las vegas...a lot of pictures!

Thanks to a 90 minute torture session listening to a time share sales pitch where they tried to hold us hostage while my 3 month old colicky (and hungry) daughter was screaming in the parking lot with my mom...we more than earned this free trip to Vegas. More than earned.

left - our first time in Vegas together, senior year of high school fall of 2001
right - trying to reenact the same pic at The Mirage

It sure was fun too! To get another free night while there we listened to another sales pitch where they actually treated us with respect, and accepted our no - gave us $140 and another free trip...suckas. Or are we the suckers? I'm not sure. Either way - traveling for nearly nothing is awesome!

Some random pictures - the bottom right is after we walked the ENTIRE strip back and forth in one day...my feet were killing me! So tired.

Maybe we snuck into a fancy hotel, one where the entrance is not easily accessible from the strip - really not accessible. We snuck in and tried to pretend we belonged there among all the rich-folk. We were dressed WAY too casually to fool anyone.

Best pastry ever at one of my favorite cobble-stone street places in Vegas. Love the atmosphere and the shops. It's almost like being in Europe again - well, not really. But the closest I'll get too it for awhile. Bottom left - Ry was singing along with the Gondola man...we have no shame.

Best food we had in Vegas and it was free! Thank you $40 gift card from timeshare salesman.
Left, my yummy Cob Salad and right, Ry's fancy lasagna.

What is happening Barneys of New York...and fashion all together? My favorite is the manikin with purses on her head.

Then there was Madame Tussauds Wax Museum - we wouldn't have gone if it weren't for the super cheap tickets we got from the timeshare salesman...couldn't pass up on opportunity to make fun of celebrities.

This is probably one of my favorites...ha!

That was my best grumpy Simon face...

I can't remember her name...but we both do not like her...

Bet you can't guess where I stand politically...I had to take the pic of Obama from way far away - they had someone there to take a picture for you to charge you more money...

I maybe was a little too excited to see the new James Bond and made Ry retake the picture 4 times till it was good enough...so he got me back with the next girly he saw...love his face in this pic!

Frank isn't my favorite - but he was representing all the good jazz music and old crooners...so I had to get a pic. Love that era.

Ry ignored the politics and went straight for the astronauts...maybe someday honey!

We went to the temple before leaving Vegas - what a breath of fresh air! Loved experiencing the contrast between the strip and the temple grounds. It made it so easy to feel the spirit! Wow. The church is true.

Growing up whenever we went on road trips our lunch/food of choice by default, because we were poor, was vienna sausages on potato rolls. Nice and cheap and it fed the whole family. I still love it - it was my childhood. So I had to get it. Can you guess how Ry feels about it? He won't partake of the canned goodness. It is an acquired taste.

*Quick childhood story - my dad would pull the car over, open the door and lean out to drain the water off the sausages on the ground. Then we'd eat. My sis Carrie for years thought he was pulling over and finding cans of Vienna Sausages on the road - how the Lord provided food for us! It was a miracle! My dad the Vienna Sausage finder...amazing! Love you sis!