A Little Las Vegas Getaway!!

So, when I thought of a fun, relaxing atmosphere, perfect for a little mommy-daughter time away, Las Vegas wasn't really the first place that popped into my mind! Yet somehow that's where we ended up! Minus all the casinos and partying and other nonsense that is "Sin City", it was actually a very fun and adventurous place to go - I couldn't believe all the stuff there was for children to do! And of course grown ups, too! It's even more fun in the summer time I'm sure when the pools are open and it's warmer out!

Rea and I left on Wednesday evening for a quick 1 1/2 hour flight to Las Vegas, and might I just add that Virgin America is the best airline EVER!! The planes are all new, every passenger has their own tv on the back of the seat in front of them, and you just can't beat a $39 one-way ticket!

My amazing husband, who labored long and hard to arrange the perfect trip for us, was intent on giving me three wonderful days of R&R, and planned everything, almost down to the detail! Dinner reservations and a show for two of the nights, a little trip to the spa, and lots of fun and shoppng! We saw Lion King on Thursday night, and Rea was literally on the edge of her seat every second! How silly was I to think she might be bored with a broadway musical! What do I know?!?!? And Friday night we saw "O", one of the many Cirque du Soleil shows, lots of tricks, acrobats, diving, and funny stuff too!

We saw the Shark Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, saw the dolphins and tigers at the Secret Garden at the Mirage, and saw all kinds of stuff at Caesar's Palace. We stayed at Treasure Island, which had a cool pirate ship out front, and the list goes on and on!

But the most precious thing of all.... getting to know my little Rea Sunshine some more. Yes, we all think we know our children pretty well, but take a few days to be with just them, away from everything else that distracts us from them on a day to day basis, and you'd be amazed at what happens! At least I was! I got to see how her mind works a little more.... The questions, they just kept coming and coming! It was like she had stored up all these things in her mind just waiting for the perfect opportunity to ask them! Some very deep, great conversation starters.... "Mommy, who made California? Who built the city? Where did we get the buildings? Who put all those leaves on the trees? Our bus driver looks like Martin Luther King. Where is he now? Where's heaven? What's hell? What are those blue lines on your legs? What does varicose mean? You had me in your TUMMY????? How long did I have to live there?" And all that was just on the bus ride to the airport!!!

I hope Rea got to know me a little more too.... That she came away from this trip knowing how much I deeply love her, how much I delight in spending time with her, and how I love to answer all her questions, even if I don't know all the answers. That I cherish memories of times like this with all of my little ones, how they're all so unique and perfectly special to me, and that I would give anything and everything to ensure they're safety and happiness, but mostly their eternal lives.

Here are the Top 5 Things I learned on our little trip:

5. Always go to the bathroom when you have an opportunity. Even if you think you don't really have to go....

4. If the words "apple" and "soup" appear together on the same menu item, you really don't want to try it, even if it is a nice restaurant and you're feeling a little adventurous. Really.

3. The next time you buy tights/leggings for your 5 year old daughter, make sure that the fabric is at least 85% durable steel or kryptonite or something equally indestructable, because they likely won't make it through a cab ride, let alone an entire evening out.... You'll understand when you see the pictures.

2. "I don't care if it IS pretty and pink and SPARKLY, Rea!! $174.99 is too much for a hoodie!! Now let's go find an Old Navy!"

1. Rea is awesome. She made sure we didn't miss our flight when they were boarding and I was engrossed in a book. She'll try almost anything, except for petting a stingray. She's an excellent photographer. She always cleans her plate. She can take her own shower. She smells really good most of the time b/c she likes cotton candy perfume. She likes to hold my hand more than she doesn't. And when she is really happy and feeling content inside, she looks at me and smiles and says, "Mommy, I love you!" several times a day. (sigh) My cup is full....

So hopefully this is the start of something fun, a new Smith tradition, little one on one trips for everyone with Mommy or Daddy here and there. Ma-lak got to hang in San Diego with Daddy, Ya'shar got to venture to Ohio with Mommy, Ni'ke is next!! Where oh where will we go? Nowhere for awhile, but it'll be fun to plan and look forward to!

I'll only post a few pictures on here and the rest I'll post to facebook. There are just too many!!! And yes, if I'm in a picture, then Rea took it!