Melbourne Pettys - Feb 2014

Stake Conference, Vern hurts her ankle, got a new fence and BBQ,Ellen and Dylan move out   

The first weekend of the month was Stake Conference. Austin worked a shift in the morning but came with me to the Leadership session in the afternoon. It was good to have him there, I am not sure that the feeling was reciprocated. Carmen was working that afternoon and evening so we stopped by her Subway shop on the way home for our dinner.

Vern got back from New Zealand on Wednesday night, while she was over there she slipped on some stairs and twisted her ankle. She got an x-ray and there is a fracture but is isn't too bad since she can walk on it although she probably shouldn't. We have been asked to be a Ma & Pa on the trek in April so I don't know how that is going to go. We had the first training yesterday however Vern couldn't go because of basketball. It got really hot that afternoon and they cancelled the rest of the games. Someone told me today that so far it has been the second hottest summer on record. There were a few fires north of Melbourne and since the wind was from the north we were in a smoke haze for most of the week. It was good to see the sun again when the wind changed direction.

We had a new fence put up on the north side of the house, it is colour bond and higher than the last one. It looks pretty nice and makes the house look even shabbier.

Ellen, Dylan and Glen Hay moved into their house on Friday the fourteenth; 204 Park St, Fitzroy North. It is a terrace house and has a small back yard and garage that backs onto a blue stone ally way. It is a lovely little place in a great location. After work on the day they moved in I went straight there from work to check it out and help them unload the trailer. It was Valentine’s Day that day and I had planned to take Vern out to dinner however by the time we got home and dropped off the van they borrowed from Auntie Em it was time to pick Carmen up from work. So we had a romantic meal of McDonalds in the Subway car park. 

That weekend there were a few people over that have come down from the Gold Coast, so although Ellen and Dylan are gone we still had a house full.

I bought a Barbecue on the fifteenth, Vern has wanted one for a while so I volunteered to put on a High Priest Barbecue at our place and that has forced me to get one. I spent all Saturday morning putting it together. I had a bit of excitement on the way to get it when the car in front of me was involved in an accident. No one was badly hurt but I stayed around until the police came to give them a statement.

Chase left to go back to the US on Monday the seventeenth so that night I started to dismantle the room I had set up out in the garage. It took me most of the week but I was finally able to get a car back in there. Now that no one is upstairs I am using that for storage.

Wednesday the nineteenth Vern and I went around to Bernie and Irene’s place for dinner. Bernie is such a nice guy and he was so impressed with how Ellen expressed her beliefs when he showed them and a few others around the Chapel on the Polynesian night. He couldn’t stop talking about it. He asked about all the children.

Thursday evening I caught the train to Nunawading straight from work. Vern had my temple clothes in the car and met me there with Dylan and Ellen so we could make the new early session at 6pm. One of the highlights of being a parent for Vern and I is sitting in the Celestial room with our children. David Fell was there too so we stopped of a McDonalds with him afterwards for dinner.

Friday night of the twenty-first was a double party, I had the High Priests and their families over for a Barbeque and Ellen and Dylan had their house warming at their new place. Vern and Carmen did a great job shopping and cooking for both of them. We had about forty people here and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and the food.

Sunday the twenty-third I had my first baptism as a Ward Mission Leader, Paul Clark was baptised along with Maria Lotam. Ellen and Dylan sang ‘Abide with me tis Eventide’, that was a highlight along with Sister Brooks’ testimony. The Brooks are the best.

The plan was for the gang to head over to Adelaide to watch Rebecca dance in a show over there on the weekend. Unfortunately Rebecca hurt her back and couldn’t dance so that put an end to that and has been hobbling around all week.

We had the Elders and the new member Paul over for dinner on Wednesday the twenty-sixtieth, afterwards taught him a new member lesson. He is a great guy and has been taking everything in.