20 September 2026

More than halfway through September, wow!

Our Monday was pretty typical, with the exception of a downpour in the afternoon of monsoon proportions. Arlo had a choir concert at the school and was supposed to be there at six. Jude was not behaving, so in exasperation, I decided that taking him to the choir concert would be disastrous and sent Phil and Arlo by themselves.  No more than ten minutes after they left, the sky opened up and it started to pour. Luckily, we got word that the concert had been canceled early enough that they were able to turn around before getting too far from home. Wentworth, Wilmot, Houghton, and Sahuarita Roads all flood sometimes when the conditions are right, making it impossible to get out of our area (or back into it). Several people I know couldn't get back to Corona de Tucson for several hours, so we were grateful for the early notice!

Jude and I worked on his homework while we waited for them to get home, only to discover that the cats had gotten ahold of his homework and eaten part of it! I guess he'll have to tell his teacher "I don't have a dog, but the cats ate my homework instead".

Tuesday was busy. I took Jude to piano lessons, and Arlo's usual late-night Monday band rehearsal had been rescheduled to Tuesday. Phil was working, so I did all the running of kids to and fro.  Phil, however, did get to read to preschoolers at the Rancho Sahuarita Clubhouse while on duty! He read Pete the Cat: Firefighter Pete. I wish the pictures were a little clearer, I stole them from the fire district's social media page. He's so cute!

We also had a flurry of half days this week. Arlo on Wednesday, Jude and Arlo on Thursday, and just Jude on Friday. That's a lot of bus schedules to keep track of!  I got Arlo's school pictures back this week, and he's had quite the "glow up" since last year. Maybe a little too much of a glow up. We're already having to manage girls, relationships, and cell phones. Um, hello, kid! You're only fourteen! Friendzone that girl and get your head back on school!  I thought he'd be easier to parent in his teens than the sisters. Alas.

I took a couple of hours off work on Thursday for a quick appointment with the gastroenterologist for a pre-colonoscopy pow-wow. I told our new nurse practitioner that I wanted to get all of our preventive screenings out of the way for the year, and a colon cancer screening was numero uno on the list.  Yay me.  But (no pun intended), there was a silver lining! The office is doing a study on a new blood test that could screen for colon cancer, and they told me they'd give me $100 if I did a blood draw so they could compare it to my colonoscopy results.  Yes, please!  So, after my $40 copay and the $40 I paid for the pre-procedure prescription colon cleanse drink, I walked out of there $20 ahead. I promptly dropped it on a chopped salad with shrimp from Rubio's and a Zero Sugar Dr Pepper from Circle K.  I'd call that a successful Thursday morning, if I do say so myself.

I caught a cute picture of Arlo and Jude playing piano together this week. Jude had finished his practice and was hanging out at the piano, playing around, when Arlo sat down with him. They're usually at each other's throats, so I was grateful to catch a sweet moment between them.

I was off on Friday and had a long list of obligatory chores to take care of, the first being my annual mammogram (next on the list of fun adulting preventative screenings). That was quick, then I picked up a prescription, our groceries, and the neighbor's groceries. In the afternoon, Phil and I went to Copper Ridge to meet with Mrs. Sheppard, Jude's kindergarten teacher, for a parent-teacher conference.  Our conference went well! Jude is doing really well. He's a good student, he's learning so much, and he's right on target in almost everything. We're going to work on being able to write his first AND last name from memory. It's tricky when you have a long last name with lots of letters, but we'll get there.  I'm really, really proud of him. While I'm grateful he's doing well academically, hearing that he's polite to adults, kind to his classmates, and a good friend is invaluable.

Arlo had an AzMBA event in Casa Grande on Saturday, it was a non-competitive opening event for the 2026 marching band season where performing bands receive valuable clinician feedback and stage early-season runs;  I heard it went well. Phil was working, so Jude and I got to hang out together all day.  I've continued to run six days a week, and since I didn't feel comfortable leaving Jude alone for 30 minutes and didn't really want to run on the treadmill, I asked if he wanted to run with me.

He was ALL about that! He was so excited, and he did such a great job. It went better than I anticipated.  He, of course, didn't pace himself, so he sprinted and then walked while waiting for me to catch up. For the last quarter mile, he ran more slowly alongside me.  We had fun, and I was impressed! He ran a whole mile, the second half uphill!  Another long-distance running Comaduran? I hope so!

Phil was home to attend church with us on Sunday, which was nice. I'm settling into teaching Sunday School every week, although I'm still finding that I feel rushed.  In the evening, we were invited over to the Pratts' home for a missionary welcome-home gathering. It was nice to rub elbows with some of the finest people in the Vail area. We had a lovely time visiting with friends.

New week, new opportunities!  I have a follow-up interview with the external company I interviewed with at the beginning of the month. Even though the first interview went really well, I'm still nervous. I even had a nightmare that I was late and then couldn't get my computer to log on.

Wish me luck!

13 September 2026

We enjoyed our Labor Day holiday. Phil and the boys wrapped up their camping and fishing trip. They had a great time and got all packed up before the rain hit and soaked everything. They caught lots of fish, enjoyed nature, and stopped to see Uncle Fred and Aunt Barbara while they were there. Jude came home absolutely filthy and tired and happy.

I talked to Felicity Monday, and she is doing so well in her new companionship and the work is going well. They're teaching two people, and one in particular has come to church a couple of weeks in a row and has great questions for the missionaries. He's reading and doing his own independent study, and Felicity is really excited for him. She and Sister Cleaver came out together from the MTC on the same day, so they both hit their one-year mark together. They treated themselves to ice cream in celebration. Twelve months down, six months to go!

Our college student is also doing well and enjoying the beautiful northern Arizona weather. Most of the pictures she sends us are of grass and trees. She and her roommate are getting along well, and she's settled into all her classes and is enjoying college and dorm life (mostly). We're really proud of her.

Jude had music class on Tuesday. He's been really enjoying practicing in the evenings, and we're working on strengthening his fingers. One of the first things they teach is what they call a "red chord" (C, E, G), and it's hard for him to keep all five of his fingers in C position and depress just those three keys. But we practice every day, and he gets a little better every day. I also got Jude's school picture back this week, and it's so adorable. I don't know if it's his outfit or the backdrop or what, but man, it makes his hair look even more red than it is!

I've continued to run six days a week. I'm up to three miles a day, and I feel pretty good about that. I had another small victory on the scale this week, so that's a positive too. I didn't end up finishing my sheep quilt until the end of the week, but it turned out so cute. I love it! I think I'm going to put it on the bed in what was Helen's room (now the guest room) after it's quilted.

I had to work on Friday, but Phillip and I squeezed in a trip to a new primary care doctor to establish care. It was quick and easy and included a blood draw. In the evening, we went to the Cienega football game and enjoyed watching Arlo's band perform at halftime. The game was ultimately disappointing, but we had fun. So much fun, in fact, that Jude fell asleep in the bleachers.

Phil worked at Pima teaching Fire Academy on Saturday, so it was just the boys and me. I worked on some projects and cleaned the house—nothing too fancy. On Sunday, Phil and Arlo attended an early morning priesthood meeting, and then we went to church. My first real 25-minute Sunday School lesson went pretty well, although it certainly felt rushed. During the second part of second hour, Arlo was sustained as the new second counselor in the Teachers Quorum presidency. We had tithing declaration in the afternoon and then spent the rest of the day relaxing.

06 September 2026

September already! I'd break out the fall decor if it wasn't still a bajillion degrees outside! 

Phil ended up double-booking himself. He got off work at the firehouse Monday morning and then taught Paramedic School at Pima College from 8–5, then high-tailed it over to teach Fire Academy from 5–10. He came home long enough to eat and sleep before heading back to work at the fire station Tuesday. We did our usual Monday routine without him, which included evening band rehearsal for Arlo from 6–9. His section decided to dress up in all black for rehearsal. He's really enjoying band and his new friends.

Felicity received news about transfers this week. She was excited to report that she was staying in Anderson and received a new companion. That's exactly how she hoped things would work out, so she was pretty happy. She's really enjoying both the members in Anderson and the people they're teaching along with the lovely Indiana weather, for now.

Jude had music class on Tuesday, and it was a "parent week," where the parents attend with the students. Jude was excited to show me the things he's been learning, and we had fun together in class.  Phil ended up having a Captains' meeting when he got off work Wednesday morning, and that took up his whole day because he had to go straight from that eight-hour meeting to teaching Fire Academy. I felt like I didn't see him all week! Arlo went to the temple Wednesday evening with the other young men and had a fun time.

Phil was home all day Thursday, but I still didn't see much of him as he was prepping for a Labor Day weekend camping and fishing trip. He took the truck for an oil change and fixed the brakes, picked up groceries for the trip, and ran a few other errands in between packing and pulling out gear. I was initially supposed to go with the boys, but a prospective employer scheduled a job interview early Friday morning, and I realized I was supposed to teach Sunday School on Sunday. Since it was the first week of our new 25-minute class schedule, I felt bad asking someone else to teach for me, so I stayed home instead.  

I was up early Friday morning to do my hair and makeup and get ready for my job interview. If I'm honest, I was nervous. I've never interviewed for a professional position before. I was offered my job at Raytheon out of college, and I've had a few informal internal interviews when I moved roles, but this is the first time I've ever looked for a new professional job.  I had my notes ready and made sure I was there a little early for my 7 a.m. online interview. It went really well! I settled in quickly, and the interview felt really natural. After about 25 minutes, the interviewer said, "You're doing great. It's obvious you know what you're talking about. I really don't have any more questions for you."  He asked if I had any questions, and I pulled up the list I had prepared and we went through those together. We talked a little about salary expectations, and he asked, "You do realize this is a mid-level Scrum job?" implying that I might be a little overqualified. I told him I was aware. All the while thinking, I don't care if it's mid-level—the salary is literally $26k more a year than I'm making now with fifteen years of experience!  Anyway, toward the end, he again repeated that I did well and said he would be passing my application on for a second interview. He also mentioned that he had a couple of other roles available that I might be a good fit for too. So that's promising, right?! It's also fully remote, so I'd get to stay at home, which would be ideal.  I also reached out to the hiring manager for the internal Raytheon job I'm hoping to get an interview for and let him know that I'm on a little bit of a time crunch since my program is ending September 30th. He said they hadn't started interviews yet and that he would reach out to HR to see if they could expedite things a bit. So I'm still hopeful that could come through. Just praying for the right outcome for our family. Options are good!  After my interview, I went for a run and then did my weekly weigh-in, and that went well too. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day!  I even got a call from my favorite College Freshman who wanted some help with some chemistry homework.  So glad she called me and we could walk through it together.

The boys made it to the White Mountains and headed straight to the lake for some fishing. When Phil called me Saturday morning from town, he was picking up more bait because they had already used up all of their worms and PowerBait—the fish were biting that well! I heard Jude was having a great time.

Meanwhile, it felt AMAZING to have the rest of the weekend all to myself. On Friday I had to do the neighbor's grocery shopping and I cleaned the house, but after that I was free to do whatever I wanted. On Saturday I did laundry, but after that and a run, I spent the day in my office making a new quilt. It's called "Gentle Flock", and it's SO PRETTY. I have fifteen sheep finished, and I'm working on the sashing and borders now.

I went for a walk Sunday morning, taught Sunday School in the afternoon, and then came home to a clean and quiet house. I've spent some time reading, listening to music, and working on my quilt. It has been glorious!

I hope the boys are having the best time camping and fishing, they'll be coming back tomorrow afternoon, so I'll enjoy the solitude while I can before we have to get back to normal come Tuesday morning.

30 August 2026

I feel like I don't have a lot to report this week, but man, it still felt really busy!  On Monday, Helen had her first day of college. She said she was able to find all of her classes and was pretty surprised at how big some of them were. She's enjoying the beautiful Flagstaff weather and had fun playing volleyball at the Institute and attending her first Young Single Adult Home Evening.

Arlo also had a busy Monday. He attended a choir festival at Mica Mountain High School. The advanced and show choirs were invited to the all-day festival, where they performed a piece they've been working on and worked on another piece with students from other area high schools. Afterward, he rode the bus back to Cienega and hustled straight out to the football field for Monday night band practice. He was pretty beat by the time we got him home at 9:30 that night.

We enjoyed talking to Felicity on Monday too. She's excited to be riding out the last week of the transfer. They are teaching a returning family, and she has really enjoyed getting to know them and spending time with the teenagers in the family.

Phil did a lot of working this week between his regular shifts at the fire station and teaching paramedic school and fire academy. He started his four days off from the fire station on Monday, but worked at Pima College Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and then again on Saturday. I vaguely remember what he looks like!  On Tuesday, Jude had Let's Play Music after school, and since I had missed my morning run, I decided to run along La Cañada during his lesson. It was literally—and I mean literally—108 degrees outside at 3:40 Tuesday afternoon. I'm sure there were plenty of people muttering to themselves in their cars about how stupid I was as they drove past me running on the sidewalk, but oh well! I did two miles and spent the rest of Jude's lesson trying to cool off!  This week I ran thirteen and a half miles, for a total of 53.9 miles in the month of August. And guess what? I only lost 4.5 pounds this month. I could have cried when I got on the scale Friday and saw another paltry loss. I'm trying to fight my weight back down to goal after a forty-pound regain since last March. I'll get there, slowly but surely--one mile, one protein shake, one passed over cookie at a time.

The boys had a half day on Wednesday, and work was really busy for me. In the midst of a hectic workday, I had a meeting with my section head that was pretty disheartening. He asked how my job search was going, and I expressed some frustration, mainly over the fact that Raytheon has 600+ open positions in Tucson but hardly any looking for my particular skill set.  He then proceeded to tell me that, for some reason I don't entirely understand, our department doesn't have funding for awaiting assignment, and if I don't have a new position within Raytheon by October 1st, they're going to let me go. Awaiting assignment has always been the safety net that I've never actually had to use when these moves come up, and, to be totally honest, I'm a little flabbergasted that Raytheon is willing to lay off a fifteen-year employee—seventeen and a half if you count my years as a contractor—because my program ended.  There's one internal job I'm a really good fit for, but the hiring manager hasn't reached out to schedule an interview yet. I applied to literally ten other internal positions this week that I could do, even though they aren't necessarily ideal.

The silver lining is that my effort to apply to at least one external job a day finally showed some progress when a company called CACI contacted me for an interview. CACI is a technology and national security company that provides software, cybersecurity, IT modernization, engineering, communications, and other solutions primarily for U.S. government, defense, and intelligence customers. Essentially, they use advanced technology to help government agencies modernize systems and carry out critical national-security missions.  I fasted on Sunday for whatever outcome will be best for our family, whether that's finding a new position within Raytheon or leaving for something else. I'm just praying it'll all work out. We have a lot of pre-retirement plans, and being without a job would make those more challenging, to say the least.

Friday was busy with running around, errands, and work, with the interspersed load of laundry, and then Phil worked on Saturday, so it was just Jude and me. He was invited to a birthday party, so I took him to that in the afternoon. He had such a fun time, and I got a little reprieve to work on a project or two uninterrupted. Helen and her roommate attended their first NAU football game, which I heard was fun!

Phil was back at the fire station Sunday morning, so again, it was just Jude and me at church. We went a little early for a ministering interview and then enjoyed our meetings. I was grateful for a quiet afternoon before going to pick up Arlo in the evening.  It was one of those weeks filled with the mundane comings and goings of family life—all things I'm grateful for. Hopefully next week I'll have some good news on the job front!

23 August 2026

It felt like a long week. My job search continues. I finally was able to apply to something internal to Raytheon that would be a good fit, and I let my supervisor know so that they can contact the hiring manager and help shepherd that along. In the meantime, I've been applying to one or two external jobs per day, but haven't had any luck yet. I'm not too worried, though. I have faith that the right thing will present itself. Our program contract ends on October 1st.  Phil, on the other hand, has had more than enough work. He picked up teaching fire academy this week on top of paramedic school and his regular day job, you know, the firefighting gig. I guess now that Jude is in school, hanging around the house while I'm working isn't very appealing, so why not teach?

Jude is enjoying music class again, and he really likes to plink around on the piano as part of his homework. He also really enjoys school homework too...we'll see how long that lasts.  On Wednesday, Helen and I left Jude with Arlo and went out to dinner, and then we were supposed to use our Broadway in Tucson tickets to see Hell's Kitchen, but it didn't work out quite the way we would have liked. It started raining really hard when we left the restaurant for the theater, only to find that they weren't letting anyone inside because the power was out. There was nowhere to stand that wasn't in the rain, so we started to get drenched. A couple dozen people were packed under the awning where they usually sell drinks, while everyone else pressed up against the building trying to stay dry.  We walked around the side of Centennial Hall intending to just go home since we didn't have an umbrella and there was nowhere to stand out of the rain. On the west side of the building, however, the ushers were letting people wait in the dark foyer, so we popped in to at least wait out the rain.

Eventually the lights came back on, but Helen and I were already really wet. We stood in the packed, stuffy foyer for forty-five minutes or so, still wet, waiting to see if the show would go on. I guess with the power out they had to redo all the sound checks and everything. The usher said that if they did open, it wouldn't be before 8:30 p.m. at the earliest. We finally gave up and headed to the truck. I'm sad we didn't get to see the show. I don't even know when they were able to start the show, if at all, on Wednesday night.

With the fair amount of rain we've been getting (thank goodness) there has also been a fair amount of flooding.  Phil was pretty busy Wednesday night with a lightning-strike palm tree fire and rescuing a motorist stuck in the running water at the "S curve" on Sahuarita Rd just west of Wilmot.  That's him in the truck getting the lady out of her car and into the firetruck.

Thursday was Helen's big day—her move to Flagstaff to get settled into her dorm in preparation for her first day of school as a college student. I was honestly surprised at how nervous Helen was. She's usually so confident, and she's been excited about college, but I could tell she was uneasy.  Our trip up was uneventful, and when we arrived we parked in the temporary parking lot and started moving Helen's stuff. They had it organized pretty well, so between the large rolling bins they provided and the furniture dolly we brought, we were able to get everything to Allen Hall pretty quickly.

Her roommate was already there with her family. She's from Hawaii, and I think she'll be a good fit for Helen. She doesn't seem like a party girl, and I think they'll be able to get along nicely. Her parents left to go to the store, so Phil and I helped Helen unpack and set up.  I was more than a little annoyed with Helen when I realized just how much stuff she brought. Three large totes of clothes, so many stuffed animals, too much bedding, and I'm not even kidding when I say she brought crafting supplies—including a mini sewing machine. For a dorm!  It was super stuffy in her room, and we couldn't figure out how to turn the air conditioner on. On our way out, we asked the RA at the desk...yeah, they don't have AC. I think the RA gave me the side-eye when I exclaimed (more to myself than out loud), "No AC? That's barbaric!" They said everyone just puts a box fan in the window until it gets cold and they kick the heaters on.

We got her mostly set up, at least unpacked enough that we could take the semi-empty totes back to the truck. She had to pick through some of her clothes for me to take back because it all wouldn't fit in the closet and drawers.  We walked her around campus and found the Institute of Religion, where she'll go to church and hang out for social activities, as well as the NAU student union and cafeteria. We went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse before driving her back to her dorm to say goodbye. I'm so excited for Helen. She's going to do great. 

Phil worked on Friday, and I was off. I did chores around the house, including some cleaning and packing up the stuff Helen left behind. In the afternoon, Jude went with me to do some grocery shopping for our neighbor. We were pleasantly surprised to see Daddy and his crew doing their grocery shopping at the same time. I saw them walk in, and we got behind them in the aisle. I told Jude, "There's Dad, go say hi." He was super weird about it and afraid to approach him. I don't think he believed me that it was actually Dad until he got right up on him.

Phil enjoyed celebrating the retirement of a fellow fireman this week, they've worked together for more than twenty years. I think it made him a little anxious for his own retirement. He's been thinking a lot about our retirement strategy, including our options for what we're going to do about the ranch. Luckily, from all angles it looks like our financial plan is really solid. He's planning to enter the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) next January or March and then officially retire after essentially "double-dipping" for five years.

Phil taught at Pima between his shifts on Saturday, and Arlo went to Tucson for the weekend, so it was just Jude and me all day. He helped me do some baking and cleaning, he did some building, and I did some quilting. It was a pretty good, albeit quiet, day.  Our kittens are getting big, which is no surprise because they eat like crazy. Libby is definitely my favorite. She is a lover and has picked me to be "her person." The other kitten, Indy, is still a little skittish, but we're getting there.

Jude and I enjoyed church on Sunday, and we were grateful when it was time to go pick up Arlo. I'm not going to lie, it's a little weird just being the boys. Our family has gone through some wild changes in the last couple of years—well, really, the last seven years! It's hard to believe we could have been empty nesters in four years if it wasn't for Jude, but I think we'll keep him! So, you know, just a short thirteen years until we're presumably kid-free!  I'm excited to hear tomorrow how Helen's first day went and get an update from our missionary on her Zone Conference and upcoming transfer. All good things...if only it would cool off a little!

16 August 2026

I did a lot of driving this week. We've been spoiled the past four years having a teenage driver, and I've definitely felt the impact of not having one the past couple of weeks. Driving to seminary at a quarter to six every morning, trips to take kids to practices or pick them up from practices, driving Arlo to church activities... I swear I drove either up or down the dirt road at least six times on Wednesday!  Arlo had band practice on Monday, and somehow in my head I decided that practice ended at 10 PM (maybe because that's when musical practice ended). It ends at 9:00. So let's just say I was late picking poor Arlo up.

Phil completed Rescue Task Force (RTF) training at work this week. They were able to do their training at Sahuarita High School. The training prepares firefighters for active shooter incidents and other high-threat situations, allowing crews to rapidly reach, treat, and evacuate injured patients while under armed escort. RTF training teaches firefighters how to move, communicate, and provide care while integrated with a law enforcement protection team in situations where traditional EMS crews might otherwise have to wait until the entire scene is secured. It stinks that we live in a world where this needs to be a thing, but one of the lessons learned from the Columbine school shooting was the need for a faster, but still safe, EMS response to reach injured victims.

On Tuesday, Jude had picture day, and he was looking quite dapper for his kindergarten photo shoot. They sent me a proof, but I don't have his digital download yet. He's pretty cute, right? And that red hair!  Phil taught at Pima on Tuesday, and in the evening we had family home evening. We watched the Line Upon Line video for Job as our lesson and then did a couple of draw-along videos as our activity. We drew a taco-saurus and Bingo as a family. Everyone's drawings turned out super cute.

The Midwest had quite a bit of flooding this week. Felicity said they were stuck inside for at least one day while the rain continued. There were several neighborhoods where houses were half underwater. She said she had never seen so much water in her life.

Wednesday was Helen's 18th birthday. Can you believe that?! I really can't. We waited to celebrate until Thursday, when we were all home. We enjoyed dinner and then pistachio ice cream cake and presents. Helen got a new laptop for her birthday, but most of the rest of her gifts were things she had requested for her dorm room—practical items.

It was sweet to see how many of Helen's friends posted on her social media accounts for her birthday. She is such a sweet girl and a really good friend and sister.

I had to work on Friday but still managed to get a few things done. I finished the last few seams on my latest quilt and pressed it before snapping a picture. I think I know where this one's going to be gifted, but I'm going to wait to quilt it until we get an invitation!

Friday was the annual Cienega Copper/Navy football game. It's a scrimmage and was Arlo's first high school gig. Jude, Helen, and I enjoyed hanging out in the stands with friends and listening to the band. Arlo had a great time and said it was a lot of fun. I'm so grateful he is loving band. He's made some friends and is really just having a good time. Jude fell asleep about thirty minutes before the end and happily snoozed while lying on his sister.

Arlo had to be back at band practice on Saturday morning, and since I had to drive him to the school, I took advantage of the opportunity to run on the track instead of the dirt road. I did two and a half miles before heading home. I spent my afternoon making a wedding gift, cleaning, and doing laundry. Helen went to the wedding reception of her and Felicity's friend Kinsey in the evening and had a fun time.

Phil worked an overtime shift on Saturday and let me know that they were supposed to play in a Sahuarita Police vs. Santa Rita Fire volleyball game that evening, so I went down to watch. That was probably the ugliest couple of games of volleyball I've ever seen! But I think they had fun, and that's the important part, right?

Our Sunday was nice, and I think my Sunday School lesson went really well. The scriptures I was supposed to cover were the books of Esther and Job, and I chose to focus my lesson on Job's friends' response to his misfortune. I titled the lesson, "What Do We Learn About Christlike Compassion from the Lousy Example of Job's Friends?"

This was the last hour-long lesson I'm going to teach, as we're moving to the new 25-minute-every-week lesson format. I'm going to be honest: there's very little I know how to do in 25 minutes or less, so I'm a little worried about how this will turn out! I'll figure it out before my first short lesson on September 6th...hopefully.

Sunday evening, we were invited to the Morgans' house for dinner and games. We had so much fun; we really enjoy their company. Here is a picture of Isabel, Helen, and Jude trying to beat the grown-ups at GENSMAK! a generational trivia game. They didn't succeed.