Merry Christmas!

Ella set out cookies for Santa. Can you tell she put the sprinkles on the one on the left? :) She also dictated the letter to me and signed her own name.

Santa was very good to the kids!

Even though Ella and I were both sick a few days before Christmas, we still managed to have a wonderful Christmas day. :)

Christmas Cookies..mmm

Tonight Ella and I continued our tradition of making sugar cookies for Christmas. Ella is an excellent froster I might add!

She's also an awesome cookie tester. :)

Ella loves her sprinkles! Hopefully Santa does too. ;)

Yummy, yummy!

Christmas Lights - A Tradition

It's Christmas Eve and we took the kids for a ride tonight looking at the lights and decorations on the houses. This is something I did with my parents and sister ever year and I always loved it. We've decided to carry on this tradition with our family, and thankfully, Ella and William so far love it too!

I look forward to creating more traditions with my family.

Santa's Workshop

Daddy braved the cold and took both kids to the sleigh ride/Santa's workshop tonight. I bought tickets weeks ago, but I've had the worst stomach flu of my life, so unfortunately, I was unable to go. :(

Here are the pics daddy was able to get!

Ella with her elf who helped her build her wooden house.

Aww.. my boys.. :)

Ella worked very hard on her house. It was beautiful! Blue paint and glitter all over - it looks great on our mantel. :)

Ella and her friend Frosty.

I'm so sad I had to miss this. Hopefully next year the flu will manage to pass me by and I can be part of the fun too. :)

Happiness is...

1. hearing my children laugh

2. watching my children laugh WHILE playing together

3. having my children entertained with their play tent long enough to get dinner made

4. hearing "I love you mommy" and knowing there are only two people in the entire world who can call me mommy.

5. receiving the best hugs and kisses from my children

6. having (clean) laundry wars with the little ones

7. snuggling under a blanket on the couch with E & W

8. watching my little ones gobble up the food I made them (neither have much of an appetite currently)

These two little people make me so amazingly happy.

I'm feeling especially blessed and grateful this Christmas season, for the wonderful family God has given me.

Trains!!

We went to a nursery close to home today that had several large train displays. It was so neat! William and Ella both loved it.

Even a table they could touch. :)

Ella was making the trains go.

And we had to hop in the sleigh.

We went out to lunch after. Who is this little MAN flipping through the menu!?

Don't mind Ella scaling the walls... :)

Love, love, love.

Pre-School Christmas Party

We managed to get a few pictures of the party at school.

William loves pre-school. He loves all the new toys and all the kids around. I think he wishes HE were the one going to school.

Mmm...cupcakes. William even got his own, and ate the whole thing. :)

This is a wonderful pre-school. Ella's making lots of new friends and I know she's being well taken care of. She absolutely loves her teacher.

Laundry Wars!

The kids and I spend a good thirty minutes on laundry days having our own laundry war. We have so much fun!

Christmas Card Outtakes

Just a few outtakes from my Christmas card "photoshoot."

I was able to get some really nice pictures of the two though, and think my card turned out pretty cute. :)

So glad they both have this love...

Ella loves to "read" to her little brother too. :)

Keep the markers away...

from the little one!!

This is what happens when I look away for a minute. :)

Christmas Party!

We went to the PTA Christmas party tonight.

Ella and William met with Santa tonight...

but neither would get too close to Santa. See how William was clutching daddy for dear life? :)

The kids loved the music. They were dancing machines!!

A few of Ella's friends from preschool were there too!

Check him out! He has some really great dance moves! It was soo adorable. :)

There was a fun craft table too. :)

We all had a really great night and the kids went right to sleep! :)