Wildflower Season

*3 beautiful people

*sisters forever

*bluebonnets forever

*old church



*hot pinks and brilliant blues

*interesting, gray cow

*Ebenezer cemetary
*wildflowers that look like roses

Wildflower season is in full swing here in Texas! It is absolutely breathtaking and gorgeous this year since we have had so much long awaited rain during the winter months. Jared has been exploring the TX wildflowers both on his own and with his family taking photos along the way. He took the photos I've posted here. It doesn't last long so you have to pay attention to when the flowers are blooming and then make time to go and look at the beautiful flowers while they're out. In the last weekend in March, our family took a drive out into the countryside to Cheapside, TX. A town that has about two families that live there. It has a quaint church, a graveyard called Ebenezer and a few old homesteads with an old schoolhouse/banquet hall. It was a pretty place and we enjoyed driving out there to see it. Jared even talked to one of the residents who came to check on the church building so that's how we know a little more about it than what's online. On the internet, it is listed as one of the 120 ghost towns of TX. We may consider driving out to a few more ghost towns during wildflower season again in the future. It was a very peaceful experience and free for the most part except for the gas, of course.

Best photos of '09 Part:2

Best photos of '09!

Reports from Around the World

Thursday January 28th was a multicultural event at our Elementry school. Nessa did her project on Denmark.(I'll get to Zayah later.) She wore a red dress, her food sample was cheese bread. Denmark's colors are white and red. Nessa did a contributer on Hans Christian Andersen.

Zayah did a project on Sweden. He decided to not wear a costume. His food sample was Kladdkaka. (Swedish chocolate cake) His contributer was John Bauer. The Swedish colors are blue and yellow.

Christmas Family Photo 2009

In early December of 2009, we went to the San Jose Mission as a family and had a photo shoot. Our photographer and friend, Cary Covington, did a really wonderful job! It was overcast, only a bit chilly, and overall a beautiful day for taking photo's. I love the architecture of San Jose. It was a nice day.
Jared chose one of the photo's and put together this Christmas card using Costco Photo . I made a little insert for each envelope because I like to personalize things. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get out all of my Christmas cards this year so I apologize if you didn't get one. Although, I started earlier this year thinking about Christmas cards and helping others to make them, I failed to update my address list and address each card earlier. This seems to get the best of me, the addressing part and getting them actually sent. I'll see if I can do better next year.

As you can plainly see, our children are growing up fast. In this photo from L-R: Cowboy-12, Gracie-4, Julie, Nessa-10, Jared, Noah-2, Hopie-13 and Zayah-6.

Family Flashback

Here is an e-mail from Jared that shows a bit of what our family was up to in August of 2005. It was printed in the Carter Chronicle of that same month. I thought it would be fun to type some of these up in order to keep this blog moving along and then to archive these simple moments of our life.

Hello Family - 2nd Lieutenant Carter here reporting from Iraq. It saddens me to say it but it seems that my good roommate 1st Lieutenant Nall will be going home for back surgery. He has tried to stick it out and come home with the rest of us but he really got to the point where there was no choice. It will be a change not having him here all the time but He really needs to get this done and get on the road to recovery.
Things in the ER are fine. As the Iraqi army becomes more proficient and independent they are seen more here – and US GI’s are seen less and less. We are careful to provide the Iraqi soldiers with the same care as our soldiers get. They understand this and appreciate it. A few days ago one of the Iraqi generals visited our ER and presented the ER staff with a plaque of appreciation. It is encouraging to see the progress the Iraqi army is making in becoming autonomous. They are brave men – our soldiers run patrols relatively secure inside a 22 ton Stryker with a mounted automatic 50 caliber – They run the same patrols with only hand held weapons, sitting in the open beds of Toyota pick-up trucks.
Julie and the children are managing without me. Julie is adjusting to the change of being a semi-single mother of 5. She is doing an outstanding job. Here is a clip from an e-mail I receives from her on July 24th – I apologize to those who have already received it.

I know the kids really miss you and enjoy being with you. The kids little chicken, Darlin, died today. Apparently, the chicken was attacked by a neighbor's cat in the backyard while Mollie (Julie’s Sister) was cleaning their cages. It appeared somewhat hurt but not severely yet must have sustained internal injuries because it died. Sam (Julie’s Brother) arranged a little funeral for it and had our children come. We buried it in my dad's garden in the backyard. We sang Old’ McDonald had a Farm, Vanessa and Brigham said the opening and closing prayers and we had thoughts about the short life of the chicken. Vanessa had taken it the hardest and it’s been an emotional day for her. She was so sad that you were only able to see the chicken one time. But later she asked if we could eat the chicken but we can't because it was way too small. I helped Brigham and Vanessa make rice crispy treats and we had them at the funeral luncheon they were saying - it's rice crispy casserole.

I have shared this little story with a few of my friends here – it has been universally appreciated. I love you all very much - Jared


*Image from here. The "Chicken Whisperer" who keeps a regular column about living in Milton, Georgia.

June and First Half of July

In Memory of our Van -
Here are some of the cutest and best pictures I could dig up that had our family's van in it, except for Zayah and the cat, I think that is my brother's car, but it was to cute to delete:

Just as I had caught up this blog, my computer crashed again so I had to wait to see when I could get it to come back up thanks to great friends with computer knowledge. It is doing alright for now. I don't have many new photo's on my computer yet because that is still down but I'll catch you up on our lives as best as I can anyway. For the most part, family life is still eventful and we're living life to the fullest!

First half of June '09

Julie's P.O.V:
School's out! It's amazing that we've made it through again. Our summer is filling up with church activities and summer learning, church camps and volunteer work as well. It's going to be fun!
Jared has worked very hard and has done extremely well getting a 4.0 with his semester of prerequisites for dental school. He's planning on doing some condensed classes this summer and then he'll finish up in the fall then next year - just in time to enter dental school in Jan. 2011. He's enjoying his classes although he's very busy and working full time to support all of us. We appreciate this very much!
I (Julie) took a trip to Utah for my brother, Mike's wedding on June 25th. I took Noah with me. The wedding was absolutely beautiful! I loved it! They seem so happy and the SLC temple is so gorgeous! I'm so blessed to have gone to their wedding!
Hopie has done so well in school and really deserves a summer break. She also received straight A's like her dad this year. She is doing excellent!
Brig has really improved in school and received a commendable report on his big 5th grade Science exam. It was his first time ever doing so well. I treated him out for ice cream with his sister Vanessa! He's also achieved his Tenderfoot in scouting.
Nessa has also received straight A's and two commendable's on her big 4th grade exam. It made her day to go out for ice cream with her buddy, Brigham. She also ran for treasurer for 5th grade student council. Even though she didn't win, her poster looked amazing as it was decorated in a beach scene complete with real sand glued on, a painted blue ocean and her bilboards said "Vanessa Carter for Treasurer" and "I would do an awesome job. Vote for me because I'm the money honey!" It has been a source of excitement for her.
Zayah is simply glad to be getting done with Kindergarten. He did a very good job overall this year. And according to his dad who went to the dance festival at school dancing to "Twist and Shout!" He was so cute all decked out in '60's attire.
Gracie finished up Joy School with an activity day at the park. We did crafts, an obstacle course, danced the chicken dance and had lunch together. Those kids in her class are just so cute and such nice friends for her. She really loves them. The other day after we ate lunch, Gracie said the cutest thing to me; "Mommy, I just love food!" I'm so grateful for her sweet attitude.
Noah is growing curiouser and curiouser. He loves to get into all sorts of things and has discovered a foolproof way to get out in to our backyard at any time he likes, yes, right through the doggie door. He has that really light blonde hair now and he smiles so wide all the time. He looks so much like his Carter cousins! So cute!
Jared's P.O.V:
Just a few quick notes about our sub-clan. Julie spent a week in Utah for her brother’s wedding - took Noah and at a hair cut, donated 10 inches of her hair to locks-of-love.
Jared spent two days deep-sea fishing and was promoted to captain in the US Army.
Hopie had a wonderous time at girls camp and has established herself as the premiere
babysitter in the High Country Ward. Brig attended 11 year-old Scout Camp -
earned Tenderfoot and is well into 1st Class. Nessa spent most of her mother’s week long absence at friends houses - a chain of sleep-overs - she is a friend magnet. Zayah and Gracie have been dinosaur crazy lately - lots of dinomagination play. Noah was a great traveler on the plane ride to and from Utah - He was considerate enough to wait until he returned to San Antonio and passengers were deboarding before he projectile vomited - such a thoughtful child.

Second Half of June

Around the second week of June, I was driving four of my children, Nessa, Gracie, Noah, and Zayah to go swimming and then CRASH! I totalled our van. It's been difficult but I'm so grateful that we are okay plus the other driver, as far as I'm aware, was alright as well. Both of our cars were towed from the scene and it was scary but we survived. We've been looking for another van but that's not going to happen as fast as I'd like either. Patience....
It feels at times that this has stressed out our summer but we are hanging in there due to nice friends inviting my kids out to go play and giving my two older girls rides to dance. I have really appreciated it! Plus a BIG thanks to my dear cousin, Jen letting my borrow their van when they came back from their family trip to Ut. So overall, we've been salvaging our summer quite nicely I think although my children might feel differently depending upon the day but school will start again in about 5 weeks and then summer will be a memory.
I found some pictures of our van during camping and different outings that we had to post in memory of it as seen above.

First Half of July

We had a really great time celebrating the 4th of July and Jared had it off for once. We had a BBQ of sausage and chicken legs. Always a yummy choice! We had anticipated trying to go & see some fireworks somewhere but as the day ended we were too tired and stayed home instead.

We were able to celebrate Gracie's 4th and Zayah's 6th birthday together. It was fun and Jared made them a GiGaNto cake! It was way too much for all of us to ever eat so we invited some friends, of course. Plus, who could turn down the happiness recieved by a kite and some candy. It was appreciated in their smiles!

Other than that we've just been busy as families are. I'll do what I can to post more news and photo's as I can. Love ya!