New Year's Resolutions!

Well, here we are.  I can't believe I've been working on this blog for a full year.  Where has the time gone?  In a heartbeat, the year has passed. And it's been a fabulous year to say the least!! So it's now New Years Eve and time to consider what we want for the year to come.  I could have the normal mundane resolutions like exercise more or lose 10 lbs etc etc...  And my normal annual resolution of "I want to be a better person"...  But this year, I feel like I should be more specific...  So here goes!  My resolutions...  I want to be more accepting, I want to be more positive and always think of the good,  I want to be more supportive,  I want to be more independent, I want to worry less about what others think and more about what I feel and know is right,  I want to be amazed by how bright the moon is and always notice the sun dogs when they are shining...  and I want to be someone's best friend and confidant...  How's that!  Yep, I put a little more thought into it this year than I have in the past... 
Besides wanting to make some changes in myself, I would also like to accomplish a few things....  I want to get a point at a dog show..  I'm gonna get a point next year if it kills me!  I want to check more items off my bucket list!  Yep, got a bucket list that's pretty important to me...  So there you go.  As I sit here New Year's Eve night these are the things I'm thinking about just like we all do at the end of every year.
So how are we celebrating New Year's Eve here at the Johnson Ranch??  Well, Mike tried to burn down the grove and the neighbor's house.  Yes!  That was quite exciting.  Who knew that wind was going to blow 45 miles an hour tonight??  :-)  I chose the more subdued evening with my hiney parked on the couch with the candles lit and some awesome movies playing.  So far we've watched "Cowboys and Aliens" and "X-Men First Class"!  I think we may pick one more movie before the night is over.  Thanks to Brent for showing me how to rent movies off of Amazon!  Awesome!
Of course there are a couple of us here at the Johnson Ranch who don't party as hard as I do.  That would be Apple and Dora...  Looks like they are ready for bed already!!

Happy New Year's my friend!  And don't forget the most important thing of all!  Tomorrow, New Year's Day is Oscar's first birthday!!  One year old and 170 lbs!!  Happy Birthday Oscar!

Road Trip!!

Time for a trip to Grand Rapids, Minnesota!!  Karley had a basketball tournament that fit in with our work shut down perfectly so we jumped in the car for a 7 hr drive to northern Minnesota.  The girls had a fun filled few days for us starting with dinner at Brent's favorite bar and grill Florio's located in Cohasset, Minnesota!  All the girls joined us so it was a lot of fun!  We ate underneath a huge moose head!

Kelsey and Brent at Florios!

ll their friends.  I've never seen a high school hockey game before so it was quite exciting!!

Karley and Evo

Kelsey and Kasey

Go Thunderhawks!

 

As I said, the hockey game was a lot of fun...  Little on the chilly side in the arena but a lot of fun.  The next two days we switched from hockey to basketball.  Go Karley!!  She's number 13 in black!

It was a bit of a tough tournament for the Thunderhawks but Karley was great and it was a lot of fun to see her play.  With the tourney over with, it's back on the road again, headed home!  See ya Northern Minnesota!!

Post Christmas Party!! Shake it Baby!

Jammin!!

 

Woo Hoo!

Post Christmas Pre New Year Party!  Shake it baby!!

Oscar's First Christmas

We can't forget Oscar's first Christmas!  Kasey helped him open all his presents!  Plus he's keeping the cowboy hat for sure!

Where's my presents??

Let's have a sandwich first...  No!  I want my presents now!

Okay, I'll just chew on Apple's bone then...

Yes!  Yes!  My presents!

A new bone!!

A big red ball!!

Another new bone!!  Yay!

This was my best Christmas ever!  Wait, it's my only Christmas so far!

A Simonsen Christmas

Mom and Dad made it up to our house today for Christmas.  I again did a fabulous job cooking and only "almost" burnt the cheese breadsticks...  But otherwise we had wild rice soup, turkey, cheesy potatoes, salad, yum!  I know!  Impressed aren't you!  :-)  I guess I can kind of cook, if I have to.  But before lunch we hung out and did a little snacking and posing for some pics.

These Oreo Balls are delicious!!

Mum and Kasey

Karley and Gma!

Kelsey's angelic look...  Don't let her fool you!

Brent and Kelsey

Karley and her Mum..

Snacking!!

Finally lunch was ready to go.  After yet another meal and being stuffed for the third day in a row, we got down to Karley's business....  opening presents of course!  Dogs go first!  :-)  Apple was so happy!!

What did I get?  What did I get?  A Bone!!

Passing out the presents

What the heck Gma Helen?  We are just getting started??

Handing out more presents!

Karley

Stuff for washing the car!  ?????

Sock Monkey!

Gpa Jack and his power tools!

Kelsey's new plates for her new apartment!  Woo Hoo!

Yes!  Just what I wanted!  New chore boots!

Man!  I guess Kasey was excited about this one!  :-)

Open the presents was a riot.  Mom got a Kindle Fire.  We had a good laugh when we were trying to teach her how to use it...  Dad said mom only really looks at the pictures so I told Gma Helen we should have saved our money and just bought her a coloring book.  :-)  It's all funny.
It was a really fun day.  We had a great time and really laughed it up.  The girls had fun and I think Brent had a good time too.  It's always nice to get the girls together.  It doesn't happen very often.  Maybe just once a year and now that Kelsey has graduated from college, it will probably happen even less.
Speaking of which, here is Kelsey's graduation present from Gma Helen and Gpa Jack.  For her new sweet apartment.  :-)

Well, Christmas is now drawing to a close.  Just one Christmas to go!  And that would be Oscar's Christmas!  Then we gotta get amped up for Oscars first birthday on New Years Day!!  My baby is one!  :-)  Hope your Christmas was a good one!  We'll see ya next weekend!  :-)

Santa was here! Ho Ho Ho!!

Christmas morning was finally here!  And Santa came just for Karley!!  Karley was so dying to open a present so she drug herself to the Christmas tree to open a present!  She almost made it but then she had to stop and take a nap for awhile.

I want to open a present but I can't make it to the tree!

So here we all are under the tree with Karley while she opens her Christmas present.  Don't we look pretty!  :-D...  Hey!  How come nobody will look at the camera??

ugh....  the light is too bright... 

Enough of Karley's present opening.  I had to get down to business.  It was a busy day for cooking and you'll all be surprised to hear I cooked and cooked and didn't burn anything!  Well, okay so maybe the beans had a little "smoky" taste but it wasn't too bad!  I've made smokier beans in my day!  haha...  I made lasagna, green bean casserole, baked beans (I don't know I guess I didn't think everyone would like the green beans so I decided to have a variety..) rolls, salad, it was amazing!  I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get an offer for my own TV cooking show soon!
Anyway, Mike's daughter's family and Mike's mother came over.  All my children were here too.  I think all the kids enjoyed opening their presents.

How many people can you fit on a couch?

 

New Hat!

Ethel, Matt, and Kari

Drake and Felicity

Kayley got a new leash for Lola!

Unfortunately Drake's hat didn't fit him and I don't think he cared for it too much.  Drake still preferred his Gap hat..  But it fit someone else!  :-)  I guess we will have to keep it anyway!

Sweet!  :-)  Better than the Santa Hat!  I like it!

It was a noisy crazy night.  Everybody eventually pooped out and headed home.  The rest of us were toast..  I was exhausted from all of the dreaded cooking.  Whew! 

Merry Christmas!!  One more Christmas tomorrow!!