Starting 2013 Off Right!

There is no better way to start off the new year than with warm weather, palm trees, good friends, and golf!  Lynn and I got the opportunity to join our friends, Scott and Erin, in Palm Springs, CA during the holidays.  We drove halfway the first night and stayed in Las Vegas at the Bellagio Hotel.  My FAVORITE hotel!  Lynn booked us in the "Salon Suite" - amazing!  We had an awesome view of the strip, and the room was beautiful.  The windows went from the floor to the ceiling, and the view was spectacular!  The bathroom even had "his and hers" vanities, and there was a TV in the mirror!  Gosh, I could really get used to this kind of life!!  We had tickets to a comedy show - George Wallace - that night.  We had front row tickets right next to the stage.  We only got picked on a little bit by him, and at the end he gave us a free CD.  It was pretty fun!

Bellagio Suite - TV in the mirror

Our View from the Salon Suite at the Bellagio

We then made the drive on to sunny Palm Springs.  Our friends have a condo in a country club community that overlooks the most beautiful golf course ever!  It was so nice of them to invite us, and we had a great time ringing in the New Year with them and their daughter, Jordan.  We had breakfast on the patio at the Country Club.  We played golf twice (we LOVE golf - especially Lynn).  The courses were gorgeous, and it was so nice to actually see green grass and flowers.  We lounged in the hot tub, and pretty much just relaxed the entire time.  It was heaven!

Lynn and Scott enjoying breakfast
on the patio

Indian Canyon Golf Course

Lynn and I at Desert Willow Golf Course

My attempt at a panoramic picture.  I need more practice!

The view from the condo's patio.  Woke up to this every morning!

We had such a great time with the Updykes, and we really hated to leave.  I always go through a little depression at the end of a vacation.  I wish every day were a vacation day.  On the way back home we stopped again in Las Vegas for the night.  We saw another comedy show that night, Brad Garrett's Comedy Club.  Brad Garrett played "Robert" on "Everybody Loves Raymond".  We were so excited to see him in person.  I hate to say this, but he was awful!  I was so disappointed in his comedy, and I would NEVER go again.  Kind of put a bummer on the end of our trip!

We had a good time waiting in line to get
into the show, but not much fun once
we got in!

Overall we had a great New Year's holiday.  I'm so glad we have such great friends, and we really enjoy spending time with them.  We did miss our kids while we were gone.  It just doesn't feel right to start the year off without our kids around us, but I guess that's what happens when they grow up.  So far, 2013 has started out to be a pretty great year!