Happy Birthday Lu-Lu!!!!

Happy Birthday Laura!!! Today is my little sister Laura's birthday!! She is the baby of the family and it is super fun to give her a hard time because of it! I recall when Laura was born, we loaded Sarah in the stroller and the rest of us sisters went up and down the street telling people we had a new sister! She after all had completed our sorority! She had super blond hair when she was younger and people always wondered if she really belonged to the family! She was always good for a laugh while growing up. One Christmas she wrapped random things for everyone that she found around the house. Combs, pens, and many more interesting things. She also happened to have cut her hair in the process and so we each got a little bit of that too!

Laura is super good with kids and is working hard on completing her degree in Elementary Education. She had worked in schools and day cares and she enjoys helping the kids and playing with them. She also takes great care for the nieces and nephews when they are around. She loves to be social and is always working up something with her friends! She is a texter like no other, she can text so fast and gets so many you think her hands might hurt!

She has a great testimony of the gospel and works hard to do what she knows is right. It has been fun as we are older to do things together on occasions. She has served faithfully in her sorority at the U for many years and loves it! She works hard to learn what she needs to in order to do the best that she knows how!

Hope that you day is grand!!! Happy Birthday!!!!

Happy Birthday Kelly!!!

Kelly is on the far right

Happy Birthday Kelly!! Today (or actually yesterday, but I moved and didn't get it posted) is my brother in law Kelly's birthday. A few things that I admire about Kelly is his ability to teach himself new things and his work ethic. A few years ago they needed a new deck on their house. Kelly got a book, read it, and built the deck! It is awesome and very safe! This isn't the only thing that he has taught himself to do but this is one that I admire because he investigated what needed to be done and did it. Kelly works hard to provide for his family and has at times had jobs that were a bit hard schedule wise but has always made time for his family. Whether he was working late or graveyards he makes sure to have time for his family.

He also worked hard to finish his degree from USU. He took online classes and extension classes all the while working full time and taking care of his family. He graduated with excellent grades!! It was a great experience to be at his graduation and cheer him on! He has a great sense of humor and brings much needed humor to our family functions.

I remember when Brooke and he were dating, he came by our house and wanted to meet us. He brought his dog and drove up in a very fancy car! Nice and shinny and red!!! He took us little girls for a spin and it was fun!! He also taught me how to drive a standard. He was SUPER patient with me!! It only took him a few hours on Thanksgiving Day a few years back (okay a lot of years back) to teach me. He was a good sport to do something that my dad didn't want to attempt. It was a fun time and every time I drive my car I am thankful that he took the time to teach me!

He is always concerned about me and what I am doing and I am appreciative of that. He inquires about my life and my goings and comings. I am glad that he is a part of our family! Have a great day!!! Happy Birthday Kelly!!!

Adventures in Home Remodel!

When I was looking for condos I kept telling myself that I didn't want to get anything that required more then maybe some paint to move in. When I found my place that is about all that it needed besides a ceiling scrape, a few new light fixtures, and a good cleaning. Wow has it been an adventure!! Hopefully by telling all this I won't curse myself and have more issues then I already have had! But as I have started to laugh at all that happens I feel like I can now share the issues! I started with scrapping the ceiling! It was an ugly ceiling and I had a few friends who said that they had done the same thing themselves and I could do it too! It was quite easy but totally messy! It only took about a day to get it done and cleaned up. Then it was on to texturing the ceiling. This too was something that I had friends tell me I could do and so I ventured into it. It was also easy! It took me about a night to complete with some assistance from friends. At this point the condo looked awesome and I was feeling pretty good about what I had done!

On to painting and the nightmares!!! I thought painting would be easier and less stress then the previous things that I had done......oh not so!!! We had to prime the ceiling first since I had scrapped it down to the sheet rock. This wasn't too bad. Then we had to paint it also not too bad but very time consuming. At this point I am already off the time schedule that I have created in my head for move in date. (More like a good fantasy!) I can do this I tell myself as I spend every night after work and every weekend working on getting things done. All the while getting hardly any sleep! So I tape the ceiling and baseboards to paint the walls, making sure that everything is taped perfectly! We paint the walls in the front room/dining area (okay my dad does) and it looks awesome! At this point I am super excited cause it is getting better looking and things are going well. That is until I take off the tape from the ceiling and the paint from the ceiling comes with!! Why is it that when you want it to stick and not let paint through it doesn't and when you want it to leave the paint on the wall it takes it off??? Oh boy, this means that I have to paint the ceiling again!! Okay I can handle it! Move onto the bedrooms get them painted and then go back and fix the issues.

Well I have friends come and bust out the walls and as we are getting the second coat of paint on in my room we run out of paint!!!! Okay I can get another gallon and we can get it finished another day! We get it done the next night and then I don't get over there for another day or two. When I go back and look at the spare room it needed a few touch ups and so I do it. 1st mistake! Why am I OCD???? A few days later I go back and look and it is horrible! You can tell where I had touched up cause it was a darker color!! How do this happen when it is the same paint??? Oh yea I had to get a new gallon! Except for wait that was in my room not the spare room!! How in the world??? Who knows! So I repaint it and hope for the best!

I begin painting my kitchen and things are going well! My dad comes to help with the doors and looks at the room and says this it horrible and needs to be done again.....after a closer look I agree! Totally different color! I get half my kitchen done and figure that I can finish the following week while my friends (bless them) come and help finish the room! That is put on the 4th coat!!! On Monday I get there to work with my trusty crew! When I tell my friend Tyler where I want him to paint he says okay, I can see we need another coat of paint it looks horrible! And it is a different color!! We then look at my room just to make sure that was okay and lo and behold----- IT ISN'T!!! Totally different colors on all the walls......used the same paint can on all the walls!! What!?!?!?

I am about to have a nervous breakdown at this point!!! I have to get another can of paint and paint both rooms again as well as fix the trim everywhere in the house where the ceiling paint came off with the tape!! I don't think so!!! I am ready to cry and scream at the same time! Thank heavens Tyler was there!! He first got me to calm down! (That was a job in and off itself) Then we talked about what needed to be done to fix the issue! And then he had me laughing at what was going on! We proceeded to the store to get more paint and see if they could help us with the different paint color issues!

Tyler was awesome!!! He did all the talking which was very much needed in my highly stressed state! He talked to the manager who totally took care of us, got us what we needed, and gave me money in my pocket! We then went back and fixed one room and finished the kitchen! I am going to have Tyler come with me from now on when I need something fixed! He was awesome!

My bro-in-law John and his friend Ken fixed a few electrical issues for me as well. I helped Ken move a light over a few feet since it was in an odd place (I can now put electrician on my resume!) They installed new lights in all the rooms, and fixed a couple of bad outlets and switch. And will soon install the microwave above the range! Thank heavens for an electrician in the family!

At this point it looks like things are going to all be okay. I have a little bit more touch up of the ceiling to do and paint a couple doors and I am done! I may just be able to move in Saturday after all! Boy have I learned a great deal though about myself and new skills through out all this! I have also been VERY BLESSED to have so many friends and family help me! I could never have done this alone! And very soon I will have more photos!!

Oh and from now on.....NO MORE HOME REMODEL PROJECTS!!!!!!!!!!

Color is on the walls!!

Okay it is on some of the walls.....but I am getting there! I have the bedrooms and kitchen left and then I am done!!! I LOVE this color and am VERY pleased how it turned out! It is a very warm and welcoming color (how I want my place to feel) and already creates a wonderful feeling in my home! Enjoy! And in a week or so I hope to have the finished project posted!!!

Happy Birthday Brookie Cookie!!!

Happy Birthday Brooke!!! Today is my oldest sister's birthday and so I am going to give a little shout out to her! Growing up she was a swimmer. She swam for Fire Water and Skyline, and she also played water polo. I remember on many occasions going to her swim meets and cheering her on, although it was always so hot in there!! It was fun to be proud of my sister! She took care of us a lot when my parents were away, she tended us many times and always reminds me of that fact when I tend for her now! I think that I have just about paid my debt for all the times that she tended me though! :) I bought my first car from her....she had a little Plymouth Colt that when she tired of I bought from her. I loved that car... it was so fast and could fit anywhere! I recall when she was driving it how cool I thought it was and that I needed that car! Well I did get it and it was super fun! She also had this great dress/outfit growing up that I loved. It was blue with white polka dots and it was this short/dress type thing. I could never borrow it cause it never fit but boy did I love it!



Brooke is a great mother to her 4 children. 3 of which are boys and they certainly keep her on her toes, as they are very active boys. On one occasion I tended for her over night and I was beet by the next day, I don't know how she does it---I get exhausted just thinking about them! She takes great care of all of them and has taught them well, she is always doing something to be involved in their lives whether it is driving to sports or participating in school activities. You can always find her on the sidelines of their games and cheering the loudest. If you want a laugh all you need to do is head to her home and you can be on the floor in sticks with the things that she and her children say.

I remember one experience in particular where she cared for me while my parents were away. She was on the phone and I was trying to open up something with a pair of scissors. Well of course they slipped and I jabbed my wrist and it began to bleed a lot as I had barely missed a vein. She was quick to come to my aid, she threw down the phone and helped me to start applying pressure. My mom came home shortly after and we had it all under control. I am glad that Brooke was there to take care of me cause I would have been a wreck if she hadn't been.

Brooke loves to be social and she has many friends. She loves to ask questions and I would say she is one of the best at it! She has her own Avon business and she has done very well with it, allowing her to devote more time to her children. There is a great spirit in her home and you can tell that she works hard to have a good feeling in her home. Every time I visit I am welcomed into her home even if things are busy and she asks me about me which I am thankful for. I know that she teaches her children well and works hard to help them to be good people.


She is an example to me in many ways and I am thankful that she is my sister and friend!! Hope you have a GREAT DAY, you deserve it!!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Painting Adventures!

Thanks for the help and the fun memories!!! Soon we can have a real party and not just a painting one!

Michele & MacKenzie

Jen & Elba painting

I think that I am getting scolded here for painting him...

Wendy! Jeddah & Wendy

Tyler painting Jeddah---don't worry he got scolded!

Too much paint on me!!!

Condo Remodel

This is what has been done so far. I have the ceilings scrapped and textured and am getting ready to paint this weekend. As soon as I have it all pretty I will post more photos! I have had a lot of help from people that is much appreciated, I couldn't have done it alone!