Santa Brunch!!

Ella and Daddy

This is as close as Ella was going to get

The only way we could get Ella to smile was to stand behind Santa!

She loved to watch the other kids sit on Santa's lap though!

Ella and her Papa

Happy Girl

Every year since Ella was born we have gone to the country club for a brunch with Santa Claus! The first year Ella was very interested in Santa, but last year and this year she has has wanted NOTHING to do with him. This year she told me that she was scared and wanted me to tell him that she was a good girl! There is always next year....

Christmas Cookies

Rolling out the dough...

Ella covered in flour!

Ella icing a red Christmas tree

Madison icing a green gingerbread man

Ella and I made some Christmas cookies with Kara and Madison. As most of you know, I am not the best in the kitchen so I was happy to be able to do this with Ella with a little (a lot) help from Kara! The girls had a great time... and the cookies turned out great!

Christmas Lights!

Me and Ella in front of a little waterfall inside one of the buildings

Ella loved the "light maze" and wanted to do it over and over again!

The girls inside the "igloo"

We went to Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens this weekend with some friends to see all the Christmas lights. It was a very cold night but Ella didn't mind at all! She had a great time running around and seeing all the different pretty lights!

Trimming the Tree

It was a little too cold for pictures!

This is Ella helping me "untangle" the lights!

Helping mommy trim the tree

I love the smell of a fresh Christmas Tree.... and it is pretty too!

We went and got a tree yesterday. Ella was very excited and wanted to get a REALLY big one! It was a very cold day so we didn't take too long picking one out. She helped with the lights and a few decorations but she lost interest pretty quickly. She did like the finished product though!

Cold Day in Blacksburg

Happy to see Jill!

All bundled up and headed to the stadium

Go Hokies!

We headed to Blacksburg for another football game last weekend. It was a very cold day!! We all bundled up and stayed until halftime....

Disney on Ice!

Ella loved the Princess Pre-Show

Cars!

Intermission

Mickey and Minnie Mouse

Finale

Ella and I went to see Disney on Ice with some friends. I wasn't sure if she would sit through the whole show, but she did and she absolutely loved it! It was a good show everyone had a great time.

Happy Halloween!

Scooping the guts out....

Cleaning the seeds...


Getting them ready to cook....

The finished products!!!

Some more scooping... at home this time.

Cleaning the seeds... her favorite part

All ready for the party at daycare!

Trick-or-treating at daycare

Our pumpkins on Halloween night

Trick-or-treating with Sam and Eli

Trick-or-Treat!

She got LOTS of good stuff at Nonna and Papa's house!

Ella has had a busy couple of weeks getting ready for the big day.... Halloween that is! She spent last Friday night with Papa and they carved a pumpkin together and made pumpkin seeds! We carved pumpkins as well. Ella loves scooping the guts out of the pumpkins and cleaning the seeds! She really wasn't interested in the actual carving part. She had a Halloween party at daycare... and then there was finally the treat-or-treating. She LOVED trick-or-treating!! Oh... did I mention she was adorable in her monkey costume??