A friend on the back porch!

We had a special guest at the back door, 

the other morning! 

This is him through the storm door. 

He's kinda cute!! 

And of course you know, I laughed

and laughed, and then snapped this picture to share with you!

We don't know if he has a name or not. 

How nice of him to visit!!

There was also a friend of his, on top of my darlin's truck, too. 

Funny!

Ouch! Okay, I won't!

Diet Dr. Pepper!

So I don't know if I told you, but I teach the 

ladies in 
Relief Society
 now. It's a little different than teaching the kids in 
Primary. 

They hold still and they raise their hands when they want to talk. Also, they don't have to tell you what they've been doing, 
or the dirt on their family 
for the first 10 minutes of class. 
Funny! 
Anyway, I was talking about 
tithes and offerings. 
It was a good lesson for me to prepare. 
I understand the topic, but we all need reminders, 
about why we do the things we do. I shared a quote by C.S. Lewis (you can read it here). 
What a great man. So, as I'm teaching, I say something to the effect of, 
"Can we give more? 
Do we buy things we don't really need? 
Like I say to myself, 
'Do I really need this 
Diet Dr. Pepper?'"
 After which all the ladies are laughing. It is true though! I have a struggle with this. Well, a few days later, my friend Tricia shows up at the front door. 
She is holding a case of 
Diet Dr. Pepper. 
I just busted up laughing, because the box says, "Joy, For Medicinal Purposes", with a smiley face. She went on to say that someone she loved used to use that excuse about liquor. So, funny!! I guess we all have a vice of some kind. And mine is
Diet Dr. Pepper!! 
I'll keep working on it, though!

*****

*singing* 
I'm a Pepper, You're a Pepper, He's a Pepper, She's a Pepper, wouldn't you like to be a Pepper too? Dr. Pepper! Drink Dr. Pepper!!!

Bonus Baby at Summer School!

My darling Emily 

got to go to summer school. She needed to make up some classes. One of my favorite things about Em is, she knows how to have fun, even at summer school. 

So cute and funny!!! 

(Em is on the left)

People are so funny!

I couldn't help it!! 

(I had to snap a picture)

Look at this bicycle and trailer combo! 

With the hand painted flames.

This means that the owner of this 

bicycle and trailer goes very fast!!!

I love it!

I wish I was a "cool" mom!

Riding in the car, I say to Emily:

"I wish I was a 'cool' mom!"

Emily: "You are a 'cool' mom!"

Natasha (tapping Emily on the shoulder): 

"She's really not a 'cool' mom!"

Kids say the darndest things!!

(Maybe I am a "cool" grandma?)

Pooh and Hamilton!

Meet Pooh and Hamilton. 

These are our only pets. We have had many pets throughout the years. In fact, once Alex said, "If we get one more pet, we'll be a farmer!" The pets have all passed on...except for these two. Pooh is a fish that Emily tried to have live at school in her locker, until she found out, it was against school policy. The policy that says "no pets at school". She had to bring him home. And Hamilton was a gift from a boy that Emily asked to a dance, as part of saying "yes" to the dance invitation. So of course, I'm the one who takes care of them. Emily wouldn't agree with that. The funny thing, is that we found out that all of us were feeding them. The reason we were all feeding them is that, Pooh has figured out, that if you look at a person and act frantic, like you haven't eaten in weeks they will think you are hungry, and they will feed you. I think he is more intelligent than the usual fish. I also think he is about twice as big as he was. I am amazed how funny they are and I'm glad they live with us. 

Two Cents by T and G: Can you stand it?

Kelsey said, "Go put your shoes on 'G'!" 

G said, "I did it!!"

What a big boy!

If at first...

     ...you don't succeed! 

What? Try again? Or decide maybe you're not that great at growing corn.

My darlin's first attempt at growing corn! 

You can't really tell here, but they are only half the size of a regular corn stalk. He just laughed. 

We all have gifts!

This is Caitlin. 

She is my niece. 

She has a very special gift.

 She can flex her toes like no one's business!!!

This isn't the best example...

But this... now this is amazing!!! I tried to flex my piggies and they just don't do this! This is a 90 degree angle! So then I had my darlin try it. He could do it too. Amazing!!! Some people have the most amazing gifts! 

Primary Kids!

This is Alyssa! I taught her in Primary last year. She was eating a blue sucker. I love it! So here's a funny story about Alyssa...

I absolutely love serving in the Primary. The children are so much fun and entertaining. Last Sunday the funniest thing happened. The sister who did Sharing Time talked to the kids about prayer and near the end of her lesson, she told the story about the monk who invented the pretzel. He made it look like arms folded in prayer. She gave each of the kids a handful of pretzels. Next, it was time for singing. In preparation for our Primary program, this little group of six years olds, who were going to sing a song for the program, were called up to practice in front of everyone. Alyssa wasn't finished with her pretzels, so she set them on her chair, and said to the little girl sitting next to her, "Don't touch those." Then she went up to the front, which was only about 5 feet away, and turned to face the audience. (This is the best part) She took her first two fingers and pointed at her own eyes, and then pointed them toward the little girl who was sitting there next to her pretzels, like "I'm watching you!" I laughed so hard. What a funny thing!!