I made this funny comic story out of legos and I’d really like to show you it.

By, Jake

Posted by Jim

Announcing the birth of Ruth Christine Johanik, 8lbs. 4oz., 20.5in. long, born October 27, 2009 at 1:36pm.

A girl, yes a G-I-R-L, in the Johanik family. In a blink of an eye pink has entered into our home – Praise God!

For eight months of Heidi’s pregnancy I was (in my admittedly simple mind) convinced we were having another boy.  After having four boys who could blame me for thinking that x chromosomes were not part of my biological make up. In month nine, it dawned on Heidi and I that there there could be a chance this little one might be wearing a “pink homey cap” as Grandpa Steve puts it.

I think this realization was God-sent.  Heidi is a boy mom, out of practice and necessity.  I am in the midst of coaching Derek’s football team and I am surrounded by smelly, goofy, muddy 8 and 9 year-old boys. Our house has spackle and drywall repair on almost every wall.  Our girl dog is often the object of countless tackles having an active role in many ad hoc wrestling matches and football games in the family room. The boys’ room smells more like a locker room than a bedroom.  Our life up to this point has been all BOY. We needed time to prepare ourselves mentally for the chance that a girl could enter our life.

Then came Ruth. The moment she came out, I had to check, double check and then check once more that she was a girl.  Then it hit me.  I found myself to be quite emotional – more than I expected to be – upon her arrival. Heidi and I never prayed for a girl or a boy specifically, but the immediate realization that I was now the father of a beautiful, precious daughter was quite a bit to consume at that moment.

The fact that Ruth would be dramatically different than her brothers also hit me. The day before Ruth’s birth I read Psalm 144.  In verse 12 is says:

“Our sons will be like plants that quickly grow to full size. Our daughters will be like corner pillars, carved like those in a palace.”

I love the imagery the Bible gives in women being “pillars”.  Pillars are immeasurably important in that they hold up structures that protect. Corner pillars are more important in that they form a part of the foundation of the structure. Corner pillars of a palace show just how valuable God deems the structure.  Ruth’s strength will not be determined by her brawn or how quickly she grows up to be physically strong, rather it will be the strength of her character and her relationship to God. If the statistics pan out and it is within God’s will, Ruth will likely be a supporting and loving wife, a nurturing mother and a matriarchal grandmother.  I thank God that Ruth has several women surrounding her that will serve as model pillars in each life stage.

This leads me to finish this post as to why Heidi and I chose the name Ruth Christine. As for Ruth it is simple – there are few women in the Bible who show more character and integrity given their circumstances than Ruth.  Read the book of Ruth for yourself and see if you disagree.

As for Christine, this explanation is a bit more involved.

When God chooses to allow tough circumstances to arise in a person’s life, it is then that a person’s true character is on full display for others to see.  For Heidi and I, this could not be more true than in the life of Heidi’s aunt, Christine Grego.  For those who do not know Chris, here is a woman who has endured a level of suffering that few people experience. In a short amount of time, she has had to endure the death of a spouse, the continual care and nurturing of a disabled son (not to mention experiencing his disablement several years ago), and her dealings with a countless number of treatments to remove cancer from her own body.  If you met Chris today, her countenance would never reveal such suffering. Chris has risen above her circumstances through a sheer and utter dependence on God in a way that makes you desire such a dependence and a peace in your own life.

That is the character we desire our Ruth to have. We love her name.

Here are just a few more pictures of Ruth’s big day:

We kept telling Heidi she was a machine. She did great – the labor was 3 hours. Mind you, Heidi didn’t look this chipper 60 minutes later.

Like a true Johanik, Ruthie’s factory was fully functioning – she was going through diapers at an alarming rate.  At times she didn’t even wait for the next diaper to make it on her.  Heidi blamed this on my genes of course.

Dr. Embry has delivered all the Johanik kids.  It’s hard to imagine a better obstetrician.

The family of seven.

It should be noted that Peter was the lone hold-out for a sister.  His brothers all wanted a boy while Peter steadfastly claimed the baby was going to be a girl.  He then backed up his claim by saying that he prayed all the time that the baby would be a girl.

When Grandpa Giere notified Peter that he had a baby sister – he had a deadpan expression.  Peter reminded grandpa that “I knew it was a girl because I was asking God for a girl.”

Faith from the mouths of babes….

As a parent, one must always be ready for the teachable moments. They can arise at the most unexpected times, and usually do.

Take this morning, for instance. As Jeremy sat on the potty, he began talking to me about nails.

J: Do people put nails in their legs (he is poking his leg as he talks) and then do they die? (with huge emphasis on the word die accompanied by a scrunched up face)

Mom: (silent, perplexed look, trying to figure out where this is coming from)

J: (sensing the lack of understanding) Did the nails go into Jesus’ legs and then did He die?

M: The soldiers nailed Jesus’ hands and feet to the cross and then He died. Then God made Him alive again, and now Jesus lives in heaven.

J: Does He see me?

M: He sure does, and when you obey Mom and Dad, He is pleased (a shameless plea for obedience)

J: Does He see downstairs?

M: Yes, He sees downstairs…He sees the whole world all the time!

J: Is He going to play with my toys? (Jeremy goes on to answer his own question) No, because He doesn’t want to make a mess and then clean it up.

Deuteronomy 6: “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (…even when your children are sitting on the potty :))

The boys look forward to this ride every year.

We paid the registration fee last December.

No one knew I’d be 8 months pregnant on September 27, but we were committed. We finished 25 miles at the Apple Cider Century in MI and had a great time.

I must confess that I coveted every recumbent bicycle that rode by…reclining riders comfortably pedaling twice as fast as I was. And it was not easy accepting the fact that there was no chance of keeping up with other bikers, let alone passing them. If I heard one more “on your left”, I was going to slug someone.

Due to my super-slow pace, Jake and Derek were given permission to ride at their own pace up ahead, and we all met up at the rest stop halfway through the ride.

Jeremy got all choked up with emotion upon finishing the ride…

…but he pulled himself together for the picture.

The kids did a great job and are already talking about stepping up to do the 50 mile route next year!

The boys took their final goose-pimply, purple-lipped swim last week before deconstructing the pool. Aside from our dining room table, the pool has been one of our best purchases; it was used constantly throughout the summer.

Here is a clip of Molly playing water tag with Jake. She hunts him down like prey, while he tries to stay away from her razor sharp claws as she paddles after him.

Molly is enjoying football season along with the rest of us. She comes out to practice three times a week and games on Saturdays. She’s good for licking excess sweat off of hardworking players’ faces.

We seem to have adopted a rambunctious little creature into our family. I think we will keep him and name him Jeremy.

Truth be told, this is how the oldest and youngest siblings bond. The oldest uses his creative resourcefulness in order to be entertained, and the youngest…entertains.

As soon as Jim earned his IFR pilot rating, Derek’s wish was to fly in the clouds for his 9th birthday flight. Derek’s wish was granted. You might say the ante has been significantly raised after this birthday flight…not only did they fly in the clouds, but in lieu of flying to Janesville for breakfast, Jim flew Derek, Jake, and Peter to Minnesota to watch the Air Force vs. University of Minnesota football game.

Here is a glimpse of the flight: (for you keen observers, you’ll notice that the pilot is shooting the video. The plane was on auto-pilot. And the propellor only looks freaky on video, not in real life)

They may have been the only Air Force fans in the stadium, but they wore their blue proudly.

It was a historic game because up until now, U of Minn never had their own stadium. They built one this year, and the game against Air Force was the first game played there.

The following weekend Derek (and Peter) enjoyed having family come out to the football game. We then gathered at our place for lunch and birthday cake.

I thank God for this second-born son of ours. He is a unique gift. I love how God is shaping his heart and mind and look forward to the next nine years of his life!

Let me begin by stating that I have never enjoyed football season as much as I have this year.

Throughout the past 13+ years of marriage, my dear husband has done a wonderful job of getting me excited for college football every fall. But there is nothing like watching your own offspring in pads and helmets lining up and hitting their opponents.

Peter’s first game was bright and early. The little bobblehead guy showed some signs of nervousness, but was clearly excited to play.

They began the game with the National Anthem (Peter is the shrimpy second from the right).

Lining up…

…for a big hit.

The little guy is holding his own as one of only seven 5 year-olds in the entire league! He can thank his brothers for teaching him grit.

Then Derek’s team was up. Where Peter’s coaches emphasize the goal as “having fun out there”, Derek’s coaches drive home the importance of knowing each play and winning the game. As an observer, guess which game provoked more stress inside?

#78. Jim’s high school number. As Jim handed the jersey to Derek before leaving on Saturday morning, he said he was experiencing deja vu. Just to add to the ol’ deja vu, Derek is playing the exact position Jim did–left guard on the offensive line.

I’ve been told that in this shot, he is reminding his o-line teammate that they are going to cross block.

I love this shot.

In this picture, it appears that the 3rd grader living in our house grew into a high-schooler overnight.

Alright folks, now what’s football without…cheerleaders?

The bows in the hair. The cute outfits. Don’t they just scream look at us? To their credit though, these girls are bright. While the boys are grunting things like “on two” and “hit”, the girls are chanting rhymes, spelling big words, and jumping at the same time.

A big thanks to our friends the Jachimiecs for coming to cheer the boys on. Derek and Peter were inspired to play hard knowing they had fans, and Jake and Jeremy appreciated having friends to play with during that time.

Remember those pictures at the back of Highlights magazines? The zoomed-in photos where you had to guess what the object was? Up close it looked like bubble wrap, but it’s really a snake, for instance.

Well here’s a toughie. Guess the object:

We could insert this as the first picture in Baby J’s baby book. A chronicle of him/her playing kicking, doing summersaults, and sleeping at the park.

Meanwhile Baby’s brothers brought their golf clubs and played a round of golf.

Ever the engineer, the oldest opted to make the mini-golf course for the others rather than swing a golf club.

One of the many reasons I love homeschooling:

Because we don’t take days off for teacher institute, Casmir Pulaski Day, etc., the boys do a half day of schoolwork on Fridays. The rest of the time is spent cleaning the house. It’s a beautiful sight to see four boys armed with rags, brooms, and vacuum cleaners.

Though it does not take long before some of them figure out the uncanny resemblance between a vacuum hose and a gun.

p.s. Jackie–although Nick doesn’t read this blog, please let him know that this post is dedicated to him :)

I have not been taking a whole lot of pictures of our school day. Come on, somebody needs to teach these boys their math. But I have a breather right now and wanted to share a few glimpses of school.

Now that we have completed nearly two weeks of school, I have to say that we are having a lot of fun. Yes, school and fun were just used in the same sentence. And one of our students is officially a middle-schooler…an unpredictable age, potentially wrought with an “I hate school” kind of attitude. But that is one of the beauties of homeschooling–figure out what makes a kid tick, and let him run with it.

So if you know Jake, you know what makes him tick: science. Science has been his love ever since he could say the word “space”. Now he says words like deoxyribonucleic acid (thank you, dictionary.com). Somewhere between then and now, he lost me.

This year, he is working through a science book which requires him to conduct a couple experiments per week, and it has become a highlight for everyone. Once he has his materials collected in the kitchen, he yells, “experiment time”, and the rest of the boys gather from near and far to observe and lend a hand when they can. Here is a photo log of a recent experiment.

I’m sure Jake would love to explain in more detail, but he basically poured layers of different liquids into a cup and dropped objects into the liquids to see where they would settle.

Bubbie narrated the entire process.

Finally, the write-up to summarize.

Meanwhile, poor Molly was forced to observe from afar. This experiment did not lend itself to canine help.

It was clear to the vet upon our first visit back in March with Molly that the dog we adopted was a good fit for our family. He was referring to her energetic personality.

We now see that she is a good fit for our family in another way–her size. The Johanik boys are a bit on the burly side. For example, the velcro on Derek’s football cleats doesn’t even come close to fitting around his beefy ankles (or as Jim would say, what ankles?). In the same way, Molly is on the stocky side for a lab. Not fat, just big-boned.

For kicks, the kids and I decided to put together a costume for the dog so she could join them trick-or-treating. Our first stop was Joann Fabrics to look at available dog costume patterns. What we discovered was that nearly all the patterns were made for small dogs (as in toy or teacup, as these kinds of rodents dogs are referred to). But lo and behold, we finally found one pattern made for “large dogs”. The model on the front was even a yellow lab.

After putting together the basic shape of the costume, I thought I’d better try it on Molly before continuing so as not to waste unnecessary time if it didn’t fit right.

Well, good thing for the tryout. The hot pink satin fabric was stretched to its limit on her back, and there was no way the shirt would come up on her shoulders.  I needed at least another yard of fabric to make it fit.

But all was not lost. I was able to turn the shirt into a little skirt and then sew some elastic in for the waist. Now the challenge will be keeping the dog from chewing it to shreds…

6th grade, 3rd grade, and kindergarten. Whew.

As for the little guy and the dog, well, they enjoyed some extra free time today (note the stockpile of airplanes in JP’s arms).

If I were a writer, and if I were to write a book…I would write a book about weeds. Yes, I know, it’s a strange topic, and people wouldn’t exactly be lining up at bookstores to buy it, but let me explain.

Every time I pull weeds in our yard, I am reminded of something that pertains to life. And sometimes as I’m pulling with a double grip on a prickly, gnarly, deeply rooted stem, a verse from the Bible pops into my head. If Jesus used farming and weeds as parables of life lessons, then I think this is something worth considering. If I’ve ever asked why God created weeds, He seems to answer by means of an analogy. If you think about it, weeds are symbolic of sin.

They’re bad, they’re ugly, and they are destructive. Just like sin in my life.

As I was weeding in the yard last week, I observed some interesting characteristics about these unwanted, uncultivated plants. Take this beauty, for instance.

Not only did it sprout up fast, it shot way up and right out in the open. Like it’s taunting the plants around it, boasting of the ground that it is consuming. Do you know sin like that? It doesn’t care who sees it, it boldly makes itself known to everyone around. There’s no attempt on a person’s part to hide it, in fact, sometimes the sin even defines the person.

Then, in contrast, look at this one:

This perhaps could be even more destructive than the ugly, proud loner weed against the house. This one is going right for the jugular: sinking its roots down where a healthy, fruit-bearing plant is already growing. The weed vies for sunlight and nutrients from the ground, threatening to destroy the tomato plant. I’ve observed some weeds that grow near a young cultivated plant, and it’s hard to distinguish which is which.

Do you see the challenge for parents in this picture? There could be the sin of selfishness growing in my child’s heart, and maybe I unknowingly help it grow by making my child the center of my world…it’s easy to do when kids are small and so doggone cute. Give them whatever they want, make them the center of attention at all times. But before I know it, my child becomes prideful, demanding and inconsiderate of others. That’s not so cute. That’s sin (a weed) consuming my child’s heart. Over time, it shows itself to be the ugly thing that it is.

And the longer a weed is allowed to grow, the more difficult it is to uproot. The roots go deeper, the weed becomes stronger. When it comes to uprooting sin in my life (or in my kids’ lives), there is only so much I can do. I can alter my behavior by discontinuing bad habits (consider the tv shows I watch, the magazines I read, the amount of time I spend on the computer, etc.); but there is only One who can totally free me from the destruction of sin.

Thankfully, when Jesus died, He took on all sin of all kinds. The only way for sin to be uprooted in my life is by trusting in Him; only Jesus Christ can cleanse my heart. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

In contrast, if a person does not admit one’s sin before God and does not confess Jesus as the only means to eternal life, that person is considered an enemy of God. The weeds in the following verses represent people who do not believe and follow Jesus Christ. “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:40-42)

Let the lesson brought out from weed-plants motivate you to examine where you stand before God. “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” (Hebrews 4:7)

There are so many more great symbols that weeds offer; stay tuned for more.

For the past five years, Derek has aspired to fly one of these:

This is no small aspiration. To become an Air Force Thunderbird (or Navy Blue Angel) pilot requires an immense amount of time, training, and guts.

Derek’s other big interest is football, which he finally gets to participate in this season, along with Peter.

Well, guess what I learned this morning. Derek’s football coach is a former Navy fighter pilot. The guy used to fly F/A-18s. Probably off of aircraft carriers. When I told Derek, his eyes lit up. Kind of neat when two loves come together like that.

(The following pictures are unrelated, but I need to share them because of the high cuteness factor. The NYFL opened the league to 5 year-olds for the first time this year, so we decided to let Peter play. After picking up his helmet and pads, he wore them for 48 hours straight. He is so excited to share this with his big brother, and as you can see, is taking the sport quite seriously.)

Not too far behind him is Jeremy…wishing he was a couple years older.

The army fatigues make it, no?

submitted by Jim

There are 613,746 pilots in the US.  I am one of them.

There are 325,247 pilots who possess an instrument rating, the FAA’s first-in-a-series of ‘professional’ ratings and the most difficult to obtain. It’s like organic chemistry for a pre-med major – the weeder course of aviation.  As of last Tuesday, August 11, after 40 hours of flight training and 15 hours of ground training over a two year time period, a two hour written examination, a two hour oral exam and a three hour exam flight, I finally became instrument rated.

As I reflect on the countless hours I spent pouring through the Bible-sized FAA Federal Aviation Regulations and Aeronautical Information Manual, DVDs, study guides and whatnot, I cannot help but consider the amount of knowledge and training the government requires before allowing someone to fly in the clouds without visual reference to the ground. I then reflected on the amount of time I studied with the same intensity the Bible-sized Bible – God’s manual for flying by faith without visual reference of the spiritual realm. No doubt priorities were askew, but lessons learned.

When I fly by instruments, I have to prepare in advance for the day ahead. First I check the weather and ask myself is it even safe to fly today? Forecasted thunderstorms, ice in the clouds and extreme turbulence are not things that pilots willingly subject themselves to.  They are to be avoided at all cost.  Either I am to fly around them, or not fly at all. Sounds a lot like looking ahead and avoiding situations where sin and temptation could ultimately undo me.

Second, I file a flight plan based on where I would like to go.  This serves as a form of communication with others and the FAA that they will know where I will be flying at all times – Accountability.  However, every time I file where I want to go, Air Traffic Control (ATC) amends my file to where they want me to go. ATC no doubt understands where I want to go, but they also know where everyone wants to go and they work hard on making sure we all don’t bump into each other 10,000 feet in the sky in the clouds. Omniscience – I find God altering my desired course all too often too.

After preparing and filing, I have to actually fly, perform.  As ATC barks out commands, I have to follow them – no exceptions. I have to be mentally ‘with it’ – no excuses allowed. When they say climb to 9,000 feet, it’s 9,000 feet plus or minus 100 feet, that’s it.  If I fail to maintain that, I’m getting a friendly reminder that I am not complying. Obedience, plain and simple. The alternative to obeying is a close encounter with a 500 foot radio tower, another aircraft, fuel exhaustion or simply flying off course.

After this observation, shouldn’t we challenge each other in our faith in the same manner the FAA challenges pilots? Is not our walk with the Lord and the eternal life He gives immeasurably more important than a pilot license that will lose all authority the moment I die? When was the last time I asked someone to test me for two hours on how well I understood the Bible? How would I do? I’m not sure I want to know.

Friends of ours from Iowa, the Martins, came to stay with us a couple weeks ago.

The kids gathered around the breakfast table for my Mom’s delish french breakfast puffs–all 48 lasted all of 15 minutes.

Though we don’t get to see them often, we enjoy their friendship.

They were troupers and bunked in the basement, which brought the number of people sleeping under one roof to 13…14 if you count the one person in utero. Jim and I love when our house is used to its fullest potential. We love it because we know that it isn’t our house in the first place. It belongs to God.

I have no need of a bull from your stall
or of goats from your pens,

for every animal of the forest is Mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.

I know every bird in the mountains,
and the creatures of the field are Mine.

If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world is Mine, and all that is in it. (Psalm 50:9-12)

If you really stop to think about it, it’s a relief to know that everything belongs to a God who holds all things together by His powerful hand. So those cattle on a thousand hills (or houses in a thousand subdivisions; or cars in a thousand parking lots; or kids in a thousand schools…) are ultimately His responsibility.

One of my favorite quotes on this subject was spoken by John Wesley, a man who lived in the 1700s. Wesley was traveling home one day, and one distraught man rode his horse up to him, shouting, “Mr. Wesley, something terrible happened! Your house burned to the ground!” Wesley weighed the news, then calmly replied, “No. The Lord’s house burned to the ground. That means one less responsibility for me.”

It’s all His.