Hogwarts Forever

Going to mix the excitement of each new movie. It's been a great 10 years of Harry Potter.

Getting through the rough times

Recently I have been having a lot of rough times, not knowing how to get through and over the mountains I am feeling like I am currently climbing, I came across this song from another friends blog. This music video features Stephanie Nielson of Nie Nie Dialogues. Stephanie and her husband have overcome so much after a terrible airplane accident.
Many of us have rough times and wonder how we are going to get through, hopefully in the end, it will be worth the journey it took to get there. We all go through trials but when you are in so many at one time sometimes it feels like no one else can understand. I have been having a hard time grasping this concept. I feel sometimes like people don't understand and they just don't get what I am going through. It can be frusterating at times and honestly, sometimes I feel hopeless. I have my good days and days that I struggle. I feel like I may be preaching to the choir (if anyone actually reads my blog, ha) and ranting on and on about struggles and trials, but I feel like this song/music video came into my life at the perfect time tonight and RIGHT when I needed it. Its worth watching, I assure you.



I know that Heavenly Father will always be there to lift my burdens and is always a prayer away, sometimes I get so caught up in feeling bad for myself and then I realize that my vision was cloudy and I wasn't counting the blessings I do have. At least for me, I needed this so I could take a step back and be grateful for my life, even the beautiful heartbreaks.

Santa's coming! I KNOW him!

Don't you all wish that there was Christmas spirit like this? Hysterical...



On a different note, watch this:



At the same time though, Christmas is about the birth of Christ. To catch the real meaning of the Spirit of Christmas, we need only drop the last syllable and it becomes the Spirit of Christ. I hope that we can all focus this Christmas on each other instead of getting wrapped up in crossing THINGS off of our wish list. Christmas is a great time to be with family and truly remember why Christmas is celebrated.

Turkey Time!

It was wonderful to go home for Thanksgiving! I got to see a lot of my friends and spend some time with Taylor as well! The week was an all around good time!

Taylor and I visiting with Mary and puppy Maggie

At Portland City Grill

Our 3rd annual Black Friday shopping tradition! Gosh, I love my BEST FRIEND.

Our Thanksgiving table! It looked awesome, my mom did a great job!

THE BIRD!!

Grandma Flo, 99 years old folks!

Taylor and I at his sister's house

Taylor's Family

Peyton beating up Taylor

Our walk in the woods, looking for bald Eagles

Taylor playing his guitar up at the cabin in Washington. He is very talented with the guitar!

It has surely been a week of ups and downs, mostly downs. I am so grateful for the people in my life for being such a support, my family, friends, and also Taylor. I'm grateful for them all! I know that challenges come, and its all about how you handle them. 

What was your favorite thing about Thanksgiving?

Breaking Dawn Release, with Ellen DeGeneres

Breaking Dawn's release is November 16th 2011... Ellen DeGeneres seems to think this movie will be a great hit! Check it out!



I could not stop laughing after I watched this. Don't get me wrong. I love the Twlight Series, and lately I have been watching Ellen clips from her show. They make me laugh and just seem to always make a day better. Laughter brings out the best in people. Hope you enjoyed the clip.... at least until I find another good one or something interesting to blog about....

MAcbook Wheel

We watched this video in my media and communications class. This video is hysterical. Wouldn't it just be easier and less time consuming to just type an email on a computer or laptop? I think so! You have to watch it to know what I am talking about, it seems more time consuming than helpful to me... What do you think?

A Day in Park City

Taylor came to Utah for a visit for the first weekend in November, it was so much fun to be able to see him and hang out in Park City! I love our time together! 

 Temple Square!

                                                                        Surprise kisses!

Sushi night in Park City!

At Temple Square before Taylor had to go to the airport. He is def the BEST!

October in Oregon

I am a little late at posting this but in October I had the opportunity to go to Oregon for "Fall Break" (Kind of like spring break) and spend the weekend with Taylor! It was so much fun. We went to his favorite asian place in Monmouth, went to a corn maze, and spent a day in Salem, it was a ton of fun and I can't wait to be in the Northwest again soon!
Outside Taylor's apartment in Monmouth

Mark (Taylor's roommmate) and his fiance Katie

About to go into the cornmaze!!!

Probably waiting for Mark and Katie to finish going down the slide?

We had such a good time in Salem. I had never been there before, it is BEAUTIFUL! I was so lucky to be able to go during Fall season and see all the crazy cool colors of the trees! I loved it!

Caution: Under Construction

So I was going to change my blog around a little today, maybe give it a "fresh new look" but then started choosing all these templates and the see through part of my blog I want to just go away... I only really wanted to change the background. Can anyone help me with this? I am not the best with blogs, but especially blogspot. SOS!

Laughter

So lately I have been watching the biggest loser on NBC which I absolutely LOVE. Hannah from last season cracks me up! Watch this:

Choose NOW!

I love this video, in a talk given by President Henry B. Eyring he speaks about doing the most important things each day and not delaying what we should be doing. We are all tempted to put things off to "someday" our lives will be enriched if we choose to serve EACH DAY, even if it is something small we will be blessed by Heavenly Father.


"As long as you have the power to pray you can ask a loving god please let me serve this day!" -Henry B. Eyring

DIY make-up remover!

I'm all about saving money in random/little ways I can. If I can make something, I tend to do that rather than to buy it. 99% of the time most DIY things save money. The more in my wallet, THE BETTER. I recently found a recipe for DIY make up remover. Genus. I would have NEVER thought of that but it's something so easy and ends up being super expensive when you buy the real deal. I found the recipe from this link: http://www.kristanlynn.com/2011/05/diy-clean-eyes.html I have yet to try it but it's
1 C water
1½ TBSP Baby Shampoo (tear free)
⅛ TSP Baby Oil (Cocunut Oil or Olive Oil)

Pretty simple, right? I think I am going to give it a try next time I go to the grocery store, I'll pick up these simple ingredients. I can't wait to try it!

Viva Las Vegas!

At the M&M Factory in Las Vegas!

Any color M&M you could ever want, or think of!

Bellagio Fountains!

The beautiful Las Vegas Temple!

Taylor and I were able to sneak off to Vegas for a quick weekend trip! We stayed with some of his Dad's cousins that live in North Las Vegas! We had a blast!

Cabin Adventures!

After a 12 hour drive, and spending 2 nights in Vancouver, Taylor and I were able to watch his Nephew and 2 of his nieces for a night in Olympia and then go to his family cabin with some of his family this week! We had a blast! We went Jet skiing, kayaking, hiking, went on walks through the forest, hiked to the "Wild man of the Wynchoee" campsite, taught his niece and nephew how to kneeboard, and got to spend time with his family! It was the perfect week!

Super Suds and Super $avings!

Recently I have become infatuated with Pintrest. In my spare time I love getting craft ideas that I can do at home and actually doing them. Recently I found a recipe for homemade laundry detergent, with 3 basic ingredients.
Borax, Super Washing Soda, and Fels Naphtha laundry soap. It's 1 cup of Borax, 1 cup of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, and 1 bar of grated Fels Naphtha Soap (usually around $1, and I used a cheese grater) and theres a bath of laundry soap. It doesn't look like a ton but it smells so clean and fresh and one batch of homemade laundry detergent is about 40 loads of laundry, talk about getting your money's worth. It's 1 tablespoon per load. I took this picture from Pintrest but this about how much a batch makes.


One box of borax and one box of Super Washing Soda makes about 5 batches of homemade laundry detergent so you definitely get a run for your money!

Baby Milo

My nephew Milo James Polifka was born on April 20th 2011 and weighed a healthy 7.5 pounds (but he seems so small when you are holding him.)

Can you do the Hula?

I have been HORRIBLE at blogging. I came up with a summer resolution (do people even do those) to be better at blogging! Recently (well in march) my parents and I went to the beautiful Hawaiian island of KAUAI! Seriously one of the most beautiful places I have EVER been!





Our last night in Kauai was the day the earthquake happened in Japan. As we got the news of the earthquake we were told that all the Hawaiian Islands were on Tsunami WARNING aka needing to evacuate. As we were getting ready to move to higher ground all I could think about was the Church and how the first presidency always tells the members to be prepared. No one ever thinks anything will happen to them and that was honestly how I felt too. I had never been in the middle of or close to a natural disaster. Although being evacuated seemed annoying and uncomfortable (not being able to sleep all night) at times on that long night, it strengthened my testimony of emergency preparedness, and how we always need to be ready for anything that can happen, anytime. ALOHA!

A New King of the Jungle!

February 19th was Courtney (my sister in laws) baby shower! I thought her aunt's and cousins decorated it so cute (it was a jungle theme) and it was so fun seeing family and friends there! She got a lot of wonderful gifts that are going to be so useful once this little boy comes! I'm so excited to meet my little nephew and I'm sure Matt and Courtney will be wonderful parents!

Blessings from Mary

On June 19th 2010 one of my close friends Mary Goodwin found out that she had an AVM in her brain, a day that will change her life forever. An AVM is an arteriovenous malformation. She has weathered this storm remarkably well. I am amazed with her everyday. She is having a cranotomy on January 21 2011. It is the most difficult surgery a neurosurgeon will ever do.
In the last 7 months Mary has taught me to be a more loving friend and to always let everyone know I love them. I have learned more from Mary in the past 7 months than I have in my entire life. There are so many blessing I can't even describe from having Mary in my life. I have very rarely heard Mary complain about her AVM. She told me she thinks of it as a blessing. What an amazing person. She looks at the positive, cares more about others than herself, and is such a strong person. I want to be like her every day. If I could ever take away any pain that she has ever felt throughout all this I would in a heartbeat.
One of my best friends Kelsey that is on a mission in Temple Square asked me to share something that happened over Christmas, like a Christmas miracle. I think her goal was to have me help her find someone to teach. The miracles I was looking for around Christmas didn't happen to be finding someone to teach. It was realizing I have Angels around me like Mary to lift me up and help me be a better person. It was realizing I have an AMAZING family and friends like Mary that help me in ways they don't even know. I was SO BLESSED to see Mary on Christmas day. She told me on Christmas to never let a day go by where I didn't tell someone I love them! That is the BEST advice. I wrote Kelsey about Miracle Mary this week, I can't even get over the fact at how blessed I am.
Through these past 7 months I have watched Mary grow, learn, develop, and be a LIGHT to those around her. I am grateful for this. I am beyond grateful to my Heavenly Father for having these learning experiences in my life, and am so grateful to know Mary, let alone be a friend to her. I know she will do incredible on January 21st in her surgery. Mary has been through so much and jumps through these health challenges SO well. She is so humble about everything and hates having the attention on her. I am FOREVER grateful for Mary!