Friday, December 28, 2012

12-20-12-25 - 11 Months & First Christmas!

We have had an amazing Christmas season this year! Last Friday, Cousins Bethany & Brian and their two adorable kiddos joined us at our home on their way to visit Bethany's parents in Oakdale. We ate some yummy food, had some great conversation, and took some fun photos...Bethany & I learned how to use the self-timer on our cameras - technology is good :) 




 Brian entertained us by playing Christmas carols on his guitar
 So many boys in our house (definitely not used to that!) 
 Happy family!
 Ellie had a good time playing with her bunny rabbit ... couldn't help but take a photo shoot


 I got a new cell phone for Christmas, so my old phone became Ellie's new favorite toy - she even napped with it :) 
 Ellie got her first pair of shoes! 
 The following day after Bethany & Brian left, my mom, dad, and Aunt Maxine came to our home to celebrate Christmakah (Christmas & Chanukah) with us. They stayed from Sunday - Wednesday. It was such a wonderful visit. We visited the Outlet Stores, we watched Les Miserables in the movie theatre (Ellie too! - she was in the theatre with us for all 3 hours - not a peep! - my baby girl loves music - just like me!) 

 Ellie allowed her PopPop to hold her while she took a nap 



 On the night before Christmas, Mimi Cindi wanted Ellie to open a present from her (brought up by my parents) It was the book Twas the Night Before Christmas - so perfect - we read it all together and enjoyed hearing the famous story & seeing the beautiful pictures 


 Christmas Day begins here! 



 Ellie carries my stocking and her stocking around and around the ottoman. We decided that we knew her gifts were liked by her if they made it around and around the ottoman :) 

 So many presents to go through! Ellie opened up hers, mine, & Jereniah's presents too! 


 She definitely liked my ribbon box! 

 And she liked what was inside it as well! 


 Her first puzzle - since we live in Porterville, it was very important to us that she learn her animals... 


 And now for the biggest present!  - she found the Disney princesses! 


 It's a Disney Princess Mobile! 
 She enjoyed the flower soap scrubber sent to us by my brother Frankie & O'Shea

 Loving her first car... what's funny is that her feet don't quite touch the floor yet!
 She's enjoying the box of my slippers! 
 Here's the bead maze that we got here - I really like how she played with each and every present she was given! 
 And lastly, she hasn't quite figured out how to use the popper yet - but she likes carrying it around the ottoman - so I guess that means she likes it! 

 We made gigantic sugar cookies!


What a fantastic Christmas!

Soul Mates

Soul Mates
Our wedding day