Sunday, May 31, 2009

Girly Stuff!

For all my girls...head to this website and have fun!  

www.everydayminerals.com


This mineral makeup company is from here in Austin, and while I am not a big makeup person this stuff is fun, cheap, natural (no yucky chemical additives) and works amazing!  I have been using the FREE samples they sent me for 2 months now and still have more than half left.  All you have to do is go to their website and click on the "Free Samples Get 'em Now" link, then add the samples you want to your cart.  I did purchase a long handled Kabuki brush to go with my samples but have continued to use my old blush brush, and and eyeshadow brush for the concealer.  You just tap a little powder in the lid of the container and brush it on!

I have never actually enjoyed choosing makeup before...maybe it's sitting at home, lack of squirmy kids in carts, no husband asking "how long can choosing a color possibly take?", but this rocks!



Sunday, May 17, 2009

Lowe's Mascot

This is a picture of Eli showing off his 1st Lowe's building project!  All the boys went to Lowe's on a Saturday morning and made birdhouses together.  Eli was even more proud of his goggles and apron than the finished birdhouse.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

UT vs. UCLA

Ben has a great friend here who shares his tickets to UT basketball games when he can't make it.  Thanks Lane!  Those tickets are a BIG deal in the Johnston household and Ben rotates kids each game so that all will have a chance to go.  When it was Christian's turn to go they arrived a little early to the game and were checking things out when they were approached by someone from UT and asked if Christian would like to be part of the half-time show.  Christian was really excited and the pictures below are from the game and show.

The half-time show was a race between Christian and the boy in the picture.  They were to put on a team member's jersey and HUGE basketball shoes and dribble a ball to the basketball hoop at the other end of the court, make a basket and then turn around and come back.  The boys did awesome running in those huge shoes and then Christian was the first to make a basket and head back.  Both boys were given a gift bag with a UT towel, can cooler, team pennant, and t-shirt.  Christian also received 4 tickets to the Harlem Globetrotters game that was coming up. We found out after that the other little boy was a special guest that night.  He had been given a short time to live diagnosis due to a brain tumor.  Christian was very touched by the boys courage and strength and immediately asked Ben if he could give him the tickets to the Globetrotters.  Ben was very proud of Christian and encouraged him to run over and give them to the family.  Christian said "he could go to game another time, but he wanted that boy to have a chance now".  It was a good game, with good life lessons too.














Thursday, May 7, 2009

Sprinkles

I am THE mom.

Why, you ask?

Because I use Sprinkles on top of our cream cheese frosted carrot bars!  When the 2 newest arrivals walked in with everyone else on Tuesday after school they were greeted with a fresh after-school snack.  All the other kids smiled and said yum.  But these 2 were awestruck!  "Wow, mom you are AWESOME"!  Two sets of eyes just stood there staring at the bars.

People say it is too hard to adopt older children, ha!  They just don't use sprinkles.  It's the little things in life people that add up to the most impact!!!  Kids who have had so much negative in their lives appreciate all the "sprinkles" with a freshness that inspires the whole family.

Below is our Grandma Vona's yummy Carrot Bar recipe, because you all deserve some sprinkles!:

4 eggs beaten
2 C sugar
1 1/2 C oil
1 tsp vanilla

Mix, then add

2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 C flour
1 1/2 C grated carrots
1 C chopped walnuts

Mix and pour in a greased and floured jelly roll pan. (I actually use my Pampered Chef 10 x 15 baking stone with no grease or flour)  Bake @ 350 for 1/2 hour, cool completely then frost with cream cheese frosting.

1/2 C butter
6 oz cream cheese
4 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Mix, spread, and then add sprinkles!


Monday, May 4, 2009

More "Meet Luke" Photos




At this point in his little life, everything is about his siblings!  He loves it when the bigger kids pile in after school :-)