10 in 2011: Books 5-7

Our "entertainment reading" is going well this year. I now am through seven books before the end of May, in addition to all my academic reading. We also have found that when you read something you like, you are much more likely to want someone else to read it. We keep sharing the books that we've read, asking for chapter-by-chapter updates and hoping that they enjoy it too. It's like having your own personal book club.

Book 5 - David Livingstone: Missionary and Explorer: This book was an overview of what has to be one of the more incredible journeys ever taken. David Livingstone worked long hours in a factory as a young boy, eventually saving enough to go to medical school. After medical school, he traveled by boat to Africa, and if I remember right, he only came back home to Scotland once more in his life, even though he married and had four children. He traveled Africa by ox and by foot for more than three decades, exploring areas previously unseen by Western eyes. There were no roads, there were wild animals and parasites, and the native tribes were hostile and merciless. Completing each stage of his journey required tremendous courage and patience, more than I think most of us would be willing to give. He also, of course, went through significant times of pain and self-doubt, but he never gave up, even though it meant sacrificing his safety and security. His story and sacrifice are amazing pictures of risk.


Book 6 - Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron: I actually enjoyed this book. That might surprise some who know I'm not a natural cat lover, but that's because this book is a lot more than just cats. It's not just purring and toy chasing and "rub me on my belly." No, it actually has a good story. It's about a woman dealing with hardships in her family and community, and the cat (Dewey) who just happens to be her one consistent joy in the storm. There was a lot of drama for a book with a furry cat on the cover. Well written.

Book 7 - Highest Calling by Larry Lea: This book does an outstanding job of explaining the Old Testament passages on priesthood and service. Working with several ministries over the years, I know how difficult these can be for people. The most common questions posed are: Do these books (Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, etc.) have any relevance for today? How am I supposed to apply them to my life? Dr. Lea shows have valuable the priestly ministry was in those days, and how in Jesus the same calling applies to all believers. Everyone is called, and everyone has the same access to God that the high priest did in OT times. That access shapes how we approach God today. I thought his personal examples were excellent, and I wish he had even more. I plan to reread this book in the future.

sewing projects

while blake was busy reading books this year, i was making quilts. so far this year, i've made 6 baby-sized quilts. i was hired to make two of them for a friend, and the other four i made as gifts. i've read several quilting blogs to learn new techniques and treated myself to some new sewing machine 'feet' to make certain parts of the process easier. they're business expenses, right?

i made this blanket for my college friend stephanie, whose son ethan was born in december (on blake's bday)!

i made this blanket for my college friend linnea, whose son david was born last august.

i made this blanket for my college friend, laura, whose son lowrie was born in january.

here are some close-up shots of the quilting and embroidery.

i made this quilt for my cheer coach friend, jenny, whose son landon was born in february.

the only girl blankets that i got to make recently were the ones that my cheer coach friend, lasonia, hired me to make for her new nieces, emersyn and mckynli.

also, i have read quite a few books recently, too. but sewing projects are much more fun to talk about.

10 in 2011: Books 2-4

One of my resolutions for 2011 was to read 10 books in addition to schoolwork and other stuff. Ten may not sound like a lot to some people, but compared to my past few years, it would be a lot. I read the Bible, I read articles for class, but I've only sporadically started and finished books that were "just for me." My first book of 2011 was the 17 Second Miracle, which I wrote about earlier. Today I finished book four.

Book two: The Good Guy by Dean Koontz -- A guy innocently is handed an envelope and told, "$10000 now, the rest when she's gone." He opens the envelope and finds the picture of a girl and an address. He has no idea why someone would hand him this, but then someone else walks up and assumes he is the one doing the hiring. He tries cautiously enough to get the girl out of trouble, but he ends up realizing that doing the right thing will cost him all his safety and security. An interesting thriller that I listened to when we were flying to and from Wyoming. [I listened to one part while sitting on a frozen lake in the mountains!]

Book three: Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman -- Well written and heart-wrenching. Worthy of a second read somewhere down the line.Tiffanie and I both flew through this book.

Book four: The Secrets Men Keep: How Men Make Life and Love Harder Than It Has to Be by Stephen Arterburn -- Taken properly, this book can be helpful to both men and women. I thought he had some sections that were healthy and thought provoking. At the very least, it could provide good material for husbands and wives or pre-marrieds to discuss. As with any book on identity or relationships, it needs to be considered thoughtfully in the context of personal experience and how God has shaped you. Some sections didn't apply to me but others were right on.

we share our table

these three pictures tell a story from our dinner tonight.

kitty lays on the table like this basically every time we eat dinner. then he gets in trouble when he streettttccchhhesssss his foot onto our plates.

p.s., that's apple juice. in case you were wondering.

New Year, New Book - The Seventeen Second Miracle

Well I started off this year with a trip to the library, a trip to the bookstore, and a purchase of three books online for the upcoming semester. Those ventures were in addition to receiving 3-4 new books from our families for Christmas. One of those gifts (the only one specifically for me) was The Seventeen Second Miracle by Jason F. Wright. My intentions with new books are usually better than my follow through, but I sat down and read this book over the course of two days. It was easy to read and engaging. I enjoyed it.

The cover and plot to the story are thoroughly unassuming, but the characters are genuine and the story well-crafted. Through the reading I kept telling myself that the story was about simple things -- a group of high school students discussing the challenges of growing up, a young couple working out the kinks in their marriage, an older man trying to teach his son about life -- but the interaction of those things kept bringing the story to life, and making me care about where it was headed. I liked the simplicity of it. Jason Wright created some genuinely touching moments in these characters' interactions, and perhaps the simplicity of everything else in the story made those aspects stand out.

So thank you to my parents for this gift. Its message is loud and clear. I want to go out right now and buy my wife flowers. And she won't even have to say thanks.

Christmas letter 2010

“I always keep the Lord near me, and I will not be afraid with Him at my right side. Because of this, my heart will be glad, my words will be joyful, and I will live in hope.” Acts 2:25-26.

We hope this letter finds you and your loved ones well, joyful, and with the thrill of hope in the birth our Lord.

As Blake and I reviewed our year, we realize how blessed we are and how many wonderful opportunities we’ve had to enjoy time with each other and have some fun adventures. It turns out that over the course of this year – if you count layovers – we’ve visited 16 states (15 for Blake), DC, and Canada. We hit NJ, DE, MD, PA, GA, CA, UT, TX, NC, MA, CT, RI, ME, VT, NH, DC, IL (Tiffanie only), and Quebec. And we will go to WY in January. Wow!

I’m not sure if you heard, but we got some snow last winter. It was affectionately known as Snowmaggedon, Snowpocalypse, Snowverkill, or our favorite: SnowperBowl 2010. Something like a total of 56 inches of snow fell over the course of the winter. If you’re wondering how that compares to other years, in 2007-08, the total was 5 inches. The average is about 13 inches. After the first 12 inches in December, we got a snow shovel. That was helpful. Who knew we’d need it so much more after that?!

In February, we ventured out of our snowy cocoon and went to Atlantic City, NJ for one of Blake’s work trips (this is when we hit MD, DE, PA, and NJ). It was fun take a drive, see all the flashy hotels, and eat some good food.

In March, I was emailing with Stephanie Heerdt who told me of plans for dinner with our college friends that weekend in Chicago. So I conspired with Sarah Broweleit, secretly invited myself to that dinner, and hopped on a plane to Chicago for the weekend (IL for me). It was a very fun surprise. I got out of the car at Linnea’s house to lots of screams of disbelief by her, Steph, and Stephanie Voiland: “aaaaaaaahhhhhh! What?! You’re here!!!” It was lots of fun.

May brought a busy time of thesis reviews and changes at work for Blake, but we were able to celebrate and relax with two fun happenings. Blake walked at graduation at George Mason University with a Master of Science in Educational Psychology and was given an award for being the program’s top student. In late May, we traveled to California for a week of vacation (CA with layovers in GA and UT) and visiting with Blake’s parents and brother (who met us there). We braved the beach, went to a baseball game, and took a short drive through Beverly Hills. We also took a side trip to San Diego and toured the USS Midway.

Early in the year, Blake applied to several doctoral programs. This involved collecting transcripts, letters of recommendation, and admissions essays. He was accepted by George Mason University to the PhD in Education program and began classes this fall. He is taking a full load of courses also working as a research assistant with an academic dean.

This fall was another great cheerleading season! My freshman team joined up with the JV team to compete together and they did such a great job! They worked very hard and their best performance was on the mat – right where it needed to be! We were only able to compete once this season, but we came in 4^th out of 15 JV teams. The Varsity cheer team won the district title for the 5^th year in a row – half of them were on my freshman team at one point, so I’d like to take a little credit! J Also, in December, I got to be a real cheerleader at the Staff vs. Students basketball game. I joined some West Springfield teachers cheering for the staff basketball team – we won!

Sadly, this year Fairfax County Public Schools cut funding for winter cheerleading (for basketball games). So, we cheered in the fall for football games and at our competitions, and the season ended in November instead of February. Even though it’s nice to have a shorter season over all, it turns out that we coaches and cheerleaders all really miss attending basketball games and all things cheer related!

In August, Blake and I joined my folks and my cousin, DanLee, on a short trip to Texas to attend my brother, Bryan’s, wedding to his longtime girlfriend, Sherry. (This trip included TX and a layover in NC.) It was a fun trip to a pretty little church in the Texas countryside where we met some of their fun friends and family. I got to be the unofficial wedding photographer and I enjoyed the chance to learn how to use my dSLR camera. I’m still learning!

When my folks announced that they were taking a 10-day Caribbean cruise starting on Thanksgiving day, Blake and I decided to plan a trip of our own for that weekend. We searched online for trip ideas and found cheap tickets to Boston. The trip snowballed from there. We loved the idea of going to Canada, in spite of the 6+ hour drive, so we decided to make it a big road trip. We hit the corner of ME, NH, VT (including a tour of the Ben & Jerry's factory - with a sample of "Peppermint Schtick" ice cream - yum!) and on to Montréal. After returning to Boston, we spent another day driving and hit RI and CT. Six states and one province in four days! Whew! What a fun trip!

For Christmas, we plan to stay home and enjoy some much needed rest. We have plans to visit Blake’s parents in Wyoming in January – you know, when the weather is nice there! J We’re excited to see his family and to meet his new “sister,” Alan and Jo’s new puppy, Jaxsyn!

We wish you a restful, peaceful holiday season.

Much love and prayers,

Blake, Tiffanie, and Kitty

“And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them,’ Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord’… And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.'” Luke 2:8-14.

That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

we've never been to boston in the fall.... until now.

when pat and leon planned a thanksgiving cruise to panama, blake and i decided that we would take our own trip over the thanksgiving weekend. we searched online and found inexpensive tickets to Boston. after that, our trip plans snowballed into a tour of New England including a trip into Canada.

we hit all six New England states on our trip and enjoyed a night in snowy Montreal.

we arrived in boston on thursday, thanksgiving day. we enjoyed a fancy thanksgiving dinner at a hyatt downtown. friday, we drove through maine (just the corner where we hit an outlet mall and had lunch) and new hampshire, and vermont (including a tour of the ben & jerry's factory - with a sample of "Peppermint Schtick" - yum!) and on to montreal.

it snowed over night, only a little dusting. very pretty. we toured through montreal on saturday, left town in the early evening, and got back to boston late. sunday, we rested and spent a little time downtown boston. monday, we drove to providence, RI and storrs, CT to see the University of Connecticut and back to boston. we left on tuesday morning - six states and one province in four days! whew! what a fun trip!

below are some pictures from our trip.

[p.s., here are the rest of our pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/tiffanielynnjohnson/201011Boston#]


these are the signs from the six states we visited. the bottom left shot is of the "Welcome to Massachusetts" sign. the times we reentered MA were at night (after long days of driving), this is all i could get from the car in the dark. :)

 we saw several college campuses including these four:

 
blake and tiffanie in montreal:

blake and tiffanie in boston harbor:

blake and tiffanie at the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory in Waterbury, VT:

old montreal in the snow:

a view from our hotel room in montreal:

the canada-US border:

beautiful mountains in Vermont:

 blake at the Bill Rodgers running store in downtown boston: