Photo Review of Christmas and New Year's

Where has the time gone? Middle of January and I still haven't put up the pictures from our Christmas trip to Las Vegas. As always, I've posted entirely too many pictures, but what can I say...our kid is cute.

Family pic before Christmas Eve mass

After mass, Bill prepared a seafood feast for us (a Cherkauskas family tradition on Christmas Eve) that was DELICIOUS. Then we had just enough time before bed to...

Decorate gingerbread cookies for Santa

Open just one present (new Christmas PJs)

And cuddle up to read the Polar Express.

My parents' Christmas tree shining bright on Christmas Eve

Drew showing off a new fire truck (that came with a fire station too!) from Santa

Drew with Aunt Katie & Uncle Johnny yelling "SANTA!" on Christmas morning

Drew carefully placing napkins at the breakfast table on Christmas morning.

Family shot Christmas morning

After presents were opened Drew set about playing with each and every one of them right away. Here he is flying his new Trio building set helicopter around the living room.

The morning after Christmas we went to lunch at "The Top of the World" restaurant at the top of the Stratosphere hotel (or, as Drew refers to it the very tall building with towers). Here's Drew with the view from our lunch table.

Family shot at the indoor observation deck

John, Mom, and Katie at the indoor observation deck

Sibling shot at the outdoor observation deck, which was (if it's not obvious) quite chilly and windy

Drew with Grandma and Grandpa at the top of the Stratosphere

That same night Bill and I had a date night down on the Strip, enjoying a wonderful dinner at the Monte Carlo's steakhouse, a little dueling piano bar at New York New York, and then the Zumanity Cirque du Soleil show. Thanks to the grandparents, Katie, and John for keeping Drew entertained.

One of Drew's presents from us was a 540 piece globe puzzle. We spent the better part of one morning putting this together, as I sorted the thankfully numbered pieces and Bill put them together. Here's Drew with a 2/3 completed globe on his head.

What's one difference between Christmas in Vegas and Christmas in Northern New York? That it's warm enough to go outside and play with BUBBLES! Grandma and Grandpa gave Drew this bubble gun that entertained him for a good half hour one brisk morning.

We brought our Nintendo Wii with us and had some regular Calnon Rock Band concerts. Here's Drew rocking out on the drums.

To fill an otherwise empty afternoon, Bill, John and I brought Drew down to the Circus Circus Adventuredome.

Here's Drew on an airplane ride

Drew & Dad on a ride I never would have taken him on, but Daddy is far more adventurous than I am.

Drew & Dad on their first of three trips to the Bumper Cars

Family pic inside the Bellagio Conservatory

Grandma, Grandpa, Drew and a polar bear made of carnations in the conservatory

Drew & Uncle Johnny watching a little TV in their nearly matching shirts

After a breakfast buffet at the Santa Fe (closest casino to my parents' house) we decided to check out the hotel's bowling alley.

My mother hadn't bowled since the 70s (so she claimed) yet stepped up and hit a strike in her first frame. Here's Drew congratulating her. It was all down hill from there, so we're pretty sure she was telling the truth.

Uncle Johnny helps Drew count the number of pins he knocked down

Katie celebrating a spare on her last frame

Stellar bowlers we are not...

Grandma, Grandpa and Drew before New Year's Eve dinner

Family pic

Drew trying to get away from the picture with Aunt Katie and Uncle Johnny

Aunt Katie and Drew at NYE dinner

We had a great trip and a wonderful time with my family. In the middle of New Year's Eve dinner it hit me that Bill will be missing all of this next year, and while it produced some tears at the moment, it also just made me treasure each memory of this year's holidays that much more.

Our Polar Express Adventure

I'm writing this on the evening of Christmas, so first, I wish you all a Merry Christmas. We arrived at my parents' house in Las Vegas two days ago, but our trip here was not without its adventures.

We had a planned stop on our drive up here. Our destination? Williams, Arizona for the Grand Canyon Railway's Polar Express train ride. http://www.thetrain.com/polar-express-5679.html Since Williams is only an hour or so from the Grand Canyon and Bill and Drew have never seen what Bill affectionately refers to as "A Big Hole in the Ground" we intended to make a stop at the Grand Canyon also. We left our house around 5, planning to have lunch in Williams and then hit the Grand Canyon in the afternoon before the Polar Express that night. As we approached the northern section of what we think of as our desert state, we started to see forests of trees, mountains, and SNOW! At first, I was so excited to see the snow it didn't even occur to me that this snow might wreak havoc on our plans for the day. That excitement didn't last long. We reached Williams around 11, found a good pizza place for lunch, and by the time we walked back out to our car, the snow was falling...heavily. Rather than attempt the roads to the Grand Canyon, we decided to go to a local deer farm.

It was cold enough, snowing hard enough, and windy enough that our visit to the deer farm was a quick one, but fun nonetheless.

Daddy giving Drew some deer feed


Drew posing in front of the reindeer's pen


Drew in a winter wonderland


Drew feeding a little deer




And now feeding a whole bunch of deer


As is obvious from the snow on the animals, us, the ground, and in the air, northern Arizona was right in the middle of a big ol' winter storm. Rather than spend any more time on the road or walking outside on the streets of Williams, we headed to our hotel two hours before check-in. There were no rooms ready so we set up camp in the lounge area of the lobby: Bill with a book, Drew with his DVD player, and me with my computer. A couple hours later we were relaxing in our room. When we headed out to dinner that night the snow was still coming down. After a quick bite at a Route 66 diner we walked around the streets of historic Williams looking at the Christmas light in the snow.

Drew and some penguin inflatables

Drew in front of the Polar Express train

Drew holding his Polar Express book in front of the train

Drew waiting to board the train

On the train with Daddy

Family shot on the train

After boarding the train we were served hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies. The Polar Express book was read aloud and we sang Christmas carols.

The lights at "The North Pole" where we picked up Santa and one of his helpers

Drew very excited at the sight of Santa outside

Drew anxiously awaiting his turn with Santa

Drew receiving his silver jingle bell from Santa

My favorite picture from the train...Drew showing off his bell

Mommy & Drew

In retrospect, we should have booked tickets on the earlier train trip (we opted for the 8:00 train instead of 6:30). By the time Santa had visited and we sang a few more Christmas carols our little guy was starting to look VERY sleepy. A few minutes later, he snuggled up to Dad and closed his eyes and barely woke up when we returned to the train station.

He woke up enough to check to make sure he still had his silver bell from Santa though. Drew kept talking about the little boy in the book who had lost his bell because of a hole in his pocket and was very concerned about keeping tabs on his bell. He even slept with the bell that night. Each time he rolled around I heard it jingle and I smiled at the wonderful Christmas memory our family had made.