They'll come home

It's exciting when missionaries encounter a celebrity sighting! P!nk lived in my son's mission; she was always very cordial to the missionaries, he said. I'm sure Bo Peep would welcome them as well.
 

Sketchbook: That was fast

As I was sketching out ideas for the week, I came up with this gag. I thought it would be a fun one to do to go along with this week’s Come, Follow Me. 

Later I was listening to the Follow Him podcast with Hank Smith and John Bytheway, and doggone it if Bro. Bytheway didn’t use This. Exact. Same. Joke. 

Rather than scrap the whole thing, I thought I’d share my story. I could do worse than being on the same wavelength as those guys, even for a little laugh. 
 

One step at a time

 

Yeah. Me, too. 

That's to go, please

OK, I promise this is the last locust-related gag for a while! 

This cartoon brings up so many questions for me! Wouldn't it make sense to have a food cart out in the wilderness, since John was bringing in crowds of people? 

Do you think that locusts and honey would be a sweet/savory combination, like perhaps pepperoni and pineapple? 

Doesn't pizza make sense? The Romans probably brought some of their cuisine with them, right?

Where did the pizza guy get that hat? The color scheme is vaguely reminiscent of Burger King's uniform in days gone by.
 

It's what's for dinner

I wonder if I should be concerned at all that two of my recent cartoons are about eating bugs? 

Interestingly, while consumption of most insects is forbidden, locusts are considered to be kosher. I'm not sure what to do with that information. Either way, I don't think I'll be swapping lunches with John the Baptist any time soon.
 

It’s not the cough that carries you off

 

As any parent can tell you, the struggle is real. 

Sketchbook: Jolly jokers

From what I hear, this is tame compared to a lot of pranks that our missionaries pull off!
 

Snack time

Yes, I know there are many places that use insects as a source of protein. But I don't want my kid crawling around the garden and eating them!
 

All in the head

Actually, this is less of a problem outside of Utah and Idaho.
 

Going to the dogs

In my humble opinion, making friends with pets is an underutilized tool in the missionary toolkit.
 

Hardly working

Here's another one from the Disney collection. With a little rewrite, it could totally work for our New Year celebration as well!
 

Sketchbook: Even hidden treasures

Diaper bags are amazing things. There's so much they can hold, and they're often full of a variety a treasures. Just sometimes you have to be careful where you're hunting.
 

Still too soon

I’ll admit it. I certainly felt awkward reading the nativity story just a short time after chopping up the Christmas tree for firewood. 
 

All the right moves

Except for OUR bishop. He can cut the rug.
 

Hiding in the cavities

My dentist often reminds me to take the long view of things. I do.
 

And the galoshes of peace

We’ve had a LOT of rain here. 
 

Sketchbook: In, not of

Before my mission, I was a news junkie. I wanted to know everything that was going on. But after being out for a few months, I noticed that somehow the world kept rolling along — and so did I. 
 

Voices

It’s easier to say than to do sometimes. 
 

Replenishing

I'm certain that we're not the only family that uses the time between Christmas and New Year cleaning and purging. 
 

Meal plans

And a renewable resource as well!
 

Sketchbook: Happy New Year!

I don’t remember for certain, but the past few years it’s seemed like an accomplishment to a make it through to the end of the year. 

Congratulations on making it to 2023. Things can only get better, right?!
 

The 2022 Top Ten, part 2

How about some gee whiz stuff before we begin? 

The top five countries for readership are: 

• USA
• South Korea
• Canada
• Germany 
• UK

The most viewed posts are the April General Conference sketch notes, followed closely by the October General Conference sketch notes —which is usual. 

Now, without further ado, is the rest of the Top Ten.

No. 5: What a great description and call to action!

No. 4: It's been a lot of fun to use the Come, Follow Me curriculum for cartoon ideas this year — it's helped complement my scripture study. These two kids unexpectedly became recurring characters over the course of the year. I wonder if they'll show up for the New Testament?

No. 3: My son recently discovered the joys of vinyl, and asked if I had any "late 20th Century artifacts" that he could look at.

No. 2: When we sing in church, my mind fills with imagery related to the hymns. This may not be what the writer intended, but this is where my thoughts go during this song. Apparently I'm not alone.

No. 1: Like many people, I was shocked by the beginning of Putin's war in Ukraine. I couldn't fathom that this was playing our on the world stage, right before our eyes in real time. When I see the resistance and the resilience of the Ukrainian people, I am reminded of Captain Moroni's call to arms. This seemed appropriate.

Thank you for your readership, and may you have a wonderful new year!