The New Addition

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Well if you have not heard all ready about the newest member of the Vance family then here you go.

Over the past week or so Joseph and his partner in crime (daddy) have been talking about a pet. Yep you heard it first, a pet! I really was not to keen on the idea since taking care of two beautiful children (and Jason) is an exhausting job yet at the same time very rewarding. So anyway they were searching the internet for kittens in the area or even a very unique breed known as the Bengal Kitten. All kittens are cute but the really cute kittens come with a hefty price tag.

Bengel Kitten available for $350.00

So Jason and kids went searching at the local Animal Rescue League on Thursday and Joseph found a baby kitten that he really wanted. So he called me at work to ask if he could have it. I told him to just wait until I was off work and then we could look together. After work I went straight to the Animal Rescue League and checked the kitten out for myself. And really whats not to like about a cute little kitten. So I decided to go ahead and bring her home.

Joseph was thrilled. Kaylee was a little skeptical at first but has warmed up. Joseph loves to hold and play with her. Kaylee just likes to point and call the kitten ("buppy" aka puppy).

Joseph has decided to name the kitten Alecia or Lecia. I guess it just depends on when you ask him. Not quite sure where the name came from but all that matters is that the Kitten and Joseph have found a new friend. Here are pictures of the kids with Alecia/Lecia.

The Lousiana experience

Here are a few pictures from the Louisiana experience. The first is a beignet (donut with powdered sugar), the second is a funny sign that I saw someone holding on the street, and a picture of myself holding Candice Anne.

I went down to Louisiana to visit my Sarah & Matthew (sister & brother-in-law) and their latest new addition to the family. My niece was born on September 19th, 2008 weighing in at 11 lbs 10 oz. Her name is Candice Anne and she is so wonderful. I was by myself visiting so I could focus on just Candice. Its amazing how fast they grow so I was glad I could see her now because she will probably be close to walking by the time I see her again. And the new parents are adjusting very well.

My time spent in Louisiana was great. I was able to relax, visit with my niece, watch cable (I currently only have 4 channels), take a bath in my sister's jacuzzi tub, and sleep in a little bit. And of course we did the tourist thing by driving around looking at many things. One place in particular is a must see...New Orleans.

New Orleans...need I say more!

I was told its a completely different town and nothing can compare. And it didn't. We visited New Orleans on a Saturday therefore there were people all around. The people were very diverse along with some of the aromas in the air. We walked down the streets including Bourbon St and ate a beignet at Cafe Du Monde.

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween everyone. Well Des Moines does things a little different. Yep, I know what you are thinking "Big Surprise". So the kids in town (depending on the town) have designated "Beggars Nights" and so our night was tonight. Joseph dressed up after the hit superhero movie "Ironman". His costume was red & gold and consisted of big muscles along with a mask. And he just couldn't resist carrying around his sword along with him. Kaylee was little monster that was primarily purple with a little green. She was a trooper however she is a little scared of the scary costumes and the homes that are all decked out. Maybe next year she will overcome her fear a little bit better.

"Beggars Night" was one of the best in many many years that I can recall. It was in the 60's and it seemed like it did not get dark until later. However I was very disappointed in the number of kids that I didn't see. You would think with the nice weather that there would have been more kids running around. So I am still not really sure what to think of it except that we now have a little more candy in the bowl. I am sure Joseph is happy about that.

I hope everyone has a great Halloween!

Metallica 10/26/2008

Metallica...need I say more. I have been a fan of Metallica for quite a long time and so of course I had to buy tickets when I heard they were coming to Des Moines again. And my 13 old nephew Jeromy has been waiting for his cool Aunt to take him to his first concert so I jumped at the moment.

Metallica was awesome!!!! I was not all that impressed with the opening bands but Metallica made up for the whole night. They played the old songs which are of course the best as well as some of the songs from their new album. Jeromy and I had a great time. It was also a great event to people watch. Any kind of person you can think of was there such as youngters, elders, and everything in between. And then there are people that enjoy crashing up against one another (aka mosh pit) as a way to enjoy a concert (what a waste of money, can't you do that somewhere else?).

So all in all it was another great concert under my belt and the first of many for Jeromy. I recommend that if they come to a town near you than you should check them out.

Kaylee Dancing

Ok, so my little girl just loves to dance. It does not matter if it is a song on a commercial, movie, toy, computer, or in the car she will just stop and dance. It is the cutest thing ever.

Fast forward oh lets just say 3 or 4 years. Is Kaylee going to want to do the whole dance thing that involves classes, recitals, new outfits, and makeup? The entire process seems like a great idea but I have heard stories about little girls. Not to mention the cost of the hobby is very expensive. And I know myself I would be just as bad as Kaylee and get all wrapped up in the whole thing. So for now I think we will just stay at home and just let dance her little heart out until she is content and wait to cross that long expensive bridge if we have to.