Catching Up!
October 25th, 2009 by Cindy
I know, it’s been awhile. It’s been quite a year. I am going to try to sum it up as briefly as I can.
We found a new home in December and after several offers and counter offers the sellers finally accepted our offer on January 12. After a home inspection, hassles of arranging financing and packing for days and weeks, we closed on the home on February 17, 2009. We got the keys on the 23rd and started moving stuff immediately. We all (dad too) moved in officially on the 28th. It was a difficult move for us but we feel good about our decision. We were excited to have dad with us.
We were going to rent our other house but it needed a lot of work. We put in a new furnace/AC, did a lot painting, fixed some plumbing, put on new rain gutters, replaced some windows and blinds, put in a new vinyl floor in the kitchen and a bathroom, put up a new fence, did some major cleanup of the yard and had the carpets cleaned. whew! We rented the house in May and became landlords. We have great renters and we’re very pleased.
In April we began a major remodel on the new house. Our basement is above ground level in the backyard but there was no back door. So we hired a contractor and had one put in. They had to dig a LOT of dirt out that was built up against the back of the house to get down to the ground level. Then they cut a HUGE hole in the back of our house. We now have a big nice back door in our family room that leads out to our new big patio. We love it! It was a big mess for a while and it costs 3 times more than we thought it would be but it was well worth it!
Before
After
In May I spent 3 weeks in Montana with Merissa to help out with the new baby. We now have 4 beautiful grandchildren. Debi, Becky, and Cheri took turns staying at our house to help out with dad. (Dad had a bad fall shortly before I left and had a compound fracture in his back). They were so gracious to give up their time and help out so I could go be with Merissa. A couple weeks after I got home Keith and I went back to Montana for the baby blessing and brought the 3 older kids home with us for a week. We had a great time! Merissa and Steve came up at the end of the week for a family reunion and to pick up their kids. While they were here dad got sick and I took him to the hospital (July 1).
Dad passed away on July 8 at the VA hospital. It was such a shock for us all. He had spent many such visits to the hospital over the past few years and this one seemed just like all the rest. We fully expected to be bringing him home once again. His time with us in our home was so short but I am so grateful and will cherish that time we had together. I miss him so much! We had a beautiful funeral service and we were so privileged to meet with so many wonderful people who knew him and loved him and shared with us so many wonderful stories and memories. I am so grateful for my wonderful father, for all the great memories, advice, help, and encouragement. I love you dad!
At the end of July we went on a Pioneer Trek Youth Conference. We dressed in pioneer clothing and trekked over the Mormon trail in Wyoming. The trek was a total of 30 miles. I was able to complete 21 miles. It was an amazing experience to be out there in the middle of nowhere in the rain and the mud and the heat AND the cold and to get a very small taste of what our pioneer ancestors must have endured. I am so grateful for that wonderful opportunity. It made me really, really appreciate my bed, my shower, and my home. 
The rest of the summer was spent trying to keep up with the yard, staining the new deck stairs, planting the new grass, family BBQ’s, painting walls, rearranging rooms, hanging things on the walls (finally!), spending a few days with Debi at her cabin, spending another week in Montana, having the grandkids here for yet another week (I love being a grandma), and getting some much needed rest. Fall is here and it’s time to rake the leaves. I am getting anxious to pull out my Christmas decorations! I hope I can wait until AFTER Halloween 
That’s it! Whew! I need to blog more often. It takes too long to catch up.