Dear Blogging World,

We are out of commission for 4-6 weeks (they have to dig lines to get us internet)....which means no blogging!

I will try to get on the internet before that and blog about:

Grandma's visit and our trip to Mexico!

Until then

the Johnsons

Tender Mercies...

Let's be honest.
This last week I have been exhausted beyond belief.
David has been studying every day for weeks on end,
and tomorrow and Wednesday
are the culminating events that officially end
LAW SCHOOL.

I have felt the strength of the Lord throughout this summer, perhaps more than I have felt in a long time, and that is probably because I have needed this Higher Power to
Lead me, Guide me, and Walk beside me.
He has strengthened my spirit, and allowed me to accomplish being a supportive wife and mother.
He has offered me His hand through this adventure.
And, when I have been humble enough to accept it,
He has walked with me.
Truly.

I have not been perfect, in fact, I joked with my parents, that I almost sold their grandchildren.

But,
tonight as I started thinking about our studying-for-the-blasted-bar adventure,
I was sweetly reminded of the
tender mercies
the Lord has given us.

Tonight, Lincoln came and crawled on my lap
and put his arms around me,
and his head on my shoulder,
and then gave me a big kiss.
As we rocked back and forth
he held my cheeks and said,
"you are the sweetest, yeah you are the sweetest."
My eyes filled with tears
because at my most tired and impatient moment
my sweet boy reminded me of how much the Lord loves me.

Today, Henry and I played peek-a-boo
with his blanket.
He laughed
and laughed
and laughed.
If you haven't heard his laugh,
it can be described as music to the ears.
It's adorable.
He gives me repeated kisses,
and the Lord's tender mercies once again come to mind.

Sunday dinners have been prepared for us all summer
by our wonderful friends,
The B's.
They treat us like family,
and they love us unconditionally.
Yes, The Lord has been merciful in this time of need.

My husband comes home exhausted,
but he always notices the small things I have done around the house.
He always gives me a hug and a kiss,
and I can't help but think
that this
wonderful man
is mine forever.

And that; especially that,
has been and continues to be the most
tender mercy
the Lord has given me.

(We are rooting for you, Sweetheart! We are so proud of you.)

The Domestic Attorney....

So, the other day, my husband came home
(actually I should say the other late night),
and he said to me
"You are really home-makery lately Sweetheart, and I love it."
(If the Esquire says it, it must be a real word!)

He was referencing
the zucchini bread,
banana bread,
rolls,
chicken taquitos,
potato soup,
chicken soup,
and pizza
that have kept the kitchen smelling delicious as of late.
haha...

Now, truth be told,
I love to cook and I love to make dinner for my family. I think making my husband's lunch each day is one of my favorite parts of the day. It's the two or three minutes when I get to think about how much my husband does everyday. I sincerely love that time.

But, I confess...

I am only home-makery lately
because I try to find things that will fill the hours until David comes home.
Don't get me wrong, this is not a pity cry.
I am so proud of my husband.
He has been so diligent in his duties as provider and protector of our home.

But, sometimes when the 11th hour is nearing, I need something to
keep me going. So, I cook.
The house smells how I dream it will smell when my
kids come home from their first days of school,
or home from their first dance,
or when they first get their heart broken and only something yummy can help.

Needless to say, it smells good,

and we are both happy.
most importantly,
my sweetheart is so grateful,
and for that I would do anything.

Now, there is one thing I made lately that I have been looking forward to making for 3 years.
It was not something to pass the time,
but rather something that much time has had to pass before I could contribute.
I made baseball sugar cookies
(I will download a picture as soon as I figure out how to upload them)
Lincoln started t-ball, and I am finally
a "soccer mom"
(that is what my mom always was, and I have waited for the soccer mom days for years)
Lincoln loves t-ball, and yes
I cry when he hits the ball and runs the bases.
I am so proud of him.

Henry is my little goer.
He is 15 months, and he never stops.
He has recently started fake laughing, which we all think is hysterical.
He has learned to say
"dada"
"uh-oh"
"mama"
"cat"
"duck"
and he can wave bye bye.
He knows how to follow simple directions, and
he has the tannest little body, and the whitest bum ever to be.
I still marvel that he joined our family.

I love my life.
I love being the domestic attorney.
(who doesn't?)
I love being a wife.
(seriously , have you met the Esquire of the house?)
I love being a mother.
(being told I am a princess by my three year old, and
getting open mouth kisses from my one year old...who could ask for more?)

I am a happy girl.

For a Friend....

Today's post if for someone I consider a friend,
though we have never met.
We are united through some
similarities
such as
infertility
and
ADOPTION.
Back before the healing world of adoption entered our little family,
and we were facing
the ugly beast of infertility
therhouse.blogspot.com
sent comforting words.

Today, she needs prayers.
Her family needs prayers.
little g's birth father needs a softened heart.
She needs ten thousand strong
praying with her,
as she fights for her baby boy.

In Nauvoo, along the trail of tears, now known as
the trail of hope,
Zina Huntington Jacobs Young writes

"There on the bank of the Chariton River, I
was delivered of a fine son. Occasionally the wagon had to be stopped that I might take breath. Thus I journeyed on. But, I did not mind the hardship of my situation, for my life had been preserved, and the babe was so beautiful."

Dear therhouse,

We pray for your strength.
You have been a pioneer much like Sister Young.
It seems like your wagon has been stopped a lot,
and yet you continue to journey on.
May you be preserved at this time,
and enjoy the beautiful babies who love you.
Come What May, and love it...
Love,

the johnsons

Brewer Family Fun

While Daddy was busy studying,
my little boys and I just took a trip to

GALLUP, New Mexico,
where we enjoyed
campfires,
fireworks,
marshmallows,
camping,
treasure hunts,
flashlights,
and
FAMILY.

I did my best to take pictures, but I didn't get as many as I would have liked.
Sorry to those who I completely missed...
(I was probably chasing Henry around)

Here are the pictures

The Father Heart...

Today is almost over,
and I have been thinking all day
about my sweet husband.

Until today, I had not yet blogged about Law School Graduation, because I wanted to save it for a special day. It is an emotional experience, watching your best friend completing a goal that he has always dreamed of doing. When they handed David his Juris Doctorate, I was overcome with joy, for the man I love. Lincoln and I broke all the rules and cheered really loudly, because we knew that not only was that wonderful man, an attorney,
more importantly,
he was our Daddy,
our superhero,
our favorite person in the world,
my Lover,
my sweetheart,
and my best friend

(In front of our house, that sold this week)

David has what I call
the Father Heart.
When David walks in the door after a 12 hour day,
it is not uncommon for me to get a kiss
and the kids to sit and tell Daddy about their day.
(Lincoln usually speaking of Molly, his swim coach, and riding his bike, and Henry usually jabbers da-da-da)
Following this, David gets out the scriptures, and leads our family
in scripture study and prayers
But, nothing grabs at my heart strings as much as watching David
carry our babies to bed,
telling them stories, and
singing lullabies of eternal importance.
He knows they are children of a loving Heavenly Father,
and his Father heart
reminds me of the love
that Heavenly Father has for our family.

In 6 years of knowing him,
I have found that the Lord knew me so well,
and had my happiness in mind
when he allowed me the great privilege
of being courted by, and marrying
David Earl.

The other day, Lincoln said,
Mama, Daddy is my favorite person in the whole entire world.
My heart was so full of joy that this three year old
understood what goodness was, and that he knew it was all inclusive in
his Daddy.

When David gets home,
Henry kicks his hands and his feet
and yells until
David picks him up.
He loves when he gets tickled and snuggled by David.
It is easy to see that he has a special place in his heart for the wonderful man
he calls da-da.

When David and I were dating, I saw him one day
reading his scriptures, and I had a strong impression
that He loved the Lord.
I knew I wanted a husband and a father who loved the Lord the way that David did,
and it was no wonder what my answer would be
when he got down on his knee, and asked me the most important question of my life.
Eternity has been so good to me.

In 6 years, I have seen the making of a man of valor; a man who I know
loves the Lord, and is choice and highly favored of the Lord.

A man made of:
strength
wisdom
integrity
compassion
goodness
kindness
service
and Love.


Sweetheart,
Happy Father's Day.
We love you.
Tons Bit.

Shelf-reliance....

Last year at Time Out for Women, they had a giveaway from

shelf-reliance.com.

(click on that)

I didn't win.
Bummer, as my three year old said,
but I'm sure the woman who won was very grateful, as
this company does amazing things for gaining a year supply of food storage.
They even have a group to join on
facebook.
They have a group on
youtube.

Anyways,
they are doing another drawing, and someone
will be a lucky winner.

Tears and Trust

As you watch this beautiful story of faith.
I hope you feel the spirit testify of the wonderful plan of adoption.
I know I did.

After twins, and four years of searching for answers,they found out they couldn't have any more biological children.

"I couldn't understand why. I was trying to do everything right. . . I couldn't understand why such a righteous desire wasn't being granted to me."

for those who have prayed an waited, you understand this feeling.

"...The hardest part for me was giving up control and deciding that I was going to be okay, even if I didn't get what I wanted."

the amount of faith she has is inspiring. Many times, during the struggle of infertility, I pleaded with the Lord to strengthen my faith.
He did.

"There was a lot of yearning and a lot of hope that something would happen...because he was mine, in every way to me,"

TEARS. TEARS. TEARS.

Click here to watch

Profound

LINCOLN: "Mama, you are so lucky."

ME: "Why am I so lucky, Good Boy?"

LINCOLN: "Because you are pretty."

Family Picture 2009

Heart

We heart Arizona.

We have been swimming.
We have enrolled Lincoln in 2$/2 week swimming lessons.
He can monkey around the pool by himself, and
jump in and swim to the top.
Henry absolutely loves the water.
He loves to be dunked.
It's like glorified bath time.

We are the also the proud parents of a three year old
T-Ball Player.
(Had it not been for the bar, David would have been the coach!)
And, yes I have cried that I get to be a "soccer mom,"
(I guess it's technically a tee ball mom.)
I get to take treats to his games, and cheer from the side line.
This is a dream come true.
Seriously.

and my big boy starts preschool in the fall.
this is a happy/sad moment for me.

Henry walks everywhere, and he is turning into a copper baby
in the sunshine.
His laugh is adorable, and he loves to be "naughty"
which at our house means incredibly cute.
He loves to go up and down stairs, and play in the blinds
(which he knows he shouldn't do, so he laughs and when you see him, he goes even faster)

We are the excited auntie, uncle, and cousins to be of
Dan and Tina's new announcement!
(click on their names)

We have been to numerous thrift stores.
We are the owners of a $1.98 tricycle that daddy spray painted red.
We bought a 99 cent pony, that with new batteries, sings, and which Henry loves to snuggle
because it reminds him of his blanket.
Also, we have begun our Christmas shopping at these awesome thrift stores
because 3 and 1 year old kids just don't care, and I have somewhat
of an addiction to SAVERS SPEEDWAY OUTLET

It looks like after the summer, we will be turning in our adoption papers again.
So, a heads up: If anyone knows anyone facing an unexpected pregnancy,
let them know about us.

We have enjoyed the dry heat.
Immensely.

We Heart Arizona

It's About Love...

When I called our Joanie Girl, and told her we were moving to Arizona, her response was so gentle and kind. She said, "Well, that's good, you will be able to take care of the boys." This was followed by silence, and I knew there were tears. We were so grateful that she came to Henry's first birthday party. It was not only a celebration of his first 365 wonderful days on the earth, but it was an emotional celebration of a brave young woman, who made such an eternal sacrifice.

At Henry's party, I wanted to share with my family, my friends, and Joanie the feelings that I have had over the last year.

So, I wrote a song.
(click above)

The first verse (I sing this one) was from my perspective as an adoptive mother; not quite sure what to do or say at first; not sure how to say thank you; feeling like my happiness and her grief were inevitably tied;

but knowing that the Lord could heal.

The second verse (that's my sister-in-law Becky, who created the beautiful alto voice) is from the perspective of a birth mother, speaking to the baby she placed; who someday may wonder why and how she did what she did; and she shares that even through heartache,
the Lord is always there.

Writing this song was a very emotional and a very spiritual experience for me. I felt the Lord's hand in my life as the lyrics and the music flooded my mind. The day that birth mother's verse came to my mind, I sat and bawled as I looked at my boys. My heart was so full of love for a Heavenly Father, who had allowed me to be a mother; not once; but twice, and I am still in awe of the decision Joanie made, and we love her.

My heart has a special place for her filled with reverence, love, and respect.

Let me be perfectly clear, the phrase, "the day that I let go," does not imply that I think birth mothers should place a baby and then say goodbye forever. When David and I started the adoption journey, we were on the end of the spectrum of , "absolutely no contact, we want it closed." But, when we met Joanie, and we heard her story, and we recognized that this young woman had been guided by the Lord to make a selfless decision, we knew that her ability to "let go," just meant that she would be able to give him what he needed by placing him for adoption, and in turn, she would be able to go through a refiner's fire and be purified.

We Love you Joanie Girl.

I love this picture, because Joanie saw that Henry wasn't happy eating cake,

so she came and held a lollipop in his mouth. She stood and held it as long as it made him happy.

Joanie as part of our family.
My mom, Joanie, Henry, Me, Lincoln, David's mom, Grandma

Joanie, Henry, and me.

It's About Love.

I love you Arizona....

When we were an hour from Tucson, our 26 foot rental truck broke down and required three tows to be finished with it. We drove into a 100 degree day, and we moved into a two bedroom, one bathroom apartment. And you know what?

I AM SO HAPPY.

The morning after we got here, my girlfriend Car-Car brought us paper plates and cups, and made us breakfast. Since then, we have enjoyed pizza and swimming with our two families.

Today, we went to church in what I refer to as my home ward, even though my family has not lived here for 11 years. I knew almost every member of the ward, and it was a very warm welcome.

In front of us sat my voice teacher from my youth. She has a beautiful voice, and I hope that she will teach me the words to "I love you Arizona," so that the beautiful song will not be forgotten.

Behind us sat my very special friend, Cali who has not forgotten one member of my family.

The Swiss family, our lifetime friends, kindly invited us over for dinner,

I was most grateful today for Brother Baker, who is the nursery leader. To be honest, I was a little emotional to see a man who taught my brothers in young mens teaching my big boy, and I know that as Lincoln listens to him, he will grow up to be a righteous priesthood holder, just like my brothers.

Plus, Arizona gave us some treasures. For my 29th birthday, I went to the Salvation Army and got these:

(I don't usually have a love for furniture, but when I saw these, I fell in love with the style and the color.)

And of course: we have already taken advantage of this and this.

Once again we thank our Heavenly Father for the blessings He has so lovingly given to us. We feel His hand in our lives on a daily basis.

I am grateful for my husband for working so hard, and being so willing to have a new adventure. Sweetheart, thank you for bringing me to Arizona.
I know that you already know how much this means to me, and I can't wait for our upcoming adventures together.

Indeed, the best part of this new journey, is being on the adventure with my boys. I am head over heels for these boys.

I love them tons bit in the whole world.

Nebraska

I giggled on our anniversary when my husband and I
were eating D'Leons and my husband said,
"I'm really going to miss this."
I was only giggling because we are moving to
Tucson, Arizona;
a short drive from the border
and the home of authentic Mexican food.

But, it got me thinking about our time here in
Nebraska, and the experiences we have had
to get us where we are today.

When I think about Nebraska:

I will remember our first home;
Our home is full of 3 years of deeply seeded memories.
Most of them are memories we will cherish forever;
some of them are memories we will take with us to help us remember the blessings that come from enduring.
Some of them are memories that make us laugh so hard, our bodies ache.
But, no matter the memory- one thing is for sure;
We have been taught over and over again that there is a
loving Heavenly Father and a Savior who have not forgotten us

Nebraska:
reminds me of the screams that came as I jumped out of the bathroom and into my husband's arms, when I saw a mouse in our house.

Nebraska:
is where I will remember Lincoln learning to crawl and learning to walk here on the
beautiful hard-wood floors.
This is the home where we made it through potty-training.
I will remember that this is the home in which he learned to pray.
and the home where he first said I love you.

Nebraska:
will gently remind me of the struggle through infertility.
While this is a memory that sometimes brings fresh tears, I will remember the
healing that took place when our Joanie Girl,
let us love Henry.
I will remember our home here as the refuge we found as we took Henry
to be sealed to us.
This is the home where he first laughed, and where he took his first steps.

Nebraska:
was the answer to the prayers I said
when I prayed to find a friend when we moved here.
After a few weeks of school,
we met the M/R Johnson Family
And three years later, we have met our dopplegangers.
They have ventured with us through late night studying, hundreds of cans of diet soda, pazooki,
waiting and praying for jobs, and finally
GRADUATION.

Nebraska:
reminds me of the drives we took to visit David's family
and the time we shared together as we
watched the lightning bugs.
It reminded me to be grateful for the
the precious time I got to spend
with my own family.

Nebraska:
is the home where I was a witness to the beauty of the earth.
The Spring here is the most glorious image to behold
and leaves no doubt
that this earth is the work of a Master of details.

Nebraska:
is the home where my faith was stretched,
my family bonds were strengthened
and where my testimony was solidified.

This home has been a beautiful learning curve
and a much needed experience,

Fare you well Nebraska.

God Be With You, till we visit again.

Wooden

5 years ago today, David and I were married
for time and all eternity.
I tell you what,
Eternity keeps getting better.

In five years we have graduated from BYU,
we welcomed Lincoln to the family.
we welcomed Henry to the family.
We battled infertility.
We bought our first house.
We gained some weight.
We bought our first bed.
We got our first real job.
And, we are one week away from David receiving his JD

We have laughed.
We have cried.
We have grown closer.
We have been blessed immensely.

Yes.

Eternity keeps getting better.

I love you David Earl.
more than all the stars in the sky.

Today Part II...

today
I am grateful for these words:
(quoted by Thomas S. Monson)

“Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend … when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present—love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]—the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth

today
we are still hoping to sell our house,
but we are grateful that we have had a house to live in.

today
we are grateful that our entire family made it through pneumonia in less than 2 weeks.
(David used to get it and be out for 5 weeks)

today
we hope the economy gets better,
but we are so grateful for Humphrey and Petersen who offered David a job in Tucson, Arizona.

today
both of my kids threw fits,
but I am grateful that I get to be a mommy.
Because when I come home from the doctor and Lincoln comes running to me yelling my name and tells me that he missed me, and makes David run back to the car through the rain just to say, "I forgot to give you a hug,"
and
when Henry gives me open-mouthed kisses, and snuggles on David's shoulder until he falls asleep, and I get to celebrate his first birthday with him because of an eternal sacrifice
and
when David plans an evening out for us in the middle of finals, and holds my hand, and winks at me from across the room, and ends our days with prayer

I remember that I am the most blessed of all in my heaven on earth.

today
we are grateful for the rescuing power that has saved us over and over again.

today
is a good day to call on our gratitude power.

the.Worth.of.Souls.is.GREAT.

For any of you who haven't done so yet,
please.
Please.
PLEASE.
take a moment and watch this.
It will be the most uplifting 7 minutes of your day.
I promise.

And now, from a beautiful piece written by James Martin and found here:

"Her Youtube video at last count has received, all tolled in its many incarnations, tens of millions of hits [now well over 100 million]. Why? A few reasons, some obvious, one not.

First, there is the shock factor: what a surprise that this unknown woman can sing so well! Where has she been all these years?

Second, the sympathy factor: we feel compassion for a somewhat plain woman who seems to have been so unlucky in life.

Third, the physical appearance factor: "American Idol" stardom, or even success, is typically the province of the PYTs, pretty young things. Not of people like Susan Boyle...

Fourth, the uncanny resonance of the lyrics of her chosen song, for someone who seems to be traveling through a tough patch of life: "I dreamed a dream in time gone by/ When hope was high,/ And life worth living/I dreamed that love would never die/ I dreamed that God would be forgiving."

"But there may be something else that accounts for our delight, and for those millions of hits.

"The way we see Susan Boyle is very nearly the way God sees us: worthwhile, special, talented, unique, beautiful. The world generally looks askance at people like Susan Boyle, if it sees them at all.

"Without classic good looks, without work, without a spouse, living in a small town, people like Susan Boyle may not seem particularly "important." But God sees the real person, and understands the value of each individual's gifts: rich or poor, young or old, single or married, matron or movie star, lucky or unlucky in life.

"God knows us. And loves us... That's another reason why the judges smile and the audience explodes in applause. Because they recognized a basic truth planted deep within them by God: Susan Boyle is somebody.

"Everybody is somebody."

Just wanted to share that.

-- David

Today...

today
we are hoping to sell our house.
today
we hope that David gets a job.
today
we spent $3000.00 in hopes that David will pass the bar in July.
today
we hope my pneumonia goes away quickly.
today
is a great day to remember the words of Thomas S. Monson:

"Through personal prayer, through family prayer, by trusting in God with faith, nothing wavering, we can call down to our rescue His mighty power. His call to us is as it has ever been: “Come unto me."

today
is a good day to call on His rescuing power.

It's About Love...

Last Saturday,

We headed out to meet Our Joanie Girl.

We were really excited.

We love her so much.

I wish there was a way to adequately express
how much love we feel for this brave woman;

how much love his grandparents feel;

his aunts and uncles;

his cousins;

and most especially his big brother.

It was so wonderful.

Really.

Wonderful.

Every day, we still thank a loving Heavenly Father for this

beautiful girl.

The light in her eyes was apparent. She was so happy.

This is sweet Lincoln on our adventure.

Henry, Joanie, and Me.


Seriosuly people. Isn't she gorgeous?

Henry was just entranced with Joanie.

How could you not be?

Before we left,through tear filled eyes,

she said something that will be forever etched in my heart.

She said,
"I want to tell you something that I haven't been able to say for a year.I can see that he is healthy and happy, and that you love him. Thank you for giving him what I couldn't."

Again, I can't adequately describe the love that filled my heart at that moment.

I was overcome with emotion.

So we sat for a moment and we hugged.

and hugged.

and cried.

Joanie Girl

thank you for giving us

this precious baby.

We.

Love.

You.

Tons.Bit.
(and at our house, that's the most.)

There is no place like home....

We had such a wonderful visit to Arizona.

When we got to Tucson, we stayed with
Car-Car, Trevor, and sweet baby girl Ellena.
Ellena shared her toys and books with me,
and she helped me make cookies.
She took me swimming,
and of course she took me to eegees.
She told me she loved me hundreds of times a day,
and she was also quite a snuggle bug.

I was going to put a picture here of me and Car-Car

(I took it right before we left, and after nap-time),

so I thought better of it,

because who knows how many blackmail pictures she has

of me from high school and college.

Also,

We had so much fun spending time withmy brother

Jaush, and his wife Amy, and their 3 cute kids.

Those sweet little kiddos helped me so much

when I started missing my babies.

I got lots of hugs and tons of kisses.

We tried to go camping at the Grand Canyon,

but the power in the camp went out at about midnight.

So, we headed home after a great meal of steak and potatoes.

I was always close to my brothers,

and being around one of them during the trip made me feel so at home.

It was windy, but the kids were troopers.

This is also about the time where Lincoln called me

and asked me to sing "I am a Child of God,"

So, in front of all the people at the Grand Canyon,

I sang him his lullaby.

Baby Isaac.



Cannon.

MY brother Jaush, reading the scriptures with his kids.

Girl.

So, now, I am going to

close my eyes,

click my heels three times

and say,

There's no place like home.

911

Yesterday, I answered the cell phone .

Here is how the conversation went.

Me: Hello?

911 operator: Hi this is 911. Is everything okay?

Me: (thinking- well we still need to sell our house and get my husband a job, but since you aren't my psychic...) Yes, everything is fine.

911: Because someone from your house just called 911. We heard a baby crying and wanted to make sure everything was okay.

Me: (picking up the phone Henry was playing with) Yes. Everything is fine.

Little Turkey found a way to:
call 911 (actually 9111111111#24)
and turn the phone on.
plus, he gave them the added pleasure of crying, so they had to make sure he was okay.

* and doctors want to know if almost one year olds can play with a ball.

Seriously.