California McMillans

Teaching Gospel Doctrine continues to be on my all time favorite callings.  I love it!  I look forward to teaching (maybe because it is an hour that I have kid free to give my full attention to a lesson without interruptions of kids or babies.  I also get distracted to talking to friends in halls a lot.  I need to work on that.  I recognize that I don't need to teach to really get the most out of classes and need to improve on punctuality, really preparing and making the most of each lesson. It really isn't about being in the class or an hour each Sunday, but making that lesson a part of your previous week and week ahead.  One of the many things to work on! Well, last week I taught Gospel Doctrine (still one of my favorite callings ever!!)) I actually get energy and excited to teach.  I think it is what I was made to do in life, whether it be my little preschoolers once a month, swimmers or the gospel.  I love it!  It also helps me read and study my scriptures, even though

I just want to say how grateful I am for the village of adults, youth and kids that are helping to raise and influence my kids. One thing about going back to work, not having family in town and having 5 kids in all different directions is that you need a village and I am so lucky that I have the best one! This week, Scott was kind of sad that he didn't know anyone on his new team, we said a prayer and that day he met some great kids who he now looks forward to going and hanging out.  When I got to work, I introduced him to two older boys playing basketball, they immediately included him and made him feel welcome, telling him that they were new to the team a year or two ago and understood.  What great kids! I have Tyler's baseball team who helps pick him up so he can get to games on time and Kira's gymnastics coaches reach out to know how to help her since she has had the hardest time with me going to work.  I had a friend coming over to get something and we needed to

 Scotts painting got selected for the district wide art show.  It was the first day of swim practice for me and he came home and said that he had an art show that day.  So he stayed home with the babysitter and Danny took the kids when he got home from work.  He was really proud and felt so goo about himself.  We are proud of him too!  He has become such a helper and so responsible.   Danny took the kids to the show when he got home from work.  I missed it because of work.  So grateful I have a husband who at the end of a long day at work will come home and keep going for his kids.  Truly blessed.  GREAT JOB SCOTT!  WE ARE PROUD OF YOU!

Our New York trip, as described by Danny.  Ahem.  New York was great.  Things at the Cochise property were consuming a lot of time and energy and it was becoming stressful for Heidi.  I actually didn't mind doing the renovations, even though I was tired.  Things always took longer than expected, though.  One of Heidi's second cousin's got married in New York and we decided to make a trip out of it.  I wasn't that excited about the city itself, but I was excited about leaving behind the kids since we haven't ever done that.  I didn't want our trip to just be building hunting and walking around because that is not my idea of a vacation.  We went with Heidi's sister, Heather, and her husband. On the first day, we rented bikes and rode through central park.  I wanted to scout out the places from White Collar, and this lake boardwalk was where Neal was captured, and the skyline is from the key he found in the box.  My bike had good brakes but I like my Trek