What do these things have in common? They are all directly related to my neglect of this blog. After the whirlwind of Aubrie's baptism, I had to quickly gear up for a Ben and I's trip to Las Vegas. It was my anniversary gift, from him to me. It was a quick trip, up Tuesday morning and back Wednesday morning, with the main intent to see Phantom of the Opera. I have always wanted to see that play, and had a few failed attempts, which included a snowed in pass between Salt Lake and San Fransisco, over 14 years ago (is that how long it's been since I was a Sophomore in college?). Anyway, it finally became a reality, and in an amazing theatre, no less.Luckily my Mom was able to get Tuesday off from work, and Nicole helped Wednesday morning. Nothing like having peace of mind when it comes to who's watching your kids!
Our flight left early, 7:30, on Tuesday. We pushed it a little too much, and them sending my bag back to be checked, due to over sized "liquid" products (dang that Biosilk), didn't help things. Ben was great enough to go check it in, while I grabbed us seats on the plane (gotta love Southwest!). He had enough time, luckily, to grab me some Paradise Bakery, before the plane took off. Tuesday was a hot day in Vegas, which made walking the strip almost unbearable. We started off with getting a Taxi (we were staying at the Stratosphere) to the Bilogio. After sitting in traffic for 5 minutes and watching the meter hit 8 dollars and not going a mile, we asked him to let us off at Circus Circus. When we walked in, this lady at the front was so nice, overly, and asked us where we were from and why we were here. Ben told her we were here for our anniversary, and then she said she wanted to buy us dinner. Things seemed fishy to me, and as she brought her to one of her "helpers" I quickly realized this was for a timeshare. I stopped the girl mid-sentence and asked if this was a time share thing. She looked shocked that I caught on so fast and told me it was. I then told her that I only had one day vacation away from my kids (don't get me wrong I love them, but everyone needs a break) and I wasn't going to waste it listening to a time share presentation. We quickly got our Krispy Kreme doughnuts (our reason for the Circus Circus stop) and left for our journey down the strip. 
I quickly was wishing that we had rented a car. The heat reflecting off the pavement, was almost smothering, and the fact that I didn't bring great shoes, left parts of my body aching. I felt like I had aged 20 years. We found reprieve from the heat, as we went in and out of Casino's that we liked. We walked the indoor mall of the Venetian (AMAZING!!). 
I felt as though I had stepped into a wormhole, and had left the casino. The had water going through the "mall" and gondola rides going back and forth on the waters. It really had a feel of Italy, except newer! We finally made our trek down to the New York Hotel, after avoiding a million people trying to get us to go to the Tahitian Village time share spill. Ben and I finally decided if someone asked us where we were from (their opening line), we would tell them we were from Tahiti to throw them off! Hee! Hee!
I felt as though I had stepped into a wormhole, and had left the casino. The had water going through the "mall" and gondola rides going back and forth on the waters. It really had a feel of Italy, except newer! We finally made our trek down to the New York Hotel, after avoiding a million people trying to get us to go to the Tahitian Village time share spill. Ben and I finally decided if someone asked us where we were from (their opening line), we would tell them we were from Tahiti to throw them off! Hee! Hee! So we finally arrived at New York New York to ride the roller coaster, to find out that it was 14 bucks for one ride. We contemplated getting the 25 dollar pass, and riding it like 4 times, but we ended up playing Ms. Pacman in the arcade for about 45 minutes. Ben and I were laughing over how funny that was....flying to Vegas to play a video game. We then headed back, catching lunch at Panda Express (I wasn't in the mood for Casino food the whole trip) and the Roller Coaster at Circus Circus (only 7 dollars). When we first got to Circus Circus my head was spinning. It was so bad I had to sit down before I passed out. I think between the heat, smoke, and a cold that I didn't know was coming, really got me good! I probably shouldn't had gone on the roller coaster, but I am a roller coaster freak! When we got back to the hotel I took a 45 minute nap, and then we went to the pool for a few hours. It was nice to just lay their and relax. At first it was too hot, but once I got wet, the breeze cooled my skin and laying out was much more enjoyable. I could have stayed there another hour, but I had to get ready for the sow. 
The show started at 7:00 and we hadn't eaten since lunch, so we got a quick snack at Johnny Rockets, at the Venetian (the same place Phantom was showing). I got a call from my Mom, and she said that there was a mix up at the school and Boston got left. One of the office ladies got him home, and everything was fine, but Ben got several calls from his Dad. I didn't quite understand why, because my Mom had already talked to him and he knew everything was alright. After dissolving that situation, we headed to the theatre. It was so beautiful, just like the one in the movie. The show was amazing! I was most amazed by the sets, and the costumes. Christine's voice was amazing, but the Phantoms was a little weak. He was also a little too dramatic for my taste, but it was still a very enjoyable show! I still am partial to Wicked, but I do admit that Phantom has them beat in all the special effects and the beautiful costumes!
After the show, we walked the strip to see if "O" was playing at the Bilogio. Unfortunately, it only played Wednesday's through Sunday's, a day too early! It was for the best. I was exhausted, and crashed when we got to the hotel. We had a 10:00 flight, which meant we had to be up by 7:30. We made it there in p
lenty of time, and that's when I started my 5 day (1,700 pages worth) addiction...."Twilight". If you haven't heard of the book series, I suggest you look into it! What a riveting, suspenseful series! Whew! The story of how the book was written is also amazing! The movie is also coming in out in December. You should check the trailer out!!! I started to really get into the book as we were landing, and couldn't wait to read it that night. Well, that didn't happen. When I got home, I got the worst headache and Ben had me lay down, it was so bad. I laid down at 5:30 and didn't wake up until 6:30 the following morning. I hadn't slept that much since college. I thought it must had been from the Casino smoke, and carried on like normal on Thursday. My head was throbbing a little, but I figured it was getting better. I managed going to Kayleen's dance recital, which had a few strobe light numbers, but luckily they warned us before hand, so Erin and I were able to close our eyes. I walked out of there feeling alright, and I dove into my book when I got home. I finished it around Midnight, and then started the next one, "New Moon", and read for about 1/2 an hour. The next day I read during naps, and when Sophia was up, I scramble around running errands to get ready for Aubrie's birthday party.
She invited 7 girls, and that was a perfect amount. The party was from 4 to 8, and the girls were still not wanting to leave when their parents came to pick them up. We started off with an hour of swimming, and then we ate pizza, opened presents and made ice cream cakes. I gave each of the girls their own ice cream sandwich, and then they decorated it with Redi Whip and sprinkles. They loved it! After they were done with their "cake" they played High School Musical Wii Sing Along, while I did the girls nails and toes, one at a time! I bought flower decals, so it looked like they went to the Nail Salon. They had fun picking their colors and their flowers. The Wii was not the best idea. Some girls got the idea, and others......well lets just say that their mouth was too close to the microphone and my head was pleading for mercy! After nails and Wii, I made popcorn and put in Hannah Montanna, while I quickly gave Sophia a bath and put her to bed. The girls then played outside a bit more, and then we handed out the party favors. I got a great deal on Webkinz (averaging about 6 dollars each), and I decided that would be way more cool than a bunch of plastic favors that would end up in the trash. I also HATE figuring out party favors...trying to get things I think they might like that don't cost a fortune in the end. My problem was quickly solved. Anyway, I made them draw numbers and then put them all in a bag. They had to close their eyes and I gave them 3 seconds to pull one out of the bag. That worked well....no complaining, no favorites...etc! After the "draw", we turned out the lights and they played hide and go seek! Most everyone was gone by 8:30, except Kate and Sarah, who I knew would be staying longer. They were all thrilled that they got to stay up "late" together. About 10:00 it happened! My head started to hurt. I figured it was due to the Wii Karoke, and I kept reading. Then around 11:00 I started to feel it, the sore throat, ugh! I finally went to bed at Midnight, leaving me with a quarter of the book left.
Saturday morning was a gift from Heaven! Usually, when Sophia wakes up she is ready to go, whether she gets a bottle or not! Well I got the normal 6:30 wake up call, and desperately tried the bottle trick. Miraculously she fell back asleep, and I woke up at 8:00, and her and Aubrie were still snoozing. I got a half an hour of reading my book before everyone woke up. I started my day feeling fine, the throat still a little sore, but nothing unbearable. I spent the day cleaning, and doing laundry, including the boys camping stuff...I hate that dirty campfire smell! So that meant I was washing blankets, pillows, sleeping bags, etc. That night we picked up some things for Mother's day, and that's when my cold took a serious turn for the worst! I still managed to finish "New Moon, and start "Eclipse", because I wasn't tired, but I still didn't feel so hot!
The show started at 7:00 and we hadn't eaten since lunch, so we got a quick snack at Johnny Rockets, at the Venetian (the same place Phantom was showing). I got a call from my Mom, and she said that there was a mix up at the school and Boston got left. One of the office ladies got him home, and everything was fine, but Ben got several calls from his Dad. I didn't quite understand why, because my Mom had already talked to him and he knew everything was alright. After dissolving that situation, we headed to the theatre. It was so beautiful, just like the one in the movie. The show was amazing! I was most amazed by the sets, and the costumes. Christine's voice was amazing, but the Phantoms was a little weak. He was also a little too dramatic for my taste, but it was still a very enjoyable show! I still am partial to Wicked, but I do admit that Phantom has them beat in all the special effects and the beautiful costumes!
After the show, we walked the strip to see if "O" was playing at the Bilogio. Unfortunately, it only played Wednesday's through Sunday's, a day too early! It was for the best. I was exhausted, and crashed when we got to the hotel. We had a 10:00 flight, which meant we had to be up by 7:30. We made it there in p
lenty of time, and that's when I started my 5 day (1,700 pages worth) addiction...."Twilight". If you haven't heard of the book series, I suggest you look into it! What a riveting, suspenseful series! Whew! The story of how the book was written is also amazing! The movie is also coming in out in December. You should check the trailer out!!! I started to really get into the book as we were landing, and couldn't wait to read it that night. Well, that didn't happen. When I got home, I got the worst headache and Ben had me lay down, it was so bad. I laid down at 5:30 and didn't wake up until 6:30 the following morning. I hadn't slept that much since college. I thought it must had been from the Casino smoke, and carried on like normal on Thursday. My head was throbbing a little, but I figured it was getting better. I managed going to Kayleen's dance recital, which had a few strobe light numbers, but luckily they warned us before hand, so Erin and I were able to close our eyes. I walked out of there feeling alright, and I dove into my book when I got home. I finished it around Midnight, and then started the next one, "New Moon", and read for about 1/2 an hour. The next day I read during naps, and when Sophia was up, I scramble around running errands to get ready for Aubrie's birthday party.She invited 7 girls, and that was a perfect amount. The party was from 4 to 8, and the girls were still not wanting to leave when their parents came to pick them up. We started off with an hour of swimming, and then we ate pizza, opened presents and made ice cream cakes. I gave each of the girls their own ice cream sandwich, and then they decorated it with Redi Whip and sprinkles. They loved it! After they were done with their "cake" they played High School Musical Wii Sing Along, while I did the girls nails and toes, one at a time! I bought flower decals, so it looked like they went to the Nail Salon. They had fun picking their colors and their flowers. The Wii was not the best idea. Some girls got the idea, and others......well lets just say that their mouth was too close to the microphone and my head was pleading for mercy! After nails and Wii, I made popcorn and put in Hannah Montanna, while I quickly gave Sophia a bath and put her to bed. The girls then played outside a bit more, and then we handed out the party favors. I got a great deal on Webkinz (averaging about 6 dollars each), and I decided that would be way more cool than a bunch of plastic favors that would end up in the trash. I also HATE figuring out party favors...trying to get things I think they might like that don't cost a fortune in the end. My problem was quickly solved. Anyway, I made them draw numbers and then put them all in a bag. They had to close their eyes and I gave them 3 seconds to pull one out of the bag. That worked well....no complaining, no favorites...etc! After the "draw", we turned out the lights and they played hide and go seek! Most everyone was gone by 8:30, except Kate and Sarah, who I knew would be staying longer. They were all thrilled that they got to stay up "late" together. About 10:00 it happened! My head started to hurt. I figured it was due to the Wii Karoke, and I kept reading. Then around 11:00 I started to feel it, the sore throat, ugh! I finally went to bed at Midnight, leaving me with a quarter of the book left.
Saturday morning was a gift from Heaven! Usually, when Sophia wakes up she is ready to go, whether she gets a bottle or not! Well I got the normal 6:30 wake up call, and desperately tried the bottle trick. Miraculously she fell back asleep, and I woke up at 8:00, and her and Aubrie were still snoozing. I got a half an hour of reading my book before everyone woke up. I started my day feeling fine, the throat still a little sore, but nothing unbearable. I spent the day cleaning, and doing laundry, including the boys camping stuff...I hate that dirty campfire smell! So that meant I was washing blankets, pillows, sleeping bags, etc. That night we picked up some things for Mother's day, and that's when my cold took a serious turn for the worst! I still managed to finish "New Moon, and start "Eclipse", because I wasn't tired, but I still didn't feel so hot!
Instead of spending my Mothers day at Church, and with the kiddo's, I spent it in bed. I slept for the majority of the day, and spent the later part reading, just to try to keep me awake, so I wouldn't mess up my sleep schedule too horribly. Ben made me a wonderful Steak Dinner for Mothers Day, which included mashed potatoes, grilled mushrooms and onions, and Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake. I felt horrible, because I didn't have much of an appetite. After we got the kids in bed, we watched our Thursday recorded shows, and then we went to bed.
Today I wasn't as tired, but my head felt like it was going to explode. Too much movement, and too much noise magnified the pain. All I could do was lay there, so that left me to finishing off my 3rd book. It felt so good to get that series finished! I can't wait till the 4th book! I guess me being sick and not being able to do much more than lay there was great timing for reading those books. I have a problem when it comes to reading....I can't stop! I get so into the books, if they are really good, that it's all I can think about. I'm sure Ben was wishing it would have drawn out over a few games on TV, that way he could watch them in peace. LOL! Tonight I made and easy dinner, used the great new FHE book based on the Strength of the Youth pamphlet, again. This week was on gratitude. The kids LOVE the lessons, and I do, too! I highly recommend it to anyone needing fresh ideas. It's called, "Before they are Twelve".
