Christmas 2007 Newsletter

Well, another year has come and gone, and while 2007 has proved to be a very trying year for Mark and I with the tragic loss of my father in June, it has also been such a great year, filled with many blessings. We thank the Lord every day for the blessings he has bestowed upon us.

This past year, we have reached some major milestones! For one, I learned to ski this past January, in preparation for a ski trip we took to the Black Hills of South Dakota in February. I think I can speak for everyone on that trip that I may need a little more practice before trying to tackle the big slopes again :)

Mark went on a snowmobile trip to the Big Horn mountains in Wyoming with 3 other guys from church in March, and had a wonderful time, albeit a patience-trying bout with two bad belts on his sled. While Mark was on his trip, I was on a trip to Detroit for some training for work.

Mark’s brother, Daniel came to visit around Easter, and we had fun visiting with him! Over Easter weekend, we traveled down to Humboldt to spend a few days with the Ropte’s, and then made it back up to Worthington for Easter Sunday services and lunch at Grandma and Grandpa Johnson’s. We also went to see the Shrine Circus with Jamie and Heather in April, although we didn’t ride the elephants or donkeys. (Perhaps something to try a few years down the road when we have little ones in tow) :)

My baby brother, Jason graduated from Humboldt High School in May, so we took another trip down to visit the Ropte’s in Iowa for a couple days helping to prepare for his graduation open house. It was a fun time to visit with so much of the extended Ropte family we don’t see on a regular basis.

On May 30th, we closed on our investment property on Eleanor Street. This was the beginning of the summer of home renovation. As such, June began in a huge whirlwind! We started right away on the house - 2 weeks straight, working our full-timejobs and then going straight to the house and working until 10 or 11pm every night. We were both completely exhausted, but Mark and I worked well together. However, we sure enjoyed the break when Mark’s sister, Sarah came home for a few days!

On the morning of June 15, we found out that my dad was hit and killed by a drunk driver while on his way home from the Badger grain elevator on his antique tractor the night before. While you can’t ever prepare for this kind of tragedy, it is absolutely astounding how many people have reached out to us in our time of need. The Lord knew at just what point in my life I could handle my Dad’s passing, and he has provided me with such a wonderful and loving husband to help me get through it all. I know there will still be so many questions, but to know that I have such wonderful and supporting family and friends, somehow it helps. But I am still looking forward to the day when we will be reunited in Heaven together!

With all the heartache and insane amounts of hard work on the Eleanor house in June, Mark and I decided to make a getaway for the 4th of July and headed up to the North Shore for a few days. I’ll tell ya one thing I absolutely love about my husband - he sure knows how torelax! We had such a great time just getting away, being on our own schedule, seeing what we wanted to see, and getting lots of great pictures! We spent a day in Duluth at Canal Park, and then the next on a cruise around Lake Superior. The last day, we went further up the shore to Splitrock Lighthouse, and then made our way back down the shore to Gooseberry Falls and Two Harbors. We’re definitely looking forward to returning there again in the near future!

August started out with a bang on Mark’s birthday! He got all sorts of NASCAR parafanelia and some Twins’ tickets, and we had his mom over for a spaghetti supper and movie. This is one birthday he’ll likely never forget, as August 1 was also the day the 35W bridge collapsed in Minneapolis.

The first weekend in August, we headed to Indiana to spend some time with the Ropte’s visiting Dan, Sarah, little Jacob, and their new little Hannah Joy :) Aunt Victoria and cousin Jordan also joined us there, and we had a lot of fun catching up with everyone. We were able to celebrate Hannah’s baby shower while we were there, and share the joys of the Indianapolis Zoo with the family!

Upon our return to Windom, my friend and bridesmaid in our wedding, Steff came for a visit with her boyfriend. It was a nice relaxing weekend, and it was so good to see Steff again!

August 18 marked the final wedding of the summer for us! We attended 4 weddings throughout the summer, including two for Amy’s friends from NWC, one couple from church in Windom, and one couple from church in Worthington.

September started out with a fun Labor Day weekend trip to Valley Fair with some of our friends. After Valley Fair Mark and I and a couple of friends drove to the cities, about 15 miles away, and stayed the night there in preparation for the Twins' game the next day with the tickets Mark got for his birthday. The Twins' didn't do so hot (0-5), but we still had fun!

One thing I haven’t mentioned until this point is one HUGE accomplishment for me this past year! I had been working very hard throughout the summer on turning my diet around, and I lost 30 pounds while training for yet another HUGE accomplishment for me this past September - the Turkey Day 10K race! The second weekend in September, I ran 6.2 miles around Lake Okabena, and met my 2 major goals - to run the entire way, and to have an average time of 10 minute miles.

Shortly after the 10K race, we took off for Minneapolis to catch a flight to Las Vegas to spend afew days on a very short-notice week-long trip to visit with Mark's brother, Daniel. Daniel tends to plan things pretty last-minute, so within a week of hearing about the trip, we were there relaxing and enjoying the time together and the sun! We stayed with Daniel in the 2-bedroom condo timeshare he owned there for the week. I got to see the Hoover Dam for the first time, and we also spent a night down on Fremont Street, as well as "The Strip" (a.k.a Las Vegas Blvd.), and Red Rock Canyon.

In October, I went down to Orange City to have lunch and spend the afternoon with some of my old roommates and friends from college at Northwestern. We had a great time visiting, and it was fun to see the girls again! Not to mention what a shock it was to see how different things were around campus!

I also went on a week-long business trip to Georgia for an ag tradeshow in October. I got home from Georgia on a Thursday night, and then turned around and headed down to Humboldt Friday night for a short stopover on my way down to Des Moines for the weekend to visit with some of my friends from high school and college. Needless to say, October was a crazy month!

The second weekend in November we went down to Humboldt again to visit the Ropte farm for a "pre-Thanksgiving" visit, as the Ropte's were headed out to Indiana to spend Thanksgiving with Dan, Sarah, Jacob and Hannah, while Mark and I stayed back in Minnesota. I was able to spend a wonderful day visiting and shopping with my Mom, and visiting with Amanda, Josh, and Jason. I finally made my first visit to Vinny's BBQ and also got to see Josh's new guitar store - Rock Stop Guitars - for the first time! It's odd to say that my little brother owns his own business!

Daniel and Sarah were both home for Thanksgiving in Minnesota, in which we were able to celebrate Grandma and Grandpa Johnson's 60th wedding anniversary with them! We had a smaller dinner with Mark's mom and us kids on the day before Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving Day, we went down to Worthington around noon for the big hoo-rah at the church. To say this day was jam-packed is an understatement! It was nonstop craziness and fun from noon until 11:30pm! We had a great time visiting with all the extended relatives, of whom we were only missing 3! We took way too many pictures, played some basketball (at which I totally schooled those old fogeys...or not?!), ate...ate somemore...and somemore...and a few of us stragglers stayed behind to "experience" the game that is "Loaded Questions". It was a very long day, but SO much fun!

As though I haven't said enough yet, this year has been incredibly busy and crazy, and yet we've made it through...again :) And this year, although there are certainly things we wish would be different, we know the Lord is sovereign, and we continue to count his blessings!

May the Lord richly bless each and every one of you throughout the coming year!

Mark and Amy Johnson

November Update

Well, Christmas is just around the corner, and for those of you who know me well, you know that this is my favorite time of year! I just put the Christmas tree up last Friday, and have been on a hot chocolate and hot apple cider kick since :) It's getting harder and harder to force myself to the gym, but I know I've just got to get my butt motivated! I suppose I should just be glad that I've been able to maintain my weight the past 5 months, but I'm really wanting to drop another 15 this winter.

I've been really enjoying a wonderful Bible study the past couple months, which will be coming to an end here shortly. It has just reminded me that even in all the hustle and bustle and the craziness of life, that we have no right to complain about that which we have been given. The study is "The Lies Women Believe, and the Truth that Sets them Free" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I can't tell you what a difference this study has made in my life! There are so many times that I believe so many lies, and feel I have a right to treat others badly because I'm having a bad day.

November was a pretty laid-back month at the Johnson residence. We spent the first weekend in November just trying to get a grip from all the craziness that was October!

The second weekend in November we went down to Humboldt again to visit the Ropte farm for a "pre-Thanksgiving" visit. Mark and Jason hung out during the day on Saturday while Mom and I had a girls' day out on the town. We went to the Carribean Coffee house for a couple of Chai teas, and then took off for Fort Dodge to shop. We shopped at Target for a while, and then went to Sister Sadies' Tea Room for lunch - which was so stinkin fun!! The place was all decorated up for Christmas already, so (of course) I was game :) We had a nice visit over baked acorn squash, and then continued on to the mall for the rest of the afternoon. We got back to Humboldt shortly after 4pm, rested up a bit, and then Mom, Mark, Amanda and I went to Vinny's BBQ in Dakota City for dinner. We stopped in to see Josh at his new guitar store - Rock Stop Guitars - after dinner. It was the first time I'd been in, and I was pleasantly surprised! It's odd to say that my little brother owns his own business!

Monday after work, Mark went to Minneapolis to pick up his brother, Daniel from the airport. Daniel and Sarah both were able to make it back to Minnesota for Thanksgiving, which was a nice treat! Mark took a couple days off to spend time with them while they were here. I met up with Mark and Daniel Tuesday night in Worthington for dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's, and a short visit there.

Sarah flew in on Wednesday, so Mark and Daniel went back up to Minneapolis to pick her up, while I worked on a small Thanksgiving dinner for the 4 of us kids and Mark's mom, Diane. We had a great time playing UpWords, which always seems to turn into such a cut-throat game :)

This Thanksgiving was a little different, in the fact that I wasn't able to spend it with any of the Ropte family. They took off for Noblesville, IN for the week to spend time with Dan, Sarah, Hannah, and Jacob (who just so happened to have a birthday on Thanksgiving Day)! Mark's grandparents celebrated their 60th anniversary on Thanksgiving Day, so it just didn't work out to go with them. But I'm definitely looking forward to Christmas!!

Thursday, we went down to Worthington around noon for the big hoo-rah at the church. To say this day was jam-packed is an understatement! It was nonstop craziness and fun from noon until 11:30pm! We had a great time visiting with all the extended relatives, of whom we were only missing 3! We took way too many pictures, played some basketball (at which I totally schooled those old fogeys...or not?!), ate...ate somemore...and somemore...and a few of us stragglers stayed behind to "experience" the game that is "Loaded Questions". It was a very long day, but SO much fun!

Friday, I actually got up early and went to the gym (HOORAY - a small victory in yet another day of too much eating!) We made it down to Worthington by noon for lunch at Grandma's, and then most everyone joined in a crazy game of "Taboo" until around 2:30pm. Around 4pm, the cousins took off forthe bowling alley, where Mark and I totally tooled EVERYONE there - with top scores of Mark - 137, and myself - 138! I'mpretty sure everyone was pretty jealous of our mad bowling skills, but what can I say - I'm just that good :) After bowling, we went down to the Pizza Ranch to meet up with the rest of the family for supper. I think I ate so much pizza that I quite honestly could have exploded!

Needless to say, we have had quite the busy past couple of weeks! We're looking forward to a lazy weekend in Windom finally - with no big plans (except maybe I'll convince Mark that we need to put up Christmas lights outside) :)

God bless you all! Take care! Have a glorious Christmas, remembering He who is the reason for the season :)

Amy Johnson

October Update

As I haven't completed an update in quite some time, I've got quite a bit to catch up on! For starters, the first weekend in October, I went down to Orange City for the day to have lunch with some of my friends from college. We had a great time visiting, and then headed over to the RSC, which had a MAJOR facelift! Rach, Roxy and I grabbed a couple smoothies, and then headed over to see Roxy and Josh's new house! It was really good to catch up with the girls!

The weekend after that, I went to Moultrie, GA for the Sunbelt Ag Expo for work. It was one heck of a trip - complete with 2-layover flights, a very long week, and almost hitting a man on the side of the road, who was wearing dark clothes and I couldn't even see! I can honestly say that I would never in a million years want to EVER be a salesperson for Raven - EVER. BUT...I did pick up 2 free round-trip tickets out of the deal. (They actually cost me about 9 hours of my time, but they seem worth it now!)

I got home from Georgia on a Thursday night, and then turned around and headed down to Humboldt Friday night. Mark stayed behind at the farm in Humboldt and hung out with my siblings on Saturday, while I caught breakfast in Ankeny at iHop with a couple of my Rockwell City friends - Becky and Kasey. Kasey also brought along his wife, Mandy, and his parents, who happened to be in town. After breakfast, I followed the crew over to see Kasey and Mandy's new house a few minutes away. After taking the grand tour, I headed over to see my Steff in West Des Moines :) We talked for a good 2 hours, and then headed to Panera for more conversation, lunch, and pumpkin spice lattes :) We shopped most of the rest of the afternoon, and then met up with Elicia (my brother's girlfriend) at The Cheesecake Factory for dinner. I forget sometimes how blessed I am to be surrounded by such wonderful friends and family!

As if I hadn't been busy enough in October, it was also my birthday on the 28th! Yep, that's right - I am now the big 2-6! Mom and Jason came up and met me in Worthington on Saturday afternoon while Mark was in the field. We shopped for a few hours, and then went to pick up Mark at the farm. Jason treated us to supper at Perkins (thanks, Buddy), and then we headed up to Windom. We rented Happy Feet, and made a valiant attempt to watch it, but we were all so exhausted that we didn't make it very far into the movie :) Sunday morning, we went to church, after which my wonderful husband made spaghetti for dinner :) Mom and Jason took off shortly after, which was probably a good thing, since I ended up getting pretty sick for the rest of the day. I slept on and off for about 7 hours, while Mark cleaned out my car, cleaned up the house, and even did the dishes for me! I couldn't have asked for a better birthday :)

Well, I could go on and on, but this is getting long enough! Until next month :)

Amy

Harvest Festival/Cookie Party/Work/NWC Homecoming

Last weekend (the last in September) I invited Mark's step-mom and his aunt to join me for a trip to Sioux Falls for the day to do a little shopping and to go to the Country Apple Orchard south of SF for their annual Harvest Festival. We had a wonderful time! Just when I think I couldn't be more giddy about Autumn, I go somewhere and am just amazed all over again. Autumn is my favorite time of year - I LOVE it when the trees change color and everything just lights up :) I could do without the excess rain, but that just makes the grass greener, which adds that much more to the colorful contrast :) I love pumpkin spice and spiced cider candles, and I LOVE hot apple cider, hot chocolate, and the new flavored coffee creamers that this season brings. It's so amazing to see how the Lord paints the world during Autumn :) Everything just comes to life :)

Later that evening, after the trip to Sioux Falls, two of my friends from church came over for dinner and to help decorate cookies. We had a lot of fun catching up, since our lives are often so hectic! I found out that my friend Karen is expecting her 3rd little one, so I was the only non-pregnant one of the group, but no one got sick, so I'd call it a success! It's really fun seeing their bellies gradually grow...but it'll still be a while before Mark and I think about becoming parents :)

During the little cookie party, I had a surprise call from one of my old college friends, Lisa! Her husband was working in the area, and she was wondering if I would be around to hang out sometime. We had her and her husband, Scott over for lunch Sunday afternoon, and had fun playing catch up, since we hadn't seen each other in about 3 years! We got to introduce our husbands, and I got to see her all pregnant - seems everyone is pregnant! lol It was fun to see another familiar face :)

This past week at work has been pretty crazy! Our Marketing Coordinator (and my dear work friend), Holly turned in her resignation two weeks ago, and her last day was this past Friday. Last Monday, my boss (the Marketing Manager), Marlin, also turned in his 30 day notice as well, so he will be gone the first part of November. There are so many changes around the office as well - they're re-arranging the office, so things are all in disarray right now. It sure will be interesting to see how things end up. Hopefully the new Marketing Coordinator and Manager will be very competent and things won't be too crazy for long!

This past weekend, I took off for Orange City for the first time in 2 years, to catch up with some of my friends from college over lunch at Hemingway's. It was so good to see the girls! Jamie, Jodie, Rach, Roxy and I visited over lunch, and while Jamie took off, the rest of us headed over to the newly remodeled RSC. It is SO different! I can't believe how much the place has changed! It doesn't even resemble the old RSC...except for the gym, which now has a new entrance! I suppose I'm content with my hard earned NWC dollars going toward a facility like that! Jodie had to take off shortly after, but Roxy, Rach and I went to the new diner "The Hub @ N-Dub" for smoothies/blizzards. It seemed to take forever to get our orders, but we then took them to Roxy and Josh's new house, which was just gorgeous! They moved in so recently ago that the grass is just starting to grow - they'll need a lawn mower before they know it! We looked at wedding pictures from Rach and Kevin's wedding, and then some from Roxy and Josh's wedding. I sure do miss my NWC girls!

I headed back home not too long after, where I helped Mark finish up a few things at the Eleanor house, and then we went out to Pizza Hut, and home to bed early. We were going to celebrate our Anniversary with dinner at Bergen, but time flew too fast, and we were too tired to wait (it's always about an hour wait there), so we just called it an early night :)

Well, I'd best call this a post and get crackin! :) God bless!!

Telecommuting from Vegas = bad idea

While I really thought it would be beneficial to telecommute from Vegas, it has really just put me in a super crabby mood the past 3 days, leaving me pretty much insufferable at 5 o'clock. (3 o'clock Vegas time) I eat breakfast at 5:30am, have to eat lunch at 10am, and am starving by 3pm, so I'm hungry at the wrong time, and I'm up so early that I'm a party pooper at night. It's just a mess. The next time I decide it'd be a good idea to telecommute while on vacation, I'm going to make sure it's somewhere that's at least an hour AHEAD of MN instead of 2 hours BEHIND. Mark told me (and rightly so) that he thinks I need a nap this afternoon lol I think I've been a grouch all day :(

Since it's a cooler day today (feels somewhere around low to mid 80s), I think I'm going to opt for the hot tub and my book instead of the pool/laying out and my book this afternoon.

Last night, I layed out for a little over an hour and read, and then went upstairs and got ready for dinner. We went back to The Orleans and had Mexican food at a place there, which was really good! Then the night took a turn for the worse when I went crazy and decided to throw $24 at the slot machines! This one stupid one ate up $2.50 each time I pushed the button! The first time I did it, I won $5, so I thought I was RICH! Then I tried it 2 more times and just lost another $5. I spent the rest of the time wrestling with the $.01 and $.02 machines, but they got the best of me. I cashed in after my last $20 went in the machine for a measly $6. I think at this point in the trip I'm only down $14 total, but it still stinks that I threw away that kind of cash! I honestly don't know how people do it who lose any more than that--I felt sick to my stomach! I've made a new self-imposed rule now: no more restaurants located inside casinos!

They have free movie rentals in the main office at The Cliffs, so we rented Wicker Park and The Black Dahlia. We watched Wicker Park last night, which I'd always written off as a dirty stupid movie, but hadn't ever seen. It was actually really a great movie! Granted, there are probably things I overlooked that I shouldn't have, but overall, very confusing and crazy. But if you "get" it all in the end, really good! I'd actually really like to watch the Black Dahlia as well, but we'll see if we end up having time tonight.

Tonight we're going down to the strip, since I FINALLY get to sleep in tomorrow :) I'll have to write more about it tomorrow :)

Vegas is fun on Wednesday :)

Well, yesterday afternoon, when I finished working, I joined Mark down at the pool for an hour or so, and then layed out for another hour or so and continued reading my book, which I cleverly stole from the fireplace/lounge room at the condo place. (Don't worry, I finished it last night and returned it...and then stole another) :) I just started "The King of Torts" by John Grisham - not sure if it'll be quite as good as "The Summons", but at least this one starts out with a murder, so it's a little more suspenseful.

But enough about books - let's talk about VEGAS! After I got a little tender to the touch under the sun, I packed things up and headed up to our condo to get ready for dinner. I have begun to dread dinner time, since it seems to take us about an hour to figure out where to eat...and then once we finally decide we don't care where we're going, we drive around for 20 minutes until we find somewhere that looks alright. Well, no more of that tonight! I did some research this morning, and I've given the boys a list of about 10 places to choose from. Heck, I even put Hooters on the list! (I've heard they have great wings, but it'd look a little silly for me to go in there all by myself - and I'm a wing-eating fool!) Hopefully tonight will be a little more cut-and-dry. :)

I can't wait until tomorrow night, though - I finally won't have to do the crazy 5:20am morning on Friday morning, so we'll likely finally be able to make it down to Las Vegas Blvd (a.k.a. "The Strip") for the night to see more of the sights!

As this is my 2nd trip to Vegas, I'm more excited to see some things I didn't see the first time around. We stayed on the strip the first time - Labor Day 2005 - at Treasure Island. It was absolutely wonderful (as is this time, mind you) :) However, Vegas was crammed into the same week as SeaWorld in San Diego and a NASCAR Race in Fontana, so we were only there for one night and 2 days. I saw the dancing fountains at the Bellagio and we walked around a little that night, but I saw a lot of places that I would've liked to explore more. Needless to say, I'm prety excited for tomorrow night! :)

Well, I'd better get back at it!

I'm a HIGH ROLLER!

So to continue from yesterday, after all the poolside relaxation and such, I went up to the room for a nap, but ended up calling my mom to visit for a little while, and then to the fitness center for a short run. When I got back, I read more of "The Summons" by John Grisham, then showered up, and the boys and I went to The Orleans casino and ate at this cafe type place there.

After we ate, Daniel found a video poker machine and Mark and I followed suit. After I lost a few bucks, I moved over to a quarter slot where I won $30 and claimed the proud title of HIGH ROLLER for the day! Okay, so after all my other losses to the tune of $17, I really only came out ahead about $13, but still!

I cut the night short after that - I had to get up at 5:20 this morning to work remotely for a few days here at the condo. (MN is 2 hours ahead, so 6am here is 8am there) Good news is that I will get off work at 3pm Vegas time, even though it's 5pm in SD/MN :)

Well, I'd better get back at it now - the pool is calling my name at noon :)

Vegas - Day 1

In continuation from yesterday, we did end up going to the steak/seafood buffet place at Hacienda down near Lake Mead. We gambled a bit while waiting for a table (the place is REALLY good, and only $3.49/person, so there's a long waiting list), and then ate 'til we were stuffed little piggies. To work a little of the meal off, we drove down to the Hoover Dam, which was really cool! We got out and walked around a little while, and then headed back to Vegas. We went straight down to Fremont Street where we stayed and gambled and shopped for hours! I was konked out by around 10, but we stayed until midnight. I couldn't quite figure out how I became such a party-pooper until I realized that it was really 2am Minnesota time.

Needless to say, after a quick shower, I was out cold until this morning.

We got up this morning, ate a little breakfast, and then I went shopping for a little while and let the boys watch a movie and play Tetris. I just finished a good 3 hour relaxation session at the pool, and am on my way up to find some supper :) Not sure what the plans are for the night, but I do know that I'm not gonna be out until 2am MN time again - I've got to work at 8am MN time tomorrow! lol Love my job, though - they're letting me work remotely from VEGAS! :)

Turkey Day 10K / Vegas!

Well,its been a little while since I've updated my blog, but not without good reason! It sure has been a busy summer, and things are just starting to settle down. I've been training this summer for the Turkey Day 10K, so my weeks are filled with work, both at home and in Sioux Falls, fixing up the Eleanor St. house, and training for the race. An average week of training would look like this:
Sunday - 5-6 mile run
Monday - off
Tuesday - 4-5 mile run
Wednesday - 60 min cross-training
Thursday - 3-4 mile run
Friday - off
Saturday - 2-3 mile run
I wasn't entirely sure I would be ready for the race, but I rocked it! Granted, I think there must've only been about 100 people who finished after me (of about 700 runners), I felt good at meeting my 2 goals for the race: to run the whole way, and to average 10-minute miles. I finished the 6.2 mile race in just under 62 minutes!

After the race, Mark and I joined Jamie, Heather and Jed for a celebratory lunch at Perkins. Then Mark and I went to the Eleanor St. house and painted a little before heading back to Windom to pack and get on our way to the cities (Minneapolis) to catch a flight to Las Vegas! Mark's cousin, also named Mark, made us a wonderful meal, and then dropped us off at the airport. THANKS, MARK!
Mark's brother, Daniel, had called last Tuesday to see if we'd be interested in joining him this week (Saturday to Saturday) at his timeshare here in Vegas. So after some work shifting, we found it to be a possible option and jumped at the offer! So I'm updating my blog here from Vegas :)
Our flight didn't get in until 11:25 Vegas time, which is 1:25 MN time, so we were exhausted and went to bed shortly after getting settled in. This morning, we did a little grocery shopping, and then the boys went off to bet on some football games while I relaxed down by the pool with a book for the rest of the morning. I'm not sure of our plans for the rest of the day, but Daniel was talking about some great steak/seafood place over by Lake Mead, so we may head over that way and check out the Hoover Dam :)
Well, I'd best get to the pool! VIVA LAS VEGAS!

Independence Day

Well, it's the 4th of July again - Independence Day! I think that sometimes we look at this day as just a day off work...the vacation we all need. But the true importance of this day truly lies in the fact that we have so much freedom in this country, who so many have given their lives for. Today, I'd like to commend all our troops, some who have given their lives, and who have sacrificed so that we can be free! I'd also like to commend their families, who have gone so many special days without their loved ones, and who have sacrificed so much so that we can be free. I think of my dad, Lance Ropte, today, who served in the Air Force and Air National Guard for 26 years - who I am so proud of! I also think of my brothers - Josh, who served in the Air Force for 4 years, and Dave, who continues to serve 10 in the Air National Guard.

Well, on this 4th of July, Mark and I are headed to Duluth, MN for a few days. After all that has been going on in our lives, surrounding the loss of my Dad 20 days, and all the countless hours we've labored at the Eleanor house in Worthington, we decided we needed to get away for a little while. Tonight, we'll scope out the town, and then head out of town a little ways in Duluth to see all the fireworks from a distance (I've heard we can see the fireworks from both Duluth, MN and Superior, WI, if we find the right spot :)

Tomorrow, we have a 2 hour cruise around Lake Superior, and then I think we'll head to Two Harbors to check out the town. We have dinner reservations at Blackwoods, which we've heard lots of people rave about, so that's exciting :)

Friday, we might try to find out more about white water rafting - it sure would be a lot of fun, I think!!

Well, we'd better get on our way! Take care, everyone, and have a Happy and SAFE 4th of July!!

Amy "Humdawg" Johnson

Eulogy for my Dad

My dad was an amazing man, and I have so many incredible memories of him, which will stay with me forever.

I remember going to find my first car with my dad. I was embarrassed beyond belief when we went to the dealership, and my dad walked around kicking all the tires on the cars, and making some sort of guttural sound while trying to low-ball the dealers. We had been looking all over the place for a car for me, but were having a hard time agreeing on exactly the right one. One night, we ended up at Smithway, where he had carefully selected this horrific looking beast of a car for me to buy. He just went on and on for a good 20 minutes about the great engine in it, and all the wonderful things this car had to offer. All I could see was that it had about 6 different colors and that it sounded like a scary monster when he started it up and took me on a test drive. I didn’t end up getting that car, but instead got a ford probe, but I did learn a good lesson a few months down the road. After paying about 3 times the value of the car for repairs, I realized that my dad was right about the car. My dad taught me that sometimes things (and people) aren’t always what they seem, and my dad was always so good at looking past the exterior to see what is deep down inside.

My dad taught me that there is no gray space in between right and wrong – we could either do the right thing or the wrong thing, and that we’d need to live with our choices.

My dad taught me that money can’t solve your problems, and that if your goal in life is to have money and things, that you’ll never be happy. Some of my favorite memories of my dad were when he took us kids on walks down to the bait & tackle shop to get a couple cans of pop, which we all shared on the way home. We never needed things – just each other.

My dad taught me that to get anywhere in life, you have to work hard, and you have to do the job right. Sometimes I wish that my dad didn’t instill this quality in me as a kid, because it makes things much more difficult when you have to do things the right way.

I remember going to Grissom Air Force Base with my dad, and seeing what he did in the radar room. It always felt so important to go on base and see all the officers and guardsmen. I couldn’t be more proud of my dad when he was in uniform, and I know he felt a great sense of pride for his country.

While we are grieving our father this Father’s Day, we know that he is having the best Father’s Day ever – and that even tops the promise of specialty mustards and ring bologna.

It seems so unfair and so wrong that something so awful could happen to someone that I love so much. The only way I’ve been able to make it through these past few days has been the assurance and hope that my Dad is being held by our Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 says “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as those who have no hope.” And though I still sorrow and grieve the loss of my Dad, it is not the same sorrow as those who have no hope. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have a life without Christ as my rock.

Anyone who has ever met my dad can’t help but have a smile on their face today – even through all the tears. My dad’s mission in life was to exude joy and compassion, and to do it while having the best time of his life. So today, although we are overwhelmed by grief, let’s make our best attempt to be joyful, and honor our father, friend, husband, brother, uncle, co-worker, and grandpa.

I found this poem, and felt like it described my Dad to a "T":

“Your dreams were all for us, Dad – all for us
You traded your own dreams to purchase ours
Willing to accept lesser opportunities
So that we could have every opportunity

Every possibility
Every chance for a good education
Every security and confidence
Everything!

And our dreams became your hopes and aspirations
We knew that we were never alone in our dreams
For you were right there with us

We have a life that was paid for in advance
Through the difficult and dedicated efforts of a loving father
Who traded the best years of his own life
To make sure we’d have the best years of ours

"Falls On Me" by Fuel

I've seen you hanging round
This darkness where I'm bound
And this black hole I've dug for me
And silently within
With hands touching skin
The shock breaks my disease
And I can breathe

[Chorus]
And all of your weight
All you dream
Falls on me it falls on me
And your beautiful sky
The light you bring
Falls on me it falls on me

Your faith like the pain
Draws me in again
She washes all my wounds for me
The darkness in my veins
I never could explain
And I wonder if you ever see
Will you still believe?

[Chorus]

Am I that strong
To carry on?
I might change your life
I might save my world
Could you save me?

[Chorus X 2]

"Tomorrow" by Out of Eden

There are times in our lives
When we all feel inside
Something's wrong, there's gotta be
Something better for me
So we try on our own
To change our paths,
But we don't realize that joy comes after rain
And Life begins again

Chorus:
Tomorrow
Is a better day
Tomorrow
You will see the way
When God is by your side to stay
Just keep on movin', don't you dare give up

There are times, times we
Can be swayed so easily
Doubt can come in my mind
And I'm ready to give up this time
But I've got to keep on goin', got to keep on movin'
Got to keep on pressing it through
'Cause I know my God is able, oh He's more than able
It's no thing to take care of you, I say....

Repeat Chorus

Bridge
He knows of everything you're goin' though
Has enough love to take good care of you
You know exactly what you need to do
So just keep movin', don't you dare give up
He knows of everything you're goin' though
Has enough love to take good care of you
You know exactly what you need to do
So just keep movin'

Repeat Chorus

Long Tuesday...Disappointing Wednesday

I wasn't entirely sure I was going to be able to get out of bed this morning. I'm pretty sure I hit "snooze" about 15 times. Luckily, it's my day to work from home, so I just woke up 20 minutes later.

I worked in Sioux Falls yesterday, which means up at 5:20am and on the road by 6:30. It was a pretty productive day work-wise, which was nice. Holly and I went to Puerta for lunch and then to Walgreens for a bit. After work, I made my way across town to Lowe's to order a front storm door and entry door for the Eleanor house, so I didn't make it out of town until 6:30. For some strange reason, I decided to run around the lake (about 4 and a half miles) - which leaves me completely exhausted today...hence, paragraph 1 of this update :) What I don't understand is how feet can hurt so stinkin much, and yet they still work!

Mark had a church softball game at 9 last night, which they WON 28-8!! I'm not sure why they felt that they needed to schedule the game so late, but oh well. We got home around 11 or so, and showered up/went to bed.

Stepped on the scale this morning, and was once again disappointed. I was supposed to reach my 165 goal on July 1, but I only have 4 days left, and I weighed in at 168.2 this morning. (Disclaimer: I'm really not obsessive about 3.2 lbs, except for the fact that I set a goal in January to drop 30 lbs by July 1...so although I've done a great job and dropped 26.8 lbs, it's frustrating that I won't be meeting my goal...at least not healthily, at this point) Oh well...such is life, I guess.

I've been listening to a lot of good stuff lately, but my favorite song right now is most definitely "Tomorrow" by Out of Eden, followed closely by "Falls On Me" by Fuel. I'll post the lyrics to both here too...

Well, I'd best focus a little more on working...

Thoughts on a Monday morning

It actually feels good to be back in the swing of things on this beautiful monday morning. After the numbing week last week with my dad's funeral, I'm trying to look ahead to things to come. I went for a short run this morning, and then talked to my mom for a little while. She's holding up alright, but what a huge blow for her, and in the midst of the mess of moving around bedrooms and finishing off the bathroom. It makes me extremely grateful that I get to come home to a home that isn't under construction.

Gretch asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding Saturday night, so that's definitely something to look forward to! The last wedding I was a bridesmaid in was my cousin's - 3 years ago. I think it's kinda fun, and I'm looking forward to Gretch and Ryan's wedding because I won't have to drive so far for it (the 2 I have been in thus far have been about 8-10 hours away).

Well, I'd best get something accomplished this morning :)

The longest week of my life thus far

A week ago at this moment, I was on my way to the funeral home with my family to meet with the funeral home director to discuss preparations for my dad's funeral. Last Thursday night, June 14, my dad was driving his tractor home from Badger when he was struck from behind by a drunk driver and thrown from his tractor. He died upon impact. My mom called me Friday morning around 9am to tell me the news..."Amy? Daddy's dead!" She was sobbing...I could hear my little sister Amanda sobbing in the background as well. I was sobbing...how could something like this happen?

This past week has been the most painful week of my life. I really don't know how on earth I would have made it through without the support and prayers from so many friends and family.

Saturday night, after setting in place the funeral preparations, Mark and I headed back to Windom for what would prove to be yet another incredibly intense night. At the funeral home, I had volunteered to write the eulogy, and also to create a slideshow with pictures of my dad and our family. I'm not really sure how I slept that night - I never in a million years would've thought that I would be making a slideshow for my dad's funeral...or writing the eulogy for his funeral.

I really don't know what else to say. The visitation was this past Sunday, and his funeral at 2pm this past Monday. I just can't believe that he's gone, and that he's not going to come bursting through the door tonight at 8 o'clock when I get home to Humboldt. He won't be there to give me a big hug and to tell me all about his little sheep, or to talk about married life, and how things are going for us. He won't be there to see our children born someday, or to walk my little sister down the aisle when she gets married. He won't be there to make us all laugh like he used to. My dad was such a wonderful man, and I'm not entirely sure how things will work without him around.

The saddest day of my life :(

Friday morning after I finished my morning run, I called my mom, as I normally do. She was a bit flustered, since she didn't think my dad had come home last night. She said she'd call back a little later once she figured out where he was. She called back about 25 minutes later sobbing, and told me that my dad was killed last night by a drunk driver. There is so much to say, but I don't have the words...I don't know where to start.

I cannot tell you how awful the past two days have been for me. I have a few small fits of sanity in between long stretches of sobbing. My dad was by far the best man I have ever known, and I can't believe that he's gone.

I love you, daddy! Happy Father's Day!

Article about Dad's accident

My dad was hit and killed by a drunk driver Thursday night. Here's the article in the Des Moines Register about it:



https://qconline.com/news/iowa/farmer-killed-in-tractor-crash/article_3a21f47c-d603-574a-aac1-94a26087b9eb.html

Busy Weekend

After an incredibly busy week this past week, it looks like it's going to be another busy weekend too. I completely forgot to do the Vickie Shendel Fun Run this morning, but decided to run a 5K anyways - I most likely would have beat everyone with my stellar time :) (okay, maybe not, but I had a pretty good time!)

Mark has a softball tournament today, so I'm on my way there shortly. I like watching him play - he's a really great hitter - generally at least one over the fence every game!

After the tournament, I guess we're off to Worthington again to work on the Eleanor house. Last night we went there too, and got a LOT done! I planted all the plants in the back yard until we tackle the landscaping in the front of the house. Then, we actually got the bathroom primed, and all the outside lights put up. The house is actually almost liveable now, although i think I'll still be fine staying put in Windom when it's done :) It was a very productive day yesterday, which is making me feel much better about this project. Hopefully we'll make enough on it to be at least mostly debt-free a year from now!

On another note, looks like my car is done for. We've shelled out a lot of cash for repairs on it since my little trip to the ditch last October, and we just found out that it needs somemore work on the back end that will be another $700. I think we'll take our $700, and instead get me a newer car. (It's about time, anyways) It's too bad the ditch did so much damage to it, but it's an old car, and I've had it for 3 years, so it's about time to upgrade, I guess. It's just ominous thinking about adding on more debt when we're just trying to get out from under student loans and Mark's car payment. At least mine won't be nearly as expensive as his, so it won't take us 2 years to pay it off (hallelujah!) We're looking at a 2001 Grand Prix that is super decked out with a 3.8L V6 with all the options - only for $8.4K. Also, we're thinking maybe this 2000 Bonneville, but not sure yet. It's shocking to think about paying that much for a car - nothing I've ever had has been anywhere near that. Then again, Mark's MMC was double that, so he thinks it's cheap lol I'll take it!

Well, I'd better get Mark his frosty beverages or he may faint in the heat here today. Adios!

Flipping Houses is lots of work!

We didn't make it down to the Eleanor house tonight, but we're going down tomorrow night. It sure is a lot of work flipping a house! Last night we were at the house until after 11 just cleaning the walls and prepping them for paint. We spent 3 hours there cleaning just the kitchen! I was up at 5:15 yesterday since I worked in Sioux Falls, so with 3 hours on the road, a trip to Lowes, Menards, sitting through Mark's softball game, an hour visiting at McDonald's, 3 hours working on the house, and then the 30 minute ride home...yesterday was a long day. Today was much better, though! I haven't had a nap yet, but bed sure is looking good right now...only a little after 9...

This weekend should be alright - it's Riverfest here in Windom, so there's all sorts of stuff going on - fireworks on Friday night, and Mark has a softball tournament all day Saturday. Hopefully Saturday will be a beautiful day for a run - I'm already 4 miles behind for the week with all the wind here lately.

My sister-in-law is flying in from San Diego this weekend too, and we're headed to Wisconsin for the day on Sunday for Mark's cousin's HS graduation open house. I have a feeling that Monday will be a welcome one - back into the regular routine!

Too many Amy Johnsons!

I'm kinda blown away by the fact that there are apparently 5,515 people in the world named Amy Johnson. I used to be incredibly unique - I was the only Amy Ropte in the world, and now I share my name with 5,515 people. Kinda a bummer :(

March 2007 Update

Well, it looks like I completely skipped over February...and most of March too! it most definitely is time for an update!

Valentine's Day was a little different this year. We actually didn't do anything on Valentine's Day, but we celebrated a couple different times before the big day. The overnight trip to Sioux Falls at the end of January was part of it, and we also attended a Valentine's banquet at our church. We had a lot of fun doing both, and were actually part of a rendition of "The Newlywed Game" at the banquet, at which we tied for first place! z

The next couple weeks flew by, as we prepared for our big ski trip to the Black Hills, the last weekend in February. We had a blast, although I have to admit that I was incredibly sore! This was my 2nd attempt at skiing, and--although I'm getting a little better--I still spent the majority of the two days falling down and trying to get back up. It was definitely a test of my patience, and I think I let the frustrations get the best of me a few times. We went out with some of our friends from Worthington, Brewster, and Sioux Falls. We stayed in Deadwood at the Comfort Inn, which was pretty nice, actually! You can check out pictures from the trip by clicking on the set of pictures to the left.

That next week, we were greeted by a monstrous snow storm, which kept us inside pretty much the whole week! It was so bad that they closed the interstates and some highways for almost 2 days! That Saturday, Mark left to go on yet another huge adventure to Wyoming on a Snowmobile trip in the Big Horn Mountains. He went with a couple guys from our church in Windom to Snowshoe Lodge, although they couldn't even leave until the roads finally re-opened around 3pm. I'll have to have Mark write more about this trip later and post some pictures, so check back soon!

I left Sunday morning that week and headed to Detroit for a class on J2EE/Enterprise JavaBeans, which was held in the suburb of Southfield. It sure was an experience for me, being by myself in a strange city with a rental car. I found my way around pretty easily, and enjoyed the week, although I was very glad to be home! There were only 4 of us who took the class, and I was the only girl. I guess it was a pretty high-tech class, so I felt pretty special that I was representing the intelligent women in the world!

I've been busy for the past 2 months trying to change my eating habits, and I'm feeling a lot better! I signed up at www.sparkpeople.com for a free account to track my calories and exercise and a ton of other things too. In the past 10 weeks, I've already lost 15 pounds, and I'm on track to lose another 15 by July 1st! Hopefully I can keep up the good habits, but boy, it's rough! It's pretty tough having to say "no" to blizzards, brownies, and double cheeseburgers, but it's due time to stop the trend.

Other than that, we've mostly been just playing it low-key lately. We've been caught up in the NCAA tournaments, hoping to win all the spoils :) GO FLORIDA!

Black Hills...here we come! :)

Well, in lieu of my semi-successful first skiing experience in Mankato, we're headed to the Black Hills next weekend to try out my skills again! I have to say, I'm pretty excited about it, but also pretty nervous! I'm still just plowing snow, basically, and haven't gotten the turns down yet. I'm sure with a little more practice, I'll be better, but it still makes me nervous. I just hope I don't end up on a black diamond somewhere since I have a hard time stopping. We're leaving Thursday afternoon and will be back Sunday night. We're headed out with two other couples and another of Mark's bachelor friends. It should be a lot of fun!

Other than this big trip, we really don't have a lot planned. Mostly just work and shoveling snow. We tried snowmobiling a couple weeks ago, but ended up burning off the recoil rope on one of the snowmobiles on the short-trac one, so we haven't gone much since. I have to say, I'm not really sure that winter sports are one of my highlights of the winter. I think I'm actually more of a sledder, or a tuber, or maybe just the type to sit in front of a roaring fire with hot chocolate or chicken noodle soup.

Oh, but June will be fun! My brother and his wife are expecting another little one, so Mark and I will go out to Indiana shortly after that, and lend our support and help around the house. We haven't been out there in 2 years, so we're excited to see everyone!

Well, it's time to hit the gym...and then we're headed to Worthington for a cookie-making extravaganza!