Vaccine tomorrow

Dear family,

I love you all!

Dad

Tuesday, March 30, 2021
9:31 pm

Yesterday, Scott and I went to lunch with Mike Christensen.  He wanted to go to Ruth's Chris for fancy steaks, but we decided that was too expensive.  Instead we went to Outback.  My salmon was quite good, and Mike loved his ribeye steak.  We enjoyed visiting together.  It was one of our more pleasant times together.  We have decided to celebrate our birthdays each year by going out to lunch once.  That works well since our birthdays are in February, March, and April.  This year was Mike's turn to pay; next year will be Scott's; then mine.  Mike's big plan is to go to Ruth's Chris the year we turn 50.

Today we interviewed two people for PT teller positions. One of the interviews went quite well; we will extend an offer to him tomorrow.  The other interview wasn't bad, but it didn't "wow" us either.  Maybe I'm showing my generational bias, but I think you shouldn't show up for a job interview in jeans and a sweatshirt.

Funny story – I got dressed this morning and was hurrying to try to get out of here on time (fail).  As I got to work I realized that I forgot my tie.  At first I thought I'd just skip a tie today, until I realized that we were doing job interviews.  So I went to the mall during my lunch and picked out two new ties.  Turns out I was overdressed for at least one of the interviews!

Today I thought about the COVID vaccines that are now available.  I did some checking online and found that nearly every provider is booked out for months before they have available appointments.  By chance I found one appointment tomorrow at 1:00 pm at a pharmacy a mile from my office that is administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is the one-shot version I was hoping for.  So, I jumped on it.  By this time tomorrow I will have been vaccinated, and in two week's I'll be "protected."  I guess someone cancelled their appointment.  I'm looking forward to receiving the vaccine, and hope any side effects are mild.

Ministering: Tonight I met with several ward members for interviews.  Some got callings, others were to follow up on prior counseling sessions. 

Thankful: I'm grateful for an excellent talk I read this morning from Elder Bednar on the enabling power of the atonement.  It was very uplifting.

More later…

Yesterday's lunch selfie

Isaac got several amazing books for his birthday...

Happy birthday-eve to Isaac

Dear family,

I love you all and am heading to bed!

Love,

Dad

PS - Mark, I thought of you today when walking near the apricot tree and hearing it buzz with honeybees.

Sunday, March 28, 2021
10:15 pm

My eyes feel like sandpaper and my head really hurts, but my heart is content.  Quick recap of the last few days:

Friday was a day off for the kids, so I took the day off too.  Julie and Addie planned a bunch of activities to do together.  We got to their house shortly before lunch.  We ate a tasty lunch, then my job was to put Nathaniel down for a nap.  I was successful at putting both of us to sleep.  Three hours later we came up in time for dinner.  I think I really needed that nap.

The big news from Friday is that Abbie received her ACT score and rocked it with a 35 on her first try.  What an amazing accomplishment.  We are all so proud of her.

Yesterday was laundry day.  I think I cycled ten loads through the washer and dryer.  They were literally running all day.  I participated in folding some of them, and other family folded others while I was doing… something else useful.  (Can't remember exactly what now.)

Today had high points and low points.  I delayed bishopric meeting by 30 minutes because Nathaniel woke up (for the second time) just before my alarm.  I knew it was going to a while to get him back to sleep.  Bishopric and Ward Council were both good.  Sacrament meeting was really good; I felt good about the testimony I shared today.  I focused on Jesus' love for us.  I recently heard the phrase, "Love the sinner, hate the sin" in relation to a social media post. Jessie expressed her distaste for that phrase, and it got me thinking too.  I decided we can simply stop after the first part of the phrase – love the sinner.  That's really the extent of our responsibility.

For the second hour today we held a special combined meeting with all adults and youth to discuss mental and emotional health.  Sis. Buck and Bro. Heiss each shared experiences, and it was really good.  Then the Mounts led a discussion concerning how we can support each other as we deal all with these challenges.  It was an open, safe place to share, and it went really well.  I am very grateful for the experience.  I concluded with some thoughts:

1.       We are not alone in our suffering.  Depression and anxiety will probably touch every one of us in some way during our lives.

2.       We don't need to judge others, and we don't need to judge ourselves.  We can simply love.  At one point during the meeting someone mentioned that as Bishop, I am a judge in Israel.  I referred to that and shared my experience that in my service as Bishop, my inclinations to judgment have generally been, "I judge that person needs help.  I judge that the Lord loves that person.  I judge that person wants to feel joy."  Pretty non-judgmental judgment.

3.       We should have a plan to protect our mental and emotional health.  This should include daily "maintenance" plans as well as "emergency response" plans.

4.       Ministering brothers and sisters can and should play a significant role in supporting the emotional health of our ward members, friends, and neighbors.

Some low points were meetings that didn't feel very well participated in, and an interview that fell through.  Bummer.

Tonight we had lots of family over to celebrate Isaac's birthday tomorrow.  It was fun to be together, and the cake and ice cream were delicious.  David and Lisa and family brought Abbie back after she babysat for them this weekend.  Jennie brought her boyfriend Mitch; he was very likeable and seems like a solid young man.

Thankful and Ministering: See above.

More later…

Salza anyone?

Dear family,

The kids have the day off from school tomorrow, so I am taking the day off too.  Because of that, today felt like Friday all day long.  Two Saturdays this week!  Hooray!

I hope you know how much I love you!

Love, 

Dad

Thursday, March 25, 2021
9:26 pm

Nice day.  Work was busy in good ways, which was nice.  I joined two webinars, and both of them were valuable.  That's always a nice feeling.  Tonight, Julie and I went to dinner at Casa Salza with Dad and Mom then to their house to play a game.  It was simple and very nice.  Food was good, company was fun, and the kids were good at home while we were gone.

Thankful: I'm grateful that we had a nice date night.  I need to make this a more consistent practice.

Ministering: Today at work I met with three different ward members (okay, two current ward members and one from our last ward) and was able to help each of them with their financial objectives.  It felt nice.

More later…

Views of date night

Happy Birthday Brian!

Dear family,

I discovered that my last email was stuck in my outbox until I rebooted my computer.  Sorry for the delay; hopefully you will enjoy two emails in one night.

I love you all!  Good night.

Love,

Dad

Wednesday, March 24, 2021
9:50 pm

Happy birthday Brian!  He would have been 39 years old today.  That is astonishing.  I'm so very grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and God's plan for us.  I find great peace through faith that everything he and we missed out on because of his early death will be compensated for in the eternities.  I enjoyed a serving of mint chocolate chip ice cream in his memory tonight.

Yesterday at work I dealt with some problems.  I seem to be doing more of that lately than I wish.  Fortunately the problems aren't with my employees.  I am fortunate to work with good people who get along well.  Some of our vendors have good people trapped in bad systems.

In the evening I had several interviews followed by bishopric meeting.  I invited a newly called YW leader to remove her nose ring when she is working with the young women.  (Funny thing about near-constant mask-wearing – there are some things you don't know about people!)  She was so gracious in her response, willingly agreeing to remove it if it was a distraction to others.  I was so appreciative of her willingness to make that personal change without resentment.

Today was a good day.  Marketing meeting in the morning, a webinar on credit risks as we come out of the COVID pandemic, followed by Board meeting.  I am grateful I can work with and for a good Board of Directors.  They trust me, and we have been very fortunate to do so well.  Another silver lining of the pandemic – not being able to meet in restaurants, we have had a year's worth of Board meetings via Zoom.  They are so much more focused and effective!  We were done today in 59 minutes and discussed everything I wanted to cover.

In the evening Spencer and I went to a Priest quorum activity.  Bro. Zabriskie ran the meeting.  In addition to Spencer, Caleb Ober and Sam Larsen were the only other boys who came.  It was challenging.  I am thankful to have Bro. Zabriskie involved to help the YM grow.

Thankful: See several items above.

Ministering: I texted with our renters to check on them after some medical issues they have been dealing with.  It sounds like they are dealing with some lingering issues but are doing better.  I'm glad we are in a position to be helpful.

More later…

This quote made me laugh.  It's so true!

The wise man built his house...

Dear family,

If I hurry, I might get enough sleep to actually wake up when Nathaniel calls LOUDLY for me in the middle of the night.  That would be a good, fatherly thing to do, don't you think?

Love,

Dad

Monday, March 22, 2021
10:05 pm

I didn't get enough sleep last night, and have had a headache most of the day.  Not sure if it is lack of sleep or a cold or (heaven forbit) if I picked up COVID.  But I thoroughly enjoyed a delicious dinner tonight, so I know I haven't lost my sense of taste or smell.

FHE tonight was good.  Neil did a good lesson on building our lives on the foundation of Jesus Christ.  He used Helaman 5:12 and did an object lesson with a paper house built on wooden blocks and another paper house built on sand.  When he added water, one house fared much better than the other.  He did a good job with it.

I enjoyed visiting with Mark today during lunch.  He's a great young man, receptive to the teachings of the Holy Ghost, and willing to work.  So admirable.

Yesterday in sacrament meeting the Zabriskie's spoke.  They did a great job.  A couple highlights:

Grant: As a young performing missionary in Nauvoo he felt the influence of the Holy Ghost very strongly early in his experience.  As time went on, that intensity diminished.  He worried that he was doing something wrong, and prayed intently about it.  Finally one day he received a clear prompting (described as a spiritual 2x4 across the head) telling him to stop praying that he would feel the Spirit, and start praying that the audience we feel the Spirit.

Bri: We have a belief in the Church that "God won't give you anything you can't handle."  She rejects that as a false tradition.  God routinely gives us things we can't handle, precisely so we will turn to the Savior and rely on his grace.  If we could do everything in this life on our own, we wouldn't need a Savior.  But we do need him, so God reminds us of that.

More later…

Tonight's FHE lesson:

Rainy day

Dear family,

It rained quite a bit today.  So nice and badly needed.  Sorry for no messages the last couple days.  Evenings are less predictable with Hazel in the mix.

I love you all!

Love,

Dad

Saturday, March 20, 2021
9:44 pm

Apparently something pulled me away from my journal on Thursday!  Not really much more to tell.

Friday was busy at work.  Suzanne was off for Ryan's grandmother's funeral.  Mid-afternoon, Sue learned that she had tested positive for COVID, so she left too.  The day was busy.

This morning I made Malt-O-Meal for breakfast, then took Spencer and Nathaniel to gather donations to the food drive.  We had enough people and vehicles that Nathaniel and I were sent home.  That was okay too.  We did chores at home.  Randy took me out for lunch at Magleby's.  The food was fine, but I was happy to see how well they treat Randy since he works there.  They were super kind and comped Randy's lunch and gave a discount on mine.  They only charged us $8 for both of our lunches.  The waitress got a tip as big as our bill.

This evening after reading scriptures to the little kids I sat next to Nathaniel's bed and worked on agendas for tomorrow's meetings.

Thankful: I'm thankful for good people who are kind to others.

Ministering: I've tried to reach out to people in the last couple days just to say hello.

More later…

 A post-lunch selfie with Randy.

Fun in a group

Dear family,

You're the greatest!  I hope today was good for you!

Love,

Dad

Wednesday, March 17, 2021
9:48 pm

Tonight we had our first combined youth activity in a year, and it was nice.  The Church livestreamed the Youth Music Festival, so we got the kids together to watch it.  We provided 60 sandwiches from Gandolfo's, 72 ice cream treats, chips, soda, and cookies.  The kids didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the music, but were well behaved as they visited with their friends and ate.  Overall, I think it was a good success.  I was really glad that we had a good turnout.  I pray for the young men and young women in our ward to have good experiences.

Work today was really busy.  Sue and Reyna were both out sick today, and there was lots happening.  I ended up doing a loan, Dalley opened a couple accounts, and Stacy was working on several loans.  Overall it was a good day; I hope Sue and Reyna are feeling better tomorrow.

Thankful: I'm really glad there was a good turnout for the youth meeting tonight.

Ministering: I was the dessert server tonight, distributing seconds to the youth as they visited with their friends.  I hope that small act made an impression on them.

More later…

Look at all these people in one place! 😯

Final blood donation

Dear family,

After a three-hour nap this afternoon, it's time to go back to bed.  Love to all!

Dad

Tuesday, March 16, 2021
11:07 pm

What a day.  Suzanne took the day off because Ryan's grandma passed away on Sunday and she needed to spend time with family.  I totally support that.  Sue left early because she wasn't feeling well and didn't want to share germs with the office.  I totally support that too.  I had an appointment to donate blood today at 2:30 at a blood drive near my office.  Everything went great until the very end when I started to feel a little woozy.  A little woozy turned into passing out while still on the donation bed.  I finally got back to the office; Stacy looked at me and asked if I felt okay – I didn't.  I lay down on our couch downstairs for an hour then asked Spencer to come pick me up.  I threw up on the drive home, then slept for three hours on the couch in the living room.  On the bright side, I got quite a bit of snuggle time with Hazel!

Mark shared a good insight in an email the other day.  Jesus pays the price of our sins.  He then "sets the terms" for our living, not because he wants us to repay him, but because he wants to change us.  The thought occurred to me that this is the same with earthly parents.  We don't keep track of the cost of raising kids and expect them to pay us back, and we don't view this as some sort of investment with a hoped-for return.  No, we seek to raise our children in love and righteousness, hoping that they will become men and women of Christ, firm in the faith and valiant in their service to God and others.

More later…

A talk

Dear family

This letter was from yesterday.  My internet connection wasn't stable and would never send.  So enjoy two emails on the same night.

Love,

Dad

Monday, March 15, 2021
11:10 pm

Switch to daylight savings time is tough, especially with 6 am meetings on Sunday.  Second day (today) is worse than the first.

Last night Nathaniel bonked his nose on Spencer's back and got a bloody nose.  It finally stopped bleeding after I pinched it shut for five minutes.  He didn't like that at all, nor the shower that followed.  But he settled down with Signing Time and a bottle, then was so worn out from the experience that he slept all night!

Sunday was ward conference.  I was happy with the talk I gave.  Felt like I received some revelation concerning what to talk about.  Several people after mentioned that they felt like I was talking to them directly.  Interestingly, I did have some specific people in mind as I spoke, but some of the people who made that comment weren't among those I was thinking of.  The Lord is good.

I love my family.  I hope to get enough sleep to be rested and serve them cheerfully tomorrow.  More later…

Here's the outline for my talk on Sunday:

Jacob 1:17 - Obtain your errand from the Lord

What is my errand?  "Tell everyone how much I love them and want to help them."

 

I know this is true.  Two weeks ago I walked out of Sacrament meeting feeling the love of God for our ward.

 

D&C 68:25, 29

·        My scriptures were hacked in a holy way.  Revised verse 25:

And again, inasmuch as you are a Bishop in a stake of Zion and teach your ward members not to understand the doctrine of Jesus Christ, including our responsibility and opportunity to strive each day to follow Him more closely, seeking to hear and heed the promptings of the Holy Ghost in our daily actions and decisions, the sin be upon your head.  And the inhabitants of Zion shall also observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

 

What is the doctrine of Jesus Christ?

·        Love Jesus Christ and seek to feel his love for us

·        Trust Jesus. 

§  Trust him when he says he can cleanse and forgive our sins, no matter how disgusting they are.

§  Trust him when he says he understands our pain and suffering.  When we suffer, turn toward him, not away.  Bring the power of the atonement into our lives.

·        Physical pain - cancer, recovering from an injury, anything

·        Emotional suffering - depression, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, victim of abuse

·        Spiritual pain - crisis of faith, not sure what you believe, struggling with doubts

§  Because of the atonement of Jesus Christ, he can make us complete and finished.  His ultimate goal is make us as he is.  Moroni 10:32.  His job is to do the perfecting; our job is to come unto Christ, deny ourselves of all that is ungodly, and love God.  As we do these things, we allow his grace to make the difference in our lives.  Then we are sanctified in Christ (verse 33).

 

 

D&C 59:3-12, 21

·        4 - Receiving commandments is a blessing from God.  The world has bought into Satan's lie that commandments restrict us and keep us from happiness.  Just the opposite is true.  Commandments teach us divine law.  As we understand and obey those laws, we are free to enjoy blessings and opportunities that otherwise would be unavailable to us.  Without understanding and obeying the laws of electricity, we would live in the dark.  Without understanding and obeying the laws that govern flight, we would never be airborne.  And without understanding and obeying the spiritual laws that God understands, loves, and obeys, we could never experience the happiness that he enjoys.  What commandments have you received that are a blessing in your life?  Is there a commandment that you could live more faithfully?  What happiness and blessings await you as you do so?  Or put another way, is there a blessing you want?  What commandment do you need to obey to receive that blessing?  Are you willing to begin today to obey that commandment more fully?

·        8 - Broken heart is sorrow that the things God loves are not the things we love, or the way God loves is not the way we love.  A contrite spirit is a desire to change and a willingness to accept that change without resisting.

·        9-12 - Keeping the sabbath day again.  This apparently is very important to God because he keeps bringing it up.  Are we keeping the sabbath day in a way that shows our love to God?

 

One of the commandments we have received from God that is specific to our day - this day of pandemics and contention and protest and anger - is the Children and Youth program.

If you don't have children living at home, don't tune out!  Married or single, empty nesters or still with a full flock, the song "I am a Child of God" is always true.  No matter your circumstance in life, you are a child of God and the Children and Youth program can bless your life.

 

The program is patterned after Luke 2:52 - And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.  Four aspects:

1.       Wisdom - intellectual component

2.       Stature - physical health and growth

3.       Favor with God - spiritual growth and strengthening of testimony

4.       Favor with man - social development

 

All children of God are invited to set specific goals in each of these areas, and then to plan how to develop.

Elder Scott D. Whiting gave an excellent talk on Becoming like Him in October 2020 General Conference.  He suggests:

 

[Once] you have resolved to change and repent and have sought guidance through praying, pondering honestly, and possibly counseling with others, you will need to select an attribute that will keenly become your focus. You will need to commit to exerting meaningful effort. These attributes won't come cheaply and suddenly, but through [the] grace [of Jesus Christ] they will come incrementally while endeavoring.

 

Christlike attributes are gifts from a loving Heavenly Father to bless us and those around us. Accordingly, our efforts to obtain these attributes will require heartfelt pleas for His divine assistance. If we seek these gifts to better serve others, He will bless us in our efforts. Selfishly pursuing a gift from God will end in disappointment and frustration.

 

By focusing deeply on one needed attribute, as you progress in obtaining that attribute, other attributes begin to accrue to you. Can someone who is focusing deeply on charity not increase in love and humility? Can someone who is focusing on obedience not gain greater diligence and hope? Your significant efforts to gain one attribute become the tide that raises all boats in the harbor.

 

Plead with parents to become intimately involved with their children's efforts in Children and Youth.  Set the example by sharing your worthy goals and discussing your successes and failures. 

 

Testify of God's love for each of us.

 

Confidence

  Dear family,

I sure love you all and am grateful that we get to spend our lives and eternity together.  Have a wonderful day tomorrow!

Love,

Dad

Thursday, March 11, 2021
9:16 pm

First day back at work.  Plowed through lots of emails, somehow ended up in some front-office types of work.  Watched a webinar presentation on confidence.  It wasn't bad.  One thing the speaker said that I thought was good was that we need to treat our confidence as we would our house – it's a valuable asset that we protect from vandals.  And the "vandals" that damage our confidence are things like comparing ourselves to others, speaking badly of ourselves in our own minds, and unnecessarily delaying decisions that we need to make.  She referred to a couple studies that suggest that generally the best time to make a decision is when you have 40%-70% of the information.  Earlier than that and you're just guessing; later and you've probably missed opportunities when you knew enough to make a good-enough decision and adjust on the fly.  Interesting ideas.

Tonight Spencer played his bagpipes and was thrilled.  They are quite loud.  It was especially humorous when he played on the back deck and the neighborhood dogs joined in with their barking.

Ministering: I checked on the Chun's to see how Andilynn is doing.  I wished Steve Miner a happy birthday.  I came home mid-morning so Julie could check with the academic counselor with Abbie to make sure she is on track for graduation.  I stayed with the three youngest and played kitchen while she was gone.

Thankful: I'm thankful for children that aspire to be their best, and that help each other.  Last night Abbie was up until somewhere around 1:30 am finishing a video project for her ASL class.  Spencer was right there with her helping with the video editing, one of his strengths.  That was so kind of him to share his talent with her.  I'm also especially thankful that Hazel ate better today from Julie.  Several great things to be thankful for.

More later…

All dressed up and ready to pipe!

Several items

Dear family,

I love nice days.  It has been a nice week off from work to help here at home.  I'm glad I have a good job and don't dread going back.  I love you all!

Love,

Dad

Wednesday, March 10, 2021
9:27 pm

Good day today.  After the big kids went to school, Julie and I went with Camilla, Nathaniel and Hazel to Thanksgiving Point to see the butterfly exhibit.  It was fun and similar to the exhibit at the Smithsonian in DC, but has the advantage of being only 30 minutes away and included in the price of our annual membership.

I made some strawberry jam this afternoon.  Spencer and I attended a priest quorum activity watching the Face to Face event with Elder Gong introducing the Children and Youth program.  It was really good; I made lots of notes for ideas to help this be effective in our ward.

As I have been pondering what I am supposed to do as Bishop, a couple ideas came to me.  One thought is to create a "vision" for our ward.  I don't necessarily want to make a big production out of this; I'm afraid that would be counterproductive and turn people off from the effort.  Instead, I'm thinking of creating a personal aspiration statement that describes my service as Bishop, then using that to guide a similar idea with the Ward Council that is almost created organically.  I think this effort, or something like it, is going to be essential to me serving in a way that makes a difference.  I anticipate it will also make my service much more a purposeful labor of love.  I want my service as Bishop to be about serving and loving, with almost no thought for the duration of that service.

Hazel got her foot poked again to check her bilirubin.  The number is almost identical to where it was 48 hours ago, but that's a good thing because she is older.  Since we have started supplementing her nursing with a bottle, we are hopeful that will help her grow better.  I also got a stinky diaper for the first time since she came home from the hospital.  That also helps get the bilirubin out.  Grateful she is doing well.

I had an online meeting this afternoon with the credit union Quantum group.  Partway through I turned my camera on and showed off Hazel.  That brought the meeting to a sudden stop as I got to introduce her to my colleagues.  It was nice.

Ministering: I went to the Chun's home to help give a blessing to Andelyn.  She has not been feeling well.  They aren't sure the extent of the medical problems she has, but they are sure faithful and loving to her.

Thankful: I'm really grateful that the Priest Quorum activity tonight went well.  I'm also thankful for personal revelation to guide my decisions and actions.

More later…

Two views of our visit today to Thanksgiving Point.

Training wheels are awesome!

Dear family,

Dad, Abbie found the mower blade to power rake the lawn that I asked you about.  The goats were borrowing it, I'm sure to keep the barnyard looking nice.

Love to all!

Dad

Tuesday, March 9, 2021
9:44 pm

Last week I gave Nathaniel a blessing.  He slept through the night the next two nights when Julie was in the hospital.  Then she got home, and he's been waking up again.  Still figuring this out.

Julie took Hazel to the doctor to get weighed today because she's been worried about her not eating well.  She has lost six ounces.  We got her some formula to supplement nursing, and she's been downing an additional ounce at each feeding.  I'm glad we can do that for her, and hope the additional food will help her in every way.

I put training wheels on a bike for Camilla today, and she loves it.  Power-raked part of the lawn this afternoon.  Tonight we had a bit of a meltdown at bedtime, but made it through with love and kindness (as much as possible when someone gets a swat).  Chatted with my counselors by phone for ten minutes or so.  Calling it a day.

Thankful: I am thankful that because of the atonement of Jesus Christ, the person I want to be tomorrow is not prisoner to the person I was yesterday.

Ministering: I sent a text to our renters to check on how they're doing.  They're both struggling with some significant health challenges, and I wanted them to know we are worried about them.

More later…

Isaac is all ready for Halloween.

Camilla (in Isaac's old coat - totally confusing) learning how to ride with training wheels.

Groceries!

Dear family,

Mark, it was so nice to visit with you this afternoon.  Sorry I didn't get to join more of the conversation - I was playing "dad" for the younger kids outside.  I am proud of your efforts and insights.  You are a wonderful missionary.

Jessie, thank you for working with Emma to make tonight's FHE treats.  I love it when the little kids get to do things with you to make memories.  And when you make yummy food in the process, it's even better!

I love you all!

Dad

Monday, March 8, 2021
10:15 pm

Sunday morning Nathaniel woke up at 5:30 I was getting out of the shower and Julie was feeding Hazel.  He never went back to sleep.  I ended up missing bishopric meeting and joining Ward Council by Zoom.  Not 100% effective, but it was the best I could do in the circumstances.

Yesterday we visited with three families in our home.  The Swenson's came by to hold Hazel.  I hope that was helpful for them as they continue to grieve the death of their daughter Mia.  Later in the afternoon Laura Parkin came over with her daughters to share some homemade rolls.  They were here as we were preparing to partake of the sacrament, so we invited them to stay with us.  Then after dinner we invited our neighbors the Bates to come share a cupcake with us.  We had a nice visit with them, until they had to leave suddenly because they got a text that their autistic son had cut his head.  (He ended up needing three staples, but nothing that will cause lasting damage.)  I hope we were able to minister to these friends because that's about all the worshipping that we did.  Yesterday didn't feel terribly organized or worshipful.  Lack of sleep probably played a part of that.

Today Julie slept until after 10, which is a great thing.  Hazel needed her bilirubin checked again.  She's still in the low/moderate category and needs to get it checked again in a day or two.  Fortunately it's not a high risk issue. 

This afternoon I went grocery shopping with Bro. Crandall, Berkley Clements and Ian Swenson to get food for the Sister missionaries.  We can't have them over for in-person meals, so this is the preferred way to feed the missionaries now.  I planned a good menu for them and hope they enjoy it.

I missed most of FHE tonight because Nathaniel was exhausted and ready for bed.

Ministering: I hope my efforts yesterday and today will make a difference for others.

Thankful: I am thankful that Hazel is healthy.  She's still sleeping almost all the time and is getting a little better at eating.

More later…

Back from grocery shopping for the missionaries.  It was a beautiful day today.

Sunday photos

No journal entry tonight. Nathaniel up at 5:30. I missed bishopric and joined ward council by Zoom. Enjoyed several visitors today: Swenson's, Laura Parkin, and the Bates. 

Love,

Dad

Singing happy birthday to Rachel

Loves from an older brother. 

Who needs a nap when they're this cute?

Ken

Sent from my mobile device

Please forgive any strange auto-corrections! 

Welcome Hazel!

Dear family,

What a wonderful day today has been!   I am so tired, the words are swimming on my screen as I try to type them.  I hope the laptop doesn't seip off my lap while I finish typing.  Love to all,

Dad

Thursday, March 4, 2021
9:47 pm

Welcome to wonderful Hazel!  She was born today at 1:25 pm, 6 pounds 12 ounces, 20 inches long.  Today truly felt like a miracle.  Labor felt like it was going slowly all morning.  At 12:15 our nurse let us know she was going to lunch because we were in a lull and things were moving slowly.  Ten minutes later things got hopping.  Contractions went from mild to intense in a matter of minutes.  Fortunately, Julie was able to get an epidural still which greatly helped.  The doctor arrived in plenty of time.  When he was sure the epidural was working he broke the water.  Just a few minutes of pushing later, Hazel was here.  She is perfect, had a very healthy cry, and needed no interventions.  She latched on to nurse within the first hour and again later in the evening.  None of our other kids took to nursing so naturally.  I am overwhelmed with love for this little girl and with gratitude to God for this wonderful miracle for our family.

Another tender experience happened last night.  Andy Hjorth came over to help me give Julie a blessing before today's delivery.  Nathaniel sat with Abbie during the blessing.  When we finished blessing Julie, Nathaniel walked over to me and got my attention.  He put his hand on his head, then tried to climb into the chair Julie had been sitting in.  When I boosted him in, he folded his arms and waited.  So, I blessed him too!  It was so sweet.  I blessed him that he would be good today for Grandma and other who watched him while we were at the hospital.  I blessed him to eat.  I blessed him to sleep.  All of those blessings were realized today.  The blessing for Julie was also nice.  One phrase that I have felt more than once while blessing Julie through ths pregnancy is, "You will be blessed forever."  Our family is ours eternally, and we will be a blessing to each o9ther eternally.

Young Men's on Wednesday felt challenging on many different levels.  Also Wednesday Mark got a new companion, new area, and new responsibility as district leader.  I couldn't be more proud of him.

Tuesday I met in the evening with several people.  They are each dealing with challenging situations in their lives.  I am grateful for ideas that come to me through revelation and hope that I am able to act on them appropriately.

Ministering and Grateful: I am grateful for so many things, many of which are listed above.  More later…

No journal tonight

Hi all, no journal entry tonight. Too tired. 

Jessie, thanks for making cookies. They will be enjoyed!

Mark, you were on my mind all day. Praying for you in your new area with new Comp and responsibilities. 

Abbie, I'm glad you had a good day and are so responsible. 

Spencer, thank you for helping with the dishwasher this morning. 

Love,

Dad

I took this photo the other day at the graveside service for Mike's dad. 

Ken

Sent from my mobile device

Please forgive any strange auto-corrections! 

Perfect ultrasound

Dear family,

Mark, it was wonderful to talk to you today.  I am excited for you to go to a new area and begin working with another new missionary.  You'll be a great district leader.  Remember, patience and love are keys to effective leadership, especially in the Church.

Jessie, you're a great worker.  Thanks for putting in the time to accomplish so much on your mission.  Sometime soon we'll have to visit so you can tell about your trip to Idaho!

Love to all,

Dad

Monday, March 1, 2021
9:57 pm

Today went so incredibly fast.  First day of the month always has a lot going on, and today was no exception.  Suzanne and Sue started in their new roles today.  I spent some time working with them.  It is going to take some time to figure out how to delegate, train them on what I want them to do, etc. I also spent time working on a couple of loans, but that was not on purpose.

Best news of the day was going to the ultrasound at Maternal Fetal Medicine at the hospital.  The ultrasound was perfect.  Baby is estimated at 7 pounds 2 ounces today.  Scheduled to induce on Thursday.

Nathaniel has discovered a new personality.  He is gaining more control over his ability to throw things, which can be hazardous if you aren't expecting something to come at you.  He likes standing on the table and takes it personally if you don't want him to do that.

Chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight was tasty.  FHE was late but very good.  I didn't get enough sleep last night, so I'm going to head to bed.  More later…

Tonight's FHE activity. Sort of like "pin the tail on the donkey."  It was really fun.