So You Think You Can Dance!

Ella started dancing yesterday when we were visiting my Grandma in the rehab center. My phone rang and she just started rocking. Now she does it every time.

The many faces of Ella

Babies in a bar - classy, we know

The entertainer did tell the bar that the unusual thing was not that the children were in the bar, but that none of them were crying (at 9ish)!

New Year's Eve

A group of us rented a condo at the Wilderness Territory Hotel and Golf Resort in Wisconsin Dells. There were five families and 7 kids! We stayed in a really nice condo for two nights. On New Years Eve we all arrived in the late afternoon. Each family brought an appetizer and we stayed in and played games that night. I put Ella in her Christmas PJ's and brought her downstairs only to find Keaton in the same PJ's. This is funny because they had the same Halloween costumes too. So we pulled the cameras out.

We attempted to get all 7 kids together in the bed and this is what we ended up with. Notice how well Ella and Keaton stayed exactly where they were told (maybe it's cuz they can't move yet). Luke looks like he's about to kill Ella.
We had a nice kitchen that came with a bunch of husbands.
Whenever I have my camera out, Luke tells me to take his pic and then he asks to see it. He is so cute!

The next day we headed to one of the indoor water parks. Ella had her first taste of swimming. Not surprisingly, she loved it. What doesn't this kid like? Besides peas.

All the hot mamas and their babies. If you're shocked by the size of my boobs, do not be alarmed. They are filled with milk. I'm sure once I'm done nursing that they will go down to their normal size. Hopefully my ass will too!

Are you serious with this picture? The girls headed over to the hot tub to stick our feet in and the babies all fell asleep in our arms. Thanks to Amanda DiMaria for Ella's cute suit. Nick insisted on wearing this nerd hat on the shuttle from the water park to our condo. He was called Clark. After the water park we went out to a nice little Italian restaurant. My Joby gorillapod tripod came in handy!After dinner, the Rojas, St. Leger and Refvik families stayed behind at the bar to listen to this awesome one-man band. We caused quite the stir with the babies at the bar. They were all well-behaved and Ella was even borrowed by a family for a bit. It was pretty awkward but what can you do? Mandy is going to send me a pic cuz I forgot my camera. We all got along and had a great time. It was nice to spend New Years with the kids and friends and the guys didn't have to worry about driving drunk. I would do it again next year. Thanks to Mandy for organizing this fun trip.

How to say Da-Da

I swear, this kids says dada all the time. But, every time I turn the camera on her she stops. I have 10 videos of her saying nothing and the minute the record button turns off, "Dada!"

Christmas with Grandpa Dan

Just when you think Christmas is over...
We always celebrate Christmas with Buzz's dad on December 26th. We took Buzz's dad and his girlfriend Alice to Benihana. Ella sat in a restaurant high chair for the first time. How cute is that?
She was shocked by the way the food was prepared right at your table.

Later, her and Uncle Eric kicked back with a few beers. She's such a bad influence on him.

For some reason, we also celebrated New Years Eve.

Kirsten and Brent kept talking smack to Ella about how they're the favorites.

The poor girl was exhausted after all that holiday fun. Ella was tired too ;)

Christmas Day

This pic was actually taken after Christmas because we did not sleep at our house. These are Ella's Santa presents. Christmas morning we headed to Jeanie's house for breakfast at 9:30...well, okay 9:45. Delicious.

We always take a serious photo and then a goofy photo. Ella, the slugette was taking her early morning nap.

She is such a happy girl!

Ella was pretty darn good at opening presents.

This was pretty funny from Kirsten and Brent...a Barbie car with a message taped to the front saying, "Ella's future car fund," and some cash stashed behind it. Clever.

This sweater was from Ella's aunts and uncles but I suspect that one Jeanie Refvik picked it out.

Ella is always entertained by Jeanie.

Ella got lots of great gifts from the Refviks but was most excited to visit with Aunt Kirsten and Uncle Brent.

Next we headed to my Grandma's house in the city to see my dad's side of the family. Here are all of the cousins except for my sister and her family. Aunts and Uncles

My grandma and her favorite great-granddaughter (her only)

Ella was passed around quite a bit but my parents finally got a chance with her.

Ella opened Joey's present here because by the time we got to my immediate families gift exchange at 12:30 am on X-mas Eve, Ella was asleep.

Ella got more presents and I especially love this hat and flower from my cousin Sherry.

We went back to Jeanie's house for dinner and games and spent the night with Ella and the dogs. What a jam-packed Christmas. More to come...