Halloween Time

We finally decorated for Halloween!! What a great FHE activity :) I'll have to add pictures later since I forgot to bring my camera with me today, but I feel much more like it's Halloween time after decorating :) Now we just need to carve pumpkins .... Who knows when that will happen. Probably next week for FHE! Well, anyway, I'm excited for Halloween this year. It's too bad you have to grow out of trick-or-treating. I'll just have to wait til we have kids and then we get to do all the kid stuff again! Well, anyway, Happy Halloween! Check back for pictures!

A shout out to all you Californians

Is this what you want to see??

Lately, I've heard a lot of stories about the proposition 8 in California. After learning more and having time to think about it, I really feel strongly that Marriage redefined would be life redefined, and not for the better. Think of what redefining marriage would do. Universities would have to provide gay housing, more church leaders would get into legal trouble for refusing to marry gay couples (which I personally think is more repressive than not allowing the marriage), our children would be taught about gay marriage from the moment they enter school. In fact, there's a video about a family in Massachusetts who asked the school to at least honor their parental rights by notifying them when they were talking about gay marriages, but the school refused and went so far as to arrest the husband. Here's the link if you want to watch: http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/
bcpid1815820715/bctid1822459319. I've heard of a church leader from a Christian church in Arizona (where gay marriage has been allowed) who had to stop practicing his religion altogether because he was not allowed to turn away a gay couple who wanted him to marry them.There's also a statement from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that expains why the church is advocating more than usual which is enlightening for anyone to read - member and non-member alike. It's called "The Divine Institution of Marriage" and here's the link for that to: http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/
the-divine-institution-of-marriage. So, any of you who are from CA and can vote, please do!! Not only for you, but for the rest of the nation. This is something that could change life as we know it and it shouldn't be taken lightly. Well, there's my opinion. Take it for what it's worth.

General Conference = AMAZING!

As many of you are probably aware, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just had it's 178th semiannual General Conference. It was so great! I'm so glad that we have them every 6 months because I'm always feeling ready for some spiritual fuel by the time it comes. It just makes me so happy when I watch! This year I was touched by the messages of simplicity, preparedness, unity and gratitude. Of course there were tons of topics covered, but those are a few specific things that stood out to me as things that I needed to hear. I just can't get over the fact that we have a living prophet who truly loves us and tells us what our Father in Heaven wants us to hear!

Preston & I were able to go to the Conference Center for the Sunday afternoon session. I love being there! I kinda stepped in a puddle of mud on my way to the conference center from the car :) We were holding hands walking on the sidewalk behind a couple who was pushing a stroller and Preston started moving closer to me, so I thought that was his cue to pass them on the grass. That's what I get for thinking I guess. I just went for it, thinking that if we were going to pass them we should be quick about it. Preston tried to warn me right as I stepped on the grass that it looked muddy. Too late. But, it was a nice thought anyway. I found out later that Preston was moving toward me because there was a lady on the sidewalk. Hello, you'd think I would have noticed that! haha. Silly me. So, I just had to go to Conference with a slighlty soggy shoe. After Conference was over, President Monson walked down into the congregation and came pretty close to where we were sitting. Everyone filled up the isle, so we didn't actually get to shake his hand or anything, but it was still such a great feeling to know that he cares about ME! And everyone else who was there. I know that Preston and I were touched by the messages at General Conference. Even if I didn't hear a word that was said, I would love going just for the feeling there. On our way back to the car, Preston almost stepped into mud, but I saved him with my brute strength :) haha. Well, I wish. But I did save him, somehow, with my non-existent strength.

It's also pretty neat for me to realize how well the gospel correlates with Social Work. Sometimes it is hard to know how to handle certain situations, but really, I just need to love the people that I'm helping and let them know that they have worth. There are so many wonderful people in the world and so many that are lost sheep and need someone to help them find a fold. I hope that I can be an angel in the lives of those I serve.

Besides watching conference, it was a good week with the family. We watched the Saturday morning session with friends and then went to Preston's house for the next session. His dad was actually there because there was a youth choir providing the music for that session. (he's in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir). So, that was fun! During the Priesthood session, I went to a movie with my mom, sister and grandma which was also fun. We also got smoothies afterward, which were yummy. Then, I met Preston back at his house and one of his friends came over and we all played games for a while. Sunday, we took our time in the morning and watched the session at Preston's house. Then we got to go to the Conference Center that night. We enjoyed a tasty dinner from my mom and then headed back to Provo. It was a good weekend. Now we get back to tests, class, homework, work, and internships. I'd rather just listen to conference every day :) Oh well, I do enjoy the Social Work program. It really is the best and it's too bad they ended the program. Well, you've probably all had similar experiences, but I wanted to share mine.


Taosting to Conference with our smoothies :)

We got someone to take a picture with Mumsy in it

I won the first game of pool which pretty much never happens, so I requested a picture to document my victory!

After General Conference

Close up outside the Conference Center

We asked a nice fellow to take our picture for us

Me talking to Mumsy in between pictures

This was actually the first picture that we took and we tried to block the sun with the camera ... bad idea :) We didn't really take shadows into account. But, it does make for a pretty funny picture.

BIRTHDAYS ... I love birthdays!

Well, I am now legal ... whatever that means. Now I can do a bunch of stuff that I will never do anyway and be legal about it. So, yay! But, as many of you probably know, I LOVE my birthday :) Don't ask me why ... it's just like my own personal holiday or something. Anyway, so it was a couple days ago and I wanted to share it with you! I made sure to document the whole day just for the blog :) Well, we got most of it anyway. I didn't get a picture of the yummy birthday breakfast that Preston made me, though. It was the Doxey style birthday breakfast of French Toast (sometimes pancakes or waffles) with warm cherry pie topping and ice cream! Mmmm .... What a great way to start the day! After that, we went to the BYU footaball game, which was a victory for us of course. They had to win because it was my birthday! Then, we went to the D.I. to drop off some of my old clothes and shoes so that I could buy more with my birthday money :) It was pretty exciting cuz I've never done that before! On our way home from DI, we decided to stop at a pet store and look at the puppies (which I also didn't get a picture of). They were SOOOOO cute! Sometime, hopefully soon, we'll be able to go to humane society and pick one to take home with us. When we did make it home, Preston sent me on a scavenger hunt for my gifts. Basically all his gifts were to pamper me. He gave me certificates for a manicure, pedicure, tanning and he got me some facial stuff. I've never gotten manicures or pedicures or anything like that, so it was kind of exciting! The tanning ... well, I might trade that in for a haircut or something cuz Preston told me I could :) He wasn't sure about that one, but he figured it fit with the other gifts, so he'd get it anyway. It was a good thought. He also got me a boardgame that I really wanted. It's called Thurn and Taxis. I highly recommend it to any of you who like to play games. My mom also had him pick up some games for me as her gift. So now I have 4 or 5 new games! yay! After opening all the gifts, we went to dinner at the Outback Steakhouse where we managed to get an appetizer, steak dinner, and dessert all for just $20! That's what sharing and getting a complimentary birthday dessert does for ya :) After that, he started driving somewhere and I had no idea where we were going until we got there. We went to Liz's place and she had made me an oatmeal cake cuz that's my favorite! Willie, one of my freshman friends came over and we all just talked for a couple hours. It was fun! And then we got to go home and play a game. I chose one of my new games to play because I usually beat Preston at it, but this time he won ... :( So sad. But I'm over it. Well, I hope you enjoy the pictures! It was a great birthday!

Getting excited for my birthday the day before

Going to dinner with the fam to celebrate!

Being excited to be at the game

Go Cougars! Too bad we didn't get the scoreboard in here ;)

Angie Sandwich

Me and the boys ...

Dan and Preston being silly.

Me, Preston, Dan, Katy, Travis and some other random people

The first gift in the scavenger hunt!

Opening the card (which was from Preston's mom).

I was stumped with the next clue.

(you can see the birthday money from mom!)

Finally, I figured it out and got the next clue from the piano

I got the next card there (from grandma Cottrell)

And the next clue ... in the ping pong table.

Sitting on Liz's floor eating our cake Japanese style :)

Mmmm ... oatmeal cake! Thanks Liz!

Liz and Wille showing off their personalities :)

Group picture!

As you can see, we had a lot of fun! Preston is just way to good to me! And that's how it should be :)

Let The Games Begin

The football season has begun!! These are from our first game. The coolest picture is the one with Cosmo! Especially because just before that, he had pointed at Preston's shirt from the field and gave a thumbs up! Anyway, yay for football and go Cougs!

Yay for Cosmo

Travis and Katy

Haha, Rob came with us to the game even though he goes to the U and is definitely a U fan. But, notice that he's wearing blue! :)

First Anniversary!!

We made it a whole year!! YAY :) Unfortunately, on our actual Anniversary, we didn't have much time to do something super exciting, but I took Preston on a scavenger hunt for a few gifts: a swimsuit (one he had lost on one of our trips), a book of our life together, and a DVD of all the things we've done in the last year. And of course, I was waiting at the end of the scavenger hunt in my wedding dress for good time's sake :) After that we just went to the Olive Garden and saw Iron Man at the dollar theater. It was funny because my grandparents were actually at the same movie, but we didn't see them until after. Then we stopped for frosties on the way home cuz ice cream is the best way to end a good date! When we got home, Preston had an invitation waiting for me on our stairs for a formal dinner on friday. Well, it actually said the 27th which was wednesday ... but, that got cleared up :) So, on Friday we got all dressed up and went to a candlelit dinner at his parents house where his mom served us. Unfortunately, we didn't get any pictures of the table or anything, but it was beautiful. After dinner, he informed me that he had a surprise, so when we got home, we got our wedding cake top and went out to the car where he told me that he was taking me to the Anniversary Inn! So, off we went. It was an awesome room!! You'll see the pictures, but it really was a fun room. I liked the shower curtain the best. It was on a pulley so it was like a sail when you opened it. So cool!! Anyway, it was a good year and a great celebration!

our Anniversary (August 25th). You can kind of see the book of our life together that was one of the gifts for Preston.

In the car on our way to our formal dinner


After dinner


The rose petals all over the floor

This is the view you get as you walk into the room.

The fake birds hanging in the room :)

The mop that they had in the room ... haha

Preston driving the ship

Peeking out of the shower curtain that was the coolest thing ever!

Pouring the drinks :) ... sparkling cider that is

Our flutes filled with kisses

Leaving the Anniversary Inn. Until next year ... maybe?

Summer Vacations

We have enjoyed several great vacations this summer, so we thought we'd post some pictures from each. They're in order from the most recent trip: the cruise, Disneyland, California, Lake Powell and Bear Lake.

Waiting to board the ship!

Wearing the awesome lifejackets

Don't worry, we're not actually touching those whistles that who knows how many people have put their mouths on ... it's just pretend :)

Flying a helicopter! kinda

checking out all the cool planes and stuff.

This was a cool one with huge missiles

Formal night modeling

Snorkel time!

My sister, brother-in-law, mom, cousin Dakota and P-man

We caught tons of mini crabs. Every now and then they'd actually be able to pinch you, but most of them were too tiny.

After snorkeling

The chocolate buffet's amazing decoration! Most of it is made of real watermelons!

The dragon ice sculpture

Our elephant towel with Preston's glasses :)

Monkeys and bananas ... two of Preston's favorite things!

Cool Mexican men ( fake of course)

Sitting in front of the window at dinner

The Matterhorn with my in-laws!

Woohoo ... riding the carousel

Our wild ride ... Mikayla is a crazy driver!

Hat stop

Classic California Adventures family photo

Playing with Mickey's new princess toys

Swimming

Aw ... the cutest couple ever

Trolley ride in Toon Town

Minnie Mouse

Macho Prestonian ... the little boy in the window is impressed :)

I have a funny face cuz Preston was trying to push me off ... :(

Gorgeous 3-D glasses

Grrr ...

Cool new swim suit. The green parts are velvet :)

I love the sunset!

Matching outfits ... oh boy

Looking out at the beach one last time before we go home

Close up!

Kim, Trip, Preston and me!

All the family after going through the Newport Beach temple

Hot stuff

Yay for temples!

Temple grounds are always so pretty ... exhibit A

We're in Lake Powell!!

Playing the Great Dal Muti in the shade

Look at the eyebrow

First time at Bear Lake