We're still alive and well... just got home from a 2 week visit to California. No time or no internet access (not from my computer anyway) stopped me from blogging. We had lots of fun visiting with friends and family and loved the time we had there, but are sure glad to be home in our messy apartment! Lots of updates and photos to come!
Can you believe it's December already?! I can't! I looked at the calender yesterday and saw it was December 1st and thought wow. Then I looked at the temp (80 degrees) and thought, I love my life! Its good to be able to wear shorts and a t-shirt in the middle of winter and not be thought of as crazy. It's good to go surf either "trunkin it" or with just a wetsuit top on. I love it out here! Last night Stuart and I went out for an evening surf and it was B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L!!!!! At first there was a crowd but after a short time all but one other surfer went in. The sun had set behind the mountain making the clouds a bright orange that reflected off of the perfectly glassy water. It was nothing short of amazing! No Camera so no picture unfortunately... but you can imagine right?
Now I just need to prepare myself for our little visit to california... I already know I'm gonna freeze. I'm dreading getting in the ocean there... but I will just so I can surf with my Big Bros!
So here's a picture from Thanksgiving day! Stuart and I took one board out and the camera. This is me surfing V-Land. I was catching the little insiders so you can't seein this picture that there are about 35 other people out. But as you can see.... its a beautiful sunny day in the winter!
Andie asked to see what the light tent looked like. Stuart took the picture of me shooting an object inside of the light tent. He took it with the camera that I put above the picture of me shooting. 
I had a lot of fun with this thing!
Stuart had to go to the library tonight to work on a paper so I was at home on the computer checking blogs and playing settlers or ticket to ride online when I decided I was wasting time. I decided this would be a perfect time to work on my photography school. I watched the little instructional DVD on the light tent that I got when Signing up and decided to give it a try! I thought it would be fun to photograph our web cam cuz its pretty cool lookin... so next time you talk to us on Skype you'll know this is what we are looking into:
This light tent thing is pretty awesome! I took some more pics of items from around the house. Check em out on my my PhotoBlog!!!
The Weather has been pretty funky lately. There's been wind, rain, sunshine, cold weather where I had to wear a sweatshirt and long pants (weird), more wind, and more rain... I think every year it does get cold like this but I must always block it out of my mind because every year when it gets cold, I think to myself "This is weird, does it usually get this cold here?"
And the answer is yes, it does. Today there wasn't any rain but the wind was blowing like crazy! I tried to go surf this afternoon but when I got there, I opened the door and the wind almost tore it right off... and then I saw a big huge trash can being blown down the road and thought, "there's no way i'm surfing in this!" oh well, maybe tomorrow.
*Sorry Boring post I know.... Maybe i'll have a good one tomorrow. cross your fingers!
I passed the State of Hawaii's Substitute Teaching test!
The last 3 weeks I was in a class learning how to be a Sub. Teacher and studying to pass the test. And I did it! Last night those of us in the class showed up ready to take the test. Just a few minutes into it, the Power goes out! Perfect timing, I know... So what do we do? everyone whips out their cell phones to use as light to finish the test. I have to say these people were pretty resourceful and it did work... it was just a little irritating having to shine it on the question then the answer sheet and having to press a button every time the light went dim. But its over and done with! 
RULES
1. Post rules on your Blog
2. Answer the six "8" items
3. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving them a comment
8 FAVORITE SHOWS
1. Prison Break
2. The Office
3. Just started watching "Life" anyone heard of it?
4. Heard 24 is a good one so maybe we'll catch up on that... not anytime soon though.
*Sorry we don't have a TV so these are all DVD's that we watch(ed)
8 THINGS I DID YESTERDAY
1. woke up ... wished I hadn't.
2. ate lots of Honey Dew Melon
3. Edited a Shoot I did last week
4. Posted the shoot on my PhotoBlog
5. Studied for my Test that I take tonight in Class
6. Went to Class
7. Watched an episode of Life on our computer
8. Wanted to curl up in bed and sleep all day!
8 THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO
1. Going to California for Christmas and seeing family (not looking forward to Mahina not being there)
2. Stuart Graduating!
3. Fiji
4. When MJ Photography is an actual business that I do all the time.
5. Owning a home
6. Eating really good food while visiting at home
7. Getting our underwater camera back from being repaired (the 3rd time)
8. moving to Pocatello... hopefully eventually!...
8 FAVORITE RESTAURANTS
1. In-n-Out
2. Hukilau Cafe
3. Ola
4. Hau'ula Korean BBQ
5. Thai Eats
6. Sunflower Market Cafe (Mahina you guys have to go there)
7. Sushi Places
8. Macaroni Grill
8 THINGS ON MY WISH LIST
1. Nikon 50mm 1.4 lens
2. a Beach Cruiser
3. A tri pod
4. Honey Girl Suit
5. To find the strings we bought for my guitar so we can re-string it
6. A clean House
7. To get Barrelled
8. People to come visit us!
8 PEOPLE TO TAG
Sorry Not going to tag 8 people... I don't know if there are 8 people who check this blog and haven't already been tagged with this same one. So if you like... do it. If not that's cool too!
*P.S. #8 on "things I look forward to" isn't really mine... it was there from Kristen's List when she tagged me... just wanted to see if you were paying attention.
Here is a link to a David Wilcox song that made me think of our red, 8 passenger Dodge van that drove the entire Johnson clan all over the United States, countless trips to Idaho up dusty gravel roads to the "Johnson flat" and countless other journeys (many which I wasn't even on earth yet to tag along). Though it was just a car it really was a mobile extension of our house on Via Del Palma. I still remember the shapes of different stains and burns in the maroon upholstery. I remember coming home from football practice in 4th grade, must have been fall of 1993. Finding out that we had sold the van. I think we all felt as though we had lost a dear dear member of the family. its not the car itself that's special, its the lives and memories that grew within the steel. Ill always remember the cars of my childhood.
Does anyone know if and how you can write a post and save/schedule it to go up at a certain time? I know that if you just do a draft of a post, and start another post later but publish it before the first one, when you publish the first post it will be below the one you published before and has the date of when you started the draft. I don't really like that and think if I do that people will miss it. Any pointers? Your help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
And since I think posts with images are much more enjoyable, here's one from a while back at Waimea.
Going up on MJ Photography! There have already been a few from the Free Photo Shoots that I've shot over the last week. And more to come! 
Meet our new friend Matt. He was wandering through TVA with his travel pack and carrying his guitar. Stuart just happened to be playing his as we were walking out so there was an immediate connection between the "fellow musicians". They started talking and Stuart immediately asked if he was looking for a place to stay and invited him to stay with us that night. We parted ways having exchanged numbers and promised to call when we were back home. 
Matt came back that night and they had a little jam session. When it was time to sleep we got the couch cushions out... Not the best accommodations but hopefully better than his sleeping on the beach the night before. In the short time that he was here Matt made so many new friends and wants to move out here. We hope that he's able to work that out. 
Today we said good bye (hopefully not for long) as Matt left for the airport. Here he is with all his gear leaving looking just like he did the day we met!
We couldn't let him go before we took some pictures together and of course I made him do a little 10 minute photo shoot. We had him sit down and just jam for a sec. You can see those on my PhotoBlog.
PS did you notice how tall he is? He makes Stuart who is not short look little... haha! He's 6 ft. 7 in... I asked.
Dan Tagged me a while back... sorry its taken me so long, but here it goes.
Basic rules....List 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 surprising facts, and then tag 5 other people. Leave a comment for the people you tag so they know they have been tagged.
3 joys:
1. Stuart: He is the biggest joy and love of my life... not a big surprise to anyone i'm sure.
2. Photography: it makes me happy. And it's something that i'll be able to continue to grow in... for a very very long time!
3. Memory Foam Mattress Topper: Its true... it brings joy to my life and really good nights sleep. I absolutely love our bed... we got one of those mattress toppers from costco almost a year ago for christmas (Thanks Mom (J)) and it is heaven.
4. The Ocean. Love it.
3 Fears:
1. Watching kids jumping into pools... It seems like they jump straight up and right next to the edge of the pool... i get really nervous... I've also seen a kid jump in backwards but barely jumped back so his chin hit the edge... I rest my case, I'm not crazy.
2. Murky water and then something touches my leg... Most times its my own leash but it still freaks me out....
2 1/2. Blue Bubbles: They hurt like no other. Some of them aren't bad but the one that made me cry for an hour straight and made my whole are hurt for 2 days... yeah I'd say I fear them.
3. I fear that when we have kids they won't like me. Kids love Stuart so I'm grateful for that, but I fear that not only will they like him better but that they will just plain not like me. Am I being unreasonable? Maybe.
3 Current obsessions/collections.
1. Photography yes its a joyful obsession. I love learning about it and trying to capture things in ways out of the ordinary. I hope this obsession will never go away!
2. Smoothies: They are wonderful! Lately we've been making them in the morning and adding some go lean crunch to it kind of like an acai bowl (I've never actually had a real acai bowl) but its like an imitation one.
3. EBay: This obsession is over. I promised Stuart that it was! In my defense, I got REALLY good deals. And the last 2 suits I got (I got 3 suits total) are really good suits plus they were 1/6 of their normal price and I used the money that I won in some contests from work that I designated for my new suit fund. Anyways.... obsession over.
3 Surprising facts.
1. I used to be fearless
2. I'm a pack rat (but trying to get over that) ... that doesn't surprise you? haha oh well.
3. I really want to go sky diving... and we almost did a couple months ago. That's probably not surprising either though....
K I now tag: Andie, Mahina (yes that means I am forcing you back into the blogging world) Crystal, Karen, and Jen Kane.
Me: Hi!!!
Mahina: Hi how are you?
Me: Good how are you?
Mahina: Good.... I was just calling to tell you that the baby (Kawena) has a cracker in between her toes and is eating it...
Pause waiting for that statement to register in my brain.....
Me: what? really?!?!
Mahina: uh huh
Me: Baaahhhahahahaha!!!
Mahina: We asked her where she learned that and she said Malia
Me: She actually said Malia??
Mahina: Well she said "Lia"
Me: Hahaha!!! That's awesome!!!
Mahina: Yeah so mitch wanted me to call and tell you thanks and that we were thinking about you.
Me: What a great influence I am!
Mahina: I know.
Blah Blah Blah.... Good Bye Dialogue.....
Needless to say I was cracking up about that one.... but just to clarify, I DO NOT eat crackers from between my toes! Don't you wish I was around your kids teaching them all sorts of goodness like that?!?!
Background Story:
When I was in Oregon, at some point while I was there (maybe a couple of times) I was holding Kawena and if she dropped her blanket or a stuffed animal or something, I would grab it with my toes and bring it up to my hand so I wouldn't have to bend down to get it. Kawena being the extremely bright and impressionable young thing apparently picked up that little skill... I saw her pick up her blanket with her toes once while I was still there. I was so proud! I guess I forgot to tell her that we shouldn't pick up our food that way!
Today is my mom's Birthday! I just wanted to wish her a very Happy Birthday! I hope that you didn't have to work too hard today... and if you had to go to work, I hope there was cake and balloons there for you!
Wishin you were here to celebrate! I would take you out snorkeling! Remember how beautiful it was that morning we went out at Sharks Cove?! That was so much fun! 
I Love You Mom! Thanks for being so Wonderful!!!
Mahina tagged me with this photo tag, and since i love all things photography, i couldn't pass it up!
what you do is go into your pictures folder and take the 4th picture in your fourth folder and post it. my 4th folder is "GasChambers" and this is my fourth picture in that folder:
That is Stuart Surfing at gas chambers a while back.
Ok i know you're all dying to do this so do it if you want to... and I Tag Andie!
Yesterday we went to Velzy's Birthday Party! She just turned 3! There was lots of good food, good company, and good entertainment (watching various kids eating various things with various amounts of dirt on it). After singing Happy Birthday we went down to the water and had fun pushing kids into the little waves on our long board.
I'm not supposed to be up... my alarm was set for 6:45 and that was gonna be early! but i was up a good hour before that! I can't decide if thats a good thing or not. I was planning on swimming this morning and then Stuart was gonna surf so I thought I would ditch the swimming and surf with him... he's still in bed and I'm off to the pool.
On a side note.... last week I was up before 6 am 4 times! Thats pretty good for me... but I hear it takes something like 21 days in a row to make it a habit.... I don't think that'll happen for me... but 4 days that's pretty good right?
Anyways.... good morning!!!
Uh Oh.... someone's getting old!
Today is my crazy brother's Birthday! 
I wish he was out here so we could celebrate together and have a birthday surf session! But maybe next year!
We had so much fun when we were up at Mahina's for a visit this summer!
And don't you just love this picture... gotta love the blue flowery umbrella for a sunny day... and notice the little flower he has in his hand! Nice!
And what a stud, check him out...
Crazy spiderman! We got to go rock climbing while we were in Oregon... and I have to mention that the mom of the family we were climbing with was quite impressed with his calf muscles! She was making sure to get close ups of those bad boys! Ha!
Happy Birthday Kawika!!! I hope it was the best and that you got to surf your brains out! Love you Lots!!!
