LAS VEGAS ADVENTURES - PART 2

Ok - so what's with my 80 year-old mother getting all the hunks! We started our morning with getting tickets for Phantom of the Opera for Thursday night and guess who we ran into? Sly.......... He's the man! I saw Phantom years ago, but Mom never has. It is a show that you can see more than once - it is wonderful!

We did some shopping during the afternoon, but didn't buy anything! Gotta love that news, dontcha, Jim! Then we headed off to see the Donny and Marie show at the Flamingo. Some kind person took our picture in this beautiful gazebo at the Flamingo. I know there were folks who made fun of the fact that I got tickets to see Donny and Marie, but OMG! It was one of the best shows I have seen! We were just a few feet from the stage and Donny actually SHOOK MY HAND! What was so surprising was the range of their vocals and their stamina as performers. Marie even sang an opera song that brought the house down. They are such amazing singers, dancers, and even comedians! For all of you who rolled your eyes and chuckled at the thought of going to see this show - sucks to be you! This show was FAB-U-LOUS! To my brother Doug - you and Donny could be twins!
Couldn't resist this shot with the moon over the Eiffel Tower at Paris Hotel and Casino. Love Vegas at night!
I wish everyone could see the dancing fountains at the Bellagio. Extraordinary!
This "angel" was parked outside the Bellagio! You meet all kinds in Vegas! Until my next posting . . .

LAS VEGAS ADVENTURES - PART 1

Las Vegas would not be Las Vegas without the classic Elvis Presley impersonator or look-alike! We found him on Day One!

After securing tickets this morning to see Terry Fator (at 1/2 price!), we headed to Caesar's Palace's Forum Shops and this is what greeted us.
There are so many beautiful architectural touches throughout Caesar's and Barry - just so ya know, this is not, ala The Hangover, where Caesar ruled!
There are fountains and water everywhere in Vegas - despite being in the middle of the desert. Check out Mom's sexy hat!We indulged in a late lunch buffet at Harrah's called "Flavors." It was $8.50 and the food was delish! Even though we didn't over-indulge, we weren't hungry at dinner time. The gelato was out of this world good!
Now, for the good stuff! Although, you know they say that "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," so..... I guess you can use your imagination! (He's from Milan, Italy) That's all I am going to say about that!
The highlight of our day . . .well, next to the Italian lover boy, the second highlight of my Mom's day was the Terry Fator show. It was absolutely wonderful!
He allows the audience to take pictures during his show and all of the proceeds from the sales from his T-shirts, tapes, etc. in the shop, are donated to programs supporting our Veterans. What a guy! He was incredible when he won the "America's Got Talent" show and it is easy to see why the fans love him.
Stay tuned for Las Vegas Adventures Part 2!

DAY WITH CLARA!

Clara and I had a great day together yesterday! I wanted to have a day out with her because I haven't been able to spend much time with her or Sasha lately. Between their school, my school, their dance classes, and rehearsals for their big dance recital, time has flown by. Our day started with some shopping at the mall. Clara found some cute swimsuits and short sets, just in time for the beach! Don't ya just love the sign in back of her on this photo!

Then we went to see Marmaduke. It is a really cute movie and I loved hearing Clara giggle when the dogs said funny things. She would repeat what they said and then giggle!
When we left the theater and passed by the candy machines, Clara got a bright pink bubblegum ball. I think the bbblegum ball was as big as she was!
Our final stop was Borders. Clara loves books and had a tough time picking out the two she really wanted. The final decision was "Barbie and the Three Musketeers" and a "Pinkalicious" Pink Lemonade book. We had so much fun just the two of us. Next Friday is Sasha's day out with Nana!

Emme Pictures!

I promised folks I would post more pictures of Emme, so here they are! The next few are when she was still in the hospital. I love the way babies snuggle!

Emme has long feet and long fingers and toes, too! How cute are those tootsies!

Do you think Barry might just be a wee bit proud of his little girl?

One of Becky's students got her this plush elephant which looks as big as Emme!

Proud Pap! He loves his grandbabies!

Like many babies, Emme's billirubin was elevated, so she had to stay an extra day in the Pediatric unit on blue light therapy. She was oblivious to it all and was a perfect angel.

On Saturday, Emme finally went home. She is such a good baby!

Everyone is still in awe of her head full of black hair! It is so silky soft that cousin Clara said, " It is so soft. I would like to sleep on it!"

On Saturday Sasha and Clara finally met Emme! They just beamed when they got to hold her. I think Emme will have lots of fun with her cousins!

I love this picture of Emme taken just about an hour ago. She is so alert! Already she is getting used to the paparazzi with the cameras flashing .

NEW BABY AND NEW BOOK!

This has been an amazing few days! Tuesday, my baby had a baby! It's hard to believe that my youngest daughter is now a Mom! Baby Emme, my fourth granddaughter and seventh grandchild, arrived Tuesday morning at 9:42 and weighed 8 pounds 9.5 ounces! Her daddy doesn't look proud, does he!

Emerson Rosalie is absolutely precious! Her name is a combination of Barry's middle name (Emerson) and Becky's great-grandmother's middle name (Rosalie).
Emme looks strikingly like Becky's baby picture, but I think she has Barry's lips. She definitely got both parents' long fingers! Maybe she'll be a piano player, or a floutist, or an artist, or . . . whatever she wants to be!
This was the first birth that I wasn't there for moments afterwards, but when I finally got to hold her, it was pure joy! Each new addition to our family is a treasure! She joins quite a crew of cousins who will love her so much!
Just a day later another momentous event for me took place. For the past eight years I have been collecting my students' poetry, short stories, letters, and essays in response to the Holocaust and other 20th century genocides. My goal has been to publish their work. After almost ten years, it finally happened! Tonight we held an author signing/book reception to launch Remembrance and Reflection: Students' Response to Genocide. The following are photos of just a few of the almost 90 writers.
In the background is a quilt made by one of the students as a course project.
Students had so much fun autographing the books for the people who purchased copies. About 100 people attended the reception!
Courtney is a student from this year's class and had a wonderful poem published.
Corey has already graduated and is attending Shippensburg University. It was terrific being able to reconnect with students who have graduated and moved on with their lives.
I am so proud of these students. A big shout-out to the Greencastle-Antrim Education Foundation for a grant to help us get this book published. 100 % of the proceeds from the sale of the books will be donated to the Pennsylvania Holocaust Education Council, which provides materials for teachers in Pennsylvania who teach the lessons of genocide. Anyone who would like to order a copy of the book can purchase it through Amazon.com. Local folks can contact me as I have a few copies on hand.

A Birthday Bash and An Update!

Saturday evening we celebrated Robert Dixon's first birthday. I was so honored to be there for this precious little boy's birth, April 27, 2009. Although he had no clue that this was his special day, it didn't take him long spot the colorful presents!

His mommy and daddy got him this amazing handcrafted wooden train set that they found at State College's Arts Fest last July.
What a serious look! I think he was a bit perplexed at all the fuss as cameras were flashing, capturing special moments.
Dixon and I had a birthday hug just before he was ready to see his cake.
The cake was downright adorable! Trains seem to be a theme and Sesame Street is always colorful and fun for little ones!
While we sang Happy Birthday, Daddy helped Dixon get a good look at his cake and blow out the candle, but look at those hands! They are ready to grab a fistful of cake and they did! Within moments he was up to his wrist in icing!
The best time of his party was eating the cake. He dug in right away and savored each bite.
Dixon definitely was keeping an eye on everyone. No one was going to get a bite of his cake! It was a wonderful party and he is a loved little boy!
Now for my monthly New Year's Goals Update!

1. Books Read List: Since my last update I have read eight more books and they include: Gossamer by Lois Lowry, The Postmistress by Sarah Blake, Push Not The River by James Conroyd Martin, Remarkable Creatures by Tracey Chevalier, Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris, Shanghai Girls by Lisa See, and Lay That Trumpet In Our Hands by Susan Carol McCarthy. I can honestly say I enjoyed every one of these books. Lay That Trumpet In Our Hands was amazing and I highly recommend it, especially if you like books based on history - in this case the south in the 1950s.

2. Lose 25 pounds: I am happy to report that I have lost 18 pounds so far, getting closer to my goal. I feel so much better and can now wear clothes I haven't worn in almost two years. Yeah!

3. Anniversary Plans: Still haven't done anything about this. Where to go? This summer I hope to make a decision and finalize our destination.

4. Photography: Sometime this summer I would like to explore getting a different camera and learning some new photo techniques. However, as busy as the summer is shaping up to be, I am not confident that this will happen. One can hope!

5. Write: I had such great expectations, but alas, I have not started - yet! The only writing I am getting done is grading essays and working on revising some of my course materials for next school year. I am banking on getting started this summer.

6. Big Apple Trip: It doesn't look like I will get to New York City this summer, However, I am taking my mother to Las Vegas for a week in June! Woo Hoo! She is still in great health so I thought a little mother/daughter time would be fun. I got tickets for the Donny and Marie show at the Flamingo. Can't wait to see who else will be there. Shows and shopping - great fun!

7. Raise money for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation: Don't know if you follow The Apprentice, but Bret Michaels has won two of the team challenges and has raised over $140,000. for diabetes. He has been a Type 1 diabetic since he was six years old. He has had some major health issues recently, so please keep him in your prayers. My goal is to raise $7000.00 this year and so far, our Love Crop raised $1000.00. Hopefully our fall Crop For A Cure (scrapbooking Crop) will put us at our goal.

So, there you have it! I am anxiously awaiting the birth of our seventh grandchild - little Emme. She could arrive any day now. Momma Becky looks ready to pop! We only have a month left of school - lots to do, lots to do! Life is good. Carpe Diem!

"MUSSEL" MAN !

This is the face of a six-year-old Mussel Lover! Yes, Ryan could not wait to order mussels at The Olive Garden. His eyes lit up as he chow downed not only one serving, but TWO SERVINGS OF MUSSELS! Our waitress kept bringing other servers to our table to witness him devouring them!

When he got his second serving, he was so excited to open a shell and find this huge mussel inside! Two servings of mussels and the endless salad made Ryan's day! The Olive Garden now has a gluten-free menu, so the boys were really excited about being able to order pasta in a restaurant! Unfortunately, even though we got there when they opened today, they were out of gluten-free pasta - ridiculous. Aidan was especially disappointed.
Kari had breadsticks, salad, and mac and cheese. Here she is cheesing it up for the camera!
On Thursday night I took them for their machine pitch baseball game. The boys both play on the same team - the Tides. Check out Aidan's batting stance!
Ryan was playing center left field and taking his job seriously. At least it looks like he is!
I poked the camera through the fence and got this sassy picture of Aidan - check out his expression! He is humoring his Nana!
Playing the cool dude during practice - check out the hat! Aidan, you are too much!
Man, if Ryan would have connected with the ball, he would have had a good hit. Alas, the connection never happened. Good try though, Ryan!
I have been having a great time with the kiddos! We always have so much fun together. Just wish they lived closer to Chambersburg!