This is a landmark year for our family. Alex started junior high; Amy moved up to the high school; Laura began her last year of high school, and Callie began her last year of college. We know what this means--Leigh and Deborah are getting very old. For about 350 days of the year, we mostly did the usual stuff: Paid bills, cleaned toilets, mowed lawns, argued about how much screen time the kids were using, and nagged them to do homework....And the kids would tell you that we never do anything fun.
But we did have a couple of family adventures. Over Spring Break, we drove to Tijuana, Mexico to join with
Spark of Hope Foundation to help construct a home for a young family whose 2-room basement house filled with mud every time it rained. Being there was a great reminder of how many blessings we take for granted every day. .
In July, Deborah's mom joined us on a trip to Missouri, Nebraska and Illinois to visit some Church History sites. It won't surprise you to learn that not everyone thought that was a very good idea for a vacation. Through Airbnb, we got to stay in the very charming
Secret Service House right across the street from the home of Harry Truman. We hadn't known much about President Truman, but our experiences led us to be more interested--well, at least some of us.
And after our adventures, we went back to doing the same old, same old. And with both the work and the play and the usual routine and the adventures, it was a pretty great year. We hope your new year will be full of joy.
With love, from the Johnsons
