The Great Renovation Adventure

My niece, Toni Chase feels like this has been a rather uneventful year for her and her family. She and her husband, Dave Chase, but her sister, Chantel has a very different take on Toni and Dave have been up to this year. Chantel says, “Toni has begun a great renovation adventure. They have a regular contractor who has says he’s willing to train her on her days off. She has been learning, to texturize walls? and I believe she has already learned how frustrating and expensive renovation can be! Everyone already knows this stuff to some extent, but she has such a can do spirit that she just researches more and tries again! She’s always been a hard worker, so I know she’ll work hard until she gets it right!” The renovation Chantel is referring to is a rental house that Toni and Dave own, that will now be sold to her son, James and his wife, Manuela. The house was already very nice, but like all house built in the 1950s, and any year really, there are always repairs and other updates that needed to be done for the sale. These days, pretty much everyone likes the “open concept” style of home, and while I’m not sure I am totally onboard with that, I can see the value. Chantel is right about Toni’s “can-do” spirit. She looks at challenges as a new skill to be conquered and mastered. She takes the necessary steps to become an expert in the field, and boom…she has mastered it. Toni didn’t even consider the renovation as noteworthy, but she was very pleased that her big sister did.

Toni’s husband, Dave has a laid-back attitude that Chantel says, “is perfect for Toni.” My sister, Cheryl, Toni’s mom, says “Dave is perfect for Toni, but I think practical, sensible, funny and tolerant describes him way better! He’s a busy man, and I’m not sure “laid back” fits him!” Of course, the opinion on what is “laid-back” could be different. Dave is motivated and hardworking, but he is also easy to get along with and accepting of others, and I think maybe that is what Chantel meant. In a marriage, the two partners have to be accepting of the quirks of their partner, or they will always be a little bit at odds with one another. Toni is a sweet girl, and she has her own style and ideas. Dave wouldn’t want it any other way. Dave and Toni like to let each be their own person, and it works out quite well for them. They love each other for keeps, and that’s why they make a beautiful couple.

Toni and Dave often take trips to Centennial, Wyoming, where they get together with Dave’s mom, brother, and sister. They took a couple of trips there this year. Centennial is a beautiful area, and they love each visit with family. Toni and Dave really love to travel, and they take several trips each year. In May, they took a trip to Marco Island in Florida. They plan was just to relax by the seashore and see some of the sites down there. Toni says that their lives are “happy, but boring.” I always find that amazing, because what people think is boring and everyday stuff, often appeals to other people. If you consider the “Little House on the Prairie” books or “Anne of Green Gables” you would find that these were simply books about life, and as my Aunt Bertha Hallgren quoted in her writings, “I love losing myself in other men’s minds.”. Sometimes, the most interesting things happen in the seemingly “mundane” lives of other people. Today is Toni’s birthday. Happy birthday Toni!! Have a great day!! We love you!!