Vegas Baby!

It feels like I waited FOREVER for Vegas to get here and in a whoosh, the trip was gone.  It was awesome, but amazing how fast it went.  More than anything it was simply a blast to hang out with Matt and Tara and literally have nothing planned on the books.  We woke up every morning when we wanted to, did whatever we wanted all day, got dressed up at night and even crashed early.  Even at 11 or midnight we were still early crashers by Vegas standards.

Bob has been travelling like crazy.  He spent the 3 days before Vegas in Texas and then flew into Vegas to meet me last Wednesday.  Lily got to spend the time with her Mema, Papa and GranFran so she was set.  I don't think she missed us once!  It was wonderful to reconnect with Bob sans Lily and start our Vegas Vacay.  This year we stayed at Planet Hollywood which is right in the middle of the strip and a perfect place.  Not too shabby, not too fancy and they have PF Changs, one of my favorite restaurants, right inside.  Our first night out was super low key.  We had a nice leisurely dinner and then cashed it in early.  What a concept to know that a little one isn't going to wake you up at 6:30 the next morning (I was still wide awake at that time, but felt nice to not have to leap out of bed).

We toured some of the new City Center and walked through some of the lavish lobbies and retailers.  Bob and I were joking that several of the shops must have a credit check in order to let you in.  Either that or you have to show that you have a credit card limit of $50,0000 plus.  Yeah, not for us Longmires.

Later that afternoon Tara and I enjoyed my birthday present, Stripper 101 Class.  Now I know some of you are raising an eyebrow, but let me tell you, it was so much fun.  After the lap dancing part we got to take a pole dancing class.   We twirled around the pole, did spins around it, slid down it and learned all sorts of moves.  In an alternate life, I was so a pole dancer.  What a BLAST!

It was exhausting and I had muscles that were so sore.  Let me tell you, I found a whole new respect for Strippers.  They work HARD!!!  No, I am not planning on taking up a new career, but it was the perfect thing to do in Vegas.  The best part were the 3 old ladies that were in the class.  Rock on ladies!  I hope when I am 60 I can still spin like that.

That night we decided to sit down and play a little 3 card poker.  We are really not gamblers at all, but Matt was gracious enough to pay for us to play for a little while.  Within the first 4 hands Bob walked away with a straight and was up $250 and a couple hands later I had a Full House which put us up another $100. We decided it couldn't get any better and headed to dinner.

After another great dinner we took the long walk, in high heels, to Mandalay Bay to try out The Foundation Room.  The Foundation Room is a lounge/bar up at the top of the hotel with a killer view of the strip.

Amazing huh?  Really a great night.

The next morning we didn't even budge until 8:30 or so in the morning,  ah what a concept.  Tara was still sleeping so I went with the guys to their big event, Indoor Skydiving!  Matt had done it before, but Bob never had.

It was great to watch them get suited up in their fashionable attire and head into the wind tunnel.

 They each took turns flying with the instructor.  Bob picked it up pretty quickly but was amazed at how hard it was to control where you are in the air.

Bob Flying

Bob Flying

Matt Flying

Matt Flying

Bob was so tall that the instructor couldn't do many tricks with him because he took up most of the air.  Matt was like an ole pro and even got to fly up with the instructor!  So cool!  The guys both did awesome and it was so much fun to go and watch them.

That afternoon we spent much of our time visiting the Wynn.  Incredible place.  WOW.  It is simply gorgeous and like a trip down ritzy lane.

Inside the Wynn-AMAZING

 After a day at the Wynn, we decided it was time for us to get super dressed up and take in one of Vegas's top shows, Le Reve.

There are not enough words to describe how incredible this show was.  It was all done over water and simple breathtaking.  From the synchronized swimmers to the acrobats, divers, dancers and sets, it was beautiful.  I have seen many shows in Vegas, Le Reve is absolutely my favorite so far.

Oh it was lovely and such a great way to end our wonderful Vegas Vacation.

Moments Here and There

I have been seriously behind on my blogging this month.  Lots has been going on and I have found myself a single parent for many days plus, I have a sick kid right before I leave for Vegas.  Fantastic.  I can't help though but post a few pictures of some great moments these past couple of weeks.

We took a few minutes the other weekend to snap another 4 generation photo.  Lily loves her Mema and GranFran.  LOVES THEM.  Both of these women are really all that I hear about ALL. DAY. LONG.  I love it and am so blessed that she has such a special relationship with them.  These women are Lily's legacy and every moment spent with them a treasure.  It's special to take a moment to capture it.

Lily loves balloons and this week I just couldn't help it, I bought her some.  She carried them around all afternoon and even held onto them in her bathtub.  I know one day she will probably cringe that I posted these pictures, but come on, how cute is she?

The Mini Gymnast

Frankly it is hard for me to admit this, but our little lady is growing up.  I know, its amazing how that happens.  She is so busy these days that Bob and I decided it was time to get her into some sort of social class so we picked Gymnastics.  Actually the class is called GymTastics and it's a toddler and mom class.   I couldn't help it.  Lily and I registered for it and last week was our first class.

Once Lily got into the big room she instantly said "paygound," and began her run and jump on everything phase.  She was really confused why she had to stay with Mommy and follow this new teacher Miss Caitlin around.  She just couldn't figure out why Mommy made her go on the beam when she desperately wanted to be on the bars.  Following directions in a "paygound" is new.  We worked on the bars, the beam, the trampoline and the floor.  With each new apparatus Lily found a whole new world of fun.  We are working right now on waiting our turn and when you have 10 toddlers that have to run down the trampoline, this lesson is really important.  I will admit that my child was the terror.  What can I say, we're new.  She cut in front of everyone, stood when everyone was supposed to sit, laid on the mat when everyone was supposed to jump on it and stomped on the numbers when everyone was supposed to jump over them.  She was her own little person and I had my work cut out for me just staying up with her while trying to convince the teacher and the class that, "yes I run a tight ship," and "no she doesn't get her way when she wants it..........usually."  Apparently, Gymnastics class brought out a whole new side of Lily Grace, let's call it Miss Independent.  She was convinced that this new "paygound" somehow had different boundaries.  Nope, just a Mom that had too many things to jump over, around and on to get to her. It was exhausting trying to keep up with a toddler that didn't want my help...........at all.

This picture below is literally the only time that I caught her sitting still and in one place.  I think it's because she found a new friend.  This is a sweet little girl that she wanted to hold hands with while they  "wait turn."  They didn't stay like this for long because once Miss Caitlin said "Okay Lily," she was off, bounding down the trampoline, giggling like crazy.

After we practiced somersaults and jumping off of blocks, the hour was over and it was time for all of the kids to get victory stamps!  Lily was mesmerized with what Miss Caitlin was doing, hence the only other time she sat still in one place without me restraining her.  

We drove home with her talking about her "nastics" and "stamp han."  She got a froggy on one hand and a pumpkin on the other.  Trust me, I know.  That's all she talked about for the rest of the day.

Hope

Such a small word, but such a BIG idea.  I must admit that lately hope seems more like a dreamers fantasy rather than a real spiritual thing.  Don't get me wrong, I hope, but I have found myself a lot more cynical to the idea of hoping that things, events, what I want, will turn out for the best.    I would like things to happen a certain way, but life has a funny way of being, well, REAL.  Let me just say, sometimes, reality stinks.  Lately, I am learning something about this powerful word though.  The spiritual expression of hope comes from an ultimate hope in the Lord, not in our circumstances, not in our events.  Our hope in our circumstances comes from the promises of the Lord and the unfailing hope that He is.  Romans 15:13 says, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Lily's Smile

I am simply humbled with this little family of 3 that I call mine.  Today I just know that God is Big, He is good and He wants the best for his children.  I look at these pictures and the only word that I can conjure up is hope.  Hope in a little girl's eyes and smile, hope in a marriage love thats real, hope in what is yet to come.  

My hope is renewed because I am changing how I hope.  I will  hope in God's overwhelming goodness and grace.  I will believe He will work the circumstances, whether good or bad in my life for the good.  After all, that is really what hope is.  Simply put, Hope is Christ, there is no better way to describe it.

Smile!

You know, there is simply no greater joy, other than mothering, than photography for me right now.  I love all things picture related and simply love catching moments on "film."  Lily Grace is of course one of the most enjoyable subjects to photograph, but getting her to stay still and smile all in one exposure is somewhat impossible.  Catching the movement is not the problem, I have a special camera for that, its the smiling.  It is so hard to convince a smile instead of a blank stare.  Lately I have been trying to teach her to smile by being silly and making a big smiley face then saying "can you do that Lily?"  Well, here is what "smile" in Lily's mind means.

Yeah, I know its cute.  Fact is....she's cute.  She was all about "smiling" today so I had the camera snapping each moment I could.  She is such a doll and so busy.  When she is not trying on any pair of shoes she can find (today, Daddy's were on the agenda), she is reading, talking, singing, or being "Siddy, Yiddy."  Yes, that is how Silly Lily sounds coming from the mouth of babes.

We have started the process of trying to catch some good family photos for this year's many photo needs.  On our way up the mountain last weekend, we stopped at a few places to snap some great photos of us.  With the temperatures so cold over the weekend, many of the trees up at altitude were snow covered and just beautiful.

We stopped along the section of road that was burned by the Lower North Fork Fire and snapped some amazing shots.  The trees are black and leaf less, but the white snow creates this beautifully breathtaking landscape.  It really was astounding.  Bob and I thought that the burned trees were actually more beautiful than the healthy trees.  There was just something about the stark contrast between the black trees, white snow and blue cloudless sky that drew you in.  Thank goodness pictures are free because we took a ton of them.

Being in the mountains suits all of us Longmires well and brings out some of the best smiles we have.  I couldn't help but take a few moments and capture some of the ways our world smiles around us too.  It's the simple things that always remind me even in the dark times we face, life is beautiful.