Brave Girls Club xxx

tag time...

1. Do you prefer your ice cream in a bowl or in a cone?

A bowl UNLESS it is my favourte Amaretto ice cream with coconut and almond shavings/ mix-ins from Marble Slab Creamery, and then I have it in a chocolate dipped waffle cone.

2. What three things do you love the smell of?

Fall/ winter scented candles - like pumpkin spice or apple pie...

The smell of walking through a forest in Autumn with the musty fallen leaves - that lovely earthy smell.

The coconut-y smell of suntan lotion.

3. Giftcards or no? (In regards to gift giving...)
NO - I just think they show no thought put in to the gift.  Unless they are a part of another gift - like I gave my Son a prepaid credit card last year as PART of his Christmas gift because I knew he would LOVE the freedom it would give him to shop anywhere - including online - and it allowed him to sign up with Netflix :)

4. What sports did you play in high school if any and do you still play them?

Tennis, gymnastics (by choice)  - hockey, swimming, athletics - not by choice

5. Were you in band in high school? What instrument did you play?

no

Friday in Vegas is CRAZY!!!! :)

This statue was made of jelly beans and was at New York, New York:

The Mirage Hotel:

The lions at the MGM Hotel:

The fish at the Rainforest Cafe:

Me and Laurence posing on the bench at The Rainforest Cafe - oh woops thats not me...... lol :

Me by the waterfall at The Wynn:

Inside the Wynn - I wasn't too thrilled with the Wynn but I know a lot of people like it there - I think if I was to go back, I would choose either The Mandalay Bay or The Venetian.  Laurence likes Caesars Palace - he loves the swimming pool and all the corridors and artwork etc etc....and where all the stores etc are....we ate at The Cheesecake factory there and I must say their food is FABULOUS - too funny that I asked if it was the same company as the one in Edmonton - uh- NO!!!  lol!!!  Shame though as their food is excellent!!

The Rainforest Cafe has 'supersized' my coffee mug!!!  Lol:

Couldn't resist having my picture snapped with this GORGEOUS poster when I spotted it:

It is party weekend in Vegas this weekend - Margarita weekend to be exact - and they have the Worlds Largest Margarita on the street :)  Lots of celebrating, decorations, free margaritas, necklaces etc etc....it was all supposed to start at 5pm but by 4:30pm there were many many party goers already drunk on the strip around the party area with their margaritas in hand!!  

Thats Vegas Baby ;)  

Friday fill-ins....

And...here we go! 

1. It's easy to drive ANYWHERE - I wish I had been more confident long ago - and been encouraged instead of DIScouraged.

2. I can do ANYTHING my darling.

3. Once upon a time, I thought I had my whole future planned out and knew what it held - knew what I wanted and knew what it would be like.....now I have NO CLUE what the future holds but I am LOVING the adventure and the excitement and all that I am learning and becoming and I think my life is so much more full because of it!!

4. And she lived happily ever after ... the end. 

5. What is it that appeals to people about this city - that they come back again and again?  I just don't see the appeal!  I'm glad I have been and can say 'I've done Vegas' - but I just don't see the appeal of coming back again and again!

6. I hope it's all over with sooner than later.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to enjoying this place one last night, tomorrow my plans include packing and leaving the hotel room.....spending the day in Vegas before heading to the airport tomorrow evening and Sunday, I want to give Susannah, Abby and Samuel the biggest hugs EVER! Missed them sooooo much!!! xxx

So true :)

Our Thursday in Vegas....

Oooooh YEAH baby!!!  Matt Goss appears at Caesars Palace every Friday and Saturday:

Criss Angels show was AMAZING.  This and his magic kit, was Laurences birthday gift:

Love this hotel and bar:

Laurence in Caesars Palace posing where The Hangover was filmed:

The bar where they throw all the cocktails around world champion style - like in the movie 'Cocktail' and they walk across the bar and get a LOT of applause.  Reminded me of Coyote Ugly too:

Wednesday tag....

1. Have you ever been 'asked' to report for jury duty? Were you chosen to serve? If not, were you happy or disappointed?   Yes.  I was asked last Summer.  I would have been REALLY happy and excited to have been asked at any other time, but unfortunately my husband had just left, and I was extremely stressed and depressed - I also had no way of managing  jury duty AND parenting the children on my own.  I filled in the form explaining my situation and was excused from jury duty.

2. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being very), how mechanically inclined are you? Give an example to back up your answer. I'm ok....much better than I used to be....I'm much more capable than I used to think I was - and than people used to give me credit for :)  

3. Beets-cabbage-cauliflower-butternut squash....of the four, which is your favorite fall vegetable? Beets. Especially golden beets!!!  Mmmmmmmmm!!!  LOVE them!! Beet salads...roasted beets....I just love beets :)  

4. What do you recommend to overcome self-pity?  Gratitude journaling....even on a bad day there is always so much to be grateful for!!  

5. Do you enjoy classical music? Yes!!  It's very calming.  I especially like piano music and well played violin music.  

6. October is National Book Month...what's on your reading list this month? I don't really have time to read this month - not for me anyway - but I have quite a few Halloween themed books to read to Sam and Abby.......

7. What is your idea of 'cute'?   Baby smiles, toddlers....chubby hands holding mine.....the little children I look after on Tuesdays...my Samsam xxx

8. Insert your own random thought here.  Dharma and Greg just finished....looking forward to another busy day in a gloriously hot Las vegas tomorrow.....I am so blessed....and soooooo tired :)  It's definitely time to go to sleep!!  Goodnight :)

Missing you...

Missing these three most beautiful creatures :)  

Can't wait to see them this weekend and give them all the biggest hugs and squeezes....can't wait for life to get back to normal next week with them.  Can't wait to enjoy Halloween planning with them :)  And give them their treats from Vegas :)  

Oh I miss them so much!!  We talk about them so much and of the things they would like or not like here....and how funny Sam would be in the casino's with all the slot machines :)  

I have such incredibly beautiful and sweet children :)

xxx

Day three in Vegas...

Today Laurence and I headed to the Stratosphere and also spent time at Fremont Street.  The temperature got to about 32c in the end today and was completely GORGEOUS!!!  It's kind of bizarre being in a place so dry that they only have astro turf for grass though!!!  

We had lunch in a 50's style diner where the girls were dressed up and every so often would sing!  One of the girls came and sat by Laurence while she sang :)  

All the pictures are on Facebook as always :)  

New agreement signed...

The US has now become a Province of Canada and therefore Canadians will benefit from equal pricing, lower travel costs, easier travel and more Pottery Barn stores...US citizens will benefit by becoming Canadian..and who doesn't want THAT???  lol....

The Wisdom of Steve Jobs...

So how do you find your deep autonomous motivation to fuel your life? Here are some inspiring questions based upon words of wisdom from Steve Jobs:

Jobs: "Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition."

You: What do my inner-voice and heart want most for me to do with my life?

Jobs: "Believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well-worn path, and that will make all the difference."

You: If I trusted that eventually the dots will connect when I follow my heart, what would be my vision and what would I do next?

Jobs: "Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life."

You: What big choices would I make if I only had a short while left to live?

You can read more from this GREAT article by  CLICKING HERE

Waking up in Vegas....

Another day in this crazy city...very grateful for the INCREDIBLE weather we are having here...the experiences we are having and the memories we are making.....definitely a holiday we will never forget!!  The bus trip home tonight was memorable on it's own...the bus driver was telling everyone to hold on to the person next to them - if they know them good, if they don't know them, then make a new friend - because what happens here - stays here ;)  

Pictures of the rest of our day are on Facebook :)

Thankful in Vegas...

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving...mine was very long but very exciting - I am very grateful to have been able to take my Son to Las Vegas for a few days for his birthday week. 

We were up by 3am and at the airport and checked in by 5am and yet we were still walking 

'The strip' just before 1am this morning :) 

A looooong day but indeed so much to be thankful for.  

The rest of my pictures are on Facebook.

Tonights gift...

My girly...