Lovin the outdoors

Whew! We made it! What a relief this cooler weather has been. I really believe I'm a much better mom, friend, wife, person when I'm able to get time outside everyday. And all summer long I was trying to decide which is worse: Texas summers or Lake City winters... What's your vote? I'm still indecisive. Well in honor of all things fall, I'll finish this quick little post with shots of us finally busting out of our prison of an apartment (at least that's what this summer felt like!)...















(see what I mean??? Prison!)







We enjoyed a fun camping trip last weekend and are loving our morning bike rides to the park! Thank the Lord for the outdoors!

My kids need less patience

Jordan and I recently had a conversation with someone about why we do not say "please" when giving our kids commands and instructions. Our desire is that our children learn to obey quickly the first time and when saying "please" we feel like we are giving the child an option. Having to ask a second or third time is not obedience. We are not equals, God has placed us in roles of authority. My sister sent me to this blog Like Mother,Like Daughter


The author reiterated our philosophy way better than I ever could! And I just wanted to include this excerpt:


When Pa was away and a bear came to the Little House, Ma told Laura to get inside. And she went, even though she didn't see the bear at first. Would your little girl do what you said in that situation?

Today's child, in the false comfortable world of prosperity where parents think they have the luxury of listening to "experts" (who have no obedient children themselves), would cause this scenario:

"Laura, get inside!"
"Why?"
"Sweetie, get inside, please. Mommy needs you to get inside. Mommy doesn't want to scare you, but there's a big bear and she needs you to make a good choice now and do what she says."

"Will you buy me a treat?"

"Yes, sweetie, please, go inside."

"Where's Daddy?"

"Mommy knows you have questions, and that's very smart of you. I'm so proud of you. Please go inside now."

"He's never here! Why isn't he here? You TOLD me he'd be here!"
"Sweetie, when you argue with me, you are making a bad choice. What did we say about bad choices? Now, you'll have a time-out if you don't do what I say..."

Meanwhile, the bear eats them.

Why? Because Mommy is so patient that she allowed every interaction with her child to be an exchange between equals rather than a strong wall that a child can't breach. For her own sake.

What a breath of fresh air! (I believe that my kids will learn to say please and thank you thru other methods and hopefully as modeled by us, not while learning obedience.)

Thrifty and Thriving!

I recently stopped buying laundry detergent and dishwashing detergent and started making my own. It is not only cheap but very easy and quick! I love saving time and money and would much rather spend the time making this stuff than shopping for it. So here are the recipes for ya! Both are passed to me from my cousin Katie, thanks girl!

Laundry Soap

bar soap (any kind, preferably fragrance free)

1/2 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda

1/2 cup Borax

32 Cups of water

In large stock, add grated soap to 6 cups water, add washing soda and borax and heat and stir until dissolved. While that is dissolving boil 4 cups of water and add it to a large container. Once the powders are dissolved, add it to the large container with 22 more cups of water. Stir and if desired separate into smaller containers. Let stand 24 hours and stir or shake the container before using.

Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load, more or less depending on size of load. If used on cloth diapers, 1/4 cup is needed.

Dishwashing Detergent

Add equal parts Borax and Washing Soda to the soap dispenser in dishwasher, fill the Jet Dry spot with vinegar. Easy!

Borax and Washing Soda are under $3 each and you can get many gallons of soap from both! I love finding ways to cut time and money in my daily life to spend it on more important and fun things! What are some ways you do this?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

An Extra Helping

These past two weeks have been especially hard on me. We've had car trouble after car trouble which resulted in many cancelled plans and being apartment bound all week and going days without seeing another adult, aside from Jordan.
I've been struggling with loneliness (who knew being a mom was so lonely!) and discontentedness. Adelaide and Emery have both been teething and have colds and need to be outside but aren't able to in the 110 degree heat. But God is good and I'm learning, well being reminded, of His truths in my life:
1) I do not deserve a running car, a house with a yard, money to pay the bills, dates with my husband, trips to visit my family, or anything else for that matter.
2) He gives good gifts! Beautiful and healthy children, family, AC, love! (these I call 'an extra helping')
3) God will give me more than I can handle. And for that, I am thankful! For it allows me to see my need for my Savior, for His grace and mercy, and not to rely on my own strength but on Him.
4) I am learning more and more about my children and who they are and what their personalities are like every day as I'm forced to come up with creative ways to stay occupied and busy as we fight cabin fever.

I'm excited for how God has been growing me, especially as a mom, and I'm relieved He is still working on me. Even when I only have a couple minutes a day to spend dwelling on Him.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Fast and furious

This week:
•emery had 4 teeth come in and is working on the 5th... Oh my word.


•Adelaide had her first experience with puking. (and I had my first experience getting puked on and cleaning it up at 3 am)


•I finished refinishing the Johnson's picnic table for our dining table. (I'm a little proud)

Us

Here is an update on Jordan and me:

Jordan:
•is drumming for 2 worship teams and loooves it! He'll do it any chance he gets!
•has made several friends here in Longview and I'm excited he has some guy buddies to chill with as it's been awhile.
•does such a great job playing with his kiddos and just spending time on the floor with them (something I struggle with).
•is learning all about fixing cars! Haha! He just put an alternator in our one working car with his dad.
• is a huge help to me at home and is patient, kind, and selfless. So thankful for him!



Charity:
•stays busy working (cleaning apts for new tenants) and being a full time stay at home mom.
•is a part of the MOPS steering team at our church and is in the hospitality position. which means I am busy busy busy with getting the decor ready for our first meeting in 3 weeks.
•getting to k ow other moms around the area and is enjoying making new friends.
•working on building inventory of different kinds of product to (hopefully) open another etsy shop (hopefully) this fall!
•is learning to sew!
•is researching homeschool methods and approaches and curriculum!

Well! That about sums up our little family... For now...

Updates, short and sweet

Our computer is not worth struggling with these days so I finally set up blogging
from my phone (can't change the page layout, so excuse the mess and lack of current photos). But I think it's due time for an update.



Emery- he is 6 months and 20 lbs, and just cut his first tooth this weekend... A top one just like Adelaide! Started eating banana, avocado, sweet potatoes, yogurt, and loves sucking and gumming melon balls. Has been sitting up since 5 months and tries to jump right off our laps. Such a happy boy, always grinning and yelling and laughing. Adores Adelaide and squirms with excitement anytime he sees her. He loves swimming in the morning and sometimes takes his nap by the pool. Loves being worn, by both dad and mom.














Adelaide- she is potty trained! Just over 2 years and only wears diapers at night and during very long outings when I'm alone w both kiddos. She can sing! On key too! Already has memorized twinkle little star and the abc song. Still doesn't play much with toys, loves books and playing in the cupboards though. She helps me a ton! With dishes, baking, with emery, watering our plants, picking up...I know she'll be a great oldest child. She loves swimming and coloring and painting and play doh. She has a temper and we are working on bringing it under control. She loves her little brother and is patient for the most part when I'm occupied with his needs. She's talking in sentences and already asks so many questions. She's starting to pick up on colors and shapes. All of a sudden she's become a little attached to me, which I love! Usually she's so independent so I love seeing that she notices when I'm not around, if that makes sense.





(in this picture she lined all of her toys up and told them to pee in the grass...she's helping Olivia the pig out by holding her over the grass)














(to be continued...)

Different is Good

If you're from Utah you may remember Karl Malone saying that in a Hardees commercial. If you're not, well you probably have no idea what I'm talking about...
Everyday I'm reminded that I'm different. Really we all are, of course, and that's a good thing because how boring the world would be if we weren't. (Pretty sure I learned that from Adventures in Odyssey. Anyway, I'm especially reminded of how different I am raising kids here in east Texas.... For instance:
•I do want a lot of kids and I want to homeschool them all.
•Jordan and I didn't wait the (seems to be) required two years to start having babies.
•We are trusting God with how many we have and when we have them, we've never used birth control.
•we don't have college degrees and (if it's God's will) may never
•we will continue to try for our homebirth we so desperately desire
•we cloth diaper and co sleep
•I eat sushi and drink caffeine when I'm pregnant
•we don't own a house but we do own two cars that take turns breaking down each month
•we've never used an infant carseat (we do use carseats! Convertible ones)
•we don't vaccinate our kids
•we choose to live off one income
•I've never bought rice cereal for my babies.
These may be major differences or tiny ones, they may be personal convictions laid on our hearts right now or just a matter of preference, they may be different circumstances or choices, they may be different parenting styles or perspectives. They don't make me or my kids better or worse.
But I am different. And daily I'm reminded of it which is why I'm writing this post. To remind myself that God uses our differences to glorify himself and to add to his kingdom, not to make us comfy or to surround us with like-minded people or to add to our statuses.
It's hard to feel different from everyone around us and some days it hits me like a sack of bricks. Especially being so far from my family who I have so much in common with and who i can always count on to share my point of view.
But while I thought I was teaching Adelaide Old Testament stories, God was using it to show me simple truths:
Noah was different. and was scoffed at for choosing to build an ark while believing that God would destroy humanity. I've almost felt scoffed at for choosing to trust God with the amount of blessings, I mean kids, he wants us to have even when finances are tight (God can afford it). Moses felt inadequate to speak for the Lord when his people needed him. Just like I feel inadequate every time I think of the giant responsibility of motherhood and of educating my children when they're ready. Paul knows what it's like to be content in every situation. And this, I am learning.
If I view my own differences from my own sinful perspective, like I do almost daily, my focus and objective is self seeking. But God never promised me I'd feel secure in my decisions and choices or confident and accepted by others in my obedience to Him.
I sing these words to Adelaide almost every night and I find so much comfort just knowing this truth:
{My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness}

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Family fun in the sun

We've been keeping very busy around here, enjoying the warm weather and sunshine by going on walks and to the park. Last week I had a great visit with 2 of my sisters (Susanna and Abi) and my younger brother Josiah was able to come from Ft Hood as well. It's been great having family come visit us in Texas, but now that all the visits are over, I'm left not knowing when I'll see any of my family again and the homesickness creeps in. But thankfully I have 2 very active fun children to keep me busy and take my mind off it!

Enjoy some pics of a windy day at the park!

One Month Already??

I can't believe how fast it's gone by, even faster the second time around! Emery is such an easy baby! I thought Adelaide was easy...Emery is even easier. He's basically slept through his entire first month of life. There are times I've forgotten I have a newborn (just for an instant) and I'll walk by his bassinet and be startled by the sight (or sound) of a sleeping baby.

He is already 12 lbs and 22 in! He's a champ sleeper and eater. In fact, I'm a big fan of co sleeping because I usually get way more sleep and don't really fully wake up to nurse, but this kid is already sleeping 6-7 hours through the night! I'm getting more sleep now than the entire pregnancy and first year w Adelaide.

Speaking of Adelaide, she has adjusted SO well! Didn't even seem like she needed to adjust as she doesn't really realize anything is much different except that there is this cute baby brother that she gets to kiss all the time and help out with.

Well nap time is almost over so enjoy all the pictures of my babies!

Good Things Come In Small Packages???

This one didn't!

Emery Rowan Johnson

February 3rd, 9:48 pm

9 lbs. 3 oz. 20 in.

His birth story:

We planned a homebirth with a great midwife, but Emery wouldn't come on his own. We didn't want to go over 8 or 9 days past his due date because he was already measuring large for me. So we met w a doctor (whom we know from church and we're SO thankful for his willingness to take us on at the last minute!), that was on Wednesday. Emery was measuring so big they couldn't even get a complete measurement on their ultrasound machine. There was also a scare of meconium in his fluid (turned out to be false alarm and our doctor said you can't really see that on ultrasound pics anyway). So the decision was made to go to the hospital the next day to be induced. It was a hard transition mentally and emotionally for me, especially since I was given less than 24 hours to go from hopes of a homebirth to a hospital induction. However, thru my entire pregnancy I told people, "We're planning a homebirth, but we all know things don't always go as planned, so we'll see!"

Anyway...on with his birth:

6:30 AM-Arrive at hospital, get checked in and hooked up to IVs and monitors (boy I've got a lousy attitude about all this!)

7 AM-notice there's no birthing tub or ball and wonder, "how can I even walk around during labor when I'm 'shackled' like this?? (starting to miss Gunnison Valley Hospital at this point, haha)

7:30-9:30 -Start the pitocin drip. I'd been hoping I could just have my water broken and progress naturally from there, just like with Adelaide. Easy peasy. Emery, however, was too high up so it posed a risk for a prolapsed cord. The pit wasn't bad at this point, just obnoxious. I spent the entire morning working on changing my attitude. Starting with reading God's word and listening to Matt Chandler sermons and worship music.

9:30- Water was broken. Turned off the pit. Was allowed to sit on a birthing ball! Contractions spaced out...booo. Mother in law arrived to offer support and breaks for Jordan, hurray for her!

11:30- A little more dialated, not much. I came in at a 3, I think I was a 4 by this point. Head still high. Upped the pitocin. Now I was just plain hungry and thirsty...didn't help my attitude at all.

11:30-4ish...Really really bored! My awesome father in law brought in his ipad and let me play around to pass the time. Nothing happening.

4 PM- Realized that this is the time I started pushing with Adelaide, got a little frustrated again and tried working on my perspective. Still no real progress. Maybe dilated to a 6? But I was stuck either on the birthing ball or in bed. Pitocin was upped and contractions started to hurt and were pretty close together. Jordan turned on"How He Loves Us" by David Crowder on repeat and listening to those words really helped me get through the pain! Especially the line "when all of sudden I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory"

8 PM- By now I've been checked about once every hour, whew! A nurse told me I was an 8 but my Dr said I was still a 6...things are looking like they're headed towards a c section. By now I'm shaking uncontrollably, I think from exhaustion, pain, hunger, and thirst. Pitocin was upped even more and it was at this point I decided to get an epidural, for a few specific reasons: 1) if it turned into an emergency c-section, without an epi in place, I'd be put under. I would rather go with an epi if it meant I could see my baby immediately. 2) They wanted to start putting me in a crazy position on my side called "chicken wing" and switch sides every 15 min to try to get the baby to drop. How was I supposed to deal with the pain of labor stuck in one position with 8 different cords coming out of me? and finally 3) I was really curious about what it was like to labor w an epidural, after having Adelaide completely natural, it sounded fun (at the time) to compare and contrast.

9 PM- After being rotated from side to side every 15 minutes and then sitting in a squat position (during which the contractions REALLY hurt my gallbladder!) and NOTHING happening, my dr arrived and said,"I think it's pretty much written on the wall, this baby is not coming down" I was just ready to be done with the entire experience. Emery's heart rate had been dropping a ton during contractions for the past 2 hours and I was extremely nervous for him and just wanted him safe and out. So we prepped for the c section. I had amazing nurses and Jordan was SO excited to see a c section (you should've seen him when I was getting the epidural! he was ecstatic! haha). Our doctor was great and after Emery was born at 9:48, I fell asleep while they were stitching me up.

All in all it was a long, exhausting day but so so worth it! I was very thankful for the nurses I had and my doctor and finally, for being able to hold sweet Emery in my arms. Unfortunately, the hospital experience turned out to be another nightmare in itself (at least in my opinion at the time). Remember, I was beyond exhausted and the hormones were kicking in and I found out I couldn't eat for another 24 hours (that meant 48 hours total! and I when I tried jello, I threw up, ouch). My doctor was ready to let me go Saturday morning, but Emery's circumcision was delayed another day so we had to stay put. Not a huge deal to me since I wasn't expecting to leave that early anyway. Sunday morning arrived and the hospital pediatrician said he wouldn't release Emery because he'd lost too much weight. Emery was a chunk, had VERY full bowels and pooped about 5-6 times a day since his birth (so I attribute that to some of the weight loss) and I found out he hadn't even lost a whole pound (which I was told he had). My milk hadn't come in yet so of course he's losing weight like all babies do and I was pretty upset. I felt that we weren't recovering well in the hospital and I was getting no sleep at all, now I was anxious about getting my milk in soon because the pedi mentioned Emery going to the NICU (which I thought was getting a little extreme and drastic at this point). We even called the pedi and argued about it alittle bit telling him that we could be doing the same thing at home and that we would be happy to come back and do a follow up and weigh the baby and anything else he needed and asked to be released. He said that would be too much hassle. We asked about us leaving on our own terms and a nurse (who was on our side) informed us that we could leave, however, our insurance could decide not to cover our expenses and a case could be opened up with CPS. I felt so trapped. I started drinking cups and cups of Mother's Milk tea to help bring my milk in and in order to get out ASAP, I agreed to give him a bit of formula in a syringe after feedings (Emery was nursing about 30 min every 2 hours at this point, which is really really good for a newborn). He wouldn't take much formula and my milk came in that night so I nursed like never before! The next morning they weighed him and he had gained some weight back so we were finally released!

(ps. he left the hospital at a healthy 8 lbs. 8 oz.)

(pps. I have my own strong opinions regarding the labor and delivery. however, I'll refrain from sharing them publicly, hehe...)

whew, what a long story! If you've made it this far, here are some pictures as a reward :D I'll post some more later!

Finally, sweet Emery

Adelaide adores her "baby brotha"

Jordan and Jordan Jr ;)

In A Few Days

I'm hoping I'll be holding this little boy safe and sound in my arms:

If I don't go into labor on my own before Thursday, I'll most likely be facing a hospital induction. The reason my midwife doesn't want to allow me to wait longer is because our due date is so uncertain (as my dates were just an estimate) and I'm measuring a lot bigger and so is baby. There is a chance of meconium in the fluid so she's not comfortable breaking my water at home (which she's technically not allowed to do anyway). We're meeting with a dr tomorrow to get checked and have his opinion and we'll go from there. I'm praying and hoping I go into labor tonight. It's all in the Lord's hands though, which it always has been. This has just been a very emotional and mentally challenging day for me. It's hard to prepare your mind for something completely different than what you've been preparing and planning for for 9 months.

I've had this song stuck in my head on repeat all week, quite fitting actually:

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, and to take him at his word; just to rest upon his promise, and to know, "Thus saith the Lord."

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him! How I've proved him o'er and o'er! Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust him more!

O how sweet to trust in Jesus, just to trust his cleansing blood; and in simple faith to plunge me neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus, just from sin and self to cease; just from Jesus simply taking life and rest, and joy and peace.

I'm so glad I learned to trust thee, precious Jesus, Savior, friend; and I know that thou art with me, wilt be with me to the end.

-c

A Child Prodigy

Yesterday afternoon I shut myself in my room to quickly find some worship music to listen to, during which I hear knocking and "poooo poooo", I respond with a "I'll change you in a minute, baby." Smelling her dirty diaper, I walk out of my bedroom to find Adelaide standing naked at the garbage can holding her hands up to me saying, "wash, wash"... I lift up the lid and see her dirty diaper inside and then I see her poop covered hands...

Apparently this child took it upon herself to change her own diaper. And what a good job she did! I couldn't get angry or frustrated (instead I was laughing!) because the situation was too hilarious and, once again, she amazed me with her thoughts and actions. She had taken off her disposable diaper, attempted to wrap it up, and throw it in the garbage. She had also attempted to wipe herself with a dishtowel, which I found down the hallway...but I found NO poop on the floor or any mess anywhere (ok so there was a tiny trace on the stove when she grabbed the dishtowel...).

hmmm, could it be time to potty train already??

until I go into labor...

...I'm giving 10% off all orders on ColoradoInspired !!

Also I will be closing the shop around the first of March for some major reconstruction....so take advantage of the sale while you can!

-c