The Perfect Gift

So I'm really excited about the gift I got my parents this year.

They are well off. They don't need anything that they can't buy themselves. They don't want anything. They asked my sister and I to stop buying them gifts a couple of years back. And truthfully, I was kinda relieved about it. I mean, my Mom... she's a sap. And she likes all kinds of little goofy "stuff" that we would get her. But my Dad? Oh my God. He's impossible. I may have posted earlier this month that he duct tapes his wallet, his slippers, his briefcase, his suitcase and whatever else needs duct taping. My sister and I would make our best effort attempts to give him the new wallet, the new slippers, the new whatever that would joyfully replace the old whatever. But he's still wearing the duct tape slippers. I just saw them by the back door when I went to visit them over the summer.

But this year....

I created a photo book for them from this past years photos. I take photos almost daily and for every occasion and event. (It drives my kids, friends and family nuts, but too bad!) So I chose some really nice choice photos from each month of 2007 and had them created into a hardbound book.

Since my parents retired to Tennessee a year ago and they have missed most of the family functions and yearly events back here in Michigan, they are really going to treasure this album. There's even a picture of all of us with them in it when they were here recently visiting. We were actually able to get all children, all grandchildren and the great granddaughter in one spot at the same time, set up the tripod, set the timer on the camera and wah lah! ... family photo just in time for Christmas.

Now they'll have photos of the kids birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Summer vacation, kids sporting events, Halloween, Thanksgiving (I put a couple of our Vegas vacation photos in there) and Christmas. It's being shipped directly to them as we speak and I can't wait for them to get it.

It didn't cost me much, but they'll think it's priceless... the perfect gift indeed.

Christmas Home

The house is decorated.


We have this village that sits on top of the bar that divides my office from the living/family room. (Our house isn't that big and this is prime seating area, but whatcha gonna do?) Every year, we had more "stuff" to it. It's getting harder and harder to find room to put everything.





The kids picked the perfect tree!





The tree in the living room has red, white and blue ornaments. Patriotic Santa's, stars and stripes bulbs.

What Happens in Vegas

What Happens in Vegas...

Gets Blogged about!

Sorry I've been away for so long. Between a busy business, catching up after vacation and some kind of horrible cold working it's way through my family, I was unable to do get to my Blogsterville home.

I'm feeling better, but my husband and son are sick. Hopefully everyone will be healthy and well for Christmas.

So... On to the Vegas trip!

We left early Thanksgiving morning... like 4:30am EARLY, lol! But this was to our advantage as we found a parking spot in the covered garage close to the shuttle pick up and since I checked in and printed our boarding passes from my home computer, we just breezed through security, grabbed a Starbucks and waited to board the plane.

I usually choose to sit in the middle seat on the way out so that I can enjoy the window seat on the way home. An oversized gentleman took the aisle seat next to me and inevitable "took" part of my "space" as well, lol. Oh well.... small price to pay I suppose.

Upon arrival in Vegas, we were able to check it right away as we were "invited" guests. Woo hoo... I didn't even realize we were "invited" guests, but because we got a postcard 3 days before leaving with a comped winter invitation, we received 3 free nights, some free play and 2 buffet comps.... COOL!!

After unpacking and freshening up, we met my parents and Aunt & Uncle in the Mirage poker room for a fabulous Thanksgiving spread. My (step) Dad has been playing poker there for about 20 years now. They treat my Dad and his family very well. After dinner, I was wiped out and decided to go to be early.

My husband and I spent the next day hanging out with my Aunt and Uncle. We walked up to one end of the strip and down the other. We checked out the conservatory at the Bellagio which was decorated beautifully for the fall season. My husband won a rubber duck at the new Hooter's resort and casino, lol and he won a keychain at the new Planet Hollywood casino in a slot tournament.

So all in all, we ate terrific food, cashed out here and there will enough money to only have to spend 1/2 of our budget that we brought with us for playing.

The weather was decent. In the 60's during the day and sunny. (I haven't seen the sun here in Michigan in days now!)

On the last day that we were all in Vegas together, we had a nice dinner at The Outback. I really love spending time with my family and I miss them already.