Happy New Year! 2011

Melanie flew out of LV bound for Oklahoma this morning, so she actually missed our New Year's celebration. I thoroughly enjoyed having her for this past week. I am looking forward to our next family gathering for Kyra's baptism in St. Louis in February.
We began our New Year's Eve celebration with finger foods and snacks. I feel like I'm going to pop. We've had way too much food this last week. The diet has to start Monday.

After dinner we all put on party hats and used our whistles to make lots and lots of noise. It was totally fun to be with the family. We decided to celebrate as though we lived in NYC, so we actually brought in the New Year at 9:00 p.m. The kids needed to get to bed, so it seemed like a perfect way to enjoy the kiddies and play cards, etc. late into the evening with just the adults.

Aren't they cute???? Happy New Year!

Holiday Fun Continues

We went to the Bass Pro Shop/Silverton Hotel twice. The first time the mermaid wasn't swimming in her big tank, so we had to go back to see her.

At the Bass Pro Shop we practiced our shooting skills.

The store was huge and had tons and tons of animals. It's quite entertaining walking through the store and looking here, there, and everywhere at all the displays.

I bought all the grandkids suckers as we were leaving the first time. They wanted to sit down on the fish bench outside and have a taste of their new treat.

The girls had a turn sitting in Santa's sleigh.

I think Thomas, Natalie, Cali, and Ashton need to RUN!!!!

On the second trip to the Silverton Hotel, the kids were finally able to see "the mermaid."

It appears the mermaid even likes to pose for a pic now and then.

Natalie told us about King Putt which was an indoor glow-in-the-dark miniature golfing facility. We had lots of fun even though I LOST!

All the walls and decorations were so cute. It was lots of fun just to look at the pictures while I waited my turn.

It looks like we picked a good indoor activity on a cool wintry day for Vegas.

The grandkids have had a lot fun playing together this past week including posing for all of my requests to stop their activity and "smile" at Grandma GG's camera.

After we got home from golfing, we had some "girl time" while Steve and Chad went to a movie called "True Grit." We painted, colored, applied tattoos, and made lollipops.

Our lollipop molds were Santa Claus, a bear, and an angel. The angel was the hardest to make. It kept breaking when we tried to get it out of the mold. Oh well, the other ones turned out.

While we were waiting for our dinner to finish cooking, we opened a box from Julie, Sheldon, and Jace. They are in Honolulu until mid February. They had a chance to go shopping at the same swap meet that Steve and I have been to many times. Julie mailed home a box with gifts for all of us from their shopping spree at the swap meet. It contained a bracelet for all the girls, earrings, hair clips, key chains, and chocolate macademia nuts. We were all happy to receive the gifts and everyone said more than once that we wished Julie and her family were with us celebrating the holidays. Even though we know they are having a fabulous time in Hawaii, we can't wait for their return.

Tea Party Changes to Waffle Bar

This year I was in charge of the "tea party" for the Sutton girls and the Galler girls. I decided to switch things up a bit. We had a waffle bar and played Bunco. We got together from 9 to 11 am. I had a lot of fun and hope everyone else did as well. I am very grateful to have my sister Linda in town and hope to always continue our Christmas get-togethers. If you don't have family, what really do you have?
My sweet granddaughters in matching purple sweater dresses taken before the party actually got underway.


I love Skye, Kyra, and Cali. I have found that being a grandma is a very, very good thing.

Here we are together for a picture before the party. Julie couldn't be with us, but all the other girls were in town and ready to party.

So sweet and so cute......

Another Galler pic before the waffle bar began

A group shot of the Sutton and Galler girls. We totalled 15.

The "cousins"
The Sutton girls looking good
Allison was the winner of Bunco
Jennie had the fewest points, but it wasn't so bad because she also got a prize in our family Bunco game. Maybe it's not such a bad thing to come in last. . . .

The DeBauch Family Arrives from St. Louis

Chad, Heather, Kyra, Skye, & Dane drove to Las Vegas. They left Christmas morning and arrived in LV two days later. They figured out over the Thanksgiving holiday while going to Melanie and Ryan's that driving at night worked best with the kids. So, they planned their road trip to Vegas driving mostly at night. They stayed at a hotel in Albuquerque that had a water park. Imagine packing swimming suits while outside in Missouri there was a snow blizzard!
The first full day that Heather and her family were in town along with Melanie, we went to Town Square so the kids could play on the playground, and we could go shopping. Heather bought new Skechers for Kyra and Skye. Heather also bought all three kids new pillow pets. We enjoyed wandering through the square looking at some of the Norman Rockwell statues.

Right outside the playground there was a huge Christmas tree. Before Christmas, Santa showed up daily to visit with all the children that wanted to stop by and visit him. Santa's house is not visible in the picture above, but it was off to the left out of my camera's view.

The Christmas tree at Town Square was beautifully decorated.

Kyra, Skye, and Cali had a lot of fun playing on the pretend stage at Town Square. They are quite good at performing.

Skye, Dane, and Cali enjoyed looking at the water fountain near the playground at Town Square.

Shopping with the family is quite entertaining when "certain people" decide to dance to the music inside the Skecher store. Kyra, Cali, and Natalie definitely have all the right "moves."

Here was are posing in front of one of Norman Rockwell paintings made into a statue.

After leaving Town Square we headed over to the Bellagio which is always a treat especially during the holidays. We had fun posing in front of the Eiffel Town.

The Bellagio atrium never disappoints. This year the huge Christmas tree had a train and track going around the base of the tree.

The penguin display was cute. The grandkids all enjoyed looking at the little penguin coming and going through the igloo door.

The huge ornaments were spirting water periodically in large arches here and there. It was entertaining watching and feeling the spray the closer we got to the ornaments.

Cali, Skye, and Dane enjoyed pausing and sitting down near the polar bear display.

After looking at the display inside the atrium at the Bellagio we headed out to the front of the hotel and enjoyed the water show. It wasn't too cold, so we didn't mind waiting for the show to begin.

Cali enjoyed sitting on the ledge although I wasn't quite so sure it was a good idea.

After we got home from our outing, we had a holiday party. It began with Chinese Stackups, then our present exchange, and games. It was a totally fun party. It seemed like we had multiple family Christmas parties this year. I'm definitely lucky to be able to enjoy so much family togetherness!
Here are my adorable grandchildren. I missed Jace who is in Honolulu this year. I am hoping sometime to have all of six of my grandchildren together before too much longer.
Aunt Linda gave all three of my adorable granddaughters Barbies. It was the hit present. They played and played with them for hours that night. In fact, they went in the bedroom, shut the door, and when we inquired later they said, "We are having cousin time." In other words, "stay out."
Natalie made Heather an apron for Christmas and gave her a temple calendar. Heather gave Melanie new tan sheets. The girls seemed so happy to be together. We missed Julie! : (

Melanie Arrives for the Holidays

Melanie got the week off between Christmas and New Year's, so she decided to spend her week with us in Las Vegas. She arrived Sunday night around 9 pm. We visited that evening and then the next morning we visited some more. Monday we went grocery shopping, ran a few errands, and then made cupcakes to welcome Heather and her family who were driving in from St. Louis on Monday evening.
After our errands were complete, we met Natalie and Cali at Cafe Rio which has always been a favorite Mexican restaurant.

After lunch we went to the matinee at Village Square. Although our movie choice was really bad, we enjoyed being out and spending time together. It's so good to have Melanie back in Vegas. I've missed her. P.S. Don't go see "How Do You Know?" It was awful!