little voyage to Valence

So since i hadn't done really anything during my first vacation break at school i decided to go to a neighboring city called Valence. It's where is go to church every week but still i hadn't really seen the city. I would have gone some where further but with the strikes going on for a few months now transportation has been really hairy so i didn't want to go anywhere too far since i didn't know if i'd be able to get back if i was even able to find a way to get there in the first place.

this is the front of the Catholic church in Valence. It is really beautiful

I was just walking around in the old part of Valence and saw this beautiful building

inside the church

loved this image. This is from the back of the church

I really thought this image of Christ was touching

These cookie things are called "suisse" which translates as Swiss

even though i posted about the amazing boulangerie Paul and their Tarte au Citron i think that this one that i ate at a boulangerie in Valence beat it, which i thought was impossible

I love the little streets like this that are all over France.

Zucchini Recipes: Whole Wheat and Honey Zucchini Bread and Muffins

Zucchini Recipes: Whole Wheat and Honey Zucchini Bread and Muffins

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but i think it looks promising.

Quote from one of the best films I have ever seen...Amazing Grace

"When people speak of great men, they think of men like Napoleon - men of violence. Rarely do they think of peaceful men. But contrast the reception they will receive when they return home from their battles. Napoleon will arrive in pomp and in power, a man who's achieved the very summit of earthly ambition. And yet his dreams will be haunted by the oppressions of war. William Wilberforce, however, will return to his family, lay his head on his pillow and remember: the slave trade is no more."

— Lord Charles Fox (from the  film Amazing Grace)

cool quote from a conference talk

So since I have a lot of time I have been trying to be really good and listen to or read all of the conference talks from this past General conference. A few nights ago I was reading a talk titled, "Stay on the Path", by Rosemary M. Wixom. This talk was given for parents, but as most talks can be applied to all I applied it to me. There was one paragraph that I loved which talked about the example parents (or adults) have on children here it is... 

"Our example is magnified in their eyes. They will follow our cadence when they feel secure in our actions. We do not need to be perfect—just honest and sincere."

I applied this talk to me as a teacher here is France and in general with any interaction i have with children. As i have seen in only a few weeks children really do absorb everything. I already knew this before coming here, but to see them literally absorb everything i am teaching them in English has been really fascinating and then reading this talk made me think more about it. Especially to parents and those that are with children often we have to think constantly of the influence that we have on them. Our example really will show show in their eyes. Pretty intense huh? Here is the link for the talk if you want to read it which I know you do
http://new.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/stay-on-the-path?lang=eng

"My New Life".. just in case any of you haven't seen this amazing video yet!!

Also the song in the background is by one of my favorite LDS singers, Mindy Gledhill called, "It's all about your heart"

the weather outside is frightening..no seriously it is

So the wind today is crazy. I was going to go to Montelimar to visit another friend and on the way to the train station i almost fell off my bike like 5 times by the wind. There was a few minutes where i do not think that i was moving at all. I just went to one of the little grocery stores right by my apartment and they said that there is an actual "Orange" warning because of the wind and how strong it is. Things have been falling on people and she said seriously that they are saying to not go out too much because it is dangerous. So here is a pic of me coming back from being outside for a few minutes. My hair looks pretty huh? I figured it was nature giving me some volume.

my new cardigan that i bought in the boys section!!!