

Wednesday, 30 March 2011 in blogs i adore, crafty stuff, cupcakes and more, etsy goodies, food and drink, my favorite things | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
My dear friend Teresa, who I've known since Scott and I were married, has been emailing me and messaging me on FB, asking for a recipe that my mom had given her years ago on a trip to New Orleans. It was this totally yummy chicken, pasta, and cheese "casserole." Today, I finally checked that task off of my "to do" list and thought I would share it with you, too! It's actually quite simple and it makes A LOT of food ... you could definitely divide it into separate casserole dishes, have one for tonight, and freeze the other to have on one of those crazy, busy nights when you have no idea of what to cook! So, without further adieu, here's the recipe {sorry I don't have pictures to share!!}
Chicken Rotel Pasta
5 to 7 lbs chicken leg quarters
20 oz Velveeta Cheese
1 lb spaghetti noodles
1 10 oz can of diced Rotel {original}
1 10 3/4 oz can Cream of Chicken
1 large onion, chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Saute onion and celery. Boil chicken and noodles {separately}. Cut cheese into cubes, and combine with Rotel tomatoes in a microwave bowl. Microwave mixture, stirring frequently, until cheese has melted
In a large casserole dish, combine de-boned chicken, noodles, sauteed onions and celery, Cream of Chicken soup, and Rotel cheese mixture. Mix and cover; bake about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Credit for this recipe goes to my cousin's wife. I hope you all love it as much as our family does!!
Wednesday, 02 March 2011 in cooking and recipes, family, food and drink | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
![]() | Sara Johnson Design Consultant Email: saramcj@gmail.com Website: saramcj.willowhouse.com Phone: 940.228.7535 Mobile: 850.758.1105 |
Wednesday, 02 February 2011 in family, my favorite things, religion & faith, type 1 diabetes | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
I just have to brag a bit and say that I finally got my much awaited, highly anticipated Christmas present from my parents tonight ... a nookcolor ... and I am SO flippin' excited!!! I know those of you who have iPads could give a flip, but I think it's the coolest thing ever - well, that and my iPhone!! I'm so excited to load it up with the list of books that I have waiting for me at home that I have put off buying until I received this ... yay to happy reading!!! Here's some pics {from BN.com} -
the nookcolor Dessin case in Bright Pink - love it!!
So, now I am just waiting on my case to get to my house ... hopefully by the end of the week ... if we aren't snowed in!!
Wednesday, 26 January 2011 in books, just random stuff, my favorite things, NOOKcolor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Today, I am thankful for my amazing family ... through the good times, and the not-so-good ones, you will always be my greatest accomplishment. I am thankful that my sweet, little girl survived what could have been the most catastrophic day of our lives - and for our Father, God, who sent an angel to soften her fall. I am thankful for my husband, who is my rock, who is always there to lean on and laugh with, who loves me for who I am - despite my flaws. For my parents, who raised me to be the person that I am today - independent, strong, confident - and for always believing in me, even when I don't believe in myself. I am thankful for the United States Armed Forces, who spend every single day of their lives defending this wonderful nation, without regard to their personal feelings, hopes, dreams, wishes, etc. Thank you for putting our country, my family and every other American family and citizen ahead of your own families - and their wants and needs, and your own - so that we ALL may be safe, and can celebrate Thanksgiving the way that our founding fathers anticipated. Most of all, I am thankful for my life - my health, my family, my job, my friends, and my faith - and everything in it that truly makes it a blessing to be alive.
Here's hoping that you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, spent with family, friends, and those you are closest to. I know for our family, it wasn't the most traditional of Thanksgiving Days, but at the end of the day, I am thankful that I was able to share it with the ones that I love - near or far ... and I am thankful for my faith, because if it wasn't for faith in God, I certainly would not have made it through the past few years to a much better happier place.
In Better Hands - Natalie Grant
Thursday, 25 November 2010 in just random stuff, my favorite things, religion & faith | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
for composing these thoughts into tangible words ... because it is all that I have left to say.
God, grant me the...
Serenity to accept things we cannot change,
Courage to change the things we can,
and the Wisdom to know the difference.
Patience for the things that take time,
Appreciation for all that we have, and
Tolerance for those with different struggles.
Freedom to live beyond the limitations of our past ways,
the Ability to feel your love for us and our love for each other,
and the Strength to get up and try again even when we feel it is hopeless.
Tuesday, 16 November 2010 in religion & faith | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
I can't believe that it has been SIX months since I last blogged ... I'm seriously going to have to do better than that!! So many things have happened in the ppast few months, and SO many changes have been made in our lives that I find it hard to believe that I haven't written them down ... that probably means that I need to reprioritize things in my life ... or at least be a better planner and scheduler!
Anyway ... here's a brief rundown of the happenings over the past few months ...
I hope you are all doing well, and I promise to TRY to stay on top of this bloggity blog, even if it is just once a week or so!!!
Dinner out with my best friends in Florida ... I miss my girls!!
A day at the beach with my two little cuties!
Best friends after a day at the beach
An American Bison in the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge - so majestic.
view from the top of Mt. Scott
A family photo on top of Mt. Scott
Texas Longhorn and American Bison
the quaint little town of Medicine Park
10 Blissful Years ... and we're still smiling!!
and finally ... moi ... with a new color and cut ...
I hope this post finds you all happy and healthy, and enjoying your autumn ... it's finally feeling a bit like fall here, and that really makes me happy! Have a happy day and I'll see you soon! XoXo
Thursday, 11 November 2010 in just random stuff, my favorite things, travel | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
So, I know that I posted a while back about some of the crazy, drama-filled, emotional issues that have plagued our family over the past few years. Somehow, it continues to follow me and rear its ugly head just when things couldn't be any worse. Here's a message that I recently sent to some of my friends and family on Facebook that have been privy to the drama and circumstances surrounding them over the past 10+ years ...
*I know everyone has been sending messages, texts, comments, emails, and voicemails all day, and I am sorry that I am just now getting back to you all. I also apologize for the "mass group" message, but right now this was the easiest way for to let everyone know what has been going on and still keep my sanity!!
As most of you know, Scott and I have custody of his two daughters from his first marriage. While they have always been a blessing in my life, they have not always been easy to deal with. I was fairly young when I met them {21} and they were just itty bitty - 4 and 6 - younger than Emma and Patrick are now! I was 25 when we got married, and from the day we came back from our honeymoon, life has been one, HUGE roller coaster ride - mentally, emotionally, and physically {because of the emotional stuff and my diabetes.} It started with the oldest, Jess, who was right on the verge of becoming a "double-digit-er" {10}. Then the teen years, and hormones, and all of that other stuff involved with raising a girl, as well as all of the stuff that comes with raising a girl whose mother walked out on her and her sister when they were 3 and 1. You get the picture.
Fast-forward 10 years ... Jess is now a beautiful, talented, successful young woman who is in cosmetology school and doing exceptionally well! After struggling with school, and learning disabilities, she finally graduated from High School in June {Thank God for small miracles, and my parents!!!} She is a HUGE help around here, especially now that I am working and Scott's new job is taking him away for a few months at a time. I cannot tell you how proud I am of her, and how much I truly treasure the relationship that we have today.
On to recent events ... about the same time that Jess finally "grew" out of her psychologically challenging phase, Katie entered her own. It's been almost four years now, and it still hasn't gotten any better. She started pulling her hair out when she was about 14/15 - something I had never heard of until this happened. After some Googling, I found that it is actually quite common in teenage girls as a way to relieve stress and anxiety - similar to the way that some teens and young adults "cut" themselves. We immediately got her into treatment, with both a therapist and a psychiatrist, with the hopes that it would help resolve the emotional stress she was feeling because of facing the issues with her biological mother. It didn't. It hasn't. Almost four years, two therapists, two psychiatrists, and two hospital admissions later, things are still bad. Worse. She changed from a child who wanted nothing more than to please everyone by helping out around the house, always doing well in school and doing her work, loving the time that spent with her younger sister and brother, into a young teenage girl who is utterly miserable and unhappy. So much so that it's painful to even look at her sometimes. I hardly even recognize the sweet, little, blonde-haired girl that she once was. She doesn't want to talk to anyone. Doesn't listen to authority at all. She's completely disrespectful - she seriously has no respect for other people's feelings, property, etc. She doesn't take her medication - even when I setup her pill box every week and constantly remind her to do so. She takes too much of one med, not enough of the other, steals ADHD meds from her sister, and anti-anxiety meds from me. She has shoplifted, stolen from friends, stolen from her sister, and from us. She has basically given up on school, although she is at least showing up this year. She's been in the hospital twice since Feb/March of this year, for acute care. We have tried to get referrals to a long-term treatment facility, where she can learn how to cope with her illness and the stresses that life imposes, but were told by her psychiatrist that our insurance wouldn't cover inpatient treatment/Residential Treatment, even though she desperately needs it. About two weeks ago - right before Scott left - I called TriCare {the military's family insurance, for those of you who do not know} was told that nothing has ever been submitted to them, so there is no way that they could have denied a claim when one was never submitted. Nice, huh?? After months of turmoil and agony, nothing was ever submitted?? Lovely.
Making a long story even longer, I called the hospital yesterday that we were originally referred to by her therapist, and found that they also do acute care for adolescents, and once she is ready to be discharged, they will send her to either inpatient treatment, or refer her to a long-term, residential facility. Finally. There is peace in the world, if only for a moment in our household.
She, of course, didn't want to go because she thinks she'll be there forever. But I am positive that once she settles in, and realizes that it's something that she had to do, I know she will be okay, and finally open up and talk about everything that she has bottled up inside of her head for so very long. Of course, this was not an easy decision to make. But it was a necessary one, and one that our entire family needed. Her behavior was really starting to effect Emma and Patrick - emotionally and in school - and I could not just sit and wait for someone to do something that obviously wasn't being done. Not to mention that she wasn't in the right frame of mind and could have hurt herself or someone else ... mainly herself, and as bad and horrible as that would be, I was more concerned that IF she did, Emma or Patrick would be the ones to find her like that - and that scared the hell out of me! I cannot even think about the emotional damage and destruction that type of event would cause someone, especially two innocent little ones, who truly love their sister unconditionally. It would be catastrophic. I have have had one near life and death experience this year with a child - something that still haunts me. To come so close to losing a child is utterly unbearable - I cannot begin to imagine the pain that a parent feels when they do actually have to say good-bye.
So, she's there, for now, and things here are once again quiet, normal, and will hopefully be more settled in a couple of days. Now we just have to wait and see how long she stays there, what the therapist/child psychiatrist/mental health team there thinks is going to be best for her and her future, and what happens next. I'm not quite sure the roller coaster will ever end, but I am certainly hopeful that maybe just a few of the loppty-loops can be removed, and a new one can be built.
As for me, I'm okay. I am definitely stronger this time around - and certainly much older!! I have never been one to handle stress well ... just ask my mother and anyone who was ever around me while I was getting ready for a school dance, or a piano recital, or my wedding!!! I'm not so sure it's stress that I don't deal well with, but more the anxiety aspect. Not to mention the havoc it does to me, my body, and this lovely little diabetes thing that I have to deal with every. single. day. I won't even get into that - it's much too long, and way too detailed! And you thought your life was crazy-chaotic-kooky-busy?? Ha!
Thank you all SO very much for all of the thoughts, prayers, kind words, messages, texts, etc. that you have sent today - and over the last ten years of my very interesting-never a dull moment life. It truly means the world to me to have such amazing friends and family that I know will always be there to support me, cheer me on, laugh with me, cry with me, and hold me up when I stumble {or down right fall flat on my ass!} To my lifelong friends, to those of you I have known ALMOST that long, to the ones that I have made because I married a wonderful husband who was proud to serve his country in the US Air Force, and to those of you whom I've met somewhere along this long, winding path called life - I cannot, truly, thank you enough for always standing by my side. Despite our differences in religion, politics, "mommy" styles, friends, and of course, size {'cause I was NEVER the skinny chic!!!} you have made my life wonderful. You have made my life one that I am proud to call mine. And you have loved me through it all - the good, the bad, the ugly, the PMS, the Wedding Bridezilla that I became when the limos went over on their time and needed more money {you know who you are!! LMBO!!} I thank God every single day for the people who have touched my life in such amazing ways ... some have been small, others large ... but you have all made an impression on my heart, and I just wanted to let you know that I am truly thankful. Even a FB message as long as this one is cannot begin to say how grateful I am!!
So, in conclusion, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, because I am sure the road ahead isn't going to be short - or smooth. But I know that with the love and support of such amazing women, I can handle just about anything!!!!
♥ you all!*
You know, I really don't ask for much. I know that when things get tough, my vice is to spend money - i.e. go shopping - but even that doesn't help the daily turmoil that is my life at the moment. And I know many you will say that I need to pray ... trust me, I cannot believe that I do not have scraps and bruises on my knees from the amount of praying that I have done, and continue to do. Prayer has gotten me through many things in the past few years, and I am firm believer of turning it over to God. And I am not one to really question God, or my faith, because he has been VERY good to me in the past ... there are a few specific places in my life's story that I have needed Him, and prayed that He would take of things, in His way ... and he did. I cannot even begin to explain how thankful I am for the blessings that he has given me. And I know that this, too, shall pass. He will take care of things, of us, of our family ... but sometimes I just need to know how things will turn out. Just a glimmer, or a glimpse, a little bit of insight to know that things will be okay. I know He will take do things in His way, the best way, no matter how I may feel. So, I'm leaving it in his hands ... to give me the strength to follow His guidance, to journey on the path that He lays out for me to take. It's all I can do ... I'm too weak, too tired, too broken, not to follow his lead.
Sunday, 07 November 2010 in just random stuff, religion & faith, stupid teenager crap | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
while I make a few changes around here . . . the ol' blog was starting to feel a bit stuffy and I thought I would give it a bit a facelift. I just loved this cute little blog set - Chit Chat - from the wonderfully fabulous Shabby Miss Jenn. Totally perfect for a blog facelift, huh? So, please pardon the dust and somewhat goofy look to the bloggity blog here as I tweek some codes and add some things to make it much more user friendly {and hopefully a little simpler to navigate as I reorganize some stuff!}
As you can probably tell from the time of this post, I am a total insomniac!! I hate those nights that I just can't get to sleep - or in may case, usually, stay asleep. What a pain, especially with two small kiddos! With that, I leave you with a few random pictures that were taken over the past couple of weeks. Most of them were edited, either using PhotoShop actions from the beautiful and talented Sarah Cornish at My Four Hens Photography or Lightroom Presets from Kelsey Smith. And speaking of actions and presets - I'll be adding a new category on my sidebar just for photography fans {because I am by NO means a photog!! wish I were!} that will have links to some very cool sites that specialize in PS Actions and LR Presets! So be on the lookout!!Tuesday, 11 May 2010 in digi scrap stuff, just random stuff | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
It seems like the past few times that I have visited NOLA, I haven't had the opportunity to do and see the things that I feel are important for my kids to experience in my hometown. So, when we are there in June, I am making a list of everything that I plan to see/do/visit/experience - even if I have to pack them all into a few days! And obviously, there will be lots of pictures - photos that I can edit, develop, and hang in our home so that my children will understand just how important the city of New Orleans is to me - to my past and to our future.
- Hansen's Sno Bliz
- The Zoo
- The Aquarium
- French Quarter and all that that entails: St. Louis Cathedral, Cafe duMonde, Jackson Square, and on & on.
- Uptown, the Garden District, and the Univeristy area
- riding the street cars and seeing the River
- of course 'llI have to visit Sucre, PJ's on Magazine, Scriptura, earthsavers, The Flying Burrito, and Central Grocery
And of course, our trip south wouldn't be complete without a much needed visit to the white, sandy beaches of the Emerald Coast! I am so excited to be able to go back to our *home* for the last 9 of 10 years of our lives. We'll get to visit friends, soak up some sun, enjoy some crazy good seafood, and just relax while enjoying Destin and FWB.
So, get ready Southerners - the Johnson clan from Texas is heading home to recoup, and enjoy some of the much needed southern hospitality that's totally in our blood!!
Thursday, 06 May 2010 in food and drink, just random stuff, my favorite things, travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
I really don't think my life was meant to be laid back and fancy free. I mean, I never thought it would be easy, or uncomplicated, but lately it has been one big thing after another. Two weekends ago, for example. What started out as a fun trip to Houston to visit friends and enjoy some crawfish and beer, turned into the scariest, most terrifying event of my life.
My daughter, the one who has an adventurous streak to her, but usually is quite cautious, decided that she wanted to look out of the window. No biggie. Even though it was in the second story bedroom, and the windows were open because it was gorgeous day still wasn't a problem. When she proceeded to stand on top of a doll house to see even further - that became a problem. Somewhere in the mix, she lost her balance and fell against the screen and flipped out of the window. Then came the "THUNK!" sound. My husband and oldest daughter went running outside to see what it was. He heard her crying, and thought she had tripped over a swing in the yard. She was lying in the dirt - between the gazebo and the grill - and was on her hands and knees. When he looked around, he saw the screen next to her, looked up and saw that the window was wide open and flipped. He carried inside and as I was checking her out and asking where the nearest hospital was, I moved her hair out of her face and saw the biggest, nastiest "bump" {that's not even close to what it looked like!} on her forehead! I thought I might pass out, because I knew she had hit her head and hard! After grabbing the phone, and calling 911, and trying to keep her from moving around, I went into panic mode.
I was still in my PJ's {along with most everyone else!} I threw on my clothes - bra, shirt, pants, shoes - and continued talking to the 911 dispatcher. I somehow managed to do this without losing it completely.
The paramedics arrived and of course said we shouldn't have moved her {yes, he knew this, but it was his baby girl, and I'm quite sure he wasn't thinking logically seeing her lying in the dirt - knowing she had just fallen about 20 feet out of a window.} After asking us what seemed to be 80 billion questions, and getting her stabilized on the board and putting a neck brace on her {which she HATED!} I asked which hospital we were going to. Of course I knew the answer - downtown, Memorial Hermann. The BIG one. Like, for major traumas and stuff. NOT good. I think I started feeling nauseous at this point.
Every little thing that I could possibly imagine that wasn't good popped into my crazy head.
What if she had a skull fracture?
What if she had bleeding in her brain?
What if her brain started swelling, and she went into a coma?
What if she went into a coma and never woke up?
What if . . . ?
I just couldn't go there.
Now, we were in Houston, which meant great medical care, but Houston is HUGE. Like GINORMOUS. And my husband has NO idea where to go and how to get to the Medical Center part of Houston. I had lived in Houston and I don't think I could have gotten there without serious help. Add to that the stress of knowing that your child was being taken via ambulance to a major trauma center with a closed head injury and, well, you get where I'm going - no clue.
None.
Thankfully, our friends were the biggest help!!
I rode in the ambulance with Emma - who, by the way, was just fine. All she was concerned with was whether or not she was going to have to get shots {which she didn't want} and if the tape that was holding her head and neck in place on the board was going to hurt when it came off {nice, huh?} Of course, on the ride to the hospital, all she wanted to do was sleep - which freaked me out completely. The paramedic said it was okay, since all of her vitals were perfect. But I couldn't let her. What if her brain was swelling and she fell asleep and wouldn't wake up again. So, I kept her awake any way I could think of - tickling her feet, poking her, talking to her. She didn't like me much. I didn't care. If she was awake, then she was fine. Right?
When we got to the hospital was when all of the fun started. More questions. More medical history {don't these people read the notes that the people before them took?} More waiting.
Good thing - we were at one of the best trauma centers in the country. In a Major Trauma room.
Bad thing - we were in one of the biggest cities in the country. In a Major Trauma room.
Her doctor was awesome. The nurses were awesome. The Child Life Specialist was especially awesome. She gave Emma her own pink DVD player, and all of the girly movies a girl could want! Those came in very handy for our looooong wait. Did I mention that we were in Houston? That the hospital was where they took all of the really serious injuries - car accidents, gunshot victims, etc? Yep. That was us.
It should have made feel better that we were being pushed back in the wait for the CT. Oh, one more thing . . . the busiest trauma center in the country - they only have one, ONE, CT machine for the entire Trauma Unit. One. Not so good. I think we waited at least three hours to have her CT scan. Every time we were next in line, someone more serious came in and bumped us back. Good for us, I guess.
So, I digress.
Once her CT scans were done, and her x-rays were taken, the doctor came in shaking his head. Nothing. No brain injury. No brain bleed. No fractured skull. No broken bones. Nothing. Nada. Of course, it didn't mean that should could have a concussion, but she may not have symptoms for a few hours, or even a day. All she had was a swollen, black and blue eye, and huge bump on her head - with a couple of scrapes. That's it. THAT'S IT!!!! I don't even think I wrap my head around that. Even now. I cannot comprehend it. It was truly a miracle. Truly. God had protected my child that day in an extraordinary way. Her Guardian Angel had earned her wings, and used them to protect my baby from what could have been an incredibly horrific event. I honestly have no words to describe it.
Later that evening, when we were on our way back to our friends' house, she told me that she had been scared. I told her that I was too. More scared than I had ever been in my life. I told her that she was very lucky. That she was very blessed - we all were. God had protected her and watched over her to make sure that had been okay. I told her the one thing that I knew to be true - that God had known that her Mommy and Daddy needed her here with them now, more than He needed her. I had to believe that, because there was no other explanation. Twice He has protected her, and given her to us in perfect form. Once on the day that she was born {another story for another day} and again on this day. April 11, 2010.
She's my angel. All smiles after getting home from the hospital!! Thank God for those smiles.
Not a moment goes by that I won't appreciate the little things that my children do. Especially now. Because in a moment, they could be taken from me. And I will never forget that.
Thursday, 22 April 2010 in child inspiration, just random stuff, religion & faith | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Thursday, 01 April 2010 in food and drink, just random stuff, stupid teenager crap, type 1 diabetes | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)









