Harry Jane Potter

I headed up the stairs the other day and this is what greeted me. I wish I could capture all the funny, sweet and simple things of life on camera to share with everyone. That is why I do this blog, so that people can get to know us better by the small things. Keddi has taken to wearing these glasses all the time. She isn't pretending to be Harry Potter or anything so I'm not real sure why she is wearing them. I didn't ask. Nor did I ask why she had planted herself at the top of the stairs to color or why I'd been given this look as I headed up the stairs. She's a funny girl with quirky little behaviors. She's so sweet and loving and a bit bossy with Shinara (and anyone else.) We love her.

Key West Finale

Here is the main building of the hotel we stayed in. One the first day we were there we walked the streets a bit and ate at a seafood restraunt. I had crab for the first time in a great while. Surprisingly and unfortunately it wasn't the best I'd ever tasted but I enjoyed it. On the second day, Joel went to his classes from 9-12:30 0r so. We went to eat at an Ihop across the island and then took in a movie?!? I know. Then we returned to our side of the island and wanted to go through the Hemingway house. But there was only 20 minutes before it closed and we didn't want to be rushed. We went back to our room and got ready for the 6:00 cocktail event where we met up with some people who invited us to join them for an 8:30 dinner reservation they had. We watched a bit of the sunset before we headed off to dinner. It was clear and pretty but we didn't stay until it ended so we wouldn't be too late for dinner. Much to our dimay, because the next nights sunset was impaired by clouds. The picture below was the best I could do of the cloudy day sunset.
Joel spent Sat. morning in classes again and we went shopping and to the museums for the rest of Sat. We ended the day with watching the sunset and walking in the square near the hotel which had street performers and booths of locals selling things.

Key West Cont.

As the structure states, this is the southern most part of the continental United States. There was a short line to wait in to have your picture taken at this very spot.
This is the front of Earnest Hemingway's Key West home which he bought and lived in with his second wife (he had four.) The tour guide was quite entertaining. The house was large and every room in it quite small. The grounds are on one acre of land which is so different than the rest of the island. The houses there are even closer together than the ones in Vegas! And his wife spent $20,000 to have the pool put in. (I forget the year, but it was a long time ago.) The reason for the expense was that limestone was all over in the ground and that is what they were having to deal with while digging the pool.


We didn't go into this museum but I was intrigued by the huge statue outside. I'm not even sure what the museum had in it. But we did go into another museum called Mel Fishers Meritime Museum. It documented a couple of his "treasure hunts." He would look for sunken ship wrecks and had displayed some of the things he found. It was quite interesting.

Key West

This was our view from the balcony outside our room. It was a marina hotel so there were piers instead of a beach. The day we got there we saw a huge cruise ship docked out there and I was wondering if it would block our ocean view. But it left later that evening. I will post other pictures of some of the things we did but one trip to Key West was enough for me. I've been and enjoyed it but I wouldn't save to go. It was only 80-89 degrees and with only 61% humidity or so, the weather could have been worse, but it was uncomfortable enough for me. It's not tropical like Hawaii was. But it had fun little streets to walk that were nothing but Museums, shops, restraunts and bars. We avoided the "night life" on Duval street for the most part and didn't feel like we missed anything. But then again, vacations for Joel and I mean relaxing and doing whatever we do or don't want to.

Back to School

Well, the girls went back to school today so, back to the grind! This morning went pretty well considering it is our first day back. They will miss staying up late and sleeping in. They will also miss going to the pool almost every day. But, Tuesdays (every other), Fridays, perhaps Thursdays and some Saturdays ought to enable those with tans to keep them up! (Me, I'm just more noticably spotted!) Grandma Dory comes to visit this week and Joel and I get to go to Key West! Should be fun. The Fourth of July is creeping up on us and Mandy Wilson will have her baby girl on the 5th. Shinara will be 4 on the 14th and our 24th of July celebrations will be soon after that.

Right as the new school year begins we will stay a few days up in Lake Tahoe for the baptism of cousin Garron and we are excited about that! So, we will be busy and will have pictures to post of course. Till then, here's an old picture from Thanksgiving of 2001. (The sun was in Mardi's eyes. No, there's no sun, we were completly shaded but she still does this on occasion! If I want a picture, suddenly the light is bothering her eyes.)

Rec. Pool

We have never been to our Recreational Center Pool before and we had a blast! You have to pay for this one of course so we stayed a while! (Just under four hours.) And as you can see, Shinara was so pleased about having to leave! There is a slide too which all three of the older girls went down and Shar wanted to try too. The lifeguards were concerned that Shinara's suit wasn't regulation. If they had tried to make us leave or I'd gotten passes for the summer, I would have made a fuss that it wasn't a life jacket, it was a swimsuit.

They don't require that all children are in a life jacket on the premises. Anyway, only two of the lifeguards commented and we had a great time. There sure were a lot of people though!

Water Park

Vegas has these little water parks "sprinkled" around the city. We will have one around the corner from us soon (though it doesn't look as big as the one pictured.) I say little because they aren't theme parks, obviously, just city parks with water features. This one has a pirate theme and has been something we have enjoyed for years. This wasn't Shinara's first visit but it was the first time she got "into" it and explored on her own. Keddi made a friend almost right off and didn't stay still long enough for me to take any pictures of her. Mardi ran around with and entertained Braeden and Tersa is just too big for this kind of thing I guess because she barely got in at all. To be fair, it was breezy and at least in a pool, once you get in and get used to the water, you are covered in the temperature you've gotten used to. But at the water park, even 90 degrees can still be chilly if you are wet and the wind is blowing. (O.k. it would only be chilly to desert rats!)