Well why haven't I ever tried to post from my phone???  It can't be this easy!  Ha!  I'm at Camilles so I don't have my computer and thought I would give this a try.  I do love technology!  

So Katie and I flew here last Saturday on Camilles birthday. Kellen has been out of town for a while so I was glad we could be there with her. 

It was really something special to see how Camille is loved by her friends and ward members here.  There were people coming by all day bringing gifts and cakes and all her favorite treats. 

She has been feeling pretty miserable lately with diarrhea and fatigue, headaches but she puts in her happy face and keeps going. 

We were going to go to red robin  for dinner but the wait was an hour and a half so we went to cafe rio. Never disappoints. 

After dinner more friends came over to visit. Camille is a special soul with a spirit that draws people to her. She makes life better just by being around her. She is probably the funniest person I know and can make any situation funner. I love to be around her cause she makes me laugh like no one else. Also because she makes me feel loved and needed...but after what I've noticed these past few days, I can see that she makes everyone around her feel that way too! 

She is so great with the other ladies in the ward. They have new families move in about every week and she is right on top of things making sure they feel welcome. I'm just really proud of her and the beautiful woman she has become. 

Livy and I made rolls Sunday afternoon. She's just a joy to be with and I wish so much we could do things together like this all the time. 

Then there's this one.  She just can't get any sweeter.  I just want to eat her. She's letting baby brother listen to her favorite songs. 

So Camille woke up Monday with this rash -little blustery things on her back. Kate and Camille were thinking maybe spider bites but as soon as I saw it and where it was I thought of shingles. What in the world????  She had a friend who is a nurse look at it and she confirmed.   She's the only person I know who's had chicken pox twice!  So why not?  

She called her OB and he called her in some anti viral for her to take. He said that's what has been making her feel so icky.  Another sweet friend brought her a basket of medication and treats to get her through. She's really miserable with the burning and itching all over her body plus the diarrhea that won't stop. Wish there was something I could do to make it better. Kate and i have been trying to wrangle the kids and meals so she can rest but she won't stay down. 

She still wants to do this. 

Katie and Kelley have been really busy trying to keep up with orders that have been coming in.  The internet is such an amazing tool for advertising! 

Katie  usually puts a picture of something they are working on on facebook and instagram everyday and  people can make comments or ask questions about it. They have been getting orders from all over the country and have done some beautiful work! 

 Katie has really gotten good at designing and creating these art pieces.  People will give her an idea of the colors and size and a few have design ideas, but most just tell her to make up the design herself.  

They have done a lot of big projects too...some sliding barn doors, tables, cabinets, consoles and shelves. Katie is good at keeping things organized and on track.  It's really good that she is good at that because Kelley is...not so much.(no offense dear)   They have gotten better over time at communicating  and working with patience together. 

  Lynn has been helping them all along with the hardware and metal work on all of their pieces. Kelley has found a great friend in Lynn.  They don't really need a project for a reason to get together. Kelley stops by there all the time just to shoot the breeze.  I remembered Lynn and Sue from when we were in the 6th ward about 20 years ago but hadn't got to know him at all then.  So my first impression of him was having him as our gospel doctrine teacher.  He is the best teacher!  He knows the scriptures so well and has a way of presenting the message that is really easy to understand and relate to. He was the teacher for a while right after we became a ward, but then they took him out.  I think people must have complained because they put him back in about 6 months ago.  He has been through some hard things this last year dealing with  cancer. He has the same kind that Chris has but has been really sick and had to have chemo treatments.  I think that's when him and Kelley got really close.  Kelley spent a lot of time over there with him.   It's pretty cool how some people come into your life and you know they are a blessing. Lynn is one of those people. It makes you wonder how you ever got along without them before.

Anyway, I'm so happy for Katie and Kelley and their success.  They have worked really hard at what they do...I'm talking from early in the morning till as late as they can go.  It's not easy starting up a business...so much more to it than I ever knew, so I'm just really proud of them and so glad to see it starting to pay off.

ĝ

We had a great couples bunko over here on Monday night. Brenda and I were doing it together this year because  only a few could come in July and that was Brenda's month so we decided to just combine july and August and do couples together.  It was way funner and less stressful doing it together!

Brenda made a cute invitation for everyone and I got the prizes.  We both did some meat and had the ladies bring side dishes and pies for dessert.  It worked out really good that way and took the pressure off of us for making all the food.  I did some rolls and Brenda did some yummy potatoes.  It was a perfect night except for a fly attack as soon as we got all the food out.  The guys complain a lot about it but I think they secretly like it!

Sure do love these ladies and feel so blessed to have them for my friends.

I can't believe summer has come and gone!  I feel like I haven't even got going yet!  

The true sign that summer has come to an end is the annual luau, and this year was a good one!

I'm not sure why, but this year it just seemed easier. It's probably because Kelley worked so so hard getting all the wood that was all over the back yard put away weeks before the luau.  I think people were starting to get worried about him getting it done cause they were all over here offering to help him wrangle the boards to a different location.  He was just like "naw, I've got a plan, no worries "  When he say's he's going to get it done, I believe him.  He's never let me down.  It was pretty amazing to watch the piles of wood slowly disappear till there was no wood at all.  He had built this huge rack on the side of his garage and it held a ton!  He took  a couple of loads to the dump too. 

Anyway, he got the yard all cleaned up and looking good and that took a load off my mind.  We've had some bad luck with the flowers we planted in the beds this year.  We did shorter zinnias (the tall ones we did last year were so tall they tipped over!) by the wall and they just didn't grow.  About half of them shriveled up and died.  I think it's a curse from Candice's cat Elton that we buried there.  

The  marigolds we planted along the back of the house started out doing good, then they slowly started dying off too.  Kelley and I went to the nursery's trying to find some flowers to replace them but by this time, all of the bedding plants were gone.  I thought well maybe I'll just fertilize the heck out of them and see if that helps, but even the miracle grow didn't revive them.  So a few days before the luau, I pulled the zinnias up and Kelley bought some grass and we filled in the flower bed with it.  (Ha ha, I swear that ground is cursed though because everywhere else we put the grass it filled in nice and green...the spot over where Elton is buried just turned brown and died.)

I worked in the garden quite a bit pulling weeds and trimming dead stuff till it was looking pretty good.  All the pots were looking real nice.  I planted a lot of coleus and they really got big and pretty!

We were sending the sign up sheets around for about a month before the luau and people were great and willing to bring whatever we needed.

  

Kelley went back by the fire pit one day and found this nice surprise...That Rick is sure a peach.  He cleaned out all the lava rocks and that's a crappy job!  He is always there to help out and we appreciate him so much! 

 Power washing the whole back yard!

Kelley and I went Friday afternoon to get all the meat for the luau.  We went to the west valley costco and got all the pork, but they didn't have the chicken thighs.  We asked the butcher guy and he said they weren't carrying them anymore but the costco on 21st south had them so we drove over there and looked all over but they didn't have them either.  So we decided to go with the thigh and leg packages they had instead.  They turned out alright and weren't that different from just the thighs.

Friday night, Stacey, Rick, Dave, Steph and Jeff came over to help with the meat preparation. It's quite the process.  Stacey and I put the foil together to make big sheets to wrap the pork in, then the guys opened all the packages of pork, sliced the meat a little, then put liquid smoke and salt in each one, then wrapped them up twice in foil.  Then for the chicken, we open all the packages and put the meat in coolers with the teriyaki sauce and ice.

They usually don't put the tents up until Saturday morning, but they decided they might as well do it while they had a bunch of guys over to help friday night. Jay brought his nice big tent over too.

Connor had fun with the hose while mama was helping.

Rick makes sure all the lights are working nicely.  Kathy brought over all the table covers and decorations friday night.  She is so great to help out where ever we need her.  She had put together these table decorations the year before so we decided to use them again, along with some cute signs Kate had painted a few years ago. She cooked a big roaster oven of rice and I cooked one too so that helped out a lot.

Kelley and Rick were out there at the crack of dawn lighting up the fire in the pit.  The high priests brought over and set up tables and  chairs about 9.  It's pretty great the way everyone pitches in to help!

Stacey came over Saturday afternoon and we got all the table cloths on and the decorations going. When things get stressful, she is my rock and makes me feel like we can do anything! Forever grateful for her!

The Elders (and Gina!) came over about 4 and started cooking the chicken. I was glad it was a little cooler Saturday...it was actually perfect weather.

Dave came over and set up the speaker system and music.  The Hawaiian music gets everybody in the mood! 

Kathy came over about 5 and helped finish up the decorating.  She was a great help in organizing the food as it came and telling people where to put it.

We had a great turnout with several people I had never met before.  They said they got the flyer and just wanted to come!  I hope they had a good time! 

Toby and Michelle are just the best.  They offered their back yard for babysitting for the evening.  Toby worked so hard getting their back yard all ready for it...got a bounce house, projector movies on the wall, and redid their swingset, play house area.It worked out so good to have them right over the fence.  Just couldn't thank them enough! And our cute young women babysat, and that wasn't easy...there were a ton of kids! 

Ok this was an incident...Steve G. asked Kelley the day before if we needed a pop up to put over the food and Kelley was like sure...So while Kelley was back tending to the meat Saturday afternoon, this happened.  Rick about had a come apart, but Kelley wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing him freak out so he didn't say anything and just went and got his Utah flag to ward off the bad spirits.    It was actually really funny how many people commented about it.  I'm sure Steve is still chuckling about it.  

Everyone ate and visited the night away and I think a good time was had by all.  Then everyone pitches in to take everything down.  We didn't have much left over food...just a few vegetable trays and some meat and rice. We bagged it up and got it to a few people that could use it. 

This was one of my favorite luaus'...There was a good feeling there and we got to visit with some great people that we don't see very often and that's what it's really all about.