Day after Christmas at Mom and Dad's

Gonga and Papa with Wesley and Luka.

Elli holding Luka.

Mom and dad opening thier gift from us kids. They are choosing when and where they want to go for an all paid vacation:) Mom said she wasn't really surprised. She became suspicious when we didn't ask her which comforter set she wanted:)

Fun family picture.

We managed to find lamp that Heather and Gary liked:) They seemed quite excited and very surprised when they opened it. Mom and I found it while out at Hobby Lobby.

Elli is wearing the jams that Leah got her and holding her beloved pillow pet from Gonga.

The twins were so hungry during present opening time so Leah and Matt fed them. But, that didn't stop Leah and Matt from opening presents. Luka wanted to eat his dinner in the new mixing bowl from Gonga.

Elli loved the guitar from Leah and Matt!

Elli showing off her new outfit from Gonga that just so happens to have a matching one for her baby doll.

Love Heather's face when she opened her mini loaf pan from us.

We got Luka and Wesley lots of books. They loved them!

Elli wanted to check out the presents before it all began. She was especially interested in the princess suit case from Heather and Gary.

Mom and Dad before we opened presents. This is mom's new tree we got her for her birthday. So cute and fun ornaments. We had a great time together as a family.

Day after Christmas lunch

Red Lobster after church.

Liam's first trip to Red Lobster.

Liam tried a lemon. It was not the best taste:) Sweet little face.

Christmas Day

Seth and Elli all dressed up for church. Love Seth's coat!

Opening presents on Christmas night. Lots of fun, lots of paper.

Liam with his mommy and daddy in his first Christmas outfit.

Christmas dinner was yummy. We missed Jenna and Justin. Jenna had to work. But, the rest of us fit around the table and enjoyed a Christmas dinner. It ended with some Christmas Carols:)

Playing another leapster game with daddy this time. So snuggly in her new dress.

Christmas Eve and Day, 24th and 25th at Nana and Grandpa's

The three grandkids. Next year there will be more:)

Our present to Nana and Grandpa was cash for them to put towards a couple of projects they need done around the house. Love their faces:)

A few presents on Christmas Eve.

Nana and Grandpa with their grandkids.

Elli was snuggled up with Devin playing her new Leapster. Sweet times.

Christmas Morning, for us, Dec 24th

Elli woke us up at 8:00 to say, "The Santa presents are here." When she opened the Leapster, she said, "Just what I asked for!"

I shopped for some new clothes and wrapped them. Brent wrapped two of them for me.

Brent got lots of new clothes too. We decided our wardrobes needed a little attention this year:) He also got a drill.

Elli was excited and thankful for the gifts. She hugged Brent in the middle of opening:)

Loved this face. I found this "game" at Once Upon a Child and Elli was a little unsure about it. We have played it several times since then though. It is a learning game though so she doesn't realize she is getting smarter:)

Yes, we pretend Santa brings gifts, but I don't think Elli is confused about the real meaning of Christmas. She knows it is Jesus' birthday and that without Him we would have no reason to celebrate. She is thankful for Jesus who was born, lived, died, and rose again to give us salvation from our sin.

Dec 23rd, Our Christmas Eve

Elli set out cookies and milk for Santa. She thought 3 was a perfect amount. So did Santa:) He ate them before Elli was even in bed for the night. We read a long story before bed!

She opened her Christmas Eve jams while Brent and I were getting things in from the car. Oh well. I told her she could open them when we got home. She was too excited to wait.

We visited with my Grandma since we were going to be gone over Christmas. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner of homemade chicken soup then opened gifts. She got Elli a new doll which Elli calls and American doll. She loves her! She also got Elli a matching set of pjs. Such fun with Sidney Lee.

Elli and Grandma in front of her tree. It was fun to be able to spend some one on one time with Grandma.

Opening and playing with Sidney Lee.

Adorable, Twins, Cookies

Couldn't pass up a picture of this sweet little girl named Elli who woke, up, walked downstairs and hugged me this morning, looking just like this!

Wesley was chillin in his bumbo seat. He is 5 weeks old, rolling over and sitting in his seat. Look how he propped his arm up!

How does Leah do it? Both babies were crying so I had to keep them both occupied and awake while Leah was showering or something:) Hard!

Wesley and Luka, in that order. They are so super sweet!

Elli loves to help make cookies with me. She especially likes rolling out the dough and pushing the cookie cutters into the dough. What a helper she has become!

My Birthday Celebration

The sisters.

My family, even poor Fergi looking for the fastest way down:)

It is not really a celebration without the twins:)

The loot. We had a fun time on my birthday. We ordered food from Los Mariachis and enjoyed time together. Elli got to play with her aunts and uncles and loved it:) I too loved my day.

Woodland Lights and Birthday Brunch

I wanted to get together with the ladies since it seems so hard to plan time. So, I reserved a table for us at the Blue Berry Cafe in Bellbrook where we enjoyed breakfast and conversation. Thank you ladies for making it out:) My peanut butter and banana french toast was awesome:)

We took a carriage ride at Woodland Lights. Elli's feet were frozen by this time, but she at least smiled for a family pictire.

We loved the cabin with Santa. What a nice place to visit. Warm:) Elli was being shy but still asked for a pillow pet and a play doggie. I love our family picture!

All she needed to see was that there were rides. She was freezing and they were full of snow, but she loved them all the same, except for the slide:)

I love Elli in this sweater. She looks like such a big girl to me!

I wanted to go to Woodland Lights this year as a pre-birthday celebration. It was very cold, but we had a great time. There were several carnival rides, a carriage ride, visit with Santa, lots of lights, and deer to see. Elli did very well except at the end. She wanted us to carry her most of the time which lead to some VERY cold feet. She screamed most of the way home. Finally her feet thawed out and she calmed down. So, would we go again? It was a bit pricey but it was a fun new adventure. I would go again if it weren't so very cold.

Elli's Preschool Program, Dec 17, 2010

She loved seeing Santa this year. She walked up to him several times. She told him she wanted a pillow pet and a play doggie. Brent just happened to come upon a fun doggie yesterday that he picked up after work. Good job daddy! And Gonga has a pillow pet. We are on it this year. Last year we did a last minute scramble for a recurring item, a violin, that didn't come up until the last week before Christmas:)

Daddy made it to Elli's program this year. She was very happy to see him.

Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. Elli was Miss Serious until after the play. She let loose the smiles when her teacher said it was time for pictures:) Afterwards while we were eating lunch, Elli pointed out the little guy, Isaac, who played Joseph and said, "Oh there's my husband. I sure wish I didn't marry him." That made me laugh, a lot:)

Most of the kids in the program. They had angels, shepherds, donkeys, sheep, pigs, cows, stars, an inn keeper, Joseph, and of course Mary! Look how serious Elli is. Her line was, "I will do what God wants me to do." She did a great job.

Man, not much luck in geting a smile here. She was all serious when she came out on stage until afterwards for pictures. Of course during the lunch time, she was miss social bug talking to all her friends and pointing everyone out to me. She may look and act like me 90% of the time, but she is still her daddy's little girl too:)