Missing You!

OK, OK, OK, Daddy missed his Baby Girl a whole lotta bunch today! On most Sundays the Johnsons of Old Bridge worship together. Today, however, we parted ways. Now when we are in church, I am not with C.J. because I am in the pulpit leading service. C.J. and I make contact though and I hear her throughout the few hours we are in church, but at least we are together. Then you have to be reminded of the fact that we are apart because everyone is going to ask where she is or how she is doing. I think I should have created a sign to wear around my neck with a message so I did not have to say the same thing over and over.

So I may be over the top but I really miss C.J. when I am not with her. Most of the time no matter where we are, we are together. Whether it is shopping, driving, relaxing, or just hanging out C.J. is in Daddy's presence. I have to admit the little girl is cute and I never want to miss out on anything she may do.

So now that we are home we are back together. We played on the floor a little bit and now she is getting ready for bed. She also played with the cookie her Pop made her for Black History Month. He put all of his grandchildren on a cookie. She will not get to eat any of it...OK, maybe a smidgen. So that is it for today. I missed her a bunch but we have to work on being apart from each other. When you're dealing with a King and a Princess, that concept is hard for us to grasp.

So in parting, always remember to pray. We all know and have faith that prayer changes things, people and situations.

Party Marathon

In the past few weekends we have celebrated quite a few birthdays. First it was Jaylen, then next up was CJ#2 (Christian), then Brandon and today Briyana rounded out the marathon. Both C.J. and Daddy will agree that it was a long journey that we did not properly prepare for. We learned a few things about the birthday craze and we will be better prepared. One thing we learned is that there is no such thing as to leaving a party early. You are there for the duration. We also learned that the competitive nature during the games is serious so you better practice at home. We also realized that you must never forget your phone, or you will wait 2 hours for the birthday boy, and three hours to eat if the party is at a popular restaurant.

So the question arises of what will C.J. do for her 1st birthday. Daddy and Mommy have talked about a simple barbecue. Hopefully that will still be the case come August. Daddy still believes that a party is not necessary. C.J. will not remember it and why have a party for other people to enjoy. So a simple BBQ would do just fine. I have found a cake that I want and we can throw some burgers, dogs and shrimp on the grill. We will keep you up-to-date on the proceedings and please look forward to the blog that night, August 7, 2010 to be exact. Stay tuned...

in any case, whether it's at McDonald's, the church, the Rain Forest Cafe or at the house, it is really a sight to see when the birthday boy or girl's day is here. Their smiles light up the room. From musical chairs to doing sand art, the creativity of the party parents makes the events more joyous. To say it plainly our first party marathon was tiring, and new for us, but we have made it through. We will now start developing our game plan so we can be more prepared next time around.

So as with any race, you always thank God that it is over. So as I now watch the rest of the Duke vs. North Carolina game (without C.J. because Mommy played us and saw fit to give her a bath during the game tonight. We will speak to her about that shortly and ask that it never happens again. The nerve of her!) Anyway, you all remember to send up some timber tonight because it will help change things, people and situations.

Relax, Relate, Release

Another work week has come and is slowly fading away. The long drives back and forth. The tolls, the gas stations and the potholes will have to wait a few days until it is back to business. The weekend is here. How will you start it off? Johnny Kemp would say, "Just got paid, Friday night
Party huntin', feelin' right
Body shakin', all around (Body shakin' all around)
No one thinks when I'm gettin' down".

For me it would be a little different and tonight is what my blueprint would be. I would simply say as Debbie Allen told Jasmine Guy on the early 90's television A Different World, "Relax, relate, release!" I would say that for both C.J. and Daddy. Tonight we all came home, got in our pajamas and relaxed. Daddy got on the floor with C.J. Mommy started to listen to some ole skool music and we all just relaxed together at home.

Daddy needed to relax from his long week of reading applications, answering phones, talking to parents, driving an hour to and from work, having to go up north and so much more. C.J. needed to unwind from the early mornings, the days at the babysitter, the germs from the other kids, and from being a busy body. Tonight she made me tired while trying to dress her because she wanted to scoot, roll, and turn around and reach for everything she did not need to have. So we need to relax and that we did.

We also had some relate time too. C.J. and I listened to a few cuts that are sentimental for us. One is Wildflower by New Birth and the other is the Whispers' Chocolate Girl. We were going ole skool so some other cuts we have did not make it into the rotation tonight. C.J. and Daddy sing these songs together and we try our best to harmonize. We do pretty well too!

As the night grows upon us it will be time to release all the tension from within. C.J. took a nice bath, was greased down and is now sleeping soundly. Daddy in a few moments will drink some water, lay down and let all my limbs and brain release and recharge. So as I continue to recite those three words to myself I remind you all to pray because prayer changes things, people and situations!

Also because we know God is all that and more it makes it easy to relax, relate and release because God is in control!

All Giggles

C.J. is a bundle of joy! Wherever she goes she always has a smile on her face. Tonight was no different. We went to Red Lobster for dinner. (This was Mommy's choice...you know good and well on Thursday nights we are usually IHOP-bound). From the moment we walked in C.J. was ready to let everyone know that she was present.

As we waited she caught the attention of a couple who sat across from us. All through dinner the waitress fell more and more in love with C.J. She mentioned her smile, her laugh, and oddly enough, her eyelashes. She said that she looked like a doll and asked C.J. if she wanted to go home with her. As we finished up she finally told us that she had a set of 8-year-old twins that would love to play with C.J. It is too bad that C.J. is not being lent out or traded off anytime soon.

I really like the fact that C.J. is such a happy baby. It shows that she is loved abundantly by her Daddy (of course) and her Mommy. Everyday I wake up, I pray for C.J. and I pray for us. Then, as we pray as a family, we ask God to continue strengthening our love for each other. A family that loves each other is a family destined to grow. So I guess as long as my baby girl continues to be all giggles and smiles we can be rest assured that she is pleased with the blessing that God has showered her with. She is definitely a blessing from God to Daddy!

So she is asleep now. We did not engage in our normal bath time because we were out tonight, and she fell asleep, so I just put her to bed as soon as we arrived home. So as I finish up tonight please remember to pray. Prayer changes things, people and situations!

The Simple Days in Life

Some days are meant to be spent without too much excitement. That is how I would describe today. Of course we are excited because the Lord granted us another day! Daddy also got to hear a word at Lenten Service. CJ stayed home with Mommy after another day at the babysitter.

All reports were good! One of Daddy's students even realized that God is a good God because he delivered her from a situation only he could get her out of. I am glad she realized the power of God. It helped me to realize that the scripture is right. If you train up a child in the way he/she should go, when they are old they shall not depart. Sometimes them coming of age comes a little sooner than expected but you must get the word in them young so it grows and matures with them.

So today CJ and Daddy rejoice in another day that the Lord made. Though she was not awake when I came home tonight, I hear her wrestling as I type. I am going to give her a soft kiss once I finish. So you all remember to pray because prayer changes things, situations and people as one of my students can testify too!

Other Plans

Today was supposed to be another one of those days when once I dropped C.J. off, I would not see her awake until the next day. I was scheduled to stay down in Trenton for a program sponsored by my students. However as soon as I arrived to work, Mommy called me to tell me that I needed to come get them after school. So Daddy quickly made the calls necessary to inform all who needed to know that he would not be attending tonight's program. Instead he would be home with his two leading ladies.

Now of course Daddy was OK with this. Any time he can spend with his darling C.J. and Mommy he welcomes with open arms. Daddy developed a major headache on the ride home. He let Mommy know that he was going to chill out on the floor for a while. Mommy chimed in that she would be doing the same. So we both were on the floor with C.J. as she played with her toys. Before we knew it C.J. had somehow ended up on the other side of the floor. Now this is funny because she does not crawl. This girl has mastered rolling and that is how she gets where she wants to go. So again Daddy and Mommy had their plan but the Princess had other plans of her own.

Now we are winding down for the night. C.J. is in bed. Daddy is blogging. Mommy is washing dishes and preparing C.J.'s bag for tomorrow. All is well on the Old Bridge front. Another day has come and gone, and though it did not go as planned, sometimes other plans occur to make what should happen come to fruition. So as we continue to wind down and Daddy has a small cup of tea, please remember to pray because we know prayer changes people, things, and situations.

NOTE TO C.J.: It is great to be organized and follow a plan but sometimes you will find great joy in just going with the flow!

Johnson Bay Medical Center

What better way to spend a Monday evening than in a hospital. That is what we did tonight. Now you may recall that C.J. and I laughed at Mommy on Friday when she had an upset stomach. The funny thing is that tonight it was Daddy and C.J. at the mercy of Mommy and the doctors. Daddy went bowling yesterday and when he arrived home his pinkie was throbbing in pain. He could not sleep well, could not dress properly and had to drive with one hand all day long. Complicated, but he did it...he had to because C.J. and Mommy had to be picked up.

Now C.J., on the other hand, had a different situation. For the past few weeks, C.J. has been dealing with some nasal congestion. We bought a new humidifier. Mommy has mastered the saline treatments. We have even applied a little Vicks Vapor rub to help our cause. The good thing is that when we saw the doctor today he assured us that the mucus had not gone to the ear nor had it camped out in her chest. He told us to continue doing what we were doing. Daddy was proud of Mommy because she really takes the lead with CJ's well being and health. Daddy enjoys the fun stuff and the outfit management.

So now we are all home. C.J. is asleep and Daddy is on his way. So please continue to pray for us both as we deal with our situations. We know wholeheartedly that prayer changes things, people and situations. That includes severely sprained fingers and nasal congestion.