More sights... Hoover Dam

We decided we would head out to Hoover Dam since we were so close and since it has been years since we were there.... I love Hoover Dam. We took the tour and walked around and enjoyed the beautiful afternoon. It is amazing to read of the history and know of the sacrifice so many made to build the dam. And even better was just hanging out and walking around with my husband. It was so nice to have so much quality time together without having to share with anyone else! The greatest part is that we left with the kids' blessings and they were so awesome they kept everything under control. We would call and ask if they were okay and they would tell us they were fine and to quit checking on them because they could handle it! I don't want them to think they can completely do without us, but it is sure amazing to have such great kids that they want us to have some time to ourselves and they keep our world moving along while we are gone!

He showed us...

This is Nate... punishing his dad for saying no to his 5th shower for the day! Thayne got home from work just in time to fix something on the van and after being underground all day said he needed to jump in the shower, and Nate wanted to get in YET again even though he had showered 4 times before. Did I mention his OCD and the need to shower after, um, well, when he needs his diaper changed. So he punished his dad tonight by stripping down to nothing while Thayne was in the shower and then he fell asleep next to our bed. We had to laugh... how could we not. He is such a little stinker. I think it is time to go hang out at Jace's house for a few days... or maybe Kimi will keep him entertained when she comes to visit next week.... please let her entertain him, and finish potty training him would be even better!!! Love this silly little boy!!!

Oh the things we see... In Vegas

Where are we again??? Oh, Vegas. Really... who needs to travel the world when you can just go to Vegas? Around the world just by walking around the strip. I admit though that Vegas is not my favorite place. Well... not even close (let me rephrase that... I am sure that everywhere else in Vegas is wonderful, I hate the strip!). Maybe it is because we don't gamble? That the smoke makes us both sick (yes, we went with some allergy issues and both came home really sick, enough that we had to go to the doctor!) But you have to admit you can see just about everything there... even some things you had no desire to ever see. But the Statue of Liberty was one of my favorites. It's too bad it is so hot during the day because going out during the day is the best way. The crazy people seemed to come out as the sun went down. Mostly we just loved hanging out together with nothing really needing to be done. We could walk and talk and hang out together and that is a little bit of heaven even in the city of sin!!!

View from our room...

The view from our room of the volcano going off the last night we were in Vegas.

Love this... in the middle of all of the madness there are things of absolute beauty. As I stood watching the beautiful creatures in the aquarium a woman from England started talking to me about the beauty of it all. She said it just made her feel happy. I had to agree that right there, at that moment it was truly a thing of beauty and it did make me feel happy. I wished I could have taken her to the temple and let her feel the peace and see the beauty of being there. As she talked I could feel that she was really searching for something... wanting to see something that makes what she is doing worthwhile, wanting to know that there is peace out there and that she can somehow grab on and hold it. It made me feel happy to see her joy!

More of the volcano...

Yep, you can see just about anything on the strip... incuding snakes of the real kind! Ick!!! There was also a guy boxing with a parrot but a lady came up screaming at him to stop hitting at the bird... which makes you wonder what was wrong with the lady because it was obvious the bird was trained... and the guy totally lost it when another lady tried to take pictures of the birds. Go figure!

Secret Garden

Thayne and I had the chance to walk through the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. It's amazing that they have something like this at the Mirage Hotel in the middle of downtown Vegas. It was peaceful and fun to see the exotic animals and I have to say that I LOVE the dolphins. I could sit and watch them all day long. They are amazing creatures. They are so smart. It was very peaceful and beautiful. I wished my little kids could have seen the white lions and tigers... but the dolphins... yes, they were definitely my favorite!