Labor Day Mesquite/Las Vegas Trip

For Labor Day Weekend, we took a trip down to Nevada for some r & r and to spend time with Ben’s family, including Goo-ma (his aunt) whom we don’t get to see enough of. In spite of leaving Friday afternoon and spending 1.5 hours to get to Provo, the drive was not too bad.
We got into the Orchid Bungalow at Casablanca around 8:30 and went to bed. This bungalow is a three-bed-room party suite that Kenny frequently reserves for family. It is always comped and very much appreciated!
The next morning, we got spoiled with comped spa treatments. Maia, Lois, Ashley, and Maia’s fairy, Silvermist, got their nails painted purple and pink. Ben and Ashley enjoyed deep tissue massages. We planned to swim for the remainder of the day, but Maia was way too tired and threw a HUGE temper tantrum at the pool. Ben was not around, so Ashley got to suffer that humiliation by herself—imagine a child screaming at the top of her lungs rolling back and forth in mud and grass wearing a wet swimming suit while her mother, with baby in tow, is dripping wet, trying to grab the child before she hits her head on the cement. That was us. It was awesome. Everyone at the pool grew silent and was staring at us. A good four hour nap later and it was time for a short dip in the pool followed by a scrumptious dinner at Katherine’s.
It is always such a treat to go to Katherine’s! You never know what the waiter is going to bring out and the food is quite good. This time, we were treated to two giant plates of oysters, three plates of shrimp, and two plates of crab cakes for appetizers. We ordered or entrees and desserts and then got to experience the !!!!!!!! Patti, the head waiter, came out with a table full of different liquors which she poured into a bowl and lit on fire! She ladled and poured the mixture over orange and lemon peel. It was quite amazing watching the blue fire stream out of the spoon! Maia now believes Patti to be a magic witch, which prompted her to start showing off some of her own magic tricks (she is quite fond of making things disappear). After the show, the whole room erupted in applause!
Sunday morning, Ashley indulged in another two hours of spa. Then, we all drove to Vegas for a little dining and shopping. We took recommendations and headed to the VERY crowded Premium Outlets. We were a little weary, but once we got inside, we knew why everyone was headed here! The shops are great and the Labor Day Deals even greater! We bought bundles of clothing, including a Princess Aurora dress for Maia. Surprisingly, the kids did AWESOME! Partly, because Grandma and Popsie are very attentive to them and also we had our stroller for Akai and someone finished with shopping handed off their rental stroller to us for Maia. Very nice.
Next, we headed to get some Korean BBQ. Mmmmm…we love bulgogi and tofu!
Finally, we took the kids to the strip to show them the lights. Akai fell asleep, but Maia’s eyes were wide with wonder. The traffic was moving so slowly that she and Ashley got out of the car and walked. We decided we had time to see the Mirage Fire and Water show, so we stopped while Ben creeped ahead. After it was over, Ashley walked quickly with Maia on her shoulders to meet Ben. He tried to pull right onto a side street, but it diverted him back onto the freeway right when we were getting close! Now, we had to hurry ALL the way back to where we started! Finally, we found him. While we were running back and forth, I asked Maia what she thought of Las Vegas. She said, “It is GORGEOUS!” What lights do for a three-year-old!