It was a good week.
The Last of the Firsts
January 31 is coming.
While the year of pain and suffering that was 2020 ended December 31, my personal year of pain will end on January 31. It will be the end of the Firsts.
My dad passed away late in the night on January 31, 2020. Every day since then has been a first.
The first Valentine's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas.
The first June 27 (their anniversary), July 7 (his birthday), September 27 (my birthday), November 3 (Mom's birthday).
The first morning waking up with him gone. The first time cleaning my Airbnb and knowing that he wasn't "checking up on me" using Find My Friends. The first time opening the cabin. The first time closing the cabin.
SO MANY FIRSTS!
Some we could have avoided, but chose to walk through them, while some came at us without permission or any way to avoid them. Each one has brought tears and memories...and smiles and laughter at the many, many memories.
It has been a painful year.
There are a couple more firsts coming up in the next few weeks. I am planning to go back to United Noodle. This is one of those firsts I can avoid if I wish but feel like I have to face. The last time I was there was the end of January, 2020. I was meeting several of my kids there for lunch. When I was in the parking lot, my sister called and told me that Dad was going to be moved to the hospice. I knew it wasn't going to be long at that point. We ate lunch and then I went to my parent's house. I really don't want to go back to United Noodle. I don't want to cry in the grocery aisle, but I will because I feel like I need to. I will because I don't believe in avoiding hard things. I will because you can't skirt around grief; you have to go through it.
The last first will be January 31 itself. Most of us are going to go to Alabama and spend a week at the beach, where SO MANY happy memories with Dad reside. It will be HARD, but it will be good...and we'll be together.
Amidst the pain of this past year, I am so, so very thankful that I had 54 years with my Dad! He was not perfect (but close), and he loved us so much. He cared about us and for us with every bit of himself.
"A heart that's broke is a heart that's been loved"
Friday Fotos
Today, we’ll look back in a few choice videos from the week. Still called Friday Fotos because Friday Videos doesn’t sound as cool.
Music Monday
I think this is a perfect song for 2020.
It's been a hard year - personally and communally - but even in the midst of all the pain and suffering, God is still sovereign, loving, and kind.
Christmas 2020 Style
When life was normal, Christmas was a multi-day, multi-family extravaganza! Obviously, nothing is normal about this year, so we had to make new ways to celebrate...and so we did! It was a bittersweet day for me, being the first Christmas without Dad, so it felt quite fitting that nothing about it was "normal." He very much loved the holidays and all the family-time that came with them. He was certainly in our hearts each moment of the holiday.
A masked visit with mom was a blessing to all of us!!
Jadey Bear enjoyed Christmas morning!
We even managed a little Christmas Eve talent show!
It’s the Little Things
Today, the little thing we are thankful for is at-home Covid spit tests. Available for FREE to all Minnesotans!
Click here to get your own! It takes about 2 days to arrive. Once you take the test, you get the results in about 48 hours.
Friday Fotos
Crazy week which entailed getting a new phone, so Friday Fotos are primarily selfies 😂
Big Day
Lost in the shuffle of holiday preparations, we had a BIG day here at the Johnson house!
This girl
Emily, aka dearest child number 5, graduated with her Associates Degree from Normandale. We are so, so incredibly proud of her hard work. She even made the Dean's list every single quarter there! Even though there isn't an in person commencement ceremony, we want to celebrate her accomplishments here!
She will be taking a little time off from school to earn money for the next stage of her education. She plans on pursuing a bachelor's degree in special education in the not-too-distant future.
Congratulations, Emily! You are amazing!!
Friday Fotos
I think Friday will be my day to post random pictures from my week. Maybe I’ll offer explanations, but maybe I’ll just do a visual “highlights” post.
It’s been a good week!
Decision Fatigue
I am suffering from a serious case of decision fatigue! You know, when you have to make so many decisions each day that your brain just refuses to make any more.
On top of the normal, what should I wear, what should I cook for dinner decisions, how will we juggle three cars between five drivers? Now we have - where can I safely go, who can I safely see, what mask goes with my outfit? Okay, that last one has NEVER crossed my mind...until now.
This is a problem today because...CHRISTMAS!
I have to make decisions about presents!! Yikes! This has literally caused me to freeze in my tracks. It doesn't help that we don't even know what we are doing for Christmas. Who will we see? Where will we see them? How are we going to eat all our favorite Christmas food stuffs if we aren't all together? What will I do with the plethora of stocking stuffers I am rapidly accumulating in my basement if I don't get to see these people?
Anyone else having a hard time completing their Christmas shopping this year? My misery would love company!
Musical Monday
I feel like Monday is a good day to post lovely music, so hear is a link to a truly beautiful song. Enjoy!
I'm Baaaaaaack!
Just when you and I both thought I would never blog again, along came 2020 and, just like the pandemic, here I am!
No doubt some of you are wondering "Why?" Why start blogging again after all these years? It has been six years since I blogged regularly and a lot has changed here in my little "zoo" and everywhere else. In those six years, I occasionally had a thought or two that I might want to share, but then life moved on and it was forgotten. Then my dear sister-in-love, Monica, encouraged me to start up the blog again, and here I am!
For my first post, I thought I would catch you up on the past six years...
Let's see...
Maybe this is best done in bullet form -
- My kids all got older, but Chris and I stayed surprisingly young 😉
- Evan and Erin have given us two beautiful granddaughters (with a grandson on the way!)
- Molly got married to Danny after dating for almost forever
- Nina started her career as a massage therapist (she is the best massage therapist I've ever been to - and that is a completely unbiased opinion)
- Nina moved out
- Aidan & Emily both graduated from high school, but are both still living at home
- Marcus is in public high school (Junior)
- Raelea is still homeschooled (Sophomore) and has taken up the violin
- Zoe is in public middle school (8th Gr)
- I bought a house in Minneapolis that I run as a short-term rental (Airbnb, VRBO)
- We traveled around before the pandemic shut that down (England, Scotland, Italy, Ireland, and various parts of the US)
I am sure a lot more has happened, but for now the above list will suffice. And now for good measure here's a picture from our Christmas tree hunting today.
Welcome back!
I'm Having An AMAZING Day!
Today! What an amazing day!
Despite getting to bed after midnight and having a less than restful sleep, I was able to crawl out of bed at 5:30 this morning with a hug from my ever patient husband waiting for me. After finding out that I forget to prep the coffee pot last night, I was able to quickly grind those beans and start the wonderful, magical coffee pot. Whilst the coffee was brewing I had the privilege of making lunch for my three kiddos who go to public school
After all that, I hardly felt worthy to sit down and get to read my Bible AND pray with my hubby before he left for work. Do you believe it?! It wasn't even 6:30 AM and I was already SO blessed.
The morning rushed by as I got to ride along while my permitted-driver child drove herself to work, deftly handling the construction zones on the way! What a privilege to teach yet another child how to drive. Back at home, I was able to hang my laundry for the day out on the line, thanks to the abundant sunshine and warm weather. Just looking at that laundry makes me smile!
Despite a late start, I was able to complete the school with the two at home AND correct their work from yesterday that I hadn't finished. That is a blessing, indeed!
After a very tasty lunch of amazing left-overs, I had time to do a 30 minute work-out where I only collapsed in exhaustion half a dozen times. To top it off, I was able to do the work-out without any modifications, a first since I injured my back a couple weeks ago! YAY for my chiropractor and a God who loves to heal our infirmities - AND my shoulder that's been giving me trouble hardly hurt at all!
There's still more amazingness left in my day, so I need to end here. I have groceries to pick up, children to drive places, dinner to make....
It's going to be an amazing night!
Despite getting to bed after midnight and having a less than restful sleep, I was able to crawl out of bed at 5:30 this morning with a hug from my ever patient husband waiting for me. After finding out that I forget to prep the coffee pot last night, I was able to quickly grind those beans and start the wonderful, magical coffee pot. Whilst the coffee was brewing I had the privilege of making lunch for my three kiddos who go to public school
After all that, I hardly felt worthy to sit down and get to read my Bible AND pray with my hubby before he left for work. Do you believe it?! It wasn't even 6:30 AM and I was already SO blessed.
The morning rushed by as I got to ride along while my permitted-driver child drove herself to work, deftly handling the construction zones on the way! What a privilege to teach yet another child how to drive. Back at home, I was able to hang my laundry for the day out on the line, thanks to the abundant sunshine and warm weather. Just looking at that laundry makes me smile!
Despite a late start, I was able to complete the school with the two at home AND correct their work from yesterday that I hadn't finished. That is a blessing, indeed!
After a very tasty lunch of amazing left-overs, I had time to do a 30 minute work-out where I only collapsed in exhaustion half a dozen times. To top it off, I was able to do the work-out without any modifications, a first since I injured my back a couple weeks ago! YAY for my chiropractor and a God who loves to heal our infirmities - AND my shoulder that's been giving me trouble hardly hurt at all!
There's still more amazingness left in my day, so I need to end here. I have groceries to pick up, children to drive places, dinner to make....
It's going to be an amazing night!
Sappy Mom Post
Maybe it's becoming a grandma, or maybe it's having two daughters graduating in a few months, or maybe it's middle-age hormone adjustments. Maybe it's all three. All I know is that I've been all sentimental lately.
Something about staring at my beautiful little granddaughter, brings me back 21 years to when her daddy was a baby. Her parents love her so much. I remember that feeling as a new mom, discovering how much I could love another human being. Surely, I thought I couldn't love him any more than I did that day he was born. I was wrong. The older my child got, the more I loved him. Then more children came and I loved them so much, as well!
How it works is, you love them more when they are grown up and moving away from you than when they first came to you. So, my kids (if you are reading this), cut your mom some slack if she seems kind of clingy lately. This mom job is tough. You just wait and see!
And as long as I'm on the subject of love and kids and sappiness, I might as well just keep going.
You know how wonderful it is when your little toddler or five year old says they love you? They're so sweet. They believe you are perfect. They think you've hung the stars and the moon and that you can do no wrong. It is a sweet thing to hear, but they love who they think you are, not who you really are.
Do you know what's sweeter? To hear your teenage child say, "I love you, Mom." Because they no longer think you're perfect. They are quite certain of that. They don't even think you're right much of the time. You embarrass them. You correct them. You blog about them. They've seen you get angry. They've seen you fail. They've seen you give up. They've seen you in your leopard print bathrobe. So when they say they love you, they love who you really are, and that is FAR sweeter.
Something about staring at my beautiful little granddaughter, brings me back 21 years to when her daddy was a baby. Her parents love her so much. I remember that feeling as a new mom, discovering how much I could love another human being. Surely, I thought I couldn't love him any more than I did that day he was born. I was wrong. The older my child got, the more I loved him. Then more children came and I loved them so much, as well!
How it works is, you love them more when they are grown up and moving away from you than when they first came to you. So, my kids (if you are reading this), cut your mom some slack if she seems kind of clingy lately. This mom job is tough. You just wait and see!
And as long as I'm on the subject of love and kids and sappiness, I might as well just keep going.
You know how wonderful it is when your little toddler or five year old says they love you? They're so sweet. They believe you are perfect. They think you've hung the stars and the moon and that you can do no wrong. It is a sweet thing to hear, but they love who they think you are, not who you really are.
Do you know what's sweeter? To hear your teenage child say, "I love you, Mom." Because they no longer think you're perfect. They are quite certain of that. They don't even think you're right much of the time. You embarrass them. You correct them. You blog about them. They've seen you get angry. They've seen you fail. They've seen you give up. They've seen you in your leopard print bathrobe. So when they say they love you, they love who you really are, and that is FAR sweeter.
Another Tasty Treat
By request....
Mediterranean Crescent Pinwheels
2 (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 lb. prosciutto or cooked ham, thinly sliced (imo, prosciutto is much better)
8 oz. (2 cups) crumbled feta cheese
1 tsp. pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup chopped basil
Heat oven to 375. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. Separate dough into 8 rectangle; place on lightly floured surface. Firmly press perforations to seal. Press or roll each to form 8 x 5 - inch rectangle.
Arrange 1/8 of prosciutto slices evenly over each rectangle. In small bowl, stir together cheese, pepper, and oil. Sprinkle mixture evenly over prosciutto on each rectangle. Sprinkle with basil. Starting at short side of each rectangle, roll up; seal long edge. With a serrated knife, cut each roll into 5 slices. Place, cut side up, on cookie sheets.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheets. Serve warm.
You can make these ahead of time and refrigerate them after you cut them into pieces, then cook prior to serving.
Mediterranean Crescent Pinwheels
2 (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 lb. prosciutto or cooked ham, thinly sliced (imo, prosciutto is much better)
8 oz. (2 cups) crumbled feta cheese
1 tsp. pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup chopped basil
Heat oven to 375. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. Separate dough into 8 rectangle; place on lightly floured surface. Firmly press perforations to seal. Press or roll each to form 8 x 5 - inch rectangle.
Arrange 1/8 of prosciutto slices evenly over each rectangle. In small bowl, stir together cheese, pepper, and oil. Sprinkle mixture evenly over prosciutto on each rectangle. Sprinkle with basil. Starting at short side of each rectangle, roll up; seal long edge. With a serrated knife, cut each roll into 5 slices. Place, cut side up, on cookie sheets.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheets. Serve warm.
You can make these ahead of time and refrigerate them after you cut them into pieces, then cook prior to serving.
I'm So Sorry!!
Yikes! I am seriously neglecting the blog these days! Truthfully, if you want to "visit" more often come over to Instagram where I am an annoying presence on a regular basis. Basically, it allows me to post stuff in seconds, as opposed to the minutes it takes me to write a blog post. Time is precious, folks! Anyway, my Instagram account is Barbiscrazy. Apporpriate name, don't you think?
If you want to see some amazing pics from Scotland that my talented hubby took, you can go out to his Flickr account here.
If you want to see some amazing pics from Scotland that my talented hubby took, you can go out to his Flickr account here.
So Much To Say!
Wow! Um, sorry about the absence! Life got away from me a bit, I guess! You remember back several months ago, I told you I was going to Scotland. Well, I went...and I came back...and I have so many stories to tell!
We just got back last evening, so I am majorly suffering from jet-lag, so I will keep it short tonight.
As you would expect, it was a wonderful trip. Scotland is so beautiful and full of history. The people are extremely friendly, kind, and warm-hearted. We met so many wonderful people on our trip, some we only spoke to for a few minutes and others we spent hours talking to. People are fascinating! I love meeting people and hearing what they have to say. Ahhhh, it was grand!
Tonight, just a Cliff notes version of our trip...
Spent our first two nights in Edinburgh and explored that beautiful, interesting city! So much to see and do there! We got in a little trouble for breaking a law, but the guards were more amused at us than angry, so that was good.
Moved on to Glasgow and met up with some of my Mumford friends who flew there from Northern Ireland and England to be with us! Wasn't that sweet!!! It was the first time we had ever met in person, and yet it felt like I had known them forever. Very, very sweet, fun, funny ladies! Explored Glasgow with them and met some of the locals.
Monday found us on a train to the Highlands, for the highlands and islands portion of our trip. Spent two nights at a most amazing inn on Loch Ness. If you're ever up in that area, I highly recommend Craigdarroch Inn! Got a Goupon deal on it which made it affordable for us. It was, by far, the nicest place we stayed! The Highlands are gorgeous. A little scary driving (oh, yeah, we picked up a car during this portion of the trip), as in winding, one-lane, two-way mountain roads. Yes, I did say ONE lane, TWO way - thankfully, there are lots and lots of "passing places" so that you and the oncoming car don't crash head-on into each other.
The last two nights we spent in Fort William and explored that area.
Oh, I forgot to mention the four hour hospital visit on the Isle of Skye. Well, yeah, that happened. Lack of sleep, proper nutrition and hydration all combined and I came down with a kidney infection. They pumped me full of really strong antibiotics and fluids, and then, against doctor's orders, I released myself from the hospital and we continued our journey. Unfortunately, my illness prevented us from climbing Ben Nevis, which is the biggest disappointment of our whole trip.
Now for a few pictures that will swiftly convince you that you, too, really want to visit Scotland!
So, are you checking airline prices to Scotland yet? I have 762 more pics to prove that it is amazing, in case you think these are an anomaly!
Anyway, my banana bread is out of the oven now, so I need to go to sleep! More stories later.
We just got back last evening, so I am majorly suffering from jet-lag, so I will keep it short tonight.
As you would expect, it was a wonderful trip. Scotland is so beautiful and full of history. The people are extremely friendly, kind, and warm-hearted. We met so many wonderful people on our trip, some we only spoke to for a few minutes and others we spent hours talking to. People are fascinating! I love meeting people and hearing what they have to say. Ahhhh, it was grand!
Tonight, just a Cliff notes version of our trip...
Spent our first two nights in Edinburgh and explored that beautiful, interesting city! So much to see and do there! We got in a little trouble for breaking a law, but the guards were more amused at us than angry, so that was good.
Moved on to Glasgow and met up with some of my Mumford friends who flew there from Northern Ireland and England to be with us! Wasn't that sweet!!! It was the first time we had ever met in person, and yet it felt like I had known them forever. Very, very sweet, fun, funny ladies! Explored Glasgow with them and met some of the locals.
Monday found us on a train to the Highlands, for the highlands and islands portion of our trip. Spent two nights at a most amazing inn on Loch Ness. If you're ever up in that area, I highly recommend Craigdarroch Inn! Got a Goupon deal on it which made it affordable for us. It was, by far, the nicest place we stayed! The Highlands are gorgeous. A little scary driving (oh, yeah, we picked up a car during this portion of the trip), as in winding, one-lane, two-way mountain roads. Yes, I did say ONE lane, TWO way - thankfully, there are lots and lots of "passing places" so that you and the oncoming car don't crash head-on into each other.
The last two nights we spent in Fort William and explored that area.
Oh, I forgot to mention the four hour hospital visit on the Isle of Skye. Well, yeah, that happened. Lack of sleep, proper nutrition and hydration all combined and I came down with a kidney infection. They pumped me full of really strong antibiotics and fluids, and then, against doctor's orders, I released myself from the hospital and we continued our journey. Unfortunately, my illness prevented us from climbing Ben Nevis, which is the biggest disappointment of our whole trip.
Now for a few pictures that will swiftly convince you that you, too, really want to visit Scotland!
This was the view from the roof our hostel in Edinburgh. Yes, we did climb on the roof (our room had a window out onto it), and no, that is not what got us in trouble with the guards. That is a story for another time.
Edinburgh Castle
Elgin Cathedral
Something about walking through the ruins of a 13th century cathedral enthralls me! The history that those walls have seen...I have no words!
Then there's Loch Ness. We walked down to the Loch one morning and this...
This gem was just alongside the road while we were driving around the highlands. We came around a corner and I saw it and said, "STOP the car!" It was raining, and I got a really high fever right after this stop, but it was so very cool!!!!!
Anyway, my banana bread is out of the oven now, so I need to go to sleep! More stories later.
(Happy Birthday)²
We hopped in our van and drove through the night to Waco, TX, to meet our new children. We didn't get to see them right away because they were in NICU, but we did get meet their wonderful mom for the first time. When we did get the opportunity to see the twins, they were adorable, and they still are.
Aidan & Emily, I love you both so much! You add so much fun and excitement to our family. It is a privilege to be your mom, and I am so proud of the wonderful young man and young lady you are becoming!
Happy 15th birthday!
Homemade Egg Noodles
I've had a few requests for my homemade noodles, so here is the recipe. I'm sure you could find the exact same recipe in almost any older recipe book, as it is the same recipe my grandma used (I think)
Homemade Noodles
1 beaten egg
2 Tbs. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
In a mixing bowl, combine egg, milk, and salt. Stir in enough of the flour to make a stiff dough. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
On a floured surface roll dough into a 16x12 inch rectangle. Let stand 20 minutes. At this point I use a pizza cutter and cut it into noodles (the size is completely up to you) Spread noodles out and let dry on a rack or waxed paper for about 2 hours. Drop noodles into a large amount of boiling water. Cook, uncovered 10 minutes or until done. Makes about three cups.
There you have it! I usually triple or quadruple the recipe for our family and any guests that happen to be around
Homemade Noodles
1 beaten egg
2 Tbs. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
In a mixing bowl, combine egg, milk, and salt. Stir in enough of the flour to make a stiff dough. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
On a floured surface roll dough into a 16x12 inch rectangle. Let stand 20 minutes. At this point I use a pizza cutter and cut it into noodles (the size is completely up to you) Spread noodles out and let dry on a rack or waxed paper for about 2 hours. Drop noodles into a large amount of boiling water. Cook, uncovered 10 minutes or until done. Makes about three cups.
There you have it! I usually triple or quadruple the recipe for our family and any guests that happen to be around
Still Sweet Though
My Molly Sunshine has turned 17. How does this even happen?!?!?!
Molly, I am so thankful to have you as a daughter. I love so many things about you: your love for the Lord, your forgiving heart, your loyalty, your seemingly endless musical talent, your writing, your drawing, your crazy willingness to accompany me on my many adventures....and the list goes on...
I hope this coming year brings many, many blessings your way!
Love you tons!
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