Melbourne Pettys

Marion went through the Temple and had her engagement party, Elder Petty skyed us for Mothers day, Ellen started work as a Postie and Mahlie and Jareth got married.  

We had Stake Volleyball on a couple of Friday nights. Austin and I went to the first one and then Vern and Carmen came along to the next one. Austin played with me and Carmen had a go on the women’s team. Vern had hurt her finger at basketball so didn’t play. They were very casual evenings and everyone just enjoyed hanging out.

Vete Fue went off on his mission this month, they had a musical missionary fireside at Epping on the fifth and there was over two hundred there. It was very well done and they asked me to say a few words at the end. On Tuesday we went back up there for his setting apart.

Marion came down on the Thursday and a couple of other friends of her also came down from the gold coast. The next day we decorated the Epping Chapel for Marion’s engagement with a pile of old stuff Tina Judd had picked up around the place. It looked really good; Ellen and Vern did a good job.

Saturday the eleventh Marion went through the Temple with Ellen as her escort. Vernice also got to sit

beside her since we were the witness couple. She really enjoyed it and it was the highlight of the Day to see Ellen, Dylan and Marion all in the celestial room. It was a lovely warm day, we took some pictures and then had McDonalds for lunch.

That evening was Marion’s engagement party at the Epping Chapel. Ellen and Vern did a great job with the decorations and food with a little help from Dylan, Austin and I.  It was Tina Judd’s idea to have a rustic theme and she had picked up a pile of junk from around the place. Unfortunately she had to go back to New Zealand and missed all the action. Ellen also organised some entertainment without Marion’s knowledge. Carmen and Austin sang a song and so did Ellen and Dylan. Then Dylan narrated several dance numbers that Ellen, Carmen, Morgan and Jager had put together that told the story of Marion and Jordan through dance.

 They all did a great job; Marion loved being the centre of attention and about two hundred people attended.

It was Mothers day the next day so I got Vern breakfast in bed ‘one chocolate bullet’ and then we have her the presents. Marion and Jordan headed home to Canberra after church and Elder Calvin Petty Skyped us all the way from Ferntree Gully. He looked and sounded like a missionary and it was really good to talk to him.

Ellen invited some of the YSA in the Ward that don’t live at home over for Family Home Evening on the thirteenth so we had three extra. It was nice to have them over, the more the merrier.

Thursday the sixteenth our Ward was assigned Temple Baptisms. Vern and Carmen were both working and Dylan was getting ready to go to Sydney so Ellen, Daniel Martinez and Cora came down with Austin and I. It was a really wet night so the traffic was bad so we were a little late but it was a good night with McDonalds afterwards.

Friday was a multi stake youth dance at our chapel. It was supposed to have been put on by another Stake however they forgot about it so we put it on. The decorations were a bit rough but the Carmen and Austin enjoyed themselves. Austin said he and Isaac Gibbons made the dance because they dressed the same and mirrored each other during the night; I am not sure what that means.

Austin also spoke in sacrament meeting the next day. It was on missionary work and he wrote his own talk and did a good job. The Sacrament meeting did run a little short so I got up and made some closing remarks as well.

Daniel King passed away and his funeral was on Monday the twentieth at the Braeside Stake Centre.

Although we didn’t know him too well we know the family and he was good friends with Auntie Nat and Uncle Mark and Max. Auntie Nat came over for the funeral so I took the day off and attended with Vern, Mark and Max. There were heaps of people there I would say over a thousand and we met lots of people we knew. Afterwards we went to Pancake Parlor in Dandenong since that is where Auntie Nat wanted to go. 

It was a really wet day and it was also the day that Ellen started her job as a Postal Delivery Officer. Luckily she had made it back to the Delivery Centre before the rain came. She is enjoying the job and invited one of her new workmates to church. She was speaking so used that as an excuse and sure enough he came along with his son. She spoke well I am told, Vern and I missed it since I was speaking in Footscray Ward and she came along as well.

Ellen and Dylan invited a bunch of YSA over to the house last night to hang out, they had pizza, played Just Dance and then had a jam. They had a great time but I hid in my room. One of the boys, Nelson was playing with the samurai sword and cut his fingers. He went to the hospital but didn’t need stitches.

Janet and Johnny came over on Sunday for a late birthday party for Janet since she was in Sydney on her birthday.

We had Helen come to Family Home Evening. She is a new member in the Ward who is from Iraq and joined the church last year. She is studying over here and has also just made the Victorian Karate team. She told us how she joined the church which was a big change from being a Muslim.

Wednesday the twenty-ninth the Fox family came over from New Zealand for their son’s weddings. They are a nice relaxed bunch and we had a nice chat and looked at my CCNZ photos that had their uncle Ra in them. The two older girls slept upstairs, the two boys in the garage and the parents in Carmen’s room with the two small girls. 

The next day Marion came down for Thomas Stuart’s wedding which was in the afternoon. Dylan was in the wedding party and Vern and Ellen also went to the sealing. That evening was the reception at a flash place in Brighton. Vern and I were at a table with the Randells and Rick Mcclean. Austin, Carmen, Marion and Ellen had their own table and of course Dylan was at the top table and thought he was the bee’s knees.

On the last day of the month we had a barbeque and the Morrison’s place. They are renting the Rancie’s house in Research with the pool and tennis court. The Stake Presidency and their families were there as a farewell dinner. We played some tennis until it started to rain then had a nice meal. It was warm enough to eat outside then there was a flash of lightening and a thunder clap that sounded like an explosion and the rain came down. On the way home Carmen was driving through massive puddles and having a great time.