thursday in southern california

 

We have been enjoying tracking down some west coast geocaches, traipsing up and down the brush covered hillsides. It was pretty exciting when we picked up a trackable coin with the mission of visiting coastline states. We will be happy to take it back to the east coastline states with us.

Brianna was thrilled to join with Kyle and his family at SeaWorld.  

15 times on Atlantis!

 

Doug and I spent the afternoon hanging out at Melanie’s house, visiting with her and the boys.

Tonight all the little ones were early to bed.

We went to the San Diego Temple with  our girls and their husbands. There is a grand circular staircase, and as we exited the dressing room, we found the four men standing at the top waiting with smiles.

We are so blessed. They are so good. They are so handsome.

wednesday in southern california

 

We decided to all meet up for breakfast this morning.

   

And even though it was a holiday, and there were tons of people there, we managed to keep adding free tables to our group until we were all hanging out together. It was a very yummy way to start the day.

 

 

Afterwards, Tricia, Jen, Kyle, Doug and I went to play some tennis at Stagecoach Park while others decided that naps were in order for our weary little travelers. The time change and late flights from yesterday are catching up with us today.

Family pictures were a priority for this trip since it is the first time in five years that we have all been together. We made arrangements with Gina Hansen, a local photographer, and met at the park in the afternoon.

We finished the day at my favorite Mexican food restaurant, Norte.

open house ball

The church has been filled with friends and neighbors and even some members touring for the past two days. Doug has spent most of his time welcoming all who came by.

Tonight, was the Open House Ball. There were so many things that had to happen first, that I kind of kept forgetting about The Ball.

Anyway, after Doug sorted out my necklace and Gail took our picture, I spent the rest of the evening chatting and also did lots of dancing with my very handsome date. Everyone was dancing!!! So fun!

It seems as if everyone thinks we should do it again. Maybe there will be a competition to name the dance…unless, of course, we decide to do another Open House again next year.

open house invitation

I wish I could post how great the invitation looks when it is three-folded. Suffice it to say that the picture of the Savior ends up just above the name of the church as you are opening it. Thanks once again to my friend, Karen, who drew this picture of the Savior for me, for a children’s sacrament presentation 24 years ago. Then she gave me the original. I treasure it.

to nolan

It’s ready for you!

MeRRy ChRIsTmaS!

                                                                           With love from Nanamoo

time for a change

Today I went and got my haircut. But I didn’t change my hair. Afterwards, I went to Thee Clockmaker’s Shop in Mt. Dora to replace a mechanism from our clock. (My early morning clock changer apparently damaged it on Sunday morning.)  First I had to wait 15 minutes to get into the store. Although there is a note that says that Thee Clockmaker’s Shop opens at 10:00am, I suppose that doesn’t Actually mean that it opens at 10:00am. A little sticky on the door said something about coffee being needed and back in 5 minutes. A group of three showed up at 10:20am, which makes one (ie me) wonder why it took all three of them to get the coffee. Nevermind. I smile when they arrive and ask about my part. Yes, they have it. But then I am told that it is Much to Complicated to install. Since I am holding the part from my old clock, doesn’t that mean that I have uninstalled it and therefore can reverse the procedure?

Thee Old Clockmaker’s part was Not Exactly the same as mine. He let me know that Even If I don’t open the plastic packaging, I still can’t return it.

I decide to bring my husband back to have a look at the part. The really conflicting part, however, is that I have seen a clock in the window that I would really like, to replace the clock that I am buying the part for, so it would be silly to fix the clock, if I am just going to replace it.

I struggle with the justification of purchasing from a shop where I have been summarily reduced to incompetent.

I decide to go by the church on the way home to see if Doug is still there, since it is closer to Thee Old Clock Shop than home. Doug is not there. I get pulled over by Officer Smalt a few minutes after leaving the church.

Officer Smalt informs me that in coming down the hill, I have attained the speed of 41mph in a 25mph zone. I ask Officer Smalt if he is related to the Matthews family. He asks to whom, in particular I am referring? Pam, I answer. He tells me that she is his aunt.

Officer Smalt takes my license and my registration. He returns about 1000 minutes later, okay, it was really like 5, but just felt like 1000. I have spent the entire time telling myself that I can Not buy the clock because I have just bought a speeding ticket. Officer Smalt tells me that he has given me a warning, saving me $256. I am grateful.

I am back to trying to justify purchasing from a shop where I have been summarily reduced to incompetent even though I just saved $256. I could actually buy several clocks for that price.

Later in the day, Doug goes back to Thee Old Clock Shop with me.

I do like my new clock!

armed and dangerous

About a year ago, Doug and I started playing doubles tennis with Rick and Linda Teets. We normally play three sets.

Doug and I vs Rick and Linda

Linda and I vs Rick and Doug

Rick and I vs Linda and Doug

 

It has been great fun and great exercise. 

Recently though, while swinging through a shot, I clobbered my own head with my own racquet.

Who knew that tennis could be such a dangerous sport to oneself?

Linda has suffered with an ankle injury, Doug was out for a while with a muscle tear in his leg and I have had various elbow and shoulder issues. Normally, we ice and rest and then carry on. That is until…

…Rick managed to dislocate his shoulder. It seems as if there are other yet-to-be fully diagnosed repercussions from  that abuse.

Of course, he comes out and cheers us on as Rhea has taken over his double responsibilities. She has been great to play with us!

 

We are all wishing him a speedy recovery!!!

our first meeting

It was so very exciting to drive the whole five minutes to our new stake center...the home also of our very own Eustis Ward. I felt quite emotional entering. We enjoyed a beautiful testimony meeting, started by my husband and made all the more lovely by Brianna’s own testimony as part of the service. The chapel, large as it is, was filled. How blessed we are to have this meeting place.

october 31

 

 Happy

Halloween!

 

 

 

 

mla

Skype Chat   [10/30/2009 9:00:05 AM]

ML-Sister McClure:  We welcome our newest Missionary Leader Assistant, Sister Debbie Carter.  Thank you for being willing to serve our group.

Sandra Kennedy : Congratulations Sister Carter!

Elder Earle (Missionary Trainer): Congratulations on your new assignment!

ML-Sister Janet Dawson: Welcome Sister Carter!

TL Joyce Hancock: Welcome Sister Carter!

Debbie Carter: Oh thank you!!!

TL Joyce Hancock: I'll give you inTouch and request an Oracle account for you.

Yesterday, I was called to be a Missionary Leader Assistant.  I am a senior  companion to Sister Sandi Adkins. She is from Roanoke, Virginia. I feel like I have been on a very steep learning curve with my missionary work. I am enjoying it. I know I have made some progress because I am finally feeling comfortable answering the phones, even on Sunday. (I used to only do email work on Sunday because it was so stressful for me worrying about whether I would be able to help the patrons.) I feel very blessed to be able to serve with a great group of missionaries and a wonderful group of patrons as well.

ten years ago today

We bought the Birdhouse.

Although it was love at first sight for me, the purchase was actually the culminating event of a lot of research. When we first decided to buy a “second” home, we thought of all the things that would make it perfect for us. The list included being close to a Temple and an airport. I wanted it to be old and restorable. A series of internet searches kept bringing me to central Florida and I finally decided to pick out one of the homes and go have a look.  I engaged the listing  agent of an interesting  home and told her what we were looking for.

A few days later, Melanie, who was still home from summer break at BYU, and I  were off on our adventure that was seemingly fruitless by lunchtime. We had seen the agent’s listing and several others that were not old nor restorable. Then, she dropped us off at Goblin Market for lunch and left us with a Homes and Land magazine.

That was  where and when Melanie first saw our home. After lunch and some phone calls, we were on our way. Traveling  down the dirt track, that eventually became the driveway,  I caught sight of the house, and my heart leapt. One thought kept repeating itself over and over in my mind. “Just be half-way decent, half-way decent will do it.”

Doug had plenty to hear about that night when he called in from Buenos Aires, and since he was coming home early, meaning Friday night that week, instead of Saturday, we made plans for a Saturday viewing.

What followed were numerous reports from electricians, fuel tank and gas line examiners, termite inspectors and sewage and water personnel. With all those reports in order, we bought it and began our own projects:

 

stripping

 

 

 

painting

 

pounding

 

scraping

 

 

and staining.

 

  

The project list just goes on and on. But, I love the memories of projects past and the hope of projects future.

 

We have lived here longer than any other place our entire lives.

We love our Birdhouse.

Happy Birdhouse Day!

out of it

I started feeling unwell on Sunday night. A good old-fashioned head cold was on it’s way. Monday, I rested, or tried to. I did all of the things that I normally do when illness comes my way…which mostly amounts to sleeping and watching something funny on tv.  Since the illness was presenting as cold, I asked Doug to buy me a bunch of oranges and I ate one of those on a regular basis throughout the day. I usually get this kind of thing when my neighbor’s oranges are available, so I must be a little out of sync this year.

I opted to read a funny book instead of watch tv since I didn’t have a fever. (I have heard that you are not supposed to read when you have a fever. I wonder if that is true or if it is just an old wives tale.) Nevertheless, I didn’t have a fever and the book was funny. So the only trouble was laughing since ThaT hurt my head abominably. And the book was quite funny…all the way through.

Tuesday was worse. I decided that the best way to get past Tuesday was just to sleep, and in spite of sleeping half the day, I went to bed and slept all night as well.  Doug and Brianna have checked in with me on a regular basis. Doug realized how lousy I felt  when I opted not to take a ride with him to Orlando. He wanted to go to the bookstore. I seldom pass up an outing, especially one like  that which will no doubt include a lunch date.

Looking on the bright side, there is something good about reading and sleeping in my favorite spot on the couch all day. I have a beautiful view of the treetops in my backyard without even moving that is ever-changing with the breezes and sunlight and critters that call that place their home.

And now… it seems as if I am on the downhill side of it. So tonight, I am looking forward to more energy tomorrow and thankful that I had the luxury to be out of it the past few days.

melanie

She was 6 weeks early. Dare I admit that I weighed 102 pounds before I delivered? I had been very sick early on in the pregnancy and had only just gained back that weight. I had hopes of bulking up the last six weeks, but then, I woke up in the middle of the night. I was hoping that the pain would just go away. It didn’t, not for twenty-six hours.  I went all natural, and in spite of her tininess, ultimately weighing in at 4 pounds and 13 ounces, she was mighty. Her lungs were fully developed, but they kept her in the intensive care  because of jaundice for five days. Melanie was my first nursing baby and I had to “make a deal” with the doctor that I would bring her in to be weighed every few days. Apart from that adventure, which lasted only a short time, I was  confined to the house for 6 weeks (near torturous for me) but, I did it.   On December 2, her actual due date, she made her debut and was blessed.

 

 

 

 

 

  Happy Birthday

spending the evening with elder bednar

Tonight Doug and I were invited  to a fireside that Elder Bednar gave to the young single adults of the seven stakes in the greater Orlando area.

I didn’t take this picture, someone else did at the beginning of the year, but Elder and Sister Bednar haven’t changed much physically since then.

I have the feeling that they have both changed spiritually since then, because they both spoke of quite recent experiences that they have had following the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

Even as the intimate experiences were shared, it was asked that we not post them on the “blog-o-sphere” or other similar places. However, I feel sure that he wouldn’t  mind if I  share this particular piece of advice:

Go to the temple to get inspired questions to ponder.

That is an action item, that I have not taken on before, but plan to in the very near future. I am truly grateful for my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. I know that David A Bednar is one of the special witnesses of Jesus Christ. Although differently, I too have taken upon me His Name.  I look forward to the morrow Sabbath to renew those covenants once again.

signing on for saturday

 When I am doing my missionary work, I often see messages from one of the supervisors that say “Please help and go available”. Shortly thereafter, several missionaries will post messages. “This is Elder S0-and-So or this is Sister So-and-So signing on.”

This week our Bishop received a verbal message that said something like “please help”.  As the Supervisor of our ward he asked some of the members to “go available.”  Saturday morning at the chapel, we were divided into four teams to prepare our chapel. It was the first of many opportunities we will have to do this kind of service. It was unique in that we were doing some jobs that won’t have to be done again, for example, unpacking all the dishes and utensils in the kitchen.

When we finished  Bishop Saunders could have said, “This is Eustis Ward Support signing out. Anyone need anything else before we go? Have a joyful Sabbath.”

He didn’t, but he did say something similar…and we will.

beautiful bright

This morning as we arrived at the Temple.

 

 

Men in White

Robert Lake--formerly counselor to Richard Smith and later Stake President Pompano Beach, currently, counselor in Ft. Lauderdale Mission Presidency

William Current--formerly counselor to Richard Smith and later counselor to Robert Lake, currently, Stake President Pompano Beach Stake

Richard Smith--formerly Stake President Pompano Beach Stake, currently, Temple sealer Florida Orlando.

Douglas Carter--formerly counselor to Richard Smith and later Robert Lake, currently, Stake President Leesburg Stake

Then pure and supernal, our friendship eternal, with Jesus we’ll live, and his counsels obey until every nation will join in salvation and worship the Lord of the beautiful day. Hymns #52

What a beautiful experience.