The Adventures of the Johnson Clan: ~Future Dreaming~

I don't know where to start. I began writing this with the negative points of having to live in Iowa; however I don't think that is fair. I don't want to rag on this place that has seen so much growth from our family.

This is the longest we've ever lived somewhere as a family. We've gone from a family of boys to an even split (soon to be, anyway) of two boys and two girls. We've become home owners and really created a home that we love to be in. And we have fun dreaming about finishing the basement, opening up the kitchen, etc.

The people in the Midwest are seriously some of the kindest people, ever. Friends and neighbors come together to support each other when the winds whip the trees into everyone's yards, to rake the endless leaves, shovel drive-ways, provide meals and daycare to women who've just had babies. I don't know. There is something here... it's stronger than saying "there's a sense of community." People invest in each other. Care about each other. And they don't really care about much other than that (w/ the exception of Hawkeye football ;), so it is really just a relaxed place to raise children; and for that, I'm so so grateful.

Now that's I've said nice things... ;D I'll just be honest with how badly Travis and I would like to be closer to family. To be back around mountains. To live in a climate where we can live outdoors for 9 months of the year... instead of INSIDE for 9 months of the year (I don't feel like that's an exaggeration).

In our future we see a lot of boating, skiing/snowboarding, mountain biking, rock climbing, triathlons, and even the occasional campout! We get so excited thinking about living back home where we can also share these experiences with our family members since they won't be 1200 miles away!

So anyway, that's where our mind as been quite frequently since we came home from our trip.

But also, we've enjoyed celebrating Travis's 33rd birthday, as well as Christmas festivities!!!

For Travis's bday he got to start the morning off playing Racquetball with a group for guy friends from church that get together and play each Saturday morning. The boys about had a heart attack that they had to wait for his bday breakfast until he was home and out of his relaxing and LoNg shower! For lunch we were able to go to Mr. Taco for street tacos before the storm rolled in. We watched Dog Days as a family, ate his favorite meal of Split pea soup for dinner and had tres leches for dessert. After the kids went to bed we watched Crazy Rich Asians (which Travis has declared as his new favorite Rom-Com). He said he had a nice day. And I'm glad it was a relaxing day for him before he had to go work his 24hr shift the next morning.

Maddix came out and helped me shovel our driveway one morning. Then volunteered to accompany me across the street to shovel the driveways of our single older lady neighbors.

We've had lots of snuggle time.

Christmas movies.

Hot Chocolate bars.

Travis's Work Christmas party

McNider Art Museum Christmas Event

Christmas at Clear Lake Event (which if I'm being honest, wasn't fun. We went with the intention of creating a fun Christmas-themed memory, however, the boys whined the whole time, the baby just cried, and it was SO cold that if you stopped moving... you probably wouldn't have ever moved again! So we stayed 30mins and just went home; Christmas outing FAIL)

And then we are having an FHE tomorrow themed around Free Agency and Missed Blessings.

Maddix said something negative about himself the other day so I told him, "Maddix, we don't say mean things about anyone, that includes ourselves." To which he quickly replied, "I thought that we have free agency?" He asked this earnestly, not sarcastically. So THAT (among other less than pleasant moments in our days) is what is driving the topic of our FHE.

So then we're going to relate having free agency and blessings that H.F. has for us into relatable things we can focus on in our daily lives to help us not miss out on opportunities day in and day out.

I've been contemplating for a few months now, the possibility of creating some sort of "positive attitude" chart, but I didn't want it to have punishments attached to it. I didn't want it to be tied to the wrong type of rewards. So I've just been waiting and collecting different pinterest ideas until I found the right combination that would reach both Maddix and Aaron in the ways they learn the best.

Presenting... dun don don DUN!!! They're new charts!

There are 10 topics for each 7 days of the week. At the end of the day if they had an overall positive attitude within each topic then they get to color in a star. That way they can make mistakes and learn to calm themselves down without losing out on a star opportunity. And if they don't get all their stars, it's okay too... there is no punishment or major missed out opportunity. But each star equates to 1 minute of video games (for Maddix) and iPad time (for Aaron); these are things that mean a lot to my boys, but that they rarely get to do, so definitely motivating and something we will do together as a family. At the max they earn 70mins a week, so I don't think that's too much either.

I'm very hopeful.

I really hope these charts will be something easy to commit too. Easy to adjust into without some big change or major commitment, but something they themselves can stay on top of. At the end of the day they can reflect on the choices they made decide for themselves how they did.

Like I said, I'm hopeful this will help create a more positive environment in our home and get some of us in the habit of seeing the world in a more positive light.

Anyway, I'm tired and have rambled quite a bit.

So the End.

Enjoy the pictures if you have hung in there this long.