Vegas Fun

Our time in limbo is hopefully getting over the hump tomorrow (not on the down slide quite yet)...I'll post on that later. Over the last few weeks we've been enjoying being outside when we can, which is usually first thing in the morning because it gets into the triple digits by 10am. We've utilized the neighborhood pool and parks (the splash pad is broken, and once I own a house in this neighborhood I'll complain about it!) as well as catching up with old friends who live in Vegas. We have a plethora of friends here (mostly military) and its great! Of course we've traveled to California last weekend and are doing the same thing tomorrow for the long weekend. The girls always ask "are we leaving tomorrow?" I know its too early but I don't even want to think about the heartbreak that will come in 3 years when we move....

Kylie 6, Juliet 2 1/2, Ava 4 1/2

Enjoying dinner at the "Jacob's Bed & Breakfast" (and lunch and dinner).

After dinner workouts.

There are 2 parks in our development.  The girls like yelling at each other through these speaker thingys that go from one end of the equipment to the other.  You can whisper and still hear each other, but they prefer yelling.

They find a pile of sand and go right to it. 

"Girls, just play on the play ground, would ya!" ~ Mommy

And then they go on the swings. 

Don't they know this doesn't tire them out like running does?  They often like to throw a kink my plans!

Finally they make their way back to the equipment.

Looking up at the jets overhead.

And then, guess what comes on???

SPRINKLERS!!

Who needs towels?  You dry quickly here!

Bummer!  The sprinklers turned off, so back to the boring equipment.

Monkeying around.

The next day, we made our way across the street to the other park.  Its sprinklers were also on and the girls made a mad dash!

After playing in sand, again, they attempted the rock wall.

We found out about a neat program in town called Horses For Heroes.  We went just to test the waters and the girls LOVED riding the horses, petting (but not feeding) the goats, petting bunnies and playing with dogs on the property. 

Kylie did well saying "click click" and giving the horse a little kick and getting him to move.  She also did well at saying "woah" and getting the horse to stop.

Ava did well maneuvering the horse around the cones.

Juliet, to my surprise, loved it as well. She willingly went to the trainer (her name being Ariel may have had something to do with it!) and loved being on the horse. 

I too rode a horse and after watching Kylie and Ava, they clearly take direction better than I do!  The trainer had to re-educate me a few times on what to do and not to do.  My plan is to let it cool down and enroll the girls in the program closer to the end of summer. They had a blast but its is just too darn hot to be out in the sun from 9am to noon in the middle of the summer. I got worn out too just keeping tabs on all 3 girls.  Afterwards we were all hot, sweaty and dirty and I'm sure the other patrons at Target felt sorry for us when we walked in!

Father's Day

This year we spent Father's Day at Mindi & Bishop's home, but not with them because they are out of town.  They have so graciously allowed us to stay in their home until we get our own home situation figured out here in Vegas.  We've made ourselves quite comfortable in their home and are very grateful for their hospitality.

Sunday morning we got up and the girls gave Jonathan their cards and gifts. 

The herd coming down the stairs.

Showing daddy their cards.

The girls picked out this "#1 Dad" chocolate medal, and he wore it with pride.  The sweet thing is they didn't even know it was chocolate when they picked it out and bought it with Grammy's help, so they got it because of what it said, not what it was.

Opening his new watch.  It is in a butterfly Fossil tin can...Ava picked it out.

Sweet love from Juliet.

Daddy and his princesses.

After getting ready, we began our church hunting adventure.  I'll spare you the boring details except for we do it every time we move and we pray that we find a wonderful church here as quick as we did in Panama City.  The kids made Jonathan cards at church and afterwards, we headed to Rubio's for lunch.  Not only is is great to be back out west to be near family, but to be near great restaurants they don't have down south.  I will admit the kids do miss Chick Fil A. 

After naps, the girls helped make a special dinner for Jonathan.  The only thing they wanted to make for him was "mac & cheese".  Since I felt he deserved a little more, we had steak, shrimp, salad and a good ol' box of Kraft Mac & Cheese.  I would have made a better recipe, but my recipe book is packed and I didn't want to search online to attempt to find a good recipe.

Ava is helping me take the stems off the mushrooms.  She popped them off quite well!

She really wanted to use a big knife to help slice them so I let her give them a few schwacks.

Kylie is sauteing the onions, peppers and onions for the steaks.

And of course, brownies!

We love you daddy!

Love Kylie, Ava and Juliet

Vegas Baby

Jonathan officially checked in at Nellis AFB June 6th.  The 9th was our 9th wedding anniversary and I flew to Vegas to meet up with Jonathan (we left the girls with the Grammy and Grandpa).  We got a great hotwire deal for the Vdara and went to dinner at Battistas.  It was weird to be back in Vegas and know that we were going to be living here yet again.  We walked over to the Bellagio after dinner to see the Fountains of Bellagio water show (which we've seen hundreds of times and yet I still enjoy it) and thought that the girls would enjoy seeing it too when all 5 of us are eventually here for good.  I don't know how often we'll venture down to the Strip with them...we'll have to be VERY careful since the Strip isn't the most wholesome of places for little girls who like to look at girls who wear "pretty" things and ask a lot of questions. 

The polarizer on our camera made the sky all purdy!

Thursday the 10th was Patch Night.  The ladies of the 433rd (our new squadron) go out to celebrate (separate from the guys) because it is a lot of work for the ladies who endure the class with their husbands whether they be a student (Jonahtan was last year at this time) or an IP (his new job).

We start out by heading to the sign for photos.

Tracey, Mindi and I on the limo bus driving around.

  Rachel, Mindi, Stephanie and I at The Mix.  We stop at this bar as well as Blue Martini. 

Mindi, being the frugal one she is, scored 1/2 price drinks for all the ladies!

Mindi stole my camera and took pix of me dancing!  The bus was packed full of past grads, current IP wives and WUG wives and we eventually met up with our husbands at the OClub on base.  Now that we live in Vegas I plan on attending each Patch Night for the next 3 years, and I'm quite sure I'll be helping out with the planning stages because, well, I've been told I will be!  See you in December, party bus.

Boys Building Castles

Jonathan insisted on squeezing in a beach run while we were at home because "you just can't body surf in the gulf."  I think he's nuts because the pacific is FREEZING compared to the gulf.  We went, along with his cousin Tony and I parked my butt on the sand and didn't budge as he and Tony took the plunge...and then it was time to build sand castles with the girls.

Pouring water on sand to get it compact and ready to use.

Juliet would stand and stare at the ocean trying to channel some inner peace.

The boys working hard while the girls give a little bit of input.

Boys still hard at work while the others watch, or not (Ava).

Now where did those girls go? Who is more into this construction?

Care Bears stand watch!

Doing a little "wave dance" so water will come up and fill the moat.

And of course when all was said and done, the girls destroyed the castle.

Country Fair

Hillary is the only friend from high school I stay in contact with.  She was the other girl in the car with Jonathan and I back in 1996 when he flipped his mother's Toyota Celica while out looking for prom tuxedos.  Her daughter turned 2 earlier this month and we went to her birthday party.  Hillary is the teacher type mom-very patient, very thorough, very understanding, and she's also quite crafty.  I won't lie-I plan on stealing her party theme for a birthday party for one of my girls in the future.  It was a "country fair" complete with grilled burgers and dogs, popcorn and lemonade, carnival games (carnies too!) and potato sack races.  I'm embarrassed to say that the competitive nature of the Kassebaum family took over and our girls swept the games (okay, they were the oldest ones there, but they played fair!) and Jonathan and I also had the most tickets among the other adults, but I think that is because neither one of us was holding a newborn or looking after super young kids, so we played too.  We got a Starbucks gift card out of it, so it was totally worth it!

Juliet kissin' on a rubber ducky.

Ava did awesome getting the ping pong balls into mason jars!

Kylie did well too, but Ava had her beat!

Juliet giving the birthday girl her fruit leather she won in a fishing game.  She was really sweet until Maddie didn't give it back-still working on the concept of sharing.

The girls racing in potato (well, coffee really) sacks.

Kylie barely beat Ava, but both stayed upright and didn't mess up their pretty little faces.

Maddie's daddy (Daniel) and Jonathan raced too.  Jonathan had him beat until Daniel fell across the finish line.  His strategy worked-he won!

Enjoying a cupcake on top of her already sugar high.