Extreme Makeover

Meet Missy Thompson from KMT Creative and Emily Willard with Vision Homes.  KMT has taken care of all of the media and PR for this build and Emily's husband Jason and his partner Craig Smith are the builders.  These are just two of the mighty army of volunteers who have been part of the Extreme Makeover.

This has been an incredible opportunity for our community.  Watching people come together - people who often are competitors - and work side by side to accomplish something in one short week that should take months has been overwhelming.

Everything for this build has been donated from the food to feed all of the volunteers to the materials and labor.  I think this brings out the best in people and shows us what we can truly accomplish when we work together.

My hat is off to the Extreme Makeover Home Edition producers, design team and crew.  You all truly are a class act.  I am grateful to live in such a wonderful place where people will come out and volunteer to make life better for someone else.

National Marriage Week

You may be wondering, why in the world is there a National Marriage Week.

Just like Go Red Day promotes awareness of women and heart disease or the NFL football players wearing pink to bring awareness to breast cancer, this week has been set aside to bring awareness to the importance of healthy marriage in our communities, states and nation.

Research consistently indicates that almost 90 percent of Americans plan to marry at some point in life.  But just like with the symptoms of heart disease or breast cancer, many don't know the signs and symptoms of unhealthy relationships nor do they have the tools necessary to build a healthy marriage.

There are many specific things we can do to prevent heart disease, the key is putting them into practice.

It is no different with marriage.  There are many things all of us can do to build a healthy marriage - but we have to move from all talk to action. 

What have you done for your marriage lately?

It is never too late to take a class and learn new skills.

Here are some ideas for Stoking the Fires of Passion in Your Marriage

Here's to a passionate Valentine's Day and a new emphasis on stoking the fire of your relationship all year round.