Elder Mickelsen

All these missionaries leaving--it's so exciting!!  :)  Today's post is about one Brayden Mickelsen.  Brayden entered into our group of friends in a bit of a different way than the other boys, he was a part of the group known to us as the "Cupcakes".  (The story behind the name:  We all went to the dance, and the only boys that didn't dance with us--or maybe the only ones that did?--happened to sit at the table right behind ours during lunch; we made them cupcakes as a bribe to dance with us--or to say thank you, I don't remember which story is right--and they wouldn't take them!!  Thus, they became the Cupcakes.)

Brayden was in CAP (Civil Air Patrol) all through our high school years, and was so dedicated to it he received scholarships from the Air Force and has spend the past year of his life at Basic Training.  His testimony of the Savior is incredible, the way he knows without a doubt that He can give us strength when we feel we have none left.  He's intelligent and very funny, he was somehow able to keep all of us laughing all the time, it was fun to spend any time with him at all, he was so clever and witty.  And one of the things I admire the most about Brayden is his motivation.  In everything he does, he excels.  He works hard and doesn't settle for anything less than his best.  That's just one of his qualities that will serve him well in the mission field, and in the rest of his life's endeavors.  We're proud of you Brayden!  You're going to do great!!

That's Brayden strangling the elder from the last post, Cameron, on one of Cameron's return visits to Cache Valley.  I think they were fighting over a ball...

That's him on the right with some of the other Cupcakes :)

Brayden also ran cross country and track while we were in high school.  And he was GOOD.

Elder Cox

Today we bid farewell to another missionary (this one I'm not related to--well, not exactly).  Cameron Cox left today for the Missionary Training Center.  He will be departing from there to the Taiwan Taichung Mission.  I remember when he was taking Chinese class during high school, and he found out all the things he won't be able to use on a mission--"hot girl", "kiss", things like that.  :)  Cameron was the glue that kept all of us together, and we loved him so!  I think it's even safe to say that Cameron is the reason that I met many of the friends I was closest to during high school.  When Cam moved in to my neighborhood, it was the beginning of a whole new game!

Cameron sure made life fun while he lived in Cache Valley, and it was hard when he moved to Wyoming.  We all missed him, especially me.  We kind of thought of each other as siblings, even though we weren't actually related.  We had so much fun together!  He's got a great testimony too.  I remember when he turned sixteen, and all of the girls in our group who didn't live near us came to our ward to hear him bless the sacrament for the first time.  That was a really cool experience for all of us.  It was amazing to see the support he had from all of us.
Cam was a great example to me of what a young man is like when he's focused on the gospel and yet still able to have fun and play with his friends.  I love that kid with all my heart, and I have no doubt of the amazing things he will do as a missionary.  Good luck, Cam!  We'll all be at the airport when you get home, waiting to hear all of your stories and to welcome you back with open arms.  We love you!

Always the ladies' man.  :)

As you can imagine, we teased him incessantly for this one!!

Our last fling before he left for Wyoming.  He said it counted as a date for all of us who he hadn't taken on a date yet.  (Which is why there are so many of us with him.)

At Last...

Okay, I can't believe I'm saying this, but my first-ever professionally recorded song is now available for purchase!!!!  Here's the link in case you're interested:
Empty Hands
The inspiration for this particular song came from a watercolor painting I saw on a high school art tour, entitled "The Hands of Haiti".  It had been painted shortly after the huge earthquake they had down there a couple of years ago, and the painting haunted me for months after I saw it.  The image of those empty, reaching hands simply would not leave my mind.  What struck me the most about it was that the hands were, indeed, empty, and they looked like they were waiting for something. 
Thus, my single (OH MY GOSH!!!!) was born.  I wondered aloud who was going to fill those hands, wondered whether maybe I would be able to.  And so I wrote it all down, played it for a few people, took note of their critique, and then talked to a friend of mine who has a recording studio.  He helped me with the details, and I've just been working on making it available to the public.  And now....it finally is!!  And I am officially a published indie artist!!!!  :D  (Feel free to celebrate with me if you'd like.)

Life's Little Pleasures

Today my apartment was in charge of what our ward refers to as "Sunday Sweets".  At ward prayer every week a different apartment introduces themselves, and following ward prayer, the entire ward goes to their respective place of dwelling for treats. 
I went home to make cookies at my parents' house.
So there I was, making cookies and minding my own business, when suddenly all the flour I'd just put in the mixer decided to see if it could fly.  It was everywhere, all over the countertops, the clean dishes, the dishtowels, and me.
Then my bishop walked into the kitchen, because Mom and Dad were hosting a barbeque.  "Hey, Ash," he said jovially, "whatcha making?"
I looked down at the flour dusting my skirt and strewn all over the kitchen, then looked back up at him.  And said, honestly, "a mess."