Me and my wolf pack

Last weekend I went to Las Vegas with some friends from St. Olaf, on what we like to call The Big Trip III (preceded by two slightly more local but no less glamorous Big Trips).  Despite the heat (103 degrees!), the close living quarters (six girls in one room... jealous?), and the fact that I was forced to wear a swimsuit while pregnant, the trip was a smashing success.  There was lots of walking, eating, drinking, pool lounging, laughing, gambling, Elvis sightings, Hangover references, and other memorable shenanigans over the course of three days.  I can't possibly document all the fun times in one post, but here are a few highlights:

One of the few benefits of being pregnant in Vegas is eating stuff like this and not feeling at all guilty about it.

The cotton candy was actually part of a brunch buffet.  Do they do things right in Sin City, or what?? 

I warned you there were Elvis sightings.

One of the best parts of the trip was meeting Alissa's daughter, Ella.  She's happy and adorable, and it was so much fun getting to know her.  It made me even more excited to meet my own little girl in a few months.

 
We took some time away from the Strip to see Alissa's house and Hoover Dam.  The dam was pretty impressive, although we all agreed it might have been more meaningful if we knew anything about its history or what it does (something about power generation?  there must be some kind of turbines involved?).

Straddling the Nevada-Arizona state line.

Here we are on Fremont Street, also known as the "original" Vegas strip.  Love these girls!

All in all, it was a fabulous trip and a great way to spend some much needed time together.  Thanks, ladies!