What happens in Vegas...

Gets posted to the blog! Months after the fact (This trip occurred at the beginning of August 2018)

Honestly not much happened that I'm not willing to share. I think it was a fairly tame trip so far as the stereotype goes. I was going with a group of women that I've internet known for about seven years now. We were all pregnant and on Reddit together and bonded and formed a facebook group. I've met a few of them over the years. I left on a Thursday afternoon with one of the UK members who had flown in to see her Michigan family.

We got to the airport early and sadly parked before my husband could send me the cheap parking coupon. ALAS

 The direct flight was wonderful. I was seated in the Comfortt+ part of the cabin in Delta and had lots of leg room, free headphones and free media. I pretty much watched tv shows I've been meaning to check out.

The seven of us who were attending this meetup were splitting the cost of an AirBnB just off the strip. It was a house purposefully renovated to be a rental and had lots of single beds. It meant we were able to save some money by making our own food at the house. It also had a pool!

I missed the PNW. I was so excited to see mountains. This was before the wildfire smoke rolled in.

Friday stuff involved pedicures for some of us

Despite the impossibility, I think toilet papering this building would be grand.

There was some gambling. I gambled a dollar and lost it. Then I was done. 

The margaritas flowed with bounty!

Everything is over the top

The Venetian

Canal Shoppes at the Venetian

It took me too long to figure this out... but all the stores are shipping containers! Hence... Container Park. The Praying Mantis is basically a giant blow torch that lights up to music.

Of course I find the horse. This is from Fremont Street. We ziplined down it!

Pay to get your picture taken!

We ate here while high out of our minds and it was so good.

We went to see the sexy Cirque du Soleil. Very very erotic and enjoyable. I went home wishing Eric was with me.

We had drinks at an ice bar.

And posed on a throne of ice.

And got my first tattoo!

Chihuly Glass at the Bellagio

Bellagio Fountains

It was a great trip! I'd want to go back and go hiking and visit some of the park areas. That's my one wish that we didn't get to do. Sure we did a lot on the strip, but if it were just me and Eric, that's not my thing. And now that I've had the experience I don't need more it. 

Marooned in South Carolina

Okay, so the title might be a bit dramatic, but it is somewhat accurate!

On New Year's Day we woke the kids up super early and headed to the airport for two quick flights to Myrtle Beach, SC. My parents have retired and purchased a house near, but not on, the beach just outside of Myrtle Beach. This was to be our holiday visit to them. As it so happens, we brought the ridiculously cold weather with us, though we avoided the terrible negative temperatures in Michigan.

It was supposed to be a fairly quick trip. Fly down on Monday, return Friday. With the storms all along the east coast, and a connection in Newark, NJ, we ended up not getting home until very late Tuesday, 4 days after our original return.  Third time was the charm, apparently, and all it took was a sacrifice of a water bottle to the Myrtle Beach Airport and the purchase of another carry on to hold all of our shit.

Ah, life with kids.

Despite all that, it was a nice trip to see my parents. I will agree with my husband though, from now on if we can't get a direct flight there and back, we're just going to drive.

Florida and Disney - Image Heavy

My parents have a timeshare in the Orlando area and this year I opted to join them in Florida with the girls. Kaylee is coming into the perfect age for Disney and for her fifth birthday we splurged on a VERY nice Princess Dinner at Cinderella's Castle on the Magic Kingdom property. It was a big splurge and I didn't do much for her birthday gifts as that was the big thing. It was worth it, IMO.

Canada Trip for Kaylee's birthday

Again... very delayed...

There's a place not far over the nearest border crossing from us (Port Huron MI/Sarnia ON) where you can go fossil hunting and keep what you find. It's called Rock Glen Provincial Park. While my parents were here for Kaylee's birthday weekend, we decided to all take a trip there since my Dad is a big fossil bluff and Kaylee is becoming one too. My parents were headed home and were taking the Canada route so it worked out to be on their way home.

Kaylee pesters Eric in the car.

Nana (my mom) holding Hazel. She loves being Nana to my girls and I love having her.

My Dad had polio, so that he could manage this path up to the visitor's center was pretty impressive.

Sign explaining how the fossils got there.

Hazel is excited about fossils!

The paths through the park are all boardwalk and stairs, since you're basically climbing down a river gorge.

The creek bed where you pretty much trip over fossils.

Dragonfly!

Part of our haul.

Grandpa and Kaylee inspect the fossils.

Family shot! Thank goodness for timer functions on cameras.

Climbing the stairs back out.

There's a gorgeous waterfall that you can swim in too. Once Hazel's older, we'll go back and plan to swim. The water was chilly but refreshing!

Kaylee wanted so badly to swim. I did have her suit, but the water was too cold for her to do much more than wade.

Eric went exploring downriver.