His mercy's are new every morning

Thank God for His grace and mercy that is new every morning.
How do I write to give you an idea what our life is like without sounding like whiner? I want to let you know what has been happening but with a disclaimer that this is just the way it is and we do not want nor need the drama. It is just what life is like with kids and all. Right?

Let's see where do we begin...hmmm how about the week before Christmas. Dewey had a procedure at the hospital..they put him under and gave him amnesia drugs, sent a microscopic camera down his throat, took colored photos of his esophagus and sent him home with me...not really knowing he was still on drugs Dewey asked to go Christmas shopping and boy did HE shop. I found out the next morning he only remembers showing up at the hospital and about five hours later sitting at home watching a movie. He is okay..more on that later.
The following morning Macy had surgery on her four wisdom teeth, she is doing good also. Later that day Eric faxed us a ticket that was sent to his home in St Cloud. (we bought a car from him a month earlier and never transfered the title) Maddison apparently passed a school bus. Did you know that is the second highest traffic ticket you can get?
Then.....a couple days later we get a call, our nephew Kain is going into emergency surgery. He crashed on his snowboard. Deep breath....

We managed to finish our shopping and stopped to enjoy the true meaning of Christmas , we served dinner on Christmas Eve in the Hillside and attend a wonderful service that evening. We topped it off by watching Hell Boy (There is no way my family will watch a movie called Hell Boy on the night Jesus was born!- we did- don't let the name scare you like it scared me)

Dewey was invited to Fight Night a few days later with the guys. JoAnn invited me to come. His life sure has changed.

We told the story how Dewey knew his life has changed forever when his three 'rays of sunshine' stopped by his house (unannounced of course) skipped in, plopped down on the sofa, ate his pizza and turned the TV from UFC to Legally Blond - oblivious that he had his night all planned out.

The troll hole was dark, the beer was chilled , UFC was on and the pizza was cooling exactly for seven minutes before the first bite.(Dewey is OCD that way) It has been an adventurous year. Thats when I knew he was the guy for me.

Love
Jennifer

Baby come home

I went to Washington DC for work. December 9-14 This was my 5th trip in 7 months. I may have not mentioned this yet but I went to Dallas, Boston, Seattle , back to Boston and now DC. Not easy with a family well ..easier with having Dewey who is a wonderful husband and friend and partner. Dewey held down the fort- running kids, doing homework, making supper,changing the laundry, shoveling snow and staying up until the girls came home - "thats what a guy does for his girls" (Dewey's famous line)and he even had time to go ice fishing.

Dewey and I met up at the Raddison hotel on December 14th when my plane was canceled from Mpls to Duluth due to 70 mile an hour winds, snow and ice. I grabbed a shuttle form Minneapolis airport and had a ride of my life with a great guy named Dave who drove through the storm along with seven others trying to make it back home. Dewey was coming from Whiteface after fishing with his dad and buddies.

We went home in the storm...huddle together, talked about our week. It is such a wonderful blessing to come home to a warm home, a fantastic husband and awesome kids. I need nothing else.
Oh, I just received an email from our pastor inviting me to a mission trip to Nice, France this spring. ......Baby oh Baby, come home!

Love
Jennifer

My lovely daughter Maddison

Thanksgiving with the inlaws.

These are the lovely children in the Hauck family. Maddison (on lap) Carley, Kain, Pdog, Macy (on lap) Alec and Zoey....The Hauck's have - without hesitation - accepted my children as their own (grandchildren) The day of the wedding Jack said to me "Jennifer, as far as we are concerned we have 7 grandchildren now" it was one of the most beautiful things.

This is Dewey, being silly as he carves the turkey. He is a goof and keeps me laughing and smiling everyday. Even when I do not feel like it , I smile :)

As I reflect on Thanksgiving and the business of the day I am reminded of all the provisions God has provided to Dewey, myself and our family. We are healthy, blessed with beautiful children, we have the privilege to have our parents around. We have grace and mercy everyday. And we had a 23 pounder to cook and be on the table hot at promptly 4:15pm!

I called my mother....please give me some cooking tips. This is my second turkey I have made and Dewey's first. To tell the story I must go back a few weeks. Dewey and I decided to invite his family over for Thanksgiving and my family for Christmas. Yet another compromise in our marriage - what family for what holiday, whose traditions do we keep? whose house for dinner? whose stuffing recipe do we use?...

Dewey left for hunting and I was wondering if he made the call to the Hauck's so I started with Dewey's sister-in-law. I asked if she heard that we would like to host Thanksgiving dinner. Rita insisted that Carol would never dream of anybody else hosting dinner. Rita has tried in the past. After the conversation..actually more like lecture. (I was listening) I was certain I would be a guest for dinner. I am cool with that, I like to bake but making a dinner is not my gift. I once told the kids I made hot dish...they came running like it was Christmas morning. They were clearly disappointed but tried to remember their manners. They asked , sheepishly "This is hot dish?" making sure not to hurt my feelings. Well, yes it is....as I look at my brown rice mixed with a can of cream of mushroom soup and a few broccoli bites on top. I am learning how to jazz up rice still today.

So back to the dinner. Dewey and his brother Heath (Rita's husband) came home from hunting and Dewey told his parents we would like to host dinner. By this time I had ten days to reflect on something that once sounded terrific!! O, how fun to have the in laws over, and make the dinner with all the fixings. I had not spoke with Dewey so I could not express my second thoughts I was having...My mom and grandma made cooking look easy, I make ordering pizza look easy, I have at least three pizza joints on speed dial. Can I do it....they are always watching the new daughter-in-law. I don't need to impress them but I want to at least have a nice dinner..what to do???

Dewey called after returning from the shack....he knew the minute his mom hit the floor in relief, that we were hosting this year.
So we planned the meal. thats easy...Turkey, mash potatoes, squash ( a Johnson must have) rolls, cranberry's, stuffing, and pies. I get a call from Rita...trying to read her tone and between the lines...she says, Well... I heard that Dewey talked to Carol and wants to host Thanksgiving...almost like the conversation may have not happened ten days earlier hmmm..?
She was kind and asked to help out. I was not going to turn down help! I gave her a couple options, pies...pies...or... Rita offered to bake two pumpkin pies, bring the cranberry's and the corn - Carol Always has corn.... She asked what kind of rolls will I have..I said I didn't know but I will take care of them. We went with Pillsbury-pop and fresh... not my grandmas rolls but hey! I was the host! The dinner went off with out a hitch.... Dewey and I survived the stress of a holiday with 14 guests and the loving memory of us hosting dinner together, something we always wanted ...a family to love and love us back...a family to come to dinner..little ones running around , laughter and memories ...it was great.

The best part, to see my wonderful husband at the head of the table saying grace for our meal and knowing that he has the family he has always prayed for.

Love
Jennifer