First Annual Thanksgiving Eve.......

GIRLS NIGHT OUT
(plus bodyguard)

It seems only fair! The men in our family usually get together on Thanksgiving Day before dinner and go shooting. By that I mean they gather up junk that should have gone to the dump, (such as old TVs, microwaves, Halloween pumpkins, etc.), haul them out to the foothills by Saratoga Springs, and blast them to smithereens. (Is that really a word?) And when all that is reduced to dust, they resort to shooting clay pigeons. Around here, nothing says 'male bonding' better than blowing old stuff up, unless it's working together under the hood of an old car. Meanwhile back at the ranch, the ladies are slaving away in the kitchen preparing the days feast and tending children. So we decided to start a new tradition where the women get together for a little female bonding on Thanksgiving Eve and let the men hold down the fort!! Cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory was perfect. Lots of girl talk, lots of laughing, lots of stories, and lots of calories!!! The only thing that was missing was Amber. Tyler was saving your place, Amber, until you can join us for the Second Annual Thanksgiving Eve Girls Night Out.

A Peak at Paradise.....

.....well, you'd think it was Paradise! They say that Costa Rica has a thousand shades of green. I really don't think that is true. I'm sure it is more like ten thousand shades at least. The vegetation is so lush, so green, so colorful, so beautiful. Rain forests, volcanoes, waterfalls, pine forests, tropical flowers, tropical fruit crops, deserted beaches rimmed with palms, exotic birds and animals, all within a few hours drive in every direction. I'm sure I have a thousand photos that I need to wade through, but for now, here is just a sneak peak. This is the beach area near where we stayed for several nights.