Leaving Las Vegas

We had a great time in Hawaii and Vegas, but unfortunately the trip finally came to an end.  We flew back home today.  Joshua did well on the first flight, but we were worried about the second flight because he was getting very fussy and was overtired on the layover.  But yet again, he came through like a little champ, and he was great all the way home on the second flight, despite being exhausted.

Cirque du Beatles

Tonight's event for Club was going out to our choice of one of three restaurants, Beso, American Fish, or the Social House, then to Cirque du Soleil's Beatles LOVE, and then to a nightclub.  Although Meghan and I were able to utilize the hotel's childcare for last night's event, tonight's event was offsite, and the hotel childcare won't allow you to leave the property if they have your child.  So Meghan graciously said that I could still go to my events, and she would stay at the hotel with Joshua.  I wished she could have been there with me, because I know she would have loved the food at the Social House, and I think she really would have liked the Beatles show.  But we'll put them on the list for the next time we go back to Vegas. 

The Suite Life

Tonight was the President's Club awards party.  Because this trip is only for a couple dozen employees and their significant others, and because it's supposed to be a top-notch experience since it's the reward for which everyone worked, our CEO likes to come up with over-the-top venues, and he certainly succeeded tonight.  While in Vegas, we're staying at the Red Rock, which is a really nice newer hotel off the strip.  Tonight we found out that the very top floor has a series of suites, as we all walked down the long hallway past the first two until we emerged into the last one, the One 80 Suite, so named because of its 180 degree view.  It was unlike anything I've ever seen.  Among the many areas within the suite, there's a living room with a 103-inch plasma TV, and a breathtaking patio where the views are almost indescribable.  It was an amazing evening in a venue that's normally only ever inhabited by the rich and/or the famous.

Joshua and the Head Honcho

Today Meghan, Joshua, and I arrived at the Red Rock hotel in Las Vegas after our overnight flight from Kona (via LA).  The sales rep that I work with made his sales quota for the year, so he qualified for this year's all-expenses-paid trip, known as President's Club.  Because I'm the sales engineer who supports him, I was also invited.  Each person can also bring along someone else for free, so it's a pretty sweet deal. 

Tonight was the welcoming party, and we all spent the evening in the Red Rock Lanes VIP section, bowling and enjoying the catered food.  All of the invitees and their guests attended the party, including our CEO.  I've been told Pete loves kids, and as soon as he saw Joshua, he wanted to hold him, and he actually carried him around for almost half an hour.  Not often does one witness their CEO holding their baby son, so I snapped a couple pictures.  

Aloha to Hawaii

Today was our last day in Hawaii. We had a nice family meal at the Chinese restaurant on the property. It was really good (well the dessert was kind of not something we would want again, but everything else was excellent). Jim, Joanna, and Julie and Andrew leave tomorrow so they were able to store our luggage for us and help us out to the car. We got this picture in front of the hotel sign on our way out. We had a great time in Hawaii and I think we could have happily stayed much longer since it's pretty much paradise. But we are looking forward to our Actuate trip to Vegas this weekend.

On Mauna Kea

Today we went on our tour of Mauna Kea since we had some great babysitters available. We got to the summit (which is almost 14,000 feet above sea level) around sunset. Here you can see us in our parkas with the sun and the clouds in the background.

Stupid Sharks

I love the beach. We went all the time when I was a kid and I think beaches are so much better than pools. So I was really excited to go to Hapuna Beach while we were here because it's supposed to be one of the best beaches in the world. Imagine my disappointment when we got there and the beach was closed due to sharks being sighted! We had some really fun times at the beach on this trip, but I am definitely disappointed we won't get to go to Hapuna.

Fun at Dinner

Today we went to dinner to Buzz's Sandtrap which is a steakhouse. The food was really good and they also had an aquarium. Joshua loves all animals so far so he was really happy when Aunt Julie took him over there and they looked at all the fish.

Bella Vista

Today we moved down the road from our condo at Mauna Lani to the hotel at Waikoloa Beach. Jim, Julie, Andrew, and Joanna are also there so we met for dinner tonight. We went to the Italian restaurant at the resort. The food was good and name of the restaurant is accurate because it looks out on the water and it was very enjoyable.

Snorkel Dork

We're staying at a condo for the first part of our trip.  One of the great things about vacation condos is they tend to come fully stocked with everything you could possibly need, from a kayak to a fax machine to a washer and dryer to a full kitchen.  Okay, maybe not all of them have a kayak in the garage, but ours does.  Today we went back to the same beach we were at before, but we took the snorkling gear.  Although it's a small beach, it's known for its calm waters due to the reef, which also makes for excellent snorkling.  So here I am looking like a fool on dry land as I try on my mask.  I ended up seeing some awesome-looking fish without having to go out very far. 

Volcano!

The Big Island is known for its volcanoes, and in fact Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is one of the main attractions on the island. We wanted to be sure to see it while on this vacation, so today we drove to the other side of the island.  One of the main attractions within the park is Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world.  You can see it from multiple locations in the park, but the best view is from the Jaggar Museum.  The picture on the left was of us in front of it, but unfortunately the weather was poor at the time, so you can't even tell there's a volcano behind us.  Later I took the picture on the right, after the weather cleared up, and you can see the volcanic steam coming out of the crater.  Later, we walked through a volcano tube, where molten lava once poured through but then left a cave-like tunnel.

Just Beachy

Today we went to the beach.  It was the first time for Joshua, and he enjoyed it quite a bit.  He played in the sand for awhile, and then we all went out in the water.

Island Breezy

Today was our first full day here in Hawaii.  We mostly relaxed and recovered from the lack of sleep prior to our departure, but for dinner we ventured out to The Kings' Shops, a local shopping a dining center.  Although we didn't partake in any of their high-end retail options, we did stop at a little eatery called Island Fish & Chips.  Although the food turned out to be much like Long John Silver's, the outdoor tables were right on the water.  There were Japanese Koi in the water just behind us, and they were an odd combination of gross and peaceful.  The breeze was nice, although at times it was a little strong, as here Meghan tries to keep Joshua from becoming koi food.  

Hawaii or Bust

Today was our big travel day and we are all very tired. We left Lawrence at 4am and didn't get to our condo in Hawaii until 9:30pm Kansas time. It was a very long day. Joshua did about as well as you could expect a 9-month-old to do, but he did not sleep on the plane well, and by our last (and longest at 5 hours) flight, he was cranky. People were really nice about, which was sweet because we feel so guilty when he is screaming and there is just not much we can do about it. We will try to bring some baby Benadryl on the way back and see if we can use it if he gets so tired again. We did have some luck getting him to sleep in the airports for layovers, which is what you see above. When we were in Vegas last month, I saw people cover their strollers with blankets so the kid wouldn't be distracted. That's what we had to do, and he at least got a couple hours sleep that way while on our layovers. It made me glad I noticed that in Vegas and decided to try it because otherwise I don't think he would have slept at all.

Sack of Potatoes

Today we went to look at houses since our house sold so quickly and now we need to get an idea of area and price range so we can be really focused when we get back. Poor Joshua did not get a chance to nap so by the time we looked at the last house, he was just totally asleep.

Miller Time

Today we drove up to Clarinda, Iowa, and back for Jason's grandma's family reunion (her maiden name is Miller so this year's reunion was called "Miller Time"). It was really fun because Grandma Hall showed us her farm that she grew up in and where her school used to be and the country church and the cemetery. And then we went to the reunion at a really fun farm and Joshua and I got to meet everyone since I hadn't been before. Joshua got a little prize for being the youngest Miller in attendance. We couldn't stay as long as we wanted because of all the house craziness, but we were so thrilled to be able to go and had a great time.

Papa's In Our House

Today we worked really hard to get us and all our luggage out of our home so it would be ready to be shown this weekend. We got an offer on our home today, but we will still show it as much as possible when we are gone in case something goes wrong. Here Jason kneels behind the realtor's sign in our front yard.

Some time to relax

I have been so busy getting the house ready that I haven't really had time to do anything else, but today Callie and I ate lunch and got pedicures. It was fun to catch up and I really never do pedicures, but I love the way they look so now I am really happy everytime I see my toes. I got flowers on my big toes that I am really loving.

9-Month Checkup

For some reason, I really love taking Joshua to his checkups.  We always try to schedule them for a time when I'm not traveling, and so far I've been able to take him to every one.  Today we went to his 9-month checkup.  Because he loves to go after cords and cables, the stethoscope cord was no exception.  Our pediatician had to resort to her favorite tactic of giving him a tongue depressor.  Joshua was fascintated by it for a few seconds.  Then he went right back for the cord.

9 Months

Today is Joshua's 9-month birthday.  Lately he's really enjoyed poking things in the eyes and nose.  Fortunately this applies mostly to stuffed animals and to pictures in books.  Here he poses for a few seconds before he delightedly attempts to gouge out the eye of his bear.

Our Fake House

Because we are putting our house on the market, it needs to be presentable at all times.  In addition to the extra stuff that needs to be moved out, experts recommend that the house be "staged", meaning you place supposedly visually appealing items throughout the house, like vases, decorative bowls, flowers, etc.  So, following the advice, Meghan went out and bought these things, and put them out around our house.  Here in the picture you see the tray, the flowers on it, and the bowl of spheres on the table.  This resulted in a surreal feeling, as it's our house, but suddenly it's missing some furniture and pictures, and there are a bunch of things that make it feel like a different family lives there.  But hey, if it sells our house quicker, it's all worth it.

Storage Wars

Although the website for our local U-Haul storage facility said it had 24-hour access, when I went to bring a load from the truck last night at 8:00, my entry card didn't work.  I went back this morning, and they said 24-hour access is available, but you have to pay for it, which would be fine, except they mistakenly never offered it to us.  So I had to finish up the last couple loads today.  Here I am with everything loaded right before we locked up.

I-Haul

Earlier this year we strongly considered moving, but we ended up deciding it wasn't the right thing at the time.  Recently we revisited it and have decided we are going to put our house on the market in hopes of moving to a different house in Olathe (or nearby) with a floor plan (and storage) that better suits our current needs.  In this housing market, some homes seemingly never sell, so it's possible ours won't sell and we won't move, but we're assuming it'll all work out.  Before listing our house, we need to get it in tip-top shape, and one of the recommendations was to clean out some of the furniture and other items that make our house look smaller than it is.  So we've rented a storage unit, and today I loaded our U-Haul with a couple loads of things to put into storage.

Tres Hermanas a Los Cabos

Since Michelle is in town this weekend for a wedding, we all went to dinner last night at Los Cabos, one of Jason's and my favorite restaurants. It was a lot of fun and the food was very good. Here are the three sisters at dinner.

A Troubling Trend

I think if Joshua could talk he would say his best friend is Terrence. They spend a lot of time together and Terrence really doesn't get crabby with Joshua like Natalie does. Recently Joshua has realized his friend Terrence is hungry. And Terrence has realized Joshua has food. This is really not good. Anytime Joshua is eating something he merely likes (as opposed to loves; no one is getting that kid's formula) he generously gives a handful to Terrence. Here he is sharing his snack. You can see his in his mouth and he is handing Terrence a piece. The worst is when Terrence only bites off half of it and then Joshua wants to eat the other half. I am not sure what to do about this. It would be easier if it started some time other than the hottest part of the summer because I could just send Terrence outside at mealtimes. But Joshua is a slowish eater and I really can't have Terrence outside for that long when it's so hot since he's a pug.

Magic Baby

Today Joshua was playing in his room and I was going through his clothes since we are putting away some of the ones that have gotten too small. I looked over at him to make sure he was still being safe and this is what I saw. I have no idea how he got into this basket. The sides are high enough that I don't think he could step over or anything like that. My best guess is he turned it on its side and crawled in and then flipped it back over onto its bottom while in the basket. However he did it, he was quite proud of himself.

So Tired

Today Joshua went over to the Becks for the afternoon. Angie sent me this photo. He was so tired that he fell asleep while eating his snack in his high chair.

All-American Baby

In planning for this year's Fourth of July, we weren't sure how it would go, as babies sometimes get scared and cry when they hear fireworks. Knowing Joshua doesn't seem to be overly sensitive to those sorts of things, and knowing we had a backup plan of sitting in the car, we decided to try it.  Fortunately, all went well, as he wasn't fazed by the booms, and he sat there and watched and enjoyed them just like an adult would.

Four Grandparents and a Baby

Today Mom and Ron hosted a mini get-together as we went over there along with Mark and Barb as well as Joanna and Kirk and Julie and Andrew.  This was the first time Joshua was with more than two of his grandparents at the same time, so we took a picture to commemorate the occasion.  Mom had bought Joshua a little soccer ball, which he loved to eat, of course.  But Ron also worked with him to practice kicking it, and Joshua even caught on a bit and kicked it a few times on his own.  Since soccer is my favorite sport to play, it made me really happy to see my little son with his first interaction with it.  Hopefully some day this picture is famous, much like the Tiger Woods footage.

A Legendary Dinner

Since my parents are staying in Basehor with Christine, we decided to have dinner tonight somewhere down that way so we went to the Legends and ate at Styx. It was very enjoyable and we had a delicious meal.

Deanna Rose

Meghan's parents arrived in town last night, and this morning Barb joined us to take Joshua to Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead.  Meghan and I had been there before, but this was Joshua's first time to go.  He had a lot of fun climbing on the playground equipment, and he was very intrigued by the goats.  Apparently Joshua thought the goat looked tasty.  At one point he stretched his little head with an open mouth toward the goat's ear.  The goat was not amused and retaliated by trying to eat Joshua's outfit.  At that point we separated the two before a goat/baby brawl broke out.  Animal confrontations aside, it was a fun trip for everyone.