Blessed

Time is racing.  I can't believe
Thanksgiving has come and gone
and Christmas is right around the corner.
Before I know it, this school/work year
will be over.  It is crazy.

I am grateful for all
the blessings in my life
big and small:

1. The Gospel

2. These people:

 
3. Good friends (especially roommates).  I
have the greatest friends.

4. My job...it is stressful but
I love it about 75% of the time.

5. My health!!!!!

6.  Working in the temple.  I work every friday mid-shift
and I love it.  It is basically what keeps
my sanity these days with work
and just life sometimes. So on Friday...this young family
came in for a live sealing with their 2 little boys.  And I knew one
of them had to be adopted but I was struck with how much
they both looked like the Mom.  They were sealing their
new 6 month old to them and I commented how
much he looked like her and she said that they get that
all the time.  I got a little chocked up.  Heavenly
Father is certainly in control.  It wasn't a
very big thing but I knew His hand was
in this family's life.  I am so grateful for the
sealing power found only in temples,
 and that they are adopting this sweet little
boy and that he will be raised in the Gospel by a good and loving family.
I wish I could take home about 80% of my students cause my heart just
breaks for their situations.  I want my own kids obviously...
and I have always wanted to adopt...but after
Friday I know for sure that someday I will.


But I am also grateful for:

--Waking up and realizing I still have 30 minutes to sleep
--food channel, biggest loser
--a full tank of gas
--eye contact with a cute guy
(happened the other day at some
single adult thing
and I actually got butterflies)
--holding hands
--Christmas music
--new skinny jeans
--the smell of my new pumpkin candle
--finally getting back in running shape
--new work out clothes
--an unexpected email from a friend
--laughing...it is the greatest
--a good hair day
--a song on the radio that
you have been wanting to hear but
couldn't remember the song title
--trials...and that aches and pains
in all forms
will not always be there.
--funny people/ sense of humor

My nephew Jack told me
that he is grateful for his shoes and I asked him why.
He said, "cause they fit Bekah...duh"

Well said.

Play Ball...

My friends and I joined a girls powder puff football team.

It's for singles (even though I recruited my friend Stacie

who is married...she is good...and I want to win).

I realize I am better at running with the

ball then catching, and that my body

is not used to using certain muscles.  

And I am probably a better cheerleader,

but I like to run and hit people.  

More like push.

Our game is this Saturday, November 12th

at 2pm at Dobson High School.  

And it is $3 to get in.  I guess the money

goes to single moms.  

Come and support the Gold Diggers.

Ps...not the name I would have 

chosen but funny nonetheless.

Gggoooooooo   TEAM!

Picture

So sweet...

My favorite things as of late...

1. Friends....minus Carly...

she is in Sedona

2. Pinterest....

do you have any idea how many 

recipes, crafts, home decor,

funny sayings

and most importantly...

fashion ideas I have now??

Didn't think so.

3. Shredded steak and cheese

Burritos from Costco...

18 to a package...

delicious...

I usually eat my lunch at 

work on the run...

perfect!

4. Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcakes....

I made these the other day...

I would marry myself after making

these babies!

5. This photograph...

every girl deserves this moment...

  

6. This entire look...

I am a sucker for coats, skinny jeans

and red heels...plus

I love her hair.

7. Dream Kitchen...

Someday...

8.  Old Navy T-shirts...

super soft...

can work out in...

sleep in...

wear to work in...

go out in...

I may or may not have bought

every color...

You know me and sales...

or

9. Kids Art Wall...

I love this idea and you

could do all kinds of things with it!

The second picture is a bit

more chaotic

but kids would love this!

Well...maybe I would love it 

a tad more then them...but

they will learn to love it.

10.  My mottos

for this month...

Awesome.

Butterfinger Blondies

Butterfinger Blondies

I made these Sunday 

and they were really good!

Next time I will use reeses or

snickers.

Eat with vanilla bean ice cream.

Only Vanilla Bean...can't

be the other stuff. 

Ingredients

1 cup butter

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp coarse sea salt

2 cups coarsely chopped Butterfinger Bars (approx 16 “Fun Size” bars)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°

Cream butter and sugars in mixing bowl.

Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until incorporated.

On low add your dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking soda) until just combined.

Stir in your chopped Butterfinger.

Spread in a 9×13 baking dish and bake for 25 minutes until center is JUST set.

Remove from oven and cool completely.

Preparation time: 5 minute(s)

Cooking time: 25 minute(s)

BUTTERFINGER BUTTERCREAM:

Ingredients

1/2 cup room temp butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

2 1/2 – 3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup chopped Butterfinger Bars (approx 4 “Fun Size” bars)

Instructions

Cream the butter and shortening together until smooth.

Add in you powdered sugar on low speed.  Turn speed up to medium and mix until smooth

Stir in your chopped Butterfinger. (I sprinkled mine on top rather than stirring them in!)

Spread on your cooled blondies

Preparation time: 5 minute(s)

Planning...for Someday

Obviously I am not close to getting married currently

but a girl can always dream...right?

RIGHT.

So I always keep my eyes open for things

I like and color schemes and reception ideas 

cause you never know....

And I found this on Pinterest...

add a little more sleeves and a higher neck and 

BAM!

THIS IS PRETTY MUCH EXACTLY
WHAT I WANT...

I AM NOT CRAZY ABOUT ALL THE LACE
BUT I THINK IT COULD GROW ON ME...

YEP PRETTY SURE.

Friends...

One thing Heavenly Father has always blessed me with is good friends. I have so many friends that I have known since forever and somehow we still remain in touch. And they are always funny people. I guess it is a requirement of mine to be my friend. You have to be funny and slightly sarcastic and witty otherwise I don’t have much to say to you. JK. But it is true. I think back to all the people I am close to or drawn to and every single one of them is funny. Just sayin…laughing is my favorite. I may not be as funny but you have to be.

Salena was my very best friend growing up and I have so many memories of us growing up together. We would do gymnastics in her living room and knock things over and watch weird movies with Steve Martin (can’t remember what it is called) and “My Girl” and she always had way more barbies then I did and I did not like that. Whatever. And we use to buy these weird Popsicle things for $.10 a few doors down but I loved them. And I was in love with Sione basically since I was 5 and thought I was going to marry him. Still do…JK Brittney. But I do equate most of my jokes to Salena. Not kidding.

And then we had our tight knit “HP” group through YW/YM and we were basically inseparable. There was like 10 of us. And we thought we were so cool (which we were). And I learned that if you can like the same boy as teenage girls and remain friends…it speaks volumes to your friendship. Just sayin…

Amy and I were joined at the hip in high school and people would tell us that you could hear us before you could see us which is true. We LAUGHED ALL THE TIME! And things are always funnier when you aren’t supposed to be laughing so that has been the story of my life. We use to write things down in class and then report on our breaks when we would see each other. I loved the girls on my cheer squad and that was a relief since I spent 50% of my high school life with them it seemed like.

Don’t even get me started with my friends at BYU. We pretty much only hung out with each other; which may be why most of us didn’t get married while we were living together. Anyways…I still love them and I miss them and we remain close despite all of them married with children besides Kelli and I. That is a whole different post. Speaking of…I think it is my turn to email back. Sorry guys. I will get on that.

And then I moved home and somehow…I still get good friends. I am so blessed.

It is has been a rough year and so many changes. It was beyond difficult for me when I gave the ring back to Steven. And then my parents got divorced. My parents lost their business. My brother Danny moved to Utah and got married. Spencer moved to Alaska. Our contract didn’t get re-signed and then I got hired at a different school district and my case load gets bigger and bigger every week. My brother Dallin left on his mission and then my sister moved to Temucula and took my nephews with her. It has been a tad overwhelming but I finally feel like I am coming out of it. I actually cried tears of happiness in the temple the other day and not tears of sadness.  I am a crier.  I got choked up the other day at a commercial about a dog and I don't even like dogs.  I do...just not when they smell and shed and bark loudly. 

And my friends here at home have been amazing. I just love them. I came home from California to this sitting on my desk.

 It made me smile….largely