Attempted Revival...

It has been months since I've posted! I thought I'd try and get at least one post up this year... I can't believe it's already almost June!

Anyway, I am not going to do several posts with pictures I'm just going to recap this year thus far, with some random photos of 2010. (for those that know the 1st of the year drama, feel free to skip the first bullet)

• This year started out quite rough for the Johnson family. If anyone remembers the 'fence incident' with the crazy neighbors from last summer, and how we had to go to court... We thought it was all done and over with, and we thought we had protected ourselves - Wrong! Said crazy neighbors went to Ben's work and made horrible, awful, untrue statements that not only couldn't be proven, but also contradicted what they submitted to the courts and what they said to the police when I had to call them for throwing beer bottles at our house and all the glass shattered all over the back yard. I thought lying to the police and the judge and the sheriff's office would surely be enough to prove that they couldn't be believed. A normal person would think that this, along with all the other neighbor statements verifying that these people are off their rockers and often try and russle up some neighborhood drama - would be enough to assume that Ben (who's normal and has no complaints from other neighbors or anyone from work, ever!) just might be telling the truth about his side of the events... Nope! Ben got put on admin leave and we waited for 8 weeks to hear whether or not he'd lose his job. We were pretty certain it wouldn't be going our way, the case was very one sided and it was clear the internal investigator didn't do his due diligence to really 'investigate' the situation... And then the whole command chain just signed off at the recommendation of the ones below, it was evident that they didn't actually READ the investigation. It was completely mind boggling! All those that read the case were left completely confused as to why this was even an issue, from us, to the guild, to our attorney. After weeks and weeks of prayer Ben got his turn in front of the 'boss' and she dismissed (saying it wasn't her concern) his proof of them lying and submitting false evidence to do so and spoke to him like he was some criminal. Thankfully God put someone in that with a brain and ears who had to have told her that they needed to review his evidence before making a decision. He expected to hear within 30 minutes that he'd lost his job and would have to fight in arbitration to get it back (minimum a year wait) but instead it took 2 more weeks to get the call. They had determined there wasn't enough evidence to continue on and that he would be able to go pickup his car and return to work! PTL!! The alternative was Ben going active on the remainder of his inactive Marine Corps contract and going back overseas... BUT God was there, completely in control and put a stop to all the nonsense. The entire 10 weeks was like a marathon prayer. A big and special thank you to all of those that were praying with us, I know there were a great many that were all over this too!!

(insert somewhere up there that on Valentine's Day Luke started walking!

• ... A few days later, Ben turned 27 and our sweet little man turned 1! Luke's party was insane, so many people that loved him came out to help us celebrate.
  
• Right around the time that Ben went back to work things started feeling really off for me at my job. Let me rewind though a bit, I went back to work when Luke was 4 months old part time. I had been full time prior to Luke and had worked a new schedule with the partners' approval for a part time return. Going back part time was odd for a while. I don't know that I ever really got back into the swing of things... And people didn't quite respond back to me the same as they did when I was full time. It was very difficult for a while to figure out where I fit back into the office. Flash forward to this year and I just felt off. It became increasingly harder to leave Luke for so long during the day. (I was only at work for 8.5 hours, but I had over an hour commute to Bellevue each way.) It was the middle of busy season so nothing really could be changed at work anyway, and I was putting in extra time when I could. Ben and I decided to spend the rest of busy season praying for a solution. That either things would calm down with Luke (the days I worked were awful when I got home, I couldn't put him down with out him breaking down into and sobbing mess... Not to change, not to cook dinner, not even to pee. The weekend's were just as bad, he didn't want to play with his toys, he pretty much refused to eat at home and naps were almost non existent unless I held him the entire time. I would get him down to a schedule again by Tuesday, so that I could go back to work and start all over again Wednesday) ...Or we prayed that a door would open for a something better for our family. We enlisted the help of some close family and friends to pray this with us and on April 15th busy season ended, and April 22nd I got laid off. Apparently my part time schedule wasn't working for the company anymore. I wasn't aware that it had been an issue for them but instead of being upset about not being offered the opportunity to decide whether or not to go back full time, (after almost 4 years with them) I completely felt like it was God giving me what we'd been praying for... The company was great and offered up referrals and letters and all those good things for my job search... And my friends there have reached out and been great since I left too. I am still looking for part time income closer to home but I am really trying to take advantage of time with Luke... And he seems to love it too!!!
  
• We got to go on a family weekend vacation to Port Townsend with the Baumgartner side which was really fun! Ben took the time off and got to come too which was a total treat! The only real bummer was that Dad and Nick had baseball so they didn't make it out, and the weather was pretty misty too... But we managed to have a good time!
  
• Luke and I are spending time with Emily and Kaelyn doing weekly play dates which have been really good for both kids I think. Emily is less than a month away from popping out and finally sharing Landon with the rest of us... And is now working from home part time, so we have time for fun dates.
  
• There's another baby on its way this year too!! NO NOT OURS! We aren't pregnant! ...However, I have known about this little one for almost 2 months, but Mommy and Daddy aren't sharing the news yet, so I get to celebrate on my own still :)
  
• Planning for a getaway to Moses Lake to play with Aubrey soon!
  
• Went to the Tulip fields with the Trowbridge's and got some great pictures! (this actually happened before I lost my job but I didn't get around to editing until after) Still loving our weekly dinners with them, it's tradition now! There's no question, no firming up plans, just an automatic given that Monday night is dinner - which we love!
  
• Took Chelsey's little brother's senior pictures last weekend which was really fun. I remember going to Chelsey's and Chase would be in underwear and a cape running around, and here I was taking his senior photos... Made me feel a little old, but it was still fun!

The day after Mother's Day Luke got his first haircut! He cried and cried, the woman kept laughing at him while holding the clippers in front of his face, which didn't help. (at Kid Cuts no less) The pictures are still on my camera and if I walk down and get those pics off the memory card this post won't end! Another time, I promise!

So there it is, 2010 in a nutshell. Sounds dramatic, but it was all very good for us. God is working in us and our family right now and we're trying to be receptive and we're really in a good place. It's been a trying but very fulfilling year! Oh and Luke is amazing! We are so in love with him! Still! I have had the most fun seeing Ben interact with his son, Luke is in the Daddy worship stage, right now everything is "Daddy!" Daddy songs, Daddy stories, he'll jabber on for 10 minutes and all you can really make out is Daddy, Daddy, Daddy! It's adorable!

On to the random order of pictures!

Luke's 1st birthday and birthday gifts...

Singing in my wagon!

Daddy's lips

Luke's FAVORITE thing to do!

Tulips

Chase