las vegas – emerald city diaries

las vegas: the bowl game.

when we originally booked our tickets to las vegas we decided to stay one extra day after the wedding so that we could see the sites. we had no idea that the las vegas bowl game would happen fall on that same day. or that boise state would play in that bowl game (again, darn you bcs!).

happily, we were able to get tickets with my parents who flew down for the bowl game along with thousands of other members of the bronco nation. while the weather was brisk, the game was fun, especially the very first play – scoring a touchdown on the kick off? yes please! – and we cheered & cheered the broncos onto victory!

{mom, dad & me in our bronco blue; mom & dad at the stadium}

{our friends lyle & jean; aaron & me waiting for kick-off}

{go broncos!; fans vocal against the bcs}

{moore & the broncos receiving their trophy; final score 56 to 24}

the win was bittersweet as it marked the end of a true football era; the senior players, led by kellen moore, played their last game in bronco blue (cue tears).

can i get a: BOISE! STATE!

did you watch the las vegas bowl game or any other bowl games this year?

las vegas: the wedding.

aaron’s cousin scott & his then-fiance kelly invited all of the family out to las vegas the week before christmas to attend their nuptials. we have been trying to split christmases between our families every other year, but tickets to indy were pretty expensive (plus renting a car, boarding sadie, etc.) so we decided to spend this year’s christmas in idaho & make the quick trip to vegas (where we knew we would see a little of aaron’s family).

the wedding was on december 21st and took place at the chapel in the clouds which is 103 stories above the strip at the top of the stratosphere hotel. the actual ceremony took place in a beautiful little room where we watched the sunset over the vegas desert, witnessed scott & kelly tie the knot & waved to the webcam that was streaming the wedding for those who couldn’t attend.

{my in-laws: diane & sam}

{the groom before the ceremony}

{the groom & mother of the groom, susan}

{the groom waiting for his bride – cue the tears!}

{the bride & father of the bride}

{the first kiss}

{aaron & me. sidenote: the height difference here is not normal because normally i don’t stomp around in 6 inch heels. yep that’s me at 5′ 9″.}

{love is in the air}

{the bride’s family}

following the nuptials there was a dinner reception where the food & company were wonderful. it was a pretty small group, so everyone got a good view of the head table where scott & kelly were made to kiss every time someone clinked on a glass. they kissed. a lot.

{the happy couple}

a little bit of dancing took place at the end: kelly danced with her dad, scott danced with his mom & kelly & scott shared their first dance. the reception wrapped up with some “we are family” & brake dancing.

{bride & father dance}

{groom & mother dance}

since the night was still young & we were at the stratosphere, some of the boys in the family decided they needed a turn on the big shot (the ride on the needle of the stratosphere). all of the boys made it on the ride with a little liquid courage & there were no shoes or meals lost on the ride (phew!).

{the boys pre-launch}

{take off!}

{at the top of the big shot}

the wedding was so beautiful & i am so glad that aaron & i were able to help celebrate the marriage of scott & kelly. cheers to the new bride & groom!

have you ever been to a vegas wedding?
M

what happens in vegas stays in vegas.

unless you have a blog.

we found ourselves in las vegas the week before christmas for a family wedding & coincidentally the boise state bowl game (darn you bcs). there are too many pictures for one post, so wedding & bowl game pics will follow.

aaron had never been to vegas before & i hadn’t been in quite a few years, so it was exciting to go together for a little holiday vacation. we stayed at the stratosphere because that is where the wedding was taking place, but we spent most of our free time on the other end of the strip. it was great to see some of aaron’s family in vegas since we weren’t able to make it out to indiana for the holiday this year.

{flying out of boise, idaho}

{at the top of the stratosphere}

{the stratosphere}

{waiting for the bus. yay for sunny weather!}

{aaron and me at caesar’s palace}

{uncle mike, aunt sharon & me at planet hollywood}

{aaron & me at the trevi fountain at the forum}

{the mirage}

{the strip}

{freezing at the fremont street experience}

{aaron & me at the venetian}

{the christmas tree at the venetian. so beautiful!}

{the sun shining at the venetian}

{sitting in the revolution sign at the mirage}

{the wynn}

{old vegas at the fremont street experience}

{a beautiful christmas tree at the wynn where we brunched. i need those curtains!}

{beautiful christmas decor at the lobby of the wynn}

{aaron won $1!}

{the eiffel tower}

{the fountain show at the bellagio}

{store front of the louis vuitton store at the bellagio}

{polar bear at the bellagio lobby – can you believe he is made completely of flowers?}

{the revolution bar at the mirage}

we had really sunny weather during the day, but the nights were chilly. aaron tried his hand at black jack, slots & poker; i shopped at zara (no gambling for me!). three days was about perfect for us as las vegas = over-stimulation, but we are planning on going back at least one more time in the future, mostly to see a cirque de soleil show.

have you ever been to vegas?
M

highlights of 2011.

i love reading the yearly highlights on other blogs & thought it would be especially fun to catch up on the entire year since i didn’t start blogging until the fall.

{via google}

january: we had a mellow start to the new year that was highlighted by starting the last semester of my law school career.

february: we celebrated our 6 month anniversary on the first (cheesy, i know). we hosted a celebration party at our townhouse which included my turning 26 (yikes!), a very belated housewarming & of course, our 6 month anniversary. aaron took me away to whidbey island for a romantic weekend to celebrate my birthday and valentine’s day, and we went to serafina (my fav) for dinner!

march: my last official spring break (probably ever) which was spent studying (papers & oral argument) & working on my Bar application. i submitted my Bar application. we were surprised by the early arrival of baby cambridge: franklin pierre cambridge.

{via cari cambridge}

april: we attended the Barrister’s Ball (a.k.a. law school prom) which was held at the EMP. we drove to ritzville, WA to meet my dad & brought home the newest member of our little family, sadie. we had a date night at The Pink Door during Seattle Restaurant Week.

{taken at photobooth}

{the very first picture of sadie & aaron at the columbia river – taken with holga 135}

may: my last official final exams period: one final, two papers & a project. i painted our office a soothing blue in preparation for my bar exam studies. we attended Baccalaureate Mass at Seattle University & my Law School Graduation at Key Arena. we flew to indiana to see aaron’s family & to attend aaron’s ten year reunion at Culver Military Academy. we continued east-ward to Paris where we spent a week of celebration: graduation & aaron turning 28! we spent our first day in Paris with our good friend jerry who acted as our translator & tour guide.

june: i started my bar prep studies on the first; this marked the beginning of eight grueling weeks of 80 hours a week cramming. aaron interviewed & was offered a program manager position (still at microsoft).

july: we saw Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part II at the IMAX. i sat for the WA Bar Exam on July 26, 27 & 28; i wouldn’t have made it thru those three days without my friend miriam, three-evenings-in-a-row massages, jimmy john’s delivery service or the sheraton hotel in bellevue. we got celebratory pedis at my favorite spa Julep.

august: on the first we celebrated our one year anniversary at Rover’s. we dropped off sadie with nanny lisa and headed east for a lower family vacation. we spent the bookend weekends in charlotte, NC with aaron’s brother david & his family, but spend most of the vacation in charleston, SC on the beach at the Isle of Palms. lots of sun, sand & air conditioning. sadie & i drove to boise for a quick trip home to visit my family & to get a haircut (yes, i go to idaho to get my haircut). we waited in anticipation for baby lower who was born shortly after we left NC: landon neal lower.

{via jodi lower}

september: we saw maroon 5 & train in concert at the white river amphitheater. we drove down to salem for a weekend to see old family friends & so aaron could skydive; we saw our friends but had to cancel the skydiving due to weather conditions & miscommunications. we attended a surprise dinner party for sami, one of my very old friends from idaho, who now lives in seattle with her husband, brandon. on the 26th we celebrated sadie’s 7th birthday.

october: i passed the bar exam! we celebrated our four year dating anniversary with dinner at the melting pot. we attended Ghouls Near Greenlake, ben & sarah’s annual halloween bash as aladdin & jasmine. we ate our way thru seattle & bellevue during Seattle Restaurant Week. aaron ran in the warrior dash. i started a little blog called emerald city diaries to keep family & friends updated on the lower family.

november: i was sworn in as an official King County Bar Association member. i was rear-ended. we celebrated the baptism of baby herschel, the son of one of my law school friends. we celebrated thanksgiving with my grandmother & friends in seattle. we bought doug the douglas fir, the second annual lower family christmas tree. aaron took me to the nutcracker for an early christmas date.

december: we celebrated the engagement of our good friends andy & hailey. we attended a champagne brunch fundraiser. we got an SLR camera. we drove to boise in a rental car. i got a haircut. we flew to vegas. we attended the nuptials of scott & kelly at the chapel in the clouds. we cheered on the boise state broncos to victory in the las vegas bowl. we attended a christmas reunion of the CBC (my dearest high school girlfriends). we celebrated christmas! we drove back to seattle.

whew, what a year! every year i think “this has been the best year ever!” and i think this is totally true about my 2011.

how was your 2011 – was it a year to remember or are you itching to start 2012 already?