Christmas School Recital

Jesus is the reason for this season and so we celebrated the birth of Jesus at school early by having a Christmas Play put on by all the children, intermittent with songs followed with a hearty pot-luck lunch.


I always end up trying a new recipe when I have a pot-luck, (I think I try to take advantage of the fact that other people will end up eating it so that if I end up not liking it, it's not all for nothing).  So far everything I have made has been a hit and there haven't been any leftovers.  So I signed up to bring a green salad and made this  RECIPE HERE.  I didn't put in any feta since I limit dairy and used canned pears since I couldn't find any ripe fresh ones.  The dressing is super yummy and easy to whip up too!  Everyone loved it!

I took a lot of video and pictures since Scott had to fly to D.C. for the day and couldn't make it.  So if he can't be there he loves to see videos of the kids.

Katie was a donkey who hated getting pictures taken.

 

Neither one of my kids would take a regular nice picture.  The Wise Men insisted on having his one eye covered. Here's Mikey with his best friend Rohan. 

There's the North Star and some Wise Men.

Michael sitting with part of his class.

The Wise Men came to bring gifts to baby Jesus.

Posing in the middle of the play.

Viva Las Vegas

Scott was speaking at an AICPA Conference in Las Vegas so I left the kids at my mom and dad's and joined him there for 5 days.  It's been a few years since we were both there together and when we lived in Denver together for 3 years, I think we went to Vegas 7 times!!  Ahhh, those were the days.....where we stayed up easily past 11pm.  Now, we are the ones up at our usual waking hour and the only couple under 40 who is walking on the strip before 8am, scoping out places for breakfast. One morning while at breakfast, sitting at a table next to us were twenty somethings who clearly were still up from the night before.  Wow, did we feel old then.

We have both consented that while it was definitely fun to get away from our normal life as a mom and dad for a couple days that in the future we will be picking other places to go to besides Vegas.  Vegas has expired for us and we are totally fine with that!  I think a cozy mountain cabin or a coastal retreat is much more our pace these days!

We walked to many different resorts, and hung out with friends of ours who now live down there for two days, we also saw Bill Engvall the comedian from the Blue Comedy Tour who was hilarious and enjoyed lots of yummy meals together!

I started off the trip right with an exit row seat and no seat in front of me.  Leg room galore!

We stayed at the uber fancy Aria Resort where Scott was speaking.

Scott and I at Caesars Palace.

Everything was decorated so extravagantly for Christmas.

This gorgeous tree decorated inside the Crystal Shops at Aria.

Buddha impersonation.

I checked the local weather and based on my location Paradise popped up. It was the same forecast as the actual Las Vegas weather.

A mid afternoon splurge, this almond croissant from Jean Philippe was so decadent I couldn't finish it.

The World's Largest Chocolate Fountain inside the Bellagio. We both wanted to stick our faces in it!

Statistics of the fountain. 

Gorgeous set up inside the atrium at the Bellagio.

We walked under a snowflake tunnel.  We are no good at taking "selfies."

The Cola Polar Bears made with fresh white roses.

They were amazing and the smell was intoxicating.

The Bellagio entrance with hand blown glass fixtures.

A seven course wine and food pairing dinner with famous chefs and 300 of your closest friends at The Venetian.  It was stunning and I've never seen anything like it!

Chairs fit for a king and queen.

A newly married couple floating on a gondola while we enjoyed dinner at The Venetian. 

I saw this slot game and had to take a picture to show Mikey.

The Aria lobby.

Thanksgiving 2014

A huge winter storm advisory was in the forecast for the day before Thanksgiving, so we all hustled and quickly packed and/or took an extra day off work and car pooled down to PA the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.  It's been 2 years since we were there for Thanksgiving and I missed my mom's stuffing!  No, that wasn't the only reason we went down there for Thanksgiving, but it sure was on the list! She makes the best stuffing and it's lucky to get to the table with my sister and I around!

We had a feast and enjoyed hanging out with family over the next week! I'm not sure how I didn't end up with any pictures of actual Thanksgiving, but my phone was away and that's how I like it on the holidays.

First day of hunting season and my Dad was out early.  Now that he's retired he has time to waste in the woods.

The obligatory trip to Hershey Chocolate World.

Hands Down!  The kids loved this game!

Bouncing on Bryan....

....and more bouncing.....

....and some smooshing too!

It was a race to see who could find Waldo first!  Even the hardest book was no match for my kiddos.

Love to Bailey.

Lego City with light up cars, kept Mikey occupied most mornings.  I think he ended up putting 5 or 6 different sets together.

Randoms from School

Both of the kids teachers take pictures of all the kids during school.  They have a portal set up so that all the parents have access to the pictures.  I especially love seeing all the new pictures that they upload because I often wonder just what the kids are doing during school.  I hope you enjoy as much as I do.

Katie painting a pig with mud.

The girls.

Special celebration with pudding.

I love to see her smiling like this at school.

Playing puppies.

Reading with Miss Janet.

I often find her dressed up when school is over.

Princesses have to work too.

Concentrating on her art work.

Want a mud pie?

This explains a lot!

Red light...green light.

Playing nicely with Sophia.

Leader of the class.

She loves a good craft!  That's my girl!

This is why I found red paint all over her new white cardigan! Haha.

Class photo in their Halloween costumes.

Playing puppies again.  She loves playing this game.

Something was hilarious!

She'd play "puppies" everyday.

When it's too cold or raining outside they have an awesome huge indoor play space to play and ride bikes.

Construction worker Mikey and Rohan.

The firemen came to teach the kids.

I love him.

Getting a closer inspection of all the gear.

He found a "PKE Meter" lego piece. 

The teachers said they went through so many boxes during construction week.

A box of critters?!  He's all over this!

Bly and Mikey playing outside.

A huge hit during Halloween.  Golf pegs, pumpkins and hammers.

Sitting on the fire truck!

Curling his hair.

Checking in the mirror to make sure it's just right.

Should I call him Maximus instead?

He's always silly.

In addition to Scott going to his school and reading his favorite book to his class, he also had a special snack and wore his crown he decorated!

Dancing with Oivia.

He's having so much fun at his school too.  Can you tell!?