One of my earliest memories with friends is going to Relief Society activities, back when we did that sort of thing.  This must have been February of 2016 and Nishelle with, i believe, a fetal Lilly in utero? (I'm real sorry if I'm wrong. I just remember some pregnancy hormones heightening the emotions. Or maybe it was just regular emotions.) Love capturing funny moments. Laughs with Lora.   Sue Dredge and someone else in the background.





July 19, 2016
 Look at the mountain view we shared as neighbors! And bits of random neighbors' homes. Can you remember who they are? (I'm imagining you reading this book 30 years from now, full of SO much nostalgia).  We've got the Waites, the Browns, the Folletts, the Ramey's.  (Trying to think who lived there at the time. This is proving challenging for me even now) p.s. I bet I have earlier pictures but it was a bit of a job accessing them. So don't feel bad that I don't have any pics from the first year of our friendship. I'm also not great at busting out the camera which I now regret. 




October  2016
Look at our baby tree and bushes! When we first moved here we felt like serious city fish out of water. Owning a home was new and taking care of a yard was like, what? So clueless.  It took so long, for me at least, to care about any of it so everything we did felt like we were playing at suburbia. "Let's put a tree here, why not!"  And now that I look at this pic and see the sapling and the shrublings, I feel tender feelings. I guess that's what they mean by putting down roots. And we would laugh at how it was a major inter-neighbor topic of conversation and now I feel totally sincere about it and like you'd feel the same feelings about our plants.  Perhaps it is the mark of the passing of time that is so poignant. Plant things, one might say, so you can measure time. So you can see how far you've come. 
Nishelle-- check out the sky, quick!
scooter 4+ever
These kids look small to me, so it must be early on as well. Little Dallin and Julian enjoying some creek time at the Heritage Park.


.
cutest.






  

 
 
baby Dallin! I love these pics.




babies. all of them. At an egg hunt at the Hulberts'.





marzi and malcom, maya, isla d who looks like a baby but is probably 2 here, lucy bee, julia, sarah, james, and titus story, tiny dallin, little naomi, squirty julian, micah bee, scarlett farrer and her sister. dang, i forgot her name. Is it violet??  


  


Cedar Hills parade-- i'm going to say 2016. I'm really glad for this phase of my life.



a tiny Julian needing to get some glasses and super pleased about it. 2017


Summerrrr, the cherry-pitter's time to shine! The pitter is what's featured here. Julian's a bonus.
I actually think this is a strawberry rhubarb, but let's pretend it's a cherry.  I also remember this particular pie looking WAY better than it tasted.

        
July 7, 2017
Just so cute. Come on by to get some treats but, more importantly, fill Julian's pockets with MONEEEEEY. {insert emoji with dollar signs for eyes} Kid loves his kash.

 

The Murdock Trail. 





December 19, 2017
So remember when we first moved in and I was like, hey Nishelle, I play piano and arrange songs, want to sing? And she was like, "um, ok" and I made her do it even though she wasn't 100% sure about it? So supportive of the music, old pal. And finding a place for me to play my song that I wasn't allowed to play in Sacrament Meeting because, you know, I can get a little out of control.  I spy Nishelle, baby Lilly, Nanette Stevenson, Carter and Heather Vlaardingerbroek, and Liz and Isla Dalton. Thanks for coming to my private concert, everyone.


Not sure of the date of this one. 2017'ish or 18? Who knows.  But I know that I love it.


Sorry I couldn't come to your party. Had a bad case of the FOOD POISONING. This is the pic Sean took whilst on the phone with Nishelle. I'm really confused about the date here. My records say Jan 2, 2018 but I could have sworn this was for a St. Patty's party. So apparently don't trust my dates. Ehh, it's fine. It's all within five years. Also: special shout-out to the Aquaphor. Never more than a foot away from my clutches.






Book club! In Jacque J's basement. This was a really funny moment. Too bad I can't remember what we were laughing about.  In attendance according to these pics: Nishelle, Lydia Story, Connie Nielson, Lora Hulbert, and some one else. Probably Jeanine Bee.








OMG, this encapsulates so much of my experience with Nishelle. When I got my calling as YW Secretary at first I was like, suuuure yeah. And then when I heard Nishelle was also going to be put in as 2nd Counselor, I was like, THESE CALLINGS ARE INSPIRED.  So excited. And watching her wrangle and guide and teach and play with her Beehives was watching a professional at work. 


Ellie B, Haley C, Eliza S, Cecily H? Elizabeth J, Maddie P






Come hike with me on the Timp Cave trail, and we'll eat an apple. JUNE 2018



At the Cedar Hills Family Fest after our cookies won 2nd place in the baking competition.   Cannot hold a candle to the previous year's 1st place winner, (Nishelle--pear frangipane torte? I wasn't even there. Just trying to remember for posterity) but I'll take it.  I'll also take this little snuggly moment. 



Liz Dalton turns 35 and we engaged in a little karaoke.

 

And everyone got to watch Justin Vlaardingerbroek sing Ice, Ice, Baby. 


Diana Holt, Lorrie D, Nishelle, Sean


June 16, 2018



fireworks time. JULY 2018

Getting ready for some elbow sack fireworks.  Lilly had been put to bed and after some time we noticed she was NOT in bed, but watching us scarily from her window, arms open wide. We laughed at how startling it was to see her but realized she was angry at missing all the fun. So we had to let her join.


 
so small. so adorably out of it.



Sean and Jen, also out of it, but slightly less adorable.


Nishelle, Lilly, Dallin, Naomi and Isla Dalton. 





Yeah, I'm including this.  Remember that day? The youth activity at the BYU whatever studios? So hot, and weird.  Making jokes, not listening.  Just sweating.   Nishelle and Jen on the left. 




July 2018


I don't have an exact date for this.  Maybe we can tell by the size and bareness of the trees.  But remember sunset-sharing?  And notifying?  Texts of "look outside right now!"  That's a good neighbor, along with whoever keeps bringing in our trash cans.  Probably Robert Lewis.  


Kid recitals! Love these. Kids sang, recited stuff, played instruments, painted pictures, built Legos, did tricks. My favorite kind of recital.  I see Dallin and Julian and some Daltons, some Bees, maybe a few Holts and Hunters.

 





August, 2018




I'm just going to leave these here...



Another youth activity.  Too bad none of us are in this pic.  Oh well. It's just my way of saying "Remember Young Women's?"  That's what the nostalgia will be telling you anyway. And you'll be like, "yes, nostalgia, I do. Sniff."  



Working out with Wendy Chatfield. 




Apple Uglies! YES. Always the best faces, and I don't mean the apples. And look! David exists.   


That apple is actually quite hideous.  Good job. 












Julian and some Daltons.






 
Apparently I felt compelled to put these pictures in my Cox/Morello folder.  I stand by that. 

November, 2018



Good job, Nishelle.  So many activities.  So many Tuesdays.  You are the leader they're going to remember down the road:  "I had this Young Women leader, Sister Cox... she was so great. I learned so much...  and then there was this other leader-- I don't even know what she did, but she was just there..."



December 2018.  Awww Marshmallow came into our lives!  Or Old Bitty, as I like to call her. Or Fluffers, or Floofy, or Tiny, or Tines, or...


Friend brunch! My fave.  Sean made us food while we sat and talked and ate.  Thanks again, Sean, times a million.  Here we have Nishelle, Jeanine, Lora, Lydia, Liz, Diana, Jen. 


Sean gets to sit and eat for a minute. 


Ahh more activity pics. 

And Pepper. Also known as Pooper, or Poo, or the Biggie. May he be happy wherever he is.  We'll clutch our scratch scars and think of you fondly. I can remember Lilly being super small and Pepper hunting her and giving her a nice gash. Special memories... (sorry, Lilly)


New Year's Eve at the Daltons. I'm always thrown by how much kids change and adults so little.  Dallin is so mini! This is us with a bunch of Holts, too.
  


January 2019. Not much happens in January. 





 
Except for New Beginniiiiings.

 


Geez, how long have we been in this calling? This is Nishelle filling in for Sarah Story's mom, which could probably be true for a lot of kids-- Nishelle Morgan Cox: Filling in for ________'s mom since 1984. 


i don't know why i pull my camera out sometimes but i'm glad i did here. 
 


We're watching you.
   

This looks early on to me, so probably belongs further back.  They say not to take pics of things during sac. mtg.  I regret nothing. 




Easter, 2019.  Thanks for coming over and eating Sean's Easter feast. And dessert provided by Coxes. Strawberry shortcake? 




 
May 2019  Chemo shower for Liz, gosh dang.  
You may be wondering if all of these pics were necessary. The answer is obvious.

Shea T, Jen, Nishelle, Lora, Angela H, Heather V. Natalie W, Lydia S, Diana H, Jeanine B, Liz D, Brinai M, Wendy C. 

This was when I turned a little bit Grandma.  Seriously, though. What happened?

 
Don't know what to do with my hands!











 
Girls Camp at Lava Hot Springs.  June 2019  
"Diana, pretend you're still working on her hair even though you're all done." Oh, camp.  



Sadly this is the only pic I have to represent our traditional 4th of July pancake breakfasts in the elbow sack. Sac? It's a tradition because we did it twice. Coxes with their delicious fluffy buttermilk pancakes and a million toppings, Morellos with their weird experimental pancakes that no one likes as much as they themselves do. But dang, I do love my pancakes.  I do.  After Nishelle and her class would place the flags, as was her curse on that particular day, we'd invite people over for some post-flag pancakes, after which Nishelle would make everyone help her pull weeds in the front yard.  Happy Independence Day!



Carolyn James knows good pancakes.


RIP pink elephant.
Kids and fireworks. 



Aww, love that I've got a pic of Angie Waite.  She was the best neighbor--always making little crafts or pictures or toys.  I know she made stuff for you Coxes. She made cat toys for us, which our kitty plays with to this day.  She'd take her tiny dog Annie for walks and she was always up for a chat. I love and miss her. 






OMG, I love this pic. Why? Because this was when we took a tour of the Governor's mansion for book club. Heather so generously invited us and gave us food afterward. Also I guess there was a chat about some book. But my favorite part? When Jen and Nishelle sneak away and find the empty ballroom where Jen beelines for the grand piano and Nishelle automatically starts dancing for an impromptu concert of our own.  Then we caught up with the group like nothing happened, like we were in Willy Wonka's Factory.   That was the greatest and I wish we could do it again.

  






Gratuitous scenic mountain pic. This is in case you've moved far away from Utah mountains.  Trying to cover all the bases. 




Evening in Excellence, or whatever we called it.  Tapas night? Featuring some Young Women.  I'm glad we could introduce tapas though.  Spreading the gospel. And also learning about Jesus.   



 
Nishelle singing with her Beehives. 




Julian's apple and method--pile on as much as possible. Making a face is irrelevant. 

OCTOBER 2019



















minimalist

Good apple, Dallin! Love it.  



DECEMBER 2019. This was awesome.  Kari made us do a lip sync for the ward Christmas party and it was the funnest thing.  Tennille S, Jen M, Lydia S, Nina B, Diana H, Nishelle, Kari T, and Wendi J.  The what I conjecture to say will be a cherished era of YW. I'm feeling all nowstalgic. (feeling nostalgia for something you're currently experiencing or in the middle of)



The first annual Christmas carol sing-around-the-tree.  The singing was a bit awkward, but the Christmas spirit and fun surprise was shared by all.  I'm hoping this won't be the last time (and that we can get it together, singing-wise) Why is it so easy to start traditions with you guys?  Like seeing the Christmas lights in our big car.  I have no pics, and we missed this last year but we did it twice before that and i love it. It's just always so fun and easy to do stuff with you.  Two of my favorite things--fun and easy. 



Lovely neighbors totally down for this. <3


We've got some Stevensons, some Holts, Waites, Tubbses, Priddises, Gygis, and others.
 


Wassail by Sean


Fondu dinner with Daltons!  Love all that is happening here.





I think I need to start counting how many times I've seen Lilly with chocolate all over her face.  Should probably be its own collage.  I can think of three right off the bat.  Love it. 



Remember when you guys invited us to go skiing and we were like, yeeahhhh...! yeah!  And we did and had a great, fun, frustrating, struggling time of it.  Thank you for your guidance and patience.  

   
Took me so long just to get good at standing still. Was pretty proud of that.  Love these pics, btw. 




 

FEB. 2020. Typewriter party! The weirdest and maybe best party, not to toot my own horn.  But it turned out to be sooo funny and fun.  Weird and occasionally delicious 60's recipes, and then typewriter games and laughs.  I consider this to be the last hurrah before Covid entered and ruined eeeverything. 

Liz, Jenn L, Nishelle, Lydia, Diana, Lora, Jeanine. And Sean, of course.

We took a minute to start a story. Then we scooted down to the next typewriter and added on to the existing story for another minute. And so on and so on.  Hilarity followed.

Just cracks me up.  





perfect, Lora.

watching you.

Look, a sunset. Where was this taken? 




APRIL 2020

 
The tiny adorable birthday cake you guys made for me.  So precious. Also, remember my surprise quarantine party on zoom? And everyone brought a thing to share and you guys brought some hilarious jokes? Remember how jokes is one of our things? (Nostalgia)  



This just needed to be in here.  That time we tried to tame our wildcat.





pie



 
JUNE 2020. Liz's yoga party where we clawed our way out of quarantine and tried to move a little. It was most fun, as usual.


blurry, but important  






I believe we were posing for a picture and this was the view from the other side. 
No bad angles.
                        




Does this make you miss Cedar Hills rocks?  I could have sworn this was already in here somewhere.  





We played tennis while Julian, Lilly, and Dallin played on the playground.  Sooo good. 
I love these little moments.  





C'mon, Lilly, get out.  (she couldn't, and cried while we laughed at her. Sorry, Lilly. You are the best. You too, Dallin.) 


. 

Just in case you feel nostalgic for those Cedar Hills rocks.
  (Ha! There it is. Oh well, i'm leaving it.  This is in case you feel REALLY nostalgic for the rocks.)


JULY 2020. Ah, 4th of July. That special time when all the little tweenage pyros gather and hound Sean for explosives and igniters, while the rest of us just watch.  


On this particular year, one firework was perhaps placed upside down? And total mayhem ensued.  Fireworks flying everywhere at face level, children running for their lives.  Magic.


sunset pic. Actually I think we were chatting with you guys on the patio when I snapped this so-- extra special.





Come over and let's have a chat.


Family pic I thought you might want to have or, you know, cherish forever.  Whatever you want.



cinnamon bun


Patio chats and hangouts.  Man, this year has been a trip. Everything changed.  Everything feels/felt different.  





These pics crack me up.  We used that soft serve machine TWICE this summer. I call that a win. 








Our grass is your grass.

  


I still have not forgotten about our rematch, Nishelle, and I know that wherever I am right now, however old and frail I've become, as you're reading this down the road, I STILL HAVE NOT. 




AUGUST 2020. Julian would be so happy to know this pic is in this book.  You're welcome, Julian!






Cute, cute kids.  Come over anytime.  







Neighborhood driveway socially distanced barbeque.  We brought our grill over. I think you guys made shrimp. Sean made us tiny burgers. 


And your Covid pinata.  Excellent.  





We've got some VanDenBerghes, some Stories, some Daltons, etc etc.

  


David looks like he's scrambling, fighting with the kids to get some candy. Which he probably was.


Lilly's face 


Covid was killed in under a minute. Good job, everyone.  Oh hey, I see a Goddard.



you earned it, sean.








One time, Lilly rang the door to present to me some lemonade she made all by herself.  Danged cutest thing ever.  Nishelle showed up a few minutes later after realizing that Lilly had come over without her. 



Fusion Asian night.  Also plaid dad night.  Was this also the night of our impromptu chocolate tasting? Love it.  Let's do it again. 


 



FoCOXcia. I am amazed and proud of myself for having the presence of mind to snap a pic before we had totally finished it, which took seconds.  




Sometimes I just need a cookie.



Yes, of course you can borrow our wheelbarrow.  




SEPT 2020 "Time to go to bed, Lilly. Go get your pajamas on."









We tried so hard to find some geo caches.  So hard.  










Thanks for giving us a chance to bust out the old faves.  I feel like we're grandparents or something.




Out and about. Meeting up with Molly Gygi and her puppy. 



I think you guys jumped out from behind a bush and scared Sean while he was mowing.  Good job.  






I put this pic in my folder and I'm not sure why.  Let's say it's a symbol of all our recipe talk/sharing and how particular we are about certain things.  This is a large, colorful, significant thread in the fabric of our friendship/neighborship,  I would say.




OCTOBER 2020. Happy bday, Nishelle! Now let's all stuff our faces in your honor.










Dance off! Lydia, Nishelle, Jen. I think I lost. 


But I sure tried. 


the bush.





Apple Uglies, 2020

that knife seems unsafe.

David and Nishelle, doing what they do best.



















Happy Halloweeeeeen.

Some Holts doing a Harry Potter theme. 



Coxes and relatives and cute furry animals everywhere


  
Needed at least one muffin pic in here.  At the very least.



The trail



the rose


the pie



still watching. haven't moved. 



Dinner party 2020! This was buckets soup bowls of fun. French onion soup, salad, pot pies, pumpkin pudding. And so much good chatting and laughing. Jen, Diana & Ryan, David & Nishelle, Kari and Jon T. YW presidency + spouses.



assemblage 














Sometimes I just need a souffle.  










cookie?




Love when the sun sets and the mountains catch it.



                    
       


 

NOVEMBER 2020. Lilly's face when given the harsh news she won't be having caramel apples for Thanksgiving.

Ok, i've gotta stop so I can get this thing printed.  You guys: We love you. Merry Christmas.