My darling sister Rachel is here for the week, which gives me a chance to tackle my enormous “to do” list. The biggest thing on the list is potty training! We started with Julie a few weeks back, but it was put on hold due to some very chaotic weeks. I'm hoping to make much more progress this week--we'll see!
Our biggest news around here is about baby. We found out that we are having a little BOY! :) Excitement is high around here, especially for Michael, who is absolutely overjoyed to have a brother. He can't wait to have a roommate as well--he has been jealous of the girls who get to share a room. I remember those feelings. I felt that way, too, when I had to have my own room before my sister Rachel was born!
Though we have had home births/birth center births with all of our babies so far, it looks like this baby will be born in a hospital, due to some new circumstances. We appreciate your prayers for little Baby Johnson! :) We are looking forward to meeting our new son in April, Lord willing!
It has been so long since I updated here—I never told about Christmas! Since last Christmas “Flu by”, I guess it was appropriate that this would be “a cold Christmas”. Yep, that is right--we were all sick with nasty colds on Christmas day, which prevented us from going to see our relatives that day--a big disappointment! We were grateful to have been able to have a few Christmas celebrations in the month of December before we got sick. We enjoyed Tom's brother's family coming out in early December, and then one day about a week before Christmas where we got to spend some time with Katie's family and all of her grandparents. We celebrated Christmas with Tom's parents on the 23rd, even though Michael was getting sick. Then on Christmas Eve, Tom, Bethany, and Julie got sick. By Christmas day, I was sick, too, and eventually Ruthie got it. We were all so sick on Christmas that we didn't feel like opening presents or anything, so we decided to save those for another time. Our sickness ended up dragging on for a couple of weeks, which caused us to miss a relative gathering on Katie's side of the family as well (for the second year in a row!). That was quite disappointing also! Hopefully we are not setting up any new traditions here! :) We are very much enjoying being well now, and going to church together again!
Our “courtship anniversary” is on January 15, and we love to celebrate all those happy milestones in our relationship. :) As a surprise to Tom, I asked Tom's parents' to come and babysit for the evening so Tom and I could go on a date together (Thank you for coming, Dad and Mom Johnson!). Tom was very surprised to arrive home from work that evening to have our babysitters already there and our outing all arranged. :) We went out to dinner, and then went and got ice cream. I never can spend enough time with my sweet man! How happy I am that we officially started a relationship seven years ago! They have been the best seven years of my life. :)
The children are always coming up with the most interesting questions, and their chatter is no little source of amusement. Sometimes, their comments about life are quite thought-provoking. I just wish I always remembered to write their little sayings down, because I forget so quickly! I enjoyed hearing Michael say to Julie the other day, “Julie, do you praise the Lord?” :) :)
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-3
I don't know about tomorrow;
I just live from day to day.
I don't borrow from its sunshine
For its skies may turn to grey.
I don't worry o'er the future,
For I know what Jesus said.
And today I'll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.
I don't know about tomorrow;
It may bring me poverty.
But the one who feeds the sparrow,
Is the one who stands by me.
And the path that is my portion
May be through the flame or flood;
But His presence goes before me
And I'm covered with His blood.
Many things about tomorrow
I don't seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.
~Ida Stanphill
We have had some fun and busy weeks recently, and though I have been taking pictures, I never seem to get the chance to put them on here! Finally today I was able to catch up on the pictures. I updated the fall gallery, as well as creating a winter gallery. There are Thanksgiving pictures added to the fall gallery, and pictures from a great visit with Tom's brother's family in the winter gallery! Check out both galleries to find out what we've been doing recently!
Merry Christmas!! :)
Life has been pretty crazy during the last two months! September started with “morning” sickness. A few weeks into September, we all got sick except Tom. The month was extremely physically draining! October rolled around, and Tom and I were so thrilled to go on our belated fifth anniversary “honeymoon”. We went out of state, and I rode in an airplane for the very first time (I know it is hard to believe, but it is true!). It was our longest anniversary trip yet, as we were gone three nights. My mom and sister Rebecca stayed with the children at our house while we were gone, which made our trip so much easier. I didn't even have to pack anything for the children! Tom and I had a wonderful time, and we so enjoyed having each other's undivided attention for a few days! The countryside was absolutely beautiful, and the places we stayed were quite charming. Right after we got back home, another virus passed slowly through our family, and we had to stay home for several weeks! We haven't all been to our church together for a whole month! Hopefully life will return to “normal” now that we are getting better and I have finally reached my second trimester of pregnancy. I'm about 15 weeks along, so most of my “morning sickness” is gone now.
I can hardly believe it is November! School for the children had taken the back burner during the last two months, due to Mommy being sick and tired. That is OK, though, because we don't technically have to start school yet. We are just doing it for fun, and to try to get in the routine. As life hopefully starts returning to normal, I'm wanting to be consistent with school again!
We are starting to get in the Christmas mood around here, and have been playing Christmas music. Yes, I know it is way too early for that. But, we love our Christmas music! The kids are looking forward to playing with their Fisher Price Little People manger scene, which we only let them play with in December (in order to keep it interesting and special to them). Michael was talking about playing the Christmas story with his sisters, and was saying that, “Julie is the shepherd....Bethany is the angel...and I'm the gingerman!” (wiseman) :)
The children never seem to tire of playing church, and after a recent church baptism, have been playing “baptism” too! It is so funny! Bethany sometimes gets tired of Michael always getting to be “the Pastor,” and that can sometimes result in some very “un-Pastor-like” discussions between the two of them. ;)
The children are all very excited about the arrival of their newest brother/sister. The baby is a referred to as a “she” by the little ones. I think it is hard for them to comprehend that it might be a boy this time. :)They like to put their hands on my tummy to “feel” the baby (as they remember doing with Ruthie), even though nothing can be felt yet. :) I brought Bethany to my last prenatal appointment, which she was very happy about! She was looking forward to hearing the baby's heartbeat, but was disappointed at all that it turned out to be. She wondered why she didn't hear the baby making noise. :)
I added a new Fall 2009 photo gallery to our website, with lots of new photos of what we've been doing lately!
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