How Many Licks Does It Take?

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop? I'm a chomper, so I'll never know, but if you do ever find out the answer, be sure to let me know! More importantly, in my latest endeavor, I'm trying to figure out how many sticks it takes to cover a doll house!? I'm in the process of "flipping" a dollhouse. I've been dying to flip a house, just without the means, so why not start small?! That's what I thought any way! It's amazing how much all this "small stuff" costs. We started the "demolition" yesterday.... removing all the old broken, missing and damaged trim, taking out the old and dirty carpet, removing the dated wallpaper.... and I started installing the "shake shingle" roof. I suddenly have a new understanding for roofers and all that they go through! Fortunately you can buy these wooden sticks/tongue depressers in bulk quantities and my husband was wonderful enough to cut them in thirds for me, or else I think I really would be going nutso by now! Anyway, I think Bella's really getting excited for her new dollhouse, (Anthony is too, but I'm not telling! He wants one side to be a "boy side" with a room for his dog, with paw prints on it and a stone floor!) Bella just wants to make sure that we paint it PINK!! Not to worry, I've already got the Fushia paint for the sides and plan to re-trim it out in white! We'll pick out some scrapbook paper for the walls and I'm coving foam sheets with printed felt for some of the carpet- may use some remnants for other rooms, tile squares for the kitchens and I've got some mosaic pieces and grout for the bathrooms! We'll see........ first I've just got to get the roof done. Wish me luck! :O)

I DID IT!

FINALLY!! Finally I shot the perfect macro picture!! I am so proud and excited!! After running around shooting virtual tours yesterday, hot and tired while waiting for the grill to heat up, I was checking my flowers and noticed this beautiful butterfly practically posing for the perfect picture! So, running to grab my camera out of my car, I thought what the heck, I'd try again... maybe one day I'd get a decent macro shot... Of course in my efforts to get close enough, hold the camera stable and zoom in close enough, I scared him away. Imagine that?! So I waited a few seconds (you know, I have NO patience!) then he came back and landed again. This time, he was a little higher overhead, but I just had to try. The first two shots were complete blurs as he fluttered a little, but heaven only knows how I finally got him, wings open and posing beautifully once again!! I just can't believe how great he turned out and with the perfect blurring of the background highlighting the use of the macro mode just that much more!! Yea me!

Jurassic Gardens

What a great day we had today out at Powell Gardens for the Jurassic Garden exhibit! The kids had a blast searching for all the dinosaurs, walking across the trails, hoping across the streams, digging for fossil, playing in the sand and making sand angels too! We also got to see a local performer: Dino O'Dell and Dr. Rock! They were fun to sing along and dance with too!

It has been such an amazing and FAST summer so far this year! I can't believe how fast time flies!! And the past 3 weeks have just been a whirlwind in it all. First we had "summer camp" with the kids out at Schlagle Library at Wyandotte County Lake. It was great fun with a theme all about Water. The kids got to make crafts, read stories and do experiments all relating to water and nature. Then we traveled up to Iowa, so the big kids (the parents) could play at a Rock Concert~ Waterstock, all day. I know we had a blast and I'm pretty sure the kids had fun with their cousins too! Then they stayed up there the week of the fourth for "Cousin Camp" and fireworks! I think Nana and Papa had activities planned for everyday of the week!! They came home with beautiful wooden painted flowers, birdhouses and ducks too! Then this past week was Vacation Bible School at Avalanche Ranch!! Boy did they have fun there! They're still singing and dancing and doing all the moves! It was really a wonderful experience for all of us and they're already talking about going again next year too!!

And in the midst of all of this, we decided to take the bull by the horns and go and visit the local Lutheren school here too. We were so impressed with the principal, Mr. Karsten and our tour that we decided right then and there that this is the experience we want for Anthony. Not only is it a Christ centered education teaching morals, ethics and discipline, but it's more of a community feel, with total parent/teacher involvement and interaction the way I always thought it should be. And instead of teaching to the middle of the road, or keeping "on pace," they will teach to your child's ability and advance at their pace! I'm so excited about this decision and can't wait to meet the other parents of kindergarteners at our first "social" next weekend!

My work has been keeping me busy and running around like a chicken with my head cut off lately..... Especially with the virtual tours!! I'm loving that! I think just in the past two weeks alone, I've done nearly a dozen or more tours! Plus there's my own Real Estate business that's been moving right along and I'm still doing the books for dad! Unfortunately, however, just when I thought things were going to start picking up with my Big Yellow Box business, we received notice this week, that they've decided to close the doors....... :O( I am thankful for the opportunity however and am still a true believer in their products and what they stand behind. Bringing families together is absolutely more important now than ever before and I can only hope that they decide to go forward with this line and hopeful at least find a place for it along the side of Crayola in their stores and online as well.

Hopefully that will catch you up, if not just briefly, but at least for the time being. Stay tuned for more as things may slow down a bit and enable just a post or two more from time to time! :O)

Saturday

Silly Saturday?!

Super Saturday?!

Swimming Saturday?!

Sliding Saturday?!

Spectacular Saturday!!

THE BRICK

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?"

The young boy was apologetic. "Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do," He pleaded. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop..." With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. "It's my brother, "he said "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. "Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy! push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: "Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!" God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not.

Thought for the Day:

If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.

If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.

He sends you flowers every spring.

He sends you a sunrise every morning Face it, friend - He is crazy about you!

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow,sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.

Read this line very slowly and let it sink in...

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Everytime I get this email, I just have to send it on. It really touches my heart and always reminds me of something my mother always said to us growing up, "that God never gives you more than you can handle." At times it may seem tough, but He will always pull you through.

The Treehouse

The treehouse in our backyard! The boys have been working diligently on this treehouse for the past 3 weekends. Finally they got the windows in and the roof on over the past weekend. Now if they could just agree on a color!? Anthony wants it to be silver, like a rocket! Bella, she wants it to be pink- imagine that?! "Uncle" Stevee is trying to coax them into camoflauge, but daddy thinks it should be brown like a tree trunk with it's green metal roof... Personally, I think it should be yellow to match the house! But that's neither here nor there. Still in the plans on the forefront are a rock climbing wall, probably a fireman's pole, a rope bridge to the other side where there will of course be a platform and the hopes for a zipline to come... Normally I would say that one could dream, in this case, all I can say is thank goodness for Lowes, Home Depot and Menards and the credit cards that accompany them! :O) Hope you enjoyed your sneak peak!

Double Dare

Yup, it's a snapper! We were up at mom and dad's Monday night so that Anthony could ride his four wheeler when dad spotted something moving around and sticking his head out every now and again... After a little more consideration and some investigation, it was determined to be a rather large, but slow snapping turtle. But that didn't stop Tony any, from antagonizing it and poking and proding him and even picking him up by the tail. The kids really got a hoot out of it and went screaming and running. The cats on the other hand were just as curious as ever! I think that was the best part, watching them go check out the situation. My favorite is the ever so brave "Tipper," challenging the turtle to a dare... I can't believe after all the torment, that turtle didn't just stick his head out and snap that paw right off of that cat!

Whatever happened to May?!

Ok, so I'm in the midst of finalizing the details of a contract with another agent and he's emailed me the final signatures on the counter and I respond with thanks and a heads up regarding inspections... My "signature" in all my emails includes a link back to my blog, for free "sneak peaks" and whatnot. So, after reading my email and checking out the blog- he sent me the link to his really cool site on FlickR- HE UPDATES IT DAILY!! Wow, now I really feel like a slacker! :O)

So, I thought, gee, it's May already, I've got a few posts... I'll check my May 2007 pictures folder and see what I have new and wonderful to post... NOTHING! I've got a few shots of my kids after garage saling and picking up some new Fisher Price Roller Blades for my son. THAT'S ALL! Then it really dawned on me that it's the END OF MAY!! Wherever did the time go!? Well....... here's my life in a snapshot... Still working on Real Estate~ in fact, I'm now also working with Janet Brooks (another agent gone wild in my office) as her transaction coordinater and then some, I'm growing my virtual tour business- taking pictures and making tours left and right!! I'm in the middle of weekend number two, day 4 of 5 in mom and I's GINORMOUS, SUPER HUGE GARAGE SALE! and I'm turning into neurotic-mom with a KINDERGARDENER-2-be!! So, needless to say, I've been a little busy and my blog's not the only thing that's taken the backseat lately- you should see my house!! AAA! Thank goodness for Social Suppers! (I think?!) Oh yes, and did I mention, Bunko, Social Suppers, Pampered Chef parties and more?!

So, for all you parents out there... I'd love to hear from you and get your opinion: Public School vs Private School?! Lutheren Schools? Is there really that big of a difference? Sorry, I don't have the time, patience or sanity for home schooling...

My Mother's Day Plate that we made for Great Grandma Jones...

"Wednesday Kids 2007"

Anthony and Isabella, May 2007 (I just couldn't resist this one!!)

Happy Mother's Day - "Chapstick"

I received this in an email and thought it only appropriate to share:

Interesting Mother's Day Memory

While we may not all be Moms, I think we can all appreciate this story because we've all had experiences with KIDS!!! So, we had this great 10 year old cat named Jack who just recently died. Jack was a great cat and the kids would carry him around and sit on him and nothing ever bothered him. He used to hang out and nap all day long on this mat in our bathroom. Well we have 3 kids and at the time of this story they were 4 years old, 3 years old and 1 year old. The middle one is Eli. Eli really loves chapstick. LOVES it. He kept asking to use my chapstick and then losing it. So finally one day I showed him where in the bathroom I keep my chapstick and how he could use it whenever he wanted to but he needed to put it right back in the drawer when he was done. Last year on Mother's Day, we were having the typical rush around and try to get ready for Church with everyone crying and carrying on. My two boys are fighting over the toy in the cereal box. I am trying to nurse my little one at the same time I am putting on my make-up. Everything is a mess and everyone has long forgotten that this is a wonderful day to honor me and the amazing job that is motherhood. We finally have the older one and and the baby loaded in the car and I am looking for Eli. I have searched everywhere and I finally round the corner to go into the bathroom. And there was Eli. He was applying my chapstick very carefully to Jack's . . . rear end. Eli looked right into my eyes and said "chapped." Now if you have a cat, you know that he is right--their little butts do look pretty chapped. And, frankly, Jack didn't seem to mind. And the only question to really ask at that point was whether it was the FIRST time Eli had done that to the cat's behind or the hundredth. And THAT is my favorite Mother's Day moment ever because it reminds us that no matter how hard we try to civilize these glorious little creatures, there will always be that day when you realize they've been using your chapstick on the cat's butt.

Missouri Flooding...

Ok, so maybe you haven't heard enough yet about the Floods of 2007 and how they are comparing this to the Floods of 1993 and the expectation to be even worse...

Of course all this just takes me back to those infamous floods and the devastation that they caused. It really did affect me personally as I was planning my wedding on the Mabel A Truss bridge at English Landing park in Parkville, set for September 5th, 1993. And as if that wasn't bad enough.... I was in Maryville, MO attending my last semester of college at NWMSU facing more devastation and flooding there. I lived in a basement apartment with my roommate Darcey, watching the water come in and just get deeper and deeper! With wedding plans and invitations to address getting moved up higher and higher to avoid the flooding and try to stay dry. We had about 2 feet of water throughout our apartment and everything was ruined! For some reason I remember us climbing on the counters in the kitchen to get to the fridge to try to get it unplugged to avoid electricution in the rising waters. I dunno, maybe that wasn't the smartest thing in retrospect?! But needless to say, we did survive and so did the invitations! Our landlord got the water out and much to his chagrin, he even took the mildew and molding carpets out and I think he might have eventually even replaced some of it?!

So, back to Parkville... I remember coming home and just going downtown to visit and view the devestation... It was just overwhelming as they had the roads closed and sandbagging efforts were nearly abandoned and almost useless... The water was over the tracks over the highway- making the park literally non-exsistant! It all seemed hopeless and at that point all we could do was pray. I did a lot of that! And the water did go down. Eventually. You can still visit some of the shops, the bank, the firehouse, and other various buildings and landmarks to see the markings of how high the water got. Although the water did go down, it was mearly a swampland by my wedding date and although I argued, begged and pleaded; it just wasn't happening there.... much too messy and for a sunset wedding in a swampy mesquite breeding park, probably not the best place to say our vows. (Good thing we had a back up, in case of "rain.") It still makes me sad though.... I always say that maybe one day, we'll reinact the wedding or renew our vows down there as we had originally planned, but first I think I'll have to shed a few pounds so I can fit back into my original dress?! someday....

Beat the Rainy Day Blues!

Break out of the party scene and get the girls together for Margaritas & Markers! Or why not try Painting on the Patio? Big Yellow Box is where the fun isn't just for kids.... Contact me today to find out why!

Now's a great time to plan and stock up for the next rainy day in your life. Feel free to check out my website at www.bigyellowbox.karisma.net or contact me for a catalog, to place an order, to have a product demonstration in your home, to become a consultant or just find out more! I'd love to help!

Quote of the Day

"Everything works out in the end- If it hasn't worked out, it is not the end!"

May Is Nathional Home Remodeling Month

Ways to Implement Green Remodeling into a Home

It's hip to be green! Green remodeling is not only easier on the earth, but it lowers costs and provides a healthier more comfortable home. Homes that are remodeled green can lower energy consumption by 30 to 50 percent as well as incorporating recycled materials and those that will tread more lightly on the planet's natural resources.

Green remodeling can be done in small ways and doesn't have to encompass the entire home.... It's easy to pick and choose elements to fit each individual homeowner.

• Non-toxic paints and sealants
• Programmable thermostats
• Energy efficient appliances
• Natural flooring
• Natural fiber rugs and fabrics
• Recycled material roof shingles and tiles
• Energy efficient lighting
• Insulated hot water pipes
• Tankless water heaters
• Quality insulation
• Native plants for landscaping

Information from BUILDING BUSINESS NEWS, May 2007 www.kchba.org

Walk & Wag

Saturday was Gladstone's 7th Annual Walk & Wag in the park. All proceeds benefit the Gladstone Animal Shelter and of course, as a member of NAWS (Northland Animal Welfare Society) an animal lover and as a dog owner, we just had to attend. Completely in typical Karisma fashion- we were not exactly early... Now don't get me wrong- we were there in plenty of time to register and to enjoy the walk- we just didn't get there early to participate in the doggie games. As if Clifford would be up for doggie obstacle courses and bobbing for biscuits?! He's more likely to roll over and play dead for it. :O) Anyway, it was just enough for the kids with a little time left over to play too! Beautiful weather helped make for a great day for all! (Pix to come when the computer decides to cooperate...)

HAPPY EASTER!

Yesterday (Saturday, it took 2 days to get the pictures to load!) marks the day for the Olson Family 1st Annual Easter Egg Hunt! What a great time we had! We hid about 1300 plastic filled eggs on the bunny trails around the home, split up the big kids (5+) and the little kids and set them loose! I think everyone had a blast and I don't know how many times I heard, "I've never seen so many eggs!" One little boy came up to me afterwards and said he found "ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE EGGS" and he had just the biggest smile you ever did see! I think had the weather been a little better- considering I think it was only in the 30s, we would have had an even bigger turnout! I couldn't even tell you how many people were here- there were kids and parents everywhere! Plans are already in the works for how we can make improvements and make it even bigger and better for next year and the years to come, so don't worry if you couldn't make it or weren't invited this time.... I think next year, we may even sell T-shirts! Ha ha ha. You just never know!

Extreme Makeover Reveal

Ok, so today was the big reveal for the Extreme Makeover and my mom and I thought we'd go and check it out! The only thing I could find online was that the reveal would be "about noon." So at 11:00am this morning when I saw that, I called mom and told her to come right over- and she did! I hadn't even showered yet! :O) So, I hurried and got ready and we ran right over to the shuttle sight! They shuttled us right up to the crowds and we rushed right in and pushed our way through and stood on tippy toes and inched our way just as far as we could. I, of course, inched my way further and further, nearly to the barracades on the sidelines and we were down just about as far as they were letting the common folk get... I finally found a little slope that I could just barely peek through and if I held the camera up over the heads and zoomed in just right, you could even see the house! We stood there and waited and cheered and chanted as they keyed up the crowd and filmed and taped and recorded some footage. They practiced bringing their new cars in, a new convertible black Mustang, a new black Excursion (I think) and another new big 'ol black Ford truck, we cheered. They brought down the bus, we cheered and chanted. They did takes of the limo pulling up to the house (empty), we cheered... After about 3 hours, it got old. I was hungry and thirsty more than anything- I hadn't had my Diet Coke yet! So, we high taled it out of there! It was a pretty amazing experience and I'm glad we went. I think we left just in time though, as we were shuttling back, we saw the limo with the family in it on their way for the true reveal! I can only imagine how many takes they were going to have to do... I think our timing was perfect really, as I'm sure we beat the crowds leaving too.

It's truly amazing though, how much they can accomplish in less than a week! So many volunteers put countless numbers of hours into making this possible. They've collected money through various events, local participation and the St. Patty's Day Parade! They've transformed a 912 square foot house into a 5200+ square foot home, with 6 bedrooms and 6.5 baths, given them 3 brand new cars, had college funds donated to each child and collected enough money to allow them to go on! I can't wait to see this all when it airs in May. Till then, here's a sneak peek of my glimpse into todays madness:

PET FOOD RECALL

***PET FOOD RECALL***

Menu Foods said it's recalling dog food sold under 48 brands and cat food sold under 40 brands, including Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba.
The Canadian-based manufacturer is recalling all its "cuts and gravy" style dog and cat food produced between Dec. 3 and March 6. The company distributes the products to numerous retailers in the form of cans and pouches and under different brand names.The products are sold at stores including Wal-Mart, PetSmart, Pet Valu and Kroger.Officials are warning pet owners to immediately stop feeding the contaminated foods to their pets and said owners should see their pets' veterinarians if they develop signs of kidney failure, including loss of appetite, vomiting or lethargy. The company said they have conducted tests, but are so far unable to locate the source of the contamination.

A complete list of the recalled products along with product codes, descriptions and production dates is available from the Menu Foods Web site at http://www.menufoods.com/.

Meanwhile, two other companies — Nestle Purina PetCare Co. and Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. — announced Saturday night that as a precaution they were voluntary recalling some products made by Menu Foods.

The 34th Annual Kansas City St. Patrick's Day Parade

Information from www.kcirishparade.com

When:
Saturday, March 17th, 2007 (St. Patrick's Day!)
Time: 11:00am - 1:00pm

Where:
Downtown Kansas City
The Parade starts at the corner of Pershing Rd. and Main Street. It proceeds east on Pershing to Grand Blvd. and continues north on Grand Blvd. to Truman Road.

Plan ahead when arriving...
With the large amount of construction Downtown, plan on arriving plenty early to minimize traffic congestion and leave yourself time to find parking. Please be considerate of the area businesses- without their continued support this Parade would not be possible.

The History of the Parade:
The 19th century Kansas City St. Patrick's Day Parades were pageants of great pomp and circumstance. The Irish Benevolent Society would lead the processions composed of bands, police and fire department personnel and dignitaries of all description from church to church in day long extravaganzas often ending with grand balls.

The festivities were always well reported in the Kansas City newspapers.

The 1875 Kansas City Times declared the Parade to be "the noblest Pageant of the Year".

The first parade in 1873 flowed from the first St. Patrick's Church at Seventh and Cherry from a HIgh Mass celebrated by Irish-born paster Father James A. Dunn, with the assistance of four other Irish priests.

The steadily growing parade crawled through the steep streets of what is now Downtown, stoping at old St. Teresa's Academy. The bands passed therought hte campus's iron gates and were greeted by young ladies who bestowed upon them wreaths of white flowers and shamrocks.

The procession then spilled down the bluff to the newly established Annunciation Church and School ot 14th and Wyoming, where Father Donnelly washed, anointed and blessed a new church bell.

For years uninterrupted, the Irish continued to stage bigger and grander parades. More groups joined in - the police department, the Hibernian Knights, Father Dalton's Temperance Cadets, Select Knights of A.O.U.W., German Catholic societies, the Knights of St. Patrick, labor unions, city and county officials, more divisions of the AOH from Kansas City, Kansas, and other surrounding communities.

The resurrection of the parade:

On Friday March 15, 1974 Daniel Thomas Hogerty led a St. Patrick's Day parade of secretaries, businessmen and shoppers on what would again become a Kansas City Tradition.

The Parade was threatened with respectability in 1977. The presence of four floats, marching units from local Catholic High Schools, bag pipers and an extended route as well as television coverage lent the Parade a hint of credibility. Murphy vowed "no one would ever bring class to the Parade".

By 1978 the crowd viewing the Parade grew to 35,000. Schools sanctioned their students' entry in the event and the route wound over nine blocks through narrow downtown streets. Once again Dan Hogerty led the Parade. In 1979 the route was moved to the Loose Park, mid-town area and ended in Westport. Organizers, participants and onlookers alike soon realized the Kansas City St. Patrick's Day Parade belongs downtown. Much to everyone's delight, the Parade returned downtown the next year.

In 1981, the route extended from the River Market area (River Quay as it was known then) over 16 blocks to end at 11th and Baltimore. The Parade Committee had now grown larger than the 1974 Parade. The Parade organizers boasted a Grand Prize of two round trip tickets to Ireland for the "best entrant". Over 3000 participated in the Parade itself and the onlookers number over 110,000. For the first time in 1981 the Kansas City St. Patrick's Day Parade was reported to be the third largest St. Patrick's Day Parade in the Nation. The 1982 revelers went back to basics, emulating their 19 th Century counterparts, by beginning the day with a Mass said by Bishop Sullivan (head of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph). Bishop Sullivan reminded the worshipers of Irish decent that "the Irish are non-conformists and a non-conformist is a non-apathetic person, a responsive person". The route in 1983 moved to where it remains (with the exception of 1995 when it moved a few blocks West when participants marched North along Broadway) to this day. Stepping off at the corner of Pershing and Grand Boulevard, the Parade headed due North along Grand Avenue, a boulevard created for Parades. The two mile Parade (almost 30 blocks) and was viewed by 300,000 onlookers. Monsignor Arthur M. Tighe, Pastor of Visitation Parish, described the Parade as "Kansas City's Mardi Gras". The blossoming of the Parade brought with it "rules" to curb rowdiness and insure the safety of onlookers and participants. The "last entry" in the Parade is now traditionally the street sweepers. In 1999 the Parade crowd was one of the largest ever; reportedly up to 400,000 onlookers lined the Boulevard. Irish Tri-color banners adorned the Boulevard in early March in anticipation of the event. The Parade lasted from 11:30 'til nearly 2:00 p.m. and the clean up continued until dusk.

I don't think any of us ever dreamed our little publicity stunt would turn into a parade two miles long with several hundred thousand spectators," said O'Neill. "We just wanted to drum up a little business for our friend, Danny Hogerty. Today's parade is really a tribute to the popularity and appeal of Mike Murphy, and it's a reflection of the marvelous sense of pride that still exists among the Irish in Kansas City." Jody Watson, the Lone Bagpiper, will, as he has for many years, lead off the march followed by color guards, bands, drill teams, floats of all description and revelers of all sort. During the years the Parade has evolved into the largest single day event in Kansas City and shows no sign of stopping. One thing for sure--Mike Murphy and pals will be present in their garbage truck just to make sure this Parade stays "odd".

Northland Extreme Makeover

Ok, so they're half way through the makeover event in the Northland, but for those of you not from KC, you may not have heard about Ty and his team in the area. So, I thought I'd share a quick tidbit about the family and the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" even to hit our area (again)!

"Jesus and Michelle Jacobo had four children of their own when they took in Michelle's five nieces and nephews to keep them out of foster care, according to family members. Then Michelle's father moved in to help out. But as the 912-square foot home began to show wear and tear, the nieces and nephews were at risk of being taken into foster care anyway."

"The family - which now includes the Jacobos' children Antonio, 13; Jessica, 11; Joshua, 9; and Gabriel, 4; as well as nieces and nephews Natalie Rodriguez, 18; Brittany McMahan, 16; Tyler Simmons, 11; Angel McMahan, 8; and Miriam McMahan, 6 months - will head off to vacation in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., as crew members and hundreds of volunteers and workers demolish the home and replace it with a more expansive and efficient one so the extended family can stay together."

Prior to this makeover the family was crammed together forcing Jesus and Michelle to sleep in the unheated garage, the 3 boys to live in teh basement hallway and the grandfather to sleep on the living room floor. One bedroom has no heat and has often had ice forming on the walls in the winter. Due to unrepairable clogging in the bathroom sink, the family must brush their teeth in the kitchen sink and take turns eating in shifts or sitting on the floor as the kitchen cannot accommodate everyone.

Demolition began Tuesday morning and will run through Saturday, concluding and participating in the Kansas City Saint Patrick's Day Parade! The family will return for the big "reveal" Sunday afternoon!

Kevin Green Homes Inc. of Parkville that also participated in the "Extreme Makeover" 2 years ago for firefighter Stephen Johnson and his five children will also do the Jacobo home.

Information and quotes from kansascity.com; Joyce Smith, The Kansas City Star.

Excellent Link on Short Sales

Ok, so I've been trying to catch up on the latest in Real Estate News and blogging... I came across this excellent blog I think you'll enjoy, but more importantly in their article on short sales that seems too close for comfort. Short sales are what they are and becoming more and more common. I encourage everyone to check this out and become more familiar with them whether you're a seller looking for a way to avoid foreclosure, a buyer looking to save some money or an agent looking to learn more... each transaction is different and every bank seems to have their own set of rules.

http://www.raincityguide.com/2007/03/05/short-sales/