The toilet is quiet again

Dear Family,

You're all the best!  I love you lots.

Dad

Tuesday, September 15, 2020
9:30 pm

Productive day.  I needed about nine more hours in it.  Participated in a virtual training meeting for Visible Equity, our loan analytics software.  It is so powerful, and I only use the smallest part of its capabilities.  I feel bad about that and wish I could use it to do more.  I learned several tips today that I immediately implemented to present a new report at Board meeting on Thursday.  I finished the agenda for Board meeting and finished preparing items for the auditors.

Spencer had a soccer game today, and his team played really well.  Spencer scored a goal just before I arrived, and had an assist on another.  It was fun to watch.  Jared, one of their best players, got hurt in a collision with a player from the other team.  He landed on his arm and hurt his wrist.  Hopefully it's not serious.

Tonight I fixed the downstairs toilet that has been leaking a little, noisily turning on and off to refill.  I think it's perfect now.  Jessie sautéed mushrooms for her dinner tonight and shared some with me for pasta primavera, and it took my dinner to a whole new level.  Oh yummy. 

Thankful: I'm thankful to learn new things.  The Visible Equity sessions today were worth my time and it felt good to learn new things I can apply.  I recently heard someone else talking about leadership, and the speaker suggested that CEO's should spend about half their time "in the future" instead of dealing with present issues.  That really stuck with me. 

Side note – one of our Hispanic members called today and insisted that he had to talk to me; no one else could help him.  I was in a meeting when he called, and my staff was unsuccessful in persuading him to even tell them what it was about.  When I freed up and gave him a call, he told me he needed a $2,000 personal loan.  I had to chuckle about that.  The whirlwind of the present will always try to pull you away from bigger issues.

Ministering: I texted Erik Watkins to ask about his schooling today.  He scaled back his enrollment this semester, but is slowly making progress.  I hope to use him as an "accountability partner" with the Self-Reliance classes that start tomorrow, hoping it will help him as much as it will me.

More later...

The lawn of 40 stripes

 

And it came to pass...

Dear family,

Tonight in FHE Camilla "read scriptures" to us.  "And it came to pass that it rained on the cows."  We loved it.  And love you even more.

Dad

Monday, September 14, 2020
10:13 pm

Work was busy today.  I hoped to get off early to go to Thanksgiving Point with the family, but couldn't do it.  An audit started today, I needed to do some tweaks to the system after our new server installed over the weekend, and we had a new loan promotion start today.  Julie, her family, and the kids all had a great time at Thanksgiving Point.  I did a little car shopping and realized how much I dislike that.  We had crepes for dinner.  More later…

The boys enjoying a reverent game on Sunday.

Frogs are green

Dear family,

Sometimes I just can't think of a subject line.  But I know I love all of you!

Much love,

Dad

Friday, September 11, 2020
9:32 pm

This morning I packed lunches for everyone before Abbie left for early morning seminary.  Then I had time to make peach cobbler for Julie for breakfast before I left for work.  I listened to an article by Elder Bednar while making it, and it was really uplifting.  He talked about the importance of strong marriages, and the fact that marriage is more than a social contract that allows individuals to pursue their own happiness.  One thing he said was really profound (italics mine):

[Viewing marriage primarily as a means to satisfying our own individual desires] often leads to divorce as people bounce from one relationship to another, desperate to find something that is elusive because it does not exist: a relationship that will afford people ultimate freedom, ultimate self-fulfillment, and ultimate happiness—all without their having to give anything from within themselves. The relationship sought is no relationship at all because selfishness is by definition singular.

The Divine Pattern of Eternal Marriage

September 2020

Ensign

David A. Bednar

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2020/09/the-divine-pattern-of-eternal-marriage?lang=eng&verse=#p

It was a great way to start the morning.

Spencer overslept, so I took him to school. 

I finally finished the financial statements for August today.  We are getting a new server installed at work tomorrow, and it was mounted in the rack today.  It is an impressive looking configuration.  I look forward to seeing how our performance improves on Monday.

Getting the little kids in bed tonight was challenging.  Emma felt like "no one was being nice to her" because Isaac wanted to sleep with Neil tonight after sleeping with Emma the last two nights.  (We're doubling up some of the kids to make room for Mom W, Rachel and Karina.)  After way too much crying we finally got to reading scriptures and came upon the perfect teaching opportunity.

In 3 Nephi 3:4, 10, Giddianhi claims that the Gadianton robbers dissented from the Nephites because of the many wrongs supposedly committed against them.  We talked about the fact that if we tell ourselves lies and repeat them often enough, we may actually begin to believe them.  The Gadianton robbers convinced themselves that they were wronged somehow, and that justified their wickedness.  We then related that to our family – We need to be careful not to tell ourselves things that are not true until we begin to believe them:

·       No one is being nice to me

·       It's not fair

·       He always gets what he wants

·       I always have to do extra chores

·       I never get to (fill in the blank…)

It was a timely discussion, and Emma especially asked a couple clarifying questions.  Hopefully it will help all of us do better at recognizing the blessings we have.

Mark called this evening and had a nice visit with Julie, Jessie, Abbie and Spencer while I was upstairs with the little kids.  It sounds like they had a great time visiting.  I look forward to getting a recap from Julie.

Thankful: I am thankful for how good it feels to study the gospel and invite the Holy Ghost into my life.

Ministering: I ministered to Julie with a delicious pan of peach cobbler.  I also tried to minister to my employees in a way by handling a couple of difficult situations at work today.

More later…

A view of our new server (I know, lame photo.  Sorry.)

Good night!

Dear family,

Good day. Enjoy the journal entry.  I love you all.

Love,

Dad

Thursday, September 10, 2020
10:17 pm

How did it get to be Thursday already?  Monday was a holiday, I took Wednesday off, this is only my second day at work this week… so it's Tuesday, right?  Today went very, very fast.  My new computer was almost all configured when I got to work this morning.  I really like the IT company we are working with now.  They do a good job.  I think my color printer may have finally died today after 13 years and over 100k pages printed.

Tonight we had our self-reliance kick-off devotional.  I think it went well.

I ate several pieces of toast with tomato and avocado today for lunch and dinner.  It was delicious.

Thankful: I'm thankful for apostles.  I read a talk by Elder Eyring at lunch today on intentionally remembering to have the Holy Ghost with us.  It was really good.

Ministering: At work this morning I helped another CU figure out how to correct and resubmit some of their Call Reports.  It only took about 10 minutes but they were really grateful.  Felt good to be helpful.

More later…

Lunch!

The first fire

Dear Jessie and Mark,

Happy Tuesday!  I hope your day was excellent. I love you both!

Love,

Dad

Tuesday, September 8, 2020
8:45 pm

I got a lot done at work today that needed to be done getting ready for an audit that starts next week and for a Supervisory Committee meeting tomorrow.  I also had to reboot my computer seven times during the day because it kept freezing.  Fortunately my new PC was delivered today, so that will be configured tomorrow and hopefully be resolved tomorrow.  I'm taking tomorrow off because Mom W, Rachel and Karina will be here for a visit.

This past weekend it was 100 degrees, but last night an arctic storm blew in and brough snow to the mountains and cold temps in the valley.  It's still summer, but we build our first fire of the year tonight.  I love the smell and feel of a fire in the wood burning stove!

Thankful: I'm thankful for our blessings of safety, protection and comfort.  We are really blessed.

Ministering: I have to claim ministering to my children today.  I specially packed lunches for each kid with something they like.  And tonight I'm going to make another peach cobbler for Julie (and everyone else who likes them) from peaches Sis. Strange gave us.

More later…

Yesterday's harvest 

   

Too tired for a subject

Dear Jessie and Mark,

I love you!

Good night.

Dad

Saturday, September 5, 2020
10:28 pm

I didn't write last night because… I can't remember why.

Yesterday was more productive at work.  Would have been even better but I ran into a small snag while trying to implement an IT idea.  I think I'm nearly done with the first round of IT improvements, except that my PC has started freezing multiple times a day.  The PC is nearly 7 years old, so I decided it's time to replace it.  New machine should be here on Wednesday.

Last night Abbie went to a friend's house to have a homework party.  Spencer went to the Springville football game.  I rode scooters with the girls.  Julie put Nathaniel to sleep.  We had a nice time visiting with Mark.

Today we got a lot done.  Julie gave me a haircut.  We did chores around the house.  I put 18 cubit feet of top soil in the area on the south side of the house where we built the retaining wall.  That was just the right amount.  Read scriptures to the kids and made a quick run to Reams before they closed so we have dinner tomorrow.

Sleeping time now.  More later…

Soccer

Dear Jessie and Mark,

It was nice to visit with you this morning Mark!  I'm glad you were available then because my afternoon was totally full today.  Continued prayers coming your way.

Love,

Dad

Tuesday, September 1, 2020
9:31 pm

Everyone got something they loved for lunch today.  That means Neil got meat and gravy with no potatoes, while Emma got potatoes and gravy with no meat.  Isaac got no grapes.  Spencer and Abbie got everything.  And I forgot to take a basket of tomatoes to work to share, so I only had one half tomato in my lunch.  Fortunately there was a string cheese in the fridge at work, so I had a cheese and tomato sandwich and it was terrific.

I got lots done at work.  I have been joining a weekly webinar series for small CU's.  I haven't been terribly impressed with the sessions so far, and I didn't have high hopes for today's on succession planning.  I was pleasantly surprised and stayed on for the entire session, coming away with some good ideas I can use to strengthen our staffing.

I found out today that the water table is too high for us to put a basement in our new office in Springville.  That will require some reconfiguration of the plans.  The architect put together a draft moving the necessary spaces upstairs, and I wasn't impressed.  I took this as an opportunity to go back to the drawing board.  I reviewed with my operations staff what we want in the new building, and we are going "back to the drawing board."  We don't have to totally start over, but it's lots cheaper to change things when they're only ink and paper.  I realized that some of what was in the initial design was what other people wanted, not necessarily what those of us who will be there every day want.  So we're making changes, and I feel good about that.

Tonight Spencer had a soccer game.  His team played well but lost 5-2.  There was an unfortunate own-goal off the goalie's foot, and an amazing shot of ours that bounced off the goalpost and should have gone in. It was lots of fun to watch, even though they didn't win.  Spencer really played with energy and urgency, chasing the ball and not giving up.  I was proud of him.

I enjoyed visiting with Mark briefly this morning and hearing how his mission work is going.  They still can't do much street contacting, but they can go into homes if they are invited.  I am grateful that he is discovering the joy that comes from doing the work, and that joy isn't necessarily tied to "success."

Thankful: I am grateful for things that really matter, and for (usually) not caring about things that don't.  I saw a headline that the Jazz lost a nail-biter in game 7 of the first round of the NBA playoffs.  Because I only paid attention to the headlines I could shrug this off and be happy for the many things that are truly important.

Ministering: I'm going to make peach cobbler (with Costco peaches) tonight so Julie can enjoy it tomorrow morning for breakfast.  And I'll even remember to sprinkle the top with sugar this time!

More later…

This picture is a couple weeks old.  For a few days the kids thought it would be fun to cut the lawn with scissors.  I'm really grateful for a lawn mower!