Reminiscin'

I was really hoping I'd be able to get a couple of blogs up while I was in California, but I was just having a little too much fun back home. There is no greater feeling than coming home to warm loving arms, as well as warm yummy food. My time back in California began with a scavenger/treasure hunt that I made for my little brother Sam so that I could surprise him! It's pretty darn cute, so click here to watch his adorable reaction. My trip back home consisted of many activities and adventures. I told my family I really wanted to make the most out of the short 5 weeks I had there and I definitely did. I met a lot of new friends, and had so much fun with old ones. I had a blast watching the World Cup games, not too excited about Germany winning though. One of my favorite things was horseback riding along the United States-Mexico Border and on the beach. It was ace because we were able to see Mexico which made me think a lot about my heritage on my mom's side, and riding horses reminded me of when I would ride horses in Arizona with my dad's side of the family. The horses actually got in the water which was really fun and it was definitely an enjoyable experience. I visited museums, fairs, Disneyland (twice), and saw the Independence Day firework show at Huntington beach. Something pretty cool happened while I was there in Huntington so click here to watch it all go down! Anyway, here are some pictures from my visit, enjoy! I miss it already.

Oceanside Pier (top row), Disneyland round 1 (bottom left), Balboa Park (bottom center), and Disneyland round 2 (bottom right)

Del Mar fair (top left), Yacht with friends (top right), Carlsbad village (bottom left), and the 4th of July in Huntington (bottom center & right)

Horseback riding, hiking, and dog beach which the family!

From Sea to Shining Sea: Memorial Day

I've missed you all very dearly! It's been a bit since I've posted last. I hope you all had a fantastic Memorial day weekend and took some time to appreciate those who fought and are still fighting for our country. A few friends and I went to the Punchbowl Cemetery. It's a cemetery for people who served our country and there is a beautiful memorial there as well. I was appalled by the countless number of American flags which represented the beautiful lives that were lost. We walked down the rows reading names and information about different wars that were written on the memorials. It was a really humbling experience and I'm extremely glad I went. Following that, we went to a Hawaiian Lantern Ceremony. It was an a mind-blowing experience. At first I just figured it would be cool and unique and I'd get some nice pictures, but seeing so many people gathering to appreciate and even mourn over their loved ones who were lost really helped me appreciate everything I have. Words can't explain how awesome that ceremony was so I'll just post pictures. Enjoy.

"The solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom."

Hawaiian Lantern Ceremony

"In proud  memory of the achievements of her sons and in humble tribute to their sacrifices, this memorial has been erected by the United States of America. These men were part of the price that free men have been forced to pay to defend human liberty and rights. To these men we owe a debt to be paid with grateful remembrance of their heroism."

Getting in the water in our clothes on was worth it. 

Wish I had more roses to leave on the graves marked as "unknown."

Refocus

I can't believe how fast this week has gone by, and it has been a hectic week to say the least. I went on many adventures this week, had lots of school work, and spent much of my time worrying about all of my people in San Diego struggling with these fires. My heart goes out to my friends and family who are struggling and afraid at this time, and I'm so grateful for all of those who sacrifice so much to help put these fires out. Although it is very difficult seeing many people I know evacuating and worrying about losing their homes, I have been touched by the stories of people showing compassion to complete strangers and to other people in the community. Through unity and prayer anything is possible and I know that something good will come from this situation! Even though I'm not even home to experience all of the chaos, I can definitely sense the panic through the media and what my loved ones are sharing. It is important that in these times of turmoil, we are treasuring those who are close and most important to us. My mom and I were talking on the phone today about how when something like this happens, life pauses for a little while and we all gain a better perspective on what really matters in life. Never have I had a stronger urge to call and text my friends and family, making sure they know how much I love them and care about them. All I hope is that when these fires are put out, and life is no longer on hold, that we do not forget that the most valuable things in life are not the big job offers, our finals tests, prom, or the sports games; but the people that are right there next to us everyday; our family and friends who love us so much.

Please keep these families who are struggling in your hearts, thoughts and prayers. And if you would like to help in any way, click here!

Belated Sunday Smiles (Magnificent Monday?)

I apologize for not posting yesterday as promised, my messy house seemed a tad more important. Now that it's all clean I can write this entry in peace! Anyways, here's some cute things I stumbled upon last week. (Follow me on Pinterest if you'd like to see stuff like this more often!)

1. Street art in Miami Florida. Not sure who it's by or what it's called, but it's marvelous!

2. I laughed at this for a solid 5 minutes. I just really want to meet the person who posted this on Tumblr.

3. Sometimes during my free time or when I'm feeling a little homesick, I enjoy looking through old pictures on my laptop. I found this one of my brother Sam and I throwing coins into a cute fountain in Del Mar. It's the little moments like these that I miss most! We'll be reunited in a few weeks :)

4. Another gem I found. Aren't my parents the cutest? I love them so much.

5. Call me cheesy, but this movie looks amazing.

6. Yeah, that was kind of sad, huh? I'm sorry. Here you go.

7. This is just great, enough said.

Hope you all have an amazing rest of your Monday and week. Work hard and be nice!

Sunday Smiles

So throughout my week, I'll always stumble on a few things that I really love and want to share with you guys. So I've decided that I'm going to make "Sunday Smiles" a weekly ritual. This was inspired by Lauren Conrad who does Friday Favorites on her blog. For the sake of alliteration, I will post Seven things every Sunday that make me Smile. These seven things will just be a collection of pictures, videos, or songs that may have made my week a little more delightful. Enjoy!

1. Gray Malin is an amazing photographer who takes aerial shots of different locations, mainly busy beaches. I'm in love with his pictures! Check out his website graymalin.com.

2. This picture frame has a quote from one of my favorite books as a kid! Such a cute idea, especially since Mother's Day is coming up! 

3. These Ray-Ban sunnies are so cute... I have a sunglasses fettish... just ask my mom..or any of my close friends.

4. I'm in love. That is all.

5. Happy birthday to this elegant lady! This quote is wonderful as well.

6. For all you Cinco de Mayo fans.. this is one of the easiest (and yummiest) recipes. Just make corn, spread some mayo all over it, add some cheese, lime juice, and chili powder, and voila! My mom makes it all the time, and it's one of my favorites!

7. I thought this music video was so adorable and the song is super catchy!

Well, I hope you got some smiles out of that, have a splendid Sunday and rest of the week!

Mother [muth-er] (n.) : one person who does the work of 20...for free (See also: angel, queen, saint)

Well today is a very special day! It's my beautiful Mother's birthday! I have no idea what I would do without her, she has been one of the biggest blessings in my life and she deserves to have a perfect day. I thought it would be interesting to see what her name "Martha" means. According to google, Martha means the mistress, the lady, it is the feminine for the word master. One thing I love about her name is that there is a woman in the Bible named Martha. In Luke 11:27 she said, "Yeah, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." My mom is probably one of the most talented and crafty people you'll ever meet. She is the perfect example of a woman who uses her talents for good and she is such a loving person. One thing she always did that I admire was making little flower arrangements or bouquets for friends. Whether they were in the hospital, or just having a bad day, she made sure they felt loved through her little creations. My mom and I are both perfectionists, so when Prom season came around things got very interesting. Being the awesome mom she is, she helped me pick out the perfect dress (she wouldn't let me stop trying dresses on until we found the perfect one), she found someone to do my hair and make up exactly how I wanted, and she made my corsage exactly how I wanted it. Some might call me spoiled, but if being spoiled means feeling unconditional love from an amazing mother who puts your needs above her own, call me spoiled all you want! But anyway, my mom is pretty much the definition of beautiful, loving, and selfless. Happy 21st Birthday Mom!!!

"Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies." Proverbs 31:10

Small and Simple Things

So today I woke up at 7 in the morning, got dressed for school, walked to school and went to weight training class...after which my muscles felt extremely fatigued and I was convinced that I was going to have a miserable day. However, things turned around when I walked into my Book of Mormon class and saw my professor (Brother Frogley) with this radiant smile on his face. I really look up to him because it is evident in his face and attitude that he chooses to be happy every day. He said something that really got me thinking:
"The most important lessons come from ordinary events in life."

As he went on with his lesson he kept reiterating the idea that 

"By small and simple things are great things brought to pass."

I sort of chuckled to myself because I am the type of person that lets little, irrelevant things in life get to me; often resulting in frustration or annoyance. Our reading we had for homework brushed over the topic of grace and I was really touched by a story that my teacher shared; I'll try my best to tell it as well as he did. 

He was talking to a minister about the possible differences between the Protestant and LDS definitions of grace. This conversation provoked a lot of thought, and Brother Frogley studied, pondered, and prayed to gain a better understanding of how grace works in our lives. Brother Frogley then was having a conversation with another minister while eating lunch. Brother Frogley's intentions were nothing other than having a peaceful and intellectual conversation with someone of a different faith. Hoping to discuss the idea of grace, he brought it up and the minister sort of chuckled as if it was going to be a heated debate. Brother Frogley talked about the scriptures Matthew 11:28-30 which read, 

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

A yoke is "a device for joining together a pair of draft animals, especially oxen"(dictionary.com). In this scripture Christ is inviting us to take upon his yoke, so that we can go through our lives with his help and guidance. However, how can we take upon his yoke if we still carry our own yoke? We need to take off our yoke which is burdened by sin, bad habits/actions, and negative thoughts. In addition, the yoke is only effective if we trust in the Lord, and are both working together. With every step we take, he takes one with us; we limit Christ with how many steps we take. The more proactive we are, the more we will see grace working in our lives.

This anecdote really opened my eyes to how I can be happy by letting go of burdens in my life. By focusing my attention outward and being a positive person in the world, rather then taking in all the negative things of the world, I am allowing my Savior to ease my burden. 

This simple lesson really inspired me and after class a friend and I drove and saw this beautiful view at the Pali lookout. I'm so glad I get to live in such a beautiful place and have amazing people around me to teach me and remind me of why life is so precious.