Saturday, August 23, 2008

We woke up early Saturday morning, got dressed, and checked out of our hotel. Matt said we had reservations for breakfast at 9:30. We took a taxi over to The Mirage and checked our luggage with their bell service. We had some extra time so we walked around a little and checked out the hotel and some of the shops. At about 9:30, we headed out toward the pool where they also have a dolphin habitat. Matt finally let me in on the secret that he had signed me up to do the Trainer for a Day program at the dolphin habitat. I was ecstatic as this has been a dream of mine for a long time! We spent the rest of the day with the dolphins and it was amazing. Since the program was so pricey, Matt just came along as an observer and took lots of pictures.

They provided a continental breakfast for us, as well as giving me a polo shirt and hat, and providing a gourmet lunch for us too. It was made up of menu choices from the various restaurants on site at The Mirage. There was tons of delicious food. We started the day learning about the five dolphins that live in the habitat. We got into the pools with them where we were able to touch them, pet them, give them kisses and feed them LOTS of fish. We also were able to give them commands and see them perform many different tasks. They were so amazing and the trainers that worked with us were great. It was such a dream come true for me. It was wonderful!!!

After the dolphin experience, we had a quick snack and then it was time to head to the airport. Rather than having to take a dirty cab, Matt had scheduled a car to pick us up at The Mirage and take us to the airport. By this time, we were tired of listening to the ring of slot machines, which are everywhere, including inside the airport. We were running on low sleep for the past three days, so were both exhausted. Fortunately, our flight left early and arrived in Denver about 25 minutes ahead of schedule. We got home about 11:30 and fell into bed… until the babies woke up.


In front of The Mirage.


One of the ceilings in the Venetian.


A quiet morning at the Venetian.


The hotels were magnificent!


The entrance to the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat.


Awwwww!!! I was in heaven!!!


Maverick


Kelly and Maverick


Kelly and Duchess


The white tiger cubs.


Kelly and Maverick


Kelly, Duchess & Matt

It was a fabulous trip and I can’t thank my husband enough. What an amazing man that loves me so much!! It was a much needed break for us and we had so much time to focus on our love for each other and it was like we fell in love all over again. The kids did great and a BIG thank you to my mom, Vanessa & Ashley who all worked together in taking care of the kids. It was nice to be able to relax and know that our babies were in good hands!!

Now it is back to the grind!!! It’s amazing how a little break can refresh you and remind you how important your family is to you!! The babies will be 6 months old next week and the boys will start their regular school schedules. I’ll get some more pictures of their first days of school and some of the babies next week!!