Fall Family Pictures 2014

Even though we had engagement and wedding pictures last year, I decided we needed more family pictures in 2013 and decided to start the tradition of Christmas cards. Well, if I was going to keep the tradition that meant having family pictures in 2014 as well. Eric asked me the other day if we were going to have family pictures every year. I told him we were so get geared up for many more pictures to come. Pictures can be stressful but, Eric and I decided to make it fun every year. We haven't changed much from last year. However, we moved to Texas and that was a major change in our lives. We decided that we wanted our family pictures this year to be "Totally Texas" so we got on our Texas outfits and went out into the country. Eric and I are truly loving this experience that we having as a young married couple to live in Houston. As hard as it may be to live away from our families sometimes, we have found so much joy being in a new place and experiencing new things together. We are loving the Texas life!

Date Night Zombie Paint Balling

Eric and I were so excited and had been looking forward to paint ball zombie's for a month. Our friends Andrew and Kimmie asked us about a month ago if we would want to go with them and we jumped all over it. They got someone to watch their two little girls for the night why we all went out on a date. Eric and I haven't gone on a double date since we moved here to Houston so we were SO EXCITED when Andrew and Kimmie moved here. We all have so much fun together. The boys like to talk sports together and Kimmie and I like to talk clothes and shopping. Eric and I even love going over and just hanging out with them and their little girls. Eric and I were talking the other night and when you live far from family, your friends really become your family. Eric and I love Andrew and Kimmie and we hope that we are friends with them forever. We went to dinner and then we went paint balling the zombie's and it was so much fun. None of us had ever done something like this and we were loving it. The best part about it, you don't get shot. You just get to shoot the creepy zombie's. Totally something that we would all go and do again. How grateful we are for such good friends! There is a reason that we all ended up here in Texas together. We were meant to be friends thats for sure! 

General Conference October 2014

I know general conference was a couple weeks ago. As I have been reflecting, and re-reading the talks that were given, I came across a video clip that I thought was very powerful. Every time I listen to conference, I always want to become a better person. I always strive to be a little bit better tomorrow that I was today. I have to admit that when I was younger, I was really bad at watching conference and I did not get much out of it because I was busy coloring pictures, doing homework, or messing around with my sisters. When Eric and I got married, we decided that we would make sure that our conference weekends were open so we could listen to the prophets and apostles every 6 months. There was one talk that really stood out to me and it was Elder Holland's talk, "Are We Not All Beggars?" I loved the story that he told about President Monson when he was in Germany. Eric and I have talked about this talk since conference and then we listened to this clip tonight for family home evening and it really made us think about things. We are all so very blessed. Service is something that brings us true happiness and the people that we serve are thankful for what we do for them. I am so grateful for the service opportunities that I am able to participate in. Because we have been given much, we to must give. Hopefully, we can all be better at finding ways to serve others and be better disciples of Jesus Christ. 

Pumpkin Everything

I LOVE pumpkin stuff. Last year, I drank pumpkin hot chocolate everyday in the fall. It is not quite cool enough for hot chocolate right now in Houston, so I decided to go to Trader Joe's the other day and see what they had. I walked out with pumpkin bagels, pumpkin cream cheese, and pumpkin pancake and waffle mix. Eric is not a fan of pumpkin stuff but we have our pumpkin candle burning right now and I am loving all of this pumpkin stuff to eat. Trader Joe's is about a 30 minute drive from my house, but it was so worth it go and get some yummy stuff to eat this week. I am missing the beautiful leaves and the cool weather in Utah right now, but we are trying to make it feel like fall with pumpkin candles, groceries, and I love my pumpkin lotion from Bath 'n Body Works. Eric and I are hoping that there will still be some pretty leaves in the mountains when we go to Utah for Thanksgiving. If you like pumpkin, you know where to go to get some great stuff. 

Meet the Mormons

I was so worried that Eric and I were not going to be able to see "Meet the Mormons." I found out this past week that it was going to be in the movie theater by our house this weekend so we spent our friday night seeing the movie. WOW! It was incredible. Eric and I left and couldn't stop talking about it. My grandpa served with Gail Halvorsen (the candy bomber) in Berlin, Germany and I graduated with the missionary that was in the movie. It was so interesting to see the lives of 6 different members of the church and their stories. It goes all around the world and describes their day-to-day lives and also the struggles that they face. After I left the movie, I told Eric that it made me want to be a better member missionary and a better member of the church in general. If you have the opportunity to go and see it, I would highly recommend it. This is one that I will definitely buy and have in our home. David Archuleta's song "Glorious" is in the movie and the first time I heard it, I fell in love with it. How grateful I am to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As shown in the movie, things are not always easy and we all face trials but anything is possible through a loving Heavenly Father. Hope everyone had a happy sunday!

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.