Splendid

Out of Africa

A couple weeks ago we went to Africam which is a safari park you drive through.  Most of it you drive through and half of that time you need to keep your windows up (tigers, lions and bears are walking around), but there is a section you can get out and see the animals up close.  The park was remarkably clean and the animals looked cared for and healthy. The caretakers of the kangaroos really watched the visitors to make sure they were being gentle with the little dudes, especially since many of them had babies in their pouches.  This one loved big sis and followed her around for like 20 minutes.

this tiger was about 10 feet from my car...

In one part there is a botanical garden that has butterfly exhibit with waterfalls, ancient Aztec sculptures, and of course, butterflies.

Here's a dozing rhino.  Most adult rhinos weigh as much as as 12 men.  Their heads are as much as 3 men! 

 

he asked, "do I have somethin' in my teeth?"

Santa at the beach...

We made an impromptu trip to Acapulco this year for Christmas.  We've never had a "warm" Christmas, usually spent in Lake Tahoe/Verdi (my parents), San Fransisco/bay area (Dave's parents) or Philadelphia (our house) and it's cold! It was awesome to lay poolside drinking pina coladas or body surf the waves in the ocean...Santa brought all the presents to our hotel room.

Big sis jumping for joy!

me and my big pina colada...

Xmas sunset

and mi esposo...I know, don't be jealous ladies...

Lola, the parrot **** little nutcracker girl  **** poolside...

a scene from Top Gun, right? (ha!)

Little sis, so happy Xmas morning after Santa came...

playing with the toys Xmas morning...6 am...

Hope you had a great holiday and have a healthy, happy 2010!!!

Bon Voyage...

look what we decided to do instead of buying each other another sweater or pair of boots...

 

yep, we just bought our plane tickets for the 4 of us, 16 days in Europe next month.  5 days in London, 2 in Manchester (to meet the girls pen pals), 5 days in Paris and 4 days in Venice!  If you have any suggestions for the off the beaten path type of thing, like other than Eiffel Tower, Big Ben or riding a gondola, please let me know!  Big sis and I are excited because she recently was allowed to watch a bit of Amelie and we're hoping to hit up some photobooths!  I know, whooooooooo-hooo!  Photobooths, big whoop!   But we haven't done a photobooth for 6 months now, we're dying! But we're excited, we have plans to do all the touristy things, but plan on doing some spontaneous stuff and just enjoying the sights.

Hope you're enjoying the holidays.  We've had 2 posadas this week, maybe another tonight.  Posadas are Mexican Christmas celebrations with singing, reenactments, and of course, lots of yummy food. We love going and celebrating with our friends here in Mexico.  Navidad is such a festive time here.

en el campo

2 days a week my dogs are whisked away to doggy daycare.  Well, they stay over, so it's more like camp.  Each day, they go on 2 hour hikes through the mountains and the rest of the day are free to run and play with the other canine guests, they're never kenneled.  Last weekend we went hiking with them.  The mountains here above Mexico City remind me of parts of the Sierra Nevada mountains where I grew up.

Violet taking a drink. She's only 6 months, my big girl...

Little sis was tired after about 20 minutes.  Remember it's like 8000-9000 feet above sea level and some of the mountain inclines were quite steep...luckily dad gave piggyback rides...

Yet Frida can run for hours.  She loves it up there.

Then we saw a baby rattlesnake sunning himself, he was like 4 inches long..

after the hike we went to the horse part of the camp, the girls loved petting the horses.

and little sis gave lots of hugs to a rescued puppy

but, by the end of those 2 days, the furbabies are always tired, especially Violet,

and she's always happy to go home...

Happy December...

Let's see, I have been busy on a few embroidery projects, one of which I was hoping to get done before December 1st, and I have 95% of it done.  We're still opening the notes in each pocket, but I'm trying to sew december and the last embellishments on tonight.  I let big sis sew on 10 of the pockets...I'll show pics in a couple days.

Here's my The Creative Type project.  The prompt is to use newspaper print.  I made this Christmas inspired shadow box...that's a page from the book "The Night Before Christmas," a book from the 70's I found in a  thrift store in California a couple years ago.  As always we have great prizes from sponsors!

Then my Category Stories, the prompt is "the Best Present Ever."  I got this card for my birthday a couple weeks ago since my family knows I adore John Hughes films. I LOVE (said in a super high-pitch squeal) his films, especially 16 Candles (well, all, but this is a fave). 

Go play, there's awesome prizes to be won!!

Then, I don't think I ever showed these...the first is a cool old sign not far from Matty's apartment in Chicago.  In September a group of us girls stayed there for a fun 3 days weekend.  I love this sign, makes me think of them and the windy city...

and this one, little sis learning to read...

and Autumn, this picture was taken last month in Philadelphia...

BTW, big sis is doing much better at school. A couple weeks ago she was having a rough time, but she has made a couple little friends, and it seems slowly breaking into the group.  She's even having a sleepover this Friday night! She's doing awesome and had to give a short speech in front of her class and 2 teachers today, all in Spanish.  She memorized it and her Spanish accent is fabulouso, much better than mine.  Little sis started a Montessori school full time today (sob...) so I'm all alone...the first time in 2.5 years.  I already miss homeschooling.  What am I going to do???  Craft all day? Well then, things are a-okay...