Las Vegas--Day 3

Day 3 brings us to Christmas Eve! By this point in our trip we've had some rough nights with a nasty stomach virus, but everyone seems up to going to Hoover Dam so we get up and go. Nothing says, Christmas Eve, like Hoover Dam, right? There is also this amazing bridge overlooking the dam that we visited. It is so high!

Anna, Ben and Lizzy on the tour at Hoover dam. I think these were turbines. Huge, right?

We wanted to have each of the kids get to do something special while on vacation. Adam got to go to the football game. Lizzy and Anna and I got to go on the extended Hoover Dam tour. We got to walk down this narrow tunnel to one of the air vents. This is a shot from out of the vent. We are down lower in the dam.

This shot, I just stuck my hand and camera out of the vent. This is the view looking out from inside the dam.

The girls on the tour with me. There were a lot of areas we weren't allowed to go. It's crazy too, because there are offices and things inside the dam. It is not a huge, solid mass of cement. There is a lot inside it. It really is a marvel.

Here's the family from the Hoover Dam Visitor's center. You can see the bridge we will visit in the background.

Here is Grandma and Grandpa with most of the kids. I was tending to a not feeling well, melting down Jacob at this point. Greg was taking the picture.

Seriously, we always have to take a silly one. I think Adam is trying to throw Ben over.

Here is a pic of Adam from atop the dam. Pictures just cannot convey the immensity of the dam. It is so big and so amazing. It is so amazing to think it was completed without so much of the equipment we have today.

I just had to include this picture. If you look above Jacob's head you will notice he is standing in both Nevada and Arizona. All the kids really wanted their picture taken here, but as you can see, the sun is a bit much for Jacob. He is trying so hard to smile, but the light is just too bright.

Next, we were off to the bridge overlooking the dam. This view makes me think man vs. nature. I know it has really helped with providing water to southern California, but it also makes me a little bit sad.

All the kids with one foot in Nevada and one in Arizona, up on the bridge.

I know the lighting is terrible in this one, but I still like it.

Another shot of the dam from the bridge.

Our last stop before going home was to feed some crazy fish.

These are the fish. Feed me!

That's Jake and I out on the dock.

After all the fun we went home and rested a while. That evening we enjoyed a wonderful time reading and acting out the Christmas story. We also sang some songs and watched the new Bible videos put out by our Church. Here is a link if you are interested: http://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos?lang=eng I really loved the Wise Man video. Each Christmas my heart is so full of love and gratitude for the Savior, and what his life means to me and my family. We are blessed to know of him and feel his love in our lives. It was very enjoyable to spend this time with Greg's mom, Cherrie, and her husband, Jim. What a great trip!