Christmas!!!

We had a wonderful Christmas despite Miss Ella Kate being sick. Poor thing was diagnosed with RSV and a severe ear infection the Tuesday before Christmas. The doctor put her on a nebulizer every 4 hours and antibiotic.

Christmas Eve we had everyone over at our house and Dave served Prime Rib. I made homemade pecan pie and a good time was had by all. It was an extra special Christmas Eve b/c my sweet nephew Josh, who lives in Houston, was in town. Ella Kate loved sliding with Josh and she has not stopped saying his name. "Joshhhhhhhhhhh"

Ella Kate and Josh sliding!! They did so good taking turns.

They loved to slide. Ella Kate loves saying "slide." She loves to slide with her baby dolls and stuffed animals too.

Ella Kate introducing Josh to Teletubbies. I think he LOVED it.

Two little ones loving teletubbies!

Our 2009 Gingerbread house. Thanks to Nana for the extra help.

Ella Kate and Uncle Kenneth tasting the gingerbread house. Ella Kate wanted "cupcake." She calls all cakes cupcakes.

Ella Kate loved Daddy feeding her icing from the gingerbread house.

Some of the big toys Santa left for Ella Kate.

Close up of her new kitchen and special American Girl doll.

Ohhh how she loves the ball pit with slide.

As soon as she walked downstairs Christmas morning she went straight for the ball pit and wanted to Slide.

She wanted her babydoll to slide with her too.

Daddy putting on Ella Kate's new glass slippers.

Trying on some pants Nana gave her Christmas morning.

Cooking on her new stove. She really got into cooking and serving her babydolls.

She also loved the salt and spices with her kitchen set. She shakes salt on all the food. So funny.

I attempted to get a picture of Ella Kate with all her Christmas presents but she was so busy playing that I could never get her face. Needless to say she was spoiled rotten but it was so wonderful to see the excitement on her face.

Christmas loot.

Getting in her ball pit with her Cinderella glass slippers.

Ella Kate and cousin Josh playing at LeLe's Christmas Day afternoon.

Josh and Ella Kate each got tents and they had a blast playing in them together.

Daddy trying to put up Ella Kate's castle tent. Ella Kate was trying to help and hurry him up.

Sitting at her new table and chairs Nana gave her serving herself and her babydolls the food she "cooked."

Notice the salt shaker. She loves putting salt on her play food.

We had a Merry Christmas and hope everyone else did too!!!

Disney Live and Aunt Laura's Graduation

Below are pictures from Aunt Laura's graduation and Disney Live. Aunt Laura received her Masters in Nursing and we are so very proud of her!!!!

Miss Priss watching Teletubbies (her absolute favorite) before getting ready for Disney Live.

Being silly.

All dressed up for Disney Live. Classic Ella Kate face :)

Ella Kate is really into dressing herself. She loves shoes and wants them on at all times. She loves sitting in her closet like in this picture trying on shoes. If Dave and I do not have on shoes she will go in our closets and bring us some. Lately she also loves putting on her own pants and bloomers.

Taking care of her babies. She LOVES her babies.

Being silly with Daddy before church one Sunday morning.

Big fun with Daddy!!

Ella Kate and LeLe about to leave for Disney Live. Ella Kate was lucky to have her Mommy, Daddy, Papa, LeLe, and Nana all attend Disney Live with her. We had 5th row floor seats so we were very close to the action. I just love the Mickey Mouse ear bows!!!

The girls before Disney LIVE.

Waiting for the show to start (Nana, LeLe, Ella Kate, and Daddy). Daddy and Papa were very good sports.

Hanging out during intermission. Ella Kate loved the Disney spinning light toy that LeLe bought her at the show.

Very interested!

Tiger was our absolute favorite!!!

Some of my favorite characteres.

The grand finale

Ella Kate standing in my arms bouncing like Tiger.

Everyone sitting at Laura's graduation. Notice Ella Kate is showing Uncle Jason her Choo Choo coloring/sticker book.

Happy girls!!

So proud of Aunt Laura.

Congrats Aunt Laura!!!

Group picture of the family at Laura's graduation.

Here Comes Santa Claus, Here Comes Santa Claus

I just love everything about the Christmas season!! And Ella Kate, well she loves everything about it too, except Santa Claus. Yep - she is not a big fan of Jolly Old Saint Nick. Thus far she has seen Santa three times and each time screamed :) The first meeting with Santa was at her school, the second was at Phipps Plaza, the third was at the Poston's house.
Please forgive the screaming this year Santa we promise to work on it for next year :) We also attempted Elf on the Shelf and Ella Kate will have nothing to do with our Elf and even refuses to let me read the book to her :)

Ella Kate with Mommy at Phipps Plaza for our appointment with Santa. She was all smiles until... we got a little to close. The Santa at Phipps is a great Santa and you have to make an appointment to get your picture taken with him. I was so thankful to get an appointment as I heard they sold out in less than 48 hours. Wow!! I made the appointment for a Thursday afternoon around lunch time so that Dave could meet us for pics with Santa and then we could all have lunch together. I knew better than to take Dave to a mall in Atlanta on a weekend during the Christmas season :)

Just a talking and a happy girl waiting our turn. If you ask her what Santa says she says "Ho Ho Ho"

No longer happy :)

Wanted to get down. She was screaming No No No.

Poor Ella Kate and Poor Santa.

Calming down and liking Santa a little better after he gave her a candy cane. She loved that candy cane. We had to pry it away from her b/c the sticky was just running down her face.

Ella Kate's favorite part of our visit to Phipps Plaza was tossing pennies in the fountain. She cleaned Dave's pockets out. After she got the hang of throwing the penny in the fountain she would look at Dave and say "More". I would then get her to say "Please" and she would but if Dave was not quick enough she would reach in his pockets. She is doing really good at saying please when she wants something. So sweet.

Making the big toss

She's got the hang of it.
These are pictures of our third Santa encounter at the Poston's house. Each year the sweet Poston's invite all of their friends and families over to their house to get there picture made with Santa. Ella Kate loved seeing some of her friends but again Santa was not her favorite. The Poston's live one street over from Dave's parents so we met at there house and all went together. Ella Kate played us a song on the piano before we left.

She thinks she is very good. LeLe has a small piano that was Ella Kate's Aunt Dena's in the den however when LeLe told Ella Kate to put something on her piano Ella Kate goes right for the big one.

Classic Ella Kate face.

Ready to walk out the door. Getting Papa's hand.

LeLe, Ella Kate, and the Hastings fam aka Babysitters Extraordinaire. Kelly and the boys watched Ella Kate one night for us while Dave and I went to a wedding and the next morning when she woke up she kept saying King, King. King is the youngest of the Hastings boys and taught Ella Kate how to color with markers. When we got to their house to drop Ella Kate off King (age 6) told me they would color. I told him that he would have to teach her as she had never colored with markers before and King looked at me as if I were crazy. He said, "She has never colored with markers before? Don't worry I will teach her." I think he definitely questioned my parenting skills :)

Ella Kate talking Papa's ear off as usual.

LeLe, Ella Kate, and I trying to stay warm waiting to see Santa.

We were waiting in line to get our picture taken and Ella Kate just decided to take a seat on the ground.

Holding tight to Daddy as we get nearer and nearer Santa

We decided not to even torture her and make her sit in Santa's lap again so we all just kneeled down by Santa.

Ella Kate was at least looking at Santa and not screaming in this picture. She liked him a lot better as long as Daddy was holding her.

Family Shot.