The Poulters

I LOVE my Cousins!

Zac and Becky Poulter are the kindest, nicest, most original couple around.

They are true individuals!

Zac and Becky were high school sweet hearts and have been having a love affair ever since. They are so tender and sweet to each other.

Zac is so creative, he is a true Artist. He really is amazing. He sees the world different than other people. He designed his own house with the kitchen literally being the biggest room in the house and the center- hub of the house that all rooms go off of. He is always changing, painting, decorating, moving, re arranging something in his house, yard, life.

We were partners with Zac and Becky with XAX Design from 1997 to 2003. We did signs and banners, car wraps and stickers....anything with vinyl and we were in. We were on the cutting edge of sayings in houses. We had van "wraps" on our cars. I drove a huge dinosaur van around for 2 years. The grade school set loved it. IT was advertising for what XAX did. I painted furniture pieces with big sticker pictures on them that looked like a painting. It was fun.

We made a "good" living, but the best part was the creative aspect and wives day.

Becky and I would go to work with "the Boys" once a week. We would organize or do what ever was needed, then go to lunch and some days to a matinee movie. It was great to be together.

Zac always talked about having a limo as the ultimate family vehicle. The kids would love it, the teenagers would use it for dates--prom etc..., and as the parents you could just roll up the dividing window and not have to listen to the kids fight while you traveled.

Well this past spring the Poulter family got their wish. They were shopping around for another suburban ( boring) when they stumbled upon a Limo ( exciting) on ebay.

"SCORE"

What a hoot!

Can you imagine pulling up to the grocery store or church in this?

I love it!

That's Zac as the chauffer for his daughter's prom date.

WE LOVE ZAC and BECKY!

More Laila...

This is the note placed on my pillow tonight by one, Laila Welch.

I don't know why she was reminding me and not Wayne....but....she did.

She's always doing something that makes me either smile, or shake my head.

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Laila has a "rival" at school.....Will. Someone who, she says, Hate's her, and she Hate's him right back. I don't know why she uses such a strong word, but she does. I over heard her talking about this rival to her friend, Heather. She kept saying that she was going to have a "rumble" with Will.

After a while, Heather said, "Rumble? Who even uses that word....what does it mean?"

Laila chimed in, "You know...a fight with dancing?"

Too much West Side Story, that's for sure.

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Laila got voted in as Class president in her 2nd grade class. She gets to open doors and help the teacher let the class in etc..... I asked her why all of the kids voted for her? She said, "because I said I would be nice to every one and help them....but now I have to be nice to WILL!!!"

She was doing her scripture study tonight. (She actually has a journal that she writes a question in, every night, that she wants the answers to in the scriptures.) Tonight she wrote....."How can I be a good class president?" She found her answer in Josh 2:12....."Show kindness, and kindness will be shown back."

"Yep," she said....."I have to be nice even to Will."

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Laila is always talking to our dog - Baby. She asks Baby questions then holds her hand in front of the dog's mouth and says, "If you agree, lick my hand."

The dog always agrees. The dog ALWAYS licks anything and everything.

The dog can't stop licking.

That's why what Laila does and says is so funny!

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Laila went to school on Monday with only one "hangy-down" earring. She said she wanted to be a pirate, and off she went.

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Laila has a ton of clothes. She is so blessed because she gets "hand-me-overs" from cousins and friends. Laila has been blessed so much, she couldn't close her drawers, they were just bulging. The problem is, I can never gether to give anything away.

I just have to sneak clothes out of her room.

Well....on Family night we had a scripture hunt on service, generosity and giving to the poor. Laila was touched. When I asked her what she thought she could give away, she answered,

"My clothes."

I was proud of her for coming up with this on her own, this time.

We spent the next 1/2 hour going through drawers and clothes filled plastic bags. She actually filled a giant black garbage bag with clothes and we took them to the DI today. It felt good!

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Laila is her own best advertisement. She has a musical theatre class showcase on Saturday. Laila wants an audience. Last night she made 20 flyers advertising this event and passed them out at school today. She has a lot of gumption. Now she wants me to drive around and pick up the kids that tell her they are coming, and drive them to the show. She is very bossy!

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See what I mean? I'm either smiling, or shaking my head...........

The Funeral Singer

I just got back from singing at a funeral for the Rist family in our ward. It was a grave side service and I sang, "I know that my redeemer lives." It was sunny but windy and cold. I was shaking as I was singing.

It's always a blessing to sing at a funeral.

I sing in about a funeral a year.

I was supposed to sing at my Grandma Butters funeral last Nov....but I was on a family cruise. I'm sad about this.....

I've sung at my cousin Danny's funeral, my father in law Tom's and my Grandpa Butters. I sing at funerals for people in my "growing up" ward. I sing for people I know and some I don't know.

I'm a funeral singer.

When we first moved into this ward, I sang at a lot of funerals. In about 4 years we had so many sudden, unexpected deaths. I sang at Mike Sants, Greg Allsops and Kristi Merrells, Sis. Bellistons. I remember these distinctly. I sang at other ones that Bishop Lund or Bishop Beck would arrange. People I didn't really know, but I was happy to bring the spirit in to the funeral with music.

The problem with singing at funerals, or in church for that matter, is I CRY when I sing hymns or songs about my Savior. I'm a baby. It's hard to keep it together when I'm singing and I look out to the audience and see people dabbing their eyes wiping a tear....it makes me CRY. There have been many times when I would get through half of the song, and the accompanist would have to just keep going on with out me.

But.........

It states in my patriarchal blessing that I should "use my talents in the service of my fellowmen and in so doing I will receive blessings." So...when ever I get a call to sing, I say yes, even though I know I'm probably going to cry.

Today was uneventful....sad, sweet and uneventful, besides the shaky body that is.

I recall a very eventful funeral service.

I sang at my Grandma Butters' sister, Elsie's funeral. It was a grave side service in Salt Lake at the Redwood Cemetery. It was on a bright and sunny summer day. I was singing ,"Amazing Grace." Everything was going great. I was half way through the song...I wasn't even crying...when there was a hissing sound, and the rainbird sprinklers popped out of the ground and were arcing their way towards us. All eyes, including mine, were glued on the spraying water was it chugged along. I just kept singing. All of a sudden, a man in a suit, from inside the mortuary, came sprinting out. Running as fast as he could towards the advancing sprinkler.

It was like out of a movie.

The rainbird was sprinkling, I was singing, the mourners eyes were getting big as saucers, the man was racing.

Just as we all thought we were going to get drenched, the man seized the rainbird and held on, soaking himself waiting for the sprinklers to get turned off.

It was something.

I just kept singing. I finished the song, and the water stopped at the same time. The mourners almost wanted to applaud when it was all over.......... for the sprinkler man.

Yep. I'm a funeral singer.

Bedroom change

Before: I made this quilt 2 1/2 years ago. I love the red, brown, cream and blue of it. I had a red catch all bench at the foot of it. The quilt was fun to make and I've enjoyed it on my bed....but I wanted to lighten up my room and I crave CHANGE....so....

After: This is was I am living with now. New cover, pillows from Tj Maxx and Target, and I painted the bench the light blue left over from the family room. I like it.

Now I want to repaint my room, get new closet doors, chandelier draped over the bed... Maybe this Summer!?!

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful Wayne is home safe and sound from China.

Every time he goes, I'm a little bit worried. This is difficult for me, because I am not a worrier. It's just not in my nature. But....Wayne and China have had a hard time mixing in my brain ever since four years ago.

My Wayne went on his April trip, happy, strong and healthy....and returned 10 days later, a crumpled man.

It was four years ago this day that Wayne crawled off the plane from his China trip. He got a virus "bug" while there. ( To be fair, we don't know if he caught it there, or before he arrived there....viruses are funny that way.)

He couldn't walk upright, couldn't open his eyes, couldn't stop puking, couldn't stand up straight. He was in a lot of pain. It's a miracle he even survived that 14 hour flight or that China let him leave the country and didn't just quarantine him.

Wayne was so sick. While waiting in the Taiwan airport...he had to throw up and they only had squatter toilets. He did his business. Later he touched his chest pocket to make sure his passport was there. It wasn't. He crawled back to the bathroom and went to the squatter, the passport was floating on top of the squatter. He crawled to the sink, washed it with soap and water and blew it dry with the hand dryer. He did this, mostly, with his eyes closed, his world spinning and feeling like he was going to be sick again. It was horrible.

Wayne just kept praying.

He got home, we went to the Emergency room....they told him to open his eyes. That's the only way his eyes would ever help his brain to stop spinning. His skin was literally green.

He spent about 2 weeks in bed. No lights. No sound. World spinning! We went to see a lot of ear and brain specialists. It was a virus that attacked his middle ear ....the "parts" would never be back. Wayne just had to wait for his other senses and brain to adjust.

At the balance center they gave him some skills to help re-train his brain and balance his body again. He had to re learn to stand up straight, walk, and cope.

We just kept praying, asking for a miracle so Wayne could go back to work and life.

It was a long process...but Wayne was/is determined to get back to "normal".

Four years later, Wayne is still dizzy. Most people wouldn't even know. He is happy. He drives his car, even at night. He rides his motorcycle. He goes to work every day....some days he comes home totally exhausted from trying to hold his world still...but he endures.

I'm thankful there haven't been any more "wierd" things happening to my Wayne while in China.

The miracle of this is not that Wayne's dizzyness has gone away. Some days it's worse than others. The miracle is he can move forward in his day.....and carry on.

3 second rule....

I love this.......I pretty much Eat it.....

Food and I have always had an interesting relationship....

found over at SHARK BAIT Blog

"You made a Difference"

We presented a "You made a difference" ribbon to a cute grandparent aged couple up the street.

We took a vote for family night, about who makes a difference in our neighborhood?.....and the Olson's won.

The Olsons were surprised!!

We took pictures. and dropped off a card.

When this couple moved into the neighborhood a few years ago....the kids weren't too thrilled. We all thought we wanted some family with children and teenagers...instead we picked up another home with "empty nesters." We knew they would be nice, but probably keep to themselves and only wave "Hi" as they drove by. We figured that's about all our relationship would be.

Well, we were wrong!

Laila loves the Olson's and all of the neighbor kids do too.

The Olson's have invited the kids over for milk shakes, sugar dipped strawberries and other assorted sweeties.

Laila has make sock puppets at their home.

They have a great play room. It's filled with all types of games and costumes.

The BEST part of the Olson's is their convertible. The kids love to go on rides around the block with the top down.

One day I heard honking and cheering...

IT WAS A COSTUME PARADE!!!

My little witch was having the best time.

It's funny how we wished for kids in that home. I guess we got our way. Two big hearted kids who play, play, play--- Dale and Chris.

What great neighbors!

The Olson's really have made a difference in our neighborhood.