Life with the B's

the Girls are Out of Town!

2008-08-03T19:20:00.002-04:00

Vera sighting!

2008-02-21T17:51:00.005-05:00

Just call me Vera (Cheers fans will get that one...) Since I'm always the one taking the pictures, I am rarely in them, (which is fine with me) but every now and then I'll say to Mike, "Take a picture of me with the kids so they'll know who their mother was."

This one is cute because Austin is actually smiling and showing his teeth! I've also been playing around with borders in photoshop, so I thought it would be nice to post this.

It's been a while since I've posted anything here. Just like real photo albums or scrapbooks, they're hard to keep up with. I've been so busy trying to learn my new camera and posting to my photography websites that I've let the family blog languish. To allay my guilt, I will most likely toss a few photos up here and there without much consideration for the artistic value of them. But that's what my other endeavors are for anyway, so if you're looking for "pretty" pictures, best check out my other site, There is something in my eye.

Birthday Boy

2007-10-08T08:33:00.000-04:00

Boys and their guns.... he's 13 today, so I'm trying to loosen the reigns a little, which means I let him play on the football team again (ok, so I started loosening little last year...) and I let him play with guns. NOT real guns of course, but it's still a big step for me. The look of mischievous joy on his face is bittersweet, to say the least!

He had 5 of his friends for an all-nighter in the basement, and I must say they were all very good. At one point they were stomping around the entire house pelting each other with the Nerf "bullets" when I had to leave. All that testosterone and noise in this tiny house was more than I could take. (Plus I promised I would take Emma to the mall! Smart, huh?)

Letterboxing Day

2007-10-07T08:11:00.000-04:00

The day was in the 80's and perfect for a bike ride, when it rained. We decided to make our 3rd attempt at finding an elusive indoor letterbox that we've been hunting for over a year.

Unsuccessful yet again at finding Do You Copy? , the three oldest B's decided to take youngest B to see the first ever found letterbox by The Busy B's (that's us, in case you're confused!). This is Emma's encounter with that letterbox on the page where we originally stamped (Emma wasn't with us that day). She got to stamp her own home-made stamp this time. She was freaked out by the location of Smithsonian Beginnings and so the look on her face in this picture.

Jackbear is the planter of these two letterboxes, and a master at that. Finding Smithsonian was a treat and was what got us hooked on letterboxing. I know we won't be disappointed once we find Do You Copy ~ it will be worth the time and energy.

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?!

2007-10-03T23:49:00.000-04:00

It's really hard to make football pictures interesting, but here are my best shots at it.

Well, Austin had his 2nd game today, and they killed the opponent 57 to 7! Yikes! He played a lot this time, and even was sent out to catch a pass play that the QB ended up running in. I was very proud of him, and I hope he gained some confidence today.

Austin's First Game

2007-10-02T22:03:00.001-04:00

Austin had his first football game of his 8th grade season Saturday, and they killed the opponent 50 something to 13!

Here's his "Awww mom, cut it out!" look. His number is 81 - he was very happy about that! This picture looks great in black and white; I'll end up posting it on my photoblog soon, so check it out over there.

Summer Vacation

2006-11-17T22:14:00.000-05:00

Long time no posts - almost a year, and so much life in between.

This summer we spent 2 weeks traveling in Maine and Prince Edward Island. First we drove to Maine, and stayed at a lovely home in the tiny town of South Addison.

We were on a quiet bay (actually, they're all quiet!) and had many places to explore.Our wonderful hosts even took us out on their lobster boat one beautiful morning.

Christmas Vacation

2006-01-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

Snapshots from our Christmas vacation in St. Louis with Mike's cousin Brynne and his wife Lisa, their kids Matt, Audrey and Allison. We had such a wonderful time, and the S's were the most gracious of hosts! Check out all of the fun things we did!

Are you ready for some football?

2006-01-01T21:59:00.000-05:00

Brynne was able to get club level seats to the Rams vs. 49'ers game on Christmas Eve afternoon.

It was a very different experience to watch a game inside - certainly didn't miss the drunks that attend the Bill's games!

The Rams lost the game - bummer! Thanks for the Primo seats, Brynne!

2006-01-01T21:49:00.000-05:00

On Christmas day we caravanned to Grafton IL to the Pere Marquette State Park.

We hiked up the Dogwood Trail to McAdams Peak, where we had a snowball fight and took the family picture below. The Illinois River is in the background.

Christmas Evening at the Pere Marquette Lodge

2006-01-01T21:39:00.000-05:00

Allie, Audrey, Matt, Brynne and Lisa cozy up in the lodge.

Mike and Austin warm up near the huge fireplace.

The boys enjoyed challenging each other to a giant game of chess.

Up the Arch - Emma's Dream Realized!

2006-01-01T21:28:00.000-05:00

Ever since we brought home a National Parks matching game for the kids 4 years ago, Emma has wanted to visit the St. Louis Arch.

Known as the Gateway to the West, the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is better known as the St. Louis Arch or the Gateway Arch.

2006-01-01T21:20:00.000-05:00

A view of the St. Louis historical Old Courthouse from the top of the Gateway Arch.

The ride to the top of the Arch takes only 4 minutes, but it seems alot longer with 5 people sitting in this tiny "pod". A train of 8 cars make the trip together.

As the train of pods navigates the increasing arc of the Arch, the pod stays level a bit, and then tips a tiny bit before "kachinking" and evening out again. On the way up you can look out of the car through the tiny windows and see all of the guts of the arch - bolts, scaffolding and (just in case!) a stairwell.

Mike and the kids looked dwarfed next to the giant base of the Arch.

2006-01-01T21:19:00.000-05:00

Once at the top of the Arch, the area is about the size of the inside of an airplane. In order to look out the windows, you have to lean against a wall and it feels like you're going to fall since the base of the Arch is actually behind you.

2006-01-01T21:18:00.000-05:00

This is looking out the windows at the top of the Arch. The base of the Arch is actually behind you at this point. Our car is in the parking lot below. Notice how tiny the people are!

2006-01-01T21:17:00.000-05:00

A view of our mini-van (on the right) from the top of the Arch.

A view up and down the Mississippi River.

Good Bye to GG

2005-12-18T21:48:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday, December 14, my Grandmother Helen Nichols passed away. She was 97 years old. She was a very strong, kind, and patient woman. The story of her life was an incredible one. Many of my most treasured childhood memories were made with Gram. She will be sadly missed.

Life is GOOD!

2005-07-23T01:49:00.000-04:00

Thursday July 21, 2005 Kings Canyon Natl Park
Today we headed into Kings Canyon Park, which is a separate park from Sequoia, but they are run as one. Mike did NOT want to drive the twisty road again to get to the Kings portion of the park, so he took a “shortcut” back road that he thought “didn’t look that twisty on the map”. Of course it was twisty, how else can you get around a canyon?

So we entered through the Big Stump entrance, and proceeded to the Grant Grove Visitor Center and village. Located here is the General Grant Tree, measuring 267.4 feet tall and 107.6 feet around, it is the earth's second-largest tree. We purchased the trial guide for $1.00, and walked the short loop learning about the habitat of the sequoia trees. On the trail is a fallen monach tree, in which the calvary used to stable their horses in the 1890's when they used to guard the park. Others of the trees are named after states, for various reasons.

Sequoia National Park, CA

2005-07-23T01:02:00.000-04:00

Wednesday July 20, 2005 Sequoia NP

This is such a beautiful park, with granite cliffs, a crisp blue-green running river, meadows of wildflowers, rolling hills to one side, and forests with gorgeous giant trees. There are no shuttles, which is great because then you can come and go as you please at your own pace, but driving the winding road is exhausting.

A beautiful Sequoia Tree

Before we could even enter the Visitor’s Center, we heard a Ranger talk on black bears. Apparently Sequoia is a great habitat for black bears, and if you’re lucky, you may even see one grazing in one of the meadows and not at your picnic table! We learned that they will break into your car, even with the windows all the way up, to get to any food you have. Bears can even recognize what a cooler looks like and break in to get to it. Did you know that black bears can smell food up to 5 miles away!? But they can’t hear worth a squat!

The park road is narrow, very curvy and steep, with many, many switchbacks. By some miracle Austin didn’t get car sick. Our original plan was to drive from the Foothills section where we entered all the way to the other end at General Grant Grove, to which Sue’s Frommer’s book said would take 2 hours. HA HA! There is no way, even if you didn’t stop, and even if you drive like Mike. We only made it 1/3 of the way, not even making it to the Lodgepole Visitor Center.

Our first stop was at a place called Hospital Rock. I don’t know the story behind it, but it had these red rock art pictures, the red paint probably symbolizing blood. Maybe they tended to the wounded under the rock overhang, either that or left them there to die!

Emma trying to find the deepest hole

Right across from Hospital Rock is a giant boulder with a bunch of holes in it that were used with a pestle to grind acorns into meal. We thought that was pretty cool.

This blue-green container is a bear trap, located in the Hospital Rock parking lot, along with a lot of warning signs about bears. Our bear talk this morning taught us to do the bear dance, that is, if one approaches, make lots of noise, stomp around and wave our arms while screaming. Sounds like Emma having Diva moment to me...(since she's had a few of those on this trip already, I don't anticpate that we'll have any problems with the bears).... Now her, on the other hand...maybe we can put her in there instead...

Continuing up the twisty road, we headed to the Giant Forest, checking out the museum and walking the Giant Tree Loop. At the beginning of the trail and right in front of the museum is a tree called The Sentinel. This thing is MONSTROUS, although according to the placard, is average for the giant Sequoias! The trees are so big and thick, that they don’t look real. The base of this tree is 21 feet wide, and it’s 278 feet tall. It’s estimated to be 2,000 years old.

The Tree Trail circles the Round Meadow, and walking this trail is simply magical. The trees are so amazingly beautiful. The older sequoia giants are scattered throughout the forest, with stands of 4 or 5 together every now and again. You can’t believe the wonderful smell, almost like a mixture of pine and cinnamon, with a hint of cedar. Sprinkled among the trees are boulders and fallen sequoias, and the meadow is filled with wildflowers and lined with soft ferns where little streams trickle in from the hills. I could just see myself living in this wonderful place, getting lost in the beauty everyday. It’s so peaceful, yet so awesome in its scale and presence. All of the world’s cares can’t help but fall away. It is by far my most favorite place so far.

After making lunch, we headed to Moro Rock and climbed the 400 steps to the top of the granite dome. Emma only made it about 1/3 of the way, which is a good thing because I would have been a nervous wreck with her by the time we made it to the top. The view is beyond magnificent. I was so moved that it brought tears to my eyes (maybe the fear of heights had something to do with it…). I was so glad that Austin climbed back to the top with me and that we could share such an amazing experience together. The view is like a buffet for the eyes – snow capped mountain peaks, jagged rock formations, smooth boulders poking from rolling hills covered with green trees, and a valley with a river that flows out to infinity. Inspiring. I didn’t want to leave (maybe the fear of climbing down had something to do with that…).

Making one last stop, we mugged at the kitschy tunnel log, a fallen

sequoia that you can drive through the width of (the kids were
disappointed at first because when I told them you could drive through it, they thought that meant you could drive down the hollow middle of it!)

It was a blissful 79 degrees on the top of the mountain. Placing our bets as to what the temp would be when we pulled into the hotel parking lot, we headed back down the forever long and winding road. Poor Mike, he was so mentally tired from driving this road. I said a silent “thank God” to myself that we didn’t stay into the evening hours.

Pulling into the hotel, the temp was 102 degrees at 6pm – Emma and Daddy tie for the answer. Argh! Pool, here we come. The water had to be 87 degrees, but at least if felt cool once we got out.

2005-07-22T22:35:00.000-04:00

A view from inside a fallen Sequoia. The tree was hollowed out and used as a horse stable.

2005-07-22T22:34:00.000-04:00

Two fawn and a mother while driving to Grant Grove.

2005-07-22T22:33:00.000-04:00

Roaring River Falls, and it was roaring!

2005-07-22T22:32:00.000-04:00

Family picture

Swimming in Kings River, Kings Canyon NP

2005-07-22T22:26:00.000-04:00

Austin braved the swift current and cold water to jump from Muir's Rock.

We found this spot unexpectedly, hence the lack of bathing suits as Austin and Mike swim in their skivvies, and Emma in Mike's t-shirt. I opted out of this adventure...

2005-07-22T22:24:00.000-04:00

Grizzly Falls, Kings Canyon

2005-07-22T22:19:00.000-04:00

This tree is the Sentinel, outside the museum

2005-07-22T22:18:00.000-04:00

Hospital Rock

2005-07-22T01:55:00.001-04:00

The roots of a fallen Sequoia.

2005-07-22T01:55:00.000-04:00

A Giant Sequoia.

2005-07-22T01:54:00.001-04:00

The walkway to the end of Moro Rock.

2005-07-22T01:54:00.000-04:00

the Great Western Divide, Sierra Nevada Mountains.

2005-07-22T01:53:00.001-04:00

Granite cliffs as taken from the very top of Moro Rock.

2005-07-22T01:53:00.000-04:00

Austin and me on the top of Moro Rock. That is the Great Western Divide behind us with snow.

2005-07-22T01:51:00.002-04:00

View of the granite cliffs while climbing to Moro Rock.

2005-07-22T01:51:00.001-04:00

A toppled tree that you can drive through.

2005-07-22T01:51:00.000-04:00

General Sherman Tree is the oldest living thing on the planet, estimated at between 2,800-3,000 years old, and still growing at an incredible rate.

2005-07-22T01:50:00.000-04:00

The black part is a scar from a fire. The tree will eventually grow around the scar.

2005-07-22T01:49:00.000-04:00

Round Meadow

2005-07-22T01:48:00.000-04:00

Giant Sequoia trees will grow around anything. Rocks can bee seen encased in the roots of trees tghat have toppled.

Catching UP!

2005-07-21T12:04:00.000-04:00

I'm trying to catch up my past posts, but having a problem because we only get to internet every 3-4 days. Therefore, I have to post pictures separate from the words for the sake of speed.

Today we are heading to Kings Canyon Park. Yesterday was Sequoia, and it was awesome! My favorite park so far. The weather is still unbelievably HOT! and we can't wait to hit San Fran where it will seem like Alaska in comparison, at 76 degrees high!

Hope all is well at home - we're on the home stretch now and missing everyone.

A Day on the Road

2005-07-21T12:03:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, July 19, 2005 California, Here We Come

Not a very eventful day. We packed up yet again, and hit the road by 10 am.

I kept track of the temperatures along the way, watching them rise as we drove through the Mojave desert:

Kingsman Arizona –100 degrees at 1:28 pm. We stopped in this town of 20,000 in hopes of finding a hair salon, and bingo! Mike and I were able to walk in and get our hair cut! I haven’t been this elated since walking into the Safeway in Williams. Talking with my hairdresser, she said she couldn’t stand the humidity! I had to laugh out loud, she doesn’t know what humidity is!

Bullhead City – 115 degrees at 2:09 pm

Somewhere in California, just over the state line – 117 degrees at 2:20 pm. This is the all time high for our trip thus far!

Barstow – cooled down to a chilly 94 degrees at 4:10 pm! It was raining, and it smelled really funny.

We stopped at a rest stop that is right next to Edwards Air Force Base and the temp was 110 degrees. It was very breezy, but the “breeze” was so hot if felt like someone was pointing a giant hairdryer at you! Even the stainless steel walls in the bathroom here hot to the touch, and they didn’t even get direct sun.

This windmill farm is quite a site when you see it from the front. The windmills line the tops of the hills for miles.

Three Rivers is the name of the town we’re staying in right outside of Sequoia NP. This is a very pretty little town, nestled between some rolling hills (= winding roads) and a large lake. Pizza at the Pizza Factory for dinner is just what the Dr. ordered. We are still waiting for the temperatures to cool down, but it’s still 92 degrees and very humid at 10pm. I’m worried as to what the daylight temps will have to offer…

Reaching the Grand Canyon

2005-07-21T12:02:00.000-04:00

Monday July 18, 2005 South Rim of the Grand Canyon

The KOA we’re at is about 40 miles north of the park, 6 miles north of Williams, so it’s a haul to get into the park. By the time we arrived around 8:30am, the crowds had already started. This by far has been the most crowded park that we’ve been too, but still not so crowded that you can’t walk the sidewalks or find a parking spot.

Grand Canyon Park has instituted the use of shuttle buses, and therefore you can only drive so far into the park, which although I understand the reasoning behind, is a major pain in the butt. Parking at Market Plaza, we hopped the shuttle to the brand new and beautiful Visitor’s Center. There is no movie to check out and we didn’t make it in time to start the 9:00 am Jr. Ranger program, so we opted instead to participate in the 4pm program, and planned our day accordingly.

Walking from the Visitors Center to Mather Point, we walked the Rim Trail the .7 miles to the Yavapai Observation Station, stopping along the way for pictures and drinks. Emma was really dragging along, and it was only 10 am! (and here we thought the Canyon was going to be cooler, and it was still close to 100 degrees!)

Hot, sweaty and tired, we jumped on the shuttle to Grand Canyon Village, where we had an amazing lunch at The Bright Angel Lodge restaurant. From here, we walked the Rim Trial a little further, checking out a wonderful photography exhibit in the Kolb Studio. Picking up the red shuttle, we rode out to Hopi Point for a quick peek at the canyon before shuttling it back to the Shrine of the Ages for the 4pm Kids’ Ranger talk.

The kids learned about mountain lions in their kids Ranger talk, including the fact that when a lion kills a deer, it rips the stomach out and throws it 30 feet away. Yum… They got their books checked, said their pledge (which included using the bathroom before getting into the car!) and earned their 4th Jr. Ranger badge.

We got the heck out of Dodge, hot, tired, and yes, sweaty! Now, it takes a lot to get actually sweaty in this dry heat! Any moisture your body may have simply evaporates before it can even leave your body! It’s hot, but this hot is actually easier to handle than the 85 degrees and humid that were used to having in NY. I don’t think I would need a clothes dryer out here…

The kids really wanted to go swimming, and if it were up to them, we would spend the entire vacation in a pool. Heading back towards the KOA, we stopped at a kitchy roadside diner and campground based on the Flintstones and fashioned after Bedrock. What a rip this joint is; they wanted $20.00 just to walk through the “city” and go into all of the “Bedrock” buildings. Needless to say, we skipped that and just took the kids’ picture in the Flintstone car and camper out front!

Managing to put the kids off from swimming temporarily with the promise of an ice cream, we sailed past the KOA another 6 miles south to the town of Williams. I wanted to scope it out for gift shops, and a both Mike and I have been desperate to get our hair cut since we left Vegas (too much hair + desert heat = misery). Much to our glee, there was a Safeway grocery store there, which we promptly entered and felt like we were in Disneyworld. This is the biggest grocery store we’ve been in since we left the Super Walmart in Vegas. Who knew one could find so much pleasure from being able to choose from a selection of grocery items! One thing I noticed throughout our grocery store encounters, is even the smallest squat of a store has that Red Bull drink. Go figure, they don’t have minute rice, but they’ll have Red Bull – in two varieties! After loading up on water and comfort food items, we walked immediately to the Dairy Queen and had ice cream for dinner.

The town of Williams is on the old Route 66 loop. It’s a very cute little town, and Austin decided he really liked it. We all agreed it was just the right size – not too big and touristy, but not so small as to feel confined. The main “strip” has a nice easy feel, with eclectic shops and small town restaurants. The bonus was the amazing sunset we caught between the rolling hills. Jetting back to the KOA, the kids were able to swim for an hour before the pool closed.

To top off the night, I fired up the laptop and we started watching the Aviator out on the front porch of our little abode. Emma fell asleep on my lap.

Canyonlands - Needles District

2005-07-21T12:00:00.000-04:00

Sunday July 17, 2005 Canyonlands Needles District

Packed up and said goodbye the Moab KOA and headed out to the Needles District of Canyonlands. On the way we stopped at Newspaper Rock, which is on the road that leads into the park’s south entrance. This is an area of rock where you could see petroglyphs that are estimated to be 2,000 years old. Petroglyphs differ from Rock Art, in that the symbols are “pecked” into the stone with another stone or tool and hammer, and Rock Art is painted onto the rock surface.

The road into the Needles District is very long, but the scenery is really different than most of the parks. One side of the road has high sheer cliffs that form a wide banded ridge. The texture of the rock reminds me of a cake that has been frosted in strokes from the bottom up.

The other side of the road has vast plains, with gigantic red sand dunes topped by a mesa and rock formations. As you travel further into the Needles, you get to the formations for which this section is named, that being the red and white striped fins, mushrooms, and needles. The only way to get closer to the needles is to take a 4x4 road or a very long hike.

We stopped in the Visitor’s Center to get our passport stamped and for the kids to hand in their Jr. Ranger booklets. The Ranger on duty asked them many questions about what they learned while in the park, and about why the National Parks must be protected. They received their 4th Jr. Ranger badge without much fanfare (as compared to other VC’s) and had to state the ways they were going to help protect the parks.

Now it was off to the short (.6 mile RT) Cave Spring Trail, which was really neat and featured an abandoned cowboy camp and a couple of examples of rock art under one of the rock overhangs. The trail also features two wooden ladders that you have to climb to get up on the top of the rocks. Even though it was hot, the kids agreed they liked this trail.

Driving to Big Spring Canyon Overlook, we soaked in the vistas before heading back out to the Pothole Point Trail. This trail takes you over slickrock that is pocked with depressions called potholes. There were thousands of potholes, and they were all dry. There was a wonderful breeze up on top of the rocks, and the views are amazing.

We don’t have Potholes like this in NY!! Potholes are formed because the rock erodes unevenly, and depressions are made by windblown sand grains and pebbles, which continue to scour the surface deeper. Rainwater collects and continues to dissolve the cementing material. In the early spring and late summer, rain fills the potholes and allows life to spring back. Eventually some potholes trap enough sand and organic matter to allow plant life to grow.

On the long drive to the South Rim we got to see Mexican Hat, which is a balancing boulder on top of a rock formation that resembles just that. The hills in the background were very pretty, with large wavy stripes of color.

Monument Valley offered some interesting views, and is used a lot for the background in many western movies. The day was really hazy, and a balmy 102 degrees, so some of the pictures will probably reflect that.

Rather than stop at the KOA, we shot straight to the Grand Canyon to check it out and catch the sunset. Managing to make it to the South Rim by 7 pm, we parked at the Desert View observation area which is the first area when coming in the park off of state road 64. Located at Desert View is a 70 ft. stone building called the Watchtower, which was designed by Mary Colter after the towers found at ancient pueblos such as Meda Verda and Hovenweep. Climbing to the top, we took in the views at the highest elevation point on the South Rim at 7, 522 feet. There were fires burning on the North Rim, and the smoke filled the whole canyon with a haze. Hopefully not all the detail of the canyon will be lost, but surely the panoramic vistas will look hazy.

Hopping in the car, we drove to Lipan Point, where we caught a glorious sunset, despite the smoke from the fires. The weather here is so much more reasonable, right around 86 degrees at 8pm. We may even be able to have a camp fire tomorrow night!

We finally rambled into the KOA around 10 pm. Another days travels over.

Finishing Arches, off to Canyonlands

2005-07-21T11:58:00.000-04:00

Saturday, July 16 2005 Arches and Canyonlands

Headed out of the campground by 8:30, and it was already 83 degrees. After stopping at McD’s for brekky, (the first McD’s we saw since Vegas!) we made our way all the way through Arches to get to Devil’s Garden and to the Landscape Arch trailhead. It was very busy there, although there were still parking spots. Of all the parks we have been to so far, this trailhead certainly had the most people.

(An observation we’ve made on our trip, is that there is an overabundance of foreign travelers! As Americans, we seem to be in the minority, since according to my unofficial calculations, 1 in every 5-6 groups of people around us speak English! There seemed a lot of foreigners in Vegas, but it’s even more apparent at the parks. The trend seems to be to rent an RV. The whole row of RV’s next to us, are being commandeered by foreigners, the most seeming to be German. Mike calls it “European Row”. Must be the Euro is doing well against the dollar!)

Hitting the trail by 10 am, Emma tuckered out ¾ of the way. It’s only .5 miles one way and starts out in the shade. She managed to slog it to a shady spot and waited with Austin while Mike and I went a little further ahead to get a better view. Unfortunately you can’t walk under it, since they closed the trail in the 90’s due to a rock fall. The arch itself is said to be very unstable, and the passage of time can mean two things – that the arch is stable enough to walk under again, or that the stability is even less due to the continued exposure to the elements. Either way, the trail is still closed! The sign near the arch said that people were sitting under it when they heard cracking and popping. They ran for cover, and one person was able to actually get a picture of the rock falling from the right side of the arch.

Somehow I managed to get Emma back to the car, while Mike took one of the spurs to the Pine Tree Arch and the Tunnel Arch. Driving back to the Visitor’s Center, the kids handed in their Jr. Ranger booklets and received their bright and shining new Jr. Ranger Badges, the third of the badges earned. According to the kids, these are by far the best badges yet, since these badges boast a picture of Delicate Arch on them. They didn’t need to say an oath this time, but the Ranger did announce to everyone in the VC to congratulate the two newest Jr. Ranger members, to which Austin and Emma received much applause! This Jr. Ranger program is no small feat. The kids need to complete a certain number of activities in the booklet, based on their age. The activities are specific to the park, so you really need to either see the movie, or go on a Ranger guided activity visit the museum to get the answers. Some activities are easier than others, and they mainly reinforce the park rules, but others are more complicated like word jumbles and crosswords. The kids are even required to pick up trash along the paths, and a parent has to vouch by signing the booklet. The Jr. Ranger program has been my saving grace, as the kids are really learning a lot, and it gives them something to do in those small “down” times we have. Originally my idea was to have them write in a journal daily while we were on the road in order to keep up their skills, but this is working even better than that. They are so into it, and I quiz them on things they’ve learned. Emma is a maniac, wanting to finish every activity (there can be upwards of 10 in a book) and hand it in right away to get her next badge!

Stopping again only for a family picture in front of the Arches sign, we headed up the road to Canyonlands NP.

Canyonlands is divided into 3 separate sections like a pie, the Island in the Sky district in the North, the Needles district to the SE, and the Maze district in the SW.
Arriving at the Islands in the Sky VC by 1:00 pm, we caught the 15 minute movie, got the kids their Jr. Ranger workbooks, and were off to see the sights.

Our first stop was right across from the VC at the overlook there. The vista is incredible. I can see why Bubba loves this park so much, and I wonder if this is the spot where he called me to tell me he was standing on the edge of a 2,000 foot cliff when his cell phone died.

Traveling further south, we passed over the Neck (40 feet wide), through Grays Pasture to the Mesa Arch trailhead. In my opinion, Mesa Arch rivals any of those found in Arches. The walk to the arch is an easy one, through a pinyon-juniper woodland with lots of great examples of the cryptobiotic crust (aka: living soil - the kids could tell you what that is!). When you see the Mesa Arch from a distance it looks pretty cool, but once you’re right up to it and under it, you realize that you are on the side of a cliff and the view you get through the “window” of the arch is amazing. My heart was beating so quickly from the adrenaline, and I kept getting vertigo. The kids didn’t make me too nervous sitting near this arch, since the rocks form a pretty natural “safe” barrier. The kids had a great time exploring the nearby rocks. Since they were easier and safer to climb than the rocks at Arches, the kids were able to explore a little bit without mommy or daddy holding their hand. They were being good Jr. Rangers by staying on the trail and rocks, and being careful not to “Bust the Crust”.

Driving the road all the way out of the park, we stopped at a rock shop for the “free” dinosaur fossil that Austin wanted. The kids got a kick out of all the different kinds of rocks and various fossils, and all I kept thinking was that this is such a scam, being able to get people to actually pay money for rocks.

Being so tired and dusty and sweaty, yet again, we ambled back to the Ranch (KOA) so the kids could swim and I could shower. Neither Mike nor I were in any mood to cook in the 100 degree heat, so we headed out to Eddie McStiff’s for dinner, the incentive to eat there being the free wireless! While enjoying my two glasses of wine, I was able to make a few quick picture posts and added pictures to some previous.

In Moab, Arches National Park

2005-07-21T11:51:00.000-04:00

Friday, July 15 2005 Moab – Arches National Park

Since we hadn’t eaten dinner until after 10 pm the night before, we let the kids sleep in and then took them to the pool, which didn’t open until 10 am. I caught up on the laundry while everyone else rested (look for the bags under my eyes in the pictures!).

The visitor center for Arches is in the process of being built, and it looks like it’s going to be beautiful, but for now it’s housed in a couple of mobile home trailers. We went in and watched the movie, and the kids got their booklets for the Jr. Ranger program. They didn’t have any special talks or walks for the Ranger program, so the movie would be the extent of it this time. The Ranger signed their books, making them official for the movie, and gave them a garbage bag, instructing them to pick up any garbage they see along the trails. The information board in the center was promising sun and 107 degrees, 20% chance of a thunderstorm! It was 11:30 and we were already roasting.

Driving the road gives you a lot of views of the arches and rock formations, so we did this most of the way. We parked at the Windows Section, where it was a short (but very hot) hike to North Window and South Window. Standing under the arch at North Window is amazing, and you can’t really comprehend the scope of its size until you’re standing right under it. Already the kids enjoy this park and the walks are worth it because they actually get to climb and stand under the arches.

Continuing on the loop, we climbed around Turret Arch.

Back in the car to cool down and have lunch, we moved the car around the loop and took the longer hike out to Double Arch, two arches formed by a giant pothole. While resting in the shade, a very young Park Ranger came along. Emma asked him if she could take his picture, which I thought was very sweet since it was the last one on her camera and she had wanted to save it. I took her picture with Ranger Robert Wallace, and he let her wear his official Ranger hat. On the way to Double Arch there are some interesting rock formations - like the Parade of Elephants.

Emma and I thought this rock looks like a person, although it’s not named anything special, that we know of.

Continuing down the main road, we took the turn-off for Delicate Arch. We were so hot and tired, and the hike out to this arch is 3 miles round trip, that the observation viewpoint off the parking lot would have to do. Delicate Arch is unusual in that it runs vertically up the side of the rock, and it’s pretty much all by itself out there, accompanied by only a few smaller rock piles nearby. It looks like it’s going to tip over.

We finished driving the whole park, ending in Devil’s Garden and checking out where we would have to take the trail to Landscape Arch. The Ranger said it would be a good hike for the kids, as it passes through some narrow fins and is in the shade. We will do that first thing tomorrow, before it gets too hot. Landscape Arch is in a very delicate place, as the Rangers feel it could break at any time.

2005-07-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

1,000 year old Petroyglyphs at Capitol Reef

We drove the outskirts of Capitol Reef, and thought it was very magical. The rocks are extremely red. The visitor Center was closed, so we couldn’t get our passport stamped, but we decided if we ever came out this way again, we would certainly check out this park.

2005-07-16T23:59:00.002-04:00

Deer walking right next to the road in Capitol Reef.

Mike started tweaking when he saw these two big Mule Deer bucks walking along the side of the road.

2005-07-16T23:59:00.001-04:00

Sheer Rock cliff near the Petroglyphs.

2005-07-16T23:59:00.000-04:00

Capitol Reef. The Visitor's Center was closed.

2005-07-16T23:58:00.000-04:00

Fins of Devil's Garden, Arches

2005-07-16T23:25:00.000-04:00

Hoodoo at Bryce Canyon

2005-07-16T23:24:00.000-04:00

Overlooking Bryce Canyon Amphitheater

2005-07-16T23:10:00.000-04:00

Devil's Rock Garden, on Hole in the Rock Road, Grand Staircase, Escalante Park

2005-07-16T23:06:00.000-04:00

Capitol Reef Park, on the way out.

2005-07-16T23:05:00.001-04:00

Delicate Arch, as taken from the viewpoint.

2005-07-16T23:05:00.000-04:00

Double Arch. Notice the tiny person at the bottom of the picture, and you can get a sense of how big this really is.

2005-07-16T23:04:00.000-04:00

Parade of the Elephants, on the hike to Double Arch, Arches

2005-07-16T23:01:00.000-04:00

North and South Windows, from Turret Arch

2005-07-16T23:00:00.001-04:00

Turret Arch, Arches

2005-07-16T23:00:00.000-04:00

South Window, Arches

2005-07-16T22:59:00.001-04:00

Balancing Rock at Arches

2005-07-16T22:59:00.000-04:00

The Virgin River at Zion

Finishing Bryce and Hitting the Road

2005-07-15T22:34:00.000-04:00

Thursday July 14, 2005 Bryce then off to Moab

The kids got their ranger books signed and took the official Bryce Canyon Jr. Ranger Oath. They received their official badges, and we also purchased them each a JR. Ranger patch for a mere $1.00 each. Zion didn’t have a patch that we know of…

Wanting to actually walk among the Hoodoos, we headed out on for the Queens Garden Trail. The Navajo Loop, which offers a walk through the slot canyon named Wall Street, was closed for trail maintenance, a major bummer. You could get to WS from the Queens Garden trail, but it would be 2 miles there and back, so that was out.

The Queens Garden trail leaves from Sunset Point, which affords a nice view from the lookout, but we headed right down the trail. It’s a pretty steep trail, with a lot of switchbacks, but we managed to make it all the way down. Unfortunately we were almost to the end when we realized that it’s not a loop, and that we would have to walk all the way back the way we came. Ouch!

The kids did great, with minimal complaining and or coaxing (although that ice cream reward helped – as we were heading down I heard another parent on their way up saying the same thing…great minds bribe alike). The kids liked this trail because they got to walk through some man-made archways, and to walk among the Hoodoos on this trail.

Finishing the trail, we jumped in the car and headed out of the park for the last time, stopping at the entrance to get our family picture taken in front of the Bryce Canyon Sign.

We made so many stops outside of Bryce, I can hardly keep track. Pictures will have to tell this story.

Mossy Cave – a stop along the scenic byway. The kids did not want to get out and walk anywhere else today, and I can’t say as I blame them. But this trail promised to be 1 mile round trip, and it followed a river, which was enough to distract them from the pain and heat. A thunderstorm was approaching, so we were in a hurry to get to the cave. It passed to the side of us, so we were never really in any danger, but it was kind of neat to feel like we rode the storm out in the cave.

The cave is very beautiful and had lots of running and dripping water. It was a nice treat to feel the cold water fall down on us in particular parts of the cave. Not until we left did we realize that we really weren’t supposed to go so far inside the cave.

Mike and Austin checked out the water fall and what was above it.

On the way to check out and outcropping of rocks known as Devil’s Garden, we were driving down a packed dirt road called Hole In The Rock Road. As we’re driving, we see a cowboy on a horse chasing a bull up the road. This big black bull was being very stubborn, and kept running up and across the road. The cowboy got his lasso out, and after a few attempts which included knocking his hat off, finally managed to rope the animal, then tied up his legs so that it didn’t get up and move again. Mr. Cowboy rode his horse right over to the car, we said our hello’s, and I said I hoped he didn’t mind that we were taking pictures, and he said no. After watching him for a while, I figured he was out practicing his roping, since he didn’t seem very good at catching the bull. Turns out he was just out rustling up the odd bulls that hadn’t been collected from the grazing season yet. After some small talk, he asked if he could have a ride back to his truck. I responded that we really didn’t have any room…then he kinda looked in the back and saw the kids and all the stuff, and agreed we looked a little full. I felt bad that we couldn’t help him out…but I asked him if he would like a drink, and he said “No thanks, I’m pretty well adapted to the heat”. He said goodbye and off he went on his horse. All the way down the rest of the road I kept thinking of how we could have tried to fit him into the car. Now wouldn’t that have been a story! And by the way gals, he was cute! Young, but cute with nice pearly whites!

Pulling into Devil’s Garden, we had the place all to ourselves for a while. This is a great place because you can climb all over the rocks, and without much worry.

Driving highway 12 we caught this great sunset behind us.

I imagine this must be what the moon looks like.

We drove the outskirts of Capitol Reef, and thought it was very magical. The rocks are extremely red. The visitor Center was closed, so we couldn’t get our passport stamped, but we decided if we ever came out this way again, we would certainly check out this park.

Mike started tweaking when he saw these two big Mule Deer bucks walking along the side of the road.

The Petroglyphs were really neat to see. They were made 1,000 years ago.

By the time we arrived at the KOA in Moab, it was 9:30 pm, and it was still 100 degrees!

Meeting the Hoodoos

2005-07-15T22:31:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, July 13, 2005 off to Bryce Canyon Clear, fluffy clouds 90 degrees

Hoodoo – a pillar of rock, usually of fantastic shape, left by erosion.

Today we would get to really see the hoodoos. Deciding to let the kids sleep in somewhat, I packed for the whole day, including long clothing in case we ended up staying into the night. Eating a quick breakfast in the room of cereal for the kids (turns out Austin loves using non-fat dry milk, and Emma has learned to “love” it), and oatmeal for me and Mike, we headed for the Visitor’s Center by 10 am to catch the movie. The kids Jr. Ranger program was set for 11, so we checked out some things in the VC gift shop and then headed to the North Campground campfire circle for Jr. Ranger Camp.

The Jr. Ranger talk today was about lizards, and the kids played like they were lizards or predators. Austin played as a snake predator, and was able to catch almost all of the “baby” lizards. They had a good time running around, so letting them sleep in was a good thing. Mike watched the kids at the camp while I tried to catch up on this journal at a nearby picnic table in the shade. The camp only lasted about 40 minutes. They had their books signed by the Ranger to make it all official, and then we were off.

To give the kids a little break from all of the running around they did, we decided to drive the whole 18 miles to the very end at Yovimpa Point and check out the Rainbow Point Overlook. It was very beautiful, but so is every view in this park. The parks have been surprisingly empty, as we were expecting the massive crowds that all the books warn you about.

Lunch was calling, so we sat and had pb&j rollups, torilla chips and cheese stix. The Bristle Cone Loop was calling our name, so we started down that trail and branched off at the Under The Rim Trail, which come to find out is a backcountry trail. After much walking through beautiful (but still very hot) woods filled with junipers and ponderosa pines, we came out on the large red jut called the Promontory which can be seen from the Rainbow Point overlook. It was quite a walk out there, which tuckered out Jr. Ranger Emma so much so that she plopped down and waited while Mike and I took turns walking out to the point. This area is so different from the rest of the park, as the red hills of sand make you feel like you’re walking on the graves of hoodoos past. The walk back however, was not so fun, as now we had to walk all that way back uphill. Austin was understandably tired and cranky.

Feeling like we just finished a half-marathon, we finally made it back to the Bristle Cone loop. Not wanting to miss anything, we took the spur to the Yovimpa Point overlook - after all we’ve already come this far and we’re already tired and cranky, so why not keep going? The overlook is really neat, and the vista is amazing. I’m glad I walked the extra 100 yards. Austin opted out, waiting for us on the sidewalk.

Slogging the final bit back to the car, I let Austin sit in the front, figuring correctly that as navigator, it would improve his mood. Cruising back we stopped at all the vista overlooks and took in the sights. Ponderosa Canyon Overlook is a nice one, and Agua Canyon Overlook boasts the hoodoo named the Hunter. We spent the most time at Bryce Point, which has a great overlook for viewing the Amphitheater, which is truly amazing. I took a lot of stitch pictures, meaning they get stitched together to make one panoramic or large picture, so I hope they turn out. The lighting wasn’t the best, as I’m afraid a lot of the color may be washed out. I experimented using the vivid setting on the camera, so we’ll see what happens. A nice lady offered to take a picture of us all together, and that is the family one you see here.

Finishing out our tour of the overlooks, we cooked dinner at Sunset Point – chicken in a can over Ramen noodles, sardines in mustard, and bbq beans – yum! Amazing how good things taste when you’re hungry!

From Sunset Point you can walk through Lodge Village where the cutest cabins are there to rent. It’s like you walked into a gingerbread village or a storybook. The front of Bryce Lodge is really quaint too, and we went inside in search of an ice cream cone (the promise of an ice cream cone at the top does wonders for the motivation – mine included!) and of course had to check out the gift shop. I was able to find a nice gift for Aunt Sue’s upcoming birthday, now if I can get it home without breaking it.

Since we didn’t find ice cream at the lodge, we made it an early night and came back to the ranch to have an ice cream novelty from the hotel grocery store – it seems as though Fosters needs to update their outdoor sign that promises Ice Cream. The kids got to watch a little tv – something they considered quite a treat. We took showers and fell into bed.

Leaving Zion for Bryce Canyon

2005-07-15T22:30:00.000-04:00

The views on the ride out were amazing. We stopped in Mt. Carmel, thinking we could get the water and supplies we needed, but we ended up just getting drinks and a couple of booklets on petroglyphs. We decided to wait until we got into Panguitch, a bigger city on the other side of Bryce for the rest of the stuff.

It was 5pm before we pulled into the Fosters hotel, just 2 miles outside the entrance to Bryce Canyon. The hotel looks like a huge storage/modular home, but it was clean enough and I was just happy to have a bathroom that wasn’t down the road and around the corner.

Dumping our stuff, we headed into Bryce and the visitor center. The kids signed up for the Jr. Ranger program at 11:00 the next day, and checked out the programs happening that night. Deciding to take in the Stargazing program, we headed back out for dinner at the hotel and to put on warm clothing. We made it back into the park by 8:45 and caught the amazing after effects of a sunset in one of the meadows. Stopping at an overlook, the kids got their first glimpse of a hoodoo in the dusk light.

Finally finding the stargazing show in at the North Campground amphitheater, we had a seat for the show which had already started. The talk was about the increase in light pollution, to the point of some cities not even being able to spot the big dipper. Bryce Canyon is one of the only darkest places left in the US. It was a very interesting talk. Then we headed to the Visitor Center parking lot to peep through the telescopes. We go to see the Jupiter, including the “rings” and 4 moons – that was my favorite! One was on the moon, another on a star that had exploded, and yet another on a globular cluster located on the edge of the Milky Way.

Heading back to the hotel, we dropped into bed by midnight. Another day packed in.

Zion - to be explored today!

2005-07-15T22:22:00.000-04:00

Monday July 11, 2005 Zion temp: 107

The cabin was warmer last night than the first night, and I didn’t even turn the heater on until the morning. We all froze the first night!

We packed up camp for good and left by 8:30, thinking we were going to be late for the kids program, but it turns out they are doing things a little different for the summer because the area they normally use for that is under renovation. So we were able to instead sign the kids up for the 11:00 Jr. Ranger program to take place at the Zion Lodge. Parking at the museum, Mike took the shuttle to the Grotto stop to climb to Angel's Landing. The trail guide said it should take 4 hours, but Mike figured he could do it in 3. The kids and I stayed at the museum to watch the Movie about Zion, which was really amazing. Austin and I even got teary-eyed at the beauty of it. After that we took the shuttle up to the lodge, where we had a little time to kill, so I got a coffee and a pretzel for the kids, and we worked on their Jr. Ranger workbooks.

Checkerboard Mesa, East of Zion

Camp started out in the theater of the Zion Lodge, and ended up outside. The topic was “Who Wants to be a Park Ranger”. It was a very interesting talk about the history of the Rangers, the different kinds of Rangers, and the jobs they do. Outside they did a little obstacle course and mini-water brigade, which they both said was their favorite part (probably because they got to dump the water over their heads when they were done!)

Mike met us at the lodge before the kids were even done with their camp, and it only took him 3 hours to do the hike. He said it was amazing, the highlight of the park, and the best hike he’s ever done (even better than Mt. Marcy). The cliffs were amazing, and he said at one point on the camelback, the sheer dropped 1,000 feet on one side and 200 on the other. He spent about 20 minutes at the top, and he said you could see everything. He videotaped his descent, so I’m looking forward to seeing that. I’m so glad that he got the chance to do that. I think I may have been too scared, but I would’ve tried it anyway.

We ate a very nutritious lunch consisting of a burger, chicken fingers, chili dog, fries and onion rings in the lobby of the lodge – it was too hot to eat on the café since all the tables were in the sun, and the grass was wet from the sprinklers. In the gift shop, Emma got the Ranger outfit, complete with hat, glasses, and binoculars. She looked so stinkin’ cute, and decided to wear it then and there, no matter how hot it got. We hopped the shuttle to one stop to the Court of the Patriarchs and took in the view there before heading back to the museum to pick up the car. At the museum we picked up a souvenir Parks Passport book, where you collect stamps from the parks and stickers. The kids had their Jr. Ranger books checked and signed, and then recited the official Jr. Ranger of Zion Park oath to receive their official Zion Jr. Ranger badges.

Finally on our way out of the park, we stopped on the east side to check out a little slot canyon, and for Austin and I to walk up to the point where a couple of formations have managed to survive. We were probably gone for 45 minutes while Mike and Emma waited in the car, but we were really glad we did it. It was magical up there, and I think I got some really good pix.

Our Impressions of Zion:
A lot of cliffs, mountains, interesting to see how many years of rock had built up and washed away – Austin’s first impressions. Austin and Emma liked the lower falls and pool the best on the Emerald Pools trail. Emma liked getting her hair wet, and Austin noticed how the mineral patterns looked like the pattern of a snake.

Last full day in Vegas!

2005-07-10T13:36:00.000-04:00

We spent the day running around Vegas catching up on all the shows and attractions that we hadn’t yet made it to. Austin wanted to ride the coaster at NY, NY, and since Mike is now battling a cold, I rode it with him. Needless to say, I’ve decided I’m too old for bumpy coasters anymore. Austin was thrilled, and this was the only thing he wanted to do while here, and with his new found bravery, vowed to try the Superman at Darien this summer.

Emma had wanted to check out the “castle”, and so we hoofed it over the footbridge to the Excalibur. There wasn’t much there that caught our fancy, so after a quick picture with the hotel dragon and a jaunt into the girlie princess store for a pixie dust necklace, we were off and running again.

I had wanted to check out the RIO, where the World Series of Poker tourney is currently being played. There was word in a mag that Ben would be participating, but we couldn’t find any confirmation on that anywhere. Scott called this morning to let us know about the tourney, and if we went could we get him some WSOP stuff. That, and the fact that the RIO is supposed to have a pretty good free show was all we needed to get us over there. Not to mention that maybe I could spot Ben, if he happened to be there.

Inside the convention center at the RIO they had all of these booths set up for freebies. Kids under 21 weren’t allowed in, so Mike and I had to take turns going in. He never found the playing floor, as he didn’t go in far enough. I went in and got some freebies, and took a picture of some famous card player (he was signing autographs, but I have no idea who he is… Bubba will know!) Venturing further than Mike, I found the gaming floor and was very glad because it’s really cool to see this huge room of tables set up and everyone playing cards. As soon as you walk in you hear the clickety clack of all the poker chips, combined with an eerie silence. I walked around to where it looked like the bigger crowds were gathering, just in case there was a Ben sighting, but the parties of interest weren’t anyone I recognized.

We made our purchases in the WSOP shop, and headed back to the casino for the show.

A Day at the Flamingo

2005-07-09T13:00:00.000-04:00

The kids spent a few hours checking out the waterslides, waterfalls and pools at the Flamingo Hotel before heading back to get dressed for the wedding.

Jo & Kelly Get Hitched!

2005-07-09T12:58:00.000-04:00

Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Cornelius

Jo and Kelly got hitched in the chapel at the Flamingo Hotel. She looked beautiful with her hair swept up, with tendrils down and pearl accents throughout her hair. She wore a strapless white sheath gown, with a beaded bodice and just enough beading on the small train. Jo looked smashing in his black tux. The ceremony was very nice, and Jo even got choked up at one point!

We had a little time to kill between the wedding and dinner, so we checked out some of the shops in the hotel. Austin and Emma joined us for the evening, at the insistance of the bride and groom, and so we had a very enjoyable evening together. Dinner was at an Italian restaurant Buca di Beppo, which had a lot of character! The food was family style, and included garlic bread served like a pizza, amazing chicken and artichokes fettuccini over penne pasta, baked cheese raviolis with chunky tomatos, lemon green beans, and amazing cheese cake for dessert. Our table had a bottle of the most amazing red wine by the Coppola estates; I don't remember the name of it, but I'll find out because it was really yummy! It has a mix of 3 different grapes. The evening wrapped up around 11 pm.

Family Night in Vegas

2005-07-08T12:42:00.000-04:00

After chillin' at the ES happy hour, we headed out to NY, NY to check out the roller coaster - which costs $12.50 each to ride. Emma is too short to ride, so while the boys decided if they were going to ride, we checked out the arcade games. On the way through the casino, Mike popped over to a slot, put in $5.00 for a slot he thought was .25, and ended up winning $100.00! Now that $12.50 didn't seem so expensive! The boys decided to wait until Sat. to ride, as we had to move along to other things. The kids really liked NY, as "it feels like your outside!", but without all the heat! I told them wait till they see the Venetian! They'll feel like they're in Italy!

We walked over to the MGM Grand and checked out the tiger habitat. The girls were in there pacing, and then the 2 guys in the pen fed them and we didn't see them again. This is the best picture I could get before they ran off to eat. No big males there, that we could see.

Now it was off to the M&M store, which is 4 floors of M&M peraphenalia. We found the ever-elusive Dark Vader Chocolate M&M's, for which we could take home for a mere $10.00 a pound. We ended up at the Wall of Chocolate, where all the M's are separated by color, so you can make your own mix. The kids got a small mix each, and we were on our way.

Austin posed with the M's dressed as Star Wars characters. Emma's favorite is Chewbacca.

It's now 8:30 pm and time for dinner, so Mike leaves us at the Coke store to retrieve the car and we head out to Terribles. Mike is salivating at the thought of All-you-can-eat seafood, but alas, the buffet ends at 9pm and it's now 9:09! Bummer, so we end up across the street at Bahama Breeze, which was Emma's choice as soon as she saw it on the way to Terribles. We all order and try to eat, but the kids basically fall asleep at the table.

It's late and the kids are tired, so we decide to skip the Mirage volcano show and the Treasure Island show, figuring we can catch them Sat. night instead. We can catch the Bellagio water fountains tonight or tomorrow too.

Tonight is the wedding of Jo and Kelly at the Flamingo, so we will fill you in on all the details tomorrow. Today we're going to hang with them at their hotel pool, and maybe check out Paris and the Venetian.

We're In Vegas, Baby!

2005-07-07T20:43:00.000-04:00

We're here, after a very good flight to Chicago and an hour layover, our flight arrived in Vegas 20 minutes early, making it a 3 hr and 10 min flight from Chicago. Not Bad! We saw the movie Miss Congeniality 2, and it was pretty cute. The movie takes place in Vegas, so it was fun to see where we were going to end up, and to get the kids excited about the sites.

By the time we got to the Embassy Suites, it was 1:00 am Vegas time. The hotel is very nice, with a big atrium entryway, with a (small) waterfall and 2 swans. The pool is beautiful, and very big. We will take advantage of the 2 hot tubs in the evening hours.

Turned on the news this morning before heading down to breakfast, to hear the sad news about the bombings in London. Now they're saying that there were 2 more bombs found that didn't detonate. It leaves you speachless.

We were up and down to the breakfast by 8:30, and what a breakfast they have! Made to order everything, with all the trimmings. Lots of stuff to bring up to the in room fridge for snacks.

Off to the strip by 10 am, and our first stop was Eckerds, of all places, for water. Emma wanted to check out Circus Circus, since she saw an advert for it on tv. So we stayed parked at Eckerd and walked to CC. I wasn't real impressed with the place - I imagined the Big Top as being bigger than it was. But it was a fun place for the kids, as they got to play a bunch of midway games for cheap. Austin and Mike won a small "Champ" Care Bear for Emma, and Austin won a Homer Simpson doll for Mike. All is good in the B family. Mike hit the slots coming in and out and won a whopping $5.75! Hey, it paid for the games!

After leaving CC, we headed back to Eckerd for pop, and Mike headed for some booze. We made our way back to ES to go swimming, and that's where we spent most of the afternoon. The sun felt great, and really considering it was 101 or higher, didn't feel too hot (after all, it is a dry heat!)

Right now we're in the atrium enjoying the free cocktails and snacks, while I do this blogging! Later we're heading to NY, NY for the roller coaster and to check out the shops, the M & M store (eat those babies fast, it's 86 degrees at midnight here!) the volcano show at Mirage and the Treasure Island pirate show. We may even catch the water show in front of the Bellagio on the way back down the strip. Sometime in there, Mike wants to dinner at Terribles, as they have an all-you-can-stuff seafood buffet, and he has a buy 1 get 1 free coupon.

I'm excited, because Ben may be in town! I read that he is playing in the Texas Hold 'Em tourney, now underway at the RIO for the World Series Of Poker Championship...It's destiny!!

2005-07-07T20:41:00.000-04:00

We made it to Vegas, Baby! Here is Mike using the biggest slot machine ever! (He didn't win!)

2005-07-07T20:40:00.000-04:00

Our weather is beautiful! We spent some time at Circus Circus, and decided to come back and use the pool. Check out the waterfall! The temp hit 101, but it's a dry heat!

2005-07-07T20:39:00.000-04:00

Here are Austin and Emma in the Lobby of our hotel, Embassy Suites. There are 2 swans that live in the fountain! (and a bunch of big goldfish!)

2005-07-03T20:49:00.000-04:00

Sue and me having dinner - Happy Mother's Day Sue!

Winding Down, Winding Up

2005-06-04T13:50:00.000-04:00

Time flies - there are only 13 days of school left for the kids, and 15 days of work left for me. Between work committments and volunteer duties, the time is going to fly even faster. I really hope I can keep my wits about me, and I can tell you that I'm really going to appreciate this summer more than ever.

Great News! Austin was chosen by his music teacher to play the Star Spangled Banner solo for the Flag Day ceremonies at school on June 14. I'm so proud and excited for him! It's been hard to get him to practice. With all of the nice weather finally, he naturally wants to be outside with his friends. My dilemma is trying to finagle my way over to school that morning; I wouldn't miss his solo for anything. Which brings me to one of the things I hate about working again - that is, trying to figure out how to fit in all the things that really matter.

This has been an interesting year for me, trying to adjust to working after always having the freedom to participate in anything that my kids do. I love my job and I certainly have a wonderful schedule, but it still gets in the way sometimes. Even the little things, like making a homemade treat for the kids to take to school or for a volunteer meeting, have been replaced by a last minute dash to Walmart or Wegmans for something suitable. I realize more than ever that making something from scratch really isn't such a "little thing" after all, as it has been hard for me to let go of that part of myself. It just goes to show that time is a luxury that we all take for granted in one way or another.

Mike and I are busily planning our trip out west. We have made reservations for our 3 nights in Moab, but need to work on the other 14 nights of our trip. Before you know it we'll be leaving for Las Vegas! I still have to find a dress for Kelly and Jo's wedding! I've been internet searching and mapping the route, and we have the itinerary pretty much settled. We're flying back home out of San Francisco, which I'm excited to see. Mike wants the kids to see the ocean, and I think more likely, wants to give them thier first surfing lesson! We are all looking forward to a fun family time.

A Spring Vacation

2005-05-15T00:27:00.000-04:00

We finally made it to the Outer Banks (OBX). Mike has been wanting to check it out for years. We thought about going over the Thanksgiving break, but I nixed that one because I was concerned about having cold, lousy weather in a place where all there really is to do, is go to the beach.

Laura, Daryl and Amanda joined us down there. We rented a 5 bedroom house in Corolla, which is at the far end of the sandbar. You'd need a 4 WD to get any further. We were oceanside, but not oceanfront, which was alright by me, since the weather was windy and not all that warm. We arrived on Saturday to weather in the mid 50's! The waves on the ocean were 5 and 6 deep, and very loud! It started to warm up by Monday, and luckily we had a couple of days that we could spend on the beach and not freeze. Our warmest day was in the mid 70's, but with the breeze, you always had to be prepared to get a chill. I was able to get a tan, however!

Amanda and I spent a day horseback riding in Frisco, which is 88 miles one way from Corolla. Laura and Emma accompanied us, but dropped us off and went to have an ice-cream. Our ride started out in the woods, and slowly meandered toward and out to the beach. It was neat to see the terrain change, and we even trodded through water that almost made it to the bottom of the stirrups. We took a short trot on the beach, then turned back to head back to the stables. Laura and Emma were going to try and catch up with us on the beach, but we didn't make it down the beach far enough.

On the way back to Corolla, we stopped for lunch in a little surfer shack, dedicated to girl surfers! The ride home seemed to take forever, and I was trying hard to stay awake. There is a strip of road that is just so long and boring; it reminded me of driving in the desert with nothing around but sand dunes. Once we finally made it home, after many last minute stops to pick up things and do some shopping, we were treated to a wonderful dinner of clams, crab legs, lobster tails, steak and chicken. Home sweet home.

We all checked out Jockey Ridge state Park - that was a cool place. The largest sand dune in America, or something like that.

A $400.00 Fish!

2005-05-15T00:11:00.000-04:00

Daryl, Mike and Austin went deep sea fishing out of Oregon Inlet. After Daryl got the fish on the line, he let Austin finish reeling it in.

2005-05-15T00:06:00.000-04:00

Reeling it in...took only 5 minutes after 2 hours of trolling. The swells were 12-14 feet; medicine didn't help, as they all ended up seasick. They were still green when they got home! Austin declared he would never do deep sea fishing again!

2005-05-15T00:04:00.000-04:00

Austin baiting up.

2005-05-15T00:03:00.000-04:00

The ocean on a calm day. The first two days we were there the waves were huge and very loud. I was actually glad we weren't right on the ocean.

2005-05-15T00:02:00.001-04:00

The beach at Corolla Light.

2005-05-15T00:02:00.000-04:00

The walkway to our beach. Our house was to the right of the house in the background.

2005-05-14T23:57:00.000-04:00

The whole gang on the beach in Corolla the last day the Kelley's were there.

2005-05-14T23:53:00.000-04:00

Currituck Light, located right across the street from where we were staying in Corolla Light.

2005-05-14T23:51:00.000-04:00

219 (or so) steps to the top.

2005-05-14T23:50:00.000-04:00

A view of the Lightkeeper's house from the lighthouse, but you couldn't go in it...a neat view of the sound above it.

2005-05-14T23:41:00.000-04:00

A good view of the sound and the Whalehead Club. They were setting up for the annual Spring Fling that night, thus the tent.

2005-05-14T23:40:00.000-04:00

Austin and Emma checking things out.

2005-05-14T23:39:00.000-04:00

This is the walkway out to the sound side from the lighthouse grounds.

Currituck Light, OBX

2005-05-14T23:36:00.000-04:00

We took a long walk through a marshy area on a raised walkway to peer at the sound side.

2005-02-24T21:03:00.001-05:00

Here is Austin, trying to fix a leak!

We (the B's minus daddy B) went with Scott, Julianna and baby Alicia to the new pool and aquatic center in Perinton today. The air was a balmy 86 degrees! (Just for comparison, it was 84 degrees in Aruba today; but they have sunshine!) It's a neat place, but too many rules and on the expensive side if you're not a resident. We were there before the water park part opened (bad info from a worker) but it allowed us about 30 minutes of time in the park without having to deal with the crowd that was quickly gathering.

2005-02-24T21:03:00.000-05:00

Contraptions!

2005-02-24T21:02:00.001-05:00

The three musketeers getting wet!

2005-02-24T21:02:00.000-05:00

Miss J enjoying the fountain gysers.

2005-02-24T21:01:00.000-05:00

The small slide would have to do for Emma and Julianna.

2005-02-24T20:56:00.000-05:00

We spent part of the day getting wet at the aquatic center in Perinton. Austin loved the big slide, but Emma wouldn't try it!

2005-02-24T19:58:00.000-05:00

Emma loved it so much we skiied the next day. Ohhhhh my aching back.

2005-02-24T19:56:00.001-05:00

We have a 9.85, a 9.9, a 8.0 (darn Russians) and three 10.0's from the US (mommie, daddie and buddy).

2005-02-24T19:56:00.000-05:00

How the....What the.....Who the heck but that pile of snow THERE.