California Dreaming

As we were deciding what to do for breakfast this morning, I decided we should do a buffet since I'm trying to give my kids the (age-appropriate) Las Vegas experience in the short time we have here and buffets are, let's face it, quintessential Las Vegas.  So, we headed over to the Ports O'Call buffet at the Gold Coast for their buffet since it was only $7.99 per person. The kids all got a kick out of being allowed to have whatever they wanted and as much as they wanted.  Las Vegas buffet.... check!

And then, we went to my old apartment before we headed out of town.  My apartment was located at 5245 Edmond St in Las Vegas in the Willow Springs complex.  I lived there for most or all of 2000, 2001 and 2002.  I was inside this apartment getting ready for work when I heard about 9/11.  So, so many memories here. I moved here when I was 23 and moved out when I was 26.  It was crazy to look at my kids standing in front of my apartment.  Back then, it was so hard to imagine being a mother and having kids. And yet, here I was with four of them in tow 14 years later.

(Tanner opted to stay in the car - apparently he didn't find this quite as fascinating as I did! ;))

And then we hit the road and finally made it to Newport Beach where we met up with Dave's family who flew in this morning.  The kids were all excited to see their cousins.

And to have some pool time.

Not a bad way to end the day.

Best of Intentions

Well, this post was supposed to be filled with pictures of the Hoover Dam, having lunch with my good friend Jessica (my former Las Vegas roommate who I haven't seen in 11 years), maybe us at a magic show or going on a roller coaster or checking out the Titanic exhibit for my Titanic-loving son.  But instead, it's filled with..... the airport.

We booked our plane tickets and rental car in February - 5 months ago.  It never occurred to us there would be weather problems going from MD to Vegas in the middle of the summer.  Especially since we booked a non-stop flight.  But alas, we got to the airport on Thursday with all our kids and stuff in tow only to find our flight had been canceled. AND (even though our flight was at 3 pm, so plenty of time left in the day and plenty of other flights out), there was no way they could get us out there that day.  Even if we split up.  What a let down.  So, they sent us all home and booked us on a flight the following morning (yesterday). But this one was not non-stop.  It was direct, not non-stop.  And there is a big difference between those two words. Non-stop is just that.  Direct, you stay on the plane for an ever so brief stop, just long enough to let some people off and others on and continue on your way.  Unless of course the crew that is supposed to fly your plane from Connecticut to Vegas is on a mandatory FAA "rest break" because they got in late the night before (again because of weather - I'm convinced they hold weather responsible for everything no matter what so that they don't have to compensate you for anything).  Anyway, so that "stop" turned into us having to get off the airplane and hang out at the airport for several hours.  Which is why you are seeing pictures of this....

And this

And this instead of all the sights and sounds of Vegas.

And the bummer of it is, is that we only had a day and a half in Vegas as it was.  So, instead of landing at 5:30pm on Thursday, we didn't get to our hotel (after a big rental car fiasco -I'm super bitter toward Thrifty and Dollar rental car companies at the moment) until 6pm last night, meaning our day and a half turned into just a few hours in Vegas :((

So.... what to do with just a few hours in Vegas?  Well, if you have a flamingo-loving daughter like we do, you head to the Flamingo to see their flamingo habitat.

We went there for Lacey, but all the kids loved it and after we left, all the girls kept asking to go back.

But aside from actually just landing and finally getting here, a major highlight of the day yesterday was to be reunited with my parents, who none of us have seen for a year and 3 months. 

After we got our fill of flamingoes, we headed over to the Bellagio to see the fountains, one of my absolute favorite parts of Vegas.  

Waiting for it to start.....

Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars performed by the waters of the Bellagio.  Awesome!

Everyone loved it so much, as I knew they would, that despite the fact that no-one had had naps and were up by 6am and it was now 11pm (MD time), we stayed for another round and saw Elton John's "Your Song" and if it weren't for this one who was fading very, very fast, we would have stayed for another.  Dave declared that his highlight of the day yesterday was watching Riley completely rock out to the fountain shows.  She totally got into it and was just as much entertainment as the show itself!

We got back to the hotel at 8:30 (11:30 MD time) and expected all the kids to absolutely crash, which is exactly what Ella did.  But the older three got a second wind, so after a quick change into their bathing suits, we headed up to the rooftop where they had a "Dive in " movie (Zootopia).  So, although we got off to a rough start, I think we made the most of the time we had and are all happy to officially feel like we are on vacation!

May your Strokes be Long and your Times be Short

Today was the last day of Swim Team.  Every day for the last two months, the kids have gone to swim practice. Before school got out, they would go after school and once school was out, it was every morning M-F with a meet every Saturday.  Today was their last meet and they all got at least one PR!  I was especially proud of Riley.  This was the 3rd Season for both Lacey and Tanner; Lacey started at Age 7 and T started at just shy of his 6th birthday, the summer before 1st grade.  But Riley is only 5 and just finished pre-school, so I wasn't sure she'd be up to the grind of a 6-day a week sport, learning the strokes and such.  But she rocked it! She finished the season with a PR of 37:37 in the 25 Free and 37:27 in the 25m Back.

I wanted to get a pic of all three kids together at the Banquet tonight, but alas Tanner ran off to play in the pool and it was too hard to track him down with all the kids, so the only pic I got was of the girls.  I figured I'd get another after T got out, but then all of a sudden, the clouds rolled in and the thunder and lightning started and just like that, our raging swim party came to an abrupt end! :(

So, I'm adding these from earlier in the season

And just for my/their records:

L's 50 Free PR: 1:01:97, 25m Back PR: 38:81, 25m Breast PR: 33.96 (she got 31 today but got DQ'd :() IM PR: 3:05:80, 25mFly 41:80

T's PR's:  25 Free: 25:12, 25 Back:  34.34, 25m Fly: 52.86 (He got 33.60 today but got DQ'd :(), 25m Breast: 50:07 (he got 42.92 today but got DQ'd).

This past week, was "Spirit Week" and every day, we dressed up with a different theme.

America Day

Pokemon Day

(She's pretending to be playing Pokemon go)

Hawaii Day

Superhero day

And just like that, another swim season is in the books!

Lacey Day

Yesterday was Lacey Day.  My friend Mindy, whose birthday is in February, always celebrated her half-birthday in August and dubbed it Mindy Day because Winter birthdays can be so dreary.  So, we decided to do the same thing for our Winter baby (of course that was before we had 3 other kids!!)  But somehow the tradition has stuck.  So, last night she invited 5 of her closest friends over for a "late over."  We started the evening by jumping on the tramp, eating popsicles and playing in the back yard.

Then we came in and made make-your-own-personal-pizzas and had dinner in the dining room (per Lacey's request) with flamingo napkins and straws.

After dinner we played a couple games (like Bean Boozled which the girls loved!) and then went to the Flamingo Drive-in (our basement which was covered in Flamingo lights) and watched a movie (Nanny McPhee).  

The girls ate lots of popcorn and giggled and I had fun overhearing their conversations.  "Guys, I have a confession to make.  I kind of still like Elmo."  "Oh my gosh!  Well, guess what?  I still secretly like watching Paw Patrol."  "(Giggle, giggle) Well I still like Bubble Guppies."

Seriously.... I am loving this age!!! Independent (mostly), but still totally innocent, happy and carefree.

Before the girls left for the night, they each got a massive Flamingo cup.

Happy Lacey-Day to my 9 and a half year old!

Ducks and Days

Yesterday, we went to Lake Waterford because Riley has been BEGGING me to take her to feed the ducks.

After counting 40 ducks, including several little babies and two turtles, Riley declared it "the best day of my life!"

My babies with the duck babies.

After a fun day yesterday, we woke up to a sad one today.  I don't know if you can see it here, but I had to document it.  We have lived in this house for 4 years and 2 months and that entire time, we have played on this swing set that looks like it's in our back yard but is technically in our neighbor's yard.  And today, they decided to take it down.  It was a sad, sad day in the Strom household as my kids play on that swing set nearly every day.  Ella couldn't understand what was happening and kept pawing at the glass whining "my park, my park."  It's like the end of an era...

On to happier things..... For several years, the three of us served as the Young Women Presidency in our Ward at church.  We grew to be best of friends.  Kim and her family ended up moving to Korea in 2012 and hasn't been back to "the mainland" since (they moved to Hawaii last year).  So, today was the first day we have been back together in four years and it was so much fun!

We decided to have a big party at our house this afternoon with all the friends that are still here from 4 years ago so everyone could see the Days again.  It was very fun!

Ryan and Tanner

Lacey, Ali (who was barely 12 when they left and is now 5'11"!), Emma and Riley.

Showing off their nails.

Lacey and Emma

Lacey and Emma have been friends since they were 3 years old. They are just 6 months apart.  I still remember when Emma was turning 4 and Lacey was invited to her birthday party at age 3 1/2.  It was a "drop off" party; they went to Build a Bear.  It was the very first birthday party I ever took one of my children to and it felt like such a milestone.  Now look at them.

It honestly felt like such a tease having them here because it was just way too short.  Kim and Pete are two of our very best friends.  They moved here in 2009 and we just "clicked."  I feel like that doesn't happen very often where all four of you just totally gel.  But we did.  We went through a lot together during the three years they lived here including the loss of their nearly 2 yr old son who passed away just 2 weeks after Riley was born.  Four years ago (2012), they were transferred to Korea (Pete is in the Air Force).  So, I had a baby in 2013 (and Kim threw me a "virtual" baby shower from Korea!) and then, once I got Ella weaned, Dave and I were off to Korea to visit them by 2014 and the four of us toured Korea and Vietnam together having the time of our lives. Kim and Pete got to our house at 7:00 last night and the four of us went out to dinner and then stayed up unit 1:30am talking and hanging out and catching up.  I love those friends where you can just pick up right where you left off.  They spent the night here and then this morning, we had a big party/lunch at our house with all of their friends and family in the area.  They left at 4pm, so we had 21 hours with them.  Not nearly long enough, but we'll take it!  They came to visit us in Maryland, so looks like it's our turn to go visit them in Hawaii next ;)  A girl can dream........