townhouse.

Well we finally made it to Idaho! We weren't supposed to be able to move into our apartment until the 20th so we were pretty frustrated, but it ended up being nice because we were able to run errands all around before moving in. After the Jones' let us sleep at the their house for a couple of nights, we were sure our apartment had been done getting scrubbed and cleaned up so we drove by to get a peek and sure enough! There was a little sign on our door! So James went into the manager's office to ask if we were allowed to at least move some stuff in there and the manager didn't even ask any questions, he just gave us the keys and quick tour so we knew were things were and what to mark on our check in sheet! And we were in!

First place together. Awww!

I was freakin excited we got to get in earlier!

 So for all of you who want to see it (Mom), here it is in all of it's glory. We live at the University Village, which is right across the street from my old apartment complex, the Ivy. We don't have anything put together yet, but I knew people would want to see kind of what it looked like.

Living room

Kitchen and dining area

Kitchen

Dining room

Bedroom one's closet

Bedroom one

Bedroom two

Bedroom two's closet

View of bedroom two (our room) from in the closet

Upstairs bathroom
(There is one downstairs, but is only the toilet & sink)

So that's it! I can't wait to post pictures of when it is all done and everything is set up and moved in! We are VERY excited to be living in a place just together where we can set things up and make a home together. It's going to be AWESOME having such a fun roommate by my side! :)

last supper.

Well our time here in Texas is coming to a close. And since it is our last weekend in Texas, James's grandparents decided we should all go out to eat somewhere Saturday night. James is pretty easy-going and can eat anywhere, so he left it up to me, but I was reeeally craving some of these babies. 

I think we had like 4 baskets! I can't get enough, especially
of that honey butter. Ooooh man.

Plus, I know Grandma and Grandpa really like to eat there so it was a win-win for everyone to go to Texas Roadhouse!! I couldn't think of a better place to round out our time here than eating at one of our favorite restaurants in its original home state!! You can't get much more Texas than this place! James and I both pulled on our cowboy boots and headed out for SUCH a yummy, nice dinner. 

Yep folks. That is front row seating in a PACKED parking lot!
It pays to circle around a couple times!

Besides the fact that we love hanging out with his grandparents, it was so great because it was Prom Night (!!!!) and so there were all these couples sitting behind us [a HUGE group] and they all looked so beautiful and handsome. It got James and I talking about high school and James told me he didn't go to either of his proms!!! I was shocked because I looooved the dances at our high school. They were so much fun and I loved going out to eat and then being with my friends!! But here I was telling him how awesome it was and that I felt so sad for him that he missed out, and he replied "It was more of the cool thing not to go to our senior prom. We went out and did other fun stuff instead!" I couldn't think of anything more awesome than prom, but then again, I guess it all depends on where you grew up. It was a nice trip back down memory lane for both of us.

I'm in the coral dress that my mom took extra material from to sew on some decent sleeve coverage. I love her so much.

This is how I imagine James would have looked had he actually gone. I'm sure all the girls were hoping they'd ask him, but of course, he chose the water. [He did go to homecoming though AND was even on the court!!! He said he lost to an awesome black guy. Haha I feel even cooler being married to him now] He sure would've been handsome though!! What a heartbreaker. Those poor girls.

Anyway, The other funny part was that grandpa totally made friends with who we think was the UNT football coach sitting beside us!! We think he was at a scouting dinner and he offered us an extra $50 if we switched checks with him. Haha He was so hilarious and I don't think there is any more contagious laugh than when Grandma & Granpa laugh. I literally am in tears every time they laugh with each other. They hardly breathe! I giggled just thinking about it. We sure have been blessed to live down here with them and we are going to miss them terribly. How could you not!? We love them so much and will never be able to thank them enough. I am beyond blessed to be a part of this family. What a perfect way to end the era.

macarons.

Today was not a very good day today for me.

First of all, I went and had my hair cut...in half. I asked her to cut off all my split ends, but I had no idea she was going to cut half of my hair off. Needless to say, I was freaking out. I mean, like

Aaand then it got emotional....because I felt bald. But also I guess you can say it was NOT the right time of the month for this to happen. So. That was disaster number one.

For disaster number two, let's remember that it takes me forever to make a decision. I mean, I think then and rethink things out about 6 times before I come to a conclusion. So when I decided to go to Plato's Closet (they will buy your clothes there depending on a couple things) to get rid of some of my clothes, after telling myself yes, you really don't wear any of these, I took them there and was shut completely down. All my clothes were either "too outdated" (meaning the labels weren't the most recent edition) or they just didn't "fit the market." So then I felt like I was ugly AND very untrendy.

So I was just having a very bad day. Sweet James was trying to make me feel better, but my spirits were just not up. Until,  I decided it was time to make my FAVORITE treat in the whole world...the french macaron.

I set out to do them with Grandma around and I have to say, they were amaaaaazing. They tasted just like they were supposed to and even though it took a little bit of work, it was so so worth it to me. I was pretty proud of myself and that got me right back up, just in time to watch American Idol with the family. So I thought I would share the recipe with you in case you were having a down-in-the-dumps day and needed a pick me up! :)

These can be a little complicated. But! Trust me, if I can do them, you can do them!

If you want the entire recipe, this is your gal! (It's in her info) but yes, she even does a video for you!

But here is ours adapted from hers.

RECIPE FOR BETH'S FOOLPROOF FRENCH MACARONS

Makes 24 completed sandwich cookies

INGREDIENTS

3 Egg Whites

¼ cup white sugar (50 g)*

2 cups confectioners sugar (200 g)

1 cup almond flour (120 g) [We found ours at Walmart. It's the Red Mill brand and it worked great!]

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste

*You should use a scale. I used one and it makes ALL the difference in our recipe. If you have access to a kitchen scale, both Beth and I strongly suggest you use it!

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Beat egg whites and sugar for 8-10 mins. TIP: #1 eggwhite should be room temp. To create room temp eggs, submerge in warm water for 5 mins. 

Whip until they form a peak that stands upright. Think Seattle Space needle.

(Her tip) Sift almond flour, and powdered sugar. What remains will be the larger lumps of almond pieces. Just discard those, or use them to snack on :) You want a really fine powder mixture to create a smooth and pretty on top to your cookie.

Fold flour/sugar mixture into the egg white mixture. Don't overmix. Transfer batter to a pastry bag.

Pipe out 1 inch rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
[I didn't read the recipe very well and used wax paper. BIIIIIIG MISTAKE!...and yes, I almost cried. Learn from me, your cookies will STICK like they are hanging on for dear life and you and your super sweet helpful Grandma will basically rip them off and it crushes them. Do it right and use PARCHMENT paper!]

Tap the pan hard at least 2-3 times to release the air bubbles. This will prevent the tops of your macaroons from cracking.

(Her tip, and yes, we did this for about 3 minutes) TIP#6 Let them sit out for 2--30 mins, or up to an hour if you want. This will allow them time to dry out a bit before hitting the hot oven. They should be "tacky" to the touch, but not stick to your fingertips. This is another important step to assuring your macarons develop feet! When they dry out they can't spread out in the oven, and are forced to rise up. That's what creates the feet!

Bake for 20 mins. DO NOT UNDER BAKE, even if they look done! Otherwise they will stick to your tray.

Reverse cookie shells on their backs, and pipe a small mound of filling on one of them. Top with the other shell et Voila! 

If not eating right away, keep refrigerated. [Also learning from my mistakes, if you leave them out, they WILL get stale. They are cookies. So keep them stored how you would store your cookies--in a container. NOT out on the table like a certain beginner]

That's it! I'm telling you, these are crazy amazing and good. I made a ton instead of paying what would have been one PRETTY penny. So try it out! It's worth it! Take it from my super cute, hardworking husband that came home from work and not only told me how impressed he was, but was totally willing to try out my culinary experiments. Love that man.

Good luck and happy eating...because it will be!

cabin. (day two)

Day Two was boating day!!!

Well Aunt Wanda, Bruce, Holly, Grandma and I all went this super cute fudge shop first! It was adorable and there were so many goodies there! All the fudge was homemade and she had all kinds of candy set up all around. We bought some cookie cutters, some cookie and other mixes, and [my FAVORITE] some of the Bean Boozled Jelly Belly beans!! There are jelly beans that look exactly the same except one is sweet and the other is HORRIBLE. Grandma got James his own package while Aunt Wanda bought some for the kids. She had them sitting out in a bowl casually for people to eat. Christopher was the first victim. He came down after his shower and took some to eat while we watched a bit of conference. The first couple were sweet and he had no idea. But then, it hit him. His face was priceless and he kept choking and spitting it out! Aunt Wanda & I were laughing so hard we had tears in our eyes. Everyone was cracking up. When James came back with all the teenagers from Walmart, they slowly caught on and I had James try every single one. DISGUSTING. He refused to eat the moldy cheese one but barf and rotten egg actually had him running to the trash can. It was the most hilarious moment in my life. He did say baby wipes took out the flavor of his barf one so that was good. And he did get to taste a couple sweet ones first. But I took one sniff of the canned dog food and I almost threw up. Picture the worst, most rotten roast beef dinner you could have and that's still pretty mild. BLECH.

Then we had a reservation from 12-4pm that Aunt Wanda set up for all of us to take a pontoon out on the water and go fishing! Holly, James, and Wanda all made and packed up sub sandwiches, chips, muffins, and drinks and we were off! James was the cute captain of the boat and we stopped at a few spots to go fishing....with live worms. To any normal human being, like the family, that is nothing ordinary. But for a girl who is not only totally freaked out by bugs, but has never been real fishing in her life, it was beyond bizarre. Everyone was so casual about digging the worms out of the dirt-filled containers and stabbing them to death with hooks...I thought I was going to faint. But! In my defense [since I know I sound like the worst girly girl ever] Savannah put a worm right next to me while she played with it and I didn't move. I stared, but I didn't move. So..ya know.

 Although we didn't catch anything, we did almost lose a fishing pole...and then really lost one. So I feel a little bad for the fishes that come across that in the water. They have to all just be like

James was super cute though. He was helping everyone out, and even took the Barbie fishing pole like a man so everyone else could still enjoy the other poles after we were down one. It was actually super adorable watching him set up this little tiny pink fishing pole and but sitting by the boat looking so serious. I sure love him!

Doing what he knows best!

Then of course after the boat ride was over, we went home and relaxed or hiked (again) and that was pretty awesome. Then we played some games and made a fire and soaked up the hot tub. It was a pretty great day, and Grandma even fried us up some fish so we felt like champions. Haha I love family trips.

I love my sweet fisherman.

cabin. (day one)

This weekend was SO. Much. Fun!! [In fact, so much so that I'm going to have to split it up into parts!] Aunt Wanda arranged a big family trip two years ago with her girls and then invited more people last year and even more people came this year! We loaded up 3 cars and took them up to Broken Bow, Oklahoma (where the wind comes sweeping!....You know you were thinkin it) where in fact all I could think of was this.

There were 13 of us, representing about 6 different states because James's parents were here from Florida and Christopher was down from New York! 

The first day was pretty much just unwinding, unpacking, exploring, and walking around, looking at all the different cabins around us. And did I mention that our cabin was gorgeous? It was definitely a cabin since every single thing was made out of wood, but it was just so nice and well-kept. There was so much space and every room was HUGE! Which was perfect since there were so many of us! And let me tell you, Grandma and Aunt Wanda STOCKED that kitchen. No one ever was hungry EVER during the trip. We had more food than we could eat actually, but with Grandma Betty's cooking, you know it was good. The menus included Crispy French Toast, Chicken & Fish Fry, Dirt Pudding, and Spaghetti with garlic bread and homemade meatballs....I know, stop drooling.

And as a side note, let me just tell you, I had no idea my handsome husband was a secret champion horseshoe player! But he was doing so great and kept hitting the targets! He beat everyone...typical. But it was funny to watch all the spectators get flustered when the mud came sploshing onto the porch. But no one gets mad at James. Like ever. So it was just funny.

Then, because James's mom Holly and I love to get our exercise in, we were going to walk around the grounds and look at the other cabins and the scenery. And everyone wanted to join us!! The more, the merrier! So we went our and explored.

Totally not our cabin. But who could resist!?

And of course, don't forget the hot tub that was ready any time we wanted right next to the porch. We spent every night marinating in there. Sooo nice and relaxing.

Grandma, Paige, Savannah, Holly, and Wanda. Awww!

Also among our luxeries was an upstairs pool table! The teenagers (I can't believe I just admitted I'm not one anymore) spent most of their time dominating one another up there. And all the bedrooms had flatscreens in them so they could sit on the bed and play card games during General Conference. Told you, sweet right?!  And that was about it for Day One. Not a bad way to start the day if I do say so myself. 

babe's.

I didn't get to blog about our fun day yesterday!

First of all, James's mom & dad are HERE!! In Texas!! I love them to death. They are so much fun and having them here has been so great. I will be so excited when we are all together in the great state of Florida. We also have James's cousin, Christopher, visiting here all the way from New York!! Needless to say, it's been a pretty fun week so far.

So apparently, I have been missing out my entire life because I had never been to this place. James had told me all about it before, and said we had to go before we left, but I didn't think we would get around to it. So once we had everyone here, of course we planned a trip to Babe's! And ho...ly....smokes, was it good. Everything there is so funny! From the decor and the signs, to the menus (which only really have the different types of chicken--fried, grilled, and maybe 2 other types) to the bathrooms. All of it was just fun to even look at!

What you do is pay for the plate of chicken, which is GINORMOUS (about $12/plate) and then they just keep bringing you the sides. Creamed corn, green beans (maybe the best I've ever had), mashed potatoes, biscuits (with homemade honey) and white gravy to douse anything you want!

This is what was left of helping number two.

But it was so great to be able to have such a nice, fun dinner with our families. Everyone was stuffed silly and we had the best time catching up and cracking up. We had about 13 people there: the Wawros, the other Wawros, Grandma, Christopher, and the Andersons. :)

The cousins :)

...aaand some other guy. We called him Uncle Si.

THEN! One of the most fun things happened! We told them that both James and Christopher had just had their birthdays and they should sing to them. But the waitress didn't seem to pay too much attention to that and just asked us if we needed anything else. Which was fine, I just assumed they only sing on your actual birthday so I didn't think they would.....But I was wrong. And they totally did. And they put the chicken heads right on top of them. So funny.

The birthday boys!

Lovin the new hat...kinda.
Who knows where that's been. Haha

Sooo much food

It was fun celebrating with you Uncle Si!

Let's just say I'll make more of a serious effort next time we come back to Texas to go here. And if I was going to be anywhere during a crisis, this would be the place. No one would ever starve. And if you are ever in Sanger, hit it up! You will not be disappointed!

bunnies.

Easter just happened to be on a Sunday this year, so I wanted to go all out for our primary class. Not just because of that, but it was also our last Sunday in this ward so I wanted to win "Favorite Teachers Ever" in their eyes. First, we made these awesome little treats for our class.

It's basically like candied popcorn. Only. Sweet James, just trying to help, was forced to make it all and used buttered popcorn....instead of plain, white popcorn....NOT a good idea. It was beyond too sweet. At least for us. When we handed them out during class, we knew we made a mistake. All of the kids were like

But we were used to it by the end of class. I'm pretty sure every single one of them opened their Easter eggs before church because they were throwing plastic eggs against the wall (that contained information about the Holy Ghost by the way) and making farting noises. 

Anyway, if you want the recipe we used, here you are. I just have to warn you, do NOT use buttered popcorn. You're eaters will have a sugar head and tooth ache for a week!