School Holidays, Vern was on Australia has got Talent, regional youth basketball and Carmen performs in Bugsy Malone.
On the first of the month Nathan got the day off to attend Jack Anderson’s funeral at Eltham. He was over ninety and had been a member in the area most of his life.

On the first Sunday of the month I had to work with the recording of the Australia’s got Talent Show with Sisters and Misters it was a very full windy day at the channel 7 studios at docklands starting at 8.00am. Marion dropped me off at Sylvana's house where I was getting picked up and the day didn't end til 6.30 and I got home at 7.30pm. It really went against the grain for me to work that day but as I had been contracted to work and appear with this group Nathan and I decided I had to go. When I got home Nathan and Marion were at a YSA Fireside. I had picked up a chill and started getting really sick on Monday but had to go to work at Carranballac College in Pt Cook.

Tuesday the fifth I managed to have the day off and spent most of that in the lounge room on the couch with tissues and watched TV. The kids didn't have mutual because they had temple baptisms on Thursday. Wednesday I had a performance at Moonee Ponds West Primary School and the last 2 weeks I've had a young girl with me for work experience named Sash. She made it to the 3rd round of XFactor is looking to be in the music industry. She's pretty talented on the guitar and has a strong voice and she's only 16. We were on TV on the Tuesday and then the voting lines were open to see if we can make it into the finals show. It was exciting for the 82 people involved in this vocal group and it really has been a real community feel about it and so the hope was that we get through. Irene was to hear on Friday and we had work together at Aberfeldie that day and she got a call later in the afternoon to say we didn't make it to the finals show but Irene, Bernie and I were very happy with the opportunity to get that far. I really feel like I'm working in the community when I work teaching these people they are so appreciative of our efforts.

Marion, Dillon Judd, Dyson Hawea, Jarom Van Dyken and Jess Cameron went on a road up to Brisbane and Mahli and Jaegar flew up. They used Jess step mums car and were staying in Sydney the first night. The next day they got a really early start because Jordy accidentally called Maz and she thought it was her alarm and got up and got everyone ready and found out it was 2am as she was driving the first leg they just carried on. Marion got off at Aunty Sheryl’s house and the others went on to Brisbane to pick up Mahli and Jaegar at the Brisbane airport. Jess has her call to the Wellington mission. Marion and Mahli were staying at Retis and whoever and then Mahli would take Marion’s spot in the car on the way home as Marion flew home. Marion made Jords go to the YSA ball. Marion started work with the Factory shop at Epping Plaza. It was just as well Marion came home by plane since they crashed the car on the way back, they were very lucky that no one was hurt.

It has been absolutely one of the coldest winters I can recall here in Melbourne. I mean I know it’s certainly not been known for its good whether but it’s been really cold. Nathan has still been riding off on his 5min bike ride to the tram stop, rain, hail or sunshine so he can tuck himself into his back seat on the tram and read his book. I'm pretty sure that’s been the highlight of his days sometimes. Accept of course the time when those singing passengers got on and he was trapped listening to "The Guerrilla tram singers" on his way to work! He always maintains however that they were really great singers and it sounded great but that would certainly have freaked Dad out that’s for sure!

The first half of the month has been the school holidays and we loved just being at home. Marion and Calvin have gone out with the missionaries and we have had the English missionaries around and also one of their investigators named Sean got baptised and he asked Nathan to do it which her was happy to do. He had to come out of his Presidency meeting do the baptism then go back again.

Saturday the ninth we all went to Knox Basketball Stadium for the Regional Youth Basketball Tournament. It was a really good day, well attended and no disputes or hassles so that was a real relief. Since Dad is now in YSA he didn't really have to come down but came to see the kids play. Calvin decided to not play as there were a lot of kids that just turned up on the day and wanted games so he was happy to just hang around. He's back playing on Saturdays and really enjoying his team and is playing well. He can really jump that kid and is such a good team player and can read the court really well.

Jards Reti spent a little time with us and we really enjoyed having her. She's a really lovely girl and just fits in so well with us all. Marion's been such a great help to the missionaries for fellowshipping and has really grown in her testimony. Aunty Nicola was also visited on the tenth and we had lovely afternoon.

(Nathan) Well if has been an interesting week for me. I started a new job at Post last week, it is a temporary roll and I am now sitting by the window on the 20th floor, what a great view. Then on Thursday I was offered permanent job in yet another area so it looks like I won’t me finishing up with post just yet, I will start that job next month.

We had a YSA mini convention last weekend and your mum, Marion and I went to Fireside in the evening. I wasn’t required to sit on the stand so we sat near the back and watched all the couples rubbing yet others backs – it freaked me out. We remember you complaining about that one time Dylan. Anyway it was a good evening and since they had dinner there earlier and there was still some mess about we did a family service activity on Tuesday evening. The missionaries were over for dinner than night so they came and helped us out. Let me just tell you again – I hate chewing gum.

The highlight of the month was going to see Carmen in the school production of Bugsy Malone. I went with Marion and Janet on the Thursday evening of the twenty-eight. Carmen played the lead female role and sung two solos and a duet. She was great and acted very well. It wasn’t really my kind of show (it was a musical with tap dancing in it) but it was worth it to see Carmen.

The last weekend of the month was the Relief Society retreat up in the hills by Whittlesea. I was there to represent the Stake Presidency and it was nice to send a little be of time with Vernice. She of course is the life of the party and didn’t come to bed unit two in the morning. I kept a low profile and on the Saturday went for a long walk in the bush looking for birds and got pictures of two new species. That evening I had the house to myself since everyone else went to watch the last show of Carmen’s production.