I’m not sure why exactly, but I was on a blogging break for about 2 weeks. Can’t say I was extremely busy, but I did have my fair share of activities to replace any blogging urges I might have had.
July 1 – 4, I was in Vegas! And can you believe it? I didn’t even check or post on Facebook, didn’t tweet, and I certainly didn’t blog either.
The main purpose for our trip was for Eldest’s dance competition. And THIS happened.
Yes, we are VERY proud of her. Just getting on stage and performing her best was enough to make us proud, really. She was very nervous, but she still did her thing anyway. How many of us can swallow fear and still perform on cue?
Yep, the kids were with us – plus my mom. (Gotta love moms, eh?) We didn’t hit the slots or card tables. The only liquid we drank were either water, coffee, or Powerade. And the closest we ever saw of half-naked people were on those billboards on top of the taxicabs or in the magazines.
I’d say that we totally didn’t miss out on any fun! Who needs all those in Vegas anyway? Plenty of other stuff to do there.
Did I mention the buffets? Here’s a sampling to make you drool twice over and book a flight to Vegas, right now:
I admit it’s mostly desserts on the pic, but really, I DID eat other types of food! I just….didn’t feel as compelled to take their pictures, you know? (Maybe I felt a little ashamed about showing how much I stuffed my face?)
Whatever. Anywho, we also did some of these:
*sigh* It was fun, but definitely tiring. I’m not complaining though. It was a much needed break and fun for all of us. If I had the money, I’d go back right now!
Next step though, is to make a photobook of our trip. What’s that? Good luck, you say? Thanks. I REALLY needed that.
So, where’ve you been this summer???
Congratulations to your Daughter! he looks so elegant in those pictures… way to go girl!
Molly Groman recently posted..I no longer have the stamina for all nighters!
Thank you. Elegant? Like her mommy, right?
Twitter: corp2domestic
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Congrats on her win! Looks like you had a great time even though you weren’t hitting up the slots
Natalie recently posted..Wordless Wednesday-Big Shirt Style
Thank you. Yep. I don’t think I’ve ever really gone to Vegas just to sit there and play slots. Waste of my money and time!
I found you on Catholic Bloggers Network, I’m a fellow blogger. I don’t blog every day either. And we have something in common, I think. You and your family seem to be Pinoy, and my wife’s half of the family is Pinoy, too. I like Vegas, especially the Church on the Strip, across from the Mirage. But we’re not so into gambling, we prefer the shows. Congrats to the ate of the family. She’s gorgeous. As are the other two.
Welcome, friend! Yes, I’m a Pinay.
And we like the church on the strip too – Guardian Angel Cathedral, right? That’s where we always go when we’re in Vegas on a Sunday. Unfortunately, with an in infant in our company, we couldn’t go see the shows. Didn’t want to risk him crying in the middle of a show!
Yes, I think so. There’s a story about that Church…It was founded by monastery headed by Abbot Alvin. In order to raise money, he and his colleagues would go stand outside of the casinos and beg. Many of the people would drop a casino chip into the cup that Alvin would hold. He and his colleagues came to be known as Abbot Alvin and the Chip Monks…:D
David recently posted..Pop quiz for Catholics
Seriously? Are you joking? That is pretty hilarious. I told my husband and he cracked up too. You know I’ll be telling this story to pretty much everyone I know, right?
I thought you might…you’re welcome to it…
David recently posted..Pop quiz for Catholics
I’ll babysit for you…we love children…needless to say there’s a lot in our family.
David recently posted..Pop quiz for Catholics
Thanks for the offer! But I’m lucky my mom is around to either go with us or watch the kiddos. Gotta love Filipino moms!
I wonder if her sinegang is as good as my wife’s…my grandchildren’s eyes roll back in their head when they get the phone call the lola made sinegang…
David recently posted..Pop quiz for Catholics
My lola is the best cook ever.
Since we’re older and kids grown, we usually go away when everyone else is in school. We’re doing our 25th anniversary in St. John Virgin Islands in January. We love our home in the summer!
David recently posted..Pop quiz for Catholics
Wow. That is definitely a trip to look forward to! Any special reason for picking that place?
Just that we haven’t been there, and want to do our ‘distance travel’ while we can. We go to Hawaii often, and we’ve been to the Bahamas twice, so decided to check out St. John. It was a choice between the Philippines, Spain and this. Foreign travel was out because I’m new in my job and don’t want to take too much time off. All that, and we saw some sights on TV on House Hunters, and that nailed it. We like islands, especially less populated ones. We loved French Polynesia and Fiji. We might go on a pilgrimage in 2014, God willing. I will also have to take into consideration that I’ll be discerning for the diaconate starting in 2013.
David recently posted..Pop quiz for Catholics
That’s more trips than I’ve taken in my lifetime! How cool you guys get to travel like that. I told my husband you were discerning for the diaconate and we both thought that’s pretty awesome!
Maybe when you finally become an empty nester, you can begin to see the world. My wife was previously married, divorced and annulled, so her kids came with her. By the time we got married, the youngest was almost out of college. Even so, we did mostly weekender trips around Northern Cali in our early years. She was working a lot of hours, and I was learning a new business (I was a cook in the Navy, but couldn’t get a job when I got out, not one that paid AND allowed us to spend time together). We went on one vacation to Maui in our first 13 years of marriage, and at the time, it was a splurge. God provided me with a really big step up, a guy I depended on to get some stuff done didn’t have time to do it, so basically let me have the keys to his kingdom, where I got into the high-tech world. 6 months of that, and we were able to start having vacations, and now get away a couple times a year. We’ve been blessed beyond belief, especially since I became a Catholic almost 7 years ago now. We had our ups and downs, with health issues, but all glory to Him and our guardian angels, those trials turned into times of great blessing, bringing us even closer. All that’s in my blog, which I’ve had going for four years. My wife’s family sponsors all our visits to the Philippines, so we’re (again) blessed-they like to see their kid sister every now and then.
What you have to do is dream a bit-where’s the one place in the world that you’d like to die having been? Before I was Catholic, it was Tahiti. So we went. After I was Catholic, it was Rome, so we went. My wife dreams of visiting her namesake in France (I’ll bet that tells you what her name is, lol). We’re planning that and Spain in the next few years…God willing!
David recently posted..Pop quiz for Catholics
Wow, what a story! I hope God continues to bless you and your family.
And her name, is it….Francine? Hahaha. I can’t think of any other French name that a Filipino parent would think of. 
And yes, I dream of Rome, Ireland, France, Medjugore, etc… Someday, my friend, someday.
Well, the nick name usually used for the combo is Malou. Lourdes is the place…silly…have a good weekend…
David recently posted..Pop quiz for Catholics
D’oh! Why didn’t I think of that? I thought…France….namesake….for the country… you know, Francine made sense.
Love the pictures. Good to know there are other things to do in Vegas besides drink and gamble… Congrats on that first place trophy. It’s wonderful. We were planning a trip to the keys but who knows if that’ll happen now… since we have to completely replace our shower after the leak we had!!!
Susi recently posted..Mr. Fix It {Wordless Wednesday}
Bummer! House emergencies suck! I hope there’ll some leftover $ so you can at least take a local (or just outside of local) vacation?
Twitter: rorybore
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Congrats to her!!! that is awesome, awesome, awesome. good for her overcoming her nerves and getting up there and doing her thing. bravo.
those desserts look amazing! I haven’t eaten a dessert in months I think. now, with this cold, the taste buds would not do them justice! Glad you mentioned that you still had fun — I’ve often wondered what you would do in Vegas if you didn’t want to gamble or see nude live shows! LOL. glad to hear there is lots of other stuff.
oh and yeah — missed you! <3
RoryBore recently posted..Quotable Bits # 27 – Imagine
Oh, there’s plenty to do besides gamble and ‘feast’ your eyes (and kill your soul). Cirque du Soleil has many good acts in Vegas, if you can ignore the pagan imagery. Just go once to watch the amazing circus acts they show. There’s a few clean comics and magicians. And lots of good food. You have to remember that the locals have to have someplace to go and rest their eyes, so go where the locals go. Any of the Station casinos and places like the Orleans.
My biggest issue with Vegas, aside from the vices, is another vice, the billowing clouds of smoke. Standing in line for a show will give you cancer…
There’s also the overhead show on the old Vegas Strip, sometimes that’s good. It gets boring fast, though, if you’re not a gambler. I used to play Paigow because it was easy to sit there and not lose or win.
Thank you to all my new readers, by the way.
David recently posted..Pop quiz for Catholics
Oh, where were you BEFORE my vegas trip?! LOL Thanks for all the info though. I will have to print this out and keep it somewhere so I can remember for next time I go to Vegas. And yes, the smoke is definitely killer. I hate that part too.
Well it sounds like you’re on a budget, and Cirque shows in Vegas are over $100 per person…We saw Celine Dion when she first got to Vegas, and get this-we went and saw…now having a senior moment…Justin Timberlake’s ex group…in Vegas outdoors in July…at least 5 years ago.
By the way, worth saving for…Buffet at M, which is south of the Outlet Mall…for next time.
David recently posted..Pop quiz for Catholics
Haven’t tried M. Did try Wynn and Aria. Both pretty superb desserts!
Awww…*blush* You missed me? That totally makes my day!
And, no desserts for a month? And you’re still alive? How’d you do it? LOL
Maybe someday, in an alternate universe, we can do Vegas together! (The clean way, of course. What kind of girl did you think I was?)
Twitter: secondglantz
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Looks like a yummy trip! And congrats to your beautiful daughter!
Cheryl recently posted..12 of July 2012
Thank you. It was indeed the one of the yummiest trips I’ve taken this year.
Loved seeing you wonder around LV on IG. YOu sure have fun with your family, Vegas or no..
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How can anyone go there without snapping up some IG pics?
Twitter: beeswithhoney
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Wow, First place! Congrats. I’d be proud too.
As for Vegas, I love that place. Sounds like you had a lot of fun with your family and mom. Wish I were going there this summer!
Bruna from Bees with Honey recently posted..how i get my kids to do things without nagging them
Thanks. Vegas CAN be fun without all the “vices.” You just gotta know where to look!
Wow! Congratulations to you and your beautiful ballerina! Looks like a really fun trip!
Jen {at} take2mommy recently posted..Parents’ Nite Out, eShakti Style!
Thank you. It was good fun that I haven’t had for a long while.