My Favorite Vacation...

We think we first went in 1998 or it might have been 1999 - so sad that we really cannot remember.  But what we do remember was from that point on - we have been each year since....

Las Vegas, Nevada.

The first few years we stayed at the south end of the strip, we have never stayed downtown, and now we love the north end.  We have seen the implosion of the Sands, the renovation of the Tropicana, the change of the front of the MGM, the building of so many - including Mandalay Bay, The Wynn, Trump Towers, Center City (Aria & Cosmopolitan), Paris, Bellagio, Venetian, and the list will go on and on.  We love the Cirque du Soleil shows and we've seen Penn & Teller (not our favorite), Blue Man Group (not so much that one either), and many of the traditional Vegas shows (our first year we saw the motorcycles in the round cage - that was amazing!).  We did not see the tiger show before it moved and female taxi cab drivers make us very nervous.

And - we do not walk to the casino next door!  We tried that one year and hours later - we found a cab.

We have some favorite restaurants - although the days of cheap (good) food and constant drinks if you are playing are somewhat gone.  Hash Hash A Go Go is one of my favorites - Twisted Farm Food (how cool is that), the steakhouse at TI was our choice for Russell's birthday, the Rio Seafood Buffet is our all time favorite and I love every buffet that exists but my all time favorite is the one at the Luxor.

We enjoy this vacation with Kevin & LynDee.  They have been joining us in the desert since our second year.  Since our boys were all so little we promised them that we would take them for their 21st birthday.  We owe Son one his trip - we are going in October of 2012 - he wants to see the PBR World Finals (2011 would not have worked - they are the week before his birthday!)

2008 - Nephew two's Birthday Steak Dinner - our waiter was an Ohio State guy....

2012 - The Big Nasty - we met them at Harrah's and they live in Lufkin!  Gary is a radio talk show host (The Big Nasty).  We had dinner (their treat) at Nobu's - absolutely wonderful Sushi!

2012 - Sushi - I don't remember the name of the dish - but it was amazing!

I LOVE Batman!  These guys were on the sidewalk outside of Caesar's - Kerry said it is wrong to laugh when the Joker is trying to slice your throat. (2012)

Our Vegas Trip Partners.....2012

I do love the bright lights of that city.  I find it absolutely amazing to think of Vegas in the early years (Elvis, the mob being in control of every casino, and the old stage shows...) - we enjoy meeting people and playing blackjack, craps, and roulette and just recently I have sort of figured out how to wager on basketball games.  We might have won some money that first trip..... I am still waiting for the next time I win!  Until then our family enjoys a world that is so totally different from our own!

Side Note:  This year the most amazing thing happened on our trip.  I have been reading (as you  know) - the book 1000 Gifts - and the word that Ann Voskamp uses quite frequently is eucharisteo.  It is a Greek word - I have looked it up online to hear the correct pronunciation.  Thanks to my brother in law- we always know about the taxi cab drivers.  This time our driver from the airport was from Greece!  And I remembered to ask him how to pronounce their word for "Thank you".

Always, May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14.