Millers do Vegas, cont

It's our first full day and I am already starting to get anxious that our vacation is almost over.

I am a little nervous about my ankle but I am also not really thinking that it's very practical to walk around Las Vegas in a boot so I stuffed a few ace bandages/wraps in my purse and we were off.

Here goes nothin'!

 We were up early today.  Chris Miller did not want to waste one second of her time sleeping.  There were machines that were hungry for her $5 bills!  We talked her into walking around to see the other casinos.  We walked in and out of each casino on our way down the strip. 

We spent quite a bit of time at the Venetian.  Such a gorgeous hotel with so much character.

  We took in the sites and sat for a while and listened to the Gondola drivers (is that what they are called?!) sing as they chauffeured their passengers from one end of the hotel to the next.

The live statues were a sight to see and one of our favorite stops was the HUGE candy store!

  

We walked around the Wynn and admired the gardens.

We stopped at Senor Frogs for lunch and then made our way back to the Flamingo to hit the pool.

As soon as we made it to the pool we realized that it was a 21 and older pool and an ID was required to get in.  Kim and Kari had left their IDs up in the room so we took a chance.

Kim approached the guy, he asked for her ID, when she said she left it upstairs and she was with her twin, he told her she would need it to get in.  Kari approached the guy, she told him that she had forgotten her ID up in the room and he said "You'll be fine ma'am".

As Kari was happy to not have to walk back to the room to get her ID she was not the happiest with the man's assumption.  We got a good laugh about that for days!

Tonight we decided to head Downtown.

But first dinner!

We decided on PF Changs for dinner which was DELICIOUS and a perfect choice!

We made sure to see the Bellagio fountain show before we caught our cab to bring us Downtown.

Fremont Street did NOT disappoint!

The 'Vegas' people were out in full force, the music was loud and there were signs of life everywhere!

Sometimes it was a little too loud and a little too lively but NOTHING that a good ol' foot long drink can't fix!

My ankle is holding up ok.  It gets really swollen by the end of the day but the fam is great about taking breaks when I need them and as long as I keep pumping the Ibuprofen the pain isn't too bad (until night time when we stop moving and I am trying to sleep).

Watch Out Vegas!

It's time!  The Mother's Day trip to Vegas!

Our flight didn't leave until 7 pm so we made our way to the airport in the late afternoon and had some dinner at the airport.

I am SOOOOOO ready for a vacation and I am so excited to be with my sisters and mom on this one!

The flight was decent.  Watched a show and before we knew it we had landed.

First stop- restroom.

First (of MANY) selfie while waiting for mom.

Mom was in heaven.  Machines everywhere!  We couldn't even make it out of the airport :-)

By the time we got to the hotel, waited in the VERY long line to check in and then settled in, it was starting to get late.  We decided to stay close to the hotel and headed just down the road to The Cromwell and Bally's.  Nobody won big but nobody lost big either. 

Basket FULL of Wishes

The ladies of the neighborhood got together to put a basket together for Amy.

Elyse did research to see what other people who have gone through treatment wish they knew at the time: best types of candy, fluids, mouthwash to help with the dry mouth and sores.  Best headwraps, lotions, other necessities (chapstick, slippers, water glass, gift cards, etc)

Each family put a card in with well wishes for the family.

I also put together 25 or 30 envelopes that say "Open when...."

Inside there were pictures, quotes, pins off of her pinterest page, coupons for favors, words of encouragement, reminders that it's ok to be scared and frustrated, jokes to make her laugh, and prayers.  She was very touched by the out pouring of support.

Full House

Another great weekend and another full house at the cabin.

We leave for Vegas this week!!

We did a little yoga on the deck - lol, took some 4 wheeler rides with daddy and did lots and lots of visiting.  We love having all of the family at the lake and it's extra special when Kari and her family are here with us.

Let there be sun

Chris and Kami went to Hawaii and got the girls some color changing barrettes.  They are clear/white when not in the sun.  Today when the girls were outside we freaked when we saw how bright they got!  They are so cool!  What a thoughtful gift from the island :-)

This girl is too much :-)  I always try to sneak pictures of them sitting in the backseat when they are looking or acting like grown ups (sunglasses, headphones) but they know me better than that and know it's always coming!  

Swim and Soccer (notice a theme yet)

Today we enjoyed the pool at Kari's house and then made our way home just in time for Hannah's soccer game.

After every game Hannah's team runs by the fans giving high fives :-)

Haircut and More Soccer

This summer is filled with soccer.  Hailey plays Mon and Wed and Hannah plays Tues and Thurs.

I don't mind, generally the weather is great and it's a nice way to unwind at the end of the night.

It does make for a busy day and lately it feels like all we do is rush from one thing to another.  

It's all worth it.  

Hannah was happy that we were able to sneak in a haircut today.

Landed

 

These pictures are all we need this time of year.  Proof that the boys (and Kari) have landed safely.

This year the girls and I didn't meet them at the airport.  I definitely don't like this way as much and will probably rethink that decision in the years to come.  Welcome back! 

 

 

Das Boot

 

Well, this is going to suck.

When I woke up and still couldn't put much weight on my foot today we called Denny and Judy to see if they could stay with the girls while Brian and I made our way to urgent care. 

They took an Xray and informed us that everything was clear.  They didn't see anything to be concerned about so it was probably a sprain and sent me home with a boot to help with the healing.

When I got home the girls were very interested and concerned about this new leg-feature.

They made me some treasures to attach to it to make me feel better (although my ankle still hurt, it did make me smile).  This outta be interesting.

 

Work Sucks

Today Brian and I hosted a Retirement party for Judy.  After Denny's retirement last fall she thought she'd work for a few more years.  That didn't last long and less than a year later, here we are celebrating her decision!  She had a great turnout and as always we had a successful party.

 

 

By the end of the night I was sitting in a chair with my foot up.  My ankle was super swollen and I could hardly bear any weight on it.  Wish I could remember how I hurt it.

Well, I guess today's a good day for a craniotomy

Amy's surgery was today.  It's been a whirlwind of emotions as we all learn what this means.

One thing is certain - they have so much support.  SO MUCH.

The surgery went great!  In a few weeks she will start Chemotherapy and Radiation.  A care calendar has been created and meals, yardwork, Ethan playdates and household duties have been assigned and scheduled.

We got this!

Team Glory

Hailey's team is so fun to watch.  Most of them are playing for the first time so they are super excited to learn and at the same time pretty clueless.  They understand their job is to get the ball in the goal or keep the ball out of their goal (especially if they are the goalie).  Other  than that, there are just a bunch of littles running around the field, all chasing the ball.  All of their little legs kicking at the same time trying to get their foot on the ball.

Every once in a while someone will get a break away or 'fire the cannon' to score.  They are so adorable and these coaches sure have a tough job.  Hailey's coaches are very patient and try hard to keep the kids excited and engaged. 

Look at that adorable goalie!

Goner

She lost another one!

She is getting pretty good at this :-)

Happy 4th!

This year we tried something different.  Instead of making our 15 minute trip to Braham to watch fireworks we decided that we should pack up and head out on the boat.  There are always plenty of cabins and homes on the lake that put on shows and although they may not be as big as ones you could find in the city, they would be here.  On our lake.

We made our way out on the water and soon the shows started.  Yep, that said SHOWS.  With an S.  Meaning multiple.  

There's some over there!  And now look over there!  Ohhhh look behind you!  Look across the lake, way over there!  There's more!  

The people of Pokegema lake sure put on a good show :-)

Earlier today Kim and Joe asked me to take some engagement pictures for them.  Here are a few of my favorites.  By the way.....did I tell you Kim and Joe got engaged :-)

Knocked Out

This scene is all too common on our way to the cabin.  

Headphones on, blankie on lap and a very tired little girl.

The first of many hard days

A few weeks ago (June 18th to be exact) my neighbor, Amy, was having some pretty horrible headaches.  Within a few days she noticed her left arm was bothering her and her handwriting was changing.  Her and her husband, Paul, consulted with the neighbor (who is an OB physician) and he suggested she make an appointment to see a doctor.
This appointment led to an MRI, which lead to a phone call follow up requesting further MRIs be done because there is a presence of some lesions that they wanted to check out.
Today she received the call.  They received the diagnoses and the hardest part of their journey started.

Such devasting news for such an amazing family.  They have no doubt had their share of challenges and this just doesn't seem fair.  How could this happen to someone so young and otherwise healthy? How could this happen to our friend?

This news has filled our neighborhood with sadness and disbelief.  No doubt this will be a tough road for the next few months but everyone is optimistic knowing that we are all here and will come together to do whatever we can to help them all through this.

Amy Wolvert, top left