Powerful!!! Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=G44NCvNDLfc

Believe It or Not

Ahhh...let's all take a deep breath before I begin...yes...doesn't that feel better? Well, that is how Ted and I are feeling right now. For the last couple months, we have been working on selling Ted's business, and getting Ted into a teaching career. It has been a very eventful and changing road, to say the least, but we have finally been successful, and gotten the business sold. The buyer is from Denver, CO. His name is Frank Dodge. Him and his wife, Whitney, have been our friends for about a year now. Their son, Mitch, worked for Ted before Mitch went on a mission to Arizona, and that is how we met. It has been a wonderful transition, we love the family, and hope that they will continue to be successful, as we have, in the business of cell phones.
We agree with the saying that says, when one door closes, another one opens. And, since we have now closed the door with Ted's business, we are finding doors being opened for teaching opportunities. There is a charter school that is starting just ten miles from where we live, and Ted already has his foot in the door. So, we are praying that he will be hired on by January. Please pray with us, that if this is where he is supposed to be, that it will be. We feel very blessed to have the opportunity to find work for Ted so close to home, and hope that all will go well.
As you can tell, things have been pretty crazy around here, selling the business, and getting a career change is a big opportunity and blessing. Well, I hope all is going wonderful for everyone else out there. Hope you are all excited for the holidays coming up. This is my favorite time of year because we get to spend so much time with family. Love you all! :)

Doggy Fortress and Kitty Palace

Just in case you didn't know, I LOVE animals! And, since I do, Ted has to go through the hassle of taking care of them the way I do. Because it gets so frigid and snowy in Idaho during the winters, we decided to build our dogs a shelter. We used to get huge hay tarps and hang them around the kennel, but they get ripped and torn in the wind, so we end up spending about $100 or more in tarps each year...and Ted was sick of that, so he decided to build them a covering. The straw we got from my mom, and it works like magic. The actual building took us 8 hours to build. Ted had one of our home teachers, Casey Polatis come over and help him build the structure, then I helped him put on the sides and the roof. Let me tell you, it is an art to put down shingles.

Now for the cats...they have been inhabiting our garage for the last year, and Ted has had enough! He finally put his foot down and said our cars will not sit outside for another day...so, we bought a little shed for them. Cute isn't it? We are going to be putting in insulation, a window, and shelving so we can store things in there too. So, that is going to be tomorrow's project. I can't wait to be able to come home and open the garage without having to worry about letting the cats out, and I am sure he feels the same way. Since Smokey is strictly an inside cat, we will have to carry him from shed to house, but that is only a 30 foot walk. The reason we don't let Tom Tom out is because our dogs would kill him. They are the best defense and protect dogs, but they hate other animals, especially cats. So, I have to keep him safe, which he actually loves. He is getting older, and doesn't like to be outside where the wild cats live and fight. Smokey and Tom Tom are best buds, so I am excited to give them a palace of their own. It should go well! Wish us luck with finishing the shed!

One more thing...the sunset tonight was to die for...enjoy!

Lovin' the Snow

Ahhh, snow...while most people are out scraping their windows, driving slow to work, and complaining about the cold weather...I am sitting inside my house, sipping hot cocoa, and writing in front of the fireplace. What more could I ask for? Hope everyone enjoys the first day of snow!

Conference Weekend...Hooray!!!

Oh, the wonderful time of year, when the colors of the leaves change, the snow comes, and we get to listen to our church leader's voices! Last night, I went out to dinner with my mom, her friend, MaryAnn, and MaryAnn's daughter, McKenzie. It was so fun! Girl's night, while the boys went to Priesthood Session!!! We ate at Texas Roadhouse, which was packed full of people, but the food was worth the wait. After Priesthood Session, Ted and his brothers and dad came out to our house, and ate the dinner I had made for them. Thank goodness they liked it, because I slaved over dinner and cleaning the house all day Saturday...and, a bonus was, the boys cleaned up after they finished with dinner...so, as I came home from Girl's Night, I was expecting another hour or so of cleaning, but the whole place was spotless! Literally! Cleaner than how I left it, and the dishes in the dishwasher! I couldn't believe my eyes! It made me cry I was so happy! Then, Josh, Adam, and Jon all stayed later and chatted with Ted and I. We also watched Forever Strong, which is one of my favorite movies! Loved it! So, I had a perfect night! Thanks guys for cleaning! You're the best!
Today, Ted and I went up to the Garlings and had a wonderful time eating lunch with them. It was more like Thanksgiving dinner...even better! All the family was there, except for Jake and Melissa's Family, so it made for fun times and great memories, as always! Ted's mom, Karleen, got called into work at the last minute, which was way sad! We missed her! Lissa had her sweet and shy friend Brianna up there with the family, and I was impressed at how well she held her own with all the nieces and nephews. If you don't know, they are a little on the hyper side when they go to Grandma and Grandpa Garling's house...which makes life even more exciting up there. I just feel bad for Karleen, who has to clean up after everyone has gone home. But, it was a great day! Conference was amazing, as usual, and Ted and I even got to take a trip to Carey, Idaho for some research on the book I am writing! Yeah! It was fun until it started snowing so bad we couldn't even see anymore. The clouds were so low that they literally touched the ground...which was a little spooky for me, being caught in the clouds. We also discovered a hidden valley that I loved! I am totally writing my book in that valley! And, if you are curious what valley it is, you will just have to wait and read the book, or drive to Carey and try to find it for yourself. Well, hope everyone else loved conference!