Coming Attractions:

Packing, packing, and more packing (box collecting is my new hobbie all of the sudden). This is our spare room, and believe it or not this is the best it's looked since we moved in.

Natalie comes to Utah on Saturday. Yes that is me in the photo, during darker times.

Hannah is coming for graduation in a week and a half. The bus was full of an all boys Jewish school, hilarious.

My Mom is coming to visit me. Okay so she is actually coming for graduation but I can pretend it's for me.

Adam is coming to town a couple days after Hannah.

Sam, Hannah, and Adam will all be graduating!!

Ambyr's Birthday!! Right now I am 26 and Ambyr is 27. These 3 weeks were our favorite growing up because we'd only have a year between our ages.

Sam and I will be moving back to the Bay Area. We don't know where we'll live, and neither of us have secured jobs just yet, but we are VERY excited to be near our families and where we grew up.

My best friend Kerri Avery, becomes Kerri Avery-Le.

Darlene comes to visit.

Ken starts UCDavis, I am so excited for him. He is majoring in Chemical Engineering so he can solve our oil crisis ;)








Lots of fun things happening I can hardly stand it.

Picture this!

So I figured I would update our blog on our fun summer in Utah with a photo summary, which is much more fun than reading about it.

Me and Sam in Park City

The Grey-Walls and The Ashbys riding the crazy coaster in Park City

We went to the Art Festival with Sam's sister Mara

My cousin Dana came to visit with her cute boys

We went to the Pioneer Day Parade

We ran around Salt Lake with Sam's parents in search of Pecan Pie and stopped in the Joseph Smith Memorial building.

Sam and his Dad went on an 8 hour fishing excursion.

You can't keep a good man down!

So I was pretty disappointed on Wednesday night after so you think you can dance. Mark was partnered with Comfort, which couldn't be good. And then they chose Hip hop (good news) and the quick step (the kiss of death!!). The hip hop routine was awesome, but the quick step was a mess, as I suspected it would be. So first they put him with Kherington and then Comfort, two of the worst girl dancers if you ask me. It seemed a little fishy. I called Natalie to complain and she informed me she had talked to Mark who informed her the partners are not random at all. They give you a hat with one name in it, so it is pre-selected. LUCKILY for Mark, America loves him and he was not voted out this week PHEW! I was really surprised that Twitch was in the bottom. He is Sam's favorite. I didn't think Will would be leaving, he is an amazing dancer... But I am still pulling for Mark and Chelsea, here is why:

HKJ Rolls

This is the best roll recipe I have found to date. Enjoy!

HKJ Rolls

10 1/2 cups white unbleached bread flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon salt
3 rounded Tablespoon instant yeast
3 Tablespoon liquid lecithin (you can find it at any health food store or sub w vegetable oil)
4 cups hot water

Mix dry ingredients. Add lecithin and water. Mix for 1 min. and check consistency. If dough is too dry, add more water. If dough is too moist, add more flour. If you have a mixer, mix for five min.-if not knead by hand for ten min. (I spray my working area and hands with some Pam, to keep the dough from becoming too sticky). Do NOT add water or flour to the dough after it has finished mixing. Spray counter and pans with Pam. Shape loaves and cover with a dish towel. Let raise 25 min. Bake at 350 for 25 min. This recipe makes 4 loaves of bread.

I don't make loaves, but rolls, so you don't have to let the rolls rise, unless you want them bigger than you make them and I find that baking them for about 8-9 min. is all it takes. I always take a sharp knife and make a few cuts on the top and the brush the tops with butter and sprinkle with seasoning.

I always half this recipe, 10 1/2 cups of flour would make a TON of rolls, so if it’s just for a few people, I would do the half and if you use lecithin pour it directly into the bowl-don't try to measure it, because it is so sticky that even your dish washer won't get it off the measuring spoon.

Lead me guide me walk beside me

Sam and I have lived at Wymount for 2.5 months and we are moving in 4-5 weeks so imagine my surprise when the 2nd counselor came to meet with Sam and I to give me the calling of primary music leader. Now when the calling was first extended I was shocked and less than excited. Not because I wanted a different calling or anything like that, but as you probably know, I have no musical talent. It's also so new to me to be in a ward that even has a primary because singles wards do not have them for obvious reason. I wondered if I'd feel disconnected from my peers, or if people would assume I'd gone less active. But after a little more thought and prayer, I felt great about the calling and excited to learn how to be successful in this position.
Today was my first day in primary. I was only observing, as the prior music leader, Whitney, had already prepared her lesson plan. Walking in I quickly noticed that there were 6 primary leaders, and just one child. His name is Gordon and he is darling. One of the other leaders, Sister King, has a 3 year old daughter, Rachel King, so she decided Rachel could start primary a little early and then we had one visitor who was about 4 years old. So we had a class of 3 children and about 6 leaders (7 if you include Sam who came with me for moral support).
As we started to sing, I was really impressed with how well the kids knew the songs and how well behaved the children were. We started to sing "Called to Serve". Whitney stared by rehearsing the first line of the song for the children, "Called to serve him heavenly KING of glory..." As soon as Rachel King heard the word "King" she gave the funniest sounding snicker as if to say, "oh you're using my last name now are you?" so Whitney replied, "Oh that's right, whose last name is King?" and the visitor, Clark, yelled out "JESUS!"
Throughout music time one of the leaders sits in front holding something that looks like a thermometer. If the children are reverent the temperature increases, if they are being a little rambunctious the temperature decreases. Now the thermometer doesn't earn the kids a treat or a sticker but for some reason they respect the thermometer. Clark especially respected the thermometer. If Gordon and Rachel were acting up he would get the most panicked look on his face, he would put his hands on his face and start to shake his head no vigorously. It was too cute.
I love these little kids, and I and so excited about my new calling! If you have any advice about teaching children lyrics I'd love to hear it.

Shower me with the love...

I went to Sabrina's shower this morning and it was so fun. We pretty much just hung out and chatted, my favorite things to do at showers. Then all of the married women went around and gave advice to the soon-to-be married girl. Some attendees gave great advice and I wanted to tell every one about it. So it gave me the idea to post the marriage advice I received at my shower and ask if anyone received any advice they think would be worth sharing.
1. Stay faithful to your religion first and foremost
2. You don't have to be the winner in every argument.
3. As Winston Churchill advised, "never give up!"
4. Keep all of your thoughts positive and your words uplifting.
5. You always have time to talk things through.
6. I all else fails, go shopping.
7. Do you want to be happy or do you want to be right? Happiness always!!
8. Always give him a kiss goodbye.
9. Marriage is not a matter of romance, but more and anxious concern for the comfort and well-being of your companion.
Everyone else said, don't go to bed angry, I am not sure how feel about that one... If you have any brilliant advice, I would still love to hear it!

Congratulations Sabrina!! I hope you and Dustin are so happy together!!

So you think you can DANCE DANCE DANCE

So I love "So You Think You Can Dance", seriously I look forward to it all week. This is my first season watching it and I started because my best friend Natalie's dance partner is on it and he's amazing. In case you are wondering it's Mark. I haven't met him or anything but he's an incredible dancer.

(That's Nat and Mark). I don't vote but I really want Mark to at least be in the top 5. Chelsea is my favorite girl now, since Kourtni was eliminated last week :(

Side note, I miss my friends. For the first time in, well ever, I have nothing but free time and I have no one to hang out with. Thank goodness Ambyr and my Mom also have free time to chat with me on the phone, but I need someone to hit up the pool with me... Christie why'd you have to leave??