our travels...

... to Joshua Tree National Park. we stopped at the Joshua Tree Home Depot to buy our own Joshua Tree and they told us to just dig one up in the desert (which clearly means it's legal and next time, i'm soooo taking my spade and dirt weasel thingie)



Aaron says these rocks totally look like a buttcrack :| please just try to focus on the boys playing on the butt :)


we took the dogs with us as an early christmas gift :) they were overjoyed


next stop: Vegas, home of everything cool that you can't find at home like Dunkin Donuts!


i fell in love with this hotel room at Rio (the ridiculously cheap room that i was worried about....) even with the discombobulating little window from the bedroom into the shower ;) it wasn't super fancy or tres chic in the least, but it was just heavenly and warm/cool, and bright/dark and cozy.... and that bed was so blissful i had to check out the brand. last time we stayed at a Caesars hotel my heart broke a little when we had to check out, it was just that amazingly lovely and cozy and warm/cool... and it was the same feeling here ;)


they even gave us free money to gamble (which we lost naturally:)


this huge severed head in the sky had spooky eyes that followed me everywhere (they were actually just big TVs not eyes at all... completely awesome!!!)


ever since 1987 and this video and this album i've been in love with Joshua Trees and Las Vegas (and Bono too and the part where he lifts his arms and everything turns to color:)


... which is why getting married at this little chapel in deepest, downtown-est Las Vegas was like a dream come true :) did i mention Jon Bon Jovi got married there too :) and the Thompson Twins? (who i never really liked...) and Billy Ray Cyrus? ALL KINDS of people!!!!

our family grew by 12 feet :) but officially 24 feet....

we have three new babies - Smokey Bear, Nibbles and Delgado :) all saved from being snake food, all completely and utterly adorable and all immediately trusting of everyone they meet (honestly.... who could EVER feed live animals to another animal...? i just despair of the human race :(





also: the kittens are becoming family members - we're adopting them! Courage the cowardly cat too, who is scared of everything and far too shy to go to adoption events... he has happily resided in the back of our closet since May-ish and only comes out at bedtime to watch TV and wash the kittens (he is a very loving uncle ;)

simple loves:

the kittens sitting at the very top of the Christmas tree

that my favorite coffee is just easy peasy instant generic Walmart coffee

a hubbie who makes it for me every single morning (xoxoxoxox)

McDonalds french fries (so good that they don't even need ketchup)

the first scoop of Nutella from the jar

amazon.com's price scanner thingie

Jo Malone Fresh Mint cologne

saving a terrified bug from the evil clutches of 2 little huntresses

that i have the very cheapest SLR on earth and i looooove the pics and "simpleness" of it

my 135mm f2.0 (which undoubtedly helps it take such lovely pics :)

really tight hugs and 5 second+ kisses

making Vegas roadtrip playlists (especially Christmas ones:)

Sam asking me to put Rage Against the Machine on his iPod :)

Japanese dollar stores

seeing my kids read by themselves

vodka sauce on fettuccine

the Learn Spanish app on my phone

datenight at our favorite little Mexican restaurant (where if it was on the menu, i could order a large red apple now:) also this little place is infinitely better than the fancy place we went to on Saturday that required a reservation and form fitting clothes.......

a mailbox full of Christmas cards

Trader Joe's

waking up completely surrounded by warm cats and dogs

it being almost an even year again (not so fond of the odd ones... though the last couple were pretty even in temperament...)

Sam's hair (adorable and teenage:)

tickets to see Dr Drew's Lifechangers next week!!! (please don't make it be a weight loss show... and if so, please don't weigh us on the stage and then make fun of us... oh gawd, maybe we shouldn't go.... bleck)

driving a brand new car in the rain

google maps - i explored all my overseas friends' neighborhoods before mailing their Christmas cards :) Japan was completely fascinating and i want to go to there!

tweezers and joshua trees and sweet rodents

waiting
for the UPS man - what on earth could be taking so long?! my new fondly-reviewed-on-amazon tweezers have been 'out for delivery' since 1:13am :| i just know he is parked somewhere using them :(

wishing
i didn't have burns all over my hands from kitchen mishaps (must! slow!! down!!! and use oven mitts!!)

wondering
if it would be so terrible to go to Joshua Tree this weekend. i will simply die of cabin fever if i have to stay at home one more day (it's been raining for 12 hours straight and i have major cabin fever)

wanting
a milky cup of coffee (in the Mickey Mouse mug - it's the ONLY cup that makes my coffee taste right) and a side of ginger cat cookies

thinking
it's completely awesome that Courage loves ginger cats too :)

missing
Jerry. he's been out of my life for just 2 (very long) days and i really miss him rushing over to say hello whenever i pass by, and watching Millionaire Matchmaker with him (he though Patti was crass too;), and saving Danny's PB&J crusts for him :( in short, i just really really really miss him...

counting
down the days till our Las Vegas (9) we are staying at the Rio. our room cost $15 (and no pesky resort fee!) :| i am a little bit scared :| i heard that from the sitting room you have a great view into the shower... maybe that's why it's $15...?! must take a shower curtain ;)

back tomorrow...

RIP sweet Jerry xox

Dr Drew, Dr Drew's wife and Dr Drew's dogs

i want to go and see a live studio taping of Cliffhangers Lifechangers with Dr Drew!!! (with the silent L at the end of his name:) but only if i can take my phone into the studio because i don't/can't/won't go anywhere without my phone - it keeps my heart beating regularly and stuff. gawd i love that show (but i still hate the name though.... HATE IT!!! it's not getting easier to bear...)

in other Dr Drew news, his wife looks like Mrs Kay (which momentarily made me quite sad and want to adopt a small child so i can go back to her lovely preschool...) anyway i am now stalking her on twitter (Mrs Dr Drew, not Mrs Kay... confusing...) a tree fell on their roof and broke a pane of their bedroom window, terrifying the dogs. or something... i can't stand twitter, it's just a bunch of sentences with no real substance :| i need pictures and emotions not stubby little sentences...

one minus point for Dr Drew (which is instantly cancelled out because he is so nice): the use of the word "uber" twice on yesterday's show. oh gawd, how i hate that word. i hate it more than when people "love love love" something. ick.

i have noticed that all the same people do all the same things. last week it was buying an instagram iphone case with instagram pictures all over it. this week it's that path thingie ;) "le sigh" - that's the other thing they all do all the time ;)

tomorrow Danny has a JOB! he is taste-testing apple juice :) i hope it doesn't have arsenic in it....

we are going to Vegas in two weeks. TWO WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!! it's a very good thing... and not just because they have Dunkin Donuts and Hobby Lobby and hedgehogs there - Vegas is awesome!! we are going to a gun range - it being Christmas and all ;)

in other news, my baby turned 7 :)