Growing, growing...

Isaiah will be 4 months old on May 13th, Mother's Day, which is also the day he'll be dedicated at church!  He is growing sooo fast and is a happy, chubby baby.  Such a blessing to our family!  He's smiling and laughing and learning to use his hands to grab things...  Love that baby boy!

3 months old, with his monkeys

happy baby

Our family of seven after church on Easter Sunday

Blake, Crystal, Emma...  love these guys!

Gray Hair

Even to your old age and gray hairs 

    I am he, I am he who will sustain you.

I have made you and I will carry you;

    I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Isaiah 46:4

I recently read this verse and thought of my parents.  So, even though we lived in the same town, just a few blocks apart, I wrote it out in a little note and sent it to them in the mail.  (My mom loves mail...)  She read it and said how she used to think that was far off...  now here it is.  


Now just last month, my parents moved into an assisted living home in Grand Forks.  God's timing.  We've been worried about them since we moved back to the states.  Mom's been in a wheelchair and needing extra help with things while Dad is in the early stages of Parkinson's Disease.  He continued to help her at home until he hurt his back/leg.  Then they were both in a wheelchair (or taking turns with the one they had!).  We called it.  


Together with my brother, Blake and his wife, Crystal...  we called around and found a place for them to live safely and easily.  Not in Williston.  They are on the waiting list for the place here but it will be a while before they move up and are able to move in.  They needed help right away.  So...  off they moved to Grand Forks where Blake and his family live!  They  had openings and would take them right away!  Crazy.  Unexpected.  Good.  Sad.  Relieved.


We'd checked into places here a year ago and thought they should get help and would eventually move in to a place here in Williston...  But off they went to the other side of the state.  My dad had been in pain for a month or so and to the doctors for a few weeks.  Blake and Crystal came to visit for Easter... and took them back with them!  


They are going to move down to the first floor in their building soon (from the third).  Someone's coming to help with dressing and bathing and diabetic needs.  They'll get help cleaning and with meds, if needed.  Meals are handy.  Both Mom and Dad have had Physical Therapy.  The people working there are treating them well.  They have their own little apartment and are having the walls painted with colors Mom picked out!  So overall, I think they're doing well.  But of course, they miss home.  And we miss them!  We'll make a few trips over there this summer to see them - and to meet our new baby niece who's due in July!  

Out to eat at Red Lobster for Mom's birthday!

I'm thankful they still are close to family able to enjoy them and that they're getting the help that they've needed.  But I'm mostly thankful that: 


Even to my parents' old age and gray hairs 
     God is He, God is He who will sustain them.
God has made them and will carry them;
     God will sustain them and will rescue them.

Breath

I love to feel Isaiah's breath as he breaths on my neck, or shoulder, or chest.  What is it about the simple inhale and exhale of air?  It's so peaceful and refreshing and good.

As I sat pondering that one day I got to thinking about the song Breath of Heaven.  How powerful is the breath of God?  Breathing life into creation.  Breathing truth and life into our lives still today.  Involved in our daily-ness.

In order to feel someone's breath, you need to be close to that person.  Maybe it's the intimacy of breath that's so sweet.  There's trust and tenderness in Isaiah's little baby breaths, or when I feel Kev breathing in the middle of the night...

Do I feel the tenderness of God's breath?  Am I close enough to enjoy that intimacy?

Pour over me your holiness.  Breath of Heaven...

Isaiah Mark!!

ok, so it's been a busy two months!  :)  let me introduce our newest blessing:

sweet baby boy

Isaiah Mark
January 13th, 2012
8 lbs 4 oz

He was born healthy, strong, and beautiful!   He even scored 10 on his initial apgar test!  We are all smitten!  He has slipped pretty easily into the Crawford bunch and is growing tall and slim so far!  We are enjoying smiles and coos now and getting about 5 hours of sleep between feedings at night!  He's growing fast!

all of us, just 2 hours after Isaiah's arrival!

I just have to look at Benjamin to see how fast this will go!  :)  Mr 13 this month!  He only has 5 more years with us!!!  Can that be right?  Ruth also had a birthday this month...  Little Miss 9 Years old!  And Elijah turned 7 just five days after Isaiah was born!  (his b-day was Isaiah's due date!)

Elijah's 7!

Ruth and the girls from her class celebrating at the park!

oh yeah, I had a birthday in Feb, too!!  :)

happy baby!

We have a growing family in more was than one!  Thankful for our newest Crawford!!

Soooooon?

about 38-39 weeks...  this is how Ruth thinks her mama looks!  :)

We are all pretty much ready to meet this little guy!  Hannie follows me around and asks if it's time yet.  "Are you having contractions?"  Elijah loves to feel the baby move and hiccup.  Ruth wants to be able to snuggle "like normal" again.  Benjamin just wonders how he'll get to his next basketball game, I guess!  Ha!  Waiting, waiting.  We thought he might come after Christmas.  I had some good, regular contractions...  but nope.  Still waiting.  Kev asks, "Did your water break?"  Nope.  Heh.  Not yet.  I'd like to be able to be myself again, too, but am trying to enjoy his movements and squirms.  Won't be much longer and he'll be right here in our arms hiccuping.  Exciting days are just around the corner at the Crawford house!

The other day Elijah whispered to my tummy while he lovingly rubbed it, "Soon you'll be here.  And I'll be your master..."  Ha!  We have a little Jedi waiting to find his place among the brothers...  :)  When Elijah was just born and still in the hospital, Benjamin came to meet him and whispered, "I'm your big brother.  And I'm going to take good care of you."  You can see where that's taken the two of them...  Master and Padawan!?  :)  Love our boys.  All three of them!  And our two little girl mamas, too!  (They'll help with everything - but diapers.  They heard boys spray!)

Merry Christmas!

Our Family on Christmas Eve

Christmas in Williston North Dakota!  Who would have ever imagined that we'd all be back in Williston to have another double Christmas with both our families!?  Wow.  Has it been 10 years since we've done that?  We usually do try to get to both our families to celebrate Christmas but this year everyone was right here.  Nice.  Otherwise we probably wouldn't have seen any of them unless they came to visit this 8+ month pregnant lady!  Heh.

The Johnson side of family 

We spent Christmas Eve at church with Kev's family and then at my parents' house for supper and presents.  It was great to be with them and also with my brother and his family.  Emma is two and a half and a busy, smart little curly headed girl.  The kids love their cousin!  We're fairly smitten, too.  Crystal is expecting again this summer and so between the two of us...  well, it's kinda pregnant city!  Ha.  My parents are also having some health issues and Mom fell a few times over the holiday.  That's kinda scary and makes us all concerned about their safety.  You can pray for them and us!  In our family picture at the top, Hannie and Kev are quickly turning their heads in response to her falling in the kitchen...  love my parents...

We enjoyed being together that evening, packed up and headed home to get settled much later than we usually do...  to get up and head over for more celebrations at Ed's and Sharon's place!  :)

Crawford side of family...  doing Nathan's smile!  :)

Kev's two brothers came up to spend Christmas with all of us while his other brother and his wife stayed in MO this year.  So we were just missing two of our family for celebrations.  The kids LOVED hanging out with their uncles.  We probably see these guys the least since they live in MO and OH.  But when we see them...  they are bffs!  :)  After breakfast and skyping with Scott and Saralynn, we all headed to OUR house and had a big double Christmas meal with both sides of our family!  I love that our families can do that.  Our kids are so blessed.  We are so blessed.

Double family Christmas dinner! 

Thankful for Jesus and God's grace and mercy this Christmas.  He is our greatest gift.  Everything we need...  Peace, Joy, Comfort, Wisdom, Hope...  baby in a manger.  He has blessed us with one blessing after another.  Merry Christmas!

December 6th

December 6th, 2010
-Left Armenia
-Packed all our things and our dog
-Flew over the ocean
-30 some hours in airplanes/airports
-Left home to come back home
-Left Autumn to come back to winter
-Reunited with family
-Bestamor died
-Given money to adopt!
-Hellos, Goodbyes...
-Coming, Going
-Highs, Lows

-Happy, Sad, Lonely, Excited, Confused, Nervous, Thankful, Blessed, Broke, Hurt, Encouraged,  Exhausted...

December 6th, 2011
-Living in our hometown, 2 bedroom house
-Settled but squished
-Daily routines, school, work, ministries...
-Baby on the way (no adoption yet)
-Still paying off the flight home...
-Working like 5 jobs
-Church family of believers
-Immediate family close by
-Missing family/friends in Armenia
-Surrounded by snow, thinking of Autumn

-Happy, Sad, Lonely, Excited, Confused, Nervous, Thankful, Blessed, Broke, Hurt, Encouraged,  Exhausted...  :)  We are still a lot of the same things although now at different stages...?!

We have been so blessed this year.  And so needy.  Can both of those things happen at the same time?  This year, it seems to be so.  We are thankful that we serve a God who knows what we need and knows how we feel...  and LOVES us.  He has provided for us in wild ways this year.  We are learning what it is to be content in every situation...  even when the situation holds both plenty and want at the same time.  (Phil 4:12)  We have a home, food, vans (someone just gave us their old van!!), family, the kids are at the Christian school...!  Sometimes we just shake our heads...  even when it seems like we're just getting by - we're always getting by!  And then along come surprises and blessings!  Like the gift of a van!  Or the gift of a check in the mail.  Or food at the door.  Or baby things!  Or a friend's encouragement.  Or a Word spoken to us in quiet time...  We are learning to trust the One who knows.  And to wait for His timing...  (that's hard... why is He always trying to teach me to wait...  that seems like a theme...  maybe it will always be my theme until we're actually "Home"?  Hum...)

Thankful to be "home" in North Dakota and missing our "home" in Yerevan.  Thankful for the abundant life God has ordained for us!  (John 10:10)  (Psalm 139:16)  Today I am pondering the past and looking ahead... Lord, go before and behind.  I'm so glad you are Immanuel, God with us!

One Year ago today...

...we were getting ready to leave Armenia behind...

Daddy and the kids walking around our block in Armenia.
-I'm standing on our front porch taking the pic...

This is part of a quick email I just found that I'd written to my Mom on Nov. 29th, 2010...

Had our last devotions at the office.

Kev sold some music gear to a church in Hrazdon... yea. About half price or
less and now will use that money to get some guitars for some church planters
here...

I haven't read that Karon book yet! I saved the Christmas book for on the
plane!

Trying to get the right kennel for Rocky. We went to check on a bigger one
today to see if we could trade (I think the airline wants it bigger than what we
have...). Vet was closed for today! Sigh. :) Again, tomorrow.

Iren is a penguin in a school Christmas program tomorrow. 

Band is coming over for one last time tomorrow. (They'll buy the drums.)
The international church will buy a few things, too... :) (money to buy
guitars...)
Last day of school tomorrow...
Mark and Kim might come on Wed. They bought our homeschooling desks!
Marine bought our big wardrobe. Hopefully she'll get that this week! heh! :)
The girls from the office are coming on Friday, I think.
Hakob is done working this week but wants to come say goodbye on Sunday!
Packing all throughout that! :)
Finishing up!

the day before we left,
we went downtown
one last time...

Reading all that makes me want to take a deep breath.  It was so hard to say good-bye to everyone!  Whew.  What a blessing that we were able to be a part of life and missions in Armenia.  What good friends we left behind there.  We are still in touch with most of then because of the internet.  Yea.  But it's still just not the same and being together.  Quite often now, especially when we sing songs about the nations, etc...  I think how great it'll be to be reunited forever in heaven.  God stretched open our thoughts of heaven, first when Joshua went before us, and now with a hint of understanding of what it will be like to celebrate Him together with the nations!  And with our good friends...  Whoo!  :)

Loving, and missing, Armenia this week...  xo

(what pics to I choose of everyone...  go back in the blog to a year ago and I think all of those are the ones I looked at just now!!)

Gestational Diabetes... or maybe not?

My blood sugar numbers were a little high for the routine gestational diabetes tests.  Hum.  So now I have the poker/tester thing.  But my numbers have all been fine for over a week...  (except for Thanksgiving day, I had a higher number after eating pie(s)!  Heh.)  So this week, we'll see what the doctor thinks of that.  Maybe I won't have to poke as often?  But I have learned some about diabetes!  Since it runs in my family, I guess it's good info to know, right?

Other than that...  Baby's doing great and is super active.  They'll keep their eye on him and me to be sure all is well.  Crazy to think that in less than two months, we'll be holding another little one.  The kids are all excited!  I told them we'd get to see the baby in the next few weeks...  "You mean, face to face!!??"  Yup.  Exciting days are ahead!

-I'll have to post a pic later...  :)  I must be getting bigger because everyone's been asking me, when are you due?!  Heh...  not too much longer!  January 18th.

Emotional week

I am not the type that is extremely emotional.  But this week, man, what's up with me?  Whew.  I am just feeling...  feeling.  Ha.  I know women say sometimes they just need a good cry.  Really?  I guess maybe this week?  I dunno.  I keep thinking, what's that all about?  Then realizing...  well, first of all I'm in the 8th month of pregnancy.  That alone could be it.  Heh!  Then, you know what, having your husband working 5 jobs is stressful, not just for him, but for me/us, too...  whew.  Lord, give us strength to pull tight when we're so busy and tired.  Four busy kids...  that could be it.  Another huge thing on my mind is my aging parents. Anyone have experience and encouragement?  Watching them need help and not knowing what to do...  whew.  Then, our four room house...  not four bedroom.  Four rooms.  Total.  We have no space.  Squished.  I'm blessed (for another month or so) with quiet time when everyone's in school but the other five who live here don't have that luxury.  We've decided that everyone (and some more than others) need that alone time to function well.  Hannie stays out in the van after school to do homework because there's just too much going on in the house!  Girlie.  She and her daddy.  Our doctor said that he's seeing more people suffer with anxiety these days instead of depression...  housing situations??  Squished can be stressful.  Possibly, we could be stressed over money, or lack there of...  not even gonna go there!  Bah.  Heh!

Anyway.  While I'm pondering all this, I'm like...  okay so then what?  In the middle of all that, we are incredibly blessed and provided for.  We have a house, when many in our area don't even have that!  There are lots of people around here living in cars and campers!  Crazy.  God has been meeting our needs even when we still feel like we have more needs.  He knows our NEEDS.  And He is teaching us things in the middle of whatever it is we're going through.  When we're stressed...   He is not.  He is in control and is always going to be.  I picked up my Bible the other day like, Lord...  tell me something!  And I read Psalm 42 that says (a few times),

Why are you downcast, O my soul? 
Why so disturbed within me? 
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, 
my Savior and my God.

I felt better about talking to myself (and our dog) during the day, when I read that David did it, too!  Do you ever talk to your own soul?  Heh...  And he asked the same question - What's up with me?  Well, like David, I will tell myself today...  "Put your Hope in God and praise Him."  Thanks for the reminder, Lord.  I will do just that.  You are my Hope.  You are the same always.  You have good plans.  You lead us beside still waters, give us rest.  You are my Prince.  My Prince of Peace.  Im Der Jan...  my sweet Lord...

Commercials

Being overseas taught us many things.  One thing that I've noticed in the past year back in the states is that we don't watch TV.  And if we do, it's purposeful...  something we've decided to do.  We hardly ever just turn on the TV to see what's on.  We got used to choosing a movie or watching an old TV series.  The kids love the Cosby show and Kev and I have been watching Monk!  (Thanks instant NetFlix.)

Charlie Brown and Squanto!  :)

On Thanksgiving day we saw Charlie Brown had two shows airing.  Every time a commercial cut in, the kids were surprised and moaned!  Ha.  I thought it was really funny.  They totally are not used to commercials interrupting their shows!  After about the 4th or 5th commercial, Benjamin says sarcastically, "So it's Black Friday tomorrow..."  Hi, repeat yourself much?!  Ha.

Besides it being interesting to me, and funny, too, I got to thinking...  really we've spared them from so much wanting this and needing that.  They are pretty content with what they have.  They're surprised at all that other friends have.  They don't see all the images of what you should do and what you should look like and what you should have.  They just are.  Nice.  (They do want IPods...  heh!  Music is big at our house...)

Our family devotions this week was about commercials and how we should watch what we put in our head and watch what we think we need...  One of the questions was something like, Why do you want what you want?  The kids said because it was something that we've talked about.  Because Mom mentioned it!  (Nothing to do with commercials...)

I like that our family is the desire maker right now for our kids!  Heh.  And hopefully we can stay grounded in what the Lord desires for us.  He is the One who meets our needs and delights us with our desires, too!  What are we letting repeat itself until it becomes our desire?  Let us hunger and thirst for You, Lord, surround ourselves with You...  choose what we tell ourselves we need...

Our October birthday girl

Hannah Christine turned 11 years old in October!  Crazy girlie, growing so fast!  She continues to be a compassionate, delightful, quiet, silly girlie.  She's an encourager and a great memorizer.  It's so easy for her to get memory verses to stay in her head!  She knows her Bible and is kind to her friends.  She was even told by friends at school that they don't think she ever gets mad.  (Sometimes she does...)  :)  She likes baking and dancing and singing and drawing...



Hannie is the one out of our four who would most like to be homeschooled again.  She's our homebody.  She says she has a great teacher, is making friends, and getting good grades...  but that doesn't mean she'd rather be in school!!  Heh.  Being home is nice.  I'm glad she's doing well there and that she loves being home with family, too!

For her birthday this year, she had two girl friends over for the afternoon.  She wanted the party to be at home so we had to keep it small.  They went to the park to play and came home to play.  Of course, we did cake and presents and played some more.  I think it was a good celebration!

Then the next day on her actual birthday, all the grandparents come over to celebrate their first granddaughter!  We had her traditional pumpkin cake and talked about how strange it was that we're not in Yerevan to go to Republic Square to watch the lights and the fountains!  But we were thankful that we were surrounded by family!  What a treat.  I know not every child has both sets of grandparents so close and so in love with them and with Jesus.  We are blessed.  Blessed with family.  And blessed with Hannie!  So thankful that God gave us this beautiful young lady.

Happy Birthday, Hannie girl!!

Waiting for little BOY Crawford!

Baby Boy Crawford

 This week was our routine ultrasound at 21 weeks and the tech said she is 100% sure that our littlest Crawford is a BOY!  Pretty exciting.  I love seeing our babies on an ultrasound.  He was a busy little guy!  Wonder if he'll keep us on our toes!?  :)  The kids are all happy.  One of our girls is still warming to the idea of a boy since she was really hoping for a girl...  but I think in the end she will be very in love with her baby brother!  Now we've got 4 months to pick out the perfect boy Bible name!  We'll see what the six of us can agree on!!  Thankful for our little guy!

18 weeks

Daniel 10

Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them."  -Daniel 10:12

until it snows...  this is my morning devotion spot!
Chai tea, Bible and study, patio... and Rocky!  :)

-Don't be Afraid
-Set your Mind
-Gain Understanding
-Humble Yourself


Daniel 10 has an awesome story of how much goes on in the unseen world of angels when we pray.  The angel tells Daniel that he was on his way ever since Daniel first prayed but was detained by the Prince of Persia until another angel came and helped him!  Wow...  do you ever imagine all that is happening in the heavenlies when you pray?  Crazy!  I honestly don't think about that too often!  Persevere in your prayers!  Daniel had been fasting and praying for three weeks!  Who knows what your angel is up to in the unseen realm!  What a challenge!  


I like the basics the angel pointed out that Daniel did.  He set his mind and focused. His prayer was to gain understanding.  And he stayed humble.  In response, his prayer was heard and the angel came!  What a faithful man of God Daniel was all throughout his life.  And what awesome power is all around us!  Open the eyes of our hearts, Lord!  Help us fix our eyes on You and seek You faithfully!  

Back to school... after three years!

All ready to head back to school!!
We're in the front yard about to get in the van and goooo!

After three years of homeschooling, our kiddos are back to the world of the school classroom!  We always thought when we got back to the states we'd get them back in a Christian school but then we all loved the world of homeschooling so we did have some second thoughts.  In the end, heading back to school won out and there they go!  They're at Trinity Christian School in Williston where Kevin teaches Bible for 7th through 12th grade and where their Papa Eddie is the administrator/principal.  So they're practically at home!?  Heh.  My biggest baby is in 7th grade!  with the younger ones following him at 5th, 3rd, and 1st grades.

They've been going to school for about two weeks now and we've mostly heard positive things.  The biggest thing that they don't like is that it's long and early.  They're tired!  :)  But they all have good teachers and are making friends.  From what I've seen, their grades are good.  I think they're settling in well.  Benjamin and Hannah are taking band and are both starting to learn the trumpet!  I think we'll hear that sound a lot around here in the next few years!!

I'm glad they're back now and that first day is over!  We were all a little excited/nervous about it.  Now we can just move forward into the new routine we're discovering.

People keep asking what I'll do all day.  What have I been up to?  My house must be quiet.  Well, so far, I don't feel like I've really had any boring days.  I wanted to get a few projects done around our little house and haven't even really done tons of that yet!  I've been doing lunch recess duty several times, as well as having doctor apts for me and the kids, and trying to prepare the year of Rainbows (Wed night preschool class) and MOPS/MOPPETS.  I thought I'd have all the homeschooling stuff put away this summer but didn't get that finished, either, so that project is almost done now...

I'm thinking it'll be quite the juggle keeping track of four different busy kids' schedules!  We've always kind of made up our own family schedule...  I'm already asking, "Wait-when do YOU have your spelling tests?  Wed or Fri??"  And, "When do you need the trumpet for band?"  "Science project, what?"  "When do I need to be there for reading time?"  I think my planner will get filled up more this year than it ever has!   The girls are going to do dance and Benjamin is looking pretty sporty...

We are happy to be busy with a great school and a great group of people!  And off we go!  Hopefully I will get organized enough to keep up with it all!  Here's to a good school year at TCS!

This is outside the side door of the school.
-Kev's classroom is on the top right

I am trying to get into a routine of morning devotions/quiet time again instead of just quick prayers/studies here and there when I can!  Just finished up the Beth Moore study of Daniel and am  thinking I'll start the Creative Correction Bible study about raising kids.  Rocky, our puppy, thinks I'm  home just to play with him so he keeps trying to get my attention when I'm sitting down!  Heh... but he's learning that I'm just not as exciting as four busy kids!!  

So here's to some good quiet time, as well!