Home at Last

Finally made the last leg of the move - we're in our home and with our own stuff.
...Well, half of it.  It wouldn't all fit in the trailer.  But at least we're done moving around and are preparing to settle for a while.

I'm loving the new place so far.  The rooms are so big and spacious, it makes our massive furniture look sparse, and actually to scale.  I have so many kitchen cupboards, some of them may remain empty for a while...

One of the funnest things about the place is the wildlife in the back yard (not the golfers, the animals.)  We have quail running around in the back yard almost every morning and every evening.
Quail!  I LOVE quail!

...I'm peeping at them through the blinds - hence the glare.

I knew the tile floors would be COLD in the mornings, but I wasn't prepared for the fact that they hurt my feet and ankles to walk on them.  Hmm, going to have to try to find a solution for that - some very plush socks or something.  (They also KILL the knees when I scrub!) 

Oy.

It's been rainy and cold all weekend, but the sun is finally shining today, so took a walk around the neighborhood.  I've been wanting to do this since we got here - it finally feels like I'm someplace safe enough to go for walks.

I ended up being gone much longer than I intended, because I promptly got LOST.
 One of the hazards of living in a neighborhood where all the houses look the same...
I need to print out a map of the place before I attempt that again.  (Used the big casino as my guide post to find my way back.  How ironic is that?)

Still have lots of boxes to unpack, so -

Later :-)
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Moving on...

Tomorrow, we will get the keys to our down-here house.

I'm so excited for the next step in this adventure.
Living in this little apartment has been fun, but it's next to no maintenance, and I am SO out of things to do here!

Remember this scene in Two Week's Notice?

Lucy Kelson: [on the phone] Hi, Mr. Wong, it's Lucy Kelson. I need one No. 13, two No. 7's...
George Wade: [walking back and forth] I can't believe how small this apartment is, it's actually shocking!
Lucy Kelson: I need three No. 8's, no garlic...
George Wade: It's a very good thing your parents went to the movies, we'd never have squeezed in!
Lucy Kelson: I need one No. 7 and...
George Wade: You realize, I can actually move from one side of this apartment to the other in 6 seconds. Watch this,
[steps off]
George Wade: one...
Lucy Kelson: ...and a No. 11, please. No, actually, this is for two.

Well, that pretty much describes this place.  It's nice enough, but barely enough space for the two of us.   It will be nice to be somewhere that actually feels like a home - and where the family can come and visit without being on top of each other.

Plus, there are walking trails up there, where I can actually move about in the fresh air, and there is a park with a pond and Canadian geese to wander around and explore.
At some point, I may actually get brave enough to mosey down to the clubhouse and check out the pool...

I'm looking forward to our stuff coming down, because it will take me at least a couple of weeks to get things set up the way I want them, so I will be too busy to notice how many hours I am on my own.

It's pressure time for hubby - the store will be opening Feb. 18th, and he'll be working 7 days a week until then to get it ready.  The poor man is already running ragged - they know him by name down at the city offices.  (Water, power, Fire marshal, etc. )  I won't see him much for the next month.

We attended church in the new ward last Sunday.
(I was starting to feel a little bit attached here, and I didn't want to do that since we'll be leaving so soon.)  ...And I met a few of my soon-to-be neighbors.

They seem like really fun gals - I think I will enjoy getting to know them.
They insisted on taking a photo for the church directory, and made me fill out a questionnaire before the meeting even started, and I started getting emails a couple of days later...
Makes a body feel welcome, and sort of befriended already.

I need that.

It will be a week before we have furniture enough to stay at the house (the stuff here is rented,)  but it will be nice to know that it is there - inspiring me with ideas for projects to make it look homey.

Now all I need is a car, a job, and a puppy!

...And my kids.  (Please?)
:-)
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Sponge Mom

Been down here for 18 days now (really? is that all?) ...and have pretty much settled in to the routine.
Hubby works ten hour days, and with no car, and no place to go, the days get pretty long, dull and lonely for me.  I haven't left this apartment since last Sunday!

I try to keep busy, to keep my spirits up, but there's precious little to do. 
I tried to make a batch of cookies the other day, to break the monotony, but halfway through, I realized that I had forgotten to buy baking soda.  They were already mixed up, so I baked them anyway.
 Holy hockey-pucks Batman!  They were just that flat and hard. (But they did taste good, at least...)

I'm starting to feel like my muscles and even (or especially) my brain are turning to mush.
I started doing walkies around the apartment (something my Dr. told me to do when I had my heart surgery) this week just to get the blood pumping again.

I've read 3 books this week -  (more than I've read in the last 6 months.)  Other than household chores, that's pretty much all I've accomplished.  (The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom, and Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley, both great books, and Cooking the Books by Bonnie S. Calhoun - just so so.)

We'll be able to get into the house we're leasing next weekend, but our stuff won't be here until the following week.  It would be nice to be able to go there and start arranging things, but there won't be much we can do until then.  The furniture we have here is rented, so it's no use to us over there...

Meanwhile, here I sit.

I wish I knew what to do with myself down here.  It's been so long since I've done any serious crafting, that I wouldn't know a creative idea if it bit me.

...I'd kind of like to get a job to help my girls with their expenses at home, but without a car - and being so far away from everything, that's not an option either.

I've walked to the shopping center up the street a couple of times out of sheer desperation, but it's 5 miles round trip - on a very busy highway, so I'm not wanting to do that too often.

Hubby informed me last night that he will be also working Saturdays from now until March.

Sigh.

Hurry Spring!
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New Year

We spent New Year's day - in fact, the last three days, driving around looking for a home.
I've been looking them up on the internet, then drawing up my own maps to find them. (Google maps are not always the best routes.)  So far, that has been working well for us, but yesterday, I was off my game somehow - we drove around and around and didn't find one of them.

After three days of this, the neighborhoods are all beginning to look the same - and the houses all look the same.  How do you tell a good neighborhood from a bad one?  I just feel so lost and clueless down here.  I don't want to get roped into a year lease, then find that I live next door to an axe murderer, but you just can't know those things...

So today, I am exhausted, frustrated and discouraged.

I don't really understand what my role is down here.  I'm a mother - without my children, a worker - with no job.  I don't have a car to get me anyplace (and I really don't feel safe walking.)
...A really strange and foreign existence.

Meanwhile, hubby is doing really well at his job.  This week they will have HEAT in his building (a big relief - he's been letting everyone go at 4:30, because when the sun starts to go down, it gets really cold inside!)

Monday, he came home and told me that the police had his parking lot all blocked off - there had been a shooting on the highway right in front of his store...
Welcome to Las Vegas.

I asked him if that scared him off, he said it didn't.  I asked what it would take to scare him off - he said if the shooting were inside the store.

Oy.  By then, it's too late to change his mind and go home.

They are going to start out with two armed guards in the building, and another one outside.  I hope that is enough.

I often wonder if we have completely lost our marbles coming down here.
The jury is still out on that one...
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December 29 - Catch Up Post

Yup, I'm still here.

Back in my tiny apartment - life is so quiet here.  I miss my kids, my car, and even my dog.
Thank goodness for cell phones, texting and facebook!

Yesterday was pretty dull.  With so few possessions here, it only takes a few minutes to clean up the place, but there are still days I get tired of the routine.
Yesterday was such a day.  Pretty much all I did was watch the rest of a Dark Shadows DVD and read.

Wayland plans to work only half a day today, so maybe I can actually get out of the house and see something besides these 4 walls.  (I left my set of keys to the apartment back in Utah, so I can't lock up the place - so I don't leave it - ever.)

I have a couple of hours before hubby gets back, so I'll share a few photos from this Christmas season.

Our apartment, decorated for the holidays;

Wayland allows me a little craft space in the bedroom...

Not as holiday'd up as our home would normally be, but this space is temporary...

I had to come back to finish out my job at the store, so hubby brought me back to spend the week before Christmas.  (Bad idea, horrible week!)
Got home just in time for Grandma Taylor's Christmas party - Wayland had to turn around and go back to Nevada, so he missed it.  Probably the first time ever.  He was a sad sad boy.  :-(

 Grandma's turn.  She's had this same Santa come to our parties almost since I've been in the family - he knows WAY too much about all of us!  It's almost creepy...

 Some gorgeous girls...

Millie had a dance recital on the 17th.  I had the day off, so I was able to be there.  Nice.

Wally world scheduled me to work from 1 to 9 on Christmas Eve, so I quit a day early.  This is the night that I throw my party for my children, and I will not miss it!  Especially this year - it may be the last one we have for a while...

Found these cupcakes on Pinterest and thought they would be a fun treat...
(We are watching Little Women in the background.)

Our Christmas Eve dinner was basically a repeat of Thanksgiving; Turkey, dressing, potatoes & gravy, green bean casserole, and just for fun, I did the layered jello parfaits.

Everyone's favorite part of the evening: opening gifts.

While I was working in the kitchen, a light snow began to fall - could this scene be any more perfect for Christmas Eve?

Breakfast Casserole for Christmas morning - also courtesy of Pinterest.  It was Nuuuummy!  Arilie even had seconds - AND asked for the recipe for a cook book she's making.  Success!

I always wanted to get some of those Christmas crackers to go along with my meal - this year I finally did it.  The prizes inside were pretty lame, and the jokes even more so (most of them didn't even make sense - head scratchers.)  But we still had fun with them anyway *note the paper crowns.

The rest of the day should have been restful, but we were too busy packing and loading the truck - 6:00 A.M. the next morning, we were on the road back to Las Vegas.

They say that New Year's is pretty wild down here and that's it's not really safe to go out - so we will be spending a quiet evening by ourselves.  I'm sure hubby will be asleep by 8:30.

Woo Hoo.  :-)

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Dec. 21

I am still here, and by the way, the earth is still here too...

I am still recording my days, but on paper, because I have been without internet since my last posting.  I won't bore you with the gory details - suffice it to say that I am back home for the holidays.

I came back to finish out my job because I felt so bad about leaving them at the height of the holiday season. Turns out that was a bad idea.  They got along just fine without me, and it has been pretty horrible all week.  I should have just quit and called it good.

Foresight was never my best thing...

Anyway, today is my last 11 pm shift, I'm off tomorrow, and Sunday is my last day - so I do have something to look forward to.

I have done virtually no Christmas shopping yet - I picked up a few things so that I could get my son's box in the mail, but when I got home, my daughter told me I had done everything wrong and that I would have to take it all back...

Needless to say, that sent me into a tailspin which I am still trying to recover from.
(This week has been extremely hard, and I am extremely touchy as a result!)

Hence, everything is on hold until hubby comes home (on Sunday.)
I really hate being one of those people who does all their shopping  on Christmas Eve, but, unfortunately, I will be part of that club this year.

I have had family members pressing me for what I want for Christmas this year, but I haven't  had time or the inclination to even think about that.  All I can think of are little things that we need for that little apartment in Vegas - ie; a broom, mop, plug for the sink, etc...

Truth be known, in my fantasies mind, all I really would really wish for is a westie;

...and a cake pop maker.  (They intrigue me :/ )

Hey - when I dream, I dream BIG!  ha ha

It's a working day, and I have things to do, so  congratulations for surviving the apocolypse, and as you're out and about today, please beware of Zombies.  :-)

Loves,
Pat.
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December 9

We got brave and did a little adventuring on Sunday.  It was a good day for that, because the traffic was pretty light.  We decided to see if we could find the LDS Temple on the other side of town.

Google maps doesn't always pick the best routes...
It took us down through the strip, and past some really questionable parts of town.
We found our destination - a beautiful and amazingly peaceful location up against the foothills.

The wind came up, and it was a little chilly, but we enjoyed a brisk walk around the grounds...

I didn't want to go back the way we came, so I studied our map and found that there was a road that went straight through that would have gotten us here so much faster - and without having to go downtown at all.

I'm getting better at the map thing - I have to.  Hubby keeps getting us lost, so I have to find him and get him back on track.
I'm worried about how he'll get around when I have to go back home!

We also checked out our apartment.  We were hoping that we could get in and unload the truck - driving around this city with all our belongings in the back, is a bit nerve-wracking.
The company hasn't sent the check yet, so the manager couldn't let us move in, but she did take us on a tour of the models.  Tiny, tiny - can't move all of our stuff in here for sure, but it will be a fun little stopping spot for now...

Driving around here is pretty stressful, so we came back to the motel and just watched Christmas movies.  I looked up a few houses for us to look at, and drew my own maps to find them.

We're finding that this city is laid out pretty much like Reno is - there are main roads that run the length and breadth of it, and the freeway circles around the outside.  I don't think it will take us too long to find our way around, but we will for sure need a more economical car!
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December 8th...

...Was spent on the road.  Saying good bye to my girls was so hard!

We got off earlier than expected, and made good time - until we got here.
It took us almost as long to find the store and our motel as it did to get down here.
My navigational skills need work...

We toured the store, and wow - holding a job fair this week seems really premature now.
The floors have been torn up right down to the dirt - they are putting down new cement, the ceiling tiles are all gone...  It's nothing but an empty shell.  What will a boat load of employees do for a couple of months while they finish?

In my fantasies about this place, we were on the outskirts of the city - but that is so not true.
We are right in the middle of everything!  We are destined to become city dwellers!
...Can I really do this?

Hmmm...  Recalculating.

It's really bothering us that we haven't seen any Christmas lights anywhere - then again, we turned in pretty early last night.

Stress.
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December 5th, 6th & 7th

This is getting confusing reporting the day's activites after the fact, but you can't describe a day until you lived it...

Did as much gathering. as I could yesterday.  Laundry, packing etc.
I also had to go visit a few neighbors.  I've been visiting these same ladies for over 5 years now - who knows if or when I'll see them again.  (But then, that's silly - I'll be back, right?)

Anyway, big "W" had to work, so I spent the night sniffing scented candle samples with my girls, and watching Gilmore Girls on TV.
Love chick nights with my girls!

I couldn't sleep again, so I ordered photos and printed maps from Google maps, from here to there - from there to yonder and back again.
I'm so glad I only have one more work day this week - I'm getting tired of running on 4 hours sleep...

Today was indeed a long day.

Had me running all over the store again.  I don't ever have time to even TRY to clean the place.  We'll probably get chewed out in the morning!

The only good part of that, is that they are not calling me to go help with the truck or at the registers.
They know there's no one to cover the department if they do.  :-)
We had an extra helper last year - this year we didn't get one.

After work, we were invited over to Jeff's to dinner.  They celebrated his birthday early, since we will not be here.  Oh my goodness, why does food taste so much better when someone else cooks it?

Truly delicious - comfort food, Steak, mac & cheese casserole, Jennie's home made rolls, and an ice cream bar for desert.  The 3 girls provided the after dinner entertainment.  :-)

Heading to bed early tonight - I've had it.

Dec. 7th was just work and more final packing.  Work was great because I just kept thinking, this is my last day for a week!
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December 4th

Ok - I'm a bit slow, but I didn't realize that Dec. 8th was THIS weekend until my head hit the pillow last night.  So, I was wide awake, and kicking myself for totally wasting the day!
I  wasn't able to go to sleep until 4:30, I spent the night looking up places that we need to check out when we get down there, and making lists of things I need to do.

I had a morning shift today.  Ouch - all that on no sleep?  Looooong day.

Major miracle came by Fed-Ex while I was home for lunch.  Took away some major worries :-)
...Feeling so thankful.

A member of my bishoprick stopped by at the store.  I told him that I would likely be gone for the rest of the month, so he said they would release me on Sunday.
I asked if I should go ahead and plan the music for December, to which he replied "No.  You can just be done."  Any other time I might have been offended by that, but all I can feel now is relieved.
Another worry lifted.

So far, things have been falling into place for us.  It is such a different feeling - it almost makes me suspicious... Where is the big crash that's coming?  I know it's out there somewhere - lurking...

But for the time being, I'm so very grateful.
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December 3rd

Day off.  I kept checking my schedule, because I couldn't quite believe it was true, but there it was.

I should be doing so much - but I'm confused by so many things... like if we're not selling the house, and the girls are staying here, why is it so urgent to pack up absolutely everything we own now?
Especially since we don't know exactly where we'll be a few months from now.
(We'll be in the apartment for 2 months tops.)

So I worked on the short term stuff - laundry of items we'll need for next week, a little Christmas shopping and wrapping.  a NAP.  You know, just the important stuff.  :-)

When hubby got home, I told him I need LISTS!  So we made one - short term goals, and addresses of places we need to look up while we're there.  And got to make sure we pack the swim suits, just so we can tell people we went swimming in December!

Melissa made chocolate chip pancakes for dinner, and requested fudge for desert.

Sweet.
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December 2

Fairly uneventful.

I slept right through church today - I'm working until eleven now, so mornings are kind of hard...
I hope they've got my replacement now, because I'll be out of town for the next two Sundays.

The girls made home-made pizza before I went to work - yum! And malts too!
I had to scarf it down, and I only saw the grans for a minute.

Love my family!  :-)

Work was fairly slow, so I was able to give the whole area at least a once over before going home.
About an hour before it was time to leave, there was a horrible storm - hail was bouncing off the roof, the wind was howling - there was even lightning and thunder!  The store is basically built like a tin shed, so it really made a ruckus!  Poor Maria in cosmetics was terrified!

It did calm down a bit by the time I left, but it was still pouring pretty hard.

Tomorrow is a day off - hope I wake up with some ambition.  Still so much to do...
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December Daily - 1

Ali Edwards (well known scrapbooker) always sends around posts of her "December Daily" mini albums, where each day of the month is recorded - family activities, holiday preparations, etc.
I've always thought this was a good idea, but being the busy month it always is, I have never had the time...

This year I'm thinking I can at least blog it (?)  So, like a well intended New Year's Resolution, (good idea until it comes to the actual practice,)  I am diving in...

December first:

I had a shorter shift today, and should have accomplished a lot - but instead, I took the spare hours to rest my worn out body.  Folks laughed at me when I posted this on Facebook, after all, it's only December 1st, but I have been at this for weeks already (The Christmas merchandise went up at the store the same time as the Halloween!)  It is to that point where I am running my full shift, and never getting caught up.  (This is hard on me - I am so anal about leaving a clean department.  Having to just turn my back and walk away...)

I did have some braistorming about my Christmas Eve party, and found most of what I needed on Pinterest - now to enlist the girls in helping to execute the plan...

My girls are surprising me with their Christmas spirit this year.  They have always complained about having so many decorations, but this year they are missing them!  Jennifer has been such a trooper.
Dad put up the tree amidst the packing, but it stood bare for almost a week - until Jenny volunteered to finish it.  She kept asking me what to put on it (I was busy,) so I told her to do it exactly how SHE would like it.  It's very simple, but I like it.  Change is good.  :-)

She also bought lights for the outside of the house (dad lost them) and hung them all by herself!

Melissa has already baked a batch of sugar cookies for dad.

As a parent, it's good to know that all efforts are not lost...
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Still Here...

And pressing forward.

A co-worker mentioned last night that it doesn't even feel like the holidays.
That is more true than she can even know - our halls are usually decked near to bursting with holiday... crap.  But this year, it's just boxes, boxes, more boxes and clutter.

Hubby did haul up a few deco's - a tree, the giant wreath, etc., but there are no lights on the eaves, no Santas in the basement, and no music playing from dawn to dusk.

Working in the toy department doesn't do much to inspire holiday feelings either - the hours are long, the work is hard, and I just RUN all day long.

I was so stressed out about Black Friday, that Thanksgiving came and went without even being noticed.

Retail sucks all the joy out of everything...

In a little note from my friend, she said that there are parts of the holocaust that sounded like more fun than Walmart at Christmas.  Gave me a great belly laugh, but it sadly is so true.

The only thing that keeps me going, is knowing that my days are numbered there.
 I am almost giddy with anticipation of going to Vegas next week.  Hubby's company will be renting us and apartment for a couple of months, until we have time to look for something else, but it won't be available until the day I'm supposed to head back home.  (We're going down on the 8th of Dec. - he will stay there and start work, but I have to come back home for a few weeks to finish mine.)
Until then, we'll be holed up in a motel somewhere...

But here are pictures of our new temporary digs;

...It's tiny, but there's just the two of us - actually, most of the time it will just be me - they plan to work him to death for a while...  It's ok though, I have books, movies and projects to fill my time :-)

No furniture, we'll have to rent some for a while, but it's part of an apartment complex (more pics) - gated, and with a park and pool!
It's funny, because I looked at this place several times while doing my internet home search, but I kept thinking, naw, Wayland would never go for that place because of the colors...  Ha ha - so the company picked it for us!

The description of the place says that it's within walking distance to shopping and dining, so I'm thinking I'll be ok.  :-)  For hubby, it will be work, but for me, it will be a mini vacation amidst the craziness of the season.  We'll take a few decorations so that hubby can feel at home...

Eight days and counting...

Today is another one of those working days, so off I go...

*Sigh*
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Bah Humbug.

More than a little bit down today - I hope the neighborhoods are a lot friendlier out of state.

 I sent an email to my book club this week saying how much I would miss them, and got ...not one response.  Not one.

And I told my bishop today that he should start thinking of replacing me, and he said 'oh yeah, we're already on that."   ...my visiting teaching partner only cares about getting the job done before I leave.

*Sigh*  not feeling much love around here.

Meanwhile, the kids are complaining about all the books I have and how heavy they are...  (Just wait till I box up all the scrapbook paper in the basement!  I'm sure there are at least 4 trees down there!)

...On the upside, Black Friday weekend is over, and I have survived.  We did have a few minor incidents, but no one went to the hospital or to jail, so I guess it was a success.

My daughter has been helping in my department the last couple of days - I can see her slipping easily into my job - she's quicker, brighter, and cuter - no one will ever miss me.

Life is great.

Starting to count the hours, minutes, seconds...

 Everyone around us is all lit up for Christmas already.  

Don't know how much decorating we'll do around here - hubby won't be home to take it down.  (When hubby goes to Vegas, he stays in Vegas.)

Signing off now, I'm depressing myself just reading through this.

Later.

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Chaos.

It's getting pretty deep here now, the packing to move has begun in earnest.
Hubby has very few days left to do what he can (me too!)  So we've been doing as much as possible every spare minute.

Instead of the sparkling Christmas decorations that usually by now are creeping into place, the house is full of cardboard boxes and clutter.
It's a necessary evil, but it's giving me claustrophobic attacks.

I've been feeling so positive and excited for the change, but this week the old monster FEAR has reared his ugly head.  I've been thinking about all the things that could go wrong, (and probably will, because let's face it - this is US!  When have things ever gone smoothly for us?)

My biggest concern is for my daughters.  I can't leave here until I know they will be safe and secure without us.  ...And second, that we'll be able to afford a decent place, in a safe neighborhood.
(Or will we end up in a cardboard box under a bridge?  I have too much stuff for that!)

Anxiety.

Meanwhile, my daughter's wallet went missing several weeks ago.  We have been so positive that it was in this house somewhere, but all efforts to find it have failed.
She checked her bank statement today, and found that her debit card has been used this week.
So, apparently, we were wrong.

She stopped all future payments, and will go get all her documents replaced tomorrow, but it has left her feeling sick and violated.  Poor baby, some of life's realities are ugly ones.

One happy note to the day today, we spent the evening at my son's house, celebrating the birthday of his youngest daughter.  She is such a fun child - filled with life and energy and imagination.

We gave her the DVD Brave,  a Merida Barbie doll to go with it - and a cute little outfit.  As soon as she opened them, she ran to try on the clothes, (she looked adorable,) while her dad popped in the movie.
It was fun to see her so excited, - and Jeff's children never forget to say "thank you" or show their gratitude, which I love.

I should be sleeping - went to bed early and exhausted, but stress, or something like unto it, has crept into my brain to destroy my peace.

It's a work day tomorrow, and much to do before I go, so I really must give it another try.

Sigh.
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AWOL

Haven't been around much lately, but that is because my world has gone topsy-turvy...

Hubby finally got his store - so we are moving.  To North Las Vegas.
It's been crazy around here - it's the busiest time for me at work, so having to sort through and pack - and try to think ahead to the holidays is pretty stressful.

Hubby and I will be going down the week before Christmas to look for a place to live.  We will come back for Christmas here - then we are gone.

The girls are going to try to keep the house up and running - probably take on a room mate or two.
We'll see how that works out...

Yesterday, we had a surprise snow storm!  It continued through the night, so we have about a foot of the icky white stuff on the lawn today.

Can't get to the desert soon enough!

Probably won't be around much until next year - so, Happy Holidays!
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Witch Fest

This month has been so much fun - I've had a couple of long awaited escapes that I so badly needed.
 First, the trip to Reno, and then my sister weekend that has been in the planning all summer...

We converged at my sister's house in A.F. for this one.  I love visiting there, because it is my "old stomping grounds" and holds so many childhood memories for me.

During the time since the planning began, one of her children moved home with his family, but they graciously abandoned their space for us, and spent the weekend with the in-laws so that we could have our party.  We did get to see them a few times to meet the new wife and kids, and say "hi' though...

 We stopped in to the new mini mart to fuel up before heading up to Gardner Village, and they were having their grand opening - the Jazz Bear was there, with a couple of cheerleaders.  so, I snapped a few shots for my son, who is a fan...

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 Gardner Village is so much fun this time of year - they decorate with life size witches all over the grounds.  Unknown to us, however, it was UEA for Salt Lake County - meaning, every kid in the county was there, doing a witchy scavenger hunt.  It was SO crowded (much like Disneyland at Christmas,)  we had to park in the boonies, and walk a mile...

 The shops were awesome too - I have never seen so many styles and colors of witch hats in my life!
...And, of course, we had to try on a few...

 Taking a breather at the doll shop... (Loved those sunflowers!)

 Pirate witch...

 Cute cute merchandise...

 Loved the gardens too :-)

 Back at Ruth's house...  Jeremy's kitty was so mean to us at first, that I didn't want anything to do with him, but he slowly warmed up to us, and before long we bonded...
(He's trying to grab my camera cord here.)

 Suzy brought her boys with her - it made us wonder at first - boys at a hen party?  But we haven't seen them for ages.  It was good to see & catch up with them.   They didn't seem to mind our craziness.  I imagine they will go home with some good stories to tell their friends...

 Ruth's house was decked out so cute for the holidays.  This poor dude has "seen" better days...

 I'm so glad we were able to get together this month - it has been a couple of years since our last retreat.  I love these girls - they are my playmates, my best friends, and my support group.  No one else understands you like a sister, who has experienced your life right along side you.

Love, love, love you all - 'till next time!
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Playing Dolls

This past weekend, I spent with my sister in Reno.

Months ago, a friend of hers had told me she was going out there to go to the annual doll show, and invited me to go along, so I had put in for the time off.

Just a few days before, however, my sister emailed me and said that the friend was sick and not doing well, but wondered if I would come anyway.  She helped me to book a flight, and I did go - solo.

I've flown many times, but never by myself, so it was a bit stressful.  Especially since I had to change planes in Las Vegas.  But I just kept telling myself that once I got this first time over with, it would never be that scary again...

The airline we chose had open seating, so I scored a window seat every trip.
 I love the view of the world up there!  The ride home from Vegas was the most amazing - the plane flies at a lower altitude, so I could recognize each place we flew over - "there's St. George, Point of the Mountain, etc. all the way home.  And the views were so fantastic!  I finally saw the Grand Canyon - in it's entirety...

...Not to mention Zions, Bryces, and some other grand vistas that I'm not even sure of the names.

Wow.

At Debbie's, Dana had just obtained a new smoker, so each night I was treated to a yummy treat - smoked salmon, chicken, ribs - wow.  And each of the boys came to see me while I was there.

I'm such a dork, I didn't even think to get my camera out and get a picture of Tyson's family - each of her boys have had a new little girl since I last saw them - so I hadn't even met them yet.

Tyson's little Katie was so adorable - such a little lady.
I had brought them each a little gift, (seeing how I am the toy lady,) and Katie carried the little gift bag around with her all night, like it was a little purse.  She was more enthralled with the tiny book that came with her pony than she was with the pony.  So, so cute.

Tyson had made me some cookies - he has become quite the cookie chef.  Debbie says that he concocts his own recipes - and they are amazing!  People always seek his goods out at bake sales, and will pay whatever it takes to get them.

 I was soon to find out why...

These little babies are to die for!  They are tiny, but such a burst of yummy flavor, that you don't notice.

I must have eaten a dozen of them, and even smuggled a few home in my purse, so my family could taste them.  

I asked Ty if I could have the recipe, but he said that I would have to sign a waiver.

...He said that they are still in the experimental stage, so that the results are not guaranteed...

Whatever - if I could even come close, it would be so worth it!

Ty is so talented - he works as a fence builder, and he salvages the spare parts to create art pieces like this one:

I was totally in love with this - "steampunkery" at it's finest.  =)

The first day, we went garage sale-ing.  I saw some great little furniture pieces that I could have used, but the problem of getting them on the plane home deterred me from buying.

When we got home, Debbie suggested a ride up to Donner Lake - something that I had hoped we would be able to do.  

There are so many beautiful places outside of Reno - I wanted so much to get out of the city, and just enjoy Fall. 

 But alas, the previous week's work schedule caught up with me, and I crashed on the couch.  

(They worked me HARD the week before I left, to make up for the hours I would miss.)

I am still sorry that I missed that ride, and will be until I get another chance!

Anyway, my second day there was the doll show.  I've been to one there before, and didn't find it that exciting - the prices were high, and I just didn't find anything that I couldn't live without.

This time, however - the prices were amazing.  I hadn't intended to buy anything, but I just couldn't resist. 

 I scored a beautiful Victorian Barbie, a few darling Boyd's bears, a fun little Disney "Kim Possible" doll for my daughter (she's been buying the episodes on DVD lately, and loving them,) and she was only two bucks!  I mean, really...

I also found an American Girl "Samantha" doll - she is retired now, but one that I had always wished for.  She didn't have a box, but she was less than the original price, and in excellent condition.

So how could I not?  I've priced her on ebay, and the prices are up into the triple digits now...

Doll people are so funny - they are not only friendly, but almost child like in their enthusiasm. 

 One lady kept stopping us to show us little things that she found - she would get so excited, I was afraid she would hyperventilate. 

...And one of the vendors got down on the floor (even though she must have been in her 70's) just to demonstrate some of her mechanical antique toys (unasked,) for us.  It was all too fun. :-)

I was caught up in it too, I guess.  I bought all that stuff without even thinking how I would get it home.

I had to borrow an extra bag from my sis to get it here.  

When we got back from the show, Nate came to visit with his little girl.  

She was adorable too - but soooo shy, that I couldn't get close to her - in fact, if she caught me looking at her, she would bury her head in her daddy's shoulder.  

 (She looks so much liker her grandma did at her age!)

Dana pulled Nathan away to go "practice" something, and later I learned it was to prepare for a private concert - the audience?

 Me!

 Just me.

 Awesome.

I had a simply wonderful time.  Flights from here to there are so economical, and only an hour from here - why have I not done this before?

 I will definitely be doing it again.
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