Cookies and Conference

This weekend, women all over the world gathered together to watch the General Women's Conference. I was able to go to our church building here in Houston and watch the broadcast with women from my ward. I always look forward to this conference and leave feeling so uplifted and inspired. There were so many great talks given and songs sung. I left feeling so blessed that I am a daughter of a loving Heavenly Father. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk was incredible and I have continued to think about it over the past couple of days. He used an analogy about raining and umbrellas with blessings. I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have that I can live with my Heavenly Father one day. If you missed the conference and want to watch it, you can find it here. 

After the broadcast was over, we had some cookies. I was asked to bring cookies to share with my ward and let me tell ya, they were so yummy! Eric doesn't like treats very much but he ate 3 of them and then asked if I could leave some home. They were a major hit. They are called Cake Batter Pudding Cookies. I found the recipe on Pinterest and I will be making them again. Here is the recipe if you want to try them out this weekend. They would be a perfect General Conference treat. You will need: 

1 1/2 Sticks (or 3/4 cup) butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 (3.4 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix, dry

3/4 cup yellow cake mix, dry

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

Sprinkles

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. Stir together flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

3. In large bowl, cream butter and sugars together.

4. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.

5. Add flour mixture slowly until well incorporated.

6. Mix in sprinkles.

7. Roll into 1" balls and place on greased baking sheet.

8. Bake at 350° F for 10-12 minutes. 

These are a new favorite in our house and I am sure we will be making them again sometime soon. Cookies and Conference go great together. Eric and I are really looking forward to the weekend to stay home in our sweats and listen to our church leaders. 

Galveston

Eric has been traveling so much lately. He had to go to Salt Lake at the beginning of this week and I was so sad that I wasn't going with him. He was only going to be there for like 24 hours so it wasn't worth the plane ticket to go for that short of time. We were just there and we will be there in 2 months so I missed out this time. He got home and then had to leave the next day to go to Galveston for a staff conference for work. He was going to be gone for 2 nights so I decided to tag along with him. We stayed at a super fun beach resort and they even left chocolates on our bed so that was pretty great. It is always fun to go with him when he goes places like the beach. Eric had to work but I was able to walk on the beach, go to the pool, and relax. It rained for a while today so that meant shopping. I am always good with a shopping trip. Galveston is only a hour and a half away from us so it is a quick drive. This beach is not like Florida or Hawaii but it is a beach and it is always fun to go on a little getaway. I love this husband of mine so much and am so grateful for everything that he does to provide for our little family. 

His Daughter

I was listening to this song today and it reminded me of my days in Young Women's. We talked that we as women are going to always think that we need to be someone different then who we truly are inside. We are Heavenly Father's daughters and he loves us no matter what. The people in the magazines, on the TV, etc. do not dictate who we need to become. Heavenly Father knows who we are and he loves us just the way we are. Susan W. Tanner said, "Heavenly Father know and loves you. You are His special daughter. He has a plan for you." Elaine S. Dalton stated, "As daughters of God we are each unique and different in our circumstances and experiences. And yet, our part matters- because we matter." I am really looking forward to the General Women's Meeting this coming Saturday. It is always so great to gather as a sisterhood and enjoy the messages that are shared. I love that I am a member of this church and that I am Heavenly Father's daughter. I know that he loves us for who we are and who we will continue to become. We are apart of his great plan and he is closer than we know. 

Here is another song that I love. I cry every time I hear it. I love how this song says that we are daughters of the divine. I am grateful for a father and mother that led me on the straight and narrow path so I could receive all three white dresses. I often think how excited I am to one day hopefully have a little girl. I hope that Eric and I can raise her in a way that she will be able to have three white dresses of her own. "Part of the father lives in you and if you continue on this path, every promise God has given will come true." We are truly blessed to be Heavenly Fathers daughters and we have eyes to see what Heaven sees in us. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Eric and I needed a treat so I went to the store and picked up the stuff to make some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. I have been craving them so bad since our house has smelt like pumpkins. We had a yummy treat and even have some leftover for the BYU football game tomorrow with our friends. This is the easiest recipe and they taste so good! You only need three ingredients to make them. 1 box of spice cake mix, one 15 oz. can pumpkin, and a bag of chocolate chips (I like the mini chocolate chips but you could use whatever you want). 

Preheat your oven to 350°. Combine the spice cake mix (just the mix, do not make the cake) and pumpkin together in a medium sized bowl. Make sure that it is mixed well. Then add your chocolate chips. You can add as many as you would like. Put your cookies on a well greased cookie sheet and bake them for 15 minutes or until they are done. Remember that cooking times may vary. 

Now I have some delicious cookies in my cookie jar that has been empty since we moved to Houston. I am for sure going to make these again next week for our pack meeting at cub scouts. Make yourself some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and have a happy weekend!

Pumpkins and Nursery

It is finally starting to cool down in Houston. It was in the 70's this past weekend and I was freezing. I guess I am starting to get used to this hot Texas weather. It doesn't really feel like Fall yet but I was going to make sure that our home smelt like it. Last week, I was at Bath and Body Works and was smelling the pumpkin cafe candles. Of course, they smelt so good I had to buy some. I was only going to buy one but I got smelling them and had to buy 6. Pumpkin is my favorite and I am loving that our home smells like pumpkins. Now I need to make some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and get some pumpkin hot chocolate and marshmallows. Go get yourself a candle and light it in your home. You will love it!

I was at the store the other day and found a treat that I decided that I wanted to try. I am now totally obsessed with these. Go get yourself a bag of these M&M's and a Pumpkin candle and you will be loving life. Fall is here and I am totally loving it. Now I am hoping it gets cold enough for sweaters and boots soon here in Texas. I am done with shorts and swimming suits.

Eric and I moved into our ward in Houston in January and we got called to be Cub Scout Den Leaders. Well, a couple weeks ago we got called to be Nursery leaders. Eric and I now have two callings working with the primary kids. We do Cub Scouts during the week and then on Sundays we are busy in Nursery. Yesterday, it was just Eric and I in there with one other girl. We usually have 14 kids in there and it is crazy. Eric is so good with them and it just makes me so happy that I married someone that is going to be such a great dad to our littles. There is a little boy in there and he just wants Eric to hold him the entire time. It is the cutest thing. Eric is always on the floor playing cars and dragons with them. We love working with these children. They have such sweet spirits and are just so cute. It makes Eric and I so excited to start having little ones and continue to grow our family. I married a pretty great guy thats for sure. 

Our Home

I printed this out and had it framed for our home this past week. When I found this, I was thinking about how true it really is. Eric and I were talking just the other day about how crazy it was that our paths crossed and we came across each other. I could not think of a better person to share my home with. Life is not always easy out in the real world. It is such a nice feeling to know that when you are in the walls of your own home, the people that live there with you are there to lift you up and help you become a better person. I am so glad that I married my sweet husband and that we get to share this home and life together. What an amazing thing the sealing power is and that Eric and I are sealed together forever.

I also came across this picture and I am going to make sure that we get it on our wall. Like mentioned above, life is not easy. We get beat up and things are sometimes just not fair. As hard as it is sometimes, we truly need to "Love the Journey." Life is way too short to sit around and be sad. I have noticed that when I put my heartache aside and not worry so much about myself, I am happier. Serving others bring me true happiness and helps me, "Love the Journey" even more. I am sure we have all heard President Thomas S. Monson say, "Find Joy in the Journey!" I am hoping that today every one will make it a priority to serve someone else, put the heartache and the things of the world aside, and "Love the Journey!" 

Football and Friends

Our long weekend was packed full of football and friends. Last Thursday night, Eric and I went to the Houston Texans vs. San Francisco 49ers NFL game. We had never been to a NFL game before so this was really fun. We got to sit up in a suite and Eric was loving all of the popcorn and chicken fingers. The Texans lost but we still had a super fun time. We are for sure going to have to get tickets to another game this season.

Friday night was a big deal because our BYU COUGARS played their first game! We were so excited and Eric could not talk about anything else. We had our friends and their little girls over. They just moved here from Utah and he just graduated from BYU in the Spring. We are so happy that they are here and we are hanging out with them all of the time. We love that we have some friends that are our age that we can spend time with. 

This is one of our favorite times of year. Football season is here which means that fall is here as well. One of the things Eric and I are going to miss here in Houston is having all 4 seasons. We both love the fall and are going to miss it over these next few months. Over the next couple of months, our weekends will be spent watching football. Football and friends are the perfect combination and we are loving it!