Well, the boys are getting taller and taller every day. This morning they were impatient for me to fill up their water bowl so they just walked up to our pedestal sink and drank out of the bowl WHILE it was filling up... their heads come above our waists at this point. Love our boys- well, technically they might be considered teenagers. The wild teenager years, true for them as well. Last night they were running back and forth through the house knocking over tables and falling and wrestling... we had to get onto them to settle down. Sound familiar mom?
Oh what fun we had this weekend... we did a Vegas trip with our friends. We stayed at the beautiful Bellagio and what a treat that was. We went to the Mirage and saw this show, (MUST SEE!!), and you wouldn't think ventriloquism was anything cool until you see him! He is a comedian, singer, celebrity impressionist, and ventriloquist. There were a handful of times we were laughing so hard tears were falling from our faces. He is amazing, and what an encouraging personal story he has. When he signed his $100 million five year contract at the Mirage the first thing he bought was a wedding band for his wife. They had gotten married seventeen years ago in Vegas and bought a $10 wedding band at a pawn shop because that was all they could afford at the time. He loves his wifey! I love when great things happen to great people and his story is GREAT! :)
We also saw this show, (another must see), which was a crazy one-- it baffled the brain because of the amazing acrobatics they performed. It was a circus on steroids!
We ate the most amazing foods and had our first Japanese A5 Kobe beef steak... pure heaven, and had some quality spa time with masseuses.
Here are some pics below... I didn't take my big camera so the quality is not the absolute best, but the smaller one was so much easier to travel with.
This is us in the air on the way from Colorado Springs, to Vegas. We made a stop at the Broadmoor, one of our all-time favorite places to go.
This is the view from our window. From noon to eight at night they do a water show every half hour and from eight at night to midnight it's every fifteen minutes, amazing. What an imagination these hotel owners have. It is quite entertaining to just look at architecture and designs there... who needs all that gambling?? Not us!
This is us on the streets... I wonder what those people in the background are looking at?? Don't you? Wonder if we missed something good back there...
Us when we were getting ready to leave. Sad to go but what fun memories!
Ken, Doug and Mark rode this roller coaster on the top of hotel New York New York. They said it was super duper rough, so fair warning if you should want to go.
Water show at night...
This is an aerial shot of the Grand Canyon. This was my first time to see it... from WAY above!
The foyer of our hotel. I love all that colored glass up there... so pretty!
Ken was on cloud nine in this alley of claw toy machines. There was probably fifty of them all lined down this alley. He couldn't dare pass them all up. He played until he won. He always wins at those games.
This was some of the seasonal decor at our hotel. They decorate for all holidays and this one was for the Chinese New Year. Look at the size of those incense sticks!
This is a short video of part of the water show at night. So pretty!
Sending our friends. Bye Bye! Cant' wait for next time!
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and is enjoying the sunshine!
Lots of love, Mandy
"What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. They are but trifles, to be sure but, scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable." - Anonymous
Today we took the boys out to the land so they could run as much as they could ever desire... and boy did they.
They had their second back-of-the-truck ride today and what a funny sight to see. Riggs kept putting his nose up and eating the air... jaws just-a blowing in the wind. It was hilarious. Their leashes are held from the inside and we keep the window open so they spend the majority at the window looking at us. We went to the land and rode four wheelers with our friends Stephen and Kristy and their tiny bundle of pure joy, Addison, and Danny and Kim. Stephen and Kristy also wanted to see the house... it was a mess inside because they are putting up trim so there was wood everywhere. Palmer was making lots of noise in the other room and I went to check on him and he was eating old hard-boiled egg shells in foil that one of the crew men left there on the floor... disgusting, isn't it? It's usually not too bad but with all the rain we had they might have had to leave in a hurry, hence leaving their lunches and cooler with still-cold drinks in it! After riding for a while our friends left and we stayed with Danny and Kim riding around. Palmer rode on the back with Ken and me, and Riggs and Izzak ran behind/beside the four wheelers the whole time! They were loving it- stopping and sniffing everything and splashing in every puddle they came across. Right now, it is 9:40pm and they haven't lifted their heads off the floor in hours. They are exhausted and hopefully will have the sweetest dog dreams about frolicking outdoors in the sunshine. We had a very nice relaxing day today and are ready for the busy week! Vegas is coming up, yahoo!! I hope everyone had a wonderful week and everyone do their anti-rain dance so they can get lots done on the house! Our sweet growing giants... about 120lbs a piece, seven and a half months old... 60-80 lbs to go...
Sweet baby Addison playing with her "blocks". She was gathering the cut wood blocks from the window sills and floor and would go sit on this stack of wood and set them down. Then she would pick one up and stand back up and walk around holding it talking talking and then go right back and set them down and sit down again. Serious 1 year old work she was doing! I could watch her all day. So precious.
Such a happy girl!
They have began trimming the home! It is looking so great! I chose to paint all the trim whatever the walls are so that is is a seamless application with no distractions. We did a three phase crown that has about 6 inches on the ceiling then about another 7-9ish inches down on the wall. We did ten inch baseboards with the outlets in them so that they disappear more... Loving it!
Lots of love, M
"He is the happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home." ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Palmer has a "special" look to him that differs his character from the other dogs in the family. Those sweet little five teeth that shine so brightly every day of his precious little life which set him apart from any ordinary other Lhasa Apso, are one less. A fierce game of tug and war with Izzak has now affected his signature look... and it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. He came to me after their game and was licking his lips over and over and finally I looked at him and it was just dangling there... by the end of the day, it was gone.
When Koen, our nephew, was just four years old he saw a big 8x10 photo of Palmer before ever meeting him, and said, "Your dog looks mean." I told him that he wasn't mean at all, he just smiles all the time so that's why you see his teeth. When he got to meet Palmer, Koen squatted down to get face to face with him and looked up at me so excited and said, "He's smiling!"
Those little teeth are Palmer... we will try and preserve the rest... though they serve no purpose, they ARE still important.
Look at the guest home changes that have occurred! It is coming right along and we love it more and more every time we go. We simply can't wait to be here. The peace and quiet are unexplainably serene and when I stand still my ears echo a ringing. What a wonderful place it will be to sit and be still... I love it. This afternoon we heard a hoot owl chit-chatting away- probably talking about the weather and how happy he is the sun came out today. Then Ken pointed out a Mockingbird... the sounds you do hear are all of nature. I can't wait to grow old out here, ...and write my first children's book to the sound of owls and mockingbirds.
The cast stone came in this past week and they have begun setting it. I am so excited about this detail because it looks so clean. It will go around the front doors and windows.
This is a perspective from the kitchen/breakfast room looking down the pantry hall into the garage. The garage still has spray-foamed walls and that is what you see there in the middle of this picture. All the sheet rock and tape and bedding is nearly complete. Next step, the wall texture man will come paint a primer in the whole house to assure all the walls are completely smooth. I have requested absolutely no texture on any wall- smooth as a baby's tushy. Everything I've heard, this is a very difficult thing to accomplish but with lots of time and an experienced workmanship from the crews it will finish beautifully. We have been very pleased with all the crews thus far. They've all done an excellent job.
This is the dining room and entry way. The doors will be stained dark and the floors will be a mix of wood, marble and travertine. View out the front door. It is just a plus that my sweet handsome husband is there in the view. We are surrounded by beautiful sky-high trees... which equals critters and bugs, which equals squeals out of me, which equals jars on them to trap them and sit until Ken comes home. Hopefully with all the foam insulation, Ken even wanted the interior walls insulated, those critters/bugs don't stand a chance to get inside. I'm sure the word will get out to them all that I don't kill them so they will probably rally together to get inside and take over. I better stock up on my jars. This view is looking into the family room/kitchen area. I put transoms above the openings of the main areas to keep it all open and bright with light. In Ken's man room we saw this sweet little drawing someone took the time to do. It's drawn on the sheet rocked wall. Down in another area Ken found this one. We giggled that is was labeled, "prototype".
The back porch... the stone columns haven't been made yet- we won't have those wimpy wood sticks holding up that twelve foot ceiling... The entire back of the house has eight foot casement windows so we can look out and see all the momma deer teaching their babies to run away from red lasers, walking trees and wooden stands.
How was your New Years? Drop a comment if you did something fun! I'd love to hear!
Sisterly Opposites: This is a captured moment- Marin was angry I was taking Ainsley's picture!
Our Nieces, Marin (3) and Ainsley (6)
One of our dog-sons, Riggs
(He is a blue great dane puppy)
Palmer- Our sweet dog-son
Rain Rain... Go Away...
About Me
Mandy
My sweet husband and I were happily married on April 24, 2008. We both stay very busy and support each other with our businesses we are building for the future. We have so much to look forward to each day because we have the Lord and are each other's best friends, every moment is so special. We are truly blessed and thankful for all we have and are getting to experience. We embrace change and stick together, holding hands and looking up for our answers. MG Happenings is a snip-it of what is going on in our lives, documented along with my photography. Enjoy all your days.
