Ms. Jonna's Pumpkin Chip Cupcakes

I'd like to thank my mom for finding the recipe. I'd also like to thank my family for not eating them before the contest.

Today was our YSA ward's annual Thanksgiving Dinner! Yay! You know, it is the simple things in life that make YSA life not that bad :)

I entered the 54th Ward Bake-Off. For three weeks I had no clue of what to make, but yesterday...it came to me!

My entry: Pumpkin Chip Cupcakes

My place: Third!

My Prize: A Butter Spreader

I am all about simple and this was simpler than I thought it'd be. Here is the recipe except I didn't add walnuts and I added mini chocolate chips on top.

My mom said I look "pretty dang proud" in this photo.

And how could I not be? I (surprisingly) won one of the highest honors a young single adult could win at a Thanksgiving Bake-Off! Well, I guess the first place won measuring cups...but still...it made my night!

Poor Man's Paintball

My new favorite water activity. Now, I cannot take credit for this. It was not my idea, but I absolutely endorse it and would play it again in a heart beat. All you need is:

1. A water gun
2. Water
3. Food Coloring
4. White T-shirt

You can play in teams or free-for-all. But, in the end, you get results like this:

(the pictures don't do it justice, it may help to see the them larger, but anyhow...I was colorful!)

Yep. Tons of fun. I know you want to try it! As an added bonus...I didn't even have to be seen in my swimsuit.

My Weekend Epiphany

My weekend began on Friday morning when I was informed that class would be cancelled for Friday & Monday morning. Yay! Friday night, I planned on going to a YSA swim party. Now, I am not so confident in swimming attire. However, I found a few buddies to tag along with. Thank goodness for buddies! The water was slightly freezing. Finally, we came up with a novel idea! Two words: hot tub. I was immediately on board. Upon arrival, we discovered it would not hold the amount of people who showed up. Never fear! Where there is a will, there is a way. And we found a way. We were just a little crowded for a while. My Friday night ended with a late night food run to Wendy's after I discovered that Sonic was NOT open after 12am. Darn.

Saturday's event revolved around watching a screen. USA vs. England was the highlight. I know the whole country of England may hate me for saying this, but boy, am I sure glad it was a draw. Super lucky! Then, I stayed up late with Carla watching Avatar: The Last Airbender. Yes, I am now addicted to this show! That is another story for another time...

Then came Sunday. What was it that made this Sunday so great? Was it the fact that EVERY talk mentioned Disneyland? Was it the fact that Sunday School inspired me to resume my cooking practices? Was it the Girls Camp meeting that got me totally pumped for another year at LoMia? It could, in fact, be an accumulation of all of these things, but I think it was because I was SO busy. In my opinion, Sundays full of meetings and busy-ness are the best. It is a reminder to me that I am in the service of the Lord and I am a part of a wonderful and true church. I felt love from my ward members, I felt inspired by lessons, I felt like I was doing good. Above all, I was feeling the Spirit. I was happy. To top it all off, I hung out with some friends and played games.

I have reflected on the weekend and thought, "Wow." I know my life isn't too exciting compared to some, I know it is good. Going to school, working, and trying to find out WHERE my life is going gets a little boring and frustrating, but when I look between all of it I find something good. I find peace that says: it is good.