Admittedly, Vegas is not the first place I’d choose for a family weekend but when you have awesome grandparents, Cirque du Soleil tickets, and a mission to kick some heads then…well…it’s not so bad.

Starting the trip off with a kiss.

Stopping for snacks.

Crack Honey Sticks

The boys.

The two bedroom suite at the MGM Grand.
(Thing 1’s favorite)

Nothing like a good book, a view, and an apple.

I failed tried to turn our visit to the Luxor into a history lesson on Egypt.

Rockstar.

Movie star.

Starbucks.

Eric Clapton from 11th row center.

He was awesome but I wouldn’t have minded…

…seeing Steel Panther.

Speaking of panthers…

…my “min-pan” (mini-panther) was very happy to have us home!

One of my favorite things, if not my favorite thing, about taekwondo are the friends we have made at the studio.  Nothing says “friends” like kicking each other in the head followed by a glass of wine.  Hopefully, in that order and not the other way around.

This year we brought in the New Year with some other friends and families from the studio.  We stayed up late talking, laughing, playing Just Dance and Rockband, and listening to Nathanael play the piano.  It was the perfect mix of “grown up and kid” or maybe it was just grown ups acting like kids.  Whatever it was, it was fun and a perfect way to usher in 2011.

Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve

If my tree was a store it would be a Goodwill.  Chipped ornaments hang along side well loved paper wreaths made by little hands with a few old but fine ornaments hidden within the branches.

Christmas Morning

I wonder how the stock market is doing?

Meow Cow and I have a moment.
(“What the hell is this weird woman doing?”)

I found a “purple shirt with a cool design”.  Supposedly, purple is “in style”.

Legos are ALWAYS a hit.

I think GG liked her bag.

The youngest old man and his slave sidekick.

It was a simple but very good day.

Because I know you’d rather see cat pictures over family pictures.

\

I’ll have more Christmas pictures of humans up soon.

love.

er, Wednesday…

It’s rare Brent and I get a day to spend together alone at leisure.   So rare that when it happens, it feels like we’ve been sent out on a scavenger hunt without directions.   Where to go?  What to do?  Saturday in our hunt for adventure, we ended up at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.   In high school, this was one of my favorite places to go and escape my teenage angst.   As an adult it’s a perfect place to slow down and  hold my husband’s hand while glimpsing  into the worlds of others.

Peek-a-boo.

On the 3rd floor, right before being getting in trouble for taking pictures.

Can you imagine the chaos if there were such things as winged cats.  They would take over the world.

After the museum we headed over to Broad Ripple to share a pizza at Bazbeaux and a walk along the canal. 

As if the day couldn’t have been more perfect, we slipped into Indy CD and Vinyl where there was live music (and strange things called “records”).  Mike Reeb was playing an acoustic set of original material and this Radiohead cover.

Days like this.  Love them.

Nathanael loves fancy things.  Noah loves history.   Mommy loves getting out of the house art.

So a trip to the Getty Villa has been on the to-do list for years. Unfortunately, sometimes when things are nearby they easily slip off the radar.  (Beautiful ocean sunsets?) It’s easy to dream about taking the boys to the see the Eiffel Tower (we are all wearing berets) but it’s hard to pack lunches, remember cameras, and get motivated to drive 50 miles south.  When the boys new school (they are now going to school part time and being homeschooled part time) planned a field trip to this fantastic “warehouse” of Roman and Greek antiquities, I was excited.

After our school group left, we stayed behind to explore a bit more on our own.

Noah says, “They look like legos!”

For Brent who is intrigued by the idea of “metal wings”.

The Getty Villa has a hands-on family forum.  However, you have to have advanced reservations and we did not but…

…after a little pleading from mom. 😉

The warrior and the musician.

The warrior and the musician.

Creating our own antiquities.

While we were in the neighborhood, we met with my friend, Deb.

Deb made us treats and prepared a scavenger hunt for the boys.

Reading the clues.

She even included geography.

“Hmmm…what do you think?”

At the end….hacky sacks!  Deb gives a demo!

Noah also enjoyed playing with Ellie.

I think he wore her out.

Wink!

Antiquities, beauty, friends, games, and kitties.

It could not have been a better day.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

We had a house guest last week.

Oscar

This is pretty much what he did all week.

Nathanael even slept with him on the couch for two nights.

I’ve always wanted a weiner dog.  It was fun to have one for a week.

Lots of fun.

(For me at least.)

We love Oscar.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

We celebrated Halloween with “The Force” this year.

Han Solo, Princess Leia, Pre Vizsla, and Jengo Fett in front of the van Millennium Falcon.  (Trust me, Han and Leia would eventually drive a mini-van.)

Saturday evening our taekwondo studio put on a trunk-or-treat.

We decorated the trunk of the “Millennium Falcon” in a Star Wars Lego theme.

Complete with a ring toss.

I may or may not have thrown a tantrum trying to make construction paper witch hats for the giant mini-fig or Yoda.

Leia’s bad azz attitude is all an act when she is around Han.

(swoon)

Last minute Han decided he needed a blaster holster.

Then Sunday evening we went trick-or-treating with our neighbors a ninja and a clone trooper.

A Star Wards Halloween wouldn’t be complete without matching pumpkins.

Jango Fett, Darth Vader, and the Imperial Insignia.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn