Our new pony.....ah...dog

Meet Cledus...our new dog. A friend of ours moved and couldn't keep him, so we took him in. I've always wanted a Great Dane. There will be a little adjustment phase, but I think he'll fit in well.

What's new?

Things have been busy and its been a month since I have posted anything. We went to Kansas via Amtrak to see Michael's family and celebrate an early Christmas. Not sure we are going to do Amtrak again any time soon, we will probably drive half way one day and the rest of the way the next. It is just getting to frustrating to ride the train with a toddler, although we had so many people tell us how well behaved she was.

I had to work on Christmas day, so we did a little family Christmas dinner and gifts with Nanny Judy on Christmas eve after Michael and I got home from work. Lizard came to visit for few days and we took a trip to see my family for a late Christmas dinner of sorts. We didn't do anything for New Years...Michael and I both had to work.

Last weekend we went to Flagstaff for Micah and Weston's baptism. I took my camera and managed not to take one picture! It was a beautiful baptism and I am so proud of them!

Danae is such a character. She loves to have washclothes on her head...daddy started that one. She is such a bright spot in my life, I wish so badly we could afford for me to be a stay-at-home mommy....which is odd since I always said that wouldn't be for me.

Danae adores Lizard and is her little shadow when she visits.

Danae got a taste of the Vanilla Cream Soda and kept taking the bottles, she LOVES cream soda...and no, we didn't give her very much.

Her new thing is she has learned to give 'noggins' and man can she butt heads when she wants to. Her newest thing, in the past few days, is she now knows how to blow kisses and it just melts my heart!

I start night shifts tonight, for the next four months, I have been dreading it for months and am trying to find the positive to it. I am so far from being a night owl, its rediculous.

Third Anual Johnson Christmas Tree Hunt!

We kicked off our outing with a trip to the Red Lake Junction Railroad...Thanks Amy and Robbie! Caleb was thrilled. He asked his mom if we were going to get tickets and when we were all aboard and Robbie punched out tickets, Caleb loved it. When Robbie gave him the chance to blow the train whistle, Caleb was all over it.


Then we went to the "ranch" to pick out a Christmas tree...and this year was a hunt. The snow was hard on top and Dad couldn't get the truck even to the gate...time to hoof it! You know, I forgot how hard it is to walk in deep hard snow! We have got off easy the last two years and hadn't hiked far at all to get the perfect tree.

As Dad usually does, he went off in his own direction and eventually found a really nice one and the rest of us hiked to the sound of his whistle. The hike wasn't without cold-wet feet, a fall on my rump (while carrying Danae), bumping Danae into a tree branch, being more than ready for lunch and Caleb climbing into a down tree and getting stuck...when Jennie climbed over to get him he asked "are you coming to rescue me". Its amazing how much you can sweat in 40 degree weather and snow when your hiking around!

Mom trudged along with us and toward the end, Dad decided to give her a hand.

Danae was wiped, not that she was carried the majority of the time because she refused to walk. None the less, she was a little trooper...it was just her nap time! We culminated our day with a late lunch at Pine County Restaurant. Even with the snow trudging, I had fun! Now time to pack for Kansas...

My Little Helper...Already!

Danae started helping me when I sweep the floor about a week or so ago, all on her own...no one showed her this little thing she does. It used to be that I needed her in her playpen or for Michael to hold her so I could sweep, or I would even wait until she was asleep because she loved to crawl through the dirt pile...then walk through the dirt pile...then pick through it and see what she could eat.

Danae got her eating habits from mommy and makes quite the mess where she has been eating and chunks of food she has thown overboard lie in wait on the floor. I can sweep the floor when she is out and about now because she will leave it alone since she has a clear understanding of "no" and she usually listens.

She started doing the cutest thing and when I get the broom out and start a dirt pile she will now go to her mess on the floor and bring chunks of fallen food to the dirt pile and toss it in, if she missed the dirt pile, she picks it back up and gently places it in the dirt pile...then goes back for more chunks of food. I can't help myself...it just makes me laugh so I had to share. I love this baby girl!

Boo Boo

Danae got her first real boo boo today when she was having fun walking outside and slipped on some rocks. I know it is the first of several to come, but hopefully they won't be much worse than this, it just makes me sad to look at her little scrapes. After I took the picture more red marks began emerging on her nose and forehead, poor girl! But she handled it like a big girl. After a little clean up and some cuddling, she was ready to run again.

Happy Birthday Danae!

Danae needed a little help from Uncle Jason to get the birthday cake mess started. She didn't get nearly as messy as I was expecting, but we still 'tossed' her in the tub after cake.

She was a little overwhelmed with everything, but was good tempered the whole time. It was great to have everyone who could make it here to help celebrate! She love all of her new clothes and toys...even the educational ones...Anna...

All I have to say of this picture is she is her father's daughter! (sorry so short...busy...busy)

Our Little Accomplishments

We didn't take Danae out for Halloween, I had worked that day and had to be in dark and early for work on Sunday morning. Tonya and I dressed Danae and Ronin in some costumes some one gaver her on one of our days off before Halloween. The idea was to get a good photo op, but we took what we got. The pony outfit was very hot and Danae wasn't too hip on having the "head" hood on, by the time we put her and Ronin together for a picture, she was over it and wanted out and NOW.

Danae is walking like a pro, she even tries running...not always with a lot of success. She was very cranky on her first birthday...I told her she has many more to come so she just better start accepting them :)

Michael got the wood burning stove all finished and boy does it make a difference, not NEARLY as drafty and heats the home quite nicely...another fan or two to help move air and we'll be set. The fireplace above (last year) was built into the wall. Michael and Nando knocked out the wall in July and Michael has been tinking with it since. It was all set and fired up by mid October, just in time for the five days of cold before it warmed up again...

Didn't he do a GREAT job!

As for me, I held my first public self defense class and thanks to a front page article in Sedona's paper the week before the class, I had a good turn out and it went well. I'll keep working on making this little business venture grow...so far, it is showing promise.