eight of six thousand-ish.

I'm just a little excited.

two thousand ten.

in one year,

i will not worry as much what others think.
when someone hates me, they hate me.
and sometimes, there's nothing i can do about it.
i just need to not be sad about it.
and move on.

my temple recommend will be used and worn.
because it will have been used every week.
and have attended every temple in utah.

i will be closer to the Lord.
because i really studied and pondered using my scriptures every day.
and prayed on my knees with a heart full every morning and night.
and not focused so much on myself and what i want.
but focused on others in a heartfelt, caring way.
and expressed my gratitude for everything i have.
and received guidance in huge decisions of the year.

i will have a hot bod.
from the gym.
from xc skiing. hiking. running.
and from rock climbing ( i hope )
and from eating really healthy.
and knowing when to stop.
stop eating, that is.

i will love everyone that i meet.
and focus on the good that i see in everyone.
and not the little things that annoy me.
whether they listen to glenn beck or awful music, lack basic parenting skills, or talk too much.

be a better teacher.
and more confident.
and put more time and effort into my preparation.
and reflections.
and reach out and be more assertive.

and i'll be super happy.
because that's how i should be.
no matter what happens this year.

goodbye, 2009.

It's weird to say that I'm grateful for 2009.


And glad that it happened.


but, I am.

Don't get me wrong, there are several events in 2009 that I wished would have never happened. But, they did.

{You know it's been a bad year when your mother says to skip out on the 2009 update with the Christmas card, because we don't have anything happy to tell anyone. Well, other than, 'Larry's still working from home and loving it..'}

Throughout this year, I have learned such important lessons
In addition to this list made in May,
I have learned that you are never alone.
Despite how alone you may feel, there is always one who knows exactly what you are feeling.
I have learned that my grandmother is amazing.
And I look up to her, and her ability to still be able to smile and laugh, even though no one in the room can understand her.
I have learned that the Johnson family is the strongest family in the world.
I remember walking away, confused, at how I wanted to help them feel more comforted, but walked away feeling more comforted than I ever could have offered to them.
I have learned that the temple is the closest place to heaven on earth.
And that I will forever live my life in a way where I will always have a recommend.
I have learned that blogs are great. And have been my therapy throughout this year.
I have learned that attitude and confidence affect everything.
Especially with your ability to learn and grow.
I have learned what it feels like to be a burnt-out first year teacher, without even being a first-year teacher. Thanks to being sick, mostly. And the lesson learned directly above this one.
I have learned that Iron & Wine and Sigur Ros are wonderful.
And I have learned that sometimes life is just meant to endured.
And that everything will be okay.
You just need to look at it with an eternal perspective.
And all your negative thoughts, insecurities, disappointments, pains, and tears disappear.
I promise.

This will be me on Saturday, hopefully.
(Well minus the blonde hair and pixie dust)

Please, 2010.
Be a little easier than 2009.

pictures via

oh, he's a good one.

...that santa

(or satan, as samuel calls him)

because this upcoming january we'll be here -

and the january after (maybe) we'll be here -



and i can go shopping here -




and now i don't feel at all guilty about buying this.



thank you, santa (s).

(i'm pretty sure that i have three santas that come to my house)

my new best friend.

his name is skrapshtebazilenerual2.



he's super fun.
and probably the best best friend I've ever had.
and we play a lot.
and he goes everywhere with me.
i don't even miss skraps the first that much.

(my dad's way jealous of our new friendship)

december is for birthdays. . .

yesterday was the nineteenth.
that means it was my grandfather's birthday.



This is my grandpa, JL.
He was a principal.

My grandpa is one of my best friends.
After all, he was the second person I told about my first kiss on the way to st. george.
(my parents and sisters count as one person, I just decided)
He is one who recommends me to read certain books.
We've been on lots of many road trips.
Been to auctions. Named cows after me and my best friend, Erika.
(even though he didn't tell me that those cows were the very same ones that were in my basement freezer)
We go out to lunch or dinner at least once a month.
From him I've learned
To always be happy. And smile. And laugh.
That when he says that he'll throw you out the window, he's just pretending.
About Jeffrey the Monkey and his many adventures.
That it is possible for someone to know the name of every player on every team in every sport.
{I promise, it's true.}
To always smell the ground before you set your sleeping bag on the floor of an old apartment (actually, I think he may have learned that one from me)
That when you're working hard, nothing is better and easier than slim fasts and v8.
What happened to the three marines when they ate the beans. . .
That if you ever think you are good at Monopoly, my grandpa is better. Always.
The key to get rich.
Well, not the actual key to get rich. But that there is one.
I think it has something to do with cows, monopoly, macadamia nuts and paint.
and that Almond Rocas, Sees candies, and Sour Cream Twists are really yummy.

Oh, I love my spanky grandpa.
He's the best.

(Even though one time he tried to poison us with dog food. But that's a story for another time...)



today is the twentieth.
that means that it is my mother's birthday.


meet little stefanie.
{the daughter of aforementioned JL}

isn't she a cutie cutie?

On Mother's Day, I wrote this for my mother.
She is a cutie cutie, huh?
I still stand by every word I said
(except that she made her children drink hormone-free milk. I found out that that only lasted a month or two)

She is a wise woman.
And she hand-quilts,
Claims she was born in the wrong era,
And, come January, she will be working much closer.
Because she loves us so much.


Love you, mother.

'dedicated to every single girl in the whole world'

oh, I love that this boy is home now.


{this boy is named fred}
fred is greg's best friend in the whole entire world

so we can find, watch, and laugh until we cry at lost videos like this:




reminisce about alex's christmas parties,
landon's deep voice when he wants something,
dave and that one time that he couldn't go to guitar center,
jacob on that one awkward date,
everything about greg (obviously) -,
and the disneyland trip that I didn't go on, but remember it like I was there,
(but mostly glad that I wasn't there)

burgess park barbecues,
this picture taken at a burgess park barbecue,


this show,


and all of our other high school/post high school activities,
and also plan for super awesome parties to come in the future and this summer.

I'm excited for the rest of the gang to be home.


I sure have missed them.

{well mostly greg}
but I still miss jacob, dave, landon, and alex quite a bit.
















(greg and I laughed super hard at these two photos probably once every two months)
oh, they're the greatest