Vegas 2009

The last time Jason and I went to Las Vegas, I was three months pregnant. We decided it was time to venture west again--preferably when the thermometers are exploding and the deals are at their lowest. This time we decided to make a trip out to Hoover Dam, which is a sort of Mecca for Jason.

Just as we were approaching Lake Mead we started seeing all the signage for helicopter rides over the dam--we were thisclose to signing up for one.

Thank God we didn't.

This is the arch for the bypass bridge currently being built. They're using a lot of the same technology used for the original dam-building. Hopefully, the poor workmen aren't wearing the same clothes used before: courduroy pants, Wellies and baseball hats dipped in tar.

Look! We're cute!
Only I could find penguins in the desert.

Still cute! I'm looking a bit heavy, but damn cute.

We stayed at Mandalay and the tram to Excalibur was sent straight from Heaven. Jason was very excited to get solicited for the first time, and Mom and I had a blast making fun of all the women dressed like solicitors and their footwear.

So that was about it: Mandalay is beautiful, the pools were divine and Jason and I lost a whole bunch of money. Will had a blast with Grandma & Poppy and is better behaved now than when he left me. Yay!

Parrafin: Never a good idea

While I was at my parents' this weekend, Alexis came over Saturday night. In an effort to reclaim the coolness I never really had, I suggested we really do it right and break out Mom's parrafin-wax-bath and give ourselves some treatments for a regular old-fashioned slumber party. It's true: I really am that lame.

A very bad idea. Not only the wax treatments, but for me to be around a camera at all. I'm very unattractive. And I can't take a picture to save my life.

We didn't realize that it took a long time for the wax to harden. Alexis refused to wait simply stuck her hand in the freezer to speed things along.

Below is what her hand looked like after sticking it in the freezer. Smooth, lovely, and ready to film a Zales ad with minimal prep.

This is what MY hand looked like after sticking it in the freezer. It's all very "They're coming to get you, Bar-baa-ra"

And then Alexis and I decided to have our wax molds high five each other, Barney-style. Because we're awesome like that.

Over the river and through the woods....

Will and I made the trek to Houston last Friday for a couple of reasons: the main one being a picnic for our dear friends Rob & Noelle and the second reason for seeing Abba(h) and Papa.

Will was very excited at the thought of so many good friends and family being around:

Abba(h)'s make shift potty chair:

Below, Will demonstrates the fists of fury that will be unleashed if his Thomas the Tank Engine cup isn't filled with Heineken immediately.

Finally, we finished up the weekend with a hand-jive. You can tell the difference because Will doesn't look so angry.

So we got to spend a lot of time with Abba(h) and Papa but weren't able to make it to the picnic. I felt like a schmuck; having called Rob the day before and flat-out saying "Yeah, we'll totally be there; give me directions" and then having to make that sad phone call with a curt "notsomuch" as there's a screaming toddler in the background.

We'll have to make it out to the MacGregor pad later this summer when it's not so close to bed-time; I hear their neighborhood pool is rocking.

One more thing...

Man, I don't post anything for a month, now I can't shut up.

Anyway, I love my brothers. I do. I said it. They're both on entirely different continents and I hardly "talk" to either of them, but they're good guys. Read Matt's blog. Comment if you can. He likes that. And my sister-in-law (not her, the other one) isn't moving to Ireland yet, she's only going to check out a place to live. So that makes me feel better.

Just had to get that off my chest.