St. George with Amie

Amie and I needed to get out of town. Have a day away from Las Vegas for the day and just forget about the worries of school and life and everything. It was so relaxing. We did a little bit of shopping at the smallest mall in America. We ate ranch burgers at Arctic Circle and enjoyed one of their yummy shakes. On the way back I found out that the road construction on the southbound 15 through the gorge was still going on. We took the other way around through Santa Clara. Super cute little town. On the way, we found this little cave (could be big, we didn't get in it, and we couldn't see the back) it smelled like urine and there was broken glass on the ground. There was also all this graffiti that dated back to the 70's.

Stampin' up Fall Card Crop

 

 

 A few years ago, a good friend Staci took me to 
St. George for a Stampin' up card crop with Jill Olsen. 
A few times a year Jill (a Stampin' Up Demonstrator) has a card making day where we work on several cards throughout the day, there are prizes, and lunch. 
Its a really fun day where we get to use new product and learn new techniques. This year we also made a Halloween Subway 8x10 piece, and 13 cards.

As our gift for coming we all got a lolly pop witches broom.

Romney Rally 2012

MITT ROMNEY

I have no idea why this didn't get posted right after I did this, but.... here it is. Only a few months later :)

Back a few months ago I was made aware of the fact that Mitt Romney was going to be making an appearance at a shipping center in South West Las Vegas. I was talking about my attendance with my visiting teacher when she told me that she was actually working for the company that was setting up the event. She then told me that if I ended up going to let her know and that she would try and get me into the back room after the rally to possibly meet Mitt.

After the Rally I made my way over to the edge of the room where she was able to let me into the back room. There were several Las Vegas Republican leaders with their families and then me. Mitt finally came back and spoke a few words and then we were all able to go up and meet he and Ann. I met Ann first, she asked me about myself and what my name was, then she turned and introduced me to Mitt; relaying all of the information that she had just learned about me to him. He asked me about being a teacher in Las Vegas and what my job is like in this economy as well as the challenges we are facing in education. We spoke for a few minutes longer then took a few pictures and then said farewell.

It was so AWESOME!!!!

Paris Convention Center

So awhile ago, Amie and I decided that we wanted to have more adventures. We were hanging out at the Paris when my roommate Shanna took us on a behind the scenes look at the Paris Convention Center. Amie danced and cartwheeled in a massive empty ballroom. Can you say that you have danced inside a giant empty ballroom? We also took in a few songs at The Dueling Piano Bar located inside the Paris Casino.

Death Valley & The Amargosa Opera House

Badwater Basin...

The Paint Pots...

The drive in and out of Death Valley.

On the way back from Independence California and Manzanar we drove through Death Valley. After you leave Death Valley, and are headed towards Pharump you pass Amargosa California. We stopped at the haunted Opera house in Amargosa CA. It was really creepy because there was actually a show going on and this lady popped her head out the door, asked us if we had tickets (in a very mean voice) and when we replied no, she slammed the door shut on us! So creepy. We didn't stay long, just long enough to snap a couple of shots and read the plaque. - not that there is much more to do....

Independance, Manzanar, and The Still Life Cafe

Independence California was such a fun and interesting little town. The sidewalks rolled up early, but there was one thing that was absolutely amazing... the Still Life Cafe. We had the best pork loin I have ever had, all of the veggies were grown in their own little garden and everything was fresh and tasty. It was possibly the best thing I have ever tasted! The restaurant was owned and operated by a french couple who had immigrated to the US about 15 years earlier.

We stayed at the Mt. Williamson Motel. Owned and operated by a elderly couple from Sweden I believe. It was a bunch on small cabins that were clean, tidy, and comfortable. In the morning, the wife made all the guests from the night before a hot breakfast of toast with homemade jam, sausage, a pancakes. How amazing is that?!

 

Manzanar was incredible, visiting, learning and seeing what the US government put the Japanese people of America through during WWII is so heartbreaking. I am so glad that we as a country are not trying to sweep this indiscretion under the rug, rather we are inviting our citizens to come and learn and see what not to do in the future when faced with a similar situation.

Cosmo Exploration Adventure

A few months ago Amie and I decided that we wanted to have more adventure in our lives. We chose to explore the new Cosmopolitan Hotel in the new City Center in Las Vegas. It was definitly interestng and different. We had a stare down with some stone pooches, sat in huge shoes, posed on a purple plush sofa, bought some art from a vending machine and strumed the crystals.

We peeked through the wall of tassels, and wore some window masks.

We sat on a log that had seats screwed into the top, and attended a wedding next to foam people in the pop-up-wedding chapel.

 

My Musical would have been better...

A few years ago while on a road trip to Denver Colorado with my friend Kris we began talking about how much we love Mamma Mia and the fact that all the music is from ABBA. We then started discussing other music groups that we could do that with. We decided that The Beach Boys would be perfect for that! We sketched out a story line and where each song would be inserted. It was awesome! I do believe that scrap of paper is now living at the bottom of a landfill.

 

 

Fast forward about 4 years and someone else had a similar idea and they turned it into a show in Las Vegas called Surf. Shanna was able to get she and I free tickets to the last show. It was fun, and the backdrops were really well done. I am glad I got to see it... but I still think my musical would have been better!

 

Stargazing with friends & Dominos with family

On my way home from my Utah vacation this August I stayed with Jessica for one night. There just happened to be a meteor shower happening that night. I am so glad that she and her brother Jacob and his new wife were going out to watch. We packed up the car, picked up the married couple and then blasted BSB on our way out to where we were going to layout and watch. We drove east on 189, passing bridal veil falls and then pulled off the road onto W. Main Canyon Road and then pulled off the road in a farm driveway. We set up the blankets and got ready to watch the meteors shoot across the sky.

The next morning I was driving down the road that leads to Jessicas house as I drove over to my Grandparents house. I love the view from Jessicas route. The "Y" is so fun to see.

Before I left town I had to stop

 and drive by my Grandma Andersons house,

 just to see the changes since she moved to Twin Falls ID.

On the way home on the I-15 I had to pull off the road to snap these awesome sunbeams near Nephi UT.

That night I spent with Jeffs & Suzannes family in St. George. I am always so glad to spend time with them and their adorable family. I got there just in time for dinner and games before the kids went to bed.

 

 

The next morning, the view was so amazing. I love the Red Rocks of St. George. I treated my family to my favorite resturaunt in St. George - Mongolian BBQ. The lady ther ehelped the kids use their chopsticks, or in her words - to be chinese. She loved Branson! She was about to take him home with her. We found out that Branson is really good with chopsticks... who knew!

After Jeffs family left to go home I stopped at Dandylion wishes - a scrapbook store, and while I was shopping I found out that the I-15 through the gorge was totally backed up because of the construction going on in the gorge. It normally takes about 35 min to drive through the gorge, with the construction it was taking 3-4 hours! Luckly I was able to ask the shop keeper about another way around the gorge. I was able to drive north toward  Santa Clara and then through the Native American Reservation and through the montain and then meet up at the I-15 right as it came out of the gorge. Saved myself some major time! 

While I drove I saw a minor brush fire.



Na Na Na Na Na Na...... BATMAN!

We love Batman.  We got tickets to go to the whole Batman Marathon at The Henderson Fiesta. It was so fun Theresa, Shanna and Myself met at the theater at about 6:30pm and we watched "Batman Begins", then "Batman: The Dark Knight", and then at midnight we premiered the new "Batman: The Dark Knight Rises".

We all loved it! The only bad part was the seats, we were not in the best, but they could have been worse.

I did see one of my students from Valley at the show, we chatted. He is the only student that I saw all summer. That's a first for me!