{ clarifying 'the dancer' }

{warning: serious content ahead}

Remember this post about our brief stay at Vegas?

I just received a comment about it that pulled at my gut a little bit. The commenter wrote:

Bwahaha!!! You took your family to the Vegas Strip and then blame the HOTEL for exposing your kids to scum??!?wow, that's funny. Funny in a very sad sort of way.

Now I don't know if she was just teasing a little, or being completely serious, {where's that darn sarcasm font when you need it} but it kinda broke my heart. It confirmed the guilt I already felt for taking the loves of my life there, but it also made me realize that I must be a horrible writer, because the point of the story was not that visible.

{No, this is not a "I need sympathy" post whatsoever. Just the real, raw me clarifying.}

But I actually thanked this commenter for her feedback. 'Cuz who knows how many people out there were/are thinking the exact same thing.

And for that I apologize.

I keep thinking that everyone 'knows' me. I keep thinking that everyone would automatically know that I would never take my kids anywhere without doing research first. I keep thinking that everyone knows that I am the most trusting person, and will take the advice of friends and family who have 'been there and done that'.

So to those of you who don't know me personally, here's the background of our Vegas story.

I asked around. I did. I got the advice of people I knew who had taken their families to Vegas. Granted they hadn't been there in awhile, but I got the tips and tricks. We should stay at either this or this hotel, do this and that, not this or that- you know, that kind of advice. When we came back and told those people, they were mortified. They felt horrible, because they had given us bad info.

So it is to you, dear readers who have either had a safe experience, or have heard of someone that had and were contemplating a short hotel stay one night, that I wrote that post for. Vegas has changed. We paid to learn that, and I wanted to pass on that nugget of information, so no one else makes the same mistake, or gives advice to others about their safe time.

It is not cheap anymore. They do not cater to families anymore. No matter what anyone tells you. I shouldn't have cared that my husband hadn't slept for 25 hours and needed to stop at a hotel {he doesn't like to sleep when I drive- weird}. Next time we will drive right on past and hit the next available town.

That's big.

Because Mr. Smith got robbed at gunpoint once in a small town on the outskirts of Vegas a couple years ago while filling up at a gas station.

Which is why we thought a hotel on the actual strip with lots of people would be a little safer.

'Cuz I would rather teach my little girl that pole dancing is bad, than to visit her grave...

So go hug those kids tight, and don't ever take them near Vegas.

xoxo

jordan

ps- I also found out this morning that my friend's brother past away last weekend {talk about a tearful morning}. An account has been set up at the Bank of American Fork on the behalf of Aaron Garrett. He leaves behind a 4 year old son, and all donations {that can be made at any branch} will go towards funeral costs and the financial support of his son. To any of you who are able to help, thank you.