9/27/17 Oil Change of Pace

This morning it was time to change the oil in the van. At first I forgot how messy it can be and got splattered with oil. Luckily it got on my arms and face but missed my BYU t-shirt.

After changing we realized that our filter wrench was not the right size for the filter we had to take off the van. Since we had already drained the oil it meant that it was time to walk to the auto parts store. Luckily it is just around the corner.

Armed with the proper tool we were able to complete the job. We also got a load of laundry washed and on the line to dry.

Today was my first chance to try out the time management technique that we learned in class last night. It has 5 steps but basically it involves making a list of things to do and people to serve. Next you pray about it and promise to do your best. Then you number the list so that 1 is the most important thing 2 the second etc. Then you do then list starting with number 1. At the end of the day you are supposed to pray again and report back to Heavenly Father. It was a busy day including work, Activity Days for Sarah and helping David pass out a new set of flyers for his Eagle project. We checked everything off of our short list. It felt very good, although very busy. Tomorrow we will try it again.

9/26/17 Assistants and David's Band Concert

In the morning, while Gram and Papa and I do our exercises, TJ, Joseph and Peter put on a show. Here Joseph and Peter demonstrate swordplay.

At one point Papa wanted weights to add to our routine. TJ obliged by finding suitable rocks for the three of us to lift. They are joyful helpers.

This evening was David's first concert of the school year. My camera was having trouble pulling focus. They are sounding pretty good for this early in the year.

I told David that the low brass (he plays trombone) sounded especially good. They must be working hard at it.

Today Rebecca had Activity Days and Heidi had Pack Meeting. After the concert I went to my entrepreneurship class at the church. We learned about ways to make better use of our time.

9/25/17 Conference Questions

For the past couple of General Conferences we have started a tradition to write down questions during the Family Home Evening prior that we hope will be answered during conference. Then as we watch we write down the answers that we hear. So far it has helped us pay better attention. It has been surprising how many, and how specific the answers we have received. Here is our list of questions (so far) this year:

How can we balance our time? (Sarah)

How can we have less stress? (Ganon/Rebecca)

How can we strengthen family relationships?  (Heidi/David)

How can we involve older people in Gospel activities? (Gram)

How is the church helping people in the natural disasters? (Papa)

How can we be better missionaries? (Becca B)

How can we become better friends? (TJ)

What are some ways we can avoid problems in media? (David)

How can we think of good questions? (Joseph)

How can I share my testimony with my friends? (Rebecca)

Pleeeeeeeeease? (Peter requesting a candy)

I also want to mention that, although Rebecca has experienced much stress so far this year, her current lowest class grade is a 96%. Heidi checked the online grade app today. I am proud of all of our kids for being hard workers. Good grades don't happen by accident.

9/24/17 Primary Program

Today was one of my favorite Sacrament meetings of the entire year. Today was the Primary Program. It is a highlight because you get to see the kids perform songs they have been practicing all year. More important than that you can see that the kids believe in the things they are singing. That is what touches me the most, they are developing a relationship with Heavenly Father. It's a fun bonus to see the Sunbeam who waves at his mom or the kid who forgets his part and then remembers suddenly. This year all of our kids remembered their parts. No one cried or refused to go up on the stand. I am so proud of Rebecca, Sarah, TJ and Joseph. All of them spoke their part clearly and from memory. It is not easy to speak in front of hundreds of people but they practiced hard and were prepared.

This afternoon Joseph and Peter took turns taking photos of each other.

Here is Joseph being silly. At night, after family prayer, and before I stand up, he hops on my back so that I will give him a ride downstairs. It makes me happy to know that he wants to spend time with me. What fun it is to be a Dad.

9/23/17 Pool, Eagle Project, Yard and Party

This morning Gram did her exercises out of the pool. We had trouble with the lift the other day so we wanted to test it before Gram uses it again.

Gram had never gotten the chance to lower someone in before. She looked pretty happy lowering Rebecca in.

Rebecca had never had the chance to ride in the lift so she was a happy helper. After she was in she also helped her mother vacuum the pool.

Today was the collection phase of David's Eagle project. There were many people who donated. David tallied about 47 appliances plus some people donated cash that can be used to buy more.

Here are a few of the items that were donated. We may need to make multiple trips to Lifting Hands International because we're running out of space. His goal is 70 so there is more work to do but he made wonderful progress today.

Next up we yard work at Grammie and Grandpa Mangum's. 

Heidi trimmed the bushes and Rebecca helped rake up the trimmed limbs.

David edged the front yard.

I worked to get this bush below the fence line.

We'll have to do battle again next time but we made great progress today.

This evening we invited Heather, Doug, Anthony, Lauren and Bradley over to celebrate Heather's birthday. Her birthday is actually tomorrow but we had fun celebrating tonight.

9/22/17 Temple Trip and a Duet

This morning Gram, Papa, Heidi and I made our way to the Mesa Temple. We had a few more Initiatory ordinances to finish up. Now everyone from the last temple baptism trip we made is at the Endowment stage.

This evening Gram heard me playing the piano and came to join in. This is my secret wish, that people will enjoy hearing me play well enough to want to sing or otherwise join in. I wonder if people think they are being helpful by keeping their distance. I like it much better when they stand or sit by me and sing along. So it was a real treat to have Gram join in.

9/21/17 Heidi's Birthday

This morning TJ and Joseph came out to help us with our pool side exercises. We took things more slowly than we did yesterday. Gram did not report any discomfort during our workout.

TJ and Joseph even joined in and did some exercises with us.

The highlight of the day today was celebrating Heidi's birthday. Sarah made her this cute hat. Heidi and I used a gift card and went to Olive Garden. Heidi loves their salad and bread sticks. She could almost due without the entree entirely.

Papa treated Heidi to Costco's special deluxe chocolate cake. It feels richer than eating a candy bar and tastes oh so good. I'm not usually a huge fan of cake but this one is ono.

9/20/17 Quiet-ish Day

This morning Gram decided that she wanted to try exercising outside of the pool. We had to be creative and read the web to adapt the exercises we've been using so they will still work for Gram. We also found a couple of new ones to try.

This morning I started a blog about rules relating to deducting expenses for meals from your business. It helped me realize how even a topic that seems like it should be pretty simple can be made complex by Congress and the IRS.

This evening Gram's knee was hurting pretty badly. She asked Papa and I to give her a blessing. After that she was able to lie down and her knee started to feel better. Tomorrow we'll take it a little easier on the exercises.

9/19/17 Family History Research

Today Heidi and I had our J&M Media time. It's time we dedicate to solving whatever problems Gram and Papa want us to. Today they wanted our help with family history. We talked about how cool it would be to have a temple Baptism trip on the last Saturday we are in Utah. If that is going to happen we need to have family names ready to go. Peter snapped the above shot of me comparing results from the "Take a Name" app to FamilySearch.org. The Take a Name app was recommended to us by a lady in the temple. It looks in your family tree and finds ancestors who are ready to go to the temple. Now I found that some of them needed a little work to truly be temple ready but it worked surprisingly well.

This evening I had my entrepreneurship class. I really feel like it's pushing me to do some good things outside of my comfort zone.

9/18/17 Family Home Fun

Today Heidi found some "treasures" hidden in one of the boys pants while she did the laundry. What is it with kids and fascination with rocks?

Our friends, the Hallsteds were given a pair of shoes that are too small for their youngest boy. They fit Joseph well and they look great on him. Thank you Michael and Jessica? What a blessing to have such great friends.

During FHE Gram and Papa presented the kids with a shirt from the Diamondbacks game. The kids are all very grateful to be remembered.

The main part of Family Home Evening we spent on a project for one of David's school classes. The goal was to create a family constitution. David talked about different forms of government (like oligarchy and anarchy) and we wrote ideas on the board. I think that David realized how close our family system of government resembles anarchy. We did not come close to finishing but hopefully we got some good ideas down that he can use as he finishes his project.

9/17/17 Connelly Speakers the Prequel

Today Gram, Papa and Becca B had their turn speaking in church. They did a great job relating some personal experiences to gospel principals from recent Conference talks. I went over to the Inter-Stake Center and picked up a guitar style mic stand and a music stand for Gram. She was able to climb onto the stand but these allowed her to give her talk from her chair. Many people told me how they were touched by their messages.

On our way into the building I noticed these two looking handsome so I snapped a shot.

Peter did not want to be left out of the action.

Speaking of Peter, he sees himself as a photographer.  He's learned to turn the camera on his mom's phone on and snap a few pictures.

A couple almost turned out. They show us relaxing a little on a Sunday afternoon.

I don't think David is eating that game remote.

Behind Joseph you can see our white board calendar. We did manage to fit in our three weekly planning sessions (executive, extended and family councils). I also managed to fit in home teaching my three families today. The Shirts, the Rogers and the Crocketts are all doing well.

9/16/17 David's Eagle Project Starts

Today David began the main phase of his Eagle Project. He is doing a small appliance drive for a charity that serves refugees starting over from nothing. 5 boys, 3 leaders and 5 siblings came to help pass out flyers. I was one of the drivers that to kids to the general area but mostly they ran, or rode scooters.

The boys were fast than we expected and we underestimated how many flyers we needed. However, David rolled with it. We made more copies and by 9:45 am we had entirely canvased the ward boundaries (plus a little more).

Not only did flyers go out but David also got his first two non-family donations. Brother Ruddell donated the iron and a man on Enid donated the tortilla maker. David went up to the man, who was holding a yard sale, when David explained his project the man turned around and picked up the appliance and said "small appliance, here you go". So overall day 1 of the project was a big success. Next week we go back and see who puts small appliances on the curb.

One person we missed this morning was Heidi. She had an all day scout leadership training. So to fill the time while we missed her we made a trip to the park. Sarah got to try out her kite that she got at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Rebecca was pleased to help.

David tried out his boomerang (also from Air and Space). So far no luck at persuading it to come back.

After the park we hopped in the pool. Gram, Papa and Becca B even came and joined us. Doing Gram's exercises was a little trickier with all the kids in the pool but we made it work.

9/15/17 Temple with Papa

It feels kind of amazing that we've been able to go to the temple every week. Life has been hectic and so I suppose it is not without some sacrifice that we go. Still, Heavenly Father has blessed us with the things that we need and some things that are just fun. Today Papa and I did endowment sessions for George and Jonas Mangum.

This afternoon I met with Craig Ray. He's in my church Entrepreneurship class. He told me a little about his business and I taught him some basic accounting ideas. He has a special sauna that helps people with illnesses. He looked at a drop of my blood and showed me some of my slightly clumpy red blood cells. He said that this means my body is having trouble fully digesting protein. He recommended eating yogurt. That sounds like a good idea.

9/14/17 Baseball and Ping Pong

Today I got a special treat. Gram and Papa treated Becca B and I to a Diamond Backs baseball game. Becca B has been including a desire to go to a baseball game in her prayers for weeks. Today her prayer was answered.

The D-backs must've known we were coming. They put on a hitting and pitching display for us. They scored 5 runs in the first inning on their way to a 7-0 shut out against the Colorado Rockies. When Gram got tired in the 7th the team obliged by not allowing any more runs during the last two innings. That way we didn't feel like we missed anything. It was a fun game and we were blessed in many ways.

This evening we decided to try out a special treat. The kids were pretty much caught up on homework so we went over to the Inter-Stake Center. They have a room with 2 ping pong and 2 Foosball tables set up. I've been thinking about investing in a ping pong table sometime but wondered at whether the kids have the coordination for it yet. The answer is, not enough to play by the rules exactly but well enough to have fun. We played for about an hour. There were enough ping pong balls in the air that we could have had a call from air traffic control. Still, at the end, the kids wanted to know when we might be able to come again. That sounds like success but I think we'll wait before buying our own.

9/13/17 Wiped Out

It appears we've been putting in some tiring days. Peter was out by the end of dinner.

This evening, as we gathered for family prayer, Sarah, Heidi, TJ and Rebecca all collapsed on Gram and Papa's bed. This year we've been seeing more homework coming home than in the past. Rebecca had Activity Days yesterday and Sarah had her's today. David missed scouts tonight because they moved up the time and he was so slammed on homework. They were doing impromptu service. He plans to start handing out flyers for his Eagle Project on Saturday so we felt he would be able to do service this week. Busy times.