Monday at the Johns'

This morning I came downstairs to find Mac in Ellis' office. The two of them were putting the finishing touches on the "robot arm" that Ellis bought for Mac.

When Mac opened the package at Christmas, he was immediately filled with dreams and plans of inventions that his "robot arm" would help him create. For example, one of the first items on his list is to "build a robot suit that will fly."

I have noticed that Ellis is careful not to squelch Mac's enthusiasm and genuine belief that he can build whatever he can imagine. When Mac talks about making one of his flying robot suits, Ellis will say, "let's build your robot arm first. You need to build an arm so you can learn how to build a suit."

I also noticed that the suggestion on the box says, "Ages 13+ with intermediate to advanced experience." There were many times that Mac wanted to start working on a new project and leave the arm unfinished. I am grateful for Ellis' perseverance to work with the kids and help them see such a tedious project to completion. It was also fun seeing Corrie take an interest in the robot and help build it, too.

It was pretty fun this morning seeing Mac and Corrie discover what they had made!

Ellis has also been having fun with his own "robot" creation. A little while ago he successfully built his own 3D printer. Pretty Amazing. I thought it was fitting that the kids were playing with their robot while Ellis had his robot in action, too!

While Ellis and the kids were downstairs finishing their robot, I had been in the kitchen looking up bike trails in Charlottesville. I was surprised to discover a reasonable looking route from our house to the church where I go to Bible study on Thursday mornings. 

We decided to check out the bike route with the kids in tow. It was a little cold and rainy, but the kids were pretty cozy and content with their blankets, hot chocolate and snacks :)

Too bad Ellis and I were not faring quite as well against the cold. I suggested turning back at one point, and we decided to go just a little further and then turn around.

Boy am I glad we decided to press on a little more. I have been dreaming of finding a river/lake path here in Charlottesville, and I was so happy to see that the last half of the bike ride is right along the Rivanna River. What a treat!

When we got home, I put Davey down for a nap and gave Mac and Corrie their "straw goggles" that Grandma Vetterlein had given them a while ago. I had been waiting for them get a little older before trying to use them, and it seemed like just the right time. They loved them :)

And that was all just the first part of our day. 

Not too shabby for a regular old Monday at the Johns' :)

Calf Mountain

Yesterday morning we loaded the kids into the minivan and headed toward the southern end of the Skyline Drive. We had been sick and cooped up inside during the week of Christmas (Ellis tested positive for the flu, and the rest of us have either had colds or a mild version of the flu). By Friday morning, we were all feeling a little better and ready for a bit of fresh air.

Before we pulled out of the driveway, Ellis stopped and said, "We need to pray. My attitude is not good right now." I knew my attitude was not so great either, but I managed to eek out an empty feeling prayer. Christmas had not turned out like I thought it would, and I wanted to hold onto my hardened ungratefulness for just a little bit longer.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, I wondered how the logistics of everything would all turn out in the end. There was one thing I thought I knew for sure: whatever happened, whether comfortable or difficult, I could trust the Lord and believe that His plans for us would be good.  

Now that Christmas had come and gone, I was struggling to believe. About ten minutes into our drive toward the mountains, our friend Heidi called. She wanted to say hello and hear how our Christmas went. I described how our plans had changed at the last minute because of our illness, and how our visit with family had been cut much shorter than I had hoped. I told her that Christmas had been difficult because of being exhausted from taking care of our sick family. Basically, I complained. 

I once heard an analogy about our hearts that I have remembered often: "If you are holding an open bottle of water and shake it, water will fly out of the bottle. Why does water fly out of the bottle? We are prone to think, "water flew out because I shook the bottle!" However, the Bible points us to the heart of the issue: water flew out because water was in the bottle.

Jesus said that from the abundance of our hearts, our mouths speak (Luke 6:45). What is in our hearts will come out! To put it another way, as our campus minister in college used to say: "You never know what is in your bucket until your bucket gets bumped!" 

I knew that I wanted to believe that God's plans for our family at Christmas would be good no matter what, but I could not deny what came out of my heart when it was shaken by my circumstances: a bunch of complaining and demandingness.

My conversation with Heidi continued, and instead of commiserating along with me, she saw many ways that God had blessed us during Christmas. She reminded me that we had encouraged each other before Christmas to believe in God's goodness, and she said, "Look how He answered our prayers and did what was best for you guys!" 

As she pointed out one blessing after another, I felt a mixture of painful conviction and the refreshing freedom of broknenness. Yes, Your plans for us were indeed so good. Lord, forgive me for my ungrateful and unbelieving heart! 

I said goodbye to Heidi and turned to Ellis. I felt I had done a pretty good job of pretending to be okay, but Ellis knew something was not right. Earlier I had told him that I was fine...just tired from the long week. But now I was ready to be honest. "Honey, I have something to confess." We looked at each other and felt God changing our hearts on the spot. 

We arrived at Calf Mountain, ready to hike and with grateful hearts. The kids were so happy to get outside together, and God blessed us with a really good hike.

Mac got a "Critter Catcher" from the California Vetterleins for Christmas, and he insisted on bringing it along:

Corrie was happy to wear her favorite hat!

The trail began with a hike through a large field, and we soon entered a beautiful wooded path.

Here is Mac taking a rest on a rounded tree branch that looked a perfect little seat:

Though the hike was only a half mile to the top, we wondered if we had the strength to make it. We contemplated turning back, but decided to press on a little bit further. Soon we made it to the summit, and we were rewarded with spectacular views!

We took a break to rest in the grassy field at the top. Davey enjoyed his apple snack!


Soon after we arrived, a couple of other hikers joined us at the top. We enjoyed visiting with them, and Ellis asked them to take a family picture for us. The Lord knows what a gift that was to my heart!


As the leaves fell off the trees in our backyard this Fall, I was delighted to discover that we can see the mountains behind our house. This morning I woke up and saw a beautiful scene outside our kitchen window:

The beauty of the sunrise over the mountains is such a tangible picture to me of how the Holy Spirit continues to transform our hearts when we welcome the Lord's loving discipline.

In those sweet moments of brokenness, it truly feels like a sunrise is bursting anew in my heart!

And every day is another opportunity for a beautiful sunrise.

Happy Birthday Little D!

Yesterday we celebrated Davey's 2nd Birthday. Usually when one of our kids has a birthday, I think, "Wow, I can't believe he/she is __ years old already!"

However, for all intents and purposes, Davey has been 2yrs. old for at least a year in my mind. So, his 2nd birthday has been a little anticlimactic in that sense. But we are all still pretty happy that we've had a reason to celebrate our little guy anyway :)

In the afternoon we built a big foam train together, and Mac took pictures for us:

Davey mostly just made a mess with all of the pieces and ate popcorn:

But he did enjoy the final product! (Before he smashed it to pieces)

Earlier in the day, Mac, Corrie and I made a cake for Davey while he took his nap. After we put the frosting on the cake, I discovered that Mac and Corrie had decided to decorate Davey's cake when I left the room. I wasn't really sure what to say about that. 

On the one hand, it was sweet how they tried to find things that they thought Davey would love. On other hand, it was really gross. I mean, do you have any idea where those toys have been?!

Davey has always loved singing, and he enjoyed singing with all of us before blowing out his candles

Mac and Corrie picked out a toy for Davey and helped me wrap it. Davey loved it.

He's been enjoying the pirate mountain toy that we gave him:

And this morning he has been watching dinosaur shows with Mac and Corrie and playing with the dinosaur toy that Grandma and Grandpa Belding sent. :)

Congrats on turning two, Davey! We love celebrating the gift that you are to us.

The Story of Christmas

Yesterday morning was Mac's big debut on stage in his performance of "The Story of Christmas," with the First Baptist Preschool of Charlottesville.

The day before the play, he told me that he was nervous about saying his lines in the microphone on stage. I didn't know he knew about being "nervous" yet. I asked him, "Mac, what does nervous mean?" He said, "Nervous is when something happens that is different what you expect." I thought that was an interesting definition, and I think he is on to something with the word, "expect."

When my expectations are rooted in anything other than God, there is so much uncertainty, and I am always nervous when that happens. If our expectations are in God, we can rest with peace and certainty in His goodness. We can be set free from the fearful kind of nervousness to enjoy the fun, exciting kind of nervous!

So, when the morning of the play came, I spoke to Mac right before he went on stage. "Mac, all you need to do is honor God. That means doing your best for Him. And whatever happens will be good!"

As the kids walked out, Mac found us in the crowd right away and waved excitedly. He loved being front and center and singing the songs with the other kids. It's hard to see Corrie in the video below, but she is in a yellow shirt in the top left of the screen.

Poor Corrie was not quite as thrilled about the whole play. She kept looking for us, but could not find us in the crowd until near the end of the play. When she finally did spot me, she immediatly began crying and saying, "I want my mommy!" over and over. 

It looked like she was singing, but I could see what she was really saying. Poor, sweet little girl! After the play, her teacher had to pick her up and carry her off the stage.  (In the picture below, Corrie is in the second row down from the top, second kid from the right, trying her best to hold it together!)

Needless to say, there was quite a difference between those two kids on stage! 

When Mac's turn to say his lines came, he stood up and spoke so quietly and so fast you could barely even catch a word he said! But he said all of his lines, and he honored God with his very best effort. Great job, Mac! 

When we got in the car afterwards, Mac said, "Mom! I'm not nervous anymore!" I asked him what his favorite part of the play was, and he said, "Saying my lines!" 

I am glad he had a good time! We all did! 

Well, mostly.

Even though it was difficult for her, Corrie endured until the end. She honored God too. We are so proud of you Corrie, and it sure was sweet getting a great big hug from you afterwards!

Corrie Soup

The boys were up early on Saturday morning, and I sent them downstairs so that Corrie could sleep in a little. When she woke up, she was hungry for soup. I can relate to that. We sat down at the table and started talking. She is so funny!

The kids are in a Christmas play at their school this week, and Mac has quite a few lines. Of course, Corrie has the lines memorized. Sure hope Mac can get them in his head too!

I took a video of Corrie saying Mac's lines:

"While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born.

Mary gave birth to her first-born son. She wrapped him up in swaddling

clothes and laid in him a manger because there was no room 

for him at the inn."

It's a little hard to hear her, but definitely worth turning up the volume and straining to hear her conversation!

Third Kid

Sweet, crazy, fun-loving David. As far as third kids go, I think that the Lord gave him just the right personality to fit in with his older sister and brother.

It seems like he is always thriving in the middle of chaos...the wilder, the better in his opinion! Sometimes I half expect to come in the room and find him dancing on a table with a toga on. I am afraid already to send him to college.

Here are some recent videos of him and his tolerant, fun-loving personality. He's a tough little guy. We love him.

Thanksgiving Tree

This year Corrie helped me make a Thanksgiving Tree to put in the corner in the kitchen. It was so fun working together. I never thought I would enjoy something like that, but it was fun sharing it with Corrie because she is so sweet to work with. (And she has quite the eye for decorating!)

We cut out several leaves from construction paper and put them in a bag. At dinner throughout the month of November, we would all pick a leaf out of the bag write something that we were thankful for.

The tree was especially great for when we had company over. It turned out to be a wonderful way to celebrate together and make the evening special. I loved having a tangible way to show our guests how thankful we were for them. I will do it again next year for that reason alone!

Below are a few leaves I wanted to remember as I was taking down the tree after Thanksgiving:

(The last one was completed by Davey. He took a leaf out of the bag, got a pen from the drawer in the kitchen, and went into the living room to make his leaf. I was so proud of him when he brought it back, but not as proud as he was of himself!)

Naptime Surprise

This Thanksgiving I am grateful for so many things, including washable markers!

Simple Machines

Most days as I walk through the house, I can tell pretty easily where Corrie has been. She is always inventing various ways to display her animals, and she loves the thought of giving them fun rides or letting them hang upside-down somehow. 

Sometimes her inventions catch me by surprise. On Monday morning I saw Corrie standing at the bathroom sink with a bar of soap and a piece of cardboard. 

"Corrie! Please don't make a wet cardboard mess!" 

She explained, matter-of-factly, that the cardboard was part of her "soap machine." She created it for sliding soap down in to the sink, "to get it there faster when you have to go somewhere and wash your hands in a hurry." 

Later that morning the little girl across the street came over, and she and Corrie built an "elevator" using a trash bag and some string. After her friend went home, Corrie stayed and played in the tree for a long time, giving her ponies "elevator rides." :)

When Mac got home from school, he couldn't wait to make a "pulley machine" too. His pulley handle was a little more interesting than Corrie's basic shovel handle. (A red spying decoder attached to pencils attached to an embroidery string holder).

Instead of a pony elevator, he made an eyeball carrier.

For now Davey just runs around and watches Mac and Corrie's inventions and machines in action. 

Davey, we can't wait to see your contributions to all of these imaginative adventures!