Our-Journey
This is us.
I am Warren Peterson and this is my lovely wife Pam. In this picture we are at the Eastern Idaho State fair waiting to see Gabriel Inglesis (Fluffy) perform. He made us laugh so hard we almost wet ourselves. It was a great night. Not sure what the lady behind us is doing but we are having fun. We have been married for 35+ years and have two wonderful kids and 6 awesome grand children. Retirement is just around the corner and we are very much looking forward to spoiling the grand children.
The Air Force was my beginning.
I graduated from high school and accepted an Air Force ROTC scholarship to get to college. I ended up graduating with a BS in Applied Mathematics. I then accepted my commission as an officer and started my career as a lowly 2nd Lieutenant. Military life is not for everyone but I loved it. I had hoped to have 20 to 25 years of military service but life had other plans for us.
Pam actually started before high school.
In 1978 her parents opened a custom picture framing business call KC Frames. Other than the 5 years we were in the military, Pam has been framing with her family every since. This picture represents their humble beginnings. Over the years Pam has framed just about everything and anything and she is the most knowledgeable framer in our area. Unfortunately Pam’s parents have passed but her passion for framing continues.
The first small computer contract.
The Air Force immediately sent me to be a part of the selection committee for the first small computer (PC) every purchased by the US government. The contracted ended up being award to Zenith for the cute little Zenith 100 PC pictured here. Little did we know at the time that this would be a turning point in computer technology. Over the next 3 years we placed almost a million of these into the hands of government employees. The market followed suite and the PC became the dominant platform that we live with today.
An example of Pam’s talent.
This piece contains 1000 paper cranes. The paper cranes had to be mounted into the shape of fan. If you look closely, over the fan are other cranes flying away. The whole piece is in a shadow box frame that was about 4 feet square. She had lots of help from her staff. I’m sure if you ask her Pam would tell you it was not that difficult. Never-the-less I think the creativity, time and imagination in this piece very much represents my wife’s creative abilities.
After the PC we created the backbone of the internet.
When the selection process for the small computer contracted ended I was moved to be a part of the group with oversight of the installation of 7 Cray II Super Computers. The purpose of the effort was to tie the university network (ARPANET) and the military network (DDNET) together so the generals could track research and development projects. In 1989 a group of tech wizards at Berkley created a search engine and the web was born. Once again we had no idea this process would grow to be the major communications platform it is today.
Time and growth bring change.
In 2013 Pam’s Dad passed and she become sole owner of KC Frames. For the past 10+ years Pam has grown her business in many ways. One of those was a name change that came about after the acquisition and merger of several of her peers/competitors. Pam has been very successful in managing her business.
I start my business.
In 1990 the government cut 50% of the manpower budget for the military and as a result my military career came to an end. We returned to our home town to be around family and have never regretted that choice. I worked at a Department of Energy lab site for a few years and then in 1995 I ventured out and created Valor, Inc. We fix computers, create networks, install whatever our clients need and help our customers be more efficient with their technology. The business has grown steadily and we have had a very successful 25+ years. I have helped many clients setup and run their websites and with retirement coming soon, decided it was time to create one for us.
What a beautiful store.
This is the current store front for KC Framing Corner. It is very warm and friendly. The staff are very knowledgeable and competent. Some frame shops crowd their space but Pam prefers for the atmosphere to comfortable and non-stressful for her customers. I think she has done very well creating this feel and her business continues to grow. Pam is a great business owner and I am very proud of her.
1stChoiceAFP.com
So here we are today. I am creating 1stChoiceAFP as a way for our family to share what we have learned along the way. We are going to use affiliate marketing structures to earn commissions on the products, tools and processes we recommend to you. Unlike some groups we are not going to be overly focused on sales pitches. We want to get to you, in a very concise way, the information you need to make your decision. Our recommendations will come from our experience and/or information we gather as we do our homework. We are going to work hard to make sure our 1stChoice recommendation is the best choice.