Nana in Kentucky

I had so much fun as the NANA when my services were needed in Kentucky. Tiffany and Ryan went on an anniversary trip to St. Martins and I watched the 3 children. It really gave me a chance to get close to the kids and hug them every day. We played games, blew bubbles, made cookies, watched movies, and went to the park. They were such wonderful kids. Lacey and Cassidy and I painted our nails and put on our makeups. I taught Aidan how to dribble a basket ball and slam dunk it into the high chair. We played dominoes and read stories. And at night when it was time to tuck them into bed, we sang the "Good Night Song". Good night room...Good night lights, Good night windows, Trees Good Night... Good night stockings, Good Night chair...Good night people...EVERYWHERE!! Lacey made me add Good Night to Aidan and Lacey and Cassidy and Mom and Dad.........and also baby brother. Tiffany assured me that Heavenly Father was just thinking about that and that brother was waiting patiently. Lacey had other plans. It was almost sad to have Tiff and Ryan come home because I was left in the dust. But I will treasure that time with those wonderful little people.

Ecuador Thoughts

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Powerful experiences bring powerful thoughts. Gordon and I went to Ecuador to see the newest additions to our service program there. We were totally thrilled and excited to see what Washington had accomplished. I was moved to tears as I walked into the 4 clinics where I saw the equipment that we had sent, in use. We had sent old, dirty medical and dental supplies BUT the group there had cleaned every inch and serviced to work properly. They looked like new. We loved the crew there. There were 5 dentists, 3 doctors and drivers and assistants. They were wonderful, devoted, consecrated individuals! The country was beautiful. We traveled over the continental divide of the Andies Mountains to the jungle. It was breath-taking. We traveled to the Pacific Coast which was also amazing, with butterflies and humming birds and toucans and spectacular waterfalls.
But the thoughts I wanted to leave here was about the people. We served a small school in the mountains high above Otavalo. The doctors were busy giving immunizations to the babies and taking care of the needs of the children and mothers. The dentists were doing checkups and dental work. Usually at noon the village provides the lunch for the volunteers. Imagine my feelings as they brought our 2 bowls of small potatoes, a pan of cob-letts of tough corn, a plate of white cheese and salt. That was it. That was the only food they had to offer. I was humbled. I ate and was filled. In Tena we were given steamed fish wrapped in a banana leaf. I observed a nursery there. It was very sparse. I wanted to know why the little babies and children were there. Was the mother working? I was told that the children were brought there because they were fed!!! What is the biggest problem here I asked. The health director said it was women having too many children. They can't take care of them. She said that parents are actually relieved here when a child dies because it is a mouth less to feed. The government tries to help but the people don't have the skills and the know how to feed their population. There is some schooling but I could see it would never take them out of their circumstances. As I see these children who are ALWAYS hungry, I think back to Aidan's school where the trash can was full of wonderful food that wasn't eaten. Oh how we are BLESSED!

Being the Hands of God

While in Ecuador we had a great experience. We had been contacted by a family here in Utah and asked to take a suitcase and an envelop with a letter and money to a woman who had been their maid for 5 years. They said she was desperate and needed help. Of course we agreed. She lived outside Tena. That is the jungle area of Ecuador. We expected to go up some street and knock on the door to deliver her package...NO...When we gave the driver the address, he drove out into the jungle for over 40 minutes, through 2 streams, over a hanging bridge and for miles on bumpy dirt roads that looked like they were going to no where. I adsolutely marveled that he knew where he was going in this forested area. But finally we pulled down into a little clearing. We called her name and she walked out wondering what was going on. We first handed her the envelop. When she saw who it was from she broke into tears and clutched the unopened package to her breast. She thanked us endlessly and then said, "I know God knows me", "I know He knows where I am". It was a most tender experience. She was overjoyed with the money and suitcase full of clothes and fabric. But the spirit whispered to me "I have no hands but your hands". I was so blessed to participate in this act of love from the Utah family and from Heavenly Father.

Things I have done or haven't done
My son posted this list on his blog so I wanted to see what my list would look like. Do it too. Its fun. Bold the things you have done............comment if you wish!
Started your own blog
Slept under the stars
Played in a band
Visited Hawaii with kids and spouses
Watched a meteor shower on the school lawn with kids
Given more than you can afford to charity
Been to Disneyland
Climbed a mountain
Held a praying mantis
Sang a solo
Bungee jumped
Visited Paris
Watched a lightning storm at sea
Taught yourself an art from scratch
Adopted a child
Had food poisoning
Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (walked around it and floated by)
Grown your own vegetables (tomatoes)
Seen the Mona Lisa in France
Slept on an overnight train
Had a pillow fight
Hitch hiked
Taken a sick day when you're not ill
Built a snow fort
Held a lamb
Gone skinny dipping
Run a Marathon
Ridden in a gondola in Venice & loved it
Seen a total eclipse
Watched a sunrise or sunset
Hit a home run
Been on a cruise
Seen Niagara Falls in person
Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
Seen an Amish community
Taught yourself a new language
Had enough money to be truly satisfied
Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
Gone rock climbing
Seen Michelangelo's David (saw the one in Florence square)
Sung karaoke
Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
Visited Africa
Walked on a beach by moonlight
Been transported in an ambulance
Had your portrait painted (A Caricature)
Gone deep sea fishing in Cancun
Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
Gone scuba diving or snorkeling [snorkeling]
Kissed in the rain
Played in the mud
Gone to a drive-in theater
Been in a movie (Tifferella, a classic!)
Visited the Great Wall of China
Started a business
Taken a martial arts class
Visited Russia
Served at a soup kitchen
Sold Girl Scout Cookies
Gone whale watching
Got flowers for no reason
Donated blood
Gone sky diving
Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
Bounced a check oops
Flown in a helicopter
Saved a favorite childhood toy (my dolls)
Visited the Lincoln Memorial
Eaten Caviar
Pieced a quilt
Stood in Times Square
Toured the Everglades
Been fired from a job
Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
Broken a bone
Been on a speeding motorcycle
Seen the Grand Canyon in person
Published a book
Visited the Vatican
Bought a brand new car
Walked in Jerusalem
Had your picture in the newspaper
Read the entire Bible
Visited the White House
Killed and prepared an animal for eating
Had chickenpox
Saved someone's life
Sat on a jury
Met someone famous
Joined a book club
Lost a loved one (my parents)
Had a baby (6 wonderful ones)
Seen the Alamo in person
Swam in the Great Salt Lake
been involved in a law suit (a terrible time in my life)
Owned a cell phone
Been stung by a bee
Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your blog

Other things I have done...


Walked into the Taj Mahal
Stood at the top of Jung Frau (in Swiss Alps)
Straddled the Center of the Earth at the Equator in Ecuador
Sat beside the grave of Gandhi
Kissed at the Tr eve' Fountain in Rome
Climbed to the top the the pyramid of the Sun in Mexico City
Gazed at the beauty of Wordsworth's lake district in England
Witnesses the Trouping of the Colors & saw Queen Elizabeth
Stood on spot where "the shot heard round the world" was fired
Witnessed Pope John XIV last Easter address at the Vatican
Organized a presentation for over 500 Cresches
Saw the Macy's Day parade
Stood and mourned at Antietam and Gettysburg
Mourned with a friend whose husband had cheated on her
Made sure Christmas came to some poor families
Sewed my daughters Easter dress
Hosted a scavenger hunt
Held the hand of my dying father
Kissed my sweetheart on the Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal
Entered the "House of the Dying" in India
Helped clean the jungle for a hospital in Gudalur, India
Slept in a jungle hut
Road on the back of an elephant in a jungle reserve in India
Held my newest grandchild just new from heaven
Saw a Prophet of God face to face
Shook hands with an apostle of the Lord
Designed a chandelier
Watched the snow fall at midnight
Marveled at the tulip fields in Holland
Saw the North Shore of Prince Edward Island
Witnessed a Space shot from Cape Kennedy
Helped with the clean up of Hurricane Andrew
Had just one love of my life

These are just a few moments of my life. I've noted them only because it is my 64th Birthday and I marvel at the experiences God has allowed me to experience.

I have been thinking for some weeks about a question that my Granddaughter Katie asked me. She said, "Grandma, why don't you live here any more? Why do you live in Utah so far away from us? It just about killed me!! I hugged her and tried to explain but I'm sure it didn't come out right. I miss them so much. I miss Clint dropping by to see if we're still alive. I miss the hot tub and the kids splashing around on Monday night after FHE. I miss going to their programs and seeing them play and perform. I miss Lukie and Megan. I love to open the Sant door and hear Luke say" Grandma!!! and come running for a hug. I love hearing Tom play the piano and see Will play soccer. I'd love to be the 4-H teacher for Tara and Savanna and teach them to sew. I MISS MY HOUSE.

So why am I here? Because I prayed to Heavenly Father about what HE wanted me to be doing RIGHT NOW!!! And the answer is...You need to be with Grandpa helping people who don't have schools and houses and moms and dads that love them...people who don't have schools with playgrounds and computers. Heavenly Father answered my prayer. I was angry when Grandpa wanted to leave Twin Falls!! But he asked me to pray about what we should do. This was the answer!! Although, Katie, this wasn't a mission call from President Monson, it was a mission call from his boss. It has been hard but we have been blessed. There have been some amazing miracles that have continued to confirm that our prayers were answered. So I hope you understand Katie, and all of you that I miss and love, that I'm trying to be obedient. Grandpa and I are on a mission that we feel is very important. One of these days, Heavenly Father will ask you to go on a mission or do some important thing he needs you to do. You can be brave and obedient too and say. "I will go, I will do, the thing the Lord commands" . I know He can count on the Carter Clan! (that includes all you Sants and Wights and Gremmerts and Hirschis) Please pray for us and help us as we do this work. Love, Grandma Nana

Grandkids

After leaving the DR, Gordon and I decided to visit Tiffany and Analee. It was so great to be with them and SO much fun to be with their families. We bought a little swing to put in Analee's $10,000/ one hundred year old oak tree. Eliza just loved it!! We would swing her across the yard and she would laugh and laugh. We helped David put the railing on the back deck so Eliza and Fenton could go out there and play and have some steps into the backyard from the dining room. We went to the beach but the fun was cut short because of the thousands of noseeums that bit us. I still am scratching those things.

We had Valentines Day with Tiffany. She was the roommother for Aidans class so we prepared some treats and games. I was astounded when they wouldn't let us use the candies we brought. They checked the label and they were processed in a plant that had milk, grain and nuts. So instead of cute sweet heart sugar cookies with frosting on top, they had string cheese, gogerts and animal crackers. How fun is that.

We watched the kids on Friday night so Ryan and Tiffany could go out on the town. That was so fun to snuggle the kids and watch a movie. We had great fun with them and left to come home on Sunday.