So, where have I been?

In recent weeks, I have been emailed by a few friends asking where I have been lately. I'm sure you've all noticed my absence on this blog that has lasted longer than I anticipated--six months to be exact! 

This momma has been busy with life in general. In these last several months, there has been heart ache, answer to prayer, celebrations, transitions, and tons of organization around the house! We have seen the girls grow in many areas and we've grown as a family. Here are some highlights to catch you up on everything!

1.  In March, we celebrated A's one-year anniversary! Although it was a joyous time in our eyes, for her it was a struggle because it brought back memories and some uncertainties in her heart. So, this brought me tons of heart ache. Lots of tears on both ends left me wondering if I could handle being a foster mom any more. Parenting is a hard job, but when you are dealing with a five-year-old who has had lots of scars in her life, it makes this job even harder. We prayed lots (and continue to do so) during the spring and summer for things to smooth out with her.

2.  Crafting has become a rare occasion around here, but instead, I've been organizing many areas of our home. It started with the girls' rooms and now, I'm working on the basement. Although A's room is decorated, Little S' room is not so much. The basement has come a long ways, but it is so worth it. I have boxes of kids' clothing all labeled, which is what the majority of the stuff is down there. This spring, we switched rooms with Little S', so my room isn't feeling very homey yet. My sewing machine is set up, but I have yet to figure out how I'm going to set up notions and such.

3.  In May, we heard about a glitch in Little S' adoption process. Even though it is something beyond our control, we are determined to prayerfully get it settled so we can move ahead and adopt her. I can't go into any details here, but if you think of it, can you pray for this situation? We should know more specifics in October.

4.  We went to California for a conference and family vacation in June. While Q and I went to sessions designed especially for those in ministry, the girls had child care workers who kept them busy with lots of fun stuff to do. A huge highlight of that time was for A to meet Patch the Pirate! We even took a picture with him. Then, after a few days, we headed up north to be with my side of the family. Everyone there fell in love with the girls. We had so much fun doing things around the Bay Area and just hanging out together.

5.  In July, we began getting things ready for A to start school. We enrolled her in a Christian school knowing that her adoption day was close. At the end of July, we received an email saying that the finalization of adoption was happening on August 21. It was also Little S' 2nd birthday! So, on that day, we celebrated her joining our family. We had Q's sister and family and some close friends join us in the court room. Then, we had a party at a park nearby with some additional folks who have prayed during this journey. Thanks to all of you who have prayed for this day to happen. She has been our daughter for over a year, but in the eyes of the state, she has been our daughter for almost a week now. Continue to pray for us as we go through some "growing pains" post-adoption. Lots of conversations and tears have already happened, but at least now we all know she's here for keeps.:)

And now, may I introduce to you Miss A, who we've kept her first name the same, but we've changed her middle name to Joy (named after Aunt Abigail and cousin Annalina who share the same name!:)

Here's Alyzza Joy Johnson....

We could not share her name or picture up until now because of foster care regulations. I will have more pictures and details about her adoption day later. For now, I hope I've caught you all up on what's happening in the Johnson household and given you additional things to pray for.  Love you all.--Theo

Homemade Sugar Scrub

Here's another fun idea that we did at one of our M.O.P.S. meetings--homemade sugar scrub!

This would make a great gift for a new mom, for Mother's Day, a birthday, or even for a stressful mom (we all may know one, eh?). This would make her day!

It's so easy to put together, too. Mix one cup white sugar with one cup brown sugar in a bowl. Then, add one cup vegetable oil to the mix. Add a couple drops of a scented oil (mine has eucalyptus in it.) That's all there is to it. When you're done, the scrub will look like this:

When you're mixing a batch to give away, why don't you make some for yourself, too. :)

A's 100th day of school

This is a little late in posting, but I wanted to share what we did for A's 100th day of school. It took place about a week before Valentine's Day, but it didn't happen on the day she thought it would. You see, we had a huge snowstorm which cancelled school. When I told her that morning, she was disappointed, but I reassured her that the 100th day of school would still happen next Monday morning.

To get ready, I had an idea for a special gift for her teacher--100 kisses in a jar. She counted them by placing them in sets of ten on the table.

Then, we made mini donuts. I didn't make 100 of them, just enough for each child to have two. Because I had made them the day before the snow storm, I knew that they wouldn't last over the weekend. So, A made deliveries to our neighbors. It was a welcome treat on a very snowy day.

On Sunday afternoon, we worked on another batch--still as yummy as the first. I found the recipe here. They have the perfect touch of lemon in them!

We melted vanilla bark coating and dipped each one. A had fun adding the sprinkles. Her class loved them!

As for her 100th day project, she came up with something very different--nothing like what I saw when I taught school. She counted out 100 Q-tips and put them in a jar! Have any of you ever heard of that project? She did a great job and had a fun day at school celebrating 100 days of growing smarter.:)

Awesome possum!

Here's a fun project that I did at my M.O.P.S. group right before Christmas. We were given a clear plate to decorate with paint markers. The goal of this was to design a plate that can be used for a celebration--a birthday, holiday, or a big accomplishment.

One of my favorite things to say to a child when they do something great is "Awesome possum!" I used it all the time when I taught, and now I say it to our girls. I knew that's what I wanted to do on my plate, so I first drew a little girl and wrote the saying on the plate. Others did their own drawings like I did while others used a print-out of a favorite cartoon character to embellish theirs.

We traced our design using a black dry erase marker. Then, we were able to trace the lines on the underside of the plate using paint markers. We used a clear sealant so that the paint doesn't wash off. They are still delicate and can only be hand-washed, so be careful if you do this.

Here's what my plate looks like:

It was such a fun and relaxing way to get creative with the ladies in my group. It will be awesome to use this when the girls accomplish something great. From having a great day at school to doing a job without being told (and perhaps in the midst of potty training this summer with Little S!), this plate can be a huge way to encourage the recipient. They can use it for a meal, a dessert, or even all day--yipee! I can't wait!:)

Listening sheets

I've been using listening sheets with A for the past couple of months as a way to train her to listen carefully to a sermon in church. It has been a wonderful thing to keep her involved and quiet during the church service.

When she first came to live with us (last March), I put together a bag of things for her to do during the service. Inside of it would be a coloring book, pencils, crayons, and a Bible. But, when I found this link to the listening sheets, I eliminated the coloring book. If she needs to have a change of pace for a while, then I photocopy a Bible coloring sheet. I want her focus to be on things of the Lord, and not just "fillers" that she can do at home, school or anywhere else.

So, are you ready to check it out for yourself? There are a few options to choose from (readers, non-readers and older children), so click on the link and print away! I know these will be a blessing to you as they have been to us and others we have shared them with in our church.

Marshmallow Crispy Treats

We have a favorite dessert in our house--these marshmallow crispy treats!

They are not ordinary either, as they have a secret ingredient in them--flaxseed. Flaxseed can be added to all sorts of recipes, but I never thought about this one. I found the recipe in Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook, Deceptively Delicious. All of the recipes have secret ingredients in them, mainly pureed vegetables. Everything we have tried has been awesome! Pureeing food hasn't been that difficult, but if you have some extra jars of baby food, they can be used as well (Little S grew out of them really fast, so I still have some jars I'm trying to use up when I can.).

So, enjoy this sweet treat this weekend with a tall glass of milk (you'll probably want to get a second one when you're done, but that's okay--they're "healthified"!).

Marshmallow Crispy Treats

Nonstick cooking spray

1 tablespoon trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread

1 (10-ounce) package marshmallows

6 cups crisp brown rice cereal

1/4 cup flaxseed meal

Coat an 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Melt the margarine in a large pot over low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the rice cereal and flaxseed, and stir until the rice is well coated with marshmallow. Press the mixture into the baking dish and let cool before cutting into squares.

Makes 8 large squares.

A gift from God

I love the verse in Ephesians 3:20 that says that God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we ask or think. He has done something so wonderful in an area of my life that I have been wanting to share with you.

Many of you know from reading my blog or knowing me personally that becoming a mother has been a huge desire of mine. After losing a couple of babies, I wondered if I'd ever hear a child call me Mom.

Well....to make a long story short, over the holidays we found out that Little S will become a permanent member of our family. We are sooo excited about this news! When she first came, we did not know how long she would be with us as she was an emergency placement. After spending one night with us, a judge sent her back home. But later that day, was placed back with us after a social services worker noticed more things in her home that were not safe. Even in that, I know God was working on Little S's story. She was meant to be with us for good. We have fallen in love with this beautiful curly-topped girl. She was not born from my womb, but I feel like it sometimes. Our hearts are knit together as one.;)

We have so much to learn as we begin the process of adopting her, but we know that God will continue to help us through each step. Many of you have been praying, so I thank you so much for doing so.

As a way to celebrate, I got a new charm for my bracelet--her birthstone!

We will keep you posted on our adoption journey. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Perhaps I will be able to share a picture when it is all said and done.

And by the way, she calls me "Mama."