You either lover her or hate her.  Yes, I’ll admit, she can be a bit quirky so.  That weirdness is what makes her unique and unforgettable. There’s no arguing—hands down she will go down in history as the greatest artist in the music industry. Celine Dion. A simple name will draw millions of fans from all over the world to awe in her performance. And perform she does. She is awe inspiring. 

I like to think of myself as someone that frequented a good deal of concerts over my long thirty-eight years of life.  I’ve learned something important from this. Nine times out of ten, if you attend a concert to listen to the artist perform with a fantastic voice like you hear on your electronic device, you’re sure to be disappointed. Not only must you struggle to hear over the thousand of crazed fans (I took my daughter to see One Direction and almost went deaf), the artist is most likely breathless as they move around the stage. We become somewhat deceived since the recording studio has perfectly controlled the artist voice to insure only the best sound is being recorded.  And now-a-days they are auto tuned to perfection. Don’t get me wrong, the music artists we all love are very talented, but there's a big difference hearing them live verses recorded.  When Carrie Underwood came to Salt Lake City last year we went. I thought she was fantastic. It sounded just like the Carrie I was use to. It seems that country singers have an advantage when it comes to live performances. 

Heading out for our big day

Almost exactly nine years ago, my wonderful husband, Fa’a, took me to Las Vegas for my thirtieth birthday to see Celine Dion perform live.  If you knew me at all back in college (and still today) you’d understand what a dream come true this was. Starting in my late teens, Celine’s songs have been such a big part of my life.  I have almost all her songs (English Albums) memorized. I’m a dancer, and something about her music makes my feet move and the song literally soar through my entire body. Suddenly I find myself not only singing from the top of my lungs but also breaking out in some sort of lyrical ballet dance. When my kids were younger they loved this. I  would pick them up and dance all around the house.

Seeing Celine Dion in 2005 was a major life goal now complete. Not only was I speechless and emotional after the concert, my sweet, loving, Samoan manly man husband enjoyed it so much he wanted to come back (but don't tell his friends this).

That’s TRUE LOVE (and a guy who knows a good thing when he see’s and hears it!)

Long story short, Celine eventually left Vegas for a world tour. After one-hundred-sixty-three concerts in ninety-one countries, she settled home in Florida and gave birth to two adorable twin boys, now three.  But Celine couldn’t stay away from the her fans for long. Caesar Palace was more than happy to bring her home to the custom made coliseum designed especially for her years ago. The Entire Las Vegas had their hopes resting on Celine to revive the now dwindling tourist industry. 

Seventeen years of being married to the man of my dreams has swept past like lightning. Admittedly, we haven’t been very big on celebrating our anniversary in any spectacular way. I was more than thrilled when Fa’a suggested we actually book the tickets and see her again before she becomes a distant memory in. After many long months with my dad recovering from knee surgery, we were lucky we settled on the trip months before or there would have been no trip. 

Faa and The Rock

We left home on Tuesday afternoon. The flight was quick, renting the car easy, and checking into the condo was a breeze. Fa’a indulged himself at Island Sushi for dinner and we relaxed the rest of the night by the fire talking with my niece, Brooke, and her cute family.

We stayed at the WorldMark Las Vegas Blvd condo that my brother, David, is an owner in. The place was fantastic--four pools, a lazy river, a fireplace in each unit, full kitchen. It was better than we expected (especially since we booked during the Consumer Electronics Convention--dumb idea!)

After a great breakfast on Wednesday, we hung around the strip, ate lunch at Gordon Ramsey Pub and Grill, and spent the afternoon taking pictures with wax celebrities at Madame Tussauds Museum.  Apparently I posted too many pictures on Instagram—at least that’s what Aryana thinks--but we had a blast and needed to document our experience! 

My favorite Wax Men 

 Honestly, when will I ever get a chance to hangout with any celebrities again?

Finally the time came for the concert to start, the coliseum filled to the max. The lights went out and a short film about her life since leaving Las Vegas played.  My emotions were already running high. The music began as the curtain slowly moved open and Celine began to sing “Open Arms” from Journey. There was nothing I could do to stop the floodgates from my eyes. Inside I chuckled, not sure why I was crying (I'm sure Fa'a was wondering the same thing too. 

Us waiting for the concert to start

 I realized how perfect this trip had been. Seeing Celine Dion with the love of my life was icing on the cake. Looking around, I knew I wasn't the only person moved by her awesomeness. And I definitely  wasn’t the only one in the family enjoying myself. Fa’a commented the thirty-person orchestra was worth the money.  They were better than fantastic. Celine's dresses were breathtaking. I couldn't pick a favorite. Not only did the song list included many of her hits, but some from Journey, Michael Jackson, and a french favorite, Ne Me Quitte Pas, which brought Celine herself to tears as she sung it. Reading about it after, I discovered that was the only song to scare Celine--she's been avoiding it for fifteen years. Celine said it was the most emotional song ever written. 

 

We ended the night watching the exhilarating activity on the Strip. The  massive windows from Ruth Chris Steakhouse provided the perfect amount of romance as we savored our amazing steaks.  

Salt Lake City from the air

I awoke the following morning feeling slightly depressed. I didn’t want this trip to end.  With all we had going on back home, forty-eight hours away was pushing it.  I longed for more time. Too often busy parents (do you know any that aren't busy?) tend to forget the much needed bonding that takes place on a couples weekend away.

As we boarded the plane, I snuggled in next to Fa’a.  Back to real life. Kids, parents, school, work, dogs. Life. A vacation, even one as short and sweet as ours, was just enough to keep me pushing through until the next! 

Back to real life!

I guess we’ll always have Las Vegas.

Erin Apelu--The Most Happy

It's been a nostalgic weekend. When your kids are all teenagers and no longer fit in your lap, old pictures can stir up feelings of longing for the past when you were their hero.

While looking for an old picture of my BFF, Leilani Fano, and myself, I came across a bag with some funny writing from Dylan in the 3rd grade, and a photo album from our Disneyland trip in 2003. Somewhat surprised that my kids were at all interested, we sat together on the couch and read Dylan's inspiring notes (haha) and reminisced of their long ago childhood.

Darnel and Dylan with their daddy, Fa'a. They always wanted to be just like him! You can see the enthusiasm in their face as they sat just inside the gates of Disneyland. Surely they were thinking, "Come on, Mom. Hurry up! We want to go on rides." Darnel was 5, Dylan 4, and Fa'a a young 33. 

My Princess, Aryana was three years old (almost 4) at the time of this trip. She was obsessed with the Disney Princess. I'm not sure what she was thinking during this picture (possibly wanting to remove her shorts!).  She was so cute! 

Dylan pretending to drive Darnel around 'Toon Town'. I think this explains it all. I have to laugh at their faces because their personalities are so obvious. I should have known things wouldn't change as they grew older. By the way, I LOVE Dylan's hair. I wish it would lay down like it did then. 

 Buzz Lightyear was totally their hero! The kids waited patiently to meet him after the show. 

  Dylan and Aryana waiting to meet Mickey Mouse!

 Dylan and Woody in Adventureland. He was such a sweet little boy. Until sixteen months ago, he couldn't sleep at night unless I kissed him and all his stuffed animals goodnight. I miss that so much! Now I'm lucky if I get a goodnight.

Winnie the Pooh outside of Splash Mountain. Darnel looks exactly the same, just taller (and hairier, lol)!























Last, but not least, I came across this picture of the boys in their new outfits from Samoa. Dylan was 16 months old and Darnel was 28 months. I love, love, love their smiles!

I knew the day would come (because my mother said it would), when I would look back and wish I could relive it all over again. I would definitely take more pictures and videos, give move hugs and kisses, laugh more and yell less. I am grateful for the memories I have (that I can still remember!) and cherish the videos we made. They are truly the most precious items I poses. 

Erin Apelu--The Most Happy