The Adventures of the Johnson Clan

Sunday, January 8, 2017

First 2017 post theme: Change.

Every year we make goals to change for the better.

Every year I look back over my list and hope I can put a check next to something (because I'm check-obsessed).

While I love seeing the number of books I read or places I visited, I always feel sad when my more important goals like "Regularly say morning prayers," "become a more patient mom," or "master my eating" are still the same (I currently just polished off a can of Pringles and am eating a toblerone as we speak). Do we ever really change?? Will I?

Yet change is all around us. One friend and I were just commenting how how big our kids are getting and he remembers us showing up to Poland with Maddix just a baby. Another friend and I were reflecting on the past (almost) 9 years of our marriages and what they've held, then comparing it against the next 9. That was almost too much change to think about!

And really I look at these people, like my father-in-law, for instance who literally never complains, never fails to offer a hand, doesn't speaks ill of anyone, reserves judgements, and is slow to anger/quick to forgive, and has endless love to offer, and I think "when will I feel like I'm becoming more like him?" When will I feel like I'm becoming a little more Christ-like??"

Change. Sometimes it's too much to handle.

Sometimes it's slow moving and unnoticeable.

But always it moves according to the Lord's time, and the consistent thing I can check off my list each year is that I trusted in the Lord's timing. Trusted that he knows when (if ever) I'll master my snacking addiction, when we might expand our family, when I might learn to follow promptings the first time around, when we'll know where we're supposed to raise our family, and essentially everything else in our lives that is unknown. It's not unknown to him.

I guess change and faith go hand in hand.

And we must have both to keep moving forward.

Happy 2017!!!

(now here are photos from the end of Dec to now)

Sick boy/pup watching Paw Patrol

Sick picnic

Finally got ready to take all us sick-o's
grocery shopping (We had NO food)

Bored from mom and brother being sick

One day of healthy= playing in the snow and building a sled ramp

New Year's Eve Sicko's

(The New Year was rung in by sleeping...)

"I want to be a doctor, just like Daddy."

Aaron started a P.E. and Art class once a week

Reppin' the New York apparel

Monday, December 26, 2016

The last of the Christmas posts

And just like that another Christmas season is gone. I'm always so anxious for Christmas to arrive and then so sad to wake up the next morning and think, "oh, it's done now." It's good though, I'm sure most people feel this way, and this year I feel like we did so much in the name of Christmas that it at least didn't fly by.
So as the days drew nearer to Christmas we snuggled to Christmas movies, had our friends over for graham cracker house building (easier than gingerbread), played in all the snow, had a fun game day in front of our fire due to -22 degree f. weather that cancelled church, had Santa's reindeer come check that our new address was correct (and eat the pumpkin in our yard), Christmas eve celebrations with the Johnsons via Skype, Santa pancakes, watched the Grinch while eating Grinch corn, made elf donuts, baked sugar cookies for Santa, made my first ever pull-a-parts for Christmas morning (Travis always makes them)(and they rocked), read Night Before Christmas, and then waited for Santa to come; visions of pull-a-parts dancing in our heads.

Christmas morning, 6:00am Maddix comes to me unsure that Santa had come:) I look at him and notice his Pink eye (which he picked up a few days ago) had not gotten better from the drops, but was now in his other eye and completely crusted shut, bleh! I sent him back to bed only to have him trying multiple ways of waking up Aaron because he was too excited; he was unsuccessful, that kid was OUT!

The boys and I read The Polar Express and they played with their stocking gifts, but we didn't open presents; we'd previously agreed we'd wait for Travis, even if that meant waiting until 6:30pm when he'd be off work. Well, there was a more pressing problem to, I was committed to singing two numbers in sacrament and Maddix definitely could not go to church. So where can you go to be watched when you're contagious and sick???

The Hospital, of course.

I think Maddix's favorite part of the day was getting to do rounds and see patients and hang out with Travis while Aaron and I went to church. While at church I was so proud of Aaron who sat quietly and colored or built a puzzle each time I left him to go sing; and everyone in the ward was blown away by his good behavior. Way to go buddy!

And as an added bonus, when we picked up Maddix Travis got to come along to open presents real quick before returning to work!! I love this Mercy Hospital, I can't say enough good things about the people Travis works with/for, and just feel so blessed to be at this hospital.

So home we went, we opened presents, ate junk, sent Travis back to work, and then the boys and I cuddled on and off the rest of the day just enjoying the lazy nature of Christmas Day. And we were so blessed.

Thank you to all our amazing family and friends who spoiled us with so many nice things, but more for thinking of us and using your time and money to bless our lives; that's what mean the most.

And so, another successful and wonderful Christmas and come and gone.

I pray that the wonderful spirit of service will last all year though.

And now we will continue to stay quarantined until this Pink eye has officially made its way out of our home!

Merry Christmas, and a happy New Year!

Don't forget to set some New Year's Resolutions!!