Vern and I took Carmen and Catlin Mclean down to Werribee for the youth dance on the third. The idea was that we would drop them off at the chapel then Vern and I would go out to dinner. We left a little late so by the time we got there the only place that was open was Pizza Hut so we ate our pizza then picked them up and drove home.
The next day was our families turn to clean the chapel. With two big wards
that meet in that building this is our first turn. I don’t mind doing it at all and with Vern and the children there it was done very quickly. It was a hot day so we did it early then headed home. That afternoon Vern and I went over to the Picket’s place, they are all doing over to New Zealand for ten days so Vern has been teaching them a few songs for their item. Aunty Em also let us borrow one of her cars while she is away while ours is getting fixed. It is a Mercedes Benz so even though it is pretty old with a broken air con, heater and wipers; I still thought I was rich driving around in it.In December I helped out at the Mail Centre at the airport on Monday afternoons. I went into the town in the morning then come home at lunch time and head out to the airport and work from three until seven. I worked opening international mail bags and scanning parcels. I don’t mind the work but the noise of the machines bugs me after a while.
One Sunday this month when I was in Epping Ward Vern was asked to help in Nursery. Since I didn’t have any interviews I gave her a hand. We had a great time with the five children that were there. Most were boys so I made some paper planes and we ended up throwing them at one another and having a great time. I am looking forward to grand children.
On the fourteenth Vern and I had a nice dinner at the Tai Pan restaurant in Blackburn with President and Sister Dudfield, President and Sister Tempany, David and Marsha Hoare and David and Sister Adams. They are all good people and good company.
On Friday the seventieth Vern and her band were performing at the Preston RSL so she invited us and the Melbourne Howes there for dinner and the show. Mark, Blair and the children came as did Morgan, Mike, Sharon, Kindle and Krishna. It was a good evening but it was a bit to loud for me.
This year was the first year in seventeen years that I didn’t take one of the children into work with me on Christmas Eve. 1993 was the year I first took Ellen in and I wrote at the time “I have a child”. I guess now I no longer have children but teenagers and adults. I must admit I have thought about it a bit and it is taking some getting used to. So I worked half the day then came home and fixed the back gate. That evening Vern and the other children went to a fireside that Meadow Heights put on since a family from basketball that Vern introduced the missionaries to were going. Calvin and I stayed home to wait for Janet and Johnny to come but as it turn out they didn’t come until the next day anyway.
Christmas this year Janet and Johnny came early and were there when
we opened the presents. I got a Birds of Australia book from Austin that says there are 778 species. Currently I have taken pictures of thirty of them so I have a bit of work still to do. The missionary Sisters, Max and Renee came for lunch, Max and Renee where off to New Zealand so Marion dropped them off at the airport later that day. The highlight of the day was Dylan and Ellen giving us a call. They both made sure that they stuck to their forty minutes which was good of them. Ellen is still in the same branch and is making good progress with her Spanish at least it certainly sounds good to us. Dylan has just moved to Hamilton and told us that Hori Solomon is the Bishop. Hori was one of my companions on my mission and he told him a few stories. They both sound like missionaries which as parents however Calvin wasn’t that impressed when Dylan challenged him to read the scriptures each day.Monday the twenty-seventh Vern, Marion, Carmen and Austin headed up to
Canberra. Calvin had to work that day so we went up the next day and picked up Mahli and Deshon from Craigieburn on the way. It was a lovely sunny day so I decided to take a ‘short cut’ by going through Tumut and over the hills into Canberra. On the map it showed a large section was unsealed and the road was only open in summer as part of it was above the snowline. Once we found the correct road out of Tumut the sign said 52kms of unsealed road and that was unsuitable for caravans and trucks. When we hit the unsealed section we could see why. In places it was very narrow and winding. Calvin was driving and had a great time. It was very impressive countryside with large mountains and valleys. Deshon and Mahli were a little nervous as they had never been on a road like that before and I was a little nervous with Calvin’s driving as he hadn’t driven on gravel before, but we got through in one piece, just very dusty.We stayed and Les and Moana’s place and the next day I went for a walk up Mt Taylor which is not far from their home. I couldn’t talk any of the children into coming with mw for some reason. It was very steep and there was a great view from the top. That afternoon the children went and played basketball then went for a swim. Vern was preparing food for that party so I went for a drive out to the Tidbinbilla Nature reserve and took some photos of birds. That evening we all went around to the Grandparents place for dinner. It was nice catching up with everyone again.
Early the next morning on the thirtieth Marion was picked up by some local
YSAs and headed off to Sydney for the YSA convention. At the same time Vern, Calvin and I headed back to Melbourne as Vernice had to work that evening and New Years Eve. The rest of the children remained with Les and Moana so they could spend more time with their cousins and will return with Marion when she comes back after the convention. We stopped for lunch in Chiltern. It is a very small old goldmining place with old buildings and narrow streets.New Years eve I was home on my own, which was fine with me. Vern was singing at the Brighton Savoy and Calvin was at a friend’s place.
Photos; 1.The Benz 2. Carmen and Marion 3. Christmas Day 4. Mountian on the Short Cut. 5. Calvin in Chiltern
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