Almost an entire year...

Obviously, blogging is not my forte. It's been almost an entire year since my last post. I do have ideas in my head, and things I want to say, but taking them from my mind to "paper" is the hard part!

The Christmas Cookie Bakery

I turned my house into a bakery this week. Every year I come home for Christmas and promptly get put in charge of baking all our Christmas sweets. These are the things I should start to look forward to and expect: first my mom and I sit down and go through all her recipes, drooling over everything that sounds good and reminding ourselves that we can't bake everything. Then, as our solution, we decide that everyone in our family gets to choose their favorite cookie recipe. Finally, the shopping list is made and I'm ready to go!

I love to bake, but every year, about this same time I vow to have help next year...then next year rolls around and I find myself saying the same thing! Coming from an Italian family my mom grew up making cookies for every large family event. Weddings, birthdays, holidays, etc. So, it only seems fitting that we continue to make outlandish amounts of cookies to carry on the tradition, right?

7 different kinds of cookies later...yes, the tradition continues!

Easing back into blogging...Top 10 favorite California moments

This past July, nearly 5 months ago already, I went on a vacation bound to go down in my history books. With 2 of my best girlfriends, we drove out to the beautiful state of California and for 2 weeks, camped down the coast.

Top 10 favorite moments:

10. Becoming an experienced camper. Complete with the knowledge on how to set up a tent, cook dinner and start a fire all within 30 minutes.

9. San Fransisco and camping here: (yes that is the Golden Gate Bridge behind our tiny tent).

8. Realizing that July in NOT California's warm month and seeing a lot of grey:

*not too worry..we did finally see the sun at the end of our trip!*

7. Going to the M&M store in Las Vegas. (we HAD to, M&M's and I share the same initials).

6. Tasting the fresh fruit of California (and for dirt cheap!)

5. Walking down Hollywood Blvd; seeing Judy Garland's hand and footprints.

4. Wine tasting in Monterey. Enough said.

3. Sunbathing on Corando Island in San Diego where the beaches sparkled like gold

2. Feeling the ocean spray hit your face, falling asleep to the crash of the waves and waking up to dolphins! (sadly, no pictures were taken of said dolphins...)

1. Making memories with 2 of my best friends and relishing in God's creation

Photos

I love to take pictures. I hope one day to take a good photography course and own my own studio. Right now, I just like to pretend to take good pictures, and I want to share some of them. Here are a few of my favorites:




Franciscan Monastery garden in Washington DC (Above and below)

Annapolis, Maryland

Cherry Blossom Festival in DC

Snowy afternoon at the University of Maryland

7 Quick Takes Vol. 2

1. Ok, so much for blogging every Friday. It's been a whole month! I think about my blog every day, and the things I could write about, but then I sit down to write, and I just can't do it. Maybe I can call it writer's block? Hopefully this fades soon, I do miss the blogging world when I'm away for so long!

2. I am in Champaign, Illinois right now for FOCUS summer training. I've been here for a week and will be here for another week until I have to drive across the country again to get home. This may be my favorite summer training I've attended and I am very surprised that I have enjoyed myself so much. The people are great, the classes are great-I don't know if I'll be ready to leave next week and that's definitely never been the case the last 2 years!

3. My team and I went to the driving range today. My teammate Joey taught us girls how and I don't think I'll be going pro anytime soon! It was a ton of fun, and I was getting the hang of it by the time we were finished. Looks like I'll just have to keep brushing up on my skills when I'm back home. Maybe in a year I'll be ready to go pro-we'll see.

4. I am once again amazed at how fast time flies! I spent a whole month at home, enjoying my family and relaxing thinking that I had all the time in the world. That month is long gone and it's full speed ahead until I return to campus August 13. I have California, weddings, grandparents and my birthday all to look forward to until then. It's going to be a packed month and a half!

5. Speaking of California, I cannot wait to be on the beach!! I am so excited to be able to spend quality time with my good friends and see part of the country I haven't ever seen. Camping down the coast of California is going to be an amazing experience in itself. Good thing I just bought a new camera to document all the beauty I will see!

6. I re-took the 4 temperments test to see if anything has changed over the course of the year. I am 80% phelgmatic and 20% melancholic. So, incase you're wondering, no, nothing has changed. If you would like the full description of what that means, please read this.

7. Tomorrow there is a rodeo in town. I'm so there.

Nice Strangers

Yesterday my sister and I took a quick trip (quick is relative here-a "quick trip" is actually a 20 minute jaunt to the next town) to Coldstone. We wanted an ice cream fix before watching the finale of Lost. When we were paying for our ice cream, the lady behind me comes up and says to me, "you have the most beautiful hair! Do people tell you that all the time?" I turned around and smiled and said thank you. I was flattered. I don't usually get compliments from complete strangers! She made my day. I definitely left the ice cream shop happier than when I came in!

Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie

A little taste of heaven:

1 cup Chocolate milk

1 medium size banana

1 Tbsp peanut butter

1/2 cup ice

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy!

I promise you won't be disappointed!