Gavin and Cooper

Lyles' 12th Annual Halloween Extravaganza

2008-10-26T13:12:00.000-07:00

Just as in previous years, the Lyles' Halloween Party was a blast. We were Star Wars characters this year. It all started because Gavin wanted to be Darth Vader, but after Cooper won best costume for Chewbacca, he said he should have been Chewbacca :)

All the children

The awesome host family (the Lyles) : Beauty and the Beast

Our good friends Tres and Lori Coker : M and M's

The Smithermans: Jason won best costume-absolutely hilarious!

The Mahans: Peter Pan Characters. Anna Kate won best girl costume

Cooper with his trophy. He was so excited! Shoals trophy did a great job with the trophies

My star wars boys!

We had a great time and are looking forward to another week of fun! Until next time!

Football, Zoo, and Pumpkins...Oh my!

2008-10-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a fun month! We took a weekend trip to the Auburn vs Vandy game and the Zoo in Nashville. We definately had a better time at the zoo than the game :) But War Eagle anyway! The boys are really starting to be buddies and it is so fun to watch! Cooper wants to do and say EVERYTHING big brother does! Here are a few pictures from our fun weekend!

Gavin is so shy around the Auburn Cheerleaders!

One brave Cooper...touching a snake

Ultimate sharing!

I had the pleasure of going with Gavin's class to the Pumpkin Patch. We had a ball, but I was definately worn out!

Gavin went straight for his pumpkin.

Daddy's handiwork.....Gavin's design

My new favorite picture!
My pregnancy is going really well. I am 23.5 weeks along. This pregnancy is flying. I am ready to meet Kiley, but I don't mind having a little more time to prepare :) I go back to the doctor next Tuesday....until next time.

She has a name!

2008-09-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

We have officially decided to name our new baby girl:
KILEY MAE JOHNSON

We will call her Kiley. Sort of after me, my middle name is Leigh. Sounds the same, but not spelled the same and Mae is after Eric's granny, Evie Mae. Now, to start on the nursery. We are still trying to figure out sleeping arrangements, but should have that figured out soon :) Lots of excitement in the air! Especially now that I am feeling MUCH better!!

IT'S A..........

2008-09-09T16:06:00.000-07:00

GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are so excited to announce that we have a baby girl on the way! More to come.....

Trying to get back into the blogging world

2008-09-05T19:51:00.000-07:00

We hope this finds you all doing well! First of all, if you don't know already, Eric and I are expecting a new baby February 14, 2009! Several of you have asked about us updating the blog and to tell you the truth, I feel like I have been slowly emerging out of a hole with this pregnancy. It has definately been a more tired and nauseous pregnancy. But, since I am emerging, I am going to TRY to get better about updating the blog. There is way to much to catch up on from our last blog from December of 2007, so I am just going to start with the current events of the Johnson Family. In order to keep up with the blog, I will be unable to journal as much as I used too, but hopefully I can try to keep up in touch with those that we don't get to see very often.

If you can even believe it, Gavin started Kindergarten this year. He is going to Forest Hills Elementary and he loves it! His teacher is Mrs. Bland and she is precious. We are looking forward to a great year. But, hard to believe my baby is in big school.

This is Gavin after his first football practice. It had been raining and it was very muddy. He had a ball. He is playing Upward Football with Highland Baptist Church here in Florence.

My brother Jeremy gave Cooper his first hair trim in May, but this was his official trip to get his haircut at a Barber shop. I was not sure how Cooper would do, but he did awesome. I couldn't believe it. He was laughing and smiling most of the time. I can't believe he will be 2 in November!!

Cooper also started to dayschool at First United Methodist DaySchool. He goes 3 days a week from 9am to 1pm. This is the same school that Gavin went to since he was 1 and Cooper actually has Gavin's same teachers. They are absolutely wonderful!

We had our annual Labor Day Beach Trip in Destin this year, in spite of Gustav. We were worried that we wouldn't be able to go or we would have to come back early. But, as you can see in the pictures, it was gorgeous. Our 4 families that have gone on this trip the past 5 years, have grown by leaps and bounds. It is so much fun to watch the boys interact with these friends who have become like family to us.

In the above picture is Kirk Smitherman, Samuel and Mattie (on the end) Lyles, Caleb and Anna Kate Mahan and Gavin and Cooper

Eric and Gavin catching some waves

Cooper has never been much for rocking or cuddling until the past month. And if you can believe, I rocked him to sleep on the beach. Of course, he was worn out, but combine that with the awesome breeze and a little singing from mama and he was out. Nothing more peaceful than a sleeping baby on the beach.

Stay tuned because this coming up Tuesday, the 9th, we will find out what we are having and we will post it on the blog........

Cooper's 1 year pictures

2007-12-14T07:45:00.000-08:00

Hello all!

Cooper's 1 year pictures are up--yeah!!! The birthday cake pics are priceless :)

www.jenphotography.com
proofs
Password: Cooper

Hope you enjoy!

Love, The Johnsons

Surgery went well!

2007-11-12T17:12:00.000-08:00

Thanks Papa, you were a big help to us!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers. Cooper's surgery couldn't have gone any better. In the surgeon's words, it went "great". He said the hernia was bigger than expected and the testicle was higher up than anticipated. But, all is well. There are two small incisions that are a little bruised tonight. He has been drowsy and slept most of the day....a little fussy but not too bad. I have enjoyed his cuddling because, if you know Cooper, he does not normally sit still long enough to cuddle.

Last night I was overcome with worry for some reason and this morning I had a clear sign that God was saying "Chill out Candice. I am in control." We were in Montgomery and I had my dad set the alarm for 3:15am. I NEVER wake up unless one of the kids are up, but I just opened my eyes this morning for no reason, wide eyed. I went and checked the computer time and it was 3:15am on the dot. Seconds later, I heard my dads alarm going off. In some small, silly way, I feel like God was talking to me. It was like he was showing me that he would take care of us, just as my earthly father does. And it was this incident and all of your prayers that calmed Eric and I today as we faced something new in our parenting lives. Thanks again!!!

On a happier note, Cooper is ONE!!!! Here are a few birthday pictures. It was such a fun party! He enjoyed his cake as you can see.

This is the Garner Family (minus Cason). Cason, Eric and I went to high school together. They have Kayley, 5 and triplets...Cale, Mary Drue and Graves, 2. It was alot of fun hanging out with them! We sure do miss seeing them!

Cooper started taking steps about 2 weeks ago, but at his party it was like he instantly start walking around. I think he saw all the other kids doing it and was ready!

Great Grandma Cherry, Grammie and Aunt Lulu. Thanks for your help in getting ready for the party!!
The Brown Family

Cooper's Surgery

2007-11-06T20:07:00.001-08:00

I know it has been an aweful long time since I have blogged, but I have an immediate need. We went to the pediatric urologist this morning at Children's in Birmingham and found out that the reason Cooper's testicle has not descended is because a hernia is holding it up. There is no way the testicle will come in on its own; therefore, he has to have surgery. There was a cancellation this Monday and the next available was not until Christmas, so we opted to go ahead and have it done. So, please be praying for our little Coop this Monday, November 12th (2 days after his 1st birthday, what a birthday present :) between 5:30am and 9am. It is supposed to be no big deal, except the fact that it is my baby! The surgery will be outpatient. Thanks so much! I will keep you updated and I promise I will fill you in on our happenings the past couple of months as soon as I get a chance to breathe. We love you all! The Johnsons

Answer to Prayer!

2007-08-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, we have been missing Cooper's left testicle since birth. The pediatrician has not, before today, even seen any signs of it. We went in for his 9 mth check up today and praise the Lord, it is there!!!!! It has not migrated to the sac and it is still very high so they are still sending us to a Pediatric Urologist in Birmingham. It is possible that they will have to do surgery to pull it into place at some point. We couldn't be more thrilled that it is there though. Now our prayer will be that it will fall into place without surgery. He checked out very healthy otherwise--22lbs, 30 inches and that big ole head came in at 19 inches-100th percentile :)

Gavin also had his 4 year old check-up today. He is healthy as well-37 1/2 lbs, 42 inches. And let me tell you how GREAT he did! He got his shots today for Kindergarten (we decided to go ahead and get them over with this year) and HE DIDN'T EVEN CRY! That is right, he was a very brave boy today! He got to stay out of school today-we got a sonic slush on the way home and then went to Movie Gallery to get a couple of movies so he could rest. He has done great!

Big news

2007-08-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

Hello to all! Hope this finds everyone doing well. I will continue from the last big post to get us caught up to the present. You will have to read all the way to the end to hear our BIG NEWS (and it is NOT what you are thinking)!!

After the beach, we went to visit with my grandmother Brown and what a great time it was. We went to the creek that I went to when I was a little girl that isn't far from grandma's house in Perdido, AL. We got some wonderful pictures that I know I will cherish forever!

We had the Brown family reunion on Sunday. This was the second year without my grandad so it wasn't the same, but it was good getting to visit with family we don't see too often. Here is a pic of our Brown family.

Cooper was completely exhausted one evening when I got home from work. I put him on his boppy to watch baby einstein while I made dinner and this is how I found him a few minutes later. So funny!

Gavin's 4th birthday was interesting. We had it on July 6th at Spring Park in Tuscumbia at the Water Pad. It thundered and lightnened almost the whole time. We had to finish up the party at our house and it was a mad rush to get everything loaded up in our vehicles. Gavin had a blast though, he didn't know any different. He was just excited to see his buddies!
What a face!!!

I love this picture of Cooper! He wrinkles his nose when he gets really excited and gives that big, irresistable smile. He is so much fun!!!

Watch out on the roads, here they come!

Celebrating Anna Kathleen Mahan (Anna Kate). For those of you who don't know, this is my dental partner and best friend. So, for me, Anna Kate is like my niece and I couldn't be more thrilled to meet that sweet baby girl! She is due to arrive in 2 weeks if not sooner! And we sure had a good time celebrating her arrival. Here are a few pics from the office party at our home.

Proud Mommy and Daddy

Bath time = Fun time. Cooper loves the bath. He just splashes and plays. We have floating drums and they enjoy playing and singing songs together.

We went to Point Mallard again this year with the preschool from our church. It was a fun and hot day! Cooper didn't make the trip this year because of his nap schedule and being so little. But, next year I think he will have a great time! Gavin was so tired he fell asleep when we were pulling out of the parking lot, spoon in hand. He was exhausted. And dumb Eric and I were sunburn because yes, we did not put sunscreen on :(

We had a Sunday School Fellowship at our house 2 weeks ago. We borrowed a big blow up slide from a friend and the kids had a ball. Even the little ones got in the baby pool. Eric and I are so fortunate to have such a great group of families to raise our kids with. We are all truly blessed.

We went to a concert this past Saturday to see Ernie Hausse and Signature Sound at Samford in Birmingham. It was a great time. Until intermission when Laura got a call that a close friend of hers, who I knew as well, was tragically found dead. She died from a blood clot. It has been a very emotional and eye opening week. It has really made me thankful for every moment with my boys. She had a 4 year old girl and 2 year old boy. So very sad. Please keep them in your prayers. Something I learned from Kristin: Leave the dishes and housework, it will get done and go play with your children as much as possible. In the end that is all that matters.

Gavin's first day of Pre-K was this past Monday. He goes now everyday from 8-2:30. It will be a fun year for him. He was the first child to get to his classroom so he was a little bashful. His teachers are supposed to be phenomenal. Mrs. Charlotte and Mrs. Regina. It is hard to believe that next year he will be in Kindergarten!!!!

Kathy, who has kept Cooper since he was 6 weeks old, has been a true God send for our family. We are so thankful for her and all she does for us. We had dinner last night and celebrated her birthday. I don't know what we would do without her!

Eric had minor surgery on Wednesday. He had a lipoma removed from his knee (about 6 stiches) and a spot removed on his shoulder (15 stitches), so it has been a rough couple of days for him, but he is doing better everyday.

Okay, and now for what you have been waiting for. Our Big News: After 6 months of being dogless, we have an addition to the family coming the middle of September. A lab puppy. She is only 4 weeks old now, so we have to wait 4 more weeks. You can go to www.crimsonkennels.com to watch her progress. They post a new picture periodically and how much she weighs. She will probably be about 12 lbs when we bring her home. She is named Candy right now, but we are working on a name for her and as soon as we know, we will post it. I am really excited for the boys to have a sweet natured dog. Gavin is very excited about the new puppy as you can imagine and Cooper was giggling when I put her in his lap. These pictures are from last night when we met her in person for the first time.

Cooper 8 month pictures

2007-08-13T14:44:00.000-07:00

Cooper's 8 month pictures are up at www.jenphotography.com

Jennifer just launched a new site as of today-August 15th.

Go to proofs and enter Cooper as password.

Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Summer Fun

2007-07-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

After much anticipation, here goes a big update on what the Johnson family has been up to these past two months.

For starters, Cooper was dedicated on May 20th. It was a sweet time as we dedicated him to the Lord and dedicated ourselves to raise him in a Godly home. This is a huge commitment and we don't take it lightly. It is difficult to find the words that express how grateful we are to have been blessed with another miracle. What an awesome expression of God's love!!! Please pray with us that we will be the best example of Christ that we can be to Gavin and Cooper each and everyday. This is especially important given the time that we are living in. Lately, I find myself consumed with grief over the number of murders and death I see on television everyday. Satan is alive and well and it is so important to be on guard against him. It makes our commitment as parents an even greater task! Please pray for ALL the parents in the world that they will see the importance of their role in rasing the next generation by placing Christ in the center of their homes.

Here are some pictures of Cooper's big day:

Papa and Mimi

Gavin's end of the year program at school was so precious! They sang different songs, but the ones that got me was the theme song from the Curious George movie "Upside Down" and the newer version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". It was so sweet! Gavin had a great year with Ms. Cathy and Miss Samantha. We will miss them! Next year, he will the in Pre-K (CRAZY!!!!) and he will go everyday from 8-2:30. Pretty much like being in Kindergarten. We have heard amazing things about his teachers next year, so I think it will be another great year. He sure has enjoyed his summer break though. He and Cooper have gotten lots of brother bonding time and that has been neat to see. He loves that brother!

Here are some pictures from his program:

Here he is with his best bud Michael-taking after his daddy!

We took a little family vacation to Nashville to celebrate Eric's 30th birthday May 26-28. We stayed at the Opryland Hotel for 2 nights. We had a very relaxing time. Eric went when he was young, but I had never gone, so it was neat checking it out! We ate at the Rainforest Cafe with my cousin Kimberly and her fiance Josh. It was a great time! For those who have never been to this restaurant, it is like eating in the rainforest. There are frequent showers and all the animals around the room go crazy-gorillas, elephants, etc. It is alot of fun-Gavin really enjoyed it. We had them sing to Eric for his birthday and they gave him a volcano ice cream creation that was delicious. Cooper had some ice cream for the first time--and of course, he loved it! We really got to rest more than we thought we would so it was a great time! Here are the pics:

Cooper had his 6 month check-up. He is growing well-19 lbs 16 oz. He got a healthy report. And he started sitting up this same week. And this week, he started CRAWLING!! We have to watch out now--we have two mobile children. He is also cutting 2 more teeth on the top and it won't be long before 2 more come in. Fun, fun, fun!

We had a little birthday celebration for Eric's 30th birthday on his birthday-May 31st. The surprise was that Eric's parents and brother and sister came up for the party. They made huge effort to be here-they drove from Montgomery and back in one night-whew! I know that meant alot to Eric though. Here are a few pics!

We went to Winder, GA the first weekend of June to celebrate my mom's 50th birthday. We had a really good time minus the scrapes and bruises :) As you can see, you are never too old to be a kid again! Happy Birthday Mom!

Cooper started clapping this day-it was so cute! Mom and her sister-in-law were hilarious trying to get him to clap!

Visiting Jeremy at his new apartment pool

Gavin enjoyed VBS at our church the first week of June--Game Day Central. I don't have many pictures from this, but he had a wonderful time!! Thanks to his awesome teachers Andrea and Charity!

On the way to the beach, we stopped in Montgomery and ate dinner with dad for Father's day. We had a great visit. Here are a few pics:

We also stopped on our way to visit Eric's grandmother at her new assisted living home. She seems to be doing real well!

On to the beach, what a great, relaxing week! We stayed in a beach house with Eric's family and it sure was nice to have help with the boys. Big news of the week was that Gavin learned to swim all by his self--no floaties! He is a good little swimmer. They both definately preferred the pool over the beach. I, on the other hand, had a wonderful time on the beach! Cooper pretty much stayed in and slept most of the time. I didn't want to leave considering it took me until Tuesday of the vacation to wind down.

Whew-I will continue with our journey on our next post. This took a while to do with all the pictures! Hope all is well with everyone! Until next time.....

Two Boys=Two times the Joy

2007-05-03T09:50:00.000-07:00

It has been another busy couple of months for the Johnson Family. Here is a recap of all that has taken place.

-Gavin is playing his very first sport-Soccer. The first game was the day before Easter and it was FREEZING! He was so excited to be out there, until the opposing team's coach backed over him and knocked him down. Well, you could forget it then. It took him about 2 weeks before he would get back out there to play. I think he was embarassed more than anything. Here are a few pictures from that first game.

-After the Soccer game, we had Caleb and Kirks' birthday party at the Children's Museum and then it was off to church for an Easter Egg Hunt. Then fun dying eggs with Aunt Lulu and Uncle Pher Pher. So, it was a very busy day. Not to mention a very cold day. I think we wore Pop and Grammie out!!!! Here are a few more pics from that day.

Easter Day

I love it! What a face! Okay, you don't have to be a bunny!!

-My partner Laura found out that she is having a GIRL--Anna Kathleen Mahan. She will be called Anna Kate. We are so excited!! Finally, I get to buy some pink!

-I took off a week to be with Gavin during his Spring Break from dayschool. We had a great week! We stayed at the Marriott here in Florence 2 nights and then we went to Birmingham for the weekend. Gavin went swimming in the indoor pool and it was so neat to see him jump right in. The progression from summer to summer of how comfortable he is with the water has been neat to watch. Last summer, he was timid at the beginning, but by the end, he was jumping right in. And this summer, he started with jumping in. He really gets around well with his swimmy vest on. Cooper also got in the water in a little float and he loved it. He didn't know what to think of it at first, but then he started splashing and giggling which let us know that he liked it. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of them actually in the pool. This is a little difficult when you are trying to manage two. In Birmingham, we went to the zoo and it was alot of fun. It turned out to be a perfect zoo day. Gavin got to hang out with his buddies Kirk and Caleb, so he had a blast. Daddy enjoyed playing golf with some of his buddies.

Caleb, me and Kirk

Gavin's famous lion roar--it really is hilarious and very big sounding for such a little guy!

Just hanging out with the monkeys.

Cooper lovin'

-We had some new floors put in our house downstairs and that has been our biggest ordeal. What we thought was going to take a week actually took 3 weeks. The only hard part was getting our laundry done. But, it was well worth the inconvience and wait--it is beautiful and we are getting settled back in!

-Lesson I learned last week: Never say "My boys have been so healthy this winter". I might as well go ahead and schedule an appointment with the pediatrician. Gavin got pink eye 2 days after making this comment. Then passed it to Cooper. Two days later, Cooper was diagnosed with his first ear infection. So he was put on Augmentin. And then Gavin started a fever a couple days later. He had strep throat and was put on Amoxicillin, which he doesn't seem to mind because he loves the bubble gum flavor. Then I got Strep. So it has been exciting!! Please say a prayer that we can be healthy again for a while :) Next time I will say, "THANK YOU GOD THAT MY BOYS HAVEN'T BEEN SICK!!"

-Cooper is now 6 months old (as of May 10th)! Can you even stand it? And it was almost the day of that he started sitting up by himself. He continues to be such a joy! He is so laid back and easy going. I call him Mr. Low-maintainence. I don't know why God blessed me with him, but I am incredibly thankful! It has truly been a joy to watch he and Gavin bond so well already.

Our sweet Ann!

Gavin's game last week. He scored his first Goal!!! Yeah Gavin!

Toe Touch!!!! Go Gavin--kick that ball!!

Sweet picture of Cooper and Laura at Gavin's soccer game.

Samuel and Caleb were so cute. They were yelling "Go Gavin. Kick the ball!" It was precious!

-This morning we went to get our car washed by the World Changers at church. Gavin decided he would pitch in. He had a great time with the water hose!

-Prayer Request: Lindsey, Eric's sister, is having surgery this Thursday, May 17th. Pray that all goes well and that God will guide the surgeons during the surgery. And that she will have a quick and easy recovery.

Upcoming Events:

-Cooper's baby dedication is next Sunday, May 20th. We will post pictures as soon as possible!

-Eric's 30th Birthday May 31st!!

Hope all you moms have a Happy Mother's Day!

Cooper's 4 mth pictures

2007-03-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you know that Cooper's 4 mth pictures are up.
Go to www.jenphotography.com
Click on Information
Click on Slideshows
Password is Cooper
After you let it load for a minute, you can bypass the old pictures by clicking on the arrows button (thumbnails). Then, click on the picture at the farthest right and it will move you along. The pictures are at the end of the slideshow.

Hope all is well with everyone!

Love,
The Johnsons
Eric, Candice, Gavin and Cooper

An Eventful Week

2007-03-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

This past week has had some exciting moments.

For starters, Cooper has gotten his first 2 teeth in. It was unexpected because he hasn't even been fussy or drooling alot. And we really didn't think it would come so early. He isn't even 4 months old yet-CRAZY!!

Gavin's school had a Dr. Seuss week. He read 13 Dr. Seuss books for the competition. And for the parade on Friday, he dressed up as Thing 1. It was hilarious! Here are a few pictures.

Eric and I had two famous encounters. We went to a luncheon during the George Lindsey Film Festival and met George Lindsey, aka Goober from Andy Griffith, and Ernest Borgnine. They were so neat and told some really great stories from the old days. George said "I've never met a woman dentist before." And he proceeds to pull back his cheek and show me his crowns (sort of a Goober moment). We got autographs and pictures!

Eric is leading the RAs at our church. These are the young boys at church. They had their boxcar derby on Saturday and it was so much fun! The boys worked very hard on their cars. Here is a picture of the group.

Gavin isn't signed up to take karate, but today when I went to pick him up, he was in the karate class. So, I got a couple shots of him in action.

Cooper had his first cereal yesterday. He did pretty good. More came out than went in, but that is just part of it. I am really not looking forward to this messy part of eating. However, it sure is fun to watch! Here are a couple shots from his big moment. He had his 4 month pictures today so as soon as the slideshow is up and running, I will post a link to view the pictures.

A few candid shots. Enjoy and have a great rest of the week!

Johnson Family Update

2007-02-24T13:20:00.000-08:00

It is difficult to believe that Cooper is now 3 1/2 months old and it won't be long before Gavin will be 4 years old! AMAZING!!!

Over the past 2 months, we have just been living life. Staying busy, but enjoying every minute of it! Here are some of the big happenings:

-Cooper had his 2 month checkup on Jan 16th. He weighed in at 13 lbs 6 oz and 24 1/2 inches long. He will go for his 4 month checkup on March 23rd. He has been in good health this winter (knock on wood) just some stuffiness. Here are a few candid shots of him! He is such a sweet, mild mannered baby. We are enjoying learning about him everyday!

-Gavin got to play in his first snow! Here is his Auburn Snowman. There wasn't too much to play with though, just a thin layer.

-Eric and I enjoyed a weekend getaway last weekend to Tunica. We had such a great time! Special thanks to Pop and Grammy for taking good care of the boys!

-Gavin had soccer try-outs this morning. He was a little timid, but he did well. No pictures to post yet, but we will be sure to get some. He will find out what team he is on in the next 2 weeks. This will be his first sport. I guess we ought to get used to sports practices and games- with 2 boys we will be doing this for a long time! We are definately looking forward to it!

-Exciting news: My partner and best friend Laura is expecting in September! YEAH!

We hope you all are doing well! We love you! Eric, Candice, Gavin and Cooper

The Joy of Two!!

2007-01-07T16:43:00.000-08:00

Well hello!!! I bet you thought we would never post again!

Two kids are more challenging, but we are finally getting back in the swing of things! We feel so overjoyed and thankful that God has blessed us with two incredible boys! After a wonderful 6 weeks of being home with Cooper, I started back to work the Wednesday after Christmas. It has been difficult to leave him, but it has been good to get back in a routine. And since I only work 3 days a week, I really can't complain. Special thanks to my partner Laura for taking over the practice while I was out. She did an awesome job and I thank God for her everyday--what a blessing her friendship is to me!

It is hard to believe that Cooper entered our lives just 8 short weeks ago! It seems as though we were not complete without him! Everything I was apprehensive about before quickly dissolved as soon as this new miracle came into our lives! Cooper is a great baby. He is very laid back (like his daddy) and he has such a sweet disposition. Yes, I may have had a more painful time getting him here, but it was worth every minute. And I would go through it 10 times over to know that we would have him waiting on other side.

And the big question has been: how has Gavin adjusted? Big brother has been awesome to say the least. He gets Cooper smiling the best and he is such a great helper! There are times, of course, that you can tell he needs some extra attention, but that is to be expected. He is very proud of him thats for sure!

This picture was taken Thanksgiving day. We had a great Thanksgiving with much to thankful for--two healthy boys, what more could you ask for!

Christmas was a very busy time, but we enjoyed it to say the least. Gavin was alot of fun this year because he really knew what was going on. He was so much fun to watch Christmas morning. I tell you though, I have a new appreciation for our parents and the hard work that goes into making Christmas morning happen. Being an adult has definately changed the way I experience Christmas, but it is still fun to live it in the eyes of a child!

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday and wish you all the best for an exciting and fulfilling New Year! May God bless each of you and keep his angels of protection around you and your families!

More pictures to come!

Slideshow of Cooper and Gavin

2006-11-16T14:03:00.000-08:00

I am trying to write this with tears in my eyes--tears of JOY!!!!!
Here's a slideshow of pictures of Cooper and Gavin that Jennifer took at the hospital on Saturday.

Go to http://www.jenphotography.com/
click on information
click on slideshow
enter password: cooper
turn up volume and enjoy!

Cooper is HERE!!!

2006-11-13T17:20:00.000-08:00

Justin Cooper Johnson was born Friday November 10th at 5:10pm. Cooper is doing wonderful! Mommy is also doing great. As you can see Gavin is happy to be a big brother . Daddy though is struggling to get back to his pre-pregancy weight. Friday was an eventful day. We went in at 6am to start the process of bringing Cooper home. I will say that our hospital is great; however, for a few moments, I thought we were having this baby in a back alley. Anyways, after they stuck Candice 4 times trying to start the IV and 2 times to get the epidural, we, I say we, Candice began labor at about 10am. The epidural started out wonderful. Candice was seeing visitors and taking photos. But around 3pm, her epidural started wearing off on her left side. They gave her a few boosts, but by 4pm the pain was unbearable. During this time, Candice and I renewed our vows and promised each other that in fact we love each other. Enough said. Just prior to this though I had a thought. We named Justin Cooper after Candice's brother. He in fact was a brother to me in many ways. I thought wouldn't it be neat if this baby weighed 9 lbs 3 oz. 9-3 being September 3rd Justin's birthday. Candice thought no way this baby is 9lbs 3oz. We knew he was gonna be a big boy, but when the nurse announced 9 pounds 3 ounces, Candice and I lost it. It was a God thing! So 9 pounds 3 ounces , 23 inches long. Now we understood why the epidural wore off. Combine his size with the fact he was face up put a lot of pressure on her back, which weakened the effects of the medicine. We made it through and out he came. We had many guests arrive and they got to share in his first minutes of life. Daddy and Big Brother got to enjoy a nice El Bubble Cigar hours after Lil Brother got home. We will post more later. Thank you for the prayers, cards, phone calls, flowers etc. during our wonderful time.

Eric

Cooper's Almost Here!!!!!!

2006-11-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

I went to the doctor today and we are inducing this Friday, November 10th at 6:00am. She said most people deliver between 3pm and 6pm. So, our little Cooper will definately be here on Friday! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers for a safe arrival of our little man. It is hard to believe we will soon be a family of 4! We will continue to keep you posted. Thanks to everyone who has shared in another incredible journey in the lives of the Johnson Family!

Here are some last pictures of Cooper pre-delivery (ie my belly) and Gavin. My receptionist/photographer Michele did an excellent job!

Trick or Treat and Cooper update

2006-11-05T20:09:00.000-08:00

We had alot of fun trick or treating with our little pirate (and as you will see, even Eric and I had our turn being a pirate). We got enough candy to last us for a year! There was the annual Lyles' Halloween Party, his school party, Trunk-n-Treat at church and trick or treating. So, needless to say we enjoyed the Halloween festivities to the fullest.

Gavin's favorite part was handing out candy at our house. He sat on the front steps and when I tried to go and get a piece of candy out of his basket, he put his hand over it and said "No, this is for my customers!" He then started yelling at people passing by "I've got candy! Come and get some candy! You want some candy?" It was hilarious! The next morning he got up and went out on the front porch in his PJs saying he had to get ready to hand the candy out. So funny.

Here are some pictures:

Lyles' Halloween Party

School Halloween Party

Trick or Treat

Church Trunk-n-Treat

"I've got candy!"

Well, as you have probably gathered, Cooper is not here yet. The induction is planned for THIS Friday, November 10th, unless something happens before. I go to the doctor at 1:00 on Tuesday to get the arrangements made for Friday. We will keep you posted, either on here or by email. We are all getting excited to meet our new buddy! It is hard to believe that he will be here this time next week! Please keep us all in your prayers for a safe arrival!

In Memory of Justin Wayne Brown

2006-10-27T05:08:00.000-07:00

There are some things that you do in life with certain intentions. And our intention this year was to remember Justin in a special way. It has been 8 years since this past Sunday, October 22nd, that Justin was killed in a car accident. We decided that we wanted to do something special in memory of Justin to try and help Gavin understand how important Justin and his memory are to our family. And since he is 3, we thought he would be able to understand better this year.

We decided that we would provide the flowers in the front of our church in Justin's memory. And not knowing what to do with them afterwards, we decided to make up 12 small bouquets and take them to Montreat Apartments, an assisted living home. I thought it would be so good to put a smile on the faces of the people who live there and it would be a good lesson in giving for Gavin. Afterall, these were hurting people and they could use some cheering up.

So these were our intentions. But, sometimes our intentions and God's intentions are not one and the same. I was not prepared for the impact it would have on ME!

On the way to the apartments, Gavin and I had a conversation that went something like this.
Me: Gavin, do you know where we are going?
Gavin: No
Me: We are going to take flowers to some people to make them happy. They don't have alot of family like you and daddy and me, so we need to make them happy. And flowers make people happy.
Gavin: Okay (excitedly)
Me: We are going to do it in memory of Uncle Justin.
Gavin: Your brother?? We are going to take flowers to Justin to make him happy?
Me: Well, not exactly. Justin is in Heaven which is the HAPPIEST place that we can be.
Gavin: I want to go there!!! (with GREAT excitement)
Me: I want you to go there too! And you will one day after you ask Jesus to come into our heart.
Gavin: I want Jesus in my heart already!

Wow, the mind and heart of a 3 year old! What if we could all have that enthusiasm of wanting Jesus in our hearts and going to heaven! Sometimes it is so easy to get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives that we take for granted what is waiting for us after our lives here on earth are over. How wonderful to be reminded by a conversation with a three year old!

So, we were on our way. Once we got there, we started giving out the flowers and I would ask Gavin to tell them who we were giving them in memory of and he would say "JUSTIN!" excitedly.

Everything was going along just fine until we got to this one ladies door. I told Gavin to give her his flowers and he said "No, these are for Justin. I want to go up to see him." Not wanting to create a scene, I just gave her some in my hands and after leaving I squatted down in the hall to see what was wrong with him. He said "These flowers are for Justin and I want to go up to give them to him. Way, way up." This building is about 6 stories high and he thought heaven was at the top I guess. At this point, I can't keep it together and with tears rolling down my face I told him that Justin isn't there. He died in a car accident and he is in Heaven. The look on his face when I told him this is indescribable-complete shock and sadness. His little eyes swelled up with tears and he stuck out his bottom lip and said "But, I want him." Obviously at this point there was no holding it together and I just wrapped my arms around him. All I could say is "I know baby, I want him too." After I pulled myself together, we continued and the next person we came to, he gave them "Justin's" flowers, so I think he finally understood.

For a three year old who has never known Justin to express emotion the way he did was incredibly touching. So, as you can see, I was definately the one blessed and challenged by this day. I was reminded by the innocence of my 3 year old that I needed to remember the importance of God's love and the promise we have of reuniting with our loved ones one day. And equally important is our impact on those around us while here on this earth, the difference we can make in even the smallest actions and the lives that can be changed by the kindness we show. So, I think we have found our special way of remembering Justin and it will be something we do for many years to come.

One of my patients: Ms. Hannah

95 year old resident

Cooper Update and other Johnson Family News

2006-10-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

I went to the doctor today and I have dilated 2 centimeters and I am 80% effaced. She thinks it will be 1-2 weeks, so our wait for Cooper will not be much longer! As far as how I feel, some days are worse than others depending on how active I am. Just the normal woes towards the end of pregnancy-feeling big, lots of pressure, etc. Eric has been very helpful and supportive around the house and with Gavin which has made it alot easier. Gavin seems like he is going to do really well with Cooper. He gets excited about being a big brother and wants to get down to my belly so he can talk to Cooper. It is really sweet to see him talk about his baby brother. He thinks that he is going to hatch like a baby bird! He has also helped getting his room ready and putting his new things in his room. I can't wait to get a picture of the two of them together--our two boys!!! We will keep you all posted on Cooper's arrival!!! Here are some pictures of my belly and the nursery.

Eric has had alot of exciting news this past month. On September 17th, he was ordained as deacon at our church-Florence First Baptist Church. This is a really big deal for him because he is following in the footsteps of some really great men in the Johnson family. Ever since Eric and I have been married, this has been something he really hoped to become one day. It is amazing to see what God has done in his life and what opportunities have been opened since we have been here in Florence over the past two years. I am so thankful for the person that he is and the opportunity he has been given to have a positive influence on those he is now serving. I know he would say many thanks to his dad for helping to mold him into the person he is today. The other neat part was that he got to share this experience with his high school friend and college roommate, Tres Coker. It is strange that they both ended up in Florence, AL with neither of them being from here. We attend the same church. And then to top it off, they are ordained as deacons on the same day. We are very blessed to have such great friends in Tres, Lori and Mallory. Here a few pictures from the deacon ordination.

Eric's other exciting news is that he and Courtney (my partner's husband) have purchased Frank Lary's Trophy Shop here in Florence. They closed this past Friday so this is their first official week. This is a nerve racking time with all that has to be done, but it has always been Eric's dream to be an entrepreneur and that dream is finally becoming a reality. What is better is that it is located 2 doors down from our office on Darby Drive. It couldn't be a better set up with having young kids (in case the boys are sick or school is closed or they just need to go to work with dad). The guy that they are purchasing the shop from has been in business for 27 years and is making a move to Birmingham to be with his sons and other family. There are alot of exciting things that they want to do to really make it even better than it already is. Eric has quit his job, but Courtney will continue to teach and coach for the time being. At some point, they hope to open it up so that orders can be placed on the internet. As soon as they get a website up and running, we will share it with everyone. Please pray for this new venture in our lives, especially with a new baby almost here! Here are some pictures of Gavin and Eric and the Trophy Shop.

Gavin had his teeth cleaned for the first time on September 26th. He did GREAT!!! Of course, he watched Eric go first and then he couldn't wait for his turn. Nina is one of our hygeniest who also goes to church with us and taught Gavin in one year old sunday school. She is so great with kids and is such a hard worker. We appreciate her so much! Thanks Nina! Here are a few pics from his big day.

More pictures of Gavin: what a cool dude!!

And some of Gavin with grandparents--We sure have enjoyed their visits!

Gavin with his big buddy Caleb

What a month!!

2006-09-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

So much can happen in a day and even more in a month. We haven't been able to take pictures for a while, our camera was stolen at Point Mallard waterpark in Decatur on August 1st. We just got a new camera last Thursday for our beach trip so now we can start our journaling again.

Here's an update of this past month:

-Gavin had his 3 year check up with the doctor and he came in at 33 lbs and 40 inches. He is growing well!!

-Gavin started back to his dayschool on the 14th. This is especially a big deal for us because he got an actual supply list with items such as glue, scissors, markers, crayons, paint, etc. I can't believe how quickly he is growing up and learning so many new things. He really seems to enjoy his new class and teachers. This year he will get to go on walking field trips downtown, start computer class after Christmas, and do some in room cooking. We have also signed him up for gymnastics one day a week which is there at his school, so this should help him get some of that extra energy out. It was either gymnastics or karate and we opted for gymnastics. I thought karate may not be a good idea with Cooper on his way.
Here is a picture from his first day of school.

-My 10 year high school reunion was on the 19th. It was great to see some old faces and hear how everyone has been doing over the years. It was easy to recognize most of my classmates, but give us another 10 years and this may be a difficult. Eric and I got an award-the Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson award- for being the longest married couple.

-I went to the doctor on the 22nd for my 27 week appointment. I had the fun sugar test and everything turned out fine. Dr. Aldridge measured my tummy and she said that I measured 29 weeks instead of 27 weeks. But, still no change in due date. We just might have us another big boy! We are really getting excited about Cooper. He is moving alot now and Eric and Gavin have been able to feel him kick. We have finished painting his room and moved his furniture in. We still have alot of little things left to do, but at least he has a place to sleep which is definately the most important thing!
Here is a belly shot, am I brave or what??

-Eric and I celebrated our 7th year anniversary on the 28th, yes I said 7 years!! It is difficult to believe that it has been that long! It seems like yesterday we were meeting for the first time in high school at Jeff Davis band camp, and now here we are 13 years later with a son and another one on the way. How do you even describe a love so strong and a friendship so deep? It is hard but I will try. Eric is my Rock, he has always helped to pick me up when I fall down. He is my encourager, he makes me want to be a better person just by being around him. He is my listener, he listens when I feel like no one else cares. He is my humor, he makes me smile and laugh daily which is one of the best gifts a person can be given. And he has celebrated with me through every success and through every journey, even standing in my corner cheering me on. I can't imagine my life without him by my side and I can't wait to see what is in store as we continue on this great journey of life! Thank you God for this blessing!!

-We have just returned today from our annual Labor Day beach trip. This makes our 3rd year and we look forward to many more. We had such a relaxing time and it was so nice to get to catch up with friends that we don't get to see very often. And it sure was nice to not be at home constantly doing something. We were able to put our feet up and take it easy. Gavin had a great time and probably enjoyed the beach more this time than any of our trips to the beach since he was born. It was good for him to play with his buddies and for us to get to spend some time with him before Cooper's arrival. Eric had the big LDO golf tournament that was started 2 years ago. He and the guys talk about this event all throughout the year. He came in second place behind Jason Smitherman, but as he says, there is always next year. It is funny to watch these guys because they make such a big deal of it. There is a big trophy and plaques awarded. It really has become a much anticipated event for them.
Here are a few pictures from our trip.

We hope everyone has a great week and WAR EAGLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a tissue ready

2006-08-01T21:33:00.000-07:00

Gavin had his 3 yr old pictures taken last week. Take a look at http://jenphotography.com/

Go to Kids and Families, hit next he is in those pictures. Our little boy is growing up.

Eric

5th Sunday Fellowship

2006-07-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

Everytime there is a 5th Sunday in a month, our sunday school class gets together. This time we went to Spring Park in Tuscumbia and it was so much fun! Gavin really wanted to ride the roller coaster and seemed real excited! But as you can see in the next picture, they had to stop the ride after the first time around and let him off. However, that didn't spoil Eric's fun. He kept right on riding with his arms in the air. He was hilarious!

(Left) We went on a train ride. This is sweet Chloe and Laura Alice and the rest of the gang behind them.
(Below) A group picture of the kids. We were waiting for the laser light show to start. Our Sunday School class is such a great group. We feel so blessed to have made such wonderful friendships. As you can see, Gavin is a little out numbered so he will be glad when Cooper and Tate (Rebekah is due at the end of September)get here to help even things out.

A sweet pose with daddy on the carousel. Gavin liked this MUCH better than the roller coaster.
What a fun night! It was great just to be outside and get some fresh air!

Justin Cooper Johnson

2006-07-24T17:17:00.000-07:00

For those of you who do not already know, we have decided on a name. It will be Justin Cooper Johnson and we will call him Cooper. Gavin is getting excited and refers to him quite often. We are getting started on his nursery which will be in the room right next to Gavin. The only thing that we have done is moved the office furniture out and we have decided on the Baby Boats Potterybarn bedding. He will be here before we know it and we couldn't be more thrilled!!!

Tomorrow we are getting Gavin's 3 year pictures made. I still can't get over the fact that he is 3. Before Gavin was born, we always prayed that he would be a joy to all who knew him and he has sure been that, God answered our prayer! And to see him growing into such an expressive and enthusiastic little man sure brings a smile to our faces and so many others. Thank you God for this miracle!

We had these pictures made in June when Coach Tuberville came to Florence. Just thought we would post a few for you to see!

Cooper's first picture

2006-07-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

Cooper's first "official" ultrasound was taken June 27th. The doctor gave a great report. He actually measured 1 week ahead, but they will not change the due date. It remains November 21st.

Our first post

2006-07-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

After many requests from family and friends, Candice and I are going to do a page of updates of our family. We want to use this to catch everyone up on Gavin and his soon to be baby brother. Baby brother is due to arrive November 21st. Gavin is extremely excited about getting to share his Mommy and Daddy and all of his toys! I hope to be able to put pictures on here from time to time.
Gavin just turned 3 this week and like his Daddy stretched the celebration out a full 5 days. The pictures are from Gavin's first official round of golf with his new clubs.