Our Fourth of July!

As you all know my kids just spent a week with my mom and dad while Josh and I went to Las Vegas! One thing Josh really wanted to do was go to the Hoover Dam. It was going to be hot no matter when we went, so we decided to go on the morning of the 4th of July. Before we went though, we went and enjoyed breakfast at the cafe within the spa at The Venetian Hotel. I'm pretty sure Joshua got tired of me raving about how good their oatmeal was, which I had the day before (I really should have taken a picture of it)! Lol!  It was great to find a place to have a healthy breakfast and get away from the noise of the casino!

It was then time to head on our tour!  We finally arrived and WOW did I mention it's really hot in Vegas in July?!?  Despite the heat though, we were able to enjoy our tour!  

                                   

This tour was right up Joshua's alley and he was just taking it all in!

                                   

I on the other hand was getting a little overwhelmed with the sheer size of everything and the countless facts that were shared with us. All in all though, what a great way to enjoy Independence Day!

We then went back to the hotel and got out of the heat for a while. For supper I wanted to go eat at Bubba Gumps, which I REALLY enjoy and hadn't eaten at one since we were in Hawaii two years ago. I was kind of tired of all the fancy food we had been eating and just wanted some good sea food. So away we went :)

                       

The food and the service were great!  As we left we quickly realized everyone was waiting to watch the fireworks on the strip. We decided we would try to wait too. That is until I began to get overwhelmed with all the people and not being able to walk or breathe!

 

                         

 

My dear husband quickly realized that I was getting claustrophobic and beginning to panic, so we began shuffling through the crowds to get back to our hotel, which seemed to have taken forever!  He was so incredibly sweet as he would reach his hand behind and hold mine so that I could follow him as he made a way for me.  What a beautiful reminder that as my husband, he will always be there to lead the way and let me follow close behind him.  I can't even begin to guess how many people were on the sidewalks that night.  I did have to giggle though when my husband said "getting through the people is like trying to dodge trees when you're snowmobiling!"  As I was struggling, we happened to walk by a homeless lady reading her bible, which quickly gave me a sense of peace, but also made my heart ache for all these people who may not know Jesus that were in Vegas!  Vegas was fun and it made this small town girl appreciate the amazing husband God has blessed me with, our special kids, cool Colorado evenings, the small town we live and work in, our precious family, friends, and church family, and the agriculture community we enjoy!   I loved God's gentle lesson last week that it's not just about the destination but it's also about the journey getting there!

Thank you God, for where you have planted us and may we continue to grow with grace!

Blessings,

Krystal

Our First Rock Climbing Experience

Wow, has my idea of a vacation changed over the last year. Of course it's fun to relax, enjoy the delicious food, have a couple drinks and just enjoy the venue!  But I've now found myself looking for trails to run on, outdoor activities to enjoy, and various ways to enjoy the greater parts of wherever we're at, while staying active as well. Several months ago my dad decided he wanted to take a weeks vacation and have our kids come stay with them. They've enjoyed the week swimming, riding horses, going to the zoo, making homemade ice cream, and who knows what else!  Josh and I then started trying to figure out where we wanted to go to enjoy some time together. Neither one of us had ever been to Las Vegas, so we decided that's where we would go. We've had a great time just reconnecting as husband and wife, but the temperature has been over 110 degrees every day we've been here. This certainly put a damper in some of the activities I wanted to do. I really wanted to hike at the Red Rock Canyon and go kayaking, but it's just way too hot. 

We stayed at the Venetian hotel, which is just beautiful!  The spa has a 40 foot rock wall that you can climb, so we both decided it would be fun to do that since we couldn't do some of the other activities. I had originally planned on running 5 miles before we did the rock climbing, but my dear husband advised me not to. Have I mentioned what a wise man he is?  

We got our harness, shoes and helmet on (which I'm grateful for as I hit my head several times). I was beginning to get a little nervous, so Joshua went first. 

This all came very natural for him!

Josh made it through his first climb and then it was my turn!

We had a great instructor, who we discovered had a girl and boy the exact same ages as ours!

I finally made it to the top of my first climb!

It's quite a feeling to hit the bar at the top. I had no idea how tough and what a workout rock climbing is. Josh then did two more climbs (he's a monkey at heart).

He made it look really easy!

My next climb was really difficult for me. My hands were getting sweaty, my arms and legs were shaking and quite frankly I was just done. I had about 5 steps left to hit the top and told our instructor I couldn't do it and was ready to come down. She very quickly told me to take that word out of my vocabulary and that she wasn't going to let me down until after I hit the bar at the top. I finally regrouped and was able to finish the climb. I didn't realize I had an audience until I hit the bar and several people watching in the gym started clapping. I don't know why I let this challenge try to defeat me mentally, but wow what a great reminder that so many physical challenges aren't physical at all!

Josh did a couple more climbs and I did one more as well just to prove to myself that I was indeed strong enough both physically and mentally.  Then it was time for a healthy breakfast and some smoothies!

As crazy as it may sound, this was one of my favorite things we did together. I love working out with my man, and we'll definitely look into doing rock climbing again!  I strongly encourage you to look for activities to do outside of the 'typical' activities when on vacation. Definitely some unforgettable memories!

Blessings,

Krystal