Livin' It Up... Little Man's 9th Birthday

My Little Man is 9 years old. Wow. 9 years old!!

The time is flying by and now we're on the downhill for getting him off to college. What a sad realization.

This year he decided he wanted a Pokemon themed birthday party and wanted to keep it simple with a pizza party and a sleepover. The party ended up being so low-key and he required nothing more than cake and his friends. The rest was just icing on the cake.

This was the first year the house did not get decorated and no custom cake was purchased. I keep learning year after year just how low maintenance my son really is. He is happy with whatever you do for him. He doesn't ask for much and he really means he only wants what he asks for. I've done the whole extras before and he kinda shrugs it off. Even if I think a gift I am picking out for him will be the "woah factor" it never is.

One of his best buddies is super high maintenance and requested we change the menu from a pizza party to a cookout with burgers and hot dogs. Little Man is such a gracious host that he let me know ahead of time about wanting to change the menu because of his friend. As long as the birthday boy wanted it I didn't mind. But really though, this friend of his is a pain in the ass and completely drained me. Little Man had also originally requested an "All Sports" themed birthday but changed his mind because he said this kid doesn't like sports or being outside. Ugh!! He is a "birthday invite" only kind of a kid. I did my best to smile and tolerate him. Why is it these kind of kids are always the last ones to get picked up?!! I mean I get it, I would want a break too. Haha!! On a side note, I realize how terrible this is to admit.

Even though burgers and hot dogs were made I still make a Pokeball pizza since I had been craving pepperoni pizza all week and it was delicious.

(All he wanted this year was a new bike and baseball cards, he got them!!!)

After dinner we pulled out the chocolate ice cream cake Little Man requested, he opened gifts, and then set up the backyard for a water balloon fight before the boys came into the house for the night to watch movies and play games.

(Didn't see it coming to him. Haha!!)

(The smile makes it all worth it.)

(I love love love his grassy feet!!)

They had Field Day earlier and were completely worn out by 11:30pm and crashed hard.

When they woke up the next morning around 7am the birthday boy requested donuts and chocolate milk.

The sleepover wrapped up at 10am and I crashed the rest of the day after Little Man was picked up by his dad for the weekend.

I'm all for hosting these kind of low-key parties that are stress free and make my son incredibly happy. I'll put up with an annoying kid any day for him. Haha!

(Birthday twins, Little Man and Ms. Alyssa... she is a sweetheart!!)

I also appreciate the special gestures from my bosses who left him an envelope with cash and his after school care teacher who shares a birthday with him surprising him with a gift bag filled with toys and a grocery bag filled with candy. She also picked him up a badge that said birthday boy and pinned a dollar bill to him.

I'm so incredibly blessed to be his mom!! Happy 9th Birthday Little Man!! Love you so much!!!

Workin' It Out... 30 Day Squat Challenge

With taking on this 30 Day Squat Challenge my goal was to slim and tone my thighs and getting a lift for the juicy booty I already have.

Starting weight: 152.7 lbs
Starting body fat percentage: 36.9

Day 1, 50 Squats:
Hit the gym first thing when I woke up this morning and put in 2.33 miles in 42 minutes at a 2.0 incline at a 3.4 mph pace. I had to cut my workout short since Little Man was getting picked up by his dad. After he got picked up I finished up my hour of cardio and then did 6 exercises for 12 reps each and three sets of them. The exercises were a bench press on a stability ball (5 lb weight used), plie squats (5 lb kettlebell used), crunches, overhead press (5 lb weight used), bicep curls (5 lb weight used), and tricep kick backs (5 lb weight used). I need to purchase a set of 10 lb weights since I was able to get through these sets without feeling the burn or any muscle fatigue except for when doing the plie squats so I'll stick with the kettlebell weight for now. So with these sets I already did 36 squats and needed to complete 14 more for a total of 50 squats for Day 1.

Day 2, 55 Squats:
I busted out my squats first thing this morning when I woke up, however, I didn't remember the number correctly and ended up doing 65 of them. I could use the extra ten anyway. Yes, my legs are sore but not that "I can't sit on the toilet" kinda sore yet.

This afternoon while binge watching Parks and Recreation I did some additional exercises: 5 pushups, 20 sec plank, 25 crunches, 10 squats bringing my new daily squat total to 75.

Day 3, 60 Squats:
4am gym wake up call. Completed 3.27 miles on the treadmill in 57 minutes at a 1.0 incline at 3.2 mph. Came home and complete a total of 65 squats and a 20 second wall sit. The wall sit was brutal since my thighs are sore.

Day 4, Rest:
No squats today.

I struggled to get out of bed this morning and snoozed through everyone of my 15 minute interval alarms. I should have been at the gym getting my cardio in but I had best intentions to go that evening. Instead I came home with a raging headache after a terrible day at work, had to take Little Man to his swim class, dinner, and then I ended up being ready for bed right at 8pm. My ass better be at the gym tomorrow morning then to make up for this evening.


Day 5, 70 Squats: 
4am gym wake up call. Completed 3.25 miles on the treadmill in 60 minutes at 3.0 mph. Came home and completed 70 squats and followed it up with a 30 second wall sit. The wall sit was killer.

Day 6, 75 Squats: 
4am gym wake up call. Completed 3.32 miles on the treadmill in 62:49 minutes at 3.0 mph. 80 squats (ouch!!) and followed up with a 40 second wall sit. FML.

Day 7, 80 Squats:
Completed 105 squats and then my best friend, Niki, challenged me to do an additional 10. I went to bed sore.

Day 8, Rest:
Did absolutely nothing today.

Day 9, 100 Squats:
Breeze through the first 60 squats and then had to take 30 second breaks between 10 squat intervals. Before the night ended I did an additional 50 squats. Definitely feeling sore this evening because I also added 80 donkey kicks on each leg, 1 minute 20 second plank, 80 triceps kick backs.

Day 10, 105 Squats:
105 squats, 50 second wall sit and an additional 10 squats before bed. I also watched "learn to twerk" videos on YouTube and was definitely feeling the burn in my thighs. Haha!!

Day 11, 110 Squats:
My best friend has been complimenting my booty more than ever. Not sure if it's because she knows about the challenge and is just being encouraging. No matter, it's motivating and I appreciate the support. 110 squats plus an additional 30. Had an incredibly hard time pushing through today.

Day 12, Rest:
Took advantage of the rest day and lounged around.

Day 13, 130 Squats:
152 squats total. 4 am gym wake up call. Completed 3.24 miles in 61:15 minutes at 3.0 mph. These early morning wake up calls and long hours at work (12-14 hour days) have kicked my ass and I was in bed by 8pm tonight.

Day 14, 135 Squats:
4am gym wake up call. 135 squats. Completed 3.5 miles in 64:01 miles at 3.1 mph and a 0.5 incline.

Day 15, 140 Squats:
Slept in and headed to the gym first thing when I woke up. Completed 3.51 miles in 65 minutes at 3.0 mph. Did my 140 squats (my knees kept popping the entire time, ugh!), 30 front to side raises with dumbbells raising them to just under my chin, 45 bent over rows, 30 opposite knees to chest while standing up.

Day 16, Rest:
Thank goodness for a rest day!!!

Day 17, 150 Squats:
180 squats total with a 1 minute wall sit. With being a little over half way through the challenge I am getting excited to see my before and after pics.

Day 18, 155 Squats:
Did the bare minimum today. 155 squats. I still don't see a difference but I can feel how firm my muscles in my thighs are becoming.

Day 19, 160 Squats:
4 am gym wake up call. Completed 3.22 miles in 54:52 minutes at a 2.0 incline at 3.4 mph. 170 squats, 105 wrist rotations with dumbbells, and 105 chest flies.

Day 20, Rest:
My thighs, buns, and shoulders are sore!!

Day 21, 180 Squats:
4 am gym wake up call. Had to cut my workout short because I had to use the restroom. Never had this happen before and no, I couldn't hold it. Ugh! Completed 2.73 miles in 47:48 minutes at a 3.5 incline at 3.7 mph. Followed it up with a 1 minute wall sit, 15 skaters, 30 bridge chest presses, and 15 hip dips.

Day 22, 185 Squats:
I completed a total of 210 squats and couldn't believe how much easier they are getting to do.

Day 23, 190 Squats: 
Completed 210 squats but had absolutely no motivation to do them today, however, they were tolerable when I finally did them. I did an extra 20 before bed for a total of 230 squats and ouch!! My thighs and lats are sore.

Day 24, Rest:
Cannot believe how toned my thighs and booty are looking. I'm also impressed with the noticeable strength difference.

Day 25, 220 Squats:
4am gym wake up call. Completed 3.48 miles in 65 minutes at 3.0 mph. By the end of day I complete 240 squats, 80 Russian twists, and 80 bent over rows.

Day 26, 225 Squats:
Woke up excited that I only have four days left of this challenge. Completed 225 squats and ended the night feeling sick with cold symptoms. I immediately started popping some Zicam and NyQuil.

Day 27, 230 Squats:
I did the bare minimum of my 230 squats for the day because I still have these cold symptoms and didn't want to overdo it. I cannot believe that I was able to breeze through these today.

Day 28, Rest:
Rest day and I did just that. Really need to get my body back to 100% so I can finish out these final days strong. Don't want anything to derail me now. Funny that on a rest day I was actually missing doing my squats. I had the thought that I was going to lose my booty gains.

Day 29, 240 Squats:
Completed 250 squats by end of day and also got in a mini workout following the Ultimate Inner Thigh Workout from PopSugar Fitness.

Day 30, 250 Squats:
I woke up so excited that it was the final day and that I stayed motivated to complete this challenge and most days it was just that, a challenge. I finished strong with a total of 260 squats and broke them up by doing a total of 95 standing push-ups with a door assist. Right after my shower this evening I took my after pic. I can't lie, I was a little bit disappointed since it looks like my booty is smaller, however, my bestie corrected me and said it's more "toned" and "lifted". I can see the difference in the shape of my thighs and definitely notice the muscle and strength gains. I lost the most inches from my waist during this challenge which I'm not complaining about.

Ending Weight: 151.0 lbs (Down 1.7 lbs)
Body Fat: 36.9% (Remained the same)

I cannot believe that I forgot to take my thigh measurements but the way the before and after pic turned out and the way my jeans are fitting is proof enough that this challenge worked. As a result I went from a size 31 to a size 29. It was so rewarding ordering my favorite pair of jeans in a size smaller!!!

Here's the before and after pic:

(Check out that thinner waist and those hamstrings!! I'm pleased with my results.)

Keep in mind that this challenge wasn't done solely with squats alone. I was going to the gym and adding additional workouts and exercises as I could throughout my day. I'm not sure the results would have been as great without. Also watched my diet by continuing to follow Whole30 which is a no brainer "diet" for me and rewards my body best on and off the scale. 

"Dat Azz" Playlist:

Sisqo: Thong Song
Juvenille: Back That Azz Up
Bubba Sparxxx: Ms. New Booty
Mystikal: Shake It Fast
Big Sean: Dance (A$$)
Murphy Lee: Shake Ya Tailfeather
Destiny's Child: Bootylicious
Major Lazer: Bubble Butt
The Black Eyed Peas: My Humps
The Black Eyed Peas: Rock That Body
Jason Derulo: Wiggle
Eminem: Shake That
Ying Yang Twins: Salt Shaker
Nicki Minaj: Anaconda
Kylie Minogue: Sexercize

Livin' It Up... 2017 Shell Houston Open

I got called into my boss's office one afternoon and he loves to act like I'm in trouble making me sweat it out before delivering good news. He gifted me with tickets to the Shell Houston Open for the weekend coming up. He must know I have no social life and that I'd be available to go. Haha!

I have never been to this event before but have heard it's enjoyable even if you are not a fan of golf so I was beyond excited that he chose me to give the tickets to.

After making it through security there was a row of vendors and by far the most exciting one was Aflac. I don't know why but getting a photo opp with the "Aflac" duck made me so damn happy. He nipped at the lady who went before me so I was kinda worried he'd get me too but he didn't. This pic was definitely my favorite from the day.

(Phil Mickelson is in the purple shirt.)

Once we looked through all of the booths we made it out to the green and talk about amazing timing, Phil Mickelson walked right by me so I decided to follow him. It was so much fun being amongst the sea of Phil fans and listening to the random conversations being had. I laughed at how "vanilla" the convos were and how, no shit!, three different sets of people were talking about their dentists. WTF?

While following Phil around the golf course I couldn't help but be in awe of the landscape. This is such a beautiful golf course and one of my favorite parts was a lane that was completely shaded by trees and then you cross a wood bridge that had a swamp. It was so green. I found it to be really beautiful and I wasn't the only one. We were all pulling out our cameras to snap pics.

(I really love being short.)

I definitely did not fit in. Ha!

You are not allowed to take video or pictures unless you are on a sidewalk about 10 feet from the ropes but I am short and was able to hide behind people and get videos over their shoulders.

Before leaving the golf course there was a giant set up of the hashtag: FEDEXCUP. I strategically placed myself between the "EXC" and took a pic to send to my boss after having put in a 100 hour work week and almost reaching the point of a mental breakdown. I really should have been more pissed off in the pic to drive the message home because his response was "not bad Chelle".

After having had the opportunity to go to this event I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself and would absolutely go again. Not entirely sure that I'd enjoy watching golf on TV but to be at a live event most definitely.

If I get the opportunity to ever go again I will be more prepared... a hat, lip balm, sunscreen and lots of cash so I can get a pitchers of mimosas to carry around the course or even better I'll bring a blanket or chair and plant myself at one of the holes and just enjoy people watching for the day.

Thanks again Boss. You know how much I appreciated this.

Livin' It Up... The Chainsmokers Concert at the Houston Rodeo 2017

One of my best girlfriends, Sandra, asked if I wanted to go in on tickets with her to see The Chainsmokers at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at NRG Park. Um, duh!

I'm not the biggest fan of their music but I won't turn down quality time with my best friend and anywhere I go with Sandra we have the absolute best time.

Two years ago was my first Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo experience and oh my gosh!! I had so much fun. My coworker Joe and his wife invited me to tag along to the Reba McIntire concert and it was nonstop laughs with them. "It's fallin' apart like a two dollar suitcase," said the rodeo announcer at one point and Joe and I took this line back to the office referencing it anytime something at work became a clusterfuck. Another night my best girlfriend, Niki, invited Kristen and I to join her in seeing Luke Bryan. Another fun night with my favorite girls.

I met Sandra at her house around 1pm so we could pick up tickets and her and I headed off to the rodeo. We walked around the fairgrounds until the rodeo events started at 3:45pm. Our first priority was getting a jumbo corndog and then I entertained her and walked the vendor booths and livestock show. The funniest moment was her and I testing out the mattresses and jumping onto one of them at the same time and laughing our asses off about it being a vibrating mattress. The salesman asked how we liked it and at the same time we gave the identical response, "It's gooooood." We have dirty minds.

(This cow has my birthday tatted on it's ass. Must be a Gemini. Ha!)

(Both had our boobies on show today. Haha!!)

(Bull Riding... my favorite event!)

(I am not into rodeo country attire and definitely stood out. Sandra saw me and said "wrong bulls bitch. Haha!)

The Chainsmokers took the stage at 5:45pm. The fireworks and opening music was insane. We thought we were in for a killer show but we we wrong and oh so confused when they started covering song from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Survivor.

We did not enjoy the concert because we did not have an a very good understanding of who the Chainsmokers were and thought they were an actual group with a female lead singer but they ended up being DJs with a white dude who liked to jump skip around a lot so we both looked at each and at the same time said, "Ready to go?" Haha! She's my Gemini twin.

We still enjoyed the hell out of our time together and talked about picking the worst concert next year again.

Livin' It Up... School Hacks

PhotoMath App:

When it comes to Little Man's education I am incredibly involved. Anything he expresses an interest in I try to encourage furthered study inside the home and we go over homework nightly. He knows if he makes a mistake he better have that eraser handy and this mama will go over it in depth to help him understand. He's incredibly smart and I like to challenge him. He started reading before he could walk, he learned how to multiply and divide before second grade, and has always been enrolled in advanced placement classes.

I'm not going to lie, as smart as I am and how book smart I am as well I struggle on occasion remembering math skill basics since I am allowed to rely on a calculator for any math problem I have. Little Man isn't allowed to do that and must show his work. While browsing Pinterest I came across the graphic below of School Hacks! and number two was just what I needed. I downloaded the PhotoMath app and it has been incredibly helpful with showing step by step instruction on how to solve problems. That doesn't mean he gets to use the app for every math problem but for when both of us don't know what step comes next or even where to start.

Studying:

Prior to going to a Risk Management class in Austin, Texas for my job to learn more about cash flow analysis to further my skill set we were given an RMA Body of Knowledge that was 370+ pages and pre-course materials. I had to familiarize myself with these materials and spent 30-50 minutes studying at a time and then taking 10 minute breaks in between. Supposedly this is the most effective way to study.

Works for me since my mind will drift off while I'm studying. My study space has to be quiet and free of distraction.

Tip number three on the graphic below suggests you're more likely to remember something you write in blue ink than black ink. I am a black ink user so I stocked up on some blue ink pens to use during the class. The school hack noted below also states that writing something out is the equivalent to reading it seven times.

I also packed some peppermint candies since peppermint stimulates the brain and helps with concentration.

I think these school hacks really helped since I was able to stay focused in the class for the two days I was there.

Livin' It Up... RMA Course in Austin, TX

A new hire and I were sent to Austin, TX to further our skills on cash flow analysis using business and personal tax returns. Two long days in class. Fun stuff. Not. But... it got us out of the office for two and a half days and I really did learn a lot.

I'm all about furthering my education and skill set for resume building.

Wednesday, February 15th, 2017:

5:30 am - Woke up, did my hair and makeup and got dressed to take Little Man to school and off to work.

3:30 pm - Brittny and I loaded up in the Mustang and hit the road for Austin, TX.

7:00 pm - We arrived at the hotel, Holiday Inn Express - Downtown Austin, and checked into our rooms after a hilarious incident in the elevator with an incredibly drunk man waiting for his girlfriend to find him. We were so hungry but Brittny's phone was dead and she wanted to shower before we headed out. About an hour later she was ready to go. Our plan was to check out the Hillside Farmacy but after making it to our first intersection and coming up to the homeless shelter we were second guessing our decision to walk.

(Feeling overwhelmed and had a man on my mind.)

8:00 pm - A construction worker was outside of our hotel and I asked him for recommendations. He suggested checking out a pizza joint but it was closed. Worried about walking through the homeless and drug dealers by ourselves I jokingly invited him to put away his tools and to join us on our walk down 6th Street to grab a bite to eat. He accepted and he ended up being very entertaining company. He was a 6' 3" black man who was morbidly obese but let us know he would protect us from any bad guys. Walking through the dense population of the homeless and drug dealers was scary as hell. Brittny and I were stalked in the streets while Michael had to run to his work truck to put his tools away. In those short five minutes we were harassed and had numerous men ask for money and then become aggressive in their actions after we would say no. Ugh. We kept telling each other hell no to walking the streets the following night.

8:30 pm - We ended up at Casino El Camino for dinner. As a thank you to Michael for giving us his time and keeping us protected I offered to buy his dinner. I had their L.A. Burger with a side of fries with ranch dressing. The burger was so rich I could barely take down half of it and the fries were perfectly crisp. One of the best burgers I have had.

9:30 pm - Michael escorted us back to the intersection where we picked him up at and we said our thank yous and goodbyes.

10:00 pm - Got ready for bed. There was a heavy metal screaming band playing at Stubbs right next door to the hotel and I could hear them very clearly in my room. I was not amused but thankfully I was tired enough to fall fast asleep.

Thursday, February 11th, 2017:

5:00 am - Woke up and did my hair and makeup. Got dressed and out the door to grab Brittny.

6:00 am - We parked the car at the Chase Tower parking lot which was $18 for the day. We decided to walk to Starbucks since we saw it on the drive in. It was a block away. I grabbed a strawberry parfait and a Grande White Chocolate Mocha. I need to stop drinking these. They are so bad for me.

7:45 am- We left the coffee shop to walk back to Chase Tower to grab our laptop bags out of the car and get registered for class.

8:00 am - Walking into the building we were greeted by security and they got to know us very well over the next two days because we were the "girls who were always smiling or giggling."

11:25 am - Released for our lunch break and while on our walk to Starbucks we scoped out our lunch spot deciding on Athenian Bar & Grill. I ordered their Chicken Salad and it was delicious and filling. Really wanted a gyro but I was trying to be somewhat good.

12:30 pm - Back in class.

2:30 pm - Release for a 15 minute break so we checked out the cafe downstairs and ended up picking up some Horchata and chatting it up with some of the workers. Very friendly people. Made me miss working in Portland, Oregon at the corporate office when I was with a credit union there. I love the professional vibe and rubbing elbows with the higher ups. Maybe I'll check into working in downtown Houston one day. Maybe.

5:30 pm - Class ended and we drove back to the hotel to drop off our stuff and to freshen up for dinner.

6:00 pm - We decided it was early enough in the evening to walk past the homeless shelter on our own to make it over to Rainey Street after someone in our class suggested that being the place to be on "Thirsty Thursday".

(Strawberry Mojito before the bartender made me an off menu cocktail and that ceviche!)

6:30 pm - We made it over to Rainey Street which is a street of converted homes that have been turned into bars and restaurants. We picked a Mexican restaurant, El Naranjo, and grabbed two seats at the bar by the window. The bartender looked like he could have been Paul Walker's twin but he was such a douche bag. Brittny was all heart eyes over him. I have my heart set on someone else so no one turns my head at the moment. He was a good bartender though, chatting us up and even made me an off the menu cocktail after telling him what I was in the mood for. He muddled serrano chiles, basil and ice and then shook it together with lots of vodka and pineapple juice before pouring it into a chile salt rimmed glass. This cocktail was crave worthy and I lost count of how many I had. Haha! Needing food in my belly I ordered the seasonal ceviche which had yellowfin tuna and manadrin oranges in it served with hot salted chips. Amazing!! All of their food looked so good coming out of the kitchen.

10:00 pm - We decided to call it a night since we were incredibly tipsy and hailed a cab. Our driver's name was Godswill and he was from West Africa. He fell in love with your girl over here and couldn't believe I was going to call it a night but I explained we were already intoxicated and didn't want to be wandering the streets and with Brittny calling me out as well he offered to turn off the cab fair for us for the remainder of the night, gave me his cell number, and promised he would drop us off at a favorite spot of his and take us anywhere we wanted that night. He dropped us off at Star Bar and a couple hours later he came through as promised. "Wait 10 minutes and I will be right there." We were so drunk by this time and needed food. He offered to take us to Whataburger. After getting our food he dropped us off at the hotel and I thanked him so much for chauffeuring us around. He was such a nice man.

1:00 am - Back to the room to get ready for bed. Godswill sent me a text message about how beautiful I was and how if he ever came to Houston maybe we could meet up for a night out. Flattered but it would definitely be a just friends thing.

Friday, February 12th, 2017:

6:00 am - Woke up, showered, and did my hair and makeup before getting dressed. My eyes were so bloodshot and I was still slightly intoxicated. I needed food.

6:30 am - Grabbed Brittny and we drove to Chase Tower. On the drive in a road was closed so we had to take a detour and ended up seeing Voodoo Doughnut and Brittny just had to try it. I am not a doughnuts for breakfast kinda person since all that sugar makes me feel like shit but when in Rome... So I had their vegan chocolate doughnut topped with peanuts and a maple bar with bacon. We both picked up an iced cold brew coffee with cream and sugar. Damn this was strong and needed. I could have used two of them. I was dog shit that morning for class.

7:45 am - Walked back to Chase Tower to grab our laptop bags.

11:25 am- Released for lunch and we walked across the street to an Italian joint, Italic. We split a bunch of food trying their roasted local veggies, butternut squash soup, crispy polenta, and the baked penne with ricotta and sausage. The food was incredibly. I wish I didn't have to go back to class or else I would have ordered a pasta dish just for myself. We grabbed iced coffees from the restaurant to take back to class too. We were dragging from our late night out.

4:00 pm - Class ended and we were on the road back to Houston.

8:00 pm - Dropped Brittny off and made it home.

I would have loved to have more time in Austin to enjoy more of what the city has to offer. The food definitely did not disappoint, the hotel room was comfortable, and we both left the city more knowledgeable for our careers. I am incredibly blessed to have been given the opportunity to go.

Livin' It Up... Las Vegas to Celebrate My Aunt's 60th Birthday

My mom and I have kept our trip to Las Vegas a secret since July. Surprised my uncle and cousin kept their mouths shut as well and didn't spill the beans.

Wednesday, January 18th, 2017:

I arrived at the airport around 1:30pm, checked my bag, made it through security, and the flight ended up delayed for over almost two hours. Thankfully the flight was smooth and my bag was waiting in baggage claim for me as well as my mom and cousin.

My mom and cousin lied to my aunt saying that a lost bag of my mom's had been found so they came in to retrieve me. They had no idea my aunt didn't have her phone on her and she ended up driving around a couple of times until she found us. Her jaw dropped when she saw I was with them. "You guys got me again!"

We dropped my bags off at the house around 9:30pm and then my cousin suggested we go to the Rainbow Club and Casino for dinner. It was so nice sitting with them and getting caught up since we haven't seen each other in two years.

Thursday, January 19th, 2017:

Woke up and my cousin and uncle suggested going back to the Rainbow Club and Casino for breakfast since it's cheap. $1.99 for two eggs, bacon or sausage, hash browns, and toast or biscuits and gravy. The portion was huge too. I could not eat it all.

Today's mission was keeping my aunt out of the house and busy until later in the evening for her surprise party to celebrate her 60th.

(My mom and aunt)

After breakfast my mom suggested we go to the Mandalay Bay so she can buy some new socks from the Sock Market. It was a fantastic suggestion since they have the Shark Reef Aquarium there and none of us have ever experienced it yet.

The Shark Reef Aquarium was about $50 for the three of us and that was after my aunt's discount using her ID to show she is an in-State resident. It was really well put together and the animals were very active. We saw a crocodile, kimono dragon, fish, snakes, and sharks! There was a glass bottom tunnel that you had to walk through to exit. Seeing my aunt's reaction was so funny when she realized  what she was standing on. Haha! We browsed through the gift shop and my mom and aunt picked up a few items.

We made it over to the Sock Market and I picked up some badass Antonio Brown socks. This was the only thing I bought for myself the entire trip.

After we window shopped at a couple more stores we ended up deciding on catching a movie. My aunt suggested driving over to the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa since their theatre is really nice with comfortable seating. We picked the movie, Why Him?. About five minutes into the movie my aunt's best friend walked into the theatre. Got her again! My aunt was so surprised to see her. This movie was non-stop laughs.

Because we still needed to stall since my uncle wasn't done prepping food and my cousin hadn't finished setting up the party. My aunt's best friend played into this perfectly and suggested we stop and warm up from the cold theatre by grabbing some hot chocolate from Seattle's Best in the hotel.

We sat and chatted for about an hour and said some fake goodbyes to her best friend. My aunt has no idea that we coordinated for her best friend to come to the party bringing a car full of their friends.

We finally made it to the house and my aunt was shocked to find a houseful of people. Surprise! We had ground beef tacos, albondigas soup, and chips and guacamole. I passed on the cake since I was trying to be somewhat good.

The guests stayed super late and we had a blast making dirty drawings on the tablecloths, telling inappropriate stories, and just doing what family does... enjoying the hell out of each other's company.

Friday, January 20th, 2017:

We slept in before getting ready to take off for Pahrump to surprise my Grandpa Giordano for lunch. On the drive up we drove through snow on the mountains!! It's been forever since I've seen snow in person. It was so beautiful.

My grandfather was surprised to see us.

We grabbed lunch at the Lakeside Casino and then went back to his house. I felt like such an asshole but I was so damn tired and ended up passing out the two hours we were there. We said our goodbyes and my grandpa jokingly said that it was now time to update the will. At lunch he lowkey called me fat so when he made his joke about the will I told him to leave me money for food.

The drive back to Las Vegas went by quickly and the snow again made me so damn happy.

We ended up hanging out at the house until we all started getting antsy and my aunt suggested we go check out some of the shops on The Strip. I enjoy doing this so much because I love seeing all of the people.

It was somewhat unpleasant though because it was cold, rainy, and windy. Ick!

Could not wait to get back to the house to warm up.

Once there I was kinda feeling down about a misunderstanding with someone and my cousin picked up on my mood. He told me to get in the car. I asked if I needed to change out of my Steelers pajamas but he said "hell no." Surprised me with a trip to the grocery store to get some ice cream and we ended up sitting and talking about the happenings in our life. It was so nice spending quality time with my best buddy. We grew up so close and I just love the shit out of him.

Saturday, January 21st, 2017:

Woke up this morning and the sun was finally out. Chilly but the sun was out. Go figure... on our last day too.

My cousin's son got to come over to the house and spend the afternoon with us. Brock Jr, we call him Brockie, invited me into his room to watch Goonies with him. It's his favorite movie. This kid is my favorite already. After the movie we got him excited about going on a mission to find some Bighorn Sheep. We drove out to Boulder City took a hike and ended up coming up on four or five of them in a field. Really cool to see them up close.

All of that hiking worked up an appetite and Brockie really wanted pizza from Cici's. The kid ended up knocking over his entire soda all over me. I was soaked but didn't make a big deal out of it. I gave him lots of love and told him no worries but he had to help clean up the mess.

I could not wait to get back to the house to change out of these wet clothes.

(Vodka Cherry Coke, yummy!!)

I got warmed up and ended up taking a nap before we headed out to a nightclub where one of my aunt's best friend's boyfriend plays in a cover band and got us VIP seating. All I wanted to do was dance but really wanted the company of a man. I was a little bit envious watching all of the women with their men.

When we made it back to the house there was no point in us going to bed since we had to leave for the airport in an hour.

Sunday, January 22nd, 2016:

4am at the airport. Ugh! So exhausted but thankfully my flight was the first one out for the day from this gate and we loaded up quickly and were headed back to Houston. I slept for almost all of the flight. I love when I can do that. We hit so much turbulence when we were coming into Houston it made me nauseous. The landing was rough. I was so grateful touching down in Houston and getting off of the plan.

The trip was not my usual vacation back home since I normally stay at the Mandalay Bay and spend my nights gambling but the family time was long overdue and the days went by too fast. I cannot wait to make it back out there to see them again.