Best Christmas Gift

Christmas this year was amazing!! We prepared a lovely feast for Christmas Eve dinner. It was a very bitter-sweet Christmas...we were full of the Christmas JOY and yet at the same time missing Trevor a lot. Christmas just isn't the same with a family member gone.

We woke up Christmas morning and began opening presents. It was a different Christmas for us compared to last year. Last year we were swarmed with wedding plans that Christmas unfortunately was over looked a little. So, we opened presents and I was amazed at how many gifts there were under the tree! The last gift Adam and I opened was a surprise from my parents. It was a beautiful painting of the Salt Lake Temple and it had our names and our sealing date. We LOVE it!!

We ate a HUGE breakfast and relaxed the rest of day playing with our new gadgets and gizmo's. Finally 6:00 rolled around and the family was anxiously waiting for the telephone to ring. Suddenly my cell phone rings and the called id shows 'with held'. From past experience I never answer a with held number but, I figured what the heck right, it's Christmas. To my surprise my best friend, and brother Trevor was on the other line from the Philippines. (Silly kid forgot our home phone number:). We were able to talk to him for 40 minutes and it was the Best Christmas Present EVER!. When the phone call sadly ended none of us really knew how to react. Sad because we miss him or happy because he was so happy??

Point of this post is to show that through one phone call I gained a new and correct perspective of the season. Presents and food in the end don't matter. It is the Savior's birth and His sacrifice that we need to focus on. I am so proud of my brother for the service he is rendering.What a Wonderful Christmas!!!!

Counting Down The Days!

In 6 days we will be getting a call from Elder Mauzy!! I can't even describe how excited we all are. He will call us when it is Christmas in the Philippines which will be Christmas Eve here in Utah. Elder Mauzy cracks us up. He emailed us saying that he'll call at 6 pm or later:). We don't mind though we'll just hang out at home all night waiting for the much anticipated call! This is by far the best Christmas gift we could ever ask for!!

Kumusta

Elder Mauzy is doing great! His companion and another roommate injured themselves while playing basketball so we were relieved to hear he didn't get hurt!

"Me being the only American in the house has been kind of tough, but I have been trying really hard to look to the savior, and he has given me so much comfort. and even though it is tough, I am happy, and I know that I can only succeed in this mission with his help. Mom while I was in the MTC, there is a time that I can point out where I could really see my testimony grow, I remember you sent me a church news article called, feelings of gratitude, and I really tried to apply it. I realized how much I had, and that there is no reason to be sad, because of how much I already have. I then learned how important it is to love others and to serve them. That is where true happiness comes. Well I thought I would just share that because it is thanksgiving time"

"We find new investigators everyday. No joke. Only a few of them are sincerely interested though. The ones who are interested and who hopefully will be baptized are: Christina, Almario family, Hilario family, and this new family, I forgot their name. So the people here are so nice. the family that I forgot their name, dont have enough money for lights so they use candles. two whole candles were used up while we were teaching them. I felt kind of bad:- but it is definitely worth it for them, because they can have eternal life with their family if they recieve the gospel. That is another thing I am grateful for. I am grateful that I am sealed to you and that in heaven we will be together forever if we stay valiant. Thank you for all your love and support."

We LOVE hearing from Elder Mauzy and seeing the wonderful growth he is going through.

Thanksgiving

This year for Thanksgiving Adam and Maranda made the entire dinner! It worked out really well and we all had a blast getting together and remembering all of our many blessings. After dinner we went and saw the new release "Four Christmases" which was surprisingly good and funny! It was a wonderful Thanksgiving!

LDS Motion Picture Studio

On Sunday Adam took all of us for an in depth tour of the LDS Motion Picture Studio. It was amazing! We got to see the sets, costuming, and editing rooms along with much more. We took many pictures and we all had a blast!! Pictures will be posted soon!!

Mom & Dad & Snickies

Oh Christmas Tree

We put up our main Christmas tree upstairs and we love it! It has a wonderful whimsical theme and it brings the fun, spirit of Christmas into our home! Mom your amazing!

Weekend Fun!

This weekend our Aunt Jeaninne came out from Los Angeles to spend the weekend with us. We were so excited We went to dinner at P.F. Changs the night she arrived and it was delicious. On Sunday we relaxed at home, looked at pictures and Adam grilled up some amazing salmon for dinner. Monday was her last day here so my aunt and my parents spent the day up in Salt Lake to get some shopping done. Anyone who knows the "See's" knows that they can inflict quite some damage while shopping and that is what makes it so fun! Even though she wasn't here for long it was so wonderful to see her and spend some time with her!! We Love YOU Aunt Jeaninne!!!!

Transferred

We heard from Trevor this morning and he has been transferred. He is loving it!! It is a lot greener and he loves his new companion Elder Olar who is Philippino. Here is a quote from Trevor's latest email.

"Well I am loving the mission right now. I am now teaching half of the lessons now, it is tough, but I love it."

It was a wonderful surprise to hear from our missionary and we couldn't be more pleased at how happy he is in the work!

Finally!!

We finally heard from Elder Mauzy! We thought he had been transferred to some remote part of the Philippines where they don't have interenet so we were expecting a letter in the mail in about 2 months but we heard from him this week! He is doing great! Him and his companion have been working with a man named Izhar who was baptized last week. Trev was so excited he could baptize him before his transfer. He is being transfered this week. Elder Mauzy has grown so much and I thought I would copy a little of his letter to share with all of you!

"I am so happy to be a missionary. I know that missionary work is true. I have a strong testimony of this gospel. I know that this is the only ture church on the whole earth with all my heart. I truly know that through the restored gospel we are able to be forgiven and by living the gospel and coming unto christ we will be able to have joy in our lives that we never knew existed. I have learned from my mission that true happiness comes from serving others. By thinking of others, instead of yourself. That other people's happiness is what makes you happy. True happiness comes from loving others. I know that this is true. I am forever greatful for the savior and for this opportunity to serve him. Well I am doing just fine. I am happy. Dont worry about me. I am sad to leave my area, and my companion, but I am also excited for my new area, and new companion. I will let you know all about it. And I will take lots of pictures. I love you all so much. I think about you every day."

We miss him so much but we are so proud of him!

-Mauzy Update-

Life in the Mauzy home has been going great! Mom decorated the house so cute for Halloween and her costume was pretty much amazing! (pictures to come!). We survived the elections even though there was some debate as to who should win;). My mom wasn't rooting for Barack Obama but, after she heard his speech he kind of grew on her a little bit.

Mom has been working hard at Robert's and has created the most AMAZING Christmas trees. I will have to post pictures of those as well! She is so talented.

Dad is working hard as always at Novell. He survived another rough spot of lay offs and we are so grateful for his hard work and faithfulness!

We haven't heard from Elder Mauzy this week:( We are assuming he is going through a transfer and we're crossing our fingers that we will hear from him next week! Lets hope and pray he isn't to rural of an area where they don't have internet!! I think we would all go a little crazy!

Adam and I are both going to school and are definitely ready for a break!! Thanksgiving needs to get here soon!!:)

Well that is the little Mauzy update. I'll post some pictures soon to show you all of the festivities going on!

*Dancing With The Stars*

My mom and I both LOVE this show! Maybe I love it because I use to be a ballroom dancer but who knows:) It is so good though!

Good Looking Cowgirls!

My mom at work with her good friend Silvia. They had a 'Cowboy Day' where they were required to dress up!

My Cute Parents

Best Buddies

We heard from Elder Mauzy today. His P-day was changed to Monday so we were all pleasantly suprised to get his email! He got to watch Conference in English and he was grateful for that! He is continuing to work really hard and is drawing closer to his Savior every day! He loves his companion and is learning from him. I posted this picture because in his e-mail Elder Mauzy kept asking about Snicker's and if she missed him...and Of Course she does! We all miss him! Keep up the Good Work Elder Mauzy!!

Day Up the Canyon

It was so nice to go spend a beautiful day with the family!

With the fall leaves changing we all decided to go up the canyon for a picnic and to enjoy the colors. It was a blast!

Temple Day!

Me and my parents went to the temple and it was awesome! This is me and my mom doing the "3 fingers". My mom always use to do this to us when we were performing or anything like that to say "I LOVE YOU" We did this and sent it to Trevor.

I Miss my Best Friend!!

This past week was wonderful with Conference and all. Dad supplied us with oodles and oodles of yummy treats to as he says "make conference more fun":). It sure did. On Sunday we started a new tradition of "Waffle Sunday". It was pretty much amazing!! Conference was incredible. The talks were amazing and it helped us have a break from the real world and be spiritually uplifted!
We also heard from Elder 'dope' Mauzy. He is doing so well and we couldn't be more proud of him. He got a new companion named Elder Ferre and he is from Ogden Utah. They are getting along great and they are both learning from each other which is amazing. They have a lot of investigators who are seeking truth and Elder Mauzy is working hard to bring the spirit into their lives. Direct Quotes from Elder Mauzy:
-"I just need to keep working my very hardest. "
-"I know with all my heart that this church is true."
-"The lord freely gives us so many blesses us. we just have to count them and appreciate them."
I MISS MY BEST FRIEND SOOO MUCH!! But, I am so proud of him and know that he is doing what the Lord wants him to do!!

Trevor is Rockin' the Philippines!!

We heard from Trevor and he is doing really, really well! He was struggling for a while there and we were worried about him but, he has bounced back and is doing great!! He is loving the work and the people:) We miss him so much but, we are So Proud of HIM!!! He has quite a few investigators and he is so excited about the work going forth. He hasn't been bit by any cockroaches so we are grateful for that!

A Little Update

So we heard from Trevor last night and he his having a little bit of a rough time so everyone pray really hard for him! He loves the chicken curry but not so much the seafood. He hates sardines and stuff like that:)

Maranda & Adam were just called as Primary Teachers for the 10 year olds in their new ward. They are learning patience and will hopefully grow to the love the calling and grow closer to the Savior through it was well. They have a little down syndrome boy named Taylor who is a sweetheart but, definitely a handful so we'll see how everything goes:)

Mom is still working at Robert's and is getting ready for Christmas already. They are having her carry and lift heavy things and if they keep it up Maranda is going to go over there and kick some bums:) no seriously though, it really isn't good. Other than that she loves her job. Her and Snicker's are the best of buddies!

Dad is working hard as usual at Novell. He is enjoying the BYU Football Season almost as much as Adam is:). He works really hard in his church calling as well. We are all missing our missionary but we are so proud of him!

So that is it for the Mauzy update...hope you enjoyed it!:)

Elder Mauzy's Favorite Quote

Love
---------------------------------------------------

"When Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment to 'love one
another; as I have loved you,' (John 13:34), He gave to them the grand
key to happiness in this life and glory in the next.

"Love is the
greatest of all the commandments--all others hang upon it. It is
our focus as followers of the living Christ. It is the one trait that, if
developed, will most improve our lives."

-Joseph B. Wirthlin

New York Scrapbook

Make a Smilebox slideshow

NY! NY!

We all just got back from our wonderful vacation to The Big Apple! We went to a beautiful park, shopping, touring the city, and spending time with family. We were all in need of a vacation and this hit the spot. We saw the broadway play 'Wicked' it was incredible!! We took lots of pictures to document the wonderful time that we had!
This is Adam and I at Minnewaska Park being silly.
This is the family on a very small, and unstable dock going into the Hudson. You don't want to fall in because the Hudson River is nasty!As you can tell we had a lot of fun shopping...well at least us girls did;)

Elder Mauzy and The Monkey

Well, we got to hear from our missionary again this week. It was a short email to our dismay but, we won't complaign short is better than nothing! He is getting a new companion and a transfer. He is a little nervous but we all know he will do so well. Last Saturday he had two baptisms, he really had a wonderful, spiritual experience. He sent us a picture of him holding a monkey:). He looks like he has lost some weight as well.

Dad's Birthday Celebrations

Monday was dad's birthday!! We ate at Applebee's and mom even had them sing to him! We were so stuffed that we decided to wait on the pie for the next day. We bought a caramel silk supreme pie from Village Inn and we got to officially sing Happy Birthday!! We even got to hear from our Elder late Monday night, on dad's birthday!:) We appreciate you dad and we are so grateful for the sacrifices and hard work you do for our family. We love you!!

Bragging Rights:)

I just wanted to make a post and let everyone know how blessed I am to have such a wonderful family. If my parent's hadn't made the sacrifice in adopting my life would have been much different. I am so grateful for my parent's who have raised my brother and I in the gospel. What a wonderful blessing that has been. My parents are so supportive and loving to everyone that has come into their lives. My dad is one of the hardest workers I know and he does it selflessly, completely for others. My mom is the most loving and sincere person I have ever met. She is always open to making friends and doing fun things with her family. I am also so blessed to have my brother Trevor. I could not ask for a better sibling and example in my life!! He is sacrificing so much to go and spread the gospel to the people of the Philippines and that takes courage! He has always been there to talk to and help me get through tough times in my life. He is so sincere and genuine. Last but, not least I am so grateful for my wonderful husband Adam! I could not ask for a better soul mate!! He is so patient with me and loves me no matter what!! I am so blessed!!

Our Wonderful Missionary

We received some more emails from Elder Mauzy in the Philippines. He is working so hard and is growing through the spirit a lot. He is really missing carpet and grass since both of those aren't anywhere to be found in the Philippines. All the little kids call the missionaries "Joe", short for GI Joe or Masarap Man. The pictures show how happy and how hard he is working. And some of the gross things he has to eat! We miss him of course but, we couldn't be more proud!!
I Love this picture of Trev!!This is called Belut. It is worse than eating a raw egg!! It is already half developed. So Gross!!

Scrapbooking Sunday!!

My wonderful mom is helping me learn how to scrapbook! I am so excited. Documenting memories is so important and I have the best teacher to show me the way!! My goal is to do a page every Sunday. Last Sunday I worked on Adam's Surprise Birthday Party invitations and card. I am excited to gain a new talent and hobby that I can share with my mom!

Massage's :)

So this weekend my mom and I decided it was due time for a massage:) We both have been really busy and stressed out so we knew this would help! UVCMT was having their special of 2 for 1 massages so we jumped at the opportunity. An hour long massage was just what the doctor ordered!!

Cockroaches and Lizards

We got a few short emails from our Elder yesterday. He is doing really well and is loving his mission. He says there are cockroaches all over his apartment and yes...they do bite!! So Gross! Yikes!! There are also lizards around his apartment but those don't bother him as much:) He is working hard and overcoming trials like these because he knows what he is doing is right. We obviously miss him like crazy but, we couldn't be more proud of him!!

Wonderful Saturday

Today was a Great Day!! I spent the day hanging out with my best friend which is my mom!! We got our diet soda's and spent the day scrapbooking:) I'm not very scrap booking savvy but my mom trained me a little and they turned out great!! I love living with our parents because I get to see them everyday!!

A Week & A Half

Trevor has been in the Philippines now for a week and a half! It has been really hard not driving past the MTC Field all the time searching for him:) He is working really hard and growing to love the people! He is still adjusting to the way of life over there but, he has the Lord's help. We could not be more proud of him!! We have decided to send him sanitizer, toilet paper and lots of anti-bacterial!!:) He is experiencing some new things that I don't feel are that proper to talk about. His senior companion is from Utah as well! He says it gets so hot there he doesn't even need covers at night cause he is so sweaty:*). I guess he showers morning and night just to stay clean and cool. He is making a lot of sacrifices but we all know it is well worth it!

Mom & Me!

My mom and I got to spend the day together and go to a close friends wedding. We spent the day at temple square. It was so much fun! We are the best of friends.

Snicker's

Ok I had to put up post up of our little "mauzy" puppy! When I was applying for college I applied everywhere but BYU. Since both my parents went there they were really bummed out I hadn't applied. So my mom came to me with a proposition. If I applied to BYU and got in she would get me a puppy!!
It is pretty obvious that I got into BYU and the bonus of that was Snicker's!! At first my mom did not want a dog but you should see these two now!! They are the best of buddies!! We love our Snickies!!

Trevor's Mission

Trevor was called to Quezon city, Philippines. He went into the MTC on May 7th! Last week he finally arrived to the Philippines and he is loving it!! I will post pictures constantly of Trevor and keep everyone updated on how our wonderful missionary is doing!

We were so blessed to be able to talk to Elder Mauzy on the phone in Salt Lake, LAX and Taiwan!!! When he arrived he was a little weary but he loves the work and he is so excited to teach the gospel to the wonderful people of the Philippines.

The Mauzy Family

First posting for the Mauzy blog!:) My mom grew up in California and my dad grew up in Arizona. They met at BYU and fell in love. Seven to eight years after they were married they adopted their daugther Maranda. 15 months after this Trevor was born. We were a sweet little family of four until about a year ago we got our puppy Snickers:). Maranda was married to Adam Crop who is the latest addition to the Mauzy clan.