Three Years!!

Well folks last Tuesday, July 10th was our 3 year anniversary. It was the first time we got to spend our anniversary together so that made it extra special. Our marriage has been going really well lately! Since moving to CA and opening the shop we have really been stretched. We have lived with my parents, lived in a leaking trailer in the ghetto, worked 90 hours a week for 5 months, spent every waking (and sleeping) hour together, and had no break from spending time with customers. All things that were external pressure on our marriage. But God is so gracious, and has kept us faithful to himself and each other. I feel like we now have such a deeper love for each other. But really, when it comes to the big picture we have not been through that much. As much as Erika hates to hear this, "things can always get worse!" Please friends continue to keep us accountable, and please pray for us. We never want to let our guard down, it seems like one of the most vulnerable places in a Christian's life. We are excited about each other and the life God has for us. I hope His plan includes many, many,many, amazing years together.
The Johnston's enjoying year 3!!

Here is another skull-latte (a little better one.)"drink me!"

Ok it is about 500 degrees in southern California right now! Thankfully we were able to install a new window air conditioner my dad had laying around. It is really helping to keep the shop cool.

Levi the Barista. Every once in a while he comes out and gives us a hand.

Levi as cool guy 7th grade graduate.

just some random events

We had a girl named Alison sing and play the piano one night.

We switch out our art every 2 months and the current artist held a reception with Spanish dancing. Her name is Jeanette Varsik and she is the one in the red dress. It got wild!

My little sister turned 16 last month so my parents threw her a party. After the beats started bumping and the kids started grinding (not my sister though...I hope) my parents wondered what they had done, why they had hired a DJ, and why they had turned the lights off. "thats it no one around here is ever aloud to turn 16 again."

Will anyone ever be able to take the king off his throne?

His crown. To put things in perspective my high score is 34,000 and I can practice for free as much as i want.

is latte art cool to anyone else?

Here at Augie's coffee house we try to get some good art on the top of our drinks but it takes great shots, milk steamed just right (not to thick not to thin, not to hot, not to cold) and a few loving flicks of the wrist as you pour not to fast but not to slow.

This is called etching, it isn't poured art.

One of Chad's better Rosetta's

Then Nick came and showed us all up. He finished in the top 20 at the USBC, and now works at Intelligentsia's new LA shop. It is embarrassing putting his art up right after mine.

I opened the lid to my cup and this is what appeared through the crema, very scary. Not really, Chad poured this to scare off some customers.

idyllwild

Erika's parents did something they said they would never do...Move to southern California. They kind of cheated though because they are living and working in the beautiful mts. at a Christian conference center. No smog, no traffic, 115 degree summers, no electricity (just kidding about that last one). We feel so blessed to be able to live so close to both of our parents. On our last trip we saw some very strange things...
A man who works for them turned his Mercedes-benz into a driving dog house. He took the passenger seat out, the back seat out and made a flat, carpeted deck so his dog could chill while he was at work.

Swamp monster. (Erika's dad after running wire and fixing a leak under their cabin.)

Erika snuggling with a sasquatch

fish-bus-Cadillac car.