Hermana Myer

My little sister Riley Jane is officially now, Hermana Myer. That's right. She reported to the MTC 2 weeks ago and will be serving a mission in Richmond, VA. Since she is also learning Spanish, she has 4 more weeks until she leaves the MTC and heads to the east coast. I couldn't be more proud of her and her decision to serve a mission. 18 months is a long time to drop everything and dedicate your entire life, every waking minute toward serving our Heavenly Father. She is going to be a great missionary and will change people's lives. I have no doubt about that.

Luckily, since the MTC happens to be approximately 3/4 of a mile from our house, we got to hang out with her the day before she reported. Tuesday night we had a gathering (of course... we love to have parties) with some family and friends. It was great to just be able to spend time together and live up having Riley around. She is just about one of the funniest people I know, so it was a great time had by all. We love her so much and are so proud of her!

For anyone who wants to follow along with her journey/get updates about the happenings of her mission trip, I will be updating her mission blog every week:

http://sendinglovefromvirginia.blogspot.com/

Alright, now time for some pictures.

We love you Hermana Myer. See ya in 18 months!

my favorite picture of the month

These 2 guys of mine make my heart want to burst.

Double Chocolate Cupcakes

Made a batch of these two weeks ago for the beautiful wedding reception of Mrs. Tatjana Thorkelson Smith. They were lovely. I particularly liked the lightness of the buttercream while still maintaining a rich chocolate flavor. Yum. Would definitely recommend the recipe. In case you hadn't noticed, I will be spending the summer baking through my new favorite cookbook, Your Cup of Cake, by Lizzy Early. I'm sorry if you are getting tired of cupcake pictures. It's just too much fun!

Double Chocolate Cupcakes

Your Cup of Cake (cookbook)

Cake:

1 box devil's food cake mix

3 eggs

1/2 cup oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 cup sour cream

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

 

Chocolate Buttercream:

1/2 cup butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tbsp. milk (more if needed)

3-4 C. powdered sugar 

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.

2. Sift cake mix into a small bowl and set aside.

3. In a large bowl gently whisk eggs, oil, buttermilk, sour cream, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.

4. Add cake mix and stir until well combined.

4. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 16-22 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

5. For Chocolate Buttercream: Beat butter and cream cheese for 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract, cocoa powder, and milk; beat again. Slowly add powdered sugar until buttercream is the desired consistency.

7. Pipe buttermilk on cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles 

 

 

Tati moves to Minnesota

On Friday, May 24th my very best friend since birth Tati Thorkelson (now Smith) got married to the dapper Ashton Smith. I've known Tati my whole life and I could not have been more happy to spend the day at their beautiful wedding. They were sealed in the Draper temple that morning and then had a lovely outdoor reception at Draper Historical Park. It was a beautiful sunny day and the bride and groom could not have been more radiant. The weather was perfect and all sorts of friends and family were in attendance. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Smith!

The Smiths then had to come home from their honeymoon and pack everything in a U haul trailer and make the 2 day drive to Minnesota. This will be their first adventure together as a married couple as Ashton goes to Flight Traffic Control school. I can't believe they had to move so far away so quickly and we will miss them while they're gone. Luckily, we got to say goodbye to them the night before they left. Tati is one of my favorite friends and I could not be more happy for them as they have this experience of living in Minnesota. Good luck and have fun!

Saying our goodbyes... we're going to miss you guys!