After church and the traditional family Easter pictures, we came inside to more Easter bunny surprises.  It appears that the bunny who visited Susu and Pawpaw and KayKay and Uncie Lee also came to visit Smith and Millie Janalee.  More goodies!

While the kids and big kids looked through all the fun treats the Easter bunnies left, my mom put the finishing touches on the delicious lunch she prepared.  Always setting the table with her china and Easter decor.  Beautiful...

We gathered around the table and enjoyed our Easter lunch together laughing and catching up on life since we were last all together.  Millie Janalee even had her own china to eat on.

Then it was time.

Many of you are waiting on the recap of our 2015 Easter Egg Hunt.  You can see last year's hunt here.  And 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2009 are also covered.  If you're up for throwin' it back.

On your mark...

Counting it up...

Totaling up the eggs to see if we missed one or two.

Dustin always needs complete concentration.

The organized one.

We always have a variety of onlookers.  She She took care of the babies while the hunt took place.  She's been mapping out her strategy for a few years now, and I'm a little afraid of what she has come up with when her time to join finally comes.  The rules state that you must be an official member of the family to participate.

Smith was not amused.

Obviously Hughes wasn't all that excited either.

After the official tally marking Lee the clear winner with Dustin in second place...it was time to play! Dustin and Lee are our typical first and second place winners, and Dustin takes it very seriously.  His fall to second place was not unnoticed.  Ha!

Playtime!

A little ball in the back yard.

We put a few eggs out for Millie Janalee and Hughes.  Kristin and I were obviously much more excited about this than they were.  I did have to wake Millie Janalee up to participate, and she - much like her mama - loves her sleep.  So she was a tad pouty about the whole thing.

Easter keeps getting bigger each year as little people join our crazy crew.  My parents are intentional about creating memories for us, and I know we will continue to do the same with our children.  Memories make the best stories around the lunch table.  Trust me.

Easter 2015

This Easter was a very special one indeed!  I always love Easter for so many reasons.  I love springtime!  I love the changing of the seasons anytime, but springtime is such a wonderful reminder of God making all things new.  Life is greener, brighter, and more colorful this time of year.  It is a perfect boost of cheer from the dark winter we are usually getting tired of by Easter.  I also love Easter because I love to see all the children in their new, spring clothes.  There are sweet dresses and darling bubbles.  Ruffles and lace.  I'm a children's clothing junkie.  I admit it.  I love the excitement of Easter egg hunts and the Easter bunny.  But most of all, I love what Easter stands for.  It is a celebration of Jesus's resurrection!  A promise that "Sunday's a'comin!" He has won, and He will come for us again.  Of course we celebrate and remember His resurrection everyday, but this is one day that we hold special...a celebration day!  Thank the Lord He has risen!

The kids woke up Sunday morning to fun surprises from the Easter Bunny.  It's more fun each year to watch Millie Janalee's reaction since she is becoming more and more aware of what is going on around her.  I carried her down the stairs, and she said "For meeee?!"  So fun!

And of course, we were elated to celebrate Smith's first Easter!  Such a special day.  He donned the traditional "Baby's First Easter bunny ears" and he was so happy to do so.  I love him so!

Russ and I enjoyed watching Millie Janalee help Smith look through his little Easter basket.  Gosh, I love watching them interact.  Even when they are hitting each other, it just fills my heart and makes me smile.  Thankful, thankful.  All the time!

Russ and I did the typical rushing around trying to get everyone ready in their Easter Sunday best without speaking harshly to each other.  We may have lived on the edge there at the end, but I managed a few pictures of the kids fussing...actually it was more like Smith trying to grab Millie Janalee with a huge smile on his face while she pouted and tried to keep him from touching her dress.  Don't tell me I'm the only one with that kind of Easter morning!

We picked them up from the nursery, and Millie Janalee had made a sweet and yummy craft in Sunday school.  She was devastated when she found out she couldn't eat the donut that was attached with glue.  But she soon forgot.  And I managed to get a cheerful picture of my sweet Easter bunnies!

Smith and Millie Janalee 2015

Smith and Hughes

Every Easter, my mom cooks a delicious and special Easter lunch.  So my entire family goes to my parents' house after church for lunch and the obligatory family photo.  It's getting harder and harder to get the "perfect picture" with all these babies in the mix.  But it perfectly describes the moment.  And that's what we will love in the future.

Becoming a mother of two changes things all across the board.  One of those things is my own Easter dress.  Russ and I just grabbed something from our closets and threw it on.  At least the kids were perfectly planned and picture perfect.  I wouldn't change if for the world!  THIS is what I was made for!  God created me to be Russ's wife and mother to Millie Janalee and Smith.  What else He has planned...we will just have to watch and see.  But I know it will be immeasurably more!

Happy Easter...months later!

Smith's Family Day

I have SOOOO much to catch you all up on.  I cannot even explain to you in one short blog post how busy our little family has been this spring going into summer.  And now we are preparing for our big move next week...and we are more excited than you know!  Our hearts are full and burdened for many reasons right now and we appreciate your prayers in the days and weeks to come.

June 8, 2015 - that is the day we stood before the judge in Jackson, MS with our family and officially and legally finalized Smith's adoption.  And the judge called him by name.  Smith Russell Johnson.  Our son.  Of course he was our son from the day we learned of him...although he wasn't placed in our arms until after his birth.  But now we have completed the process full of paperwork and planning and home visits...and we are legally and officially a family of four.

We had a different judge this time around, and she was wonderful.  She introduced herself and wanted to know the name of everyone in our group.  She compared Smith and Millie Janalee to Prince William and Kate's children.  Ummm....yes please!  I'll take that compliment in the most humble manner of course.  Judge Wise then went over the legal paperwork with our attorney while our family stood behind us.  Russ and I raised our right hands and confirmed our desire to care for Smith under oath.  The papers were signed and we were legal!

Judge Wise was kind enough to offer a photo opportunity in the courtroom.  She heard our case in her chambers, so we went out to the full courtroom and posed our crazy crew behind the bench.  The judge put on her robe and even gave the kids the gavel for pictures.  Millie Janalee was just a little too "gavel happy" right next to Smith.  Ha!  I can't go on without mentioning that it was at this time Russ and I realized our camera DID NOT WORK!  Y'all.  Surely you know how devastating that was to us...and how much sweat began to form as we frantically tried to figure out how to fix it.  Thankfully, I remembered that I had my little point and shoot camera in my diaper bag from our beach trip.  Yay!  So we did document the occasion...and with a little editing...they look okay.  Not that I'm picky about pictures or anything.

It was also an exciting time because our social worker, Karen, was able to meet Smith for the first time!  Since he was born in North Mississippi, Karen wasn't able to be there at birth.  It's always fun for her to see how much Millie Janalee's personality has blossomed as well.  Karen has been there with us from the very first question I ever had about Bethany.  I am honored to call her my friend.

Clancy was so thoughtful to invite us all over to her house for cake and punch to celebrate Smith's big day.  We had all just come in from a week long beach vacation, so this gesture was no small task!  I am so grateful and undeserving of my "drop whatever you are doing and be there" family.

Russ and I were happy to share this day with our sister-in-law and her five children also.  They drove in from Tupelo that morning and made it JUST IN TIME for our hearing.  We are so glad they were able to share this special day with us!

Julie and Smith

Julie, Leah, Millie Janalee, Olivia, Smith, Clay, Roan, and Sam

Our camera started working on the way home from the courthouse, so we did some family pictures once we got to Clancy's house. It all worked out!  Of course, my parents don't miss a thing.  They learned this from their parents - my grandparents.  They never missed thing we did if they could help it.  Even living four hours away.  They made it happen!

Susu, Smith, and Pawpaw

Uncle Howard, Selah Grace, Smith, and Clancy

Russ and I continue to be blessed more than we could have ever imagined through our adoption journeys.  Never in my wildest dreams could I have planned this perfectly planned life.  It overwhelms me to consider the many blessings He has given us.  Immeasurably more!

Our forever family...built exactly the way God planned to build it.  He never gave up on us even though we were ready to give up at times.  He held our hands and drug us through the ashes.  Because He knew how to create beauty from ashes.  Beauty far more beautiful than I could ask.

Happy Finalization Day, Smith!  To God be the glory FOREVER!

Johnson Easter Hunt 2015

This is determination.  I am determined to document these important events...even if it's months later. Ha!  We had a fabulous Easter weekend with family.  Our first Easter as a family of FOUR!  We always enjoy the Easter egg hunt hosted by Russ's brother and his wife at their home.  They have lots of land surrounded by woods...and lots of kids roaming and exploring all over.  It was Millie Janalee's version of heaven on earth probably.  Ha!  She loves all the attention from the big girls.

Before the hunt, we always gather the kids on the front steps for a group picture before the big "GO!"  Millie Janalee was obsessed with this pink plastic Easter bucket sitting to her right.  She wanted that basket...not her precious, customized, monogrammed basket that she has.  Of course!  Why do moms go to all the trouble for the perfect Easter basket when all they want is one from the dollar store?!  If we were honest...we do it because we want the perfect Easter basket.  It's not for the kids anyway.  Haha!

I eventually had to take it away from her because she was taking all the Easter grass out of it.  So she pouted.  Front and center pouted.  Before she decided to sit and pout, she was standing in the center of everyone with arms folded and lip poked out - while all the parents were taking the group picture.  Yes.  That's my child.  The one in the sweet dress and big bow...pouting because she doesn't want her pretty Easter basket.  Of course, I took pictures! Because one day, when she's pouting over curfews and boyfriends, I want her to see what she looked like pouting over an Easter basket.

It was a rough start since she was already unhappy, but she warmed up to the Easter egg hunting experience.  She was much more interested in the candy inside the eggs than collecting quantity.  She loved all the chocolate.  Her egg hunt went something like this: find an egg, open it, eat the candy, put the empty egg in basket, look for an egg, open it, eat the candy, put the empty egg in basket...  Ha!

Her daddy was her egg hunt buddy

Russ's cousin, Season

Second cousins - Hunter and Millie Janalee

Sweet girl WITH her SWEET BASKET!  Ha!

This was also Smith's first Easter egg hunt, but of course he wasn't all that into it.  Aunt Jenny served as a great babysitter for the entire day.

Grace, Jenny, and Smith

We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting with family and friends until time to leave for supper.  Millie Janalee soaked up all the attention from the big girls while the adults talked and lounged around in the cool sunshine.

Snacking with the big kids.

Second cousins Smith and Rollins (Hunter's baby brother)

This one cracks me up!

This is how Millie Janalee felt about pictures with baby brother.

And Smith loves her so!

Brothers

Julie and Roan working in the kitchen as usual

It was a wonderful way to start our Easter weekend with our family!  Our first Easter as a Party of FOUR!