Do You Think Grandpa Is A Sound Sleeper?

To all our little and big Croakers

• Congratulations to JORDAN DAVID ERICKSON who is getting baptized today as I am writing this. We can't believe that he is 8 years old already and growing up so fast. Have a very happy day, Jordan!
• We also want to thank Dylan, Austin, and Cissy for getting their dads to send us DVD's with pictures of them. It always makes us cry and very homesick that you are growing up so fast. But we are happy that you lookhappy and are just as cute as ever. Thank you so much for the pictures.
• Guess what! Dylan has some wonderful news, hope it is all right if we tell for him. He is expecting a little baby brother or sister right about his birthday time in February. Cissy was born Nov 2 as a birthday present for Austin's BD Nov 3rd so maybe Dylan will get a birthday present February 13th. We are so excited!

It sure would be fun to see pictures of everyone else at home! Hint! Hint!

We have a couple of great stories to tell you this month. First I will tell you the funny one and then I will tell you the spiritual one.

Remember when we went camping and grandpa was afraid about the bears. Actually, I think that happened the very first Frog Camp when we only took the boys. I wonder if any of them can even remember that. Now think of all the times you went to the bathroom out in the trees because you didn't like the bathrooms at Camp Aries (Frog Camp).

Well, There was a story in the paper the other day about a man from Fairbanks who went on a trip. No matter where you go from Fairbanks you are out in the woods. There is just nothing but trees and green as far as you can see. Well, he is driving up the Elliott highway when he had to, "answer nature's call". He stopped, took his pistol (everyone carries guns if you go out into the woods here) and a roll of toilet paper and headed out in the woods.

He said, "I wanted to go away from the road far enough so anyone driving by wouldn't see a white tail." He was so worried about people seeing him that he wasn't careful and all of a sudden he heard what he thought was a horse running, he turned around and there was a grizzly bear just about 4 feet from him. That is VERY close! He turned around fast and shot him with his pistol. He said he was very lucky that it was close enough that he hit him.

• Photo of the trees, hills, and the river up by Hay Stack, where we went driving today to visit a member of the church and isn't far from where the man saw the bear.
• Photo of the man and the bear that he shot. He is very lucky to be alive.
• Photo of Molly Juma's baptism.Remember Ivan's baptism in the canal at Mink Creek and the water was so cold you couldn't swim. I bet Ivan remembers how cold it was! The Chena River is cold because just the week before was breakup and the ice was floating down this river. Molly said if she could get baptized in that cold water then she knew that she really wanted to be baptized. There were several people who wanted to clap for Molly but didn't think they should. I am glad that we all clapped for Ivan because we were proud of him. I was proud of Molly too, and think she will be a very good member of the church. We did a family history packet for her and she is so excited to go to the temple to be baptized for her family. She has two little boys who both prayed when we went there for dinner the other day. In their family who ever prays gets to tell how we do it. Justice, youngest brother, said he wanted us all to hold hands while he prayed. Then John prayed and said he wanted us all to fold our arms. Grandpa and I thought that was a very cute idea.
• Photo taken by the sign that says "Ivan's Alley". It is such a pretty mountain.

Here is a secret story about grandpa. Don't tell him but I had fun yesterday with him. Because the sun shines all night it seems that we are staying up later and later so some days we are so tired we have to have a nap. Yesterday was one of those days. I just barley got to sleep when Grandpa started snoring so loudly it woke me up. I woke him up and told him but he just said "Okay!", didn't even turn over but just went back to sleep and started snoring again. Well, since I couldn't sleep I thought I would see if I could get him to quit. I lifted his arm up high in the air, he didn't quit so I put his arm over his cheek. He didn't quit, so I put his arm over his ear, he didn't quit, then I put his arm over his throat with a sadistic laugh, he didn't quit so I pushed his hand over his nose and held it. You guessed it! He didn't quit. By this time I am laughing so hard I was sure he would wake up. He didn't so I got up and then he woke up and wondered why I was getting up so soon. He said, "Oh, I didn't even go to sleep!" HA, next time I am going to get the camera out and take his picture sleeping with his arm up in the air, over his ear, over his cheek, over his throat and over his nose.

Grandpa and I work hard but we have a lot of fun as well. We know the gospel is true and are thankful to be able to serve the Lord in such important work as Family History. We are excited to come home and make each one of you a packet just like the ones we give new members here. Then you could add them to your white Family History binders. We hope that all you older Froggers are taking the opportunity to go to the temple and be baptized for the dead. If you need some family names we could probably get you some cards. Also, don't forget to be writing your life story. A wonderful Christmas present for us would be a copy of your life history.
Don't send us "stuff" and "things" because we don't need anything. We need to know about you. Please write your stories. You could even send a scrap book page of pictures of all the activities you did this summer for our birthdays. Then when we get home we will write our story for you and that will be our Christmas gift to you. Is that a deal!

XOXOXOXO
Lots of hugs and kisses, Croaker Style,
Grandpa and Grandma,

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY
We are hoping we can have a BBQ it is so raining this weekend, we don't know. We are thinking of you and wondering what you are doing. Are you camping, picnicking, BBQing, hiking, swimming, playing softball, what????