Preserve - Trip 1

No summer is complete without multiple trips to The Springs Preserve. There is currently a new show called, "Vegas Night Life" all about creatures of the night (and I don't mean strippers). It was thrilling when Jackson was chosen to be a helper. Jackson's job was to be a cricket (while clicking a clicker), while a girl (who was a bat) tried to find him.

 

 

Sade of course HAD to meditate in her special spot:

 

 

This summer at the Preserve they have mini-golf! And it's pretty awesome. Seriously. I particularly enjoy it because if I was to take my kids mini-golfing it would cost me like $9 a person, but with my pass it's totally free! All.Summer.Long.

 

 

It was KIND OF a pleasant day, so after golfing we spent some time outside. I FORCED Amy to take this picture with me:

 

 

Enjoyable visit.

Preserve - Trip 2

We had so much fun on our first visit to the Preserve this summer that I took my kids back the next week. Mainly because we all wanted to play more mini-golf.

 

Jackson's ambidextrous nature serves him well in golf. He switches from left to right swinging effortlessly.

 

Right:

 

Left:

 

 

Did you know that there used to be only one bathtub in all of Las Vegas? I do, because I have been to the Preserve at least 200 times.

 

 

Jumping:

 

 

Jackson and rabbit:

 

 

It was HOT. Cooling off in the mist:

 

 

You need to visit the Preserve just so you can touch these. The temperature difference was staggering (which is of course the entire point of the exhibit). But really. We couldn't even touch the black one it was so hot!

 

 

I posted this picture on Instagram and wrote, "Hubba Hubba" as the description, which embarrassed Megan almost to death.

 

 

Mission accomplished!



Fathers Day 2014

Eric is the official pancake maker at our house. But on Father's Day I took over the job and busted out some chocolate chip pancakes. I know, I know, I always overdo. 

 

(Side note: Sade once told me that Eric makes better homemade pancakes than me, but I make better frozen pancakes than him. Okay then.)

 

Present opening time! As always Eric got all sorts of impressive stuff like, new socks, a tie, a fan for his office, an umbrella AND a family picture for his desk at work:

 

 

Dads just don't come better.

Gavin Degraw

A long time ago. Like months ago. Amy asked if Eric and I wanted to go with her and Kade to see Gavin Degraw at the Mandalay Bay beach. I of course said yes, since I am always up for a concert, but had NO IDEA who he was. Absolutely NO IDEA. And that didn't really change before the concert. In fact, during the concert I didn't recognize one single song.

 

Before the concert we went to a place called Swish, which was basically Asian fondue, without the cheese and chocolate.

 

Concert time! It didn't start until 8:30 p.m. (gasp)! We brought blankets, which I kind of felt embarrassed about when we were walking in (because no one else was carrying any), but soon my embarrassment turned to gratefulness when I realized how uncomfortable sitting on the sand with no blanket would have been. Sometimes it pays to be old. I'm sure those teenagers were jealous of my coziness.

 

 

We were kind of far away:

 

 

Towards the end of the show I couldn't take it any longer and had to go up to the stage area which sits right above the Mandalay Bay pool. The water was so warm, and I deeply regret not going up earlier.

 

These were taken after the concert: