Chip off the Old Block!

Mother used to always tell me that I was a "chip off the old block!" Meaning my dad. 

That was a nice sound to my ears because I idolized my dad. He was big, strong, smart, a story teller, cracked jokes, positive, optimistic, kind, listened, a friend to everyone, great teacher of nature and God, and he loved me!

But what mom was referring to when she told me that... I was a "big dreamer, I thought big, I accomplished big, and I wasn't afraid to jump into an investment." That was dad! And that was me!

I always had dreams inside of me but it wasn't until I was single with 5 children that those dreams were able to bust wide open. When I think of those days in that way, my heart fills with gratitude for the opportunities that opened up to me during the most difficult time of my life. I was free to dream and I was free to grow! What a wonderful gift!

My first opportunity came when dad bought me the darling little Victorian house in Logan after my divorce. It put me on the path to dreams... big dreams. Oh... the possibilities ran wild! I was able to decorate and do some minor remodeling (where money allowed). My ideas ran wild! My little house became a beautiful piece of heaven for my children and I. We worked hard in the yard to give it curb appeal. We planted a beautiful and profitable garden. We hatched banny chickens and nurtured them as they grew. I was in college. I was working part time at the University. My kids were good and were a great help around the house. Life was looking up. 

51 East 400 South, Logan, Utah

The first time I realized I was very much my father was when I got an extreme amount of satisfaction out of improving my little home in Logan. Then 5 years later, was able to sell the little house, making a $56,000 profit. That is when the excitement of investing took complete control over me. I saw how a little work, pride in my house, and a little ingenuity paid off... and in a big way! There was no stopping my dreams now.

After I met Dave and we were married, I still looked for ways to improve my surroundings. Being independent for several years changed me. My dreams were not limited as I found ways to remodel a space or room in the house. I always did it when Dave left for a military assignment, so as not to bring him stress nor myself, in having to deal with him. 

After I sold the house in Logan, we bought a 5 1/2 acre parcel of land in Willard to satisfy Dave's dream (and my own) of owning an orchard. I quickly found out that he was just as energetic in investing and taking risks in the real estate market as I was.

Dave could not contain my independent spirit and soon I had him thinking about making some investments, after taking him around town showing him properties with possibilities. We bought a couple of houses next door to us. Renting had its ups and downs but it eventually paid off. 

Dave was called to support the war in 2002. His assignment took him to Fort Carson in Colorado Springs. One day I was driving down the Fruitway and saw that the old Willard Grocery store was for sale. It sparked a great deal of excitement in me as I thought about the possibilities the store could offer. I had my son-in-law look at the property since he was in construction. His opinion of the place was... "no way!" It would require too much work. But my heart beat increased at the very thought of the property and I could not get it out of my mind. Dave came home one weekend and I took him to see the building. He bought it for me that weekend and I was free to remodel it. It was a huge project! But I was up to the task. I oversaw the entire remodel of the store front and apartment attached on the back. The remodel of the building greatly improved the desired appeal of main street. The city counsel often complimented me on the new look of the building and the improvement it brought to Willard City. We owned it for a few years until a local professional wildlife photographer came across it and had to buy it. Valerie Taylor, who has become one of my dearest friends, insisted on purchasing it until it was her's. We drew up a contract with a local title company. We sold the building for twice the amount we bought it for. But, even better... we are carrying the contract and earn 6.5% annual interest on it every year. The building is making us a handsome profit. 

Dave was deployed to Iraq in 2008. We put our house up for sale and I prepared to move into the rental property next door. I practically gutted the house and remodeled it, with the help of Dave's uncle, in a short couple of months. The little white house became very desirable as spectators drove by and stopped to see if it were going up for sale. We sold the house in 2010, at the completion of our new home in Willard.

421 South 300 West, Brigham City, Utah

For many years, one big project led to another one. Now that I am in the new house, I am older and more content to just enjoy. I don't have to have my hands in big projects anymore, although I am always finding a new space to re-do in the house. Every Spring comes around and I find myself itching to beautify another corner of the yard or add to Shaniel and Steven's gardens. I suppose it will always be that way! 

When I think about these inherited qualities from my dad, it makes me smile. I often imagine him right by my side as I tackled all these big projects. He loved remodeling and doing projects and investing. I found myself very much like him when the opportunity presented itself. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and looked at properties with "potential". It was the potential that excited me... that made my heart beat faster. Oh... the possibilities just made me so happy!

I remember talking to him one time, after one of my energetic projects, and he told me how when he would drive from Price to Monticello while working, he found himself dreaming and building the most beautiful ranches the mind could think up. 

I am a dreamer. I think big! I make investments... unafraid, because my father taught me I can do anything I want to do. I can become anything I want to be. I am my father's daughter. And I love it!

I've inherited many other wonderful traits from my father which I am very excited to share in another post.

When I Grow Up I want to Be...

The lady in charge of Fashion Shows!

I was in 4-H for several years when I was in my youth. I was in a group with my cousins. We were taught skills by the older boys - Scott and Duane, my sister Patty, my mother, and Aunt June. We learned home beautification and sewing from our mother's and photography from the boys. Although I liked them all, my favorite class was always sewing. I loved to sew! And it was the highlight of every year to model the dress I made in the 4-H Fashion Show. 

My first experiences in sewing came from my mother. She had her mother's sewing machine... a Singer Treadle Machine. 

Mom was patient in teaching me how to choose fabric, prepare it for sewing, alter the pattern, pin and cut it out correctly, and sew it into a beautiful finished garment. I learned to sew on the treadle machine. I remember placing the needle into the fabric to secure it... and then start the rocking motion of the foot on the treadle. If you have never had the rare opportunity to sew on a treadle machine, it is quite an exhilarating experience. The faster you could pump the treadle, the faster you could sew. I got really, really got at it. I started sewing when I was about 9 years old and I was still sewing on that machine when I was 17 years old.

I enrolled in Home Economic courses in school. The machines were pleasantly modern and I could sew quicker for obvious reasons. I must have made an impression on my teacher because she asked me if she could display my Prom dress in the window of the classroom for all to see. And of course, I was happy to let her!

I always had this secret desire to be the lady that helped young girls aspire in clothing construction and modeling. In the back of my mind I would become the county "Extension Agent". The lady in charge of 4-H. I had such a good experience and loved those years that it very much became a part of my life.

But my most important desire was to be a mother. My mother was always home with us children. She was the first person we saw when we came through the door after school. We would often come home to the smell of home baked bread, cinnamon rolls, or cookies. She taught me the skills necessary to be a good homemaker and mother. I truly desired that more than anything. So... being an Extension Agent would have to wait. I wanted to be a mother!

I did become a mother. I married my high school sweetheart 3 weeks after graduation. I became a mother 9 months later. We would add 5 children in all to our family. I loved being a mother. I stayed home with my little ones, just like my mother. I spent countless hours with my sisters, who were also young mothers. We had play time, put on parties, taught our children preschool and took them to the park. Mother was always there for us and became a steady nurturer in mothering. She was a wonderful grandmother. Life was just as I planned!

But then life changed. Choices were made, bliss turned to heartbreak and I found myself alone... raising 5 kiddos on my own. I had to make a choice. I could either curl up in a corner and cry the rest of my life, or I could pick myself up and go back to school to make a new future for the kids and I. It was back to school.

School was not easy to begin with, but as I started to exercise my brain I became more confident. Learning was both challenging and fun. I was persistent in meeting my goals to graduate with a B.S. degree. I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to be an "Extension Agent" and put on Fashion Shows! Other career options entered my mind, but I always came back to Family and Consumer Science. I graduated 5 years after entering college for the first time. I had my B.S. Degree in Family and Consumer Science Education and a minor in Food and Nutrition Science. I didn't stop there. I pursued my path in "Extension". I was lucky to be hired as an "Extension Educator" without a Masters Degree. I began my career in Emery County and started my Master's courses. I was able to transfer back to Utah State University to finish my Master's Degree, while being the Family Housing "Extension Agent" on campus. 

I never had the opportunity to be the lady that would do Fashion Shows. Those days were long over with. Getting grant money was driven by social programs, even in Extension. Although I was disappointed in the changes since the days of my youth, the work I was engaged in was very rewarding. My children were all in school at this time so it made going to work a little easier.

Programs that I was in charge of: The family housing gardens, Clover Buds after-school program for family housing students, International Wives club, the Annual Easter Egg Hunt on Old Main, and some 4-H projects. I became the first ever county director for the "Cache County Youth and Families At-Risk" program. I formed many boards and served on many community boards. I was involved in county fairs, which was very satisfying. 

After I was finished with my Master's Degree, the only option was to re-locate to a county within the state. There was nothing available in Box Elder County and Extension sold out to "USU Housing". Hence, my life as an Extension Agent came to an end. 

All in all, going back to school was one of the best decisions I ever made. I continue to use the things I learned in school and as an "Extension Educator" every day. I look back on my college days with fondness. And I value my experiences in work. 

I did follow the dreams of my youth. I became a mother. I became an "Extension Agent". I had a desire to become and I have. I may not have made a career out of work... but I have made a career out of life as a mother and now as a grandmother. That is where my heart lies and where my true reward is.