Summer Adventures Posted by Katie on Saturday, August 30, 2008

Just for fun, we enjoy walking to the store sometimes to get our weekly supply of groceries. It is good exercise, and the children love it! Recently we have been taking both our triple stroller and our single stroller, so that we can transport all the groceries home easier. Just this last Tuesday, we decided to go again. Tom loaded up the triple stroller with Michael and Bethany in it, and I transported Baby #4, as well as the single stroller with Julie in it. At the store, we fill our strollers with the food that we want to buy, so that we don't have to lug around a shopping cart, too! We are kind of hard to miss, with two strollers going down the aisles, and a lot of the employees at the store know us by now. I think it adds interest to their day when we come into the store! One time, when we went in, a female employee said, "I was just telling someone about your family earlier today"! I guess we must be quite strange, if they tell other people about us! I pretend not to notice the stares, comments, and gasps, as we traipse by with our load of children. I feel very grateful for the fact that I grew up in a big family of eleven, because my family certainly would get a lot of stares whenever we went places together, so I'm kind of used to it by now! Michael loves to hold some of the food we are going to buy, and today was no exception! He wanted to hold the cereal boxes, and could barely see over the top. Our little caravan eventually reaches the checkout counter with our strollers stuffed with bread, olive oil, strawberries, milk, chicken, etc! We quickly unload the food, and manage to get the cereal boxes from Michael with very little fuss. We are still getting the stares--in fact, even more so now that we are standing still! Bethany adds to to the scene by cheerfully singing "Yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so!" for all those around us to hear. She only has one of her two hair ribbons in by this point, and she has taken off her shoes as well. We finally steer our loaded strollers out of the store, and rearrange the groceries a bit so that everything fits. We must make quite a sight as we make our way back home--two strollers stuffed with children, and groceries sticking out of every remaining square inch. Michael and Bethany add to the sight by cheerfully waving at the cars and people that pass. Michael is still sitting in the front of the triple stroller, clutching the cereal boxes tightly. We reach our residential area, and parade down the sidewalk. A man and his wife are standing in their front yard across the street. When they see us, the man just stands there, frozen in place, and stares. He then loudly exclaims to his wife, "Look at all those kids!" And then a minute later, "Look, honey! It looks like triplets!" They didn't seem to know that we could hear them. He continues to stare at us as we move farther and farther down the street, trying to keep our chuckles to ourselves! I ask Tom, "Do you mind having such a strange family?" He grins and says, "No, I love it!" It is a good thing he doesn't mind the stares and gasps, because I'm sure we are going to be getting all the more once the new baby comes! Speaking of the new baby, it is hard to believe that the due date is only a few weeks away! I'm definitely feeling large and heavy these days! Michael has finally seemed to grasp the fact that there is a baby inside of me. He enjoys feeling the baby kick. The other day, I saw him pretending that there was a baby in his tummy. He held Bethy's doll's hand to his tummy, and explained that the "baby in his tummy" was "kicking". :) Um...I don't think so, Michael! :) We have been busy lately moving Julie's stuff to the children's room, and washing the newborn clothes and putting them in the baby dresser. We bought a used armoire off of Craigslist that holds Bethany and Julie's clothes. With me being so hugely pregnant, we have been realizing more than ever that we really need to get a bigger bed. Tom and I have had a full-sized bed ever since we've been married, but have been hoping for awhile now to get a queen sized bed. Two weeks ago, we bought a beautiful used canopy bed frame (again off of Craigslist), and then last week we bought a new box spring and mattress for it. It looks so cute in our room, and it feels so much bigger and more comfortable to us! Who knew that a couple of extra inches could make such an amazing difference?! August was a "big spending" month, I guess, because we also finally got a dryer. I had enjoyed hanging up our clothes outside, but I knew I wouldn't have that type of time once the new baby is here (not that I have a ton of time now!). It is amazing how much you appreciate things more once you don't have them for awhile! We so enjoy having a dryer again, after more than a month without one! I'd better sign off for now, because it is time for our traditional Saturday lunch of hot dogs (nitrate-free, for those who are concerned ;) ). Have a great Labor Day weekend! :)

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Julianna Is One Year Old! Posted by Katie on Monday, August 04, 2008

It is hard to believe that Julie was born one year ago today! It doesn't seem like it could possibly be that long! Now she is zipping all over the place on her own two feet. She is by far our most active one year old so far! She loves to climb on furniture, and is causing her parents no little anxiety with her daring feats! She definitely does NOT have a healthy fear of heights! :) She tries to keep up with Michael and Bethany, and has been growing up way too fast! It is almost like she knows that she is going to be a big sister in September, Lord willing, and won't be the youngest any longer! I took lots and lots of pictures of her today, despite the fact that she has an unsightly bruise on her forehead. Our poor little baby is always bonking her head from falling off of things that she has climbed up on. I have seen baby helmets sold, and wonder if we should get one for our little mountain climber/adventure seeker!! Happy birthday to our sweet little Julie! We pray that she will grow up to love the Lord with all of her heart! We are so glad that she is a part of our family!

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July in Review Posted by Katie on Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Wow, July is almost over! It sure has been a busy month! We are hoping for a slower pace in August, because we still have so much to do before the baby is due on September 15. In mid July, Tom's brother Ed and his family came out for a visit. How fun it was to be with them again, and to see how much our nephew/cousin Peter has grown! We spent a day with them in the mountains at Tom's parents' cabin, went to a cousin's wedding, went to church together, and then spent another day with them at "Grandpa and Grammy's house". They were full, fun days, and we are so grateful for the chance to be with them. We have also been dealing with yet another round of sickness (we all got it this time!), and an extra bad ant problem (ugh)! We have been so tired that we have not had the energy to do any dryer shopping, so we are still draping/hanging clothes out to dry. I actually think it is kind of fun to have this challenge, but I know I will be very happy for a dryer once the baby comes and our laundry is greatly multiplied! It has been the season for weddings, since so many of our friends and relatives have gotten married in the past several months! This Saturday we are going to another special wedding. My cousin Marcia (who was a bridesmaid in my wedding) is marrying our Pastor's son, who I've known since I was seven years old. It is going to feel unusual to go to a wedding where we know both the bride and the groom very well! We are really excited for them! Praise the Lord for my sweet sister Rebecca who has been helping us for about a week now. We ended up giving her the cold we have, but she has been such a good sport about it! What would I do without my sisters?! She has to go home tonight, and I'm going to have to start cooking, washing dishes, and getting up earlier again! :)

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A Restful Week??!! Posted by Katie on Thursday, July 10, 2008

At the beginning of the week, I looked at the calendar, and was cheered to notice that there was very little scheduled for this week. Activities really wear us out due to our energetic little ones and the fact that I'm in my last trimester of pregnancy. This is how our week has gone so far: On Monday night, our dryer broke for good. On Tuesday morning, I got a bad cold, and sleep has been very sparse this week because of that! Tuesday night, we noticed that sewage was coming up in the bathtub when the toilet was flushed. On Wednesday morning we got a plumber out to fix the problem. While we are researching our dryer options, I am draping the clothes on laundry baskets outside in lieu of a clothesline. It definitely makes me feel very old fashioned to have air-dried clothes, but I am looking forward to having a dryer again for all the little tiny socks and underwear that the children go through! :) I hope this week closes out a little more peacefully than it began. This week's "Johnson family adventures" were a little more "adventurous" than I had hoped! :) On a more refreshing note, we are continuing to have tons of fun with our new barbecue outside. Who knew cooking outside could be such a delight? It is great having Tom take over so many dinners, too--I sure enjoy the break! :) The Lord is so good and faithful to us--even during crazy weeks like this week when we are so tired. He always gives us just the grace and strength we need for each day. He never fails us! The Lord also blesses me through my sweet husband, who is unbelievably cheery and optimistic, even when everything seems to be falling apart! Tom's contagious smile is a continual bright spot in my life, and I appreciate how he has the ability to see the funny side of "disasters"! :) God is good!

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A Busy Month at the Johnson Home Posted by Katie on Friday, July 04, 2008

June certainly was an eventful month! After our anniversary trip, we decided it was time for Michael and Bethany to give up diapers. We had already been potty training a little at a time for several months, but we didn't see the progress that we were hoping for. I set aside a week to focus just on potty training. My sister Rebecca came over, and we both poured a lot of energy into the project. I sure owe a lot to her! To our delight, that week was very productive, and now we are enjoying the fact that Michael and Bethany are both pretty much potty trained (hooray!). It sure has made our lives easier! It feels odd to have only one child in diapers now. A month or two ago, I was getting concerned that at the rate the potty training was going, we were going to have four children in diapers once the baby was born! In mid June, Julie started walking, and hasn't stopped since! She loves feeling like a big girl, and does all she can to keep up with Michael and Bethany! It is so cute to watch her toddling around the house, or around the backyard! I can't believe how fast she grew up! I'm not sure I like the fact that she is such an early walker! Our little baby isn't so little anymore! In late June, our fridge died, which was an adventure in and of itself! It is crazy trying to work quickly to move perishable food items with several kids running around and "helping", and biting into packages, etc. (Bethany likes to eat frozen bologna through the plastic package! It looks like a mouse got to it or something) We had to replace our fridge, and I feel much more settled again now that I have no more ice chests or anything like that in my kitchen! We also finally bought our first barbecue, and have been having a lot of fun with it! It is now a proven fact that hamburgers cooked on the barbecue taste WAY better than ones cooked on a griddle inside. Tonight for the fourth of July, we are having a big barbecue outside, and are cooking some marinated chicken. The marinade recipe is a special one from Tom's side of the family, and I love it! For Father's Day, we spent the day with Tom's parents, and celebrated his dad's birthday. Tom enjoyed flying to his cousin Steve's wedding in June. It was a very special, God-glorifying event, and he came back with lots of pictures and details for me to enjoy. Congratulations to the happy couple! On the last Saturday in June, I went to a cousin's baby shower (my first cousin to have a child!). It was fun to see a bunch of relatives on my dad's side of the family, including my great-grandma Ashley who came down for the occasion! We made sure to get a picture with her, my grandma, my dad, me, and the kids--five generations! :) Tom wants to start the barbecue now, so I'd better go prepare the side dishes for our special meal tonight. :)

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Fun vacation weeks! Posted by Katie on Sunday, June 08, 2008

We've enjoyed some fun weeks recently! We had our family vacation back in May, and then Tom and I went away for a little vacation for our anniversary last week. For our family vacation, we were too tired to go spend the night anywhere, so we just decided to stay home and visit fun places nearby. We enjoyed it very much! We visited a bird farm/petting zoo where the kids got to feed the animals, we spent an evening going on some "little kiddie rides" at a place near our home, we dropped the kids off at Grandpa and Grammy's for a day and went on a date as a couple, we rearranged the kids bedroom and set up twin beds for Michael and Bethany instead of their cribs, we shopped for quilts for their bedroom, and had some good relaxing family time together at home. Though it was a very odd "family vacation", it was a lot of fun for us, and just what this tired Daddy and Mommy needed! Though not on our vacation week, we also enjoyed spending extra special time with both sides of the family in late May. We went on a nature walk with my family one day in late May, and on Memorial Day, we spent some time with Tom's parents at their cabin in the nearby mountains. For our fourth anniversary, Tom and I dropped the kids off at my parents' house, and spent a night at a splendid bed and breakfast next to the ocean. We absolutely loved our time away, and wanted it to last longer! We both agreed that this is the best anniversary trip we have had so far, and is in close competition with our honeymoon for our "best ever" trip. :) We both feel so blessed to have been able to enjoy four wonderful years together! I feel so blessed to be married to Tom--I love him more and more with each year that passes! He is such a joy to be around!

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