Voting: Good. Migraines: Bad.

Dear Sister Payne,

P-Day is almost here again!  We are all looking forward to visiting with you tomorrow.  Read on for a report on today.

Much love,

Dad

Poor Spencer has his first migraine.  I think the first one is the worst because you don't know what it feels like when it's coming on, so you can't do anything to mitigate it.  Mark and I both know what they feel like and will take ibuprofen and caffeine and lie down as soon as we can.  They're still awful, but better.  I wonder why we are suddenly prone to migraines??  We never had these before mine a few years ago.  Since then I've had three or four more.  Mark got his first one six months or so after I had mine, and now Spencer has one at 14 years old.  I don't like this.

Today is our twenty-second anniversary.  Can't believe that 22 years ago two young kids got married, feeling mature and ready to start a family.  Looking back, I don't really feel all that different now than I did then.  So maybe we really were ready to start a family.  Or maybe now we're still not ready, we've just gotten good at faking it! 😊  I bought Julie some flowers to celebrate our anniversary.  Unfortunately, Spencer's migraine derailed all the rest of our plans.  Maybe we'll celebrate in  few days.

After dinner (leftovers) I went on a scooter ride with the little girls.  We went to the flat cemetery.  On the way home Camilla came down the hill by the Van Horns and lost control.  Fortunately her crash was very controlled and she only got a small cut on one toe.  I was yelling to her from behind to crash onto the Bird's grass, but she couldn't/wouldn't.  I'm grateful for small miracles.

Eliza at work let us know today that a friend she went camping with over the weekend has tested positive for the coronavirus, so now we have another employee in isolation.  I'm glad we've closed our lobby, and everyone in the office is much more committed to wearing masks.  None of us wants to share anything if we are unknowingly infected.  Today is the last day of the month; I am eager to work on closing the GL and see how our numbers look.  Loans are up over $700k for the month because of our work on mortgage loans.  Interest rates are way down, so even with the mortgage activity, income may still be lower.

Today was primary election day for the Republican party in Utah.  Because the Republican is almost certainly going to win the general election in November, today's votes really count.  Fortunately, I like both frontrunners in the Governor's race (Spencer Cox and John Huntsman).  It was difficult to decide which one to vote for.  I will be happy as long as one of those two win.  Most of the other races were also choices between two candidates I was comfortable with.  The general election in November will be much tougher.  That is a discussion for another day.

Thankful: I am thankful for two items related to current events.  First, I am thankful to live in a free country where we can vote for those who will lead us.  I am grateful for the peaceful transition of power.  Second, I am thankful I can turn the news OFF when it gets too irritating.  When that happens, I pray for the Second Coming! 😊

Ministering: Tonight I ministered to Spencer.  I shared a Vanilla Coke with him.  He thanked me by sipping a little of it, then throwing it back up.  Humph.  If he was just going to throw it back up, I should have given him Mountain Dew!  He's sleeping, which is a good thing.  He'll probably still be really tired tomorrow.

More later…

Evidence that I voted today.

I ate a worm!

Dear Sister Payne,

When I got home from work tonight there was a nice bowl of cherries sitting on the island.  "How nice," I thought, "Julie bought cherries for us, even though she doesn't particularly like them."  I enjoyed a couple while putting away my lunchbox, etc.  Then Mom told me that Mark and Spencer picked all those cherries off our tree.  Amazing!  We've never had that many cherries from that tree before!  Then she said, "And every one of them has a worm."  Ah, well... protein.

I hope your day was nice, and that you feel our love and prayers.  I look forward to chatting on Wednesday.  Until then, lose yourself in the work and know that we love and pray for you!

Love,

Dad

It was cool today and rained a little last night.  A pleasant change for summer.  Our lawn is really green and looks very nice.  Aerating and fertilizing make a big difference. 

Work was good today.  I got most of the items on today's list done. 

We had homemade pizzas for dinner tonight.  We figured out that heating a cast iron griddle in the oven first, then putting the pizza dough onto the already-hot griddle is key to baking the pizza just right.  And they were just right!

FHE was also nice.  We played tag outside (hence noticing the green lawn) and Neil taught a lesson on the deceptions of Satan.  Dessert was homemade apple-rhubarb pie that Mark and Abbie made with rhubarb from Bro. Kincaid.  It was amazing.  I'm glad there's more rhubarb in the fridge so they can make another pie tomorrow.  Mark decided it would be a good idea for us to plant some rhubarb in our garden.  I think I agree with him.

Thankful: I am thankful for rhubarb.  😊  And friends who share it.  I'm also thankful for Mondays because they come after the Sabbath and let me put into practice the things I learned or recommitted to on Sunday.

Ministering: I sent a text to Mike's sister Gina to ask how their dad is doing and let her know I am praying for their family.  Bro. Christensen's health is declining, and Mike's behavior and desires are challenging.

More later…

FHE - all the boys fit on the Sharing Chair, then the girls wanted to join.

Homemade pizza is the best!

Delightful sabbath

Dear Sister Payne,

I love you very much and hope your day was excellent.  Read on for a double entry to make up for last night's super-short note.  Have a great Monday!

Love,

Dad

No journal entry last night because it was far too late when I got in bed.  After some regular morning stuff yesterday we decided to replace the ceiling fan in the front room and install one in Abbie's room.  Abbie's room needed a new outlet box and support installed which meant crawling in the rafters.  Suggestion: don't do that at 2:30 in the afternoon on a hot summer day.  It was 90+ degrees outside and significantly hotter than that in the attic.  With Mark's help we got it done.  Abbie's fan doesn't even wobble a little, even at high speed.  We also replaced the one in the front room, and it makes quite a difference.  Julie likes how the new one looks lots better, so I love it. 😊

Today was a nice day.  I started with High Council meeting then attended the Fourth ward.  One of the speakers (Craig Boorman) said something that caught my attention – Faith is the opposite of fear.  I pondered on that.  We often think faith is the opposite of doubt, but I think belief is a more accurate opposite to doubt.  Faith is different than belief.  If we accept that faith is the opposite of fear, then two scriptures come to mind: "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear" (D&C 38:30) and "Perfect love casteth out all fear" (1 John 4:18).  I want to ponder more on these ideas.

After we had the sacrament Dad, Mom and Randy came over for a scripture activity.  I divided this week's Come, Follow Me lesson into six stories, then divided everyone into six groups.  We told the story in order from Ammon meeting King Lamoni until Aaron teaches King Lamoni's father.  Each group was supposed to take only a minute or two to enact their story.  The first group chose a prop; the second group used the prop from the first group plus one they chose; the third group used both props from before and added one of their own; and so on.  Camilla and I were the last group, so we had six props to use.  We videoed each one and Spencer is going to use Adobe Premier this week to compile them into one video that we will all watch next Sunday.  It was very fun to do together, and it was nice to talk together afterward about we learned this week in our studies.

After dinner (which was amazing, by the way) we took a family walk to drop off a few orange rolls to the Chun's.  Their daughter Andilyn had another surgery and is not sleeping well.  Tami is 8 ¾ months pregnant so between Andilyn's surgery and Tami's pregnancy, they're pretty much self-isolating 100% to avoid COVID-19.

I fasted today for Jessie, as well as for several other people I know who are struggling.  It feels good to do that.  I am working to develop the faith that Mosiah had in Alma 19:23 and trust my children to the Lord.  I also feel an increased commitment to keep my covenants with greater purpose.

Thankful: I am thankful for the Sabbath Day.  Even when there are lots of meetings (which hasn't happened much these last few months) the Sabbath is a restful day.  I love setting aside my work concerns and house projects, and focusing on being reverent and worshipping God.  I don't do it perfectly, but it is nice.

Ministering: We ministered to the Chun's tonight with our orange rolls.  I have a few emails to send regarding my calling to minister that way before sleep.

More later…

King Lamoni's father is lying unresponsive on the ottoman, and the King's wife is NOT happy about that.  I think poor Aaron is in trouble.

Orange rolls courtesy of Mark and Abbie.

Bedtime story.  Everyone loves Fancy Nancy.

Ceiling fans

Sorry, no journal entry tonight. Projects all day today including two new ceiling fans. More details to come. I love you! Have a wonderful sabbath.

Love,
Dad

Sleeping time

Dear Sister Payne,

This will be a short message because I'm about to fall asleep in my chair.  I love you lots and hope you have a good day!

Love,

Dad

Oh, I'm tired.  Work was good, got quite a bit done.  Lunch was delicious.  I worked today on some geography bee questions for the family and need to do a better job at creating questions consistently.  I worked on memorizing Alma 19:23.  I am dismayed at how much work it is for me to memorize.  I don't think it used to be this hard.

After dinner we played outside together.  The kids all jumped rope and had a lot of fun doing that.  Nathaniel is getting better at sitting up and discovered he can make a spitting noise as if he were playing a trombone.  Mark is so proud of him.

Thankful: I'm thankful for laundry soap.  That sounds funny, but it's true.  My face mask was starting to smell unpleasant, so I hand washed it this morning.  Now it smells quite good.  I'm going to wash it more often!

Ministering: On Wednesday the Association had our annual business meeting.  I reflected on the good people I get to work with and felt grateful for the opportunity to associate with them.  So I sent an email to all my fellow Board members and the Association staff and thanked them for the good work they do and the things I learn from them.  I think people always like being thanked, and I am trying to remember to express my thanks more often.

More later…

Loved this post Mom put on Instagram.  (And check out the beautiful flowers in the barrels!)

Playing sardines

Dear Sister Payne,

I love you lots!

Love,

Dad

I got a lot done today, making progress on several projects.  Not much else to report from work, other than it was a good day.

The zucchini and pumpkin don't look any worse tonight than it did yesterday, so I think the Malathion I put on helped.  After dinner we played a game of sardines, then I read scriptures and Wild Robot to the kids. Now they're giggling in their rooms and not sleeping.  I'm going to work on the geography questions I'm supposed to be doing weekly.  I've got a fun idea and need to get working on it!

Thankful: I'm grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost.  I appreciate his role as Comforter.  I can rarely see the end from the beginning and often feel like I can't even see the next step, but I feel his influence assuring me that things will be okay.  I confess that sometimes I still wish I could see each step in the plan, but when I remember to exercise faith, humility brings me patience and trust in that comfort.

Ministering: I visited with Andy Hjorth tonight through the fence and talked about our yards a little.  His apple tree has bugs and a couple large limbs are totally dead.  I offered my chainsaw to cut the branches out.  He'll probably use it on Saturday; I'll try to help him.

The view from the sardine can! :)

Eating, bleeding, hiking

Dear Sister Payne,

How is that for an email subject?  It was nice to see you for a moment during your chat with the family.  I would have loved to visit more, but it's a good thing I got to work prepping for the missionaries to be here for dinner.  

Thanks for the great pictures in your email.  I'm glad you enjoy biking while Sis. McDonald runs.  And I have no idea what Kefir is.  Is it the mug of drink, or the dish to eat??

I love you and pray for you daily.

Love,

Dad

Another full day.  The Credit Union Association annual meeting was today, held virtually of course.  I worked on some marketing for our credit union's annual meeting that will also be held virtually in August.  Bryson let us know that he thinks he has started to exhibit symptoms of COVID-19.  I'm glad we've closed the lobby, but we still let a bunch of people in throughout the day for one reason or another.  But we are all getting much better at wearing masks.

I left work a little early to help get things set up to host the missionaries for dinner.  We had a really nice time, and the curry and homemade naan Julie and the kids made were amazing.  Mark got to speak Spanish with the three Elders and two Sisters.  Elder Rodriguez prayed for us in Spanish; he is from Chile, and his Spanish was much faster that what Mark and I are used to.  Mark's realized that while he is making great progress learning Spanish, there is still a long way to go to be able to converse with a native Spanish-speaker.  We ate outside under two pop-ups because the missionaries can't come in houses yet due to the coronavirus.  Under the shade it was really quite pleasant.

After dinner we headed to Spanish Fork to take a walk along the river trail there.  But first we had to get ice for Isaac who smashed a finger in the sliding patio door downstairs.  As he was recovering from that owie Camilla slipped while climbing into Bertha.  I was changing clothes when I heard a call of much urgency that Camilla split her head open and was bleeding all over.  It is amazing how much head wounds bleed – she was bleeding quite a bit, but once we got it washed off and the bleeding stopped, the cut was no bigger than a pencil lead on a sharp pencil.  The cut wasn't big enough to even put in a single stitch.  A little ice and Tylenol, and she was much better.  Tender mercy.

Then we made it on our walk.  It was very pleasant, and everyone but Julie and I had scooters or roller blades.  On the hilly part I pushed Nathaniel's stroller and Camilla's scooter at the same time.  On the way back down, I held Nathaniel's stroller while Spencer and Neil held on so they didn't lose control on their roller blades.  The temperature was beautiful, and it was a really nice time.

I put Malathion on the gardens tonight to try to save our plants from the bugs.  And this time I used disposable gloves because Malathion smells terrible and doesn't wash off skin easily at all.

Thankful: I'm thankful that the missionaries had dinner with us tonight.  The spiritual thought they shared at the end focused on the work of angels and that we can be those angels to bless others.  I shared the experience of feeling Brian's presence in the hospital after Abbie was born.  It was neat.  Another spiritual impression for which I am thankful came tonight while reading scriptures with the little kids.  In Alma 19:23 it says that Ammon would be blessed according the Mosiah's faith.  The faith of a parent blessed a child.  I reminded my sons and daughters that Julie and I pray for them often, and we have faith that God will bless them because of our faith.  This simple sentence means more and more to me as I am a father with children in a variety of circumstances, with different strengths and challenges.  And like Mosiah, Julie and I "[trust them] unto the Lord."

Ministering: I ministered to and was ministered to by the missionaries tonight.  They bring a spirit with them that is noticeable and a blessing.

Dining in style!

A cool bridge on the Spanish Fork River trail.

How does your garden grow?

Dear Sister Payne,

Happy p-day!  By the time you read this, I suspect it will be p-day.  I hope it is a good one.  The weather here is beautiful and getting warmer.  Maybe it will be just right for you to get out and enjoy some Canadian sunshine.  We are looking forward to having the missionaries over for dinner tomorrow.  If possible, it might be helpful to move our chat a little earlier in the day.  The missionaries eat dinner at 5:00 pm, and we'll be making curry.  If not, we'll put you on the laptop and chat while we saute veggies.

I love you a ton! 

Love,

Dad

Good day today.  I worked hard at work and got lots done.  Learned more about our computer security and sent a request for a security analysis.  Re-created an Excel macro that we use every day but that needed to be updated for a change in one of our systems.  Downloaded a list of email addresses for our members that are no longer working to try to get better addresses.  Learned about an update to a fraud fighting tool on our debit and credit cards.  Wow, that all sounds pretty boring.

Today Julie, Mark and others transplanted the pumpkin, zucchini, and sweet potatoes that have been growing in containers on the front porch, moving them to the garden.  I hooked up the sprinklers for them after dinner and also fertilized the raspberries because they look a little anemic.  The tomatoes look amazing and the strawberries are dark green and growing berries.  I need to spray the peppers for bugs.

Thankful: I’m thankful for the scriptures.  Tonight I read Alma 18 to the little kids while they laid in bed, and it was great.  I’ve read the story dozens of times, but I never tire of it.  Tonight I had a little better understanding of what it means that Lamoni was “caught with guile.”  Ammon didn’t trick Lamoni into believing the gospel.  Instead, Ammon used unconventional means to gain Lamoni’s trust.  Instead of marching in with an army or trying to impress Lamoni with his pedigree or knowledge, he simply showed up and genuinely served him.  He did this because he truly loved the Lamanites as God’s children.  That was what motivated his actions, leading the servants and Lamoni to trust Ammon.  That indirect course to trust was the “guile” with which Ammon persuaded Lamoni to listen and believe.

Ministering: I talked with Mike this morning on my way to work.  His dad’s health is failing and he didn’t get to visit him in person on Father’s Day out of fear of the coronavirus.  He’s still living in a hotel while his condo is repaired.  It sounds like that process is moving very slowly.  How frustrating.  I hope I can listen and be supportive.

More later…

Zucchini, Strawberry, and Pumpkin

I was attacked for Father's Day, and it was wonderful!

Lobby closed :-(

Dear Sister Payne,

Happy Monday!  I hope you got to do something for FHE tonight that was enjoyable.  I am sitting on guard outside the bedrooms.  I can hear Nathaniel downstairs talking, grunting, squealing, and interacting with his siblings.  It's wonderful.

You're the best!  I pray for you daily and am grateful for God's blessings upon you.

Love,

Dad

Busy day.  Fast day.  How can time go so quickly?

Work was interesting.  Dalley let us know that several members of her husband's family have tested positive for COVID, and they spend a lot of time with them.  So, she is now in quarantine too.  On Saturday it was announced that over 600 people tested positive for COVID in Utah on that day alone.  As many people predicted, there is a spike in new infections being reported as the economy is trying to open back up.  With two tellers already exposed, I decided today to close the lobby again, and this time we are doing a better job wearing masks in the office when we work with each other.  We can serve our members quite well at the drive-thru and via electronic means, but not if all the staff is sick too.  This is just the best move for now.  But that's a bummer because Friday felt so alive again, with lots of activity in the lobby and people in my employees' offices.  It will come back.

Tonight we had a BBQ with the Albertson's and FHE.  Julie made burgers and I smoked them.  She did an incredible job; they were very tasty.  I even bought avocados and tomatoes at the store to make the burgers even better.  Note to self: store bought tomatoes, even if they are the right color, are never as good as ones from the garden.  The ones I bought looked great, but were still disappointing.  But in just a few more weeks, we'll be harvesting our own red beauties!

For the FHE lesson, I compared Ammon's experience gathering the sheep with kind things that we can do to gather people to Jesus.  We used cotton balls to represent the sheep, and blew them around with straws before gathering them again.  Everyone committed to do something specific to help others this week, then share their experience with the family.  The cotton ball is to remind them of what to do.  I committed to thank each of my employees individually for something specific that they do.  My cotton ball is going to work with me tomorrow to serve as a visual reminder.

Thankful: I am thankful we are all healthy, and I really hope we stay that way.  I am also thankful (again) to be able to provide good food for my family.

Ministering: Can I count preparing an interactive FHE lesson as ministering for my kids?  I hope they know how much I love them and that I have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

More later…

A photo from my Uncle Douglas yesterday in honor of Father's Day.  What a great photo of a great man!

Happy Father's Day!

Dear Sister Payne and ... Mark,

Is that the correct way to address these emails for the next six weeks?  (Shrug)

Jessie, it was so much fun to visit with you today.  I hope your visit tonight with your new friend went great.  We look forward to hearing about it on Wednesday.  Have a great week!

Love,

Dad

What a very nice day.  Mark and I started by going to the stake center for Pres. Brinkerhoff to temporarily release Mark as a full-time missionary.

Mark and Neil made delicious cranberry scones for breakfast; we enjoyed them with fresh pineapple and strawberries while we watched Music and the Spoken Word.  Then everyone got ready for the day and we had the sacrament and sang some hymns. 

We had a very nice visit with Jessie this afternoon.  It was so much fun to visit with her.  She's got a new companion – Sis. McDonald from Lehi.  They had several teaching appointments lined up for this evening.  Most were with member families, but one was with a new sister that has been meeting with another set of missionaries and is "on date" for baptism.  We are excited to hear how that appointment goes!  It was fun to watch Jessie interact with Nathaniel, or at least try to.  Nathaniel was a bit distracted today.  I'm so glad we got to visit with her.

We did a fun scripture activity this afternoon.  The kids colored pictures of Alma the Younger, Amulek, Zeezrom, Zoram, and Antionah, all participants in Alma 12-17.  Then each child held a page and stood up while I read a series of statements.  If the statement didn't apply to their person, they sat down.  We talked about each of these individuals and what they taught us about the Savior, choosing the right, repentance, etc.  It was a fun activity.

Tonight Neil had another activity that went along with reading the scriptures.  He passed out tiles from the "20 Express" game to assign which verse each person would read.  It was a fun way to read scriptures tonight.

Dinner was amazing.  I tried an apricot glaze in the crock pot on a pork loin seasoned with fennel and rosemary.  Mark and Abbie made garlic rolls, and we had sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, and ice cream for dessert.  I wish I could eat more because it was so good.

This evening I played some simplified hymns on the piano for a little while as Julie and the kids were working on a Father's Day item.  When they were done, Mark invited me to sit in a certain spot on the couch and handed me two cardboard shields, suggesting I would want them.  Then the kids all attacked me with Nerf darts.  Each dart had a couple words written on it describing something that I do.  I successfully blocked nearly all the darts, and then started gathering them back up and throwing them back.  It was a boisterously delightful way to spend some time.  The comments on the darts were also fun – lunch packer, journal writer, story reader, bedtime guard, animal-pen builder, lady dentist, and Abbie's favorite, "Voted favorite person by the goats."  Fun, fun times.

Thankful: I am thankful to be a dad.  It is the focus of nearly everything I do and defines who I am.  I can't imagine life without Julie and all our children.

Ministering: I was surprised this morning to get a Happy Father's Day text from an employee and a credit union member.  It was really nice.  So I passed it on and sent greetings to Gary Tantleff (a friend from the credit union) and Scott Dunn.  And before I go to sleep I will send a greeting to Mark Bernards too.

More later…

Some views of today:

When two people are in time out for fighting and won't look at each other

A little bread-making fiasco.  Suggestion: make sure the wheat grinder is fully assembled before turning it on.

Breakfast.  Seriously, we are so spoiled.

Family gathering

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

Happy Saturday!  It was a busy day at our house today.  I hope you had a good day today.  I love you both! 

Love,

Dad

Full day, much of it spent outside.  Neil, Isaac and I weeded the vegetable garden this morning, then mulched the tomatoes and raspberries with "goat fertilizer."  I hope this will help draw nutrients into the soil and help the plants grow even better.  They're looking pretty great now.  I worked my way around the entire perimeter of the back yard pulling the Virginia creeper that grows relentlessly.  By the time I was done I had filled four 5-gallon buckets of weeds.  Spencer will mow on Monday, and then the yard should look pretty nice.

We also finished the chicken coop… sort of.  We made and installed the nesting box.  It looks like it will work great.  But there's a problem.  We discovered that goats think chicken food is candy.  We thought the door that we made for the chickens was small enough to keep the goats out of their coop.  Wrong.  Baltimore (the biggest goat) could get in by wriggling, and Anise (the smallest) could nearly run in.  So today I installed an "entrance reducer" that helped, but I'm not convinced the problem is solved yet.  I also discovered an opening that the chickens were using as an exit, so I had to fix that too.  And the latches I put in are not secure.  And the ramp leading to the nesting box is not done.  Sheesh.  This coop may not be done for six more months!

We went to Dad and Mom's for a BBQ tonight to celebrate Father's Day.  Steph and McKay were there with their kids, along with Scott and Jennie, and Kyle and Marissa.  The food was delicious, including the "beyond burgers" (veggie burgers) that McKay brought.  They weren't exactly like meat, but they were quite tasty nonetheless.

Thankful:  I'm thankful that we have a nice house to take care of, and that we do a pretty good job taking care of it.

Ministering: Hmm.  Abbie and Spencer helped clean the church this morning.  Can I count that?  I visited briefly with Sis. Lish and Bro. Trevenen at different times during the day.  That was nice.  Maybe that was ministering too.

More later…

Me with my son, Scott with his granddaughter.  This makes me laugh every time I think of it.

The family gathering to wish Grandpa happy Father's Day.

A very good day

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

Today was just nice.  Full, busy, effective.  Just the way I like them.  Read on for more details and a couple photos.

Love,

Dad

Today was really busy.  At work it felt like there was no impact from the coronavirus.  We had people opening accounts, asking about loans… lots was going on.  It felt good.  But at the same time, we implemented a mandatory mask policy today.  One of my employees was exposed to a classmate at school who has tested positive for the coronavirus, meaning it is possible that he contracted it and could be contagious.  So, he has been assigned to "quarantined phone duty" for the next two weeks, and we are all wearing masks unless we are alone in a private office.  The masks are a little uncomfortable, but way better than getting sick.  We'll keep this up until after July 4, then reassess.

Tonight we finished the chicken coop!  Well, almost finished.  The nesting box still isn't done, but the chickens aren't laying yet, so that's not important yet.  I'm pretty impressed with how it looks.  And it's really solid.  The chickens get their first night in the chicken palace tonight.

Camilla and I inspected the garden tonight and found tomatoes growing on several plants.  Hooray!  The garden looks better this year than I remember it looking in a long time.  I think it's partly due to the goat fertilizer that we tilled in and getting the watering schedule right.  Fingers crossed for a bountiful harvest.  A funny note – Julie read somewhere that if your zucchini and squash get eaten by squash bugs (as ours does), keep them in buckets away from the garden until late June.  By then the squash bugs will all be dead but your plants will still be alive.  So, we have been growing a zucchini and pumpkin in buckets on the front porch.  Now it's time to move them to the garden, but they look great on the porch.  We've got several zucchini growing and I saw at least one small pumpkin on my way in the door this evening.  We may just leave them on the front porch all summer and see how they do.

This evening I joined with Mark and his companion as a "member fellowshipper" as they taught a missionary lesson as part of their MTC training.  It was such a fun opportunity.  They had me share an experience in Spanish of learning from the prophet.  It was really a lot of fun.  Mark pointed out that there are some unique and positive experiences that come from having the MTC at home.  If he was in Mexico City, we would not have done this.  Very cool.

Thankful: I don't mean this to be a cop out, but I'm really thankful for everything today.  Work was good.  Home was good.  Garden is nice.  Chicken palace is finally done.  Teaching with Mark was a sweet experience.  A whole lot to be thankful for.

Ministering: I "ministered" to Reyna in my career development interview with her today.  And I ministered with Mark tonight, even though it was role-play teaching his awesome MTC teacher.

More later…

A palace fit for a chicken

Several of the tomato plants are already growing fruit.  Can't wait until these beauties turn red!

Hay!

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

Do you know how much I love and pray for you?  I knew my parents loved and prayed for me as a missionary, but now as a parent of TWO missionaries I have a better understanding of just how much they cared for me.  Thank you for your service.  I pray for your health, strength, protection, and happiness.

Here's a journal entry with today's activities.  Love you both!  Have a great day.

Love,

Dad

Today was Board meeting, and I was really happy with how it went.  I also met with Suzanne to discuss her career development.  She has some good ideas and wants to continue to develop her skills.  It was a refreshing visit.  She also brought me up to speed on some challenges some of our other employees are struggling with.  Truly, life can be tough.

Right after work I joined with a bunch of other members of my quorum to help Bran Nusink haul hay from his field and stack it in the barn.  Julie suggested I wear a face mask to limit the amount of hay dust I inhale.  It was a brilliant idea – I was much less bothered by hay than I normally am.  And with a dozen helpers, it took less than an hour to take care of the entire field.

Tonight Julie went on a walk with some of the girls and Anise. I stayed home with Emma who was having a rough night.  We got PJ's on and read a couple stories together.  At 8:00 pm I went outside to play baseball with the boys for 30 minutes.  We had a bit of sadness when everyone was hungry and there was some disagreement over what was appropriate to eat for a bedtime snack, but we finally got everyone in bed.

Mark found out today that this Saturday is his last day in the MTC.  They have an influx of missionaries and not enough teachers, so they have to cut classes short.  Wow.

Thankful for Ministering: These two items go together tonight.  I'm grateful I could help Brad with his hay.  I'm grateful for all the other good men who were there to help too.  Several of the men brought their sons, helping them now to learn to find joy in serving others.  I think that's a key to the hope and healing our world needs.  It made me feel happy.

More later…

All done and on our way back home.  (Too bad I didn't think to take a picture of the stacked hay or the empty field or something a little more photogenic!)

It's June 17

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

I couldn't think up a very good subject line for this email.  Jessie, I sure enjoyed visiting with you this afternoon. It was a nice change to have some one-on-one time.  Mom and the kids were hiking in Rock Canyon. Everyone was safe and had a fun time.  Next week I'll let them talk more, but today was nice.  I love you lots!

Love,

Dad

Good day.  I met with a couple of my employees to discuss their career development goals.  At this point I'm trying to do a lot of listening.  Later I may do more talking and encourage (require?) more.  Nothing is certain at this point.

Marketing meeting today went well.  I also participated in a webinar discussing Bank Secrecy Act requirements. Usually these webinars are incredibly tedious, but today's was actually quite good.  I was pleased by that, and was also happy that there was an avenue to give feedback and let them know that it was good.  Unexpected bonus!

Tonight we didn't touch the chicken coop.  We are so close to being finished.  Why does that last 3% take so long?  Maybe tomorrow.

Thankful: I'm thankful for a good day today. I'm thankful that I figured out how to use a software program more effectively to help me take notes for future use.  And I'm thankful that I was able to stay alert today after not sleeping very well last night.  I woke up to take one of the kids to the bathroom, then stayed awake for an hour thinking about things that don't matter and aren't even real.  It was odd.

Ministering: Today I felt like I ministered to my employees.  

More later…

Game time!

Dancing the evening away

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

It's p-day again tomorrow!  I'm not sure how quickly the weeks go for you two, but they are positively racing by for me.  It's breathtaking.  Enjoy tonight's journal entry.  I love you both!

Love,

Dad

It was a good day.  I had several meetings, some of which were good, others less-so.  Unfortunately, the longest meeting was the least valuable.  Oh well.  I worked a lot on some documents for our annual meeting that will be held later this summer.

Tonight we went to Abbie's ballet recital.  It lasted exactly 17 minutes.  Abbie's class was excellent.  She really is talented and I enjoy watching her perform with her class.   We got to the school a little before her performance time so we could take a picture with her.  Then we ate dinner on the grass before watching the performance.  To help with social distancing, they did the show twice and had assigned seating for families, with each family spaced out from others.  What a strange world we are living in.

After the recital we played on the playground while Julie fed Nathaniel.  Everyone had a lot of fun.  When we got home we had second dinner and then dessert.  It's now 10 pm.  Everyone has been tucked in at least twice, but they've all gotten up at least once to get a drink, use the bathroom (I sense a pattern here) or for some other dire necessity.  (eye roll)

Thankful: I'm thankful I have such talented children.  Each one of them is good at what they do, from art to music to athletics to school to the gospel.  I am blessed to be their father.

Ministering: Tonight I responded to a post on the Gospel Living App from another member of my quorum and signed up to help with a service project on Thursday.

More later…

Dinner before the recital

In our socially distanced seats

Swinging!

Honey cookies for FHE treats

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

Tonight's journal entry iis pretty short.  This intro will be too.  I need to go put some ground beef into freezer-sized packages.  I love you both!

Love,

Dad

This morning I glued some supports where they needed to be in the chicken coop, and worked some more on it in the afternoon.  I left work early to work on it some more.  It's nearly finished.  I need to finish putting in some perches and the nesting box, and install latches on the doors.

I had a short visit with the Simons; I was delivering a couple of letters from Mark.  It was so nice to visit with them.  FHE tonight went well.  Spencer chose Abbie's Matching Game for the activity, and Julie helped Camilla with a lesson on the priesthood.  We had honey cookies for dessert.

Thankful: I'm thankful the chicken coop is almost finished.

Ministering: Visiting with the Simons was really nice.  I'm glad I got to see them.

More later…

Spencer playing ping pong at Scott's house last week.  The view off their back patio is amazing!

Church is good

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

Happy Sunday!  I hope you enjoyed your day very much.  I did.  Each day is not perfect, but I am trying to find joy in each day.  I hope your week is great.  I look forward to visiting on Wednesday.

Love,

Dad

We went back to Church today, and it was wonderful.  Mark was the only speaker in our sacrament meeting.  He shared a great talk on the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  I noticed early this evening that I felt really good.  I think it is because we were able to meet together as a ward.  I am looking forward to joining again as a full ward and being able to participate in Sunday School and EQ lessons, especially when we can do so without wearing masks.

I was up until 1:00 this morning cleaning the kitchen then taking a shower to get the sawdust, alfalfa hay, goat poop, etc. off my skin and out of my hair.  So I slept in until 9:00 this morning.  That felt sort of nice, but sort of lazy.  The day, however, was really nice.  We had hot cereal for breakfast and everyone ate together.  We were on time for Church.  After lunch we did an activity talking about the "three pillars of eternity" and reading scriptures from Alma 9-12, this week's Come, Follow Me reading.

Dinner was excellent.  While we ate we watched a fireside from BYU for a music event that Spencer is participating in this week. It was really good.  The speaker shared lots of stories about music and composers and the good that they did.  We like it a lot.  Following the fireside about music we sang hymns together, then had zucchini chocolate cake with fresh raspberries.  That was also delicious.  I would have had more, but I was still full from dinner.

Thankful: I am thankful that we are starting back to Church.  I hope we can get through this "yellow" phase quickly and get to a new, good "normal."

Ministering: I am going to count vicarious ministering today.  While I served my family by fixing meals, cleaning the kitchen, reading stories, etc., Mark followed a prompting and ministered to some families in our ward.  Julie took some cake to Sis. Swensen in the ward to wish her happy birthday.

More later…

A favorite photo from the archives with one of my favorite people at one of my favorite places.  That's a lot of favorites!

Why am I still awake?

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

I love you both.  Good night.

Should be in bed.  Long, busy day.  Started with chores in the kitchen and worked on some laundry.  Changed oil in the mower.  Had some lunch, then went out to "finish the chicken coop."  Shouldn't take more than two hours, right?  Ha ha ha ha ha ha.  We finally quit at 10:00 pm and it's still not done.  Got to make another trip to the hardware store, discovered that the lumber yard closes earlier.  Fortunately they had pity on me and let me get a single 2x4.  Got a nasty splinter buried deep in my thumb, had to dig that out.  We should finish on Monday.  Or we're eating chicken stew for dinner that night.

Art City Days was cancelled this year, but the fireworks were tonight.  It was a great show.  We watched it from the deck as we do every year.  So nice – great view, no traffic.  The kids were even in bed before the show started and they got to come down to see it.

Forgot to mention yesterday that I went to the dermatologist on Friday.  The spot they checked a couple weeks ago was basal cell carcinoma, so they cut more of it out.  Their numbing stuff is amazing.  It never does hurt.

Thankful: Family.  We had lots of good helpers with the chicken palace and weeding the garden.

Ministering: On my way out of the hardware store I complimented a biker on his motorcycle.  He seemed genuinely pleased.  And it was a very nice bike.  I also talked to all of my ministering families today.  Maybe that makes up for my "Phooey" Thursday.

More later…

Knee art.  If you want more of the story, you'll have to ask Mark.  But I'm not sure I recommend that...

Fresh pineapple is SO good

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

I hope your day today was delightful.  I had a nice day, and am thankful for that.

We found out that the missionaries in our area are also allowed to join members for meals if they eat outside.  So in a couple weeks we are going to have FIVE Spanish-speaking missionaries over for a picnic dinner.  It will be great.

I love you both!

Love,

Dad

I felt like I got a lot done today at work, and that was really nice.  Worked on our ongoing computer security project and made some progress there.  Talked to a couple people about loans, worked on some marketing, and discussed the configuration for a risk management program that is new but not set up right yet.  Felt good to get a lot done.

We had a lot of fun at home tonight.  Julie went to Costco today and we had a colorful feast for dinner.  Hot dogs, fresh pineapple (amazing), watermelon, vegies and dip, with chocolate milk to drink.  Delicious.  Then we went outside and played Hobbes ball, the girls played with Maddie, and we just enjoyed being outside.  Weather was beautiful.

Thankful: I'm thankful for the blessings that come when we read the scriptures intentionally.  I had a good scripture study today at lunch, and I think that helped the rest of my day go well.  Two ideas came to me today while reading:

Alma 11:38-39 – Amulek's answer to Zeezrom's question struck me as being remarkably clear.  Yes, Jesus is the eternal father of heaven, earth, and everything that is in them.  His role as the Father's agent in creating all these things makes him the honored and glorious Eternal Father without taking anything away from the glory and majesty of our Father, Elohim.

Alma 11:40 – Jesus Christ will come into the world to redeem his people and take upon him the transgressions of his people.  That is his unique mission.  All the rest of us came to earth to be tested, but he did not need any testing.

One other item, not directly from the scriptures.  I was thinking about a particular doctrine that I don't understand very well.  An idea came to me that presented this doctrine in a totally different light and that doesn't contradict the little bit that we know about it.  "Wow," I thought, "we really don't know much about this doctrine."  And immediately the gentle thought came, "You're right, you (plural you, "Ustedes" in Spanish) don't."  I tried probing a little further to try to understand more, and got nowhere… just that same gentle reminder that we don't know much.  I realized that the reason we don't know much is because God hasn't revealed much.  And if He's not telling, there's no point in trying to figure it out on my own.  And I'm okay with that.

Ministering: I texted a friend today.  It's not much, but ministering doesn't have to be big to make a big difference to the people that matter.

More later…

Dinner tonight was so colorful... and tasty!

Playing Hobbes ball together (on a lawn that needs to be mowed tomorrow!)

Ping Pong! I Play Ping Pong!

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

I'm off to help Abbie rinse out her mouth.  

Love,

Dad

Good day.  Worked hard.  Had a couple meaningful meetings to identify ways to be better.  I hope to make real progress.

Tonight we didn't work on the chicken coop.  Instead Spencer and I went to Scott's house and played ping pong and a couple games.  It was lots of fun.  At one point, Scott was sharing a very funny story and Spencer was laughing so hard.  As he finished, I made one simple comment that caused Spencer to snort water out of his nose.  Poor kid, but it was so funny.

Thankful: Fun with Scott, Jennie, and Spencer.

Ministering: Phooey.

More later…

Spencer trying not to sneeze his brains out of his nose...

Stubborn goats

Happy six-month mark Nathaniel!

Journal entry:

Full day.  Got lots done.  Marketing meeting this morning, organizing some projects for members of my staff.  Need to prepare Board meeting agenda tomorrow.

Tonight worked more on the chicken coop.  Will be nice when it's done.  Nice to have Mark's experience and willingness on the project.  Finished with ice cream cones for the family and neighbor children behind us. 

Funny story: while working on the coop, we needed to get into the goat yard.  The goats immediately ran out to eat the grass outside their pen.  No problem.  Then they realized they could eat the grapes and sprinted to the fence and started eating grape leaves as fast as they could.  We grabbed them and got two back into their pen, but Streusel wouldn't come.  Mark grabbed her collar, so she just sat down like a stubborn toddler.  So, Mark just picked her up like a determined parent and lugged her back to the pen with her bleating in protest the whole way.  Very, very funny.

Read scriptures then helped wash out Abbie's wisdom teeth holes again.  Her teeth seem to be healing slower than Jessie and Mark's, but they're doing okay.  Cleaned the kitchen, ate a bedtime snack, time for sleep.

Thankful: Power tools.  Having the right tools makes a job so much easier.

Ministering: Talked to Bro. Rowley, our stake self-reliance coordinator about the self-reliance program.

More later…

Isaac loved having a turn with the drill.

Matthew 6:6

Chicken coop is 15% done...

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

Mark knows about the progress we made on the coop tonight.  He was a major part of getting it done.  Need to go to sleep soon.  Look forward to visiting on p-day tomorrow!

Love,

Dad

Better day at work today.  I intentionally scheduled my "big rocks" time later in the day because I had some projects that I needed to work on first thing.  There were a few frustrations as companies I work with should have done a better job providing services to us.  Working with them to help them see what they need to do.  Also need to work with my employees to determine how to better support each other and serve our members.  We're good, but have lots of room for improvement.

Tonight we started working on the chicken coop.  We had a bit of a slow start figuring out how to get it together, but started moving faster.  We have one whole wall built so far.  Still need to make the door and the rest of the sides.  It will take a while yet to finish.

Thankful: I am thankful for sleep, which is what I need to do pronto.  I am also thankful that I can identify personal attributes I want to change.  The way I am today is not the way I need to stay.  Tomorrow is not a prisoner to yesterday.  Today I can choose to be a little better, kinder, and diligent.  I can also do hard things.

Ministering: Ouch.  I didn't do very well at this today.

More later…

Snow in June?

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

I love you both.  Good night!

Love,

Dad

Short entry. Worked with Mark on Spanish during normal journal time.  Work was okay today.  Got the rest of the stuff to build the chicken coop.  FHE tonight was nice.  Isaac taught the lesson, did a nice job teaching about baptism and including everyone.  Dessert was pizzelli's shaped into fortune cookies.  Mine tasted like popcorn.  Very strange.  Weather today was very cool; there's a dusting of fresh powder on the mountains.

Thankful: Cold cereal for a bedtime snack.

Ministering: My family.  Took care of chickens tonight. Bought coop-stuff at lunch.  Worked with Mark on Spanish.  Rinsed out Abbie's wisdom teeth holes.  A little kitchen clean up and geography bee questions still to come before bedtime.

More later…

Zzzzzzzz (for three hours)

Dear Sister Payne and Elder Payne,

Happy Sunday!  I hope your days were very nice.  Here is my report for the day.  Talk to you again tomorrow!

Love,

Dad

I'm not sure what I think about today.  Parts of it were really nice. 

I started with in-person high council meeting at 7:00 am.  It was nice to be together again with the stake presidency and members of the high council.  I attended one of the Fourth Ward sacrament meetings today.  It was odd sitting on the stand wearing a mask, looking over the sparsely filled chapel, 2/3 of whom were also wearing masks.  I came home from Church and we had the sacrament here as a family, and it was nice too. 

After the sacrament I was reading a story to Emma and Camilla and realized my words were slurring together and I was falling asleep.  I finished the story and stretched out on the couch for a short nap.  Julie covered me up with a blanket, and the next thing I knew almost three hours had passed.  Wow, I guess I was more sleep deprived than I thought.  Getting up a couple times last night with Emma who was afraid she was going to throw up didn't help.  Taking a little nap on the sabbath is nice, but sleeping through three hours isn't how I want to spend my Sundays.  I feel a responsibility to make good memories with my children and serve Julie, all while worshipping the Savior.  I guess several weeks of not quite enough sleep finally caught up with me, but I hope to do better next week.

I had a fun scripture activity that we did this afternoon.  I chose five passages of scripture from this week's Come, Follow Me lesson and wrote two questions for each passage.  The first part of the question asked what Alma taught, and the second part related to how we can apply the teaching.  Each scripture and associated question was in a different color.  I gave each person a slip with a question pair, then they had to go find the matching color-coded scripture that was hidden.  Once everyone found their scripture we read the scriptures together and answered the questions.  I think it was a good way to study the scriptures together.

Dinner tonight was garlic-butter pork tenderloin cooked in the oven.  Everyone really liked it, except Julie who likes her meat well done.  This was cooked to medium-well with just the faintest hint of pink in it.  I even served her slices from the end that were most done.  Still not done enough for her taste.  Next time I'll put hers on the griddle and sear hers there until it's done just the way she likes it too.  I could have done that today, but didn't realize how well-done it needs to be.  Everyone else is looking forward to leftovers tomorrow!

Tonight was a little disappointing.  We went to dad and mom's house for a visit with Stephanie, who is in town with her kids for a visit.  Some people were busy playing on their phones and others were discussing a variety of non-sabbath topics.  That's all right, but as the conversation delved deeper into current events (and they are really messy now), we tried to pull the conversation around to something doctrinal.  That totally failed, and we left shortly thereafter.  It would have been nice to have some sort of spiritual discussion with my family.  When we got home we sang a few hymns together to finish the day on a more spiritual note.

I really hope I am able to use this week well at work.  I am beginning to feel an increased sense of urgency to accomplish good things.  I need to build the capacity of the members of my team and develop their abilities.  I don't want to do things the way we have in the past.  I want to magnify my impact by combining my efforts with the unique talents and skills of others to do more together than we could ever do individually.  Stephen Covey called it interdependence.  I'm still too centered in the independence sphere, and I'm tired of being there.

Thankful: I am thankful that we are slowly beginning to transition to a "new normal" in life.  I don't want to rush things prematurely, but I am anxious to get back to the temple, eager for my missionary children to be able to share the gospel, and really hope that my school-aged children will be able to return to the classroom this fall.

Ministering: Today I indirectly ministered to others by serving in my calling.  That's good… but I want to do more intentional, direct ministering.

More later…

A surprise selfie I found on my phone.  (Don't look now, but I think Isaac has an actual smile!!)