I'm truly sorry. I feel awful for not sharing the surprise like nine years ago. (I forgot what the surprise even was.) The holidays were fantastically busy and I guess I just got caught up in the important things, such as my adorable family. Alex, I love writing to you. I'm positive that if I never share a link on facebook again you will forever be my only fan. I could just share all of my deepest darkest secrets right here over the internet and be completely confident that no one would ever see them. However there is obviously no reason for that, considering you already know all of my secrets. 

A brief synopsis of Christmas through Darci's eyes... (Darci is my phone. I named her that last year after the love of my life, Mr. Darcy.)

Clever, very clever... haha I laughed for a minute. Or an hour.

Lulu, I miss that fluffy babe.

Listen. It will make you happy.

Here comes the greatest part of this post.. blackberry ice cream with Paige, Shlynn, and Hank. It was fabulous to say the least.

Happiness = Les Miserables + blackberry ice cream + music + ... okay you got me, everything is happiness, I guess it just depends on how you look at it.

Sometimes.

Prepare yourselves... this post is going to be slightly excessive. I just have been too dang lazy to type, therefore I've been hoarding pictures on my desktop for like a week and a half until now, I finally have the courage to pull myself together, swallow my pride (I love when people say that) ughh I forgot the point to what I was saying. Dang.

Anyway,

Mackenzie (the greatest friend a girl can have) got her mission call this last week and boy was it a lot to handle. I cried my eyes out. She's going to GUATEMALA CITY, insane. I'm way too excited for her, with a touch of selfish heartbreak. I have no idea who's going to keep me in line.. no one:D <---(that's a giant smiley face.) She would literally do anything... for anyone. That's a big deal. It's funny too because I have never heard her say a single bad thing about anyone. You think that's an exaggeration HAH, it's not. If I could be like someone, I'd be like her. Find the friends that make you happy. There are too many people in this world for you to choose friends that aren't always building you up, ya know? I actually don't know if that's true, but it probably makes sense.

Here we are.. being Indie n' stuff.

The great thing about Mic is that she likes to eat treats with me. Sometimes it really worries me that we are friends..

Example of a regular conversation between the two of us:

Elle: Hey I really want a cougar tail tonight at the football game.. (1 1/2 ft maple doughnut.. probably around 700,000,000 calories)

Mackenz: Okay we'll get you one!

Elle: I don't know, is that unhealthy? 

Mackenz: Well, I'll just get one too then!

Elle: Okay! 

Haha the good news is that she's SUPER competitive and very athletic. Oh and she has every episode of Gilmore Girls memorized... so I can't say I always understand her jokes. 

All in all, I LOVE MACKENZIE!

I just have a few more things to discuss...

This just gets me every time, I had to.

YOU MUST make this!! #worthit

Tal's Quiche Recipe

25 degree football game = don't do it, misery awaits

HAYDEN

I am in love with him.. he doesn't love me back for some strange reason I don't understand. He keeps me laughing. He's cute, I figured I'd share.

Okay so it ended up not being that long.. it's cause I have a surprise for my next post, and I have to save it. 

YAY. Can't wait.

Missing my babes

Sunday sunday. It's a beautiful day outside yet I'm in my bed. Elder L. Tom Perry spoke in my stake conference this morning. It was truly great. I haven't been home for five months and it's beginning to be a drag. I'm not one to complain about not going home because I like to think I have patience. I threw patience out the window four freakin' months ago when I figured it wasn't likely that I was getting home before Thanksgiving. I made potatoes for lunch today and they sort of triggered the "I miss my family" side of me once again. Basically everything triggers that feeling at this point, there's no escaping it. However the potatoes were great, so here's the recipe..

1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes 

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 

5 cloves of minced garlic 

2 1/2 tablespoons rosemary 

2 1/2 tablespoons coarse ground mustard, or dijon 

SALT and pepper 

Possibly some chives

Boil the potatoes for about ten minutes or until they are easily pierced with a fork. (Preheat the oven to 425) While they are boiling mix all the other stuff together. When my potatoes were done boiling I cut them in half but you can leave them whole if you wish. Drain potatoes and then toss them in the mixture. Place them in a baking dish and put them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until they are golden brown and sizzling. In the last few minutes of baking, sprinkle some chives over the potatoes.

To be quite frank, they're fabulous. (The recipe makes more than what the picture portrays, I just cut it into a baby sized portion considering no one joined me for my fabulous Sunday dinner, it's cause no one understands that I'm a great cook... hehehe.) 

On to the good stuff...

 My cute family that I miss dearly... I CAN'T wait for the day that we all get to be in the same room again!! (which is just around the corner.. CHRISTMAS.) Everyone is in this picture except Nate and Grace, and my adorable parents of course. 

Jish:)

I wish I had an individual picture of each member of the fam, but we'll just have to save that post for a moment in the future. 

Unfortunately I have procrastinated too much homework to fathom, I must be off. Happy Sunday:)

Flu for dayzz

#1Today is a happy happy day:) I FINALLY got accepted to BYU! Yay!! 

The summer before my senior year of high school I decided to graduate early. There was no way I could graduate early at Mountain View so I transfered to a school called AAEC. This tiny little school allowed you to take high school credits as well as attend the community college next door. So long story short, I got my senior year done in one semester! Sounds great? Or maybe not. Honestly, those were some dreary days. I was at school literally all day. 7 am to 7pm. After school I went to work, did homework, and went to bed. Worth it? Umm yeah I hope so? Live with no regrets right? Anyway I tried to get into BYU and that didn't work out so I just went to the Salt Lake center. The point I'm trying to make, well there isn't really one I guess. Except that I'M SO HAPPY that BYU got sick of reading my application essays!! 

#2I've had this super weird stomach flu for a week now. It's like on and off and SO annoying. I'm still a little out of it, so if what I write doesn't make sense, well, sorry:)

#3My roommates=we're having issues. My apartment smells like Hell. In other words, if Hell does have a smell (hopefully I'll never know) it would smell like my kitchen. I have been sick for the last week right? So I haven't really been eating too much, aka the problem is CLEARLY not me. There are seriouslyprobably 500 absolutely horrendous dishes in my sink right now. Okay, I have to stop there. It's a heated subject as you can tell. If I keep going I'll go nuts. I want to move out!!!

This picture shows just how bad it is.. those are my clothes stuffed under the door so the smell doesn't get in. I'm never opening my door again. Ever. You think I'm kidding...

#4On a lighter, more fabulous note, here's Shlynnie babe. She's a babe A. and B. she's my best friend!:) Truly, the best. I'm just so worried for her husband, seriously. He's going to have to be absolutely OUT of this world to deserve her, and even then I'm not sure if he'll make the cut! Shlynn and I both went to the same high school but oddly enough I don't think we had ever said a word to each other before this last summer. Anyway, we started hanging out because Shylnn roomed with Mackenzie over the summer. And what do ya know? I couldn't live without her. I have never met a more humble gal. It's funny because sometimes people will say, "Oh Ashlynn, she's intimidating." I just laugh to myself because she's probably the nicest person on the Earth and would never judge a soul. She's funny because she's so strange... her sense of humor is like a puzzle you have to put together, and once you understand it, there's no going back, you're hooked on Shlynn. My favorite part about her is her teeny little baby hands and feet. Cutest things you'll ever see, so tiny! And her long blonde flowing princess hair defines her as well. There is SOO much more about her that makes her truly one of a kind, but I just want to talk about her talk she gave on Sunday in Sacrament Meeting and then I'll wrap it up. (There will probably be a zillion more posts about her in the future anyway so no worries.) Mic and I get to church pretty early, then in walks Shlynn a few minutes later with a book in one hand and scriptures in the other. Meanwhile I'm thinking wtf? Where are her papers?! WHERE is her TALK?! haha so I ask. (On a side note, I forgot to mention that Shlynn is seriously smart. Like one of the smartest people I've ever met. She knows everything. Probably.) (oh and her talk is supposed to be on following the Prophets) She's just like... and I paraphrase, "Well I checked out this book at the library! It's on the Prophets. I know what I want to say it just seemed weird to write it down cause it's not organized yet." Okay at this point I'm thinking, "Are you fetching crazy? I would be bawling my eyes out if I were you. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? PRETEND TO FAINT?? I'll cover for you when you run out of the room." But no, of course she's as calm as ever just standing there smiling. Her talk was killer. Shlynn was up there just pulling quotes and scripture references out of thin air:) The message was beautiful, I know she was very inspired that day. This chick has it together.

I'm off. We are having a fiesta tonight. I need to get dressed.

WINTER WINTER winter.

You better believe I just whipped up cornbread and chili. And it's cold. And Park City resort opens Nov. 17th. And there was ice covering my windshield this morning. And I wore boots today. And I'M SO EXCITED FOR WINTER! It truly is the greatest month of the year. I already hate this post for being so unorganized, but I can't help it. 

Okay so.. I have serious issues with recipes, we have a love hate relationship. I look at a recipe, get an idea, and then from there it's just a lazy fight. I HATE referring back to exact measurements, it just takes too darn long. First of all who knew chili was so easy to make? And this cornbread? Whatta dream. I truly wish I wrote down a recipe because this meal really is soothing my soul, but I didn't so a picture will have to do... 

Okay and this cornbread looks stupid but I promise it is delightful! The original recipe is from The Daily Dish but I revised it a tiny bit.. okay a ton. Don't make it.

1/2 c. cornmeal 

1 1/2 c. bread flour 

3/4 c. sugar

1 Tbs. baking powder 

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 c. vegetable oil

1/4 c. melted butter 

1 Tbs. honey

2 eggs, beaten 

1 c. milk

That is seriously sketchy that I'm posting this recipe. How many people make cornbread on a daily basis though.. I'm guessing no one. However if you do end up making it (Alex) let me know how it goes!

Yay!

I don't even like lemon meringue pie.

What an overwhelming yet peaceful weekend. One day we are going to a football game together, and the next my two best friends are setting dates and turning in their mission papers. What a life changing saturday session. Literally. I'm baffled.

Such a neat experience, one of Ashlyn's roomies is a daughter of one of the seventy so she hooked us up with some sweet tickets. Saturday afternoon and so close! Doesn't get much better. Weird though, the ENTIRE two hours there was a child, I think (I don't really know cause I never turned around to look) quietly sobbing. So confusing? Haha it was kinda funny but I really am still wondering what was going on. That was the first time I have ever been in the same room as the prophet and most of the apostles so it was great. I have so much love for the prophet, his counselors, and the twelve. I have no doubt I'll be sharing how much I love them in an upcoming post. They mean the world to me.

A few pictures from the event...

Such a crack up!! I had to put it up...

With sunday morning conference comes great food right? I definitely got lucky this morning. A few friends of mine made breakfast. It was fabulous so I just want to share...

She has no idea I stole her recipe, but these bran muffins are to die for and such a cute idea! I love this little book she had. It was just a condensed version of her favorites, hand written, so easy!

Last but not least, I made a pie! There are few kinds of pie I don't like and one of them is lemon meringue. Funny, but that's what I made. I don't know why I did, actually to be honest I do know why I made it. At the house I watched conference at they had this delicious lemon scented lotion by the sink. I just couldn't help it. I had to make a pie just as delicious as the smell. It turned out pretty good for a pie I have no interest in ever touching. I got the crust recipe from the Pioneer Woman, I would definitely recommend it! The lemon filling was just a random pulled up off of google. It was fine. I wouldn't use it again though (I guess have no room to talk considering there's a slim chance I'll make any sort of lemon pie again) so never mind, it was great. 

I love pretty food:) 

Disclaimer: Um if you just got to the end of this post and you're thinking, "Wtf, half of what she said didn't make sense, her grammar and spelling need serious help, and I don't even know what conference is." Then that is completely understandable considering I'm thinking the same thing. It's too late to function, I'm going to bed. Yay!

Oh Technology...

Ahh! I'm so tired, 10:12 is way past my bed time. Seriously it's sad how early I go to bed. So I'm doing this project for my communications class and I just HAVE to share what I found today it's hilarious. (I'm doing a presentation on how music purchasing has changed in the last 15 or so years.)

Okay so our typical Ipod commercial right? (sorry it's just a link, that's totally annoying. My video wouldn't upload.)

http-::www.youtube.com:watch?v=FLagUNONg5M

Now watch this... October 2001 the FIRST IPOD!! Haha it's seriously ancient.

http-::www.youtube.com:watch?v=nWqj6OQQOHA

I apologize for the lack of post, but bed time is my favorite part of every day! I must be off...

Goodnight!