Friday, December 26, 2008

An Ellis Christmas...

Christmas has come and gone...the tree and decorations will soon be down - the house can be restored to order!! I love that feeling... altho- it seems so bare and empty.
Christmas Eve day I had 3 appraisals so took Glenn with me. We were home by 11 and he worked in the basement while I typed up the reports and started making dinner. We had Prime Rib with au jus, twice baked potatoes, corn in butter, rolls and Martinelli's - rootbeer for Glenn cuz he can't stand Martinelli's. It was so nice having a candlelight dinner and just the 4 of us. After dinner we cleaned up and the kids got to open 2 presents... tradition... PJ's and an ornament. Here's a photo of the kids in their PJ's. Christmas Morning... usually they kids wake us up at 5 - YES I said 5 - I know we are crazy - but this year the kids let us sleep till 7. Altho- they did get up at 2 something in the morning....again tradition... my brother and I started this tradition and my kids GLADLY carry it on. They are allowed to open the presents in their stockings (usually little stuff) and they can organize the presents. So they got up... and Glenn didn't like them up and being noisy - so they went back to bed at 2:30.
Kaitlin has got to take that tonsil shot every year!! She has to post her funny tonsil picture of herself on her blog - I dare you Kaitlin!!!! :)
Glenn getting his most wanted- most asked for present this year - Call of Duty - World at War
The BIG surpirse present!! We have ALWAYS told them - time and time again - "they don't need cell phones - they WANT cell phones. They can't have a cell phone until they get a job and buy one for themselves" Welp - this year I have seen a need for phones... they have 'borrowed' mine on numerous occasions. So Black Friday shopping day Glenn and I were out, they had a stinking good deal on some phones and I twisted Glenn's arm enough that we got them new phones. It was sooo hard keeping that a secret from them for a month - expecially when they would plead with me how much they 'needed' one!! They were SOOOO surprised and SOOO happy. It was fun making their day a HUGE success!!
Checking out their new phones... they tell me they will be texting more than they will be talking - so we'll see!! Already seems to be true - since that's all they've been doing the past day! Seems alot of their friends are happy they have cell phones (what a home phone isn't good enough anymore?? )
Once we got the the craziness from the morning cleaned up and everything organized we got ready for round 2. My dad & his wife and her son, my brother & wife and their 6 kids were over at 3. We had a ham with some fixings and celebrated round 2.
Glenn, Glenn, Hailey and Jeff
Glenna, Dad, Sara, Makenna, Kaitlin, Abby, Glenn, Hailey, Jeff and Ben
Kaitlin and Hailey

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Band Concert

Kaitlin had her winter band concert - it was nice - BUT it was wayyyy too long. A little over 2 hours... We didn't get home till 9:30 - tell me, why did they schedule this the week of finals??
Kaitlin did a good job. She wasn't looking forward to it, since she had to wear her new band uniform. She tells me she is dropping band next year cuz she doesn't want to march in the marching band (and he made it mandatory if you are in band you have to march) and she can't stand the band uniforms!! :)

She plays the flute and picked it up rather quickly. When she started in 7th grade she advanced from beginning band to regular band and now she is 2 points away from being 1st chair.. 1 point from 2nd chair. 1st, 2nd and 3rd chairs are all soooo close!
I think the band uniforms are pretty spiffy lookin' but don't blame her for not wanting to wear it - I would have been the same way!!


Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Lookie....Lookie!!! :)

I got a new accessory for my villages!!!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

O' Cristmas Tree

I absolutley LOVE this time of year and seeing all the pretty lights (not some of the LED ones - they seem so off to me).
I had fun shopping after Christmas last year and got lots of new things. It was Christmas morning putting up all my new decorations. We changed where my villages went and Glenn built me a new set up so I can expand my villages. That is one of my favorite things to put up. I decided my 9' tree was just TOO big and kept it in the box. So last year I got a 7.5 ft pre lit slim tree for $25 and we put that one up instead. I love having 2 trees, had 2 growing up and just like having 2. One is pretty and has a theme and the other is fun family tree.