Saki and Rachelle Trip to Las Vegas

I planned a trip to Las Vegas with Saki so that we could go prom dress shopping. My sister DeNae and her daughter Leah (also 17) joined us for the weekend. It was so wonderful to spend time with them and to have other peoples opinions about prom dresses. Leah and Saki both found beautiful dresses and we had a blast exploring Las Vegas. What a great weekend!

We stayed with DeNae's friend Chisa and her family. They were super great to host us all. Of course I had to go to Cafe Rio for dinner on the first night...wish there was one in Oregon!

Enjoying Chisa's backyard pool and hot tub

Yummy breakfast at Lola's cafe

Saki tried on about 30 dresses from 4 different stores but we finally decided on this dress. I think it's so beautiful and she will love wearing it to prom

Yummy gelato at the Venetian casino

Saki trying out the slot machines at the casino!

Inside the Venetian casino

Leah enjoying the worlds biggest milkshake:)

Outside the Sphere theater where we saw the Wizard of Oz later that night

With some Las Vegas floozies!

M&M store...so fun to try all the crazy flavors

The fountain at the Bellagio casino

Inside the Bellagio

The Bellagio garden was decorated for the Chinese New Year

Waiting for the show to start at the Sphere

It was a great show. Lots of interactive elements, like snow falling from the ceiling and our chairs would shake. It was really cool

A little frozen yogurt treat after the show

On the way to the airport...what a fun weekend with my sister and our girls!

January: Family Time, Twins Visit Home Separately, Twins Birthday

 

First day of the new year...time for a walk around the wetlands. Even in the rain, it's what we do!

Zoo lights

Elephant ears...what a treat:)

We got to see baby Tula Tu

A fun way to start off the New Year!

The boys requested lunch at Gustav's before they headed back to college. Best German food around!

The boys have known most of these friends since 3rd grade! I'm so glad they are blessed with great friends that have lasted so long:)

Another family lunch date, couldn't resist a photo with the cute tree

Orchard Park, one of our favorite spots for a walk

Hyrum and I drove down to Corvallis with the twins to get them all settled into the home for another semester. It doesn't get any easier dropping them off and saying goodbye...even after almost 4 years of college.

We got this 1000 piece puzzle in one of our grab bags on Christmas Eve and we spent a few weeks putting it together. I really don't like puzzles but once I started it I just had to finish. It's a bunch of pooping dogs...who even thought this was a good idea? I was so glad when I finished it because I could put it in a box and donate it and never see it again!

Saki's parents sent us these super cute cats for Christmas!

Hyrum saw this pumpkin out in the field on his drive home from work and pulled over to snap this great photo.

Tuesdays are my days to watch baby Stevie. I take her shopping most days just to get out of the house. She is getting so big and can sit up in the cart all by herself!

The twins have decided to take turns coming home each weekend so they can have a break from their brother. We headed out to Cannon Beach with Emerson...

...it was 53 degrees outside and this crazy boy went for a swim!

Mommy and baby nutria grazing on the grass by the library. I know they are an invasive species but I still think they are pretty cute!

A beautiful day for a walk around Orenco park

Saki went to the Winter Formal with some friends from her school.

A great group of friends. It's so nice to be included:)

We went down to Corvallis the Saturday before the twins birthday to take them out to dinner and bring them some gifts.

Happy 22nd birthday my boys!

Townsend came to visit and Hyrum took him and Julian to the Monastery for a hike up the mountain...and some yummy fruit cake!

This new year is off to a great start for our family. Too bad the news nationally is so terrible. This new year has seen 2 American citizens shot by ICE agents in Minnesota for doing nothing but exercising their first amendment rights to protest. I am so sick of everything this administration is doing and only hope there is retribution for those committing these terrible crimes against innocent people. I know I have so much to be grateful for and so much beauty in the world but sometimes I am overcome with anger at what is happening to my country.

December: Time with friends, Christmas, a trip to Washington to visit the Christensen's, Julian skiing, New Year

A group of "girls camp ladies" got together to play games and eat yummy food. I have been to camp with these ladies many times over the years and it was super fun to get together.

I went to the Portland temple for a Christmas concert. It was a ward RS activity but only 3 people showed up. It was still a lovely evening.

Celebrating Birgitte's birthday with chocolate. I'm so lucky to have such a great group of friends in my life.

We found the perfect tree...just 4 days before Christmas!

This was the 1st time Saki had cut down a tree for Christmas

The boys got "Fireworms" in their advent calendar. One end of the worm was a bit spicy but as you ate the worm it got progressively hotter!

Watching A Muppet Christmas carol and lighting the tree

Julian wanted to take us to a restaurant he had visited with some friends. They make amazing Buffalo wings. It was super tasty

A little walk around the Portland waterfront...

...what a fun rainbow surprise!

Time to decorate the tree

Hyrum made some delicious stollen

It was "ugly sweater day" at my spin class...

...I was too hot to wear a sweater so we just had cute elf hats on!

Christmas Eve grab bag talents. Saki and Townsend played "Greensleeves" together

Emerson gave us a little didgeridoo concert

Hyrum and I went to midnight Mass in Banks. It was cute but I'm still searching for a church that has a great organ for midnight Mass.

Santa Claus came!

Our traditional Christmas morning breakfast. 

The kids all got matching Christmas pants. I think everyone was happy with their gifts. Christmas is still one of my favorite days of the year:)

It was a beautiful sunny Christmas day for our annual egg toss

Katrina and I won the first round!

Poor Parker got totally covered in egg when one exploded as he was trying to catch it!

Stevie enjoyed watching all the crazy people throwing eggs:)

Christmas dinner...thank you Chef Hyrum!

We love having family close by so we can share holidays

Katrina made this sweatshirt for me...best gift ever!

Saki and I went up to Washington to spend a few days with the great Christensen family! We did some karaoke...

...we fed some goats...

We explored the waterfront at Point Defiance...

And did lots of dancing!

I think Saki had so much fun with these crazy kids.

A little frozen yogurt treat after seeing "Wicked: For Good" at the movies

We also got to spend the day at the Point Defiance zoo

Silly kids!

Pretending to squat like a penguin

A rare sunny day for Washington State in December...we really lucked out!

Hyrum took the boys skiing while Saki and I were in Washington. It was Julian's first time skiing in a long time and he was doing great by the end of the night. I'm so proud of him.

Julian even said he would like to go again!

New Year's Eve games at the Doxey's

It's so nice to just relax, eat yummy food and hang out with family

At midnight we went outside to set off some fireworks...

Happy New Year!!!!