The Back Yard Pool

.....then




















....and now!!!!

Home again, home again....

....jiggity jig. He pulled in yesterday after 2 days on the road and 9 long years of school. Whew....who thought this day would ever come. They left behind a tornado that destroyed buildings at churchill downs, lots of friends crying and a bunch of great memories and life-changing experiences. Louisville is a better place because they were there.

*********************** ....and today, this little cute lady turns 12 and nobody's gonna rain on her parade. Laynee Jane is about the sweetest young lady ever and it's been hard for her, especially, to leave her friends behind but she'll keep those friends, via Facebook and texting and add new ones to her list of contacts. Happy Birthday, Laynee. So glad you are here.

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Summer is officially here!!!!!

Most of us have had our first Snow Shack shave ice.....anywhere from Tigers Blood to Spiderman.

Such simple pleasures......ya gotta love it...and I do.
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Three years ago yesterday, Mason started work at Hurricane Dental moving his family here from Louisville. His awesome staff remembered his anniversary yesterday with a celebration and this cute candy gram.

Life is good......(most of the time).

Lemon Meringue Pie Rules....

.....yes, it does "rule"...but there are also "rules" when it comes to my mom's lemon meringue pie and while in the past, they have been "unspoken" rules...we had to speak them this past Sunday when Michelle brought a "friend" for our Sunday evening festivities. Let me lay a bit of ground work here for ya....Mom's lemon meringue pie is the best in the country...maybe even the world and while I, myself, will not even look at a lemon meringue pie in a bakery or order it in a restaurant, my glands salivate at the thought of my mom's. You can have her recipe, try to make it like hers....not gonna happen. So, like I said...Michelle brings this "friend" and offers him some pie. Well....quite a few showed up on Sunday and there were only two pies, made special to fulfill the requests of two of the fathers in our midst... and since it was Father's Day, mom obliged them. Back to the friend who was trying the pie for the first time......we had to enforce rule #1 (and mind you, never, ever say "I'm not really a pie person" or "pie is not one of my favorites" and think you're even gonna get near a piece of our pie).

Rule #1:You may NOT partake of our pie unless you absolutely love lemon meringue pie. (You may try a piece of someone else's and if you love it, you are welcome to a small piece.)

Rule #2: Never leave any on your plate. If, perchance you took a larger piece than you could handle (I guarantee, it doesn't happen very often) then ask around; someone close will jump at the chance to finish your piece of pie.

Rule #3: Strangers....or "friends"....(let's say, "first timers") are only allowed one piece; no seconds....and we are all watching.

Rule #4: Children under the age of, um...let's say....12 are not allowed to have a piece of pie. They, too, may sample their parent's piece and if, over time, they acquire a taste for this delicacy, then they may have a "small" piece until they "come of age" to really appreciate what they are eating. (Don't judge me wrong, dear reader. There's ample amounts of ice cream and cones and also a cake. The children are not going to starve here).

Rule #5: Eat it very slowly....savor it for it may be a while before she makes another one. (However, if you're a true lover of her pies and she loves you back, you've got it made). So, the next time "life gives you lemons"...have my mom make you a lemon meringue pie. It's sure to cure what ails ya. Thanks, Mom. We know it's getting harder for you and that's why we cherish you and your pies more than ever.

Oh, deer....

......and we spotted the first one of the summer today in Pine Valley. It's always fun to watch them come into the yard as we try to be as quiet as possible and see how close we can get.

Another favorite of mine is to see the new growth that appears on the pines...so visible, so fresh and a different green than the rest of the tree. Today, it was brilliant....couldn't even begin to capture the color on my phone camera but I had to try. It reminds me of a time when I was on my mission, not far from home but might as well have been because it was my first time to be "really" alone for an extended period of time ...and I was walking home after work and noticed a pine tree in front of my house and paused to see the "new growth" at the ends of the branches. Knowing that growth had been taking place all along, it just seemed to show up over night.

I was in Pine Valley last week and didn't see it but today, it just caught my eye and got me thinking about my own "new growth" and wondering if I ever really notice it at all. Am I continuing to progress in the important aspects of my life....or do I lie dormant....dull...hidden under winter's woes. I hope not....but something to think about as we begin our summer, half way through the year....still time, still hope for improvement (and growth).

If you play your cards right....

....you just may beat Shana.....but probably not. She's the card playin'est, game winningest gal I know but she makes it lots of fun and she knows her games. Anyone growing up in Pine Valley in the summer learns early on how to play the games. Today is her birthday and I'm hoping the Wells family takes a little time to squeeze in a game or two of cards along with their packing up, closing an era of their lives and heading home. Shana, you're just starting a new game...and you'll be good at this one too. We'll have the cards shuffled and the table ready to go....(well maybe not but the house will be vacuumed and dusted waiting for the fam.) Shana's greatest accomplishment in life is being the mom in this cute family.....

Happy Birthday, Shana....take a little time to celebrate amongst all the packing. See ya soon!!!!

It's hard to even imagine...

....my mom and dad, young and in love but 65 years ago this very day, they were young, newly weds....starting their lives together and I pay tribute to them this day on their anniversary. I'm sure my mom's feeling the pangs of loneliness this day as she's been without him now for nine years but what they had while he was here was really good.

As a kid growing up, there was never a question in mind that they loved one another and my dad was always ever so demonstrative about his beautiful wife....as he would say, not just once but I heard him say it several times...."it's a good thing that men have different tastes in women or they'd all want my wife". He knew he had a good thing. Happy Anniversary...Mom. I'm thinking of you today and remembering the good times you had together.

Tastes of Provo....

.....can pretty much describe what I've been doing the last 24 hours and it's been pretty fun, I must say, starting out by sampling Lauri's newly decorated cake from her class. Click HERE to get it in her own words on her new cooking blog but it was beautiful and tasted every bit as good as it looked and she took me by the bakery that hosts the class....and could I resist the "goodness" inside?....oh, no and I only bought the small donut to show, in perspective, the size of the big one. Never have I seen such a thing....but the best in the box was the bran muffin...glazed with honey. My new favorite bakery.....BUT,... for 5 dollas....we got one "complatos" (the word comes from Kid History, click HERE) but it was a pretty big "complatos" (not sure if that really is hot dog in Spanish, oh well).....at JDawg's by the BYU campus. Have been hearing about them for years but today was the day....and a mighty fine complatos it was.
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It was all capped off with a lot of nibbling on Lucy....what a doll. She loved seeing herself not one, not two but three times in the 3-way mirror.

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....and speaking of food, Emily came over Tuesday night and we were watching "No Reservations"....and when they made pizza and ate it on a blanket on the floor, we did too.

It reminded me of the good ol' days when the girls were little and we'd have movie "theme" parties; actually, I think the only one we had was "Harriet the Spy"....anyway, this was a good idea...mostly because it allowed me to watch a movie that I wanted to watch (but I think Emily liked it too.) Let's do it again really soon, Emily....maybe next time we can watch"Ratatouille"!

For he's a jolly good fellow.....

....which nobody can deny! Spencer graduated on Friday....the only "Pain Medicine Fellow" and as funny as it sounds, in academia it means "a period of medical training that a physician may undertake after completing a medical specialty" Spencer's specialty being "pain management" so he has been a "Pain Fellow" which I think has a magical ring to it, don't you? Anyway, mighty proud of this kid and of Shana....they've put in a lot of long years and persevered to pursue this goal and now they are heading "home".....and, with sad endings and new beginnings come a lot of tears but Kentucky has been good to them and as I have seen their neighbors and friends come in droves, I know the Wells Family has been good for Kentucky. Well done, Spencer and Shana, Laynee, Drew, Seth and Jack. As my favorite quote from the movie "Hope Floats"....."....endings are hard, beginnings are scary....it's what's in the middle that counts" and you made those years in Kentucky count. Welcome home......
We enjoyed a lovely afternoon together at the Audubon Country Club. The graduation gift is supposed to be a large pottery bowl with his name engraved but someone dropped it on the way.......
....but he did receive this "huge" bowl of cold cereal in honor of his years at University of Louisville, probably thriving on nothing but cold cereal as the rest of them headed out for their expensive lunches. I guess the story is that he was willing to share a locker with a colleague only if the colleague kept it filled with cereal. This will get him through the next two weeks for sure. I always knew something good would come from those cold breakfasts you consumed all through your growing years,Spence. Didn't hurt you a bit....say I!

No cold cereal here.....Ballpark hotdogs.....the best. I forgot how much I love the ball park. We had a great evening at a Dodger/Reds game.....fireworks night, the best I've ever seen. It was just an amazing evening.

One last picture in front of the Louisville Temple. Good bye Louisville. It's been a great nine years.
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And now on to another "fine fellow".... meaning: a "really good guy". Happy Birthday James. We are glad you joined the fam.....and we know you are a good husband but it's been so fun to watch you be a really great dad.

Hope you're having a great day......

Lucky to be in Kentucky.....

......I've been coming here three or four times a year for the last nine years while the boys have been in school and, a little sad that this is my last time here....but happy 'cause the last of the Kentucky Wells Clan is moving home....so what do we do to celebrate? We find our Kentucky faves.......which consist of....

.....wings at B-Dubs.....yum....(Shana has a Mac @#$%#@! and I can't put these pictures in order so this will have to do.....random favorites.......

Bourbon Ball French Toast at Lynn's Paradise Cafe....(as seen on Throw-down with Bobby Flay) on the Food Network....

.....Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip ice cream at Graeters......double yum....Seems like we're "eating our way through Louisville" and we probably are. I remember the good ol' days when we lived in Fresno and would travel north to San Francisco area with Mark and Marian and would eat non-stop at all their favorite places. That's what we're doing here pretty much.

....another shot of Paradise......

.....a little b-ball on the front lawn .....

....and Drew "ramping"....... We waited for dark hoping for some fire flies but none appeared. I enjoyed watching Spencer hit tennis balls to Mason and Drewby and just enjoyed the nice Louisville evening. This afternoon we're headed to a Reds game in Cincinnati then graduation tomorrow. Later......

Just so ya know...

......this will be my address some day and I have to come up once a year to make sure I haven't moved in yet. Another great day to meet at the cemetery and honor our loved ones that have gone before....(and actually be grateful that I'm not one of them)....

It's always good for the kids to know where their names are from and be able to see it on a headstone and learn a little bit about those they have not met.....

.....and my favorite part of it all is the anticipation of who might also be there....

....then breakfast at "The Corral"....

...after which I headed on up the road for my first day on the job at the Pine Valley Chapel. I volunteered to help with guided tours and it sure felt good to wear the badge again....so much fun. I'll be up there about every 3rd Monday this summer....yay for me!!!!!!! (This picture looks like I'm being bonked on the head by Relief Society!!!)

...and to make a great day even better, we ended with an early birthday celebration for George and we learned it is actually to ones advantage to be indecisive.....just buy him one of each. Happy Birthday to a really special kid....they don't come much better than George Elliott Wells.

Hope you had a great Memorial Day 2011....I sure did!!!!!

Speaking of birthdays...

.....I got this idea for my next birthday from Wed. night's episode of "Modern Family". It's Jay's birthday and the episode was about the crazy gifts that everyone decided they had to do the last minute to make it special for him when all he wanted was a quiet day of fishing by himself. Anyway, Claire and Mitchell decided to recreate a picture that was taken of them as children and they sneaked into the yard at their former childhood home and a vicious dog chased them up a tree....anyway....TMI. So...I found the picture I want re-created for my next birthday and I'm just giving my boys a "heads up" so they can see that it happens. Let's get crackin' boys.....and, um....make sure you capture those same looks...gotta be as authentic as possible. ********************************
Just a few pics from Memorial Days Past.....a yearly tradition to visit the graves of our loved ones...............
...and I love the flags at the graveyard each year in honor of those who have lost their lives serving our country. Lot's to be thankful for.....and many great lives to honor and remember. Have a safe and happy Memorial Day Week-end.

Sending wishes to my Birthday Boys.....

I just love this picture of these two little guys...they almost share a birthday, just a day apart and two years apart in age. There will come a time they will want their own day, but for now, I'm sure they are happy to share. Happy Birthday, boys. There's a grandma here across the country that misses you so....
I have to depend on Traci's blog and a WebCam once in a while to keep up on the lives of the Staheli boys....they sure are growing and changing fast.

Traci is my hero....making life exciting for these little ones. Can't wait to see the cakes and hear about the celebrations...wishing I were there to share.
I'm going to add my HAPPY BIRTHDAY poem as I loved reading Traci's. Click HERE to read her versions. Hope you don't mind, Traci, if I put my version right here on my blog. Couldn't get Mr. Blogger to cooperate so I had to print it out and scan it in. So here it is..........

Traci's three little shadows....."...it's good to have shadows that run when you run, that laugh when you're happy and hum when you hum....for you only have shadows when your life's full of sun"....and I'm glad your life is full of "sons".

It's Miller time again...

....and just three years ago this very day, Joyce and I greeted Miller and welcomed him to the world then headed off on our amazing road trip across the U. S. of A. It was a very good day when Miller was born and today will be a good day too. Let's go to Mickey D's....k?

...or we could go get a Blue Sumarai at Swig....

...or just hang out at the pool and eat pizza. Whatever you do, big guy, just make sure you party like it's your birthday 'cause it is. Happy #3 Miller.

My weed has bloomed...but I just looked up Holly Hock and it's really not a weed but I always thought it was so I let it bloom then have one of the boys try to dig it up but it just won't go away. Not sure from whence it came but I do like it when it blooms. What I've read about them is that they are stubborn little buggars and some people don't like them and try to get them to go away but they just won't.....so I'll just let my little Holly Hock keep on bloomin' whenever it wants to. Anybody got any info on Holly Hocks?

Where were you...

....one year ago today? We were all at James and Lauri's wedding and a glorious day it was. I hope they are celebrating in fine fashion. Take this time to think of your own wedding day, remember your vows to love, honor and cherish and if you are lucky enough to have your spouse close by, give him/her a hug and an "I love you" in honor of Lauri and James.

I love "family time" and it's always fun to have an occasion that gets us together.
...speaking of "time", how about "Hammer Time"......
Ya gotta dig those M.C. Hammer pants....and Mason had the moves when he was a young 'un. He was picked to do an anti-drug music video in 6th grade and got to show off those dancing genes he inherited from my dad (who loved to "cut a rug" as well and could do it with the best of 'em)....and speaking of "dancing genes"......
....Mason passed his on to Maycee and we got to see her strut her stuff last night at her dance review. I love to remember those days and Mason was a much better sport about it than his father. Once my girls were done, Scott was outta there.....but Mason stuck it out to the very end with a smile on his face the whole time. Maycee was adorable....and maybe some of those genes came from her mother 'cause Mandy was a Super Stepper. Great job Maycee and once again, Happy Anniversary today, Lauri and James. There's always lots to celebrate!!!!!