The day after Todd's Iron man race, we loaded up the family and drove to SLC for the Jackman Family Reunion. I was too nervous to let Todd drive because he was so exhausted from his race. So I drove the whole way there and didn't have any trouble doing it! Huge milestone for me. Ever since having kids, I can't stay alert at the wheel for many hours. Anyway, my family was all at Devan and Maura's house where most of them were staying. Everyone came except Levi who lives in California. They all went to the Foster Family reunion taking place the two days before we got there. I would have really liked to have been there but Todd's Iron Man race was smack dab in the middle of it. So many reasons to be in Utah this month! In July, my uncle is getting married too! I really want to go to that.
But arriving on Sunday,we got there just in time for Rachele's birthday dinner- Mom's lasagna. Super yummy! Rachele is now 22. Here are some pictures of that first evening there.
The birthday girl and her fiance, John.
Wrestling Practice
Todd kicking back and recovering from his Iron man the day before.
Devan let me sing along and jam to a couple songs with him.
The next morning, my dad, Scott, Devan, and Marty, Todd and I all went to USANA Health Service's big lab building where Devan works to use their company gym and do a CrossFit style workout- clean & jerk, running, and jump boxes. Todd wasn't allowed to workout because of doing his race the day before. But he came and cheered us on.
Here's Scott demonstrating his front squat.
Me showing my snatch and overhead squat. It felt prettier than it looks. I don't have very good "active shoulders" in that one! I love that lift, though. It's done wonders for my back pain without ever flaring it up in the process like so many other moves that work the rhomboids. If you have weak achy muscles between your shoulder blades, find your local CrossFit coach and they'll teach you overhead squats!
I love working out with my family. We're all so similarly built regardless of height or gender. I always say I look like a boy- a skinny 14 year old boy with no curves! But hey, at least I can keep up with my brothers and feel cool around them. We have a good time. We couldn't go to a gym without flexing in the mirror like a bunch of goobers. There wasn't anyone else there. I even got to show off my 6-pack. Hadn't been able to keep up with them on that for a lot of years.
Devan cleans up nice- he's headed back to work.
Monday evening we headed to Sandy, UT for the Jackman Family Reunion/get together. I was in charge of letting everyone know about and sort of conducting a portion of it being used as my sister, Rachele's bridal shower. The family usually throws each a bride a shower, but Rachele lives FAR away and is usually never down there in the Utah area where most everyone else lives. So this was the only opportunity.
I always love seeing my relatives. I have such cool extended family members. I wish we lived closer to them. We all had a really good time with them even if it was brief. I'm glad we came for it.
Kind of random, but while we were there, Scott showed everyone a gold nugget he had found while dredging in Nome, Alaska.
We had ice cream bars for dessert and Marty's stuck to his tongue upon first contact!
Me getting everyone's attention to watch Rachele open gifts. (It proved to not be my best talent. I guess I'm only loud when I'm mad. But when I'm mad... plug your ears!)
Rachele opening gifts.
I can't remember what was so funny, but I liked my mom in this one.
Todd flew home that night to be back for a big day hosting some people from out of town at work. Rachele drove home with us the next day. She stayed the night here. It was fun to have her here and even give her her own room in the new house. We were able to bring her gifts this far for her- we'll take them the rest of the way to Lewiston in 6 weeks for her wedding. The next day she took a bus from Ontario over to Eugine Oregon for a friend's wedding. Thought I'd mention that from there she went on to Olympia, Washington to meet up with her fiance, John who competed in their Great Olympia-WABDL, a northwest region weight lifting competition where he not only took first place in the Raw Division bench pressing 370 pounds, but he broke the Idaho state record for the Raw Division by 40 pounds as well! Congrats, John!
