a new home: the start of a new chapter

i have never been more thankful for a hole and a pile of dirt in my life

and with 3 boys there have been plenty to go around 

after one miracle after another and another 
we will be able to build a home 
one designed with mike's current and future needs in mind
two years ago when we applied for Disability I never would have guessed we would be blessed with this miracle 
when we were denied Disability after a year i wondered how we would make it and why this was happening 
i am thrilled to say that the timing of finally being approved for Disability set into motion a series of unforeseen miracles that will now allow us to have a place of our own  

after moving 15 times we will finally be able to put down roots 

in a home where Mike and our children will thrive and feel secure

no more questions from them of when we are moving next

generally the kids are happy to move

with the exception of one teen pictured

the size of our yard is doing much to persuade them that leaving their friends one more time will be worth it

i am thrilled that Mike will have the accommodations he will need to live life with more ease

and have all of the things he needs on one level

especially since the need for a wheelchair has come

for me i will be nine miles from work

a comfort and a convenience and peace of mind

it won't hurt that i will get to select fun things like paint colors and lighting fixtures either

i think back to those moments of wondering why we were being denied the blessings that in my mind seemed to have not come at a better time

how grateful i am that there is one that can see more than i

i think questioning the timing of things will be a lifelong obstacle for me

but more and more i am beginning to trust God and his timing 
oh there's still the woes in the midst of the storm
but evidences of past aid find their way into my mind and heart more often

delivering that desired calmness which smooths over my eruptions of despair or panic more quickly 

sometimes these episodes come when I think of our future and what that means for Mike's health and our family
and although the circumstances of our trials are not being removed 

the Lord shows us time and time again that he is moving mountains for us so that the climb we are making carrying our load feels possible  

and indeed there are times when He walks the trails beside us, carrying it himself

we have been so grateful to so many of you who answered my call from my last post to come and visit Mike or send him a video or note

our home has been filled with visitors 

and our mailbox and inbox have been filled with messages

it has brought Mike so much joy

and tears to my face

our new home will need to echo your warmth so consider this an official invitation to our new home whenever it's finished

we'll sit on the back porch and sip some lemonade

our surprising news

to borrow from a classic movie scene
if we woke up with our heads sewn to the carpet
we wouldn't be more surprised than we are right now

another little person will be joining our family

yep, you guessed it

we’re pregnant

if you’re shocked

you can bet you are in good company

it still seems surreal

the chances of this little one joining us are pretty much one in a million

as i have processed this news over the last few weeks

i have passed through every emotion possible

mike has been my calming influence

a few things are for sure

this child was meant to come to our family

it will be loved with all the squeezes and snuggles that a baby can receive

the Lord must think i have a lot more to give

He will mostly definitely provide what we need as he has in every uncertain circumstance of this our Johnson Journey

everything is awesome: my valentines day crew

everything is awesome

happy valentine's day 

from my growing crew

amidst the complexities of life, little tate's sweet inquiry as to if i was going to make them valentine's day shirts this year, ensured that the simple things that preserve the structure of family life as they know it remains strong

traditions

traditions keep our family identity alive

and give so much to look forward to

to read about out how our family valentine's day tshirts tradition began, read here 

our traditional jump shot

their absolute favorite

eyan definitely wins this year's best jump

felicity steals the show once again for her daddy

this little cutie pie is daddy's best buddy

simplicity was the name of the game this year

but its always a challenge to come up with a design the boys will wear

i have strict instructions are our first year's design, that no hearts are allowed

so i stuck to something that has been chiming repeatedly in our house for months

as i am sure in so many of yours as well

can you even say it without singing

everything is awesome

everything is awesome

i used my silhouette cameo to design this stencil i cut out on freezer paper

you can see my freezer paper tutorial here

as much as i love seeing changes in my children from year to year

i secretly or not so secretly wish for them to be frozen in time

happy valentine's day to you and your crew

our past year's valentines t-shirts:

3 mr rights and a little miss

my valentine bowlermen and miss charleston

love rocks

check out my tutorials for tshirt appliqué and free hand cutting & freezer stencils

blue christmas blog hop: moments frozen in time

i am so happy to have been able to participate in this year's 

blue christmas blog hop 

with some fabulous bloggers

krista @ The Happy Housie

sarah @ Life on Virginia Street

amy @ The Blissful Bee

amber @ Averie Lane

rachel @ Maison de Pax

amy @ Commona My House

this week's feature is trees

be sure to check out previous weeks posts

mantles

wreaths/wall decor {my diy for radiator grate Christmas ornament holder}

ornaments {my diy for spray plasti dip pine cones}

since our tree has yet to be purchased

{can Christmas really be coming so soon}

i decided to highlight some of my favorite Christmas moments from last year

i am so happy that these are frozen in time

since our lives have changed so drastically since then

the giddiness of gifts received

my decision to wrap pretty with homemade touches so that opening presents was pretty too 

it was so worth it

the awe of Legos

the gift from a friend of our tree

homemade cards and presents exchanged amongst the boys

homeruns on mike's gifts

love my little family of six

the attention and careful protection of brothers to sister

little toes venturing on her own

wishing you all a Christmas full of moments worthy of being frozen in time
it was a delight to meet you new readers
i hope you will venture back soon

summer lovin happened so fast

and with the the ring of a bell

summer is over for at least one of us

tate started school today

the lone Johnson man on campus

as both eyan and owen will be attending the charter school this year

to say he was ecstatic to start school would be putting it mildly

last night he slept with magic confetti under his pillow

given by his teacher beforehand to calm those 'back to school' jitters

and help him sleep through the night

and awake in the morning fresh and bright 

circumstances allowed for a beach trip to say goodbye to summer

for me the beach is always a good decision

outside of places of worship, the beach tops my list of favorite places to be

and places that feed my soul

i think the kids like the beach for different reasons

but its a consensus

we love the beach

i am honored to associate with such incredible teens

that are such a large part of of my children's lives

in this one moment 

felicity is jumping waves with her favorite person, 'kenna'

tate is getting a piggyback ride from the forever-a-big-kid joe

and owen is out there in the waves with cool jacob getting boogie board lessons

i love that they care

teens looking outside themselves to find joy in the little moments of fun and laughter with young children is simply amazing

they are making such an impact on my family

i am so grateful to be a part of a church family

truly another example of a village

we would have stayed all day at the beach if we could have
but alas we had to come home
straight to the tub for this crew
while i turned my head, eyan poured half a bottle of bubble bath into the tub
they were in heaven

here is my little man tate

ready to electrify first grade

how i am grateful for children who love learning and enjoy being at school

to see my favorite back to school photo shoot, click here

the older boys now wearing uniforms to school, makes back to school photos, well, quite...boring

i'll need to find a way to spice things up a bit

how did you spend your final days of summer?

did you fit in most of your summer bucket list?

were you are the kids more ready for school to begin?

my side of the weekend: project stay-at-home-office dad

What happens when your spouse is away?  Until recently, I have been the one away on business trips.  I have enjoyed the reinvigorating professional company, the motivational talks, the expanding of my business acumen, and helping to build something bigger than myself.  And, of course, I’ve had a lot of fun while away.  Now, because of my disability, my wife is the one off to business conventions.  (You can’t travel often if you’re going to fall down in airports, which is what I did recently in the Salt Lake City airport. Right on my face!)

So what does this look from the other side?  From the stay-at-home-office Dad perspective.  That was what happened this past week.  What an adventure -- and you know what? I really enjoyed it!

First, when preparing to take care of four young children during a spouse’s absence, the first key to success is preparation.  For example, taking four young children to the grocery store is not a pleasant experience.  I would put it up there with walking across hot coals.  So, when I knew Briana was leaving us for a Wednesday through late Saturday night excursion with Nerium, the first thing I did was sit down and make a list of food to make it through that period without the need to load the kids into the van and walk across hot grocery store coals.

As a father, I feel it is my duty to carry on the time honored tradition of feeding children all of the basics while mom is away.  Basics like Cheetos, Cap’n Crunch Berries, Oreos, Sour Patch Kids, Fudge Stripes, soda, chips, microwaveable dinners such as chicken nuggets and pizza rolls, and other important items from the Dad’s Alone with the Kids Food Pyramid.

Dad's Alone with the Kids Food Pyramid

"Crunch Berry Pie"-as nutritious as pie

[Side Note: I loved Shasta as a kid growing up.  When my family went on family trips, Shasta was our constant companion.  Shasta always hit the spot when you needed to quench your thirst.  So, naturally, I jumped at the chance to introduce my kids to the wonderful world of Shasta this weekend.  I purchased some Shasta “California Dreamin’” “Tiki Punch” and “Zazz” for my kids to really enjoy their childhood as I did.  And it worked.  They loved it.  But. Fast forward a couple of decades plus for me and as an adult Shasta is...well...Shasta is gross.  The Tiki Punch tasted like medicine and the Zazz tasted like I don’t know what, but it wasn’t good.  The California Dreaming was tolerable.  Yes, I tasted all three for the sake of this post.]

Second, ensure your children have a strict schedule of activities and work to keep them busy throughout the day.  I equipped my kids with the Summer Bridge Activities series of books based on their upcoming grade level, relevant flashcards, created some personal projects based upon their age, summer reading books, and a physical fitness regimen.  These tasks were executed throughout the day and allowed their brains to get smarter, their bodies to get fitter, and Dad’s work got done.

physical fitness regimen

Third, be ready to play games and have fun!  Because I work from home, my day was tied up in my office, but after the ‘office’ closed it was go time.  Or as Felicity says, “Let’s do this!”  Phase 10 is a popular game for us, as it allows all but Felicity to participate (and she “helps” me play). And time with dad wouldn't be complete without some serious tv fun.  Our list of favorites include Wipeout (lots of re-runs), American Ninja Warrior, and Treehouse Masters

The weekend was success.  No one threw up.  No one woke up in the middle of the night crying.  No one asked those awkward “Go-Ask-Your-Mother” questions.

Were there challenges?  Absolutely.  

I don’t know how to dress girls.  Bathing little people is physically challenging for me. I knew we were going to have a problem.  So, I wanted to be prepared.  I had  a plan. I asked Briana to set out some clothing/outfits that I could dress Felicity in each day.  But...she didn’t have time before she left to do this for me and/or she forgot.

So...Felicity became one of the guys. I mean boys can wear the same shorts and shirt for a couple of days and not be worse for the wear and showering is optional except on Sunday (I do strictly enforce the change of underwear by making them show me each morning the new pair), but girls are supposed to be pretty and bathed and coiffed and stuff.  Well, it was sort of like camping for Felicity.

She may have worn the same dress the whole time Briana was gone - day and night.  That might have happened.  And I might have given her a bath with wipes.  And she might have used the aforementioned dress as a giant tissue for her runny nose.  And it might have had a lot of little bits of food stuck to it.  And her hair might’ve been sticky. And...well I better stop before Briana freaks out.

day one

day two

day three

day four

Also.

As a guy, I have always refused to make my bed.  It seems like such a waste.  I’m just gonna climb right back into it in a few short hours (ok maybe 16 hours).  And I know it’s a terrible argument...what about brushing your teeth you say? The teeth are just gonna get dirty again...and what about showering...Listen, I get it.  But for some reason, I just don’t like making my bed.

Well, I applied this faulty logic to the house for the weekend.  Why clean up their toys every night when they are just gonna get them out again in the morning?  I decided that we were just gonna let it ride!  Saturday is chore day anyway and Briana will be back late Saturday night, so we’ll do a big cleaning then and nobody will know the difference.  And you know what? I was right. By Saturday everything was sparkling! Bam!

Stay-at-home-office Dad Project: Success!

keys to marriage: a simple bridal shower game

upon initial thought there is nothing simple about marriage

and yet as we ponder on those things which make up a successful one

we will see that is the compact effect of simple, thoughtful things which build a marriage that will last

and who better to give those essential keys 

to a woman ready to embark on that blissfully rocky journey of marriage 

than those the bride-to-be loves and admires most

her friends and family

so here's a simple bridal shower game

to capitalize on the time you have that captive audience

a simple game

full of simple things

which just may combine to give her the key to marriage

GATHER SUPPLIES

metal keys - i found mine in the bargain section at Michael's

tags labeled with keys to marriage - such as communication, home management, finances, romance, and parenthood

blank tags - enough for each guest to have one for each key

ribbon

TIE RIBBON

attach ribbon to the both blank and labeled tags 

tie one labeled tag around each key

ELICIT ADVICE

pass out the blank tags to your guests, each guest receiving the corresponding number of blank tags as the number of labeled keys to marriage - 5 keys = 5 blank tags for each guest

ask them to record their piece of advice for each topic: the key to romance, the key to communication, etc

tie on each guest's advice onto the corresponding key

collect all the keys and have the bride-to-be choose her favorite one from each key and read them aloud

she now has a collection of keys full of advice from those who know and love her best

a handful of keys to marriage

a long, loving, blissful marriage is sure to be headed her way

we played this simple game
at the delightful bridal tea of my darling cousin Natasha
whose dreamy wedding i featured earlier this week here
it was a hit among the bride-to-be and guests alike

getting married or know someone who is?

or planning on attending a special summer event yourself?

then don't forget to enter my custom clutch purse giveaway hosted by Jenna Lou Designs

and check out other wedding inspired posts this week here

including my hubby's side of how we met

*bridal shower decor provided by petals and lace floral and event design

one word wednesday: vacation

VACATION

vacations are about doing things that aren't normally in your daily lineup

that is the excitement, the draw

whether that be relaxing on a lounge chair with a umbrella clad glass in your hand

or dragging behind a john deere lawn mower, blades off of course

this has to be the most talked about vacation event by our boys

being with their utah cousins in and on and behind the 'tractor'

an annual tradition for their family

one in which we've only been able to enjoy a few years but that has not dimmed its luster

even i've gotten in on the action

dragging behind that thing gives you an incredible ab workout i tell you

see my death grip here

you have to keep a stronghold or you're bound to have a few mischievous fingers try to peel your own fingers off

no moms or kids were harmed in the shooting of this post

what has been your family's favorite vacation event?
would love to hear what you have been up to this summer
show us a little preview of your summer vacation.

TREAT

i had some serious summer treat envy seeing these scrumptious delectables you are consuming

any extras?

@shansummer  //  @lillianahoag   //   @wannerdr   //  @molscopey  //  @livingstonshfob  // @lexixd

One Word Wednesday is a simple photo challenge intended to tie friends together and inspire anyone and everyone to document the everyday beauty in the world around them. Please join us every Wednesday, sharing a photo that celebrates a scene from your life on your blog and/or instagram. Each word will be announced one week in advance to give you time to think on and capture an image that celebrates that particular word. Be sure to leave a link or add hashtag #onewordwednesday and @briana6 to your photos, so that we can all share in the joy! Next week's word: LOVE!