My baby is 35!

 

On May 14, 1976, Joshua was born.  He was my dream...

This picture was taken on July 16, 1976.  Joshua was 9 weeks old.  My dad thought he was the best thing in the world... "Big Josh" he called him!

A year later, on May 22, 1976, Joshua was one and his Aunt Jane was pushing him on a hot wheel.  I have no idea who the Hot Wheels belonged to...was it Ray's?  I know it wasn't Joshua's!

Joshua wasn't walking yet, but his 2nd cousin, his "Aunt Patti" was trying to assist him.

It must have already been hot in Texas on May 22, because Joshua was loving playing in the water hose.

On May 25, 1977, we were down at the farm.  Joshua was loving hanging out with Nor (that was RON spelled backwards) and Big Foot.  I don't remember Big Foot, but that's what I wrote on the back of this picture!

 In June, 1977, when my guy and I moved to Oregon, Joshua stayed behind with my parents.  Then my dad flew out to visit, bringing Joshua to us.  Here we are at Crater Lake on June 7, 1977.

When we took my dad to the airport to fly out, we spent the day in Ashland, Oregon, mostly at Hawthorne Park...so Joshua could play. 

Sliding with his dad...

Playing on the bars with his dad...

swinging by himself...oh, such a big boy!...

See-sawing with his mama...

 

and after a long day, brushing his teeth before he went to bed...

 On June 17, 1977, we went hiking.  Joshua didn't get too exhausted since he was a passenger in his dad's backpack.  This is on Mt. Stella, in Oregon.

 June 19, 1977...Joshua in his rocking chair...the same rocking chair that is sitting in my living room right now!

Joshua has always loved the outdoors.  Here we were at a roadside park  June 25 1977, outside of Prospect, Oregon. 

We had a wood stove where we lived.  It was a small garage apartment...with a small wood stove.  Joshua loved to stack things.  You can see some of his favorite toys...2 cups, a ball, and a hammer!

In 1978, Joshua became a big brother to Gabe.  They were buddies, usually.  This picture was taken in July, 1979.  Looks like it's a day they weren't the best buddies...

                                                                             July, 1979

Also in July, 1979, my cousin, Patti, came to visit.  Those of you who are usual readers of the JohnstonChronicles may note that this is the same Patti who is the mother of GRITS and Elizabeth!

 Patti and I...plus Joshua and Gabrial, took a wild journey driving from Oregon to Texas..in the cab of a pick-up truck.  I'm not sure why we attempted such an ordeal...and I have faint recollections of Joshua getting frustrated with his brother for screaming in the truck...and Patti may have been a bit frustrated with the screaming, too. 

In Texas, Joshua got to hang out with his cousin, Brenda.  I always loved taking photos of  them together.  Brenda with her olive complexion and dark hair...and my fair skinned, tow-headed, blue eyed Joshua!

Mimi, my Mimi, the boys' Mimi, loved having her great-grandsons on her lap.  As the current 'Mimi', I understand fully what joy it is to have your grandsons on your lap.  I,of course, have no idea what it's like to have your great-grandsons on your lap...

 but their Saddie certainly does...Joshua and Gabe aren't her great-grandsons, but Emerson and Benjamin are.  This was also in August, 1979...in Mimi's backyard.

 

Here they are with their Grandpa...their dad's grandpa.  This is Grandpa who lived at the farm...the same farm where Grammy lives now...

 Back at home, in October, 1979, Joshua was probably giving his brother a birthday hug...Gabe was turning 1 year old.

The boys loved to play in the tub, making a mess, of course, and singing and/or yelling at the top of their voice.

 Joshua was a clown for Halloween...I remember that red shirt!  It was courdoroy..

Joshua's best best friend for several years was Justin.  I kept Justin several days a week while his mama worked. 

 In November, 1979, it began to get cold outside.  Joshua was still outside...with a dirty coat.  My little long-haired cutie! 

Inside, he and Gabe would climb up and rock in the rocking chair together...

 For Christmas, 1979, their dad built them this climbing structure...and Mimi and Granddad bought them their Superman raincoats!

December, 1980

In March, 1981, Joshua was learning how to ride a bicycle.  The training wheels were still on in this photo, but they didn't last long...at all!

In February, 1981, Joshua became a big brother once again..this time to Lindsey!  In this picture, Lindsey was a month old.  Joshua always was so very careful with her!

In April, 1981, Joshua caught this 12" rainbow trout.  He was in a fishing derby, I think, at Stuart's Fork in Trinity County.  We kept telling him that to be a true fisherman, you had to hold the fish once it was caught.

 In June, 1981, over at Aunt Jane and Uncle Charlie's, he got soaked in a downpour outside.  This is what he changed into...not sure who the clothes belonged to, but they obviously weren't Joshua's!

In June, 1981, our family had an enormous scare.  The kids and I were in Texas when I got a call in the middle of the night.  The doctor at a hospital told me my guy had been in a wreck.  He told me they 'thought' he would live, but that his back and his hip was broken (they weren't) and that his face was disfigured. (It was)  We immediately got a flight to San Francisco where friends of ours just happened to be (thank you, Lord).  They picked us up from SFO and drove us home.  Our pastor kept the boys for a couple of weeks while Lindsey (who was just nursing) went to Oregon to be with Ron in the hospital.  After awhile, our pastor brought Joshua up to see his daddy. 

 July, 1983...  Joshua hanging out with his sweet little sister!  Looks like he might be trying to teach her to carve?

 I've always loved this photo.  Here, in July, 1983, Joshua was 7, Gabe was 4, and Lindsey was 2.

 In September, 1983, this was the first day of school. For Gabe, it was his first day of kindergarten.  Here the boys are with Joshua's good friend, T.J.

Another great friend of Joshua's was Marc.  This was in May, 1984.  Michael Jackson was popular and the boys all liked his music...and his break-dancing.  People were starting to say "awesome" a lot!

On July 24, 1987, we moved from the little town where we had lived for 8 1/2 years.  I was sad..but the kids were excited for a new adventure.  I absolutely love this picture of them...to me, it captured each one of their personalities.  Joshua, the protector...always has been and still is today!

Loved his family then, loves his family today....Joshua's heart for his family is something to be cherished.  Whenever he hears of even a storm in Texas, he's on the phone to his Saddie and Grammy, checking to make sure they are OK.  When he hears of anything happening in northern California, he's calling to check on us.  When his mother-in-law had a stroke in Israel, he called me at school, asking me to pray for Lizbeth.  When he heard his Saddie's voice on the phone a few weeks ago, sounding stressed over getting her house ready to sell, he hopped on a plane to go help her.  When Erica wasn't feeling well after getting out of the hospital, he was driving around in the middle of the night trying to find something he thought she might want to eat.  He's got a heart for others...

 He also can be quite the ham...

 trying his hand at riding his daughter's rip stick...this is the most flattering photo of that attempt.

Here he is with his sweet family...Erica and Thalia.  I wish I knew what year this was!  Unfortunately, I haven't been as good as I used to be about writing dates on the back of photos! 

                                              My baby boy and me...he's 35 years old today...

Happy Birthday, Joshua!!!

I love you so very much~

Emerson turns 2 years old!

 Emerson, my little grandson, turns 2 years old today!  It's hard to believe a year has gone by since his first birthday...two years since one of the happiest days of my life!

 

I've gone back through the months...taking a few photos from each month of his 2nd year of life.  These top two were taken in June, 2010.  I wonder if those shorts still fit him now?

 In July, I had just returned from my People to People journey to Europe.  I was so happy to see this little guy...I look happier than he does, but I think he was wondering what in the world his Mimi was doing.  I had the camera sitting on something, using the automatic timer to take this picture. 

 I brought him back this shirt from the Black Forest in Germany...he's my little knight!

 Emerson loves his blanket, carrying it with him just about everywhere he goes.  He was doing it in July, 2011, and he still does it today!

 

July, 2010

 

I love this face...this expression!  He was hamming it up for the camera...

 

Taking baths, Emerson would always have two toys, usually two balls, one in each hand.  

 I love this shot...Emerson with his arms crossed, looking like he's trying to explain something to Benjamin...Benjamin listening intently... in the bathtub!  This was in August, 2010.

 August, 2010...

 Emerson tackled by his Uncle Donnie so I could take a picture of him and his cousin, Benjamin.

 

I love this of Emerson!  He and his cousin had had a little fight over the light switch.  To me, Emerson is looking so innocent...

 In September, I had come back from a meeting, asked where the boys were, and Emily had casually said, "They're in Eme's room playing."  I had walked in, and there they were, in diapers, with strawberry juice all down their bellies....having a grand ole time playing.  I absolutely love this picture.

 A kiss from my little guy...I love, love, love this!

 This rocking chair we had made for Gabe when he was about 2 years old.  After my guy found them in our attic, we gave it to Emerson to use at home...

 Another bath time picture in September, 2010...

 

As Emerson, especially, became more mobile, it became more and more difficult to get a picture of the boys together.  Someone, can't remember who, put them on the couch, so we could keep him still long enough for a shot or two.  I'm sure the group was behind me cheering,  trying to get them both to smile at the same time.

 October, 2010...what a cutie!

 In October, 2010, giving high-fives was a popular thing to do...especially to give one to Papa!

 Driving Mimi's car was also a fun thing to do in October!

 Also in October, Emerson came down for his cousin's dedication.  There was a party after the church service.  Emerson, armed with his watermelon, manned the radio. 

 

After loads of watermelon, he collapsed in a sea of balls...

 November, 2010, came and his daddy found this house on Craigslist.  Emerson had a grand time...even asking us to 'come on in'!  (just kidding on the 'come on in' part)...

 

Another of my thousand of favorite shots...He loved these blocks...and was so good at stacking them up.  Notice the concentration on his face...November, 2010

  

December, 2010

Even though it was damp outside, Emerson loved to be outside.  He had this little bomber jacket that I just love.  We would go on walks...well, he would go running and I would follow.

Along with his bomber jacket, he had this shirt with 'Lightning' on the back.  Lightning was his Papa's nickname when he played football in high school.  Also, I loved the back of his hair...I don't know how many photos I have like this!

 Christmas, 2010, was at our house this year.  Emerson wore his 'lion' shirt...king of the jungle...King...our little King!

 ...with his Papa...

...with his Mimi...

 These airplanes were hidden away in our bedroom...but apparently they weren't hidden well enough.  Emerson and his cousin snuck in and found them.  They stared for a couple of minutes, looked at each other, and then Emerson promptly went over and hopped on one to ride!  No more hidden airplanes!

 This was classic.  He was into shoes...big shoes...and would put them on and walk around.

 Emerson and his cousin both love watermelon....and their Papa made sure they had all they wanted.  Here, they were sitting on the kitchen counter inhaling massive amounts of watermelon.  What you can't see, is their Papa and Grammy guarding these little men so they didn't jump off!

 There is a video on YouTube of the boys with this airplane.  Benjamin's grandparents in Montana sent this for Benjamin...sent it to our house.  Well, they both absolutely loved it...loved all the sounds, the things that moved.  Emerson decided HE was going to play with it and not his cousin.  His cousin had a different idea.  A classic fight took over and luckily, my camera was on and I captured it on video.  This, of course, is just a still picture of them.

 

As Emerson's parents were packing up to leave from our Christmas, I took him out in the backyard to run around awhile...before he was in his carseat for the drive home.  He loves his pacifier...and sometimes it's difficult to get a picture of him without it.  For this picture, I had asked him, "Emerson, would you PLEASE take out your pacy so Mimi can get a picture...PLEASE?" and he did, laughing the whole time.

In January, 2011, he had gotten his new boots...He had also started not wanting to be out of the sight of his Mama or Daddy...He wasn't too happy here, but was getting ready to go to a baby shower with his Mama...

Also in January, 2011, he was climbing...climbing on everything.  Here, he was turning the fan on and off...

In March, we went to Cash's 3rd birthday party.  Emerson was having a grand ole time playing out in the backyard.  With my new Photoshop Elements 9 program, I edited this shot several different ways...I love it.  Emerson and a ball, that's my little guy!

 

Cash and his brother also have this wooden play structure that Emerson and Benjamin both loved.  They would go in the little house part, or one of them would go in, and they would tell each other 'hi' through the window or door.  Then they'd switch places...this went on and on...and I loved it!

 

 In April, Emerson was getting ready for a haircut...ready for his first 'real' barbershop haircut... 

Emerson loved pulling the 'apples' off the lemon tree...and throwing them!  Benjamin, who is so used to all the fruit trees, ended up joining in the fun with his cousin!

Emerson and his daddy came down to his cousin, Benjamin's, the last weekend of April to help assemble Benjamin's new wooden play structure.

Lindsey and Donnie have two HUGE orange trees.  Emerson was amazed when he watched his Uncle Donnie use this huge picker to grab an orange off the true.  He loved eating the oranges...lots of oranges...I think the two boys would eat 3 or 4 at a time, or as many as Uncle Donnie would peel!

On May 1st, LOTS of wood chips were delivered for Benjamin's backyard.  The boys were watching the truck come in through the fence and dump the chips.  Emerson wasn't too sure about the truck, however.  When I put him down, he yelled, 'No truck, no big truck' and ran around to the front of the house. 

After that, they had a grand time with their shovels, helping their Mimi spread chips.

  

Happy Birthday, Emerson King!  

Your Mimi loves you so, so much!