Wednesday, September 30, 2020
11:40 pm
Too late. Busy work, a little chaotic. Installed new PC's in the office; don't do that on the last day of the month. Think everything got worked out okay. Went to self-reliance class tonight, then cleaned the kitchen and helped Abbie with some physics homework. More later…
Check out this amazing bread mom made today
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
8:49 pm
What did I do today? I worked a lot on projects. I spent about two hours with two different members to open accounts and brought in nearly $500k in new deposits. We worked on some loans too. It was a good day, and I look forward to another good, productive day tomorrow.
At lunch I worked on the Self-Reliance course in preparation for our group meeting tomorrow. I'm going to index a few batches of names tonight. I set a goal to index 100 names in September, and I'm nearly there.
Thankful: I'm thankful that God is in charge. The news has a lot of messy stuff going on. If I didn't have faith in an all-powerful, all-knowing God, I think I would lose hope and become really messed up. That might explain the actions of some others who seem to be scared. As it is, I put in my vote for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ tomorrow. Too bad that vote doesn't count.
Ministering: I think my ministering today consisted of helping some members of the credit union. They had unique needs, and I explained how we can help.
More later…
Here's a beautiful drawing Jessie gave to Spencer for his birthday. Can you say "WOW"?
Monday, September 28, 2020
9:06 pm
I got so much done this morning, then the afternoon wasn't as productive. Hmph. Suzanne was out sick, and the afternoon was busy.
We got the paperwork done for Jessie to buy the Camry, and I got the charging cord for the Clarity. I'm looking forward to driving it tomorrow on straight electric power and seeing how it drives.
Julie put together a new FHE chart. Nathaniel got ahold of the photos on the last one. They were getting old anyway. The new one looks pretty neat. During FHE tonight he got the mouthpiece to Spencer's alto recorder and started blowing. He thought it was great, and it was pretty cute!
Thankful: I'm glad I got so much done this morning.
Ministering: Yesterday during our "give good gifts" lesson Abbie said she wanted me to make her a fried egg this morning for breakfast. So this morning I got up early enough to do that. I remember making fried eggs for Jessie before early morning seminary. Happy memories.
More later…
Q: What do you get when you add avocado and fresh tomato to homemade pizza?
A: An amazing lunch!
Sunday, September 27, 2020
9:19 pm
Church today was nice, and it was full. The Hyatt's blessed their baby today, and Shayna Diede had her mission farewell today. We are supposed to keep sacrament meeting attendance to 150, but we had 210 people there today. While not everyone was in a mask, many were, and I stayed after church to help wipe down benches and chairs. It was nice to worship as a community of Saints today.
Evan Clements let me know that the mic last week picked up more than just the speaker – the background noise was distracting and quite clear. Evan had a directional mic that we tested today, and he said it worked much better. The Stake is probably going to pick some up to use in each of the buildings.
Before Church we did some Come, Follow Me study. I asked each of the kids to think of one thing I could do for them as their father that would make a difference for them. After everyone shared their request, I gave each child an item in response to their request. They were worthless things like a bag of goat compost from the barn, a shriveled tomato, an old pine cone, etc. Then we read 3 Nephi 14:7-12 and talked about the gifts that God is willing to give us, and the way he responds to our prayers. The kids thought my trashy gifts were funny, so I hope they remember this lesson.
One specific item I have been thinking about is that we should not be surprised when God actually DOES answer our prayers. He promised to do that, and when we sincerely pray for a righteous desire that is in accordance with God's will, of course he is going to answer that prayer. Yet sometimes we are astonished when answers come. I believe we can pray in confidence, especially when the Holy Ghost has confirmed to us the "rightness" of our desire. Of course, we always need to maintain humility and a "thy will be done" attitude, because we may misunderstand God's will at times, even when we truly desire righteousness and think we understand God's will. I think this is something that takes experience to get right.
After Church we had 2nd hour RS/EQ and youth classes. They weren't perfect, but it was really nice to be together again. The pork roast I made for dinner was fabulous, and we finished the evening singing hymns and then enjoyed homemade cookies.
Thankful: I am grateful we were able to attend church with so many of our friends and neighbors. It's harder to interact behind masks, and I wish we could stay for the second hour (and I've decided I miss the third hour), but I appreciate what we have.
Ministering: I worked a little with Isaac this afternoon on his personal goals in the primary and youth curriculum. It was nice to spend time with him in that.
More later…
Neil's soccer team after their victory yesterday
Saturday, September 26, 2020
11:37 pm
No entry yesterday because I literally dropped the scriptures because I was falling asleep while reading out loud to the kids. Yesterday was good at work. Got nearly all of the business loan reviews completed. Last night we went to Spencer's marching band family night. It was fun to watch and they did a good job.
Today was Neil and Isaac's last soccer games. They both won. Neil 1-0, Isaac 7-0. Neil's soccer coach encouraged me to coach next season. I protested that I may be loud, but really don't know much about soccer. He said that's what YouTube is for.
Spent all afternoon today cleaning the house. I cleaned the front room carpet and it looks lots better. We had the Brian cookout tonight at dad and mom's house because of recent fires in the canyons. I don't particularly like beginning a fast on hot dogs!
Roasting hot dogs
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
9:13 pm
This morning Suzanne and I went to Kayesville to look at some teller equipment we are considering for our new Springville branch. The teller cash recyclers are amazing. Unfortunately we didn't see them interface with our software system, but it was still worth the time. We also visited two other credit union branches on our way back to Provo to get ideas. I think we came up with some possibilities that we can incorporate in our new branch.
This afternoon was frustrating. I got sucked into a couple different loans because members didn't like the answers my loan officers gave, and they hoped I would give them a different response. I made it a point to try to reinforce the info or decisions my loan officers made and re-explain the answer to them. But it took way too much of my time.
Thursday, September 24, 2020
9:39 pm
Well last night's entry didn't really conclude, I just stopped writing. I don't remember what pulled me away from finishing this entry. Maybe my battery died. Anyway…
Last night I went to the Self-Reliance class again. We start by reporting on how well we kept our commitments from the week before. I did very badly. There were four different things we committed to do, but I only remembered one of them, and I only remembered to do that one thing one time. Not very impressive. I'm doing better this week. (Of course, the commitments this week are things I am already doing – intentionally keeping the Sabbath day holy and taking the sacrament, reading from the BoM daily. Piece of cake! 😊)
Today was a super productive day at work. I had a couple of meetings that were good and I compiled everything for our upcoming State exam that can be done before the end of the month. It took a while, but I am really happy with the completeness of what is ready. Next Wednesday is the last day of September, and my goal is to close the GL on Friday so we can do the Call Report the following week.
One of the meetings I had today was with a guy named Dennis McIntee. He's a business consultant/coach from South Carolina that I met a couple years ago at an Association conference. One thing I have always liked about him is that he subtly shares his love for Jesus in his presentations. While discussing traits of great leaders, I remember him saying something like, "You don't need a title to be a leader. The greatest leader ever was a simple fisherman…" As we talked about my objectives and what we need, I think he understood where we are coming from. I will be interested to see if we are able to work together.
Spencer had his first soccer playoff game tonight. Their team played in spurts of great energy and teamwork, followed by half-hearted jogging around the field. Fortunately the other team did the same, and Spencer's team came away with the win 3-2. Spencer scored the third goal and had a few nice stops when he was goalie. He also got totally lucky when he got burned coming out for a stop, leaving the goal completely unprotected. I felt bad for the other player – he got so excited for a wide open shot that he totally missed.
Dinner tonight was pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream.
Thankful: I am thankful for getting lots done. I wish I could manufacture more of those!
Ministering: Yesterday Suzanne and I stopped at a couple credit unions to get a feel for their branch layouts. Seth and Kelsey were the manager and assistant manager at a branch of Cyprus Credit Union, and we were both really impressed by their approach and skills. I sent an email to Cyprus's CEO Todd Adamson; he and I serve on the Association Board together and I know him pretty well. I let him know how impressed we were with his employees and praised them. CEO's love to receive that type of feedback, and it never hurts the employees either!
More later…
Each of our boys has worn this outfit. Brian was the first (I know of) to wear it 38 years ago.
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
10:45 pm
Busy but productive day. I worked from home this afternoon for a couple meetings so I could avoid interruptions. Nice to be able to do that. Went to Spencer's soccer game this afternoon. Fun to watch. They played well. Tonight we had chicken tacos with fresh avocado. Wonderful. We are so fortunate to have an abundance and variety of terrific food. Jessie is making cinnamon rolls for Spencer's birthday tomorrow. Oh boy!
Tonight we ate cupcakes to celebrate Grandma W's birthday, and mint chocolate chip ice cream in honor of Brian. Hard to believe that he passed away 17 years ago. Stephanie realized that she was 17 when he passed away, meaning he has been gone for half her life. Mom pointed out that in four more years he will have been gone as long as he was alive. Sobering.
Thankful: I am thankful for the doctrine of eternal families and the resurrection. It is TRUE. And I thank God for that.
Ministering: I tried to compliment several of Spencer's teammates by name after their game.
More later…
And Google must be having some problem because I can't attach a photo to include with today's email. So just imagine a cute doodle of a loopy dog that Emma did on Sunday. I'll try to include it tomorrow.
Monday, September 21, 2020
9:38 pm
Julie had a pre-natal visit today. It was eye-opening as Dr. Jacob described all the things they are watching for, especially because Julie is 41 years old. The list of things that can go wrong is intimidating. The thought came to me that I need to trust Jesus and have confidence in the assurance I have felt that everything will be okay. At first Dr. Jacob could not find the baby's heartbeat. That was not fun. He finally gave up on the handheld device and got the ultrasound machine, which took about four minutes to boot up. Those were four long minutes. Then he discovered why he couldn't find the heartbeat – Julie's bladder was so full it has pushed the uterus higher than usual. There was our little baby, heart beating just as it should.
We tried to do a blood draw to do some testing. The technology is fascinating – they can draw Julie's blood and filter out snippets of the baby's DNA that is circulating in her bloodstream. It all sounds like magic to me. Unfortunately, Julie really isn't good at bleeding on command, and they literally got only a drop of blood after two sticks. They'll try again in a day or two after she focus on lots of hydration and wears a warm jacket all morning.
Work was frustrating. For some reason, Microsoft will let you use the same email address to create both personal and work profiles on their services. That's got to be one of the worst technology ideas I've ever heard. I can successfully log in using my work email address, but sometimes I get my work profile, and other times I get my personal profile. I have yet to figure out how to specify which one I want. If my Board ever gets a spiritual message instead of a financial report, that will be why. (eye-roll)
Thankful: Julie and Jessie made cheese ravioli from Costco for dinner tonight, and it was amazing. Sadly there is only enough left for one person tomorrow.
Ministering: I felt like I spent much of today answering questions and troubleshooting problems. I tried to use that time to help other people learn how to find the answers themselves or understand the process to come to the answer themselves. I hope it was effective.
More later…
Nathaniel really enjoyed his seat for FHE.
Sunday, September 20, 2020
8:55 pm
Being a dad is a full time job! Yesterday was full all day long. We started at soccer games in the morning. I played on the playground with Emma and Camilla at Isaac's game. Then we had lunch at home before diving in to baskets of laundry and a messy house. I put up four new exterior lights at the front of the house. Spencer was a great help with that. The old lights were dirty and the hardware was sun-bleached; I couldn't get them clean anymore. The new ones aren't quite as bright, but they look so much nicer. At bedtime I was really tired and ready to go to sleep, but the house was still a mess. So, I tidied up the entire main level. I was done (just) before midnight and we woke up today to a clean house. Great way to start the Sabbath.
Bonus – this weekend was homecoming at the high school. At about 10:30 pm we heard booms and went outside to our great firework-watching-deck and enjoyed a great fireworks show. Unexpected but delightful. And there were some new patterns that were really impressive.
Julie has been suffering from a sore back the last couple of days. Last night she woke me up when Nathaniel woke up around 4:00 am, asking if I could go downstairs and bring his bottle back up. "No problem," I thought. I'll even take him downstairs and feed him. I can do that! Wrong. I got the bottle all ready and sat down with Nathaniel, but he looked at me and waved off the bottle. I am clearly not the right person to feed him a bottle. I can feed him cereal, but not milk. So I took him and the bottle back to Julie, and he happily ate. Unfortunately, we had thrown off his routine, so it took longer than usual for him to go back to sleep.
After a late night and a long-ish night, I slept through the 4th Ward's Ward Council meeting this morning. I didn't miss their sacrament meeting however, and helped ordain a new Elder in their ward. Then I came home and helped a bit at home before we went to Church at 1:00 pm. Today was the first day of our "new" format. The sacrament is at the end of the meeting, allowing us to broadcast the meeting on the Church's network. In-person attendance is limited to 150 people, and the ordinance of the sacrament isn't supposed to be broadcast. The meeting is streamed online for those who cannot/should not/aren't comfortable attending in person. It was nice today. Jessie stayed home with Nathaniel who was sleeping. She said the streaming quality was pretty good, and I gave her the sacrament after I got home. It was a nice series of meetings.
Before Church I popped popcorn for the kids to snack on while we studied the scriptures together. After Church we did another activity – we cut out paper dolls in a chain so there are seven in a row. We're playing "contention hangman." Each doll represents one day of the week. Each time someone engages in contention, they will be asked to use a black crayon to color in one part of their doll for the day, similar to hangman. We hope not to hang anyone this week, but there has been an unpleasant amount of contention in our home recently. I think it was a good activity and hope it leads to a good week.
As I was finishing dinner prep, my favorite missionary companion Beau Bingham called. It was delightful to catch up briefly with him. We only talked for fifteen minutes or so. He is a counselor in their stake presidency and stays busy. I told him that we are expecting our tenth baby in March and he offered his congratulations. He still sounds like the same wonderful person I worked with twenty-five years ago in Namibia.
After dinner (magnificent, as usual!) we watched the new Book of Mormon video. This is the last one that will be released until 2022. Bummer. We enjoyed it quite a bit. Then we sang hymns. Grandpa, Grandma and Randy joined us for part of that. Grandpa and Randy helped me give Julie a blessing for her back. Now it's bedtime!
Thankful: I'm thankful for the gospel, it's ordinances, and priesthood keys. My fast today felt really good. I didn't start by eating like a pig, and I didn't "cheat" late into the evening snacking. It was an honest fast dedicated to blessings for myself and my loved ones.
Ministering: We tried to minister to a couple people this evening, but we asked them to join our hymn-along too late and they were already busy. Bro. Reid Heiss is new in our ward and is our Temple and Family History leader. I am very impressed with what he is doing and would like to get to know him better. We also invited a new young couple, the Zoebell's, but they were also busy. No giving up!
More later…
Spencer and me putting up the new lights. 
Finished. I need to take a photo at twilight instead of pitch black.
Friday, September 18, 2020
10:52 pm
Today went so ridiculously fast. I spent an hour working with a family whose mother is aging and beginning to make bad financial decisions. I also helped with some loans since Stacy was off today. I sent out the Board minutes. We also visited with Steve from Security Services to consider equipment for our new branch. It is Sue's birthday tomorrow so we celebrated today with lunch. It was good, but I prefer my homemade lunches.
Tonight we chatted with Mark and read Magic Treehouse to the kids. Julie and I went to Costco to put gas in Bertha. We also got some new porch lights to replace the old ones that no longer look very nice. Julie is feeling pretty gross. Nathaniel is getting fast at crawling on his belly and getting close to actually crawling. I helped Abbie and Spencer both with some homework.
Thankful: I'm thankful that I like getting up in the morning and serving my family. This morning Jessie made scones for Julie and the little kids.
Ministering: I ministered today to the family at work.
More later…
Can't remember if I posted Nathaniel playing peek-a-boo.
Thursday, September 17, 2020
9:21 pm
Today went even faster than yesterday, and it was a good day. I joined an online meeting with Blake Moore who is running for Congress in the 1st district. He seems like a good guy, but I felt sad that the purpose of the meeting was a fundraiser. That just seems wrong to me. I understand that it takes money to run a campaign, but I wish it didn't feel so… sleazy. Blech.
I had Board meeting today, and it went very well. I showed them the updated design for the Springville branch, and everyone liked what they saw. Last month we talked about replacing the credit union vehicle, and today they approved purchasing a used Honda Clarity plug-in hybrid that Stayton purchased today at auction. Jessie will buy the Camry and have a good vehicle to use for a long time.
After work we began the soccer marathon. I went to Neil and Spencer's games. They both played well, but their teams lost. Julie and the other kids went to Isaac's game. He also lost. Immediately after soccer Spencer went back to the high school for marching band. This is homecoming week, and the high school has the "burning of the S" tonight. That poor boy is going to be exhausted when he finally gets home.
Thankful: I'm thankful to have a good Board of Directors to work for. I am glad they trust me and compensate me well. It's a good feeling.
Ministering: Spencer missed the bus this morning, so I drove him to school, then drove him to soccer, then to marching band, and even made a bonus run to pick up his fancy gloves for marching band and take them back to him. I need a hybrid! 😊
More later…
Bowling last week (or was it two weeks ago?)
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
10:15 pm
Today went so fast! I accomplished a lot at work. Had several meetings including a very good one with our architect. We have refined and refined and re-refined our building design to the point that I think we are finally comfortable with it. Our audit is going well. I'm trying to learn and implement ideas that will help us grow and serve our members better. It was a good day.
Tonight after dinner we played foursquare before I had a Self-Reliance meeting. It was fun to play together. The SR meeting was good, but we were about halfway through the group meeting when we realized that the book we were using is outdated. I found the updated book online and realized it is much better than the old one. I'm glad, because I wasn't really looking forward to spending 12 weeks in the old book.
After getting home, Beau Bingham and I sent a few texts back and forth. He got my contact info from one of Mark's friends who is serving his mission in Laramie, WY where Beau lives. We both got back from Church meetings late tonight and had family responsibilities, so we decided to try to get together for a call tomorrow sometime.
Thankful: I'm just thankful for my blessings. We are healthy. My kids are good; that makes me feel so happy.
Ministering: I took blueberry muffins to work today that Jessie made. She meant to make 2 dozen for the family, but a doubled recipe ended up making nearly four dozen. No one in my office complained!
More later….
Chemistry lessons at the kitchen island.
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
9:30 pm
Productive day. I needed about nine more hours in it. Participated in a virtual training meeting for Visible Equity, our loan analytics software. It is so powerful, and I only use the smallest part of its capabilities. I feel bad about that and wish I could use it to do more. I learned several tips today that I immediately implemented to present a new report at Board meeting on Thursday. I finished the agenda for Board meeting and finished preparing items for the auditors.
Spencer had a soccer game today, and his team played really well. Spencer scored a goal just before I arrived, and had an assist on another. It was fun to watch. Jared, one of their best players, got hurt in a collision with a player from the other team. He landed on his arm and hurt his wrist. Hopefully it's not serious.
Tonight I fixed the downstairs toilet that has been leaking a little, noisily turning on and off to refill. I think it's perfect now. Jessie sautéed mushrooms for her dinner tonight and shared some with me for pasta primavera, and it took my dinner to a whole new level. Oh yummy.
Thankful: I'm thankful to learn new things. The Visible Equity sessions today were worth my time and it felt good to learn new things I can apply. I recently heard someone else talking about leadership, and the speaker suggested that CEO's should spend about half their time "in the future" instead of dealing with present issues. That really stuck with me.
Side note – one of our Hispanic members called today and insisted that he had to talk to me; no one else could help him. I was in a meeting when he called, and my staff was unsuccessful in persuading him to even tell them what it was about. When I freed up and gave him a call, he told me he needed a $2,000 personal loan. I had to chuckle about that. The whirlwind of the present will always try to pull you away from bigger issues.
Ministering: I texted Erik Watkins to ask about his schooling today. He scaled back his enrollment this semester, but is slowly making progress. I hope to use him as an "accountability partner" with the Self-Reliance classes that start tomorrow, hoping it will help him as much as it will me.
More later...
The lawn of 40 stripes
Monday, September 14, 2020
10:13 pm
Work was busy today. I hoped to get off early to go to Thanksgiving Point with the family, but couldn't do it. An audit started today, I needed to do some tweaks to the system after our new server installed over the weekend, and we had a new loan promotion start today. Julie, her family, and the kids all had a great time at Thanksgiving Point. I did a little car shopping and realized how much I dislike that. We had crepes for dinner. More later…
The boys enjoying a reverent game on Sunday.
Friday, September 11, 2020
9:32 pm
This morning I packed lunches for everyone before Abbie left for early morning seminary. Then I had time to make peach cobbler for Julie for breakfast before I left for work. I listened to an article by Elder Bednar while making it, and it was really uplifting. He talked about the importance of strong marriages, and the fact that marriage is more than a social contract that allows individuals to pursue their own happiness. One thing he said was really profound (italics mine):
[Viewing marriage primarily as a means to satisfying our own individual desires] often leads to divorce as people bounce from one relationship to another, desperate to find something that is elusive because it does not exist: a relationship that will afford people ultimate freedom, ultimate self-fulfillment, and ultimate happiness—all without their having to give anything from within themselves. The relationship sought is no relationship at all because selfishness is by definition singular.
The Divine Pattern of Eternal Marriage
September 2020
Ensign
David A. Bednar
It was a great way to start the morning.
Spencer overslept, so I took him to school.
I finally finished the financial statements for August today. We are getting a new server installed at work tomorrow, and it was mounted in the rack today. It is an impressive looking configuration. I look forward to seeing how our performance improves on Monday.
Getting the little kids in bed tonight was challenging. Emma felt like "no one was being nice to her" because Isaac wanted to sleep with Neil tonight after sleeping with Emma the last two nights. (We're doubling up some of the kids to make room for Mom W, Rachel and Karina.) After way too much crying we finally got to reading scriptures and came upon the perfect teaching opportunity.
In 3 Nephi 3:4, 10, Giddianhi claims that the Gadianton robbers dissented from the Nephites because of the many wrongs supposedly committed against them. We talked about the fact that if we tell ourselves lies and repeat them often enough, we may actually begin to believe them. The Gadianton robbers convinced themselves that they were wronged somehow, and that justified their wickedness. We then related that to our family – We need to be careful not to tell ourselves things that are not true until we begin to believe them:
· No one is being nice to me
· It's not fair
· He always gets what he wants
· I always have to do extra chores
· I never get to (fill in the blank…)
It was a timely discussion, and Emma especially asked a couple clarifying questions. Hopefully it will help all of us do better at recognizing the blessings we have.
Mark called this evening and had a nice visit with Julie, Jessie, Abbie and Spencer while I was upstairs with the little kids. It sounds like they had a great time visiting. I look forward to getting a recap from Julie.
Thankful: I am thankful for how good it feels to study the gospel and invite the Holy Ghost into my life.
Ministering: I ministered to Julie with a delicious pan of peach cobbler. I also tried to minister to my employees in a way by handling a couple of difficult situations at work today.
More later…
A view of our new server (I know, lame photo. Sorry.)
Thursday, September 10, 2020
10:17 pm
How did it get to be Thursday already? Monday was a holiday, I took Wednesday off, this is only my second day at work this week… so it's Tuesday, right? Today went very, very fast. My new computer was almost all configured when I got to work this morning. I really like the IT company we are working with now. They do a good job. I think my color printer may have finally died today after 13 years and over 100k pages printed.
Tonight we had our self-reliance kick-off devotional. I think it went well.
I ate several pieces of toast with tomato and avocado today for lunch and dinner. It was delicious.
Thankful: I'm thankful for apostles. I read a talk by Elder Eyring at lunch today on intentionally remembering to have the Holy Ghost with us. It was really good.
Ministering: At work this morning I helped another CU figure out how to correct and resubmit some of their Call Reports. It only took about 10 minutes but they were really grateful. Felt good to be helpful.
More later…
Lunch!
Tuesday, September 8, 2020
8:45 pm
I got a lot done at work today that needed to be done getting ready for an audit that starts next week and for a Supervisory Committee meeting tomorrow. I also had to reboot my computer seven times during the day because it kept freezing. Fortunately my new PC was delivered today, so that will be configured tomorrow and hopefully be resolved tomorrow. I'm taking tomorrow off because Mom W, Rachel and Karina will be here for a visit.
This past weekend it was 100 degrees, but last night an arctic storm blew in and brough snow to the mountains and cold temps in the valley. It's still summer, but we build our first fire of the year tonight. I love the smell and feel of a fire in the wood burning stove!
Thankful: I'm thankful for our blessings of safety, protection and comfort. We are really blessed.
Ministering: I have to claim ministering to my children today. I specially packed lunches for each kid with something they like. And tonight I'm going to make another peach cobbler for Julie (and everyone else who likes them) from peaches Sis. Strange gave us.
More later…
Saturday, September 5, 2020
10:28 pm
I didn't write last night because… I can't remember why.
Yesterday was more productive at work. Would have been even better but I ran into a small snag while trying to implement an IT idea. I think I'm nearly done with the first round of IT improvements, except that my PC has started freezing multiple times a day. The PC is nearly 7 years old, so I decided it's time to replace it. New machine should be here on Wednesday.
Last night Abbie went to a friend's house to have a homework party. Spencer went to the Springville football game. I rode scooters with the girls. Julie put Nathaniel to sleep. We had a nice time visiting with Mark.
Today we got a lot done. Julie gave me a haircut. We did chores around the house. I put 18 cubit feet of top soil in the area on the south side of the house where we built the retaining wall. That was just the right amount. Read scriptures to the kids and made a quick run to Reams before they closed so we have dinner tomorrow.
Sleeping time now. More later…
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
9:31 pm
Everyone got something they loved for lunch today. That means Neil got meat and gravy with no potatoes, while Emma got potatoes and gravy with no meat. Isaac got no grapes. Spencer and Abbie got everything. And I forgot to take a basket of tomatoes to work to share, so I only had one half tomato in my lunch. Fortunately there was a string cheese in the fridge at work, so I had a cheese and tomato sandwich and it was terrific.
I got lots done at work. I have been joining a weekly webinar series for small CU's. I haven't been terribly impressed with the sessions so far, and I didn't have high hopes for today's on succession planning. I was pleasantly surprised and stayed on for the entire session, coming away with some good ideas I can use to strengthen our staffing.
I found out today that the water table is too high for us to put a basement in our new office in Springville. That will require some reconfiguration of the plans. The architect put together a draft moving the necessary spaces upstairs, and I wasn't impressed. I took this as an opportunity to go back to the drawing board. I reviewed with my operations staff what we want in the new building, and we are going "back to the drawing board." We don't have to totally start over, but it's lots cheaper to change things when they're only ink and paper. I realized that some of what was in the initial design was what other people wanted, not necessarily what those of us who will be there every day want. So we're making changes, and I feel good about that.
Tonight Spencer had a soccer game. His team played well but lost 5-2. There was an unfortunate own-goal off the goalie's foot, and an amazing shot of ours that bounced off the goalpost and should have gone in. It was lots of fun to watch, even though they didn't win. Spencer really played with energy and urgency, chasing the ball and not giving up. I was proud of him.
I enjoyed visiting with Mark briefly this morning and hearing how his mission work is going. They still can't do much street contacting, but they can go into homes if they are invited. I am grateful that he is discovering the joy that comes from doing the work, and that joy isn't necessarily tied to "success."
Thankful: I am grateful for things that really matter, and for (usually) not caring about things that don't. I saw a headline that the Jazz lost a nail-biter in game 7 of the first round of the NBA playoffs. Because I only paid attention to the headlines I could shrug this off and be happy for the many things that are truly important.
Ministering: I'm going to make peach cobbler (with Costco peaches) tonight so Julie can enjoy it tomorrow morning for breakfast. And I'll even remember to sprinkle the top with sugar this time!
More later…
This picture is a couple weeks old. For a few days the kids thought it would be fun to cut the lawn with scissors. I'm really grateful for a lawn mower!
