Our November....

Merry Christmas! There's snow outside and Christmas music and decorations everywhere! I just love the beauty, magic and mystery that only this time of year brings! I can't believe that there's only a few weeks left of school before winter break and Christmas is just around the corner.

November was a little crazy and brought some changes our way. Like my best friend Katrina eloquently put it, busy is a word we often use, but doesn't even begin to cover it. So true!

The last week of October, a lost or abandoned 6 month old cat began wandering our neighborhood. Mikaela noticed her right away to which we told her to leave the cat alone. For 3 days the cat followed me to the mailbox and I ignored her. I wanted her to go home or someone ELSE to take pity on her. I love all animals but Mike and I and the boys are dog people through and through. Mikaela, however, has been a cat person since she knew what one was. We did a pretty good job of ignoring her till we had our first really cold Fall night and she was meowing outside our door. I swear she knew all along that we're suckers. I brought her in to Mike's horror. I thought she had to belong to someone because she's beautiful. I made it perfectly clear to the kids that we were NOT keeping this cat and we took her to the vet to see if she's microchipped. She's not. I went on a mission to find her owners. I checked craigslist, the paper, called the pounds and rescues. I looked for lost cat signs and put up found cat signs....nothing. As fast as I was looking for her owners, the kids were falling in love with her and it was mutual. When no owners were to be found, we had to decide if we wanted to keep her or find her another home. Mike and I had to decide if we could be cat people. We took a month to decide and during that month, the kitty actually worked her little way into our family. Mike was the hardest sell and I think she knew it because she followed him everywhere. But I think what won us over in the end was the fact that she gives real hugs. Sweetest thing I've ever seen. So, I still don't know if we're cat people but apparently we're THIS cat's people. ;) Kitty got a name, a collar, a bed and there's actual cat toys in our house...I'm still shocked....but Abbey has moved in. Oh and there's one more recent development...she's apparently pregnant...little hussy. ;) I tell ya...never a dull moment in this house...ever. ;)

Both Kyler and Mikaela had their birthday parties this month. Mikaela decided to have three friends go to the movies to see "Puss In Boots" and then come back to the house for pizza, cake, ice cream and a sleep over. Kyler's birthday isn't until December but we've found that people get really busy after Thanksgiving and so we celebrate it early now. Kyler had so much fun at his party last year, he decided to repeat it again this year. He had a bunch of friends go swimming at the Aquatic Center and then come back to the house for pizza, cake and ice cream. Afterwards a couple of the boys spent the night. They both thought their parties were a hit so I think it's safe to say we had success. :) I'm still having a hard time believing Kyler is ELEVEN and Mikaela is EIGHT! Where does the time go??? :(

Kyler and Mikaela are back in Ballroom again with Jayden. We had taken about a 5 month break but are back into the swing of things...no pun intended. ;) They're all three taking the Junior Ballroom class and then Kyler likes to stay for the class afterwards with the older kids for more experience. Kyler and Jayden are finally getting to take private lessons together which was the plan all along so they could dance together. It's been fun and they're all enjoying being back.

Kyler has his first basketball practice of the season this Saturday and he can't wait. We needed a little bit of a sports break after baseball and so we didn't let him play the Fall basketball league like we usually do and just signed him up for Winter. You would have thought it was the end of the world that he wasn't playing a sport every second of the year by how he's been driving us crazy asking if his coach has called and when practices start. He was able to get the same coach that he's had for the past 3 years so we were excited about that. He's a great coach...works them hard but is still patient and easy going... so it should be a good season.

Mikaela is wrapping up this semester of dance. They're starting to get ready for their recital in May. This month they pick out their recital outfits. They're learning their Christmas dances for December and then when they come back from the winter break in January, they'll start learning their recital dances. She's very excited!

Kamden is still busy being Kamden. He really "gets" Christmas this year and is so excited about all things Christmas. There's nothing like seeing Christmas through the eyes of a four year old, I promise you.

School is going really well for both kiddos. We had the whole week of Thanksgiving off because Monday and Tuesday were Parent/Teacher Conferences which was really nice. The conferences went really well...all good things, so that always makes you proud and brings a smile to your heart. Both of them also had fieldtrips this month which was fun. I went with Mikaela's class to the theater to see the play, "Miss Nelson Is Missing". Fieldtrips to the theater are always my favorite! Mike got to take a day off work and go on a fieldtrip with Kyler's class to hike Sandia Mountain. It was a little chilly but they still really enjoyed it. While the kids were out of school, we got to go to the movies a few times....we just love going to the movies and jump at the chance when we can.

We had a nice and relaxing Thanksgiving this year. Usually we make our own turkey and Thanksgiving dinner but this year with Mike working so many hours, we decided to forego that and just decorate the house for Christmas. We still got to have a fabulous Thanksgiving Dinner though because The Schimke's had us over and it was WONDERFUL! It was a perfect day.

We decided to take our house off the market the day before Thanksgiving and we'll reevaluate things again in the Spring. We got great feedback from buyers and the realtor tours, I just don't think it's the right time market wise or for us. We were always okay with staying or moving, so we're content and happy staying here for now. I have to say, it's nice not having to worry about people tromping through our house, especially throughout the holidays.

Well, I think that's all our November news. Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas surrounded by people you love and the brightest of New Years!

Sending Lots of Christmas Love and Hugs,
The Glade's

Create a free photo slideshow

This free digital slideshow generated with Smilebox

Another digital slideshow by Smilebox

Dramatic 4 year old anyone???

Last week Kamden was helping me in the yard. We needed to blow the leaves before it snowed and froze the leaves where they were and I would have to look at them until Spring. We also needed to bury the Christmas light cords outside. We'd gotten the leaves all cleaned up and it was lunchtime so I took Kamden inside and made him a small sandwich and a drink. He wanted two small sandwiches but I told him to eat the first before we made a second. About 10 minutes later I was burying cords in the front yard and Kamden came outside and asked me to make him another sandwich. I told him that I couldn't make it right this minute but would after I got finished burying the cords.

Kamden: "But my (he says "my" for his "I"s) going to STARVE!"

Me: "You are NOT going to starve Kamden, you JUST ate a sandwich...you can wait a few more minutes for another sandwich."

Kamden: "See, you just said my going to starve"

Me: "Seriously Kamden"

Kamden going back into the house with his head down: "Yes, my seriously going to starve"

Me: "You're just fine...I'll be in there in about 5 more minutes"

Kamden: "Okay, but my be seriously starved then"

Um...drama, party of one. ;)

This is such a perfect example of Kamden because when I got back in the house about 10 minutes later, he'd made his own sandwich and was eating it.

Little stinkpot. :)

Abbey....

It was a big decision and took a lot of soul searching (a whole month's worth) but we might just be able to be "cat people". Or THIS cat's people anyway. ;) We won't push it just yet. There's still a part of me that still believes I'm a dog person and is even a little embarassed to be seen in the cat aisle at Wal-Mart. Not that there's anything embarassing about being a cat person. I've just always been a dog person and now my identity is being shaken up a bit. *stop laughing* It cracks Mike up that I zip down the cat aisle as fast as I can and actually hide the cat food and litter underneath my basket with things surrounding it so no one can see it. I know...like anyone cares. See, logically I know it's silly but my emotions have yet to catch up with my logic. ;)
We must be meant to have this cat because I worked very hard to find her owner and there's just not one to be found. While I was working to find an owner, she was just working her way into our family...and shockingly fitting right in. Mike and I are more surprised than anyone. Who would have thought??? She's smart and actually behaves better than our dogs...but what won us over in the end was...this cat actually gives real hugs. Sweetest thing I've ever seen.
So, we've officially adopted kitty and finally given her a name....meet the newest member of the Glade family...Abbey. She has a name, a collar, a bed, cat toys...she's all moved in.

And there's ONE more thing.................

We found out she's PREGNANT...little hussy. ;)

Never a dull moment around here...never. :)

Our October...

Well, the Halloween decorations are all put away and my Fall Scarecrows are out...a telltale sign in our house that November is here and Thanksgiving is almost upon us. It's hard to believe that the holidays are right around the corner. The day after Halloween I was in Wal-Mart and "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" was playing....craziness.

The first of October we went on our yearly trip to McCall's Pumpkin Patch. It's definitely become a Fall family tradition for us as we've gone every year for a decade now. We started going when Kyler was one and it's amazing how much it's grown and changed in 10 years. It's just not Halloween until we've gone to McCalls and picked out pumpkins for the kids' jack o' lanterns. Tim, Shayla and the girls met us there and we had a great time or as the kids put it, "One of the BEST days of the year".

The kids had their Fall Break from school this month. Mike had to work and so we didn't do much. I ended up taking the kids to lunch and the movies which we all love. We all get to watch a movie and I get a couple hours of peace. Everyone wins.

Both boys wrapped up their Fall baseball season. Kyler's team almost ended the season undefeated but ending up losing their last game. It was a TOUGH game, too. Kyler was catcher for most of the game and he got hit in the mask twice and his cleat once from batter's throwing the bat. The team handled the loss really well. In fact, I don't think you would have been able to tell they lost at the end of the game. Of course, their team party was right after the game so maybe that had something to do with it. Kyler limped for a few days after the game, but was back to his crazy 10 year old self in no time.

Kamden had a fun first season of T-Ball. He had the same coach as Kyler did for both Spring and Fall which was nice and worked out really well. At the last game Kamden was last batter which is USUALLY a cool thing in T-Ball because it's like they hit a home run as they get to run all the bases at once. I thought he'd love it, especially since he likes to slide home "like Kyler". Well, we forgot to tell Kamden it was a fun thing because he freaked out and got embarrassed when everyone started cheering for him and barely made it around all the bases and then didn't want to bat again even when the coaches told him he didn't have to bat last. So....Kamden sat the bench for the rest of the game...by his choice....little TOOT! Ahhhh...the joys of the strong willed child. He did love his first team party and trophy so it still ended on a good note.

Mikaela is still dancing away. She would never admit it but she loves a challenge. I've learned that the minute dance gets redundant or "boring" as she puts it, she wants to quit. Her tap class is always challenging because she's with older girls so she never complains about it. She goes back and forth with ballet. When they're learning something new, she loves it. When they're reviewing to make it perfect before they move on, she wants to quit. I'm just glad we finally figured out why she has this love/hate relationship with ballet. Both are good for her though...the challenge and reviewing to make it perfect...so she'll be staying in ballet, even when it's not as fun.

All three kiddos got to go to Payten's birthday party this month. It was a lot of fun as we got to see a ton of family and the kids got to ride to the party in a hummer limo and then play AND sleep in two bounce houses. Mike and I stayed at the party until after dinner and then since we were kid free for the night we went to the late show. It's not every day the kids get to play with tons of cousins, ride in a limo, have a party and a sleepover. Mike and I got to do that (with the exception of the limo ride) PLUS get a kid free evening! Can't beat that!

Halloween was so much fun this year! The night before Halloween we had friends over for dinner and pumpkin carving. On Halloween morning, Kamden and I went to the school for the kids' Story Book Parade. Kamden lucked out...he got to watch and walk in the parade with both Kyler and Mikaela and then go back for Kyler's class party. Lucky little boy! When they got home from school we got them all dressed up and went to the Schimke's and trick or treated with them for a little bit and then came home and trick or treated around our neighborhood for hours. Kyler was the Faceless Phantom again, Mikaela a Princess and Kyler was Spiderman.

Halloween is always the beginning of the madness for us because we have Kyler's and Mikaela's birthday parties before Thanksgiving. Definitely makes for a busy start to the holidays. We hope you're all enjoying the cooler weather and all the beautiful fall colors! We wish you all a happy and blessed Thanksgiving surrounded by friends and family that you love! As always, keep us posted!

Sending Out Lots of Love and Hugs,
The Glade's

Click for McCalls Pumpkin Patch Pics


Click for Halloween Pics



Click for October Pics

Love little ones imaginations.....

I love my little guy's imagination and how his mind works! We really do lose the "magic" of the world as we get older which is kinda sad. If only we could see things like they do.
Kamden is always saying the cutest little things and is constantly pretending SOMETHING. I love it!
The other day we were driving home from dropping the older two off at school and I came to a stop sign and stopped.

Kamden: "MOMMY!"

Me: "Hm?"

Kamden: "That red sign has magic powers!"

Me: "Really? What kind of powers?"

Kamden: "It makes you stop, cuz you always stop when it's there!"

Totally love how they think and see things! Only a four year old could give a regular boring old stop sign magic powers. They definitely make things a whole lot more interesting and we could all use a little more magic in our lives....;)

Are we cat people????

I would definitely consider our whole family to be animal lovers. But I've found that even animal lovers fall into one of three categories....dog people, cat people, or dog AND cat people. Mike and I fall into the dog people category. I like cats. I think they're cute and I'll pet them...BUT I'm NOT a cat person. Cats have lots of good qualities. I just prefer cats to belong to someone else. I know I'm opening up a whole can of worms with all the cat people but I'm just not a fan of the litter boxes, the smug attitudes, how they climb on everything and to be honest...they just don't mind like dogs. When I call them, I want them to come now...not when they "feel" like it. This all being said, Mike and I find ourselves in a position where we have to decide if we could be cat people.
Our boys have both followed Mom and Dad and are dog people through and through. Now Mikaela on the other hand is a cat person and has been since she knew what a cat was. She likes Kelsey because Kelsey is old and just sits there...Hailey on the other hand she barely tolerates with all her obnoxiousness. She much prefers the prim and proper prissiness of cats hands down. She's been begging us to let her get a cat for years to which she always got an emphatic no response....which leads us to our predicament.
There has been a beautiful siamese cat wandering our neighborhood for about a week now. Mikaela noticed her right away but we told her to leave the cat alone. I originally thought she belonged to our new neighbors but sadly she does not and is either lost or abandoned and no one in our neighborhood knows where she belongs. I still made Mikaela leave her alone. I could tell she wanted to make friends and I didn't want to encourage that...I wanted her to go back home...or for SOMEONE ELSE to take pity on her and take her in. No such luck. For 3 days she would follow me to the mailbox and I stood firm and ignored her. I did good until our first really cold night where our low was supposed to be 26 degrees and she was meowing outside at the top of her lungs. I SWEAR that cat knew we were suckers from the beginning and we would eventually cave because I did and brought her in to Mike's horror. The kids quickly were in chorus to keep her which we immediately shot down and took her to the vet to see if she's microchipped. No such luck. I've called vets, the pound, the paper, driven around Ventana Ranch looking for lost cat signs...it doesn't seem like anyone is missing this darn cat.
In the meantime...the kids, especially Mikaela are quickly falling madly in love with her and it's mutual. They're getting attached faster than I know what to do with her. Mikaela carries that cat around with her EVERYWHERE. They're quickly becoming inseparable.
So now Mike and I are deciding if we let Mikaela keep her or if we find her a home elsewhere. We've gotten a few offers because she's such a good cat and she's absolutely gorgeous. I've always teased that if I ever got a cat it would have to act like a dog and she almost does.
So...the question is....can we become cat people??? We're still not sure. I don't know if I can get past the litter box and Hailey is obnoxious enough all on her own...with this cat in the house we might need to straightjacket her.
We must love Mikaela a lot to even consider this....but as you can see by the picture...we'd better decide quick. ;)

Reason #782 why you never ask a 4 year old a question you don't want the answer to....

So, we're going through the drive-thru at Burger King the other day. I was pulled up to the window and the nice Burger King employee was handing me our drinks. The kids always roll down the back window so they can wave and tell the employees hi. Kyler is in the front seat and Mikaela and Kamden are in the back.

Mikaela (about the Burger King employee): "She's nice!"

Kamden: "Yes, she IS nice!"

Mikaela: "Do you think she's pretty?"

Now, one of Mikaela's best qualities is that she truly thinks EVERYONE is pretty. She will always find something pretty in everyone she sees. I love that quality in her and I hope she keeps it. Kamden's answer completely caught her off guard...the look on her face was pricess.

Kamden bluntly answers without malice: "No, she is NOT pretty....but she is nice."

Yes, you have to love a four year olds blatant honesty. He's a constant reminder right now that you never ask a question that you truly don't want the answer to. I was so glad the drive thru window was shut and this very nice lady didn't hear a thing.

Ahhhh kids...never a dull moment...even in the drive-thru. ;)

Our September...

There's a definite chill in the air and there's hundreds of balloons in the air every morning..I think it's safe to say October is here! I'm still not quite sure what happened to September but I won't complain because the beginning of October is a gorgeous time of year here in Albuquerque. Balloon Fiesta brings literally hundreds of hot air balloons here every year and it just doesn't get better than taking the kids to school every morning and seeing all of them across the city's skyline....beautiful!

September was busy, but more with the day to day kinda stuff that leaves you wondering where your day exactly went and we tend to have a lot of those days.

The boys are almost finished with their Fall baseball season. They just have a couple of weeks left and we'll be finished with baseball until Spring. Then Kyler will play winter Basketball and Kamden decided he wanted to give Gymnastics another try. This season has gone really well for both of them. They both have great teams and coaches. It's been a really nice start into baseball for Kamden and Kyler's team is still undefeated.

Mikaela is still dancing away. She's excited because they're fixing to start learning all their holiday dances. October is always her favorite because she says the Halloween dance is always the most fun out of the whole year.

The kids are VERY excited for Halloween. They literally had a countdown started 2 months ago so you can only imagine how they are now that the house is all decorated and they have their costumes. Kyler decided to be a faceless phantom again like last year and Kamden will be (I know this will shock you), Spiderman. Mikaela, who went on and on how she wasn't going to be anything girly this year, decided to be a Princess. She just can't resist it...she's as girly as it gets.

We got to go to Cliff's this month which was really fun. Mike's work paid for all the employees to spend the day there and have lunch. Tim, Shayla and the girls met us there and we had best time.

I celebrated my birthday this month and it ended up being a really nice birthday this year....it just kept going and going....I loved it! The Saturday before we took the kids to their Gymnastics Gym for Parent's Night Out so Mike and I got to go to dinner and a movie alone and the kids got to have a blast. I love it when everyone wins like that. Sunday we went to The Schimke's house for lunch and birthday cake...it was WONDERFUL. Then on my actual birthday on Monday I got to get my toes done and go to lunch with Shayla and then to Texas Roadhouse (My favorite!) with the family. So, definitely one of the nicest birthdays I've had in a while.

My leg continues to be an issue which drives me crazy. After going to the dr for injections every two weeks for two months, he's giving me a 3 month break to let my leg heal before he does more. I was relieved to hear that because it was starting to get to be a little much, especially since the veins from the first round of injections still haven't healed yet. I'm still having to be careful because I'm getting the beginnings of blood clots in the healthy veins that are attached to the injected veins but hopefully that will get better with the much needed three month break.

We're hoping to see some changes in Mike's work schedule this month. He got job offer from another facility and he decided to use the offer as a bargaining tool with his current job. He got them to make some changes in his salary as well as working overtime. They were definitely taking advantage of the fact that he was salary and letting him work over 60 and 70 hours a week...now he's still salary but when he works on the weekend...they're going to have to pay him overtime for it. They don't want to do that because his time is expensive...so I think they'll be getting him some more help pretty quick. I have to say I was pretty proud of him and now hopefully, we'll have him home more and when he does have to work...at least he'll be compensated for his extra time he gives them.

Kelsey is having a hard time lately. I think her age is really starting to hit her. She'll be 16 in February and we've really seen her age a lot in the last 6 months. Her back legs give out on her pretty badly. She can't make it up the stairs anymore so she sleeps in the laundry room now instead of upstairs in our room. We thought her kidneys were starting to fail on her which is very common but her vet said no. Her kidneys are great along with all her other organs. It just seems that her actual body is turning on her. She'll have some really bad days and just when Mike and I think we're fixing to have to make a really hard decision, she'll have some good days. It's so hard to see them get old.

As far as our house goes...we're still just taking it as it comes. We were on a realtor tour and got great feedback so I think it's just waiting for the right buyer with the right offer. Now it's just deciding how long we want to do this before we take it off and refinance at a lower interest rate and stay put a while longer. Right now, we're thinking that'll be around Thanksgiving so we don't have people coming through the house over the holidays....but we'll see.

Well, I think that's all our news for September. We hope ya'lls Falls are off to a beautiful start. Please keep us posted and have a very safe, fun and spooky Halloween!

Sending Lots of Love and Hugs,
The Glade's

Click for September Pictures:

September '11 Memories...

Our August....

The mornings and evenings have a little bit of a chill to them but the days are still nice and warm...all the signs that it's September! Our favorite season is Summer but early Fall is a very close second. Weather wise I think September is just about as close to perfection as you can get here in Albuquerque. We love it!

August brought our Summer to an end and the beginning of a new school year and the school routine that comes with it. As it is every new school year...it's a little bittersweet. Kyler started his last and final year of elementary school. Every time we think about it, it breaks our heart a little bit. I think there's a little bit of innocence lost in middle school and we're not even close to ready for that yet, not that I think you're ever quite ready for that. He's a 5th grader and is with all the other top dogs of the school. As is life, he'll be back on the bottom again next year but for now I think he's enjoying being the oldest at the school. He loves his teacher and his class so it's a great start so far to his last elementary hoorah. Mikaela started 2nd grade this year. I think 2nd grade is such a fun age and grade. She got the same teacher that Kyler had and we are thrilled because she's amazing! Every day so far she's come home and said that day was "AWESOME" so I think it's safe to say she's loving being a 2nd grader. Kamden was more than ready for the older two to go back to school so he could have his alone time back. Every morning he tells them it's time for them to go to school, but he's also excited when they get off the bus so it all evens out.

Kyler wrapped up his first swimming season on a good note. He won a silver medal with his relay teammates at the city meet. They had a banquet and pool party to celebrate a great season and he won an award for not missing a single day of practice or swim meet. Right now he's back in baseball for the Fall season. He moved up to the majors and has a great coach and team. So far they're undefeated and Kyler has the highest batting average on the team. His coach works them hard but also keeps them humble which I love.

Mikaela is back in dance. She moved up in ballet and tap and she's liking the challenge. She dropped jazz for now because it would have made for a long Saturday schedule but may go back to it next year. This is a recital year so it's definitely going to be a busy year dance wise but I think she's going to love every minute of it.

Kamden started T-Ball this year! He had a choice between that and gymnastics and he chose T-Ball so here we are. We weren't quite sure how he'd do with being only four but he's doing good. He's not a fan of being out in the field, but he loves batting and running the bases. He's a little backwards in the fact that I think he likes the practices better than the games.

We're extending our break from ballroom. With all three of the kiddos in things, there just wasn't room in our schedule for it right now. We're planning to go back after Fall Ball ends.

We got to go to the last Isotopes game of the season which was really fun. We didn't stay until the end because it starting POURING rain but we got to see most of it and the fireworks show still so it still ended up being a really nice night out and the kids had a blast.

Mike had a birthday this month and we also celebrated our 11th wedding Anniversary. For Mike's birthday the kids and I made his favorite meal and cake. I think the kids had the most fun of anyone just helping make everything to surprise Mike. Of course with three extra little "helpers" it's always an adventure not to be forgotten. For our Anniversary, Chuck and Mary Lou, took the kiddos overnight so Mike and I could go out. We ended up going to dinner and a movie and it was so nice. It's definitely the little things when you don't have kiddos. Just to eat a meal in peace and watch a movie with no interruptions...bliss!

Mike's job got better and he was getting home for dinner for all of a week before things got crazy and he had to go back to his long hours again. Neither one of us are happy about it and so something's gotta give because he can't keep this up much longer. It hasn't helped that the surgery I had on my leg in July didn't fix everything wrong with it and so I've been having to go in every two weeks for procedures. Between cheerleading, having really big babies and bad vein genes, my leg is just a mess so I have quite a few more procedures to go before they start on the other leg....ugh. It takes a little bit out of me and right about the time I start feeling like myself again, I have to go back and we start the whole process all over again. BUT, hopefully, when this is all said and done, these legs will be fixed and I won't have to worry about it again for a very long time....fingers crossed.

We're still just taking it as it comes as far as our house being on the market. The feedback we've gotten back so far has been great and we've been on some people's short lists. The US losing their good credit rating didn't help but that's okay. We're in a good place because we're fine if we stay and we're fine if we sell and move...so we'll see where this all takes us...if anywhere... for now and go from there.

I think that's all our news for now. I'm sure we'll have more to report for next month...never a dull moment with this group. We hope you're all doing really good and getting back into your school routines. Keep us posted, we love hearing about everything going on in your lives!

Sending out lots of love and hugs,
The Glade's

Click for August Pictures:

Our July...

Well, it's the beginning of August and all that it entails...our Summer is coming to a close and the new school year is upon us. It's hard to believe that it's already that time of year again. Kyler is in his last and final year of elementary school. It makes my heart hurt just thinking about it. Miss Mikaela will be a second grader this year which is such a fun grade. They both got amazing teachers so they're really excited about that. Usually, they're ready for school to start but this year they're not quite there yet. I think it's because our Summer just flew by and school starting is always a little bittersweet.

We definitely got our "pool time" in this Summer with Kyler being on the swim team. We were there every single day of the week this Summer except for Sundays and Kyler didn't miss one practice or meet. He did really well and worked his tail off. At the beginning of the Summer he knew all of his strokes, was what I would call a "swimmer" but definitely still a beginner. He went from coming in 5th, 6th and even 7th place to coming in 1st and 2nd at the meets and qualifying for City. He liked doing better at meets but my favorite thing about him was the fact that he was WAY more interested in beating and racing himself. The first thing out of his mouth after every race was to ask his time to see if he beat himself the week before. He ended up bringing home a silver medal from city with his relay teammates for the medley relay. So proud of our little man and I definitely think we have a swimmer on our hands. He already can't wait for next Summer. And we didn't even get a week's break before Fall Baseball started up again for him so he's already practicing for that 3 times a week for several hours. One things for sure...he's in great shape. You should see his little six pack...it's crazy! He got his coach he had for Spring Ball so he was happy about that and getting to catch again. So, we're at it again...full swing...no pun intended.

Miss Mikaela took it easy this Summer and just took swim lessons. She made a lot of improvement though and got her freestyle down and learned the breaststroke. We're trying to talk her into doing swim team next Summer but as of yet, she has zero interest and wants to take swim lessons again to get better at those strokes and learn the other two. So, I guess we'll see how she feels about it next Summer. She's started back up again at dance. This year is a recital year so it's going to be a little busier than last year. She was going to take Tap, Jazz and Ballet again but with the schedule this year, it would have put us at the dance studio on Saturday for several hours with an hour break in between classes so we made her pick two and she went with Tap and Ballet which I think will work out great and make our lives a little bit easier.

Mr. Kamden took swim lessons too. He's a funny little guy. He's not afraid of the water at all but he's afraid of getting hurt IN the water so getting him confident in the water has been the challenge there. He made some progress and by the end of the Summer would venture off by himself where he could touch and would put his face in the water with some coaxing. But he's still little so we're not too worried about it right now and will keep working on it. He'll definitely be taking swim lessons again next Summer and hopefully, he'll continue to gain confidence between now and then. With Kamden you never know. We gave Kamden the choice between gymnastics and T-Ball and he chose T-Ball so he's already started practices. It's gotten a little more intense since Kyler played T-Ball, especially for Fall Ball...but it'll be good for him and I think he'll really enjoy it. He's ALL BOY so this should be right up his alley. Either way, it'll definitely be an adventure...with Kamden it always is.

Kamden turned the big FOUR the end of this month. I know I always say this, but I can't believe he's already that big! He is all about Spiderman right now so he wanted a Spiderman party in the backyard. His only request was a bounce house, Spiderman cupcakes and Spiderman balloons so according to him, "It was the BEST PARTY EVER!" We took that as it was a success!

We had a nice 4th of July this year. This year personal fireworks were banned because of the fires and so we went to the movies that day and then picked up Mike from work and went to the Isotopes Park for the game and fireworks afterwards. We ended up getting home really late but we had a really good day and a fun time.

We've had some changes this year that initiated us deciding to put our house on the market and "see what happens". This is a big deal for us because we've been here for 10 years and none of us are really good with change. I think Mikaela is the only one of us that "goes with the flow" easily. Plus, it's hard for this Type "A" girl to let strangers tromp through our house without us there but it's gotten a little easier as it's shown more and more. We're looking to stay in the same area, just get into a little bit bigger house so the boys can have their own rooms. Other than a realtor almost killing Kelsey, it's gone pretty well. It's a long story but basically the realtor took it upon herself to do something that I'd asked no one to do and it made Kelsey really sick to where she couldn't breathe and gave her an infection. So after a very hard night and an expensive round of medicine, she's okay, but I was NOT happy with that realtor. Never in my life have I had to fight so hard not to give someone a piece of my mind. I'm still tempted. So, we're stepping out of our box, testing the waters a bit and seeing where it may lead us. We're not desperate and for some reason, buyers seem to think all sellers are so we may end up staying put, and that's okay too. But we'll definitely keep you posted.

Mike and I are doing good. Mike's hours have gotten better this month which is very nice. It's definitely a good thing having him home again, but it's been an adjustment having him home again and he's had to adjust to being at home again. He's been working LONG, crazy hours for 8 months now so it's a good adjustment, but an adjustment all the same. We just hope his hours continue to get better. We have dreams of him actually getting home when he's SUPPOSED to...at 4.

I think that does it for our July news! We hope all of you are enjoying the last of Summer! For us, it's the BEST time of year so we're going to enjoy it as much as we can for as long as we can! We love hearing all your news too so keep us posted!

Sending Out Lots of Love and Hugs,
The Glade's

Click for July Pictures:

So proud...

I know, I hate it when parent's go on and on AND on about their kids too...but I figured it's my blog and so I can toot Kyler's horn a little bit because I really am so proud of him and the hard work he's put into swimming this Summer. :)

When Kyler first started swim team at the beginning of the Summer, he knew all his strokes, was what I would call a "swimmer" but was definitely still a beginner. The first couple of weeks of swim team practice, he definitely improved but was only racing his teammates from Ventana Ranch and was holding his own. His first meet against other kids in the city was a real eye opener for him. For one, it was a brand new experience actually doing a meet and racing in all the different events. He ended up coming in 5th, 6th and 7th in all his events and left feeling pretty discouraged in himself. We told him that this was all brand new and now he knew more of what to expect and what to work towards.

Work he did! He worked his tail end off this Summer. He jogged with me almost every morning 2 1/5 miles, swam in jeans and a shirt at practices, did everything his coaches asked him to and didn't miss one practice or meet....and he didn't complain once. Well, not about anything that had to do with swimming anyway. ;) It was so cool to watch him improve every week at meets and go from 5th, 6th and 7th place, to 3rd and 4th to 2nd to 1st place in his events. BUT, my very favorite thing was the fact that he was excited about his ribbons, but he was way more interested and focused on his TIMES and beating HIMSELF every week. THAT is probably what impressed me the most about our little man.

We went to District yesterday to try to qualify for the City meet and again, it was a whole new experience with official times, places and rules. If everything isn't done correctly, you get disqualified. Kyler's first and favorite event was the IM and he got disqualified because they thought his kick in his breast stroke looked like a dolphin kick. He wasn't doing a dolphin kick but it resembles one when you're looking from across the pool. He came in 2nd and would have made city in that event but got scratched. He was very upset and was fighting tears out of disappointment and frustration but within a few minutes was over it and focused on his next event which was another favorite of his, the backstroke. He won 1st but got disqualified AGAIN for touching the wall on his side, instead of his back. His coaches didn't even know it was an illegal touch. They disputed the call because it's legal in high school but the call still held and he was scratched again. I have to say, he has the BEST team and coaches in the world because when he got disqualified AGAIN after coming in FIRST his team surrounded him and I think were more upset about it than he was and he was pretty upset. But again, within a few minutes he was okay and focusing on his next event, the butterfly. He came in 3rd in his heat and 4th overall and qualified for city. His next event was the freestyle and he came in 1st in his heat and 4th overall and qualified in that one too. His last event was the breaststroke and we were worried because that's what he got disqualified from in the IM. He was 1st in his heat and the judge came and talked to him after he swam and we thought he got disqualified again but the judge just told him to kick his legs out more so it doesn't LOOK like a dolphin kick...so he didn't get scratched and qualified for city in that event as well. Whew! So, he'll be doing 2 relays and 3 personal events next week at city.

I'm just so proud of his hard work and how he handled being disqualified. Sometimes I think it's easier to not have made it than to know you made it and not be able to compete. But life throws things like that at you all the time and it's nice to know he was disappointed but didn't fall apart or hold onto it so it ruined the rest of his day and events. Sometimes as parents, we get so discouraged and worried if we're giving them all the life skills they'll need to go out in the world and to not only live up to all their potential but hopefully make their own mark on the world. So moments like this make my heart smile to see that he's already gaining some of those skills that we're working so hard to instill in him....and see that he IS listening to us, at least some of the time. ;)

Okay...all finished....thanks for letting me toot Kyler's horn a little bit. Getting to share these fun little highlights in our lives really does make them all the more special! Thanks guys! :)

I don't think they know who they're dealing with...

There are times where my older two not only don't give the little one enough credit, they don't even see him coming and it's almost comical because 9 times out of 10, they have it coming. ;)

Kyler and Mikaela both wake up happy and ready to go. I have no idea where they get it because Kamden is like his Mom and Dad and wakes up a little grumpy and it's about half an hour before he's ready to socialize. He just likes the quiet and wants to be left alone. Kyler is going through a stage where he literally loves nothing more than to aggravate the other two and he's learned that the best time to aggravate Kamden is first thing in the morning.

The other day, Kamden was coming downstairs and I could hear Kyler bugging him and all I heard in response was Kamden's ear piercing scream to "LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!!!" To give us all peace, I told Kyler to go outside in the back yard and pick up dog poop before swim team practice. Kamden heard the word outside and said he wanted to go outside too. Kyler ran to the back door, opened it and told Kamden to come on. When Kamden got to the door, Kyler slammed it in his face. I automatically braced myself for his scream, but Kamden just reached up and locked the door and let out the most villainous little laugh. You should have seen Kyler's dumbfounded look. Kyler had it coming too...little toot. I wouldn't unlock it for him either...I made him ask his little brother to let him in...and he did...but not without some much deserved groveling.

Never a dull moment with three kids in the house...never. ;)

Possible changes ahead....

So, there might be changes on the horizon for the Glade's. If you know us well, you know that none of us really like change. In fact, I think Mikaela is the only one of us that goes with the flow pretty easily. We've had some recent changes in our lives and with the kids getting older and with the ages they are, we decided to put our house on the market and see what happens. We've lived here for almost 10 years so this is a big deal for us. We're stepping out of our box a little, testing the waters a bit, taking it as it comes and seeing where it may lead us. Any one of those things are hard for us, you put them all together and whew! We're a little nervous but no one's had a panic attack yet so I think we're doing pretty good so far. I know some people can change and move easily but unfortunately, we AREN'T one of those lucky people. ;o) We're also not desperate to move and buyers are in the mindset that all sellers are so we might end up staying put and that's okay too.

It's been hard for this "type A" girl to let strangers tromp through our house without us here but it's starting to get a little easier as it's shown more and more. Being "type A" I like a clean house but it's hard to keep it in a state that it can be "show ready" with 15 minutes notice...especially with 3 kids and the youngest having toy tornado abilities and talents. You should see his work! I will go upstairs to just do a quick check and in that short period of time he would have toys all over the just picked up downstairs AND backyard. I swear, he would win gold medals if it was an olympic event! ;o)

It's been fun to look at houses every weekend. We've found a few that we like which is good to have in our pocket in case we get a good offer on ours. The hard part has been deciding if we want to keep the kids in the same schools they are now or branching out into the unknown. We've been here so long that we're now a part of a small town in a big town so it would be hard to leave.

But we will see how it goes and just take things as they come to us and go from there. We will definitely keep you posted! Wish us luck and more importantly, sanity. :O)

THAT she hears!

The other day we were heading out the door and the kids were getting their shoes on and I was doing a few last minute things around the house before we left. Kyler came running back in the house to "inform" me of the most recent of Mikaela's transgressions.

Kyler: "Mommy, Mikaela told Kamden he wasn't smart!"

Mikaela: "I DID NOT!"

Me: *Sigh* (I find that I sigh a lot) "Mikaela did you tell Kamden that?"

Mikaela: "No!...I said he was dumb"

**I guess if she's going down, she's going down being quoted correctly**

Kyler cutting in: "You can't say that anyway because he has a brain and so that means he's not dumb. And actually, everyone has a brain and so no one is dumb."

Mikaela: "That's not true! Mommy says people don't have brains and aren't smart ALL THE TIME!"

Of course she hears THAT....she never hears me ask her to pick something up or clean her room but THAT she hears!

And before you judge me...you know the people I'm talking about when I say that. I can't be the only one who sees all those crazy people out there. ;)

Kamden, the quick witted....

I shared this on facebook the day it happened but I love it so much, I had to share it again.

Kamden asked for a hot dog for lunch so I made him one. When I gave it to him, he said he wanted soup. I reminded him that he had asked for a hot dog to which he told me Spiderman wanted the hot dog but he was Peter Parker and wanted soup. I think my 3 year old is too smart for his own good....but he still had to eat the hot dog. ;o)

Mikaela growing up so fast....

She really is! She's starting to talk so grown up. Sometimes I think she talks like she's 17 instead of just the 7 she is.

We were at ballroom practice one day and all the kids were sitting down in a group having a little talk before class started. There is a boy in their class who is about 14 years old and so polite and already comfortable in his own skin. The kids started getting up to practice and he held out his hand to Mikaela to help her up. No boy had ever done that to her before and so she had no idea what he was doing, so she stood up and THEN handed him her hand. He's so good natured, he kinda laughed and then caught up with the group to start dancing.

I was a little surprised she didn't know that he was trying to help her up. I mean, come on, this is Mikaela we're talking about. She LOVES stuff like that. She's always all over being helped and doted on.

After class, Mikaela came and sat down next to me.

Me: When Raphael held out his hand to you, he was trying to help you up.

Mikaela (smiling to herself): Ohhhhhhhh. Yeah, I SO didn't get that!

Me: I'm kinda surprised. That seems like something that would be right up your alley.

Mikaela (laughing a little and shaking her head): Yeah, you'd think!

Yes, growing up so fast....

And I wonder why sometimes I go to bed wondering if I've accomplished anything that day....

And this just might be an example of why. ;0)

A conversation between Kyler and I on the way to one of his practices....

Kyler: What if I ever need to get glasses?

Me: Then you'll get glasses.

Kyler: But I don't want to get glasses.

Me: Well, it's not something to worry about because your eyes are fine.

Kyler: But what if they don't stay fine.

Me: Then, we'll deal with it when and if that ever happens. But Daddy and I don't wear glasses so you'll probably be fine.

Kyler: Yeah, but what if I need to get glasses?

Me: *sigh*

Our June....

It's Summertime and we're loving it! Is there a better time of year? I don't think so! You just can't beat beautiful, warm days outside and so we've tried to do as much out there as we can because it will be over before we know it.

Things have settled down for us a lot which has been nice. I'm LOVING taking a break from our hectic schedule and not having to be somewhere every night. It's wonderful just to be home and not have to go anywhere. Sometimes it's the little things, eh?

Kyler joined the swim team for the Summer and is really enjoying it. He's becoming a stronger swimmer every day. He practices every morning during the week and then has swim meets early every Saturday so there is no sleeping in for the Glade's this Summer but that's probably a good thing. It forces us to get up and get going. He's had two swim meets so far. His first one was a completely new experience for him and he came home with lots of 5th and 6th place ribbons but his second, he knew more of what to expect and came home with 3rd and 4th place ribbons so he's definitely moving in the right direction. He's such an overachiever and wants to experience EVERYTHING and so he swims in every heat that he can in his age group so by the end of the meet he's EXHAUSTED. We keep telling him he'll have more energy and do better if he sits a few out and rests but he doesn't want to miss a thing. His team got to all do a logo for their shirts and towels and his drawing was chosen so he was pretty excited about that.

Mikaela is just enjoying doing nothing at all. She didn't want to take the Summer dance classes and we're also taking a break from ballroom so the only thing she's doing is swim lessons. She's working really hard and is doing much better. Hopefully, by the end of the Summer she'll have the freestyle down pat.

Kamden is also taking swim lessons but he's not making much progress. He's not afraid of the water but for whatever reason, he's decided he doesn't want to put his face in the water. This coming from the little boy who LOVES to jump off the side into the pool. Little TOOT! So all we have to show for the month is that he'll put his face in the water up to his nose and that's it. Stinker...but I guess we'll still keep him anyway.

June was a rough month for me. I splattered chemicals on my legs and got blisters all over them. Hailey tripped me and I totally fell flat on my face. I'm sure it was quite a sight to see too. Thank goodness my only audience was Kyler and a guy passing by in a truck. Lazy dog! I scraped up my chin, hands and knees. My dentist cracked my perfectly fine tooth so I had to go to a specialist and get a root canal. Needless to say, I won't be going back...ever. I had surgery on the vein that got all the clots when Kamden was born. It ended up being a bigger deal that I was expecting. I thought I would be feeling pretty good in a few days but it was a tough two weeks. I'd forgotten how stressful it was worrying about getting clots all the time which is one of the side affects of this procedure. I'm doing much better now. The only thing that bothers me is standing in one place for any extended period of time. I can even jog again (with my compression stocking on which is super sexy by the way ). Plus, I found a jogging buddy.....Kyler! I'd been looking for one but it's hard to find someone who lives close by that can go when I need to go and Kyler asked if he could go with me in the mornings. He puts me to shame though. He's in so much better shape than me.

Mike is exhausted. His hours are still insane but the good thing is that HE'S FINALLY had it and told his boss he was done and so they're hiring him another contractor who should start next week. So HOPEFULLY, work will get better and he'll get home at a decent hour. He took a little bit of time off when I had my surgery which was so nice and our Godsends, the Schimke's, took the kids for the day and night which was a huge help. I don't know what we would have done without them this month.

The kids had VBS this month. It was a fun, but hectic 5 days. I always leave VBS feeling old and tired. I think because it's at night and we get home so late, plus, it's BUSY and LOUD! The kids love it but I think that's where the "old" feeling for Mom kicks in. This year my older two won goldfish. Yes, real, living fish. Yay! It's hard to tell through writing but that yay has sarcasm dripping all over it. So, we go buy them each little one gallon tanks for our new members of the family, put them in and they start swimming funny a few hours later. I had fish when I was younger but I still had no idea what was wrong with them. Kamden is upset because he doesn't have a fish so we go to the pet store for another goldfish for him. The pet store guy tells me that their tank is too small for them and they're dying. Darn! Again, sarcasm but the kids are horrified. The pet store guy tells me only bettas can live in the one gallon tanks so of course the kids want bettas. BUT bettas fight and have to be in the tank by themselves. So the fish we were going to get Kamden to go in Kyler's tank doesn't work anymore. So instead of leaving the pet store with ONE 27 cent fish, we're leaving with 3 bettas and another tank. I'm hoping the goldfish at home are already dead and so we can just flush them and be done but they're still holding on. The kids won't let me flush them and put them out of their misery but are crying because they're "suffering" (oh the irony). So, I ended up putting them in our little waterfall fountain in the backyard hoping to make their death quicker but they love the fountain and are thriving instead. What I'm going to do with them this winter if they're still alive is beyond me...but I'll worry about that then I guess. So, Pre- VBS, I was happily fish free. Now Post- VBS, I have two goldfish outside and 3 bettas and 3 tanks inside and still wondering how exactly this happened....

Speaking of the backyard, ours is FINALLY starting to come back together. It's been quite a process after the Winter we had but it's so nice to have it in one piece again. The only thing we lack is getting the baby grass to get more mature so the kids can play on it again. After that, I think we'll be good to go for the season.

Well, I think that's all our June news. Still eventful but less hectic....we're definitely enjoying the break from the school and schedule madness. We hope you're all having safe and fun Summers and you have a fantastic Fourth of July! As always, keep us posted!

Sending Out Lots of Love and Hugs,
The Glade's

Click for June Pictures:

Their own people...

It's always amazing to me just how different siblings can be from each other. They come from the same family and are in so many ways, raised the same way and yet, they still are their own person with their individual personalities. There are always daily reminders of just how different my kiddos are from each other but some not only show their differences but also show their individual personalities too.

Case in point....

Mike wears hearing aids all the time. The only time he takes them out is when he gets ready for the day or for bed, swims or is sleeping. All the kids know this. When Mike is getting ready in the morning, he enjoys the quiet and not having them on, so they are the last thing he puts on before going downstairs. All three kids love to sit in the bathroom while he's getting ready in the morning.

Kyler will just sit there and watch Mike get ready, just content to be in the same room with Mike. If he has something he wants Mike to hear, he will quietly hand Mike his hearing aids so Mike will put them on.

Mikaela will sit in the bathroom swinging her legs back and forth and talk literally non stop and doesn't care if Mike can hear her or not. She just likes to talk.

Kamden doesn't say much but when he does, he hands Mike his hearing aids and enunciates his words clearly and LOUDLY so there's no misunderstanding and says, "I GOT SOMETHING TO SAY".

Yep, so different from each other....;)

Our May...

Well, I may have spoken too soon and jinxed our weather in my last blog when I said the winds were behind us and the good part of Spring was here because the winds actually stuck around and we had a very windy May here in Albuquerque. It was awful! And hopefully, I'm not doing it again but so far June has been really nice and we've been outside as much as possible.

One of these months I'm going just going to shock you and say that our month wasn't busy...unfortunately, this May is not going to be the one where that happens. But be ready because one of these days I will...I have to believe there's a month in our future where not much will be going on and we've had the most relaxing time.

Lets see...

The kids had a lot going on the last month of school. Kyler had a fieldtrip to Acoma Pueblo which I got to go with him on. I try to go to as many as I can because I know his fieldtrips are numbered. Next year will be his last year in elementary school. We officially have a 5th and 2nd grader now. Not only does it not feel possible but it makes Mike and I feel OLD! When did this happen??? Mikaela had a fieldtrip to the zoo which Kamden got to go on too. He always loves going and hanging out with the "big" kids. Kyler and Mikaela both had a field day where they got to play water games and then Kyler had a Fourth Grade kick ball tournament and Mikaela had a First Grade Park Day where the firemen came in their truck and DRENCHED everyone. So, I think it's safe to say, they both ended their school year on a very high note.

Kyler wrapped up his spring baseball season. His team came in 3rd in the league so not bad at all. We decided to forego All Stars again. They practice EVERY day, twice a day starting at 6 a.m. and ending at dusk and if you miss a practice, you're done...so it's hardcore. It's always tempting because of all the experience he would gain, but at the same time, we need a break and couldn't bring ourselves to give up our entire summer to baseball. It wasn't as hard on him to decline this year because he was pretty excited to join the swim team. He practices every day of the week and has meets on Saturdays but it's not even close to as intense as baseball. Plus, hanging out at the pool is way more fun and relaxing than hanging out at the ballfield.

Mikaela wrapped up her dance classes for the semester. She got to move up to the next level in ballet for the Fall Semester so she was very excited about that. She decided to take a break from dance for the Summer and I was secretly relieved. That two month break is going to be so nice. She's taking swim lessons at the pool during Kyler's swim team practices. I tried to get her to join the swim team but she wanted no part of it. I should have known better...why would she swim with the masses when she can swim one on one with a personal trainer??? I think we're in trouble! It's probably for the better though because after watching the swim team, she needs to be a stronger swimmer to be able to keep up with them and hopefully lessons this summer will get her there.

Kamden is having to adjust to having the kids at home again. He definitely liked his quiet time while they were at school and they have blown that completely out of the water. He gets no time to himself because they are all up in his business telling him what to do and how to do it. I can't say I blame him, it would drive anyone crazy. I can tell when he's at his limit because he'll go into our hall closet and shut the door just to get away from them. Smart boy! He's taking swim lessons too. He's not afraid of the water but he doesn't want to put his face in it so she's working on that with him. It's kind of comical to watch. Every time she asks him to do anything that involves his head getting wet in any way he tells her he can't do it because he'll "definitely drown". I'm telling you...never a dull moment with this one.

The kids had their Spring Choir Performance at church. Kyler had a duet and Mikaela had a little dance solo. Kamden actually got on stage this time and sang. Woo Hoo! A big difference from the Christmas performance where he wanted no part of any of it. All the kids did such a good job and had so much fun!

The kiddos went to the Schimke's for a sleepover this month and Mike and I actually got to go out on a kid free real date! This NEVER happens so we almost didn't know what to do with ourselves without them. We ended up going to dinner and a movie. It was so nice...and quiet. The kids had an amazing time and we can't thank Chuck and Mary Lou enough. They're such a blessing to us...I don't know what we'd do without them.

I wish I could say that Mike's hours at work have gotten under control but unfortunately, that still hasn't happened and it's frustrating for all of us. He's working on it and they got him a lap top so he can do more from home. It's helped, but they need to get him some more therapists so he won't have to see as many patients in a day along with all of the managerial obligations. Something has to change soon because he can't keep this pace for long.

We have gotten to get out in our yard a little which has been nice. We've had to replace some things because of the freeze we had in January and we decided to make some changes while we were at it. Finding the time to get out there is still a factor but it's slowly coming together with the time that we have had. It'll be nice to have it the way we want it and back in one piece again.

Korry, our brother-in-law, just got sent to Afghanistan for his second deployment in two years. He'll be there for six months. He'll be home before Christmas which is good but the world just isn't "right" until he's back home with Brittany and the kiddos safe and sound. So, please keep them in your prayers. He's a pretty special guy and we're so glad he's a part of our family!

I think that's it for our May news! I hope all the Mom's had WONDERFUL Mother's Days! We have some amazing women in our lives so we hope your days were as special as you are! Mine was very nice...relaxing, yet productive...can't beat that.

Please keep us posted and we hope your Summers are off to a GREAT start!

Sending Lots of Love and Hugs,
The Glade's

Click for May Pictures:

Our April...

Can you believe that it's May??? I can't believe that the kids only have a few weeks left of school and then they'll be out for Summer and we'll officially have a 2nd and 5th grader! It seems a little surreal that we have kids that old already.

I hope April didn't blow you away! Here in Albuquerque, we came pretty close. April is always our windiest month of the year but thisi April we broke the record for most consistently windy days. It was the pits, so I was happy to see May get here and the winds calm down and the days warm up. I think we're FINALLY into the GOOD part of Spring.

As has become par for the course with us, April was hectic...I know, I know...what's new?

I'll start with the oldest and busiest one. Kyler has his last baseball game on Thursday and then they'll start their tournament. They have a good coach and have had a nice season so far. They've had more wins that losses which is always good but I'm glad that they've had both so they learn how to win and lose. They had a big win on Saturday when they beat the undefeated team in the league so they're still on cloud 9 from that. He and Jayden had their first ballroom competition and it went really well. I think they competed in 19 different heats. They won a trophy in their group dance and both came home with ribbons in each heat. But most importantly, they gained experience, learned a LOT and had a lot of fun. Kyler also had his school honor choir performance the end of April which went really well. All the kids in the choir did such a good job.

Mikaela is in her last week of tap, jazz and ballet classes for the year and will do her little showcases in each one this week. We are still debating as to if she'll take the summer classes this year or if we'll take a much needed break (for Mom) and then start back up again in the Fall. Nest year is a recital year, so I think we're leaning more towards taking a break for the Summer. She's been begging us to let her take ballroom with Kyler so after the class had their competition, we let her join and she's loving it and picking it up pretty quickly. She also lost two more teeth this month, one during lunch at school, so she has some spaces in her smile again and the tooth fairy had to make a double trip to our house one week.

Kamden is as busy as ever but has been doing a lot of growing up the past few months. He's matured a lot since Christmas. I still think he's going to be the one to give us a run for our money though. He's so quick witted and Mike and I LOVE that he totally "gets" our sarcasm. He might take swimming lessons with Mikaela this Summer and then when school starts back up we'll either give gymnastics another try or we're also looking to see if he'll be old enough to play T-Ball.

Mike and I are tired, but good. Mike is still working long hours at work which makes for long days for both of us. We're hoping things settle down for Summer and we can get a little break from all this running around.

We had a really nice Easter this year - very relaxing. We went to church, came home and watched the kids hunt eggs and had lunch with the Schimke's, who we have completely adopted into our family. It was a good day.

This Winter, with it's all time recording breaking low temperatures, did a doozy on our yard. We lost quite a few bushes and vines that just weren't zoned for a consistent negative 18 degrees below zero. It was a bummer too because the vines that went up our wall were over 10 feet tall. We decided to make some changes to our back yard that we've been wanting to do since we had to replace so many things anyway. We got a start on it last weekend but finding the time to get out there is definitey a factor. Hopefully, we're able to free up some time soon because we actually really enjoy yard work.

It looks like I'm going to have surgery on my leg the beginning of June. It's the leg that got all the blood clots when Kamden was born. It's one of those things that's just never going to get better, only worse, so I can't put it off anymore...unfortunately. It shouldn't be a big deal. The only concern is getting blood clots again but I only seem to have that problem when I deliver babies so hopefully, it won't be a problem since there won't be any more of that. Kamden is definitely the family's caboose.

Well, I think that's it for our April news. We hope you're all doing really well and your days are finally getting warmer. Summer is right around the corner! As always, keep us posted on what's going on with you!

Sending out lots of love and hugs!

Click for April Pictures: