I'm trying to figure out why I don't blog more often, especially now that Johanna's here. This would give me something to look back on. But also something for you all to see what this experience is like. I also haven't been journaling through this journey. I'm going to need to catch up while I'm on Christmas break!
The blog right before this one was actually written on October 21. I think I added 3 sentences to it earlier to finish it. Oops. See! This is what I mean! Is there a reason I don't do this more often? Oh yeah. I like sleep!
Johanna and I experienced a lot more firsts since that last blog. Life has been busy. Johanna had her first choir concert and then she was in her first play. (She was a door! Hahaha! You had to see the play to understand but yes, you read that right; she was a door! But she was mainly a character named Gina.) She helped me paint my pumpkin for the pumpkin contest we had at work. This was a first for her! Johanna got used to my screaming at the Ohio State football games. Johanna got to meet my amazing friend Sarah and her family! Sarah was finally home from her deployment and we got to celebrate Caralee's birthday with them all. Johanna also got to go with me when I voted. So she got to see how that process works. We got her first grade card. Excellent grades! All A's! Johanna also joined the swim team, after she said she never would! (That is keeping us beyond busy with practice being 6 days a week!) We took our youth group to the Ohio State Youth Convention this year. I think that was a great experience for Johanna. We all had so much fun but also learned so much. (I was actually sick that weekend but was determined to not let it get in the way.) She got to go to our movie theater for the first time! No, that's not really a big deal. But it is when you're trying to experience everything from our culture. Johanna also got to meet more of my family as we celebrated Thanksgiving. This was obviously her first Thanksgiving as well! We had a good time. She tried a VERY TEENY TINY piece of turkey (remember, she's a vegetarian) just so she could say she got to experience all of Thanksgiving. Then I took her out for some Black Friday shopping! (Why do we still call it Black Friday when it's happening on Thanksgiving afternoon???)
The car got decorated for the Christmas holiday as it does every year. Johanna isn't such a big fan but that's ok. It still makes me happy! She got to watch some of the Ohio State vs Michigan game with me and some friends. She's not as into it but she did watch some. I think she was more entertained by our yelling. We helped my best friend and her family move out of the house they've been in for the last 15 years. Moving isn't necessarily a very fun event but it was still nice for us all to be together and Johanna to get to know the kids better.
WE GOT TO GO SEE THE TRANS SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA!!! Can you tell I was excited??? Sarah and Destry got Johanna and I tickets for my birthday and so we got to spend some time with them and see an AMAZING concert. I'm not really sure amazing sums it up. Wow wow wow. So thankful we got to go. It was almost just as much fun to watch Johanna's facial expressions as it was to watch the concert.
We just recently put the tree up at my house. She's used to a live tree and mine is artificial so that was a new experience for her. She got to join Rachael and I for our annual day of Christmas shopping (Alex came with us too). Her and Alex got to go off and be teenagers while Rachael and I really concentrated on getting things done. I made an advent calendar for Johanna. Some days she gets a treat, some days it's about us doing something together and other days it's about us paying it forward. I love to give and I wanted it to be something we could both experience. Plus I didn't want it to be all about just getting something. We actually got to do our first "pay-it forward"...what should I call it? Activity! That's a good word! We got to do our first one last night. And I think Johanna was surprised just by the reaction and it wasn't even from the person who received the "gift."
Again, it's just been a lot of first and new experiences for Johanna. Most days we're tired! She has swim 3 nights a week until 9:45pm. But we're still trying to fit in little things here and there. I've got some fun things planned on that Advent calendar that I'm hoping we get to do. I imagine we'll have to move things around. But we'll get to them.
And hopefully I do a better job at keeping you all informed as to what's going on, as well as giving you some real stories to it all. This experience is truly like nothing else. And I want to be able to share that with you all! So just be patient with me. I'll get there!
The blog right before this one was actually written on October 21. I think I added 3 sentences to it earlier to finish it. Oops. See! This is what I mean! Is there a reason I don't do this more often? Oh yeah. I like sleep!
Johanna and I experienced a lot more firsts since that last blog. Life has been busy. Johanna had her first choir concert and then she was in her first play. (She was a door! Hahaha! You had to see the play to understand but yes, you read that right; she was a door! But she was mainly a character named Gina.) She helped me paint my pumpkin for the pumpkin contest we had at work. This was a first for her! Johanna got used to my screaming at the Ohio State football games. Johanna got to meet my amazing friend Sarah and her family! Sarah was finally home from her deployment and we got to celebrate Caralee's birthday with them all. Johanna also got to go with me when I voted. So she got to see how that process works. We got her first grade card. Excellent grades! All A's! Johanna also joined the swim team, after she said she never would! (That is keeping us beyond busy with practice being 6 days a week!) We took our youth group to the Ohio State Youth Convention this year. I think that was a great experience for Johanna. We all had so much fun but also learned so much. (I was actually sick that weekend but was determined to not let it get in the way.) She got to go to our movie theater for the first time! No, that's not really a big deal. But it is when you're trying to experience everything from our culture. Johanna also got to meet more of my family as we celebrated Thanksgiving. This was obviously her first Thanksgiving as well! We had a good time. She tried a VERY TEENY TINY piece of turkey (remember, she's a vegetarian) just so she could say she got to experience all of Thanksgiving. Then I took her out for some Black Friday shopping! (Why do we still call it Black Friday when it's happening on Thanksgiving afternoon???)
The car got decorated for the Christmas holiday as it does every year. Johanna isn't such a big fan but that's ok. It still makes me happy! She got to watch some of the Ohio State vs Michigan game with me and some friends. She's not as into it but she did watch some. I think she was more entertained by our yelling. We helped my best friend and her family move out of the house they've been in for the last 15 years. Moving isn't necessarily a very fun event but it was still nice for us all to be together and Johanna to get to know the kids better.
WE GOT TO GO SEE THE TRANS SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA!!! Can you tell I was excited??? Sarah and Destry got Johanna and I tickets for my birthday and so we got to spend some time with them and see an AMAZING concert. I'm not really sure amazing sums it up. Wow wow wow. So thankful we got to go. It was almost just as much fun to watch Johanna's facial expressions as it was to watch the concert.
We just recently put the tree up at my house. She's used to a live tree and mine is artificial so that was a new experience for her. She got to join Rachael and I for our annual day of Christmas shopping (Alex came with us too). Her and Alex got to go off and be teenagers while Rachael and I really concentrated on getting things done. I made an advent calendar for Johanna. Some days she gets a treat, some days it's about us doing something together and other days it's about us paying it forward. I love to give and I wanted it to be something we could both experience. Plus I didn't want it to be all about just getting something. We actually got to do our first "pay-it forward"...what should I call it? Activity! That's a good word! We got to do our first one last night. And I think Johanna was surprised just by the reaction and it wasn't even from the person who received the "gift."
Again, it's just been a lot of first and new experiences for Johanna. Most days we're tired! She has swim 3 nights a week until 9:45pm. But we're still trying to fit in little things here and there. I've got some fun things planned on that Advent calendar that I'm hoping we get to do. I imagine we'll have to move things around. But we'll get to them.
And hopefully I do a better job at keeping you all informed as to what's going on, as well as giving you some real stories to it all. This experience is truly like nothing else. And I want to be able to share that with you all! So just be patient with me. I'll get there!
Comments