February turned into one of the most memorable months our family has ever had.

Our son Andan returned home from his mission in Mexico on February 25. Just two days later, on February 27, we boarded a plane and headed… right back to Mexico.

Yes. Really.

We had planned this trip months earlier, thinking we would easily be home before our daughter Brennah was due to have her first baby on March 22. Kathy especially did not want to miss the birth of her only daughter's first child.

Our plan was simple.
Return by March 5.
Plenty of time.

But life had other ideas.

On March 4, while we were still in Cabo, Brennah’s water broke. 😩
She went into labor and delivered the next morning.

We scrambled to find an earlier flight home, but there was simply no way. We missed being there in person. 😭

Thankfully, my sister and her two daughters stayed with Brennah and her husband all night in the delivery room. They lovingly FaceTimed Kathy during the birth so she could experience it in real time. Technology can be a beautiful thing.

Mom and baby were both healthy and happy.


And little baby Mira is as cute as can be.


When we landed back in Salt Lake City later that same day, we went straight to the hospital from the airport. Kathy and I were so tickled to hold our new granddaughter.


Andan was especially grateful his mission timing worked out so perfectly. He made it home just in time to meet his brand-new niece.


My personal favorite photo was her very first bath. What a cutie patootie.


But the excitement did not stop there.

We arrived home late Thursday night, and Kathy immediately went into full event-planning mode. Andan’s mission homecoming party was scheduled for Sunday. With more than 120 extended family members and friends expected, gatherings like this start to feel suspiciously similar to wedding receptions.

Carson helped me set up tables and chairs all over the yard.
Andan was excused from setup duty because he was busy preparing his homecoming talk at church.

He did an amazing job. My favorite story was the one about the man who was planning on committing suicide the day that Andan was teaching him. Andan didn't know it at the time but his message of hope literally saved this man's life!

The miraculous thing about it is that, when Andan was teaching him the gospel principle of enduring to the end, he had only been in the mission for 4 weeks. He was still a new missionary and wasn't very good at teaching the gospel or speaking Spanish....and the only thing that came to his mind was the quote from the movie Finding Nemo: "just keep SWIMMING!"

Later, Andan found out that this message was just what the man needed to hear to keep moving forward. God works in mysterious ways!

The next thing I knew, this is what the family was texting on the Super Bowl thread at church...during his talk...😂

Want to Hear Andan’s Homecoming Talk? I recorded his talk at church, and if you'd like to listen, just click the button below. It's worth the listen. You'll laugh...you'll cry. It'll move you. ▶ Listen to Andan’s Talk If the button does not work, copy and paste this link into your browser: Listen to the recording

After church, everyone came over to celebrate.
And when I say Kathy cooked… I mean she cooked.

She chose a fun Cafe Rio theme, and the food was absolutely incredible. She had to make huge quantities. Just take a look at the size of the plate Carson built for himself.


Now multiply that plate by about 100 people and you will understand why our kitchen was running at full capacity for days.

Fortunately, the weather cooperated beautifully. There is no way we would have fit everyone inside the house. The yard was decorated with festive Mexican colors, and the whole afternoon was filled with laughter, hugs, stories, and the joyful noise that only large families can create.

I regret that I did not take more photos. Sometimes when you are living the moment, documenting it becomes secondary.

But it truly was one of those unforgettable weekends.
A new baby.
A returned missionary.
A backyard full of people we love.

Moments like these remind me why we built Cook’n in the first place.

Family matters.
Food brings people together.
And the kitchen is often where the best memories begin.

Brennah, by the way, is our lead tech support agent. So yes, Cook’n is very much a family business. And if we were not passionate about cooking ourselves, we would have no business creating software to help others do it better.


Bringing families together is literally part of our religion. And, gathering people at the table has always been our mission.

That is why we recently introduced the Cook’n Family Plan. It makes it easy and affordable for everyone you love to share recipes, cook together, and create lasting traditions.

Between now and Easter, we are offering a very special promotion on the Family Plan. It is honestly one of the best values we have ever offered, and we may never run this promotion again.

If you have been thinking about bringing your family together in Cook’n, this is the perfect time.

Click here to learn more and take advantage of the Easter offer before it disappears.

From our family to yours, thank you for letting us be part of your kitchen and your memories.