Raindrops on Roses, Whiskers on Kittens...

I've been thinking lately about my favorite things. And then I thought how much favorites really tell you about a person. So I thought I'd share.

1. I love cooking.
2. I love being in the kitchen and creating things.
3. Because I love baking and cooking and almost all things kitchen, I have a lot of favorite appliances
a. Electric Griddle: I think I brought this into our marriage. We use it for everything, crepes, quesadillas, pancakes, french toast, bacon, tortillas...It doesn't burn things, fits a ton on it, and is so easy to clean up. Love it! That's why we used to give it as wedding presents.
b. Electric Wok: We were given this for our wedding. To be honest, I wondered if we would ever use it (Sorry Merks!) but indeed we do! We LOVE it. It also never burns things, fits a ton, and is so easy to clean up, plus it doesn't heat up my house and heats up and cools down really quickly. I love it.
c. My Cuisinart Mini-Processor: Again, we were given this for our wedding and we didn't use it one lick for the first couple years. Then we started pulling it out. Since Taryn was born, however, I use it at least once a day. I use it to blend all her baby food, for the crepe recipe (below), for chopping nuts (used to), and pretty much for whatever else I want to quickly zap/blend/grind/chop. I even use it to grind regular oats into quick oats and oat flour. It also works for grinding rice for baby cereal. LOVE IT!
d. My Crockpot! If you don't have one or don't use one, you must try it. I love making any meat in here and pretty much anything else I can think of. I wish I used it more, but it is also great for not heating up the house, saving money, and saving time. Love it!
4. I love babies. I know, most of you always knew that. So did I. But now, having a second baby, I realize that I truly love the baby stage. I absolutely delight in Taryn, just as I did in Keara when she was a baby. I love babies.
5. I love good music. Music that moves your soul. I just added two songs to my playlist that move my soul: Paul Potts' Nessun Dorma and Michael Buble's Home. Listen to them. Let your soul be moved.
6. I love peace. Stillness, happiness, joy, peace. I love being in the temple.
7. I love sunsets and thunderstorms. Two extremes, but two glorious manifestations of God's love. He could have made life boring, but didn't.
8. I love good sleep. Waking up and actually feeling awake. I can't remember the last time I really felt that, but I remember it happening.
9. I love giving birth. WHAT!?! Did you read that right? Yes, you did. I love it. I told Braden about 2 hours after Keara was born that, if not for 9 months of pregnancy and 1+ month(s) of recovery, I would want to give birth every day. After Taryn, it was the same thing. I love it. As my mom always told me, it is the most exhiliarating thing I have ever done. And it is peaceful, and another manifestation of God's love.
10. I love autumn. I love leaves changing. I love the crispness in the air. I love needing a jacket. I love the leaves crunching beneath my feet. I love starting to see my breath. I love the anticipation of the holidays. I love the holidays. I love all things autumn. Too bad we don't have autumn in Arizona.
11. I love allrecipes.com. It is my alltime favorite website. I love it and use it all the time. I now have a binder filled with new recipes, most of which I've found, tried, and loved from allrecipes.com
12. I love the internet. I know it has many terrible uses, but for good, it is incredible. I love that I know how to use it and use it well. I love being able to find anything I want on the internet. It blows my mind that someone took the time to post it but I love that they did so I can find it.
13. I love General Conference. Keara was born 3 days before April 06 GC so I slept thru most of that. In October 06, I was still tired and distracted with a 6 month old, so I caught half and missed half. In April 07, I was attentive. In October 07, I was 7 months pregnant and tired so I missed half. In March 08, I had a 3 month old and was tired, so again, I missed half. I'm still tired and I have a crazy 8 month old, but I'm so excited for October just the same!
14. I love learning. I love learning new skills, new information, new ways to better myself, new everything. I love learning. In fact, I've realized that when I am not engaged in learning of one kind or another, my life is less rich. I can do more, be more, love more, play more when I am learning.
15. I love a clean house. No, I shouldn't say clean. I hate "cleaning". I love tidying, organizing, decluttering, rearranging. I hate dusting, scrubbing baseboards, and cleaning corners, but I love having everything in its place. Even if its place is dusty.
16. I love home. I hope someday to find a home that competes with the tender feelings I have for the home I grew up in. Not just the house, but the whole experience. When I think of home, all those feelings, all those memories, all those emotions come flooding into me. Someday, I'll feel that for another place. But for now, I love my childhood home.
17. I love deep, lasting, meaningful, inspiring relationships. I have always had good, close friends. Deep friendships. I have a lot fewer now, but I cherish the few I have.
18. I love memories. I think it is an amazing gift we've been given, to be able to remember good things. Not just the event that occured, but all emotions, thoughts, even smells and touches associated with that. It's amazing how you can be taken right back to a place and time so quickly and easily, with everything that goes with it. I'm sure everyone has experiences where you smell something and it takes you right back to Mrs. Tribbey's 8th grade math class with Ian Brunswick and vanilla scented nail polish, or something like that.
19. I love the Spirit. I love the burst from the inside out. I love the quiet whisper. I love the warmth that spreads from head to toe. I love the thought, the idea, the reminder. I love the inspiration, the sudden learning. I love the feeling of arms around me.
20. I love love. Again, another huge blessing we have been given in this life. We could meander thru this existence without that all powerful emotion and yet, God gave us love. He gave us human emotion, human connection, a power that binds, comforts, lifts, edifies, strengthens, empowers, heals, and fills. It is an amazing gift.

Now that you know so very much about me, tell me some of your favorites. What brings you joy? Light? Happiness? Smiles? Gratitude? The simple or the deep, what moves you?