My Book

Hello, this is taylor johnson...=) I have been working on a book for the past three years and I have finally decided that the introduction is how i want it, but i need opinions, please!..=) After you read it i would apreciate it a lot if you would leave comments and let me kow what you think!..thanks....here it is: My head was spinning and I was surrounded by darkness. I looked around me wondering where I was and how I had got here. This place felt oddly, sickeningly familiar, though I couldn’t remember being here, ever. I walked forward holding up the silky dress that wrapped around my body, clinging to me uncomfortably. Sliding my hand against the wall I tried to find my way around. The wall was rough and dirt fell off with a sizzling sound as my hand barely grazed it. I felt as if the whole place would crumble on top of me. My bare feet were cold against the dusty floor. All of my insides seemed to be twisted and knotted with anticipation of what was ahead. The possibilities flew into my mind as fear climbed in menacingly, trying to convince me to go back. I turned a corner and little circles of light filled the hallway granting me partial vision. I clutched my stomach feeling uneasy and kept walking. Sweat trickled down my face despite the coldness I felt. My hand slid across nothing and I froze. I faced the room trying to look past the growing darkness. There was rattling and clanking noises coming from inside. I turned around and grabbed a candle from the wall holding it up high in front of me. Don’t go in there! Stop! My thoughts screamed at me. Ignoring my mental plea my feet continued forward into the unknown. I turned another corner and stopped frozen in shock. My heart accelerated and I thought I was going to throw up. My hand shook and I looked around only to find more and more of them. There had to be at least eight or more in here. I knelt down in front of one of the cages. I looked at him, he was curled up in the corner. He suddenly turned and faced me. He stared at me with blank, dark chocolate eyes. His face was dirty, with smears of dark red. His hair was matted and filled with dirt as was the torn and tattered clothing. Like it had been ripped up by an animal. I put my hand on the cage and an awful snarl came out of his throat. I dropped the candle terrified and the last thing I saw before everything went black was a wolf. this is all i have for now, i would appreciate it if you commented, thanks...=)

Prom

this april taylor went to the prom with a friend of her's. she looked very pretty. it reminded me just how old i was really getting...eek!

Snow men get cold too!

when we had the snow earlier this year, julia and ashley went to build a snowman... this is how their creation turned out.

Lilly

I just wanted to post some photos of our new addition... enjoy our Lilly.

WOW time flies

time has flown by these past few months, katie has had her christmas bear play, where she was the most beautiful ballerina teddy bear. yes, i am partial. taylor has finished her fall production, where she played "virginia" in the canterville ghost. ashley is plugging along with basketball season, lots of games and practice. julia is working her way through 7th grade and doing a great job. she and joshua just had their christmas band concert. i was very proud of their accomplishments. they worked very hard. we are trying to get ready for christmas, the lights are hung and the tree is up...

mud pies and backpacks

it seems as this summer has passed, backpacks are lying on the floor once again. school is in full swing, yeah! the children are getting older, as am i, and the calendar seems to be whizzing by us in the blink of an eye. i don't recall my childhood being over as quickly as i do that of my children. but, i am sure while i was "in the midst" of my childhood it seemed to drag on forever. how i loved just playing outside, drinking out of the water hose, and loving the only obligation i had was to be home when it started to get dark.

once when i was little i was playing outside at my grandparents house, i made a completely fabulous mud pie. i put grass on the top, to make it look more appealing of course. i had little rocks in it, to mimic chocolate chips. after i was done with this masterpiece, that i had been slaving over all afternoon in a deep hole in the ground with just the right amount of water in it and my handy whisk (which was actually a stick). i then proceeded to take it into the house and show my Gee what i had done, she quickly told me to not bring "mud" into the house. was she blind could she not see that this was the work of a chef, who had been hard at work choosing her ingredients carefully? so, i took my masterpiece outside, humph! i then thought maybe something is missing from this dessert? i soon realized what this pie was missing, dog food sprinkled on top! well what else would add to the beauty of this? i trotted myself over to the dog food bowl, grabbed a hand full of kibble and proceeded to go back to the "kitchen". i very systematically placed the pieces of dog food on top of the pie. PERFECT!!! the dessert was ready to be feasted upon. then i realized, who is going to eat this, not me....no wait. the dog! yes it was perfect, Sheba, the german shepard will eat this. i am told that when i was little, this dog was very protective of me. she would do anything that i told her to, mind you i was only 8 or so at the time of this mud pie baking. i called for the dog, "Sheba, come here". she did, "look girl, i made you a pie". without missing a beat, she saw what i was trying to show Gee, a tasty looking dessert that should not be wasted. Sheba gobbled it up and even licked to pan. i couldn't have felt more proud. TADA!! i was truly a wonderful chef!! my day was complete, i could go inside and wash my hands, change my clothes, knowing i had fulfilled a very daunting task that day. it is very hard for any chef to come up with a recipe that is beautiful, let alone tasty!! exhale. hands are clean, clothes are changed, time for some cartoons. with Sheba on the floor beside the couch that i was sitting on, we relaxed. it wasn't until a few moments later, that i realized something was wrong, Sheba didn't look so good. long story short, the dog was very sick from my "pie", i got into trouble and never made another mud pie again.

this all being said, i do miss those days of lazy summer and mud pie making. backpacks are all around me and another school year is underway. so, i am appreciating a lazy weekend, watching kids play and having no other obligation except to put my kids to bed when it gets dark.

nkotb

on saturday my friends and i tried to relive our youth!! we went to go see nkotb in the woodlands and had an absolute blast, they can still put on a great show. here are just a few pics from that night, that i think might make you smile... it sure made us smile

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMI!!!

today is my sister's birthday... love you....

good grief

as i sit here and i looked at the last date of the last post.... good grief. well we have had lots of changes going on with our bunch. since march, well here goes the update. we have moved into a much larger house for us... YEAH!!! the situation arose where we had to move out of our previous house, gasp. then the lord spoke clearly to me, "find a house." then with all of my rationalization of "what's" and how's" we found this house, and thanks to god, we are making it a home. double smile. the kids have finished school. we will have 2 in high school. eek, they are growing so fast.... mega fast. taylor and ashley just had their birthday a few days ago. 14 and 15. they are wonderful girls. joshua has poison ivy, we are almost done going through the 2 week cycle with it. amen, this time it hasn't spread like it did last time. my little man is highly allergic to it. it has stayed on his arm, and not spread like last time to cover his whole body. keith's nephew got married in may. congratulations..... we love you brad and may. keith neice is having baby number 2, which this little booger is making her very sick. :( keith's other nephew b.j. is in the military, and he is having a baby as well. our family is growing like crazy. keith's sister melissa has moved to ohio. our little town feels just a little more empty with her and shianne gone. i love you girl, and i still cannot believe that you are already moved. i am very happy for you though, keep on growing in your adventure. i still love my job. i am very blessed in that aspect of my life. VERY BLESSED. my wonderful husband surprised me wednesday with buying my flowers and having them delivered to my work. this is why i love this man and have for 16 years now.... these are just a snip-it of the new adventures we have been on the past few 4 months. i will not wait this long between posts in the future. there is way to much to keep up with. try remembering .... :)

steady as we go....

we are just plugging along these days, time is marching on. i am working lots, and staying pretty sleepy these days. for some reason i keep waking up at 3ish. this isn't good for the circles under my eyes :) yesterday was the last day for basketball with julia and joshua. tonight is the awards service. i must say that i am glad it is over, maybe our saturdays won't feel so rushed. to end on a high note, joshua scored a basket in his last game yesterday, after he made the shot, he turned to look at me... then smile. priceless....

today 2/20/09

today is my birthday, but yesterday is what is on my mind. we had a very tough day, our blind one-eyed wonder olivia bit joshua on the face and it required 9 stitches. we decided that it would be for the best to put her down because she has just steadly gotten aggressive. we miss her a whole bunch and there is a BIG void with her gone. so i have added some pics of her to just say bye livvie.

happy birthday julia

our squiggs is 12 today... happy birthday baby!!!!

picture for the day

this is my incentive to keep going to the gym

sisters and such

my birthday is next friday and i'm so excited. i am taking my kids to go see my sister that night. i miss her a whole bunch. not knowing her until i was 26 or so, doesn't seem to matter. as i have gotten older, i realize how much she does mean to me :). growing up an "only child" did have it's perks, but seeing the relationship that my children have with one another, is very comforting. would have been cool to have her there, those late night talks, that now as a parent i am telling my girls to "hush and go to sleep".... so now as adults with families and such, we try to hang out when we are able, living 2 hours away makes it hard though. but not to fret.... i can email her or chat through text,myspace... the list is long of ways to keep in touch. see you soon ami..... yeah!!!!!

just marching along

we have found ourselves at the end of another week...EEEKKKK who knew that the days would go so much faster the older we got. nobody told me... :) it's funny to me how our children want to grow up so fast and we just want to be irresponsible and not have a care in the world. taylor is in band now at the high school, along with u.i.l. and along with making staight A's. congratulations baby girl. ashley is plugging right along with basketball and school. julia is in band at the jr. high, she is doing fabulous!! joshua is working on a project for school and katie is excited about reading a whole hannah montana book :) i say all of this with smiles on my face, because even when they are challenging us and arguing with us, they are just fabulous!!! our little babies aren't little. they might not be considered as so, but they will always be to me. i will be turning .....34 in about 3 weeks. i thought that it would be strange to finally be this "old", but i can truly say it very lightheartedly now. it is quite fabulous to be this age, i can see my life moving forward and it's pretty cool. i'm just a big ole' dork... YEAH!!!!

super mom

the christmas holiday is behind us, sheesh!!! now the kids are going back to school, and our lives are just plugging along. work, laundry, dinner, bed, bath, laundry, breakfast, laundry and lunch... did i mention laundry? sometimes i feel as though those articles of clothing are multiplying on their own... sounds like i might be on to something. just think about it moms, you get your washing caught up, exhale and when you go back in there it seems like that stuff is some super powered fungus. i mean it just gets out of control sooooo fast. but to say that i must say what a sense of YES!!!! i get when it is almost done. going to bed with the laundry room just a little bigger is fantastic. the kids are getting better at keeping the washing going though. hey you get all of 'em working together and that stuff just goes so much smoother. ya know?? work is crazy busy, awesome, home is crazy busy, wonderful and the night time just seems to fly by... not so cool. i find that as the older i have gotten ( 34 in feb. eek) i enjoy my sleep, so much more. i am certainly regressing to an infantile period in my life. :) i do enjoy a good afternoon nap now and then. but as soon as i lay my head down, snuggle in my wonderful covers... someone tells me that they cannot find something, something broke, they are hungry the dogs need to go to the bathroom... so on and so on. this time is fleeting and it is going by fast, so as i crawl out of my shelter of blankets, i ,"tired yet able mom" march into duty. because after all i never will be off duty... :) amen

holidaze

as i watch the commercials, hear the reports everywhere about how we are entering a terrible financial crisis, i am reminded that this holiday isn't about presents. it isn't about money, it isn't about spending. it is about Jesus. it is about sharing the gift of eternal life with those that don't know about it. this year we, as many out there, are strapped for cash. nothing extra for anything other than bills. there is nothing we can do except for just keep going to work, and praying for mercy. we know that the Lord is good, and he is taking care of us. i truly belive that this season of rejoicing isn't one to be in mourning due to money or the economy. maybe this is us being brought back to a more simple time. remembering what is important and meaningful...family, love, life and Jesus... thank you God for your Son, thank you for giving Him to us. one day i might have to give you one of my children in service to you, then i will understand what your sacrifice meant. thank you... happy birthday....

scheherazade

this weekend taylor starred in the high school fall production of "scheherazade". she played the little sister "dinny". i must brag and say that she was fantastic. her first ever attempt at acting, and she is a natural. the first showing was saturday, and keith's sister and bro-in-law came down to see her. they spent the evening with us and it was nice to see them. they loved watching their oldest niece perform. then today my sister and bro-in-law with their 2 boys came to watch taylor perform as well. they spent the early afternoon with us. we all hung out and watched the play, then they needed to get back home so they could keep the boys on a regular schedule.i am attaching a few pics to show her off, just a little...

my sister

as of late i have been talking to my sister who lives in houston almost daily. this might sound strange, but we are both very busy, she has 2 boys and i the 5. i must say that emailing makes me miss her like crazy. i didn't know she even existed until 6 years ago...long story. anyways having siblings is different for me, being raised an only child. she is an awesome person and i am very proud to have her as my sister. ami is having a difficult time with one of her boys so please keep her in mind when you get ready to pray. i think the more prayers that go up on her behalf, the better. if we can interceed for her, things are sure to get better. lots of love my sis ami :)

family grievance

tonight i am trying to understand the why's and how's of things happening. long story short in the past week, we as a family, have encountered hate, anger, abuse, lies and hurt, all these just from family. so as i am writing this post i must ask (out loud) why do we as family on the outside to the world pretend to look pretty put together? yet on the inside, behind the prying eyes of the public, ya know our church family, friends, we are just ugly and almost well, not almost, we ARE in denial about it all. like if anyone out in the world knew that i had ugly, they would act as if they didn't know me. why is that such a big influence on us? my husband is dealing with abuse in his past that was more or less ignored by all those who should have jumped up and cried STOP or at least NO. so this being said, our lives have been filled with other forms of him self medicating, or picking up some form of personal addiction to mask the pain from feeling abandoned. this isn't a great environment to live in.he is tortured. now on to the other point, i cannot explain to my children anymore why other people don't take the time to get to know them or just flat out favoritism to others. it is unexplainable as if i feel the need to make excuses for those who have wronged them, just so i can protect my children. when what i should be doing is helping them understand that i don't understand. i just don't get it, i don't know why someone would treat people with a double standard, especially family and really treat kids that way. i am trying to look with eyes of the Lord, but when i am in such a confused state of mind as to why your own family behave a certain way, i'm lost for vision. why do we love people outside our own family more than our own family? we look the other way i guess because of conviction, because of pride. i mean are we really ready to go through those growing Jesus pangs to see more clearly? do we admit our wrongs to those we have hurt so that we can help the hurting heal? do we accept responsibility for our actions, even though they were dumb, or involved favor to another? why is confrontation just that, a confrontation? shouldn't we want to not be a terrible person? shouldn't we want to be fair? i'm not saying our family is hellbound, what i am saying is that there has got to be a time when enough is enough. when you stand up and don't let that grievance come to a boiling point. you stand up and give control over to Jesus, and be willing to be sat down by Him. you go to that person and take responsibility for actions, be it malicious or accidental at the time. you be willing to accept what is being said to you, leave pride at the door and really listen, with your heart. don't judge them because you don't want to get dirty. go to them gently and restore them. love them, and yes by all means when you haven't seen them, do more than just think about them... CALL them, VISIT them. that is what makes the difference... being a doer of the Word, not just a hearer.