RAGNAR!

Some may call me crazy but... I did it! I finished Ragnar!!! For those of you who don't know what Ragnar Relay is, its a 200 mile relay race over 2 days and the 200 miles is split between 12 people, each given 3 times to run! I was runner #5. I was supposed to only run 18.4 miles total but plans changed because my mom busted her ankle so I gave her my last run which was 4.5 miles and I took hers which was 8.1!! So I actually ran 22 miles... oh boy. So I had a 5.8 miler, 8.1 and 8.1!! It was insanely fun, I realized I'm still way afraid of the dark BUT I beat my PR!! I was running 9:30 milers! I cannot wait to do this again next year! I am so glad I am in such great shape for this because I would've never imagined doing this a year ago... Go Team, WILL RUN FOR DONUTS!!!!

Anyone can be a runner I promise you that much. Ragnar taught me to push myself to limits I thought I couldn't go to. Being healthy feels so good and I hope everyone wants to feel it too! Get out there, get healthy and get happy. I promise you, that is something you will NOT regret.

Back to Baking!

So, yesterday I was in charge of making dessert because we were having the missionaries over for dinner. I decided I would make a Chocolate cake with coconut filling in the middle. Or as I would like to call it, Almond Joy Cake! It is DELICIOUS. So fluffy and perfect. Here is the finished product:

I also will post the recipe for future reference and for any of you who want to try it out :) Also, if you don't like coconut it makes for an AWESOME chocolate cake! Or you could even fill it with something else!

ALMOND JOY CHOCOLATE CAKE:

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspon kosher salt

1 cup water

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream 

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

Filling:

1 egg white

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup shredded coconut

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

2-3 tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

3 almond joy bars cut in-half (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bunt cake pan with non-stick spray

Make cake:

2. In a small saucepan, add butter, cocoa powder, salt and water. Place over medium heat and stir until ingredients are combined and butter has fully melted. Remove from heat and set aside

3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and baking soda. Add half the cocoa mixture and whisk, just until combined. Add the remaining cocoa mixture and again, whisk just until combined. Next, add eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until incorporated. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract. Whisk again until combined. Set aside.

Make filling:

4. In a clean, dry glass bowl whip the egg white until soft peaks form. Sprinkle sugar gradually into egg white and continue whipping egg white until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the coconut, flour and vanilla extract. 

5. Add half the chocolate cake batter to the prepared bundt pan and spread evenly. Dollop coconut filling over batter being sure to keep the coconut in the center and not letting it touch the sides of the pan. 

6. Spread the remaining cake batter into the bundt pan over the coconut and smooth top evenly.

7. Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, until a tester inserted comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Make Glaze:

8. In a small bowl, stir together heavy cream and confectioners' sugar starting with 2 tablespoons cream and adding more to achieve desired consistency. Stir in vanilla bean paste.

Assemble:

9. Drizzle cake with glaze and top with Almond Joy bars if desired. 

ENJOY! :)

'MERICA

Ok this post is kind of late from the 4th but that's because I was in Lake Chelan from the 2nd-7th!! Plus I've been busy with work since I've been back so I haven't had time to post. Anyways, CHELAN WAS A BLAST. I didn't have really any service because I was at a boat-to only campsite. I loved it though. It really helped just getting away from everything. So we got up there Wednesday, and the next day we spent it on the lake boating and tubing. I actually got to meet up with Samantha & Christian and tube with them so it was so much fun!!!

Then Tyler and Cassie came up Thursday night. We just had so much fun! Just relaxing, enjoying time as a family :) Taking lots of pictures as always. We also hiked up to the top of the mountain from our camp site which was fun. We made s'mores over our stove cause there was a burn ban. BUT my s'more was so good. It had peanut butter ON the graham cracker then pieces of chocolate on either side. 

I love chelan and I'm so grateful I got to go with my family this year. I missed my other brother, his wife Kayla and their son Jackson. But I still had a lot of fun. The beauty that God has created for us is amazing and I'm so grateful I live in such a beautiful state where I can enjoy it. 

Goodbye June, Hello July what?!

I can't believe tomorrow is July 1st. Where did the month of June go?! Its crazy. A lot has happened last week! I started my new nannying job Tuesday and it has been going really well!! The kids are adorable. The girl is 4 and the boy is 8. We did Tie-dye and the little girl (Anushka) got tie-dye all over her hands!

 I worked every day from about 10-2:30 pm just having fun! We went to the park, rode bikes, had a picnic, went to the library and read books. It's a super fun easy job. The only down side is my car takes so much gas, so driving everywhere uses a lot of it up :( But, I am just trying to save money to help pay for school. This week was bad in terms of going out a lot... NO MORE.

Then on Friday I stayed with Mali Hansen because her parents were out of town that night. Luckily her ward was going to the Mariners game so we had something to do! It was so fun :) We had garlic fries (I swear I still have that taste in my mouth...), candy, the works! It was also Firework night that night! And guess what?! THE MARINERS WON!!! It was awesome!

Then Saturday I helped the missionaries in my ward draw the plan of salvation on the art wall at the Redmond Skate Park! Now that is what I call missionary work in a different way :)

I'm so incredibly excited for this week because I will be in CHELAN!!! Celebrating the 4th of July with my family :) I can't wait for camping, boating, tanning, s'mores, and everything! These missionaries in my ward are incredibly nice guys! This church is true people. It's incredible. Prayer works, Miracles happen every day, Keep having faith in God and know that anything is possible with him.

Elder Kearley (middle), Elder Garriss (right) and I tonight! Last time

Elder Garriss will be in R3!! 

Saturday Sunshine

The sun came out on Saturday! Happy Day! I had been babysitting the whole week for a family and that day I drove the kids to Cle Elm to meet their grandparents and afterwards I had a great day! I took my dog for a run in the sun ;) I also went out to dinner with a friend to get thai food (We went to Silver Spoon! WAY GOOD!), got yogurt with my friends Samantha & Christian. Then we went to Kirkland and watched the sunset! IT WAS GORGEOUS! We also saw a wedding there... so adorable.

I decided to dye my hair back to my natural color also well... it went a little too dark than planned. It is pretty much black now... oh well! I REALLY DON'T CARE. Its fun to change my hair once in a while!

I'm so excited for this next week as well because I'm working a ton again!! Yay money money money :) I love nannying/babysitting because its the best way to make cash because A) its fast. You get it right after you're done. B) TAXES DON'T TAKE ANY!!! I'm really hoping I get to go boating one of these days this week... I neeeeeeed to!!! The sun is starting to come out more according to the forecast and I can't wait! So many exciting things coming up this summer.

Chicken Pad Thai! 

Kirkland Waterfront

My new hair.. OH BOY ITS DARK

Christian, Samantha and I :)

Side Note that I've thought about a lot this week: Its amazing how much I've matured in not caring what others think. I'm loving life and I'm sorry if people have a problem with it! I'm lovin' with all my heart, everything that comes into my life. Its easier to be happier than to be mad is what I've learned. 

Mommy-for-a-week

This week I've been staying with two kids who's parents went to Greece for two weeks. Saturday I'm driving them to Cle Elm to meet their grandparents and they go to Chelan for the last week their parents are gone. It's been... interesting and fun! The kids pretty much keep to themselves. They're 13 and 9. So it's an age where they wanna hang out with friends or watch cartoons. The 9 year old changes his mind every 2 minutes on what he wants to do. He doesn't wanna do anything BUT play on the computer. So it's been hard. I'm learning a lot of how I want to raise my kids. NOW I'm not saying that they're bad kids because they totally aren't. I've just learned a lot from babysitting SO many different kids. I don't want my children to be glued to the computer screen/tv, I want them to love playing outside, eat healthy, have good manners, not bossy, and ect. However, it has been fun with these kids!

Yesterday, I dropped off Maddie (the 13 yr old) at a friends and then Jake (9 yr old) and I went to my house and took my dog out on a walk and got froyo!! It was fun. Luckily the sun is shining today that I'm gonna make them go outside and do something fun! Wish me luck :)

Here's a picture of the froyo, I GOT. Fruit galore! :)

Fathers Day

So yesterday was Fathers Day! What a great day! First, I had to give a talk in church. I was so nervous because usually I am the first speaker, the "youth speaker", who only gives a 5 minute talk. But this time I was the LAST SPEAKER!!!!! I was scared. But I did great I think! I got a lot of compliments afterwards. Then, later that day we went to my grandma's house and had a BBQ with my brother, Cassie, Aunt & Uncle, Cousin's and my grandpa! My grandpa is being such a fighter I am proud of him. He is a sweet old man with a big heart. It was an all around great day.

My amazing Dad!

My grandpa!

Also in light of Fathers day we should remember our Father in Heaven who gave his only begotten Son to die for us. We are all his son's & daughters and should honor him every day but especially today as well!!! I found some great scriptures that I wanted to share that are great reminders. First one is in Mark 11:22 which reads, "...Have faith in God." and the second one is in, Mark 10:27 which reads, "...with men, it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible," AMAZING. Never forget!!

Saturday Fun

Today was so nice and relaxing! I loved it. In the morning my mom had a "Stella & Dot" jewelry party which was waaay fun! I got to see one of my favorite High School teachers, Heather Chadwick. She's the bomb. Then, my grandma came over to show us her new dog. He is adorable! His name is Cooper. My grandma is hilarious and so youthful looking you would be surprised that she is turning 70 this coming September!!

Then after my grandma & brother left our house my parents and I went out to lunch. We went to this amazing new restaurant called Hollywood Tavern, in Woodinville. I HIGHLY suggest it. The burger was only $10. BUT IT WAS AMAZING. I'm not even joking. The cheese was melted right on top of the bacon. Not on the burger. It was delicious. Totally worth it. We also tried fried pickles. You'd think you would feel disgusting after eating them but, nope! Gosh they were good. I give this restaurant a 10/10!! 

I love hanging out with my family and just not having a lot of things to do on the weekend :) So relaxing! 

Registration

Today I had to register for my classes I am taking in the fall!!! YAY?!! Surprisingly I am so excited. I feel like a nerd... I just am pumped to be learning and getting another semester of college over and done with! I am lucky enough that I got ALL the classes I wanted! I am being bold and taking 16 credits (8 classes... AHHH.) I probably will not have a social life but really... that is okay in Rexburg, Idaho. School is important, and I will have a social life with my awesome best friend Lauren :) We are rooming together and I am SO excited. Anyways... back to registration. So I never clarified what I'm studying exactly.

Well, I'm an exercise physiology major but I have to get my generals out of the way. So at my school we have these classes called "foundations" courses which is basically general education classes! But here are all the classes I am taking in the fall:

-Science Foundations 101

-College Algebra 110 

-World Foundations 101

-Family Foundations 200

-Anatomy & Physiology 265

-Anatomy & Physiology 265 Lab

-Anatomy & Physiology 264 Lab

-Practical Homemaking (I AM SO EXCITED!!)

So, for those of you who don't know what Practical Homemaking is, it is a class where you learn how to cook, sew and learn about interior design! I am so excited!! :D My friend who is taking it with me, calls it the "wifey class" which is a perfect name for it! haha. 

Anyways, actually signing up for my classes makes me excited for fall. I'm not excited necessarily to be going back to REXBURG but I am excited to see my friends I've missed while being home! I've made awesome friends there. Friends to last a lifetime! Well that's all folks! Till next time :)

xoxo,

Madison 

Hello Blog world!

So, I've always wanted a blog just about my life. Might seem weird right? But I have actually a lot to say and sometimes its weird, random, spiritual, funny and actually helpful. Why not blog about it?! I have another blog actually that I use just solely for fitness. I don't really talk about what I did the past week, insights I've gained or anything of that matter. Just fitness. So, I decided I will be one of those "basic mormon girls" and have my own blog! That way, when I get married, start a family I can blog about us as well :)

Well... where do I start? I guess I'll do a run down about me. I'm 19, I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I attend BYU-IDAHO in Rexburg, Idaho. I'm studying Exercise Physiology in hopes of either becoming a personal trainer or even a nutritionist! In the fall, I will be starting my sophomore year of college...so weird.

Lets see... what else...I love love LOVE running. Its my therapy. I also am crazy about chocolate and peanut butter. Put those two together and you have my weakness. I enjoy the outdoors a lot. Fresh air is something I need. I go hiking, running, paddle boarding and even camping! Anything outdoors, I am down to do. I love to laugh. I am down for a good chat and just laughing with my friends. My favorite movies include Star Trek, Divergent, Endless Love, Blended, Batman, Iron Man, Crazy Stupid Love, Hairspray, Frozen and many more.. :) I love baking and cooking! Food and I can either be best friends or hate each other. It's really a love hate relationship but I do love trying new foods so I'll be posting stuff on here!

Anyways, that is just a little bit about me. I hope you enjoy my blog and reading about my life! Trust me, I shall try to make it sound super exciting for you all :)

xoxo,
Madison

My friend, Jenna and I hiking Rattlesnake Ridge in North Bend, WA