Sometimes I need to just press pause!

Sleepy Bridger on the way down to Las Vegas, It is so nice when they sleep in the car!
This is a picture of a big shark( In case you could not tell!) the reflection in his eye is scary!
Daddy with his shark hat, and little Ava along for the ride
The boys loved touching the sting rays( Don't worry Mom, they cut the stingers off!

Brexan, Stetler, and Dylan after we told them where we were really going!
Stetler and Ava
Sweet Ava!
Kids with their shark hats! Ready for some fun! So Cute!
Mommy and Ava

This is the picture that they take and sell you. I was a sucker and bought it!

The other night while I lay in bed, like I do most every night I was thinking and I thought to my self "I wish I had a remote control for my life". I feel like right now in my life I want to press the rewind button, and the fast forward button at the same time! I wish I could rewind my life to 12-13 years ago and look, and feel the way I did back then. Don't get me wrong I love being a Mom but sometimes I wish I could go back to having no one but me to take care of. I know that sounds really selfish. I also wish that I could fast forward my life 3-4 years because I am done having babies, and I feel like when Ava is 4-5 my life will be so much easier, I know selfish again, what is my problem! I told this to Eric and he said " I guess you just don't want to be in the moment and enjoy your life as it is today." OK, big light flashes and I realize you know he is right I can't wish for the past, or dream of the future. I just have to live for the here and now! I need to press pause and savor this precious time with my family. So that was Thursday night and Eric said he could take Friday off, if we wanted to do something with the kids. I was really excited because this last week was spring break and 3 of my 5 kids had strep throat! So that took up the first few days, major bummer! So we had the idea to surprise the kids and take them to Vegas to the shark reef at Mandalay bay. We told them we were going to go to the M&M factory, Dylan acted excited, Brexan was not so excited (he's getting to the to cool pre-teen age, so fun! ) And the other ones were to small to have an opinion. We told them as we were walking in where we were going, and they were so excited! Dylan is our little shark lover, he draws them, writes stories about them, and even printed pictures off the Internet and tried to sell them in front of our house like lemon aid. No luck, but it sure was cute. It was so fun to see the looks we got from people as we walked through the hotel casino, you would think we were celebrity's, you know like the Jon and Kate plus 8 or something. It was funny to see people counting our kids as we walked by, and I would like to think that they were thinking "man look at that family with 5 kids, they are so blessed." but I am sure it was more like, "look at that family with 5 kids, are they crazy?" Oh well to each his own.
We had a great time, the kids were very entertained. They loved seeing all the different types of sharks and fish. We saw large sea turtles, and even got to touch sting rays! The kids loved it!

I really soaked it all in and watched the magic and wonder in their little faces, I felt like I was in the moment the whole day.

Ava loved it she tried to reach out and touch the fish through the glass, she was so good. It really was fun!We then took them to Circus Circus and let them play in the arcade. Dylan was so excited he won a stuffed penguin in the claw game, that I have never seen anyone win at. We watch two circus acts, one was a juggler, and the other was a trapeze act. Both were fabulous and the kids watched with awe. I thought they might say that they changed their mind about what they want to be when they grow up! I love the innocence in children's eyes, and the sincere glow of excitement in their faces. I never knew that I could be so happy to see someone else be so happy! I am going to try and press the pause button more often in my life, because life is to precious to wish it away or dream it back, so today I am looking for more opportunity's to be in the moment, and pause to take in the priceless memories!