Mark & Sherilyn

Alaska Cruise June 2011

2011-11-09T17:29:00.000-07:00

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What an amazing trip we had. We loved traveling with our good friends and can't wait until our next adventure. Alaska is truly some of the most beautiful places I have had the opportunity to see. We had amazing weather while we were there. We only had a little rain in Ketchikan. It will be a memory that I will treasure for many years to come. Thanks for aking us to go along with you to celebrate your 20th anniversary and our 15th anniversary. A little early but well worth it

Memorial Weekend

2011-07-13T12:40:00.001-06:00

We started of our weekend by heading to Gateway for a much needed dinner at California Pizza Kitchen with Paul, Catherine, Hallie & Ty. Hallie loved it. We did a little shopping and she had to show Mark a bracelet at one of the stores that she said was so beautiful. She loves her Uncle Mark and knows that he will do anything for her. After a fun evening of food, shooping and spending time with family went went home and packed up the car for a weekend of camping.

We left Saturday morning to meet my family at Jolly's Ranch for a little weekend of camping. It was not ideal weather for camping but we were able to have fun anyway. The guys were able to get in a round of golf at Hobble Creek golf course and had a super time. That evening we sat around the camp fire enjoying some smores and marshmellows. It did not rain on Saturday until really late after we were all in bed but it was pretty cold. The next morning we woke to overcast skys but not rain which was nice however by eveing the storm rolled in and some of us staying in tents decided to pack up and head for home. We left about 11:00. Here is a few pictures of the fun we had.

Luke sporting his shades upside down

Rachel, Mark & Paul enjoying a game of Rook

Molly & Lestar take a spin in the jeep

Cute baby Alyssa

Kyler such a cheese and adventurous boy.

Brandon - enjoying a little gooey smore!!!

Marlene, Kristine, Kelsie & Klyer enjoying what little sunshine there was

Lizzy & Ethan enjoying some time around the fire!

Some of the family round the fire!
This was Saturday night before the rain.
Michele, Alex, Rachel & Mike

Lestar enjoying her marshmellow

Lily & McKenna - two cuties

Krystal & Kelsie - best friends & cousins

Sunday evening around the fire - down comes the rain.

Spencer & Randy trying to enjoy the fire!!!

2011-05-02T09:35:00.001-06:00

What a great day to be an American. So proud of our service men and women and the leaders of our country who never gave up on pursuit of those who victimized this great county. Thanks for your sacrifice for our freedoms.

Hello Again

2011-05-02T09:24:00.001-06:00

As many of you know I work for a CPA office so between the months of Jan to April not much happens except for work. It is so nice to have another year of it over and now have so much to look forward to. I am so happy to finally get to see that maybe "SPRING" has finally arrived. It has been a long, cold and wet and we are all ready for some good days with a lot of sunshine.

We are heading to Alaska this year with our good friends the Heumann's to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary and our 15th wedding anniversary. We are so excited to get to go see this beautiful part of our country and to get to spend time with our wonderful friends. Then we will be heading off to Orlando for Mark's convention and also to get to spend some time with Mark's brother's family, Dave, Kelly, Ava, Luke and Logan who live in Virginia and we do not see often enough. We miss them and look forward to some time with them in Florida as well as when they come out for a long over due visit in August. It will be a summer filled with lots of good times.

Farewell 2010 - Welcome 2011

2011-01-07T17:46:00.000-07:00

We had a great Christmas season and enjoyed much time with family and friends. It was a busy month but I can say I enjoyed all the good times we had. We had a couple of company parties, neighborhood parties and was able to spend wonderful times with both our families. We went to zoo lights with some of my family, attended the Festival of Trees, was blessed to do tow Sub-for-Santa and reflect on our Savior Jesus Christ. It was a great way to end an incredible year. We were truly blessed and hope that as the new year begins that we can continue to serve others and to draw closer to our Savior.

This year at my extended family party my sister heard that my Aunt Charlyn had been writing here history and she was so gracious to share it with my sisters and I. I must say it has been one of the most precious gifts I received this Christmas. I am one of the youngest of the grand children on my moms side of the family and the youngest on my dads side so I was not lucky to be blessed with knowing my grandparents. I have been truly humbled to hear of the incredible struggles my grandma had after my grandfather passed away and she still had children at home to raise. She raised two wonderful boys and five incredible daughters. When my grandfather passed away she still had my uncle Raymond, my aunt Charlyn and aunt Karma still living at home. They did not have a lot and were considered poor but because of the love of the Savior and the testimonies that were shared they may have been poor by worldly standards but were so rich in the matters of the gospel. I was brought to tears as I read of the incredible faith that my Aunt shared, the love of the gospel and the great power of prayer. My testimony has grown as I have read of the struggles my grandma had but how she remained a faithful, loving, caring and spiritual leader to her children. I feel truly blessed to have such an amazing legacy. I love my Heavenly Father for blessing us with a wonderful grandma and grandpa who raised their children in the Church of Jesus Christ and kept them grounded in knowing what truly is important in life. I can say that I was also raised but to wonderful parents who brought with them the teaching of their parents and am so grateful that they raised us in the gospel and helped to know what is truly important and that is to have faith in the Savior and to live the gospel to its fullest. Thank you Aunt Charlyn for sharing

May this New Year find each of you being blessed even more. We are so grateful for the examples and love of each of you in our lives and are better because of each one of you.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-21T12:03:00.002-07:00

This year has been an incredible Christmas season for Mark & I. We have enjoyed many wonderful parties with family and friends, Christmas shopping, zoo lights, going to Jazz games and just enjoying this wonderful time of year. We are so grateful this year to have been able to help out those who are less fortunate this year. We helped do a couple of sub-for-Santa's along with both sides of our family and help provide three families with a Thanksgiving dinner. As one of our traditions is to attend the Festival of Trees and was able to bid on some wonderful donated items to help out the Primary Children's Hospital. We are so grateful for this time of year where we get to be with all those we love. We are most grateful for our Savior and the opportunity we have to reflect on all that he represents. We have been blessed so much because of the sacrifice that our Savior made for each one of us and hope that each of you will take some time out of the hustle and bustle to reflect on all that He has given you. We are so grateful to all our family and friends and this time of year and always. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Holidays

2010-11-28T20:42:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite things about the Christmas season:

I love the decorations and lights and the festive fell they bring.
I love spending time with family. We are so blessed to have wonderful family's.
I love giving to others. Being able to help others at this time of year to make there holidays better is what brings us so much joy.
I love the beauty of the snow and how pretty beautiful it is to see a blanket of snow out the window.
I love that we have so many opportunities to serve others.
I love listening and singing all the wonderful Christmas Carols.
I love going to see all the beautiful light displays at Temple Square and the Zoo.
I love all the yummy treats.
I love to go to all the many parties and spending time with all our many friends.
I love little kids and seeing their eyes light up as they talk about Christmas and the excitement of seeing Santa.
Most of all I love that we are able to remember our savior born so many years ago in a humble stable and be reminded of the great blessing it is to each one of us. Our Savior is the greatest gift we will ever receive. May we never forget that that is the true meaning of Christmas and the reason we celebrate this beautiful time of year.

GRATEFUL

2010-11-18T09:46:00.000-07:00

The Holiday Season is upon us and I felt that it was time to take a few moments and reflect on the things I am most grateful for. This is a wonderful time of year to spend with family and friends and remind us all of how truly blessed we are.

1. I am so thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ. He is the real reason that we celebrate at this special time of year. I am grateful for the Atonement. What a great sacrifice He so willing did for each one of us.

2. I am grateful for a wonderful husband. I was truly blessed to have met him and to be married to him for eternity. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me to have provided me such an incredible husband and friend.

3. I am grateful for my wonderful family. Even though my parents have passed from this earthly life I feel their love all around me. I am so blessed to have such incredible sisters who are also my best friends. It is so great to spend time with each and everyone of my family.

4. I am grateful for my husbands family. They have added so much to my life and I am grateful for their love and friendship. Could not ask for anything better than to be raised in a loving family and then to marry into a loving family.

5. I am grateful everyday for my health and all that I have been blessed with.

6. I am so thankful for the freedoms that this great county the United States of America has provided us with. We are truly a blessed country that was founded on God. I am grateful to all who have sacrificed for our freedom's and those who continue to fight for our freedoms.

7. I am grateful for good friends and their examples in my life. They have helped me through the tough times in my life and enjoyed the good times as well.

8. I am grateful for the restored gospel and for a living prophet to guide us, teach us and bear testimony of its truths.

I hope that each of you will take time to reflect on all that we have to be grateful for.

DISNEYLAND

2010-07-06T10:29:00.000-06:00

On June 5 we flew out with Mark's parents, Val & Benda, to meet John, Tracy & kids in Southern California for a few days of fun in the sun. We stayed at the Marriott Hotel right next toe the convention center and about two blocks from Disneyland. It was a beautiful hotel and very convenient to all we wanted to do. We got in some pool time then enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Bubba Gumps. The next day we headed to Disneyland for two full days of fun. It was not to busy there and got to ride several rides many times. It was so much fun to be with John, Tracy, Aaron, Aidan, and Addie and Mark's parents. We loved riding rides like Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, Screaming, Souring Over California, Space Mountain, Indiana Jones ride, and many others. We rode Tower of Terror and Splash Mountain four times in a row. Needless to say after four time on Splash Mountain we were drenched. We also got to ride one of my favorites Space Mountain two times in a row. We ate at some great restaurants and were able to have a great birthday dinner for Aidan at PF Chang's. We enjoyed our time together and were glad we was able to spend time together as a family. It was great to spend some time with Aaron before he leaves for his mission to Jackson, Mississippi in August.

John, Aidan, Addie, Tracy & Aaron. It was so much fun to be with them. We are sure glad that they were nice enough to invite us to join with them.

Val, John, Aidan, Aaron & Mark

Tracy, Addie, Benda & Myself

Aaron, Aidan, Tracy & Addie on the Matterhorn

One of our favorite rides - Tower of Terror

Addie with her favorite - Winnie the Pooh

MEMORIAL WEEKEND

2010-06-28T10:59:00.001-06:00

Over Memorial Weekend we went camping with my family at Hobble Creek in Springville. We had a great time and it was fun to get to spend some time with my family. We had lots to eat, great weather and many good laughs. We love to be in the outdoors and be able to enjoy all the beautiful surroundings God created for us. The kids played from the time they got up until late at night. The guys all enjoyed and afternoon of golf on the beautiful Hobble Creek golf course. We played games, talked, played at the play ground, enjoyed smores around the campfire and made many more wonderful memories. A few had to work and missed having them with us but hope they can join us next time around. Here are a few fun pictures of our outing.

Lizzy, Lindsay, Krystal & Kelsie
Tyler, McKay & Lestar
Mark, John, Brandon & Treyson playing Risk. Treyson loves to play Marks army

game and loves that his Uncle Mark will play with him.

Sophie
McKenna & Lilly
Cynthia- just after she finished washing her hair. Boy did we all get a good laugh.

The Newlyweds - Spencer & Jess
Phil Bates & Rachel Teran
Dylan
Kyler
Luke
Treyson - showing off his army guys
Me and my shadow Ethan - He didn't want to look at the camera

Spencer & Jessie's Wedding

2010-06-21T08:43:00.000-06:00

On May 4th we had the wonderful privilege of attending my nephew Spencer's wedding in the Bountiful Temple. It was a wonderful day and so happy for the happy couple. Mark and I were married in the Bountiful Almost 14 years ago so it was so great to return and witness another sealing there. It was truly special for us as they were sealed in the same sealing room as we were. Jess and Spencer met while attending BYU Hawaii and sent there courtship on the beautiful island of Oahu. We are so happy to have Jess join our family. She is so good for Spencer and we are so proud of both of them and their choice to be married in the House of the Lord.

Later that night we attended the reception held at my sister ward building. I must say that my sister, Annette did a beautiful job decorating. It was so beautiful and she transformed a cultural hall into a magical place. The reception was a lot of fun and many came in their honor. Jess's family all came from Washington, North Carolina and here in Utah. It was fun getting to know them.

Cutting the Cake - Spencer & Jess

Kelsie and KrystalSpencer's sister Rachel and here friend Mike

Krystal & Jess's Niece - They had a great time together

Brandon & Shawn - Spencer's brother & dad with a picture of Jarom who is serving a mission on Pusan, Korea

The Twins & Ava

2010-06-15T08:54:00.000-06:00

Back in April Mark went back to help his brother day drive his little family from Florida to New Jersey. I am so happy to say that the shock treatments my wonderful sister-in-law and along with many prayers in her behalf she is doing much better. I just wanted to post a couple of pictures of the twins and their sister Ava how much they are growing. We sure wish they lived closer so that we could enjoy these adorable nieces and nephews.

This is Ava - their beautiful older sister.

Logan - looks just like his dad when he was a baby

Luke - looks like his mom

Logan & Luke - such cute little boys.

We also want to congrats Dave on his new job and hope that the move to Richmond Virginia goes smoothly.

Vegas Baby

2010-05-15T12:04:00.000-06:00

On April 22nd we headed out of town with John and Tracy for a weekend of fun, sun, good food, golfing for the guys and to attend the Eagles concert in Las Vegas. After a busy tax season it was just what I needed. We left Thursday and headed to the condo in St George. it is so nice of Mark's parents to let us all use it as often as we want. It is our little paradise away from home. We spent Thursday and Friday and part of the day on Saturday in St George before heading to Las Vegas for the Eagles concert. Mark and John went golfing on Friday to a beautiful course on your way to Hurricane and Tracy and I spent some time shopping and then we went to see the movie "Back Up Plan". It was to cold for the pool so we had to do something while the guys were golfing. After we picked the guys up we headed to Red Lobster for a yummy dinner. That night we went back to the condo to watch the Jazz beat the Denver Nuggets to go up 2-1 in the playoff series.

On Saturday we cleaned up the condo then headed over the the Bear Paw for a delicious breakfast. I must say that I have never eaten that much food but it was to good not to. The crepes were my favorite. After a late breakfast we headed down to Las Vegas. We stayed at the South Pointe hotel & casino on the far south of the strip. It was a newer hotel but really nice with a great pool where we spent part of the afternoon before heading up to get ready for the concert. Before the concert we went to dinner at a restaurant called Don Vito at our hotel. The service was a little slow but the food was amazing. I will differently eat there again.

The concert was at the MGM and the arena was great. We were just a little late so we missed meeting up with Phil and Emily before the concert but got to see them after. The concert was better than I expected and it was amazing to see at their age to be able to preform at such a high level. It was nice of Mark to get us the tickets. After the concert we met up with Phil and Emily and had some ice cream and visited for a few minutes. They didn't stay long because they needed to get home to their kids. We all had a great time at the concert.

On Sunday we got up about 8:30 and headed home. It was fun to be able to spend time with John and Tracy and look forward to the next trip to Disneyland with them and there family.

Spring

2010-04-16T15:27:00.000-06:00

Well I made it through another tax season and am sure glad it is over so I can begin to enjoy a little of this fantastic spring weather. We had had a few things happen in our lives the past few weeks. Mark made a trip to Orlando, Florida to meet his brother to help him drive his three kids back to New Jersey while his brothers wife received some need help for her post pardum depression. We are all praying for her and hope that she is back on her feet quickly and able to rejoin her cute family. Mark had an amazing time with his brother and helping with the cute kids. It was quite an experience for him helping to take care of 2 baby twins and a 4 year old girl. It is always nice to be able to help others out. Mark has always be a caring and helpful person and that is one of the many things I love about him.

A Quick Update

2010-03-18T23:09:00.000-06:00

Smack dab in the busy season at my work and will be glad to see April 15th arrive, but we have been able to get a little bit of fun in during this long tax season. Mark went with his brothers, Paul & John to the Mountain West basketball tournament where they met up with their brother Phil and were able to enjoy great games, good food and each others company. While they were all in Las Vegas I was able to put in more time at work but was also able to catch a little enjoyment myself. I was able to meet up with Catherine and Hallie, my sister in-law and niece for a yummy dinner at Wingers, catch a basketball game my nephew, Caleb, played in and a movie with my friend Lithia and some of her children.

Our big happenings is we are now proud owners of a new furnace. We had a crack in the old one and the circuit board went out so it was cheaper to get a new one. It was not what we wanted to do but it needed to be done as the old one put us at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Hope you have all filed you taxes and have seen lots of money coming back to you. May you all enjoy this beautiful Easter season.

Get Down With Scrapbooking

2010-01-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

Cute Trinkets for all who attended.

Last weekend, Jan 22-23, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a charity scrap booking event for the Down Syndrome Foundation of Utah. My wonderful niece started this event a few years ago because her husband Karson has three amazing siblings who have Downs and this is a way that they felt they could give back . I even was able to get a few layouts done - it is always nice to accomplish something to! My niece Marlene

This year she had the help of others which - my sister Annette, my niece Angela and her two friends Anisa & Cami. They did a super job with all the raffles, giveaways and classes. Way to go ladies. I was so great getting together with so many awesome women, many who have made a great impact on my life. It is always great to be with so many people but most important that it was to help out such a worthy cause. Thanks again for making such a wonderful event happen.

A group picture - minus a few

AMAZING JAZZ

2010-01-15T09:45:00.000-07:00

Last night Mark and I attended the Utah Jazz - Cleveland Cavaliers basketball game. It was a great game but when the Jazz got down by 5 point with 35 seconds to go Mark decided we should leave that it was over. However I ran in to a guy I used to work with at Granite Furniture so upon stopping to visit we heard the Jazz start the come back so we went back in to finish watching the game. I must say it was one of the most amazing endings I have ever seen live. Kyle Kover made an amazing shot over the backboard to put the Jazz within one point. They then fouled and the Cav's missed the first free throw and made the second which put them up by two. Then the magic happened - with 5.7 seconds the Jazz inbounded the ball to Kyle Korver who did not have a shot so he passed to Ronnie Price who the passed to Sundiata Gaines, a rookie signed to only a 10 day contract, who put in the winning three pint shot. The team and fans went crazy. It was such and awesome ending. We would have missed it had it not been stopping to talk to a former co-worker.

2009 Year in Review

2010-01-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

2009 was a great year. We had success in our jobs and enjoyed many good times with our familes and friends. Here are some of the higlights:

January

On Januay 2nd we got together with some of my family to cheer the University of Utah football time to victory in the Sugar Bowl - BCS game. They beat the Alabama Crimson Tide. The finally score was 31-17. What a great year to be a Ute fan.

Later that month I attended the charity scrapbook event - Get Down with Scrapbooking hosted my my neice Marlene. It is a great event and all the proceeds go to the Down Syndrome foundation of Utah. I had a great time and even got some pages completed.

February

We had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Draper LDS Temple open house with my inlaws and had a wonderful experience. It is such a blessing to have another wonderful Temple dot the Salt Lake Valley. What an amazing experience.

March

We headed to Las Vegas to the Mountain West basketball tournament to see both the Utah Utes and BYU Cougars play. BYU played San Diego State which they lost and Utah played Wyoming and advanced toe the championship game which they won. Phil, Natalie and Nicole attended the games with us. On Saturday we headed up to St. George to spend the remainder of the weekend with Paul, Catherine, Hallie, John Tracy, Aaron, Aidan, and Addi. It was a nice little get away.

April

Made it through another tax season of working lots of hours but the day after Mark and I joined his parents in Maui for a much needed vacation. We spent a week of relaxing and enjoying the sunshine and Mark got some golf it at the Kapalula golf course. We took a ride on the road to Hana, shopped, ate a great restuarants and relaxed by the pool and at the beach.

May

We had new wood floors installed and boy did it make a difference and began work painting the bedrooms.

For Memorial weekend we headed to Jeff Maynes family cabin were we spent the time with many of my family. It rained to whole weekend so we spent the time indoors. It was nice to be together.

June

We had the privledge of attending the wedding of my nephew Phil and his beautiful wife Nichelle. We are so excited to have Nichelle and her darling daughter Haley in our family.

We also got to attend to open house of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. What a beautiful temple.

July

Mark, his dad and two of his brothers, John and Paul, went to San Francisco to meetings for work. They also went to a the San Francisco Giants base ball game where they got to see a no hitter. Then they met up with their Uncles & Aunts, Lavor & Barbara and Doyle & Karen, who live in Livermore for a day of golf and b-bque. For the 24th of July holiday we headed to the condo in St George where we spent time with the Neuenswander from vegas, saw Footloose and the Tuachan theater, attended the Ivans town carnival and spent time catching some rays by the pool.

August

Our amazing Grandpa Benjamin Gunn Evans passed away at 98 years old. The whloe family minus, Kelly, Ava, Luke & Logan made the trip to Helena, Montana to pay or respects to a wonderful man and example to us all. We love him and will miss him but look forward to being with him for eternity

Later Mark had some business meeting in Phildelphia so I flew out and met him so we could spend some time with Dave, Kelly, Ava & their new twin boys, Luke and Logan. We had a great time with them. We were able to attend the Phillies - Atlanta baseball game, dinner at Cheescake factory, play with Ava and feed and hold the two boys. It was a great time.

September

Mark headed to Boston for business and the Neuenswander form New Jersery came out for a visit. It was great to have them here. The best part is that I got to spend two nights babysitting the adorable Luke and Logan.Logan & Luke

Ocotober

We headed down to the BYU-UNLV game in Las Vegas with John, Tracy, Aidan, Addie, Paul, Catherine, Val & Benda, Ron & Kerma, Doyle & Karen and Phil, Natalie & Nicole. We had a great time and ate lots of yummy food and spent time enjoying being together.

November

We celebrated our 13th anniversary and can say it has been an amazing journey. I love you more everyday. Could not have asked for a better husband and enternal companion.

December

What a wonderful time of year. We got to do so many wonderful things this month but most of all we ere able to celeberate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Without him none of this would have been possible. Look for to many more blessing in 2010.

2009-12-21T16:24:00.000-07:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS

So we have had a fun but busy holiday season so far and Christmas is not until Friday. It all started on Friday, December 4Th when we to our nephew Nick to the Festival of Trees. We took him here several times before he moved to New York for three years and both Mark and I missed our time with Nick so it was great having him back in Utah so we could all go. He had a great time - got to see many of the trees, watch the performers, have a yummy sweet roll, dinner at Arby's and then got to sit on Santa's lap. Lots of fun for all of us.

Sunday, December 6Th we got to hear a wonderful Christmas devotional put on by the First Presidency of the LDS Church where they shared wonderful messages of the true meaning of Christmas. It is so nice during this busy time to reflect upon the Birth of our Savior and the great blessing it is to each of us.

Thoughout the that week we were able to spend time at family parties and company parties which is always nice to be together with our friends and family. We had a party for my moms extended family and then Mark's company party. I also was able to attend a wonderful Relief Society dinner and program where the focus was also on our Savior and become better women of Christ.

We were also able to go to a couple of Jazz games were we saw the Jazz beat the Orlando Magic but lose to the Minnesota Timber wolves. We are big Jazz fans so it is always fun to cheer them on.

On Saturday, Dec. 12Th we had a great day together. We went and saw the Utah Utes-Oklahoma basketball game where the Utes almost one in overtime then we headed downtown for dinner at Crown Burger and then to see the lights at Temple Square. After the lights, we headed to the Conference Center to see the annual Christmas Concert of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir which featured Natalie Cole and David McCullough. What a wonderful evening of music and inspirational messages. We love to go to this concert as it is a highlight of our Christmas season.

We also attended my company Christmas party and Mark was able to manage to fit a business trip to San Diego in to our busy schedule. This past weekend while Mark was in San Diego I helped with a funeral luncheon for our neighbors son and went to a fun friends part at out good friends the Huemann's home. Wish Mark could have been at the party but enjoyed his business trip where he was with tow of hi brothers and his dad.

On Saturday night we went to see the Zoo Lights with some of my sister, Cynthia's family. The kids loved it and we so loved watching the 3 new baby tigers intact with their mom and each other. Thanks to Matt & Ranae for inviting us to come along we had a great time.

Hope that you have all taken time to enjoy all that this wonderful Christmas Season has to offer and to spend some time with your family and friends. We have been so blessed to have som many good friends and wonderful familes to spend this wonderful time with. May you always remember that if it were not for Our Savior's birth we would not be enjoying this wonderful time of year.

FESTIVAL OF TREES

2009-12-02T16:04:00.000-07:00

For the fast four years Mark and I have made it one of our Christmas Traditions to go to the bid night for the Festival of Trees which benefits the Primary Children's Hospital. I have always loved this even since I was a young girl and hoped that one day I could go and bid on some items to help out the charity. I have had many I know who have had to spend time at this wonderful children's hospital and wanted to give back for the amazing medical help that has been rendered on behalf of my family. A few years back my nephew Spencer was playing little league football on a team coached by Mark and suffered a pretty scary hit which caused his spleen to almost tear in half. He spent time in the ICU at Primary Children's Hospital while they did miraculous work to help save his spleen and to get him back on the road to recovery. He spent over three weeks in the hospital but thanks to the wonderful care he has no problems from the injury. It was pretty hard to see him laying there in such critical condition and it was then that I vowed that when I was able I would give to the hospital. It is an amazing hospital and do so much good for the community. We are so blessed today to have had this wonderful hospital so close and that the staff is top notch and concerned about the welfare of all kids not just those who can afford it.

I hope that each of you will take a few moments at this time of year to reach deep in your pockets and give to those who are less fortunate. We have been truly blessed by out Father in Heaven and needed to show him how much we care by making sure we are always serving others. I have attached the link so that you can read about the wonderful organization of the Festival of Trees.

http://www.festivaloftreesutah.org/index.asp

May the true meaning of Christmas permeate you hearts and home this Christmas Season. Remember that it is because the birth of Our Savior so many years ago that we are able to share this wonderful time celebrating with our family and friends.

UTAH VS BYU

2009-11-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

It is that time of year again when friends and family gather together for a wonderful day of THANKSGIVING. We all get the eat way to much, laugh and spend the day not doing much of anything except discuss who will win the big football game. No I am not meaning the Dallas Cowboys but the game on Saturday!

VS.

As many of you may already know I am a big Utah Fan along with the majority of my family and have season tickets to cheer them on. Mark is a big BYU fan along with all of his family and has season tickets there. We still do get along and are lucky because we get to see the game at both stadiums. It makes for a fun and even though it may hurt a little when you team does not win. We do have a little thing we do and that is the winner has to take the loser out to dinner. This year we are so excited to have Mark's brother flying in from New Jersey for the game. My the best team win - of course I would say it is the Utes but some may disagree.

Hope each of you have a fun and safe Thanksgiving where ever it may take you and remember that each of us have so much to be grateful for even when things may be tough. Mark and I are so grateful to have so many wonderful friends and family and want to say thanks for all of you.

So Much to Be Thankful For

2009-11-02T16:55:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love this time of year! All the wonderful fall colors, spending time with family and enjoying be able to reflect on all that I am grateful for. Here are a few things that I am especially grateful for:

Love all the beautiful surroundings that we get to enjoy all year round. Heavenly Father created so many beautiful things for us to enjoy while we are here on this earth.

So grateful for my wonderful family. They have always been there to lend their to love, encourage and support each other in all that we do. It is the wonderful memories of all the fun times we have shared, the miracles we have been blessed with and to know that we are an eternal family.

What a blessing it is to have married into such an amazing family as well. It was such a blessing to be all together to honor their father & grandfather - Benjamin Ben Evans this past August. They to are a great support to each other and we all love being able to be together, lend love and support to each other. I am grateful to Val and Benda and all that they do for us as a family. Their example of faith and endurance is a strength to me.

How truly grateful to my wonderful mom and dad who lived their lives truly devoted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. They have both passed on but their legacy of faith will always be a strength to me in my life. They taught me what it means to be of service to others as that how they lived their lives. I love them both and so grateful to have had them as my mom and dad. This is there wedding photo - what a beautiful couple.

What an honor and privilege to have a living prophet on earth today to guide us, to teach us and to help us know return to live with our Heavenly Father again. President Monson is truly called of God to act in His name and to lead the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints today. He also has to wonderful councilors in Elder Eyring and Elder Uchtdorf.

The blessing of the Temple are so special and I am so grateful to be able to have so many doting this great earth so that all can have the opportunity to feel of the great blessing that are given to all worthy members. This is the beautiful Bountiful Temple that I had the privilege of being sealed to my wonderful husband, Mark on November 15, 1996. So grateful to be able to attend often and be reminded of how much my Heavenly Father loves me.

Oh what can I say but that I am so blessed to have such and amazing husband. He blesses my life daily and I could not imagine my life without him. I love every minute I am with him. He works so hard to be able to provide for our needs. I love him with all my heart.

I am so grateful to live in this great country. We have so many wonderful freedoms that we are blessed with living here. I am so grateful for the the men and women who are serving in the armed forces to that I can continue to have the freedoms that we do.

Last of all I am truly grateful to a loving Savior who took upon Him all my trials, test, sins, and joys so that I might have the opportunity to return and live with Him again. He is given given us all that we have. Without Him and His atonement for each of us we would not have any of the wonderful blessing that we do. May this holiday season and always remember all the good things in our life and to remember what we are truly celebrating and that is the birth of our Savior

24th of July

2009-08-25T12:09:00.000-06:00

Happy Pioneer Day!!!!

This post is late in coming but we have been keeping busy with the remodeling of the home and an unexpected funeral trip to Montana but I thought I would share some of the fun things we did over the Pioneer Day Holiday weekend. Marks parents have a beautiful condo in St George so we packed our bags and headed out for a four day weekend of fun and sun. Mark's brother Phil and his family came up from Las Vegas to spend the weekend also. We were sad that Val and Benda could not join us but they had to head to Montana as Benda's dad had taken a turn for the worst as was not expected to be here on the earth much longer so they went to see him for one last time. We missed them but had a great time anyway.

On Wednesday we went to the Bees game with John, Tracy and Addison to start our weekend of fun. It is always fun to spend time with them. On Thursday morning we headed off to St George. We stopped in Beaver at the cheese factory. Once in St George Mark had an appointment at a clients home so we headed there then after we went to Target to by some supplies for the condo then had dinner at Chili's. Upon returning to the condo we went to the pool then relaxed for the rest of the evening until Phil, Emily and the kids arrived.

On Friday the 24th we all headed off to a parade and carnival in Ivins. It was a small town parade so needless to say it was short and sweet. Just the way I like them. The kids got lots of candy and we all had our share of ice pops. Nicole, Natalie and Ben loved seeing the floats, getting sprayed by the firemen and of course getting all the candy.

Nicole and the camel from Tuacahn Outdoor Theatre

After the parade we headed to the Ivins town carnival. Both Natalie and Nicole were brave enough to be dunked at the dunking booth. We asked Nicole if she wanted to do it again and she said know that the pool was 10,000 feet deep. The looks on their faces was priceless as they went into the water. Ben enjoyed the slip and slide and of course we all enjoyed the Navajo Tacos for lunch.

Natalie getting dunked

Nicole's turn to be dunkedBen on the slip-n-slide

Mark, Natalie, Ben & Nicole at the park in Ivins

After the park we stopped for a tour of the Jacob Hamblin Home. He was one of the first settlers to the St. George area. Then we headed back to the condo for a little rest for the kids and pool time for Mark & I. Later that day Mark and I headed to Mesquite for a dinner at a buffet which we ended up eating at the coffee shop at Casa Blanca instead which made us both sick. Phil, Emily and kids met up with Emily's family and spent the rest of the weekend with them.

On Saturday we spent time at the pool then had lunch at the Pizza Factory before we headed off to see Foot Loose at the Tuacahn Theatre. There were thunder storms that evening and we were afraid that the play would be canceled but the show went on as planned. It was a great production and one of the highlights of our trip. On Sunday we got up early and cleaned the condo then headed home. We had a great time and enjoyed getting to spend some time with Phil, Emily and kids. Thanks to Val & Benda for letting us use the wonderful condo.

Memories

2009-08-18T11:33:00.001-06:00

When I was a young girl my mom and dad and sister Cynthia, were away cleaning the department store JcPenney's in Midvale and I was home with my sisters Michele, Kristine & Annette. We were fortunate that the power went out at the home that night so my sister Michele decided that we should read this amazing book to pass the time by flash light. I remember the feelings of love that she would be so willing to take time from here busy schedule to share this wonderful book with us. I often have wondered if I loved this book because of the time I got to spend with my sisters, the atmosphere that was created with no lights as we read it or if it was the truly wonderful story. I really think it was a little of all three. I remember that my parents came home and wondered why we were reading with the lights out but we made them leave them off until we finished the book. It is a wonderful & special memory that has been ever ingrained in my mind.

The other day I decided to read the book once again and was worried that I might not enjoy it quite so much but I was pleasantly surprised. As I began to read all the wonderful memories of that night so long ago with my sisters came flooding back and I was once again so grateful for them and all that they did to shape me into the person I am today. I could not put this little treasure down and read it again in a couple of hours. What a great message of hope, to look for the good in our surroundings and to reach out to those we meet throughout our lives. I will always cherish this wonderful book and am so glad that it is once again in print.

Grandpa Ben Evans

2009-08-05T15:50:00.000-06:00

On Sunday evening Grandpa Ben passed away after 98 incredible years. He as an amazing man and lived an incredible life. He has touched our lives in so many ways. We will truly miss you but are so grateful for the love and example he set for all of his family. He played football when he was young and his team he played for was never scored on, served his country in World War II, enjoyed golfing and spending time with his family but most important served Heavenly Father faithfully. He was the most kind and loving person and we are so blessed to have had him in our lives - mine for a short time but Mark's for all his life. We love you and will miss you but are so happy for the wonderful reunion you are having with all those who are on the other side of the veil.

Our Remodel

2009-07-03T18:46:00.000-06:00

OUR NEW KITCHEN FLOOR

In the past couple of months we have been doing some remodeling to our home. First we had a need wood floor installed in our kitchen. I sure changed the looks of our home so much. We love it and was so surprised at how quickly they installed the floor. It would have taken us for ever if we would have tried it on our own. We also painted the three bedrooms, purchased a new coffee table and are in the process of having tile and new counter tops installed in one of our bathrooms. Needless to say that has taken up a lot of our time but we sure do love the new look. Here are some picture on the new kitchen floor.

In the process

The finished look!

Luke & Logan

2009-05-26T09:55:00.000-06:00

Introducing our two new nephews

Logan

Luke

We are so excited to welcome our two new nephews into the world. We wish they lived closer so that we could see and hold these two beautiful babies. Congratulations to Dave and Kelly for these sweet additions to their family.

Home from Hawaii

2009-05-06T10:25:00.001-06:00

We had a wonderful trip to Maui with Mark's parents, Val and Benda. It was so nice to get away and to be able to spend some time relaxing after a busy tax season at work. We were blessed to be able to have Mark's parents with us and they were so gracious to allow us to stay at there condo in Kapalua. We ate out and some yummy restaurants - Bubba Gumps, Pineapple Grill, Cheese Burger-in-Paradise and the Plantation.

Mark was able to golf two days while we were there. He and his dad golfed the Kapalua Bay Course which is the course the condo is one. Benda and I rode along with them that day and enjoyed the many beautiful views and awesome scenery. Then they went a golfed one of the courses at Kaa'napali while Benda and I went shopping. Kapalua Golf Course - View from the condo!

We spent some time at the beach which is always so nice and beautiful - something you have to take full advantage of when we live in Utah.

The Beach just below the condo!

Last we went to the swap meet and to the aquarium. The aquarium has the best display of jelly fish and sharks. It was so nice to have such a wonderful opportunity to visit such a beautiful place. Can't wait to begin to plan our next trip back.

My New Toy

2009-02-24T20:30:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about my new toy. I was able to get me a cricket for an awesome price and makes me even more excited about getting caught up on all my scrapbooking. It is such a fun gaget to have. It will get lots of use as all my sisters and neices are big into scrapbooking to. Thanks Annette for going and picking it up for me.

Draper Temple Open House

2009-02-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday we had the wonderful opportunity to go to the Draper Temple Open House with Val and Benda. It was sch a wonderful evening to be able to go and feel of the spirit. It was so wonderful to have another temple so close to us. The interior of the temple was so beautiful. It is such a blessing to live so close to so many temples and to be able to attend the temple often and feel of the love of our Savior Jesus Christ. I am so grateful that my in-laws were able to share this remarkable experience with us.

Proud Pittsburgh Steelers Fan

2009-02-02T21:32:00.000-07:00

What more can I say than way to go Steelers! Super bowl champions for the sixth time. Great win over the Arizona Cardinals - 27 to 23. What a great game it was.

My amazing sisters

2009-02-02T19:49:00.000-07:00

I feel so blessed to have been born of goodly parents who taught me so much. They made it a point to make sure that we were a close and loving family and I am so grateful for that. I have truly been blessed to have four amazing sisters who I love so much. I am a better person because of them. Their example, love and acceptance of who I am has helped to shape who I am today. Michele has helped me to see the value in education. I will always remember how she always would read to me when I was young and to this day I love reading a good book. She has an amazing testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and shares her testimony often which helps me to gain a greater understanding of our Savior Jesus Christ. I love that she made sure that when I was young that she stayed home and attended college close so that I would know her and feel close to her as my sister. She makes me feel not like her little sister but her equal. She has an amazing husband, Doug who has taught me patience, love and acceptance of all. I have been so blessed to have had his example in my life for many years and am so grateful that we are blessed to still have him here with us today. They have raised four wonderful children - Marlene, Paul, Mike and Alex.

Kristine has been a great example to of always making people feel love and excepted. She has always cared about how others are feeling more than herself. She is unselfish and would do anything for others. She has an amazing ability for those who have mental and physical challenges and always knows just how to help them feel love and excepted. She has always been willing to put aside her needs to help out those around her. Whenever I have had needed a helping hand she has always been there to lend a hand. She has a true testimony of the the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and her example reflects it. She has a wonderful husband, DeWayne who has such an amazing talent for handy work. It is so great to be able to see him do what he is always enjoyed and to start up his own company. They to are great parents to tow great children - Angela & Greg.

Cynthia is always been an easy going happy person to be around. She is always so relaxed and happy and always makes everyone happy to be her friend. She has always been a hard worker and taught me the value of making sure to always be prepared for a rainy day. She is very patience and forgiving and looks for good in everyone. She is loved by all who know her and I am so proud to be her sister. She has a wonderful husband, John who always is concerned for how others feel. She to has an incredible love for our Savior and for the gospel. He has always made sure that he was there to couch his boys and to support them as they served missions, in scouting and the activities that they were in. They have raised five great sons - Mark, Matthew, Ron, Randy and Phil.

Annette is an amazing example of strength. She has had to deal with some difficult health challenges but had always found a way to pull through those and to be able to help others who have struggled with many of the similar challenges. She has always made me feel important as we grew up. I knew that she would always be there for me and always made me feel special. She is a true example of charity as I have watched her open her heart and home to many who were in need. She always goes the extra mile and never leaves a task undone. She is always willing to share her testimony and you can see her love for the gospel in the way she lives. She also has been blessed with a wonderful husband, Shawn. He has a great love for the gospel and is such a giving person. He is so willing to help others and to open his home to those who may need a helping hand. He has an amazing ability of understanding of the scriptures and loves to share his knowledge with others. They are raising a wonderful family - Spencer, Jarom, Rachel, Caleb, Brandon and Krystal.

What more can I say but that I love you all and am so grateful for you love and support of both Mark and I. We are truly blessed to have you as our family.

MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCH

2009-01-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend we had the wonderful opportunity to be taught my two member's of the Quorum of the 70's. Elder Pearson of the 1st Quorum and Elder Curtis of the 5Th Quorum were the visiting authorities to our stake to reorganize our Stake Presidency. What a great opportunity to be able to raise our hand to sustain our New Stake Presidency that the Lord has chosen to guide our stake at this time. The spirit was so powerful as I raised my hand and I knew that these three men were called of God. We also had the amazing opportunity to sustain a living Prophet of God, President Thomas S. Monson, and his counselors, Elder Henry B. Erying and Elder Dieter Uchdorf along with the Quorum of the 12 Apostles and all other senior leaders of our church. It is always and honor and privilege to lead by a prophet of God and to sustain them in their righteous endeavors.

Elder Pearson spoke on Lehi's dream and making sure that we are keeping our focus on the tree and not on other things of the world. He reminded us that the things we focus on are what we are going to get so if we want to have the Lord in our lives we need to focus on the tree. Some of the things he said we needed to be aware of that takes our focus from the tree are:
1. Do not criticize the senior leaders of the church. If we are not putting our full support, doing all that they ask of us we are not focused on the tree.
2. Are not willing to serve. Service in the church will bring many blessings and answers to our trials and concerns we are facing in our lives and we should always remember that all calls come from our Father in Heaven. Attend the temple more often. Take advantage of being in the House of the Lord and be reminded of all we need to do to endure to the end
3. Forgetting to pray and read our scriptures. We just have to do it.
4. Justifying our actions. We should avoid things such as movies, books, TV shows, music and other things that are not uplifting to us.
5. We are not forgiving others. We are to forgive all. If we do not forgive those who have done a misdeed we will not be able to focus on true repentance. We will not be happy - we do not need to carry those burdens. Forgive and we can find true peace, joy and love in our lives.

I am so grateful that I was able to be reminded of what we need to do so the we can return and live with our Eternal Father in Heaven and to be with our families for Eternity. I have made it a goal to try harder to do all that has been asked of me - to try to keep my focus on the tree so that I can draw closer to my Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. I know that we are lead by a true Prophet of God, President Monson. That the atonement is real and that if we use it in our lives or faith will increase and we will be more willing to do all that is asked of us. I know the Book of Mormon is true and is a guide for us. I know that God lives that He sent his Son, Jesus Christ to earth so that we can return to live with him again.

2009-01-09T08:11:00.000-07:00

WAY TO GO UTAH!!! NUMBER TWO IN THE NATION - THAT IS AWESOME. GREAT YEAR TO BE A UTAH FAN

UTAH UTES & NEW YEAR's

2009-01-04T11:31:00.000-07:00

CONGRATULATIONS UTAH FOR A FANTASTIC WIN OVER ALABAMA IN THE SUGAR BOWL!

I must say that the New Year has started out on a a great note. On New Year's Eve Mark and I headed to the Huntsman center on the University of Utah campus to watch the U of U basketball team take down the Gonzaga Bulldogs in a very exciting game. The Utes won by 1 point by stopping Gonzaga last second shot and two consecutive times at tipping it in. It was a great game and the Utes won 66-65.

After the game we headed off to a wonderful dinner at the Red Lobster with Paul, Catherine & Hallie and Jon & Tracy. It is a tradition that we have been doing for several years and is always fun to spend time with each other. The next day we headed to Pleasant Grove to John & Tracy's for the day. Paul, Catherine & Hallie also joined us in the festivities. We had a great dinner, played games, watched football and enjoyed each others company. We all had a great time playing Guitar Hero (pictures to come). It sure was nice of John & Tracy to invite us all to their home.

The next day - January 2nd I got to spend the afternoon with my sisters and niece Angie making purses. They turned out so cute. It was fun being with my sisters and enjoying the fun of creating something new. Later that night Mark and I headed to Michele & Doug's for a SUGAR BOWL party. Kristine & Dewayne, Paul, April, Lilly & Brooklyn, Mike, Alex & Rachel and Michele and Doug were all there. It turned out to be an awesome time with an awesome ending - UTAH UTES 13-0 undefeated again. Way to go Utah took down the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide 31-17. What a great game it was to see. Thanks to the Terans for inviting us.

My Birthday

2008-12-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give a big thanks to my wonderful husband who treated me to a wonderful dinner at Macaroni Grill and gave me a beautiful sweater and a gift certificate to one of my favorite restaurants - P.F. Chang's for my birthday. Thanks for making my birthday such a great day. He is an awesome guy and treats me with so much love and respect. I am so lucky to be married to such an awesome guy. Love you tons!

2008-12-29T09:12:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to wish you all a Happy New Year! We hope that it will be one filled with many wonderful memories of good times spent with family and friends. We are so grateful to all of you for the many wonderful memories we created in 2008 and look forward to many more in 2009 with all of you.

2008-12-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

Ring in the Bells
Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert

December 13, 2008

We had the wonderful opportunity to go hear the Tabernacle Choir's annual Christmas concert with Mark's mom and dad. It was a wonderful evening. Before we headed to the concert we decided to meet for dinner. We went to the Little America Coffee Shop which is always a nice meal. While Mark & I were sanding in line to be seated the most awesome thing happened. President and Sister Monson came out of the restaurant. What a wonderful experience to see the Prophet so close and to feel his love for all of us. He greeted everyone with a friendly smile and even joked with some of the people. You could see the love radiate from him for each one of us. I must say that was the best part of the whole evening. I never would think that I would ever be that close to the Prophet of the Church. He is truly a man of God sent to direct the church for our days.

The concert was a very special treat. Brian Stokes Mitchell was the featured guest singer along with Edward Hermann who read an thoughtful story about Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and how the song "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" came to be written. I never knew that he lost his wife to a house fire and later his son to a war injury. It was a touching story of despair and hope. It brought such a wonderful message of peace during these troubling times. It helped me to reflect on all that our Heavenly Father has given us and the peace of coming to know our Savior and his atonement can bring about joy we all are seeking for. I also enjoyed the wonderful songs that were sung by Brian Stokes Mitchel about being grateful and the joy of the Christmas Season. As always the choir is so awesome to listen to. It was a very wonderful evening and we were so glad that we were able to share this time with Mark's parents.

May we all reflect on the Birth of the Savior at this Christmas season. He is why we celebrate this beautiful time of year. We wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Val & Benda's 50th Aniversary

2008-12-02T13:49:00.001-07:00

On September 8, 2008 Val & Benda celebrated their 50Th wedding anniversary. What a great honor is was to be able to celebrate such an occasion with them. Mark & I along with John, Tracy, Aaron, Aidan, Addison, Paul, Catherine, Hallie and Phil took them out to dinner and then had cake and ice cream at the home with some of the extended family.

They are a wonderful example to all of us. Their testimony of the Gospel is such a strength to each of us and I so enjoy learning from them as we share so many wonderful experiences with them. They have been such a great support to me with the passing of my parents and I am truly grateful that I have them in my life. They have been such great parents two 5 wonderful sons and one beautiful daughter. I have been truly blessed to have married into such an awesome family.

Our fun did not end there, a couple of weeks later we went on a cruise. We sure missed having Phil and Emily along but hope that next time they can join in the fun. Those of us from Utah took a midnight flight out to Miami were we met up with Dave & Kelly and Nate & Nancy. Our first day was spent on the ship cruising to our first stop. We spent the day eating, relaxing by the pool and enjoying time together.

Our first stop was the Grand Caymans where we swam with the sting rays and did a little snorkeling. The ocean was so clear and beautiful. It was so awesome being out in the middle of the ocean being surrounded by such incredible fish. Some of us were a little leary of doing it but loved every minute of it. It was one of the highlights of the trip for me.

Our next stop was the beautiful island of Roatan, Honduras where we took a van tour of the island and once again did some awesome beach time in the Caribbean Ocean.

Then it was on to Belize City, Belize. We spent the day doing a lot of awesome shopping. I loved bargaining with the locals and getting a taste of the wonderful culture there.
From Belize we headed to the beautiful resort island of Cozumel, Mexico. There we spent the day a a great beach resort where we snorkeled, ate yummy food, did a little sun tanning and swimming in the pool. After spending most of our day at the beach we headed into town to do some more shopping. What a great time we all had at the beach enjoying the last of the swimming in the Caribbean Ocean.

Our last day on the ship we celebrated the anniversary with a little cake at dinner. It was an honor to be able to spend the week with Mark's sibling and spouses but most of all to be able to honor to of the most amazing people I know - Val & Benda Neuenswander. Congratulations on some many wonderful years together and many more to come.

2008-11-24T10:04:00.000-07:00

I wanted to pay tribute to my wonderful parents who are no longer with us here on earth

but will never leave out hearts!

They lived by example to all who knew them. They never shy'd away from service and was always willing to lend a helping had to those around them. They were true believers that when you were serving others you were in the service of God. I can not remember a time when someone was in need that they were not there to lend helping hand. They served faithfully in the church and touched many lives because of it.

They always made sure that they had time for their 5 daughters and supported us in all that we did. They made sure to be at all of our school and church activities and always put us first in thier lives. They made great sacrifices so that we could go on many wonderful vacations together and have lasting memories that bonded our family together.

They had a deep love for the temple and showed it by attending often and my dad was a faithful temple worker for over 13 years. It was such an honor for him to be able to serve every Tuesday night and always came home with a special spirit about him. Because of their great love of the temple and their willingness to teach us of its importance each of their daughters were married there. What a great tribute it was to them to know that we loved them and wanted to follow in their footsteps.

Their tesimony of Our Savior and His infinite atonement was unwavering. They not only beleived it but they applied it to there everyday lives. The had a deep rooted tetimony of the Book of Mormon and I can still seeing them reading and studyibng from that most sacred and true book. They followed the living prophet in all that they did in there lives. I am so grateful for their love of the gospel, their example of faith, hope and charity. I will always be grateful for the many things that they taught me.

I love them and miss them but know that I can live with them again because we are an eternal family. Iam grateful for my sisteres- Michele, Kristene, Cynthia, and Annette and for thier constent love and example to me. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family.

2008-11-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

It's official

The Utes beat the Cougars 48-24.

A special thanks goes out to Max Hall for all the Pre-Christmas presents he sent the Utes way. BCS bound again!

2008-11-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

Hope you all enjoy!! Mark racing off to do a little snorkeling in the Carribean Ocean.

2008-11-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

UTAH 11-0 VS BYU 10-1
SHOW DOWN

NOVEMBER 22, 2008

4:00 MST

RICE ECCELS STADIUM

Well it is that time of year again where the rival in the Neuenswander household heats up. The big game is this Saturday against the BYU Cougars and Utah Utes. As many of you know we are a house divided when it comes to who we cheer for.

Mark is a big Cougar fan. He has season tickets to all of the football games and enjoys attending with his parents and bothers and nephews. He thinks that the Cougars will win this year but I on the other hand have a different idea.

My loyalties lie with the Utah Utes and this year they are once again undefeated and in the running for a BCS bowl game. I am lucky to have season tickets there and am able to attend the games with three of my sisters and spouses. The best part about each of us having season tickets is that we are always have tickets to the big game. I am sure it is the Utes year and that they will win and once again head to a BCS bowl game.

We still get along and are still speaking by the end o the week. The winner has to treat the loser to dinner so as to soften the defeat just a little. We have alot of fun with it and both enjoy being at the game together even if we are cheering for the opposit team.

GOUTES!!!

2008-11-16T16:58:00.000-07:00

Our Journey for the summer did not end in Mexico, upon returning we headed of to Washington D.C. for Mark's company sales conference. We stayed in the world famous Willard Hotel which is located two blocks from the White House. I am so proud of mark who worked hard to earn such a remarkable trip. It was especially nice because Mark's parents, Val & Benda were also there. It is fun to be able to travel with them often.

Our first night there we were able to hear from on our our Senators, Orrin Hatch. Later that night we were able to go to the top of the Washington Monument and see the view of the city at night. Tuesday afternoon we did some sight seeing and later that night we headed off to the Nationals-Phillies baseball game. It was a lot of fun to see the new stadium and as always relaxing to be at the ball park.

Above myself, Val & Benda.

Mark, Val & Benda enjoying a beautiful night out at the ball game.

Mark loves baseball and usually makes one of his trips around seeing a baseball game and on this trip to Washington he was able to see the Nationals/Phillies game and the weekend before I flew out he was able to go with his brother Paul and John to the Orioles game. He had another conference in DC and had to go to DC four days earlier than me.

The next day we had the opportunity to tour our nations capital. It is a hard ticket to get unless you make arrangements prior to coming. Thanks to Mark's work we were all able to enjoy the beauty of the capital. We also were able to see the Supreme Court building and the Library of Congress. After our tour on the Capital Mark and I went to the Smithsonian Institute of Native Americans then to a great

restaurant for some yummy Italian food.

The next day we went to some of the monuments around the town. We went to Franklin Roosevelt's, the Korean, Vietnam and World War II war memorials and then walked by the White House on our way back to the hotel. That night they had the closing banquet at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum where we got to spend the evening enjoying all the museum had to offer. I even was able to fly and F-16 in the simulator - it was awesome. On the final day Mark and I went to Arlington Cemetery to see the changing of the guards at the tomb of the unknown soldiers. It is my most favorite monument of all. It is such a quiet and surreal place and reminds me of the great sacrifice that our service men and women make so that I can have so many wonderful freedoms. It is such an honor to be a citizen of the United States of America and I thank all those who are willing to lay their lives on the line for me.

We had such a great time spending time together and being able to enjoy the wonderful sights of our nations capital.

Our Full Count

2008-11-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

Our Full Count

2008-11-15T17:00:00.001-07:00

Mark & I at the beach at Tulum.

What an great summer we were able to enjoy. In July we spent 15 days traveling through the Mexican Yucatan with my sister, brother-in-laws and some of my nieces and nephews . It was a amazing trip which we are so grateful to my Brother-in-law Shawn who made this wonderful opportunity happen. He made all the arrangements and did a ton of research so that we would have a splendid time together. We went to 23 Mayan Ruins, spent time at the beach, swimming in cenota's(spelling) and enjoying each others company. Mark and I spent the 15 days in a van with my four of my nephews, Spencer, Jarom, Greg & Phil and boy did we have a great time. We are so lucky that they enjoy spending time with there Aunt and Uncle.

With my sisters - Cynthia, Kristene, Annette, Michele & Myself.

Mark with our brother-in-laws, Doug, mark, Shawn, John & DeWayne

We were able to see may wonderful ruins. Some of them are El Balam, Coba, Tulum. Kohunlich, Xpujil, Calakmul, Balamku, Edzna, Uxmul, Mayapan, Chichen Itza and many more. We learned a great deal about the Mayan cultlural and how it relates to the Book of Mormon. It helped to strengthen my testimony of the Book of Mormon and the sacrifices that were made for the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus christ.

We also had some time to enjoy the beautiful beaches and cenote's. However, the first experience at the beasch was not the most favorite for me as I stepped on a sea urchin and had to have a little surgery preformed by my brother-in- law Shawn and my neice Rachel. They had to dig the sharp needles out of my foot. However, it did not spoil the trip or my ability to enjoy the Carribean Sea.

What a great experience it was to be able to enjoy the time with my family. It is truly a tribute to my parents to be able to spend time together as a family and to remember all that the taught us about making sure we stay close and to continue to make lasting memories together. I am grateful to them and the legacy they let. I am grateful to be an eternal family.