Las Vegas--Spring Break part 1
I never posted about our Vegas trip. Truth be told I'm a moody blogger. Ok, there. I've said it. I like blogging and I especially like having the blog so I can later print out books for our family history. But I'll be honest and say that I used to feel so much more free in writing and sharing. Ever since Laila died I find that my heart is much more sensitive and I don't like to have my thoughts and opinions open for everyone to comment on. It's hard for me. Her death has caused me to be much more closed and I have a hard time writing on here--worrying and fearing that something I say will be criticized (even if just criticized in private) or judged or misunderstood, even if innocently.
I guess I am still very much healing.
So, perhaps that explains a little why this blog is so superficial these days and why I sometimes take off comments. It's just easier for me.
But that's ok. I have a journal. And a private blog--for when I'm feeling moody and still want to document but not share.
Anyway...
Vegas.
Mike doesn't have a lot of times when his vacations correspond with the boys'. Christmas and Spring Break. His summers are usually pretty packed. This summer he will be gone the entire time and so I thought we should go somewhere as a family. We looked around and had a hard time finding a good deal that was close by. We considered going back to the same place as last year and really, the boys would have been thrilled going back. But I wanted to go somewhere warm and last year everything in Ruidoso was closed (which was weird) so I wanted to go somewhere else this year. It had been over seven years since we'd been to Las Vegas and my friend and roommate from college lives there and so we decided we would go there. We weren't able to leave until Friday, March 22. I went and picked the kids up from school at 1:00 while Mike packed the car and after the boys changed out of their school uniforms we headed out.
The boys are pretty good travelers. As long as they have some movies or some games and some snacks they are good to go. As infants however, they were all pretty awful travelers. Piper followed their trend and was pretty unhappy the entire two-day drive. She cried a whole lot. It was pretty sad. There was a big snow storm coming through Denver and Colorado Springs so we decided to go south through New Mexico and Arizona. The drive took longer than expected and when we got stopped in a traffic jam (at 9:30 PM outside of Albuquerque) they boys decided they were done. Our happy travelers turned on us. Not really...they were still pretty good but when we were still driving at 11 PM they were not thrilled. They have never slept well traveling--which I don't understand. We finally rolled into a hotel around 11:30 PM and everyone fell asleep pretty quickly.
The next morning we ate breakfast, got gas, and headed out again. Piper did a lot of crying again. We saw signs for the Petrified Forest so we decided to stop after a few hours and let the kids out and feed Piper and take a potty break. It was pretty cool except for the time the Ranger got after Eli for trying to stab people with a petrified stick in the visitors center (I was in the bathroom and Mike was trying to calm a crying Piper down so he maybe wasn't the most aware of Eli). Also, it was freezing! The wind was just biting and we were wearing warm clothes in anticipation for Vegas weather that evening so our shorts and short sleeve shirts were inadequate for the bitter cold.
Besides that, it was pretty cool.
We made a few more stops along the way, including a stop at Denny's in Glendale AZ. I've got to say, I haven't spent a lot of time in either New Mexico or Arizona, (or Nevada, for that matter) but I don't think they are very pretty states. Perhaps I've not seen all they have to offer?
I guess I am still very much healing.
So, perhaps that explains a little why this blog is so superficial these days and why I sometimes take off comments. It's just easier for me.
But that's ok. I have a journal. And a private blog--for when I'm feeling moody and still want to document but not share.
Anyway...
Vegas.
Mike doesn't have a lot of times when his vacations correspond with the boys'. Christmas and Spring Break. His summers are usually pretty packed. This summer he will be gone the entire time and so I thought we should go somewhere as a family. We looked around and had a hard time finding a good deal that was close by. We considered going back to the same place as last year and really, the boys would have been thrilled going back. But I wanted to go somewhere warm and last year everything in Ruidoso was closed (which was weird) so I wanted to go somewhere else this year. It had been over seven years since we'd been to Las Vegas and my friend and roommate from college lives there and so we decided we would go there. We weren't able to leave until Friday, March 22. I went and picked the kids up from school at 1:00 while Mike packed the car and after the boys changed out of their school uniforms we headed out.
The boys are pretty good travelers. As long as they have some movies or some games and some snacks they are good to go. As infants however, they were all pretty awful travelers. Piper followed their trend and was pretty unhappy the entire two-day drive. She cried a whole lot. It was pretty sad. There was a big snow storm coming through Denver and Colorado Springs so we decided to go south through New Mexico and Arizona. The drive took longer than expected and when we got stopped in a traffic jam (at 9:30 PM outside of Albuquerque) they boys decided they were done. Our happy travelers turned on us. Not really...they were still pretty good but when we were still driving at 11 PM they were not thrilled. They have never slept well traveling--which I don't understand. We finally rolled into a hotel around 11:30 PM and everyone fell asleep pretty quickly.
The next morning we ate breakfast, got gas, and headed out again. Piper did a lot of crying again. We saw signs for the Petrified Forest so we decided to stop after a few hours and let the kids out and feed Piper and take a potty break. It was pretty cool except for the time the Ranger got after Eli for trying to stab people with a petrified stick in the visitors center (I was in the bathroom and Mike was trying to calm a crying Piper down so he maybe wasn't the most aware of Eli). Also, it was freezing! The wind was just biting and we were wearing warm clothes in anticipation for Vegas weather that evening so our shorts and short sleeve shirts were inadequate for the bitter cold.
Besides that, it was pretty cool.
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| Eli biffed it on the pavement right after this picture was taken and got a pretty nice cut on his knee. He decided to stay in the van with me and Piper for the majority of the visit in the Petrified Forest. |
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| Freezing little boys |
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| Will took sewing lessons and made himself a silly hat...I mean, pillow. Hat pillow. He is unaware that we took this picture. Ha..Ha.. |
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| Mike impersonating someone from The Far Side |
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| One of our stops--I fed the baby in the van while the boys and Mike did some exploring and then played some game with throwing rocks. |
We got into Vegas at about 6 PM and drove straight to our condo and unpacked. Mike ran to the Super Target that was conveniently adjacent to the condos and we got the kids showered, fed, and in bed.
Church started at 1 on Sunday so we spent the morning lounging around the condo until after Piper took a nap. We drove to my roommate's house and got in her way while she tried to finish up getting her kids ready for church (her husband in in the bishopric so he was already at church). After church we went back to her house and ate a delicious dinner that my friend so graciously prepared for us and chatted and let the kids all play. The kids hit it off really well and it was nice to meet my roommate's husband for the first time. We finally decided we were outstaying our welcome and bid goodbye and headed back to the condo.
To be continued...
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