Christmas Week

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone! We had a great week of celebrating Christmas. My bro, Adam and his girlfriend, Katelyn, were in town for 5 whole days (the longest he has been home in 8 years). It was great having them around. Ella loved playing with them and still expects to wake them up every morning. She asks for them everday...Adam and Katelyn come back! We'll definitely have to go up to Flag to play in the snow sometime soon.

Anyways, here are some pics from the week. My dad built Ella a sandbox in our backyard as her Christmas gift. Even though it was quite chilly out all week, we managed to play for a little while. Last Tuesday, we had a day of baking. Grandma, Amanda, Mom, Katelyn, and I spent most of the day baking all sorts of cookies...fun! Christmas Eve day we went up to the Mantle's and that night we were at my mom's. Unfortunately, I have no pics from Christmas morning (way to capture those moments). We got a lot on video but I didn't get out the camera. Hopefully my mom did and I will get those from her soon. Ella was very hesitant to open presents at first and spent the first 15 minutes hiding in her playroom until we all started without her and she eventually came out and opened her gazillion presents throughout the rest of the day. It was funny though, whenever we asked her if Santa came to her house she would say, "No, Dora and Boots came!" I guess watching the Dora "Santa" episode on On Demand too many times kind of distorted her view on Santa (they bring him the presents in the show). We even attempted to see Santa this year and all we got was "no, Ella's scared". Didn't even know she knew what scared meant. I was not about to tramatize the girl and we did not sit on Santa's lap (I was the same way as a kid). So that explains my lack of pictures....

Hope you all enjoyed your Christmas as much as we did!

taking pictures with her Elmo camera

playing with Uncle Adam in her new sandbox

baking away

(my cousin Amanda, me, and Katelyn)

Mom, Katelyn, and me

(my Aunt Joann made us all fun beanies so I decided to wear mine all day, thanks Aunt Jo)

SMILE!

Don't Smile!

All dressed up for Christmas Eve!

Katelyn, Ella, and Adam

(yes, that is the burliest beard you have ever seen - Flagstaff has really gotten to him))

I love my Uncle Adam!

Family Photoshoot

We had another fantastic photoshoot with Lindsey (http://www.dreamlenzphotography.com/)... but we have realized that Ella is just not that photogenic at 2. She knows when the camera is around and doesn't want much to do with it. Lindsey definitely did the best she could with what she had. My mom, Wayne (stepdad), and Travis' parents joined us in the hopes that they could get some good pics with Ella as well but no such luck. I hate to say it but the best pics are the ones without her in them (am I horrible or what?). Hopefully one day she will want to have her picture taken. We shot these photos down at the Mesa Arts Center - what a gorgeous place, so many bright colors and fun plants. The brick wall photos were taken next to the Old Brick House Furniture store in downtown Mesa (at least I think that is what it is called). So anyways, enjoy! You'll be seeing these again on the Christmas card.

Girls Gone Wild anyone???

Jumping!

Wayne and Mom

Greg and Mary

Me and my mom (thought this pic was cool)

Father and Son

This was the best we got of her.

such awesome colors

she wasn't making it easy for us

so we just let her go

LOVE this picture!

stubborn little girl

the boys with their princess

as soon as she Ella saw the camera, her shirt went up...oh my!

Busy Week!

**Lots of photo opportunities the last couple of days...actually starting off with a couple weekends ago...we headed over to Bass Pro Shop to check it out for the first time (it's nothing like the one in Springfield, MO) but we thought Ella would like all the "stuffed" animals. It turned out all she cared about were the fish - I guess living things are more intriguing for her.
**Papa Mac (my dad) came over last Sunday to take Ella to the park. She was so excited!
**This past weekend our friends Ragan and Dan came over with their son Rydan (who some might know was born three days before Ella and we shared a wall at the hospital). They hadn't seen eachother in a while and they sure had missed eachother. They are the perfect pair...so much alike but also so different in many ways...Rydan is a good 3 inches taller than Ella and much more agile but they had their own special conversations and just cracked eachother up the entire night.
**Sunday we were over at my in-laws who live up in North Scottsdale and we spotted a bobcat in their front yard....you never know what you will come across at the Mantle Desert Zoo. It was pretty amazing seeing this creature roam around the front yard. It just made me realize how we have just invaded their space and they don't even realize it.
**Tuesday we had off of school so we all (teachers and stay-at-home moms) had a play date at Jenn's. It is always fun to get together with the ladies. Our brood just gets bigger every time we meet. Too bad we didn't get a group picture this time but I got a couple of the kiddos playing out back.

Enjoy!

She could have done this all day

CHEEEEEESE!

All ready for the park!

Ella and Papa Mac

Ella and Rydan

Hugs (come on Ella, give him some)

"Oh my, he is gonna kiss me"

We found them like this is the playroom

Just roaming through the yard

This is what we saw out the kitchen window

Playing on the swings

More of Rydan and Ella

Coen, Rydan, Lauren, and Ella

So proud!

As many of you know, my mom ran the New York Marathon on November 2nd. She did an amazing job and finished with her fastest time of 4 hours and 38 minutes. I wish I could have been there (watching - not running :) but it was fun tracking her online and watching her pace be steady at a 10 minute mile. She said it was the best experience and, of course, she can't wait to do it again. Mom, I am so proud of you....you can do anything!

On her way across the Verrazano Bridge (the first of, I think, 5 bridges)

All excited for the upcoming race and to be in NY (my moms two favorite things)

Just a gorgeous picture of Central Park that I thought I would share :)


My cousin Andrew and my Aunt Donna (and my Aunt Joann - who is taking the picture) all came in to support my mom.

I have to say it...

A little delayed, but I just have to say that I am so excited that our country has chosen a new direction. I am so excited about our new president, Barack Obama, and look forward to his open mind and new ideas. I am so not a political person but this election was way too meaningful to not be. It is too bad Arizona didn't carry suite and also have an open mind and open heart with certain issues....maybe next time. I just feel bad for my students when they tell me "the guy who hates Mexicans (Arpaio) won again"....these eight year olds are scared of him and that just sucks. And for my friends and family (and everyone else out there) that can't have the same rights that I have because of their sexual orientation. So anyways...I am just happy that our country as a whole is seeing straight. As Oprah says "HOPE WON!"

Trick or Treat!

We had a great time trick or treating last night with the Zaur's and the Cordova's. Sidney and Shelby, our backyard neighbors, were so kind and took Ella with them up to many doors. Ella absolultely LOVED it. Our neighborhood was rockin', although our street sucks - we will, from now on, pretend we live on the street behind us :) As you can see, our Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader was quite the trick-or-treater - too bad all she was allowed to eat was the granola bar she got.

GOOOOOO Chiefs!

Pre-trick or treating pizza party at the neighbors

Sidney, Ella, and Shelby trick or treating

The girls - Sidney, Lauren, Ella and Shelby

Lauren insisted that she go up to the door too and Ella was glad to help :)