Nana's Visit

All the cars have had oil changes.

All the doorbells have new batteries.

T's new birthday tux shirt has been returned for the correct size.

Buttons are sewn back on.

The living room is vacuumed and the laundry is folded.

And it is not even lunch time.

Nana must be in town.

We are so excited to host Nana for a week in preparation for Uncle C's wedding.

We'll play plenty of Sequence and board games, enjoy outings and meals.  

What a blessing it is to have Nana with us!

Happily Ever,

Queen B

Saying Good-bye to Nana

Today we had to say good-bye to Nana after having her with us for our fun Lutsen ski trip.  

We were all pretty bummed out that she was leaving.

On our way to school, E-Bear said,

"I wish I had an off day today."

"What would you do if you were off school today, E-Bear?" I asked.

"I would play board games with Nana," E-Bear replied.

"Nana is the best board game player ever,"  he continued.

"There is just nobody like Nana."

I have to agree. Thanks to Nana for a super-fun visit.  

Our kids are so blessed to have three amazing grandparents.

Happily Ever,

Queen B

Happy Birthday, Nana!

Happy Birthday to our dear Nana!

Thanks to Nana for joining us for her birthday this year!  It is such a treat to celebrate a woman who has given so much to all of us over the years.  We love you!

On new cookbooks, Jumping J-Bear, and a full, fall week

I am reading...New cookbooks sent by my sister-in-law, Aunt A!  Thank you, Aunt A!  Our whole family will appreciate the inspiration from these three great books: Indian Cooking Unfolded, Lighten Up America from Cooking Light, and Budget Bytes (a pre-ordered preview!). I have already planned several meals that I can't wait to try.  These cookbooks are such a thoughtful, unexpected gift.  What a treat!

One of my favorite things...is watching J-Bear jump in her Johnny Jumper.  We got ours out for her this week.  She took to it like a duck to water.  Now it is her favorite toy!  She especially loves to jump and watch us from the dining room doorway as we eat dinner.  From there, she can turn herself around to watch the kids play in the living room once they finish eating.  She has quite the perch. Sweet little J-Bear....

A few plans for the rest of the week: G-Bear goes back to school today, and we have a jam-packed week with Nana here to help us!  We're going to celebrate T's first year of work over a dinner with his co-workers, tackle lots of meetings, I'll prep for cardiovascular lectures and maybe do some fall shopping that I have been putting off. We're ready to hit the ground running!  

On changing clothes, teaching class and awaiting Nana

I am wearing...my fuzziest sock and my warmest fleece sweater.  A chill has arrived in the air.  This past week I spent a morning with all the kids in the closet changing over our clothes from summer short-sleeves to fall/winter warmth.  I was amazed to see how much G-Bear has grown in the past year (most of her winter clothes no longer fit).  I was also feeling nostalgic as I got out E-Bear's old clothes to add to Buddy Bear's shelves.  What a blessing it is for us to be able to hand clothes down to younger siblings!  Buddy Bear gets so excited to wear "new" clothes that E-Bear once wore.  

I am creating...a second exam for the students in my physiology class.  I have enjoyed teaching immensely.  I have also found it to be immensely challenging.  There is never enough time in the day to prepare as much as I would like.  Since T is able to be home with the kids during one of my lectures and during my lab time, we only have 3 hours of babysitter time each week.  That means I stay up late and wake up early to plan my lectures so that I can spend the daytime with the kids.  I enjoy introducing the miraculous human body to my students, as I watch them make connections that I remember making for the first time a decade ago.  I am also humbled and comforted by the fact that if I ever have the chance to teach again, I'll probably (hopefully!) do a better job having done it once before.

I am looking forward to... Nana's arrival this weekend.  We'll enjoy a full week of Nana's love and support, and we're all doing an excited, happy dance as a result. 

Celebration in Hilton Head

So, why were we all in Hilton Head?

To celebrate Nana, of course!

Nana can gather a crowd like no other.  

Rightfully so, because she has invested years of love into many, many lives!

We needed a whole week to celebrate Nana this year. 

We even brought a few additional adoring fans to help us celebrate in style!

Nana's children's in-laws couldn't miss the fun!

At her birthday dinner, thanks to Aunt A, we presented Nana with a book of notes and pictures from dozens of her most adoring fans.  It was beautiful to watch her enjoy the loving words and sentiments on the first few pages.

Nana reading her birthday book

All week long, we savored the fun of being together.  

But the week was about more than playing in the pool, 

eating big meals, 

playing at the beach, 

and riding our bikes (although all were wonderful).

Most of all, our week was about nurturing a love of family life that Nana has cultivated in our lives for many, many years.  The week was a gift to Nana, a gift to ourselves, and perhaps most of all, a gift to our children.  

Fittingly, Nana was surrounded by several other amazing couples who raised her children's spouses with a similar love for family and family life.   

One thing was quite evident during the course of the week: Nana and Dee, MoMo and Papa, KK and Papa, and Grammy and Grandpa have done a wonderful job as parents and grandparents.  They leave us with big shoes to fill....

...which makes us all the more grateful for their ongoing example.

Mom, You are my Sunshine

Happy Mother's Day weekend, friends.

We are having a really special Mother's Day here in Happily Ever Johnson Land.

On Thursday, G-Bear's Kinder class performed a Mother's Day Paraliturgy Program.

The moms were the honored guests of the program.  

We each had a special seat, decorated with personalized pictures. 

My portrait, by G-Bear

Our children were the stars.

The kids marched in singing "You are My Sunshine," carrying sunshines for Mom.

By the end, there were very few dry eyes in the performance hall.

I am one blessed Momma.

This weekend, we are blessed to have Nana with us.

Nana has four children, and now, thanks to the birth of J-Bear and her new cousin, she is grandmother of twelve.

Nana with G-Bear after her program.

This weekend, we are blessed to be with MoMo, who is home from Mayo and our inspiration.

GrandMo and J-Bear

To celebrate these amazing women in Mother's Day grandeur, our kids made daffodil leis. 

MoMo's daffodil lei from the Bears.

The Bears have made me feel really special too.

In G-Bear's program, each child got a chance to tell their mom something she appreciated about her.

Each response was so special, but, of course, G-Bear's comment was the most special to me (I know I am biased):

"My Mom is the sunshine of my life because she reads the best stories."

Six years ago, G-Bear made me a Momma.  

She continues to be a blessing my life each and everyday.

My present from G-Bear

E-Bear wowed me with a special present as well.  

Can you believe that he and G-Bear both gave me the same compliment in their gifts?

Do you think they planned it?

 I am glad my Bears seem to love our daily story time as much as I do :)

 E-Bear came running out of preschool with a big smile on his face as he presented me with his gift.  The lovely purple and white pansy keeps me company in the kitchen.

It is a perfect symbol of the joy E-Bear brings to my daily life.

My present from E-Bear

Becoming a mother four times over has been an incredible, miraculous experience that has blessed my life in unimaginable ways.  The blessing of mothering my children is beyond anything that can be celebrated in a single day.  But, I definitely have some teachers to thank for all the effort they put into helping my children make my Mother's Day so special!  

To MoMo and Nana, GG, and our beloved GG Isabel in heaven, we love you.  You are irreplaceable, to you we owe thanksgiving for our lives and so much in them, you are inspiration for our journey.  Thank you for teaching me daily how to be a better Mother.  Jesus, thank you for giving us Your own mother as an example for us for all time. 

Thank you, Lord, for the mothers in our lives.  

Tunnel Slide

Today Nana took E-Bear to the park while I was at a meeting and G-Bear was at school.  He amazed her with the fearlessness with which he tackled the slides.  She suggested a low, slow, straight slide for him as they arrived at the park.  E-Bear chose instead to climb the tower to ride down the tallest, twisty tunnel slide.

Tunnel slides can be scary because it is hard for kids to see the bottom.
When it comes to life, many of us are the same way.

"I wode the TUNNEL swide, Mommy!"  E-Bear announced proudly when I returned from my meeting.

"Great job, E-Bear!"  I replied.

"I a BIG boy!"  He said.


Nana wisely commented that E-Bear's approach to slides is the way we should all be going through life:

In the Park of Life, ride the tunnel slide rather than the straight slide.

You can't see your way to the bottom, 

you have to trust God to get you there.

Well said, Nana.  And way to go, E-Bear.

Nanas are Awesome

NB: All of the below Nana accolades apply to GranMos as well.

GranMo just returned from a week away in Boston.

Nana comes tomorrow to visit for the second (of three!) time in 8 weeks.

We are living the high life around here!

The awesomeness of Nanas is well know around these parts.  

Everything is better when Nanas are around.

For instance:

At our house, there is storytime before bedtime.....

....and there is ipod video time before bedtime with Nana: 

Note storybook replaced by ipod videos....likely princesses.

At our house, there are jellybean treats after dinner.....

and then there is treat time with Nana:

G-Bear's sundae creation built by Nana.

The smile says it all.  Hey, Mom!  Check out my treat!

At our house there is nap time...

and then there is nap time with Nana:

No nap time like cuddling with Nana!

See what I mean?  Our house is the place to be this week.  We are soooooo excited to have Nana coming (and GranMo back!) again.

I know Nana is visiting when...

I return home from work to find:

New shoes on E-Bear's feet,
A new haircut on his head,
G-Bear wearing a new Tinkerbell PJ dress
(complete with matching slippers!),
and
Happy Meal leftovers in the fridge.

Lest I make it sound like my kids are the only ones being spoiled, I also returned home to find:

New paper-towels in the kitchen,
8 loads of laundry folded,
The sink, which has leaked for 4 months, is fixed,
The kids are bathed, have been to the park, to lunch, the zoo, the mall and the home-improvement store all before naptime.
The number of meals I have cooked since Nana's arrival on Saturday: Zero.
And...
At dinner last night?  Cookies AND milkshakes for dessert!

Who could ask for more?!

We love our Nana!

Happily Ever,
Queen B