Pork with fennel. Who knew?

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

Happy Birthday Jessie!  I'm not sure which day you'll see this, but I hope you have a wonderful birthday no matter which day you see it.  You are a delight to our family and bring us so much joy.  We love and pray for you daily.  Hopefully your birthday banner has arrived or comes tomorrow.  If not, imagine it has arrived and then look forward with joyful anticipation for it to actually arrive.  You can continue to celebrate your birthday until the tape yellows and falls from the wall. :)

Love,

Dad

This Sunday went better than some have, but not as well as others.  Some highlights include having the sacrament and playing a scripture game.  We divided into groups of two people – one older, one younger.  The younger person made a two-sided sign with Yes/No or Happy/Sad etc.  Each group looked through a chapter of this week's Come, Follow Me material and made a list of five doctrinal statements from the scriptures.  The statements could either be true statements, or could be "twisted" to make them false.  Then when each person read their statement, we all held up the appropriate side of our sign showing whether it was true or not.  It gave us a good opportunity to discuss some doctrinal points and engage everyone.  It was sort of modeled after Korihor's practice of manipulating truth to make it appear to support his incorrect beliefs.  I think it was an effective activity.

I tried a different recipe today with our pork roast.  (Side note – beef is now $7.99 per pound, while pork is under $3 a pound.  We have become a family of pork-eaters.)  This one included rosemary and fennel.  I've never had those spices on a crock pot roast, and it was really good.  Only complaint is that we all got full before we were tired of eating.  Success!

Poor Emma has had a couple of rough days.  She seems to have become quite selfish, thinking only of herself.  If she doesn't want to do something, she puts on a sassy face and says it's "boring."  Tonight during scriptures I brought her upstairs to put PJ's on since she refused to read with us.  I felt good about my approach – I didn't get upset but tried to understand her perspective.  I think she is trying to process the turmoil that is the reality with the coronavirus.  She missed seeing her friends and teacher at school and wants to go to Primary.  I can appreciate those concerns and desires.  The tricky part is helping her deal with those legitimate needs in appropriate, constructive ways.  Not an easy task for anyone, especially a six-year-old.

Thankful: I am thankful for Julie and the life and family we are building.  We seek for ways to serve each other and bring each other joy.

Ministering: I talked with both Pres. Kent and Sis. Pike today about the stake self-reliance program.  The fifth ward, along with the rest of the wards in the stake, is trying to provide appropriate support for the self-reliance program.  There isn't a lot of interest among stake members for this program.  Today I found another simple resource of the program that might be an effective way to introduce people to it.  I'm going to explore that a little more this week.

More later…

Our Sunday scripture activity

Liftoff!

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

Today was a good day but it's not over yet, so read on for more details.  Much love!

Dad

Today was super productive.  The vegetable garden and all the flower beds were weeded and I trimmed the front hedge.  Spencer and Neil mowed the lawn and I put more Round-Up on the perimeter weeds.

One cool thing we did today was watch the launch of the Falcon rocket from Florida today.  This is the first time since 2011 that a manned rocket has launched from American soil.  It was amazing to watch, and everything worked perfectly.  They have really increased the technology going into these space vehicles.  The rocket boosters now return themselves to a designated landing point – none of this parachute splash-down in the ocean.  Incredible.

This afternoon we went on a hike to the Grotto in Payson Canyon with Mom, Randy, Harper and Leo.  Everyone was good, had fun, and didn’t get lost or seriously hurt.  Just a few scraped knees.  That is a success!

Julie made pancakes for dinner (I sliced some of the leftover smoked ribs and put it on a salad) and we ate on the picnic table on the deck.  The weather was quite hot earlier today, but clouds blew in about 5:00 pm and it cooled off delightfully.

Abbie’s teeth are doing okay.  She slept well last night and has spent most of today napping.  Her mouth is sore, but she hasn’t swollen up too much.  Ibuprofen and acetaminophen make it manageable.

Thankful: l am grateful for everything that we got done today.  It felt nice.  Sadly, there are still four loads of laundry downstairs that need attention.  We spent so much time outside today that the inside is still pretty cluttered.  But that’s okay.

Ministering: I enjoyed a brief visit with Patrick Bates.  They are doing a lot of work on their yard and are putting in a garden this year.  But as I tried to offer encouragement and help, he turned it right around and offered to help us with our projects.  I like good neighbors, and hope to be one others can rely on.

I hear laundry calling.  More later…

Watching the launch

Ready to hike the Grotto

The hedge after its trim

My dinner salad.  I thought it looked fancy.

The teeth of wisdom

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

I was very glad to be back to "normal" (mostly) today after yesterday's migraine.  I didn't get as much done as I hoped I could, but there's always next week.  A couple of the biggies got done today, so that was really nice.

Mark, my journal entry below discloses your upcoming missionary assignment.  If you want to be the one to reveal it to Jessie, you'd better send an email ASAP, and Jessie, you should pause and go read Mark's email first.  Otherwise, the spoiler alert has been given and you can continue reading.

I love you both and pray for you daily!

Love,

Dad

First, a journal entry from last night:

Got to work this morning and almost immediately noticed telltale problems with my vision. Migraine. Came back home and went to sleep. Got a blessing. Took three two-hour naps today. Feeling better now but still have a headache and still tired. Going to sleep now. Better journal entry tomorrow.

Yep, that was yesterday.  Bummer of a day.

Today was better.  My head was still tender for parts of the day, but it got better as the day went on.  Started with scripture study on the couch with Isaac.  Then went downstairs to work from home before taking Abbie to the oral surgeon to have her wisdom teeth taken out.  She was a little anxious when she was coming out of the anesthesia.  She was worried about where Emma was, why there were three of me, and who was taking care of her goats.  I finally put my air pods in and turned on some classical music to help calm her down.  That helped a lot.

On the drive home Abbie was really funny.  She was talking about multiplying negative numbers and the fact that she couldn't stop talking even though she was only working on half a brain.  She wanted to talk about fusion in stars, how fruits and vegetables are metabolized, and corrected me when I said that she was doing "just peachy."  "I'm not a peach Dad; I'm a person."  Yes, and a very funny one at that.

There was a bad accident outside our subdivision this morning.  It took all morning to investigate and clean up.  I haven't heard, but hope there was not a fatality there.

Had a frustrating experience that I chose to laugh about.  I needed eighty $1.20 stamps for work.  I stopped at the Post Office to buy them, but the line looked long.  No problem – their self-service kiosk dispenses this denomination.  I swiped my card and expected it to spit out eight sheets of stamps.  Nope; it individually printed all eighty stamps…one…at…a…time…taking…five…seconds…between…each…stamp.  Oh brother.  But I finally got what I needed, so that's good, right?

The big news today is that Mark received his missionary reassignment today.  He will finish the MTC at the end of June, then will be released until August 5 when he will begin his service in Austin, Texas.  He's so excited, especially to have some certainty for what his next step is.  We are waiting to learn more about whether this will be a Spanish-language assignment or not, and if/when he will learn how temporary or permanent this assignment is. 

None of us knows how long he will serve in Austin.  It might be for a few weeks, or many months, or nearly two years.  The Lord doesn't seem terribly interested in having us looking to the future for how we think we might serve, or pondering on how we anticipated serving, and especially not wishing we were serving in some other way. 

D&C 51:16-17 comes to my mind from a BYU devotional address some time ago:

16 And I consecrate unto them this land for a little season, until I, the Lord, shall provide for them otherwise, and command them to go hence;

17 And the hour and the day is not given unto them, wherefore let them act upon this land as for years, and this shall turn unto them for their good.

When we don't know how long a circumstance will last, we should act "as for years," doing the very best we can to reap current blessings while also preparing for a long and glorious future.  I try to focus on this premise in my Church service – wherever it is – and hope Mark will do the same, whether that be in our basement, in Austin, Argentina, or anywhere else.

Thankful: I'm thankful for modern medicine.  Wisdom teeth removals are relatively simple and typically involve only temporary discomfort.  We are so blessed to live when and where we do.

Ministering: Today I ministered to my precious Abbie.  She is doing very well, wisely sleeping as much as possible.  And yesterday I was the recipient of ministering due to my migraine.

More later…

Let the fun begin!

Migraines. Are. Stupid.

Got to work this morning and almost immediately noticed telltale problems with my vision. Migraine. Came back home and went to sleep. Got a blessing. Took three two-hour naps today. Feeling better now but still have a headache and still tired. Going to sleep now. Better journal entry tomorrow.

Ken
Sent from my mobile device
Please forgive any strange auto-corrections!

Isaac's baptism

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

Thank you both so much for being involved in Isaac's baptism today.  It was so nice to have you and Sis. Jolley join us from Canada Jessie, and watching you perform the ordinance Mark felt so fulfilling.  This is what is life is really all about.

I hope you have a great day tomorrow and accomplish lots of good!

Love,

Dad

This morning Mark and I went to the dermatologist.  He had a wart removed from his hand and the doctor determined that the moles that Julie wanted checked were all benign.  The spot on my shoulder he thought looked like a different type of carcinoma so he cut it out and sent it for testing.  Hopefully I won't have to go back for more cutting; I should know in the next several days.

Work went way too fast.  I really need to work efficiently tomorrow.

Tonight was great.  Isaac was baptized by Mark; Abbie and Neil were the witnesses.  This was the first baptism in our family where the children could serve as witnesses.  We had lots of family here: Dad, Mom and Randy, along with Harper and Leo; David and Becca; David, Lisa and their three kids; and Scott.  We also hosted the event via Zoom with the following: Jessie and her comp Sis. Jolley; Stephanie C; Stephanie L; Dad and Mom Woodward; Heather, Zander and Karina; Rachel; and the Albertsons.  One silver lining of the coronavirus is that we could include these family members who otherwise would not be able to attend.

Here are a few things I remember from Isaac's confirmation.

·       He would be sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit, and would do those things that invite the Holy Ghost to be with him.

·       The Holy Ghost would be his friend and would protect him from danger if he listens to him.

·       The Holy Ghost would bring things to his remembrance, both things he has studied and learned here on earth, as well as truths he learned in pre-mortal life.

·       The Holy Ghost would help him build his testimony and lead to true conversion.

·       The Holy Ghost will radiate through him, and his example and actions will be a blessing to others.

·       Isaac will be an influence for good in our family.

Thankful: I am so thankful for the blessings of the gospel and the priesthood.  Watching Mark baptize Isaac was just delightful, and having so many Melchizedek priesthood holders join with me in confirming him was so nice.  There is so much I don't know, but these "holy habits and righteous routines" are a blessing to me and my family.

Ministering: I think the baptism tonight was our family ministering to each other, and it was really nice.  I also think I ministered to Mark today, working with him on his Spanish.  He's doing a great job, and it is a lot of fun to be able to communicate together in Spanish.  We're not fast, and sometimes he asks me questions I can't answer, but it's still great.

More later…

Before the ordinance

The whole crew

Nathaniel loves Scott's nose

Turbo Tuesday

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

Wow, today went fast!  Looking forward to visiting tomorrow on P-day, and hopefully having you join us for Isaac's baptism at 7:00 pm.

Love,

Dad

Too late to start writing in my journal, but here we are.  After FHE Abbie and I went to Payson to pick up hay for the goats.  We took dad's truck and got nine bales.  That should feed the hay-burners until school starts again.  (Assuming the kids can go back to school in the fall.)

Work today was busy.  First day with the lobby re-opened and it was the day after a three-day weekend.  Perfect combination to be extra busy.  Identified a couple unpleasant situations that we need to resolve.  Had a direct conversation with one of our vendors who also happens to be our least favorite vendor.  As soon as our existing contract expires we are planning to leave if they don't make dramatic improvements in the next twelve months.  Had a couple meetings about our Springville branch.  Things are lining up to begin making faster progress, I think.  Also need to make some important decisions regarding what to do with several million dollars that is basically sitting idle in our overnight account.

Checked out the garden after work.  All the watering is working perfectly, including the strawberries Isaac and I planted yesterday.  They look healthy and happy.  Fingers crossed they stay that way.  Everything else is also looking good, but we need to pull some weeds soon.

Thankful: I'm thankful I am not a rancher!  Moving the hay with Abbie left me sneezing and blowing my nose for the rest of the night.  I now understand where the term "hay fever" came from, as apparently I have it! 

Ministering: Today's ministering entry is going to be from last night.  Bob Trevenen called me about 9:30 and asked if I could help him give a blessing to Brad Nusink.  He's been dealing with some vertigo and exhibited possible signs of a mild stroke.  We gave him a blessing and visited for a while.  Today he went to the doctor and they diagnosed a small aneurysm in his brain that explains the problems.  I don't think it's terribly critical, but I don't have more info at this point.  It was nice to help with that.  For years as a member of the Bishopric and then as EQP that type of opportunity was a regular occurrence.  I am grateful that in God's restored Church you don't have to hold a formal leadership position to be able to give blessings and be a force for good.

More later…

Abbie and Spencer showing off their water bottles, hoping to get a funny reaction from people who see them.

Strawberries planted!

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

Today was a good day that went so very fast.  I love you both and am very proud of your willingness to serve the Lord and his children.

Much love,

Dad

Happy Memorial Day!  I got up early this morning and got the ribs on the smoker so they would be done in time for lunch.  Then I spent some time cleaning the kitchen.  No one woke up early today.  Julie made pumpkin muffins for breakfast, and they were delicious.  The ribs were good too.  I think they may have cooked just a little too long; the outsides were a bit tough.  The smoke flavor was really good; we just don't eat a lot of meat.  There's a bit left.  Maybe we'll dice it up and use it in tacos in the next few days.  What we lack in meat consumption we more than make up for in taco consumption! 😊

Neil has been dying to play Ticket to Ride for days.  We finally made that a priority this afternoon.  Neil, Spencer, Becca, a duo made up of Isaac and Abbie, and I played together.  It was a close game; I won by a very narrow margin, and I think everyone had fun.  We also played Hobbes Ball and foursquare outside.  Actually, the kids played while I sat under the plum tree and fed Nathaniel a bottle.

Dinner was mostly leftovers.  Lunch was so big that no one was very hungry at dinnertime.  Julie made a delicious smoothie.  Usually I don't really love smoothies, but this one was really good, I think because it was not as thick.  If it looks and acts like a milkshake, I want it to be a proper milkshake.  This one was easier to drink, and I really enjoyed it.  Julie commented that I drank three (small) glasses.

After dinner I weeded the area of the garden in front of the woodpile and then planted the strawberries.  Julie had the great idea to put them in a raised bed.  We were going to build planter boxes until she suggested using an old wading pool that had holes in the bottom.  Brilliant.  That is now in place, and I expect terrific berries this year.

Thankful: I am thankful to live in a free country.  More than that, I am thankful to live in a safe area where we can live in peace and comfort without fear of violence.  Throughout history and in far too many places today that is not the case.  We are magnificently blessed.

Ministering: Not much today.  I texted Carlan about the dripper line strung through the fence to water his blackberries.  The Bates ministered to our little girls.  Camilla told Rachel that Julie told her she is not allowed to ask for Popsicles.  Rachel said that was fine, and that she could come get one after dinner anyway.  So kind.  Now I've got to figure out how to get my girls not to be mooches.

More later…

Ticket to ride was so much fun today, and the finished finished game board always looks cool.

Isaac was my helper planting strawberries.

Sunday Activities

I enjoy getting to spend Sunday with my family.  Today everyone slept in until after 8:30.  I came down around 8:00 am and found Mark reading his scriptures; everyone else was still sleeping.  I got a pork roast in the Crock Pot, then took a shower and watched Music and the Spoken Word. 

We went to Dad and Mom’s house after lunch for the sacrament after lunch.  We did an activity that was fun – we divided into teams of three people, and acted out scripture stories.  But the charades were in parts; each person on the team acted out only one action, then stepped side for the next person on the team to do it.  So we told scripture stories in single-action pantomimes.  It was quite a lot of fun.  After acting everything out we talked about the stories we portrayed and discussed how we can apply them to our lives.

Dad and Mom have updated the landscaping at their house.  They tore out all the overgrown bushes along the north side of the house and took out everything along the west fence.  They’ve replaced all that area with low-water plants and rocks, and they added a water-feature at the back of the house.  It all looks very nice.  They’re also replacing the fence on the north side of the house.  That is still waiting for the vinyl to be available.

This afternoon David and Lisa came down with their kids.  Becca and David also are here.  We played another gospel game in the afternoon.  Divided into teams again, and each team was assigned a scripture story.  They selected one element from the story and drew it on a piece of paper.  The paper was then passed to the next team who looked at that picture and wrote down as many different scripture stories as they could think of that included that same element.  For example, one of the teams drew a wall for Samuel, the Lamanite.  The next team then looked at that wall and listed the following scripture stories that include a wall:

• Joshua and the walls of Jericho
• Captain Moroni building walls of fortification around their cities
• Paul being let down in a basket over the walls of the city
• Limhi and his people sneaking out of the city through the back wall of the city
• Captain Moroni tossing weapons over the walls of the city to the prisoners being kept inside
• And so on…

It was a lot of fun, and it was impressive how many different stories use the same elements.

Dinner was outstanding.  Pork roast with carrots, corn and sautéed red pepper, mashed potatoes, fresh rolls, and garlic green beans.  I hope tomorrow’s lunch turns out as good!

David, Lisa and their family left about 6:30; Becca and David will spend a few days with us.  We finished the evening singing hymns and enjoying dessert.

Thankful: I am thankful that I can cook dinner on Sunday for my family.  I generally take the lead on Sunday dinner, and I enjoy doing it.  And when it is delicious, it’s even better!

Ministering: Today our family ministered with extended family.  We ministered to them, and they did to us.  It is nice to be together with those who will be our family forever.

More later…

Becca is a charade lion, coming after Daniel

Taking the Ark of the Covenant over the Jordan River

Love having family visit!

Randy singing I Am a Child of God

Samuel the Lamanite scaling the city wall to preach

Carnival time, Payne style

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne.

How are my favorite missionaries?  I had a dream I was called as a mission president.  Talk about overwhelmed!  I was grateful to wake up from THAT dream!  But you get to be the real things.  I hope your sabbath day tomorrow is wonderful.

Much love,

Dad

Full, full day with lots of good done.  I slept in a bit this morning and woke up to the smell of poppy seed muffins that Abbie and Isaac made.  Julie gave me a haircut, and we tried to do chores.  Some of the kids worked diligently and got them done.  Isaac assiduously avoided working at all costs.  I went to the $200 store (aka Costco) and spent – you guessed it - $200.

Tonight Julie made and I smoked burgers for dinner.  They were delicious.  The buns were still frozen when it was dinner time, so I put them all in the oven with the broiler on the low setting.  They toasted perfectly.  If only I had remembered to buy avocados at the store, they would have been perfect.

After dinner we had our own mini-carnival to celebrate the beginning of summer vacation.  We played bean bag toss, took photos of the kids lying on the concrete with chalk drawings that Abbie made and that looked amazing, and raced through a challenge course Spencer created (hopscotch, ride scooters, make a basket, etc.)  Then we played bocci ball and went “fishing” off the back deck for snazzy new shirts that Julie found.  We finished with apples and caramel dip and crushed toppings.  It was a terrific way to end the day.

Thankful: I’m thankful we are a family and that we do so many good things together.  I know I’m not a perfect husband or father, but I’m trying hard and relying on the atonement of Jesus Christ to make up for my shortcomings.  And I have faith that my best, coupled with Jesus’ help, is enough.

Ministering: I tried to minister to my family today.  Emma and I partnered for chores.  I went to the store for Julie because she was tired of going shopping.  I worked on Spanish with Mark.

More later…

Neil made this castle from a pattern printed on cardstock, then embellished with the Risk game.

We made macaroni and cheese with dinosaur-shaped pasta.  Surprisingly not very good.  The dinosaur-pasta all broke into flat 1/4-inch pieces.

Bean bag toss at the Payne-family carnival

More photos to come in future emails...

Friday!

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

I love getting to start my letters that way!  I hope you had a great day today.  Mine was good.  Read on.

Love,

Dad

This morning before work I worked in the garden and finished setting up all the drip lines on the tomatoes and peppers.  Everything works great.  Do your thing garden!  At this point in the year I am always optimistic that we're going to enjoy a great harvest.  This year I feel better about the raspberries, and if we can just keep the weeds down, I think we'll do great.  I think I'm going to try watering less this year than I have done in the past.  I think that may have contributed to some of the disappointing results.

I got to work a little late because of my garden work.  Yesterday the line at the drive thru extended clear back to Freedom Blvd a couple times.  This year we are giving our patriotic t-shirts away at the credit union since we can't have our pancake breakfast.  Since the lobby is not open, that created a bottleneck and slowed things down.  Today we set up a table outside and manned it all day to give away shirts before people got to the window.  Abbie and Spencer came to take a turn for two hours while my tellers had lunch.  They enjoyed it and got a free Café Rio lunch out of the deal!

I spent some time exploring some computer projects.  I made progress on them, but didn't feel like I made much progress finding answers.  Yet.  I'll get there.

We had German pancakes with apples for dinner, then played Sushi Go Party before bed.  I started reading a Littles book tonight.  Those chapters are SHORT!  This book is definitely intended for a younger audience.

Thankful: I'm grateful for a testimony that gives surety in the face of uncertainty.  I listen to the news fairly regularly and skim the headlines in the paper.  There are so many complex problems.  Some of them are part of life, some are caused by people being selfish or mean.  I am thankful that I don't feel overwhelmed by all the bad news in the world because of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Much of it is still sad, and I still try to be judicious in how much news I consume, but I find strength because of Jesus Christ.

Ministering: Ministering today was pretty limited.  I called David to talk to him about mortgage rates and offer some perspective as he and Lisa are considering moving.  That's about it.

More later…

My t-shirt helpers

Gardens love water; I love my family

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

I hope you had a great day; mine was good.  Read on for a report on the day.  I love you both!

Love,

Dad

At work today I figured out a better way to configure our email and calendar to work more effectively.  That felt good.  I don't understand how all of the magic happens, but I think I can recreate the magic for my employees, so I'm not sure understanding how it works matters.  That was really nice.

On a down-side, I realized that some automation I want to implement can be done, but there are significant up-front costs and ongoing monthly costs that may make it prohibitively expensive.  That's frustrating.  I know what I want to do, and I know it can be done, but if doing so costs twice as much as paying an employee to do it, how do we justify that?  I am not done yet; we are going to do more analysis on the costs and see if we can negotiate the price down.  But it would have to come way down.  And as I wrote that sentence, I thought of a contact who may be able to do the programming I need for much less money.  I just sent an email and added this to my to do list…

Tonight I worked in the garden and got about ¾ of the way done putting in the drip system.  I found a different type of dripper that puts more water out for the raspberries.  I tested it out, and it looks like it's going to work great.  BIG raspberries this year!  Tomorrow I'll finish getting the tomatoes and peppers set for watering, then we need to plant the strawberries and sweet potatoes and clear the area for the pumpkin and zucchini plants.  Those are staying in buckets for another month; Julie heard that if you wait until late June, the squash bugs (that have a bad habit of eating our plants) will all be gone.  It's worth a try!  Spencer, Neil and Isaac all helped in the garden, and it was nice to have them with me.

When I got home from work tonight Emma and Camilla were happily going into the Bates' house to play.  That seemed strange to me, so I asked Julie about.  Apparently Spencer and Luke Bates (same age) got together today and really hit it off.  They played games, made cookies, and checked out Luke's hamster.  The girls tagged along for some fun too.  That's terrific!  I'm so happy Spencer has found someone nearby who is his age to do stuff with.  I hope they can be a good influence on each other and develop a meaningful friendship.

Thankful: Getting stuff done.  Man, does that feel good.

Ministering: Just as I was wrapping up in the garden tonight I saw Carlan and Amanda Smith through the fence.  We visited for a few minutes, and they showed me the blackberry bush they have planted in the back corner of their yard near our raspberries.  I asked how they were watering it, and they said "by hand."  Maybe they're way more diligent than I am, but if it was my plant, it would be dead by mid-June from unintentional neglect.  I offered to run a drip head through the chain link fence from our raspberry line to water it automatically.  They gratefully accepted.  Score one for neighborliness!  (And hopefully God will smile on this act of kindness and bless our garden!)

I hear a load of laundry calling me to fold it.  More later…

This morning was beautiful.  Here's the front flower bed on my way out this morning.  (And the Preen we put down seems to be working... there aren't any weeds!  Knock on wood.)

Maybe tomorrow I'll get a photo of the vegetable garden before it is dark...

I love p-day!

Hi Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

It was so nice to visit with you today Jessie, and to have Mark in my office with me.  This multiple-missionary thing is really cool.  I especially enjoyed listening to you talk together about missionary work.  I imagine it will only get cooler.  Thank you for faithfully making this possible.

Jessie, I loved your pictures; they were great.  Mark, your letter was so fun to read.  No surprises since you still live in my house, but still fun to read! :)

Hope you all have a great day tomorrow!

Love,

Dad

Mark's p-day!  He came to my office to do his personal study in the morning, planning to meet up with his companion from Logan around lunchtime.  Unfortunately, the comp couldn't make it down, so Mark spent most of the day at my office… alone.  Fortunately he had lots of studying he wanted to do, so he used his time well.  Julie and the kids picked him up about 3:00 and they went on a hike up Rock Canyon together.  I hope he had a good day.

I think I used today well at work, but it didn't feel like I made as much progress as I have other days.  Fortunately there are two more days in the week.

We had a really nice visit with Jessie today, and also got to meet her comp Sis. Jolley.  They seem like they get along very well and are having as much fun as they can during the COVID-induced changes to missionary work.

I hit the grocery store on my way home and picked up some groceries, including country-style ribs for Monday's Memorial Day cookout.  Dad and Mom are redoing their landscaping and the fence is currently torn down.  They don't want to endanger any grandkids, so we're moving the feast to our house.

Before dinner we weeded the garden.  When you get that many people in the garden, we can get an hour's worth of weeding done in just 10 minutes.  Score!  After dinner we had a game going in one room while the little kids watched some of Mary Poppins.

Thankful: I'm thankful for gifts of the Spirit.  I have started listening to Conference talks in the morning while I do a light workout.  It is an uplifting way to start the day.  Today I felt the confirmation that although I don't know everything, I know enough.  I want to share with others the things I know about God because I love God and I love my brothers and sisters.

Ministering: I tried to be kind to everyone with whom I interacted today.  I think that's going to have to count, because I didn't do much more.

More later…

Here is the photo of our patriotic t-shirts that we posted on Facebook.  This post has gotten more likes than any in a long time, and the drive-thru was busier than it has been in weeks.  I think that's a good thing!

Spring!

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

Hello missionaries!  I hope you are both doing well in your respective labors.

Jessie, before I forget, we are planning to hold Isaac's baptism next Wednesday, May 27 at 7:00 pm.  I'll send you a Zoom meeting invite separately.  We would love to have you and Sis. Jolley join us, along with any friends you have who may benefit from seeing a baptism!  That would be so amazing!

Tonight Emma was the first one ready for bed, so she and I played 20-questions while we waited for everyone else to get ready.  It was nice.

I hope you have a great night, and look forward to talking to you tomorrow!

Love,

Dad

I re-learned an important lesson today.  The city was doing road work on 800 North outside my office today.  Without any advance notice, they closed the street onto which our drive-thru exits.  Since we already have the lobby closed due to the coronavirus, suddenly we were inaccessible to our members.  At first I was pretty irritated at the situation, but then I realized that being irritated wasn't going to change the situation and would only make me… irritable!  I intentionally chose to laugh about it and move on.  Wow, at 46 years old I can choose to respond, not react.  At least I got it right today.

We had a couple good things happen today, including getting some new audio headsets to improve the way we handle incoming telephone calls.  It's not a "call center," but we're working to become more efficient in the way we handle things.

Tonight Isaac had his baptismal interview with Bishop Lewis.  We are planning to baptism him next Wednesday the 27^th.  He has asked Mark to baptize him.  I think that is so cool.  He will get to have his "first baptism" as a missionary while he's still in the MTC. 

I am happy when I remember listening to the Primary Presidency visit with Neil about his upcoming baptism a couple years ago.  They were in the front room while I was working on dinner in the kitchen.  When Neil told them he wanted Mark to baptize him, they gently suggested that his dad might feel otherwise.  I cheerfully told them I was perfectly happy with Neil asking Mark to perform the ordinance.  I can think of nothing better than watching one honorable, worthy son administer this saving ordinance to one of his siblings.  As amazing an experience as it is to baptize your child, somehow that is even better.  Besides, I'll still be the one to confirm him.  It will be a great experience.

Thankful: I am grateful that I can choose my response to things that happen.  A small thing like the road work today is really insignificant, but it reminds me of what is really important.  I'm also thankful for a beautiful spring day.  I took two walks today (drop off books at the BYU library for Mark and drop off Abbie's mouth x-ray to the oral surgeon's office in preparation for her wisdom tooth surgery next Friday.)  The weather was delightful both times.

Ministering: I had a nice visit with a credit union member today that was mutually-ministering.  It was also nice to visit with Bishop Lewis for a bit this evening.

More later…

I didn't take any photos today, so here's a great one from the archive!  What a great trip this was!!

Missionary Relay explanation and more

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

I love you both!

Love,

Dad

Tonight during normal journal time I was fixing a hole in Emma's bike tire.  I hope the patch holds.  FHE tonight was late but fun.  Julie and Emma had a good lesson on forgiving others.  That is a tough concept for little kids.  When Julie gave the kids realistic scenarios to deal with, they had a hard time figuring out how they would forgive.  Instead they kept trying to diagnose what led to the problem and telling how the person could repent.  That's all good to know, but it's not forgiveness.  I think they learned, but it's probably a lesson that we need to do again in the not-too-distant future.

Our FHE activity was my job.  I brought down two white shirts, two ties, and two pairs of dress shoes.  We divided into teams and had a "missionary relay."  You had to dress in the clothes, run to the computer (because that's where missionary work is taking place today), and write a note to our two missionaries:

1.       One thing you love about Jessie. – It was my activity, so I don't have to limit myself to just one thing.  Some of the things I love about Jessie are her passion and dedication to things that are important to her.  She is amazingly talented in so many things.  And she is humbly good. 

2.       One thing you love about Mark. – Mark is incredible.  He takes after Jessie.  He loves people, even the stinkers.  He is kind and smart and helps people be there best.  And he loves and follows the Lord.

3.       One thing you love about the gospel. – I love the temple.  I'm going there some day!  (Soon, I hope!)  I love the peace and answers that the gospel provides when life seems to have nothing but questions.  I don't know everything, but I know someone who does and I trust him in spite of my weaknesses.

Then eat a multi-vitamin (it was really a sour patch kid) and you're done.  I think the kids had fun with it. I know I did.

Work today was good.  I worked hard.  I got a lot done.  I have more to get done tomorrow.  Sounds like most days.

Thankful: I'm thankful for beautiful spring (and summer) nights.  We have the windows open tonight letting the breeze blow through.  The house was a little too warm earlier, but it is cooling off nicely.  It's so pleasant.  (Wish we could figure out how to keep the tiny bugs from coming in through the screens…)

Ministering: Today was a good ministering day!  I sent a text to Bro. Paulsen to see how he and Sis. Paulsen are doing and to check on Sis. Grayson.  She is doing well in her assisted living facility; no visitors are allowed due to COVID.  I also texted Casey Warren, another member of the high council.  He was fighting a migraine during our meeting. I know how miserable those are, and wanted him to know I was thinking of him.  He's doing better today.  Tonight Spencer and I took a congratulations poster and some cookies to Emma Osborn.  Feels good to try to brighten someone else's day and let them know that they are remembered and important.

Oh, so tired.  Off to bed.  More later…

The children in missionary attire writing to real missionaries.

Missionary Relay, part 1

I love Jessie because she is so nice to me.

I love Mark because he reads Frog and Toad to me

I love the gospel because I can live with Jesus.

Love,

Camilla

I love Jessie because she lets me sleep with her some nights.

I love Mark because he helps me make wood projects.

I love the gospel because it helps people to learn to be good.

Love,

Emma

I love Jessie because she is good at doing meaningful acts of service, just to be kind. And she makes the most delicious muffins.

I love Mark because he is encouraging and helps me with whatever I ask, even trimming goat hooves, and holding them down while they chew their cud :)

I love the gospel because it brings me peace and helps me become.

Love,

Abbie

Missionary Relay, part 2

I love Jessie because she is so outgoing and she loves the gospel. She loves to help others.

I love Mark because he is such a good example. He loves to work and is not afraid of who he is.

I love the gospel because it brings me comfort and it helps me to be my best.

Love, Spencer

I love Jessie because she is always up to do something with her siblings.

I love Mark because he is so happy. 

I love the gospel because it makes me feel happy and comforted.

Love,

Isaac

Dear Jessie and Mark,

I love Jessie because she always thinks of others before herself.

I love Mark because he loves to be with other people.

I love the gospel because it is true and it can help people know that they can be with their family forever, receive the priesthood, and have the Holy Ghost with them whenever they need him, and they can repent and be saved forever.

Love, Neil Payne

Veggie lasagna

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

Happy Sunday!  I hope your day today was really nice, and that things are going to start getting back to normal for you soon.

Jessie, today in High Council meeting, Pres. Brinkerhoff mentioned you specifically.  He was talking about new ways missionaries are carrying out missionary work and he told about the artwork you are posting on Facebook.  Kudos!  It reminded me how grateful I am to be your dad.

Love to all,

Dad

Today started with breakfast.  That's always a good thing to do.   Abbie made us pancakes.  Then I helped Camilla take a bath and then went to the back deck to join the Fourth Ward's Ward Council meeting.  They do a very good job keeping up on the members of their ward and helping meet needs.  Then we had the sacrament and lunch.  Emma asked if we could eat outside, so we cleaned off the picnic table and ate tuna grape (apple) salad outside.  It was pretty nice.

We decorated a "Congratulations" poster for Emma Osborn for graduating as the valedictorian at Springville High School.  We need to deliver that tomorrow.  I took a short walk with Emma and Camilla around the "island," then went downstairs to join High Council meeting.  The meeting went for 90 minutes, and when I came back up, things were starting to come unraveled.

David, Lisa and their kids came down for a visit and brought some vegetarian lasagna.  (It was quite delicious, but most of the youngsters hated it, including Ella.)  I had prepared an activity using the experiences of Alma's people and King Limhi's people comparing their different experiences and decisions.  I put that into a matching game and thought the kids would enjoy it.  It didn't go over so well.  It failed to hold the attention of some of the kids, and others got mad when rules weren't being followed they way they thought they should.  I was disappointed that my efforts to contribute to a worshipful sabbath seemed instead to add contention.

After dinner (delicious, see above) we had Nairobi chocolate cake for dessert.  That was extremely tasty as usual.  Then David and family went home and we headed kids to bed.  We read scriptures and then I finished the penultimate chapter of The Enormous Egg.  Emma said that was her favorite chapter and made her feel happy.  Victory.  I'll take it wherever I can get it.

Thankful: I'm thankful for our home.  We got to eat outside for lunch and have enough space to welcome others here to eat with us.  And (hopefully) the Holy Ghost can be present in our home.

Ministering: I tried to do my part to minister through my calling. Speaking of which, I need to send an email to some of the 4^th Ward leadership before I go to sleep.  So, more later…

Nathaniel enjoying his lunch

Enjoying our lunch

Stinky bug killer and lots more

Hi Sister and Elder Payne,

I hit send on last night's email just in time.  The battery died less than a minute after I sent it!  I hope you had a great day today and that your sabbath tomorrow is delightful.

Love,

Dad

Super busy day today.  Put 1.5 gallons of Roundup on weeds all over the yard.  If it works as advertised, we should see wilting weeds tomorrow.  But it wasn't hot today, so it might not work too fast.  I just hope it works!  Also used the string trimmer to edge the lawn.  Worked on sprinklers both in the flower bed to address some dry spots and started getting the vegetable garden ready.  Went to two different stores to get parts, neither one had what I needed.  Also put malathion (bug killer) on the flower beds.  Holy cow, that stuff STINKS!  I wasn't wearing gloves, and now my hands smell like it.  I've washed them half-a-dozen times, used sanitizer, and finally resorted to washing them in baking soda and lemon juice.  Now they smell like a sanitized bug-free lemon.

This morning I played Cover Your Assets with the younger kids.  It was fun.  I also enjoyed visiting with the Hjorths through the fence a bit as we both worked on yard projects.

Isaac hated the pineapple-veggie stir fry Julie made for lunch today.  It was a bit spicy, but I thought it was tasty.  Neil likewise despised the beefed-up biscuits we had for dinner.  Dealing with picky eaters got really old today.  Emma and Camilla spent much of the afternoon at Grandpa and Grandma's, and were invited back for dinner.

Thankful: I'm glad we have a nice house to live in, and that we can take care of our yard.  Fingers crossed that the TLC and chemicals we are feeding it will make it look better.

Ministering: We ministered to the Bates today.  Julie and the kids visited for a bit while they were taking a break from their yard work.  I shared some sprinkler parts they needed and which Val Anderson left in a box when we bought this house and have been sitting around for the last eight years.  Late this afternoons Spencer saw Rachel out working in the yard and went over to help pull weeds.  I thought that was really awesome.

I'm going to go join scripture study with the big kids and Julie downstairs.  More later…

Isaac "enjoying" his lunch.

Neil after choking down his dinner.

Mark read to the kids tonight.

Spencer helping Rachel Bates in her yard.

Laptop battery not dead yet

Hi Sister and Elder Payne,

No intro because I've got 5% batter left.  Love you both!

Love, 

Dad

Laptop battery is nearly dead, so typing fast.

Work today was good, productive, and went very fast.  I didn't spend time on some projects; I invested time building some tools that will let me enlist the help of some of my employees to collaborate on some projects.  That type of thing takes time, but pays dividends in the long run.

Tonight I (finally) got fertilizer on the lawn.  I know fertilizer makes a big difference.  It's just so hard to make the time to work outside when there are so many things inside that need to be done.  Tonight Spencer helped me put the fertilizer on.  That made it better.  It didn't necessarily go any faster, but by doing it with one of my children, I didn't feel bad about the time it took.

Thankful: I'm thankful to have the fertilizer on the lawn.  Tomorrow I have a long list of yard projects to get done.

Ministering: I tried to call Mike on my drive home tonight to visit with him, but he didn't answer.  I'm afraid that's as close as I get to real ministering today.

More later…

Emma's graduation regalia...

Shirts!

Dear Sister and Elder Payne,

Here is a note and photo.  I love you both!

Love,

Dad

How did it get to be Thursday already??  I finished getting ready for Board meeting before lunch, and we met by Zoom.  To be honest, I prefer holding Board meeting via Zoom because there are no distractions and I can keep everyone's attention focused exactly where I want it as I share my screen with them.  I find it really effective.  If we end up back in restaurants in the next couple of months, I'm going to see about getting a hotspot so that I can still share my screen.

This year's t-shirts arrived today, and they look great.  I'm really happy with them.  We are all wearing them to work tomorrow, and we will start distributing them.  We also decided that our annual meeting will be virtual this year, and our pancake breakfast will be cancelled.

Julie worked really hard with the kids at the house today, and it looks good.  I need to increase my focus on the yard, because our lawn looks terrible.  Neil, Mark and I played Red 7 this evening before bed.  I read more of The Enormous Egg to the kids as a bedtime story.

Thankful: I am thankful for the feeling when a something important goes well.  There were lots of items on the Board agenda today, and I spent more time than usual getting ready for it.  I wanted to have everything organized well to make it easy to understand what I was talking about and what I wanted to have approved.  It worked, and I feel really good about that.

Ministering: Hmm.  I asked Sue about the root canal she had a week ago.  That's probably about it.  Not a very impressive ministering day.  I'll have to do better tomorrow.

More later…

I really like this year's shirt...

A note to two full-time missionaries

Hello Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

Well, now there are two of you!  Maybe I'll address you by your missionary titles, at least for a while.  I'm proud of you both and will be forever grateful for your willingness to serve the Lord, and for your patience and diligence when it is not what you had expected or hoped for.  I often have to remind myself to follow the counsel on Mark's plaque: Be still and let God be God.  He knows what he's doing and doesn't need my suggestions or complaints.  But that sure can be difficult.

I hope you both have a great day tomorrow!

Love,

Dad

Good day.  I worked a lot to finish getting things ready for Board meeting tomorrow, but somehow it seemed like I couldn't finish the projects I was working on.  I've got until 3:00 tomorrow, but I really wanted to get the info to them beforehand.  I guess we'll have to make do with what is done already.

Mark started his missionary training today.  Six weeks of Zoom is going to be a challenge.  He received his Spanish-language missionary name tag today and is so pleased to wear it.  Last night I stayed up with Julie until almost midnight (she stayed up much later) to make some signs to "welcome" Mark to the MTC.  There are signs pointing to the cafeteria (up the stairs) and language training (down the stairs).  She also made a Spanish-language sign of one of Mark's favorite scriptures, "Be still and know that I am God."  That was such a thoughtful thing to do.  It took the kids about 45 seconds this morning to find them.  So fun.

We talked to Jessie at lunchtime today.  That was so fun!  Turns out the man they're teaching in Spain has already been baptized.  They learned this when they tracked down the Elders in Madrid to pass on the referral.  I was wondering if something fishy was going on.  I'm just glad this turned out to be harmless, not an online predator.  Still, it has to be disappointing for Jessie and her companion.  She and Sister Jolley also posted a great, fun introductory video of themselves on Facebook.

This evening I played a couple games of matching with Camilla then fell asleep while reading Look Out, He's Behind You for a third time.

Thankful: Julie went to Costco today.  I am so thankful for the tremendous temporal blessings we have.  When we need something, we get it.  We don't have to count our pennies to decide whether to get needed item A or needed item B.  If something is on sale, we can get a lot of it.  If something looks particularly tasty, we can choose whether or not to buy it based on what we want.  This is so different from the experience I had growing up.  And during this pandemic with unemployment now running over 14%, the highest since the Great Depression, there are so many people who don't have this luxury.  I hope I never take these blessings for granted, and especially that I don't become proud in my comparative wealth.

Ministering: Bryce Prior popped in my mind the other day, so I sent him a message today just to say hi and check on his family.  They're doing well.  It's nice to be able to send a quick text message to keep in touch with others in a casual way.

More later…

Looking good in the name tag!

This is not the MTC experience I had!