This year has brought several journeys to an end. Mimi's calling as president of our congregations women's group has come to an end after 3 years, a mixed blessing for sure. We have seen many friends move out of casual reach and are getting to know some new friends. We also finished Mimi's school loans this year so we only have Doug's left (and the house, of course).
New this year has been Mimi's pregnancy which has been harder, at least in the first trimester, than previous pregnancies. This has consumed much of our energy this year but Mimi has still found time to do many field trips with the kids and continues to Homeschool.
Trips this year:
- St. Louis Zoo
- St. Louis Science Mueseum
- St. Louis Botanical Gardens
- Missouri history Museum
- Hopewell Furnace
- Daniel Boone homestead
- The National Canal Museum (with a real canal boat pulled by a mule)
- Fonthill castle
- Byers Choice
Jacob has been learning math with the Miquon system which emphasizes mental computation. He continues to read voraciously and is a fountain of ideas about whatever is on his mind. He is always drawing something or making books. He also enjoys playing and building with Simon and has started playing with Sammy more this year as Sammy has become ready for that.
Simon continues to be very compassionate friend to everyone around him. Simon is clever with his hands, building constantly, and is starting to show a surprising and apt sense of humor. He loves building with Legos and playing word games with Jacob. Simon and Mimi have been sharing a love of baking which has yielded some delicious treats and many imagined treats.
Samuel (dubbed "Gaga" by Jacob) has shown himself to be a patient and understanding companion for each member of the family. Enjoying sharing his happiness with his family members. A good example of this would be when Doug was sick during the summer and was stuck in bed. Sammy brought toys to the edge of the bed and acted out little stories. Somehow understanding that his Dad couldn't engage and willing simply to play nearby and keep good company.
The pregnancy, though stressful, has moved the family to make some changes to reduce the amount of work required in the household. This has been a team effort and has reduced or eliminated some large tasks. Probably the biggest wins were changing the way we do laundry and putting up a kids level coat rack up so that the kids could hang their own coats up.
Doug has changed to a management role this year. His team is full of amazing and capable people who make work fun. This new role allows him to dig into technical problems and building projects occasionally and also allows him to have the level of interpersonal interaction he enjoys. He has only had a couple of side projects this year, a piano keyboard and a kick drum beater, that have allowed to sharpen his prototyping skills. With any luck these projects may go into production this year which is on Doug's bucket list.
Doug and Mimi continue to be amazed at the blessings in their life. The biggest blessings continue to be the people around them. The kids fill our lives with meaning and direction and are a constant source of inspiration. Friends from life and work give us an opportunity to laugh and enjoy a wide variety of views that challenge and reinforce our own. Friends from church give us many examples about how to be better people and parents and provide a special sort of companionship that only faithful members of ones own faith system can provide.
We testify that the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the refining influence of the Holy Ghost are the greatest gifts we have ever been given and it has been worth every meager sacrifice we have been able to offer. His admonishments to Love God and Love One Another offer the greatest opportunities for relief from personal and public suffering available to humanity.
-The Johnsons
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