A Glimpse of VEGAS

We returned from Vegas late last night.  We went for a business meeting and I can tell you now from experience...don't go to Vegas on Memorial Day weekend-ever!!  We were there from Wed-Sun so we mostly missed the crowds but they started pouring in Friday night and Sat morning.  A stayed awake our entire travel day...not great considering she had a fever when we got her out of her crib that morning.  This first pic was taken at the Portland airport.  The boys were calling the Hawaii airline planes "mommy planes" and the Alaskan airline planes "daddy planes" because each has a woman/man picture on the back of it.  They can also always spot "Aunt JJ's plane!!" (Southwest)

Avery stayed awake until the very bumpy landing we made into Vegas...then she fell asleep!

Geoff carried our precious cargo off the plane...and she slept for about 20 minutes.

Geoff and I were in meetings the first day and a half so Grandma watched the kids.  Thank you Grandma!  The kids had a great time with Grandma and Ms. Valerie (Grandma's friend from TN) riding the monorail to the aquarium at Mandalay Bay.  They loved seeing all the sharks and kept telling us how they saw a great white.  

From the looks of this pic, they did see a great white!  I like the arms crossed and hand-on-hip pose.  :)

They did get to watch some extra TV on this trip-I don't think they had any problems with that.

We stayed at the MGM Grand.   Avery always knew how to find the golden lion.

I got to gamble a little with my dad.   He was playing blackjack and when he lost about $350 in a few rounds...I said "$350!  That is an arm chair!"  (I guess I value money in regards to furniture.)  He looked at me like I was crazy...then he went on to roulette.  It hit his number and he won $875 and looked at me and said "and that is a couch!"   Funny man.  :) 

I won a total of $135...and my dad won $4K while we were there.  Then we walked away.  

Our first attempt at the pool didn't go so well.  Avery took huge naps while we were there because she was sick...so when she woke up we were headed down to meet Geoff and the boys...

 ...and ended up walking around for about 30 minutes not being able to find them.  There were a lot of pools!  And did I mention there were a lot of people?!  Geoff wasn't answering his phone, Avery was heavy, it was about 95 degrees outside and I gave up.  We returned to the AC.

I was lucky to get these two pics of her.  She wanted held and I would put her down for just a second to rest my arms and try to get a quick pic before she wanted up again.  

 

We got to see Cirque de Soleil show "O" with the company on one of the nights and Papap stayed with the kids.  Papap treated the boys to a movie while he put Avery down.  He said he kept her and the boys up as long as possible because he wasn't going to be handle if Avery cried.  She only cried for about 30 seconds before she passed out.  And the boys were watching the end of the movie with their eyes glazed over.  The movie ended and he said they ran into their beds and went right to sleep.  

On the last night of the meetings we rode the monorail to dinner...don't you love Geoff and Matt's matching shirts? (they didn't plan it)...

Papap and Avery on the monorail. 

On the way to the hotel, Jack hitched arrived on Mr. Rick (friend of my parents) and Wyatt hitched a bit shorter ride on Uncle Matt.

Aunt Amy enjoying a banana split at Caesars.

 

 While Aunt Amy, Avery and I shopped on Saturday, the guys hiked in Red Rock.  The boys with Uncle Matt:

Hiking and swimming wiped W out.

Avery was feeling better by the last day or so and was able to get two pool trips in.

The crew in San Fran - almost 10 p.m. awaiting our last flight home.  Jack fell asleep before the plane even took off.  Avery didn't give in until the last 1/3 of the flight.

More May

Just some fun pics from May.   Avery after playing at the park one afternoon.

 The kids watching "Octonauts" and having a snack.

 

 During a night flying week, Geoff got to go with us to gymnastics.  

She is ready for her stamp.

Afound the boys' belts one day and Geoff put it on her.  She wore it all day and even napped with it.

Last week I went to a fundraiser tea where my friend Katie was the guest speaker.  She was Miss America 2002 - how cool is that?!!  She came over after the event and pulled out "the crown" and put it on Avery.  How many people get to have a photo with Miss America while wearing her crown?!   So fun!!  

 The boys T-ball season started last week.  We have had gorgeous spring weather but the last (I'm hoping) random cold front moved in that night of our first practice.  And we missed the first game.  We were so cold and rushed that night this was the best pic I have.

I almost couldn't get the boys out of the car.  They are pretty resistant to try new things...but they got out and thankfully saw a few kids from kindergarten and were on board.  Wyatt even said afterwards "I love this and want to play it forever and ever."  They really liked running the bases.  Their coaches were great and actually taught them what to do...I was worried they would just jump in and start playing so that helped a lot.  It is just a 6-week season so we could see if they liked it.  A liked playing (and falling) on (and off) the bleachers and wearing the boys' helmet.

Mother's Day

We had a lazy day...went to church, did house work, then went to a birthday party.  The kids weren't in the mood for photos that morning.  I had to tickle a smile out of Wyatt.

Jack was agreeable to a pic.

A was ready to run.

 Our best group shot of the day.  Yes, Wyatt is wearing my shoes.

And we don't want to forget our other babies.   This pic is from 2004 when we first adopted Katy and Bear.  Bear couldn't leave her stitches alone after being spayed which is why she has the cone head on.

They are not quite babies anymore.  :(  But still like the same attention.

Bear smiling.

Wishing our beautiful moms and all the moms we know a wonderful belated Mother's Day!!

First Lost Tooth!

Wyatt finally lost his first tooth!  He lost it somewhere in the "dark time" between the 7-8th of May.  Wyatt woke me and said "I was dreaming and my tooth came out and then I was holding it then I fell back asleep."  I said "You lost your tooth?"  Wyatt said "yes!  I can munch munch my breakfast now." (he was miserable the night before trying to eat dinner).  Me:  "Where is your tooth?"  Wyatt:  "I don't know.  In my bed somewhere?  I looked but I couldn't really find it."  Hmmmm.  Great.
That night I got a photo - show me your teeth!

Ok.  Gorgeous smile but can't see the gap.  But he doesn't have a gap...the two center permanent teeth were tired of waiting and busted through several weeks ago.  So he is still +1 in the teeth category.  It so reminds me of a shark with the multiple rows.   See what I mean?

My cute sharky-shark shark.
It took me a day and a half to find that tooth.  I was about to accept the fact that he had swallowed it.  But then I found it in the carpet.  Geoff was in WA when all this excitement happened.  It took 6 years and almost nine months to lose his first tooth.
Jack still has all of his baby teeth and also has some permanent teeth in.  He is busy wiggling his teeth now.

You're Gonna Miss This

The yoga training I went to in Vegas...was transformational for me.  That may sound dramatic but it was exactly what I needed at that moment in my life.  Yoga is so much about living in the present moment...and having kids has really taught me this.  And yoga has been a constant reminder...an encouraging little nudge to focus on the good versus the bad everytime I practice.  Yoga is teaching me to embrace it all right now...on what I have instead of what I don't have.  Do good.  Be good.  Have gratitude, feel gratitude, and express gratitude.  Am I saying that I am good at this?  Or that it is easy?  NO way.  But every reminder I can get to do this is more than welcome.

Have you ever heard the Trace Adkins song "You're Gonna Miss This?"

Five years later there's a plumberWorkin' on the water heaterDog's barkin', phone's ringin'One kid's cryin' and one kid's screamin'And she keeps apologizin'

He says, “They don't bother meI've got two babies of my ownOne's thirty-six, one's twenty-three”Huh, it's hard to believe

But you're gonna miss thisYou're gonna want this backYou're gonna wish these daysHadn't gone by so fast

These are some good timesSo take a good look aroundYou may not know it nowBut you're gonna miss this

If there is one thing I have heard as a mom more than anything else is to enjoy my kids because "it goes by so fast."   

We spent this weekend enjoying the weather while prepping for summer...Geoff exchanged two old and broken bikes he had for a brand new bike.  He got new tires for the chariot.  He fixed my jogging stroller tire.  

Wyatt is so proud of his new bike...he wanted me to take a picture of him on it.  It was a gift from Papap and Grandma.  He says "I love my new bike!" all the time.  Jack wasn't quite ready to let go of his smaller bike yet so Wyatt generously offered to let Jack have his old one (when we bought their first bikes W's was a size bigger than the one J bought).  W is not one to pass up on a good opportunity when he sees it.

Jack taking a break on our ride.  

                      The whole crew.

 Here is Avery soaking it all in yesterday first thing.  I love the joy she has in everything...as if she is saying "I have arrived!" or "What new things are we going to do today?"

    The little things can bring so much joy.  Like a sunny day and a pink tricycle.

   Watching our dogs through the fence (so they don't knock her over).

    Now that is living in the moment.

    Have an amazing week everyone.