Swim lessons, circus, and LAS VEGAS!

I'm so excited to post pictures from our ladies' trip to Las Vegas!  But first I should include some other stuff that's been going on lately so it doesn't get forgotten.  Like Kate's swim lessons.  She is a timid swimmer (like I was - I take all the blame) but has gotten a lot braver this year and had a great time in her swim session.

Check out that teacher-to-student ratio!

I love this: a certificate of completion for "Ketelyn" Swendsen.  Oh well.

A few weeks ago we went to Houston for the weekend to see Barnum & Bailey with the girls.  They both loved it.  Getting to try cotton candy for the first time didn't hurt either.

Oh yeah, and Kate wore her dance recital costume so she could look as much like the performers as possible.

Cookie dough Janie.  She reminds me a little of baby Camille in this picture.  (Also note the purse; always the purse.)

Mary and Lisa are sweet friends who came over for some backyard fun the other day. 

I love this!

OK, here we go.  This summer was our first-ever ladies' trip!  The guys in the family have gone on a handful of Testosterone Challenge trips (backpacking, hiking, etc.) and it was our turn to have some fun! 

We stayed in the Palazzo.  Aside from an initial screwup with our room, it was quite lovely.

Can't remember how this picture came about, but Christine and Camille's faces are really something special aren't they?

This was taken right before we went to see the Cirque du Soleil "O" show.  It was so amazing and unique that it's hard to describe.  Scott kept asking me about it and I seriously couldn't explain what it was like.

We took this group shot at a cafe adjoining the hotel spa that served healthy food.  If only there were more restaurants like that one.  Camille in particular was thrilled.

We spend a good part of a day shopping in the Palazzo/Venetian shops.  These shoes were $1300 and Becky knew how to work them!

Mom, our Queen Bee.

A pretty waterfall in our hotel.

We took a peek at the MGM lions.  They weren't that interested in putting on a show for us.

Christine livened things up a little, though.

A pretty fountain inside the Palazzo.  (Becky, I hope you don't mind that I borrowed your Facebook pictures to supplement this post.)

No Vegas trip is complete without a meal at In 'N' Out.  I can still taste it now...

One of the highlights of our trip was a dinner at this fancy French place called Alize.  The food, service, and view were all incredible.  But Camille's dessert was actually called macaroon cigars.  As classy as the place was, somehow we came away with this picture.  Camille tried to pose as briefly as possible so no one would see her and judge us. :)

 

In the less classy M&M factory, no one was judging anyone.

Becky is the cutest.

Someone was playing music and we were dancing down the hall when I saw Becky with her camera and thought she was filming us.  Thus the "please, no photographs" hand.

I love the Bellagio water show.  It moves me near to tears every time, even in broad daylight.

Looking back, this trip really was magical.  We vowed to do a girlventure every other year, and I can't wait for the next one.