Holiday Highlights

Christmas 2011 will go down in the books as the year we first hosted Christmas for family members. My parents, two brothers, and grandmother were our guinea pigs. Everyone had a great time (so they say!), so we're hoping we'll host family again. The more the merrier!!

Christmas morning, before the kiddos came on scene:

One of Nixan's favorite gifts was the lava lamp....for some reason he has been bewitched by them and was soooo excited to have his own.

Sage with her first American Doll......poking those strange, blinking eyes:

Hogwarts!!! The boys were so excited to get building these Legos.

Opening my new camera...a fancy one that I'm waaaay under-qualified to operate!

Nick with his new mitt....he and the boys got gloves. Looks like we'll be venturing into the world of baseball soon! (Be still my soccer-loving heart!)

The box set. Number two on Carson's wish list.

Sage wasn't too thrilled with her Christmas gifts and went right back to her favorite B-day gift:

And here she is flirting. She blinks both eyes when she's trying to be charming....it's almost as if she's trying to wink....whatever it is, it's pretty stinkin' cute!

Kage: Anything having to do with pilots/flying is a perfect gift for our cadet.

Treyson scored big with more and more Cars cars:

Mom and Grandma Elliott: What beautiful women I have to look up to!

(And that's a new birdhouse, fyi)

Apparently, Uncle Chaz and Aunt Sara figured the risk level for broken bones at our house was too low. So they upped the odds and sent us a pogo stick. Actually, it's pretty awesome. I keep telling the boys that they're lucky there's a weight limit for it, otherwise I'd be schoolin' them on it. (And since I can't prove it, they don't know I'm lying!)

Christmas morning, right after church:

Handsome Air Force Academy Cadet

Carson's favorite Christmas gift:

And Nixan on his new bike too...sooo happy....

....until he crashed into a cactus. Whoops...guess getting used to that bigger bike might take a little while. Look closely at the picture to see all the little thorns (or whatever they're called):

Getting into the boys' toys....Sage's favorite pastime:

Picking oranges and grapefruit. The fruit this season hasn't been the best....supposedly the prolonged summer heat and record temps had some ill-effects. But the fruit is free and that's a pretty sweet perk of living in the citrus corridor of Mesa. Nick and Nixan:

Eating out at some of our favorite local establishments was also a highlight of the Holidays:

There were many ping pong triumphs. But I think Nick is still the one to beat. I don't even play him even more. If I can't see the ball coming, then how am I supposed to return it, I say?!

Saying goodbye to our Christmas decorations....farewell gingerbread house:

And farewell festive art projects!