So much for "Doing Better"!!

Sorry to say, I'm really not doing any better. I haven't been keeping you all very updated on here, I haven't been cutting back on the chocolate and Dr. Pepper I'm so addicted to, I haven't started any kind of exercise routine like I was hoping to do, and I think I've become lazier than I ever have been!! Wow, that feels like a real slap in the face to actually write it out and read it...maybe that's what I should've done a long time ago!! Well, enough of my wallowing in self pity...let's get around to the updates, shall we?!!!

Matt, is still really enjoying his job and the people he works with. He is having a lot of training right now, which means 2-3 days a week driving down to Cedar City for meetings and that can be a real drag, but it will soon be over!! He has also started the EMT Training Course down here so he can start running on the ambulance for an additional income whenever possible. That's been a little trying on him since it is every Friday from 5-10 pm and Saturday from 8 am -5 pm for the next month and a half, but it will definitely be worth it when it's over!! And to top it all off he's been called to teach the adult Gospel Doctrine class in our ward...can you say "oVerWhelMed"!?! He has alot on his plate right now but he is doing so well dealing with it all...and we know it will all be worth it in the end!! Hang in there, Babe!!

I have just been doing the regular wife and motherly duties...wishing there was more I could do to help take away some of Matt's burdens, but all I know to do is keep supporting him; so, that I will!!! I also received a calling in our new ward to be an Activity Days leader (which I must admit I was a little disappointed with at first, only because Sydney is going out just in time for me to be going in). We had our first activity last Friday and it was pretty fun, I know I will enjoy working with those girls. I am also training to become a Peer Parent, through the DCFS Program. I will be trained to go into homes of families in crisis and help teach the parents basic parenting skills...i.e. , communication, nurturing, disciplining, budgeting, cleaning. I am feeling a little intimidated by it, but I think it will help me alot just in dealing with my own children, and I really hope I can help some of those poor families.

Sydney just had her 12th birthday!! We celebrated by having a sleepover party with eight new girlfriends, it was definitely a FUN, but wild and crazy night!! She finally got the cell phone she's been asking for, we'll see how long she can keep it!! She also just completed her first term at SS Middle School, and I am very proud of her accomplishments. We had a pretty rough transition with moving into a new environment and curriculum part way into the school year, but she seems to be getting it much easier now!! She is dealing with her broken arm very well, can do just about everything with her cast on....and we were very lucky that it didn't have to be reset after the break, just cast. And lastly, with Syd turning 12 she has graduated from Primary into YW and you'd think she's died and gone to Heaven!! She absolutely loves it, and of course, who wouldn't!! She also worked hard to earn her Faith in God Award by memorizing all the AofF and passing off many other goals, way to go sis, we're proud of you!!

Stetson has just been keeping busy playing with his friends, and dominating the rest of the boys in football at recess!! He seems to be constantly bruised and banged up somewhere, but he loves it....it just shows how tough he is I guess. He did have a little run in with a dog 2 weeks before Christmas, and it taught him that he's not invincible!! Him and a friend were walking home from school on Friday, Dec. 11th when a dog came running from a house and just took Stetson down. He jumped up and tried to run but the dog grabbed hold of him again, and because the roads were snow-packed and slick, Stetson couldn't really get his footing to try and get away. His friend was kicking at the dog trying to get him off Stetson, but wasn't having much luck, until the owner of the dog came running out to the street to rescue him. We just happened to be driving up the road and saw the whole thing go down (unfortunately, just a minute too late to prevent it from happening). We took Stetson home to investigate the extent of his wounds, he had a bite mark and big bruise on the inside of his right bicep and an L shaped gash on the back of his right shoulder. Matt called the Sheriffs Dept. immediately and they asked us to meet them at the hospital to fill out a report. So off we went to the Hospital; Stetson luckily didn't need stitches or a shot, just bandaged up and we were good to go. The dog was taken into custody by the Sheriffs Dept. and checked for rabies, and then was put down. (Too bad that wasn't done after one of the other two times this dog bit other people!) Anyway, Stetson now has two good scars to show off to his friends, but it unfortunately has taken away any trust he had in dogs.

Sadie is still doing awesome with her reading and writing her #'s 1-100, she's constantly sounding out words and doing things to prove to us how smart she is! Her and Sydney have been doing the Mini Cheer Clinic with the High School this week and she just loves it, I love watching her do something she has so much fun doing!!

And McCrae is still bored with mom and can't wait 'til he can go to preschool. He loves to do Sadie's homework with her and knows way too much for a kid that can't start school for another year and a half. He's also made a couple of friends that he loves to play with any time he gets the chance!

So, that's pretty much it....the low-down on the Crazy Cox Bunch!! We hope all is going as well for the rest of you, XOXO!!

Holiday Update

Well, here we are, four days into the New Year and I still haven't made any "real" goals for the coming year. I never seem to accomplish them when I do, so I just didn't figure there was any reason to keep making them!! But, yesterday in RS our lesson was on 'Resolutions', so I am feeling a bit guilted into making some goals. After much thought of all the things I need to improve on; physical, mental and spiritual, I've decided to just resolve to DO BETTER!!! So, hopefully I will be better at recording more of our day to day activities, even without pictures.

We had a wonderful Christmas and are always amazed at the many blessings the Lord sees fit to bless us with!! The kids all got what they wanted, SpOiLeD!! Sydney got a new violin so she can start lessons, Stetson got a Compound Bow, Sadie got a Baby that cries REAL tears, and McCrae got a City and train tracks to play with all of his cars. We got to spend time together, with family and friends....what more could we ask for!?!

On Saturday, Jan. 2nd, Sydney was invited to go sledding with some new friends in our ward here. I am such a pushover that I allowed her to go, even though she had tons of make-up homework she still needed to get done before school started again. They went to the greatest sledding hill around, took their maiden voyage down the hill, hit a bump and overturned the sled on top of them. Somehow in the midst of the flying snow, sled and people; Sydney ended up with a hurt arm. So, their sledding trip ended almost as quickly as it had begun and they turned around and brought Syd back home. We took one look at her arm and knew it needed to be looked at, so we headed to the Hospital for X-rays. Sure enough, it was broken, but not just a simple little break they could cast for us....it ended up being a Distal Radial fracture and its displaced, so we have to see an Orthopaedic Surgeon on Tuesday to get it reset and casted. Sounds like alot of fun, right!?!

Well, the kids are back to school and all is well with the world as we know it!! Hope all is well with the rest of you!!