Lots to catch up on.

Looks like I'm down to posting once a month huh? As I was looking through my photos I realized I have yet to share our Valentine's Day or the kids first snow day here in Oklahoma.

Being a mom to three has definitely kept me on my toes.

In February we had our first and only snow day here this winter. We woke the kids up shortly after we had put them to bed to watch it fall.

And here was sweet A enjoying the snow inside.

My snow angels.

Lucas left for a work trip on Valentine's Day (ugh) so I sent a card I made and his favorite candy with his suitcase.

Knowing I would be playing it single-parent style for a few days I made sure to have plenty of activities planned. First off was making heart-shaped pancakes.

Valentine's Day loot. I decided to pack a gift bag with activities for us to do together throughout the week.

I also included a box of confetti cupcake mix for the kids to make.

My kids are crazy about having little notebooks to jot all of their scribbles down in. I figured they could decorate the outside to make it their own.

N used ALL of his stickers and put them throughout his book, while M just picked a few.

My sweet baby girl on Valentine's Day.

Letting the kids mix the ingredients for play dough was a huge hit.

I think the blue and pink were the favorites of the day.

More to come...

Merry Christmas!

We've been getting into the Christmas spirit here all month long, although I didn't do nearly as much as I did last year with the kids as far as crafts and such. I wasn't sure if I'd have the energy to do much so I opted for simple and easy.

I did purchase the Playmobil Advent for M and the Lego City Advent for N, just as something fun to look forward to doing every day. They were a hit.

We have managed to work in a cookie exchange and Sunday School Christmas party to help celebrate the season which was a ton of fun. I am feeling very blessed and thankful this year to feel apart of a church family again after moving and to have activities to look forward to going to with friends.

Here's our two cuties before church one morning.

A fun tradition we started last year was to take the kids on the "Minivan Express." They love it.

We give them each a ticket to get punched as they arrive in their pajamas.

They get a bag of popcorn and a drink and off we go to look at Christmas lights. Maybe some day I'll get brave and let them have hot chocolate in the van. For now, they get water.

We also took a trip to North Pole City which is decorated from floor to ceiling with Christmas decor. Santa also comes and reads the story of Christmas....the REAL story of what Christmas is all about, Jesus' birth.

We topped off last weekend with making some sugar cookies to share with friends. Yum.

I used this recipe for the first time and I don't think I'll ever use anything else again.

If you like the soft, thick sugar cookies with frosting sold at places like Wal-Mart that are about 1,000 calories per cookie...you'll love these. And thank me later.

Being pregnant during Christmas time, again, always makes me even more aware of some of what Mary went through. Riding on a donkey while 9 months pregnant would put anyone in labor, I am sure. I think I could go into labor just riding in a car on a bumpy road. And the responsibility put on Joseph to find a place for their baby to be born. Stressful. And yet God chose such a humble place for His Son to be brought to earth. Born in a lowly manger. Amazing.

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

No matter what your circumstance. May you feel the peace of Him this Christmas. Merry Christmas to you from the Johnsons.

Thankful

We've had a lot to be thankful for this year.

When I think about all of the changes, decisions, illnesses and uncertainties that our family has gone through this year it exhausts me. I've often joked with my husband about having this be the year I'd like to forget.

But truly, this is the year I hope to remember. I have seen the Lord's provision in so many ways. Most of the time it wasn't how I wanted it. Some of the times I'm not even sure I prayed for it. It didn't come in the pretty, wrapped package I had envisioned...but it came.

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you." Psalm 143:8

Every day I am reminded that God provides for His people.

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” John 9: 2-3

This weekend was one of the best we've had in a long time. We focused on relaxing, hanging out with our children and just enjoying each other.

We enjoyed watching the children's eyes grow bigger as the tree lights were turned on, and placed delicate ornaments in little hands to put on the tree.

Our Christmas books were unpacked and brought out for the month of December, ready for days of being flipped through on the couch and read from at bedtime.

Yes. I'm pretty sure this isn't truly the year I want to forget, but one I want to remember for a long time. And as we enter into the Christmas season, and I look at my nativity scene that sits atop our armoire, I am reminded again of God's provision and how He sent His Son for us, so that someday we could spend eternity with Him.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

And for that, I am thankful.

A Fourth of July update

We headed to my parents home in Arkansas to celebrate the Fourth of July weekend. It was nice to go as it had been awhile since we've been there. While we were there, the kids helped Papa out a little bit with the chores. This one loved it.

This one did not.

And there was lots of time with Nana.

We beat the heat with a dip in the backyard pool.

My parents have an awesome pond just off the back of their home so the boys got up early to go catch us some dinner.

I couldn't believe how well little man did. I think they stayed out for at least an hour and a half. He was on cloud nine.

We sat on the deck, in our jammies, watching and waiting for the boys to return.

So they didn't bring home dinner...but they did catch 3 little fish while out on the water. N was thrilled to get a photo taken with his first catch. We tried to show him how to gently put it back in the water to let it swim away. He was so anxious he didn't wait for the instructions and plopped it right in.

And here is the crew.

Later that day nana made some cupcakes to decorate.

Here is how sister decorates.

And here is what I caught papa doing while he thought no one was looking...

And the finished product topped with a flag.

Dinner was quickly followed by an evening of setting off fireworks in the nearby court.

Daddy setting off the first firework.

This photo completely shows our kids personalities. We have "cautious" vs. "have no fear." And would you believe N ended up sitting a little bit down the street on my mom's lap in my parents driveway to watch the rest of them. He didn't appreciate the loud "boom."

Thanks mom and dad. We had a great time.