Wrapping it up. Packing it up.

I know I said this before, but our time in Vegas is REALLY winding down now. One week from today we'll pack it up and hit the road. That is... pack up what's left.

Remember the aforementioned car troubles? Well, since we lack confidence in the Subaru's ability to go the "extra mile," we hired a guy to haul it home, with 70% of our things inside of it. It leaves today, so we had to pick and choose what we could and couldn't live without for a week.

Here you can see that while we CAN live without a desk, we CAN'T live without our computer/TV.

And while I'm packing it up at home, Evan's wrapping it up at work.

Today he gives his final presentation (a review of his internship) to his superiors. He left this morning looking very handsome and professional and I know he will do an awesome job!

I helped him design his power point, and it reminded me... We are in this together! And we really do make a great team. His successes are my successes, his failures my failures, and vice versa. Marriage is the best! Especially when you have a husband who is as wonderful as mine. I'm super proud of him for all his hard work this summer. He really made a positive impact on the company, and I know they would love to have him come back and work for them after graduation. This internship really was a huge blessing. The experience Evan had, and the relationships/connections he made will benefit him long after this Summer is over.

So, Vegas. I really hate you. But I kind of love you. And I know I'll never forget you. Thanks for a happy, hot, successful summer, filled with good friends and lots of fun :)

Never Fails

Last night The Lion King was on TV. We were a little skeptical, seeing as how the last two Disney shows we recorded turned out to be Spanish versions (fail). But after double checking to make sure it was playing on an English channel, we kicked back with a bowl of buttery popcorn and enjoyed the show.

I was a little bit surprised by the way 90% of the lines and 100% of the song lyrics came to mind before they were even spoken/sung. I guess watching it over and OVER again back in 1995 had some kind of lasting impact. Who knew then that it would be INGRAINED into my young still-developing mind forever? Still, I guess there are worse things that can become a permanent part of your brain.

Anyway, I was a little nervous watching it with Evan for the first time, and here's why:

This scene:

It is heart breaking! It never fails to get a few tears, an achy throat, and a "scrunchy eyebrows, big bottom lip" expression out of me. Luckily, I was able to bury my face into Evan's chest to hide it all. Oh man, it gets me every time. And I know it gets you too!

On another, similar note...

Evan wants to go see the new batman movie, but I have (politely) refused. I don't know why, but lately I have become a huge whimp when it comes to movies. I really don't like anything very intense, and/or dark. And I have reason to believe that Batman will fall into both of those categories. Mufassa dying is about as much as I can handle right now. I think I'll stick to Disney, but if anyone wants to take my hubby out to see batman, feel free. I'm sure he would love you forever.

Hoover Dam

Last weekend we visited the Hoover Dam with some of our friends. It was super impressive (and incredibly hot) so afterwards, we all went to Rita's for a nice cold treat :D It was a lovely little outing.

Our time here in Las Vegas is winding down! Only 16 more days! And now, I think we've seen all that we wanted to see. I'm ready to call it a Summer and head on home.

A glimpse into the life of poor, newly-wed students

I was making bread the other day, and when I pulled out our "rolling pin" (aka: plastic wrap) to roll out the dough, I had to laugh a little bit about the way our apartment bears witness of our poor, newly-wed lifestyle. I have gotten used to the ways things are around here, and sometimes I forget that some of these things aren't necessarily "normal." But hey, whatever works, works.

We'll never forget the summer we spent in Vegas, and the 140 nights we slept on the little air-mattress that hugged our bedroom floor...

(Don't worry! We DO have sheets and pillowcases. They were in the wash.) 

Or that nasty wooden box I used for my bedside table...

And lets not forget that classy dining table that doubled as heather's desk!

...There's more...but I think you get the idea.

You know, I'm glad that Ev and I are a low-maintenance kind of couple. We don't need fancy things to be happy. We have so much love for each other and are continually amazed by the blessings we receive each day. We seriously have an ENDLESS list of things to be grateful for...

...including a saran-wrap rolling pin, a card table in the dinning room, a bed to sleep in, and even our ugly wooden box.

Rita, my love

Rita's Italian Ice (primarily found on the East coast) came to Las Vegas this summer! And I must say, it came just in time! Last summer, in PA, Rita's was one of my favorite treats! You might remember me mentioning this when I wrote about my fun-filled birthday. It's a little pricey, and more than a 40 minute drive from where we live, so I assumed that this birthday treat was a one-time deal. But on Saturday, after spending some time at the Family History Center in down-town Vegas,  Evan suggested that we make a day of it and head on down to Rita's!

Yay!

The manager was there (both time's we've been) and he is the friendliest little man! You can tell he loves his job! We asked him about the franchising process and he said it took three years to bring Rita's to Las Vegas. He explained "out here, their version of real ice is a snow cone or shaved ice, and I just got fed up with it!" Haha. I don't know how they do it, but there's nothing "icy" about Rita's Italian Ice. It's sooo smooth and creamy and PERFECT! And they always have fabulous flavors like Swedish fish, black raspberry, or my personal favorite, coconut cream! YUM!

Thanks to you, Rita... and thanks to you, "friendly man who got fed up with snow cones"...

...Now I have one less reason to hate Vegas!

Dear Jenny...

...Sorry you didn't make it to Paris...

I did!

Oh, and Rome too!

For those of you who don't know... my sister, Jenny, is living in France right now, working as a nanny. My mom, grandma, aunt and cousin all took a trip to France a couple weeks ago to visit her. When I saw her blog, showcasing pictures of all the beautiful, charming places they visited, I may have been a bit jealous. And that may be an understatement, especially because I'm spending my summer in the ugliest and least-charming of all places. Lucky for me, my parents came to visit this week for a business trip and my mom and I spent a day shopping at the outlets and touring "Paris" and Caesars Palace. Next best thing, right? Ha...ha....I'm being sarcastic, but I really did have a lovely time. My parents treated Evan and I to a delicious buffet at the Rio, and afterwards I had a sleepover with them at the Mirage! So even though I have never been to Europe, I still have to admit, I'm a pretty fortunate girl.