Sourdough Happiness!

Maybe, I am the only one who thinks this is awesome, but I thought I would share anyway. I made sourdough bread.... and it's delicious. It was a little bit time consuming, but, it was also worth it. I was so happy it turned out! I cut a slice to eat right after I pulled it out of the oven, and the only word I could think about was "happiness," it tasted amazing! It's funny to me that something as simple as warm, fresh baked bread can make a whole day happy! The recipie that I followed gave the neat tip of putting two cups of water in a pan in the oven under the bread while it is baking. Doing this gave the bread a nice crispy crust and kept the inside nice and soft. If anyone wants some sourdough starter let me know, cuz I have plenty! :)

Space Heaters...

I decided something serious today! But before I tell you what it is, let me preface it with this.... I am sitting in the library working on homework and my feet are FREEZING!! It has been raining today and it is really cold (I almost wore my winter coat, but then refused because it's still September), so my feet are wet and cold. So, what I have decided is this...the library needs individual space heaters under every study desk! I think that would be a great investment, I mean come on, we live in Idaho, lets get with the program! :) Okay so that might not be too practical, but today that is what I am wishing for! :) I hope everyone is having a toasty warm happy day... and I think that is possible even if your feet are a little wet! :)

The Familia that I love so much!

Well, okay, after about a gazillion years I decided that I could post something on my blog again.
A week or so ago we did some serious huckleberry picking. I went four times! It was really very fun, and we got a bunch of berries, which taste amazing! The last two times we went we found some awesome bushes! Amberlee came with us the first and last time we were up there. She is such a good picker! Her little hands are proof of that! Every time she picked berries that were really big she made sure she showed all of us :) She has such a cute imagination and mind and she filled all of the would be silent moments with questions, comments, and observations. Autumn went with us the first time we were up there and she did a great job too! We told her that we should probably carry her so she would not get hurt while we were up there but she very adamantly said "I AM NOT SCARED!" And she certainly wasn't. She scampered up and down those hills and through bushes that were almost as tall as she was without a bit of complaint. Whenever she fell she just got back up and continued her search for the huckleberries.


That white bucket is only one of three that we got that day!

Amberlee is a true huckleberry picker!

My friend Ashley is having a baby girl, so I made her a few little bows for her baby shower. They were really fun to make. I have never made hair clips before, but I thought they turned out pretty cute!

This is just a pretty rose that I cut from my rosebush. It smelled so good and was beautiful.

"Is This A Good Activity?"

This last weekend was SO much fun! I spent the weekend in Utah playing and visiting friends. I would just like to say that I have a new favorite activity...it's jet skiing! I have never enjoyed any toy as much as I enjoyed those jet skis.

I Know You, And Hope For You

My sweet little Amberlee girl gave me a letter a little while back while Doug and Lydia were here for Christmas. The note was mostly just a jumble of letters that she had typed in, but then there was also a little part that she had Amy Jo write for her what she wanted in the letter. It was just a little statement, but it was a little statement that was packed with meaning and sweetness. It said:

Dear Goo (my nickname),
I know you, and hope for you.
Love, Amberlee

It's amazing how children can touch our hearts in ways that no one else can, and how thy can teach us like no one else can. I needed to read those words that day... They reminded me that the Lord knows me, He is aware of what is going on in my life, and He cares about me. He wants whats best for me, He wants me to be happy and to succeed. These words also taught me about how I need to love others. I should have a sincere hope and desire for good things in the lives of all those that I claim to know and love. So... I would just like to pass this message on to Doug and Lydia and their sweet family, with that sweet new baby...
"I know you and I hope for you."

I am 21 going on 12... wait...

21 was the BEST birthday ever! My parents made it a really special day for me! And it was made even better by my wonderful family and friends that celebrated with me. People were so sweet to me; I got a lot of calls and birthday wishes that were so nice! I was especially happy to talk to my awesome brother on my birthday and Lydia and Amberlee the day before.
I got the best gift EVER! My parents had my cedar chest, that I started in high school, finished and gave it to me. Isn't it beautiful!!

Sister Mortensen, Me, Angie

Also, my mom made me the best cheesy potatoes EVER! They were delicious and, figuratively, the icing on the cake. Thank you mom!

Once angain... isn't Dominick SO cute!! I had to put this little quote on the bottom of his picture... because it fits! I was so happy that Steve and Christina came to celebrate with me too; they are the best!