Vegas...a Tribute

(Click for larger image...and better view. :) )

Dallas and I have been out of Vegas for about a month now, and we decided to pay tribute to a great year of our lives. This is a tribute to some of the things we knew and loved in Vegas. There are a lot of wonderful, fun, fairly inexpensive things to do there. We met a lot of good people and made some GrRrEeAaTt friends. Vegas, thanks for taking us in and helping us get to know ourselves better.

Projects

I decided that with school out (and the job hunting for Dallas is in full mode), that I would deliver on the "projects" that I promised those of you who responded to the St. Patties game. Since she and Ben just had a baby girl, (and since I'm baby hungry :}) I decided to make them a little girl blanket. In the rules, she has to post it on her blog, but I wanted to show it off. I am very happy with myself. :D It took me almost a full week! WOW! Anyway... THANK YOU MOM You made it possible by telling me how many yards I would need, how to iron flannel, and what to do with rick rack so it doesn't fold up. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! I am grateful that I can call you and get help on things like this! I look forward to our next project! :) And a shout out to the lady in Wal*Mart who kindly helped me decide what shade of pink to go with.

Wonderful, Horrible, Crazy, Loving Life...

It's been a crazy long time since I've posted anything of significance...mainly, I just wanted to get done with school and have some time to do so. SO!! Without further ado, here is what the Spencers of Las Vegas have been up to...

INTRODUCING..... SHAUNA! My new sister-in-law. She married Dallas's brother, Taylor, in the Bountiful Temple on May 15, 2009. Hurray! WE LOVE THEM!!! It was SO cool to be with them in the Temple and share their First Day of Forever. I love ALL my family members, and I am so happy to be adding to it through the Gospel. It truly is a great part of who I am. I am so grateful for everything the Gospel brings into my life.

The tulips at the Temple were phenomenal! They were so breath-taking that I couldn't stop taking pictures if them. Particularly this patch of flowers. I promise they ARE real...no photo shop here!

Saturday was fun as well! Enjoying the beauty of the world... (I know, I didn't think Las Vegas had anything NATURE-wise that was beautiful either....) Molly and her Fiance, Chris, took us hiking with them up to "Mary Jane Falls"... It was a small hike of 3 miles...needless to say, I took ALOT more breaks than anyone else... It has rejuvenated my goal of working out more.

The falls were a small trickle. You can see how they made the rocks wet behind us...but beautiful.

This is the saddest part of my journey. Molly B. O'Connell and I will no longer be teaching together. :'( {SOB} She is working at a High School next year (YEY FOR HER!) and I will be... who knows where. She has become one of my best friends. It will be so sad to leave Las Vegas knowing I will be leaving behind a kindred spirit.

Dallas goes Digital...

Because of my ADDICTION to checking blogs, facebook, email, etc... my husband decided that the only way for him to get my attention was to become "Digital Dallas"! So, he grabbed his cell phone and the iPod and made himself a new face! Due to this new Digital Dallas, I have tried so hard to pay more attention to him, and less attention to blogs.

I really got into Blogging, Facebook, etc. during his Finals week, but now it's past, I'm no longer a widow!

HURRAY FOR GRADUATION!

Weekend Fun!

Dallas's mom and dad came down for the weekend. We had a lot of fun! We went to a small production of "My Turn on Earth" (which I had never seen...for some reason I thought it was "Saturday's Warrior?") It was cute. Cheesy, but cute. While we were there, we ran into my Relief Society President and her family. It was fun to see them and have Netta and Randy meet them. We also went to the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay Casino. It's the 3rd time Dallas and I have been, but it never gets old. They have a petting area where you can pet Sting Rays, Crab thing-ys and sometimes... SHARKS! But not yesterday... :( The whole weekend was filled with good food, good entertainment, and great company. :)

Waiting at Subway for the ticket office to open.

You can't really see it, but this is a fountain in Mandalay Bay... it's made of frogs! It's really cool!

This Will Shock Andrea

So, I realized that Andrea is the one that always updates the blog and she doesn't think that I care much about it. Well I get credit for all the wonderful work that she does so I just thought I would give her a shout out. I love her and hope she keeps up the good work.

Dallas is almost done with school!

Hurray!

Now... if only I was almost done with school.

Wouldn't that be a BLAST!?!

School Days (a poem)

I wish I was done

Oh, I wish I were through

Middle School...Goodbye!

(It's a Haiku!)

I'm just a little worn out. But, we have some AwEsOmE things planned for the last weeks of school. We are going to re-write Othello... FUN! and then write a children's book and read it to the little preschoolers... HURRAY!

A Disneyland Birthday!

Hey everyone!
Time has flown by for me since I posted last. Dallas and I got to go to Disneyland for my birthday! They are running a special that the Birthday Girl (or boy) gets into the park for free on their birthday! So, we thought we would hit it up while we are footloose and fancy free! We were able to see so many things! We were able to see things, and go on rides that I didn't even know existed!

One of the coolest things about letting the birthday peeps in on their birthday, is you get a pin that says HAPPY BIRTHDAY (then they write your name on it). So, all throughout the day, people in line, workers, and passersby would wish me a Happy Birthday. I bet I was wished a Happy Birthday at least 100 times! And we would wish others Happy Birthday too! It made it feel like you had friends everywhere in the park! It was very VERY cool!
We got into the Park early and went straight for the fast passes. After we had stocked up on those, we went to the Tiki Room! I LOVE THE TIKI ROOM!!! I love to sing along and laugh at the crazy birds! Another ride that we went on was the Dumbo ride! They handed us these black wooden "Magic Feathers" and once we had boarded the ride, they took them away! Well, someone on the ride hid theirs! We spent about 7 minutes waiting for someone to cough up the magic feather! The ride attendants kept saying, "Dumbo cannot fly until we have all the magic feathers!" It was so funny!
We also got to see the NEW! Sleeping Beauty attraction! Dallas knows how much I LOVE Aurora, so he took pictures at every stop in the attraction! It was wonderful!
There was so much to do and we had so much fun! I wish I had time to write down everything that we got do see and do. You can see all the pictures below at the very bottom.

Before I go, I want to thank Dallas for being such a good husband. He makes me so happy! Even though he took me to Disneyland for my birthday, I want him to know that if we had stayed home and watched movies all day, as long as I get to spend my days with him I will be the happiest woman ever! He is my best friend, my confidant, my shoulder to cry on, and the love of my life! Thanks for sharing this life with me Dallas! I LOVE YOU MOST OF ALL! You are my favorite word!

I also want to thank everyone who called/text/sent me cards, etc. You are wonderful friends, family and supporters! Dallas and I would be lost and alone without each of you!

A Little St. Pattie's Game

I saw this on Shannon's Blog and thought it might be fun to try so here we go!

The first FIVE people to respond to this post will get something made by me! (Responces must be in by 3.07.09) My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make! (But it might be nice if you pretend regardless. ;)
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It'll be done this year. (might be a little while...)
4. You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be a joke book, autographed picture of myself, handmade bag, or a little invention of my own! I may create you a blog header or paint something for you with my food. (That would be scary). I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows?
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange. Believe me... it may blow your mind!

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must re post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. (I'll leave that as an option...) The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it! Sounds like fun, right?
So, let's play!

Valentine's Day...and the week after!

Last weekend, Dallas' little brother and his fiance (Taylor and Shauna) came to spend time with us. It was alot of fun! We walked so much! On Friday, we went to see the Blue Man Group. They are three guys that don't talk and play instruments. (They are also blue). They act like aliens who don't understand what is happening. They use crazy things like Captin Crunch as musical instruments! It was awesome! We didn't think it would be as funny as it was, but it was hilarious. They interacted so well with the audience and each other with their body language. For example, one of the blue men hated fire. So whenever they would light a candle or a match, he would run, grab his fire extinguisher and put it out. Then, he would look at the culprit like, "What do you think you are doing?!?!"

The Blue Man Group was SO cool! Towards the end of the show, they had the crowd pull about 5 miles of mesh toilet paper from the back row up to the stage! Since we were in the front row, we were buried in it!

Here we are after the show. They were in character even afterwards! I know I'm not doing them justice by my description. So you should check them out! Really, Really, Really COOL!!

In the Venitian Casino, they have canals, just like in Italy. The canals are complete with the Venetian boats and the guy who sings romantic songs and pushes the boat for you. We saw brides and their grooms being pushed around, so we decided to just take our picture by the water.

Vegas was crazy on Valentine's Day. I saw more Brides that day than I have over my lifetime. {NOT COUNTING MOVIES! :)} We couldn't believe the amount of people who decided to getting married, in a casino/love chapel in Las Vegas on Valentine's Day. It was definately crazy. But, the Venitian Canals were beautiful!

We also went to the Museum of Natural History. Anyone who knows Dallas, knows he LOVES dinosaurs. Here he is by the dinosaur exibit. It was cool because when you pressed a button, the dinos would move and roar. He is so cute when he gets around dinosaurs. I love that man!

In the Museum, they have rooms full of stuffed animals. The grizzly bears (pictured behind us) are tall and fierce. We decided that when in Rome...

Yesterday, the 21st, we went to see the BYU vs UNLV basketball game. The crowd was wild. For some reason, UNLV hates BYU. I don't really understand why. Las Vegas people must really love their college basketball, because everyone was wearing red/rebels shirts. They aren't the best examples of good sportsmanship though. Some of the signs, and chants they had were very...unsportsman like. Who knows. If anyone can give any insight, please let me know.

Anyway, we are really enjoying our time here in Vegas. We miss our family and friends in Idaho/Utah, but we will be up and together soon! Love you all! Until next week!

P.S. The fountains at the Belagio are BEAUTIFUL!! The Venitian and Belagio are my two favorite Casinos!

Another day turns into another week...

It seems that time is flying! (and at the same time, standing still!) I can't believe that Dallas and I have lived in Las Vegas for over 6 months! It seems like we've lived here FOREVER and yet when it comes time to think about what we're going to do once Dallas graduates, it doesn't seem like it will ever happen! Life is crazy like that.

Dallas started school about 3 weeks ago, and it seems like he is gone more than ever. When he's not here, I find myself avoiding home too. I work long hours at school with Molly and go to the gym. That's how I spend my Monday -Friday, passing time until I can see Dallas. The weekends really fly by, maybe that's how so much time passes without me knowing! ;)

Anyway, we are doing well. We miss our family and friends alot! We hope to have more visitors. I know it is crazy with everyone getting jobs, going to school, etc. It's hard! Anyway, here are some pictures.

Molly and me just before Christmas Break!

Hockey! (and other Las Vegas Entertainments)

While we've lived in Vegas, we have had the opportunity to see SO many different things. We've gone to shows, sporting events, plays, theme parks and movies. When we saw Batman at the IMAX theater, I literally felt like I was falling into the movie. It was awesome! We've also been able to see two of Dallas' favorite comedians: Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Cosby. They both were so funny, at times we were crying because we were laughing so hard. Before Christmas, Rebecca and Kaylyn came down and we saw Phantom of the Opera. [After I walked them to death! :D ] (Sidebar: If anyone wants to experience a wicked cheap strip tour, let me know! *Warning: There is ALOT of walking!) We have seen so much of Vegas, I thought I had seen it all...well, most of it anyway. I was wrong.

Last night, Dallas took me to my first Hockey game. It was one of the craziest things I have ever seen. The fast-paced game was exciting enough but the players add another element to it: hit your opponent EVERY chance you get. They were punching eachother, slamming other players into walls, and tripping them with their sticks. It was insane! I even saw one player punch the other team member in the face three times to get to the puck faster. No fouls were called, no technicals given, just 2 minutes in the "time-out" box. I discovered something about myself while I watched... I love contact sports. There's something about a player getting slammed into the wall, or a sweet tackle that makes watching sports fun. I hope Dallas and I can watch more LIVE sports (emphasis on LIVE) while we're here. :)

The night before the Wicked Cheap Strip Tour, Kaylyn, Rebecca, Dallas and I went to the Opportunity Village. This is where we got free tickets to the Hockey Game. It was beautiful, and felt like October in December! That's one thing I love about Vegas. Warm temperatures!

This is part of the Orthodox Greek Church. Dallas and I went on a tour while at the Greek Festival. Dallas' mentor, Gary, gave us free tickets. (Free is always good!)

Bill Cosby. No more need for words...

The Las Vegas Wranglers played a team from Victoria, Canada. I thought of Chris Chatwin the whole time. (He is a Canadian who LOVES hockey!) Ashley, I think you would be greatful knowing that Chris isn't being slammed into the wall, he just has to dodge pucks! :)

This is the mascot for the Las Vegas Wranglers. Don't as me why...?

Well Christmas came and went... way too quickly. Dallas did get me a bunny!! I love him! He is the cutest thing ever. He is all black with a white triangle on his nose! SO CUTE!! His name is Rubin and he loves to munch and dig at things. (Like carpet and my hair) He is SUCH A CRAZY ANIMAL!!! He got out of his cage and went ape on our carpet. He just dug and pulled up strands.... luckily Dallas came home before he tore up more than he did. He was in such trouble! He now has a lock on BOTH bars. We call him a security risk now... :) Luckily, he is such a cute bunny... He isn't stinky, but his cage does get smelly. We just clean it out about 2x a week and we are fine.
The students at my school are just as excited to be back at it as the teachers. January is flying by. With holidays, testing, and staff development days, this month was over before it began. We are also going to be testing through March, so it seems that this year will be over before we know it.
Dallas is really excited to get this semester over with as well. With it being his last semester of Grad school, he is anxious for it to end. He feels like he has been in school forever, but we are really thankfull that he didn't take any time off between undergrad and grad. Anyway, I posted some pics from Christmas and of our bunny.
Well, have a great day! My New Year's resolutions are many, but one is to do better BLOGing. Love you all!

Andrea and Dallas