Liams 1st birthday

Happy birthday Liam!

Christmas 2011

Christmas was an all day event this year. With Christmas falling on a Sunday church as at noon and my poor parents had to give talks! We spent the morning with the gift Santa left us in our stockings and then got ready for church. The talks were perfect (so much better then some of the musical pieces) and FINALLY Grandma and Grandpa could relax and enjoy their Christmas (last time Christmas fell on a Sunday they had to give talks!). After Church we then opened the gifts. What fun it was to spend Christmas at home with family! Nothing is better then family!

The night before Christmas 2011

Christmas...My FAVORITE time of the year! This year we spent Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa Gropp in WA. I love going home for Christmas, my parents decorate every inch of the house and I love it! Not to mention the mounts of cookies and goodies just begging to be eaten. Relaxing on the couch with Dad (aka Grandpa)enjoying the warmth of the fireplace and helping mom (aka Grandma) in the kitchen making all sorts of yummy things!
This Christmas was especially fun. Lucy is getting old enough that she can start to understand what Christmas is about and participate in all the fun. Below are pictures of Lucy talking with Santa (aka dad)and the yummy cookies she made with auntie Summer for Santa. Also pictured is Liam, he had the most fun crawling around the house pulling down all the beautiful decor.

Thanksgiving/Vegas

This Thanksgiving was spent with the Ricks family in sunny warm Las Vegas NV! We arrived Wednesday and spent the day with family. Once the kids were down for the night Sterling and I hit the strip. This was my first experience in Vegas so I was realy excited. The first thing we did was hit New York New York and rode the huge roller coaster. That was totally awesome! I wish we could have purchased one of the pictures they take while on the ride....it was so funny. After New York New York we headed up the strip going in and out of various casinos. We hit some slots at he Bellagio, kind of a wast of money if you ask me but I had no clue what I was doing haha. After that I needed something for my dry mouth (I hadn't slept in 24 hours so I was in over drive trying to keep up) so we headed over to the Caesars Palace. After Caesars Palace we headed back to the Bellagio and looked at their fall display...wow...seriously the coolest thing ever. Please don't judge how I look in some of these pictures it was like 1 in the morning and again I hadn't slept in 24 hours.
There is so much to do on the strip and we didn't even get to half of it! As we walked from casino to casino I couldn't help but think why are there so many family's out this late! Seriously it was midnight and later and we saw SO many family's out and about.
Thanksgiving was great! We spent the day in with family eating loads of delicious food. Later that night Jeanie, Jamie and I went to the theater (located in a casino lol) and watched twilight!! I loved the ending!! Seriously cant wait for part 2. Day after Thanksgiving we were surprised with tickets to a show called Le Reve at the Wynn. What an awesome show! After that we enjoyed a wonder dinner located at the fashion show mall. Loads of things to do in Vegas but never enough time! Maybe for a little weekend get away Sterling and I can head back and hit some more rides and all you can eat restaurants :). Never a place I will take the kids, just to much smoke and "garbage" shoved in your face.

Gropp grand babies

Summer and I couldn't help but do a little Halloween baby photo taking...was it easy...maybe a little easier if Lucy hadn't had a wild, fun, sugar filled day (when I say sugar I mean 1 fun size snickers lol). Got to love Liam...I think he realized that he was the only guy there. And sweet Payton, she wanted to know who all of these weird people were.

Happy Halloween!!

For Halloween this year we spent the day with Aunt Summer and her kindergarten class. We played all sorts of games and colored pumpkins. Both Lucy and Liam had a blast!! After the party Summer and I braved taking THREE babies out to dinner....it was interesting....I was covered in something sticky by the time we left but it was worth it just seeing how happy Lucy was.

after her ice cream cone...i think she was satisfied