Smarty Two Shoes

The One Time I Wasn't a Pushover

2012-02-01T15:13:00.000-08:00

I often wonder what kind of mother I'll be.

I wonder if I see a someone on the playground picking on my kid if I'll be able to teach them how to stand up for themselves,

Or teach them how to walk away.

I was always a "scare-dy cat".

I made friends with the mean girls at school to insure they weren't my enemies.

(Probably the best advise my Mother ever gave me.) 

Don't get me wrong I didn't hang out with them on weekends but I slapped them 5 every time I passed them in school.

It paid of too when Taylor Ryan saved me in the Nathan Hale girls' bathroom.

I swear I was about to get pounded by a 250 pound Mexican girl*.

(I was in the 5th grade BTW) 

Until Taylor stepped in. "Let her go guys, she's cool."

Phew.

Fast forward to last summer in the pool.

I was swimming with 2 of my nieces and nephew in our community pool.

And some little brat who was probably 5, kept stealing our pool toys.

It was seriously obnoxious and her mom was nowhere to be found.

I told Kylee(8), Kalyn(4) and Koltyn(2) that we should just ignore her and keep playing.

Well she kept stealing Kalyn's toy.

Kylee looked at me waiting for me to respond.

Of course I didn't.

The eternal peacemaker that I am I just got our other toys and gave them to my nieces and nephew.

After the little bully kept stealing those toys, Kylee had finally had enough.

"Hey! Those are our pool toys. Stop taking them from my sister it's not nice."

I felt like such a loser.

I promised myself I would not be that person ever again.

December 22, 2011.

In Kayenta, Arizona.

At the Burger King playland.

Meet my niece Rylie....

It was her 3rd birthday.

And she was having a blast playing with all the big kids in the play land.

We were on our way to Utah to spend Christmas with our family,

And we stopped for lunch and to give her a break from the car ride.

Hey, It was her birthday, she deserved it.

She was trying to conquer the jungle gym stairs but her legs simply were not long enough. 

She needed help.

Her Dad was getting our food. Her Mom was holding her baby brother.

So Aunt Krystle stepped in.

I am not small. But Rylie needed help.

So I lodged myself on the first step and began to assist her.

First step. Done. Second step.....just about there.....

And then I hear this voice.

Monotonous.

Yelling....

"MOVE. MOVE. MOVE."

I give Rylie a shove up the 3rd and final step and hear it again.....

"MOVE. MOVE. MOVE."

Then it occurs to me that these commands are directed towards me.

I look down and what do you know.

The meanest looking Indian kid* is looking me right in the eye.

And he is yelling at me.

"MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!"

And then something inside me snapped. 

And I yelled.

"I'll move when I'm ready!!!"

"Can't you see that I'm helping a little girl!?!?!? Are you freaking kidding me?"

I then moved and he proceeded to race up the steps.....

No apology. Nothing.  

I ducked, stepping through the net curtains and my Sister Natalie was standing there holding her baby.

With her mouth hanging open.

And then we cracked up laughing.

Natalie later proclaimed that she was pretty proud of me.

"I heard you say you'd move when you were ready. I thought good for Krystle standing up for herself. And then you just kept on going at him. It was awesome."

So as it turns out. 

I think I'll teach my kids how to stand up for themselves.

No one likes a scare-dy cat.

** I am not prejudice. Bullies come in all shapes, sizes and colors. 

The Trip That Changed Everything.........

2012-01-11T19:08:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot about my trip to Moab. I'd like to use this particular post to just jot down a few things I loved about the trip, and things I realized because of this trip.

- The drive up with Natalie and David.

- I loved Rylie's temper tantrum 40 minutes in to the trip. For heaven sakes it was her 3rd birthday and she was spending it on the road strapped in to a seat. I can't wait to tease her about it when she's 16.

- Pulling over on the side of the road. swinging open the van door and David holding Rylie out over a pile of snow while she pinched a loaf. Yep, It was 22 degrees. She is a sport.

- Natalie coaching David the whole time...."David what you gotta do is keep her feet on the ledge and hold her hands. My mom used to do it to us all the time."

- Learning how to stand up for myself (and Rylie) in the play land at Burger King. Turns out I think I'm going to do just fine as a mom. (This little ditty deserves it's own extra post later this week.)

- Getting out of hiking ALL the way to Delicate Arch because I'm pregnant. Yep I milked it. I don't care if Natalie did the hike 7 months pregnant with Jude last March. Good for her.

- Listening to Corey talk about said hike in bed later on.... "Krystle, I might as well have hiked Everest today. That is what it felt like. I'll never do it again." I tried telling him, but to no avail.

- I also found out Corey made David carry my camera bag on the way up even though David had a horrible head cold and sore throat. Maybe that is why Corey declared last night that he considers David the 'MVP' of the trip?

-Also Jude having an explosion in his diaper, on my watch, while everyone else was out conquering Delicate Arch.

- My Dad and Gordon announcing that they took a vote and declared Rachel the funniest sibling. Um, that did not bode well with Natalie or myself. Dad pretty much spent the rest of the trip trying to make it up to us......

- Rachel informing us (Natalie and I) that she is going to be a stay at home mom but she will not be doing any cleaning. That lead to an interesting conversation between the three of us. That conversation lead to Rachel picking up a rag and helping us clean out the fridge. A big "YOU ARE WELCOME" to Rachel's future husband.

- Emily Bennett-Garrett. Annabelle's American Girl doll. Featured in the family photo above. Enough said.

- Watching Annabelle open up "Coconut"...... Emily's small white fluffy dog. I freaking tell you, hands down, the best thing I've ever seen. Her reaction was priceless. Tears in eyes, heart palpitating, hands shaking amazingness. You would have thought she was just crowned Miss Universe. I will act it out, in person, for anyone that asks.....

- Corey reading to our baby (still in my tummy) for the first time. Freaking awesome. I may or may not have shed a couple tears. We are having a baby.I still can't believe it.

- Speaking of unborn babes... Nicole and Chris announcing the gender of theirs! My parents unwrapped a small gift signed from the baby and inside was blue tissue paper. They were so sneaky!! Baby Hansen is a boy!!!

- Watching Nicole conquer at Just Dance 3. I loved watching that perfectly petite baby belly while she shook her groove thing :)

- Airsoft war.

- Going to church on Sunday with the whole family...

- Corey (in sacrament) dodging Jude's drool like it was poop. Seriously bro? Better get used to it, your going to be wiping a lot more then drool off your shirt.

- Annabelle bringing Emily Bennett-Garrett to church. Along with the doll's crutches, and woven basket bed carrier. And of course 'Coconut'.

- My Dad standing up to speak (he serves as Bishop in his ward) and Rylie saying, "Abelle that's your dad, Abelle that's your dad." Over and over again.

- Corey leaning over while dad was speaking and whispering very sincerely, "He's kind of a big deal isn't he?" To which I responded, "Corey, all of the Garrett's are a big deal."

- I will forever be grateful for the things My Dad said over the pulpit that Christmas morning. The kind things he said about his own children. And the thoughtful things he said about the men we chose to marry.

- Eating with my family.

- Laughing with my family.

- Praying with my family.

- I've always been grateful for my siblings. On this trip though I realized something else. I think I can speak for all of my siblings when I say that we just really want the best for each other. We truly enjoy each other's company and genuinely like the people that each of us have become.

- The letter that my parents gave to Corey and I as we said goodbye at the airport. I cherish the special things that they said to us as individuals and as a couple.

- Hugging my sister Nicole goodbye at the curb. We never know when the next time we will see each other will be. As I hugged her I said (while crying), "Next time I see you, you will be a mom." To which she replied, "So will you." I wish we lived closer so we could experience this pregnancy thing together.I am so grateful to be able to go through this with her. She got me through a lot of really sick days in the beginning :) knowing that they would pass and things would get better. She was a good coach. Sometimes that's just what you need in a sister.

So many great things happened on this trip. I know I'll press 'publish post' and then think of 5 other things that should be added to the list. Oh well...... I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and wonderful new year. I'm hoping to be able to blog more this year!

This Means War...

2011-12-28T08:08:00.000-08:00

The men on the Garrett side had quite the battle yesterday.....

I knew I wanted to take footage and they were good sports acting out all my cheesy shots I was insistent on getting.

Check it out, you won't regret it.... or you might. I don't know?

I have a blog?

2011-12-16T07:41:00.000-08:00

I made a little collage of our summer footage!

Get ready to feast your eyes on some star performances!

Jude's Arrival

2011-08-25T08:56:00.000-07:00

Finally was able to finish this video for my sister.

Aunt Jen I hope you enjoy.

Keep an eye (or ear) out for my favorite parts;

I offer to deliver the baby and my 10 year old sister says, "uh gross."

Mom talking on the phone about how Annabelle will have to leave the room during the actual delivery.

Annabelle suggesting she just ducks behind the chair. I think she was serious?

Nat and I cracking up.

Also just a little warning;

While no private parts are exposed this is titled 'Jude's Arrival'.....

You will see my sister's legs in stirrups in a couple of still shots but that is it.

Consider yourself warned.

Untitled from Krystle Johnson on Vimeo.

Booking My Appointments Just Got A Lot More Fun.......

2011-08-16T00:20:00.000-07:00

Had a little craft night when Taylor was here.

We designed some notebook covers as a 'back to school' surprise for Bryton and Ivy.

They were totally awesome.

So a couple weeks ago I made one for myself;

Cause I am selfish like that.

Deal with it.

Tying the Knot......

2011-07-30T00:15:00.000-07:00

Travis and Megan totally got hitched....

But, enough with words

Let's just look at the pics!

The first look:

I can't type the exact words he exclaimed

(because my grandma reads this blog)

But I assure you,

His reaction was PRICELESS!

Last but not least,

Honestly my personal favorite.

She is a nurse and he is cop.

This image is totally appropriate if you ask me.

Congrats to the two of you!

Hiatus

2011-07-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

You'll have to pardon me for my blogging hiatus.

First I was working.

Then I was playing.

Taylor came back to HUMID Minnie with me.

We've had lots of fun.

I had lots of fun,

She probably wanted to gouge her eyes out.

Either way I will be taking her to the airport shortly

And I may or may not cry my eyes out at Terminal 1.

Enjoy some pics from our Sunday drive.

We took lots of pics and even crafted it up.

Those will have to wait until my depression from her departure lifts.

You've had a birthday shout hurray.....

2011-07-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

Corey had a birthday.

He is now 35.

He informed me earlier today he thinks he can still pass for 25.

I thought he was being funny.

Turns out he was serious.

I still laughed?

He asked me yesterday if I still loved him even though he is 35 now.

I said ya I think so.

Then we had a little convo that went like this;

Me: Do you love me now that I'm 28?

Corey: Ya.

Me: How do you know when you love somebody?

Corey: You can feel it in your heart.....and in your privets.

So Without further ado.

Happy Birthday to the man I love with all my heart....

And my privets.

Baby Sister

2011-07-07T18:33:00.000-07:00

Baby Sister turned 10 today....

She is growing up way too fast.

It doesn't help that she looks 14.

Seriously, Dad lock the doors!

No dating until she's 45 :)

On top of being beautiful,

She is uber talented.

She is loving,

Thoughtful,

Caring,

and already one of the best sisters' anyone could ask for.

We love you Annabelle,

Hope you had a totally FAB birthday!

Pop-on-over

2011-07-01T17:47:00.000-07:00

Headed out to the ranch house in Walker for some din.

All you can eat salad bar and popovers.......

So freaking delish I almost cried.

But I didn't I just bucked up and had me another popover.

Campy camperton

2011-07-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

Totally enjoying our 4th of July weekend.

We snuck out of town early on wednesday, you can do that you know when your husband is off for the summer and you only technically work one week a month.....

I lived

2011-06-23T23:32:00.000-07:00

Since I began taking photography more seriously,

I've noticed I'm missing from most of the photographs that make up the story of our life.

When I develop pictures they are mostly of Corey and Bailey.

It's not that people don't offer to take the picture while I jump in to the shot.

It's that I'm that much of a control freak.

I am really working on it.

I've made it a goal to be more present in photographs.

I want my kids to have pictures of me long after I'm gone.

I want them to have proof that I was here and I was kinda fun.

So.....

When I took pictures of Sisty in the hospital I made it a point to capture myself in some of them.

I'm thankful I did.

That was a special day.

A day I will forever recall with fondness.

I will probably always shed a tear or two when I look at the pictures.

I sat here tonight going through them and I thought of something else.

I am grateful for a brother in law who strapped my camera around his neck and snapped away.

He did that when my niece was born too.

Some of my most loved pictures of myself are the ones where I am holding Rylie.

Just hours old.

And now Jude.

Just minutes old.

Let me share a few with you.

I will forever cherish the picture below.

My sister was contracting hard core.

She was ready to go.

The doctor had arrived.

And I was terrified.

That face I'm making is legit fear.

I was a wreck, and cried for most of it.

Okay ALL of it.

There I am!

Holding Baby Jude.

I feel really blessed to have been a part of it all.

And I feel really blessed to have visual proof that I was there.

High Roller

2011-06-22T00:58:00.000-07:00

Sonja is a high roller now.

She just got herself some brand new granite counter tops.

It's quite the controversy if you ask me.

See,

Underneath her old counter tops....

If you shimmied just underneath the bar.....

and laid on your back..... 

You could read my Aunt Mysti's ode of love to her High School BF.

He is now her husband.

Hello my lovelies....

2011-06-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

My Goodness,

What a busy month June has been for me thus far.

Had a few projects up in the air.

I am quite a juggler,

You should see me.

One such project was quite special.

It involves my sisty and her new baby boy.

You will have to wait for those pics.

Right now I'm working on a 'Save the Date'...

Sneaky Peaky?

Okay fine.

As a side note, but, equally important.

I think I am having heart burn right now?

I don't get heart burn so I'm not sure what it feels like.

I feel like I've had a foreign object shoved halfway down my throat all day?

Is that heart burn?

Or is there just a foreign object shoved down my throat?

Family Fun Photos

2011-06-06T15:36:00.000-07:00

Family Photos.

These are for you.

You know who you are.

You probably thought I lied about your photo collages not uploading properly on Facebook.

A-train and Joshey Poo

2011-05-27T13:24:00.000-07:00

Is it weird I was clueless until I stepped behind my camera?

It's amazing how capturing images can remind you about the progression of life.

I stand amazed as I take photos of my friends, their children, their growing families.

I had no idea we were all so grown up.

On my most recent trip to Arizona I had the pleasure of photographing one of my homegirls and her lover.

They are professional bowlers.

Yes you read that right.

Bowlers.

Yes I glitter-banged the crap out of some old bowling shoes.

And she wore them like a champ.

They met bowling.

He proposed in Vienna.

Yes Vi- freaking-enna.

I asked Josh how he knew he loved Aimee.

What moment he knew he wanted to spend forever with her.

He replied;

"I knew I loved her the first time I laid eyes on her beautiful face. I could see her smile from a mile away and it drew me in right away.

Seriously, he means it too.

I love the way he looks at her.

And props to anyone that can make Aimee laugh like that.

Take note in the pictures......

Oh I almost forgot.

Steal my pictures, and I steal your first born.

Happy Anniversary......

2011-05-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary.

To my Beloved Mr. Johnson.

I am off to Arizona.

Tucked inside my carry on will be the sweet card he gave me earlier.

And when I get sad this week, thinking of how I had to leave for work the day of our 3rd anniversary,

I will read it and smile.

And when I get mad this week because he doesn't feel like chit chatting on the phone,

I will read it and remember I don't always want to strangle him.

One Little, Two Little, Cute Little Indians.......

2011-05-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

BLOOPER:

Some people just don't know how to,

'Dance like Indians'

So their big sister has to step up,

and show them how it's done.

Oh Ya. Don't steal my photos. I'll scalp you.

look who saves the day....

2011-04-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

Big HUGE kisses go to Miss Kalyn.

She just about split her lip open on the cement stairs.

And all in the name of a Diet Coke.

My Diet Coke.

That she was trying to keep from spilling.

You are a modern day hero Kalyn.

I admire any girl with that kind of dedication.

I stopped reading your blog because you stopped posting.....

2011-04-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

Corey said that to me this past week.

You are freaking rude Corey Johnson.

I have been in Arizona this past week.

I have some freaking cute pics to edit and post for those of you that still read my blog.

One of my besties had a birthday :)

I swear I will post more regularly.

I'm also thinking of a giveaway but I'm not sure what I want to give away.

Any suggestions?

I could have this print of myself done up real nice for one of you readers?

I'm thinking 24 x 30?

Aren't I special?

Photo compliments of Taylor Brown. She makes me laugh too hard to take a serious shot.

Woodcocky Johnson

2011-04-10T13:25:00.000-07:00

As I sit here and type this post Corey is testing one of the neighbor children from our old hood.

I have to man the camera.

For his class he has to video it so he can be graded on how he actually administers the test.

It's called the Woodcock Johnson.

He actually tested me last month.

And thank heavens he didn't have to video tape that episode.

His teacher would have had a front row seat to a 'Johnson Domestic'.

He was not impressed by my intellect when we got to the math portion.

That's putting it mildly.

And I just wanted to quit.

That's putting it mildly.

I am honestly sitting here dripping sweat, so nervous for her.

She is on the math portion now.

May the force be with you.

Just For Now

2011-04-06T22:54:00.000-07:00

I put together a little video for my brother who just got home from a mission.

He served a two year mission for our church .

The majority of his mission Spanish was his primary language.

So the first song is him singing a hymn in Spanish. I made him.

I just can't even believe he is home.

It was hands down one of the most emotional things I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing.

My favorite is the video footage at the end when he sees his mom.

Waiting for him to walk through the gate, and then actually seeing him.

Ugh I could cry right now just thinking about it.

Yes I know the video is long. Just watch it, you will laugh. And maybe cry.

Who knows how you will react? I am not a psychic.

But seriously, him and a few of the other missionaries made a music video which I had to include.

He is the bouncy missionary in the shorts, red plaid shirt, tie and beanie. Don't even worry you'll know him once you see him :)

Also please note how easily the Garrett Girls' entertain themselves.

We waited at that airport for about 3 hours.

To my brother,

One of my favorite people.
I am so impressed by you and the grown up man you have become.
It was fabulous to see you.

Love your oldest sister,

Krys

(He always called me that growing up. I hated it and threatened to hurt him all the time. I heard him call me that when we were all up in Utah and I didn't even mind. THAT is how much I missed him.)

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;THT&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;font face="&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;Courier New&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;, Courier, monospace"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;font size="3"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;T&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/font&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/font&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>
Elder Garrett's Mission Video from Krystle Johnson on Vimeo.

Fun facts about the video:

Okay so my sisters and I all agree if we ever meet the other young man with the red shirt from the music video (the one that is not our brother) we will ask him for his autograph. Check out his body roll around 5:36. We rolled on the floor laughing.

Feel free to fall in love with my brother from 6:53 to 7:04. Try not to faint ladies. He totally gets his dance moves from me.

8:37- This is a tradition they do on the last free day (P-day) in the field for the missionaries getting ready to leave. They call it "flying home". They 'flew' my brother home. They almost flew him right to the hospital in take 2.

10:58- Listen to me bark out orders to Natalie. See how quickly she obeys. Boo Ya.

You Make My Dreams Come True.....

2011-03-10T22:55:00.000-08:00

Seriously you guys.

I am not even joking.

Try to watch the video below and not crack a smile.

I freaking dare you.

Honestly if Corey ever wanted to give me THE BEST present ever he would;

Take me for a walk through a busy street, park, museum (whatever) etc.

And everyone there would bust out into a choreographed musical number, in which I would already know all of the words and dance moves.

Seriously watch the video.

The part where he tosses his messenger bag and starts snapping just makes my heart happy.

A family Affair.....

2011-03-07T18:18:00.000-08:00

Well I made you wait long enough for heavens sake.

I am going to sum it up so you can read this real quick then scroll down to the good stuff.

Wyley wanted to propose (don't know who I am talking about? Click here.)

He wanted to do it in a fun way at family dinner on Sunday February 13th.

And let me tell you we all feel pretty lucky that he included us.

So my lovely Aunt Mysti and I put our heads together to help him think of something clever.

Then I came up with the best idea.

Because, let's be honest I am totally the brains of that operation.

We staged a fake gift exchange.

Everything was rigged.

I was even sending Matti texts the day before going on about how I was lonely spending Valentine's Day in Arizona without Corey. So I told her I wanted to do a gift exchange since my Valentine was states away.

I kept writing the texts like blasts texts pretending they were for everyone.

I think I even sent one that said "Everyone dress cute tomorrow because I am going to take pics and blog about our dinner/gift exchange."

She was so clueless.

Mysti was pretending to draw names, but really she was faking it and we each knew exactly what gifts we were supposed to pick up.

Matti went last because there was something EXTRA special in that very last box that was wrapped up all beautifully and perfect.

Enough words.... Enjoy the pics!

Please do me a favor and take a look at photo 6.

Do you see my sweet baby boy cousin wiping back his tears?

Because that is exactly what I see.

And you can't tell because it's sized down but in pic 10 is eyes are still glistening from being emotional.

I love that he is so sensitive.

We are so blessed to have him in our family.

We are also REALLY blessed to have Matti in our family now as well.

What a great addition she makes.

We couldn't be more excited.

Honestly, we couldn't.

***post edit: Yep I skipped number 7, 8, 9 in my collage. I am a spaz. I did it mostly because I was in a hurry to snuggle with big "C" on the couch. Ooops.

**Side note: Some of the pics where he is proposing are out of focus. Why you ask? Because I was sobbing like a baby. It was hard to see if they were in focus or not! Oh and I wasn't using my own camera. But mostly because I was crying and couldn't see through my tears.

D. I. Y. Gouge my eye.

2011-03-03T22:52:00.000-08:00

Did you guys know my camera broke?

Well it did.

And it's been  at the camera hospital for almost a week.

It's been quite devastating.

On top of that I have had major cabin fever up here in MN.

So I was thinking today that I'd really like to show you guys the little art project I did last night.

By Art I mean with cardboard, card stock, scissors, and mod podge.

It didn't take any real talent.

So I was sitting on the couch earlier on my laptop and I thought;

Hey I have an Idea.

I will use photobooth to take a picture of my new wall art.

While simultaneously showcasing how flexible I am.

Bam!

So enjoy.

 Check it, double deck it. I am practically in the chinese splits right here.

Peek. A. Boo.

I pretty much had to go get an ice pack out of the freezer after this little number. Next time I'll have to stretch better.

What a crappy pic. Really makes me appreciate my beautiful little camera.

I will post a better one when She arrives home from the hospital.

Also were you wondering if I was in complete denial and wore my Toms without socks out and about today?

Cause yeah. I was in denial. I pretty much lost feeling in my toes for the better part of the afternoon.

For my sister's anniversary

2011-03-03T15:31:00.000-08:00

I made her this video.

It was footage we took while shooting their family pictures.

For those of you that already saw it on Facebook.

I am sorry.

Come back later to see what I was up until 4 am making.

Oh and here's a little fun fact:

Nat called me and asked;

"Did you speed up the video? Or are we really moving that fast?"

Yes Natalie I sped up the video. I wanted to fit more footage in to a 2 minute song.

Reheis Family from Krystle Johnson on Vimeo.

Snorey Corey

2011-03-02T01:48:00.000-08:00

Here is the thing.

I am a night owl.

If you could even call it that.

I mean it's 3:15 in the am.

And here I am. Typing.

Here is the other thing.

I was asleep, warm, cozy, in my bed at 9:00 pm tonight.

Next thing I know the bedroom light switches on and Corey is in my face...

"Can I turn the light on?" um you just did.

"Where is the phone charger?" plugged in to the wall.

"Can you set your alarm for six?" i do every night love.

"Want to watch a movie with me on the laptop?" UGHHHHH

And by watch a movie he really means do I want to watch the movie while he starts snoring 30 seconds into it.

So sure enough 2 minutes later, there I lay. laptop on chest. Eyes wide open.

Corey snoring.

Corey and Bailey taking a nap the very day she became part of our family

And now I am wide awake for the night.

Surprise. Surprise.

It's amazing how I can literally be up for hours after him and manage to sneak right into my bed without disturbing his deep slumber.

Sometime I wish he could do the same.

Then I start blog stalking and I stumble upon a story.

A story about a woman who just lost her husband to cancer.

Her two kids who just lost a father.

Here I am pouting on the couch.

I bet she would give anything to have her husband flick on the light and wake her from a deep slumber.

Then I realized I need to change my attitude.

Things in this life and life itself can be taken away so quickly, some things should just be gotten over.

And gotten over quickly.

I think I will stop pouting on the couch and sneak in to bed so quietly and give Corey an extra snuggle.

To visit the woman I wrote of earlier and read her story go here.

She is amazing.

And she needs our help.

So go visit the auction and see if there is something you need :)

Or spread the word by blogging or facebook-ing about it.

That could be any one of us.

Also were you wondering why I placed that heart over Corey's belly?

Well it's because he somewhat resembled the guy in the following picture.

And that's just not classy.

**Taken at the Phoenix airport last time I was flying back home. Stay classy Phoenix. Stay classy.

Finally 8

2011-02-25T11:39:00.000-08:00

Are you excited to get baptized? 

I ask. 

Then she responds.

 "Yes. I am 8. Finally. I've been waiting forever."

Someone special I know is getting baptized.

This little shoot meant so much to me.

I would be lying if I said I didn't tear up more than once.

So enjoy.

Because I did.

** Oh my gosh you guys stay tuned. Because something happened last time I was in Arizona. Something REALLY special. I will give you a clue. Click here. You know you want to.

Point Blank. Period.

2011-02-22T22:41:00.000-08:00

Here's the thing.

We go out to eat at least once during the week.

We usually go to Buffalo Wild Wings.

Tuesday is wing night.

There are times when I pretend that I am going to choose a different restaurant just to watch him squirm.

Then Corey looks at me with his big blue eyes and he says something stupid like;

"But Corey need wingy."

And I feel compelled to oblige.

This morning I noticed I had a missed call from him at 9:30 am.

He never calls during the school day.

And I knew right then and there that it was gonna be wing night.

Please excuse the crappy iphone pics.

So we headed up to Maplewood.

All the while I am eyeing Best Buy trying to figure out how to get them to replace my 'dance central' DVD that somehow got scratched.

We head on in to BWW's and here is where things get interesting.

I will warn you by saying that there will be some direct quotes.

While I don't promote profanity on my blog this convo cracked me up too much not to mention.

We always sit at the high tops that are half booth half table.

Sometimes you can be pretty close to the people at the table next to you and sometimes it's fun.

By fun I mean entertaining.

Corey and I are both 'people watchers'.

I go to the bathroom and when I come back I hear the tail end of a conversation Corey is having with the younger guy next to him.

By young I mean 24.

I hear the guy ask Corey, "so you just knew? really you just knew?"

Corey responds, "yeah, when it happens you just know. It's weird I can't describe it. I. Just. Knew."

Then we all went about our business at our separate tables.

Then the young man was greeted and joined by another man who turned out to be his brother.

The younger man turns to his brother and informs him that I am Corey's lady and that we are married.

So that's what they were talking about. Marriage.

They could not get over the fact that Corey and I have been married for 3 years and kept congratulating us.

3 years is not that long but I guess in this world marriage itself is something to be commended.

I practically needed a diaper to keep from wetting my pants. These guys were cracking us up.

While they weren't exactly "pro" marriage they seemed genuinely happy that Corey and I were married and still loved each other.

Then I heard about a 5 minute monologue from Corey.

Things I had never honestly heard him say before.

He said things like; "once you meet the right person marriage isn't scary."

"You guys haven't met the right girl. Trust me when you do it's so worth it."

He kept pointing at me and assuring them that he had met that girl.

IT WAS ME <3

He is not the best communicator. It was nice to hear him express these feelings and thoughts.

They still assured him that marriage wasn't for them and we all laughed.

Then the older brother started chastising us about being married for 3 years and not having children yet.

Corey replied with, "funny you should mention that we were discussing this on our drive over here."

the older one (by older, I mean 26) then informed us that having kids was the greatest. He had 7 year old twin girls and a baby girl on the way.

He kept commenting on how we haven't even had one and he's produced two at a time.

I kept cracking up that here we are discussing marriage and how its not for them but you start talking about kids and their hearts turned into melted butter.

The older one assured us that we were, "doing the right thing by getting married first so our kids wouldn't be 'bastards' like his."

I just about died.

Then the following 10 minutes they went on and on about illegitimate children.

Then they kept telling Corey it was time to 'plant his seed'.

I would like to say that Corey and I are so classy and that we found this conversation with strangers totally inappropriate.

But that would be a lie.

Honestly it might have been my favorite wing night ever?

It's weird though how the world delivers messages to you in ways you never expect.

Corey finally admitted to them that he was scared to be a dad.

The younger one responded by saying, "You should be its a big responsibility. But do you have good morals?"

Well yeah.

"Did you have a good dad?"

Corey says. "I had a great dad."

Then they informed Corey that there are parts of his dad inside of him and when he has babies of his own he will know what do, and what kind of man he wants to be.

I kid you not we had just had this convo in the car.

Corey had told me he was scared and I wanted to break down.

Of course we are both scared and nervous and excited etc.

Even talking about having babies brings up all kinds of emotions and feelings.

At the end of our dinner I asked the guys if I could take their picture.

They of course complied.

I held up my camera and then they posed "Three 6 Mafia" Style.

Their words not mine.

And yes, that is a chicken bone hanging out of the older brother's mouth.

I think this can be considered a pretty successful wing night.

Plenty of food for our bellies.

And plenty of food for thought.

**Post edit: Wondering where my blog title came from? The older brother would say this after making his points. ie "you need to plant your seed tonight. point blank. period."

That one time....

2011-02-20T18:41:00.000-08:00

I freaking love Corey.

Don't get me wrong at times I want to strangle him.

But then he does things that make me smile.

Like tonight when we are snowed in and holed up in our house and he holds up a redbox and says,

"Tonight is gonna be the best night of our lives."

He is so silly.

And to send you off here's an oldy but goody of Corey.

Hopefully one day that will be a pic of him holding our own baby.

Pinch to Grow an Inch

2011-02-03T20:47:00.000-08:00

Right now I lay on my belly in the middle of our living room floor and I debate.

It's quite nice you see, we usually have a coffee table right here in the middle.

I moved it tonight.

I moved it so Corey and I could battle it out playing 'Dance Central' on Kinnect.

Um ya I dominated.

Need you ask?

Back to the debate.

I've been debating whether or not to blog about this story.

Cause if the roles were reversed and I were Corey and he were me....

I would be embarrassed

but then I recalled Corey was once stating;

"I don't get embarrassed."

So really he brought this on himself.

Months ago Corey cracked our toilet seat.

Awkwardly enough it's not the first seat he cracked.

He cracked the one in the basement of his brother's house when we lived with them.

He somehow managed to maneuver and use it without getting his butt cheek pinched.

I was not so lucky.

It pinched me constantly so I swallowed my pride and headed to Home Depot and I bought the replacement.

Well I refuse to do that this time.

It's his turn.

I'm not sure how he does it.

How he keeps magically cracking the toilet seats.

I mean honestly Corey.

Pull it together.

That's the back part to this story.

Our toilet seat is still broken.

I took that pic tonight.

It's important to know the history though.

So about a month ago I noticed that whenever Corey left the bathroom he also left the hand towel on the floor.

I've been working on choosing my battles.

I opted to avoid this one.

I just thought to myself;

'Did I really marry someone who is so lazy he washes his hands and then dries them and drops the towel where he stands?'

Then I remembered to be grateful that he washes his hands right?

So this went on for about 2 weeks with various handtowels.

I would pick the towel up (hey my floor is clean) and place it back on the rack.

I'd wash my hands, then dry them.

And when it came time at night I would wash my makeup off,

Then use the towel to dry my face.

And then it happened.

I walked in on Corey using the restroom.

And there he was using the toilet and he was sitting on the towel.

He had that towel placed over the crack so it didn't pinch his buns.

My jaw fell to the floor.

He had been using that towel as a barrier between his buns and the crack in the seat.

And I had been using that towel to wipe my makeup off.

Joke's on me.

No wonder there is no rush for a new toilet seat.

**side note: Before anyone asks. Yes I wash my hand towels, after so many wiping of the hands I would wash that towel and put a new, clean fresh one up. This would happen with whatever towel was up at that moment in time when Corey felt the urge to go.

Lifetime Movies

2011-01-25T21:56:00.000-08:00

Last Friday Ivy tore herself away from a lifetime movie at Sonja's house.

All in the name of a give-away.

She wrote down one number for each comment.

29 entries.

The winner of this give-away is......

Drumroll please :)

Comment number 10-

Alexis Kaye said...

My soul delighteth in laughing children...and your blog...that gets me extra points right?!

I promise the fact that she complimented my blog was a mere coincidence.

The drawing was totally random.

I've decided I totally heart give aways.

So I'm going to be doing them a lot more.

Stay tuned my cyber friends.

Snapshots with Sonja.....

2011-01-20T22:52:00.000-08:00

Cousin Taylor is spending the night at Grandma Sonja's.

There is nothing we love more than a little impromptu photo sesh with big 'S' in the kitchen.

As you can tell Grandma Sonja was pretty ecstatic when we whipped open the photobooth app on the computer.

She will probably kill us for posting this but we had to make a collage in her honor.

We think she looks awesome in her robe.

That's the same robe she wore when Taylor was born.

The only robe we have memories of.

And to be perfectly honest, one day these pictures will be a reminder of one of my favorite memories with her.

There is nothing like a 'Sonja Sandwich' right Taylor?

Am I right or am I right?

P.s. is there anyone that lives in the Mesa, AZ area that I can stay with the next couple of days.
I'm pretty sure if Big S gets wind of this post she will have my belongings on the curb by the time I get home from work tomorrow.

And Joy (you know who you are) you better not show this to her friends in the office.
Or I will get you....
She has a hardcore reputation to uphold.

***Post edit: Notice in the bottom right picture Sonja had to rehydrate because she was having so much fun with us. JK but Tay is giving her spankins for trying to run away from us in every shot. Ya right she loved it. 2nd row far right is my fave. We were pretending we were partying at the club.

Kinda Got Sidetracked

2011-01-16T23:31:00.000-08:00

Sorry Homeslice.

I got sidetracked.

I've been chasin' kids and snappin' pics.

All in a days' work I suppose.

Did that "chasin' kids" part sound weird?

I will announce the winner of my print tomorrow.

For now just enjoy this and shut your trap.

Oh ya.

Happy MLK Day.

Remember in my house that also stands for;

"Major Love and Kindness Day".....

I think Dr. King would've appreciated that as well.

Have a great day off for those of you who won't be standing on your feet for 12 hours in a salon tomorrow.

Baby Girl

2011-01-13T16:52:00.000-08:00

Baby Girl got her pictures taken.

A local photographer up here in the ice box known as Minnesota asked if she could take pics of Bailey for her portfolio.

Um sure.

She snapped some of us with Bailey.

It's kind of special to actually have some pics of us as a family.

Pics that didn't involve Corey or myself setting a timer and running to jump in the shot.

Thanks Karin for our new fabulous photos.

Best part is I didn't need to do any editing!

Oh delight.

Allow myself to introduce....myself

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

I was blog stalking earlier today.

I've recently been really enjoying fashion blogs.

Loving new ideas and combos for classic pieces.

But as I search and blog stalk I've realized something.

I look at all these girls dressed up in fields all adorable and posey.

And I think I could never be that cute.

I could never be confident enough to pull that off.

And I start to feel sad and I start to think rude things about myself.

I start to feel negative and rotten.

And that's not how it should be.

I am a gem

Especially on the inside, and I dont think I deserve to be talked to that way.

So one of my GOALS in 2011 is to love myself and I'm thinking maybe women everywhere should do the same.

We are beautiful and have lots to offer out there.

I see you lady.

You are reading my post right now.

And you are;

Crafty

Clever

Genuine

Thoughtful

Kind

You are, simply put

Beautiful.

So start acting like it, cause I'm going to.

**post edit: fun fact about this picture. That is my cousin Taylor waving my cell phone in the desert at night while Corey is taking his 'night pictures'. There was originally a shot of her making an 'I' too. That picture was lost in the great delete with all of the other ones. It was supposed to be 'I love you' and it was supposed to be for her missionary in Argentina. However, when I put the pic together tonight this message popped out at me and screamed something I've been needing to hear for a long time.

Give- O -Give Away

2011-01-06T13:07:00.000-08:00

I'm lacking art on the walls in my home.

I wanted to see if I could come up with something.

I came up with this;

I wanted to share one with you.

So here is the design.

It's an 11x14 and is printed on lustre textured paper.

It is also backed on matboard.

Here is how you enter;

1. Become a follower of my blog, if you are not already.

2. Leave a comment on this post telling me what your soul delighteth in :)

I will end the giveaway next Thursday at midnight.

Boo Ya.

**Post Edit: The text on the actual print is more of a grey than cream. Still lovely.

Stylish? Really? This Old Thing?

2011-01-05T21:49:00.000-08:00

I recently received the Stylish Blogger Award from the totally fantastic Liesl over at......

Wait for it.......

Fabulous Fashions 4 Sensible Style

Here are the rules

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award

2. Share 7 things about yourself

3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award!

Okay so where to start with 7 things about myself....

1. I heart plaid. When I wore a striped shirt to work last month one of my clients commented on how I was really stepping out of my box.

2. I love making old things new again. Making things prettier and jazzing them up.

3. I LOVE going to the movies.

4. I am a night owl.

5. I thoroughly enjoy cuddling up with my husband and my dog-child.

6. I love making other people feel pretty.

7. I could not be more excited about my future nephew (my sister is totally prego) and I could not be more excited to buy him his first plaid shirt.

As for the 15 newly discovered blogs....

I have been super crazy busy and have neglected my blog surfing.

So I will do my best to give you 15 :)

I hereby award the stylish blogger award to the following blogs;

Baubles, Bangles and Beads

Go Fish

Hearted Girl

Rita Blog

Roed Book

Tunes and Spoons

Daily Eday

Scenic Glory

You Had To Be There

abeautifulmess

Okay That's all I have for right now:)

It's time for me to get back to editing.

And FYI Might want to stop back tomorrow for a giveaway......

Just sayin.

That time I was desperate.....

2010-12-29T21:02:00.000-08:00

There was this one time (last Sunday) 

When I was desperate to clear up some space on my 'start up disc'

I frantically deleted pictures thinking they were saved on my external.

They weren't.

I deleted beautiful pictures of my cousin Bryton.

Fabulous pictures of my sister Natalie (sorry Nat, haven't told you yet).

And last but not least stunning pictures of my friend Talor (whom I asked to pose for my portfolio)

Thank heavens I didn't delete pics of things that can not be replaced.

I can always have Bryton and Nat pose for me.

But I was really bummed about Talor's pics.

Because Talor is fabulous.

She plays softball for ASU and she is super good.

She's gonna get me backstage passes to one of their games next year.

But on top of those fun facts Talor is beautiful and sweet.

AND SWEET.

She is so dang sweet?

Aren't people that good looking supposed to be rotten inside so the rest of us feel better about ourselves?

I already messaged her and she said she would pose for me again.

Thank heavens.

And she didn't even judge me for being such a moron that I deleted the pics.

What a gem.

This is the only picture I managed to salvage of her.

Most of you have seen it since it was posted on Busy Bee.

But I wanted to post it here as well.

Thanks Talor for always being such a fun and genuine person to be around.

Christmas in the Desert

2010-12-26T10:35:00.000-08:00

Oh how I miss the desert.....just not in July. While Minnesota was getting record snowfall, my precious and me were able to spend the holiday in sunny AZ. Temperatures were perfect, nights were cool, and family was amazing. We took well over 1,000 shots and these are some of our favorites.

We woke up early one morning but not early enough to catch the sunrise over Usery Pass. We paid 6 dollars to enter the park, and it was worth every penny. While Taylor and Maddy were practicing yoga on the rocks....I was able to frame up some good pics.

It is so much fun to experiment with different F-stops, shutter speeds, and use different lenses. The cacti were shot with a 50MM prime lense and landscapes all shot at 24MM....I was hoping for a 16-35MM Canon L lens for Xmas but that didn't happen:(

We missed the sunrise but were still able to get some pictures. The sky in Arizona is amazing at sunrise and sunset.....so many different colors.

Salt River shot midday.....the AZ sky is so blue once you leave the city. We met a guy named Dean from Minnesota who was squatting with his camper. He was building a pyramid of Budweiser cans with his poodle, after all, it was noon on Christmas Eve. He said he had our backs if the "five oh" showed up giving parking tickets. The fine to park was $100 but worth the risk to get the picture. Thanks Dean.

Just pulled off the road north of Saguaro Lake to get this picture of 4 peaks. Nothing special....I'm sure many tripods have been setup in this parking spot.

I convinced Ivy to walk out into the desert with me on this one. We didn't have a gun or a flashlight and it was pitch black. We weaved through cactus and brush hoping we didn't stumble upon a rattlesnake or coyote. Ivy was a brave soul and took the lead because I was a little scared. We setup several shots with long exposures without being able to see anything until the picture came up in our LCD screen.

It got a little awkward when a truck pulled up next to Krystle and Taylor. They were waiting in the car for fear of snakes and serial killers. Ivy and I decided to leave our post and venture back to the road. The old couple from Iowa in the truck looked at me strangely as I walked out of the dark desert with an 11 year old, camera, and tripod. It then occurred to me how potentially bad this looked. I immediately made small talk with my Minnesota accent and showed the old couple my pictures on the LCD screen of my camera. They were impressed and hopefully let go of any suspicions of me being "the creeper with the camera."

Our Christmas night venture started late for our mission was to go deep into the Superstitions and find the perfect shot. We started at Canyon Lake and it was really dark. The only light we could find was in the marina and we were quickly booted out of there. We made our way back toward town when I glanced to the south and noticed the moon coming up. I thought to myself that it might be cool to try and get to the west side of the Superstitions and get the moon from behind. We found a spot in the back parking lot of an Apache Junction VFW club along with several other squatters. I'm sure they had permission to be there but we didn't. I could see old people peeking through the windows of their house on wheels. I was waiting for a drunken blue hair to storm out of his mobile home with a shotgun in hand but luckily that never happened. I just hope they were able to witness the moon rise over the Superstitions like we did.

This picture is just a longer exposure.

Post by Corey Johnson

Miss Tude

2010-12-21T00:41:00.000-08:00

Bryton Brown.

I would totally be fine if one day I woke up and my face looked like yours.

Burning at both ends....

2010-12-18T23:35:00.000-08:00

I am exhausted.

I have been working hard with photography/hair.

I have been up until at least 4 am every morning.

It was so worth it.

I heart my job.

Both of them.

One of my genius clients informed me that I'm burning the candle at both ends.

She said her mother used to have a candle stick with a wic on both ends.

She used to light each end on fire and let it burn to the middle.

Then the flames would meet .......

And nothing would be left.

I have got to work a little smarter.

That way nothing gets neglected/left behind/ or forgotten.

I am sorry to any of my friends out there if you have been neglected and/or forgotten this week.

I've had nothing left.

But, I just perused through my external hard drive and I've found some inspiration.

I am inspired again.

I am renewed.

And on top of that guess what?

My ovaries are aching.

I want one of these for myself.

What do you think?

Recent Stuff

2010-12-06T11:40:00.000-08:00

Just came across some of my favorites on the computer.

Thought the blog could use a new post.

And since I look scary as crap today;

Here are some real good lookin people for you to stare at

Enjoy.

Stop the press! Stop the press!

2010-11-25T03:07:00.000-08:00

I updated "Through My Betseys".

Check it out homeslice.

My little quarterback.......

2010-11-23T12:18:00.001-08:00

Here is a brief convo Corey and I had at dinner a few weeks back.....

Corey: "What do you think our children will be like?"

Me: "I'm not sure. They won't be small. That's a given."

Corey: "Oh my gosh I hope they don't get your ears."

Me: "I agree, that would be tragic."

Corey: " It would be okay if they were tall like you."

Me: "Ya so they can play sports."

Corey: "What sports do you think they will play?"

Me: "I'm not sure. Maybe we should wait to ask them seeing as how they don't even exist yet."

Corey: "Oh man, I hope they get bigger hands than me."

Krystle: "Why so they could palm a basketball?"

Corey: "No, so they can grip a football real tight."

Krystle: "um okay."

Corey: "I hope they get my arm."

Krystle: "Okay."

Corey: "Seriously Krystle. I have an amazing arm. If I only had bigger hands I could throw the football farther than Brett Favre."

Me: At this point I looked up to see if he was serious.

He was.

So naturally I started cracking up and spit water out my nose.

Oh corey, how admire your confidence.

BAM!

You just got sacked by small children.

I couldn't be more excited.....

2010-11-16T22:36:00.000-08:00

I just found this at goodwill for $4.99. I am going to give it a makeover and give it to my oldest niece for Christmas!

Sorry to leave you hanging.....

2010-11-14T21:30:00.000-08:00

In regards to my lovely and magical new books, they can be found here ..........

You are welcome, in advance, for making all of your dreams come true :)

I know they also sell the books at Anthropologie but they seem to be much more reasonably priced over at Amazon.

Wyley and Mattisyn

2010-11-10T22:38:00.001-08:00

Took some hot pics of my cousin and his lovely girlfriend.

If he doesn't propose soon;

Then I will.

Mattisyn Homer will you marry us?

:)

And I had to post this single of Wyley his mother had me take
for the Christmas Card.

Too cute to read

2010-11-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

I love reading.

Books provided an escape for me growing up.

That sounded bad like I had a bad home life

Not true.

But what I did have was a major lack of self-confidence.

Books allowed me to be someone else and imagine exciting, fantastic, beautiful things.

That being said I still LOVE reading.

I've been seeing these Special Edition books online.

ALL OVER THE PLACE.

Other blogs and what not.

So I bought myself some.

SHHHH don't tell it was so hard choosing.

So I didn't.

I bought all my favorites.

I almost had an aneurysm when I opened the box.

I am in love.

As a side not don't forget to scroll down and see my baby's Halloween costume.

This little piggy stayed home

2010-11-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

Be still my heart.

Bailey Rue Johnson I freaking love you.

Hope you had a Fantastic Halloween.

Easy, easy cottage cheesy

2010-10-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

I love going home.

By home I mean to Arizona.

I stay with my mother at my grandmother's home,

and sometimes we have fun.

And sometimes my demands drive them crazy.

There is just nothing like going home.

I love that no matter what Grandma Sonja will always have my favorite snack in the fridge.

Cottage cheese with tomatoes, cucumbers and green onions.

I've decided to make some for myself this week.

And it was totally delish.

And I may or may not be finishing it off right now.

At 12:06 am.

What's your favorite snacky snack?

P.s. don't be jealous of my retro Pyrex dish.

I almost had a seizure when I saw it at Goodwill.

Dear Natalie

2010-10-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

Can you please make me this bag for my birthday? or Christmas since that's sooner?

The color scheme is perfect too you wouldn't have to change a thing :)

click here

A New Passion!

2010-10-21T08:02:00.000-07:00

If only we could get paid for what we love to do......my first sports photography experience.

This was a game featuring the mighty Humboldt Hawks of St. Paul against Minneapolis Patrick Henry.

My Christmas Wish List......
Canon 1D Mark IV Camera and a 70-200MM 2.8F Canon L Lens with extender....

pictures/post by Corey Johnson

Longing....

2010-09-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

I miss Diet Coke like a 4 year old misses her fruit snacks.

Just sayin.

The face of addiction

2010-09-26T23:05:00.000-07:00

This is the face of addiction my friends

Yep you guessed it.

Ashamed to say that is my face.

Notice the finger nails.

I chewed off all my nail polish in sacrament meeting.

Nervous habit I suppose.

Then I had to introduce myself to about 46 new people.

All the while wondering if I had brown nail polish stuck in my teeth.

And all the while wondering when I would get my next fix of Diet Coke.

I am addicted to Diet Coke.

I wake up thinking about when I will be able to take my first sip of the day.

Ashamed to say it's usually before 9.

I sat in church thinking about the 2 liter I had sitting in my fridge.

I'm finishing it off as I type.

To be honest I busted it out of the fridge at 12:30 am,

And I didn't bother with a glass.

Here's the thing;

I am an all or nothing type of girl.

So when I drink pop that is ALL I drink.

I completely abandon water.

This is why I don't drink alcohol.

Who knows I would probably be a total lush.

I'm ashamed to say the last time I had a bottle of water was probably 3 days ago.

So I am pledging here on my blog in front of everyone who reads this

(which is probably only 2 of my sisters)

As soon as this 2 liter is gone I am done.

So let's toast one last time to my good friend Diet Coke.

It was fun while it lasted,

But it's time I drank some water.

p.s. Before anyone e-mails me the harmful effects of Diet Coke please know I've heard it all and have still continued to drink it. Instead how about some words of encouragement. Cause I'm gonna need it in about 4 days when the inside of my head feels like midgets are doing a rain dance and playing the bongo drums.

I saw this on another blog.

2010-09-23T23:19:00.000-07:00

(found it here)

Sometimes I feel sorry for myself.
I get all sad and whiney.
As I was blog-hopping tonight I saw this and thought I'd share.

The culprit

2010-09-20T19:37:00.001-07:00

I woke up this morning in a fog.

It has been an exhausting couple of weeks.

This past week I have been unpacking the house like a crazy woman;

Getting things organized, working a garage sale at the neighbors, and second shooting a wedding on Saturday.

The week before I was in sunny Arizona working my tail off.

I apologize to anyone who saw me the last two days of that trip. I was worn out, exhausted and kinda grumpy. Oops. Do you still love me?

Anyways so I woke up this morning and sauntered into the TV room.

That's when I rubbed my eyes and did a double take when I saw the area rug.

Um. What. Is. That. I asked myself.

Was I so exhausted from this past weekend that I got up in the middle of the night to "Chase the dragon"....

No. Impossible, I thought.

I would NEVER ever do that. Maybe? No. No way.

So I picked up the phone to call the police because a drug dealer MUST have broken in late last night/early this morning to seperate his cocaine into grams (is that how they sell it?) on my area rug.

Then I looked on the coffee table and found this;

Okay now that makes a little more sense.

Dangit Corey and his stinky feet.

P.s. who even just dumps powder on their hooves and leaves the carpet all tore up?

I guess its a good thing I love that guy so dang much.

All grown up

2010-08-20T10:18:00.000-07:00

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

I'd say so too.

You guys are all grown up.

Heartbreakers

2010-08-16T07:53:00.000-07:00

So honored to take my cousins' back to school pictures.

What sweet kids, we had such a fantastic time.

They loved making each other laugh.

If you ask me there is nothing sweeter then a brother and sisters who love each other!

Did I tell you about that one time?

2010-07-30T21:10:00.000-07:00

In high school I refused to use my locker.

I used to get nervous about being late to class.

Like really, really nervous.

I've since been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

So...maybe that explains some things from back in the day.

Or maybe it's an excuse. Not really sure.

Anyways I literally used to carry ALL of my books in my backpack. I bet it weighed 50 pounds.

It was always totally bulging.

In fact, my dad #2 used to make fun of me for it.

Technically he's my 'stepdad' but that's such an ugly word. However, I don't want you thinking I have two dads' and that they are gay. Not that being gay is bad. That's just not the case with my dads'.

Back on track here.

One time I swear my heavy backpack saved my life. I was climbing up the cement stairs to our apartment and I missed the top step;

I then proceeded to tumble down 15 cement stairs and landed on my back(pack). I'm pretty sure I could have been paralyzed. Okay maybe not injured that severely but it could've been worse.
It could've been better? But it definitely could have been worse :)

Dad #2 insisted that the weight of the backpack is what caused me to fall ALL the way down the stairs. I will eternally disagree. It saved my life.

So there's a little background to prepare you for my next story.

I've always been a packer I guess. Overstuffed my backpack in high school and since then it's transferred over to my purses.

I always have way too much crap in my purse. Kylee stood on the scale with my purse a couple of months ago. When I took the purse away from her she weighed ten pounds less.

Ten pounds? Really what could I need so badly that caused my purse to weigh ten pounds?

Nothing.

Anyways so a few years ago I walked myself in to Target with my heavy purse.

I decided I really needed to go to the restroom. So I cautiously glanced at the Women's room door trying to debate if I could hold it for another couple of hours (that's usually the minimum amount of time I spend in Target, anyone else have this problem?)

I couldn't hold it.

So I ventured into the restroom and reminded myself of my personal motto for using public restrooms. Are you ready ladies?

Hover, unless you're going to cover.

So seeing as how I had to go super bad I decided to hover (TMI? sorry, stop reading then).

I hung my ginormous and morbidly obese purse on the hook of the door.

Then I put my head down and got to business.

I'm not sure if I had drank 4 gallons of water earlier that day or what but I had to hover for a long time that day.

When I looked up (still going to the bathroom) I discovered that my freaking heavy purse had swung the door open and standing right there was a lady looking at me with her eyeballs about to pop out of her head.

"This is uncomfortable." I stated. Then I shut the door.

Please tell me that I am not the only one that awkward stuff like this happens too? I mean are you joking me right now?

I've since then tried to scale back the amount of crap I keep in my purses. When your purse is so heavy that the gravity of it's weight can open bathroom stall doors you have a problem.

You should share your humiliating moments in my comment box. That way when I reflect on my most embarrassing moments I can reflect on yours too.

Anyone? Anyone?

Busy Bee

2010-07-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I see pictures of my dog and I (like Corey) forget that she is not a human child.

Because truth be told I love her like a human.

I would be totally fine if my future children possessed qualities similar to those of Bailey.

For example;

She loves to cuddle. I hope my babies love to snuggle.

She takes lots of naps during the day allowing me to get lots done and take some naps myself.

She only eats once a day....how convenient is that?

However, I will be totally fine if my kids don't go potty in the yard.

Also it would not be cool if my children licked my feet like Bailey has been licking my feet the whole time I've been constructing this post.

I mean enough is enough Bailey, get a grip.

In other news I have kind of abandoned my blog this past month.

How sad is that?

Its because I've been working on something and it's kind of consumed my computer time.

I set up a website for my photography! Hurray.

Are you so excited?

Are you so excited you peed your pants? Don't lie.

Anyways you should put a link to my website on the side of your blog.....

Wouldn't that be fun?

I know my sister Natalie will do it.

Cause she is a true fan.

Are you?

Post Edit: I guess you can't link up to my photography if you don't have the site... Right Deborah? www.krystlejohnsonphotography.com

My hand is raised

2010-05-27T17:10:00.000-07:00

Raise your hand If you can say you spent your 2nd anniversary fishing on Cass lake.....

Well it was opening fishing here in Minnesota so I don't know what i was expecting...

Oh and just an FYI Corey's mother caught this fish.

She just let him hold it.

Cause mom's are nice like that.

And Don't worry.

I released that tadpole I caught back into the lake.

Oh and in addition yes my shirt says "Beaver Fever".

Go BSU.

I only said that because we are still paying for the education my husband received from there.

SO ya. I wear the shirt sometimes.

Corey.

Bailey is not a human child.

You should know this, only because it gets awkward sometimes.

You know babe, there is this thing called a biological clock.

And mine is a tickin' so if you would like a human child........

I will say it was quite fun, and a story I can share with future generations of Johnsons' to inform them how romantic Great Grandpa Corey was.

Who am I kidding. I had so much fun. And truth be told, there's not another soul I'd rather spend my anniversary fishing with.

I cannot tell a lie.....

2010-05-18T23:04:00.001-07:00

I can not pretend that the last two years of my life have been complete bliss.

I can not act like I haven't had my doubts.

In you and in me.

I can not pretend like the journey we started together 24 months ago, has been nothing but roses.

I can not sit here and fictitiously state that you always remember to tell me I'm beautiful and that you believe in me.

Because let's be honest.

You forget.

I can not tell a lie.

Because I refuse to be THAT phony.

I can not act like marriage has not been one of the most challenging ventures I have ever been faced with.

Because it has.

I cannot fake the simple fact that we easily lose patience with each other.

And I can not pretend like I don't want to choke you 3-6 times a week.

Because generally I want to.

But I refrain (no worries, Corey is not a battered husband)

But here is what else I can not fake.

I can not pretend like you aren't my best friend.

You are my best friend.

I can not act like my heart doesn't melt when you hold my hand.

Because it melts.

I can not act like you aren't my favorite snuggle partner.

You are my favorite snuggle partner.

I can not act like it is easy to beat you in rummikub.

Because that is NOT easy.

I can not pretend to be disappointed with the man that you've become.

Because I AM NOT disappointed.

I can not pretend that I don't believe in you.

I believe in you.

I believe in our plans.

Even if they are just 'plans' for now.

I can not pretend that you will be a lame dad.

Let's face it you're going to rock the socks off fatherhood.

I can not pretend that if faced with the decision all over again that I would choose differently.

I would choose you all over again.

I would choose this journey with you, knowing all that I know.

I can not pretend like I am always an easy person to love.

I can not pretend that my anxieties and insecurities are NOT a road block that we are constantly struggling to overcome.

I am grateful for your patience (which seems to be much more extensive than my own).

I am grateful for a husband that loves me when it's good and when it's ugly.

Cause let's not pretend like it doesn't get ugly.

I am grateful that you make me laugh at times when I want to sob.

I am so blessed to be your wife.

I am so happy to have celebrated our 2nd anniversary.

I am so eternally grateful for all the struggles we've learned to power through together.

I am grateful to call you my partner, companion, friend and husband.

I love you precious.

Happy Anniversary

Spot of Tea?

2010-05-12T14:42:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I took pictures of my sister in Arizona.

We went all out.

Earlier in the week she came over to discuss props and accessories.

And she came over to visit (let's just be honest).

So while watching reruns of "The Hills" and gasping over how horrible Heidi's face looks, we tied ribbon to mason jars and stuck candles in them.

We figured this would be a fun prop to hang from a tree behind her. (ooo and it was btw)

After we were done we decided to give our mason jar/candles a test run.

We then proceeded to head outside (accompanied by my mother).

We then forced my mom to take pictures of us while we pretended to have a tea party.

Because sometimes, you just NEED to have a tea party with your sister.

You can see we got really dressed up for the occasion.

I also don't know how we managed to take ANY pictures with a straight face because we were pretty much cracking up the whole time.

And in case you were wondering Nat's 'tea cup' says "World's Greatest Mother."

More pics of Nat's REAL photo session later. (as in later this week, not later today)

I should warn you now, you might want to have some fainting salts handy because she looks so fabulous you might pass out.

Dear,

2010-04-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Stillwater Minnesota,

I may or may not love you more then my husband right now.

Dear Corey Johnson,

When I request that you sit down on a bench and casually pose, could you just shut up and do it?

Thanks.

Dear Forever 21,

Thank you for making cute affordable jewelry that even the man at the gas station cash register appreciates.

So Grateful

2010-04-11T01:34:00.000-07:00

This week has left me feeling really blessed.

Blessed and grateful for amazing family.

I feel blessed to be able to come back to Arizona for work.

Although I have moved far away I haven't had to quite cut the chord.
And I like it.

Tomorrow I am heading back to Minnesota and I probably won't update for a couple days.

Until then I leave you with this picture from my cousin's wedding.

So so much fun.
I can think of 4 things missing from this photo that would make it totally complete....

Can anyone guess?

Uncle Sam

2010-04-05T11:10:00.001-07:00

Does anyone else's bedroom floor look like this around tax time?

Or is it just mine?

Next year will be different.

Next year I will be all ready to go.

I might have said that last year?

Whatever, taxes are done and I am so relieved.

Jazzing it up.....

2010-03-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

"Jazzing it up."

My Sister In-law uses that phrase and I've adopted it from her.

We say it when we take something boring and make it better by spicing it up and or embellishing it with other "junk" we already possess.

I found a junky old Sewing Box at Goodwill.

Holy crap I love that place.

I was in desperate need of a jewelry box.

Seeing as how I gifted my old belov-ed golden jewelry box to Ivy.

Yes it was golden.

It got left behind.

She said it matched her room.

I bet her mom threw it away.

So back to the task at hand.

Let's get crafting.

"Craft"

That starts with the letter "C".

I learned that at story time.

Just look at her.

Isn't she the cutest junky old sewing box you've ever seen?

I put my jewelry in her first thing.

No I could not wait until the project was finished.

Yes I read the last page of a book first.

It's just who I am.

Second I dusted her off with a clorox wipe.

Cleaned her up and sanitized her all at the same time.

Two birds. One stone.

Then It was time to decide what I wanted to do with that dull empty space.

Don't know which dull empty space I am talking about?

Are you blind?

Oh no worries, I've kindly pointed it out with an arrow for you.

Your welcome.

I Know!!!

I will decoupage it!

So I decided to make the inside lid of my jewelry box a mini vision board.

Don't know what a vision board is?

Dang I guess I have to spell everything out for you huh?

Click here.

So I measured the area (width and height).

Then I found an old Doggie place mat of Bailey's.

I cut it to the appropriate size so it would fit right there in the nook.

Do not eyeball it.

Use the tape measure.

Then I used the place mat to back up a piece of orange polka-dot paper.

Oh ya I used a glue stick.

I cut the extra off with my x-acto knife.

And then I saved the scrap.

In a special box I have where all the scrap treasures go.

Decided it needed more depth then just the orange paper.

Slapped a scrap (yep, from the box. I knew it would come in handy) in the middle.

Again, I used the glue stick.

Turned out like this.

Cute huh?

Cute with a "C".

Thank heavens for story time.

Then I went through old magazines and cut out the goods.

The goods that will make all my 'dreams and desires' come true just by looking at them on my jewelry vision board.

I cut out words and pictures and you can pretty much cut anything with scissors.

So thats exactly what I did.

Now here is the trick.

Most people would then whip out their "Mod Podge."

But not me.

I have Mod podge and I use it when I deem appropriate.

Now this is not a plug for Martha Stewart.

I don't tend to worship her like some people I know.
(Jill Lloyd)

But the woman does have some freaking killer decoupage.

You can pretty much slap it on sloppy and crooked and careless and it dries clear and shiny and smooth.

So then I tried to be really organized and arrange my clippings.

That didn't work out so well.

So I just decided to be myself (cause that's what is really cool anyway) and decoupage them as I go.

Then you go upstairs have a snack and visit with your roomies while it dries.

Then you come back and it looks like this.......

and you think to yourself;

"holla, that is freaking cute."

It being a jewelry box vision board I decided to cut out cute and inspiring jewelery.

I wanted to look at it and think fun thoughts.

Like fun thoughts about getting dressed up and being present in the moment.

Thoughts to remind myself to be kind and to remember to love.

Then I took a moment to decide how I would attach it.

I mean I didn't want it to be permanently attached.

Fun thoughts are nice and all but what if I wanted to change it some day?

What if someday I wanted to think more serious thoughts?

So that's when I whipped out the velcro.

I attached the velcro to the inside lid and to the appropriate place on the back of my mini board.

Then I held the collage version of my 'desires and dreams' in the upright position and secured it to the velcro on the lid.

Then I took a step back to admire my project and you know something?

I immediately thought happy/fun thoughts.

hmmmm funny how that works.

You should make one and send me a pic.

I know I said I'd have this post up Tuesday and technically in Minnesota it's 45 minutes into Wednesday but......

I am from Arizona and it's only 10:46 pm on Tuesday night there.

So it still counts.

Boo.

Ya.

Oh ya I forgot to tell you....when all was said and done I don't think I really needed the place mat for backing.

You could just use a thick piece of cardstock.

Cardstock with a "C".

Martha's decoupage will thicken it up for you.

Thanks Martha.

Shhhhhh....

2010-03-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the local library for "Story time".

We were a little early so we just played with some friends.

Then we enjoyed some hardcore telling of stories.

It involved lots of singing and some random boy pulling on Kalyn's hair clip about every five seconds.

Of course we will be going back.

We learned about the CIRCUS and how the word circus starts with the letter "C".

You know what else starts with the letter "C"?

The word "crap".

Let me use it in a sentence.

Holy CRAP I am tired.

Tune in tomorrow to see my latest obsession.

Holla.

You can plan a pretty picnic.....

2010-03-21T21:53:00.000-07:00

Last Monday we feasted outside in the grass.

I wonder what this Monday has in store?

Tune in on Tuesday for a tutorial.

We will call it 'Krafting with Krystle'.

"Alliterations aside, I think I'll take my chances White."

Be the first to name that quote.

And you win.

Busy Day

2010-03-13T06:48:00.000-08:00

Have you ever looked down and you're still wearing sweatpants at 5 pm?

Then you think;

"What in the world did I do today?"

Well out of curiousity I documented my day on Wednesday.

I was surprised how busy I was.

I got a lot of stuff done.

Some days I'm still in my sweats cause I'm lazy.

But not most days.

I started the picture taking at 7:15.

I usually don't arrive upstairs until 7 am.

My sister in law feeds and dresses the kids and herself and is out the door by 6:50.

Do you even believe that?!

Crazy.

My brother in-law is usually home around 4.

Then he typically makes dinner for all.

I will say this just happened to be a busy day for me.

Not every day is this jam-packed but most are quite busy.

I don't vacume and clean the bathroom every day.

More like once a week.

But the rest of it is something I do on the average day.

Props to moms/dads who work and get all of this stuff done as well.

And props to moms/dads that stay at home, you work hard too.

You don't go unnoticed.

Or maybe you do.

And if so, I'm sorry.

I am curious my readers;

What is your average day like?

Document it and let's see!

oh and fyi- I changed back into my sweats to do tricks with my roomies.

So I was back in my sweats at 5 pm.

p.s. I think it's funny when people say "I bet this is great birth control for you."
um ya right. Are we looking at pictures of the same kids? It makes me that much more excited to be a mom!

Someday....

2010-03-01T17:21:00.000-08:00

Grandma Sonja....

I love that you came in to the salon today on your lunch hour.

I love that you brought your lunch with you.

I love that you tried to feed it to Mysti, Taylor and I.

Um, what do you plan on eating if we devour your whole lunch?

Someday I will be the type of lady who selflessly shares her lunch with her family.

Until then I will just settle for taking yours.

Now, please pass the fruit cup.

My obsessions this week......

2010-02-26T17:37:00.001-08:00

This week I've found myself with some new obsessions.

Every night Corey and Kalyn feed Bailey together.

She talks about it several times during the day.

I think Uncle Corey might enjoy it just as much as she does.

I am obsessed with this picture because I think it's so funny.

She was very particular about sharing her blanket with Uncle C.

Oh and I am major in love with her new glasses.

I saw this chair at Savers.

I fell in love.

I called a friend who is an amazingly talented photographer and we picked it up together today.

Now all her beloved subjects get to rest their rumps on this throne.

Check her out here.

My hair extensions.

Yes I've been obsessed with them this week.

My hair is getting longer but not fast enough.

They give me a few more inches.

And a lot more confidence in the process of growing out these locks.

I asked Corey if he liked them.

The convo went like this.

Corey: You want me to be honest?

Me: Ya of course.
(um i thought he knew the was code for please lie.)

Corey: I prefer your hair blonde, straight and thin.

Me: Thin? Ouch.

Corey: Well your hair is just so big. I want to like smash it down or put it in a pony tail.

Me: Well I think being a hair stylist I know what looks cute.

Corey: Ya you're prob right. Plus I'm bald. It's probably just hair envy.

Me: Ya I assure you that's exactly what it is.

So to be fair I posted a pic of my blonde, straight, thin hair.

Notice no makeup and the grossest face ever?

Ya its cause I wanted you to like the extensions better too.

Rosettes.

I have been obsessed with making rosettes.

headbands, clips and bracelets.

Wanna buy one?

The basements getting full.

Oh and don't forget about my new....

Neckligee'...

Uh ya it's really called that and if you ask me the name totally rocks.

Rocks almost as much as the girl who makes them.

Buy one from her here.

If you don't. Then you're queer.

Jk Jk Jk.

Love Day.....

2010-02-19T19:57:00.000-08:00

Did I say I'd have these pics up Tuesday?

I meant Friday Night......

Well if you've read my blog in the past few months you'd know our 2009 was a year to remember.

A year where we lived in 4 different states.

So for V-day I crafted these bad boys up for my husband (really for my bedroom wall).

I haven't framed them yet.

But you get the idea.

And if you don't then something's probably wrong with you.

But I'm not a doctor I'm just a hairstylist so I won't diagnose you with anything.

Arizona
The state where we met and fell in love.

The state where we were married.

The state where we bought our daughter.

The state where we started our life together.

The state where my family lives.

Photobucket" border="0">

Utah

The state we ran to for change.

The state where we had the most camp-outs.

The state where we had no luck finding a job.

The state where we fell in love with winter.

The state where even MORE of my family lives.

Photobucket" border="0">

Idaho

Oh boy.

The state where we ran to in desperation for a job.

The state where we only had each other.

The state where we learned quickly what failure feels like.

The state with the best D.I.

(Notice the frown in the picture?)

The state that wasn't our favorite.

Photobucket" border="0">

Minnesota

The state we ran to for help.

The state where Corey found a job that he 'loves'.

(his word not mine. he loves his job!)

The state where I really learned what a winter coat is.

The state where Corey's family is.

The state where we truly realized what a journey the past year has been.

The state where we learned we can get through anything.

The state where we learned to live IN the moments, not just get through them.

The state where we have talked the most about starting a family of our own.

The state.

Photobucket" border="0">

I was going to do a 5th collage. One to put right in the middle.

It was going to say.....

"Move me to another state and I'll ring your flipping neck."

But that wouldn't fit on an 81/2 by 11 piece of card stock.

The Panthers are here.....

2010-02-15T16:20:00.000-08:00

Did I ever tell you about the time that I tried out for cheer?

I did.

I tried out for a position on the elite squad which was the Poston Panther cheer team.

I didn't make it.

I didn't make tennis either.

But that's a whole other story.

Because I'm pretty sure Coach "T" was a drug pusher.

She also didn't appreciate the fact that I was trying out with my mom's old racket from 1974.

Trust me Coach neither did I.

But back to cheer.

Um ya I pretty much crapped out* when it came to performing the rehearsed routine in front of the judges.

I have no idea why.

I'd only been training for it since I was 3.

Whatev.

Anyways what I remember most about that day.

Believe it or not

(and this next part is said with humor I don't want any sympathy comments)

Was not rushing up to see my name NOT on the list.

What I remember most was getting called out of class earlier that day.

I got down to the office......

and waiting for me was a bag of 'Good Luck' surprises with helium balloons attached.

They were from my beloved Aunt Mysti.

Um, the same aunt who made the Poston cheer team when they only chose 6 to lead.

See there are 2 things Aunt Mysti is particularly good at......

1. Helping you squash your own self doubt.

2. And making you laugh.

Whether you are on the cheer team or not.

(Mysti and my precious self)

post edit*- I choose not to attribute said crapping out to the sugar crash I endured from Mysti's gift bag of junk food I indulged in previous to tryouts.

Tune in tomorrow if you'd like to see the handmade quality goods I gifted to my husband for V-day.

You bet.

2010-01-22T13:51:00.000-08:00

Mr. Johnson invited me up to the middle school.....

Oh, wait did that make it sound fun? Cause it wasn't.

Hours of cleaning up the horrific classroom.

Organizing books, dusting, and throwing away crap.

Need I mention that the classroom is quite the sight to behold now?

No. I didn't think so.

Mission accomplished. Thanks for the invite. Next time I'll pass. You are my hero.

Post Edit: Mr. Johnson was asked to pilot a new reading program today. I truly believe it was because they saw how clean the room was and how neatly his books were organized. Or maybe it was because he is an awesome teacher, who is good at his job. Oh well, who am I to say?

What a Lovely Conversation....

2010-01-19T18:11:00.000-08:00

Had quite the conversation with the darling Ivy on my last trip to Arizona.

Ivy: "Do you know what I want to be when I grow up?"

Krystle: "No, what?"

Ivy: " I want to do hair, just like you."

Krystle: "I can't tell if you're serious right now."

Ivy: "I am."

Krystle: "Why is that? What makes you want to do hair?"

Ivy: "It looks like fun. And because you're my idol Krystle."

Krystle: "Now I really can't tell if you're serious, but if you are I will move back from Minnesota and open a salon with you."

Ivy: "Okay sounds good."

Krystle: "Can you just promise me one thing though?"

Ivy: "Sure, what?"

Krystle: "Promise me that after beauty school, you will still go to college and get a four year degree."

Ivy: "Oh, man."

2009

2010-01-17T22:18:00.000-08:00

Lessons Learned. States Explored. Discoveries Made.

Well.

2009 was quite a year.

A year of self discovery to say the least.

A year of change.

I will say this.

2009 you were my year.

Packing up my belongings, making a change when I'm not happy with where I'm at;
A brave thing to do and not in the least bit stupid.

I learned to navigate and read a map.

I fell in love with snow. As did Bailey.

I learned to take risks.

I learned to fail and not be ashamed.

I learned how to successfully maneuver through a laundry mat without being accosted.

This year Corey bought me flowers for Mother's Day.
It was the first year I sat in church and ached for a child of my own.
A burning in my heart.
So I guess that means I've discovered I really want to be a mother.

I've learned how to prop my feet up on the table and reflect.

I've learned to appreciate Nature.
It's sad it took looking through a camera to discover it.

I've learned to appreciate a nice leisurely
swing (while wearing your jammies) in the summertime.

Packing up and heading to Arizona is not always easy.
But always worth it.

I learned not all the important things can be boxed up
and taken with you across the country.

I've discovered a deeper love for my husband.
A new found respect.

I have a new perspective on my career.
I think God has handed me an amazing clientele.
I've learned that he knew I would need each of them for different reasons.
They are my biggest fans and cheerleaders.
(Besides family of course)

I have learned that I regret not living in the moment,
enjoying where I'm at.
I tend to worry.
This year I will try not to.

I miss my family but feel I have a deeper appreciation for them.
Being away is hard, but I value the time I have with them.
I will not take them for granted in 2010.

So all that being said,

2009

You were my year.
I learned much about myself,
yet if I never have another year like you again......

That will be just fine.

Welcome 2010, it's nice to meet you.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

2009-12-29T16:59:00.000-08:00

Sometimes

2009-12-21T00:26:00.000-08:00

Sometimes

You fall in love.

And you get married.

Sometimes

You get sunburned.

Sometimes

Your sister has a baby.

And you fall in love ALL over again.

Sometimes

You aren't sure where your life is going.

Sometimes, you pack up all your stuff.

And you move to Utah.

And sometimes,

Utah doesn't quite work out.

So you move to Idaho.

And in Idaho,

You have a plethora of 'campouts'.

Sometimes,

You get a package from home.

Every time,

It makes you smile.

Sometimes

When you're driving your antenna splits a bird right in half.

And you keep driving til it falls off.

Well sometimes Corey does that anyways.

Sometimes

When you're driving you roll up your hair in the sunroof.

Then you play it cool trying to steer while your head is jerked around.

Sometimes, it leaves grease in your hair as evidence.

Sometimes,

You fall in love with a lamp.

Sometimes,

At Yellowstone National Park your dog makes more friends then you do.

Sometimes (if you're Corey)

At Yellowstone you excitedly jump over a log and land in a pile of Buffalo crap.

You just happen to be in flip-flops.

Sometimes,

Living in Idaho doesn't quite work out either.

So Sometimes you move to Minnesota.

Sometimes,

Your little sister gets baptized.

Sometimes,

You play bean bag toss.

And you look so hardcore doing it.

Nice form.

Sometimes,

You have campfires.

Sometimes,

You hold your Uncle's hand at the zoo.

Sometimes,

You have spa day and get your nails done.

Sometimes,

You see a street sign with your name on it.

Boo. Ya.

Sometimes,

Ivy spends the night.

Sometimes,

Your niece has her very first birthday.

And you miss it.

Sometimes,

You have an ice cream cone.

Sometimes,

You look at your sisters' and think they have got to be the most beautiful people you've ever seen.

Sometimes,

You take your niece to the movies.

Sometimes,

You jump in the tub fully clothed.

Sometimes,

Playing with sidewalk chalk can be stressful.

Sometimes,

When you go to the Mall of America you park in 'Arizona'.

Sometimes,

You lay on your bed and you miss your family.

Sometimes,

You play in the Autumn leaves.

Sometimes,

You wake up and there is snow on the ground.

Sometimes,

You build forts.

Sometimes,

You get sleepy so you take naps.

Sometimes,

You have your very first day of preschool.

Sometimes,

You meet a friend on an airplane.

And they change your perspective on life forever.

Sometimes,

Your ravioli gets all over your face.

Sometimes,

Eating mustard pretzels can just be so exhausting.

Sometimes,

You take your dog for a walk.

Sometimes,

Things get tough and you are so thankful you have someone holding your hand.

Dear Sisters,

2009-12-02T20:07:00.000-08:00

Were you wondering if I missed you so much?

I do.

Were you wondering if I stayed up last night and cried a little in bed because I wanted to hang out with you?

I did.

Were you wondering if I want to pitch a tent in the middle of the back yard and have a camp out?

I do.

Were you wondering if I wanted to watch home videos of us tap dancing and Gordon dressed as a girl?

Um I for sure do.

Well I am wondering when we will all be able to see each other again?

All at the same time?

I miss you guys so much.

Love Krystle

P.S. Raise your hand if you like me.

Captain Bailey Rue

2009-11-24T19:21:00.000-08:00

Did I ever tell you about the time when Bailey took us cruising around Cass Lake?

Don't believe me?

Well looky here........

So what if she was sitting on Virgil's lap the whole time.

Big deal.

Did you have a nice Sunday?

2009-11-22T19:08:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh are you okay?

2009-11-16T21:46:00.000-08:00

FYI: this picture has nothing to do with my actual post.

I just felt like this post needed a picture.

To be honest all posts need a picture.

Words make it real hard to stay captivated.

And like they say a picture is worth a thousand words.

I think I was on ichat with Mysti when this picture was taken?

She prob made some comment about my braided bangs.

I can hear her now....

"Krystle I hate braided bangs. You look like a total polygamist."

Then maybe I said...

"Ya Mysti, I've been meaning to ask you if you'd be my new sisterwife."

Then she prob said,

"Krystle all my dreams came true just now when you said that to me."

Then her and Taylor prob sang me that "Anyone Else But You" song from Juno.

So it seems like I've been really busy the past couple months but haven't really posted about it.

I will catch up so stay tuned and all your dreams might come true too.

But for now I will leave you with an awesome incident I had early October.

So it was a nice October night and Kylee was at the neighbors house playing.

Kylee is my six year old niece.

Corey and I were watching the kids and I marched over to the neighbor's house to tell Kylee it was time to come home.

First of all I just cannot even believe that she'd rather hang out with her friend as opposed to Corey and I.

Seeing as how we are dripping with awesomeness.

Let's call the neighbor parents Margo and Todd.

Okay so I knock on the door. I wait. Knock again.

I'm looking around the porch and notice some real cute fall pumpkins that Margo's got displayed.

Well I must've been feeling cocky that day cause when I took a step back to get a real nice look at them I stepped right off the ONE concrete step and fell right onto my back.

Do not ask me how I fell straight back but I did. And smacked my head on the concrete walkway.

I got up just as fast as I fell. Seeing as how I knew someone would answer the door any moment.

"um holy crap," I thought to myself "did that seriously just happen?"

Just as I stepped back onto the porch Todd answered the door with a huge smile on his face.

"Um did you just see that through the peephole?" I inquired.

"No, did you fall or something?" He asked.

(Okay seriously you DIDN'T see anything but your first response is to ask if I fell? Um..liar)

"Ya I fell and hit my head and I am a total moron is Kylee here?"

"Oh my gosh are you okay?" He prodded.

"Are you kidding me? I am totally fine. Except for my dignity, which I leave here. On your walkway."

"Okay well I will send Kylee home."

"Thanks I appreciate it. Oh. And by the way. Those are some real cute fall pumpkins you got there."

All that being said I think I've learned some lessons the past 11 months.

You see that was not my first "land flat on your back" fall this year.

I've even had a major spill since then.

That night after the fall off the neighbors porch I called my sister Natalie and had a nice little chat.

She pointed out that I am the only person she knows who actually falls "ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE GROUND."

Is that how you put it Nat? I believe so.

Anyways I responded by telling her that it would blow her mind how fast I got up.

My reaction time has gotten quite amazing.

And in that response I think there is a lesson that I just now discovered while I was concocting this post.

Maybe it's not always the actual fall that teaches us the lesson.

Maybe it's our reaction to it?

How fast do we get up?

Or do we just lay there feeling sorry for ourselves until someone finds us?

Maybe sometimes its mandatory for us to fall ALL the way down so we can learn something about ourselves as we are recovering.

Here's another lesson about taking a spill.

Do not ever crash on your go-ped and lay in the middle of the road until Wyley fetches Grandma Sonja.

Cause seriously she just might not believe him.

She might choose to stay put and talk to the nieghbor lady on the phone instead.

All the while you are dragging your go-ped back to the house.

By yourself. Thanks for nothing. Lesson learned.

Look's Like Bailey's Got Something to Say.....

2009-10-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

Let us all "Bee" safe this Halloween Weekend.

"It is hard to fail, but it is worse to never have tried to succeed."

2009-10-25T09:57:00.000-07:00

We learn wisdom from failure much more than success. Do you ever wonder about those people that have everything handed to them and never have to work for anything in their lives? Do you ever think how easy life would be if you were this person or that person? Instead of being resentful, I actually feel sorry for these people. Part of life is taking chances....failing.....and then learning from those events. I have failed miserably this past year, however, would I be a better person in the long run if someone gave me a "good job" and money to cope with my problems? The answer is NO, what would I have learned about myself and the situation if the issues were resolved temporarily through monetary means?

The greatest mistake in life is to continually be afraid you will make one. This past year I left a "good" job in a tough sector of the economy. Many people said I was an idiot for leaving because the economy was crumbling and employment was tough. They were right....but did anyone ever ask how I felt each morning waking up wondering if this was going to be my last day of work? Did anyone ever ask how we felt living in AZ? We probably could have spent the next couple of years collecting a paycheck unhappily. Collecting a paycheck will help pay bills but no amount of money will compensate for the way we felt each morning.

We often discover what we will do, by finding out what we will not do. Desperation thwarted us into Twin Falls to accept a job as an insurance broker. The economy was in shambles and unemployment was beginning to skyrocket....I had to take any job offer I could get. I was romanced by high income potential only to find out it was at the expense of others. Selling insurance and financial products can be a highly lucrative career, but my morals and ethics started to get into the way. I was starting to see that people in this profession would not sell the "best" or "cheapest" product to their customer, but rather the product that earned them the highest commission. This experience forced us to evaluate the type of people we want to be in life and that greed and money don't create happiness. Many of us are casualties of greed because of the mortgage and real estate industries, however, we are far better off living through it. It has forced us to analyze risk and that following the crowd to make a buck isn't the best solution.

Failure is only the opportunity to more intelligently begin again. So, here we are, living in Minnesota thankful for family to let us regroup temporarily. Many people might still be saying, "I told you so," but those are the same people that are too afraid to take chances or had their entire lives handed to them. We appreciate the support, no need to worry about us, we will be fine.

After all, what would life be like if we had no courage to attempt anything?

By: Corey

I've decided

2009-10-24T17:48:00.000-07:00

I love seeing little ones all bundled up and ready to conquer the weather.

Also decided Corey and I need this in our bedroom.

"I Stand All Amazed..."

2009-10-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

I feel like during my weeks off I have lots of time to reflect.

I think it's been quite a year for me.

I'm typically someone who is so opposed to change.

I think with all the obstacles of this year it's been easy to forget who I am and where I come from.

Easy to forget everything I've been blessed with and who gave it to me.

I am so grateful.

I have amazing family.

I know you are probably thinking your family is amazing.
And I'm sure they are....

Just not as amazing as mine.

Amazing extended family.
Amazing friends and clients I consider family.

Amazing in-laws.
I married into a pretty fun family.
Fun and kind.

How does one person get so blessed? I don't know.

All I know is the appropriate thing to do is be grateful.

And I am so grateful.

Today.

2009-09-23T00:50:00.000-07:00

Today I am grateful for ichat.

Why you ask?

Cause I was up til 3 am talking to 2 of my favorite people....

Don't believe me?

See for yourself.

We also may or may not have sang each other songs from our itunes.

Thanks ladies, you made my day.

It makes being so far from home that much more bearable.

**side note: I am also grateful for the telephone. I got to chat with my sistie. I just didn't capture any pictures of it. You'll have to take my word.

Besties

2009-09-21T00:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when I see Corey playing with his nieces and nephew;

I kind of fall in love with him all over again.

You really shouldn't assume...

2009-09-16T13:11:00.000-07:00

I bet you think I abandoned my blog again.

Well I didn't.

I am without my computer.

How am I posting you ask? I hacked into my sister -in-law's laptop.

You see my computer took a dump.

I am quite enraged but I am no computer techie so I can't do anything about it.

She has an appointment with the genius computer Dr. tomorrow.

Wish her luck because if it turns out she is terminally ill, I will FREAK out.

We got her in February. She is only 7 months old.

Check her out here.