Stopping by the Barretts

Today after I dropped Richard off, I went to Macey's for groceries, then I stopped by the Barretts for a few minutes on my way home. Lindy, Riley and Sidney were just coming out of Summer's house, so I'm glad they saw me; otherwise, I would have thought they weren't home. Riley and Sidney were both happy to see me. Camden wasn't with them because she was at dance. We went into the house and Riley wanted to show me all the pictures she's been drawing in her special drawing book. Camden has a book, too. (Camden's pictures look like the ones Lindy used to draw at the same age.) Riley told me all about the different things she's drawn. One picture was of a "scary tent with a witch inside." When she wrote her name on one picture, she put a big capital "A" right in the middle of her name. Lindy and I started to laugh, and Riley said, "It makes me feel bad when you laugh at me." We explained we weren't laughing at her. We were just laughing because she does such cute things. I told her I couldn't write my name until I was five. Sidney wanted to be part of things, too, pointing at pictures and telling me what they were. About that time Camden came home from dance. She said she'd had fun. They had been learning to do backbends. Then, since all three girls were there, Lindy said they could show me the big heart-shaped chocolate chip cookie they had made. Now it was time to frost it and put M&M's on it. So we did that, with Sidney watching the whole time and wanting to be sure she would get a piece of it along with everyone else. Lindy cut each of us a little cookie wedge, which we ate. It was delicious! Sidney got a wedge, too. She almost didn't believe it was what everyone else was having, but she finally decided that it was; so she took a bite and then ate it all. After my fun visit, I headed home to get some things done this evening while Steven is at the MTC greeting a new district--eight elders and four sisters. We needed some more missionaries in the branch since we're down to just three districts right now.

Tiff called tonight and said things started happening today with internship possibilities when she was in Springfield on her field trip. She wondered if an internship in Springfield would affect the postponed wedding plans. We decided it wouldn't because she still needs this semester to concentrate on school and not worry about wedding plans. Besides, she won't really know if anything will really materialize with the internship until March and that's a little late to make sure everything's in place for a June wedding. This way, there's not so much pressure. It also leaves open options for other internship possibilities. And if a Springfield internship does work out, then that's better for future job prospects in Springfield. Earlier today, I called Diane Owen at the Ellis Sanders house in Nauvoo and told her we wouldn't need the June 7 date we had reserved there for the wedding luncheon. She was very nice about cancelling it.