What a Whirlwind

I just realized that I haven't posted since last Friday...the days in between have been full. Here is a quick re-cap.
Ma-Ma, Brad's grandmother suffered a stroke and was briefly hospitalized. She is currently working hard to recover at a rehab facility. The boys have been praying for her each night. When I shared the news with Sam, his first response was, "So, Pa-Pa (Brad's grandfather) is at home all by himself? I bet he is scared and he misses her." Her birthday is tomorrow - Happy Birthday, MaMa. We love you!

I have waded through an enormous amount of laundry. Thankfully, it's all done except one load currently drying. It's a never ending job - and I am so thankful that I have a washer and dryer at home. I can't begin to imagine what a chore it would be to carry everything to the laundromat.

We've been making preparations for the weekend festivities. It's going to be action packed, for sure. Caleb and Matthew celebrate their first birthday on Sunday, the 25th. We'll have a small party on Saturday afternoon. My parents and Brad's mom are travelling from Indiana to be with us. We are all looking forward to being together. Sunday morning, the babies (can you call them "babies" if they are one?)will be dedicated in our church's worship service. We had a yummy lunch today with our pastor and his wife to plan things. We're so grateful to be living life with folks at our church - and even more thankful that our boys have some many faithful followers to help them as they grow in faith. The littlest men will be having photos taken on Sunday afternoon. I am looking forward to that - should be like nailing gelatin to the wall. :) They are both very mobile now!

As I am typing, the noises of giggles and squeals from the bathroom are growing louder and louder. Brad is entertaining Sam and Luke with some tub paints and bath foam. I believe he is making "Ice Cream Sundaes" for them. What a good daddy!

Favorite Foto Friday

I remember the day this photo was taken vividly. I was 36 weeks pregnant with the twins and physically exhausted. Sam and Luke had been busy playing with this laundry basket all morning long...putting toys in and out of it, pretending it was a train and pulling one another around in it, laying down on the floor with the basket on top of them - pretending it was their "turtle shell", and on and on and on... After all of that serious play, they were ready for a little television time. I was so tickled to see that the basket then became a bench for the brothers (although, I did ask them to move back a little from the tele...). :)

The Little Men are Mobile

Caleb and Matthew are nearing their first birthday. It seems nearly impossible that this time last year I was miserably uncomfortable, near tears each night as I crawled into bed, and looking forward to meeting these two little babies that would join our family. Oh man, I am getting weepy - that is another post for another time. ;)

Caleb and Matthew have been mobile for months now...crawling, then crawling quickly, then puling up, the cruising along our furniture, and now.....WALKING!! Well, Matthew is sort of walking - between pieces of furniture - but, without holding onto anything for more that a couple of steps. Surely he gets full credit for that! Caleb, on the other hand, is walking EVERYWHERE! He can be found walking down the long hallway to get to his bedroom, walking to the kitchen to gather some crumbs that have collected in the foot rest of his high chair from lunch, walking to the bath tub when he hears the water running...the little guy is everywhere! This is an exciting milestone...and actually it comes a little later for than it did for Sam(10 months) and Luke(9 months). It changes everything...nothing is off limits to them now! God, help me! :)

Imagination Station with Sam

I had just gotten the 3 littlest ones down for a nap, Sam and I were trying to decide how we would spend our time together after we did the dishes. In the middle of our brainstorming session, Sam made this announcement, "Did you know I work as a policeman?" Thinking on my feet, I said, "No, tell me about it." This was all the encouragement he needed - the kid has an imagination in overdrive! He went on and on telling me about how "criminals and bandits are trying to take the food away from God's people and little children. We cannot stand for that, Mom. I have to go downstairs to get my cape and my boots. I need boots because it's raining." Then he went off to save the world...wearing his superman cape and his rain boots. What a joy!

Favorite Foto Friday

This is sweet baby Sam when he was 21 months old. We were vacationing in Florida and I caught him lounging by the pool. His sweet little tummy just melts my heart. I only wish my tummy had the same effect! :)

Who Are You?

My mom says I was a curious child...and apparently adulthood hasn't squelched this characteristic. I watch my little "feedjit" reader on the side of my blog. I see that folks from Lexington, KY, Belleville, IL, Muncie, IN, etc... are checking up on the Johnson Tribe. They are just locations...but, I know that there are actual people behind those locations. It's fun to think that someone, heck, anyone might be interested in what is going on in our world - that my time spent writing and uploading pics isn't in vain. (grin) But, my curiousity gets the best of me - I want to know who you are. I am so grateful for the internet and think it can be a great tool for good...but, I get frustrated by the anonymous nature of cyber communication. God created us for community - no one is anonymous in God's family. Would you mind posting a comment - say it loud and proud "WE FOLLOW THE JOHNSON TRIBE!"

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.