MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

I know I'm behind (once again!) on this posting, but I told myself that I couldn't update the blog until I'd sent out all our Thank You notes...the mailman took those just an hour ago, so now I can move on to updating pictures and whatnot on here...
Christmas was so much fun this year! I guess that's how it goes for a few years- as long as "Santa" exists, at least...my (Erica's) whole family was here and it's always a hoot to have everyone together. Paul and Jen brought along their Wii and we enjoyed a bunch of bowling, tennis, and Kid Icarus... we're now considering buying a Wii...although until our kids are a little older, we can't "blame them" for being the reason we buy one! I wouldn't want to share it with Elise, anyway...I'm the one with an addictive personality! I would lose HOURS playing that thing.
We had a lot of fun getting prepped for Christmas morning...the girls decorated cookies with Mimi one afternoon and with Uncle Kelly the next morning. Kelly had a good handle on the situation, I'm sure it just looked like Elise was eating her weight in icing and that Ainsley was actually LICKING the countertop for sprinkles! It was cute, though...

Cooking with Mimi...that's Ainsley's smile, I promise.












Watching cookies bake...












Here are the pics of the girls with Santa's plate of cookies. We also added carrots to the plate for the Reindeer to enjoy...that was Elise's idea- she's sweet like that.













Elise was cute Christmas morning as she wanted to open everything of everyone's at the same time. She really "gets it" for the first time this year- relating good behavior with Santa and presents. (Yes, we're fine with the whole "Santa" thing...I know many Christians think Santa is bad, but we go with the "we believed in Santa and turned out just fine." approach. We try to talk a lot about Jesus, too, because we KNOW that's more important. But Santa is cool, too!). Elise was happy to GIVE gifts, too, which was fun to see. The actual Christmas morning was a little overwhelming for Elise, Ainsley and myself...just lots of commotion, lots of little giggles and quite a few shouts of "mine. mine. mine. mine. mine." Mitchell just hung out and took it all in. That's what that kid does. He's sweet and fun like that. =)

Here are a few pictures. Enjoy:

Both girls LOVE their Bean Bags...

Everyone's heard of the "Snuggie"...we found the "couch sack" that is even cooler! With leg holes built in, we think Paul looks like a flying squirrel!!!!! Poor Jen...does she know what she married into with this family!?!

Elise in gorgeous dress that my friend Lacey made.... I love it!
Uncles Paul and Kelly...enjoying their Jester hats on Christmas morning...

In Princess dresses from SC friend Allyson...they looked adorable!