Birthday and great food

Dear family,

It has been so nice to spend time with family this weekend. I love to be with you all!

Dad

Monday, July 12, 2021
9:08 pm

Scott and I went to lunch together on Thursday. We walked to Brick Oven and split a veggie pizza. The food was good and the company was better. It was nice to spend time as two adults with much in common.

That evening the Priest quorum met at our house for our weekly activity and made cookies. The boys polished off nearly all of them. Caleb Ober is one of my Priests and is on the autism spectrum. He is very high functioning, but definitely has some quirks. He saw Hazel and immediately was enthralled. He held her every chance he got and continues to ask about her whenever I see him. I would not have expected that from him.

Friday I went to dinner with Mike Christensen at Rumbi's.

Saturday was Julie's birthday. I made banana muffins for breakfast, then the kids helped me get several loads of laundry folded before she got up. We got the house mostly cleaned up and went to the Scottish Festival in Payson where Spencer was playing bag pipes with the Payson High School pipe band. There were several bands that performed, and they were quite good. Then we went to Bombay House with most of the rest of the extended family for dinner at Dad and Mom's treat. Steph and McKay are in town for a few weeks, so it most of the family was there. I think Mark and Jennie were the only ones missing.

Yesterday after a good day at Church, David and Lisa and their kids came over for dinner. Then everyone from Saturday's dinner, along with Addie Albertson and her kids (Trevor stayed home sick), came over for cake and ice cream to celebrate Julie's birthday again. We had a very full house. The cake was wonderful and it was fun serving lots of ice cream to everyone who was here. Spencer got his bagpipes out and put on a small (outside) concert for those who wanted to hear. Then several people including McKay, Stephanie, and Kyle all wanted to try playing the pipes. None of them got more than a pitiful squeak from the instrument, and their respect for Spencer grew.

Today I woke up with a sore throat. Not enough to keep me home from work, but enough to be annoying. Sadly, it was enough that I felt I had to cancel my temple appointment tomorrow morning. I was SO looking forward to going. I'll reschedule for the first week in August.

FHE tonight was good, and we ate yummy cookies for FHE treats.

Ministering: I hope I ministered to Julie for her birthday.

Thankful: I am thankful for bodies that heal and that are usually healthy, and for ibuprofen when needed. I'm thankful for beautiful music. I'm thankful to have been able to write in my journal tonight.

The amazing five-layer birthday cake made by Jessie.

Pizza selfie