Beginnings and endings...and stuff in the middle

There has been so much happening in the life of the Johnson's ...

• Jed started his new job on May 2nd and has really been enjoying it. He has enjoyed getting to spend more time with his friend Nate, checking out West Des Moines during is whole HOUR long lunch and getting used to his new duties. He is really kept busy and is learning a lot!
• The last few weeks of school are always wild and crazy for me with report cards, meetings, YCamp, etc. but this year was especially busy as I had to do all of that, in addition to packing up my classroom and saying lots of goodbyes. It was an emotionally draining week but the Lord has been so faithful through it all and Jed has been so great and supportive. He keeps reminding me that my new job will be way better and I get to be the boss. :) We had a really busy weekend and start to the week so my classroom is currently sitting in the porch and it looks like this... ha!
• During the last week of school, I had my students make "affirmation cards" - at the DTC, in many different Bible studies I've been in, we've done "affirmation circles" where we sit in a circle and each take a turn affirming one another one by one. It's always so encouraging and a special time. I started with having the kiddos brainstorm and make a list of positive comments, compliments and nice things they could say about one another... I did this so they didn't write "You're nice," on every single person's card. A few of the comments made me laugh and a few of them were so genuine and thoughtful ... I am thankful that the Lord gave me this class to "end" with - they were really, really wonderful.
  
  
  
• The beginning of summer meant the beginning of Mission to the City with the DTC - a 5 day "mission trip" to Des Moines designed to reach out to our own city in a unique way. I wasn't able to participate last year because it was during the last week of school and this year, I wasn't able to do quite everything the rest of the group did due to being very pregnant, but it was a really encouraging week. Plus, there are actually 2 other pregnant gals in my Bible study so we were able to do a lot of the meal prep and cookie making together. I am so thankful to be a part of a church whose mission is to really love people, believers and unbelievers, at all costs and lay down their lives for one another. Some of the highlights of our group's week was volunteering with Operation Christmas Child packing boxes and organizing materials, organizing books for a book sale at Iowa Right to Life and doing yard work and having a Memorial Day bbq for the gals at Ruth Harbor. We also made A LOT of cookies ... A LOT.. for a free concert we're hosting on Friday night at the DTC featuring Aaron Gillespie. This is what Jed did the moment he got home this afternoon from weeding at the Easter Seals camp...
• The end of spring and beginning of summer mean my favorite flowers are in bloom... PEONIES! I feel like they didn't bloom as well as they did last year in my yard - I think I need to split them but I don't know how to do that or when... advice? They are so pretty and they smell so good!
• A new week means more changes and a bigger belly! We had another appointment this week and all is well with baby Johnson! The doctor said I am measuring right on track and everything looked great. I will start going back every 2 weeks now ... that must mean the end is getting closer... Here is what I'm looking like these days. (Oh, and what Jed looks like too... in case you were wondering! :)