Christmas Highlights

The morning began when we heard Elliot and Ethan whispering downstairs. They were reading the note that Santa had left for them, and getting very excited! Here they are looking adorable in their new Christmas jammies...

Elliot was thrilled to get a beautiful new American Girl Doll that she named Isabella. My dad made her the cutest little armoire, and my mom filled it with a new wardrobe of amazing handmade clothes.

Ethan loved his air hockey table... a few fights may have ensued, but what's a hockey game without a fight?

My parents and brother surprised Joel and I with a ski trip! We are so incredibly excited! We've decided to wait to go until after the race in a couple of weeks. Now is not the time for injuries! But the award for the most creative wrapping job definitely goes to my brother. He placed our gift certificate inside this innocuous looking box.

 The box was filled with an inflated balloon and then covered with "snow". He had rigged some string through a series of pvc pipes, taped one end of the string to the lid of the box, and then taped a sharp toothpick to the other end of the string. When we pulled the lid off, the string pulled through the pipe and the toothpick popped the balloon. We were then showered with an explosion of snow... perfect for a ski present!

The, uh, 'kids' got these little things called plasma cars...

Then the 'adults' got a hold of them. They were too fun! We chased each other all over the house in them...

There might have been some drinking and driving...

 But at least we were carpooling as well.

We really had a great day. The kids played with new toys, we played lots of cards and board games, we ate queso and cookies all day long... Perfect... What could be better?