Cookies!

I've been wanting to decorate cookies, like really cute ones.  I've pinned a lot of them lately.  Last week Jodie said to me that she wanted to do it too so we decided to give it a go.
I had never successfully made sugar cookies that I liked and decorating?? forget about it.
We studied up (Internet) and set the date.
Last night I stayed up until 1am making my cookies.  I used Johnna's mom, Shirley's, cookie recipe and it was  great!
Jod came over and we frosted our little hearts out.  We had some mess ups but also some really cute ones.  I was really pleased.  We worked from 10- 4, with a lunch break, and now she has cookies to send to Rachel (on her mission) and I had some to send with Rob as he went home teaching, and we have some for our families and some to share.  They tasted great too.

some of my favorites

It was a fun, fun day.

Tonight the kids had mutual.  They played fear factor and enjoyed it.  Ethan and Hannah get along really well and it is such a delight.  They were walking into the church holding hands and I looked at them and just smiled.

my good friend Jodie

It's been raining, the water down at the wharf today was up over the sides of the embankment.  I love the different seasons  here.  The way the trees and the water change.  It's been such a blessing and delight to live on the East Coast and see the beauty all around us every day.

tombstones

This is the kind of trees I grew up with :)  My kids, these three younger ones, do not know what a Joshua tree is.  It's unique to the Mojave Desert and very beautiful too, in a stark way.  It was named by the Mormon pioneers who crossed the Mojave and thought it looked like Joshua of the old testament raising his hands in prayer. Interestingly it's recently split into two distinct subspecies.  Heavenly Father's creations all over the world are so amazing!

Joshua Tree