Las Vegas

My family has some really great friends that live in UT. We joke about it now, but when we were all younger we thought we were cousins. I don’t know how we thought we were related, but somehow we were. When my family would venture to UT for a few weeks in the summer and a few weeks in the winter, we always spent plenty of time with these close “cousins”. Our dad’s were the best of friends in their bachelor years and played softball and basketball together in Southern California. They were in each other’s weddings, and since then, some portion of each family have traveled many many miles back and forth from CA, AZ, and UT to be their for some major events in each other’s lives including weddings, receptions, baby blessings, adoptions, temple sealings, sports tournaments, and graduations. Austin met this “family” even before some of my real family members. It’s a wonderful relationship, one never to be replaced.

Austin and I have a similar story with our friends Reed and Kathryn.

The guys were roommates in college, a freak accident with a mutual friend. We all got married just a few months apart and as newlyweds, the four of us became fast friends. They helped us move into our first home in Utah, and then helped us pack it up a few years later. Kat threw me my baby shower for Dax and was literally one of the first people to hold him at the hospital. We have the most fun when we are with them and have some of the best memories together.

When the chance came up to meet Reed, Kat and their adorable little girl, Brynley (who was only a few months when we moved) in Las Vegas for a weekend, we jumped at the chance. We reserved a two bedroom condo a block from the strip behind the MGM Grand that ended up being more than perfect. We cruised the strip, ate some great meals, took in the sights, saw Paul Sr. from Orange Coast Choppers, the boys gambled…and only one won (here’s a hint: Reed), the girls shopped, the guys shook hands with Pete Rose, we played our all time favorite game, Yahtzee (Reed was on a winning streak), stayed up way too late talking and just enjoyed being together. The kids got along so well and were such great travelers.

The trip was perfect, I only wish it was longer. We miss those guys like crazy. We decide this would definitely be a yearly tradition. I think we definitely found a “cousin” for Dax and Wyatt in Brynley, because if I have anything to do with it, we are going to be friends for a long, long time.

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