2 weeks with a girl named Paige

We had the fun opportunity to have my little sis down for a few weeks. She is one busy person, so when she finally had some free time Brent & I snatched her up. She is such a fun person to be around and we enjoyed the time we were able to spend with her! We had so much fun and were able to do a lot of things while she was here, like seeing "The Avengers" and "Snow White and the Huntsman" (both great movies!). We drove through the Kolob part of Zions and showed her the amazing park, had amazing dinners (one of which she bought ingredients and cooked - and boy is she a great cook!), went shopping and site seeing around town, watched a million movies at home, played games, and just simply had a blast!

My absolute favorite thing we did while she was here, was going to St. George. We took her out to eat at the Olive Garden - it was her first time and I think she LOVED it! Afterward, we took her to do Baptisms at the temple. It was such a special moment for me and my sis. A little back-story: Paige got baptized a few days after Brent & I were married, and because of us being on our honeymoon, we weren't able to attend - so being able to take her to the temple to do baptisms was amazing, and even more so because it was her first time. And to make it truly special, it was the day Brent & I celebrated our 6th anniversary of being sealed in the temple for eternity! When we got to the temple it was amazing to feel how strong the spirit was. The temple patrons were so in love with Paige and doted on her the whole time which I was an amazing thing for her! I am so appreciative of those ladies making her feel so comfortable and letting her know how special she was. Brent was even able to baptize and confirm us.  How amazing right! I absolutely love the St. George Temple and it was so wonderful to have it be a special place for her too!

Then on Sunday both Paige & I had the opportunity to bear our testimonies in Sacrament Meeting. Paige's testimony was so sweet and special. For her to tell her thoughts and feelings on the temple and how much she loved it and knew it was a special place, was the most wonderful thing for me to hear. I love the temple so much and to be able to share my love with my sister was the most amazing experience and I am so grateful for it! I am so grateful for the gospel in my life and that I have a strong testimony of Temples. I am so grateful that I know I can be with my family forever because of them. I am so grateful to have a Heavenly Father who loves us so much. I hope someday to have the opportunity to have all of my family gathered in the temple with us.

Thanks for spending time with us Paige. We love you and hope to have you back down again soon!

Trip to the Coxes

A little bit ago, Brent and I made a trip to see Brent's brother Mark and his sweet family. It is always so nice being able to see them. We have such cute nephews and it is so great being able to make memories with them when we can. We had fun going to Cabela's with the kids, eating YUMMY food (Em is a seriously good cook!), and us girls, and Scott, painted our nails - which were awesome by the way, mine were done like pac-man and Em's were peacock feathers. My most favorite moment of the trip was when Em & I were forced to go to take a midnight fun to Walmart. We were not happy about it but decided to make the most of it. We blasted the radio on the way and sang out hearts out to Queen's 'fat bottom girls' and other classics. We had a blast goofing around and plotting what we were going to do the next day. We laughed hysterically when walking down the ice cream isle and found this in the freezer....

And to top it off ... our cashier and hit on us! It was great!

Thanks Mark & Em for letting us come visit.
We had a great time and loved spending time with you!

Good-bye to a great friend

Lost a great guy and friend today. We all miss you and love you so much! I am so blessed to have known you in my life! Even though I haven't seen you in years I think of you often and I will always think of you and Susan as my other Mom & Dad. I have so many many wonderful memories of you! You were such a huge part of my childhood. Thank you for everything....... for being in my life! I love you Larry Worley!

A day with the girls and family

I had the fun experience of going with all of the Cox girls to see the new Twilight movie - Breaking Dawn pt 1. It is a tradition for them to all go, and this was the first time my schedule would allow me to go with. It was so much fun spending time with my in-laws. I don't get to do it very often and I wish I could do it much more often. It was a hard day dealing with depression for me, but I really loved every minute spent with them. They are such a amazing group of women. We also went and ate yummy mexican food and just had a fun time talking. I can't wait till the next movie to do it again!

When we got back, Brent and I ran to my parents to see Paige in her first High School play. It was Footloose. They did a such great job and it was such a blast watching Paige in every dance number. She really did great and the 80's style totally works for her...so much that I didn't recognize her in some of the numbers! It was even good to see my evil band teacher (I LOTH this man) only because it was fun watching my whole family make fun of him. Brent was even going to go confront him. Man I love my family.

Thanks everyone for such a wonderful weekend!

A weekend with Darin

We had Brent's younger brother Darin come down for a weekend. This was the first time we have ever really been able to spend time with just him. We really enjoyed every minute he was here. One of the best things we were able to do was make another trip to Zions. He had never been there before so it was really fun to show him around. We even did a hike Brent & I had never tried before. It was neat experiencing new things. Thanks so much for coming, Darin. It was great getting to know you better. You are welcome to come down again whenever!!

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A weekend with Mom & Paige

This past weekend for Labor Day Weekend, my Mom and sister came down for a visit. It was so much fun spending time with them. My sister is honestly the silliest person I know. It's fun (but really makes me feel old) seeing her grow into a young lady and hearing about boys and high school.

On Saturday we were going to go hiking in Zions but no one could wake up in time, so we decided to go shopping and get pedicures. Brent even came with us. Mom and Paige had never gotten pedicures done before, so it was fun to experience it with them. Boy was it relaxing and felt so great! After, we went to Sally's and bought hair dye and stuff for our nails. It was so fun just hanging out with my family all day. I loved it!

Sunday was a very emotional day at church with baby blessings and lessons on Eternal Families. I was very grateful to have my mom with me. Afterward, we had a very yummy dinner Brent made, and had fun painting nails and dying our hair.

Monday, we all woke up early to go to Zions. Paige and Mom hadn't been hiking there before so we made sure to take them to some of our favorite places like weeping rock and the emerald pools. It was perfect hiking weather with it cloudy and sprinkling occasionally. It was such a fun day and a wonderful weekend. Thanks Mom & Paige for coming. We love having you guys come down and spending time with you!

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a week with family: like falling down a rabbit hole by: joey!

After the DeLeeuw family reunion, I was able to go to Cedar City with Cameron to visit Megan (a cousin who I never got to know). She was such an interesting character. She was full of excitement. She showed me so many cool things there. It was so much fun because we hit it off once we got to know each other as cousins...haha. While we were there she took us to the Renaissance Fair almost everyday. She acted like a mother towards me, payed for me when I lost my $20, and made us dinner =). Our schedules were pretty much mapped out. Every morning I'd wake up and have breakfast with Cam. Pass the time playing video games and watching movies until Megan got home from work. Then we would go to the store or the Fair then go home and make dinner. Afterwards we would watch a movie or play..again. Don't get me wrong it was fun. But my favorite moments weren't when we were at the fair, or when I was watching a million movies that I'd never seen that were apparently classics, or when we were up at 2 in the morning laughing our heads off while Brent slept. Instead they were when I was getting to know Brent and Megan. My favorite moments were when I had heart felt conversations with my new friend, one whom I would end up calling mom and speak to almost everyday. I enjoyed getting to know my wonderful, strong, bold cousin. She helped to open my eyes about just how important the church is. How important family is. Megan you will be a great mother when the time comes. Your excitement about the church just made me want to be more like you. So in a way my adventure to Cedar City can be seen as an adventure down to wonderland. Megan is like the Mad Hatter in this tale. Brilliant and likable. Going into Wonderland, Alice was indecisive and couldn't see the world for what it was. I was similar to Alice in that i didn't know much about who I wanted to be. Leaving Cedar City made me feel like I knew who I wanted to be. Thank you Megan for....everything.

(My sweet cousin Joey wrote the above. Seriously the sweetest thing anyone has ever said about me!! Thank you Joey! It was so fun having him and Cameron out for a week. Don't you just love the picture of them in jars!! Thank you Joey for coming down and for everything you did...especially for that extremely yummy dinner you made us. It was so nice to get to know you more. You are such a special person and we love you.)

Four weekends and a Wedding

Life has been pretty busy lately....

Weekend #1: Brent & I celebrated our 5 year anniversary of being sealed in the temple for eternity. I really can't believe it has been that long ago! We were able to go up to Sanpete that weekend to do a session in the Manti Temple to celebrate and also so that I could make it to Jenessa's bridal shower. I love the Manti Temple. It always has such a wonderful and special feeling that is different from all other temples. It was wonderful to see Nessa again and to spend more time with Jason. I'm so glad she loved the sign I made them.

Weekend #2: We were able to go up to Sanpete again but this time it was to see the Mormon Miracle Pageant. We were able to meet up with my cousins Amanda (who is currently living in Hawaii), her fun in-laws, and my other cousins Laura, and Arianne. It was so wonderful to see the pageant again..especially since I grew up being in it pretty much every year. I was still able to quote most of it! We were also able to do another session in the Manti Temple. It really is the hardest thing to put into words how strong the spirit is there.

Weekend #3: Again up to Sanpete. This time to be with Jenessa as she went through the temple for the first time. I loved every minute I was able to share with her on that beautiful and wonderful day. The spirit was so incredibly strong and I know her mom was there with her. Seeing Jenessa in the Celestial room really brought back so many memories of when I went through to receive my own Endowments. I am so truly grateful for the gospel in my life and for the precious experiences I have been able to have because of it. We were then able to go to Brent's parents house to help them put a sprinkler system in their yard. It was hard work but it was great to be able to spend time with them and being able to work hard to accomplish our goals. We were also able to visit with Brent's mom since she had her surgery. We wish you a speedy recovery mom. We love you.

Weekend #4: Back up to Sanpete for my DeLeeuw Family Reunion. It was so great to go camping and to see so much family...most of whom I haven't seen in years. It was so fun!! I have such a goofy and loving family! Also this weekend Jenessa and Jason were married and we were blessed to be able to be there. It was so neat to listen to the sealer marry them and to hear and know that the spirit was directing him to things he needed to say. We were able to spend the day with them through the pictures, lunch, and reception. It was so wonderful to see Nessa so happy and seeing how much Jason really loves her. Nessa, I love you and I am so grateful that you found your prince. You are the most special person I have ever met and you are the best friend anyone could ask for. I am so lucky that I have been able to know you and have you for a friend for 18 years...and I look forward to many many more. Thank you Jason for treating her the way she deserves and making her happy. And thank you so much for letting us be a part of this special day! We wish you the most happiness in your life together!!

A lot happened during these 4 weeks. It was amazing being able to go to the temple each week and to feel the spirit so strongly. It has made me more positive about things going on in my life and the trials I am facing, and I am trying to remember those feelings I felt and incorporate them in every day. I love my family and I am so grateful for this chance we had to spend so much time with them. And I am especially thankful for the wonderful blessing of sharing this time with Jenessa and Jason. What a wonderful life we have because of our family, friends, and the gospel!

A Day in Page

This past Saturday we decided to make a trip to Page, AZ to visit cousins before they moved. It was a long drive but so worth it. It was so nice seeing them. The kids have grown up so much since the last time we saw them. They are so cute and funny! The youngest little girl was born 3 months early weighing only just over a pound...and now she is 3 and is the happiest little girl. We were also able to see another cousin and his wife who came to visit too. It was so nice seeing everyone and spending time having fun. We all decided to have a hotdog roast at Lake Powell for dinner. It was so fun having it right on the beach. It was Brent's first time being there and I think he loved it. It was so beautiful!

We will miss the Sorensen family but we are excited for this new adventure for your family. Love you all so much!

Surgery

So I found out this past Thursday that my Mom is having surgery to remove her Thyroid. She went into surgery at 10 this morning. I hope this are going well for her and that this surgery will be able to help her.

A surprise visit

Brent got a surprising call from his sister Karen and her hubby Ryan on Thursday to let us know they were on their way here. We were so excited to have them here! Ryan just had surgery on his brain a few weeks earlier and were concerned for his comfort but were delighted he was up to the trip. We weren't able to do much but we loved the time we had with them! On Friday we all drove to the Coxes to visit them and help them finish their office room. It is crazy to see how much the guys were able to accomplish in that room in just the 2 days we were there! It was wonderful being able to see so much family and being able to help. Karen and I even made about 40 bottles of yummy strawberry jam. Cindy and her cute kids also were able to come down. It is so great seeing how much my autistic nephew is doing, and how much the other two kids are growing and talking. We were even able to stop and see Brent's Grandma on our way home. We love being able to stop by and see her whenever we can! She is one of the sweetest old ladies I have ever met.

It was a great weekend seeing lots of family! Thank Karen & Ryan for the wonderful visit!

Welcome home Darin!

Brent's little brother Darin just came home from serving a mission in Washington state for 2 years. It is so wonderful having him home. It almost seems like he never left.

We missed you Darin and we are so very proud of you for serving the Lord!

Time with family

My mom called us and pretty much told us we were coming up for the big Superbowl game. It was so much fun to go up (even on short notice) and be with my family. I don't think I've ever laughed as hard as I did when mom tackled dad while he was getting his shoes, on and started tickling him. It was so good to hear dad laugh. After Dad went to the store and bought her flowers to let her know she would never get them again if she ever tickled him! And later when mom was aiming to make dad smile but by his account she was just trying to kill him with whipped cream. I was so glad to see my parents smiling! I was also able to play some video games with my awesome siblings. Our favorite is Little Big Planet. It is hilarious watching us all play together! The football game was pretty fun to watch (although I hate watching games on the TV. Stupid commentators!). I just wish the sound was better. Black Eyed Peas really didn't do well as a halftime show when the sound is off! It was so nice being able to spend time with my family. I love them all and miss seeing them.

Grandpa and his airplane

This is my grandpa with the airplane that took 6 years to build. Love you Grandpa!

Dad

My dad had surgery on the 30th of November on his Back. So far he is recovering well. The meds made him kinda loopy for a while but he is doing his best to stay off them. He was able to come spend about week with Brent and I. It was so wonderful having him here. Him and I were even able to Christmas shopping for my Mom and go out on a Daddy-daughter date to go see Tangled (which is now my favorite movie ever... right next to Little Mermaid!!). We watched lots of good movies, ate yummy Thai food and just had fun talking. I just felt bad we weren't able to spend more time with him before he had to leave. Love you Dad and hope you have a great and fast recovery.

Amanda & Solomon Nair and a wonderful weekend

My wonderful cousin Amanda and her fiance Solomon, who have been waiting about 6 months to get clearance to be married in the Temple, finally were able to go to the Manti Temple to be sealed for time & eternity on Thursday the 28th of October. I was so lucky to be able to attend. They looked so completely happy together. Congrats again you guys! After the wedding was a luncheon at the church. My mom and Cam were able to come. We all stood up and gave a toast to the happy couple and like a complete idiot I cried (I blame Jene Beal)!! and to make it worse it was recorded!! I felt so dumb.. but oh well I was just happy to be there... at least I wasn't calling Solomon the wrong name like Grandma (I love my silly grandma)! Love ya Manda! And I can't wait to get to know you more Solomon. Congrats to both of you!

Friday was a fun day. I did Paige's makeup really neat for her Halloween costume and went and watched her school dance with my mom. Some of the kids in her grade had some great costumes! Captain Underpants was one of my favorites. He had a superhero costume on with a pair of his old underwear on top. So funny. One of Paige's teachers was Edward Cullen. I thought it was just sweat at first. Oops. After the dance we all traveled up North... dropped Paige at a friends house for the weekend and Mom and I went shopping before going to Manda and Sol's reception. It was so fun just spending the day with my mom. I haven't been able to do that for such a long time! Brent traveled to my parents house that night. I missed him so much and was glad to snuggle up to him that night.

Saturday we had a great day just having fun with my parents. We went to a Snow College football game. It poured rain like crazy but it was way fun. I tried some kettle corn and I actually loved it! We then went home and ate yummy food and watched "The Poltergeist" for some Halloween fun. It was such a great weekend!!!!

Weekend with my family

After the funeral. I was able to go and spend some time with my family. I met them at the Theater to see RED (Retired and Extremely Dangerous). It was so funny - I loved it! After, we went to eat at the snow dragon for some yummy Chinese food. I loved every minute being able to spend time with my family. I miss them so much. Thanks for all the talks Paige, for always wanting to include me Cam, and for always letting me feel right at home Mom!

In the morning Dad and I decided to go on a four-wheeler ride up the canyon and just spend some time just the 2 of us. Dad took me on his favorite ride on the canyon. It was so breathtakingly beautiful even though we got rained and snowed on a little bit! I didn't realize how much I've missed the smell of being in the mountains! We went all the way to the top of the canyon. Such an amazing view! While there my Dad and I had a wonderful heartfelt talk, we hugged and I cried. My Daddy is the most wonderful man! I love him so much and miss being able to spend time with him. Dad I know you have been through a lot lately... but I want you to know that we love you and are so proud of you. Thanks for all you do. Love you Daddy!

Grandpa Strate

Today Brent's grandpa passed away. Kent Strate was the father of Ellen Strate Cox, Brent's mother who returned to her Heavenly Father after a long fight with cancer when he was 12.

It was a complete surprise this past Friday when we received word that he wasn't doing well and only had a few days left. We had no idea that he had been bed-ridden for over a month and hadn't been able to eat or drink for weeks. We, and some of Brent's family, decided to go say goodbye to him on Sunday. We are so grateful that we did! It was a very difficult day for everyone.

This morning around 6 am we got a call that he had passed. What a blessing that we were able to make it up there and say our good byes. Below are pictures from his funeral that took place on October 15th.

Mother & Father's day

I am so grateful for my family! I have the most wonderful parents anyone could ever have. I am so thankful for them and all the support and love they have always given Brent & I. Mom & Dad, I love you soo much. I am also thankful for my in-laws... especially for raising the good man I married. Granted, there are times when I don't fit in well with them or even feel well liked, but I am truly grateful for all the time we have spent together with them lately, for the chance to get to know them better, and for all their love! They are great people and I am so glad to be able to call them Mom & Dad. I hope you all had a wonderful Mother & Father's Day!

We were able to be up in Sanpete for Father's Day. It was so great to be able to see so much family. We went up to Brent's parents on Saturday after he got off work. Kenzie and our nephew Scott were also there. Scott is such a cute kid.. and so smart! It was so fun playing games and just having fun with them!

On Sunday we were able to visit Brent's grandparents. They are the sweetest people! They love Brent so much! We then made our way down to my parents house to surprise my dad. We were able to pick up a painting he had on layaway and bring it to him. I think he was really surprised and really excited! We all decided to go to the lake that afternoon. My cute cousin Morgan (who is staying with my parents right now) and my Uncle Curt and his family came with us. It was fun watching all the kids swim, letting fish nibble on my toes (weirdest feeling thing ever!), and watching Gemma in the water.. which she hated! The funniest part was holding Gemma right above the water and watching her "air-swim"! The rest of the day was spent eating hamburgers and playing games and laughing. It was such a great day! When we were getting ready to leave Morgan and my sister decided to take me hostage. They did pretty much everything from hanging on my legs and sitting on me to locking me in the bathroom to keep me from going. It was so funny and I was laughing so hard! What a great weekend. Thanks everyone who celebrated it with us! Love you all!

A fun weekend

This past weekend the in-laws called and asked if we could go up and help them get ready for their garage sale. Brent had to work till 1 and then we were off. We were so glad to be able to go up and help out. I wish we had been able to help out more than we did cause it honestly feels like we didn't do anything. Thanks Mom & Dad for inviting us up and for all that you do for us. We love you and we love all the time we have been able to spend with you lately!

We were also able to surprise my not so little brother anymore on his birthday. My parents only live about a half hour from the in-laws so it was so great to visit them too. They had no idea we were coming and it took everyone by surprise! It was so fun. We all played Little Big Planet and Phase 10, ate a yummy dinner and cake. I was able to see lots of my family too including my grandparents and Aunt & Uncle. Happy Birthday Cam. I love you so much! You have grown into such an amazing man. You have so many amazing talents and abilities. Thanks for letting us be a part of your birthday. I can't wait for you to come visit! Love ya! I was also so glad to finally see my Daddy since his surgery. I wish I could have stayed longer with him. It was so good to see him laugh..even though it hurt his tummy. I love you Dad and I hope things get better for you really soon!