Journey to Noelle ~ And Our Life This Moment

Does anyone remember...

2010-03-16T11:35:00.001-04:00

...what tomorrow is?

(here's a hint: technically the special day begins at 9:10PM tonight...)
(...that would be 9:10AM in China...)

Oh Lovely Day!!!! Happy Happy Day!!!! :):):)

Maybe this will help:

Say "Hello" to 2010

2010-01-01T11:59:00.001-05:00

I hope you are having a great start to 2010. The old year is behind us, and ahead lies the unknown.

I'm beginning to like The Unknown (thought I'd never say that!). For me, looking into 2010 means new challenges, new friends, new experiences...new opportunities. Opportunities to learn more, love more, serve more, share more, praise more, know my Savior more.

Yes, there will be hardships and difficulties, tears, stress and frustrations before us.
But there will also be rich blessings, joy and laughter too.

2010-- I welcome you.

Lord, bring it on!!!!!!! :-)

Our 2009 Family Christmas Letter...and some BIG NEWS!!!

2009-12-26T21:05:00.000-05:00

This is the letter we sent to our church congregation (minus 1 photo we can't put online, yet). And we finally reveal our ADOPTION NEWS!!!

Dear Family and Friends,

2009 has been a year filled with joys and challenges. Here are a few highlights of how God has enriched us.

As a family we started the year with a clear goal-- we felt led to adopt a specific nine-year-old girl from Taiwan. We signed with an adoption agency in March, completed our home study, sent our dossier paperwork to Taiwan and received adoption approval from the orphanage in June. Unfortunately in August we received word that the orphanage had changed its mind and rejected our application. This was very disappointing, as we had already begun to love C*** in our hearts. We did all we could to appeal, but finally had to conclude that short of a miracle, there was nothing more to do. Then earlier this month God sent that miracle! The orphanage contacted our adoption agency and specifically asked if we were still interested in adopting C***. After prayer and some really neat confirmations from God (that’s another exciting story…), we decided to jump back into the adoption process. If all goes well, we will have C*** in our home next fall(???)! In the midst of all these adoption ups and downs, we finally sold our house in Richmond, Eric received his 3rd degree Black Belt and started teaching karate in Chattanooga, Jennifer started a part-time job (she works in the coffee/juice bar at the new Earth Fare in Chattanooga), and Jennifer’s parents moved to town. Noelle brightens our days as an energetic three-year-old. She continues to blossom and grow before our eyes.

The church is doing very well. We are blessed to be in partnership with such loving, faithful people. Over the last year we have added a staff family. Roberto and Rhesa Rodriguez are specifically responsible for developing our Hispanic ministry. We are expanding our outreach to our Spanish-speaking neighbors, offering ESL classes and have even started Spanish as a Second Language classes for those who want to better communicate with our neighbors. We took our first step into closer partnership with our Jewish neighbors and offered a “Philanthropy Camp” one week in July. We look forward to partnering in future compassionate ministry activities and meeting the practical needs of our community. Our music minister Rob Hambrick expanded his scope and started a small-group ministry. It’s been neat to see new families enter the church through this Bible Study/Fellowship group. The children’s ministry is thriving under the leadership of George Lawson. We had close to thirty kids in the children’s program earlier this month (almost double from this time last year-- thanks Christy & Sarah). I wish I had time to share with you about our Spring Homecoming or Fall BBQ outreach; our different prayer groups and Fall revival or simply how people keep asking, “Can we start this new ministry?” It’s hard to keep up with all the great and Godly opportunities!

As we come into the New Year we simply ask God for strength to stay near to him. We are confident that as we hold close to God, he will lead and provide all that is needed to grow in him and serve others!

May your joy be found in Jesus~

Eric, Jennifer and Noelle

P.S. I will try to write my next post with the specifics of how our Taiwan adoption finally came back together. You won't believe some of the super-cool things God did to make it happen!!

Earth Fare Chattanooga - Grand Opening photos!!

2009-12-10T17:11:00.002-05:00

Check out the link below to see some photos from the exciting day yesterday. I had tons of fun behind the Coffee & Juice Bar counter, but were we ever swamped!! It took 4 baristas plus our cashier to keep up with the crowd. What a rush!! :) Hundreds of people came through the store every hour and the check-out lines looked like the typical Black Friday shopping lines. Crazy!! But the shoppers were in a great mood and LOVED the store. And tasting samples of EVERYTHING couldn't have hurt either! LOL

http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthfare/sets/72157622822120023/

And guess whose photos are on there? Noelle! See if you can spot her with Santa.

And FYI, my next shift is on Saturday. Come visit me!

SAVE THE DATE! -- Dec. 7th

2009-12-01T21:21:00.001-05:00

Hey ya'll! I'm having lots of fun as a cafe barista at Earth Fare, a.k.a. The Healthy Supermarket!!!!!

All my friends and family are invited to attend "Family and Friend Night" at Earth Fare (on Gunbarrel Rd. next to Target) on Monday December 7th. You will get a tour of the new store and will be able to sample in-house, made-from-scratch sandwiches, pizza and desserts (for free). If you think you might come...call me, text me, email me, post a comment here, or just show up! Just be sure to find me to say hi! The specific time is still TBA, but approximately 5:30 or 6:00pm.

I'm having lots of fun with my training thus far and am blessed to be working with some really nice folks. I hope you will stop by Earth Fare OFTEN - we open to the public Dec. 9th - and I'll make you a delicious latte, chai, hot chocolate, gourmet tea, or luscious smoothie in the cafe at the front of the store!!! :-)

~C U there~

Excuses, excuses!

2009-11-12T16:02:00.002-05:00

I have a whole list of excuses for why my blogging has fallen off in recent weeks (...months...). But the list would bore you, and I certainly don't want to bore my readers! :-) I do know that there are some faithful aunts, cousins, parents, far-away-friends who check regulary for new posts (or at least there were??!). To you good folk, I say "Sorry." :-(
But in my defense, such as it is, I am in gooooooood company. When I do grab 5 minutes here and there to scan others' blogs, I often read posts similiar to this one.

And what is our BIG EXCUSE???
FACEBOOK!!!

Yes, it's the truth. I have been spending more time posting photos and stories and chatting on facebook than writing about family stuff here. I am really trying to limit my time on the computer so I can be engaged in my real life (virtual reality is no reality!). So the blogging has suffered. I do hope to continue blogging long term, as I enjoy writing and I do like to document the life of our family. But realistically I may only get a couple posts up here every couple weeks. Sometimes I stress myself out with self-imposed blogging deadlines. So I think I'm better off to just concentrate on 3-4 posts a month and be satisfied. And if I get more in, that's just a bonus!

But for those of you who want more of the Johnson's, become my facebook friend! Just click on the facebook badge on the top right of this blog. It will take you to a page where you can request to be my friend. Okay? Hope you come find me!

~See ya'll at my next post!
Jen

Jen's New Job

2009-11-07T21:05:00.000-05:00

Yes, you read that correctly. I've got a new job! :) In addition to the ones of "mom", "wife", "pastor's wife"...you get the idea. This job is a part time gig to help improve our family's financial situation. We lost a considerable chunk of our retirement and investments with last year's drop in the market, but what hurt the most was going almost 10 months before selling our house in Missouri. So I got a job.

I applied at a few places but got hired Wednesday at our town's brand new Earth Fare, "the healthy supermarket". I first discovered Earth Fare in Knoxville when my parents still lived there. It is a funky and fun store that I loooooove to spend time in. Such a vast array of organic groceries, local produce, vitamins and supplements, natural skin care, fair trade coffee, gourmet teas, chocolate, cheese, decadent baked goods, delicious hot foods and salad/soup bar, and so so much more. I will be working in the coffee & juice bar, which is just the position I wanted. :) I loved my brief stint last year as a 'barista' (someone who prepares and serves espresso-based coffee drinks) at Enigma Rarities before adopting Noelle, so I look forward to this new opportunity. I love interacting with customers and getting to know the "regulars", and I take pride in preparing a delicious espresso-drink that will bring people back again and again.

This Chattanooga store will be a design prototype for future Earth Fare's - i.e. it's gonna look super cool in there. You will never know you are in a grocery store! The cafe area has the feel of a restaurant and customers are encouraged to hang out for a while by the fireplace and enjoy the free Wi-Fi...and of course, the delicious lattes or smoothies I serve you.

Our job orientation takes place November 23-24 and then we begin training on-site from November 30th until the store opens December 9th. We employees will be practicing our food/drink preparations and serving each other. We will also be feeding all the corporate folks hanging around for the grand opening. We are told there will also be a day just for our friends and family to come tour the store and sample the healthy and delicious foods. I'm not sure yet what my schedule will be, but we are supposed to discuss this at orientation. I hope that I will get around 20 hours a week. Noelle goes to Mom's-Day-Out 2 days a week, and my parents are also happy to watch her on another day. One very cool thing is that the food service manager, Troy (my boss), has promised I will never have to work on Sundays. (yes!!) Good thing, because I wouldn't have taken the job. God is working things out, to be sure!

Ok, there is still more to tell - about how I actually got the job - but I will save that for later. It is actually a very neat story about how God put all the pieces in place. Another day, another post...

November 8 is ORPHAN SUNDAY - You are invited to...

2009-11-04T12:31:00.003-05:00

...attend the following events celebrating this first annual national event - Orphan Sunday!

By joining us at Chattanooga First Church of the Nazarene:

~10:45 am
Special Service honoring adoption and sharing the needs of orphans around the world

~5:00-7:00 pm
Stephen Curtis Chapman Concert event (live via web cast)
*Please bring snacks to share! :)
*We are also working out a plan for childcare

RSVP to Jennifer or Eric Johnson at:
423-893-7756 (church)
423-693-5394 (jen's cell)
OR eric.jennifer.noelle@gmail.com

Church of the Nazarene
5455 N. Terrace (across the interstate from the Rave Theater)
http://www.chattanooganazarene.org

Check out http://www.orphansunday.org for more details!!!

This is THE ANSWER:

2009-10-18T15:52:00.000-04:00

"If my people, which are called by my name,
shall humble themselves,
and pray,
and seek my face,
and turn from their wicked ways;
then will I hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin,
and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

That says it all!!

Poor, pitiful Jack

2009-10-17T20:53:00.000-04:00

Oops. (and ick and gross)

Jack got left out in the rain, on our porch, and was forgotten,,, for a few days.

He was a sad pumpkin before. Now he's REALLY SAD.

Noelle saw him, frowned and tipped her head to the side and said, "AWwwwwwww" in a voice heavy with pity (for him, not her - lol).

(Notice the chin drool-- a nice touch, I think.)

A Sweet Good Morning

2009-10-17T09:26:00.001-04:00

Eric had to leave the house early this morning, before Noelle and I were awake, to drive to a church activity in Knoxville. When I opened the fridge to get the milk, I found a sweet note and a prayer from my hubby! Awwww!! 'Put a happy-silly grin on my face, I tell ya. :>}

2009-10-16T10:37:00.002-04:00

Just FYI-- I put some adoption updates on our Taiwan Blog today.

Please Pray For This Young Girl--

2009-10-16T10:03:00.001-04:00

One of the ladies in our Tuesday prayer group shared this story/prayer request: about a girl who lives in another state:

Last Friday a 15 year old girl went to an abortion clinic to abort her baby. She did not want to go through with the procedure, but she lives in an overly crowded house with relatives who cannot affort the money or space for a baby. They wanted her to make a choice: the baby or your home with us. So the teen did go to her appointment at the clinic. She tried to follow through. But she ended up running out of the place without having an abortion!!!

I was and am deeply moved at this amazing show of courage. This girl is in such a difficult situation and faces losing her home...yet she bravely chose life for her unborn baby!! All of us ladies found ourselves weeping as we spent several minutes in prayer for these two precious lives.

The director of the local crisis pregnancy center opened her home to the teen for a few days until they could figure out what to do. She (the director) has asked us to pray for God to intervene in this situation. The young lady has been in much physical discomfort and had an ultrasound which showed the baby has a very weak heartbeat. Please pray for her heath and the baby's. But on the positive side, the relatives are now possibly reconsidering their initial untimateum. It looks like may be able to stay with them during the pregnancy. There are still many unknowns, however, and anything could change.

I will be seeking updates about this young lady and will let you know how things go. Just please, please pray for her and for God's best plan.

Taiwan Adoption UPDATE

2009-10-09T13:55:00.003-04:00

Stop by our other blog for the latest news posted today:
www.johnsonfamilyadoption2.blogspot.com

Chattanooga Cupcakes - yummy yummy!!

2009-10-08T22:52:00.003-04:00

Eric and I had a rare Thursday afternoon date today. My parents volunteered to watch Noelle, so Eric took part of the day off from work so we could have some 'quality fun'. :-)

The fun included exploring downtown Chattanooga on foot... Which brought us to a brand new shoppe: Chattanooga Cupcakes on Broad Street. The sign in the window said they would be opening on Monday. But the lights were on and we saw scrumptious looking cupcakes on display!

http://www.chattanoogacupcakesonline.com/

The door opened at our touch, so we ventured inside. The gal behind the counter introduced herself as Sonia. She said they we not open for business yet, but would we like to try a free cupcake...as a sample?

Would we!??! Of course!!

She was giving the delectible treats away to test them on the public. We were quite willing to be test subjects. The choice was difficult, but Eric went with the carrrot cake with butter cream frosting and pecan bits. I chose the chocolate cake with white chocolate truffle frosting. She packed them carefully in a to-go box, and we walked back to our car. Eric thought we should drive to another destination to get something to drink and then eat our treats at the park.

Thing is, my cupcake didn't last that long. It was gone before I got out of the car!

Ohhhhhhh people! Our taste buds were in heaven!! You've got to try some of this lady's moist, decadent cupcakes. Stop by her place at 500 Broad St - Chattanooga, TN. These are tough economic times, but I sure hope her business thrives. Everyone needs a sweet pick-me-up from time to time, right?

BTW-- Eric said he would pay 5 whole dollars for one of these babies. That is high praise, indeed. ;-)

Noelle Pix --- for your viewing enjoyment

2009-10-08T22:17:00.002-04:00

Just a bit o' news from our life lately...

I had a special treat for Noelle when I picked her up from preschool Monday...

Candy!!!

As a reward for participating in gymnastics class that morning.

And yes, bribery was involved. Sweets are always a good incentive for our munchkin!

Cuz even though standing on her head was fun, ish...

...THIS contraption scared the heck out of her last week (her first gymnastics class). Her buddy, Teagan, was just ahead of her in line and performed some fancy whirly twirly technique (Teagan has been taking evening lessons for some time). Noelle watched and decided being a future olympian wasn't "all that".

Bouncing on a mini trampoline into a somersault is extra fun!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Squeaky-clean and oh so cute!

Our silly girl!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"EEERRRRR UUUGHHHHH!!! If I turn it juuuuust right, I should be able to lift this thing..."

Noelle had been asking for several weeks to get a "jack-o-lantern pumpkin".
Last week we obliged and drove to Linda's Produce a few blocks from our house. It's not a pumpkin farm, but Noelle enjoyed it.
The pumpkin farm came that weekend (pix to follow)...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After finding a pumpkin, we spent some time at the local bookstore. Eric and I took turns reading kids books aloud. And you can see that Eric is really getting into it. ;-)

My big cutie and my little cutie

Noelle: the growling voice of the Big Bad Wolf
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Grammy's scarecrow isn't very scary. Noelle thought it was a big doll and wanted to carry it around.

September 18, 2009 -- WE MISSED IT!!!

2009-09-23T08:28:00.004-04:00

AND THE ANSWER IS:
As of September 18, 2009 Noelle has officially been with our family longer (by one day) than she had been in orphanage care without a family. Amazing!! Eric and I are so honored to be the ones God chose for her parents. :-)

Some dear friends of ours celebrated this milestone with their daughter last year. We actually were priveleged to help them celebrate Reagan's important day. Eric and I thought it was a very nifty idea and planned to copy it for our family. But darn it, with all the sickness and "other stuff" we've been dealing with recently, we both plum forgot! I'm bummed. :-( It may not have seemed significant to Noelle, but it means a lot to us. We cannot go back in time, but I'm wondering if there is some way to recoup what we missed. Hmmmm.... My fortune (cookie) says there is a Chinese meal in our immediate future!

******************************************************
QUESTION:
Can anyone think of what the significance of this particular date is???
You win a *GOLD STAR* if you can guess correctly...

bummer

2009-09-21T11:12:00.001-04:00

*EDITED BELOW

After all of us being sick the past couple weeks and spending waaaaaaay too much time in the house and with each other, I was looking forward to preschool today. I mean really. A lot. I was look forward to preschool really a lot.

(come on, moms! who's with me!?)

In my defense, Noelle was too. She loved her '1 day of school' from 2 weeks ago, and was excited to attend her first gymnastics class, and to see Teagan and the Rodrigez kids (friends from church).

BUT Chattanooga is under water.

And I mean that almost literally. It has been raining for days and days and many areas are flooded. Eric and I feel blessed that our cosy church parsonange home is high up on Missionary Ridge and not in the numerous small valleys across the area.

So we were shoving food down our kiddo with 5 minutes to spare before I tossed her and her Dora backpack in the car...when the phone rang. Eric grabbed it, read the caller ID out loud and we both groaned. (My groan might have been a bit louder and longer than his.) "Cancelled due to flooding."

I love my kid more than life. But I'll say it again.

BUMMER.

(Note: The building was not flooded. Just the parking lot.)

CAT-astrophe!

2009-09-21T10:55:00.002-04:00

Notice anything wrong with this picture?

The mirror is missing.

A large one that covers the wall and most of the window.

(Ok, you probably noticed that this is poor placement for a dresser with a mirror, but in our bedroom there is literally no other place to put it. Between the 2 awkwardly placed windows, the 2 closets, the door to the hall and the door to the bathroom, there is no other available wall. I feel lucky that we were able to get our bed in this room!)

While in the shower I heard a terrible crash. My first thought was that maybe the cats had knocked the tv to the floor. My second thought was, "That had to have woken Noelle. Grrrrr, those cats better not have woken up Noelle." I dashed out of the shower to investigate and immediately noticed the dresser mirror was not in it's usual place.

It was here, on the floor.

So much for the mirror I've had since I was a girl.

I guess I won't be checking my outfits or putting on jewelry here any more.

My antique jewelry/music box also bit the dust.

And so did my (previously) unbroken last collectible figurine given to me by my husband.

Here are the culprits.

I found them cowering under the bed. When they did eventually slink out, there was narry an apology for the mess and destruction they had left behind.

What led to the cat-astrophe? They had been up in the window behind the mirror watching birds and squirrels. Evidently something spooked the kitty-girls during their vigil.

We have a large tree so close to the house that the area wildlife, from the wooded area behind the parsonage, frequently leap from a branch and race across the roof then back again, all day long.

The cats love it.

As indooor felines, they find this amusement a wildly entertaining way to spend an afternoon.

I never did love it. Even more so, NOW.

Noelle's First Japanese Steakhouse Experience

2009-09-20T22:03:00.000-04:00

The fire scared her so much she jumped into Eric's lap. Each time our cook lit something on fire, she screamed a bit and either hid in her daddy's shoulder or covered her eyes.

Showing more interest in the process...

You can practically see her mouth watering over the steaming chicken. She cried out, "MEAT!!MEAT!!" when the chef tossed the pink breasts onto the sizzling grill. (Our girl does eat fruits and veggies, but she is quite the carnivore.)

The hostess loved chatting with Noelle and noticed her struggling to eat with the huge fork. So...she brought her a pair or training chopsticks instead! Just moments before, Noelle declared she was "All done!" and wanted to get down to play. But, when she got those chopsticks in her hand, her focus suddenly changed to cleaning her plate. And she almost did just that! She had quite a knack for picking up even bits of rice with this new tool. Our table-mates were quite impressed. (Unfortunately we forgot to take them with us when we left the restaurant. Noelle was sorely disappointed and wanted us to turn around. Eric consoled her with, "I can make you some chopsticks just like that at home!")

All Moved In!

2009-09-19T22:09:00.000-04:00

A rainy day in Ringgold

Derek, Eddie and Ramon came over to assist. You guys are AWEsome!

Much of the sorting of household items will take place in the garage

The Master Suite

The Great Room

My tired sweaty dad, taking a well-deserved water break

That's the last of it, guys!

Hi, handsome fella ;-)

Hey, where did this cute lil' squirt come from?? Was she in one of the boxes?? Can we take her home with us?? :-)

My Parents!!!

2009-09-18T17:39:00.001-04:00

Are finally, officially, moving down to the Chattanooga area from Knoxville -- TODAY!!! They have been living half time at their new condo, doing flooring projects, painting projects and such, while waiting for their house in Knoxville to sell. Unfortunately it still has not. :-( But we are trusting and praying for God to bring the right buyer along.

Anyway...this evening they are heading this way with their moving truck with the remainder of their belongings. Please pray for their safety as dad drives the truck and mom follows behind in the car...with a freaked-out, car-crazed feline in the front seat. eeeeekkkk!!! (I'm hoping they put Spanky in well-secured box - he's been known to escape!)

I've been trying to reach their cell all day to no avail. Sooooo we are not quite sure when they will arrive. We just want them to get here safe and sound. I am SO excited to have my parents here full time! It's been a long time coming. Thanks, God! :-)

icky sickies around here

2009-09-16T21:01:00.002-04:00

***Thursday Evening Update***
We are all doing sooooo much better. Noelle and I even got out of the house today. And the Tamiflu I started taking yesterday seems to have helped.
_________________________________________

Please keep us all in your prayers. Noelle and Eric still haven't quite beaten the flu (since last Thursday and Friday, respectively), and Noelle actually developed a concerning rattle in her chest this evening. And the bug finally caught up with me yesterday.

Many, many folks all over are struggling with the same thing. We are praying for all of you out there, even as we pray for a quick end to our illness.

{{{Air-hugs}}} (anything else would spread germs),

Jen

~The Blessing Place~

2009-09-13T20:24:00.001-04:00

On Wednesday, Noelle started her first day of Mom's Day Out. The Blessing Place is a program run by a church in our community for preschool aged children. It is a Monday / Wednesday program that follows a regular preschool curriculum. The kids are divided into classrooms based on age, and they have bible lessons, crafts, music, basic Spanish, field trips (that come to the school), etc. ...and they even have a gymnastics class once a week (super cool!).

Noelle really enjoyed her first day, and she didn't cry, which made me very relieved, as this was a new school. I think checking out the room and "inspecting" each and every toy at the open house the previous week helped immensely. She seems to like her teacher, Mrs. Heather, and enjoys her 5 other classmates. Only one boy, poor kid - or maybe not! He seemed to not mind the girls teasing and giggling all about him! lol Noelle also has a buddy in her room-- Teagan from our local Families with Children from China group (her mom is Terri of Our Hearts' Desire blog).

Here are a few pictures:

Noelle, Teagan and 'the one' boy (I'll have to learn his name)

You might be living with a toddler if...

2009-09-13T15:24:00.002-04:00

...you can rattle off the words to the Barney theme song or the text of "Good Night Moon" but can't seem to recall your social security number or zip code when asked.

...you scream in the shower because you see a gaping wound on your leg...thankfully it's only the red Elmo sticker your child stuck there last night.

...your cupboards and drawers are filled more with sippy cups and Dora or Cinderella flatware sets, than with dinner plates or ceramic mugs. And you value these plastic and rubberized items more than your fine china.

...you find you've come to prefer the kids' menu (i.e. chicken nugget meal and apple juice) to your grilled chicken salad and water with lemon.

...your discarded containers, boxes and bottles are confiscated from the trash can and used as toys.

...before leaving the house, you ask your very manly husband, "Do you need to go poo-poo before we go?"

PAINFUL ADOPTION NEWS!!!

2009-09-10T23:18:00.001-04:00

Please visit our Taiwan adoption blog for the details I posted tonight. Thanks.

www.johnsonfamilyadoption2.blogspot.com

Our Girl Is 3!!!

2009-09-02T21:54:00.000-04:00

Happy, happy birthday, precious Noelle JiaZhen! How did you get to be sooooo big? We are so very proud of you and the lovely little girl you are becoming. We LOVE being your mommy and daddy and look forward to many, many birthday celebrations with you in the years to come!!

All our Love~
XOXOXOXOX
Your Mommy and Daddy
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Congratulations....!!!!

2009-08-30T21:49:00.000-04:00

...to Nancy Cozadd, a friend of ours from Missouri, who won a Love 89 / Petros Prize Package from the Bears for Claire fundraiser!!! You go, girlfriend!

If I counted correctly, 995 bears were donated to help the Adkin's Family in Knoxville bring home their daughter, Claire, from Taiwan. Yipeee!!!!

Check the link below for all the details.

Only 2 days left to win GREAT PRIZES!

2009-08-28T17:12:00.002-04:00

Check out this fundraiser hosted by some new friends of ours. They have some incredible prizes! And they are also naming their daughter from Taiwan "Claire"! :-)

Invites for new Taiwan blog

2009-08-28T16:58:00.001-04:00

Don't forget...I need those email addresses from you all!!

Though I should also tell you I haven't...

(continued at: http://johnsonfamilyadoption2.blogspot.com/2009/08/get-your-invitations-here.html)

Happy 39th Birthday, Eric!

2009-08-28T15:41:00.000-04:00

We LOVE you so very much!!!

(Noelle crowned her prince to honor the occassion :-))

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Attention Readers!!! (especially you "silent" ones)

2009-08-25T15:26:00.000-04:00

I know there are lots of family members/relatives and friends from back in Richmond, and elsewhere, who read our blog.

(ok, yes, i'm sorry. i know it's been a bit lame around here the last couple months. i.e. lack of photos and cute noelle stories and so forth. very sorry about that. but i digress...)

My guess is that many of you also check in with our Taiwan adoption blog from time to time as well (sure hope so!!). If you haven't checked there recently, let me share that I have created a PRIVATE BLOG where I will be posting more personal details of our Taiwan adoption process and information about the little gal we are adopting...information you will not see anywhere else!!!

Here's the catch. I think you have to have an email account, possibly even a Google account (i.e. Gmail account) to be able to read the blog. I could be totally wrong about that, but I'm looking into it.

Here's how it works:
1. If you want to be a "reader" of our new private Taiwan blog, you will need to provide me with your email address.
2. Then Blogger (that's the blog program I use) will send you an email invitation for you to be a reader.
3. To read our blog, you will go to our website and sign in with your email address and a password you create.
(4. Or something to that effect. I'll get back to you with the specifics. If anyone reading this post knows for sure how the email thing works, will you let me know in the comment section? Thanks!)

This is how our blog will stay private. Only folks authorized by me can see any of the content on the private blog. This format will allow me to speak freely about our adoption process without the fear of strangers, or internet lurkers, or even people in Taiwan seeking info about our future daughter, being able to have access. Cool, hu?

So all this is to say...I hope you will join us over on the new blog!!

And in the mean time, just for fun, get yourself an Google email (gmail). Just to be on the safe side, or until I know what I'm doing. Just type http://www.google.com/ into your internet browser; click on "Gmail" at the top of the page; click on "Create an account" on the lower right portion of the page; and follow the brief instructions. That's it!

The new blog site will be found at: www.johnsonfamilyadoption2private.blogspot.com

Taiwan Blog - going PRIVATE for now

2009-08-21T11:19:00.007-04:00

The blog is BACK OPEN!

**********************************************************

I've got to make some changes on our Taiwan adoption blog before I'm able to have it visible to others again. I will post here on this blog the status of the Taiwan blog and explain more at that time.

Thanks for your patience, friends! :-)
Jen

(and someone please let me know - post here - if you CAN see the Taiwan blog, so I can quickly remedy the situation. thnx)

This SATURDAY - Car Wash - Taiwan Adoption Fundraiser

2009-08-20T11:43:00.005-04:00

** UPDATE, check the Taiwan Blog **

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Who wants a shiny clean car??!!

OR

Who would like to smile shout and bounce around while holding a sign? Or would like to scrub tires? Or take donations / hand out fliers??!!

Well...then I've got an opportunity for YOU! ;o)

This morning I was able to get us on the schedule for a car wash this Saturday, August 22, at the Rite Aid parking lot (corner of Ringgold and McBrien). We'll get started around 10am and go into the afternoon (we have a bday party later, but will figure that out).

Please let us know if you'd like to volunteer. Or just stop by and we'll clean your car!

Thanks ya'll~

Techie Update

2009-08-19T21:53:00.003-04:00

Last night our techie friend and hero, Oh-Danny-boy, talked Eric through the reinstall of my recovered data. It looks like most everything is here...except I did lose my email contacts. :-( Photos, documents, our Taiwan dossier scanned documents, etc are all accounted for. Only it's a crazy wild mess, 'cuz I tend to not be very organized as to where / how I save things onto the computer. But hubby dear assures me he can get me organized and has already created several new file folders. Now all I have to do is "click and drag" to said folders, or something. If I smile and wink just right, I think he will help poor little me...

But now for the less-good news. I have succeeded in losing 400 or so photos and a handful of videos on my BlackBerry. Yes, you'd think I'd have learned my lesson by now.
Download and backup.
Download and backup.
Download and backup.
I trust technology way too much for my own good. Somehow my memory chip became "corrupted". (I didn't do a thing to it! I promise!) I simply cannot retrieve any photos / video, nor can I take any. Time for a trip to the Verizon store.

Do you have Blogger's Disease?

2009-08-19T21:49:00.002-04:00

I think I might. Cyber Doc is working on a diagnosis. But I think I already know. And I'm wondering...Do YOU have it too?!???

(Just a teaser, 'will 'splain more later, it's late and my brain is tired)

Poor little girl

2009-08-11T13:58:00.001-04:00

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Look at this poor kid. Pitiful.

It's 2:00 pm and here she stands, barefoot, engulfed in a giant bib, eating a McD*uble sandwich, in our carport.

Who is this kid's mom anyway? Where is she? Where is the supervision??

Where's the nutritious home-cooked lunch? And where are the vegetables?! (ketchup, onions and pickles don't really qualify) Besides that, does the mommy know that those tiny hands feeding the hungry mouth are covered in germs from who-knows-where?

And where are the shoes?! Doesn't the mommy care that a sharp screw or nail may be lurking behind a trash car, preparring a pedi-assult? Or that some winged creature, such as a giant horsefly or other foul vermin, may come swooping down for a taste of the burger and scare/offend the child's delicate sensibilities?!

Pitiful, just pitiful.

;-)

She's asleep!!!

2009-08-08T20:04:00.000-04:00

It is 8:05 pm EST, and our Lil' Squirt (one of my many pet names for Noelle) is SLEEPING!!!! Wooeeee, praise Jesus!!!!!

You may chuckle, you may think I'm being overly dramatic, but Noelle has had a moratorium on bedtime and naptime for 3 months or so. I've been pulling out new gray hairs in frustration. Eric and I have been beside ourselves, because the child was obviously sleep deprived, but she just wouldn't sleep no matter what advice we followed. She had been getting about 11-13 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period, then jumped quite suddenly to 7-8 hours per day. And that's where "we been livin'" these many weeks...

Until a couple of weeks ago when our ladies prayer group made this an issue of prayer. Eric and I had been praying regularly, but when this group of gals gets going...heaven (and hell) take note! Glory!! Within a couple of days, Noelle was getting 9-10 hours at night (naps are history). She has still been tired and a bit cranky in the evenings, but we feel like we are getting our life back! Especially me, 'cuz my "mommy-radar" ears never turn off. When Noelle finally sleeps, this mommy sleeps. Sigh. :-)

And now tonight. Eric and I take turns putting her to bed, but tonight Noelle specifically requested I do the honors. Eric had gotten her all pj'd and teeth brushed, so the kid was sleep-ready. I decided to forego storybooks or light in her room, and went straight for the lullabies and rocking chair. I snuggled up with my unexpectedly demure sweetie and sang our favorite prayer and praise choruses.

In short order, it happened. The "Twitch". You know, the tiny full body twitch that says sleep has ascended. Yes Yes Yes!!! I shouted inside my head, and sang/rocked her a minute more to be sure. Then ever so gingerly, I placed my beautiful angel child in her bed, blew a kiss, and slipped out of the room.

As I passed by the Hello Kitty clock next to her door, it read 8:05. Wow. Thank you, Jesus. :-)

Fun drawing!

2009-08-06T21:22:00.002-04:00

My friend Terri is a wonderful seamstress and is very generously hosting a drawing on her blog to raise $$ for our adoption of C--Y-- in Taiwan. Her items are super cute! Check it out here!

DIFFICULT ADOPTION NEWS

2009-08-05T23:59:00.001-04:00

Please visit our other blog for the details. And please pray...

Photos from Chattanooga Philanthropy Camp--

2009-08-05T15:22:00.004-04:00

Here's a couple links to photos from last month's first annual children's Philanthropy Camp held at our church and the Jewish Cultural Center:

Slide Show

Virtual Tour

*If you'd like to get involved with next year's camp (i.e. planning committee, being a counselor, outreach activity idea, field trip idea, etc.), have a child who would like to attend, or a teen interested in being a junior counselor, please send me an email or post a comment here on the blog. Thanks!

A Family in China Needs Our Help

2009-08-05T13:40:00.005-04:00

For several days I've been following and praying about the story of a mom and dad and their newly adopted 4 year old girl. They are in China right now. The family is facing the tragic possibility of having to leave their daughter in China due some recent regulations put in place by the CDC.

Please check out the link below to the family's blog and see if there is any way you may offer help. The story is too long to share here, but their blog lays out very well what is needed (plus you can see some cute pics!). Most of all, pray that this newly formed family will not be ripped apart because of government *red tape*...ugh!

http://jayscruggs.livejournal.com/

I'm writing this post from my...

2009-08-05T08:24:00.003-04:00

...new computer!!!

Yipee! It feel so good to be back in business. It has been 5 weeks since I've even sat in my computer desk. Eric's brother Kirk via delivery from Eric's parents (who spent the last several days with us) has set me up with a new faster hard drive, DVD burner and a "new" tower. Now I can get online, download photos (OMW there are tons of those!), etc.

Next step is to set up a phone meeting with our friend Danny - my data rescue hero - so he and Eric can load all my saved documents (inc. our Taiwan dossier), photos and such onto the new computer. Then I'll be siting pretty!

Thanks everyone, for sticking around through the lack of photos, lack of posts, and weird looking posts sent from my BlackBerry. I look forward to things starting to settle down (???) in our busy summer, so I can catch you all up and even get photos up on flickr!

YAY!!!! :-)

later~
jen

Lots to report from Johnson-World...

2009-08-01T16:04:00.001-04:00

...but I still don't have a computer at home-- though I will this weekend! Hopefully Eric can load all my data back onto my new hard drive on Monday or Tuesday, then I can be back in business!

Would you like an EXTRA Blessing in YOUR life?

2009-07-30T11:57:00.001-04:00

I saw this video on another adoptive family's blog and wanted to share it with all of you. Our Noelle was a "special needs child" (she had a minor heart defect which healed on "it's own" - glory be to God!), but we didn't START down the special needs / waiting child path. We though we wanted a "healthy infant" when we applied to our adoption agency. But God opened our hearts, we said "yes" to Him, and He gave us a MUCH MORE AMAZING BLESSING than we could have ever planned ourselves!!

And now we are adopting an older special needs child from Taiwan, a beautiful and precious girl named C--Y--. What joy to be on this path!! I never would have guessed that God would take us here! But you know what? We wouldn't change a thing!! :-)

How about YOU??? Is God quietly whispering to your spirit...to open your heart to the most incredible blessing of special needs / waiting child / or older child adoption?

(psst...if you take that first step, you will never regret it...then get ready for the Miracles!)

like a mighty rushing wind...~....~~...~

2009-07-28T23:18:00.002-04:00

I don't have time to do a full post now, but I am INCREDIBLY EXCITED about a women's prayer group we have started at church! God's hand is MOVING! I am thrilled to be part of this act of obedience. God has plans for us here at Chattanooga 1st Church (and His children all over the globe!), and we already see the powerful Holy Spirit at work!

Check back soon and I will share the Blessing~~~

Crunchy" Hair

2009-07-27T12:51:00.000-04:00

Last night after we got home from church, Noelle and I were sitting on the floor together. She decided it was a good opportunity to "style" my hair. As she fiddled and pulled - "Ouch!!" - she commented that my hair was "crunchy". That would be the hairspray. 'Fraid I don't leave the house without it! And Sunday services require an extra coating just to make it through the day's events. ;-)

So today after her bath, I was combing Noelle's hair and we were discussing which hair clip might look nice with her red t-shirt. And then a brilliant idea hit my daughter.

"I want CRUNCHY hair, like Mommy!!"

This statement gave me quite a chuckle. She went on to explain that she wanted me to use hairspray to "fluff" and "scrunch up" her curls. She doesn't really have 'curly' hair, but there is a definite wave that can be acentuated with just the right styling product. And as I usually do "fluff" her hair after bath time, I knew exactly what she was wanting. I spritzed and scrunched away...

What do you think of the final effect?

Little girls are so much fun! :-)

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

2009-07-27T12:45:00.000-04:00

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

2009-07-27T12:37:00.000-04:00

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

2009-07-27T12:34:00.000-04:00

Man, this kid is getting TALL!! When and How'd that happen??

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Giving Back

2009-07-25T09:49:00.000-04:00

Here's an acticle and video about the Philanthropy Camp in the Chattanooga Times Free Press online.

News Article

Video

Philanthropy Camp-- In the News!

2009-07-24T20:04:00.000-04:00

Hey Chattanooga area folks! The first annual Philanthropy Camp (mentioned in the previous post) concluded today. The kids and teen counselors-in-training thoroughly enjoyed themselves...and hopefully learned a little along the way about "giving back". Everyone agrees - it was a rousing success!

Channel 3 News came over this morning to the church to interview my hubby Eric, as pastor of 1st Nazarene, and Michael, as the director of the Jewish Community Center. The crew also video taped the kids as we were rehearsing songs for today's closing program (which went fabulously, I might add ;-)). And yesterday Chattanooga Times Free Press came out for some interviews and photos. Check the news tonight and the paper tomorrow for the scoop!

**More about the events of / and purpose behind Philanthropy Camp 2009 coming later... "We came! We saw! We gave!"

Noelle takes a picture

2009-07-21T16:52:00.000-04:00

We were killing some time this afternoon on St*rbucks patio. I rarely patronize this establishment but today they were having a "promotion". An iced coffee for me and a pastry for Noelle. However...the free deal ended at 10:30am. Ah well.

So I ordered the cheapest cold thing on the menu, plus an ice water. Noelle and I discussed the days events as we put our feet up on the patio chairs. I took a few photos of Noelle and she took a few photos of the ground, her knee, the building, a bizarre close-up of my nose and mouth, and eventually my t-shirt.

This week Eric and I are involved in Philanthropy Camp-- a first time effort between our church and the local Jewish organization (their community/cultural center is next door to our church). It is a super intense week of activities in our household, but this camp is a great outreach opportunity for kids grades K-5 in our community. The photo of my t-shirt shows the logo for the camp. Noelle said she like the "gloves".

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

2009-07-21T16:31:00.000-04:00

Noelle poses on SB's patio.
She's checking in a mirror to see what she looks like with my sunglasses on.
The feet in the photo are mine.

an update?

2009-07-16T07:07:00.000-04:00

I apologize about the lack of blogging here lately. One reason is that I still don't have a home computer. Though, praise God, our brilliant friend Danny believes he was able to recover just about every piece of data from my "very corrupted hard drive". Yes!! He put all that data onto dvd's, and now we're waiting for a new hard drive to arrive in the mail. Eric's brother Kirk is another great techie kind of guy (on the side; he's a pastor in real life) found a good deal for us on E-Bay (??). When that arrives, we can begin to rebuild my computer. Double yes!!

The other reason I haven't kept up with our family blog (tho' I have still been posting, mostly from my phone, on our Taiwan adoption blog) is due to an **overwhelmingly busy** July. It's all great and valuable stuff...but the bulk of everything seems to be happening This Month!! Eeekkk!! Schools around here start back in session much earlier than what we were used to in MO, so maybe we will see things begin to slow down by end of next month.?? Oh I hope so! I've just gotten used to the idea that life in the pastor's family gets intensified during the summer months. That's when we do all those fabulous outreach activities we can't fit in during the school year. As well as picnics, weddings, VBS, etc. Boredom is not an option. (Or maybe sleep...)

I guess what I'm saying is, when I have my computer back and life slows down, I will "attempt" the Summary of All Summaries of the Johnson Family's Summer. And maybe even with pictures. ;-)

Need to be Challenged and Uplifted today?

2009-07-07T15:07:00.000-04:00

Ludy Adoption Video from Lifesong on Vimeo.

Psalm 68:5
"A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families..."

Please watch this video story of a family who listened to the call of God on their hearts-- to care for the fatherless. They were initially reluctant to get started with the process and felt overwhelmed by the financial commitment. But God is a BIG, BIG God and He really wants His children (we Believers) to love and care for His children (the fatherless, the orphaned, the hurting). When they answered The Call, beginning with one small step of openness, God showed up!!

I got a little weepy, as I always do when I watch something like this, but I also had my own mini praise session as I heard the testimony of this family. Enjoy and be blessed!

Happy Independence Day! (and an even greater freedom)

2009-07-04T20:36:00.000-04:00

I LOVE this day!! I love the times of laughter, memories, and fellowshipping with family and friends. I love the picnics, the BBQ, the fireworks, the flags waving... But most of all I love living in a nation founded on God-honoring principles. I am deeply thankful for, and indebted to, the men and women who have fought, and continue to fight for our FREEDOM-- for our friends, for our families, for me!! It humbles me. Thank you for your sacrifice.

I also am reminded of The One who paid The Ultimate Sacrifice (death on the cross) for our freedom - the freedom from sin and the freedom over death. Our Lord Jesus - praise His name!! This is FREEDOM we can celebrate today...and every day!!!

I hope YOU are able to participate in this celebration-- freedom from sin and a relationship with Christ. If you are unable to celebrate this way, ask Him into your heart and life today, Right Now. Then email me. I'd love to pray with you and join you in this new celebration!!!!! :)

Our Taiwan Blog

2009-06-30T10:22:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to remind everyone to check in regularly with our Taiwan Adoption Blog.

http://www.johnsonfamilyadoption2.blogspot.com/

I have posted quite a bit of information over the last month. Things are definitely moving forward, but we still have quite a journey ahead of us before we can bring this precious girl home into our family. Loved ones, we humbly ask for your prayers. Thank you.

CRASH!!! My Computer is Dead!!!

2009-06-28T00:28:00.000-04:00

Bad news, friends.
I am posting from my phone, which I really hate to do. It is slow, tedious, and cramps up my thumbs. It also is very limiting in terms of formatting and using photos. It is a last resort. But my computer crashed. I never thought it would happen to us...

UGH!!!! This is not a good time for this to happen. We have been working on a number of adoption grants for our little CY over in Taiwan. And we were right in the middle , literally, of a BIG ONE (online application 99% filled out; written "essay" questions nearly complete) and the thing locked up tight. For good. It ain't foolin this time. Baby is in lala land. It is truly dead.

ARGHHHHH!!!

So that grant work is lost and we have to start over. :-( Our hundreds of family photos appear lost, our many documents and records lost...our TAIWAN DOSSIER which we scanned in item by item...all appears lost.!!!

I am trying really, really hard not to freak. I am a low tech girl and my mind is boggled. Fortunately Eric has a couple people in mind who may be able to go on a search and rescue mission for all those very important bits and bytes. Oh Jesus please save our data!

We were hoping to delay this (getting a different computer) for several months from now, because all our extra (???) pennies need to go to the adoption-- but now we truly have to replace that once reliable ole computer with something that can hack the beating we give it on a daily basis.

Hey, anybody know of some good online stores for reburbished computers?

Hanging Out In KS and MO

2009-06-20T22:21:00.000-04:00

UPDATE: We are home in TN - whew! Had a great trip but find ourselves more exhausted than before we left! LOL I'll post pictures and details when I can. Gotta get some rest and this week Eric and I want to celebrate our 14th Anniversary!!! :-)
___________________________
We made it safe and sound to our destination and are having a great time with the Wellman's. Noelle and Reagan are best of friends (interspursed with loud but brief spats). It's been quite amusing. ;-) And of course we have some adorable photos and fun stories.(Look for those on the blog at a later date)

Eric did very well on his black belt test today (he is now 3rd degree!) and walked away with only a few large bruises! lol It was great to visit with all of our old friends and training partners and their families. We even had 2 of our previous students get their 1st degree black belts! So cool!

We head to Richmond tomorrow and are looking forward to fellowshiping with church and community friends. After lunch we will slowly make our way back to TN.

So there's the summary. Longer version later. I'm beat and heading to bed. Tomorrow morning comes early...

:) Jen

Only 30 More Miles!

2009-06-15T18:06:00.000-04:00

We decided it would be easier and more practical for Noelle and I to hang out in Excelsior Springs and eat supper while Eric goes to karate class-- instead of first driving to Ottawa, KS (our ultimate destination, home of our friends, the Wellman's).

This sign shows 30 miles to Richmond, MO (then 20 min. on to Excelsior), our stomping grounds for the last 10 years, up until this past August. We sure do love our new Chattanooga friends ("family"), but it will be fun to be back in familiar territory again. :-)

See ya'll soon!!!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

From the road (and change of plans for WED)

2009-06-15T12:05:00.000-04:00

Right now we are on I-64 West about 15 min from St. Louis. The morning has been relatively uneventful...though I suppose I could talk about the gourmet dining experience in our room, or about getting doused by the shower-- after I had done my makeup and had my hairdo real cute...nah, I won't make you listen to that. Anyhoo, we had a fair nights sleep in a Super 8 ("fair" because our highly excitible child was highly excited for hours-- after bedtime). We are driving in rain the whole way along with some heavy downpours. Please pray for our travels. Noelle is doing well so far but bored out of her goard. Earlier while I was talking on my cell to my mom, and Eric was concentrating on the rainy roads, Noelle found a roll of paper towels to play with. Before we realized it, she had unraveled the whole role, wrapped many towels around herself, made a pillow, tore a couple sheets to bits, then shoved most of her arm in the tube and got it stuck. Oh my! What creative fun, and all for the low low price of $2!

Ok, about Wednesday evening. As it turns out, our schedule this week is very complicated. Therefore we find we need to cancel our dinner plans in Excelsior Springs. So sorry! We still would really love to see you at the karate test Saturday or church/lunch on Sunday.

Gotta run now. We are stopping for lunch...trying to find something with a PLAY AREA! :-)

Come see us here:

2009-06-14T15:46:00.000-04:00

WEDNESDAY-- 4:45pm meet us in the lobby of Appleby's Restaurant in Excelsior Springs (69 Hwy) for an early dinner

SATURDAY-- 9:00am come see Eric show his "tough and tumble" side as he tests for his 3rd degree black belt at the Tiger Dragon Karate Club , Thompson Ave, Excelsior Springs

SUNDAY-- 10:30am join us in worship at Richmond First Nazarene church on S. Shaw St - and maybe we can get a crew together for lunch afterwards! :)

(And hey! I just realized we'll get to take a peek at our old house! Maybe we'll bump into the new owners?? ;-))(Remember...it's just across from the church)

We are so looking forward to seeing ya'll!!! Be ready for some hugs!!!

We're Coming To MISSOURI!!! (the specifics)

2009-06-09T12:48:00.000-04:00

For those of you in the Richmond area, we wanted to let you know we are heading your way---

Saturday June 20 we will be in Excelsior Springs for Eric to test for his 3rd Degree Black Belt in karate. 9:00am @ the Tiger Dragon Karate Club (421 S. Thompson Ave.; Excelsior Springs, MO 64024)

Sunday June 21 we will be attending services at Richmond Church of the Nazarene.
10:30am Morning Worship Service (411 S. Shaw St.; Richmond, MO 64085)

The week of June 15 we will be staying with our friends, the Wellman's, in Ottawa, KS. However...we will also be out and about during the week and Eric will be spending time each evening in Excelsior Springs to do some more training for his test. We would dearly love to see all our friends! Send us an E-mail if you'd like to connect. :-)

the grass is always greener

2009-06-09T11:50:00.000-04:00

Eric took today off since he worked so many extra hours last week. The lawn had become quite overgrown so he decided today was a good time to mow. Noelle really wanted to accompany him outside and "help" (note: our mower is the NON motorized type that depends solely on muscle and speed). We would have let her tag along except for one thing -- Noelle had a very whiny morning, and we are working hard to break her of this. So we told her she would have to stay inside this time.

A very disappointed Noelle sought out Plan B - cooking for her dolls in her play kitchen. She did well for quite awhile...until I asked her to go check on Daddy. She ran with great gusto to the front door (glass) and dragged her little stool over to sit and watch his progress. She gave me a blow-by-blow of the event, including the fact that her Daddy was talking to some other man and that man gave Daddy a different mower (our neighbor lent him his gas, motorized mower). Before long she was shouting at the door and waving her arms to get his attention. Eric was quite focused outside and unaware of the ruckus his little munchkin was creating inside.

It began something like this...

Noelle: Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy!!!! Hi Daddy! Hi Daddy! Hiiiiiii Daddy! Hi Daaaaaaaaaaddy!
Come here!
I'm in here!
Come heeeeere!
(This went on for some time, varying her speech pattern and switching some words around from time to time for effect.)

Daddy, Daddy, Help me!
HELP me Daddy!

Daddy, I have a problem!
I have a PROBLEM, Daddy!
(Again, this continued for a while.)

I went to the door to see what all the commotion was about.

Me: Noelle, what's wrong sweetie? What is your "problem"?

Noelle: My problem is I NEED to go outside with Daaaaaaddy!

Me: Honey, I'm sorry, but you can't go help Daddy mow with that motorized mower. It's not safe for little girls. He'll be done soon.

Noelle's facial expression was one of great dejection. Quite pitiful, really. I bit back a smile. I went back to work and she went back to her pleading.

Noelle: Daddy, come Inside and play!

Daddy, I want to go Outside and play!

(Then...)

Daddy, Stop - Playing - With - That - Mower!!!

(In an even more scolding tone...)

Daddy you can't use that mower. It's somebody else's mower. Give it back, Daddy. You're a naughty boy, Daddy!

(No response from her Daddy outside, so...)

Daaaaaddy!!!! Come heeeeere!!!!

I need serious help...

2009-06-05T08:35:00.000-04:00

Last night I had a bizarre dream, likely spurred on by the Rocky Road icecream at 9:30pm. Of course I can hardly remember what it was about now... But I do remember that whatever I was doing in this dream - or whatever was happening in this dream - made quite an impression on my dream-self.

I remember my dream-self being amazed at what was unfolding before me and frantically reaching for my cell phone. My dream-self said, "No one will BELIEVE THIS!! I've GOT to get some pictures and put them up on the blog!!"

Yep, sad isn't it.
I think I need help.
;-)

Looking for some great reads?

2009-06-03T22:07:00.000-04:00

Look here!

Check out these posts by one of my dearest friends. She recently became a contributor to the E-zine "Smart Girl Nation". Lisa is smart, witty, fun and gives a gal lots to think about. Check her out at:
http://smartgirlnation.com/author/lwellman/

I also recently discovered a very uplifting blog just for moms. It is aptly titled "MomBlog" and is put out by Family Life Radio. You may recognize the names of some of the contributors. Check it out here:
http://www.familylifemomblog.com/

God's Chisel

2009-05-22T20:44:00.000-04:00

You've gotta watch this video! A friend sent it to me in an email. Wow! I think it will speak to your heart as it did to mine.

Woa Woa Woa, Mr. Post Man---

2009-05-22T17:25:00.000-04:00

*UPDATE* Our check finally arrived!! Thanks, Lord!

Ok. Weirdness. We haven't gotten our mail for the last 2 days (and we always get mail). And yes, our neighbors have. We checked. Eric went to the post office just a bit ago to see if they were mistakenly holding our mail. They were not. So, we have the name and number of our postal carrier and have been encouraged to call him first thing tomorrow morning.

In addition to this, our check from the sale of our MO house is also MIA. The missing check may or may not have anything to do with the glitch here in TN, however. It just so happens that back in MO there has been some flooding in the region and postal service has been delayed. We thought this could be the cause of the missing payment, but we also discovered that the title company cut our check a few days later that what was the original plan. Feelin' a little concerned here. Our $ may or may not be missing.

Boy am I glad we aren't expecting something really important like, immigration documents or translated Taiwanese paperwork or something. Then I'd really be freaking!

Please pray for my mom today

2009-05-20T11:19:00.000-04:00

*UPDATE2: Tests show she has 3 separate "conditions", all unrelated, and all painful. Poor mom!! She's on several medications and finally got a bit of sleep last night (first in days). A couple of these "conditions" will be issues she'll have to keep an eye on in the future. The other likely involves some minor surgery. But nothing life threatening, praise Jesus! She is in much better spirits today. Thanks for praying. I know she and my dad really appreciate it.

*UPDATE1: The doc is not sure what is wrong. Sent her home with a pain med and another one for the symptoms. She goes in for a CT Scan first thing tomorrow. Thanks for praying friends!*

She and my dad are here in town (they continue to "camp out" in their new place as it is being completed, before they officially move in) and mom has been having some swelling and severe pain in her side for the last 4 days. She was able to get an appointment with a gastro-intestinal specialist at one of the hospitals in town for this afternoon. My dad and I are very concerned and would appreciate your prayers for my mom's health and that the doctor will be able to discover the cause-- and find the solution. Thanks so much!

Upcoming Posts

2009-05-19T20:25:00.000-04:00

I feel I need to apologize to my faithful readers out there for not providing any juicy Noelle stories or fun pictures lately. Trying to get the Taiwan home study completed and getting the house sold has zapped much of my time and creativity.

BUT...

I do have several posts "in the works". You see, whenever a story idea comes to mind, or if I receive a fresh insight from God, I try to jot down ideas in my BlackBerry. That way when I have the leisure time, I can write the post and hopefully do it justice. I have several "partial posts" saved here in the blog, but I've got to find that leisure time to finish writing them. One post will be about Mother's Day. I also have (mostly) written a book review for a fabulous memoir I recently finished reading. I think many of you will enjoy that. And some cute Noelle stories, and photos...

So they may be late, but I'll get 'em to you eventually. :)

A Verse from the Psalms for Mothers

2009-05-17T23:38:00.000-04:00

-Adoption is not Plan B-

God has proven this statement true in the lives of those who have been personally touched by the miracle of adoption. However some of you reading the blog may be new to the idea of adoption for your own family. Maybe you are struggling with infertility. You wonder why God put the desire in your heart to be a parent, yet you seem unable to conceive. Or maybe you have a life which seems so chaotic with the children you already have, yet you feel God tugging on your heart to do more- to "care for the orphan". Or maybe you simply fear you won't be able to fully love a child that doesn't come from your body.

Whatever your fears, God hears and understands...and He has reassurance for all those doubts. Just check out this awesome verse from Psalm 113!!

"He settles the *barren* woman in her home as the happy mother of children."

Wow!! Did you read that? Read it again. When I discoved this passage recently in an adoptive mother's memoir, the words practically lept off the page. I nearly shouted out loud- right in Barnes & Noble cafe! Isn't that an incredible encouragement and reassurance?! God is telling us that His FIRST PLAN for many moms (and dads) is to create their family through ADOPTION! How cool is that?!

And it shouldn't surprise us. After all, isn't ADOPTION what God does with each of us through the death and resurection of His son Jesus? He takes us as His own - with all of our bruises and baggage - and never looks back. And all of heaven rejoices!

I like the word "settles" as used by the NIV. This indicates that bringing a child into our home through adoption will not create 'a disturbance' in the family. (Don't we all like to plan out our lives and dislike anything that interfers with *our* goals...) Rather it will bring a sense of 'rightness' and completeness into our home.

"Barren" obviously refers to a child with no 'biological' connection. The writer of the psalm couldn't speak plainer here. A child coming not through birth, but by the hand of God. And the depth of love and comittment is just as real and just as sure.

Then the mother in the passage is called the "happy mother" of children. This mother is not one who regrets her decision to adopt. This is not a mother filled with doubts and insecurities. This is a woman filled with JOY for the gifts (children) God has given from His own hand.

If God has been speaking *adoption* into your heart, I challenge you to lay all your fears, doubts, questions and insecurities at His feet. God is The Maker of 'The Plan' for your life. He will give you complete peace when you say YES to His call. And then there will be JOY! You will be a "happy mother" of children!!

SOLD!

2009-05-16T21:10:00.001-04:00

After 9+ months on the market, we are thankful and relieved to be able to say that God sold our home back in Missouri. We signed the final papers this past Thursday. Things didn't turn out as we had imagined, but we know God is still on the throne. He taught us valuable lessons about faith and trust and the sustaining power of His hand. We walked away with almost nothing on "the deal", yet we walk away with our freedom (yay!! no more mortgage!!) and the belief that God has a purpose in all of life's struggles. Praise God!!!

Apart from the business side of things, we just really miss our home! Before moving in, we spent a full 6 months reconstructing the interior of a gutted 100 year old home. The after we moved in, we contunied to make improvememnts and decorated it so that it truly felt like our place. We poured lots of love into that structure. It's strange to realize that it really does not belong to us any more. We have such precious memories! This was the place where we have our first memories of Noelle joining our family. We had beautiful times of fellowship with family and friends-- laughter, tears, warm conversations, praying, singing and praising God. Our Heavenly Father blessed us with this lovely home and we are grateful for the time we had to spend there.

~Enjoy the (previously unseen!) photos of some of my favorite rooms~

Our MO house is almost sold

2009-05-11T19:51:00.000-04:00

We will sign and notarize several legal documents tomorrow morning and fax them to our realtor. Unless some weird thing comes up last minute, come Wednesday the sign on our front lawn (which we won't be able to see, of course) will say, "SOLD"!!!!

:) :) :)

Cute Preschool Photos

2009-05-06T16:32:00.000-04:00

Such a pretty smile!

This is Noelle's Tues/Thurs 2 year old class - The Red Room. It looks like some of the 3 year old class members have joined in for the photo. Boy there sure are lots of cheesy grins here! Nolie-girl looks quite composed there in the center, however. :)

Here she is creating the Great Masterpiece~

2009-05-05T21:38:00.000-04:00

It looks like things are progressing towards the sale of our home back in Missouri. Tomorrow is the last day for the buyer to ask for any stipulations to add to the contract. To this point they have not asked for anything more be done to the house. The inspector/appraiser for their bank did insist some work be done in the basement to improve water drainage. They are only willing to give the loan to the buyer in the amount they need if everything is "up to snuff" (my words, not the inspector's).

So this week a friend of ours in Richmond is working on the basement. Eric almost had to drive the 12 hours to MO to do the work himself but Richard (thank you SO much, friend!) agreed to help us out. The same inspector will look at the basement on Thursday to make sure the job is done to his satisfaction. Please, please pray that this last detail will come together for the sale to proceed as planned(note: it is supposed to rain there Thursday...).

Barring any unexpected problems or delays, it looks like we will close the deal on May 13. God is good! We do so appreciate the many people who have been praying for our housing situation these many months. We know God hears our prayers.

Once the sale is official, I hope to post some photos of the interior and exterior-- maybe as a way to say goodbye?? Although I will be glad the burden of the mortgage will be removed, I really miss our lovely home back in Richmond. After we purchased the house, we spent 6 months in renovation before the 100 year old home was ready to move into, then spent the next 4 or so years continuing with improvements. We have literally given our blood, sweat and tears to make that house a home. We have so many wonderful memories spent within those walls with family and friends. I will be sad to see it go. I pray this new family will create their own joyful memories and that before long, this empty house will be a home filled with love and laughter once again.

Cuddles in the Car

2009-05-02T20:17:00.000-04:00

My two favorite people!

A Service Dog for Jonathan

2009-04-30T22:49:00.000-04:00

Eric and I would like to ask for your prayers regarding his sister Heather, her husband Dave and one of their sons, Jonathan. They are in Ohio for a couple weeks to receive and train with a service dog for Jonathan, who has autism. Please pray that the training and the trip is highly sucessful, and that this dog will be a great asset to Jonathan and the whole family.

You can read about their trip and their awesome story here:
http://www.4pawsforjonathan.blogspot.com/

Heather, Dave and Jonathan- We love you guys so much and send you our prayers!

House Update 5

2009-04-29T21:34:00.000-04:00

The latest is...

The buyer is not planning to hire an independent inspector, which should save us some money in the end (since we are paying all closing costs - part of the deal). They are hiring a termite inspector (not sure who pays for that) and hopefully the house will still be bug free.

The lender did send in an independent inspector in today to appraise the house. Since it had been raining for days in Richmond, and our 100 year old house has a rock foundation and "cellar" type basement, he says, "Oh the basement is wet. You have to have a sub pump in here or we can't do the loan."

OOOOOkay. Whatever. It shouldn't be too expensive. But I don't think the guy understands these type of houses. It's been the nature of the thing for the last 100 years and we've never had a problem in all the time we lived there. But okay. If that's all we have to do, then we're good with that.

I believe the buyer has until May 6th to add anything else to the contract he wants us to do/fix. If nothing costly is added (our "profit" margin is very slim), then we will accept the deal on May 13th, sign and shake hands...and breathe a big sigh of relief. And Praise God!!

House Update 3

2009-04-20T12:10:00.000-04:00

UPDATE 4

Well people, the original couple returned to negotiations. If all goes "well" over the next 3 weeks, we will no longer be home owners. Prayers are still very much needed, due to the nature of our "situation". Sorry to be vague - it is what it is. We will post here if a satisfactory deal has been completed.

********************************************************

We and the other party tried to work a deal over the weekend, but it wasn't meant to be. So it's probably a good thing.

Currently a couple in another state who are transferring to the area have seen the house, LOVE IT, and are thinking about a lease-to-own option until they sell their own house. We should hear more today if they want to pursue something with us or not.

Your prayers are still greatly appreciated!

We're Having a Yard Sale!

2009-04-18T21:07:00.000-04:00

Mark your calendars for May 8 & 9!

If you'd like to come and shop, or have items to donate, please click here for more information. We are having the sale to raise money to file our Immigration paperwork. Immigration approval will allow us to bring CY home into the United States after the adoption. Thanks!

A Couple Cute "Noelle Stories"

2009-04-16T23:01:00.000-04:00

~Noelle's Version of Humpty-Dumpty~

Ever since Noelle watched a video of the "biblical" version of the Mother Goose stories at the nursery several Sundays ago, she has been very concerned for this good egg's health. She told us repeatedly for days that she was sad because poor Humpty-Dumpty fell and broke off his face. Every time we prayed as a family, or during nap time and bedtime prayers, she would ask that we pray for him to get better.

So that she would not worry so much, we have tried to explain that Humpty is a pretend story, an imaginary character, that he is not really injured because he's not real. Well, these concepts are either above our daughter's head, or she likes the drama of the situation, because her petitions to heaven haven't ceased. (Maybe we should all follow her lead, as it says in scriptures to "pray without ceasing"!)

Over time she had begun to worry less about Humpty's eventual demise, and feels now that he has only a miner owie. We know she has made this transition because of the way she recites the familiar nursery rhyme:

Humpty-Dumpty sat on the wall
Humpty-Dumpty fell off the wall
I pick up all his pieces and glue up his face
Then I put band-aids all over him
And Noelle, Humpy, Daddy and Mommy all sit together on the wall eating eggs!

~Noelle's Tall Tales and Cat Tails~

Earlier this week we were having dinner with my parents at a local eatery. While we were waiting for our orders to arrive, Noelle entertained herself in the corner with some toys provided by the management. You see, this cafe has a child-size table and a bookshelf loaded with children's story books and toys. This particular evening there was a 9 year old boy sitting at the table when we arrived (turns out he is the grandson of the manager).

That didn't stop Noelle from plopping down at the table and introducing herself, i.e. "Whatcha doing? What's that? Can I have it?"

We all watched to see how the boy would respond. He simply smiled at Noelle, smiled at us, and passed his toy over for Noelle to look at. What a sweet kid! Someone's been teaching him right!

Eventually our food came and Noelle was reluctantly pursuaded to join us. She ate as fast as she could, then joined Alexander again at the play area. This time, his cousin Jaden (a bit younger than Noelle) had joined the fun. They set the table for teatime with a Disney tea set. The threesome chatted for a while over their pretend snacks. I was so amazed at how quiet and still our daughter was being, I turned in my chair to get a better view of their interactions. Apparently Alexander had explained to Noelle that the other little boy was his cousin and they were talking about their respective pets. Not to be outdone, Noelle launched into an explanation about her pets and one of her cousins.

She says, "I have two kitties, Stormie and Rainie," as she held up two fingers. "And our kitty, Shadow...," she paused dramatically, leaned her head to one side, and frowned, "Shadow is in heaven with Jesus."

She paused for a moment of silence, and the boys followed suit.

Then with quite a bit of enthusiasm and waving of her arms, she continues, "And I have a cousin Andrew," said with pride, "who has a doggie named Holly. And Andrew lives far, far away in Taiwan!"

What?! Oh my! When we pray for CY (the little girl we hope to adopt, we say she is far, far away in Taiwan. When Noelle recently asked where her cousin Andrew was, I told her he lives far away in Illinois. Guess she got a little mixed up!

Seeing Noelle interact with these two boys reminded me once again how precious our daughter is. I literally teared up as I watched our bright, engaging, happy daughter. I whispered a prayer of thanksgiving, as I have done a million times before - Thank you, Father, for this wonderful child!

Proud To Be An American!!

2009-04-16T10:00:00.000-04:00

Here's a photo of Old Glory!

(more photos added below)

I attended our local Tax Day Tea Party yesterday afternoon. This national event was sponsored by citizens in cities across America. It was an opportunity for people to cross political, religious, and economic lines to unite behind a common purpose - to send a clear message to our law makers - that we want to see an end to wasteful government spending of our hard-earned money. We had a great turnout and some very invigorating speakers and local musicians. We signed petitions, waved signs, hooted, hollered and just had lots of fun as freedom-lovin' Americans!

One of the most exciting segments of the event (for me personally) was when the entire crowd took time out to call our president and lawmakers! Countless numbers pulled out their cell phones and called President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Barney Frank, etc. and well as their own state congressional leaders (we had participants from Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama in attendance).

I tried several times and never could get through the presidential comment line, but did leave a message on Senator Reid's phone, left a message with Senator Pelosi's aide,...and actually got into a somewhat lengthy and lively debate with Senator Frank's aide!!

I hate to admit this was my first time to make a phone call such as this. I've wanted to do so many times over many issues of concern, but never quite worked up the courage. That's probably why I was so stinkin' nervous when I found myself talking to a man (Sen. Frank's aide) who wanted to debate me! And that was my first call!

My heart was pounding and I had to shoot up several silent prayers for wisdom. I knew I probably wasn't going to change this man's mind, but I did want him to take me seriously as an intelligent citizen who had valid points worth listening to. And surprisingly, the longer we went, the more confident I got. I could tell he was surprised and frustrated that I was keeping up and even "besting" him point for point. Just as I was about to make a really great zinger he cut me off with something to the effect of, "Ma'am, you've been bamboozled by such n such blah blah, thank you for calling, goodbye."

And that was that. I was listening to a dial tone. And it felt pretty good. :)

The people around me were having little success at getting through to anyone, so when they saw I had spoken to a live person, they wanted the play by play. Everyone there was just so pumped up and excited. It felt good to be standing up; to be doing something.

I feel amazingly blessed to be living in a land founded on Godly principles, and a land that still values free speech. It was a good day. And this was just the beginning. Now we shall see how or if our lawmakers respond.

Here's a partial shot of the crowd 2 hours into the event. And the crowd continued to grow as people getting off work joined us.

The other side of my crowd shot

The stage

You can see some of the news vans in the background. We did get some coverage!

Here is one of the petition tables where we signed to RE-RATIFY the U.S. Constitution. In other words, "Lawmakers in Washington, Please govern by this document and not not by one of your own impression or creation!"

The couple you see on your right are some nice folks I met on my way to the event. I parked quite a distance away and was grateful to run into these people who knew how to get where we were going!

remember our MO house?

2009-04-13T14:06:00.000-04:00

UPDATE #2

We made a counter offer last night and will see if this gentleman accepts. It turns out, however, there are some other "possibilities" that may be presenting themselves if this potential buyer doesn't pan out. We are rookies at the house selling thing, so this whole process is intense/stressful. We are really asking God to lead us in the right direction.

UPDATE

We did receive an offer (very low) and are praying about a counter offer. We are asking God to navigate the process for us. We may not walk away with a penny, but our freedom may be just what God is planning...? 'Will let you know if a deal is made. Please pray that we have wisdom and discernment. Thanks!

*********************************************************

Well it still hasn't sold -- though we really need it to.

A potential buyer is coming to look at it 5pm Central Time today...

Please pray!!! (oh i hope this is The One...)

You're Invited: To a "Tea Party" Near You (April 15 Tax Day)

2009-04-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

If you are fed up with high taxes and big government spending and want to send our government a clear message, check out this link http://taxdayteaparty.com/.

Click on your state and you can find a "Tea Party" rally near you. It's our privilege and opportunity as a citizens of this great nation to stand up and be heard!

I will be attending my local rally. How about you?

Chattanooga folks, who's with me?!?
Where: Ross's Landing in Downtown Chattanooga
When: Wednesday April 15 (4PM to 7PM)
Bring: Lawn chairs
For more information: http://chattanoogateaparty.com/

(Leave me a comment here or a message on facebook if you want to meet and go together)

And the Winner Is...

2009-04-13T07:54:00.001-04:00

"Walking in Faith: From Tennessee to Taiwan"

Thanks for stopping by and voting for our new Taiwan adoption blog! We really appreciate your participation. I'm off to make the official changes here.

We hope that you will follow along and pray along as we adopt our precious daughter Claire!!

Love,
Jennifer and Eric

HE IS RISEN!

2009-04-12T20:39:00.000-04:00

HE IS RISEN INDEED!!!

We praise God for the precious reminder of His love in this Easter season-What a tremendous sacrifice was given for you, for me-Christ's death gives us LIFE. Surely HE has triumphed over death and the grave!

What a wonderful Resurection service - our Lord's Spirit was felt in the cantata presentation, the sermon, and all aspects of our time worshipping together. What joy to be in God's house with so many others serving our same Risen Lord!

Praise His holy name!!!

Here's Noelle in her Easter dress sitting on the front platform at church this morning. Getting her to sit still and smile was quite the chore (a bribe with a lollipop was involved, but don't tell the pastor... ;-)

Here's how she preferred to sit...

Check out these photos on flickr

2009-04-09T20:06:00.000-04:00

I uploaded some recent photos of the family on our flickr account here, including Sunday's church Easter egg hunt, a recent trip to the park, and some odds and ends. Enjoy!

2009-04-08T16:16:00.000-04:00

guess what?!? my parents are moving to chattanooga!!! 9 months ago we were 12+ hours apart (kansas city, mo to knoxville, tn). 8 months ago we were 2 hours apart. now we will be 20 minutes apart - sweet!!

(more details to come)

Our 1st Big Bump on the Road to Adopting "her"

2009-04-02T03:01:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was a painful and disappointing day. And we still feel pretty crummy this morning. Actually it feels like we received a devastating blow. Like adopting "her" from Taiwan was just a sweet dream but not a reality. That's what it feels like.

We received the long awaited news from our CPA about our 2008 taxes. What will our 2008 tax refund be using the federal adoption credit now that we have Noelle?!?..... :)

The answer is: zero, zilch, nada

Turns out, because of the way the taxes (considered self-employment tax), income benefits, etc. are structured for a pastor, we do not have a large enough tax liability to take advantage of the credit. And likely never will.

So the chunk of money we had been counting on to fund the first portion of our Taiwan adoption, has not just vanished into thin air, it never WAS.

This news was a big surprise- shock, more like it. We are still trying to wrap our minds around the cold hard truth. But what I keep reminding myself is, God was not surprised.......

**Read the complete post at http://www.johnsonfamilyadoption2.blogspot.com/

I forgot to tell you...

2009-03-28T19:03:00.002-04:00

Remember that exciting e-mail we received while we were in Illinois- the one from our agency worker about waiving the application fee, etc. etc.?

Well, she said some other things in that email which will be very helpful and encouraging to us as a family during the long months waiting to travel to Taiwan.

See, waiting for an invitation from the Taiwanese government / orphanage to travel to pick up your child can be very lengthy. After we get approval to adopt, the court proceedings in Taiwan can last 6 to 8 months (and sometimes longer). So anything to make the process "seem" shorter is cool by me!

First-- our agency sends monthly care packages to the orphanage. This means not only will we save on the costly postage to Taiwan, but much more importantly, we can send photos, clothing, books, toys, whatever to our (hopefully) daughter every month! This will be a great way to connect with her and let her know we care, as well as giving her something to look forward to each month.

Second-- and even better...we will get to have monthly video conferences with her!!! With the help of a translator, we will get to talk to our (daughter) and see her face and hear her voice. Awesome! And she will get to see us and Noelle (and the kitties- she loves dogs, 'hope she will like cats...) and maybe some of the house, depending on how we set up the computer. I'm afraid I know little about how this tech-y stuff works. But anyhoo, the point is, we will get to have monthly meetings with our (hopefully) little girl! We will be able to tell her that we love her. Sigh. :)

(*From here on out I will referring to this little gal as "her", due to privacy issues.)

A Week with Family in Illinois

2009-03-27T14:51:00.000-04:00

Here's a few photos from our visit to Illinois and Indiana last week. We stayed with Eric's parents (Grandma and Papa) for several days. We visited with Aunt Heather, Uncle Dave and cousins Andrew, Jonathan, and Aaron who live in the same town. We also saw Uncle Kirk, Aunt Katie and cousins Kaelyn and Khloe who drove over on Friday. Sunday morning after church we headed to Indiana to see Aunt Kellie, Uncle Scott and cousins Matt, Meghan and McKenzie.

Noelle did superb on this trip. She met and surpassed all expectations-- Traveled in the car well (first long trip and we had no "accidents" from our rookie toilet user); slept well in actual, full size beds; loved all the cousins, especially Andrew, her "First Cousin" ('cuz she met him first- lol!); enjoyed chatting and teasing with Grandma and Papa and the Aunts and Uncles; she loved the 2 big dogs, Holly (Heather's) and Buck (Kellie's), especially when they were in their "castles" (kennels) and not covering her at-muzzle-level face with doggie kisses; and was just plain happy to have her mommy and daddy by her side for 8 whole days. (we kinda liked that, too!)

It was so wonderful to see Eric's family. The time went by much too fast and I hope we will get to see everyone again soon. Living far apart stinks! We love you guys!!!

Here is First Cousin Andrew. Noelle took to him immediately.

We were watching Heather's 3-5 grade music program ("Pirates: The Musical" - very cute!) and Noelle preferred Andrew to us. And they had just met 5 minute ago!

Getting a better view from up here

There's our Heather! She is extremely creative and gifted musically. Her students love her, and her shows are so much fun to watch/listen to.

Out back at Kellie's house - Noelle, Kenzie, Meagan

Higher, Aunt Kellie, higher!

Noelle really, really wanted to pet Buck, so Kellie provided a little doggie restraint so Noelle could get close.

Awwwww. Now that's more like it!

2 on 1 basket ball with Matt. Not sure who won this game.

You are under arrest! Charge: telling cheesy dad-style jokes (The girl on the right is Kenzie's neighbor friend)

Here's our little Mia Hamm! (is that the correct reference??)

(or maybe not...)

Wait up, girls!

In Kellie's van to pick up some yummy Chinese take-out for dinner. Very appropriate since this was Noelle's adoption anniversary week.

Eric's mom took this picture after morning church. We wanted to have another "happy family" photo to include with our Taiwan adoption paperwork. Please note Noelle's very sour expression. Cracks me up! Can't remember what had her so cranky.

Here is the photo after bribing Noelle to smile (MM's). What a great little actress! lol

**We actually took quite a few more photos, but due to a memory card issue with our camera, they appear to be lost somewhere in the galaxy. Ugh. Eric thinks he might have a way to retrieve a few. We shall see...

A Journey Ending and Another Beginning

2009-03-27T07:55:00.000-04:00

Know what I just realized???

Today our journey to adopt Noelle officially ends. Our final post placement visit with our social worker is this very afternoon. And that's our last act with our agency for China to complete Noelle's adoption 'process'. Although the adoption was legal in China, these post adoption visits had to be completed to reassure China they had placed Noelle in a good home. Of course, our journey as parents will continue on, but we've been at this adoption stuff for just about 3 years now. Amazing! So now we can relax and enjoy the ride, right? well...

Today our journey to adopt our daughter from Taiwan officially begins!! We are writing our very first $check$ (many, many more checks to come...) for her adoption and dropping it off with our completed application to our home study social worker. Woohoo!!! (Oh, just wait 'till I show you the list of stuff we have to do for Tennessee. And I though Missouri home studies were lengthy!) We are also FedEx-ing a notarized document (with more money enclosed, of course) to Washington, D.C. to request another certified birth certificate for Eric. This process takes up to 8 weeks, all because my sweet hubby was born in Iceland! (the US Naval base) It makes everything that little bit more challenging when you are a foreign born US citizen. But we did this before. We'll do it again. :)

Well, the day has begun. We have a window open in the kitchen and the birds are singing away and the air smells soooo fresh. Our little munchkin will be stirring soon and I have a shower to take before we launch into the business of this day. See ya'll later!

Dear Lord,
Thank you for this new day, this beautiful morning. Thank you for bringing us down this road of adoption. Thank you for the 'words-cannot-explain' precious daughter you've given to us - Noelle JiaZhen. And we praise your name for the privilege of beginning this journey again to bring another precious daughter into our hearts and home.
We love you, Heavenly Father. Amen.

Fallen Angel

2009-03-24T19:53:00.001-04:00

Guess what I just discovered in Noelle's room as I was unpacking her suitcase?

A very mangled up porcelain Angel.

The cats, left to their own devices while we were gone for 8 days, chewed the wings of this collectible doll. There may have been some pent-up frustration involved in the incident as well. Many years ago it was given to me as a gift (for the life of me I don't remember who it came from) and thought it would be a nice touch in Noelle's bedroom. Especially since she is a perfect angel.

Unfortunately the wings could not be saved. I had to amputate.

We no longer have an angel, but an angelic doll!

We're back from IL

2009-03-24T18:01:00.000-04:00

And we've been busy since we walked in the door 2 hours ago. We unloaded the car, used the toilet (well, actually did that first...tehehe), found the kitties hiding places and gave them lots of lovin, and went out in our fenced in back yard to let them and Noelle run a'muck for awhile.

Currently Eric and Noelle are at a local city park and to the grocery store while I return emails, check facebook, etc. Oh! They have returned! So I'm outta here. We have some really fun photos I hope to post soon.

And more adoption updates...

2009-03-21T13:00:00.000-04:00

We are visiting family in Illinois for a week, so I'm afraid the blog won't be getting much attention for a few days. I'll have photos and stories from our visit here, plus adoption updates when we settle in back at home. there is lots to tell!

Cheerio'!

1 Year with Noelle!!!

2009-03-16T21:07:00.000-04:00

See the photo? If you've followed our blog for any length of time, you've seen it before - Noelle's referral picture. I thought the St.Pat's Day sign was appropriate under the circumstances. lol

One year ago tomorrow was the day we received Noelle JiaZhen Johnson-- our sweet, wonderful, cute, funny, smart, energetic, cuddly (I could go on-) daughter!!!

Since we will be an the road the next couple of days as we head to the Chicago area to visit Eric's parents and other family members, I wanted to write this post early. We hope to leave in the morning and travel halfway so we can have a relaxing evening together. Maybe we will be able to find a nice Chinese restaurant to celebrate-- but all the while we will be wearing our green, our Irish paraphernalia to honor St. Pat's Day (remember...Eric's mom). Then Wednesday evening, we will honor Noelle's official Adoption Day by watching our China video's and sharing memories as a family.

Where has the time gone? Isn't it interesting how The Wait seems never-ending as we anticipate the arrival of our child? Then when we have that dear child in our arms, our home, our family-- the times passes much too quickly.

Eric and I are blessed every day to have Noelle as our daughter. The more time we spend with her, the more we see just how perfect she is for our family. She was truly hand-picked by God. A miracle indeed! :)

We love you, Nolie!!!

Red Envelope Day

2009-03-13T16:50:00.000-04:00

Eric and I will be participating in Red Envelope Day on March 31st. We want to make an impression to make a difference. I hope many of you will join us in telling Washington that every life is valuable and God-breathed.

Instructions:
1. Get a red envelope. (You can buy them at Kinkos or at party supply stores.)

2. On the front, address it to:
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington , D.C. 20500

3. On the back, write the following message:
"This envelope represents one child who died because of an abortion. It is empty because the life that was taken is now unable to be a part of our world."

4. Put it in the mail on March 31st, 2009.

5. Ask your friends to do the same.

**Below is the explanatory message in the email we received:

"I wish we could send 50 million red envelopes, one for every child who died in the U.S. before having a chance to live."

"It may seem that those who believe abortion is wrong are in a minority. It may seem like we have no voice and it's shameful to even bring it up. Let us show our President and the world that the voices of those of us who do not believe abortion is acceptable are not silent and must be heard. Together we can change the heart of The President and save the lives of millions of children."

"Barack Obama spoke at a Planned Parenthood Action Fund event, uttering the now infamous line, "Well, the first thing I'd do as president is, is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. [Applause.] That's the first thing that I'd do." An empty red envelope will send a message to President Barack Obama that there is moral outrage in this country over this issue [The Freedom of Choice Act, which will essentially undo every law currently in place to limit abortion in the U.S. (i.e., parental consent laws, parental notification, waiting periods, prohibition of transporting a minor girl across state lines to obtain an abortion, etc.)]. It will be quiet, but clear."

Adopting and Parenting the Older Child

2009-03-12T12:28:00.000-04:00

I just ordered this book online today. I found the "Our Own" website a while back and was very impressed with the topics and information covered in this book. Now that Eric and I have a clear direction about our next adoption, I decided this was a resource we would definitely want to have in our adoption and parenting library.

I'll let you know what I think once I start reading it. Click here to learn more about this resource or to purchase your own copy.

Sweet Tea

2009-03-11T13:32:00.001-04:00

You'd think I would learn.

Here in our new community you can't order an "iced tea"and expect to receive the cool, brisk refreshing drink I've been accustomed to. You have to specify "unsweet". Even after 7 months in Tennessee, I still struggle with this concept. Up North you say, "Iced tea, please" and it comes to you unsweetened, as a matter of course. But here in the South, an "iced tea" is actually tea with a healthy dose of sugar. This is known as "Sweetea".

I freely admit that I like my sugary treats from time to time, so sometimes I have a hankering for tea with a dash of sugar. I order a "half and half". That's just about right for me. I can still taste the tea, but I get an extra pow.

Today at the local Krispy Kreme shop I was reminded of the South's 'tea culture'. Noelle and I were out running errands and we stopped by to redeem her coupon for a free doughnut. I decided to skip the doughnut and just get something cold to drink. I ordered myself an iced tea and Noelle a cinnamon bun (she wanted 'chocolate' like any properly bred young lady, but I didn't want a wired kid so close to nap time). We handed the nice man our coupon and money, and off we went to the car to head home.

Inside the car I took a long sip of my cold drink...and almost choked. Argh!! Sweetea!! I had forgotten yet again.

I had a stray thought. Why does a doughnut establishment even serve "sweetea" (what I affectionately call "sugar, with a little tea on the side")? People are already eating high-blood-sugar-inducing pastries. Do we want to add "diabetic coma" to that diagnosis??

Disclaimer: I do love Krispy Creme glazed doughnuts. I just eat mine with milk.

Journey to Noelle ~ And Our Life This Moment

Does anyone remember...

Say "Hello" to 2010

Our 2009 Family Christmas Letter...and some BIG NEWS!!!

Earth Fare Chattanooga - Grand Opening photos!!

SAVE THE DATE! -- Dec. 7th

Excuses, excuses!

Jen's New Job

November 8 is ORPHAN SUNDAY - You are invited to...

This is THE ANSWER:

Poor, pitiful Jack

A Sweet Good Morning

Please Pray For This Young Girl--

Taiwan Adoption UPDATE

Chattanooga Cupcakes - yummy yummy!!

Noelle Pix --- for your viewing enjoyment

September 18, 2009 -- WE MISSED IT!!!

bummer

CAT-astrophe!

Noelle's First Japanese Steakhouse Experience

All Moved In!

My Parents!!!

icky sickies around here

~The Blessing Place~

You might be living with a toddler if...

**PAINFUL ADOPTION NEWS!!!**

Our Girl Is 3!!!

Congratulations....!!!!

Only 2 days left to win GREAT PRIZES!

Invites for new Taiwan blog

Happy 39th Birthday, Eric!

Attention Readers!!! (especially you "silent" ones)

Taiwan Blog - going PRIVATE for now

This SATURDAY - Car Wash - Taiwan Adoption Fundraiser

Techie Update

Do you have Blogger's Disease?

Poor little girl

She's asleep!!!

Fun drawing!

DIFFICULT ADOPTION NEWS

Photos from Chattanooga Philanthropy Camp--

A Family in China Needs Our Help

I'm writing this post from my...

Lots to report from Johnson-World...

Would you like an EXTRA Blessing in YOUR life?

like a mighty rushing wind...~....~~...~

Crunchy" Hair

Giving Back

Philanthropy Camp-- In the News!

Noelle takes a picture

an update?

Need to be Challenged and Uplifted today?

Happy Independence Day! (and an even greater freedom)

Our Taiwan Blog

CRASH!!! My Computer is Dead!!!

Hanging Out In KS and MO

Only 30 More Miles!

From the road (and change of plans for WED)

Come see us here:

We're Coming To MISSOURI!!! (the specifics)

the grass is always greener

I need serious help...

Looking for some great reads?

God's Chisel

Woa Woa Woa, Mr. Post Man---

Please pray for my mom today

Upcoming Posts

A Verse from the Psalms for Mothers

SOLD!

Our MO house is almost sold

Cute Preschool Photos

Cuddles in the Car

A Service Dog for Jonathan

House Update 5

House Update 3

We're Having a Yard Sale!

A Couple Cute "Noelle Stories"

Proud To Be An American!!

remember our MO house?

You're Invited: To a "Tea Party" Near You (April 15 Tax Day)

PAINFUL ADOPTION NEWS!!!