I'M ENGAGED!

Bryan and I are engaged. I just wanted to tell those of you who weren't at Christmas...or who aren't frequent Facebook users. We haven't set a date yet, but are hoping to get married sometime this summer.

Other than that, nothing is too new here in South Bend.
Love to all,
Jill

Nancy and Stanley

I found the picture on the CC web site.

The Holidays

I'm baaaack! Thanks, Jilly.

Hope all of you are ready for Christmas 'cause it's here! This is the first Christmas season that I don't have to cook. We are going to my cousin, Linda's, for Christmas Eve dinner and to Skip and Nancy's for Christmas Day dinner. Breakfast is all I have to worry about and how hard is it opening a box of cereal? Just kidding, of course. We will have the customary breakfast bake (with eggs), apple stuffed french toast, and sausage.

Hopefully we will see most of you at Jim and Kate's on Saturday, then we are off the the bayhouse for New Year's Eve.

blogging under an alias

Hi all,
Since I'm unblogable, I thought I'd blog under (uncle) Tim's account. It's the 10th, my day, and it's been months since I gave a family update. Big news....Ben moved out of our basement! This excited event occured a few days before Thanksgiving. He found a cute but small, and I do mean small, studio apartment in the Old Village part of Plymouth. It's right next to the railroad tracks so it's a good thing he's a sound sleeper. Do we miss him, did you ask? Well, we see him just about the same amount of time as when he lived here. Only difference is we don't have to go down stairs when we've run out of dishes or tupperware. You've already heard about our Thanksgiving in NC with Julie. We had a great time and the weather was marvelous. Nothing much else is new. Hope to see most of you at Jim and Kate's on the 27th!
(aunt)Jana

No Friends

I saw Julie's post about at least some of the million Johnsons being on Facebook.  So I signed up for Facebook, but I have no friends.  And I can't FIND any Johnsons I know on Facebook.  And even if I could find you, I don't know how to Friend you.  So, Julie - or anyone else who knows - help me out here!

It was worth a try

OK, you see I was trying to post pictures of Gwen and that is what I got. Oh well, at least I got a good laugh out of it.

Kate

the 4th

Hello Family,

It's been awhile since I've checked in so I thought I would send an update. Liz and I went to Kentucky for Thanksgiving. It was a pretty quick trip and we were a surprise to everyone there. Nate and Kendall and Gwen went to Kendall's parents and Jillie went to Bryan's mom's house, so we were on our own.

Jillie is doing fine down in South Bend. She is working for Press-Ganey (a medical satisfaction survey company or something like that) in the marketing department and has her own apartment in Mishawaka. Since she's only a few hours from home we see her every other weekend or so. So far. She hasn't made a lot of friends there yet and when Bryan is busy studying on the weekend it's nice for her that she can get home.

Nate and Kendall are doing well. Kendall is back to work part time and her mom comes to babysit for a few hours after Nate leaves for work. Problem is, Gwen only wants her mom or dad so Kendall doesn't get much sleep when she gets home from the night shift. Hopefully, it won't be long and Gwen will let someone else take care of her for a few hours so Kendall can get some rest without listening to Gwen cry.
Gwen is five months olds now and she's doing great! She's tall, already wearing 12 month size clothes. I will try to add some pictures at the end of this post.

Finally, have a buyer for Mom's house in Lost Lake. He's a golf pro, so his offer included 25 free golf lessons. We are going to maintain our membership there, but the house has been sold. I'm still negotiating with a company from Florida who wants to buy my practice. I would continue to work for them for three years after the sale. If we can come to terms, it may happen before the end of the year. Which will be nice for tax purposes.

Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible at Christmas at our house. I was thinking about having a ham and a turkey and just doing something easy like sandwich fixings and stuff to accompany. I'll put out an email when it gets closer.

Love to all,


Katie

Thanksgiving

Hi family! I hope all is well for everyone!

It is nice to see everyone (or a lot of you) on Facebook. I think it will be a fun, easy way to communicate that isnt quite as formal as the blog.

My Thanksgiving holiday started in a wonderful way. Kids can sometimes warm your heart in the most loving ways. I have a student in my class who is not the lovey-dovey, teacher's pet, affectionate type. He is very bright and responsible, but cool to all the other kids at the same time. On Tuesday, before he left schoool for the day, he came up to me and said "Ms. Johnson, I hope you have a nice Thanksgiving with your family, and I want you to know that I am thankful for you as my teacher." then he opened his arms and gave me a hug (maybe the second hug of the school year). I started to tear up, and I thanked him and let him know I am thankful for him as well. Children really can be quite amazing at times.

My parents and brothers came to NC to visit me for Thanksgiving this year. It was nice having them here. We took a winery tour, ate a lot of food, mom and I went shopping, Dad and the boys went to the planetarium, all in all, a good time. They got to meet Lily and loved her (of course, everyone does) and she loved all the attention. My roommate and I hosted a Thanksgiving not only for my family but for our friends as well. We had six of our friends come over for the holiday and I was proud to show off my friends to my family and my family to my friends. We had a nice big meal and Megan and I are still eating leftovers! Oye.

I am sure that my dad will blog with some pictures, but I am excited that I got to blog first! haha!

Other than that, there isnt really much new here. I am excited to come home for Christmas and I cant wait to see most everyone on the 27th!

I love you all!
Julie

Halloween and Laura Kate's Birthday

For Halloween we had a kitty cat (4th year running), a Darth Vader, and a Jengo Fett (don't ask me what that is ---- it's some Star Wars creature). We went back to our old neighborhood to trick or treat there. Everyone had a great time this year, especially me since I was sitting on my neighbor's couch drinking a glass of wine.






































Laura Kate's 3rd birthday is today. As usual, it seems hard to believe how quickly the years go by. We had the good fortune of being able to celebrate with both sets of grandparents last weekend, and to continue the celebration through today. She has truly enjoyed being the birthday girl for a full week. In fact, when we met some of our new neighbors today and they asked her what her name is, she jumped up and hollered: "Birthday Girl!"

Last weekend was our big move. We are getting settled bit by bit. Mom and Dad were here and were a huge help; I don't know how it all would've happened without them. Dave's parents and his brother and sister-in-law also came to help, along with several of our friends; we were grateful for all the helping hands. Mom did all the clean up at the old house, too, so I didn't have to do any sad goodbyes - just left in time to meet the cable guy here at the new house and never looked back. I am not sure where we kept all this stuff in our old house - but I am glad to have a little more space in the new place. Finally, all my wedding crystal has seen the light of day after 10 years in a box! And, I can already tell that this house is easier on my cranky old joints. Ben met some neighborhood kids today, which eased some of anxieties (his and mine). So far, I think we are all settling in quite well. As Laura Kate puts it, "I not need my nother house no more."

Love to all of you. Come visit us in West Saint Paul. Love,

Molly & fam

Spencer Trip to NH

The two of us on some hike we took somewhere while we were gone.
Bob and I just returned from a week long color tour to New Hampshire (and all the places you have to drive through to get there). We spent the week in the White Mountains with our friends and color tour pals for over 20 years, John and Kathy Borgert. One of the highlights of our trip was a ride on the cog railroad to the top of Mt. Washington, the highest peak in the range and notable for having the worst weather in the United States. The day we went it was beautiful, though there was snow on the ground. This train creeps both up and down the mountain at 3-5 miles per hour. On our descent, the train jumped the track. Quite frightening. We spent about an hour and a half standing on the side of the mountain waiting for the crew to get us back on track. At one point there were five trains within 200 yards of each other: two coming down, two going up, and one stuck!! After they got our train on track, we had to back up far enough for the two up-going Zaks to move to the siding, then successfully completed our descent. Also saw some beautiful scenery, took some hikes and ate good food. Now we are back home blowing leaves and enjoying the last few days of fall weather in northern Michigan. Bob is winding up his term as supervisor. Six more weeks!! We are both looking forward to having more flexibility in our schedule. Molly and family are moving on Oct. 25. Bob and I are going to help-or at least to play with the kids while the younger crowd manages the move. If all goes well, I am going to attach some pictures from our trip. Ok. I couldn't figure out how to get the pictures where I wanted them. I give up!!

Cars for Jacob

Katie, Will, and I went to a car show last weekend. There were some nice old cars. Here are some pictures. Also included is one of Will and me in downtown Redwood City and Will's new "Evil Eye" look that you get when you're not living up to his expectations.

Andy














\

Stars Win Gold

The Plymouth Canton Stars won the gold medal at the 2008 Soccer State Games.  TJ was instrumental in both wins by scoring one goal and contributing 3 assists.  

(TJ gets congrats from ref after scoring a goal)

This was the first gold medal won by the Star Warriors (this years team name) since the club began participating in soccer 5 years ago.  

The high-light of the weekend however was not on the soccer field, but at the dance.  TJ and the rest of the team did not leave the dance floor.  I was amazed when the DJ played the Hustle and TJ stayed on the floor and by watching the other dancers, learned to do  the Hustle.  I could not stop smiling.

As is usual, the Stars stayed for the last dance, the only team left in the building.  The last number was a slow dance and TJ finished out the night slow dancing with a cute redhead named Jessica.   

What a weekend.  Great weather, great sports and great memories. 

Hello all, This is my first attempt at posting pictures on this thing so we'll see what happens!! Joe and I took a trip to Memphis and Nashville for our 33rd anniversary. I wasn't quite sure why Joe chose those destinations, but I must admit we had a great time. We toured the Gibson factory and were amazed to see each guitar being made by hand. We even went to the Grand Ole Opry!! Taking another trip next month to Vegas and looking forward to that. Wynn, we'd love to hook up with you and your bride if you're available. Joe has meetings to attend so I'm just going along for the ride. Enjoying the grandchildren and will be thrilled when Ethan outgrows his colic as will his parents. Going to E. Lansing next weekend to hang out with Ryan. Love to all, Pat

First Time Ever

So Katie, Will and I are in the San Diego airport waiting in line at Southwest (the only remaining affordable airline). We had been down there for the weekend visiting friends. I start staring at the mandolin-toting guy across the aisle dividers and, since he was totally out of context, asked "who is that familiar dude?" Then I said "Hey, Wynn!" He looked at me like "who is that familiar dude?" and we talked for a few minutes before our lines took us in different directions (Vegas and San Francisco).

I don't think I've ever run into any of you at the airport. The only other time I ran into a random Johnson was Uncle Tim when I was in the bathroom at the Blind Pig on Katie's 21st birthday in 1995.

Anyway that's the big news in my life.

Andy

Something Old, Something New, and Something Well-Deserved

Hello all you million Johnsons,

Well, our dear little house has sold. We will be moving at the end of October to a newer, flatter house. It's with some sadness that we contemplate this move. We have loved living here in this cosy little house. We have a wonderful neighborhood full of wonderful friends who have helped us through difficult times with my illness, and who are a great lot of fun in these healthier times, too. In the end, though, we know a better house for me will be better for all of us - so there is some peace in that, and the beginnings of excitement about having a new place and making it our own.



Here is a photo of the new house.
It is in West Saint Paul, a suburb pretty much due east of here (don't ask me....???). You can see that the lot is wooded, which Ben is very excited about. The house is close to lots of our favorite places like Dodge Nature Center and Super Target. Also close to Dave's office. The kids will stay at their current schools, since the new house is still quite close in, and not much farther from their schools than we are now. We close on October 17th, will spend a week doing some small jobs (floors and painting in the kids' rooms), and we'll move in on October 25th. My mom and dad are coming to help us move - thanks Mom and Dad! We invite anyone and everyone to come visit us in our new house once we're settled.


And last, but not least, from the Well-Deserved Desk,
a few weeks ago we received the great news that Dave
has been promoted to Director. This is a big
promotion for him morale-wise, and I am so proud of him.

That's pretty much it for us right now. The kids are all doing great in school, and we are muddling through the beginning-of-the-school-year viruses. We will be busy packing boxes and getting ready to move. Love to all of you,

Molly and fam

Here at the Pics that go with post below!

Life at 50!

Hi All!



Skip and I had a wonderful time at Chanteu Chantel on Mission Point Peninsula north of Traverse City. Thank you very much for the great gift! We were there Sunday, Sept. 7th through Tuesday, September 9th. We drank some great wine and had two delicious dinners. We even purchased a few Christmas gifts - just a hint if you pick our presents in the grab bag! We took a drive along the Pierce Stocking Trail along Lake Michigan and visited historic Fishtown on the Leelenau Peninsula. We were able to stop by and see Tim/Jana's and Kate/Jim's paradise on the lake. The "cottage" home is beautiful as is the view on the bay! What a great retreat. If you ever get a chance to visit them be sure to take the drive on the Pierce Stocking Trail. It is spectacular.



Our summer went well. The weather was great in Michigan. We spent two weeks on Mullett Lake -- the last week of June and the first week of July. It was very relaxing.

I took a trip to Saugatuck for a few days with my girlfriends who also are turning 50 or turned 50 this year. One of these friends I have known since we were 3, two others since 2nd grade and the others from high school. We are also getting together for dinner next Tuesday.

We had a great time at the Johnson Reunion! Skip especially enjoyed the day seeing all of his cousins. We drove by the farm, as did everyone else.


Joe is home, applying to law schools to attend next September if he chooses, and he is working for Skip full-time as a Legal Assistant. He is well and happy for the first time that he can remember that he is not in school this September!



I worked as a volunteer at the Junior Olympics this past July and hope to be selected to work the NCAA Championship which will be held at Ford Field in April. (I am on the volunteer list as I worked the Super Bowl a few years back when it was in Detroit.) I am also looking for some other type of volunteer work in the evenings or weekends -- still trying to find my niche.



We got to meet Ethan this past Sunday (his Baptism) and I was fortunate to be able to hold him for a long time. He is beautiful. It was nice seeing Abbi too! (and the rest of you too.....)



Other than that, we go to work, come home, I walk, Skip watches TV, we eat dinner and on the weekends go to a CC football game.

(I tried to add pictures but I don't think it is working. I will try to add them later -- with the help of Joe.)



That's life at 50!



Hope to see everyone soon.



Love, Nancy

jude

ok - lots of typo's in the last blog, and no picture of jude. i just fired myself.

here is a picture or two of handsome jack

kaliforneyeeh?

Hi all,

Thanks for all the updates you have been posting. It's a great way to keep in touch. Nice funnel cloud Tim!

Ella turned 5 today! Thank you all for the notes and gifts. She has had a wonderful weekend. The birthday part was a sleepover with a few of her friends and a morning visit by a princess. This princess, while viewed skeptically by one of the guests, pefrormed magic tricks, sang songs, and did some face painting. Ella told Trish that her dreams had come true. It was quite lovely.

You probably know that Ella started Kindergarten this year. So far so good. She seems to love it, and is quite fond of her teachers. First day pictures are included.

Jude is doing awesome as well. He is talking up a storm and having a great time trying to be as independant as his sister. He cracks us up with his seriousness and focus. He can hit the golf ball like it's nobody's business. That's my boy!

Trish just returned from another trip to Europe - only this time with a stop in Dubai. She loves to visit the foreign lands, but was not impressed with Dubai.

We are starting to think about our holiday plans, so we'll let you know details soonly.

Miss you all, Jon

Audrey's first day of Kindergarten

Sorry about the editing - for some reason, it isn't letting me move pictures around this time. Audrey loves Kindergarten. Here she is all dressed up for her first day.

And here is a picture with Gabe:

Note the box of tissues on the steps behind Ingrid. Audrey's teacher was prepared.

And lastly, there is a picture of Audrey with Miss Donahue.

They have after-care in Audrey's school, and it is run by her Kindergarten teacher. She loves it.

No pictures of Ingrid's first day - that was back in August. Ingrid still can't stop talking about how much fun she has there.

Nobody took pictures of my first day teaching at Clark.

Heather

Spencer Summer pictures

Jacob and cousin Laura












Dave and Molly who you often hear from and about, but never really get to see. Aren't they a handsome pair!!










Lots of people pictures from the reunion, but here is the farm-where the aunts and uncles spent lots of time as kids. ok, Elaine and Eli are next, but I can't get the cursor to go down there!!!!!!!

Torch Lake update

The Spencer family had a few days together at the lake in August. We enjoyed being together and took advantage of everyone being here by taking a family picture. Since we had a 'professional' come and take them, I can't post them on the blog, but will be sure everyone gets one when the holidays roll around.

Most of you know that Matt has a new job as the principal of Sparta High School. This happened fairly suddenly in early August when the principal he had worked with took a job in Montcalm County. Jacob started kindergarten this year and loves riding the bus with the big kids to go to school. Eli considers the childcare at the YMCA to be his school and proudly announces that whenever he drives by. Of course, Jacob tries to set everyone straight by reminding us that it isn't a real school!!

Molly has kept everyone pretty well posted on life in St. Paul. We sure enjoyed having the Parker clan here for a few weeks this summer. Hard to believe that Ben is seven!!

Andy, Katie and Will made a quick (four day) trip to Michigan in August. It was such fun to see all the cousins together! Katie's folks joined us for a couple of the days, staying at the golf course since we were full!

The new Community Services Building that Bob has been working on for three years is completed, dedicated and in full use. This has taken quite a bit of pressure off of him so the job seems more manageable. Still we are looking forward to November 20th at noon when the new Supervisor begins his work. We are hoping to take a long week-end in Chicago soon after he finishes.

We have enjoyed having Tim and Jana and Kate and Jim so close. We see them and any of their visitors regularly. So, we've been able to see Gary and Michelle, Nancy and Skip, the Lisenbee extended family and all but Ben in the Tim Johnson family. Life is great up north and we invite any and all of you for a visit!!

The responses to the inquiry about the family Christmas party lead me to believe that we should have it the Saturday after Christmas at Lisenbees. All in favor? Then it is settled. Details to come later but I think you can pretty much plan on a repeat of the last several years. Who has the owls?

I didn't do my homework with summer pictures before I started this so I can't send any. I tried to add them to this from Picasa, but failed. I will try again sometime.

Funnel Cloud

Skip and Nancy stopped by the cottage on Sunday. When we went down to show them the beach there was a funnel cloud hanging over the bay. Not sure how far away it was. The pictures below were taken with a telephoto lens. I am thinin that the cloud was at least 15 miles away.

First Day in Minnesota

Ben's first day was a week ago today. So far, he seems to be loving his new school and doesn't mind the bus ride at all.

Andy and Laura Kate started yesterday at Crocus Hill. Andy was excited because he's in "the biggest class" this year. Laura Kate didn't want to go (so she said at home)... but once we arrived she had her coat off and was saying "Bye, Mom" pretty much immediately. So, everyone is off to a good start this year.

And speaking of pictures, Aunt Kate, how about a few new ones of Gwen???

First day of school

Hey,

I know there have been at least three little ones on their first day of school. How about some pictures, we know you took some.

Katie

Lisenbee Family Update

Hello Family,

I haven't blogged in awhile so I thought it might be time to give a Lisenbee family update. We all had a wonderful summer and got up to the new cottage quite often. It's so much closer than Lost Lake Woods. Nate and Kendall even got up there a few times with the baby. Speaking of the baby, Gwen is doing great! She's getting big, her eyes are still blue and she is sleeping through the night! Kendall goes back to work part time at Mary Free Bed Hospital at the end of the month and her mom is going to babysit when needed. Since Kendall works nights, she'll just need to come in the morning when Nate leaves for work and stay until Kendall has had a chance to get a few hours of sleep.

Jillie is still working for me, but she is still planning on moving to South Bend in the near future. She decided not to start classes this fall on her Master's of Public Health; she'll probably start in January and give herself a chance to save some money first.

Liz and I went to the Johnson family reunion in Yale on August 16. I will try to include some pictures for those of you who were unable to attend. It was a really nice get together, but I was called Paula and then Judy by several different cousins. Actually, I was surprised by all the people that showed up! It turns out that Sharon's son Steven, has a home in Lost Lake Woods. Uncle Harold thinks he sold Mom's house to Paula's husband and now he wants a finders fee. If they buy it, I might think about it. He does need a hearing aid..




Hopefully, you can see these pictures when I post this. If not, don't tell me, just ask Tim to post some pictures. That's about it for us. I'm exhausted from trying to get these pictures on the blog.

Love,

Katie