Sunday in the Kitchen

We get really bored on Sundays. Usually we use up all the fun things we can think of on Saturday, and Sunday we stare at each other and ask, "Well, what do you want to do?" Thats when we walk into the kitchen and find something to make. Usually something that takes longer than 5 minutes which is why we aren't up to making it on weeknights.

This Sunday it was Chicago style pizza in the cast iron. Recipe thanks to my Aunt Beaner!

Carrick insisted on an "action shot."

The dehydrator also saw some action.

Black berry and raspberry fruit leathers... didn't turn out as good as we hoped but it's a learning process :)

A girl can dream right!?

Some day, when I have a house I can acutally do stuff to, it will look like this:

It will have awesome built ins everywhere...

Rustic Country Charm? Yes Please!

And white kitchen cabinets.... I LOVE white cabinets. Whenever we look at houses online we usually say what we'd do to them... Now Carrick just says, "Oh those cabinets will be painted white," for all the kitchens.

Where we'll sleep...

And our children...

And YOU, our guests...

Don't forget the most important room in any Johnson house....

I'd actually want to do laundary here...

Or maybe we'll go the "cabin in the woods" route...

There you have it! You can tell I'm into the white trim and blue-green color spectrum. Someday this will become a reality. Until then these pictures will sit in the same folder on the computer they've been in for two years. I don't have photo credits for them and probably should but oh well. Sorry copyright police!

Spinning...

My head is spinning with the thousand directions it is going in right now...

It has been a while since I've blogged because I've been so busy, and still am, but I figure I can take a little time to update everyone.

Monday was my last day as a nanny. The girls are being put into preschool/daycare. I will miss seeing their smiling and sticky faces everyday, but I must admit I am a little relieved at not having a daily work commitment. It seems like I never stay at a job long because I get too committed with outside projects and get overwhelmed. Funny how I always choose to drop the thing that is bringing in money and stick with the things that leave me broke! haha!

Girl Scout camp is this April again. Last year I said I wasn't going to direct again, but somehow they dragged me in. I just can't say no I guess :) What really happened is there was a wonderful woman here who was going to be the director, then she got activated in the Army and is going back to the states in about a week, and they needed someone to take over... Which is where I come in because no one else knows what to do! Most of the big planning is already done though, just A LOT of loose ends to tie up and then two weekends of staff and CIT training in March and the 8 days spent at camp in April. I will be so relieved when it is over!

I started a new semester of school yesterday. I have three teaching classes and one giant test worth 6 credits in the next 6 months. I planned my semester out on a calendar this morning and somehow I jammed it all in. I also have to take the Praxis 1 exam on May 3rd. Please pray that I pass this test!!! If I don't I will not be able to go into schools and start my student teaching as planned. This is the first test in a series to get licensed. I'm nervous but I have scheduled a lot of time to study and the library here has many study guides that I hope will get the job done.

Somehow in the middle of studying I'm going to fly back to Iowa for about a month in June. My favorite sister Meagan is having the first grand baby, a girl, and I cannot wait! It has been hard for me to watch her belly grow from around the world. I wish I was there with her! I will be spoiling this baby for sure!

Carrick is still sticking with me and keeping me sane! Living here really has been good for us and I'm amazed at how we have grown together. We're truly like an old married couple, in bed reading our books by 9:30 every night! We're planning our future and taking steps to get there. This is the last year we have overseas and we've gone into financial planning mode. We only have two years left in the military and we want to be able to buy an acreage when Carrick is out. We hope to move back to NC in January because the cost of living is much less there than in CA. We're also ready to add to our family! We have no rush but are ready for God to bless us with a child in His own time.

That's about all that is going on. I'm making myself take a break from sewing until after camp I think so I actually get things done. We'll see if I can go that long :)

Thanks for reading and for the love and support from our families! We love and miss you, see you in June!

Sunday in the Kitchen

We're having a lazy Sunday around here. I finished my school work early today so I had some time to mess around. I decided I'd do some baking.

I made this cinnamon raisin bread recipe here. The recipe made 3 loaves as written, but I didn't want that many. I reduced everything by half and put the little extra dough into muffin cups. I think they look like scones you'd find in a coffee shop. Delicious. Carrick has already eaten 4 slices of the bread.

Carrick had his own project as well. One of our friends brought us a food dehydrator back from the states for Christmas. We're having fun figuring it out. We have a long list of things we want to try. We've done a batch of fruit and Carrick marinated steak strips for jerky. It's pretty tasty and fun to know you made it yourself!

It's about to get personal.

For anyone who's still reading this blog, or maybe for the unfortunate soul who stumbles upon it, this is a warning of a mood change in the following post and maybe more to come. I figure this is our blog (really my blog because Carrick has made zero posts) and it only seems right that I can share what I'm really thinking right? Even if it is only my mother-in-law reading, and I tell her what I'm thinking all the time anyway... (Hey Carolyn :) Anyway, let's get to it.

Basically, I feel like we are at a crossroads. There are so many possibilities open for our life right now I'm stumped and overwhelmed at what is the right choice for us. I have always been very sure about who I am and what I'm going to do in this life, but now I'm not so sure, and let me tell you I hate this feeling. This will sound weird but I've always known my path in life. In high school I knew where I fit. When I met Carrick I knew he was who I was going to marry and share my life with. I was confident and determined to finish my associates in a year because I knew being able to be with him and move around the world was what was supposed to happen.

Now that feeling is gone. Is Carrick meant to get out of the military (just to let you know, right now we are thinking the answer is yes)? Are we supposed to move back to Iowa? or living on a ranch out West sounds fun, or what about somewhere in the Smokies, or perhaps we should just travel the world before we settle down...(see, overwhelming possibilities)... What about kids.. is now really the right time? How about jobs... Carrick has no idea what he wants to do. I'm doing the teaching thing because it seemed like the best option, but is that really what I want? "The best option" doesn't sound like the most convincing argument... aren't teachers supposed to be more noble than that?

I'm struggling to find a purpose. I know I have one. I know I can do great things. I'm just not sure what those great things are supposed to be. And waiting for them is the worst.... I'm the most impatient person ever (ask my husband if you don't believe me) and having to live with myself while waiting for what comes next is not easy for me.

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Side note: Apologies for not posting in so long. Basically since October we did the whole holidays thing, but it's kinda boring with just the two of us (example: we ate at a buffet for Thanksgiving dinner only after Carrick was watching a cooking show about traditional Thanksgiving food and decided we had to venture out a 7pm to get some). Thanks to all our families for the thoughts, letters, and packages. It really does mean a lot to us to hear from home.

What's New On My Camera Memory Card.

Carrick was in a Chili Cook-off for a unit competition with the Air Force. He took 2nd place! That was kinda cool!

The judges.

We took Yoshi to the "pet plunge" day at the local pool. He was not a fan. It was kind of cold.

I made this garland from dried oranges, pecans in the shell, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks.

I saw one similar on another blog and just happened to have a bag of oranges that did not taste good. (The Commissary does not have the best selection of fruit here). I didn't want to waste them so I tried this. I think it has a country/fall vibe and it smells great.

Thanks Mom!

I got this awesome table decor in the mail yesterday! The leaf and pumpkins were a gift last year. I think they go perfectly together.