A few days after returning from Colorado, Derek attended a football recruiting day at Wheaton College. He was happy to see a familiar face there.

Later, we hosted Jeremy’s new football team–FCA Force–for dinner and equipment fitting at our house. It was a big group, and we were thankful for the beautiful weather that allowed us to be outside.

Ruthie was thrilled the other day to have girl time with her good friends. They swung and laughed for a long time in the hammock.

Ever since moving, Molly and I go for long walks on the prairie path, which connects across the street from our house. We see wildlife every morning. Yesterday, we saw a dead snake.

I couldn’t help but stop and snap a picture. Of course, this made Molly quite curious.

For you statisticians, this is the 1,000th post on our Growing Olive Plants blog!  🎉

This baseball season was the busiest on record for our family. Not only did we juggle three schedules, but we began the season living in Aurora and ended it living in West Chicago. As I look back, I’m not sure how everyone actually made it to games and practices on time and with proper gear!

But it was worth it, because all three kids enjoyed their teams and their seasons. I wonder if baseball and softball helped distract them from the craziness of moving.

Peter played catcher for his team.

By the end of the season, he was strapping on the catcher’s gear every single inning.

He loved it, sore quads and all.

He also became more and more of a power hitter as the season went on.

I love his intensity.

Whether out in the field or at second and third base, Jeremy’s glove and arm were an asset to his team.

He has always been consistent at making contact with the ball at home plate. This season was no different.

Always the lip squeeze with this one.

While Peter’s intensity often shows in is eyes, Jeremy’s is shown in his mouth!

Jeremy is rather fast, and would almost always turn a single into a triple just by stealing bases.

Ruthie’s first team sport experience was such a positive one. She was part of an instructional league, which made the games laid back yet…instructional.

She tried out every position on the field, but her favorites were pitcher and second base, since the batted ball always made its way to that part of the field.

She sharpened her skills at scooping up the ground ball and throwing it to first base. Her throws were usually quite accurate!

The games were coach-pitch, and Ruthie learned how to make contact with the ball.

Every hit was a single; no one could run more than one base. Instructional league

While the season was fun while it lasted, it is nice to be able to breathe on weeknights for a while!

Mild weather,
Taylor Street pizza,
Seven Johaniks sitting around the table.

It’s a good night.
Those older two just LOVE having their picture taken!

Jim, Derek and I flew to Colorado for two days so Derek could participate in a football camp at the Air Force Academy. An added bonus to these two days was that we would be able to hang out with Jake too.

We met the tall one at the Visitor’s Center, where two falconers were showing off falcons to passersby. We posed with them.

The four of us grabbed some lunch then dropped Jake off for his afternoon class. Back in the fall, our family hiked Eagle’s Peak, and since Derek had to get back for school, he was not able to join us. Climbing up this mountain was something he had wanted to do since then, so the three of us scrambled up.

The view was just as beautiful as we remembered it, and Derek soaked it in.

Being amid the silence and rich smells of the mountain, one cannot help but reflect and appreciate God’s creation. No phones, no traffic. Peace.

The next day Derek attended the camp. The facilities were impressive.

The boys were measured and timed. What Derek appreciated the most, though, was meeting the coaches and learning about the program.

He and Jim had a good heart-to-heart talk about seeking God’s plan and keeping football and even his own future in perspective. After that, we waited for Jake to finish class. Derek found a piano in Arnold Hall and played for a while. This is how he decompresses.

I asked Jake to meet us after class in his school uniform so I could snap a picture of him with Derek in his camp shirt.

We enjoyed one last meal together, then after dropping Jake off at school, the three of us flew home.

Peter and Jeremy participated in a wrestling camp at Wheaton Academy last week. Peter was eager to do it, while Jeremy required some coaxing.

This being their first time wrestling, they encountered significant challenges throughout the week as they wrestled against some boys with six years of wrestling experience. However, they also benefitted from great coaching and learned many new skills and moves.

They were also encouraged throughout the week to see how wrestling fits into the bigger picture of life–and specifically, life in Christ.

By the end of the week, both boys were relieved and pleased, knowing that they overcame the challenges of the week and truly enjoyed the camp.

In recent weeks, Ruth has shown great interest in helping out in the kitchen. Perhaps this is because I spend approximately 75 percent of my time in the kitchen (or at least it feels this way).

Meatloaf was on the menu last night, and Ruth had no reservations as she dug her hands into the raw meat, onion and egg mixture and combined everything together.

When that was done, she was ready for the next job. So I handed my 7 year-old daughter–who doesn’t yet know how to tie her shoes–a butcher knife, and she sliced up mushrooms. Hmmm, I’d say those fine motor skills are working just fine.

“…she works with her hands in delight.” (Proverbs 31:13)

In the span of 24 hours, Derek’s hands have both tackled the tedious task of showing his little sister how to tie her shoes,

(and a side note: this typically determined 7 year-old refuses to put the effort into learning how to tie her own shoes. She probably wonders why she needs to learn when everyone else can tie them for her!)

to taking a sledgehammer to the sidewalk leading up to the former second front door of the house.

A true gentle giant!

Ever since arriving in the beautiful state of Colorado, Jake has sought out opportunities to explore the outdoors, whether by hiking, biking, fishing or camping.

After finals were over, he and three buddies drove to Moab, Utah to camp over a long weekend.

They had great weather as they hiked Arches National Park

and later Canyonlands. It makes me think back to all of our Arboretum field trips when he was younger, and how much he loved to hike the trails and investigate nature.

I’m glad to see that love continue, and pray that his love for God only grows as he considers His creation.

“Let all creation rejoice before the Lord…” (Psalm 96:13)

Jeremy turned eleven! We started the day with birthday pancakes

and a cleverly-wrapped present from his brothers.

I love watching God work in this guy as he grows in wisdom and stature.

Happy birthday, Bubs!

In the past, a kid or two (or three) participated in the bike ride along Lake Shore Drive. This year, the whole family joined the fun. It was no small task getting the bikes ready to go and loaded onto the car!

We met my parents at their building and began the ride, splitting into a few groups which rode at various speeds.

Because none of us had been on our bikes for at least a year, our rear-ends were quite sore, and the rest stop was a welcome sight.  Here are all the boys:

As we were riding the final leg, I noticed Jeremy’s speed slowed down a bit. After a few minutes, he caught up with Jim and me, with a tooth in his hand. He actually pulled it out while riding; I wonder if he’s the first person to say he lost a canine tooth while riding Bike the Drive.

It was a fun ride and a great experience!