Ph D submitted

Life is busy isn’t it? So I should probably stop starting every entry with “Gee it’s been busy lately”. But it really has been busy.

When I last wrote, Kylie had just returned from a week in Brisbane with her dad. I’m pleased to report that he is improving daily. The improvements are slow, but they’re in the right direction. We are grateful that he has been so blessed.

For five days after Kylie returned, our routine was fairly normal. Too much to do, challenges with children, not enough sleep, and so on. But on Friday the 12th of
August, something pretty cool happened:

Ph. D. dissertation submitted.

It’s only three words, but there is substantial meaning behind them. It felt good to hand in my thesis. Now I have around six to eight weeks to await my reviewers’ comments. There will be more work to do, I’m sure. But it’s almost completed now. And it’s out of my hands until I receive a response from the examiners, which will take around six weeks.

That Friday night we had our ward talent night at church. Our wonderful Canadian student, Tracy, made up new words to “The Hard Knock Life” from Annie and filmed our family singing it. Then she turned it into a video clip. Superb!



Kylie danced with the women – lots of fun.



And the kids all danced to Jailhouse Rock which was also cute.



I finished off the night by reading everyone a story – I’ll do better tomorrow, I promise. It’s my favourite children’s book, about a mum who’s little boy keeps getting things wrong, making mess, and so on. Makes me cry every time.

After a short five or six hours of sleep following the talent night I was in the car driving to Young. As an executive committee member of the National Family Council of Australia, I was asked to attend a strategic planning meeting for the weekend with 6 other people. We are bringing the World Congress of Families to Sydney in 2013 and have some organising to do. Four hours of driving later and I arrived at a 6000 acre sheep farm surrounded with stunning green canola fields.

Saturday and Sunday were productive days but I was glad to drive home again Sunday night. I missed my family. As I travelled I had a great deal of time for reflection. I determined to make some massive and radical changes in my life. With the dissertation submitted I have begun to feel my links to the university world diminish. I may return, but I am starting to lean towards getting out of there and making a go of something else. The thought was inspiring. I also decided I’m off sugary food. So far so good. (So far I haven’t even been tempted – even when Pavlova was on offer).

Another massive and radical change relates to my interactions with the children. So far this week I have not raised my voice even once! And I’m back to daily scripture study. I’m reading the Bible and Book of Mormon from front to back to find every example I can about how God allows us to choose without compulsion – and why there are times when we are compelled by Him. And I’m looking at how people respond to force and coercion, whether from Heaven or otherwise. It’s an exciting topic and I’m glad to be back in the scriptures, learning again. This stuff will make a great book once I’m finished my study.

Saturday we traveled to Gosford to help prepare Mum and Dad’s house for Leah’s upcoming wedding (which is scheduled for Monday the 12th of September). We visited the temple for an endowment session on the way up. Our friend, David, was watching his four children while his wife went in. He offered to watch our five so Kylie and I could attend. (We had planned on sending Kylie in and I was going to stay out with David and the kids). So David looked after nine kids under 11 while the rest of us went into the temple. I feel better for having been there. (And I met mum’s first home teacher, from 35 years ago! That was a nice experience).

Kylie received an insight that felt right. We often hear about the strength of opposition we face when we try to do good. Soon-to-serve missionaries, people seeking contemplative peace in the temple, and so on. There is always people who warn us of the darkness that would push against us and keep us from being where we should be. But Kylie, rightly, pointed out that there is also an enormous force sustaining us, pushing us toward goodness and light, bearing us up and guiding us. We had time and pressure against us, and every reason to not attend the temple. But we also had forces working for us, and it was good to be there.

We arrived in Gosford and spent time with family. I love being with those people. Mum and Dad took Kylie, Karina, and I – along with our 11 children – to see a movie: Red Dog. The kids enjoyed it. (I give it 3 out of 5). Abbie is a beautiful, soft little girl and she sobbed her heart out in the more touching parts of the movie. I hugged her as she wept, and wept. She cried until we got back to the car, by which time my arms were aching. Then it was back to mum and dad’s place to sing happy birthday, eat pizza, and be together. It felt good to be with the family.

Dad gave me a gift, even though it was his birthday. With Nan Coulson watching on, he handed me his Fender acoustic guitar. Nan and Pop Coulson gave it to Dad on his 21st birthday, some 35 years ago. Now that I’m having lessons, Dad passed it on to me with Nan’s blessing. I’m not sure I’ll ever play it with the talent Dad has played it with over the years, but I’m grateful to have such a gift. I’m bursting to show it to my teacher on Tuesday night.

Sunday was exhausting. I’m nearly asleep as I type this note. We arrived home just before midnight Saturday night. (And we’d had three night prior to that with no sleep due to Lilli’s teething pains). Sacrament meeting was nice. The highlight was patting Abbie and Annie on the back as they lay across my knees. They love those rubs. And in priesthood meeting I taught a class on eternal families. The family is the best place to prepare for eternal life, because it teaches us the attributes of Godliness. We spoke of the need for humility, kindness, and compassion in relationships. Several of the men left the room telling me they wanted to go home and be better husbands and fathers. I couldn’t ask for more than that.