Washington/Idaho Grand Assembly

Well, part of the reason this isn't a video blog is because my voice sounds awful and I would probably cough through most of it. I got a cold during WA/ID and so I was coughing my way through sessions and blowing my nose so much that it hurt but even with all of that it was still an absolutely amazing trip.

It is silly, I know, but I really can't describe the feeling that comes over you when you see your Grand Officers in their traveling dresses for the first time. When you pick out the fabric there is a lot of imagining it in your mind, trying to make sure you will like it when you are staring across a room at 28 people with Hot Air Balloon dresses because you must ask yourself "Will it be too busy?", "Will the girls like it?", "Will the adults like it?", "Does it go well enough with the theme?", "Will I get sick of it after wearing it all year" Then you see them, you see them standing together, you see them afterwards in pictures and your heart just sort of feels happy because they are so beautiful and they look better than any picture in your imagination ever had.

Back on track now. One of the reasons I love Washington/Idaho Grand Assembly is because they are such a large jurisdiction that there is so much that they can do and they really go out and do it. I love Oregon because we are smaller and so it really makes us like a gigantic family because everyone knows everyone and I wouldn't trade my membership here for anything in the world. I just like to smile as I watch the presentation of everything Idaho/Washington has worked for this year throughout all of their sessions.

Now this is the paragraph where I fawn over the beautiful Kristina Knutson for a while. She presided like a Goddess. She has so much composure and grace, but she also commands authority and knows exactly what to do with that authority. Even if you did not know Kristina at all or didn't know her previous involvement with WA/ID Rainbow, simply from Grand Assembly and her interactions with her Grand Officers it would be easy to tell that she is a Grand Worthy Advisor beyond measure and is dearly loved by everyone in that jurisdiction.

Finally, lets talk about next year. I have two names for you: Becky LaMastus and Shannon Rust. I can already tell that I (and all of Oregon that wants to) is going to be great friends with these ladies. Becky is the newly elected Grand Worthy Advisor and she seems sweet with just a hint of silly and she also seems excited to bring our states together, which is something I am extremely passionate about. Shannon Rust is the new Grand Representative of Oregon and she is amazing. She is so much fun and I really think she is fun and a great person to be around and she will fit in with our Jurisdiction extremely well.

I can't wait for all of Oregon Rainbow to get to know our sisters to the north, they are wonderful and you will love them, I just know it.