Where Should I Even Begin?

What a question? I guess I'll start with an amazing bread recipe that I've made a few times. I found the recipe on... go ahead and guess.... PINTEREST! It's from a site called Deals to Meals. Supposedly this bread costs .25 to make. I might appraise it at a little higher price. Especially if you don't have one or more of the ingredients already. However, it is worth every penny. Those of you who have sampled European bread before will understand what I mean.

My first baked bread

French Bread recipe (this amount makes 3 small loaves or 2 large):

2 1/2 c. warm water
2 T. yeast
3 T. sugar
2 T. white vinegar
Add the above ingredients together and let sit until bubbly (about 3-5 minutes). 
Then add:1 T. salt
1/3 c. oil
 6-7 c. flour (or a little more if it's too soft), one cup at a time--add enough until the dough is soft, but firm enough to mold into dough loaves


I used my stand mixer to knead it for a few minutes (2-5). Put the dough in the oven (not heated up) with a pot of boiling water. Punch the dough down when it gets to the top of the bowl (2-5 times). Take the dough out of the oven (and the pot of boiling water... I made that mistake once...) and divide it into 2 or 3 equal parts. Make them look like a baguette/just a nice loaf of European bread. Place on a greased and floured cookie sheet. Slice the dough (I use scissors to cut mine) and then cover with a beaten egg. Let it rise for about a half hour on the counter and then put them in the oven at 375 for a half hour. Serve it hot right out of the oven! Super good with butter and jam or just butter or just jam. We love it.

Alright, now what?

Well, my brother-in-law graduated. Way to go Josh! He and his wife are moving to Missouri this summer to go to AT Still. We are sure going to miss them.

Me, Josh, Justin at Graduation

After the graduation, Justin's parents took us all out to eat at Carrabbas. Which is probably my favorite restaurant. They have fantastic bread (Look what Hungary did to me! I'm a sucker for yummy breads...)

Next

A little more than two years ago this was me:

I was serving as a missionary in the Hungary Budapest mission and that was my companion Sister Jackie Crosley from Canada. We had a LOT of fun. And those are our sweet coats. We totally rocked the fur around the hoods. 

And this is us now. 

My cute companion who was my companion for 4 1/2 months in the beautiful city of Pest, Hungary is getting married next month! So we did a bridal shower for her. I love getting together with people from the mission. There's just something about serving around people in a foreign country miles and miles away from your closest living relative that brings you close to people.

Sister Wade, Sister Shurtleff (Meyer), Sister Crosley (soon to be Huggard), Sister Barker, Sister Garner, Sister Nestor (Cardell), Sister Hammond (Jackson) and Sister Newman (Moody)

What else?

My little sister and my little sister-in-law went to prom last weekend. They are BEAUTIFUL. See for yourself.

Spencer and Becca

Alicea and Sean

And here's me and Justin at our prom many many moons ago

Junior Year

Senior Year

 There's just something about getting to dress up like a princess. 

Now here's something that will throw you for a loop. Check out my eye, the right one to be exact (my right)

And that's what they call a broken blood vessel. I woke up last sunday with a dark line on my eye and over the course of the week it just got worse and worse. This picture was taken on Thursday. Wednesday was probably the worse day. It's still not all the way better. But don't worry. It doesn't hurt, it only freaks people out. It's funny when you are talking to someone and you know that they are looking at that creepy red thing in the corner of your eye but they don't say a word about it. I have got all sorts of comments about it. One sister at the MTC told me that my eye looks fake. Yeah, it kind of does. Every time I get a quick glance of myself in a mirror I just about jump out of my skin. 

One last thing, I promise.

My little sister Gracey just got home from Study Abroad in Vienna, Austria. I'm so so so so glad that she is back! I missed her a lot. If you are interested in reading about her adventures go to twentyinvienna.blogspot.com. She brought Justin back this shirt:

Justin: No Kangaroos in Austria

She also brought back delectable chocolate and a cute magnet for our fridge and a few other cute things. Sure glad she's back!

Well that's our life in a nutshell for the past month or so. It's been a lot of fun! Justin and I are both back in school until the end of June. Then it's off to Disneyland with the Moodys! Woot Woot!