You gotta love it :)

My Address

2012-01-31T07:01:00.000-08:00

Ok, I feel like I am on a mission again- checking the mailbox for letters everyday! But I have had a bunch of people ask me for my address, and so I figured the easiest way for everyone to have it would be to post it on here. So here it is!

For letters:

BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies

Carrie Fox, #410

PO Box 19604

Jerusalem, 91196

Israel

For Packages:

BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies

Carrie Fox, #410

Located on Mt. Scopus

Near Augusta Victoria Hospital

Jerusalem, 91196

Israel

Oh, and just so you know- there are three new posts after this one! Check them out!!! LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!

Lakiya Negev Weaving

2012-01-31T06:42:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, we had the opportunity to go south to the Negev Desert, and visit the Bedouin women at the Lakiya Negev Weaving shop. A little known secret of my amazing Mom is that she is a fantastic weaver! She used to do a lot more before us kids were born, but I hope that one day she will get a loom and get back into it! It was so cool for me to see first-hand how these women are working to create a better future for themselves and their families by preserving this beautiful tradition of weaving. It also gave me a better idea of how weaving works and what it takes. Here are a few pictures of these amazing women!

I wish I had better pictures of the tent we were sitting in- it was AMAZING! I can't believe that people can actually produce something like that by hand!

www.lakiya.org

St. George's Monestary

2012-01-31T06:31:00.000-08:00

So, after we were done at Jericho we drove to St. George's Monestary, which was AMAZING! It is an ancient Greek Monestary that is still fully functional and it was built into the mountainside. SO COOL! I will just let the pictures do the talking:

My class and I make the long hike up the mountain to see the monestary.

Here it is!!!!!!! The picture doesn't do it justice- it was simply breathtaking. And we lucked out and went on a beautiful day! If you look really closely, you can see all these little windows, where over hundreds of years, the monks have built little caves and rooms to live in away from the main monestary. It seriously was so cool to see!

After we were done learning about St. George's and snapping some pics, we hiked the rest of the way over the mountain and back to the road. Along the way, there were these GIANT crosses surrounding the monestary on the top of the mountains.

Jericho and Herod's Winter Palace

2012-01-31T06:04:00.000-08:00

Ok, I am desperately trying to catch up on blogging!!! So, a few weeks ago, we took a trip to Jericho and to see the ruins of Herod's Winter Palace. It was so fun! As you will see, I was in a sling for this trip. To make a long story short, I had a little bit of shoulder/lung trouble my first couple of weeks here. The night before this field trip, I was in the emergency room getting a chest x-ray, which was quite the experience! But not to worry, there was nothing seriously wrong and I was feeling much better about a week after that field trip! Here are some pics from our field trip:

Some of the ruins at Herod's Winter Palace! It still blows my mind that this these walls are still here after so many thousand years. So cool!

My heart ached a little bit when we met this little boy. All of the kids run around barefoot here, which blows my mind because I am pretty sure I wouldn't make it 1 step! But this little guy's heel was bleeding a ton, and it was obvious he was hurting. We tried to give him some Neosporin and a bandaid, but he wouldn't let us put it on. Finally, we just gave him the bandaid and he ran off happy as a clam :-) Hope his little foot is better!

Some boys came over wanting to give us a donkey ride. Obviously, we didn't take the ride, but they sure wanted us to come! Now if you know me, you know that I am not the biggest animal person in the world. But I really did feel bad for these donkeys because those boys were whipping them like crazy!

Some little kids came over with their baby goats to show us and take pictures. Mostly they wanted money..... But they were really cute, and they followed us all over the ruins at Herod's Winter Palace.

Me, Marcie, and Maddie with the kiddos :-)

Me and my cute roommates, Marcie and Aimee at the ruins of Herod's Winter Palace. LOVE THEM!!!!!!

This is a picture of Elisha's Spring, at the bottom of the Tel in Jericho

The Norwegians helped build the park surrounding Elisha's Spring. Needless to say, I was excited to see my beloved Norwegian flag!!!

Underground

2012-01-22T11:07:00.001-08:00

Last week, we got to take a tour underneath the Jerusalem Center. It was crazy how much stuff there was going on under there that keeps the Center going! After lots of twists and turns and ducking under pipes, we made it to the famous wall that all the students get to sign. I wrote my name in teal so it would stick out :D Do you like my hard-hat?!?!?!

It's official!!!

Jerusalem Overlooks

2012-01-22T10:50:00.001-08:00

Ok, I know I am a little behind, but in my defense, we are SO busy over here! I feel like (in a good way) I never have a spare moment! So I am going to attempt to do a little catch-up… Our first field trip after we got here was on Monday, January 9^th. We went to several outlooks in the city of Jerusalem to get a better sense of the geography of the city. And man, did we see some amazing views! We started out at a monastery called Jabal Mar Elyas. We hiked up onto a hill behind it and the view was amazing! Here is a picture of a little bit of the monastery, and a little bit of the view:

Then, we were off to what is probably the most well known viewpoint in the city of Jerusalem, called. Funny enough, we saw some camels while we were there!

But here is what we really came to see:

After that, we were off to the St. Augustine Chapel/Hospital. It was a very ornate building on the inside. And we had to climb what felt like a MILLION stairs to get to the top of the tower. I definitely got my workout in that day! Here is a picture of the ceiling:

Our last stop was a site of ancient ruins called Nabi Samwil. It was really cool to see the ruins and the synagogue inside. It was my first time in a synagogue! Not quite what I expected, but cool to see. It will be cool to go into other synagogues throughout the semester and see if they are similar to this one. Here are a few pictures of it:

This was such a fun fieldtrip! I felt like I had a much better idea of how Jerusalem is laid out, and I learned a lot about the different sites within the city. Not too mention the amazing views!!!

I made it!!!!!!

2012-01-07T10:36:00.001-08:00

Well, I made it!!!!!!!!!!!! After the longest trip I have ever had, I am FINALLY in Jerusalem! I don’t even know where to begin… It is gorgeous! The BYU Jerusalem Center sits up on the Mount of Olives (or Mount Scopus depending on who you ask!) and it overlooks all of the city of Jerusalem, including the Dome of the Rock and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The view from the gardens here is breathtaking!!! The first day we got here, pretty much all we wanted to do was sleep. You should have seen all the students during orientation- we were all nodding off to sleep! Somehow I made it through and quite frankly, I don’t even remember changing my clothes or crawling into bed. I was that tired. And I slept, like a ROCK, the whole night. The next morning, we were up early for breakfast at 6:15, another orientation meeting, and a walking tour of the city of Jerusalem. The walking tour was SO SO SO cool! I felt like I saw a million things- it was hard to take it all in. We literally walked miles and miles and saw so many cool things. I can’t wait to see all the sights that were pointed out to me. And let me tell you- I can’t wait to go SHOPPING!!! I saw a million things that I thought looked so cool! Anyways, yesterday was our first day that we could go into the city by ourselves. A bunch of us walked to the Old City- the hills here are killer! My calves were definitely a little sore after walking the whole day :D It was interesting to walk through the city and see how things in Israel are for the average person on an average day. And I am sure all the Mormon kids are quite the sight for the Israeli’s here- I have never gotten so many cat-calls in my life! It seemed like everywhere we turned Israeli boys were trying to get us to come with them, or telling us we were beautiful, or just making strange noises toward us. Yikes!!! But on the overall, it was such a cool experience to just walk through the city and really begin to explore all the things Jerusalem has to offer. Today was the Sabbath- it was kind of strange having the Sabbath be on Saturday, but as the day progressed I forgot that it wasn’t Sunday and it wasn’t so strange anymore. It was amazing to be singing the hymns about Jesus while staring out at the beautiful overlook of Jerusalem. Honestly, it gave new meaning to the hymns- everything religious has a new meaning. It is just amazing to be here!!!!!!! I can’t wait to see what this amazing place has in store for me!!!

Denver!

2011-12-05T00:12:00.000-08:00

Well, I realize that it has been over a month since I last blogged. Life definitely hasn't been boring- quite the opposite! I can't seem to find enough hours in the day to get everything done! But, I thought I would take a minute to write a little about my trip to visit my BFF Fife. I flew to Denver for a quick weekend trip to visit her and meet her beautiful little girl, Nora. Did I mention this baby is seriously the most precious little thing on the face of the planet?!?!?! Anyways, we had a lot of fun- we went and got pedicures, courtesy of Fife's husband Nate, we went out to dinner for Fife's birthday, I got to be a 2nd shooter for a photo shoot Fife did, and I got to babysit my sweet little Nora-boo while her parents went to see Breaking Dawn. And in between all that we had a ton of fun just relaxing and chatting and catching up! I am SO glad that I was able to get away for a few days and spend some quality time Fife and her little family. I love Fife so much- we have been through a lot together and I am so grateful for our friendship. Here's a few pics from my trip!

Nora and I had a little photo shoot while the parents were at the movies :D

After a few minutes, Nora let me know that the photo shoot was over...... ;-)

Fife and I after we had finished the photo shoot!

Love you guys! Thanks for a great trip!!!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-30T23:04:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was the Miller's ward Trunk-or-Treat. Gedde is finally old enough to understand how Halloween works- first, you say "trick-or-treat". Then people give you candy. Then you give the candy to Urrie (Carrie)! Genius, right? So, my little Frankenstein (say it as a whisper, and very scary, that's the only way Gedde says it!) went and returned with lots of candy, which he was all too willing to share since he hates candy. Love this kid!

Christmas is coming.......

2011-10-19T23:27:00.000-07:00

I wish you could hear the conversations I have with this kid. They are downright hilarious! Vigo is probably the smartest kid I have ever met- not even joking, the kid was beating me at chess at the age of 3. I wish I could take a little peak into his brain to see what is going on in there! He thinks about things and understands things in a way that I don't think many 5 year-olds do. The things he comes up with blow me away, and more often than not, leave me laughing!

Around this time of year, a popular topic of conversation that begins between us is what we should ask Santa for for Christmas. So the other day, Vigo asked me what I was going to ask Santa for.

ME: "I don't know! What do you think I should ask Santa for?"

VIGO: "Hmmm....... I don't know! Let me think about it". (said with his best serious-thinking face).

A few minutes later....

VIGO: "I KNOW!!!!! You should ask Santa for a BABY!!!!"

Yikes- how do I explain to him that I am pretty darn sure that Santa is not in the business of bringing babies to people?!?!

ME: "Well," I reply slowly, "I don't think that Santa can bring me a baby....."

VIGO: "Oh, that's right..... You need a Mommy and a Daddy to have a baby....... Darn it. I KNOW!!! You should ask Santa for a DADDY!!! Or you could ask Santa for a Teddy Bear.....

Out of the mouth of babes- you heard it here first. I think I am going to have to ask Santa for a Daddy for Christmas...... or maybe I will stick with the Teddy Bear...... ;-)

Nora Jean=LOVE

2011-09-30T20:47:00.000-07:00

My best friend Fife just had her first baby on Monday! Seriously, I feel like we have been waiting for this baby FOREVER. I'm sure it was a longer wait for Fife than it was for me :D Anyways, I am pretty sure she is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen..... I am SO excited for Fife and her husband Nate! I know they are going to make great parents! Nora is a lucky girl! And I am so grateful for dear friend, Fife. She has seen me through so many ups and downs, and she has always been there for me. I am blessed to count her as one of my best friends. So, without further ado, I would like to introduce the beautiful......

Nora Jean Buckmiller

Born at 12:47 pm, September 26th, 2011

6 lbs. 14 oz. and 19 1/4 inches long

Isn't she so CUTE?!?!?!

And if you are wondering who took these gorgeous photos of baby Nora, it would be her amazingly talented Mom! Did I mention Fife is an awesome photographer?!?! Check out her work!!!

www.tiffanybuckmiller.com

2011-09-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

Enter to win these gorgeous cake plates at www.justcookalready.com!!!!!

But I kind of hope you lose...... does that make me a bad person?!?! Sorry!!!

Girls Weekend at Chelan

2011-09-30T00:41:00.000-07:00

Soooo...... a couple months ago, Jessica and I decided we needed a girls weekend at her parents'

house in Lake Chelan. Because of the craziness of Ali's wedding, we kept pushing it back and pushing it back. Well, the weekend after the Seattle reception we made dreams a reality and went up for the weekend! Honestly, it couldn't have come at a better time. Life has been SO crazy and stressful and busy the last few months- it felt so good to have a weekend where we could do whatever the heck we wanted to! We slept in, ate good food, and spent a day in Leavenworth shopping and eating. We laughed, stayed up late talking, slept in, and just had a great time. Here are a few of the picture I took while we were in Leavenworth!!!

Ok, so we went to the YUMMIEST Italian place while we were in Leavenworth. As delicious as it was, we had a good laugh at how small our salads were! Seriously, there were like three pieces of lettuce on the plate. Jessica's hand was bigger than the salad! Enough said.

Ugh I am such a sucker for Italian food.... especially bread and infused olive oil........

It was a little windy!

Love this little German town :D Makes me feel like I am back in Europe! Have I mentioned I miss NORWAY lately?!?!

I am so grateful for this cute friend of mine. She is one of my best and closest friends- She always knows how to put a smile on my face. She knows what I need. And she is there for me. Love her and don't know what I would do without her!

I still can't sleep but for another reason!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-08-24T22:15:00.001-07:00

COME JANUARY 3RD I GET TO LIVE HERE FOR A SEMESTER:

You might be asking yourself, "Where is that?" Well, let me tell you. JERUSALEM, ISRAEL. Yes, I am TOTALLY serious! I just found out tonight that I got accepted to the BYU Jerusalem Center for Winter Semester 2012! I am in a complete state of shock right now! I have wanted to go to Jerusalem for years- seriously, since I was like 12 and found out what the Jerusalem Center was. I am finally in a place where I have the time (and let's be honest, funds!) to go. I quietly applied about a month ago- I didn't want to get my hopes up. You see, it is the process by which one is admitted is a lottery. So I honestly had no idea whether or not I would get in. It is complete chance! Except I really feel like this is what Heavenly Father wants me to do. I have wanted it SO bad for SO long. I am so excited for this adventure- I am so excited to see where my Savior walked, see the things He saw, and be in His homeland. I am excited for my relationship with Him to grow- I saw how much it grew on my mission, and I was amazed. But I think there is something about walking where he walked, and immersing myself in His culture and history that will be very different than serving a mission. Ugh I could go on and on about how excited I am and how much this means to me- but I will spare you all ;-) Needless to say, I am totally and completely STOKED!

Now here is the really important question- Should I take Hebrew or Arabic?!?!?!

I should be asleep......

2011-08-17T01:44:00.000-07:00

Tonight I am SO tired. And yet it seems like no matter how hard I try I can't get to bed at a decent hour. Oh, well..... So, before I go crawl under the covers, I thought I would leave you with a glimpse of my day today. Aren't these two cute?!?! Ok, time for bed now. Goodnight and have a happy Wednesday!!!

Ali's Bridal Shower

2011-08-02T22:59:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we had the most beautiful bridal shower for Ali. Lisa Sharp and I worked overtime to make it happen, and the results were BEAUTIFUL! We had it at the Serafin's house, among the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen. Every part of the shower was perfect. It was so much fun to celebrate Ali and Brock's engagement, and I am so glad we got to throw her such a great shower!

PS- I know there are a ton of pictures, but I couldn't help it- it was SO hard to choose! Enjoy! :)

Did I mention these two kids are getting MARRIED?!?!?!?!

2011-08-02T22:37:00.000-07:00

So, after years of dating and a mission to the West Indies, I am SO excited that my little sister and the love of her life, Brock, are getting married on September 3rd! I am so happy for these two- they are so cute together, and they love each other so much. Congrats, Ali and Brock!!! Love you both!!!

Did I mention Abbey got married?!?!?!

2011-08-02T21:27:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pics from the day :D

Love you Abbey and Toni!!!

A few more from Abbey's Shower :-)

2011-07-02T02:56:00.001-07:00

Abbey's Shower Pt. 2 :-)

2011-06-21T22:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, here is part 2- pictures of the guests in no particular order! Enjoy!

PS- Don't know why, but I was in the mood for black and white photos today......

Cute Abbey :-)

Abbey's niece, Elleia

Marsha

My sister Ali and Shelley

Kali, one of my oldest friends

Rose, Maru, and Cyndi

Cute Elleia again :-)

Rose and my Mom. Love these ladies!

Barb, Saundra, Janalee, my Mom, and Rose

Abbey's niece, Natalia

Carolyn, Kimberlee, and Shelley

Natalia

Ali and Abbey

Ashley and her cute girls Elleia and Valencia

My sister, Ali

Elleia

Aubrey, Hudson, and Amber

Ashley

Molly and Cyndi

Hudson and Aubrey

Aunty Rosa :-)

The most delicious coconut cupcakes ever! Made by yours truly ;-)

Abbey, Amy, and Ali- Wow, lot's of 'A' names......

Abbey's Bridal Shower Pt. 1 :-)

2011-06-21T22:06:00.000-07:00

Today was a wonderful day. It was the day of Abbey's bridal shower! My Mom, my sister Ali, and I put together a beautiful shower for our dear friend Abbey. And if I do say so myself, it was pretty much the bomb. We were really happy with how it turned out! It was so much fun to see all the LaBato women. They have been our best friends for almost 30 years- I love that no matter how much time has passed, and no matter where we all live, when we get together it is one BIG party and it is like no time has passed at all! I seriously LOVE these girls, they are the best! Enjoy the pics :-)

These are the favors we gave- little Peach Raspberry pies in a mason jar. They were DELICIOUS!!!

Single servings of veggies and dip

Yummy little tartlets!

One of the tables- a big thanks to Cydney for all the vintage table toppers!

My favorite table!

A view of the place settings

Dreams Really Do Come True......

2011-05-29T00:26:00.000-07:00

OK, since I was about 8, I have wanted one of these. I still remember the day my Mom got her first Kitchenaid- it was either Christmas or Mother's Day when I was like 8 or 9.I watched her use it and I was FASCINATED. And then, when I got a little older, my Mom started teaching me to cook. By far my favorite cooking tool was the KITCHENAID. You can ask her- I used it all the time! And so, for the last 16 or so years, I have been planning the day in which I would finally grow up enough to have my very own KitchenAid. At last, the day has FINALLY come. I bought a BEAUTIFUL pistachio-colored Kitchenaid today. And I am in LOVE!!!

Every girl loves flowers :-)

2011-05-26T23:54:00.001-07:00

So, the other day, Vigo and I are chatting about random things. I am not even sure how it came up, but we started talking about Christmas. First let me explain- Vigo is the smartest kid I have ever met. And he is also one of the most passionate- when he decides he likes something, he can't stop thinking about it. He throws his whole heart into loving and thinking and living for whatever his current obsession is, whether it is legos, a video game, a holiday, a birthday, a song..... you get the idea! But one thing he loves more than just about anything is Christmas. He loves the Nativity scene, the Christmas books, the magic Christmas box, the stockings, the Nutcrackers, Santa, the baking..... again, you get the idea! So anyways, we are talking about Christmas and I ask him, "What should I ask Santa for for Christmas?" He thinks about it for a minute, and then answers "A bunch of flowers!" I laughed a little bit, and asked "Why should I ask for flowers?" He quickly replied "Because all girls love flowers. Remember when you told me a long time ago that all girls love flowers and I should remember that when I am older? I am older and I remembered!" Now, what you need to understand is this- I had this conversation with him over a year ago! The kid has an amazing memory! Later in the day, he and his brother Caelen were playing outside. I was feeding the baby when they came in, and so I wasn't totally paying attention to what they were doing. After a few minutes, Vigo says "Carrie, I have a present for you!" I look down and see this:

How CUTE is this??? Flowers and a broken bird's egg they found in the forest. :D Vigo gave me a big hug and reminded me once again, "Carrie, you are a girl and so you LOVE flowers!"

One more cute Vigo story- Yesterday I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. His answer and explanation made me laugh SO hard- "I want to be a nanny. I just want to play with little kids all day!" Vigo, you make me laugh every day! Love you cute boy!!!

Life lately......

2011-04-27T23:57:00.000-07:00

OK, I know it has literally been a year since I last blogged...... But I am going to try and get back into it!!!!! Little update on my life- I just finished the semester at BYU-Idaho, and made a last minute decision to move back to Redmond and work. So I get to spend my days with one of my favorite families in the whole world, the Miller's! I was especially excited to hang out with these cute faces :D I am still taking a few classes online, so needless to say, life is CRAZY! But I am loving it and am excited to see what the next few months will bring! At the very least, hopefully I will be better about blogging!

Jamaica- Port Antonio

2010-04-18T23:57:00.001-07:00

After our week in Montego Bay, we got back in the Magic School Bus and headed to the other side of Jamaica, to Port Antonio. And I'll tell you what- Port Antonio was simply BREATHTAKING!!! It was so gorgeous- My favorite part was probably Frenchman's Cove. It was the prettiest beach I have ever been to. I know I posted a million pictures, but I couldn't help it. It was so hard to choose! So, here they are...... And again, they start at the bottom- they aren't in order. Gotta figure that one out!

We went to the funkiest restaurant called "Jamaica's Best Kept Secret" It was carved out of a caveside, and it was so cool! They served us a five course authentic Jamaican meal that was fantastic! It was very rustic and very Jamaican. It was a great experience! Here is what the table looked like:

The inside of the restaurant.

They didn't have a highchair for Gedde, so we strapped him into a chair and tied a towel around him to keep him in place. It worked pretty good!

A really pretty flower on the walk back from the waterfall.

Reach Falls, if I remember correctly. It was gorgeous, and the water was SO clear. You could see perfectly through it! And there were some cool hidden caves when you swam through the waterfalls.

Grandpa Dan said he would pay Ethan $5 if he walked the whole way down to the waterfall with the towels on his head. He actually did it!

Beautiful Frenchman's Cove. The best beach in Jamaica, if you ask me!

Me at Frenchman's Cove. I got so burned that day! My legs are still peeling!

Vigo was looking pretty cool with his orange soda and Dad's sunglasses!

Connor on the rope swing at Frenchman's Cove.

Cute pic of Vigo playing in the sand at Frenchman's Cove.

Gedde playing on a rope swing at Frenchman's Cove. He loved it!

I sure missed you all..... :)

While we were in Port Antonio, we got to go the local Church building and watch General Conference. It was a really cool experience, and it was a good reminder of how the Gospel of Jesus Christ really is changing the lives of people all over the world. We got to meet a bunch of the members afterwards. This little boy in the picture, Jacob, really took a liking to our family and wanted to be in the picture with us. He was adorable!

Me and Gedde right before we left for General Conference.

Gedde, Connor, and I waiting to go to Conference!

The Easter Bunny came to us in Jamaica! We all got baskets, and we even had an Easter Egg Hunt! The Easter Bunny forgot Easter Eggs, so he had to use plastic wrap instead :)

Elsa lucked out and got to fulfill her dream of horseback riding on the Beach!

Me and most of the Miller family at San-San Beach.

Ethan, Elsa, Grace, and Connor at San-San beach.

The view from San-San beach.

We stayed right next to this house, which is where Tom Cruise stayed while filming one of his movies. So cool!!!

The Blue Lagoon, and some local vendors that sold us some really cool souvenirs!

The famous Blue Lagoon, which made Brooke Shields famous!

We got to stay right on the Blue Lagoon, it was gorgeous!

Michael, our boat driver and friend! He took us all around Port Antonio in the glass-bottom boat that came with the house we rented.

Dale, Caelen, and Connor on our first boat ride in Port Antonio.

Everyone piled in the Magic School Bus for a long and bumpy car ride to Port Antonio.

Jamaica- Montego Bay

2010-04-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

I had the most amazing opportunity to go to Jamaica with the Miller family a few weeks ago! We had a blast! We spent the first week in Montego Bay, the second week in Port Antonio, and the last day and a half in Kingston. Jamaica is a beautiful country! The people were so nice and laid back, and we had a blast getting to know some of them. Montego Bay was SO gorgeous! We rented a private villa there, and the staff was amazing. We got to really love them! While we were in Montego Bay, we hung out at the beach, went on a yacht ride, toured the open markets and downtown Falmouth, played in the pool, and ate a ton of amazing Jamaican food! OK, I know there are a ton of pictures, but there were too many to chose from. And the first one's start at the bottom, so they are a little messed up. I couldn't figure out how to fix it. Sorry! Enjoy the pictures!!!

Elsa and Bunny, the groundskeeper, on our last day.
Elsa and I with Sylvia and Patricia on our last day.

Gedde, Kari, Elsa, Grace, with Sylvia, the cook. She made AMAZING food!
Our last day, Elsa with Patricia, the housekeeper at our house. We loved her! She was hilarious!

Poor Vigo fell asleep on the yacht :D

Grace, Vigo, and Caelen on the yacht.

The dolphins swam right beside our boat, they were SO close it was crazy!!!

Vigo, Kari, Caelen, and Grandpa Dan on the yacht.
Grace and I on the yacht!

Grace and Elsa

Me and Elsa

The Courthouse in Falmouth, Jamaica

The ATMs at the bank were enclosed and airconditioned, so we all would pile in to get a little break from the heat. Here are Elsa and Gedde in one!

Downtown Falmouth

Me and Elsa

Finally done and lookin' good!!!

Fighting off tears......

A little more painful......

Elsa wanted to get her hair braided. It started out good......

Cute pic of Vigo in the Magic School Bus!

Doctors' Cove Beach, Montego Bay

Me and Grace at Doctors' Cove, Montego Bay.

Crazy big stick bug we found in the bathroom one day!

For some reason, Gedde HATED the grass in Jamaica. Every time we put him down, this is the face we got. Poor guy!

Me, Gedde, Elsa, and Vigo messing around!

Once we got to Montego Bay, we got our rental car. It was this crazy white van that had no seatbelts and BARELY fit all of us! We dubbed it the magic school bus and trust me, it was always an adventure riding in it!

Me and Elsa on the plane.
Me and Gedde on the plane.

Hello, Seattle!!!

2010-03-18T23:59:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I got to go to one of my favorite places in the world. Seattle, Washington!!! It was a really special weekend for me because some dear friends of mine were having their little girl sealed to them. For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe that families can be together forever. This i done in the temple, and it is a very special occasion. One of my favorite families in the entire world, the Sharps', have been through a lot to adopt cute Sofie. It has been over two years since we first met this cute little girl. There have been a lot of bumps in the road, but her adoption was finalized last week and this last Friday they were sealed together as a family. Of course I had to be there! The Sharps' have always been a special family to me- I have known them for many years, and even worked as their nanny for awhile before my mission. I even lived with them for the last year while I was working in Seattle before I came back to BYU! Needless to say, we have had a lot of time to become close. I was SO honored and excited to be a part of this special time with them! So anyways, I flew up to Seattle on Thursday night. I was able to squeeze in some quick shopping with my good friend Leanne Jasperson that night and got a really cute dress! Thanks, Leanne!!! And I got to stay with one of my other fave Redmond families, the Beans'!!! Love them :D Most of the weekend was spent being with the Sharps', the Millers' (family I LOVE and used to nanny for- we are going to Jamaica in a week!), the Beans', the Jaspersons', and last but certainly not least Grandma! It was a crazy busy weekend, and I didn't get to see a ton of people, but it was a fantastic weekend! I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to spend some time with dear friends and loved ones, and that I was able to see a happy ending for the Sharp family. Here are a few pics and memories from the weekend:

Me and Jessica

I got to go to Elsa's play, she was amazing!!! This is Elsa, me, and her friend Caitlin.

Me, Gedde, and Caelen

Me and my fave little guy, Gedde. He has got so big in the last few months!!!

Me and Jessica right before I left for the temple.

Sofie, me, and Lisa at the temple after the sealing.

Me and Sofie! Love this cute girl!!!

The whole Sharp family in front of the Temple.

A Sad Day :-(

2010-02-06T23:19:00.001-08:00

After a whole year of Miller love, my last day finally came...... It was a really sad day! I got pretty attached to the whole Miller family, to say the least. I can't wait to see them again in March! I took this picture right before I left. Notice Gedde's super sad face, he was really torn up that I was leaving. But, life goes on..... It will be so much fun to catch up with the Miller family in March when I go on vacation with them!

That's right people, I can knit!!! Just not very well.....

2010-02-04T10:40:00.000-08:00

Well, folks, I decided to learn how to knit. I have always wanted to learn how to knit, but it just never quite happens. I am pretty sure that my mom tried to teach me when I was little, but for some reason it just never stuck. So when my good friends Rose and Meghan offered to teach me how, I quickly took them up on their offer! I decided I wanted to make a hat for my mom. I was so confident that it would be perfect! Well, after a little help, ok a LOT of help, I finished! It looks perfect! One problem- it is the size of a child's hat! When I finished it, we got Jessica to try it on and her reaction was hilarious! It kind of became a big joke- I let so many people try it on, and we just laughed about it! So, here are a few examples of what it looks like- Too bad it fit baby Gedde the best! Sorry, Mom!!!

Jessica trying to be positive about the hat!

It almost fit Caelen.....

Yup, I think this hat was meant to be Gedde's!

Jessica's reaction caught on tape!

Benson's Baby Blessing

2010-02-04T10:26:00.001-08:00

For those of you who don't know much about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, aka the Mormons, when our children are born they are given a name and a blessing. You know how Catholics baptize their infants? Well, since we don't do the whole baptism thing until we are at least 8 years old, our babies are given a name and a blessing. It is so fun when we get to have a baby blessed in the family! So, Aaron and Sarah's little baby, Benson, was blessed on December 27th after Christmas. And we all came for it! Fun times! Here are a few pics:

Most of the girls in the family with Baby Benson.

Aunt Jennifer and baby Benson.

Cute Benson :D

Benson and cousin Carrie!

Christmas 2009

2010-02-02T15:43:00.001-08:00

Christmas was so much fun this year! My family came to Seattle and we had a great time, although we missed having Mike and Melanie with us. Here are a few highlights of the Christmas Holiday with the Fox family:

We have a tradition in my family that we go and see a movie on Christmas Day. This is me and Ali at the theatre right before we went to see the movie, "Did You Hear About the Morgan's?" Dumb movie...... but still fun for us to be together!

Ali and Bailey on the phone with Brock.

Life-sized Jacob...... Does it get any better???

Christmas Eve with the girls!!!

How cute is this picture? It had been awhile since my Dad had held a newborn baby :D

All the grandkids and great-grandkids with Grandma on Christmas Eve!

Girl cousins + Baby Benson

Ali and Baby Benson

Grandma was so excited to open presents!

Me and Baby Benson

In Norway, they have a Christmas tradition where they hide an almond in someone's dessert. Usually they eat a sort of Rice Pudding, but we decided Chocolate Pudding was a safer bet. Whoever gets the almond wins a prize! Too bad I put an almond in everyone's pudding except one of the cups! It was supposed to be funny, but I ended up being the one without the almond, so it kind of defeated the purpose! It was still fun to do anyways, and it reminded me of my beloved Norway :D

Baby Benson, almost smiling :D

Great-Grandma Schmalle and Baby Benson. I love this picture! It is just so sweet and tender, my Grandma loves her grandkids more than anyone I know!

The Miller's Cabin

2010-02-02T15:19:00.001-08:00

Ok, I am not quite sure why some of the pictures are small and some are big. I guess I will just have to live with it. The weekend before Christmas, I went with the Miller's to their cabin outside of Leavenworth. It was a blast!!! We had so much fun- we made gingerbread houses and went snowmobiling and played in the snow and ate amazing food! It was great! Probably my favorite part of the trip was when the parents left me with all 11 kids and we played Mafia in the dark. It was hilarious! Anyways, we had a lots of fun and I am so glad that I was able to take part in the Miller-Burt Christmas Cabin weekend!!! Here are a few pics from the weekdend:

My cute little guy, Gedde!

Me, Kari Miller, and Cindy Burt teamed up to make the most amazing gingerbread house ever!!!

Gedde was a good helper with the gingerbread house making!
Grace and Madeleine's gingerbread house- inspired by the TV show "Lost", which they watched the entire weekend!
Madeleine and Grace played Santa for Gedde, it was hilarious!
Some down time with the kiddos :D
I loved the fireplace with all the mittens hanging to dry!
Getting ready to go!

Why I haven't been blogging......

2010-02-02T14:54:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!!!

I am sure that many of you are wondering why I just suddenly dropped out of the blogging world. Well, let me tell you, a lot of crazy things have been going on! Namely, my laptop got stolen..... That's right, STOLEN!

Here's the story: I was flying back to SLC from Seattle. Like anytime you fly, I had to go through security. After removing my belt, shoes, laptop, etc. I went through. As I did, the TSA Agent held up my water bottle and asked who's it was. I replied that it was mine, and she told me that I needed to go back through and empty it out. I said that I would, and then asked her if it was safe to leave my stuff with her so I could be a little faster. She said no problem, so I went back through the metal detector and emptied my water bottle. By the time I got back, my laptop was gone. Some IDIOT stole it!!! To say that I was upset is an understatement. When iI called my mom to tell her what happened, I believe the first thing I said was, "If you tell me it is going to be OK, I am going to kill you." I had just bought my dream computer, a MacBook Pro, in October and it was stolen less than three months later! SUCK! To make a really long story short- I have filed a claim with TSA and am waiting to hear back. It could take up to six months! I kept telling myself that I would start blogging again when I got my computer back, but it just isn't happening. So who knows what will happen??? For now I am stuck with my old ghetto laptop, but at least it works and I have something for school!

So that is the tale of why I haven't been blogging..... So, I am going to try and do some catch-up over the next few days! Wish me luck! And hopefully sooner rather than later I will have a new MacBook Pro!!!

The camera is FINALLY fixed!!!

2009-12-14T22:46:00.000-08:00

Well, after what feels like 5 years, my camera is FINALLY fixed! Since this is the third time that the screen has broken, I decided maybe it WAS me and I needed to invest in a new camera case. So I bought what I hope will be a very padded and protective case so that hopefully this won't happen again..... I'll tell you what, I am sure glad I invested in the "Accident Protection Program" when I bought my camera! But, since I got my camera back, I decided to snap a few pictures today. I have missed my camera! As usual, my only subjects were myself and Gedde. In a few weeks, you will start seeing a few more faces on my blog since I will be back at BYU. But for now, you will have to settle for this cute little face and myself :D

Me and my happy little guy, Gedde.

He stole my orange and went to work on it with his two little half-teeth. After awhile he got to the actual orange! Too cute :D

Thanksgiving in Utah

2009-12-07T00:21:00.000-08:00

So, this year for Thanksgiving I flew to Utah to be with my family. It was my first Thanksgiving at home since I got home from my mission! I had such a blast! Unfortunately, my camera is still in the shop, so I didn't take that many pictures. Turns out remembering to ask Mom to borrow her camera is a little bit too much for my brain to remember at the moment... :D But I did take a few! Some of the highlights of my Thanksgiving Weekend- BYU vs. U of U game!!! Ali, Mike, Melanie, and I went to the game. Now, you have to understand that this is kind of a big deal in my family. My brother and sister-in-law are huge U fans, and Ali and I of course are huge BYU fans. Needless to say, there was a lot of trash talking going on while we were on the way to the game. We all know what happened- of course BYU WON!!! All I can say is that the first few minutes in the car once we met up after the game were VERY silent. Didn't want to start up any fights...... Other highlights- got my hair done! Shopping, Thanksgiving Dinner with the fam, PUMPKIN PIE, hanging out with Shar and her roommates, going to the movies, and just being with friends and family! I also went to a going-away party for some dear friends, Nick and Wenche. I served with Nick in Norway, and I also served in his cute wife's ward in Fredrikstad, Norway. They have been living here in the U.S. since they got married in May, and they just moved back to Norway. We are all sad to see them go! Especially since they are having a baby! It's a boy, I am calling it.... So, all in all, it was a great weekend! I have a lot to be thankful for :D

Marte, me, and Wenche- Love my Norwegian friends!!!

Me and my dear friend, Wenche! MISS YOU GUYS!!!

Me, Brett, Wenche, Becca, and Parker- I served in Norway with Brett and Parker :D

My for evig ledsager and one of my best friends, Shar!!!

Story behind this pic- So after a crazy game, BYU won, and all the fans stormed the field. Ali and I jumped the 7 ft. tall fence down to field to find Shar, who is in the Athletic Training Program at BYU and works with the football team. Ali ended up finding her and we got to take a picture together before heading home! So fun!!!

Me and my cute sister, freezing at the BYU game!

It was a great game, needless to say!

Me and Ali right as the game was starting, it wasn't quite so cold in the beginning!!!

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

2009-11-24T00:10:00.000-08:00

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

You're going to have to click on the link to view the video.... I can't figure out how to just make it part of my blog! Sorry!

I saw this on one of my friend's blogs..... I LOVE IT! I love Thanksgiving for so many reasons. Mostly I love it because it gives me time to step back and reflect on all of the things that I am thankful for. So, here are a few from my list in no particular order: First and foremost, my family. I love my family. They have enriched my life beyond belief and I most definitely wouldn't be who I am today without them. Every single person in my family brings something unique to the table, and it makes us who we are. I am so grateful that no matter what happens, I will always have my family by my side to love and support me. I am thankful for my friends. Over the last couple of years, I have come to realize how blessed I really am to have such good friends. There have been so many times in my life when I just needed a good friend, and I have always had one. I have friends all over the world!!! How cool is that? Even though I am away from many of my dear friends, and I miss them terribly, I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends. Another huge thing that I am thankful for is the Gospel. As most of you know, I spent a 18 months in Norway sharing what I know to be true. My testimony has grown so much over the last few years. My faith has been tested a lot, and yet, through it all, I still know that the Gospel is true and that we have a Savior who loves us and stands waiting for us to let him in. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to serve a mission in Norway. Norway and its' people have brought a joy into my life that I didn't know was possible. I feel so lucky to have associated and loved the people of Norway. I miss it more than anyone knows..... I am grateful for all the little things that make my days good. Whether it is waking up on time, a smile from Gedde, or clean sheets on the bed, there are so many things to be grateful for. I am grateful for my health, that I can do the things that I want to do and that I am able to work and play! I am grateful for music!!! I think I would die without music..... There are so many things that I am grateful for, I could go on and on and on. Basically, what it boils down to, is that I am grateful to be alive, to have the family and friends that I do, and to have the knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let us all take time this season to remember the blessings we have in our own lives, and in turn bless the lives of others!

Happy Birthday, Fifey!!!

2009-11-16T23:21:00.000-08:00

Dear Fife,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

I just want you to know how much I love you...... Here are some of the reasons: I love that we started our friendship by only calling each other by our last names. And I love that it stuck! You will always be Fife and I will always be Fox. Or Fifey and Foxy. Whatever we might feel like. :D I love that you understand me. All of my little quirks, you are cool with.I am just comfortable with you- I can be myself and I don't have to pretend anything with you! I love the fact that we can come up with a song for anything- like we will just be talking about something, and one of us will think of a song and we will sing it together. I love that you tell me the truth. I can ask you if I am being crazy or dumb about something and you will tell me the truth, no matter what. I love that you make me laugh. I don't think that I have ever had a conversation with you where I didn't laugh. I love that we could still be best friends even when I didn't like fish. But you are right, the fact that I can handle fish now has perfected our friendship. I love the fact that you wrote me almost every week while I was on my mission. You will never know how much your love and support helped me throughout my mission. I love that even though you got married while I was gone, you did everything in your power to make me feel like I was there, including sending me a CD with hundreds of pics! I love that you did the same thing when you shot Mike and Mel's wedding. You are so thoughtful, and I love that about you! I love that I can tell you anything and you don't judge, you just help me figure it all out. I love that our friendship has lasted..... We have been through so many ups and downs, and through it all, you have always been there for me. Here is a good example- Remember when I had ankle surgery and you sat through the whole thing with my family for hours? You were there when they put the I.V. in until I woke up, and I remember thinking to myself, "Wow. I am so lucky to have such a good best friend!" It's not very often that you are blessed with a friendship like ours. I just want you to know how much I love and appreciate our friendship! I am one lucky girl-I couldn't ask for a better best friend. So here's to our friendship- I can't wait until we are old ladies and sitting on the front porch thinking of songs that go along with whatever we may be talking about! You are the best and I LOVE YOU!!!!!

Love,

Fox

PS- Sorry about the crappy pictures, I stole them from your facebook because all of my old pictures are on my desktop at home in Utah. But you know that my intentions were good:D LOVE YOU!

Playing Mommy

2009-11-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

Ok, it has been a couple of weeks since my last post. I have been a busy girl! Probably the biggest thing that I have done in the last two weeks is becoming a mom to 7 kids! That's right people, 7 kids...... The family I nanny for AND the family I live with went out of town, so we all became one big, happy, blended family with me at the head! Scary thought, I know.... All in all, the week went pretty well with only a few bumps. I got a really good feel of what it is like to have to tote a million kids to soccer games and coordinate getting everyone everywhere that they needed to be. And talk about getting 7 kids ready for church..... Wow, that was interesting. Luckily the older ones basically got themselves ready. But try keeping that many kids quiet during Sacrament Meeting- maybe sitting on the front row wasn't genius on my part!It really wasn't a bad week, we actually had a lot of fun at times! But I will tell you this- I don't think I am going to have 7 kids! Don't get me wrong, the kids were all pretty well-behaved, but wow, 7 kids is a lot of work! My respect for moms' who can handle so many kids is through the roof! But here is a little peek at all the kids I had--

Grace, age 16

Connor, age 13 and Ethan, age 15

Elsa, age 11 (Vigo, age 3, went with his parents)

Caelen, age 9

Sam, age 7

Sofie, age 4

So that's my story for now, folks! I will try to be a little bit better at posting now that I don't have 7 kids to take care of!

Last Year at This Time......

2009-11-01T22:33:00.000-08:00

So..... This weekend, it being Halloween and all, I was thinking about what I was doing exactly a year ago. I was on my mission in Trondheim, Norway! They had a great group of Young Single Adults' there, and so we all had a Halloween Party! I was on crutches at that point, so my companion, Søster Silvennoinen, and I got to join in on the festivities. We didn't really get dressed up, so some of the YSA's pulled me into the bathroom and got me dressed for Halloween! It was one of the best Halloweens' I have ever had! So, here are a couple pics from the party..... And to all the Trondheim people: Savner dere, håper alt er bra, og jeg tenker på dere veldig ofte! GLAD I DERE!!!!!

Julie, me, Søster Silvennoinen, Victoria

Julie, my baby, and I!

The whole Trondheim gang at our Halloween Party!!! Miss them!

The frustration never ends.....

2009-10-29T23:49:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been on a little bit of an organic kick. PCC is my new best friend. For those of you who don't know, PCC stands for Pacific Consumer Co-op a.k.a. it is an Organic grocery store. Soooo I decided that if I was really going to do this, I should by some of those canvas reusable grocery bags. So I did. But when I got home, I realized that they smelled HORRIBLE! Seriously, they smelled really bad, and they made my car smell the same way. So, what's a girl to do? Of course, I decided to wash them. All week I have been meaning to wash them, but I ended up using them quite a bit this week and just never got around to it. So, tonight I finally thought to wash them! I stuck them in the washer and proceeded to watch Gray's Anatomy. After it was over, I opened the washer to find that I had totally forgotten to take my Conference talk out of one of the bags! Consequently, there was little bits of shredded, wet paper all over the washer and my bags!!! PAIN IN THE BUTT! But, I am always one to find the humor in things. So I said to myself, I should take a picture of this mess and blog about it. Grand idea, right? I whipped out my camera and guess what? The screen on my camera is broken AGAIN! For the THIRD time! For those of you who don't know, I broke my camera screen before Ali and I left for Europe and had to buy a new camera, and then the screen broke again on our last day in Sweden. Luckily I bought the accident protection program extended warranty, but I just got it back from the repair shop 3 weeks ago! Luckily the camera still works, so I was able to get a picture of my drying PCC bags even though I couldn't see what I was taking a picture of.... Like I said, the frustration never ends...... Gotta love it :D

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!!!

2009-10-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

OK, I meant to do this yesterday..... but things happen! Better late than never! Yesterday was my parents' 33rd Anniversary! I was thinking about it all day yesterday.... 33 years is a REALLY long time! So I just wanted to say congratulations! Thanks for making our family amazing, we wouldn't be here if it weren't for you guys! Thanks for supporting us in everything..... We truly have the best parents' in the world! LOVE YOU BOTH!!!!!

Fun with Gedde!

2009-10-26T21:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I had a little photo shoot with the little guy I nanny for. His name is Gedde and I am pretty sure he is the cutest little guy out there! And the best part is he is such a good baby! Absolutely love this kid..... And plus I thought the pics' turned out pretty well, not to toot my own horn or anything :D

General Conference Fun

2009-10-23T23:13:00.000-07:00

So, a few weeks back I took a trip to Utah for good old General Conference. Well, that was one of the reasons..... I was also having a mission reunion, a fabulous party hosted by me and my friend Lene, and sadly enough, a funeral for one of my sister's best friends'. Needless to say, it was a pretty fun weekend! It started the Wednesday before Conference, and I stayed until Monday morning. Did I forget to mention that I had a very special reunion with the Sister missionaries that I served with in Norway? We all spent the weekend at my parents' house in Highland, and we had a ball! We got to go to the Saturday afternoon session of General Conference, which was amazing! And to end an amazing weekend, me, Ali, Abbey, and Lene got to go to the Sunday morning session of General Conference..... It was a great weekend, full of fantastic memories that I won't soon forget! Here are a few pictures...... ok lots of pictures...... :D They are completely out of order, so just bear with me!

Right before everyone went their separate ways.... Adams, me, Lewis, and Crowther.

Ali and Abbey striking a pose!

Ali, Abbey, me, and Lene after Conference!

Ali and Abbey at Temple Square.

Me and Lene after Conference at Temple Square.

Some of the guys that came to our party!

Are made Norwegian waffles for us..... and also made a big mess!!!

All my sisters'!!!!! Hansen, me, Adams, Crowther, and Lewis!

Lewis, me, Crowther, and Adams at Temple Square.

Its true...... we met a very hostile Ringo Starr while at Conference. He came to the USA in 69' and took all our money, and he is going to do it again. You have been warned. Thanks' for snappying the pic, Spencer!

Randomly ran into the Steffensens' while we were on our way to Conference! They are from Stavanger, Norway, where I spent the bulk of my mission.

At the grocery store buying food for the party!!!

We found the Swedish Sister, Sister Marina Viktorstam, who is at Temple Square right now. Most of us had met her at one point or another while serving at the Institute Center in Oslo. We gave her a referral, and I actually got to talk to Marina the other day on the phone. She is doing really well, and it was so fun to see her again!

Some of the Elders' from my MTC group- Tessem, Watts, Leatham, me, Lange, and Olsen.

Me and President Poulsen!

Cramer, Oscar, me, and Lene at our Mission Reunion!

Lewis, Jessen, Olsson, Crowther, and me!

Top: Ali, Abbey, Wynter, me, and Brittani

Bottom: Amy and Alexis

Right before we went to Molly's funeral...... Me, Ali, Abbey, Brittani, Aubrey, and Amanda sang the song "Amazing Grace" at her funeral. So sad..... We miss you, Molly!!!

My first blog!!!

2009-10-21T00:18:00.000-07:00

Well...... I have been told time and time again that I needed to start a blog. So here it goes! I am pretty sure that the hardest part of this whole thing was coming up with a name for my blog. So, thanks to my friend Elsa Miller, Fox's Flow was the best choice!!! So, wish me luck everyone, I am joining the blogging world! Here goes nothing....... I am going to start my first post with a video I made on iMovie. I have a little bit of an obsession these days with iMovie. It is soooo fun! A few months ago, my sister Ali and I took a trip to one of my favorite area's of the world, Scandinavia! We went to Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. So of course I had to make a movie of all of our adventures. The only downfall is that I didn't get to include everything that we did, the song was too short. So maybe I will post some more pictures that didn't make it into the movie. But anyways, enjoy!!!