This was the first year that Ella was actually interested in the parade and mostly in getting to the end of it so she could see Santa. Here are a few pictures of our "Family Activity."
Friday, December 7, 2007
Christmas Parade 2007
Tonight we decided to go to the Christmas parade...it was perfect weather and the kids had a great time! It was about 40 degrees and no wind or precipitation. We couldn't have asked for anything better. Trent and Mommy got a little chilly and required an extra blanket to keep warm but WHAT'S NEW ABOUT THAT?
Monday, December 3, 2007
The 3rd Annual LAS VEGAS MARATHON
John and I had a wonderful weekend...well, I guess mine was better than his because I spent a majority of the time just relaxing and eating. He ran 26.2 miles on Sunday - not my picture of "fun" but whatever floats your boat. After we took Trent to school and Ella to Jackie's on Thursday, we left for the airport. We had a wonderful flight out west and arrived in Vegas about 6:00pm. We found a great deal at Hooter's Hotel and Casino right off the strip and I must say that it was a very nice hotel. Probably not as ritzy as the others like New York, MGM Grand, Excalibur, etc. but the point of being in Vegas is to stay out of your room, isn't it?
Since the other couple we were staying with were not arriving until later in the evening, John and I decided that we were hungry and wanted to see a little bit of the city. So we walked across the street to MGM Grand and found a McDonald's for a quick bite. We also were lucky enough to walk in just as feeding time was beginning in the lion habitat!
On Friday, we spent the whole day sightseeing...IN THE RAIN! But it was soooo neat. I had never been to Las Vegas so all I was really interested in doing was seeing all the different hotels that I could. And possibly play a slot machine or two. Well, I did both! And I won some money at the slots in Treasure Island! I had never gambled in my life before so I had no idea what the pictures on the machine meant. On my third quarter my machine started going crazy making noise and I was a little freaked...WHAT HAD I PUSHED AND WHAT TROUBLE AM I IN?!?!? That's the point when I learned what the pictures meant...and I just won a massive ...
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$35.00!!! Oh, yeah - $35.00!!! But, of course I spent a little of my fortune playing more slots so I only came home with $20.00, but it's $20.00 more than I had when I left! Since it was raining
buckets at dinner time we decided to stay in the hotel and eat at Hooter's. After dinner, we spent a little while on the casino floor (playing slots again :-) of course).
Saturday, John and I woke up and ate breakfast in the Rainforest Cafe at the MGM Grand. It was delicious...I would recommend to anyone, especially those with small kids or small kids at heart (like me). We met up with Jeff and Sharon after breakfast and took the tram over to Mandalay Bay to pick up the guys' race packets, numbers, and free stuff. We love that free stuff! We then spent the rest of the day walking through the few hotels/casinos we missed and ended up back at MGM in the sports bar to watch the end of the VA Tech football game and the beginning of the UT game. Saturday night we ended up eating in the buffet at Excalibur and playing a few more slots. A great time was had by all, but because we had to be at the start line for the marathon by 5:30 the next day we called it an early night at 8:30pm.
I have several pictures to post but I have to wait for them to be downloaded from the other computer. Here are a few from Sunday morning at the finish line:
John comes down the shoot to the finish line!!! (in the Mandalay Bay parking lot)
He always tells me it's fun to run and compete in marathons...I just can't see the fun on his face in this picture. He looks a little like he's in pain.
Maybe this is the part that he considers fun...the free postrace massages. His friend, (and our "tour guide" during our trip) Jeff joins him in the massage tent.
Since the other couple we were staying with were not arriving until later in the evening, John and I decided that we were hungry and wanted to see a little bit of the city. So we walked across the street to MGM Grand and found a McDonald's for a quick bite. We also were lucky enough to walk in just as feeding time was beginning in the lion habitat!
On Friday, we spent the whole day sightseeing...IN THE RAIN! But it was soooo neat. I had never been to Las Vegas so all I was really interested in doing was seeing all the different hotels that I could. And possibly play a slot machine or two. Well, I did both! And I won some money at the slots in Treasure Island! I had never gambled in my life before so I had no idea what the pictures on the machine meant. On my third quarter my machine started going crazy making noise and I was a little freaked...WHAT HAD I PUSHED AND WHAT TROUBLE AM I IN?!?!? That's the point when I learned what the pictures meant...and I just won a massive ...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
$35.00!!! Oh, yeah - $35.00!!! But, of course I spent a little of my fortune playing more slots so I only came home with $20.00, but it's $20.00 more than I had when I left! Since it was raining
buckets at dinner time we decided to stay in the hotel and eat at Hooter's. After dinner, we spent a little while on the casino floor (playing slots again :-) of course).
Saturday, John and I woke up and ate breakfast in the Rainforest Cafe at the MGM Grand. It was delicious...I would recommend to anyone, especially those with small kids or small kids at heart (like me). We met up with Jeff and Sharon after breakfast and took the tram over to Mandalay Bay to pick up the guys' race packets, numbers, and free stuff. We love that free stuff! We then spent the rest of the day walking through the few hotels/casinos we missed and ended up back at MGM in the sports bar to watch the end of the VA Tech football game and the beginning of the UT game. Saturday night we ended up eating in the buffet at Excalibur and playing a few more slots. A great time was had by all, but because we had to be at the start line for the marathon by 5:30 the next day we called it an early night at 8:30pm.
I have several pictures to post but I have to wait for them to be downloaded from the other computer. Here are a few from Sunday morning at the finish line:
John comes down the shoot to the finish line!!! (in the Mandalay Bay parking lot)
He always tells me it's fun to run and compete in marathons...I just can't see the fun on his face in this picture. He looks a little like he's in pain.
Maybe this is the part that he considers fun...the free postrace massages. His friend, (and our "tour guide" during our trip) Jeff joins him in the massage tent.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
A NEW Family Portrait
It has been a long time since we scheduled a family portrait for the four of us. Actually, with the exception of the quick one we had made earlier in the year with John's family, the last family picture we had taken only included 3 of us...at the time we had the picture taken in November 2003, we had yet to find out if Ella was going to be a boy or a girl! So we decided it was time to have a new portrait done of our "bigger" family. Of course the fact that Ella now questions why she is not in the picture hanging in the hallway was also a little push to have a new one made. :-)
So we made an appointment for Monday at 6:30. I hoped that we would make it in before the big Christmas rush...I was wrong. It was packed!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Halloween/Trunk-or-Treat 2007
Tonight was a wonderful night to Trunk-or-Treat!! The weather was just cool enough to feel like the last day of October but not freezing. We began the night Trick-or-Treating and Auntie Hazel's and then went by Jackie's (Ella's babysitter). We had a good turnout for Trunk-or-Treat at church, but not as many kids (or trunks) as in the past. Here are few pictures of the kids "Trunk-or-Treating."
Our annual picture with Jackie and Russ.
Welcome to Gotham City! Alfred, Bat Girl, The Riddler, and Batman.
Ella and Sydney get treats from Jeanne M.
Rev. Brenda in her Western Wear.
Craig H. hands out candy...but were's Vanessa???
Trick or Treating at Aunt Tracie's Trunk
Ann and Steve E.
Pirate Jeff E.
Scott, Lisa, Lindsey, Becca, and Kayleen went to Disney World last month. This provided a great idea for the theme of their trunk! Lindsey came as Jasmine, Becca was Cinderella, and Kayleen was Tinkerbell. Scott and Lisa came dressed as Disney Cast Members (for those of you that are Disney-illiterate the people that work for the Disney company are called "Cast Members").
Trent and Ella pose with Grammy the nun(or as Sydnie said when Grammy arrived "She's the Sound of Music, she's the Sound of Music!)
Our annual picture with Jackie and Russ.
Welcome to Gotham City! Alfred, Bat Girl, The Riddler, and Batman.
Ella and Sydney get treats from Jeanne M.
Rev. Brenda in her Western Wear.
Craig H. hands out candy...but were's Vanessa???
Trick or Treating at Aunt Tracie's Trunk
Ann and Steve E.
Pirate Jeff E.
Scott, Lisa, Lindsey, Becca, and Kayleen went to Disney World last month. This provided a great idea for the theme of their trunk! Lindsey came as Jasmine, Becca was Cinderella, and Kayleen was Tinkerbell. Scott and Lisa came dressed as Disney Cast Members (for those of you that are Disney-illiterate the people that work for the Disney company are called "Cast Members").
Trent and Ella pose with Grammy the nun(or as Sydnie said when Grammy arrived "She's the Sound of Music, she's the Sound of Music!)
Monday, October 29, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
These Pictures are SENIOR YEARBOOK WORTHY!!
I imagine that only my parents and sister understand the title of this blog entry listed above. For those of you who are in the dark let me explain...
At my high school the parents of the graduating seniors are given the option of buying a dedication space in which they write whatever they choose (usually something mushy about how much their child has grown, how proud they are of the kid, etc., etc., etc.). Besides the sweet writing many parents also enjoy having one of their child's most embarrasing childhood photos included in the space. My parents discovered this tradition early in my high school career and tormented me (yes, tormented) my entire senior year telling me that they had sent in one really embarrasing picture. After checking my mother's neatly organized photo albums I discovered that the particularly embarrasing picture was missing from its space. Little did I know, until yearbooks were given out in May, that they did not put in that horrible picture but rather a very cute picture of me dressed as a pumpkin.
So, this slightly embarrasing picture is a keeper and might be up for consideration in Ella's senior yearbook. We will have to see how the next 14 years progress...there will be many more opportunities to take embarrasing pictures!
P.S. - Things did not turn out as "cute" for my sister however. Mom allowed me to choose the picture to be included in Abby's senior yearbook...that was a mistake. So what kind of picture would you chose for your little sister??? Of course it would be the one of her sitting on the toliet smiling ear to ear, duh. :-)
At my high school the parents of the graduating seniors are given the option of buying a dedication space in which they write whatever they choose (usually something mushy about how much their child has grown, how proud they are of the kid, etc., etc., etc.). Besides the sweet writing many parents also enjoy having one of their child's most embarrasing childhood photos included in the space. My parents discovered this tradition early in my high school career and tormented me (yes, tormented) my entire senior year telling me that they had sent in one really embarrasing picture. After checking my mother's neatly organized photo albums I discovered that the particularly embarrasing picture was missing from its space. Little did I know, until yearbooks were given out in May, that they did not put in that horrible picture but rather a very cute picture of me dressed as a pumpkin.
So, this slightly embarrasing picture is a keeper and might be up for consideration in Ella's senior yearbook. We will have to see how the next 14 years progress...there will be many more opportunities to take embarrasing pictures!
P.S. - Things did not turn out as "cute" for my sister however. Mom allowed me to choose the picture to be included in Abby's senior yearbook...that was a mistake. So what kind of picture would you chose for your little sister??? Of course it would be the one of her sitting on the toliet smiling ear to ear, duh. :-)
Cub Scout Trent
It has been a while since I've posted pictures of just Trent on the blog so here is one of him by himself. We had a few extra minutes tonight so he put on his Cub Scout uniform. Tuesday is the first "Pack Meeting" in which the parents are invited to attend. For those of you who are not familiar with Cub Scouts they have Den Meetings once a week and a Pack Meeting once a month that is open to the parents...this is the meeting where they receive the patches they've earned. 
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