A trip to Vegas

It's been a week since I last posted, I have been busy painting my family room and moving furniture so my carpets can get cleaned..(dang animals!)
I still have a few touch up's and need to decide on curtains and which wedding pictures I want to get framed, but the hard part is finished. I'll post pics when it's all done.

Sean and I were able to run away for a 3 day weekend trip to Vegas.  It was great to get away and have a change of pace for a couple days but I think next time we need to head to someplace like Jackson Hole Wyoming, or Yellowstone, where he can actually unplug, and we can relax.

 Notice the glow in Sean's hand, he is working from his phone, emailing work, hence my comment 'need to unplug'

We left on Thursday and made a 4 hour stop in St George so Sean could drop by and help the missionaries that he has been working with on a project at work.  They were all so sweet and had brought in a lunch for us.
While Sean was working with them, they gave me a nice comfy couch so I could relax and read my book, they also brought me in some yummy cookies.

Nice folks, such a contrast to some of the folks we saw in Vegas, who were the same age.  

 Soon we were back on the road, that last stretch between St George and Vegas is pretty mind numbing... not a lot to look at but we had a good book, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Slayer to listen to, (don't judge me) it really is a good book:) and a bag full of chocolate covered pretzels and a can of Pringles, what could be better:)

                                   


We stayed on the Strip, so we didn't have far to walk to be in the thick of it all.  We walked the Strip, did some window shopping, ate at a buffet, went to the Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, and of course bought tickets to a Cirque Show... really the only reason I like going to Vegas is for the shows.

jelly fish

We bought tickets to KA, and of course if was fantastic.  I am in awe of what the human body can do every time I see a Cirque show. 

                                                   


By the time the show was over it was 9 pm, and we had made reservations for dinner at a really nice place and were hoping for a little less noise and chaos that the casino's are full of... but no, the music that was being piped in was loud and obnoxious.    It was the same music they were piping into the casino, just with the lights dimmer:) So much for a quiet romantic dinner.

I realize Vegas is what it is by design, the loudness, the smoking, the gambling, the immorality, they don't want you to actually have a moment of quiet thought, they are trying to bombard and entice you at every corner.  I feel like I have sensory over load the entire time I am there. It is what it is, just not one of my favorite places.

I would like to say Vegas is a great place to visit... but I'm really not so sure about that.  I love the shows but I think I could take a forever pass on the rest of it.

A city girl I am not.

I love being with Sean and time spent with Sean well, that is ALWAYS a good thing, but next time I think we will go for a different kind of get away, one that includes a nice ride down the Snake River and maybe throw in a forest, and some cool mountain breezes. I'm just sayin...

    

Road Trip

 

Road trip...

Now that most of my kids are married, and everyone has moved out, it is quite the accomplishment to get us all moving in the same direction.  Not that we don’t want to, but with work schedules and school it can be almost impossible. 

But this weekend was important for all of us, we wanted to go and support an extended member of our family; Ryan, who will be leaving next week to serve a mission in Korea for the next 2 years.   

My kids have always known that they can bring anyone over for family dinner, and through the years we have grown to love so many of them!   Sean and I really love them all, and feel like they are truly an extension of our own brood.

On this trip a lot of their old high school buddies came as well to support Ryan, our Saturday was spent passing around a very large bag of jelly bellies, swimming, laying out, and playing ‘draw something’ on our phones with each other, later that evening Ryan’s family had us all over for an evening of good food, and more games.   Brandon set up a slack line which is harder than it looks and everyone took their turn trying to make it across. 

A great meeting on Sunday, I don’t think there was a dry eye after the meeting. As usual I was grateful for the gospel in my life.

On the way home I was looking at all the pictures I took, and I realized a few things; Pringles are the perfect road trip food, jelly bellies still taste terrific, playing phone games is a great way to waste time, St George weather is perfect in March, my kids make me laugh and cry at the same time, and I would rather hang out with this crew than anyone else.  Life is good.