Two weeks ago, the semester ended

And it was the best thing of my life. It's so nice to have the evenings free to spend time with each other. The other night I was baking cookies just because I wanted to, and Mike was playing his guitar, just because he wanted to, and I thought, "this is a perfect moment." Just the casual togetherness, where we are both doing something just because we want to is heaven.

Lately we/I have been....

Baking up the wazoo! I finally defeated my long time enemy, the chocolate chip cookie! I love to cook and bake. And I'm pretty good at it. Except when it comes to chocolate chip cookies, the most basic dessert ever. If I am going to make a dessert i don't bake chocolate chip cookies, A.) because they are no fun, everybody has had chocolate chip cookies and its not an adventure to make or eat. B.) because i just plain suck at it. They are ALWAYS flat.

A few weeks ago a it was a friend of mines birthday and she wanted chocolate chip cookies. So reluctantly I made them. And they sucked.

Flat

Flat

Flat

It had been a rough day and i was pretty angry that they were not delicious. In my rage, I swore to myself never again to make chocolate chip cookies.

Then the next day my dramaticness wore off and I realized that I COULD make some puffy cookies. So I searched and searched and tried some recipes and on round 3 I made these beauties. Mike dubbed them the best chocolate chip cookies he has ever had. And I feel good again.

It is so fun living right next door to some of our best friends Hillarie and James. Then I can make fun of how awkward Hill looks when trying to play rockband with her baby bump.

BBQ!

My grandmas beautiful lakeside backyard + bike rides + kayak rides + food + nice weather + family = perfection.

Gotta love the pizza sauce faces.

My niece Roxy has the best pouty lip out there. So glad I captured it on camera.

She loves her uncle Michael.

Doesn't this precious look like the caterpillar from A Bugs Life?

Cheers to an entire summer of free nights!