Merry Christmas from the Ropers

Well folks- it looks like Christmas cards aren't going to happen this year so Merry Christmas via our blog. The above picture is the closest we got to a Christmas card picture but it would have never done due to the Henry's pained face and Natalied blank look. Oh well- heres hoping for some lovely Valentines! Thanks to all of you for your lovely cards...better luck next year for myself. Below are a few Christmasy photos. Unsurprisingly I didn't get a single photo of Christmas day which was fantastic by the way (so fun to be in our own home for the first time Christmas morning) but we got some video- so we will take what we can get.

Disneyland is way fun at Christmas time, particularly Small World- we made it there a few times.

Henry with Santa at the church. Natalie refused to sit on his lap...

...fortunately, she had another chance at her preschool.

On Christmas Eve we went over to my parents house for dinner. All of my siblings were there (except for my brother John and his family) so it was a lot of fun. The grandkids acted out the Nativity as my brother James read from the Bible. Here Natalie is with my youngest brother Tommy portraying Mary and Joseph. The age difference is a bit alarming but none of her cousins wanted to be Joseph and Tommy is perpetually a good sport...

Here are some wise men and the back of our shepherd's head =)

All of us on Christmas Eve (except my parents)

Have you seen Princess and the Frog yet? I have only seen it 5 times now (in my defense we have only paid for it twice =)

Pies and Premieres

As promised, here are a few highlights of our November. On the 7th (my Pappy's birthday) we found ourselves on the red carpet at the Princess and the Frog Premiere in Pasadena. We never would have imagined ourselves at one of these events... but what fun! F.Y.I. the movie comes out TODAY and is fantastic. I am openly bias but I have seen it twice now and laughed out loud both times=)

I snapped this photo from our car while we were stuck in traffic waiting to park....

The red carpet

After seeing the movie- which was definitely the highlight of the evening- we went to the after party where we ate southern-inspired dishes (the movie takes place in New Orleans)...

....took pictures with some of the characters....

.....got our palms read (the villain in the movie is a voodoo witch doctor)

.... listened to a very loud live jazz band and watched other people dance =). (By the way the music in the movie is GREAT- the songs tend to get stuck in your head though, consider yourself warned) It was fun to meet the people John works with and hob nob with the very talented and creative people who make these movies. I got to meet one of the directors of the movie- he also directed Aladdin and The Little Mermaid. This movie is good people- did I mention it comes out TODAY. I could have touched John Lasseter at about five different times that night I was so close but I didn't get up the nerve to tell him I was a big fan...lame huh? Upon leaving they had a table set up outside with tiny glasses of milk with a cookie on top. A fantastic way to end the evening.

Two weeks later the kids got to see the movie at a special screening at the movie theater in the Animation Studios. They loved it and Natalie has been playing Princess and the Frog ever since (I am usually the villain and she is Tiana).

As for the pies part of my post's title- we traveled to Utah for Thanksgiving. The above picture was taken in our motel room in St. George.

There wasn't much snow left but that didn't stop the kids from playing in it. Yes Henry is wearing a pink beanie....

On Thanksgiving Natalie informed us that she wanted to make a turkey snowman. It seemed appropriate being turkey day and all so this is what we came up with.

It was especially nice to spend some time with our remaining Grandparents. Natalie loves her Great Grandparents and insisted on sitting between Grandma and Grandpa Ballard at Cowboy Grub.

Here we are with Grandma and Grandpa Ogilvie. I love how Natalie is hugging my Grandma. Henry is naked because he pooed all over his clothes...

See. I told you it was a good month. Now go see Princess and the Frog and DON'T leave when the credits come up. Wait for a long time until you see the section entitled "Production" and the second name down will read "John. D. Roper". You may applaud or tell the remaining theater guests that you know him (or his wife respectively). Then wait even longer until the very end and it will say "Production Babies" and look for Henry's name. It will say "Henry." Finally, leave me a comment and tell me how you liked the movie...oh and tell your friends how much you like it too =). Look at that I just gave you all homework.