Kelly Times Two

Ask and ye shall receive, Chris, here are the updated pictures of our pool! He and Conni have been so sweet and excited for us about our pool. They were actually with Kelly and me (to see the Michael Bublé concert) when we were in the process of deciding what pool company to go with. So here are the latest pictures, taken just moments ago. There's quite a drop off in depth here, so there will not be a lot of pool volleyball for those who plan to stand. I really miss my deck and can hardly wait to use it again. Not being able to walk outside the back door has been hard. Hopefully next week there will be a new deck so I can actually walk out my kitchen door to the back yard. Also, check out my pretty tile in the pool and spa below. I love the way it turned out. Below, here's the future deep end--filled with dirty water for now. It's 6.5 feet deep. They'll just cover all of this construction mess up with concrete and Sundeck. Here's the view of the pool from the si...

Here are the two kids I met while waiting in line for four hours on Thursday to get tickets to see the Foxboro Hot Tubs in concert that night. The Foxboro Hot Tubs are essentially, Green Day, with my cousin, Billie Joe Armstrong, as the lead singer. Click here to read more about our adventures. Chelsea and Josh were so polite and gracious. Here's the line we waited in all day. It was hot and muggy outside. Here's the front of the line. I ended up getting two parking tickets for $15 each! Here's the tour bus. Everyone was all excited when they pulled in at three in the afternoon. Here are my guests, the night after the concert. They enjoyed the cool breeze and their strawberry shortcakes before leaving. Here's what Chelsea wrote in our guest book. "Thank you so much for your hospitality!!! Y'all opened up your house for us and treated us as y'alls own. This trip wouldn't have been as nice as it was. You will always be in our memories and stories. ...

Here is Mom and the kids on our drive back from Oklahoma on Mother's Day, along I-35 around the Arbuckle Mountain area. The next day, we took my mom out to dinner at The County Line. He ordered pork ribs. Here the kids and Grandma are waiting for Kelly to meet us after work, checking the menu. We love this place. They have the best cole slaw I've ever eaten, and I have never really liked cole slaw. The barbecue is the best.

Cute as a cupcake! Here are more pictures from the baby shower . Lindsay and Nate's son will be here in June. Lindsay's mom and sisters all look a like. Their smiles are all similar. So pretty too! Paige made these incredible carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, topped with a chocolate flower. Paige and Lonna organized everything, and several people helped to make the food tasty and pretty. I hope Lindsay knows how much she's loved by all of us!

One of the greatest joys to me is volunteering to help out with the Wilkinson quintuplets . Here's Kaydence, Kassidy, Kyndall, Rustin, and Ryder on the front row. My mom, me, and Lindsey on the back row. We hung out with them while their parents and older siblings, Riley and Kaiya, went to Joe's Crabshack to celebrate their dad's birthday. Kaydence and Kassidy, having fun watching Lindsey and me sing and dance to Hairspray as part of their nightly bedtime routine. Lindsey is here playing with Ryder. It was a fun surprise to run into the quints and their mom and friends at Rudino's for lunch a few days go. Here's Rustin. Isn't he just the cutest little guy ever? Or would that be Ryder as the cutest little guy ever? They're all just the sweetest little angels and I genuinely LOVE these little babies. What a blessing they are to so many people. I'm thankful that Rachelle and Jayson let me come over to visit their babies! It is such a joy and I love ev...

Lindsey was called to be the new Laurel Class President at church today. She is such an incredible daughter and I am so pleased by her great example to our family and to kids at church and at school. She faithfully and happily attended early morning seminary the past two years, and attends the temple every time the youth in our ward have a scheduled trip. She always has a happy and positive attitude and doesn't talk badly about other people. She has never served as a president or counselor previously, and I think she'll do a fantastic job. She loves the gospel of Jesus Christ and has a strong testimony of our Savior. I love Lindsey and am proud of the young woman she has become. The lovely photography is by Gabrielle Turner.

10. On Mother's Day, returning from my niece's graduation in Oklahoma, I brought home some excess cargo--my mother ! Mom flew to Oklahoma for a last-minute trip to support Jessica, then came back with us, never saying how long she'd stay. She ended up staying for a week and a half then flew home--we had some fun, watched a few movies, went to some favorite restaurants and shops, and did one shift with the Wilkinson quintuplets . 9. Tile issues with our pool --I panicked when I saw what appeared to be the wrong color being installed, so asked the crew to stop, remove all the tile from half way around the pool. It turns out the number matched the color I ordered, but apparently there was a large variation in color that I had not expected. My one little six-inch tile sample looked nothing like what was getting installed. Long story short, I now have the same tile, but with my supervision to make sure it was alternated evenly. I still like the finished look, but it's not wh...

Our pool is progressing quite nicely and today there's a crew of stoners here, and I'm so thrilled about every step that gets me closer to dipping my toes into the sparkling water. Right now they're adding flagstone to the outside edges of the spa and pool. Like the previous post, I'll be sure to add more pics and details later. Just wanted to give a sneak peak for what's happening.

Paige and Lonna put together a lovely baby shower for Lindsay and Nate's second baby, due in June. It was such an easy shower, I just had to provide the house! It turned out nicely and Lindsay got some wonderful gifts for her first boy. Her sweet little daughter, Adelyn, was here. She's such a doll. Check back sometime this weekend to see more pictures and the gorgeous cupcakes that Paige whipped up.

We took a quick road trip this weekend to attend my niece's graduation from a small university in Weatherford, Oklahoma, that seemed like a high school stadium, the perfect down-home campus for Jessica, who is now officially an elementary school teacher. Congratulations Jessica! We're proud of you. Here's my sister, Tracy, Lindsey, my mom, and Aunt Joanna. As you can see, it was quite windy, which helped cut down on the heat. There were a few tornadoes in Oklahoma over the weekend, but fortunately not where we were. Here's my dad, Jessica's boyfriend, Dustin, her sister, Aubrey, and her dad, Jimmy. Check out their ferocious mascot, an 18-inch high bulldog! The bulldog sat obediently by a handler almost the entire ceremony, out in the middle of the football field. Here's where the ceremony of the entire graduating class of Southwestern Oklahoma State University took place, with graduates from each college on campus, starting at 10 am and ending just past noon. J...

It's been since last year when I saw my awesome cousin, Anna, when Kelly and I were in California for a conference that he attended and I tagged along. Today, Anna and I exchanged a few emails and I found out that I somehow missed her big 40th birthday the end of April. Happy belated birthday Anna! I love you, my sweet, deep thinking, totally terrific, intelligent, lovely cousin. You look fabulous at forty. Your long hair is gorgeous--you look like Brooke Shields. Can't wait to see you again, and thanks for keeping in touch. Your brothers look handsome too, by the way.

Tonight, I've invited my friends from the Relief Society presidency and their families over to our house for Family Home Evening and dinner to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. By celebrate, I specifically mean to eat Mexican food. I'm looking forward to having Sue, Michele, Jill, and parts of their families over with us. It will be the first time we've all gotten together with our families, even though not everyone can make it. Dinner prep has begun so now I need to plan out our Family Home Evening. Mexican Pork 1 pork butt (or pork loin roast) 1 lb. raw pinto beans 2 cups water 1 4-ounce can diced green chilis 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 cup bacon grease (may substitute butter) 4 teaspoons chili powder 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon oregano 1 tablespoon salt 1 can tomatoes Put everything in a kettle, crockpot, or stockpot and cook for several hours until pork starts to fall apart. (I add a lot more water than 2 cups; just keep an eye on it and add as needed.) Remove pork and shr...