Flagstaff with friends that are family, and a family that is our friend.

We spent seven glorious days in Lil, Paul and Olive's driveway.  I couldn't help but feel like we had been there forever!  What was amazing was how perfectly we fit into the space in their front yard.  Literally within a half an inch of the gutter!  Lil and Paul had to work while we were in town...and Olive remained on her school schedule...but we had plenty of visiting time anyway.  Kota was in heaven with the the kids throwing the ball for him for hours each day, and they were in heaven having a dog...if only for a week.  On the days that Lil worked we enjoyed little outings.  One trip to "Walnut Canyon National Park" for yet another junior ranger badge.  What a gem of a park.  Then on another day we drove about an hour to "The Grand Canyon"!  How...grand.  And there the kids earned another badge. 
Olive turned two, and I was so thrilled to be there in person to sing "Happy Birthday" to her.  Seeing my kids interact with Lil's little one was also a daydream I have been living with since she was born.  Halloween came and went and Fiona and Ethan enjoyed trick or treating in the third state in as many years!  Lil also had plenty of pumpkins, so they were also able to carve (their best ever) jack-o'lanterns.  And to top it off, Lil and I took advantage of the dad coverage and enjoyed a delightful girls night in downtown Flagstaff. 
We are now back in Texas, having just left New Mexico this morning.  So...all the way around the entire country and back again!

There is our bed...just inches from the gutter!

Scott managed to jack-knife the trailer between two trees...and a fence!

Dinette fit just right!

Nice little hike before Olive's nap.

Scott and Ethan loved having a yard to play catch in.

Kota was sooo helpful with the runaway balls!

He and Scott bonded immediately.

Happy Birthday Olive!

Kids working on their ranger badges in Walnut Canyon.

Fascinating!  People lived in this canyon for hundreds of years.

Just hanging out in some ancient cliff dwellings...another day at school for the Jason kids.

The black on the wall behind Jesus is left over from ancient peoples fires.

Saying their pledge before badges are given.

Lillie and Olive before a Halloween party.

Scott's

Ethan's

Fiona's

Geisha girl.

Headed up the path to the thickly developed neighborhood!

Honorable knight.

THE GRAND CANYON!

He loves to make me nervous.

Working on badges.

Saying the pledge in front of an audience...with applause at the end (much to the kids shagrin!)

Las Vegas...Been There, Done That!

Well, now we never have to go back.  Las Vegas was interesting, and exhausting.  The strip itself appeared a bit run down to me.  We decided to walk it on a Sunday, late morning.  Perhaps this was why we did not see too many characters (kind of disappointing to me).  The kids did get to see some actual pasties...  The best part of Nevada was the R.V. park, or shall I say resort.  Fiona and Ethan enjoyed the large pool, and the mini golf course that ran through out.  Scott and I were able to get some laundry done and plan for the weeks ahead.  We did however take advantage of the shows in Vegas.  It was a splurge, but we took the kids to see Cirque De Soleil's "Ka".  There were fireworks (inside), live music, a huge rotating stage, lots of fire and amazing acrobatics.  So over the top!
The mystique of Las Vegas is now gone.  Replaced with a knowledge that for us it's a tiring, cigarette-smoke filled land of consumerism.  Interesting to visit...but hard to imagine living there!

This bushy thing is a Joshua Tree.  Could be 800-1000 years old.

That ancient tree was in a sea of litter on the other side of a nasty barbed wire fence.  Bet it's seen better times...

Cozy little rest stop in the Mojave Desert...

Stopped into a wedding chapel in Vegas.

New York, New York was our favorite spot.

I learned something about myself.  I am the BEST Pac Man player in the family.  Just sayin'...

The arcade was some good clean fun.

Blurry, but I think you can still make out the incredibly happy and relieved faces on these two.  They just got off the roller coaster that goes around New York, New York.  It has three inverted parts!!!!  Ethan and I sat that one out!

This lady is made of wax!

Awwwww!

Hole 5 was right behind our trailer.

Flying Ethan!

Awww!

Yup, I actually ironed in preparation for the big show.