Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

“We need enormous pockets, pockets big enough for our families and our friends, and even the people who aren't on our lists, people we've never met but still want to protect. We need pockets for boroughs and for cities, a pocket that could hold the universe.”
― Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close


I just found out that Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, one of my most favorite books ever is being made into a movie! Which I am alway excited to see my favorite stories in another form, even though I alway come away saying not as good as the book. But after watching this preview I am pretty stoked, it looks like it is going to be a goodie AND that it comes out in December, how am I just finding out about this!?

Pumpkin Pancakes & Buttermilk Syrup

HELLO OCTOBER, I am oh so happy to see you!!! I am welcoming fall and anything related to it with open arms! Really fall is such a fabulous time of the year!

So... I tried a new recipe this Sunday morning and the second time around it worked and it was amazing! My grandma Potter's Pumpkin Waffles & Buttermilk Syrup, this is deff going to be our new October General Conference tradition. How great was General Conference btw? Seriously some amazing talks that really touched my heart. Can't wait to read them!  So back to these pancakes... they are heavenly, I was in a bit of a food coma yesterday because of them. Yes the title of this post is pumpkin pancakes and the recipe is for waffles, we had to modify the recipe into pancakes because our waffle iron was giving us a hard time.

Grandma Potter's Pumpkin Waffles & Buttermilk Syrup

Pumpkin Batter

2 C. Flour
1 T. Baking Powder
1 T. Cinnamon
1T. Sugar
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 C. milk
1 C. Canned pumpkin
3/4 C. Margarine
1 T. Vanilla

Mix first 6 ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside. In a separate large bowl, beat 4 egg yokes (save the whites). Add milk, pumpkin, margarine and vanilla to the yokes. Mix well. Add in flour mixture. Beat your egg whites to a stiff peak and fold into batter.

Buttermilk Syrup

1 cube butter
1 C. sugar
1/2 C. buttermilk
1 t. Karo
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a large pan. Once at a boil remove from heat, add baking soda and vanilla. Stir well. Mixture will expand to twice it's size.

Loooove this syrup!

This really is an October must try recipe! Happy Fall dudes!

red carpet.

Looks like the Glee actresses went with a "modest is hottest" look for this year at the Emmys. Seriously loving these three dresses!

fav.

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What started as my bestie coming to visit me quickly turned into a good little chunk of are awesomely hard-core friends coming to visit us last week. They are the BEST! And it was awesome! We mostly swam and made fun of each other, you know the usual.

Day ONE we rounded everyone up from their flights and headed to San Antonio. We caught the end of the Boise state game at some sports bar on the the Riverwalk for the dudes. We stayed on the Riverwalk that night, there was lots of giggling and not much sleeping

Day TWO we went to Schlitterbahn, the largest waterpark in the US!!! And it was a bit of a let down with 2 hour long lines. boo. But we made our own fun on the lazy river/wave pool making up our our games like "get'm in there" and battling the rapids chain game. Yep we are truly twelve year olds.

Day THREE. We did the Alamo and the Riverwalk in San An and then rushed to Corpus to play at the beach! Highlight of the day, Allyx and I beating John in a intellectual battle. That's right Purdue grad WE are smarter!

Day FOUR. A full day at the beach which turned into Corncce day. Whats Corncee? Well its an awesome game we made up using bocce balls mixed with corn hole rules and fortress building.

Game 1. Matt, Chase & Dave vs. Ryan, Dan & Chon. It was a close game but R, D & C came out with the W. Winners play the girls team (Whittney, Allyx, Nattie ohh & Chase) and the girl destroy the boys team. Boo-yeah team Texas Forever (girls team) = Corncee Champs!

rosemaria our turtle

texas forever

proof of our awesomeness

We missed our friends that could not come because of our lack of planning we are the worst and missed you fools!

I leave you with some video footage of Corncce!

love birds

Ryan and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary last weekend! It's been a great 3 we have had 3 graduations, lived in 3 states, and have only had 3 disagreements. I joke, i joke. But really I just ador this guy!

So for our anniversary we spent a 3 day weekend up in Austin. It was our first time going and I fell in LOVVVE with that city!!! Ryan was super hesitant about going there. He kept saying "I hear it's just one big hippie town." And here I am thinking "I know right!" ohhh how we differ. Anyways once I told Ryan there were awesome swimming holes all around Austin he was on board and we both a fab weekend!

We got to stop at the beautiful San Antonio Temple on are way up to Austin.

 Barton Springs Swimming Hole just out side the city. Quick story, so we had heard that this water was freezing but us being from Idaho and all, where you put on your swimmers and jump in ice cold lakes at the first chance of any warmth from the sun after a long winter, well we thought we could handle it like champs. So we get there and cautious Ryan dips his toe in to check the temp and looks back at me and says "oh it's not bad at all!" So because I am a super trusting wife I cannon ball right it, it felt like I was punched in the face, got the wind knocked out of me and all my muscles cramped up at the same time, it was SO cold SO freaking cold. When I finally make my way up for a breath Ryan is cracking up a refuses to get it because it was so cold. brat. Then we enjoyed watching other people get in for the first time with pained expressions on their face for the rest of the day, why is it so funny watch stuff like that? Later we went back to the hotel and enjoyed the beautiful pool while playing all the best little kid pool games.

The Capitol, I loved how this city was set up, there is the funniest street full of awesome restaurants and shops that goes straight through downtown and up to the capitol. We check out all the local places like...

 an awesome old fashion soda shop and candy store...

 tons and tons of amazing vintage clothing stores, some antique stores and super cool disguise store...

Oh and of coarse we our hearts out from a local wing place for ry to burgers and shakes(my nutella and pretzel shake pictures oh my yummyness), mexican food, pizza and my favorite Moonshine Brunch!

I love exploring new places! And I love long weekends, road trips and mini-vaca's.

ramblings.

Oh summer where ever did you go? Pretty sure this is the palest I have ever been at the end of a summer, I am a bit embarrassed. But to be completely honest I am so OVER summer (after this weekend of fun in the sun) and then I will be ready for the cold weather that I know will never come! I even bought myself some over the knee boots that I have been eyeing, can't wait for my first chance to wear them!

Homesickness, that  pretty much sums up my mood as of late. Why does Texas and Idaho have to be forever away from each other? And when did I become a grown up and have all these responsibilities that make it so I can't take off in a drop of a hat, seriously that came out of no where. Recently my sweet cousin/friend Ryan passed away, it seriously broke my heart not to able to be with my family during this hard time.  He was so young only 21 and it was all so sudden and unexpected. It's still strange to me that the happy boy I grew up with at our family Sunday afternoons, family vacations and weekends on the ski hills has moved on from this life, I love him and will miss him.

On a happier note I am so look forward to my next visit home for some much needed family time and to welcome a new beautiful niece into this world!

The Help

I LOVED this book, it really is a must read. Full of social injustice, you will being crying, laughing and even cheering. It really makes you step back and look at the way you live and the things you do just because "that is how they are done." Great story, well written, and a book you won't want to put down!

Okay now the movie, different than the book but still a great movie. How could it not be it has such an important message and it's really just a great story. I found the movie a little more "light" and "happy" than the book but it still got its point across. I would recommend both the book and the movie but especially the book :)