3 for 14- #14 Make a Cake from Scratch

Once again, this is getting posted long after it originally occurred.  Fortunately, I'm only 2 weeks late in my updates instead of 4 weeks late.  2 weeks ago, precisely, I made a cake from scratch.  My friends and I decided to make a spice cake.  For a first attempt at making a spice cake from scratch, it was quite delicious.  We only made one mistake in the process of making our cake... we accidentally doubled the recipe for the frosting.  It's been two weeks and I'm pretty sure we still have frosting in our fridge.

So, why did I pick precisely two weeks ago to make a cake?  I felt like celebrating May 16th, which is the same day I returned to America from the Philippines, two years ago.  And still, two years after ending my mission, two years after coming home, I still see daily the influence my time in the Philippines has had on my life.  For example, I still think in Hiligaynon and I still feel cold inside of buildings that have air conditioning.  But on a more serious note, each day is made fuller, richer, and happier by the knowledge of God's love for me and the testimony of His restored gospel, both of which were strengthened by those months spent in the Philippines helping others find this same knowledge.

2 for 14- #13 Climb a Tree!

Okay, so I probably did this, like, 4 weeks ago, but I've been too busy having crazy adventures with my roommates to get around to writing about it.  So- here it is! I have climbed a tree.  As a little kid, I recall climbing into the sort of tree that practically grows horizontally so you really just walk into it, but I had never truly climbed up into a normal tree; you know, the sort of tree that would require climbing.

So, back to 4 weeks ago, I was sitting at the kitchen table, studying for finals.  I had been studying for several hours and was starting to feel burnt out.  I still had my two hardest finals ahead of me.  My study buddy had finished reviewing the material for a final he anticipated being fairly simple and straight forward.  The idea of continuing to study by myself seemed dismal.  We both put away our study material and headed out to find a tree to climb; it seemed like a great alternative to studying.  We headed out to a nearby park, found a tree, got ourselves up into it, and sat there for another hour or so talking.  It's a wonderful way to waste time when you should be studying. I think I shall do it again.