The Johnson Family Newsletter - March 2007

Spring’s Coming

Dad has pulled out all of last year’s seeds from the freezer and is getting ready to get his tomato seedlings planted. It may be twenty degrees in the morning but a gardener always looks forward to spring. We will not be planting any of Burpee’s Red Lightning tomato. We were seduced by a pretty face: the picture of the red skinned tomato streaked with orange certainly looked enticing but the taste matched the tomatoes you buy in the supermarket.

This Old House

The new carpeting that was supposed to be installed in January was finally put in a couple of weeks ago. We love having our doors rehung and not stepping on carpet underlayment in the upstairs hall. When the installers pulled up the carpeting in the upstairs hall, they found some rotting floor. When Dad inspected what repairs might be needed, he could see we needed to call in a contractor. Another three weeks, and the contractor was finally able to come, the hallway was finished, and we are back to normal. Mom’s nomination was for next project will be remodeling the bathroom(s).

Welcome Family

It’s been fun to have Uncle Dick and his wife Julie serving their third mission as temple workers right here at the Washington D.C. temple. We were very pleased that they could come to dinner one Sunday evening. Mom fixed pork tenderloin and Dad’s favorite roasted vegetables and apple pie. Wendy and Steve and family and Holly and Dave and family came over later for cake and ice cream. Of course this is the kind of evening that we love – family, grown-up kids, grandchildren.

Happy Events

It’s also nice to see the Whites when we attend the temple. We were there the next Friday when Tyler Folkman took out his endowments before leaving for his mission to New Caldonia. Tyler is one of Mom’s former seminary students who has thrilled his mother and pleased us all by deciding to serve. It’s a wonderful thing to see a young person gain a testimony and embrace the gospel.

Sunrise, sunset . . . .

Our Holly is now 38 years old (but looking ten years younger). Mom got to go to the Olive Garden with Holly and her friends for lunch to celebrate but we still need to have more cake and ice cream. Sara (our Little Bear) will turn the big 30 this month.

Family Doings

Wendy’s article for the Ensign is still scheduled for August publication. When Elder Gary Coleman was here for our stake conference, he said that he reviews all the Ensign articles before they are published and had read Wendy’s. The magazine asked for a picture of their family to publish – when Amie and Christopher were young and a current family group. Kellie Nuss graciously served as photographer and we are forwarding some of the results with this letter.

Lisa and Brian and kids are home from their Disney cruise and vacation. Brett will be running in the Boston marathon next month. Sara just finished organizing the annual lobbying day with environmental groups with the Minnesota state legislature.

Mom and Dad will be traveling to Utah on April 12^th for Nicole’s sophomore piano recital. She will play a 45 minute program in one of the concert halls in the Harris Fine Arts Center that evening. We’re hoping many of our Utah relatives will be able to come. Mom is going to get busy and get invitations out in the next couple of weeks.

Dad's Thoughts

Joseph Millett was a little-known member of the Church who lived in the early days of the church and came across the plains with other faithful pioneers to find a new home with the Saints. In those first years, food was often scarce. Winters were particularly difficult, and often the days stretched further than the food that they were able to store.

Joseph Millett wrote in this journal: “One of my children came in and said that Brother Newton Hall’s folks was out of bread, had none that day.

“I divided our flour in a sack to send up to Brother Hall. Just then Brother Hall came.

“Said I, ‘Brother Hall, are you out of flour?’

“‘Brother Millet, we have none.’

“‘Well, Bother Hall, there is some in that sack. I have divided and was going to send it to you. Your children told mine that you was out.’

“Brother Hall began to cry. He said he had tried others but could not get any. He went to the cedars and prayed to the Lord, and the Lord told him to go to Joseph Millett.

“‘Well Brother Hall, you needn’t bring this back. If the Lord sent you for it you don’t owe me for it.’

That night Joseph Millett recorded this remarkable sentence in his journal:

“You can’t tell me how good it made me feel to know that the Lord knew there was such a person as Joseph Millet.

God knows each of us. He loves each of us.

Each time God answers your prayer, it is an indication that he knows you and that he loves you. Great things come as a result of mighty prayer – we come to know God. We come to know of his love for us.