Autumn Is Apple Cake

A Megan Memory: Coming home from school was always a special time for me as a child. We only lived about a block from our elementary school and so we walked home most days. I would get Cecily after class and then we would head home together. Mom was always waiting for us with a snack and a bright smile. Snack time was so important. We told Mom all about our day and what we had learned in school. Looking back, it provided some great bonding time.

During Fall, Cecily and I always looked forward to Apple Cake for snack time. This scrumptious treat would be warm and fresh from the oven. It has apple chunks in it and although sweet, is more like a muffin type than a cake. I have great memories of eating Apple Cake and talking to Mom after elementary school.

Flash Forward: I'm 25 and the days of elementary school are long gone. I've just moved home for awhile to help my Dad with his new business after having graduated from college. Life is busy and although I live at home, I am hardly every there. Work, my calling in Relief Society, Institute, and dating fill up almost every day. In fact I have to schedule laundry time. Fall has come, but I've been too busy to really notice. So I come home one particularly busy day and find myself greeted by a familiar smell. I haven't smelled it in awhile and can't quite put my finger on what it is. However, as I come into the kitchen, memories of elementary school fall days come rushing back. It's Apple Cake! My lovely Mom had made it again. It was then that I realized, Hey, it's really autumn! So, I cut a slice for me and my Mom, and we sat at the table and caught up. Cecily joined us and it was almost as if we were back 15 year prior, eating Apple Cake at snack time.

My Own Soccer Star

Kyle has been playing soccer for almost as long as I can remember. Although he started with some of my other siblings, he has been the one to stick it out, playing for numerous rec teams, as well as for his high school. He is now a senior at Sprague High School, playing on his varsity team and one of the student captains. I was able to go to one of his games a few weeks ago and was really impressed, not only with his skill, but with his dedication to his team, his coach, and to the sport. Although the game may not have turned out as he would have wanted, I was so proud of him. Not only could he perform when his team needed him too, but he was super supportive to all the other players. I think those years of soccer not only taught him how to score a goal, but also how to lead a group, how to work well with others, and how to work hard for what you want. He’s definitely a soccer star! I was able to snap a few photos from the game. Although they are a bit fuzzy, you get the idea. He's #11.

Sweets, Spunk, & Samaritans

A few weeks ago, some of the girls and I decided to take a little trip to Portland. It really is a gorgeous city full of spunk and culture. Upon arrival we found the cutest little cupcake shop. Although a bit pricy, they were worth the experience. It pretty much was the best cream cheese frosting I've ever tasted.

Amanda, Brittani, & I with our sweets.

Downtown Portland offers a lot of beautiful architecture. This is the synagogue from the Jewish neighborhood we walked through.
Britt & I pose before the this Catholic church. It had the cutest, peaceful little courtyard that really reminded me of my days in Spain.
Of course we had to head to the Downtown Mall while we were there. Here's Sarah enjoying a Brookstone massage. I got one too and it was by far the best massage by in inanimate object I've ever experienced. What a great way to relax after hours of walking!
Sadly, upon arriving back at are car, we were met with a little disappointment.

We tried to change the tire ourselves, and although we were giving it our best effort...

...thank goodness for everyday good Samaritans!

Oktoberfest

I have been horrible at posting lately and as I was looking through my camera, realized that I have had some great experiences recently that I haven't shared. So, these next few posts will be a bit of back-tracking.

A few weeks ago, a bunch of the pals and I headed to Mt. Angel for their yearly Oktoberfest Festival. It was amazing. The food was great, the music especially jovial, and the people watching opportunities particularly interesting. It was a great way to welcome in fall.

As it was dinner time, we first headed to get some eats. I got some yummy potato pancakes and on of the best cinnamon-rollish things I have ever tasted. Here's a pic of Todd, Daniel, and Joe enjoying their dinner.

Some of us got more in the Oktoberfest spirit than others. Daniel went all out with suspenders, shorts, and a green hat. This cute old man was playing the sweetest songs on the accordion and although you can't really tell by this picture, was wearing the same exact outfit as Daniel. It was too funny.
Mt. Angel has a beautiful Catholic church. I've been in quite a few through my travels, but was really impressed by the sweet peace that pervaded this chapel. The stained glass was beautiful as well.
There was also section of the town dedicated to artists. They had little booths where the displayed and sold their goods. One of the most interesting booths for me was the glass maker. As you can see from the pic below, this man uses a blowtorch and a few tools to create the most beautiful glass sculptures. It was fascinating to watch him bend and mold the glass.
Here's a pic of me and the boys: Taylor, Joe and Jared. Thank goodness for good friends.This man was so cute. We just had to get a picture! Also, these girls are so awesome. I love Jackie and Lindsay!
We found a polka band and had a blast dancing to their tunes. Here's the groups doing the "Hokie-Pokie." Seriously, I can't remember the last time I did the "Hokie-Pokie" but it was so much fun. This pic is "put your left hip in." Daniel shows us how to "put your nose in and wiggle it all about."
Oh, and did I mention that we did the Chicken Dance? Yes. And guess what? All this fun was had without one drop of Oktoberfest alcohol!

Handbag Planet

Check out www.handbagplanet.com for deals on great handbags like this one. I think this bag is so hot. I love it!

Moon Roofing It

When Daniel gets in my car, he is so tall that his head hits the roof. Luckily it has a built in solution. Thank goodness for moon-roofs!

Beautiful Butte Falls

Things are really good. So good in fact that I haven't had time to post in awhile! I love being busy!

Last weekend a bunch of us went repelling at Butte Falls. It was simply beautiful. I have really fallen in love with green Oregon. Salem is so nice because you just drive 30 minutes and you're in a jungle-like wilderness. Drive 45 minutes in another direction and your in downtown Portland. What more can you ask for?

Well here are some pics from Butte Falls. I had never been repelling before and to be quite honest, I was a bit terrified. But, it was an adventure that I couldn't pass up...so I did it.

Here are a bunch of us before we head down the cliff: Jared, Jackie, Me, Joe, Lindsay, Daniel, & Todd
This is the cliff as seen from across the ravine. It was really intimidating! Notice the waterfall right next to it.

This was the scariest part. Trusting in the rope as you start backing off a ledge is quite the experience. I'm not quite sure, but I am pretty sure that I screamed a bit at this point. ;) It certainly makes you feel alive!


About right here I was thinking, "Why am I doing this?!"

About half-way down.
Almost there

We also hiked a bit around and found some other waterfalls. This is definitely one of the most perfect places in the world.I took this from underneath the waterfall.
Again, from behind the waterfall.

Here's my hiking buddy Lindsay. Love that girl!

Overall is was an amazing day with good friends, beautiful surroundings, and an adventure to boot. Definitely a day worth remembering.

What I learned last night.

Sea of Galilee and the Mount of Beatitudes

This hillside is the traditional site of the Savior’s Sermon on the Mount (see Matt. 5-7).

So I started attending institute and have fallen in love with the New Testament all over again. I love how the stories flow and yet, every verse has some jewel of wisdom. The life of our Savior is unparalleled and every time I study it, I find more direction for my own life.

Last night we spent some time reflecting on personal scripture study and I thought that Brother Moore gave some great ideas on how we can focus our study to get the most out of it. I mean, we should be reading the scriptures over and over throughout our lifetime, so it is always good to get new ideas on how to get the most out of our study. First of all, he encouraged us to get out of the restraint of reading a chapter a day. Instead, he suggested that we give ourselves a time period and then go from there. That way, we can focus on the meaning of the verses we read and not whether we get the the end of the chapter or not. In the end we might spend a whole hour on just one verse, but learn that verse more deeply.

He also gave us 10 other ways we can focus our Scripture study.

10 ways we can "Learn to Look" during our studies.

1. Difficult Words & Phrases - How often do we just pass by words we don't recognise-archaic or otherwise? It is the easiest thing to do. But look it up and then record it in your scriptures for future reference.

2. Footnotes - The JST is simply amazing. Don't pass it up. Also, use cross references to give greater depth to you study.

3. Lists - The Lord gives us a lot of lists in the scriptures and numbering them can help us organize them in our minds and remember them better.

4. Scriptural Definitions - The Lord defines things for us right in the scriptures. Mark it in someway so that next time you need it, you can find it.

5. Scriptural Questions - Take Alma 5 for example. The prophet presents us with a multitude of questions that should make us reflect on our spiritual standing. Record how you would answer those questions and then next time you go back, you can see how you have grown.

6. Sermons in a Sentence - Sometimes just a few words or a sentence can be a sermon of its own and give us a lot to ponder about. Take Galatians 5:1 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free." Such a powerful message in just a few words.

7. Word & Phrase Patterns - Notice how the passages you are reading are constructed. Are you reading prose narrative or poetry? How does that affect how you read?

8. If/Then Statements - The scriptures are full of them. Sometimes we find if/thens that don't specifically use those terms, but still teach the causality of a principle. Mark them in a way that you can see the cause and effect.

9. Prophet's Commentary - What is the writer trying to teach us? "And thus we see" is one indicator that the prophet wants to make sure that we get the point.

10. Antecedents to identify - What is it that the pronouns in the verse are referring to? Focus on exactly what each "he, them, it, etc" refers to to keep clear in your mind what is exactly being taught. Mark it for future reference.


Isn't this an awesome list of ideas? Just thought I would share, because it really gave me some good ideas of how to revamp my study. I love this next quote.

Elder Richard G Scott Said:

"It is through the repeated process of feeling impressions, recording them, and obeying then that one learns to depend on the direction on the spirit more than on the communication through the senses."

All I can say to that is, Amen.

I'll write you a love song...

Janai wrote and performed this lovely song for me. It really brightened my day. I only got the last phrases on video, but you get the picture. :)

Utah Fun

In August I took a trip to Provo to help Cecily and Allie move and clean out my old apartment. It was so great to see old friends. Although I am happy in Salem, Provo was such a good place for me. I met some of the most inspirational people, learned so much, and had way too much fun. Here are some pics from the trip:

I got to visit one of me dear friends Elise before she headed out to live on the east coast. I absolutely LOVE this girl! People used to ask us if we were related when we were missionary companions. I think it's the hair color.

Of course, no trip to Provo would be complete without a midnight run to Denny's!

My dear Pasty was really an awesome roommate. She's an artist by nature and just can't help but doodle wherever she is, even on the Denny's napkins :)

Jen is my fellow Spain enthusiast and one of the silliest girls I know. Love it! Can you tell we were all so tired that night?
Miss Shannon Ference, elementary school teacher extraordinaire and seriously one of the happiest people I know!
Besties Forever!

My dear mother accompanied us and so we had to take her to Zupas, my favorite soup and salad cafe.

This is what I had for lunch: Lobster Bisque, a turkey and avocado panini, complimentary chocolate-dipped strawberry and the most rich and gooey brownie I have ever had.

My lovely and beautiful sisters who always inspire me to reach for greater things.

While looking for the storage unit that we had booked to hold some of Allie's things while she is in France, we got totally lost and somehow ended up underneath the freeway.

This is where the storage unit was supposed to be, but as you can see, we didn't really feel like it was a safe place to store...anything. We though about asking for directions, but after reading the sign on the front gate, decided against it.

After a day of packing and cleaning, we treated ourselves to lunch at Gloria's Italian Restaurant. Yum!