Viva Las Vegas

Years ago, when Maggie was little, we had a trip planned for Las Vegas. Sadly, we had to cancel it because my mother had to have knee surgery that would prevent her from being able to keep Maggie. We were thrilled, when Charlie found out that he had a Subaru Conference scheduled there in May. You're probably thinking, poor Charlie had meetings ALL day with no time to play...but that was not the case. He had a couple of morning meetings and he rest of the time he was free to see the "city that never sleeps" with me. We stayed at the beautiful Wynn Resort and Casino. (http://www.wynnlasvegas.com/ )  It is, by far, the most spectacular hotel I have ever stayed at.  Being in the "design world", I was blown away by the details of the decor and window treatments. Everything was big and grand. Some of the window treatments were at least 15 to 20 feet long....I was drooling! Here are some of the gorgeous draperies and furnishings found throughout  the Wynn.

Our room was a beautiful combination of browns and creams accented with pops of vibrant colors.  Needless to say, we were a little pampered while staying at the Wynn.

We even had personal greetings on our phone and television!

The lobby of the Wynn gave you the feeling of walking through a bright and colorful flower garden.

Every square inch of the hotel was beautifully decorated, from floor to ceiling.

Beyond the our fabulous stay at the Wynn, we enjoyed walking The Strip and taking in the sights. One of our favorite spots, the Bellagio. We loved watching the water show.It was breathtaking! Each resort had its own "feature". Treasure Island had a show several times a day and night with pirates, boats and fireworks that was great.  Cesar's Palace is home to one of my favorite spots....Serendipity 3. We had a yummy lunch and frozen hot chocolate for dessert. Charlie said the best dessert he had ever had! Make sure you split your meal with someone if you go. A sweet friend shared that advice with me before we went! Thanks Becky! Each resort also has it's own show(s). Some have celebrity shows and others have shows that are filled with acrobats, water and spectacular music.  We saw LeReve at the Wynn.boxoffice.wynnlasvegas.com/shows_info.html I was so intrigued throughout the entire show. I highly recommend seeing it if you go to Las Vegas. 

 

One of the views from our room. 

The New York New York roller coaster was scary! I closed my eyes the entire time and I usually LOVE roller coasters!

I would have loved to have seen Donny and Marie at The Flamingo. Maybe next time.

One of the favorite highlights of the trip for both Charlie and myself, was touring The Hoover Dam. (http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/service/index.html)

We were both speechless at the sight of the Dam and the new bridge that will be finished sometime this month.  The road that goes over the Dam will be closed to car traffic once the bridge opens.  They are closing it due to the threat of possible terror attacks.  We took the tour of the Dam and the Power Plant. We were so amazed at the history of the Dam and what it took to build it. Construction on the Dam began in 1931 and it was opened in 1936. It was a great history lesson for us.

Another favorite spot of ours was the pools at The Wynn. Terry cloth cover lounge chairs, soft music playing in the background, beverage service at our beck and call, towel service and nothing to do but relax! Ahhhhh......

I loved every minute of our trip.  Viva Las Vegas! Thank you for a unforgettable trip Subaru!

Movies, Movies and more Movies

There are a bunch of great movies out on rental right now.  We began with Invictus starring Matt Damon a few weeks ago when the North Carolina Jones' were in town. Very fitting since The World Cup is on right now. The next movie we decided to watch was Unthinkable with Samuel L. Jackson. This one is not for the faint of heart. Whew!  It is not suitable for young viewers by any means. But it takes a look at the twisted minds of terrorists.  Movie number three was The Book of Eli. I have to be honest, I fell asleep towards the end and totally missed it. I was worn out from laying on the beach all day! LOL! Denzel Washington was the lead actor.  That man does not make a bad movie.  He's one of my all time favorite actors. We watched The Hurt Locker with our friends, Wade and Jennifer, on Saturday night. A story of war and the risks that servicemen and women take on a daily battle each and every day.Charlie and I watched Brothers last night with Toby Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Natalie Portman. Great, great movie. It was extremely hard to watch, knowing that we have men and women oversees serving our country.  So, go pop some popcorn and rent a movie!  BTW, Blockbuster has a free rental today only. Go to any kiosk and type in the code "THREE".

Braces for Mags

Thursday was a big day for Maggie. After a few years and many orthodontist appointments later, she finally got full braces. I think she was ready to get them on, so that the count down to getting them off could begin! So here we go. It looks like she'll have them for at least 2 years. That happens to fall right around or before her 16th birthday. UGH!  I don't even want to think about that milestone. She looks gorgeous with her braces and has had an easy time adjusting to them. Just a little soreness.  Here are a few pics of the big day.

Lake Party at the Sandlin's

Another fun day with the cousins! We loaded up and headed north to Cullman to spend the day with the Sandlin's at the lake. 8 kids and 6 adults makes for a crazy day on the water. We swam, jumped, lounged and boated all day long. Many tried to ski and only a few succeeded. Maggie was the first of the cousins to attempt to get up on the ski's. She was so close but had to let the other cousins try. Next was Emma and Eliot, with no luck either. Caroline almost got up the first time and wore out quickly. Did I mention that Connie was in the water the whole time, coaching the kids and cheering them on?  She was exhausted. Leah was next and almost made it up several times. Then, Mandi jumped in and popped up on the first try! The kids went crazy! Stone was so proud of his Mom, yelling "You rock Momma!" the entire time. Last but not least, Connie showed us how the pro's do it....on one ski! 

We had a wonderful time and are looking forward to our next visit to the Sandlin Lake Resort.

The Beach.......

The beach is one of my favorite places on this beautiful earth.  It holds so many wonderful memories that are dear to my heart.  Memories of family vacations with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins....memories of "summer loves" as a teenager, memories of my own child's first trip to the beach at 6 months old, memories of laughter and tears, memories of late night conversations with family on the balcony of our condo, memories of looking at the stars with my Daddy through his telescope. I could go on and on of what the beach means to me.  It is a place to reflect on my life....the good times and bad. It is a place to create new memories.  It is a place to let go of all of my cares and just breathe.

Even though our Gulf and it's beaches have been tainted by the oil spill, it's beauty is still breathtaking.  God's masterpiece on display for us to enjoy. 

A Day with the Braves

I must first tell you that my sister in law, Leah, is the biggest Braves fan ever! She eats, sleeps, and drinks the Braves. If the Braves are playing, she will find a way to watch or listen wherever she may be. She knows baseball like the back of her hand and wants everyone around her to love it like she does.

So......we went to a Braves game and had a blast! Of course, it was the hottest day yet of the summer, so the kids continually doused themselves with water to cool off. The boys had their gloves in hand, just in case a homerun came our way. Our seats were behind the outfield, so I (with a little A.D.D.) had to keep myself focused on the game instead of people watching! Braves won and Leah was a happy girl.

The girls hopped in one van and the boys in the other as we headed back to B'ham. just in time for rush hour traffic in Atlanta! Oh, and the girls got a little turned around but thankfully made it back to I20 WITHOUT any assistance for the boys! It would have been nice to have a little help though ANDY! We stopped at Mellow Mushroom for some yummy pizza and salad in Anniston.

Lots of laughter and great memories for the kiddos.

Easy Listening :)

One of my favorite artists has a new cd out. RUN get it, sit back and enjoy!

www.jackjohnson.com/music/detail/to_the_sea/