Purchase for a purpose

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I cannot believe I found Rachel online (on Instagram @putonloveco) and knew immediately I liked what she stood for, her amazing jewelry, and her sweet family!

I wanted to do a little Q &A with her and find out how and she started her sweet company (PutOnLoveCo.) and share it with you all!

Me: What inspired you to create your company?

Rachel: I was noticing the tassel earring trend and couldn’t find any that I really loved.  At the time we were really struggling financially so I thought I’d make some earrings for myself since I love creating.  As I wore them people noticed and wanted to buy them!  And that’s how “Put on love Co.” was born! It has blessed our family greatly and I love how it’s opened doors to meet so many new amazing people!

Me: What motivates you to work on your jewelry line each and every day?

Rachel: I have a family of 3 boys (and one husband!) to provide for and they are my main motivation. Creating and selling these unique designs also supports us in our desire to minister to marriages and families through our other endeavors (Revival House). I also love the idea that what I craft by hand could be worn and loved by someone I may never know!

Me: What do you see for the future of your company?

Rachel: I’m working right now on ensuring that all of my materials are responsibly sourced. I care deeply about the environment and about people being compensated fairly for their work. I want to be a part of the movement that is helping ensure that fashion is beautiful, as well as ethical!

Me: If there is something that you would want every customer who purchased your earrings to take away, what would it be?

Rachel: :The name of the company is found in Colossians 3:12-14 which says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity..” My desire is that each woman who puts my jewelry on would be reminded that the same way she puts on accessories, she has the power to put on love, kindness, patience, compassion, and forgiveness. These are powerful ‘accessories’ that can change the world!

Y’all doesn’t her story just move you?? I love everything that she stands for (and more!) and wanted to show y’all a couple more of the earrings that I have!
These are the double Esther earrings in white-

They are lightweight (you seriously cannot even feel them on!  They are adorable looking (who hasn’t hopped on the tassel trend?) and you will look and feel so great wearing these (I even had to do my special lipstick for these precious gems.)

I would HIGHLY suggest you hop on over to her instagram, etsy, or facebook and I will provide the links below and purchase you a pair (or two!)

Instagram: here

Etsy: here

Facebook: here

I hope you all head on over to one of her sites and let me know what you think! Oh and tell her that I sent you!

With love,

Sheridan

 

©2018 Sheridan Johnson @Journey with the Johnsons. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

Mother’s Day 2018!!

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Happy Mother’s Day to those mamas who have left this earth way too early, we must honor and remember them today! To all of you soon to be mothers, the ones who have lost their child(ren), the ones who day in and day out give all that you have have to make sure your children don’t go without.  You are NOTICED and appreciated!

I remember being pregnant for the first time with Lamar, and being so amazed that I could carry a life inside of me, and I was just amazed at everything that my body was doing, and just the feeling of being a mother already once we got pregnant. I felt this way with each subsequent pregnancies as well. I loved them so much before they were even born, just as Jesus did with us!

Parenting has been difficult at times and easy at other times.  I feel like with each age range (ages 4 months-7 years) comes different requirements, and I try my best to meet the needs of each one of them day in and day out, but there are definitely times where I fall short and that’s ok!  I look at it with the outlook that I never want to go to bed angry or upset at the kids(shane and I both try so hard to do this as well) and that each day brings a new start with a fresh beginning and I try to make the best of it (after my daily cup of coffee of course).

I have loved this season (past year) with finalizing ALL of the adoptions, and truly finding our new normal after such a big hectic year with fostercare.  I am looking forward to this summer with just being able to have a schedule with the kids, and be able to teach them more and more knowledge and growth over the next few months!

Motherhood is seriously such a major part of my identity (especially with so many of them a such young ages right now)but it is not who I am, my identity is found in Christ Jesus.  Being a mother to my five kids (and 2 in heaven) is such a gift, that I will never take for granted.

I tried to send this sweet little message (picture above) to ALL of the amazing women/mothers that continue to inspire me each and every day!

This year my parents kept the girls for the night and Shane took all of the boys to run errands so that I could actually get a NAP in ( I don’t even remember the last time that happened), and then I woke up with a bouquet of flowers and dinner cooked (and all cleaned up) and then today he brought me coffee and breakfast and then we went to an awesome church service and ended our night with spending it with my parents in Lockhart!

Shane helps me out each and every day in parenthood and it does not go unappreciated but the extra kind gestures on Mother’s Day are always loved and so thoughtful!

I will leave you with some pictures from today! Hope everyone had an awesome day!!

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(These are ALL of the sweet gifts my kids gave to me from school… SO precious)

 

And Mom, thank you for EVERYTHING.  These words are just a bit of how I feel about you!! LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH!!

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©2018 Sheridan Johnson @Journey with the Johnsons. All Rights Reserved.

4 months old!!

4-months

Image credit here

So somehow we have made it to 4 months already!? That is crazy and I love how much growth has happened over these last 4 months! From literally just eating/sleeping/pooping and peeing all day to now being so talkative, belly laughing, rolling over, trying to sit up by himself, and eating from a spoon (and still drinking milk/sleeping/pooping and peeing, haha)!

I am just amazed at laid back he is, how much he still loves to be cuddled up against us when he is napping/ or just sitting wanting to play and sit on your lap to watch everyone and how much joy he brings to the entire family.

It’s so precious that each one of kids are developing such a unique and special bond with him, that they are going to carry with them for the rest of their lives.  Brielle loves to feed him, cuddle him, and make him laugh (around 100 times a day), Joseph loves to play with him on the ground and just talk to him and introduce him to new toys, and activities.  Luke loves to laugh (and in return malachi laughs back) and loves to sing “twinkle, twinkle little star” to him to calm him down, and Gracelynn LOVES to say “kai kai” and show him all of her toys and she has started to sing him to him as well and loves to see him laugh!

So even though his doctor appointment isn’t until next week, I am just going by what we have taken here at home!

Weight: 15 lb 6 oz pounds taken at home scale

Length:25 inches (taken at home)

Likes:

-To be held! It’s so adorable how much he LOVES when we are holding him!
-To be talked to and play “peek-a-boo”
-To eat! He just tried baby food for the first time today and ate the ENTIRE bowl!! He loves food (just like his parents).
-To sleep! He has woken up past two nights 1 time for a feeding but before that we had a good stretch of sleeping ALL.NIGHT.LONG! Hallelujah! I just wish we could pass on the great sleeping to the girls in the house (including me).. but we are getting there!
-He loves to be hot! He loves to be pressed up against someone when he is napping!
-His carrier! He literally falls asleep in it almost instantaneously. We have now introduced the sling carrier as well and he has done amazingly well!

Dislikes:
– Clipping his nails! Though he is finally tolerating it a bit now!
– Changing his clothes.  He absolutely hates it now!

Teeth: None! 🙂 Though, the drooling has caused increase in spit up, so that’s fun! 🙂

Language:
I swear it’s like he is responding correctly to what we are saying at times! His cooing is incredibly adorable and his laugh literally melts my heart every time!

Milestones: Rolling over back to front on both sides now, trying to sit up on his own, and eating his first baby food!

Upcoming:

MD appt:  4 month appt May 14th

Here are some pictures from the last few weeks and today’s monthly picture!

Thank you all for following along his journey and growth! I believe crawling and sitting up on his own is surely going to happen in the next few weeks!

©2018 Sheridan Johnson @Journey with the Johnsons. All Rights Reserved.

In the trenches

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I was listening to a podcast (you can find out more here) and they spoke about being in the trenches and watching God speak to you (and through you) during that time.

Since May is National #fostercareawarenessmonth I wanted to let you know how we have been deep in the trenches, and what all helped us during that time.

Fostercare is kind of like riding on a REALLY long rollercoaster, most of the time.  Between court hearings (and there is usually between 3-5 within the first year), traveling to and from all of the required appointments, counseling, and visits with the parents, you sometimes find yourself in the trenches of it all.

I remember many times where I just broke down and asked God “can I really do this?” “am I made out for this” and many more similar questions.  The overwhelming paperwork, the countless amount of people in your house all.month.long and the having to put your trust in such a broken system, can sometimes catch up to you.  BUT you know what?  You don’t stay in the trenches and yes you can do it!   You see the milestones that your foster children are able to reach, you see the LOVE that is just poured out of them with happiness and joy, and you see that you are making a difference in the life of that particular child (regardless if they remember it) forever.

Every one of us has gone through something (or will go through something) that will test our faith, our friendships, our marriage, etc.. it’s what makes us human.  It’s how we respond to that test that shows who we are as a person.

Did it hurt when we had to say goodbye to Gracelynn and watch her go back to people that we knew wasn’t the best for her? Yes! Did it hurt watching the boys have to suffer for SO long watching their biological parents string them along the entire way, just to disappoint them in the end? Yes! But it’s those trenches that God called us so fully depend on him and trust that everything would work out the way He intended on them to!

I am so glad that I have been through the good times and the not so good times with foster care because I wouldn’t be able to write this post with three beautiful adopted children that I get to call mine each and every day.

So friends, remember that when you are the trenches, it’s only temporary and that you can and will get through it (through faith, prayer, and action)!

Let me know if there is anything that you have questions on that I could help you with! I thank you all for continuing to follow along in our journey and know that I love and appreciate every single one of you!

©2018 Sheridan Johnson @Journey with the Johnsons. All Rights Reserved.