The Thatchers: Kickboxing and the Big Kahuna of Hawaii

Sorry it has been a while since I have updated this, we've been pretty busy here in Provo land.

A couple weeks ago I finished a big project I had been working on for months, a workout dvd. I got the idea because several of the girls that came to the stake kickboxing class that I taught wanted to do the workout but weren't able to come to the class. I thought, "Man, I'd love to create a workout dvd for them and maybe even sell it, but dang, I'd need all original songs and moves for that." A few days later I remembered that back in my college days...I wrote songs! I had about 9 of them that I had written for the guitar and singing. So I started recording them on my awesome mac computer (thanks Zac) which has an incredible Garage Band program where I was able to record, add drum or beat tracks..all sorts of stuff. It was a little tricky making the songs into workout songs (since they were originally mostly sappy lovey dovey songs, of course) but I did my best. Next I came up with an entirely new routine that was all original, no Turbokick, no Taebo. I tried to just think of fighting and conditioning moves that I've liked and learned over the years and mixed them together. The next step was that my awesome buddies Alexis Bessey and Carlie Evans help me film the video. Brenda Scott (an awesome girl in my ward) then did a photoshoot with me for the dvd cover and various other things I'd need pictures for. I then edited the movies, created the dvd, made the cover....and viola! It's done! I actually have already sold out of the first batch that I made which was exciting and I am constantly getting more orders. Yay! It has been a fun process and I hope that it will benefit the people that buy it and use it!

Here's some of the pictures from that photoshoot.

I didn't include this one on anything, but I thought it was a funny pictures. Gotta love Anne's finger in the nose to give it an even classier touch.

Ok, and here is the big Kahuna batch of Hawaii photos taken by Dawn's boyfriend John while we were all out in Hawaii.

Photoshoot at the Temple

Brock and Gabe

The whole family

Sisterly secrets

Cute little Brooke

Debbie and Dawn (What a beautiful family I married into)

The Thatcher Family

Luke and Brooke

Our family

Gabe Thatcher Family

Grandma

Auntie Dawn

The Thatcher Girls

Ben and Luke

Beautiful Dawn

I'm so glad John got a picture of this. Zac and I joked that the state bird should be a chicken because these things are everywhere!

Hangin out in the backyard.

I love this picture of Debbie and Dawn.

Jennifer and Brooke

Gabe being Gabe

Rachel's absolute favorite thing to do while we were in the house....urg.

They were buds.

Poor Anne got sick one night after eating roadside tacos, luckily it was a quick bug and we stuck to more established eating joints after that.

She must've seen the camera and did her cheese face.

What a pretty girl, inside and out.

This is our hike up Diamond Head (an extinct volcano with a great lookout at the top).

Poor Rachel was not a fan of not being allowed to run, she had a very sad hike.

But as soon as we put her down at the end, this is how she was:

Little stinker :)

At the top

View of the house from the back...ahhhh..the memories. Whenever Anne sees an airplane she says "It going to Hawaii. I want go to Hawaii too." Me too Anne. Me too. :)

Dying Easter Eggs.

That's my cowgirl.

I played with my photo editing programs a bit.

Easter Sunday. Zac had already changed out of his suite before Anne and I had made it home from our walk, so it was just us girls.

Can you see why I can't get enough of this girl? I have never seen a child with her kind of expressions. She cracks me up.

Some of our big exciting news is that my sister Michelle and nephew Harvey are staying with us while my brother-in-law Jason is deployed! We love having them here and the girls love a new playmate!