W.E.E.K.

Is it really Monday already? Really? 

If I hadn't lived every crazy minute of last week I'd swear it never happened.  It flew by so fast!  

Monday......was crazy and too long ago to remember, ha ha.  Tyson worked and I'm pretty sure I was swamped with work too.

Tuesday night we had a service scavenger hunt for our Young Women activity.  Two teams raced around to different ward members' homes and completed chores for them.  The last team back to the church lost- -that was my team.  But we got stories and ice cream from one of our little old lady friends, so we really didn't lose =0)  She showed us, she has an original Nauvoo Temple window sill!  So neat!  She would have told us stories all night if we'd have had the time.  I'll have to take Teryn to visit her again.

Wednesday night was our Relief Society's food demonstration night.  We learned about making and decorating cakes.  I couldn't believe the variety of different cakes people prepared and taught about!  Some of my favorites were Chocolate Hazelnut, Key Lime, Cherry Chocolate, and Strawberry Shortcake.  I prepared one of my favorites, Cherry Dump Cake.  Never heard of it?  It's called a "dump cake" because that's just what you do- -literally dump the ingredients into the pan and bake!  Super simple and uber yummy! Here's the recipe:

CHERRY DUMP CAKE

1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling (or other filling of choice)
1 package plain yellow cake mix
¾  C butter, melted
½ C grated coconut
1 C chopped pecans
Vanilla ice cream for serving

1.  Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 F.
2.  Dump the pineapple evenly over the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 baking pan.  Cover the pineapple with the pie filling.  Pour the dry cake mix evenly over the fruit mixture so that it reaches all the sides of the pan.  Drizzle the entire pan with the melted butter.  Sprinkle the coconut and pecans evenly over the top of the cake.  Place the pan in the oven.
3.  Bake the cake until it is deep brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake topping comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
**Store this cake covered in plastic wrap for up to 1 day in the refrigerator if using a metal pan, or for up to 1 week if using a glass pan.  If using a metal pan, let the cake cool, then transfer it to a glass or plastic container and it will keep, covered, for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.  

Really, it's to die for!  Even if you're not a cherry lover- -it's amazing!  I've tried it with peaches, raspberries, and blackberries, but none are as yummy as cherry.  I came home and shared my plate full of cakes with the girls next door while they looked at my mission pictures and listened to my stories.  A few of them are thinking about serving so they enjoy hearing my experiences.

Thursday night was packed with visiting teaching and Young Women auxiliary training.  Fun =0)

And then there was Friday.  Oh Friday.  I was hanging out with the girls next door while Tyson was at school that morning when all of a sudden he called to ask where I was.  That was odd- -he usually doesn't just call to ask where I am unless he comes home and I'm not here.  So I asked if he was home and he was so I told him I'd be there in 2 minutes.  When I walked in our house, there was a shiny, beautiful, brand new bike sitting in our living room???  That little sneak!  "Tyson......" I turned around and he spooked me from behind the door- -I screamed and hopped on the Love Sac.  What a surprise!  I bought a bike trailer for Teryn back in March and I'd been looking on ksl.com for months, trying to find a good quality bike for a good deal but to no avail.  My search is now over, thanks to that sneaky (but sweet!) husband of mine =0)  Thanks babe! It's perfect.  I rode it to meet my visiting teachers that afternoon and Teryn loved the trailer ride!  But to say it wore me out would be an understatement.  Holy moly.  Joy-riding a bike and towing a 13 month old in a trailer are two very different things!  It'll be good for me.

Friday Cont'd, I got the itch to rearrange our living room and I love it!  I love change.  Breanna came over to visit and eat dinner in the evening.  We planned to get shakes afterward, but Teryn was being a slow eater so I stayed home feeding him and Breanna made a quick run for shakes.  Oreo for her, Reese's PB for me.  Mmm.  She went home, I put Teryn down for bed, and my friend Nichole Reid stopped by while she was in town.  We spent some time reading a few things she's been writing- -I didn't know she was a writer!  I loved her work!  Someday when she's a well-known author (because she will be) let this post be remembered =0)

Saturday morning Tyson worked and Teryn and I headed down to Utah Valley.  I stopped by to see an old boyfriend's family in Orem- -his little sister got sick and sent home from her mission so I wanted to see her.  She was actually at the temple when I stopped by so I didn't get to see her, but it was great to see everyone else who was home!  From there I headed to Provo for a Brooksby family reunion.  We started at a park but it was cold enough that we ended up at a stake center where we just spent time chatting and letting the children run around.  I came home that afternoon to a beautiful bouquet of flowers!  Ha ha, they actually were no surprise.  I got a call while I was in Provo from a man named Don who stopped at my house to deliver them but no one was home.  I asked who they were from and he said there was no name.  What??  So I told him he could leave them with the girls next door and I'd pick them up when I got home.  Well, Tyson called me around 2:30 to see what my schedule was and while we were on the phone I told him about the mystery flowers.  They were from him, ha ha!  He asked them to be delivered at 3:00 because he would have been home from work by then- -but they didn't and completely ruined the surprise!  Ha ha, oh well.  They were beautiful though!  And another very sweet, thoughtful surprise.  Also- -Tyson sold his truck!!  That will be a whole other post in itself.

Sunday was Easter.  Rather than an Easter basket, I found a little wagon for Teryn and filled it with goodies for our family.  When I wheeled it in Easter morning, Teryn's face was priceless- -I wish I'd had the camera!  He was so excited for all the treats until he found the carton of Robin Eggs.  Then nothing else mattered.  Until Tyson ripped open the bubbles!  Oh to be a child again when everything is magical!  He was mesmerized!  Definitely a new favorite.  Church was wonderful and the ward choir sang some beautiful Easter numbers.l.  The life, death, and resurrection of our Savior are such inexpressible blessings.  Really, without them, there would be no trace of happiness in my life.  I need to remember to keep Him and His Atonement at the forefront of my mind.  It is then that I have courage and strength to live as I should.  It is then that I am able to undertake anything that comes my way.  It is then that I am happiest and most grateful for all I've been given.  I'm eternally grateful for my Savior and I know he lives!


After church, we received an unexpected dinner invite to Liz and Zane's house.  We were at the time waiting for our own dinner to come out of the oven, so we decided to save ours for later and accept their invitation.  It was delicious food and enjoyable company.  We left just early enough to enjoy some sun at the park before coming home.  We blew more bubbles and Tyson and Teryn had fun on the slide.  We couldn't have asked for a more perfect Easter Sunday.


(And Teryn decided to finish it off by passing a BM in the bathtub for the first time.  That part wasn't so perfect.  And he did it again tonight.  Wonderful.)

 (He really doesn't like grass...)