Our first trip

   Sunday, November 6th Adam and I did it. We went on our first trip together without our sweet boy. It was weird. My best friend from college was going to Vegas for a conference. Ann and I had joked about meeting up there. (She went with me last year as part of my birthday gift from Adam.) Well, the more I thought about it, the more fun I thought it would be. We found some great non-stop flights. We found an awesome deal on a hotel, which included free buffets. It was too great to pass up. 

Just us parents chilling on the Vegas strip.

   So Sunday at 5am we loaded up the car while our sweet boy was sleeping snug in his bed. My mom came over to step in as our babysitter. We handed her our "if anything should happen" letter and insurance card and we were off. Our flight went smoothly. We got to the Vegas airport around 8:30am. Got to love flying west!! I love getting more time. Vegas is a two hour time difference plus it was daylight savings that Sunday.

Our temporary Vegas home. The last day I still couldn't find the stupid elevators. 

   Sunday Ann and her husband drove to the Hoover Dam and by Red Rock Canyon. Adam and I walked the strip. Literally. We walked almost the entire way. Of course there were plenty of photo ops.

Posing by the MGM lion. We stayed at the MGM. 

   It had been almost 11 years since Adam was last in Vegas so I kinda felt like a tour guide... And over here is another sketchy person most likely gambling their life away... But they sure look happy, don't they?

I know what you're thinking, "I thought they were in Vegas!"

   I even got to play tour guide as we walked through the Bellagio and Caesar's Palace. And over here is another really, really expensive store that we should probably not walk into...

Seriously has anyone not taken a picture in the Bellagio gardens?

   The best part on Sunday came at 6pm when I went to look at my watch because I swore it was at least 10pm. Yes, there's the 3 hour difference catching up to me. We ate with Ann and Leo Sunday night and then we all practically ran back to our rooms to sleep. Oh but we did stop once to watch the infamous Bellagio fountains!

This is the look of two tired parents trying so hard to stay up past 9pm.

   And then we had some fun outside Aria. Well, Adam had fun. I couldn't figure out what the heck he was doing.

We found this water wall and some bird chairs... Weird.

   Monday while Ann went to her conference (yes, she really did go), Adam, Leo and I hiked down to the Venetian. We met up with Ann for lunch and then just kinda took it easy.

My favorite thing we saw in Vegas. It's the crazy chandelier in The Cosmopolitan.

   We tried to get tickets to a cirque de sole show but apparently Monday is an off night. Arg. We choose to do a fancy, fancy dinner instead. We ate at Il Mulino at Caesar's. It was ridiculous. I mean the head waiter was called Captain. They finished all the meals in the dining area. We were given like two courses of appetizers before ordering. AND we were served grapa or Italian moonshine as the Captain told us after dinner. It was amazing! On our walk back to the MGM we went "shopping" at the Crystals (yep, high end shopping).

The Crystals shopping area. We didn't spend much there...

    This momma was in bed by 10pm and slept like a rock until 7:30am the next day. It was amazing. Tuesday we pretty much packed it all up, hit the buffet, lost our last $5 at the airport slots and headed home to our central time zone. Seriously, the pacific time zone is not my favorite. And of course, when we got home, we got to see our sweet little monkey...or turkey!

Hey guys! What's up?!

I'd love to say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas but really, this momma just got some sleep, a spa pedicure and ate like there's no tomorrow.

~Emily

LEAVES!

   I love how the cheapest toys are the best toys. We spend all this time and energy picking out the most colorful, educational, age appropriate toys and my kid loves empty butter/sour cream containers, my shoes and leaves. I guess it's a good thing it's fall.

Grandma was throwing the leaves up in the air!

   We went over to my parents' house last weekend and the leaves were a huge attraction for Harrison. My mom would pick up a pile and throw them in the air. Harrison would just screech! He'd try to grab them on their way down. 

I'm trying to throw the leaves.

   Then he'd pick up a pile and try to throw the leaves. Yeah, we haven't quite mastered that but still it was super cute! 

This is the greatest play time EVER!

   Needless to say our property has no trees on it. So our leaf count is really low. I know. We're the mean parents that just have toys for our kid to play with. How dare we do that... On the bright, less fall yard work, right? Harrison might be disappointed but Adam's not. (Can't make them all happy.)

Throwing leaves is really hard!

   Here's a short video of Harrison playing with my mom in the leaves. (Sorry mom - I kinda got your backside.) Be sure to listen for the manly screeching!

Hope you're enjoying the fall weather and falling leaves too!
~Emily

Our 2nd Halloween

   Halloween is a totally different experience when your kid can walk, run, talk, and grab candy! Harrison was an adorable monkey! (A big shout out to Sarah from our mom's group for letting us borrow the costume!!)

Why is everyone laughing? Leave my banana out of it!

   You have to admit, Harrison was the cutest monkey ever! The costume had a belly and a sewn on banana. The first time we put him in it I fell over laughing. Fine, that makes me a mean mom... Whatever... Anyway, we had two rounds of Halloween. On October 22nd my mom's group at church put on a kid's Halloween party. Harrison loved playing games! His favorites were bowling and kiddie corn hole.

I'm not really bowling - just playing with the pins.

   There was also a haunted house - okay just a play house that looked like a haunted house. Harrison wasn't real sure what to make of that. 

Um, hello?

   We had snacks, made crafts and of course, went trick or treating (YUMMY!).

Like my bag? Mom and Dad made it.

   Harrison didn't quite get trick or treating but he did love wandering around and picking out his own candy. The wrappers were very captivating. We even saw our best buddies there!! (See something familiar? The kangaroo is back!)

Well, Stacy and I look good. The boys weren't having it.

   On actual Halloween (which was on a Monday.. dumb...), Adam and I took Harrison around to a few houses mainly just to show off his super cute monkey costume. We saw Grandma and Grandpa M. 

Grandma took me trick or treating on her street.

  We saw a couple of my parent's neighbors. Then we stopped by my aunt's, Harrison's babysitter's and a good friend's house. I think he had fun, but he was really worn out by the time we got home. 

Great Aunt Serean is pretty cool. She let me sit in my cousin's old rocking chair. 

   

   All in all, Halloween #2 was a success. Just wish we didn't give away all of our good candy... 

From the monkey's momma!

~Emily