Yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks!

On Memorial Day weekend we spent quite a bit of our time rocking the upstairs fireplace in the new house. I have been watching it being done in other homes and figured we could do it just as well or even better!

Frank and Caleb wrapped the walls with the metal lath and then plastered it. So the hard part was done! We used a cultured stone (fake rock) called Chardonney Fieldstone. Making sure we had a nice mix of color, texture, and size on the walls were important to me. Tera pitched in to help us as well. We all took turns in "buttering" the rocks (putting the mortar on them) placing them on the walls and then grouting. Grouting was the tough job. Actually, Caleb turned out to be quite good at doing the grouting.

Tera and I were both pretty scared up on the top of the ladder. The walls are over 13 feet high so we had to be there quite a ways! Anyway, the project turned out so well, we have decided to rock the downstairs fireplace tomorrow!

Honoring a wonderful woman.

Sadly, on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 Frank's mom, Karla, passed away. She had fallen and cracked her pelvis on May 4th and the doctor wanted to keep her in a rehab situation for a couple of weeks. We had her moved to IF on Thursday, May 8th. We were able to visit everyday and were so shocked when Nyla called and said she died in her sleep on Tuesday afternoon.

Monday, May 19th was her funeral and I think she would have been very proud of her family. Every grandchild except Rob (who is in New Zealand on a mission) was able to attend. Fifteen of them! And all of her great-grandchildren as well. It was a time to bond as brothers, sisters, cousins, and other extended family.

We all felt so bad because Cindi became so sick that she was hospitalized and almost didn't make it to the funeral. Her three kids were amazing at how they stepped up and represented her so wonderfully.

Theresa spent hours putting together a wonderful slideshow for us all to watch. She really has a talent for it and was even offered a job by the Eckersell Funeral Home to do it for others! She was also asked to give the opening prayer for the services. It was hard but she did a wonderful job.

Being as organized as she was, Karla had her obituary and funeral program written out and on her dresser!

Frank delivered the most beautiful family prayer. He had us in tears with his emotion. I was so proud of him. Terry had a really tough time throughout the weekend.

Shondi delivered the life sketch and did a beautiful job. You could feel the love that she had for her grandma. Each grandchild certainly had special memories of her as the "best grandma" in the world. Her life was devoted to each and every one of them. She was always so proud of them and anything they asked she would do! But, she was that way as mom as well.

Theresa put it in the most appropriate way to me, "The older grandkids loved her because she served them. The younger grandkids loved her because they served her."

I also had the honor of speaking at the funeral. Wow, I didn't know if I could carry it off but it went quite well. Of course there were many things I wish I would have said, but how do you condense a life of almost 80 years into just a few minutes? As I was preparing for my talk, it came to me that my mom died when I was 38 years old and I have been married to Frank for 41 years so Karla has been in my life longer than my own mom.

Nyla and Kristy presented a beautiful flute and piano duet. I am so glad that Nyla has kept her talent up of playing the flute all of these years.

We had also asked Robert Coleman to speak as him and his wife, Karen, were so supportive of Karla through the years. He added the spiritual meaning to the service. The new bishop, Scott Blackham, did a wonderful job for his first funeral and gave some very appropriate remarks.

The closing song was all of the grandkids and great grandkids singing a small medley of primary songs. From Theresa to Tenlee. That had us all in tears. What a beautiful posterity for her. I wish I could have taken a photo of them all up there.

The closing prayer was given by Layne Terry. Yes, Layne! He was always so kind and considerate of Karla, even after him and Brandi were divorced. Him and Val were the first to send flowers when she was hurt.

Uncle Joe Mortensen dedicated the grave with some very humble words.

It was a sad day for us all but we were so lucky to have her in our lives. Now her body is without pain of arthritis and other aches. She is reunited with those she loved that went before. Why are we so sad when we know she is in a better life? I guess we are sad for ourselves living life without her.

I thought I knew it all...

Okay, the other day our neighbor came over and invited us to his house on Friday night. We really like this guy, Ryan, and so thought out of politeness we would go over because he said it was about Melaleuca!

After having Brandi work in their call center, Frank work for VanderSloot on his ranch, and Theresa having a distributorship, I figured I really knew everything there is to know about Melaleuca. I use a lot of their products and love them but that's as far as it went. So, we went over just to be "nice" and Frank was pretty well grumbling the whole time about how, "I hate these things..." which continued after we got there for several minutes (under his breath of course).

VanderSloot's oldest daughter, LaurieKae, came up from Utah to give the presentation and did an excellent job. So much so, that by the end of the presentation she made the comment that if you were interested and wanted to sign up for $29 we would get a bottle of Renew.

Not knowing that Frank was really impressed with the heart health and cholesteral products they had talked about and wanting to see if it would help him, I said that I hadn't brought my checkbook. Frank said, "We live just across the street, I will go get it." I was shocked! He was so impressed with the products that he really wanted to sign up!

What I learned that night... First of all, if you like their products it's worth it. They have a bunch of new products that are all enviromentally friendly (heck, your kid could drink their cleaner and it would make him sick but wouldn't kill him like so many others).

I already knew I love the Painatrate, Attain, Nicole Miller make up, etc. so knew I wouldn't have a problem ordering $50 worth every month, besides the vitamins and stuff Frank wanted. So, I will be trying more of their products and just changing where I shop. I'm buying from myself instead! Everyone that night said how they love the toothpaste. Go figure. Guess I will try it!

Second, if you want to build a small business with it... Once you get someone to sign up under you, they become their own customer so you don't have do orders for them, etc. You can build a line under you but you don't have to worry about their orders, etc. And, there are a lot of perks and bonuses along the way without a lot of effort. Things like shopping online with Target, Kohl's, etc and getting a 15% discount!

And, it doesn't break the bank to sign up. No large investments like most companies. Just the $29 and your first order for yourself! They do have some packages that have a bunch of products at cost and that's what I'm doing so I can more products without spending much moola! Heck, maybe I will get enough people under me to get the car allowance of $400 every month! Well, I'm not holding my breath yet.

So, if you want Melaleuca products....

Trip to Texas and cruise 2008

42 years ago today

It was our first date! We went to the prom with a two other couples. Who woulda' thought... Poor Frank. He spent three hours washing and cleaning his car, a 1958 Chev, only to have to drive 26 miles out to Monteview to get me and the last three miles was down a muddy dirt road!

When he got to our "home" he had another surprise. We lived in an old wooden grainery! The wind had blown the door off and so dad had to lift the door up and move it to the side when Frank "knocked" on it. We had no running water and so I had to go to the neighbors to shower and get ready. Oh, the good ole times. But look how well we survived.

We drove into Rexburg and ate at Doyle Walker's cafe. I don't think I ate even half of my hamburger! Oh, the theme song for prom was "Moon River".

I guess I will get this started.

Jana has been bugging me to start this blog. I actually started one a few years back but it was to let out my political frustrations and no one read it! So, then I hit the political boards and ended up arguing with everyone. So, maybe I can write a little bit on here about politics and mix it up with family happenings!

So, I'm thinking this will take the place of my journal. Right? I hope so, since the pages of my journal are getting awfully yellow, and are still pretty blank.... I always have great intentions of writing in it but never follow through.

What's happening right now in our lives? Well, Frank quit the ranch last year and went to work with Bryan in his new excavating business. We bought a beautiful new home in south Ammon. We worked our butts off (well, not really cause I still have mine) putting in a new yard and finishing the basement. I think we did a wonderful job on both! We were always being told we had the nicest yard in the division.

That brings me to living in town. First real experience. We are really lucky because we have wonderful neighbors but it really is like living in a fishbowl. I have to remember to keep the blinds closed at night! And try to keep Frank from peeing in the backyard!

So, we decided to buy a small acreage and build a new home - mainly a spec home. Okay, the project just kept getting bigger and bigger until the day we started digging (the end of October). The house ended up being 2400 sf with a completely finished basement. Five bathrooms!!! Who in their right mind wants to clean five toilets?

Right now Frank is tiling bathrooms. He has finished the hardwood flooring, the cabinets are in, just waiting on the granite, and the trim carpenter is doing the stain grade trim. The best part of the house is the 16X30 theatre room. We painted it dark red with black trim and then I faux painted the red with black. It's pretty awesome. It have three platforms to watch the big screen!

It's been a big job but I'm pretty proud of what we have accomplished. We have our house up for sale and our realtor is also showing the new house but it isn't listed. Hopefully one or both sell asap!

I better save some stuff to write about next week!