Another First

Courtney was 16 when Zac became a part of our family. In other words we were past all of the childhood firsts in life. Halloween costumes, elementary programs, diapers, potty training, sleepless nights, babysitters. Rick and I were well on our way to 'empty nesters'. Then along came Zac. we have never once regretted our decision to adopt him and call him 'Son'. After all we had been through with him I couldn't just let someone else raise him and never know what happened to him. We love him with all of our hearts! So Zac has been eagerly awaiting all of the childhood adventures and this morning he was brushing his teeth and came in yelling, 'I have a loose tooth!' Ever since he started school and going to the dentist he asks, 'when am I going to have a loose tooth?' I think part of it is the tooth fairy aspect. He has seen his friends get a bundle from the tooth fairy and has eagerly awaited his turn to drain the fairy financially himself (what happened to quarters for teeth?) So being a dutiful mom I had him open his mouth and checked for myself. Sure enough one of his tiny little baby teeth right up front are loose. We'll see how long it takes to actually come out and if Zac thinks it's all that fun after!



Aren't those nice teeth?

Cold, Cold, COLD!

Yes it got really cold this week. Although I have to admit it's not nearly as cold as last year at this time. So we went to SLC for the annual Glad family Christmas party. Mom's condo has a really great club house that can be used for these type functions. We started utilizing it last year and it's a great place for our family. Lots of room for the growing GLAD clan. It was really great to have so many of us at the party. Some of my nieces and nephews that don't always make it to functions were there. All of my children were there and that was just fantastic. We read our family Christmas stories, now htese aren't your 'normal' stories. The history is this; when we were kids my Dad would read to us every Christmas eve. While he was reading he handed out See's suckers to keep the masses quiet and occupied. We have continued that tradition. With the exception that the Uncles or Grandsons now read the stories since Dad's passing. It's special to see the stories carried on by Dad's posterity. We all have such fond memories of Christmas eve's past spent together as a family, our parents always emphasized the importance of family. A good time was had by all!
I realize I didn't take as many pic's at the party as I thought I had. Hopefully Betty will get the ones they took to me as well as everyone else.

We also gave the kids and grandkids their presents. Rick had them convinced they had to wait till Christmas morn to open them. Luckily Grandma didn't make them suffer long. I think everyone was very happy with their gifts. at least no one complained or looked disappointed.

It did snow for the party, it was beautiful! I love the snow! Everything was white and clean and COLD! Everyone should have snow for Christmas.

So here's just a bit of our fun weekend. Hope you enjoy.

Wrestler's

So this is the team after a long day a wrestling. The coaches get them checked in..... remember wrestlers don't eat so there was no stop for food. The team then goes to work out and swim.... no rest for the weary but lights are out at 10:30 PM since they have a 7:00AM weigh in.

Courtney and the kids made it to the hotel and we settled in to watch Shrek 3. It was an ok movie. Lexie and Conner thought it was lots of fun to stay the night with Grandma. Problem was they didn't want to go to sleep. After lots of threats by Courtney to go home we all finally went to sleep. My alarm went off at 5:30 AM so I could shower and get the bus ready to go for 7:00 AM leave time. I found the team in the lobby of the hotel smelling the continental breakfast they provide. I say smelling because of course wrestlers don't eat! I did however and off we went to Layton High School for weigh in. Then I am on stand by till they are done. I wisely went back to the hotel and back to sleep since everyone else was. We all got up about 10:00AM (John had called and cancelled). and went off to visit my cousin that lives in town. We had a nice time visiting until I had to leave to fuel the bus and be ready to go when the team called. Which they did just after I had left Nancy and Darrell's. Lost their matches so it was time to go home. The upside of leaving early was that we got home in time that I could go with Rick and Zac to the Elko Lights in the Sky event. Every year at the Great Basin College campus they hold an event to raise toys for needy families. Local business's donate chili and hot choc. and Santa is there and they have carols around a great big bonfire and the topper of the night are the fireworks. All you have to do is bring a present for a child to donate. It's really cool and the fireworks were amazing. What a great start to the Christmas season. We had such a great time. i was really tickled to make it back in time. Zac talked to Santa twice because he had forgotten to mention a few items to him! So what are you doing special for Christmas? What are your family traditions?

Wow

Wow is it Thursday already? Where has the week gone? It's been a slow week work wise. We're in between Football/Soccer/X-Country/Volleyball and now wrestling and B-ball are starting up. I get to take the Elko wrestlers to Layton tomorrow. I wouldn't normally do an overnight trip but this one is close enough that the kids are going to visit me. Courtney and the kids are going to spend the night at the hotel with me and then John & Ashleigh are having breakfast with us. It ought to be a fun trip. Rick told me he was a bit jealous that I get to spend time with the kids I told him I was sorry( hee hee hee). So it ought to be a fun trip. I'm looking forward to it. I also need to get dog food. I can't get the brand that I use here in the Elko area so I have to get it when we go to Reno or SLC. I use a higher tier food and none of the local places carry it. Go figure. I always wanted to live in a rural area and now that we do we can't get a lot of the products we use. So when we go on trips we stock up on stuff.

Quiet Sunday

Our family has a newsletter each month. My sis-in-law does all the putting it togther stuff. It's fun to hear about what everyone is doing now that we're all spread over the world. So this was my family's month to share what we've been up to. Each month we all take a turn so I've had to go back and think about what's bee happening in the last 8 months or so. It's intersting to think about where we've been and where we're at now. My it's been a busy year! I really wanted to say jkust go and look at our blog but that would be cheating don't you think? So I sat down and reminisced. It took awhile to write because I didn't want to miss any of the important things or what I thought was important. It's intersting that something that's terribly important to you might not be to someone else. Am I rambling? Thought so.

thought you might like to see how nice Chance looks after his bath.

Happy Thanksgiving

Is your bird in the oven? Zac has become quite the baker during the last week. His contribution to his class feast was pumpkin pie. and being the helpful 6 yr. old he, is I decided that he should help make the pies. He cracked the eggs and added the ingredients after I measured them and mixed it all up. So when it was tiem last night to make the pecan pies I decided to have him help. Maybe we have a gopurmet chef in the making? Rick is working today and I'm just about ready to get the bird in the oven and the rest started. Rick won't be home till about 6 pm so I've got plenty of time. What are you doing for Thanksgiving?

THOSE I'M THANKFUL FOR..........

MY FAMILY....OF COURSE

MICHEAL & LONAKA

JORDAN

SKYLAR

BRIANNA

JOHN & ASHLEIGH

AND THE NEW BABY ON THE WAY

COURTNEY

ALEXIS

CONNER

AND THE CHILDREN SHE GAVE LIFE TO

TIFFANY

MANDY

MOM & DAD

BROTHERS AND SISTER WHO I DON'T GET TO BE WITH NEARLY ENOUGH

NEICES AND NEPHEWS THAT ADD SPICE TO LIFE

WHO ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR?

Ode to a great guy

It's evening time and Zac is happily playing in the tub. Rick and I are watching the football game and the house is clean (almost dinner still needs to be cleaned up.) and quiet. I am always happier when the house is neat and things are in their places (go figure.) Rick was wonderful Sat. when I was picking up the forensic team from a debate in Reno. He cleaned the kitchen and folded the clean laundry and cleaned the toilets and basically tidied the house. I have such a great husband. He definitely does at least his fair share around the house. He unloads the dishwasher and I load it. I do the laundry and he cleans the bathrooms. If I leave before him in the morning he makes the bed. Can you get a better husband? I listen to some of the women talk and even though they are working full time jobs as well as their husbands they are still expected to do all of the house work. Not me. Rick and I laughingly joke that if we were to have had a pre-nup agreement it would only state that I don't have to cook (not one of my favorite pass times.) We've been trying to be better parents and get Zac working on his penmanship and spelling each night and Rick works his magic with his son and gets him writing each night. It just amazes me the way he can get Zac to cooperate when he is in a mood. well another week has started and it seems as if time is passing by faster and faster. Thanksgiving this week and then the frenzy of Christmas time so we're going to enjoy the peace tonight and face tomorrow in the morning.

Christmas Decorations

So I have to admit I made my first Christmas purchase and put out my first Christmas decoration. I found this cute snowman carpet at Home Depot last night. Being a snowman he is kind of multi holiday however. I like most people wait till Thanksgiving weekend to decorate but I couldn't see putting him up for just a week so on the floor he went. And after a couple of weeks of no trips it's off to Reno I go tommorrow to relieve a driver and I'm thinking of maybe going a bit early (it's just me going, no other drivers) and maybe starting my shopping, which would be a record early start! Zac has a birthday party in the morning and Rick and I are going to try and make some headway in getting our shed organized so we can actualy get to the Christmas decorations. What have you got planned for the weekend?

Hump day

Well it's wednesday again. Even after having monday off (Nevada and Rhode Island are the only states that give all government off for Veterans day, funny I've lived in both) it seems like it's been a long week. The dogs and I just got back form our walk. I really enjoy going for walks and taking the dogs with makes it much more enjoyable. although I think I'm going to have to start walking Chance twice a day. He has much more energy than senior citizen Katie.... she'll be nine in Jan. Zac is thinking about having a doggy birthday party. I don't hink so. Speaking of pets we and 2 cute orange tabby kitties show up at our door the other night and right away Zac wanted to adopt them both, I later found out they live across the street so it's a no go for Zac who has now decided tha we really need to add a feline to the family. Now we had cats for many years even before dogs but Rick says absolutely not and we have the excuse that we can't have more animals while we're renting! You also have to understand that not only is my son relentless (wonder where he gets that from?) but he also gets fixated when he wants something. I don't however think he is going to win this battle.

Sub driver

being a sub driver for the ECSD has a few perks. Zac's bus driver went on vacation for a week and guess who gets to take him to school? Yup, me. I've had alot of fun the last couple of days spending just s bit more time with my youngest son. He gives me a hug & kiss each morning when we get to school. Lori's route is fairly simple also so it's just cherry! I'm home by five and don't have to leave the house till six in the AM. Different than all the trips I've been taking the last month. Although they will start back up in a few weeks when basketball and wrestling start up. Rick has been suffering with the cold I had about a month ago... long incubation time? or new one? He's been miserable all week and now we're having a quiet recuperate weekend, which is just fine with me because I don't have any ambition either. Sometimes it's nice just to hang out with each other and no other demands. Are you having a quiet weekend?

Another quiet day in the neighborhood

Zac had a field trip yesterday. Here in the Elko area we are priviliged to have the University of Nevada-Reno Fire Science Acadamy, say that ten times fast. They train fire fighters (and policemean) from all over the world there in a huge campus. What better place to take 110 first graders. Zac had a great time. The biggest thrill was getting to slide down the enclosed slide in the dark. He screamed and all the other first graders screamed with him. He told me he took 3 or 4 at least trips down the slide. Unforunately I didn't get to go with him but he had a great time anyway!

Washer woes

My washing machine died Saturday. It had a good life washing our clothes for 10 yrs. So off to Home Depot we went. This is the great washer/ dryer set we found. I told Rick if we have to replace them I want what I want! I drive him nuts sometimes. But I've always wanted a set like this and it's big enough to handle the blankets and stuff that I wash, which contributed to the last washers demise. The dryer wasn't dead but it wasn't great and we got a good discount by buying the set (of course). And I also drove Rick nuts taking the pic's for the blog! He said it wasn't the kind of help he wanted. so here goes.............

OK so how many pictures can you take? According to Rick way too m any. Oh well I'm having fun. we washed a couple of loads to try it out, now I have to wait for more dirty ones! And the offending blanket was rewashed after it had frozen sitting on the porch waiting it's turn. All went well and we're back in business.

And finaly

So Rick decided to get his haircut. And here's how it went...............

Luckily Raelynn only

had butter fingers

with the combs.

Zac of course wanted

to get in on the action

although he just had

his cut.

.

All in all it was fun and Rick looks great! (how could he not?)

Now isn't he handsome? What a cheesy guy!

Haircut Day

So Rick has decided that he needs a haircut. Now you have to remember that I love his long hair(I guess I'm just a rebel after all) You think it's hard for a woman to find a new hairdresser when you move? We went back to SLC and had Leslie cut our hair for about a year and a half. Then we had difficulties with scheduling so Rick quit cutting his hair, also wearing a hardhat all day at work it made for some really bad hair afternoons! I got desperate for a perm this spring and took a chance. I made an appt. with Raelynn at Taylor'd Hair. She did a fantastic job and I was set for a new hairdresser in the Elko area. She also cut Zac's hair twice and Rick has decided it's time to cut his and is going to give her a try. I think he will be very happy with the end result. When I started trying to snap some photo's so I could have before and afters he threatened to not get it done. I told him he was talking to the wrong person because I love his hair long. So we'll have the afters later so all can give a review!

When I got my per diem check this week I headed for JC Penney's. I had my eye on this shirt, I bought the burgandy one when I was in Reno last week but didn't have enough for both. So I went to see if our local store had my size. They did. and along the way I found this great purse. Of course it was on sale for %40 off so I had to get it! What was your bad girl purchase this week?

And finaly Zac doing his eye spy Halloween Daddy eyeball impersonation!

Happy Halloween

I'm really tickled that my 'Christmas cactus' is starting to bloom. I was watering the plants yesterday and noticed the beginnings of flowers! When I talked to mom she told me that 3 of hers are starting to bloom also. It's so nice to have flowers around the house. you know as a kid I hated watering all of mom's plants. Funny how the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. That's one of the things I've disliked about renting here in Spring Creek. There is NO landscaping. It's actually typical of the area. Being such a dry high mountain area gardening can be such a challenge. I do have a whole bunch of pots that I've planted flowers in but I miss my garden and my roses and my choke cherry bush and my raspberries.... well the list is almost endless........ That will be my almost first project when we finaly do buy a house here! So what are you being for halloween? Zac finaly decided to go as Batman after numerous costume changes. Luckily he has a collection of costumes for play dress up so we had the required stuff without a trip to Walmart (thank goodness). I have to take Spring Creek FBLA to the Boise airport tonight but I will get to go with Zac and Dad trick or treating before I have to leave but I will have to get a nap in this afternoon. It looks to be a long night since they aren't leaving till 120:30 PM for a 6:30 AM flight!

Home again, home again, jiggidy jig

we made it home later than we had wanted last night..... go figure. It was a nice visit with everyone. It sure is great seeing the grandkids and being with everyone.. John and Ashleigh have such a cute little house. I really like it. Brianna was disappointed that we couldn't take her home with us. I promised her we would find time somehow to get her here for a visit. So all in all it was a very nice weekend

Off we go

We're heading to SLC today to visit the family. It's been since the beginning of Aug. when we had the reunion that we've been there. I think this is the longest stretch since we moved to Nevada. Wow! And I've been OK with it. Amazing. It will be nice to get to see everyone, or as most of everyone that we can fit in. We're going to stay with Courtney this time as Mom has her brother staying with her for a few months. Can you believe that she let our room out? I just know that our name is posted over the door, isn't it? I had a hard time getting moving this morning after not getting to bed till about 1:30 AM. Needless to say it was a very long day. Considering I left at 5:15 AM. It was a fun trip however. Zac and dad went out to dinner while I was working and had a great time just the two of them. So back to packing it is......have a great weekend everyone!

Happy Halloween

We carved our pumkins with Zac in preperation for the scary holiday.....what do you think?
This is the one that Zac and dad carved. They had alot of fun. I did to.

The pumpkins willingly gave their all. Zac is so excited for halloween to come. The costume... the fun of it all.

Are you ready?

Good Morning

I've been home for about an hour and I'm not ready for bed yet. When I got home the living room kind of smelled. Since Chance isn't 100% reliable yet I checked the house for puppy droppings. None found. I started putting stuff away and Rick woke up just enough to tell me to check Katie she might be the culprit(she occasionally has blow outs) sure enough she was a bit stinky. Time to clean her. So what did I decide to do at 2:00 AM? Give the dog a bath. Since I had to wash her bum anyway I decided that she just needed a bath. Crazy huh? She sure looks and smells good now. I know you all needed to know that. Zac and I downloaded pumpkin faces the other day so tomorrow we are going to put a face on his pumpkin. He has waited somewhat patiently all week to decorate his pumpkin. It's hard when you're 6 to wait for things like that. I tried explaining to him that you can't cut it too early so it won't rot before it's time but it's hard to understand that also. Actually it's really a daddy son project (at least in our home) but dad didn't feel well today so they are going to do it tomorrow. I might go get another orange squash or two so we have a variety. Can't just have one! Zac has decided that he wants to be a Ninja Turtle this year. I'm not as wonderful when it comes to Halloween but I think we'll manage. Most years we do. It's the one holiday that could disappear and I wouldn't miss it. Zac has candy still left from last year. He is different than most kids when it comes to treats. He is very picky with his goodies. He doesn't like a lot of the candy and cookies and junk food in general. Maybe that isn't such a bad thing.