Our trip to Vegas was so much fun!! I hadn't really ever been there before so we tried to see everything. Well...not everything - just the good stuff!

This sign was really cool. It is by the Vegas airport and has been their icon for like 60 years. While we were there was a line of wedding guests with the brides and grooms that had been married that day. I think we saw two or three new couples while we were there. By the way - we checked every where we went. That is not real grass. Most of the hotels don't have real grass either.

We left super early on Firday morning. Around 4 a.m. and drove through a snow storm and ended up in 75 degree weather! We left early hoping that the kids would fall right back to sleep and sleep most of the way. Hmmm...sounds like a good plan right?!?! Ethan refused to fall asleep. He took maybe a 15 minute nap but then we had to stop for gas. Once we got to the hotel he was just a little lump on the bed. Poor kid was tuckered out.

Ethan had this great desire to wear Grandma's sunglasses. Normally he doesn't look so goofy but he had just taken his hat off. I love the hat hair, glasses, and cheeser smile.

Ellie spent alot of time in the stroller.
Usually she was fine with it and just enjoyed watching all the other poeple and flashing lights.


Other times she did not enjoy it at all.


There were so many stinking people there it was ridiculous. It is possible (and by possible I mean it for sure happened) that me and my mom got totally lost trying to figure out where to park. There are no parking lots! Oh, and then we realized that you can park in any hotel parking lot for free! Eh, we only realized that after an hour of driving around, cutting poeple off, close calls, and a few swear words later. Because there was so much traffic they had built these walk ways over every intersection. Which was kind of nice. But they were so crowded. And then you added the poeple sitting on the sides with their cups for change or selling water or something. There was one guy who I thought was really funny. Most people's sings said something like, "Homeless and Hungry", "Hungry Veteran", or something like that. But this one guys just said, "Why lie? I need a beer." I thought it was pretty funny!!

The kids enjoyed looking over the ledge at all the cars that were going by underneath them. It was cooler at night when their lights were on.

This was Friday night on the strip. Ellie was wearing her squeky shoes and loved walking around in them. To say the least, we got a few looks and laughs. There was an outdoor mall with a hurge screen playing an IPhone commercial over and over again. It was to a song by Franz Ferdinand, No You Girls. She loved and wanted to do nothing but dance. It was hilarious to watch her bob her little butt up and down for atleast 10-15 minutes.

She's a good dancer you know.

This was Ethan's favorite hotel. He thought it was a real castle

and wanted to know where the dragon was.

We were there in time to see a show outside Treasure Island Hotel. The pirates were cool and it was fun to see all the effects they had. Funny though - there were barely any poeple watching the pirates boat with fully clothed men. but over at the Siren's boat with scantily scad women you could barely get through the walkway. Hmmmm....


Another favorite store. What little kid wouldn't love this place?



The MGM Grand had this aquarium, like four or five of them but Ethan really liked this one. It had a Dori fish. Like Dori from Finding Nemo. He thought that was awesome.


This was just outside the M&M Store. He was a little worried about these guys but they were really nice talking to him and asking him old he was and his name and everything. Yoda was on the corner too.

This was Ethan's favorite part of the MGM. He thought these lions were amazing. He couldn't get enough of them. As a matter of fact - we couldn't pull him away fast enough to find a bathroom. Here I am running with my three year old boy all around the dang hotel trying to find a bathroom. I couldn't see a single employee to ask and no signs anywhere! By this time he is definitely doing "the dance".

I finally find a ladies room and rush in - all stalls are full - there is a line.

Are you kidding me!!!

Who puts only three stalls in a ladies room?!?!?!?!

One stall empties and the lady who was in the front of line let us go in front her. She must have been a mom. She was very nice.

I really enjoyed the Bellagio. We were just walking by when the show started to a Frank Sanatra song. They were really loud but holy cow - really cool too.

This alligator is at the MGM. It was in water with smoke around it and such and then every now and then it would growl and snap. Ethan didn't think it was too cool untill I told him that if he feed him a penny he would eat him. There were other coins in there too. he pitched it in and made it right in his mouth. He wasn't too worried after that. Ellie on the other hand. My mom is laughing because Ellie is just a little concerned about the alligator.

We had a ton of fun and will probably go back next year when Jacob goes mountain biking again.

Golden Spike

So...the other day I was really, REALLY, bored. So I called my mom up and asked if she wanted to drive out to Golden Spike with me and the kids and let them run wild.

Now, I'm not quite sure why...but she said yes. So off we went. I DO NOT remember Promontory Point being that far out in the middle of nowhere. But it is.

It is really far out there. If any of you out there do not know, that is where

the East and West Railroads finally met. Smack dab in the middle of nowhere in Utah.

So as for a celebration they drove a golden spike into the last rail to celebrate that the

railroad was finally finished. Connecting both borders of America.

Every year on May 10th, there is a huge re-enactment with the Jupter and 119 Trains

and it is packed full of people every year.

This is just a cute little sign they have when you are near the visitor's center.

I am not sure why Ethan is making such an odd face but I still love him anyway!

Before you get to Golden Spike there is an old train station that is still there. This is it.

Do you see that old wall behind Ethan? That is it. There is nothing left -

just some rotten wood that is barely taller than a three year old

but Ethan thought it was fun.

Oh, and here is my little "Club Hollywood" look as I like to call it. She loves those sunglasses.

So much so that she is wearing them inside the museum in this picture.

She is such a diva.

She may be a diva but she is also a little sweetie.

Ethan is sitting on the last rail laid and the one where the golden spike was set.

Man. Would you get an eye full of those two cute kids! Since it is stinking freezing the trains weren't out while we were there. So we just ran up and down the train tracks. Safe, I know.

Ethan definitely had a blast though. He loves trains and I am hoping that we can take

him out there this May 10th. We get back from Disneyland on the 8th so it might

be cutting it a little close when it comes to my sanity. Hopefully I can keep it together though. He would absolutely love it!

Ellie played with markers

I have nothing else to say

Bootleg #2

So, Jacob had gonet o Bootleg in February with his brother and then when they wanted to go again in March, I said "Sure!". The catch was that I got to go with them as well. So we packed up the kids and headed off for a wonderfully busy time in Vegas.

This first picture is of him in Bootleg Canyon. That is just outside of Boulder City, Nevada,

where we stayed. I wasn't allowed to take many picture of him jumping because

they are pretty jumps and apparently having me there with my camera is too much pressure. He actually did a HUGE jump while I was there and I did get to see him do it but

I wasn't allowed to photo him. He is silly that way. The last time I watched him bike

and videod him he crashed pretty good. Sorry hunny!

Our cute kids with their Daddy. On our way we stopped in Virgin, Utah to do some biking too. This is where they hold the Red Bull Rampage - the mountain biking world championship.

Now they don't anything as crazy as those guys but they do some pretty big jumps.

Ethan's favorite part was riding on Daddy's bike. Ellie's favorite part was trying to eat the dirt! You can tell that her face is absolutely caked in dirt.

Ever since this trip Ethan has asked to go mountain biking with his Daddy. So they are doing some construction near our house so they go ride through the rocks on his bike and that is Ethan "mountain bikes"!



I just think this picture is cute of Ethan wearing Jacob's helmet and goggles!