Vegas baby, Vegas! - Part 2

After a failed attempt to find a nearby sports book for NFL Sunday, everyone but Jamie and Denny drove to Silverton Lodge and Casino for the games. It ended up being the perfect decision. We hunkered down, ordered pizza and sliders, and watched the Bengals whoop the Falcons. Silverton Lodge also happened to be a really cool place - it had a tiny duckpin bowling alley housed within an Airstream trailer and a massive aquarium. While we were there, a woman dressed as a mermaid was in the tank, doing flips in the water and petting the stingrays.

After the games, Daddles surprised everyone with lunch at an amazing Brazilian steakhouse in Planet Hollywood called Pampas. I nearly filled up on the delicious salad bar, but couldn't turn down the bacon-wrapped chicken or sirloin steak. Though I could barely breathe, we each ordered dessert and I somehow found room for white chocolate cheesecake. Drool.

While we recovered from lunch, we watched more football and said goodbye to LP and Elizabeth. Eventually, Mommles, Wheat, and I mustered up the energy to venture to the Bellagio. After another quick walk through the gorgeous lobby, we finally watched my beloved fountains. I could easily spend hours right there.

Somehow, I convinced Wheat (against his better judgment) to ride the roller coaster at New York New York with me. Jamie and Denny joined us and it was just as fun as the first time I rode it. The view at night really can't be beat and the ride itself is pretty intense.

After the ride, we found ourselves in the middle of the Coney Island arcade, so Wheat and Denny challenged each other to some basketball. I wasn't remotely surprised when Wheat won.

The next morning, Mommles, Wheat, and I decided to enjoy the beautiful bamboo pool at the Cosmopolitan. Amazingly, we found three chairs together in the water and I sat there in utter disbelief that such a paradise exists on earth.

After a quick nap and lunch, Daddles dropped Jamie, Denny, Wheat, and I off at the Palazzo and we slowly made our way up the strip. We admired the canals in the Venetian, saw wax figure Bruce Willis, and stopped in the Sugar Factory for some candy.

While Jamie and Denny went to see the Jabbawockeez at the Luxor, Wheat and I kicked off our own little date night with dinner at the Spice Market Buffet in Planet Hollywood. Dinner came with a bottle of wine and more food options than I've ever seen. The best part, however, was dessert. They offered a dozen flavors of cupcakes, macarons, and grape cotton candy!

My contest luck streak must have followed me to Vegas because I won tickets to see Pin Up at the Stratosphere. The burlesque show, which featured my personal girl crush Claire Sinclair, was inspired by the pin up calendars of decades past. The house band was incredible, the themed dancing was fantastic, and I even got to meet Claire after the show.

As if I didn't already feel pampered enough, we came home to a clean room, packed suitcases, and my mom's adorable swan towel creation. She's the absolute best.

Other highlights from the vacation:

• I finally tried In-N-Out Burger and it totally lived up to the hype. So cheap, so delicious, and something crossed off my bucket list. Why can't we have them around here?

• On our way to dinner on the last night, Wheat and I spotted a guy dressed as Alan from The Hangover. His resemblance to Zach Galifianakis was uncanny, he was wearing Carlos on his chest, and he was even on his blackberry. I'm still kicking myself for not taking a picture.
• This guy on Fremont Street:

•  We walked past a guy holding a "$20 to kick me in the nuts" sign. When he saw me laughing, he said, "Come on. Put your best foot forward."

Of course, the biggest highlight was having my entire family together for three short days. Our time together is never long enough, but with everything that has happened in the last few months, I'm more grateful than ever to call them mine.