A little news

We are leaving tomorrow to Dallas to pick up van we bought. Neil likes to buy and sell a few a year for fun. Well, this one is for us...I think. You never know with Neil. He sees $$ and wants to resell the thing again.

Anyway, for those who do not know, our family has been in deep thought about relocating out of state. Having grown up all over and embracing the learning I gained from it, I wanted my children to have similar experiences. Now, remember I am married to someone who has never lived more then 30 minutes from where he grew up (except the mission). This is still taking alot of convincing. We have talked about Texas for several months now and really tried to weigh the pros and cons.

Now that we have found this van there, we decided to take the kids along and make a few days trip out of it. We are really going to try to feel the promptings to see if this is a move we should do. It is a HUGE decision. With Neils line of work, this would mean at least 20 years in one place. I just want to make sure that one place is right for our family. I want my children to be challenged in the church. I want them to stand out for what they believe and gain a firm foundation early. Now I am not saying this can not happen here in Utah. I know it can. But, I find that the youth search so hard for a way to stand out here. To be an individual, that some turn to other means to do it. It breaks my heart at times to see the youth in our ward struggle and search. I was always different growing up. I was the Mormon. I was good with that. It was my way of standing out and never needing to defend who I was. Friends never challenged me make wrong choices because they knew what my standards were.

With all these thoughts in mind, we are hoping to come back from Dallas with some better insight. We would be pulling our children away from the grandparents and other family members. We would be pulling our children away from the Strong foundation of the church. We would have to leave the home we have built here and start BRAND NEW!! Neil would have to start a new department in an area and field that is new to him. These are all things we need to think about.

The good things is we are already listing some of our apartments for sale!!! YEA!!

Jacob is a champ!!

For those of you who know Jacob, you know he is a little bit of a timid kid. He is not one to jump on new things and try them out. He have been trying to convience him to take the training wheels off his two wheeler for weeks now, but to no avail.

With the weather getting nicer, we knew it was time for him to try. So, we decided to take his choice away and push alittle harder.

Wouldn't you know it...the kid is a natural. First try!! FIRST TRY!! He gets on the thing and takes off...never looking back. I knew he could do it. I just wish he would believe in himself a little more.

Just look at the smile on his face ;)

Time to play catch up!!

I think I go through sperts with this blogging thing. I have so much going on some days, that I forget to record some of it here. Now that I know you can turn these blogs into books, I want to be alot more dedicated to record some of our more meaningless events.

Sorry readers if things get more mushy or boring... I have plans of turning these events into a book.

You may think this is a joke but think again!!

It has been a while since my last post... I did not want to have people leaving me nasty comments about my lack of effort or anything, so here is the latest.

Remember just last week how I said that my tenant defaulted on her lease because her sister was committed to a mental hospital? Also, remember how I said I had a new tenant moving in the very next day...oh, and how I said she seemed nice? Well, here it is....

This second tenant...we will just call her dummy... had plans of moving in last Sat. Neil and I showed up EARLY at the apartment on Sat. to clean, repair, improve, and do all other things you do when you have a move-out/move-in situation. We were there (with our two children) for 8 hours getting the apartment ready to go. Dummy calls me around 2:00 to ask if she could come over and do a walk-through with me prior to getting her keys and loading her truck to start moving in. I said sure and she came right over. We walked through the apartment together and discussed some minor things that still needed to be done. Things like an outlet cover, touching up a wall, removing the old water heater that was just replaced...small things like that. She was fine with it and said nothing. She leaves after giving me the remainder of the rent for the month and starts to load the trucks to move her things over. Neil and I leave...FINALLY... to head home for the day.

About four hours later the phone calls start. She wants to know why there faucet outside had a small drip, she wanted to know why the outlet upstairs did not work...all things we said we did not know, but would look into. Finally, she tells us that she just wants out of her lease. She did not want to live there and she wants her deposit and rent back. WHAT AN IDIOT!!

Did she forget she signed a binding lease? Did she think that she could just decide that she wanted to break it? Anyway, she moved all of her things back out that same day... cancelled her rent check on us...and is suing us for her deposit money.

Could things get any better? Why do these things only happen to us? What are we doing wrong? So, since Feb 1st... I have had a tenant leave without notice, costing me THOUSANDS of $$$ worth of damage. We were able to completely tear it apart and rebuild it in a week and get another tenant in there. This tenant defaults 45 days later because of mental issues. I get another tenant in the very day after she moves out, but this one also moves out the very same day. So in two months, I have gone through 3 tenants!! WHAT IS WRONG HERE?

Yes, for those wondering, I have another tenant moving in on Thursday :)

It is almost so crazy it is makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time.

Here are pictures of our PG apartment, so you know we are not slumlords!!

Latest Apartment Update

For those of you who are sick of hearing my crys and complaints about our apartments...tough!! This blog is the only place I can openly rag on them and describe just how stupid these people can be!!

So, remember the apartment in Feb that was left torn upside down and caused me to almost be committed? Well, here we are no more then 2 months later and I am back at square one!!! WHY WHY WHY? Now keep in mind this apartment is big.. I mean 1600 + sqft big and attracts alot of large families. Why wouldn't it. I never get a nice quite newlywed couple, I always get the single moms, newly divorced, 4+ kids, kind of people.

I thought I was a good judge of character, but apparently not!! I let these two sisters move in. They each kids...but, I felt good about them...I thought! Anyway, I got a call a few weeks back that the one sister was committed to a mental hospital because she tried to choke her sister to death. So, now they can not live together anymore and the remaining sister can not afford the $1000 rent on her own. She is now moving out and I am left to find a replacement.

I went down there today to find a broken window and smoke damage because they failed to open the fireplace once they lite a fire. The place was a MESS!! Clutter to the ceiling...toys thrown across the front lawn... and the BRAND NEW CARPET I JUST INSTALLED looked sooo dirty!! I was so irritated.

Anyway, fortunately I found a replacement tenant today. She seems nice, but I have been wrong before!! Now, I just have to get this old tenant out and that could be a task. She has until Friday to be out...we will see what happens.

Then I get to start the legal small claims proceedings and try to collect for the damages.

GOOD TIMES!!

We got them

The much anticipated...the much talked about...then much desired... HANNA MONTANA TICKETS!! Yes, for the Stadium of Fire on the 4th of July!! I personally could care less about Hanna Montana, but the Blue Man Group will be cool!! Tickets were sold out in 15 minutes!

I GOT 16 of them!! I almost had another 8, but the timer ran out before I could enter the credit card # and it kicked me back to the beginning. HUGE BUMMER!!

Anyway, my brother Matt and his family are coming out for my sisters wedding in July and are going to be able to make Stadium of Fire. Their 8 year old is a HUGE Hanna Montana fan. Which 6-12 year old isn't?

My second tag

I was tagged a while ago by carter and yes...I am finally getting around to it. Sorry for the delay Chris.

ABOUT ME
10 years ago:
I had now met the love of my life... country dancing none the less! Now, he will never go back there with me. Good thing I actually gave him the correct phone number..not something I usually do for someone who waves me down once I got into my car and was driving off.

5 Things on my To-Do List:
This one is a repeat from my earlier tag. Yes, things have not changed because I have not gotten any of them done!!

5 Snacks I enjoy:

It is once the kids have gone to bed that I actually get to enjoy the snacks!!

1. Sour Patch Kids watermelons
2. Oatmeal cream pies
3. Anything chewy, sweet, sour, chocolate, cold or hot ... lets's see, I think that covers it all

5 foods that I love:

1. Already mentioned the Indian Food
2. A good Turkey & Mashed Potatoes
3. I also do love my Salads... any place with a good salad bar!!
4. Olive Garden (is that a food)
5. Chimichongas - ok I know the spelling is off there

What would I do if I were suddenly a Billionaire?

Again a repeat...nothing new to this one either since I am still so NOT a billionaire

Places that I have lived:

You really want this list? Here I go... I think these are in order

1. Sandy, Utah
2. Memphis, TN
3. Chicago, IL
4. Troy, MI
5. Collierville, TN
6. Napton on the Hill, England
7. Mesa, AZ
8. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
9. Germantown, TN
10. Hudson, OH
11. Orlando, FL
12. Rexburg, ID
13. Provo, UT
14. Draper, UT
15. Saratoga Springs, UT
16. Spanish Fork, UT

Favorite Quote: "Remember me for my smiles and laughter for that is how I will remember you."

Thanks again Chris for the Tag...I got you back though

People I not tag with this one... Monica & Sherri

Been Tagged!!

I was tagged by Tammy

Instructions:Three people will be tagged.You have to answer the questions, then post on the person tagged, let them know they are tagged, and then they post the answers. It is always fun to learn more about people!!!

12 Years Ago I was: Ok - what year is it? ...'08 that would make it '96... I was in my freshman year at Ricks Collage. Still awkward and thinking that my Husband would be around the next corner. Living with five roommates I really did not have anything in common with.

5 Things on my To Do List Today:

1. Clean clean clean...
2. Finally get me some maternity pants...can not put it off any longer
3. Go to Robert's crafts for a floral centerpiece
4. Go to Albertson's for the sales this week
5. Find something for dinner my Husband will not complain about

Things I would do if I became a billionaire:

1. Tithing of course is #1
2. Pay off all our properties and enjoy the payback!!
3. Get us a house with some land and maybe a few chickens!!
4. Maybe, just maybe allow my Husband to get his motorcycle
5. TRAVEL! TRAVEL! TRAVEL!

3 of my bad habits

First of all...it took me a while to think of any :)

1. Talking over Neil when we argue
2. I tend to put things off that need to get done
3. Yep...that is all of them

Places I would like to live or visit:

1. Greece
2. Jerusalem
3. Tahiti
4. I would like to go back to Malaysia to visit

Jobs I will never have:

1. Hair Dresser
2. Waitress (always wanted to try it though)
3. Fast food

Things Most People Don't Know About Me:

1. I lived five of my teenage years living overseas - Malaysia & England
2. My house was destroyed in a tornado my senior year of High School
3. My husband never formally proposed to me...still waiting for that one
4. I love INDIAN FOOD!!!

YOU ARE TAGGED: Heather, Brooke, & Carter