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!