Christmas in Vegas

Christmas was simple this year. On Christmas Eve we went on a nice family walk to the park (to tire the kids out) and later we had our formal meal (ham, potatoes, etc). Afterwards we drove around looking at lights. Bedtime was a little later this year, but we had a hunch Santa wouldn't be at our house setting up toys for very long, so it wasn't an issue if they kids didn't go to bed right away.  Lucky for us, the kids wish lists were small and they asked for very practical or easy to find items.  

Santa brought Howie a gaming chair, a new controller, and headphones. 

His favorite gift was his Dr. Who Sonic Screwdriver. 

Santa brought the recliner Luke had been wanting. Luke was very happy about that. 

I didn't take very many photos of our morning festivities this year, but Erin was so happy that Santa brought her a new blanket and pillow for her bed. (See, I told you they were practical). She was surprised that Santa brought her a kindle, since she gave up asking for that last year.  Jack just wanted Legos or anything remote control operated. He was thrilled that Santa brought him Hot Wheels. 

My favorite gift was a new faucet for the kitchen sink.  Since we are in a rental, the faucet will be traveling to any future homes we may live in.  Howard's favorite was his new kindle and a trunk organizer.  

The day was spent playing with our new toys and munching on yummy finger foods (shrimp cocktail, sushi, veggie tray, chocolate fondue, etc). 

In the evening we decided to venture out to the Bellagio.  We sat in an awful amount of traffic, but the best part was that no one was cranky and everyone was well behaved.  What would normally be a 20 minute drive turned into over an hour. Once we parked, we braved the crowds.  It was worth it though. 

The conservatory in the Bellagio was transformed into a Winter Wonderland. It did not disappoint!  The really neat thing about the crowd was that most people seemed to be from Asia or the Middle East.   It was fascinating to listen to the many different languages represented.  I think it's awesome that they chose to come to Vegas on their winter break.

 The house behind the children was made out of chocolate. Luke and Jack weren't cranky, despite this photo.  This was just the only picture that we could get because there were hundreds of people there, so getting pictures of the children was quite difficult. Getting everyone to smile at the same time in one shot is nearly impossible (for me anyway).

I'm pretty sure this HUGE polar bear was made out of carnations, but I can't confirm this. 

Poinsettias were everywhere in all shades of color. 

 Once we were done in the conservatory we sought out a drinking fountain, but stumbled upon a small gelato shop.  We stopped for a bite to eat.

 Afterwards we ventured outside to watch the fountain show. We stayed for three shows.  The best one was the Hallelujah Chorus. It was simply amazing!

 The sonic screwdriver kept us occupied in between shows. 

 Crowds and crowds of people filled the strip.  Even though this was by far our most simple Christmas, it was probably one of my favorites. December was simply filled with some much needed down time after a crazy busy fall. 

Breaking Bad

Right before we moved, Howard and I became serious fans of Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead.  And when I say serious, I mean dinner time conversations have revolved around and moving itineraries planned around these shows. After the rough year we've had, a little escapism was a nice break from our day to day activities (and considering each show's content, made our lives look fabulous!).

During our trip from Oklahoma City to Las Vegas we stayed in Albuquerque (where Breaking Bad was filmed) and went sight seeing with a former mission companion of Howard's who currently lives there.  If you are a Breaking Bad fan, you will appreciate and understand these photos. If not, you can skip this whole post.

 We actually got a car wash here. 

 They enjoy their Breaking Bad visitors.

 Show Prop

 The White's house

 Jesse Pinkman's house

 We bought a few bags of the famous blue meth (rock candy).  The Candy Lady actually provided this rock candy as the blue meth prop in the show.  If you watch carefully, Heisenburg's blue meth shows up in Georgia for a Walking Dead episode. 

 We ate lunch at Los Pollos Hermanos (Twisters in real life).

 This warehouse wasn't in the show, but a show poster was shot in this place. 

At the intersection where a drug deal goes bad and a kid shoots a dealer.

Howard and I really enjoyed ourselves, but the children were extremely bored since they haven't seen the show (and won't for a long time).  We told Howie how to pose in the previous picture since he didn't know what happened on the show. We also forced them to be happy in the Pinkman photo. Their favorite part was getting rock candy.

Summer Fun

July marked our last trip to my sister's house in Missouri for a while. We spent Erin's birthday in St. Louis at the City Museum. It was fun! I didn't take nearly as many pictures as normal; mainly so I could enjoy myself with the children. 

A trip to Missouri wouldn't be complete without a trip to Amish Country.  I love buying produce and fresh baked goods at their markets.  I love the slow pace of the country.  

When we picked the girl's up from summer camp, we stopped at the State Capital in Jefferson City and looked around. I wish I could say they all behaved perfectly well, but I would be lying. We cut the visit a little short and went back to Lisa's after a little while.

Lisa and her girls overlooking the Missouri River.

Funny thing about this photo is that Nadia (the one not smiling in the front right) is usually the most photogenic out of all of the kids. 

The kids loved the hands on exhibits and models shown.

For years (literally) the kids have begged me to stop at this sign (as we enter Oklahoma from Missouri on I-44). Every time I tell them, "maybe next time". Since we won't have a "next time" for a while I gave in.  

Still Alive

We're still alive. I haven't forgotten about blogging. Hopefully one day I can catch up, I have lots to blog about.

First Day of School - Take One

 Today is the 1st first day of school for the children this school year. In about 5 weeks we will get to have our 2nd first day of school in Las Vegas. 

The next 5 weeks are kind of a big deal around here. Lucas is in half-day pre-k at the children's elementary school, which means I get two and a half blissful hours to myself (something that I have been day-dreaming about for the past decade). It is now a reality, but only for a short time. There is no public pre-k option in Las Vegas, so Lucas will be home with me all day once again when we move. Don't get me wrong, I love my children and I'm happy to have one-on-one time with him, but having all of my children in school is also a wonderful thing for my mental health as a homemaker. I'm sure many of you can sympathize. 

The second significant thing about the next 5 weeks is that ALL of my children will attend the same school. When we move, Howie will be entering Middle School. It starts in 6th grade in Las Vegas. Fortunately his current elementary school had been prepping the kids since 4th grade for the demands on Middle School. 

(left to right)

Erin - 5th grade

Howie - 6th grade

Jackson - 1st grade

Lucas - Pre-K

I love Lucas's expression. Initially he was not thrilled about the idea of starting Pre-K, but now that the concept has really sunk in, he's ecstatic about it. His class requires a tote bag that we were able to personalize. Lucas picked out the ribbon and letters for his name.

First day being at school ALL day. 

Jackson's first grade teacher is Karen Marinelli. She previously taught at Plaza Towers and saved the lives of three of her students in the tornado. She is still currently in a wheel chair, but has a substitute teacher in the classroom with her daily to help her as needed until she is walking again. She should be walking in the next few weeks. I've only spend a brief amount of time with her, but she has a heart of gold and truly is an angel. I'm so happy that Jackson gets to have her as his teacher for 5 weeks.

The video below is an interview that was done shortly after the tornado. She tells her story. 

The other children all have excellent teachers as well. We feel so very blessed to have amazing teachers at their school, caring for the children each and every day. They really are an inspiration! I'm going to miss Oakridge Elementary School when we move.

Erin's Special Week

We celebrated Erin's 10th birthday two days early so that we could do it all as a family. We hid her presents and made her search for them like we did Howie earlier this year. For her birthday dinner, she requested Red Lobster. Fortunately we all LOVE LOVE LOVE seafood. There were no complaints out of anyone.

 Her actual birthday was spent in St. Louis with me (her mom), siblings, Aunt Lisa, and cousins. We spent the day at the City Museum. It was wonderful, but brutally hot and humid. (Here is a link to last year's City Museum trip.) He topped it off with a trip to Dairy Queen on the way back from St. Louis. Howard stayed home in Oklahoma since he just took leave for our vacation out west earlier in the month. 

The reason why we're in Missouri is because we sent Erin to summer camp this year with her cousin. Howie went to outdoor school at Camp Classen for a week with his 5th grade class last year and also attended his first week-long Boy Scout camp this summer. Since we are moving soon, Erin was going to miss out on her 5th grade school camp. We didn't think that it was fair, so when my sister told me about Turkey Hill Ranch, a wonderful (and affordable) summer camp in central Missouri, we jumped at the chance. We sent the cousins together so that they could watch out for each other and not be too homesick. They are both participating in the Junior camp, geared for children ages 8-13. I'm really excited for her because she will have the opportunity to canoe, archery, horseback riding, swimming, etc. 

 Bunks are all set up and ready to go.

 Meeting their camp counselor for the week. The girl's cabin overlooks the lake. It's a breathtaking view! They are so lucky!

 All ready for her first swim at camp.

 My niece, Jackie. Ready to go swimming. The lake is right behind her.

 At the pool. 

At this point Erin was getting annoyed with me and told me to go home (she said it with kindness). They were ready to be independent and on their own.

One last wave before we left. Hope they have fun!!