MOMENTS LIKE THESE...

Key Lime Pie

Kotten Kandy

We had another gospel discussion/Sunday dinner with some of our favorite people!  And during the evening, Key Lime Pie face-timed.  Everyone wanted to talk to her and this happened:

Scott, Kotten Kandy, Marmalade, Jelly Bean and Raisin

LOVED talking to Kiara Lea!

Jelly Bean LOVED Kotten Kandy's birthday box!

I love it when my daughters are happy.  And Kiara is never more happy than when she's participating in fun activities with good friends!  She enjoyed ice-skating and eating Taco Bell with her friends last night.

The ice-skating gang!

Billy was channeling Shanae in this pic...

It made Kiara laugh!

We got new carpet!  So glad to be rid of some of the blue stuff....  I LOVE it!  Of course, in order to get new carpet, we had to create a mess - we have way too much stuff!  But I love the final product!  Now I gotta move everything back.  Anyone wanna help?!

What you can't see is how big the stacks are behind all the furniture, etc.

Another view... but still does not do our hot mess justice.

It starts....

And continues....

DONE!

Woo Hoo!!!  I'm so excited!

I love it!

GJ sent me a bunch of memories this week.  It was a wonderful, nostalgic trip down memory lane.  I miss my BABY girls!  They have turned into lovely young women... but I miss my babies.  Aren't they adorable?!

Shanae's baptism.

Shanae, Kiara and Kotten Kandy

Key Lime Pie, KitKat (an AWESOME childhood friend) and Kotten Kandy

This picture of Kiara and Shanae is one of my all time favorites!

And Kotten Kandy and Shaved Ice are also adorable!
I'm so glad the Honda cousins and my girls are such great friends!

Scott loves introducing his daughters to the joys of s'mores.

YUM!

Kiara Lea

Kotten Kandy

I love these two angels of mine!

ANOTHER YEAR OF COLLECTING MEMORIES

Kotten Kandy is 17!  And she's becoming such an amazing young woman!  She is beautiful - inside and out!  I'm blessed to be her mother!  We celebrated by watching the 4th season of Sherlock and eating a sloth cake courtesy of Scott!  It was a quiet day... which is just what Kotten Kandy likes (being a true introvert).

Embarrassed when we sang "Happy Birthday"

Opening her present....

She wanted new bedding

Taffy and Maple helped her celebrate 17

Scott made two cakes!  One for his beautiful daughter and the other for Paige, one of our favorite people who works with Scott....  He's so talented!

Hard at work

The Sloth Cake

Having a conversation with his creation

- reminiscent of Frankenstein?!

A Cruise Ship for Paige's Birthday

And I got to go to a swim meet last night.  It was fun to cheer on two of my beautiful girls!  Maple even took first place in her freestyle race.  And Apple Muffin was adorable in her excitement.  I'm glad I made the trip.

Apple Muffin

Maple

Way to go!

She's so talented!

And a broken chair....

OH!  And look how beautiful my eldest daughter is!  I might be a bit prejudice!  But I think Scott and I make beautiful daughters - with a lot of help from Heavenly Father!

Key Lime Pie

I read another book!  And it was a fun one!  I used to read a LOT of Agatha Christie when I was a kid.  I had read all of the Perot mysteries.  But I hadn't read And Then There Were None.  I have now.  And I liked it a LOT!  This is a great who-done-it.  And I love how "poetic" Agatha Christie is in her writing.  Apparently Agatha Christie challenged herself to write a book where ten seemingly random people on a remote island location get killed off one by one and still provide a satisfactory conclusion.  She met that challenge.  And it was fun to read.  If you like mysteries - read this one!

ALL THIS LUNACY

Kotten Kandy went to our stake girls camp this week.  It was supposed to be from Monday to Saturday.  It ended early due to a rabies scare with bats!  (We joke that Kotten Kandy has rabies - although it probably isn't funny.  Rabies is scary.  But I believe she's OK!)  Actually the whole story is quite exciting!  And everyone was in good spirits - even when the health department made them come home early.  I love these young women!  Especially my Kotten Kandy!  She was a beautiful, kind, funny, youth camp leader!  And she tried to be positive and upbeat despite all the exciting adventures they had.

My cute camper!

I LOVE these girls!

Kotten Kandy, Maple, Waffles, and Apple Jacks

Kotten Kandy and Apple Jacks have been friends for 7 years!

They are so silly!

Kotten Kandy with her 3rd years!

And they all fell down....

In other news, my other daughter decided to do an extreme before and after make-over.  I like her new hair cut!

BEFORE

AFTER

Kiara is beautiful with long hair and short hair!

What's more important is that she's beautiful inside and out!

This week, Scott and I enjoyed time out on Scott's new swing.  He got it for Father's Day.  Kotten Kandy joined us when she got home.  We all love it!  And the evening weather has been perfect for rocking and visiting and enjoying....

Thank you, Chris, Hammond and Paige for helping us put this together!

Loving our outdoor time!

Last night was SUPER fun and surprising!  As Scott, Kotten Kandy and I were visiting on the couches, a young woman came up the stairs and sat down to join us.  I recognized her.  But something seemed strange - First, we weren't expecting anyone.  Second, although I recognized her, she was not "supposed" to be in Kentucky.  And Third, was it really my niece from Florida?!  THEN - I saw my nephews and my brother and sister-in-law!  They just showed up without any notice!  It was an AWESOME surprise!  We talked for 3 hours.  Then we all crashed.  We laughed.  We caught up.  We hugged.  I was soooooo glad they came to visit me.  They were on their way to Minnesota and decided to drive and extra couple hours to stay one night with us.  Yes, I was surprised!  And yes, I was over joyed!  I LOVE my family!  And the Zane McCallister family ROCKS!

Yogurt!

She was so cute when she "scared" me!

She has grown soooo much!  What a beautiful young woman!

Kumquat

This kid is amazing!  And according to my brother - he says things like they are!

I love his fun, contagious smile!

Elderberries

He has such a great smile, and attitude!  He is a bit laid back...

But is well rounded!

Chowder

This boy is hilarious!  And is going to have his associates

degree when he graduates from high school...  You go, Chowder!

Yogurt, Elderberries, Kumquat and Chowder in MY living room!

Last but not least a few pictures of one of my favorite little people, Raisin:

I'm practicing for future grand-babies!  I'm in heaven!

Raisin tried on her mom's Mother's Day hat!