This video is classic. Nina tries to get Ella to say, “ma-ma”, but she says “da-da” instead. I love being the favorite! (jk)
I caught some good stuff: “ho ho ho (huh huh huh)”, a wave, “ma-ma (na na)”, some walking, and plenty of “da-da”…
It is family tradition to celebrate with a special Christmas Eve dinner. We all get dressed up and have a fancy dinner. Growing up, my mom and aunts made my cousins and I had matching outfits each year. For my very first Christmas, I had a reg gingham dress. Since this is Ella’s first Christmas, my Aunt Karen made her one just like it!
Here I am in my red dress on my first Christmas. (I was born in September so I was younger than Ella on my first Christmas.)
And here is Ellie! She looked adorable! Aunt Karen even sewed jingle bells into her dress so she jingled when she walked!
She even says something like “ho, ho, ho” (huh, huh, huh)!
With our baby on her first Christmas Eve!
Our family, ready for Christmas!
Christmas morning Ella woke up to find that Santa had left a rocking horse! Look at the jammies my mom bought her! They say, “Eloise’s First Christmas!”
Yee haw!
Mimmy made her a stocking too!
We miss our family back in DC but have loved celebrating here. We had such a wonderful Christmas! I got a new coat, a nativity set, and my People magazine subscription. Joel got a new set of golf clubs! We are so thankful for the greatest gift this year - our daughter!
We spent some time as a little family, reading the Christmas story. The birth of Christ feels so special this year since we know the joy of welcoming a little one. We want Ella to understand the importance of Christ’s birth and how special it is to celebrate Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
My dad and his side of the family all live here in the Apple Valley area so we get to spend time with them too! My Grandma and Grandpa Krig live up the mountain in Wrightwood so we took Ella up for a visit. There is a ski slope just down the street from them and, since Ella fell asleep just before we got there, we drove to the overlook to watch the snowboarders. It was a gorgeous day!
Here is Ella with her great-grandparents (my dad’s parents).
Ella and Uncle Lance
My dad “commutes” to Alaska to work so he was not here. We were so sad to miss him! But, we still went to his house to see Grandma Sherry and all the horses! (My step-mom is a horse trainer.)
We rode around the ranch in the feed cart. Mona Lisa (the dog) likes to ride too! Ellie thought Mona was just her size!
Ella and Grandma pet Sly, the horse.
Ack! Kiss from horsie!
Ella’s first time ON the horse!
We can’t wait to take Ella back when she is a bit older! She will have so much fun running around with all the animals!
These are a bit out of order but here is Ella on her plane ride to California for Christmas. She did pretty well but it was a long time!
We walked the aisles again and again. Our friendly little girl wanted to touch each person we passed, whether they were sleeping or not. (This was when the plane was stopped for more passengers so it was empty.)
We drove down to southern California, stopping into Santa Barbara to visit some of my best friends from college, Heather and Chris. Along the way, we visited the dutch town, Solvang, and Ella got to see Santa and Mrs. Claus!
It has been a reunion Christmas because we have had my ENTIRE family (mom’s side) together! I only have three cousins on that side so we grew up very close. We spent almost every single Christmas together as kids. Now that we are grown and spread across the country, we aren’t always able to be together. But this year we ALL made it!
Family tradition - performance by the kids. (Sean - almost 10, Molly - almost 8, Tommy, 2…Uncle Dan closing in on 60. ha)
Robby is so proud!
Ella looking fancy for the first round of family gifts!
The second cousins! (Tommy, Sean, Ella, Robby, Molly)
The youngest members of the family - Robby and Ellie!
We gave gifts to the kids and did a gift exchange for adults. The kids opened early since many had to leave before Christmas. Of course, we had to go outside to play with everything!
Ella loved Sean’s scooter!
Drum roll…the ENTIRE family! In the middle is our matriarch, the “queen bee” - we call her “GG” for Great Grandma (my grandmother, my mom’s mom). Except Joel says he calls her “G” for short. haha
GG and my cousins! Sarah, me, Chris, Amy (sis), and Rachel. Who do you think it the oldest?
Our family with GG!
(Yes, that is a cactus in the background. Not all of California is beach! My family lives in the desert!)
Before we left northern California, we had a little Christmas party with our family friends. My parents met the Gonyea family when we first moved the San Jose and they lived next door. Michelle and my mom are buddies and hilarious together. They are both little crafty lovey dovey gals (and hilarious together - like two teenage girls).
It has been such a long time since ALL of us kids were together, under one roof. Rachel, David, and I were little tikes when we all met. Tyler was like a baby and the other kids weren’t around yet!
Here we are (Rachel, Nina, Tyler, Ryan, Bella, Amy, and Dave)
I convinced Bella to do her school Christmas performance for me. It occurred to me later that this was kind of funny since I used to make her older sister, Rachel, do plays with me.
Ella wanted to sing too!
Michelle and Ella (spoiled rotten!)
Ella and I made it to California!
Thank goodness my sister, Amy, joined us for the plane ride because it is NOT easy with a ten month old! She doesn’t like to sit. By the time we landed, we had used like 57 Kleenex, she had dumped one cup of water on my lap, eaten about 30 kinds of snacks, and made countless new friends (walking the aisles). When we landed, my mom picked us up and we were shopping within a half hour! ha! I even ate a Hot Dog on a Stick. For those of you not from the west, this is a little restaurant in the food court of the mall and my first job ever was as a Hot Dogger (yes, I really wore that outfit). That first taste of lemonade brought memories rushing back!
After an exhausting day, Ella and I were able to meet up with the gals I grew up with at church. I started going to youth group when I was in seventh grade and met in a small group weekly with these gals from that time until we graduated high school. We are all still in touch! These girls have been such a special part of my spiritual history. It was GREAT to see them again! Brandi had us all over for dinner and we were able to chat in five minute spurts while watching the babies.
Here are the gals! (Shelley, Cori, Brandi, Teresa, Shannon, Katie, me - we are missing Taryn, Tara, and Tiffany. Love you gals!)
And here are our gorgeous kiddies!
Brandi’s daughter, Jordan, is just a few weeks younger than Ella. She is a DOLL!
Before leaving for California, we celebrated Christmas with Joel’s mama. We drove out and stayed the night so it actually felt like it could be Christmas! It was so fun to watch Ella open her very first Christmas presents EVER! Her Grandma spoiled her and soon the living room was blinking and buzzing with lights and sounds from new toys.
“Oooo, presents! What do I do again?”
Ella’s favorite gift was this corn popper. She isn’t quite stable enough on her feet to push it on her own so she has to take someone along for the ride. Pop, pop, pop.
Joel’s mom spoiled us as well - with gifts and food. It was the nicest time together! Merry Christmas Mom!
We had our first snow in DC recently. We had to grab a quick pic outside before we went to work. (Ella didn’t seem to notice that everything was white.)
Joel went with the boys to see his Bears play the Washington Redskins. They had a tailgate party with every possible choice of meat. The weather was a test for these Chicago boys and they suffered through freezing temperatures to see the game. A win would have probably made it worth it.
Even with the dropping temperatures, Ella went on a walk with her new nanny and new buddy, Felix.
w many months until sunshine?
I am sure we are confusing Ellie with our messages about Christmas. At our Christmas party for NCC families, she sat on Frosty’s lap. I wondered if she would be scared but she was all smiles. (It helped that it was Uncle Matt in there - shhh!)
We went directly to an event Joel leads each Christmas - a Live Nativity (so cool!). Ellie got her picture with Frosty so why not Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus too?
Say cheese baby Jesus!
“Sheep says baaaaa baaaa”
Ella says the word “light”! It is hard to catch but when you say it she looks up and points and will try to say it back! Christmas is the perfect time to be obsessed with lights!
Pretty Christmas tree!
“Light!”
I took Ellie to the office with me for a little bit on Monday. I am usually at home with her on Mondays and Fridays but needed to stop in for a bit.
She likes working at Mommy’s desk!
But UNDER Mommy’s desk is even better!
