Tonic Sol Fa

Back to Blogging

2010-03-05T13:51:00.005-05:00

I'm going to attempt to get back into blogging. I have been away from it for quite sometime. Facebook seems to take up my time on-line. I do want to plug my Voice Website right now. I have created a website for those interested in voice lessons. If you live in my area or have friends in my area that would love to have singing lessons please send them to my site. I'm working at building up my studio again. Voice Studio

It's a New Year!

2010-01-06T22:03:00.003-05:00

It has been almost 9 months since I last blogged. Too long if you ask me. Life right now has been up and down. I am finally enjoying motherhood again. After my son was born it took awhile to adjust to the idea of being a mother of two. My husband has had some adjusting to do as well. Things are going very well in my life. My daughter Lilly will be 3 in April. My son Matthew is a little over 9 months now. He's crawling, pulling up, sitting, and even trying to walk already. They bring me a lot of joy, but some days a lot of frustration. Isn't it funny the ways of being a parent.

I have started teaching voice lessons again and I'm also a consultant for The Pampered Chef. I started that business in August. So far I'm enjoying it, but still not sure if I'll be able to keep it going forever, time will tell. However, since I picked up voice students, I have realized how much I've missed teaching. It brings me so much joy to see students succeed and enjoy singing! It is music to my ears, literally! :)

It is January 2010 and I will be turning 30 this year. I can't believe that is actually happening. With that 6 months away I have made some New Year's resolutions. I plan to get fit and in shape. I am planning a trip away with my husband this summer to celebrate 5 years of marriage. Most of all this year I want to spend more time appreciating my family, enjoying their presence and teaching my children what it means to love God and love others by my example.

Happy New Year to everyone!

2009-08-09T21:13:00.007-04:00

Matthew Charles Johnson was born on March 21, 2009 at home. He weighed 8lbs. and was 22 1/2 inches long. He is now 4 1/2 months old. He has started rolling and is very good with his hands. His sister Lilly is 2 years old now. She loves her brother very much. One of her favourite things to do is sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" to Matthew when he cries. It doesn't take long and he calms down to her singing. I think they will be good friends as they get older.

A month away

2009-02-20T21:04:00.002-05:00

The baby's due date is March 22nd. I have a month left, provided baby doesn't come late. I am doing pretty well. I feel really big and I think my tummy looks like a basketball. This pregnancy has been great so far. I have had mild heartburn this time, unlike the crazy heartburn I had with Lilly. However, sleeping can be challenging as the baby moves all night long. It seems like I have to be exhausted to sleep through all the movement. Thankfully I am not working, so I have opportunities throughout the day to rest and sleep if I need to.

Lilly keeps me very busy these days. She is a very active toddler and I'm looking forward to the warmer weather so we can be outdoors. I think it will be a wonderful spring and summer for her as she is so mobile this year. It's hard to believe that she will turn 2 years old in 2 months. She is changing so much. She knows more words than I can write down. She has started trying to make sentences when talking too. I love being a parent and I'm anxious to see what this next child will be like.

I will be posting photos soon when baby arrives. Until then...I will try to do some more blogging.

Baby is Coming!

2009-02-03T16:53:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm 33 weeks pregnant now. We have the baby's room ready and most of everything ready for the home birth. Yes...I did say home birth. My husband and I have decided to have baby #2 at our home. I'm really excited to experience this and I have a wonderful Christian Midwife who lives 20 minutes from my house. Lilly seems to understand as much as she can at 21 months about the baby's arrival. She is excited to be a big sister and tells us that she wants a sister and a brother. She wants 2 babies!!! I don't know if Mommy & Daddy want that, but if we end up blessed with twins we will rejoice! If you think of us please keep us in your prayers as we come closer to meeting our little one.

Christmas Presents

2008-12-04T08:21:00.006-05:00

This year my husband and I bought Lilly gifts for Christmas. Last year was her first Christmas and we just wrapped one of her favorite toys up...she didn't care much about toys last year anyway...it was the wrapping paper that was more interesting. But this year was fun because we got her several things. We found the Tickle Me Cookie Monster that laughs from being tickled. I have a feeling we may like it more than Lilly. We also got her an 80 piece duplo set and Elmo slippers, which will probably be her favorite! She loves Elmo.

Merry Christmas!

Orchard Trip

2008-10-10T08:44:00.007-04:00

Lilly had her first experience at Spicer's Cider Mill yesterday. She visited the animals and picked some wonderful apples for me to bake an apple crisp and an apple pie. Yummy! Lilly will be 18 months on October 24th. She has started saying lots of words.

Words she can say clearly:
Daddy
Mommy
Doggy
Ah-chew
Uh-oh
Ouch
Cheese
More

Words she is working at saying:
Grandpa
Grandma
Lilly
Bird
Jesus
Ball
Yes Please

She also knows a lot of her animal sounds.

Our Home

2008-09-07T16:02:00.006-04:00

My husband and I just bought our first house. We are in the process of having it inspected this week. Then by September 19th we should get the keys to our house and be able to move in. We are so excited to be living in a home we bought instead of renting. We are also thrilled that we will be able to host our family in our new home this fall. My in-laws are planning to come for Thanksgiving and my parents and brother are planning a trip after Christmas. Above are pictures of the front and back of our new home. My husband and I truly believe it was our Lord guiding us through this whole house buying process. Thank you to all who prayed for us.

Showing Already

2008-08-22T09:52:00.000-04:00

Most of you probably know by now, but I'm pregnant with my second child. My husband and I are very excited to have another baby and for Lilly to have a sibling. Things have been going pretty well, however, I have been struggling some with morning sickness again. But overall I would say things are better than last time. I also do not have as many fears about the labor & delivery part as I did with the first baby.

As you can see from the picture I have a little bump and I'm 9 weeks. With Lilly it wasn't until 14 weeks that I had a bump. I always heard with the second baby your tummy pops out sooner...it is very true!

Other things happening in my life besides being pregnant. I am hoping to pick up more voice students this fall and to offer beginner piano lessons as well. I'm excited and nervous about teaching piano, but I have confidence that I can do it. I will be home most days with Lilly, but this Fall I plan to sign Lilly up for Story Time at the Library. I'm also looking forward to teaching her new things and pulling out crayons and other kinds of craft ideas. She is getting to be such a big girl, she's not a baby anymore. Honestly, I'm not sad about that. I really like the toddler age, it's great when they can start doing things on there own. It can be challenging when they think they can do something, but are not quite old enough. But I still enjoy it.

Keep checking my blog as I will continue to post updated photos as the baby grows. I will also try to write more often.

Weird Egg

2008-08-11T13:23:00.000-04:00

This picture was found in a children's book from the library. The whole book is filled with photos of eating items and the words to help children remember words with pictures. Anyway, this picture is supposed to be an egg. My husband and I do not understand why the author chose this kind of picture. It looks strange. If it was me I would have shown a regular egg you get before cracking it. I guess they are trying to show where the egg came from by having the hen. Anyway, please respond with what you think of the picture.

Family Vacation

2008-07-01T10:04:00.013-04:00

God has been so good to us this summer. He provided for us to travel to Sheridan, IL to spend a week long vacation with my family at Fox River Resort. It was relaxing and fun to be with family. There were lots of things to do at the Resort such as, mini-golfing, swimming, canoeing, horseback riding, playing tennis, playing basketball, there was also a 5 hole golf course. And the best part about the resort was that Chicago was only about an hour and a half away. :)

Charles and I took a day trip to Chicago. It was a long, but fun day. This was our celebration of 3 years of marriage! We drove from our resort to the Metra Station in Aurora, IL, which took almost an hour. We planned it would take 45 min. and missed the train by about 5 minutes. :( So we had to wait an hour for the next train going to Chicago. We finally arrived at Union Station in Chicago at 11:45 A.M. Then we decided to walk instead of taking a bus or trolley to Shedd Aquarium. That was not the best choice as it was quite a walk. We got to Shedd and because Charles & I are both teachers we got in to the museum free of charge. They let teachers in free at any of the educational museums in Chicago. (So for any teachers planning trips to Chicago, just make sure you take some form of identification showing you are a teacher and you can enjoy museums free.) My favorite things at Shedd Aquarium were the Peguins & Whales! I loved watching them. I also liked watching the Dolphin show, which we saw only a little bit. I would love to have seen the whole show.

After leaving the Aquarium we could not decide how to make our way towards Navy Pier, so we walked. Again not the best decision. It was 90 degrees out that day in Chicago and sunny. We walked along Lake Michigan to get to Navy Pier. It was beautiful, but by the time we got to Navy Pier we were both tired of walking. We sat down and watched an entertaining man of many tricks, magic and other things. He was a great performer for families and children. One cool thing he did was jugled two balls and a young boy. We thought he was joking about juggling the boy, but he did it! There are many stores and beautiful scenery at Navy Pier it is a great place to see.
Before we left to head back to the train station we had dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. It was tasty!!! Charles had Shrimp Stir Fry and I had a Chicken Pear Berry Salad.

If you would like to view more photos of our vacation just click here.

Charles, Marci & Lilly

Mothers & Daughters ~ Sisters & Cousins

Cousins checking each other out
Elizabeth is 6 1/2 months & Lilly is 14 months, but they wear the same size clothes.

Cousins having fun!

Prince Caspian

2008-05-17T20:55:00.003-04:00

This morning my husband and I went on a date to see the new Narnia movie "Prince Caspian". We had read the book last year and sorta remembered things from the story. After seeing the movie I'd like to read the book again. Anyway, I just had to blog about this movie. It was very well done. For the most part it followed the book there were just a few things that they changed to make the story work as a movie. I never got bored watching the movie. It is a movie I would want to own, but I do not think I want my daughter Lilly watching it until she is at least in junior high. It is a very intense movie with quite a bit of action. I don't want to give away any of the story, but I will say it made lots of biblical truths stand out. If you liked the first Narnia movie that was made last year, you will definitely like this movie. Go check it out!!!!!

May Day

2008-05-12T14:28:00.003-04:00

I know this is a little late to be talking about May Day, but I felt like posting about it. My husband had never heard of May Day. I grew up in Iowa where we made May Day baskets with flowers and candy. We made them in school. I remember taking my baskets and putting it on the door steps of my neighbors, ringing the doorbell and running away. I don't think we did it every year, but it was sure fun to do as a child. Below is information about May Day that I found interesting from Wikipedia.

May Day occurs on May 1 and refers to any of several public holidays. In many countries, May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour Day, which celebrates the social and economic achievements of the labour movement. As a day of celebration the holiday has ancient origins, and it can relate to many customs that have survived into modern times. Many of these customs are due to May Day being a cross-quarter day, meaning that (in the Northern Hemisphere where it is almost exclusively celebrated) it falls approximately halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice.

Origins

The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian Europe, as in the Celtic celebration of Beltane, and the Walpurgis Night of the Germanic countries. Many pre-Christian indigenous celebrations were eventually banned or Christianized during the process of Christianization in Europe. As a result, a more secular version of the holiday continued to be observed in the schools and churches of Europe well into the 20th century. In this form, May Day may be best known for its tradition of dancing the Maypole and crowning of the Queen of the May. Today various Neopagan groups celebrate reconstructed (to varying degrees) versions of these customs on 1 May.

The day was a traditional summer holiday in many pre-Christian European pagan cultures. While February 1 was the first day of Spring, May 1 was the first day of summer; hence, the summer solstice on June 25 (now June 21) was Midsummer. In the Roman Catholic tradition, May is observed as Mary's month, and in these circles May Day is usually a celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In this connection, in works of art, school skits, and so forth, Mary's head will often be adorned with flowers. Fading in popularity since the late 20th century is the giving of "May baskets," small baskets of sweets and/or flowers, usually left anonymously on neighbours' doorsteps.

Traditional May Day celebrations

May Day marks the end of the uncomfortable winter half of the year in the Northern hemisphere, and it has traditionally been an occasion for popular and often raucous celebrations, regardless of the locally prevalent political or religious establishment.

As Europe became Christianized the pagan holidays lost their religious character, They either morphed into popular secular celebrations, as with May Day, or were replaced by new Christian holidays as with Christmas, Easter, and All Saint's Day. In the start of the twenty-first century, many neopagans began reconstructing the old traditions and celebrating May Day as a pagan religious festival again.

In America

May Day was also celebrated by some early European settlers of the American continent. In some parts of the United States, May Baskets are made. These baskets are small and usually filled with flowers or treats and left at someone's doorstep. When you ring the bell, you are supposed to run away. The person receiving the basket would try to catch the person running away. If they caught the person, a kiss was to be exchanged.

Modern May Day ceremonies in the U.S. vary greatly from region to region and many unite both the holiday's "Green Root" (pagan) and "Red Root" (labor) traditions. Among the largest is the May Day Parade and Pageant created by In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, an event that has happened every year since 1974 in Minneapolis and now attracts some 35,000 people.

Birthday Party

2008-04-26T17:58:00.008-04:00

Lilly making a fish face & waving hello

Lilly enjoying her cup cake & ice cream

Well, Lilly's party is over. I'm tired and ready to relax this evening. We had about 18 invited guests to our house. There were 8 children from ages 2 - 14. My husband and I had fun decorating and getting things ready. I think everyone had a nice time visiting and enjoying themselves. We made cup cakes the night before & frosted them this morning. There was vanilla & chocolate fudge cup cakes with strawberry frosting and a fresh strawberry slice on top. We had several games such as a Baby Guessing Game - I had a scrape book of Lilly's photos chronologically from her birth to her 1st birthday. Everyone had to guess what age she was in her pictures and different stages. I had the typical guess how many Cheerios are in the jar. Charles & I counted 1,404 Cheerios...yes we are crazy parents. It did take a little while, but it was fun for people to guess. Then I had a balloon game for the kids to play. They didn't play it too many times, but I think they had fun. Unfortunately we did not take as many pictures as I would have liked. Sometimes you just forget about getting the camera out when you are busy. Here are a few of the photos from Lilly's Party. Enjoy!

Happy First Birthday!

2008-04-26T08:38:00.005-04:00

Lilly turned one on Thursday. We are having a small party today to celebrate her birth. Here is a photo of her on her birthday. Stay tuned for more photos after her party today.

Spring is coming

2008-04-02T09:55:00.004-04:00

Thought for the day: Have you ever noticed how people stop wearing their winter coats before the weather is really warm enough to be done wearing it. For example...this week the forecast has said it is supposed to be in the 50's, but so far the real temperature has been in the 30's. As I am out and about people around me are wearing Spring coats or no coats. They want Spring to come soon and thus not wearing a coat will bring the warmer weather. :) Just a strange thought.

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T21:28:00.004-04:00

Happy Easter to all my friends that view my blog! Lilly experienced her first Easter. She turns 11 months old tomorrow. That means in one more month she will be 1 years old! Enjoy the pics.

Growing fast!

2008-03-07T10:24:00.012-05:00

Lilly is 10 and a half months old now. It is hard to believe that she will be turning one on April 24th. She has changed a lot since we brought her home from the hospital. In the last couple of months Lilly has learned to:

* Crawl
* Clap her hands
* Drink out of a sippy cup all by herself
* Eat Cheerios - which she loves!
* Make more facial expressions
* Pull up to things
* Walk & stand with help
* Say "Da da" & "Ma ma" - which sounds more like "Mu mu"
* Respond to the question "What does a cow say?" Her response - "Mmm"
* Buzz her bottom lip
* Make other funny sounds

Here are some recent pictures of Lilly.Yyou can view more if you click on My Pictures.

Lilly loves to pull all of her toys out of the box.

Lilly loves books.

Daddy taught Lilly to play the recorder :)

Lilly crawling

Lilly hugging her stuffed animal

This is from a photo shoot of a 3-6 month outfit her grandparents bought her that just now fits!

Mommy & Lilly

Lilly chilling in her rocking chair.

Similarities

2008-02-21T15:08:00.035-05:00

Lilly & Elizabeth

My sister and I both have baby girls. Lilly & Elizabeth were born a little over 7 months apart. Lilly was born on April 24, 2007 weighing 6lbs. 5 oz. and Elizabeth was born on December 1, 2007 also weighing 6lbs. 5oz. As I was looking through pictures I found many photos that were similar. I thought it would be fun to post them for others to view. These photos are us during labor and then the photos of Lilly & Elizabeth are them at the same stages. Enjoy!

Charles feeding Marci

Drew feeding Angie

Marci using a birthing ball to help during labor

Angie using a birthing ball during labor

Contraction time

Lilly is born!

Elizabeth is born!

The Johnson Family

The Anema Family

Lilly at one month old

Elizabeth at one month old

Sleeping Lilly

Sleeping Elizabeth

Lilly Anne

Elizabeth Nicole

Lilly in the summer

Elizabeth in the winter

Sad Faces

Happy Faces

Lilly after a bath

Elizabeth after a bath

Marci & Lilly

Angie & Elizabeth

Fun Toy

2008-02-09T18:11:00.001-05:00

The Cookie Monster is the toy I have seen before, but I stumbled across Elmo & Ernie. They crack me up more than Cookie Monster. Let me know what you think.

Net Dependancy

2008-02-05T15:11:00.000-05:00

I never realized how dependant I had become with the internet, until I was without for over a week. Right now I am sitting in Panera with my husband's laptop writing this blog, while my daughter plays in her stroller next to me. I'm not one of the web browser people, instead I do the e-mail thing, blogging, and most importantly I have an on-line photo gallery that I try to keep updated with pictures and videos of my daughter. That is what I miss most about not having internet at home. I love posting new photos on-line for family and friends to view of Lilly. It is hard being so far away from our families and I don't want them feeling like they are missing out on Lilly growing. Since I don't know when I will be able to put photos on-line again...here is a little update on Lilly's life: Last week Lilly came down with her first cold. She was a trooper. Despite a runny noise, watery eyes, & a cough she managed to smile a lot. I'm happy to say that she is doing much better and so far this week seems to be recovering. Lilly has been working at crawling more and loves to stand up with Mommy & Daddy's help. I hope to post photos and videos on-line soon.

Stay tuned if you read this blog...I'm still around.

Petite

2008-01-26T21:39:00.000-05:00

Well it's official, our little girl is most definitely going to be petite. Lilly had well child check up on Friday. She weighed in at 12lbs. 11oz. and 2 feet long. The doctor said that Lilly was a healthy, strong, happy baby! She is just going to be petite. There is nothing wrong with that, but I have a feeling her cousin Elizabeth is going to pass her in size. Lilly turned 9 months old last week and has started crawling. It's crazy for me to think about her turning 1 years old in 3 months. It just doesn't seem possible. It actually makes me feel old thinking about that. That's pretty much all I have to update about. Check out My Pictures for new photos of Lilly.

My Niece

2008-01-22T10:17:00.000-05:00

My husband and I live a ways away from both of our families. It never bothered me much our first 2 years of marriage. However, since our daughter Lilly came into our lives and now having a brand new 1 1/2 month old niece, it would be nice to live closer to family. My sister posts pictures of Elizabeth, my niece, on-line. But it is not the same as watching her grow in person. It would be wonderful to live close enough that our children could get together for a play date.

As I study God's Word I'm reminded that we are not here to live lives that are completely comfortable. Our purpose is to bring glory to His (Jesus Christ's) name to make Him (Jesus) known to those around us. That does not always mean living comfortably. I know in my heart that God has placed my husband and I where we live because it is where we can best serve Him. However, I do wonder if He will move us in the future. It would be awfully nice to live closer to family. But it may not be where the Lord feels we can best serve Him. Until then, I will be joyful for technology so I can view pictures of my niece on-line.

Two Bottom Teeth

2008-01-15T14:07:00.000-05:00

On January 8th last Tuesday Lilly cut her first tooth. It was her middle bottom left tooth. It is adorable to see when she smiles. It is not all the way up yet, but you can feel the sharpness of the tooth. Thankfully I have not received any bites yet. Just today I noticed the tooth next to the first one has also come in. :) It is so exciting for this to happen. Surprisingly she has not been fussy during this time of teething. She is sleeping 10 hours at night now and awake a lot more during the day. We love her very much as she brings so much joy to our lives.

Return to Home

2008-01-03T17:01:00.000-05:00

Lilly & Aunt Jenn

Opening gifts at Grandpa & Grandma Johnson's.

Lilly & Me at my parents house.

Me, Charles & Lilly at my parents house.

We got home last night from traveling to New York State and Iowa for Christmas and New Years. On Christmas Day we left driving to New York to spend a few days with my husband's family. The drive takes 5 1/2 hours without stopping much, but with the new addition to our family it now takes 7 hours. Thankfully we had good weather going and coming back home. Lilly had a great time visiting Grandpa & Grandma Johnson and of course Ben, Misty and Scarlet (their dogs). Lilly also got to spend more time with her Aunt Jenn & Uncle George & their dog Skippy.

On December 27th we left New York and got home just in time to pack & sleep. We had to get up at 5:45am to leave for the airport. Our flight to Iowa left at 8:40am and the airport was a 45 minute drive. During all this traveling Lilly did great. She did not get sick and adjusted to all of it wonderfully. She even got used to being around lots of people. By the end of the trip I think she was recognizing her Grandpa John & Grandma Janet.

Today I have been trying to unpack, put things away, clean and eventually do laundry. Lilly has been taking lots of naps today. We think she might have a little head cold and the best thing for her would be to sleep. Below are some pictures from our trips. If you'd like to see more click on the link My Pictures.

The most sophisticated piece of technology...

2007-12-06T14:58:00.000-05:00

Check out this commercial. I think it's hilarious!!! The first time I saw it on television I did a double take asking myself, "What did that guy just say?"

I'm an Aunt!

2007-12-02T21:43:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone...I just wanted to blog quick to tell you some wonderful news. My sister gave birth to a baby girl on December 1st. They named her Elizabeth Nicole and ironically she weighed 6lbs. 5oz. the same weight Lilly was when she was born. They are definitely cousins that have a lot in common already. Isn't she cute? In a month we will get to see Elizabeth and hold her. I'm very excited to be an Aunt.

Lilly

2007-11-19T13:25:00.000-05:00

Here is a beautiful picture of Lilly I took yesterday. She is growing and changing so fast. Today she had pears and really liked them! :) She will be 7 months old this coming Saturday. Also...this is Thanksgiving week and we have relatives coming to visit. It will be so fun to have them spend time with Lilly.

Busy

2007-11-15T20:32:00.000-05:00

Things have really picked up since we moved to the house. I have lots to do between now and Christmas. But I thought I would post a short blog since it has been over a month. In a week from tomorrow we will have several visitors. My husband's family is coming for Thanksgiving. We are going to have a full house. There will be 6 adults, one baby, and four dogs!!! Crazy! But I'm really looking forward to it. I'm also very excited to do lots of cooking and baking from scratch. I love making food...can you believe I'm saying that. Me who, before I was married, didn't know how to make anything unless it was heating it up in the microwave. :) It's amazing to me how much I have changed for the better since I got married. I tell ya...my husband is a wonderful influence on me. Thank you honey!

That's all for now...it may be awhile before I post again.

We moved!

2007-10-10T16:18:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been a little over two weeks since we moved from a 2 bedroom apartment to a 4 bedroom house. I would say my husband and I are less stressed now that everything is unpacked and out of boxes. Lilly seems to have adjusted just fine. It is crazy how much she is growing. I have not taken as many pictures lately with the move. Charles seems to love his jobs. Our church we belong to know is great. It won't be long before we know people very well. I thought I would post a few updated pictures of Lilly.

Good morning!

5 months old!

2007-09-24T11:23:00.000-04:00

Lilly is getting so big! She weighs over 10lbs. now, but still wears newborn size diapers. She is such a cutie and we love her so much. This weekend we move from our 2 bedroom apartment to our 4 bedroom house. Charles and I are so excited to have more space. We will be able to play the piano when Lilly is napping because the piano won't be in her room anymore. Once we move Charles won't have to drive 45 minutes to work everyday. Instead it will only take 10 minutes to get to the school or the church. Here are some of my favorite recent pictures of our little girl. Enjoy!

Lilly with wild hair after her bath

Mommy kissing Lilly

The pacifier landed on her face after she pulled it out of her mouth

Baby Doll

2007-09-17T12:41:00.000-04:00

Lilly is almost 5 months old. She has started talking, rolling to her sides and all around making more facial expressions. Charles and I are having so much fun watching her grow and change. She is such a sweetie, but I think most parents think their child is the cutest in the world. Here is a picture of Lilly in an outfit that someone handmade for her. We think she looks like a live baby doll. What do you think? About 4 days after Lilly turns 5 months we will be moving from a 2 bedroom apartment to a 4 bedroom house. We are moving due to my husband's job change. We found this great home to rent and look forward to having guests visit. :) Let us know if you'd like to come visit we will definitely have plenty of room.

Teething Baby

2007-09-11T20:16:00.000-04:00

Lilly found a teething toy!

Lilly has started teething. On Sunday we noticed two white bumps appearing in the middle of her bottom gums. She has been chewing on anything she can get to her mouth. She has also been a little cranky, which makes sense because it can be painful having your teeth pushing through your gums. We are getting through it together and I hold her often to comfort her. I actually look forward to holding her knowing I can comfort her. Something else she has started doing is talking! That is baby talking. It started yesterday where she was making all kinds of sounds. This morning we made an audio recording of her sounds. I could listen to her sounds all day :) They put a smile to my heart.

Congratulations Dustin & Melissa!

2007-09-04T14:49:00.000-04:00

This past weekend my friend Melissa got married. I should start back before this weekend though. Last summer Melissa took a mission trip to Ecuador. She was able to go into the jungle with a Doctor and help the people who live there. When she came back to the United States, she couldn't wait to go back. However, she knew that she needed some more schooling before going back. This past February she decided to join the Army. The army was a great opportunity for her to get the training she needed. After joining she met Dustin! He too was interested in Mission Field. Soon Melissa and Dustin began courting and in less than a couple months were engaged to be married. This past Saturday September 1st, 2007 they became husband & wife. :) I just want to wish them all the best as they move to New York State!!!

Below are some pictures from the wedding.

Mr. & Mrs. Dustin Jones

Lilly waking up from napping during the Wedding.

Melissa & Dustin with Lilly.

Baby Jillian is only 8 days older than Baby Lilly, but you wouldn't know that by their sizes.

Attack of the Knife

2007-08-28T20:20:00.001-04:00

This morning I was in the kitchen working on making dinner for tonight. I was making a recipe with Chicken & Potatoes in the Slow Cooker. As I began to cut the potatoes, one of them got away from me. It rolled to the floor as the knife sliced my finger! It was a big ouch...I quickly made my way to the bathroom where I grabbed kleenex and put pressure on it. This happened at 8:15 this morning. After about 5 minutes the bleeding had not stopped. Then I preceded to call a friend to figure out what to do. At about 9am the bleeding had slowed down, but I could see it was a deep cut and was beginning to turn black & blue. Lucky for me, my daughter Lilly was sleeping during all of this excitement.

When Lilly woke up, I fed her and thankfully my good friend Sally was around. She offered to take me to the hospital to get stitches. She was a blessing right then, as my husband was not home. We got to the ER at about 10:15am. I got in right away, but like the ER I had to sit for over an hour before anyone looked at my finger. As you see, I was not an emergency :( Finally, when they came to me it took another 20 minutes before I could leave because I had to have a Tetanus Shot. We left the ER at 12:15pm and rushed home. I fed Lilly and got back in the car to make it to her doctor appointment at 1:30pm.

At Lilly's appointment, we got in right away. But again had to wait over an hour before we saw the doctor. So I spent another 2 hours at the clinic. What a day! Lilly got her shots and was so good through all this craziness. She didn't fuss much at all. When we got home she was very smiley for Charles and I. And she went to bed at 8pm. I sure hope she gets a good nights sleep. Anyway, despite the long waiting, the Lord worked everything out perfectly and I now know how Not to cut potatoes.

Below is a picture of the 3 stitches I received and the knife that attacked me!

New Adventures

2007-08-11T11:40:00.000-04:00

Our Lord is truly amazing in how He orchestrates the events in our lives. Yesterday my husband, Charles had a final interview for a church music director position. We left our house early enough to arrive in Howell, MI before 7pm. However, no sooner than merging onto the exit ramp for 96 West, we found ourselves driving 30mph in a big traffic jam. It took us 30 minutes to drive from Novi to Wixom, which are right next to each other if you're not familiar with the area. When we finally arrived at the church, Charles went inside while I parked the car with our daughter Lilly. As I walked up to the church, Charles came out to tell me that the meeting was at 7:30 and not 7:oo. So we were not late after all!

The meeting went well and Charles sang and played piano wonderfully. The church board was extremely impressed. They had us step out for a moment while they discussed. Then they asked us back in and offered Charles the job. He accepted it and we will be moving at the end of September beginning of October. What is really amazing about this whole thing is, both jobs are just 15 minutes from each other. We believe that this was God's way of orchestrating where he wanted us to serve Him this next year. Charles is going to get lots of good experience in teaching children, conducting a choir, and being a leader of worship.

Summer's Almost Over

2007-08-07T15:40:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it is August already. School will be starting before we know it. I have been teaching one day this summer for 6 weeks. I do plan to teach in the Fall. Hopefully it will work out where my husband will be able to watch Lilly while I teach. I plan to teach 2 days a week at Northville High School. I already have 6 students signed up for lessons. I'm hoping to get most of the students back and pick up some new ones. Most of my students are sophomores with a couple juniors. I'm looking forward to getting back into teaching. I love being a Mom, but I also love singing and using my voice to help others. It will be great to see my students again...as most of them I have not seen since April before I had Lilly.

I thought I would put one of my favorite pictures of Lilly before I end this post.

Swinging & Sleeping

2007-08-03T18:00:00.000-04:00

We finally found a swing that Lilly likes! Check out the picture...she fell asleep...this makes Mommy very happy!

Outing with Grandparents

2007-07-29T08:19:00.001-04:00

Lilly likes to pull her hair.

Grandma Wade & Lilly enjoying the sun!

Cookie Monster & Big Bird toys Grandma bought for Lilly

Well, it has been a blast having my parents in town. Lilly has changed so much since they arrived last Sunday. She is doing much more with her hands. Smiling and cooing like crazy. She is such a good baby. We really are blessed to have a baby that sleeps through the night and is so content during the day. I can't believe she is 3 months and 1 week old now. She is growing so fast. Yesterday we found some great deals on toys for her. There was a consignment store where people bring their used toys and clothes to be resold. Anyway, we found a swing and baby gym for all under 70 dollars. Talk about a deal. The baby gym alone costs 70 dollars and the swing in the stores is usually 150 dollars. She likes the baby gym...there is a bird that flies with music for her to look at. We are going to try out the swing today...it can go from side to side or front to back.

Loving Grandparents

2007-07-24T13:21:00.000-04:00

Can you tell they love her?

Sleeping on Grandma

Smiling at Grandpa

My parents are visiting all the way from Iowa. They arrived Sunday night and will be visiting until Thursday or Friday next week. They are here to spend lots of time with their first grandchild. Lilly is a very lucky girl to have such loving grandparents. Above is a picture of just how loved she is by them. I am so thankful to have parents who continue to show me what it means to sacrifice for family. They are great examples of Christ and how he continues to love us when we fail Him.

An Answer to Prayer

2007-07-14T07:36:00.000-04:00

My husband and I have been seeking the Lord in prayer about providing a job for Charles for the fall. Charles currently has been working at Evola Music in sales. However, he has been wanting to teach music in the schools, but has not had any luck finding a job. He had an interview over a week ago for a K-8 music job at a Christian School. On Friday this past week he was planning on giving his boss his 2 weeks notice. He had not heard anything yet from the school. But on Friday morning the principle called him offering the job. Talk about close timing! The Lord knows exactly how things should be. The job is part time, but we are praising the Lord for this blessing. Charles is also in the process of interviewing for a Church Music Ministry job at First Baptist Church of Howell, MI. That is also a part time job, which would work out very nicely with the school job. But we will just have to wait and see if that is where the Lord wants us to be.

2 Months Old

2007-07-03T16:16:00.001-04:00

Happy

Content

Ready to Cry

Lilly is now 2 months old and smiling often. She had her first vacation last week to Chautauqua Institution in New York State. It was a very nice time getting to see family and relax. Lilly is sleeping 7 hours pretty regular now at nights. She knows when it's bedtime. She is also going to bed fairly well...sometimes it takes her awhile to fall asleep, but she understands when we lay her down with her pacifier it means to sleep. Here are some pictures of our 2 month old baby. Oh and today she had her vaccinations...she is in the 1 percentile for her size and weight. She weighed 7lbs. 13oz. and is 21 inches long now. She is pretty small, but we like her like that.

Happy Father's Day!

2007-06-18T14:26:00.000-04:00

I wanted to post a blog to say Happy Father's Day to my husband from our Daughter Lilly! Yes Father's Day was yesterday, but I still wanted to do this. I think this picture of Lilly is adorable...I know I may be bias because she is my daughter. The dress she is wearing is one that I wore as a baby.

Growing girl

2007-06-08T18:13:00.001-04:00

Lilly is now almost 7 weeks old. She is most likely going to be a small girl. I had my 6 week check up this past Tuesday and we had Lilly weighed. She is now 7lbs. I have a feeling lots of her clothes will never be worn by her. Oh well, I guess that means we get to give them away to others who can use them. Anyway, here are some pictures I really liked of us with Lilly.

Lilly looking into her Daddy's eyes

Watching television with her Daddy

Chilling with Mommy

Smiling Lilly

2007-05-27T17:26:00.000-04:00

I have been trying for awhile to get a picture of Lilly smiling. She only seems to do it when she's sleeping...I wonder what she must be dreaming about. Maybe she dreams about eating good milk :) Eating always seems to calm her. What do you think babies dream about?

A month old now!

2007-05-23T08:26:00.000-04:00

Well, we got some Colic Calm Gripe Water for our daughter Lilly. It is to help relieve Gas & Colic. The ingredients are: Aloe, Vegetable Charcoal, Caraway, Chamomile, Fennel, Lemon Balm, Peppermint, Blackthorn, and Ginger. It seems to be helping her when she has gas and tries to poop. She doesn't cry as much while trying to do both, instead she makes funny faces. There are no side affects from her taking this Homeopathic medicine. However, because the vegetable charcoal is black, it temporary darkens her stools.

It's amazing that Lilly is a month old. She doesn't look a lot bigger to me, but I know she is eating. She finally has her nights and days straight. She is awake most of the day now and sleeps 5 to 6 hours at night before waking up to eat. One of her favorite things to do is to suck. She likes her pacifier or a finger and sometimes she finds her own fingers. Above is a picture of this obsession. :)

Crying Baby

2007-05-16T00:21:00.000-04:00

Well, it is almost 12:30am and I am still awake with my daughter. She has been very fussy tonight. She is still wide awake and seems to be in discomfort with gas. Holding her doesn't keep her content for long before she starts wailing again. I have tried to put her down several times to let her cry and hopefully get tired. So far no luck. I will have to let you know what time I actually get to bed tonight or I guess I should say this morning. My husband is hopefully getting some sleep...although with all the crying Lilly is doing, I'm not sure he's sleeping. We have read about some remedies for helping calm a baby's stomach. The things we found are organic herbs. Tomorrow we will definitely get some and see if it helps. It is really difficult to let your child cry because there is nothing you can do. I feel very helpless and it makes me sad because I'm not able to comfort my daughter. Hopefully she will be able to sleep tonight.

Almost 3 weeks old

2007-05-12T17:27:00.000-04:00

Lilly wearing her first dress to a picnic with Mark & Sally Haeck.

Peaceful Lilly

Well, my daughter is almost 3 weeks old now. I can not believe how fast time has flown. I am starting to feel like myself again. However, I am tired most of the time. Lilly is such a sweet baby. I love watching her sleep...she always looks so peaceful. She is sleeping at night at least 3 to 4 hours and occasionally she will sleep 5 hours!!! I always feel refreshed after getting that much sleep. I look forward to her being able to see us and smile at us. There have been several smiles while she is sleeping. It's really cute. I often wonder if babies dream. Because I'm positive Lilly has dreams...they always look like good ones based on her facial expressions.

Father & Daughter

2007-05-08T20:13:00.000-04:00

I took this picture this morning of my husband and daughter. Lilly so far has only been opening her left eye. However, she is starting to open both more often. So this is one of the first pictures with both eyes open. She is now 2 weeks old.

First Day at Church

2007-05-07T18:21:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was our daughter's first day at church. She slept through the whole service :) Everyone could not get over how tiny she is. We have a doctor appointment tomorrow to check her weight. She is such a blessing to my husband and I. We love her very much and it is wonderful to watch her when she is awake. Right now she is discovering her hands. A couple times she has found her thumb! She loves to suck on her little fingers and it is neat to see her try to find them.

Lilly Anne Johnson

2007-04-28T20:13:00.000-04:00

It all started on Tuesday morning at 3:45am when my water broke. At about a half hour later contractions started coming being about 10 minutes apart. Charles and I took our time getting ready, eating, and making our way to the hospital. We arrived at U of M Woman's hospital at about 6:15am. At 7:00am they did an ultra sound and checked my cervix and I was dialated to 4cm. Then they moved us to our birthing room. From there things progressed at a good rate. Contractions started coming closer and closer. We walked and kept moving to help baby move into position for delivery. At 2:30 my contractions were a lot closer and they had the doctor check my cervix again. This time I was dialated to 8cm...2cm to go!!! Then active labor began and the transition stage. During that stage I just kept my breathing controlled and basically went into a trans like state to get through each contraction that got more and more intense. Finally, at about 5:30pm or later I was able to push. I was told later that I only pushed for 25 minutes and she was out! At 5:56pm Lilly Anne Johnson was born weighing 6lbs. 5oz. and 19 inches long. Here is a link to our pictures http://picasaweb.google.com/tonicsolfa/LillyAnneJohnson

A new arrival

2007-04-22T14:56:00.000-04:00

Yesterday a friend of mine from church had her 6th child. She was due May 9th just two days after me. However, she says, and this seems to be true, that her babies always come early. On April 21st at 5:10am Levi James Osborne was born to Tracey & Julie Osborne of our church here in Michigan. He weighed 7lbs. 15 oz. & 19 inches long. Everyone in our church family was happy to hear it was a boy. Out of the other five children they have 4 girls and one boy. And their boy, Tobin, is stuck in the middle with 2 older sisters and 2 younger sisters, but now he has a younger brother. Praise the Lord!

Not much sleep

2007-04-20T08:13:00.000-04:00

Last night was a rough night. I could not fall asleep due to baby moving. I got up from bed and went into the living room to do something to help me sleep. As I sat reading, it felt as if my body was being attacked by this little person. He/she was moving, punching and kicking all over the place. As I sat there, I wondered what kind of baby will we have? Maybe when it's out of my womb it won't be as active. But I have a feeling it will be just as much or more. I love feeling the baby move, but it does get challenging when it keeps me from getting sleep. It's a good thing I am not teaching anymore. Now I can take naps when I need them, which I'm sure I will have one today. Only 2 1/2 more weeks until my due date. I am really getting excited to meet our baby. We still do not know if it's a boy or girl. For most of the pregnancy I have felt it will be a boy. But recently I have been thinking it will be a girl. Either way Charles and I will love the little one very much. I have been doing more thinking about the baby at home and how will I meet the baby's needs. Often when having a baby it's easy to think only of the labor & delivery and not about after baby arrives. God will definitely be teaching Charles and I about selflessness as we care for our baby, I'm sure. We will be sure to let you know if we have a boy or girl.

3 weeks left!!!!

2007-04-15T19:04:00.000-04:00

Well, I am now considered full term and only have 3 weeks left till the due date. At my doctor appointment last week the baby was in head down position with its back side facing outward. That's the best position to delivery baby. I am getting excited to meet our little one and find out if it's a Lily or a Noah. :) So far this has been a good pregnancy, although I have nothing to compare it to. I have had the flu about 3 times during the 8 1/2 months. Other than that I have not had any swelling or any major side effects that can happen. I have been more tired lately and I just have Monday & Tuesday left of teaching. I will be stopping until about July with teaching to take care of baby.

This past weekend, my mother-in-law came to visit. We attended a surprise baby shower for my husband. It was a very nice time and we have everything we need and more for our baby's arrival. It is starting to get a little more challenging to do things. But I enjoy feeling baby move, which is often. And I'm getting pretty good at telling if it's a foot pushing out on my tummy. It is such a neat feeling and I am trying to enjoy it as much as possible. Because soon baby will be here and then I won't feel that anymore, at least not inside me. Above is a recent picture of baby and I. Stay tuned for news about baby.

Mirelli Anne

2007-04-11T12:54:00.000-04:00

Mirelli Anne Fritz

Eliana, Karina holding Mirelli and Kierstan

A New Baby in the Family

2007-04-06T11:52:00.000-04:00

This is a picture of the Fritz Family at Christmas 2006.

My cousin Natalie had her 4th child. She had it at 8:48am April 6th. It was a girl, her name is Mirelli Anne and she was 7lbs. 15.5 ounces and 20 inches long. Mirelli means miracle and Anne means graceful. Now they have 4 girls in their family. Karina, Kierstan, Eliana, and Mirelle. What a joyous day! Now my grandparents have 4 great grandchildren. In about a month they will have five. My husband and I are really hoping for a boy now, so we will break the trend of girls for great grandchildren.

The Middle Wife

2007-04-03T08:39:00.000-04:00

A Friend of mine sent this to me in an e-mail. And I found it to be very funny considering all that I've been learning about the birthing process. I hope you enjoy reading this story....

The "Middle Wife" by an Anonymous 2nd grade teacher

I've been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two kids
myself, but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own
second-grade classroom a few years back.

When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few
sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually,
show-and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model
airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that. And I never,
ever place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug
it in to school and talk about it, they're welcome.

Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing
kid, takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with
a pillow stuffed under her sweater.

She holds up a snapshot of an infant. "This is Luke, my baby brother,
and I'm going to tell you about his birthday."

"First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad
put a seed in my Mom's stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate for
nine months through an umbrella cord."

She's standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I'm trying not
to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching
her in amazement.

"Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying and going, 'Oh,
Oh, Oh, Oh!' Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. "She walked
around the house for, like an hour, 'Oh, oh, oh!' Now this kid is
doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.

"My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn't
have a sign on the car like the Domino's man. They got my Mom to lie
down in bed like this." Then Erica lies down with her back against the
wall.

"And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case
he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like
psshhheew!" This kid has her legs spread with her
little hands miming water flowing away. It was too much!

"Then the middle wife starts saying 'push, push,' and 'breathe,
breathe. They started counting, but never even got past ten. Then, all
of a sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky stuff that
they all said it was from Mom's play-center, so there must be a lot of
toys inside there."

Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her
seat. I'm sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it's
show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another "Middle
Wife" comes along.

ALIAS

2007-03-28T14:00:00.000-04:00

My husband and I were told about this show last summer by some friends of ours. It is no longer on television anymore and I guess it had 5 seasons. Anyway, we got the complete first season from the library on Sunday and have been watching it this week. Talk about a show that keeps you on the edge and gets you to ask yourself more and more questions as you watch. WOW! I have watched the first 4 episodes of season 1 and it is hard to stop. I do however, have to wait to see the next ones until tomorrow and Friday. Has anyone else seen this show?

Play the guessing game

2007-03-06T13:38:00.000-05:00

Time is counting down for me and the baby. I have 9 weeks until the little boy or girl is born. If you haven't already check out this cool Pregnancy Pool game. You get to guess what I will be having, how much he/she weighs, and what day will be the baby's birthday. The closest person to guess correctly will win half of the pool. Click here to guess now! The closing date of the pool is April 15th so make your guesses soon!

10 Weeks Left!

2007-03-03T17:18:00.000-05:00

Can you believe I'm in the 7th month now! It has been so enjoyable. I love every moment the baby moves, but I also enjoy when it rests. Things are going very well. I have only gained 16 lbs. so far and my body really feels good. Every now and then I have aches and pains, but it's usually because my body is telling me to slow down. When I listen to it, I do much better with the pains. It is very exciting that our baby will be here very soon. My husband and I are going out to look at baby stuff tonight. We still do not have any idea how much diapers cost. I think we are in for a surprise. Anyway, hope you enjoy the updated picture of me the baby!

Movie Rave!

2007-02-23T09:36:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I saw this amazing movie called Facing the Giants. The story was written and produced by people at Sherwood Baptist Church of Albany, Georgia. It is about a high school football coach at a Christian School. In the beginning of the movie everything in his life is falling apart. But when he changes his purpose for living amazing things happen. It is a movie that demonstrates the Power of God. Nothing is impossible for God. It is a movie that I guarantee you will be thinking about for a day or so. It has so many biblical principles for life. If you haven't seen it you need to go out now and get it!!!!!

Learn Chinese in 5 minutes

2007-02-17T17:28:00.000-05:00

English (E) : That's not right
Chinese (C) : Sum Ting Wong

E: Are you harboring a fugitive?
C: Hu Yu Hai Ding

E: Se me ASAP
C: Kum Hai Nao

E: Small horse
C: Tai Ni Po Ni

E: Did you go to the beach?
C: Wai Yu So Tan

E: I think you need a face lift
C: Chin Tu Fat

E: It's very dark in here
C: Wai So Dim

E: I thought you were on a diet
C: Wai Yu Mun Ching

E: This is a tow away zone
C: No Pah King

E: Our meeting is scheduled for next week
C: Wai Yu Kum Nao

E: Staying out of sight
C: Lei Ying Lo

E: He's cleaning his automobile
C: Wa Shing Ka

E: Your body odor is offensive
C: Yu Stin Ki Pu

Written by Kids

2007-01-11T13:36:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine sent this to me in an e-mail. I thought it was great and wanted to share it with others. Hope you enjoy it.

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY? You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming. -- Alan, age 10

No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with. -- Kristen, age 10

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then. Camille, age 10

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
-- Derrick, age 8

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
Both don't want any more kids. -- Lori, age 8

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough. -- Lynnette, age 8

On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that Usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date. -- Martin, age 10

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?
I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns. -- Craig, age 9

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
When they're rich. -- Pam, age 7

The law says you have to be 18, so I wouldn't want to mess with that. Curt, age 7

The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do. -- Howard, age 8

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them. -- Anita, age 9

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?

There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there? -- Kelvin, age 8

HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck. -- Ricky, age 10

A New Year

2007-01-04T09:11:00.000-05:00

As I think about 2006 and looking into 2007 I can see how the Lord has been gracious. My husband and I have been blessed with so many riches of love and joy. We have a wonderful bundle of joy that will come into our lives in May. We have family that is caring and growing in the Lord. This year my mother and I are going to read and study the book "Knowing God" by J.I. Packer. I am also studying the gospel of Luke with a friend of mine.

As far as goals for 2007, becoming more like Christ in how I interact with people around me is number one on my list. I would like to work towards having a growing relationship with the Lord and my husband so that when our baby comes he/she will experience the love and joy that comes from our Father above. Goals for my career are to continue to grow and learn from my experiences as a teacher and singer. I look forward to trying new ideas this year in my teaching.

One of the biggest goals I would like to achieve this year would be to trust the Lord in all situations of life. My husband and I have several unknowns ahead in life and often in those times it gets challenging to stay strong held in the truth of the Lord. This goal is more than just for this year it's for life. After all our goal as Christians in life should be to bring glory and praise unto the Lord in everything we do.

Christmas in Florida

2006-12-28T14:43:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas from Florida! This picture was taken in the Orlando airport after my husband and I arrived there to spend Christmas with my family. We had a nice time together. It wasn't quite what I expected, but it still was a good time.

On Christmas Day we went to Epcot and it was humid overcast weather. After we were there for about an hour it started pouring rain. It continued throughout the afternoon and made for a disappointing time, but we made the best of it. Due to the rain, the temperature dropped down into the 50s. It stayed in the 50s for the next 2 days. And the day after we left the temperature went back up into the 80s.

Christmas at Disney and New Years in New York State

2006-12-18T19:55:00.000-05:00

My husband and I are flying to Orlando, Florida on Sunday Dec. 24th. We get to spend Christmas with my family. I am looking forward to it very much. I have never been to Disney World before and we are going to spend Christmas Day at one of the parks. Either MGM or Epcot. Those of you that have been to Disney feel free to comment on what park you think we should spend the day at.
After we get back on Dec. 27th we will be home for about 2 to 3 days and then off to traveling again. This time we will be driving to Lakewood, New York to spend New Year's with Charles' family. I am looking forward to that too. We haven't seen most of his family since Labor Day.

Growing Baby

2006-12-13T08:53:00.000-05:00

Well, I went to the doctor yesterday and everything is looking good with the pregnancy. I think I've gained about 3 to 5 pounds. I'm feeling good. The picture is me at 19 weeks now. I think I've grown some, but you can be the judge.

My husband and I had some singing gigs this past weekend and I'm thrilled they are over with. It really wore me out, but I have recovered. I am looking forward to the holidays. I plan to be careful about how much I eat, especially the sweets. It will be wonderful to see family.

It's Christmas Time

2006-12-04T12:30:00.000-05:00

Here is a picture of our Christmas tree. Next to the tree is a nutcracker and a Russian Advent Doll. The Nutcracker was given to me last year by a voice student. And the Advent Doll was brought back from Germany by another student.

In the spirit of Christmas I want to share a favorite song with you. This is one I grew up listening to every Christmas and we even sang it in a round in the car driving to see family.

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat. Please to put a penny in the old man's hat. If you haven't got a penny, a hay penny will do, If you haven't got a hay penny, God bless you.

Now just imagine Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzy Bear and other muppets singing this tune! It is a wonderful song. If you don't know it I'll have to teach it to you sometime.

Christmas is coming...

2006-12-02T17:20:00.000-05:00

It is December 2nd and my husband and I have our tree up already. It's decorated with lights and many ornaments received over the years. We even have packages wrapped under the tree. It is our 2nd Christmas together as man and wife. I want to enjoy and remember this Christmas as much as possible. For next year we will have a 7 month old baby at Christmas. In three weeks from Sunday my husband and I will be on a plane to Florida. We are spending Christmas with my family in Orlando and spending Dec. 25th, my Mom's birthday, at Disney World. I've never been to Florida or Disney before. It should be a good time. When we get back two days later we will be driving to Lakewood, NY to spend the New Years with my husband's family. I am looking forward to that as well. This is such a wonderful time of the year to be spent with family thinking about the gift of Christ being born. And just what that means in our lives as followers of Christ.

Butterflies!

2006-11-22T12:46:00.000-05:00

This picture was taken a couple weeks ago when I was 14 weeks pregnant. As you can see I have a little bump. Last week my husband and I took a trip with his family. We spent 5 days on the Mississippi Queen traveling down the Mississippi River. Below is a picture of the Mississippi Queen. We left from St. Louis, MO and ended in Memphis, TN. During the trip on Saturday night I felt the baby move for the first time. It felt just like I had butterflies in my stomach, except it was only on the left side of my tummy. I was sitting at a show of music from the 50's, 60's, and 70's when I felt the movement. And during the performance of music I felt the butterflies off and on quite frequently. Charles and I think the baby must have liked the music :) Maybe the baby will be a disco dancer. It was an exciting time of the trip.

Names

2006-11-13T10:30:00.000-05:00

I used my first name with my maiden name. However if I used my first name with my married name there were 121 people in the U.S.A. with my name. Try it out!

HowManyOfMe.com

There are:
6
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

Expecting Our First Child

2006-10-20T18:30:00.000-04:00

It has been too long since I last wrote. But a lot has happened. The biggest news is my husband and I are having a baby! I just finished my first trimester. I am starting week 14 of my pregnancy. Charles and I are very excited to be parents. It is going to be a big change in our lives, but I know we will be ready for it. Yesterday I had my second doctor visit and we got to hear the baby's heart beat. It was amazing. I have not felt any movement yet and probably won't for awhile. But it is exciting knowing there is a little person growing inside of me. This is our first baby and the first grand baby for both sides of the family. It will be a baby that is truly blessed by all the attention he/she will receive. We have decided that we do not want to have an ultra sound. So we will not be finding out if the baby is a boy or girl. I am hoping for a boy, but will receive whatever the Lord blesses us with. That's enough for now. I will be writing more entry's later throughout my pregnancy.

The Christian Egg

2006-09-08T12:43:00.000-04:00

This morning I was cooking eggs for breakfast and one of the eggs turned out looking like a fish.
My husband and I thought it was funny so we got a camera and snapped a picture of it.
We called it "The Christian Egg"

A Short Trip

2006-09-06T14:50:00.000-04:00

Over Labor Day weekend my husband, Charles and I took a trip to visit family in New York. We arrived late Saturday night. On Sunday Charles and I provided music for the church service at his home church. The rest of that day was spent with his parents, sister and brother-in-law (Jenn & George) and grandparents. Later Sunday night Charles and I drove to Jenn and George's house for the next two nights. On Monday we took a day trip to Toronto to visit friends of Jenn and George. The first picture above was taken in front of the CN Tower in Toronto. The last two pictures are from our visit to Niagra Falls on our drive home. We had a great weekend!

Benefits from the Cross

2006-08-28T16:56:00.000-04:00

Have you ever thought about the benefits we receive from Christ's sacrifice on the cross?

Last night my husband and I and our church family discussed that question. We came up with a list of benefits that we, "as believers in Christ", get to partake in. Here are just a few of them: Hope, Righteousness, Forgiveness, Joy, Peace, Eternal Life, Fellowship, Suffering, and Knowing the one and only God of the universe. As I thought about these things, I couldn't help feel guilty about how much I fail and disobey the Lord every second of everyday. But the Lord, who is Patient and Forgiving, continues to grace me with these benefits every second of everyday.

Praise the LORD!

Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
Priase him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,
praise him with the clash of
cymbals,
praise him with resounding
cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!

- Psalm 150

Praise the Father, that he sacrificed his only Son to blot out our sin and bring us into a relationship with him forever!

Celebrate!

2006-08-21T12:17:00.000-04:00

Today is my sister and brother-in-law's 2nd wedding anniversary. They were married on August 21, 2004 in Fort Dodge, Iowa. My sister is going to school to become a nurse. My brother-in-law works for Wells Fargo Bank and Trust. He is also in the Iowa National Guard and spent a year in Iraq before they were married. This a picture of them when they got engaged.

Silent Night Memorial Chapel

2006-08-08T16:42:00.000-04:00

The Silent Night Memorial Chapel in Frankenmuth, Michigan is a replica of the chapel in Oberndorf, Austria. On the chapel grounds at Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland, plaques with the hymn "Silent Night" in over 300 languages are located along a lamppost-lined walkway featuring a "Silent Night" musical score arch and a life-size Nativity. The peaceful chapel interior consists of a walk-through area where through a glass divider, visitors can see the chancel area: an altar with a replica of Oberndorf's hand-crocheted filet altar cloth, a crucifix carved in 1818, pews, a Nativity scene, an Austrian-style Christmas tree, a memorial wreath with guitar, the Biblical account of the Chrsitmas story, information about the hymn and composeres, and a reproduction of the original musical score. Stained glass windows add to the serene atomposhere. A large Advent wreath, star, and crwon handg from the ceiling. The message of Christ's birth, Luke 2:1-19, is shown in 30 languages. "Silent Night" music is heard inside and outside on the chapel grounds.

The Story of Silent Night

2006-08-08T15:41:00.000-04:00

On Christmas Eve 1818, the German carol "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!" was sung for the very first time in St. Nikolaus Church in the tiny village of Oberndorf, eight miles north of Salzburg, Austria. There was no celebrity to sing at the world premiere and no masscommunication system to spread the song's fame. Yet its composer reported that the "simple composition...instantly met with approval." It has since gone on to become one of the world's most beloved carols.
Around 1819, an organ builder form Fugen, named Carl Maraucher, heard about the carol when he was in Oberndorf. He liked the carol so much that he brought "Silent Night!" back with him to his home town, and from there it spread all over the world, reaching American shores for the first time in 1839, when the Rainer singers from Austria performed it in New York City. It's powerful message of heavenly peace has crossed all borders and language barriers, having been translated into over 300 languages. Now, nearly 200 years later, "Silent Night!" is an anchor for Christmas celebrations throughout the world.

Here are the words to this beloved carol in the language it was written.

Stille nacht! Heilige nacht!
Alles schlaft, einsam wacht
Nur das traute heilige Paar,
Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,
Schlaf' in himmlischer Ruh',
Schlaf' in himmlischer Ruh'!

Stille nacht! Heilige nacht!
Hirten erst kundgemacht,
Durch der Engel Halleluja
Tont es laut von Fern und Nah!
Christ der Retter ist da!
Christ der Retter ist da!

Stille nacht! Heilige nacht!
Gottes Sohn, O wie lacht!
Leib' aus deinem gottlichen Mund,
Da uns schlagt die rettende Stund',
Christ in deiner Geburt!
Christ in deiner Geburt!

Finally Frankenmuth!

2006-08-07T20:36:00.000-04:00

Earlier this summer in June, my husband and I had planned a trip to Frankenmuth to celebrate our one year Anniversary. However, some things came up and we were unable to go. The rest of June and all of July flew by and we just couldn't find time...until yesterday. Charles found out his day off was going to be Monday this week instead of the normal Wednesdays. So last night we decided to drive up to Frankenmuth today. We left and arrived at Frankenmuth around 10 o'clock A.M this morning. There were lots of little shops and great food. We spent the first few hours at Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland. It is a big store and after awhile it can seem overwhelming with all the merchandise.
After we finished at Bronner's we walked outside to find a replica of the Silent Night Memorial Chapel in Oberndorf, near Salzburg, Austria. My husband was filled with joy in seeing this Chapel. He could have spent all his time there. We spent the rest of the day in and out of little shops. Of course we had to buy some fudge...in case you're wondering we got Turtle Fudge...yummy. Later we took a ride on a river boat, which was interesting. Then we finished off the day by eating at Bavarian Inn Resturant. We had heard about how the resturant's at Frankenmuth are known for their chicken meals and had to experience it.

Marriage Reflection

2006-08-03T10:35:00.000-04:00

Summer tends to be the time of year for weddings. Last weekend my husband and I attended a wedding in Lancaster, PA. The Bride and Groom are both Christians and wrote their own wedding vows to each other. One of the things that the Bride said in her vow, was that the love her fiance gave her changed her for the better. She also said that she saw Christ in him, which is one of the most attractive qualities of a man. I share this because after you have been married awhile, the tendicies to forget why you married are great. I married my husband, Charles, because of the qualities he brought out in me. I became a better person because of his love.

Fly Away

2006-08-01T08:37:00.000-04:00

This weekend we participated at a wedding in Lancaster, PA. The most special part happened after the wedding when the bride and groom literally flew away into the sunset. The bride's father owns several planes and his back yard is a runway. So, after the wedding was finished they flew away right when the sun was setting. Here is a picture of the flight. The new couple has a really nice blog site that's worth checking out as well.

Family Reunion

2006-07-13T11:15:00.000-04:00

On July 2nd, 2006 we attended the Barrick Family Reunion, where over 80 family memebers were present. Can you imagine trying to remember everyone's name when you are the in-law? Well, my husband did a pretty good job.