a birthday celebration

Happy Birthday, Clark!

Papa is going to give him a couple of months to practice with those pedals before they have a race. However, if Clark is anything like his mom was on her big wheels it won't be much of a contest!

nease football

We attended the high school football quarter finals in Daytona Beach with my brother John and his family. Clark joined us and had just as much fun cheering for the Panthers as we did. They won and will play in the 4A semi-finals next Friday.

mr. gatch

I wrote about Mr. Gatch last year. Today I saw the sign in his yard. The first magic oranges of the season are available. He wasn't home when I arrived, but pulled into the drive shortly after. When he found out that I wanted 3 half bushels of oranges, he asked if I could come back near sundown. Of course, I agreed. Then an hour or so later I received a call.

"Mrs. Carter?"

"Yes."

"This is the orange man. Willard."

"Hello, Mr. Gatch."

"I got your oranges ready."

"Okay, I 'll be right over."

Today, Willard Gatch, who was born in 1912, precariously placed his rickety old ladder against his orange trees and picked about 150 oranges for me. He is my hero!

happy birthday to B

The first thing she said this morning was, "I'm 12! Finally!"

12 great things about Brianna

1. She always wakes up in a good mood.

2. She loves everybody, young or old, big or little, it doesn't matter she loves people.

3. She has a beautiful singing voice.

4. She has a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

5. She wants to choose the right.

6. She is a great entertainer especially for little children.

7. She is thankful and often expresses her appreciation for things like a fun day.

8. She can think of an art project using almost any thing.

9. She forgives easily.

10. She does loads of errands and hardly ever moans about it.

11. She helps us find whatever we are looking for.

12. She always says, "I love you!" before she goes to bed.

I love her!!!!!

it's sunday night

The Seguines are safely home. I am missing them desperately, but counting the blessings of having had them visit for the past 6 days. Besides the day of Thanksgiving, I want to remember helping Courtney make her chutes and ladders game to go with the Magic School Bus Kicking up a Storm and playing it with her and the huge smile on her face when she won! I want to remember Carter watering my garden like a real fireman and wanting me to hold the hose for backup like a real fireman would have. I want to remember Jonah's eyes when he saw that his Christmas present was wrapped in John Deere Christmas wrapping paper and wondering if he could wait all the way until Christmas to open that package. I want to remember listening to Bella yelling Ma Ma from her port-a-crib in the upstairs bathroom and when I went in to rescue her she smiled the most amazing smile and then gleefully yelled Nana!!!! I want to remember that Dan actually rode on the luxury tube with his kids and didn't even seem to mind that he got his shorts all wet before they even left the beach. And, I want to remember how Tricia and I laughed the exact same laugh at the exact same time, numerous times.

early birthday party

It's almost here...and we wanted to celebrate while the Seguines were still around. After cake and presents, Brianna went off for a fun-filled evening at the movies and then overnight with Natalie.

Megan Berge agreed to babysit.

Dan and Tricia took Doug and I out for dinner to the Cheesecake Factory at Millenia Mall. It was a lovely evening and we ate outside. Then we looked around a little bit, which, of course, included Anthropologie!

christmas tree shopping

We went to our favorite lot down on 441 next to the 429 Expressway and picked out this beauty.

thanksgiving bags

I love Thanksgiving. I love all the cooking and hanging out with family. This year I especially loved Brianna and Courtney and Carter and Jonah who spent a huge part of the morning in the kitchen cooking with me. They helped me make the roll dough and then they helped me make the pies. Brianna is the very best apple peeler! Then they spent ages punching out little pumpkins and acorns and turkeys from the extra pie dough and sprinkling them with brown sugar crystals to decorate the pumpkin pie! Courtney called them cookies even though it was really pie dough. Yummmmmmy!

My brother, John, his son, Gideon, his wife, Joy and her parents, John and Mary joined us for dinner.

So here they are, our 2007

THANKSGIVING BAGS



Doug:

Blessing - a supportive wife

Accomplishment - being a part of BYUTV up and running in South America (they received their first conference in October)

Goal - organize his papers and lose some weight



Debbie:

Blessing - a good mind

Accomplishment - herb garden

Goal - be a better missionary



Brianna:

Blessing - a great babysitting job working for Missy Wise taking care of Payton

Accomplishment - all A's in school

Goal - keep doing well in school

they're here

and the first thing they wanted to do was go to the lake...

...the Berges joined us on Wednesday, papa couldn't help himself and drove the kids on loads of wild rides dumping whomever was on board, including Carter!

Courtney learned how to "drive" the Carter Cruiser

And we all had a REALLY good time!

waiting...

all day Sunday and all day Monday...waiting, waiting

ym and yw

After the baptism of Brandon Pearson (Melissa Schaffer's boyfriend)the youth came to our house for "south of the border" food and games. It was a fun Saturday night.

bella's sock

Dear Courtney,
I know you have been a little worried that I would finish Bella's stocking...guess what? I finished it tonight! I will have it ready and waiting for you when you come next week. You can take it home and help your little baby sister hang her very own stocking.

Love,
Nanamoo

wheat

Doug came home from his regional welfare meeting with the news that the price of wheat was going to double by the end of the year. I am wondering what the far-reaching implications of that will be? I decided that for now, it would be a good idea to get to the church canning facility and stock up. We learned that they had sold 16,000 pounds of wheat since Thursday...so obviously someone else has cued in to this news as well.

I personally only brought home 150 pounds of wheat...which I purchased for 20 cents a pound!

primary presentation

We had a wonderful Sacrament meeting program. Our small primary was mighty in Spirit and they sang with enthusiasm. Brianna and Jensen (sitting next to her on the left) sang a duet early in the program that was lovely. Brianna spoke last and ended by bearing her testimony. I am grateful to all the teachers and leaders who have been an important part of her life. Two weeks from tomorrow, she will turn 12, so I especially enjoyed watching my primary girl today.

Clark's Saturday going to see John & Joy in Jacksonville

So...I woke up Saturday morning to the sounds of Clark hailing help from his port-a-crib in the bathroom. Poor child. It must be so demeaning for him to have to go back to a crib/cage, now that he is a big boy and sleeps in his own beddie at home. Nevertheless, since he is still falling out of his beddie from time to time and our pine floors are far, far away and do not make for a very soft landing--ahhh, better to be safe than sorry. It is still cold, and I asked Doug to grab him. Luckily, we had a few minutes to snuggle before he had business to attend to. And what business is that you might ask a child who is not yet two? Well, first he grabbed my shoes and threw them at me and said something like breh-brah.

Huh?

Then, he grabbed my jeans, conveniently drapped over the arm of a nearby chair and threw those at me with the same request ie breh-brah.

Think, think, think. Oh my goodness...LOL. He wants me to get up and make him something to eat...something like breakfast! Being the dutiful nanamoo, I did. I got up and went downstairs with him and made waffles with vanilla yogurt on the side.

I next decided to take the tractor down to the curb to pick up our forgotten trash cans. After adding shoes and a coat to Clark's pajama attire, we were off on the John Deere. Well, not really, because first we had to put air in 3 of the tractor tires...which he found extremely interesting and then we were off. I parked next to the road and told him to stay on the driver seat, which, of course, he was happy to oblige. I grabbed the first trash can and threw it in the back. I am making noise,but I think I hear Clark say something, but by now I am getting the next one. As I throw it in I hear him say TWO! and then THREE! and finally, FOUR! (Such a brilliant child!)

We went back up the driveway. I decided to water the garden and he apparently decided to give himself a few tricycle riding lessons. (A good idea Clark since your birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks.) Soon enough, the water was too much of a temptation and he managed to get himself completely soaked running about behind and in front of and beside me.

When I finished I hauled him into the house yelling that he wasn't done...but we HAD to be done because we were off to Jacksonville. Not immediately, of course, because I expected his mother to clean him up and get him ready to go. I like making messes with my grandkids!

We got to see John and Joy's very beautiful brand new house. Then Doug and John went golfing and the girls went shopping. Clark and his dad enjoyed watching the football game on tv. We went to all the trendy little boutiques in San Marco and then met up with all the guys for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory where we celebrated Joy's 41st birthday.

Of course, we stayed too late and I even had to drive the last 45 minutes home because Doug was so tired, which is really saying something, because generally I am the one who does not do the "late" thing. Gratefully, we made it home safe and sound, and we will just have to cope without milk and gasoline until Monday.

does she or doesn't she

The title for this blog comes from an old commercial on tv when I was kid. It was a Clairol commercial for hair color and the answer was, "only her hairdresser knows for sure".

So I told Renatta (my hairdresser) that I needed a change. She said to make my hair color warmer. Brianna says it is red, Doug says it is brownish reddish, Cherylyn says it is kind of reddish.

Anyway...it is a little change.

After my exciting morning at Robert & Robert, Doug and I went to the Temple. We had lunch together and then we went shopping. We had agreed to pick Cherylyn and Clark up at the airport. We thought we would have an hour or so to look around. As it turned out, we had over three hours, which was plenty of time to check out the sale room at Anthropolgie and get a new computer. Oh poor Chezzie...more computer help needed!

garden news

My orchid bloomed!

Young Women in Excellence

Tonight was our celebration of Personal Progress. The girls were beautiful, as always. I had hoped to be a bit farther along than I am. Sister Dalton challenged all the leaders to do the PP program at our training this summer. I zipped through "Knowledge" this summer and then school started. It has been sitting on the cabinet next to the couch ever since.


Megan Berge received her YW medallion. She is a good example. I need to get going on that again!

garden tour

It's fall in Florida!

We woke up this morning to find that the temperatures had dropped into the 50's overnight. It was sunny and clear and Doug was taking me to the Mt. Dora Plant and Garden Fair followed by a Garden Tour of 6 homes. I spent most of the rest of Saturday hanging out in my own garden and enjoying the beautiful fall weather.

trick or treat

Our first trick-or-treater.

We joined him for a great Halloween party tradition at the Teets home and neighborhood.

my fall mantle

On Mondays I am like the energizer bunny. After I did all my jobs today...this was my project...so fun!

halloween party

I told Brianna that she was too old to trick-or-treat this year. But, she'll never be too old to party, and off she went this evening with her friend, Natalie.

happy birthday melanie

Dear Melanie,

I thought I would post a few of my favorite memories in no particular order:

1. Remember listening to this song?

2. Remember when you fell down in the garage and split your chin open and I picked you up and carried you into the house and then to the car to go get stitches...my back hurt for days and I knew then that moms can have superhuman strength when it comes to their kids.

3. You were my only baby that loved to be snuggled.

4. Do you remember when we were going to lunch at the Breakers in West Palm Beach and you saw a couple walking out of the hotel and asked me if I had noticed them? When I said no, you said that they looked like you and Spencer when you got old and that's when I knew you would marry him even though he was on his mission at the time and you were not even writing letters to each other.

5. Remember when I was hanging wallpaper and you were painting and the wallpaper accidentally ripped in half and we both collapsed in a fit of laughter?

6. Remember when I made your pink dress and we curled your hair in a zillion ringlets for Prom and you looked like Heaven?

7. I am glad that you have always loved dolls and I have enjoyed choosing dolls for you.

8. I loved watching you on the balance beam at gymnastics, so strong and beautiful...that's how I still see you.

9. Remember how I used to help you study and how happy we were the day you got accepted to BYU?

10. Remember when we saw that big huge alligator sitting in the middle of Lake Dalhousie and we hopped on the jet skis and went waterskiing anyway?



I think about you and your family everyday, but especially today because it's your birthday. I hope it was wonderful. I love you.

MOO

halloween mania

Last night Tori and Megan and I went shopping at the Goodwill to find some Halloween garb. Megan was very entertaining in her neon orange go-go boots. Tori was the cutest candy corn girl. When we went back to the house to pick up the balloons, I realized that Brianna had the housekey. Tori saved the party by walking on the roof and entering through an open window. Finally, we delivered balloons to the girls who were working on their personal progress. It was a very fun night.

wildfires

After spending virtually all of any time that I had glued to the phone with my computer tuned to California radio stations and San Diego wildfire maps, I am grateful that my family is safe. My sister reported that although 90% of her stake was in the wildfire area, not one family lost their home. Apparently late yesterday the National Guard threatened to arrest anyone found in the mandatory evacuation area that my sister lives in. She and her family have been in Las Vegas since Monday. Then helicopters came and dumped massive quantities of water that eventually made it possible for the residents in quadrant 1148 to return to their homes today.

My mom and brother were a little farther from the fire (about 10 miles), although they too received the reverse 911 call for a voluntary evacuation. It is hard being clear across the country when you really just want to help somehow. I am thankful for my daughters and their spouses, who played a part to keep me abreast of developments since I have been working this week. I am grateful for their attentiveness to the situation and diligence in keeping me aware of developments through their technological savvy as well.

Tonight, at least for my family, all is well. And I will keep praying for the other Californians.

america's top pumpkin

Tonight for the joint youth activity the kids carved pumpkins. The Laurels carved the girl onto the pumpkin on the far right and the MiaMaids carved America's Top Pumpkin on the far left. I watched the show (America's Top Model) with Tricia for the first time last week so I volunteered my earrings to complete her look!

What else did I do today?
worked in the garden
mowed the lawn
ran some errands with Doug
mailed birthday stuff to Melanie and Elliot
unpacked
tidied up a bit
helped Brianna decorate the house for Halloween
checked homework
did phone errands for Tricia and Chezzie
took a little nap
made chicken tortilla soup for dinner
read scriptures

and

posted a bunch of blogs!

to-ing and fro-ing

This afternoon...Chezzie and Clark met me at the gate as I returned from Charlotte just minutes before boarding their own flight to the Queen's City.

the cutest little pumpkin this year

This morning...
We saw the costume in the grocery store. She tried it on and modeled it for the nearby shoppers, who apparently thought she was every bit as adorable as we did.

blue ridge parkway

Saturday we had a great adventure. We went to Boone, North Carolina and then for a ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

community helpers

This is Carter holding his homework about community helpers. Our grandkids may not know exactly what their own dads do for a living, but they all know that Papa is a farmer. (Ummmm...let's not disappoint them just yet!)

baby bella

She loves me!

where oh where have you been?

I've been to Charlotte to visit the Queen and her extraordinary subjects.

open house

This year for open house at school our class did plays based on the Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel. We made the puppets during our literature extension time at the end of the week. The kids really loved it and they did such a great job on their performances. I was very pleased that about 50 friends and family came for our show. This picture shows just a few of the puppets that were available the next day.

i just love conference weekend

Elder Eyring is called to the first presidency and Elder Cook is called to be an apostle.

Chezzie, Tanner, Clark and Brianna watched conference with me this weekend. Doug was away at Woodbadge Training and we missed him. When we went to Sam's Club this week, Doug bought me this little leatherbound journal and conference was such a good way to break it in. When Sister Dalton came, she recommended having a journal to record things that moved us or ideas we have while attending meetings. This conference was such a great way to start. So now I have a "to-do" list unlike my normal ones.

One of my favorite moments of conference had to be when Elder Nelson stood by Elder Wirthlin as he gave his talk. One of my favorite talks was Elder Bednar's talk about the transformation of our hearts. Something I hadn't thought about before was that generally miracles are ideas and solutions. I need to remember "when it comes to the Holy Ghost, we often live below our priveledges" and do what it takes to make that happen less in my life.

tanner takes the oath

We were priveledged to witness Tanner's official swearing in. We also got to see his office and meet some of the people that he works with. It was a great evening and we were very pleased to be part of it.