New Year's Day

New Year's Day was perfection. We invited our Las Vegas friends over for a lunch get together. Dwan, Elizabeth, Melanie, Jared, Lindsay, and Justin and all the kids. There were definitely a whole bunch of kids. We did a potluck hoagie lunch and leftover ice cream from our New Year's Eve banana split tradition. The kids had a great time catching up with each other and us old adults were able to talk and relax and do some music, which was a surprise treat. 

Grace, Christopher, and Josh all treated us to their musical stylings. Grace is an incredible violinist, and Christopher still can play the violin at an extremely high level. Plus, now that he is married he just seems more mature in his violin playing. Josh sang a few of his Broadway numbers and then I re-sang his version of Music of the Night a little bigger and a whole lot sillier.

The best part was when I broke out the tiny violins and then Christopher and Grace played difficult pieces on them. Even Halle joined in. It was a lot of fun.

When it was time to leave, here were all the kids. We are only missing Alexander and his wife to make the picture complete.

Julia, with Ava and Ali.

And us crazy adults. Hey, we know how to have a good time!

Church Walk

I am the mean mom that makes my kids walk to church every week. Okay, maybe not every week, but nine times out of ten, we are walking. The church is a little less than 3/4 of a mile away, and it is up a pretty good hill. When we first started doing this, there was a lot of complaining. But I think they are just resolved to their plight. 

It definitely has its advantages. First of all, by the time we get to church, they are more than happy to sit for a while. The wiggles are obliterated, at least for 30 minutes or so. 

And on the way home, there is a plethora of grape vines. This past month, we took advantage of the harvest and found some pure deliciousness along the way. The Glad's have many types of grapes and they are so different and scrumptious.  This was a simple but wonderful highlight of the summer.

Helaman Triathlon

Saturday was a big day for Zach. He competed in another triathlon sponsored by the church in this area. It was free and is called the Helaman Triathlon. This is the fifth year they have done this, but our first chance to participate. The kid did great. I wasn't able to see the beginning because I had to take Raef to Summit High School to do his final weigh-in for football. But miraculously, I made it for the end and actually got to see him run a bit.

Zach finished fourth in his age group and had a lot of fun competing. Rinar also competed. He did well, finishing second in his age group to his best buddy Bart W. And amazingly enough, he won a trophy for the Master's division. Neither of us are sure why, but it was still pretty darn cool.

We had a pretty good turn out from our ward. 

Rinar, McKinley P., Emily M., Zach, Zach M., and Lindsey M.

 It was also sweet to see Rinar's triathlon buddies compete with their kids as well. Scott won his age group and his daughter won hers also. Bart beat Rinar and was able to get his daughter Natalie to participate. She finished strong with Bart and Monica running with her to help her to the finish line.

Next year I hope that I can compete also. I just have to remember how to swim and maybe actually ride my bike once in a while. Oh, but it will be fine. I have all year to practice, right?

Farewell Galena

Saturday night we had a lovely evening at Chris and Kimberly's house. They hosted a farewell party for us and we had so many wonderful people come to wish us well on our journey to Utah. We had fun eating and visiting. I have been very blessed with the many associations I have made in Reno. And I can say that I have definitely learned a lot about myself over the past two years.

Gloria, Steve, Rob, Anna, Sariah, and Leah

Kelli, Larae, and Kimberly

Rinar and Rose

Paul, Brett, and Brian

 Rachel and Rusty were not able to make the party because they had a long drive back from Sacramento. So Rachel invited our family over on Sunday for some cake and ice cream. The kids had a lot of fun playing with their family and that gave us time to visit with each other. Rachel and Rusty are fun and we enjoying hanging out with them. I wish we had been able to do it some more. We will really miss them a lot.

But the kids sure loved the dessert.

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!

An Ill-Timed Yawn

It has been a long week.  Rinar has been elk hunting since Monday. When we were in Europe he found out that he had drawn a bull elk tag. Apparently, this kind of tag is a once in a lifetime opportunity.  He has been so excited to go hunting. Lyf and Nordel went with him and he hired a guide to help track down an elk.

But things did not go as he had planned. Day after day he would call in and tell me the news: NO ELK.  It got a bit harry, so we really started praying that he would be able to fill his tag.  Saturday was pretty much the last day, and what do you know?  He did it.  Rinar killed a really big elk.  It is probably one of the hardest things he has ever done. It has been cold with lots of snow.  There was a whole lot of walking and not a lot of sleep.  I haven't seen him yet, but I am sure the guy is looking pretty haggard.

Rinar did not expect to be gone this long, so we had to make some adjustments at home.  The main one had to do with Stake Conference. Rinar was supposed to accompany Zach and Raef on a vioin/viola duet for the adult meeting last night.  That meant that I had to accompany them.  {deep exhale}  I could play the song, but I knew I was going to mess up.  I just know me.  Luckily my friend Larae offered to play it for me.  And that is a good thing because then I was able to watch and enjoy instead.

And here is the best part.  They played "I Know My Father Lives", "I Am a Child of God", and "O My Father".  In the middle of the second song, Zach (who was looking a little bored), did a huge yawn.  It was about the funniest thing ever.  In his defense, it was pretty late, right?

When it was done, President Farr had a couple of funny things to say. He didn't see the yawn but he did mention that the boys thought they were playing at the beginning of the program, instead of an hour into it.  He said that they had to sit through a talk about parenting and then get to hear the temple president swear (he had said hell a couple of times, in reference to the scriptures). It was pretty darn hilarious.

But the boys played an absolutely beautiful duet. There is so much more maturity and musical understanding in their performances these days. I think they are starting to get it.  It was just pretty darn cool.

Galena Harvest Festival



This weekend was our ward's Harvest Festival.  It was lots of fun.  I was able to whip up a costume for Julia in the afternoon...Strawberry Shortcake. She loved it.  Harry wore Raef's old pirate costume, which is now nice and dirty, I am happy to report.  Who ever heard of a clean pirate anyways?

 

There were lots of fun little games to play and prizes to win.

 

 

 

There wasn't enough room on the hayride for all of us, so Molly and Jimmy took Julia and Harry with them and the kids loved it.

 

But Julia had a hard time processing this monkey mask. She was very confused.

This is just what we needed to get into the holiday mood. I even broke out the fall decorations and let the kids put them up around the house.  Good times. 

Galena Children's Choir

A few months ago I decided to start a children's choir at church. Our ward is really lacking in the musical talent department. I figured if I started working from the ground up, it may inspire the older folks to actually open their hymn books on Sunday.

We have been practicing for the last few months with the song, "An Angel Came To Joseph Smith". It is in the Children's Songbook, but I found a two part choral arrangement that had a little bit of difficulty.  It was wonderful. The kids did their best performance in sacrament meeting. I think there were about 25 kids.  I was so proud of them.

Music is a powerful tool that can really draw us close to the Spirit. I can think of many times as a youth, the times that I remember poignantly, and it always revolved around a song.  It could have been one that I sang in Primary, or in the Primary Program.  I also sang in my ward choir when I was pretty young, and it was one of those things that helped me to solidify my testimony.

You never forget the songs.

For one of the practices, I talked to the kids about this very idea. It can be hard being a kid, and especially when you want to stay faithful to the church and the things you know are true. I told them that this song can help to strengthen them.  They can remember Joseph Smith and the hard things that he did, and that he always stayed faithful, even under incredible scrutiny and mockery.  Just like Joseph Smith, they can follow his example and stay faithful.


A song has a way of doing that to us. It penetrates to our core and can be seared on our hearts. I hope that as I continue on with my little choir, they will gain greater musical knowledge and skills. But more importantly, they will come to know who they are and feel the love of God in the music they get to perform.

Forget-Me-Not

Tonight was the Relief Society's annual broadcast. It always comes the week before fall General Conference. What a blessing it was for me to go tonight.  The first three talks by the Relief Society Presidency were really good: Do it as if He were here, have more charity, make and keep sacred covenants.  I appreciated their messages.

But then Pres. Uchtdorf spoke, and he must have written his talk specifically for me.  He talked about the Forget-Me-Not flower and used it as a metaphor for life.

The first 'forget not' was to be patient with myself. {{sigh}}  What I am doing is just good enough and I am still loved no matter what.  

Make good sacrifices, be happy now, remember the 'why' of the gospel, and don't forget that the Lord loves me.

Sisters, wherever you are, whatever the circumstances may be, you are not forgotten. No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you, with an infinite love.
—President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Thank you President Uchtdorf.  I don't feel 100% yet, but I feel a lot better.

Pray When You Lose Something

Harry had a rough night yesterday.  He just didn't want to go to bed. I had to keep putting him back in his room. Finally, I heard no more crying and assumed all was right with the world. Rinar had left on a business trip, so it was just me.  Before I went to bed, I went to tuck everyone in.  When I got to the babies room, Harry was not in his bed.

Okay, no worries... he was probably just on the floor.  Nope, not there either.  I could feel a tiny bit of panic creeping up my insides. I went to my room and looked around. Still nothing.  I knelt down and said a prayer and then I continued my search. I looked in every room in the house, every corner, nook, crevice I could think of, but I still could not find him.

I was about to call Rinar because I was really starting to get worried.  The unimaginable started creeping into my thoughts. What if he somehow got outside?  I mean, we live in the wilderness. I am not exaggerating when I say that there are bears and coyotes out there. What if?  

Just breathe, just breathe.

I went back into his room. I stood still and started to listen. I heard Julia breathing, but then I heard another cadence of breaths.  He was in the room. Where?

Wedged between the bunk bed and the wall, I found Harry sound asleep. I extricated him from his little hiding place, held him for a few minutes and then put him to bed.

I came to realize something even more profoundly after my little hunting expedition.  I am not doing this alone. My Father in Heaven is right there with me every step of the way helping me take care of my kids. I know that He protects them and guides them. I know that He loves them even more than I do.  For all those years when Rinar worked in Albuquerque and would be gone for days, I was never alone. Sometimes I would be scared and overwhelmed, but nothing bad ever happened.  I pray for their safety every day and by His grace, He gives it so freely.  

I am very grateful.

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.

Weekend Pictures

This is what we had for dinner Friday night. Isn't it beautiful?  Pizza is so easy to make. Why do I ever order it from a restaurant?

They just looked so cute today, as we were getting ready for church.

I laid down to get a better picture and so they laid down as well. Harry kind of looks like a politician in this picture.  It reminds me of Richard Nixon.

Eli had very strong feelings about blue corduroy pants.

We had to do Julia's hair. She likes to get pretty.

Five Is Very Real Now

This has been a nice week for me. Rinar's mom came and stayed while Rinar took a business trip to Boston. It was great. She cooked and cleaned and helped me out a lot. It was fun to hang out with her and get to know her better. Grandma also had fun playing games with Raef and Zach and also accompanying them on the piano when they practiced the violin. I was able to enjoy this week without the stress. But now it is time for my reality check...tomorrow is my first real day as a mother of FIVE children.

Holy cow, I can't believe I have 5 kids. At the beginning of last year I had 2 kids and one on the way. Now I have five. This just goes to show you that things can change quickly. It becomes very real when I load up my car and all of the seats are taken. This mothering thing is for real now. There is no turning back.

I am very blessed that Raef and Zach are such a big help for me. For example, a few days ago I asked them if one of them would like to give Eli a bath. Zach exuberantly volunteered. He took him up there and was gone for at least 30 minutes. I have not taught Zach how to put a diaper on a baby, and especially a 20 month-old baby. But sure enough, Zach and Eli came downstairs and Eli was fully dressed, diaper and all. I was amazed at what Zach did all by himself. He was beaming with pride. Then after a few minutes I looked closer at how Zach had dressed Eli. He had put both of Eli's legs in one of the shorts sides. Hence two legs in one hole. It was hilarious. Eli looked like he was wearing a mini-skirt. I was laughing hysterically. Plus, the diaper was loosely wrapped around his belly so when he would squat down, you could see major butt-crackage. I was loving it.

You see...my oldest boys are very helpful. I am very blessed.

I also caught Eli giving Harry a couple of kisses. He decided to do this all on his own. Isn't it so precious?

Rinar's birthday was yesterday so he treated himself and all of us to some Krispie Kreme donuts. All of the kids walked through the door with hats on their heads. Eli kept his on the longest.

I went to church today and so it was the babies first day of church also. Julia was all decked out in her cute stuff from Corinne, the baby-bling specialist. Corinne makes head bands and removable flowers for the head bands. In addition, she made me a binkie holder that says "Julia" on it. The binkie is also specialized with her name on it as well. The original headband had a hot pink bow to go with it but it was so huge for her little head that I switched it out for the smaller red flower. The proportions were a lot more manageable.

She is just so little that the dress kind of swallows her up a bit. But she really looked adorable in this outfit.