HI!

    Hi, Troy!

It was really neat to talk with you and Emma on Skype yesterday, at least for a little while.  I felt really bad when your computer crashed and we lost our connection.  Then you called back and I could see you and it crashed again, and I couldn't get back to you again.  I don't know if the problem was with Skype or with your computer.  By the time I could even get a signal on your computer it was really late your time, and I didn't want to call you in the middle of the night.

I'm really glad the people at the CPS realized that your family is fine and that you are surrounded by a bunch of idiots.  It's sad when some people have so little to do they have to try to live other peoples lives for them!  Isn't it ironic that a teacher who has one kid thinks she has the whole parenting thing figured out and knows everything!  It reminds me of a story about a child psychologist who was a specialist in raising children.  He published a book titled,  "How to Raise Children."  It was widely acclaimed by the psychological community.  Then a few years later he got married and had a child.  He re-wrote the book and changed the name to "Suggestions on Raising Children."  Then he had two more children and rewrote his book and titled it, "Thoughts on Raising Children."  Then he had two more children and stopped writing books.

I went to my class this morning that I didn't have any students in last week, and I have seven today.  I asked them where they were last week, and they said, "Oh, this class didn't start for our majors until today."  It would have been nice to know this last week when I went to class, set up all the stuff for my lesson, then didn't have anybody show.  I asked them if there were going to be more students next week, and they said probably not.  There aren't a lot of majors in Global History.  It's tough to get a lot of class discussion with seven students.  And two of them are just auditing the class.  It will be interesting to see how long they keep coming!  Oh, well.  TIC.  I still have a class on Wednesday that hasn't had any students show up for two weeks.  Maybe their classes don't start until next week?  I guess I'll go and see if anybody shows up, and if not, I'll quit going.  I called our department about getting class rolls, and they said they should have them in a couple of more weeks or so.

This weekend is our District Conference in Beijing, so we are going over tomorrow afternoon after our classes.  On Saturday we will go shopping at the markets in Beijing, then Saturday afternoon we have Priesthood Leadership meeting at 4:00-6, then will have an all-adult meeting 7-9.  Sunday morning we have general Priesthood meeting at 8:30 for an hour, then at 10:00 we have a two hour conference meeting.  It is kind of nice to mingle with some of the other saints here in China, though, and I've gotten to where I really enjoy some of the meetings.  I must be getting old!  I like the spiritual recharge the speakers bring.  It's easier to do that when you don't have a bunch of kids that don't like to sit in meetings that much.  I felt a little guilty when you said you guys went to the Kite festival instead of going to Stake Conference.  I thought we hadn't been a very good example.  But then I remembered why, and didn't feel so guilty.  We did go to the Priesthood and Adult meetings on Saturday.  And I think the family time we spent together was good too.  I also remembered that most of the time we went on picnics was for General Conference, and we took a radio along and Mom and I listened to conference while you guys went and tried to catch fish in the stream, or just played a lot.  I don't regret those days, and it was easier to stay awake during the talks.

We are planning to come see you this fall, probably when the weather begins to cool a little, maybe when the leaves turn pretty.  If you want some help with your deck or something that will be fine.  We'll finalize plans when the time gets closer.  It will be strange to be there when the weather isn't 99 degrees with 99% humidity.  Of course, we'd like to drop down and see Gladys, too, for one afternoon and/or evening. 

Well, I have to get ready for going to Beijing tomorrow.  I hope you are doing well, we sure love you all!  Be sure to tell the kids how much we love them!  I can't believe how fast they are growing!  They are really awesome!  (Of course!)

Love,  Dad and Mom.