Brian Head

Brent took me to Brian Head for the night. It was so beautiful there and so much SNOW! We stayed in a condo that Brent's boss let us borrow. It was so much fun to snuggle up and watch the snow fall in such a beautiful place. We ate yummy pizza, watched movies and talked all night. It was such a wonderful night! Thanks Brent! I always love our little adventures together and creating new memories.

John's Blessing

Our adorable nephew John was blessed on the 5th of February. Isn't he SO cute! It was so great seeing family and sharing this special day with Mark & Em! I really have married into such a great family and I love spending time with them and getting to know them more and more each time! Congrats again Mark, Em & big brother Scott!

Christmas & a New Year

I love being able to celebrate the birth and life of our savior Jesus Christ. During Christmas season it is hard to keep him in our hearts when everywhere you go it is all about spending money and buying presents. It’s all about the ME’s. Granted it is nice to get a gift from someone showing how much they care about you, but for me that is not Christmas. I could live without the presents, the big dinners, the trees, and lights. I love this season for the special spirit it brings, for the wonderful time spent with family, and the peace you feel from Heavenly Father.

This year, I had the fun opportunity to help my parents wrap gifts. We went to walmart to pick up a few gifts for my dad - some things totally random! Then we created the most evil style of wrapping them we could think of. Mom secretly asked Cam and I to "wrap" one for Paige. We told her it was another one for dad and she even helped us do the most evil wrapping techniques yet used.

Later that day we spent Christmas Eve with Brent's Family. It was so much fun, and we got to see our new nephew John for the first time. He is such a cutie. We had such fun playing games and eating really good food and talking to family we don't see often. I enjoyed spending time playing with our cute nephews and niece. They are such funny kids! We didn't want to leave, but we couldn't stay too late because with my dads new schedule at work he needed to be there very early the next morning, and we wanted to do my family's 'Eve' traditions too. 


This year my family traditions were really special to me. Every year my dad reads to us 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' and the nativity story from the Bible. I love listening to my dad read, he has such an amazing voice! And this year, after my dad read, he told us all how much he loves us and how proud of all of us and who we were turning into. How much we mean to him and that we make him want to be better. And yes, to everyone who is wondering, I did cry like a baby. It really meant so much to me to hear my dad say the things he did. It was the best gift!


We all decided to wake up extremely early in the morning before dad left for work to open our gifts. It was hysterical watching Paige realize that the gift we horribly wrapped was for her and not dad. It took her a 1/2 hour to unwrap it and we were all laughing so hard! It really was a wonderful Christmas morning! Later, dad decided to get even with mom and took us all to walmart to find gifts for her. We again wrapped them as horribly as possible and loved watching her try to open them.

Paige and Cam were going to come down for the week, but Paige's ball coach changed that plan. It was so DUMB! But I decided that since I already took the week off that I would stay and spend the time with family again. It has been so great spending so much time with them, but I did miss being with Brent!!! 



Then my family and one of Cams' friends came down to celebrate New Years. We had a lot of fun playing games all night and watching movies. It was a great way to bring in the New Year!


We just want to let you all know how thankful we are for you. Thank you to all our family and friends for the gifts. They were so amazing and are very appreciated! We are so grateful to have such wonderful people in our lives.We hope you all had a very wonderful Christmas and that this year is great one.

Nephew

A new nephew joined our family. John Cristian. What a cutie!

Congrats Mark, Em, and big brother Scott!

Gratitude

We have so much to be thankful for this year. We have had a lot of challenges and trials, but through them we have grown stronger. I am so thankful for these trials. Because of them I have been able to form a better relationship with my Father in Heaven, my testimony has been strengthened and I have come to see the blessings that have come because of them. I have also been able to strengthen my marriage and have a better and more loving relationship with Brent, who is the best man I could ever wish to have as my eternal companion and as my best friend, and I am so grateful for him in my life! I wouldn’t change this life or the trials I have been handed for anything. It certainly hasn’t been easy, but they have made me into the person I am. I am closer to my God than I ever had been before and I can feel his love for me in everything he does. I don’t know the “why’s” behind everything, but I do know that whatever Heavenly Father does is for our good.

We have been fighting 4 years for the miracle of having a precious baby added to our family. It has been the hardest trial/journey we have ever faced. It has been the cause of many tears and sleepless nights for both Brent & me. We have not had the opportunity to do many medical treatments, not only because of finances but most importantly because we have the feeling that it is not the right path for us. It has been the hardest part of this whole journey - not fighting, but just being patient and having faith... knowing that Heavenly Father will keep his promises. It has also been a hard thing for many people to accept about us, and many have said very hurtful things because of it. They do not understand that even though we haven’t done everything possible for the chance to conceive, that it does not make it any easier to deal with or stop the ache in our hearts. It has been such a roller-coaster each month hoping and praying that our miracle happens.

This year I have tried to turn my focus not on my aching heart and empty arms, but on my Savior and Heavenly Father. They have blessed me so much during this past year and through my entire life. I will be a better person and mother because of the things I have faced in this trial, if I don’t give up and endure in faith. Just because God has not given me a child, does not mean that he doesn’t love me and want what is best for me. He wants me to be happy and turn to him when the pain is too much to carry on my own. To keep going with hope and faith. It is such a blessing and a comfort to know that because of the atonement, my Savior knows my pain and sorrow. He knows my struggles and the reason behind each tear. He knows exactly how I feel... but he also sees the light at the end - so he is able to guide and help me through every step of this trial. Knowing that the same Jesus Christ who walked on the earth, healing spiritual and physical sickness of every kind, can heal the sickness that infertility creates in my heart. He lives, and the knowledge of His love and of His Atonement is a greater gift than any other — even the gift of being a mother. Instead of asking “why me?” I now try to ask “why not me?” I chose this life and the trials in it in the pre-existence. I know I can over come everything because I know God would not have given me it if I couldn’t. I can do anything with his help. I am still dealing with this trial every day and know I will have ups and downs, but because of my savior I know things will be ok and Brent & I can make it!

Thank you Heavenly Father!

This year for Thanksgiving we had the wonderful opportunity to spend it with my Family. We had my grandparents, Uncles & Aunts, and cousins too. It was so wonderful spending time with family I don’t see very often. The only thing that would have made it better was if Brent didn’t have to work the next day. So sadly he left shortly after dinner. I stayed with my family because I really didn’t want to sit home and do nothing. It was so great spending so much time with my siblings. I was also able to pick up our car from the shop! We are so excited to have 2 cars again! I drove it home Monday morning after getting it registered. The only down side is that it still doesn’t run great. The price was 400$ more than what the quote was for and it still barely runs. Oh well, at least I am not sitting in the car anymore for hours waiting for Brent to get off work everyday. Although I will miss the time in the car I used as scripture study… it really will be nice to be home and comfortable. Lol

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!