Family Band and Goodbye Elder Randle

The drum set has been a big hit. Jack and Eva routinely put on performances for me while the girls are at school ~




One of our former elders, Elder McRae, is home from his mission and has moved back here. He and his finacee' came over the other night for dinner, so we made them a cake to celebrate their engagement. The girls wanted to make a double layer cake. We put chocolate pudding in the middle. Beth helped me by cleaning out the bowl when I was done. She even shared with Eva :)



The drum set morphed into a family band the other night. Beth played the drums, Jack played electric guitar and sang, and Kylie joined in on the apple juice bottle.



We have met a lot of elders over the years. We definitely have our favorites; Elders Jensen and Ogden, Elders Larsen and Hales, Elders Ingalls and Chesik, Elders McRae and Harper, Elder Beal, and Elders Randle and Robinson. Elder Randle just got transferred out of our ward (congregation) last week. He and Elder Robinson came over for Family Home Evening, and for Elder Randle to say goodbye, last Monday night, so we took some pictures.



The elders are big on shaking hands as they meet a lot of people, plus they can't give hugs to females while on their mission. Rob doesn't like shaking hands; he bumps fists with the elders instead. Very occasionally elders will "earn" a handshake. Rob decided Elder Randle deserved one. I snapped a photo to record the momentous event.


Elder Robinson, Rob and Elder Randle ~ this photo cracks me up as Elder Randle is usually the least serious of this bunch :)

Things are going well here. We seemed to have settled into the school schedule again. Eva has a cold, which she generously shared with me. It doesn't surprise me though as new school years always seems to bring illness to someone. At least it's just Eva and I now. We're pumping the kids full of Vitamin C, echinacea, Vitamin E, and zinc. Hopefully it doesn't spread :)

I have two weeks left of my current class, then get three weeks off. I will not be taking any time off for at least the next year. The schedule for 2012 residencies is out and I'd like to make it to the one in Dallas in June. I have three classes left to take before I can go to that residency though and only three quarters, so I either have to double up on classes or refrain from taking a quarter off. I am totally taking next fall off though! By then I'll have been in grad school for 3.5 years with no break.