Las Vegas

There are two parts to going on vacation: leaving and coming back. As much as I love the going, I think I may love coming home even more. There's something luxurious about sleeping in your own bed with your own pillow and showering in your own shower.

Four days, I think, was perfect. Long enough that I was able to relax into the vacation, but not too long. I was sad to leave but also glad to come home. Feeling only sadness at leaving means I haven't been gone long enough. Only happiness means I've been gone too long.

Ma, the Little Sister, and my Twinner Sis-in-law made the perfect traveling companions. We talked and laughed and shared pillows and road treats, but we also read books and watched movies or just watched the red rocks go by, leaving each other to our silent occupations.

I appreciated the company of Twinner SIL particularly. Although she didn't wake up as early as I did (I woke up just after 6:00am the first morning), she woke up sooner than the Ma and the Little Sister. Twinner SIL hadn't spent much time in Las Vegas before. We explored the strip together, checking out the sites. We were whistled at, approached about Vegas pool parties, and asked if we wanted VIP access to a night club. We said no.

Because Twinner SIL hadn't been there before, we took lots of pictures. Lots of pictures. I was the only photographer so our pictures look pretty much the same. Me on the right, Twinner SIL on the left, with different backgrounds: the monorail, multicolored m&ms, the fountains at the bellagio.

This one is of us in the conservatory of the bellagio. Simply add different backgrounds and you'll get a pretty good idea of what all the originals looked like.

We waited for Ma and the Little Sister to wake up before doing anything super fun. Like going to Freed's Bakery and trying their wedding cake. Some of the most delicious cake I've ever had. Or driving to the Hoover Dam and leaning over the edge so we could feel the crazy wind coming up from the bottom. Or visiting the floor to ceiling chocolate fountain at the Bellagio.

I've been visiting Vegas since I was a tiny child. Years I didn't visit Vegas are far more rare than the years I did. This trip included far more touristy things than ever before. It was fun and there was a lot we missed. Luckily, a girl trip to Vegas (no men and no babies) is officially part of the yearly schedule. Some of my sisters and definitely my Ma appreciate lying by the pool more than anything else. I am excited for the chance I'll have to explore the city from top to bottom, ranging far and wide, finding things to see and delicious things to eat.

Mostly I'm glad that I have some time each year to hang out with the Ma and my sisters,