4 Christmases

Nope, not a movie review, I am finally ready to post about Christmas! I know I'm a little behind. I say 4 Christmases because that is our life right now, and very unlike the movie, we love it!! Both sets of Grandparents on my side are still alive so we like to party it up with them as long as they are around! I will go through our Christmas in reverse, because that is the way the photos were loaded ;)
The big project this year, and my excuse for not blogging, was a quilt that I made for sweet baby Teags. I learned from my cute friend Ann in my ward. She is an amazing teacher, and I think it turned out well. It was a huge undertaking, and when Teagan opened her present, we all got a little emotional....oh wait, I always get emotional.
So this is Christmas #4 with my immediate family, the Morts:

Here we are at the Johnson's for Christmas number #3: we had a yummy breakfast and then snacked all day :). We shared gifts and had a Nativity! (this was also nativity #3, and I got to be in charge of all of them, probably because we don't have kids, nice punishment!)

Here is Ruthann getting caught in the act! I think most pretend to not like her snapping shots all of the time, but I know I love it and secretly everyone else loves it because every year she puts together a sweet calendar of all of the pics, and that is the gifts most looked forward to for all of us! We all get our copy and look through and laugh and enjoy it year round.

Christmas #2, at Grandma and Grandpa Mortimer's house: We have Santa come, do a Nativity, and of course, a Mortimer function without a huge amount of food wouldn't be a Mortimer function. My Grandma put this bow on my Grandpa's and said, "you are my Christmas gift!" and he wore it all night! I loved it, so cute! They are so wonderful. I feel so blessed that they have been such a huge part of my life!!

Christmas #1, at the Burton's, my Momma's Parents: This party is tightly bound with some awesome traditions. We usually start at 4:00and go until like 11:00...we started later this year because people were working, but we still partied it up! This is the awesome hat that my cousin gave me for Christmas, I think my Aunt Kazzy is still a little jealous of it ;) I love the hat! It is so cute and so warm!! Thank you so much Kaz!!

Speaking of Tradition! Yes, everyone gets to sit on Grandpa's lap, even the Grandsons-in-law. Emily's husband wasn't warned his first time, and I guess that is weird, sitting on your Grandpa's lap?? But he warned Brad so this is Brad's second year sitting on Rulon's lap!! Classic!!

Both Brad and I loved Christmas this year. We had so much fun at all of the family, friend, and church parties. I think Brad is still getting used to ALL of the family parties. We feel so blessed to have great family and friends to share this wonderful time of year with. And just remember Brad, 4 Christmases means 4 chances to get presents :)

Motab Christmas

Ahh...I can finally breathe and relax....the busiest week of my year is over with...and while I am really happy that it is over with, I really did enjoy it this year!

So this acts as an apology post, and a "I'm back" to the land of the living.

I play with the Orchestra at Temple Square for all of you who don't know me and are stalking the blog.

This year we had Brian Stokes Mitchell...Go ahead and google him. I really didn't know who he was before he came, but man was I impressed! He has an amazing baritone, tenor, and bass voice. What a range. He just had my opinion of a perfect voice. Not too much vibrato, pure ringing tone and wonderful charisma. For any of you who went, you can agree or disagree, but I liked this show better than last year!

Not to put in a plug or anything, but this Christmas album will be one to buy. There were many numbers that were definitely out of character for the choir; Jazzy, soulful...I loved them. There was a Broadway feel and we even did "Through Heaven's Eyes" from Prince of Egypt, Brian is the original singer of of this one! So this album is going to be amazing. Even if you aren't a fan of the Choir and the amazing, but predictable music, get this album. It will satisfy.

Ed Herrmann, Mr. Gilmore himself, was also there and did some narration. He was hilarious, off stage, and very fitting on. I will also give him 4 stars.

All in all, I'm all Christmas music charged and ready for a great Christmas.

Let it snow let it snow!

Emily here....

Don't we all wish that Aisha would up date already. She was doing so well, even making us jealous by blogging from the bahamas. Just doing another hack mostly because I can SORRY sis

Bahama Pictures

Here we are on the lovely beach! It was a little overcast during our stay, but we still swam in the warm water and got our tan on!

This pic is in our room on our anniversary day! It was fun to be wearing my white skirt :)

Our first day on the Island! We got our drinks, suits, and sunscreen and ready for some ocean fun!

This is the sweet view from our balcony! Gorgeous!! I love the blue blue ocean!!

Bahamians

Greetings from San Salvador, Columbus Isle Club Med, Bahamas!

Well, I have a little time to write. Brad is off doing the night scuba dive, he'll be back in a couple of hours...so I am here relaxing on our balcony with lappy and a strawberry daiquiri, enjoying the view of the teal and navy blue waters...listening to the lapping waves and my new fresh dowloads. I guess you could say it doesn't get better than this! We've had a great time. If feels like we've already done so much and it is only Monday!

It seemed from the beginning that this trip was quite the comedy of errors. We choose to go to spa treatment before the airport and get lunch which put us leaving a little late. We get to the airport and can't find our reservations. We are waiting in line and I hear someone yell out "Dr. Brad" and Brad's friend Eli, who works at Delta, is sitting behind the desk and we get to go get helped right away!! The line is really short for security check, shocker, so we are rushing to our gate which is of course far away and we get there and our flight is delayed 30 minutes! Classic. Alas we have a connection in Atlanta so it is going to be tight....we get to Atlanta and our gate was supposed to be right next to the one where we landed. Of course we deboard and our plane is leaving in 1/2 hour on the other side of the airport. The terminal was poorly marked and we were almost leaving the airport trying to find it. We did, but didn't have any time to eat. So the last I had eaten was in Kenny's car chocking down a wrap from Rubios...we get off our flight in Fort Lauderdale and I just had to eat! I know you know the feeling. So we got from terminal to terminal looking for food. This was like 10:30 pm and of course nothing was open. We go to our hotel, and our nice nice friend Melanie Teerlink gave us a friends and family discount through her hubby. Alas the price weren't what was quoted at the time I guess and the hotel was double what we thougtht it would be, but it was still very nice....but no time to worry, we were short on time because the guy said the bar closed at 11:30...it was 11:15 and I was about to rip someones head off for food. We went down and I told the Bar keep, who finally showed up, that I needed food right that minute! I believe it went more like "Are you still doing dinner, because you better be, I need food" and I wasn't being funny. I think I choked out a laugh because he looked a little scared. So the kitchen was closed, chef gone, but he looked around and there was a lone turkey sandwich in the fridge. Who knows if it was the night helps' snack, but he brought it because he said "it sounded like an emergency"! Classic! So I ate the sandwich and shared a little with Brad. We ended up finding some delivery place and they delivered more food to us. Finally at 1:00 am we are going to bed finally fed! Saturday went a little bit better on the food front until we were done with a nice dip in the ocean and went to go get a little snack. Apparently at the resort right now there are 2 restaurants that are under construction from hurricane season. So that leave one restaurant and a snack shack. And at 6:00 pm-7:30 pm everything is CLOSED. No food! AHHHHHH! So we've gotten on a schedule of when we eat and where so as to avoid crazy Aisha. No, I'm not pregnant...but I might be hypoglycemic...

We are loving it here. It truly is Paradise! The beach is amazing. I really could live here. The food is good and it has been warm and a little cool at night...

Biggest news is that I decided that I wanted to get scuba certified. So I've already sat through classes, taken a test (passed!) and done all of my pool dives. Yes, I just went scuba diving in a pool! It was so cool. So tomorrow I am going scuba diving in the ocean!! Like real diving!! Brad gets to come on the dives which is good because it has been a little sad today not being to spend any time with him. So, when we return, I will be a scuba sista' !!

So needless to say, our Anniversary was amazing. It was "pink and white" theme for dinner...yeah, I didn't know they were going to have that option! Good thing I usually have a pink shirt lying around! So it was fun wearing my new white skirt because it was like a year ago when I was wearing white while we got married! I know cheesy, but I love stuff like that. So as I finish up this post I am watching the sun go down and listening to Brad's scuba boat pulling away from land. Ahhh....what to do now, take another dip in the pool? Ocean? A pina colada maybe? Hmmm...so many options!

Future posts: how we saved a french man's life, the "Road Show" at Columbus Isle, Brad and Aisha Scuba diving!!

Dear Blog

Dear Blog

I am so sorry I have neglected you for so long. And to think, while I've been away, you were even kidnapped by my sister! How could I have done this to you. You've always been so good to me...letting all of my friends, family, and any other Internet stranger in on the fabu life of the Johnson's. You've always done everything I could ever have asked and been very user friendly during the whole process. I guess the least I could do in return is let you do your job, let you display my pictures and written word the way you do so well. I apologize...I will make special effort to post more often...even if it means taking time out of my person time, not my work's time. We all have to make sacrifices. You've done enough for me, now it is my turn. Oh dear blog, let us please move on from and never speak of it again. I will return soon with weekends of wild joy, tributes to babies, and pictures, of course pictures...many many pictures.

Love ,
Aisha

Emily here....

I was just taking a blog walk today and am just sick of seeing this same blog from Aisha. So I hacked in  :) added some color thought that I would leave a little message to the Aisha's audience. Now here is the funny thing, lets see how long it takes Aisha to notice... This could be fun.