Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow, here we come!

The next morning, a car arrived at the bed and breakfast to take us to the Salt Lake airport for our flight to Orlando.  Adam had thought of everything and  he had done it all so sneakily.  I must say, I felt pretty important, what with the chauffer carrying my luggage and opening doors for me.  :) 

We arrived at the airport and proceeded to the check in counter, where I discovered that in all the wedding excitement, I had forgotten to pack my passport and therefore I was entirely without suitable ID.  And here I was trying to get on an airplane!  Well, thankfully the security still let me through after I passed a few supplemental security protocols.  That hurdle passed over, we headed to our gate to wait for our plane.  Adam left me to hold our spot in line (we were flying Southwest, old-school) while he went in pursuit of the sugary deliciousness of the nearest Cinnabon.  

After a full day of flying, we arrived in Orlando where we were quickly whisked onto a bus to take us straight to our hotel.  We didn't even have to collect our baggage.  Disney was doing that for us.  

The first day we headed to Epcot Center.  We had lunch reservations at the restaurant at the Land exhibit.  This was probably my very favorite of all the restaurants we visited, and that's saying something.  Thanks to Adam's wonderful and generous parents, we got to eat at so many of the awesome restaurants there.  That's something I'd never been able to do, even though I'd been to Disneyworld a million times before.  

First off, it was a revolving restaurant.  Second, the round design made our table completely private, except from the occasional characters who would stop by to say hello, including Mickey Mouse!!  And third, the food was exquisite.  So good!  And our waiter was really cool.  He even took a photo for us!

The rest of the day was magical as well.  We had a wonderful time exploring the park and searching for the wall photo of Adam and his best friend Jen from when they had visited with their senior class.  I don't think we ever managed to find it.  It was the first of many wonderful, magical days.  

Best Day Ever (Part 3)

After our photo shoot, Adam and I went back inside to change into our regular clothing.  Neither of us wanted to wear our wedding clothes in the car for over two hours.  (Okay, secretly I did, but my skirt would have been all wrinkled from being crammed into the car and I couldn't have that!)  By this point, the only person still with us was Chris since he was our photographer!  So we all rode home together.  We made a quick stop at my house so we could grab my luggage for the honeymoon before heading over to the church to help with reception set-up.

I really don't remember much of what went on that evening.  It completely FLEW by!  I don't even know if I helped at all.  Our family and a few wonderful friends were all there working hard to set up the decorations and food for us.  I hurried to change back into my wedding gown and came late to my own reception!  We had a wonderful time visiting with our friends and family. 

 

Before I knew it, it was time to leave and Adam was leading me outside.  There, to my surprise, was a beautiful Cinderella carriage waiting to whisk us away.  It was perfect!  I truly felt like a princess that day.  Adam and I bid adieu to all our friends and family, boarded the carriage, and were off on our honeymoon.  We were to stay the first night at the elegant Hines Mansion Bed and Breakfast before setting off in the morning for, you guessed it, DISNEYWORLD!!!

Best Day Ever (Part 2)

Once we entered the temple, Adam and I were taken to the registrar's office to take care of some paperwork.  Afterwards, we were separated and I was ushered into the most gorgeous dressing room I had ever seen.  I wish I could have taken a picture.  It was large enough to accommodate about five brides but on this most perfect Tuesday morning I had the whole place to myself.  So, with the assistance of both my moms and one of my sisters, not to mention the occasional help of the sweet and elderly attendant, I was dressed and primped in almost no time.  (Marmee had had a fair amount of practice lacing up the dress for me.  I like to play dress up!)

Next, I was led back out of the dressing room to a table and chairs where I found Adam dressed in white, waiting for me.  The temple workers left us alone there for a few minutes while they went to attend to our guests.  Even if I could describe that moment, I wouldn't.  It is simply too precious.

After the sealing, I returned to the dressing room so Becca could again tend to my curls before we went outside for photographs.   We probably spent hours in front of the camera that day.  After the family got tired of standing around and headed back to Provo to prepare for the reception, Adam and I continued our photo shoot.  We explored the temple grounds fairly thoroughly, stopping every two steps for a kiss.  :)  What can I say?  My husband is irresistible!

The Best Day Ever (Part 1)

I got up early the next morning.  I had everything ready for the wedding so there wasn't much I had to do beyond getting myself dressed and getting to the temple, but sleeping in was not an option.  I got up, showered, ate some breakfast, and reported to my sister in order to be coiffered.   

We weren't doing anything fancy, just curling my hair a little differently from my normal way.  Becca was about halfway through curling my hair when my curling iron died!  Yes, the curling iron I had used every day of high school and through four years of college died on my wedding day.  Figures!  Well, I certainly couldn't go and buy a replacement with my hair half straight and half curled, so I had to send Becca to the store in search of a new one, while I waited at home, stressing.   Thankfully, she was able to find the exact same curling iron at the nearest store and quickly resume fixing my hair.  

Once my hair was ready and I was dressed in my favorite dress, Marmee and I loaded my wedding gown into her car and headed to Manti.  Adam would be riding down with his parents, of course, and the rest of our family would be following behind later.  Marmee and I had a nice ride to Manti, only managing to get lost once which gave me an excellent excuse to call Adam.  :)

Naturally, the Coxes beat us to Manti.  We had just pulled in to a parking stall when I looked in the rearview mirror and saw Adam walking across the parking lot towards the temple.  While I was watching my handsome fiance, he spotted us and changed course, heading directly for us.  All my life I believed in those wedding traditions about the groom not seeing the bride in her wedding gown before the wedding and neither of them seeing each other the morning of the ceremony.  Well, at that moment, all those ridiculous traditions flew right out the window!  I couldn't wait to be with Adam and clearly, he wasn't going to give me that option anyway.  He helped me out of the car and we walked hand and hand to the temple.  

One Day More!

On Monday, May 1, 2006 Adam and his dad came to my house in the morning to collect my things and take them to our new apartment.  :)  I never even had time to go over there until after our honeymoon!  Our wonderful family took care of getting things set up for us while we were gone.  But that's jumping ahead.

That night we went to Brick Oven for our "rehearsal dinner."  Since there wasn't really anything to rehearse, we just skipped that part and went out to dinner.  Good deal, right?  Earlier that afternoon, Adam and my dad had met for the first time.  {These are the main events I can remember at the moment, but I'm sure there was a ton more going on that day.  I probably was just oblivious to it.  I was a little preoccupied!}

   Yes, this picture is from before Adam and I were even engaged, but I don't have a photo that is applicable to this post, so I just thought I'd add a random snapshot that I don't think I've used before.  (That was a long sentence!!)  Sorry this post is so short but my head hurts.  I'm going to sleep...

Almost There!

April was agonizingly slow but it was drawing to a close.  The last week of the month hosted my sister Becca's graduation from BYU (Go Bec!) and my endowment.  Adam's parents and younger brothers flew in from Massachusetts on Friday in order to be there for my endowment on Saturday.  Yes, this was only the second time I had met them and in a few short days I would be their daughter.  (Let me just explain something about the awesome Coxes.  They don't have in-laws.  They figure we're gonna be family for eternity, we might as well dispense with the unimportant distinctions now.  And it's kinda fun to watch the look on people's faces as they try to figure out how we are all related. :)

Wasn't it nice of the temple to have their flowers match my dress?

The Beccas are missing here.  Bearden was the one holding the camera and Cox was unable to come due to morning sickness.  Silly James!

After attending the temple on Saturday morning, our two families spent some time visiting and getting to know each other better.  On Sunday, Adam attended my ward with me (as he always did) but this time we had the whole Cox clan in tow, minus Jon and Becca who attended their own ward in Provo.  It was fun to stand up in Relief Society and introduce my soon-to-be mom and announce the fact that I had two more days til my wedding!  Can you believe it!  

It's late and I can't think of a good title...

I have to admit I have a double standard.  When Adam was shopping for my engagement ring, I told him he had to pick it out.  When it was time for me to buy Adam a wedding ring, I dragged him to the jeweler's and made him decide on every little detail.  And boy did he agonize over each detail!  Actually, there are many more options for men's wedding bands than I had ever imagined, so I don't blame him at all for having a hard time deciding.  I wish I could tell you what kind of metal it's made of and what type of finish it has, but I really can't remember.  I don't pay close enough attention to little details I guess.  It is a beautiful ring, though.  Adam, of course, did an excellent job.

After Adam finished designing his wedding ring, we ordered one for me.  In order to have it fit right up against my engagement ring, I had to loan it to them so it could be custom made.  Strange how naked and bare my left hand felt without that ring there even though I'd only been wearing it a few months.  I guess it just belongs there.  

But my nose gets red when I get cold!

It was a frigid February afternoon when Adam and I finally got our engagement photos taken.  I think Chris, who was of course our photographer, was the one who finally took matters into his own hands and ordered us to take the photos.  We chose to use Maeser Hill for our backdrop as it had so much sentimental value for us.  It was a sunny day but it was cold!!!

Adam is so cute!

Just chillin' while Chris gets the camera settings worked out.

Some random shots of us being goofy.

I just think this one looks really cool.  Why does Adam look perfect in every shot and I'm always making a funny face??  I don't look very happy in this one.  It's cause I was FREEZING!!

And of course we had to send announcements to France.  I think the French version just looks fancier, don't you?

Counting Down the Days

It's funny how I can remember so many details from the weeks before Adam and I started dating but the months between the engagement and the wedding are just a beautiful blur.  It's like once we discovered we were in love this rosy haze came over life and it was just happiness.  I guess there was a lot going on.  I remember being stressed out and getting behind in my classes because I had too much on my plate with work, school, and Adam.  

February brought the Valentine's Day when I made Adam his own batch of oatmeal raisin cookies.  I hate it when people ruin a delicious cookie with raisins, but they are Adam's favorite.  Of course, I was not accustomed to using raisins and they didn't turn out very well, but Adam didn't complain.  :)  Adam turned 23 on February 20th.  I gave him a model sail boat and some clothes (pjs and a sweater... random, but cute).

In March, Adam attended POST training in order to become a dispatcher.  I guess since he was going to have a family to support soon he figured he should get a higher-paying job.  He had to travel to Salt Lake every day for the whole week.  It was terrible!  We couldn't meet on campus between classes and he was in class all day so I didn't get many text messages or anything.  And he was gone all day long so I didn't really get to see him in the evenings!  I was glad when that week was over.

April brought the end of the semester.  Finally, the end was in sight!  Just a few short weeks before our wedding day!  As the day drew nearer, things grew more hectic.  But it was wonderful.  Start with final exams, one of which I just decided not to even take (statistics...), add on working long hours, many of them graveyard shifts, to cover for others and make a little extra money, throw in an awesome bridal shower, and top it off with tons of last-minute wedding plans and you get a vague idea of how it felt.  (I'm sure there are lots of people who know how that feels actually. :)  Thankfully I always had Adam there to remind me of what was really important and to make me laugh and make me happy.  Sometimes you just need to cuddle up on the couch and fall asleep watching the A Team.  And I wasn't the only one who would fall asleep watching those shows...

Mr. Tilney! How came you into my backpack?

One Thursday afternoon I was sitting in Adam's kitchen waiting for him to walk me to the library on his way to work.  He was in the other room putting on his shoes or something.  As I waited, I pulled my notebook out of my backpack to check on something, and I discovered this:

Not sure if I was supposed to have found this little love note yet, I quickly hid it back in my backpack without reading it before Adam returned so he wouldn't know.  I kept expecting him to mention it or try to get me to look in my backpack but he never did.  So I didn't say anything.

We parted ways at the doors to the library and I headed down two flights of stairs to the social sciences section of the library.  I had just sat down at a table, gotten myself all situated, when I opened a different pocket in my backpack to discover this:

It was the absolute most adorable little kitty I had ever seen!  And sneaky Adam had hidden him in my backpack some time that morning.  Now I understood the note.  I quickly pulled it out and read it.  After I had sufficiently recovered from the note, I decided I had to talk to Adam about it NOW so I headed back out of the library.  I wasn't going to get much work done today.  How could I concentrate on boring old history when I had the sweetest fiancee ever?

I named the kitten Mr. Tilney after the hero of my favorite Jane Austen novel, Northanger Abbey.  He and I have been inseparable ever since that day.  Kinda like me and Adam.  Mr. Tilney is the best cat ever.  He never makes any messes or claws the furniture.  He only meows when I give him permission.  And he is unsurpassed among stuffed animals for his ability to comfort and bring cheer.  I love him so very much as to me he symbolizes Adam's love for me. 

  

It's All About the Dress!

Now that the place and date were set, it was time I started figuring out everything else. So, I attended to the most important thing first: my dress! Marmee and Becca accompanied me to Allyse's Bridal for the first stop. And can I just tell you, I felt like a princess! The lady who was helping me was super nice and complimentary (though I'm sure that was just part of her job). But I loved just about every dress I tried on. They were actually flattering! I had been worried that I would not like how I looked in a wedding dress, but I actually loved it! I mean, I even opted out of the empire waisted, Austenesque dress because it didn't do me justice! And don't get me wrong, I'm not being prideful, these were just very beautiful dresses!

After this first fitting, I had found two dresses I was really considering. One had a lot of elegant beadwork and laced up the back. The other had a full skirt and beautiful lace trim. They were very different dresses and I couldn't decide which I liked best. So, I decided to take some time to consider it.


This is something like how the dress looked, though I don't know if it's the exact same dress.

I felt like a real Southern Belle in that full skirt with the train and everything!


That night I went home and, of course, spent some time talking to Adam online. I told him all about my two favorites. Well, within moments he was sending me photographs of dresses from Allyse's website of dresses he thought I was describing. And of course, he was right! But I didn't admit that to him. I decided to check out the website myself and stumbled across a gown that had both the full skirt I wanted and lacing up the back. I decided to ask about it when we returned to the store.

The next day, Marmee and Becca took me to another bridal shop whose name I can't recall. I tried on tons more dresses, but none of these fit me as nicely as the ones at Allyse's. And I pretty much had my heart set on one of those first two dresses. So we headed back to Allyse's to make the decision. In the end I went with the combination dress I had found online. It had everything I loved about the other two and it looked just like a princess dress!

The One! Discovered thanks to Adam, naturally!

Of course, Adam managed to figure out which dress I had chosen before too long. I tell you what, it's impossible to surprise that man! He's just too curious!

Happy Anniversary, Adam my Love!!!

I realize this is out of sequence with the storyline of my blog, but, just like Adam's birthday, I couldn't let it go unacknowledged. Two years ago today Adam and I were married for time and all eternity in the Manti Temple. It was THE happiest day of my life and it will only be topped by the day we are reunited once more, never to be parted again. I wake up every day hoping today's the day, and I know it WILL happen! I'm just trying to be patient.


Happy Second Anniversary, my Love! These have been the best two years of my life, if just because I am your wife. I love you forever, Adam!!!


("You see, I'm a bit of a poet. And you did not know it." We'll be best friends for life if you can name that movie....:)

Because Adam is Adorable

I found this the other day. Can't you still hear all those hearts breaking in unison as he announced to all his girl friends that he was officially taken! I love it!!! :)

Thursday, January 19, 2006
hey there all,
so sorry that i haven't kept y'all up to date on my doings as of late... i feel bad:( anyways, i wanted to let you all know my latest news, some of you already know, but i don't think everybody does. last semester i started working in police dispatch here on campus. while i was working there i met this girl... her name is melissa. anywho... after workin there a little while we started dating, and basically fell madly in love... well to get to the news last weds i asked her to marry me, and get this... SHE SAID YES!!!! that's right, adam cox is engaged we're getting married may 2 in manti... so that's your 50 second news flash from the life of adam anyways, i need to get to bed, so that i can get up in the morning and get to class on time... so l8r days all!


I just think this picture is hilarious! He's such a goof ball!

Choices, choices...

Well, since everything was official now, Adam and I thought it was time to make some wedding plans. We had secretly been discussing a May wedding but that was as far as we had gotten. We didn't even know what temple we wanted to get married in yet. Now that we really started thinking about it, Adam started coming up with alternate plans for the date. At one point he suggested we get married in February over President's Day weekend. (He thought it was a great way to celebrate his 23th birthday!) That was quickly vetoed. There was no way I was getting married mid-semester. Talk about stress!

One of his other ideas was to wait until midsummer when his brother Matt would be home from his mission. You see, Jon and Becca had gotten married while Adam was in France on his mission and he really hated having to miss the wedding. And he didn't want to do that his little brother. The main obstacle to this was Adam's hope of getting a job in Alaska over the summer. He really wanted to drive a huge tour bus around Alaska all summer. (Adam enjoys driving any over-sized and scary vehicle, actually. Ok, he dreamt about driving any such vehicle.) I was a little unsure of whether or not I wanted to move to Alaska immediately after getting married. And we never even considered the option of him going to Alaska all summer and then getting married when he came home. In case you hadn't noticed, Adam and I don't like to be separated from one another for any period of time.

Well, eventually we decided to go ahead and get married in May without Matt being able to be present. :( We also decided not to go to Alaska so we could be present for Matt's homecoming and have an open house in Massachusetts while we were there.

The next step was to sit down and pick a temple. After looking at all the options, we chose the most beautiful temple of all: Manti. I cannot even tell you how gorgeous that temple is! And the grounds! It looks like a castle. What better place for this princess to marry her Prince Charming?

We chose May 2nd as it was conveniently placed between graduation ceremonies for BYU and the U. My sister Becca was graduating from BYU and Adam's brother Jon was receiving his master's from the University of Utah, so all of our family members who would be attending the sealing would already be in town. It was perfect! When Adam called the temple to schedule the sealing, the woman on the phone told him we could have any room at any time. (Apparently, Tuesday is not a very popular day to get married.) So we set it for 1:45 pm in one of the tower rooms. Now we just had to deal with about 1,000 more decisions that come with getting ready to be married!

Honey, You Should Really Learn How to Drive

Now that we were engaged, Adam felt it was okay for him to start bossing me around.  I'm only kidding!  However, he did decide that it was imperative his future wife have a driver's license.  You see, I had never taken the time to get my license in high school and it became very difficult to deal with when I came to BYU.  I had no car and I didn't need one.  Plus, in Utah you have to take driver's ed.  So I had just not bothered with it.  But Adam was tired of having to always get a ride home when he would spend the evening at my house.  And Marmee wouldn't hear of him walking.  And he always stayed past the last bus.  So, he decided that meant I had to have a license.  (I guess he didn't have any problems making me drive him home at night).  Really though, it was time I got one.  

Lucky for me, my fiancee just happened to be minoring in driver's ed!  It was already past the deadline to sign up for the BYU class, but Adam pulled some strings and managed to get me in.  It was actually a great class.  I think I was the only native born U.S. citizen there as a student.  In fact, when I told one of my classmates I was from Georgia, she thought I meant the country! I think she was Russian.  We met twice a week in class and then we had driving practice with one of the student teachers.  I was really pathetic to start.  I had trouble with simple parking!  And I can't even describe to you how nervous I was to go out on the roads in traffic for the first time.  (I had driven before with my learner's permit, but it had been years since I had really practiced.)  And then my teacher made me drive on the interstate!!!  I almost got into an accident the first time I drove on I-15!

There were two students paired up with one teacher, so I had to spent half the time being driven around by someone else who didn't know what they were doing.  We actually had a really good time and it was a great experience and wonderful preparation for my driver's test. I'm so thankful to Adam for insisting that I take that class.  

I'm the Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A.

Winter semester started that next Monday.  Adam had gotten a spot in the university orchestra and I was trying to get one myself, but to no avail.  I was really bummed about that.  How cool would it have been for us to be in orchestra together?  Maybe someday.  :)  Anyways, Wednesday was our two month anniversary of our first date and Adam was planning to make a big deal of it.  I had no idea how big, actually.

After our classes were done for the day, Adam and I met up on campus.  We decided to go to the creamery and get some ice cream, just like we did on our first date.  Afterwards, we stopped at Adam's apartment and he again loaned me his green scout jacket since it was a little chilly out.  Then we wandered across campus, reminiscing.  Somehow we ended up at that same tree we had climbed into that first night.  Unfortunately, there was a little stream between the tree and the sidewalk and today it was actually full of water.  (On our first date, the stream had been dry, though quite muddy, we discovered when Adam jumped into it. :)  So we just sat down upon the brick sidewalk and enjoyed the scenery. 

 The next thing I knew, Adam was on one knee presenting me with the most gorgeous sapphire and diamond ring!!!  Ok, I could tell he was going there by his conversation, but I still wasn't expecting it at four o'clock in the afternoon.  And I was wearing his green scout jacket, for pete's  sake!  It was actually the most perfect moment I could have imagined.  

After a while we had to head home so I could babysit my niece and nephews while Julie went to class.  But first we had to share the news with Marmee.  And then Julie and the kids.  And later Becca.  And eventually everybody.  And then Adam had to leave to go to orchestra.  Already I was wishing he weren't in orchestra!  He had tried to get out of it that night.  He even told the director he would be getting engaged that night, but they wouldn't let him miss class.  But that was okay, as it gave me a chance to put on something nicer than a tee shirt and jeans for our dinner date.

  

When Adam got back, he took me to Ottavio's for dinner.  We had the most wonderful time!  The place was empty except for one other table.  It was the perfect place for us to celebrate and it became our special restaurant.  That was the happiest night of my life! (Up until that point, that is.)

It's Like I'm Losing My Mind

I can't believe I almost forgot about our drive through Vermont on the way home from New York!  Man alive!  We took the scenic route and decided to visit the Joseph Smith Memorial in Sharon, Vermont.  We even got a sneak peak at the new Joseph Smith movie that had just started playing in Salt Lake.  It was so good!  I loved it!  Unfortunately it was freezing cold, go figure, so we didn't spend too much time wandering around the memorial.  Besides, most everything was covered in snow!  

Wednesday finally arrived and it was time for me to fly back to Provo.  That morning Adam and I took some pictures outside the house in Sutton.  I even had him make a snow angel for me. :)  Then we headed back to Boston to say goodbye.  It was easier to part knowing I would be with Adam again in just a few days, but that didn't mean I had to like it.  My travel home proved to be much less emotional and stressful.  I arrived in Provo without difficulty.

The next couple days of the Christmas break were ruined when I got a terrible stomach virus!  Marmee and I had gone to the bookstore where I purchased mine and even some of Adam's textbooks (the French lit. ones which he never read!) and by the time I got home I felt awful!  I still wasn't completely recovered by Saturday, but I wasn't going to let anything keep me from going to the airport to pick up my man!  Of course, it was kinda a bummer that as soon as we got back to Provo, I had to go in to work.  At least Adam would be coming in later that afternoon.

It sure snows a lot in New England!

Saturday was New Year's Eve.  I don't really remember much of what we did that day.  I do remember staying up until midnight to watch the ball drop in Times Square.  We went to bed shortly thereafter since we had to be getting up for church the next morning.

The next day, after church, we drove to Argyle, New York to visit Adam's aunts, Sue and Joyce.  Uncle Bruce and, I think, Aunt Arlene also joined us for dinner.  I was meeting the family left and right!  Sue and Joyce have a beautiful home on a lake, which just happened to be frozen over!  I'd never in my life been to a frozen lake.  With much trepidation I was persuaded to venture out onto the ice.  It was rather unnerving knowing there was just a little ice between me and hypothermia!  

We headed back to Sutton the next day in hopes of making it home before a major snowstorm.  We made it safely there, as did the storm.  School was cancelled for Pat and Danny on Tuesday.  (Mom, please correct me if I'm getting days mixed up.  Its kinda hard to remember it all.)  Again, I can't really remember what went on those last two days of my visit.  I have an awful memory!  I wish I could ask Adam, cause I'm sure HE remembers perfectly!  Well, at any rate, they were absolutely wonderful. And I was so relieved to find that Adam's family was so warm and inviting.  (In fact, I just read in my journal where I was anticipating the visit and hoping that they "aren't Yankee snobs"!!!  Ha ha!  Nothing could be further from the truth!)

The Morning Train to Boston

We got up pretty early the next morning to go back into Boston to see a production of White Christmas on the stage.  I finally met Pat over breakfast.  He turned out to be much friendlier than I had expected him to be.  (He was a teenager, you know.  Actually, I guess he still is... Not that I have anything against teenagers... Or Pat for that matter!)  After picking up Adam's cousin, Jan, we headed to the subway station outside Boston so we could take the train into the city. After a short walk through town and a quick stop for lunch, we arrived at one of the fanciest theatres I've ever been in (I'll have to get the name from Mom).  The show was great! I've always loved the movie and it was even more fun to watch it on stage.  They had extra songs and everything! 

 After the show we took a scenic tour through Boston.  We visited Boston Common and Boston Public Garden, where Adam pointed out to me an equestrian statue of Paul Revere, only to discover on closer examination that it was George Washington!!!  We checked out the Make Way for Ducklings statues and somewhere there was an ice skating rink, I think.  Adam lamented that the swan boats weren't running that day, though the pond was probably frozen! It was extremely cold, despite the sunshine.  And windy!  And I was wearing a skirt! Nevertheless, I loved it.  Boston is one of my favorite cities.  It's beautiful, historic, and best of all, it was Adam who introduced me to it.  Along with the rest of the Coxes, of course!  

I believe it was that evening that we stopped in Medford to have dinner with Adam's grandparents.  It was very nice to meet them, though I'm sure I didn't speak two words together the whole time we were there.  Adam's grandfather tried to convince me he was just a mean old grouch, and at the time, I probably believed him!  

Note:  Only the first picture is actually mine.  I've misplaced my disk with all the pictures on it...  I had to steal that one from another place I have it posted online, hence the size.  I'm really bummed about it cause I think I have a really cute shot of Danny sitting on the Mama duck!  I'll see if I can locate it...

Time to meet the family

Christmas came and went and finally it was time for me to go to Massachusetts.  When I got to my gate at the airport I discovered my flight was delayed.  I had flown several times by myself, but never with any type of complication.  I already had a short layover so I knew I was going to miss my second flight which would just make things worse.  I was getting into Boston pretty late as it was.  I immediately called Adam to tell him the bad news.  Of course, he was quick to reassure me that everything would work out fine.  I, on the other hand, was very nervous and unhappy.  I mean, it had been forever since I had seen Adam.  I didn't want to wait any longer!  

When I got to my connecting city I had missed my flight but the airline had rescheduled me for the next flight which was only about an hour later.  Again, I called Adam to let him know.  I think I spent every moment I could on the phone with him during my travels that day. 

It was nearing midnight when I arrived in Boston.  I was just following the signs to baggage claim when I suddenly saw Adam standing at the bottom of the escalator, waiting for me.  His family was standing just a few feet behind him.  I was so relieved and happy to see him, I just ran up to him and threw myself into his arms.  Finally!

I think the exhilaration of seeing Adam again helped me not be too shy to meet his family. Adam's dad, mom, and littlest brother Danny were there.  (Pat was at home, and Matt was in Chile on his mission).  It was also late and I was really tired, so that probably added to my goofiness.  I don't remember what we talked about but I was very relieved to find everybody was super nice and friendly.  And quite silly!

I'd watch every M.A.S.H. episode ever made, for you Adam!

The next week I practically lived on the phone.  Adam called me every night and we talked for hours.  During the day, we texted back and forth like crazy.  All my siblings were coming into town for Christmas and I was very excited about that.  We went back and forth to the airport, made multiple excursions to the mall, and just hung out at home visiting.  One of my sisters even got married!  Plus, we hadn't all been together in years so there was a lot of catching up to do.  It did help to occupy my time but sometimes things got crazy and I just wished I could curl up next to Adam on the couch and watch a boring episode of MASH.  (That's what happens when Adam gets ahold of the remote...).

Meanwhile, back in Sutton, Adam was actually pretty busy shopping for an engagement ring!  I knew this because the boy couldn't keep a secret from me to save his life.  Even when he thought he had me fooled, I usually knew what he was up to, though I didn't let him know it.  ;)  But he didn't try to hide the fact that he was shopping from me.  In fact, I got a text message letting me know he had finally found the right ring.  It was rather exciting to know he was spending that time searching for my ring and thinking of me.  He had told his mom his intentions before he got the ring, but I don't think he told his dad until after he bought it.  (Correct me if I'm wrong, k?).  I don't think anybody in my family really suspected he had a ring already, though there was lots of speculation, as I recall. 

Leavin' On a Jet Plane

That Friday night was our last night together before Adam had to leave for Massachusetts.  My good friends, Matt and Raquel, were having their wedding reception that night so Adam and I drove down to Springville to attend.  It was a very nice evening.

Afterwards, Adam insisted that we find one of those instant photo booths to get our picture taken together before he left.  We tried two malls before we gave up and just went back to Adam's apartment.  While we were there, Adam modeled for me his sweet tux that he inherited from his grandfather.  He loves that tux.  And I must say, he looks pretty sharp in it.  

Finally, before he drove me home, Adam gave me a Christmas present.  It was a beautiful silver locket.  I absolutely love it.  It has our initials, M&A, engraved on it.  Now I knew why it was so important we find a photo booth!  He had wanted to give it to me with his picture inside to symbolize that he was giving me his heart.  It didn't take me too long to get a photo small enough to fit.  (With Marmee's help, of course.) 

Once we got back to my house I was able to give him his Christmas present.  It was an engine for his model train set he  had received a few years earlier for Christmas.  I also got him a copy of The Polar Express.  

I was very unhappy when the time came for Adam to go home.  He had tried very hard to get his ticket changed so he could stay a couple extra days in Utah, but it had been too expensive.  The next morning, Marmee and I took him to the airport.  My consolation was that all my family would be in Utah for Christmas and that would help distract me.  Plus, it was only going to be two weeks before I'd be traveling to Massachusetts to join him.  But at that moment, two weeks felt like forever! 

**Note: Unfortunately, I've found I don't have a good picture of my locket to include with this post.  It's really quite shocking.  I'll try to take one in the next few days and add it.  

Happy 25th Birthday, my Love!

Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend

Contrary to popular belief, Adam and I didn't start talking marriage on our first date.  It was on our second date.  It just kinda came up and we both expressed the hope that our new relationship might eventually make it there.  Well, by now Adam had decided he needed to take me ring shopping.  Just so he could get an idea of what I wanted.  I told him the only detail I had set in my mind was that I wanted a sapphire instead of a diamond.  Sapphire is my birthstone, you know. But even with that, if he had his heart set on a diamond, I was open to negotiation.  Adam replied that he wanted to get me a sapphire so my ring would match my eyes. :)

We only had a week before Adam left for Mass for Christmas break.  One afternoon we borrowed my mom's car to go shopping for a wedding gift for one of my friends and since we were already out we stopped at a few jewelers.  Ring shopping was very difficult for me.  I HATE expressing opinions.  And to make matters worse, you have to talk to the salesperson!  Good thing I had Adam with me so I could make him do all the talking.  I tried on lots of different rings, but ultimately I came home with no better idea of what I wanted.  I told Adam I wanted the ring he picked out for me.  

He languished over this decision, it seemed.  Did I want a solitaire?  Did I want a sapphire with diamonds or a diamond with sapphires?  What cut did I want? What about the band?  Etc.  Poor man!  I was no help to him at all.  But I really didn't care.  I was more excited about getting a ring that Adam had picked out just for me than in getting a ring that looked a particular way.  (And just wait 'til you see the ring he picked out.  Perfect!!!)

You Owe Me M&Ms.... And Ice Cream!!!

A couple weeks later, we decided it was time I meet some of Adam's family. He had already met my mom, two sisters, brother in law, two nephews and a niece. So, one Sunday in December, Adam and I went to Jon and Becca's for dinner. They were the only family Adam had in town at the time.

Adam and I brought dinner and dessert with us. We made chicken pot pie with a twist. While on his mission, Adam had discovered that using corn meal for the crust was rather tasty. (He couldn't get any bisquick in France.) For dessert, we brought M&Ms and ice cream, since Adam owed them anyway. :)

I was super nervous to be meeting some of Adam's family. I was so shy, I think I hardly spoke the whole time we were there! Becca was especially nice, trying to make me feel more comfortable. And Jon was extremely entertaining as he told us some of his crazy dreams. Adam had told me that Jon had taken Latin before and I was so afraid he would start speaking it fluently at me and make me look dumb. Luckily for me, nobody can speak Latin fluently anymore! (Ok, there might be some super geek out there who can, but he/she is the only one.) After dinner we played some games before Adam and I had to leave to catch a fireside that Nathaniel and Bradley (nephews) were singing at. All in all in was a very nice evening, despite my extreme nervousness. I'm sure all Becca could say about me when she reported to Adam's parents (which I'm sure she did) was that I was especially quiet.

The More I See You

Considering Friday was a holiday, I'm sure Adam and I were together, but I don't remember what we did then or on Saturday. (If anybody remembers, let me know!) By Sunday afternoon, the family was still eating Thanksgiving leftovers and Adam was invited to join us. This was the first time we had gotten together on a Sunday. It certainly wasn't the last.

After dinner, Chris decided he wanted to practice using his nice, new, fancy camera. And he needed subjects. So Adam and I posed for a few shots. It was a little early for us to be having portraits made together. A little foreshadowing, perhaps?



Adam had this one turned into his instant messaging picture. Crazy boy!




That's one lucky girl with that handsome man.



Personally, I prefer the ones of just Adam.

Hey Adam, wanna play the bean game??

The following week was excellent. It was Thanksgiving, so we only had two days of class! Woo hoo! On Tuesday night, Adam borrowed Jon and Becca's car and took me to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. This was the first time he met some of my family, besides Chris. He met Marmee, Becca (Bearden), and Lindsey. Lindsey didn't really take to him at first. She's kinda shy. (It wasn't too long, though, before she was in love with him and thought he was HER boyfriend! Hmph.)



We had a great time at the movies. We even ran into one of my friends from a previous ward and I was very happy to show off my handsome beau. I don't remember what we did afterwards. I believe it was kinda late and Adam had to return the car, so we probably just came back to my house and visited some more. Actually, I think we went to see Julie and Chris.

Thursday was Thanksgiving and I was so excited Adam was coming over. We went totally overboard! We even added some things we don't usually have, like fried okra. I was quite perturbed when Adam didn't fall down in ecstasies over it like I do. :) Adam came over first thing in the morning so he could watch the parade while my mom and I cooked dinner. Marmee and I lived upstairs from Julie and Chris in the same house, and they were downstairs cooking lots of food, too. We all met in the upstairs kitchen for the delicious feast. Afterwards we subjected Adam to the Bearden tradition of playing crazy games. We had a lot of fun.

Later that afternoon, Adam and I both went to work in the dispatch center. I really don't know why we were there, because holidays are usually really slow and only one person would work. Well, there was another dispatcher there, me and Adam. And there was nothing happening on campus! I think we just wanted holiday pay and if one of us was going to be there, the other couldn't stand to be away. During our down time at work, we continued shopping for a ticket to Mass for me. I found a good price and made the decision to go. I was to leave on December 29 and return on January 6. I was so happy and excited to be going, I don't think I even felt nervous.

**Note: This post was created at the expense of my homework. It was a sacrifice I had to make for the blog. You're welcome.

I've been dreaming of a true love's kiss

I had to work the graveyard shift on Saturday night into Sunday morning, so I was going to have to be in to work at 11:00 p.m. I don't think Adam got off work until around 8:00 p.m. so we decided just to have dinner and watch a movie at his apartment in Heritage. He made me "pasta with red sauce." (I'm not really sure how that is distinct from spaghetti, but that's what he called it. :) Then we watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (or was it Chamber of Secrets?) We only managed to watch half of it before it was time for him to walk me to work. It was about five minutes before time for us to leave, when Adam leaned over and kissed me!!! Then he got up and left the room. He came back a minute later with shoes and socks in hand so he could walk me to the ASB.

He walked me all the way to the dispatch center, piquing the curiosity of the dispatcher who was waiting for me to take over. Then he left, followed shortly by everyone else. And I was left all alone with no one to talk to about this major new development! If I'd gone home I could at least have gone to sleep and dreamt about Adam!