We're Not Lucky.......We're BLESSED!: Vegas Vacation!

Friday, February 19, 2010

Vegas Vacation!

For the past 3 years that we've been back in the west, every February we've taken a weekend trip down to Las Vegas to visit my sister, Camille's family and enjoy a weekend of warm weather. I love the snow, but we got more than our fill of it both years in Cedar, and it was great to go down there and enjoy the 60s-70s for a couple of days, enough to get us through until Spring arrived. Last year the kids even got in their swimming suits and played at a splash park!

The main reason we go down in February, though, is actually because Camille's kids have February birthdays 4 days apart. So this year we went down President's Day weekend and spent a few days hanging out with our cousins. Friday night we got a babysitter and had an early Valentine's Day dinner and movie date. Camille and Jonathan introduced us to the Claim Jumper restaurant, and then we went to the movie Valentine's Day, which was pretty funny. But it was the longest I've ever left Brycen--over 5 hours--even with family, so it was hard to leave him with a teenage girl he'd never seen before, especially considering she had 5 other kids to watch! But he was sleeping when I got home, so I guess he survived.

On Saturday we took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese, because that's where Noah wanted to have his party. (Carlaya had celebrated hers the day before we went down there.) My kids had never been there before, so they were so excited, but it was insane there! We had to wait clear out the door, probably 30 minutes total before we were given a table! But the kids didn't seem to mind too much and had a great time overall.

Colby loves shooting games of any kind. I'm not sure what he was playing here, but I can pretty much guarantee he's shooting something by the looks of his face....and Jonathan's proud grin.

Bailey cracked me up, because she spent almost the entire time rotating through all the little toddler car rides. She thought they were so fun!

Camille held Brycen most of the time, and he seemed to be perfectly content just hanging out at the table and eating bits and pieces of pizza and cake.

This is Bailey, Noah, Colby, Camille, Allie, and Carlaya, all waiting to open presents.

Noah and his dad, Jonathan, cheesing over his new Nerf gun.

Happy Birthday, Carlaya and Noah!

1 comment:

Bleak's said...: So I have scrolled through ALL the pictures and have read half of it. Fun times! I love all the outside pictures of NO SNOW!! Except for a few. I really really want to go camping. I think it would be so much fun. Brycen is getting cuter and cuter! And so big. Can't wait to see everyone in a few months!!!; 12:17 PM

Bailey's Babbles

June 09...Bailey, as we're leaving church one day: "Mom, when is it going to be Fast Sunday again?" (In our church, once a month we fast from food for a day and use our meetings to bear our testimonies.) Amber: "Next week. Why?" Bailey: "I love Fast Sunday. I wish every Sunday were Fast Sunday." Amber: "Why do you like it the best?" Bailey: "Because it's faster, and all the classes are faster, so we don't have to be in church as long."

April 09..."When Jesus comes back, do you think we'll get to finally meet the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus and Tinkerbell--and all the other fairies?" ummmmm....

April 09...While I was doing her hair: "Don't do it this way, I don't like it that way." Amber: "It's cute this way, I like it! It's A so adorable, B so beautiful, C so cute." Bailey: "D so dumb!"

April 09...During a dinner prayer: "Please help Mommy to get skinnier....."

March 09...Bailey: "Mommy, I heard at school that there was this young man who was with some people who were outside in the cold and they were freezing and hungry, so he walked really far in the cold and got some food and took back to them."
Amber: "Where did you hear about that?"
Bailey: "At school, in reading groups."
Amber: "Oh, was it the Donner Party?"
Bailey: "No, no. No, we don't have donner parties."

Jan. 09...Bailey, after coming upstairs to find me sitting next to a visiting friend's baby: "Where did you get that? Is that our baby?" If only it were so easy......

Nov. 08....Bailey, at her great-grandpa's funeral: "This is even longer than real church, and it's Saturday!"

Nov. 08....Bailey: "Mommy, when I get home from school tomorrow, can you say, 'Bailey, I have a great big surprise for you!'...and then give me one?"

Nov. 08....Amber: "Bailey, are you in your jammies yet?"
Bailey: "No, because when Colby turned the TV on it made me watch it."

Oct. 08...Bailey (tearfully), while spending a few days with my parents in Panaca, when my dad let her call me on the phone: "Mommy, guess what? I'm homesick.....but I don't know what that means!"

July 06....Amber during FHE: "We celebrate the 4th of July because it's Independence Day. Independence means we're free--"
Bailey interrupts: "No, Mommy, no. I'm not free. I was free, but now I'm four."

Colby's Quips

Oct. 09..."I wore my camo shirt to go hunting because that's my hunting shirt. It's for hunting camels and deer." (He thinks they're pronounced the same.)

June 09...Amber: "K, kids, time to get dressed for church." Bailey: "I'm feeling sick. I can't go to church today. (cough cough)." Amber: "Well, that's too bad. I guess you'll have to stay with Grandma and Grandpa while we go on family vacation this week, because if you're sick, you can't go to Lagoon or the zoo." Bailey: "OK, I guess I'm not that sick." Colby: "I'm not sick. I just don't want to go to church." The kid is so. brutally. honest.

May 09..."Mom, can we go to the garden?" Amber: "We don't need to do anything there right now, so what would we do?" Colby: "Gard."

Apr. 09..."Mommy, why do they call strawberries strawberries?" Amber: "I don't know." Colby: "Because the 'straw' part is kinda weird."

Apr. 09...Colby, after I told him no Wii or TV today: "Mom, you need to think about being nice." Amber: "I am being nice." Colby: "No, you're not, and you told us that when we're mean or grumpy it lets the devil into our house."

Apr. 09...Amber: "Do you remember the prophet's name?" Colby: "Yeah! Heavenly Monster." Disclaimer: He usually does get that one right, but maybe it had just been too long since we'd done a review?

Apr. 09...Amber: "Don't pick your nose." Colby: "It's because when you give me a bath, it makes me smell like flowers and cats, and it makes my nose itchy."

Apr. 09...Amber, watching Colby carry the hamper upstairs: "Wow, you're so strong!" Colby: "That's cuz I eat oatmeal."

Feb. 09...Frustrated with Jonathan's crazy work/school schedule: "Daddy has too many jobs! We need to sell one of his jobs to another daddy!"

Jan. 09...at an SUU basketball game, after watching the guy cheerleaders do lifts with the girls: "Daddy, when Mommy gets skinny, you should do that to her." Ouch!

Jan. 09..."Mommy, if I give you a surprise, will you not make me clean my room?"

Jan. 09...Amber: "Do you think this baby will be as cute as you?" Colby (in a matter-of-fact tone): "No, I'm very awesome."

Jan. 09..."Mommy, I promise I put all my clothes away......but don't go check."

Nov. 08...My brother Cliff, after giving Colby a toy gun for his birthday: "Colby, do you know what kind of gun this is?" Colby: "A cheap gun."

Nov. 08....Amber, while helping Colby try on his new church clothes: "Ooh, you look so handsome, like a missionary. We should call you Elder Brunjes, because that's what you call missionaries."
Colby: "I don't like that name. After I take these off, can I just be 'Colby' again?"

Nov. 08....Colby, on a day when he had a cold, showing me a packet of Sweet Tarts from his Halloween sack: "Mommy, will you open these?"
Amber: "No, you haven't even had breakfast yet!"
Colby: "I don't want breakfast, just these."
Amber: "You can't have candy before breakfast. It will make you sick."
Colby: "I'm already sick. So, can I have 'em?"

Nov. 08.....Amber: "Colby, I need you to put your jammies on, then go downstairs and turn off the TV. Do you understand?"
Colby: "Yes, but you're not going to make me do it." (He realizes my bed rest limitations! Grrrr!)

Oct. 08.....Amber: "Do you think this baby will be cute?"
Colby: "Yip! Even cuter than me!"

Oct. 08....Amber: "Colby, do you need time out?"
Colby: "No. That would be so lame."

Oct. 08....Amber, after learning that Colby had snapped one of his grandpa's baby trees in half: "Why did you break Grandpa's tree?"
Colby: "Because I wanted to see if it would break."
Amber: "What did you use to break it?"
Colby: "My muscles."

My Testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was born to members of the church, and many of my roots in the church began in its youth in Kirtland and Nauvoo. While I'm very proud of my heritage, that is not the reason I'm a faithful member today.

I belong to this church and remain active in it because every blessing I have comes, either directly or indirectly, from my membership and my testimony of this gospel.

I know that I am a daughter of God who existed before I came to this earth and who covenanted with my Heavenly Father (God) to come down and live a righteous live and serve and love those around me. I know that if I keep those covenants and the covenants I continue to make, I will be blessed to return to Heaven and live with Him and all my loved ones and be part of a beautiful eternal family. I have learned through personal experience and the scriptures that I can pray to Him at any time and in any place for personal guidance and protection, and that He hears and answers my prayers and answers them according to what HE knows is best, for which I am ever grateful.

I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and my literal Savior, and that when He suffered in Gethsemane and died on the cross, He did it partially for me. I know that He loves me and knows and understands me and watches over me daily. I'm so grateful for his incomparable sacrifice on my behalf, and I pray that I can live worthy of His atonement.

I have a powerful testimony that the Book of Mormon, as well as the Bible, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price are books of scripture that speak the words of God. I'm grateful for them and can truly feel peace and strength when I read from them, especially from the Book of Mormon. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet, called of God to restore the true church to the earth, make available the Book of Mormon, and teach us the doctrines of eternity. I love his teachings--they bring hope to my heart. I know that we've had a prophet on the earth ever since Joseph Smith, and that Thomas S. Monson is that man today. I praise and sustain him. And I love his stories!

If you are seeking a greater fulfillment and joy in your life, I invite you--plead with you, even--to learn more about this wonderful church. You will find a more magnificent joy in its truths than you have ever felt before in this lifetime. Your relationships and daily activities will be blessed and strengthened in your living the doctrines of this church, which are all designed to bless and help us, not hurt or restrict. I can honestly say that I have never in my life regretted living the gospel and keeping the commandments, but I have made many mistakes, some more serious than others, which almost always invoke regret and sometimes even pain and suffering. Fortunately, the Atonement of Christ gives me hope for repentance and redemption. It is in His name, the name of Jesus Christ, that I share this testimony. Amen.