The Best Time of The Year

November: my favorite month! It's a time to celebrate all of the things we are thankful for. My list happens to be abundant, and I will spare you 1/2 and hour of reading by revising and simplifying to these few precious things:

1. This November Cameron and I are celebrating our first wedding anniversary. A year ago (tomorrow) we said vows and made promises to love, honor, and cherish each other. We have not done it perfectly in this past year (nor am I expecting that we will ever go a year without some sort of slip up) but, we've grown more in this year than ever before in our lives. It is a victory and a milestone that we are both proud of... and I can personally say with confidence that these past few months have refreshed my respect and admiration for Cameron. Lately, I think about him and our life together and am overwhelmed with thankfulness to God! It's a "puppy love" sort of feeling that is not always a constant of marriage, and I think the timing of these feelings is perfectly appropriate. I'm a happy and thankful woman!

2. On to less mushy matters... November means something very simple and important to me: cool weather. I LOVE LAYERS! I love crisp air and boots. I love scarves and sweaters. I love chili in the crockpot, football on the TV, and a fire in the fireplace. It's fall.

3. I'm grateful for an END to this crazy crazy school semester. For the record, I am not meant to be a physicist. OR a computer engineer. I'm looking forward to an easier semester next year.

4. Okay - last one I promise! And I saved the best for last! I made a discovery this November that I am truly grateful for. Call me silly if you want... But, here it goes: Trader Joes Peppermint Hot Chocolate with Vanilla Coconut Milk. You guys, it's amazing! Try it.

Just add a few tablespoons to some warm Vanilla Coconut Milk, if you're feeling really crazy top it off with a dollop of whipped cream and enjoy the heavenly treat! While you're sipping, take a second to think about all of the things you have to be thankful for. I have a feeling it will be good for your soul and your stomach.

-Katie

Summer

August is here! What a summer it has been... BUSY is the most fitting word to describe it. I've been working full time and going to school while Cameron has been putting in plenty of hours in the rig!

In July, Cameron turned the big 2-5, and we celebrated with a Mustache Bash! What a joy to be surrounded by so many sweet friends!

It has been SUCH a beautiful summer! But, I must admit that I'm most looking forward to all things fall: sweaters and boots, apples in Julian, pumpkin patches, school supplies, and celebrating a YEAR of marriage to my best friend!

'til next time!!

-Katie

Carmel Mountain Livin

Do you remember the last time I blogged? Yeah, me either.

Sorry. I guess the move and the flu threw me off and then, well, I kind of just forgot to blog. Either that or I got so overwhelmed with the idea of updating that I just didn't. Excuses, excuses...

What to say? We're officially moved into our Carmel Mountain residence (photos to come once I've rearranged everything a thousand more times). It's just a great little apartment and we are settling in nicely. What a joy to have space! and a washer/dryer that can fit more than one towel at a time... Grateful is the word of the month for me! Learning to be grateful for everything.

Cam got a new job working for San Diego Medical Services as an EMT. The company is amazing and has been treating him so well... He already talks about the people like they're family. As for the 5pm-3am shift... well... We'll survive! Cam's also been testing at fire departments all over the country. Who knew it was such a process! While I'd like to select a beautiful setting like Denver or Seattle for these first steps, beggars can't be choosers, and we will take anything! I think we're both excited to see what unfolds!

I'm slowly opening up my schedule to make more time for school. I have new vision and I'm excited to really put some work in.

Last weekend Cam got the opportunity to work with some of the most brilliantly creative minds on a shoot for "Change for Change" (our friends incredible organization that sells really unique necklaces and donates proceeds to charities). The model in him is really something else. I was just excited to soak up some time in Sarah Shreves Pasadena home (featured here on design sponge). Below is a little glimpse "behind the scenes":

Happy Wednesday!

-Kate

Celebrate!

Today is my best friend's birthday.

11 years ago I met Skyler Trown... She and I were knit of the same cloth - unkempt hair, shirts that came just to the top of our jeans, zero makeup (rightfully so. we were 12!), and the occasional pair of overalls. We met in the prime of our awkward middle school days and she was an instant sister to me. We've walked through it all together; loss of loved ones, drivers licenses, relationships, college, big moves and marriage. She's a lifer. One of the rarest types of friends. Needless to say, I'm so very grateful to have her in my life and so excited to experience more of the journey together!

Happy Birthday Skyler Boice! Cam and I love you so much!

16 years old. Circa 2003? Note our matching hair cuts... I'm pretty sure I copied her...

My wedding day! Circa 2010.

To The Neighbors Above...

Dear Upstairs Neighbors,

Congratulations! I'm writing this letter to inform you that you've officially earned the title of "Loudest neighbors I've ever had!"

Listening in on some of the most vulnerable moments of your life (i.e. hellacious fights, bumpin parties, and nights that I'm frankly too embarassed to mention...) was a real adventure. Although actual decibel level has not yet been recorded, you've blown all other contestants out of the water in terms of noise and intensity. A true accomplishment.

It's been a pleasure getting to know you without ever actually seeing your face. However, I hope you wont take personal offense when I say that you are not one of the factors that will be missed in our upcoming relocation.

Sincerely,

Katie Teresa Johnson

Via Las Vegas

Headed to Vegas this weekend for Cam's Fire Exam with the Henderson Fire Department... While Cam is testing, I get to play with my sweet SIL and MIL. Ladies Day. But first: a very long, rainy drive on a Friday evening. Happy Weekend!! -Kate

NEW CHAIRS!

Purchased some new dining room chairs today...

I'm swooning over them.

Thank you, craigslist.

Moving... Again...

As of April 16th, 2011, THIS will be our new home:

Specifically, an apartment inside of that building...

Two bedrooms and Two bathrooms... I hardly know what to do with myself!

We're moving to Carmel Valley - Just a few minutes north of where we live now. We're feeling so fortunate to find a place with a little more space and that's even more central to everything in our lives right now; church, work, family...

The best part? hardwood floors.

or maybe the fact that we can paint the walls.

Just a homey apartment home.

So, if you're reading this and you have an extra microwave (or bed...) laying around. We would be happy to take it off your hands for you! :)

Happy Thursday!

Joy Joy Joy

They came! They came! Cam got his glasses in the mail today... Shh! Don't tell but I tried them on too. As for who looks better in them - It's a toss up! :)

P.S. Cam officially has terrible eyesight! I couldn't see ANYTHING while wearing these dang glasses.

Wordless Wednesday

(It's Tuesday... BUT - let's pretend it's Wednesday so I can show you this picture of my handsome EMT taken with my high tech camera phone!)

Happy Tuesday!

-Kate

March!

What? Where did February go?

Five Updates...

1. Cameron scored an awesome job as the newest EMT at Care Ambulance Company in San Diego! Horray! Ambition and determination are not qualities that are lacking in our household... and I'm a very proud wife.

2. I'm looking forward to taking a few short term classes this semester. Starting in mid-March I'll be going back to school to finish up my degree in Child Development. I'm so very excited to be back in the classroom again!

3. Life in the Johnson House is hilarious... We're doing this program: http://hundredpushups.com/ to work up to doing 100 push ups straight. The funny thing is it's working! When we started, I could maybe do 5 (pathetic, I know). Two weeks in, and I'm up to 20 in a row. Today I did 43 total. Ridiculous.

4. We celebrated "Valentines Weekend" with some of our close friends this last weekend. We took a little getaway to Corona where the boys played golf and the girls went to spa. We stayed the night, had a great dinner, saw a movie and came home totally relaxed. We're so grateful for good friends and sunny weather!

5. Cameron is getting new glasses in the mail today. We ordered them from Warby Parker - The 'Toms Shoes' of eye glasses. We're both unnaturally excited about them! It's probably kind of sad that we're so pumped about glasses... I'll update with a pic once we get them :)

Happy Friday to YOU!

Wife Carrying Competition...

We're considering signing up. What do you think?

Life and Its Humdrum.

Not much to blog about lately... Our lives can be summed up in two pictures:

Cameron -

Katie -

Cam has been working his tail off in EMT school - and just passed an intensive 3 week course with flying colors!!! He is scheduled to take the NREMT exam (National Registry Emergency Medical Technician) on Monday! Please pray for him... I'm convinced he's gonna do great!

I have been coaching my sweet little babes on the importance of keeping your hand straight when you serve the volleyball. My job is hilarious. I'm daily blown away by the intelligence and capability of a 3 year old... I'm also daily blown away by said 3 year old's stubbornness.

To completely change the subject: I've come across a few blogs where people post a photograph every single day. 365 photographs. At first glance I thought, "Wow! Such a great way to document a year! That sounds awesome!" ...and then I considered the fact that there is no way I could commit to something like that. I'm a little too forgetful. However, I've decided it would be great to take a picture once a week and post it on this here blog... "Wordless Wednesday"... yes? no? We'll see how it goes :)

Happy Saturday!

Katie

Quote of The Day...

Kids say the darndest things... its true! Today, I was playing a tag game called "Sharks and Minnows" with a group of elementary aged students. Our pre-game convo went a little something like this:

Coach Katie: "Okay, friends, if you get tagged you'll need to sit down and become an octopus! Use your arms to tag people as they run by!"

Eddie: "Yeah! You can use your testicles!"

Coach Katie: "Eddie, I think you mean tentacles..."

Eddie: "No! Testicles, Coach Katie!"

Hope you're enjoying your day :)

-Katie

The Johnsons Top Five Moments Of 2010

2010 is coming to a close and we decided to come up with our top five moments of the year. After narrowing down a long list...This is what we came up with:

5. Trip Home To Vegas for Morgan's 16th Brithday - What a treat to visit family and celebrate our sweet little sister. After our stay in the AMAZING timeshare, we couldn't keep this one off the list.

4. Tijuana Missions Trip! Our annual TJ trip was especially fun this year... Cameron played God in the evangelical outreach :) and Katie was on the dance team!

3. Boice Engagement/Wedding. Our dear friends tied the knot this year. It was SO fun to be apart of their big day!

2. Our Engagement/Wedding/Honeymoon... This one probably goes without saying. It was quite the eventful year for us! Our wedding was so special and celebrating in sunny Mexico was just icing on the cake! Bliss.

1. Snowy MARRIED! Christmas. Even better than the wedding and the honeymoon is BEING MARRIED! Our first snowy christmas as husband and wife tops off our list of favorite 2010 moments!

Here's to many more good times in 2011! Happy New Year!

Tis The Season

Cam and I just returned from our trip to Vegas to visit the Johnson fam. It was such a treat to relax with family and we even got a chance to head to Mt. Charleston for some snowy activities.

Next comes NYE. My darling husband purchased Miranda Lambert tickets for us (aka THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT EVER!)... Chris purchased the same for Sky... Thus, the Boices and The Johnsons will be ringing in 2011 in style - cowboy boots for all.

I hope its been a restful and FUN holiday season for you and yours! Happy New Years!

Hats Off To The Chef...

How sweet it is to have a husband that helps peel potatoes.

-K

Adjustments pt.II : Husbands Perspective

Marriage has been an amazing experience so far, and I continue to pray for "the honeymoon stage" to last forever :). My wife is by far the best roommate I've ever had and here is a couple of reasons why.

1) I've never had a roommate who fixes me dinner

2) No roommate of mine has ever done my laundry before

3) Snuggling is always a perk!!!

4) There is not an overload of one type of hormone in the house

5) The newest one of them all is that there are two incomes going toward the same exact goals!!!

Let's not forget that there is the other side of adjusting I have to get used too.

One thing that comes with the territory of living with a girl is the amounts of bobby pins that you find on a daily basis! Some may be in the bathroom, some may be in the bedroom, occasionally in the living room, and even on the rarest of days I might find one on my dresser.

On another note; Never in my life did I imagine that I would have to make a decision about whether the picture frame should go over the dining room table or in the hall way or decide on if the ottoman looks better on the left side of the couch or the right side of the couch.

We have just hit our month of marriage and YES!!! the wedding advice is still pouring in. The latest advice was Communication, Comprehension, and first of all God!!! and he said it in a very motivated speaker kind of way; you know the way when you say thank you and the person still has a very intense look on there face and doesn't say you're welcome and then there's that awkward silence? As funny as those encounters are we love getting advice from different people and different mind sets!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Love,

The Johnsons

Adjustments

There are certain unexpected aspects of newlywed life that I'm adjusting to (gracefully, of course). These are things that are bringing me genuine joy to the daily hub-bub, but are a life alteration none-the-less. For instance, I'm now way more knowledgeable about meat pricing and preparation. (Seriously, name a meat. I've cooked it in the last month.) My days are filled with pricing meat and my nights are filled with cooking it... Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration - but, for this former vegetarian - the meaty meals are new territory... I've also noticed a sharpening of my reflexes. For example, In the coldest darkest hour of the night, when I feel the soft covers begin to slide from my body and wrap around my husband, you better believe that my hand is quick to snatch it back into its proper positioning. Now, albeit, the first few nights were spent frozen and bitter... but, I've learned!

Although, perhaps the most interesting, and probably temporary aspect of newlywed life is the inevitable, and repetitive answering of the "Newlywed Questions." For those unaware, please allow me to explain...

The "Newlywed Questions" are a set of inquiries that each person (or group of persons) will ask a newly married couple, usually in the first meeting after the honeymoon. There are three basic questions that are asked - and although the wording may change and variations may occur, the 'basics' are to be expected. Before I go on, please do not misunderstand my extensive analysis of 'the questions' as an act of disdain towards answering them... I actually really enjoy answering these questions. I like talking about newlywed life, and I really love all of the advice that my friends and family have offered by way of the 'newlywed conversation.' That being said, below are the list of "NWQ's"

1) First thing is first. The inquiring friend or family member will begin the conversation by asking about the honeymoon. Now, there must be some sort of convention that people go to to learn how to awkwardly giggle and wink... because the excessive, but familiar inclusion of these things is inevitable:

"So, Katie... haha... How was uh... (wink wink...wink...) the uh... (wink)... ha... honeymoon... (wink) haha (wink)?"

2) After a detailed account of the honeymoon is given, the friend will move on to basic question number two. Please note: this is the part of the inquisition that is intended to pull the heart strings and get deep. I, however, have very few complaints or annoyances about marriage thus far - and because of that fact, I sometimes feel that I am disappointing the emotional needs of my audience. They receive no tears, few angry rants, and very little drama altogether. To that I say: Oh well.

"Soooo... what's the hardest part about marriage? Are there things that have been really surprising to you?"

3) Seeking friend will spend a few minutes prying for a better answer than "Well... not too many hard things. I guess the biggest adjustment has been cooking meat every night." ...before they move on to question number three. This is the question that is both the most challenging and the most fun. I get a chance to gloat over all of our brand new possessions, and yet am forced to make a very difficult decision. See below for further explanation:

"How bout those wedding gifts!? What is your favorite thing you and Cam received?"

to which my answer is often lengthy and maybe a little boring. The truth is - I love 99.9% of the gifts we got! I suppose that's the joy of a wedding gift registry. But, when forced to choose just one thing that stands out of the crowd... It has to be the Keurig.

This little beauty has greeted me each morning with joy and warmth. Its a personal coffee maker that quickly (talkin 30 seconds here, people) and efficiently delivers me some of the most delicious coffee I've ever tasted. It is, sadly, one of the most exciting parts of my day... and certainly one of the best gifts we received.

So, there you have it. This is the life of a newlywed and the conversation that has been on repeat for the last month. No complaints from me... I'm enjoying every second, keurig coffee in hand.

-Katie