I know I'm supposed to curse the colder months. It means getting sick and having to stay inside. And sometimes, it means an epic car crash in the middle of Oregon. But I LOVE it when it snows. I love how peaceful everything feels when the snow is falling. I love how the sky lights up in the middle of the night and turns kind of pink. I love that the snow means cute hats, coats, and boots. I love that it means I get to experience all of the seasons in the year. I love that the for a brief moment, all I can think of is how beautiful the world is. And it leaves me so full of gratitude.
My ward had a 4-ward chili cook off and dessert bake off last Monday and laughingly, I signed up. I just figured I'd bring a dessert but Kaylin had the bright idea that I make something lemony with candied lemons. So here are my lemon cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting and candied lemons on top. I can't lie, they were a super hit and I WON the bake off! It was a Phillips clean sweep when Kaylin's name was called as the winner of the chili cook off (although let's be real, she can cook anything. This was a no brainer.) I have to admit, I was pretty proud of those cupcakes. I'd never baked anything that had looked so pretty. 
