our littlest family member on christmas

Johnson Christmas Card, 2012

First, MERRY CHRISTMAS! This is our first Christmas season to spend at home with just our little family. We feel blessed to be missing such wonderful family and their celebrations back in IA and AZ, but I must admit- it's really relaxing to be home too! (My OB doesn't want me to risk another ambulance ride back to MN like with Asher, so we're playing it safe and sticking close).

And many of you have been asking, wondering, and inquiring... the suspense is over, so read on!

Big Brother

Asher is SUCH a great big brother already. Everyday he voluntarily says, "I talk to baby", "I hug baby" (which means he squeezes my tummy), "baby tickle" (meaning he wants to put his cheek on my tummy and my skin tickles his cheek), "I talk to baby about it" (and he brings a toy over and explains it, etc). All this on his very own. We don't say much at all bout Little Babes. He has been coming to my ultrasound appointments each week, and he really likes the "heartfeet" (heart beat) part, "Sounds like a train! Cha-Choosh, Cha-choosh!" he'll say. It's really quite amazing the level at which he's getting it. VERY sweet.

Asher Clark, two years, one month old

Each passing week has brought more and more great news! Baby is fantastic, and my cerclage is working great, and my cervix is lengthening to boot! (that last bit is truly amazing!) So I haven't been on bed rest yet, with the exception of a few days last week due to some contractions and minor funneling, but that's resolved! About one week ago (mid week 18) my morning sickness began to lessen, and only flairs every now and then, I'm soooooo thankful, that was not fun.

Little MISS Johnson

We also would like to tell you what Asher says when he talks to my belly, 

"Hi Baby SISTER!" or "Love you Baby SISTER"

That's right! We're pleased to announce we're having a Little GIRL!

FEMALE

Last night I pulled out the box from when I was little. My mom saved several little things for us in a plastic box, we played the toys and dressed our dolls up in the outfits a lot when we were little...but now- I get to put my little girl in tiny outfits I wore! Talk about meaningful vintage! YAY!

A few favorites from 'the box'

Thanks again friends and family for caring and praying for us and our Little Miss already. God has shown us much grace in the health of this pregnancy so far. We have much to be thankful for.

We are beyond thrilled to welcome her, Lord willing, close to May 2013!!!

on the way in may {2013}

It's with lots of joy and excitement that we're sharing this post!
We're having another baby! Asher is a Big Brother!

A little more than a year ago we started our journey, asking God for the blessing of another Little One. The journey has had it's ups, downs, disappointments, and surprising twists. This Little One's life has already had a couple roller coaster chapters. I hope to write details about that soon.

Baby Johnson 2

Here is a summary of Baby Johnson 2's (BJ2) life so far:

• Aug. 31-Sep. 17th, After 9 rounds of fertility treatment, we were told that BJ2 didn't exist (or make it)?? Yet, there was nothing pointing that baby had gone to be with Jesus... so we contacted my wonderful OB.
• Sep. 24th, We went in for an ultrasound. Our mouths dropped, smiles spread, and thankful tears fell. There, before our eyes was a tiny, precious, beating little heart from our Creator. God blessed us with tiny BJ2!  (because of the 'interesting start' my due date has fluctuated around early to mid May).
• Late Sep. to Present, lots of time spent on the couch with a nauseous/sick mom and a healthy baby growing, and super busy and happy 2 year old big brother.
• Nov. 12th, I had surgery to place the cerclage (same as I had with Asher at 19wks, emergent) but this time we were able to get it placed preventively, before the problems begin. I was 13 weeks along. The surgery went very well, no complications, just lots of rest.
• Now I am 15+ weeks along and I've had 11 or so ultrasounds and they will continue weekly for monitoring of my cervical length. Which, right now, is looking good at right around 3cm (for those of you that care; it's varied this time from 2.7-3.2cm). 
• We are finding out BJ2's gender, we think we know, but will tell when it's confirmed in the next 1-2 ultrasounds.  :-) 
• Asher is already in love with "Asher's baby" he voluntarily sings to it, talks to it, gives kisses and hugs. (all to my belly). It's pretty amazing and cute. He comes to the apt's and tells us about hearing his baby's heart 'feet', "schoom, shm, schoom, shm" (with spit flying everywhere). and he loves looking at photo's of Babes. We were surprised to find he really gets it. Smart Little Mr.

Please continue to pray for BJ2 to stay safe and sound inside. That BJ2 will grow to full term, and be born healthy. And most of all that BJ2 will know Jesus, and want Him as Lord over his/her life. These next 7-9 weeks are critical in BJ2's life, given my pregnancy history.  In the past the problems have started about week 18-19. Right now my main restrictions are no strenuous activity, and no lifting over 10lbs. 

So, please forgive me for having not blogged. I do have so much to share and catch up with. I'm dying to write it out. As soon as I can stay up during a little bit of nap time or not feel like I'm going to throw up on my keyboard, I shall jump back on the blogging train.

Hugs from the soon to be 4 of us!

visual virtual real home

Let's start off with the tangible and real:

These real design moments (or furniture pieces, accessories, or art) come few and far between and are a long grueling, tedious, thought provoking, indecisive labor of creative effort for me.

This year has been like our home's jackpot year. -after nine happy (and contented) years of marriage and eating supper on our couch (which is still our preferred spot honestly) we decided it was high time we search out and purchase our first dining room table. And with the above stated 'ado' we finally found [had it made by an Amish craftsman] our gorgeous walnut table that expands to seat 12-14! YAY! Bring on family gatherings and friends! (ps, I'm really bad at planning these sorts of things, so you'll just need to invite yourself over).  It was a huge relief to have that added to our home.

note the bareness of the floor and seating

Charlie and I have very similar taste, and we both care quite a bit about our home and it's visual feel, and functionality. I adore having a husband with a great eye for nice lines and classic, solid construction. So we both spent many a weekend perusing our local Room and Board outlet (where we have bought all of our furniture) for our upstairs living area. (this is tricky with a Little)

After months of searching, wa-lah! All in one weekend we found our stuff! A great mid-century modern neutral, tufted couch and an walnut coffee table. Then we scored vintage tufted black club chair on craig's list. SO happy.

Still needs to be styled a lot, and edited, but you get the point. we love the bones.

Add in 5 more months of searching for dining chairs- finding ones we liked was not the problem- finding ones we wanted to afford was the problem. But just in time to save the day, World Market through open their doors to the Twin Cities once again and there, on sale, plus a grand opening special, were sitting our new chairs. Six little ones just so happy to join their other new friends in our dining room.

Any idea's for a center piece?

Also getting an honorable mention is our wool rug. It's a navy/royal blue color and is big and beautiful and grounding. On a 75% off sale, with an extra 10% off on top of that. -major sweet. We were a little nervous about rug shopping online, but it was worth the risk, for sure.

Let me look around did I miss anything else?....  hummm. don't think so. Our big comfy brown couch found a new area in our downstairs family room, and is quite happy there it seems.

My next gigantic task is to edit a little more then accessorize. I feel like this is harder than you think. I dislike clutter, but there have to be some key, beloved items that help tell the story of us, our family and our interests sprinkled throughout our home. That helps to make it ours, and is much more cozy.

Oh yes, I know what I forgot- Asher's new big boy bed and all the fixings. well that can be a post of it's own at some point.

As for the imaginary and intangible:
I have had so much fun on pinterest designing, dreaming and planning all sorts of homes, each that in some way describe more parts of me. I discovered I'm rather classic eclectic. For me, pinterest has been such a useful tool. It has allowed me to explore my taste more. I can "commit" (by pinning) without committing (not buying). I "live with it" for a few months and revisit that board and suddenly discover I adore this look and very much dislike another. It's helped me refine my style.

I often wish I could have a stylist come and redo my home. If I could choose anyone, it'd have to be Candice Olson, she nails it for her clients nearly every time.  But since she's not an option, I have some excellent friends who have been gifted with an eye for design. Some who's rooms you may have seen on pinterest here and there. Get yourself a friend or two you can bounce idea's off of, and make sure they shoot it to ya straight. They have saved me from many a disaster, or got me to make the leap. Love them.

So here's your unsolicited design advice from me:
1. Don't buy they first thing you lay eyes on and stop looking
2. Don't buy the cheapest thing out there. It is SO worth waiting for the right financial time to buy those big pieces.
3. Give yourself a few years, especially if you're young-ish, or just starting your design journey. Our style has evolved (and will always be, I suppose) into what it is today. But I can say with confidence that if you wait to buy what you REALLY want, in a timeless style, and in an excellent build it will serve you well. Year after year after year. And will likely not be hard to freshen up with various accent items.  So wait for it.
4. Keep looking. Days, weeks, months, years... eventually you will find The One that makes your heart sing. Don't give up. It's worth the wait.
5. Don't get too caught up in one particular style. Mix it up. Be brave and do the unexpected. *now this last point is what i'm really working on* (it's really hard for a perfectionist to not follow the rules, but my home has to be me (us), not a rule book).

That's all for today.
If you have tips on helping with my space, I'm VERY grateful for the input!


Links to the shops I mentioned:
room and board for quality furniture in many modern/classic styles.
rugsusa for great quality rugs at insanely low prices. -i think they have a 75% off sale every national holiday, july 4th, labor day, etc... keep your eye out on those days.
world market  if you just wanna play with a style for a reasonable price or need some culture in your life
Craig's list is awesome, and if you live in the cities, you're just not allowed to look there and steal stuff from me! LOL!  ;-) I love a good deal, I get SUCH a adrenaline rush!

Where are your favorite spots?

democracy, division?

It's election year.

If this is news to you, well we all welcome you back from your hiking trip in the remote Himalayas. (and I am personally jealous of you).

Kinda hard to miss that this event is coming right up. Not as bad as when we lived in Iowa (an early primary's state)-they've had it bad with commercials and news for like a year and a half already.

Let me just preface this rant complaining cautionary post with this: I am QUITE thankful to live in America. To have the freedoms we do, to vote to choose our forthcoming leaders, those things truly are a privilege.

So this is what gets me in election years especially: People's WILDLY opinionated and slanted statements, hardly fact-checked, and so cutting and insensitive. (I'm not taking sides here- not even a little). I'm not even going to touch on the politicians themselves, I'm talking about my friends and family here- people I know and love.

Great. Already stepping on toes.

My main open wound: Facebook. (and a random email here and there).
Who: lots of "friends" (I promise I don't have anyone particular in mind)

Why? Well, it's just too easy to post, share, or repost something that struck a chord with you in that small moment, in split second, with the click of a button. I think this may be the case for many. Or maybe posting your opinion online gives this feeling of false security to the one proclaiming their opinions or comments (ie: the positives and negatives to each candidate, their parties and their projected plans- good or bad).

It seems there is no balance or DEFERENCE to be found. People feel so led to use their social platform(s) to sway potential voters to their "side". -AS IF the insanely biased post will do any good (or !change the mind!) for the person of the 'opposing' party who you are supposedly trying to reach and recruit. (I mean, really, why else would you post a political commercial on your personal space, pushing for certain candidate or party, unless it was to sway other voters to see it your way? -we all know who we're are going to vote for in the end. And that is the beauty of our democracy, YOU are the only one at the end of the day who gets to cast your vote). {no sarcasm on this point- ok- in a perfect world, that's how it's set up}.

NOTES to MYSELF:
Where is our courteous respect for others? I'm not at all talking about laying down like a door mat, and not standing up for your beliefs, convictions, and rights... But it's PEOPLE we're talking to.  Real people with real feelings and stories and needs connected to them. Speak in such a way that it communicates LOVE to them. Not just my love, but the Author of Love- Jesus.

Elections, laws and leaders and nations are actually TRIVIAL in the end. They are simply a part of the world we live in. We are called to pray for leaders, and respect (ALL) of them as believers. (and respect should be considered when posting "terrible" things they may have done that you disagree with). I guess my main issue is why do we feel so riled and compelled to campaign for our party of choice so valiantly? It is SO much more important to be fighting for the SOULS (not the votes) of those around us.

MY MAIN POINT
Am I winsome and showing Jesus to those who know me?

I feel like it's divisive to be posting (all the time) about politics. We could definitely be building walls, and turning away more potential believers when we take part in this. Would you say the things you post about to others face to face- all of your 907 facebook friends? - believers or unbelievers? Will it help you build a relationship that will help point that person(s) to Jesus? Do you really wanna die on that hill? Is there not only one decision/relationship we should be so passionate about sharing?

Not everyone is where you are mentally. Where has there story brought them, how did they get to today? How can I make Jesus look attractive to them today? How can I be loving to those I know?

Grace. I know we'll see lots of things we disagree with in the coming months, and there are very few issues that are just a matter of right and wrong, biblical or sin- but not as many as you would like to think. Be gracious, loving, thoughtful, and slow in your responses to what your eyes may come across. Think first about the kind of relationship you have or don't have with someone, is it truly helpful?
In the end only Jesus and eternity matter.

now or never

ready. set. go.
hands up.
flying leap.

There.
That wasn't so bad. I've had this persistent itch to jump back into writing here on my little lost blog.
I've had so many great boring interesting things to write about.
This is how my 11- - - ELEVEN - - -  (wow. that's a long time) month dead zone got out of hand:
(please read "excuses for having NOT blogged"):

1. Asher turned 11 months. YAY! But along with the awesome consistency in sleeping and eating age brings, it also brought along walking and talking, more teething, more independence and general full-time busyness. Mom's, I know you've got my back on this one. Let's just say my free & alone time seemed to shrink because during his awesome afternoon naps I either needed to cling to God in study or prayer, sleep, clean, make supper, blah, blah blah.

OK, you get the point: Asher grew up more, I had to figure out my new normal.

2. I did figure out my new normal. YAY! Now it is February-ish I'd suppose. I promise I revisited the idea of blogging again.

Looking back at the host of posts in the past two years has been fun and good. This place is totally just my decompressing, processing, remembering, thinking (out loud), release, honesty-spouting, sharing SPOT. And along the way I had to write down what my Abba was teaching and showing me, what He was walking me through (often kicking and screaming, but sometimes quietly and enjoying the gift of now).

Being the introvert that I am. -Well I'm a weird one probably- It's true I'm introverted now for sure; yet I do have this completely open side of me, and I have no qualm sharing my entire (please read: 'cervical lengths', 'absurd horizontal living', 'misgivings', 'crazy thoughts', -lol!) life, in excruciating detail, with the world. So anyway being the mixed introvert that I am, I like to process internally, alone, and it takes me a while. Probably because when I talk, I can't always find the words I'm really thinking or feeling. And this is an excellent place for slow, thoughtful (well sometimes-not always) expression of the real me. I'm not a good writer, I simply write as I talk for the most part. Nothing fancy.

So anyway, as I revisited I found myself dreadfully behind, and the perfectionist in me was going absolutely, completely, frantically, CRAYZY-NUTZ.  So as I said, the story of our past few years has become quite centered around our family. pre and post. what a journey it's been, so consuming. And the blog had also become a baby book of sorts. -That's the nice part, 'cuz I would forget a lot of it otherwise.

But now.  Oh boy. By February I was 5 months behind on pictures and details and thoughts, which I could have caught up on, but seriously- who (in the general public) really wants to know Asher had his first (of hundreds) scrape or had zucchini for first time, etc.  OK OK OK, I know Grandma and Gigi cared a lot, but other than that? what? no hands wildly waiving? No one?  No?....   ..... really?!  LOL!  Thought so.   I was feeling guilty for subjecting my faithful few to the posting torture of routine family life. (I first realized my little blog was going this direction in july 2010, see this post. OH DEAR!)

My solution? I opened Asher's very own little privet blog. There are still one or two months I've missed somewhere in there. But there is less pressure to make it anything more than it is: a record of my son's irresistible cuteness and remarkable smartness.  I'm not at all bias. It's just the facts.  If you really wanna see more pics, and stories of our daily "family" life, I can hook you up.  Or just check my facebook or instagram.

OK. I'm throwing a picture in here so I don't loose ya. It's an older one, from March I think.
I'm just about done.

3. The blog needs to be worth your time (well at least kinda worth it, because I know post after post week after week can easily become boring).  I had a dry, very non-creative, and VERY uninteresting spell. I think this is a really normal part of life for me. I had nothing but the daily life to report or share. In many ways, I'm still there. But I'm really going to try to dig down deep and rediscover some of my interests and passions and amusements once again. Perhaps you'll join me, perhaps you'll pop in for a visit every now and then, or just say in your head 'good for you' and move along. All three are perfect options.

The point: if you're taking the time to read, I want you to leave encouraged in some way.

Another one so you don't leave yet.  ;-)

4. I'm still trying to get over the fact that there is no possible way of writing you a bridge from last november until now. But alas, there is not. breathe amanda. breathe. Get over it. Nobody cares. LOL!
I'll try to post silly little updates here and there, cuz who wants an impersonal no-picture page to drudge through? Yup, not me. Life IS my inspiration after all.

______
This summer was very low maintenance. Hours of pool and park time. Lots of playing cars and balls, and basketball and chasing my fantastic and happy Little Mr.  Charlie has been pretty busy at work and has been trying to squeeze in time for his hobby's.  I've been enjoying the ride, the goodness and fun-ness in the now. (When I'm NOT pulling my hair out, or scraping dried cheese and peas off the floor). You get my drift.

Hugs to you guys. 

Cheers to many more.

Thanks for letting me process with you.

Holy cow, that was a wordy way of telling you I'm gonna try blogging out again! HA!