We had a rainy weekend at the Jersey Shore, but the kids had a good time playing with their cousin nonetheless. They were glad to spend time with their extended family--grandma, grampa, aunt and cousin.

This week the kids all opened up savings accounts, where they will deposit their monthly savings budget. They're excited to have a bank account and watch their money grow. I figured that since the kids were already taking "savings" out of their monthly budget because that's what the household does, it made sense for it to go directly into an account for them instead of the household account. The money will do more towards learning there, and they'll be able to save for trips and special items without having to give up all their spending money. Of course, they can always choose to put their spending money in the savings account, too, to make it grow more quickly, but that choice will be theirs.

My 4-H leader training is complete, and now I'm in the process of trying to put together a Community Club. I'm very excited about all the possibilities! We're looking forward to offering an Heirloom Poultry club, a Rock Hounds climbing club and a Gardening for Life club. It's going to be so exciting, and I'm really looking forward to seeing the club grow.

This evening we watched the Reagan funeral procession on TV. We talked about Ronald reagan being the 40th president, the origin of the 21 gun solute, the fall of the Berlin Wall, which we actually have a piece of, the fact that Reagan was the first president that I really recall the majority of his presidency, his issues and policies. Ford is the first president I remember, and I recall Carter and the gas crisis, but they are just snippets, bits and pieces. Reagan was president from the time I was 10 until I was 18--my entire adolescence!