Two months of snow days?

Let me begin this post by saying, cold weather and I do not get along. I suppose it was a blessing for me to spend most of my life in south Texas, where the coldest time of year is associated with baseball and softball season, and even then Mom always pulled out the game bags and a couple of coats from the car's trunk and we were fine. Or I had the luxury of adorning the super comfy school sweats that were always coveted by high school athletes... nonetheless, the only glimpse of snow I can really claim to have gotten during my extensive lifetime may have been a few harmless flurries with no chance of sticking to the ground (except for that fluke in Houston last year, and the time I visited Colorado). That was, until we moved to Tennessee.

The Memphis natives continue to tell me that they've never seen a winter this cold, but I'm beginning to wonder...and run out of cute cold weather outfits. I kid you not, I've lost count of the snow and ice days, and the amount of times that Cody has jumped up and down in the living room in shear joy because he gets to accompany his coworkers and their children on another sledding excursion. Don't get me wrong, I love the snow and appreciate it's whimsical beauty just as much as the next person, but after a month and a half of it, I've decided it's time for it to go back to its Arctic homeland. After all, I signed up to continue my life in the South for a reason...not to include snowshoes and windshield scraping on a daily basis.

Fortunately, my sister Kirby was able to experience the arrival of the white wonderland before the novelty wore off in my mind. We did have quite a blast playing in the snow and building a snowman that day, and were sure to chronicle this momentous occassion (that we thought would be rare) with lots of pics...

Before the snow storm's arrival, just enjoying our fabulous cold weather outfits

 

  Hey Mom and Dad! 

 Kirby's winter wonderland

 Naturally, an Aggie snowman

 At peace...for a moment...

 Perfectly normal sign of brotherly/sisterly affection...throw her in the snow with no mercy.

 Check out that technique

Putting that softball arm to use

Post snowball fight #2

Kirby got to stay for about 5 days, during which we had lots of fun seeing movies, shopping, eating cupcakes, drinking hot tea, and watching Sex and the City dvd's for hours on end. It was the perfect long weekend for both of us and I can't wait for her to come visit again. My parents were even able to join us for a couple of days, which was a fantastic surprise, too! After Sister's departure, I was certain that the cold weather wouldn't stick around much longer...boy was I wrong. The following week I was sent home from work due to my lack of ability to drive in cold weather conditions. I guess I have my south TX roots to thank for that one, too... Not one to complain when I'm forced home into my cozy clothes and an afternoon of book reading and movie watching, imagine my surprise when I am greeted by my very sophisticated, mature husband conducting a very important conference call with a couple of his work buddies. I'm not sure I've had the pleasure of experiencing a three-way call, live, since middle school, but this was happening. I mean, what better way for a couple of grown men to plan their next sledding adventure, right? Here's a little photographic documentation of Cody enjoying the finer things in life, on a sled:

 Post-conference call, while still appearing to be an adult :)

 Let the fun begin!

 Cody's partners in crime, the Wilhelm and Riddle kids

Definitely a pro.

Well, I think I've expressed what really grinds my gears about snow and constant cold weather enough for one post. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful that we got to experience a "real" winter during our time in TN, but I would be lying if I said I'm not ready for some 70 and 80 degree, sunshine filled days. Bring on the south TX heat, I'm ready!!



It's the most wonderful time of the year...

As I attempt to catch the blog world up on the events of Johnson life over the past couple of months, I realize how quickly time has flown. When I was little, my parents always told me that every year of my life would seem to go by faster than the one before it, and I do remember my 8 year old self reflecting on a tremendously quick year of third grade at its dramatic conclusion... but Mom and Dad, you were right. The last 4 months have come and gone quicker than last season's oversized slouchy purses. So, I find it only appropriate to begin the review of our first holiday season as a married couple...

It all began with my first Thanksgiving as a Johnson. Since we had just moved, Cody's parents decided to make the journey to the Volunteer State for Turkey day. We had lots of fun shopping (of course), going out to eat (Cody adored Paula Dean's restaurant and its full stock of deep fried deliciousness), visiting Graceland, attending a Memphis Grizzlies NBA game baller-style (thanks to fabulous courtside seats provided by Bayer), watching the ducks march at the historic Peabody hotel (random I know, but Google it because it was hilarious), and walking up and down the famous Beale Street. Cody and Lynn even fit in a golf game, and Cody's skills continue to improve, which is highly beneficial to everyone within a 5 mile radius of him while he's holding his clubs. :) Thanks to my wonderful mother-in-law, Tami, we had an amazing Thanksgiving lunch that made me feel right at home, and for dessert we got to watch the Aggies beat TU in football! For that we were very, very thankful.

 Tami and me with the duck trainer at the Peabody Hotel

 Cody and Lynn before the golf game

 

 In front of the gorgeous Christmas tree at the Peabody Hotel

After the Turkey Day festivities, I was so excited to decorate for Christmas. The new crib was definitely a great host to my ever-growing collection of holiday accent items. Yes, I admit, I have a problem...I am slightly obsessed with anything remotely related to Christmas decor, and if it were up to me, it would be perfectly appropriate to deck the halls with garland and holly year round. Here's some of my work for you to enjoy:



A couple of days before Christmas, Cody and I departed for San Antonio and began our "Tour of Texas" to celebrate the holiday with my family. We arrived in San Antonio on the 23rd, just in time for a return to our roots with a lunch at Alamo Cafe. Cody's parents and brother Cale drove over to SA for the evening to have a mini-Christmas with us, and on Christmas Eve we did the traditional Brown family thing--got our nails done, watched movies (particularly The Christmas Story), went to the candlelight church service, looked at Christmas lights while Kirby complained, and finally, feasted on tamales and chocolate cake to celebrate my birthday. The next morning, I said hello to 24 years old (ouch) and we opened presents just the 5 of us before beginning our holiday road trip through the Hill Country and into the scenic lands of West Texas. We arrived in San Angelo Christmas afternoon and had a great night with my dad's family, then got up the next morning in order to make it to Comanche for the first celebration at lunchtime. But as if you thought 4 Christmases were enough...we finished it all off with the grand finale at Grandma and Grandad's house on the night of the 26th, just my mom's part of the Johnston clan. Cody definitely discovered the fast and furiousness of Christmas with my family, and I think we were all ready for a nap when we got back to SA on the 27th. We definitely loved seeing all of the family though, and it reminds me again why Christmas is by far my favorite time of year. I'll miss everyone next year but am super excited for my first Christmas with the entire Johnson family!

The Brown Family

 Aren't we good lookin'? :)

Though it went by way too fast, we were so blessed to have a great time during our first holiday season as old married folks. Here's to many more holiday memories in the future! Now brace yourself, because we may not have had a white Christmas, but it's most certainly been a white January and February...

Peace up H-town

Some of my best childhood memories feature the King of Rock and Roll. I can vividly remember sitting in my grandparents' kitchen in Comanche, TX, feasting on chocolate cake (always the corner piece) with "Love Me Tender" in the background. I'm not going to lie--I didn't always enjoy the harmoniously rich sounds of Elvis Presley himself, but it does bring back a sense of nostalgia...

I would've never guessed that one day I'd be calling the King's hometown my own. Anyone who knows me well knows that the only place I vowed to ever leave Texas for was New York City (and that was clearly only a fantasy spurred by watching countless episodes of Sex and the City). So when I was informed that Cody might have his dream job opportunity in the great state of Tennessee, one can only imagine my reaction as I dug my heels into the rich, fertile Houston soil and made it very clear that I was not going anywhere. I know, I know--a bit dramatic, but would you expect anything less from me?

So here we are, mid-October, my mom is in town, and I'm due for my very first upper endoscopy (the beginning of the Crohn's diagnosis). Imagine my surprise as I come out of the procedure, high as a kite on anasthesia, only to find out that yes, we are in fact moving to Memphis...in 2 weeks. Cody was probably thankful for my drugged up self at that moment...I'm sure he was glad not to have to pull out the tranquilizer gun himself. :) A couple of hours later, after coming out of my zombie slumber, I asked my mom and Cody "So, did anything eventful happen while I was knocked out?" They did their best to hide their laughter as they broke the news to me again that in about 2 weeks we'd be leaving my homeland, as Cody had gotten the sales specialist job with Bayer Chemical's Crop Science division. I took it surprisingly well...at this point I realized that neither Cody nor I were really satisfied with our jobs and quite frankly, we were getting a little tired of the traffic and lack of oxygen in Houston. So, on November 1st our next adventure began.

It was a whirlwind of a move, that's for sure. We flew to Memphis on a Monday, found our apartment in one day, returned to Houston on Wednesday, and were packed up and on the road in a moving truck on Friday. My sister Kirby was relieved to discover that we wouldn't be hindered by the border patrol or any kind of check station when we hit the Texas state line. By the end of that weekend, we were all moved in and Cody was headed to Orlando for Bayer Chemical's national sales meeting. Thankfully, my mom's resume includes professional mover, unpacker, and decorator, so our apartment was completely set up before Cody returned at the end of the next week.

 All packed up and ready to hit the road in our awesome moving truck!

I must admit that moving to Tennessee has sent both Cody and I into a bit of culture shock. First, let me point out the fact that the suburban area where we live, Collierville, can best be likened to Fairview, home of ABC's Desperate Housewives. It is beautfiul and picturesque, but definitely lacks the grafitti and homeless friends that we grew accustomed to while living in inner-city Houston. Not to mention the lack of Mexican food...I won't even torture you with those details. All in all though, Cody and I have enjoyed our time here so far and have gotten to know some of the couples that he works with well. They are great people, and like us, their hearts are in Texas, and they were just as traumatized as we were when watching the Tennessee DMV drop our TX drivers' licenses into a paper shredder as if they were nothing more than an old receipt. Life is good in Memphis, and I was even blessed with a job that pretty much fell in my lap! I started work at Bella Vita, an upscale home decor boutique right around the corner from where we live about two weeks ago, and I absolutely love it. (Check out the website, it'll be worth it: http://www.shopbellavita.com/.) Cody was born to work in ag sales, and is the spitting image of all the guys in his office (the daily uniform consisting of Dockers, a blue or green plaid button-down, and boots). I can't wait to see him grow in his new career, and am so proud of him.

Here are a few pictures of the new crib:

 Dining room

 Entry way

 Guest room

 Kitchen

 More kitchen--it's huge!

 The gorgeous lake view

 Living room

 Our room (well, part of it)

 Outside our building. If you look closely you can see the gorgeous fall colors on the trees. That was definitely a new sight for us!

As far as getting back to Texas goes, we're both having faith that we'll get back before too long, and that Governor Rick will let us back in despite it all... and we can say that we have something in common with Tennessee native Davy Crockett, who got smart and got to Texas as soon as he could!

Hello blog world!

Mark it in the history books--that's right, you're not seeing things, Cody and Brittany Johnson have officially joined the blog world. After much procrastination and persuasion by my fabulous sister in law, Katie, I have finally given in and decided to chronicle our adventures on the world wide web. After all, my nosy self enjoys the regular update on everyone else's lives, so who wouldn't want to read about all the super exciting things Cody and I have going on? :) I will be, however, faced with a challenge, so I might as well be completely honest from the start. I am really not a girl when it comes to picture taking, scrapbooking, or commemorating memorable events in general. In fact, I'm much more likely to pull my camera out in social situations to show off its cute Vera Bradley case...fashion trumps function, right? In all seriousness though, this is my commitment to become better at taking pictures and capturing memories in more than just my mind. So here it goes!

I suppose this is only 7 months (well now almost 8) overdue, but we'll start from the beginning. Once upon a time, Cody and Brittany were married in a wedding ceremony fit for a princess (not to mention a party fit for a rock star) on June 12, 2010.

 This wouldn't be a legit Brittany post if I didn't start it out with a shoe picture...

Our amazing wedding party

It's official! Mr. and Mrs. Cody Johnson

Party time! Get it Sister!

Aggie War Hymn

BFF's--the closest they got to a sweet embrace that night. Thanks Luke for being a gentleman and letting me have the love just this once... :)

We left New Braunfels for an amazing week-long honeymoon in Costa Rica the next day, where we sunbathed (I deep fried) on the gorgeous black sand beaches, enjoyed amazing cuisine, ziplined through the rain forest, took a scuba diving trip (Cody--anyone who knows me knows that I can't even be convinced to snorkle because of my irrational fear of open water), and shopped in a little native village. All of the wedding and honeymoon festivities went by so quickly that it all seems like a far off dream now. I'd say it took until about mid-July for me to regain my focus at work and come back to reality, but I finally did. At that time, we were living it up in Houston, Cody working for The Brickman Group, a commercial landscaping company, and I working as a marketing rep for First American Title. Little did we know our world was about to get rocked with some major changes... cue "Ain't Nothin' But a Hound Dog" or your favorite Elvis Presley song...