Jessica's Meeting

I forgot to put Jessica's meeting time on my original post, so here it is:

Jessica will be reporting her mission:

Date: December 21, 2008
Time: 11:00AM
Place: Roy 8th Ward
Address: 5900 So. 2200 W.
Roy, Utah


Jess with her 8th ward friend Amanda!

Please come and join us, Love to all!!!

Jessica's visit to Grandpa & Grandma's

Jessica was very glad that both Grandpa & Grandma were still here when she came home. The day after she arrived we made the trip up to visit and get reacquainted.







When Jessica asked Grandpa "How are you doing?" Grandpa's reply was "Oh, we're still doin"



Jessica swears Grandma has shrunk, but it probably is a combination of Jessica growing and Grandma shrinking.

We had a great visit and enjoyed spending a little time with Mom & Dad.

Visit at Grandma and Grandpa's

We took these pictures on recent visit to Grandma and Grandpa Carter's house. Adam and Cami were able to go up with us on a Monday night to visit. Grandma and Grandpa both held Cole, and we snapped a few pictures.

Here is Great Grandpa and Cole.

And Great Grandma and Cole

And here is the four generations, of Carters

We can't quite match the five generations posted below, but Jeannie and I got a later start than Paul and Vanna did.

Since this is the Ralph Carter Family Blog, I thought there should be some pictures of the Ralph Carter Family. We started the Blog because they said we had to at the Family Reunion. I thought I should post a few of the pictures from the Reunion. This was a good picture of Mom and Dad.

Here is the whole gang, well at least the first and second generation. I remember that it was a hot day, but we should have put everyone out in the sun so the picture was a little brighter, but you can see everyone.

I also got a picture of everyone getting some food. I don't think we could have gotten a picture of everyone. There are a lot of people in this family now. See ya all next year.

Five Generations Intact!

We wanted to post this five generation photo. We know that there are many families with 5 generations, but how many have no divorces and no deaths. We are so grateful to have both of our amazing grandparents still with us. What a blessing!

Our Missionary is coming home

I guess the bragging rights continue. Jess is almost done with a very successful mission and we can't wait to see her.

The flight plans came this week!! Jessica will be home December 4th @ 7:30PM at the Salt Lake Airport. We are so excited to see her after almost 19 months. She is still working hard as a missionary, but will finally at least talk about coming home. We are postponing our Thanksgiving get-together until the weekend she comes home. Her meeting at the Roy 8th ward will not be until December 21st because of Stake Conference and Fast Sunday. I guess she will just have to be the Christmas program for 8th ward. Anyone that wants additional information about her flight or her meeting, please just let me know. We are excited to have her home for Christmas this year instead of just talking on the phone.

Lee and Jeannie's Trip to Nauvoo

Jeannie and I just went on trip to Nauvoo. We picked the fall time of year, because we knew it would be a slow time in Nauvoo. We were right. It was a great time to be there, as there were few people, and we have personal service wherever we went.

We stayed in the Willard Richards Inn Bed and Breakfast, there are five guest rooms, but we were the only ones there for three nights. They may take the Inn private so we have been some of the last guests that will stay there. It was an original home to Nauvoo, and beautiful.

The first day there we went to the temple, and went through an endowment session. The Nauvoo Temple is a very spiritutal place, and has a very unique feeling. It is amazing. They do have film, but you move rooms during the session, like the Salt Lake Temple. It was great.

We got to see some of the old relics of the Nauvoo period that are hanging in the Temple. We got to go down to the baptistry which is an amazing place. We went back on the second day and did baptisms for the dead. Jeannie hadn't done baptisms for the dead since she was in Young Womens. I was able to confirm and baptize her, and I was confirmed and baptized by one of the workers.


This is a picture of the Browning Gunsmith shop. The Brownings got their start in Nauvoo, and were building great guns even back then.


The picture at the right shows the head stones for the Prophet Joseph, Emma and Hyrum. This propert is in the control of the Community of Christ Church. Totally different feeling from them, and from the sites they have in Nauvoo. This spot however is special as it is the final resting place of the prophet.


The picture at the left is looking up Parley Street from down by the Mississippi River. Try to imagine hundreds of wagons, oxen, men, women, children, livestock etc. lined up on this street. It is Feburary 4, 1845. It is probably around -20 degrees because the river froze over during the night. This place on the Mississippi used to be the beginning of the Des Moines rapids and the water was not really deep, but swift. Had to be especially cold to freeze over. I had an amazing feeling as we looked up Parley's street and thought about that morning. It was about 4o degrees the morning we were on the street. I was cold, but thought so much about "that" morning; cold feet, cold hands, crying children, and going across the river to camp in the snow. The picture at the right is just the steet sign for Parley Street and Main, where they all passed on that moring.

This is the view that the saints would of had that morning as they left behind their beautiful Nauvoo, and their magnificent temple. This picture was taken from the corner of Main and Parleys Street. It would have been brown and white and not green, but this was the last glimpse of the temple the saints would have seen as they left Nauvoo, never to return.

The picture at the right is the blacksmith and wainwright shop. This was an amazingly busy place during the winter of 1844-1845 as the saints prepared to make the journey.

This is a picture we took at Carthage. This place is also a holy place. The best blood of this generation was spilt on this ground. I expected to have a real spiritual experience here, but I was surprised at what happened. I had the overwhelming thought as I was here, that I should "remember". Remember that I have already had strong witnesses of the truth of the restoration. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet. I have a deep and profound respect for Hyrum, and his devotion to Joseph. I have had witnesses enough. The spirit's message to me here was just remember what you alreay know, for this thing you have had proof enough, you need to "Remember".

The trip was great, and we were so glad to be together and share this experience. We are probably going to go back again next year. We know how to do it now.

p.s. If you go, take something to do in the evenings. This time of year they roll up the town at 5:00 p.m.

Moms Have Bragging Rights!

I've been waiting for someone else to post first, but since no one has I'll be the first. Braden won't brag, so as his mom I get to brag for him. This last week was the basketball tryouts at Syracuse Jr. High, and Braden has been preparing for this since about the first grade. There were 75 7th graders who tried out for the team, and as you can imagine we were quite concerned that he might not make the team. We had heard that they were only keeping a few 7th graders so we prepared ourselves and Braden for the possibility that he wouldn't make the team. The first cut took the group to 25, and the second cut left 6, then they watched the last six play against the 8th & 9th graders, there were 4 taller guys and then Braden and his best friend Josh, who not only look alike, but are exactly the same size. They were the two smallest boys trying out. The final cut took place after this tryout and left 3 7th graders including both Braden & Josh. All three boys were from Syracuse Elementary which is really amazing, since 7 elementaries feed into Syracuse Jr. All 3 also played together on a comp. team. When Craig spoke to the coach after tryouts were over, he said the reason Josh & Braden made the team was that they took on the eighth & ninth graders with no fear. I think they had an advantage, since they are used to being the smallest and having to play harder than ever to compete. Just the Saturday before they were playing at the Rec. Center and several big boys came to the gym and asked if their group wanted to play a game and they said sure. Braden & Josh were the last two chosen, which is what usually happens when they play with a new group. The game ended and they decided to mix up the teams, and this time, they were the first two chosen. We are really proud of Braden as he has spent hours working out and preparing for his goal. We look forward to a really fun year.

Now that the posting has started, hopefully others will follow. I can't wait to read about all your families.

Welcome!

Hey Family!
This is the Ralph S. Carter Family blog. If you would like the be an author, you may write to me, megan carter (i'm the admin), at megancarter5@hotmail.com. We want to be able to keep up with everyone in the family, and i think that this will be a great way to do just that!