Chicago to Branson!

Sunday we were up at 2:30 am to catch our flight to Chicago at 6 am. We got to the airport and had to wait for coffee. The flight was uneventful and I slept most of the way. We waited for our bags for way too long. We have discovered that the airports in the states are not the most speedy in the luggage delivery category. 

Mitch picked us up after our bags arrived. We dropped our stuff at his place and his friend Adrian came down to his apartment. He lives in an old hotel that has been converted into apartments. It overlooks the lake. The view is stunning. His apartment is fabulous, as you would guess. 

That’s Lake Michigan from Mitch’s kitchen window. 

We headed for a bite to eat at a deli called The Bagel. Stuart and I shared a corned beef sandwich. It was delicious. We then went back to the apartment to get Mitch’s car. We headed to Aldi and Target to grab some needed supplies. After we got back to the apartment, we began cooking. We went to the rooftop for another glorious view. 

When you go upstairs or downstairs, a lift carries your cart as well. 

Adrian, Mitch, Stuart and myself shopping in Target. 

The rooftop!

My bro and his fab pad. 

We came back to the apartment and then Glen and David showed up. We cooked on the rooftop. The weather was perfect. By 10 pm, Stuart and I were wiped out. So Mitch kicked Adrian out so we could go to bed. It was a great evening. 

My buddy David

I must have slept like a log. When I woke up I thought it was at least 9 o’clock, but alas, it was only 6:30 am. Mitch was already awake and working on something. His new company, Matchdaddy, has him busy, which is good. We lounged around the house until about noon. Then we headed to send a package via UPS. After that was completed we went to a restaurant called The White Palace Grill. We had meatloaf and a Chicago dog. Stuart and I were supposed to share, but somehow I didn’t get a bite of his Chicago dog. Hmmmm. 

We then decided to go back to Mitch’s apartment and walk down to the lake. We walked for almost an hour. On the way back we were smokin’ hot!

 We decided to go to Wilde for drinks. Adrian met us there and then we headed to Clarke Dogs and I actually got my Chicago dog. 

We went back to the apartment and I fell asleep. Stuart spoke to the kids who were having an awesome road trip with Grammie and Pop. 

We left Chicago on Tuesday morning at 6:30 am. I Skyped the kids on the road because I hadn’t spoken to them the night before. They said they were having a great time. What special memories they have created on this road trip. We stopped in St Louis to have lunch with Amy, Mitch’s friend. 

We ate sushi which made all of us tired. Therefore a pit stop was necessary about an hour after we left St Louis. It started raining about an hour outside of Branson. I do love a summer shower, especially when we are in the Midwest. 

We arrived at the house at 5:30 pm, about the same time as the kids and Grammie and Pop. They had stopped at the George Washington Carver Monument for a tour. 

Pictures from the kids’ road trip with Grammie and Pop. They had a lot of fun!

After some unpacking we decided to take a trip into town to eat at Billy Bob’s Dairyland. I had frito pie and it was delightful. We stopped at Wal Mart to get some milk and then we were on our way home. It was after 9 when we landed at the house. The kids showered and then headed to bed. They didn’t want to sleep downstairs because of all the noises that were being created upstairs by all of us walking across the floor. They settled when I came down stairs and stayed with them until they fell asleep. 

Wednesday my mom and I went to Wal Mart to get some provisions. When we got back Russ, Julie, Morgan and Emily were at the house. It was so good to see them. After a bite to eat we decided to go to Silver Dollar City. 

Random lady sleeping. Morgan posed for me so I could pretend to take Morgan’s photo, but instead took this of the sleeper. 

The whole family (minus Rony, Mya and Nolan)

Pop and Jack watched a musician intently. 

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the park, riding rides and eating kettle corn. We ate dinner at Shoney’s and headed back to the house. The kids took a bath in Grammie’s tub. They put too much soap in so getting it all out after their bath was nearly impossible. 

They had a hard time settling down and didn’t end up going to sleep until almost 11 pm. Oh, who cares! They don’t get to see their cousins very often so I suppose a bit of lost sleep isn’t an issue. 

Fake sleeping. 

Aunt Julie doing surgery on Jack’s wart. Grammie should love the fact we chose the bar as our operating table. 

We spent some of the evening on the porch and then all turned in around 11 pm. 

Nothing better than coffee on the porch!

My intention was to get up at 5:30 am to go and walk, but instead I smacked my alarm clock. After all, it was my birthday. 

I ended up getting up just before 8 am. Stuart and I went to walk with Russ and Julie. There are WAY too many hills in Branson for my taste. We got back just after 9 am. I took a shower and then went out to have coffee on the porch. The grandkids and grandparents went to the rec center at 10 am for all of them to work out. We then all met at Wal Mart for random purchases. My niece has decided she is going to be a Vegan so we were buying her some food. 

Once we were back from Wal Mart, Stuart, Russ, Julie and I went to the outlet mall for a little bit of birthday shopping. I was asked what I wanted to do for my birthday and that was what I wanted. None of us bought much, but we had fun together. We left from there and met the rest of the gang at Flat Creek Restaurant, where we had my birthday dinner. I had crab legs, which were delicious. I also got a free desert and a happy birthday song. Yeehaw!

It’s my birthday!



Dominoes madness!

We came back to the house and had more cake and ice cream. On the way back, a storm came rolling up. We couldn’t get all the cushions in from outside before the storm started. The great thing about the Midwest is the storms that brew in the summer time. Showers hit and then all is calm and it cools off. Although the porch was soaked, we still attempted to dry it off in order to sit out there for the cool weather. 

While we were on the porch we got the report that a duck boat capsized and 17 people had drowned. It was such a tragedy. Nine out of eleven in one family died in this incident. It really upset us as there were 11 of us together and it was an activity that we would have done. It seems when it’s your time it’s your time. 

Friday, Mom and Dad went to Tulsa to pick up Rony, Mya and Nolan. We ended up having 15 people in the house, once Morgan’s boyfriend arrived. 

While Mom and Dad were gone, we decided to go down to Dick’s 5 and Dime to shop. It’s one of the last dime stores I know of. We ate lunch and then came back to the outlet malls to buy some tennis shoes. We went back to the house and had dinner ready for everyone. Once the kids were in bed, we played dominoes. Stuart won two matches and I won the last one. 

The girls slept head to toe. 

We all got up Saturday morning and went to Kanakuk 2, a Christian sports camp in Kimberling City. Rony had decided he wanted to be baptized. So Russ had arranged it with his friend who worked there. We ended up having lunch and met got to meet Ruby, my friend Katie’s daughter. Katie and I were besties in high school. 

Pop and two of his fans. 

Besties!

Waiting for the baptism in Table Rock Lake. It’s crazy to think 17 lost their lives in this lake just two days before, but the symbolism in baptism is it gives you life in Christ. 



The whole family was there to witness Rony’s decision. 

Ruby!

We got back to the house around 3 pm and decided on spaghetti for dinner. Russ, Julie, Stuart and I went to Wal Mart to get mince, salad, and pasta sauce. We also had to get a bracket for the curtain that Jack pulled off when he was playing hide and seek. We got home and Stuart, Julie and I made dinner. Okay, to be fair, I only did the garlic bread, but I helped. After dinner we sat on the porch for some relaxation. 

The evening was spent on the porch and playing dominoes. It was a relaxing day and great day celebrating Rony’s baptism. 

Our Arizona visit went way too fast.

Sunday morning I decided to get up and walk. I showered once I got home and we talked about going to church. Then we all decided to watch church on television. The church my parents attend when they live in Branson is called Woodland Hills and they do a live podcast each week. So we all settled in for an hour and a half and had church. 

Once we finished, the kids, Stuart and myself headed to Ken and Maytee’s for the day. We stopped at Target and picked up some cheese and pork products, as well as a coconut cream pie. We spent the entire afternoon chatting, eating and drinking. The kids were in and out of the pool, and generally had a wonderful time together. 

We got home around 5:30 pm. The kids headed off to take a shower and were then fed supper. There was a lot of chilling the rest of the evening and the kids went to bed early, which turned out to be a bad idea for Jack since he woke up at 2:30 am and proceeded to turn on the hall light and the living room light to find his iPad. I was quickly up to tell him he was to go back to bed. Then, of course, I stayed awake for another hour and a half. 

My alarm went off at 5:30 am and the kids were dressed and ready to go walking with me. As much as I love that time to myself, I hate to discourage them if they want to exercise with me. Stuart went as well so he could relieve me by taking the kids home if they decided they didn’t want to walk the full three miles. Millie made it 2.5 miles and Jack made it the entire 3 miles in 45 minutes. When I was their age my folks MADE me get up every morning to run/walk at an indoor track in my home town. I hated it! But, now look who still exercises. And I’m convinced the reason my parents can still hike in Sedona at the ages of 76 and 80 is because of that healthy living throughout their lives. So I suppose I should thank them for making me do some things I didn’t want to do.

My dad had a doctor appointment that would last the entire morning. So I went to have coffee with my former principal, Diane, and a teacher friend, Lisa. We didn’t get to be together that long, but it was quality time catching up. Unfortunately, because this time in Arizona is so short for us, I have really not planned any get togethers with friends unless they have initiated the contact. Because we are having my 50th birthday celebration on Friday, I have invited everyone to that evening. At least I will get to see those who are able to come. 

After coffee I came back to the house and picked up Stuart and the kids. We headed to our storage unit to put in a bag of things we had brought home specifically to store. We then made our way to Ross and TJ Maxx, as well as Famous Footwear. We were in search of trainers for Jack for the coming school year. The mission was accomplished and then some. 

We hit Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch, before heading to Millie’s 6 year appointment. I realize she is almost 7, but we didn’t go to her6 year appointment last year because we didn’t come home last summer. She had asked me if she was going to get shots. I told her ‘no’ and that her next shot would be when she was 11. Well, I was wrong. It seems she was going to need a Hepatitis B booster.  Oops! She was a trooper and didn’t even whence when she got jabbed. After the doctor we hit Dairy Queen on the way home. 

At her appointment we discovered, as we have always know, that she will always be a petite little girl with a huge personality. If trends continue, she will only be about 5 feet 2 inches when she is grown. 

We got home and my dad was napping and my mom had gone to the grocery store. The kids played on their electronics while Stuart and I sorted out the shopping. Then we played on our electronics as well. Ha! We had a gorgeous dinner of salmon, potatoes, wild rice and a green bean concoction that was delightful. The kids were then ushered to showers. We were going to play Old Maid, which is always a riot with Millie, but then she fell asleep on the sofa, so instead we attempted to teach Jack to play Pitch. Stuart and I killed my mom and dad. Jack went to bed and we rounded off our night with Family Feud in television. It’s a nightly ritual at my parent’s house. 

I got up early and went for a walk with my dear friend Sue. The kids walked with my parents and it rained in their walk. I hit Wal Mart on my way back to the house. I bought some adorable fabric for my classroom for next year. I showered and then we headed to Arizona Mills Mall, an outlet mall across town. We were still in search of dress shirts for Stuart. We ate at the Rainforest Cafe, which is too expensive, but someone has to pay for those animated gorillas I suppose. We ended our shopping trip at the Dillard’s outlet, where Stuart got new dress shirts for the new school year. 

We didn’t get back to the house until after 4 pm, just in time for Stuart and I to get spruced up to go to sushi with my friend Liz. We met her just after 5 pm and had a lovely catch up. She had just been on a mission trip to South Africa and brought me this gorgeous glass necklace. We made another Wal Mart run and Liz was with us. She pointed out some new protein bars and I stocked up. We ended our evening at Starbucks, as you do. When we got home we watched Family Feud!

Wednesday morning I woke up at 4:30 am, read some messages from some of my teachers and a Head of Faculty that was reassigned to my old school, then decided to just get up and do my run/walk for the day. No kid was with me. I think they have had their fill of walking. When I got back, Stuart had made a grocery list for Sam’s Club. The party was quickly approaching and the shopping had to be completed. 

I sat on the porch and drank my coffee while Stuart went for a run. When he returned we cleaned up and got ready for our Sam’s run. Grammie made the kids waffles and I had one of my new protein bars, Glazed Donut. It was yummy! 

We did our Sam’s run which was not cheap, but it would be worth it. After all, it was for my 50th birthday. We got home and unloaded the car. We headed out again for some items we couldn’t get at Sam’s. We went to a place called Sprouts, we also hit Target and Wal Mart, again. 

In the afternoon Jack, Dad, Stuart and myself went to play golf. There was a monsoon that was rolling in, but it ended up going around us. We only made it nine holes, but we all had fun, despite the heat and aggravating shots. Millie and Grammie took a trip to Jake’s Unlimited, an entertainment place with rides and games. They ended up eating there. So once they were home, Millie just needed a shower and she was ready for bed. 

Jack loved driving the cart. 

The evening provided a little nap for all of us and then some leftovers for everyone. We had a bit of a chilled evening. The kids had showers and everyone ate leftovers. It was a relatively uneventful evening. 

I got up at 5:30 am on Thursday to walk. When I got home I jumped in the shower and got ready to go to Vicki’s house. Jack was so excited to see Gavin. Unfortunately, Maddax, her youngest had been sick and that tummy bug had lingered. So we had to cancel that visit. It’s tough to see everyone when we are only here for 9 days. 

Once everyone had eaten breakfast, Stuart and I snuck off to Target for some spices and a few more items, such as headphones for the kids. They would need those for the car journey cross country with Grammie and Pop. 

When we got back, we decided to repack our bags. As always, our bags were starting to fill up quickly with things that are much cheaper here than in the UAE. We were trying to pack the kids’ stuff to go with Grammie and Pop, as well as packing our things for Chicago. The struggle was real. 

We had lunch at MOD pizza with our friend Brian. He is one of my oldest friends in Arizona. It’s always such fun to see him. When we pulled into the parking lot, we saw a Tesla car. Stuart said, ‘I bet that’s Brian’s car’. I giggled. Well, wouldn’t you know, when we came out after eating lunch, Brian announced that he was driving that Tesla. He took us for a ride. It was such a cool car. It was a wonderful lunch with a fun car ride at the end. 

We got home and watched some television before getting ready to go to dinner with our friends John and Jenny. We picked them up around 6:30 and headed to Scottsdale to a Thai restaurant. We had some very delicious food and wonderful company. 

I got up to walk and then went to Wal Mart to get some milk. Between Jack and Pop we could hardly keep the milk supply up at the house. I packed and tried to get the kids packed for their road trip with Grammie and Pop. 

At 9:30 I went to a drumming class. It was such a laugh. I went with my friend Sue. It was so much fun! I really wish they had a class like this in Al Ain. I may figure out a way to start one. 

I stopped at Walgreens on the way home to get Jack some plantar wart medication and some little gifts for Grammie to give the kids on their road trip. I then returned home. Stuart was cooking like a fool for my birthday party. 

We both showered and got ready for the party. Guests started arriving and the fun began. I saw friends I hadn’t seen in a long while. One of my guests, Krys, brought his guitar. Christian, Maytee, Ken and I sang and he played his guitar. It was a very pleasant surprise. I had such a fantastic evening. I think I’m going to like 50! It was an epic night. 

Saturday I slept in until almost 8 am. We spent most of the day getting ready to leave Arizona. My mom and I took some beer and food back to Sam’s Club, Target and Wal Mart. We got back to the house around 11:00. We had a Christmas and birthday celebration where we all received season passes to Silver Dollar City, an amusement park in Branson. So in the two weeks we will be there we will be able to go as much as we like. The kids are very excited. 

I spent the afternoon with my bunco babes, which was full of laughter! I don’t know that I’ve ever had a more unique group of women as friends. They are different from one another, but like minded in so many ways, and boy do they make me laugh! Stuart had dropped me off at the party and then he came back to pick me up at 6:30. When we got home, it was time for Millie to go to bed. Jack followed shortly after and was a bit weepy saying, ‘I’ll see you in three days, Mama’. Oh, he is his mother’s child. Bless him. We put our last load of laundry in the dryer and hit the sack. Arizona did not disappoint. See you in a few years! 

Work is almost over and it’s time for holiday!

I didn’t sleep well Saturday evening. I think I was worried my alarm wouldn’t go off. Stuart got permission from his principal to be off for the next three days, whereas I didn’t have the nerve to make such a request. So I was going to have to drive back from Dubai to go to work each day. 

I left at about 5 am, and got to school to discover my principal wasn’t even at school. I decided to leave around 10:30 to get some things done and head back to Dubai. No one really cared if I was there or not. I went by the Rugby club to pick up hats for Josh and Matt. I went to the bank to cancel my account. I stopped at the mall to get Millie some sandals, which she didn’t like and I ended up taking them back. I then stopped by the house to get Stuart some work clothes. It seems he will have training on Tuesday, so will have to go to work after all on Tuesday. 

I got back on the road around 12:30. I was thinking I would get to the lounge just as they were opening for afternoon tea. Oh, but that wasn’t due to start until 3 pm. I thought it started at 2 pm. I purposely didn’t eat anything so I could enjoy that spread. Oh what to do? Do I wait for an hour or do I join the family at the pool? I got a cup of tea and then joined the family at the pool. This extra charge for the lounge may not be paying for itself. 

After the pool we came upstairs and hit the lounge for a beverage and a snack. We didn’t eat much, except for Millie, who ate her weight in fish fingers. Once we were back in the room, Jack decided he wanted to order spaghetti from room service. After he snarfed that down, we crawled into bed and everyone was asleep before 9 pm. 

We were up at 6 am, as we had to get to Al Ain for the kids to have their assessment at Brighton College. We got there just in time for Millie to go into a Year 1 class to play, and Jack to take his computer assessment. I saw a lot of people I knew and they all congratulated me. It was such a good feeling to come into the school and be able to know I was going to work there next year. I was also a bit nervous about the experience. 

After their assessment, we hit the road to go back to Dubai. This weekend has definitely been exhausting as far as travel is concerned, but it has been so nice for all of us to be together. 

We got to the hotel and changed into our swimmers. Josh, Matt and Stuart came to the room for a bit and then we all headed to the pool. We stayed there for a while, then back up to the room for showers in order to get ready to go to Hunters, the best steak house in Dubai. 

After dinner it was night time. Everyone was exhausted. We woke in the morning to another muggy day. We had breakfast in the lounge and then Stuart was off to a meeting he had to attend. The kids and I hung around a bit longer, and then decided we had might as well get back to Al Ain. Halfway back we discovered that Millie had left blankie somewhere other than her back pack. Matt looked and I called the hotel, but no luck. She handled it pretty well. Stuart promised her we would get her a new one. 

On the way home we stopped and had Millie’s hair cut. It looks a lot like mine now. She’s a pixie for sure. We got home just after 11 am. I unpacked and then started packing again for our summer adventures. It was all too exciting to be leaving in a few days. 

Claire came over to stay with the kids until Stuart got home from his meeting. I had to go to Brighton to meet one of my new students next year. Transitions are not always easy for this little guy so everyone involved thought it would be a good thing for us to meet before the first day of school. I was told he loves Lego, so naturally I took pictures of my two Legos that I have completed so that I could show him. I also took him two of the little figurines to give to him. I’m not stupid. If I need this boy to trust me and let me help him, then I know the tricks. After I met with his teacher from this year and a few of the other key players, I met this delightful young boy who brought me his Lego to show me. When I showed him my pictures, he was totally engaged and then started, every so slightly, interacting with me. It was such a good feeling. He reminded me of my all time favorite, yet most difficult students, whom I also named my son after.....Jack. The whole experience made me even more excited about the year ahead. I know God has led me to Brighton College. I look forward to the adventure. 

I got home just before 3 pm. Stuart then decided to take Jack to get his hair cut and pick up some groceries for dinner. We didn’t want to buy much, as we would not be there many more days. Millie decided to go with them to the store. I continued to pack and keep laundry going. 

Once they were all back, Jack played on his PS4 and Millie listened to music in his room on her phone. It was peaceful. Both kids showered just before 6 pm, had dinner, and then Millie decided to watch the new movie version of Benji. Stuart and I got sucked in as well. She went to bed a bit later than normal, but it was okay. 

When I got up on Wednesday morning all I could do was dread going to school. When I got there I discovered again that my principal wasn’t going to be there again that day. It was easier to be there, but I was still bored out of my head. I left at the normal time and picked he kids up from school. We got home and just chilled out. The Richardsons came over for dinner. It was our last dinner together and was sad, to say the least. 

I stripped our bed on Thursday morning. I always like everything clean and today before going on holiday, mainly because coming home to a dirty or messy house makes me crazy. At school we had a party and celebration at school. Many teachers were not going to be there the following week, so it seemed appropriate. 

These are the gifts they gave to different teachers who were getting married or moving into a new home. It never ceases to amaze me of how over the top the UAE is!

I got home just after noon and started getting the rest of our bags packed and animals organized. I gave Duke a bath and noticed a rash on his belly. I decided to take him to the vet before delivering him to our friends, Jane and Bryce. It turned out to just be a heat rash. 

When I got home, the kids and I took Duke to his vacation home. We had prepared envelops for their boys that had money in them. I knew Jane and Bryce wouldn’t take the money for keeping Duke, so I gave it to their boys. 

We went to have dinner with Mandy and Cathy at the rugby club as a final farewell, at least for Mandy. We would see her again in London in August. She is moving there with her new found love. 

We got home and everyone showered. We headed to the airport around 8:30 pm, turned in the car and then had to wait for nearly an hour before we checked in. The kids were so tired, but were troupers. They didn’t complain, even though Jack had developed a stye in his eye. Poor kid! He was in pain but still carried on. 

Once we were through security it was nearly 11 pm. Millie decided she wanted a Happy Meal, and she ate it all, while Jack slept on my lap. We were able to go to the gate at 12:45 am and then boarded the plane, premium economy, at 1 am. How we managed to get into premium economy is beyond me. I clearly am married to a travel genius. We were served drinks in real glasses and the cutlery was real as well, not plastic. There was a ton more room and it was just a step above what I’m used to. 

The flight was relatively uneventful. Millie slept the entire 7 hours, but I had to convince Jack to go to sleep about 3 hours before we landed. His eye was still bothering him when he woke up, but he said it did feel better. I’m hoping it passes soon. 

Once in London, we headed to the Aspire Lounge for coffee and to relax. We had a 6 hour layover so we needed something to pass the time. We were granted 3 hours of lounge access with our credit cards, which made everything free. We all had a bite to eat and coffee, well, the kids had juice and soda. It was an easy way to spend three hours. After we left the lounge, we did some walking around for a little over an hour, until finally the gate was open. 

We boarded the plane and the reality of sitting in premium economy was awesome. The seats are a bit bigger and a lot more motivating to sit in for 10 hours. I watched a few movies, as did the rest of the family. The kids slept quite a bit, but I just dozed. Stuart seemed to sleep some. All in all the flight was uneventful and comfortable. Millie slept so much she didn’t eat any of her meals. 

When we landed in Phoenix, we went through customs without a hitch. We thought we might have issues, but not a word was said. Our flight landed at 2:40 pm on Friday afternoon and were waiting for our bags by 3 pm. Waiting for the luggage was the long part. We finally got through to the waiting area at 4 pm. The kids were elated to see Grammie and Pop. They ran straight to them and wouldn’t let go of them. It was so sweet. Grammie, as usual, brought gifts for the kids. 

We piled the bags into my dad’s truck and were off towards Queen Creek. The kids rode with Grammie and Pop, while Stuart and I drove the truck. We unloaded the bags and then headed to the T-Mobile store to get SIM cards for our phones. Then we had our usual meal at Chipotle. We headed to Target for some shopping, mainly for toys for the kids, and then we were back to the house to unpack the bags, take showers, and try to convince the kids it was time for bed. 

We were awake several times in the night. We finally resigned ourselves to getting out of bed at 5 am. We tried to be as quiet as possible, and quickly were reminded that Millie doesn’t know how to whisper. I had my coffee on the porch, as is my favorite thing to do at my Mom and Dad’s house. The kids had some yogurt and cherries, and were fascinated by the dew on the grass from the sprinklers. It’s amazing the things you forget your children have possibly never seen. 

Stuart and I met our friends Sue and Tim for breakfast. The kids stayed with Grammie and Pop. We had a great time with Tim and Sue. It’s always so good to visit with those friends who are lifelong friends, no matter how short the time. 

Once we left our favorite breakfast spot, The Farmhouse, we headed to Wal Mart to get Stuart some undershirts. When we got home, Stuart and I decided to go to the outlet mall to do some more, you guessed it, shopping. I was looking for closed toed shoes, as next year I will not be allowed to wear sandals to work. Boo! We found a few treasurers for much cheaper than we could ever buy them in the UAE. 

When we got home, the kids, Grammie and Pop we’re heading to Wal Mart to get some sandwich stuff to have on hand for the week. So we sorted out our shopping while they were gone. When they returned, Stuart decided to take a nap. Before long we were all asleep in our respective spots. At about 5:30 pm I woke the kids up and forced them to shower. Millie fell right back to sleep and she was down for the night. 

Stuart and I headed to dinner at Cantina Loredo with our friends Ken and Maytee. We had a great night with them. We decided to hit the casino and give them some of our money. When will I ever learn? We made a random stop at Wal Mart so Ken and I could get some Little Debbie snack cakes. We are troubled eaters for sure. We were hopeful that our jet lag had passed and we would be able to sleep through the night. Our holiday has just begun and so far we have enjoyed every moment. 

Dinner!

Gelato!

My friend Maytee!