Dear Richard
Yes, it really has been about 3 weeks since I last wrote… Things have been REALLY busy! But thankfully I’m
writing in my journal again every day, so I can go back and see what has
happened J
So from a work perspective I spent
a lot of time marking tests for both Financial Reporting 2 and my 3rd
year course, Corporate Reporting. But that’s finally done. I also did a
presentation last week to a group of academic staff in the Commerce Faculty on
how I’m using video in my teaching – specifically how I got the students to
create their own videos to help them to understand the principles better in a
certain section. And the academics seemed impressed with my work J Next
week I’m going to be presenting a similar thing at a conference with accounting
academics from around the country (although I don’t know how big my audience
will actually be) But hopefully that will go well too!
I finished reading the Wheel
of Time J
Very cool read! Definitely something for you to look forward to when you’re
done. Andrew has it now to read… At least you’re not in a rush to get it,
because he gets so little time to read it will take him ages! And we got a
tablet! A little 7 inch Samsung. I must say I’m enjoying it!
And then the major reason why
I haven’t written is because we’ve been away in Joburg. We had a tow bar fitted
so we could take a trailer and then have space to take Cindy with us so that
she and Rhyno could figure themselves out ;) We borrowed Uncle Ron’s trailer,
and he taught us how to reverse (although we managed to not have to reverse at
all) I didn’t enjoy that lesson though! I definitely was not a natural, and I
felt like I was 17 again and learning how to drive for the first time. Not fun!
But we finally got on the
road and got to Joburg. Having an extra adult in the care definitely helped on
the drive, and the kids were really well behaved, considering their ages, and
the fact that they really couldn’t move while we were driving at all. It’s
really, really long to be sitting still for young kids!
We spent Thursday night at
the temple, and we did 2 endowment sessions, initiatories, and we managed to
arrange to do some sealings as well, although the temple doesn’t normally do
sealings at the times that we were there. But specially for us J It was
SO great to be in the temple again! I was there for the quick 1 day in January with
you, but Andrew hadn’t been since April last year. When we did the sealings the
sealer pointed out to us that the sealing of children to parents is unique,
because all the other ordinances in the temple, and basically in the whole
church, are dependent on you being faithful to the covenants in order for you
to receive the blessings. But there is no condition when children are sealed to
their parents. So no matter what that relationship stands. I think that’s a
wonderful comfort to the parents, so they can’t lose their children even if bad
choices are made by the children, but it also gives a wonderful sense of
security to the children growing up, knowing they’re part of an eternal family.
That is certainly how I felt growing up, I don’t know about you?
While we were at the temple I
also met a sister who was supposed to be serving a mission in the Zim mission
as the mission nurse. But that whole visa story became an issue, and because
she had just come into the country she had to leave, so she’s working at the
temple now until the visas get sorted out. I’m glad your companion didn’t end
up having to leave you!
Granny also came down and
spent Thursday morning with us. We took lunch to Zoo Lake and spent some time
there with the kids playing on the play equipment, and I think everyone enjoyed
it.
Then Friday we went down to
Vereeniging to spend the rest of the time with Wayne and Louise. Our kids just
LOVE being with them! Whenever we visit there the kids really enjoy it, and I
think there’s quite a strong competition about who the favourite uncle is
between Uncle Wayne and Uncle Rhyno! (excluding those who are blood relations,
of course J)
Our aim was to spend some time resting and relaxing in Vereeniging, and to a
point we got to do that. But of course young kids don’t allow you to completely
relax like we actually need to. The two events while we were there was taking
the kids to Kariba Ranch to play and feed the animals, and then going and
releasing the tadpole that Cindy and Rhyno had caught at the patron housing.
That poor tadpole even had to stay in frozen water for two nights because we
forgot it in the car, and the temperature went below 0 degrees, but it survived
and duly got released into one of the local rivers.
But the best part of going
away is still coming home again and sleeping in our own bed again! Aah, but
this mattress is comfortable! I slept so well my first night back J
It was our 9th
wedding anniversary on Sunday, as well as Father’s Day last Sunday while we
were away. So on Wednesday, although the kids were back at school, Andrew and I
spent the day at home tidying up and getting everything organised, but we also
went for a special breakfast and just spent some time together, which was
really nice.
Back at work things are
feeling pretty hectic, despite the fact that varsity is on holiday right now.
But there is just so much to be doing still! I’ve been doing quite a bit of
work on the update of the textbook, and having to be staring the planning for
next semester, and also preparing for the Accounting Academics conference I’m
going to be attending this week coming, and also presenting a paper that I
wrote. But I do still enjoy my job, even though it’s hectic!
The kids got their reports
this week, and generally things are going well. You can definitely see Joshua’s
shy personality coming through in things like the fact that he got a low rating
for saying his rhymes and songs. But I know for a fact that it’s a matter of he
Won’t say them, rather than he Can’t say them. But he’s still miles ahead of
where he was a few months ago, so overall we’re still happy. Hannah is
apparently the mother figure in the class and loves to share food with her Many
friends. Such contrasting personalities! But we need to teach Josh to be able
to be happy despite being shy and introverted. As long as he can be happy and
content with who he is, then he doesn’t have to be hectically outgoing.
I spent some time talking to
Mom yesterday, and I think she is doing better, although now she’s having other
issues, more physical in nature, like her muscles not wanting to work properly.
But her mood is definitely more stable, so that’s positive at least.
This afternoon we took the
kids for a walk to the Benjamin’s, to say hi and give them some balloon dogs
and mice (I made them J).
That was an adventure! All 3 kids wanted to be carried or pushed in the pram at
different times, but we also then have the competitive streak in Josh and
Hannah wanting to be ahead… Made for an interesting time!
Some interesting observations…
Sam gave a lesson in Sunday
School and commented on the fact that he’d realised something about how the
Spirit works by thinking about how the devil works. Not all temptations are
things that we are specifically aware of. But there are lots of things around
us that are tempting us to do wrong all the time. And in the same way many of
the promptings of the spirit are things that we wouldn’t specifically be aware
of. But every time we are inclined to do something good, even if we don’t have
a specific prompting, or thought, it is still the spirit guiding us and prompting
us. So we are actually guided by the spirit far more than we would really
realise usually.
And a lot of my thoughts and
readings lately have been going towards the idea of how we need to be living a
celestial law here if we want to be able to, and be happy, living in the celestial
kingdom. But I think I’m going to let that develop a bit more in my mind before
I try and write about it…
A mammoth letter! But
hopefully now I’ll be back to writing weekly, even if you don’t get it as often
J
Love you lots!
Shelly
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