2023- Week 43(Oct 23- Oct 29)

Jeff and I went to Witchapalooza at Gardner Village. I have wanted to do this for years but tickets are always sold out. It was so fun! The theme was Running with the Devil. They take popular songs and rewrite the lyrics to fit the theme. It's a dinner theater. My good friend Krystal DeJesus' brother Dave was in it. He did amazing! We loved it. The food was great except for the gravy which was very salty.

Ashtyn and I drove up to Rexburg to visit the BYUI campus. We got in a fender bender. We were rear ended on Bangerter Highway on the way which delayed us a bit so we didn't get there until noon. We picked up Lindsey Dewey and we had lunch with her on campus and she showed us around. Then we went and visited a few apartments and some of Ashytn's mission companions. It was a short trip but great for Ashtyn to make plans for when she moves up there in January to go to school.

Daisy got her hair cut this week.

It was sunny at my house but when I got to work this is what I saw.

I took our comforter to be washed at the cleaners to get rid of Daisy's licking marks.

Sunday there was a devotional for all temple workers that Ethan and went to at the SLCC south campus. Elder Stevenson spoke with his wife about living a holy life. President and Sister Sohm also spoke about love. It was a great meeting. We got there an hour early and it was already more than half full. We ran into Savannah Tarr- she was one of the sisters who helped train me. She is Ashytn's age and so cute. She will be leaving the temple soon to go to school.

2023- Week 42(Oct 16- Oct 22)

BRG took us to a Jazz game. We watched it from a suite. They served a salad and nacho bar and had popcorn and snacks. 

I hosted story group this month. We talked about callings we have had.

Tara and I took the activity day boys to the fire station. It was really fun. The boys had lots of questions. Jaxen was so funny and told us that he'd already been there so he was just going to go to the park. Which of course we wouldn't let him do so then he answered everything the firemen said with "I already knew that." ha ha. The boys loved when I told them about the time Jeff was a kid and lit the mountain on fire with a fire cracker.

Thursday night was a Stake Women's Conference. I took soup to share. They had little mini classes you could attend. I went with Grace Song. I went to a parenting class taught by Whitney Evans and a class on creating connections with others in different life stages in our lives taught by Carolyn Gough. 

Look at this amazing picture John House took at work. I love where I work-especially in the Fall!

We hosted Hughes family dinner. I made soup. We invited John and Revona so we did it earlier so they didn't have to drive home in the dark, this meant that Danielle and Eric and the kids could come too. 

Another mini scratch off date Jeff and I did was writing down five things we would each appreciate and then we hid them in the house and when you find one the other person has to do it. This was so fun and went on for a few weeks. Here are some of the things we wrote down. 

2023- Week 41(Oct 9- Oct 15)

Jeff and I did initiatories at the temple because I wanted to refresh my memory before the temple opens up again this weekend.

Fall at the park is so stunning. I love this time of year. I am helping as the conductor on the train on Fridays for Little Haunts. This week I dressed up as a deer.

I visited Julia 

Jeff has been ministering to the Grant family for years. He recently attended Tabitha's graduation from the police academy.

This week there was an eclipse. It passed over central Utah so a lot of people came here. Like last time we didn't give it much thought until that day. You can't look directly at the sun but you could see rainbows in the sky and it got darker and cold.

I joined Sharon McMahon's Governerd Book Club this semester. She is known as American's Government Teacher. She was famous for giving non partisan information on social media. She is amazing! She lives in Minnesota and she has taught me how important morning time is outside- just twenty minutes sitting outside will change your life. We are reading three books this time. Killers of the Flower Moon, Hidden Potential and Crying in H Mart. I can't wait to read the last two. This week we had our author Zoom call with David Grann who wrote Killers of the Flower Moon. It was amazing. He was so insightful. He helped bring this history of the Osage Indians to life. 

2023- Week 40(Oct 2- Oct 8)

The young women planned a Women's self defense class for all the women in the stake. It was taught by Hiram Burnett a retired detective of the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office. He taught us all the vulnerable parts to hit- eyes,  base of ears on neck, nose, side of ribs, groin, shin, sternum. He showed us how to move to counter attack. The key is the element of surprise and to get as loud and as crazy as you can to draw attention to the situation. I don't know if I would actually be able to fend off an attack but it gave me the confidence to try.

We were invited to Stella Oslapas second birthday party. They held it at the Harold B Lee Hall. They had pizza and snacks and we visited with the Johnson family. 

My mom and I had lunch with John and Revona. They are in town staying with their son. 

Jeff and I went to Alex Young's mountain bike race. I wore my cowboy boots which was a mistake ha ha- but it was really fun and really hot. 

Inklings was at Christina Hansen's house this time and we studied the talk There Can Be Nothing So Exquisite and Sweet as Was My Joy.

I went to witch fest at Gardner Village with Claudia and Ally.

Ethan, Jeff and I saw the movie The Creator. It was really good.

This is a new find at Trader Joes. It reminds me of eating rhubarb pie at Aunt Rokes.

Fall shelves are up. I love my spooky ghost picture from Etsy. Stephanie Nielsen recommended it and it does not disappoint.

I filled in at work when two people didn't show. Tate is leaving after 23 years. Jim and Megan are also leaving so the park is going to change. I think change is good because it gives you the chance to see things with new eyes but I will miss these guys so much. They are amazing.

Fall drive on the Alpine Loop

2023- Week 39(Sep 25- Oct 1)

 I took Scarlett to Cafe Delice for her birthday. Amazing French food.

I worked several days this week. I love Fall at the park.

Story Group was this week and we shared about the schools we went to. 

For Activity Days we had Easton Seim come and teach the boys karate and then we read the stories they wrote. I had high hopes of there being a lot of discipline and Easton whipping the boys into shape- but he didn't care if they ran around crazily ha ha. They did sit still during the story time and it was so cute to watch them be so interested in each others books. I told them I was going to have the books judged and choose a winner who would win a prize. I ended up having Ethan be my judge since he doesn't know any of them. He chose as first place James Berg and second place Cole Pedersen. 

Claudia brought me some eggs from her chickens.

Jeff and I did an endowment at Jordan River.

This weekend was General Conference so of course we got bagels. So many amazing talks!!! It was so exciting to see Emily Belle Freeman speak. I really do consider her a friend even though we have never met ha ha. President Nelson gave a great talk about and told us to "Think Celestial", so now this meme is floating all over.  I also loved Sister Runias about having an overview look at our lives. I get to teach both Sister Freeman and Sister Runia's talks in Relief Society! Hooray! 

I convinced the kids to play Jack Box with me. I love this game.

We had Shaw family dinner at Kristy's and celebrated Phoebe and Kenzie's birthdays.