Part two

I'm back with another Christmas update. Sadly, I don't think I'll finish my updates before 2009 comes. Maybe while I am waiting for the ball to drop tonight I can finish up. Maybe.

We left our house for Ft. Smith on the 21st to celebrate with Matthew's family. One of our indoor activities was a visit to Chuck E. Cheese. It's a good thing there were some indoor activities because it was super cold and raining the first few days we were there.

Nora's first time to ride the "big" horse.

Keeping up with Elyn at CEC is like trying to keep up with a tornado. Here she is taking a 2 second rest.

The majority of the Willis clan gathered at Grandma's for a Christmas Eve Eve dinner and game night.

We also exchanged some gifts. Nora loved the presents she opened! She loved her tea set and insisted that it be right beside her when she went to bed that night.

Another favorite was the Dora bathwand.

Matthew's mom took Nora to the store so she could pick out presents for us. I had just opened mine, a future garage sale item, a ceramic fruit basket. Now before you judge me for even THINKING about putting a 25 cent sticker on my Christmas gift and getting rid of it, let me explain. I have a picture of the present, I have the memory of her giving it to me, I do not have empty closets or extra storage room. Honestly, when she is 25 and helping me go through old boxes and she finds the ceramic fruit basket, she will look at me and say, "What is THIS mom?" And I will tear up and say, "You gave that to me the Christmas that you were two." She will probably say, "That's sweet, how much do you want to sell it for?".

For her daddy? A ceramic duck. It's up to him what he chooses to do with it.

We got a group picture. The following pictures are the outtakes. I realized, after downloading all my pictures, I didn't include the "real" one. Now, I don't have the energy to add it and then go back and re-space everything else. Imagine, a group picture of everyone smiling. With me.

We came back home on the 24th to have our own family time. We started the evening by making our dinner of pizzas.

One second after I snapped this picture, Mr. Smiley-face pizza started to slide off of the stone. Thankfully, we were able to do some surgery and he cooked in the oven nicely.

After cleaning up the pizza mess, we started making the cookies for Santa. Poor Elyn, she was confined to her highchair for all cooking. Just wait until next year kiddo.

Look at the icing on those cookies. I would be lying to you if I told you that Santa ate them. He took one look at the inch thick icing and tossed them in the trash.

Before the girls got their baths, we had a mini present exchange. Nora is showing Elyn the new sippy cup she got for her. It truly is Elyn's new favorite cup.

One of my gifts was a pedicure spa with the promise of a pedicure from Matthew. Looking forward to it!

Ready for bed (and a haircut for Elyn...it's just a matter of weeks before I cave in and get her hair trimmed.).

Leaving the cookies for Santa.
Okay, one part left. Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow.