Thursday, September 26, 2013

9 Years, 30 Hours and a Million Dollar Piano

One week before our Nine Year Wedding Anniversary we had a conversation that went something like this:
"Hey, trips to Vegas are on sale.  Wouldn't it be great to go to Vegas for our Anniversary?  Maybe we could make it happen, you know, just one night.  That would be awesome, lets check it out.  It's getting late, I'm getting tired, this stresses me out.  If the prices are the same in the morning, maybe it's meant to be."
Badda Bing Badda Boom.. the next morning, prices are still low, everything worked out and reservations were made.

Fast forward five days and these beauties were ready to fly.
Wednesday morning, Keith I were excited to say Happy Nine Year Anniversary!!
With an hour to kill at the airport, we opted to kick off our Anniversary celebration with a set of His and Hers.
His and Hers cocktails that is.
Bloody Mary for him, Mimosa for her.
SO Happy to be on the airplane!!
With the courtesy of free drink coupons, we kept the celebration going on the airplane with another pair of His and Her cocktails.  The best part was the stir sticks that were topped with love. 
At 10:00 AM we landed and before lunch, we were walking out of the hotel to the palace pool.
Paradise!
Next stop, another set of His and Hers.
Vodka Tonic and a Blackberry Mojito that they called the Black Dragon.
So Happy Together!
At this time last week, we thought we would be at work today and maybe we would have a dinner date.  Instead, we were here, together.
Don't even ask us to stop smiling.  It's just not possible.
There was nothing but angels and blue skies for as far as the eye could see.
and a Bright and Warm Sun!
When the kids aren't here, we take pictures of each other.  Instead of seeing Oliver and Kellan's many different smiles, here are ours.
I only got about half of my People magazine read and non of my book, mostly because this guy kept me laughing and we had so much to chat about and catch up on.  Plus, there was some serious people watching to get done.

The wind was blowing, but it was like built in air conditioning.
There were Caesars towers for as far as the eye could see.
The pool was one of the coldest that we have been in, but it didn't put a chill on our fun.


Having fun and setting up for a auto photo.
Fun in the Sun of Caesar's Palace Pool.
Still able to crack him up after over a decade together, nine years of marriage and two boys.  Our secret, VEGAS BABY!!  (maybe not exactly, but defiantly quality time)
Then... he tries to be serious.
NO WAY!!
The serious look lasted about 2 seconds.
I love to see this smile and hear his laugh.  I hope it never fades.  If it does, I'll jab him in the ribs with a tickle finger and it will spring right back into action.  HA!
FINALLY, we were able to check in.  It's a good thing that they let you chill at the pool even before they give you keys to the room.
After a quick clean up we were back downstairs at Nobu, the sushi bar.
Yes, we were kid-less, which means that we can eat AT the sushi bar.  Right after we sat down we actually tried to remember the last time we were at the bar and we couldn't remember.

Happy 9th Anniversary to US!
Sushi from the bar.
I can hear my Mom cringing from here but let me tell you... it melted in your mouth.
Hands down, the best sushi ever!
The highlight of the trip (other than spending time together, the amazing food that we ate, the refreshing cocktails and the sunshine) ELTON JOHN!!!
Since Elton John started performing in Las Vegas, I have said that I wanted to see him there.  Keith thinks that this trip was a conspiracy just to see him, but really, it was fate.  I mentioned to Keith that I would LOVE to see Elton and the night before we left I received an email receipt from Keith that he had purchased tickets.  Truly, it was the best anniversary gift, ever.
Carrie and Keith, Nine years and going strong at Elton John!
Elton was practically begging us to spend our nine year anniversary with him with this sign.
It was so enticing that I had to pose with him too.
The stage from our seats.
The Colosseum.
Keith and Carrie ready for the show.
There he is!!
The photos aren't the best but he was nothing short of Amazing!
The whole band.
Elton a little closer up.

He would stand up and strike a pose with his sparkly shoes.
I love this guy!




The show was SO good.  We loved every minute of it.  I even caught Keith singing along once or twice, which never happens at concert.  THANK YOU Keith for making this dream come true!

Now... for more food!!

Instead of one big dinner, we opted for two small dinners.  Next up, we bellied up to the bar at the Mesa Grill for a FAVORITE dish, Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Tamale.  YUMMMM!!
Next up, Outfit #4 of the day and event number.... oh, who knows?
It was time to go DANCING!!!
Sadly, we discovered that we may have been in the mood to shake a leg but the clubs in Vegas aren't open on Wednesdays.  So, we took a picture of the outfit next to the elevators.  You know us, living on the edge.
The next day, we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at a french restaurant and then hit the pool.  The forecast was for a cool off to 70 degrees, but that didn't stop us.  Plus, we wanted one more round of fun.  As an added bonus, there was a Greek God delivering drinks, how could I say no?
But alas, after an hour or two the clouds came in and even those of us from the North couldn't handle pool attire with cooler temperatures so we headed out for one parting meal with lunch at Mon Ami Gabi in Paris.  We truly felt like we ate our way through Vegas in the short time that we were there and it was FANTASTIC!
On our way back to Caesars, we paused on the bridge that crosses the strip to gander at the view.
We also took a quick photo or two.

Happy Ninth Anniversary to Us!
It's been a great Nine Years where we have grown and learned a lot along the way.  We have always believed that our secret to a great marriage is spending quality time together.  Sometimes we get so wrapped up on the day to day activities that we feel like we need to get done that it's important to stop and appreciate what we have right in front of us.  Even if that means booking a last minute trip to Vegas to spend 30 hours together to rekindle our relationship, chat about whatever comes up (without interruption from our shortest family members), eat decadent food and have an evening of a life time at Elton John in Las Vegas.
For us, what happens in Vegas definitely doesn't stay in Vegas.  We bring back the love and hold on to it all year long.
Nine is going to be DIVINE!

Sunday, September 22, 2013

The Dragons are Back and On Fire!

Come September, we have school, our anniversary, birthdays, fall colors and FOOTBALL!!

That's right, The Broncos are back on the field and so are the Dragons.  This is Oliver's third season playing with the Dragon's and they are going for their third and final championship together.  You see, many of the boys turn six soon, so they will no longer be able to play with this age group.  There are rumblings around the parents that some of the boys might not play in the 6-7 year old flag football league.  You can bet your bottom dollar that I'm already petitioning the boys parent and the coaches to play again in the 6-7 year old league.  (oh yes... if you're reading this, you know who you are.  Mmm Hmmm!!)  Not that I'm a huge football fan, but I'm a HUGE Fan of watching THESE boys play.  

Of course, I'm not one to put all of my eggs in one basket.  We are already grooming the next 4-5 year old Dragons.  Take note of Cole and Kellan practicing on the field. Never mind the adorably goofy look that Kellan is giving to Cole's Daddy, Patrick.  I'm sure the by next Fall he will have perfected his game face and it may or may not look like this.
Kellan is already working on his focused off-field run.
Left, Right, Left, Right.
It's all about the focus and the arm pump.
Some fancy behind the back moves.
That's right, they'll never find the ball back there.
Focus, Determination and Encouraging Chats with the Ball.

Then, they were off.
Kellan and Cole were off the field and the Dragons were off and running.
The Dragons were on fire and so was Oliver.
THIS.WAS.HIS.GAME!!
The word of the season for the team is containment.  All of the boys are trying to master it and Oliver, being the perfectionist he is, is the master container.  No, these are not my words.  I swear.  I just report them.  Do you really think that I could make this stuff up?
Last year, Oliver was great at containment and then he would corral them straight for his team mates to pull the flag.  (seriously, this word has never been in my vocabulary until now).  This year, (ok, one game in) he's not only containing, he is pulling the flags too.
This Boy is on FIRE!
Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are catching up on some serious Mac work in their suite.  One year and counting until we put them out on the field, until then, it's Curious George all the way.  Or maybe they were looking up their fantasy football scores.  Yes, lets go with that.
After that commercial break, Oliver was right back at it.

Then, it was his turn to play offense and run the ball.
You could hear him from the sidelines yell "HIKE"
I'm confident that there was a "Hurry, Hurry" that proceeded the "HIKE".
Then, he was off and running.  Keep your eye on the blue #6.
Around the ref they go.
# 6 is gaining on Oliver.
It's getting close.  So close that my camera lens opted to focus on #6 other than Oliver.  (that lens and I are having serious chats about which kid it should be focusing on)
Then, Oliver saw the straight away and kicked in the turbo action.
He cut across the field and dodged a few more defenders.
Then, he once again kicked in the Turbo and ran like the wind.
He ran and ran and ran.
RUN OLIVER RUN!!!
Then, he took the lead to run in a touchdown!!
TOUCHDOWN OLIVER!!
The Crowd Goes Wild!!!
(Technically, the crowd goes Wild for every player, but this blog post would take a week to read if I reported on EVERY player)
A highlight for Oliver is that our neighbors arrived just as this play occurred.  He had personally asked Mr Mark to come to his game and this was their first exposure to the Dragons.  He was SO proud!!
Back on Defense, the containment and flag pulls kept-a-coming.

It was SO awesome, that a few chest bumps were in order from Caleb and Owen.
I hope they don't get a penalty for excessive celebration.
This is only half time, people.  We still have another half to go.  Look at the focus and determination by those Dragons.
Oliver got the ball again, and again, he ran it in for a touchdown.
Again, #6 was on his trail...
..., but not for long.
Mr Mark brought his daughters Samantha and Kailtyn and they enjoyed the view from Cole and Kellan's suite.  They too got to see Oliver's first touchdown.  Oliver didn't quite understand why they played with their iPhones more than watch the game.  I think he answered that question the next day when they knocked on the door to invite him over for a tea party, which happened to be at the same time as the Broncos kick off.  We love 'em anyway!
The first game in and Oliver won a medal.  A medal is given out at each game and this game was Oliver's.  He got a medal for containment and flag pulls.  He was ON FIRE!
Cobly also got a medal.  Colby was a rock star when he caught an interception and ran it in for a touch down.  Seriously, this doesn't happen in 4-5 year old flag football, but it does with these boys.
Oliver has been SO fortunate to make such great buddies at Primrose.  Both the Primrose in Littleton and now this one at our new home.  Most of the boys on the team are friends from Primrose and we brought along Owen from our Littleton Primrose.  They are great kids who have formed a great friendship.  Oliver is making great new friends at his new public school, but like all good friendships, it will take time to build what he has with the Primrose buddies.  Not only has Oliver benefited, but we all have as we have made friends with their families.  I'm SO excited for this season of the Dragon's to watch our boy explode into the athlete, friend and team mate that his is proving to be as well as getting the opportunity to spend every Sunday with an amazing group of parents and kids.
GO DRAGONS!!
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