8/23/16 My Birthday

     This morning I got to celebrate part of my birthday by going to the Temple. First I drove David and the car pool kids to Heritage. Since it is our turn to drive on Tuesday mornings Heidi and I switched our alternating weekly Temple trips to Tuesdays after we drop the kids off. It's been amazing to me how well going has fit into our lives. I'll admit, the Adversary had me pretty convinced that we'd never be able to find the time. I'm so glad we decided to experiment with it for a month. After that it was easier to try another month. Now it feels like a habit that I enjoy so much. Today I felt many impressions about things I can do to improve our lives. I came home a told Heidi all about them. It's not easy to change but it is easier to do it a little at a time. 

    Today I got a couple of presents. My parents sent me the current BYU sports slogan shirt. Go Cougs! Now I have something to wear on Game Day. 

     Heidi got me a copy of the movie Journey to the Center of the Earth from a few years back. I like that version. I also got some new garments from the distribution center. 

      Of course for my birthday I got a wonderful family who loves me. Rebecca showed me her scores from last year's standard exams. She got a perfect score in language arts and near perfect in math and science. Sarah's teacher called just to tell us how much she adores having Sarah in her class. She and Heidi talked about ways to keep her challenged since she has already mastered the material they are working on. Not a bad problem to have. I love all my family members and they are all similarly great. 

     All that plus another CPE credit done and some other work. It was a good day. 

3/18/16 Visits with Family

     This morning we got to have a nice visit with Gram, Papa and Becca B. TJ walked straight up to Papa and asked where Gram was. Papa sent him on to see her in their room. The kids feel very welcomed and loved at their grandparent's home. Another said he was hungry and Papa kindly shared a snack with the kiddos (and me). Papa is still not all the way better from his illness but he was able to go to the store and the dishes were mostly done. I helped a little but if the dishes are any sign they are doing better. 

     Gram shared her family history experiences and Papa updated us on BYU sports. One kind neighbor shared a box of Star Wars fruit snacks with us. Those were a big help with Peter on the drive home. 

     This afternoon we headed over to Heather's house. Heidi wanted to help her get ready for the yard sale she is planning for tomorrow. TJ went to the Hallsted's to play with his friend Andrew. I picked him up at 5 and he helped me pick up the pizza for dinner. 

     Peter and I had fun watching the airplanes pass by overhead. We seem to be right under the flight path for many planes every day. It was fun to see the wonder on Peter's face as the planes flew by. 

12/8/15 It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

     Today Heidi found a quiet moment to get out some of our Christmas decorations. Those include a Nativity set that came with our house in Provo and some decorative houses given to us by Gram's sister Cathy. These things, along with the tree, have made a noticeable difference in how Christmasy our home feels. 

      Aside from decorating we received a lovely visit from Gram and Papa. They brought the sliced cheese and we provided the bread and pickles and had grilled cheese sandwiches. That's a popular dish at our house. Gram is slowly helping Joseph get used to the idea of preschool. The boy is no stranger to strong opinions. 

     In the afternoon I made progress on my CPE and some client work. Heidi was a big help with the latter. We also enjoyed a visit from cousins Bradley and Lauren.