Latest Family Stuff

Here's Carson at his Christmas Concert

Gray's Creek Middle School

Edward and Angie

Thanksgiving Weekend

and the "Stinkin' Dote"

as she's fondly known

Carson got his wisdom teeth pulled

the day before Thanksgiving

We traveled to Pensacola on Veteran's Weekend

Beautiful Beach!

Are we having fun yet???

We went to see Martha and Hugh,

visiting their oldest son Rick who

is stationed there.

Rick, Wendy & sweet family

We tried local food like

deep fried cheesecake...Yum!

We found great shells at the beach.

The water was beautiful!

We saw the Blue Angels Air Show.

Deep sea fishing was a blast.

We had the best fish tacos

made by Hugh, Rick & Wendy

Great trip, Love Florida!!!

Our Ward's Young Women's Excellence

was great!

Loved our Youth Theme for the year

13th Article of Faith

Our annual Stake Youth Service Project

putting flags at the Veteran's Cemetery

Cold morning but we had a good group there

Halloween Punks at our

Ward Trunk or Treat

(Carson, Eric & Christian)

Angie's 28!

Birthday Celebration

Haven't shared a story in a while so here's the one about Angie's birth. Angie was our honeymoon baby and before she was conceived, I had to have a rubella vaccination to get our marriage license in the state of California. The doctors advised me not to get pregnant for at least three months following the vaccination or the baby would be at risk for birth defects. Well, Angie was conceived and when I told the doctor, he encouraged me to terminate my pregnancy. I wasn't expecting such pressure from a doctor. It really caught me off guard and shook me up but I stuck to my principles and told him that I wouldn't be terminating my pregnancy. Later, I did some research and found out that Angie wasn't at risk as much as the doctor led me to believe. Children are blessings from God. Elder Neil L. Anderson said in conference that "many in today's world marginalize the importance of having children." I guess that would include even some doctors. Angie is a joy and blessing in my life. I've always told her that she truly wanted to get here to this world and experience all she can. She's always had that type of personality, even from her birth.

“Motherhood is not a hobby,

it is a calling.

You do not collect children

because you find them cuter than stamps.

It is not something to do

if you can squeeze the time in.

It is what God gave you time for.”

~Rachel Jankovic

Dog Days of Summer

Dottie the Dog

Well I'm back to blogging. Just thought I'd start by posting some summer highlights. We had a full fun summer. Even had time to play with Dottie. Here she is waiting for me to hit her a tennis ball. What a dog!

Me, Kellee, Carson & Jessica

at Kellee's Graduation

We've had such a joy spending time with Cousin Kellee. We started off our summer by attending her graduation. We are really proud of her accomplishments. She's moved on and is attending Brigham Young University. If she does as well in college as she did in high school...She will Do great!

Angie, Jessica & Janna

Beach Fun!

You never know who might come visit if you just ask. Cousin Janna from California just graduated from high school and came to see us. It was so wonderful to have her. This picture is of them having fun at the Kure Beach.

Angie and Friends from Single's Ward

River Rafting

Angie came back in June and found a job here in Fayetteville at High Smith Rainey Hospital. She lives only ten minutes away and likes the single's ward. She shares teaching gospel doctrine class. One of their fun activities this summer was going river rafting. Do you think she might be having too much fun?

Jessica & Sophia
Stake Camp 2010

I'm so glad that my girls have had good experiences at YW Camp. Its good to know that they can have fun even in North Carolina where it's hot and muggy in the summer. Here's Jessica acting goofy with a friend from the ward. As my mother would say: "the fruit don't fall to far from the tree. "



Dave and some of the Youth and Adult Leaders

Stake Youth Conference

"A More Nobler Desire"

Dave and I got to be host parents for a group of young men at our youth conference. The theme was "A More Nobler Desire" A week before youth conference they were given a challenge to go on a digital fast: no tv, movies, texting, or computer except for absolute necesities like summer homework or keeping in contact with parents. Then the youth did service projects all weekend. Some of our activities included reading the newspaper to the blind over the radio, feeding the homeless in downtown Fayetteville and putting up a fence for a neighbor. It was great experience and helped us all to keep our priorites in order.

Jake the Graduate

Bachelors in Geography

with a minor in Spanish

Jake had a Summertime Graduation. Since BYU doesn't have a ceremony in December, Jake had his celebration in August. He still has a class he's finishing up with for Fall Semester and will be done in December. Then what? Well, we shall see.

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When I moved to North Carolina, one of my first friends was Hilda Brock and she was a wonderful primary music leader. At the end of the summer she would teach the primary children the song: "Oh What Do You Do in the Summertime" after they would learn it she then let the children make up their own verses. I thought it was so clever. I'm so glad I witnessed this wonderful woman sharing her talent and light to all.

Here's my feeble attempt to honor her love for music and show how our family spent the summer:

Oh, what do you do in the summertime

when all the world is green,

do you swim in a pool,

graduate from school,

or play with your dog all day long.

Is that what you do?

So do I.

Rare Snow in March

"Poor Dottie"

Wishing there was more snow

We had a rare snow storm come through North Carolina. The western part of the state got the most but here in Hope Mills area we only got a trace, much to the sadness of children and a few dogs.

“Getting an inch of snow

is like winning 10 cents in the lottery.”

--Bill Watterson

SNOW DAYS - FAMILY FUN

We woke up to snow on the ground yesterday and around here that means NO SCHOOL. So everyone took ad-vantage to have fun while it lasted because usually its gone before you know it. But, thats just the way I like it. Not too much and not too long. Its beautiful.

Falling down, gently down,

See the softly falling snow,

Falling down, gently down,

Covering the ground below.

Lois Lunt Metz

THE REASON FOR THE SEASON

Carson said to me the other day, "I love Christmas" and I asked him, "why?" and he said, "I don't know. . . it just feels good."

I believe the Holy Spirit truly rests on us during special occasions and the celebration of our Savior's birth is one of those occasions. I'm so grateful for Him and I'm glad that a ten year old boy could "feel" the holiness of this time of year and remind me of what Christmas is all about.

The most important and most significant

of all events that have happened

in the history and life of mankind

are the birth, life, death and resurrection

of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,

the Only Begotten of God the Eternal Father."

N. Eldon Tanner