Due to a few helpful suggestions, I’ve decided to rename the health challenge to the “Lifestyle” challenge. This shift in focus will allow us to do so much more to improve our life than focus on just our health!

You know why I like Valentines day? Because it’s an out of the ordinary event that lets you take some time to think about who you love and why you love them. Did your mom ever send you ballons at school for valentines day? That was love. Thanks mom!

Now I’m grown up, so it’s time to start thinking about how I can show my love to others on V-day.

The criteria for this month:

1. Think of someone who plays a significant role in your life.
2. Think of 3 things that you know they would appreciate you doing for them. For example, a few posts ago I mentioned that my husband leaves his pajamas on the floor every day when he leaves for work in the morning. He read that, and now he doesn’t do it anymore. That is love.
3. Write down the three things. And do them. Do them for a day, do them for a week, do them for the whole month. I don’t care, just do them.

Did you write your things down yet? No? Get going!

To sign up all you have to do is comment below. Remember, you have to sign up for each challenge separately by commenting on the appropriate post. I will add you to a weekly reminder email list, unless you specificy otherwise in your comment. The last week of the month I ask that you email me your photos (and maybe a description) to share with everyone else.

You’re feeling all warm and gushy inside already, aren’t you?

One of the things I love most about blogging is the ability to generate discussion on a wide range of topics. I just installed a feature that allows you to reply directly to a comment instead of just commenting on the bottom. I’m hoping this encourages commenters to respond not just to my thoughts, but to the opinions of others.

One of the coolest parts of this new feature is that you can choose to have follow-up comments sent to you by email. I always forget to go back to blogs and see what people said in response, and this will allow you to choose to be notified when others respond to your comment directly (don’t worry, I’ll let you choose whether you want this to happen or not).

I’ll try not to overwhelm you with “feature announcements” like this, but when they affect you as readers directly I think it’s nice for you to see it in action so you can decide if you want to utilize it yourself. Happy commenting!

Welcome to the new home of That Wife. I’m still in nesting stage, so you are going to see a lot of changes in the coming weeks, but I just couldn’t wait until it was finished to share it with all of you!

There are many major design tweaks that need to happen, as well as some coding to help things display properly in all browsers, so I would appreciate your feedback about how things look to you.

Want to see why I love this new layout so much? The HUGE pictures I can display!

My sister Shaylene Rene’ took this one:

I took this one:

And the lovely Kelli Nicole took this one:

Isn’t the wider layout gorgeous? Please let me know if you are having any trouble viewing things in your browser (information about your browser would be appreciated).

Where did we come from?

Why are we here?

And this week: Where are we going?

Second Coming

Acts 1:11

Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into ^aheaven? this same Jesus, which is ^btaken up from you into heaven, shall so ^ccome in like ^dmanner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

The Second Coming is not something for the good people of the earth to be afraid of. There will be signs indicating its imminence such as the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ (see Acts 3:19–21; Revelation 14:6–7; D&C 45:28; 133:36), the preaching of the gospel throughout the world (see Matthew 24:14), and times of wickedness, war, and turmoil (see Matthew 24:6–7; 2 Timothy 3:1–7; D&C 29:17; 45:26–33; 88:91). The Lord has never revealed exactly when he will come again.

Millenium

After the Second Coming will be a period of 1000 years known as the Millenium. Christ will rule over the whole earth during this period. (see Revelation 20:4; D&C 29:11). Those living on the earth at this time will be righteous and good people of all belief systems. This will be a period of peace, in which members of the Church will continue to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the inhabitants of the earth.

The Lord has revealed that “in that day the enmity of man, and the enmity of beasts, yea, the enmity of all flesh, shall cease” (D&C 101:26; see also Isaiah 11:6–9). Satan will be “bound, that he shall have no place in the hearts of the children of men” (D&C 45:55; see also Revelation 20:1–3). I always get so excited when I think of this time period. Woohoo for no Satan!

After the period of 1000 years has ended, Satan will be loosed once again and he will attempt to win his war of evil once more. Don’t worry though, we already know he isn’t going to win. Why he keeps trying? I’m not sure.

Judgement

Then, the great day of Judgement will come. The scriptures teach that all of us will be judged according to our works: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:12; see also D&C 76:111; 1 Nephi 15:32; Abraham 3:25–28).We will be judged by our thoughts, actions, and intentions. The Apostle Paul taught that we ourselves are the most complete record of our life (see Romans 2:15; 2 Corinthians 3:1–3).

Christ not only Atoned for our sins, he will judge us for them as well. (See John 5:22.) According to our own acts, we will be assigned to the appropriate glory which we have earned.

Kingdoms of Glory

1 Corinthians 15:40-42

^aThere are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the ^bcelestial is one, and the glory of the ^cterrestrial is another.

This week I experienced one of those times where you want something you can’t have so bad that you let a few tears escape into your pillow at night. I don’t think I’ve felt like this since my application for the Film program at BYU was rejected my Freshman year.

I know that someday I’ll think the whole thing is rather silly, but this is now and I can’t force myself to feel that way. I was talking about going to Vegas to meet up with my mom and sister for this convention for photographers convention called WPPI. When Miss Dumpling from Weddingbee informed me that a group of photographers from around the country are getting together during that time to shoot an amazing Trash The Dress session, I immediately emailed the shoot coordinator to find out if I could join in as a bride model. The scenes and photographers will be fantastic, and the brides are going to have their hair and makeup professionally done and everything! With my Roman bridals, engagements in Mexico, 2000+ wedding photos, and after wedding shoot with my mom, it should be no surprise to anyone that I love to have my picture taken. This shoot would would be a once in a lifetime thing for me.

Except it’s on Sunday. And I don’t do things on Sunday. I don’t listen to anything except spiritual music, I don’t watch TV, I don’t spend any money. I go to church, I visit with family and friends, I read, I cook. I don’t go out into the desert and have my hair and makeup done and skip around in my wedding dress. I wish I did, but I don’t. Sunday is the Lord’s day. I have six other days for myself, I figure I can give him just one.

I think I laid in bed for about 2 hours the night I found out it was on Sunday, attempting to figure out a way to justify how I could make myself feel okay about this. But then I realized something. I wouldn’t be able to go to church that morning. I would be the only girl out in the desert with a temple-modest dress on. What if the topic of religion came up? What if someone knew and mentioned if? I would feel hypocritical for saying one thing, and doing another.

I just really want to do it, you know?

Have you ever had to make a decision like this? What stands in the way of the “fun” things you want to do?

I’m sure many of you are going to leave encouraging comments that say you think I should do it and you think it’s no big deal. I’m not going to change my mind, I just needed the chance to vent and get my feelings out so I could let my sadness/frustration go. I also hope this post doesn’t come off as “self-righteous”. There are many who would do the shoot, LDS or not, and I think each of us should choose to do what we feel is right for us.

Monday morning, MLK day, I woke up grouchy. Or rather, I went from being completely fine one moment to snapping at That Husband the next.

“Why are you being like this? I can’t help you unless I understand what you want,” he patiently told me.
“I don’t KNOW what I want.

In the end what I wanted was to be out of the house. Lack of funds means we don’t get out much, and over time I’d let my frustration build up instead of talking through things with him.

So we went on a bike ride, absolutely one of my favorite things to do together. Even if he wears jeans and uses a giant clip to give his pants a peg-leg look.

First we felt lost, then we argued, then all we could find was this really ugly overpass. Coppell was starting to look really ugly and boring to me.

Ewwww

I practiced taking pictures while riding my bike. I’m not sure why that is a skill I wanted to master, but something tells me it could come in handy one day. I believe I took this shot while moving my camera in the opposite direction that I was moving, and it was the only one that had anything in focus. Interesting.

I was starting to think that the only things we would see on this excursion would be muddy ponds and abandoned baseball fields. But then, we found the nature preserve! I don’t think I understood why nature preserves, national parks, or city parks are so important until this very moment. I may sound very melodramatic, but even though it was the dead of winter and all the trees and plants were brown and leafless, this little preserve was like a little haven for me. No concrete, no pavement, no noise (except for the sounds of laughing children playing on swings nearby).

Our time in the preserve was rather uneventful, really just a chance to hold hands and wander together. We laughed at the placement of the placement of this sign. Not found at the beginning of our walk, like you would expect, but about halfway through.

Today we will end with two animations I created. I’m a huge fan of the timer setting on my camera, which can be set up to take 15 shots in a row. You will see that we weren’t very good at timing our jumps for the camera. If you look really close you can see TH’s awesome clip job on his right pant leg.

Our tushies were sore the next day but it was worth it. I think we will be heading back to this spot once Spring comes around again.

Remember that time I asked you all if I should get a fish?

This poor plant is the reason why That Husband says it is a bad idea.

I think this example of my nurturing skills has left him a little bit nervous about my ability to nurture another living thing. I tell him not to worry about the baby, because when the baby wants something, it will cry. If this plant would have cried a time or two it might not be waiting for trash day outside our door.

Good gardners don’t automatically equal good mothers. Besides, aren’t poinsettas supposed to die. It’s a reminder that Christmas is over, that winter is here to stay for several more months, that life has become as boring, staid, predictable, and menial as it once was. I’ll give plant nurturing another try before I condemn myself as a black thumb.

The other day I woke up with the desire to try out a new recipe for breakfast. I wanted pancakes, but I wanted something with some fiber. I thought this pancake recipe would give me the hearty results I was looking for.

Oatmeal and Applesauce Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/3 cup quick cooking oats
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
* 1/2 cup fat free sour cream
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/3 cup milk

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-low heat.
2. In a bowl, mix the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, mix applesauce, sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Stir applesauce mixture and milk into the flour mixture until evenly moist and thick.
3. Scoop about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake onto the prepared griddle, and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides.

Makes 11 pancakes

Nutrition Information (as weighed and calculated by me):
Serving Size: 3 pancakes
Calories: 233
Fat: 2g
Sat Fat: 1g
Mono Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 62mg
Sodium: 276 mg
Potassium: 113mg
Carbohydrate: 45g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 8g

These pancakes were thick, hearty, and something like a 3.5 on a scale of 5 for me. I think I’m not head over heels in love with them because I’m just not a pancake person. I cover my pancakes in peanut butter and syrup and ICBINB and suddenly they aren’t quite so healthy anymore. So I’ll stick to my homemade breakfast burritos or my favorite “8g fiber per serving” cereal.

If you are a pancake person though, I think you’ll live them. Cook them slow because they are so thick and hearty, but they’re the perfect breakfast if you want something that will stick to your bones (in a good way, not in a jiggly way).

My husband won’t use bodywash. Only soap. He doesn’t like receiving gifts, so I thought that buying him something I know he likes would be the key.

Except I made the mistake of buying fancy soaps. They aren’t girly, but they are tropical, or minty, or (gasp!) moisturizing.

That’s not what he wants. He wants boring, blue, “squeaky clean” soap. The kind with names like Zest, or Irish Spring.

That’s okay with me, because the fancy soap I bought him from Lush smells amazing, and now it’s all mine. The best kind of gifts are the ones that keep on giving (to me).

No seriously, it really is. I managed to find a recipe for “That Chocolate Cake.” So perfect for me, right? And also really, really delicious.

I put on the Etsy apron That Husband gave me for my birthday a few years ago and got to work.

I know this is really unlike me, but I have no pictures of the cooking process. The focus of this project was the food, not the photography, although someday I hope to be good enough at it to take pictures at the same time. Also I hope to live in a place with better light. When we start apartment hunting next year I’m going to ask “Does it have light? I want to live somewhere with lots of light.”

I assembled all of the ingredients on my counter, and pulled up the recipe. I substituted Black and Green organic cocoa powder and Bakers 100% Cacoa unsweetened chocolate for the Scharffen Berger ingredients.

That Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

Cake

• Unsalted butter and flour for pans
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup Scharffen Berger unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ cup canola oil
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup boiling water

Frosting

• 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 5 ounces Scharffen Berger 99% Cacao Unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter the bottom of two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper, then butter and flour the parchment and the sides of the pans.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, mixing on low speed. Min in the eggs, oil, and milk.

Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the water. The batter will be soupy.

Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then turn the layers out onto the rack and cool completely.

When the cakes have cooled, check the frosting. It should have the consistency of mayonnaise. If it is still too thin, allow it to cool longer.

For the Frosting:

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and cream and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer for 6 minutes. Add the chocolate and butter and stir until melted. Pour into a bowl and stir in the vanilla.

To Frost the Cake:

Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread the frosting with a hot palette knife or icing spatula to give the frosting a beautiful shine. Run the knife under hot tap water and dry with a towel. Spread about ¾ cup of the frosting over the top of the first layer. Top with the second layer. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake, heating the knife again as necessary.

Serves 8 to 10

There was one disaster during the process, but crisis was averted when That Husband offered to run to the grocery store to pick up another pint of heavy whipping cream for a second attempt at the frosting. Don’t take your eyes off that boiling cream and sugar for even a moment. Not even if you think your favorite character on the TV show you are watching while you bake might be dying.

After the cakes had cooled I used a trick I learned from a fantastic baker I lived next to growing up. I cut as much of the crust off of the cake as possible. It makes the cakes look ragged before the frosting is applied, but it means that no one gets an “end” piece. Plus you get to eat whatever you cut off, kind of like a pre-cake snack.

I frosted the first layer and That Husband was ready to dig right in. “Get away!” I screeched. He didn’t realize that this was going to be a double layer delight.

Just so you know, I spent about 15 minutes attempting to clean up all the frosting on the rim of this plate so I could take this picture. So pretty! But I wanted to take things a step further.

When I decided to run a hot knife over the frosting to give it this shiny smooth look I wasn’t thinking about how hard it would be to photograph. I don’t think it looks very good in this picture, but after it was in the fridge for a day the shine wore off and it looked as delicious as it tasted.

Would I reccomend you make this cake? Heck yes! I was told by our friends that it was better than the cake they like to buy from a bakery they like to visit in their neighborhood. Success!

Don’t mind the slightly creepy Stepford wife look I have on my face. My eyes are trying to say to you “Did you sign for the challenge? Make that cake!”