Minnesota Log Cabin Party

We had a wonderful time in Minnesota. Thanks for inviting us to perform at your party!



Our hostess was an amazing gardener!


so many cute corners and sweet touches...
There were new things to discover everywhere!



Who doesn't enjoy a great model train?


The mini village even had a tiny real corn crop!





This bird must have made an informed decision on where to build her nest.



John, thank you for the amazing time!
We enjoyed your company so much.
It was great to perform for you.

Lake Itasca Family Music Festival


 We had an amazing time at the Lake Itasca Family Music Festival! The Ken Berge family was SO welcoming and encouraging. Thank you for inviting us!!


We met a lot of new friends and were able to catch up with many old ones. It was an absolutely marvelous time!


Thanks to Hannah, I can actually post some pictures with our whole family on stage. (Not that you can see everyone! Mom is always hard to capture. Can you see the tip of her head behind Karen's arm?)



The Triple L Band

Having hot meals prepared for us all weekend was such a blessing! We didn't have to pack a bunch of food, cook over our finicky little camp stove, and then be ready to perform right after our meal!
(We do love camping though!)


The Banjo Cafe...Finger Pickin' Good!


Ben's Grilled Chicken Fajitas were the best meal at the festival!




Home, sweet home for the weekend


Thanks Schoenfelders for offering to let us stay in this camper! Tent camping while performing is um.... interesting with all the instruments.





The Wissman's Story Book Theater was fun for kids and adults too!


Songs, Bible verses, a missionary story...and humor of course!




The Alaska String Band




The Benson Family



It rained...and rained...and rained! (We could use some of that rain here in Iowa!) It was just about deafening on the steel roof.
I felt sorry for the sound guys. They did a great job despite all the problems and weather difficulties. Moving all that sound equipment in and out multiple times is no party! 


The Main Stage is gorgeous at night.

The Bontrager Family

Part of the Wissman Family


The Berge Girls


Many of the children had a blast riding this little train!


Luke, manning the CD table


Once the festival was over, we enjoyed a short vacation with some friends.

 Visiting the Boundary waters of the Mississippi...
 Written on a post was this statement: “Here 1,475 ft. above the ocean, the mighty Mississippi begins to flow on its winding way 2552 miles to the Gulf of Mexico.”

Next was a stop at the old Aiton Heights Fire Tower.


At 100ft. tall, the climb was invigorating and the view was great, as long as you didn't mind swaying in the wind in the small room at the top. That was fine with us!


Yep, it's pretty tall.



We finished the evening with a meal at a local restaurant. Thank you Daddy! That was special.


Our friends' cow had twins!



So curious.

So cute.


 "This is the day that the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it."

To view more pictures from our trip to Minnesota, go to http://www.photofasttrack.com/people/

Oh No!

This is a post to correct an error in our Johnson Strings schedule at www.johnsonstrings.net. (We can't update the actual schedule because Luke's computer - the one that has the website software on it - is at HP getting fixed right now.)


The correct information is:
July 1 - Spring Valley Reformed Church, Fulton Illinois 7PM (NOT Fulton IA!)


That's all for right now! I'll try to post about some of our latest concerts as soon as I grab some time...

2 a day

Our first program of the day was a birthday party complete with cake and ice cream.
How can you go wrong there?

Here's Luke packing our van. It has to be packed "just so" in order not to crush any instruments!

#2: a wonderful ladies' salad supper

Unpacking and setting up - we seem to do quite a bit of that!

This wasn't just any salad supper, mind you. It was a 42 (or 43) salad supper!
(I think I got pictures of all of them...maybe.)
The theme of the evening was "Make a Joyful Noise".

 Enjoying our salads...

Seth hurt his finger by accident and couldn't play his cello,
so we made him our sound guy.
(He's a good one!)

our family with the pianist who played before our concert

Random Pictures at the Wieting Opera House

We were invited to perform at this grand opera house last Saturday evening.

 The people in Toledo have done an amazing job renovating this historical place!

 It's also a 3D movie theater now

 Waitin' and watching the popcorn getting made


 They've got comfy seats now! (It's a BIG improvement!)
 Setting up on stage

 Look! We're on the wall at the opera house!

 Things have changed over the years, haven't they?
But, the Opera House is now open once again and we had a great time playing there along with 
three other groups - Reunited, County Line, and Highway Home.
Mr. Finical had a nice, hot meal for us once again.
Thank you!

A New Blog!!!


http://laurasphotographyfasttrack.blogspot.com/


Reasons to read it: 


  • Learn exciting tips on how to take your photography skills from flat to fantastic. 
  •  Have fun! 
  • Enjoy photography 


About the blog: 

This is a special place where anyone – Christians, conservatives, homeschoolers and others can learn photography quickly and easily in a safe, clean, and supportive environment!


 A Message from the author: 

“Hi everyone!
I got started in this amazing hobby in December of 2006 when I got my first camera, a tiny point-and shoot, to take pictures of scenes to draw or paint. Since I wanted to learn to use it well, I started to study photography on my own. After realizing that I enjoyed it even more than drawing or painting, I started learning more about photography for its own sake. It has been my favorite hobby for the last few years.

I've learned photography through reading LOTS of books and magazines, toiling through camera manuals, studying over the internet, and taking various photography courses online. (Whew! What a lot of work!) That’s one reason I created this website – so you would have an easier, more enjoyable time learning to understand the various functions of your wayward camera. (Sometimes they have a mind of their own, don’t they? I don’t trust my camera’s decisions on what is important in the scene – no auto for me! In no time at all, you won’t either if you don’t already!)

With this website, you will learn to take creative, well-composed and technically excellent images. Soon you will be making leaps and bounds of progress in your photography skills! It’s an exciting experience! Just think of what you can be doing in a matter of weeks!

I’ve come a long way since the point-and-shoot days. Sharing my passion for photography by teaching others how to take extraordinary pictures is a joy. I’d love to have you join me on this journey! You’ll be astonished at how quickly you will progress if these lessons are taken to heart. Feel free to comment or ask questions about each lesson. I’ll be glad to help you!”




What are you waiting for? 

Head over to http://laurasphotographyfasttrack.blogspot.com/ and start learning!

I’ll see you there!

A Valentine Banquet

This Valentine season we played at a beautiful, in-home Valentine Banquet.
The meal was a fun, multi-course meal, served on the hostess' special dishes from her mother and grandmother.
Pasta salad in heart-shaped glass bowls, Baby Blue Salad with sweet 'n spicy pecans and strawberries, individual pot pies served in cute red crocks, mashed potatoes, stewed apples, pears, and golden raisins, and our choice of 5 different desserts....yum! What a meal.

Each of the ladies received a special Valentines gift from the hostess.
Valentine's Day is a perfect time to remember God's amazing, unfailing love for us and the supreme sacrifice His Son gave as an eternal gift of life to those that ask forgiveness for their sins and believe on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
John 3:16

We're Back!

Sorry about the long wait for a new post ... a lot has been happening around here!
Practice...new music...more practice...work on our soon-to-be-released, brand new CD, etc.!
The photography is done, graphic design work is going well, the mixing is almost finished and the royalties are paid. Hopefully, we have less than one month to wait!
We're excited about this new year and look forward to sharing it with you.

"Serve the LORD with gladness; come before his presence with singing."
Psalm 100:2
Levels are being set in this beautiful church for yet another wonderful morning!
One of our star cellists :)
"For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations."
Psalm 100:5

Four Concerts - a bit of catch-up work!

During the Christmas season, it's easy to fall behind on certain things. Here are a few concerts I intended posting about...but...never...got....around to it. Hmm... I wonder how that happens?

This concert was one we did at our home church on Christmas Day! That was fun. I've never done a concert on my birthday before!
Silas' bell-ringing is always a hit - he's such fun to watch!
Concert #2: Christmas Eve

Above the exit doors, this church had painted "You are now entering the mission field." It was an interesting reminder.
~A beautiful candle-lit service followed the concert. Everyone stood around the perimeter of the large auditorium and sang "Silent Night" and "John 3:16" as the flame of a single candle was passed from person to person until the ring of light in the darkness was complete.
We children walked around until we found a spot in the church to take a "5-teens" picture. Yep, we had 5 teenagers in our house for three-quarters of a year. (Silas, 9, is behind the camera here.)

#3 - Sovereign Grace Church in Dows
We always have a great time here!
Thank you Nela for taking pictures of us at this concert! Beloved Star Photography
A meal ... a huge spread of delectable cookies ... friends ... great conversations ....
A wonderful day!


#4: Temple Baptist Church in Charles City - This church is home to some more amazing people! Fun finger food and fellowship followed the program. All of us enjoyed spending time with friends and also some people from our church who had driven over for the evening.


Stop.

Really think about that quote.
Is it true for you?

A Day in the Life of the Johnson Strings

Our day begins bright and early. We have eaten breakfast together, packed the van, and gotten ready to go! The time is 8:24AM.
We have arrived at our first destination! Unpacking, tuning, and warming up goes quickly.
With the first event behind us, we pack up and now are unpacking at our next location. Four hours and forty-one minutes have elapsed.
We are getting ready to play for the Ravenwood Christmas Open House.


After the concert, our lunch consist of the leftovers from the party.
Here we are, packing up once more! Is this starting to sound repetitive?
The time is 3:48.
5:54 After driving and unpacking once again, we begin tuning our instruments here at St. Ansgar Baptist Church.

Next comes testing the mic mix and sound levels at 6:04.


8:36 After a time of food and fellowship, we tear down and pack up.
At 9:00, we are almost ready to depart.
We drive and unpack for the last time today.
As you can see, it is 10:33. Home again, home again only 14 hours and 9 minutes later! What a day.
"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men"
Colossians 3:23

Two Churches, Two Seasons

Thanksgiving - a season for remembering God's blessings in our lives
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving."
Colossians 2:6-7

Christmas - A season of Joy, celebrating Jesus, the light of the world, coming to earth to save us from our sins
Come hear our Christmas program for this year - "Eternal Light"!
"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"
Psalm 27:1

Merry Christmas!

We were privileged to play at the Veteran's Day Republican function in Grundy County.
Lance Horbach, an Iowa House Representative, gave a tribute to the veterans.
Some of the other speakers included Annette Sweeney from the Iowa House, Bill Dix from the Iowa Senate, Steve King from the U.S House of Representatives, Pat Grassley - an Iowa State Representative, and Charles Grassley - a United States Senator.

After we played our instruments, we got pictures with Pat Grassley, Charles Grassley,
and Lance Horbach. Thanks guys!
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
– 2 Chronicles 7:14

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Website Design - Luke & Laura Johnson; Pictures & Video: Laura Johnson
 

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