Our Christmas house

Our house looked like a gingerbread house and I loved it. So festive and fun with a live tree and everything! Valerie and Dennis flew in for Christmas. We spent christmas eve at our house with my parents, ate steak salad on the 24th and grilled cheese on the 25th. And I played Santa and filled all the stockings (Valerie added lots too). It was a fantastic first married Christmas!

It's a boy!!!!

We had a baby!!!! A cute furry mutt baby. He is half border collie and half australian shepherd and half whatever else is mixed up in there ( I know that doesn't add up) but he is 100% adorable and we love him. His name is Batman. Nathaniel named him and it totally fits. We rescued him from a shelter in Roosevelt and he is the perfect dog. He is sweet and kind. Loves to be chased at the dog park. LOVES to cuddle. Has learned to sit, lay down, shake and roll over. He has stolen our hearts. We call him our practice baby, but he feels more like our actually baby, except he licks his own butt and eats gross things (hopefully that will be different than our future human baby). Batman Johnson, welcome to the family.

Thanksgiving fort!

So the tradition continues!!!! This is the first fort as a married couple and in our home. For those of you that don't know, I like to build a fort on Thanksgiving eve and sleep in it. So we did. And it was fun!

Thanksgiving was good. Lots of food. LOTS of food.

We went and saw two movies. The Muppets which was amazing!!!!!! I loved it. I felt totally nostalgic and it just made me miss being a kid. Then we saw Breaking Dawn and it was just as awful as I expected it to be. At one point I felt like I was watching one of those movies where the animals talk- it was that stupid. They did a great job of making Bella look terrible though. We saw a double feature and thank goodness we saw The Muppets first because I think Nathaniel would have not wanted to see anything else after the mess which was Breaking Dawn. It's been fun to make jokes about it though, so at least there is that.

Yesterday we bought all the Christmas lights for our house and tree. We are going to get our tree tomorrow. I am so excited to decorate!! I love the holidays. I am going to a craft night tonight to create some Christmas magic of my own, so I will post my creations later this week (as long as they aren't too ugly). HOORAY!

Sugar Cookies!!!

I am addicted to pinterest. I like to find new recipes and try them out. One of my favorite things about the holidays are sugar cookies. So I found THIS recipe on pinterest and I tried them out! They are soooooooooooo good. I will be making them again, maybe with a little color next time (we didn't have any food coloring!).

I have been sick all week. Coughing, sneezing, can't breathe. I am so over it. I hate being sick. But my cute boy took care of me. Man, I love that guy.

OH! And we bought couches!! They'll be delivered this week. Just in time for Friendsgiving, it's at our house this year.

I LOVE THE HOLIDAYS!!!!

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

I just finished this lovely book. I have been wanting to read it for months, I put it in my library queue and then couldn't pick it up in time or hadn't finished another book I was reading so I had to put it in my queue again. The woman that I sat next to on the plane to Seattle was reading it AND there was this preview at the broadway . . .

. . . so I knew I had to read the book. It was a little slow at first, but I feel like she developed the characters well. I was really invested in them and loved them. This book really got good about half way through. I couldn't put it down. I cried my eyes out. I was so touched by a story of love and respect and self worth. It was beautiful.

I am super bummed though, the Broadway stopped playing the movie a week ago (lame) and I can't seem to get it on netflix yet.

Read it. It's totally worth it.

Unpopular

So I looked at my hotmail account for the first time in probably 6 months and looked at an email from my site reader. It turns out no one reads my blog.

Like literally no one.

It's ok though. That means I can write whatever I want. (fart, balls, wiener, bum, boobs)

Halloween!!!!

We didn't dress up this year. Which was kinda disappointing since last year our costume was AWESOME. But Nathaniel doesn't love dressing up (but he so good at it!) so I guess we'll just have to be something super awesome next year (and we will, I am already brainstorming). So this year we stayed home and passed out candy. Can I say that I loved it?? This is the first time in my adult life that I have lived somewhere that kids actually come and trick or treat. The best thing is that most kids wanted to tell you all about their costumes. It was really fun.

We also played the game clue with Amy and Jon and watched a super scary The House of the Devil. I was really proud of Nathaniel, he watched the whole movie, even though he watched half of the movie from the hallway- he still watched it! We also ate pizza hut pizza, did you know that any pizza is ten bucks?? I haven't had pizza hut pizza in years. I must admit it was crazy greasy good.

So all in all- a very good Halloween. How was yours?

Scared

I love to be scared. I just love it. Scary movies, haunted houses, ghost stories. I don't know what it is, but being freaked out is so fun.

So lately I have been attempting to freak myself out. We have been watching The Walking Dead, Which is totally fun and makes you jump. The other night I watched American Horror Story and had to watch 30 rock afterward so that I didn't pee my pants in fear. And then the other night I watched the newest Paranormal activity movie- not as scary as the first two but I did scream pretty loud at one point.

SO, I have decided to read a scary book. I have House of Leaves in my library queue. I hope it's super scary. I'll let you know what I think.

What is it about scary stuff that is so fun? What's your favorite scary thing?

Wedding Pictures (teasers)

Sharing

I have always been somewhat of an insomniac. Some nights are better than others. Obviously tonight is one of the bad ones. I am sleeping on the couch, well actually I am interneting on the couch, but when I finally sleep it will be here as well. Don't worry, our marriage isn't in jeopardy, we aren't fighting- nothing scandalous is happening. I am learning to share my bed. . . and my covers . . . and give up on sprawling diagonally on my queen size bed. Most nights are fine. In fact, most nights are great and I love it. But some nights I kick Nathaniel all night (unintentionally), some nights I nearly push him off the bed, some nights I steal all the blankets. Tonight I could tell I would toss and turn and most likely keep him up and since he gets up so early, I decided to couch it and give him a good nights sleep.

33 years of sleeping alone- it's gonna take a while to get used to this sharing thing.

Hot dang!

Wanna know one of my favorite dates? Going to Costco and walking around and then eating one of their hot dogs. I love it. Nathaniel and I have done it at least 5 times since we got our Costco memberships.

The last time we went to Costco we thought "why not bring the fun home?", so we purchased the hot dogs and buns (grilling them on the George Forman makes them delicious btw). We have been eating them almost everyday for a week and can I say they are still delicious? Although we had to invest in beano, they are the perfect thing to eat while watching Dexter.

And that's exactly what we are doing tonight. Eating hot dogs and watching Dexter. Are we boring already?? or just totally awesome??

HOT DOG! I am going with awesome.

The heat is on

My handsome husband fixed the water heater. After a couple of swears and a rootbeer float, we have hot showers again!!!! Hooray!!!!!!

Water Heater Woahs

When I was little, living in Wisconsin, it was hot in the summer, but not always for long and the nights would often get chilly. I remember our baby pool in the backyard that we would fill with hose water . . . ice cold hose water. My mom would boil water on the stove and pour it into the baby pool so that the water was at least a little bit warm. Good memory.

Fast forward 25 years. Our water heater is broken. It's going on almost a week. Tonight I boiled water and put it in the bath tub with the ice cold tap water, did the same for Nathaniel. It took me back to my baby pool. Not as fond of a memory, but funny none the less. Good thing we weren't in the back yard- the neighbors might talk.

I really hope Sear's put a rush order on the water heater part we're missing.

Wedding Favors

I had decided a long time ago (during the wedding planning) that I wanted to give out buttons at the wedding. I wanted something cute, but not SUPER cheesy. So I commissioned someone to draw a picture of Nathaniel and me so that we could put it on buttons. Matt Page was so kind to create this masterpiece.

Didn't matt do a wonderful job? Here is what the button version looked like.

So I went to Etsy and ordered 250 buttons. When they arrived, I just didn't think they would be enough, so I ordered 250 more. We passed them out at both receptions, but I still have hundreds left!! I guess people will be receiving them from us for years to come (let me know if you want one, or three).

I told Nathaniel we just need to start a band and then it could be part of the schwag we sell.

I am sure people would be interested in the music of Nathangie or Angthaniel.

Right?

Wedding Day

My life has been kind of chaotic. But totally in a good way. Buying a house and planning/having a wedding can really be a lot to handle. It was INSANE and I hate to even admit that I am glad that it's over. . . but I am glad that it's over.

But it sure was wonderful. So many amazing people came in for the wedding. Aunts and Uncles, friends I haven't seen in ten years, friends I felt like I hadn't seen in ten years because I had been so busy, family, in-laws, coworkers, neighbors. It was truly amazing.

We made the decision of having the wedding in the backyard. Well, I should say I made the decision and then my amazing husband went a long with it. 5 months ago the yard was a MESS. Seriously. There was a random sidewalk, terrible grass and plants, dead stumps and bricks- EVERYWHERE, So many bricks and rocks, I am not sure how they all got there. Nathaniel is a genius. He had a vision and the yard is now amazing. We have a brick patio and a brick wall and lush green grass and a sprinkler system. I can't believe how handy he is and in turn how lucky I am to be married to him. The yard was finished just in time for the wedding (literally). Nathaniel was still laying brick at 3 in the afternoon and we were married at 6. But it all came together.

Everyone chipped in. All of my friends and both of our families that flew into town just for the wedding as well as those resident friends were mulching and setting up tables and hanging lights and decorating and getting sunburned, all to make my wedding beautiful. And it was.

We also had neighbors and ward members that we've never met show up to help. One woman in my ward named Maria iced all 250 cupcakes. ALL OF THEM and they were beautiful, each cupcake with a different icing design. Another couple in the ward showed up and just went to work. I couldn't believe the outpouring of love I felt.

Bishop Bullough married us. He had been my bishop in the single's ward years ago and was my last bishop in my family ward just recently. He did such a wonderful job of making the ceremony spiritual and intimate and unique.

My sweet father walked me down the isle- so worried he would lose his balance or mess up, but of course he didn't. I loved standing arm in arm with him as the once only man in my life handed me off to the man OF my life.

Nathaniel is such a sweetheart. As we heard the words of the Bishop I looked at how nervous he was (I was also very nervous), but could tell there was no doubt for either one of us that we were doing the right thing. There were some slip ups, the Bishop called Nathaniel Nathan at one point, and I put Nathaniel's ring on his right hand instead of his left- but it all turned out alright because we are married!

The reception was also lovely. Sandwiches and potato salad and beans and limeade and cupcakes and flags and lights and Polaroids and some dancing. Nathaniel really didn't want to dance, but because he loves me, he did, and it meant so much to me (see video in post below). Dancing with my Daddy was really special too, something a girl dreams of all her life.

When we took a bite out of the cupcake together, I accidentally stuck my finger in Nathaniel's mouth and he bit me! (Also in video) Throwing the bouquet was so weird, I can't even count how many times I have been the single girl on the other side. And leaving the house to go to the hotel, knowing the next time we came back would be to OUR house as a married couple was such a wonderful feeling.

By the end of the night I was sunburned, we were exhausted, it took 30 minutes to take my wedding dress off because Nathaniel has no finger nails and we forgot a crochet hook AND we had to be up at 6am to fly to Costa Rica, but we were married. It looked, felt and was exactly the way that I wanted it.

Thanks to all that helped. It was the most wonderful day of my life thus far and I know it will only get better.

Cha cha changes

MRS. Angela Corinne JOHNSON, LCSW

Thank you very much.

I got married!!

Nathaniel + Angie // 9.3.11 from rob nyland on Vimeo.

Thanks Rob for the amazing video.

More posts to come!

Engagements by Sarah Mellor

Seattle Shower

Valerie and Dennis flew me to Seattle two weekends ago for my first bridal shower! It was so wonderful. It was nice to be able to stay the weekend with my future in laws with no Nathaniel (no offense Nathaniel), I just mean getting to have my own relationship with them is important. I had so much fun.

I flew in Friday night and we picked up my good friend Sarah and her adorable baby Kai and we stayed up until 1am with Valerie making muffins for the shower. The shower was saturday morning and it was so lovely. There were so many amazing women there and they were so sweet and kind and gracious. We had the shower at Michelle Gorman's home, a dear friend of Valerie's. The house was beautiful, such an amazing view. And the home was decorated with pictures of Nathaniel and me as well as amazing quiche and muffins and macaroons with nuetella in the middle (AMAZING).

Here are some pictures from the shower:

As you can see, something went awry with my registry and I received three rice makers and two crock pots!

My lovely mother in law chatting it up.

Here's me and Sarah trying on fun masks at a really cute (and really expensive) shop in Seattle).

I had another wonderful shower last night. Nathaniel's Dad's Cousin (did you get that?)threw me a shower with all of her family. It was so amazing and sweet. It was wonderful feeling like I am already part of a much larger family then I have ever had.

One more shower to go!

29 days left!!!!!!!!!!

Bridesmaids!!!!!!!!!

OK, so I wanted to talk about the most amazing friends I have every had. They also happen to be my bridesmaids. I have 8 bridesmaids and all of them are important to me and are my very best friends. I am going to tell you about each one of them in alphabetical order.

Aimee-

(Taken by Beth? Chris? Some random stranger? STOLEN from Facebook)

Aimee is probably one of the sweetest (and funniest) people I know. She seriously cracks me up. I remember the first time I met Aimee. It was when I first moved to Florida at age 13 and I met her at a ward pool party. I was so excited because I had made a friend and then I found out she was eleven and my heart broke. I told my dad we couldn't be friends because she was so much younger than me. Little did I know that she would be one of my very best friends all through high school and in my adult life. She married her high school sweetheart (my good friend Chris) and has two beautiful children, Kyler and Kerrigan (Kyler is in the picture, it's an old one). I love her so much and don't know what my life would be like without her.

Aliah-

(No idea who took this, but isn't it super cute? STOLEN from Facebook)

Aliah and I met when we started working for DCFS in 2004. I just remember thinking how beautiful she was and how I loved her style and wanted to be her friend. We ended up having offices that shared a wall and we would chat online during work and I could hear her laughing through the wall. We then lived in the same apartment building and then the same house for 4 years. We have the best luck with going to see movies together (see Into the Mix, it's fantastic) and have had many a laugh or a cry cuddling in one of our beds. She's amazing. I am so honored to call her my friend and my bridesmaid!

Alissa-

(Self Portrait of Alissa, modeling a necklace that I purchased for her, STOLEN from Facebook)

Where do I even start with Alissa? We met in 8th grade. She let me sit at her lunch table when I was new and lonely and we have been inseparable ever since! I love this girl. She just gets me and loves me in spite of that. I love that we get to see each other often even though we live across the country from one another. We make the best songs up and have the most hilarious jokes (at least we think so anyway). She has been there through it all. She's my BFFSSANWIAABAILH.

Alyssa-

(Self Portrait of Alyssa and STOLEN from Facebook)

I met Alyssa at Ricks College. She was my roommate and we clicked right away. She was funny and fun and our time at Ricks was such a blast. Of course it didn't stop there. Every time I am with her, it's like no time has passed at all. If I could model my upcoming marriage after any other marriage I know, it would be hers. They are loving and kind to each other and they are best friends! I love it! And she has four adorable little rug rats (I can't wait to see Joshua). She is no longer pregnant but I we seem to have a visit every time she has been pregnant, so I thought it was an appropriate picture. Besides, isn't she the cutest pregnant person you have every seen? I think so.

Amy-

(No idea who took this STOLEN from Facebook)

I also met Amy at Ricks. She had long corn rows and a hippie style that was amazing. She was such a free spirit. So free in fact, clothing was often optional, but that is another story for another time. I didn't NEED Amy when I was 18. Don't get me wrong, I loved knowing her and having her as a friend and roommate at that time, but I didn't need her. We lost touch for a few years and met up again in salt lake about 8 years ago. In these last 8 years, I have needed her in my life and she was there. She is always there. This girl can organize the heck out of anything. She's smart and capable and really good at many things (especially helping to plan weddings!). I'm glad I need her, but more importantly glad I have her in my life.

Erin Marie-

(Picture taken by Sara Boulter)

I used to say, if I could just marry a guy that is like Erin, I would be set. I can tell her ANYTHING and totally be myself around her. We've had the best of times and the worst of times and through it all our friendship just keeps getting better and better. She is an amazing musician. I could listen to her play the guitar and sing all day long. Some of my favorite songs in the world have been thought up in her complex brain (even surgery couldn't break it). She's such a talent and I love her so much.

Sarah-

(Picture taken by Jesse Draper)

We often joke that I forced her to be my friend. Funny thing is, it's not a joke. I totally did. But she totally let me. This girl is the best. I can't get enough of her. I just love being around her, it makes my life better. I'm sad she doesn't live close by, but I see her so often it feels like she does. She is definitely one of my favorites and anyone that knows her knows you can't help but love her! Thank goodness I made her be MY friend, but I'll share her if you'd like. Also we found out we will totally be related by marriage- great right?

Stacey-

(picture taken by Sarah Mellor)

It's always just been my brother and me. I love my big brother, but I think a girl always dreams about having a sister. Well, I got one 7 years ago. Her love of horror scared me at first, but who knew someone who loved Freddy Kruger as much as Stacey could also be so sweet? She has the prettiest smile of anyone I know and when she laughs, her smile lights up a room. Stacey and Tom just fit. I am so glad to finally have a sister. A friend for life, really a friend forever and ever.

And an honorable mention to my little flower girl who I just adore (don't those blue eyes KILL you?) Quinn-

(Picture by Sara Boulter)

This sweet girl is going to be the best flower girl every. How could she not be? Especially with her mom Erin playing beautiful music as she throws petals on the ground.

I know what you are thinking. THERE ARE SO MANY!!!! But throughout my life I have chosen to be surrounded by so many lovely and amazing women, that there couldn't possibly be any less!

34 days to go!!

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Ghost Stories

Over the weekend, Nathaniel and I went camping in a Tepee. A TEPEE!! Well, kind of. We drove up to Bannack, Montana and camped at the edge of a ghost town in a tepee. It was freezing. And we weren't as prepared as we thought we were (thought we brought a down comforter- didn't, thought we brought a workable air mattress- didn't) so half way through the night, after we were freezing to the bone and a bug dropped on Nathaniel's face and a monster was rubbing against the tepee, we ended up in the car. BUT the time we spent making fires and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows NEXT to the tepee was awesome. As was the ghost town. FYI- Nathaniel is excellent at making fires. I was very impressed by my wilderness man.

Let me talk about the ghost town. Bannack is only 5 short hours away from SLC and it is located in what is now a state park, so it's pretty well preserved and only 5 bucks to see. We went fairly early in the morning and stayed until the afternoon, just walking around (hence my ridiculous sunburn).




We also had a ghost experience!There was a bridge over the creek and I wanted to take Nathaniel's picture on the bridge. We were both on it and as I was about to take the picture I could feel footsteps on the bridge so I thought that someone was coming onto the bridge behind me so I took the picture fast. At the same time Nathaniel thought someone was coming onto the bridge behind him so he stepped out of the way. We both felt the footsteps, but when we looked, no one was there. Later we asked the park ranger if there were any ghost encounters. He said that the main ghost that has been seen is a girl named Dorthy who drowned it the creek when she was 14! I totally think we felt her presence on the bridge! Here is the photo and the bridge.

Check out the Orbs in this one. Maybe they're ghosts! (Or dust) Or dusty ghosts!