36'as!

Well, we don’t have much to write this week, but there were a few highlights we’ll mention. First, on Saturday we took a long bike ride. It was long for the kids at least (3 miles or so). They were troopers and made it up the hills, even when they had to walk their bikes up. It was fun for all—we got to cross a bridge over a pond, stopped to play at a very unsafe playground, and enjoyed all the birds (we’ll miss the cockatoos and lorikeets and rosellas!). The weather has been absolutely gorgeous—almost like fall. We’re taking advantage of these cool days while they last (we’ll be up to 100F again by Saturday).

Hunter went to swimming lessons Saturday morning after the bike ride. He LOVES his time in the pool with dad! He particularly enjoys splashing the teacher and jumping off the side. He does really well, and doesn’t mind going under at all. Even when he is tired, he is a trooper and does everything the teacher asks (as long as dad throws in a few extra tosses in the air!).

Saturday evening, Jessy took Savannah and Collin to an Adelaide 36ers game. It’s the basketball team here, and apparently it was a great evening for everyone. (They went with Scott and Sam Hann and family.) They played the Cairns Taipans and beat them, mostly because Collin was fiercely cheering them on. Collin was pretty hilarious at the game, in that kind of mode where he is just soaking everything in. I expected both kids to get ornery and cranky at some point during the game, but they were enthralled by everything that was going on. Collin turned to me at one point early in the game and said, “Dad, have those guys been baptismed?” We had just come from a baptism earlier in the afternoon and it must have been on his mind and he was concerned about the b-ball players. He also kept asking me, “Dad, are the sixas winning?” – throwing in some Aussie accent to fit in with the crowd. Both kids loved the whole atmosphere and when they came home at 11:00, they were wide awake, giggling, and had to recount to me everything that was said or done the whole night. The Hanns are awesome friends and we are going to miss their company. Scott has been my counselor in young mens and was recently released to go to the high ‘dry’ council … we sent him off with chocolate and a magnetic sudoku game to keep him awake and not bored out of his mind!!!! Collin has a special affinity for Micah – their 14 year old. He’s a really good kid – one of the best, and a great example for little Collin.