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