While the Hubby's Away...

Most of you that know my husband know that he has an incredible passion for hunting. Now that we live in New Mexico where land is public, he is super excited to be able to experience hunting at its finest, thanks to the hunting lottery system. Basically, each year, you enter for a chance to be drawn for specific hunts, and this year, Cody was drawn for an elk bow hunt and a mule deer hunt. I will also be trying out my huntress skills in November, as I was drawn for a mule deer rifle hunt, too-- but we can discuss that more later.

Cody and his dad, Lynn, departed for the big elk bow hunt in the Gila National Forest on Thursday evening. I was so happy that Lynn got to accompany Cody on this trip, and know they're having so much fun spending some quality time together. Cody's mom and I joke that Johnson men spare nothing when it comes to packing, and this was certainly the case for this trip, too. Cody and Lynn loaded down a flatbed trailer and the bed and backseat of Cody's truck for their 5 day hunt. They had to make sure every necessity was accounted for-- everything from food to Cody's homemade cooktop made the cut. I am so anxious for them to return so that I can hear about all of the fun adventures and *hopefully* see a huge bull elk trophy!

While the guys were gone, my mom and grandparents decided to make a pit stop in New Mexico to stay with me on their way home from a week in California. They had been visiting my Aunt Julie and her family, and it just worked out perfectly for them to fly into El Paso on the way back to San Antonio. I was so grateful that they were there to keep me company while Cody was gone on his hunt. We ate well, shopped hard and did a few projects around the house that I've been wanting to scratch off my to-do list. Aren't moms and grandparents just the best?

Chocolate cake is always a necessity in the Johnston family. Thanks to Tami for the delicious recipe-- it was a hit! We did rename it "Death by Chocolate" though. :) It is sinfully good!

On Saturday morning, we ventured out to the Farmers' Market. Grandma and Grandad had not been yet and were interested in seeing all that the "Top Farmers Market in the US" had to offer. It did not disappoint! Grandma found some cute jewelry and Grandad enjoyed the fresh blackeyed peas and tomatoes that we purchased for dinner that night. He even shelled the peas for us while we shopped all afternoon. What a guy!

Mom, Grandma and Grandad at the Farmers' Market

Love my Grandma and Grandad so much!

Grandma and me doing one of the things we do best- shopping!

Mom and me- we didn't realize how long it had been since she had last visited. It was time! 

While they were here, Grandad decided that it was high time for me to learn how to play a game of 42. We had so much fun during my "training sessions" and I now feel fully confident that I can hang with my domino playin' husband, though I'm not sure my skills are quite up to par for being his partner yet. Cody and I can be quite intense in game-playing situations where we are on the same team, thanks to both of our competitive spirits. :)

The 42 master and his student

It was such a fun weekend and I loved every minute that I was able to spend with my family. Being so far away makes the time we're together absolutely priceless, and I can't wait to see everyone again at Christmas. Cody and I are so blessed with grandparents and parents that are just amazing people! 

Oh, and in case you're wondering about the outcome of the elk hunt, I'm hoping to have those pictures to post very soon!

Go Shorty, It's Ya Birthday...

And yes, we did party like it was all of our birthdays. I'm going to go ahead and apologize for those of you who may now be unable to remove the "classic" 50 Cent song "In Da Club" from your head after reading the title of this post. Rest assured though that it is perfectly appropriate for the summary of my sister, Kirby's, 21st birthday celebration.

After our visit with Cody's family in Houston, we headed over to College Station to begin a day fully focused on Princess Kirby. We ate a yummy lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, La Bodega, and then Mom treated us to pedicures at a rather entertaining nail salon. (Ask us about that experience later-- it's a great story.) After being pampered for a bit, we ate a tasty dinner that Mom so graciously cooked for Cody, me and Cale, as well as Kirby's 3 roomies and a few others. We were all stuffed but definitely saved room for a delicious birthday cake and a few cocktails. After all, we had to ring in her 21st in style! Kirby's roomies were so sweet to decorate everything for her and it turned out so cute. Brace yourselves for the pictures though-- there's a LOT of pink (which of course I loved)! We had so much fun celebrating in Aggieland and wouldn't have missed it for the world. You better believe we got some great dancing action shots, too.

I must admit, it's still hard to believe that my baby sister is old enough to "enjoy Northgate" now. It seems like just last week she was begging me to play house and baby dolls with her, and I would only settle for Barbies! :) Love you, Sister!!

Opening presents

The girls

Love my sis!

Kirby and PJ--carrying on the tradition of their brother and sister!

Jon and Kirby

Hayli, Kirby and Caitlin (two of Sister's sweet roomies)

We were so excited that Cale made the trip to College Station with us!

I have the best brother-in-law.

Clearly performing her best rendition of "Knuck if you Buck"...on a chair for added dramatic effect.

Kirby and Ty

Friends since 12 years old. You're the best TWC, even if I do have better Hunger Games skills than you.

Friends since Kindergarden! Meagan, Caitlin, Shannon & Kirby

Birthday princess is official at Northgate!

Party girls

Northgate! Sorry Haylie, not sure why this pic turned out blurry...

Ty, me, Luke and Kirby-- the best guys!!

And the dance party begins...

Had to end the night with a visit to the Dry Bean. Thanks, Northgate!

Of course the weekend flew way too quickly, but we are anxiously awaiting the next TX getaway. One thing is for sure- Aggieland always delivers a great time!

Hello Houston!

Cody and I have been looking forward to this Labor Day Weekend for quite some time now. This particular holiday weekend was not only a break from work, but it was filled with exciting family bonding including our first introduction (in person) to our sweet niece Addison Lynn, and my sister, Kirby's, 21st birthday (more on that to come). Cody arrived in Houston on Thursday evening, and was greeted with lots of lovin' from our beautiful red-headed niece. In case you're wondering, I am super proud to have another sassy redhead in the family, and rest assured that we spent lots of time bonding and discussing all of the necessities in life: clothes, shoes, and purses. Cody was smitten by Addison and he and I loved every second that we spent holding her close. She is a wonderful baby and Katie and Jason are such great parents already.

Uncle Cody and Addison

Aunt Britt and her red-headed protege 

 Johnson girls

Papaw loves that Addie so much!

Getting lots of Mimi and Papaw lovins

Sweet angel!

Katie, Cale and Addie watching some college football

We had a family photo shoot on Saturday morning, followed by a yummy lunch that my father-in-law, Lynn, grilled. After eating our fill of fajitas, chips and pico, we rested for a bit and my good friend Alison came over to visit. We hung out for a while and then made a trip out to Katy, TX to introduce Addison to her great grandparents, Cody's Grandma and Grandpa Johnson. It was so sweet to see Grandma and Grandpa Johnson love on their 18th great grandchild! They are so wonderful and it was great to see them and a few other members of the Johnson clan.

 Alison and Cody

Alison & me-- love this girl soooo much!

Grandpa & Grandma Johnson with their 18th great grandchild, Addison Lynn

Grandpa and Grandma Johnson with a couple of their grandkids & a great grandchild

Cody & his grandpa. Notice the resemblance? 

Before we headed to College Station, we woke up early to spend a little time playing with Miss Addie. She was so active and awake! We couldn't get enough of her faces and little sweet noises.

So in love with this little princess!

It was definitely hard to say goodbye when it came time to leave Houston. I had not been back since we moved to Memphis almost 2 years ago, and being there brought back so many wonderful memories. Plus, Cody and I always treasure the time we get to spend with both of our families, especially now that it happens a little less often than it used to. The last time that all of Cody's clan was together was last Christmas, so we truly cherish the moments when we can all spend time visiting and catching up. Luckily, we won't have to wait another 9 months before we see each other again! Thanks so much, Katie & Jason for opening your home to all of us. It was a wonderful weekend and we're looking forward to reuniting at Thanksgiving!

Hurricane Don Hits New Mexico

I know what you're thinking upon first view of this post- there are many environmental wonders in New Mexico, but how can we experience hurricanes in the desert? Well you see, Hurricane Don is a very special occurrence, in the form of one of our best friends (and a former Churchill Charger and Texas Aggie), Stephen Donley, who is better known affectionately in our group as "Don". Wherever Don is, you can guarantee a wild party and a good time, and we were so excited when he decided to take a trip to visit us in Las Cruces with his sweet girlfriend, Brittany.

The hurricane made its appearance on Friday evening, and we kicked off Stephen and Britt's visit with a little relaxation on the deck, just catching up since the last time we had seen them was in May for Memorial Day weekend. These two are so much fun and just wonderful people, and we loved having them at our house and showing them the sights of Las Cruces.

On Saturday morning, we woke up and feasted on Cody's famous breakfast tacos before we visited the local farmer's market on a quest to find Britt some unique New Mexico jewelry and freshly grown veggies. We were super excited to land her a gorgeous turquoise ring along with some other great finds (I took my role as personal shopper very, very seriously), and tired the boys out to the point that they sat on the tailgate while we finished up our shopping excursion. After the farmer's market, we ventured to Mesilla to show them the site of Billy the Kid's trial and hanging, and before returning home we feasted on yummy margaritas and chips and queso at Peppers, one of our favorite restaurants. Britt and Stephen were pretty fascinated by all of the history in our area, and we had fun playing tour guides for the day.

Shopping at the Farmer's Market

Outside the famous spot where Billy the Kid was tried & hanged for his rebellious ways

Enjoying a little down time at Peppers'

My buddy and me! Stephen and I go way back to our days as Churchill Chargers. Dad coached him in football, we went to Texas A&M together and now he works with my mom at Independence Title. Love this guy!

The trio enjoying some yummy margs

Saturday night we hosted some of our friends for a fiesta/BBQ, and naturally, my husband took it upon himself to provide enough food for at least 3 more parties. :) The boys did a fantastic job grilling up some delicious fajitas, and Britt and I created quite a spread of chips and dips, salad and veggies... along with a very sweet-tooth friendly Pineapple Cake. (I must credit the Johnson family cookbook for this one-- it was definitely a hit!) We had so much fun hanging out and visiting with everyone, and Britt and Stephen enjoyed getting acquainted with our NM friends.

Only part of the spread. You better believe we had pounds and pounds of fajita meat spread over the entire kitchen counter! Cody never skimps when it comes to feeding a crowd. He may have inherited that trait from his daddy. :)

The master griller in all his glory

Britt & Stephen (and a guest appearance by Cody the grill master's tongs)

Our sweet friend Steph and Sonny, Nick and Danette's little man. Sonny loved the watermelon and couldn't finish one piece before he stuffed another into his mouth. What a cutie! He loved playing with Rio and growled at him as he chased him around the deck and backyard. Rio didn't know what to do with this "little person" and kept his distance of at least a foot. He was so good with Sonny!

After catching up on some sleep Sunday morning, we woke up, got dressed and headed to one of our favorite spots, DeLaVega's Pecan Grill for brunch. We all feasted off of each other's plates, then headed to Lulu (Mom and my favorite boutique in Las Cruces) for a little more shopping. We ended the day with a visit to Rio Grande Winery for a little wine tasting and live blues music, and were in awe of the beautiful weather. I am so excited that fall is upon us-- it's definitely the most beautiful time of year in these parts!

Stephen doing his best Matt Bomer impression at Lulu. The boys were good sports and endured even more shopping for us!

Our little group at Rio Grande Winery

They loved the mountains, so we had to get a pic of them showing off the gorgeous scenery.

Just livin' the dream enjoying a few of our favorite things- live music, the great outdoors and good wine!

We were so sad to see Britt and Stephen go, but are definitely looking forward to the next time we can all get together. We truly cherish our friends from TX, and are so blessed that we are able to see them so often even being so far away. Thank you two for being so wonderful and such gracious guests. We love y'all!