Homeward Bound... Since the picnic table wasn't comming home with us and it is collapsable, I set it up so that she could play with it and she loved it. Sitting on it, standing on it, putting stuff on it and taking stuff off of it, what fun!!
Grandpa Nels gave her ketsup for the first time.... mmmm! It is that canadian in her comming out!

Smile everyone! Grandma Meme, Grandpa Nels, and Ellie (with the ketsup) at lunch before we go to the airport to head home! We had so much fun, I can't wait to do it again!!

New Foods and More Gifts... Ellie loves saurkraut... she may look like her daddy but the german in her is comming out!
Now this she gets from her daddy, Slurpees!
One of her new toys, Santa got Ellie a Fisher Price nativity set. It was one of the only toys that we didn't open because of the trip home but she kept wanting to tear into it!
Ellie and her new picnic table. There wasn't enough room in the car to get that one home so Grandma and Grandpa will have to bring that one with them the next time they visit!!
It is Grandma Meme and Ellie with her new baby doll. Ellie was just facinated with the doll's hair!

The Trains
After our visit in PA we stopped at one onf the malls close to my parent's house to see the train garden. Every year it just gets bigger and bigger! Ellie was in awe! She just loved watching the trains and all of the other animated figures in the garden!

Bill and Ellie are peeking over the rail to get a good look at the farm area.

"Ellie, did you see the hot air balloons also?"

Part of the gardens.

Here you can actually see the concentration in her eyes!

Our Visit to PA

We were able to drive up to York, PA the day after Christmas to meet Carey, Dan, and Gen for breakfast at Cracker Barrel (thanks Bill for taking one for the team!). We had a great visit, it has been so long since we have seen them I was happy that we were able to get together. Gen has gotten so big, the last time I saw her in person she was just over a week old! Here is Carey, Gen, Ellie, and myself at the table.
The girls got along really well, I wish they lived closer so they could see eachother more often. They had a ball playing on the kid-sized rocking chairs out in front of Cracker Barrel. As Ellie says, "Rock! Rock!"
I know that they must be saying something to each other I just wish I knew what it was!! Probably planning on waht to do next to terrorize us!!

Two peas in a pod!!

Christmas Dinner

Ellie did great meeting most of the family, of course at first she was very shy but once she realized everyone was ok she really had a good time!! Here is Ellie with Dan, don't worry Ellie I think that he is that way all of the time!!
Every one is smiling... it must be a great Christmas!!

Heather, Megan, Uncle Jim, Brian, and Uncle Jay

Grandpa Nels with Kelly stopping for a photo!

"HORRAY, I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!"

Christmas DayThis year's Christmas tree.
Our happy family (minus Schatzie... she was at "Christmas Camp")
Ellie with her TMX Elmo. What a hit! I don't kow what she liked more... Elmo or the box?
I think tat she loves her new Elmo, every time it would stand up she would push him down. I think that everyone got a kick out of him!!
Ellie and Daddy hangin' out!

Christmas Morning
Christmas morning went well but Ellie went so slow that we had to take an intermission for a nap and then opened more later and the next day. Bill always likes to extend gift opening but I think that Ellie went a little above and beyond!Christmas cookies on Christmas morning.... Can life get any better???
"I love books, how did Santa know? That guy is really smart!!"
"Auntie Marg, can I help? I am a present opening expert!!"
"Here Daddy, don't forget this one!"
"A Christmas train.. it is what I have always wanted!"

Christmas Eve... Getting Ready for Santa ClauseEllie and Grandpa Nels getting ready for her bath after Christmas Eve mass. Ellie, you better take a bath and go to bed soon so that Santa Clause doesn't pass over our house!!

Auntie Margie goes over some last minute pointers for tomorrow morning before Ellie hits the tub!
"Pleas Mama, may I have my bots so I can go to bed... that big guy in the red suit is supposed to be stopping buy tonight!"
Grandpa Nels and Ellie share a pre-bedtime moment, can you feel the excitement??

Kissing CousinsHere is Ellie with her cousin Andrew... the last time they saw each other was in May. They have both grown up so much since then. They had so much fun together and eating their own body weight in animal cookies... mmmm!!

Andrew is quite the ladies man, he kept handing out the sugar but I don't think Ellie knew what to do with it!! "Daddy told me to stay away from boys!!"
After a while she finally began to warm up to Andrew and his kisses!!Don't they both look like they are thinking about what they can get into next?

Daddy's Soccer GameSo, what is a girl to do when it is 75 degrees one week before Christmas (ps- I talked to Rosie in Miami that day and it was only 5 degrees warmer there, what is up with the wheather??). Well, we went to go see Bill play with Uncle Mike in their "winter" sccer league. Ellie ran all over the turf and picked up trash... what fun!! When Bill came over to do a corner kick, Ellie went running towards him to play. Hmmm, do you think that she is daddy's girl or what?? Well, good news for us, it is supposed to be cooler for Christmas so re-pack your shorts and sandles but also bring out the cold medicine cause you know what that means.... Please no ear infections for Christmas!! PLEASE!!

The Christmas Card Runner-ups...
Here are the ones that just didn't make the cut for one reason or another. I am sure you will enjoy them as much as I do!Yes, this is a cut picture but the reason this didn't make it is
1) she looks a little clueless and
2) I couldn't firn a card that this would work with!
Yes, again another adorable photo. It is almost like she is saying, " Please don't look at my nimmies!"
This looks like the responce to someone telling her that she should expect some coal in her stocking!
This was my original idea for the Christmas card, a santa hat and a bubble bath beard. However I couldn't get her to leave the hat on long enough to smile at the same time. Oh well, better luck next year!

Terrorizing the Homefront"Look Mom, Schatzie and I played 'King of the Bed' and I won!! Way to go me!!"

"So what is the area code to the North Pole, the big guy up there and I have some things to talk about. How come you don't have it on speed dial yet? We need to work on that!!"
"See, I am eating all of my dinner. Thank goodness Schatzie can't talk or my cover would be blown for sure!!"
"I love playing with Daddy! Let me show you where your mouth is..."

Ellie and the BeadsJust a little playing around before bed... she looks so tired, doesn't she??