I'm engaged!

I need to be better at updating my blog.. :) So, about two weeks ago Channing proposed! Here's the story...

It all started with Channing getting into an accident in Parowan. He was driving back to Salt Lake from visiting me in St. George on January 30 and at about 10 pm a deer wandered into the road. The deer was safe but Channing ended up swerving and rolled three times into the median. I received a text message from him saying, "Courtney... I rolled my car. I'm in the emergency room in Cedar." Yeah.... freaked me out! Before this accident, Channing and I were dating, but me being my stubborn self was refusing to get very serious. I suppose the 40 minute drive down to Cedar with my roommate, Brie, and seeing Channing all bloody and cut up in the emergency room changed something in myself. I realized that I loved Channing in my life too much and I would be incredibley insane to ever let him go. From that point on we became as inseparable as we could be while living 5 hours away from one another. Things moved fast!

After they had cleaned him up a bit.. we were about to take him home but then he started passing out (which was very scary! I thought he was having a seizure and Brie thought he was dying! haha...) they made him lay back down on a bed and eat some graham crackers and saltines. We were being very goofy in this room. So tired that we were all going crazy... it was maybe about 2 or 3 in the morning here.

Chan's poor ear got all banged up and swollen. It was a lot worse even then it looks in this picture!

Some bad cuts on his knee! Couldn't walk real well for a bit.

Blood dripped all over in his hair... Yeah, I know, gross... he had little cuts all over his head.

Channing (happy?) right after he got to the ER.. he asked for his phone and then took some pictures... such a tough guy. Haha... he seriously was smiling and laughing most of the time in the Emergency Room... made for a weirdly fun night :) He's the best! Love you babe!
Sad pilot TOTALED. We had to go get everything out of his car so they could take it away! The only thing we didn't find from the accident was the Valentines present that he had bought for me a couple days before. Purple box with a yellow bow. Haha.... lost forever. Sad.

Chan insisted that he help. It was ridiculous. He was dizzy and could hardly walk yet he was still helping to get everything out of his car. Silly boy.

At the accident site in Parowan... had just found a hollister receipt form when Chan and I went shopping a few days prior... I don't know why but this was one of the happiest moments of my life! I got so excited about that silly little receipt. Soooo happy he was safe!

On Friday, February 11 I had driven up north to visit Channing and my family for the weekend. I was at Channing's house in West Valley getting ready for my friend, Alexa's, wedding reception. Chan told me that I could not come out of the bathroom because he had to 'set up.' Bleh. I was trying to be calm knowing what was coming. We had gone and looked at rings about a week earlier and found the perfect one! After I was all ready he blind-folded me and walked me down the stairs only to find him wearing board shorts and a life jacket! I think I laughed out loud. A giant tandom kayak was sitting in his living room on a riverbed of rose petals and chocolate kisses. It was beautiful and my heart was racing! Channing went on to talk about how married life would be like going down a river, there would be some rough rapids that we would have to get through and then also some very calm points in the river, but, he wanted to go down that river together, with me, be my partner or teammate in the kayak. Then he got down on one knee, pulled out the ring and asked me to marry him. After my acceptance and a kiss he slid the ring onto my finger. It was beautiful and romantic and even a little silly! I LOVED it! For anyone that doesn't really know me, kayaking is one of my favorite things to do in the whole world! It was very special!

Me and the silly blue blindfold just waiting for the proposal to actually happen while Chan took some pictures... silly. He's crazy! In a good way :)

After he proposed! :) He made me put on the silly life jacket... silliest, romantic proposal!

I love you Channing!

My handsome man!

I am so excited to start a new life with Channing Atkin! We will have some adventures as husband and wife and also father and mother. I will be an immediate step mommy because Channing has two little angels, Orhyan (3) and Porter (1). I am so excited to have them in my life as well! I love those two little kiddies! Channing and I hope for either June 17 or August 19 in the Bountiful Temple, whichever date ends up working the best! (Really hoping for June!!!) But I will try to be better and keep this blog updated with wedding plans and such!

My Big Brother Sean Marshall Brown

My brother, Sean, died unexpectedly on June 15, 2010. He had many family and friends and will be greatly missed by all those who knew him. I miss my brother so much and was having a really bad "missing him day" after talking to one of his good friends tonight. I love you Sean. You're my big brother forever! You always were one of my greatest heroes growing up. I'll miss you for always.

Memories With Him

1. One night I slept over at Sean's apartment in Ogden with him, we were supposed to go kayaking the next day. When I got there he took my hand and brought me around to every apartment to introduce me to all his friends saying, "This is my baby sister!!"

2. Me, Sean, and my dad all went to the movies one day. I wanted to buy a pair of swim shorts so my dad waited in line while Sean and I walked over to the Layton Mall. Sean took my hand in the parking lot when he saw a boy looking at me, holding it all boyfriend/girlfriend like. I was laughing so hard but got so mad at him because he refused to let go. he wanted every guy there to think I was unavailable... haha so protective.

3. Almost every day after elementary school Sean made me watch stupid Jackie Chan with him. He wouldn't ever let me watch the shows I wanted to watch. I don't think I ever told him then that I actually started to like the dumb show.

4. On one of our annual Moab trips I begged Sean to teach me how to drive a stick. I think I almost tipped his Jeep over two or three times on that little drive. I was freaking out the whole time and kept telling him to come take the wheel but he never would. Told me I could do it. He did get a bit frustrated though after I killed it about ten times.. :)

5. When Sean came home from his mission we didn't even know he was coming! Well, my parents knew... but Kyle, Lindy, and I had no idea! We thought we were going to the airport to meet my cousin, Derek, who served in the same mission as Sean. Imagine how surprised we were to see Sean walking off the plane right behind Derek! He didn't even recognize me when I ran up and gave him a hug... he looked at my mom as if to say, "Who is this??" Ha... it took him about thirty seconds to realize it was me. Silly Sean... Haha we were sooo mad at him!

6. When Sean moved back in with us he'd always come into my room in the morning and wake me up by crawling into my bed with me. I thought he was so weird! He'd steal all the blankets and then wiggle around and do his stupid little giggle... ha.. I miss that.

7. Sean used to always remind me that he changed my diapers when I was a baby girl. :)

8. Sean had this weird fascination with my chin... He would sit there and rub it and say, "Your chin is soooooo soft!" Then when introducing me to people he would grab me by my chin and practically force them to feel how soft it was! Haha... I remember him telling me it was even softer than Logan's bum! (It's still just as soft, Big Brother! Always, for you...)

I heart my family

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. ~Desmond Tutu

I love my family with all my heart and am so entirely grateful for them. We have been through a lot this past year, but we got through it, together. I don't know what I would have ever done without being able to call my mom anytime I wanted to cry, hear my dad say, "I'll unhook my truck and come get you right now and move you back home!" haha.. or get some laughs from Kyle and Lin. They are my favorite people in the whole world and I wouldn't trade them for anything! I've missed my brother Sean so much since he passed away this last summer.. but I am grateful he met Jill and they had a beautiful baby boy to add to our family before he left our world. Families aren't perfect, but mine's pretty close. Even though I don't fully understand it all, it will work out.. and we'll all be together again. And in that day I want to see Sean dance and hear him say, "Bakaaah!" Haha... love you guys.

This is my oh so handsome nephew, Logan!!! Isn't he the most adorable baby boy you've ever seen? I remember one day I was either facebooking or skyping Sean after Logan was born and they were back living in Arizona. He said something like, "Isn't he the CUTEST baby boy in the whole world?!" I replied, "Yes, one of the cutest I've ever seen." He responded, "NO. Not ONE OF THE CUTEST.... THE CUTEST." Haha... Sean was so proud of his Logie Bear. I can still hear him saying, "This is my baby boy! My BABY BOY!" I cannot wait to watch you grow up, Logan! You Auntie loves you so so so much! My heart and loves go out to one handsome little boy in Arizona! Mwah!!!

Life before the creation of this blog.

Just thought I would share some pictures from my life in the last couple of years! Family, friends, and me.. It's a good life!

The four of us at our best :) The picture says enough..

Sean and I on New Years of 2010 at the Weizbowski's residence! Logan had just been born 3 days prior! We all ran outside banging pots and pans and of course, Sean was the craziest!
Sam and Steve at their best! Love them! Miss them! Both serving full time missions!

Stephen and I at the Chantilly Mansion for Cotillion! Beautiful night! Stephen is now serving in Fort Worth, Texas for his mission. He is happy to be there and loving every second of it!For Prom, our dates thought it would be fun to enjoy horse back riding on Antelope Island!
The fam on our anual Moab trip! Just got to the bottom of hiking the delicate arch. Love Moab! Saskia was our foreign exchange student from Germany.. she loved seeing Moab and camping with us!
Josh and I at the beach in beautiful sweet Cali!

The Russians and I with a California sunset! Beautiful! Happy to be there.. :)


Kayaking trip to Lake Powell! Loved it! Kayaking is one of my absolute most favorite things to do in the whole world! Would kayak every day if I could! One day I will own me a kayak! ...Summer of 2010!

New Years 2011!!! I was home for the holidays and was able to spend the night with many of my close guy friends! I love you all! Seth, Derek, Me, Mitch, Quaid, and Curtis! Fun night!

My first college roomie! My life would not be complete without her! Brie Beckham, welcome to my life! California and the Russians! Serj, Kate, and Julia were all visiting America this past summer and stopped in St. George. Josh and I decided to join them on an adventure to California. So grateful that I met them! I learned so much from them about Russia! Ya tibya leblu!

Noelle, Andie, and I hiked the Volcano in St. George! Noelle was a little timid about going to the top... ;) But good times!

...And a blog was created.

I don't know why I have never had a blog before now, or why all the sudden it seemed like such a great idea... maybe it was the endless hours sitting at my parents watching movies over and over again in the same spot on the couch for days and days. I have been sick lately and because of that- confined to La Casa De Los Padres. Not that I don't love coming home and being with the family. They're great. Movies, card games, shopping trips, yummy food, etc. But, after just having arrived back to the lovely college apartment only to get sick three small days later and come right back home again... you begin to miss your messy apartment and roommates. So there it is! This blog was created mostly out of boredom, somewhat out of excitement, and a little out of LOVE. Or maybe a lot. So this is me, here I go. Welcoming you and pouring out my heart and soul, thoughts and desires, dreams and aspirations... or maybe just venting. We'll see. Enjoy!