Allie and Kyle Firsts: Las Vegas and Seattle

    Kyle and I recently got back from our  two-city vacation in Las Vegas and Seattle. With cameras in hand and travel maps close by, we were determined to make the most of our 3 days in Vegas and 2 days in Seattle... even if that meant barely stopping to sleep! I give us an A+ on being good tourist!

Las Vegas/Seattle in Brief:

Day 1...

Check bags at hotel. Walk down the Strip. Stop in at the Cosmopolitan. Kyle puts $10 on black. Loses. Allie puts $10 on black. Wins. Walk to New York, New York. Ride rollercoaster. Place bets at sports book. In and Out Burger. Back to the Strip. See Bellagio fountains (my favorite :). Check-in at Mirage. Go and buy Jersey Boys tickets. Play roulette at Palazzo. Lose money playing roulette at Palazzo. Gamble a bit at other casinos. Go back to Mirage. Dress for dinner. Walk a long way to dinner. Allie and Kyle complain about feet in new dress shoes. Walk a long way to Jersey Boys. Allie and Kyle complain about feet in new dress shoes. Find seats at Jersey Boys. Empty theater. Move up closer to better seats. Great show! Back to Mirage.



Bellagio Fountains was definately one of my favorite things in Vegas!



First winnings at the Cosmopolitan!



After Jersey Boys. At this point we had been up 22 hours and were ready to sleep!



Day 2 and my 25th b-day!...

 Place new bets at sports book. Pick up for Hoover Dam tour. Stop in front of the Vegas sign. Go to Hoover Dam. Great tour! Back to Strip. Walk around more hotels. Accidentally buy a $20 margarita. Gamble. Back to Mirage to dress for the night. Celine Dion concert!! Dinner at Julian Serrano!! Watch some guy lose $10,000 playing roulette at the Bellagio.




Vegas Sign!




On the Hoover Dam tour



Outside at the Hoover Dam



Found these inside the Hoover Dam gift shop on my birthday :)



One of our only pics at Celine Dion... BEST SHOW EVER!!



Day 3...

Bellagio buffet. More gambling. More walking the Strip. Down to the Stratosphere. Stratosphere rollercoaster (what was I thinking!!) Back to Mirage to dress for the night. Sushi at Tao!! Gamble. Cirque du Soleil LOVE. Dessert at Serendipity 3. Downtown Las Vegas. Back to the Mirage.




Kyle at the Stratosphere



The ride Kyle forced me on ;)



Downtown Las Vegas



Day 4...

Hotel check-out. Airport. Train to hotel. Seattle is cold. Everyone stare at the tourists in shorts. Hotel check-in. Space Needle. City tour. See house boat from Sleepless in Seattle. Chittenden Locks in Ballard. Walk around Fremont. Dinner on the lake.



Kyle at the Space Needle



In the Fremont area of Seattle... so cute and quirky





Kyle standing in the center of the universe ;)



And, they have their very own statue of Lenin. :/





Fremont Troll



Day 5...

Food tour of Pike Place Market. Coffee at original Starbucks. Shop at the Market. Tour of Seattle's underground. Klondike Gold Rush Museum. Washington State Ferry. Dinner on the harbor.



Kyle inside the original Starbucks




and with a fish monger




Seattle skyline from the ferry




very windy and cold on the ferry



Day 6...

More Starbucks. Go to first Nordstrom. Gum Wall. Smith Tower. Seattle Public Library. Hotel check-out. Airport.



In front of Pike Place Market



the gum wall... gross but cool





Seattle Public Library... very cool on the inside as well




what a cutie





at the library... walking down into the all red hall



Day 7...

Pick up Bailey at my mom's. :)

Summer Reading: Book 4... and a Kindle

Book #4: The Thorn Birds



     I was really excited to read this book because Kyle gave it to me for our first anniversary (paper anniversary). We were considering our weekend getaway in The Woodlands our anniversary gift, so I teared up a bit when Kyle surprised me with this book. Despite that I love to read, I was touched at the thought Kyle put in to picking out a book that I would like to read. It was such a sweet, simple gift, and I loved it.

     Well, I was in the middle of enjoying this book when Kyle comes home with another surprise. Just two days before we were to leave for our vacation, Kyle comes home with a box. Once again, I thought we were considering our trip my birthday present, so I was totally shocked when Kyle gave me a Kindle! I have been wanting a Kindle for a couple of months, but I thought I would wait until Christmas to ask for one. It was such a fun surpise!

     Now, back to me being in the middle of my other book... I really wanted to finish The Thorn Birds before we went on vacation so that I could use my Kindle on the plane. So, instead of packing, I spent most of my "packing day" reading the last 300 pages of my anniversary present. No worries! At midnight, The Thorn Birds was finished, our suitcases zipped and ready to go, and my new Kindle tucked away in my carry on.

     It really was a great book, and now, one of my favorites. Five out of five stars... go read it. :) Thanks Kyle.

Summer Reading: Book 3

Book #3: Commencement

The reviews that I read on the book cover made this book sound entertaining enough for a summer read. It was so-so. The book's mostly about four girls who meet at an all-girl college. They are all very different, but they become best friends (shocking). After graduating, it documents their lives after college. I wouldn't write home about this book... although I am writing in my blog about it. :) I'm not disappointed I read it, but I guess it's not the kind of book I typically enjoy reading.

If you want a book that is easy to read and with a few random stories all merged together, knock your socks off with Commenecment.

Miles Smith May

On July 14, 2011, my brother Josh and sister-in-law Anna had their baby boy! Miles Smith May is undeniably the most precious gift our family has been given. It is so surreal to hold your older brother's baby in your arms and even more surreal to watch your older brother hold and care for his baby. I love Josh and Anna more than anything, and it is so exciting to watch them as parents.


One of their first family pics. So sweet!



Mommy and Miles

Daddy and Miles

The sweetest baby boy. I just want to kiss that face!

Uncle Steven and baby Miles have the same birthday!

The five of us then....

The five of us now...

The Siblings and Miles

We love you baby Miles!

Allie and Kyle Firsts: Wedding Anniversary

     We still can't believe how fast our first year of marriage went. From the moment we said "I do" until now, we have enjoyed everything about being "The Schielacks."

     Our anniversary weekend started off at my mom's house. She had our cake defrosting, the wine chilling, and our wedding video in the DVD player.


Wedding Day top layer ....



Anniversary top layer



Wedding Day cake and toasting glasses ...



Anniversary cake and toasting glasses



Wedding cake tasting...

Anniversary cake tasting

    After watching the video with my family, we headed out to the The Woodlands to stay at the Avia Hotel (which was where we stayed our first night after the wedding). We went shopping around Market Street for a while and then enjoyed some cocktails at the hotel pool. We were determined to relive as many wedding moments as possible, so Kyle made dinner reservations at Grotto since that is where we had our rehearsal dinner. After dinner, we walked around Market Street to revisit some places that we did a photo shoot at. It all sounds so cheesy, but it was the perfect 1st Anniversary. We talked nonstop about the wedding and what a good year it has been. It was the best year.



Wedding Rehearsal at Grotto...



Anniversary Dinner at Grotto



Wedding Honeymoon at the pool...





Anniversary at the hotel pool

Wedding Photo shoot ...



Anniversary Recreation :)



Wedding Photo shoot ...

     



Anniversary Recreation :)



So does that mean we are no longer newlyweds? ;)

Summer Reading: Book 2

I FINALLY finished my second book of the summer. I usually knock out a book in a week or two, but this one took me a while.

Book #2: One Day

Jill and I were browsing at Border's, and she picked up this book...

She told me that this might be something I was interested in, so she handed the book over and I read the back of it. I liked what I read and flipped over to assess the cover (yes, I do judge a book by it's cover). What would you know? It's going to be a movie, too! However, I hate buying books that look like the movie, so I bought this book...

It is based upon two people that meet on July 15, 1988. Each chapter of the book takes place on July 15th, and by the end of the book, it is 2007. I give it 4 stars (based on a Netflix scale :).

I'm not sure how the movie will play out. The book mostly takes place in the UK, so Anne Hathaway (who plays one of the main characters) is going to have an English accent. Her voice can get kind of annoying. To be decided ...

P.S. We're celebrating our one year anniversary this weekend... :)