Centennial Park

This past Sunday afternoon was beautiful, so we loaded up the car with bread for ducks, water, snacks, my NEW Nikon camera (a surprise from Michael!), the stroller, picked up Papa and Gigi and headed downtown to Centennial Park. We rarely go there because of the drive, but we wanted a change of scenery. I'm so glad we went!! The park was full of life...people soaking up sun, family reunions, lovebirds, children playing and flying kites...the energy was contagious! We spent the afternoon strolling and people-watching while listening to the tunes of blues and jazz being played somewhere in the distance. What a wonderful afternoon! Some of our favorite "stops" in the park were the playground, train, and flower garden...I'm thinking this may have to be a monthly outing!

The Parthenon

Papa and Cole in the Parthenon

Crawling UP the slide

Michael and Cole on the train

Pictures from the Flower Garden

Anniversary Date

On Monday night, Michael and I went out to celebrate our seventh anniversary. Papa and Gigi came to watch Cole and we headed to The Melting Pot in downtown Nashville. It was a beautiful night, so we parked by the river and walked to the restaurant. When they seated us, I was surprised to see a vase with roses and a card with my name on it at the table. Michael had orchestrated the whole thing...so sweet! The hostess then took our picture which we later received in a frame :-) I'm going to describe our dinner, because there, dinner is an event. Our feast began with the cheese course. We chose the "Caribbean Cheese Fondue". It was a mixture of Gouda and queso cheeses, peppadew peppers, lime zest/juice, and scallions accompanied by bread, granny smith apples and various veggies to dip...YUM! We then moved on to the salads. I had the house while Michael tried the Tropical Mango Salad. They were both fantastic! Next came the main course. It consisted of peppercorn shrimp, filet mignon, chicken, butternut squash ravioli, jerk steak, and sweetened pork with a variety of sauces for dipping. I enjoyed this part of dinner the most because as the meat cooks, you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the time with your loved one. By now, we were pretty much stuffed, but there's always room for a chocolate fondue dessert! We chose the Yin Yang Fondue (dark and white chocolate)...strawberries, marshmallows, cheesecake, brownies, bananas, and rice krispie treats were the delectables to dip. Such a WONDERFUL meal (Tuesday night we were back to roast and potatoes...Ha!) After dinner, we strolled on the walking bridge downtown. The weather was perfect and we had fun walking hand in hand, talking, and taking pictures. We even had a special treat...the General Jackson showboat passed under us :-) All in all, it was a fantastic evening reminding me once again how blessed I am to call Michael my husband.

Here are a few pics from the evening...

Celebrations!

This past week has been full of celebrations. Here's a look at all the fun we've been having!

Event #1....Cole attended his first "friend" birthday party. My good friend from high school/college has a little boy that turned one and we got to be a part of his special day. He had a "Beach Baby" themed party...so cute! The weather didn't cooperate, but we had fun in the "beach house". We played with toys, blew bubbles, and had a wonderful island dinner (thanks Kevin!). Although they live in Murfreesboro, we are hoping to see them more often. Our little ones had so much fun!

Left: The Birthday Boy, Andrew

Right: Eli, Andrew, and Cole

Event #2...Happy Father's Day Michael! I can't say enough about what a wonderful father Michael is to Cole. Not only do they have so much fun together, but Michael is definitely a hands-on Daddy. He is always willing to change the diapers, give baths, read books, and help me with whatever else Cole needs (since day ONE!) What a wonderful example to Cole of the love of our Heavenly Father.

Our church also held "Dad Fest" all afternoon on Sunday. It was a day all about the men..."man club" as our pastor would say :) No women were "allowed on stage" (the praise team and musicians were all men!), souped up cars and motorcycles were all around (and in!) the church, the parking lot was full of games such as throwing a football through the hoops, basketball shooting, hitting the bell with a hammer, etc., and there was free food (hot dogs, popcorn, and cokes). We had a blast and absolutely love our new church home!

Event #3...Happy Anniversary to me!! Michael and I are celebrating our seventh wedding anniversary today, June 23...7th Heaven! As I think back to that Saturday seven years ago, my heart is filled with happiness. It was such a beautiful day and the beginning of a wonderful journey together. God has blessed us so much and I can't wait to see what He has in store for us!

Tonight, Papa and Gigi are watching Cole while Michael and I enjoy a dinner at The Melting Pot. I haven't been there in years and I'm super excited about a DELICIOUS fondue meal. Afterwards, we are planning on walking around downtown, maybe by the river. We might even stroll across the new walking bridge and take a couple of photos. I can't wait!

Date Night

This past Friday, Michael and I got to have a long overdue "date night". We went to Cool Springs and ate at Macaroni Grill...yum!! We then spent the evening looking in shops, driving around, and just enjoying being together. Times like this remind me what an amazing gift God gave me when he blessed me with Michael as my spouse and life partner. He truly is my soul mate!

Cole also had a fun evening. Kyle and Laura came to babysit and they all had a blast. Cole slept great that night...they wore him out! Here are a few pictures...

Cole and his favorite blanket...what a face!

Cole and Laura

Bathtime!

Getting ready for bed

Such a BUSY week!

This past week has been a busy one for the Johnson house. I thought I'd post a little of what we've been up to...

* Cole and I went to Mommy & Me Storytime at the Hendersonville Library on Tuesday morning. It's for children up to age three...they sing songs, dance to music, and listen to stories read by the library staff. We had a lot of fun! Cole especially enjoyed looking around the library after storytime and playing with the train set. This will definitely be a weekly outing for us!

* Cole had his eighteen month doctor visit on Wednesday. He is healthy and growing right on track. He's 22 pounds and almost 31 inches long. This puts him in the tenth percentile, but like I've always said...GREAT things come in small packages :-)

* We got Cole a pool and a fun yard sprinkler on Wednesday and have used them almost everyday. He enjoys the water and likes to play with his boats. I must say that his favorite part of the pool is getting in and out over and over...who knew? I am also enjoying the pool...it's a great place to sit and catch some rays while Cole naps.

* Cole now has a lawn mower and likes to mow the grass with Michael. He really likes to help push the "big" mower.

A friend of mine, Corina Collier, from my MOPS group is a professional cake decorator and offered a beginner's course in her home this past Saturday. My mom, my aunt, and I headed to White House on Saturday for the afternoon to learn some tips. We had so much fun and learned a ton! Corina provided our cakes, icing, and filling (fudge and bavarian creme!). We learned the basics from baking the perfect cake to smooth icing finishes, shell borders, writing, and making roses. We were there for three and a half hours and only touched on a few things. We enjoyed ourselves so much that Corina is planning on offering another course to show more techniques...making daises/mums/carnations, leaves/vines, stacking cakes, etc. Check out Corina's website in my right column to see all of her beautiful creations.

Summer Is Officially Here...It's HOT!!

Well, spring has gone and summer has arrived. The temperature today reached the mid 90's...gotta love a hot, humid Tennessee summer! Although it is crazy HOT, Cole still loves to be outside and play. Over the past few months, Michael and I have wanted to get him a baby swing to enjoy. It's been hard because we don't have a tree to hang it from and just can't afford a mega swingset at the moment. Well, the Lord has blessed our family once again. Nothing huge...he just provides all that we need and even grants us a "want" every now and then :-) Isn't He AMAZING!?!



Michael was doing some business at a house last week when the home-owner mentioned that he wanted to get rid of his swingset. His children had outgrown it, and if he could find someone to haul it away, they could have it...for FREE! Michael came home, asked me, and we jumped at the offer. It is a simple metal A-frame set with swings, teeter-totter, and slide. Cole isn't old enough for all the big swingset "gadgets" anyways, so this one is perfect! Michael picked it up the next day, put it together at our home, added a baby swing and Ta-Da...instant fun!



We have also been blessed by our neighbors that gave us a sand/water table and pop-up basketball goal that their grandkids had outgrown. Cole especially loves the sand...it's like having the beach in the backyard (and I get to vaccum up sand all day!). Now all we need is a pool and we'll be set for the summer!


Just remember...no matter how small or simple your request may be, make it known to the Father. He wants to bless His children more than we will ever know!