Christmas 2009 Highlights

Christmas 2009

The weather was beautiful for viewing, but not so much for driving in. Luckily we left Wednesday night before the storm hit and were able to watch most of the falling snow safely up north. Our drive home on Sunday was slow, but thankfully safe.

Here are the highlights to our second year celebrating Christmas as a family.

Papa Marv, Anthony and Grandma Carol
We spent Christmas Eve in Grand Rapids instead of Chisholm because of the bad weather. The celebration was low-key, but wonderful. Thank you for hosting!

The Bat Cave.
When Anthony opened this present all others were forgotten about. To say that he's in love with Robin, Batman, Joker, Penguin and Super Dog would be putting it mildly. Right now the Bat Cave isn't in use, but Anthony is sleeping with all of his super heroes.
What a perfect Anthony gift!

Grandma was able to snuggle under the beautiful quilt she made Anthony while he entertained her with superhero play.

Santa's coming!
Anthony had to leave out a treat for Santa. It consisted of three date balls, a glass of milk and a carrot for the reindeer.
What fun!

Christmas morning --- The choo choo he wanted so badly from Santa was waiting for him!

The snow continued to fall and we were able to get outside and play Christmas morning. Anthony enjoyed the sled, visiting the local ice rink and making his first snowman of the year.

Family photo by our finished snowman.

On Christmas Day we traveled up north to celebrate with my family. The roads were a bit treacherous; however, the view was spectacular!

After another fabulous meal Anthony took a needed nap. When he woke up he got some snuggling time in with Grandma Kathy.

The Wii!
My parents surprised us by purchasing a Wii for "us kids" to play with when we get together. Mark, Erik and I had great fun creating Miis and "breaking in" our new entertainment. (Who knew boxing could create so much sweat? Whew!)

When A woke up he wanted to try some big game hunting with daddy.

Anthony LOVES Legos and was delightfully surprised to open a gift and find a whole box. Daddy and him worked on building a house, car and helicopter.

Uncle Santa Claus!

Overall, our holiday celebration was low-key and laid back, which is exactly what we needed. The only thing amiss was the Tuttles. Because baby Asher was born a month early their doctor advised keeping close to home and not having any large gatherings. He still needs to work on developing his lungs and getting stronger each and everyday. So for now the Johnson Christmas celebration is put on hold until January. It will be great to get together in a few weeks, celebrate the holidays as well as our new beautiful addition to our family. I cannot wait!

The Best Gift of the Season

Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas. --- Dale Evans

Without a doubt, I have a great group of friends who love and support and give throughout the entire year. Our friendship all started as a result of being co-workers; however, it quickly evolved into so much more and is a great blessing in my life.
Every year we celebrate the holidays by drawing Secret Santa names and remembering that person from Thanksgiving up until our night out when we reveal ourselves. This year, however, we decided to do something different --- adopt a family in need. This change was very welcomed and extremely satisfying to know a local family of six perhaps had a better holiday season because we were able to give and help out. The act of kindness was gratifying and hopefully something we will be able to repeat every year. Maybe even multiple times throughout the year?!

Our Sunday get together included great food and conversation as well as wrapping all the gifts at Laura's house. Later on Jenn and Tracy delivered the multiple packages of gifts and food to the surprised family. Thank you girls!

Gretchen and Adele taking a little break to chat.

Gracie snuggling with momma April.

"I Shy"

After days and weeks of Santa talk it all came down to the big moment. On the way to Cabela's he was chatting up a storm about what he wanted to tell Santa and how he was going to sit on his lap, etc. etc. etc. When we got in line, though, a whole new Anthony emerged.
"I not want to take off my coat."
"I not want to show Santa my choo choo sweater."
"I not want to get a picture with Santa."
You get the overall idea.
The result was this non-smiling, coat wearing and slightly scared looking picture of Anthony by his beloved Santa. After a few painful moments by the big guy daddy picked up Anthony and we walked away. When asked why he didn't do all of the things he had talked about doing with Santa his reply was, "I shy."
Oh well. At least he got to visit him before Christmas and we got this lovely photo capturing the moment.

Behold the cutie patootie!

http://damonmandatuttle.blogspot.com

What You Do Matters

There are always so many reminders that I've made the right career choice.
This morning the seventh grade team met in the pod to learn the results of last week's Penny Challenge. Altogether the students raised $1,028.31 in one week for Minnesota Nice, which helps out soldiers who are deployed. The students were so respectful throughout our gathering as well as super excited to hear the final results. It was such a neat moment and I'm so proud of all the students who participated and made a difference. (I'm proud of Wonder Jenn, too, for coming up with this idea and organizing everything for our team. GREAT JOB!)
After the meeting a student gave me a letter she wrote as a homework assignment for another class. She needed to let someone know that she appreciates them and that they make a difference in their lives. The letter really was sweet and validating; a definite keeper. (Plus she mentioned that it was actually fun learning more about nouns and adjectives! It's must have been the awesome video we watched in class; I still have the song stuck in my head.)
During my prep another student visited me to give me her amazing smiley face cookie creation, which was unbelievably thoughtful, so appreciated and a great surprise.
Like in any career it's nice to know what you do matters.

Sledding Time

The first major snowfall of the year last week brought some frigid temperatures along with it. When Mark got home from work he needed to shovel the driveway and Anthony wanted to "help" daddy. When I peeked out the window I saw zero shoveling and lots of fun happening in the backyard. Even though his time outside only last fifteen minutes max because of the cold he was loving the snow. I'm sure this winter is going to be a fun and busy one enjoying the great outdoors!

Asher John

Asher John Tuttle
aka The Cutest Little Peanut Ever
Born December 14 at 8:50am
7 pounds and 18 inches long

Clearly Asher was ready to come and he wanted to be here to celebrate Christmas with his mommy and daddy. Even though his due date was on January 13th he decided to come early and surprise everyone. (Oh, with the exception of Uncle Erik. He eerily knew this was going to be the case all along.) On Monday morning we finally answered our phone after two hours of Manda calling every ten minutes trying to get a hold of us. (We've come to the conclusion that we definitely need to get a phone in our bedroom.) The news we received at 3:30 was that her water had broke, she was dilated to four and that baby (elephant) Tuttle was going to be entering this world soon.
OH THE EXCITEMENT! I felt like those Walt Disney commercials --- "I'm too excited to sleep..." Instead of sleeping I was busy praying that everything would go well and making some serious sub notes for the next two days so we could head up north. The hardest part was waiting for Anthony to get up. I wanted him to wake up on his own accord (typically he's less crabby then) and eat some breakfast before we headed up to Grand Rapids.
When we made the 2 1/2 hour trip up north Anthony insisted on going to hospital to see his cousin first. He was busy asking every possible question regarding the birth --- How did they get that baby out of auntie Manda? Why did they have to cut auntie? (She had a cesarean.) Why did she have to go to the hospital? Why can't she have this baby at her house? Where's uncle Damon? And on and on and on and on...
Once we got to the hospital, though, Anthony was very serious and didn't talk at all. He just stared at Asher through the nursery window with an occasional smile or giggle. When he saw auntie, though, he became even more serious and nervous. She was extremely out of it and was covered in tubes and ice packs and machines. Thankfully the next day when I brought him back for a visit auntie was feeling much better as well as Asher and Anthony wasn't nervous any more. He was busy checking out the room - especially the hospital bed - and having fun.

Being up north for those two days was an absolute joy. Damon and Manda are just BEAMING and so in love with their little guy. It was an honor to be privy to those first moments of parenthood and know that Asher is going to be so completely loved. I am so proud of my sister - not only did she do a great job, but she found a wonderful husband who is going to be an amazing teammate with her on this journey of parenthood. The look of love on Damon's face when he looks at either of them or talks about his wife and son makes this proud auntie beam.

Team Tuttle

The proud daddy

Grandma Kathy

Love you, Little Buddy!
Auntie cannot wait to see you again and give you lots of love.
Enjoy your trip home tomorrow.

A's Shopping List

We've been trying to teach Anthony that Christmas isn't just about getting presents, but it's also about giving to those you love. After he goes through his list we always ask him what he would like to give to someone else.
Here's what we've got so far:
Grandma Carol? A library book (I'll be sure to steal one in the next two weeks to give to her!)
Grandpa Marv? A bunny (I'm sure another animal to join Eddie, Kolbie and Joey is just what he would like!)
Daddy? A white candle (Ha! This one just makes me giggle! Mark loves lighting scented candles and relaxing after a long day at work and commute home.)
And me? After much thought and consideration yesterday he came up with --- underwear (Maybe he's actually getting closer to the perfect gift!)
Watch out! If I let the Bubsa Beetle do the shopping this year who knows what everyone will end up with.

Breaking Anthony Gift Giving News!
Apparently, Ry and Cam will be getting a Christmas tree this year and Grandma Kathy will getting a snowman and underwear too.
Got to love the ideas he comes up with!

The Gift of a Card

Too many people don't see the value in a card. Mark always tells me to skip the card; I could just tell him happy birthday. However, I don't see things that way. In my eyes, a card is such a wonderful gift in and of itself. I cherish the ones I receive.
I love buying, giving and receiving cards. Yes, an email or note on facebook is nice, but nothing could be better than physically going to the mailbox and finding a handwritten envelope waiting for you. I love cards so much that I typically take a monthly trip to Hallmark to stock up and I even keep the cards we receive in a special place in our kitchen. I love looking back on old cards and rereading them too. My favorites are from my Grandma J. She continued to write to me even when she became blind. Even though the writing is hard to read the love she had for me is completely evident. She cared enough to still want to stay in contact and send something special. (Plus she loved using stickers and has definitely passed that trait onto me.) The best cards are the ones that are unexpected throughout the year. I have two cards from my friend Rach that she sent just this year. I'll probably never want to throw them away because she rarely writes and will admit she's not always the best when it comes to keeping in touch.
This time of year is wonderful for a card addict like myself! I look forward everyday to coming home and seeing what mail has been delivered for the day. Getting the yearly updates - I enjoy the "brag letters" even though some poo poo them - and photos from family and friends is such a joy. We put up all the pictures for a few months to look at and then they all go into a holiday album so I can look back on them and enjoy them throughout the year and years to come.
So thank you to all the individuals and families who take the time to do this every year. I know it's time consuming and it cost money, but it really is wonderful and gives me something to look forward to each and everyday. Just this week I had three wonderful gifts waiting for me in our mailbox! Thank you Lefebvre family (First place this year! I LOVE the family shots, Erin!), Follstad family (Solid second place --- you'll get back on top next year! Great letter, Dawn!) and Zenner family (Renae you are amazing. I still cannot believe your shopping and cards are completed for the holidays! You get a holy-smokes-you-can-do-EVERYTHING award!) for the gift of your update.
I am looking forward to finding many more gifts as the holiday season continues on.

Anthony's Booger Saga

This story started a few weeks ago and has continued during our morning trek (okay, it's a five minute drive) in our spaceship (technically, it's a mini-van, but I tell Anthony it's a spaceship because it just sounds way cooler and fun) on the way to daycare.

A: Mom.
M: Yes, Bubsa Bo.
A: I not like my nose.
M: Why?
A: It keeps making boogers. (Then comes the sniffing, snorting, and other awful sounds from the backseat as he tries to suck back all the gunk in his nose.)

Of course this made me laugh and kept me giggling throughout the day at work.

Next day

A: Mom
M: Yes, Bubsa Bo.
A: I'm mad.
M: Why, Bud?
A: It's doing it again?
M: What's "doing it"?
A: My nose is making lots of boogers again. (Insert the sniffing, snorting, and other awful sounds from the backseat as he tries to suck back all the gunk in his nose noises once again.)

Another day

A: I not like you snot. (Sniff) I just wish you would go away. (Snort) I don't want boogers in my nose.

Yesterday morning

A: (Singing) Boogers, boogers, boogers, (big suck in of snot) boogers, boogers, (another snort) go away. I not like you boogers, boogers, boogers, boogers...

For five glorious minutes I got to hear the song, snorting and lots of whines from the backseat. Clearly Anthony's nose and the amount of snot it's producing is creating a problem for him. Although, I have to admit his serious problem has been a great chuckle for me on so many days!
Oh, I cannot wait for the day when he learns to blow his nose and show those boogers who's boss! Maybe I should try the blow bubbles with your nose through a straw trick or do you have a better suggestion that's tried and true? Otherwise it could be a long winter for Anthony being mad at his nose and you could be stuck reading more posts about boogers.

Santa is Coming Real Soon!

Zoey and Anthony were all smiles in front of the tree as we finished the decorating while listening to my favorite Muppets and Elvis Christmas music!

For a week now Anthony has been so excited to see all of the Christmas lights popping up around town. Every morning on the way to day care he points out the lights and lets me know that means Santa is coming real soon. Then he'll proceed to remind me what he would like for Christmas - a choo choo, popcorn and egos (Legos). He's in love with everything Christmas - Santa, lights, the stories, snowman, leaving cookies for Santa, the reindeer, Santa's sleigh, Christmas trees, presents, snow, etc. etc. etc. It is so much fun for Mark and I that he understands the holiday season better and is getting so excited. (It's also nice to hold the Santa card over his head. He actually stopped screaming in the car when I told him Santa wouldn't like it. CRAZY! I'll have to enjoy this and totally use it for the next 26 days.)
We're going to have a great holiday season and I'm so looking forward to everything that goes with it! I love this time of year.

I love having our tree up, decorated and lit. It's always such a beautiful sight and so relaxing to sit in front of. It was great fun to wrap presents this afternoon and get them under the tree too. Anthony was excited to see the gifts and wanted to open them immediately. I'm guessing there will be some that get unwrapped throughout the next few weeks.

Want to know the best thing about our tree? It's filled with memories and has ornaments that have meaning behind it. I love that it's all hodge podge. Every year it's great to see the old ornaments and remember the stories behind them. That means more to me than a theme-y, colored inspired tree for our house.

Crafty and creative Erik made this ornament for me a few years back.

Manda gave me this ornament back in 1991. I love it!

Mom has given me an ornament every year. This one was from the year I graduated from high school and started my first year of college.

This is Anthony's first ornament from Grandma and Papa Johnson. The barn theme was really appropriate given his love for everything animals and life on the farm.

This was Anthony first ornament from Grandma and Papa Hanson. 2008 will always be a special year for us because it was the year A came home and eventually celebrated his first Christmas with us.

Let the holiday season begin and bring on the snow!

Black Friday

Shopping on Black Friday morning was a first for me, but it turned out to be great fun! Mark and I spent time scouring the ads looking for great deals, making our list and then I got up nice and early to meet Manda and Mom at Target. HOLY MOLY! I could not believe the unbelievable line. There were so many others with the same list and wanting to find the best holiday deals. I never thought I would want to do something like this - get up super early, stand in long lines, deal with massive crowds - but I have to admit I had so much fun and am completely in the holiday mood.

Thankful

We had a great time up north celebrating Thanksgiving, but in true Tonja fashion I didn't take a single photo showcasing the fun we had and our time spent with family. The meal was delicious - thanks, as always, mom - and the groans were heard around the table as I ask my famous yearly question.

What are you thankful for this year?

I truly love the Thanksgiving holiday because the whole theme of the day could be a theme of my life. Everyday I try to remember to give thanks and be grateful for all that I have. Too many times individuals get fixated on the "stuff" they don't have and lose sight of everything they have been so wonderfully blessed with. I try not to get sucked into the "keeping up with the Joneses" philosophy and be content with what I do have. (Although, some days I struggle with that more than I would like to admit.)
That being said, though, I always try to focus on the positives - the gifts - the reasons to be thankful.
Undoubtedly, I have...
a wonderful family!
an amazing husband and beautiful little boy!
a job I love!
a house that keeps us warm and feels like our home!
great friends!
many good days with great health!
The list could continue on with all the little and large blessings in my life.

What are you thankful for this year?
Please share! I would love to know.

Anthony's Three Year Shots

It's great having a sister that is so talented and giving of her time who happens to be a photographer. Our hope this year was to take Anthony's three year photos outside in fall leaves. There were many weekends we had planned to go up north, but then pushed it back because the leaves still had yet to turn with our beautiful September weather. Then October came along with a hard frost and a spell of bad weather. As you are all probably aware the leaves never fully turned and we somehow slipped into a barren looking landscape pretty fast. Even though the background wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, my sister, as always, did a fantastic job of finding a great spot to take some photos and was able to get her "booger" smiling while she clicked away.
Unfortunately, Anthony really wasn't into having photos taken that day and quickly slipped into a bad mood. I made it even worse when I took a stick away that he found in the woods and was hitting others with. (Darn, mom!) That's when the tears started and the "you can't take my stick away" mantra was repeated over and over and over...
Never fear, though! Even though I thought the photo shoot was a complete disaster the results turned out awesome. She got several great shots of Anthony and was able to capture his wonderful smile and just overall cuteness as well as his random silliness; got to love the family photo where he's sticking out his tongue and being Mr. Goofy Pants! The last photo, though, is definitely one of my favorites. She did a fabulous job of capturing Anthony's mood of the day --- the whine, tears and overall pouting "I not want to do this" mood.
Thanks again, Auntie Manda! You are WONDERFUL and always so appreciated!

She's convinced...

that she's truly having a baby elephant! This past week Manda had a doctor's appointment and an ultrasound to find out Baby Boy Tuttle is now FIVE POUNDS at seven and a half months along. He certainly is growing and it's great to hear that both mommy-to-be and baby boy are healthy and doing well.
I love the tummy photo updates as well as hearing all of the stories like shopping for maternity pants and having a little one inside of you doing some serious gymnastics. Again, it's great, as always, to vicariously live through my sister's pregnancy. She doesn't hold back on her stories, which is great because I love hearing about everything. It's wonderful!

Baby Showers Galore

It's just like me to plan and plan for something, but then forget to take my camera out and capture all of the moments. (Even the mommy-to-be was taking pictures at her own showers. However, that's really not a big surprise...) This weekend mom and I hosted two baby showers for my 7 1/2 months along sister. Both showers were a lot of fun with many laughs - mostly due to my sister's stand up comedian show! For me it was wonderful to watch her be on the receiving end of so much love. She always does a great job of remembering everything and everybody. She knows exactly how to make people feel special and loved. It would be impossible to be in Manda's life without knowing you are appreciated and that she cares about you. To see her get all of that love returned was a great sight.
On Saturday night she called me at least five times at my parent's house to thank us and then let us know something new about her gifts. She was busy going through everything, showing Damon and then organizing them into bins until the baby's room is completed. Her excitement is contagious and I cannot wait to see the baby's room come together and, ultimately, for this little guy to join our family.
As for the shirt, I have to thank mom, Erik and Deb - Manda's mother-in-law - for helping me pull it all together. Of course, in true Manda style, she loved it and wore it to both showers. I'm sure she'll even be one to wear it around town now and even after the baby comes! I will always love her spunk, humor and endless zest for life.
Even though the weekend was busy it was great! Plus I came home to a husband who did an endless amount of chores around the house. Whether it was vacuuming, organizing the crawl space and bins or touching up the paint in our house it was DONE. I'm thinking Anthony and I need to spend even more weekends up north now and leave daddy-o behind!

Spidey

Prior to Halloween, a co-worker, Jen, and I were talking about our boys and their love for superheroes. Her little guy was going to be Spider Man two years in a row; however, she needed to buy a new costume that would actually fit him. Luckily that meant Cole had a costume he was willing to give away to Anthony. To say A was delighted by this would be a complete understatement. He was thrilled and has worn it almost everyday since then. The very first night he even slept in it and everyday we get home he rushes to his room to find his outfit! (He even needed to bring it up north to show Grandma and Papa this past weekend!) I have a feeling this particular costume is going to get even more use and he'll have lots of fun moments eliminating crime on Balsam Boulevard. Thanks, Jen and Cole! You made one little boy's Spidey dreams come true.

Halloween Fun

Once again Peter Pan and Captain Hook - er, I mean, Luke and Jenn - threw another amazing get together at their house. Jenn has been planning this Halloween party for months and doing several things to prepare for the big day. At first I thought she might be a little crazy; however, I now understand that being prepared early is key. Mark and I had quite the adventure trying to pull our outfits together at the last possible minute.
Everything went off without a hitch and we ended up having a great time. Anthony loved being able to trick-or-treat with his wild things friends and others who showed up, enjoyed all the great playtime downstairs and really wasn't ready to go home when we left at 11:30 that night. Even though Cam was on his way to bed and everyone else was ready to fall over exhausted, he was raring to go.
Mark and I haven't been to a Halloween party since our childhood and both had a fabulous time at this family friendly party. Thank you for taking the time to create such a wonderful get together, Jenn!

Mark.
The Hippie.
I know - it's a lot to take in.
Just the fact that Mark is wearing a costume is pretty amazing.
But those glasses, that moustache and the hair?
Amazing.
Again, take it in because I have no clue when something like this will ever happen again!

Anthony was in a wagon and ready to go trick-or-treating!

The crew getting ready to go around the neighborhood.

Some of us girls hanging out.

Sweet RuRu shows up at her first Halloween party! Of course we were all excited to see her and couldn't get over the adorable outfit. Too cute!

Adele with her Incredible beefy daddy. (Gretchen rocked an Incredible costume as well weeks after her delivery! You go girl!)

The Hares as scouts.
I loved their outfits and wish I had as much creativity as Tracy always does!

The end of the night found the kiddos on the couch, trying to wind down and watch It's a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

For Jenn's recap of the night, the awards handed out blog-style and more photos be sure to visit What L & J Have to Say. (It might be worth it just to check out the rest of Peter Pan's costume. Luke rocked the green tight tights!)