Johnston Ranch

Boot Camp

2010-05-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

I am told I have no excuses. Chris Mikilas runs a killer Boot Camp at the US Sportsplex and I joined 2 weeks ago. Today starts week 3 and I am feeling it! I am over 40 now...

We have 9 children as 2 more joined our home in December. I am still homeschooling 6 of them. I now also have one in public elementary and one in a private middle school. Did I mention I have a toddler???

I am thankful a 1pm class opened up as that is the only time of day I can go! Today I started my eating plan...just healthy eating with accountability.

So, what's your excuse??? Come join me at 1pm. Your first class is free. The rest are priceless...

Isaac's Mickey!

2009-06-23T19:50:00.001-07:00

Our Children...

2009-04-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

Easter Dinner Conversation

2009-04-20T18:13:00.000-07:00

Elisabeth: Excuse me!

Daddy: Why do you need to be excused?

Elisabeth: I burped!

Daddy: Oh! You're excused.

Elisabeth (looking at her daddy like he's lost his mind): No I'm not. I'm not done eating my dinner yet!

Here's Hope!

2009-04-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

We LOVE This! Happy Resurrection Sunday!!

Closed On Sundays

2009-03-29T12:49:00.000-07:00

Sierra Sidewinder

2009-03-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

Annie & Isaac above... Katie & Dad below...

A Week In California

2009-03-07T12:11:00.000-08:00

We've enjoyed this week of vacation here in California. This is the first time we've ventured into California as a family, which is strange since we live in Oregon. We've gone to Utah twice and loved it. Our large caucasian family always fit in pretty well there. Utah's really conservative too. Now we are experiencing the other end of the spectrum!

For instance, San Francisco. :) A week ago we celebrated Katie's 13th birthday in Ghirardelli Square. It was a fantastic day! Click here if you'd like to see more pictures...

On Sunday we travelled down to Anaheim and spent Monday at Disneyland. Here are more pictures...

On Tuesday we explored Disney's California Adventure. Yes... we went on the California Screamer! At least a few of us... Here are the pictures!

On Wednesday we were scheduled to go to Knott's Berry Farm, but it rained and rained and rained that day. Both Knott's and the hotel extended the invitation, so we went to Downtown Disney and spent all the Disney Dollars we had been given.

Isaac found the Lego Store!

This 'rain day' was a huge blessing to us. Katie (and all the rest of us too!) were really tired after two fast paced days at Disney. A few of us were under the weather, so being able to take HUGE naps Wednesday afternoon helped us get ready to enjoy Knott's Berry Farm the next day...

And it was great fun! Thursday was sunny and warm... and all the rides were in operation (many shut down when it rains). Annie wins the prize for being the most fearless rider in our family. She would have gone on any ride, for sure... loving it the whole time. Here are more pictures from our time at Knott's Berry Farm.

Montezuma's Revenge

(Annie wanted to be on the front row!)

Ghirardelli Square/Alcatraz in San Francisco!

2009-02-27T21:21:00.000-08:00

We arrived!

Favorite Part of the Trip... and NOT

2009-02-27T20:58:00.000-08:00

So THIS is my favorite part of the vacation - Road Trip! But not everybody's...

Getting Things Done

2009-02-26T20:48:00.000-08:00

How does a woman get 6 children (and one husband) to Disneyland?

My wife is amazing...

Kids Wish Care Package

2009-02-23T10:26:00.000-08:00

A week before leaving for California the Kids Wish Network sent a care package to Katie and her siblings. My question... how big of a Care Bear does a kid need!?!

It's Katie's trip... but everybody's excited! She's taking us along. :)

Quote of the Day

2008-12-23T19:17:00.000-08:00

Janie takes a taste of her candy cane and says, "This tastes like toothpaste!"

Saying Goodbye

2008-11-30T21:01:00.000-08:00

Our little foster son went to his adoptive family today. He went to live with an aunt and uncle who love him very much and are excited to have him come live with them. We have had him 400 days today. 13 months is a long time in a 4 year old's life. He was very bonded to us and we loved him like our own.

Please pray for his little heart during this transition. He is so little to have to have processed so much in his life already. He knows he is special. He knows God made him and loves him very much. He knows Jesus will never ever leave him!

Please pray for our family. Even though our children know we just got to keep him for a while to keep him safe--they still love him and miss him.

There is so much more I could write, but tonight I am just remembering to breathe and entrusting him to God.

Thanksgiving Dinner Quotes

2008-11-29T20:42:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving dinner quotes:

Isaac: (pointing at cranberry sauce, referring to pilgrims:)

"Why did the tambourines call it stuffing?"

Isaac: (again referring to the pilgrims, groaning a bit:)

"How could they eat so much?"

Janie: (referring to, you can guess!) ;)

"Are you going to get some smashed potatoes, Katie?"

Quick Katie update

2008-07-08T21:44:00.000-07:00

Well, Katie is in the process of weaning off the steroids. The tests showed that only about 1/2 of her 6-mp (immunosuppressant chemo drug) was being absorbed. So we have increased the dose and will test levels again in a couple of weeks. She has 'rounded' out nicely while on the steroids and is full of gumption. In other words, the only time we see her chubby and grumpy is on steroids. It's a little amusing to us all.

We are praying as the steroids are removed from her system that her body will go in remission and not flare up again. She will be finished the first week of August. She is tired of all the blood tests and pokes but she is a trooper and doesn't complain.

We appreciate all the prayers. Katie continues to turn to her Father the Healer and seeks wisdom and strength from Him faithfully. As hard as this is on her, she has had great stretching and growth in her spiritual walk.

Katie's Update

2008-05-31T11:15:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official, Katie is out of the remission that she just barely got into. She started again on Prednisone today to try to get the inflammation down. She will be on it for 2 weeks and then weaning off of it the next 7 weeks (9 weeks total).

Our Dr. in Portland is sending down a test that will check the levels of her 6-MP (an immunosuppressant, chemotherapy drug) in her system. She takes the 6-MP by mouth and it is supposed to help hold her in remission. This test will show if enough is being absorbed or if we need to increase the dose.

We are all flabbergasted by this. I almost named this post 'Stink' as that was my first eloquent spiritual response to the news.

Please be in prayer for her as she has all her concerts and piano recital in the next couple of weeks. She would like to finish well.

Thank you all.

Pray For Katie...

2008-05-27T23:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I was just going to post…”yea, we’ve gone a whole week without someone running a fever!!” But, Sunday night, Katie started running a fever. I am trying to stay calm and prayerful, but it is not good she is running a fever. Please lift her in prayer to our Lord God, her healer and saviour.

Home Sweet Home

2008-05-27T23:18:00.000-07:00

Well, we have been home now almost 5 weeks. I have to stare at pictures of Hawaii to actually believe I ever went! It was truly a fabulous vacation for us. ( or at least for me, Alisa!) Neil was up and running at 5:30am. In my book, that is still the day before as the day truly doesn’t start until after 6:00am…right? I am pretty sure that is Biblical. It was great to have a lot of quiet time, walking time and doing nothing time. I loved the time I had with Neil and hanging out in our honeymoon spot. I never would have believed it would be 16 years and 6+ children later before we would come again! Ok, I am still laughing out loud. I was so rested in Hawaii I could actually watch someone yawn and not yawn myself. Then came the red-eye flight home. No sleep Wed. night and up until midnight Thurs. night…so much for being rested!

We arrived home to a banner from the girls saying “Welcome Home!” and the boy saying “Go back to Hawaii!”. I have left Isaac’s sign on the door. I have told him…”Don’t tempt me.” Well, we arrived home by 9:00am. By 10am I am upstairs searching through the suitcases for the presents and Xman goes running by yelling “I need new pants!”

I, of course, ask, “Why?”

He replies, “ cause they’re wet!”

“How’d they get wet?” I ask, thinking I knew the obvious answer…but no…

He replies, “someone spilled some water at the bottom of the stairs and I slipped in it!”

“Oh” I reply and I go investigate the spill. Well, I was 3 steps from the bottom when I could see (and smell) that the huge puddle now smeared across the floor was NOT water. So I very intelligently ask quite loudly, “WHO PUKED?!!” Ok. Yes, I quickly realized everyone bigger than Xman could have told me they did already so that really only left 2 possible choices…Kelly (the dog) or Elisabeth. So I loudly exclaim, “Did Kelly throw up? Where’s Elisabeth??!!” “Elisabeth!!! Where are you?"

I turn the corner into the living room and looked no further. I asked yet another stupid question, “Elisabeth, honey, did you throw up?” To which she sweetly replied, “No.”

I am now looking at her…dripping in vomit, sitting on the couch. “Oh yes you did, honey.” In the bath she goes . Floor cleaned. Carpet cleaned. Candles lit. Lunch time. She seems fine, wants to eat. That is when I learned she had a bad cough. You know, the kind that makes you gag. Yes, she coughed at the lunch table…splattered everything and everyone near her. More baths. All of this by 12pm noon. Did I mention I had had no sleep yet?

Janie, I discover, is running a fever and feeling horrible. Isaac is crying because the boys are gone. Xman is dropping all the emotion he has stored up for the week on me and I have a towel clipped around Elisabeth to throw on her face when she starts to cough.

Oh, Home Sweet Home.

Zoom Zoom

2008-03-29T12:41:00.000-07:00

As promised, here's our new Mazda wagon ("New-to-us.") So far, so zoom zoom! :)

And here's my 12 passenger 'vroom vroom!'

Annie's 9th Birthday!

2008-03-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

Trading Wagons

2008-03-20T16:17:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we sold the Suburban in a day. Isaac cried himself to sleep that night (and so did Neil!). It was a great truck! The best...

We found a little 2004 Mazda6 Wagon to replace it. Ours is a Sand color, not red. I'm looking for the "zoom-zoom" song now. Enjoy the video! Maybe I'll post a picture later...

Katie's 12th Birthday!

2008-02-28T21:19:00.000-08:00

Mary's 10th Birthday!

2008-02-02T21:09:00.000-08:00

Eagle Crest - snow!

2008-01-29T21:05:00.000-08:00