Celebrating...Hiking...Callings...Cooking...Flowers

As of lately, we have had a few new FUN adventures!!!

First of all, we CELEBRATED my 23rd BIRTHDAY!!! ( I think I'm 23) I seriously lose count already. How sad is that!?! Anyways, it was definitely a bittersweet day! 

First: I realized how much I really miss our family and friends! It is those days that they call you or text you with words of love to celebrate you that you realize how amazing family is and just how needed they are! You see, the days go by a little slow sometimes. Nate works about 12 hours a day, I don't have a job, I don't know many people yet, and I procrastinate things such as finances, folding clothes, and more while I sometimes intensely wish to be back home with familiar faces, places, and things! So, after being pretty sad about my (I was calling it misfortune), my amazing husband came home! (He truly is AMAZING!!!) After letting him know I was a little cranky, finding out my grandpa was in the hospital with bad news, and hearing my adorable one year old niece tell me Happy Birthday and I love you in her innocent, adorable voice...I broke down! I cried and after venting to Nate and I was not such a grump my amazing husband held me while I cried! Then I composed myself, we finished getting ready and he took me to Olive Garden (to DIE for) and the drive in movie!

So, why do I tell you all about my day of feeling sorry for myself? Well, it is to say that family and friends are just exactly where it is at! On my day of hurt, I was comforted by the words of love from you all!!! Whether it be a phone call, a text, or a facebook post I needed your love! Thank you! Also, husbands are just the best thing ever created! I am so grateful to spend my time with you Nate!

Second item of news: Nate took me to Multinomah Falls on Saturday! We hiked up to the top...which might not have been the best idea...but we did it anyway! I was in slip-on shoes and Nate was in flip flops and we have both been in need of a chiropractor for quite some time. So, although I developed a blister on each of my little toes and I could hardly walk the next day because my hips and back I loved it! It was beautiful and I needed to feel like I accomplished something! (Even if it was only a two-three mile hike)

These are all taken from the bottom!

Taken on the way up!

The top...falls going off the cliff

Pictures at the top of the little fall on top of the big falls!

The shoes we were wearing on a two mile hike uphill!!! 

Third: We both got callings in our ward here! Guess what they are first! My mom hit it right on the nail when she was here!!! Close at least, for me! 

 

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I think she said they would put me in nursery!!! Well, I am the four year old primary teacher...

Nate is the Varsity Coach (Scout Leader) and Assistant Advisor for the Teacher's Quorum!!! I don't understand why they call it Varsity Coach.

Fourth: I have a new obsession in my time at home!

Searching out recipe blogs and finding new treasures too cook and bake! Some of my better, most recent cooking adventures are...

1. Homemade Mac and Cheese Casserole

2.  Chicken and Dumplings

3. Baked Blueberry Scones

4. Deep Fried Scones with Honey Butter

5. Butterscotch, White Chocolate Chip Cookie - Hot Fudge Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches

6. Italian Pizza

7. Chicken Pot Pie

We have so much scone dough in the freezer it is ridiculous!!! The recipes both made a lot more than I anticipated. They were delicious though!

Last night I made chicken and dumplings and scones with honey butter! I had a bit of nostalgia flood over me as I was reminded so much of one of my absolute, all time heroes! My grandma who I have missed so dearly for the last year and a half. I remember longing for my grandma's chicken and dumplings! It was so good! She was an amazing cook, wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and woman! Her life touched so many! I miss you grandma! 

 

I am so grateful for the gospel, eternal families through the temple, and the resurrection!

Grandpa, we miss you and we pray for you daily (more than once a day)! Thank you for your example of courage, strength, and faith amidst adversity! We love you!!!

 

Fifth: I am so lucky!!! I got a beautiful hanging basket from my amazing parents that is at the moment sitting on my porch because we need to get a hanger for it.

The picture isn't as good as it is in real life!!!

Also, when buying a new battery for Nate's car, which hasn't worked for about a month we found a little present...tender mercy sitting by our car. As we walked out to remove the old battery we saw a bouquet of lillies wrapped, and not yet bloomed. We commented on how odd it was and contemplated why they were there. After returning from buying the new battery, those flowers still remained untouched in the same spot. Still we, mostly I, wondered why a bouquet of flower would be lying in a parking lot of an auto parts store right next to our vehicle. I considered everything...from someone dropping them to some amazing kindly deed to a recording of some person wanting to see the reaction of some weird, flower obsessed girl ooooing over some lillies! Anyways, judge me or not we ended up bringing them home. They looked completely stranded. Sorry...I pray that nobody is missing some beautiful lillies now. If they are I hope they would have done the same thing. Anyways, two out of many of these beautiful flowers have bloomed today!

The flowers a couple days ago and the flowers today. 

Two have bloomed...one on the front and one on the back!

I know the vase is a little tall but it is the only one I own at the moment. I left all my vases in Pocatello at Shan's apt. 

Anyways, there is life with the Benson family the last week. Thanks for bearing with me in my long winded blog posting! :o)