Summer Family Vacation Part 2: VEGAS!

We left California on July 25th and drove up to Vegas with Grandma and Grandpa Parke to attend the 'Parke Family Reunion' in Mesquite, NV. We played in the hotel pool for two straight days and ate A LOT of scrumptious food at the buffets! 

Eden and her Grandma Parke

Tennyson loved the water slide!

Aunt Jamie and Cousin Bennett

and Eden and I loved it too!

Asher!

Asher with his Grandma Parke

 

After the Parke Family Reunion in Mesquite, I stayed in Vegas for nearly two weeks with the kids so they could play with their cousins--Jillian, Carter and Bennett who live there.  The kids had SO much fun playing with each other.  I was worried they would get tired of each other, but they never did! The kids swam nearly every day with their cousins in the pool.

Cousins! L to R: Bennett (3), Carter (7), Tennyson (7) and Asher (5)



Cousin Jillian (9)

Tennyson was obsessed with doing cannon-balls into the water!

 



Asher busting one of his fancy moves into the pool:)

 



My brother-in-law, Christian, and his wife, Jamie, own a HUGE home in Vegas.  In fact, I am quite jealous of all the extra space they have:)  They have a spacious 5 bedroom, 3 bath house with a roomy loft for the kiddos to run around in. Despite all the space in the house, ALL the kids (minus Benny) wanted  to sleep together in MY room--that's right...not Jilly's room...MY room.  Who needs their own bedroom when one can sleep on the floor in my room?! Really I was quite flattered!  I loved every minute of it (except when my kids were still giggling and laughing long after their cousins had already fallen asleep!)

 

Eating lunch outside the Vegas Children's Museum

 

Eden's signature expression--at least while we were on our trip.  She insisted on sticking out her tongue for nearly every picture!

 

Eden had a tea party with her big cousin, Jillian.

 



The cousins tried to make a fire one day using only pine needles, torn paper and a magnifying glass.  This kept them entertained for nearly an hour!

 



L to R: Carter, Bennett, Tennyson, Eden and Asher

 



Asher doing a cannon-ball.

One morning we went swimming at Jaymie's friends' house.  She has one of the prettiest backyards I have ever seen.  I was in love with it.  She has this beautiful pool with a jacuzzi (to the left of the rocks), a water slide (to the right of the rocks), and a neat waterfall that you can swim behind. To the left of the pool is a beautiful grassy area for the kids to play on. Umm...jealous!

    

Eden and Jillian

Jaymie bought the boys these cool Angry Birds shirts.

Story time with Uncle Christian (notice Eden giving the camera 'tongue' again!)

Next stop on our vacation...ZION NATIONAL PARK!