Bear Hollow

I'm only the grandma, but feel fortunate to be included in the back to school picture taking ritual. I don't think I've missed one in 7 years since Brody started Kindergarten.

Today was Carter's first day of preschool this year, a new school called Bear Hollow, and he was very excited. (and very photogenic)



Here he is with his bear, which he named "Barry" this morning:


Hmmm. Is this a GQ pose?


Not long after I snapped this one, he told me "Enough pictures, Grandma." Why? At this point I had only taken about 24.


This one, taken as he got out of the car at Bear Hollow, almost looks like he was having second thoughts about this, but I assure you, he wasn't.




Mama and her boy. Makes my heart swell with love. Two of my very favorite people in this whole world.

Tuesday

We're staying with the kids while Gayle and Bill are out of town for Bill's work. Yesterday (Friday), I was getting ready to go somewhere, and Carter was going with me.
"Go use the bathroom," I reminded him. Then I was sidetracked by something I was doing. A few minutes later, he was lollygagging in the livingroom.

"Go use the bathroom," I reminded him again, since it didn't seem like he had left the vicinity since my earlier plea.

"I already did," was his answer.

"When?" I asked.

"Tuesday."

Great Grandpa Redd

Every now and then, Carter has asked me about my dad. "Where's your dad," he asks. I tell him, "My dad lives in Michigan, and when we go there this summer, you will meet him." Carter is very interested in family relationships, who people are, and where they are. (Remember, Carter is the "dad" of his own son, Alex, the water balloon baby.)

So there we were in July at Platte River Campground, all of us hanging out in our pine canopied family room. Dad and Ula arrived from nearby Interlochen for their annual camp dinner with us. Dad had barely escaped the car when Carter walked over to him, took his hand and said simply, "C'mon".

Carter led Dad to Kathie & Carl's campsite next to ours where all the toys were, handed Dad a paddle and engaged him in a game of catch. I know, and am absolutely sure, that was the first time in over 50 years that my father played ball.

That I had my camera in hand is a tender mercy of the Lord. I will never forget the sweetness of what I witnessed in these few moments. With or without the pictures.

A boy and his (sister's) dog

Today was back to school for Brody and Kennedy. I'm totally in denial that my grandson is in the 6th grade, and my little granddaughter is in the 4th! They were babies only last year....weren't they? I went over to their house this morning for their annual back-to-school early morning picture taking episode. Each year it has been an "Event" with new clothes, new backpacks, big smiles, and lots of excitement. This year, it was different. The excitement wasn't there. We snapped a few quick pictures and off they ran. Carter never even came outside to be a part of it.

Another missing "person" was Smudge (the cat) who has been in every back to school picture until this year. I wondered if anyone but me noticed...






Carter will go to pre-school in a few weeks, and I know he will be excited and will pose as much as we ask, and will jabber about going to 'cool, like he did last year. For today, he was content to scoop up Lola, his sister's new puppy, who will be "his" while she is in school each day.

Happy Independence Day

Happy Birthday, America! May God bless you always.

Today's entry appears on my other blog, Just Another American Patriot

"Alex" - A Special Father's Day Story

This is my grandson, Carter. Quite a nice looking young man, I think. But last night when this picture was taken, he had a special glow about him. Little did we know...

Today Carter came to me with the news that he had had a baby. His baby's name is Alex, and unlike moms, whose babys grow in their tummies, Carter's baby grew in his right foot. Since I wasn't invited to the birthing, I can't tell you how that went, but Alex arrived. He is a chunky little thing, a little bluish in color.

Here is Alex in the bed that Carter gave him:



Carter spent most of the day with Alex in tow (pardon the pun), and he was such a good father. He took him everywhere. In fact, when it was time for us to go to the movie (we saw Night at the Museum 2 and highly recommend it), Carter insisted that Alex come along. We didn't have a car seat for the little guy, but we nestled him in the drink holder between the two front seats, and Carter kept an eye on him from the back seat. By the time we reached the theater, Alex had fallen asleep, and Carter reluctantly allowed him to nap in the car while we went inside.

Because Bob was on call today, we had two cars at the theater. When the movie was over, Carter was quite ready to check out his baby, until Brody and Kennedy talked Grandpa out of a few spare coins for the arcade. Carter decided Grandma could babysit for a few minutes. I took Alex home with me. As I was lifting him from his little nest, I noticed he was wet. Hmmm, where did that come from? Imagine my horror when I realized that Alex had sprung a pinhole leak. I quickly ran toward the house with him when "poof"! Alex was no more.



I may be slow, but when a grandson's happiness is at stake, I can think pretty doggone quickly. And besides, I couldn't bear to be held responsible for losing his baby while he was in my care. I quickly found the bucket of Alexes-to-be (aka water balloons), found a blue one, and rushed to the back spigot to breathe life into the little guy. Not quite the same as coming from my right foot, but as surrogate mother, it was the best I could do under the circumstances. I laid the "new" Alex in his bed.



Oh my, they look so much alike, they might've been identical twins!

Carter came home from the movies with Grandpa, and was very happy to find "Alex" resting safely in his bed. All was well. Carter scooped his sweet baby into his arms and continued to carry him along in all of his adventures for the next little while. He only lost track of him once, and was a bit panicked until we found him in his bed on the floor of the camper.

Carter's dad (I guess that would be "Grandpa" Bill), arrived to take the kids home. Somehow, his sweet little Alex, being the fragile soul he was, met a (second untimely) demise. Tears were shed, and poor Carter was almost inconsolable. I knew just what to do -- back to the shed for a new "Alex-to-be", back to the waterspigot, and voila! a(nother) new Alex was born!

Daddy Carter was pleased as punch.






I sent them quickly on their way. I guess I should have slipped Bill a few more "Alexes", just in case.

By the way, this is a true story.

Girls Camp, 1986

Gayle and Karlee at Girls' Camp in 1986. Gayle was 14, Karlee a year or two older. They were very good friends, maybe bests. I can't think of Gayle at that age, almost, without Karlee appearing in the picture with her.

This picture is classic Gayle and Karlee. It is one of my very favorite pictures of Gayle of all time. A moment in time captured the essence of the adolescent who lived in her body for a few wonderful, though sometimes challenging, years. Karlee, too. Oh, how I love these girls. And how grateful I am that I was able to be at that Girls' Camp and several others with them.

Gayle called tonight to ask me to email this picture to her. She is now a Young Women advisor and is getting a different perspective of those years. Older, wiser and she has so much to offer these dear girls. She loves them as I love the girls who were my stewardship so many years ago. She's teaching them tomorrow and this picture fits into the lesson. It must be about friendship.

If I had it to do over...

I would have put this in my bag for the "What I Can't Live Without" Relief Society Enrichment dinner last night.

Not the flag, but what it stands for.

Soccer Camp & Clear Creek

The first week school-free found Brody at Clear Creek camp, where the highlights for him were (trying to) trap(ping) squirrels and howling at coyotes at midnight on the mountain and having them answer back. His absence from his family for those five days was sorely noted. Things can get pretttt-ty quiet with the resident 11 year old missing. Pictures will have to wait until he downloads them.

To make matters worse -- as far as quiet goes -- Kennedy spent each morning at BYU Soccer Camp. She's a great player, but these camps give the kids an opportunity to practice old skills and to learn new ones.

When I picked her up on the last day and took this picture, the coach (Brady, pictured with her here and who the girls nicknamed "Buffalo") said to me, "She was alot of fun."



I think she was sad it was all over...


Carter was quiet this week, too.

Garden Update

Bob and I got a comparatively late start in the yard this year because of the cold weather lingering. Working in the yard, particularly the garden, is gratifying. Take a little patch of dirt, sprinkle a few seeds and plunk in a few small plants, add water and sunshine --- a little love doesn't hurt, either --- and some patience, and voila! you have something to eat. As much as the fruits of my labors, I love going outside early each summer morning, and walking around the yard to see "how does (my) garden grow". There is something truly satisfying in watching things grow and having a hand in it.

Here is a brief pictoral demonstration of how things are progressing in our little corner of the world.

April 27


May 12


May 18





May 29


There have been days this past week that I was tempted to sit by the beans (in rows on the left side of the garden) to see if I could see them grow. I could definitely see a difference in them from one end of the day to the other.

June 5


Lettuce


Our first tomato


Our first broccoli