Forget For Sale By Owner

Three Cheers for Robison & Company, the MLS, and Kent Sorenson, the real estate agent who recently sold our family home.  Being a previous real estate agent, I decided to do it myself with good signage, fancy color flyers with a photo of the house. It was even posted it on Craig's List and the KSL's want-ads.  But, after three months of non-stop calls from numerous agents, investors, potential rent-to-own parties, I tired out.  The decision was made to put it into the hands of a real estate friend.   This home was sold in ten days and is expected to close by month's end. 

Along the way I was impressed with various parties involved such as: the online "Docu-Sign", a professional inspection company, up-to-date status reports, email documentation of all paperwork and more.  The whole process was smooth and worry free.  Next time I will put the sale of my properties in the hands of professionals it is worth the cost.

Sewing Angels and RS Sisters Souper Service

A recent Sewing for Service on a 'Souper' Saturday event combined two religions, Catholic and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with many loving hearts in producing much needed supplies.  Bereavement dresses and blankets, pj's, hats, quilts and much more were made as neighbors joined together with fifteen sewing machines and hundreds of busy hands to help those in need.    The completed items were donated to the St. Martha's Baby Project in Ogden.  The idea came about when  Rebecca Nichols and the her neighbor Pat, of the Sewing Angels talked about a joint effort. 

Pat Bergeron, who coordinates the Sewing Angels group, meets every Monday morning after mass bringing supplies to work on various projects.   This group of sisters and friends saw a need and decided to make a difference in their retirement years to share their talents and time serving the community.   The group of 22 women and a few men have been together for nine years as they share their talents with nursing homes, the Christmas Box House and veteran centers to name a few. 

Rebecca invited her LDS ward's Young Women and Relief Society sisters to the joint event.   Rubbing shoulders as they worked together, these two groups also made new friends while sewing, singing and souping together. 

The Three Bags Full Award goes to these ambitious saints for doing the right thing.

Salute to St. Louis

A Three Bags Full Award goes to the City of St. Louis for being the first to officially welcome our troops home with their 'Welcome Home Heroes Parade'.  Friends, Tom Appelbaum and Craig Schneider decided to honor our military troops by asking the mayor to host a parade through downtown St. Louis.  What started as an idea grew to thousands as residents from all over attended the event.  Generous donations of $10,000 from Anheuser-Busch and $7,500 from the Mayflower moving company made it all possible. 

"Veterans have sacrificed so much for the safety and well-being of St. Louisans," Mayor Francis Slay said. "This is a chance to demonstrate our appreciation for them." 

 Army Maj. Rich Radford along with 600 veterans many having served numerous tours of duty, marched in the parade and were touched to see the support by so many in such cold weather.   Lining the streets were people waving flags, clapping and holding signs saying "Welcome Home" and "Thank You Military Men and Women."   Marching bands, politicians and even the famous Budweiser Clydesdales joined the troops walking the route.  

With 6,500 Americans killed to date, a 'Reading of The Fallen' at the Soldiers Memorial in the downtown area was presented until each person's name was read.  91,000 military continue to serve putting their lives on the line to keep the world a safer place.  Thank you for your examples.

Bible Videos

A big thank you goes out to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for generously giving to the world this wonderul new gift.  The recently made bible videos about Jesus and many of the events of his day are brief but touching as they depict those events.

Go to lds.org.  Select Bible Videos and view the many selections. 

If you are searching for a way to feel the Savior, it is here.  Do you want to come unto Jesus?  Find your answer or beginning as you enjoy these vignettes.  A spiritual feeling of reverence and peace will fill your soul as you watch them.   For more information go to lds.org. 

Openhearted Operation Walk USA

This week's Three Bags Full Award goes to the surgeons, doctors and staff at Salt Lake Regional Hospital working in conjuction with Operation Walk USA for performing nine surgeries for free to those most in need and unable to pay for them.   On that same day 23 other hospitals in 15 states performed 90 replacements. 

The doctors heading up the group were:  Dr. Aaron Hofman, Dr. Trevor McGee  and many more generous surgeons.  $25,000 plus is the price tag for these need operations and impossible for many people unable to carry insurance for whatever reason.  Not only here in the US but in numerous other countries dedicated medical people travel to operate and care for patients worldwide in a show of brotherly love and giving. 

Thank you medical specialists for giving of your time and talents. 

Thank You to Our Police Officers

The Ogden City Police Department, the Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force and the City of Ogden have earned a Three Bags Full Award for the amazing support and challenges they endured these past ten days. Six officers serving a routine warrant at a residence were shot and critically wounded with one officer killed. Due to this unexpected turn of events, many came to their rescue and were also shot at as they tried to drag their brothers to safety. With such a large group of officers injured this community rallied around the families and department to show support for our public servants. A twenty-four hour time-off period was granted to the police department as other troopers stepped in from nearby cities and counties to fill their shoes. Thousands of flags set out by the Boy Scouts lined the streets from the funeral to the cemetery to honor Jared Francom, the fallen officer. In attendance were police brothers from throughout the state and country sharing the sad event. School children, residents, families and officials stood along the route as the fire truck carrying Officer Francom passed by. Thanks to you, our public safety people, for making our towns a safer place for all of us.

To Terrific Photo Takers

This week's Three Bags Full Award goes to all the amateur and even professional photographers that share their pictures with the world. The local TV station's post the best landscape pictures that come in daily of this beautiful world we live in. Some of them are breath taking. We even entered a few of ours in hopes to be chosen. No we were not disappointed when we weren't selected. Our Home Teacher, gave us the KSL 2012 Weather Calendar. It contains the best weather photos (by voter choice) submitted this year.

Our darling daughter and daughter-in-law have taken advantage of their state of the art cameras through classes and experimenting to snap some pretty terrific pictures. Some have been framed for all to enjoy. Wedding collages and shoots made for great memories to cherish for years. The family picture calendar boasts quite of few.

Don't ever stop taking those great shots that will be forever our legacy of life.