Christmas 2011 Part One

We're blessed to live near both my family and Chris' so it's become the tradition to spend Christmas Eve with my family at my Aunt and Uncle's river house and spend the night and drive to Chris' parents house Christmas morning.  This year we went to church on Friday night and Ella got to wear a dress from last Christmas that was too big-she was so excited to get all dressed up!

At the River House Sadie, who will spend hours playing with water discovered the (random) water feature in my Aunt and Uncle's family room.  It was the best Christmas present she could have received.  She played with the water and rocks all day and went straight there the next morning!

I think my Dad misses having a dog.  He bonded with Stella my sister's dog this year though :-)

I wish you could see her face in this pic-this girl, LOVES to "talk" on the phone!

Sadie gets lots of help from Ella.  This time Ella was velcroing a frog stuffed animal she picked out for Sadie around her neck.  Sometimes her help is a little aggressive and not so well received but other times Sadie loves it :-)

Opening presents!

I had the past year of this blog made into a book for my grandmother and she CRIED.  The ugly cry. And she's called me since then and cried more about how wonderful it is!  Score.

The other emotional gift this year was a recordable book I had my grandmother (93 years old) record for Ella and Sadie.  SO glad to have something like that!

 

Sadie will smile now if you ask her to...

But this shows a little more of her personality.  She's a kook!

Sisters

Oh the canapes.  Oh the canapes.  My Aunt makes these salmon canapes every year that marissa and I assembled. They are SO. Stinkin'. Goooooood. 

Christmas fell in the middle of Hannukah this year so Ella got to show her Hebrew, reading, and candle lighting skills to the whole fam :-)

I heard noises Christmas morning and peaked into the bedroom Ella shared with my Grandmother and found this!  Ella had gotten out of her bed and gotten in bed with GG and they talked for a long time.  SO sweet!  So glad they could have these great timed together.  On to Christmas part two...