Christmas into New Years ...

So, Christmas has come and gone, New Years has come and gone ... My apologies for the delay in blogging, but it's a crazy time of year. I didn't take too many pictures during the holidays, but enough to reveal a glimpse of the celebration. On Christmas Eve, Eli had a brief, surprise visit from Santa (Daddy). She quickly surmised that it was her father, but humored us by playing along. Later, when her Daddy admitted to donning the Santa suit, she put her hands on her hips and declared: I knew it!

We started Christmas morning with Eli waking the house (Gma, Gpa, Michelle, Lemon, Daddy, and Mommy) around 7 a.m. to open presents. It's a good thing we started early, she only had about 45 boxes to open. Yes, she is an only child. Yes, she is the only grandchild. Yes, she is the only niece to a handful of aunts and uncles. The outrageous amount of presents was a clear demonstration of all of the above. But, it was so entertaining watching her take the time to study and play with each and every toy. The only problem: her birthday is on the 17th. What do we get her? Later on Christmas Day, Uncle Timmy (visiting from Florida) arrived and we were fortunate to spend time with him for a couple of days. Eli adores her Uncle Timmy (we missed you Aunt Simoni!).

New Year's Eve was spent at the Strobecks, Eli's best friend, Claire, and her family. We ordered in from Maggianos, ate some pasta and watched the girls play, and were home by 10 p.m. Big night out! No pictures of New Year's Eve or Day, but there wasn't anything to photograph. We did, however, enjoy the day off! Enough commentary, now I'll post the pics. (One is a straggler from the Thanksgiving holiday. We had a quick visit with the Pierce family on our way out of Erie.)

You may notice that the pre-Christmas Day photos, Eli has beautifully long hair, and Christmas Day and beyond she has an extremely short boy haircut. Well, Eli decided she needed a haircut and did it herself. Now, we all agree that we love her stylish cut, but it was a little drastic. But, hey, it's only hair. It'll grow back. Enjoy the pics.