Last of Summer

Rachel and I went Camping Carter Style!
That means a tri-tip dinner, with Cesar salad, baked potatoes, watermelon (cooled in artesia water) and homemade cookies all courtesy of Bonnie.  We had a delicious Spaghetti dinner the next night!
She is a great cook and wonderful hostess.

Disneyland style ride, bumpy, fast, slightly dangerous.  They are strapped in so they won't hit the roof with their heads going over bumps.  We are on our way to beautiful blue Sterling Lake.  It is clear, has fish and very inviting.

Wild flowers abounded everywhere.  Spring is still around in the high mountains as the snow didn't leave until very late.  Lots of colors and variety.  Very nice.

This is really a gorgeous place.  It was hard to decide if I wanted to go swimming more or boating.  So I just waded a minute to feel the water temperature.  It wasn't bad.  Very clear and interesting.

The Bishop pointed out the interesting fact that these trees find a way to grow right out of rocks.  Where do they get the nutrition they need?  Is there really enough dirt in a crack to feed a tree?

I went exploring around the Carter's camp and found this bird nest on an old stump.  I really can't picture a bird building a nest there, so I speculated that the Websters or one of the other Carter grandchildren had put it there.

This is Carter Camping - hot running water for showers, flushing toilets, AC and heat, comfortable beds, ovens, stove, refrigerator, a gas grill outside, 3 ATV's - one a buggy for six, campfire, zip-line and play structure.  Awesome!!

 Bishop Ken Carter showed Rachel how to fish and she caught four!  Luckily for her he was nice enough to bait the hook, net the fish, pull the hook out and touch all the fish.  None were big enough to bring home, but just right to have fun!

We got to be on top of the World, so Rachel is doing some Mountain Silhouettes .

We read all the historical facts as we toured around and this is the famous Rainbow Bridge which has appeared in different movies.  In 2007 a bear got stuck at the top of this arch and had to be tranquilized to get him down.

This is Bonnie and Bishop Ken Carter - a very generous, patient, and nice couple.  The showed us a really wonderful time and showed us wonderful adventures around Cisco Grove, California.

Donner Lake from the top

It was so beautiful everywhere we looked and the Bishop was so nice to stop when I wanted to take more pictures.

This was a comfortable nice place to live and then when it was time to go home, the Bishop rode the ATVs up on an especially put down carpet for storage until next week!

When the freeway came in many businesses that were on Highway 40 closed.  This fireplace was in one of the ruins found in Cisco Grove near where the Carters live.

We walked down a path until we got to this melted snow pool of water - yes it was freezing cold, but clear and inviting.  In fact two dog came up the trail on their own, jumped into the pool, then trotted back down the path to their car.

Laura at Work Again

Laura is really a Pro

at creating a beautiful show with food.  She works so hard to give people what they want at parties, weddings, graduations, and backyard swim parties.  Last Saturday she started out around 8 am loading up her van and taking things to the church.  The culture hall was already decorated by Stephanie, friends and their families from the night before for Stephanie's daughter Christina and Daniel's reception. 

Chocolate and maroon - imaginative colors 

Laura made sure the food for the luncheon was set up and ready to go and then worked on the reception when the line for lunch started.

Laura really doesn't like a camera anywhere near her - good thing we're friends

Laura making the salad

Setting up for reception started while lunch was on

Lots of good food

 The only downfall came with the chocolate fountain.  Despite reading carefully the directions and following them, it didn't work until someone gave the tip that Crisco would make it run smoothly.  The package said to just use the chocolate pieces warmed up.  Nope, 10 minutes after adding Crisco it finally worked.  Very messy, but lots of people said they liked it.

Abby and Pam trying to make the chocolate flow

I think the whole day turned out really well and it was so nice to see the last of Stephanie's girls married.  There was a picture of David her son on the stage because he is in Australia on his mission right now.  I've never seen Christina so happy.   It was really an awesome day.

What would I do without angels?!!!

Angels come in all sizes, shapes, and sex.  I find them in my life both seen and unseen.  I can tell you much more about the seen ones, than the unseen - times I just feel something or someone there.  Now the seen angels many times don't realize they are coming as an answer to my fervent prayers.

So I was asked to be the quilt leader for girls camp - now really quilt LEADER - not just the one coming to do what she has been asked.  Called 2 months late mind you - after the overstock sales are over.  If you are a close friend you'll know this has been an interesting year over here at the Adams zoo.  Stuff has been piled high for cub day camp, wedding, shower, and of course the quilt material, yarn and batting.  The interesting point is that every month something major seem to crop up and when I asked God how it was going to get done someone would call, recommend someone else or drop presents on my doorstep.  God would keep the chaos one step away from drowning me.

While Wedding preparations were going on in April and May, JoAnn Carney showed Janey Bates and I how to sew up nine patches and change them around to make interesting quilts.  I told several people about my new calling and they literally handed me boxes of extra material (Lanette Hopkins and others).  It came in all sizes, colors with mostly flowers (lots of purple showed up).  I wanted to find a way to make it fun.
Then Jeanne Rumsey (a former quilter at camp) gave me 17 perfectly sized and matched ready to go quilt sets.  Wow, half of my quilts ready to go!  In May and June while the cub day camp started heating up, Janey Bates came up with the idea of sewing around the edges so we would only have to tie them when we got to camp.  She proceeded to sew more than half of the remaining quilts in July while I checked cubs in, assisted in a pie eating contest, directed parents to children and found lost articles. Did I tell you in July another son decided to get married?
 JoAnn gave us 5 beautiful sewn up quilts and told me two more for the men were on the way.  Jeanne Rumsey made sure I had a 50% coupon when I bought the batting on a roll (Jeffrey donated that) and I think Janey was the one leaving yarn and material on my doorstep.  We didn't have to buy anything for camp.  Everything was donated this year.
The wedding went off beautifully thanks mostly to Laura (and all those who so generously volunteered their time), a shower was generously donated by Janae Parkin with women who came when they heard about it just to support our family.   I've felt so lifted and sustained - warm and fuzzy.  The Adams family had a wonderful week-long family reunion in San Diego   that ended on Saturday and Monday morning Rachel and I were on our way to camp.

Some of the quilts at camp

Feeling like I'm on a water tube with the river of life rushing under and around me, Angels successfully helped me navigate to a beautiful finish at Rucker Lake where we were finished with all of the quilts tied up by Wednesday afternoon and got to  just enjoy the girls and the ambiance of camp.  I love Angels,  I really hope I can be one too.

Girls camp service quilt for
a Missionary in the Oakland Mission