Quick note

Dear family,

Here's a quick note before we all go to sleep. I love you all!

Dad

Thursday, October 7, 2021
9:26 pm

My goodness time goes fast! So much has been happening.

Our new Springville branch is coming along. The slab was poured this week; framing is supposed to be next, but there are supply issues. The roof trusses are backed up 4 weeks longer than usual, so that will delay the framing. They are going to shift resources and work on the exterior, including parking lot, curb and gutter, etc.

We have started interviewing for another part-time teller position, and are working on training Eliza and David for their full time roles. We are preparing to introduce our Kasasa rewards checking platform next month. We're also changing the way we track collateral insurance on loans, looking for a new phone system, and putting our card processing out for bid. I've neve been busier.

I have enjoyed going to the temple nearly every week, but scheduling kept me out this week. Instead I focused on indexing; I've gotten out of that practice.

Young Men last week was a great event. We invited the Ward Missionaries to join us, and the priests studied and taught a portion of the missionary lessons to each other. It wasn't the most polished teaching, but the Holy Ghost was present and it was a great experience. I came away feeling uplifted.

Jessie and I went to lunch together last Friday. It was nice to be together. We usually go to Guru's when we go out. They make tofu that is actually good. Didn't know that was possible! 😊

This past weekend was General Conference. I paid attention to as much as I could, but I worked during the Saturday morning session and tried to be engaged with the kids during the other sessions. We bottled about twelve gallons of grape juice over the weekend but missed making our traditional Conference cinnamon rolls. Fortunately, the conference sessions are already available on the Gospel Library app, so I've started listening to them again. Wonderful. I love our Church leaders so much and am grateful to be able to follow them.

Time to help put Nathaniel in bed. More later…

GOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLL

Dear family,

Love to all!

Dad

Thursday, September 2, 2021
9:36 pm

Two days in a row! I went to the temple this morning and enjoyed that. Work was pretty good. Reyna and I had a lunch meeting with someone we might use to help us with mortgage loans. After work I picked up pizza and met the family at Neil's soccer game. He scored his first goal tonight. Sadly, Abbie, Spencer and I missed it because we were already at YM/YW. The YM worked on repairing bicycles. We tried to teach the youth some skills. It was hard to keep their attention.

Last night Bro. Trevenen brought a LOT of leftover food from Costa Vida from a YSA activity they helped with. There was more than we could eat, so Julie took it to school today and treated Abbie, Spencer, and their friends to lunch in the parking lot. They loved it. What a cool Mom!

More later…

Costa Vida, parking lot edition

Can you tell someone's happy? Nice job Neil!

Welcome to September!

Dear family,

This year is racing by so fast! I'm glad you are a part of my life. I love you all!

Dad

Wednesday, September 1, 2021
9:25 pm

It's been a good several days. On Saturday we had a summer version of the credit union's pancake breakfast. The turnout was a little smaller than normal, but not tons; probably around 225 people. I was so grateful for my Board and staff. Everyone pitched right in and worked wherever they were needed. It went really well. I'm always grateful for that. We gave away a couple dozen prizes, the weather was perfect, and we were done and cleaned up by 10:30. Good morning.

Spencer and I ran a few errands after breakfast, getting a trombone for Neil and band music for a couple people. Spencer drove to finish getting his required hours to get his license in a few weeks.

Sunday we had a special ward council focused on missionary work and temple and family history work. I want to reinvigorate these two important aspects of our service in the gospel. We discussed ideas to help consultants and ward missionaries know what they should do, and have the confidence to serve in their callings. We still have some decisions to make, but I like the direction we are headed.

I had some interviews after Church, then we all (except Abbie) drove to SLC to pick Jessie up from the airport. She spent a week in California visiting Steph and McKay, then Becca and David with Rachel. After getting Jessie we went to David and Lisa's house for a visit and Sunday dinner. I fell asleep on the couch after dinner. Abbie stayed home to help with a Temple and Family History event.

Monday as I was getting ready to leave work I got a text that a ward member was in the hospital and wanted a blessing. On Sunday I wondered if she was pregnant. Monday I found out that she is 32 weeks pregnant! Hoping she can keep the baby in for five more weeks. Her blood pressure is high, but there are no other issues with preterm labor, so hopefully everything will work out well.

Last night I had two good experiences while visiting with ward members.

With the first one a sister gave me a heads up on Sunday that she wanted to talk about some family concerns, and gave me a brief outline. I wasn't sure how I could counsel her on those things, and had been pondering on that for the two days until our appointment. It turned out she mainly needed someone to listen to her. I did that, and as we were wrapping up, I realized how what I had been reading in D&C 94-97 applied perfectly to her situation. In those sections the Lord repeatedly encourages His followers to prepare a variety of buildings for His presence, ensuring that no unclean thing comes in. Our homes, although not consecrated temples, can similarly be sacred spaces where the Holy Ghost dwells. I encouraged her to intentionally focus on scripture study to invite the Spirit in her home more consistently.

Second experience – I visited with a young man who has submitted his mission papers and is now waiting for my recommendation. Before he came in I was wondering how to approach this interview; I've never recommended anyone for missionary service before. I felt guided in the way I prepared for the interview and also in the counsel and assignments I gave during it. Truly, the Lord guides his Bishops.

Today was a good day at work. The first day of the month, I was working to get our month end reports compiled. We had a very good month by every measure. I also spent time working on some of our major projects we are working on, and I think we made some good decisions.

More later…

That's a lot of sausage!

Abbie was asked out to Homecoming.

Parable of the laborers

Dear family,

Wrapping up lunch, I took time to write a quick journal entry. I love you all!

Dad

Thursday, August 26, 2021
11:52 am

Quick journal entry at the end of lunch. Much has happened.

Work has been really busy but feels very productive. Had "vision huddles" with each member of my staff in the past week. Introduced a "BHAG" (Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal) to grow to $100 million in four years. That is audacious, but I think we can do it. Meetings went well, and I think we are in good position to become better. Making progress on several of the initiatives I am working on.

Saturday spent most of the morning running between various soccer games or practices and playing on the playground with Nathaniel. Did a lot of cleaning at home, wish there would have been time to play a few games, but the home was clean.

Sunday was busy. Had interviews with lots of our youth; we are working on visiting with each of them in a mid-year interview. They are generally doing well. Trying to help them discover that they can have their own personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Spending time in the scriptures helps with that. Ward Youth Council meeting went really well. The kids were engaged, laughing (appropriately) and interacting with each other. Hasn't always been that way.

Camilla started kindergarten yesterday. She was so excited to go that I barely got her to stay with me for a photo. I hope she has a great experience.

Bro. Heiss shared a great thought related to Jesus' parable of the laborers in the vineyard. The message of this parable should NOT be that we can have the same "reward" even if we slack off for the first eleven hours and just sneak into the field as a laborer at the end of the day. Instead, he focused on how the potential laborers felt during the day. In Jesus' day, if you didn't work, you didn't eat. The people hired first thing in the morning were fortunate; they knew all day that they would be able to feed their children that night. Although the work was hard, they willingly labored, knowing that they could provide for their loved ones. The longer the day went, the more desperate the remaining unemployed workers must have felt. Rather than focusing on the "outcome," consider the desires of the workers. They WANTED to work all day and were probably near desperate at the end of the day, willing to do whatever they could for whatever they could get. The most fortunate people of the day were those who didn't have to wonder if their day would be wasted. We, as members of Christ's true Church, are the fortunate ones who have the truth to guide us all the time. Sure, there is work involved, but it's well worth it.

More later…

First day of kindergarten!

Masked or not, I love being in the temple.

Lightning!

Dear family,

It's bedtime. I love you all!

Dad

Wednesday, August 18, 2021
9:42 pm

Mid-week journal entry! Monday we had a really nice FHE with Dad, Mom and Randy. We played a version of the throwing-a-thimble-full-of-water-on-someone game, but I changed it to give a piece of candy instead. I though that would be an improvement until I tried to end the game. Everyone still wanted more candy; people aren't so excited to get water thrown on them. Dad shared his experience blessing his father before he passed away. It was a tender experience. The lesson was good and Spencer served us all ice cream for dessert.

Yesterday I had lunch with the CEO's of Alpine, Nebo and Pacific Horizon CU's. We get together once a month for lunch. It's interesting – Paul (Alpine) is currently serving as Bishop of his ward and Dale (Nebo) was Bishop of his ward until recently. We always end up talking about Church stuff for a while. The First Presidency last week sent a letter to all Church members encouraging us all to receive the COVID vaccine. It has been surprising and disheartening to hear of many Church members who are struggling with this counsel.

Reid and I visited the Van Horn's and Simons last night, and also chatted with Rio Davis for a bit. All the visits were really nice.

Last night there was a huge thunderstorm. Somewhere in the middle of the night there was a tremendous boom as lightning struck somewhere very close. This morning when I got in my car, every warning light on the dashboard was on and the computer display cycled through warnings for every system notifying me that there was a problem with everything. The lightning was so close it scrambled the car's computer. Fortunately it was fine after the techs reset it.

Today was the first day of school. I'm really happy that the kids all seemed to have a good day. I was especially happy that someone Isaac met today invited him to play soccer at recess. The kids were all a little apprehensive about starting school since everyone except Abbie moved to a new school. Tender mercy.

I had lunch with Taylor Nadauld, a professor from BYU, and three of his colleagues. They are interested in several consumer-finance questions, and they picked my brain for 90 minutes on a variety of subjects. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Temple first thing tomorrow. More later…

As busy as I've ever been

Dear family,

The past week has raced past as fast as any seven day period I can remember. Between family, work, and Church, I am as busy as I have ever been. Unlike when I was in college, it is now spread across more classes of responsibility. I'm grateful for the sustaining hand of God to make it possible. Here's an abbreviated recap of the week.

Much love to all!

Dad

Sunday, August 15, 2021
10:01 pm

Writing every night was a nice tradition while it lasted. Now I'm grateful to write weekly. Sometimes even in complete sentences. Not tonight. Recap:

Monday: Worked on the implementation of our new checking account product. We're still a few months away from launch. There's lots to do. The company we're working with has a process that is organized and comprehensive. I wish more of the companies we work with had a similar process. Evening had FHE and it was nice. I did the lesson uncovering a picture of the temple that had pieces of paper with principles related to a "house of godliness." Then we used those same shapes to build a home. The kids were impressed. Score one for the dad, no Pintrest needed! 😊

Tuesday: Meetings at work, trying to lay the groundwork for more changes that are coming. I realized this week at work that I am changing nearly everything. Switching vendors to save cost, improve products, and get better support. We're spending a significant amount of money on Springville; we can't open there and do what we've been doing the way we've been doing it and expect to succeed. Won't happen. Starting NOW to become what we need to be. Had a couple good Bishop visits in the evening with people who have good goals to change and grow. That's encouraging, but it is difficult to see the struggles that some people deal with.

Wednesday: Spencer's last day of early morning driver's ed. More meetings at work. No meetings after work which was a nice change.

Thursday: Temple day! It was so nice to go to the temple again! I can only sign up for one endowment session at a time, and by the time I finish one, it takes a while before I can schedule the next one. But I can also schedule one initiatory session and one sealing session. Thursday is my favorite day to go – I see Bro. Crandall, Bro. Kent, and Bro. Paulsen there. I'm scheduled for the next three Thursdays. Hooray!

Thursday at work was a really productive day. Spent most of it preparing to discuss with employees the new my vision. Scheduled individual meetings for the week of the 23^rd so I have time to finish preparing a general introduction plus personalized messages for each employee.

Thursday evening was water kickball for combined YM/YW. Went very well. Seth Puckett came and had a good time. That's the first time he's been to a youth activity in years. Finished with root beer floats.

Friday: Busy morning at work. Met Scott Dunn at Brick Oven for lunch to celebrate his birthday last week. Nice visit with him. Took the afternoon of to go swimming with the kids in Spanish Fork. Temperature was mid 90's – just the way I like it if I'm going to be swimming. Julie stayed home with Nathaniel and Hazel. Too bad she couldn't come but it was so much easier to swim with bigger kids. We went down the slide as much as people wanted. Lines weren't long and it wasn't too crowded. Three hours went by surprisingly fast. Bonus: no sunburns!

Saturday: Chores. Wish those didn't take so long, but they do. Mike Christensen sang in the Salem Days talent show. I went to help video the performance and support him. I was impressed by his dedication. His hands were shaking as he held the mic, but he put everything he had into it. I was apprehensive for him before it began, but it turned out to be a pretty good experience. I enjoyed his cover of Magic by Coldplay more than some of the original songs by other bands that performed!

Cleaned the kitchen and prepped agendas etc. for today's meetings until almost midnight, then finally got to sleep.

Today: Church was good. Technical difficulties getting the Zoom meeting launched. YW sang a number and it was really nice. Emma gave a talk in Primary. We didn't take time to help her prepare well, so I ended up writing her talkf or her. It wasn't an optimal outcome. Need to do better next time. Had a bunch of interviews, including an impromptu one to strengthen a brother who longs to be healed from past abuse. I feel God's love for His children, regardless of their circumstances. The gospel of Jesus Christ truly is a hospital for the weak, sick, and broken. He accepts us as we are, then changes us for the better. There's no such thing as "too broken" to come to Jesus. The only thing I can think of that really keeps us away is "too stubborn." Also had a great visit with Pres. Brinkerhoff. I always love visiting with him.

Tonight enjoyed a wonderful dinner (got the green beans perfect this week after messing them up a few times in a row.) Did a nice activity from Come, Follow Me learning about D&C 88:119-126 in the afternoon. Didn't fall asleep on the couch, although it was close! Read about a Christian organization to which we donate that is working to alleviate suffering. Was sobering the challenges they are working to address. Led to some tears from several people, including Emma worried about bad guys near our home. Tried to reassure her. Then discussing drugs while learning about the Word of Wisdom didn't help. She's sleeping in our bed now. That's something I need to do pronto.

More later…

A long message

Dear family,

This is a long-ish one. So without further ado, press on.

Love to all,

Dad

Sunday, August 8, 2021
9:25 pm

Thursday Abbie came with me to attend wedding receptions for both Megan McConnell and Selendra Lewis. I can't believe I am now at the point that I'm attending wedding receptions for my children's friends. Both receptions were really nice. Abbie came with me because Hazel wasn't happy after getting her immunizations earlier that day. Fortunately, it only took a day for her to feel better.

Friday I went to SLC for the first time in a long time for a work-related meeting. It wasn't really a meeting – it was an open house to celebrate Marilyn Pearson's reception since we couldn't do one during the height of the COVID pandemic. The World's Greatest Corndogs food truck was there. It was a tasty meal, but next time I think I'll just get the half-sized corndog. Marilyn is doing well and is now serving in a significant leadership role at a girl's camp in the Salt Lake Valley. I bet she's doing a great job.

That evening we had a ward potluck dinner at Jolley's Ranch up the canyon. It was well attended, and I'm grateful for that. There was a lot of smoke in the air. A low-pressure system has moved into the area and drawn in smoke from wildfires in Oregon and California. It's amazing the devastation and effects we are experiencing.

Saturday morning I worked. Most of the day was slow, and that was great. I was able to watch a bunch of training videos for a new service we are preparing to launch in October. The last 15 minutes got very busy; I did more transactions in that last quarter hour than I did the rest of the morning. In the afternoon we focused lots on cleaning. Isaac was convinced he couldn't do anything, then after a little pep talk, some chastisement, and a little aggravation from the parents, he did a great job cleaning the dishwasher doors.

I hoped to take Julie out for a date in the evening, but it didn't happen. Instead we watched the 4x400 men's and women's relays on the Olympics during dinner. It was incredible to see what the human body can do with dedication, focus, and talent. It was nearly a spiritual experience.

Church today was nice. We had several young men speak about their experience at Aaronic Priesthood encampment. Chase Crandall spoke, and I was the concluding speaker. I didn't write a talk, but made notes of several points I wanted to cover. I was pleased with how it went, and several ward members commented favorably about it. My objective was to testify of Jesus Christ in a way that would reach people, no matter their current level of faith or conviction. I am coming to realize how much we all need Jesus, no matter how strong or faithful we have been in the past. And I'm afraid that some people feel that Jesus can't or won't help them because they are too messed up, too broken, too rebellious, or too far past feeling. None of those are true. I tried to share a message of hope in Jesus that will apply broadly.

After Church I had several good meetings with ward members in various stages of activity and with different needs. Gratefully, everyone I met with today recognizes that the Savior can and will help them. I look forward to continuing to work with them. I was also really pleased to see all of the Puckett family come to sacrament meeting today. I hope we can strengthen them in their commitment to make this a new habit, not just a one-off event. New habits can be hard to make, especially when old habits are deeply ingrained. But the truths  in the last paragraph are real and apply to all of us.

When I got home I joined the family in the living room where Julie was leading an activity. I lasted about ten minutes before I was asleep in my suitcoat and glasses. After (or in between sections) of my nap I talked with Emma and Camilla about what they discussed today in Primary. One of the points of their lesson was that holy places include temples and our homes. I shared my opinion that the reason these places are holy is because these are places families are formed.

Tonight, Dad, Mom and Randy came over for dinner. Julie made spaghetti and it was really good. Then we studied from Come, Follow Me and sang hymns together before enjoying ice cream and chocolate chip cookies that Neil made.

I have to acknowledge a great development in our family – Nathaniel has started going to sleep without protest! I feed him a bottle, rock him for a couple minutes, and then tell him I'm going to put him in bed while I finish getting ready for bed. He snuggles down on his pillow and goes to sleep. Hallelujah!

Ministering: Today I felt like I had two significant ministering events. One was delivering my talk in sacrament meeting. I felt guided in the points I made and how I illustrated them. I tried to testify of Jesus Christ and share experiences that would carry that point home without distracting from the point of the message. The second was visiting with a ward member who is really trying to come back to the Savior. Serving as a Bishop is an amazing experience. Ideas, promptings, and guidance come, and I am more confident in saying things that I might have shied away from in other settings. I am grateful that the Lord inspires His bishops.

Thankful: So much.

A lovely bee found our flower bed.

Spencer's marching band performed in the gym because the outside was so smokey.

Monday!

Dear Family,

Two days in a row. Nice! I hope you know how much I love you!

Dad

Monday, July 26, 2021
10:00 pm

Busy day. I had a couple meetings to discuss security systems for the Springville branch and also our card processing conversion. They both went well. Tomorrow I need to finish getting ready for Board meeting.

Julie made raspberry ice cream for FHE treats tonight, and it was amazing. We ate it straight from the ice cream maker as soon as FHE was done and cleaned out the entire container. That's a good thing, because if there was any left I'd go eat more even though I'm really full.

FHE tonight was fun. David and his kids joined us and are spending the night; Lisa stayed at home to enjoy a little peace and quiet.

One awesome thing today – I was scrolling through Instagram while brushing my teeth, and came across a picture that looked like one Jessie had done, but it wasn't on her account. After reading through the description, I realized that this other site with 178k followers had posted one of her paintings and tagged her as the artist. One proud dad!

Ministering: One of my colleagues at another CU sent an email today asking for advice on email providers. I responded with the name of our IT provider (Solzorro) and recommended he check it out. Thomas from Firefighters (whom I also recommended to Solzorro) agreed. It felt good to help a fellow CU and also help Solzorro get more business.

Thankful: I'm thankful for inspiration. While praying this morning I had two specific answers to questions I have been pondering on as Bishop. They weren't 100% answers, but they are steps in the right direction.

More later…

Visiting Grover, Utah

Dear family,

This entry is long, so I'll just get right to it. Love you all!

Dad

Sunday, July 25, 2021
10:18 pm

It's been a good, busy week since I last wrote. Highlights:

Last Saturday (the 17^th) Spencer had a parade in Goshen with the bagpipe band. It was my favorite parade I've ever been to. We pulled our van up at the end of the street, opened the back, and watched as they and 15 other participants walked past. They threw candy that my kids happily collected, and we drove back home. Best parade ever.

Last Sunday Julie took the kids to Cory Clay's mission homecoming. She said it was really good. It's amazing that Mark's friends are starting to return. I had a full day, including meeting with Joseph Ober about serving a mission and my monthly stewardship with Pres. Brinkerhoff.

Monday morning we left for the Aaronic Priesthood encampment. I felt like it was a great success. We had 16 young men and 7 adult leaders. We stayed at a family property that Reid Heiss has access to in Grover.

Monday we set up camp and then hiked to Hickman Bridge. It was an easy two-mile round trip hike. The bridge was a cool overhead formation. Rhett Hert got stung a couple times by some bees that weren't happy that we disturbed their nest under a rock.

Tuesday we hiked to Upper Calf Creek Falls. That was also two miles, but more strenuous as there was a very steep part as you drop down into a canyon. The falls were pretty, and most of the boys loved diving into the cold water. We spent about an hour at the water – long enough for a couple boys to get sunburned.

Wednesday was our long hike – six miles in Sulphur Creek. Everyone got wet, as there were some sections that required wading in water that was nearly chest-deep on an adult, and that some of the smaller kids had to swim. Everything came back stained a deep orange-red. I was really proud of the boys – everyone made the hike, and the ones who were nervous about some of the obstacles overcame their fear and succeeded. We stopped for ice cream on our way home. It was expensive and only mediocre, but the boys loved the treat.

Thursday we packed up in the morning and then headed to Little Wild Horse Canyon. The very first time I hiked it I was blown away by the slot canyon. It is still one of my favorite hikes. We went about 1.75 miles up before turning around. We intended to go to Goblin Valley, but there is now a $20 per car charge to go in, which would have totaled at least $60 for our group, if we consolidated cars as much as possible. Since we were already running late, we decided to make sandwiches on the tailgate of Chase's truck and head for home.

It rained on us every day of the trip, sometimes quite heavily. Fortunately the tents kept most of the water out. The kids all got along well and include each other in their activities. The horseshoe pit and cornhole games were both being used almost nonstop. We also had people playing Pit, Uno (several versions) and taught a bunch of people Cover Your Assets. Several people were hooked. Food was good too.

We started each day with a brief devotional and a question for the boys to think about during the day. In the evening we had a longer devotional focusing on a part of the Aaronic Priesthood Quorum theme. I was really happy with how that went.

One highlight of the trip was when I was hiking with a small group on Tuesday that included Braxton Johnson. As we were discussing the priesthood, he asked if he could be ordained a Deacon if he attended Church regularly. I assured him that he could, and that I would love to help him do that. I mentioned that to him mom after camp, and am eager to help make something happen.

The only downer from our trip was finding out on Friday, the day after we got home, that one of our participants tested positive for COVID that day. Praying that he did not pass it on to anyone else. As a precaution, today we asked the Elders Quorum to take care of all aspects of the sacrament, and will do so next week too. It was neat to watch these older brothers take care of the sacrament. Many of them have not done so in years; I could tell they appreciated the opportunity to do this again.

Friday I spent most of the morning getting working through a week's worth of emails. I identified a couple frustrations that I need to work on with my staff. That evening we had a cookout at dad and mom's house. Steph and McKay & family were there, along with Denise and Charles and their daughter Stephanie (not to be confused with my sister) and her husband Peter and their son Franklin.

Yesterday Spencer marched in the Fiesta Days parade in Spanish Fork, this time playing clarinet with the Springville marching band. We made it just in time to see his group march past. Then we came back home and played a game of Uno Flip that I bought for Julie for her birthday. It was a long one, but fun. In the afternoon I went back to SF with Spencer to watch Mike perform in a talent show. He did a standup comedy routine; I think he was happy with it. Then we played Settlers of Catan. Spencer won, with Isaac and Neil close behind; I got clobbered but enjoyed the process. At nighttime Julie took everyone except Nathaniel to watch the fireworks in SF. I stayed home to bathe Nathaniel and put him in bed. Then I ironed shirts for Sunday, took a shower, and got to bed before midnight. It wasn't as early as I had hoped, but was early enough that I wasn't totally exhausted today.

Today was long but good. We had Ward Youth Council today, and Bro. Heiss and I agreed that this was one of the most effective versions of this meeting we have had. Still trying to understand why that was the case. I visited with several people about serving in the temple, renewed some temple recommends, and counseled with several individuals who are struggling with a variety of challenges, some of which are acute. The gospel of Jesus Christ and His atonement have the answers to all of our problems and challenges, but sometimes learning how to apply Jesus' atonement in our lives is a challenge. The problem is ours, not His.

Ministering and Thankful: Pretty much everything above. I feel drained but happy. I am especially happy that I got to know the young men better, and they got to know me and the other members of the bishopric.

More later…

Here are some photos from our trip. Google attached them as links since there were so many/too large. @Mark Payne please let me know if you can't access them.

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Game night and more

Dear family,

When Nathaniel is exhausted, he falls asleep quickly, giving me time to write in my journal! It's been a good couple of days. I hope you are doing well!

Love,

Dad

Friday, July 16, 2021
9:42 pm

I had a very interesting experience yesterday. One of the partners we work with at the credit union has been hosting leadership webinars for the past year or so. I've really enjoyed many of them. Last month's was one of the best. At the end, they previewed this month's session, and I immediately judged it to be of questionable value. The presenter ran a very successful, but also very illegal, gambling ring. I debated whether or not I should attend, but in the end decided that people can change and I didn't want to miss out on valuable leadership lessons just because I disapproved of the path they followed to learn their lessons. I only made it about a third of the way through the presentation before I decided that my first impression was correct and logged off. I can't put my finger on exactly what was wrong with it, but my guess is that this person hadn't truly changed. They had been caught in their illegal actions and changed their behavior, but their heart never really changed.

Last night I went to Dad and Mom's for game night with Jessie, Abbie, Spencer, and Steph and McKay who are still in town visiting. We played Pictionary and Balderdash, ate chips and salsa, and had a lot of fun.

Today was a busy one. Sue and Reyna were both out all day, and Stacy was out after lunch. I was kept busy covering the lending side of things while Suzanne took care of all operations. I was also trying to get ready to be gone most of next week for the priesthood encampment. There are still a couple items I didn't get done.

A piece of very good news is that the building permit from the city was officially issued today! Now we can not only move the dirt around, we can also start building walls. I have a feeling the next nine months are going to race by.

Dinner tonight was lasagna made by the young women as a service project last night. It was really tasty.

Thankful: Breakfast. Several days this week I've enjoyed raspberries in Greek yogurt with maple syrup and a piece of toast. Simple and delicious.

Ministering: I think the Holy Ghost ministered to me this week, preparing me to minister to the young men next week on our campout. I really hope I am able to connect with these young men and build a relationship of trust with them.

More later…

Future site of Freedom Credit Union.

Small miracles

Dear family,

Today was a good day. I hope you enjoyed it. I also hope Nathaniel and I can go to sleep soon!

Love,

Dad

Wednesday, July 14, 2021
9:37 pm

Had a good couple of days. Yesterday I had a good meeting with a vendor that provides loan protection products. Stacy joined the discussion, and I think she was sold on the ideas. I'm glad for that. Things go so much better when we are all in alignment on what needs to happen and why. In the evening I had an interview with a family with needs. It is a blessing to be able to help with some Church resources.

Today was a productive day. Before I got to work I identified two main priorities that I wanted to accomplish. I completed one and made good progress on the second. Tonight I didn't have to go anywhere, which was really nice. I helped bathe kids and have a little journal time.

I recently had an impression regarding my service to the Lord. As a Bishop, I represent the Lord in certain circumstances. I am a common judge in Israel and also have responsibility to extend callings. And yet sometimes I feel like I am just doing my best, trying not to make a mess of the Lord's work. As I was wondering how I could possibly "get it right," the thought came to me that the Lord sustains His Bishops not because we do everything exactly as He would have done them, but because we are doing our best. When a decision is critical and has one right answer, I believe He guides more clearly with the Holy Ghost. And in cases where there are several acceptable alternatives, He steps back a little more and leaves us to our own resources. He will sustain whichever good enough decision we make. I didn't put that into words very well, but it was a comforting thought.

This evening I reread some of my journal entries from last March as the world lurched into COVID lockdown. What a crazy experience. I'm grateful I wrote in my journal consistently.

One other quick experience. Sunday as I was getting ready for bed I noticed I was getting a sore throat. I have two employees out this week and really can't afford to miss work. As I offered my evening prayers, I felt impressed to pray specifically that my sore throat would be gone tomorrow. Unusual, but distinct, so that is what I prayed for. Monday when I woke up, my throat was still sore. Bummer. I wore a mask all day at work to try to avoid spreading whatever was making me feel sick. That night as I finished writing in my journal I suddenly noticed that my sore throat had "turned off." It wasn't a gradual improvement… it was sore and then 85% better in an instant. I immediately thought of my prayer the night before. The timing was different than I had assumed, but the prayer that I had been guided to offer was literally answered.

More later…

Spencer's bagpipe performance and audience... (and an ugly lawn. With the drought this year, the theme is "yellow is the new green." and "survive, not thrive." Blech.)

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

Two days in a row!

Dear family,

I'm back! Here's a quick entry from tonight. Love to all!

Dad

Wednesday, July 7, 2021
9:27 pm

Hazel slept through the night last night (I think), but Nathaniel was up three times. What a silly boy. As a result, I was feeling a little groggy after lunch at work today, so I went outside for a walk, even though it was 98 degrees. The walk helped a lot.

In the afternoon we had a computer security training class. The hackers in the world are really awful. That's all I'll say.

Tonight I went to Church to do a temple recommend interview for a sister so she can resume her work in the Provo City Center Temple tomorrow morning. What a joyful thing. I also visited with a brother and extended a calling to work in Primary. He's never done that before. I think he will enjoy it and it will be a great experience for him.

Aiming for bed earlier tonight.

Thankful: I am thankful that the Holy Ghost will teach us about ourselves if we ask and are willing to listen.

Ministering: In addition to the activities at Church tonight, I ministered to a credit union member who showed up as I was walking out the door and was certain that no one could help her but me. (She was wrong, but that's beside the point.) She was sure it would only take ten minutes. She was wrong about that too.

More later…

A view of our Independence Day celebration. "Don't touch - it's hot!"

I'm back!

Tuesday, July 6, 2021
10:43 pm

How have three weeks passed since I last wrote?? Going to Missouri for the Woodward family reunion contributed, as did a change in the little kids' bedtime routine. So tonight a quick recap of the last several weeks.

Our vacation to Missouri was nice. We stayed in a nice Air B&B home and took day trips to a couple different places. The zoo was fun; we got there early-afternoon and stayed until they closed. We got there and muddled through the ticket process and got everyone in the zoo. I almost immediately did a head count and realized Camilla was missing. After four or five minutes of searching I went back outside the main gate to see if she was still out there, and there she was, talking to some zoo staff. She was so good – when she realized she was lost, she stayed in the same place and was calm. She also held tightly to someone's hand for most of the next hour. I'm really grateful everything turned out okay.

On Sunday we went to Adam-Ondi-Ahman after church and had a picnic lunch. That was my first time there in 25 years, and it was almost exactly as I remember it from last time. But I felt an unmistakable spirit there that I can't describe. It's just a special place. I'm glad I saw it again.

Another afternoon we visited the Liberty Jail.  What a terrible yet sacred place. We also visited Diana's family and had dinner while the kids played in a waterslide bounce house, jumped on the tramp, rode a zip line, and enjoyed themselves.

There was a pond on the property that we spent a little time at. Neil and Isaac especially loved going out in kayaks. They did surprisingly well. We intended to go back another day, but we had several Midwest thunderstorms that made getting on the water a bad idea. Isaac was really disappointed that we couldn't go back.

When it was time to come home, everyone had mixed emotions – looking forward to being home, but not ready to leave yet. I think that probably means we stayed just the right amount of time.

We decided trying to get two hotel rooms for our large family was a really bad idea, so we made the drive in one day both ways. We were making really good time on the drive home until I-70 was closed in western Colorado due to a mudslide that covered the freeway. Siri rerouted us to Highway 40. It really was a beautiful drive, but not one I want to make again. It added a couple hours to our drive, and we got home a little after midnight. It was a long day, but really good. The kids were great travelers.

Work is going well. I am working on several projects simultaneously. Our financial numbers continue to look very good. I've got some staffing and culture initiatives that I really need to focus on.

Church is nice. I feel good about the focus of our sacrament meetings; every meeting centers on Jesus Christ. I've had some good visits with ward members. There are so many challenges in the world faced by many good people. It's not easy to counsel members in their needs, but I feel the direction of the Holy Ghost helping me.

Last week I attended one evening of Girls' Camp. During testimony meeting I shared the thought from Alma 32 that even a desire to believe is a good start to a testimony, and we shouldn't let the fact that we don't KNOW something make us feel like we have no testimony at all. I recognize that we can know enough – Jesus Christ is the Savior, Joseph Smith was a prophet, the Book of Mormon is true, and the priesthood is on the earth today – to live faithfully, even if there are aspects of the gospel that we don't understand.

I could go on, but it's late. More later…

Just one photo tonight of yesterday's jam-making party.

Newsletter article

Sorry the journal has been so sparse lately. If only I didn't have to sleep, I could get so much done. But tonight I DID write an article for the ward newsletter. Here is a copy.

Love to all!

Dad

A whole week

Dear family,

My apologies for going an entire week between emails. I hope you know how much I love each of you. Looking forward to seeing each of you tomorrow!

Much love,

Dad

Sunday, May 30, 2021
11:05 pm

Woah, a whole week between journal entries. My nighttime routine has been disrupted. Here's a quick recap of the week.

On my way home from work one day early last week I saw a young man on an electric scooter crash face-first. I pulled over and he was unconscious. I called 911 and waited until medical personnel arrived to help. He came to before they arrived, but had a nasty cut on his forehead and was a bit out of it still. Not sure how he ended up doing, but it looked rough.

Thursday morning I went to Neil's school and participated in the "Are you smarter than a fifth grader" contest. They did a series of three Kahoot quizzes. I took first place all three rounds. That was kind of fun.

On Friday we joined the Albertson's for dinner to celebrate the last day of school. Burgers were delicious and we played Pit. I didn't win a single round, but we all had fun.

Yesterday I spent a couple hours helping Mike move some stuff out of his storage unit back to his condo. It was damaged a year or so ago from a backed-up sewer line. Sadly, the home is filling again with stuff and is pretty dirty. I feel bad for him.

Today was a full day at Church. I taught a combined second-hour meeting with all the young women and young men. We talked about accomplishing all things through Christ, and finding out from the Lord what He wants us to accomplish. It didn't feel as engaged as I hoped it would. It's tough to connect with the youth. I also conducted some interviews that I think were meaningful. I can testify of the guidance that comes to bishops, and am grateful for that. I could not fulfill this calling without that constant help.

Tomorrow is Memorial Day. Covid has cancelled this year's program in the cemetery again, but I'd like to find a way to honor the day with my kids. Also hope to play some games and do more than fold laundry and do chores. Looking forward to talking to Mark and enjoying a BBQ with dad and mom.

More later…

"Pop" goes the door

Dear Family,

If I hurry I can help mom clean the kitchen, eat some ice cream, and be in bed before 11:00 pm. Wish me luck!

Mark, your headphones should arrive in the mail any day. Your tax refund hit your account this week and you have a certificate maturing soon. I can give you more details on Monday.

Much love to all!

Dad

Friday, May 21, 2021
10:07 pm

I was surprised by how well received the Priest quorum activity was on Wednesday. Sam Larsen wanted to do a sewing activity. We figured making white handkerchiefs was pretty simple. It still ended up taking a long time, but the boys were quite engaged. I was pleased by that. I also did a temple recommend interview for Bro. Trevenen.

Also Monday I had Association Board meeting and our CU Board meeting. Suzanne attended for the first time as EVP and reported on a couple aspects. I'll have her attend most meetings going forward. Attending and presenting in Board meeting was an important part of my professional development. I also had lunch with the other Utah County CEO's. We went to India Palace. Not bad, but it just doesn't compare to the Bombay House. Nathaniel got my leftovers.

Yesterday I felt like I was able to organize my day a little more effectively. Working in the basement is a different experience. I am isolated from the "energy" of the regular lobby activity, but I'm also much farther from interruptions and distractions. It takes a different approach to the day to figure out how to organize my efforts and stay engaged. It's a work in progress, but it's good. In the evening I went to a marching band meeting with Spencer. I really like his band director; he has an obvious interest in the kids. He focuses on character development, service, and becoming the best people they can.

Today I spent a fair amount of time developing a training plan to help David and Eliza begin transitioning into their new role. I also worked on reinventing our approach to how we think about our account relationships. I think I'm on to something that will help us serve members in a different but better way. It's still in its early stages, but I think it's going to be good.

Tonight Dennis Miller joined us for dinner. It was nice to visit with him. He helped me work again on our bedroom door that "pops" when it is opened. We thought we fixed it… but we might have celebrated too early.

I think I hear some ice cream downstairs calling for me.

Thankful: I'm thankful for the Holy Ghost. He inspires, teaches, softens and restrains. I need all of those blessings.

Ministering: It was nice to spend time with Bro. Miller. I also felt like I ministered to some of my employees as I work hard to develop training opportunities for them.

More later…

Good quote this week.

Today we wore our new t-shirts at work. They're popular!

Alma 33:16

Dear family,

Time for bed! Read on.

Much love,

Dad

Tuesday, May 18, 2021
10:55 pm

Much more productive day today. Focusing on projects in the morning seems like a much better idea. The Task list is still overflowing, but I got the important stuff done.

I left work a little early today and tried to adjust our bedroom door so it will quit "popping" when it is opened. More than once that has woken Nathaniel up early. I took the door off, planed and sanded it, oiled the hinges… and I think it may be worse, not better. Back to the drawing board.

Tonight was nice. Reid and I didn't have any appointments set; we just walked through the neighborhood. It worked great. We visited with Sis. Bolschweiller. She is sad her recovery from knee surgery is very slow, and she decided to retire from her job at BYU. She loves being in charge of a building and working with her student crew. Then we visited for 15 minutes or so with Jodi Hoerter. I've been in the ward nine years and that was the first time I met her. Very pleasant visit. She especially thanked me when I expressed our desire to meet them where they are and be supportive, not pushy. The Lord has an eternal perspective; we don't need to insist that things happen on our timeline. Then saw the Obers and had a nice visit with them. They thanked us for the work we are doing, saying that they knew this is the right time for us to serve, bringing our unique strengths and perspective. It was really nice to hear that.

Scripture insight from my drive to work this morning: Alma 33:16. God is not angry with us because of our sins (at least when we are contrite). He is angry with us when we will not understand the mercies God bestows upon us through the mercy of his Son, Jesus Christ.

Ministering and thankful: See above.

More later…

Working on the door...

Short message

Dear family,

Sorry, tonight's entry isn't terribly interesting. I guess I should add a slightly funny story. At lunch today (see journal entry below) Kurt asked how old my child is that needs the carseat in my car. I proceeded to list the ages of each of my children. After listing several ages, he looked at Suzanne, his eyes asking if I was being serious. She assured him that in fact I was completely honest. Ten kids. Life is good.

I love you all!

Dad

Monday, May 17, 2021
9:11 pm

Had several meetings today. Lunch with Kurt Weiland from a consulting company called Jefferson Smith. Trying to figure out how to realize the vision I have for the credit union and our employees. Had some time this afternoon to work on projects, but found it hard to get engaged and started. That was frustrating. I'll try working on those items first thing tomorrow, and leave some of the minor tasks for after lunch. Maybe that will be more effective.

Wow, not really a lot to tell about today. More later…

Three of my wonderful daughters