I'm scared!

I'm going camping this weekend! I'm talking real, tents, out in the dirt, bring your own TP camping...and i'm scared lol. I've been camping plenty of times but not REAL camping. Usually our trips consist of a motorhome/toy hauler, electricity, computers and projection screens for nighttime movies and warm cozy beds...can you call that camping? Anyway, it should be a good time. Thankfully my big brother and all his friends (basically my big brothers as well) and my best friend, Tyler, are going so i'll be nice and taken care of. I'm still a bit intimidated though...i'm no girly girl but i'm also not exactly a woodsy person. We shall see, my friends, we shall see! I even got my fishing license and trout stamp! Whoop! Oh and I have to drive 3 1/2 hours through Nevada by myself! If you know anything about Nevada you'll know that's a very boring, long, ugly drive with just a few VERY small and VERY creepy towns in between. Oh and very minimal cell phone service. The hills have eyes people!! Pray for me!! Thanks to my big bro, AP, I have 3 very detailed (even highlighted) maps to get me there. So here we go....

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Yesterday....

I got my baking on! I'm headed on a camping trip this weekend and wanted to take something yummy to share so I decided on homemade samoas and banana bread! I've made the samoas before and man are they time consuming but soooo worth it! These babies are SO freaking good. Like wow. I always heard rumors how they are better than the actual Girl Scout Cookies and I couldn't believe it...then I tried them and it's true. It was confirmed when I bought some a few months ago and they just didn't compare (although both are very very delicious). Anywho...I got the recipe here but there are tons all over the internet, mostly about the same ingredients and steps. This batch wasn't quite as good as the first. I used semi-sweet chocolate instead of bittersweet and it also didn't set up too well for some reason. Still delish though. I also have been wanting to try this recipe for banana bread! Definitely a keeper! So easy and definitely delicious!! My family was all at the temple--my cousin, Taylor, is getting ready to leave on his mission!!--so Jeremy and I spent 3 hours, literally, baking away! At one point Jeremy was rolling out some cookie dough and trying to make it look like Africa, when all of a sudden I stopped him and sure enough, it was the spitting image of Simba! Tell me that's not perfect! (sorry for the crappy pics)

So naturally Jeremy drew Simba's face on the parchment paper....

Thanks to some Doobie Brothers and an amazing cheerleader (me), he did a pretty good job!!

Don't mind the left side of his face, it's clearly a little off lol but as for the rest of it, I think he did a pretty good job!

That may have been part of the reason why it took us 3 hours but that's beside the point. Thankfully everything turned out and we had a good time! Afterward we started our Harry Potter marathon...i've only seen and read the first book (I know, I know, so sad) so we are going to watch all the movies before the next one comes out (hopefully!). Unfortunately we both fell asleep halfway through but that just means more Harry Potter fun next week right?!

Right on time...

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Love Affair.

"Time Can Make More Rubble Out of Dreams Than Anything"

Have you ever felt that no matter how far you run youre getting nowhere? Or how much you sit and reflect and spend time with yourself, you're never at peace? I feel like I need a vacation...I also feel like a vacation will fix nothing. I'm not sure what to do to be honest. Every time i'm having a bad day, my first thought always jumps to how badly I wish I could turn back time...but what good would that do? I appreciate things more after they are gone, I learn lessons from past mistakes, I push myself forward by remembering how badly I want to do it different next time and do it right. Life is messy. Life is discouraging. Life is hard and hurts like hell. But life is also beautiful, necessary and worth it. I'm having a hard time remembering the latter right now but i'm searching for the answer to my prayers, which is peace and being happy with myself and my decisions. For now i'll take it day by day, hour by hour and hope that i'll find peace sooner rather than later. I need to stop being scared. I need to have FAITH. I need to take a risk...

Horses!

I went horseback riding out in Logandale yesterday which was SO fun!! I have a boney behind and today it's screamin but it was so worth it. I even took over the reins by myself for a bit, can you say large and in charge?? Next step in my life would clearly be to invest in some boots and a belt buckle...right??

 Bowman Reservoir

 Desert sunsets never get old...

Cowgirl up!

P.S. How cute is my dog....

Soul Mate

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So i'm gonna need this giraffe to propose to me, asap, and here is why!!

"Listen Moto Moto. You better treat this lady like a queen because you my friend, you found yourself the perfect women. If I was ever so lucky to find the perfect women I would give her flowers everyday and not just any flowers, okay? Her favorites are orchids, white, and breakfast in bed... six loaves of wheat toast with butter on both sides, no crust. The way she likes it. I'd be her shoulder to cry on and her best friend and I'd spend everyday trying to think of how to make her laugh. She has the most, most amazing laugh. Well that's what I would do if were you."

A cartoon giraffe...really?! I love you. I'll wait for you. Just make it snappy. Thanks!