Fall 2017 Top Ten

For TEN years, I've been posting seasonal "Top Ten" lists at the beginning of each season. I'm a goal-oriented person, as well as a person battling depression, so I find that if I make goals and lists of things to look forward to, it really helps my depression by focusing on positive events in the near future. Also, at the end of each season, I do a wrap-up, summarizing what we got accomplished on every seasonal list, which has both helped me retain the memories of what happened during the season and to look back at my life with happy reflection. However, this is my FINAL season "Top Ten". We are slowly entering the next phase of our life, with our kids getting older (Ammon is graduating high school this year and moving on, Jonah and Micah are entering high school in the fall, and Kanyon is graduating from elementary school) and I find that I am evolving as life moves forward in directions that I don't always have planned. With all that's changed recently, I find that I don't need "lists" as much anymore to help me look forward to things as much as I used to, and I'm so busy with teaching full-time and living in split households, that I take life more as it comes now, by being flexible with our plans and living spur-of-the-moment, rather than creating goals and ensuring that certain things happen. So...here is our final Top 10:

FALL 2017 Top 10

1. Go to Eastern Idaho State Fair
[Completed 9/1 AND 9/7] Josh and I went to see Jeff Foxworthy, and Kanyon and I went to see Bill Engvall. We ate good food, walked around, and laughed at the comedy shows.

2. Watch the boys' XC meets
[completed 10/28] Ammon, Jonah, and Micah all had great seasons. They all received medals in different races, and were proud of their P.R.'s. Jonah and Micah's team placed first at the huge Bob Firman meet in Boise. Ammon made it to State and his team earned the title of Academic Champions and they also placed 2nd overall at State.

3. Ammon's final homecoming
[completed 9/16] His date was Hannah and they went with a big group. They had a fun week with all the festivities: Lip Sync, Skit, Powder Puff, and Buff Puff.

4. Celebrate Jonah and Micah's birthday
[completed 9/22] They turned 14! They got phones, and I took them to a BSU football game to celebrate.

5. Harvest the garden
{completed in October] We had a great turnout with our raspberries this year, and were also successful with the onions, corn, and the potatoes did alright.

6. Kala perform in Salmon Idol
[completed 10/24] I performed a duet with high schooler Peyton Mark. We sang "Royals" and acted like gangstas. It was so much fun, and we WON first place!!

7. Carve pumpkins
[completed 10/29] This is the first year we haven't had a pumpkin patch since 2009! We actually had to go buy a couple of pumpkins, since they didn't grow super well in our garden this year (we moved the pumpkin plot near our house rather than the quarter acre by the road). I love doing this annual activity with my family!

8. Go to State XC
[completed 10/28] State XC was in Boise this year. Although it wasn't the weekend neither Ammon nor I wanted it to be (my car broke and his team didn't place first), both of the Salmon teams ran very well, placing 2nd and I was able to see Ammon run his last race and ride home on the bus with the love of my life.

9. Celebrate Josh's birthday
[completed 11/7] We spent the day together--going to the hospital lab and to the doctor's office (not fun, but part of aging--haha!), and getting massages, going to see a movie, and eating out (all the fun stuff to balance it all out!).

10. Spend Thanksgiving with the Tolmans
[completed 11/23] We ate at Josh's parents home along with his sister Tiffany and her family, his brother Malachi & Molly, Uncle Tim & Barb and her son Scott and his wife. We had a good crew, and it was a very delicious and relaxing meal.