This is The Place

It may be corny to quote what Brigham Young said when he saw the Salt Lake Valley, but it portrays my feelings exactly. After being here one month, I found a house to live in and a job (which I accepted the offer yesterday) that is close by. I can't tell you how many times I have felt a confirmation that I am in the right place for my life. Big things are going to happen in the next few years! I know of two off the top of my head: I will finish my education, and I will be financially independent from my parents. At least, those are my goals for the next few years.

I participated in a historic event this last week. Student Wards were done away with and the creation of Young Single Adult Stakes and Wards replaced them. We met in a big regional meeting at the Conference Center to learn what stakes we are in. Last Sunday was our first Stake Conference where we learned the boundaries of our new ward. I am so excited for this new ward. I know it will be wonderful. I will admit that it is foreign to me to have stake leaders who I have never met, but I know they are good men.

I have really enjoyed my three roommates so far. They are all spunky and quirky girls, who love life. I am the oldest, only by nine months, and it is interesting to hear insight come out of my mouth. (It's as if I knew what I was talking about!) I have taken the opportunity of my move to really stay close to my Heavenly Father and the Spirit. I have been surprised on many occasion of what I am led to say and learning that it was exactly what they needed to hear. Words aren't enough to express my gratitude to the Lord for His abundant blessings this last month and in my life.

Okay, now for the fun part. Here is a video tour of my house that I took for my parents. (So, you can ignore the comments to my mom and dad.) Sorry if it is a little wordy. Enjoy!

Life is good; God is great! Paka!!

On the Road Again

I'm moving!!!

I'm leaving the rain, which I love, to live in the desert.  Many new adventures are ahead with school, work and life. Once I am settled, I shall resume my blogging!

So, stay tuned!

Valentine's Day Creations

I had a wonderful Valentine's Day with some close friends. I wanted to share some fun pictures and projects I made for the holiday. Enjoy!

First, I made this Valentine's Day/ Springtime wreath out of cupcake liners of all things! It was pretty simple to make, and I think it looks like carnations!

These are Pie Pops! I used a cookie cutter to cut out hearts from pie crust, added some Nutella inside, and included a stick in the middle. This bouquet turned out splendid. I had an interesting time gluing the red hots candies to cover the foam, but it was a hit with the family to which I presented it.

While at my friends' house, we decorated cookies! I just love the blank canvas a sugar cookie provides. Here are some of the impressive cookies.

 "Sunshine in My Soul" decorated by myself.

 American Flag decorated by the little brother.

 My "Too Pretty to Eat" cookie.

"A Growing Flower" by me. 

"Chocolate Covered Strawberries" by the mom. 

This next Valentine is something I made because they were such a fun idea with suckers! As you will see in the following pictures, we enjoyed them!

I hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Paka.

P.S. Be on the lookout for this week's Tasty Tuesday post on Thursday.

Tasty Tuesday: Mac 'N' Cheese Soup

I am so excited for this week's post! A week ago, one of the blogs I follow, Tidy Mom, posted an announcement for a celebration next week (other than Valentine's Day). She is holding a

You can read more about it here. I decided to participate, so I found a new soup recipe to try! Drum roll please... Yes, I know the name of the recipe is in the title of this post. Just humor me.

Tasty Tuesday: Apple Pancakes with Cider Syrup

Do you ever get distracted and busy? I sure do- probably more distracted than busy though! That's what happened to my reposting of last week's Tasty Tuesday. Actually, Thursday and Friday flew by after participating in the grade-a-thon at my friends' house. (The mom is a math instructor at the local community college.) I must say, we had quite an entertaining evening that lasted well into the next day. There's nothing like finding a random 27 in the middle of a math problem to keep you thinking! Saturday evening was spent attending a local Amateur Radio Club Awards Banquet, where my dad was presented with the Herb S. Brier ARRL Instructor of the Year  Award. He was a co-recipient of the award; the other recipient was his team instructor in the Ham Radio classes they teach. Anyway, it was a rather neat event and ceremony.

Coming Soon to a Computer Near You

So, I somehow lost this week's Tasty Tuesday post. Luckily I still have the pictures, so you can expect the new post probably Thursday or Friday. It depends on my ability to fit it in tomorrow while preparing for a jewelry show.  See you soon!

-ALB

Birthday Report

Earlier this month, my friends and I celebrated my birthday by having a party of course! It was an adventure just getting to the party. Murphy's Law was in full force that night. In spite of all that worked against me, I made it to my party and helped set up with minutes to spare before the final guests arrived! (Everyone else was helping with the set up.) Whew!