183rd General Conference Part 2

Saturday Afternoon

Richard G Scott
Life is frantic--find peace in your home
When Christ is the center of your home there is peace
Trust in the Lord and in his timing
(We are using technology for good!)

Quentin L Cook
Peace (finding it within yourself)
His peace will ease our suffering....will suffuse our souls with happiness
Peace comes from knowing that the Savior knows who we are

[finding peace through prayer--hymn sung before was Did You Think To Pray]

Stanley G Ellis of the 70
Speaking Direct
HOW we raise is more important than WHERE
--how you handle different situations and how they act outside of the home
Hearken, understand, govern--in HIS way

John B Dickson of the 70

David A Bednar
Eternal importance of Chastity
natural man is Unrepentant
We are here to bridle all of the passions of the flesh

Russell M Nelson
*Apply to college before going on a mission
Catch the wave--help with financial

183rd General Conference Notes Part 1

I thought I would post some notes I took from the 183rd General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I spent 8 hours this weekend listening to others in my religion speak about our beliefs and share their testimonies.

Saturday Morning

President Monson

Announce temples: Cedar City Utah, Rio de Janeiro Brazil
65,634 Full time Missionaries! 58 new missions!!

Boyd K Packer

We are meant to age (I think this also refers to how we are meant to grow)
--Its interesting to me how the first part of his poem is a little funny and about his life while the second half is his testimony.
Protect the family, your nest. Live in ways to provide safety and security
love, fidelity--show your children

Dean M. Davies 2nd Counselor Presiding Bishopric
Building upon a sure Foundation
careful attention with building a temple, with land and weather conditions considered.  (picture of Provo Tabernacle Temple)
Find appropriate balance in your life--spiritual structure must be reinforced. Prayer, scripture study, worthily partake of the sacrament weekly.

Elaine S Dalton Young Women General President
What Ere Thou Art, Act Well Thy Part.
“We are Daughters of our Heavenly Father Who loves us and we love Him”
Understand what you are, and whose you are.
exemplify virtue (is virtue one of the young women values? --scripture study of YW values in scriptures)
men-preside in love
equal partners

Craig A Cardon of the 70
Forgiveness
Forgiving someone 70 times 7 helps US to learn forgiveness and become more merciful.
Learn to forgive ourselves
overcoming addictive behavior, do not be judgmental of those who are struggling with addictions they deserve our steadiness, patience, love, forgiveness (reminds me of EFY song, You can Change)
Think of people not as they are, but as they can become.

M Russell Ballard
Priesthood Authority: to act in God’s name
love, humility, patience
tomato plant--don’t neglect your testimony like the tomato plant, but if you have, nourish it back and let it grow.
Leadership training available online (need to watch)

President Henry B Eyring
Depend on the Lord and serve in faith

Alpaca

http://amzn.com/w/2IBAFYPT4N6ED

I can't explain my new found love and obsession for Llamas and Alpacas, but it's there. And I also love crocheting now, so I need all of this yarn. NEED. Buy it for me?

Tired

I am too tired.

I work every other day, and on the days in between I now work for free accruing hours for my practicum.

I am enjoying it, but I am also so tired.

All I want to do is sleep...
but that's not too beneficial when I want to work out or do my homework or be a good wife.

Sorry for the sad and tired post.

PS, I am sad that no one comments on my new blog. but maybe it was too weird of an idea anyway.

Jenni's Playlist

Whelp... I've gone and made a new blog to use for my music reviews... maybe this step means I will actually go through with it and be consistent!

http://jennisplaylist.blogspot.com/

2013 Goals?

Well I think this is going to be a busy year. Last year I wrote 15 posts.

One about 20 books I had on my bedside table... (I should review books again?) I have read two of them. The Pact and Speak.  In my defense, it was a very busy year, I had a lot of reading to do for school... and I'm lame. I did read a book by Mindy Kaling, Kelly from the Office and I LOVED it! It's called "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?" and It was hysterical. I've also become a huge fan of her tv show, The Mindy Project.

So far some goals I'd like to work on are:
         Blogging More than 15 times.
         Reading more than two of those books... and writing reviews?
         Watching The Mindy Project Blogging about TV shows I like?
         Get my stinking Thank You cards written and mailed...
         Stick to an InstaGram photo challenge...
         Change my last name (License, Passport?, Bank, Credit, School)
         Something with Debt--keep it to a minimum, not use my credit card... something.
         Genealogy goal--find out who my grandfather's parents are

I have a semi goal in mind, where I appreciate what I have more, and use what I have before I buy new things. This second part is in relation to shampoo and body wash... clothing and food.

I've been thinking about the first part, appreciating what I have in a musical sense, where I go through all of my music on my computer and listen to it a CD at a time and give it a kind of review, or back story as to why it is in my musical collection and what of it stays or goes.

I also have a health and fitness goal (who doesn't eh?) through BYU and our Insurance, we could get $200 bucks for doing it, so why not!

I can't decide if I want a goal in each of these main areas or not: Career, Physical, Spiritual, Social, Emotional, Financial, Intellectual, Environmental.

I guess it seems easy enough to have goals in those...

Career: To move up to an Assistant, become Med trained. Also, to complete my Practicum and Internship and make connections in a career setting,
Physical: Participate and complete the BYU Wellness 2013 challenges
Spiritual: Read scriptures, prepare lessons for the sunbeams and not just on Sunday...
Social: Answer my phone when people call, go out and do things with other couples... host a few dinners/game nights?
Emotional:
Financial: debt free/stay in my budget
Intellectual: attend grad school for three more semesters, focus more IN class...
Environmental: 








Any suggestions on what other goals I should have?

January 2012 Confessions Update/Year in Review

So I know that I want to do a few things differently in 2013. But I wondered what I had said I wanted to do in 2012... and silly me, I thought I might have blogged about it!

"Nicki Minaj"

I did look at last years post, it was about confessions.

Up! Themed for a Trunk or Treat

A confession of love for Mandy Moore (still strong, now I follow her on Twitter)


    I said I wanted to dress up for Halloween... I only wore a wig and false eye lashes... but I did decorate my car!  




My crush on Tim Allen, and for Last Man Standing... I still like him and his relationship with his wife, and I would love the show still if they hadn't changed the first daughter and her son. I think the changes were too drastic and unnecessary and the show has lost some of its charm because of that.

Do I still love Just dance? Yes... but I don't have a way to play it, and no one ever wanted to play with me.

I did decide to try out for the dance team and I did make the "advanced" team! I was happy and in the end I had a Foxtrot Solo!

In other news, I remember writing in my actual journal this time last year, and I recapped what I had done in 2011 that was memorable. (Maybe I should post that here too...?)

But, lets focus now on Memorable Moments of 2012.

January: I had a new years eve Kiss! And I slightly made a goal to have that same kiss with the same man the next year (Check!)
               I tried out and made the University of Utah's Ballroom Team

February: I think this is when Harrison and I decided we would get married...
                 We went to a Brian Regan show

March:   I got a new job working at a Residential Treatment Center

               I got engaged! March 14th (pi day. I think in the future we should celebrate this occasion with Pie, even though after we had our Horse and Carriage ride we went to Inn and Out.)
              
April:  Dance showcase?  Finish another Semester of Grad school!

May: Harrison and I take a road trip to visit his friend who had a kidney transplant.
          On this road trip I try on Wedding Dresses for the first time!
          Take Engagement Photos

June: I find my wedding dress

July:

August: Finish another semester of Grad school
              Harrison graduates from BYU
              Road trip to Washington...
              GET MARRIED!
              Go to Disneyland (Unintentionally walk 8 miles to and from Disney each day from our hotel, not to mention all of the miles walked IN disney... But we were given so many "magical moments" that it rocked, and it was Disneyland without any children and we had a blast.)

Why do we look so freakishly Tan?

September: Harrison gets a job at BYUtv, I start back up in school
October:
November:
December: Complete my fourth semester of Grad School!
                   Fly back to Washington and spend Christmas with our families

Some News

Well I've been bitten.
I am not entirely sure how it has happened... but I want to do genealogy work so bad! I am realizing that I know nothing about my grandfather and suddenly HAVE TO KNOW.
Unfortunately... It is so difficult to get information when you don't know anything! Especially when its out of the country... My grandfather was born in Wales and lived in Canada.

If any of you have tips and tricks let me know... I'd prefer free things because it seems like any website I go to to purchase a birth certificate has me typing in the info that would be printed and not giving me anything more. And I haven't figured out how to look at census information.

Thanks!

Wedding Advice (unsolisited)

A friend of mine is working on a bridal magazine and has a section about advice from brides to anticipating brides, and I thought I would write my responses to some questions as well as some advice I have, things that worked well for my wedding, things I liked, etc.

Former brides have any advice on what they wish they knew before they got married, to give to future brides? I believe all brides should look like themselves on their wedding, so that they look like themselves in the photos… that said, I do think that false eyelashes are a must. I hadn’t remembered that in the rush of everything, and the photos of me before eyelashes are blah and you can’t see my eyes as well, they aren’t very defined. The photos after I got my falsies put on are much better. 

What wedding traditions are the most important to keep, and if the reception is worth it?  A tradition I kept was the cake cutting, but instead of having it near the end of the reception, it was how we kicked off the reception, that way people were able to eat cake all night leaving us with less left overs to worry about!

Do the bride's parents still pay for the wedding?  I was slightly nontraditional, having two receptions… but either way our parents split the cost for both.

Are fresh flowers a necessity for center pieces?  I had my heart set on real fresh flowers… but leading up to the wedding it wasn’t working out in the budget, at least the florists I was talking to were not interested in working with my budget, so I went with handmade fabric flowers for $100, three bouquets, 14 boutonnieres and pins. My center pieces were buckets with candy, edible for my guests and went with my whimsical theme. I think it is more important to go with your theme.

Should we invest in both a wedding and candid photographer?  I had a photographer, whom I had talked with beforehand and she had printed up little cards with pictures I had said I NEEDED, so she could flip through and not forget the day of what photos we needed to do. I think that in this digital day and age, it is not necessary to have a candid photographer because so many of your friends and family will probably do it for ya. But, you need to decide how important the pictures are to you, because it might be worth it to use more of your budget in the photography section than others.

Are bridal parties even used? In the LDS culture the bridal party seems to be more a formality for fun photos. It is nice to have a maid of honor or a friend picked to help you throughout the day, like to make sure you eat or have water or repin your hair, do the little things that you might forget or not have time to remember to do.

And as far receptions go, it seems to me like the husband and bride didn't even want to be at the reception. So, why go through the effort? Decide that yourself, for me it was something I wanted, I had finally gotten married and wanted the world to know and to party with me! I had a blast at my reception and actually wished we could have stayed longer, been a part of the photo booth we had set up a little more, dance more, eat more food! My dad had offered to just give us money instead of having a reception, but for me it was what I wanted.

Toss Bouquet: I tossed a pair of sunglasses that said “Bachelorette.” It was funny and a lot cheaper than a toss bouquet that the catcher probably ends up throwing out anyway…

Home Pins I've Done

Pins for the home I've attempted...

Source: lilblueboo.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

This worked... but I don't know if there is a better way to break open the thick plastic.

Source: whatiwore.tumblr.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I like that my drawer space if saved by putting my tights on a hanger!

Source: desiringvirtue.com via Ellen on Pinterest

I've done this with all of the appliances we got for our wedding, so we don't have any receipts to go with it, but I still think it's a great idea to keep them organized and out of the way.

Source: militaryfit-bombshell.tumblr.com via Halley on Pinterest

I liked this sugar scrub, but I think it made too much, perhaps I could put it in a jar and mix it up again for future reference.

Source: 2busybrunettes.com via Samantha on Pinterest

I did this but just used my acetone on a cotton ball and it came off right away!!

Food Pins I've tried

Food Pins I've made

Source: penniesonaplatter.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I enjoyed this Quesadilla, my Husband and I are obsessed with Buffalo wings right now... so this was an obvious choice for us! I was unsure with the recipe because it doesn't have any measurements. I ended up doing a few tablespoons of ranch (And I only had spicy ranch on hand but I liked it!) and maybe a tablespoon on Frank's Red Hot sauce. Win!

Source: tastykitchen.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

These jalapeno poppers are amazing! Very light and not very spicy.

Source: fortheloveofsandwich.tumblr.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Grilled Mac and Cheese Sandwich... love it! I did this before I saw the pin! I also added hot sauce and a piece of ham.

Source: sweetteethgoodies.wordpress.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I tried these but used olive oil... FAIL.

Source: americastestkitchen.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I loved these smashed potatoes! I haven't quite perfected how to smash them though.

Source: foodgawker.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Also tricky, but good too

Source: cheekykitchen.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I liked this sneaky way of adding vegetables in! It was difficult to cut for me and I wasn't sure how to make it keep it's shape.

Source: edibleperspective.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth! I tried the chocolate one, loved it. I am considering trying another!

Source: 100daysofrealfood.com via Julie on Pinterest

I made the apple peanut butter sandwich, I liked it but wished there was a way to keep my hands from getting all appley!

Source: dashingdish.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

This shake is delicious, and my skeptic husband who hates cottage cheese and spinach liked it! I didn't add any of the obscure things and it turned out just fine!

Source: Uploaded by user via Danielle on Pinterest

I used regular protein powder, and the Husband is a BIG fan of this one! I could eat it every day. I love the cinnamon in it, and the peanut butter is awesome. I sometimes used regular peanut butter and thought that was good too! The husband likes to add coco powder to it as well.

Dessert Pins I've Tried

Dessert Pins I've tried (Since you are all wondering I'm sure...)

Source: destinati0nbeautiful.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Holy Mother of Chocolate Cake (with hot coco instead of coffee, made too long ago to remember... need to make again!)
Insanely Chocolate Chocolate Cake (which I have renamed Snickerdoodle Cake [FAVORITE!])
Give Them What They Want Double Fudge Cake (I liked the pepper in here and that's why I wanted to try it. It ends up being very fudgy which I realize is in the title... but I wasn't expecting.)

Source: thewannabechef.net via Jennifer on Pinterest

I liked this fruit dip, it was light and peanut buttery enough, but I think I added some more powdered sugar to bump up the flavor a little more.

Source: ericasbloggityblog.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I love Snicker Salad! I also like to add more things... like Rolo's and Milky Ways.

Source: thelondoner.me via Jennifer on Pinterest

Slutty Brownies... These are decadent! Super good though... I made everything by scratch so it took forever and I kind of wished I had had box mixes to speed up the time spent making these.

Source: gimmesomeoven.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I liked these, but for me the flavor wasn't there. Maybe if I added some vanilla extract? I don't know. My aunt and Husband both thought they could taste the cake batter... but I wanted more! I think the sprinkles are fun, but I would add them after you have poured the rice krispies out and then pat the sprinkles on top.

Source: northcarolinacharm.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

This pumpkin dip is a great thing for fall! I'd maybe also add some caramel on top!

Source: destinati0nbeautiful.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I made this recipe! And love the cookies!

Source: auntpegsrecipebox.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I made these with Dr Pepper and enjoyed them, they are more porous than dense which is more typical for brownies.

Source: flickr.com via Dawn on Pinterest

I loved making my own marshmallows! They are messy and I don't know how someone would use a cookie cutter and get them to come out so well... but I loved it! They are SOO fluffy!

Source: cravingchronicles.com via Lauren on Pinterest

I made some form of these bacon chocolate chip cookies. They weren't bad. I would forget they had bacon until I bit into a chocolate chip and it was chewy.

August 17th 2012

 

I got married!

Wedding Website

For updates, information, and more photos about the upcoming wedding go to: http://harrisonjennifer.ourwedding.com/

Registries

As you know, Harrison and I are getting married!

Here are a few links to the places we are registered...

http://www.amazon.com/registry/wedding/OW3VDIK0732C

http://www.target.com/wedd/registry/nFY8BMiYHe2M_5rITWDxrw

We are currently looking into information for how to add our honeymoon to this... haha

In Time Out

Engagement Photo Shoot Take 1

So last week on Mother's day Harrison and I were able to do a whole video conference thing with his family as they talked to his brother Zach Collier (look him up on iTunes) who is on a mission for the LDS church. As we are all chatting, his family kept forgetting we were watching via the iPad and kept turning us toward the ceiling. We took this time to start kissing cause hey, they can't see us. 

All of a sudden we hear, Hey! Cut it out! You two are in time out!!!

Turns out they could see us cause our camera hadn't moved... we just couldn't see them.  Oops! It was fun, and especially nice to have gotten this note in the email Elder Zach Collier sent the next day....
"I think Jenni is a perfect fit for our family. I'm glad Harrison found her. They look so happy together. I didn't mind the kissing haha I figured he deserved it. =) I was just giving them a hard time. I loved how Dad kept putting them in time out. Hahahah!"

 I use this story to preface the next picture... if you are squeamish or easily disturbed by kissing photos... that was your warning!

More photos to come, these were from a pre-engagement photo shoot. Do you know how difficult it is to have your engagements done? Oy...

Books to Read

Looking for a place to read fun reviews on books?!

http://rachelsnerdery.blogspot.com/

Wedding Dress Conundrum...

"Kate"

"Aubrey"

"Princess Pockets"

I need help deciding which dress to buy! Please weigh in.