4/20/18 Temple and Party Prep

Today Gram, Papa, Heidi and I went to the Temple. Gram has really been on a roll.

Later on, Heidi and Peter and I went over to Grammie and Grandpa Mangum's house to move some things around. While we were gone TJ and Joseph got home. Papa helped him so that he could clean the surface of the pool. We plan to have a friend party tomorrow so it was good that he is helping get ready.

To a similar end, we decided to ask Papa to give his gifts to Sarah and TJ early. These two fun pool floaties will be great at the party. We will need time to be able to blow them up. Thanks to Gram and Papa.

4/19/18 Pool Chair and a Turtle

Today, Heidi and I tested the new battery that came in the mail for Gram's pool lift. It went down perfectly but then wouldn't come up. Heidi jiggled the wire connecting the remote control. It came back up. We may have misdiagnosed the problem. The good news is that we now have a functioning battery and a backup. Plus we know something else to check if there is trouble in the future.

Today Sarah brought home this turtle that she made at school. Well done Sarah! It is beautiful.

4/18/18 Girl's Camp Kickoff

Today the Young Women who are going to camp this Summer got to have a preview of what it is going to be like. Somehow, Rebecca has gotten old enough to be included in this group. I don't remember her asking for permission to get older ;) The theme revolves around superheroes using their powers for good. There were fun skits, loud music, and excited screaming. Girl's camp is apparently going to be loud. Rebecca had a blast. I saw her laugh several times at the skits. Sadly, Heidi was feeling ill and was not able to join us. Hopefully, she will feel better soon.

4/17/18 Joseph the Pirate

A couple of days ago Joseph was horseplaying downstairs and leaped onto our bean bag chair, unaware that Peter was already on it. The two bonked heads and Joseph ended up with a black eye. Peter cried for a while but lucked out without a noticeable mark on him. Tonight Gram showed Joseph the eye patch she had found. He thought it was pretty cool. 

One fun Joseph story happened during our FHE when we asked our Conference Questions. I asked, "How can we find greater peace and happiness". Joseph didn't miss a beat. He replied, "You have to go to a place that has a lot of trees that don't have spikes". He is a helpful child and is ready to give helpful suggestions when problems come up.

4/16/18 Peter and the Wolf FHE

      Last week Gram had a request that we have a Family Home Evening about Peter and the Wolf. Tonight we had that lesson. It was sort of a music appreciation lesson. Gram wanted the kids to hear how music can make you think of something, like a bird or a cat. The lesson held the kid's attention well. This is a sign of a well-prepared lesson. Thanks Gram for the fun lesson.

4/15/18 Last Self-Reliance Class

     Today Heidi and I had the last session of our Self-Reliance class. It's been a great class that has helped us get a clearer picture of our spending and how we can better save for the future. There is still work to do. Two big lessons have come to me from these lessons. First is that Heavenly Father cares about our financial health as well as spiritual health. Second is that tracking spending is not the same as having a budget. Once you know what you have spent you need to adjust so that you don't spend more than came in.

4/14/18 Grammie and Grandpa Mangum Return

Last night, and this morning, it was time to move Heather and Doug and Heidi's parent's belongings. It was a lot of work. Happily, ward members and extended family were there to help. 

This afternoon Grammie and Grandpa Mangum surprised some by arriving home earlier than expected.

The kids enjoyed getting to see their grandparents and visiting with their cousins.

David has begun learning the base part of a couple of duets. Rebecca and Sarah both played the top hand while David played base. It warmed my heart to see my kids making music together.