The Replacement

I have had two knee surgeries in my life. I know how much a knee can hurt, how frustrating the daily ache can be, how much it sucks to rehabilitate it and how some days it you wonder if you will ever walk normal again. However nothing that I have experienced can compare to what my dad has endured today and is going to endure in the weeks to come. Mine was a piece of cake compared to his. He had a knee replacement today in Greensboro. When I spoke with him this evening he was in very good spirits considering what he has been through. Of course everyone says men are big babies, there wasn't even a hint of a baby on the other end of the phone. Dad has always been good about not whining when he is hurt, now if he is sick..... This is the first time in my life that I have seen him so affected by an injury. The last year or so he has been unable to walk without being in pain. Today he starts on the road to recovery! Now I am sure that when I spoke with him earlier he was still feeling the effects of the saddle block and was probably enjoying the effects of his "happy" button that gives him pain meds. Unfortunately I have the sinking feeling that tomorrow I may hear a tiny hint of one of those babies on the other end of the phone line. I hope that I am wrong. We can't wait until you are up and running again! We all Love you!

Get Well Soon Dad!

Mothballs

As I was walking into my parents garage last weekend I was hit with a wave of....not nausea but nostalgia. If you have not already heard my parents have a new pet at their house. We have named him Fred. He likes to lay on the garage door when it is up and drop down in front of you when you close it. We are hoping that Fred will drop dead soon. Fred is a 5 ft long snake. So Dad has put mothballs all over the garage. While most people are disgusted by the smell of them, I however love it. Maybe love isn't the word, but I love the feelings and memories that envelop me because of the smell. You may think this odd, but truthfully I don't care. When that odor hits me it triggers memories of my grandparents farm. My grandmother always had mothballs in the closets and chests in her house. Just smelling them reminds me of visits there with my cousins. Staying up late playing Rummy, Life, Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit. Chasing the barn cats and trying to catch them and we all know what happened when we finally did. Walking in the pastures down to the pond. The farm was a wonderful place to visit. I imagine that it was an even better place to spend your entire childhood. 350 D Earnhardt Rd was our family's meeting place, our homestead, and not a day goes by that I don't miss it. Smelling mothballs.... it takes me back to all those wonderful times.

Taking the Plunge

Have you ever been at a place in your life like this? You can't decide if you want to dive in, should you just take the plunge? We have all been here many times. Marriage, kids, career choices, buying a car or a house... We look at everything with a critical eye, analyzing all the positives and negatives. We spend so long trying to decide what to do, how to do it,when to do it, what will happen if we do it. We sometimes get so wrapped up in all this that we forget what we were on our way to do in the first place. Maybe sometimes we just need to close our eyes, hold our breath and jump in. What do you think?

A Mini Johnson Family Reunion

Last weekend we were lucky enough to have our very own mini Johnson family reunion at my parents house. Those of you who aren't a member of the Johnson clan don't know just how special this group of people really is. I have talked repeatedly before of my other family the Earnhardt's. You see I was blessed on both sides. The Earnhardt family is the best and I am blessed to call myself one. I get to see them several times a year and for that I am eternally grateful. Without the Earnhardt's I wouldn't be who I am today. The Johnson family is well... the best. This is my chance to talk a little about them. My grandmother on my mother's side was a Johnson. She was born into a wonderful family of two girls and four boys. Sadly there are only two surviving brothers still with us today. But the other siblings legacies live on through their children and grandchildren. These different branches of the family are not only brought together by blood, but the memories of their loved ones, their mothers and fathers, their grandparents, aunts and uncles, all those who instilled in us, the younger generations, just how blessed we are to have been a part of this family. You see the Johnson's are a close knit family. No matter how many miles separate us, when we get together it is as if the distance is nonexistent. We have our big reunion every few years or so and it is really a celebration of life. Those still with us and those who we have lost. I am so grateful for the times that we have been able to spend together at the beautiful lake house in the mountains. Although I didn't get to see this family as much growing up, I always felt as though I belonged, as if I had been at every little gathering along the way. That is what being a Johnson is all about. Being a family no matter how long it has been in between visits or phone calls, no matter how many miles away you live. We were lucky and were able to see not only one but two branches of the Johnson family in one weekend. My Aunt Kathy and Bob came to visit for the weekend. I can not imagine how hard it must be for my mother and her sister to live so far apart. I talk to my sister several times a day and she only lives an hour away. I know my mom misses her and it is so wonderful when they can see each other. Unfortunately it only happens once a year or so. The sad thing..... I didn't get a single picture of them the whole weekend. Hopefully we will not have to wait an entire year to fix that mistake! We also got to see Fred, Susan, and their beautiful new daughter Jodi. We were lucky to have met Jodi one other time. We are so happy for Fred and Susan and are grateful that they have brought this little angel into the Johnson family. One day when they are older Jodi and my children will realize what a great family they are part of. They always say that you can pick many things in your lifetime but the one thing that you can not pick is your family. All I have to say is I wouldn't change a thing even if I could, I am a member of two wonderful families. I think Jodi was nervous and little scared the last time we saw her . I am sure my crazy son running around didn't help. She may not have understood what he was yelling and screaming, but surely saw a crazed maniac. Maybe he was trying to say "Welcome to the family Jodi Lang!!" He was just so excited to meet his new cousin. I was so happy to see that Jodi was more comfortable around us this time. We had so much fun swimming and can't wait to be able to do it again. Jodi is such a beautiful and sweet child and I hope that we will be able to spend more time with her soon. I guess all that is left to say is it was such a treat to spend time with those you love.This is a picture that Jodi took of her Baba and my dad. I think she already has quite an eye... maybe a career in photography is in her future.

Jodi and Fred clowning around in the pool. The kids thought that this was a great trick!! Andrew thought he would get a front row seat and view it from under water.



Andrew, Emily and Jodi riding the rapids in their new boat. I think that daddy was trying to score brownie points with the kids on this one. They were definitely impressed and now have a new favorite for the pool.

The two cousins smile pretty for the camera. Look here girls there will be many more years of me taking your picture so get used to it!

Emily just hanging out

Jodi and her new sleeping bag. I think she liked and I hope that she enjoys it. I feel I must issue an apology to Susan and Fred for all the nights that they will now spend "camping" out on the floor. I hope that your back handles those nights better than mine. When you wake up on the floor you may not be able to stand up or to walk, but the smile on that little ones face will make the back pain fade in mere seconds!! It could come in handy that there is a therapist in the family. I hope you all enjoy. See you soon!