Vegas Vacation day four...

Two different people had told David before we left for Vegas that he HAD to go to the Pinball Hall of Fame.  So we google mapped it and went for a drive Tuesday morning.  It is this old building and it has rows and rows of pinball machines!  A lot of the really old ones only cost 25 cents to play.  Others were 50 cents and 75 cents.  It was crazy!  We got there when it first opened, but after we had been there about 30 minutes it got busy!  The kids each had a dish of quarters to spend as they saw fit.  Jacob was very careful with his money and played mostly cheaper games so when the other kids were out of quarters, they just had to watch Jacob play!  He was really sweet and offered to share his quarters, but his mom told him those were his and he got to use them.  It was kind of a fun way to spend the morning.  One of the machines David was playing, stopped playing right, so the lady working there (all the people who "work" there, do it for free, just as a fun hobby) came and sat down and fixed it for him.  She explained some things about pinball machines.  

We went back to the hotel and decided to try the pools again.  The kids got in, Amanda sat on the edge, and Dave and I sat under the shade watching the airplanes go by.  It got too chilly for me so we finally went back upstairs.  My friend who I have known since we were 8, and probably haven't seen since then (but have kept in touch all these years) lives in Las Vegas and she made the trip across town (30 minutes!) to visit me for a little bit!  With a broken toe!  Her foot was in a boot.  What a trooper.  Janie McCollaum Moore.  We both lived in Alaska and our dads were in the military.  Not sure how we kept up all these years  (well, back in the day we wrote letters to each other) and her brother served his mission in Mesa and randomly knocked on my door one day.  Wow.  Anyway, we had fun visiting for a bit and trying to remember what we could about Alaska and our baptisms.  

One night for dinner, we had bought a frozen pizza but the store didn't have a disposable pizza pan.  We bout a roaster type one and Dave smashed it down to a shape we could put our pizza on.  Necessity is the mother of inventions, right?  Another night we ate at the restaurant in the resort that was like a 50's place...burgers, fries, milkshakes etc.  It was really good!  We had to walk through an old smokey casino and that was pretty gross, but we were happy for the great meal we got! Our vacation was coming to a close.  It has been fun and relaxing.  No stress and no schedules! The kids enjoyed each taking a turn in the jet tub.  On the drive home I said I thought I was going to take a jet tub bath and the kids asked where....and I said, in my bathroom!  They didn't know my tub has jets in it!  ha ha.  

Vegas vacation day three...

On Monday I was most excited...we were going to The Luxor!  It is the pyramid hotel and they have the Titanic Exhibit!  I have wanted to see that forever...and Dave took me!  He didn't have to be to work until Wednesday...so we had a couple of days to play.  While he and I did that (it was fabulous!), Amanda and the kids met Lauren Green and her kids at the hotel next door, Mandalay Bay, to see Shark Reef.  The kids loved that!  They got to touch a stingray and see all kinds of neat sea things.  I love the Luxor and if I ever can stay for free, I would!  At the Titanic Exhibit they give you a card of someone who was actually on the Titanic and at the end of the exhibit you see if they made it or not.  They had many artifacts from the Titanic and many stories and pictures, and they had some rooms set up like what they would have looked like.  It was very interesting, and both Dave and I "survived" the Titanic Disaster.  After our fun exhibits, we met back together and walked on down the strip.  We stopped at the Hershey Store and the M&M store.  Both amazing!  We could not believe all that they had!  There was a chocolate Statue of Liberty and a whole section dedicated to Reeses.  At the M&M store they had every kind of M&M imaginable!  All those colors...wow!!  We walked back to the Luxor (where we had parked) and saw some pretty icky things all the way back.  Why do people have to be so creepy and disgusting?  Anyway, I tried to get a good picture of the sphinx but didn't have much luck. When we got back to the hotel, Amanda and the kids decided to try out one of the pools (there were at least 4!) but it was too windy and cold.  They didn't last very long.  Isn't Vegas supposed to be warm and sunny!?  We just kept asking that question...it turned warm again right after we left for home...

Vegas vacation day two...

Sunday morning, March 5th, we slept in...the best with could with three early rising children.  After breakfast and getting ready for the day, we had a nice, friendly game of Monopoly! We also brought the Monopoly Deal cards and played with those a lot as well.  We watched on of our church movies (Liken the Scriptures) and then went for a drive to the Las Vegas Temple.  It was such a windy day!!  Oh my goodness!  It was all we could do to stand still and take a picture!  It is a beautiful temple and there were only a few other people that were there.  It was just so windy and COLD.  The palm trees were swaying so much and even Moroni had a little movement going on...it was crazy!  So we didn't stay too long. When we got back to the hotel we got some golf clubs and balls, but it was too windy to play outside so we just did some practicing in the room.  Grandpa showed the kids how to do it.  It was a nice relaxing day, INSIDE.  Isn't Vegas supposed to be warm and sunny?

Vegas Vacation...

Amanda was really ready for a break from school, and she and the kids were on spring break...just so happens that Dave has a business trip in Las Vegas and we can tag along and stay in his hotel room!  Actually a time-share resort that his co-worker has and he gave us the extra room for free!  Asphalt zipper paid for our gas, so this was a minimal cost vacation!  We did give his co-worker some money, but it was already paid for and his family couldn't come so he would have lost money if he cancelled it.  Anyway, it was super nice of him and we had a great time!  Spring break was almost over, but they had Monday off too, so they only missed Tuesday, one day of school.  

We left on Saturday, the 4th.  Amanda drove first and Dave sat in front.  I was in the middle with Jacob.  He started reading right away.  He loves to read!  Then he drew a picture of me on his etch a sketch.  After awhile, Amanda needed a break so Dave drove and I moved to the front seat.  She sat in the middle and helped kids with their homework.  Math, to be precise.  Always a math teacher, even on break!  When we arrived at the resort, we got all checked in and were ready to relax!  We loved that the pictures in the living area were of cameras.  Had to take a picture and send it to Joel. (He and Nate were NOT on spring break...darn). We were on the 14th floor and our view as not very pretty.  Ha. But we had a nice master bath, complete with jetted tub, a nice big bathroom, a kitchen and a living area.  There is a pull out couch and Amanda slept there.  The first night was rough, the bars on the bed cut into her back so for the rest of the trip she slept on the couch which was much more comfortable.  The kids slept in their sleeping bags on the floor.  We went down the street to the grocery store and bought some groceries for our meals. We were all settled in and ready for fun the next day!

Snow and Smoothies...

Just when you think it is through snowing, you wake up to a random dusting of snow!  I like it and I am not complaining.  A lot of people complain and want spring to get here right now...but I will enjoy any snow we can get!  It snowed some more during the day and by afternoon it was a little thicker!  The kids will want to go out and play in it when they get home.  Fun! Also, when we made smoothies this morning, we hit #200!  The kids really like their green smoothies and they love to see how many we have made.  I am glad they like something so healthy and good for them!

Cub Scout Pack Meeting

Tonight's blue and gold banquet was "Super Cubs!" They had it decorated so cute...and look...you can make a whole city skyline with post it notes!  They had baked potatoes and chili and salad. David got his Wolf badge and got to pin his mom.  It was fun evening!