Back From Vegas!

Last week I took the kids to Las Vegas (March 25-30). We had a blast. I got super cheap airfare so we were lucky enough to be able to fly instead of drive the whole way. The kids thought the airplane "Blasting off" was so cool and were pretty darn good the entire way. Scott's Aunt Carol meet us at the airport was was generous enough to let us stay there all 5 nights. My kids can get pretty over whelming to me, But Aunt Carol and Uncle Ron took them with smiles.




Wednesday was the first day and after getting up at 6:00 a.m. for the plane and waiting to get the rent a car me and my kids were exhausted. So we just hung out at the house, took a nap meet some cousins that stopped by and ordered pizza. That night Logan was so wired that he would not go to sleep. He was bouncing off the wall until midnight Vegas time, that is 1:00 a.m. for him. When he finally fell asleep he crashed and didn't move the entire night.

Thursday we got up and went to the place the kids were most excited to see, M&M World! Right when we got there there was an M&M mascot out front and my kids mobbed him. The poor guy, he bent down to give Logan a hug but then Logan wouldn't let go. Mr. M&M just stood there bent over letting Logan hug and smile and at the same time was giving Aubrey and other passing kids high-5 with his free hand. I finally made Logan let go (I don't think he would of on his own) and we made it inside. Aubrey started screaming M&M, M&M, M&M pointing at everything around her. Logan just stood there with a grin on his face. If you have ever been to M&M World it is 4 floors of everything M&M. The second floor is the M&M wall, where you can essentially make your own bag of M&Ms with every color M&M you can think of. So of course we had to do that, Logan picked blues and greens and Aubrey picked pink and purples big shocker.

The fourth floor was all M&M Nascar. Logan just happens to think a great deal of the M&M race car and had to check out every square inch of it. Aubrey wasn't as impressed as Logan, but was glad that I let her out of the stroller to climb around it. She just wanted to eat her M&Ms.






When we left M&M World we meet my cousin Tara in Henderson for lunch. We ate at a delicious place called Lucille's BBQ. When we first got there they gave us fresh, hot biscuits with apple butter, then for an appetiser they suggested fried pickles. Well you just have to try something like that and they were amazing. In fact I could go for some right now, YUM!

We then went to the Lied Discovery Museum. It is the same concept as the Discovery Gateway here in Salt Lake but the activities were very different. Aubrey did a craft while Logan did some mining, then I put on a puppet show (kind of). They have a puppet theater and I was being a coyote. So in my most coyote-ish voice I say "Well hello there Aubrey." and she responds "Hi Mommy". No fooling her.

They gad a huge bubble making station that made huge bubbles. We had contest to see who could make the biggest. I think Tara and I liked doing this more than the kids. They had also recreated Birdwell Island from Clifford. Aubrey and Tara build pretend sandcastles with T-bone while Logan feed Clifford huge bones on a convayer belt. I could go on and on all the cool, fun things we did there, so lets just say IT WAS FUN.







We stayed until they closed and we were still in the mood to play so we went to an outdoor shopping center and did some shopping, then had a snack and let the kids play in the coolest playground ever. It was done up like a cute little European village. Aubrey liked the slide and the giant bug and Logan like the fireman's pole and the secret garden maze.





Friday it was just me and the kids, it was cold so we stopped off at the mall and got us all jackets and lunch then we headed to the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay. Of course we had to walk through the Casino to get there, the kids were in awe and Logan couldn't understand why he couldn't play the games. Then we had to walk by some awesome fountians so we had to throw pennies in all of them.



We finally made it to the Shark Reef and there was a huge line to get tickets. So we are standing there and and this sweet lady walks up to us and gives us tickets. She had bought her ticket and when she got there her friend had bought her one also. Why she picked us I don't know but I am glad that she did.

The inside was so fun, they give you this phone looking thing and on each of the exhibits there was a number so you typed that number in and it told you all about the animals. Logan Loved this more than the actual animals I think. He would listen and then shout out the facts that he was being told. It was fun to see him so excited to learn. We wondered around there for a couple of hours and the kids were fasinated. The Sharks were huge and kept showing their teeth. There were so many different kinds I am amazed that they don't attack each other. Then when you leave they send you through the gift shop and because we got in free I let the kids each get a Shark stuffed animal. Score one for mom.





After the Shark Reef we went to see Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Spencer. We hung out there for a while and ordered in dinner. My kids were exhausted, Aubrey feel asleep and Logan just sat with Spencer and watched cartoons. Bonnie told me she bets Spencer liked the cartoons as much as Logan. Everyone needs an Uncle to chill with. It was a nice quite evening in after our very busy day.



Saturday we spent the entire day with Scott's Cousin Carrie and her two boys Seth (6) and Lucas (2 1/2). We started off by going to lunch at a fun restaurant called Kuhunaville at the Treasure Island. It was all gone up Hawaiian style and there was also a pretty cool water show. Seth's food wasn't good so when we told the waiter he felt bad and gave all the kids ice cream and a huge plate of gummy worms. The kids were in 7th heaven.



We then headed to the Las Vegas Natural History Museum. There were animals on display from all over the world. The boys liked the Lion attacking a water buffalo the best. We went to a little class about how to find dinosaur bones and Watched them feed baby sharks. There were huge bugs and a discovery room where they dug for dinosaur bones, pretended to be adventurers, looked inside an under water bubble, pretended to drive a submarine and much more. Then there was a huge room with mechanical dinosaurs in it. There were buttons every once in a while that your could push to make the the dinosaurs move or roar. The kids had a field day. Lucas was funny, he would stand right by the dinosaurs but WOULD NOT push the button for the T-Rex. We tried everything, silly boy. We spent at least 3 hours here and finally left because Carrie and I were done, the kids could of stayed way longer.





Later that night we took Aubrey and Lucas to Aunt Carols then Carrie and I took Logan and Seth to the strip. That night they were going to turn off all the lights on the strip for Earth Hour. I got this from the Las Vegas Sun's web site.


On and off — Lights on the Las Vegas Strip are viewed looking northbound from the Mandalay Bay Resort just before “Earth Hour” in Las Vegas, then after many of the lights went off as the event began at 8:30 Saturday night. Las Vegas was among about 2,500 cities globally that showed support for the environment by dimming or turning off their signs and decorative lighting for an hour to raise awareness about climate change. The event was organized by the World Wildlife Fund.

It was really weird and cool at the same time. From what I understand nothing like this has ever happened in Vegas before so it was pretty cool to see first hand.

Before the lights went out we took the boys to M&M World again (Seth had never been) and this is where we hung out while the lights were out. The boys were so tired and their feet hurt after such a long day I had to carry Logan back to the van. He is getting big.



Sunday morning we went to breakfast with My Aunt Sherlie, Uncle Larry, Cousin Kyle his wife Terry and daughter Ashton. It was so good to hang out with them, they are always a bunch of laughs. It was really good to visit with them we don't get to see them very often.

Then we went and picked up Aunt Bonnie and headed to the Circus Circus Adventure Dome. We meet Scott's Cousin Nick and his wife Jeana and kids Nicholas (7) and Kaylie (4 - two months older than Logan). Now the Adventure Dome is just one giant good time. There are rides and games galor. We were even able to get Aubrey on a few rides. She hated the mini-roller coaster and they had to shut it down early so I could get her off. Funny.




While we were down there her allergeies were having a hay day and she was so grouchy while we were there. Then she discovered the ping-pong ball toss. She was in heaven. While the other kids rode rides Aubrey played. There are different colored bowls, and she kept getting the balls in the white bowls so she would win more balls. She played for 20 minutes strait and I only gave the lady $5.00. Then she gat a ball in a yellow bowl and won a prize, a monkey to be exact. She was just annoyed that she didn't get more balls.




All the kids were playing and riding rides and Nick was playing a game and won, he turns to Logan and say "Hey buddy get over here and pick out a guitar." WHAT!!!! He had won a guitar, a real guitar!!! I told him thanks but he should give it to one of his kids. Nick say "Both of my kids have one, I am really good at this game". So Logan picks out a guitar, his grin huge. Now this guitar instantly becomes his prize possesion. He drags it around to all the rides (it was in a box) and assigns a "Babysitter" for it each time he has to leave it. He would run up the ramp to a ride following the other kids then half way up would turn around and come back to Nick and say "Make sure you watch my guitar". It was funny.





This is the Kids with Aunt Bonnie right before we left Circus Circus. Logan won the dog he is holding as is of course very proud.



We went back to Aunt Carol's and dropped off Aubrey and Picked up Carrie and Seth. We had planned a suprise for the big kids. We took them to the Tournament of Kings at Excalibur. Logan really didn't know what to expect, but once we got in there he was in awe. They serve you dinner and as a starter they gave us tomato soup and called it "Dragon's blood" this was just the start of the coolness. Logan did not take his eyes off the action for one second. He wouldn't even look down to eat, I had to tap him on the chin, then he would open his mouth and I would shove food in. We cheered and pounded on the tables, raised our mug in victory and he Loved it all. The sword fighting, jousting, and battles with the Black Knight was stuff of his dreams. They wouldn't let us take pictures in side the arena which was a bummer but on the way out we ran into the Blue Knight (Logan's Favorite) and got a photo. Isn't he handsome, and logan it cute too!!



After the show we played a few games in the mid-way. Logan and Seth both got lances and I was able to get a small guitar for Aubrey. Back at Aunt Carol's Aubrey and Lucas were having a blast. She took them for a ride on her golf cart (They live on a golf course) to see some duck and she got to sit on Aunt Carol's lap and rock-a-bye. She said that the little kids played so good and had a great time just being together. Cool!






Monday we took a breath and relaxed, went to lunch with Aunt Carol and flew home. It was a great trip and I am so thankful to all of Scott's and my family. You all made the trip for us. We love you all and we are so lucky to have you in our lives. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!! I hope we can do this again next year.