Unexpected stop

It was my dad's 90th birthday recently.  To celebrate all of us kids were heading back to Maryland.  Unfortunately I picked the wrong day to travel.  It was the day that a huge storm decided to come through and dump 12 inches of snow.  I made it to Las Vegas but no farther that day.  This happened at 8 am in the morning and I couldn't fly out until 10:30 the next morning.  So I spent the day exploring the Strip in Las Vegas. 

 

I spent about 4 hours walking the Strip.  First I walked over to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.

 

 

Next I walked down to the Las Vegas Eiffel Tower.  I was able to get a great view of the city and a good view of the water show at the Bellagio.

 

When I took this trip stopping off at Las Vegas was not expected but it was a nice surprise.

Keeping Active

So instead of watching television all day on MLK day, we went on a hike around the local lake.  The weather has been gorgeous which is really unusual for January.  We enjoyed the weather but we really need the winter rains.  If you look at the picture of the girls playing next to the lake you can see they are playing where the water was last year.  I guess it is time to do the rain dance!

 

Birthday Sheninagans

A 9th birthday gathering with the family AND with a little help from her 2 1/2 year old cousin.  :)

 

California Academy of Science

 

 

My Top Reads of 2013

Re-reads

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas

Home to Harmony by Phillip Gulley

Tisha by Robert Sprecht

Digging to America by Anne Tyler

 

Fiction

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

Team Human by Justine Larbestlier

Finding Casey by Jo-Ann Mapson

The Baker’s Daughter by Sarah McCoy

Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey

The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd

The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak

 

Non-Fiction

Instant Mom by Nia Vardalos

Hike in the hills

It is time for our annual hike in the hills.  I think that it happens this time of the year because it is too cold for rattlesnakes to be out.  (I'm terrified of snakes.)  This year it was just Robyn and I.  It was a beautiful day.  You can tell we haven't had any winter rains.  By now the hills should be green but everything is still brown.  Jeff tells me it is called the golden hills of California but it looks brown to me.  LOL 

 

Merry Christmas