Grandma's 90th Birthday

We had the opportunity to drive to St. George, Utah last weekend for my Grandma Bea's 90th birthday. The boys were marvelous! They were great in the car and throughout the whole trip...we were so excited to have trip where everyone stayed healthy and no meltdowns occurred.

On Thursday morning, we left and drove to Las Vegas. Our first stop was the Bass Pro Shop. I seriously believe that we could spend hours there! It is a huge store full of animals (not so much alive anymore, but certainly "real"). We saw bears, lions, giraffes, etc. The highlight was the salt water tank. It is unbelievably large and full of fish, sting rays, sharks and corals. While we were admiring the tank, a diver and Mermaid showed up. Gabe wasn't fooled. He knew she wasn't a real Mermaid, because she wore goggles. Of course, everyone knows real Mermaids don't wear goggles!

Will making friends with the sting ray.

My boys!

Carefully watching the diver.

Meeting the Mermaid.

After the Bass Pro Shop, we headed over to the MGM Grand to see the lions and eat at the Rainforest Cafe. The lions weren't very exciting...they just slept. It was a little strange to see two lion trainers inside the habitat, sitting on a rock, having a conversation like they weren't surrounded by lions. The Rainforest Cafe was fun. I'm surprised the boys ate anything with all the different things to look at...animals, fish tanks, and a starry sky. And every so often the thunder would start, the lights would dim, and the animals (really not real this time) would go a little crazy. Fun, fun, fun!

Sam loves eating at the Rainforest Cafe!

Gabe and Will with their new friend.

Getting a view of Las Vegas from the top of the M&M store.

Unbelievable! Look at the two guys sitting there having a casual conversation next to the lions!

After the excitement of Las Vegas, we headed on to St. George. We were all a little tired when we got to the hotel. Well, except for Sam. He was bouncing off the walls! I'm sure after being strapped into his carseat for so long, the freedom was more than he could handle! I have no idea what time he went to sleep...he was still jumping and laughing in his crib when I fell asleep.

On Friday morning, we met up with my grandma, parents, Amy and her family, and my aunt and uncle. My brother-in-law arranged for my dad, Uncle Tom, Mark and himself to go golfing. While the big boys were golfing, the rest of us went to the park with the kids. The kids enjoyed hunting for treasures with Nana and Grandma and burying Aunt Vinda's feet in the sand. Sam got to spend some quality time playing with Aunt Vinda. They were all pooped after spending a couple of hours at the park.

Saturday was party day! Grandma looked beautiful! I am so lucky to be the granddaughter of such an amazing woman. My boys absolutely love her (Will seems to have a special bond with her). It was so fun to see so many relatives and friends that I haven't seen in years, people that have been special to me since I was a little girl.

One of those people is my Aunt Lidia - she is an absolute kick! One of my favorite childhood memories is her retelling the story of Brair Rabbit. She is SO animated! It makes me smile to just think of Aunt Lidia! Thankfully, she humored me and I was able to share that wonderful memory with my kids!

The best part of the trip was getting to see everyone and meeting the two newest members of the family. Banyan was born in February (Grandma now has 6 great-grandchildren!). And Ryder's fiancee, Audrey

Thanks to everyone who helped make this such a wonderful weekend!!