Camping!

Way back in April, our family spent some special time together in the wilderness of the lowcountry.  The weather was great and we enjoyed many adventures together in God’s beautiful creation.

Sunset over the marsh.

We took a 3 mile bike ride on some rough dirt/mud roads.  Good workout for the legs!

Taking a quick break.

A few of the boys raced on their bikes back to our campsite.  On the main gravel road, they barely missed this 3 foot poisonous cottonmouth out sunning himself.  Kyle took care of him with the truck!  Yeah Kyle!!

Later in the afternoon, four of us went on a couple mile kayak trip to BP’s dock.  The water was a bit choppy on the Cooper River.

Heading back with the current this time:)

We saw quite a few alligators up close in the smaller creeks.  This one is around 8 feet long.

The bass were biting well and we enjoyed a delicious fish dinner back at home.

We all were happy to head home and out of the “no-see-um” bug territory.  They loved Hope’s hair.

“Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth! Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity."   Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.”

Psalm 96:9-13

Comings and Goings

A quiet blog seems to mean one of two things, there is not much going on, or the schedule is FULL.  2015 has been a year filled with good hard work, family activities, music, friends, and events, as well as flexibility to jump into opportunities the Lord brings.  Here are a few snapshots…   

We attended a wonderful family conference focused on gratitude.

 

Working on her winking abilities;)

 

For his 16th birthday, Davis requested an outside party with a big game of soccer and relay races.

 

…Oh yes, and the traditional birthday attire with coordinating pipe cleaner “16 glasses! (thanks to Clara and Philip)

 

A successful fishing trip during our family campout.

 

With our lovely grandparents and southern azaleas.

 

Happy birthday Daddy…yes, another hat!

 

Spending time with friends at a nearby lake.  We didn’t catch anything, but the view was beautiful and peaceful.

 

A local dairy farm and our source for raw milk.  The calves love to play and suck our fingers.

 

Dinner at a favorite local restaurant with more grandparents…thanks Grandpa!!

 

In a few years, Hope will probably be our roller coaster queen.  Every time she sees a new piece of equipment or motor vehicle, she wants a ride.

Kyle’s full-time lawn business is flourishing and keeps him and Davis (and other strong young men willing to work on hot humid days) quite busy.

 

4th of July pie contest…yummmm!  Our entries were the fruit pizza and American flag berry pie.  The original name for the the berry pie was “Old Glory” but the name soon changed to “Faded Glory.”

 

Time to process tomatoes!  Thank you Clara!

 

This year, Kyle was offered growing privileges on 3 acres to experiment with organic gardening.  He learned to check the deer preference list (they really enjoyed ALL the sweet potato, bean  and onion plants) but Kyle enjoyed a good harvest of squash and watermelon.  Not pictured are 80 or so watermelons!

 

30 gallons of blueberries!  This is one of the few pictures we have when someone is not snitching…however, I think Luke is thinking about it:)

 

Dad and Mom enjoy their date nights, especially by Charleston harbor.

 

“Hey missy, stop tearing down my tower!”

So yes, Johnson life remains full of energy and daily sanctification.  As seasons come and go, we are so thankful for the Lord’s faithfulness and promise to finish the work He has begun.

2014 Hunting Season

For our family, hunting is great fun and also a practice in patience.  Daddy started hunting with the boys 5 years ago and didn’t see a single deer that first fall.  This year we were blessed by seeing lots of animal activity and harvesting quite a few deer.

For our family, the season opened with a coyote, the deer’s natural predator.  Where we hunt, the coyotes have been taking down deer just for ‘fun’ and doing damage to the herd.  Kyle was sitting alone and watching yearling deer play when this coyote came out of woods chasing a deer.  Kyle shot the coyote as it ran through the field and became the deer’s champion!


Luke’s first deer…Way To Go!!  He has been Dad’s official deer spotter so he was very excited to get his first harvest.


Philip loves to sit with Daddy in the stand.  He is looking forward to the day he can hold a gun.


The boys shot these nice does at neighboring stands.  Davis’s deer was in the field when he reached the stand.  He climbed the ladder VERY slowly and was able to remain undetected until he was situated in the stand.  Great patience Davis, especially with your first deer harvest!!


I (Emilee) enjoyed hunting this year.  It is so peaceful and quiet out there in the woods (except for the noisy squirrels), even if you don’t see any viable targets.  This was my first sit in a stand by myself and the Lord provided a nice buck as my first deer.  I am looking forward to next year:)
Thanks Dad for taking us hunting…hope Bullwinkle visits your stand next year!

We Got You!

A year ago this month, my parents sat in a big room in China with many other adoptive families and received our girl!  Looking back over the past year, we know we had no idea what it would be like to have a new adopted little one in the family.  Yes, we were ‘educated’ by our agency and had observed other families, but our first year was nothing like we anticipated.  Often as humans, we want to know what the future holds and what our life will look like down the road.  However, we are so thankful that only God knew what this year held.  The victories have been wonderful but they have only come with much struggle.  

It is such a blessing to watch Hope blossom in so many ways.  Her sense of humor is coming out more and she enjoys being the baby of the family:)  She is also quite the copycat and we love to watch her make many funny face contortions.

Enjoying the fall season with big brother.

In September we attended a wonderful wedding.  Luke enjoyed taking apart the truck decorations afterwards.

The little guys performing a science experiment in the best location…outside!

Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Isaiah 42:5-7

Learning to Give

“I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Acts 20:35

Living in a larger family has many unique joys, opportunities, blessings, and lessons.  There is always someone to talk to, someone to listen to, someone to work with, someone to play with, someone to learn with, and someone to cook for.  When you live with many people day in and day out, the depraved nature of man is also seen in a multiplied sense.  Each one of us is born selfish and with the desire to gratify ourselves immediately.  Family life is an excellent and God designed institution to teach every member that it is “more blessed to give than to receive.”


Our newest member, little Hope is beginning to learn this lesson too.  Even though she has been with us less than a year, it is so important that she learns that she is not a body to be cared for, but a person made in the image of God who was created to work.  She has learned to enjoy her little chores of cleaning her tray, throwing trash away, putting dirty clothes in the basket, helping Momma with sticks in the yard, and cleaning up her toys.  She can be particular that things are put away just so!


The ability to accept, want, and give nurturing personal love is another area that Hope has had to learn.  Dependence on parents is an area that will be a work in progress for quite awhile.  On day one in China, Hope was given her first doll and has been encouraged and taught to love baby.  She has a few dollies now and they are becoming her favorite toys.  It is so sweet to see Hope carry baby around the house as she follows Momma.


Food is one of the hardest areas for us to understand Hope’s background and for her to trust Mom and Dad with.  Tears were a normal occurrence at meal time because her expectations were not met.  Praise the Lord, there has been some big improvement in the past few weeks!  Recently, Mom gave Hope a toy bottle and taught her how to feed baby.  To see Hope give her baby food (her previous security and purpose in life) was wonderful!!  Does Hope completely understand what she was doing?  Probably not.  But she is learning that she is not here to be served in every way she desires.  She is a person created to serve her Savior and blessed to take part in the dignity of work for His glory.
Hope is not the only one working on selflessness, each one of us is a work in progress.  For me, it can be much easier to busy myself with household chores instead of keeping an eye out for relationships I can invest in.  Jesus has time for the little children, to create beautiful flowers, birds, and trees for His glory and the enjoyment of His creations.  As a follower of Christ, do I have time to patiently help my little brother with his math, listen to my brother talk about his latest invention in the shop, play the harp at a moment’s notice to help my Mom relax, or do the dishes for my tired brother even if I am ready for a break?
Today, what special way can you follow Christ’s example by experiencing the fact that it is “more blessed to give than to receive”?

A Manhood charge and recent happenings

 

Earlier this month, we hosted an entrance into manhood celebration for Kyle.  He had a wonderful time with the men in our church skeet shooting, fellowshipping, and being charged as he enters this new stage in life.

Enjoying lunch together.

 

Receiving his first charge from Papa on following Christ’s example as he perfectly exemplified the fruits of the Spirit.

 

Pastor Ken exhorting Kyle to humility as seen in the life of Moses.

 

Grandpa sharing a few of his thoughts regarding manhood.

 

Sisters were present to encourage and provide yummy food.

 

Mr. Heller’s charge to Kyle.

 

Mr. Philip :)

 

Finally, Daddy’s charge to his son to be a man who consistently labors for the kingdom of Christ.

 

Attentive listeners.

 

While our other Grandparents were here, they graciously took us out to dinner at a local plantation.  We enjoyed a walk before our meal.

 

A few more Hope highlights…

Missy helping (i.e. snacking) in the kitchen!

 

For quite a while, it was very traumatic for Hope to open her mouth when told to do so in order to make sure her food was properly disposed of.  After much work, we are now blessed with this happy response!