Yard Work

The Hubs has been hard at work out in our backyard lately and its really starting to pay off. 

When we moved in, most of our big green yard was actually moss. The moss was slowly choking out what grass remained, and it made for a soggy and lumpy mess when it rained.  Molly also had a temporary behavior lapse during the winter and dug several holes around the yard.  Perhaps she thought she was helping Steve aerate the lawn?

In the last few months he's filled the Molly holes, leveled uneven patches, killed and removed the moss, seeded the whole yard and laid down grass sod over that ugly parking patch that used to be in the back right corner.  The previous owners had parked an RV out there and the grade was sunk so low that after one particularly rainy weekend, we found two ducks swimming in the pond that had resulted.  What is this, the Johnson wild life preserve? I think not. Not with Steve on the case! I'm really proud of all the time and effort he's put in. It's looking great dear. 

 

 
Don't worry. I'm pulling my weight too.  I've been tasked with the flower garden and roses. I'll report back when I'm sure I haven't actually killed them.

Side note.... Spring in Seattle is kind of awesome because you occasionally get to experience magical backyard moments like this:

Port Angeles

This weekend we ventured west to Port Angeles, Washington for Steve's cousin's wedding at the Johnson family farm.  Port Angeles sits on the northern edge of the Olympic Peninsula along the shore of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  The views from our waterfront hotel room were amazing.

Molly sat by the window for a long time and took in the sights and sounds.  The next morning I woke up a little before 7am and Steve and Molly (the early risers) were already out watching the sunrise and playing in the low tides.

I enjoyed a cup of coffee and the beautiful scenery from the comfort of our balcony. 

They came back sandy and wet, and in need of a bath and some cuddles before check out time. The ocean water is pretty cold, isn't it Molly?

Issaquah Triathlon Race Report

Well, we did it!!! We completed the Issaquah Triathlon this Saturday! I'm so proud of us all! Here is my race report.

June 1, 2013 - Race Day!:  The day started before sunrise.  We woke up bright and early to hit the road by 5:15am.  Next stop, Lake Sammamish State Park in Issaquah.  I was surprised that so many people were already there when we arrived.  We found the transition station and set up our bikes and gear.

Transition Area with the lake in the background.

I was #1295. This was my transition area.

A little sleepy looking, but ready to go!

By the time we were all set up it was almost 6:45am and we had to make our way down to the waterfront for the mandatory pre-race meeting.  I had rented a wetsuit for the swim, so I suited up and we headed down to the water. Sorry, no pictures of that awesome outfit! Steve (Mr. Polar Bear) opted to go without the wetsuit. Bold move Mr. Johnson. The water temp registered at 59 degrees Saturday.

The race started in waves designated by age and gender.  I learned that I was in the 30-34 female wave (even though I am still in my 20s for 9 more days thank you very much!!! gah!).  The waves are approximately 20-50 people. You start in the water about thigh deep.  The first wave started at 7:00am.  There would be a few waves to go before my wave started at 7:12am, including the Men's 30-34, which Steve and our friend Colt started in right before me.  I gave Steve a big hug and a slap on the butt and sent him off to the start shoot.  He took off hard from the start and was leading the pack when I had to go get in line for the start of my wave. I lost sight of him after his group passed the first buoy, but it was time to focus on my start now. Here we go! 

The Women's 30-34 wave lined up and was in the water by 7:11am, with one minute to go.  Our wave was on the smaller side, so I took a position up front and to the outside.  The countdown started and before I knew it the bell rang and we were off!!!!  I went hard to start and I was actually out in front! Holy #$%^!! I'm really doing this!!! Then I hit the first buoy and my wind was gone.  I flipped over and backstroked enough to catch my breath, but I just couldn't get back into my groove after that. The lake was choppy and I couldn't get my head above the waves enough to get a deep breath doing a freestyle stroke, so I finished the rest of the swim with an all out backstroke (which I hadn't practiced at all!). I was discouraged and thought for sure I'd blown it. I'm pretty sure the race marshalls in the kayaks out there might have heard a few expletives as my little frustrated head bobbed along the remaining 300 yards or so. Ah well. By the time I was (finally!!) getting out of the water the Men's 35-39 wave that had started behind me was clicking at my heals.

I ran the 100 yards or so from the water to the transition station and started getting out of my wetsuit and into my bike clothes. This was transition #1.  I had worn bike pants under my wetsuit, so I just had to peel off the wetsuit, get my shoes and socks on, slip on my race shirt and snap on my helmet.  Easier said than done when you are soaking wet and panting like a dog.

I pulled myself together and wheeled myself out of the transition area.  I mounted the bike and off I went.  The bike ride was tough.  I felt like I had "on your left" written on my back as I kept hearing it yelled out behind me as what seemed like the Tour de France passed me by.  There were two wicked hills at mile 4 and mile 9 that more than tested my resolve.  The only person I passed on the bike leg was a poor lady pushing her bike up that second hill.  At some point I decided to just enjoy myself and that's when I started singing.  The only song that I could think of was Donna Summer's She Works Hard for the Money.  I got more than a few laughs and a couple thumbs up gestures as I sang away the last few miles.  Then before I knew it, I'd done the 15 miles and the bike ride was ending.  I wheeled into the transition area, remounted my bike, took a giant swig of Gatorade and then I was off for the run. That was transition #2.

The final leg!!!! The run was an out and back trail run - 3.1 miles. As I hit the trail out, Steve was running in. Yay! Go us!  My legs were jelly the first 2 miles before I finally hit my stride in the final minutes. And then I saw it...... the big balloon arch marking the finish line! I gave it everything I had left and sprinted across. I did it!! I'm a triathlete!!! Steve, having finished just a few minutes before, was right there cheering me on.  It was an awesome feeling! Hugs and high-fives all around!

The whole triathlon crew:  Annie, Steve, Ken, Brittany, Chasity & Colt.

Steve's goal was 2 hours and mine was 2 hours 30 minutes. I was amazed when the results were posted.  We blew those goals out of the water!!!

Annie
Total Time -   1:42:29
Swim -                8:17
Transition 1 -      3:49
Bike -                59:58
Transition 2 -      1:01
Run -                 29:26

Steve 
Total Time -   1:40:41
Swim -                6:59
Transition 1 -      5:24
Bike -                57:43
Transition 2 -      2:56
Run -                 27:41

And there you have it!!  Steve is already talking about improvements we can make for next time. I'm just going to relish in this accomplishment for awhile before I think about "next time."

Two Years

Two years ago today I married my best friend and happily became Mrs. Johnson.  

Happy Anniversary Hubs.

I do love you so.

Happy St. Patrick's Day (Belated)

We had so much fun running in the St. Patrick's Day Dash and celebrating yesterday that I didn't have a chance to get on here and wish you all a very Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

This was Steve's first year "dashing" and we had a blast.  Appears our training is paying off too, as we both ran the 3.65 miles in 34:10, with a 8:56 average pace.  My personal best time!!

Here are some pics of our green-filled day day:

Post-Race Brewskies!

 

Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day from me and my Valentines, to you and yours!

 

Happy Birthday Steve!

Today is the hubs' 30th birthday! Happy Birthday Steve!

I'm getting off work a little early to take Molly to her first vet appointment, and then the mister and I are going on a special birthday date to Canlis.  It's our first time, so we are pretty excited. 

Last weekend I threw the ol' man a Super Bowl Birthday Party at the Tap House Grill downtown, and it was a blast!  A big thanks to everyone for coming out and making it such a special day for Mr. Johnson.  

With Steve's Mom's help, I compiled a bunch pictures of the birthday boy through the ages to make a  birthday banner for the party.  I mean, who doesn't LOVE embarrassing/adorable childhood pictures? I went with a football theme in the spirit of the Super Bowl.  The final product was all taped together in a long banner (about 7 feet long), but for the purposes of this post, I've inserted it here in segments.

So, once again, Happy Birthday Steve!!!! I can't tell you  how much I am looking forward to the next 30 years.  I'm sure there will be some fumbles and a few penalties for loss of yards, but I know there will be far more exciting plays, field goals and touchdowns <3

Puppy Inspires Blog!

Truth be told... this blog has been in the works for almost two years now.  It started with our wedding in May 2011. So many great pictures and memories that  I wanted to capture and share in a more personal way than Facebook provides (I actually have an awesome post already drafted - hold your breath for that one). Then it was the epic summer of 2012 - 4 amazing weddings complete with bacehlorette parties, bridal showers and all the crazy that comes with;  8 vacations, including Hawaii, Leavenworth, Key Peninsula and beyond; our 1st anniversary;  a near softball championship in our beer league (damn you Hooverville!) and more... (yep, that's another future post already in the cue).... and yet... this blog remained unpublished.

Why? It surely wasn't for lack of content. Maybe I just needed some inspiration. A muse. A reason to share. Something to grip my audience (hi Mom) ... something to keep myself diligent.  And then along came Molly....

Steve's 30th Birthday present. Molly Johnson. Pure chocolate lab cuteness. Born 11/23/12 at a farm in Auburn, Washington to a litter of 15! Mom and Dad both live at the farm and we may go see them again in the future. All her brothers and sisters were adopted.  Molly was initially adopted too and then "returned" because the original owner got a job that required him to move out of state.  Bad for him. Good for us, and we'll take her!

 Family photo

We're still getting to know this little bundle of puppy love, but we'll be sure to keep you updated on her journey of indoctrination to the Johnson family.

 

Steve picked her up at the farm on 1/24/13. 

And I quote, "Annie, you know I'm coming home with a dog if I go look right?"

 

 Tubby Time

 (P.S. Don't hashtag that in instagram unless you want to see a lot of naked babies)

Sleepy girl.

And so goes the headline - Puppy Inspires Blog!! It feels like Molly is the first step in a number of changes and developments coming down the pike for the Johnsons.  Now seems as good a time as any to start documenting the journey.  It's an experiment (hey, everyone else is doing it).  A time capsule, if you will.  Maybe this will just serve as a personal diary for me, or maybe it will be a way for friends and family near and far to keep up to date.  Whatever it turns out to be, it is endeavoured upon  as an attempt to log the good, the great and the ridiculous that can be my life......
"A. Johnson's Life"

(See what I did there at the end? That's right. Keep comin' back y'all)