My Showgirls!

So we have often had comments made to us about the girls being born in Vegas and how they're going to grow up and be showgirls. (Yes, you know who you are and we need you to know that it's not funny anymore! So no more jokes please.) Of course the girls will be anything that they want to be (successful and healthy - awwww and preferably in a field that they can earn lots of $$$ and not have to worry about things). But I spotted this one day and thought well maybe the showgirl thing is in their blood... (not mine but perhaps a transfusion during their stay in the hospital?)

City Center

So, we made the trek to see what the talk of the town was like. City Center certainly has made the news here in town for a lot of things but after visiting there the once I cannot see myself going down there again but it was ok to visit in the first place. Not a lot of people shopping in the shops there (all high end shops) so it wil be interesting to see how long that calibre of shop last.

There were some cool things to look at though. Check out these plastic tubes full of water thingeys (technical jargon).

Doesn't mum look excited? (The water goes the other way in Australia...)


Storm and Sydney (who wouldn't sleep and was happy to be carted around in this position all day!)


Near the front of the hotel is this wide waterfall that connects the hotel and another casino. I think that everyone I know who has gone down to City Center has a picture of themselves in front of it. Very cool.


The architecture was probably the coolest thing there. Great to see from a distance.

Christmas Day

This christmas was the first christmas that we had any member of our family with us since we had left Australia (in fact we had a whole family with us this year - my mum and the girls!)

We all scored nicely but of course I didn't take photos!

The girls spent the day in the christmas outfits and played like normal.


Kendall with one of Aunty Lauren's presents - Banjo the Kookaburra


Doesn't Syd look like a little elf baby? I almost expect her to start making toys.


Storm got some longjohns and was so happy. He posed like this to scare the other fellas off...And yes, they had a flap in the back for all things natural! Avert your eyes if you don't believe me!

It's Santa for the first time!!!!

So in the pursuit of creating a tradition, Storm and I set off to Meadows Mall in search of a Santa photo. Kerri had advised us that the Santa set-up at Town Center was less than ideal and knowing that I am not renowned for my patience (especially outside)so she suggested Meadows.

He looked like a great Santa but the challenge was with getting the girls to look the same way at the same time. Didn't happen but I'm happy anyway.

At least they didn't cry!

New kitchen

Thank god for Craigs List is all I can say. Storm found a granite guy who was happy to do granite for a reasonable price (yes, the price that we were going to pay a couple of years ago for formica!)

Anyway, we had always talked about the fact that granite has now become an expected norm for home buyers and why should we do something to the house just to sell it? Why shouldn't we do it when we can and enjoy it in the meantime? So we did. We called up Mark the granite guy and on the Tuesday and he was there on the Saturday tearing up the kitchen. I am really happy with it. It is making me rethink my accessories on the countertop so it lloks like garage sale-ing will become my norm in the spring...

Before:


During:
(Note: When the granite guy tells you to prep before he arrives, be sure to take everything out from under the countertop. Storm and I spent many an hour cleaning all the crap out of our cutlery drawers and pots and pans)



After:


So happy that we did it now and not when we tried to sell the house. I get to enjoy it. Yay!!!!

Ready, set, Go?

Some of you may know that we are having to renovate the house. We are so out of space with the girls, dogs and the business needs that we are officially exploding out the house. We can't even park the cars in the garage anymore and I know that some of my American friends consider this to be normal but I don't.

So we're adding onto the front of the house with another 250 sq ft (another room) and will be rearranging the wall structure inside the house. We anticipate that the feeling of openness will completely change our opinion of this house and we'll be happy for another couple of years at least (until we can move to Texas and be near the water - yay!)

So, they (the builders) teased us one day by coming around and starting to cut down the tree. This tree I have such a love-hate relationship with and now it's is limbless! I feel so bad as it has provided so much shade and such curb appeal but it dropped such crap all over the ground and I cannot tell you how many times I had to cut Rudy's fur as the little peppercorns get so buried and cause him pain.

Before


After


Doesn't it look bare? It'll look so much nicer with a room there though.... Also notice the paint job on the house. Can you tell thsat we were lazy and didn't have a ladder to get up and paint the panel? Well we're going to wait and see if the builders will do it when they paint the addition but who knows when that will be as the city appoval process is taking forever! The anticipation is killing me!

Christmas piccies

So, I know that christmas has come and gone but I thought I'd still put up some cute pics that we took over the time.

Rudy - wasn't a happy camper but was a trooper and manned up with the antlers!(Either that or he was scared of mum!)


Oscar - extremely not happy and the antlers didn't last long on the head. The photos were rushed for the sake of the pose.


Oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree....


Our mantle...I have stuck with this design for the last two years so next year I want to mix it up a little so I have 11 months to think about it. (Don't ask me why it's blurry. I'm going to say that I was trying out shooting ith manual focus - oops!)

I'm Back!!!!!

Holy moly - where have I been you ask? Well let's just say that it's taken a bit to find my groove now that it's just us again. We had so much help from my mum and Mavis when the girls were born so that now that they have left and returned to Australia that it is taking some time to find our way.

We've been trying to get the girls out (weather permitting) when the dogs are walked. Both of them enjoy getting out and looking about - it's so cute!

Doesn't Kendall look happy?

Sydney is enthusiastic but not as much as Kendall.