Visit from Auntie Jennifer

Paul's sister, Jennifer, was able to come and visit us for a week in September. It was so great to see her and let Alec and James meet her for the first time!

Jennifer requested a hike at Mt Charleston, which we were grateful for-a chance to get out of the city! We chose the Little Falls trail as it was short enough for Alec to hike.

Paul really enjoyed having his sister out.

Jennifer was a huge help with the boys whilst I was working.

The boys and I took her out miniature golfing one night and I forgot the camera!

Jennifer and I also had the chance to try out the CSI Experience at the MGM Grand one night, it was a great chance to do something away from the boys and put our sleuthing skills to the test. :) Pretty cheesey, but it was fun.

Labor Day Weekend

Over Labor Day weekend we drove out to CA so we could spend Saturday at the beach. Alec loves it SO much! My parents & brother's family came as well, so Alec was in heaven. Here's some shots of Christopher, Joleen & my adorable nephew, Kayden:

Alec was busy playing and continually gave me his "cheese!!!" (said in frustration) smile:

If I wait long enough though, I manage a genuine smile now and then:

James napped a lot at the beach, but when he woke up had some sweet smiles for his nana:

Christopher thought it would be funny to bury Alec in the sand-so did Alec.

I know Paul loves me because he builds things just for me:

Alec playing with his great-grandma.

Ryan's wedding & Cincinnati

My cousin Ryan was getting married in Cincinnati, Ohio & we decided to make the trip to support him. We managed to book direct flights and borrowed a mini DVD player, so the flights went smoothly. The trouble was, we left our carry-on with all the boys' clothes in the overhead compartment. We realized within a half hour, but the plane had left for DC already. The attendants refused to call and ask DC to put it aside (horrid Delta customer service! I was upset and crying and she still refused to help-telling me a passenger had probably stolen it by now-a bright red Thomas the train bag with little boys' clothes), so of course, it was 'lost'.

The next day we headed to Union Terminal to check out the museums there. We first went through the Natural History Museum. Alec loved all the interactive exhibits.

They had a great tunnel that took you through the Ice Age, ending in a dinosaur exhibit (not sure why it wasn't the other way around). I had the camera, so took a self-portrait with James.

After we had played with all the dinosaur toys, we went to the Children's Museum. It was much larger than the one in Vegas and Alec had a blast! After getting soaked in the 'water works' exhibit', he started climbing. He loved the giant tree house especially.

We found a mall that evening to buy the boys some clothes & a pair of PJ's, but they didn't have suits for them.

The next day we visited the Cincinnati Zoo with my family. We went immediately to the giraffe enclosure, so Alec could feed them. He had a hard time waiting in line, but he really enjoyed the experience.



















The weather was really humid and in the high 90s whilst we were there, so we really appreciated all the indoor exhibits with air conditioning! We actually missed the dry desert heat. Alec was especially fascinated with the manatees, he kept talking to them.


Alec really enjoys carousels, so the zoo having one was like a dream come true for him.



















My siblings with spouses & children, and James, enjoying a ride with Uncle Kevin:



















We took the train ride around the zoo, which was fun as it drove over some exhibits and by a large fountain. Alec was glued to the sights and refused any picture-taking, but James was happy with daddy! Alec actually told us the train's name was Thomas and we were allowed to go do other things, but Thomas would watch him, so he was going to stay on the train. Nice try, little buddy.





































Even though I dislike birds, I took Alec in the lorakeet exhibit to let him feed them and have them crawl up his arm.


Saturday was the reason for the trip-the wedding! We had family pictures at 2.30, so we spent the morning running around trying to find dressy outfits for the boys. Two malls later, we'd finished! I managed a quick swim with Alec in the hotel's pool to cool off before we got dressed up.















My cousin Ryan looked SO happy, it was great. His bride Chrissy looked gorgeous! My favorite part was when he teared up as Chrissy entered the ceremony. He said later he'd never seen her look so beautiful.



















After the wedding is that unavoidable lag-time when the couple takes photos and we have to entertain kids for a few hours. Poor Alec was really squirmy at this point, but he tried his best.

































Then, the traditional 'decorating' the car. Kari, Kelsey, Carly & I had fun:















We flew home the next morning. Once again the boys did great on the flights. Just as we took off, James decided to make a big mess in his diaper that began to leak on his clothes, so that was funny, but we got him cleaned up. Alec was tired and slept in a strange position.

Wrong Shirt

Alec's growing independence means he wants to dress himself. It backfired when he found James's matching polo and wore it backwards.

James is so big and Alec is so tiny, he could still put it on and was NOT happy when I insisted he take it off.