Monday, November 16, 2009
This last week Levi and I enjoyed time with my family in Las Vegas. It was my baby brother Richard's Mission Farewell. He will be leaving for the MTC on Tuesday night spend 3 weeks in Provo and then transfer to the Guatemala MTC for another 6 weeks. It was a great week full of activities and outings- and time flew by way too fast. Our first day in there we arrived at 8:30 am and my Mom and Dad picked us up! It was soo good to see them! We hadn't seen them in over a year! On our drive home Levi and I were shocked to see how much had changed in my area of town in such a short amount of time. New stop lights were added and curbing had been done, roads had been completely finished out and new apartment buildings and shopping centers had been built. 
Levi and I also were able to curb our long time craving for IN-N-OUT and met Mindy and her kiddo's there too! It was really cute... when Ashton realized that it was me standing in front of him he sweetly said "I haven't seen you in SOO long!" That made me feel really good. Noah just kept teasing us like he was Spider Man! What a cutie! We actually ended up eating there 3 times during this trip... along with our favorite sandwich store Cappriotti's. The best food however was all my families home cookin! My mom made us Mexican Stack-ups Wednesday night which has been a long time family tradition of serving to out of town guests. The Thursday night my mom made these absolutely to die for Georgia Style Pulled Chicken sandwiches- which I had also been craving... and Friday night my father made his fabulous homemade pizzas! Mmm...Mmm.... I tried eating his Pesto and Pine Nut Pizza but unfortunately the baby wouldn't even let me get the first bite down... I had to spit it out... :( I love pesto and pine nuts....Levi was proud of his baby though!
Thursday we spent out with my baby sister Aimee and Richard. We got to exlpore the amazing World Market Center in Downtown Las Vegas. I have been wanting to go inside for 
many years and this was the opportunity to do so. There was so much beatutiful furniture and fabric and rugs and all manner of home goods that Levi and I walked around in amazement. The only bad thing.... is that one dining room chair inside there was $400.... the matching China Cabinet try an easy $21,000. WAY out of our price range! But it was amazing to look at! There were also great replicas of some of the classic furniture styles from England and the early American Colonial periods. After we left there we went shopping and stopped by more home decoration places where Levi and I got some great ideas for our future home! These were actually in our price range! Thursday night was a wonderful night... Levi and I were able to attend my parents Ward Temple Night. It was great! Levi got to sit next to Richard and my dad and I got to sit next to my mom. The Celestial Room was just as beautiful as I remembered it being. Levi and I agree that the Las Vegas Temple is our favorite temple! We were hoping to get answers to school and work prayers but we came out saying--- Hmmm... we aren't sure what we are having! For a long time we have both felt like it was a little boy. (we still hope it is... but after meeting my neice Avery I think we'd be fine with a little girl just like her!)
The fountains at the Bellagio
I love this picture of the Paris 
City Center progess...
Saturday was a family day... all my cousins and grandparents and siblings were finally in town and it was so wonderful to have them all together!! We really missed each and everyone of them! It seemed like no time had passed since we left but that the kiddo's were bigger! The same joking and teasing and rough housing still went on... all though they had to be lighter on me- I'm carrying precious cargo as my mom put it! We had an afternoon full of family photos at Tule Spring Reserve, and then a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner! It was delish!!! I ate everything on my plate and the baby loved it all! It was also nice to see one of my dearest friends and meet her new husband! My mom invited her and her hubby to dinner so that they could meet him too! We are all excited for them!
After dinner Levi took me out for a walk with our friends and my dog Ginger. It was a chilly night and I wish that I would have had earmuffs... my ears are the first things to get cold on me and when they do that is the only time I ever get a brain freeze. When we got home my whole family and my friends and Levi were in on a surprise baby shower! It was great!!! I didn't want to ask about one or anything because it was Richard's weekend- but my mom and sisters and sister in law were amazing and pulled it together! I was so over whelmed that I just couldn't really think at that moment and felt like I just sat there brain dead trying not to cry. We realy enjoyed the whole evening! My brothers, Father and Grandfathers gave presents to Levi and all the girls gave presents to me! It was a wonderful way to celebrate the both of us! Amazingly we were able to cram everything into our suitcases and get them all home in one piece! It was a great night!
Sunday was wonderful! I got up early and frosted the cupcakes- church was at 9am. 
Towards the end of Sacrament my pregnancy hormones kicked in along with the realization that this wonderful trip was coming speedily to an end... and I started to cry. I held them as long as I could so that my dad's co-worker who was sitting next to me wouldn't think I was crazy. She was a very nice young lady- and I wish that she could be around my family more often. It was so wonderful seeing all the ladies in my homeward again! We truly miss the Lynbrook Ward and have yet and will continue to search for a ward just like it! After church it was a day of friends, family and wonderful food! At the end of it all... the best thing ever was the love that was shared and given. My little niece Avery really melted my heart and Levi's heart... I wasn't sure how she'd react to me as a stranger but she came to me with huge open arms and would just hug on me and chat with me. I will truely miss her big brown eyes and smile! Levi and I will also miss our best buds Ashton and Noah, and the cute yet simple little things they said to us in love and in jest. We are both really excited to see our child and watch it grow like we have these 3 little cuties!!! We also look forward to the day when they can all play together and enjoy the company of cousins! We will also greatly miss my family and extended family and all the love that comes with them! We look forward to July when those who want to come to Dallas will be here for our baby's blessing. We are hoping to have a home big enough to hold all those who want to stay with us!
Love-
Rach
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