Relief Society

Yesterday I went to Relief Society in my home ward by myself because my mom is in California for a few days. I don't know a lot of the women in that ward very well, so I was kind of being a wall flower and sat by myself. Right before the lesson started, the teacher asked me if I would share something I really like about Relief Society during the lesson. Of course I said yes, and while she was teaching I tried to think about something I enjoyed.

When my turn came to share, I told of my experiences going to church in London. Here I was, a half a world away from people I knew, and yet I wasn't nervous or scared. I went to Relief Society there, and although the women in the Peckham Ward were of different nationalities, races, and cultures, and lived completely different lifestyles than I do, we shared one common bond, and that's the gospel. I absolutely love that. No matter where you are in the world, there is a ward or stake or branch somewhere, and you can go and feel the same feelings that you have at your home ward. Everyone is warm and friendly, and make you feel completely welcome. I love that about our church.

I also really like this video.

Julia Child is a Goddess!

Food has always been an important part of my growing up years, because my mom is a fabulous cook. I remember being a little kid and watching her roast a chicken or bake bread. I love that she always let me help, no matter how imperfect something turned out because a 5 year old was involved in the process. This really instilled in me a love of cooking. I think I like it so much because it's my way of giving service. Who doesn't like receiving good food? Baking and desserts are my specialty (mainly because I have the biggest sweet tooth of anyone I know), but I've been trying to break out into other things - soups, rice (I recently made a delicious lemon risotto), and everything else that sounds great.

A few days ago I was at Barnes and Noble looking for some good summer reading, and because of all the "Julie/Julia" hype (which I am DYING to see), Julia Child books were all over the store. Her biography, "My Life in France," caught my eye because first it's about Julia Child, so it involves stories about good food, and second it's France. Maybe the French phrases she uses could help me polish up my French. So I picked it up and started reading. Well, reading is an understatement. I'm devouring this book. Julia does such a great job at giving details of French culture and food. She talks about how only through practice, practice, and more practice did she become a great cook. She says to never, ever apologize for any mistake you make while cooking. If you do, your eaters will only focus on the mistake and not on the good parts.

It was this quote that I loved: "I had always been content to live a butterfly life of fun, with hardly a care in the world. But at the Cordon Bleu, and in the markets and restaurants of Paris, I suddenly discovered that cooking was a rich and layered and endlessly fascinating subject. The best way to describe it is to say that I fell in love with...food - the tastes, the processes, the history, the endless variations, the rigorous discipline, the creativity, the wonderful people, the equipment, the rituals!...What fun! What a revelation! How magnificent to find my life's calling, at long last!" So, to quote Mrs. Child, "Bon apetit!"

Wedding Day!

This last Friday my roommate Laura married Jared Johansen. I am so happy for them! Laura looked beautiful and the wedding was perfect. She asked me about a month ago to make her cake, which I was so excited to do since I LOVE baking. It was a stressful month of planning what cake pan sizes I would need and the flavor and getting all the ingredients (66 eggs, 25 lemons and 36 sticks of butter, no joke!), but in the end it was all worth it. Laura chose the flowers that went on top, and altogether it was fantastic! Much better than I thought it would be.

The cake was three-tiered lemon poppyseed with lemon curd filling topped with vanilla buttercream frosting. I was nervous that since the reception was outside the frosting could melt, but with some divine help it was about a cool 70 degrees or so, and the frosting held its shape. I'll admit I almost cried when Jared and Laura cut the cake (this cake was my baby and I had developed a special relationship with it), but it was so fun to watch. While baking is sometimes a bit stressful, it is so worth it to see the outcome and the look on people's faces when they bite into something good. I love it. So congratulations Laura and Jared!

So cute!

The cake!

Dear Martha :)

If you know me, you know I am an organization freak. As a kid, cleaning out my room was fun for me. Everything had it's place, and there was no unnecessary clutter. I have stacks of notebooks that I use for the sole purpose of making lists. I love making lists. There's nothing more satisfactory to me than checking off something on my list. I have them for groceries, goals, homework, everything.

So today, as I was looking up some recipes on MarthaStewart.com, I came across this amazing discovery. It's all about organization! Martha tells you everything you need to know, from how to store your baking ingredients (in clear jars and in alphabetical order), and how to double your space in your closet (and with the apartments at BYU, I think we all need to know that one!). I got so excited, and spent about an hour browsing. Seriously, Martha knows what she's talking about. She knows it all, from cooking to cleaning to home decorating to gardening. So if you're as crazy about being clean as I am, www.marthastewart.com/organizing is SO worth checking out. You might find yourself addicted too!

Nice People

I'm loving my new job, and what I love most about it is that I work with nice people. I've always tried my entire life to be a nice person. I've always said "please," "thank you," "have a good day" and all those terms that you're taught to say. And I've learned to really mean it. People do so many nice things for me! But it's great when I receive niceness in return.

At my job we're working with the honored alumnus of the year and we're flying her out to speak during Homecoming Week at BYU. Today I was on the phone with her, and she was just so darn nice. She sincerely thanked me for my help and told me she appreciated the work we're doing to bring her out to Provo. It was just so refreshing to interact with a person who was genuinely kind and sincere. I've never met her, but I want to thank her for making my day!

So just be nice. It's so great to receive it in return.

Masterpiece.

Yesterday I was driving to Provo, and since it was Sunday, I was listening to some Church music. I was listening Julie de Azevedo, and her song "Masterpiece" came on. I've heard it before, but yesterday the lyrics really struck me, so I thought I would share them.

"Masterpiece"

Simple clay in a potter's hand,

an empty page and an author's pen,

an artist's brush to a canvas white,

and a work of art comes to life.

Marble raw, but the sculptor sees

the masterpiece that lies beneath,

though rough and marred the master's touch

can change this life into his work of love.

So every day I pray

He'll write his will upon my heart,

mold my soul to his design,

adding color, depth, and light,

polishing until I shine, shine, shine.

All my heart is in his hands,

he's painting the life he'd have me lead,

through refining floods and flames,

smoothing edges and the seams.

And in time, time, time,

oh this simple life will be,

a masterpiece.

Snowy peaks, water colored skies,

His works of beauty fill my eyes,

but he sees nothing more beautiful

than a heart submissive to his will.

I want to know his will,

So every day I pray

He'll write his will upon my heart,

mold my soul to his design,

adding color, depth, and light,

polishing until I shine, shine, shine.

All my heart is in his hands,

he's painting the life he'd have me lead,

through refining floods and flames,

smoothing edges and the seams.

And in time, time, time,

oh this simple life will be,

a masterpiece.

My Master's masterpiece.

I Heart Running

For years I've been wanting to train for a 10K race, and finally this summer I've decided to do it. I found a twelve-week running program that builds you from being someone who can barely run for 5 minutes (me), to someone who can run a 10K effortlessly (future me). Normally when I start a program I'm pretty driven to complete it, but this program was a little bit different. I'm pretty lazy sometimes when it comes to exercise. So I thought that I would probably give up pretty quickly.

But then I discovered that I really like to run. I'm in the third week of my training, and I love that high I get when I complete the time and distance I'm supposed to go. I like seeing that each day I can run a little bit farther and a little bit faster. The last few seconds are tough, but I love pushing through it because I feel so good at the end when I can say "I did it!" So hopefully for the next 9 weeks I can stick to the program. 10K, here I come!