WE HEART AMUSEMENT/THEME PARKS!

Along with the beach trips we took this summer, we also visited two amusement/theme parks from coast to coast. We went to Disney World in Florida on our honeymoon and while we were in California for the Johnson family vaca, we went to Knott's Berry Farm. I am such a sucker for amusement parks. I love going on roller coasters and crazy rides. I don't get scared of them at all or sick from riding too many. I think I found a love of amusement parks from going on so many vacations to Disney World, Disney Land, and Six Flags with my family growing up. Thanks mom and dad! Here are just a few (and when I say few, I mean lots) pictures from our summer amusement/theme park visits:

Tyler had never been to Disney World before, so I had to be the tour guide and show him around!

Our good friend, Mickey, looking our way in the parade at the Magic Kingdom

I think Snow White was hitting on Tyler, which is why she posed at the camera... He's all mine, Snow! Sorry!

Snow's friend, Dopey. He's our friend too!

"It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small, small world... It's a world of laughter, a world of tears, it's a world of hope and a world of fears..." (Haha. Now you have that song stuck in your head for the rest of the day!)

Lovely dancers from "It's a Small World"

Italian restaurant at Magic Kingdom, similar to the one from "Lady and the Tramp" who are sitting right behind us

Tyler was convinced that Jack Sparrow on the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride was a human being, but actually Jack just looked really life-like.

Right before entering "The Tower of Terror," which is probably one of my favorite rides of all time (Side note: When the Romney family went to Disney World many years ago, Drew lost his tooth on this ride and then swallowed it on the way down when the ride takes a huge drop. Good memories!)

In line for "Star Tours"

After the Indiana Jones show

At Epcot (We went there last, on our way to the airport, because we knew we didn't need to set aside time to visit. There is nothing to do at Epcot except take this picture in front of the big, silver ball.)

And we did partake of the scrumptious churros at Epcot. Can you tell I am way excited about mine??!!

The flowers at Epcot are also delightful.

Waiting in line for "Supreme Scream"

MMMMM..... Dippin' Dots!

On the boat ride with Tyler's sister, Kelsie (Kelsie's husband, Phil, took the picture because he was sick from the ride before and couldn't take another. Haha.)

Picture with Snoopy!

Hope you enjoyed walking down memory lane with me and my summer! Come again!

WE HEART THE BEACH!

Tyler and I had the lovely opportunity to go to beaches from one coast to the other this summer. We went on our honeymoon to Florida, mostly to go to all the Disney World amusement parks. But, Tyler INSISTED that while we were there, we go to a beach on the east coast. And the rumor is true that the Atlantic Ocean is much warmer than the Pacific Ocean. We drove about an hour from Orlando to Cocoa Beach on Memorial Day. It was pretty crowded, but the perfect day to be at the beach. We stayed for a couple hours that day, and Tyler wanted to go back later that week. So, we did, but the weather was not necessarily beach weather. It was overcast and cold and windy. Nonetheless, we still had a blast both days. Here are some lovely pictures from Cocoa Beach, Florida (My cheeks still look swollen from my D-A-M-N wisdom teeth being taken out just a couple weeks before the wedding!!):

We also went to California towards the end of the summer with Tyler's family. They take a trip to California every summer and camp at one the camping sites near San Diego. This year we stayed at Camp Land on the Bay. I know I am not a camper, but this wasn't REAL camping. We had hot showers and running water and flushing toilets. We just slept in tents and cooked our food outside. We went to the beach every day, and I got FRIED the first day there. California has such nice weather that you don't even realize you are turning into a lobster. This vacation was a lot of fun and I am excited for next summer's trip to Cali. Here are some pictures from our sweet California trip (Tyler and I are lucky enough that our bosses let us have two weeks off in the summer, one for our wedding/honeymoon and one for the Johnson California trip. Thanks Treece's and Pulliam's!!!!!! We have the best bosses EVER! Seriously!):

If you have ever been to the San Diego-ish area, you HAVE to go to VG's. It is the best donut place I think I have ever been to... and I am a perfect judge of whether donuts are good or not. I'm a big fan. I think Tyler has about five shirts from this place. And now I have one too.

Tyler and I being gangsta in our tent on our sweet air mattress after a really long day at the beach. Notice how red my face is, kind of like a lobster...

Messing around with Tyler (a.k.a paparazzi)

Our campsite after it was all cleaned up. See you again next year!

And that, my friends, is why we heart the beach!

BUSTED!

Tyler and I babysat Addison, Halleigh, and Tate last night. When we got to Chris and Amber's house, they had pizza waiting for us, since it was "pizza night" for Addi's school. Amber also made a delicious salad that included pomegranate seeds (I guess that is what you call the little edible things inside a pomegranate). It was super yummy! Before they left for the night, Amber put Tate in his crib, which is located in the downstairs bedroom. The girls share a bedroom upstairs, which is painted super cute and could have been a part of my wedding. Anyway, about thirty minutes after Chris and Amber left, their sister in law came over with a friend to borrow some chairs. When they were leaving, I heard them laughing really hard and was confused why. They told me to come outside and stand on the porch. This is what I found:

BUSTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tate, who was supposed to be asleep about thirty minutes earlier, was just peeking his head out the front window. What a little stinker! It made me and Tyler laugh really hard. Of course we had to show it to Amber when she got home. What a little toot!

Inspired by Oprah

WARNING: SUPER LONG POST COMING UP... PROCEED WITH CAUTION!

So, who doesn't get inspired by Oprah? I do not normally watch her show, but I do have a season pass to it on my TiVo. So, every once in a while, I will see what the topic of the show is and watch for a few minutes, only to later delete it. But, sometimes I get really into it and end up watching the whole entire show. And every time I do that, I end up crying, actually more like bawling. I know, I am seriously pathetic. But, do not even act like you have never cried watching an episode of this woman...

Anyway, on Monday's show, it was the Great American Haircut. Oprah had five celebrity hairstylists cut and style one hundred people's hair in forty-eight hours. Here are just some of the amazing makeovers that were featured on the show:

This is Eric, who hadn't shaved or cut his hair in three years.
This is Daphne. She is an English teacher, who lost two hundred pounds five years ago and has managed to keep it off since. I love her hair color in the after picture. I also love the sweet tat on her upper chest.

This is Rolanda. Don't you think her hair makeover made her look about twenty years younger? Crazy what a little hair color can do for your age.

This is Carol, who hasn't cut her hair since 1974. She was way overdue for a little chop-chop. They said they could take twenty years off her look with cutting her hair, not to mention more than twenty inches. What a HUGE change. Holy moly! And her hair is still fairly long.

Hillary Swank was on right at the beginning because she had been growing her hair out for six months, knowing that she wanted to cut it to donate to charity. She gave the following stats about women cancer patients:

** one in three women will be diagnosed with a form of cancer in her lifetime, meaning seven hundred thousand women will face diagnosis in just one year

** number one fear of sixty percent of these women is hair loss

** eight percent won't do chemo because of this fear of hair loss

After hearing these statistics, Hillary Swank thought to herself (and I thought the same exact thing),

"Here's my hair. Cut it off. Save your life."

So, she put her hair in two pigtails and had Oprah cut off eight inches of her hair. She came back at the end to show her new hairdo.

That is where I became totally and completely inspired to grow my hair out and then cut it off to donate to charity.

My niece, Addison, did the same thing here:

http://hansens2001.blogspot.com/2007/06/happy-birthday-addibug.html

Isn't is amazing and wonderful that a twenty-one year old can be inspired by Oprah Winfrey and her five year old niece?! So, I am officially growing my hair out so that hopefully in one year, it will be long enough to donate to a special charity for some woman I do not even know to have a special wig made during her difficult time, battling cancer and chemotherapy. What can Oprah inspire you to do?

How We Spent Our Halloween

Tyler and I had a super exciting, scary, eventful, spooky Halloween evening that consisted of being at this place for the majority of the night...

For those of you who have not been fortunate enough to attend this fine educational institution, I will inform you that this is Chandler-Gilbert Community College, which is where Tyler and I both spent our Wednesday evening. Well, I was finished with school around 6:30pm because my teacher actually HAD a heart for those students who had children and wanted to trick-or-treat with them, which is why Tyler and I met at this fine nutritional establishment once he was off work and I was out of school for the night...

I was not such a perfect wife and chef on Halloween night as I was when I made the delicious Taco Soup... Sorry to disappoint you all. From Chick-fil-a, Tyler went to school and I went home to cuddle on the couch alone and obsess about the show that stars this stud muffin (and yes, even though I am a married woman, I can still think Brad Womack is attractive because I know you are thinking the same exact thing as you view this picture at this very moment)...

It was Wednesday night and I still had not watched "The Bachelor" from Monday night. I know, I am a slacker. So many shows to watch, so little time! And Amanda, my sister, wanted to discuss the details of said show on Tuesday, but I was not prepared to discuss the happenings of the meet-the-wacko-families episode. I LOVE this show and I LOVE JENNY! I really hope she wins, but you know how those editors are of reality shows. They make it look like one person is going to win all along, then all the pathetic viewers (such as myself) are utterly disappointed at the finale when he chooses the other girl that you hated. Then, you say you are never watching that show when the next season comes on, but once it premieres the next year, you are hooked yet again. You know what I am talking about? You know who you are! Don't make me name names! But, we know that you wish you would have been at school or watching "The Bachelor" on all hallow's eve. So, don't be jealous of how we spent our Halloween! Maybe Tyler and I should start planning our awesome costumes for next year's Halloween... NAH!

Ward Camp Out

Yes, you are reading that right. Your eyes are not deceiving you. I, Amelia Johnson, went camping with Tyler for our ward camp out a few weeks ago. I know it is shocking news. It took A LOT of convincing, but we actually had lots of fun and got to know a few families in the ward better. But, don't you dare think that I am going to become an amazing mountain woman camper because I assure you I am not. I can handle the beach camping in California with Tyler's family and a camping trip every once in a while. But, I would not call myself a camper EVER, NEVER EVER! Thanks to my mother, I do not have a camping bone in my body. When I was supposed to go to Girl's Camp for the 4th year hike, I took a summer school class to get out of having to go. That is how much I hate camping. But, I knew when I married Tyler that I was going to have to branch out and be a camping woman every now and again. So, I was a good sport and went on the ward camp out with him, instead of making him go by himself, which he probably would have done. Tyler made everything perfect and comfortable for me since he knows camping is not my favorite thing. All in all, we had a pretty fun time and got to be out of the heat for less than 24 hours. So, enjoy the lovely pictures of a little place outside Payson called Flowing Springs.

Hanging at the Nichols' camping spot

Playing with the Nichols' super cute baby boy, Ethan, and trying to keep warm

More of the campfire scene with the Poll's, Johnson's (our next door neighbors and one of the six Johnson families in the ward), and Nichols' (who live around the corner from Melanie and Jake Veater)

More of the campfire with the same people (From left to right: Amelia Poll, Justin Poll (with some small child whose name I do not know), Mariley Johnson, Mark Johnson, Jens Johnson, Yolanda Nichols, Jaxson Nichols, Steve Nichols)

Our lovely personal camping area (with me brushing my teeth on the side)

Tyler thought he was being sneaky taking pictures of me brushing my teeth (with my SoniCare electric toothbrush in the woods) in the morning, but I knew he was right there capturing my sweet teeth brushing skills...

Peek-a-boo! I see you!

Overall, the camping experience was pretty fun, I guess. Minus the fact that Tyler forgot my Nike's on our bedroom floor and all I had on were flip flops. Good thing they have a mall in Payson (a.k.a. Walmart), where I found some pretty decent shoes for $20.00. We also had to purchase two pillows at "the mall" because those were forgotten also at our house. Next time we go camping, we will be sure to bring our whole entire house with us, just to be safe!

My Bestest Friend for 15 Years... And Counting!

Almost two months ago, my bestest friend since first grade got married. I was so stinkin' excited for her and Jake to finally get married. Who would have thunk in junior high that Melanie Powers and Jake Veater would end up getting married so many years later?! NOT ME. But, I am so extremely glad that they did. They are so cute and perfect together. Here are a few pictures from their special day, compliments of my professional photographer husband:

And we are especially excited because these two are now our neighbors, not next-door though. We wish! But, we convinced them to move by us and they actually did! In twenty years, we are all going to look back at the first house and first ward we lived in and have SO MANY memories. Melanie and I are so stinkin' lucky that Jake and Tyler get along so well. You would think that they have been friends for just as long as Melanie and I have been. It is awesome! I love it! I am so glad that we all get along perfectly. It's fan-freakin'-tastic! I could never ask for better friends. Love you guys! You're the best!