The Johnson Journal

Merry Christmas!

Dear Friends and Family,

We can't believe another year has passed so quickly. We always look forward to this time of year. Christmas will be here soon and as a busy family of six there never seems to be enough time in the day. 

Nadya celebrated her 3rd Gotcha day this past August and has officially been part of our family for three and a half years. We mention that because we have seen so much progress in this third year.  We have truly reached the point in our adoption where we can't remember life with out her.  It's like she has always been part of our family even though we know that isn't the case.  Nadya continues to be an excellent student and earns mostly A's in school.  (She is still disappointed to see anything lower than an A and only rarely receives them).  Her teachers always have great things to say about her.  She has worked very hard and has pretty much caught up to her peers academically.  Besides school Nadya still spends most of her spare time at the gym and will be competing level five this year. She did very well last season competing level 4 and placed first at the Utah Summer Games for her age level.  She got braces this October and is doing really well with them.

Hallie entered 6th grade this year and is doing very well in school. She is really enjoying 6th grade, loves her teacher and brought home all A's and B's on her last progress report.  She continues to excel in math and has recently taken an interest in photography. Just recently she decided that she no longer wants to take gymnastics and will try ice skating after Christmas.  She got braces as well this year and is doing great with them too. (Yup, that's two girls in braces in one year.......... Not so great on our budget!)  For her 11th birthday party this year we had a make over party and we were reminded about the amount of trouble we are going to be in shortly with two boy crazy beautiful  girls! Both girls are beginning to look like teenagers and we don't like it one bit, but realize there is nothing we can do about it!

Alex entered first grade and made the transition to a brand new school.  He is in a first/second  grade split for accelerated learners and he loves it!   He brought home all E's (for Excellent) and All H's (for Honors). He made it through his first year of guitar and while we had a few months that were rocky, he is currently enjoying it.  In May he had the oppurtunity to perform in his first student fest where he played a very slow version of eight days a week.  Afterwards he confessed that he wants to be a rockstar when he grows up.  Alex is our book worm and computer nut.  He is typically doing one or the other.  He has lost two teeth and is waiting patiently for a few more to fall out so he can collect money from the tooth fairy.  His class performed the nutcracker recently and he was the cutest Chinese Dancer we've ever seen.

Carter entered Kindergarten this year and loves it. He is doing very well academically and has many friends too.  He is still our loud child who will talk your ear off and is quite the charmer.  He took Karate this year and really enjoyed it and wants to take it again.  He learned how to swim and basically became our little fish in the water.  He gave himself a hair cut this summer which resulted in his first buzz cut, which he loved!    He is our math wizard and will often do extra pages of math at home just for fun.  He is a great brother to Alex and the two of them are pretty much inseperable these days.  

As for us, we just stay busy trying to stay up with these four! We are really loving the current ages of our kids and wish we could freeze time.   Kristy is still teaching part time working with accelerated kids and enjoys photography, blogging, coffee with friends  and spending time with her family.  Doug can still be found putzing around the yard, gardening, working on projects in the house, and fishing as much as time allows.  We were lucky enough to do some boating this summer, a favorite family past-time.  We also  spent  two fun filled weeks in Iowa on the farm and then finished our year in Sunny not so sunny San Deigo. 

We wanted to take a moment and  wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  May your 2011 be filled with an abundance of love and many happy memories.

Much Love,

Doug, Kristy, Hallie, Nadya, Alex and Carter