Vegas Trip

Mike and I were thrilled to take our first vacation since before I got pregnant. When NIU got into the Orange Bowl, we played around with the idea of going to Miami, but the whole thing was just too expensive for 2 to 3 days. Vegas came in second, and Mike's parents were kind enough to stay at our house to watch Andrew and Jez while we were there. 

At first, things were not looking good when we got there New Year's Eve. We arrived at 11:30 PM because flights were super cheap. Well, when we got there, there was some type of mix-up with Priceline and the hotel, and they did not have our reservation. They did not even have a room! So, here we are past midnight on New Year's Eve at the airport calling hotels in Vegas of all places. Mike found one at The Orleans, which was off the strip. The taxi driver told he he just drove around a couple to 5 different hotels, and they were all booked. He said the average stay was $900 a night. Well, Priceline actually said they would not only refund our money, but pay for our hotel! So.....we finally arrive at 2 AM (4 AM our time) and hit the sack. I was pretty tired the next day, but I was so excited about being there that I was able to deal with it. :)  We spent the next couple of days gambling, eating, and watching sports. (I Just wish I got a little more sleep.) It was much easier to watch the Orange Bowl without Mr. Andrew around who likes to turn the TV off when it's not one of his shows. Our other 2 nights were at Palazzo, which has awesome rooms for sports, because they give you two TV's. We lost a good chunk of money on the Illinois/Purdue game. They also have the best sports book EVER. You get your own TV, couch/chairs, and server while watching your games. 

We also saw a movie while we were there, which you don't understand how rare that can be until you have kids. On the night before we left, I ended up going on a hot streak and won over $800. We came back home even, so that's what I call a good trip! I put $40 in a machine and won $100. Then I went to a different machine and won $300. Then on the third machine, I won $550. It was insane. I played it down $150 and then walked away. For a while I thought the machine may have malfunctioning, because I have never seen a machine win so much. We were feeling pretty down when it was time to go home, but we were also anxious to see Andrew. It was a MUCH needed vacation!