Shanksgiving

Thanksgiving in Las Vegas! I would just as soon forget about the trips to and from (because of one toddler who shall remain nameless), but while we were there, it was great fun. The best part...Las Vegas Weather! and being together as a family.

Las Vegas cousins and Fran

Doing what the guys do best...analyzing the BCS

Picking at the turkey while Grandma carves

Ready to eat already!

Cousin fun at John and Destiny's

Does Franny like her bottle?

Don't be fooled. She wants the camera

Cute girls! Justin was busy doing boy stuff

Franny loved kissing Eden all weekend. Eden was not so into it.

Franny also loved Eden's rocker. She kept climbing into it.

Here is Franny sitting on Eden back in March

Here is Eden returning the favor

over Thanksgiving weekend

Wayne Brady was nice enough to take a picture with us at the mall.

Paul wouldn't go with me to ask for a picture because Wayne Brady is "just a guy". But John understood me and helped me approach the star.

And finally, here are Franny's latest tricks. I can't get her to do her baby signs on camera...yet.

Chicago has big buildings

Paul's younger brother, Steven (aka:Noodles) is going to school in Champaign, Ill. He wanted us to go to his school's big rivalry football game and Paul and I thought it would be a great opportunity for us to go see the great city of Chicago. It was such a fun trip. Thanks to our families for taking care of Franny while we were gone.

Navy Pier

Sears tower on the architectural boat tour

We thought it was interesting/cool that the city had put up congratulatory banners for Obama.

Paul didn't understand why I "wanted a picture of me looking at a picture" but seeing this painting in real life was pretty amazing for me.

Millennium Park = Bizarre!

Cloud Gate ... aka:"Silver Bean"

Crap! I didn't get the whole thing in the picture!

Illinois vs. Ohio. Probably the coldest I've ever been.

Hunting season?

Game day shirts

Here's a little snippet of Fran doing her booty shake. I don't think this would be appropriate in primary, but we'll allow it in Grandma's basement.

1 year pictures...Finally!

Our nice brother-in-law, Sean, agreed to take some pics of my family with his awesome new camera. Franny was a wiggly stinker and would NOT smile for Sean, but we managed to get a few good ones out of the bunch. Thanks a ton, Sean!

Vernal, Baby!

I'm loving life ever since Paul sold his lawn business and we can actually leave town for longer than one day at a time. It has allowed our family to be able to travel to such places as Las Vegas, St. George, Bear Lake and VERNAL! We went to visit Dave and Shelby Gilliatt over UEA weekend. We had a great time going to the park, talking, going to the other park, visiting some more, and eating at the "Country Grub". I think we all filled our yearly quota of grease. Their two year old, Allie, had so much fun with Franny. She'll be a great older sister (any day now).
I just have to say that I had never been to Vernal, but It was a really pretty town with lots of farmland. Not Shelby's cup of tea, but they're really enjoying it there.

Paul teaching Franny and Allie how to frolic in the leaves

Yes. That is an eye behind my head.

Dave really pressured us to play on this with him.

This gazebo was salvaged from the old Vernal Tabernacle when it was converted into the temple 10 yeas ago.

Babes and our babes

I bet Dave and Paul never anticipated this moment when they were living on fast food in Manassas six years ago.

Franny just started really loving going down the slide. This girl already has a need for speed.

I couldn't resist these funny shoes. They make everyone laugh. Shelby and I found them in a baby shop in Vernal.

Bye!

Happy Birthday Franny!

Our little Franny is one! This year has been so much fun. We don't know what we did (or talked about) before she came along. Here's a Franny update: She is a really happy baby. She walks everywhere now. She can understand and sign back: food, water, tubby(bath), brush teeth and book. She can say Duck, Hi, Wow, Uh-Oh and Daddy. She loves to fake laugh whenever she hears anyone else laughing. She loves to dance. I haven't gotten any great footage yet, but man, can she move! Most of all, she is really social. She recognizes all of her cousins now and gets so excited when she sees them. I won't bore anyone with all of the other stuff she's doing. Just read "What to expect the first year" to find out.

Waiting for Franny

Francesca Pilar Gutke
Sept. 21, 2007
1:37 am

She sure growed up fast, didn't she!

She's been blowing her candle out all week. When it came time to show the masses...no cigar

Thanks everyone for the cute presents!

Here is some footage of her walking (for those of you who haven't seen her yet)
and one of her first words


Here are a couple of her signs...and more walking