This was a Wild and Wonderful week for the Oaks family (to say the least!!). You won't believe all that happened!!

I learned a cool, new way to eat a mango that I am super excited to share with you. I think you're gonna LOVE IT (the demo video is at the end).

The week started out with a family reunion on Kathy's side of the family at the Anderson Cove campground in Huntsville, Utah. We packed up the travel trailer on Saturday and left after church on Sunday.

As everyone arrived at camp Sunday afternoon, we greeted them with some delicious food. I grilled up some chicken thighs over the firey coals for dinner. Kathy chopped up some potatoes and sliced fresh zucchini from our garden and we fried those up on the griddle with a heavy dose of butter. Yum!


We served the meal with chopped melons and a yummy salad which included fresh vegetables from our garden.

Even though it was blazing hot with temperatures breaking 100 degrees, cooking over the fire wasn't really that bad because I simply jumped in the lake to cool off before I started. Plus, there's something really satisfying about serving delicious food to the family members as they trickle in and arrive at camp...wouldn't you say? Does anyone out there know what I mean?

That evening, my son Danny and my nephew Ben played their guitars around the campfire and we all sang along with them (my favorite was Big Rock Candy Mountain).

Monday morning we fished (I helped my nephew catch his first fish!). We played games. And, we went boating. Unfortunately, Ethan suffered an injury when the wake board hit him in the face.

Nine stitches later, he was back at camp and having fun again. As you can see, he took it like a champ.

Kathy and I doted over our grandbabies.

As you can see in this video, we enjoyed loving them up and taking care of them. And, our kids enjoyed the break.

Tuesday, we had to leave camp early to pick up our son Carson from the airport. He finished his two-year mission in Guatemala! YAYYYYY!!!!!!

Carson's return was epic. I actually forgot what a powerful personality he has! He's such a character and, in that bright blue suit, he was a wonderful sight for sore eyes!! I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried with joy at his return.


He finished his mission with honor...and, as you can see in this video, he crossed the finish line in style!

His flight was delayed so we didn't get home till almost 1:00 am but that didn't stop him from jumping into the swimming pool. Missionaries are not allowed to swim so...after not swimming for two years, he was super excited to jump into the pool...even if it was almost 1:00 am!!

Some of my kids were so excited to see Carson that they stayed the night at our house. The next morning (Wednesday), Carson got to meet his niece Juliet for the first time!


After eating the huge breakfast that Kathy made for her precious boy which included waffles, eggs, sausage, and bacon, Carson and I hit the gym to see if he still had any game.

At a combine before his mission, Carson touched 11 feet 4 inches. Needless to say, he has an insane vertical. After serving a mission for two years, does he still have the hops? Can he still dunk the basketball?

Later that day, all of our family & friends came over to see Carson. As Matt explained in this week's newsletter article Utah's Culinary Legacy, July 24 is a holiday in Utah. So, we had a huge party!

My brother-in-law Jeff Capozzoli was so happy about Carson's return that he killed the fatted calf and the fatted pig! He brought over a brisket and a pork roast that he had been smoking for 48 hours! Yum!!

The party was a blast. We ate spectacular food, played volleyball, set up the monster slip & slide, and swam in the pool. After wearing his mission suit for two years, Carson retired it with style.


If the week wasn't exciting enough already, Thursday night, my daughter Brennah got engaged!

We all went to the hidden garden at Thanksgiving Point to see the proposal. It was epic!

We're so happy for her! We LOVE her fiance Landon. He is everything we could hope for in a future son-in-law and more. He checks boxes we didn't even know we had!!

Friday, was breakfast burrito making day. Kathy and the girls made 240 breakfast burritos for Carson's homecoming party on Sunday!!

Carson will be giving his homecoming talk to the entire congregation at church which starts at 8:30 am Sunday morning. After church, all of our family and friends will come to our house to celebrate. Kathy will be serving breakfast burritos with fresh salsa and fruit and waffles with homemade butter syrup.

The trip to Costco that I made to get all this food (30 dozen eggs, 12 bags of cheese, etc) cost a small fortune! But, I felt better about it when my sister reminded me that it costs much more when the kids go astray.

I just wish I remembered to take Carson's suit cases out of the Jeep before I made the run to the store!

You would think that Carson would have taken a break to rest and relax after returning from his mission. But, his General Contractor uncle, Jeff Capozzoli, called Thursday morning with a work opportunity for him and he jumped all over it. He worked Thursday afternoon and he woke up at 5:00 am to go to the job site Friday morning.

On Saturday (today), we finally got a moment to just sit and chat with Carson. He showed me a cool new way to eat Mangos that I love! Check it out!


I hope you find this mango video helpful.

Thank you, my Cook'n Family, for joining us on this journey. Thank you for your love and support for all these years!

Finally, if you are wondering why I'm sharing all this "family stuff" with you, there is a reason. And, before I explain, I should mention that I feel a bit vulnerable sharing so many private and personal things with you because we have so many imperfections! The ole gray mare ain't what she used to be and I regret to say that I feel like I look terrible in these photos and videos. I need to hit the gym and lose some weight. And, if my hair gets any more salt in it, there won't be room for the pepper...if you know what I mean!

The main reason I share this with you is because...I started this company 32 years ago with the goal of creating software to strengthen families. As I said on our About page, "Cook'n strengthens families."

"The family unit is the most basic and fundamental organization in any society and the best environment in which to develop physically, mentally, morally, and spiritually healthy people. And, a family that eats together stays together. According to The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, kids and teens who share family dinners three or more times per week:

• Are less likely to be overweight
• Are more likely to eat healthy food
• Perform better academically
• Are less likely to engage in risky behaviors (drugs, alcohol, sexual activity)
• Have better relationships with their parents

"More frequent family dinners are related to fewer emotional and behavioral problems, greater emotional well-being, more trusting and helpful behaviors towards others and higher life satisfaction." -Journal of Adolescent Health, April 2012.

This is not just a mantra. This is not just something we say to sell more software. We truly believe this and we practice it. You may have noticed a common theme in my family stories that I share: delicious food! We have our fair share of challenges, difficulties, and setbacks. But, we do our best to put God first. And, as I said and as you can see, a family that eats together stays together!

Give Cook'n a try! Sign up for a Cook'n Membership today. I promise that as you make God your highest priority and as you use Cook'n to make healthy, delicious meals, your family will gather at dinnertime. And, as you eat together, you will grow together and stay together!

With that, I'll end with one last video...enjoy!