Christmas Eve {2013}

Christmas Eve found us at church, worshiping.  Then home to read the Night Before Christmas.  Grace is trying to memorize the whole thing which she's doing pretty well with.  Maybe next year she'll be able to recite it to me without any help.  The girls got their Christmas pajamas as they do each year.  This year we added house shoes to the mix.  They love that they get pj's plus it means they get to open ONE gift! 

Cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer.

Thank you letters to Santa for all he does. 

Goodbye letter to our Elf Ella.  We sure do miss her when she's gone.

 

The children all nestled and snuggled in bed...  I take pictures of my girls sleeping each year on Christmas Eve.  They enjoy seeing these as much as I do.

The presents ready to be given.



Breakfast spread all out and ready.  I made our traditional, my mom's monkey bread.

Off to bed the Mr. and I went around midnight to be awakened at.....

ella 10 & 11

Ella's been up to her antics again.

 

Grace and Sarah woke up with red noses with Ella holding the evidence.

The girls were thrilled and wanted to go to school this way.

Ella you are a creative one!

 

One morning we found her on her own ski jump, complete with pillow landing. 

 

The fun continues.

ella 9

Ella's been into the coffee, Art's St. Louis Cardinals cup was empty and dirty.

 

She also took a ride on the coffee carousel after building a wall of apple cider.

 

I'm sure the coffee intake had something to do with her busy-ness last night.

ella 8

Ella's been causing quite the stir this week with her antics. 

 

 The latest is a race between Barbie, Ella and the Lalaloopsy girls. 

The girls are wondering how all of this went down without them waking up.  It's the magic of Ella!

ella 6 & 7

Peek-a-boo Ella.

 

Ella hidden amongst her friends under the tree.

 

ella 4 & 5

Ella, holding onto the end of a role of toilet tissue.  The rest of that role decorated the tree on the way down.

 

We think Ella has a thing for sugar :).

 

ella 3

Ella was caught with the marshmallows.

 

Sarah thinks she ate half the bag and should have a tummy ache.

 

Grace thinks she took a bath in them.

 

Either way, she's cute and quite a character.

 

What will we do now for our hot chocolate?

 

ella 2

The girls woke up this morning to find Ella in her silliness.  She and Hermey had hitched up the sleigh with Rudolph leading the way.  Looks like they went on a joyride in the night.

 

Over breakfast I heard the girls talking about their ideas on how this came to be:

 

Sarah - "She made Hermey and Rudolph come to life with her magic and they flew around the house all night."

 

Sarah - "Hermey is an elf so they MUST be boyfriend and girlfriend now."

 

Grace - "Ella took the string out of Mommy's school bag and made the reins so they could fly."

 

Grace - "Ella was busy last night!"

 

She looks guilty and mischevious doesn't she :).

 

What will she doe next?

welcome Ella 2012

Our Elf on the Shelf is here, straight from the North Pole.

 

 She (Ella) has picked a strange place to hang out.  The girls of course think it's exciting :).

 

I wonder what kind of shennanigans she'll get herself into this year.  Last year she was pretty tame but we've heard with each year they become more and more mischevious.