One Year!

One year ago Derek and I were married in the Seattle, WA LDS temple. I was nervous, upset that I had a cold which was making my nose run nonstop, but I felt more excited than I had ever been before. 

I was holding my composure together perfectly until I looked across at Derek and saw his bottom lip trembling and his eyes full of tears. In my mind I was scolding him, "You better suck it up Derek or else I'm gonna lose it!" But at the same time I was thinking about how cute he looked and how sweet it was that he was having to hold back tears. 

After the temple ceremony, everything else went smoothly and perfectly. I don't think there was one hiccup throughout the day. However, I was the bride and floated on Cloud 9 for the rest of the day, so I acknowledge the definite possibility that I missed something. As Derek and I were driving away from our reception, he looked at me and asked if I would have changed anything about the day if I could have. I was able to honestly reply that I wouldn't change a thing.

All of these thoughts were running through my mind as I was sitting in the Las Vegas airport on the morning of our anniversary waiting for my flight to Oakland which would then take me to Seattle. I had been in St. George, UT the past few days for my best friend's wedding. It had been a wonderful trip, but I was ready to see Derek! I got off the plane in Seattle and walked outside, got in the car, and gave Derek a big smoocheroo.

We rode the ferry over to Gig Harber and stayed in the Wesley Inn. After checking in at the hotel, we went out to dinner at the Green House, stopped by Safeway to pick up some dessert, and headed back to celebrate our anniversary, eat dessert, and watch the Chopped marathon on TV. When we got back to the hotel, I opened the door and Derek had my gifts laid out on the table. He gave me a beautiful pair of earrings and a necklace. I love them. My gift to him was supposed to be given to him on our anniversary... but I forgot it was for our anniversary and gave it to him on Christmas. Oh well, he loves it just as much.

In the past year of being married I think we have learned a lot about each other.
1. I do not like to go much longer than an hour without any verbal communication from Derek. He feels that hours without verbal communication is just fine.
2. Derek loves to laugh... at anything. Especially at me when I make a mindless mistake or run into a stationary object. I have been getting better at just laughing at myself.
3. Derek is very good at making dinner on Sundays. I don't think I ever said anything about it to him, he just started and now it is something that I really appreciate.
4. Derek has learned that if I have the time, I like to take a while getting ready. He does not understand why I take longer if I can get ready in a shorter amount of time. He probably won't ever understand.

Here is a bit of our reception last year that the majority of our guests (outside of my family and some of Derek's family) didn't know was going to happen. I surprised Derek with a song.

To watch the video, click here.

I have loved being married! And since this has only been the first year, and I very excited to be married to Derek for many more years to come.

Good Tidings of Great Joy

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

My thoughts tonight are simple. It's Christmas Day, technically, and as we were reading the Christmas story during our Christmas Eve celebration, I noticed something. In verse 15, I noticed that the shepherds immediately thought to go find the baby Jesus, and in 16 we read that they "came with haste."

What would it be like to have been one of those shepherds? Living your life humbly, tending to your flock, and then seeing an angel and hearing that the Son of God, the Savior, Redeemer, and Messiah has just been born in Bethlehem. Wouldn't you get there as fast as you could? And wouldn't you go joyfully? I can't imagine the excitement felt and the peace that entered into the hearts of those shepherds. 

I love the Christmas Story. Here is a video that retells the story of that holy night.

Look Upward

My favorite book is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. The first copy of the book that I ever owned was given to me by my mom on my ninth birthday. I tried multiple times within that next year to get past chapter three, but struggled to continue. I was only nine years old trying to understand Jane Eyre. I mean, come on! Give me a break. At 11 years old I decided to finally sit down and read this book. Once I got to chapter six I was involved in the story. I loved Jane and was able to relate to her in a lot of ways, and found the romance written into the plot so real. 

When I finished the book, I closed it feeling sad that the story wasn't going to continue for the rest of my life. But I have re-read Jane Eyre multiple times, and I never tire of it. As long as there is at least a few months in between readings. 

As I was cleaning out our second bedroom today, I found a box of notebooks that I have saved to use as a future journal once I fill my current ones. One of them was given to me by my roommates D'Anne and Sarah when my grandmother died a year ago this last October. It is a notebook filled with quotes from authors, politicians, church leaders, historical figures, and scripture. I was flipping through the book reading the quotes, and when I saw that there was one by Charlotte Bronte, I already knew I was going to love it. It says, 

This made me think about how, during this entire moving process, I have been so focused on what we will be doing in the future. What we have been doing the past eight months. And what we will be doing this winter to help us prepare for coming back to Rexburg. It makes me a little distressed to think about the fact that Derek and I still have another two years left in school. I just want to be done with it and move on to the next phase of our lives where we have our home, with walls we can paint, carpet we can pick, and a backyard. I am always eager to look forward and anticipate what is coming next. But, I need to remember to continually look up, full of faith and trust, that the Lord knows what is best for me. 

In the October 2011 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Elder Carl B. Cook gave a talk entitled, "It Is Better to Look Up". He shared this story: 

At the end of a particularly tiring day toward the end of my first week as a General Authority, my briefcase was overloaded and my mind was preoccupied with the question “How can I possibly do this?” I left the office of the Seventy and entered the elevator of the Church Administration Building. As the elevator descended, my head was down and I stared blankly at the floor.

The door opened and someone entered, but I didn’t look up. As the door closed, I heard someone ask, “What are you looking at down there?” I recognized that voice—it was President Thomas S. Monson.

I quickly looked up and responded, “Oh, nothing.” (I’m sure that clever response inspired confidence in my abilities!)

But he had seen my subdued countenance and my heavy briefcase. He smiled and lovingly suggested, while pointing heavenward, “It is better to look up!” As we traveled down one more level, he cheerfully explained that he was on his way to the temple. When he bid me farewell, his parting glance spoke again to my heart, “Now, remember, it is better to look up.”

In the book of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon, we read: "9 Believe in God; believe that he is, …believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend."

I need to remember that the Lord will take care of me if I am faithful, keep His commandments, and trust in Him. If I just do my best to try and follow His will, then I won't need to look forward to be able to see the things I might trip over or stumble with in life. By looking up, I will see more that is ahead of me than I ever could by looking forward. 

So in my personal opinion, Charlotte Bronte was a very inspired woman with good words to share. This quote is one that will definitely be on the wall of my future home. 

My Last Thursday

Being here in Rexburg, I have loved Thursdays. Might seem like a weird thing to say. Picking one day over the other six. But it is a founded favorite, trust me.

On Thursdays my only classes are at 7:45 am and 12:45 pm. During those hours between my classes I usually am incredibly productive, getting lots of homework done and it feels great! Then, after my Pakistan class is over at 1:45 I go home to "do homework." A lot of the time I just end up playing Wii or reading my book. 

Then my favorite part comes around: I get to babysit Hallie and Jace at 4:00 pm! I love getting to spend so much time with those sweet kids. I get to see my sister, talk to her, and help her out while laughing my face off at the hilarious things my nephew does. 

Yesterday was my last Thursday watching them before Derek and I leave to go back to Washington for a few months. Man, we are going to miss The Carsons! Derek and Adam have spent multiple nights playing Xbox while Abbie and I have girl time. We have had FHE together, gone out to dinner, and just spent random afternoons together. We have loved having some of my family so close, literally within three minutes of our house. 

Here is an adorable picture of Jace. He would not smile a normal smile. He had to cheese it up. Every time.

It was so much fun. He is such a sweet little boy, smart, and funny.

Last night we had our friends the Taylors over for dinner. It makes me sad to think that we hadn't had them over before, because it was really fun! It felt good to laugh that much. We had green chile chicken enchiladas for dinner, with rice and salad. And for dessert we had sugar cookies! ...but I think this pan that I used is incredibly difficult to use without burning the edges of your cookies. Or I'm just spoiled and am used to baking on stoneware. Oh well, they still tasted great! 

Basically, I'm going to miss my Thursdays here in Rexburg. Derek and I are going to try and pack up everything today so that when tomorrow morning rolls around we can just load up the truck and drop everything off at our storage unit. I can't believe we're leaving Sunday! I'm excited, but we will definitely miss our friends and family here in Rexburg!

Cookies & Chemistry... and Wearing Your Pajama Shirt to Your Final

At the current moment I have completed my chemistry final, meaning that I am done with chemistry FOREVER! However, my journey to get here has been interesting. And when I say journey, I mean the last twelve hours.

At 8:00 pm last night I met two friends from my chemistry class in the MC to study for our final. We stayed there until 10:50 pm. When I got home, I cleaned up the kitchen a little bit, and then started to bake cookies! I figured that my good ol' chemistry friends needed a baked form of love for making it through the semester. (I made Hershey's Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Studded Oatmeal Cookies. If you want the recipe, I can give it to you or you can look it up online. They're AMAZING.)

The dough was mixed, the first batch was in the oven, and I was sitting at the bar going over pseudo rate laws, equilibrium, and the pH of acid/base solutions. Derek went to bed at 12:00am, but did I? Of course not. I stayed up until 2:15 am studying for chemistry. When it got to the point that I couldn't remember what I had just barely read from my notes, I called it a night. The cookies were done and were inside adorable snowflake cellophane bags. The laundry was in the dryer, and my teeth were brushed. 

Before falling asleep I set my alarm for 5:35 am because my chemistry final started at 7:00am and I wanted to have time to go over the last portion of my notes one more time. 

Oh, how I laugh at that ridiculous, hopeful ambition.

I woke up this morning to Derek's alarm. In my mind I was wondering why his alarm was going off... usually I don't hear it. And then it hit me. It's going off and I'm hearing it because it's 6:45 am and I am still in bed! I sat up like a bullet (how do bullets sit up anyway? I imagine it'd be fast), looked over at the clock, and saw that it was indeed 6:45am. 

My chemistry final started in fifteen minutes, and I was still in my pajamas. 

I threw on some jeans, put on a zip up hoodie, brushed my teeth, gathered my notebooks, put on my converse and pea coat and headed out the door. I was in the car at 6:49 am. 

I am wearing yesterday's makeup. (Who has the energy to take off their makeup and wash their face at 2:15 am anyways?) My hair is yesterday's hair without even the finishing touch of running a straightener through the now-wavy-parts. I'm wearing my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt that I wore to bed last night. I looked awesome I ran into my chemistry classroom with five minutes to spare, got my calculator and pencil out, and started my exam.

Surprisingly, it went really well! Now I have to wait until 10:30 am to take my last final. But all I really want to do is go home, take a bath, and finish reading Sense and Sensibility for about the sixth time.

I Never Thought I Would

I know. 

I know what you're thinking. 

"Really Taylor? Posting a picture of and a quote by Robert Pattinson? Isn't that totally a 14-year-old-girl move?"

My repsonse: Well, ...maybe. But I don't care! 

I've never been a huge fan of his. Yes, he's Edward, and there are millions of women who find themselves completely unsatisfied in life because they are longing and pining for a fictional vampire who is perfect in every way. I've never been a huge fan. 

However, this quote makes me feel warm inside. Because I love to read. It's one of my favorite things.

"If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours, but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are. Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours, and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads."

-Robert Pattinson

I Don't Want To!

The next two weeks of my life are going to be insane. Sometimes all I want to do is sit down, fold my arms, and pout.
Quit.
Give up.
Protest.
Boycott.
Whatever means necessary will be executed so that I can just skip the next two weeks and be happily home, free of this semester, and any stress that came with it.

I'm Not Cryin'

This post is inspired by my brother's facebook status. I love this video and it has been way too long since I watched it.

We Decorated!

For Family Home Evening tonight, Derek and I stopped by Walmart on our way home from the gym to pick up some ornaments. Derek's mom gave us a tree and a beautiful ornament, so once we got home we decided to decorate our apartment for Christmas! It was a lot of fun, a little challenging since we live in a college apartment that doesn't lend itself very easily to decoration, but I feel festive!

If only we weren't taking it down in two and a half weeks to move, it would feel a lot more worthwhile...

After we were done decorating, we decided that the helium balloons left over from Morgan's birthday party were a little out of place. So we took them outside and set them free!

...the only problem is that they were already starting to lose helium, so they didn't rise too quickly. They just kind of flew with the wind. I have a sneaking suspicion that they will land in someone's yard across town.

I can only imagine the look on the person's face as they realize there are some star balloons, a smiley face balloon, and a balloon that says "It's All About You" stuck in their tree.

Happy Sweet 16 random Rexburg resident.

This Past Week

This past week has been crazy but filled with lots of fun! My family came in for Thanksgiving and we were lucky enough to have our big turkey dinner at a beautiful home! Our friends The Potters were willing to lend us their house for our dinner so that the eight adults and two children wouldn't be squished into a small married-student-housing apartment here in Rexburg, ID. It was great!

Derek and I made stuffing, rolls, mashed potatoes, apple pie, lemon meringue pie, gravy, and two fruit salads. Dinner was delicious! 

My parents took me, Abbie, Morgan, Jace, and Hallie out on Friday to do a little Christmas shopping. Yesterday evening, my family went bowling at Teton Lanes and it was fun! I actually broke 100 both games (I know, I know, impressive. And maybe a little sad that I'm so proud) and afterward, we executed a secret plan. My little sister's 16th birthday is this Monday, and my mom had the brilliant idea to throw her an early surprise birthday party. It was so fun! Derek, Adam, and I left the bowling alley and grabbed the balloons while Abbie, Adam, Jace, and Hallie stopped by Coldstone to get the ice cream cake. My parents had Morgan at Little Caesar's getting four pizzas so that the rest of us had time to get the goods and head back to my apartment to set up for the party. We were ready and waiting when my parents pulled up. 

Derek opened the door, we all yelled surprise, and Morgan very calmly walked in and put the pizza on the table. She was very composed. I think she needs to work on her surprised face! Oh well, we still love her.

We had a party with pizza, salad, presents, and cake. It was a lot of fun. Then we all played some Kinect. However, Jace found a different thing to entertain him.

I love how cute my nephew is.

It was a great Thanksgiving, and having Morgan's surprise party was a great way to end it! 

TOFW

This past weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to go down to Salt Lake City and go to Time Out For women with my mom and sister! It was an incredible conference, and I cannot express how inspired, motivated, and uplifted I was walking out of the Salt Palace on Saturday afternoon. 

I figured that instead of blabbing on and on and ON about everything I learned, I would just share one thought with you from my favorite speakers. The theme was "Choose to Become."

Brad Wilcox - We may be content to stay just the way we are in our imperfect, mortal state. However, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have a different plan. Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. A redeemer is someone who makes us better. When we say, "I can't help it! I was just born this way, I'm lazy!" or "Sarcasm is just part of my nature, I can't do anything about it," we are stubbornly denying Christ's power. We are denying not only an opportunity to let Christ work miracles in us, but we are denying Him of His redeeming power and miraculous ability to transform us.

Hilary Weeks - Hilary shared a story about how she carried a clicker (counter) with her everywhere, and clicked for each negative thought she had. After the week of counting negativities, she felt down and depressed. She decided to make a small change to her experiment. She decided to count all of the positive things. By the end of that week she not only felt better, but had accumulated almost twice as many counts on her clicker than when she was counting the negatives. This proves that yes, our negative thoughts have power over us, but our positive thoughts have 10x that power.

Laurel Christensen - We need to pray with faith, think with faith, and live with faith. We cannot be content to just be the best "girl in a pit" or "girl cast into slavery" there ever was. (She was talking about the story of Joseph of Egypt.) We need to remember who we are, who our Heavenly Father is, and we must never lose sight of who we can be. Our Father in Heaven is ready and waiting for us to become the absolutely amazing person that He always intended for us to be.

I loved this last weekend! I cannot tell you how many times my heart was touched, how many times I laughed, and how many times I felt the spirit. Time Out For Women is an incredible opportunity. For those of you who have never gone, go! It will leave you feeling empowered and uplifted. It will leave you with the confidence that you can do anything, and that you can choose to become anything.

"All things are possible to him that believeth."

-Mark 9:23


For more information on Time Out For Women, here is their website: http://www.tofw.com/

The Perfect Child

I would do anything to have a little girl that can laugh like this.

With God

Everyone feels, at one time or another, that they are not strong enough to complete the task at hand. Whether it be physically, emotionally, or spiritually strong enough it does not matter. We are all susceptible to weakness in any of these areas. 

At times I feel that I am physically too weak to stay up all night studying, go to class at 7:45 am and then take my test and score the grade I deserve. My body is not strong enough to accomplish all of that. And I have to recognize that weakness and realize that the solution is time management. By using my time more wisely I can study more effectively and have plenty of time to sleep in the evenings.

I imagine that after a deep tragedy involving oneself or one's family that they would be too emotionally weak to deal with any more stress. Even movies and books with the slightest contention as the hero overcomes a challenge cause heartache and suffering instead of the joy and enlightenment they were intended to provide. I imagine that they would feel wasted, both emotionally and physically. Maybe this person will realize that their emotional weakness can be cured. They should realize this, because it is true. I don't know what their solution would be, it is an incredibly individual decision, but therapy is helpful for most people. Being able to talk openly to someone about everything you are thinking and feeling can be very freeing and help you become more self-aware. Over time, you can become emotionally stronger.

In times of trial I believe a struggling disciple of Christ would not feel confident in their ability to withstand much more. I don't think they would find it easy to take on adversity, persecution, or more tribulation. Or maybe they are presented with a challenge and they don't think they have the faith to rise to the call. While spiritual weakness may seem like the most ambiguous, it is the most taxing. When we feel spiritually exhausted, it wears on our bodies and our emotions. This person who is struggling may find it difficult to envision, but their weaknesses can be cured. They can be turned into strengths when we humbly and faithfully lay them at Christ's feet, and let Him refine us. When we do this, our faith will be strengthened and we will see that through faith in God, all things are possible.

In Matthew 19:26 we read, "But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God, all things are possible."

Meaning

Life is precious.

I know. That is an understatement. And all too often, it is overstated. People get tired of hearing it, deafen their ears to its integrity, and turn their attention elsewhere. It is all too similar to what happens in the case of a Type II Diabetic. 

Type II Diabetes can be classified as insulin resistance. The cells in the diabetic's body have become tired of seeing insulin all the time due to a high blood glucose level, so they no longer receive or acknowledge it, making it impossible for the glucose to enter the cell. This is a problem because glucose is the main fuel for the cell. It is what "feeds" the cell. It is what gives it life. Without glucose, the cells think they are starving and will eventually die if they don't get what they need.

This simple statement, that life is precious, is one that we need to recognize. We need to acknowledge it. Because, as humans, we have the tendency to underestimate and overlook the importance of the simple things in life. Things like a kiss on your cheek when your husband gets home from work, a smile from a passing stranger, or a conversation with your sister often are not fully appreciated or valued until they no longer are available. We cannot let this happen. Our lives are a gift. Things that we may think are guaranteed to us may not be. They may become those few things in life that we have to work really hard for.

The minutes we have are priceless. We should treasure them up. However, the most important thing is to make sure that they are worth treasuring up. You never know what will be taken from you the next year, month, day, or minute. 

Please forgive me for the many cliches in this post. I cringe as I think about it, but I'm too tired and overwhelmed to force my brain to form more original sentences. Our lives need meaning, just like our cells need glucose. And the first step to finding that meaning is understanding that life is precious.

Anyone Can Do Anything

In my New Testament class this week we have been reading in 2 Timothy, Philemon, and Hebrews.  In 2 Timothy 2:19 it says, "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his." When I read this scripture, I immediately thought of the scripture in Doctrine & Covenants 35:1. It reads, "Listen to the voice of the Lord your God, even Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, whose course is one eternal round, the same today as yesterday, and forever." 

It is such a comfort to me knowing that God is the same now as He was back in Old Testament times. In the Old Testament, God blessed His prophets by giving them the priesthood which enabled them to perform great miracles. Doing so let these prophets show the power of God to all of the people, bringing more of God's children to a knowledge of Him. To me, this is an expression of God's love for us.

Another expression of God's love was when He sent His son to the earth to set an example and guide the way for all of us. After Christ's Atonement in the Garden of Gethsemane and His crucifixion and resurrection, Christ visited the Americas. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, and is the recorded history of the people on the American continent. 

When Christ visited the Nephites He performed many miracles, blessing their children and healing their sick. In chapter 17 of 3 Nephi it records some wonderful things that Christ did for the people. To me, this has always been one of my favorite chapters. One of the main reasons I love this chapter so much is because in verses 20-23 it says:

20 And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.

21 And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.

22 And when he had done this he wept again;

23 And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones.

I love this passage because it shows the tenderness and love of Christ. It shows how much he loves the people. Their righteousness and faith made Christ's joy full. I just love how much these verses show the love of Christ. 

Coming back to the idea that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, if God unconditionally loved His people in the Old Testament, and since Christ unconditionally loved the Nephites, then the amount of love they have for us is no different. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us unconditionally, and the magnitude of their love is incomprehensible. 

I think that if we can truly grasp this, and try to understand how strong God's love for us is, we will realize that we can do anything. If you think about it, we have the most powerful, important, and all-knowing being in the universe on our side. He loves and believes in us. If we do our best to understand and believe that, then we can do anything. I echo Christ's words when in Mark 10:27 He says to His disciples, "With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." 

In a recent address by President Uchtdorf to the women of the LDS Church, he said:

The Forget Me Not Flower. This flower is
the inspiration and the title of President
Uchtdorf's talk.

"Sisters, wherever you are, whatever your circumstances may be, you are not forgotten. No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you with an infinite love. Just think of it: You are known and remembered by the most majestic powerful and glorious Being in the universe! You are loved by the King of infinite space and everlasting time! It is my prayer and blessing that you will never forget that you are truly precious daughters in God's kingdom."

I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have a Heavenly Father and He loves me. And I'm grateful that I know that I have potential, and with faith in God and a trust in His love for me, I can do anything. God has loved His children throughout all time, and that isn't about to change.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cheesecake

So I decided that the November Recipe of the Month for Parkland Parish Quilt Co. was going to be a Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cheesecake from the Hershey's Greatest Desserts Book. It is DELICIOUS. Really rich, but what cheesecake isn't, right?

To get the recipe, you can click here.

Here are some pictures. This is my first cheesecake from scratch. Don't judge.

That's It!

This just about sums up how easily I can overreact when Derek is quiet.

Halloween Houses with the Carson Family

I love Halloween. The weather starts to get gloomy, I can start burning holiday-ish candles, it gets cold enough for a first cup of hot cocoa, and I of course love the candy.

A fun Halloween activity that I did for the first time with my sister Devin in 2008 is to build Halloween Haunted Houses out of chocolate graham crackers, melted caramels, and Halloween candy. I teamed up with Jaena, and we built a totally awesome haunted castle.

(Please ignore the somewhat horrible picture of me, and focus on my cute niece and the awesome castle.)

This year, since Derek and I are lucky enough to live just three minutes away from my sister Abbie and her family, we decided to build haunted houses with them. It was SO MUCH FUN! 

After dinner was done and Jace was in bed, we all sat down at the table to start our houses. Derek was the one who started building the foundation of our house, and he was doing a great job. I then held up one cracker. Not even a whole cracker. Just one quarter of a cracker to the side to see what it would look like if we were to put it there, and the whole thing collapsed. I was frozen with shock while Abbie and Adam were busting up. My poor husband put everything down and said, "Have fun. I'm not touchin' it again." I started to laugh and did my best to persuade him to help me rebuild our masterpiece, but he decided he was done. So he ate candy, and built a few pieces for the haunted garden around our house. Needless to say, this setback made it quite difficult for us to continue building and expanding our house without driving the evening too late, so it is an incomplete house.

We were somewhat bummed because neither Broulim's, Albertson's, or Wal Mart had chocolate graham crackers. Stupid Rexburg!  So we settled for cinnamon graham crackers. 

Here's the finished product! Derek was too tired to get up off the couch and smile with me. So you only get me.

Derek and I had a lot of fun building houses, and we quite enjoyed Abbie and Adam's "Teepee Haunted House". They ended up creating an Indian chief and naming him Chief Too Tsie. If you want to see a picture of their house and the indian chief, click here.

Now, on to Thanksgiving . . .   I love the holidays!

Time of Need

I have a test coming up this weekend in my American Epidemic class. I'm really not too worried about it. I'm very familiar with all the material we've been covering in class, have learned it previously in other classes, so hopefully I can do as well as I think I should.

However, I have a chemistry test in about two weeks and my mind shrivels at the thought of preparing for and taking another chemistry exam. 

As I was sitting in Stake Conference yesterday, one speaker shared a quote from a general authority, and it made me think twice about my attitude towards chemistry.

“When your time of need arrives, your time for preparation is over.”

I let the words sink in. I silently scolded myself for being so lackadaisical about my preparations for the exams. I do take the time to look over the review sheets, and I do all of my homework, but that is where my preparation ends. I enter the testing center with a small sliver of confidence and ten minutes into the test, that sliver has splintered into nothingness. My time of need arrives, and I desperately need more time to prepare.

So! I have decided that for this upcoming test, I am going to start preparing today. I am going to look at the review sheet earlier than the day before the test, and I am going to make sure that I completely understand every single concept and how it could be applied to different situations in the ever-so-confusing world of chemistry. 

There are other areas of my life that this can apply to. Maybe I need to be better prepared for someday becoming a mother, or a tragedy with a family member, or a health problem. But the one thing that comes to my mind most of all is being prepared for the Second Coming of our Savior Jesus Christ.
When our time of need arrives, when we need all the spiritual drops of oil in our lamps that we can get, our time of preparation is over. We need to have done the work and the preparation before we need it. Then, when our time of need arrives, it will be a beautiful day.

My Triple Chocolate Cookies

I am the new Ward Music Chair Person for our married student ward. This last Sunday I held Ward Choir Practice and decided that I should bake some cookies for the wonderful people who come to ward choir. So! I made my triple chocolate cookies.

When I was about 15 years old I decided to experiment with baking cookies, and came up with this recipe for triple chocolate cookies that I have tweaked and changed until I think it's just perfect. 

I've decided to share it.  

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup cocoa

2.5 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

                           Milk & white chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix until slightly fluffy. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Add chocolate chips and white chocolate chips to desired amount. I usually add about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of each. Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes. 

And that's it! It's a really simple recipe, but absolutely delicious! One of Derek's favorite modifications is to, instead of adding the white chocolate chips, chop up Peanut Butter M&Ms and add those to the cookies. It's delicious!

The recipe can be a little temperamental... guess that's evidence that I am no professional creator of recipes. The dough should be a really nice texture, however sometimes it gets crumbly. If you just work it with your hands, it should turn out fine.

Enjoy with a tall glass of milk!

October 19, 2011

A year ago today my sweet Grandmother passed away. She is still someone that I think about all the time, and I will always remember her quiet laugh and gentle manner.  I wrote this post a year ago in memory of my Grandma.

A Legacy

My Already Frustrating Morning

On Saturday mornings I get out of bed at 8:30 am and brush my teeth. I pull my hair up into a pony tail, put on my exercise clothes, and head out the door looking forward to my Pilates class. This morning was no different.

The exercise pants that I wear every time I go to the Hart to work out are capri length, stretchy black pants. I have worn them every time. 

I parked the car and walked into the Hart, up the stairs, and to the locker room. I approached the counter.

"Hi, can I get a medium shirt please?" I asked very kindly.

The girl looked at me and gave kind of a I-feel-so-bad-for-you smile."No. I'm sorry," she said. "We're going to have to ask you to go home and change. President Clark has asked us not to wear capris or shorts on campus." 

I got confused, looked at the paper she was pointing to, and said, "But I have worn these pants every time I have come to work out and no one has ever said anything before. They're on the poster of approved exercise clothes and I drove here specifically to work out. Is there any way you can give me a shirt? I'll take a warning or something, but my class starts in two minutes."

She kind of laughed. "No, I'm sorry. But you have to go home and change and then come back."

I got angry. "I don't think you understand, I live 10 minutes away and my class is starting now. If I go home, change, come back, get a shirt, change back into my current apparel, and get to my class there will only be 10 minutes left of it."

My plea fell on deaf ears. The only reply I got was, "You have to go home and change before you can get clothing."

I stared at her, amazed at her inability to compromise with me considering I had never heard of this "rule that has been in place for a year now". And I've been going to the Hart at least once a week in the Spring, and four times a week this semester. 

If the scene had played out the way I imagined it, I would have told her how "Ridiculous it is that you can't understand my situation and give me a break just this once. Plus! It's not like I chose to wear these pants so that after I'm done exercising I can walk all around campus breaking the Honor Code. And in all honesty, I really don't think that President Clark would object to this. I drove here. From my home. Ten minutes away from campus. I'm not going to wear jeans and a t-shirt just so that I can change into my exercise clothes right when I get here! That is ridiculous! You are one of those people that makes everyone think that BYU-I is a crazy, strict, awful school. Have a great day."

But instead, I just turned around and walked out. Walked back down the stairs, out the door, and to my car. My Saturday morning was ruined, and it was only 9:04 am. 

Minuet of the Insomniac

I feel like insomnia drives to me the edge of a cliff and just before I'm about to fall off and completely lose it, the rational side of me takes the wheel and steers me to safety. My mind goes through these circles of thought that lead me nowhere but right back where I was when I started: awake and irritated. 

A minuet, by definition, is a social dance from France for two people. Well let me tell you, I dance my own kind of minuet when I cannot seem to fall asleep at night. I feel like there are two different people inside of me.
First - A person who is determined to keep my mind running through different thoughts over and over again, until I am so far past the point of falling asleep that it drives me mad.

Second - A rational person who knows that sleep is necessary for me to function tomorrow in my 7:45 am chemistry class. A rational person who tries to calm my mind down by picturing bright red numbers scrolling by on an imaginary theater screen. 

These two states of mental stability fluctuate back and forth within my mind, and I like to call it the "Minuet of the Insomniac." It's a cute little dance in 3/4 rhythm that eventually makes me so crazy, that I end up looking just as frightening as the poor woman in this cartoon on the right.

Now, I don't really have insomnia. I just have an incredibly fragile and volatile body clock. Once I get on a schedule I have to stay on it or else this happens. I end up awake at 1:00 am while Derek snoozes away beside me. I end up writing a blog post that most likely will be read by no one.

And I end up making ridiculous analogies between an 18th century social dance and my frustration at my lack of sleep. 

Sleep. I need sleep.

Chemistry & Dinner

I'm sitting on the couch studying for my upcoming chemistry exam. It makes me want to get up, start screaming and bang my head against the wall. 

But sadly, I can't.

Anyways, I've put myself on a schedule to get through the review sheet my professor posted and hopefully I will take it either Friday night or Saturday morning. 

And while I'm sitting here studying for chemistry, my husband who has made dinner the past couple nights is in the kitchen whippin' up some dinner. 

I love him.

Our Totally Awesome Halloween FHE

My parents sent us and The Carson's a fun Halloween package! We were sent supplies to make a very fun and cute Halloween decoration. I love crafts! I may not be that fantastic at them, but I think they're a lot of fun and they make me feel productive.

So today Derek and I went and picked our paint colors, came home, did homework, ate dinner, and then got to work!

We decided to put a base coat of black down on the wooden blocks, then once it dried to put on a coat of Crackle.

The Crackle makes it so that when you put the top coat on, it will look aged and the black will come through in little "crackles" to the top. Sorry, that was dumb, but I couldn't think of any other way to say it.

After the crackle dried to the point that it felt a little sticky, we painted the top coats. Derek's looks the best out of all of them because he has much more patience with these types of things than I do. I just want to start the project, go through everything quickly, and have it turn out perfectly!

Sadly, that's not how it works.

But! I still think it looks absolutely adorable.

Derek did this one.

And the finished product with the adorable kitchen towel that was part of our Halloween gift.

Thanks Mom and Dad Thetford for the fun surprise!

Justin Bieber for the Elderly

It is a beautiful day. The sun is shining, the skies are blue, and there's a light breeze. I had just finished studying for my chemistry test and was feeling uplifted by how much I understood and felt confident with. The Hart building was straight ahead, so I decided to stop in and see what free fitness classes were being held tonight at 8:00. I had tried to attend a pilates class a week ago to see what it was like, but I ended up being busy that night. 

I opened the doors, walked down the stairs, and headed toward the small dance studio that had the list of classes posted on the door. The doors were open, and as I got closer I could hear the tune of "Baby" by Justin Bieber coming from the studio. I expected to see a bubbly energetic female aerobics instructor at the front of the room, leading a group of girls in a "super fun and totally awesome" aerobics routine. However, as I approached the doors and took a look inside I saw something very, very different.

This lady's a champ.

Old people. The elderly. Those of an advanced age. You get my drift. They were sitting on giant balance balls, doing a military press with free weights. The instructor was short, muscular, and male. He was shouting, trying to encourage those that had lost their balance and fallen off of their balance ball. Looks of strain, anguish, and pure discontent occupied the faces of the old people. And Justin Bieber was blasting in the background. 

I took in the scene, unable to fully comprehend it. As I walked away I started to silently laugh to myself as I thought about how perfectly hilarious that scene had been. I picked up my cell phone to call my little brother, because I knew he would appreciate it just as much as I had. 

And while it left me with visions of old people wobbling on giant balance balls trying to lift weights, it's okay. 

There's a pilates class tonight at 8:00.

Facebook Stalking: The Newest Way to Scope out a Date

She vigorously clicks the mouse as she scrolls through every one of the 2,496 pictures of him that are on his Facebook profile. From his pictures it looks like he knows how to go out and have fun, goes to the gym a lot, loves to spend time with his friends, is talented at the guitar and piano, and is very photogenic. His profile pictures show that he hasn't had a serious girlfriend in a while, so there's not a big chance of lingering feelings. And the posts on his wall show that everyone that knows him loves him. 

She closes the window and smiles to herself, excited for her date with this young gentleman that weekend. 

Sadly, this happens all too often. The Facebook Stalk has almost taken place of a background check. If a girl gets asked out by a guy, she will do her best to Facebook Stalk him as much as she can. Looking through all photos, scrolling through posts as old as two years ago, and reading his cheesy biography on his "Info" page are the typical items on the Facebook Stalk Check-List. And it isn't just girls that do this. Guys will do the exact same thing.

So, with this knowledge, I think people set up their Facebook profiles in such a way as to be appealing to others. They post photos that make them look like a fun person, an interesting person, and a well rounded person. Even if the guy can't really play piano or guitar, you are likely find a picture of him posing with said instruments. And even though he has only gone on two hiking trips in the last 20 years of his life, those pictures dominate his profile sending the message that he's adventurous. 

Without purposefully doing so, I think Facebook is not just a social media site, but also a dating site. Without the explicit "Personality Tests" and "Matching of Interests", people still send all the same messages through their Facebook profile that a dating profile would. 

So if you have a hot date this weekend go ahead, Facebook Stalk them. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, it's really useful. However, just don't put full credit in those pictures of him holding a guitar or standing on top of a mountain. 

I Had to Share

I love Conan. His show takes a night full of stress from anger to lots of laughter. One of my favorite episodes is when John Krasinski visits his show. The marionette thing is the BEST! Once John does the drunken marionette, you can stop the video because the best is over. But the whole clip is fantastic.

Click here to watch the video!

My Husband Loves Me

And I love us. 

If you can't tell, Derek is puffing out his cheeks and seconds after the picture was taken, he blew a raspberry on my lips. 

I Remember

I remember when I was able to watch my sister board her plane and then stand with my face pressed to the window as it took off.

I remember when I ignorantly believed that terrorists were a thing of the past.

I remember when our country felt secure.

I remember when I wondered what a national crisis would be like.

I also remember the morning of September 11, 2001.

Ten years ago today I woke up to a quiet house. That was not the norm. Usually I could hear the sound of the treadmill or the bowflex in the room down the hall as my mom did her daily workout. However, that morning I could hear my heart pumping. I climbed out of bed rubbing my eyes and stumbled my way down the hallway to my mom's room. I saw her sitting up in bed with her knees drawn to her chest and her eyes glued to the TV. She saw me come into her room and I climbed onto her bed and snuggled up to her. I watched the live coverage of the first tower burning, and then saw on TV as the second plane crashed into the second tower. My mom called my dad at work and talked to him. I don't really remember their conversation very well, but when my mom hung up the phone I remember her saying something about World War III.

She told me to get ready for school, so I quietly obeyed. When I was downstairs eating breakfast my mom explained to me what happened that morning. I was only 11 years old. Not old enough to completely comprehend the weight of what just happened.

When I got to school my teacher was quiet. All the students were whispering to each other. The day went on as normal at my small elementary school in Graham. 

Ten years later, I am 21 years old.  I'm married to my best friend. I go to school at Brigham Young University-Idaho studying Exercise Physiology. 

I can no longer watch my sister board her plane or press my face against the glass as it takes off.

I no longer ignorantly believe that terrorists are a thing of the past.

I know what a national crisis feels like.

And I will always remember September 11, 2001.