This Doggy is NOT Funny.

Last weekend for my birthday, we headed to the local Cracker Barrel with the whole family.  It's never a quick trip to Cracker Barrel with a toddler in tow.  Daniel had nearly fifteen meltdowns to get out of his high chair.  He kept yelling, "Hot!" and pointing at the fireplace and then realized we had fire on our table...  Then, he told every single waitress that passed, "Hello," time and time again.  To keep his attention, we all entertained him with coloring books, biscuits, trains, and tea, and all of that was BEFORE supper even arrived.  At that point, he'd eaten so many strawberry-jellied biscuits that I'm sure the sight of carrots and green beans weren't all that exciting.

Strawberry Jelly on your Biscuit?

Yes, please.

Now, clean my hands.

What WAS exciting was when Grandpa finished eating super quickly and allowed Daniel the opportunity to run wild in Cracker Barrel's country store!  The rest of us enjoyed our meals and finally headed out to see what Daniel and Pa had gotten into.  The kids' section at Cracker Barrel is full of fun.  You would have thought that Daniel was having his own birthday celebration, pulling out every item from its shelf and playing with it until it bored him.  Surprisingly, though, there was one "toy" Daniel didn't find too amusing.  What's funny about it is the fact that it laughs itself silly, rolls all around, and just about scares Daniel to death!


The Laughing Doggy from Jenna Johnson on Vimeo.

Trucks, Trains, and Trees

In a house full of boys, this Momma cannot help but notice their toys.  They either have wheels or can more than likely cause some sort of danger.

Daniel's new "trick" has been lining up his cars, trains, and trucks.  These were given to him by many different people for his first birthday eight months ago, but all of a sudden, they are getting some much needed attention.

He spends hours throughout his day lining up cars, taking the trains out to run them down the track, and finally give each truck its turn in "Chuck's Garage" (it's the little blue and grey thing in the background).

My biggest fear this season in my house full of boys and their toys was putting up a Christmas tree and the disasters that could follow.  I was mostly worried that Daniel would rip off ornaments and break branches and play with the light sockets and pull it down on himself and the list of worries goes on.  He's done most all of those things already, and it's honestly not been that bad.

But much to my surprise...

Our sweet, six month old, Samuel, has discovered how to roll himself right up underneath the tree!

And it's so precious, I had to share. 

I love my boys and all of their toys, and most of all, I'm thankful that God has given me these great joys this Christmas.  I am so blessed.



A New Toy

Actually, it's an old one, but Daniel doesn't seem to notice.  We pulled down some of Daniel's old things from the attic for Samuel, but Daniel thought all of it was for him!


Daniel's "New" Toy from Jenna Johnson on Vimeo.

Kid Genius

If you're wondering, like we had, if Baby Einstein videos are worth the cost, let me just tell you that they work wonders... Here's the proof that Daniel's working on becoming Einstein himself:

Baby Becomes an Einstein from Jenna Johnson on Vimeo.

Best money we ever spent!

Who Would Have Thought?!

I wouldn't have; that's for sure!

However, consignment sales are just amazing. Well, if it's your first one, then it's just plain overwhelming until you find some awesome deals. After much consideration, we decided that ALL of us would head to THE consignment sale in Rivergate this past weekend. ALL of us, of course, means Mimi, Daddy, Mommy, AND Daniel. Since it was our first time to visit one of these, we didn't even think to bring a clothes basket or his stroller; who knew we'd have to wait in line to pay for over an hour?!

But, all in all it worked out, and here's what Daniel got:

*pair of tan Crocs (just like his Daddy's) - $4
*pair of grey New Balance tennis shoes (just like Dad and Mom)- $6
*What to Expect Your First Year - $3
*Evenflo circus exersaucer - $20
*Evenflo Johnny Jump Up - $8
*Baby GAP winter coat - $12
*BRAND NEW Gymboree cars and truck overall set - $13
*lion costume - $10
*Baby GAP striped sweater and corduroy set - $6
*Children's Place short-sleeved polo - $3
*argyle v-neck sweater and shirt set - $12
*navy corduroys to match - $3
*OshKosh striped sweater and brown khaki's - $7
*First Impressions plaid jumper set - $7
*Children's Place long-sleeved polo, jeans, socks - $6
*Old Navy sweater - $4
*Carter's thermals - $3
*Tommy Hilger plaid overalls - $ (can't remember)
*6 Baby Einstein DVDs - $4-$5 each

When we got home, Daniel tried out his newest toy:


But then, he got distracted by his new Baby Einstein DVDs:


Here's a shot of ALL of his clothes:

Close up of the cuteness:



Yes, we spent a FORTUNE, but in Mimi's opinion, Daniel is SO WORTH IT!


A special thanks to MIMI for her tireless efforts to spend 3 hours with us at the sale, holding our spot and waiting in line, carrying heavy Daniel, finding great deals, and helping with the expenses! We are incredibly blessed!

The next morning, here's what Daniel wanted to do:

Look Who's Talking NOW!

Well, he's not exactly "talking," but Daniel sure is trying!

After being up all night, I was certain Daniel would sleep all day today, but sure enough, after trying everything... swing, pack n' play, bouncer, etc., I decided the playmat would tire him out. I left him on his playmat for just a little bit while I was painting and Brian was studying, and walked into the room to find him doing ALL of this:

Big Talker from Jenna Johnson on Vimeo.

He's a Travelling Boy

I hate to admit it, but our sweet baby, Daniel, isn't so little anymore. He's growing by what seems like the second and is FINALLY at the age where we can take him places... BIG PLACES. With that in mind, we headed out on what was Daniel's very first trip.

We went for our first time to the Indianapolis Youth Weekend hosted by the Indianapolis and surrounding city churches. It was a blast! We were able to see people we hadn't seen in years, while others we met for the first time. It was a blessing to be a part of. 3 were saved and 2 told of being saved, and even with all the singing and shouting, Daniel was AMAZING! He slept the whole way there, and even throughout the long church services, he was quiet and behaved like a big kid. It was impressive!

We headed home on Sunday afternoon and decided to head over to the Creation Museum just outside of Cinncinati (if you need a wholesome or biblical family trip to take, this is it - stay at the Microtel in Florence, KY, for lowest rates). You wouldn't believe it if I told you, but Daniel was AWESOME. He has gotten to the age where he looks and focuses on EVERYTHING. He laughs and coos at anything he sees. He really enjoyed the moving dinosaurs, colorful screens, and the planetarium. Here are a few pictures from Daniel's first road trip...


Having a fun time on the hotel bed after HOURS of being in his carseat


Watching T.V. with his daddy


Dressed in dinosaurs for his trip to the Creation Museum


Heading into the museum


Watching the turtles with Mommy


Not scared of anything, not even the dinosaurs



A sweet reminder of what a blessing sweet Daniel is


Daniel loves God's DINO-mite creations!


Meeting Methusaleh, laying in his tent


Checking out Noah's ark


Family photo in the gardens...




SO, this is a side note, but Daniel has learned how to actually "play" and hold onto some of his toys. He made a new friend on this trip; his name is Rattling 'Raffe: