Lance, Lana, Liam,Las Vegas

Liam was so smiley during the flight that a few passengers leaving the aircraft complimented me on my happy baby. I really enjoy these encounters with other people and it is great to see how such a little man is able to make so many people smile.

The flight with Liam was great! It is a 4h flight from Charlotte, NC but he was not crying once. For me on the other hand it was not so easy because I had to hold that not so light anymore baby the whole time. On our flight I was able to see the Grand Canyon from above, which was amazing!!It is truly grand!

The Airport of Las Vegas gives you a good foretaste of what to expect later on....gambling machines everywhere around the terminals mixed in with people in crazy costumes and huge billboards advertising all the shows gave me the bizarre feeling of being in a a big Amusement park for grownups. I had to smile when I passed the fresh flower bouquet vending machine. Only in America! Driving away from the Airport I was amazed by the unique landscape. One that I had never seen anywhere else before! I loved how the mountains just look like a painting. The did not look real to me and I could not stop staring at them...It felt like we just landed on a different planet. Everything so wide and vast. Amazing. The strip downtown was great to see but it was one of those things that you see once and you don't have the urge to go back. I find it interesting how everything is just acopy of Europe. Venice, Paris and the italian landscape around the Bellagio, where I was really impressed by the lightshow.We had fun walking around and watching people (you see some crazy ones in Vegas) and Liam was mesmerized by uncountable lights shining from everywhere! It was a great time catching up with good friends. Thank you so much for everything Garrett and Annamarie (=

We went hiking on Mount Charleston which was absolutely beautiful, toured the Hoover Damm and went on an Adventure Trip through the Eldorado Valley, which has been the setting for several wild west movies. We will save the trip to Grand Canyon for next time (=

Three and a half Germans in South Carolina!

August has been a great month for many reasons but most of all because my two good friends from Germany decided to come all the way to South Carolina to visit us. We had such a great time together that it's difficult to know where to start. The Highlights of their vacation were our trips to Savannah, Charleston, Hilton Head Island and Myrtle Beach. We started off in Hilton Head Island were we rented a beach condo for a few days. Lance was able to join us for a night too. It was beautiful and very relaxing. We enjoyed sunshine and sea even though it was warm like in a bathtub. We also enjoyed watching the Pelicans doing there fly-bys.

Savannah is a very pretty city and used to be the capital of Georgia at some point. I feel like there is a flair of the glorious past in the air in that town. All over the city are trees covered with moss which along with the elegant architecture makes this place worth visiting. It turns out that Savannah was not the location for the movie "Gone With the Wind" which I had falsely told my friends, it's just the book plays in Georgia. "Forest Gump" and "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" however were movies that played in Savannah.

The next morning we went back over the bridge that separates the two States (GA and SC ) and spent a wonderful day in Charleston. Charleston is only 1.45 min away from our house and a great get away. Both are coastal cities , which makes it so special. When Lance and I went to Charleston in Spring we saw some Dolphins from the pier. There is great shopping (not that we needed to do anymore), pretty houses and good seafood in Charleston. We enjoyed some great tasting shrimp while we were there. Liam was so good the whole time. He really enjoyed our adventures and all the attention he received from his two additional mommies. (=

He was smiling a lot and did not seem to mind the long drives in between. Both of my friends said that they want to have a child like him someday. He is so easy to take along and made it really easy for me to enjoy the time with my friends.

We also rented a lake house for a night near our house which was great...at least until we found out there were poisonous snakes and gators in it! =) The water was warm like taking a bath, but we had a good time. To make up for all the shopping we did, I had to get a side job as a life guard...haha!

The time I had with Susi and Sabrina past quick and after they left the house seemed really empty. Thankfully I will see them soon again! Thanks for coming Y'ALL. (= It is amazing how much Liam is learning lately. Even in the time my friends where here he made some huge steps! He is now able to sit upright in his special Bumbo seat and loves touching his feet that he had recently discovered. He constantly likes to chew and suck on his hand and it is only a question of time until he discovers his thumb. He loves his green bouncy seat and is reaching for his toys now! He is also able to hold on to them and occasionally talks to them. The big change that babies go through in such a short time amazes me. He laughs everyday and he just loves live. When he wakes up in the morning and after his naps he looks at me with a big smile. What an amazing little boy he is! Even though he is so good I would really, really like to sleep through a night again after over 3 months. Here is a video about a serious conversation I had with Liam about my sleep deprivation. (=

Tomorrow Liam and I are getting ready for our next adventure. We will fly to Las Vegas to be with Lance. He has to work there for a couple of weeks and I will stay with a very good friend of mine that I know from Italy. There are two more friends stationed there and I can't wait to see them again! None of us had babies when we saw each other the last time and now we are all mommies. How exciting! In the meantime I am sending my love to everyone who reads this!

More Pictures here!

Take care!
Lana