Let's play a game...

School starts tomorrow! EEEEEK!! It's so bittersweet. I love summer and I love the freedom that my job gives but I also really love my job - I can't imagine doing anything else. I love "back to school" season. I think it should be the 5th season. I love school supplies and the excitement of it all! I think my very corny enthusiasm is a good thing and will hopefully rub off on my 25 (yes, 25) little cherubs tomorrow.
I had to do a few last minute things today at Hartford and I got Jed to tag along. He's a great helper! We have awesome technology this year at Hartford! Last year with the remodel we got projectors in our ceilings that connect to our computer. Goodbye overheads! This year, we were fortunate enough to get document cameras and Mimio interactive white boards! YIPEEEE! I've had so much fun playing with it all and thinking about ways to use it with my kiddos.
I made a power point presentation that outlines our classroom expectations and then at the end, includes a game I like to call "Good choice/Bad choice." I got Jed to pose for a series of pictures and the students will share whether the very tall and elderly 5th grader on the screen is making a good choice or a bad choice and why. I think the kids will really like it. Here are a few of the photos. This may or may not surprise you, but many of the poses were Jed's idea. I think I'm destined to have some naughty children some day if they're anything like their father.

The Other Johnsons!

Our friends Brandon and Ashley were married today!! It was a great wedding. It's always a blessing to celebrate DTC weddings with our friends. I love listening to wedding messages and being reminded of the fact that marriage was God's idea and that He has really created us to be in relationships - with Him, with other believers and in marriage. Brandon and Ashley are our special friends who now share our last name! Congrats to the Johnson's!

Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Johnson!

We figured out how to set the timer on our new camera! :)

New Camera!

Jed and I were able to buy a new camera a few weeks ago. It's been fun trying to figure out how to use it. Mostly I just take funny candids of Jed. He's a cooperative and willing subject. I am very excited to use it to capture precious moments with our first born niece, and soon to be born second niece and someday our own kids!
Here are a few shots we've taken so far...

Finally...

I have something to blog about! I'm not saying that I don't live a terribly exciting life (because I do! :) but the real reason I love looking at other people's blogs is to look at their pictures. And I had a dead camera for the past month or so, therefore, hadn't taken any pictures. I think my camera battery charger got left in Lake Tahoe and I kept forgetting to look for a new one and finally bought one on Amazon last week.
I NEEDED my camera to take to Minnesota this past weekend for my sister, Emily's baby shower.
I also NEEDED a camera to take pictures of our first niece, Jaylen, who was born on Friday! We had a baby crazy weekend. Jed was a good sport! :)
Emily's shower was so fun! Our cousin, Betsy and aunts Barb and Tammy always throw fabulous showers with fun games and really great food! Here are a few pictures from Emily (and baby Claire's) special day!
Izzy and Abby are so fun. Abby wanted to know if baby Claire was wearing a dress. They love to celebrate at showers and they are professional flower girls. Abby keeps saying to her Mom, "Hey Mom, remember Jed?" to which she responds, "Yes, I do." And then Abby adds, "He was at Sarah's wedding!" :)
These baby cookies were SO cute! And very delicious.
Emily and baby Claire got a lot of cute gifts including a youth soccer ball and baby hockey skates! If you know her father at all, you know she'll be a tough little punkin. The theme of the shower was BOOKS so everyone brought them a book. There were so many people at the shower, but NO ONE got her the same book! How fun!
Don't be mad Emily! I just think this picture is too funny not to share. I think Emily was contemplating the answer to the Jeopardy question, "What bone body part is a baby NOT born with?" The options were: a)shoulder blades, b)kneecaps, c)tailbone ... there was some serious debate on this one but the answer is KNEECAPS! Izzy was obviously not worried about knowing the right answer.
Another great part of the weekend was that Emily's husband Bud was able to be in town and being a Marine, we don't get to see him as often as we'd like to! My mom was insistent on making sure we got some family pics after dinner on Saturday.

Jed's sister and brother in law, Cate and Justin welcomed their first baby on Friday! She's totally perfect in every way. We detoured on the way home from Minnesota today to visit them in Marion. Jed was pretty smitten with her and she was pleased with him too until he tried to put a stocking cap on her. She was not feeling that!
I couldn't get a good pic of all of the goofy faces he was making at her, but here's Uncle Jed, studying his new niece very intently!
Aunt Sarah!
She REALLY loved the swing we got her! Ahhh she's just so cute!