Wendy's Wonders

One for All, and All for One?

2009-12-11T09:05:00.000-08:00

Don't you just hate sibling rivalry sometimes?! The competition between brothers can be so painful especially when one wins and the other doesn't.

The first thought through a parents mind is " Great job_______ that is awesome!" Unfortunatly, the second thought is "Ugh, how is ______ going to feel?"

It sort of ruins that moment of joy you have for your winning child.

So, to prepare Spencer for an upcoming blow I had a talk with the boys about how when one person in our family does something well, it's like we all did well. I compared it to a soccer or baseball team. When one player has a good play or makes a goal, the whole team gets the point.

I asked each boy if he would be happy for the other if that person won something and he didn't. They said that they would.

Part one: check.

This morning at the relections assembly, our family had a winner. Cameron won in the visual arts category. Spencer received an award for participating.

Part Two: Check.

I got the two boys together afterwards for a joint picture. At first, Spencer wouldn't smile.

Mom: "Spencer, just yesterday you said that you would be happy for Cameron. Remember?"

Spencer: "No, mom. I said I would be proud of him.....not happy."

Part Three: (bomb whistle and explosion) No check.

He eventually came around....sort of! Cameron, we are all so proud of you. Good luck at the regoinal level. Way to score for the team. Spencer, you scored too....for finally being happy AND proud of your brother!

Almost there!

2009-10-05T20:58:00.000-07:00

Like I wrote earlier, we are trying to teach our children to have better manners. The other day I called downstairs for Ashley to come and help me with some chores. She called upstairs...
"No Thank You, Mom!"

At least she was polite about it!

Classic!

2009-10-02T12:25:00.002-07:00

musik von petra frey
musik konverter deutsch
programm fur musik zu schneiden
balkan musik mp3
musik cd s kaufen
musik schule koeln
www mp3player musik de
zeit edition musik
live musik rothrist
90er jahr jahr musik
musik frei anhoren
musik emo
italien musik
musik charts 2005
musik fr kind
zukunft musik
musik instrumental muppet show
3gp musik video download
italian musik
liebe musik cd
bollywood filme musik
hor die musik
musik cd aktuell
musik downloading kostenlos
delta musik park
programme zum musik machen
programm zum musik machen kostenlos
kostenlose musik internet
5500 sport musik
musik promotion
unsere musik
poster musik
ein fall fur zwei musik
musik bedeutung
festival der alten musik
musik fur pc
spanische musik
musik cd online kaufen
ahnliche musik finden
hardcore musik shop
cd musik umwandeln
dynamo dresden musik
musik mp 3 ru
kostenlos musik horen ohne anmeldung
musik jones
mord ist ihr hobby musik
dj remix musik
hip hop musik shqip
musik termine veranstaltungen
greek musik gr
audio cd musik
aggro berlin musik download
logitech wireless dj musik system
kostenlose musik donlods
ffx 2 musik
software musik brennen
musik shqip mp3
italienische musik downloaden
frei musik download
mehr musik dvd
musik maker hip hop edition kostenlos
recht musik hoerbeispiel
venus musik
songtext thank you for the musik
musik badewanne
programme um musik zu schneiden
musik download player
trigonon musik antik
kostenlos online musik horen
media musik hipp hopp.de
galerie gelbe musik berlin
und musik
kostenlosen musik downloaden
musik history
hip hop musik maker 2006
usher musik
jennifer lopez musik
musik in wien
turkische musik bands
musik mix kostenlos
musik videos zum downloaden
musik legal umsonst download
musik schmerz sie meint country
musik julia
kostenlose boolywood musik anhoren
accu radio musik
house musik anhoren
griechische musik boutique
schneiden von musik download
musik pdf
freie musik schule
mp4 musik converter
www musik von bushido
juedische musik jena
mp3 musik superstar gratis
nokia 3250 musik
musik neu isenburg
antenne bayern gewinnspiel musik
hochschule fuer musik in deutschland
musik maker programme
musik dj download
ipod werbespot musik
musik geboren
neu jugoslawisch disco musik
musik essen
musik aus autowerbung
stadt.darmstadt.de kultur musik jazz
bushido janine musik
lord of the dance musik
musik store munchen
musik unterladen musik runterladen
wer kennt griechische musik
kroatische musik downloads
musik selber machen am pc
youtube musik aufnehmen
heidi klumm musik
musik aus dem web
yahoo launch musik
musik cd pop
musik ideen
fur handy musik
www italienische musik
musik shqip dardania
versand von musik cd
gratis musik brenner
musik maker delux
musik download free mp3
musik duo hof oberfranken
musik runterladen ohne anmeldung
musik mit html
griechische musik de
free musik 24.de
jede art musik
programm musik runterladen
eigene musik erstellen
neue musik luzern
tuerkei musik
musik von cd aufnehmen
verkauf von musik
live musik veranstaltung stuttgart
tokio hotel musik
kostenlose musik seite
musik und kunstschule duisburg
musik fur lasershow
musik fur hochzeit hannover
musik nelly furtado
goa musik radio
musik dvd top 100
meda musik video
olympia musik
musik laden sonst
mp3 musik schneiden
musik freundschaft
warner bros musik
www live musik cirkus de
1 fc koln musik
geburtstagslieder musik
musik download kostenlos legal
download aegyptisch musik
software fuer musik
magic musik maker 2007 delux serial
musik maker hip hop edition download
beyonce musik zum anhoren
haus der musik silvester
musik mp3 wav
eis stiel musik
shahrukh khan musik download
musik am pc aufnehmen
le pop musik
amerika musik
site http www.cb4.de irisch musik
musik von xavier naidoo
hindi mp3 musik download
sonstige musik
bob marley musik download
musik kind cd
musik auf die psp
magic musik maker techno
pop musik de
youtube musik mitschneiden
19 musik
musik und politik
meat loaf musik
musik das boot
musik single top 100
musik lade seiten
musik dvds kaufen
freeware foto musik cd brennen
sommer musik festival
step aerobic musik
house musik club acid techno minimal
musik januar
pocket teacher musik
musik noten fur kinder
bedava turkce musik indir
toplisten shqip musik
musik 31.12
westfalische schule fur musik
donload von musik
musik und foto
musik klassik
uni musik darstellende kunst
musik dvd on cd and dvd
michael jackson musik download
hochschule musik theater rostock
kostenlose ecards mit musik
illegales herunterladen von musik
kostenlos mp3 musik dschinghis khan
pop musik download
spiel mir das lied vom tot musik
musik downloads gunstig
fan musik
live musik holland zandvoort
griechische musik gratis
musik maker 2007 kostenlos
gotv musik
mwst satz musik cds
design musik center 2461 mp3 n
compact musik
methoden thema musik macht klug
radio musik download
musik zum abspielen
cd musik 2 er jahr
animals musik
kostenlos musik video downloades
mp3 musik sampler cd gold oldie
herunterladen musik gratis
musik top 100 anhoren
ikea.de musik tv moebel
ostern musik
russian musik charts
ein sommer and musik
handel musik
ares musik download
mp3 musik sampler cd love song
musik bestellen
musik maker 2004 gratis
football factory musik
hochzeit unterhaltung musik wuerzburg
musik dvd s
entspannung musik
ltv mv fg musik.de
zu musik
musik chart viva
richtige western musik
tetris musik noten
www house musik de
ein musik hamburg
gespenst canterville musik mandelbaum
musik kostenlose downloads
flash musik einbinden
shok musik los
house musik top 20
geistlich musik nak
musik video clips downloaden
musik marke
kostenlose real musik
finsternis musik
gesucht musik
mp3 musik download kostenlos
musik tip
elektronische grusskarte mit musik
krampus musik
b boy musik
neu musik anhoeren
klassische musik horen
disco musik interpreten
musik online lernen
www hindi musik
frankfurt stellenangebot musik 2007
musik kosovo
ebay musik bollywood
musik im religionsunterricht
musik konzerte hamburg
anime musik clips
musik sport kunst
musik duo hochzeit
recht musik
u tube musik
dvd player musik
schwein legal musik film
noten lesen musik
hannover musik hochschule
radio kostenlos musik
herr der ringe musik download
musik tshirt
mycoke musik at
fisher price musik spielgarten
live musik hall koeln
musik e gitarre
delux musik tv
b musik
musik konvertieren
hochschule musik und theater leipzig
cologne musik
musik aus afrika
afghan musik vidio
berufe die mit musik zu tun haben
single musik dating mp3 pop rock
musik charts juli 2006
rezension musik
musik verleih koeln zuelpicher str
punjabi video musik
festival der polnischen musik krakau
musik download kostenfrei
deutsche musik gruppe
nirvana musik download
sonne mond und sterne musik
cantag verlag musik
black musik clubs
musik zdf ard
musik ohne werbung
visualisierung von musik
alb musik
country musik spartanburg
koeln musik gmbh
november musik
marokko musik
musik top list
musik park heilbronn
musik kurdisch
video shqip musik
musik die jeder kennt
dj musik software freeware
musik download wma
musik konzerte tickets
musik 80er jahr jahr ddr
musik fluch karibik
dashuria musik
wave musik
musik bibliographie
xxx anime manga musik metall
die musik der nacht
musik macht glueck
umsonst musik downloden
kostenlos musik note
musik maker 06 demo
musik gewalt
magix musik maker screenshots
kosten los musik hoeren
musik 500 mile away
internetradio musik
musik cutter download
dj musik mixer download
new musik download
gratis musik zum download
magix musik maker 2007 xxl
rumanische musik manele
ghost nachrichten von sam musik
musik jan ingo
n73 musik ed
musik mp3 datei
live musik griechisch
postkarten mit musik
zorbas musik
musik team de
musik downloaden kostenlos
import musik cd
kill bill musik pfeifen
hamburg musik indra
musik kassetten auf cd
small world musik
musik hip hop shqip
musik mit herz
kleine musik
musik auf sd karte
orientalisch musik
wie bekomme ich musik auf mp3 player
lord of war intro musik
musik shop axel essen
mp3 musik kostenlose
summer camp musik
aktion mensch musik
mein auto musik
musik metal
uni hamburg musik
meine musik internet
musik kostenlos brennen
musik in the end
musik schweizer
musik aufnehmen radio
puk musik
mp3 musik bearbeiten
rtl musik andrea berg
neue schule fur musik
musik aus studio b
tango musik anhoren
rusische musik kostenlos
politik musik
musik flash dance
ilahi musik
deutsche musik band
anime musik download
musik im ruhrgebiet
kunstdrucke musik
musik kleidung
hochschule musik theater munchen
fussball manager 07 eigene musik
media player keine musik mehr
immer musik
herr der ringe musik cd
http://mj13cyb.blogspot.com
http://faithjenn.blogspot.com/
gratis musik fur mp3 player
weihnachtsbaum musik
hardcore musik video
musik titt
http://appaloosasbreedofchoice.blogspot.com/
http://bsuroomies.blogspot.com/2010/01/just-quickie-lol.html

Thanks, Anna, for taking our pictures. This is the most realistic picture we have....I can't help but laugh everytime I see it!

Ladies First

2009-10-02T12:21:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to teach the boys to have better manners. Rule #1 has been: Ladies first. So whenever I have all three empty bowls in front of me waiting for breakfast or lunch to be served. I have been serving Ashley first and saying "Ladies First!"

The other day Cameron wasn't letting Ashley do something first, I don't even remember what it was, and I heard Ashley angrily yelling...."Cameron, I am first. You're being a lady!"

2009-09-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

So, the other day I was making Ashley a sandwich......and man, you've got to love little kid talk!!

Mom: Ashley, what kind of sandwich do you want?

Ashley: Girl cheese.

Mom: Grilled Cheese?

Ashley: That's what I said....girl cheese!

Say Cheese!

2009-06-02T15:46:00.001-07:00

Anna Olsen, the neighbor, took these pictures of Ashley for fun the other day!

"A" is for Ashley!

My heart takes a twirl

when I see a smile on my little girl!

Spring Recital

2009-05-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

Spencer finished his year in Manti Music and Dance this May. He performed as an orphan singing "It's a Hard Knock Life" from Annie with his age group (6-8 yrs) and he did a routine to "Getcha Head in the Game" from High School Musical with an all boys group.

Adam's Blessing Day

2009-05-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

Adam was blessed the first weekend in May, just days before he was one month old.

He had a good turnout of family and friends.

We were lucky that the weather cooperated. It stopped raining that weekend long enough for our guests to enjoy the luncheon.

What an angel!

Cameron's 6th Birthday

2009-05-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

Cameron enjoyed being the king of the day. He got to choose all the meals we ate that day. He was pretty easy on me by asking for cereal for breakfast then sandwiches for lunch! The boys woke up at 6:30am because they were so excited for presents. I think Spencer was just as excited about the presents as Cameron was. I was able to talk them into waiting until 7am to open them. Cameron's primary teacher brought him a present later that morning and Cameron asked "Am I getting presents all day long!" He got to take treats to his Kindergarten class and then afterschool he had his friend birthday party. He wanted to go to the park again this year. He invited 6 friends since he was 6 yrs. old, although not all of them came.

He had birthday rice krispies at the friend party and birthday cake that night with family!

Cameron dished out lots of wishes for a million dollars to each friends during "Heavy, heavy hangover." It pays to be his friend!

Front: Joshua Pipes, Keegan Merrill, Cameron Cox, Austin Cox, Jacob T.

Back: Abigail (Spencer's friend), Ashley Cox, Spencer Cox

That night we made yummy homemade pizza and had the neighbors and extended family over for cake and ice cream! We had so much fun all day long and none of the kids got to bed before 10pm....what a day!

Baby Fertilizer

2009-05-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted. It's amazing how much time a new baby takes. I have lots of pictures of Adam's blessing and Cameron's birthday to post....I'll do that later.

I wanted to write about something funny that Cameron said today. Rich and I have sort of been complaining about how we have to mow the lawn twice a week since the fertilizer we added is making the grass grow so fast. Here is what I heard today:

Cameron: "Adam is a big baby."

Dad: "Yep, he's getting bigger."

Cameron: "That what happens when you fertilize him."

Happy Birthday Wendy!

2009-05-02T13:33:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of fun on my birthday! A bunch of my friends got together for lunch at another friends house. It was a fun, busy, and crazy day. As another friend put it..."My body isn't feeling the same as it once did. Wouldn't you know it would happen right after the 30 yr. guarantee wore off! I knew I should've bought the extended warranty."

You gotta love the post-pregnancy hair do. A shower....what's that?!?!?

Rich and I have been so blessed with great friends and family. We've recieved so much support and many loving gifts....thank you to all of you!!!

2009-05-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

Adam is four weeks now! I am actually surprised at how quickly time has been passing. He is being blessed tomorrow and wouldn't you know it.....he broke out into the "blessing rash."

Before.....
After.....

He is doing really well. He seems to be growing faster and faster. I really have to watch Ashley like a hawk around Adam because she thinks she can pick him up and walk around with him. I've already caught her moving him around twice when he is suppossed to be taking a nap.

GOOOOOOAL!

2009-05-02T13:12:00.001-07:00

Cameron just finished up his season of soccer this week. He had a good time and even won a few times! His coach gave each member of his team a medal for playing so well. He wears it everywhere.

He's Here!

2009-04-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

We had a baby boy on April 5th. Two hours after I got home from the Miss Manti pageant I went into labor. We left in the middle of the night to go to the hospital. Grandma Cox came and stayed with the kids. By 7am that morning our precious baby boy was born. He was a big boy. He weighed in a 9 lbs. 3 oz. and 20.5 inches long. We weren't expecting a boy so we were caught off guard. It took us some time, but in the end, we named him Adam David Cox!

Spencer cried when he found out the baby was a boy. Once he laid eyes on him, he was hooked. The kids came to see me in the hospital with grandma and grandpa Cox. Then they spent a few days in Ogden with Grandma Valeen.

We had lots of visitors from friends and neighbors. We are so blessed to know such great people. We thoroughly enjoyed all the presents, treats, and dinners that were brought in.

Adam is a lucky kid. He is surrounded by people who love and adore him. He is very good natured and easy going. Being as big as he was has helped him be a great eater and an even better sleeper! Mom is really happy about that.

You asked for it!!!

2009-03-31T16:33:00.001-07:00

I am including the most recent picture of me. I've been trying to stay on the other side of the camera. With one more week to go, we're getting down to the end of our pregnancy! Hurray! It'll be a sacrifice but I'll do my best to say goodbye to leg cramps, middle of the night visits to the bathroom, contractions whenever I sit too long, the ever enlarging abdominal area and more! Mostly, it'll be hard not to hear "are you having twins?" or "wow, you look ready to pop!"

I look forward to holding our newest family member close to my heart and kissing his/her little nose. The wait is almost over...is it a boy? Is it a girl?

Am I My Brothers Keeper?

2009-03-31T16:21:00.001-07:00

I love how much the boys really do love each other. They can fight like the dickens but in the end they really stay involved in everything the other is doing. Last week, the first graders performed their annual play. It was "How Does Your Garden Grow?" Spencer enjoyed being apart of the show. He practiced his part and had taught Cameron most of the words to most of the songs. Whenever I couldn't understand a part, I could turn to Cam.

Cameron: " They said....."

Cameron: "Keep watching because next....."

Here is Spencer on the back row singing! He was a scarecrow.

Here are David and Spencer after the play. Don't they look tough?!

2009-03-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend with family. It started with a princess birthday party for cousin Londyn. Then on to "Grandma Valeen's"!

Uncle Randy has been storing his three wheeler at Grandma's house. The boys, being thoughtful and kind (like their mother), didn't want the three wheeler feeling lonely. So, like any genereous red-blooded American boys, they lovingly took it for a spin!

Cameron got pretty brave, especially when he discovered 2nd gear!

Ashley preferred the skooter...

.....Cameron didn't!

Cox's got Talent!

2009-03-06T10:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was one of the busiest days that I have had in a while. We packed up the van around 2:45 pm and didn't return home till after 8:00 pm! Whew!

Part of the fun was going to the Manti Elementary School's Talent Show. Spencer and Cameron both performed on the piano and they were wonderful! Spencer played four simple songs and Cameron played two simple songs. Grandma Cox and the Butler cousins came to support them, that was really special!

Spencer was really worried about dressing up for the show! He told me that he'd be really mad at me if, when we got to the school, nobody else was dressed up. I reassured him that he'd feel worse if everyone else was dressed up except him. Lucky for me, everyone was dressed up!

2009-03-03T09:36:00.000-08:00

A highway patrolman pulled a car over and told the driver that because he had been wearing his seat belt, he had just won $5,000 in the statewide safety competition. “What are you going to do with the money?” asked the policeman. “Well, I guess I’m going to get a driver’s license,” he answered. “Oh, don’t listen to him,” yelled a woman in the passenger seat. “He’s a smart aleck when he’s drunk.” This woke up the guy in the back seat who took one look at the cop and moaned, “I knew we wouldn’t get far in a stolen car.” At that moment, there was a knock from the trunk and a voice said, in Spanish, “Are we over the border yet?”

Oops!

Too good to be true!

2009-03-02T18:01:00.000-08:00

Tonight at Dinner we had a great discussion...one worth remembering! We were eating squash (not a favorite of some, mostly Cameron) and talking about how vegetables make your body stronger. Ashley was flexing her muscles showing us how strong she is getting when Spencer adds his two cents!

Spencer: Mom, guess what?

Mom: What?

Spencer: I can't pull my pants up because my muscles are too big.

Richard: Wendy, you know how your old pants aren't fitting? It's because your "muscles" are too big!

That's nice.

We love to love!!!

2009-02-13T11:43:00.000-08:00

We started our Valentines celebrating early this year. A few days before the big day the kids had their valentine parties at school.

Then Mom made Dad a special cake. It started off just pink and white but Mom couldn't stop adding more colors and before you know it.....voila....it's a birthday cake! Whatever! It is my first fondant cake ever. (It's actually a rice krispie treat but whose counting?!)

The Butlers spent the day with us the day before Valentine's Day. And what better way to have fun then making cookies?!

First, you mix.

Then, you cut!!

You may ask..."Where are David and Spencer during all this cookie making fun"?? They decided to give service to a few neighbors by shoving the newly fallen snow from their driveways! A great way to show love!!! What good boys.

More Cox cousins came to Manti for the weekend and we had a blast together! We went swimming and decorated cookies. We played games and ate a special Valentine's dinner at Great Grandma's house. We sure know how to stay busy!

Happy "60th" Birthday Dad!

2009-02-12T13:12:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we went to SLC for dinner with Grandpa Merrill. Imagine with me if you will....driving in the van with three hungry children....listening to Chronicles of Narnia blaring loudly as to be heard over the three hungry children...getting stuck in traffic while listening to "Narnia" blaring loudly over three hungry children! Are we there yet?!?! Good times!!!!

Grandpa wanted to eat at Macaroni Grill so the whole family met there to enjoy his special day together. This is no easy task considering there are six siblings, all of which are married and most have several children. The waiters earned every penny of their tips that day between cleaning up drink spills and bringing food to families that have changed chair places at least twice.

All the effort was worth it though. Especially to let this special man know how important he is to us! This is grandpa opening his present from the Harley Davidson Cafe' in Las Vegas! Nothing like the love between a man and his hog!

Happy "91st" Birthday Great Grandma Cox

2009-02-10T13:28:00.001-08:00

For Great Grandma's birthday we made her a list (with the help of lots of family members) of 91 things that reminded us of her!

1. Swimming in your pool
2. Marshmallows in the kitchen drawer
3. Great family record keeping
4. Birthday cards
5. Anniversary cards
6. Christmas cards
7. Life Stories
8. Telling stories
9. Always teaching
10. Toys in the hallway drawer
11. Playing in the chair cubbie closet.
12. Hand and Foot card games
13. Rock Collections
14. Missionary stories
15. Missionary souvenirs
16. Clean house
17. Lemon drops
18. Capital Reef vacations
19. Very organized person
20. Summer camping
21. Baking bread on Saturday
22. “Garrr Ray”
23. Canning fruit
24. Canning vegetables
25. Growing a beautiful garden.
26. Picking apples in the back yard
27. Climbing in the apple trees (when Grandma is not looking)
28. Family dinners on the back patio.
29. Murder mystery dinner.
30. Rummy-O games.
31. Beautiful flowers.
32. Rice cakes.
33. Nice camping trailers.
34. St. George for the winters
35. Your love of History.
36. Helping with homework.
37. Met-n-et
38. Utah Daughters of Pioneers
39. Farm stories.
40. Christmas Eve dinners
41. Playing out the Nativity on Christmas Eve.
42. The old Scout
43. New cars
44. Temple worker.
45. Running around the basement
46. Playing in the big basement room
47. Quilting
48. Epaminondas story.
49. Beautiful rose bushes
50. Pepper nuts
51. Keeping up with traditions
52. Histories of ancestors
53. Grandma’s canes
54. Always giving
55. Always a treasure for someone.
56. Community history
57. Community pride
58. Homemade root beer
59. Watching fireworks on front lawn
60. Reading stories
61. Identifying Wild flowers
62. Loves birds.
63. Picking asparagus on county lanes.
64. Telling us what the Meadow Lark says “Manti’s a pretty little town”
65. Looking for Kill Deer nests in cow foot prints.
66. Water aerobics
67. Pedigree charts
68. Family names
69. Family crest and what it stands for.
70. Family pride
71. Fish faces
72. Pretty stitching
73. Scenic drives in the mountains
74. Example of a healthy diet
75. Silver Hair
76. Perms
77. Flowers that “open and shut”
78. Stylish walker
79. Temple group trips
80. Pretty Alto voice
81. Listening to kids read books
82. Visiting with family
83. Tetherball on the patio
84. Favorite daughters and son
85. Missing LuAnn
86. Afraid to have babies at home
87. Big heart
88. Christmas pop-up candy canes
89. Personal letters to grandchildren on Christmas
90. Christmas stocking full of dried fruit
91. Appreciation letters from past students

Happy 7th Birthday Spencer!

2009-01-31T08:22:00.001-08:00

We've been celebrating Spencer for a week, literally! It started on Monday when he took his spotlight poster to school along with a bunch of show-n-tell items. (His school teacher likes to make each student feel extra special)

On his actual birthday, Wednesday, he got to be the "King for the Day", a job I believe he took very seriously! He picked out his favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner. He opened presents with breakfast from us and Grandma and Grandpa Merrill. After dinner, Grandma and Grandpa Cox came over and brought Spencer his present.

Part of Spencer's birthday fun included showing off his family to his 1st grade class! We got to talk all about what Spencer likes to do and things he enjoys. After singing Happy Birthday, Spencer passed out his birthday treats to his class!

For lunch, Spencer chose Chicken Cordon Bleu and he wanted to eat it with mom. I cooked up some food and was able to come to the school lunchroom and eat with him!

Anna Olsen, the neighbor girl, made Spencer a special birthday cake with the leftover fondant frosting from Tuesday Night's Relief Society activity. It is actually a rice krispy treat but boy was it cute!!

On Friday we had our family party at the bowling alley. We had a little dinner before we went to the alley then we enjoyed a long game and some cake and ice cream! It turns out that Ashley is pretty good. Her ball rolls VERY slowly but surely; she tied for 1st place among the kids with a score of 76!

Today Grandma Valeen is bringing Gracie, Londyn, Olivia, Maddie and Taylor to Manti to spend the day celebrating his birthday!

Spencer has been worried about not having a party with his school friends but I think he is over it now.....he's had a well celebrated week! On the way home last night, I asked Rich if I could have a week or two long celebration for my birthday too! He said I already get 52 weeks!! Ha, ha.

Viva Las Vegas!

2009-01-23T13:56:00.000-08:00

I was able to time warp for a few days this week. We left the cold winter weather to enjoy of few days of spring weather while escaping to Las Vegas! As you know, this weekend is the Miss America Pageant. Rich and I went to see one of the preliminary competitions to support our good friend, Kayla Barclay- Miss Utah!

Kayla plays the piano for her talent. That night she blew our socks off! She was in my top three for talent which included Miss Georgia and Miss Arizona. I was surprised to find that not all the contestants at that level had a great deal of talent. There were some lovely dresses and some not so lovely dresses. At one point, Rich leaned over to me and said he understood why they had the preliminaries!!

The kids stayed behind in Manti with several different friends while spending the night at Grandma Cox's. (I secretly think that they had just as much fun being with her as I did being alone with Rich!!) Just getting away together was worth any trouble we had in negotiating time off for Rich and making arrangements for the kids. We knew that going to Miss America to watch somebody that we actually knew was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Plus we knew that with the baby coming soon, our chances of getting away together would disappear, at least for awhile!

We had a great time. We thoroughly enjoyed our new found freedom. The kids were pretty happy to see some of our souveniors....especially the few from the M&M factory!

2009-01-23T12:15:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed Sunday by celebrating Grandma Cox's 61st birthday! After we ate dinner we got to eat some yummy cake and ice cream.

(David, Ashley, Spencer, Grandma, Grandpa)

The kids were excited about the portable vaccuum we got as her present. Ashley loved the wrapping paper because it was covered in glitter!

(Cameron, Grandma, Ashley, Spencer and Ashton)

We took the opportunity to get a 4 generation "all girls picture!"

(Grandma Cox-61, Great Grandma Cox-90, Ashley-3, and 7 mo. pregnant Mom-30)

2009-01-16T10:22:00.000-08:00

Just a funny note....this morning as I was talking with Rich in the kitchen, Cameron asked if I had gone to opening exercises yet because he wanted to come with me. I was a little confused until I realized what he was asking. I asked, "Do you mean Aerobics?" He said "Yes!" A few minutes later as I was putting on my coat he asked where I was going and I told him "opening exercises!" to which he replied, "it's called aerobics, Mom!!" He quickly got his coat on and came with me!!!

Here she comes....Miss America!

2009-01-12T11:56:00.000-08:00

The Ms. Utah organization is preparing to send their Ms. Utah to the Ms. America pageant. This years Ms. Utah is none less than Manti's own, Ms. Kayla Barclay! I have had so much fun with her for the past couple of years since I worked with her with Miss Manti. She is a wonderful person and she has loads of character. She is ready and she'll blow their socks off. Last Saturday, Rich and I were able to go to her send off party. She showcased all of her wardrobe including her swimwear and evening gowns, her talent, her modeling and did a mock interview for the audience. I am very proud of decisions to stand up for her standards too. What a woman she has become.....a complete package! We wish her well in Las Vegas!

Double the pleasure, double the fun!!

2009-01-09T15:19:00.001-08:00

For Christmas the neighbor, Bridget Olsen, made Ashley the cutest apron so that she could cook like mommy. This past week when Anna stopped by to visit, they found that they had matching aprons! I had to get a picture of them together.

Ashley is wearing her pretty red heart shirt, with her yellow Snow White dress up skirt and pink "princess shoes" under that adorable new apron. She is wearing a little of everything! Plus, her hair hasn't been combed and her face isn't clean! What a life!!!

"Don't you wish your apron was cute like me?!?!?"

CHEESE!!!!

2009-01-09T08:23:00.000-08:00

Last December the Cox's got together for the family christmas party. While we were together we tried to take an updated family picture. That was an interesting experience.

With a group this size, it's hard to get everyone to smile at the same time!

But we had fun!

Can you say.....BRRRRR!

2009-01-06T09:25:00.000-08:00

It has been really cold here. I am talking sub-zero kind of cold. On Sunday morning, Grandpa Cox reported that the farm has a low of -19 degrees. The pipes to the bathtub in the kids bathroom have frozen so we can't get much water in or out. We've had troubles with the garage door getting stuck too. This kind of weather is tough on everything.

On Sunday, we were able to help out a stranger. A woman by the name of Diane Goodwin from Royal Tyrell, Alberta, Canada was passing through Manti. She was having battery problems with her giant motor home and needed a place to stay and plug it in to get recharged. We offered our driveway. We had her in for dinner and again that night for dessert. It was a really interesting dinner conversation. We learned all about her adventures as she drove all over the western USA visiting various LDS temples. She had run into several problems even before reaching us. She was neat lady and the kids loved getting to know her better. She was an older widow that was traveling alone. I couldn't believe she was driving such a large vehicle all by herself!! It turned out that her batteries got so cold that they froze and she couldn't stay with us as long as she had planned because she said "it's like defrosting a turkey in the refrigerator!" She ended up leaving the next morning to go to St. George, or even Las Vegas, in search of warmer temperatures. She left behind her copy of Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian because she wanted the family to remember her. I don't think you forget somebody like her very easily!!

Ring out the old, ring in the new!

2009-01-02T12:29:00.000-08:00

We had a fun couple of days saying goodbye to 2008 and hello to 2009! On New Year's Eve we went swimming at Snow College with the neighbor girls, Anna and Abby. Everyone had a lot of fun, especially mom since she didn't have to put on a swim suit over her pregnant tummy! She got to enjoy the fun from the sidelines this time! That night after getting cleaned up we made some chocolate chip cookies to take for dessert to the family New Year's Eve party. We enjoyed dinner and games at grandma's house. Only Dad had enough stamina to stay up till midnight this year! The next morning we all slept in dreadfully late! We started the first day of the year with an extra special outting, we went out to breakfast in Ephraim. First, we tried to eat at McDonalds but they weren't serving breakfast so we ended up with an even better meal at the bowling alley. The pancakes were as big as my plate! We spent the day relaxing and doing whatever projects we felt a desire to work on. That afternoon, Grandma and Grandpa Sudweeks drove down from South Weber to spend the evening with us. They brought some yummy pizza and were an attentive audience as the kids showed off they've been doing over the Christmas break!

Cameron showing G'pa his new tools and the family enjoying our pizza dinner together!!

We look forward to the upcoming year and all the excitement it brings with it! We send a great big....Happy New Year.....to all of you too!

2008-12-28T17:21:00.001-08:00

We had a busy and very fun Christmas season. The problem was that I didn't have my camera with me for most things that we did. I wasn't sure if I should post without a picture. I see now that writing something would've been better than nothing at all. We did lots of service projects. The kids are great helpers. We enjoyed lots of parties with various family members, friends and neighbors. Here is a shot of each of the kids visiting with Santa at the ward Christmas party!

Spencer had the opportunity to show off his singing skills! His music and dance class held their Christmas Show this month. Spencer did a great job! He performed a dance as the Grinch with his friend, McKellen Adams, then sang a solo from the song "Where Are You Christmas?" from the Grinch movie. I think he had a lot of fun too. Nobody who has seen the video footage could deny that!!!

Here is Spencer as a wiseman! He would've had a crown but somehow it got torn to pieces.....I wonder who did that!

Both boys did a fabulous job at the Annual Christmas program put on by the elementary school. Each grade got to sing a few songs. The Kindergarteners sang "Jingle Bells", "Frosty the Snowman" and "Silver Bells" while the 1st Graders sang "Twas the Night Before Christmas."

Look closely!!! Spencer is in the second row from the front and Cameron is on the back row.

We enjoyed acting out the Nativity Story on Christmas Eve. Cameron played the part of Joseph with his cousin, Alex, as Mary. Ashley was a shepherd and Spencer was a wise guy....I mean wise man!

Happy Halloween!!

2008-11-06T10:12:00.000-08:00

What a fun and busy day! The elementary school had it's annual Halloween parade. The kids walk around each of the classrooms then take a walk up and down Main Street. It is a town event! Families from all over town can come downtown to see all the cute costumes. Ashley pointed out every princess in sight!!

After the parade, it's time for the class parties. I am Cameron's room mother this year so I dressed up as a witch, then the Kindergarteners and I made Witch's Brew! I did this for Spencer's Kindergarten class the year before and it was a hit. The end of the poems teases the kids that if they drink this potion their hair might fall out.....we had to convince a few that it was only a Halloween trick!

After school, the kids came with mom to do what I call "backwards Trick or treating!" We had sweet rolls that we delivered to each of the young women in our ward....

....then we took a hot meal to some of the widows and widowers in town. Here we are delivering to Great Grandma Cox! It is an important service project to teach the kids about giving the treats, not only recieving them!!

They ended the night at the trunk or treat on Main Street. They got so much candy that they complained about carrying their heavy buckets. Boo hoo! Cameron's bucket strap even broke in half! Then we had a party with some fun neighbors before going to bed....very, very late!!

Jolly Jack-o-Lanterns

2008-11-06T09:45:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a night of pumpkin carving a few nights before Halloween.

First, we drew our patterns.....

Then we cut!!!

Everyone enjoyed cutting into the pumpkins although......almost nobody liked taking the slimy seeds and pulp out!

But what a glorious finish!!!

Free Drugs??

2008-10-27T16:06:00.000-07:00

The kids just celebrated Red Ribbon week at school. The first day they came home and told me that they learned about "free drugs". I asked, "Do you mean Drug Free?" It's amazing how much things can change by switching two words.

Viva Mexico!!!

2008-10-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

We just went on a 7 day cruise to the Mexican Rivera and had so much fun. Our ship was the Norwegian Star and we left from Los Angeles.

(Grandma & Grandpa Cox, Mom, Dad, Ashley, Spencer and Cameron)

Our Cruise director told us that the average person gains 6 lbs. (per day) while traveling on a cruise line. Now, I understand why. There was food available practically 24 hours a day. Of course, we felt we needed to get our money's worth so we took advantage whenever we could!

We enjoyed a nice cup of hot chocolate and a movie to go to bed almost every night! This particular night, Ashley ended up spilling her cup down the front of my shirt and all over the foot of my bed. I was glad to have maid service that day!!

Our cruise was called a freestyle cruise which meant that the dining was at our leisure, in other words, buffet. That was fun for lunch and when we where just snacking but we enjoyed sitting down and being served at the restaurants. We had a formal dinner with the whole family one night and on the last night Rich and I took the kids to the kids' cafe then went to eat at the steakhouse! That was the best meal of the whole trip!!!

Ashley was so tired, she feel asleep at dinner and stayed asleep for the rest of the night!

The cabin stewards that cleaned our rooms were so nice. They made our towels into a different cute animal each night. We caught a picture of one of them. I went to a seminar were the room service workers taught how to make the animals, so I'll be practising!!

The boys became affectionately known as "9595" because every time our cabin stewards saw them they were running towards our room calling out our room number as they checked each door!

The interior of the ship was very beautiful! We had some great views while traveling. We met many people from all over the world. Anywhere from Poland to India to Hyrum, UT!! Here is a shot of the three kids manning the elevators!

The entertainment was fun. We saw a magician, a father & son juggling act, dancers and singers, acrobats who could balance on top of one another from head to head, and comedians. I learned a disappearing cracker trick from the magician which I'd like to show anybody who is interested! We enjoyed a few games of air hockey and fuse ball too.

The kids each had lots of things that they loved most about the cruise. They loved the designated kids' cafe because everything was just their size. The chairs were small stuffy squares and the tables were only a few feet off the ground. They could walk back and forth and eat as much or as little as they liked. Another thing they loved was the kids' club. Each day and night there were activities that they could choose to be involved in. They met lots of friends which they played with during dinner and at the pool too!

Spencer played with the 6-12 yrs old kids while Cameron and Ashley went with the 2-5 yrs old kids!

Face painting was a hit. This is Cameron as a ferocious tiger. I didn't get a picture of Ashley, she had beautiful flowers all over her face!

Another favorite, probably the most favorite time, was at the pool on ship. There were two main swimming areas. One was for little kids and the other for older kids. We liked both. They each had water slides and hot tubs.

Cameron and Spencer on the kiddie water slides!

Mom and Dad on the older kid slides!

Ashley preferred the small kiddie pool!

Grandpa and Grandma got into their suits only once. But they enjoyed the slide and that was enough!

Because the harbor was too shallow in Cabo the ship had to drop anchor out at sea and take passengers to shore by tender boats. Cabo has the most beautiful beaches of all the stops. The water was warm and crystal clear. We took a tour around the sea of Cortez in a glass bottom boat. We fed the colorful fish, saw sea lions and crabs and got a great shot of Los Arcos, the famous rock formation that Cabo is known for. After that we spent a few hours playing at the beach. When we got back to our cabin that night we found the pockets in Cameron's swim shorts were completely loaded with sand!

Matzatlan had cliff divers that jumped into 7 feet deep ocean waters from a 35 ft. cliff. In order to avoid the jagged rocks below the divers had to time their jump with the swell of the incoming waves. Here is a picture of the three kids in front of the diving cliffs. It rained there but was still very warm due to the 88% humidity! We toured the city, visited the cathedral and shopped in the market.

We got off the ship late in Puerto Vallerta so we missed a bunch of the organized tours. Plus, it was later in the morning so the humidity made things pretty hot! We occupied our time by visiting the beach. We got crowded by salesman at every beach. We were offered anything from jewelry to tattoos! Some vendors said their merchandise was "almost free" you know "$50!" Rich let them know that $50 is not almost free!!

Spencer was convinced that he was going to find crabs from the day we told him he would see the ocean. He was able to catch a small crab along with a few hermit crabs. It took some talking to convince him that they needed to stay with their families in Mexico and not come home with us!

Spencer and his newly caught hermit crabs!

After some time at the beach, we found a couple of taxi drivers willing to take us into the jungle. It was beautiful. The foliage was luscious and green. We saw spiders, turtles, iguanas, and waterfalls. There was a place to go on the zip line or to slide down the waterfalls like a playground slide!

This is Spencer and Mom at the "El Eden" restaurant in the Puerta Vallarta jungle. The pool at the bottom of the waterfall is full of turtles!

Spencer and Cameron carefully poising on a 2 1/2 ft wide bridge. By now, Cameron has grown tired of getting his picture taken seriously!!!

We had a good time. We're not sure we will be seasonal cruisers like some of the people that we met but we enjoyed our time together and the sights we saw. With all the fun that we had, still....there's no place like home!!!

And one more......that makes FOUR!!!!

2008-10-19T16:52:00.000-07:00

For those of you who do not know already, Rich and I are expecting again! Our fourth baby is due to join the crew sometime in April! Mom has been sick and the kids have been thrilled. Almost every family prayer includes the new baby and our hope for his/her health! Spencer informed me this weekend that I could no longer eat junk food because I can only make room for the healthy food!!

Here is Rich learning of the good news over dinner on our anniversary! There was a package of new baby onesies in the gift bag.

Here are the kids celebrating the addition to the family. (When we first told them, they just sat there. I told them to act surprised and this is what I got!)

Be Ye Peacemakers

2008-10-09T07:51:00.000-07:00

This morning we were reading in the scriptures about the time that Christ was teaching the beattitudes to the Nephites in America. We learned about turning the other cheek and loving our enemies. Later on Cameron was caught picking on his sister. Ashley reported that Cameron was hurting her. Which is when he quickly came to his own defense to announce that she hurt him first. Rich asked, "Didn't you turn the other cheek, like Jesus taught us?" and Cameron responded..."she didn't hit my cheek!" That is funny enough, but it doesn't stop there. A few minutes later Rich saw Cameron was lightly slapping at Ashley's cheek and as she stared at him with confusion he told her to turn her other cheek. Sometimes we wonder....what are they learning?!

All dressed up with somewhere to go!!!

2008-09-15T13:56:00.001-07:00

Ashley had her first day of preschool. She was SOOOO excited to ride on the bus. She goes twice a week and a school bus picks her up and drops her off at the end of our street. We had a good time getting her all dressed up. I didn't know when the bus would be arriving exactly so we spent some great time waiting on a rock together.

When the bus finally arrived she climbed on a barely looked back! One of the cutest parts was when she got home and the boys and I were walking down the street to pick her up, she got off the bus and ran toward Cameron with her arms outstretched. They hugged for a full minute before she turned and hugged Spencer just as tight!

(The pictures are blurry because I need a better camera! Hint, hint...Rich!)

Lagoon....here we come!!

2008-08-28T10:06:00.001-07:00

We pulled the boys out of school to go to Lagoon the day after the Demolition Derby. We had a good time there and experienced some crazy adventures. For example, Cameron set off an alarm and Ashley almost got ran over by the sky ride!

Spencer, Ashley, Maddie, and Cameron waiting for tug boats

Rich and I went on “The Bat” with Spencer and Maddie even though I thought they would be scared. They had the exact opposite reaction. Neither wanted to get off when the ride was done and it took some heavy negotiations to get them out of the way for other passengers!

Maddie, Grandma, and Ashley

Mom and Maddie came with us, which made it extra special! Everyone voted and the favorite ride was either the Tidal Wave or the bumper cars. Tough choice!

Dad, Cameron, Spencer, Mom on our 1st attempt (of many) at the Tidal Wave!

Ashley unhappy about having to share her ride!

Cameron and Spencer enjoying the Ladybug Bop!

Dad and Spencer living it up on the Puff Dragon roller coaster! Hold on tight!

Ashley and Cameron got to ride over and over because of the short line!!

Mom and Dad about to ride the Roller Coaster!

Sanpete County Fair

2008-08-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

Each year citizens of the county are encouraged to enter crafts and things into the exhibits at the fair. Last year I crotched a blanket that looked like an American Flag and earned a second place red ribbon. This year I submitted a counted cross stitch of a river front scene. I earned a first place blue ribbon! I’m already brainstorming what I can submit for next year. Spencer says he wants to put something in the fair too. Maybe he could join the 4-H Club.

We spent Thursday (Aug. 21st) afternoon enjoying the exhibits and the animals. There was a huge steer that weighed over 2900 lbs. The boys thought it was Paul Bunyan’s Ox!

Spencer was able to pet some reindeer, they had really fuzzy antlers. All three kids enjoyed seeing the lambs, pigs, cows, bunnies and chickens!

We topped the night off by watching Demolition Derby. We were lucky to get in because they had sold out; we had gotten tickets earlier in the day. Throughout the show three cars got completely turned over and the boys loved it! Ashley liked the part she was awake for! I didn’t think anybody could sleep through that kind of noise. She woke up when we had dirt flung at us as a car peeled out! I took her home while boys stayed for the final wipeout. We all stayed up late and I thought it was a good thing they didn’t have to go to school the next day.

Happy Harvest

2008-08-26T12:38:00.000-07:00

We decided to grow a garden this year. Rich borrowed the tractor from the farm and tilled a nice sized garden in the backyard. We decided to keep things simple so we only planted peas, carrots, lettuce, green beans, corn, and pumpkins. We’re still learning so there are a lot of improvements that we’ll be able to make next year, but it’s better than the non-existent garden we had the year before!!! We planted the peas late so we didn’t get as much as we would’ve liked.
The corn was a big hit. The kids enjoyed eating it fresh from the garden especially Cameron who would eat it raw straight out of the husk. It was fun to have Spencer help plant the seeds and even funnier to watch the crooked rows sprout. The biggest threat to the garden this year was the grasshoppers. They were so thick that whenever we walked toward the garden to turn on the water we could hear them jumping away by the hundreds. They ate all the carrot greens so we had a hard time finding them when the time came and they ate a lot of the blossoms for the green beans so that harvest was really low. But, I was able to bottle what green beans we did get!

The pumpkins seem to be doing well. We look forward to carving them at Halloween!!

A Day of Firsts

2008-08-21T09:10:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday the boys started school. It was Spencer's first day of 1st Grade and Cameron's first day of Kindergarten. They both seemed excited to go. They get to ride their bikes to school and they love to go fast! Cameron talked about using his Turbo power. The second day was much hotter and Cameron had to stop riding his bike and take a rest because "he's out of gas!" He filled up on water and was able to keep trying. Cameron describes Mrs. Otten as "The Best Teacher Ever!" I'd say that is a good attitude to have toward your teacher!!

Spencer with Mrs. Peteron

Cameron with Mrs. Otten

Ashley also had her first day of tumbling class. She was thrilled to put on her leotard and roll around with the big girls! Everyday since, she has asked about when she'll go again.

Swimming sensation!

2008-08-15T09:24:00.001-07:00

Aunt Kristine and Uncle Dave took the kids swimming last Friday. They had so much fun!

They jumped......

they climbed.....

and they ate!!

What more could you ask for?

Harm or Accident

2008-08-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

Just a funny story to remember: Ashley was climbing on a small picnic table in order to get herself tall enough to reach some popsicles in the basement freezer. I got her down and told all the kids that it isn't safe to climb up high like that. Cameron says, "She almost had a harmer accident." Rich and I looked at each other and laughed as I said, "I thought we prayed to protect ourselves from those!" (harm or accident)

Whirlwind Week- pictures coming soon!!

2008-08-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

Today is my day to FINALLY kick my heels back and relax! I feel like I've been running a marathon with all of the different activities that I've been juggling to prepare for. We had girls camp coming which meant I had a lot of people to coordinate with and a bunch of tasks to get completed. School is almost ready to start which meant that during these planning meetings, I had to make time to take the kids school shopping among other school preparation. I was crazy enough to drive all three kids (by myself!) to Provo last Thursday. We not only had to buy school clothes but Rich needed shoes, the pharmacy needed soda and candy, and I needed to pick up supplies and food for camp, for a special anniversary dinner I was planning for Rich, and for our everyday needs! I was lucky that the kids cooperated, for the most part. By the time I got home, I was out for the count for the night. But there was no time for resting.

More camp preparations were needed. I was able to get away Friday night to watch the Miss Sanpete Pageant. It was fun to see the girls and visit with friends afterwards. To my great relief, Rich's family helped me do some more needed shopping for girls camp and the special dinner after the pageant. Another late night!!

Bright and early the next morning was the water skiing trip with the laurels. Not many showed up so I was able to bring the kids too. We had a lot of fun. We experienced our own little miracle because for days before we had rainy weather. I thought our trip was going to be cancelled (maybe a part of me wished that it would, but only a little part!!). However, the weather that morning was beautiful. The skies and the water were clear. We enjoyed our afternoon on the lake and when we got home, the second the boat was safely in the garage, the sky proceeded to downpour! Lucky, lucky!!

That night after water skiing I had time to clean up just before going to Stake Conference. All the talks given both on Saturday and Sunday we really good. There were a couple of moments that I knew that the Lord was speaking to me. After conference we enjoyed a family dinner with the Cox's. I'd barely found time to make my layered cake, thank goodness.

I spent all of Monday making arrangements for the kids so that Rich could help me haul girls and supplies to girls camp. We left for camp first thing on Tuesday morning. We had a really good time too! Debbie Hatch (laurel advisor) let us come to her cabin. We played games, a lot of games! It allowed the girls to let their hair down and enjoy one another. We performed skits, ate LOTS of food, did a little hiking, made some crafts, and sang songs! We even got in a testimony meeting and snipe hunting in one night, which is an interesting challenge to take on!! I'm glad it's over but I'm even happier that we did it!

Once I got home I had two hours to put together my special anniversary dinner for Rich. One thing that is worth mentioning is that since I had been at YW Camp for half of the day on our 10th Anniversary, I had made arrangements for Rich to get breakfast in bed. My neighbor, Bridget, made him breakfast, set it nicely on a tray and delivered it on the porch with a poem that I had written. The poem said "Violets are blue, Roses are red, this is as close as it gets....to breakfast in bed!!!" When I got home from camp, I sent Rich out and Bridget helped me prepare a beautiful candlelight dinner for two while Kathy made me a cheesecake. Thank goodness for great friends!!! We spent a wonderful evening alone together while the kids spent the night at their grandma's home.

Amazing August!!!

2008-08-08T10:32:00.001-07:00

We had a birthday party for Ashley the day after I got home from Trek. She is a whopping 3 years old now. She enjoys swimming so we spent the day at the Manti swimming pool. Followed by a fun party with her cousins and neighbor friends. She got some great presents. She wanted to sleep that night with her princess dress and CD player!

I like to cook a favorite meal for the birthday kid on their birthday, it's a tradition my mother did for me. When I asked Ashley what she wanted she said, "Chocolate Cake!" Spencer reminded her that she needed to choose a meal not a dessert but she remained fixed on her decision by repeating over and over "Chocolate Cake!!" She takes after her mommy!

We spent the summer doing so many fun activities. We went waterskiing, camping, participated in the Mormon Miracle Pageant, went on ATV trips, and more. Mom was busy planning and preparing for the Wyoming Trek and YW Camp. We still have trips to Lagoon and more camping planned.

With all this fun, the boys had homework that they did most days. They enjoyed it for the most part! We took many trips to the library for them to pick their favorite stories, we rode bikes, went swimming and Spencer started piano lessons from the BEST teacher he knows, Mom! (I'm the only teacher he knows, so far!!)

There's no place like HOME!!!

2008-08-08T09:06:00.000-07:00

I am recovering nicely from our Youth Conference in Wyoming. We took the youth to re-enact the Pioneer trek to Martin's Cove and across Rocky Ridge. It was an unforgettable experience that I am glad that I could do, but it was also pretty tough. I was one of the lucky ones that was able to complete the entire trip and come away with no blisters or physical marks to show for it.

My Trek Family- Liz, Garrett, Kelli, Charee, Jessica, Me, Michael, Tony, Jenny, Mitch, Dakota, and Cameron

It started on "Monday" at 12:01am when we met at the church dressed in our pioneer clothes. (I sewed my own bonnet, with the help of my neighbor!) We loaded the buses and headed to Wyoming. To our shock (and my horror!) the school buses that came were for elementary kids. When I sat down my knees touched the seat in front of me. Everyone had to squish on the benches, two per seat for the entire trip!!! Wow, we were starting the sacrifice part right at the start. Needless to say, I got little to no sleep that night. We were on the bus for more than 9 hours and every time the buses stopped to refuel we had to all get off the bus.

Once we got there we had a tour of the museums, heard some speakers and watched a video (which was hard to stay awake for!!!). Everyone was split into "families". The families were a mix of youth from each ward in the stake. I was nervous about this but in the end it was a great thing. We really got to know more people and bond as a stake. Our family hiked to our camp ground, set up camp and got some dinner.

The meals were done really well the whole time with the exception of one lunch which I'll tell about soon. We stayed up late listening to a fireside by the Stake Presidency. When it was time to fall asleep, I was out cold and didn't hear anybody else even come into the tent. I was awoken at 4:30am because another leader was up rolling her sleeping bag. URRGH! Each day went close to the same: early morning rise, hiking, lots of pioneer stories (my favorite is about James Kirkwood- age 11), late night firesides, and yummy food!!!

Jenny Blaur (Ma) and Me crossing to Rock Creek Hollow

The second day was when we got to walk through Martin's Cove. We were asked not to talk which was a great idea. Without the extra noise my mind was able to wander to more important thoughts. I'm not sure how many of them I should share in this forum but to summarize I'd say I had 4 main points: 1. If you quit, you die. This was literal for the pioneers who would freeze to death if they quit moving forward and figurative for me because I can lose the battle every time I give up on something. 2. The Lord always sends rescuers to help us get through the remainder of whatever trial we are facing. Sometime he sends angels and sometimes we become the angels to others! 3. Even though the trial the pioneers went through is different from my trials, the advice on how to get through it is the same. We all need to remain positive, never give up, and serve one another. 4. The individual matters to Heavenly Father.

The third day was when we hiked Rocky Ridge and marched on to Rock Creek Hollow. This was the capstone of my experience, this is when I truly felt the most. It's hard for me to write about this day because of the emotions it brings to me but I'll say this. When I read about how hard it was for the pioneers.....I think I get it! This was the day that I was pushed to the point where somewhere inside I said to myself, "Okay, I'm not having fun anymore. I want to go home!" This was the day that we had the one meal that I didn't like. I was lunch time and we had to eat out on the trail. Well, it's Wyoming, so of course the wind is blowing. Let's put it this way...we ate SANDwiches for lunch.

Charee, Jessica and Me standing in front of a monument at Rock Creek just before coming home (we had fun too....see, we're still able to smile!!!!)

If I hadn't got to that point I wouldn't understood the other thoughts that came to me later that night. I'd love to tell all my friends and family about my inner thoughts but they're too special to write about here. We went home the next day and before we left we got letters from home. I had really missed my children, but mostly missed Rich. I was originally going to be with me but due to some conflicts at work wasn't able to come in the end. I missed having him with me and was more then excited to see him when I got home! Pres. Fife asked an interesting question, "So What?" Our pioneer ancestors struggled and fought for their lives and religion. So what do I do with this experience now that I am home? Will I let it change the way I live my life? What does it mean to me? What would it mean to YOU??

Miss Utah 2008

2008-07-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

Pictured: Christine Cox, Miss Manti; me; Kayla Barclay, Miss Sanpete

I few days after our visit to the Miss Utah preliminary was the final night of competition for Miss Utah. I am thrilled beyond measure to announce that our own, Miss Sanpete, Kayla Barclay (black dress) was crowned Miss Utah 2008. She worked really hard and truly deserves her victory. I loved working with these girls!! Kayla is the first woman from Manti to win and the second from Sanpete County to hold the title. What makes this situation unique is that this, was Kayla's first time competing at this level. She is only 18 yrs. old. Her motto was to "Step even beyond yourself" and she did. It is a testament to me of the power of positive thinking, that people can become whatever they choose and achieve even more then they ever imagined!!! Maybe I can keep trying to lose that annoying extra 10-15 lbs!!

Rainbows are treasures

2008-07-16T20:15:00.000-07:00

Just a funny story....tonight we finally had some much needed rain. It came in sheets and afterward left us with the most beautiful sunset. In the sky was a perfect full rainbow that was cast against a dark blue sky. It looked gorgeous. We were visiting Grandma Cox when Spencer runs into the house and says, "Let's go Mom. We're going to find some treasure. Get your shoes on!" Next he tells Rich, "We can just drive by in the van, I'll jump out and grab the treasure and we can go!" It was so simple to him! What a fun adventure that would've been!!! Later that night during prayers, Spencer prayed that the rainbow would just end at our house because he loves rainbows and he loves pots of gold!!! Certainly, that would simplify things even more.

(I got this picture from a neighbor.) Spencer could have easily found his treasure at the end of this rainbow!

The joys of summer!

2008-07-14T11:30:00.001-07:00

We've had a fun week. The boys got to go camping in the Uintahs with their Grandma Valeen. They had a lot of fun fishing, fighting over the front seat of the jeep and looking out for bears! I was told that they were so worried that I bear was going to find them and eat them. Grandma did her best to soothe their fears. It was a great chance to bond with their grandparents and their cousin, Maddie. We missed them at home like crazy. For the full day Ashley kept asking, "where boys?" Mom and Dad did our best to keep her entertained as well. She enjoyed swimming, shopping, waterskiing, and sleeping at Grandma Cox's while mom and dad went to see the Miss Utah preliminary competition.

Speaking of Miss Utah, I worked with two of the young ladies competing for Miss Utah while on the Miss Manti Pageant commitee. Kayla Barclay and Christine Cox. They did really well. I was excited when each of them won preliminary rounds and I was even more elated to have Kayla Barclay win as Miss Utah 2008. I have been blessed to rub shoulders with such special, hard working & dedicated women.

Spencer finally lost his first two teeth. They came out within a week of each other. He looks so cute, as you can see, with that big gap on the bottom! He was happy to have the toothfairy come. Things got a little scary for him for a few days because he misplaced his second tooth. Lucky for him, mom helped him find it and things went on as they should!

I spent a lot of time preparing for the Wyoming pioneer trek that our stake is taking the youth on. I've now got my pioneer clothes gathered, my bonnet has been sewed, and with the help of several others in the ward we've got the majority of the 60 kids that are coming with just our ward ready too. I'm looking forward to the experiences this sort of trip will bring. Rich still hasn't found someone to cover him at work so there is a posssibility that he won't be able to come anymore. I choose to hold faith that things will still work out because I'd be sad not to have him with me.

2008-07-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

The boys have been finding more and more bugs around the yard. This is a reoccurring hobby that has been around from summer to summer! We've seen collections from potato bugs to caterpillar's and from crickets to grasshoppers! They've even helped Daddy destroy a Black Widow with her egg sack. They love to catch butterflies with the nets Grandma Valeen bought for them. But the part that mommy struggles with, is that they love their bugs so much that they often try to bring them in the house. The other day, Spencer came to show me his latest grasshopper catch and when he opened his hand the little jumper came right at me. I caught him running around the house later on trying to re-catch another one!!! Boys are full of exciting times.

I found a website full of fun hair do's for little girls so I've started experimenting on Ashley's hair. This one is called the lattice; it is one of my favorites! She loves ponytails. Everyday I ask her how she'd like her hair combed and she tells me, "pony!" We've compromised by having me decorate the top and bringing the ends into a ponytail. This way everyone is happy!!!

In the beginning....

2008-06-25T11:26:00.000-07:00

My good friend, Anna, has taught me to blog and I'm really excited. I look forward to writing about my family and the wonderful things that we are busy doing! The trickest part is deciding where to start!!

Our family decided to participate in the Mormon Miracle Pageant for the first time this year. The pageant is put on by the city of Manti, UT. There are over 700 cast members and this year approx. 80,000 people came during the 10 days it was presented. The LDS church members provide meals every night and breakfast each weekend morning to those visiting the area. This alone takes a lot of energy and time from the community. Rich helped several others put up 14,000 chairs in less than 70 minutes. Each year they try to break a record! We got to be a Nephite Family. The boys and I were ribbon

dancers while Dad and Ashley played games with Grandma Cox, Kenyon, Steven and Sam. We had fun and everyone learned a lot about the scripture stories. When asked, both boys said that their favorite part was the Nephite/ Lamanite battle scence between Zarahemla and Captain Moroni. I'm not surprised since they love anything that has to do with swords! I loved being in the Christ in America scene. I felt the spirit as if I had been there in person. This year we experienced a miracle during the pageant. On the last Friday night performance, the lighting computers failed. In this day with technology the way it is the show would be ruined without it. The technicians feverishly worked to get things up and running without success. Finally, it was announced that the show would start and only the spotlights would be used. We had the opening prayer and immediately after the prayer was finished both computers came up and ran flawlessly the entire night! The Lord truly looks after us.

Spencer and Cameron played T-Ball this month too. It was Cameron's first year and he had a lot of fun. The year experience that Spencer had seemed to help him take the game more serious. One day, Cameron was on first base and when the batter hit the ball it rolled in front of him. We all yelled for him to "go!" He got confused and ran to the ball, picked it up and threw it to homebase before running to 2nd base!!

Ashley participated in the cheerleading camp that the high school cheerleaders provide as a fund raiser. She was so cute. She did her best to participate but mostly stood in awe looking at all the "big girls" she was able to play with. Every morning she was eager to go to "dance class." She got a t-shirt and some popsicles which made her day.