My Favorite Things: A

Well, I warned you that I was going to try to blog once a week this year and that I was going to make a fun little list of my favorite things. And I suppose that I thought the best way to do that would be to make it A-Z, you know, sort of a "Heather A-Z" sort of thing? Anyway, I didn't think it was going to be that difficult to do, but have you ever really stopped to think of all your favorite things that start with the same letter? It's hard! I have lots of favorite things, but to come up with a decent list that only starts with the one letter is challenging.

So, here are the A's:

~Architecture: I absolutely LOVE architecture! I love to learn about it, I love to see it and I love to go to the most intricately designed/constructed places I can find and just run my fingers over all the details. For example, the details on the stones of the SLC Temple or The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC. I took a lot of Architecture classes in college and they were some of my very favorite. In fact, if I had it to do over again, I may just have stuck with that instead of bouncing around like I did. I love how architecture tells a story, not of the building itself (though sometimes it can and it's amazing!) but of the people and the culture surrounding it while it was being constructed. I love architecture so much that when I spent a week in NYC several years ago, I came home with hundreds of pictures...and most of them were just buildings that I passed and wanted pictures of. :)

The Cathedral of St. John the Divine

~Adele: She is my newest favorite singer. I love that no one else can even come close to sounding like her. Her music just gets into your soul and makes your feet just bounce. I have yet to come across an Adele song that I don't like. In fact, she does a cover on her album, 19, of a Bob Dylan song called "To Make You Feel My Love" and it's incredible. It is one of my favorite songs EVER. Hands down. If you haven't heard it, take a quick listen here, you won't regret it!



~Amusement Parks: I cannot fully describe the love I have of the adrenaline rush I get from riding on a roller coaster or other really fast ride. But it's not just the thrill rides, it's the entire atmosphere that I love. I love all the bright lights, the smell of the food and the flush of the little kids cheeks as they run around so excited for the next thing they get to see. I love to people watch and amusement parks are so great for this. You get such a diverse grouping of people all in one place for one purpose and it makes me happy to see it.



~Artichokes: MMmmmm. There isn't much more to say. MMMmmmm. My mom first introduced me to these wonderful veggies when I was very young. She would buy one for herself when she was needing a special treat and melt down half of a tub of butter to dip the leaves in. I would beg her for a taste and most of the time she would say No because she didn't think I would like them. Then... the inevitable happened. She caved once and I fell head over heels! I love them! In fact, my mouth is watering right now.



~Almond Flavoring: Oh. My. Goodness. I would put Almond flavoring in just about anything. It's so versatile. I love it most especially in hot cocoa, steamers, ice cream, cookies, cakes, anything also flavored with lemon, muffins, well... pretty much anything. My goodness. It really is a love affair between Almond flavored things and myself. So please excuse me for a moment, I need to run into the kitchen.....



~Asparagus: This is actually a funny one. First off, I must state that I really do love this veggie and it is one of my favorites. Just grill them up or saute them with a little garlicky butter and salt or throw on some lemon in there, cook them until the stalks are mostly cooked but still slightly crisp and you have a full scale treat, my friends! But, the other reason this is one of my favorite things is because my sweet Naters used to call it "Harry Spartacus". He kept saying that he would like Harry Spartacus for dinner one night and Maren and I had no clue what he was saying. Then, when we actually DID have it for dinner, he asked for seconds of it. We kept asking him what it was that he was saying and once we figured out that Harry Spartacus was actually asparagus, we rolled on the floor with laughter. Kids say the craziest things!



~Avocados: Guacamole, cut up in salads, cut up on sandwiches or just sprinkled with salt and scooped right out of the rind, it makes no difference. I LOVE avocados. I love the smooth creamy nuttiness of them. I love how they compliment just about everything they touch. They make regular foods pop with flavor. And they are healthy fat! My favorite way to get my fat! Haha

~Ann: My sweet friend who lives in Post Falls and who saved me on more than one occasion when I lived up there. There are few people in this world as wonderful as Ann is. On the outside and at first meeting her, she seems to be this sweet naive little girl... then you get to know her and she is a spitfire! :) She can make me laugh so hard I can't breath and so frustrated my eye twitches (but only when we are trying to play a game)! She creams me at just about every game we play. And she is one of the best friends that Heavenly Father has given me. I'm grateful for her and her friendship and I wish so badly almost daily that we lived closer than 7 hours away. Love ya Babes!



~Anna: She is the greatest poodle doodle in town and really knows how to throw one heck of a calfbury. But watch out, if you aren't careful, you can end up with your car in a ditch after having spent a wild evening at her house playing Dream Phone. I wish everyone in this world were lucky enough to have a sprite for a friend like I do in Anna. She is the Sprite to my Gigantor and I am a better person for having her in my life. She took quite the chance choosing me to be her 2nd Counselor when she was the Relief Society President, but I sure hope that she is grateful she did. Because everyone needs a friend who will use her talons to bust water balloons over their head; a friend who is willing to spit watermelon seeds into your mouth; a friend who backs you up in your intense devotion to In N Out; a friend who will discuss the proper installment of windows in your stomach and the functionality of such; and a friend who will stay up until 4 am giggling in a hotel room just because you are both so tired that you can't go to sleep. I wish I got to see her more often. This Gigantor sure misses her.

~Amy: She was one of my very first friends who made the efforts to make me feel welcome in the Virlow Branch. She never fails to remember all the little details and it makes other people feel like they are special. She shared her family with me, for which I will be eternally grateful. She is so fun to play games with (especially Redneck Life) and will learn your favorite songs on her guitar so that she can play it for you when you are having a tough day. And she's there for you, whenever you need her. Anytime you call, she's there. And sometimes... even when you don't call. She is that ever ready friend waiting patiently to ease your burdens. Thank you for your friendship, Amer Mamer!

~The Atonement: I am grateful each and ever day for the Savior and His Atonement. It is through His grace that we are saved and succored in our times of need. The best thing about the Atonement is the fact that it has already been taken care of for you, you only just need to apply it in your life. The payment has been made for your salvation, you only need to accept it and take an active part in it. I know that it is because of the Atonement that I will be privileged enough to someday live with my Father in Heaven again.