This week, Paige and I announced to our families and friends that we’re expecting a baby next summer, right around Independence Day. For those of you keeping score, the next one should be a girl, since the pattern has been boy-girl-boy so far.
When we made the announcement last night at Thanksgiving dinner, Charlie, our older boy, thought it was great. Our daughter Anna didn’t take it very well, asking if we could give the baby back. Christopher, the toddler, asked for more pie.
Paige’s dad, ever the planner, was concerned about how tired she would be, the impossibility of paying for four college educations, etc. I would be lying if I told you that the same things didn’t cross my mind. We have a general idea of how we will manage these things, but we hardly have things planned down to the last dime.
This year, I got a new job with a significant (though not gigantic) raise, and we bought a bigger house. Career-wise, I seem to be several years ahead of my contemporaries — during meetings at the Nameless Entity, I often look around and see no one without a few gray hairs.
I’m confident that God didn’t provide these things because he wants me to ditch my crappy 14-year-old car for a Miata, or so Paige can start spending more money on clothes. I figure if we keep cooperating with him, he will continue to bless us. That’s the way it’s gone so far, and I don’t see any reason to stop now.
Anyway, if you could spare a prayer to St. Gerard on behalf of Paige and the baby, I would greatly appreciate it.
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Just remember – we award scholarships based on smarts and need, still — so there’s hope; I’m guessing your children will be reasonably smart and the more of them you have, the more need you can show!
Congratulations! Consider yourself and your family in my prayers.
Congratulations, Eric!
The Johnson kids are brilliant, thanks to an amazing set of genes.
I’m confident that God didn’t provide these things because he wants me to ditch my crappy 14-year-old car for a Miata, or so Paige can start spending more money on clothes.
I love your attitude! Congratulations on the new little one and prayer for a healthy pregnancy and birth.
Congratulations!
Any unnecessarily interesting questions about where the baby comes from?
Any, congratulations and God bless, Eric … and from the owner of a Miata, no less.
Congratulations, Eric.
The Lord is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. That aptly describes you, and I know our God is willing and able to abundantly meet all your needs, spiritual and material, through the bountiful riches in His Son, Our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Congratulations! As a mom of 6, all I can say about the college thing is that only 2 of ours chose to go to college right out of high school, and so far only one has graduated (the eldest) #2 went to work, bought a house, and recently sold the house to pay his own way to college now that he knows what he wants to do. # 3 also went to wrok straight out of high school, and is taking classes when he wants to if they are pertinent to his career (he’s in computers and works for a major anti-virus company on the corporate threat and firewall team).
#4 is currently in a community college. #5 we subsidized through culinary school (a 6 month program) and she is self-supporting. # 6 is a junior in high school and plans to go to a four year college right out of high school – she will have the grades for scholarship help.
At this point, I can only wish that we had been more generous with God and hadn’t stopped with six. Of course, it isn’t entirely too late (I don’t turn 50 until January!)