture.

My beautiful niece Sarah Ostermann

2008-09-11T20:07:00.003-06:00

I was browsing some of my pictures and I ran across this one. I stole this off Debra's (Sarah's mom) myspace page. I have to say that this is my favorite picture of Sarah...ever! She is my brother Richard's daughter. Isn't she gorgeous? And to make things even more fun...we are pregnant together! She is due just a few weeks before me. I have to say that she is one of the most beautiful brides...ever (not to mention how cute she is pregnant.)

Bella at Gymnastics

2008-09-11T19:54:00.002-06:00

Aunt Susie Q signed Bella up for a trial gymnastics class. She got a new outfit & everything. She loved it (does that surprise you?).

Here she is running to jump off the block...

...and she made it!

This one scared me! She had no fear of the uneven bars. Keep in mind that her favorite sport during the Olympics was the gymnastics. She is destined to be something great, I just know it.

She has an awesome big sister to look up to. (Miranda is our sports girl...she is doing flag football & soccer!) I'll post some of those photos soon.

Halloween in September

2008-09-11T19:48:00.003-06:00

If you know Ricky at all, you know that he is obsessed with decorating for Christmas (like the day after Halloween). So, now that he is working from home and has a tad bit more time on his hands (to get into trouble, that's what I say...hehe)...he has taken it upon himself to decorate for Halloween!! Keep in mind that it is nowhere close....over a month away! So, here is my feeble attempt to capture a picture that would do his decorations justice. They really do look good. It is much better in person....so stop by some time!

Silly Bella

2008-09-04T20:23:00.002-06:00

Ok...we have a handful on our hands with our little Isabella. Yesterday, I couldn't find her and she wasn't answering me (which I HATE!). I heard giggling from my room and when I went in and looked in the corner, this is what I found! She was so proud of herself. When I first saw her, Buddy had his head resting in Bella's lap and she was petting him. It was so sweet!

Today, Aunt Susie Q (Ricky's sis) took Bella shopping for some school outfits (now that she goes to a little preschool class). When we got home, she put on a fashion show. The fashion show was pretty short, because once she had this outfit on (first one on) she didn't really want to take it off. She calls this her Rock N Roll outfit. She strutted her stuff all around the house. I laughed so hard! Pretty cute outfit, though, huh? Thanks Aunt Susie!!

Houston St. Festival - 8/30/08

2008-08-31T21:27:00.002-06:00

Well, Ricky got a phone call to perform at a local festival. We got the call early in the morning on Saturday. Ricky was asked to show up and perform at 4pm that evening prepared to sing 10 songs. He only had 5 practiced and ready! He freaked out just a little bit. He spent a lot of hours on the computer looking for the right songs that he knew, so he could print the words and guitar key....and then he had to practice them. Well, he actually performed 3 of his own songs as well. He sounded so good. There were a lot of people there. Some of our dear friends went to support us as well and my mom and nephew.

Sorry for the shadows, but I didn't have a flash. He performed right in front of the Alamo, just a little to the left of the entrance. That is the Alamo wall you see right behind him.

After he performed, we all went to the Rivercenter Mall to have a bite to eat. Here is a cute as heck picture of all the kids in tow. They all got cowgirl (and one cowboy) hat to commemorate the event. (Thanks Tasha and Tracey for the girls hats!! You are awesome!)

At least now they are set with Rodeo hats! Yeeha!

Heeeeere's Ricky...

2008-08-31T21:17:00.002-06:00

A week ago or so, my Ricky was given the opportunity to sing at a friend's house. Unknown to Rick, there was a promoter for new talent in the room listening. He LOVED Ricky's voice and wanted more. He invited Rick to perform at an open-mike night at a local restaurant. The promoter wanted a few people to hear Ricky before putting him in front of bigger crowds.

Here is a picture of Ricky before he performed that night. Looking pretty confident, huh?

He sounded so good. The audience loved him. There was a gentleman there that played the harmonica. He asked Rick if he could join him. They were great together.

That's my man!!!

Hugs for Ray Ray

2008-08-31T21:15:00.001-06:00

We went to the Medina Valley Freshman/JV games with Aunt Mary the other day. Nikki, our cousin is the school mascot. Bella was in love. The mascot's name is "Ray Ray".

Utah or Bust!

2008-07-19T12:05:00.014-06:00

Miranda, Bella & I got to go with my Mom to Utah a few weeks ago. We went to take my brother his BBQ pit that he had bought in Texas. So, we benefited from the trip by visiting with all the family and having lots of fun. While we were there, only a couple days into our supposed five day stay, my Mom's van broke down and couldn't be repaired for over a week. So, instead of being gone for one week, we were gone for two. We made the most of it and had lots and lots of fun with our Utah cousins. We stayed at Phil and Leanne's house in Springville. Here is a bit of a photo journal of some of our activities.

On the way, we stopped at Wilson Arch, near Moab, UT. We attempted to climb, the best we could in flip flops, and half way up Miranda decided (jokingly) that she had had enough....here is her tired of "hiking" look.

Then Bella joined her (it was really hot and she had lost her flip flops....ouch!). They thought they were too cool in their shades.

When we got there, Miranda and Katie were inseperable. Literally. They slept together, showered together, played, ate, you name it, they did it together. I love the bond that they have. They have been mailing each other letters since we got home. I love that they are BFF's, especially since my BFF is Katie's momma!

This is the view of the mountain outside Phil's kitchen window. Actually I was standing at the end of his driveway. Beautiful, isn't it?

On the morning of the 4th of July, we attended the Provo City parade. Here is me and my BFF (Leanne). We had a great time.

Miranda and I sitting and waiting for the parade to start. Miranda had a really good seat. She was right up front.

Spencer and Bella were best buddies the whole time. Here they are waving at the Provo Police (next pic). Bella had never been to a parade before. She LOVED it!

Here is the cop they were waving at.

Spencer, Bella, Katie, two of Katie's cousins, and Miranda watching all the festivities.

Here comes Bella's favorite part of the WHOLE parade...

...a huge Curious George balloon. She was SO excited!

Everytime a motorcycle came by, this is what Bella did....she even does this when you flush a toilet...she hates loud noises.

Miranda got a big kick out of the BYU Cougar mascot.

As well as all the huge balloons. I had never seen any like this in person. Only on TV for the Macy's parade at Thanksgiving time. This is Miranda watching Babar the Elephant.

And here is Underdog...the cartoon version.

After the parade, everyone was pooped out, except Bella and Ben. He had her laughing so hard. Good thing I had put her in pull-ups for the parade. They were so funny. (notice Miranda in the background?)

Katie, Spence, and Miranda were GONE within minutes of putting on their seatbelts.

Later in the afternoon, my bro set up slip n slides, and BBQ'd for the whole family. We had a bunch of people there. (I think he counted 70 or so-true Johnson fashion!)
Here is Miranda in all her sliding glory.

While the big kids were sliding, Bella was enjoying the pool all by herself (keep in mind that this was before everyone arrived).

We managed to snag a group photo of the kids that were there. It ended up being the oldest boy & oldest girl and the youngest boy & girl!
Phil (#14), Sue (#3), Arlo (#1), and me (#15) with my Mom sitting in front. Aren't we cute?!

Bella, her cousin Bethanie, cousin Keslee(sp.), and a friend all enjoying the slip n side.

Cousins having fun...Samara, Clayton, Bella, Keslee, and Bethanie in the background.

My nephew, Vinnie, me and my niece, Mindy (they are Samara's parents)...enjoying the BBQ and family fun.

Here is me and my niece Hollie Anne. Aren't we too cute?

Bella sure loved the sparklers. It kind of looks like she is going to burn Bethanie's leg...optical illusion! Ha Ha!

Here is the whole crowd watching the little bitty fireworks display.

Ben, Phil, Leanne, Miranda, Katie, Bella, and Spencer enjoying one of my favorite things in Springville: The Snowie's....snowcones that ROCK!

Bella showing off....she loved her pink bubblegum flavor. Last year I got her clear bubblegum and she was so mad because it wasn't pink...we corrected it this year!

Goofy Miranda...her favorite flavor was Tiger's blood...coconut & strawberry.

We got to do a few extra fun things since we were stranded for a few days...so we decided to go up to Kennecott Copper Mine. It was amazing. Here are the girls in front of one of the wheels from the dump trucks that they use there. They were HUGE!!!

Bella and Miranda doing "ROCK ON"...so silly.

Bella looking through the big binoculars into the open mine. It truly was amazing.

Miranda, Katie and Spence doing their silly faces that I think they did in almost every picture.

I actually got in a shot...here I am with my babies...and a really big tire!

Last but not least...Bella got into Katie's closet and found her Hannah Montana wig...she wore it all day. The next day we went to Claire's in the mall and Bella thru a complete fit when I wouldn't buy her one of her own...three years old and acting like a teenager already!

Sixteen weeks and counting

2008-07-19T12:01:00.001-06:00

I am sixteen weeks today. Let's see how this bump grows. (Take notice of my new kitchen wall color?)

Haircuts all around

2008-07-16T18:42:00.002-06:00

Before me & my girls left to visit Utah, we decided to all get a haircut. Bella and I got one and then Miranda got to go back the next day. I didn't get pics of Miranda at the salon, but I did get her "after" with me at the end.

Here is Bella while Ms. Joyce is snipping away. She is only good for her. She loves Joyce!

She tried so hard to be still. It really is a big deal for her to get to sit in the big black chair. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible for her to keep her hands off of all the interesting things to touch in Joyce's salon. She is also a hair collector...I could NOT keep her off the floor, so she was covered in hair! At least most of it was our own! Yuck, right?

All done and pretty!

Do you like my new do? J/K She was straightening my hair (Ricky's fave) and this was taken midway thru the process.

Here we are, all done and pretty. Me with my straight do and Miranda with her newly trimmed (but trying to grow out) locks.

Our ballerina girl

2008-06-10T14:07:00.002-06:00

Bella has been doing ballet with her little class since March. At the end of May, they had a recital at the Lila Cockrell Theater, downtown. It was so awesome. She danced on stage for about 1.5 minutes. Literally. She really loved being on stage. She loves being a ballerina.
One of our very dear friends, LE Yanelli, was in town for the weekend (a few weeks ago) and graciously came over to our house and snapped some shots of Bella in her outfit.

This is the baby doll that she danced with in the show. They danced to "Stay Awake" from Mary Poppins.

Baby Williamson

2008-05-27T17:41:00.002-06:00

Well, we had our first sonogram today. The little jelly bean/gummy bear is healthy and growing on schedule. The heart beat was strong. We are really excited. I know that these pictures look like mostly nonsense, but they make me proud...had to share!
Due date is Jan. 3, 2009

Our house at 10:45 pm on 5/5/08

2008-05-05T21:46:00.004-06:00

All is quiet and well in the Williamson house tonight. As it should be, right?

Here is what I came across as I was checking on everyone tonight:
My Miranda with her ever-present "silkie".

At her feet, lies our newest addition. His name is Buddy. His name WAS Frisky, but none of us, except Bella, could remember it when we were calling him. He is the sweetest thing, ever. Tonight when Miranda was going to bed and Buddy was asleep on her feet, she said, "Mom, it is my dream come true!"

And then there is my Bella (note the ever-present "Blankie". (Can you tell they are sisters?) How can you NOT love this little girl? Even when she is a little terror (like she was tonight), you can't help but laugh and hug her.

And last but not least, is my Ricky. My eternal love...mushy, huh? Ok, the love of my life, is that better? He has been working SOOOO hard lately...poor thing, he could barely stay awake for scriptures tonight. I think he actually read them asleep!

And did I mention that we have a new dog? Let me repeat that: WE HAVE A NEW DOG!! I know, I know...I've heard it all already, but I couldn't let him go. My Miranda needs him. Alot!

Helotes Cornyval 2008

2008-05-02T22:23:00.004-06:00

Well, we went last night with Mary, Mike & Nicole to the annual Cornyval in Helotes. We had a blast. Aunt Emily watched Bella so she wouldn't get bored. Miranda got to ride a bunch of rides (the big swing is her fav.).

Miranda wanted her face paint on her hand so that she could see it. Smart girl....she knows exactly what she wants! I love that about her!

The girls all got their faces painted. Here is me and Mary. I chose mine in honor of Bella, because she had told me when I was planning on taking her that she wanted flowers painted on her face.

After we got home and Bella saw my flowers, she REALLY wanted her face painted. So, I promised her that I would paint it the next day. Let me tell you, as she was climbing out of bed in the morning, she was asking to have her face painted with flowers. So, I dug out Rick's paints and attempted to replicate the flowers from my painted face. Not bad, huh?

Miranda and Nikki just loved the rides. Here they are on the "Tilt-a-Whirl". OMG....they were laughing the whole time and Miranda's face looked like she was having the time of her life.

Spring Break 2008

2008-04-22T20:43:00.004-06:00

Ok...here is one of the other exciting things that has happened in our life over the past few months. We got to go to Utah for Spring Break! It was the week between when Rick quit his job at NuPrints and when he started Market Vision. So, we decided to just GO! We went with my Mom and her sister, Aunt Dorothy. Now for the following pictures, keep in mind that my Miranda is nine years old and had NEVER seen snow in person before. We had a BLAST! Such great memories and wonderful times. I absolutely loved going on this trip with my whole little family. Usually, I will go with my Mom and my girls and Ricky has to stay home. NOT this time!

Miranda and Bella's first time in the snow. They just couldn't get enough. You know when it is a hot summer day, and your kids constantly bug you to get in the pool or go to SeaWorld, well, once Miranda was in the snow, she begged to go back to this park everyday. I have never seen her so happy.

No lack of smiles here.

Our little cold family. Notice how Bella looks like a ragdoll!

Miranda and my sis-in-law/BFF Leanne got Ricky caught in the middle of a snow throw!

Cuddlin' in the cold. Nothin' better!

Me and my Leanne. I miss her so much! This is the lady that changed my life. She was my roommate at Ricks College and we instantly knew that we were meant to be BFF's forever. I made her marry my brother so that we would have a real eternal bond. I am so glad that she is in my life. Forever!

Daddy and Miranda enjoying the snow. Miranda had a smile on her face ALL DAY! It was awesome!

Bella got into the snow throwin' business, too. She had a few for her Daddy.

My message for my family and for you!

Ricky's favorite pic of me. He says I look like a ski jacket model...whatever! But I sure felt great!

Rick's new digs at work!

2008-04-22T20:19:00.005-06:00

Over this past month or so, life for the Williamson's has brought about a few changes. First and most importantly, Rick has a new job. He started with a company called Market Vision on March 24th. He is an art director for this company, which is a marketing/advertising agency. He is assigned to work on the Coca-Cola account, as well as AutoZone, General Mills, and others I think. He is loving it. He is able to be creative in a way that he loves. He has always loved the ad agency type work and has missed it for a long time. (He worked production at an agency back in 1997). Anyway, to sum it all up...he is loving his job and the people at his job LOVE him! We are so excited for this new adventure!
(Did I mention that this new job now affords us to have full benefits!!)

Ricky designed and assembled his entire office (the assembly was part credit to me, also ;) )

Now he finally has a proper place for all his Darth Vader/Star Wars memorabilia!!

Bouncing Babies

2008-03-14T00:47:00.003-06:00

Molly was visiting the other day and I just love how these two girls can find the simplest thing to entertain themselves with. They jumped on these pillows for probably 10 minutes before I grabbed the camera. The laughing just kept getting louder and louder. Too much fun sometimes. But I love it!

Happy Birthday Bella!

2008-03-14T00:11:00.005-06:00

On March 1st, Bella turned 3. She woke up and had a few presents on the table. Her sweet sissy, Miranda was more excited for Bella to open the gifts, than even Bella was. Miranda loves presents...don't we all? :)

One of Bella's favorite things right now is Playdoh. Miranda has always loved it, so now she has a little creative friend to play with. They both are so cute when they play together. No matter what they are doing, you can tell how much they absolutely love each other. Just the other day, Miranda told me that she doesn't even remember life without Bella and that she is SOOO glad that she is not an only child. She really loves her sister.

After breakfast, and presents of course, we took our little family to SeaWorld for opening day. I mentioned to the lady at the turnstiles that is was Bella's third birthday, so I had to buy her a season pass, and the lady asked me to wait there for just a moment while she went to the offices. She came back with a pin that reads "It's my birthday" and has Shamu on it with a birthday hat. She also gave Bella a little pack of souvenir cards just for Bella. She was so excited.
We were happy to learn that Bella is now tall enough to ride the little Shamu roller coaster. (At least it looked like she was when she stood at the marker for height, and she tip-toed to make sure she was tall enough....NO LIE...she did that all on her own...we were laughing so hard. She is a little stinker!)

We ran into my mom while we were there. She was with Molly and her daddy, Harry. So, we spent the majority of our time hanging with them. Here is Rick with my mom and Bella at the dolphin area.

Here is Miranda trying so hard to get the dolphins to come to her so she can pet them...no such luck...EVER! Poor thing.

Bella had a couple dolphins swim by pretty fast and they splashed her pretty good. But, no petting for her either. Oh well, there is always next time, right?

Here is most of the gang (minus my mom and Harry). I am holding Molly. Notice the love on Bella's face. She absolutely LOVES the characters. She will run up and hug any costumed character, anywhere.

Then, she found Penny Penguin. I had to literally pull her away from her so that other people could take pictures and say hello. She would have brought one home if I would have let her.

Do you think she could squeeze any harder?
We had such a good time. I am looking forward to this summer....I love SeaWorld!

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY BELLA....WE LOVE YOU SWEET GIRL!

Bella's Birthday Party

2008-03-13T23:27:00.003-06:00

Well...my littlest baby is three now!! She has grown so fast. We had a joint birthday party with her cousin Molly, this past Saturday. It was a lot of fun. We had a bouncy that the girls enjoyed all day, prior to the party. Bella jumped all day long and totally wore herself out. Since she was so tired, she was a wee bit cranky at the actual party.
So, while we were opening presents, she was crying nearly the whole time....here is the proof:

So, poor baby, while she wasn't playing between fits, she was only content in my arms. So, needless to say, this is how we looked for a good portion of the party:

My only saving grace, was her birthday cake. My sister Sue, made this AMAZING Barbie cake with Little Mermaid accents. Bella absolutely loved it! She attacked it like it was only for her and NO ONE else. It was awesome!

The major regret that I have is that I didn't get very many pictures. The party was combined with Molly, and I didn't get even one picture with the two birthday girls. They looked so beautiful. Molly is such a good little friend to Bella. They even have their own language when they see each other. It is just pure joy. I love it!

Prayer Song

2008-02-28T21:20:00.001-07:00

Isabella has been watching American Idol with me and she loves all the music and so tonight she decided to sing her prayers. She had done this the other night, so I had my camera ready, just in case she did it again. It would be nice if she actually folded her arms and closed her eyes, but we are working on that....for now we will just laugh at this silly little girl that is nearly three (in one more day).

My favorite animals

2008-02-27T09:38:00.002-07:00

These are my favorite kind of animal. A bit ferocious if you're not careful! Just make sure they are fed and watered and walked everyday. (haha)

Fast flying Miranda

2008-02-27T09:31:00.003-07:00

We were housesitting/babysitting for some friends last week and they had the best slope on their street for gliding. Here is a little video of Miranda doing just that. She had the best time ever!

Breakdancing Bella

2008-02-27T09:26:00.002-07:00

Bella decided that she was a cool breakdancer. She is so hilarious!

Ice Ice Baby by "The Boys"

2008-02-16T07:35:00.004-07:00

Last night we got together with some of our friends for a Valentine's dinner. After the dinner, we had fun with a bit of karaoke. SO FUNNY!!!!!!!
This is our friends Ben, Mike, Todd, Ricky (my honey) and Fred performing "Ice Ice Baby". You might need to watch it several times to be able to see each one of these guys with their dance moves. It has been a long time since I have laughed so hard!

Straight A's!!!

2008-02-10T23:54:00.000-07:00

Yeah for Miranda....she got awards last week for straight A's for the first & second nine weeks, straight A's for the first semester and for outstanding attendance (she had only one absence for the whole semester!)
Here she is receiving her awards from Mr. B, the principal and her teacher, Ms. Black.

We really love Ms. Black. She is a really great teacher. She has really helped Miranda to love math and science!

TV-watching snake

2008-02-10T23:38:00.001-07:00

Ok...if you know me at all...you know that I am not super comfortable with snakes. Well, this was just too funny not to share. Rick's snake, ISIS, was chillin' with him and Miranda the other night. She was totally in a trance with the tv. She wouldn't take her eyes off it. [oh, and please no comments on the Christmas tree in the background! :) ]

Park Day

2008-02-10T23:27:00.000-07:00

How I love these two girls. We had a lot of fun the other day when we went to my friend Jolie's neighborhood park.
This is Bella doin' the "peek a boo".

Is this the face of an angel?

Here Miranda was determined to conquer the rock wall....

...and she DID! So proud!

Miranda's Arctic Animal Condo- Art Project

2008-02-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

Miranda was learning about the real ice hotel. So they had a project to make some sort of ice looking project. She made this and got a 100! She did all the work and all I did was carve the styrofoam where she told me to. Pretty cool, huh?

The inside has more animals resting in their new digs. Gotta love that girl!

Hiney Inspector

2008-02-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

Ok...if any of you know Bella, you know that she is a very fun-loving, crazy kinda girl. Well, while at the petting zoo, she got the idea that she had to check out the hiney's of all the animals. She saw one of them poopin' and she was fascinated. So her little journey of discovery began:

"Look mom...even the pig has caca on his butt" she said! And then she proceeded to lift his tail to check it out!

I don't think I have laughed so hard in such a long time. Isn't she hilarious?

A Day at the Races

2008-02-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

We went to the stock show and rodeo on Friday. Me, the girls and my sister's family went for a few hours. The girls really enjoyed all of it. A big hit for both of them was the pig races.
Bella was anxiously awaiting the races and was a little tired at the same time. You can tell this by the way she is grasping her blankie. She doesn't even want it when she isn't tired.

Here are the girls sitting with their cousin, Molly. The 10 minutes we waited, to them, seemed like forever!

Every pig has a cheerleader chosen to represent their section of the stands. Well, Miranda was chosen to cheer for our section...who had a cute little pig named "Shaquille O'Squeal". This is the picture of pure joy!

And the Squealer won!!! As his cheerleader, Miranda won a pack of oreos (that is what the pigs are racing to get to) and a poopin' pig keychain.

Potty Training Bella

2008-01-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

Ok...this morning Bella insisted on wearing her princess dress. Well, keep in mind that we are potty training in full force. So, on a routine trip to the potty chair...this is what it looked like. It was just too cute not to share.

Then I asked her to give me a smile for the camera, and this is what I got. (Don't ya just love 2!)

Cutest couple ever!

2008-01-21T14:40:00.000-07:00

Here is my new haircut, but curly...likin' it!

Here is my new haircut, but curly lovin' on my honey:

Couldn't resist a kiss! :)

A Queen's Bath

2008-01-21T14:34:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it be grand if we could all have a bath drawn for us and just relax in a bunch of bubbles with no cares in the world? Well here is a young lady who is doing just that...

My new haircut!!

2008-01-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

I did it...I am now stylin'. I cut my hair off and then when she styled it...made it straight. I love it! Now I just have to try to keep it looking this cute. Why is it that the stylist can do amazing things with our hair and then we can never recreate them? Even curly it looks cute. How 'bout that?

Brackenridge Park and Train Day

2008-01-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, Bella and I went with my sister and her family to ride the train and play at Brackenridge Park. It was fun. The only thing that could have been better would be to have Rick and Miranda with us .

Riverwalk at Christmastime

2007-12-25T02:19:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, we took the girls down to the Riverwalk. It was so cold and so beautiful. Bella loved all the lights and Miranda (and Bella, too) had a blast on the river barge.
Here's me and my girls. Freezing our booties off!

Here are two out of three of my favorite people in the whole world!

The lights were so pretty. I would like them to come do this to my trees!

Christmas Eve

2007-12-25T02:03:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of just some of the people that came for the Johnson Christmas party. This is the first year that we have hosted it. We really had a good time. I love hangin' around my family.

Here are two of my babies.

This is my beautiful family. I love them so much!

Christmas (very early) morning

2007-12-25T01:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I am writing this at 2:30 a.m. on Christmas morning. I have had four hours of sleep in the last two days. Man, this can be tough. I am done wrapping and cleaning, however, Rick and his sister, Kathy, are still wrapping on my bed, so I figured since I can't go to bed yet...then I will post a blog with pictures of what my house looks like right now.

We are very blessed to have Rick's oldest sister and her family staying with us for the holiday. They stayed last night and again tonight. And thankfully, Susy Q was able to come home for the holidays.
Miranda is among the adult "believers" now. So, she helped add embellishments to the gifts. She was so thrilled. She just went to bed about 30 minutes ago. We are so tired...but having so much fun.
We are looking forward to tomorrow when we will be checking into the Radisson Resort near SeaWorld. This has become a Williamson tradition for the past three years. It is a fun get away. So looking forward to a jacuzzi hot tub.

Rick's Art show

2007-12-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

Ok..my stupic photo uploader is acting up. So, I couldn't put all the pictures up here that I wanted to. But, something is better than nothing, right? Here are a few pics of some of Rick's work that he submitted into an art show this past month. Isn't he GREAT?!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

2007-11-21T06:43:00.000-07:00

Our weekend of fun.

2007-11-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

Miranda was invited to see THE BEE MOVIE for a classmates birthday party. They let me and Bella stay....it was fun. I thought it was funny that the huge theater only had a couple kids in it. More showed up later...I just thought it was a good photo op.

We went to Nikki's birthday party on Saturday, and Bella hadn't had a nap and she was REALLY cranky. Emily saved us by giving her a pair of butterfly wings. She instantly cheered up and was happy (for a little while at least!)

Molly got a pair also. They had so much fun with the wings and they were the cutest things ever! Looks of pure joy!

They had a blow up bouncy at the party. Bella was bouncing down the slide with Karlie and Hayley. I swear she was way too close to flipping off and breaking her neck. She made it just fine, though...just a paranoid mom.

Miranda had a great time, too. She loved the "miner" lights someone let her wear. She wore it all night.

Christmas is here.

2007-11-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

We are ready for Christmas in our household. Now hold on...don't think I'm crazy or anything. We hosted a photo session for family pictures at our house, with Santa. So, we HAD to have decorations up...darn it...you know how we hate Christmas decorations! :( Ya right! We love it! :)

Here is my honey and I. Out having fun on a date. Love him!

Halloween at the ranch

2007-10-28T16:20:00.000-06:00

Halloween at our house brought lots of craziness.
This is Eden Dae Rothstein. She is 1/2 Cleopatra and 1/2 mummy....pure genious!

My favorite Sinks family.

My mom and niece Shelby (pimpin')

Hawaiian Todd Huckaby and Rick

Bella showing no fear for the gigantic spider behind her.

Crazy Rick with our friend Mike Cortese...or should I say Michelle?

This is Timmy and Sam Renken as "Hawaiian Punch"...pretty creative.

Ward Trunk or Treat Party

2007-10-27T11:53:00.000-06:00

Vampire Miranda and Cheerleader Bella

Pioneer Rocky and Vampire Victim Rick

Rival Cheerleaders: Broncos Molly and Cowboys Bella (Notice the smeared makeup on Bella's face...she really wanted to play on the toys at the park and I wouldn't let her... so she cried and her mascara ran...go figure!)

My sister and her hubby: Cow Susie and Farmer Roger...isn't this hilarious?!

Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-17T19:17:00.000-06:00

Molly and Bella at the pumpkin patch in their Halloween costumes....Broncos Cheerleader and Cowboys Cheerleader! Cute!

Bella enjoying the pumpkins. She really liked this table...it is just her size.

Lots and lots of pumpkins. This was actually our first time ever going to a pumpkin patch. We all loved it.

Two silly girls.

Are these the sweetest sisters, or what?

Visiting Grandma's gravesite

2007-09-18T10:14:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, me, Bella and Daddy (Miranda was in school) went to visit Grandma Rose's gravesite. It was a beautiful day and Bella kept hugging Grandma's headstone.

Do we look alike?

2007-09-06T18:25:00.000-06:00

This is me and my niece Hollie Anne. I have always been told that we could be twins...what do you think?

Tag, your it!

2007-09-06T18:12:00.000-06:00

I've been tagged!!! Eight interesting things about me
Thanks Nicole!!:)

1. I miss serving in primary (10+ years kinda makes it part of your life).
2. I actually hate talking on the phone.
3. I went to my senior prom in shorts, good thing, too, cuz I later got thrown in a pool!
4. I just applied (yesterday) to Northwest Vista College to get started on my lifelong dream of being a nurse.
5. I really miss my daddy! (It has been over 11 years since he went to the great beyond.)
6. I love the way I look...flabby skin and all.
7. I really want to be pregnant again.
8. If I do get pregnant, I really want another girl....boys scare me.

Now I tag: Emily, Cassie, Bobbi, Heather, Kara, & Krista

Bedtime hugs

2007-09-06T18:02:00.000-06:00

Tonight after Bella's bath, she wanted to watch cartoons with Miranda. Ok with Miranda, as long as Bella gives her a hug. Bella wouldn't let go and you can tell that she never took her eyes off the tv.

It gave Miranda the giggles. All the while, Bella never flinched or moved an inch.

Miranda's favorite pastime. If you can't find her, this is usually what she is doing. I LOVE that!!

my little babies

2007-09-06T16:24:00.000-06:00

These two are so silly. Bella decided to suck her little play bottle and then Miranda wanted to do the same. Miranda's facial expression looks like when she was one.

Everything Miranda does, Bella wants to do (even though Bella was doing it first this time). Can you tell by those eyes?

Yes, she is actually licking me.

I just love this image

2007-09-05T12:55:00.000-06:00

Bella with her makeup and fish...what a combination.

2007-09-04T12:54:00.000-06:00

Yes, I am the prettiest two year old in the world, thank you!

Her new addiction....little jelly-like fishing lures. She has to have them with here at all times. Definitely a fun addition to bath time. Miranda loves them, too.

Can you tell that Bella loves makeup? She is so insane about it. Thanks to Aunt Susy Q....this is quite often what Bella looks like on a daily basis. I particularly liked this pose.

Sisters and Cousins

2007-09-04T12:47:00.000-06:00

These two....what can I say? They are totally in love with each other. Isn't if funny, though, how you love someone so much, yet you get so much enjoyment out of harrassing them? Miranda loves to pick on Bella. It's a sibling thing....crazy sisters!

Here is Ben (crazy cousin from Utah) and Miranda at my brother's house in Salt Lake. Notice the love in Miranda's eyes? Or is that "Just wait til you are asleep...then I'll get you" look?

Miranda's teachers--3rd grade

2007-09-04T12:38:00.000-06:00

Well, school is back in full swing. Miranda has two new teachers. She loves them. They are Ms. Black and Mrs. Dunlop. I have a really good feeling about this year.

Red dresses

2007-09-04T12:32:00.000-06:00

Is this an "I know I'm in trouble look" or what?

Aunt Emily is so awesome about getting these two little buddies matching outfits all the time. This is Molly (Bella's favorite cousin) and Bella in their matching red dresses. Bella would wear it everyday if I'd let her.

These two girls absolutely love each other. Right now their language to each other consists of screaming almost non-stop. They were having fun here in Molly's backyard playing kitchen. Gotta love childhood.

Fun at Fiesta Texas

2007-08-28T17:11:00.000-06:00

I took Miranda to Fiesta Texas for a last hoorah before school started. It was just the two of us. We rode the train and a couple non-intense rides. We played for a long time in the water park. It was just a fun time with just the two of us. I just loved it!

Here is Miranda as Robin's sidekick.

Here we both are with Marvin the Martian and Miranda's favorite: TAZ! We had a great time.

Me and Leanne

2007-08-20T19:48:00.000-06:00

Here is my best friend/sister-in-law, Leanne. I just loved this picture. This was taken the morning of my nephew's baptism. We have been best friends for over 15 years. I miss her.

My little artists

2007-08-20T19:39:00.000-06:00

Early this summer we went to my brother Phil's house in Springville, UT. One day while we were there, all the kiddos wanted to paint. Here is Miranda and Bella making their masterpieces.

Our anniversary to Austin

2007-08-20T17:51:00.000-06:00

For our 13th anniversary we went to Austin for a couple nights. We had a lot of fun. This was the view from our hotel room. We were overlooking the Colorado River at Congress Bridge. This is the infamous "Bat Bridge" of South Texas. Every night millions of bats fly around under the bridge. It is beautiful and freaky all at the same time. Pretty view, huh?

Austin has an art initiative where (I think) UT and Gibson guitars donated a bunch of these 10 ft. guitars and then local artists were asked to paint them. They are located all around the downtown area. We had fun looking for them and truly being tourists.

Biggest guitar he's ever played! :)

This was my favorite.

After we went and watched the bats, we took a romantic horse-drawn carriage around downtown. It was really fun. I hadn't done that in years.

We also went to the capital building. This is such a cool photo.

And of course, we had to attend a concert while we were there. We went to see Rufus Wainwright. He is a folk-y kind a singer. He was really good. The only problem was that is was outdoors and we were crammed in like sardines. Great music, though.

Our new addition

2007-08-20T17:25:00.000-06:00

OK!! Where do I start? This is what my husband brought home on Saturday!!!!!!! What am I suppose to do with a snake that he put in a cage next to my bed?!
Well, this is ISIS (pronounced like /eye-sis/) which is actually the Egyptian Goddess of Fertility (did I mention that Rick wants another baby? Maybe the snake's name is a tad bit subliminal). Isis is defined as Queen of the Throne. Like we don't have enough queens in this house already!

She is a ball python. So, most of the time during the day this is what she looks like. She just crawls up into a ball under her log. At least she is easy to care for.

Bella likes to stand and look at her. She kept giving her cage a kiss.

Flower Girl

2007-08-20T17:17:00.000-06:00

My niece Samantha got married last weekend. Bella was her flower girl. From what I have been told, Bella was not very excited, and it was dang hot. Here are her big beautiful blue eyes!

She had her hairpiece in for a total of maybe five seconds. The photographer was pretty darn quick. This is about the only shot of her with it on.

In true "Ricky Fashion" (just kidding) she was a total Diva! She didn't just walk down the aisle, she bolted! Not one single flower made it onto the ground, until the very end when she just dumped the whole basket! She is so silly!

Summer fun

2007-08-06T18:39:00.000-06:00

Here is our Bella after she has gotten into Aunt Susy's makeup....which is something that she LOVES to do on a daily basis!

Spencer (my nephew visiting from UT) and Bella dressed alike in their Spurs attire and silly mustaces!

OK..we were at SeaWorld and Bella was looking into the fishtank....I caught the photo at exactly the right time. I swear it looks like she is in the tank or it is flying in front of her face. Crazy!

Summers at SeaWorld....a yearly event. Here is the crew this year...(back row: Ben, Kezia, me, Miranda, Nicole...front row: Katie, Bella, and Spencer)

Lazy days at my house..Miranda, Kezia, Nicole, Katie and Spencer almost falling off the couch.

My Ricky

2007-08-06T18:10:00.000-06:00

Ricky is my Hunny Bunny Wunny Cunny Sunny Dunny Lunny. That is my nickname for him. Kind of long, I know, but it just works. Rick and I have been married for 13 years (on Aug. 9th). He is a very talented artist. For his 8-5 job, he runs the art department at an apparel printing company. For his other job, freelance, he is a very creative graphic designer. He can do just about anything. He's a singer, songwriter, painter, and fabulous daddy. His girls just love him to death.
Aren't we too cute together?

Classic Ricky!

Miranda is definitely a "daddy's girl".

Isabella

2007-08-03T23:34:00.001-06:00

Isabella (Bella is what we usually call her) is a goofy, beautiful, curly-haired two year old. I personally think that the curlier the hair, the zanier the personality. This girl keeps all of our household (whether is it just us, or a house full of guests) rolling with laughter. She is so funny. She loves to sing and dance. She likes to tell you how SHE thinks that YOU should be doing things.
She is definitely a "momma's girl" and I love that!!!

Bella and Aunt Susy call this her "grandma pose" because we have a picture of Rick's mom with her posing like this. Too Cute!

Bella Potter...she found her cousin's Harry Potter glasses and she wouldn't take them off.

Miranda

2007-08-03T23:00:00.000-06:00

Miranda is our first daughter. She is 8 1/2 years old. She is absolutely beautiful and spunky. She makes us laugh. This little girl has a heart of gold, but can throw daggers at the same time. She is super sensitive and super protective about Bella. Bella can do no wrong as far as Miranda is concerned. When Miranda is cracking up laughing, it is usually because Bella is being goofy. Miranda is getting ready to start the third grade. She is a very intelligent young lady. We are amazed at her sometimes. She is a great reader.
There are two things that Miranda cannot do without at this stage in her life. They are her silky blanket and her thumb. Two habits that will be just about impossible for her to break. She will be the one that on her wedding night, she will pack her pink (probably gray by then) blanky.
I love this little lady. She is so much fun and so full of love. Even at 8, she is still a cuddly little baby in my eyes. She loves hugs and kisses and I love to give them. We are truly blessed.

The most beautiful smile in all the world.

Miranda and Bella are the best of sisters. Here they were watching "Happy Feet" on my bed. Sweet girls.

Cooking Bella

2007-07-30T18:14:00.000-06:00

Isabella decided that she wanted to cook in her "kitchen" when Aunt Susy put an apron on her. Daddy gave her a pan and ladel and she was a happy camper for quite a while. We were laughing so hard. Her hair wasn't even combed for the picture and I swear that she is just about perfect...whether her hair is combed or not.