too bright? well, they aren't allowing too many options on templates to use so i guess this is it for now. by the way, anyone know how to change the "Edit Me" links?

i went to las vegas for the first time last weekend with my small group from church. it was a fantastic trip overall - we stayed in a hotel away from the strip which was SO much nicer than staying in the midst of the hustle and bustle of all the chaos, i got to know everyone on the trip a lot better, and a magic genie granted me all of my wishes.

my first wish was to play in the pool. the hotel's pool was on the level of a resort - very nice and posh, but we disregarded the ambience of the entire place and proceeded forth with our attempts at synchronized swimming, our underwater handstands, and of course the never-ending amusement of splashing one another. i lost my voice from all the laughing we did. and even though i can't swim well, i LOVE the water - i stayed in it non-stop for 4 hours and would have stayed longer if i hadn't felt so full from drinking as much of the pool as i did. icky! =)

my second wish was to go dancing. we did but this was the only semi-disappointing part of the night. whether it was the club or my expectations, i'm not sure. as much as i LOVE dancing, i have never been to a club other than swing clubs. therefore, i don't really know the "feel" of them - this one seemed so restrictive (they wouldn't let anyone sit down, the reasoning being that they wanted the club to look full) and the music wasn't very fun. but maybe that's how they all are? i'm so used to the crazy energy of college dances where no one really cares about looking cool - you're just there with friends to let loose.

my last wish was to see the Bellagio water show. and boy, i was SO lucky. although i saw several that night, the best one was the one i we caught from the car as we were stuck in traffic right in front of the hotel. it was a song sung by Sarah Brightman "A time to say Goodbye" (*I think!*). it's a very beautiful song that really reminds me of why music was created - to make us aware of higher places. even when music isn't about God, it can really lift the heart and make it yearn for it's creator. Her voice and the melody make my soul want to dance, and it was simply amazing how well it was captured in the way the water moved, twirling and spouting and stretching. it expressed exactly what i was feeling and left me breathless at its beauty.