Learning to be a Rebel...or at least how to use one: December 2012

Monday, December 31, 2012

2012 Memories

Happy New Years (Eve)! I think I say this at the end of every year but man did this year fly by! 2012 was a great year!! 7 vacations, lot's of friends having babies (or getting ready to), preparing to move, lots of great times with friends/family! I'd say 2012 was a great success! Here are some highlights :)

January

*Took our first trip to the Austin Zoo*

Hey look - it's January and we actually have jackets on!

February

*Went to the San Antonio Rodeo to see Keith Urban!!*

Who would have thought this would be our last (crazy) trip before these 2 become parents??

March

*Audrey's First Birthday*

Can't believe how much this girl has grown!

April

*Spent Easter in New England for my Grandpa's Memorial*

It was nice to spend Easter with family in Connecticut

*My cousins came to visit (minus Jim & Jill)*

"We segwayed the shit out of Austin"

May

*Trip to Alaska!*

Probably the most beautiful place I've ever been!

June

*Painting with a Twist With Rachel*

Who would have thought you could paint like this while drinking ~~wine~~ Arbor Mist??

July

*Spent 4th of July in Mexico with both our families and some friends*

Can't wait to go back next year!

August

*Visit from the triplets*

Can you say messy eaters??

September

*Colorado Springs Trip*

We had a packed 3 day weekend to explore the city where I was born

October

*2nd Anniversary trip to Fredericksburg*

We had a fun and relaxing weekend

November

*Co-Hosted a Baby Shower for Christine*

Love this pic!

*Trip to Connecticut & NYC for Thanksgiving*

We had a great time visiting family and exploring New York on our own!

December

*Trip to DisneyWorld & Universal Studios*

Had such a fun time with Justin, Rachel, Lauren & my parents!

*Christmas 2012*

Trojacek Family Picture

*Vegas baby!*

Girls Trip!

Here's to a FABULOUS 2013!!

Las Vegas Girls Trip!!

What a great final trip of 2012! Lauren, my mom, her friend Diana and myself all headed to Vegas on Thursday to see Celine Dion. I went to see her in Vegas in 2006 (best hs graduation gift ever!!) and again in 2008 with Mansee in San Antonio. I heard she was coming back to Vegas for a final run of her show I wanted to go so bad! We arrived Thursday afternoon and stayed at the Flamingo for 2 nights. Thursday we gambled some and then went to an early dinner at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill at Harrah's and it was actually really good and I enjoyed the country music videos that were playing! We then walked through the Forum Shops at Ceasar's and onto the Bellagio to see the Conservatory all decorated for Christmas and caught the fountain show on the way back!

Bellagio Fountain Show

HAHA Lauren does a good impression!

Polar bear made of flowers in the Conservatory @ the Bellagio

Pretty pretty ceiling in the Bellagio

Penguins in the Conservatory :)

Pretty!!

Saturday morning we walked to the shops at Planet Hollywood to the ABC Store (awesome store from Hawaii) and shopped around a little. After we went over to Caesar's Palace and had lunch at Serendipity! I've always wanted to try it in either Vegas or NY but it never seems to work out. Lauren and I split a grilled cheese because we really wanted dessert - and I'm glad we did because it was so much food but SO good! We got a frozen hot chocolate and a cookie ice cream sundae...luckily mom and Diana helped us out with dessert! After lunch Lauren and I went to the Venetian so she could play her Deal or No Deal machine...we were there for a few hours and she left with over $400...it was very exciting!!

Candy store in the Venetian!

Lunch @ Serendipity! YUM

Only in Vegas!!

Our DELISH desserts!

SO exciting!!

Then it was finally time for Celine!! Ahh! I can't begin to explain how excited we were and how completely unbelievable of a performer she is. She did a mix of her own songs and some covers as well. She did a neat James Bond set but she did a cover of Adele's Rolling in the Deep that was incredible! When she came out for the encore she sang My Heart Will Go On and it was so great!! I hope she goes on tour again because I would go back and see her in a heartbeat...she has a perfect voice and puts on a great show!!

Lauren & I before the show

Mom & Diana before the show!

Saturday morning my mom and Diana headed to the airport to go home and Lauren and I moved over to Planet Hollywood for our last night! I would recommend both the Flamingo & PH to stay...rooms are nice and they are the best location in the middle of the strip! We played Deal or No Deal at the Bellagio for a while (it was not as good to us as the day before...sad day) and then went to Cheesecake Factory for lunch at Caesar's Palace - yum as usual! After making a pit stop at BBW we went back to PH to see if we could check in and luckily they let us check in 30 min early so we could get out nap on! After our nap it was time to head to dinner and then Thunder From Down Under!! We ate at a sports bar in NY New York and had a table with our own tv to finish watching the tu/Oregon game. Then it was show time! Lauren and I had so much fun!! I would definitely recommend it for a girls night out in Vegas!! There were actually a few poor husbands there won their wives...I can't imagine making Justin go to something like that!! It was so funny watching all of the bride-to-bes up on stage...and grandma at the end was priceless!! After the show we got our pictures taken with the guys and headed back to the hotel-we were beat!! Each day it got progressively more crowded as New Years got closer so I'm glad we left when we did...not somewhere I'd want to be on New Year's Eve!

The view from our room at Planet Hollywood

Our personal tv @ our table @ the sports bar at NY New York (this was taken before tu won haha)

A little gambling @ Excalibur before the show

Thunder from Down Under!!

WooHoo!

Our hazy view on our way out this morning

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Hollywood Studios

We had a super fun time at Hollywood Studios. We were able to ride Rockin Roller Coaster a few times, Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania, Star Tours & The Great Movie Ride. We had lunch at Mama Melrose's - Italian Restaurant - as a part of our Fantasmic dinner package. The food was wonderful and we had priority seating for Fantasmic!!