A time for writing and a time for......other stuff.

Oh blog, can I tell you something. This semester?? It's kicking my butt. And not in a good way...because my butt doesn't look any better than it did before.

Here's what I do know though -- I ain't gon' give up. (Don't worry Dad.)

I don't have any baby pictures to post, as I do not have a baby.

I do not have any other pictures to post because I keep forgetting and/or losing my camera at those moments in my life where a camera would be nice. So you'll have to use your imaginations as I do my best to depict my life in word form.

I went to Salt Lake City over Memorial Day weekend! I can now call myself a real mormon. I have seen mecca. :) We took an "official" tour of Temple Square and I must say, I was more than impressed by the pioneers. They were crafty people!! Not only did they build a breath taking building such as the SLC Temple, they built the Tabernacle with some of the most amazing acoustics I've ever heard. I wanted to jump on that stage and sing so bad I could barely restrain myself. I also just found the whole idea of the tours so cool. If I wasn't a member of the LDS Church already, I would definitely be more interested in the Church afterwards.

The only creepy thing was the lady at the end of the tour who was taking pictures in front of the Christus statue. It wasn't creepy that she was taking pictures -- but it was creepy that she was posing on the floor, whilst several months pregnant, whilst wearing a tube top and skirt as to expose her very pregnant stomach. I think pregnant woman are beautiful, don't get me wrong, but that just creeped me out. I was feeling all spiritual after listening to the little message and pondering as I looked at the statue of Christ then BAM! Pregnant woman shows up....not. cool.

The longer I live out west, the more I am growing to love it. The landscapes are amazing. Mountains are awe inspiring to me. I've gone down to Logan, Utah a few times now and everytime I go I love it more and more. We went on a drive through the Logan Canyon and it was so beautiful!!! I'm thinking more and more about doing my masters at Utah State (which is in Logan). I've also discovered that I enjoy rural life much more than urban life. I feel more at peace. For any of you that have known me long enough to experience me when I'm struggling with panic attacks, you know that driving has always been one of my biggest problems. There was a time where I would have panic attacks just driving to work that was a mere 10 minutes away! Now, I can drive to Utah, all by myself, in perfect peace :) I think it is because I never have to deal with heavy traffic and I have beautiful landscapes to look at. It just makes me happy :) I actually really enjoy going on a nice drive nowadays.

Hmm....let's see, what else?

I made lasagna for the first time -- it turned out really well!! I did my normal Courtney spin on it and made things a bit healthier by using ground turkey instead of ground beef and switched regular lasagna noodles for whole wheat noodles. I also used organic canned diced tomatoes instead of processed spaghetti or tomato sauce. I was really happy with how it turned out! I want my own cooking show! If I posted my dishes and recipes on a blog, would you guys actually try them??

Also, a new trick for making homemade garlic bread : Cut your favorite loaf of bread to open it up (we used french bread, but you could use italian or even a whole grain roll). With a slightly softened stick of butter add dried basil and parsley (substantial amounts of both) as well as a about 3 or 4 Tbls of garlic powder to the butter. Then whip the butter with electric beaters until all is combined and butter is fluffy so it's easier to spread. Spread it on the bread and bake at about 400 degrees until bread is crispy and butter is melted!! YUMMY!

Welp....I think I've given you enough for today. :) Hope you're all doing well and loving life!

♥ Courtney