Vacation

This year our family vacation was so needed! As a family, we rarely get a lot of time to spend together so 4 whole days was amazing! It started on Sunday, after I got all of the grove kids shipped (i mean sent off) to camp, our family headed to Vegas! Emma fell right asleep on the way but only slept for 30 minutes and then she was up for the rest of the trip. So I sat in the back entertaining - reading books, singing songs, feeding her snacks. We made it to Vegas in record time and this year we were staying at The Mandalay Bay. Now Bobby and I are not really into the "strip" scene - we don't gamble, party, drink, or go clubbing. But the Mandalay Bay has a great pool and rooms and we were able to get a great discount. We got to stay in a one bedroom suite which was a great idea in theory - we have our room and Emma had hers. So once she went to bed - we could hang out without having to tip toe around the room. Which worked the first night and after that the little bean, started not feeling good. Which then turned into her sleeping in bed with me and Bobby sleeping on the couch.

Our master bedroom - such a comfy bed!

The Bathtub - it was so big and so relaxing to just soak in at the end of the night.

Our Living Room (aka: Emma's bedroom)

The Maid even made Emma's bed! It was so cute!

The first night we were there - Mom, Russell, Matt, and Matt's friend, Jake, met us at our room and we all went to dinner at a cafe in the hotel - it was great! It was nice to spend time with them and watching our little girl try all sorts of new food. Boy can our kid pack it down! Pretty much everything we put in front of her - she inhaled!

The next day, was super busy! We got up and ate breakfast and then headed out to Boulder City to see grandpa. Of course, Emma fell asleep 10 minutes before we got there, so we drove around and actually went to go see where Nanny's grave was. This was quite a special moment for me, as I had never seen it before. And I didn't expect the wave emotions that hit me, when I saw her grave. She lived such a great life and left such a great legacy. We told Nanny all about Emma and told Emma all about Nanny. We had Emma blow kisses and say "bye bye" to Nanny - which was really cute.

After that, it was time to see grandpa. The last time I had seen him was in January and he had not been doing so well. After I left in January, I was fully expecting to have to come back to Vegas in a less than a month to attend his funeral. But Grandpa is a fighter and he completely turned it around! It was so nice to visit with him and hear all of his stories from the past. Grandpa thoroughly enjoyed Emma and kept commenting on how he had never seen a baby as active as she was - it was too cute! Then Emma sat on her grandpa's lap for the longest time. And what was neat was that she wasn't squirmy or anxious to get down - she just sat there as content as could be. She checked out Grandpa and she totally dug the buttons on his electronic wheel chair. We could have probably given it 10 more minutes and she would have probably figured out how to drive the thing!

Emma with her great great grandpa!

Checking out Grandpa's cool wheelchair

Having a sweet conversation with Grandpa

After having a nice visit with Grandpa - we were off to go to the hotel again and get ready to go to the Shark Reef at the Mandalay Bay. Bobby had been wanting to do the Shark Reef for as long as I could remember and we had originally wanted to go to a show in Vegas but didn't see anything that appealed to us that was in our price range and that wasn't raunchy. So we decided on the Shark Reef, which mom and Matt joined us for. It was a little bit too crowded for my taste but the look on Emma's face was priceless. Her finger was going crazy and pointing at everything and she kept saying "that, that" wanting to know what everything was.

Grandma Kim pointing our some fish! (Notice the finger pointing)

Look at that blow fish (again note the pointing finger)

Looking @ some fish (again pointing finger) - do you think our girl loved the aquarium or what?

Family pic! Emma was too busy looking at the Sharks to take a picture

Bobby and Matt touching the sting rays

Staredown!


And here are some of the creatures we saw that day:

Shark

And another Shark

Jellyfish

Pretty Blue Fish - I'm sure Bobby knows the technical name!

Pretty yellow fish - Again, I'm sure Bobby knows the name :)

Blowfish

When we were done with the Shark Reef we headed down to the pool to cool off. Of course, Emma loved it because she is our little water baby. Then after the pool - we cleaned off and went to dinner at The Yard House - which Bobby and I had never eaten at before (and we have one in Riverside!) and it was sooo good! We will definitely be visiting the one in Riverside on our next date night!

When we got back to our hotel room that night - we all crashed. We were seriously so tired and packed way too much into our day. That night, Emma was up almost every hour crying. I think she was just so tired and when she doesn't nap, she usually doesn't sleep well at night either. And then the next day she woke up to a full blown runny nose and watery eyes (poor stinking allergies!)

So that morning we took it easy. And then at about lunch time - Grandma Kim and Matt came to hang with Emma so Bobby and I could go and enjoy some couple time. It was seriously so hard to leave Emma that day. I knew she didn't feel good and I just wanted to sit and cuddle with her but I knew Bobby and I needed them time to be together too.

We headed over to The Venetian's Spa and really enjoyed some relaxing couple time. Both Bobby and I received massages and they were AMAZING! The lady that did my shoulders - seriously worked out all of the tension in my neck, head, shoulders, and back! I wish she could move in with me! After our massages, we went to dinner at California Pizza Kitchen and seriously just enjoyed time as a couple and focusing on each other.

Long hallway at the Spa

It just radiates - come and relax!

When we got back to the hotel after eating dinner - we joined Mom, Matt and Emma at a cafe they were eating at that was overlooking a pool at The Mandalay Bay. There we discovered that Emma received her first goose egg about 10 minutes after we left. She was cruising the coffee table, turned funny, and crashed. I guess it had to happen to sometime and boy are we never going to let Grandma live that one down! :)

Then the next day - it was back to good ol' Riverside! We had a great trip but we definitely learned that on our next vacation we need to schedule a day to do NOTHING!!! We barely had time to relax this trip because we wanted to pack everything in. But all in all it was a great time had by all!Here are a few more pictures to make your day:

Look mom - no hands!

Emma snuggling with Daddy