3-day Weekend

I cannot believe it is almost June!! June is a very bittersweet month for me. I love it because it is my birthday month. But I do not love it because I have so many other birthdays (and other parties) I have to buy gifts for and it gets very expensive. But it's OK because I enjoy shopping and giving people gifts! Here is my list:
May 24th- Tabitha's Baby Shower (Not exactly June, I know, but close enough)
June 2nd- Adrienne's Birthday
June 11th- Dad's Birthday
June 14th- Jenna P.'s Birthday
June 19th- Jenn M.'s Birthday
June 20th- My Birthday
June 20th- Jay's Cousins Wedding
June 27th- Jenna M. and Cortni's Engagement Party
June 30th- Dominic's 1st Birthday

May was a very boring but normal month. It was a great 3-day weekend, regardless of the crappy weather! We are house sitting this week for Greg and Jenn again. They'll be gone from Saturday to Sunday (9 days). It's kind of nice to get away from the housework that usually surrounds me. But I miss my bed!!! Anyway...

Saturday Jay and I went with Adrienne, Bailey, Wayne, Jenna, Mike, Meg and Dominic to the Children's Museum. We were going to go over to the fountains afterwards but it was dreary and overcast so we went home. Mike, Meg and Dominic came over to the house and we hung out for a few hours. In the evening Jay and I went to a block party at Adrienne's boyfriend, Justin's, parents house. It was a lot of fun. The had a fish fry with a ton of other food. We all sat in the driveway around a fire pit with cocktails and talked. It was very relaxing and the weather was very nice.

Sunday I went to church as usual and then to lunch at Chili's (Yum!!) with Mom, Dad, Bailey, Jay, Mike, Meg and Dominic. We had a baby shower to go to in the afternoon which was nice even with the small turnout. Last night Jay and I stayed in and ate fried chicken and mac-n-cheese. Then made some cocktails and spent an hour in the hot tub. It was so relaxing!!!

Today we spent a few hours at the fountain park/intercostal beach, which I've mentioned before. We really love that place! It is so much fun for the kids. Jen and the kids came down to spend the day with us, as well as Mom, Adrienne and Justin and the kids, and Mike, Meg and Dominic. Dominic really enjoys being in the water and it is so enjoyable to watch him. The big kids love it too! I love getting some sun! :)

So, now it is back to work for the next four days. I am very excited for our June birthday celebration on the 7th and our trip to N.C. on my birthday. (We are going for Jay's cousins wedding, not for my birthday, but it will be nice to get away nonetheless.) And I cannot wait for Dominic's 1st Birthday Party! It's going to be at the fountain park, go figure! LOL

Till next time... God Bless,

DLJ

Happy Easter!!

HALLELUJAH! HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN, INDEED!!

I had a really great weekend, so I thought I should blog about it. Yesterday, Bailey and I went to lunch at Tropical Smoothie then we headed to the beach. We spent 3 hours there! (Jealous, Jenn?) :D The weather was gorgeous, but the water is still really cold. And there was an abnormal amount of sea weed yesterday, which was really annoying. We had a really nice time though, she is such a fun little companion. (We also went last Saturday for about 2 hours, then we got pedicures!) After that she and I went on a hunt for pink sandals to go with the Easter dress Jay and I bought her. (We took her to lunch and the mall Wednesday to get her an Easter dress. Aren't we the best?) Then, last night Jay and I went to dinner at a yummy local mexican resturant.


Church service was fantastic today!! They had a special Easter Cantata. The singing was so good. Unfortunately, mom and dad are in TN so they weren't there, but I got Meg, Mike, Dominic, Adrienne, Bailey, big Wayne, little Wayne and Shayla (Wayne's youngest daughter) to come. Bailey and little Wayne always come with mom, dad, and I. It was nice to have them there with me. Then we spent the day with Jaysen's extended family. The only sad part was not being with my family. Adrienne had to work, and since mom and dad weren't in town, Jen and Oz didn't come up either. But it was still a lovely day!

God Bless,

DLJ

A day in the life of a Publix associate

Monday at Publix Pharmacy (phone rings)

Danielle: Thank you for calling Publix Pharmacy, this is Danielle, can I help you?
Mrs. Cody: (one of my favorite old ladys) Is this Danielllllle?
Danielle: (thinking) Umm no, this is Lisa.

She is forgiven because she is so sweet! LOL

Tuesday at Publix Pharmacy (phone rings)
Danielle, again with the intro.

Snotty Lady: Can I have your catering department.
Danielle: My what? You mean the deli?
Snotty Lady: I don't know. You know, your prepared foods department?!
Danielle: Umm, I think you mean the deli.
Snotty Lady: Yeah, ok.
Danielle transfers her to customer service instead of the deli. About a minute later...
Customer Service Person: (over the intercom) Deli pick up 101 please.

Sorry, she deserved it. :-D

Every day at Publix Pharmacy (phone rings)
Danielle, intro.

Customer: (who sounds stoned) I was calling to see if you had my drug in stock.
Danielle: Let me guess, Roxicodone?
Cutomer: Who'd ya know?
Danielle: Because I get about 30 phone calls a day from people like you looking for your "drug".
Customer: Ummm... ok, thanks. Click.

TGI (almost) F

First of all, Happy Birthday Erin (in 10 more minutes)!!! I'm so sorry I couldn't come up this weekend and celebrate with you. I hope you guys have a blast. Your gift is in the mail. Love you!

I haven't blogged in a few days because I feel like I've got nothing to talk about. But I don't want to fall into the rut again and end up going months without updating everyone.

Last weekend we saw the moving Knowing with Nicholas Cage. The previews looked pretty good. The first half wasn't bad, but the second half was a disappointment. It was predictable at times, hokey, and then ended unlike what we were expecting. I do not recommend this movie.

We've had the same kitchen rugs since we moved in to the condo almost 3 years ago. So I bought new ones. Without asking. And I'm pretty excited about them! (It's the little things in life). They are microfiber, washable, and fire-resistant! And they're pretty too!! (The picture makes them look really brown and ugly, they're more of a dark red.) Jaysen thinks they're too thin and not comfy to stand on. Oh well. While at Bed, Bath, and Beyond (one of my favorite stores) I bought Jay his own travel coffee mug, because he mentioned he'd like one. I am a nice wife or what?!? Again, it's the little things.

The "floating" job is going well. I've been all over Martin, St. Lucie, and North Palm Beach counties in the last few weeks. It's been nice to work at some slower stores and meet new pharmacists. I have to admit, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. As for Jay, in the next 2 weeks he is only going to have a day and a half off because his boss is on vacation. So he is very unhappy with Publix right now. We always have some Publix bashing to do on any given day. :)

Have a great weekend!

DLJ

Not my thing

I can not tell you how many times in the last few days I've been asked what my plans were for St. Patrick's Day! How cares?!? I don't get all the hype over this ordinary day, unless of course your Irish. To me it's just another excuse for people to go out and get drunk. Not my thing, but thanks anyway. But just to make everyone happy...

End of rant. Anyway, an update on Sassy. Her foot became infected so we had to take her to the vet on Saturday morning. They put her on oral antibiotics as well as a cream to put on the incision. She does not like having her foot all bandaged up! She went back today for her post-op and the vet said her foot looks better and she removed all three sets of stitches. The two incisions on her face are healing really well. We shouldn't have to go back unless there is a problems, so that's good. Anyway, thank you all for your prayers!!

Life in the Johnson house is as normal as usual. I had the day off today and I spent it going to a Dr. appointment, a vet appointment, doing laundry and watching 4 episodes of American Idol. (I had to get caught up so I can watch tonights episode live and vote. I'm gay, I know.)

Here is a new picture of Bella and her puppy Shadow. She's pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself! :)

Hope everyone is having a good week so far!!

DLJ

I've been bad :(

I haven't been keeping up with the blog again, I know. But not much is going on worth posting about.

Valentine's Day was just another day for us. Jay worked and I cleaned the house. Then we cooked steaks and sweet potatoes at home for dinner. We finished off the evening with some yummy strawberry cheesecake. We made a pact of no gifts and/or flowers. Waste of money!!

My mom had gastric bypass surgery on February 23rd. She is doing really well; she started back to work yesterday. She's lost 20 something pounds already!!

My grandad came down to visit (and for moms surgery) on Feb. 22 and left March 8 (He was here for two weeks). It was nice having him here and getting to spend some time with him. He was also a big help to mom while she was recovering, and good company too.

Jay and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary March 3rd. We worked all day and then had a nice dinner at Outback. We took a 4 day weekend that week to spend some time together since it seems we only see each other in passing lately. We didn't do much, just relaxed and ate out a lot! Here are some highlights:

Thurday was our dog Sassy's surgery. She has a large growth removed from her foot, 2 small ones inside her mouth and 2 on her face, as well as a skin tag burnt off her side. Poor dog! She is recovering well.
Friday evening we went to the county fair with Megan, Mike and baby Dominic. We had a lot of fun!!! Dominic just turned 8 months and he is such a joy to be around! (The weekend prior to this he spent the night and following day with us. We love having him!)
Saturday we ran errands, did some shopping, had a nice lunch together, and watched a couple movies.
Sunday we went to the local "fountain" park with Meg, Mike and Dominic. We had a lunch in one of the pavillions and let Dominic play in the fountains and the intercostal a bit. It was a gorgeous day, but Dominic didn't like the water much. I think it was still to cold for him.
Now we're back to normal, just working and such.

Here are some pictures from the past few weeks.

1. Anniversary roses from Jay (he broke the "no flowers" rule)
2. Anniversary orchid from the in-laws
3. Anniversary gift: Ottoman/food tray/blanket storer
4. Anniversary gift: Mirrored star (I love stars!!)
5. Us on our anniversary
6. Dominic at the fair
7. Uncle Jay and Dominic at Chili's after the fair
8. Aunt Dani and Dominic at Chili's after the fair
9. Sunset at the fair























































Till next time,

DLJ

Happy Belated Birthday, Jay!

I started the year off well by keeping up with the blog, but I've slacked off the last few weeks. Sorry! Week before last, Jay and I were both extremely sick with an upper-respiratory infection. We actually had to call in sick two days, which we never do. It was horrible, I felt like I was dying! The Dr. said it was the worst case they had seen in years (going around, not ours specifically). But we got on antibiotics and are feeling much better. Both of our coughs have stuck around though, which is annoying. The weather has been amazing this last month, I really cannot believe the cold weather has stuck around for so long. I will take it for as long as possible, since I know how hot it's going to get!

On a random side note, I got a new bible! I am so stoked about it. I have been using my large Teen Study Bible for years. I felt kind of weird carry it to church with me (since I am no longer a "teen") and thought a deserved a grown up bible. I went to the local Christian book store a few weeks ago to see what was available. I found one I loved, but was shocked when I looked at the price. $40!?! So I promptly came home and searched online for it. I got it from Amazon for $28.39 with free shipping. Score!! It arrived yesterday, and I got to take my big girl bible with me to church today!! :D Here is a picture:

Since I haven't been posting, I missed Jaysen's birthday. He turned 28 on January 31st! He says he feels old now. I told him he's not officially old until he turns 30. :) Bailey went shopping with me and helped me wrap his gifts (he got new leather flip-flops and gym shoes). I didn't have any manly wrapping, so Bay and I decided to be silly. We wrapped them in lime green paper with really girly bows. He got a kick out of it! She was so proud of herself.

Our 2nd anniversary is coming up March 3rd and we are trying to decide what to do to celebrate. Since it falls on a Tuesday, there's not much going on in south FL that day. Here's our options: go to Orlando for a few days, take a 4 day cruise (they are extremely cheap right now, go to the local fair (cheesy), or just dinner. I mentioned a trip to St. Augustine since neither of us have been there, but Jay didn't seem interested. I'm going to keep pushing for that since we've done Orlando and cruises multiple times. Any suggestions for something inexpensive???

Exercise update: I slacked off of the gym just like I did blogging the last few weeks while I was ill. But I started my routine again the middle of last week and I'm feeling good. I actually lost 2 more pounds during the two weeks of slacking. So I down a total of 18 lbs since August. I am excited and finally beginning to notice (I am back in a pair of jeans I haven't been able to wear for about 6 months), but I wish it would come off a little faster! Please pray for me to stick with it.

I hope everyone has a blessed week!

DLJ

It keeps getting colder... current temp 42.4 degrees!!

Have I said yet how much I love this cold weather?!? Oh, I have, like 4 times? Sorry! I just can't get over it. Every day I expect it to start gettting warm again, but the temp keeps going down! We probably should have turned the heater on last night, but we love the fact that the a.c./heater hasn't been turned on in over a week and we don't want to break the cycle. (To be honest, I don't think the heater has ever been turned on.) So instead we wore more clothes to bed and snuggled close. I had to put a sweater and fleece pants on after my shower, before even leaving the bathroom, becuase it is so cold in here!!!

Work has been good. Yesterday and today I am working in St. Lucie West, which is about a 30 minute drive. The good thing is is that I get paid for my travel time AND milegae. So that rocks! And this particular store is realllllly busy but there is always at least 4 techs and a pharmacist. So it doesn't feel that busy.

I received a package Monday from Jenn!!! It was unexpected and I was so excited!!!! She sent me this adorable purse she found at a craft fair just for me!! And also another book for me to borrow. We love to read!!! This book is called "How Starbucks Saved My Life". Thats right up my alley. I can't wait to read it!! Thank you sooooooo much Jenn! She is so thoughtful!

About last weekend, Saturday night Bailey and Wayne had a sleepover here. It was going well until dinner time. Wayne's favorite food is meatloaf and I got a Pampered Chef stone loaf pan for Christmas that I'd been wanting forever (they make the yummiest, juiciest meatloafs), so I decided to try it out and make it for dinner. The kids and I were excited (not sure about Jay lol) and it turned out perfect! We were all enjoying our dinner until Wayne got this strange expression and told me he had to go "poo poo" (apparently he doesn't know the difference between poopy cramps and nausea). I could tell by the look on his face it was something else, so grabbed him and took off towards the bathroom. As soon as we got right outside the bathroom door, he vomited. Luckily the majority of it went on the rug, so that we easy clean up! But it was dis-gust-ing!! The weird part is that this happens a lot. So I know it wasn't my dinner. Something else is going on in that little tummy. So Adrienne is going to be taking him to the pediatrician to get some answers. Please pray for him!

On the same note, I have started the job hunt again. I am not happy with my current job situation and I feel maybe this is God telling me there is something else better out there for me. So please pray for me! I have a hard time noticing when God is speaking to me or if it's just my own unhappiness.

The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you." Psalm 32:8

Hope you are all having a great week,

DLJ

Current Temp 51 degrees!

The beautiful weather has continued! Yay!! We've had our A.C. turned off since Tuesday night, so that will be nice for our electric bill! I am really enjoying this chilly weather. God is good!!!

Work seems to be getting better. Thursday I worked in Hobe Sound and had a fairly easy day. Jay and I went to my parents for dinner that evening. Yesterday I got to work with Greg and we had a pretty good day. We've learned that there is going to be a rush between 3-7pm so we are able to prepare for that. Last night Jay and I got Chinese take-out and went to bed at 9:30pm! Today Jay is working so I am being lazy this morning. Then I am going to see Marley and Me with my mom and some other friends. I am very excited; I haven't been to the movies in a few months! Tonight Bailey and little Wayne are having a sleep over at Aunt Dani and Unlce Jay's. That should be fun. :/

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15

DLJ

A chilly day off

I had the day off today since I've been working 10 hour days. I woke up to a beautifully chilly morning. I opened all the windows and then got some stuff done around this house. It was great! I left to run some errands and saw that at 11:00am it was only 60 degrees!! I had to stop and get a Starbucks so I could get the full winter effect! haha I babysat a few hours in the afternoon, went grocery shopping then came back home and did some more housework. Then Jay and I went to his parents for dinner and now we're back home in our usual spots.. him in bed and me on the computer.

I really needed a down day, and I am so thankful that it was a gorgeous day!

"In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and He heard me." Psalm 120:1

God bless,
DLJ

It keeps getting better and better

Yesterday was another crappy day. It started out good, but ended not-so good. Bailey spent the night with Jay and I Sunday night (because Aunt Dani and Uncle Jay are so much fun!). We woke up at 6:00am to get her ready for school and were out the door at 6:50am. We had to go back to my parents because she had packed clothes that did NOT match (think turquoise and brown plaid shorts with a lime green polo) and I was not going to let her go to school like that! So we got her changed and to school by 7:25am. I didn't have to be to work till 9am so I went to Wal-Mart, then Dunkin' Donuts (no Starbucks nearby) and got to work at 8:10am. I figured I would get some grocery shopping done since I knew I wouldn't want to after work. So I bought a bunch of stuff, got it all into my car and back inside to punch the clock at 9am. I was very excited because I was going to be working with Greg, my former boss, who I hadn't seen in over a week. Well at 9:10am we get a phone call from another Publix pharmacy about 10 miles south (Hobe Sound) saying their tech called in sick and they had no help for the day. Since there were going to be 2 techs at this store (which will now be known as Kanner Hwy, my new "home" store), one of us had to go. Guess who it was.... yup, me! So not only was I bummed I had to get back in my car and drive for 20 minutes, but I wasn't going to be able to spend the day working with Greg! I was totally bummed out. But the day at the other store wasn't to bad.. it was busy, but not horrible. Jay and I made homemade chicken quesadillas for dinner and went to bed early.

I was a good girl and went to the gym this morning before work. I worked at a "slow" store today, also known at Cove Rd. It was a decent day; I got to work with a pharmacist I really like and we work well together so that was a plus. I had left a recipe and all the ingredients out for Jay to put into the crockpot (he was off today) so I came home to a finished dinner! We ate and then cleaned the kitchen together. He went to be at 8pm (have I mentioned he's weird?) and now here I am. The good news is that I am off tomorrow!!!! Woo hoo!

Wearily me,
DLJ

Weekend!!!

Friday was another horrible day at Publix Pharmacy. I worked 9am-7:30pm with no lunch break! It was one of the craziest days I've ever had at work. I keep hoping it will get better, but no, it's getting worse. Friday evening Jay and I went to his parents for dinner. We had a wenie-and-s'mores-roast over a campfire Jay and his dad made in their backyard. They weather was perfect for a fire. We had a really nice time; it was a welcome change from sitting at a table for dinner.

Saturday morning Jay and I got our tree put away. (I had last Wednesday off so I had already gotten all the Christmas stuff put away but I was to tired by 4pm to actually take our artificial tree apart.) So our house is back to normal, sadly. :( After that we went to his parents house to continue project "Get-rid-of-all-the-crap-the-Johnsons-have-packed-away-from-the-last-30-years". We've been working on this for about 3 weekends now. They have 2 sheds, 2 attics and a garage full of "stuff". Mostly antique furniture and EVERYTHING Amanda, Jay and Meg ever owned/made growing up. It was fun to see all their childhood stuff but there was a lot to go through. Thankfully we were able to throw a lot away and a huge portion will be going in a yard sale in 2 weeks, which I am in charge of. We are pretty much done cleaning everything out, now we just have to organize the yard sale stuff and price it all. Fun! Anyway, after that I went to babysit from 3-10:30pm. It was a productive Saturday as usual.

Today my parents and I will be going to church and most likely to lunch, then back to their house to relax for the rest of the day till Jay gets home from work.

Hope everyone has a nice Sunday!

DLJ

Oh, and one more complaint...

On top of all the other things I've just told you about, I gained 4 pounds over the holidays!!! Ugh, please pray for serenity for me!

Much love,
DLJ

Review of the end of 2008

I've been bad about keeping up with blog, so let me start by updating you on the last month of 2008 and then I'll start fresh for 2009.

At the beginning of December, my good friend Jenn came down from CO for a long weekend. I'd missed her so much and it was great having her here. While she was down we ate a lot of yummy food such as Sonny's Bar BQ, Tropical Smoothie (3 times), Cracker Barrel, Olive Garden, and Starbucks (twice), we took a trip to the Gardens Mall, City Place and Palm Beach, we went to visit her grandparents in Okeechobee, we went to the Christmas Cantata at my church, we walked the Roosevelt Bridge twice, we watched a local band perform, and we talked for hours. It has a fabulous weekend!!

On Dec. 20 one of the children I babysit for, Allison, performed in a local production of the Nutcracker. It was adorable!

Then on Dec.23 Allie's mom Terri took me and the girls (Caroline is the younger sibling) to see the Nutcracker performed at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. That was my first ballet experience and it was amazing! Terri promises to take me to more! For Christmas Eve my family went down to Jen and Oz's house and we did gifts and has finger foods for dinner. I was in charge of the cookies. I made Candy Cane Peppermint Sugar cookies and Inside Out Chocolate Chip cookies (chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips). They were yum-my!!Christmas morning we went to my parents to see the kids open the rest of their gifts (from Santa) and spent time with them. Then we headed to Jaysen grandparents house to have lunch with his family and then back to his parents to let baby Dominic open his gifts. Finally we went back to my parents for dessert and we were home by 8:30pm because Jay had to be up early the next day. It was a busy day, but very nice! Also, Grandad came down to visit on Dec. 21 and he just left on Sunday. It was very nice to have him with us for Christmas too!

December 20th was the day my pharmacy closed. I worked all afternoon and night on Saturday and all morning Sunday packing the pharmacy and then unpacking it at the other pharmacy (who got all of our inventory). Since then my job has been very stressful. I've been working at multiple pharmacies and have had very long days, like 10-12 hours. If you know me well, you'll know that it is very hard for me to not have a routine. This has been the hardest part for me. The good thing is I've been able to start working for days a week instead of 5 because of the long hours. Then I found out last week that I was getting a "promotion" (which is so not a promotion in my mind, more of an ultimatium). I was told the only way that Publix could justify making me full-time with the economy the way it is is if I'd accept this new "floater" position. I wasn't thrilled about because of the craziness my schedule will be and the amount of travelling I'll have to do. But I really had no choice, so that new position will begin in early February. So I will be in a diffenent pharmacy practically every week for the entire year. I will be filling in (along with others) while that pharmacys staff is out being trained for out new computer program. It will be chaotic to say the least. Oh well, I am gratefull to have a job. And it is a pretty good job for the most part :-/

In the midst of all the other chaos, Jay and I had to housesit for my boss Greg and his wife Jenn while they went to NC for Christmas. They have a dog and a diabetic cat that we take care of. So from Dec. 22-Dec. 27 we weren't even home! And on top of that we found out our dog, Sassy, cannot have the surgery she needs to remove a tumor on her foot because there is something wrong with her heart. Our vert wants us to take her to a cardiologist. Unfortuanetly we are not made of money and have had to make the decision to not do anything. She is 10 years old and has had a good life. Hopefully she will be okay without the surgery. Please pray for her and us! Talk about stressful!!

We also had a visit from Matt and Erin the weekend between Christmas and New Years. It was so good to see them! We have so much fun when we are together. Unfortunately, this trip Jay and I worked most of the time they were down. But Erin and I were able to squeeze in a pedicure and lunch, and then we hung out at her in-laws with the guys for a few hours before they had to head out. It was a short but sweet visit!

On New Years Eve Jay and I had to both work; him till 7:30pm and me till 9:00pm. So we weren't able to do anything to exciting. We went to his parents for a little while and had a bond fire, and were in bed before 1:00am. Party animals, huh?!? New Years day everyone was off so the family went back down to Jen and Oz's for a birthday party for Oz (his birthday is Jan.2). It was very nice to spend a few hours with them and play with the kids!

That brings us to this week. This week I am working for 10 hours days at 3 different pharmacies! I am off tomorrow (Wed) and plan to get all my Christmas stuff packed away for another year and get my house back in order. It will be an enjoyable day off... not.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Years Eve!! Let's hope 2009 brings less stress than 2008 ended with!!!

DLJ