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.

San Antonio

A week ago, Todd and I had the opportunity to travel to San Antonio and spend some time where he had served his mission, and also with his mission president who is now the San Antonio Temple president. They had invited us three years ago to visit when he first got the call to be temple president.  But we weren't able to do it until this year, and just in time because he'll be released in a little over a month.

We flew in on a Wednesday and went to dinner on the river walk.  The next day, we walked the river walk again and explored the shops there.  That afternoon we did an endowment session with President, his wife, and their son who had flown in that day.  They gave us a really neat tour of the temple.  It was absolutely gorgeous.  And a very cool experience to be shown around by someone who knew so much about it.  We all went to dinner afterwards.

Todd and I outside the temple with President Marion Woods and Sister Anne Woods

Their son, Bob Woods joining us in this one.  Todd met him on his mission and has since gotten to know him well.  Such a neat guy. He's actually kept in really good touch with a couple other elders from that mission as well. And such an amazing couple, President and Anne.  The win you over instantly.

On Friday we saw the movie, The Alamo, in the Imax theater.

Then we toured the Alamo grounds.  You can't fully appreciate Texas and their Texas pride without understanding the event that made them that way.  It was awesome.

This is the line that all the soldiers crossed to show their loyalty and commitment to give their lives for freedom that day.  In Todd's mission, it was a spiritual commitment they each made when crossing that exact line upon entering the mission.

 The plaque above the line.

Eating along the River Walk again.  It's a state park there, so no diving in the water or there's a $400 fine.  And you can't even feed the hungry little ducks that wade around along the path and next to the tables or it's also a $400 fine!

We started our Saturday with a workout at Stone Oak CrossFit.  This is a pic of the group there taken off their web site since I always feel too cheesy to take pictures when we visit CrossFit gyms.  It was a good workout, but HARD in Texas heat.  And they left Todd and I the heaviest weights too.  I was using the same dumb bells the guys used, not that I "can".  I really shouldn't have.  I was pretty sore for days. 

We spent the day at Shlitterbalin's Water Park.  Supposedly a low traffic day there with school having started, but it still had LOooooong lines.  We only got through a couple of rides, though they were really long tube-floating water slides.  Like riding down a long canal with a few fun falls.  It was relaxing and fun.  Supposedly it's the largest water park in the country.  We should have given ourselves more time because we had to be in Austin that evening for the Cougars/Longhorns game.

The big game.

Though the game didn't turn out how we'd have liked, it was an awesome experience being IN that place amongst Texans.  They are so patriotic, so animated about their sport, so convicted about everything they stand for, unabashed to speak of God.  I loved it.  I loved singing America the Beautiful with all 101,000 of them.  Even the verses a lot of other places around the country avoid.  What a very very special place and people.

Todd's president invited us to church in their ward on Sunday and over for Sunday dinner.  On our way to their house they drove us around some of the neighborhoods that had seen fires lately.  They haven't had rain since February.  It was crazy how close some homes were to fire.  It would burn up their dead laws right up to their stucco/rock base of their house and go no further.  Some people have lost homes, sadly.  Dinner with the Woods family was so nice.  I love being around them.  Such great people yet they never make you feel any less important.

It was a thrill to be alone on a trip with Todd.  We enjoyed the time away immensely.  Thanks, Babe for planning the whole thing. And for spoiling me all along the way.  I love you!

Dirty Dash

Todd and I had a blast of a date running the Boise Dirty Dash a few weeks ago.  It's a 10K race up and down a mountain with intermittent obstacle courses along the way, many of which involve mud.  We jumped hay bails, hopped through tires, crawled through giant muddy pipes, ran across balance beams, scaled walls,

climbed structures, waded/swam mud bogs, slid down muddy slippery slides, and ran through a lot of mud as well.  All on top of trudging straight up a mountain.  It... was... a blast!  We loved it!

Got mud slashed in my eye.  Which stinks because with hands and clothes covered in mud, you can't wipe it out, you have to blink it out for a good ten minutes!

 I felt a lot muddier than I looked.  Definitely one to dress minimally for, a lot of people came in swim suits/trunks.  Lots came dressed in the goofiest costumes too.  It wasn't timed, though we did run almost all of it.  It was a great goofy workout and a heck of a good time.  Try it next year if they come to your area!

 One thing I will add; the line for the showers, which are freezing cold and out in the open so you shower with clothes on, take about 45 minutes to wait for in a very long and congested line.  After 30 minutes, our mud was dry and caked on like that, and we were just over half way to the showers in the line.  We had to leave because we had a deadline, so we hopped in the car as we were (below).  So, note to self and anyone else who does this race, bring your own camping shower, the kind where the water heats up in a black tank in the sun.  And use it next to where you parked so the wet mud comes off fast and painless.  No line, no wait, no crumbled dirt ALL OVER YOUR CAR. 

And did I mention that dry mud itches? 

It was an hour and a half drive home...

But it was worth it!

Back To School

Brielle is loving being back in school!  She's in Miss Ziegler's second grade class.  She was super excited to find out that two of her closest friends were in her classes, as well as FIFTEEN kids from her class last year.  So it was a very comfortable transition for her. 

Emmett Triathlon

 August 13th was the Emmett Triathlon.  This was my 3rd year doing it.  I really didn't know what to expect because I didn't train, triathlon-style this time around.  I just did CrossFit with a bit of consistent swimming practice earlier in the Spring. 

I finally ordered some race photos from the photographer that shoots the races so I could have one from each of the three years running the race to compare. I was about 40 pounds lighter this time around than the first year I did it.  When those pics come, I may muster up the nerve to do a before and after post with them.  But it's been a very gratifying experience for me to have come this far- not even being able to run 10 feet when I started, to competing in races and feeling great about my health and my body.  In fact, I actually placed in this race!  Messed up hips and all.

Sprinting for the finish.

Shame on me- that's a total "heel strike".

This was my friend, Sara Hardy's first time doing the race and she did really well. 

My father-in-law, Rex did the race his third year as well.

I was awarded a medal for 2nd place in my age group.  I was shocked but excited.  I later saw my stats for each event in my race and figured my timing chip battery must have died in the run because the run time they recorded me as having was too fast.  I doubt anyone in that race ran 4 minute miles.  But I knew the time on the clock when I finished and was able to determine that I did legitimately take 4th place in my age group.  I was probably in last place for my age group my first year doing this race.  So I'm very very excited about the improvement!  And also pretty thrilled with the level of fitness I can enjoy by doing CrossFit.