Catching Up

I have fallen way behind on posts. I have so much to share but will start with just a few pictures and videos to try and catch up a little!

Thanksgiving

Chef Eric and Chef Ellie prepared this delicious vegan feast for us to enjoy on Thanksgiving!


Christmas Fun

Santa visit


Christmas card picture


Christmas slide at the Children's Museum



Santa at the CM


making cookies



singing carols with friends


Christmas dance recital



Christmas

Ellie's new best friend.



Josie opening a favorite ball, Ellie with her new laptop, and Charlie dog happy with a new bone!


"Handy Ellie" already making a birdhouse with her new tool set from Santa.


Ellie's new "monster feet" and Josie's new piano.


sisters


LOVE this random picture!


Ellie's Birthday

Ellie turned FIVE on the 28th. I can't believe it! The main thing she wanted to do for her b-day was go sledding so we braved the freezing cold and went for it.

We lasted about 15 min but Ellie was happy!



Ellie with the cake she made and decorated herself. She is such a big girl now!

I hope everyone has had as much fun this holiday season as we have! It really has been a blur of activities but we feel so blessed to have so many fun things to do and so much wonderful family and friends to celebrate with! I have many more pictures and videos to go through so check back for more cuteness coming soon! :)

Ballerina Ellie

Ellie's professional pictures in her recital outfit... (taken 2 months ago)

Recital

Ellie did great at her dance recital on Friday! The actual recital was professionally video taped but here is my video of Ellie at dress rehearsal. (I was a room mother and had to be on stage so the video is from the side...)




Ellie's class, lined up to go on stage. Ellie is on the far right.


Dress rehearsal. Ellie is on the far left.


Waiting behind the curtain on recital day.


Finale.

*I was not able to get pictures of the actual dance but Ellie did great and looked adorable :)

Christmas Dance Recital

Ellie did great!





waiting...



third from left
(I only had my regular camera so a few seconds are missing from when I changed it to zoom in.)



practice

Beautiful Ballerina

I finally let Ellie wear to ballet one of the big poofy tutus that we made. I have been worried that it would be a distraction and it was only just a little. I caught her looking at herself in the mirror a lot today! Do you blame her though? Look how beautiful she is!



coloring with her friend Sophia after class

New Ballet/Tap/Tumbling Class

Ellie took a short session of a new ballet class this summer. This class also does a little tap and tumbling. I (and Ellie too) like this new class so much better than the other one she was in so this is where we will stay when it starts again in the fall.




On the last day of class, the girls surprised us with this cute little tap performance. I love it!

Ballet Recital

professional picture

before show in dressing room

far right->

The recital video is on our video camera but I did happen to catch this cuteness on my other camera. This is in the dressing after her performance where they had to wait FOREVER for the finale performance. A bunch of the older girls were playing musical chairs and Ellie just invited herself right in! She has never even seen musical chairs before but she didn't care...she wanted to be a part of it. Notice that she is playing a pretend trumpet while marching...