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.

Vegas Visit

I've been out of the blogging loop lately. A few big things to catch up on. First, a couple weeks ago we went for a quick trip to Las Vegas. Drew and I flew on Thursday and Bill joined us on Friday. As soon as Bill and I found out U2 was playing in Vegas on a Friday night, we were in! We hadn't seen them since 2001 and that concert still stands as the best I've ever seen. It worked out that some girlfriends of mine from Sierra Vista were going for a girls' trip the same weekend and my parents graciously agreed to take care of Drew while I hung out with my friends. The grandparents, Drew and Bill had a great weekend and Bill was able to help my dad get his new office furniture set up.

Bill and I enjoyed a delicious dinner at P.F. Chang's before the concert and then sat in traffic for a LONG time on the way to the stadium. The concert was supposed to start at 7, but as we were walking into the stadium at 7:30 we heard the Black Eyed Peas (the opening act) come on with the first song. We ended up being glad we didn't miss any of their songs because they put on a really good show.

Here's a picture of the stage--it was huge and the lighting and other special effects were really incredible! Unfortunately the photos of all that amazing stuff didn't turn out the best.


Here's Bono on the big screen. I had to take pictures of the big screen because we were in the second to last row of the stadium. We may not have been able to see the band that well, but we could hear them just fine. And I've said it before and I'll say it again. I could listen to Bono sing all day every day.


Here's a short video of Bono and The Edge singing the end of "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of." My favorite duet of theirs.

And, for any other U2 fanatics, a longer video of the whole song "One." My favorite song ever.


Saturday night I went to the "O" Cirque de Soleil show with my girlfriends. O is a water themed show and it was just fantastic. Synchronized swimmers, acrobatics, just amazement everywhere your eyes turn. This is us outside the Bellagio after the show.


Sunday afternoon we borrowed my parents' friends' golf cart and took a short drive over to the club house pond to visit the ducks.

Here's Drew and Dad throwing bread to the ducks.


Drew & Dad again

Mommy & Drew in the golf cart

Drew pretending to drive on Dad's lap

Drew and Grandma in the backyard

Drew and Grandpa at the dinner table

We're looking forward to our return visit in December. Halloween pics coming soon!

Long Weekend in Vegas

We had a mini-reunion in Las Vegas last weekend with two other couples we met when we were stationed at Fort Gordon. Kimmi & Steve are back here in Sierra Vista now so we all drove together and met Rich & Charity, who were coming in from Monterey. We took off early Thursday morning, after picking up a rental minivan since neither of our cars would hold all 6 of us. Kimmi and I were pretty much the queens of bribery during the car rides and began the trip by bribing the kids with twizzlers.



The boys were actually very well behaved. They were mostly content to watch DVDs, look at books, play with any of the number of toys we had stuffed into the backseat with them, and eat copious amounts of snacks. Here they are burning off a little energy during our lunch stop at a McDonald's with a playplace.

Back to the car and mesmerized by a movie.

Seriously, what did parents do on road trips before DVD players? Drink? Ear plugs? There's only so many songs you can sing and games you can play.

We arrived at my parents' house Thursday around dinnertime to be greeted by my mother and a wonderful dinner of ribs, shrimp, and other assorted yummies. My father, unfortunately, spent some additional time in the hospital last week. He was admitted to the observation unit two days before we arrived after going in with abdominal pain that we initially assumed was a recurrence of his pancreatitis from January. We heard a couple of different stories (very frustrating) before the real diagnosis came out, and Dad had a couple of painful and nausea-filled days during that time, but ultimately he was told diverticulosis and superficial ulcers in the esophagus related to acid reflux. Thankfully not a recurrence or complications of the pancreatitis. He was in no shape for visitors (particularly Drew) when we arrived or for the first couple of days, so my mother kept the boys Thursday night while we headed out to the Palms and then Planet Hollywood.

Here are the boys chilling on Mom & Dad's pull out sofa ready for some TV and cuddling with my mom.

Kimmi & Jenn on the way to the Palms in our very hip white minivan.

Drew & Danny back to the couch for naptime late Friday morning

Down on the strip to meet up with Charity & Rich again, the boys check out the beautiful view of the Strip from their room.

The girls

After dropping the boys off with my mom again on Friday night, we hit up Old Vegas/Fremont Street.

Kimmi, Steve & Rich

Us on Fremont Street--definitely our preferred location for gambling. So laid back.

Saturday morning we picked up the boys early so my mom could go to the hospital again and we hit the streets to see some sights. Here's Drew pushing Danny in the stroller.

Family shot in the Bellagio Conservatory

Drew & Danny check out the ferris wheel in the conservatory

The boys were entertained by throwing money into the fountains for at least 10 minutes.

Outside Caesar's Palace

Planet Hollywood Saturday afternoon, Bill & Steve took naps with the boys in our rooms, while Kimmi, Charity, Rich and I hit the casino. Here Charity celebrates a $4.00 win (yes, $4.00, doesn't take much to make her happy) as we all look on.

Saturday night we went for dinner at P.F. Chang's and my mom called to inform me that my father's colonoscopy and endoscopy that they had been waiting all day long for were not scheduled until 11 pm that night (have I mentioned the frustration?). I decided I was going to go up and wait with her. Fortunately the results were good, showing nothing serious happening, and we were able to get Drew in for a visit to Grandpa before we had to get back on the road on Sunday morning.

Grandpa & Drew

Grandma & Drew

You'd think the kid was the one that got by on 5 hours of sleep or less for 3 straight nights!

We had a great time, which my parents were glad about. They kept apologizing for them not being able to watch the boys the whole time, which was the original plan, obviously before the hospitalization. So even though our kids-free couples weekend turned into more of a family affair, we really enjoyed ourselves and were grateful just to have my mom's help in the evenings. And fortunately, my dad was released on Sunday afternoon and is feeling much much better now.