Michigan Musings: Las Vegas?!?!?!

We knew it was going to happen some time this year and it did! Alma Products, where Andy worked, was sold to a new company, and they no longer had a position in Alma for Andy. They offered a position in Cleveland, Ohio, but he didn't think he would like doing what they wanted him to do there. He was contacted about the same time by Rick Keister, his old boss when he worked for Remy in Winchester, VA. Rick needed a new CFO in a linen laundering company that he was an investor in, in Las Vegas of all places! So Andy took a look, and here we are! The company's name is "Superior Linen." We purchased a house in North Las Vegas since his company is also in North Las Vegas. I must admit that I wasn't too thrilled about moving to the desert! I have always thought that Las Vegas was the ugliest place on earth! But actually, the neighborhoods are landscaped beautifully, and the mountains in the distance are rugged and beautiful as well. We put our home in Michigan on the market in the beginning of May and it was sold in 30 days! We had to be out by July 25th, but didn't need to be in Vegas until September 8th! So Margaret Hinton, from the branch, and her husband Bernie Kellicut, generously offered to let us live in their basement until we left for Las Vegas. What a blessing! We enjoyed our time there with them-such great people! We left on August 29th and drove out to Nevada. The furniture wasn't delivered until September 3rd so we stayed in the Aliante Hotel and Casino until we had our things.
It was pretty hot in the beginning. It was still usually over 100 degrees most days, and I really wondered what we had done! It was nice, however, to be in the west where we were at least closer to extended family even though our own children weren't that close. Well, actually Mark and Adrienne moved out to Salt Lake City about the same time we moved, so that will be wonderful! (And they are pregnant with their first baby-a girl-due in March!!) So we've been able to attend weddings, and spent a weekend in Capitol Reef with my sisters and their spouses, that we wouldn't have been able to do if we still lived so far away!
Now it's November, and the weather is incredible! We've been having milder temperatures, in the mid 70's to low 80's, and lots of sunshine, while Michigan has already had their first snow! My entire attitude has changed towards Vegas! Plus the ward has been friendly and that really helps! We have seen some beautiful areas with some little Saturday trips-Red Rock Canyon, and the Valley of Fire. And we also got to see a fantastic production of "Wicked" and it only took us 20 minutes to get there!