Thanksgiving 2010

We were thrilled to have my sister Amy and her family come down from Boise and join us for Thanksgiving this year. It was so much fun having them here!

Gabbie absolutely loved playing with her cousins, Jake & Paige. Both of them were great to her and she had a ball with them!

I love how Gabbie is looking at Paige in the picture below!

In addition to a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, we also decorated a gingerbread house and sugar cookies.

Once again, you can see Gabbie looking up to her cousins and trying to be like them in making her funny face! I love it!

Paige has always taken a real interest in Gabbie and been so good to her. She was so happy that Gabbie would finally sit on her lap!

Below is the final result for Gabbie in decorating cookies. She was covered in frosting and sparkles. But she sure had fun getting that way!

Check it out below... warning... it is a long video, but I know the grandma's will love it.

Thanks, Amy & Tyler, for making the trip to visit us! We loved having you and appreciate so much you including us in your Thanksgiving plans!

Since they left, Gabbie has surely missed them. She still loves the gingerbread house and talks about decorating it with Paige and Jake. She has to look at it all the time! Whenever she eats, she has to have it right in front of her so she can continue to admire their fine work.

(See the tongue? Totally reminds me of my sister Steph!)

Now she is just left with the dogs to play with. Not quite as much fun as her cousins,

but I guess they will have to do!

Frosty the Snowman

(The poop she is referring to on the gingerbread house is really just some crumbs she broke off the other day. You can't see it real great in the video. She was looking at the gingerbread house the other day and all of a sudden cried, "Oh, no! There is poop in the snow! Oh, she makes me laugh!)

Gabbie has really enjoyed this holiday season. She is so much fun! She made a gingerbread house with her cousins, Jake & Paige, over Thanksgiving. She still loves it and looks at it everyday.

She is also obsessed with Frosty the Snowman! She isn't really all that interested in Santa, but cannot get enough of Frosty!

DONE! D-O-N-E!! DONE!

I am DONE! Just turned in my last paper and completed all my discussion posts for my last class... I am DONE!

To see my deep thoughts on the matter, please click here to check out my post from October when I was able to attend my graduation.

Today, my thoughts are not so deep, just absolutely thrilled to be DONE!

Yep, stick a fork in me... I AM DONE!

(see, not so deep!)

Next goal - PHR (Professional in Human Resources) exam in January!

But I think I will take a week off before worrying about that...

In Loving Memory of our Dallas

Dallas - October 17, 2005 - December 1, 2010

We lost a very loved member of our family today.... Dallas was hit and killed by a car this afternoon. He may have been just a dog, but to us he was so much more; he was family. He had been a part of our lives for the past 5 years and had brought

much joy, laughter, and love to all of us.

Oh, Dallas, how we will miss you!

Halloween 2010

This year, we started Halloween out by visiting Thanksgiving Point. Gabbie got to pet a bunny and ride a pony.

Gabbie's cousins joined us and we had a fun time exploring and checking out the animals!

We then headed to my mom and dad's where we found the cutest little Nemo! Gabbie liked her costume, but only for about 5 minutes.

We were joined by more cousins!

Gabbie had lots of fun checking out everyones costumes and getting candy. She didn't care about eating it, just collecting it!

She was so much fun this year and it is so enjoyable watching her as she understands more and more about the holidays.

Here is a little compilation of videos from the day!

Gabbie's First Jack-o-Lanterns

Gabbie got her first adventure in carving pumpkins last night. I really thought she would like pulling the gooey stuff out of the pumpkin, but she wanted no part of touching that stuff. She did like watching mom do it and attempted it with a spoon,

but even that was too much goo for her.

Her favorite part was having Papa Larry there to help and...

and putting the face pieces back in like a puzzle.

She had fun, and that is what matters. Maybe next year she venture into the guts of the pumpkin!

The Long and Winding Road...

has finally led me here! The day of my college graduation!

I started college at 18 but just didn't have the commitment or desire to apply myself or continue. I liked working and really enjoyed the paycheck! I had a work ethic, but didn't have the school ethic, so I stopped.

In the spring of 2003, I returned to school. I didn't return with a degree in mind, but decided I would take a few classes that I found interesting. The next semester, I took a few more that peaked my interest. This go around, I really liked school and found my school ethic that rivaled my work ethic.

So, I decided to focus and get a degree. My first plan was set and included the University of Utah. But with getting married and moving to Elko, I created a plan B. That plan included an Elementary Education degree from Great Basic College. With only 2 classes and my student teaching to go, I realized that I loved my job at Newmont and didn't want to risk losing it by quitting to do my student teaching. It was a difficult decision as I had worked so hard and was so close to my goal, but I create Plan C. This plan included Ashford University and a degree in Organizational Management. With only 2 classes left and a completion date of September 27 in the near future, I added a Human Resources specialization which meant another 4 classes and pushing my completion date back to December 13.

So, technically, I am still on the long and winding road until December 13, but was able to walk in my graduation ceremony in Clinton, IA on October 15, 2010.

There were times I thought I would never see this day. I am sure I wasn't the only one who wondered if I would ever finish my bachelors degree. But with a lot of hard work, determination and TONS of support from my husband, family and friends,

I DID IT!!!

My parents, sister Liz, Gabbie and Kiley

My parents are amazing people! They have believed in me and supported me when I didn't believe in myself. I could never had made it here without them. They can finally say that all 7 of their kids are college graduates!

Kiley has been my biggest supporter throughout this journey. He has supported me, beleived in me, encouraged me, and pushed me when I needed it. He has let me lock myself in the office to focus only on papers, quizzes, discussion posts or other tasks while he takes care of everything else. When I literally thought I could not write one more paper and had my mini breakdown, he was the one who reminded me of how far I had come and what I had already accomplished and that yes, I could write at least one more paper!

I love you honey and couldn't have done this without your love and support.

Oh, Gabbie.... the hopes and dreams I have for you! More than anything in the world, I want you to know that you are SO loved. I want you to dream big and know that you have everything you need inside yourself to achieve those dreams!

Dream BIG, as BIG as the ocean blue!

I have loved this journey, bumps and all. I cannot believe that it will soon be over and done. I won't know what to do with myself with no papers to write or something constantly hanging over my head that has a due date tied to it.

And if I am totally honest with myself, I have to admit that part of me will actually miss it.

Race for the Cure - Reno 2010

Gabbie and I headed to Reno with three of my dear friends to participate in the Race for the Cure the on October 3. It was a fun weekend full of shopping and good food.

The day of the race was cold and rainy, but it didn't stop us and a couple thousand others from getting and and running or walking for a great cause!

Gabbie even enjoyed the walk... what a trooper!

Krispy Kreme Day 2010

Krispy Kreme Day in the Park is an annual tradition for the Tate Family each summer. Gabbie was able to attend last year, although she was too young to eat a donut! Not this year! This July she ate donuts, played and throughly enjoyed herself!

Oh, what a difference a year makes!

The cousins with their hats and donuts!

With her cousins, Sid and Jake. I love how they are both looking at her!

Check out that smirk!

I stole these two photos from my sister Janet. I love how they show the fun and love my parents have for their grandkids. They do so many fun traditions, creating wonderful memories! I am so glad Gabbie is a part of it!

Silly Sunday

Gabbie is really starting to get an opinion about a lot! Her fashion is no exception. She is much more vocal about what she has on. Here are a few shots from our lazy Sunday...

Started out with pj's, sweatpants and sunglasses. The sweatpants and sunglasses were Gabbie's special touch!

Then she talked Daddy into giving her an ice cream bar all her own. The result - one happy kid with a very dirty face!

She has also become quite obsessed about shoes. She likes to have them on most of the time, even if that means over her footed pj's!

Yesterday, she decided she wanted 1 sneaker and 1 sandal. She got her wish!

She is so fun and her personality becomes more unique everyday!

What a girl!

Great Grandma Manell & Our Trip to St. George

We started off our 4th of July Weekend by heading down to St. George to see Gabbie's Great Grandma Manell. She is such an amazing lady and still going strong at 98 years old!

We had a great time visiting with Grandma, going to dinner and even getting some swimming in. Gabbie had a wonderful time and we did too! We love spending time with Grandma Manell and realize how lucky we are that Gabbie gets the change to know her.

The four generations spanning 97 years.

I love the interaction between Great Grandma and Gabbie here. In fact, most of the pictures with both of them, Great Grandma is more focused on Gabbie than anything else.

We even got to see Vicky's sister, Kay. We don't get to see his extended family much, so we were excited to be able to see Kay!

Gabbie educating Great Grandma on the Yo Gabba Gabba guys!

Gabbie and her Daddy! What a special relationship these two have. She absolutely adores him and I think the adoration is quite mutual!

Gabbie is also quite fond of her Nana and Papa Charles. They are so good to her and brought her some very special treasures from their trip to France, including this Minnie Mouse shirt and the cute white outfit she is wearing in the pics above.

At dinner, showing everyone where her nose is!

I am so glad and grateful that Gabbie has such a great relationship with her grandparents and her only great grandparent. These are special memories for sure!