Super Sunday

We've had quite a party weekend! Mary and Clarence (aka Grandma and Granddad/pa) are visiting, and we really showed them off this weekend. Yesterday was basketball, then a movie. Girls saw "Joyful noise" and boys saw "Red Tails". Then we went to BWW to watch the KU/MU game with the alumni group. It was a great game, even if it didn't end our way.

Today we started kids choir at church. Both Sam and Kate had a good time and want to try out for solo parts! Then left church early with Kate for a birthday party at Pump It Up, another of those inside inflatable places, this time uptown. She had so much fun but was SO sweaty!

Tonight we went to the Solomon's house to watch the Super Bowl and ate some delicious food. Their house is so put together for the short time they've been in, and with a baby on top of that! We all had a nice time and I got to meet some more church friends.

I'm worn out! I'm looking forward to working tomorrow to get a break!

Chuck Emergency!

We've enjoyed watching Chuck with the kids for the past couple of years. It's really the first "adult" show we've been able to watch together. Granted, there are some times we have to avert their eyes from the "kissy face" stuff, but most of the time it works out well.

It ends this week, with the last 2 hour episode on Friday night. I'd say I'm sad about it, but in a way I think the show's kind of lived its run. And they are wrapping it nicely, which is always better than getting pulled midseason.

Last Saturday, we decided to watch the episodes we had recorded (we were a couple of weeks behind) and noticed that we were missing Friday's episode. You know, the one immediately before the FINALE! Tragedy. Of course, being NBC, the episode is available no where-- not itunes, not on their own website, not even hulu. Panic! An episode we can't find!?! In this day and age!??

So after some questionable googling, I did find a site where we could stream it to see the show. Assuming we didn't also download some sort of nasty virus in the process, Kate and I have watched and are good to go for Friday. Sam and Stu were busy playing Risk, so they have some catch up to do.

Hutchinson Christmas

The closest we got to a white Christmas this year was our trip to Hutch. There was a small remnant of snow on the ground, which Sam immediately made plans to play with. Good luck with that.

The whole Brown family descended upon scenic Hutch for family Christmas this year. I thought it was such a treat to attend and not host, even if we did have to do a bit of driving to pull it off. We got showered with way too many gifts, as usual, but it sure was fun. Sam got a spy video watch and Harry Potter wii game and blu ray. Stu got Star Wars and gift cards. Kate received her big gift from Nanny (it didn't make the trip to KC as planned), her very own American Girl doll! What a hit! Mom and Dad gave her some clothes to go with it, so Kaylee changes clothes each morning.

We went and shopped with Phil and Molly in downtown Hutch, and ate at their favorite, Lone Star. After they left for MN, we went to Wichita and split off... Sam and Stu went to Exploration Place and Kate and I went with Mamaw and Papaw to see the Muppets and shop for jeans for Kate, who took an unexpected like to them this week. (The Muppets is such a huge hit around our house, even 6 weeks after initally seeing it. The reviewing kicked off a new frenzy of "Mahna Mahna" and "Man or Muppet" that cannot be stopped. Love it!)
We had a great time just hanging out a a family, watching movies, playing games, ping ponging, and of course, working on the trains. We may have to look into a ping pong table for the new house!

Leaving was hard, but as Kate told me, "Sometimes you have to do things that you don't want to do, even if they are hard. But at least we can visit!"

As Philip and I agree, the trains are much more interesting when one gets to actually touch them.

Sam at Exploration Place. Not the only time he was in time out this vacation...

Hanging downstairs.

Nanny Christmas

We went to great lengths this season to balance out the gift giving with Nanny and all of the great-grandchildren after some chaos ensued last year. So, at our appointed time on Christmas Day, Mom and Dad and our family all went and had lunch with Nanny and then back to her place for presents. We get all settled in to give Kate her BIG surprise, when oops. It wasn't there. See, I had ordered the present online and shipped it to Mom, who ordered a few things to go with it and would wrap and deliver for Christmas with Nanny. Only, the present was mislabeled, so instead of Kate's American Girl Doll, it was a present for Phylis. Oh, the tears. The agony. I'm not sure who was more disappointed-- Kate, who was really into the present-getting thing this year, or Nanny, who had the idea to give Kate the doll in the first place. Sam took the high road and offered to wait to open his present from Nanny (a very cool Lego set he wanted) when Kate did.

So, Nanny opened her presents, and the kids bucked up enough to get through the afternoon. We gave Nanny an early copy of this year's blog book (minus December) to entertain her through the year. Sam was particularly good about talking to Nanny and answering her questions. We left about 3 to go to the movies, and Molly and Philip were in town in time to go with us. We finished up Christmas day with Chinese food (again, very Christmas Story-esque. Love it.). Kate was concerned for days about being a Chinese dog or rat or whatever she was.

Of all the things back home that I miss, being so close to Nanny is definitely one of the hardest. I enjoyed solving her phone issues, running to the store for her, and helping her around the apartment. I'm planning to try to call even more this year than I had before, and may take my friend up on her offer to Skype with her.

It was another wonderful Christmas. We are so blessed!

Christmas and a baby on the side

We had a new feature attraction for our entertainment at Matthews Christmas this year: Baby Tucker! Tucker, our great nephew?, is 7 months and a crawling nice guy. Aside from the usual food and gift opening, we basically just watched Tucker pull himself around. It was a great time.

We were all greatly blessed by family and gifting. Sam's surprise hit was a hexbug hive. The best way I can explain it is that there are these little rubber vibrating cubes that move around the hive based upon the layout that Sam configures. Kate liked her books and new red sweater too. The kids made these trains at Lowe's that we gave both Grandpa Matthews and Papaw, so that was a special treat.

Tucker on the move!

The Hive had many fans

Visitors!

We were so excited to have out first visitors this weekend! Mom and Dad came to visit for the long weekend. They had never been to Vegas, so the pressure was on to show them an extra good time. We tried!
Friday was Kate's birthday, but other than cookie cake, we really didn't celebrate until Saturday night, when we headed to Margaritaville (the pirate restaurant) and had dinner. Kate got a special birthday balloon and visit from one of the girls on stilts. They offered Dad a hat too, but he passed. Instead, we got him an official Tshirt. We went to the Bellagio and saw the Conservatory and also the fountain show. It was Halloween weekend, of course, so it amped up the freaky people watching a bit.
The rest of the weekend we just enjoyed family time. We shopped, went to church, carved pumpkins and made cookies.

It was hard to see them go, but we had a great time!

The ad on the baggage claim reads: "HINT: You aren't in Kansas anymore. Welcome to Vegas!"

Mom and Dad above the Strip.

Love this picture in the Bellagio Conservatory!

Bored in Las Vegas (Henderson, actually)