Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino was our home base for our 2009 visit to Las Vegas. Our mornings started with the breakfast buffet, which was outstanding. We always topped it off with bread pudding top with vanilla sauce and ice cream. Our main show for this trip was Bette Midler at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. We had want to see Celine Dion but she was off during this time. It just gave us an excuse to go back again! Jubilee, Legends in concert and the Stratosphere was all on our agenda as well as traveling up and down the strip visiting the casinos.

June turned into July and it was time for our annual Fourth of July get together. It was a reunion of the Kerricks and Rotchfords clan, traveling to Kansas from Texas, Minnesota, and Florida. Every couple was responsible for a meal plus cleanup. They sent in their menus, which gave us a large shopping list. Fred and Lupe arrived a few days early, so off we went to get the provisions in before the kids arrived. We should have had another cook off (chili), like we did at New Years 2003.

The plan was for the young adults to stay at Holan’s house and the grand kids would stay with us. We were hoping this would give the young adults time to reconnect and enjoy sleeping in without kids. It also gave us time to bond with the three young ones. This was the second time in a year the grand kids had been together. We had a wonderful time watching them interacting and spending time together. The picture below is Lupe reading to Samantha while she eats breakfast.

Our days were spent in the pool with the little ones learning how to load water guns, to shoot them and to jump from the pool stairs into the arms of an adult waiting to catch them. While they took to the water guns, the young adults took to noodles for their choice of weapons for their water fights offs. Everyone took part in the water fights, no one was spared.

At one point there was a surprise attack on the pool from the deck. After that, there were no boundaries where you were or what you were wearing. Jamie took Fred into the pool fully dress with his iphone in his shorts pocket. We tried rice and everything we could think of to dry the phone out but in the end a new phone had to be purchased.

We had hours of happy times, but then there were more serious periods of sharing our raw emotions. Sometimes it helps others, if they can talk to someone who has gone through the same thing and understands their feelings. And yes, you each understand how there can be guilt/regret for your actions. There was a reason why you did what you did. At the time it was what you had to do for you and it really was the best thing to do. The other person didn’t even know what you had done or not done. However, you think you should carry the guilt because you were not there for them. On the other hand, I was told the other day, if you do the best you can, then you are not wrong and it doesn’t matter how it makes others feel. After all, you did the best you could. In that respect, you wouldn’t be dealing with guilt because there is no responsibility that you did anything wrong. I’m guessing you are hoping the person doesn’t know what you did or you really don’t care about the person. In our talk, you cared about that person and you were upset because when they reached out you were not there for them. But again, there are times you have to take care of yourself no matter how much you care about that other person.

As we prepared to eat, we gave thanks for the food and the friendship we share.