Vegas Baby!!

Our Christmas was spent a little differently this year. We have some special friends that were renewing their vows for their 5th wedding anniversary and they invited to come to Las Vegas with them. We had decided to leave Christmas afternoon, after the kids got their Christmas from us and Santa and we had a little time with family, the weather had a different thing in mind. With a huge storm coming on Christmas, we had to head out early. Thank goodness that Santa is so accomidating. He came early on Christmas Eve morning. We threw together packing for us and the girls, dropped Kiana off at my parents, and drove 6 hours to Vegas. Not bad with a nursing baby. Maile was so good, she just slept the whole time. It was a very different Christmas. Vegas is Vegas, the city that never sleeps of celebrates holidays. We just didn't feel too Christmasy. The hardest part was not being with family for the holidays. Usually our holidays are so filled with family, and we didn't see many this year. We really missed everyone, but Kiana seemed to love G-ma and G-pa's and was happy to see us when we got home, but still wanted to stay with her grandparents. She played with cousins and was spoiled rotten.

We stayed in some pretty nice hotels and is was s nice long drive to just talk. Steve and I hardly ever get a moment like that. With it being our 5th anniversary a couple of weeks ago, it was nice just to spend time together. With Maile nursing, she came along. Vegas is hard with a baby, and the first night she had some problems breathing because of all the smoke in the casinos and buffets where we ate. After the first night, she wasn't bad, except all of our sleeping schedule was a little off.

Here is our awesome from the Stratisfere. Steve thought it was sooo cool, he had to take a picture.

After the first night, we went to the Las Vegas Hilton...much nicer view, and rooms.

Day view....

Night view....

What felt the most Christmasy was the Bellagio. They had their fountains set to Christmas music, and the lobby was pretty neat.





Here are our good friends, the Wrights. Obviously it was their wedding renewal!
And our cute family, minus Kiana...

These girls were so funny, they were litterally fighting over Maile and couldn't get enough of her. Also, Tom's little sister is a good friend of mine from high school, and we were lucky enough to be able to hang out with her and her husband and catch up and talk of old times. They are a really cute family.

It turned out to be a nice get away. We were lucky that Steve had off and we could just get up and go. We got awesome rates too and didn't end up being too expensive. It was mine and Steve's first time trying to gamble (just the penny slots). We lost $10, but made $12. Not too bad. Steve wanted me to be able to play with him, kind of hard with a baby, so he and Tom enjoyed the night life, eating, playing, and music. If we do it again, maybe we'll have to wait to not have a newborn and then once again we'll beg my parents to take the kids. They actually enjoy it more then you'd think. They're usually begging to have the kids.

Here are a few more random pictures...

And here's my Princess Kiana in her new dressup clothes she got from Santa! It is going to be an awesome year! Have a good one.