Viva Las Vegas!

Hi Everyone!  It's sure been an exciting few weeks.

Firstly, I finally after 5 years finished my studies!  I get my final results next Monday, but after completing my final exam three weeks ago I'm pretty confident I did ok - enough to pass at least!  What a feeling to know that I no longer need to write assignments, stress out for exams, and most importantly, no more feeling guilty on weekends knowing that I should be studying when I'm not.

What better way to celebrate than a trip to Las Vegas.  I went over Friday week ago.  This more excitingly was the meeting point with the family.  I met up with mum at the airport (somewhat tired after a long flight to Australia, not made any easier with her wrist in plaster), and we then made our way over to the hotel (New York, New York - not my idea) to meet sister Nicole, her husband Mick and the three fabulous kids, Taylor, Jack and Mitchell.  They were also travelling with another family of four - Jane, Andrew, Alisha and Jasmin.

Las Vegas was experiencing their hottest heat wave with the temparature around 46 degrees every day!  Day one, we escaped the heat by hitting the factory outlets.  It was good for me because the sales tax is cheaper in Vegas than NY so I picked myself up a few bargains. 

The main reason for the trip to Vegas was to see Nicole and Mick renew their vows 15 years after they got married.  So, I figures, if a wedding was on the agenda, so was a hens night and where better to do a hens night than in Vegas.  Friday night we hit the town, boogied our butts off, and let our hair down.  It was a great night that finished at about 3am.  I'm very proud of that effort given I had flown in from NY that day, gotten up at 5am NY time / 2am LV time to get the plane... so all in all I was awake for 25 hours!

The next day, Saturday, the day of the wedding, the two brides - Nicole and Jane - were not in a good shape at all!  There was doubts they could make the wedding without an IV drip of gatorade.  A walk down the strip in 46 degrees was not the best medicine, so following that they both retreated back to bed to sleep off their sore heads.  I bought this tshirt for Nicole so she won't forget...

Luckily, about 1 hour before the ceremony, the brides came good, just in time for the limo pick up.  The ceremony was absolutely fabulous, led by one of the top ten Elvis impersonators in the US, at the very same chapel that Bon Jovi got married and where Hamish and Andy had a unification ceremony as part of their Caravan of Courage tour of the US.  The chapel was also next to the pawn shop of the show Pawn Stars to add more cheese to the whole affair.

Unfortunately no pics with the real Elvis here - no cameras allowed in the chapel... you have to pay for those of course!

The next morning we set off to NYC!.  Since then it's been a whirlwind of a tour.  We've hit the Museum of Natural History (set of Night at the Museum)

FAO Schwartz...

Toys R Us...

Times Square where the famiily got famous on the big screen

Ellen's Stardust Diner (a place where out of work broadway stars get to still shine!)

The Brooklyn Bridge...

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory...

Coney Island...



.. including Nathan's, the home of the International Hot Dog Eating Contest

We had a Fourth of July BBQ at home where I attempted to smoke and slow cook St Louis style pork ribs and short Beef Ribs - a process that required 5 hours by the BBQ.  What a success - the ribs were cooked perfectly and enjoyed by all!

 We saw the fireworks down the street and we all got in the spirit by sporting our red, white and blue.

 ... even Jack the dog

We girls all went to Broadway to watch Matilda (absolutely AWESOME!) and enjoyed some sushi before hand

We've also hit Central Park, the family went to the Empire State Building, shopping, shopping and more shopping! 

... it's been an exhausting week to say the least!

The crew is here until Friday... the time is going way too quickly.  We still have a lot more on the agenda and then I am just going to sleep all weekend... 

Signing off until next time!
Michele