Birthday Wishes for Kenzie

Kenzie turned 14 this year! We had a celebration at our house with Nana Jean, Nana Kathy, Aunt Amy, Uncle Paul, Zoe and Ella. It was great to celebrate with everyone. Kenzie had help blowing out her candles by her cute little cousins. All the girls couldn't wait to pose with the birthday girl. Dad got in on the photo action too.

I must say, Kenzie has really grown into a kind, responsible and interesting young lady. She is a wonderful student, a fantastic sister and we are always disappointed when it is time for her to go... Here's to a 15th year that is as wonderful as the 14th was - Happy Birthday Kenzie!

Viva Las Vegas!

I was lucky enough to enjoy a fun get-away to Las Vegas with my mom. It is really an amazing place - no where else quite like it! This was the first time that I have left Lucy for so many days (early Saturday morning through late Wednesday evening), so I was a little worried about how I would do. Knowing Lucy was with Brian made all the difference though and I was able to just relax and have fun!

We gambled, of course, my mom a bit more than me. I did win a little our last day at Planet Hollywood and Harrah's, so I went home not too far down from what I brought with me. That was nice. We saw two great shows - Rita Rudner and The Legends show at Harrah's. Legends is really neat because they have impersonators on stage performing as great singers while they show real concert footage and videos of the actual performer. It was great - especially "Michael Jackson!"

The food was wonderful - we went to several buffets so got to choose from so many things. Everyplace had sushi - which I enjoyed. We also went to Paris and up the Eiffel Tower. There are two pictures below from the tower. One is of The Flamingo - our hotel & casino, as well as the first in Vegas - and the rest of the view of the strip from that angle. The other is the hotel at Paris.

I was completely in awe of the Bellagio and, especially, the fountain. It is quite amazing. I could have just watched the fountain shows over and over again. I guess I sort of did. Our room overlooked the fountains. I would turn the lights off during the night shows to enjoy the full effect. It was awesome! There is a picture below of the fountain during the day. There are also pictures from the Bellagio's conservatory, one with my mom & me, the other of the glass flower ceiling. Quite impressive. I must say, the Bellagio was the most luxurious and extravagant of the casinos we visited.

We also went to the spa. I was lucky enough to get treated to a massage, thanks to my mom, and enjoy the calm soothing atmosphere.

I did talk to Brian & Lucy every day. For those of you who have tried to carry on a phone conversation with a 21 month old, I am sure you know it is quite unsatisfying. I was glad to hear that Lucy really enjoyed her bonding time with Daddy. They did lots of fun things and got to play together much more than they generally do. I think it was great for both of them.

Brian & Lucy came to pick me up at the airport. They met us on the sky bridge between the terminal and baggage claim. Lucy was so cute walking toward me carrying a bouquet of flowers almost as big as she was! It was so nice to see my Lucy girl after being away from her for so long. I am glad I didn't drive myself to the airport.

Thanks mom for a wonderful trip!

Wonderful Inner Harbor Weekend

Our Labor Day weekend was just perfect. The weather was fantastic - on the cooler side and very low humidity! We decided to take an overnight trip to the Inner Harbor to enjoy the long weekend and wonderful weather. We couldn't have asked for a better way to spend some fun time together as a family. Lucy loved having an adventure with her sister and parents, and we loved sharing the wonder with her. We headed down mid-afternoon, checked into our hotel and walked to Inner Harbor to get some yummy Maryland crab cakes - so good! Lucy loved the crab, so I reluctantly shared my sandwich with her... We went to the Maryland Science Center from there. It is such a great place for a little explorer. There is so much to do and so many hands-on activities. Lucy and Kenzie both enjoyed themselves and the exhibits. Kenzie got to lay on a bed of nails (and she survived!), use pulleys to pull her own weight and play tug-o-war with Brian. Lucy loved the musical harp with no strings, all the puzzles and especially the dinosaur exhibit complete with a child-friendly archaeological dig! She loved brushing the dirt away to discover the bones beneath! Then we had a tasty dinner at Hard Rock Cafe.

Sunday we made our way back to the harbor for a fantastic walk and then visit to the Aquarium. Although it was crowded, Lucy was able to wiggle her way right up to the tanks to see all she could. She loved the fish and turtles, the sharks and rays... We also took time to see the dolphin show, which was the highlight of the day. I think we all enjoyed the show, but Lucy was in awe of the dolphins. She was a good audience member, providing hearty applause and squeals in appreciation of their fabulous feats! Then on to the jellyfish exhibit, which seemed to be high on her list as well. As a reminder of our wonderful trip, each of the girls took home a dolphin - Lucy's a toy and Kenzie's a much more suitable decorative dolphin. I hope they both have fond memories of our fun getaway when they see (or play) with their dolphins. I know I do!

Enjoy these pictures from our Baltimore adventure.

Emma!

Lucy is very excited that her friend Emma is now in her class again at school. She says "Emma" with such enthusiasm while holding her hands above her head in excitement. Emma's mom said Lucy has been so nice to Emma, sharing toys, etc. That is such a nice thing to hear and makes me very proud of Lucy for being a good friend already.

We met Emma and her family for an evening stroll and dinner at Longwood. Tonight was the last Thursday they are open for extended hours, now that the summer is drawing to a close. The girls were super cute together - walking and holding hands, running after each other, sharing seats on benches and other fun chairs. We had a good time with Karen and Tristan and it was nice to watch Lucy interact and play with one of her good friends. We are looking forward to the next time we all get together to play!