Just some pics.

I know you're thinking "Two posts in one day?" but I just have some pics to share from the last couple of weeks so enjoy!

Andy's Haircut before and after

Just a cute pic from our trip to the beach
And... a cute soccer bum. I love my little man.

Yummo!

We had a ward picnic on Wednesday and I tried a new recipe I found in Woman's Day mag. Here's the result.


It was delicious. It had the texture of a really moist coffee cake on the inside and a crispy crust outside.

Here's the recipe if you're interested.

Apple-Walnut Cake with Cider Sauce

By Woman's Day Kitchen from Woman's Day

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sugar

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1⁄4 cup apple cider

3 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg and baking soda

1⁄2 tsp salt

3 cups flour

2 large Granny Smith apples (3 1⁄2 cups), peeled, cored and sliced

1 1⁄2 cups chopped walnuts

Cider Sauce

2 cups apple cider

1⁄4 cup packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 10-in. tube pan with removable tube insert with nonstick spray.

2. Whisk sugar, oil, apple cider, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until blended.

3. Stir in flour until blended. Stir in apples and walnuts.

4. Scrape mixture into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour and 10 to 20 minutes.

5. Let cool in pan on wire rack 1 hour. Remove sides of pan. Cool completely before lifting cake off bottom of pan.

6. Cider Sauce: Whisk cider, brown sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan until blended. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Boil 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla; stir until butter melts. Let cool to warm or refrigerate until serving.

It's 12:14am. Do you know where you children is?

Haha! I know that's bad english but my dad left that on my answering machine way back when while I was in college. My roommates and I laughed at that one. I love my dad. As for the time? Yeah, I'm up. Serves me right for taking a nap today. There isn't too much that's exciting in my life right now. Life, though in constant upheaval, is good, steady, and fairly predictable. Marcus has the day off tomorrow which just makes it better. We're going to Disney World (yay!) at the end of the month and as a result I get a two and 1/2 week vacation. I know, you're jealous. I've got things on my mind but nothing major. I want to get my finances in order. I want to get my food storage going. And, as always, I want to get in shape. I really don't have anything to post about. Just checking in and making good on my Aug 28th promise to post more. Have a good night. Hopefully you're all in bed dreaming sugar plum dreams. I'm heading back to bed to see if I can dream a little too before my little bug wakes me up for a late night snack.

And zoom! It's gone.

So all of August I've been meaning to post. First on my birthday (Aug 3) Then when we went to the beach (two weeks ago). Next on my anniversary (Aug 19--I love you Marcus!) now it's the 28th. I have to make posters for a church activity and I have to write a talk (yikes!) so this is pretty much it. I just wanted to let you know that I am still here and happy as a clam and just a little busy. I promise Sept. will bring more posts.

Caution...self awareness ahead

I'm sitting here on my little patio in a rare moment of quiet. My baby is long asleep and my husband is too. The dishes are done. The laundry is folded. The floor swept. My "life" is in order. That's where the trouble starts. I'm realizing more and more that while I love my life and who I've become, there is no depth to me. I'm sure you, my friends, would beg to differ. (at least I hope) However, you are not there in the small hours of my life. The defining moments. Am I more then the titles I've been given? Are they what defines me? I have goals; though they are little known. There are so many things that I aspire to that I haven't even begun to do. My main goal: to be passionate. I want to have fire in my life. I want something to consume me. I don't want it to be something that I disregard my "life" for but I want to do something with a fervor that I've never felt. To be perfectly honest, I feel a little dead. Where do I find that passion that I see in so many others? Is it something I can acquire or am I out of luck? Am I dumb to even want this? If you have any suggestions, please send them my way. Until then, I'll keep you posted.

{me}

Sand in the city

We went to a fundraiser in Portland on Saturday called Sand in the City. It was a little event but we had a lot of fun and it was for a good cause. Here are some pictures from it. Marcus and Andy playing in the sand. Despite the way it looks, Andy hated it.
Andy getting his face painted. He kept trying to eat the paintbrush.

The end result. Marcus got made fun of several times but he's my hero for doing it.

The bug and me. It was really so much fun.

remember when

Here is a fun little game... Leave a comment on my blog of a memory that you and I have had together. It doesn't matter if you've known me for a short time or a long time, anything you remember! Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. On your mark...get set...blog your memories!!