Vegas Vacation

Craig and I were invited to join my friend, Ellery, on a trip to Vegas so she could meet up with some of her friends from California. On the drive down we saw some awesome cloud formations. Does anyone else see a running raccoon?

We stayed in the Emerald Suites just south of the Strip. Even though the room included five queen-size beds, Ellery had invited so many people that some would have to sleep on the floor. As soon as we got into the room, Craig and I were able to claim one of the beds. Since I didn't really know anyone there, I avoided the bathroom and just got ready in the closet next to our bed.

Once we finished freshening up from the long drive, we went to check out the outlet mall. I tried on some dresses for Craig since he had never seen me in a formal before. I love this picture, but I wish we had a picture of Craig’s face when I first walked out of the dressing room. It was priceless! I honestly don't think he expected me to look very good.

Later that night, we headed out to the Strip. Neither of us have turned 21 yet, so we couldn't do what typically makes Vegas so exciting, but that didn't stop us from having a really good time. The big focus that first night was at the New York, New York where we all got to ride the Manhattan Express. It's a rather bumpy roller coaster and I obviously had my nails too close to my face. After that, I was pretty much done for the evening.

The next night, I was determined to go see the fountains at the Bellagio. It has always been my favorite part of Vegas. Here, I'm impatiently waiting for the rest of the group to finish getting ready so we can go.

We finally got everyone out of the hotel and as we were looking for a place to park, I saw the fountains begin. I was so worried that we would miss it and this was our last night, so I jumped out of the car as we slowed down to make the turn at the intersection next to the Bellagio. Craig was less than impressed, but he forgave me.

It was entirely unnecessary for me to be worried that I would miss them because they still had quite a few more shows to go before they would end for the night. I was in heaven the whole time and Craig stayed with me until they ended. He is so good to me. This is my absolute favorite picture from the whole trip.

The group split at this point so they could go to Coyote Ugly while Craig and I did some sightseeing. There were so many beautiful things to look at. My favorite hotels were the Paris, the Bellagio, and the Venetian. Someday I'll get a ride on one of the gondolas.

When we saw this glowing mass we instantly bust into laughter. The jokes were endless! We had to get a picture.

Finally it was time to head back to our hotel. I was exhausted, but there was no way Craig was going to sleep on the drive back. Since we were the only ones under 21, we became the DD's. (Craig obviously did a much better job at it than I did.) The vehicle he got to drive was this awesomely huge truck. Now it was Craig's turn to be in heaven.

Finally it was time to head back home, but before I could say goodbye to Sin City, I had to visit M 'n M World. It was incredible how many different versions of that little candy were in one building. The place had four floors! This picture was originally taken for Craig's mom, who loves the green M 'n M, but I don't think it ever got to her. He's so hot. I love that kid!