New month already?!

So apparently my January was lame since I didn't post. That's not to say I haven't been checking blogs... daily.... I just didn't feel there was anything too exciting. In all reality though I went out with friends, I helped my husband with school, I started my first ever card club, I went to a four day conference in Scottsdale and enjoyed the sun, my husband did cute things, I was sick, found out what one friend is having (a boy and she's stealing my name) another friend had her boy, desperately want to drop my birth control, started paying $200 a month for health insurance, was flat broke, wrote my tithing check anyway, received random $1500 grant for Ave being a genius (thank you again God), coveted new lines through pictures of CHA, found out my friend actually went to CHA and again coveted (I know it's wrong), saw "He's just not that into you"
and cried at random parts, reading a relationship book titled "How to improve your marriage without talking about it" and not talking about it, was forced into taking a pregnancy test because my co-workers say I'm overly ornery these days (negative, but considering I haven't come off birth control...), renovating my parent's basement so we can move this summer, replaced my car windshield, loved my job and my boss, torn between career dreams, Ave took me to dinner, sold my dad's gun in a parking lot at night (I felt like a drug dealer), had interesting religious conversations with boss, added want to learn how to sew to my list, and the random daily activities that make me, me and this life mine.
All in all... it is eventful... it is good. And I am continuing to try.
Still haven't: gotten to the gym, quit caffeine for more than four days, made my lunch more, organized my storage closet, done my taxes, re-certified as an aerobics trainer, scrapped, gotten all christmas present's delivered, finished my friends quilt for her now 8 month old boy, or told my husband enough how great he is and stop asking him to do so much.
But that list could go on forever.
Until something life changing occurs... post you later.

New Years Updates

I have yet to get to my parents with my camera in hand to download photos. Really, nothing too exciting just family and good friends. It was really nice to have Avery around alot during his school break and me not working alot either. I got my husband back!!! =) We enjoyed Christmas Eve with his mom and extended family, extended doesn't quite describe the amount of people. Then Christmas morning Ave woke me up and then left to go shovel snow. We weren't supposed to get anything for each other this year. But I cheated. So I was slightly upset that he just up and ran out, we were doing Christmas at my parents. I walked the three houses down in my pj's and asked if he noticed anything from Santa at home. He kind of smiled and said we weren't supposed to get each other anything, but did I want him to come back for a minute and have our morning. He's learning quickly. He opened his three t-shirts (big sarcastic YAY) and our family gift from Santa, a snow tube for behind the four wheeler. All the while he kept saying what a brat I was because he felt bad he hadn't gotten anything for me. I just kept smiling and saying no biggie I didn't care at all. I just wanted him to have something from me. He's been working so hard so that we can have a good future, and he never gets anything new. Where as me the shopper.... hehehe. Then we walked back over to my parents and started getting breakfast ready. He asked if I noticed something on the mantle, I looked up, and there were a dozen beautiful roses. Christmas Roses!!! and the cutest letter (private) and an Avery time coupon with unlimited uses. I just kept grinning and smelling the roses and saying, "You said you hadn't gotten me anything!" It was a great Christmas! The best part is he told me later when he was in line the day before the lady behind him commented, "That's a great gift." He replied, "Yeah, my wife said we weren't supposed to get each other gifts this year. But I assume that means they just have to be really, really cheap." She just laughed, "You're a smart man." He is isn't he?
After Christmas with Rhodes' we headed over to Ave's dads for the afternoon. The rest of the day was eating and playing the new toys.
I was excited to receive an invitation for New Years Eve to a party. Very rare for us to go out anywhere except to my parents house. Celina had a birthday party planned for her husband Trevor. It was great to hang out and be with a bunch of my friends. Afterwords I kept commenting to Ave how much I like being around my friends, especially since all their husbands are cool and all the guys can get along and hang out with no akwardness. And how it seems like we all have the same values and priorities in our lives. It's just cool to see after all this time how we are almost all in the same place in our lives. It's so fun to talk about things going on and seeing how much we've all grown and yet we can still laugh with each other.
On the drive over an Ace of Base song came on the radio and I couldn't help but getting hysterical. Exactly six years ago, those same friends and I were jumping on a bed, busting out Ace of Base all night, singing at the top of our lungs and ringing in the new year. Oh how we've matured... hahaha... not really. We still spent the night jumping up and down and singing at the top of out lungs... but Rock Band is totally legit.
I've thought about resolutions but those never seem to work for me... so I've decided on a quest. To be all little bit better at a little bit of everything. Thank you President Hinckley.

Hyvää Joulua

That is my official Merry Christmas in Finnish. I was so planning on being on top of things and mailing out Christmas Cards but... that didn't happen. Plus, I do sort of figure there isn't much to write about. We don't have children to report on, it's us two. Our lives pretty much just consist of work and school. I am very proud of Avery for him excelling once again at his studies and getting us one year closer to graduating. Only three more to go!!! =) Next year holds more adventures for the tww of us, and our love grows more and more every day. I thank my Heavenly Father for a man like him as my partner. He makes me stronger, better, and smarter. I love our little life together and being able to have our "poor little college student" phase. Gotta love Kraft macaroni and cheese. Hope all of your Christmas' are filled with love for your family and more importantly our Savior whose birth we celebrate. I know my Redeemer lives and loves us.
Merry Christmas.
Love, Avery and Jenn Johnson