After the Fires, Week 1

Sorry for the lack of bloggage! There has been so much going on the past few weeks that I don't even know where to begin. It may even be too long of a post, so at least I'll get somethin started here. So we got home Friday (the 26th) only to find one messy home and no running water. We unloaded our cars and reloaded them with only what we needed to stay at a hotel in a neighboring community. Here are some pictures of what we came home to:

There were a few signs like this (I realize this one is misspelled...) on a couple corners of different neighborhoods throughout town. I got a kick out of it!

The tile floor inside the house. Believe me, pictures do not do it justice. Now just imagine this layer of soot on the carpet, the couches, and every other thinkable surface...coffee tables, piano, shelves...dishes, coffee pot, nick-knacks...

Every window sill in every room...covered...

The pool...a complete nightmare. Luckily it's not swimming season anymore. Luckily my husband owns his own pool service. Wait, that means our pool will be the last one to be cleaned...oh, well.

So, I actually packed up for the weekend cause my girlfriends from SDSU and I had planned a trip to Las Vegas! We planned this about a month before so I was so happy that I was still able to go. Saturday morning, Bran and the girls dropped me off at Ester's house and then Kelly, Ester, and I headed to the airport. (Bran and the girls stayed at the hotel for the remainder of the weekend and then returned home Monday morning.) Flying is the only way to go...only 45 min in the air and we were there! We met our other girlfriend, Jennifer at the baggage claim and then caught a cab to Caesar's Palace. After relaxing a bit, we headed out to view our hotel and get some lunch.

Just a pic on the inside walking through the Forum Shops mall portion of Caesar's Palace hotel & casino. Apparently there are more people that visit the Forum Shops than do Disney World! It was a mighty posh place...way too many expensive boutiques that I wouldn't even feel right stepping foot in! Only the rich and famous...which reminds me, we did happen to see one celebrity: Wolfgang Puck. He counts, right?

Us girls eating a nice Italian dinner (L-R): Jennifer, Ester, Kelly, Me.

Jennifer and I doing the preggo back to back thing. In this pic, she is 23 weeks and I am 21.


After dinner we ventured out on the strip and decided to get a better look from the top of the Eiffel Tower at the Paris casino. I haven't been to LV since I was 14, so a lot has changed!

The next day we ate a delicious brunch buffet and then headed to the pool to do some major relaxing and a whole lot of reading trashy gossip magazines. It was the best three hours I've had in a long time! I didn't have to do anything for anyone...in fact, there were people serving me!

Then to lunch where we devoured an entire pizza...mmmm....

And of course you can't go to Vegas without doing a little gambling, right? I lost $25 in about 2 minutes but won $25 the next morning on video poker. I really wanted to play a hand of poker or black jack at one of the tables, but the pickin limits were too rich for my blood. A quarter here and there in a machine isn't bad, but $25 for one hand...not for me, thanks. If only I did have that kind of money to throw around...oh, I would still have better things to do with it than to drop it on gambling! A cute new handbag, some new makeup, a new outfit...I could daydream all day! Anyways, back to bloging. All in all we had an absolutely wonderful time and I sure can't wait to plan another girls trip!

I headed home Monday afternoon and was hit by a brick called real life. It hurt a little. But I am trying to get used to it. Since then we've been dealing with insurance claims, insurance adjustors and lots of other fun stuff like that. I still have a bunch to share but I'll save it for another post...xoxo