A-nevada-versary! Anni-vegas-ry!

We arrived in Vegas around 5:30 Thursday evening...slightly later than planned because our plane arrived late and needed a part fixed after we boarded. We settled in at the Aria, wandered around the casino a bit and then went out for a walk.

We caught part of the show at the Bellagio while we were out and then explored the inside a bit.

After that, we headed back to our hotel to freshen up for our 8:30 reservation at Craftsteak. When we made the reservation, we didn't take the time change into account, so it was a SUPER late dinner for us...10:30pm our time. It was super late AND super expensive. Holy COW. Literally, because it was a steakhouse. ;) It was also super delicious. But the price...it was roughly the equivalent of 2 weeks of groceries! I don't know that we will EVER spend that much on a meal again, but it was definitely an experience. I had a ceasar salad (with three little anchovies on top, which I had to set aside while their headless bodies quietly judged me) and diver sea scallops with a Craft colada to drink. Josh has a warm frisee salad with bacon, poached egg, and blue cheese dressing, a ribeye, and a pineapple upside down cake cocktail. We shared fingerling potatoes and honey sautéed carrots. It was delicious and EXTRAVAGANT. We made a pact not to eat anywhere we have eaten before or that we could get at home while on vacation, so this fit the bill for sure. We played a few slots on the long waaaaalk back to Aria. We went to sleep around 11:30...which was 1:30 for us. A late night for us old married folks with kids!

We started the next day with coffee and pastries from the coffee shop and phone calls home to check on the kids. It was KayTar's kinder graduation morning and we were missing it (our trip was scheduled before the date was set)! My parents went so she had special people there who took photos and video for us. The school librarian sent me photos via text, how sweet is she? And I talked to KayTar after the ceremony, too. She was a little sad that some of the kids had balloons and flowers and she didn't, but my mom told her she would get something special at pick-up time. Wasn't she a beautiful graduate?!

After that was over, we headed out for the day. We walked back over the the MGM and took the monorail down to Harrah's and the Imperial Palace and wasted some time gambling before lunch at Hash House a Go-Go. Josh saw it on Man VS Food and he likes to plan vacations around at least one MVF meal. We had the sage fried chicken eggs benedict. It was YUM!

After lunch, we walked a LOT. We went to the Venetian and Mirage and back to Harrah's to grab the train back. We stopped at Bally's/Paris on the ride back and went back to Aria that way. I loved Paris...it was so cool inside. I was so tired and my knee was hurting so much that I didn't really take any photos inside. We crossed over to Bellagio and took the tram back to our hotel.

I was beat when we got back and my bum knee was being VERY bummy, so I elevated it (the only use for all those extraneous hotel bed pillows) and watched Law and Order while Josh went to get coffee for us. After recuperating, we went down to the casino for a while and then headed to NYNY for dinner, which we also loved! It was very cool inside. We ate at Broadway Burgers that night and it was good. Josh had a chicken burger with tomato, white cheddar, and a fried egg on it. I had a chicken burger with mozzarella, bruschetta, arugala, and a parmesan crisp on it.

 After dinner, we gambled a little, mostly at our Munny slot, and then rode the roller coaster once our dinner settled. It was AWESOME! Great, great ride. Then we went down to Bellagio for the fountain show, and back to Aria, gambled a bit, and headed upstairs to soak my knee in the amazing bath.

On Saturday, we had coffee, got ready, and went to Monte Carlo for brunch. It was yummy! Then we gambled a bit and I won $55 at roulette, another $55 at the Munny slots, and then another $38 at the Munny slots before going up to pack and leave.

It was a fabulous trip and we are already ready to go back! It was great to spend some time together without all the busyness of normal family life, but I think next time, we may stay somewhere kid friendly and bring the kid's along...and maybe my parents so we have an evening sitter! :) Although, we've got a lot of saving to do before that happens!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

It has been an entire decade...

Since these two kids got married. I was 17 and he was 18. We met on the Internet when we were 13! I'm sure a lot of people thought we were crazy and wouldn't make it, but here we are a decade later, still happy and even more in love...with 2 kids, a house, a dog, a cat, a guinea pig, a snake to show for it! 

Today we are flying to Vegas to celebrate! WOOHOO! :)

In sickness...

Yesterday was our 9 year anniversary, we were definitely living out the IN SICKNESS part of our vows. After taking a sick day on Saturday, I felt a bit better on Sunday until evening hit and my asthma (which hasn't acted up in years) went berserk. I went to the doctor on Monday spent $273 on an office visit, got a steroid shot and a prescription for antibiotics. I felt a little better that afternoon and the next morning and managed to gear myself up to go on BubTar's field trip with him. By the time I got home I was starting to feel much worse and have just been getting sicker since then. I'm dizzy, coughing, wheezing...I can barely talk or walk without getting incredibly winded. I can't even drive the kids to and from school because I'm afraid I'll pass out at the wheel because I'm so light-headed. I've been coughing with such force that I pulled some chest muscles and I think I've been coughing up a bit of blood, too. In short, I'm quite miserable and I haven't been sick like this in ages. I haven't even needed my inhaler for years prior to this! I called the PA back this morning and she called out a prescription for a course of oral steroids, so hopefully this will do the trick. I do not like being sick like this!

Last night, Josh brought home Pei Wei for our anniversary dinner since I was obviously too sick to go anywhere. It was a far cry from date night...Josh sat at the table while I half-sat, half-laid on the couch while KayTar INSISTED on feeding me several bites of my food. She told me, "I'm the second mommy in this house, so when you are sick, I'll take care of you like you take care of me." Later on, BubTar cuddled up with me for a while and watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on TV (which is the play we went to see for his field trip, actually!). Once the kids went to bed, Josh played Wii while I laid on the sofa, alternately resting/trying to expel my lungs from my body with the force of my coughing. Josh took note of my declining condition and brought me VapoRub and my inhaler, then sat with me and rubbed my feet while we watched our Wednesday night TV shows until I finally felt calm enough that sleep might be possible. It certainly was not the most romantic anniversary on record, but I did feel extremely loved regardless of how sick I feel. Nine years ago, we were just two crazy kids in love and over the years we've taken that love, invested it in each other and in our children and it has paid out in the richest of dividends, and we intended for it to continue to do so...For better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live.