It's that time of year again..

Yes, it's Fall. That means it's probably my favorite season. The leaves change colors, the air is crisp, and we put up crafty pumpkins and turkeys all over the house. The amount of sunlight in a day is just about perfect, and "it's not too hot, and it's not too cold -- all you need is a light jacket." Beautiful sights like this one are to be found:

The world is just happier, and that new-school-year-level-of-commitment-to-be-better hasn't quite worn off yet.

I absolutely love it.

But you know what time of the year I really want to talk about in this post?

General Conference.

Every six months, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gather to hear living prophets and apostles declare inspiring words of revelation. We literally get to receive our own living scripture to incorporate into our lives and live by.

A great part? There's always something for everyone.

So what are you doing this weekend?

I invite you to join in and participate in my real favorite time of the year.

Check out lds.org or mormon.org for more information on General Conference.

Your life will be blessed because of the words spoken this weekend.

I promise.

Spencer and Whitney -- Media Blitz!!

Now isn't this couple just beautiful?

Would you like to be an instrument in helping them out?

Some of you may know that my brother and sister-in-law, Spencer and Whitney, are hoping to adopt. They were approved to adopt on Friday, and I am so happy for them! But, approval is just one step in their journey. Now, the word needs to get out about it! Your help could really change their lives for eternity.

Here's the big bro and me doing what we love to do--supporting the BYU Football team!

Whitney's sister Shari had this brilliant idea to do a media blitz today in order to get out the word. She describes it really well here. Basically, the goal is to use social media for what it's good for -- sharing information with friends and family! :) Would you please help out? You can learn more about Spencer and Whitney and their journey to adopt by either clicking on the button in the sidebar of my blog, or by going directly to their blog here.

Not convinced it's worth it? Watch this video and you can see for yourself how genuine, loving, spiritual, funny, in love, responsible, and cute they really are.

Now think about it. Would it really be that hard to post about them on your facebook status, add their button to your blog (even if just for a while), email a friend, tweet their url, or comment on their blog post? I'd really love it if you can help, because I really love them!

Still not convinced? "What's in it for me," you ask?

Well, another fact is that Whitney is super talented. She has made many quilts, scrapbooks, sculptures, paintings, etc. And, she's good at all of them!

Luckily for everyone, she's doing a giveaway of some of her cute stuff! Just check it out!

Here is the link to Spencer and Whitney's adoption profile:

https://itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/26506714/ourMessage.jsf

And here is the link to their adoption blog again:

http://spencerandwhitneyadoption.blogspot.com/

Seriously, these people are some of the best people I know, and I'm not just saying that because they're related to me. Please do what you can!

Just Around the Riverbend

Officially less than one month until I enter the MTC! That's counting both by the date (19th) and by the day of the week (Wednesday), folks! I'm so official, my day is even listed on the MTC webpage. Rock on.

Oh, and lately I've been planning lunch get-togethers with friends, I got a sliver in my thumb from weeding, and I often watch at least one movie a day. Yup, yup. That's what I'm up to.

Best. Night. Ever.

I just met Jimmer Fredette!!

JIMMER FREDETTE!!

A mutual friend introduced us, and we chatted it up.

Seriously.

While we were talking a fan came up and asked for his autograph. I played it cool the whole time, and he kept talking to me.

Strangely enough, we even joked about colonoscopies.

Jimmer Fredette, my friends.

Then I woke up.

Rules of Play

Name of the game: Christmas Switch Game
Object of the game: To have the most creative and/or longest-lasting switch before someone notices and returns item to regular position.

Description: My family plays this game most often at Mom's house, and it's hilarious. Usually it involves all the kids ganging up against Mom; we do the switches so she has to recognize them and change them back. Examples from the past include taking one picture off the wall and switching it with another, flipping pictures upside down, switching a cello with a guitar, swapping an exercise bike with a real bike, taking the towels from the bathroom and interchanging them with towels from the kitchen, and lots lots more.

Genesis: The game began one year when we helped Mom take down Christmas decorations from around the house and put up the usual furnishings. It started with innocent/purposeful crooked picture hangings--just to drive Mom a little nuts--and quickly evolved into the full-fledged switching game of today.

Game Records: Though I could have erroneous information, the longest lasting switch was one that occurred in Midland and lasted for months before Mom noticed it. One year during the Christmas break, a clever someone (I'm thinking Spencer??) swapped the order of kid pictures such that we were no longer in age order. I saw it, laughed for about a week every time I walked down the hall, but then quickly forgot about it. Probably in February or March Mom finally recognized the change. Thinking it was recent, she accused me -- naturally, the only other house resident at the time. After denying all associations with said crime, I recalled the switcharoo Spencer pulled months previously and mentally applauded the big bro.

Strategies commonly employed: Subtlety is the name of the game, folks. Okay, really I just named it the Christmas Switch Game, but you get the idea. Using all of your creative juices and all of your available rooms and props is key. Items with similar characteristics are often the best swapped. Don't overdo it in one room because though it is still funny, the changes will all be noticed right away. More humor results when you tastefully spread out your attack and the new features are noticed over time. Especially good switches are met with laughter, confusion, or embarrassment (in the case of switch-recognition during or following the presence of guests in the home).

Most recent attack: Yesterday. Mom and I were out of the house all day, and the siblings (for anonymity purposes, we'll code-name them Jennifer, Emily, and Jon) came over to celebrate a birthday with our food and to use the HDTV to watch a CES fireside. I returned home late at night to discover that quite a few things had swapped places in my absence. Luckily for the culprits, I laughed so much I'm even leaving the items swapped so that Mom can likewise discover them when she returns home in the next 24 hours.

Future game plans: The aforementioned leftovers for Mom. But as for creative/new attacks . . . well that's for you to decide, isn't it?

Oven Lovin'

Right now, a delicious smelling peach cobbler is sitting on our oven, cooling and waiting to be devoured. The peaches were grown on Grandpa Blake's trees, even! It looks a little interesting, but that'd be the cinnamon.

Call it a Welcome to September treat....?

Ice cream has been purchased, bowls have been set.

The anticipation is killing me.