Moving right along to our next big adventure of the summer - the week after we returned from Alaska it was off to Vegas to celebrate Mitchell's 21st birthday! It's a tradition my parents started with Jeff (thanks for that!), so all of us Reaves kids have taken a trip to Vegas for our 21st.

Little blast from the past - here's a picture from my trip 5(!) years ago.

Night one! Adam couldn't make it until Friday night, but we made sure to get the party started for him anyway.

Who knew it was illegal to take pics while gambling in Vegas? Not me! Anyway, here's Mitchell coming in hot at the Roulette table. He brought two of his friends from school, who were a good time!

Can't believe the baby is 21!

Jeff had to work during the trip, but that didn't stop Katie from joining us! Lindsay also happened to be in town for a birthday party, so the weekend really worked out in my favor.

Did the real Caesar live here?

So glad I got to spend time with my bestie!

Katie has quickly become one of my favorite people. Jeff better not screw this up!

Day 2: My parents rented a cabana at the Flamingo. Definitely the way to enjoy a Vegas pool!

Mom really got the party started!

As I mentioned previously, Jeff couldn't make it for the weekend extravaganza (sad face!), but surprised all of us with our own "survival kit". He made one for each room - this was for me, Katie and Adam. Could he be any more thoughtful?! Love that guy!

Friday night Adam finally made it and headed straight for the craps table. One of my BFFs Kalyn and her BF, Corey, came over from LA to spend the weekend with us. When we found each other at O'Sheas (best casino/bar in Vegas - so cheap!) we screamed and jumped and I'm pretty sure everyone thought we had just gotten engaged. LOVE HER! And Adam and Corey became best friends, so our plan is working perfectly!!

Big winner! Mitchell came home with an additional $300 - lucky duck.

On Saturday, we headed back to the Flamingo pool, sans cabana.

Best day, ever! I love poor Vegas.

On our final night, we all rallied and headed out to Casa Di Amore for dinner. I totally recommend this place! It's off the strip and looks like this little hole in the wall, but the food and wine were great - and they had a band!

After dinner, Kalyn and Corey headed back to the hotel (couldn't rally after our fun in the sun!) and Lindsay headed out to join the birthday festivities she was in town for. So Katie and I joined the guys and went out gambling until the weeee hours of the morning (seriously... we were out until 6am).

Katie and I met a new friend named Joshua at Caesar's Palace - he was our Blackjack dealer and thought we were hilarious, so obviously we loved him. I was on fire and won a ton of money at craps (hundreds, people), but Adam lost a ton of money at craps (boo). The good news is we ended the weekend only $20 down from how we started! Basically free entertainment and drinks - we'll take it!

Being out until 6am, the flight home was not enjoyable. We were so happy when we finally made it to bed! The pups also had a big weekend and were ready to snuggle up, too (phew!). We found a new dog sitter who watched them at her house and they were worn out! So glad we finally found a great alternative.

How cute is wittle baby Hank all cuddled up under the covers? He is just the cutest sometimes.

Julie (our new dog sitter) sent us pictures of the pooches all weekend, which I loved! Look how happy Ruthie is!

Needless to say, the weekend was a blast! Happy birthday, Mitchy!

Alaska 2014 - Part III

Wrapping this up almost a month after our trip now....

We finally recovered from our endless hike by Friday and decided to go explore a glacier near their house.

Michael brought his 'nocs everywhere! Always on the lookout for something to hunt - bears, goats, etc.

 Katie and I led the crew because we're just so adventurous.

The boys were whimps and stayed up top. (Not really, but it started that way.)

 Katie and Adam both fell in the exact same spot - one on the way out and one on the way in.

 It was stunning!

After the glacier, we all relaxed and then headed out to see Michael's boat - the USS Sycamore.

After the hike, we headed up to Ski Hill for the annual Salmon Jam!

 The Salmon Jam is Cordova's annual festival - a full three tents worth! But it really was fun. They had awesome jam music.

 This picture was at 10:30pm... don't mind the sun.

After the festival, Katie, Adam and I all went out to the few bars. Jeff and Maggie were running the next morning so couldn't partake in the festivities. 

Katie and I took this picture at the Reluctant Fisherman Inn around 12:30/1:00am. Gorgeous!

The next morning, Jeff and Katie ran the Salmon Jam half marathon! I forgot my fancy camera, so ran back to the house to grab it. OF COURSE I made it back right after they crossed the finish line. Who knew they would both be so fast! 13.1 miles in 2:07.

After the run, Maggie had to work the Fish Print station at the Salmon Jam, so we all went out to support her. (Yes, that's a real SALMON that we covered in paint and printed.) Michael was definitely the most creative!

Our last night in Cordova and second night of Salmon Jam! We really lucked out, it didn't rain our entire visit until the last day.

The boys helped Michael load up his four-wheeler before we headed out to the airport the next day. So sad!

Adios, Cordova! We miss you already!

We all had pretty long layovers (Adam and I win - 12 hours), so we headed into Anchorage to the much-talked about Moose's Tooth Pub. It was fine... nothing to write home about. Then again, Anchorage itself isn't much to write home about.

And just like that, our trip was over! Thank you, Maggie and Michael, for being such amazing hosts! We wish we could come back every summer, but look forward to y'all being back in the Continental US in the next couple years.

Alaska 2014 - Part II

Moving right along... Following our hike on Monday, we decided to take a breather on Tuesday and explore Cordova. In all seriousness, you don't even need a car in Cordova. It takes 10 minutes to walk from one side to the other, and there are no roads out of town (only an airport).

The boys needed fishing licenses, so we headed over to a littler general store where they sold this bad boy... Salmon Flavored Vodka. I would have bought it as a joke, but as is the case with all things in Cordova it was expensive. This (and all vodkas this size) was $42. A little different than the typical $18.99 I pay at home!

We headed over to Baja Taco for lunch - they're said to have the best fish tacos north of San Diego. Adam and I downed our tacos and agree with the review - but some of the others didn't have the same experience.

After lunch, Maggie and I picked salmon berries in their backyard. I felt so outdoorsy! It actually was fun and relaxing. Afterward, Maggie used the berries to make a salmon berry cobbler - so cute!

How cool is Michael's truck? Adam is obsessed.

 The boys heading out to fish.

 Jeff sent me this picture of Adam and his fish and I thought he was the big winner of the trip! Turns out these are chum salmon and are basically about to die and not good to eat. Good catch anyway, honey!

While the boys were fishing, us girls drank some wine, did a little Zumba (ha!) and went to hang out with some of Maggie's "Coastie Wife" friends. I just find that life so interesting! If you're pregnant, the Coast Guard flys you to Anchorage (or wherever you want) a month before your due date because there is no hospital in Cordova - and no way to get out except the 1-2 planes a day that go back to Anchorage. Pretty nuts! At least they pay for your month long hotel stay... that has to get boring.

The next day was our big fishing adventure! Katie, Jeff, Adam and I chartered a half-day fishing excursion with the best captain EVER, Boris. The very first thing he did was let Katie and I pick out our own lures - turns out this was just a ploy to keep us distracted and out of the way while the guys got the boat ready. Nice move, Boris.

Once we drove (boated?) out a ways, it was time to fish!

Adam with the first catch of the day - a rockfish.

We're basically pros at this point.

Mastering the Boris Bait Weave.

Boris put me in the "lucky" position of the boat, and said that because I'm a girl I would definitely catch the most fish. WRONG. We were out there a good two hours and everyone was just reeling in the fish and I had nothing. Regardless, I was still having a good time checking my bait every 5 minutes to make sure it hadn't fallen off.

Then... BOOM. I caught this sucker! I reeled this 20lb halibut in from 125+ feet all by myself!

Katie was the next (and final) one to catch a halibut - girl power!

Oh, wait... Can't forget about the Skate that Jeff caught. Oops!

After a successful day on the boat, we passed Michael's Coast Guard ship and some adorable sea otters on the way in.

Naturally, after catching a delicious fish you have to clean it. Michael is the master at this and gave me a quick tutorial (he was actually an awesome teacher!).

Check out those filets!

From the ocean to my plate in just a few hours - incredible.

In addition to the halibut, Michael also made us some homemade sushi. Yes, he makes his own sushi. I eat a lot of sushi, and this was definitely the best! He's so talented.

Ok, let's leave it with this amazing picture of sushi! Final post coming soon...