Fall Break - Day 3

 Our last day in Indiana found us at The Indianapolis Children's Museum.  Our dear friends,  Tom and Jan, were brave enough to join us for the fun.  And, did we ever have fun!  From the time we arrived until we reluctantly left (nearly 6 hours later), we had a great time.  Every one of our six senses was heightened at one point or another - the boys were in heaven!

I managed to capture this sweet image (save Sam and Luke's crazy faces) just before we left.  The boys were incredibly sad to leave Mr. Tom and Ms. Jan...and so was I!

 

 The museum had an amazing exhibit on Egypt.  We entered the experience via an airplane ride (the seats actually shook as you heard the rumble of the plane on the runway) and experienced life in Egypt.  The boys loved it: the marketplace, the clothing stores, the restaurant, etc...  This photo is of Matthew "cooking up a little yummy goodness" in the restaurant.  We happily ate his pretend food and drank his "delicious" coffee.

 

We were greeted by an actual model of a Transformer that was used in the making of one of the movies. My sources (my children) tell me that this guys name is "Bumblebee."  The boys thought it was amazing.  They each took a turn being photographed behind the cardboard image... Caleb's hat and facial expression are priceless.  {giggle}

 

My little men got very excited when we learned the museum was hosting a "Hot Wheels" exhibit while we were visiting.  Heaven for four little boys!  There were so many things to do: create your own car, look at life-size models of Hot Wheels, tons of cars to race down tracks at every turn, and even a care to sit in. 

Luke was hard at work designing a car.

 Twin racers.  They would have stayed there all day long. 

Sam enjoyed pretending to deliver the evening news.

Matthew and Mr. Tom stopping for a tickle.  {love this}

Caleb in the exhibit about healthy living...exercise and nutrition.



 


Tom and Jan, thanks so much for making time for us and making some magical memories with my boys.  We love you so much!

 

Fall Break - Day 2

The second day of our little getaway began leisurely as we didn't have any plans until lunch time and one of my dear sons wakes up at 6 o'clock every single morning. So, we had breakfast and watched some television (a real treat because Nee Nee has cable!) without a care in the world.
  
My dear mother-in-law offered to watch the boys while I went to have coffee with two very dear friends.  I have known these young ladies since they were in sixth grade...and now they are both married and each recently had sweet baby girls.  Brittany and Lora were each part of our youth ministry program for years and I also had the honor of being their small group leader all throughout high school...and now, I am so thankful to be their friend.  What a blessing to be "doing life" with them for such a long time.  I love that God sets us into "faith families" to make this journey with.  So, we sipped coffee and chatted about motherhood, family, and faith.  They even let me hold their sweet little ones.  Swoon....I was in love!  They are young women of great faith and they are also incredible mothers. 

Lora and baby Audrey



Brittany and sweet Cora

So, I left the ladies and hurried back for our lunch date with "Pa Pa."  My husband's grandfather is 93 years old and such a blessing to our family.  He loves a good joke (he's such a good sport, he even laughs at my kiddo's jokes), loves his family, and we love him right back.  He really is a joy and my boys love him dearly.  Brad's mom, his two aunts, and Pa Pa were brave enough to have lunch with us.  We had a great time catching up with one another and managed to have only one spill during our meal.  {not mentioning any one's name....but, it rhymes with LUKE}.  :) 

 

After lunch, we headed to the local orchard for a visit to the pumpkin patch.  I love this little orchard in Indiana...family owned, not too big, not too commercial, and incredibly sweet.  We shopped in the little store, choosing some popcorn to bring home for Brad and some delicious apple cider slushies.  It seemed to take forever for each boy to find a pumpkin...but, we managed.  {snicker}  After all of that, we headed back to Nee Nee's house for dinner, baths, and bedtime.  Having so much fun is exhausting.

Nee Nee and Caleb riding to the patch

Caleb found a winner!

It's impossible to get a good pic of this crew! Little clowns!
 

Sam searching for the "perfect" one...

Luke was determined to find the smallest, "cutest" pumpkin.

 

Transition.

Everyone always says that life is crazy, busy, hectic, and moving too quickly.  I guess it makes us feel important or valuable to fill out time with activity and then accomplish it all by the day's end.  We like to be intentional about our family calendar.  Things work best for us when we are together - a lot.  Brad and I work best when we are sharing the same "space" on a regular basis...we get "frazzled" when we are apart from one another for too long.  This is not to say that our "togetherness" is always sweet or pleasant.  {snicker}  Our family just works best when we are not running around from event to event...we are homebodies.  Maybe your mind is full of images of agoraphobics or a family of recluses.  Honestly, we're not that far gone.  We go to church, we have friends, the boys have occassional playdates with friends, we have lots and lots of people over to our house for dinner or to hang out, we go to the library story hour, and we go to the park.  However, our calendar is pretty simple.  It reflects what we value most: relationships with people.

Just the other day, it occurred to me that leaving our home used to be incredibly difficult.  When the twins were very young it was much easier to just stay home - too much effort required to load everyone into the van.  I can vividly remember the stress of gathering coats, hats, shoes, etc... for all four boys and then wrestling helping them into said items.  Then, I would strap the twins into their infant carriers and take the big boys (ages 4 and 2) downstairs (to our basement garage) to the van and strapping them into their carseats.  I would come back upstairs to grab the babies and deliver them to the van one at a time.  Somewhere in the midst of all of this activity, someone would fuss or cry or scream or wail or...you get the idea.  It was hard.  I can vividly remember the effort involved in grocery shopping with all of the boys in tow.  It was quite a spectacle: Sam walking beside the shopping cart, Luke in the front (seat) of the cart, one infant carrier in the basket of the cart, one infant strapped to my chest in a sling, and pulling another cart behind me to carry my groceries.  People looked at me as if I had three heads instead of four young children.  {grin}  It was time-consuming and labor-intensive...but, so worth the effort.  My boys learned to work together, be tolerant, and to entertain themselves.  I learned that I am more capable than I had imagined.  God had given me every gift I would need to mother these little men...and His Holy Spirit to empower me to do it!

So, I am recognizing that the Johnson Tribe is in a time of transition.  We're much more mobile and it requires considerably less effort to move the Tribe from place to place.  For the most part, the boys are capable of behaving themselves and are very confident that I am not afraid to discipline them when we are in public.  It's mostly a pleasant experience to go places with them....I look forward to it.  {sigh}  There was a day I couldn't have ever imagined thinking that.

So, this summer Sam will attend a basketball camp at the local University.  He is super excited about it and we're eager to cheer him on as he learns about the game.  Luke, Caleb, and Matthew will be enjoying some swimming lessons and to say they are excited doesn't begin to describe how they feel about it!  Matthew squeals everytime we mention it!  They are growing up and ready to spread their wings a bit more...I hope their parents can keep up.  I am praying fervently for God's wisdom in keeping a proper balance with this new "busyness" in our lives...to keep loving Him and loving His people at the center of our family life. 

So tough to take a picture of four squirrely little boys!  Sam (5), Luke (3), and Caleb & Matthew (11months)

The Johnson Brothers - Christmas 2011  (incorrect date stamp)
Caleb (3), Sam (8), Luke (5), and Matthew (3)

George.



George taking a snooze.

 Not long after Rocky joined the Johnson Tribe, we gained another furry family member.  When my dad's health began to decline rapidly, he wasn't able to care for his dog any longer.  My parent's dog, George, is quite possibly the world's perfect dog...well, minus his dog breath and frequent flatulence{snicker}.  He is small, the perfect size for curling up in your lap.  He has an incredibly sweet personality, never aggressive in any way.  His fur is soft and curly, perfect for petting.  George has the most adorable little pudgy tail and it seems to always be wagging...he is a happy guy!  All of my dad's grandchildren love, love, love George.  He was a constant companion to my dad in his retirement.  After my mom's death, George's company was even more appreciated.  George gave my dad someone to care for, talk to, complain about, and "hang out" with.  When my dad would arrive at my house for a visit, my kids would run to his truck to shouting, "George! Poppy!"  My dad joked that they loved George more than they loved him. 

As my dad's health began to decline more rapidly, we had many conversations about the past...remembering the wonderful times our family had shared.  I also heard many stories for the first time - sort of shocking, my dad was a storyteller and I thought I had heard them all.  We laughed and cried...and remembered.  We also had a few conversations about the future.  He told me what we should do with some of his belongings after his death...material posessions didn't have much value to my dad.  We talked about how he was ready to go to Heaven and how he longed to be with my mom again.  We also talked about George.  He was concerned about what would happen to him and how he didn't want to burden anyone with George's care.  I quickly told him that George was a joy and not a burden...and that most likely we would end up in a custody battle over him!  My dad thought that having George at my house might be a comfort to my boys after he was gone.  He was so right.


Keeping Caleb company during his breathing treatment.

So, we've gone from zero dogs to two dogs in just a few months.  Brad is taking it all in stride...because he loves his family, he will tolerate the dogs {smile}.  George and Rocky have become pals.  They get along incredibly well and have similar termperments.  Rocky and George are rarely apart...snuggling on the dog bed, resting in the chair, playing outside, sharing a dog crate...they are canine companions. 

George has become one of the family.  We love him.   I can't imagine not having him here.  Welcome to the Johnson Tribe, George! 



2010 Christmas Letter

Matthew, Luke, Sam, & Caleb

Dear Friends and Family,

It has been a year of extreme highs and lows for the Johnson Family.  Among the greatest celebrations was my (Christina) mom’s retirement in late April.  She had worked very hard in her job as the executive director of a lovely apartment complex for retired folks.  She loved her job, but was eager to spend more time with her family.  A few months later, my parents moved to Kentucky.  We were all thrilled to have them close after living far apart for such a long time.  We were enjoying lots of great dinner conversations, lots of laughs, accomplishing a few home projects, and our boys were being spoiled by their grandparents.  It was wonderful.

 My mom became ill very suddenly in late August.  She suffered an acute aortic dissection (essentially an aneurysm of the aorta).  She had emergency surgery and survived three days before she went home to Heaven.  She had enjoyed nearly perfect health all of her life and was a vibrant 62 year old woman.  We were stunned and heartbroken.  Our extended family, our church family, and our friends have loved and served us well ...shining the light of Christ into this very dark time.   The hope of Christmas has special meaning for us this year.  Because of Jesus, we have the promise of forgiveness and a Heavenly home.  We are all stumbling along as we grieve…and are increasingly grateful for a Heavenly Father who is gentle with the broken-hearted. 

Our busy boys have been a source of joy and we’re so grateful.  Sam (7) is excelling in first grade.  He is an excellent student and a well-loved friend.  His imagination is unbelievable, he is funny, and loves all things Star Wars.  We’re most proud of Sam’s growing faith…several big conversations about Jesus have taken place over the past year.  What a precious gift to share with your child.

Luke (4) is enjoying playing the role of “big brother” while Sam is away at school each day.  The twins follow him around and obey (mostly) his every command.  He is a sweet friend to them and enjoys “teaching” them things.  Luke is an incredibly loving little boy and wants to marry his mom when he grows up.  {grin}  He also loves to wrestle, run, flip, jump on the trampoline, tumble, and the list goes on and on.  Luke loves superheroes.

Caleb (2) is the smaller of our twins, by about 5 pounds and a few inches in height.  He is incredibly funny and loves to make silly faces.  He has a very tender heart.   He loves to hug his mom and play with his brothers.  His most favorite activity of all is “wrestling” with his daddy!  Caleb loves music, candy, and his cousins. He has been entertaining us by singing, “Frosty the Snowman” the past few weeks.  While we have learned much about controlling his asthma and allergies, Caleb was briefly hospitalized this fall with pneumonia.

Matthew (2) mastered potty training a few months ago (much to the delight of his parents) and has become a “big boy” in every sense of the word.  He is fiercely independent and can often be heard saying, “I do it by myself.”  I am sure that this will serve him well in the future…however; it leads to some frustration now.  {grin}  Matthew is super snuggly, loves to pretend he is different “characters” (firefighter, daddy, superhero, a puppy, etc...), and enjoys story hour at the local library.  Matthew loves to dance, “play” his dad’s guitar, and does his best to keep up with the big boys. 

Brad continues to work diligently as a student and a teacher.  He is just a few courses away from finishing the classroom portion of his PhD in Biblical Studies.  There are many more “hoops” to jump through after that is finished, but we just take one step at a time.  He is an excellent student and even presented a paper at a theological conference in California last spring.  As a teacher of Biblical Greek, he is loved and respected by his students and colleagues.  In his favorite role of “daddy” he can be found wrestling, chasing, riding bikes, playing in the snow, and reading bedtime stories.  He installed a fence around our backyard this fall – always thankful for “extra security” with the kiddos.  We are outnumbered!

I have come to the conclusion that I am a better homemaker than I am a housekeeper, and I am okay with that!  We love having people over to our home and we do it quite often.  I am growing more comfortable with the fact that our house is never perfectly clean or tidy…but, pray that our guests feel loved and cared for.  My days are spent juggling mothering duties, attending story hour at the local library, volunteering at Sam’s school, trying to keep up with the laundry, and enjoying the occasional date with my husband.  I celebrated my fortieth birthday just a few weeks after my mom’s death…a somber reminder that this life is fleeting and so temporal.  With God’s help, I am learning to love more deeply, anger less quickly, savor each sweet moment with my little boys, and do my best to live well this life I ‘ve been given.  It’s a precious gift.

Each year at Christmas, I am reminded that God chose to reveal Himself to humanity in the form of a helpless little baby boy.  What a strange way to impact the world in such a powerful way – through a powerless infant.  I am so thankful for this strange and amazing gift…and for God’s amazing creativity in providing a savior that I can identify with.  We pray this Christmas you find yourself overwhelmed…not by gifts, parties, and decorations – but, overwhelmed by the goodness of God’s perfect and personal gift.  Jesus.

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”  1 John 4:9-11

Monkeyin’ Around

My oldest brother and his wife are the parents of four fantastic kids.  Morgan will be a college freshman this fall and is working to save money this summer.  Zack (9), Grace (8), and Lillee (5) have been visiting us this week {“Cousin Camp” as we like to call it} and it’s been such a great time!  On our first day together, we visited the Krispy Kreme store to watch the doughnuts being made from their “observation” window.  Of course, we ate a few just to make sure their work was okay.  It was.  Feast your eyes on these cute little kiddos.  From left to right: Grace, Lillee, Luke, Sam, Caleb, & Matthew.  My handsome nephew, Zack, is way too cool for this silly photo opportunity.  He is super cool, by the way.

After this fabulous outing, we headed to Wal-Mart for school supply shopping.  With lists in hand, we all worked together to find everything the school-aged kids needed.  My parents enjoy this annual event…and the parent’s enjoy this generous gift!  It was fun to see what each kiddo chose…all individuals, for sure. 

We finished the day off with some time playing outside, a yummy dinner, and grandma’s brownies for dessert.  We also made a quick trip to the park before a bath and bedtime.  Whew…we were all tired.

 

Day two of “Cousin Camp” took us to a local inflatable “jungle.”  Our 30 minute drive to “Monkey Joe’s” was worth the effort.  The kids jumped, bounced, slid, ran and all had a great time.  Check out Monkey Joe below with Lillee and Sam posing.  Such cuties.

Zack proved once again that he is an incredible young man…following fearless little Matthew all around the place and helping him to climb up and through things.  Zack got a workout from shadowing him, for sure.  Matthew spent nearly 2 hours running from inflatable to inflatable…no “little jumpers” area for him.  Caleb was as predicted, more timid.  He loved being in the “little jumpers” area…it was safe, small, and he was content.  He did venture out a bit, trying some bigger inflatables.  When he did, he big cousin Grace was was right behind him to help.  She was amazing…and Caleb loved having her attention. 

Zack and Matthew after the big slide.

Matthew followed by Zack, & Caleb followed by Grace.

 

Luke thinks that Monkey Joe’s is heavenly!  All the bouncing and running a busy boy like him could handle…and no one even says, “no!”

Caleb happily jumping in the “little monkey’s” play area.

The kids were all really tired and hungry…so, we headed for a bite of lunch.  We filled our bellies and then came home to chill out a while.  The little boys napped and the big kids entertained themselves as follows:

Zack tutoring Sam in the ways of Star Wars Lego video game.

Grace lounging and watching the video game playing.

Lillee and Luke reading books together.

We’re tired and the day isn’t over yet.  Hopefully, we’ll have a low-key evening of hanging out and playing together.  We don’t often have this much time together…living nearly 4 hours apart from one another.  I am so thankful that our boys have this special time with their cousins…what a blessing. 

Back At It

Wow...I think I have been struggling with some writer's block, some serious lack of motivation, or just feeling overwhelmed in how far I have gotten behind here at the ol' blog.  But, I think I am  ready to get back at it.

As promised in the last post, I gotta few things to cover from the holiday season.   We'll do it bullet point style!

• We hosted our second annual “Johnson Gingerbread Party.”  Sam and Luke each invited a friend over to decorate a gingerbread house one Sunday afternoon.  It was such gooey, sugary, sweet fun to watch our boys and their friends be creative.  Much fun was had and much candy was consumed.  {chuckle}
• My sweet little Sam certainly has his mother's blood coursing through his veins.  He suffers from the same excitement and anticipation issues as I do.  {grin} I can vividly remember being so excited for Christmas to arrive that I would lay awake for hours before finally falling asleep on Christmas Eve...only to awaken a few hours later and then trying to convince my parents that 3:30 am was a great time to begin the celebrating! The Lord used these sweet childhood memories to help me give Sam the extra grace he required on Christmas Eve.  He woke up at around midnight (just minutes after I had finished placing the gifts under the tree and stuffing stockings) and asked me to snuggle with him because he was having trouble getting back to sleep.  I called upon my own childhood memories and mustered the strength to stumble to his bed with him.  We lay in the dark whispering and giggling...I am so thankful that God caused me to be gracious to Sam...I could have missed making that sweet memory with him.  Did I mention that he finally fell asleep at 4:30 am?  Oh yeah, he was awake again at 6:30 am ready to go!
• Christmas day was simply sweet.  It was just the six of us enjoying the day in our old Kentucky home.  We sang "Happy Birthday!" to Jesus and enjoyed some of His birthday cake for our breakfast.  This tradition began back in 2004 and it's one of my favorites...and I think the boys enjoy it, too.
• Luke sang "Happy Birthday, Jesus!" for weeks on end, both before and after Christmas.  It made my heart smile to hear his sweet voice singing this song of praise.  {grin}
• Matthew was so excited about his gifts on Christmas.  He is a man of few words, but is always expressive.  His eyes open wide, his eyebrows raise, and his mouth forms a perfect little "o" shape as he says, "Ohhh!"  and "Wow!"  and "Ahhh!"  Such a sweet boy who truly appreciated each gift.
• Caleb took on the job of reminding me to turn on our outdoor Christmas lights each evening.  He’d run to the love seat in our living room and look out the window while instructing me to   “Turn on, Mommy!”
• Sam used his allowance money to buy gifts for each of his brothers.  We did our shopping at the dollar store - lot's of options for a boy with $5 in his hand.  He thoughtfully chose a gift for each of his brothers and took great pride in wrapping them himself.  

            Caleb opening his well-wrapped  gift from Sam.

 

• The sight of my four boys in matching pajamas on Christmas Eve thrills my heart.  I know that this is not normal...but, as a mom of all boys - there are so few "clothing related" joys! {giggle}
• As an afterthought, I bought a very inexpensive gift for the boy’s stockings.  A package of 4 silly glasses/nose things (what are they called anyway?) for one dollar.  These turned out to be the “hit” of the day.  We laughed at one another and really got our money’s worth of them. Luke and Sam…so stylish. 

 

Is that Peter Pan in disguise or Matthew?

 

• The boys and I all enjoyed having more time with Brad during the holidays.  Things are always better when Daddy is home.  {grin}

I think I am on a roll now….getting excited about getting caught up.  So many more good stories to tell about how God is restoring Caleb’s health, time with our extended family’s over the holidays, and the twin’s second birthday celebration!  I really am back at it!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

The month of December has been chock full o' blessings...and the page on the calendar hasn't even been turned yet.  It always feel strange to begin a calendar for the new year...everything about it feels odd.  The pictures aren't the same style, the font is different, it's squares aren't full of activity, and the new year just looks "odd" to me.  2010 just seems foreign.  Okay, that is enough about my new calendar...I am sure that our relationship will grow over the coming months.  Just in time for me to welcome my 2011 calendar.  {grin}


I managed to choose the least horrible picture of our four little men for a Christmas card.  Don't misunderstand, the Johnson boys are incredibly handsome and photogenic.  We have such amazing individual shots of them.  Getting a terrific photo of the four of them is much like nailing Jell-o to the wall.  If you have more than one child, you know what I am talking about.  Caleb is drooling, Luke is crossing his eyes and sticking out his tongue, Sam is looking at a squirrel across the yard, Matthew is sticking his finger up his nose, or my favorite - when we ask the "big" boys to "hold" their little brothers, someone always ends up in a choke hold.  So, it's rare to get a good pic of all 4 boys.  I figure anyone getting our Christmas card this year understands our situation, and they'll have to laugh along with us.  Speaking of the Christmas card, this year I was so on top of things.  I ordered the cards early, wrote the letter in record time, and then failed to buy postage stamps for the next 3 weeks!  Go figure.  Getting to the post office is not high on my priority list, I suppose.  {grin} They finally got mailed on December 22nd. 

We buy only three gifts each for the boys, so shopping would seem easy.  However, when you get a few gifts, you have to choose wisely.  I managed to get it nearly completed in one full day.  Whew!  Now, we are just preparing for Jesus' birthday party.  Gotta bake a cake & get out the party hats!  Then we'll make final preparations for our family who is visiting from out of town tomorrow.  Can't wait to see them!   It is the most wonderful time of the year!

We Survived Thanksgiving

Once again, we loaded up the tribe and pointed the mighty mini-van northward to Indiana.  The past few years, we have celebrated Thanksgiving with our extended family in the Hoosier State and then stayed home for Christmas.  It allows us to remain in our pajamas until at least lunch time, take our time in reading the story of Jesus' birth (we read from a "grown up" Bible and a children's Bible), open our gifts leisurely (Sam struggles with this part...he gets incredibly excited {grin}), sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus and blow out the candle on His cake, and then enjoy a big holiday meal together.  All without the stress of having to rush out the door with bags in hand.  It's one of the best decisions we've made as parents.  In spite of missing our extended families, it just feels right for our little family.  So, we make the trek to Indiana for Thanksgiving to be with our loved ones.

Traveling with four little men ages 6 and under is madness.  Our parents live just over an hour away from one another and both live in very small houses.  After all, they are empty nesters.  My mom always makes a comment about how small their space is ...and I always reassure her by saying something like, "This house works perfectly for you and dad 98% of the time.  When my family invades your space, we swallow it up."  It's true...we are a tribe of 6!  So, when you take four little men out of their normal routine, strap them in a car seat for 4 hours, give them a "nap" while en route, and then put them in an unfamiliar place to sleep for the night.  Trouble is bound to come!  For the most part, it's fine.  However, it's exhausting to shuffle things around: suitcases, pack and plays, diapers, clean clothes, dirty clothes, cameras (to capture the images of memories being made), coats and hats, and at least a million other items.  We had planned our time to maximize the fun and minimize the disruption...or so we thought.  It seems that something always happens to mess up our well-laid plans.  {grin}  Caleb struggled a bit with his asthma, his breathing was rapid and he was wheezing. Thank God that I felt the "nudge" to pack the nebulizer machine in our suitcase.  We needed it.  Brad and I were able to handle it, and it felt good to know what to do.  He was up several times throughout the night.  I gave him breathing treatments and prayed over him.  Such peace comes from knowing that when your little one is sick, you can call on God for help and healing.  He is faithful to hear and answer prayer.  I am so grateful to know that God loves my boys even more than Brad and I do.  Amazing.

So, we ate (a lot), we drove (a lot), enjoyed being with our family (a lot), enjoyed a lunch with our youth-ministry friends (a lot), and then we headed home.  We made some sweet memories along the way, too.  I treasure the opportunities for our boys to spend time with Brad's grandfather...he loves watching them and gets a kick out seeing their latest "tricks."  {grin} In fact, we were so busy making memories, that I didn't take a single picture!