Okay...well I was doing my frequent browsing through some blogs attached to blogs of friends. (Did you get all that?) Anyway...I saw the greatest thing ever!!!!!!!! Attention all mommies with babies: PLEASE take this idea and run with it. It is the cutest thing I've ever seen. It's called a "Pumpkin Bumpkin."


You may have already guessed! The pumpkin on this plate was made by painting the baby's booty orange and sitting him on the plate. How adorable!! Now, Mommie has a baby's bottom to last forever! Love it!

Kreativ Blogger

Well....lucky me! My college roomie, Nikki, has awarded me with a Kreativ Blogger award. Although, I made a vow never to do these things, I suppose I will since I love Nikki and miss her so.

I am supposed to tell you six random things about myself. Then, I am to tag six blogs that I consider to be worthy of the Kreativ Blogger award. You can thank me later when I do! Ha!


Six Random Things about ME:

1. When Russ and I were engaged, we had to go through premarital counseling (yes, with my dad!). During which, we took a "test" to see what our love languages were - from The Five Love Languages. Russ quickly realized that he had an "expensive" wife. My love languages were gifts and quality time. Yes, some would say that was high maintenance. Anyway...the one I really noticed was gifts. For as long as I can remember, I have LOVED buying gifts for others. Even if it's not much, I try to find just the PERFECT gift for each person. When I was in elementary school, we had a "store" during Christmastime. I bought something for everyone in my family. I think my mom got a plastic Santa ring, my sister probably got a pencil, and my grandmother received a pair of gardening gloves. I have been that way for my entire life. I still contemplate, for what seems like forever, over most every gift I give. I do not enjoy shopping for myself usually and would rather someone else buy me that cute outfit. Now, with eight nieces and nephews - and both our families...my "gift" has become Russ's worst nightmare! Ha!

2. I am a member of the Ya Ya's of Corinth, MS. Actually, I have been given the title of "Jr. Ya Ya." No, this is not an official club. It is a self-proclaimed group of only the most elite women in Corinth. Yeah right! Ha!! The Ya Ya's consist of my mom, Sherra, Teri, Hope, Vicki, me, and Natalie. Yes...most (except Natalie and myself) are "Senior Ya Ya's." For me to tell you everything you'd need to know in this one post would be impossible. Let me just say that the previous post about my mom and Sherra going to the wrong house is now being called "The Adventures of 2 Ya Ya's." Yes, I have spent the entire day reading emails and replies (sent to all ya ya's each time) regarding the event. I have laughed so hard that Russ is now laughing at me laughing. I became an official Ya Ya during Natalie's Ya Ya Bachelorette party at the Wild Horse Saloon. Oh! The adventures we have experienced! You may have seen the Ya Ya's if....you've seen "mature" ladies dressed from head to toe in green with faces painted running out on the field with the Bolivar High School football game, if you've seen these same ladies working for hours on end simply trying to get ON a float in Orange Beach, if you've seen three "seniors" and a "junior" upon a banana boat in Panama City leaving one with a broken hip and sand in her ear, if you've ever seen the ladies with two "juniors" wearing pink sashes - one of which said "Ya Ya MOB" while the rest were simply "Ya Ya BM's" - line dancing until 2:00 am, if you've ever heard anyone talking about one special "Ya Ya senior" having NINETY-NINE pair of "everyday" panties (don't you put on a clean pair each night for bed?)...I don't even want to know about the special occasion undies! OR....you may have seen the Ya Ya's if you saw the two "adventurous ones" racing out of a fraternity house laughing as if they would soon lose bladder control! Never thought I'd have so much fun with my mom and her friends!!!

3. I absolutely positively without a doubt HATE being tickled. Yes, I get this from my mother...who once knocked the breath out of ME for trying to tickle her. That is still brought up to this day. I become violent and lose all self-control. In fact, Russ tried to pull this horrific stunt with me last night and caused me to kick my poor baby, Farley, in his side. I'm quite sure I heard him gasping for air. Bottom line - don't do it!

4. I love QVC. My entire life, I (along with my family) have made fun of my dear Maw Maw for watching and knowing everyone's personal story on QVC. However, one Christmas a few years back...I, too, became a QVC member. I have a membership card and everything! Although, I usually only shop during the holidays....don't be surprised if you see that QVC box sitting on the front porch.

5. I hate to iron! When Russ and I were first married, I ironed everything as soon as it came out of the dryer. Now, I've realized how much I despise the act. I mean, it takes FOREVER to iron one outfit...just so you can put it on and wrinkle it again! Can't you just hang it up and look at it for a while!? Anyway, now that we have a house and extra bedrooms...our guest bedroom closet has become the holding spot for all things needing ironed. I'm sure that I SHOULD be embarrassed about this, but I just can't hide it any longer! I iron as I wear! Most times, the morning I'm going to wear it.

6. My favorite gas station snack when traveling is white cheddar popcorn and Reece's Pieces. Why? Who knows. I cannot remember when this started. I don't eat these any other time but when we travel. Whenever we stop at a gas station, I go straight to the black bag of white cheddar popcorn and then to the sweet Reece's Pieces. I become very disgruntled when white cheddar popcorn is unavailable. Once, Russ couldn't find it and I was having a hard time with that answer. My brother went back in to take a look "just to be sure." He soon came out with a bag of white cheddar popcorn - different brand, but it worked!

Now that I have, most likely, embarrassed myself and bored you to death...I will tag six people who are Kreativ Bloggers. The lucky ones are"

1. Jennifer Hogue because I set her blog up this summer and she has not done a thing with it! I will harass you until you do!

2. Felicia Robbins because she needs some motivation to keep going with the posts. Plus...she has an INCREDIBLE number of random things I'd love for her to share!

3. Kristin Smith because she's my sister and I just want to annoy her! Ha!

4. Roan Johnson because I know she has WAY too much to do to complete this! But, she still deserves the award! She has an amazing life and great advice on raising a family. She truly is "Super Mom!"

5. Olivia and Julie Johnson because they just might complete the survey AND tag some of their friends. I love these girls!!

Trust me, there are many more award-deserving blogs. To see the blogs I check DAILY...simply look on my sidebar.

MSU 31, MTSU 22

Yesterday was State's Homecoming! Homecoming is always full of sorority brunches, homecoming court, and, of course, tailgating! So, Russ and I set off for Starkville around 9:00. Take note that we planned to leave by 8:00. Oh well! When we arrived my mom and Sherra were gone to the Kappa Sig house for an open house. They returned shortly after we were settled at the tent. That's when the "Smith family entertainment" began!

Please let me tell you this story despite my brother's embarrassment. Okay...Mama and Sherra went walking in the direction of fraternity row. They walked, what seemed like forever to them, around the corner and went into the house for the 11:00 open house. When they entered, there were approximately 10-15 people there. No one was talking or even making eye contact. Mama and Sherra politely sat on the couch waiting for Dustin and Kyle to arrive. They sat and sat and sat. Still no Dustin and Kyle and no conversation. No food. Nothing. Mama, who is used to Chi O food and mingling on Homecoming, didn't know what to think about it all. Both "mamas" were on the cell phones trying to reach the boys. The boys, however, were just waking up (LATE!) and said they would be there soon. So they wait! After about 45 minutes of sitting in this room with about 10 other parents and a handful of boys in the background talking amongst themselves, one young man stood up. He said, "Hello. We are so glad to have you all! I'd like to welcome you to the [wrong name] house." Yes, the wrong house! I am leaving the name out to protect the innocent. Ha! Can you picture the look on Mama and Sherra's face!? Let me help you picture it. Who knows...because Mama immediately stood and took a full sprint out the door without a word, leaving Sherra sitting on the couch trying to figure out a "cover up." Sherra is notorious for her "cover ups." It brings up memories of a Ya-Ya Bachelorette party in Nashville. That's a whole other story! Ask me or Natalie Murphy about that experience! I digress...so Sherra begins to say, "Oh! Did you forget the ...." as she follows the sprinting mom out the door. As they stand on the porch in shock completely mortified, they cannot help but double over in laughter. Now, let me say that I have rarely (if ever) seen my mom embarrassed about anything. At this point, her face is blood red and very hot. She cannot believe she has just done this! No wonder they couldn't find Lee's picture on the composites! I think Mama's first words after exiting the WRONG house was, "That was 45 minutes of my life!!" You may think the story is over. Nope! So, they walk next door to the correct Kappa Sig house, where the party is alive. There are tons of people mingling, a huge spread of food, drinks, etc. This looks like Dustin and Kyle's style. They are thinking, "Well. They made the right choice." At this point, Mama couldn't possibly eat anything. She is still trying to get over the humiliation they had just endured. Mama has had to use the restroom since she was at the wrong house. So, she finds a restroom. As she closes the door, she notices this hot pink flimsy robe hanging on the door and a shower cap by the shower. She is wondering about it, but has way too much on her mind to ponder. She and Sherra finally get some food and drink and settle in for the parent meeting. As the young man introduced himself and welcomes everyone to the Kappa Sig house, Mama and Sherra feel relief. Then, the young man begins talking about the renovation. He tells the ladies how excited they will be that there will soon be more than one bathroom, which is "over there." Mama looks. That is not the one she used. Yes...you have probably guessed it. She was in the HOUSE MOM'S apartment, and used her bathroom!!!!! OMG! Seriously!? I would also like to point out that the boys, Dustin and Kyle, never showed up!

So, by the time Mama and Sherra arrive back at the tent, they are still doubling over with laughter from the excitement - that and the fact that they had just almost hung themselves on a rope that roped off a parking lot. They begin the story...and the mood was set for the day. Dustin, however, was not as amused at the story. The part about going to the wrong house was very funny to him! However, when she told him about going into "Mom's" apartment...I thought he was going to need some serious attention. I'm not sure if it was embarrassment or disbelief. He did not laugh. He simply shook his head and closed his eyes. Of course, Mama came back with "Well, if you were there...you could have told me that was not the correct bathroom!"

Okay...after the fraternity row experience, it was time for the Chi O reception. Mama has done this a few times, so there were no surprises. I did go with them. So, they did make it to the right house. It was nice to see the house again. Although, it did remind me of the fact that I am older. I did not know a single person there. I recognized some girls to be "little sisters" of some of the girls in my pledge class. But, that was it. I was also reminded of my age when one of Dustin's friends described someone of being "real old...he's like 22!" Seriously!? Is that old now?

Me and Kristin at the Chi O house

The rest of the afternoon was filled with typical tailgating activities. Watching the Florida/Kentucky and LSU/Georgia games on the tv, eating, and visiting - mainly reliving the episode from earlier with Mama and Sherra. Oh...one more thing! Later in the afternoon, Sherra looked at the tent next to ours and hid her face. Of course, we all wanted to know what was going on. The lady next door was a mom that was at the "wrong" house when they darted out. What are the odds!? So, of course, Mama and Sherra had to introduce themselves and explain what happened. The lady said she was hoping everything was okay, but didn't know why they had left.

Me and Russ tailgating

The ballgame was not pretty. But, we did manage a win. It was C-O-L-D, but we stayed until the end! Go Dawgs!!

Bully showing his American pride - Don't forget to vote!!!
Yes, we did sport our McCain/Palin pins!

You Know You're A Teacher When...

You know you're a teacher when you turn to your husband and say, "Hey! Let's play a game. I'll pick up one thing, then you pick up something"....and you actually PLAY the game! Yes, that is what happened at the Johnson house tonight. After being crazy busy last week and gone this weekend, our house had turned into a danger zone. It looks much better now. Russ was a good sport, but still has not finished his last turn. Ha!

Look What's "Hop"penning

Mrs. Johnson's class blog has had a facelift for the Halloween season. Check it out....and see what's 'hop'penning!

Diabetes Dash 5K

In the midst of all the wedding fun this weekend, Russ decided he wanted to run (with Jimmy's family) in a 5K in downtown Corinth. Russ rarely misses a day to work out, but he does not train for long distance running of any kind. About 2-3 days before the race, he decided he needed to prepare by running a couple of times a day. I know you are all surprised that I didn't enter the race! Ha! Maybe next time. Roan is trying to talk me into this new healthy attitude. It's starting to grow on me, actually. But, I didn't run. Jenny and I watched Roan's two youngest children. Jenny watched them more than I did because I walked to the eye doctor right when the race started and returned as everyone was finishing.

Well, Russ's "preparation" seemed to pay off. In fact, everyone's training paid off! The Johnsons dominated this race! Let me give you the full rundown! Jimmy won 1st in his age division, Roan won 3rd in her age division, Clay won 1st in his age division, and Russ won 3rd in his age division. Julie won 1st place OVERALL female and Olivia won 2nd place OVERALL female! Isn't that amazing!?

The Seaside Running Club reunites!

Aunt Jenny and Aunt Megan enjoyed watching from the sidelines. We certainly TALKED about running soon. We just didn't run today. :)

Grace and Leah had fun running around the big tree in front of the courthouse.

The "doctors" showing off! Ha!

Russ was so overcome by his victory, he dropped his trophy! Aww! Don't worry, as soon as we walked in the door, he had the tape and super glue out!

Will and Seth even came to watch the awards ceremony.

The Spartans homeschool cross country team really showed out!! MANY (or most) of their runners placed.

Not real sure why Russ took a picture of us walking back to his parents' house. Maybe just to show my physical activity.

Congratulation to all the Johnsons who ran!! I am so proud!

The Kitchens-Butler Wedding

Prentiss and Bo were married Saturday at 6:00. It was beautiful! The wedding party consisted of 13 bridesmaids, 14 groomsmen, 8 honorary bridesmaids, 4 ushers, a flower girl, and a ring bearer! Yes, it was massive! The directors informed us that we were making history because they had never done a wedding this big. It is such a testament to Prentiss and Bo! We love you! I've chosen a few pictures to give a little taste of the big day. By the way, the bulldog pictured above, was just a random bulldog walking with his owner. We stole him for a few shots. Perfect Christmas card!

The radiant bride!

The flower girl was too sweet!

The Corinth girls minus the bride! Oops!

The reception was held at Bo's family home at Wildwood. It is a beautiful place on the water in Guys, TN. It was so nice! The band was great, and the food was amazing!! Yes, I had piles of food on my plate - mostly fried green tomatoes!! Yum!!! Bo's sister actually painted their monogram on the dance floor - that was built onto their deck just for the wedding. So great! It was so good to see people I haven't seen in years...old teachers and classmates. Everything was perfect!!

The bride and me at the reception

The groom's cake had ducks around it with a box of shells (I think that's what you call those bullets!?) Can you tell he likes to hunt?

The bride's cake! How classy! Russ's aunt made the cakes and did a fabulous job!

Me and MY groom!

Kristin is taking notes! Her day will be here before she knows it!

Thanks, Prentiss and Bo, for allowing me be a part of such a special day! I had an amazing time! You were beautiful!

Kitchens-Butler Pre-Wedding Festivities

Prentiss's wedding was not the only highlight of the weekend! The many FUN pre-wedding parties were a big hit as well! It was like a high school reunion except it included everyone - not just our class. It was so good to see everyone! Living so far away, I don't get a chance to visit everyone like I'd like to! I had more fun with my Corinth friends! It felt like not a day had gone by since then!

The wedding weekend began with a bridesmaid lunch at the Broken Spoke in Pickwick. It was so good!! I also loved getting with all the girls to catch up before the rush of the wedding started.

The Corinth girls from our table

Prentiss and her bridal party

The bride and MOB (that's what I call - Mother of the Bride)

The whole "Corinth group" (well...2002 group) from high school

Me and the bride

Now, it's time for the fun to begin! The rehearsal dinner was incredible. It was held at Wildwood, Bo's family home. We sat out at the dock. It was too cute! The attention to detail was so good! There were lanterns, fire pits, torches, and lights hung on the dock. The menu was BBQ, BBQ chicken, ribs, baked beans, a couple of salads/dips, and rolls. One of my favorite meals! I thoroughly enjoyed myself! Special thanks to Ryan Ward, my "fairy" for the night! :) The toasts were hilarious!! My cheeks were burning from laughing so hard!

Season and me in front of the dock

Our table under the dock

Waiting to grub!
Mary Elizabeth, SE, Season, me, and Lynley

Yes, Russ was around, some, this weekend!

After the rehearsal dinner, a group of women hosted an "After Party" at the Boatman's home. It was SO much fun!! This was open to all friends from school. There were graduates from 1999 (and before) to recent graduates. My brother was there actually! It was great to visit and have fun with people we haven't seen in forever! Some since high school.

Entrance to the back yard - Butler...

...and Kitchens

Having fun!

Crazy girls!

Great party, Prentiss!!

Crazy to have my baby brother partying with us! I'm getting old!!

I think Russ and I got home around 12:45 that night! Yep...went straight to sleep. We had to rise early for the race the next morning! More on that later.

Shoe Surprise

This weekend, my high school friend, Prentiss Kitchens is getting married. I am an honorary bridesmaid in this wedding. Being an honorary bridesmaid is great because you just find a dress in a certain color. So, I was able to borrow one from my sister (with the help of SPANX, of course!). The only thing was that I had not had any luck finding shoes to go with the dress!! STRESS!! We had company at the beginning of the week, and I was swamped with school every single day!! So, Thursday - the day we were to leave - I planned to make a final search for ANYTHING that would work. As I was leaving school, I received a text from Russ asking me to come by the house before looking for shoes. I believe his exact words were, "It's a long shot, but I got some shoes for you." Oh dear! was my first thought. So, I made my way home, anxiously anticipating the wardrobe selection. I came in the door only to find a nicely displayed dress with THREE shoes to choose from!!!

Russ's display! How cute!

It was a very hard decision. They were all so pretty!! I finally went with the ones on the left. The beading matched the beads from the dress exactly! Great job, Russ!!

Now, I'm making this disclaimer for Russ. He never has and probably never will do this again! But, I am so thankful that he felt the urge to find these shoes! What a relief!