Vegas & Beach Baby

-Picture overload-
This last week we got to go on a vacation. Ryan had a work expo (love how our trips typically involve his work somehow???) in Vegas so we decided that since we were already halfway to California and since our last trip out was mostly work and a little play that we would go again and enjoy ourselves this time. We invited one of my brothers (I wish the other two lived close enough that I thought they'd be interested in going) and his family, but with his work schedule it didn't work out to go now, and my mom and Phil. Since my mom just finished up the school year and Phil is about to leave on his mission they said they wanted to go with us so off we went. We drove to Vegas and Ryan worked most of Friday and went through the expo. We walked through some of the casinos/hotels to see their displays and mostly rode the monorail from the MGM Grand to Excalibur since Alli thought the train was cool (she loves this song about a train called "shiny dinah" so anything that is shiny dinah is awesome). After he finished we hung out at the pool which was really nice. There was a wave pool, a lazy river, and then just a regular pool and hot tub. When Alli woke up from her nap and had her fill of swimming we headed out to go see all the cool free things to see and get some dinner. Sadly we missed the lions in the MGM Grand by a few minutes, but the restaurant in there has a really cool display so it wasn't a total loss. The M & M store was disappointing, and then we walked down and saw the flamingoes at another place. We were too late for the sharks and white tigers in the Mirage (I know I should have planned a little better, guess there is always next time), but we did see the cool fish/shark tank and amazing frescos in Caesar's Palace, and the volcano show outside the Mirage. We bagged the circus and the animals at Circus Circus since they were clear on the other end of the strip and we'd already walked soo far and still had to go all the way back up-those addresses and distances are a little deceiving. :) But next time there will be plenty for us to see.




Saturday we headed to San Diego since Ryan was finished up with the expo-it was smaller than he had expected, but still worth the trip :) and got there fairly late in the evening so we just played in the pool (it was beautiful, with a waterfall right next to it, and some cool cabana areas and hammocks) with the pool toys the hotel provided and got yummy dinner. Sunday we went to church and picked up a bunch of beach stuff we were borrowing from one of the owners at Brandmakers' parents house and went to the beach. The first one we went to was La Jolla Cove and in one part of it there are a bunch (at least 100 or so) of Seal Lions and Harbor Seals just hanging out on a section of the beach so you could get really close on a certain walkway. Then we had a little picnic lunch and went to the actual La Jolla Cove part where you can snorkel. Ryan and Phil went out snorkeling and I would have except the water was FREEZING, and Ryan and Phil both said the fish they saw weren't cool enough to make it worth it. So-I took their word for it and buried my legs in the sand on the beach and built sand castles with Alli. Parts of the sand were too wet, and parts were too dry so Phil created a "perfect mix" for the little princes to have her castles. After that beach we went to a different beach a couple miles away with better waves for bodyboarding and skinboarding. It was pretty funny watching them! Alli was sleeping so we utilized the beach chairs and the huge umbrella they lent us and hung out under that napping.
* We love our little "sassy pants" Alli. Sometimes her poses she does are so comical. They are definitely her own, I don't know where she has seen them before because they certainly don't come from me or Ryan!