Utah is pretty, Vegas is fun

Pretty and fun. Those are the two most used words in a young girl's diary when she first starts to keep one. At least in mine. "July 12, 1990- Today was fun. We went to the mall. I bought a dress. It is pretty. " Anyway, we know that Utah is more than just pretty and Vegas is more than just fun.

OK, maybe Utah is pretty. OK, maybe I would consider settling here. Earlier this week my husband and I were driving through Provo canyon, or whatever you call it, and as we beheld our surroundings we decided that Utah indeed was a beautiful place. This year there was a lot of rainfall and the heat didn't hit until July. The Provo river still runs high and the mountains are still green. Usually everything is crispy by mid July. We're lucky this year. Blessed. My kids will know what nature is. We've gone camping. We've hiked. We've gone fishing, for about 5 minutes. We've gotten really dirty. We've gone canoeing. We've gotten our fill I guess for the year. We're leaving in less than a week for California and then after a few days Qatar. The temperature there will keep us indoors for two months. I guess that will give me more than enough time to set up house even with the kids around. So this summer is coming to an end for us. Real life is kicking in again. Life where you have to work and think every day. Budgeting. Planning. All that stuff. There is a time for everything but I'll have to admit, this summer was too short. I could relax at least two weeks more. Perhaps next year. I've already decided that next year I want to see at least three national parks in our future dream car we're going to buy when we get back. We'll hike up to the Y on Y mount again with the kids. We'll go camping at least once. Hopefully twice. Maybe even thrice. I'll participate faithfully in the library reading program for my kids. We'll do swim lessons. We'll stay at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas at least one night. (After we informed him that we were poor, Shermy agreed to turn off the lights this year so we can save money to stay there at least one night.) They have a wave pool and a really nice acquarium.

We stayed at the Sahara Hotel in Vegas about a week ago. It's not posh but I was satisfied. We got two adjoining rooms. It was perfect. We put the two older boys in the other room to bounce their time away and giggle. Cinci slept in the other bed in our room. (I thank my lucky stars that I decided to transfer him to a bed last month. I was tired of lugging that pack and play around everywhere.) He sleeps like a bump on a log now. A squeezy, really cute bump who wakes up at night sometimes to say despairingly, "Sandals on, sandals on!"
I've driven through Vegas a few times, usually on our way to Newport Beach. We stay at some cheap place one night and leave the next morning, after, of course, gorging ourselves at one of those famous breakfast buffets they have in almost every casino/hotel. Well, this time we went to experience a little of Vegas. I really thought I had driven down the Strip before, but really I never had. I would have remembered it. Those goregous breathtaking billboards of the Chippendale's, um, I mean those, grandiose hotel/casinos in all their sinful majesty would have stayed in my mind. I guess I love a beautiful building. I know I haven't an eye for architecture, but what's not to like in a large rectangular building in the evening with the right lighting and a eye catching diversion set up out front.



We stopped in front of the Bellagio to see the fountain show. It lasted only the length of one song but I really felt lifted up and taken away in the clouds as I observed. The dancing water and the comfortable song, "Singin in the Rain" really was a treat for me and my children. If you think Vegas is just a worthless place to go, you are wrong. Yes, there is a lot of trash there, but there are a lot of worthwhile things to do and see too. Perhaps, if I had teenage boys, I would try to avoid walking on the Strip. The ground is peppered with trashy pictures unfortunately. Good thing my kids are young still.
Here is a picture of us after gorging ourselves for a second time at a breakfast buffet with our good friends from Turkey. They are staying in San Diego for the summer so we met in Vegas to have fun!

From the adventures of bunsy and her tumbleweeds