This was 2011, Johnson style

Merry Christmas from the Johnsons!

Warmest Christmas greetings to all our friends and family! We hope 2011 has been good to each of you and thought we'd fill you in on what's been going on in our world this year.

We continued to be "the traveling Johnsons." Aaron and I celebrated our fifth anniversary with a Caribbean cruise. Those of you who know my husband well won't be surprised that Aaron wanted to go all out: He booked the cruise on the largest cruise ship in the world. It doesn't fit in regular ports! The boat was packed with amazing restaurants, amenities and stuff to do, but truly the best part about the trip was being able to reconnect as a couple for the first time since babies came into our lives. We followed that with a trip with the kids to Myrtle Beach with the Holbrook side of the family, and then to upstate New York with Aaron's mom and his sister's family.

As you can see from the photo above, life gets a little crazy around our place but we're loving every minute of it. Sure, there are more dignified shots of all of us out there. But what would be the fun in that?

Aaron
I graduated from the two-year Discipleship Curriculum (DC) program and became a co-leader of another DC group this fall. I have really enjoyed a comprehensive study of the entire Bible, church history and tough theological questions.
I was promoted to Vice President of Investments at Marcus & Millichap, where I continue in my niche market of selling Kentucky apartment communities. Work has picked up this year, and some days are more eventful than others. One day in the office I heard more than the usual amount of sirens outside and proceeded to videotape through our office window as 20 police cars surrounded a murder suspect. After a tense standoff, he surrendered peacefully, and I got my five seconds of fame on the local news.
I still play ultimate Frisbee every Thursday night, although I really miss Hawaii during our winter games.
Beyond that it is all about keeping up with two very active toddlers. School never prepared me for this!

Tonia
Honestly, most of this year has been spent carrying out mommy duties, staying active at church and largely ignoring my blog. I ache to write on a more consistent basis, but the days just seem to get shorter and shorter. Could it be that my parents were right about time moving faster as we age?
Most of my days are spent with Katie and Adam, two of the biggest blessings a girl could have in her life. As Aaron mentioned, these two keep us on our toes and remind me this truly is the most important thing I could be doing right now. I wouldn't trade our time together for anything, but it sure is nice when that shared time includes a nap!
I'll be finishing up with my DC group this spring and will most likely follow Aaron in co-leading a new group beginning this fall. I must say DC has been a highlight of my life over the last year and a half. Not only have I been learning more Scripture and growing in my walk with Christ, but also I've cultivated what I hope will be lifelong authentic relationships with a handful of other godly women. Those ladies have meant the world to me - a true gift from God. Speaking of the Lord, I've grown more in love with Him than ever and can't wait to see what He has in store in the year to come!

Katie

It's been a big fall for our firstborn, as she began preschool. It was an easy transition because the school is located in the same church Katie and Adam have attended for Mother's Day Out for the last two years. She loves school and enjoys spending time with her new little girlfriends. Princesses all, they helped her celebrate her fourth birthday, along with a couple of little fellas.
This year saw Katie's love for all things princess-related blossom, which is fitting because she plays the role well. Katie loves to dance around and host tea parties in her room - and, no, her brother is never invited. She has developed an affinity for "lipstick" (Chapstick) and jewelry but seems to have picked up on the less-is-more theory of self-embellishment. On the night of her birthday party, she had placed a plastic jeweled ring on each of her fingers. She looked up at Mommy and asked, "Is this too much?"
Katie continues to be a spunky little delight in our lives, and we enjoy watching her grow!

Adam
Our little blondie has gone from baby to little boy in no time. People react in surprise when he opens his mouth and out pours whole paragraphs. We're not surprised, of course - he's the product of a man with a speech degree and a woman schooled in journalism. And then some things he says just make us laugh. His latest trend is to use "fe, fi, fo, fum" as an adjective. "That's a big, giant fe-fi-fo-fum cookie." "Mommy, I've got a fe-fi-fo-fum booboo." You name it, it's fe, fi, fo, fum.
Always on the move, Adam is all boy and likes to run, jump and play with cars and trains. One favorite memory from this summer was when he spotted a tiny green tree frog in our back yard. We put it in a bug catcher and observed it overnight before releasing it to the great outdoors again. The kids were fascinated, and Adam was particularly gentle, seemingly mindful of the frog's fragility. Being that Adam doesn't hold still for much, we think he may have inherited his daddy's love for animal life.
Another big development in Adam's world this year was saying goodbye to the last of his beloved binkys. He's coping better than we feared but still asks about it from time to time. So if he asks, please remind him it's broken.

Here's hoping you and yours enjoy a fe-fi-fo-fum Christmas and a happy New Year!

The Johnsons
Aaron, Tonia, Katie and Adam