The Finished Playroom.

I have been so extremely excited for this project since I first dreamed it up a few months ago.  I was so tired of having their bedrooms double as play areas--they're just too small!  And since we are several years away from finishing our basement, I thought the only alternative was to shrink our upstairs theater just a bit and create a playroom in half of the room.  My goal was to be done by Christmas, so we worked like crazy to build the shelves and paint, and get the right baskets, and make the wall hangings, and everything!

Saturday we plunged into the final phase of development and finished it up before we left to our Johnson Family Christmas party that afternoon.

Then last night after church I put all of the toys lovingly in the baskets and brought the boys and Maylie in to see the surprise.

I'll never forget the looks on their faces as they wandered around stupefied.  They immediately gravitated to the chalkboard table and after spending a few minutes experimenting there, they started finding all of their toys in their new homes and pulling them out.  It was dinnertime and I suggested they finish playing after dinner, but none of them wanted dinner.  Easton said he wanted to stay up there forever and play forever.

We finally convinced them to come downstairs for our dinner, and they have being playing upstairs ever since.

I am so so so so happy with how everything turned out and am SO grateful my children finally have a dedicated, darling place to play!

{P.S. Ignore the horrible low-lighting in these pictures.  I wanted to hurry and just snap some with my camera before the littles came in and it was already dark...but even despite the pictures, you can still get a feel for the whole coziness and charmingness of this special little loft.}

My 400th Post!

It's like a birthday celebration for my blog and it's so fun to reflect on where this blog came from and the journey it's taken me on.

Back in 2008 Patrick created this blog as a little experiment.  We had heard of several friends who had a blog, but I was a little skeptical and didn't really feel the desire to begin blogging.  Plus, I found it completely overwhelming and had no idea how to post or do ANYTHING!  Patrick posted a few pictures of Easton (who was just a baby) and that was that.  For months I forgot all about it.  But then, sometime during the year I started creating Smileboxes and so I would post a smilebox on the blog so others could watch our slideshow of pictures.  And for a long while, this is mostly all our blog consisted of. But eventually, I abandoned the smilebox idea and began the laborious work of going back and updating all of our old posts with the pictures that were on the smileboxes.  I felt so rewarded when it was finally done.

As time went on, I came to the realization that this blog was the perfect way for me to record our family history.  And so an overarching purpose for my blog was born and it has been so ever since.  This blog is written to us; it's an account of all our memories, so when I am old, I can look back and read the life we lived together.  Because I know I will forget all the moments.  And if I don't take a picture, or journal, or blog, it will soon be erased from my memory.

And so I continue to blog.  And I probably always will, until my children are grown and gone...but then there will be grandkids. :)  So perhaps I never will be done, (unless a better option of recording family history is introduced.)

Lately I have been sorting out the balance of what to include where and on which blog.  A few years back I started a few more blogs with the intention of writing frequently on them.  But like I've done many times in the past, I overestimated the amount of time I would have to devote to the cause and 3 of them fell by the wayside.  These three seemed disconnected and often prevented me from writing on this blog many of my thoughts and daydreams and meditations.  

So after praying about it (we are to counsel with the Lord in all our doings, right?) I decided to merge those three blogs into this one and import all of the posts.  I will do so later today.  Then this blog can contain almost everything.  Quest for Happiness will always remain open, because if when I ever do become an author, I want a place to direct my readers that is separate from my family blog.  My photography blog will always be there to house all of my client's photoshoots, and of course, I will always have my personal journal.  And so while this blog doesn't contain all of my musings (found on Quest for Happiness) or all of my personal writings (a journal is the best place to keep such personal writings), this blog, "Familia Johnson Chronicles" is "alive and breathing" to accomplish the following purposes:

1. Keep our Family's History.  I will continue to document the moments and the milestones.  The trips and the memories from day-to-day.  The holidays and the small traditions.  The portraits, the hobbies, the birthday tributes, and most of all, the PICTURES!
2. Record the shapings of my yearly themes.  By doing this, I receive a focus for my year and have different ways to blog each year.  In the past I've done things like, Magical Memories and Moments on Monday.  This year I will be showcasing many of the "connection" memories we enjoy.  I will be posting lots of children's activities and Family Home Evening's we have done to document how connection shapes our year and our hearts.
3. Encourage, inspire, and uplift.  I am a writer; I suppose I always will be.  And my favorite thing to write are words of encouragement that I have gleaned or learned from others.  While most of these things are recorded on Quest for Happiness, occasionally I post things on this blog too.
4. Mix in a small dose of me--my personality, feelings, passions, moods, random thoughts, crafts, recipes, books, and snippets of whimsy.  Some days are rosy, others are not.  But since I am the primary contributor of this blog, hopefully I can present an honest view of me--who I truly am.

So, dear "Familia Johnson Chronicles," thank you for all of the places you've taken me and for all that you've taught me.  Thank you for helping me refine my talents of writing and photography and thank you for letting me spill onto you all the things that are overflowing in my heart.

You will always be one of my dearest friends.

Choose Your Own Adventure...

Do you remember those books we all used to read growing up?  They were called Choose Your Own Adventure books and allowed you to choose how the story would turn out. I definitely read my fair share of them.

A while ago I won an exciting giveaway from Krista on While He Was Napping.

She has a lovely etsy shop with all kinds of fun things for great prices.

But my giveaway prize happened to be a fully personalized Choose Your Own Adventure Date.

The first thing Krista did was to send me a questionnaire so that she could customize the date for us.  She included questions about prices limits and activities you would enjoy doing.  I had so much fun filling out the questionnaire and wondered how my Adventure book would turn out to be.

This is what I found in my mailbox:

I absolutely LOVED the packaging, and though what's inside is more important, I was instantly impressed with the presentation!

I scoured the book from cover to cover as soon as I opened it.  I was thrilled to say the least.  She had written a perfect story that fit us like a glove.  Since it was a "stay-at-home" date, it was inexpensive and economical.  However, Krista is good at writing pricey dates too.  Like I mentioned before, Krista can customize your date to spend nothing or to spend extravagantly.  She is a gifted writer, as I found upon reading our book.

Plus, there was a bonus.  She threw in vinyl decals to be applied to goblets.  Those were also customizable.  I chose to have our initials.   (She had some other great ideas like "His" and "Hers" or "His Majesty" and "Her Majesty.")

She also included two lover's lotto cards...which are basically darling, handmade scratch cards.

Our evening was completely blissful.  I had so much fun planning our date as a surprise for Patrick.  And it was so easy to do since I already had the date night packaged for me!

Here are some pictures I snapped during the night.

Our Candlelight Dinner

Bowling

Our "Dance Floor"

And after it was over, I cried.  I know I'm silly, but I had such a wonderful night.   It was the best night we had had for such a long time and I was sad to see it end.

But then Patrick reminded me that we can do it again...and choose the other choices! :)

Thank you Krista, for giving us this "adventurous" date night.

You can see Krista's blog by clicking here and here is the link to her etsy shop.

Cuddling Quilt {Episode 3}

I'm making progress...I planned on little by little...but it has turned into huge burst by huge burst with lots of time inbetween. :)

The top of my first quilt is finished with only the quilting and binding left.
I just finished the rows of the second one today and have only the small strips and the edge left until it's finished as well.

I didn't think I would have them all finished, but with lots of prayers and a hefty dose of faith, I'm piecing them together!! :)

September Projects

This month I have been busy at work starting and finishing so many creations.  In the two posts below, you can see the progress on my quilts and a fun fireproof date night.

During this month my mind has seemed to be doing a lot of "feeling."  You see, I get these impressions pretty often about a new project I need to start or a new talent to develop.  Last month I made a special Christmas surprise for grandparents...but in case they decide to read this, I won't tell you too many details.  Just know it involves one of my greatest passions--videography.

Then I've been working on Tate's birthday movie...which still has a lot of work left before completion.  I'll probably buckle down and finish that up in November.

I've also been decorating for Fall (see this post for pictures), planning Christmas gifts (definitely the early stages at this point), and working on my newest and most exciting hobby:  photography.

I've decided to pursue this in hopes to create beautiful portraits of my own children every year.  I've been taking a few photography courses and planning all the gear I will need...including a brand new professional amateur camera!  I have a blog all ready to launch with a beautiful banner created by a graphic designer...can you tell I'm excited?

Well, once I've saved up enough for the camera, I will launch my new hobby business and let you know!  While the reason I've taken up photography is to benefit my little family, I am more than happy to offer my services to anyone who would like pictures done...portraits of family, newborn, children, even bridals and engagements.  Let me know if you are interested. 

And now in closing, may I just say this:  

Creating is about finding your inner passions, turning them into talents, and then blessing the lives of others with your good works.

 Just feel first.  Move then to the creating phase.  And the inspiration part will naturally follow.

Happy Creating!

Cuddling Quilt {Episode 2}

Time to pull out my scrumptious sewing machine given me by my mother for my college graduation.

I began today the fun part.  (And the long tedious never-ending part).

It's time to sew!!

Here are my completed 4 nine square blocks completed all by myself!  Only 56 more to go!!

These quilts are going to be beautiful!!

Cuddling Quilt {Episode 1}

I have been wanting to make my boys quilts for some time now.

My decision to began came when I found beautiful, high-quality fabric on sale at Wal-mart for $1 a yard.

And so the patchwork began...

Here is some of my fabric in the process of being cut into strips.

I'll keep you updated as this quilt unfolds. ;)

Easton's Movie--the first

Last week I completed Easton's movie for his upcoming birthday....It's a year late.  Let me explain...

I decided a few years ago that instead of scrapbooking {which I don't particularly enjoy} (but, which I must add is a wonderful and very meaningful way to create and preserve memories) I would make my children a movie each birthday that captures their previous year in photos and home video.

Therefore, after watching all the tutorials at least twice and practicing on several other movies and slideshows over the past few years (which I will post about at a future date), I decided to undertake Easton's first movie.  

Let me first say that this project was the most rewarding gift I have ever made for him (in his short three years of life with us).  There really isn't anything like watching and rewatching video as you try to edit it into a special memory.  There are not adequate words to describe it.  Nostalgia?  Saudade?  Yearning?  Bittersweet, sorrowful-joy?  Maybe the word that best sums it up is motherhood.

And so with love for Easton kindling in my heart {did I mention he was visiting grandparents during this whole endeavor...which made the yearning all the brighter} I completed the 49 minute movie and burned it to a DVD.  

It's entitled Easton's First Year.

Though I am a year behind, maybe next year I will have the energy and time to make him two...(I guess we'll see.  I still have to make Tate's by December).

I think I am a better person because of this project...hopefully a better mother.  I feel so much more love for Easton than I ever thought would be possible.  Maybe that's what creating is all about. 

Creating for someone...

Learning to love in a deeper way because of the creation...

Drawing closer to God and to your loved one...

Developing the pure love of Christ--even the unfailing gift of charity.

Look to Him to create...

The other day my mother walked outside in the morning and took these pictures:

Can you guess what they are?  Take a look at this picture and then you'll probably be able to guess:

They are pictures from my little sister's back car window.  Now isn't that amazing?

This is the epitome of beauty...But how could it not be?  It is Heavenly Father's art.  When I look to Him, I always seem to be able to create with greater purpose, focus, and imagination.  For the Holy Spirit enlightens our minds and enlarges our understanding.  If we will look to our Father and keep His commandments, He will bless us with ideas, materials, and ways to create in a manner that will bless all around us.

Look to God...and create...

Create.

The first thing I'd like to say is that to create is part of our heritage--it's a divine quality instilled within us from deity.  This blog is devoted to my creations and I hope that in some way, you will be able to find your own creative niche.  The video below is one of my most favorite videos to watch.  It inspires me to create.  For more information on this topic, click the links below:

A post on creating
Elder Uchtdorf's wonderful talk