Exciting News!

Davis and I are engaged! He proposed January 17 and we took these pictures right afterwards. We are going to get married April 9, 2011, before my brother Brodi leaves for his mission to Brazil on April 26. We are so excited!!! Today, almost two weeks later, I found my wedding dress and it is stunning, elegant and timeless. Jessica Turley, my mom, and I could not believe how perfect it was! Stay tuned for more updates!

Blog Sweet Blog

Well it really has been some time since, the last time I have blogged. Between an exhausting full time job and an intensely busy school schedule I have barely had a moment to breathe let alone blog. But here I am holding my breath.

I have been doing lots of different things this semester. I sold pies at the Rexburg Farmers Market and I am also one of the Relief Society Presidents in my ward. But I am getting ahead of myself here.

Part One: Last winter (December-May/June) -yes I am grouping Spring with Winter-

I was home working and meeting tons of new people and making lots of new friends and chilling with my old friends. To the right is what happens when I am put on house arrest. We watched several movies and then went picture happy on the floor.

We went shooting in a quarry in Enumclaw. It was so much fun. And don't worry there was no one taking the picture.

 This is a beautiful picture that I have been wanting to take for the last three or four years. This tree only blooms for a week while all of the other trees around it still have no foliage.

 I ordered a Cricut Expression, (and it just about broke the bank.) This is an incredible die-cut machine that can cut paper, fabric and vinyl, in very large sizes. I had a lot of fun opening everything up and learning how it all worked and watching all of the instructional videos. I have lots of plans for implementing my Cricut.

Brodi also had lots of fun playing with the box. :)

This was a double bridal shower that I threw for two of my best friends Jessica and McRae. I flew up to Rexburg and stayed with them and also custom made them bridal shower books.










These are pictures I took with each of them over that weekend. I love them very much and am so very thankful for their wonderful friendship with me and for their sweet, sweet spirits. Love you ladies.

Jessica married Jared Moore on May 14, 2010 and McRae married Travis Van Noy on May 29, 2010. Both very wonderful days.

My family went on a cruise to Mexico, Belize, and Honduras. We also went to Disney World these are a few of the pictures that we took.
Here we are cave-tubing in Belize. Two words come to mind:
"butts up!"

Here we are on an old Mayan temple. Cool huh?

 This is a me holding a monkey. Yeah. A real life monkey. It was so cute! And if you look closely it is playing with my feather earrings that I had gotten probably twenty minutes earlier. It was so fascinated by them. It was petting them lovingly. This was just before we went Zip-lining from the top of the island of Honduras all the way down right next to the beach, which means we hooked on and off about 18 times. The picture below is just before we started. I was worried about my expensive sandalthotics I had just got, but they were fine. The next is a picture of me in the process of ziplining. The two guys said I was a natural, or maybe they just though I was cute. It was such a rush!! My fear of heights was definitely remembered while I was soaring over the jungle. Intense.

 Isn't this beautiful! This was the port we stopped at in Honduras. There was SOO many beautiful places! And when we went snorkeling I saw a "Dory" fish! I was kind of excited.

This is Brodi and me waiting in line at the Tower of Terror in Disney World. People had just screamed. We were scared.
That was an awesome ride I recommend with two thumbs up.
It was fun when Brodi and I were running around to all the different rides we did all these different poses for when the cameras took the pictures. We started getting pretty creative.

And then when I came home everyone left. For school, for Utah, for missions, for Boise. And the rest of my summer was pretty uneventful. This was kind of our last who-rah, we went to a drive in, like 20 people, and we watched How to Train your Dragon. Cutest movie ever.

Look for Part Two coming soon!

Recipes, Roommates and Showers

^Previous Recipe^
Individual Chocolate Lava Cakes

CHOCOLATE CENTERS
1/2 bar Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet baking bar
1/4 c heavy cream

CAKE
Nonstick cooking spray
1 bar Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet baking bar
1/2 c unsalted butter
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/3 c sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c cake flour

Fruit and Whipped Cream Garnish (Raspberries or Strawberries are good)

First you melt the 1/2 baking bar and cream in a double boiler (a pot filled with water and metal bowl works just fine too!) Whisk the mixture gently to blend. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm. Then roll into balls, about an inch wide keep refrigerated until needed.
To make the cake you: heat the oven to 400 degrees. Then spray down 6 ramekins or custard cups (I actually used a muffin pan and it made 11 perfectly sized and proportioned lava cakes) with the cooking spray. Melt the remaining chocolate and butter in a double boiler and whisk to blend. Place eggs, yolks, sugar, and vanilla in a mixer bowl. Mix together medium speed for about 5 minutes or until thick and light. Then fold in the melted chocolate mixture and flour by hand until just combined. Then divide between the prepared molds and in the middle of the batter pouring, place a chocolate ball. Bake for about fifteen minutes, or until the cake is firm to the touch. Let it sit in the oven for about 5 minutes, run a knife around the edge of the mini cakes, and then invert upon a plate. Drizzle with chocolate sauce, whipped cream and I fanned strawberries.
^Previous Recipe^

Today I was so lucky to go to my old roommates bridal shower. Kelli and Robbie are going to get married on October 23, 2009. We were so excited to have seen the fruition of their relationship, and wish them all of the luck in the world as their two lives become one! Of all thirteen roommates that I've had 7 of them are now married (yes Kami you are included as a roommate). I just have to say I love married people. :)

The other picture is of my recent haircut.

Today I gave out to Kelli and also whipped up a batch of my famous cookies. I'm still debating on whether I am going to give out that coveted recipe online or not. I'll let you know when the deliberation is over.

I've recently discovered the Artist Owl City, and their song Fireflies. I'm in love with it. I highly recommend them.

I've recently happened upon a definition I love for peace:

Peace is that all is well with that which matters most.

And finally good luck with all of your endeavors whether they be great or small.