Hope you have a great rest of your trip in sunny Florida!

For you:

New Blog.

So I started a craft blog. you should see it, and also get a sneek peek at Katy's bridal shower gift.
tahdone.blogspot.com

To us!

I was metro'ing home last night at the end of a very, very long day (Tuesday always suck- 10 hours of work followed by 3 hours of class followed by institute followed by mingling) but I just smiled to myself and thought, "Somewhere in Utah, Jessica is being a mom. Right now! Still weird!"

And then I just got overwhelmingly thankful for you, and for our friendship. A lot of friendships bite the dust when one person moves away, or starts grad school, or gets married, or has a kid. We've done all that in the last five years and we're still kicking it! So here's me just letting you know that I am so thankful for you. You know how to give the right advice (even if it's what I don't want to hear), you send me adorable iPad pics of Olivia that make a bad date a thing of the past, and you always brighten my day (even just our memories together do that!). In short, you are simply wonderful!

It was right around Halloween (the Halloween when Kelly was a Christmas tree, I was a Cougarette, and you were Dorothy) that we really solidified our friendship. That was 2006! So, basically, I'm now writing to say, Happy Amie-versary (Amie= friends in French!)

WE RULE.

PS Good luck on your test!

100+ dollars later

I still can't believe I spent this much on shampoo and conditioner but one year of amazing hair is worth it I think.

50 years

So that it might forever be immortalized on blogger....

Also I found this amazing picture in the friend. I want to make a quilt out of it....maybe I will have time for that 50 years from now. :)

Hamsters.

hence my text yesterday. life is good as long as there's dancing hamsters. and skyping babies!

Wishing you were here.

I hope this entry doesn't make you sad, but I wish you could be here! Olivia is so freaking cute, and I could just stare at her all day. And I was just wishing you could run across the street before you even had eatten breakfast and come see her and stare at her with me. Well, one day. :) I love you!

Bon Hiver

A beautiful video for Jessica and Olivia:


I love it because it's somewhere so different from where I am now, but I remember places and times like this, and they are magnificent! It reminds me of something Genna just wrote on her blog: that it's no wonder they have so many treatment centers in Utah, the sight of the mountains is such a restorative and peaceful touchstone. I feel it everytime I go back, it's one of my favorite parts of going back, looking at the steady range of the Utah mountains. I felt it when we were driving the backroads from your house to Adam's parents house. God sure made a pretty world, huh?

Loves and Happy Labor Day!
Linds

Maybe the best baked creation I've ever made!

From my new Hershey's Recipe Book:


White Chip Lemon Streusel Bars

Ingredients:
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tsp fresh lemon zest
2 cups HERSHEY'S white chocolate chips
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup toasted pecans or walnuts (toast by spreading nuts on tray, bake at 350 for 7 min, stirring once)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 tsp shortening

1. 1 Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Combine sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and lemon peel in medium bowl; set aside. Measure out 1/4 cup and 1/3 cup white chips; set aside. Add remaining white chips to lemon mixture.
   
2. 2 Beat butter and brown sugar until blended in large mixer bowl. Stir together flour, oats, pecans, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture, blending well. Remove 1-2/3 cups oats mixture; set aside. Add egg to remaining mixture, blending until crumbly. Press egg/crumb mixture on bottom of prepared pan. Gently spoon lemon mixture on top, spreading evenly. Add reserved 1/3 cup white chips to reserved crumb mixture. Sprinkle over lemon layer, pressing crumbs lightly.
   
3. 3 Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in pan on wire rack. Place remaining 1/4 cup white chips and shortening in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 30 seconds; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Drizzle over bars. Allow drizzle to set; cut into bars. About 36 bars.
4. 
   
5. Seriously. Ate way too many of them, even though they were slated to go to others... :)

I like this.

And my first and last thoughts about it were, "Jeez I would never be able to play that on the piano!" Weirdest rhythm EVER! Happy August!