Exams, Holidays, Blessings, and a Miracle

This week has been remarkable. I cannot count the blessings our family has enjoyed, and in particular, the miracle I experienced. I’ll start with the miracle, and let everyone get over the shock of it, and then move on to the blessings.

By now it is probably quite common knowledge that I have sold my scooter and bought a motorbike. This is a picture of what my bike looks like. It is a Honda CB400.

Now, I know that not everyone thinks it is a good idea! But since I am in my thirties, and I am generally a sensible person, I feel that I am probably old enough to make some decisions on my own, even if they are decisions that others (who I love and trust) would not make. And even if they are a little on the “dim” side of life.

Well, I had my first accident on the bike. Hmmm. It hurt, although I was blessed to have slowed down sufficiently to avoid breaking any bones. I was not being reckless or silly. In fact, by the time I hit the road I’m sure I was doing less than 30km/h. Inexperience was my biggest enemy on that corner. My ribs are bruised or cracked though, and I’m in pain. However, the miracle of not having anything worse happen is amazing. I thank God for blessing me.

Now to the other wonderful experiences of the week! The same day as the accident I was to sit my final exam. When I say final exam, I mean the very last exam I needed to sit to obtain my degree! I was a little shaken as you can probably imagine. But there was no way I was going to be delaying that exam. To top it off, it was possibly the easiest exam that I have ever sat! So I came out of the exam extremely happy. No more exams, no more papers to write, no more researching, no more leaving my family at night so I can go to uni and study into the late hours, no more university stress! The degree is finished. My results will be out by the end of the month, and I graduate on Dec. 17th with a Bachelor of Psychological Science with Honours.

Thursday we went on holidays. We booked a three bedroom self contained unit on the beach at the Sunshine Coast for the day after my final exam. We had a great time. It was nice to relax a little. It would have been more fun if my ribs were not aching. I wish that I could have played more vigorously with the kids in the pool! But all in all, it was great. The children just wanted to swim in the pool. Period. Nothing else! Just swim. So we spent A LOT of time in the water. That, literally, is all there was to our holiday! Here’s a picture of the kids on the beach.

All in all, we feel remarkably blessed. Our family is healthy and flourishing, we are about to take some new steps in new directions in coming months, and the year is speeding to a close.

One more quick story.

Ella is undoubtedly the most challenging child we have had to work with, particularly at church. Ella does not like the idea of being reverent. Today in church one of the children sitting close to us began making considerable noise. Ella sprang to her feet, hurried over to the poor boy, placed her finger over her lips and hissed “Shhhhhhh” with all the energy she could. She then turned to me looking terribly pleased with herself, and strutted back to her place as though she were the most righteous little angel in the chapel. Righteous? I’m not so sure. Little angel? Every bit of her!

Have a terrific week.

So many highlights

So much has happened in just one week! I’ll start off with the personal highlights, and then talk a little more about the rest of the family.

Monday I started my new job doing merchandising work. This was the job that Tim got for me. I knew I wasn’t going to be thrilled to do it, but decided it would be sufficient to see me through a couple of months once Austudy allowances stop. I did about four hours work. Then I quit! This is not the job for me. I would rather do furniture removals for my dad.

Monday I also got a phone call from Queensland University of Technology (QUT). They have accepted me into the Masters of Educational and Developmental Psychology for 2008/2009. Great news. It means that my backup plan is in place for next year.

On Monday I sold my scooter too. I have loved riding my little 50cc scooter around Brisbane, and it has been perfect for commuting to and from university. But it was time for it to go. I’ve done 9000 klms on it in just over 12 months. That is a lot of mileage on a little engine. When I bought the scooter last year it had 55 klms on the clock and was only a month old. I paid $1300. I have just sold it for $1250. I think I did quite well out of it.

On Tuesday morning I was full of anticipation. My drive to the airport was nervous due to traffic. I thought there was a chance I was going to miss my plane! But I got there in time and flew to Sydney. From there I was chauffer driven to Wollongong university where I received a tour of the facilities, was shouted lunch, had a meeting with my possible Ph. D. supervisor, and had an interview as part of my application process.

I was impressed with the city, and the university. The prospect of doing the university work for another three years full-time became very real, and quite daunting to me. In fact, I began to become very nervous as I considered what it would mean to commit to such an enormous project. I had hoped that I would leave the interview full of hope, inspired for what may occur in the future. Instead, I left feeling quite concerned, wondering how on earth I could complete a Ph. D. (I also lost my wallet there which was a significant disappointment).

On Wednesday I sent a thank you email to the interviewers. They responded by telling me that I had earned a conditional acceptance to the programme. It is conditional upon my receiving a first class honours grade. I am on track to do so, but there are certainly no guarantees. Also, it means more waiting. My grades will not be released until the end of the month, so it is a nervous couple of weeks. If I am successful, we will certainly be moving. If my grades are not at a first class standard, I will not be moving, but will attend QUT and do the Masters programme. So some progress is being made, and in a couple more weeks we will have some final clarity on where we will be next year.

Thursday and Friday were exciting days. I had some motorcycle lessons, learning to ride a bike. I was sitting on a brand new 650cc BMW. Now that is a lot different to my scooter! The lessons have been going well, and I have another one on Tuesday. Following that lesson I should have my license. That will be great, because I have just bought a bike, but I cannot ride it until I get my license signed off.

Saturday morning was a highlight for me this week (in a week of highlights). A good friend of mine works for a company that has purchased a corporate box at the Gabba (the Woolloongabba Cricket Ground). Not only does the box have great views of the action at the ground, but it also has a dining suite attached where all the food and drink you can consume is available. I went to the cricket with him and some friends on Saturday morning, and loved it! We had a three course meal for lunch, and watched some very entertaining test match cricket between Australia and Sri Lanka. What a treat!

Because this week has been so busy for me, I have not got a lot to share regarding the children and Kylie. But a few really sweet things have occurred.

This morning Kylie and I lay on the bed with our little Annie Grace. We spent ages staring at her tiny little face. She smiles more than any of our other children ever did. And watching her smile is amazing, because she’ll smile, then stop and smile again, trying to outdo the previous smile. Annie is also becoming very conversational, making lots of noises and waiting for us to recognise the noises. When we respond she gets very excited and makes more noises. She is so precious.

Ella has a new favourite song: There’s a hole in the bucket, dear Liza. She walks around the house singing endlessly. It is adorable! Her speech is improving, though more work is needed. But we are finding it easier and easier to understand her. Ella loves big hugs, and little hugs. And she asks for them often. It is amazing to see how big she is getting. In two more months, Ella turns four! Ella hates baths, loves eating with her hands, and is generally rambunctious. But she is also amazingly tender, and has a pure heart. She absolutely wants to do the best she can. Ella brings so much joy into our family.

Abbie has had a wonderful week. At kindy Abbie painted a picture of the temple this week. The teacher asked her what it was and Abbie explained, “It’s a temple. I painted a temple because I like Jesus.” Every time I look like I might have two minutes with nothing to do Abbie runs in to me and asks if we can play “Run-away people.” This is a game we play on the floor in the lounge room. The children try and escape while I hold onto them and try and contain them to the lounge area. If they run away successfully, they “win”. We could play for hours and they would never tire of it.

Chanel never ceases to amaze us. I am in awe of that little girl, her talents, and the purity of her heart. This week we finished the seventh book in the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. Towards the end Chanel realised that much of the writing is heavily symbolic, pointing people toward Christian doctrines. She was really touched. Chanel also came to us this week concerned about an issue at school. One of the boys from church is in the grade above Chanel. He has been using bad language at school and Chanel has heard it occurring. She came to Kylie, very distressed about it, and wanted to know what to do. Her concern was for the boy. “He’s been baptised, and using those words is bad.” We dealt with the issue by spending some time with the boy and his father, discussing the importance of example, and helping him understand why we do not use such language. It was a very positive experience.

Kylie has also had a big week. I do not know how she manages to put up with me. I am impulsive, busy, and often struggle with priorities. Kylie supports me throughout it all. In addition she runs our home, does some part-time work to supplement our income, and this week she also organised and ran her youngest sister’s baby shower for 30 women in our backyard!

This morning Kylie suggested that we talk to the children about the possibility that we may be moving. I was unsure as we won’t know for a few more weeks, but Kylie wanted to give them a chance to get used to the idea. We explained it to them, briefly, and then watched for the reaction. Abbie and Ella bounced off the lounge and started dancing with delight. Chanel was also excited. Then she started crying as she realised she would leave her school. Her face brightened as we talked about making new friends and coming back to Brisbane for holidays. Watching her as the discussion ensued, we saw a sweet little girl dealing with anticipation and heartbreak simultaneously. She told us she was “happy and sad” as she contemplated what it would mean. Her maturity is amazing.

A few weeks ago at the worldwide General Conference of our church, one of our Church leaders (Henry Eyring) spoke of the importance of keeping a record of our lives so that we can see the hand of God blessing us, leading us, directing us, and helping us. I hope that as I make this weekly record of my life, that His influence is visible.

A Quiet Week

This week has been fairly quiet for our family. I think that’s a good thing. There has been too much to do for too long. I’ve done a little work and a little study. The children have been in their regular school routine, and Kylie has been able to calm down somewhat (though not entirely) following the baptism.

Some good news has come through for me regarding study. More results have come through which have me on track for the first class honours I’m seeking. Obviously there is still a long way to go, with my thesis yet to be marked. That result, more than any other, will determine my eventual outcome. I hope to know how that went in around 2 weeks.

I also went to an interview on Friday. The interview was for a Masters degree in Educational and Developmental psychology. I think it went reasonably well, although it’s hard to tell. The interviewers don’t like to give too much away. My feeling is that I really hope I get the Ph. D. but I haven’t had that interview yet, so it’s hard to know if I’ll still feel that way. I just didn’t get highly excited about the Masters like I thought I would.

During the week we have spent some time fixing up the house. Lots of little jobs have been needed over the past few years, and we’ve finally decided to do something about them all. It’s great. Walls have been painted, locks fixed, door handles replaced, lighting repaired, and a new fence goes up tomorrow! There are still several jobs to do, but we hope to have them completed in the coming weeks. The house feels great as we make these improvements.

That’s really about all this week. A couple of other small items:

• I was released from my calling on multi-stake public affairs. That felt good. I was certainly pleased about it.
• We had our house valued for rental. If we were to rent it out to someone owing to a move, we would be able to cover our mortgage repayments. That feels good. It also adds security for us as we consider the possibility of the move (assuming interviews and grades all work out).
• And I got another job. The work that I do will quiet right down in December and January, so much so that I have to have another job to keep things going. I’ll be working in supermarkets etc. looking after magazine merchandising for ACP, who publish most magazines around the place. It doesn’t pay much, but since I only want the job for about twelve weeks, it will be just fine. And I have my little brother Tim to thank for getting me the work.

The Greatest Joy

I knew this week was going to be big.

Monday the 22nd seems so long ago. I had a full day at work, visiting over 15 trainees for their Frontline Management training. I have a good job. I am so grateful for it. But on Monday I was wishing I didn’t have to work because of the enormous assignment I had to complete. The day went well and I arrived home from work at around 5.30pm. After a brief catch-up with the family I left for uni.

Dinner Monday night was eaten in front of the computer at uni. I arrived just after 6pm and snacked on chocolate liquorice bullets while I worked. Hardly nutritious, but very quick and convenient!

It was close to 1am Tuesday morning when I finally turned the computer off and headed for home. My day was almost done. Kylie had left some dinner in the fridge for me which I enjoyed, before going to bed around 1.30am. It was one of the biggest days I have had to do since being a student, and it came in the last week of my degree! But it felt great to finally complete the assessment on Tuesday evening and prepare it for handing in, on time.

Wednesday I drove to Ipswich and ran a Frontline Management training course for 10 trainees, then handed in my assignment at uni. My last one! That felt good. All I have to do now is prepare for my final exam in mid-November and it is all finished. Wednesday arvo was pretty simple. Mowing, cleaning, and getting ready for the weekend. I was really looking forward to Thursday though.

Chanel had been looking forward to Thursday more than me. We were going to Wet ‘n Wild, a theme park with huge waterslides to ride all day. Chanel had won our tickets by raising more money for her school spell-a-thon fundraising efforts than anyone else. We arrived just after 10am. The crowd was small. It was a perfect, sunny day. Chanel looked nervous about the rides. We went on a couple of smaller ones which Chanel decided were “boring”. So we headed for the big ones. Chanel was barely tall enough to get beyond the height restrictions, but barely tall enough was enough.

Tornado, Mach 5, Jet Stream and Black Hole were the names of the rides. They were big, and I was certain that Chanel would not want to go near them. To the contrary, it seemed that the bigger and more thrill-filled the ride, the more likely it was that Chanel wanted to go on it. In fact, Chanel enjoyed some of the thrill rides more than me!

Because the crowd was small we didn’t have to line up long for rides. In fact, most of the time we were able to get straight on. This would normally be terrific, but at Wet ‘n Wild I have to wonder. Every ride requires that the rider climb stairs – hundreds of stairs! I would be understating, quite conservatively, if I suggested that we climbed 10 000 stairs on Thursday. But the rides were fun, and Chanel was in her element. By the time we got to 1pm I was in pain. My legs have not worked so hard in over a decade! I loved theme parks as a child, and I never remember coming home thinking, “Gee that was fun, but wow my legs are sore.” Aging changes our perspective a little.

By the time Chanel and I walked out of the park, at 5pm, we were both in pain. We had walked miles, climbed thousands of stairs, and been in the heat all day. We had had enormous fun. But we couldn’t walk. I was suffering from chafing, and sore feet and legs. Chanel was in tears, unable to walk because her legs were so exhausted. It was wonderfully funny!

Friday was busy, preparing for the weekend and doing some work as well. We went to the chapel to set things up for Saturday, and tried to get some sleep in preparation for the big day.

Saturday – Chanel’s baptism…

The day started early as Kylie and I prepared food for the expected 150 people at the baptism. Family photos were scheduled at Wynnum, by the bay, at 10am (I’ll post them when they arrive). The morning was perfect. As I drove to the designated place I got a call from my parents. My whole family was at Brisbane airport, having just flown in, and were unable to hire a car. For some reason the rental companies were all out of cars. I spent the next 20 minutes frantically trying to get them cars, and eventually succeeded.

Photos went well. Everyone was happy until the end. Two hours in thirty degree heat by the bay, with sun reflecting off water, had the children tired out – and sunburnt. But I think they’ll come out nicely.

We enjoyed delicious fish and chips for lunch, and then went to the chapel for the baptismal service.

Highlights:

Chanel and her best friend Brittany sang a church song, “I like my birthdays.”
Kylie gave a beautiful talk
Dad and Karina sang a church song, “How will they know”. Very special.
The baptism itself was special
Wonderful friends who came and participated
Family and friends who travelled great distances to share our special day

The greatest highlight, for me, occurred as the final hymn was sung during the service. We were singing “I am a child of God”, sitting in the front row of the chapel. I looked at Chanel, singing sweetly. She smiled at me as we sang. I told her, “You look happy Chanel.” Her eyes filled with tears and she stopped singing. Then she gently nodded her head and smiled. Chanel was happy. And that is the greatest joy that I can ever feel.

I love that little girl.

The End is in Sight, But There is Still Work to do

On Monday I handed in my thesis – over 100 pages created over 9 months. It felt great to submit it, and I enjoyed the moment. The burden was lifted, and it felt good. I have no feelings of having done too little, and am confident that it was the best work I could produce. Of course, reality struck hard as I hit the books again, this time for my last project of the year. There is still work to do.

The week has been very challenging actually. Once the thesis was in I had to commence this final assignment, and also prepare an hour-long presentation for the Australian Family Association State Conference. The long nights and busy days have continued.

The conference was held yesterday and I presented to a diverse group of around 50 people. It went quite well and there was a lot of feedback and involvement from participants throughout the workshop. “Connected Parenting” was the topic, and it was terrific fun. Experiences like that make things a little confusing as I consider my options for the coming years. Part of me wants to keep running workshops. I have what it takes to do so, thus building my business and providing for my family. Part of me says, “Be patient, get some more qualifications. Then I can work with far more credibility.” Either way, there is still a lot of work to do. But it felt fantastic to run a workshop and help people explore ideas about how they can be better parents.

Earlier in the week I also received some correspondence from the University of Wollongong. They have invited me to visit for an interview. So my flights are booked. I’ll fly into Sydney, drive to Wollongong, and fly out of Sydney on Melbourne Cup Day – the 6th of November. I’m really looking forward to the visit, and getting some answers and clarity on what I should be doing next year.

Kylie, as always, has been the stable support of my life. Without much help from me Kylie runs our home, looks after our children, and continues to develop her skills and talents in many ways. I am looking forward to having more time to spend with her in the coming weeks as uni winds up.

Abbie and Chanel celebrated their 5th and 8th birthdays respectively on the 18th. It is increasingly apparent that they are getting bigger and older. They bring enormous joy to our lives. Chanel was particularly excited to receive a brand new bike unexpectedly from a family acquaintance. Over the years we have made several attempts to encourage her to ride, but is has always been difficult. When she received the bike, Chanel hopped on while I held the seat. I began to push and she peddled. Then she called out, “Let go dad.” Hesitantly I watched as my fingers left the seat and she rode down the driveway without me beside her.

Chanel is really growing up. My mind instantly reverted to the oft spoken idea that letting go is part of being a parent. The bike is clearly a perfect metaphor. And I felt it way down deep. I had another experience with Chanel this week that should be recorded. We had planned that I would take Chanel out of school for her birthday and visit the Wet ‘n Wild theme park. On that morning I was stressed. With far too much work due (project and conference presentation), and not even close to sufficient time, I wasn’t sure I could take her. The day was cloudy and cool, and it wasn’t much of a day to be at the theme park. I explained my situation and then told Chanel that I would take her because I had promised. Alternatively, I suggested that we could also go next Thursday when I have no commitments, no stress, and the day would hopefully be nicer. Chanel selflessly listened, told me she understood, and then volunteered to go to school on her birthday. So this week we go to Wet n’ Wild without a care in the world, because school will be over for me (except that last exam, but that is not until mid-November).

Chanel loves her bike. I took her to the park this morning (with the rest of the family) and she practiced going up and down the hill. It has only taken thirty minutes and she has it completely under control!

Abbie had a tremendous time on her birthday too. She had half-a-dozen 5 year olds playing with her at her party in the park. Abbie is incredibly tender, but is also growing up fast.

And Ella. What can be said about that little munchkin this week? She tries us terribly, and is so frustrated (as we are) with her inability to express herself. It is so difficult to communicate! But she is a treasure too. Last night Ella was in the bath, submerging herself and swimming laps underwater. Since the bath is only a foot longer that Ella, she didn’t have far to “swim”, but she thought it was terrific. Her happiness is entirely unabashed, and she smiles BIG when she smiles. Ella’s other favourite things to do are singing (although she often doesn’t know how to sing the words) and dancing.

Annie is a wonderful gift. She is always happy, smiling at everyone. This week we had a couple of nights where she slept for 9 hours, but averaged around 7. It is wonderful, considering she is only 7 or 8 weeks old. Given the other challenges we’ve had, it has been nice to not have broken sleep as well.

This week: final assignment goes in, Chanel and I go to Wet n’ Wild, and we have most of the family arriving for Chanel’s baptism. Lots to look forward to! (I’m hoping I might even get my first surf this year in).

Relief... and Muscle Ache

Our children are bringing us greater joy every day! But let me start with last night. Annie, our 6 week old baby, slept right through the night. She slept from a little after 8pm until just before 6am. Wow! Yet, as we look at her we can’t help feel a little sadness. Already, it would seem, she is out of the newborn stage. Our baby is getting bigger. We keep on asking ourselves why it has to happen.

Annie has been overflowing with smiles in the past week. A couple of weeks ago the smiles were more reflexes due to wind, discomfort, or perhaps feeling good. Now her smiles are purposeful, wide and heart-melting. I’ll try and get a photo and include it in the next blog.

Our little Ella is a bundle of energy. She hates going to bed, and endlessly wants to run, jump, scream and shout. “Play” is her favourite word! She’s also pretty good with “Pleeeeease” when she wants to play and Daddy is too busy. Hard to resist when she pleads with just the right amount of cheeky smile on her face. No one loves cuddles (she calls them “cuggles”) like Ella.

Abbie is the sweetest, most tender girl. She told us this week that because she’s nearly a big girl there won’t be any more sooky whining and whinging. Abbie loves cooking in the kitchen with Kylie, and can crack eggs like a pro. And she and Ella regularly fight over who will set the dinner table.

Chanel is growing so fast! Too fast. She is increasingly adult-like in her words and actions, yet she is so small and immature and young. It is incredible to watch her grow. Loves swimming, reading and doing! In fact, we call her the events co-ordinator. It is remarkable, how efficiently she can arrange who she’s visiting, where and when. Chanel is putting a calendar together with all of her friends’ birthdays just so she can be more organised. I think there’s a Karen Coulson gene in there exerting some influence.

Chanel turns eight on Thursday, and Abbie will be five. Both girls are tremendously excited, and anxious for their big day. Abbie will have a party with friends on the day. Chanel will have her celebration on Saturday the 27th with her baptism and the ensuing gathering of family and friends.

During the week we enjoyed a visit from Mum, Dad, Rachel and Leah. They came up for a holiday at Kingscliffe, and visited our family to celebrate Kylie’s birthday and my birthday. We ate Chinese. Yum. As usual, Mum ordered enough to feed far more of us than necessary, and so we ate Chinese the next day, and the next. Oh, and we ate Cherry Ripe Cheesecake. That was pretty good too.

I have experienced the joy of wonderful relief this week. I finally completed my thesis. It was titled, “An Investigation into the Impact of Praise on Theories of Intelligence and Goal Orientation.” All told, it fills 103 pages. It’s big. I will hand it in today (Monday). It feels so good to have it completed. The feeling is great. I just hope it garners a high grade.

On Saturday, to celebrate the completed milestone of my thesis, I went swimming. I’ve decided to get involved with Squad Swimming again. The only problem is, I haven’t swum for years – and years! In fact, I haven’t done anything for my fitness for longer than I can honestly recall. I couldn’t complete the session, but it felt great to be back in the water. I’m sure that with practice I’ll find my fitness again.

When I returned from swimming, I took to the barbeque. It was cleaning day. Hmmmm. I scrubbed that bbq for nearly four hours. My muscles still have not recovered. They haven’t had such a workout for years. The bbq was a mess, but it came up looking great. I had to throw away all the plates, burners and internal pieces and start again. $350 later the bbq looks like new. I can’t wait to cook on it. And to look at it, there’s no doubt all the hard work was worth it.

Kylie has been frantically working on church assignments. She completed a major event for about 30 or 40 women last week. By all reports it went extremely well. Now it’s preparation time for major events for Abbie and Chanel! I’m sure Kylie will have plenty more to work on when that’s done too. What a talent!

As for me, this Saturday I’ll be presenting a workshop for parents. I start preparing that today, and then practice like crazy all week. It’s for the Australian Family Association Qld State Conference at Parliament House in Brisbane. Then I have another major assignment due the following Wednesday which I really need to finish this week too. After that, exam time, and then… graduation. Lots to do between now and then. But it will be nice to finish!

School Holidays

It has been an action-packed week!

School holidays have just finished and the kids are back at school tomorrow. We love having the children around, but with my endless and enormous study- and work-loads I haven’t had the opportunity to do as much with the children and I would have liked.

Kylie took Chanel to the cinema to see Evan Almighty. They came home raving about the film, saying it was one of the funniest things they’ve seen in a long time. I’ll look forward to seeing the DVD in a few months. Other than that, Kylie has been taking them to the shops for activities, to the park, and to friend’s houses. It has been a busy time.

Fortunately we have a baby who is very calm and comfortable most of the time. Annie is a gift from heaven. I cannot walk past her without pausing to stare into her eyes. I’m in awe of her. Everyone who sees her is instantly in love. She is a special little girl. And wow, can she sleep! Annie is only 5 weeks old but most nights she sleeps happily for around eight hours. Sometimes it’s a little more, other times it’s a little less. But it’s a good sleep!

Kylie celebrated her 29th birthday on the 6th. It was a quiet birthday this year, as mine will be on the 9th. I had a compulsory psychology conference to go to from 8am until 5.30pm on her birthday. Failure to attend the conference would mean failure to complete my degree. They take these things very seriously. This meant that Kylie had to spend the day on her own. I’m grateful that Kylie has good friends. She had a breakfast with her family in the park. Then a friend took the three older girls so Kylie could have a quiet and relaxing day. Shopping, and sleep.

I got home from my conference a little early and decided that we had to buy dinner. Kylie wasn’t going to cook on her birthday and I didn’t have the capacity to. So we had chicken, chips and salad. It was a hit. Then we had an early night.

My week has been a blur. Study, writing, study, research, study. There’s been a little bit of sleep thrown in, but this has been a heavy week. Most nights haven’t finished until close to midnight.

On Tuesday night I called Wally Goddard in the USA. We talked about positive psychology and parenting. We discussed what I might do for a PhD project here in Australia. His guidance and knowledge are gigantic gifts in my life. I was on the phone to the USA from 10pm til midnight. I hope he wasn’t late to work (that’s 7-9am Arkansas time).

And of course, as I mentioned before, I gave a presentation on Kylie’s birthday. It was to a group of about 40 or 50 people and described my research on praise. Knowing that all of the students would be giving similar presentations on their topic, it was important to me that I make mine worth listening to. So I made it fun, and energetic, and full of life. I provided specific applications of what my research meant. And people responded really well. They enjoyed it. In fact, I had several comments from people saying just how much they had enjoyed it.

Only a short report this week as I’ve done little other than study. My thesis is almost completed (if it is possible to ever complete something like that) and the holidays are over. Work is good, and I cannot do any more than I have.

General conference talks are coming out of Salt Lake City today. I heard some this morning on the Internet. I love hearing what our prophets teach us. Inspiring teaching from inspired leaders.