summer list

Summer is here!
And our warm weather adventures have begun.
We went boating this past weekend and are heading to Lake Powell this weekend.
(I always wanted to be one of those people that vacationed in Powell....)
But it's so easy to let Summer fly by without fully enjoying it.
Now, I'm definitely a list girl.
I feel like lists keep you focused and on task so I even have a list of Summer activities to do!
Feel free to use this list to brainstorm your own fun Summer!

1. Tube Provo River
2. Fruit Picking (Pickyourown.org)
3. Have a backyard campout
4. Fly a kite from the dollar store or make your own kite
5. Have a picnic
6. Go canoeing or kayaking or paddleboarding
7. Go fishing
8. Go on hikes (On my list are Mt. Timp, Stewart Falls, Neon Canyon, Lower Calf Creek Falls)
9. Have a backyard movie night with a laptop or a projector
10. Have a campfire with hot dogs and smores

derek

I was planning on writing about something else today.
But then I found out that an old friend from high school passed away.
Not someone that I hung out with a ton, just part of my senior year.
And then I was left to enjoy the knowledge he shared on Facebook for the last few years.
But reading the post that his girlfriend wrote this morning just made my heartbreak.
Because I can NOT imagine the pain that would be to lose the one that you love most.
A couple of weeks ago I was remembering Europe and the trial that was for Derek and I.
It was so hard to be away from him for just one month.
And so I decided to start making an effort to not take my time with him each day for granted.
I'm still not very good at it because I still let my phone or my own tasks get in the way.
But I do notice how much happier and fulfilled I am when I sit and talk with him for even just a couple of minutes.
Or go on a walk with him.
Or snuggle together at the end of the day.
Because he matters the most.
Not my phone or social media or those boxes that need to be packed or that toilet that needs to be scrubbed NOW.
Those petty fights don't matter and the bills don't matter.
(Yeah, the bills matter but.......not as much as snuggling at night.)
As long as we have each other to lean on, everything else can wait.

may favorites

>TV Show: Raising Hope. Everybody needs a good sitcom in their life. And everybody needs a new show on Netflix to watch. This show hits two birds with one stone. Seriously, it's hilarious and you'll laugh your butt off! I highly recommend it. Who doesn't love a crazy grandma and poor people?

>Song: The weirdest songs came with my Itunes when I got my new computer and I just discovered the beauty of one of them. I will tag it here because it doesn't even live on YouTube (That's just how cool it is) Sing it as you Please by Shake Your Peace. This is honestly my favorite weird song ever. It might take you a year to actually enjoy it like it took me, but just listen to it once all the way through because the best part is the end.

>Condiment: Sweet Chili Sauce. I discovered Heaven this month and it's name is Sweet Chili. This can honestly go with anything. I dip my chicken in it, put it on sandwiches, put it in my tuna, and even put it in my ramen. It's like ranch....it belongs on EVERYTHING.

>Meal: The meal preps that I've been making recently deal with smothering chicken in deliciousness. I first cook the bite-sized-pieces chicken up in a pan and then add one of these combinations to the pan to heat up:
            4 lbs chicken, 1/2 C. Hoisin Sauce, 1/4 C. light brown sugar, 2 Tbs. Soy Sauce,                  1 TBS flour
                                                                        OR
            2 lbs chicken, salt and pepper, 1/2 tsp paprika, 3/4 tsp. onion powder, 2 TBS each               honey, balsamic vinegar and ketchup, 1 tsp minced garlic

>Book: I read another mystery this month: See Jane Run. And it was SO good! Every page had me going WHAT? WHAT?WHAT?WHAT?WHAT? It is definitely a page turner that you won't be able to put down. And the end had me slightly devastated. But I guess that's the quality of a good book: one that makes you feel all the feelings for the characters. It does have some language so if you're like me and mostly stick to LDS authors then this is just a BIT risque. 

What are your favorites this month??