Nacolynn & Taleni's Wedding Day

Wooooaaaaahhhh. So  the last time I blogged was about a year ago! SOOO much has happened since then, most recently being that now I'm MARRIED!  My boyfriend of six years and I finally tied the knot. We just got back from a crazy wedding weekend in St. George, Utah.  We had so many family and friends show up.  We consider ourselves lucky to know so many wonderful people and have so much support on this occasion.  I love him sooo much and am so excited to grow old with him.  We're going to have so much fun together.  He put a little video together with a bunch of pictures from our wedding.  We still have to wait about 6 weeks to get pictures back from our photographer, Bladh Photography.  I can't wait to see what she got from the 1st part of our wedding.  She was great.  Well, I hope you enjoy the video!!!

Love,

The Tanielu's, N+T

A Few of My Favorite Things

So its the Holidays.  I figure I'm due for my "monthly" blog post so I'm going to list a few a of favorite holiday things:

• Snow (its become a novelty since I've moved to So Cal)
• Cold weather (once again, the move makes me miss cold weather)
• Coats/scarfs/beanies/gloves, etc. (So Cal...I want to wear them out of necessity, not just winter trend lol)
• Hot chocolate
• Christmas lights (putting them up and looking at others - by bike or car)
• Temple Square (its tradition to go there at least once a year. Love it. Not only is it beautiful but helps me feel the real spirit of Christmas even better).
• Presents (I love buying gifts-its ridiculous-especially for those babies! I just can't help myself)
• Christmas Carols (Silent Night, Holy Night...sweet reminders of my Saviors birth).
• SPARKLES (confetti/sparkly nails, sequins, shimmer, silver, gold, I. Love. All. Of. It)
• Christmas Parties (work, church, ugly sweater, but especially white elephant friend get-togethers)
• Holiday baking (peanut brittle & cookies galore-plus, baking is easier with last years Christmas present from my parents, a stand up mixer)
• Decorations (buying them, putting them up, etc. --just don't ask what happened this year with mine)
• The 1st Presidency's Christmas Devotional .I love feeling the Spirit of Christmas and refocusing myself of Christ and trying to be more like him in remembering others who need help and service.  Overall I like how around the holidays people are more charitable and selfless, worldwide.  There's always some sort of story that the Prophet shares that makes me think of what else I can do for others, and how I can "forget myself and go to work." I love my Savior and I love the way His gospel makes me feel, especially when I can do things for others.  Its nice to feel humbled and remember how I good I really have it and to think of so many ways that I can help others.  Oh, you can catch this year's devotion here. 
• "Sub-For Santa." I can remember as kid one of my favorite Christmas memories are "adopting" a family for Christmas.  I wan't able to contribute financially to this family, but I do remember putting food items in a open-top cardboard box that was covered in wrapping paper.  I didn't ever know who the family was, but I know that they were in need of assistance and we would put together a Christmas dinner for them and drop it off anonymously on their door step. I loved that.  It was so much fun to sneak our truck up to the house, ring the door bell and run.  I like the anonymous part too.  If was fun being able to somehow help someone else out without them feeling obligated to return something back. We started adopting a family as friends also.  We did it last year and are doing it again this year.  We picked an organization that helps families out whom have been victims of physical abuse.  We got to pick the family we adopted this year, a single mother with 4 kids, all under the age of 8.  She left her abusive husband and is now getting assistance from the Child Abuse Prevention Center.  I honestly have more than I need. I'm the opposite of simplistic (remember last year when I decided that "Live Simply" should be my motto...well that was a fail). Its good to be reminded that people really do have needs and that $20 set of Stila glitter nail polish really doesn't matter when you could so do much more with that amount.  
• Last but not least....Family time.  I seriously can't get enough of the kidlets.  My family is crazy and I feel like we all act like we're kids when we're together, but I love it...especially the acting like I'm 5...lol

Whew. Anyways, point being there are so many things that I love about this holiday, and I only listed a few, but I hope we all remember to be a little more charitable and giving this year as we set our sights on our Savior, his birth and the wonderful gifts He's given us and REMEMBER how blessed we really are.

Merry Christmas!

xoxo,

NB

I like this idea so much...

Guggenheim, don't worry, i miss you too.
via BlackEffiel

Shima

I meant to do this yesterday:

I have the best mom in the world, love you mom :)

S H I K E aka M Y F A M I L Y

So I was in UT 3 weeks ago for my cousins wedding. I got to spend lots of time with my family, from the water park, farmers market, church & family photo session. We're still minus one family member (he's still serving a church mission in Tulsa, OK), but it was good to get together for pics. Once again they're changes in the family and people are moving so its good to "capture" the memories while I can. Here are some of my favorites :)

My mother and her favorite daughter :)

Begay women candid.

"I am like a star shining brightly..."

I love my family! I've seriously been blessed into greatness:) Ahe'hee shike...I'm keep you all! Hasta las eternidades! Photos by Laura D.

Thought of the Day

Via PersimmonandPink

Goes along with Sunday's lesson on prayer. Was good to help me re-evaluate how thoughtful and sincere my prayers should be.

"If ye would hearken unto the Spirit [of God] which teacheth a man to pray ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray. But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint..." (2 Nephi 32:8-9) :)

SHE'S HERE!!!

She came last night. I'll let Jo do a more thorough update. Just wanted to post that she's finally here! She's looks so precious and like Jo (well they both are Sagittarius'). My parents finally made it there through the snow storm. Let just hope Jo makes a quick recovery. Congratulations Romo Family!!!! She's BEAUTIFUL!

Yosea 9.72 lbs. 12/17/2008

Welcome to the family!!! We love and are glad you're here! :)

My Sweet Heart!!!

I love Wall-E...and this song:

"Put On you Sunday Clothes: from Hello Dolly! :)

WALK FOR LUPUS NOW TOMORROW!

So, as previously mention, the Walk For Lupus Now is set to tomorrow morning 9am in Exposition Park in LA: Christmas Tree Lane Entrance at West 39th Street and South Figueroa Street 90037. I've currently raised $905 and am close on achieving my fund raising goal of $1000. I have some last minute cash donations that should put me over my limit. I'd like to take this time to publicly thank all of my donors (listed in alphabetical order). Thank you for all you do:

Andrea Hales

Annette Packer

Brenda Ramirez

Cathy Duffy

Clare Steedman

X P

Douglas Dumont

Elesa Hagberg

Elizabeth Decola

Emma Lynn

Gavin Abercrombie

Jun Wang

Lane Stilson

Maleina Paxman

Nacolynn Begay

Nila Bair

Ryan Booth

Sarah-Dawn Smith

Sharon Wallin

Shirley Begay

Spencer Melvin

Tanni Tronsen

Vanezza Chunmuang

Wesley Varghese

Yvonne Louis

Ziba Farzaneh

Well, guys...thank you so much for your love and support! I can't say how much it means to me and all those who suffer/have suffered from this disease. Donations are still being accept, so follow the link to my personal donation page here. Thank you once again for all your support! We're gonna have a blast tomorrow. I'm excited to walk and make a difference :) I'll be sure to post pics!

Ahe'hee,

Nacolynn :)

AHHH!!! Thank you for your Donations!!!

I am soooo happy to announce that Troop ET's made the ranks! We're ranked 5th for team donations. I'm sending a HUGE shot out to all who have donated! I can't express my excitement and gratitude for all your donations. You can check our ranking here.

Also, help us stay in on top by making a donation today if you haven't: My donation page.

Once again, we thank you all so much for your donations! I, and my team, appreciate it so much. We're making a difference together!

Love,

Nacolynn

Walk For Lupus Now, 2007

So last year was Troop ET's (ET for Eme Te'o) first year participating in the Lupus Walk.  It was held in Long Beach last year and we walk from the Queen Mary to the Aquarium. They had booths set up and a little "exercise warm up" prior to the walk. Here is a video of the warm up:

Support your local walker here.

The Lupus Research Institute

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYFylYvalz0
Its real and its strong. Please join it the fight against Lupus, help us continue the research for finding a cure. Donations are being accepted here: Personal Donation Page

"How much fun have you got in you?"

So, I had to work in Santa Clarita yesterday (ahhh, the infamous Whittaker Bermite). I didn't want to wake up any earlier to run to the office to pick up the work truck, so I opted for another 30 minutes of sleep (having to wake up at 4:30 in stead of 4) and my own car. Anyways, I was rummaging through the cds in my case (that never gets used anymore...thank you CREATIVE:ZEN Vision) and came upon this jewel...this playlist brought life back into my dust filled lungs and joy back into my rhythm tapping foot. Behold, from the music archives of moi:

A Tribe Called Quest - Bonita Applebum

Sean Paul - International Affair

Jagged Edge - Girls Gone Wild

Nick Cannon - Gigolo

Bloc Party - This Modern Love

The Bravery - Unconditional

Jack Johnson - F-stop Blues

New Order - Age of Consent

Brand New - Sic Transit Gloria

Death Cab for Cutie - Company Calls

Pretty Girls Make Graves - Pyrite

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Modern Romance

The Strokes - Juicebox

The Killers - Mrs. Brightside

? - Asparagus Dance

The Juliana Theory - Into the 

30 Seconds to Mars (aka Jared Leto) - The Kill

The Cure - In Between Days

The Smiths - Girlfriend in a Coma

Death cab for Cutie - The New Year

The Strokes - Take It or Leave It

Ahhh...delicious goodness to my ears. What more could I ask for then a musical awakening on a 3 hour "drive" through traffic? ..."you're like a hip hop song you know..."

IT"S FRIDAY!!! CAUSE TO CELEBRATE!

So in celebration, I'm listing this week's list of:  

"A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS..."

1.  Yummy, yummy, delicious goodness packed inside a cute little, edible BUNNY GRAHAMS.

 2. Another Annie's bunny favorite...The ever so lovely CHEDDAR BUNNIES!

3. Thao's album: We Brave Bee Stings and All.

She's ever so lovely and always is capable of making one happy, don't believe me? Play "Bag of Hammers." (p.s. if you want to search her on itunes, type in 'THAO,' or 'THAO NGUYEN.'  She's also known as Thao Nguyen and the Get Down Stay Down...). 

4. MOJO bars by CLIF. I love the name (its also a nickname for my seester) and I love these bars. I like CLIF in general, but these are new, and crunchy, and lovely, and tasty and delicious...I think CLIF sums is up just dandy, they said: 

"Honey roasted peanuts - when bees and peanuts get together, nutty sweet & salty things happen." And who can argue with that?

(Oh, and for more pictures of real live people, who have real live bees....check this amazing, female, olympian-like bee keeper--->HERE.)

What are "a few of YOUR favorite things?"

PROPOSITION 8

"Hi, I am with 'Yes on Proposition 8' and I'm in your neighborhood today. Are you familiar with Proposition 8? Well, basically, its to be an amendment to the Constitution that says:

"Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid and recognized in California."

This was basically my "opening" when going around a couple Sat.'s ago as many of us Californians walked for Proposition 8. We we door to door asking people how they would vote, if they were to vote today. I knocked probably 120 doors for ~3 hours. Sadly enough, only 3 households whose doors I knocked said that they'd vote, "YES." It was an overwhelming response of, "I could never support that. I would have to say NO."

Now I don't consider myself to be very politically minded. I am a registered voter, but I have never been one to join campaign or even watch presidential debates, ect. So me going door to door with a campaign for a Proposition is out of the ordinary. I debated on staying home that Sat. morning (thank you Allison for encouraging me to go). I had to think about why I believe in this enough to go door-to-door (besides being strongly encouraged by my church officials). I believe strongly in the family unit, as defined by mother, father and children. In thinking of what it would be like for my future children to grow up in a world where that was the norm or having to explain why "Jimmy" had 2 daddy's...I don't want that. And then there's the issue of adoption...wow. The following are other consequences that would result if the amendment didn't pass:

"The Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage did not just overturn the will of California voters; it also redefined marriage for the rest of society, without ever asking the people themselves to accept this decision. This decision has far-reaching consequences. For example, because public schools are already required to teach the role of marriage in society as part of the curriculum, schools will now be required to teach students that gay marriage is the same as traditional marriage, starting with kindergartners. By saying that a marriage is between “any two persons” rather than between a man and a woman, the Court decision has opened the door to any kind of “marriage.” This undermines the value of marriage altogether at a time when we should be restoring marriage, not undermining it." (taken from http://www.protectmarriage.com/).

I'm still doing my research. I encourage you all to do the same. I've already had conversation/confrontations about my stance on this issue. There is possibility to burn many bridges, but I feel strongly about this.
 
There are also other good articles that you can check out in the LDS newsroom.

Donations are also being accepted at http://www.protectmarriage.com/ 

OR you can also sign up there to volunteer. We're already been seeing media spots for the opposing side (tv commercials, radio spots). Any small amount would help. Anyways, check out the website and let me know if any of you have any enlightment on the subject. Thanks.

PHAMtastic.

My friend Annie go married yesterday. It was lovely and so was she :)