Welcome to the World!!

Welcome to the world and to our family, beautiful Ethan James McLaughlin! We love you so much and are so happy you are here.

8.5 lbs, 19 inches of newphew lovin'. I can't wait to get this little guy in my arms!!!

So you think you can dance?

This was a few nights ago. I hope you enjoy Hank's unique blending of The Robot, Crumping and of course, the Arsenio Hall cheer that Shane has recently taught him. Only 12 1/2 years until his first Stake Dance!

Seattle

Home again!

We left Sunday and traveled to Kirkland to stay with my wonderful Aunt Lynn and Uncle Steve. They loved and spoiled our boy rotten and we had a great time with them, as always! I also took the opportunity to kick every one's butt at SceneIt, once again proving that my mind is filled with way too much useless movie information.

Monday we woke up and went to Voula's Offshore Cafe, a diner recently featured on one of Shane's favorite shows on Food Network,"Diners Drive-ins and Dives". They specialize in Greek food, and I had the yummy Greek Fetish Omelet. Hank fell in love with our waitress and had everybody laughing.

On to the Woodland Zoo where we were one of the very few visitors that day. We saw elephants, gorillas, giraffes, bats, snakes, birds, zebras, bugs, chickens, tigers, and a jaguar. We had a great time, and it didn't rain a drop on us!

Later that night Lynn beat me at SceneIt. That's all I have to say about that.

Tuesday we reported to Children's Hospital at 8:15. By about 9:30 Hank was dressed and ready to go. The doctors and nurses were wonderful and we had absolute confidence in them, but it was still so hard when they took him from Shane's arms to where they would give him the gas, then give him an IV, breathing tube, and basically a kiddie epidural.

Eeyore stayed with Hank during the Surgery. They even had matching tags!

Two hours later we had our boy back, though groggy and a bit annoyed that he couldn't feel his legs. We made our way home that same day and Hank was a champ. He slept most of the way, but was quite cheerful when he woke up. (Thank goodness for drugs!)

Recovery has been going well, and the whole experience has not slowed him down a bit. We so appreciate all your prayers and well-wishes. We are so happy to have this behind us, and as Jen said, have everything "straightened out".

Prayers for Henry

We are heading up to Seattle on Sunday for Hank's surgery. We go in Tuesday morning, and should be able to head home the same day. While this is a very routine, out-patient procedure, we would sure appreciate your prayers for our boy (and for the Doctor/Mohel).

Tagged!

I was actually tagged by both Kim and Jen, but since Jen threatened that bad things would happen if I didn't pass this on, I figure I better do what she says.

What I was doing 10 years ago:

Having the time of my life at Ricks College. I was living at Heritage Manor #118 with some of the best gals in the world; Traci, Jess, Adeline, Lisa and Alyssa. I had amazing FHE brothers and was probably sick to death of snow and slick sidewalks. I was also pulling a C in Book of Mormon and failing Biology. But I was having a blast. Ah, College days.



5 things on today's to do list:

Exercise with Shane

Rehearsal at 8:30

Laundry

Take Hank to get his pictures taken

Write my article for my company newsletter



Snacks I enjoy:

Better rephrase...snacks I don't enjoy...hmmm...I'll get back to you.



What would I do if I became a millionaire:

Buy foodstorage. PSYCH!

I would totally decorate my house and add a porch, deck, fireplace and bigger bathroom. I would travel constantly. New York, Rome, Switzerland and Ireland are big on my list. I would also build Shane a shop of his dreams. I would hire someone to accompany me on the piano whenever I wanted...and then hire an audience to applaud me...and then I would have to hire new friends because I would become insufferable.



3 bad habits:

biting my fingernails

messy bathroom

leaving drawers open after using them (I didn't know this was a bad habit, but Shane says it is)



5 places I have lived:

Buztbach Germany

Lawton, Oklahoma

Columbia, Maryland

Moreno Valley, California

Mesa, Arizona



5 jobs I've had

Sandwich artist at Subway

Deli Gal at Brolims Grocery in Rexburg

Admissions Counselor (aka minon of satan) at University of Phoenix

Executive Assistant to the CEO of Telgian, Inc

Stay at home mom

5 things people don't know about me:

I love old school rap music. I love dancing like a white child to it.

My maiden name is McLaughlin. I had a really hard time giving it up when I got married because I am so proud of my heritage. But I love being a Johnson too.

I love war movies. Shane loves this about me.

Anything having to do with ghosts scare the heck out of me. I am kind of a wimp. If a ghost ever comes to my bedroom, I will throw Shane under the bus, big time.


I am a huge Beatles fan. I love them, own every album, know all the words to "I am the Walrus", etc. ...its a bit over the top.



I tag Bethany, Melanie, Karine and Steph.

Latest Pics...

Goofy Grins

Hank tries on Dad's sock just before spontaneously flash dancing to "What a Feeling"

Hank's new "man cave"

In honor of the Oscar's, Hank gives us his best Robert De Niro. I give you...my own little Raging Bull

"Cover your heart, Indy!"

So I am 1 year and a month from my 30th birthday. I know I should accept this with grace, but I kind of hate it. One reason is that a few years ago one of my aunts (not you Lynn, you could never be so cruel [to someones face]) told me that I would be completely grey by my 30th birthday. Hopefully (and likely) she was drunk at the time.

So you can imagine how happy I was to find the trailer for the new Indiana Jones movie today. Instantly I was 8 years old again, wearing my Pro Wings and too tight tee shirt I borrowed from Bethany, choking on the Aqua Net fumes radiating from my eclipse inducing fro.

The only way I could be happier is if this was a sequel to The Goonies, or yet another sequel to Iron Eagle (where Chappy's evil twin Chippy joins forces with a rogue Albanian terrorist unit, forcing Chappy out of retirement to bring his bald brother to justice, with the help of some 4th graders).

Anyway, enjoy this trip back into childhood, and mark your calendars for May 22. I think we need a seriously over-the-top Indiana Jones party throw down. If that includes out of towners buying their plane tickets to the Pasco airport, so be it. Whose with me?