These are those amazing pictures I promised you!!! The mountains look like ice cream cones. Dusted with vanilla. It was so beautiful I can barely give them justice with my words. I cannot remember the last time I saw the snow so close to my own home. The kids loved it too, growing up Arizona style... We visit snow here. It never comes to our front door.

Well not never!!!

Lori
I'm back from a few days away with Joe. He had a seminar he had to attend for the CME's, he taped a commercial for his profession and some meetings to attend for some committees he boards. I went with him for the fun factor and so I could spend some time with my Uncle Rudy in Henderson. I know he is very lonely since my Aunt Irene has passed. Her birthday has just passed too.

The hotel was beautiful "Mandalay Bay" and it always amazes me how that city changes every time I go to visit. The last time I came to visit the strip it was October 2004 when I went to meet up with my childhood friend Lisa from New York. Her husband is also a Doctor has a seminar at the Paris hotel. We spend a lot of time together and it was good. Plus Joe did not have any meeting to attend so we spent a lot of time together too. My cousin told me they had 44 million visitors last year alone. That's a lot of people. They are going to tear down the Sands hotel and build a 4 billion dollar hotel in it's place. I'm not much of a gambler but I do love the roulette wheel I can play for hours and hours. I have lucky numbers and love the concept. Joe hates to gamble and rarely does it... He sits with me and bets on black or red... He had no spare time anyway with the seminar. We ate at Bobby Flay's restaurant again "The Mesa Grill" and it is still one of my very best favorite places in the world. The food is so different and amazing. Yumm!

This trip was cut short because Joe had another meeting to attend at the same time and flew out of Vegas on Friday to Washington DC. He will be returning on Tuesday, to Phoenix. My friend Vara came up on Thursday to play too. We shopped a little and had fun too.

So while he was gone I spent some real quality time with my Uncle and went shopping and had lunch together. He is the nicest person I've ever met next to my father, for they are brothers. My Uncle is going to be 87 in September and is as sharp as a tack. My dad is 80 next February. He told my cousin Robin that he knew why people came to visit a lot more when Irene was around since she was so warm and inviting plus very hospitable... But since she was gone, people do not come around as often. For he is very lonely... My cousin says the her brothers are sad to visit because it reminds them for what they have lost too... It's a double edged sword. I wish we lived closer so I could visit more often.

I'm refreshed, slowed down and relaxed when I realize how fast we move through the days that we forget to stop and smell the roses...I missed the kids so much when we were gone but I also learned that I need time away with Joe to build on our relationship too... And the kids also get to stop and look at their lives and appreciate us as parents too. I think it's good to have time away it really makes you think about how good you really have it. I sometimes get all caught up in our day to day business.

The next national meeting is in Orlando, then Long Beach, then Washington DC in 2009. I promised the kids we can go to that one as a family because I really want to show them all that history plus it is such a great town. They also want to get away for Easter and we just might do that. It's hard to leave and be gone for Holidays especially for the small ones who still believe... If you know what I mean....

Glad to be home again!!!

Lori
I hate for this to be a b*$#& session... But life has taken us on a wild ride.... Crazy but under control now. Joe recently fell and landed on his wrist and hurt it quite bad about two weeks ago. Ironically we were in the process of upgrading our disability insurance and had met with the insurance man three days prior...
Good news... He seems to be getting better(very slowly). He had two hand specialists look at it, three sets of x-rays and MRI's and possibly a third if it does not continue to have better improvement. He had a injection and had small relief.
Bad news if he has the arthroscopic surgery he will be out of the office 4-6 weeks. Not good...

Accident you might say.... NOOOOOO, He injured the wrist playing with my 9 year old son...
Roller hockey(not kidding) "A surgeon playing hockey on roller blades"...You said....
"with wrist guards" you ask... no, not this time....

Let's just say this has brought us closer.... very close(physically), he cannot drive, fill out paperwork (Dr's Forms)He needs daily wraps and help with everything... almost everything... Did I mention it's the Right hand...

Thank God for his two (doctor) brothers who have been helping him in surgery and for the fact that he has a planned seminar that will give him a pre planned week off! ie: rest... The rescheduling of patients and Thank God everyone has been so understanding.

Well enough said... I'm tired... mentally and physically....
Did I mention that I have a office staff off this week to since she has developed kidney stones???? Oh yea, that too.

Enough said! I almost feel sorry for me... (for a second)... life must go on... (it does feel good to write it out though) But when I read about what is going on in other's blogs... I know that I'm lucky and it can always be much worse.

New subject:
Good news.... We did have snow... Yes, I said snow in CaveCreek and Carefree Arizona... The mountains are so beautiful covered in a blanket of snow. I do not remember ever seeing snow on the local mountains and how awesome a sight it is... I will post a picture soon. Promise.

Lori
Hi a rough week... My daughter learned a good lesson... To always listen to that little voice in your head... The voice of reason, the voice of decision... She made a bad choice last weekend and now is suffering the consequences, and I'm the mean ole' Mom... Joe tends to play Good cop Bad cop and this one he was on the same page. I remember the days when you wanted to be the best Mom in the world and you promised yourself that you would never do or say those things when you became a Mom... Well guess what... You say the same things your Mom said to you when you were growing up and it hurts me more than it hurts you rings true!!! Man that's not cool....Not that I'm wanting to be a bestfriend... But I want my kids to learn and enjoy life and I always felt like I did not get to do all the fun stuff all the other kids did... But can I use this oldie but goodie.... Things are different now that they were when I was young... uuuggghh!!! I know that was some of the forbidden words... What can you do... What is the right thing to say??? Who knows? You Only can be in the situation and say the right things in the moment... I know if I had more time to think I would have said it better... Who knows?