The Fro-Yo Phenomenon

Something I have noticed after just a few short weeks in the LA area is that Californians LOVE their frozen yogurt. There are countless chains and stores everywhere here selling varieties of fro-yo and toppings. Maybe it has something to do with the health-conscious nature of people who live so close to LA, but ice cream is nowhere to be found. While Britt was here, both of us were craving some scooped ice cream (Cone Shop anyone??), and we actually could not find any stores that serve that kind of treat! When I made a comment to a friend of Mark's about our desperation to find scooped ice cream, he confessed that he couldn't really understand that desire, and why wouldn't we just head to one of the many, many frozen yogurt joints?

All of this being said, I must confess that I have fully conformed. While my friend Brenna was out here visiting, we checked out a new shop called Tutti Frutti, and we absolutely fell in love. Tutti Frutti offers about 10 flavors of fat-free and low-fat fro-yo, and tons of toppings, all in self-serve style. So you grab a bucket, fill it up with however many and whatever flavours you would like (some delicious examples - cookies and creme, vanilla bean, strawberry cheesecake), and then top it off with anything from cookie dough pieces to fresh diced mango. And the best part is that you pay per ounce - 35 cents an ounce! So when you're all done, you set your bucket on the scale and pay a pretty small price for tons of deliciousness! Brenna's was only $2.30! Another great aspect of Tutti Frutti is that you can sample as many flavours as you like before making your own creation - I think Bren and I both ate a full bucket's worth of yogurt before we decided on what we wanted to get!

Needless to say, Mark and I have already been back!

In case you are interested, here is their website: http://www.tfyogurt.com/

And here is a shot of Brenna and I eating dins on our balcony. Thanks again for your visit Bren! It was so much fun showing you around, catching up, and of course, wedding planning!!

Fifty Dollar Find

We found this couch at Goodwill in LA for only $50! It was really dirty but all it took was a steam cleaner and three hours of muscle and sweat by Tara, and it is almost as good as new!

Apartment Update

Our place is starting to take shape as we slowly collect furniture and get organized so here are some updated pics!

We are being provided for by God and we are blown away daily at how He is taking care of us out here. We can't afford to buy much furniture, but we were able to find a FREE dining table and chairs through the church, as well as a really cheap couch from Goodwill. That gave us enough to be able to get a few small things, like a desk for Mark, from Ikea. It is amazing to sit back and just watch what He is doing for us out here!

Seesters.

Well Britt has gone back home and I am missing her terribly. It was such a blessing to have her here for a full week. Since she left for school in April I have seen her twice but both times have been rushed and busy so this was our first chance to really catch up and spend quality time together in several months. It was so much fun to show her around Hollywood and the rest of LA, as well as just to have time to chill, eat great food, and learn about what is going on in her life out in BC.

Mark and I were absolutely blown away by how much my little sister has grown up and matured in her time at school. She is now a confident, assured young woman who has really come into her own. She was infinitely patient as Mark and I unpacked, shopped for furniture, and generally forced her to live in an absolutely disorganized mess for seven days.

It is amazing to watch someone grow up like that, and to also transition from just a sibling relationship to a deep friendship. Britt, I miss you like crazy and I can't wait to see you again. Thank you for all of the great talks, laughs and memories. Love you tons!

Here are some more pics from our week together, including some of the crazy wildfires that have been raging over the past 2 weeks. The air has been smoky for about a week now, and ash collects on our car and our balcony every day. There seems to be an end in sight though, as the sky is clear blue today and we can see the sun! And don't worry Britt - the Hollywood sign is still alive and well and not burned to the ground.