The kids and I met my family in Las Vegas recently for a weekend adventure before our big extended family reunion. On the way, we had a layover in the Denver airport and ate lunch with our good friends Chelsea, Isabel, and Elliot. We love these guys!
As soon as we stepped into the Las Vegas airport, we were greeted with an arsenal of slot machines. Benson climbed up for about 2 seconds until a bouncer kicked him off. ("What do you mean, I have to be TWENTY-ONE???!")
Here's the Babbel family! (Minus John--out of town, Tyson--out of town, Oliver--at the hotel, and Brooks--asleep at the hotel.) We ate at the Harley Davidson restaurant one night while massive motorcycles dangled above our heads the whole meal.
I smooth-talked my dad into riding a roller coaster with me. (It was the one at the New York, New York hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, and the ride was half-indoor, half-outdoor.) Look closely at his smile and you'll detect some trepidation!
"AHHHHH!"
It was really, really fast. After the roller coaster, my dad said that was his LAST one. He thinks it aged him 30 years! Oops.
Here is Quin, Caleb, Zaya, and Benson lined up for the birthday march. While in Vegas, we celebrated Alistair's 5th birthday party.
He was delighted with his cinnamon roll birthday cake, and that he got to celebrate his big day in a hotel, and that the party was at 7 AM. Pretty fancy.
We all took gondola rides at the Venetian Resort. Here's my mom with Alistair, Quin, and Caleb.
We're not sure how this happened, but our group of 15 kept jumping on different gondolas, and somehow Oliver and Evan were left together, along with what passerbys must have assumed was their baby. Hey, it's Vegas, anything goes. The gondolier took it in stride tried to create a romantic atmosphere for the guys, including serenading them with That's Amore.
From left to right, you've got Elise, Chase, Zaya, Mom, Alistair, Cole, Caleb, Quin, and Benson.
We spotted lots of interesting things as we walked along The Strip...
Here's Zaya, a pirate, and his parrot.
We saw the fountains at the Bellagio Resort.
This sign says, "breathe... an oxygen bar." It was packed with people inhaling different flavored oxygen. I want to go back and try the grapefruit oxygen.
Alistair, Caleb, and Quin were quick to spot Mario and Luigi.
Keep dreaming Quin!
Here's Benson and Caleb petting some mystery reptile on display on The Strip.
After church on Sunday we picnicked at the temple in an attempt to counterbalance the influence of Las Vegas.
This will probably be our last family trip to Vegas for at least 30 years, now that some of the grandkids are learning how to read. When Quin asked Tara, "what does that guy's shirt mean-- 'I'm Better When I'm Drunk?'" we realized the kids weren't as oblivious as we had hoped! Oh well, we made it through Sin City doing G-rated stuff, and that was no small feat.
3 comments:
haha i love the your comment on the two guys gondola ride. looks like a fun trip. I'll be there in Nov so you'll have to give me any ideas for a g rated trip. :)
What a fun time! I laughed at the comments under that great pic of you and your dad on the rollercoaster, and the cinnamon roll b-day cake and Evan and Oliver's romancing the gondola - that would have been a little awkward I'm sure - did they start singing opera style with the gondolier? I would have made a lot of noise and started standing up and rocking back and forth like a little kid. ;)
Fun times! I'm sad you didn't get to meet A plus is for Adam but I'm sure that will happen sooner than later! Love you guys!
...and now that you have published to the entire world a photo of me with a facial expression conveying abject terror, I want to affirm that it was just a doctored photo, as I was thoroughly in control throughout the roller coaster ride.
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