So.

I realized last week that I forgot a week.

So.

Here are another 5,000 pictures.

BUT.

I am officially caught up.

Just like my daughter is officially a cat/skunk/puppy/panda instead of a wolf at her class parade today.

We’ve got some work to do over the weekend.

We walked for Liam two Saturdays ago.

A great event.

It raised over $60,000 for Down Syndrome awareness, programs and research.

We think Liam is awesome.

We think Liam’s hard working parents who continually do what’s best for him are awesome.

We are proud of him.  We are proud of them.

Raising a special needs kid is not an easy job.  And they do it well.

9 times out of 10, I am thankful for our DVR.

Thankful that it’s eliminated commercials from my life.

Thankful that it feels like we can squeeze 17 shows into the time it used to take to watch one.

Not thankful for Sunday afternoons when it makes my husband mental.

I usually go and pick up sandwiches for lunch at a place that watches the game like a normal person.

Or I glance at Facebook or Twitter on my phone.

Therefore learning the outcome and having to fake smile until we catch up to real time.

Because apparently the look in my eyes gives it all away.

I know the sandwich/social media ban is coming.  I’m just waiting.

Do you have friends in your life that just “get you” with out having to say much?

We are blessed with lots of those.

And this group is at the top of the list.

Jason celebrated a birthday two weeks ago.

Original plan was the new Cheesecake Factory.

But the wait was 5 years.  Sooo.  Outback it was.

Premarital counseling over FaceTime.  I love 2011.

Although I would have loved having them in our living room more.

A wedding ring-less Dave playing Tic Tac Toe with K.

The first one’s at the bottom of Lake Tulloch.

The second one’s at the bottom of Lake Shasta.

The third one’s at the bottom of the Pacific.

We gave up after that.

Cochlear implant mapping is seriously tough work.  Especially on a Monday.

And Connect-4 is officially ruined as a family game night option.

Sisterly love.

Ashlyn, “the pest” had ransacked Kayla’s My Little Pony compound.

Rough times.

Tax collectors.

Not very popular during biblical times.

Not much has changed.

Breakfast in a Jar.

Trader Joe’s Organic Greek Style Vanilla Yogurt.

Trader Joe’s Freeze Dried blueberries.

Fresh strawberries.

Trader Joe’s Just the Clusters Vanilla Almond Granola cereal.

You are welcome.

They stink.  And are super creepy.

Because the look JUST. LIKE. STICKS.

Until they crawl.  Because sticks don’t crawl.

The other class pet is a cockroach “that’s even stinkier because there is real garbage for food!”

No.  No.  NO.  A million times no.

Toy ‘R Us run with Pops.

Ashlyn got her 18th mechanical mini-helicopter of the year.

Kayla got Hello Kitty gum in a mini pie tin.

I’m wondering if this baby can get any cuter?

I don’t think it’s possible.

She came to play for a bit last week.

And she left a toy.

And Ashlyn reminds me that it’s the baby’s toy at least 7 times a day.

“BeeBee Toy.  Mama.  BeeBee TOYYY.”

I might be Fall, but lemonade season lives on in their minds.

Especially when it’s still 80 degrees outside.

Strawberry-infused, slightly sweetened lemon water, according to Kayla.

And quite good, I must say.

“Wellll hiiiiii guysssss.  Welcome to our homeee.”

All slow and deep and melancholy.

That’s how I picture his voice in my head.

If he had a voice.

San Mateo is HOPPING as of late.

And it’s kind of exciting.

Besides Tom Brady, not much puts us on the map.

We have a nice mall.

With a super slow Cheesecake Factory.

And well, that’s about it.

But Gerard was in town yesterday.

About a mile from our house.

Filming a biography about surfer Jay Moriarty.

Of Men and Mavericks.

I can’t wait to see it!

Here’s to furry fleece bits all over our living room.

Here’s to late night JoAnn runs with screaming, tired children.

Here’s to a gluey film all over our table.

Here’s our cat/skunk/puppy/panda.

Yes.  We’ve got work to do.

 

Happy Friday!

Linking up with Jeannett…

 

If anyone needs me.

I will be trying to turn this:

Into something like this:

Or maybe this:

But definitely not this:

Without a sewing machine.

Because my daughter wants to be a wolf for Halloween.

And she howls every time she makes reference.

Anyone: “Kayla, what are you going to be for Halloween?”

Kayla: “AaaaaaaaaarOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.  A wolf.”

Ashlyn will be Minnie Mouse.

For the 2nd year in a row.

 

So while I’m trying to figure out how to hot glue faux fur onto an Old Navy track suit,

READ THIS.

A lovely recap.

That makes me crave chowder in a bread bowl.

And want to go up to San Fran right this second.

And rent an RV and stay in my own driveway.

And miss them.  Terribly.

It may also give you a little insight as to why Kayla loves wolves so much.

AaaaaaaaaarOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

There’s been lots of Nike 1/2 Marathon talk going on around these parts.

This Couch to 5K drop-out had little chance in that event.

So consider what you’re about to read an Insta-marathon of sorts.

With 5,000 pictures.

Starting from a month ago.

We hosted a shower for this cute little bride-to-be last month.

Well.

I say “we.”

But really Kim and Betsy hosted.

I just opened my front door.

They did everything else.

And by everything else, I mean:

food prep and set-up;

decoration prep and set-up;

melting plastic in my oven;

and breaking my ice maker.

To be fair to Betsy,

Kim is responsible for the last two.

It was a special day.

For a very special girl.

Kayla went to a birthday party next door to the house where my grandmother grew up.

She doesn’t live there anymore.

She was born there.

This is the house.

My grandmother later told me that Kayla’s friend’s house used to be her friend Mae Louise’s house.

Mae Louise was her maid of honor when she married my grandpa in 1942.

100% guessing on this date.

Because it’s 9:51 pm and I can’t call her.

I am basing my assumption of an uber hideous pink satin culotte/dress that I wore to their 50th anniversary party.

It had to be early 90′s.  I’m going with 1992.

And why is “cool” any part of the word culottes?

Anywaysssss.  Nostalgia.  At it’s finest.

More nostalgia.

One of my childhood best friends, who loved me even when I wore satin culottes

just moved down the street from us!

This is Ashlyn (violating MD orders) and Mary’s daughter Abbie.

Her baby twins were inside sleeping.

Her husband, Tom was on jeep patrol, seeing to it that my daughter didn’t need corrective surgery while I was capturing memories.

Thanks, Tom.

Beyond thrilled at this new scenario.

Excited that our kids will grow up together.

More childhood/high school friends.

Vicci (center, holding the other Jessica‘s baby) moved to Texas.

But comes back every once in a while for work.

We try and get together when it’s possible.

And we always have the best time.

And laugh ALOT.

I love laughing with them.

En route to Blog Sugar we stopped to visit Margaret.

Who happened to be celebrating a pretty significant birthday.

Kim, Laura and I ate our way down Hwy 5.

Which is pretty much the only redeeming quality of Hwy 5.

Well, that.  And the awesome skies.

Not redeeming?

Harris Ranch and it’s putrid stench.

Kim brought Margaret some interesting gifts.

In ultra hideous wrapping.

And I came home to this:

Fantasy Football Draft #637 of the season.

3 weeks AFTER the season had started “to make it more interesting…”

Deliver me.

She loves Petco more than Disneyland.

And is trying to talk us into buying a hamster.

No successful.

Yet.

RV traveling blog friends in our driveway.

I realized after they left that Kayla thought their daughter Ari’s name was “Arvy” the whole time.

As in RV.

Still cracks me up.

I got my vegan on and tried Val’s veggie tortellini bake.

It tastes better when Val makes it.

We even went on a double date!

Thanks Kim and Jamie for watching the kiddos!

My birthday was on October 1.

It was a glamorous day.

Cleaning up sappy leaves at Kayla’s school.

Allergies.

Dinner at a local burger place.

And some star gazing with my two favorite nerds.

And my favorite present.

Finding this on Kayla’s bed after she’d fallen fast asleep.

No words for how much I love it.

PinterTest Kitchen launched earlier this month.

The next linky party is coming up.

Thursday, November 3.

Get to baking.  And making.  And blogging.

What are you going to link up?

 

Sometimes Words with Friends can get ugly.  And rude.

I beat him most of the time, for the record.

Cara turned the big 3-0 this month.

We work together.  For the next 10 days at least.

She dispatches San Francisco.

Her sister Brianne worked with Dave on the ambulance for years.

We go wayyyyy back.

I love her.  I love her sister.  I love her whole family.

“Ey. Ey. Ey. Ey. Ey. Ey. Ey.  Mama… Mama… Mama… Mama… Mama… Mama… Mama…  A wane-boh!”

Some days I think I will be quite sad when her cute, repetitive deaf speech fades away.

Super talented and crafty Julie made this for my birthday.

Creepachino = my favorite green tea frapp.

Kayla = jealous of Julie’s mad skills; one-upper.

More birthday fun.

Dinner at P.F. Chang’s and dessert at Sprinkles.

Thanks, girls for a fun night!

And for a good excuse to eat cupcakes.

Hope turned one last Sunday.

Our little church is growing up fast.

It’s been a fun, full and challenging year.

And I’ve loved every second.

Class is in session, folks.  Listen up.

Those are very expensive Longaberger desks.

Fleet Week.  Again.

My perspective.

Lunch with Teri.  And Eileen.  And Jerry.

Birthday dinner for Michelle (far right).

We all went to junior high together.

This is the only picture I could find that has us all in it.

It deserves a post of its’ own, right?

Trojans for Life.

Benefit auction at the Club last weekend.

Western theme.

Dave’s favorite.

He bid on a bunch of boot lamps for my dad in the silent auction.

Dad clearly came out the big winner.

And I’ll leave you (finally!!) with a little rainy day mischief at Nan and Pops.

Happy Friday, friends!

Linking up with Jeannett.

 

Yesterday was a big, huge, giant day for a certain little girl in the Johnson house.

Ashlyn’s “new ear” was turned on.

We’d been watching lots of cochlear implant activation videos on YouTube in anticipation.

Don’t be jealous of our exciting Friday nights.

Many of the more popular ones are pretty amazing.

I knew in my heart Ashlyn’s experience would be different.

I didn’t imagine her being shocked or surprised.

Or overwhelmed and crying.

And she wasn’t.

Because she’s always had some hearing.

Just not enough.

And, although it was a big day.

It was also a simple day.

A proud little girl who can identify the numbers 4 and 2.

Who’s adjusting very well to hearing sounds in a new way.

A good God who has a great plan.

And two very thankful parents.

I have a secret.

Yesterday, I did not own a Crockpot.

Tonight, I want to run off to Bora Bora with it.

Head over heels in L-O-V-E.

Why did I wait so long?

No clue.

 

I’d been pinning lots of yummy slow cooker recipes.

With no slow cooker.

Pointless pins.

Until today.

Hamilton-Beach black and silver beauty.

Welcome to your new home.

Sorry to make you work so soon.

 

I have another secret.

I listen to Jay-Z.

While slow cooking.

“You should know that I bleed blue.  But I ain’t a Crip, yo…”

 

Ready for the recipe?

We just had it for dinner.

It’s a good one.

And ridiculously easy.

As I imagine every slow cooker recipe is.

I think I might slow cook every day for the rest of my life.

In Bora Bora.

 

Original recipe here.

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 bottle BBQ sauce (I used Kraft).

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. garlic powder

Dump ingredients (sans chicken) in slow cooker.

Stir.

Add chicken and coat in sauce.

Cook on low 4-6 hours.

Done.

And delicious.

There are quite a few perks available when your dad owns a tugboat company.

Like having the best seat in the house for San Francisco’s Fleet Week festivities.

I also had a tugboat named after me once.  For a few months.

Then it was sold on Ebay, sailed to Mexico and scrapped for parts.

Adios Delta Jessica.

My dad, along with his two partners Ron Charlesworth and Jack Going bought BayDelta Tugs in 1993.

They worked crazy hard for 18 years to build one of the most well-respected companies on the San Francisco Bay.

They sold BayDelta last month and are somewhat officially retired.

My dad’s new job is calling the San Jose Mercury crossword hotline from the closet so my mom won’t see.

If you’re really quiet, when you walk into their house you can hear him.

Whispering near the suits he once wore.

“13 down, please.  OK, OK.  Got it.  Now 27 across.”

Anyway, back to the festivities.  Not aboard the Delta Jessica.

Awesome photo credits to Dave.

 

Bonus points if you can identify the celebrity on board pictured here with Jack’s wife, Billie.

Hint: Dave greeted him with the following: “Thank you for making my childhood such a memorable one.”

Hint: Dave is obsessed with sports.

Hint: The celebrity caught a REALLY important pass in 1981.

Super fun day.  Super perfect weather.

And, due to the sale, likely the last year it will happen.

I petitioned for a “Fleet Week forever” clause in the sale agreement.

But it was scrapped.  Like my boat.

Well hello there and welcome!

I am excited.

Annoying, over-the-top excited.

So happy you’re here.

 

I’ve known for quite some time which recipe I was going to feature first.

For a variety of reasons.

I have all the ingredients on hand.

I love chocolate cherry anything, especially shortbread.

Ever since I pinned them, I haven’t stopped thinking about them.

Are you ready??

Let’s get this party started!

 

These are the ingredients you’ll need.

1 cup unsalted butter (softened)

1 cup powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons maraschino cherry “juice”

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, chopped

granulated sugar, for coating the cookies

36 Hershey’s milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream butter in mixer w/ paddle attachment on medium setting for about 1 minute.

Now’s the time to chop cherries as your mixer is hard at work.

I cut about 3/4 of the jar in 1/8′s.

Reduce mixer to low and add powdered sugar and salt.

Next add cherry juice and almond extract.

With mixer still on low, add flour.

Increase mixer speed to medium and add cherries.

Be sure to scrape sides of bowl with your pink pig spatula.

What?  You don’t have a pink pig spatula?

Well, I’m sad for you.

 

Shape dough into 1 in. balls and roll/coat in granulated sugar.

Set them about 2 in. apart on a baking sheet.

I swear by this baking sheet.

Well, that and my pink pig spatula.

Using your thumb, gently press the center of each cookie.

Bake for 14 minutes.

 

While cookies are baking, unwrap your kisses.

Once removed from the oven, press a chocolate kiss in the center of each one.

Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely.

Viola!

Aren’t they cute?  And they taste delicious!

 

A few comments/thoughts:

Next batch I make, I’m going to fold in an additional 1/2 cup chopped cherries after mixing.

My mixer kind of battered the first 1/2 cup so I didn’t get that chunky cherry look or taste.

Also, I may add a little more almond extract.

 

But they were really good!  And super easy.

 

So.  Now it’s your turn!

What’d you make?

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Grab a button and link up below!

 

I love that our backyard looks like this right now.

The overcast skies.

The changing leaves.

Super green grass.

Fall is here.

I also love that I’m able to take this picture.

Dave got me a new lens for my birthday that replaces the old one Ashlyn broke.

Thanks favorite husband.

 

Also, Kim vlogged.  Go look.

She wants me to vlog, too.

That won’t be happening.

I have self-diagnosed clinical vlogophobia.

 

Also,

this darling little family parked their RV in front of the house over the weekend.

They left on Sunday afternoon.

Our driveway is empty but our hearts are full.

Lauren, the mama and I became friends via our blogs last year.

And as a faithful reader, I knew we would be different.

She and her family are mostly organic herbivores.

While I could very well cease to exist without the tangy aftertaste high fructose corn syrup gives my ketchup.

And my youngest sometimes eats My Little Pony fruit snacks for breakfast.

They don’t watch much, if any, TV.

My oldest sometimes watches My Little Pony for breakfast.

She travelled across country with a no media flip phone.

I can’t travel to a neighboring town without my smart phone.

She home schools.

I don’t.

 

While it would be easy to feel the need to change the way we live.

Pretend we were something we were not.

Feel insecure about our choices.

I never felt that way.

Because we have Jesus in common.

She is my sister in Him.

And that commonality outweighs any difference.

We miss them already.

 

Are you baking?  Are you crafting?

Remember this Thursday is the first PinterTest Kitchen linky party!

I hope you will participate.

I think it will be fun.

Here’s a sneak peek at what I’ve been working on today.

Surprise!

It’s food.

 

Oh and here’s the button.

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Link up!  This Thursday.

Can’t wait to see what we’ve accomplished together!