At the library

Cherise, Jennie. Nathan and I went to the library while we were visiting them, see our visiual evidence we have recorded for posterity. Cherise and Jennie go to the library a lot and they joined the summer reading program. It reminds me of when my children were little ,we went to the library all the time and joined the summer reading programs. I think the prizes my kids liked the best were at the library in Ohio, where the prize they got after reading so many books were ice cream cones with eyes on. We read at bedtime almost every night back then. Oh, the memories!

New Arrival!

I was watering my plants again today and when I looked into the birdhouse lo and behold, there were some new faces in there. I had to hurry and take this picture before the mother bird came back. I hope you can see the babies on this picture, I am taking pictures with my phone because I haven't figured out how to transfer pictures from my camera yet.

Birdhouse Invasion

I got home from Utah last night and today went out to water my plants on the front porch and when I went to water the plants in front of this birdhouse something scared my by flying out of the birdhouse. Yes, I did jump for all of you that were wondering. I looked in the birdhouse and saw that it had been invaded and there are quite a few little bird eggs sitting in a nest in there. I hope our cat can't climb the pole on the birdhouse.

Bradford Pear Trees

Look at what Alan came home to the other night. Half of a tree in our front yard by the driveway broke off in a storm and landed on the house and roof. This is our third Bradford Pear tree that we have had to remove because of broken limbs falling. I am glad to get rid of them, while they are very pretty in the spring with white blossoms, they are dangerous and they also have very messy berries that fall off of them in the fall. I guess the nurseries in the Columbia don't have them for sale anymore because of their tendency to lose branches in storms. Goodbye Bradford Pears!!!!

Going Out West

Nathan and I are headed to Utah this week. We are going to the annual Carter Campout. I think this year we are going to go "real" camping at Gooseberry. Nathan says that staying at the cabin doesn't really count as a campout. I just told Dad (Grandpa Carter) where we were going and that we were looking for a campground that was level without too many rocks so it would be easier for him to walk around on and he said, "Well, if I fall down I guess there will be plenty of people to pick me up". Way to have a positive attitude. He finally got his TV working with the new digital box. He has been without a tv for a few weeks and he said it was getting pretty boring reading Louis Lamour books for the 4th time. Anyway he said he was watching Little House On The Prairie (a show he said he likes) and a storm came up and wiped the signal out. I guess life is really rough when you can't watch Little House On The Prairie! He also said he was watching a show about Lions and Matt came and sat down by him and said,"Grandpa did you know that this show is in Spanish?" Dad said no that he couldn't really hear it anyway so it didn't matter.
Update on Nathan - we went to Dr. Karnsakul last week and he is going to have Nathan take big doses of Probiotics for a few weeks and see if that helps. Onward we go!!!!!
We are having the missionaries live with us. The church is having the missionaries live with member families more often. It saves a lot of money and they find the Elders obey the rules a lot better when they live with a family. Two Elders moved in last Saturday and one left Wednesday and a new Elder came on Thursday. So far it has worked out very well. They cook breakfast and lunch here and most nights they eat at other members homes. Sharing the kitchen seems like we are in college with roommates with everyone eating their own thing and doing their own dishes. Yesterday they asked if they could use the bread maker and make their own bread. We said sure, and then it evolved into they will grind wheat to make the bread also.
I have already hemmed one of the Elder's pants. I told him that the next pair I will teach him how to sew. He said his mom would die of shock if he came home knowing how to sew. I told Nathan, "Before you go on your mission I insist you learn how to cook and sew". Poor Nathan, I think he will get a lot of lessons from Mom after watching the Elders.

Getting Old?

For Mother's Day this year I got these great rocking chairs for the front porch. I have been looking for just the right rocking chairs for a long time. The most important consideration was comfort. I didn't want the really straight back chairs like I see on most porches around here. So,

one day while driving around I spied these rockers at a little shop by the side of the road. When I saw them I thought, those are just what I have been looking for. I took Alan back with me and when we sat in them I knew they were just the thing. Now, I wonder if this is making me feel old, just sittin' on the front porch rockin' away the time?