Reno Emergency Preparedness Fair

Last year, I had a vision. After talking to many of my homeschooling friends over several months I realized that I needed to take action. They were constantly discussing prepping and how to do it and they had lots of questions. And though I will readily admit that I am no expert, I knew that the talents and resources of my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) could really help these women with their questions about such an important issue. And if they had questions and were interested in preparation, then it only made sense that there were loads of people out there who wanted some guidance with preparing for emergencies.

So I proposed a fair. Why not have a big, huge emergency preparedness fair geared specifically for our friends and neighbors in the community?  This was a totally doable idea in my eyes, but there were many people who thought I was nuts.

But I persisted and we made it happen. And I have to confess that it was just about the easiest things I have ever done. This is because for the first time probably in my entire life, I did a fantastic job of delegating. With the help and sage ideas of my fellow ward missionaries, we were able come up with lots of great ideas and figure out the right people to ask to make it happen.  

We came up with the subject matters that we wanted to share with the community and then found the best people to be in charge of each area. 

And the result? It was a huge success! The entire gymnasium was full of booths, with samples, displays and oodles of information. It was colorful and exciting and meaty. And for the entire four hours of the fair, which ended up happening on Saturday, March 9 from 10-2pm, the church was constantly full of people.

We also offered two class options every hour: wills & trusts, investing, gardening, water storage, getting started, bread making, canning & preserving, first aid. The teachers were well prepared and we had good attendance. And there were constantly people talking to the experts at the booths. We also had lots of food samples, which never hurts.

I learned a lot from this event. It doesn't have to be difficult. I kept it simple, planned way ahead, communicated my needs to our army of volunteers and then prayed like crazy. Heavenly Father heard my prayers. I hope this event will foster positive feelings for us and the community in Reno and that many good things will come from this. I think it is so important to put yourself out there to be a force for good, wherever you are planted. I also learned that it is important to dream big, set goals, and then implement them. 

It is so satisfying to think up something big, and then watch how it all comes together. Fantastic!

Reno Tahoe Open

Luckily, last Friday I was able to go for half a day to the Reno Tahoe Open.  I love going to golf tournaments. They are the best professional sporting event you can attend. Tickets are not horribly expensive and you can get so close to some of the best golfers in the world.  For example, here I am standing right next to Padraig Harrington as he is getting ready to hit a shot.

That is John Daly down there in the bunker wearing his crazy pants.

And as I was leaving, I saw Mike Weir practicing his putting before he teed off.

I walked a ton following Padraig Harrington and Stewart Cink around for several holes. Professional golfers walk really fast. And at one hole Harrington hit it on the sidewalk, so it was quite amusing to see him get out of that pickle.  And I heart his Irish accent.

Winter is a Bummer

This winter has been a real bummer. I know we have a harrowing driveway and we should be grateful that the winter has been very mild, but I am not.


It is now the end of February and we have only had to use the snow blower one time. That is it.  It has only snowed a handful of times. The kids have so much fun playing in the snow. They all get bundled up and spend hours outside.  


Raef spent about two days working on these snowmen. They are replicas of everyone in the family, pretty much.  The signs in front say "Welcome Home".  He had a blast doing this and the little ones were right there helping him.

Last year was record snowfall and this year...no snow. I should probably be grateful that we have gotten off so easy, but I am not.  After living in Las Vegas for the past 7 years, it has been a big letdown. Of course, you never know. There is always March and stranger things have happened, but I am not counting on it.

At The Big House

Eli calls our rental "The Big House".  It is pretty big. This is a quick look at the outside of the big house.  The house is set atop a fairly large hill, so it is hard to get a good picture of it.  Rinar got a ladder out to get some shots.

 This is a view of the backyard. Okay, it is not really a "view". But she sure is cute blowing milk bubbles, right?

When you stand at the top of the driveway, this is our incredible view. Our driveway has two switchbacks.

 The backyard is the best.  Look at all of the trees and grass and nature.  Let's marvel together.

This is from the master bedroom side of the house looking the other way.

This concludes our quick look at the big house.  Julia says goodbye.

If you want a closer look, I guess you will just have to come and visit, Ken.

Ophir Creek Trail

I have discovered the joy of hiking with my three oldest. It is a lot of fun. We don't ever get very far, but it is a nice, free activity to do.  Now, we are fortunate enough to live where there are ample hiking trails very close to our house.  They have breath-taking views and I want to experience it all while I have the chance.

On Saturday, we did a trail at the top of Mt. Rose summit. Just on the other side of the summit is Lake Tahoe. This trail was on the Tahoe Rim Trail system.  There were still lots of patches of snow on the trail and the boys had a lot of fun shoeing down each little hill.

Zach scolded Eli and so Eli was upset. But he still looked adorable holding a daffodil. You can get an idea of how cold it has been up here since the daffodils just bloomed.

But Eli was a trooper and he kept on plodding along the trail. I am just whipping this boy into shape so that we will be able to do longer hikes over the next while.

This is one of my new favorite activities to do with the kids and it sure beats them playing the Wii all Saturday afternoon.

Getting To Know You

Rinar and I have devised a strategy for getting to know people in our ward.  We have been inviting people over for dinner!  Every Sunday we have had a different family over and it is great.  We get to know them in a more relaxed setting, our kids play together, we eat, we talk. I love it. So, for the next while we will be busy entertaining. There are a lot of families in our ward!

We are also getting to know Reno better, and the more I see, the more I love it. Yesterday, I went for a 4 mile run.  At our house, it is a bit daunting. We are on the side of a mountain and the hills are brutal.  It is hard to do a long run under such circumstances. Instead of trying that, I drove down to the valley 2 miles away and parked at a Bower's Mansion Park.  I then did my run. It was just beautiful. The weather was perfect as it was about 7pm and was nice and cool. I was in the shade and it was a rural area. There were lots of horses and cattle, a ranching community. I enjoyed it immensely and I am glad that I have found an area close by where I can get a reprieve from the hills and just run.

Our family is also getting to know the house better and we seem to be getting into a rhythm around here. I spent the day yesterday cleaning and organizing our school room. I made good progress and we should be able to really get some good learnin' in this coming week.

But not tomorrow.  I am going to do something completely insane tomorrow. I am taking my kids, by myself, to a family reunion in California. It is in the high Sierra's, at Spicer's Reservoir. I hope I can find the group as it is a branch of the family I don't know that well. Since it is 3.5 hours away, I am probably going to just camp. If I don't think I can hack it on my own, I guess I will just drive home late.  But regardless, I think it will be a fun adventure.

Oh, What a Fourth!

Yesterday was a really nice day. We started out by attending a kid's parade at our church.  Kid's parade really means you go on a walk with your kids.  We put the babies in the wagon, Raef and Zach rode their bicycles, and Eli drove his tricycle.  Did I ever mention that Reno is quite hilly? It just so happened that this particular parade involved ascending two rather large hills.  Eli insisted on riding himself. He did NOT want to be pushed.  I don't think I could even ride a tricycle uphill unassisted.  Needless to say, it did not take long before the parade left us far behind. I would sneak push him and he would keep yelling at me. We finally came to a complete standstill halfway up the second hill, in front of neighbors who were sitting out on their front lawns. Believe me, they got quite a show.

I was miraculously able to coax him up the hill somehow, and after a little shortcut, we were back in the game. Whew. What an ordeal. But I kept my cool.

After this little festivity, we headed to our neighborhood for another kid's parade. It was great. NO HILLS!  We ended at someone's house and were able to meet lots of new neighbors. I found someone to run with, the kids found some new friends, and I even have a name of another babysitter.  It was a pretty darn fruitful expedition, I must say.

Rinar and I decided to brave the crowds and cranky children and go see the fireworks.  It worked out perfectly. We went to Carson City and camped out in the church parking lot. The fireworks were right next door.  We waited for about an hour. The babies had lots of fun. They ran around us in circles. They were non-stop until the first firework ignited.  Then the fun really began.


I didn't know how they would react, but it was so perfect. Julia giggled and laughed. Harry oohed and aahed. Eli jumped for joy and did his little eagle scream.  Raef and Zach were enraptured.  They were great. It was a little long, so right before the finale, we loaded the little ones in the car. Then as soon as the finale was over, we hit the road and stayed ahead of all the traffic. We were home in 15 minutes.


It was a perfect 4th.

Happy birthday, America.  We really love this country. The best country in the world. I am so grateful that I can call myself an American.

My Little Explorer

Here is one reason why Reno is spectacular.  It is perfect for little boys. My little Eli spends hours out in our backyard, looking for lizards, jumping on the trampoline, riding his tricycle, following chipmunks through the bush.  He can just be a little boy. I love it.

Of course, there is something else he has been doing in the backyard that needs to stop.  He still likes to pee on the rocks. I have caught him a few times.  Grrr!  The little rascal.

This rock is a favorite for the black lizards that hang around our house.  Therefore, Eli is constantly sitting on it watching the lizards. He gets so excited. He runs back in the house to come and show me what he has found.

Yes, Eli has just informed me that he wants to pee pee on the rocks. I tell him no, but in my heart I really wish he would do it so that I can take a picture for you to see.  But I decided I might be sending him mixed signals.  But trust me, he loves to do that.

The Discovery - Reno's Children Museum

Something totally awesome is about to adorn the downtown streets of Reno this fall and I am stoked.  On September 10, Reno will be opening a large, luscious children's museum.  I was fortunate enough to get a sneak peek with my husband. We went with Kevin and his wife Kelli, on an invitation from one of Kevin's clients, Mr. Lee. Kevin works with Rinar and Kelli is my good friend up here.  Mr. Lee is an integral part of getting this visionary building opened and he is very excited about it.  Now I can see why.  The place is going to be amazing.

I have become a big fan of children's museums.  Ever since we spent some quality time at the children's museum in Boston, I love going to them in cities we visit around the country.  I have a feeling that Reno's "The Discovery" is going to be high up on my list...and the best part is that it will be in my backyard.

I took some pictures and I thought I would share them with everyone.

This is the main hallway entryway that leads to the top floor of the museum.

Rinar, Kevin, Mr. Lee and Kelli

When you enter the main hall, there is a large atrium.  This used to be Reno's city hall, and the atrium was a lot of wasted space. Not anymore. It is absolutely perfect for a large play structure and other fun things.


Here is a plane that kind of overhangs into the atrium below. Kids will be able to play in the plane and "fly" it.  If you notice behind the plane is the super-play structure. It has to be about 40 feet high, at least. There is a similar one in Boston, but this one is much bigger.

This is one of the galleries. There are a lot of galleries. But this one is going to have a really cool feature.  It is the DaVinci gallery where it combines art, science, and engineering. There will be lots of gadgets the kids can use. This window will actually be a place where kids can paint!  Cool, huh?  When they are done, they can wash it off.  I have never seen that before at a children's museum. Sweet!

This is a picture from the ground floor. You can see the wing from the airplane overhead, but notice the large cloud play structure in the background.  You see? It is huge!!!


Underneath it is a waterway that is modeled after the Truckee River.  Kids will be able to play in the water.  I wonder if they will provide aprons so they don't get too wet. Hmmm....

This gallery is meant for younger kids. There will be lots of things to play with in here as well.  In the background is a mining operation set-up where they can load ore onto a conveyor belt above them. I am sure we will spend many hours in this room.

The Nevada gallery has all things peculiar to our state. You see the mining cart?  They are building a mining shaft behind it for exploration. There is also an indian dwelling, train station, and other pioneer/mining type stuff. We are the Silver State after all.

I am really looking forward to enjoying this new gem of Reno. The best part is you can get a family membership for only $85.  That is such a bargain.  It was a treat to be able to see the construction of this facility.  I hope it has much success.  The people who have imagined this thing from the ground up have put their hearts into this place. It is really a gift of love and I am so grateful.  It will be such a blessing for our community.

The Power of the Wave

My husband has this habit I want to share with all of you. 

He loves to wave at people.

Whenever we are driving anywhere, his hand is very busy, because he waves at everyone.

For the first 10 years of our marriage it kind of got on  my nerves because I always felt embarrassed by it.  He would wave at the strangest people. It didn't matter who it was, he was going to wave at them.  Can someone really be this friendly?

Rinar served his LDS mission in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He told me that one time he and his companion were walking down an alley and a mysterious car started to drive by him, tinted windows, the whole thing. Sure enough, Rinar turned around a waved his hearty wave.  The guy in the passenger seat glowered back at him while holding an M-16. No joke.

When we moved to Atlanta, we were driving around and we got a little bit lost. We ended up in a very bad part of town.  It was late at night and it was not the place to be if you didn't want a hooker or a few rocks of cocaine.  I grew up in a working-class town, so it takes quite a bit to get me nervous, but I was.  I remember distinctly castigating him, imploring him not to wave at anyone!  I was afraid that if he did, someone would shoot at us.  Luckily, he wisely took my advice in that instance.

Then we moved to Las Vegas. Sure enough, without fail my husband waved at every single neighbor, passing car, kid on the street in our little neighborhood. It didn't matter who. For the first while, people just stared back at him, bewildered.  But he was undaunted.  Nothing can stop the Rinar wave. It cannot be fettered by dirty looks or indifference. 

I was still embarrassed by it.  

But then something began to happen. The wave instigated a major thaw in our community.  People started waving back. They made eye contact. They would even smile.  After a while, a wave would come back our way first.  His wave was changing our little world. I became more diligent at waving at people myself.  They would wave back.  We truly became a neighborhood.

Love thy neighbor as thyself.  Truly amazing.

We get so busy in our own lives that we fail to see what is around us.  Then, because of that self-absorption, we come across looking arrogant, stuck-up, rude. But really, we are just not seeing what is around us.  When you take the time to wave at someone, you are saying, "Hello. I see you. I recognize that you exist. I am glad you are here and a part of my little world."  It is so incredibly easy to have an open heart, a Christ-like heart by doing something as simple as waving.  

It is a powerful gesture.

Now we live in Reno and we are starting all over. We both wave a lot and we get the strange stares and bewildered looks.  But I am undaunted as well.

I have the most amazing husband. He is not embarrassing. I am proud of him and the unfailing example he has set for me. It has changed my life in such a profound way, just by the persistence he shows in waving...to EVERYONE.  

So, look up and pay attention when you drive. Wave to everyone. Change your community. Change the world. That is what I plan on doing here in Reno, one wave at a time.

Our Family Reunion - Part III (The End)

This is the last bit of pictures from the reunion. We took some individual family photographs from our backyard. That's right people. This is my back yard.  It is quite a bit different from the cinder block monolith I was greeted with every morning for the last 7 years in Vegas. Now my "fence" is the Sierra Nevadas.

Lyf's family

My family

Lani's family

The Grandparents

Nordel's family

 Aislinn's family was the only missing component to our family reunion. Well, her and Lani's son Jazon.




We then headed to Virginia City for some serious tourist stuff. Everyone had a lot of fun. I am sorry to say that I did not revisit the librarian.  But we did find candy in other locations along the boardwalk.  Plus, this time I had my wagon. Hello, long, lost friend. It is good to see and use you again.

Since Raef, Zach, and I had already done a mine tour, we waited around while everyone else headed over to check it out.  

They also panned for gold while they waited. I think Bryn actually found a few flakes.

Our Family Reunion - Part II

On Friday, the family excursion was to the auto show collection. It was pretty amazing. There were tons of cars and it was in a really nice display setting.  They even let you take a picture in one of the cars and everything: dress-up clothes included.  Tru and Eli were pretty inseparable the entire reunion.

After the car show, we went to the Little Nugget to get Awful Awful Burgers. They were featured on  Food Wars on the Food Network. The place was really small, so there wasn't really any room for everyone, but we squeezed the best we could.

We had to get a picture in front of the iconic Reno sign.

We did a talent show at night. It was a lot of fun. We didn't help the kids with their talents. They just came up with their own stuff. It was very entertaining. The older kids even made sure the younger kids did a talent as well.  Eli and Tru did this little dance and it was just about the most adorable thing ever. They danced and danced to a little tune the older kids sang a capella.

Mary Jane sang a rousing rendition of  "Twinkle Twinkle". She practiced a lot the days leading up to the big show. I got to hear every practice. She is just so adorable.

Our Family Reunion - Part I

I'm back!!!

It has been a crazy last few weeks. We moved into our house the first week, and have been unpacking non-stop for over a week. Then, once the unpacking was mostly done, we had a family reunion at our house for the following week.  Now everyone is gone and the dust is settling here in Reno. 

I will put some pictures up of the reunion over the next couple of days.

Enjoy.

Tru, Harry, Brielle, and Julia on our swing in the backyard.

Tru played so much and we stayed up so late, it took a couple of days, and then he crashed on the couch. He didn't move for about 2 hours. Not one muscle.

The grandparents arrived a day after Nordel and his family, and as soon as they walked through the door, we discovered a stowaway chipmunk in our laundry room. R.J. was assigned the task of chipmunk removal. It took him about an hour, but he got it done.

Grandma dressed and groomed Julia every day. She loved it!  Here is here Farrah Fawcett hairdo. Everyday the hair looked fabulous.

They got some bowling in. It was a lots of fun and Eli had a blast. Apparently, he also got the highest score of all the kids, 103!

We also went to Callahan Park and hung out for a bit. The weather was beautiful.

Uncle Nordel playing with the kids...how cute.

A lady at the park said it was warm enough to swim at Lake Tahoe. So, the day after the final families arrived we headed out to the lake, at Sand Harbor.  It is totally awesome. Look at that view...amazing.  The kids had a lot of fun, but the water was still freezing. In one month, it should be fantastic. I can't wait.

The water may have been cold, but the edge was fine enough for sand castle building.

Lindy sure had fun.

Grandma sat with the babies and fed them snacks.  Brielle had fun hanging out with Grandma.

After the beach, we drove to Truckee, California so that everyone could see the beautiful mountains and lake. We also went to Donner State Park and watched a movie at the visitors center.  The statue in the back of this picture commemorates the Donner Party.