Saying Hello to a New Year

Sheldon, Julie, and Jace arrived in Las Vegas on Saturday evening, December 31st, just a few hours before 2011 ended and 2012 began. We began our festivities with a little New Year's Eve party which included appetizers, hats, horns, and fireworks. Near midnight Steve, Sheldon, Julie, and Jace headed towards the Strip to watch the fireworks. I was too tired, so I opted to stay home and get a little sleep before church. Sheldon was scheduled to leave LV on January 4th so he could get back to work in Washington, but Julie and Jace were scheduled to stay in LV until January 17th. We managed to cram quite a few activities into a short time while Sheldon was here for the holiday. Hopefully they all enjoyed themselves as much as we enjoyed having them here.

Happy New Year!

It was so nice having Sheldon, Julie, and Jace
here to help us celebrate New Year's.

This holiday wouldn't be complete without
hats, noisemakers, and whistles.

Yes, Julie and I know how to use our fingers to
 make "12" for 2012.

The fireworks on the Strip are always
spectacular for New Year's.

The twins were finally home from the
hospital after a four-week stay.
Julie was able to cuddle and love them unlike
her first visit to see them when the babies
were still in the hospital.

We went to the petting zoo in Red Rock Canyon.  Jace
took one step inside and promptly said, "They are going to
eat me."  Then he headed for the EXIT!

In all the times we've gone to Red Rock
we've never gone into Bonnie Springs
where there's a road with old buildings
to represent the "West" as it
was years ago.

Check out that old fire truck in the background of
this picture.  Sheldon and Jace had fun on the
playground toys while the rest of us watched
a staged "hanging."

Thank you, Bonnie Springs, for having a train to ride.
Jace was in heaven.

I love the wagon in this picture.  It really reminds me
of how Nevada started with the silver rush.  It was fun to
revisit the history of our state while enjoying
warm, beautiful weather in what normally is
a cold winter January.

Once again a trip to Red Rock would not be complete
without our usual hike to our family's
favorite waterfall and pond.

Quite by chance, we stumbled upon Thomas and some of his
family while we were hiking at Red Rock. 
I guess our world isn't really all that big after all.

What a beautiful mountain and what
a beautiful girl I'm standing by!

Thomas and Natalie invited us over to their house
for a bonfire and a hot dog roast the night before Sheldon
left to go home.  It was a wonderful evening.  The view of LV is
fabulous from their property.  The Ellsworth home sits
up on a hill overlooking the city in one direction and
Frenchmen Mountain on the other side.

Everyone had a great time riding skateboards, tricycles,
and scooters on a cement slab on Ellsworth's property.