Step Two...Orientation Meeting!

Last weekend, Russ and I made the trek down to Jackson to spend the night before our orientation meeting with the adoption agency in Hattiesburg the next day. Kristin and Lee recently moved into an adorable house there, and we were very excited that we got to see all the cute touches in true Kristin style!

Do you see that cute spring wreath on the door? Yep. She made that, and she is selling them as well. If you are interested, I know she will have some, along with a multitude of other items, at Corinth's Green Market on May 7. Stop by and show her some love! Oh yeah, I will also have some aprons and T-SHIRTS there!

I can't say enough about how informative and comforting our orientation meeting was! Especially after such an exciting morning. You see, there were about 3-4 tornadoes ON THE GROUND right about the time we were supposed to leave town. Kristin works at a bank, and she had texted that they were huddled in the vault. I was running around without my pants on (I was in the middle of getting ready!) putting pillows in the hallway for my own safety. I'm pretty sure there is no safe place in their house...windows everywhere! Although, Clinton was hit extremely hard...we were safe from harm. We headed out on time and had a nice ride to Hattiesburg. However, on our way back, we raced the weather back into town. Russ was "tighter than a tick" as my mother would say. Ha! I just put my ear phones on and turned my music up! Probably not helpful. Oh well! My mom had also braved the storm coming into town to close on my grandparents' house. (YES, it sold! Praise the Lord!) So, we all ate a nice celebratory supper at Keifer's before Mama started back home.

The rest of the weekend was absolutely beautiful! We met special friends, Pat and Felicia, for lunch at Rooster's. We haven't seen them in forever, and we were so sad to hear about the loss of their puppy that week. We wanted to show them some love and share in our excitement as well. Of course, they brought along their BIG baby, Toby, and the bun in the oven, Nate. They gave us our first baby gift, but I didn't get a picture of it. It was precious! So special! After sitting at the table for over an hour and talking, we moved to the parking lot for another hour of conversation and catching up! Always fun and unfiltered when Felicia and I are together! Ha!

Me and Felicia (and Nate...the baby bump)

Russ and Pat

Toby...Can you believe that he's not even two yet!? I cannot believe how big he has gotten!

After lunch, we met Kristin and Lee back at the house for a movie date. We went to see Rio in 3-D. Besides the unexpected 3-D price, it was wonderful! The music was great and it was so funny! I definitely recommend it!

Me and Russ in 3-D glasses

Lee and Kristin

We were supposed to leave Saturday to be back in time for Sunday school on Sunday. But, we got caught up in a game of Last Word and racing each other around the house. Yes. You read that correctly! Russ and I raced each other around the house. I had to run around it 4 times and Russ had to run around 5 times since he was in better shape. For the record, I won! Needless to say, we spent the night and woke up at 6 in the morning so we could at least make it to our later service at church.

Lee and Russ playing Last Word

After church, we came back home to exhale! We filled out and signed our next set of paperwork and wrote a check to send off to the agency ASAP!


It was a wonderful weekend full of fun, possibilities, and friends! Thanks, Kristin and Lee, for putting us up for both nights! Now we are ready for Step 3!

Stepping Away From the Shore

Matthew 14:25 - "Between three and six in the morning, Jesus came walking to them on the water."

Faith is the ability to trust what we cannot see. John Shedd said, "A ship at harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." Faith is willing to take risks, embrace the unseen, and step away from the safety of the shore.

Faith believes that God is willing. The disciples had personally witnessed God's willingness to save His children, yet in Matthew 14, we see them in a boat, caught in a storm, afraid and still questioning God's willingness to save them. Did they cry out in fear? Yes. Did He come to save them? Yes!

Jesus came to His disciples, walking on the water, between 3:00 and 6:00 in the morning, the darkest time of the night. I imagine the complaints were flying: "Why would Jesus send us out here knowing that the waves were so high? Where is He? Why is He waiting so long to rescue us? He could just speak and calm the waves like He did before. We worked for him all day long, and this is our reward? I don't understand!" Sound familiar? It does to me!

The truth is that God is willing and waiting to pour out His favor and blessings on a life of faith. Hebrews tells us that faith always honors God, and God always honors faith. (Hebrews 11:6)

I think part of the problem is that we don't know how to define "blessing." A blessing is not always pleasant, easy, painless, comfortable, or expected. A blessing often comes wrapped in the mystery of darkness. But I am learning this truth - anything that makes us cry out to God can be counted as a blessing. Why? Because when we are desperate and in pain, when we have no answers and the darkness is closing in, we cry out to God, just as His disciples did - and He comes! Not because we have earned His presence or His mercy, but because we cried out with a tiny seed of faith, as His children, knowing He is not only able, but eager to come. Step away from the shore. He will meet you here.

Russ and I are stepping away from the shore in FAITH as we anxiously welcome a new journey. A journey we never could have planned for ourselves, but one that is beyond anything we ever could have asked or imagined! (Eph. 3:20) We cannot wait to see how God will blow our imaginations next!

We are filled with joy as our hearts excitedly wait to grow our family through the miracle of adoption! Many of you have journeyed with us throughout our struggles and successes of the past six years, and we are beyond thrilled to share this excitement with you! We consider you such a special part of our lives...even those we have yet to meet. I am constantly overwhelmed with gratitude when I am stopped in random places or sent a sweet email just for you to say that you have prayed for us. Wow! Thank you.

There is so much I want to say about our journey, and over time I'm sure I will get it all out. For now, I just want to ask you once more for your prayers. We are asking for specific prayers: prayer for our patience as we "hurry up and wait" as is the process with adoption, prayer that God places His chosen baby for us in our arms soon, and prayer for the birthmother of our baby as she struggles or will struggle through such a difficult journey. Your prayers are so precious to us, and we are grateful that we have so many prayer warriors at home and in the blogging world. It is so humbling, and we knew from the beginning that you all would be an instrumental part in bringing home our baby. As we sat through our adoption orientation this past weekend and listened to the devotional above, I was overwhelmed with gratefulness for all God has done and continues to do through our struggles. Who says our blessings can't come through pain? Many of you, sweet friends, have come as a result of our struggle. And I am so thankful for each one of you and how you have supported us as we prayed about this decision the past couple of years. You are one of the MANY blessings He has brought through "raindrops."

Most of you are very aware of the lengthy process that comes with adoption. You are also probably aware of the cost of adoption. We will continue to raise money throughout our wait to help bring home Baby Johnson, and you can keep up with that here. For now, please consider purchasing one of our t-shirts, and say a quick prayer for our little one each time you put it on or toss it in the washing machine. I can't wait to let him/her know how many people prayed for them as we waited! If you are interested, keep checking back. I'll post a proof very soon! Shirts should arrive next weekend.

Thank you, again, for joining us on this journey! We know that if we keep our eyes on Him as we step away from the shore, He will see us through!

Super Saturday in Starkville

This distance between January 1 and September 1 is LONG! Especially if you are hopelessly devoted to Mississippi State football. That would be me. Thankfully, my dear alma mater understands this anxiety and offers an opportunity to get a little taste of the season with Super Bulldog Weekend complete with a spring game. (At this point, feel free to hear the angels singing "Hallelujah!" with a stream of sunlight shining down on me!) Ha! Russ and I kept three of his brother's children this weekend, and we decided to take them down to Starkvegas AKA "God's Country" to enjoy all the festivities!

We left Saltillo around 11:15 in hopes of a good lunch at Bulldog Deli. We made it just in time to fill our tummies and get a quick visit with my brother and Kyle.

After lunch, we took the children to Campus Bookmart where they could each choose one item. Clay and Leah chose the beloved cowbell (...which I hear is close to being put out of reach at this point in their home. Ha!) and Sam chose a stuffed Bully. All items were to be taken to the game. After we all had our MSU souvenirs, we parked our car and headed toward the Junction.

Sam, Clay, and Leah with the stadium in the background

We arrived at the Junction in time to enjoy hours of Super Bulldog Weekend Fan Fair! There were inflatables, face painting, autographs, Bully, the real Bully, and crawfish among other things! Russ and I decided while in the book store to purchase a football for Clay and Russ to throw around since he may think he was a little old for the inflatables.

Russ and Clay throwing the football in the Junction

While the "big boys" threw the ball around, I took the two smaller ones to the inflatables where we stood in line after line to jump, slide, climb, and jump some more! They had a ball! Thankfully, we packed water bottles and snacks so there was never any complaining. We pretty much played it by ear and did whatever the kids wanted to do with one restroom stop in between.

Me and Clay watching from the shade as Leah and Sam played

Clay decided he would give this one a try!

Leah beat Sam in this race I think.

But Sam came out running!

Leah and Clay got their faces painted

After face painting, Sam and Leah needed to sit, rest, and eat some snacks. So, Clay and I decided we wanted to get Clay's football autographed by lots of the former players. We stood in line...a very long line...until they cut the line off FOUR PEOPLE AHEAD OF US! Poo! We were disappointed, but I managed to push my way up to get pictures of the players at least. Ha!

Anthony Dixon

We weren't disappointed for long, because Bully popped a squat just a few feet away. We all ran over for a picture. Sam was especially excited! He looked for Bully all day.

Sam hugging Bully

Clay, Sam, Leah, and Bully

Of course, I would NEVER pass up an opportunity to sit on Bully's lap!

We had a great afternoon just doing whatever the kids wanted to do. As for Russ and I...we were already doing what we wanted - simply being in Starkville for the spring game!

Me and Sam

Clay, Russ, and Sam

Next stop...Davis Wade Stadium! It was time for some football!

We found some good seats with lots of room in case anyone needed to lay down and nap. It was time to ring our cowbells and cheer for our dogs!

Sam was tired of taking pictures! Ha! This is the fourth picture because I couldn't figure Russ's camera out! Oops!

Leah and Clay ringing responsibly!

We spent the rest of the afternoon cheering, ringing, and watching some football. It was a glorious day and we were on the shady side. The stadium was filled with over 36,000 loyal fans! I sure hope there is some Super Bulldog moments in heaven. Ha! I'll ring my bell for sure!

By the end of the half, Leah was asleep and Sam was still going. But, we didn't want to push our luck. So we decided to leave at halftime and head back. Leah said it best when she said, "I'm a little tired. It has been a big day!"


The kids were troopers and we all had a great time! I'll certainly try to be back next year. I haven't missed a Super Bulldog Weekend since I was in college, and I hope that I don't have to. Thanks, Jimmy and Roan, for sharing your little ones for the day! You'll have to come with us next time!

First Jr. YaYa-in-Law Bachelorette Weekend

In case you're new to this blog, let me introduce the term "Ya Ya" to you. My mom and her friends have self-proclaimed themselves the "Ya Ya's." It all started when their sons played baseball together. And it grew from there! The Ya Ya's do lots of fun, crazy, and special things together. Most of their best moments are in "the vault," so I can't tell you about it. But, one of the great things they do is to initiate us "Junior Ya Ya's" into their group when we get married. You may have already read about our Ya Ya bachelorette parties here and here. If not, please do! I was married a little too early...before the Ya Ya's were formed, so I didn't have one. Don't worry though! We've voted to CELEBRATE BIG TIME when I finally become a mother! Ha!

This trip was a little different. First of all, the other Jr. Ya Ya's had to work and couldn't make the trip. Then, we had a death in our family, so my mom was unable to make it. I tagged along to represent and support this incoming junior Ya Ya. The other reason it was a little different is because this was our first initiation of a "Jr. Ya Ya-in-Law!" Yes, our fellow Ya Ya Teri is the MOG (mother of the groom), and we initiated her soon-to-be daughter-in-law into our sisterhood! We broke her in right! You can always be sure of that!

Jr. Ya Ya Marci ready to head off to Nashville!

Ya Ya Bachelorette Party! Ya Ya Vicki made a sign with Mama's face on it so she could join us for the whole experience! Ha!

Our trip to Nashville was one full of laughter, fun, and memories...as always! When we arrived at our hotel, we unloaded and toured the beautiful halls and foyer. The Ya Ya's checked out the material used for the draperies and probably planned some remodeling projects of their own! Ha!

Our hotel, Union Station

Inside the hotel

Once we unloaded and checked out all the hotel had to offer, we headed out on the town! The hotel is within walking distance of everything, so we headed out! Yes, I had on sweatpants and a t-shirt. I guess there comes a time when things like that just don't matter! Oh well! We walked down to Margaritaville for dinner and music.

Jr. Ya Ya's

We attract people everywhere we go!

We made a couple of stops to enjoy the music and people. And, quite honestly, to have fun! I think we got back to our rooms around 2 AM! Our room was in bed by 3:30. Who says only the young can stay up and have a good time?!

Our sweet waitress at one of the honky tonks. She's also a singer/songwriter. When she's famous, we'll repost this picture! Ha!

We spent Saturday eating an incredibly delicious lunch at Demos' downtown followed by shopping at Hillsboro Village. We purchased a little something and loved the unique shops.

Lovin' the hat! What do you think? Ha!

Teri and her frozen yogurt from CeCe's

A beautiful day to be a Ya Ya!

When we finally got back to the room, we prepared for a night to remember...Ya Ya style! And, yes, Mama even joined us for it all!

Ya Ya accessories

Ya Ya Hope

If you thought we had to go out to start having fun, you are wrong! Ya Ya's have fun no matter where or when! There's always time for a little karaoke with light up microphones or a ceremony presenting Marci with the coveted Ya Ya pillow!

"You Are My Sunshine"

Presentation of the Ya Ya pillow

It was probably close to 9:00 Saturday night before we even left the hotel. We made a few stops along the way for singers, rappers, and funny opportunities on the streets before we made a supper stop at Merchant's.

The Ya Ya's with Elvis

After supper, we walked on to the traditional Wildhorse Saloon for even more fun, dancing, and entertainment. We entered the dance contest...and eased off once we saw the first dancer! Ha! We just didn't want to steal her spotlight. We knew we would win. We weren't scared of being booed or anything! Ha! We danced plenty to make up for it though!

Ya Ya's on the dance floor!

Mama wanted to bust a move too! She says, "Shhhh...don't tell anyone!" Ha!

Ya Ya's at Wildhorse Saloon 2011!

Once the Wildhorse closed down around 1 or 2, we walked over to the Big Bang to enjoy dueling pianos and more fun and dancing. I think this will certainly need to be on our new list of traditions. We had the best time! I think they closed around 3 AM. At that time, we just decided to walk ourselves back to the hotel. Ha! We were in bed by 3:30 again!

Ya Ya's at the Big Bang

Ya Ya Vic Vic

You've heard of Flat Stanley, right? Well, I bet you've never heard of Flat Susan! She was with us throughout our Nashville adventure. Just take a look at all the fun she had...

Her last request was a trip to the Pancake Pantry for breakfast! Our waitress was obsessed with Mama and promised to write about her on Facebook! Ha! She even paused to have her picture taken with her!

Mama and Paula

Ya Ya's at Pancake Pantry

Once again, the Ya Ya's proved to be the ultimate party planners! Thanks, Marci, for letting us celebrate with you! I'm kinda counting down to see who might be next. There's only one daughter left....and lots of sons! Hmmmm...Will it be another Ya Ya-in-law? We'll see!