Come on down!!!!!!

Friday night in Vegas, we all had tickets to the Price is Right - Vegas style. it's just like the show, but alittle different. instead of having the winners get to spin the wheel. they call up a new group for every game and a new group for the showcase. they draw the names so everyone has a chance. Steve my cousin got pick to try and guess the price. It was a guitar. He didn't guess right. In between each game they draw people to win total reward credits - 1000 points. first to win was my sister Cindy, then my mother. It was fun and lots of screaming and happy people. at the very end, Bruce was called for a total reward credit of 2500. the credit thing means $10 and $25 worth of gambling. better than a kick in the pants.

they do not allow pictures in the theater (it was at Bally's). they are very strict about that. so no pictures.... however afterward we were all walking out and everyone started putting their name tags (just like the real price is right!) on my brother Dean and cousin Steve. these are macho, cool guys. but they had fun with it.

after the show, we went to the Tequila Cantina in Bally's. it wasn't too bad. But Steve's fiancee Liz ordered the nacho plate. OH MY GOSH!!!! I didn't have my camera because I left it in the room. but you know how big a turkey platter is? well, that' how big the plate was and it was piled HIGH! we all got a good laugh from that. Steve helped Liz eat. they made a dent in it.

we had a great time. they had the coolest penny machines at Bally's. my favorite? the Lord of the Rings. It was nice to me..... LOL......

Lorene

we are on our way.....

Well I long awaited event has come and gone, and I am free to talk about it now. My parents had their 50th wedding anniversary this past weekend. All of us kids have be talking about this awesome occasion for quite a while. earlier in the year, my brother - Dean and his wife Kris - came up with the idea of going to vegas. they were married there 50 years ago. so in the next few days I will be posting about our trip. here we are packing the car. Dad drove. so mom and I watch the movie Avatar while the guys sat up front. First stop was taking the boys - Buffy and Bogie - to Bark Avenue. they stayed there and had their little vacation while we had ours. I completely forgot to take their pics! what kind of sister am I? lol.....

as soon as the boys were snug in their room, we were off. our first stop was in Kingman. Lee was doing the inventory at the Kingdom store. Lee is my mom and dad's first grandson. they have a special bond. it felt great to stretch our legs and make a pit stop.

I was excited to see how the bridge look going over the dam. the last time we were in Vegas, it wasn't all the way across. it looks pretty awesome.

here is another.....

i like this perspective on the bridge. it shows how large it really is....

this is so sad to see how low the water is at Lake Mead. I think Bruce said it is the lowest it has ever been. kind of scary.

Next stop - Vegas!!!

Lorene

On my way home......

everytrip has an ending. sigh..... I was very sad to leave. it was so beautiful up there. anyway, before I left I took my Aunt Joan up to Lakeside to see my brother Dean and his wife Kris. they have a beautiful home. BTW, if you ever need construction or plumbing - he is your man! they have a general construction/plumbing business up there. we had a great visit, then I took Aunt Joan back to mom and Dads, and then I came home. I did stay an extra day. I was a little tired. well, a lot tired! LOL!

love ya Dean and Kris!!!

Lorene

Girls Night Out

This is kind of a goofy picture, but we were being goofy! that's me, my mom, my Aunt Gloria and my Aunt Joan. let me tell you a story........ It seems my family really like going to the casino. me? if and when I go I can do nothing but loose. so sad. once in awhile, and I really mean once in awhile, I win. winning is fun. but I don't do it enough to want to go very often.

that being said, Mom wanted a girls night out! Fun! so Aunt Gloria and Mom got 2 rooms that were connected. BTW, we are talking about Hondah up in the White Mountains. this is the Apache nation. The rooms were very nice. we were to leave at 4:30 to go. we left at 3. we were going to have dinner first, we gambled. they gave us each a coupon book. in there was a coupon for a free slice of pizza. cool. so that was dinner. which ended up being an adventure. we mostly stayed together. we laughed, we won, we lost, we stayed up till 6AM! oh my gosh! all these ladies are in their mid 70's to 79. These women know how to party!

The next day, we were to go to the brunch that they serve. it opens at 9AM. sooooooo, my bubbly, morning person Aunt Gloria woke us up at 8AM! yikes. we all had sand in our eyes. but we had a great breakfast with my dad and Harriet joining us.

I should have taken more pics, but I forgot! I was lucky to have gotten my shoes on the right feet.

Thanks mom for the great idea! we all had a ball.....

Another Great Meal!

My Aunt Gloria and Harriet hosted a BBQ while I was in Pinetop. I thought I had taken pictures of their home. I really think I did. but due to being tired I think I must have lost them. really....
anyway, they used my parents George Foreman electric grill. I didn't get a pic of that either. This one looks like a regular grill. but you plug it in. pretty cool and it did a great job. now, I have heard this before. use a fabric softener sheet to keep the mosquito's away. This is my Dad. and no, it's not that finger! he didn't get bit, but he usually doesn't. me? well, I had a pocket on the front of my shirt. so I stuck it there. so my face didn't get bit at all. but, I received bits on my hands, my ankles and my legs. about 12 all together..... sigh...... they itch like the dickens.....

I really wish I had pictures of my Aunt's home. her landscaping is unbelievable. their home looks like a little log cabin. they live in the same place my parents do - Vacation Village. also behind their home is a creek. so they have terraced the back of the lot. they have planted all kind of beautiful trees and plants. and they also have a fire pit. we had a great time. of course there was lots of laughter. I love being around these great women and my dad too! we just enjoy laughing and talking.....

here's the crew. Aunt Gloria invited a friend - Jackie. she was taking the picture. Thanks Jackie! Oh and they served peach ice cream, well really peach frozen yogurt. it was the creamiest frozen yogurt I have ever had. I think it was breyers. YUMMO!!!

Thank you Aunt Gloria and Harriet. it was a great night and great food!

love ya

Lorene

I love being a girl!

today was a wonderful day - I got a pedicure and manicure. ahhhhhhhhhh, so very nice. having that done, makes me feel pampered and beautiful! happy, happy...... I would love to do that once a week - at least. LOL! My friend Vicki and I didn't get to get together this summer. that makes me sad. we always get so much done when we have our retreats. so this year we decided that we would pick a day and pick 2 projects and sew. the thing is, we have about 6 projects to do. the first 2 projects we picked was a red and black quilt. Abundance is the pattern. Vicki provided the 10" red squares. I provided the black, red ric rak, and border. the other is a Patrick lose haunted house/birthday table runner. Now the deal is, we have to finish these 2 projects as in finish the top, quilt and bind it. well, I have the abundance top done. I LOVE IT!!!!

Here is a close up of the flower and ric rak. isn't just darn cute?

and here is the top! Yeah!!! Vicki, isn't it wonderful? just the way I envisioned it! now, what color of thread do I use? how shall I quilt it? what should I get for a backing? I want it finished yesterday. I really, really love this quilt.

thank you Vicki for going with my zany ideas!

hugs......

Lorene

Vaulting

Hi everyone! Julia - my granddaughter in CA. has fallen in love with vaulting. I am not really sure what it is, but it reminds me of the circus and the girls with tutu's riding and standing on top of a horse. I would imagine you have to have excellant balance. which apparently our Julia has! This horse is very big. I mean really big! and BLIND! Julia says he is the most gentle horse she has ever seen. Julia explained that the horse is attached to a pole with a rope. that makes it so the horse goes in circles. Julia said the other day she was standing on the horse and made it around 21 times! WOW way to go sweetie! Here is Julia and Isabell, little Bell has fallen in love with the horse too. Lowell is riding too, but I don't have any pics of him. sorry sweetie!

Here is Julia again. you can see how big the horse really is!

here she is on her way to standing.

here she is riding backwards. you can see the rope to the horse. Mercy Julia, you are one brave girl! You are doing a great job!!!

love ya sweetie....

Grandma H