Johnson Family Dish

Baby Harry

Baby Harry was born to our good friends Monti and Shannan Randall Sunday April 19th; he brought great joy to his family for 5 wonderful days before returning home to our Father in Heaven on April 24th. You can imagine the devistation and loss felt by this family due to Harry’s leaving so soon.

The medical and funeral costs are a huge concern for this little family, as any of you who have been through this sort of thing know. As friends of this family, we would like to encourage you to consider donating in honor of Harry’s short life, and to ease the family’s worries at this time. An account has been set up at desert schools (account # 9686904) for the Shannan Randall FBO (for the benefit of) Harry Randall fund. If it is easier, you can simply click on the baby blue button on the right and that will take you to a pay pal account that has been set up in Harry’s honor.

Our hearts are heavy. We are praying for our friends and hope that you will also.

Caution *Construction Zone*

So much going on here in Johnsonville.

First, the men of the house are building a beautiful porch cover for our family and friends to enjoy with us.  When it is finished it will be complete with a misting system, fans (with light kits of course), a trellis for vines to climb (and give shade in the hottest part of the afternoon) and it will be painted white.  Randon and Scott worked all day on Saturday and were able to raise the basic structure of the porch. 

Scott is knocking off all of the slag (a result of the torch R. used to cut the metal with) with a air compressed mini jackhammer attachment; he thought he was pretty hot stuff entrusted with such an important job, and the coolness involved with getting to use dad’s power tool didn’t hurt one bit!

Scott was all about the welding helmet and watching (if not doing) every step his daddy was doing.  It’s too bad he is not an official boy scout yet, he could totally have passed this project off for a merit badge.  There will be other projects and he turns 11 in just 3 weeks!

This is what they got done on Saturday:

And Charis got her hair cut.  She had been begging me for a long time, I was reluctant because I loved her long curly aburn hair, I will miss it.  I will not however miss the hours of tears and frustration every time we had to comb through it (which is why I relented and let her have her way, it is her hair anyway).  And she loves it, and that is what really counts! 

And we are all about finishing off this school year!  Morgan informed me that she had 24 days left (no rush or anything).

And finally our little Morgan.  Her art was chosen by the Gold Canyon art council, to be one of a handful of entries which was reviewed by an art education group at ASU, really cool.  We went to an awards ceremony lasts week to honor her and the other students who’s work was also chosen.  While there they displayed some pieces that the art students made out of clay, which they painted and fired.  All students were required to name their pieces.  To our suprise two of Morgan’s pieces were chosen for display during the cermony.  We got a really big suprise when we saw the name of one of her pieces.  She had told her teacher that it was to be called “stripe central” however, she was confused when she saw it labeled “striped sensual!”  She asked me first how to pronounce that and second, what did it mean?  She was so embarrassed she wanted to hide.  She even turned the little tag backwards so that hopefully no one would see the name, that didn’t work.  Her reading teacher, seeing her at the table walked up.  She was looking at the pieces also and promptly turned Morgan’s tag around displaying the name again.  Morgan really likes this teacher so she sheepishly told her what happened and what the pieces name was intended to be, her teacher laughed and did a little funny dance while exagerating the word “sensual.”  Morgan was so afraid that when they called her up to give her her award they were going to mention the pieces back there which she had made, much to her relief, they did no such thing.

The Joy of Teenagers

“I don’t like english, I am not into those things.”  ~Morgan

This is what Morgan tells me after I read one of my papers out loud to her, LOL!!!  SHe says this is what she heard “….blah blah Dee…..blah blah blah….”  I find this completely hilarious because she is always saying “I am into numbers.  I like math.” 

Now, you have to understand that I have never read one of my papers to Morgan, I get the boring factor, completly.  However, I first read one of my papers outloud last week as I was trying to make sure everything was gratamically correct and Kelcie came in and started giving me feedback on the paper which was so excellent.  So, I thought I would try with Morgan today.  LOL, I got this reaction.  I love it. 

I love that they have individual preferences and talents.

Last night Randon and I took them both to a production of Shakespear’s “The Merchant of Venice.”  Morgan was bored to tears and left the theater making fun of it.  Kelcie, on the other hand LOVED IT, can’t wait to do it again. 

I can’t say how much I love our family.  Watching my children’s personality blossom, their development of tastes and talents, I find so much joy in this.  Raising our family just gets more and  more fun as they grow.  I will admit that teenagers can sometimes give their family (parents especially) a special kind of torment but, they are so much fun that it all balances out to joy in the end.

Quote D’jour

I have been reading Daniel Boorstin’s “The Creators,” along with all of my fellow honors nerds.  I love this book.  I have learned so much much about the development of everything from religions to skyscrapers, and those who were fundamental in their foundations.  I have found so many priceless words of widsom from some of the worlds greatest people. 

Here is my quote d’jour:  “The more a man belongs to posterity, in other words humanity in general, the more of an alien he is to his contemporaries….People are more likely to appreciate the man who serves the circumstances of his own brief hour, or the temper of the moment–belonging to it, and living and dying with it.”  ~Schopenhauer

Now I have to get back to studying for my math test on Tues. and writing all of the papers that are due (there are so many I can’t list them, it may induce a panic attack)!  But, you know I will do them, and on time too (even if I don’t sleep).