mother blaney's pie.

My friend, Erica, has a mom. This mom's name is Mother Blaney. When we had a pie party one day, Mother Blaney made four or five delicious pies for us. What a saint, right? There was peanut butter pie, and banana cream pie, but my very favorite was Mother Blaney's strawberry-blueberry cream cheese pie. It tastes just as amazing as it sounds.

So last night, in preparation for tonight's Family Home Evening with my family, I made it, in all its glory. It's sitting in my fridge right now, taunting me. And maybe one day, I'll post the recipe, but only if Erica approves. I mean, this is Mother Blaney's pie we're talking about...

 

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boston.

I'm a little late to this, but I had to say something about the bombings in Boston that happened on Monday. It's been making me sick and so sad to see the terror going on in our country. From the three who were killed in the bombings, and over a hundred who were injured, my heart can't help but break.

I saw pictures of what the normally busy streets of Boston looked like today after police urged people to stay inside and lock their doors while they looked for the second suspect: a teenaged boy. I read stories of how the first suspect--a man just three years older than me--was killed last night in front of residential homes in a stand off with police. It makes me so, so sad.

I can only imagine how terrifying it must be for the people of Boston to have to go through this. Seeing tanks and guns and SWAT teams walk through their town that, just a few days ago, was a normal place.

It's recent news that the second suspect was captured. I am so, so happy. It's a relief, and I'm nowhere near Boston. I'm so glad that those people can go to sleep at night.

And among all the chaos, I'm so proud to know that there are people helping. The many who stepped up on the day of the bombings and saved the injured. The doctors, police officers, and strangers who saved peoples' lives. I just can't believe how much good there is when something so bad has happened. It's remarkable.

We love you, Boston. :)

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spring.

Spring is here in Utah (even if it did snow last night), and it's prettier than I remember. The birds have flown back, and are chirping nonstop outside in the trees. There are blossoms on those trees, and I'm just waiting for the day when the lilac bush outside our door starts blooming and smelling oh so good!

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round two.

Newport Beach, May 2011

Remember when we went to Newport Beach for our honeymoon? Zac and I have talked about going back since we left, almost two years ago. We were in the middle of planning a trip to St. George this May, like we did last year, when I had the brilliant idea of driving through St. George to get to Newport Beach. I told Zac, and in the same second, he was like, "OKAY!!!"

So we're going to California in a few weeks, and the two things I'm most excited for are Mama D's Italian Kitchen, and spending time on Capistrano Beach. We'd like to try new things, too, so we've been keeping our eyes open for other things to try.

And we just booked our motel today, so it's a done deal!

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our new favorite dessert.

The other night for dinner, I made buttermilk biscuits. Zac put honey on his, and that's where it all started. I made them for dinner, but I think they're our new favorite dessert, because they're so sweet and flaky! I feel like a pioneer in the olden days, eating biscuits for dessert. Soon I'll be eating a bowl of flour and water. (Just kidding.)

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23.

I started my 23rd year yesterday, and it's crazy to think a year has gone by since this. My day was spent entirely with Zac--just how I like it. We started the day off with pancakes and eggs, and then drove up to Salt Lake City for the day and went shopping at City Creek and the Gateway, ate lunch at Pier 49 (where we saw my little sister, Sara, outside, and scared her), and bought some famous cookie butter at the new Trader Joe's. On the way home, we got a huge cup of frozen custard from Nielsen's (I wanted this more than a birthday cupcake), and my oh my! Please come to Orem. 

It was such a perfect day spent with my husband. Holy crap, I'm 23!

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easter sunday.

Easter this year was different. Zac got home from work at 11pm the night before, and I was still making dinner at that time, so we went to bed late. Church was at 8:30 the next morning, and we were like, "Uhh, let's just sleep in." So we did (don't judge us). Zac left for work at 9:30 in the morning, and my brother Daniel picked me up to go to my parents' house, so I didn't have to spend Easter alone.

At my parents' house, we watched Les Mis (honestly, I fell asleep), and ate a huge dinner of ham, rolls, fruits and vegetables, and potato casserole. After dinner, we went outside and helped the niece and nephews look for Easter eggs, while all the while dodging the turkey poop all over the driveway. I ate waaaaay too much candy that night, but it was so much fun.

I met Zac at home, and we watched a couple of TV shoes on his tablet before going to bed at 9:30 or 10:00. 

It's good to have family when your husband's work schedule is stupid. Happy Easter!

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