BACK AGAIN!

What a lazy slug I have become!  I love writing in my blog so I have no good excuses. Well, maybe one or two fairly good ones! One being we have been on the road and then "at home" in Las Vegas. The second excuse is that it is hard for me to write much on my tablet. I type with two fingers on the Ipad since I am technically challenged!
Now we are back home, at the Lake, where I have no more excuses!
At the end of April we drove to Las Vegas for Ryan's UNLV graduation.  Well, actually Pat drove. I ditched him in Omaha and flew the rest if the way so I could get there in time. It was a great occasion. A tribute to perserverance since he started college back in 2001!  It is the finale of all finales - until daughter Katie graduates from UNLV this December! She started in 2003. We cut them off after 4 years or so financially other than bits and pieces, so they have had jobs and in Ryans case, marriage and family. I am proud of them both for not giving up. Back to the road trip. While driving thru Nebraska, the sunrood on the Mazda exploded. Glad I was in the air at the time! Pat said it felt as if he had been hit by an IED!  Shortening the story, he spent the rest of the trip reapplying duct tape and cardboard as it would loosen in the wind. We googled it after being blown off by Mazda warranty people, to find that it is not so rare as they indicated. It was not caused by high temperatures, wasnt hit by anything, it just simply shattered.  We were towing a little car which was damaged in the front by the flying glass. The first week in Vegas,we took turns getting the cars in for repair!
When we were out there in December for Christmas last year, we both loved it. Surprising, right? You think Las Vegas - neon, glitz, tacky.  However in the areas away from the strip, it is just regular
living. Because the real estate market was so depressed at that time, we discovered we could buy a little place for the mortgage cost of a car payment. So we looked all around the last week we were there and stumbled on this really cute neighborhood and a nice 2 bedroom short sale, with an enclosed back yard and a gazebo with hot tub. We signed the paperwork and closed on it when we were there. We can now visit the left coast part of the family whenever, most likely during the severe winter here.  We didnt mind the heat this past month. It IS a dry heat!  The things we love about Las Vegas - gorgeous sunsets, pretty rock mountains, sooo much to do, great restaurants, shows (although we havent done that yet!), slots, and last but not least, our family, including a brand new baby boy on the way, due early December!
We are truly blessed, no doubt about it. Sometimes I have to pinch myself. Right now we are both feeling great (knocking on wood), have been dieting and each are about -30.  The only stress I ever feel centers around my country and what is happening to it. We use the mute button on our clickers A LOT! 
If friends and family need a place to stay in Las Vegas give us a yell!
And of course, the door is always open here at the Lake. 
Now we will begin our tour of our right coast families!  We can't wait to see everyone...so excited!!