Gazebo Concrete Pour!!

We poured the foundation of the gazebo & sidewalk yesterday!! My dad, my uncle Kym, our friend Brian, my cousin Nate, and Dave's boss Daniel all came to help us do a TON of work!! Because of the fence surrounding our backyard, we couldn't back the conrete truck right up to the gazebo base, so all the concrete had to get into the backyard by 3 wheelbarrows!! The truckdriver said that our guys unloaded the concrete faster than his own crews! (Maybe he didn't know that all of them work construction for a living!) By lunchtime, all the guys were exhausted!!

Nate rushing back to the concrete truck after dumping a load:
Dave and Kym waiting for (another) wheelbarrow to fill:
Dave wearing his very attractive concrete boots:
Here's Dave demonstrating how to "water" the concrete every hour to prevent as many cracks as possible:
The finished product:
...how sweet!

Pool Time!!

We couldn't be more happier that my parent's pool is ready for fun!!! It was finished just last week, and I swam with Em for the first time on Tuesday night! We're looking forward to many, many more days of fun in the pool!!!

The Whitten Inn

Some of you may remember my unfortunate experience out West when I went to visit David in Throckmorton in March. I am happy to report that, since then, I have had 2 highly successful visits out West. The main reason that these last 2 visits have been so successful is because the hotel where David is currently staying is definitely clean enough to my standards. While I did inspect the sheets very closely, I felt confident enough that they were truly clean that I did not have to sleep in a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, socks, and my hair in a pony lying perfectly still (all night) on a pillow covered with my clean running shirt. Last night, I headed out to Abilene to visit David, and we had a great dinner at Cracker Barrel, followed by dessert at Dairy Queen (don't forget: DQ is a "must" when you go out West in Texas, because they are very rare in the city), and then we headed to the hotel, The Whitten Inn. While not a plush hotel, it is clean & well-kept. Perhaps the only thing you could possibly question is their motto: "Sleep with Whitten and Purr Like a Kitten".

Gazebo Construction Begins!!

Dave has been planning on building a gazebo in our backyard for several months, and after looking at ideas, drawing up plans, and buying (a lot of) materials (including a new power saw that he is very excited about!!), he and my cousin, Nate, began working on it on Saturday! They were up on Friday night until 11 reviewing the plans, and then they were awake on Sat. morning at 6:30 a.m. It was so fun to see David so excited about this great project!!! They cleared the grass and laid the perimeter of the gazebo.
The guys worked until dark, but, unfortunatley, David got heat stroke very bad! He very rarely gets sick, but when he does, it's very dramatic. (Actually, I'm probably the one who is dramatic as I try to help him.) When we called my mom to ask her what to do for his symptoms, she screamed, "Call 911!!"--which we didn't do. We do appreciate all your medical advice though, Mom, and we do usually do what you recommend.
Lots of water, chicken bullion, popsicles, and a good night's sleep helped David feel much better.

Here's my favorite pic from the day!

Mom's 55th Birthday Luncheon!!

Today is my precious mom's 55th birthday! She is so loved by so many people!! Here are a few pics from the birthday luncheon that Emily & I hosted at my house for her today.

Mom and her best friend in Texas, Kath

Lots of candles to blow out!!

Mom and her girls