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)

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. 

A Visit From The “Old Codger” and His Crew

Brad is a blessed man for many reasons… a lovely bride with mad cooking skills among  among the reasons are his grandparents.  His maternal grandparents {affectionately known as MaMa & PaPa – pronounced maw-maw and paw-paw} have lived long and faithful lives and played an important role in our boys lives.  MaMa had a stroke in January of 2009 and her health began to decline pretty quickly afterward.  She went to be with Jesus in May of that same year.  We miss her…a lot. 
PaPa has done his best to adjust to this “new normal” of living without his wife of over 60 years.  He recently took a trip “down home”, to his birthplace.  He visited with old friends and his siblings and their families who still live in North Carolina.  At 88 years old, PaPa has finally given up driving.  Brad’s brother drove PaPa, NeeNee Linda {Brad’s mom}, and Aunt Sherri {Linda’s sister} on their big adventure.  After a week full of fun, they stopped by our house for a sleepover before heading home to Indiana.  I guess they were looking to end their vacation with some extra excitement!  {snicker}  The Johnson boys excel in creating excitement!  This photo is proof.  Notice young Luke smiling politely for the camera.  Sam has PaPa’s hat and cane, pretending to be an old man.  Caleb and Matthew have stopped squirming long enough to capture this image.  George {the dog} seems to be the most obedient. Amazingly, PaPa is grinning from ear to ear.  What a good sport.  He loves these little squirrely great-grandsons of his. 

On a previous visit, PaPa had been working on a cross word puzzle {one of his favorites hobbies before his eyesight began to fail} and Sam was intrigued.  He very patiently explained the puzzle to Sam, clues to down words here…and across words there.  He asked PaPa how he knew all of the answers.  PaPa laughed {his grin is so broad that his eyes disappear – it’s adorable} and told Sam that when you live to be an “old codger,” you know lots of things.  So, thus began a new “inside joke” for PaPa’s stay.  We all called him the “old codger” and he loved it.   
All of the boys love crawling on PaPa and asking him questions about everything.  They took turns wearing his hat and walking with his cane…and he just took it all in.  It seemed like his heart was full.  I sure hope so…we love that “old codger.”

Where to Begin?

I think I am suffering from a severe case of “I-am-so-far-behind-I-don’t-know-where-to-begin-itis.”  I have at least a million blog posts swirling around in my mind…along with my grocery list, a reminder to ask Brad to trim the boy’s nails (the is the chief mani/pedi man around here), an ever-growing list of thank you notes to be written, and the list of phone calls to return.  This blog is read by a few friends my mom….but, it’s real purpose is to be our family’s scrapbook.  So, I have these major events that need to be chronicled here for the sake of our family history.  Things like: Caleb and Matthew celebrating their second birthday, Brad celebrating his 29th birthday again, Luke celebrating his fourth birthday, Sam finishing kindergarten, my mom retiring from her job, and great conversations had with the boys that left me in fits of laughter and with tear-stained cheeks.  I am so far behind that I find myself overwhelmed …unsure where to begin.  So, I have decided to blog on, as if I never missed a beat (or in this case, a major life event).  So, tomorrow is a brand new day …and a fresh start in my blogging mind.  {grin}

 

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!

Playing "Catch-Up"...not to be confused with "Ketchup"

So much has been happening around the Johnson house these past few weeks...and the activity has left little time to blog about it all.


Matthew has been channeling his "inner rock star" the past few weeks - wearing the Elmo sunglasses whenever he finds them. You'll notice his slobber-soaked shirt ...evidence of the teething happening in our house for both Matthew and Caleb. It has been a little messy and sometimes painful. Praise God, the teeth finally broke through a couple of days ago.


There have also been a few messes to clean up around the house. I returned home from the grocery store ( I had the left the many little men in the care of our good friend, Miss Phyllis - more on this precious saint in another post) with a refreshed heart and a few bags full of food. The boys were helping me put things away (well, actually rummaging through the bags to find something yummy), and Matthew's curiosity got the best of him. He opened a 16 oz. box of spaghetti - notice he still has the box in his hand in the photo. You can see that Sam and Luke are mortified by this mess - they look shocked! Matthew and Caleb had a grand time picking it up and distributing it all over the kitchen floor. It's such a good thing that God made them adorable. {grin}



We've been enjoying the warmer weather. Luke especially enjoys creating roads for his cars to travel on in the sand table on our deck...his little brothers just enjoy eating the sand. It's nearly impossible for me to get all four little men out to play by myself. It is simply not safe - the three littlest ones go running in opposite directions. It has been a humbling thing to realize that I can't do what seems a most natural "mom thing" to do. Sam, Luke, and I are able to sneak out from time to time while the twins are down for a morning nap. We normally have to wait until Brad comes home to go out to play for any length of time. However, we're making the most of our time outside - riding bikes, playing basketball, running around, creating masterpieces with sidewalk chalk, petting the neighbor's dog, and with the boys on our cul de sac. I am praying madly for a fenced in yard...and a swing set will be added in just a few weeks. We are so excited!


Brad and I have always been intentional about creating Spiritual Community wherever we've lived - really "living life" with a the people who live near us. Being part of a seminary community has really provided rich blessings for our family in this regard. We've had people from nearly every tribe and nation in our home over the past few years - students, professors, visiting faculty members, international students, etc... Last week, we invited Brad's professor who commutes to campus weekly and another friend (see photo above) over for dinner. The man in the picture above was at Asbury for a sabbatical from his normal ministry duties. Keith and his wife have been called to minister to the poor in rural Ohio. This type of ministry is all-consuming...and I think he is so wise to take time out to reflect, pray, study, listen for God's voice and direction, and renew his heart. Our friend brought his Kermit the frog puppet along to entertain our kids. The boys all loved it! Sam ran to get our Elmo puppet so he could join in the puppet conversation. It was entertaining, for sure! I am sometimes frustrated by this long educational journey we have been on...but, it also brings some amazing blessings. I am so grateful that my boys see Godly people who are answering God's call on their lives in very real ways.

Catch Up - Not to be Confused with Ketchup

The little men in their Christmas Pajamas. This was the best photo out of 6 - getting them all to look at the camera is like nailing gelatin to the wall!

Caleb wrestling Matthew to the ground...lot's of this happening now that they are very mobile!

The Fab Four after "Treats on Main" here in Wilmore. The main downtown street is closed off and businesses hand out candy and have games set up for the kiddos. Big Fun! Notice Mr. Incredible, the two M&M's, and Luke as himself. He chose to not wear his Buzz Lightyear costume - opting for the more non-traditional costume of a "2 year old boy." (grin)

Okay, I have shared before that while I take a lot of pictures - I am terrible about loading them onto my computer. That is why I am just now loading pics from the fall! We have this "mega sized" card in our camera, so it can hold several hundred pics. It isn't terribly difficult to do it - simply plug it into the USB port and turn on the camera. I have been thinking about why i don't do it more often, it really would be fun to show updated pics of the handsome young men living in this house (and that handsome big man who lives here, too). I think I procrastinate because it forces me to look at my very untidy "digital photo album' on my computer. It's a disaster - photos from every year and season all jumbled together. Oh sure, I have created little folders...I got lots and lots of them...the pics just don't always end up in them. Sometimes the pics end up in multiple places - and then I am unsure as to whether it's the only copy of it or if it exists in another folder somewhere. UGH. I need to start over...too bad I have over 6 years worth of pictures to wade through.

Miss Nancy Comes to Kentucky

We have so much more than sweet memories from our years of youth ministry in Indiana...we have treasured friendships that have endured the passing of time and the many miles between us now. One of our dear friends, Nancy, came to visit us this week. Nancy and her family (hubby Ron, daughter Hollyn, and son Sam) were all a vital part of our weekly youth ministry program. They even invited Brad and I to stay with their kids while they were out of town several times...such big fun! When we we waiting for our own Sam to arrive, Nancy helped me "nest" and shared in our anticipation for our little bundle of joy! We have "lived life" with them...and we're better people because of it.
The past few years have brought many changes for both of our families. Hollyn and Sam are both college students now (eek! - Ron and Nanner are empty nesters) and we have added 3 more boys to our family. Nancy has a little more time and freedom these days...and she came to visit us! Our visit began when we met at the orchard on Sunday afternoon. It was time for the annual Johnson family pumpkin picking trip and the orchard happened to be on Nancy's route to our house. This plan worked out perfectly because we'd forgotten our stroller! What parent's of 4 children (2 of whom don't walk yet) forget an important tool like a stroller! :) agh! So, Nancy and Caleb become best buddies as she carried him all over the orchard.
She was able to stay until Tuesday afternoon...and it was fun-filled and fantastic! She and Sam had an extended "date" together - getting new training wheels for his bike, looking at every possible toy in Wal-Mart, having lunch at Sam's fav place - McD's, and even a little grocery shopping. She cooked a yumm-o dinner for us, brought a carload of treasures from Indiana for us, took the babies for a walk, she did the dishes repeatedly, she sat in on Brad's class, she read books and played 'pretend" with the big boys, she changed the diapers of the little ones, she gave me a knitting lesson, and she just loved on all of us. It was so fun and refreshing to have her around...a breath of fresh air. She encouraged us, affirmed us, loved us, and made us laugh. God is so good to show His love for us through the kind words and deeds of dear friends.
We were all a little sad when she left. As she pulled out of our driveway, Sam said, "I miss her already." I did, too. Thanks for the visit, Miss Nancy. When are you coming back?