Away in a Manger
Away in a Manger Take 2
Jesus Loves Me
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Fwinkle Fwinkle and Away in a Manger, revisited for the last time!
Now third, as I sit here in my pj's on Thanksgiving while Chris is at work, it is tempting to feel sorry for myself especially as I think back over the years and realize how rarely we actually get to celebrate a holiday the "normal" way (nursing and law enforcement~can't beat the job security but it comes with the price of 365 day/year, 24 hours/day operations). It's particularly tempting today as I've been dealing with a myriad of health problems and we've had a very complicated schedule for the last couple of months with no end in sight!
Fortunately though, I'm quickly snapped back into the reality of our incredibly blessed life full of fun, noise, and chaos just like I love :o) In many ways, things are just as I imagined them all those years ago (17!) when Chris and I met in the hall at Lutheran South right by the pay phones (remember pay phones?!) as he innocently tossed a piece of trash in my direction. In other ways, things are even better than I imagined! There have certainly been disappointments along the way and there will, no doubt, be plenty more but through all of it God's hand is always there guiding us along, spinning the complicated web of our existence intertwined marvelously with all of your webs as well. I am so unbelievably grateful, even as I sit here in the office procrastinating about housework on Thanksgiving. I wouldn't trade a moment!
Vegas Baby!
When we lived in San Diego we frequented Las Vegas (it was a 45 minute flight or a 5 hour scenic desert drive) and jumped at the chance to spend our anniversary there this year. It seems an odd place for us to enjoy as much as we do but it is truly one of the best getaways I can think of! It's as if you've stepped out of time into a place with the best collection of fabulous restaurants (over the years we've enjoyed 2 of Emeril's, several of Wolfgang Puck's, Bobby Flay's MESA Grill, Picasso's at the Belagio, and many others), shows (Cirque Du Soleil~10 different versions, Stomp, BlueMan Group, and an ever changing variety of concerts), and people watching like I've never experienced anywhere else in the world. We rarely spend more on gambling then we are comped ($50 or so when you check into your hotel or hear a timeshare presentation) and I hardly even think of it as a place to gamble (though I know for many that is the draw and even the problem with this intriguing place). I'd never want to live there but I do love to spend 72 hours in this alternate universe and thoroughly enjoy the total escape from reality!
This picture was taken at the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage. They have amazing lions and tigers (we even got to see a litter of 5 tiger cubs that were only 18 wks old, some white with blue eyes and some yellow, all playing together with a trainer) and 2 giant pools with dolphins. Jameson loved it! http://www.mirage.com/attractions/secret-garden.aspx
Palazzo and the Venetian are 2 of our favorite spots to explore...In the video on the right, that is actually a person!
Next, onto the Bellagio...
We just got back from celebrating our 9th anniversary in Las Vegas and since Uncle Dev and Aunt Kim live there, we got to spend some time with them! Aunt Kim is definitely not a "kid person" (she'd be the first to admit it) but she and Jameson always have a good time...
Here is Jameson with his buddy Grayson on a recent trip to VA Beach! The boys shared sippy cups all weekend just passing them back and forth depending on who was in the mood for which beverage. Grayson decided he wanted to give Jameson drinks periodically and we managed to capture the little comedy routine on video! Towards the end you can hear Jameson say "more" and sign it too and Grayson seemed to know exactly what Jameson meant~BFF :o)
