We have loved September! We raced into this month participating in LOTOJA a bike race/ride/relay from Logan, Utah to Jackson Hole, Wyoming some 206 miles on a bike! It was super fun! We introduced some of C's friends to this event last year, and this year they paid their own way to come back and ride with us! J took 1st in his division! It was fun to go support them at the awards ceremony! Our J did great, but wasn't out for blood! I am grateful that we can have a competive edge but we can play hard and just enjoy it too! He did great! I am grateful he hasn't committed thousands of hours to his bike so he could be first! That is not the highest priority for our family, just something we do! It was awesome! I want to forever remember the fun night we camped out up Logan canyon and slept under the stars! We enjoyed a impromptu campfire together that was sooo beautiful! Most of the kids slept in Cots and... it was a beautiful night with our family together! We were totally missing our missionaries, but they were not forgotten! We all recognized them via the stars and moon that were shining over all of us! Memories never to be forgotten!
It was fun to end in Jackson and take the next three days together as a family in that beautiful setting! We attended the Visitor Ward in Jackson Sunday morning and then drove into Yellowstone for a fun afternoon together of hiking to waterfalls, and playing together. Because J recently switched jobs and is working for Be Injury Smart now he was able to take the time off to come play with us instead of leaving early and missing half the fun! Yea! He has had many miracles work for him, and this was another! We loved being together! Missing our missionaries, but we all know they are where they are supposed to be, and we pray for them, remember them, and send them hugs and kisses on the moon to our Liesl and the big dipper dumps hugs and kisses on Chandler! I love them soooo much! 
Then two weeks later, we went back to SLC to begin a new adventure on the Salt to Saint ride. That is a 422 mile relay/ride from Salt Lake to St. George. Unlike LOTOJA where you are kicked off the course at dark to be safe, this new ride goes for two days! We were assigned to start at 8:00 a.m. Friday morning. We had two teams - a four person team WinSum started at noon and was super fast - they took 2nd overall and 1st in their class! And a second - team of eight that started at 8:00 a.m.. The Smile-Adventures team finished about 9:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. The WinSum team finished 2nd overall coming in about 7:00 a.m.. That is a lot of miles super fast! It was a keeper! We had a great time on both, loving both for different reasons!
Today our temple reopened. It has been closed for a month. It was beautiful to go there. Sunday was the rededication of the Ogden Temple and we all went to different sessions. J attended the 4:00 and said that a member of the seventy spoke about patterns in this world. He begain with Genesis "In the Beginning" and said that time is something of this earth and we will be held accountable for our time here! He pointed out that the Lord in many ways has outlined specifics about the time and place of things..... missions for young men and women, the sacrament weekly, baptism at a certain age. He said that because temples are not currently available for everyone around the world, the Lord has not set rules about when and how often we attend, leaving that to our responsibility to make it the best possible! I love that we get to be accountable for our actions! So, I choose to be in the temple every Wednesday morning possible! It was awesome this morning to see with fresh eyes. Things that stood out to me... Satan wears red a lot! There are a couple times the line "I am looking for messengers from my Father." Am I looking for messengers from my Father? I should send evil away and simply be about finding messages from my Father in Heaven that is! Love those notes for today!Monday was Grandpa Chris's 90th Birthday! P.M. and I threw a party for him, and intended on it being a small family party, but we had over 150 people! (And I note that most of my family never showed up! They are the ones who missed out!) It was great! I am grateful for good family members who pull together! A.C. helped me with decorations and P took care of most of the food. I made 300+ Smurkransa for it. It was great! P ordered last minute a Glaus Bakery favorite - Chocolate Rum Cake with Pineapple filling! Yum! Traditions are so awesome! That is a Farmor tradition that we love! That was the cake I had for my wedding cake! It is a favorite! I am grateful Grandpa looked so good for his special day! It was super fun to find distant family and friends! There were many!!! I am grateful so many took the time to support and show love to such a great man!