Misc.

If you haven't checked the blog in the last few days, there are 9 new posts from the last 3 days.  I had too much going on to sit down and blog it all until now.  So if you'd like to see pictures from things like Rachele's wedding and a trip to Alaska, you'll need to click on "see older posts"... just to go back 3 days!  So many pictures.  But as of now, I'm caught up and ready to head to McCall this weekend with my childhood girlfriends who fly in tomorrow night. 

It's been a CarAAAAZY  August and September! Seems like at some point in the summer I caught myself complaining that we didn't do anything exciting for the summer.  We did have a 1-day family reunion in SLC, and I did get to join Todd on his business trip to Sundance for a couple of days.  But we made up for it and then some in the last month and a half. 

I just had a few random pictures and other little things to mention in this last post. 
Better get it all on here while I'm on a roll. 

Our ward had a harvest dinner get together at the church recently. 

These were taken by a friend there.

It was a good time. The kids played with balls and ran around having way too much fun on the huge lawn behind our chapel.  Any chance not to have to cook, I'm game!

This is Lainey sporting her newly cut bangs (first time I've cut her bangs).

 The Heart 'N Home Hospice Foundation put on a Community Golf Tournament that Todd and his brothers Kris and Adam played in.  Craig Hamann was the fourth member of their team.

  

 We've had a couple families over for dinner, the Jenks and the Sessions.  We also visited Todd's Grandma and Grandpa Thacker last weekend while on a date in Nampa where they live.  They were watching the BSU game which we were recording at home.  But it was super cute to see how into it they all were.  Reminded me of my Grandma Jackman who was quite the sports fan and also quite the athlete herself when she attended BYU.

Our nephew, Jayden is an up and coming football sensation.  We've gone to a couple of his games lately- he does so well!  He's in 5th grade and about the smallest kid on his team- yet the most unstopable!  It's been fun to watch and also fun to mingle with all the family that go to his games.

Brielle and Ashton started Tavaci, the children's choir here in town, last week.  They're excited because so many of their friends, and now, even their cousins are in it with them.  Ashton is also in pre-school again with several good buddies and he does a fantastic job there.  He's reading more and more!

Brielle is doing great in school. She loves doing her homework still- good sign.  She went to a super fun "Back to School" party with friends from her class this weekend.  Today was picture day so we'll see how those turned out!  She's 7 and half and seeing some of her friends turn 8 and planning their baptisms.  We also had a family in our area join the church whose baptism was just last week.  It's crazy that Brielle is already approaching this age, but she is excitedly learning and getting ready for her turn.  For any readers not of my faith, in our church they wait until after they turn 8 to be baptised so that they can make that choice themselves and also to be of the age of accountability where they can actually make wrong decisions to need baptism for.  Infants, for example, are not capable of committing sin, so they have no need for baptism.

Speaking of church, Todd and I have recently had our callings switched up.  Him more so than me.  I was the second counselor in the Relief Society Presidency until our President was released a few months ago.  Two weeks later we got a new bishop and the new R.S. president's husband was called to be in the bishopric so we thought she might be released, and myself as well.  So I can't remember if I mentioned it or not, but she had made me her first counselor.  And she gets to keep her calling so I will as well.  I'm still over all of the same things so it's pretty seamless for me. 

We've been going on a lot of visits getting to know more and more people.  Lately we had a Get To Know You activity with all of the sisters in our ward because we've had over a dozen families move into our ward this summer.  It was nice to be able to have everyone spend some time together putting names with faces and learning more about each other playing games and chatting.  Today we had a meeting planning a "Super Saturday" (craft day) in November where we'll have 12 crafts for people to pick and choose from to make home-made Christmas gifts.  I'm excited about this because sometimes I walk through stores at Christmas-time like a zombie.  They're full of things no one needs or probably already has.  But home made gifts are always special and unique and mean a lot more, to me.  So I really want to take advantage of this activity this year.  I won't mention what projects there are in case any reader will also be a recipient!  But our planning committee has come up with several great projects that I'm excited to do. We also put on a "Golden Threads" luncheon for our senior sisters in our ward yesterday.  They had several musical numbers and a great lunch and they VERY much enjoyed the chance to have time with their closest peers. 

Last month Todd was released from his calling as Gospel Doctrine Teacher after teaching there for FOUR and a half YEARS.  He has learned so much.  It's amazing to me, as his wife, to see the change it made in him in teaching abilities.  It's helped him in all the teaching he does at work, Family Home Evening, etc., and he wasn't a bad teacher to start with!  So even though he felt like it was a little drawn out (more so possibly to other members worrying that they were sick of him), he and all of us feel blessed that he was able to serve in that capacity that long. 

He was released to take a new calling as the second counselor in the Stake Young Men's presidency.  It never occurred to him he that he could change to a calling like that so one of the reasons he never complained about having his teaching calling so long was that he didn't think there was a better calling out there.  Better meaning more fun and more self-gratifying by how much you learn and grow from it while still enjoying it and not taking tons of time from family.  He always said it was the best calling in the church.  But he was delighted to be put in a position that works with the young men and their leaders since he's always felt a connection with the youth.

One of the responsibilities Todd will specifically be over as second counselor is the Stake Dances.  He is the new Stake Dance DJ.  :-)  We went to our first Stake Youth Dance together this past Saturday where the person being released from that calling showed Todd how to use the equipment and talked about the music to use- that brought in more people.  I... LOVE...MUSIC.  So I'm trying to bite my tongue and hold still in my seat, metaphorically speaking, so I don't take over the situation like a crazy person.  But growing up, I always wanted to be a DJ.  And an archaeologist.  And a national geographic photographer.  And a government spy.  Anyway, but so I'm excited for him and HAPPY to help in any way I can.  And I'm SO going to make him dance with me on at least a couple songs each dance :-)

Other than that, the only thing to update really is... (drum roll...) CrossFit.  Of course.  Just that my little workout group of a couple of friends who work out at my house in the mornings three times a week, has gotten a little bigger.  It's really exciting to me.  I don't make money off of it, it's just my friends coming by but I am always so excited to see them come and work hard and benefit from it.  In the last month or so, several more friends of ours have come out to the house to join a CrossFit workout!  It's just funner and funner and, as always, makes me SO SO happy.  I love empowering women.  And I really believe that in no small way, this does.  They feel strong, they feel good.  It's tough and it's challenging, but they discover strengths they thought they had lost or even may never have known about.  It makes women feel capable and powerful.  Which strengthens their mind and enriches their character.  (Side note: Some of the women coming are already althletes, but they like the challenge and social atmosphere of CrossFit.)  I just think sometimes as moms we give up and assume that being a mom is a sacrifice in ways it really shouldn't be.  It is definitely a sacrifice in many ways.  But we can be better mothers, wives, employees, women if we take care of ourselves.  It gives us more confidence, more energy, more endurance in the day, and it makes every day feel so darn good!  How can that not bleed into every aspect of our lives.  Especially when it's done with friends, enriching our lives even more.  And especially when it takes hardly any time at all.  I love CrossFit.  Time to get ready for the class my coach teaches!  Starts pretty soon!

That's all folks.  Hope everyone's having a wonderful Fall!  Guess I now finally have time to read everyone else' blogs and catch up there as well.