Vacation in Las Vegas

Viva Las Vegas!

The BlueMan Group Show

Getting ready to walk the strip in Vegas.
Shaun had a staring match with the iguana.

Yikes! A shark at the aquarium.
Beautiful fish at the aquarium.
The Three Bears
Meditating in the room. Hee hee!

We're back! Our 5 day vacation in Las Vegas was very relaxing and enjoyable. Shaun and I shared lots of laughs together and truly had fun just hanging by the pool and vegging out in our hotel room. We stayed at Mandalay Bay Hotel and visited the Shark Reef Aquarium one evening. Our room was awesome!!! It had a 42 inch flat screen tv and even had a tv in the bathroom, too! Shaun was in heaven! Our hotel had 7 pools to lounge by inclusive of a sandy beach wave pool and a lazy river (which I LOVED!). My girlfriend Khourie and her beau Rajah were also vacationing in Vegas so we spent some time hanging out with them, as well as my cousin Amanda and her fiance Donald (they live in Vegas). Shaun and I went to see the BlueMan Group one night and had a blast! The show was very interactive and entertaining. Shaun gambled a little bit at the Black Jack tables and came out on the positive end each time. Yay! We walked the strip one night and made it about 3 or 4 miles before my feet swelled up like watermelons and we had to taxi back to our hotel. The fountains at the Bellagio are still as beautiful as ever and the strip continues to be full of excitement and life. The Bellagio has a garden area full of scenes that are made out of fresh flowers as you will see in the pics (the bears, Mount Rushmore, the train, etc.). Once we got home Friday night, we had just enough time to shower and sleep before heading to East Texas for the BKM Foundation Event on Saturday morning. It was a hot day but full of fun. The foundation raised about $4,000 which will be used to continue servicing cancer patients at Children's Medical Hospital. It is such an honor to be a part of an amazing foundation that helps others. I love it!

Cousin Amanda & Fiance Donald Shaun & Rajah having fun

Khourie & Penny laughing it up!
Shaun floating in the Lazy River at our hotel.

At the Bellagio standing in front of Mt. Rushmore scene

Baby Update: I am approaching 22 weeks now and my tummy is getting bigger and more firm each day. I can feel Ramsey moving A LOT, especially in the evenings. He loves the nightlife! It is so neat to be able to feel his movements now. Shaun constantly talks to my belly and tells his son how much he loves him. Ram is going to be very spoiled by his daddy indeed. Shaun has already picked out a Dallas Cowboys onesie and Texas Tech shirt for Ramsey to wear. Bending over to tie my shoes and pick up laundry is becoming a bit more challenging b/c I tend to lose my breath more easily but I'm really feeling great these days. I have energy during the day and am trying to get prepared for Back To School Mode. I still have some restless nights with sleeping and my dreams are completely whacko. I find myself touching my belly a lot these days and can't help but to rub it while lounging on the sofa. The baby room is now painted with a neutral brown color and we are awaiting the arrival of the furniture which will be here soon. Laura (our decorator) is making the crib set (I just couldn't find one that I liked in a store---I'm not really big into "themes" and I love to be orginal!) and I can't wait to see it all come together. We registered a couple of weeks ago at Babies R Us and Target and will be registering for the rest of our items at Lone Star Baby soon.

My gorgeous niece Montana Dawn

The BKM Foundation

Happy Birthday To Shaun: 29 & Holding

Happy Birthday Shaun! Getting ready to go to breakfast.

Sporting his new Texas Tech clothes.

Hanging with the boys: Z, James, Steven, Shaun, & Eric

I surprised Shaun today with a "Just The Guys" gathering at the house. The boys went to the gym and played basketball and vegged out at the house all day playing video games and talking. Shaun was catered with lots of his favorites for the day: sushi, wings, german chocolate cake, and friends. He and I had a wonderful breakfast together and an even nicer evening. We went to the movies to see Batman: The Dark Knight. As you will see in the pictures, Shaun was very proud of his new Texas Tech gear and is enjoying the new games for the Wii that I gave him. He received several cards in the mail and loved the green paper that fell out of them!

Hanging With Friends

Khourie and I vegging out at the house

Julie, Riley, and I

Jaime and Derek. Jaime and I went to TSU together. She is one of my proud PURPLE POO sisters! Hey Oscar P!

Derek is 1yrs. old and he is NOT camera shy! Such a cutie!

BKM Foundation

A dear friend of mine, Brandi K McPherson, was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer called Osteosarcoma in 1994. She was my tennis partner in high school and remains a close friend today. Brandi battled cancer & won, but not without numerous surgeries, blood transfusions and a steel rod placed in her leg for many years. In May 2007, Brandi's body took yet another toll, and due to infection, Brandi had to have her left leg amputated above the knee. In Brandi's honor, a group of her friends joined together to form a non-profit organization that will reach out to other children and adolescents who are battling Osteosarcoma and/or have been faced with amputation. Please visit our website at http://www.bkmfoundation.org/ to learn more about us and see photos of what we're doing. We are currently visiting patients at Children's Hospital in Dallas and are reaching out to them and their families on many levels. BKM Foundation is hosting our 2nd annual fundraiser on August 2, 2008: Family Fun Day. Tickets can be purchased online and donations are greatly appreciated. Check us out!!!

The Verdict Is In: It's A Boy!

Shaun and I went to our sonogram today filled with excitement and ready to see our baby girl on the big screen. When we went to our sonogram at 12.5 weeks, we were told that the chances of us having a little girl were very great so in our minds we have been preparing for just that. But today....we were given a NEW perspective....one that involved a "closer look". WE'RE HAVING A BOY!!! Shaun is of course elated and can't stop smiling. Here are a few pictures of our time together today at the doctor's office.

Ramsey Dane Washington

will arrive sometime in mid-December.

The due date has been set for December 15th.

Penny Turns The Dirty 30!

For my 30th birthday on July 5th, Shaun surprised me by taking me to The Cheesecake Factory where a group of friends were waiting to give me good wishes on my big day. Not only did Shaun spoil me with a HUGE chocolate cake, but he also surprised me with a fun little game while we were eating. My mission was to figure out where we were going by clues he gave to me in 3 bags. The 1st bag had dice and cards in it. The 2nd bag had a beach towel and a travel magazine in it. The 3rd clue was a picture of he and I in Las Vegas in 2005. I have been begging for us to go on a trip this summer....and my man pulled through. We're going to Vegas at the end of the month for 4 nights and will be staying at Mandalay Bay Hotel (known for its beach sand pools). I can't wait!!!!! After lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, everyone was invited to go next door and play gams at Dave-N-Buster's. We had such a fun time. I am very blessed to have such wonderful friends in my life....and an even greater husband. I was showered all day with phone calls and text messages wishing me well on my "dirty 30 day", not to mention tons of cards that I received in the mail.

Pictured below are a few of the special friends who were present to help make my day awesome!

"The" Z

Kelly "Biggs" Biggerstaff
My best friend Julie
Kassie "Mac Dog" McMillan
The next American Idol....Rachel "RC Coolio" Cotton. Rachel sang at our wedding.Future Grandparents....Mama J and Grampy.

Baby Sidenotes: We finally cleaned out the baby room!!!! After my next appointment on the 17th, we will begin to paint and decorate. We registered at Target but still need to hit up Babies R Us and LoneStar Baby. I have had a few "baby move sensations" here lately and think that I'm beginning to feel some movement here and there. My latest food likings are pickles and chocolate milk, but I've always liked both of these, I'm just leaning towards wanting them more often. I've discovered that going to the movies and sitting in those seats for a long period of time is just not comfortable and I'd much rather rent a movie & watch it at home. Love to all! Thanks for reading....

Our 1 Year Anniversary 6/29/08

Shaun and I celebrated our 1st year of marriage on June 29th. I was finally able to pull out the frozen cake I'd been saving for the last year from our freezer (wow! I was so glad to get that thing outta there!). As you can see by the pictures, Shaun's sweet tooth didn't turn the cake down. He said it was still very moist and just as yummy as it was a year ago. Of course, some of the fondant icing had crumpled so it didn't look as pretty. We went out to dinner at Tillman's Roadhouse in Dallas on Saturday night and had a great time. Tillman's is a really neat little restaurant. The decor is a mix of contemporary meets country. If you haven't been, it's an excellent meal and great service. We exchanged gifts on Friday because neither one of us could wait. It was a wonderful anniversary. I'm a lucky girl.

I'm 16 weeks now and my belly is blossoming more and more every day. I'm hanging out with friends as much as possible. I always look forward to the summer because I get to travel around and visit my girlfriends. Ashley, Brandi and I went out to dinner to celebrate my birthday. I'm joining the DIRTY 30 club this coming weekend. My birthday is July 5th and all of America pops fireworks in my honor the day before. I'm so special! Lol.

I went to see my friend Aly and her cutie-pie twin girls Ava and Grace. Ava is the one waving her hand in the picture. Grace was a bit camera shy. They are both full of energy and have the most awesome personalities. Aly and I met in college at the most awesome universtiy in the state of Texas...Tarleton State University! Oscar P! Aly introduced Shaun and I at a house party and we became love birds shortly after.