Remember me?

Hi Bloggers,
Whoa dang. That was quite the sabbatical. I haven't blogged in months, so sorry! So, as is fitting, this entire post is going to be about my excuses:

1. Mathias.

Sweet, chubby, loud, sweet Mathias. Or "Thius" as his older brother has deemed him. Since all you know is his birth story, I should probably catch you up on him. Mathias is 5 months old and such a good baby. He spends most of his awake time laughing, smiling (with not only his mouth but his eyes as well), drooling, and happily yelling. He has pretty much been happy from 5 weeks on. He is a great sleeper, 7-7 most nights, a 2 hour morning nap, 2 hour afternoon nap, and an evening cat nap. He nurses well, every 4 hours, and just started rice cereal. His favorite past times are watching DeWayne and Micah and wrestling with Daddy. I love Mathias' joy, it's a constant encouragement to me. And he has Matt twisted and tied tightly around his chubby sausage-like fingers like I could never have imagined. Love it. I pray that he will continue being full of joy and have the gift of encouragement, like his dad.


2. Micah.

Sweet, talkative, feisty, active, social Micah. I am loving spending time with Micah this Fall. He LOVES animals and soccer and Buzz and Woody. Most days I would say that Micah's strong willed tendencies have improved, or that he at least is responding to discipline better. He loves his big boy bed, his books, and seeing friends. I am pretty convinced that Micah thinks he is in middle school, as his closest friends are all teenagers or older. He is never at a loss for words, always updating me on his plan for the day. As I walk out of his room for nap time he tells me our plans for the remainder of the day. He loves going to church, cooking with me, and making Mathias laugh. I am thankful that he is also a good sleeper, 7-8ish nights and a 3 hour nap in the afternoon. My prayers lately for my number one son is that he will continue to be a lover of people and that God will use him in huge ways in the lives of many. I pray that he will naturally and lovingly point people to their Creator.

3. DeWayne

He is no longer a dog. He is a horsey. Just ask Micah. I pray for his back and hips.

4. Matthew

Sweet, hot, loving Matt. Matt has had such a busy Fall. He is pretty much 'kicking butt and taking names' at work and at home. His Fall has consisted of a very successful retreat called "Man Up" for 7th and 8th grade boys. They slept out in the woods, ate with their hands, played with paint ball guns, real guns (!), built a catapult, play pick-up football, and learned how God wants them to 'man up.' He also flew to Michigan for a national junior high youth pastor's conference and took our family back to Iowa to see family. (Tired yet?!) Also, he planned an incredible outreach night at youth group called "Extreme Apps" where he brought 5 popular apps to life size, like Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, Cut the Rope, etc. It was incredible, 225 pubescent teenagers got to come complete and hear the life changing news about Jesus. And then 2 weeks ago he put on "Matt's Bunch Brunch" where his youth and their families came to breakfast where they got to meet the small group leaders of their students. And lastly, we flew to Chicago last weekend to spend time with our best friends from our college days, the Millers.

And in between those things, he was wrestling with his boys. This Fall, I have been praying for Matt that God will continue to use him in big ways, but that Matt will know of His love for him in the secret moments too. I pray for vision and wisdom, motivation, and energy. And I pray that the Hawks will win more.

5. Me

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Well, I have mostly been staying busy with #1-4. And loving it. As I reflect on this last season, I would say that having Mathias seemed to catapult me into a really good place. My post partum crazies were almost non-existent. ( I said almost. Almost.) Adjusting to two kids have not just been good, it's been great. I love being a mom now more than ever. We all seem happier, actually. I am loving my days, full of poopy diapers, legos, time outs, sippy cups and spit up. I think I sing about 37 songs a day-1/2 'Jesus Loves Me' and 1/2 'Hakuna Matata', talk about Noah's ark a dozen times, and sweep twice a day. (That was a lie. I don't sweep twice a day. I should, but I don't. Life is too short) I am only working once a week, which is such a blessing. We just felt that while I am breast feeding Mathias and while Matt is this busy, it would be best for our family to adjust our budget so that I could cut back. I treasure my early mornings of runs, coffee, and time with the Lord, before the testosterones awake. I am also leading a group of 6th grade girls twice a week, attending a women's Bible Study, play dates with friends, and even dabbling in crafts with a few friends.
Also, I am loving planning Adored 2012 with my steering team! God has been excessively gracious and generous in allowing me to put on another Adored next Fall. I am blown away that He has given me such a privilege. He has helped me build a rock star team of 12 women to help me plan it, which is way more fun than I could have imagined. We meet monthly and I just kinda sit there with my jaw reaching for my feet as I listen to them share their incredible ideas and their passion for teenage girls. It's beyond encouraging. Check out our website: www.adoredconference.com. And you are all invited! That is, if you are a girl, and between 6th and 12th grade.

Today I bought hazelnuts. Which, we all know, means it's officially the holidays. It's, by far, the most wonderful time of the year. I am so excited to begin Johnson family traditions, teach Micah about Jesus, host parties, shop, wrap, burn candles, put up the nativity set, and sing "All I Want for Christmas is You." We have a ridiculously busy winter ahead of us. But I'm refusing to gripe about it and instead be thankful for all of the friends we have to fill our calendars, all of the family we have to visit, and all of the opportunities God is giving us to minister.

What a joy it is to be loved by God. What a gift it is to experience his daily strength, energy, and purpose. His has blessed abundantly, in material ways and not. I have much to give thanks for.