A few of my favorite things.

Since being married there are some things that I have come to love. This blog is dedicated to a few simple things that have made my life easier and wonderful.

First, http://www.allrecipes.com/. I have absolutely loved getting to know this website. I tried many, many websites and this is the one that I have fallen in love with. You have the option of receiving daily recipes via email. It's a great way to widen the variety of your recipes. When you become a member of Allrecipes.com you also have the option of creating a recipe box. I LOVE this option because it's all right there when I create my weekly menus. Try it out! You can also check out http://www.prudencepennywise.blogspot.com/. I love her meal ideas and recipes.

Second, http://www.grocerysmarts.com/. My sister-in-law introduced me to this website and it has been fantastic for our family of two. It is used to help you see the best deals at your local grocery stores. The stars next to the product help you know whether or not you should stock up. It is fabulous! There is a code for each state. Utah's code is g84ccl. I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to find codes of other states;) We have already saved loads of money. As an example, one of my sister-in-laws spent $18 on over $100 worth of food. We're always looking for ways to save.

Third, Scentsy Candles. My love for Scentsy began with a wedding gift we received...a Scentsy warmer and a block of Spruce & Citrus candle wax. Since then, we have fallen in love with many of the scents. Check it out at http://www.scentsy.com/ or just click on it under my section "My Favorite Things".

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed getting to know a few of my favorite things. Luvs!

Provo Reception.

I am finally putting up pictures from our Provo Reception. About 20 minutes before the reception our cousin Melissa asked if she could take some pictures of us and of course we agreed. She is an incredible photographer. You're all welcome to visit her blog at http://www.melissaniu.com/. Jon came into the photo shoot about 5 minutes before we finished... this is why you'll see lots more of me than him;) We feel so blessed to have so much talent in our family.

The Provo reception was absolutely exquisite. Thanks to Mama Niu, Dad Niu and all of our wonderful, supportive family members is was a complete success. Because of Jon's Polynesian background we decided that the Provo reception would keep the colors and feel of the first reception and just add Tongan details, mostly with the flowers, music, and food. It was fabulous! We had an entire Tongan dinner prepared for our guests and a full program with singing and Polynesian dancing. Hundreds came to show their love and support of which we are so grateful. Both of our receptions were relaxing (at least for the bride and groom) and so much fun. We feel so blessed to have such wonderful support from both of our families. Enjoy the pictures! There are many to enjoy! Wedding day pictures will be coming soon. Hope everyone is loving the Fall weather and enjoying the beginning of the Holiday Season!

How it began.

I returned home from my mission in Washington D.C. about a year ago. I served proselyting and at the Washington D.C. Temple Visitor's Center. I loved serving and I think about my people and my experiences every day. It's hard to explain the love you feel when you serve. The love I felt changed me and I'm grateful. Three weeks after returning home I moved to Utah and soon thereafter found my current job, which I absolutely love.

About a month later I met Jon at a CES fireside, classic. I had to take a call from my sister and he walked in fashionably late just after I got off the phone... perfect timing. He asked me if the fireside had begun, obviously it already had, nice pick-up line babe. We met in early October and didn't begin dating until early March. We both knew very early that we would get married. I had never felt so peaceful and certain about anything. Jon surprised me with an earlier-than-I-expected proposal at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, one of my all-time favorite places. He proposed in one of the gorgeous and romantic ballrooms after a delicious dinner at The Roof. When we walked into the ballroom I saw the rose petals leading to a dozen roses and a small ring box, but thought it was for someone else. I told Jon we had to leave so we wouldn't spoil someone else's engagement experience. He took my hand and said, "Mindy, let's just take a look." It was then I knew, this was all for me. After he proposed we danced to my favorite song "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole. Talk about romantic!

Life with Jon is simply wonderful. For many years I've heard my friends and family talk about their husbands in adoring ways and I never quite understood how they must feel until now. Jon is my best friend and I adore him completely. We just love being together. I know that Heavenly Father knows us so perferctly that He knows who we need in our lives. I think He allows us to come in contact with those people to feel a small portion of His eternal love for us. Jon is perfect for me and I'm so grateful to have him forever.

We finally gave in.

Well hello to all of our fabulous family and friends. Yes... we finally gave in and began our own blog for our "Niu" family. We are so excited to begin the life of blogging. Hopefully we can figure it out. We are especially excited to keep in touch with all of you. We have now been married for almost two months and we have loved every minute. Our wedding day was the most perfect wedding day I could have ever imagined! Everything was wonderful. Updates on the big day and more pictures will be coming soon. We love you!