LAS VEGAS Helm Family Reunion

The Helm's Did it AGAIN!!!

Another fun and successful Reunion

John and Amie Aldrich (Steve's sister) hosted EVERYONE at their home in Las Vegas.

FRIDAY 28th -We arrived to the Aldrich home in the afternoon, where we settled in, chatted, made a girls trip to Costco and waited for the other family members to arrive. 

-We ate Costco pizza and then went to the Speedway 

where we drank hot cocoa while driving through a display of "Glittering Lights"

We must have been tired 'cause I had a hard time keeping my eyes open, as did my girls.

The lights were pretty, but the hour difference was taking its toll. 

SATURDAY 29th-Steve and I continued with our weight lifting workout plan and woke early to get to the Y for an awesome work out. Then headed back to the fam where everyone woke to the lovely smell of John's famous pancakes, yum!

We had some free time...the kids wanted to SWIM SWIM SWIM in their new pool, but the weather was unusually FREEEZING...but if  the heater was working just enough for the kids to swim, they were IN THE POOL and HOT TUB.  

In the evening we went to the church building where we ate Cane's chicken fingers and cheered on those who participated in the Lip sync show down...Ava and I pulled through for our family, with our own rendition of Moana's "How Far I'll Go."-in our 10 minute prep/practice Ava danced with true animation...and when we got on stage, she stood almost completely still lip syncing each word with an occasional passionate hand movement or step forward. I just floated across the stage every once in a while. It was adorable and we loved every minute. 

SUNDAY 30th- We woke up to waffles and headed to church. Afterwards we prepared stuff for dinner and took the free time to chat, play games and chill. 

We took a nice drive to the RED ROCK LOOP where we explored a bit. 

It is so beautiful to be out in nature. REFRESHING really!!!

MONDAY 31st- We got to play "tourist" for the day. We visited the Las Vegas strip nice and early. We wanted to get there before all the New Years festivities and inappropriateness came out to party.

Personally, I hate the strip, I'm just not a fan, but we went to the Bellagio Atrium where they had huge Christmas display made from thousands of fresh flowers. We waited and waited and waited some more so we could take a ride on the HIGH ROLLER-the largest Farris wheel in the world. we attempted and waited and danced and waited some more to witness the Bellagio fountains, BUT they were delayed for the holidays. We couldn't wait in the cold any longer and we were all very hungry so we left and headed to "In n' out" Burger for some food to fill our bellies.

Later that night we played a fun and competitive game of Taboo to ring in the New Year!!!

Noah attended his VERY FIRST STAKE DANCE!!! sob sob sob...its true, with the recent changes in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Youth attend the class/age group and activities for the age they are turning that year. Noah turns 14 in a month, so he was able to go to the dance. I'm so grateful for such fun cousins: Tyler and Harrison drove them and gave them advice on the way. Ethan, Justis, Luke and Luke's friend Will...took him by the hand, gave him some pointers, and helped him have a super awesome time ringing in the new year. 

He even slow danced with 4 little ladies.

He is so darn cute!

RED ROCK LOOP

Noah, Steve, Paige, Reed, Aidan, Riley, Jamison

 

 Steve doing a little rock jig

 Reed and Noah

"TOURIST FOR A DAY"

HIGH ROLLER

Grandkids in attendance: Caleb-Ashlee, Tyler, Seth, Ethan, Luke

Chelsea(Patrick was working) Harrison, Justis, Anna

Haylee, Maycee, Graycee, Kaybree

Emily, Aidan, Riley, Hattie

Kate, Eva, Autumn came for new year's eve (Hannah on mission)

Noah, Reed, Jamison, Paige, Ava

Shae, Addie, Kayla, Brie

Grandma Tootsie and Grandpa 'B'

me and my love!

Noah

Reed

 Jamison

Jamison and Paige

Ava and Brie

Riley, Brie, Hattie, Aidan

 Autumn, Kayla, Paige, Ava

I found it funny how our whole crew took up almost an entire lobby

Bellagio

 Kayla, Autumn, Ava, Brie, Paige, Addie, Eva

The Snow Queen and Polar Bears

The lady was replacing some of the fresh flowers

Ava and Jamison

AND THEN IT HAPPENED...

TUESDAY JANUARY 1, 2019

Christmas Eve-Day! 2018

 CHRISTMAS EVE PAJAMAS!

This is OSCAR

he is a new addition to our Christmas cheer.

Noah begged me for a blow up yard ornament...I gave into a santa, 

then had buyers remorse and took it back before even opening it. 

Noah and I went into Big Lots to look for a festive Christmas tie 

and cam out with this big guy. 

Noah did it again...I'm a sucker, but mostly because he payed in half...

and not everyone adorns their front yard with a f

ire breathing, hot cocoa drinking, santa hat wearing dragon.

CHRISTMAS MORNING!!!

Paige picked out Hatchimals to give Ava

Reed got his airsoft gun

Jamison wasted no time building his Star Wars 

Darth Vader Tower

 Paige has been asking me for "toe" shoes for quite some time.

My reply was always the same..."you have to take ballet and earn them, 

so you can be strong enough."

Well I found the smallest pair I could online 

and her face Christmas morning was priceless!!!

Apparently you don't need to take ballet in order to look good in them.

(Steve may have gotten me a pair of my own- with some ballet lessons)

Ava also wanted a blue ballet dress and blue ballet slippers

Talk about melting this mama's heart!

 

Ava LOVES to have tea parties, so the perfect gift was her very own, usable tea set.

We had to limit her parties to ONCE a day because she wanted to have them all the time.

Noah wanted to come to a tea party, and Ava gave him strict instructions to dress nice and wear a tie in order to be invited. So even Mr. mobster can drink daintily.

 After our Christmas morning festivities...we were in search for snow 

so we headed back up to American Fork Canyon where we had the mountain all to ourselves 

with a fresh layer of snow...sigh. Picture perfect!

Blazing our own trail up the steep mountain side aka as Snow shoeing, sledding, 

extreme body sledding and Reed's epic toboggan plunge down the bowl.

MY BOYS

Steve, Jamison, Reed, Noah

 MY GIRLS

MY MAN

 Noah loves my phone

Tea Party  with friends

Paige, Audrie and Haddie May, Ava