Megan's Vegas Wedding

Well we made it back safe and sound from Vegas! It was an amazing trip and way too much fun. I really think that I am still trying to catch up, I definitely lost about 3 years of my life there :)

The trip started with Andy and I spotting Jim Belushi at the airport. As we were driving to our hotel we saw that he had a huge billboard on the strip so that was pretty neat. We got to our hotel around 5pm and were blown away. Caesar's is way over the top! The first thing that I noticed was the stale air in the hotel. I could not believe that they actually let people smoke in the casinos. We FINALLY found our room after about 20 minutes of looking for our elevator and about passed out when we saw how nice it was. My boss called in a favor and got us upgraded to a suite. It was decorated with over sized purple couches, 3 flat screen TVs, a separate dining area, a huge bedroom and one of the nicest bathrooms I have ever seen. I have stayed in a lot of really nice rooms in recent years -this was different, very modern and just very Vegas.

We then headed down to the casino to try and figure out how to gamble. We were a little overwhelmed to say the least. After a few attempts and losing a quick 4o dollars we decided we were terrible at gambling and headed over to dinner. We ate at Spagos which is Wolfgang Puck's restaurant. The food was amazing, wine even better and I just really enjoyed getting dressed up and having a conversation with my husband that wasn't interrupted by screams or water spilling everywhere. We did some window shopping afterwards and again I was blown away by the smokers just walking around these amazing stores - Dulce, Jimmy Choo, Gucci like it was no big deal!
Next stop - PURE! Which ended up being a disaster. We waited in line for an hour and apparently only 18 year old girls (or maybe they were prostitutes) were able to get in that night. We did find a really cool rock n roll bar across the street that was perfect. Kristen came over and joined us and we stayed out way too late and had a great time.

The next day we had a ridiculously expensive breakfast and then headed out to the pool. I felt like I had gone back in time. The statues and water features were so beautiful, it was easy to forget we were in Vegas and not in ancient Rome. A little later that day the whole family headed over to our hotel and the boys left to gamble and the girls headed out to shop! Maybe I should say wishful think :)

We all got back to the suite to help Megan get dressed. Megan was so pretty! Her dress was totally Megan. It was white with green and pink flowers and she wore a big white, pink and green veil. Shawn wore a paid suit jacket and jeans. I know, I know not your typical wedding garb, but if they did it any different they wouldn't have been themselves and it just wouldn't have been so fun!

I love this shot of them walking down the strip on their way to dinner.

We met up with Shawn's family for dinner and then we were headed out to the Little White Chapel.

Elvis was there to officiate another wedding and he was a total riot. He was really funny and kept us all entertained while we waited for the other couples in front of us to finish up. The Chapel totally cracked us up. It's in old town Las Vegas and in kind of a seedy area, but that actual chapel was great ... it was like stepping back in the 50's. It blew my mind how many people were there! You had everyone from a young couple eloping in t shirts and jeans to full blown wedding parties. No one was as cute as my sister though!

Megan and Shawn walked into some song that I know I should know, but I didn't. I was more impressed that they walked out to Justin Timberlake's Love Stoned. So cool! They were so cute and happy, even though they were dealing with some drama, the wedding was perfect.

After the wedding we all went our separate ways and Jack, Kristen, Andy and I ended up bar hopping at Caesar's and Bellagio's and then headed back to the same hole in the wall bar across the street from our hotel. Which by the way played the best mix of old school rap and rock I have ever heard!!

At one point I asked Andy what time it was, when he said 3am and I realized that meant 5am Texas time I couldn't believe it. Who knew we remembered how to party like that :)

I know what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas but this shot is just way too funny not to share. Andy and his new friend at 3 in morning in Vegas. Way to go Babe!!

The last day of our trip we headed over to the Excalibur to hang out with my parents at the pool and then we headed home to two little girls that really missed there mama and daddy!

We had an unforgettable great time in Vegas. The best part of the trip was hanging out with my family as we all pretend to be grown-ups. We all truly like each other and it was just so much fun getting to let loose and get crazy with the one's that will make fun of you about it for many years to come.

Congratulations Megan and Shawn. I've never met two people who were so perfectly matched for one another. Thank you for letting be a part of your special day!

Hello!

Andy and I wanted to share some pictures of the girls (see links below). Everyone is doing great! Lennon is completely talking now and she just cracks us up. She is a total princess diva always wanting to wear a dress, a necklace and a bow - oh and carry a purse. I really thought she would be our tomboy, but that’s sooo not the case. Lucie is walking and just trying to stay in one piece. She is constantly being picked up and thrown around by her sister/tormentor. She is into stacking blocks and knocking them down, playing with things that are too small for her and eating. The child eats like a grown man – seriously. Her birthday is just around the corner and I can not believe that she is already going to be 1. It hurts my heart so bad knowing how fast this special time is passing.

Little Miss Rylie is also doing great! She’s all geared up for the first grade and so glad to be done with kindergarten. She lost her first tooth this summer and was so proud. She had a long visit with us this summer and had a great time playing with her sisters and meeting some new family (my aunt and uncle and Grandparents). She is just an awesome kid and a joy to be around. Seriously, there is something about this little girl that is so special. Definitely not like most five year olds I have ever been around.

Andy’s new job is really working out and he’s getting the hang of it more and more. He sure loves that he can wear jeans now and not a tie everyday. It’s the little things in lifeJ. We are slowly but surely working on the house. We really focused this summer on traveling and spending time with the kids so when it starts cooling back down his honey do list will definitely keep him busy. Poor guy! If he didn’t love it I’d almost feel sorry for him.

I’m also doing great. Work is insane and I’m hoping that I won’t have to fly anywhere in August. The smell of airplanes is really starting to get to me. We just had a huge party at the hotel and flew 50 clients down to wine and dine them. It was so over the top and fun. I just got chosen to serve on my hotel’s GET Involved committee which I am stoked about. It’s been so hard to find time to volunteer anywhere since having the girls so this will give me a chance to do what I really love - at work! God I love this job!! I’m on an organizational kick right now at home. It feels so good to actually be able to walk into my closet. Even though I know it won’t stay that way for long I will relish in it while I can. I’m finding it harder and harder to balance the whole-wife/mother/life/work/house parts of my life right now. Thank God I have such an awesome family that is so helpful. I know it takes a lot of work – I’m just trying to hold on to my sanity sometimes. Well, at least I’m having an amazing time trying to figure it all out!!

I hope you all are well and had a great summer.

All of our love,

Andy, Amy, Rylie, Lennon, and sweet baby Lucie Lou
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Why I Love So You Think You Can Dance...

I LOVE SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE!!!!!

I started watching this show two years ago in the days of Benji and Travis. I was on maternity leave with Lennon so it will always hold a very strong memory for me.

The first thing that jumps out to me about the show is not the dancing but the music. I have heard so many great songs on this show! My favorite was the song that Wade Robson choreographed that year... I think it was called "Ramalama" or something like that. I had that group dance Tivo'ed forever. This show obviously works backwards with the songs first, which I love.

My favorites this year are:
Kherington
Twitch
Josh
Kourtni (such a silly way to spell this ... but who am I to talk)

There are a ton of personalities this year and I love seeing so many kids from the Dallas area.
I'm kind of over the lyrical dancers ...they all just seem to do the same moves over and over again. I get that its hard to dance so powerfully, but there just is not a lot of originality. My favorite are the poppers and the b-boys and girls. This style is just so much more fun to watch. You never know what they are going to do next.

My favorite thing about this show is that my whole family will watch it. Andy likes the girls and the poppers, Lennon thinks every girl is a princess so she is game, Lucie loves the music, and I am just in heaven watching a combination of two of my favorite things ... dancing and new tunes.

Love it!

Lists..

I guess the cool thing with blogs these days are lists or top tens. I'm all about the lists and the top tens. I pretty much categorize my life in lists these days so bare with me as I will share these with you all randomly in my upcoming blogs. Mine however will be top five lists. Ten is just too much.

Top Five Things I want to say to my little girls as they grow older (these are NOT deep ... just fun):

1) In or Out
2) You have a great name...live up to it
3) Cheerleaders are bitches so just get over it
4) Being a woman is a blessing
5) Nothing good happens after midnight

A little of life experiences and a little of some Mama Candyisms that I thought were point on.
Thanks mom for #5 and for making me come home at 11pm . You WERE right, nothing good happens after midnight. Who knew??

Hello Family and Friends!

I have always wanted to "blog" so here I am! It been a while since I have had a chance to catch up with a lot of you so here's the latest and greatest with the Lopez's.

Work is going great for me. I'm traveling to DC a lot these days...its tough to leave the kiddos, but the city is so neat and the girls are really getting some good bonding with Andy.
Andy has a new job as a general contractor for a catastrophe company. Basically when your house burns down or as has been so common here lately a tornado damages your roof he is the person that checks it out and hires people to come in and fix it. He LOVES his new job and is doing very well. Best thing is they are paying for his gas and his truck payment! Thank God!

Lennon is a full fledged two year old. She is talking so much now and cracks us up everyday. Who knew a two year old could be so funny. I love the way she is trying so hard to use her pronouns. "What HE doing", "Is this MINES", I like SHE hair". So cute. She plays really great with Lucie for the most part. Shes still a little rough but it's getting better. The part I'm enjoying the most about her right now though is her affection towards Andy and I. We get unsolicited "I love yous" and hugs. Every time she does that I feel my whole body fill up with pride and love. I'm so glad shes so happy and knows how to express that!

Little Lucie is breaking hearts all over Texas these days! I brought her up to my office last week and she smiled and talked and went to everyone that wanted to hold her. That child doesn't know a stranger. She is crawling everywhere VERY fast and pulling up. She'll be walking within a few weeks ... please say a prayer for me. Last week she weighed in at 16 lbs and she's in the 10% percentile for her height and weight. So she's a little sprite, but the doctor wasn't concerned at all. The kid eats like a grown man so she'll catch up. She can say - mama, dada, baba, lennon, and shes blowing kisses and clapping her hands. I think this will be my musical baby ... every time she hears it she bounces up and down and smiles. Rock on Baby Choocie!

Rylie graduated from Kindergarten yesterday at the top of her class! She's so smart and her math and reading skills are higher than everyone in the class. This is awesome as she started Kindergarten at age 4! We are busy making plans to have her out for a few weeks this summer. I can't wait to take her roller skating ... her new found favorite thing. I have some of the fondest memories of roller skating on our carport at the old house in Bardwell and in the cotton gin across the street. We are planning on lots of camping and swimming and playing!

We have a new dog .. Dora Ann Lopez. She's an Australian Sheppard and I'm not sure what to think of her yet. She seems okay but is a little skittish . She's really good with the kids, especially Lucie so I guess she can stay :) Our kitty Nellie ran away a few months ago and Attila totally went nuts. He was so sad. Dora seems to be doing the trick as he totally treats her like she's his baby. Andy and I have always known he was a "funny" dog if you know what I mean :)

That's about all for now :) The Candy family is all headed to Vegas next month for Megan's wedding. I'm pretty sure if someone were to follow us around with a camera we could have our own reality show. Candy's Go To Vegas --- watch for us this fall :)