Las Vegas NASCAR!

Well, although I swore it would never happen, somehow Eric got me to come to the NASCAR races in Vegas. I'm still not sure how that happened. Here we are at the top of the stadium. Behind us is just a very small portion of the RVs, trailers, and cars that fill up the surrounding areas of the speedway. It's like an ocean of vehicles.

Here are a few pictures of the racetrack. I wish my camera was sophisticated enough to get a panoramic view of the track-it's quite impressive. I've been told there are several tracks that are so big it's impossible to see the whole thing. We could see all of the track here, but it's still pretty darn big.

This is the front of the track and the view we had of the race. Not bad, huh?

Our awesome friends, Kaycie (in the wheelchair after surgery-poor kid), Stacie and KJ (seated) and Abbie (standing). They made the whole trip so much fun. We love them!


There was so much to see and do outside of the racetrack. They had trailers for all of the drivers set up to hock their merchandise. I bought a Danica Patrick hat and earrings (go #7!). They had contests and food, all sorts of cars set up to look at, BMX stunt riders showing off their skills and all sorts of alcohol (as I'm sure you can only imagine). Here is my cute dad with the Boost Mobile girls-doesn't he look just like "Weekend at Bernie's"? I love it! He's so funny. Abbie, Kaycie and Whitney dubbed him "Grandpa Jim" and were constantly making sure he was always taken care of. I'm so glad he was there with us.
So, here I am, after all the protesting and promising that I would never be seen at one of these things and I have to admit...not only was it better than I had expected, but I told Eric I'm definitely going again next year. Guess there is a little redneck in me after all.

St. George 2010

Every February for the past six or seven years the girls and I have tagged along with Eric down to St. George for his annual building code conference. It's nice to get away from the snow for a few days and pretend it's spring. Sometimes the weather cooperates, sometimes it doesn't, but we don't care because there's NO SNOW! That's the best part ever!

The one thing that seems to work out, however is the outdoor swimming. My girls love to swim and they wouldn't care if it was 10 below with arctic winds blowing in. As long as the pool is heated, they're going in. This year was no exception and luckily for us, the weather wasn't too bad. I think the highest temp was around 66 degrees, but it felt like heaven to us.

We usually do a little shopping at the outlet mall, or go to a movie, but this year was all about the swimming. Every moment they could squeeze in was spent at the pool. It gave me time to work on my non-existent tan (I repel the sun), and catch up on my reading list.

Now, if only I could figure out a way to get one of these in my yard...

Haylie Turns 7!

It is really hard to believe I have a seven-year-old. Every time I look at her it blows my mind how much she has grown. I love watching her grow and discover and learn, but I also remember how sweet and small she was as a baby and I truly miss those days.

She is so smart and inquisitive. She loves to read and I am amazed at how well she does. She is a very creative child with lots of energy and imagination. Just playing with her makes me feel like I'm seven years old again.

She is such a beautiful little girl and she has such a sweet personality. Eric and I love her very much and are so proud of her accomplishments. She brings so much joy and contentment to our lives and to her sister. She may keep on growing...but she'll always be my baby! Happy Birthday, Haylie. Mommy and Daddy love you!