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!

A lot of people have asked how the dog is adjusting to the new house. While she was my shadow for several days after the move, not wanting to leave my side, it really didn’t take her long to adapt to the new environment.

As long as she has her people, her bed, and her food (not necessarily in that order), she is a comfortable, content dog.

We are experiencing a new sport in the Johanik family: softball.

Ruthie is on the Tigers–a team consisting of kindergarten and first-grade girls.

I was unsure at the beginning of her first game whether this was the right fit for Ruthie, who tends to be easily distracted. She appeared to be more interested in the color of the batter’s socks than getting the batter out at first.

But after a little coaching, she began focusing on the ball and understanding her job. By the next game, she was hustling to the ball during every play, determined to get an out.

She enjoys getting on base, as any good softball player does.

And got to try out the catcher position last night.

She is especially encouraged when her fan club comes to cheer her on.

We are looking forward to a fun (and entertaining) season!

Peter has been itching to decorate a cake with the fondant he had on hand, and decided that Mother’s Day was the perfect occasion for such a cake.

Per his dad’s suggestion, he went with a springy tulip theme.

Beautiful!

I’m thankful for my mom.  Wonder Woman superhero.

Baseball season is in full swing (pun intended), and my dad has offered his coaching services to Peter and Jeremy, in order to help sharpen their skills.

It is quite convenient that we live across the street from a high school softball field! The boys walked over with their grandpa and told him what they would like to work on with him.

Then they got to work for the afternoon. They remarked later how much just that one coaching session helped them.

We have many trees in our new neighborhood, which means we also have a lot of birds. After moving in, Jeremy decided to build a bird house as a way of introducing ourselves to the neighbor birds.

We met some robins and cardinals; until one morning, I looked out and found the bird house fallen to pieces on the ground with bird seed on the rail of the deck. A bushy-tailed squirrel promptly hopped down from the rail to the ground. Evidently, the squirrel didn’t want to be left out. Unfortunately, the bird house was not built to sustain the weight of squirrels.

Ruthie collects wildflowers

while Molly spots rabbits.

We weren’t sure how many guys were going to be available to help with the move until the actual moving day. As it turned out, we had ample help–a group of strong young men to load the truck at the old house, and another shift of strong young men to unload at the new house.  An FCA coworker provided lunch for all of us, as well as moral support.  We were very thankful.

Saturday was not only moving day, but also my parents’ 45th wedding anniversary!

They spent their special occasion bringing kids to baseball games, then later unpacking our kitchen. How romantic, no? They even came back a few days later for grandparents’ day.

When we returned to the old house Sunday to clean out the attic and the storage room in the basement, we hit probably the lowest point emotionally. We were thankful for our small group friends for their presence and help that day.

We got to work right away, making our new house a home suitable for our family. Our first order of business was removing wallpaper.

Some was easier to remove…

…and some was on the more difficult end of the spectrum (nearly impossible).

But we succeeded!

We’ve also done a lot of painting.

And ripping up carpet.

The latest frontier has been creating a laundry room. Previously, the house had a second front entrance which led straight to the basement.

Now you see the front door on the left…

…now you don’t.

There is now a floor over the concrete staircase, along with a couple extra walls to make a laundry room. Peter Stephen “Tiler” Johanik has been the lead tiler on this project.

Thankfully, we’ve managed to have fun throughout this experience. When we’re all working together as a team, the work isn’t so bad.

From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward. (Proverbs 12:14)

Before closing on the old house, we decided it would be good to share memories from the past sixteen years and say goodbye to the house. The tulips welcomed us one last time.

We called up Jake so he could participate too. Unbeknownst to him back in December, his last time at 3146 was over Christmas break. We toyed with the idea of flying him out for a weekend to see the house one more time (and help pack a box or two…or twenty), but it wasn’t practical.

We walked through the empty house, room by room, sharing memories…

…and in the process, making new memories.

Molly savored her hands-down favorite spot in the house during mild weather–at the threshold of the deck.

We ended in the basement, where Jim prayed to the Lord our thanksgiving to Him for His faithfulness in that home for sixteen years. We experienced so much life in that place–good and bad–and God was there with us through it all. It was a somber and emotional moment for all of us.

Your lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. (Psalm 36)

By wisdom a house is built,
    and through understanding it is established;
through knowledge its rooms are filled
    with rare and beautiful treasures. (Proverbs 24)

May God be glorified here.