Lucky in Las Vegas

(I've been slowly but surely turning my blog into a book before our 1 year anniversary. It is my goal to blog and print books every year. I want my book to be like a journal so I am going to start writing more in each post. Sorry they are so dang lengthy .)

We headed to Las Vegas for a few days with my parents to celebrate Jordan completing the DAT and applications. Months ago my mom and I were trying to think of something we could do to celebrate Jordan and force him to relax. Vegas it was. 

My mom and I have been going to vegas at least once a year since I was 8. It was fun to bring the boys this time (and not spend 90% of the trip in a theatre dancing).

Here are some highlights of our trip:

BEATLES LOVE.

I'm putting this under highlights, but if i'm being honest I really didn't like the show. 

I've seen quite a few cirque shows and this was easily my least favorite. 

It was more of a dance show, but the dancers weren't spectacular. 

I wish there were more stunts.

When we were deciding on which to show to see my parents and I didn't want to see this one but Jordan did. It was "his" weekend so we went with it. He loves the beatles and loved the show (this was his first cirque show though). 

Long story short, next time we aren't going to go with Jordan's pick haha.

 THE FOOD.

OMG the food was amazing! We ate so much. One night Jordan and I were dying for some good mexican food. We ate the most amazing fish tacos with mango salsa.

The next night we did a vegas buffet. 

I had been craving a good a seafood buffet so my dad did lots of research and found out that the "best vegas buffet" was in our hotel. We spent the small fortune and literally ate until we were sick. No seriously, I was sick. 

My other favorite food stop was SHAKE SHACK!

Everyone always talks about shake shack so the last time I was in NYC I had to stop. It is SO good! When I found out that the New York, New York Hotel opened one I was so excited. My dad was kind of bugged that we had to drive all the way across the strip for a "burger", but by the time he was done eating he admitted that it was dang good. 

THE SHOPPING

Gotta love vegas shopping. 

My mom and I swear that there is magic at the H&M in the forum shops because every time we go there we end up finding the best stuff. 

I personally love shopping with my dad ... ;)

He sits down while my mom and do our jobs and then he comes for the finale.

Thanks again daddio!

The $.

My dad is a black jack lover.

Every time we go to vegas he will bring a little fun money to play his favorite game.

My mom and I prefer to spend our fun money in the malls ;)

My mom does like to put a little money in the penny slots and play though.

This trip Jordan and I wanted in on the fun so we brought along $20 to play. We figured if we lost it, oh well, and if we won it then lucky us! 

We sat at the slot machines with my mom and we ended up winning $170.

It was SO fun and we were feeling so lucky!

My dad was playing black jack so we went over to watch him.

Being my father's daughter, I have a love for black jack but I am not willing to bet so high. I'm too poor. $20 won't take you very far (hence the slot machines).

 My dad wanted us to join in on the fun so he slid us a few chips and let us play.

We sat there for an hour laughing and bantering with the dealer.

Jordan and I must have used up every ounce of luck on the slot machines because we lost at black jack. Thankfully, my dad was doing well so he still came out on top. 

Call me a sinner but gambling our tiny bit of money was one of my favorite parts of our trip.

Especially since we went home richer than when we got there.

THE MOVIES.

Us Mautzs love to see movies. I can't remember a vacation where we didn't go see a movie. 

This trip we say SPY (hilarious) first, then the girls saw Aloha (terrible) and the boys saw Mad Max.

(side story: in the middle of the movie I spilt a cherry coke all over the side (read: butt) of my brand new white dress. you better believe I wore in the rest of the day. Who has time to change?)

THE POOL.

It was dang hot so it was nice to lounge by the pool.

People watching was pretty awesome too. 

(we haven't stopped laughing at this picture. The way the water hits makes me look 6 months pregnant. Pinky promise i'm not. )

AND SO MUCH MORE!

It was seriously the best trip!

Jordan deserved a weekend away after all the work he had put into dental school preparations!

I defiantly didn't deserve it, but I was happy to spend a few days with my favorite people. 

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU mom and dad for "taking care of" EVERY SINGLE THING! It was so generous and something we won't forget. 

We love you ...

THIS MUCH!

Can't wait until the mautzs' party again in vegas. How many more days until adam turns 21....? ;)

THE DAT

I have to blog about Jordan’s huge test (the dental admissions test). It is too big of an accomplishment to ignore.

I’m so very proud of Jordan so this might get braggy. I promise its not intentional. Don’t hate me. I just really want to document this on my little corner of the internet and eventually blog book. 

So back in January Jordan got his study materials and dipped his toes in the study pond.

He didn’t stress about it, but if he had a spare moment he would have his nose in a book.

As May 21st got a closer he really started studying. For the last month and a half I have barely seen my husband and if I did he was focused on his test.

I truly have never seen anything like it. He woke up well before me to study and stayed up well after me. It was so impressive watching someone be so focused. 

The night before the DAT my uncles gave Jordan a blessing. I feel so lucky to have so many priesthood holders near us. 

That night neither of us slept. The nerves were out of control. Somehow Jordan managed to wake up with energy.

A good hardy breakfast and he was off...

I paced all morning. I was so happy to be working so I wasn’t obsessing over the test.

I have always known that Jordan would do amazing and well above average. He had taken many practice tests and passed them with flying colors. My worry was that Jordan wouldn’t be happy with his scores. He is so hard on himself. This isn’t the kind of test you take more than once so he had one shot to kill it.

 And if i’m being really honest, this test will be a major deciding factor in where we live for the next 4-10 years so yeah I was nervous. 

I decided to surprise Jordan outside the testing center with balloons and sushi. I really didn’t have any clue what time he was going to be done so I got there early. Like REALLY early. I sat there for almost two hours. (thank you to friends who kept me busy by chatting on the phone.)

I was so nervous that I ended up drinking Jordan’s diet coke too. (DC is my form of medication)

But finally Jordy boy came out grinning!

His score was INCREDIBLE. I don’t know many dental students, but his score was higher than anything I had ever heard of. 

All of his hard work paid off.

Our stress lessened so much when he got his score because it is higher than every school’s average.

It is such a good feeling knowing that he can be able to apply anywhere he wants and be a good competitor. 

I’m SO proud of Jordan. Now his application is in and its waiting time. I have no doubt that he will get into a great school and eventually be an amazing dentist. Gosh I love him. 

I just want to “publicly” thank my family and friends for being so supportive during this crazy time.

It made me so happy that they genuinely wanted to know how Jordan’s studying was going in the last few months. My grandparents called countless times wondering how he was feeling. My grandpa could talk dental school all day because he has taken the time to learn about different schools. I can’t even tell you what my phone looked like while he was testing. I had so many “well...?” texts haha! My cute cousins called and sang “congratulations to you” as soon as he was out of the test. Our “roomies” have been Jordan’s biggest cheerleaders. Its been the biggest blessing living with them during this time because they are the most supportive pople we know. Of course my parents have been amazing. My mom said she wouldn’t know what to fast and pray for once the test was over haha. They even took us to vegas as a “congratulations” gift for Jordan. 

 I love that my family loves and supports Jordan as much as I do. I will always remember the love they gave Jordan during this time. I know he needed it and appreciated it so much. 

So thanks fam! 

Playing Catch Up

1. Aunt Brette hosted the cutest 65th anniversary party for her grandparents. Since we live under my aunt and uncle's roof we get invited to lots of sunday dinners/parties so we have gotten to know aunt brette's grandparents. They are seriously the cutest people and Jordan and I eat up their stories. We loved celebrating their anniversary with them.

2. My grandparents came up to Utah to help my aunt and uncle move. We spent a few days spending time together and EATING! (how cute is my grandpa?!)

3. Jordan and I have a new love for Indian food. I could eat it everyday! SLC friends, GO TO BOMBAY HOUSE (and invite us!).

4. Our favorite date night is still desert star. Popcorn, cherry cokes, and lots of laughs.

5. Spencer and I have been frequenting the mall lately. We pull up and he cheers "BALLOON" because the cute nords workers always give him one.

6. My future dentist did a sim course and loved every second.

7. I was a "dance mom" on picture day. Sass looked so freaking cute in her tutu.

8. WE GOT TO SKYPE OUR ELDER! happy happy happy happy day!

9. When homeboy screams bloody murder in walmart you shove a banana in his face. #nannylife

10. we go on daily "blocks" (walks) to find tweet tweets and puppies.

11. poor uncle curt had a colonoscopy. Jordan took him and was NO help. 

12. one day i couldn't seem to breathe. the doctor didn't believe me until i did a breath test and failed miserably. 

13. We celebrated 4 birthdays with a raging fiesta. best street tacos ever!

14. I started tutoring ASL students. Its cool but I really enjoy the excuse to drink a few steamers.

15. My breathing didn't improve much. One night I hyperventilated and got rushed to the ER. So scary. So embarrassing. Now I'm on crazy steroids to reduce the swelling in my esophagus. Yay for Utah allergies! -_-

16. I had a little lunch date with my friends taylor, mick, and my aunt. They all have babies so we paraded around the mall with 4 strollers. Quite a sight!

17 & 18. We got to watch my cute cousins in their dance showcase! (missing our abbie jane)

Happy Mothers Day!

Mother's Day is this weekend and it will be the first mother's day that I am away from my mom.

Things will be different this year but I will still try my best to spoil my mom!

Every girl says "my mom is my best friend" but mine SERIOUSLY is. Pinky promise!

I'm the oldest and the only girl.

My mom and I had no choice but to be bffs in our house full of boys.

Growing up, my mom was a "dance mom".

She drove me to dance everyday and traveled with me to competitions.

It was a team effort always.

This lady put my eyelashes on until I was 18.

She was Stake Young Women's President while I was in high school so we were always together for church activities.  I'll never forget one of my friends was complaining that her mom held a calling with the youth. I was dumbfounded. I LOVED having my mom with me? It was around the end of high school that I figured out most moms aren't like mine.

It is an on going joke that my friends use me for my mom. If I had a dollar for every time a friend texts/tweets/instagrams my mom i'd be a rich lady. 

One time my friend texted me a juicy story about her and a boy. I responded with something along the lines of "holy crap! no way!?!". My friend responds, "omg, I know. Oh BTW I already told your mom. Don't be mad". 

so typical.

When it came time to decide what to do and where to go to college I knew I didn't want to leave my bff/mom. It wasn't even a thought. I couldn't leave her.. she and I are the same foundation color, who's would I steal if I didn't live with her??? 

So I didn't.

I spent my 4 years of college with my mom and I don't regret it for a second.

Things got real when she opened up a pre-school and asked me to be her assistant. That meant that we spent all day, everyday together.

We loved every second.

Then the time came to get married...

She and I worked side by side for 10 months planning the most perfect day.

My wedding was really my mom and my wedding (sorry, jord).

With a wedding came a marriage and with a marriage came a move.

This move was so hard. It was the first time I had ever been away from my mom.

There were many ugly tears and one really freaked out husband.

I'll be real, living away from my mom sucks. Thankfully, we have texts, calls, snapchat, twitter, insta, FaceTime, etc. I'd be lying if I said we didn't use 90% of those outlets daily...

We are managing. 

Jordan knows that mom calls take priority over everything (and he secretly loves it. he likes to chime in with annoying comments ;) ).

I'm amazed how we are able to stay close so far.

We are NOT getting comfortable with this tho...

We mean it when we say joke that someday we will live next door to each other.

And that keeps me going and makes me happy... One of these days, when we are settled and out of school, jordan and I get to be with mom again(kinda trying to convince him that living with my parents forever is a great idea). 

For now I have a trip planned almost every month for the rest of the year to see my mom.

Lucky me!

She is practically perfect in every way + she's mine!

^ Its true!

Happy mother's day to my mom/bff/slor!

ps. happy mother's day to my MIL and cute grandmas!

The dos and don'ts of a CA trip

This last week I spent my "spring break" in CA.

I have compiled my do and don't list for my successful trip home!

(S/O to the best boss in the world for letting me take this trip! anddd my cute husband for being so happy for me to get to go home to be with my family while he lives at the library.)

THE "DOs":

- DO say yes when your husband wants to take you on a date the night before you leave. You will miss him SO MUCH while you're gone. (ugh, poor jordan studied for the DAT and finals while I was gone!)

-DO bring your BFF. You will have so much fun driving.

- DO go straight to the nail salon and a movie with mom as soon as you get home. 

-DO enjoy every second of your bed! (why is my bed at home so glorious to me?!)

- DO go out to lunch with your BFF and your moms. You will enjoy the girl talk and end up in your backyard laying out because you just aren't ready to part.

- DO have your favorite mexican restaurant for dinner. You'll over stuff yourself with chips and salsa, but its worth it.

-DO go to church with your fam. Believe it or not, you've missed your home ward.

- DO snuggle in mommy and daddy's bed for a little Sunday afternoon rest. (jk. i only stayed in there for two seconds. my dad and I like our "p (personal) space". haha)

- DO spend your days at pre-school with your favorite little humans. 

- DO spend the majority of your trip hanging with your grandparents. It is the cool thing to do. You'll even get to "ohh" and "awh" over their fancy china.

- DO take naps. You'll love them.

- DO FREAK OUT(!!!) when your uncle visits your brother who is on a mission. If you're lucky, you might even get to talk to him for a minute.

-DO start your morning with a McDonalds run with the chubbiest baby around. 

- DO hangout with your BFF/SIL while she teaches pre-school with your mom (She and a few others took over for me when I left)

- DO impress your SIL by making your yummy jello. Its the perfect snack for a HOT day.

- DO go watch some of your pre-schoolers play baseball. You might die from the cuteness.

- DO get your hair done! HOLY MOLY your roots are bad!

- DO go to the beach! You should probably laugh at your friends and family that are in Utah getting dumped with snow.

- DO mock the crazy girls having a iPhone photoshoot. (NO GUYS! They were pointing to NOTHING and laughing, then they would get all serious and seductive). I'm sure it was an incredible instagram post for them! HAHA. We weren't as successful. 

-DO walk down your favorite boardwalk for a snow cone. (side note: is anyone else getting excited for utah's snow shacks?!)

-DO go to your favorite place to eat! Your sissy loves it just as much as you, so you should persuade her to move to utah so she can have it everyday!

- DO go to the "trendy" restaurant and have spicy seafood kimchi (really not sure if that is how you spell it. Less sure how to even say it. )

- DO stay an extra day. Its a no brainer.

- DO go to the rack. Their clearance will rock your world and you'll end up spending much more than you anticipated. 

-DO your laundry in CA. You'll be so happy when you get back to utah. 

- DO buy some songs from the Nashville soundtrack. Those little girls, Lennon and Maisy, have angel voices!

THE "DON'Ts":

-DON'T drive fast. Your mom will freak. (but, hey we made great time ;) )

- DON'T forget to blast celine while you drive through vegas (a tradition I started a while ago). You will remember on your drive back home.

- DON'T  be surprised when you find notes in your room. Your dad likes to hide them! 

-DON'T feel sad when chub cries EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. you hold him. he will learn to love you once he moves up to utah.

- DON'T forget to use your big camera for the majority of the trip. You'll later blog and it will drive you nuts.

- DON'T be too sad when the spa is too crowded to go to. You can go for your birthday in July! 

-DON'T leave your book in CA. It was just starting to get good.

- DON'T fall asleep on the beach. Your legs will be reddest they have ever been. You'll want to cry 24/7. (but, just to be clear, I had sunscreen on.)

-DON'T eat boiling soup. the waitress will tell you to, but don't. Your mouth will thank you.

- Don't eat grocery store sushi. It will make you sooo sick. (thankfully, i recovered quickly!)

-DON'T start crying when your little pre school buddy's chin starts quivering when you tell him you are leaving.

- DON'T freak out on the drive home. (LONGEST DRIVE EVER!)

- DON'T miss your husband too much. You'll be home sooner than you think!

- DON'T be too sad to leave home. You'll see your fam very soon! 

xo