bff

you know what? he is the best.

that is all.

we're cute.

I found this post forever ago (January) on C. Jane's blog, but forgot about it until this week's Relief Society lesson (mentioned using the internet as a way to share the Gospel).


"I think we've established that. We're cute. Blogging Mormon Housewives are cute. Ok. [...]

It's that we're more than cute. Or at least we should be. And why aren't we? Why didn't Emily end the article saying, "I am going to invite the missionaries over for hot cocoa"? Not that I want Emily to be a Mormon necessarily, but in truth, I want Emily to want to know what she was asking in the first place, Why are these blogs so fascinating?

And I don't think we've answered that question.

I think we're getting close. When I first started blogging (cue: my maternal grandbloggers voice) there wasn't a lot of religion talk in the Mormon blogs I read. Then we started to get more courageous, we started to put up buttons and link to texts (talks, articles) and sometimes we share stories about church or the goodness of God--posts that were easy on the spiritual digestion. We've come a long way in being able to proclaim our Latter Day Sainthood and it's good. But what about the doctrine? Are we sharing the meat along with the cupcakes?

Not just religion for religion’s sake, but WHY it works; why we go to church for three hours every Sunday (just to wrestle our kids for most of it) why we go on missions, why we love our temples, why we believe in families….WHY IT HELPS."

Interesting, interesting.  What do you guys think?

To read the whole post, click here. (you have to scroll down a little bit)

she's the bomb dot com

I'm a little late in posting this, but since this week was Mothers Day, I wanted to talk about how awesome my mom is.

Seriously, I don't even know where to begin with this woman. I don't know of anyone more selfless than my mom. She (and my dad) have always put their children first and have always done all they can to give us opportunities to learn and to do what we love. When I was growing up, we never felt restricted to pick one activity to do. We danced (a lot), took voice lessons, piano lessons, violin lessons, drum lessons, guitar lessons (both my brother, not me), art classes in the summer (do you even remember that, Mom? from Oak Canyon and I painted a foot?), drama lessons, etc. and we never had to pay for it. We were encouraged to find something we could be passionate about, and then my mom supported it 100%. She was at every performance and competition we ever had, even going to my brother's band's concerts at Muse Music cafe, surrounded by forty seventeen year olds, or sitting in a gross high school gym all Saturday afternoon waiting to watch me dance for two rounds.

My mom was the one who sat with me in a hotel room in Toulouse last summer while I cried for what seemed like 48 hours straight, and told me it was going to be all right and that I could do this scary internship/live in France/learn to speak real French thing. She has always believed in me.

And I believe in her. My mom, hardcore drummer, taxi driver, crazy Young Woman's camp leader can do anything.

check this one off the list

There is a macaron truck in University City (which is where Penn is).

It was meant to be, guys, it was meant to be.

we'll be spending the next 4+ years of our lives in...

in case you have problems reading backwards (what the heck photobooth?), those shirts say PENN!!!!

We're sending in an apartment application tomorrow (hello $1600 rent, ouch) and we'll be moving out the second week of July. So! This means I must play with all of you before I leave!

I've already started planning our touristy east coast travels. In Philadelphia we must visit Independence Hall and see the Liberty Bell, go to the Rodin museum, and the Philadelphia art museum. I also want to drive out to Gettysburg. And Amish country! And Hershey, PA! Train tickets to New York, DC, and Boston are not too pricey, so there's another few trips! (this also means that you all need to come visit us in Philly and sleep on our really comfortable couch so that you can experience all of this cultural goodness too)

Any tips for things to do in any of those four cities? Restaurants, museums, etc?

Also, we'll be driving across the country moving all of our stuff, and I want to plan some strategic stops along the way. I'd like to stop in Nauvoo, Chicago, and maybe Kirtland. We'll need to stop somewhere between here and Nauvoo, however, and I just can't seem to find anything interesting. Any ideas? Favorite midwest cities? Is there anything in Nebraska?
How many times do you get to drive across the country, ya know? I want to make this awesome before we're $60,000 in debt and up to our necks in school and don't have time for this sort of adventuring anymore.

Any advice would be much appreciated. :)

avoidance

Such a flurry of blogging the past few days!

(probably because psychology reading is nearly boring me out of my mind, but alas, I already did laundry, dishes, made the bed, cleaned the living room, it's too early to make a salad for our chemistry party tonight, my French reading is done, and finishing my biochem homework is even less appealing.)

Thus here I am! Telling you all how great Ingrid Michaelson is and how today I've just rediscovered her. Her concert a few years ago was one of my all-time favorite concerts.

Also, I'm now following her on Twitter, which is pretty cool. I mean, the whole idea of twitter is pretty cool, right? I'm also now following Neil deGrasse Tyson, which is also cool (one of his recent tweets: "Royal Wedding celebrates inherited power; the opposite of America's founding principles. I'll be watching the shuttle launch." Ha! What a physicist!). I also found out that my friend Jen is one of 14 people that Jimmer Fredette follows. Wha?! Jen, you're such a rockstar!

Funny thing is, I signed up for a twitter account like 2 years ago and today I finally posted my first tweet. Better late than never, I suppose? Anyway, if you have twitter too, I'd love to follow you!
Here is my profile :)

Happy Saturday!

just in case you were wondering

picking out a birthday card for your father-in-law is not the easiest thing in the world.

In fact, picking out birthday cards in general is practically the worst thing ever. That statement is probably inspired by my chronic indecision, but still. The funny cards aren't funny and the sentimental ones are stupid so what are you supposed to do?!

I just want a card that says, "Happy Birthday!" on the front without glitter or dogs wearing clothes or ugly cartoons and nothing on the inside. Is that too much to ask, Hallmark?

nourriture

Dear Smiths,

Thanks for providing me with a Magnum Bar fix, so I can relive the glory days of wandering around England:

Too bad it cost me $4 for a pack of 3.

Now, if only I could find some decent these, I'd be all European treat happy

macaron cookies!!! Maybe you'll be more find-able outside of this state? Probably that will be my July project-find macaron cookies and a cupcake place wherever we end up. 

While I'm talking about food...I submit that pistachio is the most underrated flavor in the US. Pistachio macarons, pistachio gelato, that is some good stuff. 

And you know what else is good stuff? Cucumbers with salad dressing! And celery with peanut butter! And fresh tomatoes on top of homemade pizza! (big kudos to Amanda for the dough recipe!) 

This is just to say that I am currently starving after eating banana cream pie for lunch 6 hours ago. Can't wait for my homemade pizza to be done! And to eat magnum bars with Kellie and Laura tonight!! mmmmmm