Viva Las Vegas

Nothing like putting posts off...things have been extremely hectic and I almost forgot I haven't posted about our family trip to Las Vegas a couple weeks ago for Carly's 21st birthday. Well, here you go!

The Mango/Gardner clan have been planning this trip since January to introduce Carly to "legal drinking age" in style. We stayed at the MGM and had a great trip.

Nick & I arrived Thursday morning before the rest of the group - he scheduled me a massage while he played some poker (made him feel better about ditching me, of course :) and it was heavenly. I haven't gotten a massage since before I became preggo with little man and was long overdue. I got use of the entire spa..even the "clothing optional" jacuzzi. Hmm, no thanks. By the time I was done at the spa, everyone else had arrived so we met them for breakfast.

Then we headed to walk the strip, after a quick tour of the Cosmopolitan we headed back to the pool for a couple hours before getting ready for the night. Ross had set up a limo for us to cruise the strip for an hour prior to dinner and then we went to Paris to Mon Ami Gabi...one of the best meals I've had in Vegas so far. Following, we headed to Hyde at Aria where we had a reserved table and bottle service. That's where the night got a bit fuzzy...

At Zuri Bar in MGM

Dinner w/ the Palma sisters at Mon Ami Gabi

Friday was the day we set aside for the pool where we had a cabana on the lazy river. It was a fun, but long day out in the sun....after heading up to our room to get ready for the night, they hubby and I decided we were going to take a quick power nap so we could hang for the rest of the night. Three hours later our power nap had turned into us missing dinner (my phone was on silent with about 35 missed calls!). We hustled to get ourselves together and met the group downtown at Fremont Street. This was actually one of the best nights of the trip...I had never been there before and loved the old school casinos.

Lazy river with some hotties!

With the birthday girl on Fremont Street

Chillin with Oompa

On Saturday, the hubs and I were refreshed from our nap the night before and up and on the casino floor by 6:30am. I watched him play poker for a little bit, lost $40 in the Sex & the City machines (waste!) and then we met up with the group for breakfast. Afterwards, the ladies headed to the Forum Shoppes at Caesars and the guys to the sportsbook. When we got back to MGM, Morgan, Marcy and I met up at Centrifique bar for some drinks (maybe a few too many...).

Centrifique bar for afternoon cocktails

Mango sandwich - with the hubby and his dad

Our Manganaro men

We had dinner at Trevi at Caesar's and then went to Absinthe...what an amazing show! It was a carnival, variety show, very x-rated and so good! It was a great thing to do the night before Ross, Nick and I had to fly out to Denver early for our friends wedding.

Limo to Caesars

Our entire group in the Forum Shoppes at Caesars after dinner

At Absinthe with Marcy...and a couple goofballs in the back :)

What I didn't mention that almost put a damper on the trip...when Nick and I were dropped off at the hotel on Thursday morning I accidentally left my carry on in the taxi...and didn't get the driver's name/number...or the name of the cab company. Ugh. After contacting every cab company and leaving details, which they would "pass along to their drivers" I was confident I would never see my iPad or work items ever again. Three hours later I received a call...our driver had turned in my bag - with everything in it! I tell you that awesome little Asian driver has great karma coming her way!

Next stop....Denver for the Zalman wedding....