Tahiti in Las Vegas?

So Patrick had almost a week off of work. We were going to originally go camping up North with the kiddos, but at the last minute decided we wanted a more how shall I say "relaxing" vacation. I had been in Las Vegas the week prior for a conference and had found this really cool hotel in downtown Vegas with a pool that surrounds this huge aquarium where a large water slide goes thru. Anyways I thought the kids would get such a kick out of it, so that is where the whole Vegas idea came from. Like most of you Vegas isn't exactly the place I first think of when I think "family" vacation. Anyways, as I did some research on hotels in the area I found a place called the Tahitian Village. The room are all suites with seperate living spaces and bedrooms, there are kitchens in the units and they had an enormous swimming pool with a sandy beach and lazy river. Now if you have ever traveled with three young boys you know how quickly one small hotel room can seem like very cramped quarters, so this place was definitely looking good. Also, the way my kids have been eating me out of house and home lately made me realize that having a kitchen with fridge in the room could definitely come in handy. The rates were unbelievable...so we booked it.

We had a great time lounging by the pool, the kids loved the sandy beach area and they could not believe you could go swimming at night (it was like a party at ten at night, crazy!). Anyways we had a super four days at our own little Tahitian getaway.

As we were leaving the last day, Patrick had to stop at the enormous Bass Pro Shop that was just across the way from our hotel. The store was attached to this cute little hotel and casino called the Silverton and it had a huge salt water aquarium with thousands of fish, sharks and rays. The kids and I just sat there in awe for at least an hour. Well one thing led to another and we ended up booking a night at the Silverton and extended our vacation one more day. Our room was right around the corner (literally) from the pool, and I have to admit that after four days of a crowded kid filled pool, this smaller much quieter pool was a very nice change. Anyways it was a great getaway with lot's of fun memories.

Huntington Beach 4th of July Parade...the tradition continues.

Well my mom is a sucker for tradition and insists on taking the kids to the Huntington Beach parade each year. This year was a bit different since one of her best friends just built a home a block down from Main St. It definitely made the trek a lot easier. The kids enjoyed breakfast, suckers, poppers, face painting and waving to and shaking hands with everyone they could! Happy 4th of July everyone!

Food and Decorations...hurray for the 4th of July!

Well, my obsession continues with party decorations. I had so much fun making all of the decorations and food for our 4th of July party this year. The food was super yummy and the decorations turned out great, although I forgot to get pics of the outside. Enjoy!

Long Beach Aquarium and Harbor Cruise

Since Patrick has been able to spend a few days with us we decided to take a trip to the Long Beach Aquarium. The kids absolutely love it and it is just the right size for them. This time we decided to purchase the annual family pass so we can enjoy the aquarium all summer and on our frequent visits throughout the year. Of course their very favorite part is touching the sharks and rays. All three just could not get enough. You will notice by Ry's shirt that he would have been in swimming with the sharks had we let him. He got soaked! When we finished with the aquarium we decided to take the Harbor cruise...the boys don't get on boats much so they were very excited! It was a great family day with lot's of fun memories made.

Swim Lessons

So even though the boys are great little swimmers, I wanted them to take swimming lessons this year just to ensure they are getting pool safe. Since we are enjoying the month in Orange County with my mom and dad I decided to sign them up for lessons at the same pool I took lessons in over thirty years ago. I remember the pools being huge...olympic sized for sure : )! When we arrived boy was I in for a surprise. I couldn't get over how tiny the pools looked and I have to admit I was a bit sad they took out the diving boards, especially the high dive. I was shocked when Evan refused to get in the pool and Ry was a nervous wreck and just stood there on the verge of tears. Come to find out Ry just thought it was a baby class and actually wanted to be out there swimming, not playing ring around the rosie! Blake on the other hand did great although he was the youngest and smallest kiddo in his class as you can see from the pictures. He learned how to breath correctly while doing the free style and can now do the back stroke, dolphin kicking and more. He never ceases to amaze us.