Plain Chicken Blog

I am probably way behind the times, but I ran across this blog recently and it may be my favorite food blog ever. I like the pictures and simplicity of preparation. I really enjoy cooking, but I'm in a stage of my life that I don't want to follow a thousand steps and be busy in the kitchen for hours.

I am continuing to crave "real food" but an all new craving to me (pregnant or not) is spicy food! I am guessing that mister Jude is going to enjoy spicy food like his Daddy, because I sure have been thinking about it a lot. I browsed this blog the other night with dinner already in the oven, and I must have "pinned" 75 different recipes that I wanted to try.

I tried this one tonight and it was delicious! Definitely a keeper (maybe one less tablespoon of cajun seasoning for me and James next go round):
Plain Chicken: Slow Cooker Red Beans & Rice: Our at home Mardi Gras celebration continues with red beans and rice. I don't know about you, but I can't say red beans and rice without b...

Another one that is on my list to try includes Doritos as one of the main ingredients. And I don't even like Doritos - crazy pregnancy cravings!
http://www.plainchicken.com/2012/01/doritos-cheesy-chicken-casserole.html

Just thought I'd share some dinner ideas and a really great blog for anyone interested. :)

God's Favor

In the last few weeks, Stephen and I have been so extremely aware of God at work in our lives and circumstances. Even when things don't necessarily go according to our plans or expectations and even when we have faced unforeseen difficulties (most recently a wreck and totaled vehicle at what seemed like the worst possible time in our life), we have seen God's hand at work. I'm not trying to act super spiritual or act like I never grumble or get discouraged (because that's just not the case), but I am so thankful that through trials in the last few years God has really been changing us and opening up our spiritual eyes (in a way that maybe they weren't open in the past) to see how God truly does work all things for good.

Stephen is working in a new job in sales and marketing. While we long for the day that God opens up the door for full-time ministry again, we have been almost overwhelmed at how clearly God has shown favor to Stephen in this new job and in our circumstances. We pray daily for God to show Stephen favor in this position to make the sales that we need to survive, and God has been so good and so faithful to him (and ultimately to our family).

Our totaled car situation has almost come to a close. We have just been stretched (sometimes painfully) so much, particularly in the last year, that (while we were initially discouraged) shortly after the wreck we were just waiting with anticipation to see how God was going to work this situation out because we just truly believed in faith that He was ultimately at work even in this. We found a new (used) vehicle today - God still amazes me at how he ordains circumstances and how he places certain people in our path (even car salesmen) at just the right time. I cannot wait to tell the story here soon...
God is so good! He is so very good! I am just constantly in awe of the God that we serve and I just want to praise Him! I don't know how to explain what has happened in me recently - my heart can almost not contain the gratitude I feel for who God has been to me. I promise I haven't lost it...and I hope you don't think I'm crazy. But my heart simply overflows with joy!

 We have just constantly been praying for favor these last few weeks and now we are studying the book of Daniel with our small group and are noticing already in first chapter how many times it was because of what God did (and his mercy) that Daniel found favor with men. And then we read this blog post today from Stephen's mentor pastor...on God's Favor! So timely! He is truly so good!

Wanted to share this post with all of you:
THE WORD OF TRUTH: God's Favor on You: "But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy,  and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison" Genesis 39:21 ...

Circus Fun!

When I saw that the circus was coming to Birmingham, I knew that I would love to take James. Thankfully our local library did a promotion that allowed children to earn a free ticket to the circus for reading a certain number of books. We decided that because the circus would be in town so close to James' birthday that we would do this as part of his birthday gift and just give a smaller present this year on his birthday, and I am so glad that we did! I am really big on experiences, and his reaction to the whole experience was priceless. I love making memories as a family - those memories to me are a treasure. Speaking of things that are priceless and not so priceless - prices have definitely gone up since I was a kid! Thankfully we packed little debbie cakes, apple slices, and a cotton candy flavored sucker in James' bag to snack on because snow cones were $15, glow stick souvenirs were $22, and I could go on and on. And in the spirit of being thrifty, we also parked 8 blocks away in the McWane Center parking deck (using our member parking), so that we could save the extra cash for a souvenir! They had exactly one thing under $10 - a tambourine, perfect for our music-loving little boy that just so happens to be having a Little Einstein's/Music themed 3rd birthday party coming up this weekend.

We all had a really great time. The theme was built-to-amaze so James loved the dump truck and bulldozer full of clowns that were featured several times and also really loved seeing a lady fly out of a cannon. Thankful for making memories as a family (even if I did begin to cry in the middle of the BJCC because I was so excited for him. Can I blame that on pregnancy hormones?!?) Hope to bring both of our boys back one year in the near future!

20 Weeks - Half Way There!

How far along are you? 20 weeks - can't believe we are half way there already! It is flying by this time around.

Total Weight Gain? About 10-11 pounds (I will probably stop answering this question soon! It looks like I am right on track to gain the recommend 25-30 pounds, like I did with James.) 

How big is the baby? They estimated that Jude weighed around 11 ounces at our ultrasound a week ago, and that he was measuring a full week ahead already. (I'm predicting that he will come earlier than his estimated due date, but only time will tell.)

Maternity Clothes? I am still able to wear my regular clothes for now, but I have started to wear some of my maternity pants because they are just feeling more comfortable. :)

Sleep? I'm sleeping good at night, and James is napping again most days (hoping that it was just a little passing phase that was lingering from all the Christmas excitement) so I can at least rest and recharge for a little bit in the middle of the day. :)

Best moment this week? Being able to call Jude by name has made this pregnancy so much more real for us, and I just love being able to talk to him or about him using his name. Also, I have really appreciated friends and family members that have sent cards or gone out of their way to express their excitement and love for Jude already. It means a lot for other people to love your children and rejoice with you! I also made our first purchase for Jude this week. Since the boys will be sharing a room and James had already upgraded to a big boy bed/bedding, we consigned all of his crib bedding so that we could pick out a set for Jude that would work with James' stuff. I found the cutest transportation bedding (to match the theme in James' room) on clearance for $20 at Target this week! It's precious and going to work perfectly with James' decor.

Movement? Oh yes! Jude is not as "wild and crazy" as James was, but I'm definitely feeling him move often. I feel his movements especially when I'm laying down or while I'm eating. 

Food Cravings/Aversions? Still just enjoying "real food." :) I love salads with lots of meat, cheese, and blue cheese dressing just like I did with James! I hardly ever crave anything sweet.  

Morning Sickness? Nope! I'm feeling great at this point. I have been exercising pretty consistently lately too (I was a little concerned that my blood pressure was higher than normal for me), and that has made me feel so much better and made my blood pressure go back to normal (for me) as well. 

Gender? A boy! Jude Brooks Johnson!

What I'm looking forward to: Just praying that this cyst on Jude's brain would resolve on it's own like the doctor is hoping/predicting, so we are looking forward to our next appointment where they will do another ultrasound and praying that God would just remove the cyst completely! And long-term, just looking forward to two little boys filling our house with more joy and laughter.

James wanted to be in the picture this week and for us to act silly in his big boy room!
Can't wait to have two little monkeys jumping on the bed before we know it! 

Date Night!

Stephen and I enjoyed a date night last night thanks to some wonderful friends in our small group that pretty much made us an offer impossible to refuse (literally!). I know it's something that Stephen and I do not do enough and many circumstances have made it more difficult, so I wanted to document a fun night that we shared just the two of us here on the blog! We are so thankful for the Robbins family that love us (and love James and Jude already!) and made it possible, and we are so thankful that James loves their family as well. He says that their children are his "best friends!"

We are thankful to be a part of a small group that has loved us, challenged us, encouraged us, and helped hold us accountable. It has truly been one of the biggest blessings in our lives the last seven months or so, and we have seen the Lord at work in our lives through His people in so many different ways. It has been overwhelming, humbling, and convicting. There have been many times that we have been serving in ministry that we (and our marriage) have really suffered from not having a support system like this, and now that we are in a season of our lives (for however long that it is) that we aren't serving in full-time ministry we have been able to see how necessary being a part of a group of believers like this truly is and I know that in the future we will make it a priority in our lives.

We enjoyed a nice, relaxing dinner! Our server even treated us to dessert when we shared with him that we were enjoying a rare date night away from our little guy. The Lord also opened up a door for us to minister and hopefully be a blessing to this man as well - just one of those God-ordained moments that makes me thankful for the man by my side and the God that I serve. He has been so good to us these six years together (and throughout our entire lives)!

Praying for many more nights in the future to celebrate the gift of marriage and each other!

Behind the names (and other thoughts)

As soon as we found out we were pregnant with this second child, Stephen and I knew for certain that we wanted the baby's name to be meaningful. We wanted the baby's name to have significance for him/her throughout their life, but also to be significant to us in how God was at work in this season of our lives as well. I thought I'd share the significance of baby #2's name and also share the significance of James' name as well since I don't think I have ever recorded that on the blog.

On choosing James Blake:

I just "knew" shortly after I knew that Stephen was the one that God has chosen to be my husband that if we were ever blessed with a little boy that his name would be James. God had placed many people with the name James and/or Jamie (and Jaime!) in my path in various times throughout my adult life, in particular, that had been such a blessing to me. The name (because of these people) was very special to me. 

James is also both mine and Stephen's favorite book of the Bible. I like that the book of James is not only about faith but how faith is demonstrated through deeds. My prayer is/was that our little boy would not only believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, but live out his faith in this world in such a way that many may come to know Him as well. There are so many verses that I love in the book of James: James 1:2-4, James 1:17, James 1:27, James 2:14-17, James 4:7-8, James 4:14-15, James 5:16...I could go on and on! I love the whole book!

James was also a brother of Jesus. Although there isn't just a wealth of known information about his life, as Jesus' brother he obviously walked closely with him for a large portion of his life. And in that same way, our desire is that James would walk closely with Jesus as well. We liked that James was a strong name that would fit him as a baby but would also grow with him throughout his life. I just loved (and still do) how James Johnson sounds together! Blake is Stephen's middle name, and as soon as we said "James Blake" together I don't think we ever considered anything else. I like that he has a name that he can share with his Daddy and be identified with him.

On choosing Jude Brooks:

We tried many girl's names on for size in this second pregnancy, but Jude Brooks was the boy's name that we had been set on for quite a while. We found out we were expecting this baby near the end of what had been a very difficult and sometimes dark season in our lives. I told someone recently that we have seen and experienced firsthand "when the rubber meets the road" that God is truly who He says that He is. The name Jude means "praise" and "thanks" and we praise God and thank Him for his continued goodness and faithfulness to us (and want to acknowledge His goodness and let even the choosing of Jude's name be a testimony of who God has been to our family in our darkest hours). 

Jude was also a brother of Jesus, and so, just like our prayer for James, we pray that Jude would also walk closely with Jesus all of his days. We have been saying that "James and Jude were brothers in the Bible and will be brothers in our family as well!" Stephen jokes with people that our third son will not be named Jesus - ha! We liked, also, that James and Jude were both names of New Testament books in the Bible (and no, number three, will not be Revelation either!). 

Brooks is a name that I just love, but it also happens to be the male version of my middle name. We liked the idea of James sharing a middle name with Stephen, and Jude (sort of) sharing a middle name with me. And although we didn't necessarily plan it, we think it's fun that they have the same initials as well. I love the way Jude Johnson sounds together (I know some people don't like alliterations but I do!). And just like James, we felt like Jude was a name that would suit our baby boy now and in the future. 

Those are the stories behind the names of our boys. :) I also wanted to share this picture of James and Jude (side-by-side). James is 28 weeks in his ultrasound picture (so naturally more filled out) and Jude is only 19 weeks (but already measuring a full week ahead! oh boy!), but I am amazed at how similar the two of them look to me already. 

And to my boys (who may read this one day a long time from now):

I want you to know that you are both so loved and so wanted. You are both the exact babies that I always wanted. Regardless of anything that God would ever call me to do in this world outside of our home and family or any accolades that I could ever receive or earn, please always know that the most important thing that I will ever be called to in this life is being your mother and there is nothing that will ever mean more to me. I believe that I do share my gifts with the world when I share them with the two of you each day through songs and stories, diaper changes and potty training, rocking and holding and helping and hugging you both for as long as you allow me. 

James, I am amazed every day at just what a truly incredibly bright, sweet, witty, precious, compassionate child that you are. I don't know how anyone in this world could ever see anything but what I see in you. You are just the very best little boy. You daily tug at my heart strings, my tiny little man that wants to marry Mama and be like Daddy. I could not love you more. I don't even deserve a blessing as sweet as you - but that's what God's grace is all about (undeserved favor!). I long for you to know the grace that He offers - and it's my fervent prayer for your life. To know Him and receive Him.

Jude, I barely know anything about you but I've loved you with a fierce, protective love since the minute that I first knew that God placed your little life inside of me. It has been all the sweeter to get tiny glimpses of your face and your personality inside the womb months before I'll ever hold you in my arms. But whether you are exactly what I think you might be or whether you take my world by storm, (just like your brother) nothing will change my unconditional love for you. Whether your eyes are blue or brown, you prefer music or sports, if you can't carry a tune in a bucket or you have two left feet, regardless of your strengths or weakness, regardless of anything at all - I love you for the little boy that God created you to be. I love you for exactly who you are. And just like I've told your brother since the day that he was born (even before that!) - Mama loves you, Daddy loves you, and God loves you. He knit your life together and ordained your life and your story. Allow Him to write your story - no one knows better or is more worthy of your trust than Him! He has known you, sweet boy, since the very beginning of time. You can trust him with your life and I pray, like I do for James, one day soon that you will. Regardless of the cruel things that people might say (wanting you to somehow be something different than you are for their own selfish reasons) or regardless of the way this world may view your life, you are valuable to us and to Him. And just like I tell your brother, "I love you ever and ever and ever." Don't ever forget that.

Snow Day!

We had a little bit of snow here in Alabama yesterday. James hasn't seen snow in two years (the last time was right before his 1st birthday) and while this snow didn't compare to that first snow he had in North Carolina he still seemed to really enjoy it. When I saw the big, huge flakes falling outside we frantically started getting sweatshirts, boots, and hats on as fast as we could because I wasn't sure how long it would last. But it fell for a few hours and was beautiful. :) Before his nap I made the mistake of telling him that the snow would still be on the ground when he woke up. Unfortunately, the sun came out and melted it all away in no time at all. I felt so bad, but he seemed to recover quickly by looking at the pictures and video from the day.

Not my best picture with my eyes half open, but the only one that we have together - our neighbor offered to take one of us both. Notice the AllState jeep in our driveway giving an estimate on our car considered a "total loss." I plan to tell the whole story on the blog when we come to a conclusion in this whole process, but right now I am just thankful that we are all okay and just praying to see the situation through God's eyes as we trust Him to work out all the details. 

Tasting the snow!

This face tugs at my heart like no other! (And he knows it too!)

J-Train

I know I am guilty (as charged, if charged!) of talking about James more than anything on this blog, and so I know already that James and Jude will now (or probably already have!) become my most frequently blogged topics. I can't help myself - I am over-the-moon crazy about these two boys, my boys (that is starting to sink in!). And I love talking about them and delighting in them. I am so blessed to be the mother of these two precious boys.

Since the beginning of this pregnancy, James thought he was going to have a baby sister. He told us that he wanted to call her "Cece" and that nickname kind of stuck over the last 19 weeks as a hypothetical nickname for this baby. Last night I explained to James that the baby's nickname can't be Cece anymore, because that's really a better nickname for a little girl. He thought about it for a second and I suggested a few ideas for other more masculine nicknames for his little brother and then he said "Mama, I'm going to call my baby J-Train." I constantly laugh these days at the things that he says and comes up with, but then I told Stephen what he said and he said "Oh, I love it! I hope that nickname sticks." Well, James has called the baby "J-Train" about 54 times since last night and then we "chugged like choo-choo trains" 8 times (no exaggeration on that one!) around the house this morning to Toby Mac's J-Train. I have no idea what I'm in for in the years ahead, do I?!?



I will try and post about some other things (maybe recipes? or other fun things?) in the days ahead, but I can't make any promises. They will probably, unapologetically, mostly be about my boys. :)

Baby #2 is...

We were so excited to find out this morning that we are having another sweet boy, Jude Brooks Johnson! He is healthy and already looks so much like James to me (their ultrasound pictures and profiles are so similar). The main difference that I notice now is that this baby seems to be way more laid back. James was so active and literally bouncing around in the womb and this baby (in all of the ultrasounds so far) is just the opposite. Even after drinking juice right before the ultrasound (since the last ultrasound we had he was asleep and still) Jude was just completely relaxed and sucking his thumb. :)

We are excited about the blessing of another little boy. Of course,  I would have been excited either way (God's gifts are always perfect!) - but already it's fun to think about what life will be like with a house full of boys. I am glad that James will have a brother and a best friend and pray that they will be close throughout their lives. James is slowly starting to accept that he is having a brother and not a sister. He really started to come around when we mentioned that they would be able to share a room and get bunk beds! :)

The doctor did mention a benign cyst on Jude's brain when reviewing the ultrasound pictures, but she assured us that it was very common and would most likely just resolve itself. She is going to keep an eye on it though, and she plans to do another ultrasound when we come back in a month. I am forcing myself not to google anything or freak myself out unnecessarily. The Lord is in control and so we just trust Jude to him completely. Thanks for loving us and praying for us and our sweet boys!

18 Weeks

How far along are you? 18 weeks

Total Weight Gain? I think around 9 or 10 pounds. 

How big is the baby? the length of a bell pepper (and almost 7 ounces) 

Maternity Clothes? Not yet, but I think I might be moving into maternity pants before too long. We've gotten them down from the attic, but I'm still kind of in an in-between stage (for now!) of not totally looking pregnant but just kind of puffy. 

Sleep? I am sleeping good at night, and I am definitely not as exhausted as I was in the first trimester. Naps are starting to be a struggle for James as he approaches his third birthday and sometimes he just skips his nap altogether, so I am definitely missing my chance to just rest a little bit in the middle of the day. I enjoyed that little recharging time in the middle of the day so much! 

Best moment this week? I am feeling this baby kick/move a lot now. It's just another aspect of the pregnancy as it progresses that makes it seem more "real." I am just thankful for every little kick. Stephen has gotten to feel the baby move once as well, and that's always such a fun time to share together. :)

Movement? Yes! We have reached the no-doubt-about-it point that this is definitely movement from the baby. :) (No more wondering, "Was that the baby?")

Food Cravings/Aversions? No aversions but also no overwhelming cravings either. I am still wanting "real food" more than anything, and I am eating way less dessert than I do when I'm not pregnant. I have also really been enjoying oranges the last couple of weeks which is funny to me because I wouldn't normally choose an orange but right now I am loving them! (That's a totally different craving than I had with James, and most of my cravings have been about the same.) 

Morning Sickness? Only really exhausting days cause me to ever feel nauseous at this point. I am really feeling great! 

Gender? James is still leaning toward "girl" but occasionally will say "boy." Hopefully that means he will be happy either way. Stephen and I, I think, are kind of unsure at this point. I have had moments that I've thought both "boy" and "girl" for a time, and now I just don't even have a guess or inclination. I will be so happy either way, I just love knowing. We have settled on both a boy's and girl's name that we both like and that has a significant meaning to us at the point that we're at in our lives and the journey we've been on the last few years. 

What I'm looking forward to: Our next ultrasound in January and finding out the gender of the baby and beginning to call the baby by name. We were supposed to find out the gender today, but our practice is actually moving into a new building this week and had to reschedule. I was pretty disappointed that they had to cancel, but we will find out now on Wednesday, January 16th - so just one more week of wondering. I will be excited to share with our families the gender and to reveal the name of our little one. :)

Me with baby #2.
This shirt might make me look like I'm showing a little more than I actually am, but I am growing for sure.

He fell.

It was a beautiful 70 degree day in December - the kind of day that's it seems like a crime not to take advantage of an opportunity to soak up some sunshine when the chance presents itself. I told James that after lunch we would go to the park and play for a while before his nap. We enjoyed all of our usual fun: James went down the "dizzy" slide many times, played "estaurant" with the mulch (grilled cheese sandwiches!) on the playground, watched the dogs in the dog park, and pushed his rocket on the path. Before leaving the park, we came across a family having a picnic and throwing hunks of their sandwiches into a little pond to watch the fish come up towards the surface to devour them. James was so amused by this (and who am I kidding, so was I!), and he wanted some pieces of bread to toss to the fish as well. I knew we didn't have any bread but I remembered some saltines stashed in the car that I had kept always by my side during my severe morning sickness in the first trimester of this pregnancy. I thankfully  no longer needed the crackers, and I was pretty sure the fish would accept them just as eagerly as they had the bread.

We came back to the pond with our crackers. I started to break up the crackers and told James several times "do not get any closer to the water." He started to throw in the saltines, and the fish came up quickly to grab them. It was such a sweet moment to watch my ever-growing, curious little boy enjoying such a fun moment in nature. I grabbed my phone to quickly snap a picture and then slid it right back into my pocket. Seconds later James was suddenly a lot closer to the water and before I could tell him to move back he was sliding on slick mud right into the water - first his feet, then his legs, and then his back and chest. He was covered all the way up to his neck with water by the time I pulled him out. It all happened so fast.

James was filthy, soaking wet, and crying hysterically. Between sobs the first thing he articulated was "you...told...me...not...to...get...too...close." Oh, how those words made my heart ache for him - knowing that he was afraid I was upset with him and also immediately aware that this wouldn't be the last time that he might fall in this life. That he may one day make a much bigger mistake at some point down the road when immediately he would again feel the weight of his decision so heavily. So many days are spent teaching him and warning him about the negative effects that come as a result of so many different actions (touching the stove, climbing on furniture, running near the road, etc.), but in that moment I knew he felt fully the cost of his decision to take one step closer toward the pond. I picked up my drenched little toddler and told him "It's okay. You're okay. I've got you. " I carried his muddy little body over to a nearby bench to try and pull the wet, filthy clothes off of him and dry him off. I wrapped my big jacket around him (and my arms, too, hoping to express my unconditional love for him) and carried him back to the car. I didn't care if I got dirty. I didn't care about all the people looking. All I cared about was him in that moment - because he is and always will be mine. My son. And it hurt me to see him hurt. It hurt me to watch him fall.

I called Stephen on the way home and I told him what happened. I told him it was certainly not my finest hour of motherhood, and luckily he usually laughs at me and helps me to not take myself so seriously. He was amused with the story once he knew James was alright. I got James home and got him a bath. All ended well.

But I thought about the events of the day later. Sometimes James would bring the story up about how he fell in the pond and "Mama pulled me out." And it allowed me to reflect on how I've spent a lot of time trying to protect him from any harm these first three years of his life. But as he has gotten older I have learned that sometimes that won't always be possible and that I am just an imperfect person trying to be the best mother I possibly can for him. And that ultimately I must point him to the only Perfect Parent, Jesus Christ. His Heavenly Father is the one that is truly able to save him and to protect him. I can rest in that.

And also I know that while God can protect James from anything, that sometimes He will allow him to fall too. Because His love doesn't force. That's the bittersweet reality of walking with Christ in our imperfect flesh. And while it will hurt me profoundly when that does happen, I can rest in knowing that He is the parent that can put the pieces back together, mend a broken heart, and bring comfort in the darkest hours in ways that I can't.

I'm sure in the years ahead I will instinctively continue to try to protect James from hurt and pain. But I will also strive to surrender my life daily as an offering to the only parent that will never let him down -so that I might reflect Christ in my words and deeds so that James would know Christ intimately and all of His goodness. I will pray that God would protect him from pain and hurt and keep him from sinning. From falling. But when he does fall, I pray that God will embrace James in his loving arms and whisper "It's okay. You're okay. I've got you. It's forgiven."

He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. Psalm 40:2

Christmas Fun with Grandma K and Aunt Megan

We didn't get to travel to South Carolina for Christmas this year, because Stephen's job has very few opportunities for vacation/off days. We were thankful that Grandma K and Aunt Megan were able to come visit us in our new house a few days after Christmas and celebrate with us here. We missed seeing Nana and Granddaddy this year, but we were glad to be able to talk with them and open presents on FaceTime and hope to see them at James' birthday party in February.

Opening Gifts. :)

More of our pallet gifts this year - I was impressed with Stephen's skills. :)

Ice Slide at the McWane Center!

Flip Burger! So Yummy!

Christmas with the Johnsons/Pattersons

Here are some pictures celebrating Christmas with Stephen's parents and his sister, Leah, and her family! It's always great to have everyone all together. :) We actually spent the night one night, even though we live in town now, so that the boys could play together longer. I can't believe this next year there will be five children playing together!

James loves his cousins! We cant wait for Reagan to be here too! :)

Matching Christmas PJ's from Nana!

A soccer set! 

This fishing puzzle was a hit. :)

Alabama choo-choo train. :)

This is actually James' hat - Stephen is a big kid at heart! 

Trying out the Mickey Mouse Choo-Choo Express

A little surprise picture on my camera from Nana and James. :)

Christmas with the Johnson Three (four!)

Here is a little recap in pictures of the Christmas celebrations at our house this year. We experienced so much joy this year as we had the privilege to view all of the excitement through James' eyes. He loved everything about the month of December, I think. :) I can't even imagine all the fun and craziness that we'll experience this time next year watching James interact with his sibling. These pictures capture a lot of the traditions that we have started with James and hope to continue throughout the years.

We made a birthday cake for Jesus for the first time this year. :)

This year we changed opening Christmas PJ's to Dec. 1st so he could wear them longer and now just 

open one small gift on Christmas eve instead.

We came across this Thomas Aquadoodle at Goodwill for $1 ($24 savings!).

It looks brand new and James loves it!

Leaving treats for Santa and his reindeer. :)

Christmas Morning! His first words were "I'm so excited!"

We give 3 gifts (really 3 from us and 3 from Santa). These are his 

3 favorite and happen to all be from us. I don't know if it's

a coincidence or if it's personal (our not a santa-fan little boy!) Ha!

A plush Rocket from Little Einsteins. We found this on Ebay. They don't make 

Little Einsteins toys at all anymore so this was a find!

His xylophone! He has quite the instrument collection now and loves music!

His Tricycle! 

Stephen and I didn't buy gifts for each other this year but still had a few little things to unwrap (that weren't really surprises) because James really wanted us to open gifts too. I made this back scratch t-shirt for Stephen for James to give him. He can drive his cars and trains on the roads on his back. :)

We made gifts for all of our family out of pallets this year. Stephen made one for me too.

I can hang pictures or James' artwork on the little clips. I love it! 

Christmas Day and headed to eat with Nana and Grandpa!