The Best Birthday... EVER!!!

My 30th birthday was so much more fun than I ever thought it would be. The trip to Las Vegas was a blast, and I had quite a few surprises along the way.

Here goes.....

Our flight out of Columbus left at 9:30am. Steve and I got checked in, made it through security, and settled in at the gate to wait for our flight to begin boarding. We were both playing around with our iPhones and not really paying attention... And at one point I looked at Steve and said, "I swear I just heard my name called over the intercom." The gate agent didn't seem like she was looking around for anyone, so we both just blew it off and continued to sit there, not paying attention.

They finally started boarding our flight, so we grabbed our carry-ons and started to get in line. Then I hear it again... For sure this time... They were calling "Erin Sass" over the intercom. So I went up to the gate agent and told her who I was. She proceeded to present me with an "I'm turning 30!" trophy, and then announced to the entire gate area that it was my birthday.

This was surprise #1... a little embarrassing.

We had a short layover in Chicago, but got to stay on the same plane, so that really made things easy. We managed to get some great seats right up front on the way from Chicago to Las Vegas,and we had tons of leg room. It was so nice!

About half way through our flight to Vegas, one of the flight attendants came on the intercom and asked everyone to lower their window shades. She said they check them all inflight to make sure they all work. Once again... I was watching "Hairspray" on my iPod and not really paying attention... I just saw Steve put the window shade down. Whatever. Then the fight attendant asked everyone to reach up and turn on their overhead light so they could make sure those were working as well. So we did... Still watching my movie and still only half paying attention. Once the plane was dark (window shades down), and all the little over head lights were on, the flight attendant then announced that it was my birthday. They made me stand up so the whole plane could sing "Happy Birthday" to me. They also gave me a small birthday cake they fashioned out of a roll of toilet paper and drink stirrers, as well as a bottle of champaign to celebrate with!

This was surprise #2... VERY embarrassing!

After finally arriving in Las Vegas, having lunch, and settling into our room at the Luxor, we decided to ride the monorail up to the north end of the strip. We both wanted to see the Stratosphere, so we figured we would start there and work our way back towards the south end of the strip where our hotel was.

When we got to the Stratosphere, we purchased our tickets for the observation deck, and got in line to go through security. I got through security without a problem... yay! Steve however had a little trouble, and had to be wanded by the security guard because he forgot to take his camera batteries out of his pocket. Once he made it through, we had our picture taken and headed up the elevator.

We were really lucky getting up to the top of the Stratosphere when we did because once we got up there, we remembered that Earth Hour was taking place that night. We were told by one of the employees there that Earth Hour would be only the seventh time ever that all the marquis lights and hotel signs on the strip would be shut off. We had great seats on a bench, and got to sit there and watch the lights go off one by one... It was really cool!

When leaving the Stratosphere, we saw that the traffic along the strip was HORRENDOUS!! It turns out that many of the locals had also come down to the strip to watch Earth Hour. Steve and I had planned on using the Deuce (a big double-decker bus that makes multiple stops along the strip) to work our way back to our hotel, but we were actually walking WAY faster than the traffic was moving, so we just decided to keep on walking.

We walked by the Sahara, Circus Circus, The Riviera, and the Wynn before finally making it to Treasure Island to watch the pirate show. Now... Let me just say that the pirate show I remember seeing was really cool. They used to have a mini battle and the pirate ship actually sank down into the water. The show now is called "The Sirens of TI", and it is quite a bit different (to say the least). When the show started, I thought I was watching the Pussycat Dolls on a ship. It was not at all what we were expecting to see, and quite honestly... a little shocking.

By that time, my feet were getting a little sore. I was in flip-flops (again... we weren't planning on pounding the concrete all night) and they probably weren't the best choice for the evening. But, we were still WAY ahead of the bus, so we just kept on trucking. We strolled through the Venetian, and our next stop was at the Mirage to watch the volcano erupt. That was really cool!

By the time we left the Mirage, my feet were starting to really hurt. Steve asked me if I wanted to call it a night and just catch a cab, but we still hadn't seen the Bellagio, and a cab ride back to our hotel would have taken FOREVER. So, we continued past the Flamingo and Caesar's Palace arrived at the Bellagio. Seeing the fountains at the Bellagio was probably #1 on my list of things to do in Vegas. I love the music and I love watching the water. You could leave me there for hours, and I'd be a happy little camper! We found a great spot to stand right up front and settled in to watch the show.

When the show was ending, Steve told me he had one more surprise for me (surprise #3... by far my favorite!). I turned around and there he was on his knee with a beautiful ring... He asked me to marry him. (As it turns out... The "camera batteries" he had trouble going through security with at the Stratosphere were actually my engagement ring!) I just about passed out. Some girls scream... Some girls cry... Not me. I started shaking like I was having some kind of seizure and wrapped my arms around Steve's neck so tight he probably thought his little bald head was going to pop off. The rest of the evening was pretty much a blur. I just know that you couldn't have wiped the giant smile off my face with anything!

On Sunday, Steve and I enjoyed a relaxing and filling champaign brunch at the Luxor, and spent the rest of the morning calling our friends and family to share the news. At 2:15pm, we hopped in a limo and were off on another adventure. We were headed back to the airport where we jumped in a helicopter and took an hour and a half tour of Lake Mead, The Hoover Dam, The Grand Canyon, and a sunset pass over the Las Vegas Strip. It was AMAZING!!! Our pilot (who was also famale :o)) was a great tour guide and knew a lot about the history of the sights we flew over. We had a great time!

On Monday morning, Steve and I met up with Greg and Dustin for breakfast. It was so good to see them, and it was fun to just sit there and catch up for a little bit. We spent the rest of the day checking out Mandalay Bay, Excalibur, and even making a quick trip to the outlet mall. We both ended up with some yummy bath products from Lush, and a couple of great bags from the outlet mall. I had so much fun hanging out with Dustin and enjoying a little girly time!

That night, Dustin, Greg, Steve, and I went to the Tournament of Kings at Excalibur and had a blast! We got to eat dinner with our hands, scream like a bunch of school kids, and just hang out. It was so nice to spend time with my best friend. Thanks again Dust for making the quick trip to hang out with us. It was so good to see you!!

I have tons of pictures.... Here are a few of them!

It was a fabulous trip that I will never ever forget! And I don't think Steve or I will ever be able to hear the song "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood without laughing. Because... believe it or not... That was the song that played during the fountain show at the Bellagio right before he proposed. Of all the songs they had to play... Steve got that one. LOL!!

As far as wedding plans go... There are none yet! The first order of business for me is to figure out where I am going to live when my lease is up. Steve and I are toying with the idea of house hunting, but nothing is set in stone. Once I have a place to call home... Then I'll start working on a wedding.

And no pictures of the ring because... well... it's really hard to get a good picture of something so sparkly! Take my word for it... He did very well!! I don't think I could have picked a prettier ring if I'd gone shopping for it myself.

I am such a lucky girl!