Family Trip to Florida

It's a Johnson tradition to pack up and head to Florida every July for a week of fun, sun and family. Over the years, those that can make the voyage has varied. Some years it's just Joe and Ginger and some years, like this one, the whole group is able to make it. That's right, the entire Johnson clan, spouses and children were at Orange Lake Country Club in Kissimmee, Florida this year. In total, there were 13 of us - eight adults, two teenagers, one child and two babies.

The week was about as relaxing as they come and as overindulgent as they come too. A lot of sun, a lot of pool time, a lot of eating, a lot of pina coladas and a lot of fun. The only thing we were responsible for while on vacation was waking up, lathering on the sunscreen, dragging our bodies from the lounge chairs to the water, participating in happy hour poolside and showering up for a dinner of pizza, fast food and/or chain restaurants. No joke, that is the extent of our day, day in and day out. It's wonderful.

It was awesome to have the whole crew together (outside of a birthday or holiday celebration) and it certainly kept everyone on their toes, their very relaxed toes that is. Some of the highlights of the week include (but are not limited to): Celebrating Brad's 31st birthday at Logan's, staking out the perfect poolside location with just the right amount of sun and shade, playing putt-putt and shuffle board, celebrating Jenn's 41st...I mean 21st...birthday at Olive Garden, endless games of Yahtzee in the condo, doing the Skycoaster with Riley, waiting out the rain in Breeze's restaurant, sipping Brad's famous pina coladas, watching Gracie participate in the limbo contests, holding on to Twinners while they slept with their feet dangling in the water and last but certainly not least....spending a wonderful week with the whole dang family.

A big thank you goes out to Mom and Dad for housing all of us (three condos in total). It was a great time and having the whole group together was awesome. I know it meant a lot to you guys to have all your children, their spouses and your grandchildren in one place - happy and healthy. It meant a lot to us too. THANK YOU!



Kimmy and Brad


Deacon napping poolside


Avi snugs with Uncle B


No worries...just smiles.


Grandma and Gracie


Shuffle board time...in the HOT sun.


Riley (14) and Auntie Kimmy


So tired after all that driving in her inflatable car.


Tyler and Dad


Tami and Tyler


Grandma, a sleeping Deacon and Tyler


Poolside happy hour service...


Jenn, Kimmy and Tami


Brad, focused on making the perfect pina colada.


The girls lounging in the pool.


Jenn and Rog


The Grant Boys


Dad, Riley and Brad


D napping in his favorite place...the pool.


Dad and Mom


Brad and Kimmy

Until next year Florida...

To happy hour w/ Meg...and beyond!

When my dear friend Meg is in town (she lives in San Diego), it's a must that we get together. When I say "we" I don't mean just her and me. I mean, the whole gaggle of girls. Yep, the whole lot of em. Of course a few were absent but we still had 12 ladies gathered around a table (snuggly) at The Market Arms in Ballard on a Monday night. As usual, we acted as though we hadn't see one another in years (although Meg was the only one we hadn't seen in awhile), we finished each other's sentences and we laughed as though no one else was in the restaurant. The girls were back together...

As if happy hour with one another wasn't enough, we followed it up with an impromptu gathering at Ali's house to watch the premier of Bachelor Pad, a real tribute to trashy reality television. The next two hours were spent gossiping about the contestants on the show as if we knew them. Like really really knew them. Like knew them in the sense that they should have been at happy hour with us. When the show wrapped up the hanging out continued. While most of us left at 11 p.m., some stayed up until the wee hours of the morning. For once, I was in the group that left early. Can you believe it? No, I'm not growing up - I simply had to get to bed as I was watching Baby Lillian bright and early the next day and wanted to be on point. Maybe that is a sign of growing up? Let's hope so, thirty is knocking on the door...


The Greenlake House Roomies! (Kimmy, Jamie, Meg and Brooke)


Shanny, Amanda and Ali


Steph showing off the gigo glass of wine they serve for only $5!


Brookie and Mitchell


Guinan, Maime and Kimmy


Ali and Jen


Shannyn - So pleased with her bill of $10.25 (it included food AND drinks)!


Lillian meeting Auntie Meg for the first time


Lily being serenaded by the girls to the tune of "Good Night Sweetheart..." (Think Three Men and a Baby.)


Brett, Lily and Ali (A big thank you goes out to Brett who put up with an impromptu ladies gathering at the house and a big thank you to Lily for going to sleep even when there was a bunch of hooligans downstairs being loud.)


Look who came to the party...BRUCEY! (This makes sense to the girls who were in VBC.)


This was the first meeting of Bruce for Guinan and Meg. They are in love.

We miss you so much Meg and while we all want you back in the PNW, we understand you're simply not ready. Congrats on your new job (selling television sets), we know you'll knock em dead. Don't you worry, we're all waiting patiently for you to grow tired of the sun in SD and come home to the rain... LOVE YOU!

Long Overdue

I've become one of those people who has a blog but never blogs anymore. I hate those people. I continue to check their blogs daily in hopes of a of tiny morsel of activity that I can cling to until their next post. I follow people's blogs that I don't even talk to on a regular basis...or ever for that matter. Some of the blogs I follow (and enjoy most) are friends of friends, people I have never even met. I act as though they're my friends and repeat their stories to Brad as if he knows them too. I get excited when they announce a new baby, a new house or simply a good dinner. It's sad, but true. The world wide web has turned me into a monster. That's right, I'm an official blog stalker.

Because I hate people who have a blog, blog regularly and then stop for days/weeks/months at a time I have decided to post a "teaser" post. This post will touch on a few of the blog posts to come that will be more detailed. Hopefully this will suffice and put my "followers" at ease. I'll be back to blogging soon. I'll be back and better than ever. (That last part wasn't really true...I'll simply be back...probably the same as before.)

KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA
Johnson Family Trip
July 16 - 25, 2010


We brought with us an entire aisle of sunscreen and tanning products. (Do you see Brad being creepy in the background?)


We laid around at the pool for a week straight.


We rode the "World's Tallest Skycoaster" with Riley.


We got new shades.


We learned to eat and drink one handed.


We made pina coladas daily.


And we went to the beach...sort of.

More on our Florida trip in a future blog post...


VANCOUVER, B.C.
Brooke's Bachelorette Party
July 30 - August 1, 2010


We made themed drink koozies, door knockers and sippers for the group.


We rode the train north to Canada.


We ate delicious food at fun restaurants.


We "iced" the bride multiple times.


We had a pool party.


We wore matching tank tops.


And we saw the location of the Olympic torch.

More on the my trip to Vancouver, B.C. in a future post...

NEW YORK, NEW YORK
Matland/Fleming Wedding
August 5 - 7, 2010


We ate and drank until our pocketbooks hurt.


We got dressed up...and silly.


We witnessed a beautiful wedding.


We took pictures at sunset.


We posed with the bride and groom.


We went out after the wedding reception.


And we stayed up WAY later than we normally do.

More on our New York trip in a future post...

Well, that's all for now folks. Look forward to more posts in the near future as this summer has been (and continues to be) filled with travel, fun, sun, family and friends.