Viva Las Vegas!

Last week Chad and I got to go on our first big trip together since the boys were born.  Grandma and Grandpa Ramsay came to look after them for us and we headed out to Las Vegas!  Chad had been before, but it was my first time, so I was very excited!

It was amazing, a bit overwhelming, exciting, hot, exhausting, and so much fun!  We saw shows, ate super fancy, high class food, outlet shopped, toured the strip, drank on the street, relaxed by the pool and enjoyed adult life for 4 days!

Our hotel room at the Bellagio

(Comfy King sized bed, and a view of the 7 pools!)

First night there... ready to go to a show

We went to Caesars Palace to see Shania Twain

(She put on a great show... complete with riding horses onto the stage!)

(After this show we went to a nice steak restaurant that had 5 pound lobster meals and I ordered Chicken Parmigiana that was literally large enough to feed 4 people, it was huge!)

Heading to the Buffet breakfast in the hotel to fuel up for outlet shopping

After lunch at P.F. Chang's on the strip

(a few of us went for a walk up and down the strip to check out the different hotels and stuff)

At the water wall at Aria

(another amazing hotel/casino... super modern and ultra fancy)

(Yes, we had drinks while walking down the street.  We went to a walk up window in a bar, and I had the strongest daquiri known to man... it was amazing I could still walk after drinking it!)

Night two... off to another show

Rock of Ages at the Venetian

(It was really good and funny... lots of awesome 80's outfits and rock music!)

(After this show we went to another super fancy restaurant, one of Mario Batali's, B&B.  Srimati would have been proud.  Sooooooooooooooooo good, everything we ate was amazing, the service was unbelievable and it was a great experience.)

We went next door to Aria (or the Cosmopolitan), I can't quite remember to check out the "club" scene.  This was a really pretty bar, lots of pretty people and even go go dancers in raised boxes above us. I enjoyed just taking it all in!

 

Time spent by the pool... showing off his abs!

Chad had to do a bit of work on this morning so I took a picture of myself enjoying the beautiful sun!

I think now I should have taken more pictures of the food because I have never eaten food so fancy... but this was Chad's lobster pie from the last night (at yet another awesome high end restaurant) and we took the picture for his Dad to see.

(We also had Lobster ravioli as a starter)

Our view from the front of the Bellagio, after watching the fountain show

We went down to Freemont Street (the Old Strip). it was a totally different world, but so much fun!  This was the much more flashy, but cheaper part of Vegas... so many lights and so many interesting people! We just bought some drinks at the convenience store and wandered around, checking out the lights and people watching.

We made a stop at the Golden Nugget to try our luck... the biggest slot machine I have ever seen!

My turn... no one won :(

Now this was my big finale for Las Vegas... if you look very closely to the right of the big red Bills sign, in between that and the American Flag... you will see a tiny, wee little me suspended in the air.  They have a zip line that goes above the street (5 stories up), and you zoom down the line over top of everyone!  It was sooooooooooooo much fun, a total rush!  What a great way to experience the excitement of the strip and the lights.

We arrived home Saturday afternoon, and Carson decided Saturday night that maybe he missed us and was afraid we might leave again, so he was up all night... he finally fell asleep in our bed at around 4am and then of course Wil decided that he would wake up at 6:30.... this picture is of a very tired mommy and two tired boys on Sunday morning. 

 

 

Happy Long Weekend!

Some of our fun from last week and the Victoria Day long weekend!

 

 

We had a midday specialists appointment and both boys had to miss their nap, this happened one exit away from our neighbourhood!

(I drove around for a while so they could get some rest... and took this picture when stopped at a light, so don't worry Mom and Dad, I was being safe!!)

Rainy evening entertainment

(rock painting)

Wil was very focussed - he put on a "painting" hat!

Trouble in the toy box!!

We went to Heritage Park opening day

(Riding the street car to the gates, Carson was very excited to be on the "train")

Checking out some animals, plugging our ears because the turkey was gobbling very loudly!

Petting the donkey while he tried to eat Carson's shoes

Donkey kisses!

A BBQ with cousins

(Wil playing with Clay's "toesies")

Driveway beach party after school today

(these pictures make me laugh)

 

Chad and I are off to Las Vegas tomorrow morning for our first grown up trip without the kids!  Next weeks blog might actually have pictures of the two of us!!  Have a great week.

Carson is Two!

On May 3rd, Carson turned TWO!  That's right, two.  I am still struggling to believe that my "baby" is no longer a baby, they just grow up so fast. 

It has been a whirlwind over the past two years.  Carson has kept us on our toes, keeps every day exciting and has developed such a strong little personality.  It has been absolutely amazing watching him grow and change and become the person he is today. 

At two, Carson:

• does everything at top speed... he prefers running to walking most of the time (which can be tricky when trying to keep track of him in public places)
• loves music, dancing and singing
• has started talking more and more and more and enjoys hearing his own voice
• idolizes his big brother and literally will do everything Wil does, whether Wil wants him to or not
• loves anything with wheels/tracks.... cars, trucks, diggers, busses, trains and enjoys shouting out all the things he sees when you are driving
• will correct you if you call a digger by the wrong name ("no mommy, no bulldozer, mini loader there)
• has no trouble telling you "NO" when he doesn't want something
• loves water and swimming
• is quite the little hockey player and has a mean slap shot, as well as a fabulous goalie stance and butterfly
• can (and does) climb EVERYTHING, even out of the shopping cart if you are not watching carefully and forget to put his seatbelt on
• is fully embracing the tantrum aspect of the terrible twos
• is a great sleeper, knows when he is ready for bed and often has to be woken up in the morning
• is a great eater and will try anything without hesitation
• likes to sing along with you when you are singing at bedtime, his favourite somgs are Rock a Bye Baby, Twinkle Twinkle and Bye-o Bye-o
• can sing his "A, B Gees " and count to 12
• is a total mommy's boy (which I love, except when he is whining "mommy, mommy, mommy" over and over again)
• loves shoes and boots, and wants to try them on in stores and wear them around the house all the time
• is still quite attached to his soother, hopefully by the time we do the post for his third birthday that will a memory!!
• is very loving and cuddly and gives the nicest hugs
• has one of the best laughs I have ever heard... and he laughs with his whole heart and body
• also has a beautiful smile
• loves to make other people laugh and is quite a character
• enjoys being around other kids and babies, very social
• is also quite happy to play on his own... although when he is too quiet I need to make sure i know what he is doing because he is likely to get into trouble
• is very curious about how things work and studies things with intensity
• loves being read to, laughs out loud at books and is starting to "read" to us now
• keeps asking for his big boy bed.... which I think we will move him into when we get back from our trip next week
• is ready to be potty trained, which we will also do when we are back from our trip
• is just an all around awesome kid!

Carson's first day in the world

(He was SOOOOOOOOO tiny!)

 

6 months old!

One Year Old

18 Months

Yay, I am two!!

We had a digger party, here is the cake... sorry it is sideways

Our backyard construction site

So much food

Put the boulder in the dumptruck

 

Ready for Cake

Help blowing out candles

 

Carson was a big fan of the boulders

(cake balls)

Presents!

Wil's stickers from his goodie bag

New goalie gear from Grandma and Grandpa Red Deer!

How cute are these brothers?!?!?!?

(love)

 

Happy Second Birthday Carson!  We are so lucky to have you in our family and we love you!

 



(as a side note... this is my 100th blog post!! It couldn't have been more special to post about my little man's birthday.  Thank you to all of you who take the time to read this blog and to check in on us. I appreciate it.)

Mother's Day 2013

Happy Mother's Day!

I am so fortunate to have a fabulous mother.  She is everything anyone could every want/need in a mother and has been the best role model you could imagine.  Thank you Mom, for everything you have done and continue to do for me, I love you.

I am also lucky to have a Mother in Law that takes good care of me too.  Thank you Em, for making me feel like such a complete member of the family.

I was thinking a lot about this today.... and in addition to having such a great mother, and having such great kids that are teaching me how to be a great mom (I hope)... I am truely blessed to be surrounded by good mothers and mother figures.  Aunts, cousins, friends.  I am inspired by them, learn from them, vent with them, and have such respect for them all. 

I tried very hard today to get the boys to pose for a nice picture with me.  This is an almost impossible task... I settled for something much more natural... some quick pictures while playing.  I think it is much more "us" anyways!

My first Home made Mother's Day gift

(It came with a nice poem... and prompt instructions from Wil to water the seeds so they grow)

Wil picked his own fancy Mother's Day outfit

(making sure we see the socks in the picture)

My other handsome dude

 

My Babies!!

(love)

Always so silly

They make me laugh

 

I am a lucky mommy!