1. It's A Boy! 2. Taking the Time 3. Stefanie's Baby Shower

1. We are having one of these.............

So the finalized portrait of our family will have a little baby boy in it named Asher Doran Johnson  sometime in January!!!!  I was so surprised by the following sentence it took about the whole day for me to process it:
The sonographer looks over at Luke and I and says "Look, there is his scrotum.  You are having a boy."  To be honest, I keep staring at those sonogram pictures studying his "goods" that I feel almost awkward.  I mean I can almost hear the voice of this little guy in my head saying "Mom, stop staring at my junk, you're embarassing me." I am excited for this fun filled adventure of raising a B-O-Y.  At work yesterday my co-workers that were parents of little boys kept saying they could not wait to give away all their blue stuff and that I should expect a pile of hand-me-down boy clothes in the months to come from them on my desk.  So, if anyone is having a little girl...you can expect the same from me. :)

 I grew up with a sister and LOTS of women.  Luke grew up with a brother so we have the best of both worlds emerging in this story.  I have absolutely nothing to compare it to so I think that is really good!!  I am excited!
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2. Taking the time.....

I am living one of *those* weeks this week.  It is one of the those weeks that if I do not *create* time to slow down and think and feel the smaller moments of seeing my beautiful friends, laughing with luke, and photographing my beautiful daughter then I just might run myself into the ground with only a bottle of tylenol and a migraine to show for it.  This blog is part of this endeavor as well.

I began really reading again.  I love reading books that inspire me to live a life of faith, community, acceptance, and love.  I discovered I love memoirs. I am a sucker for reading the inner processings of someone else's life.  It's nice to know someone else can take their wild thoughts and memories and share their stories with complete strangers.  The most recent memoir I read was Bloom by Kelle Hampton.  I could go on and on about that book (that is going to be a later post).

Anyway, I am addicted to Good Reads.com.  I love reading the stories of other people's lives and also the stories that inspire them.  It is like a social networking space for readers.  Also, I have a Kindle but I still have an insane love for the actual feel of a book and a pen ready to underline that amazing quote from the book.  My kindle cannot replace that feeling.  *I need that inspirational feeling* when I read a book right now.  It just feels special.  My next two books that I will be devouring on the train to KC (yes, I am taking a two year old on a 5 hour train ride to KC because I would like to spend some quality travel time with my daughter on a new mode of transportation for her.  I might be a sucker for punishment in the process) are:

...A Donald Miller book I still have yet to read and....

I am so excited about starting this book.  I love to read about how the idea of sharing is used to make a profit in the sort of economic climate we live in today. I am really not sure which one to read first :)

I have noticed in the last week that when I take the time to write and read for the sake of taking the time, I have more to show for it.  I have created more time to grow, more time to reflect, and more time to honor the gifts and relationships in my lives.  Sometimes all that comes from just making the choice to read a few pages in a memoir or write a blog about being confused by my unborn son's scrotum (who knew?)

Also, I had the opportunity to share a super fun labor day morning coffee date with one of my close friends, Marissa.   There are few things I love more then laughing, telling stories and eating good food with my friends.  Mission accomplished.  I love these opportunties with my friends and will do anything to create the time for these moment.  I don't care how long my stupid "to do" list is.

_________________________________________________________________________________. 3. Stefanie's Baby Shower.......

My very good friend Stefanie is having a babyshower this weekend!!!  I was so excited to hear about her pregnancy last January I think I started crying on the phone conversation!!!  This girl has an amazing story of  fertility challenges and finally becoming pregnant after trying for years to have a baby!!!  One of these days, after she has her baby I am going to make her write the entire story down so I can post it here.  This is Stefanie as a beautiful 32 week pregnant lady:

BTW, this is the awesome friend that lived with Luke and I during the chapter of our relationship when he was keeping a poop diary everyday.  She is a S-A-I-N-T!

I am excited to take some photos from her babyshower!!!  yay!!!  I am so excited to be present for other people's life celebrations. This is one of them :)