What's in a name???

Olivia decided to change her name this afternoon. I guess she figures that she has had the same one for over three and a half years, so it is time for a new one. She now wants to be called Butterfly Little Kim. It is kind of catchy, don't you think? Of course, we should not get used to it. Earlier in the day, she went by Katherine Little Kim, so who knows what it will be tomorrow(maybe "The Daughter Formerly Known as Olivia?!?)! Maybe someday one of these trendy names will be her stage name! You just never know what will happen next with Olivia!

I have heard it said...

Here are a few of my favorite quotes I have heard around the Johnson house lately...


--"I have lived a long time... seven years!" --Isaac (said very seriously!)


-- "Well, how rude!" --Troy Stuart (when the toy farm magnet oinked at him when he opened our refrigerator door)


-- "I have always thought the devil is shaped like a kite!" --Bailey (I am still trying to figure that one out!)

-- "My one leg did not get a lot of sleep last night." -- Olivia

-- "That was just a bird singing in my nose." -- Olivia (when she was blowing her nose)

-- "Oh well, I will just have to get another one!" --Bailey (Said during a game of pretend in which Olivia told her that the prince was dead.)

Happy Valentine's Day!

We had a great Valentine's Day! Our morning was "normal". We worked on school and chores around the house. Isaac and Bailey are part of a science co-op on Thursday afternoons, and they had a little party after class. They exchanged Valentines and ate enough sugar to last until Easter. After they had consumed as much as they could hold, we headed home for our own family V-Day celebration. We had a special dinner -- stuffed shrimp (the girls said "No Thank-you!"), pizza rolls, french fries, and crab dip with crackers. The pizza rolls, being a rare treat, were the hit of the party. I had bought a red, plastic table cloth for the table. Bailey said, "It looks beautiful Mom" (I think that it might be time to invest in some table cloths and napkins!). Anna Grace consumed her weight in crab dip. The children each got a little bag that had watercolors, a straw, pencil and candy in it (it is wonderful how little things still thrill their heart). I had fixed a basket of treats from Fresh Market for Mark and included a cd of Weather Channel music (we call it MTV for older people!). My sweet husband gave me lotion and chocolate and a promise of a new Bible. What a sweetie! My favorite part of the day was just being with my family!

Tornado sirens, volcanoes and talking trees...

We had our first experience with tornado sirens last night. We knew there was a possibilty of severe weather before we went to bed, but we were both able to fall asleep anyway. "Nature" called Mark out of bed around 3:00, and he turned on the television. There was a severe thunder storm heading our way, and a tornado had already touched down in a nearby county. They were advising everyone in our area to "seek tornado shelter." The tornado sirens were going off, which made the situation seem more serious. I was thankful that Mark had woken up, because I do not think the sirens alone would have worked. They kind of sounded like an ambulance siren off in the distance.

So, we woke the children up (what a painful thing to do!!!), and we all huddled in the laundry room until the weatherman gave the all clear. The two younger girls had no understanding of what was happening, but the older ones, especially Isaac, knew enough to be afraid. Isaac said, "Should we pray?" So, we prayed for safety and tried to reassure the children. It was very strange to hear reports of "funnel activity" in places near our house. The storm was past our area by about 3:50, so we began trying to get everyone to go back to sleep. Isaac was still afraid of the thunder and lightening, so he got in our bed, and I headed to the guest bed. I went to check on the girls a couple of times. At one point, Olivia said, "Is there really a volcano out there?" I was able to say with confidence that there were no volcanoes anywhere near us!

Everyone eventually went back to sleep, although everyone is still a little groggy this morning. Olivia told me that she had a dream in which Daddy rescued her and Bailey from the "talking tree at church". What a night! Praise God that He answered Isaac's prayer!

Contentment

A few weeks ago, I reached a turning point in my attitude about our new life here in Alabama. I had been feeling lonely and a bit discontent, and I was spending quite a bit of time thinking about those feelings. I knew we had made a good decision in moving here, but I kept comparing everything new with what I was used to in Louisiana. One day, I was thinking about these things, and I realized that I really needed to let them go and turn them over to the Lord. I needed to choose to be content with my current situation, and trust God to give me what I needed. The following Sunday, the sermon mentioned something similar, and our Bible class started a new series on contentment. What a coincidence!?!

The following Wednesday night, the Ladies Bible Class I attended studied 1 Samuel 16. The chapter begins with a conversation between the Lord and Samuel. God tells Samuel to stop mourning for Saul, because his time of being king was coming to an end. God had chosen a new king, and he wanted Samuel to move on and anoint David. Samuel was afraid, but God provided what he needed. This passage really convicted me that I had been looking so much to the past, that I could not see the future. It was ok for me to miss my friends and our church, but I needed to watch and see what new things that God was ready to do in my life. I made a decision to be content right where I was, and to stop comparing everything with my "Louisiana Life."

It is amazing what a difference that simple choice made in me. I have felt so much more peace. I have started to really enjoy our new church and make friends there. I have started to be fed spiritually more than I have in a long time. I still miss my wonderful Louisiana friends and I always will, but that is not consuming my thoughts. God has blessed me with peace and contentment, and I am so thankful. I need to remember this lesson, because I am sure that I will need to learn it again!

Where did January go?

January is almost over, and I am way behind in my blogging. It is time for some catching up!
Here goes...

--The Stuarts (good friends from Baton Rouge) came for a weekend visit. It was so good to see some Louisiana faces! Our four children and their three boys had a great time playing. We visited three different playgrounds in two days! Their oldest, Jadon, celebrated his sixth birthday while he was here. Tanya and I went for a walk each day (I had a hard time keeping up with her!) and Mark and Troy talked non-stop. The visit could not have gone any better. I am so thankful for our time together!

-- Mark and I started an eight week marriage class called Dynamic Marriage. I had seen in advertised at church, but I had doubted that we could take it because of our lack of babysitting (it is on Sunday afternoons). I prayed that God would make a way, and within five minutes of my prayer, the leader of the class told me that someone was going to arrange the babysitting for the couples taking the class. Mark and I have really enjoyed the class. It has been great for our marriage and it has also allowed us to get to know some really neat people at the same time. It has been a great blessing!

-- We had some Alabama friends over for dinner a couple of times this month. Both couples were friends that Mark knew from his college days that now live in the area. Having them over has helped our new place to feel more like home!

-- We have started participating in a Homeschool Science Coop on Thursdays. The moms take turns teaching a science lesson. Isaac and Bailey really enjoyed doing experiments with magnets in their first class. They also loved playing with their new friends in the gym after class. I am thankful for the opportunity to visit with the other moms.

-- We travelled to Georgia on Friday to visit with a neat family that we knew from our church in Baton Rouge. They moved to Georgia about a year and a half ago. They have four boys and three acres with woods, so the children had a great time playing in the "great outdoors". Olivia and Anna Grace got to gather some eggs from the chickens, which thrilled their hearts. Olivia said her favorite part of the day was jumping on "Mr. Keith's jumpoline". Isaac got to play on a Wii for the first time (he now thinks he needs one), and Bailey was asking, "When can we go back to Georgia?" before we were even home. Elizabeth spent time teaching me about organic food and how to grind my own wheat. I am now the proud owner of a Nutrimill grain mill, and three different types of wheat. That will be the subject of another post after I get it out of the box! We all enjoyed our trip to Georgia!

-- My new "hobby" is playing "The Grocery Game." It is a website that helps you match up grocery sales with coupons that have come in the paper in the past couple of months. It allows you to find some incredible deals on groceries, and stock up on things that are on sale. I am doing the trial membership, and so far, I am enjoying it. Saving money is like a game for me, and I am having fun playing it!

So, that sums up some of the high spots of our month. Life is settling down, and we are feeling more and more at home. God is so good to us!

Working like a mad woman!

This has been my work around the house week. For some reason, I have been obsessed! We are not doing school this week (winter break!!), so I decided that I wanted to get a lot of little projects around the house accomplished. I started the week by unpacking from Christmas and putting away all of our Christmas gifts and decorations. I moved on to cleaning on my closet (still a work in progress) and hanging pictures. Yesterday I cleaned out the garage. We have been planning on buying a freezer, so I am hoping to buy it this weekend as a reward for a clean garage! I think that we can fit both vehicles in now, which is something we never achieved in our old house. We will see how long it lasts!

Today I painted Olivia and Anna Grace's room. When Mark and I went on our house hunting trip, Olivia told me she wanted a house with a big purple room for her. I have been promising to paint her room since we moved in. She has been telling everyone at church that I am going to do it, so I decided that it was about time that I made good on my promise. The children were very patient with me today (they watched a lot of television!). I was able to put a coat of purple primer on the walls before lunch and then paint during quiet time. It is a very light shade of purple, and it almost looks like pink (don't tell Olivia!). I quit after one coat of paint. I know it could use another coat, but I just don't have it in me to think about that right now!

Our French doors were installed this week --- yippee! Our guest room/office (also known as a formal living room) now has a little more privacy. We are ready for all of our friends to come visit now (shameless hinting!).

I have made a "little" husband to do list for Mark. Most of it involves drilling, which is a skill I have not acquired yet (much to Mark's relief). I am hoping he will have time to do a few items on the list this weekend.

We had an Ethernet connection put in behind our television today (thanks for the suggestion Jimmy!). Mark's tivo is officially up and running. He is a happy man!

We are going to start school again on Monday, so I will be back to just doing "normal" housework. My next big project, painting the guest room, will have to wait a few weeks. I am going to try to get everything clean this weekend (the house seems to fall apart when I am working on a project). I can focus so much better in a clean house!