Summer so far...

March is over, but...

Tonga makes waves, headlines

Once in a (very) great while, our former island home makes the news. Since these moments don't come often, I feel compelled to share. This underwater volcano is located only 6 miles from the coast of Tonga's main island. It's pretty unbelievable video footage, really...this might be the first time since we returned that Tonga is making Chicago seem boring and uneventful.

It's March already?

We haven't posted here for a while, so here's the brief synopsis: Sam keeps getting older, the weather is slowly getting warmer and the basement is gradually becoming less damp. That's Chicago in February and March. Spring is supposedly only a few weeks away, but our entire family remains skeptical. Looking back, though, things haven't been all that bad. Here are some memories from this spring of 2009...

Chicago Today

It just keeps snowing today, so we decided to do something about it - namely, construct a sled from an old exersaucer and some twine. Neighborhood kids filled our nearby park and took turns sliding down the big hill. It was a sight to see...until Sam got snow in his boots, that is. Wintertime in the Midwest: it just doesn't get any better than this.

Year Two

Well, Sam turned two years old today. Below, you'll find our annual video slide show, but you can also check out higher resolution pics at our Picasa gallery or reminisce with last year's video slide show. Here's to the best two years of our lives.

Jumping like a...sailor?

We should probably be sharing some photos from Christmas or writing about the hope that comes with Advent. But we're opting to share a laugh instead. Be careful watching this one with your family, folks...Sam might seem a bit R-rated in this video.

Johnsons in China: the photos

If you're looking for higher resolution photos of our vacation with family in Beijing, look no further than our online Picasa album. And if you find yourself missing our video's soundtrack, feel free hum along while you browse.

Johnsons in China

As you may or may not know, my brother Michael, his wife Patti and their daughter Evy are living in Beijing, China this year. Michael's taking advantage of his sabbatical as a professor to teach at Tsinghua University, Patti's taking Chinese language classes and Evy is going to kindergarten everyday. Even with all that going on, those Johnsons managed to make time for these Johnsons. We just spent two wonderful weeks in Beijing, exploring the city, experiencing the culture and - yes - spending time with family. We were fortunate to have fantastic weather, a child with little to no jet lag and hosts who were more than accommodating. The trip could not have been better, and Beijing could not have been a more compelling place to visit. While we'll be posting some written accounts and higher quality photos soon, this video slideshow offers a brief glimpse at some of our favorite moments (I'd actually recommend going to YouTube and selecting "watch in high quality"). If the soundtrack sounds familiar, it's the song "Beijing Welcomes You" from the 2008 Summer Olympics...Uncle Michael had us all singing that one by the time we left.