As soon as it was announced that BYU would be playing in the Las Vegas Bowl, I knew it was a trip we had to make happen. Attending a BYU bowl game just might be at the tippy top of Caleb's bucket list and we wanted to make family memories while helping him check it off. We bought the game tickets before even knowing our opponent--The University of Utah!--and made airline and hotel reservations. Because I thought this might be the trip of Caleb's dreams, I told Jon I wanted it to be a dramatic surprise. We would wait until we were on the way to the airport to reveal the secret.
Then came the challenge of how to lure the kids into the car. The five of us really only ride together in car if we are going to church. We only had to keep the secret for two weeks, but the struggle was real! We'd been planning to do a Seattle Amazing Race for Grandma and Grandpa as their Christmas present, and because the kids are big fans of the show, Jon and I decided to plan our Vegas surprise with the same theme. We told Alyssa that she had an MRI scheduled in Seattle and told the other two--separately--that we were going to make it a family outing and maybe do a dry run of the Amazing Race we had planned for their grandparents. We were so worried about them being suspicious that we didn't tell them any of these lies until just prior to departure.
But then we hit a snafu--a rather large one--that put a damper on the excited moment of reveal that we'd been imagining.
Caleb has sixth period seminary, but on the day we were scheduled to fly out, seminary had been cancelled. That meant that Caleb would be home much earlier than usual. I couldn't pack the bags prior to work that day or the kids would know we were up to something. So I raced home from work and knew we were in a time crunch to get all the bags packed and loaded in the car before Caleb got home. I got Caleb's bag done and set it by the door. Then I loaded an extra large suitcase with all that the girls and I would need. Jon was hauling the 50 lb. bag down the stairs when Caleb walked in from school. He fumbled awkwardly back up the stairs, trying to run the massive suitcase back to our room as he whispered urgently, "He's home!"
But it was too late. Caleb had already spotted his bag--which was still open and revealing a much despised collared shirt that I had packed. (With the exception of church, he only wears collared shirts when coerced.) Because he had been told that morning that we were going into Seattle for Alyssa's MRI and the Grandparents' Amazing Race dry run, the overnight bag had him immediately making assumptions that we were staying overnight in Seattle. To most this might seem a non-issue, but his rigid Asperger mind decided long ago that staying at a hotel in Seattle is utterly ridiculous when we live a mere 45 minutes away. What's worse? Mom having packed a collared shirt must mean he was going to be tortured with some sort of theatre ticket. Oh the horrors!
Before the complaining could go too far, Jon raced Caleb out the door with the excuse that his car needed a new headlamp--which was true. While they were gone, I ran around like a maniac trying to get everything packed before they returned. When Natalie--the last one to get home--arrived from school, I informed her that she wasn't going to gym but that we were going to Seattle as a family. Being much more adaptable than her brother, she simply said, "ok."
So we managed to get them all in the car, but Caleb was exceptionally grumpy! He stared out the window, begrudgingly coming along with the family. When we were about 10 minutes from the airport, this happened:
Their clue said to use their phones to decide which of three zip codes we would be traveling to.
But then we hit a snafu--a rather large one--that put a damper on the excited moment of reveal that we'd been imagining.
Caleb has sixth period seminary, but on the day we were scheduled to fly out, seminary had been cancelled. That meant that Caleb would be home much earlier than usual. I couldn't pack the bags prior to work that day or the kids would know we were up to something. So I raced home from work and knew we were in a time crunch to get all the bags packed and loaded in the car before Caleb got home. I got Caleb's bag done and set it by the door. Then I loaded an extra large suitcase with all that the girls and I would need. Jon was hauling the 50 lb. bag down the stairs when Caleb walked in from school. He fumbled awkwardly back up the stairs, trying to run the massive suitcase back to our room as he whispered urgently, "He's home!"
But it was too late. Caleb had already spotted his bag--which was still open and revealing a much despised collared shirt that I had packed. (With the exception of church, he only wears collared shirts when coerced.) Because he had been told that morning that we were going into Seattle for Alyssa's MRI and the Grandparents' Amazing Race dry run, the overnight bag had him immediately making assumptions that we were staying overnight in Seattle. To most this might seem a non-issue, but his rigid Asperger mind decided long ago that staying at a hotel in Seattle is utterly ridiculous when we live a mere 45 minutes away. What's worse? Mom having packed a collared shirt must mean he was going to be tortured with some sort of theatre ticket. Oh the horrors!
Before the complaining could go too far, Jon raced Caleb out the door with the excuse that his car needed a new headlamp--which was true. While they were gone, I ran around like a maniac trying to get everything packed before they returned. When Natalie--the last one to get home--arrived from school, I informed her that she wasn't going to gym but that we were going to Seattle as a family. Being much more adaptable than her brother, she simply said, "ok."
So we managed to get them all in the car, but Caleb was exceptionally grumpy! He stared out the window, begrudgingly coming along with the family. When we were about 10 minutes from the airport, this happened:
Their clue said to use their phones to decide which of three zip codes we would be traveling to.
The second clue said to go to SeaTac airport and Natalie figured it out immediately! Caleb was very slow to come around. He gave the tiniest hint of a smile, but was still disbelieving. It certainly wasn't the celebratory reaction I'd been imagining.
Natalie was confident that she had figured it out. Caleb didn't know what the heck to think and heaven forbid he should be happy and just go with the flow:
He was literally shaking as we made our way through the airport. It wasn't until we were through security and grabbing a bite to eat that he finally started to come around. Evidently parents should never lie to their children, even when an awesome memory-making trip of a lifetime is involved.
When we landed in Vegas, the kids got their next clue which directed us to our hotel. We stayed right on the strip, but not in a casino, so it was very family friendly. We took a family selfie on the roof of our hotel:
The first six minutes of the game could only be described as painful. We were forced to witness five consecutive turnovers that resulted in Utah points. By the time the scoreboard read 35-0, all we could do was laugh because it seemed like a sick joke. But thankfully for us, they never scored again and the Cougars came roaring back. Three quarters of the game were an absolute blast as we sang the fight song over and over again. Unfortunately, we ran out of time and fell one touchdown short. If only we'd had two more minutes--maybe even just one--we could've left as victors. But honestly, as we crowded out of the stadium with the masses of Utes and Cougars, the vibe was subdued. The Utes left feeling like they'd lost even though they'd won and the Cougars felt like they'd won even though they'd lost--which in a weird sort of way made it felt like neither of the bitter rivals had really gotten what they'd wanted. Bottom line is this: the game was super fun and it was a memory that my boy will cherish forever. That was all I could ever want, so in the end, we won!
Our two bedroom suite was fantastic. The girls shared the room on the left, Caleb had a pull-out in the living room and Jon and I had a room on the right. It had two bathrooms and a full kitchen.
We woke up Saturday morning and gave the kids game day shirts and this clue:
We got to Sam Boyd stadium early so that we could do any and all tailgate activities.
My Aunt Shauna and Uncle John drove down from Orem, Utah for the game.
While tailgating, the kids were presented with a detour:
The girls decided to do both sides of the detour. Doesn't Natalie look thrilled to be posing with a Ute Cheerleader?
All of the kids made sure to high-five Cosmo.
This is proof that Utes and Cougars can actually be friends:
Finally it was game time. It was chilly, but beautifully sunny!
The first six minutes of the game could only be described as painful. We were forced to witness five consecutive turnovers that resulted in Utah points. By the time the scoreboard read 35-0, all we could do was laugh because it seemed like a sick joke. But thankfully for us, they never scored again and the Cougars came roaring back. Three quarters of the game were an absolute blast as we sang the fight song over and over again. Unfortunately, we ran out of time and fell one touchdown short. If only we'd had two more minutes--maybe even just one--we could've left as victors. But honestly, as we crowded out of the stadium with the masses of Utes and Cougars, the vibe was subdued. The Utes left feeling like they'd lost even though they'd won and the Cougars felt like they'd won even though they'd lost--which in a weird sort of way made it felt like neither of the bitter rivals had really gotten what they'd wanted. Bottom line is this: the game was super fun and it was a memory that my boy will cherish forever. That was all I could ever want, so in the end, we won!
We ate dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. Here the kids are singing along to Livin' on a Prayer":
Lys' salad was served in a guitar-shaped plate:
That night we saw the Cirque show, "KA" at the MGM Grand. The acrobatics were great, but the kids said it was hard to follow the story.
Sunday morning, we went to church and then to see the Hoover Dam. The kids were given clues every step of the way and they were always looking forward to getting the next one.
Our game tickets were good for free chicken from a restaurant called, "Raising Canes." Free lunch is always good. Plus they had Buddy the Elf promos and Caleb and Buddy are pretty much cut from the same cloth.
The High Roller was our next stop. It's the tallest observation wheel in the world. We got on right at dusk, which meant we enjoyed both daytime and nighttime views.
Next we rode the Vegas Monorail, which ended up being a total bust. It wasn't convenient or close to anything.
We watched the Bellagio fountain show and then returned to The Linq for a Mat Franco show. We had a blast. His tricks really are great and he was very entertaining.
The Paris hotel all lit up at night:
The kids enjoyed some sibling bonding time in the rooftop pool of our hotel.
We started Monday with a trip to the Las Vegas temple.
Then we spent the rest of the day at New York New York. The kids rode the roller coaster over and over--10 times, actually!
The brownstones inside of the casino were just Alyssa's size. She has a real love affair with New York.
The kids gave the coaster two enthusiastic thumbs up.
There were video games, too.
This was a fun store with lots of zany items:
Soon enough it was time to go home. The trip's surprise reveal didn't go as I'd planned. BYU didn't win. But other than that, this trip was darn near perfect--insanely fun family memories and experiences we will all continue to reminisce about for years to come.
We didn't necessarily race, but it was definitely amazing!
4 comments:
An Amazing trip with so many wonderful memories!
I want to go on the Hatch Family Amazing Race! Sounds like such a fun trip and I'm always impressed with the details you add to make everything extra special.
This is awesome! I loved reading about and watching the clips to your Hatch Family Amazing Race! I'm certain your kids will remember this trip, always!
I am always amazed and in awe of how much thought and preparation you put in to family activities and vacations. How fun and special for all of you. I want to be a Hatch for even just a vacation! :)
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