October Haps: The Beatles LOVE

When I switched over to my new schedule I had to work 10 consecutive days before I finally got time off. I wanted to do something fun with the kids to celebrate my hard work LOL, but before I could even plan something my mom called and asked if her & my dad could take the boys to California with them. I gave her permission without even thinking twice ;) So me and Ti got to spend the night out. This is kinda embarrassing, but we didn't really know what to do with ourselves. Ti wanted to go watch a show, so we got dressed and headed to the strip. We had an employee discount for The Beatles LOVE, so we booked some seats for that. We picked up our tickets from our Concierge at Aria and we had time to kill, so we hung out at some of the lounges and I took him up to the 58th floor where we have a sitting area. There's floor to ceiling windows there and it's the best view of the strip. He was blown away. We went over to the Mirage after and made our way to the theater. It was so packed!!! Their theater is awesome though! It's cool just standing in line cause there's so many interesting things to look at and their staff is all dressed up (man I would hate to have that job and have to dress up in those corny outfits). The theater itself was cool. The seats circled the stage all the way around, so you had a good seat no matter where you sat. The only other Cirque show that I've seen is Elvis and this was very different. There were a TON of acrobatics. It was crazy. We definitely had a good time. We walked the strip a little after the show, then decided to have dinner somewhere off the strip so we headed to Sierra Gold. We ate, then made our way home and called it a night. I don't think we've ever had a real night out together WITHOUT the kids in such a long time. It was so fun to spend some time together with my husband. And I know the boys had a blast with grandma and grandpa in Cali.

"Wock" It Out - April 2, 2010

jab·ba·wock·eez [jábbuh wòkeez]

n

A dance troupe that won the dance reality series, "Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew", the Jabbawockeez' influence has spanned the globe inspiring minds through music and dance. Dressing in expressionless white masks and white gloves, the crew guides the audience's attention away from individual identities and towards a unified and synchronized group. They create a canvas for the audience to visualize the music as they paint beautiful and artistic imagery through precise, intricate movements. The name is derived from the fictional creature in Lewis Carroll’s poem, “Jabberwocky.” Known for creativity, unique choreography, athleticism and intricate synchronization, the Jabbawockeez are poised to change the way we see dance.

Me and my little sister Neo are HUGE Jabbawockeez fans! We were the crazed ones that stayed up late to watch season 1 of ABDC texting each other throughout the entire show about each of the performances... pretty much tuned in to see 1 act- The Jabbawockeez! (ok I would be lying if I didn't mention Kabba Modern too). We voted every week and made a game plan on the 2nd-to-last episode on how we would ensure that Jabba would be the Champions as a result of our endless text messaging, phone calls, and online votes (yes we did all 3, but found that the online voting produced the most in the least amount of time). I remember my husband coming home from work and walking in holding up a Red JABBAWOCKEEZ shirt with a puzzled/angry look on his face as he asked, "What the heck is this Kiki?" I had a brief moment of panic "Dang, the one day that Ti Tonga gets to the mailbox before me!" followed quickly by a rush of excitement... "Heck yess, my shirt finally came! I hope it fits!!" On the season finale me and Neo screamed (and were nearly in tears) when our crew won and shot eachother text messages saying "WE DID IT!" ...and yes to this day I believe that me and Neo specifically played a crucial role in making the Jabbawockeez win season 1 of ABDC ;) Anyway Neo told me they were coming to Salt Lake and I was like, "Yeah right, shut up... Salt Lake? Why?" But it was true... I have no idea how they got them, but Jabba was scheduled to perform at SLCC. We ended up visiting Salt Lake on the weekend of their performance which was already sold out by the time we got in town. We miraculously came up with 2 extra tickets- 1 for me and 1 for Ti Tonga. Nici was so bummed that he didn't get to go :( He kept saying "Mom, I want to go see the Jabbawockeez! How come I can't go?" Hopefully I'll get another opportunity to take the boys to see them. I was tempted to take Nic instead of Ti Tonga. Ti was in such denial that he wanted to go. I pretty much forced him to... I mean if you can sit for hours watching all their youtubes, then why would you drag your feet to see them live?! I knew he would be happy in the end... and he was! The show was indescribable. It's been 4 days and I am still on a Jabba high. I screamed til my head felt like it was going to burst, took some deep breaths, then screamed some more. We sat in a packed house of over 5,000 people. When the crew took off their masks at the end of the show I just couldn't believe I was looking at their actual faces- it was completely surreal! It was such an amazing experience that I'm so glad I got to be a part of!

Lions, Warthogs, and Wildebeests!

Every time I pass by one of these billboards I stare at it wishing that one day I'll be able to take the boys to the show. I've thought about starting a "Lion King" savings account to assist in making that wish come true. Some time last month I went into work and glanced at the bulletin board to see a new employee offer... 2 for 1 Lion King tickets!! I was so stoked!!! This, I thought, might be my only chance to afford to take the entire family. So I told Ti Tonga about it and it was set. I took an extra pair of clothes to work and changed after my shift. Ti and the boys came and picked me up and we headed right over to Mandalay Bay. We lucked out with the tickets and seating... I won't go into detail, but we totally got hooked up!! Shout out to the MGM family ;) We had perfect seats for a perfect show. I was a little worried that the kids wouldn't pay attention to the entire show, but they did. I can't explain how amazing it was!!! If anyone is looking for a show to attend with your family I would definitely, definitely recommend The Lion King!!!! We all loved it!!! And I will be surprised if I see another show that tops it. My kids lose interest in Disney on Ice shows, but were completely immersed in this Broadway show from beginning to end. I couldn't get over the singing! It was absolutely beautiful and made me want to take a trip to Africa. The show ended with a standing ovation- one that was unquestionably deserved. Thumbs up all the way around.

Viva Elvis... 2nd Time Around

I hate morning shifts, but was actually happy that I landed one yesterday because halfway through my work day Zuhlay came up and asked if I wanted Viva Elvis tickets for later that night. We heard that there were changes made and were getting the opportunity (again) to attend the show. I wouldn't have opted to go, but we were allowed to bring a guest this time, so I took her up on her offer. After dropping the kids off at Mote & Toa's, me and Ti Tonga headed up to Aria and made our way in the Cirque theatre. We were very surprised to find our seats all the way up in the front. There were actually a lot of changes made, but all for the better. I liked it, Ti Tonga liked, and it was free- so yes, it was a good time.

I've got a bunch of blogging to catch up on and shower invites to design. Hopefully I can tackle this to do list... and oh, Neo's coming in today with Leo. So we'll see how much I can get done.

Viva Elvis

While we were in training we were invited to watch the newest Cirque Du Soleil production to be brought to Las Vegas. Viva Elvis! What an experience! I've always wanted to watch a Cirque Du Soleil show- any Las Vegas show to be quite honest, but I've never gotten around to it. So when I heard that we would be one of the first in the world to watch Viva Elvis I was so excited!! We weren't allowed to take any pictures, but I found these online from the performance they did for Priscilla Presley. The stagework was insane. I never thought of myself as an Elvis fan before, but I was dancing in my seat the entire show. They put a modern twist on the King of Rock N Roll's songs which made it pretty much impossible not to clap your hands and boogie.