Inauguration

Now I am the first to admit that I am not a huge Obama fan. I do not agree with 99.9% of his policies and I think a majority of the country is so enthralled in the fact that he is African American and the first president to be so, but I hope for the sake of the country that he has a successful presidency. But I found these pictures and I just thought they were really cool and I don't care who you are but Bush is a good man. You can tell my some of these pictures.

An estimated 1.3 million were there at Capitol Hill for the swearing in. It is the most ever in presidential history.

President Bush Left Obama this envelope in the oval office and I read somewhere that he left him a personal note in the top desk drawer.

I am not a fan of the Clintons. She is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

That's pretty cute.

I liked this picture and the next one.

Laura Bush: "You have no idea what you have just gotten yourself into."

Same bible that was used with Abraham Lincoln and the first time for it to be taken out of retirement.

I think this picture is so great. I think it shows the respectful and cordial way of passing the job of the presidency to the next person. And I was reading somewhere that this is the most cordial a president and president elect have ever been with each other.

I love how Joe Biden is saluting Bush as he flies away. He just earned a couple of points in my book even though he does say some pretty dumb things sometimes. But his wife is adorable and a school teacher.

Now I still cannot believe they spent $170 million on the Inauguration and the ball and luncheon and parties when our economy is in the toilet but I wish him the very best because he is sure going to need it.

Spencer and his first Baptism!

It's like being in a dream or something!

Adorable! My mom still cries when she talks about this picture!

Beautiful!!

We got some really cool pictures from Spencer and I just had to share them. It is so green and tropical in Guam. Well actually he is on an island called Pomphei and it is out in the middle the South Pacific. So awesome!

Weekend!!

It's the weekend and I could not be more excited. It's been a long week and it's been rainy and cloudy all morning but the temperature has been amazing! At least it's not snowing.

This weekend:

--Finish the chili for ward opening social tonight
--Anatomy lecture review and open lab
--Library
--Date with Jason
--Change oil in car
--Dinner with BROCK!!
--Plan Sunday dinner with Lena
--The Avenues 111 View (stay tuned:))
--mail my laptop to Danny; I am getting a new one!!
--CATCH UP ON SLEEP...hopefully
--Run
--Find a dentist

Is it 5:00 yet so I can go home?

Chocolate Cake Recipe

I think my favorite part about this picture is Steve's face. I think he is enjoying the cake A LITTLE TOO MUCH!! Jake...perfect face and I should probably try opening my mouth a little bigger to actually be able to eat the cake.

Here is the recipe for a cake I made Sunday night. Absoultely divine... thanks to Rosanne Noble!

Chocolate Cake
Melt until boiling:
1/2 cup oil
1 cube butter
4 Tbs cocoa
1 cup water

Mix in another bowl:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Add cocoa and butter mixture to dry ingredients. Mix well. Then add:

2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes in a 9x13 pan

Frosting:
1 lb box powdered sugar (3 1/2 cups)
1 cube butter
2 Tbs coca
6 Tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla
Mix together well

Muffin Recipe

I didn't think I would be a fan but I totally was! These are great served with Chili.

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 cup corn kernels (add up to 3 tablespoons more if you’d like)–fresh, frozen or canned (in which case they should be drained and patted dry)
• 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded, deveined and finely diced
• 1/4 red bell pepper, seeded, deveined and finely diced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Alternatively, use a silicone muffin pan, which needs neither greasing nor paper cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, chili powder, salt, baking soda and black pepper. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, melted butter and egg yolk together until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don’t worry about being thorough–the batter will be lumpy, and that’s just way it should be. Stir in the corn kernels, jalapeño, red pepper and cilantro. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Serving: These are particularly good served warm and still very good at room temperature. As a morning muffin, they’re good with butter; for lunch or supper, try them with red pepper jelly or salsa.

Storing: Best served the day they are made, these can be kept covered overnight and split and toasted the next day. They can also be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 2 months. Rewarm in a 350-degree-F oven, if you’d like, or split and toast them.

There Are No Coincidences in the Gospel

So I have had a recent miracle happen in my life that just helps me realize even more how aware our Heavenly Father is of His children. We have a recent convert that just moved into our ward and and so me and the presidency went over there last week to meet her and welcome her to the ward. Anyhow, I felt I needed to visit with her again and I met with her Tuesday and she is one incredible person. She has come a long way and I admire her strength and courage to pick up and move here and be among strong members. She begins to tell me her conversion story and mentions a President Beck who is the mission president of the area she was living in. I knew his name sounded familiar so I then ask her what is the nearest temple and she tells me the OAKLAND TEMPLE! I was so excited at this point that I ask her if she knows a Sister Linford and she says, "Amy? Do you know her?" Know her? She just happens to be my best friend! I was so excited to put everything together and realize that Amy taught her on the mission and and helped her to get baptized. What are the chances that the new member in our ward just happens to be a girl Amy taught on the mission and then to be in my Relief Society!

When I was first called to be the RS president again I have to admit I wasn't as excited as I was the first time. And I began to wonder how I was going to manage everything. I knew it was going to be a busy semester with school, hw, my job, my internship but I have gained such a stronger testimony that when you put the Lord first, everything else falls into place. Somehow I have enough time to get everything done. I know that I am suppose to be here in this calling and to help this new member. I know she is a big reason I was called again. I will do as much as I can to be her friend and to provide temporal and spiritual support. She needs friends, a responsibility and a good nourishing of the Gospel. She even mentioned a few times that it helps for her to have that connection between Amy and I. I know it is a HUGE reason she is opening up to me. There are no coincidences in the Gospel. He is aware of His children! Every single one of us and He knows of our situations and what it is we need to grow and become more like Him. I am a true believer that the Lord places people in our lives for very specific purposes and that His hand is so evident in our lives if we will only look up and reach up to His reaching hand!

Oh My!

Dallin, as of today, officially has his driver's license. It's a rule in our house that you don't get your license until you have your Eagle done and he finally finished his write-up, got it passed off and has his Court of Honor scheduled. It is great motivation for my brothers to get thier Eagle done. But I have to send a shout out to my Mom because she is the driving force behind this effort. She is really hard core about scouts. And good job Dilly but I just can't believe he is almost 17! When he turned 16 last year, I was shopping for a bday card and bought a "Happy 14th Birthday" and I don't know what I was thinking but I honestly thought he was turning 14 and when I called him to ask him how old he was turning, he was so offended. I always just think he is going to stay the same age. Kind of funny. Anyways, I guess this means I have to share the white honda with him when I am home! Danget!!

TO DO LIST

I am a huge "To Do" List person. I am constantly writing out a "To Do" list and I take a lot of gratification in checking or crossing things off. In fact, sometimes I will put down silly things just to check it off. But it helps to keep me organized and to be as efficient as I possibly can be even though I left Lena's air mattress at the airport this morning on accident. I was going to take it on the plane with me and I sat it down and got in such a hurry boarding that I didn't realize till the plane was on the runway that I didn't have the mattress with me. I wanted to stand up and yell, "Stop the plane!!" but I unfortunately did not. Oh and thank you to Kelli for picking me up from the airport at such late notice. Anyhow my To Do list when I got home to Mesa consisted of:

--Finish Christmas shopping (check)
--White elephant gift for Girls Christmas Party (check)
--Email Charmaine (check)
--Call Brooke and see baby Carson (check)
--Call Dallas and see Baby Landon (check)
Call Salena and see twins (check)
( I have a lot of friends with babies obviously)
--See at least 4 movies (check)
--Start Resume (nope)
--Research jobs in Connecticut (Thanks to Rhonda) (partial check)
--Finish Breaking Dawn (nope)

So I was able to cross some things off.

Now I am back in freezing Provo and school starts Monday which means I have a brand new "To Do" List:

--Call Code and get air mattress (she is going to let me borrow it for Lena) (check)
--Call Chris Ortman (check)
--Buy Family Finance WB by Monday
--Books
--Call Bishop (check)
--Finish RS Lesson
--Organize RS List of Apartments (check)
--Email Bob Smith (check)
--Unpack (check)
--Check Financial Account (check)
--Bank
--Resume
--Dry Cleaning for Coats
--Get my hair cut
--Finish in actives schedule for Rick and Tyler
--buy a new air mattress for Lena
--Mail Dallin his ipod charger (check)
--Clean bathroom (check)
--NAP
--Run

And instead of working on checking things off, here I sit blogging. I think I need a nap! (check)

--

Kaden

I will fully admit I have the cutest nephew!